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ranilla-bean · 7 months

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culture tips for writing asian settings: calligraphy (pt i)

i love chinese calligraphy, to me it is just so gorgeous and i've dedicated a few scenes of my own fics to it, so here are just a few quick 'n' dirty calligraphy tips:

the calligraphy scene in sokka's master (illustrated by korean animators!) is a pretty good depiction tbh. you write using a brush (the brushes can be hung up on a stand too)—it can be jarring to see fics mention quills or parchment. one excellent detail from the show is that sokka, who seems left-handed, has to write with his right hand—the left hand holds the sleeve out of the way. the ink is not liquid/bottled, but is in a solid stick form and has to be ground on an inkstone mixed with water

traditionally, chinese text is written downwards, and goes from right to left across the page.

as with any other form of calligraphy, chinese calligraphy emphasises beauty of form over legibility—in the same way you wouldn't really consider times new roman font 'calligraphy'. there are different types of script in chinese, and for someone like piandao to master them is a reflection of his education and gentility. the semi-cursive below i see quite commonly in calligraphy:

then you might have something like the cursive below is quite technical but seriously hard to read

contrast that with something like this seal script, harking back to an older era of chinese script:

any calligrapher worth their salt will be putting their stamp on the work, quite literally! name seals, also called "chops", are carved out of stone; ink it up with cinnabar paste and stamp it onto your artwork to get that iconic red signature. (i got one made a couple of years ago and there's a trick to stamping: breathe on the stamp surface after dipping in the paste to warm up the pigment, and when stamping put some circular pressure on the stone to get the print to come out evenly)

i'm going to do a second part focusing a bit more on scripts from the atla world, so keep your eyes peeled...

check out:

some more calligraphy examples from singapore's national gallery

disclaimer | more tips

#atla #atla culture #atla meta #avatar the last airbender #piandao #sokka #asian culture tips #some of the most beautiful calligraphy i saw at singapore's national art gallery #a really cool contemporary twist on the form #i took photos but my old lens was soooo bad so i don't have the specific ones i really liked but do check the link out <3

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auyuyu006 · 3 months

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Johnshi HCs

I'm sorry most of these aren't explicitly romantic I just have so many HCs about the two of them it's driving me crazy.

Johnny holds Kenshi by the waist, Kenshi holds Johnny by the shoulder or the bicep. After some time Kenshi starts to go for his hand instead.

Johnny is on his phone all of the time. Kenshi will either avoid the internet for a week or plays chess on the computer at the kitchen table for a day straight without talking to anyone (secretly uses Sento for this).

Kenshi has good spirits (literally) when it comes to his blindness, but can get very defensive when others pity him for it. Johnny is the only other person he will let touch his blindfold, take it off, or wash it.

Kenshi doesn't love the name "Johnny Cage" and thinks that "John Carlton" suits him. Johnny thinks that it sounds like an "old man's name"

Kenshi would visit Johnny on set sometimes but not say or do anything but sit in the background and watch him in silence until he was done.

Speaking of that- Kenshi had a good time filming in Outworld for Johnny's movie (made him feel like an action hero), but absolutely refused to watch the parts he was in.

Kenshi thought Johnny's movies were mostly cheesy before and after meeting him. However, he ended up rewatching all of them and got excited when there was news he got cast for a new one (before they started to officially date).

Johnny was a pretty good student growing up who made A's and B's as per expectations of his parents but hated school because he got picked on. He got into a decent university where he ended up falling in love with physics. He accidentally became famous around the time he was 20 (maybe he got street casted and went viral?) and had to balance acting with school to get his pHD. He is that school's most famous alumni.

Kenshi was mostly homeschooled by his parents and did not show much attention in academics in his youth due to his intense upbringing in the yakuza. This is something that he regrets but accepts that it wasn't really his choice to begin with. However he is quite knowledgable, knows broadly about history and literature, and can speak multiple languages (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English, Spanish). He also learns braille relatively fast after losing eyesight.

Kenshi thinks it's so hot that Johnny has a pHD but also thinks its so strange he doesn't do anything with it. (It's a backup plan so he can write textbooks if his career tanks)

Johnny is great at drawing due to it being a hobby growing up stemming from him being a major comic book fan. Kenshi isn't very artistic however used to be able to do mediocre calligraphy (a skill he learned from his parents) before he became blind.

Kenshi breaking into Cage Mansion the second Cris left was admittedly pretty awkward for him (but he was too distracted by Sento to rly care).

Kenshi tries to not let it get to him, but he is saddened by the fact he cannot read properly anymore. Johnny tries to support him by buying him every audiobook in every language he understands. Kenshi will sometimes ask Johnny to read to him mostly because he loves the sound of his voice.

At first, Kenshi tried to get Sento to help him with daily tasks (cooking, cleaning, etc.), but after talking to Kuai Liang he tries not to rely on Sento on anything non-kombat related.

Kenshi has a slight lisp (I'm sorryyyy this isn't rly a hc but you can hear it in his intro dialogues he still sounds like a badass tho i think it's super cute thank god for Vic Chao)

Johnny makes their home a "smart home" a.k.a 30 Alexas in every room of their place, and a Samsung fridge he can live tweet from while making green juice.

Kenshi sometimes used to drive with Sento in the back seat and got arrested for it one time. Now he gets told off by Johnny for it every time he tries it again.

Kenshi will only drink milky coffee (lattes, cappuccinos, etc.) and prefers tea. Johnny hates coffee and tea and pounds red bull in the morning.

Kenshi used to care a lot about his personal style and mostly only wore suits and dress attire. After losing his eyesight, he didn't care as much anymore and just focused on wearing things that were comfortable (sweatpants, sweaters)

Johnny buys Kenshi soft fluffy things to wear all the time. Kenshi always says it's unnecessary but ends up wearing it anyway.

In MK1 Johnny is 32, and Kenshi is 39 (I like the idea of Kenshi being old it just makes sense to me). It both amuses and horrifies Kenshi that he's dating a white man 7 yrs his junior.

Johnny calls him "old man Takahashi" and Kenshi just goes along with it and says "get off my lawn you punk" or something LOL

I think Kenshi was more of the brawny "tough guy" of the yakuza than the suave, seductive type. He has more of an awkward and stony personality. And the fact that he was desperate to get out makes me think he wouldn't entertain the "flirty" role of the job. (a.k.a Kenshi is BAD at flirting unlike a certain someone)

Johnny sometimes helps Kenshis clunky azz samurai gear on before he engages in kombat. Johnny is also the reason Kenshi sometimes gives up and just wears a suit.

Kenshi shops like an old Asian dad. LOVES Costco, will eat all of the samples. Will buy everything on sale even if he doesn't need it. Will not take Johnny with him because his megastardom ruins the peace of being unrecognized. Has taken Raiden with him though. Will use Johnny's credit card. Johnny is dismayed that he hasn't taken a liking to Erewhon and Whole Foods

When Johnny isn't there with him at night Kenshi will play his movies and fall asleep to the sound of his voice

Kenshi will have sex with the blindfold on. He will fall asleep next to Johnny with it off.

Kenshi doesn't like sleeping with the blindfold on, but was worried it would scare or disgust Johnny in some way. It doesn't and it never did. In fact, Johnny appreciates the intimacy that it creates.

#Johnshi #Johnshi hcs #Johnny cage #kenshi takahashi #johnny x kenshi #mk1 #maybe i'll write more of these #johnshi isn't even my fave mk ship lol #these are so kenshi centric #now you know what character i have projected onto #mk brainrot

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journeytothewestresearch · 3 months

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WIP: Sun Wukong's Powers and Skills

I'm currently working on a comprehensive list of Sun Wukong's magic powers. Here is just a taste from chapters two to four.

Bold black = magic power Bold red = acquired non-magic skill Bold green = claimed magic power that is never actually demonstrated Bold orange = inborn talent?

Ch. 2

Early education #1: human skills - “[H]e began to learn from his [senior immortal] schoolmates the arts of language and etiquette” (與眾師兄學言語禮貌) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116). - Note: We all know that Monkey failed his etiquette classes.

Early education #2: religious skills - “He discussed with them the scriptures and the doctrines; he practiced calligraphy and burned incense” (講經論道、習字焚香; i.e. ritual procedure) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).

Wukong’s knowledge of scripture and philosophy pops up a few times in the novel. For example, he subsequently becomes enraptured by Subodhi's lecture on the Dao and Chan (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).

Early education #3: gardening skills - “In more leisurely moments he would be … hoeing the garden, planting flowers or pruning trees” (閑時即...鋤園、養花修樹) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).

Immorality (1st category) [1] - This is achieved via oral formulas (口訣) and breathing exercises (自己調息) at prescribed times (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 120-121). - The stipulated Chinese hours are before zi (12:00-14:00) and after wu (12:00-02:00) (i.e. noon to midnight) (子前午後). However, historical real world practice is reversed: after zi and before wu (i.e. midnight to noon).

Adeptness (i.e. quick learning) - “But this Monkey King was someone who, knowing one thing, could understand a hundred!” (這猴王也是他一竅通時百竅通) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 122).

First learns the “Multitude of Terrestrial Killers” (地煞數; a.k.a. “72 changes,” 七十二般變化) - This requires oral formulas (口訣, a.k.a. “oral spells,” 咒語) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 122). - This sometimes requires a magic hand sign and a shake of the body (see below).

First attempt at “Cloud-Soaring” (騰雲) - Subodhi mockingly calls this “Cloud-Climbing” (爬雲) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 122).

First learns the “cloud somersault” (觔��雲) - This requires a magic sign, an oral spell, a fist clinch, and a body shake (捻著訣，念動真言，攢緊了拳，將身一抖). It takes him 108,000 li (里) in a single leap (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 123). - 108,000 li = 33,554 mi or 54,000 km [2]

Multitude of Terrestrial Killers (i.e. 72 changes) - This requires a magic sign (捻著訣) and an oral spell (咒語). He transforms into a pine tree (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 124).

Cloud somersault - He flies from the Western Continent to Flower-Fruit Mountain (i.e. from one side of the world to the other) “in less than an hour” (消一個時辰) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 125).

First use of the “body beyond body” (身外身法; a.k.a. “magic of body division,” 分身法) (i.e. hair clones) - This requires chewing and a “change!” (變) command. Small clone monkeys are used to overwhelm and beat up a monster who is three zhang (三丈) (31.29 ft / 9.53 m) tall (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 128). [3] A passage explains: - “For you see, when someone acquires the body of an immortal, he can project his spirit, change his form, and perform all kinds of wonders [出神變化無方]. Since the Monkey King had become accomplished in the Way, every one of the eighty-four thousand hairs on his body could change into whatever shape or substance he desired” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 128). - 原來人得仙體，出神變化無方。不知這猴王自從了道之後，身上有八萬四千毛羽，根根能變，應物隨心。

Cloud somersault - He flies 30 or 50 monkeys and property (pots, bowls, utensils, etc.) home from captivity to Flower-Fruit Mountain (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 129).

Ch. 3

Martial arts (武藝) - He “teach[es his monkeys] how to sharpen bamboos for making spears, file wood for making swords, arrange flags and banners, go on patrol, advance or retreat, and pitch camp” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 131-132). - 教小猴砍竹為標，削木為刀，治旗幡，打哨子，一進一退，安營下寨 …

Cloud Somersault - He flies east from Flower-Fruit Mountain over “200 li of water in no time” (霎時間過了二百里水面) to the Eastern Continent (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 131).

Blows a mighty wind (陣風) - This requires a magic sign (捻起訣來), an oral spell (咒語), and taking a deep breath (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 131-132). A poem states that it puts the world into chaos: - Thick clouds in vast formation moved o'er the world; Black fog and dusky vapor darkened the Earth; Waves churned in seas and rivers, afrighting fishes and crabs; Boughs broke in mountain forests, wolves and tigers taking flight. Traders and merchants were gone from stores and shops. No single man was seen at sundry marts and malls. The king retreated to his chamber from the royal court. Officials, martial and civil, returned to their homes. This wind toppled Buddha's throne of a thousand years And shook to its foundations the Five-Phoenix Tower (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 132). - 炮雲起處蕩乾坤，黑霧陰霾大地昏。江海波翻魚蟹怕，山林樹折虎狼奔。諸般買賣無商旅，各樣生涯不見人。殿上君王歸內院，階前文武轉衙門。千秋寶座都吹倒，五鳳高樓幌動根。

Body beyond body (i.e. hair clones) - This requires chewing and a “change!” (變) command. The small clone monkeys carry an armory’s worth of weapons (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 132).

Magic of displacement (攝法) - This is a spell that carries the weapon-laden monkeys on wind (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 132).

Monkey claims to have a number of supernatural powers: - “I have the ability of seventy-two transformations. The cloud somersault has unlimited power. I am familiar with the magic of body concealment (身遯身, a.k.a. 隱身法) and the magic of displacement. I can find my way to Heaven or I can enter the Earth. I can walk past the sun and the moon without casting a shadow, and I can penetrate stone and metal without hindrance. Water cannot drown me, nor fire burn me” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 133). - 我自聞道之後，有七十二般地煞變化之功，觔斗雲有莫大的神通；善能隱身遯身，起法攝法。上天有路，入地有門；步日月無影，入金石無礙；水不能溺，火不能焚。

Magic of water restriction (閉水法) - He travels to the Dragon Kingdom (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 133).

Super strength - He effortlessly toys with a 3,600 catty (斤) (4,682.61 lbs / 2,124 kg) battle fork and a 7,200 catty (9,365.23 lbs / 4,248 kg) halberd (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 134). [4]

Super strength - He lifts the 13,500 catty (斤) (17,559.81 lbs / 7,965 kg) iron pillar in the dragon treasury (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 135).

Opens a waterway (開水道) - He uses the magic of water restriction to return to Flower-Fruit Mountain (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 137).

First use of the “Magic Method of Modeling Heaven on Earth” (法天像地的神通), a 10,000 zhang (萬丈) (104,300 ft / 31,800 m) tall giant form - This requires bending over and screaming “grow!” [長!]. This form has: - “[A] head like the Tai Mountain and a chest like a rugged peak, eyes like lightning and a mouth like a blood bowl, and teeth like swords and halberds” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 138). - 頭如泰山，腰如峻嶺，眼如閃電，口似血盆，牙如劍戟

Immorality (2nd category) - This is achieved by inking out his name from the ledgers of hell [生死簿子] (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 141).

Ch. 4

Cloud somersault - It is much faster than those of ordinary immortals (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 145).

Travel to heaven - Refer back to ch. 3-#6A (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 145).

First use of “three-headed and six-armed” (三頭六臂) war form - This requires a “change!” (變) command (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 155).

Staff multiplication - This is done millions of times over (以一化千千化萬) to face Nezha’s own countless weapons (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 156). - The multitude of armaments are said to “clash like horned-dragons flying in the air” (cf. Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 156).

Body beyond body (i.e. hair clones) - This requires a “change!” (變) command. Monkey creates an autonomous decoy to distract Nezha while he slips behind him to land a staff blow (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 156).

Immortality (3rd category) - This is achieved via heavenly imperial wine (御酒, a.k.a. “Immortal wine,” 仙酒 and “juices of jade,” 玉液瓊漿) (Wu & Yu, vol. 1, p. 159, 165, and 167).

I'm currently on chapter 16, so it will take me a while to finish, especially since I'm simultaneously gathering info for several other articles, including mirrored essays for Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

Once I've gone through all 100 chapters, I will put each instance of a particular power into its own category (transformation, super strength, hair clones/tools, etc.) and then analyze everything as a whole. The Google Doc containing the list of powers will be attached to the analysis.

This project was partly inspired by a previous effort made by @the-monkey-ruler.

I'm open to feedback.

Notes:

1) In place of using “layer” or “level,” I’m choosing to designate his various immortalities as “categories.” This is because a new layer of divine longevity or durability would surely be added for each immortal peach, elixir pill, or cup/jug of heavenly wine consumed. Hence, eating multiple peaches would be one category, eating multiple elixir pills would be one category, and so on and so forth.

2) It’s important to note that 108,000 li is a metaphor for instant enlightenment (see section III here). Therefore, power-scalers should not use any instance of this as a feat.

3) One zhang (丈) comprises ten chi (尺, a.k.a. "Chinese feet"), and during the Ming Dynasty, one chi was roughly 12.3 in or 31.8 cm. This makes one zhang 10.43 ft or 3.18 m (Jiang, 2005, p. xxxi).

4) During the Ming, one catty (jin, 斤) was 590 grams (Elvin, 2004, p. 491 n. 133).

Source:

Elvin, M. (2004). The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China. New Haven (Conn.): Yale University Press.

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

#Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Journey to the West #JTTW #Monkey King powers #Sun Wukong powers #Lego Monkie Kid #LMK

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daily-dragon-drawing · 4 months

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Hi! I noticed this note on one of your posts!

I have some advice if you’d like!

The main guide to remember is that the order generally goes from left to right, and top to bottom

Here’s an example! I’ll use the word 你 to start off

I put every stroke in order and in red, and in a 米字格 so it’s easier to see how it’s being written

Generally, most characters in Chinese follow this order in some way, so you can write pretty much any character with this!

Here are two more examples! 我 and 绿

Even with more complex characters, they still follow a similar order

After sometime getting used to stuff, it becomes more of an instinct to know what order strokes are in

I hope this helps you! :>

Your calligraphy is super gorgeous by the way and I love the names you come up for your dragons!!!

You don’t have to answer this btw just wanted to help

This is super helpful thank you so much!!! 💗 I really appreciate this explanation :D

#not dragon #artistheworld #chinese language

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quitealotofsodapop · 8 months

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Thinking about a scenario where the Ink Demon/Ink MK/Curse the gang encounters in S4 accidentally forms an outer conscieness.

I feel like it gains sentience partially from MK refering to the Curse as a being separate from the Scroll - and not solely as a tool created to torment it's prisoners. Almost like a magic artifical intelligence.

I could see MK finding a way to contact the demon, mostly to gain greater insight on things he's mentally avoiding. Like by writing with an enchanted ink set, or with the ink left behind by the Curse's rampage.

MK, putting ink brush to paper: "Hi?" *The ink begins to blob and shape itself into words* Ink Curse, as writing on the paper: "You could have just used a pen, idiot." MK, excitedly writing back: "It's you!!" Ink Curse: "Why do you seem excited? Are you a glutton for punishment?" MK: "So, I know your whole thing is to pick people apart mentally, right?" Ink Curse: "Yes. I was spawned from the ink used to detail the crimes of those written into the scroll of memory. It is my purpose. Like how you were made for-" MK, writing over the response: "Yeah yeah chaos and destruction and stuff I know that part. But like, when I got home... I started thinking about the other stuff and... you seem pretty good at voicing thing people don't want to know about themselves. It almost feels I dunno... catartic almost? (is that how you spell it)? Ink Curse: "It is spelt Cathartic. And If you take any comfort in what I did, then I have failed my purpose. Or you are hopelessly dense." MK: "But thats the thing! I didn't feel comfortable! You dragged me out of my comfort zone and made me think about junk. It's actually helping me a little in coming to terms with... what I am." Ink Curse: *doesn't respond for some time* "You are strange." MK: "I mean, I guess. I'm writing to a demonic ink curse instead of going to an actual therapist. Hope to talk to you again soon Mozhi*!" Newly dubbed "Mozhi": "Excuse me?"

*"Mozhi/Mòzhī/墨汁" - meaning "squid ink" or the ink used in traditional chinese calligraphy.

And since putting a name to something gives its power, "Mozhi" begins to manifest beyond ink and paper. Ink stains and monkey handprints litter the apartment. The magnets on MK's fridge start rearranging into swear words. The menu at Pigsy's shuffles to critique minor flaws in the kitchen. Mei starts recieving scathing texts from an unlisted number. The tv starts glitching in the viewer's insecurities.

Eventually the gang break down MK's door to figure out wtf is going on, only to see an Ink!MK physically pull itself into the 3d world from the Cursed ink. Everyone starts screaming.

Macaque, laughing: "Oh my gods, I know what happened here - I've heard of it happening before in shadow demons. MK gave the ink Curse a name and that gave it power to, quote a little puppet made of pine; become a real boy." Ink Curse/Mozhi, stumbling like a newborn fawn: "Why is my body being pulled down?" Wukong: "It's called gravity, spot. You get used to it." Ink Curse/Mozhi: "You are actively floating." Wukong: "Yeah, doesn't mean I have to like gravity."

In his "physical" form, Mozhi looks like monkey!MK with inky black fur and colder toned skin - his facial marking a smeared grey color with a distinct heart-shaped outline. He reduces to his inky form when physically damaged or when he wants to "hop into" a book or artwork. Dislikes sunlight/heat, it dries him out.

And because he is no longer within MK's head/the scroll, he's a lot less all-knowing. He is however scarily perceptive of others thoughts and fears, and loudly narrates his opinions on things.

Red Son: "Is that a sentient ink curse?" Mozhi, mockingly: "Is that an emotionally-constipated daddy's boy who almost destroyed the world with a toddler temper tantrum, and still refuses to admit that he's more morally righteous than he lets on?" :3 Red Son, flames up: "Oh its on, you glorified Rorshace test!" MK: *sprays water bottle at them* "Down! Both of you! Mozhi, I said no commentating on people's inner thoughts!" Mozhi: "If y'all actually went to theraphy, then there would be nothing for me to talk about."

This also makes Mozhi the best person to roast somebody when the others are too busy/emotional to do so on their own. And since he mirrors the power of the person he's roasting, it gives him Jester's Immunity to damage from angry Celestials.

The Jade Emperor: "Why is there a loose ink demon in my throne room?" Mozhi, giggling manically as he morphs into an ink!Emperor: "Hahahahahaha~ wow. Ruler of all beings, mortal and divine. And you can't even recognise yourself. Disappointing really. Then again, can't expect much from a glorified intern that was gifted the throne and hasn't done much else since." *Vicious Mockery continues for many hours*

Mozhi is however... kinda bad at admiting and recognizing his own feelings? He's never had any before that weren't projections of others. Is this what true sadness feels like, or does he just need to get some sleep? Can come off as cold, even when trying to be geniune. He's just not used to having emotions or empathy yet.

Enjoys fictional works that dive into the concepts of meta-fiction and medium awareness, ex; Deadpool, Bandersnatch, and Doki Doki Literature Club.

#lmk ink mk #lmk the curse #lmk ink demon #lmk aus #lego monkie kid #lmk s4 spoilers #lmk character ideas

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mirra-kan · 3 months

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Hi Mirra!

Have you written any headcanon, metas, discussions, or fics about your concept of the "Faithful Haradrim"? If so, could you please tell me where to find them? If you haven't yet, would you mind sharing some info of your headcanons (anything at all) about their history and culture?

I'm a big fan of your Harad artwork and concepts (including the Blue Wizards), and it's all clearly founded on a rich, complex world you've created for them in your head. I would definitely love to learn more! :) I do also plan on including more about the Haradrim culture and history in my upcoming fanfics, so I would love to hear an expert's ideas on them.

Thank you for sharing your work with us!

@sotwk Was very happy to discover your message in my ask box!

Thank you for your interest and willingness to include more Haradrim content into your writing, but I'm afraid you might find my views rather... boring 😆

I also must apologise in advance if any of my phrases may not seem polite enough or turn out to be grammatically incorrect - English is not my first language.

Disclaimer! What is written below represents my personal view! It is in no way intended to hurt or discredit anyone’s head canons, views and ideas!

My Chinese calligraphy teacher once told me: "Do you want to assume or to learn? Decide on the approach before you make theories about anything."

And I follow the strategy of "to learn" before I "assume". So, first and foremost, I'm still in search of bits of information about the peoples who inhabited Harad and Rhun (South and East) of Middle-earth.

My goal is not so much to create head cannons as to draw the audience's attention to the canon and the Professor's own vision. Accordingly, in working through his letters, essays, and volumes of the History of Middle-earth, I am trying to draw parallels that someone as educated as Professor Tolkien might have drawn.

I also categorically disagree with the images created in the movies, where the conventional evil is more caricatured than frightening, and the motives and history of the conflict are not shown at all (Faramir’s saying about Haradrim’s fate is at least included, which is great, even if it wasn’t his in books). When my best friend dragged me into the Silmarillion story couple of years ago, I was amazed at how distorted the perception of these regions was in adaptations.

So, thinking about the existence and struggles of Faithful Haradrim, I rely on the history of the region and possible historical patterns. Such a vast region simply cannot have a common culture. It is the idea that can unite them. But, as in our reality, cultural features, symbolism and colours may differ. For example, we know that those who came with Sauron's army, performed under red flags with snakes. Does that mean that the entire vast region walked exclusively in the same colours? It seems unlikely to me.

As for the Blue Wizards, blue in general is a colour very 'inherent' to many cultures in the Global South. I suppose that's why the Professor dressed Alatar and Pallando in those colours. And accordingly, in my opinion, Faithful Haradrim could use these colours in their robes and on their banners, but not necessarily. It is not the colour that reflects the inner essence of a person.

Of course, when thinking about this or that image, I think about where exactly these people live, what the level of metallurgy development is present in different Ages, whether there is a sea or mountains nearby - all this affects how their armour\architecture\symbolism could have developed. In general, I draw parallels with real anthropology and the history of the development of civilisations. Books about the regional patterns, military and weapon history etc are of big help here too.

Sometimes, of course, I make things up. For example, when I first read the lines about the Blue Wizards not returning to Valinor, I didn't take it in a negative light. After all, they could have stayed in Middle-earth willingly, having become attached and imbued with the problems of the region, of the people. After all, Alatar and Curumo were the only ones who were not afraid to volunteer to fight Sauron.

I also like the later version, in which the Blue Wizards arrive in the Second Age. It makes more "sense" given the nightmare that the Númenorians had wrought in the region. But even among them, I'm sure there were some people who sympathised and helped the local population. I don't believe in black and white in principle. But I do believe in post-truth.

So, in essence, I'm a boring canonist who treats the author's writings and views with great respect. And the myth of the Haradrim and Easterlings being bad guys by all accounts is almost as well-established as the supposed lack of religion, holy Dunedain and cute glowing elves. Which is, in my opinion, in no way consistent with Tolkien's own philosophy and stance.

Perhaps what I came up with from scratch was a sign, a Faithful Haradrim symbol, that those could use to identify each other. People need symbols, faith and ideas. Especially in such trying times. That's the way we are.

Oh, I'm afraid if I go on, it'll be a whole essay. So I think I'll stop here. Thanks again for your question and your interest! I'm sorry if I disappointed you, haha. Good luck with your writing - I'm so happy there're people out there, who're genuinely interested in the region! ❤

P.S. If everything goes well, I plan to release a zine about Harad at the end of the year. With quotes and the obligatory notes of personal theories not to confuse the reader.

#tolkien #lord of the rings #lotr #silmarillion #middle earth #haradrim #artmirka #harad #easterlings #rhun

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senualothbrok · 16 days

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Ages ago @dolceaspidenera tagged me in this game but I didn't have a chance to play. Doing this now because it's fun! 🥰

Rules: Use this order and insert images according to how you view yourself/your character!

I'm doing this for the protagonist of The Difference:

MIA ZHANG

Animal — Snow Leopard. Solitary and elusive. Adapted to cold and barren landscapes, able to withstand harsh living conditions. Not generally aggressive (unless necessary for survival eg hunting).

Place — Yorkshire Dales. Endless, rolling hills, and a kind of bleak, unflinching beauty. Random ruins litter the landscape.

Plant — Potentilla. Symbolises resilience of inner character, the ability to endure and overcome life's struggles. It also has healing qualities.

Character — Sisyphus. In Greek mythology, he was a disgraced king who was punished by the gods by being forced to roll a boulder up a hill for all eternity, only for it to always roll down to the bottom. Reconceived by Albert Camus as an absurdist hero in "The Myth of Sisyphus".

Season — Winter. The harshest season to endure, but if you survive it, spring comes with new life.

Hobby — Mia practises Chinese calligraphy. It helps her find her centre and focus on the moment.

Color — White. A blank slate, seemingly empty, but leaving room for new possibilities.

Crystal — Red Agate, also known as the warrior's stone. Associated with passion, self love and perseverance.

Food — Onigiri. A simple, unassuming food, but filling and comforting, often made for others as an act of kindness and love.

Tagging (no pressure to play of course): @practicallydeadinside-blog @alpydk @theletteraesc @hotnerdywizard @miradelletarot @auroraesmeraldarose @galedekarios @messiahzzz and anyone else who wants to play!

#tag game #mia

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hardwareabstractionlayer · 11 months

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The trouble with collecting merch is it’s difficult to stop once you start. This Jingsu enamel pin is by the prolific 长风万里, who is responsible for some of the most iconic NiF pins (check out the weidian store for a partial selection). Like many fan-made pins, it’s a re-rendering of a scene from canon, in this case episode 52 [x], where Jingsu look on as thunder and wind portend the storm brewing on the horizon after Princess Liyang has agreed to present Xie Yu’s confessed crimes at the Emperor’s banquet.

The pin emphasizes the storm in both design (bamboo leaves scattering in the wind) and name: 风雨同守, loosely enduring the tempest together. As for why the image has been transposed onto a tattered scroll, the pin maker said the inspiration came from rubbings/拓印 and elaborated some more:

Personally, I think of this as an excavated artwork (with the surface damaged in its old age) that was created out of Jingyan’s longing. As if Jingsu actually existed in history and will live on for a long, long time. 我自己把这个当做是一件出土的画作（年岁久远画面有所破损），是景琰怀念所做。就好像历史上真有他们的存在，靖苏真的来日方长。

Historically, rubbings not only create an impression of existing artwork but are themselves artworks that take skill and patience. The typical process starts with adhering paper to a stone carving, then ink is dabbed to the paper such that the flat surface takes on the color of the ink while carved areas remain white (here’s a process video). Collecting rubbings was a popular pastime of the literati, and rubbings of good calligraphy were especially in demand for study and appreciation, serving a similar purpose to block printing in allowing many people to see replicas of an original. The originals may have also come from a non-stone medium: some artworks originally on paper or fabric were replicated onto stone so that rubbings could be made and collected [x]. Nowadays, ancient rubbings are valuable artifacts, especially in cases where the carving has been lost.

The rubbing influence is very clear in the second version of the pin, here juxtaposed against one of its inspirations:

Though the text on the right rubbing says it’s from the Tianping Era of Eastern Wei, Year 2/魏天平二年 (535 CE), which is contemporaneous with the Liang dynasty that loosely inspired the fictional NiF Liang, I couldn’t find an actual historical artwork corresponding to this rubbing, and the mass antique market is flooded with fabrications (it’s also thoroughly possible I simply failed to find the original). But here’s a real fragment of a stone Buddhist votive tablet and its rubbing that’s now at the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong [x]:

The text says that this was made in Tianping Era, Year 3, one year after the one above, and describes the building of a Buddhist pagoda in offering, which was a common practice at the time. This monochromatic rubbing style was also quite typical; though both black ink and red ink (cinnabar-based) rubbings existed separately, they were not really seen in combination in a single rubbing until much later. What is believed to be the only surviving book of bicolor rubbings before the modern era was made in the Qing dynasty around the 1800s and was itself a copy of a lost multicolor work from the same dynasty [x].

In this context of transference of art and meaning between mediums, it’s all too easy to imagine a backstory for this Jingsu scroll: first there was a stone carving, close enough to the actual scene that the artist must have worked from Jingyan’s memory of that day. Instead of the more common approach of carving the outline or the background, the artist decided to carve the foreground so the figures were sunken into the stone. And later, a rubbing was made and mounted onto a scroll, buried and excavated, then finally rendered from fiction to reality in the form of an enamel pin. Each creation is an act of remembering and reinventing, of placing yourself in the observer’s shoes, of stoking the flames of the original story—the fire burns on through metaphorical wood replaced over the centuries, its appearance ever-changing, its core not forgotten.

That’s enough of reading too much into things—I also like the pin on its own. One thing that 长风万里 does well is not just sell pins but also communicate the entire behind-the-scenes process with the QQ group, which is several months’ worth of iterations that I find at least as interesting as the final product. For this pin, you can trace through chat logs how the pin evolved all the way from the original concept sketch to the pieces of metal that fit in your hand (thanks to 长风万里 for letting me share the draft versions here):

Once the pin maker comes up with an idea and decides to go for it, the initial sketch is given to the commissioned artist (this pin was drawn by Forwrite, on weibo and lofter) along with reference images. The artist turns these into a line drawing following the design rules of enamel pins (each block of solid color should be fully enclosed by lines, for example). Some artists will color in the line art while other pin creators commission only the line art and fill in the colors themselves. The final colors are limited to the available palette at the factory chosen to make the pins, and once the color vector art is handed to the pin factory along with instructions on detailing and finishes, the physical manufacturing process begins in earnest (this could be the subject of its own long post).

You may have noticed that there are some color changes from the vector design to the physical pins, most notably the sky in the top pin. This came about as a serendipitous accident where the factory colored the sky of the sample pin dark blue instead of the requested sunset yellow, but the pin buyers active in the group chat liked the dark blue enough that it was kept as the final color. The light grayish blue variant ended up being chosen for the backing card/背卡 instead:

Though backing cards are nominally named for their purpose in supporting the pin, practically no one sticks their pins through these cards in Chinese fandom; instead, collectors generally buy cases and books to keep each piece in pristine condition. And so unlike utilitarian cards that are meant to serve as a background to the pin, fully designed backing cards that stand on their own are very much a thing. The card also adds back in the iconic Jingsu lines that were in the original concept sketch, I want to choose you, Your Highness Prince Jing/我想选你靖王殿下 from Mei Changsu and Sir and I are as one person/先生与我如同一人 from Jingyan.

And now for the last part of the merch package that comes with the pin: the wooden piece on the left is an inscribed bamboo name slip/名刺 meant to resemble what MCS might have presented Jingyan when he visited his manor in episode 9 [x]. This was a preorder bonus to encourage buyers to get on board early, since the upfront costs to commission the artist and get a sample made at the factory are a significant portion of the overall costs (if not enough people preorder, the pin is canceled and the payment refunded, and the pin maker has to take the loss of at least the artist’s fees).

Name slips were the ancient analogs to modern business cards and an important tool of connection building in the ancient bureaucracy. The tradition of presenting a slip before you visit someone’s residence, especially if you’re lower in status than the person you’re visiting, persisted for many dynasties while the form of the slip evolved over time. Even though the visitation slip in canon appeared to be a bound paper booklet, folded books wouldn’t appear until the Tang dynasty—though paper was invented in the Han dynasty, it took time for the manufacturing process to improve sufficiently for a fundamental shift in writing mediums. Bamboo slips were what they would have used in the real Liang dynasty (plus, the modern-day replica is objectively great merch that can be used as a bookmark/fidget stick/cosplay prop/whatever else you can think of).

Slips from around the NiF time period generally stated some combination of your given name/名, your courtesy name/字, the region you’re from, and some boilerplate deferential language. Here are two real ones from Huang Chao/黄朝 and Zhu Ran/朱然 of the Three Kingdoms period next to MCS’s, with the meaning of some phrases listed in parentheses after the literal translation (using two of MCS’s names is a good solution for the lack of courtesy names in canon):

To balance out all the white background product photography, I’ll close with some texture shots:

#cost for everything was ¥90 or about $13 #overseas shipping not included #先生与我，如同一人 #chinese fandom #nirvana in fire #琅琊榜 #merch review #long post

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hel-the-growl · 1 year

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Cultural Annotations on New Gods: Yang Jian -Part 3-

Part 1｜Part 2

I counted five periods of Yang Jian’s life that were depicted within the scroll.

1 - his childhood.

2 - teenager cleaving Peach Mountain. His hair is in a half updo, opposed to his full updo as an adult. The totem on his pauldrons is most likely Yazi (睚眦) - the second son of the Dragon King, who has the body of a dragon and head of a jackal. As a creature that likes to fight and is aggressive, Yazi’s image is often used to adorn armor and weapons, normally found on cross-guards on swords. The Yazi here is a cute pup, fitting for baby Jian.

3 - As a general in the war against Shang. His armor is decked with a red cape and he wields his signature trident. On his helmet are a pair of pheasant tail feathers called Lingzi (翎子) - which is indicative of the wearer as a warrior figure. The length of the feathers is also an indicator of the warrior's rank. This event was probably during the Battle of Muye, the decisive battle between Shang and Zhou. These flashbacks, like with Nezha Reborn, are the traditional depictions of the characters and are emphasized by the different art style.

4 - the disaster of the three realms twelve years ago. In Journey to the West, he was described as wearing “boots that were lined with cloth of gold; dragons coiled round his socks; His jade belt was decorated with the eight jewels”. He seems to have gained a new chest plate and notice how Yazi has also grown over the years from a cute pup to a ferocious beast with large fangs.

5 - bounty hunter. A tie-dyed bandanna covers his third eye - tie-dye was popular during the Eastern Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, where the extraction method of indigo dyes was recorded in the agricultural text Qimin Yaoshu (齐民要术).

His clothing is also described in chapter 40 of IOTG - “This Daoist wore a cloud crown with a fan, a robe the color of water with a silk sash around his waist, and hemp shoes on his feet.” This attire was typical of Disciples of Chan Daoism.

Wrist guards wrap around his index finger while his bounty hunter’s tally hangs from his belt. Despite falling into poverty, he still maintains an air of aristocracy with his white robes showing subtle intricate cloud details.

Blink and you’ll miss - during the battle at Mount Hua, he ripped his pants at the crotch lol.

Not that I think that the placement of Go pieces have any real significance, but I recreated the board for fun. Despite some minor inconsistencies (some black pieces disappeared and reappeared between shots, and the spot where Yang Jian hovered his piece is an illegal move), the game was mostly accurate. Btw, black is winning.

Yang Jian had a noble upbringing and has retained his discipline over the years - his left hand is clenched while his right palm lies flat on his lap.

What the hell is a Fenix? In the movie, the Xuan Bird was translated as Fenix, however there is no direct english equivalent for this mythological bird. “Xuan” means black or mysterious, so some sources describe it as a black bird, while others call it a swallow. The Book of Songs dedicated a line to it: The Book of Songs dedicated a line to it: "The Xuan Bird of destiny descends to give birth to Shang."

Fa Tian Xiang Di (法天象地) translated as “Heaven and Earth I rise to Thee” is the law of heaven and earth that is commonly mentioned in ancient texts. In Journey to the West, invoking Fa Tian Xiang Di grants the user the power to rise as high as the heavens and as vast as the earth. Only Erlang and Sun Wukong have this ability.

The inscription on Yuding’s giant sword reads “福生无量”, a Daoist mantra. They are written in small seal script, an archaic form of Chinese calligraphy, and a variant form of seal script that became the standard during the Qin Dynasty. The characters are separated by the horizontal lines of the eight trigram figures.

The moment Yang Jian knew exactly what would happen when Chenxiang ran toward his mother, yet was powerless to stop him. This scene BROKE me.

In the post credits scene, Yunxiang (Nezha) asks Wukong “you couldn’t beat him?”, a nod to their battle at the beginning of Journey to the West where Erlang was able to subdue Wukong after 300 rounds of fighting.

In the teaser for the sequel, Yang Jian is seen overlooking East Sea City/Donghai (the same city Nezha: Reborn was set), commenting “so many years have past again”. What he meant was, about 1500 years since Chenxiang cleaved Mount Hua. “So many years” is a gross understatement.

FAQs

What is Yang Jian’s origin story?

Yang Jian is a disciple of Chan Daoism, the third generation disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, known as the Primeval Lord of Heaven, one of the highest deities of Daoism. The Jade Emperor really is his uncle. According to some legends, his mother Yaoji was imprisoned under Peach Mountain for falling in love with a mortal, breaking the laws of heaven. Yang Jian cleaved the mountain in order to save her.

If he’s heaven's prince, how did he fall so low? And where is his uncle the Jade Emperor?

Yang Jian doesn’t exactly have a great relationship with his uncle. It was the Jade Emperor who imprisoned his own sister under Peach Mountain, and Yang Jian wrecked havoc in heaven over this incident (not unlike what Sun Wukong did a few hundred years later). So obv he doesn’t associate with the other gods in the heavenly court, choosing instead to live elsewhere along with his six sworn brothers of Plum Mountain.

As for the whereabouts of the Jade Emperor, this is something the movie has not hinted. However in Nezha Reborn, Ao Guang mentioned it’s chaos up there [in heaven] right now.

If Yang Jian lost his powers, how was he able to phase through the jail’s barrier and overpower all of his opponents?

Most of the powers he lost pertain to the powers of his Eye of Heaven, which had the ability to differentiate truth from lies and see through deceptions and disguises and be used as an offensive weapon to fire continuous, highly destructive blasts of light energy and/or divine fire. He also lost the ability to manifest his primordial spirit, as well as the ability to fly. He does however retain his skills in the martial arts, primarily his “Nine Turns Mystical Arts” (九轉玄功), which grants him vast, physical durability of undefined limits and nigh-invulnerability to conventional weapons and various magic spells. His 72 transformations should be a part of this skill so whether he retained it or not remains to be seen.

It would be awesome to see him be able to transform though, it would suck if he were stuck bounty-hunting for the next 1500 years.

So how powerful is Yang Jian exactly?

In Journey to the West, he was unrivalled and the most ruthless among all of the gods - even the Monkey King could not defeat him. Another time, he single-handedly killed a beast that Wukong and Pigsy were struggling to fight. At the beginning of the movie, we got to see him finish off the ogre before it even had time to react. When outnumbered by Boss Hai and his goons, none of them could even lay a finger on him. Yang Jian is so powerful that even with his powers nerfed, the toughest opponents seem like small fries to him. During the battle at Mount Hua, his primordial spirit was so unbelievably massive that its body couldn’t even fit in the frame. The combined efforts of four gods could not hold him down and just one swipe of his axe was able to destroy Master Yuding and three heavenly kings. Yang Jian is no joke.

How old is Yang Jian?

We know that Yang Jian was born after Jiang Ziya, a real life figure who was born in 1128 BC. Jiang Ziya was peers with his master Yuding, who already had a head of gray hair when he took Yang Jian in as a child. Going by this logic, we can estimate that Yang Jian’s age was about 20-30 when he participated in the battle against Shang, making his birth year between 1075 and 1066 BC. His age when he cleaved Peach Mountain is a broad estimate, as he looked much older than Chenxiang when he cleaved Lotus Peak, so it might not be that long before the events of IOTG. Yang Jian would’ve been about 1512 years old when Chenxiang was born, 1525 at the start of the movie, and 3093 years old today.

What is Yang Jian’s relation to Nezha?

They were allies. After the final battle in IOTG, a few of heaven’s warriors including Yang Jian and Nezha came to court to inform that they did not desire positions and wealth and asked to be liberated from service.

How does this tie in with Nezha Reborn?

I read a tragic leaked original ending for Yang Jian where they weren't able to free the fenixes and he was the one that becomes trapped under Lotus Peak. It took another 1000 years before Nezha freed him... talk about tragic life. By now, it is pretty much given that Yang Jian ending up in Donghai over a millenia later has something to do with the new Order of the Gods. It was repeated in Nezha that Ao Guang wants to establish a new order to improve his ranking on the list, and some theories say that the the fenixes being freed from Mount Hua heralded the end of the old Order. Sun Wukong also alluded that the list had been re-ordered more than once.

Part 1｜Part 2｜Part 4

#erlang shen #二郎神 #new gods #new gods: yang jian #yang jian #新神榜 #杨戬 #新神榜：杨戬 #xin shen bang #jttw #investiture of the gods #lotus lantern

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graysonsebert · 2 years

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China/Chinese/Asian art/calligraphy aesthetic ❤️ • I own all images • creation credit: me •

#china #chinese aesthetic #asian aesthetic #asian art #east asia #chinese calligraphy #calligraphy #calligraphy art #red aesthetic #travel #travel aesthetic #chinese art

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alex-the-nonsensologist · 8 months

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Disney Dreamland - Part 2: Adventureland

Due to my quirk of wanting each land’s name to reflect a broad genre, Frontierland was basically merged into Adventureland (I know westerns are their own genre, but I felt it too niche compared to the other genres I picked). I tried my best not to be stereotypical in regards to certain areas. Cultural experts would be consulted (both native to their country and diaspora).

Also, I should mention, I friggin' love carousels. I put at least one in each genre land. I'm just that nuts about them.

Imperial Courtyard

This area would be similar to the China Pavilion in EPCOT, but more focused on fiction and mythology. Includes a lovely lotus pond garden to sit and relax in. Would have Lunar New Year celebrations in the winter. Disclaimer: I may be a child of Hong Kong immigrants but I grew up a full westerner New Yorker. Please consult cultural experts. At the moment, my mind’s eye is picturing this area neatly tucked away in a corner between World Galleria and the rest of Adventureland.

Sun Wukong the Monkey King / Journey to the West: Dark ride. I only recently learned that despite Sun Wukong being a popular character, he is not in fact the protagonist of Journey to the West. I think centering it on either Sun Wukong’s life and backstory, or the actual journey to the West with the other characters could work. The art style would resemble Chinese calligraphy paintings come to life. I would also love an original song that ties the entire ride together, in the same manner as “Compass of Your Heart” from Sindbad's Storybook Voyage in Tokyo DisneySea.

Mulan stage show: Would contain well-choreographed martial arts stunts, alongside musical performances, with “Make A Man Out of You” being the big showstopper combining both. For the design aesthetic, I’m thinking of something similar to Mulan’s float unit in Shanghai’s parade.

Zodiac Carousel: Under a lovely red and gold Chinese pavilion roof. Features twelve rows of animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Could be located inside the garden.

Jade Phoenix Tea House: Chinese tea, pastries, and dim sum.

Golden Dragon Restaurant: Table service.

Equatorial Tropics

Blends from Polynesia to Africa.

The Enchanted Tiki Room : The only thing I’d change is have a new cast of host birds, to make it unique. Maybe there could also be a temporary Lilo and Stitch / Moana overlay during the summer months.

Polynesian Terrace restaurant: Table service.

Jungle River Cruise: Obviously would not include condescending stereotypes of natives. Otherwise, I would like it to be distinctly unique from other versions of the ride with a new storyline and skipper commentary.

“Treetop Village” : My park’s equivalent of the Swiss Family Treehouse. I wanted to have a suspension bridge entrance like Anaheim’s version used to have (as Tarzan’s Treehouse), which I thought looked so cool, and then I thought about putting my treehouse on an island in the Jungle River Cruise, like Hong Kong’s, with the bridge crossing over the river from the walkway entrance. Then I thought, why not make it a whole village of treehouses on the island, all connected by suspension bridges? It would be limited to a handful of trees so as not to disrupt the Jungle Cruise ride too much, but would still have plenty of scenic views for guests to see. There could be a few interactive elements for guests to play with, such as rope and pulley systems, to simulate the illusion of functioning living quarters. Maybe even include a couple of swings.

Tales of Anansi: Dark ride. A stylized retelling of the Anansi stories with a unique art style, in the same manner as how Lion King was adapted for stage. This is partially to look cool and unique, and partially to avoid Anansi looking too creepy for anyone afraid of spiders. Please consult cultural experts.

Circle of Life buffet: Cuisine from Kenya and Tanzania, the countries of inspiration for The Lion King. But just for fun, one of the desserts could be Timon and Pumbaa’s Chocolate “Mud” and Gummy Bugs.

Disney Dreamland Railroad Adventureland station: Styled after a jungle trading post

Pirate Cove

Visually based off the Adventure Isle area in Paris’s Adventureland. Includes a walkthrough ship, a restaurant ship, a small island (Skull Island), and a picturesque waterfall. This area would probably be outside the railroad perimeter, accessible through a mountain tunnel.

“Pirates Ride” : I think Pirates of the Caribbean is a very neat ride. I have a lot of mixed feelings regarding *ahem* certain scenes, but that’s a lot to unpack for another time. I do not want this version of Pirates to have anything to do with the movies, which while entertaining, I feel have overstayed their welcome (but I will admit the scenery in Shanghai’s version of the ride is breathtaking, both real and digital, and the battle climax is definitely exciting). Rather than copying the classic ride, I would love it if Imagineers would come up with a brand new story with a brand new set of pirates in another part of the world. That said, I have no issue with Jack Sparrow being a walk around character in the area.

“Pirate Explore Zone”: Inspired by the various walkthrough ships in Disney Parks. Could also extend to Skull Island, which includes caves you can wander around, inspired by Le Ventre de la Terre underneath Paris’s version of the Swiss Family Treehouse.

“Pirate Stunt Show”: An action stunt show on the water utilizing floats.

“Pirate Ship restaurant”: Quick service.

X Marks the Shop: Pirated themed merchandise.

Wild Western Frontier

The start of “Frontierland”. Part typical Wild West town, part Native community featuring adobe pueblos, part Grand Canyon-style rock formations. Please consult cultural experts.

Western River Expedition: Based on the never-built attraction by Marc Davis. Would be tweaked to avoid any stereotypical portrayals of Native peoples. Please consult cultural experts. The river flume would be crafted to intertwine with Big Thunder’s railroad. Also includes a snapshot photo-op at the final drop, like Splash Mountain.

Big Thunder Mountain: Mostly the same, but I would rearrange to have the train pass through the underground Rainbow Caverns at the end before the unloading dock. Story could go that in trying to find the last motherlode of gold, you accidentally trigger explosions that nearly trap you, but end up unearthing the caverns; pretty much like the Mickey Mouse short Nature's Wonderland that homages this ride and its predecessor. Lesson being that in life, you may not always find what you want, but sometimes you find something else just as valuable.

Cowboy Carousel: Would appear to be built out of wood. Could resemble a farm enclosure. Horses in cowboy hats and bandanas. This is not really a necessary addition to the area, but as I mentioned, I LOVE carousels and could not resist putting it on this list.

Golden Horseshoe Revue restaurant: American cuisine and BBQ and saloon stage show. Table service. (I have yet to experience this in the existing parks, but I’d like to some day.)

General Store: Cowboy-themed merchandise.

“Native Legends of the West” / “Legends of Coyote”: Dark ride designed in a Native art style. Please consult cultural experts. Could retell various legends of the region, but for a more unified story it could focus on the trickster character of Coyote.

Native-owned shops: Authentic Native American artisan crafts. Shout-out to @disneylanddilettante for the idea. Could feature live demonstrations and workshops for kids, along with guides to explain the cultural significance.

Land of the Dead restaurant: Mexican cuisine. I wanted a place that could be themed as a nod to Coco, my favorite Pixar movie, without being heavily IP themed. Actual Día de Muertos celebrations would only happen in the fall; this restaurant would basically allude to the daily lives of the inhabitants of The Land of the Dead the rest of the year outside of Día de Muertos. Please consult cultural experts. Would include a live mariachi band.

Rivers of America

Embodies the calmer aspects of Frontierland, however I still think they fit neatly into Adventureland if you think of life itself as an adventure, with this area being the "take it easy" part. The northern coast of the river would be on the edge of Mysteryland, part of that land’s city themed area, but with the buildings facing the river themed to New Orleans.

Fort Wilderness Island: Themed to a summer camp.

Fort Wilderness River Rafts: Transport to and from the island.

Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes

“Tall Tales Campfire”: Stage show retelling of classic American tall tales. Does not have to be a literal campfire, as that would limit the shows to nighttime only, not to mention be a hazard.

Camp Woodchuck Kitchen: Based on the restaurant of the same name from Tokyo. Quick service. Waffle sandwiches and s’mores brownies. The original three flavors of waffles sandwiches were Fried Chicken and Maple Sauce (Huey), Bacon and Vegetables and BBQ Sauce (Dewey), and Shrimp and Avocado (Louie).

Johnny Appleseed stand: Apple tarts, apple fritters, apple fries, caramel apples, and apple cider.

On the coast of the river:

Mark Twain Riverboat

“Musical Americana Animals”: Animatronic stage show inspired by The Country Bear Jamboree and America Sings.

Tiana’s Palace: New Orleans cuisine. Tiana’s signature beignets and swamp gumbo are a must. Jazz band playing live music, with appearances by Louis the alligator and performances by Tiana and Naveen. There could even be a short Mardi Gras show every hour.

Other parts:

World Galleria

Mysteryland

Fantasyland

Create-It-Land

Discoveryland

#disney parks #disney dreamland #armchair imagineering #adventureland #frontierland #theme park design

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shinsengumi-archives · 9 months

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Wachigaiya Itosato

I found an awesome movie about the Shinsengumi and the courtesans from Shimabara! Specifically, the love story between Tenjin Itosato and Hijikata, and her hatred for Serizawa, based on a novel with the same name.

Description: wiki.d-addicts.com/Wachigaiya_Itosato You can download it here:

Part 1: https://disk dot yandex dot com/d/LaL22oOn5sEc2

Part 2: https://disk dot yandex dot com/d/AzyZntzneP5GM

Or here (with Chinese hardsubs or English machine-generated subs): https://archive dot org/details/wachigaiya-itosato

The film is called "Wachigaya Itosato". Wachigaya is a former tea house in Shimabara that has survived to this day: here it is:

Filming was done right at the site. By the way, if anyone wants to see the actual Shimabara, here is a whole tour from zajcev_ushastyj.

Here is a map on Wikimapia:

And here's the address. By typing it into google maps, it will take you right to the front of the Shimabara gate: 150-2 Yakuencho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture.

Itosato in the movie is a tenjin, then a taiyu from the Wachigaya house. The two girls in the movie, Itosato and Kichiei, were not invented by the authors. They were the names of the two girls who slept with Serizawa's henchmen, Hirama and Hirayama, on the night of Serizawa's murder. I feel like that's where it's headed here too

The details of the costumes of the Shimabara taiyu and tenjin are meticulously rendered in this movie. The hairpins, the red collar, the "three-legged stools", and even blackened teeth.

And even the Japanese language is old-fashioned, just right for that era - the Kyoto accent of the girls (oh, their "okureyasu"!), and the frequent "sessha" and "de gozaru" of the men.

Unlike all the other Shinsengumi movies, here the "Wolves of Mibu" are shown mostly through the eyes of the Shimabara girls. Not all of them. Mostly Hijikata and Serizawa and their buddies. But the others are there too, only a little bit. For example, Okita with the kids:

Or Kondo with calligraphy and O-Ume, Serizawa's mistress:

Serizawa here is surprisingly played by the same actor who played Sutesuke in the Shinsengumi taiga drama! He definitely has a talent for playing unpleasant people 😅. He plays Serizawa quite well.

Another surprise - Hirayama Goro, one of Serizawa's friends, is played by the actor who played Harada in the taiga drama :). Even though he's on the "bad guy's" side here, he's still charming 😅

And finally, Hijikata. Ooh, Ito Hideaki! In the beginning, he's like this simple and shaggy Miburo:

It's funny how they first explain to him that when entering a decent establishment, you have to surrender your weapon, and also who are the Taiyu. The Roshigumi were staring out of the window at the curiosity passing by:

Hijikata declares to the owner on behalf of everyone, "We want one of these right here right now." He throws a large sum of money at the owner. But the owner replies that they couldn't get a taiyu right away, but a tenjin, no problem. Two tenjin come, one of them Itosato, and Hijikata stares at her with his mouth hanging open. And then, when she serves him sake, he guesses that the girl has bad eyesight. "My brother has bad eyesight, so I was wondering if you have it too..." The tenjin was embarrassed: "Don't tell anyone, please!"

At the end of the cultural event, everyone bows peacefully and says goodbye:

Then Todo catches up with the girls and hands Itosato a note from Hijikata. Two ryo are embedded in it, but the tenjin didn't have time to read the text, because at Shimabara's gate, there's a commotion and Hijikata immediately kills one of the dastardly Choshu, which makes a second lasting impression on Itosato:

Well, with the situation at the gate under control, the girl reads the note, and there is a haiku about the "ways of love" 😂 Completely different from Hijikata's actual handwriting, but still written clumsily:

And then… Serizawa, in a fit of rage, kills Otowa-kottai, Itosato's favorite "big sister" (I must say, this taiyu had been making a lot of trouble for herself). Hijikata comes to Wachigaya to apologize, Itosato screams that she never asked for Serizawa, Hijikata consoles her in a reserved, manly way…

But not in the "manly" way that Itosato would like. She waits and hopes for the relationship to develop - is she a tenjin or what? Her friend Kichi-chan got along with Hirayama a long time ago:

And Hijikata just invites Ito-chan to take a walk to the eye doctor 😊 Cute scene!

On the way back, Hijikata asks the girl if she has accidentally fallen in love with him. Ito-chan immediately admits that she has, and Hijikata admits that he didn't expect such a direct answer…

And then Itosato complains to her friend that "Hijikata-chan" treats her like a child. Yeah, and he teases her too. It's a pure fanservice moment, a la the Shinsengumi medical checkup. Only here, people are just trying on new clothes:

And Hijikata says, "Hey Ito, it's a shame you don't have good eyesight - you can't see a normal man properly". And he throws off his robe…. Anyway, it's a must see 😂

Along the way, he discovers that old Hirama has a soft spot for Itosato, and Serizawa discovers that Itosato has a soft spot for Hijikata... Anyway, Serizawa forces Hijikata to literally put this tenjin under Hirama. And he agrees because he has to kill Serizawa. And Ito-chan agrees because she imagines Hijikata in Hirama's place, and she keeps saying "I love you" to him… Although Hijikata-chan is kind of mean to her, to be honest 😅

In addition, the movie has training in the dojo, Saito-san coming out of the torture room, and Matsudaira's order to kill Serizawa, but it's mostly about the girls. There are no subtitles (except for Chinese), but that's not a big problem for this movie.

#film #red light district

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idontknowanametouse · 2 months

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Genshin cringe headcanons part 6: Liyue teens

This post reclaims the term "cringe". If you use it as an insult or is triggered by it, please DNI

Name: Chongyun

Gender: transmasc demiboy, he/they/ice/ghost

Pictures of Character:

Appearance: ethnically chinese, has albinism, white hair dyed light blue, blue eyes.

Age: 16

Sexuality: asexual gay

Personality: optimistic, introvert, easily exciting, naive, does not understand lies, sarcasm or jokes.

Area of greatest ability: exorcism, books

Likes: ghost stories, snow, small mamallians, cold tea, Xiangling's food (the non-spicy one)

Dislikes: pranks, not seeing ghosts, being "drunk" with ices yang energy

Fears/triggers: big animals, being alone, needles

Kins: winter, shiny things, soft stuff, light blue, marbles, paint

Family: Shenhe (biological aunt) Xianyun (adoptive grandmother)

Relationship status: dating Xingqiu

Friends: Xiangling, Hu Tao, Yanfei, Gaming, Qiqi, Baizhu, Itto, Yelan, Tartaglia

Disabilities: autistic, ADD, fibromyalgia

Belief: believes Rex Lapis and has taoist-like practices

Name: Xiangling Maö

Gender: cis girl, she/her

Pictures of Character:

Appearance: ethnically chinese, black, chubby, spoon-kind body, black eyes, braided curly black hair, burn scars on her hands and arms

Age: 14

Sexuality: abroromantic, greyromantic, asexual

Personality: easily exciting, very forgiving, naive, extrovert, may be invasive without knowing

Area of greatest ability: cooking

Likes: travelling on the Crux, making food for her friends and family, getting/hunting new ingredients, onion, fried crystalflies

Dislikes: being limited by other people, when people are rude

Fears/triggers: dying from cold, losing Guoba

Kins: bear, fire, food, cherry blossoms

Family: Wanmin (biological dad) madam Ping (adoptive grandma) Yaoyao (biological little sister) Yanfei (adoptive cousin)

Relationship status: single

Friends: Chongyun, Gaming, Hu Tao, Xingqiu, Beidou, Ganyu, Xinyan, Thoma, Tartaglia

Disabilities: ADHD, dyspraxia, Guoba acts as a service animal and helps her on day to day tasks

Belief: believes Rex Lapis and has taoist-like practices

Name: Yanfei

Gender: trans girl, she/it

Pictures of Character:

Appearance: ethnically chinese, white skin, pink hair, black eyes, dark circles, vitiligo

Age: 16

Sexuality: asexual lesbian

Personality: just, ludical, daydreamer, idealistic, easily exciting, sometimes way too anxious

Area of greatest ability: knowing of the law

Likes: studying the penal code, insects, playing with its hair, reading, tofu

Dislikes: showing off her body, fishing, cold food, when bad people pay their way out of their responsabilities

Fears/triggers: being called a freak, yelling, being abandoned

Kins: sand, clay, antlers, books, fire

Family: Xiangling, Yaoyao (adoptive cousins) Wanmin (adoptive uncle) Ping (adoptive great-aunt)

Relationship status: dating Hu Tao

Friends: Itto, Shinobu, Xingqiu, Gaming, Yelan, Chongyun, Qiqi, Ganyu, Xianyun, Shenhe, Eula, Heizou

Disabilities: autistic, chronic back pain, insomnia, fibromyalgia

Belief: believes Rex Lapis and has taoist-like practices

Name: Hu Tao

Gender: transfem demigirl, she/they/it/ghost/xe/spooky/he

Pictures of Character:

Appearance: ethnically chinese, dark skin, black hair, brown eyes, thin

Age: 15

Sexuality: asexual lesbian

Personality: playful, peculiar, excentrical, morbid, respectful, caring for every living being, considered weird

Area of greatest ability: funerals

Likes: wax, going to the hills on ghosts own, studying plants, poetry, learning other nations' funerary practices, helping ghosts, steamed fish, prawn dumplings, singing, dancing

Dislikes: qingxin slime, sitting still, being yelled at by other people, people who are rude to her friends

Fears/triggers: not being loved, being considered a freak by those he loves

Kins: ghosts, clay, hilichurls, autumn, halloween, red, calligraphy, stones, butterflies, skeletons, coffins, bath bombs

Family: biological grandpa, Zhongli (adoptive dad) Xiao, Ganyu, Xinyan, Qiqi (adoptive siblings) Childe (found family)

Relationship status: dating Yanfei

Friends: Xiangling, Xingqiu, Chongyun, Gaming, Albedo, Klee, Venti, Shenhe, Xianyun, Kazuha, Furina

Disabilites: autistic, hyperactive, hypermobile

Belief: even though she doesn’t necessairely care about Rex Lapis, he believes him and has taoist-like practices on spookys day-to-day life

Name: Xingqiu

Gender: transmasc boyflux, he/they/xe/Knight/write/one/ey/she

Pictures of Character:

Appearance: ethnically chinese, white skin, black hair dyed dark blue, brown eyes

Age: 15

Sexuality: gay

Personality: polite, curious, playful, masks caring with an elite-like mannerism.

Area of greatest ability: writing

Likes: going to Wanwen bookstore, stags, rabbits, reading, pranks, baked goods

Dislikes: being at home and/or with eys family, carrots, taking responsabilities that are not knights own

Fears/triggers: Shenhe, crying in public, being weak

Kins: cherry blossoms, gold, dark academia, water, books, dark blue, coffee

Family: Yelan (cousin)

Relationship status: dating Chongyun

Friends: Baizhu, Gaming, Keqing, Ningguang, Qiqi, Childe, Xiangling, Xinyan, Yanfei, Yaoyao, Yun Jin, Zhongli, Albedo, Kokomi

Disabilities: autistic, ADD, chronic fatigue

Belief: is agnostic

Name: Gaming Yip

Gender: pangender, any pronouns

Pictures of Character:

Appearance: ethnically chinese, brown skin, brown eyes, brown hair, muscled, burn scars

Age: 17

Sexuality: pansexual

Personality: energic, ethical, excentric, friendly, kind, independent.

Area of greatest ability: dancing, Fighting

Likes: being with Man Chai and his friends, herbs tea, sweets, helping others, being accepted as who she truly is

Dislikes: not having enough many, food with way too much seasoning, horror stories, not having their dreams validated, having nightmares with Celestia

Fears/triggers: not being accepted, Celestia

Kins: has no kins, but supports his friends who do

Family: biological father, Xianyun (found family aunt)

Relationship status: single

Friends: Beidou, Chongyun, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Qiqi, Shenhe, Xiangling, Xingqiu, Xinyan, Yanfei, Yaoyao, Yun Jin

Disabilities: ADHD

Beliefs: has taoist-like practices

#genshin headcanons #genshin impact #chongyun #xiangling #yanfei #hu tao #xingqiu #gaming

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