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eruanee · 7 months

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Kiryuu Touga and the cyclical narrative

TW : Discussions of misogyny, emotional manipulation and abuse, sexual abuse and (sexual) child abuse. (Very vague) mention of incest.

First of all, not really as a disclaimer but more as a recommendation, a lot of my thoughts about Touga are shaped by this essay, which is definitely easily one of my favorite pieces of Utena meta. I think I'm going to implicitly or more explicitly reference it sometimes, but you don't need to read it to understand this post.

I have a complex relationship with Touga. He is despicable, yet the more I watch the series, the more I find myself... fascinated by him. This post is a pretty much a synthesis of all these thoughts.

On a purely narrative level, Touga's role is a bit special. He's the antagonist of the first arc. The three duels involving him are all turning points in the series. He's a core character in the development of several other characters (Saionji, Nanami, Utena and Miki on a different level).

Yet, turns out he's only a puppet, just as everyone else is. How surprising. And when it comes down to it, what do we know about Touga ?

He's the Student Council's president. He seemingly can't have a relationship with anyone without manipulating them to his advantage. He sleeps with any girl (and maybe not only girls) who breathe around him in a 1 ft radius. His way of coping with depression is to seal himself in a wide and totally empty room to listen to his own voice on repeat to ponder heavily on his broken hopes and ideals. (Hmm. Hardcore.)

And more importantly, he wants power. A power that would be absolute. But why so ?

And this is the point where it gets complicated.

Touga is barely the main topic of episodes focused on him. He is the center of many obsessions and interests, but it seems we never touch upon him as a person. He can be seen being vaguely vulnerable in eps 11 and 12 and then there's the whole Black Rose arc thing. But where does all this mess steam from ?

Victim status

Eps 35 and 36 are the one going deeper into Touga’s character and yet... we’re barely sure of what’s actually going on in his brain. These episodes always give me a weird feeling because we don’t really get to see Touga express his feelings very clearly or freely... We barely get to hear his thoughts.

Just like Anthy.

Don’t make me say what I didn’t say, though. Touga gets to have way more agency than ever does Anthy, and he certainly doesn't endure the same dehumanization as she does. Anthy does have agency in a way. But she expresses it in hidden, implicit ways : playing tricks, hitting people in their sore spots, sarcasm, empty eyes and fake smiles. She’s manipulative and Touga is, too. These two share many similarities, though they can’t completely blend with each other, of course.

We don’t know much about Touga’s childhood. We know he and Nanami were adopted (or “sold”) to the Kiryuu family at a young age. That’s basically it in the canon of the series. Though, Touga’s backstory in the movie, showing him being sexually abused by his adoptive father, was apparently meant to be included in the series as well :

Although the TV series touched upon Touga’s younger days, the film goes into more details – the wound of Touga that was never directly depicted. In his younger days, Touga was a normal kid who enjoyed happy times with his friend Saionji Kyouichi and his younger sister Nanami. However, he came to know his unfortunate fate from the time he was ordered by his parents to wear his hair long. His parents sold him to the Kiryuu family. Although he was an adopted son on the surface, the instinctive Touga knew what that meant. And in order to protect his younger sister, he accepted his lot. Being sold. We did not go into depicting what Touga’s parents obtained by going as far as selling their son. We would like you to think of it as a kind of metaphor.

And Touga accepted in silence the sexual abuse from his new parents. His personality changed while he made a magnanimous show of enjoying the abuses in order to prevent his personality from splitting. The change took place in a spot so deep in his mind, that even those closest to him did not notice. Saionji and Nanami never noticed out of their innocence. And Touga never told his secret to anyone. It is said that a human being gains whatever he lost in exchange. So what did Touga gain in exchange at that point in time? It was the sense of alienation from being abused every night and seeing his innocent friend and sister during the day. The alienated self.

(Extract of a comment Enokido, one of the writers who worked on Utena, wrote about Touga’s role in the Utena movie.)

Of course, you could argue whether or not the sexual abuse is canon or not in the series. After all, the series and the movie don’t seem to take place in the same canon (even though it is hard to completely disconnect the two). Whatever you choose to believe, I personally think it all makes so much sense.

It makes sense regarding Touga’s general behavior in the series (but this is more touched upon in the essay I linked above) and it makes his goal and his narrative role much clearer.

Being sold like a mere object, knowing a much harsher truth about life Saionji and Nanami don’t know about, showing everyone a stronger facade in order to not completely lose your mind and keep protecting your friend and your sister from this reality and eventually... letting them know in a painfully gendered way, perpetuating everything this system has forced on you.

It has all become part of you.

Keeping the cycle of violence going became part of your blood and flesh. Making clear who is supposed to inflict pain and who is supposed to receive it. Who is supposed to protect and who is supposed to be protected. Who is supposed to act and who is supposed to wait.

And you ? No, you’re never supposed to hurt anymore. You want a way out of this. For you, the easiest way is to simply reclaim the place that was always prepared for you to take.

When Touga and Saionji found Utena in her coffin, it feels like Touga knew something Saionji didn’t. Saionji felt it too, but he wasn’t able to recognize what it was. After all, he was still a child. Touga knew about the same thing Utena learned with her parents’ death : they both had a glimpse of what the “adult world” (Akio’s world) actually looks like, shattering their juvenile knowledge of the world.

A world where people die. A world where the weak lose. A world where the prince should protect the princess.

Touga already had a coffin. Utena just found hers and was about to find a new one. Saionji was just finding his.

It all makes sense regarding how obedient Touga is to Akio and why he seeks his validation, his desire to go up in the hierarchy aside. It makes sense because he is “alienated”. Touga got deprived of everything, he knows the burden of being alive and he’s learned, from his early childhood, to be compliant.

He seems independent during the Student Council arc and a majority of the series, but eps 35 and 36 show he is not the mastermind of it all. He has a privileged position but unlike some other characters, Touga never uses his agency to try to break out of the system ─ he follows its rules and tries to reinforce his dominance.

Why would you break out from a system serving you so well ?

“I want to become like him. I want power like his.”

Touga is alienated to the system and his only goal is to become what it expects of him. After all, why wouldn’t he ? Being a prince is the best position offered by the system. Being a prince means acquiring an absolute power. With such power, one doesn’t die and is forever out of reach and harm and pain. Who wouldn’t want such a thing ?

The prince never saves the princess out of selflessness. He saves her because it gives him a reward in exchange. He saves her because it gives him power and control over her and ultimately, everyone else. And so, the princess becomes a "toy" wannabe princes has to win, to conquer.

Does Touga, even during what seems to be his most “sincere” moment in ep 36, ever wish to protect Utena for something else than possessing her ? When could have he learned to know and appreciate her as a person, rather than a princess ? A reward to conquer ?

When did he stop wishing he could’ve saved Utena just like Akio did ? I believe he might be genuine, yet he acts toward Utena exactly like she acts toward Anthy. He wants to save her for his own sake, regardless of her personal hopes and desires.

It’s truly sad, though. Because all of it is nothing but a childish dream. There was never once a prince in this world. Only boring and abusive adults.

“Are you really happy with that?”

Well, when it comes down to it, probably not. But was it ever about happiness ? Probably not either. The pursuit of power only ever leads to isolation, to a complete lack of meaning ─ after all, friendship is a fool’s thing. No one can reach what’s behind the facade.

Saionji was able to confront Touga with his own lies and paradoxes, get as close to his real self anyone probably could. But it wasn’t enough. Saionji himself didn’t go as far as leaving the system entirely, even when it seemed he had cracked it all. Touga sort of did, too.

As far as I’m concerned, we only heard his own, deep thoughts once.

“Kiryuu Touga, the playboy Student Council President... Is it? "Playboy" sounds old-fashioned.”

Touga weaponized himself. He weaponized his body (sex is only a tool to aim for power). He weaponized his heart (relationships only matter if you use them to your advantage. Those who believe in love and friendship are fools and will be ultimately be used to someone else’s advantage). And for what ?

I really like the symbolism of the poppy flower in ep 35. I feel like it symbolizes Akio’s power, in a way. I’m incredibly bad when it comes to the language of flowers (so everyone is free to correct me) but please bear with me. In the East, red poppy flowers apparently symbolize romantic love and success (what it probably means for the girl confessing to Touga, as well as Akio when he “eats” it in this scene, since Touga and him are talking about Utena) but it can also symbolize “luxurious pleasures and fantastic extravagance”. In the Japanese language of flowers, red poppies can also symbolize someone “fun-loving”. I feel like both of these work with Akio and I believe that for Touga, they are a symbol of luxury and extravagance.

Yet another girl confessed to him. Without even thinking about it, he kissed her. He will never read her confession letter, he probably didn’t even notice it. He will probably simply leave it on the floor, without a care. This pursuit of power isn’t even fulfilling to him, there’s absolutely no thought behind it. Only automatic actions, behaviors working in favor of someone else’s greater scheme. He won’t even get to actually possess Utena.

He will never get what he truly wants. Is there even anything that he truly wants ? Saionji, maybe. In the meantime, he’s just a tool for a system. A system made up by boring adults, based on lies, illusions and unachievable dreams.

Touga is condemned to go in cycles. He’s given everything to overcome what keeps him stuck and trapped, but it doesn’t do anything. He can only revolve around his own coffin, completing the same circle, again and again.

He doesn’t know how to do anything else.

It will never make anything he’s done forgivable. But at least, maybe one day, he’ll realize. Or maybe never.

We can always create new roads, leading to worlds completely unknown to us, where everything needs to be built. Anthy and Utena are here to show the way, who deserves to follow these new roads is only up to you.

On a purely personal standpoint... I was never really able to answer this question.

“No. It's not over until we see it through the very end.”

#this took an eternity (lol) to get done. welp.#i started this in *checks notes* february 2022 #the original ramble post that gave birth to this post is way older than this #i felt like this was. too obvious or whatever. but i wanted to finish it for myself ig #posting mediocre meta in order to cope !#does this post make me a touga enjoyer ?? idk. i kinda hate him still #hate him so much i wrote an entire post about him. ahah. im a fool #ive just seen the 'it's because i'm a feminist' screenshot and i genuinely felt like deleting this entire post. he is a clown. i am CLOWN #at this point i should write meta about the movie someday. i should #this post is just a long explanation of the 'touga ; anthy and utena function as a triangle. the triforce of abuse if you will' idea #utena meta #shoujo kakumei utena #revolutionary girl utena #sku #rgu #touga kiryuu #kiryuu touga #er.txt

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 3 months

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By: Gerald Posner

Published: Mar 4, 2024

Newly leaked files from the world’s leading transgender health-care organization reveal it is pushing hormonal and surgical transitions for minors, including stomach-wrenching experimental procedures designed to create sexless bodies that resemble department-store mannequins.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health documents demonstrate it’s controlled by gender ideologues who push aside concerns about whether children and adolescents can consent to medical treatments that WPATH members privately acknowledge often have devastating and permanent side effects.

Yet the US government, American doctors and prominent organizations nonetheless rely on WPATH guidelines for advice on treating our youth.

The files — jaw-dropping conversations from a WPATH internal messaging board and a video of an Identity Evolution Workshop panel — were provided to journalist Michael Shellenberger, who shared the documents with me.

Shellenberger’s nonprofit Environmental Progress will release a scathing summary report, comparing the WPATH promotion of “the pseudoscientific surgical destruction of healthy genitals in vulnerable people” to the mid-20th-century use of lobotomies, “the pseudoscientific surgical destruction of healthy brains.”

‘Arbitrary’ age limits

The comparison to one of history’s greatest medical scandals is not hyperbole.

It is particularly true, as the files show repeatedly, when it involves WPATH’s radical approach to minors.

When the organization adopted in 2022 its current Standards of Care — relied on by the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization and every major American medical and psychiatric association — it scrapped a draft chapter about ethics and removed minimum-age requirements for children starting puberty blockers or undergoing sexual-modification surgeries.

It had previously recommended 16 to start hormones and 17 for surgery.

Not surprisingly, age comes up frequently in the WPATH files, from concerns about whether a developmentally delayed 13-year-old can start on puberty blockers to whether the growth of a 10-year-old girl will be stunted by hormones.

During one conversation, a member asked for advice about a 14-year-old patient, a boy who identified as a girl and had begun transitioning at 4.

The child insisted on a vaginoplasty, a surgery that removes the penis, testicles and scrotum and repositions tissue to create a nonfunctioning pseudo-vagina. It requires a lifetime of dilation. Was he too young at 14?

Marci Bowers, WPATH’s president and a California-based pelvic and gynecologic surgeon who is herself transgender, said she considered any age limit “arbitrary.”

But she would not do it. Why?

“The tissue is too immature, dilation routine too critical.”

In lay terms, that means boys who are too young do not have enough penal tissue for the surgery and the surgeon must harvest intestinal lining to build the faux vagina. Even Bowers admits that can lead to “problematic surgical outcomes.”

She would know since she has performed more than 2,000 vaginoplasties. Her highest-profile patient is 17-year-old Jazz Jennings, the transgender star of reality TV show “I Am Jazz.”

Three corrective surgeries were required to fix problems from the original vaginoplasty.

“She had a very difficult surgical course,” Bowers admitted in a 2022 appearance on the show. “We knew it would be tough — it turned out tougher than any of us imagined.”

Still, Bowers told her colleagues in the internal discussion forum of the best age for an adolescent to undergo surgery: “sometime before the end of high school does make some sense in that they are under the watch of parents in the home they grew up in.”

Christine McGinn, a Pennsylvania plastic surgeon and herself transgender, agreed. McGinn has performed “about 20 vaginoplasties in patients under 18” and thinks the “ideal time in the U.S. is surgery the summer before the last year of high school. I have heard many other surgeons echo this.”

Waiting until teens are older than 18 and in college is problematic, she said: “there are too many stressors in college that limit patients’ ability to dilate.”

Dangers downplayed

WPATH assures patients that surgical and hormonal interventions are tested and safe. It is a different matter in private.

President Bowers, for instance, said publicly in 2022 that puberty blockers are “completely reversible,” although in the internal forum she conceded it is “in its infancy.”

What about children who are infertile for life since they started hormone blockers before they reached puberty?

Bowers told her colleagues the “fertility question has no research.”

At other stages, members talk frankly about the complications for the transition surgery for girls, a phalloplasty in which a nonfunctioning pseudo-penis is fashioned from either forearm or thigh tissue.

It requires a full hysterectomy and surgical removal of the vagina. They also discuss other serious consequences, including pelvic inflammatory disease, vaginal atrophy, abnormal pap tests and incontinence.

A 16-year-old girl who had been on puberty blockers for several years before she was put on testosterone for a year had developed two liver tumors that an oncologist concluded the hormones had caused. Another member described “a young patient on testosterone for 3 years” who had developed “vaginal/pelvic pain/spotting . . . [and] atrophy with the persistent yellow discharge.”

Several colleagues described patients with similar conditions, some with debilitating bowel problems or bleeding and excruciating pain during sex (“feeling like broken glass”).

Vaginal estrogen creams and moisturizers as well as hyaluronic acid suppositories “can be helpful.”

One WPATH member seemed surprised: “The transgender people under my surveillance do not complain about this matter. However, I confess that I have never asked them about it.”

Rise of ‘de-gender’ surgery

The litany of transition surgery’s side effects did not stop WPATH from endorsing far more radical “nullification” surgeries for patients who do not feel either male or female and identify only as nonbinary.

Several dozen so-called “de-gendering” surgeries are designed to create a sexless, smooth cosmetic appearance that is unknown in nature. There is even an experimental “bi-genital” surgery that attempts to construct a second set of genitals.

In 2017, when tabloids reported a 22-year-old man had spent $50,000 to surgically remove his sex organs so he could “transform into a genderless extra-terrestrial,” it seemed a one-off oddity.

But WPATH has enshrined that concept in its Standard of Care — the same document in which the group endorsed for the time first time chemical or surgical castration for patients who identify as eunuchs. (WPATH even linked to the Eunuch Archives, where men anonymously share castration fetishes.)

These science-fiction-like surgeries are not only reserved for adults.

“How do we come up with appropriate standards for non-binary patients?” asked Thomas Satterwhite, a San Francisco-based plastic surgeon who has operated on dozens of patients younger than 18 since 2014. “I’ve found more and more patients recently requesting ‘non-standard’ procedures.”

What are nonstandard procedures? They include “non-binary top surgery,” a mastectomy without nipples. There are brutal procedures for girls that eliminate all or part of the vagina and for boys that amputate the penis, scrotum and testicles.

The goal, as one San Francisco surgical clinic proclaims on its website, “is a smooth, neutral body that is cosmetically free of sexual identification.” On TikTok the trend is called a “flat front.”

‘Too young to understand‘

A particularly intense subject of discussion was whether minors could understand the lifelong consequences of their gender treatments. Minors are presumed by law to be incapable of making an informed decision about having a vasectomy or tubal ligation.

Gender surgeries are an exception, however.

WPATH’s Standard of Care allows all procedures so long as the minor “demonstrates the emotional and cognitive maturity required to provide informed consent/assent for the treatment.”

In a May 2022 internal workshop, “Identity Evolution,” WPATH members conceded that was all but impossible.

Daniel Metzger, the British Columbia endocrinologist who cowrote the Canadian Pediatric Society’s position paper on health care for trans minors, said, “I think the thing you have to remember about kids is that we’re often explaining these sorts of things to people who haven’t even had biology in high school yet.”

Metzger noted adolescents are incapable of appreciating the lifelong consequence of infertility. “It’s always a good theory that you talk about fertility preservation with a 14-year-old,” he said, “but I know I’m talking to a blank wall. They’d be like, ‘ew, kids, babies, gross.’ Or, the usual answer is, ‘I’m just going to adopt.’ And then you ask them, ‘Well, what does that involve? Like, how much does it cost?’ ‘Oh, I thought you just like went to the orphanage, and they gave you a baby.’ . . . I think now that I follow a lot of kids into their mid-twenties, I’m always like, ‘Oh, the dog isn’t doing it for you, right?’”

There is extensive research showing adolescent brains are wired to have little control over rash behavior and are not capable of grasping the magnitude of decisions with lifelong consequences. It is why society doesn’t allow teens to get tattoos or buy guns. Car-rental agencies set 25 as the minimum age for renting a car, and Sweden sets the same limit for deciding on sterilization.

Detransitioners ignored, shunned

Although many WPATH members privately doubt that adolescents can give truly informed consent to life-altering procedures, they must affirm whatever children say about their gender.

Unless, the WPATH files disclose, the patient wants to reverse course and become a so-called detransitioner.

WPATH members mostly dismiss those cases as insignificant or overblown by the media and question whether minors who want to revert to their birth sex really understand what they are doing.

It’s a question that would never be asked for minors who declared themselves to be gender dysphoric.

One case involved a 17-year-old boy, just graduated from high school, who had been on testosterone for two years. He was reported to be “very distraught and angry. He reports he feels he was brainwashed and is upset by the permanent changes to his body.”

A self-described “queer therapist” did not believe any young person could be brainwashed. “In my experience, those stories come from people who have an active agenda against the rights of trans people.”

WPATH President Bowers said that “I do see talk of the phenomenon [detransitioners] as distracting from the many challenges we face.”

‘Frankenstein files’

The leaked files put a spotlight on the danger of mixing ideological activism with medicine and science. They should serve as an urgent wakeup call for the medical associations and government agencies that rely on WPATH guidance for transgender health.

The files might even prompt investigations into how those with distorted personal agendas seized control of the organization at the expense of science and patients.

Investigating what has gone wrong at WPATH might prove uncomfortable for some gender progressives in the Biden administration, none more so than Adm. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health. Levine, the first transgender four-star military officer, is a WPATH member and has lavished praise on the organization.

She says it “assesses the full state of the science and provides substantive, rigorously analyzed, peer-reviewed recommendations to the medical community on how best to care for patients who are transgender or gender non-binary. It is free of any agenda other than to ensure that medical decisions are informed by science.”

Either Levine is unaware of the hormonal and surgical experimentation the group promotes or refuses to acknowledge it.

“The Frankenstein files.”

That is how a pediatrician described the leaked documents after I shared them with her.

Unfortunately, this is no horror novel.

It is a medical travesty playing out in real time, and the casualties are our children.

#Gerald Posner #Michael Shellenberger #WPATH #World Professional Association for Transgender Health #Mia Hughes #WPATH Files #The WPATH Files #medical corruption #medical malpractice #medical scandal #unethical #gender ideology #gender identity ideology #queer theory #first do no harm #religion is a mental illness

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gemsofgreece · 1 year

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By now you probably have heard of the tragic train crash that killed 57 young people in Tempi and how it unveiled all the perilous faults of the Greek railway system as well as the loud negligence of the Greek state towards its citizens.

What you might not know yet is that this seems to have been the last straw for many people in the country, who often appeared apathetic and lethargic towards the serious problems and dysfunctions of the state before this accident. The train crash led to a massive and collective reaction, especially coming from the young people of the country. At the same time, it revealed the true faces of many politicians and journalists who try desperately to eliminate the political cost, as the elections are fast approaching, often exposing their dimwittedness and questionable morals on air in their despair.

Unfortunately I can’t describe everything that has been revealed to us the last days as it would take too long but I can give you some information about one specific situation about which there is a lot of information in English and which should interest you particularly if you are an EU citizen.

There is an EU committee, LIBE, its full name being the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Its role is to check upon the maintenance and protection of the rule of law and civil rights in the members of EU. The national governments are obligated to ensure LIBE does its work undisturbed, in a common fight against corruption.

LIBE came in contact with the Greek government to meet for their monitoring checks in Greece. The government refused several times. Recently, the government discouraged LIBE from visiting Greece, with the excuse that Greece now was in national mourning.

In their effort to proceed with their investigation, LIBE came in contact with multiple Greek authorities. Let’s count them:

The Prime Minister

The Chief Prosecutor. So, you know, the most powerful judge in the country.

The secret services.

The Head of the Police.

The “politically neutral” President of the State.

One by one, they ALL refused to meet with LIBE and assist them in their duties. The government, the courts, the secret services, the police, the head of state. They all discouraged LIBE to come to Greece and downright refused to collaborate with them. Let that sink in.

However, LIBE did come to Greece and they announced their independent findings. If this post interests you so far, please do watch this below, as it is a summary of LIBE’s conclusions in English. The relevant part begins in 41:44 and it’s very short.

youtube

Btw if you are Greek, I recommend watching the whole of Radio-Arvyla’s episodes these days. I understand if you don’t like Kanakis or distrust them after what happened with Stathis but right now they are making one of the very few if not the only unbiased show on TV, at least regarding the train crash. The episodes of this week have all been incredibly informative for me.

So I leave you to your conclusions. But before you go, here’s also this article on EURACTIV about the Greek obstructions in the work of LIBE.

#Youtube #greece #Europe #eu #news #greek news #coalsofgreece #coals of greece

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sevenboarproductions · 11 months

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[IDOLiSH7] [Part 6] Chapter 7: The full story

6.7.1. - Project reborn

Takanashi Tsumugi: Hello, everyone.

Anesagi Kaoru: Good work, Takanashi-san.

Okazaki Rinto: Good work. We haven’t started yet, but it looks like a lot of people will come.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Right…

Anesagi Kaoru: Hey, Okazaki. This meeting is about “New Black or White”, isn’t it?

Okazaki Rinto: I don’t think I’m allowed to say it, but… I think you’ll find out soon enough.

Anesagi Kaoru: You heard about it from President Okazaki after all, haven’t you? Our president isn’t telling us anything.

Utsugi Shirou: Hello. Good work, everyone.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Good work, Utsugi-san.

Anesagi Kaoru: There’s no way Tsukumo doesn’t know about it. Utsugi-san, you’re also in on the “New Black or White project”, aren’t you?

Utsugi Shirou: Yes.

Anesagi Kaoru: Just tell me. If you wanna be on good terms with us, that is.

Utsugi Shirou: I think it should be explained once the meeting starts.

Anesagi Kaoru: I’m telling you to tell me the things that won’t be said at the meeting.

Utsugi Shirou: Is it fine to tell them, Okazaki-san?

Okazaki Rinto: Please don’t ask me… but well, I think it’s fine.

Utsugi Shirou: Re:vale are the ones who started it all. In order to be able to oppose a powerful company, such as Tsukumo, they gathered people they could trust.

Utsugi Shirou: And then, even though Ryou-kun… even though our president was made to resign, that organization of people remained.

Utsugi Shirou: To make the viewers who were tired of gossip, as well as the TV and idol industry have a clean impression of things again…

Utsugi Shirou: A documentary program with a natural flair was started. That’s what “Backyard MAGIC” is.

Utsugi Shirou: At the same time, it works as promotion for the long-running project that is Black or White.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Promotion for Black or White…

Utsugi Shirou: Yes. President Okazaki took over the coordination of the organization from Re:vale and…

Utsugi Shirou: To try to make Black or White, the popular end of year program, feel more like a live… the “New Black or White project” was started.

Utsugi Shirou: Turning the familiar Black or White people watch in their living room into a real event. Getting people to go out of their houses.

Utsugi Shirou: An innovative approach like that seems a lot like President Okazaki, since he used to be an event planner. The “New Black or White project” has been progressing smoothly, but…

Utsugi Shirou: The amount of people who take issue with the oppressive yet lazy behavior of President Okazaki has been increasing…

Okazaki Rinto: It’s really embarrassing for me…

Utsugi Shirou: The one I asked for help to settle this matter was President Takanashi.

Takanashi Tsumugi: So that’s how it was…

Utsugi Shirou: Additionally, because President Takanashi recommended it, I also spoke to President Yaotome.

Anesagi Kaoru: I see… So what you were doing in secret was because of “New Black or White”.

Utsugi Shirou: Indeed.

Anesagi Kaoru: Did not you think that having Tsukumo monopolize this project would be more profitable?

Anesagi Kaoru: ŹOOḼ spectacularly taking victory at the “New Black or White”. As part of Tsukumo, you’d want that, right?

Utsugi Shirou: ŹOOḼ promised me they’d take me there on their own. So I won’t do any unnecessary scheming, I’ll just trust them and wait.

Anesagi Kaoru: Heh… you’re doing things properly, surprisingly.

Utsugi Shirou: Before that, I’m the one who has try to gain ŹOOḼ’s trust, though…

Anesagi Kaoru: They don’t trust you? Communicate properly with them. They’re so young, I feel bad for them.

Utsugi Shirou: I will…

Okazaki Rinto: Why don’t you try telling them some jokes. Like quick one liners?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Or you could try bringing them a homemade bento…

Anesagi Kaoru: If you want them to trust you, you gotta reveal your weak spots. It’s hard to show your weakness to someone who leaves no openings…

Utsugi Shirou: Openings, huh…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Ah, Okazaki-san. You seem to have a bit of bed hair there?

Okazaki Rinto: Eeh, aah, it’s true. Sorry!

Takanashi Tsumugi: Fufu, it’s fine. I think it’ll be fine if you just press it down a bit.

Okazaki Rinto: Haha, I’ll do that. Ahh, this is embarrassing…

Utsugi Shirou: Is that what an opening is…?

Anesagi Kaoru: You’re good at this, Okazaki. Keep it up.

Okazaki Rinto: Please stop. I wasn’t aiming for that.

(door opens)

Takanashi Otoharu: Good work, everyone.

Takanashi Tsumugi: President…

(several people standing up)

Man A: Welcome.

Man B: I’ll be in your care.

Takanashi Otoharu: Aah. Everyone, please stay seated.

Takanashi Otoharu: I think some of you know me already, but nice to meet you.

Takanashi Otoharu: I am Takanashi Otoharu from the Takanashi agency. I was entrusted with coordinating the “New Black or White project”.

Takanashi Otoharu: I’m looking forward to working with all of you today.

~ to be continued ~

6.7.2. - The greatest backstage

Takanashi Tsumugi: (When the President said his greetings, the expressions of everyone in the conference started to look like those of excited kids.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (It seemed like the President had already had some meetings with most of the people there.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (Even the eyes of the people around the president’s age sparkled as they wondered what we would talk about today.)

Takanashi Tsumugi: (Seeing all these people look at my father with so much respect made me happy. I was truly moved.)

Takanashi Otoharu: Our job is to create a new festival.

Takanashi Otoharu: Festivals are fun on their own already, but without a doubt, creating a festival is a fun job as well.

Man C: Ahaha!

Takanashi Otoharu: It can be tough, too. Breaking long-standing traditions is a job that requires a lot of determination.

Takanashi Otoharu: However, all the people who have built things in the past have also struggled and been lost, trying to destroy something…

Takanashi Otoharu: And built something new. The important thing is to respect both the old and the new.

Takanashi Otoharu: We are creating a festival. Everyone involved will be participating in the festivities. (1)

Takanashi Otoharu: Let’s put together the strength of everyone here and create something unbelievably fun.

Takanashi Otoharu: So that everyone in this country will laugh, their hearts will flutter with joy and everyone can welcome the new year.

(clapping)

Takanashi Otoharu: Thank you very much. Well then, I will briefly explain the “New Black or White project”.

Takanashi Otoharu: We’ll have a mini-live showdown in different places and broadcast them all over Japan.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Mini-live showdown?

Takanashi Otoharu: Up until last year, those who watched Black or White at home went to hatsumoude (2) after the broadcast ended.

Takanashi Otoharu: This will change starting this year. They will go to a local live venue, watch Black or White and then go to hatsumoude after that.

Takanashi Otoharu: The live showdown will be held at various places, including Zero Arena. That showdown that will be held there is…

Takanashi Otoharu: The monsters’ greatest live.

Takanashi Otoharu: December 31st in the middle of winter. New Years’ Eve at the end of the year…

Takanashi Otoharu: Let’s make that the hottest day of the year. Yaotome-shi will explain the details.

Takanashi Tsumugi: …Amazing…

Anesagi Kaoru: …Amazing, isn’t it…?

Takanashi Tsumugi: I’m looking forward to it so much!

Anesagi Kaoru: I am also really looking forward to it! Aah, but what is this about telling the idols about it during a special episode of BackMagic!?

Anesagi Kaoru: Keeping quiet until then… Aah, it’ll be so hard… It’s going to show on my face…

Takanashi Tsumugi: It’ll show on my face, too… Aah, I’m really looking forward to it!

Anesagi Kaoru: Any fan would be happy about that sort of thing for sure!

Takanashi Tsumugi: Right! I hope IDOLiSH7 will win…!

Anesagi Kaoru: What are you saying? The one who will win is TRIGGER, of course!

Okazaki Rinto: No, no, I’ll have to disappoint you. Since Re:vale is there…

Utsugi Shirou: ŹOOḼ won’t lose either.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Okazaki-san, Utsugi-san.

Anesagi Kaoru: Aren’t you confident? I can’t let anyone else have this.

Takanashi Tsumugi: I won’t give up either! But I am truly, really, really….

Everyone: Super looking forward to this!

Anesagi Kaoru: Aah, I want to tell them soon…

Yaotome Gaku: What do you want to tell us?

Anesagi Kaoru: Kyah… You startled me! Don’t surprise me like that.

Yaotome Gaku: It’s because you were talking to yourself like my old man.

Anesagi Kaoru: Like President Yaotome?

Yaotome Gaku: “…Haa, I want to say it to them soon.”

Anesagi Kaoru: If I was the president, I’d say, “Never mind. Don’t concern yourself with this.”

Yaotome Gaku: Uhm… Just in case, let me ask you something.

Anesagi Kaoru: What?

Yaotome Gaku: You’re not gonna become my mom or anything, right?

Anesagi Kaoru: I won’t! What are you talking about? No offense to the president, but I’m into the princely type!

Yaotome Gaku: Aah, that scared me…

Kujou Tenn: Good morning, everyone.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Good morning.

Anesagi Kaoru: Morning. Good luck with your radio recording today.

Kujou Tenn: Yes. Thank you.

~ to be continued ~

6.7.3. - A certain song

Kujou Tenn: And with this, TRIGGER’s radio show “Fall in Night” is over for tonight. Everyone…

TRIGGER: Good night.

Staff: Good work!

Yaotome Gaku: Good work, everyone.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I’m slowly getting the hang of doing radio shows again. It feels nice to be close to the listeners.

Kujou Tenn: It has different merits compared to lives or video broadcasts, doesn’t it? ….Huh, Anesagi-san?

Yaotome Gaku: She’s wearing a headset. It looks like she’s listening to something with the staff…

Anesagi Kaoru: You guys, come over for a bit.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: The headset… Does that mean we can listen to it, too?

Anesagi Kaoru: Do you remember the letter you read during the last radio show?

Anesagi Kaoru: The kid who formed a band in college and covers TRIGGER songs. They mentioned they recently started composing.

Yaotome Gaku: Aah! I remember. The person who said “SECRET NIGHT” is their favourite song.

Yaotome Gaku: What was their radio name again…?

Anesagi Kaoru: Magechon.

Yaotome Gaku: So what’s up with Magechon?

Anesagi Kaoru: You guys said you wanted to listen to the song when it’s finished!

Anesagi Kaoru: Magechon took it seriously and sent us the song they finished!

Anesagi Kaoru: “I made it with the image of TRIGGER in mind. So if you’d like, TRIGGER, I’d want you to sing it (lol)” is what they said.

Yaotome Gaku: What’s with that “(lol)”? They should just say it seriously.

Kujou Tenn: Isn’t that because they’re trying to hide their embarrassment?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: So this is their song?

Anesagi Kaoru: Yes. Listen to it.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: …..

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Ah….

Yaotome Gaku: How is it?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Really good…

Yaotome Gaku: Let me listen to it.

Kujou Tenn: Really good? What part of it is really good?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: …That’s hard, how do I say it…

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: It’s TRIGGER-like.

Anesagi Kaoru: Right!? I thought that, too!

Kujou Tenn: …TRIGGER-like…

Yaotome Gaku: Ah….

Kujou Tenn: How is it?

Yaotome Gaku: This might sound weird, but…

Yaotome Gaku: It’s a TRIGGER song.

Kujou Tenn: ….

Kujou Tenn: Give me the headphones.

Yaotome Gaku: Sure. Listen to it.

Kujou Tenn: ……

Kujou Tenn: Wah….

Yaotome Gaku: Well?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: It’s TRIGGER, isn’t it?

Kujou Tenn: Yeah… It’s TRIGGER.

Kujou Tenn: I feel like I’m going to cry. ….Magechon-san…. really loves our songs, don't they?

Yaotome Gaku: Uhm… Can we sing this?

Anesagi Kaoru: You want to sing it?

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I do. I want to sing it and have the fans hear it. They’ll be happy for sure.

Kujou Tenn: I think so, too. People who like TRIGGER will definitely like this song, too.

Kujou Tenn: Can we do it, Anesagi-san?

Anesagi Kaoru: If we want to publish it as a TRIGGER song, we’ll have to add some more depth and polish the sound. But…

Anesagi Kaoru: If Magechon-san gives us their formal permission, I think it won’t be a problem.

Kujou Tenn: Then, please…!

Yaotome Gaku: I’m sure Magechon will allow it. All they have to do is remove the “(lol)”. I’d like to meet them.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: By the way, what is the song’s name? Is it written anywhere?

Anesagi Kaoru: …Let’s see…

Anesagi Kaoru: “BE AUTHENTIC”.

Yaotome Gaku: Eeh, interesting! They’ve got guts, don’t they.

Kujou Tenn: Finding a wonderful song in a way like this, it’s nice.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: It’s exciting! I hope we can manage to contact them…

Staff: Uhm…

Kujou Tenn: What happened?

Staff: It seems that Magechon-san’s mail address is wrong. It ended up getting returned to the sender…

Yaotome Gaku: For real?

Staff: Yes. …Aah, it’s no good. It just keeps getting returned…

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: …That’s so…

Yaotome Gaku. I wish there was any way to contact Magechon…

Kujou Tenn: Right…

Kujou Tenn: I want to sing this song.

Reporter: Re:vale-san! Congratulations on your double lead role in the film “Chill Out”!

Momo: Thanks~!

Reporter: The blurb of “Chill Out” says it’s a sci-fi story set in the near future based on “The Revenge of the Soga Brothers” (3)?

Yuki: Ah, yeah, that’s true. The costumes are sci-fi-like, too. They’re cool.

Momo: Right, right! They were super cool!

Momo: I want to show my darling wearing this costume to everyone already!

Reporter: Ahahaha!

Reporter: It seems the theme song will be “Yume Shizuku”, right?

Yuki: It fits perfectly with the work, so please enjoy them together.

Momo: I think it really fits the intense feelings of the brothers travelling across Japan in search of the one they want to take revenge on!

Reporter: The fans also have high expectations since these are your first roles as siblings!

Yuki: I’m the older one!

Momo: I’m the younger one!

Reporter: Since the theme is revenge, what do you think about it?

Yuki: What I think about it? Like whether I have an enemy I wanna kill? Even if I had one, I wouldn’t be able to say that though?

Momo: Nothing good will come from revenge! Momo-chan is generous, so I wouldn’t take revenge or anything~.

Reporter: Please tell us what we should pay attention to in “Chill Out”!

Yuki: The costumes are really cool. I took lots of pictures of Momo during the costume fitting.

Momo: I also made a Yuki folder! It’s not a natural look, but it evokes a feeling similar to kabuki (4), so it’s captivating and sexy, right?

Yuki: I agree. It’s really stylish.

Momo: We also plan to shoot in a location connected to “The Revenge of the Soga Brothers”, so please look forward to that, too!

Reporter: Thank you very much! We will be looking forward to it!

~ to be continued ~

6.7.4. - The moment we meet

Okazaki Rinto:: Yuki-kun, Momo-kun, Good work! It looks like the press conference was well received!

Momo: Right? I’m glad! The poster they made has a really cool and vivid vibe, too!

Yuki: I’ve said it many times, but our outfits are really nice. Do you think that designer can make stage outfits for Re:vale, too?

Momo: Eh?!

Yuki: Is that a nogo?

Momo: I just thought so too, so I contacted them about it a short while ago…

Yuki: Same thoughts~.

Momo: Same thoughts, right~! Okarin, was there any follow-up to that?

Okazaki Rinto:: From that costume designer, Kasahara Daisuke-san, right? He said he’s currently considering it.

Yuki: He didn’t agree to it on the spot? Even though it’s an offer from Re:vale?

Momo: Oh no, what a king-like line. My heart’s racing.

Okazaki Rinto: It seems he has a lot of work going on…

Yuki: What is he working on right now?

Okazaki Rinto: Apparently it’s the costumes for “Mikazuki Ookami”.

Yuki: So it’s that…

Momo: Seems like Yamato’s “Mikazuki Ookami” will look cool then!

Yuki: If you can get a spot in Kasahara-san’s schedule before the end of the year, do it.

Okazaki Rinto: Before the end of the year. You mean…

Momo: Black or White! If we could wear Kasahara-san’s costumes for Black or White, we would be even stronger!

Okazaki Rinto: Ah…. That’s… right…

Momo: What’s wrong? Can we not do it?

Okazaki Rinto: That’s not what I’m saying.

Yuki: Ah, he looked away. He’s hiding something.

Okazaki Rinto: No way! I’m not. Well then, get in the car, please. The ride will take some time.

Yuki: What place was next again?

Momo: It’s Nagano! Grape picking! Let’s eat lots~!

Okazaki Rinto: ……Ha…..

Okazaki Rinto: Aah, I want to tell them already…

Woman: Haa… I’m tired…I just went to a café to get a meal, but once you sit down, getting up again seems so hard.

Woman: I gotta go home… But this show I watched to kill time is actually kind of fun…

Woman: IDOLiSH7, was it? Idols are nice... They look happy every day.

Izumi Iori on TV: Stop! Give the ball to the odd-numbered team!

Yotsuba Tamaki on TV: Aah—, damn it!

Rokuya Nagi on TV: No—!

Nanase Riku on TV: I got it!

Woman: Ah, the ball went to Riku-kun… Nanase Riku-kun, was it?

Nanase Riku on TV: Here I go—! I’ll do my best!

Izumi Mitsuki on TV: Go for it, go for it! If you land this one, the odd-numbered team wins!

Ousaka Sougo on TV: Do your best, Riku-kun!

Nikaidou Yamato on TV: We won’t let you! Tama, Nagi!

Rokuya Nagi on TV: Hands up!

Yotsuba Tamaki on TV: Heyhe~y!

Nanase Riku on TV: You two are too tall…!

Woman: Ahaha…

Woman: Yikes, I was loud.

Woman: Aah, Riku-kun, that might be impossible for you. The arms of the guys on the other team are too long…! One of them might be half-Japanese?

Woman: Huh? A prince…? The group that has a prince was IDOLiSH7! Then MEZZO’’ is here, too?

Ousaka Sougo on TV: Riku-kun, pass!

Yotsuba Tamaki on TV: Won’t let you!

Woman: They are…! MEZZO’’ are there!

Woman: If I remember right, IDOLiSH7 had a super cool looking young actor…

Woman: No, that might have been a different group. He was the perpetrator in the movie “Mission”...

Izumi Iori on TV: Don’t push! I’ll call a foul otherwise!

Nanase Riku on TV: …Aaah, they took it!

Yotsuba Tamaki on TV: Nagicchi, run!

Woman: Ah, Riku-kun… Even though you finally had the chance to succeed…

Woman: Wah…. But he’s catching up! He’s really giving his best! Wah—, you can do it, you can do it!

Woman: He looks like he’s giving it his all….. I can’t take my eyes off of it… I wonder if I’ve made this kind of face recently…

Woman: You can do it, you can do it…

Izumi Mitsuki on TV: Alright! Got it!

Woman: ….! That was an amazing jump….!

Nanase Riku on TV: Mitsuki…!

Izumi Mitsuki on TV: Riku, go!

Nanase Riku on TV: Okay!

Woman: Wah—, wah—, what will happen if Riku-kun’s shot actually turns it around?

Woman: There’s no way something movie-like like that would happen. It’s too crazy, you might even call it fake.

Woman: But, if… If….

Woman: But if something that dream-like happened…

Nikaidou Yamato on TV: Stop it, stop it!

Nanase Riku on TV: Go in…!

Rokuya Nagi on TV: OH!

Yotsuba Tamaki on TV: Aaah!

Izumi Mitsuki on TV: It went in…!

Woman: ……!

Izumi Iori on TV: The odd-numbered team gets 3 points!

Ousaka Sougo on TV: Amazing, amazing! Riku-kun, you did amazing!

Izumi Mitsuki on TV: You’re showing your center power!! Good job, Riku!

Nanase Riku on TV: Ehehe! I did it—! I did it, I did it!

Woman: He’s so happy… Cute…!

Woman: The referee and the people from the other team also looked happy when they saw Riku-kun smile… Everyone is getting along so well.

Woman: Ah~, it’s so nice… Wait, that’s the end already? Eeh~ I wanted to see more…

Woman: ….It’s over, huh…… But it was super fun—! Well, about time to go home.

Woman: …Huh.

Woman: Even though I was too tired to stand earlier, I kinda managed to get up quickly just now.... Ahaha, the power of ikemen is amazing!

Woman: When I get home, I’ll look up some things about Riku-kun!

~ to be continued ~

TL notes:

Mod Riku here! This was pretty rough to get through in terms of TL notes, lol. But we did it! Somehow.

(1) Otoharu is talking about (o)bon here, which is a Japanese Buddhist festival about honoring the spirits of one's ancestors. It also comes with a dance which Otoharu is referencing: "(...) [T]he typical Bon dance involves people lining up in a circle around a high wooden scaffold made especially for the festival called a yagura.”" (From the wikipedia page which also has a useful image.)

(2) hatsumoude is the first shrine visit of the new year.

(3) The Revenge of the Soga Brothers is a real incident in 1193 of two brothers taking revenge on the killer of their father, later popularized in literature.

(4) Momo has... interesting taste. Kabuki is a traditional form of Japanese theater. (Click here for an image.)

#idolish7 #idolish7 part 6 #idolish7 spoilers #idolish7 translations #idolish7 translation #i7 translation

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greenerteacups · 1 month

Note

this might seem v random but, if you haven't come across it already, i would really recommend tavi gevinson's latest online zine 'fan fiction' -- not because of the fan fiction element of it, though, but because of your evident love of taylor swift (who it's about) and your impeccable literary taste. and would love to hear your thoughts!

This was an excellent recommendation, and I loved it. I will admit that the RPF segment had me leery (RPF throws me for reasons I have yet to intellectually inspect but believe may relate somehow to the concept of voyeurism) but I'm glad I finished it, because she pulls it together very well. The dialogue in the last segment is especially great, particularly these parts:

And this:

Because this gets at what I find so Gordian about Internet conversations among even relatively respectful/measured people about Swift's work and presence: we can't seem to figure out what it is we want from her. There is no right way for a woman to be more famous than most presidents. Do we want her to need us or not? Should she care about our approval or shouldn't she? Is the fact that she doesn't "feel" authentic to us the consequence of having demanded authenticity for so long she literally had to shape her personality to fit what "felt real" to millions of people, and in the process, of course, of course, inevitably, produced work that felt authentic to no one?

And then also, like. To what extent do fans use her autonomy/consent as a lever for bad behavior? I.e. does the "invitation" of personal information in her songs license us to speculate about her like she's a character on a TV show? Where is the line of appropriate speculation in an autobiographical medium? I was talking to my friend at dinner just tonight about how it's gross that people can't seem to give her the credit of writing songs that aren't 100% always About Her, and my friend pointed out that she invites comparisons to her own life by teasing names and iconography we identify with her public persona. It's like Brett Easton Ellis writing a book about a character named Brett Easton Ellis. Sure, they're not the same person, but you've invoked a symbol, and people are not being ridiculous for trying to analyze that symbol in the context of the work. In order to do that, they need to understand what the symbol is. Which means the biographical stuff actually is relevant to the text, and Swift's obvious irritation at her fans for failing to just... fuck off a little bit and let her live, while an entirely fair and morally defensible human response, is complicated by the way that her art is produced to resonate best for those who care most. Folklore and Evermore prove even Taylor is on some level aware of this, because she uses the third-person mechanic (and again in "Bolter") to differentiate those protagonists from the narrative construct of "Taylor Swift" in her other first-person work — i.e. pulling apart the Swift who is speaking and not the Swift who is singing (if that makes sense).

And then, finally: "The irony gets a bit tired. You can just say you like music. It's fine." What a deliciously recursive little bit of irony, considering it's a criticism being offered by a character whose ironic distance is itself being criticized. And the fact that the author is putting her own self-criticism in the mouth of a non-existent popstar who's deliberately flattening her take on her subject matter? Mingling valid with invalid criticism to establish a protective distance from her flaws and prove her smarty-pants intellectual self-awareness while also implicitly disowning the faults in her work, an (ironically) childish gesture of insecurity that stands at odds with the mature intellectual persona? Trying to have about seven or eight different cakes, and eat every one of them? "The irony gets a bit tired." Fucking perfect. I laughed.

#fuck it I'm making another tag for this #swiftism #greenteacup asks

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kessyathena · 2 months

Text

Kessy's Recommendations

A little while ago a friend who's into Little Witch Academia asked for recommendations and I immediately suggested Magic User's Club. It's one of my go to's and a great show, but it's pretty obscure these days. That got me to thinking about all the other great OVA's I've seen that everyone's forgotten. So here's a selection of my favorites from the golden age of OVA's (1980's -2000's). If you're looking for a thread that connects these, my personal tastes run to character driven stories. I've tried to emphasize titles that are easy to access, mostly ones that are free on Youtube.

Assemble Insert: 1989, 2 eps.

comedy, superhero, idol, mad scientist, police

The city is being overrun by a mad scientist and his mecha equipped gang, so what's the overworked underpaid police force to do? Obviously, hold a competition for the next big idol! Err, I mean superhero to save the city. Wait, is there a difference? Maron really wants to know, since she's the (un?)fortunate winner of the competition.

All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku (Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume): 1992, 6 eps.

comedy, catgirl (sort of), android, superpower, evil corporation

Ryuunosuke just wanted a pet, so when the minions of his overbearing mother accidentally kill the stray kitten he'd picked up his father does the only sensible thing: transplant the cat's brain into the experimental android body he's got in the back seat of the car. Ryuunosuke's new "big sister" is cheerful, energetic, able to bend steel beams with her bare hands, and overly fond of fish and sunbeams.

Nuku Nuku got a TV reboot and a second unrelated OVA called Nuku Nuku Dash, but the original OVA is definitely the best version.

Dragon Half: 1993, 2 eps.

comedy, fantasy world, WTF am I watching?, dragon girl

Mink is the child of a dragon mother and a human father. (Don't think about it too much.) Her father was formerly the champion of the evil king, who still bears a grudge. So there are evil minions, a guy named Dick Saucer who can't decide if he's a singer or a swordsman, a princess who's half slime, the finger water squirter of DOOM, and Beethoven! Don't wait for it to make sense, just enjoy the ride.

Plastic Little: 1994, 1 ep.

action, scifi, space opera, fanservice, yuri subtext

Tita and her galant crew make a living in the pet shop trade, capturing exotic animals in their planet's ocean of clouds for export. One day Tita runs into a beautiful young woman being pursued by a group of uniformed goons. Impulsively deciding to help the stranger, Tita and her crew are drawn into a military conspiracy to wreak havoc on the colony. Naturally, there's a caped villain, high speed chases, battleships, and ridiculously unsafe walkways over a vast chasm.

Elf Princess Rane (Yousei Hime Ren): 1995, 2 eps.

comedy, WTF am I watching?, magic, yuri subtext, idiot protagonist

Well, there is a plot to this one, but describing it would take too long, make no sense, and miss the point. Rane is a frenetically paced, gag after gag wild romp into hilarity and the absurd. There are fairies from another dimension who only speak an unintelligible language, a scheming corporation, a large group of identical sisters, and a protagonist so obsessed with treasure hunting he sees it everywhere to the point of being oblivious to what's in front of his nose.

Magic User's Club (Mahoutsukai Tai!): 1996, 6 eps.

comedy, romance, school life, alien invaders, magic, unrequited love, yaoi

The Earth has been invaded by aliens! However, the aliens are content to sit in their giant spaceship while observing humanity with robotic probes. So when Sawanoguchi Sae joins her school's club of neophyte magic users and the club president declares that they're going to defeat the aliens with magic, she's nothing but enthusiastic. And a massive klutz. What hope do they have considering that the rest of the club consists of Sae's best friend who only joined for Sae's sake, a vice president whose main interest is his crush on the president, and a freshman who frequently skips club activities to go on dates?

There is also a very good 13 episode TV series which is a direct continuation of the OVA featuring the same cast and hijinks but with a change in tone, not the least because the aliens are gone.

Birdy the Mighty (Tetsuwan Birdy): 1996, 4 eps.

action, school life, undercover aliens, conspiracy, gender bender, body sharing

Tsutomu is your average school kid out for a stroll one evening when he runs into a man running for his life from… something. The man turns out to be an alien in disguise and the something, well let's just say it radically changes Tsutomu's life as he's drawn into a conspiracy involving interplanetary criminals. A Federation Officer named Birdy Cephon shows up, but due to reasons he winds up having to share his body with her.

The series got a TV reboot called Birdy the Mighty: Decode. In my opinion, the original OVA is better.

R.O.D: Read or Die: 2001, 3 eps.

action, superpowers, secret agent, yuri subtext

Yomiko Readman is your average substitute teacher… Okay, no she isn't. She's absolutely obsessed with reading: her home is filled with stacks of books. She also has the ability to manipulate paper in any way she wishes, turning ordinary stationary into shields, weapons, giant flying paper airplanes, and so on. And she has a side job as a secret agent. So when a group of superpowered villains threatens the world, agent "The Paper" swings into action. Immediately after one of the bad guys steals her book!

ROD also has a TV series that has the same setting but completely new characters and plotline. The connections to the original OVA only gradually become apparent.

Murder Princess: 2007, 6 eps.

action, fantasy world, action girl, body swap, yuri subtext, lost technology

Alita and Faris are from such different backgrounds that you'd never expect them to meet. Alita is the princess of the kingdom of Forland and has lived a sheltered life in the capital. Faris is from a tragic background and survives on her wits and her skill with a sword as a bounty hunter. However, one night there is a palace coup and Alita is forced to flee for her life into the dark and dangerous Ellend forest, where Faris is hunting monsters for the price on their heads. The two literally run into each other and straight off a cliff. During the fall, the shared near death experience causes them to switch bodies. They're forced to reluctantly team up to defeat the coup and uncover the forces behind it.

Electromagnetic Girlfriend (Denpa-teki na Kanojo): 2009, 2 eps.

drama, mystery, romance

(Note: "Denpa" literally means "electromagnetic wave," but is colloquially used to mean "crazy" in much the same sense as "tin foil hat.")

Juuzawa Juu is a high school delinquent. One day a girl he's never met comes up to him and declares that he is a reincarnated king and she is his servant and knight. Despite Juu's best efforts to get rid of her, she continually follows him around. As if this wasn't enough, there's a serial killer stalking the town, and Juu suddenly finds himself caught up in the case when he's the one to find the body of the latest victim: one of his own classmates.

#anime recommendation #OVA #hidden gems #Assemble Insert #Nuku Nuku #Dragon Half #Plastic Little #Elf Princess Rane #Magic User's Club #Birdy the Mighty #R.O.D: Read or Die #Murder Princess #Electromagnetic Girlfriend #Little Witch Academia #LWA

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abnerkrill · 7 months

Note

re: the wrap, what's an industry site that's worth reading in ur opinion?

hahaha none of them, unless you go into it knowing what you're getting is mostly propaganda, making it more an anthropological study and less a quest for good journalism. (and i should say, they are generally good about straight-up factual breaking news like casting announcements, writing and directing announcements, and so forth, so it's a good resource if you're in the industry and want to stay up-to-date about what's going on with films/shows. but any opinion about the strikes or unions from the trades is gonna be dead wrong 80% of the time and confusingly mixed-up the other 20%.)

some common sites, summed up:

the wrap: sharon waxman is a hack and a propagandist for the studios FIRST and a journalist dead last. some of the most egregious anti-union spin these months has been from her.

matt belloni at puck: obnoxiously anti-union in the guise of just being a fair, balanced, nice guy! the other people at puck seem fairly cool but matt is the entertainment guy and he's so so so bad and annoying it kinda ruins the whole publication (and it's paid-only, so no real help to most people.)

deadline hollywood: nearly as malicious as sharon waxman at the wrap, but much more dumb and less coherent, so the propaganda just never works as well?? gotta get on that, folks!

the hollywood reporter: solid mix of good and bad stuff depending on the journalist you get. i would say it's slightly more reputable than the wrap/deadline but geez the bar is low.

variety.com: they fucking love AI and i see their editorial board jacking off about AI so much i've pretty much stopped going on the site. waste of time.

indiewire: more balanced & reputable than the others, but is also somewhat less focused on being a "trade" like the others and mostly wants to talk about indie films. i've liked some of what they did about the strikes, but they're also annoying at times like this snarky headline ("Well, There Goes Halloween: SAG-AFTRA Bans Most Movie and TV-Centric Costumes for Actors" and similar) so like... grain of salt. many grains of salt.

the best way to get SAG-AFTRA and WGA updates has always been their websites (SAG-AFTRA, WGA) or, deeply unfortunately, their Twitter accounts (SAG-AFTRA, WGA). also unfortunately the accounts of individual members on their respective negotiating committees or volunteering as strike captains are gold—many have said they're gonna retire their Twitters after the strikes end, lol, but it's an invaluable real-time resource right now.

members are often able to rebut false info from the trades super quickly, and they have up-to-date, informed perspectives because they're literally the boots on the ground of the strikes! i recommend dual wga-sag-aftra member adam conover (sure he's annoying but he's GOOD AT HIS JOB), wga president david a. goodman, the wire writer/creator david simon, leverage and librarians showrunner john rogers, wga's chief negotiator ellen stutzman, and beloved star trek actress and sag-aftra member jeri ryan to start with—and find more wga/sag-aftra members through following them!

#harompe #sag-aftra strike #wga strike

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kaz-identified · 9 months

Text

houseofmcallister presents...

The Kaz-Identified Master Post / McAllister Introduction

A definitive breakdown of all of my fics, as well as my important links and some information about me.

some of these are on my main account, houseofmcallister. some of these are on my ko-fi. they're all my work though. not every work of mine is on here cause some of them deserve to rot.

five bells are ringing (oh, birds have been singing) - five bells, coco and the butter fields ^ kaz's favorite song of all time

kazzy's requests are: OPEN! find rules here!

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go. I wanna be sedated.

Series Masterlists

A Wolf Walks Into An Apartment Masterlist In which five or so highly powerful Guardians are forced to adapt to their new friend, the Young Wolf. Genre - Comedy Rating: 13+ (Swearing, mentions of drug use, sexual humor, inappropriate language, existential ponderings) Created by houseofmcallister media with the aid of friends

Said to the devil, devil do you like drums?

Drabbles Recommended Work:

Field Patch Uldren x Young Wolf (Canon Divergent Timeline - House of Wolves) In which wounds, and bad attitudes, are treated. Genre - Fluff Rating: 13+ (Inappropriate language, mention of injury) notes: ko-fi exclusive!

No grave can hold my body down, I'll crawl home to her.

One Shots

Recommended Work:

Do or Drown Crow x Young Wolf In which confessions are shared. Genre - Fluff Rating: 13+ notes: Author's personal favorite.

I'm the ruler of everything, in the end.

OC Lorebooks

Recommend Entry:

Mine and Mine Alone Young Wolf Howling

For he has cast down Leviathan, the tyrant, and horse and rider

Original Works

Risky Gamble Sunset Chasers The Gambler, Last Outrider Arcadian of the Dawn Riders' introduction In which a fool opens her mouth and it almost gets her killed Genre - Fantasy Rating: 16+ (Inappropriate language, references to sexual content) notes: the first piece in my original series, Sunset Chasers

What's cooler than being cool? ICE COLD!

About the author!

Hi! I'm the guy writing those pretty words for all of you!

I'm Shepard, or Kaz on here I suppose. Why the difference? Uh... I don't know. Blog name I guess. Kaz is a nickname a dear friend gave me. Short for Kazzymandias. Or, if you aren't sure, just call me McAllister!

At time of writng, I'm 18 years old. I'm a freshman at Xavier University, studying film! I like writing, as you can tell... and when I grow up, I'm gonna work at Bungie!

I like media in general but a highlight of the hits (my favorites) TV Shows: Pysch, How I Met Your Mother, Friends, Frazier, King of the Hill, and a lot of old Nickelodeon stuff... Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Exorcist, Fullmetal Alchemist, Trigun... Movies: Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver, Mission: Impossible, Man From U.N.C.LE., A lot of action movies I can't remember... Music: Coco and the Butterfields, My Chemical Romance, Powerwolf, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Twisted Sister, Sabaton, Hozier, Johnny Cage, Insane Clown Posse, Tally Hall, Eazy-E, Eminem... Games: Destiny, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Assassin's Creed, Persona 5, Tomb Raider...

Now here's some rapid fire funfacts.

My favorite president is Ulysses S. Grant cause I did a project on him in second grade! My designated technology color is white! My favorite color is green, pink is a close second! My favorite sport is football! I love the Cowboys, I'm from Dallas, sue me. And I'm a big Bengals fan! I fence! Not well, but still! I was a Girl Scout! My favorite subject is history! I'm actually not a very good English student!

I wish I was a little bit taller. I wish I was a baller. I wish had a girl who looked good, I would call her.

Questions I get asked about my work.

Q: Do you take requests? A: I do! On my ko-fi for speedier answers and here on tumblr to be answered when I have time!

Q: Who's your Guardian? A: Faolan! She's the Young Wolf I default to in most fics.

Q: How do you write so well? A: It's partially natural talent, I've been writing since, and I am not joking here, I was three years old and first learned to speak. But mostly it's just a lot of reading and watching to find out things I like and then using those skills. And it's also a lot of practice! I write all the time, on my notes app, in my friend's DMs, on tumblr, whenever, wherever. Persistence is the key to any skill!

Q: Do you write for other fandoms? A: Not at the moment! But eventually.

When they lay me down to die, going up to the spirit in the sky!

Questions I get asked about me as a person.

Q: Do you have a partner in real life? A: No! Believe it or not, I've never even had a crush in real life! I'm not really big on romance. Ironic, I know. Q: Who's your favorite character? A: In all of fiction? Eli Monpress. But my like, number one hehehoo <3 character is Dante Sparda. I like my men very cocky and a little stupid.

Q: Favorite song? A: Five Bells by Coco and the Butterfields!

Q: Favorite trope? A: Friends to lovers is my bread and butter.

Q: Favorite game? A: Destiny. But besides that, I like Ghostwire Toyko!

Q: Favorite book? A: The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell!

Q: Favorite genre? A: Action-adventure! Especially the funny ones!

Q: Favorite TV show? A: Pysch! It totally influenced how I write comedy and talk.

Q: Favorite author? A: Can I be boring and say Shakespeare and Tolkien? They're the reason I write like I do.

Q: Favorite musical artist? A: Coco and the Butterfields! But Powerwolf is a close second.

Q: What's your username mean? A: Kaz-Identified was just a whim, there's no real meaning behind it. Houseofmcallister is a joke on my last name and old nobility.

Q: Any advice for writers? A: Practice! It's the only way to improve.

Give me a shot to remember! And you can take all the pain away from me!

And that's it! Wow, that's a lot of words!

So now you know me! Yay!

ao3: houseofmcallister main account: houseofmcallister buy me a coffee!

Don’t repost my work or I’ll eat your shoulder blades! I do not consent to my works being used for AI training purposes.

#intro post #long post #oh my god this took forever.

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williamrikers · 9 months

Note

you're making me consider watching those east asian (korean? japanese?) romantic tv shows you watch. do you have any recommendations for someone who tried to watch one (1) k-drama once (1x) and quickly stopped because the genre conventions were very different from what i was used to and that made it take more energy than i was expecting. (was expecting a typical romantic comedy plot like i'm used to and like, i think it was a typical romantic comedy plot but just like, not western)

like, is there a show that's relatively easy to get into? did i get unlucky with that one k-drama (and my own capacity for adjustment in that moment)?

also something that can help me watch stuff is episode summaries to read beforehand, if you're the kind of person who reads episode summaries sometimes and if so, do you have a recommendation for where to read them?

if this ask feels like work to you, please don't answer it. but if this feels like a nice chance to get someone into a thing you're into, i'd love to hear your recommendations

also i'm guessing they don't speak english in thesee shows, nor dutch, so like, would the first result on google for "show name watch free online" typically have good subtitles or are there things to watch out for or look for?

hi bestie, thank you so much for sending me this ask! i'm really happy to hear that my obsession has made you want to check out what the fuss is all about 😍 i've been almost exclusively watching shows from thailand for the past few months, and i'll gladly recommend some! (as for the episode summaries thing, i'm sorry i can't help you, i never read stuff like that.)

many of these shows are free to watch on youtube, and they usually come with english subtitles of varying quality. lately, gmmtv shows have had really amazing translations, but you need to be a bit forgiving with some of the older shows and shows made by other studios.

that said, let's get into the recommendations!

personally, i started this journey with kinnporsche the series (2022, 14 episodes), but that's like being dropped into the ocean from 500 feet above ground with no warning and expected to stay alive by any means necessary. the experience was absolutely amazing and 100% life-changing for me, and i've been showing kp to as many of my irl friends as possible because in my opinion, everyone should watch it, but as a first foray into thai bl it is... a LOT. (if that sounds intriguing to you, message me privately about where to watch it.)

however, here are some other suggestions in case you want to ease into the whole thing:

are you into comedy?

bad buddy (2021, 12 episodes) free to watch on youtube

this one became an instant classic and has a HUGE fandom here on tumblr. two college students have a shared history as the kids of two families who hate each other, and have been made to compete in everything since childhood... however, what their parents didn't plan for was the two of them falling in love. amazing chemistry between the main couple, will make you ugly cry.

my school president (2022, 12 episodes) free to watch on viki

super sweet romcom about a group of school friends who are in a band and are trying to win a battle of the bands type competition. the main love story is cute, heartfelt and very moving and you're going to end up wanting to adopt all of the kids.

care for some higher heat?

only friends (2023, ongoing) free to watch on youtube

if you want to get into something that's currently airing with a vibrant and active fandom, try only friends. everyone is problematic, morality is for losers, it's incredibly erotic, it's been three episodes and almost all of the main characters have already had sex scenes. plot what plot/insane college friend group without plot.

in case you would like to sob uncontrollably:

laws of attraction (2023, ongoing) free to watch on youtube

a man's niece is killed in a car accident that might actually be a murder. said man hires an unhinged lawyer to investigate. still airing (final episode will air on saturday), WILL twist your heart in such a way that you're probably going to need therapy. insanely heated chemistry between the main pairing, absolutely incredible acting from film thanapat.

moonlight chicken (2023, 8 episodes) free to watch on youtube

a poor restaurant owner is struggling dealing with raising his nephew, his own trauma and the pressures of capitalism. also, some guy he slept with keeps hanging around his restaurant because he wants to teach him to love again. this show makes you feel pain but it always hands you a cup of hot chocolate and caresses your back right after. aftercare for the viewer done right.

free philosophy classes wanted?

not me (2021, 14 episodes) free to watch on youtube

local group of gay anarchists are trying to bring a capitalist to justice. they discuss the concepts of justice and morality at length. what exactly is the power of art? if the law is unjust, then how to define justice? and how can we change the world for the better? made by a trans woman, a must-watch in the genre.

be my favorite (2023, 12 episodes) free to watch on youtube

what does it mean to live a good life? how can we ever know what choices to make? what if you could go back and change the things you did wrong? very gentle, compassionate and kind storytelling. this is my personal favorite bl after kinnporsche and about as far from kinnporsche storytelling-wise as anything could possibly get.

why not go for the classics?

until we meet again (2019, 17 episodes) free to watch on youtube

two college students discover they have a soulmate bond and get flashes of memory from their previous lives, making one of them incredibly traumatized as they try to find out what really happened back then. this one is truly a classic bl: filmed on a potato, atrocious audio quality, trope-heavy. however, the way this show manages to sneak up on you and threaten your entire life is unparalleled and i'm still not over those final two episodes.

he's coming to me (2019, 8 episodes) free to watch on youtube

this one is a hidden gem. there's almost no fandom for it on here but it's a show that i can recommend wholeheartedly. a guy falls in love with a ghost he keeps seeing in the cemetery and tries to help him unravel the secret of his violent death. features a whole bunch of actors who are now considered veterans/heavy hitters.

i hope this was helpful! message me if you have any more questions 😊

#bl stuff #ask #*mine

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pebblysand · 7 months

Text

[CHAPTER 19 RESOURCES]

hi all! i've seen a lot of messages/comments asking about the political/historical events referenced in chapter 19, and the research i'd done about it. as such, i thought i would write this short post to give you more resources if you're interested in digging further. i will however caveat the below by saying that the aftermath of 9/11 (and particularly the iraq war) is my political roman empire; it's a topic that truly fascinates me, and about which i've done a lot of research/thinking throughout the past 20 years, and something i'm always coming back to. so when it comes to the below, this is mostly made of the media i've consumed semi-recently, and that i remember. i couldn't possibly tell you what i was watching/reading ten years ago about this when i was getting obsessed by dick cheney 😭.

- on 9/11 -

it's relatively easy to find out literally anything you want about 9/11 from an american perspective. there's so many resources out there, feel free to pick your own. i myself recently watched 9/11: inside the president's war room on apple tv, which was comically bad pro-bush propaganda, but does give you some insight on bush's bizarre state of mind. having said that, for this chapter, i actually needed to figure out what it would have been like in the uk government, and i felt that this podcast episode from westminster insider was very good at doing that.

- on iraq -

the war in iraq, be it from a uk or a us perspective, is one of the most destructive, outrageous government lies and cover ups in history, and certainly of the 21st century. we really don't talk about it enough. it also not only destroyed the public's trust in government institutions, but killed and injured thousands of civilians (as well as soldiers) only to lead to the rise of isis and the perpetuation of instability in this region of the middle east. i could probably rant about it for literal decades, but here are some resources if you want to be outraged yourselves.

note that most of these are from a UK perspective, which was a deliberate choice on my end as i was writing this chapter from that perspective. i've also watched/listened to stuff from the us (and france, probably), but that was a long time ago and honestly i wouldn't have the references.

film/TV:

(fiction) official secrets with kiera knightly isn't bad. it's a bit dramatised but it goes over the story of a GCHQ analyst who leaked secrets to the press before the invasion.

(documentary) once upon a time in iraq from the bbc is genuinely incredible. it is the story of the war told through the point of view of those involved in it, from american soldiers, to journalists, to iraqi civilians. i thought it was very well made and did a great job at showing the perspective of people you rarely ever hear from.

(documentary) everyone always recommends fahrenheit 9/11 which i think i saw a long time ago and i suppose it was good, although i don't think it taught me anything i didn't already know.

podcasts:

most of the "research" i did for this chapter was actually through podcasts, so here is the stuff i listened to.

the fault line's entire first season bush, blair and iraq is INCREDIBLE. it's both very good at setting out the basic facts about the war and the chronology of the iraq invasion, but also at explaining how we got there, the lies both administrations told the general public, and how global group-think led to intelligence services to believe in intelligence that was ridiculously unreliable. i would say that this was my main source when planning out this chapter, and the research put into this podcast is truly top-class.

british scandal did a series of episodes on the david kelly scandal - a british weapons inspector who committed suicide after giving an interview to the bbc accusing the government of lying to the public about WMDs. this led to a bogus enquiry into the british government and the bbc, and a report that basically concluded the government didn't lie, which was of course not true. in tone, british scandal is a bit more casual and less journalistic than the first podcast (maybe a bit easier to digest if you're not into deep stuff though), and although i was mildly aware of it, i'd actually never done much research into this particular story before, so i still found the episodes quite interesting.

politics weekly UK and politics weekly america from the guardian did two very interesting episodes on the aftermath of the iraq war 20 years on, last march. i thought both were interesting, but the america episode was particularly good at explaining the liberal case for war, and how/why so many left-wing liberals fell into the pro-war side, with very good intentions that later turned out to be catastrophic. i already knew of this, and knew i was going to have harry take that side going in, but i used this podcast a lot to refine his position and what i was trying to get across in the chapter.

shock war from radio 4 is a good overall source with rather short episodes, if you can't be bothered with longer ones.

anyway, i hope this helps! thanks for reading and enjoying this chapter as much as you have, reading your comments, DMs, etc. has truly been incredible.

#castles

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dsneybuf91 · 1 year

Text

Other 2022 Recommendations

I often find a fascinating piece of media with at least one Asian or Hispanic/Latin American entertainer prominently involved, but don’t end up blogging about it. Sometimes, I feel too far from the target demographic to properly discuss it. Other times, my admiration doesn’t feel as deep as it does for the likes of Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yet other times, the subject seems too intricate for me to blog about, especially if I check it out beyond its time of relevance. Still, some of this media felt entertaining and/or noteworthy enough for at least lip service. For brevity’s sake, I’ll limit my recommendations to works released this year. Each section lists them by order of release date.

Most of these works have more Asian, Hispanic, and/or Latin American cast and crew members than listed.

Honorable Mentions

Various Disney Channel cartoons: The Owl House (episodes #30-41 aired this year) and The Ghost and Molly McGee (#11-20) deliver charm and emotional appeal, best appreciated when watching the respective shows in whole. The Owl House probably would've risen into the Recommended TV Shows section if Disney didn't force everyone involved to rush the story.

Easter Sunday: Reportedly the first major motion picture with a predominantly Filipino-American cast, this comedy draws laughs from satirizing FilAm family quirks and celebrity worship culture. Unfortunately, while the characters' exaggerated demonstrations of admiration for Manny Pacquiao formed the plot line that I enjoyed the most, they wouldn't amuse viewers who never belonged to his fanbase - as I once did - and/or wish that the movie gave his role to someone non-homophobic.

Toon Makers' Sailor Moon pitches: The long-awaited unearthing of a cheesy, unfaithful, and failed attempt to adapt Naoko Takeuchi's beloved manga for American children deserves acknowledgement in this year-end retrospective, as well as at least one viewing from American Sailor Moon fans.

Recommended Movies

Turning Red: The nostalgic feature-length directorial debut of a future Pixar vice president of creative proved objectively nice enough to become one of my top 10 favorite movies from the studio. It also became the first Pixar picture from this decade that I would purchase on Blu-ray and digital.

Starring Rosalie Chiang as Mei Lee and Sandra Oh as Ming Lee

Co-Starring several other Asian actors, including Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya Manga, Hyein Park as Abby Park, and Wai Ching Ho as Wu

Directed by Domee Shi

Written by Domee Shi and Julia Cho

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: Delightfully expert comic timing and a wide emotional range help develop passionate cinephile Javi Gutierrez beyond a wish-fulfilling self-insert.

Starring Pedro Pascal as Javi Gutierrez

Father of the Bride: Among all the movie adaptations released so far of Edward Streeter's novel, the humor and drama of this one feel the most up my alley, though I felt I needed at least one more viewing to fully grasp the worth of the added divorce-related storylines.

Starring Andy Garcia as Billy Herrera, Gloria Estefan as Ingrid Herrera, and Adria Arjona as Sofia Herrera

Co-Starring Isabela Merced as Cora Herrera, Diego Bonita as Adan Castillo, and Pedro Damián as Hernan Castillo

Directed by Gary Alazraki

Written by Matt Lopez

Bonus Features

Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red: As with Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, Turning Red's most insightful extra feature remains exclusive to Disney+.

Almost Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Everything Everywhere All at Once: The Everything Everywhere All at Once Blu-ray and DVD contain the most comprehensive extras platter I've found in quite a while for a brand-new movie, especially since this 41-minute documentary runs longer than every other documentary I've seen on an A24 Blu-ray. One of the other bonus features even reached the big screen, when EEAaO's critical and financial successes convinced A24 to theatrically distribute a version of the film with the gag reel tacked onto the end.

Recommended TV Shows

Our Flag Means Death Season One: While not the main character, incognito assassin Jim Jimenez and their vengeful plight form some of this charming show's most intriguing subplots.

Co-Starring Vico Ortiz as Jim Jimenez and Guz Khan as Ivan

Guest-Starring Fred Armisen as Geraldo

Directed by Fernando Frías (#5: "The Best Revenge is Dressing Well"; #6: "The Art of Fuckery"; #7: "This is Happening")

Written by Eliza Jiménez Cossio (#4: "Discomfort in a Married State"), John Mahone (#5: "The Best Revenge is Dressing Well"), and Zaye Ferrer (#7: "This is Happening")

Amphibia episodes #50-58: The most widely-appealing Disney Channel cartoon I've seen with a female lead of color aired its last nine episodes this year, and managed to stick the landing in the finale.

Created by Matt Braly

Starring Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy

Co-Starring Anna Akana as Sasha Waybright, Haley Tju as Marcy Wu, On Braly as Mrs. Boonchuy, and Brian Sounalath as Mr. Boonchuy

Co-written by Jenava Mie (#52a "Sasha's Angels"; #54a "The Root of Evil"; #57 "All In") and Gloria Shen (#50 "Return to Amphibia"; #52b "Olm Town Road"; #55a "Newts in Tights"; #57 "All In")

What We Do in the Shadows Season Four: This offshoot of my favorite Taika Waititi movie deftly pulls off a literally monstrous premise with strong comedy and pathos. Season Four's changes to the status quo resulted in some worthwhile revelations and storylines, even if not all of those changes will carry over into Season Five.

Starring Kayvan Novak as Nandor the Relentless and Harvey Gullién as Guillermo de la Cruz

Co-starring Anoop Desai as the Djinn and Parisa Fakhri as Marwa

Directed by Tig Fong (#36: "The Wedding")

Written by Marika Sawyer (co-wrote #36: "The Wedding"; wrote "#38: "Go Flip Yourself" alone)

Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World: This miniseries delivers some fascinating insight into various types of South American wildlife, and their relationships with the environment and humans.

Narrated by Pedro Pascal

Starring various South American scientists as themselves

Andor Season One: Due to my preference for Star Wars chronicles that instill a sense of accomplishment and/or hope, episodes in which the Empire inflicts realistic despair only appeal to me if I can bunch them with ones in which Cassian and his peers achieve rousing and immensely satisfying, yet either small or incomplete, victories. While this condition and the relatively low view counts could call into question Disney+'s decision to release Chapters 4-12 at a rate of one per week, the season's grounded insight into the Rebellion, captivating performances, and high-quality production values still turn this into one of the most exemplary Star Wars TV shows.

Starring and Executive Produced by Diego Luna as Cassian Andor

Co-Starring Adria Arjona as Bix Caleen, Varada Sethu as Cinta Kaz, and Andy Serkis as Kino Loy

Guest-Starring Antonio Viña as Kassa

Whether you agree or disagree with me on any of these works, or if you have any other relevant recommendations, feel free to politely let me know in the comments section.

Plug

Discrimination towards Asian-Americans has reached alarming levels. I would like my readers to donate to The AAPI Community Fund, even if I personally take no share of the funds.

#turning red #what we do in the shadows #wwdits #the unbearable weight of massive talent #our flag means death #stop asian hate #new year's eve #amphiba #father of the bride #star wars andor #my posts #movie review #tv show review #star wars review

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hughungrybear · 8 months

Text

List 10 comfort shows and then tag 10 people

Tagged by @imlivingformyselfdontmindme 😁

(I'm sorry, I was late to notice this mention and just found the time to do this list).

In no particular order because I feel like people will come for my head if I do rank lists 😅😅😅😅

SOTUS and SOTUS S

Yep, technically these are two shows. I don't care. I WILL DIE WITH THIS SHIP. LOL 🤪

Haikyuu!

I read the manga and watched all seasons of the anime. The best shōnen manga ever published - even without the obvious BL ships 😅

ReLife

A mysterious pill that gives its recipient a second chance at (high school) life? Count me in! I am just in love with its concept and plot. Like Haikyuu, I have read (and re-read) the manga and watched the anime and live-action. Though both the anime and live-action are somewhat lacking (probably because they were aired before the manga was finished), it is still my go-to show whenever I feel life is extra sh*tty.

To My Star and To My Star 2

My fellow BL fans would understand why this series managed to tug at my heartstrings. I would always see puppy Kang Seo Joon and his reluctant "owner" Han Ji Woo whenever I re-watch the episodes.

Bad Buddy

This one should be obvious - I basically created this Tumblr account because I could not contain my BBS thoughts anymore LOL

2 Moons 2

I prefer this version to the previous one. Mainly because of JoongNine, although it is a shame that they were not able to give this series a proper ending due to controversies surrounding the production company.

A Tale of Thousand Stars

I love the plot. I love the acting. I love the location. I love the director. What more would I want?

The Gifted (Seasons 1 and 2)

The series that solidified my love for Nanon. Whenever people ask me for a recommendation for "good" TV, I always start with this series.

Erased

What can I say? I am a sucker for Japanese manga - especially if it involves something awesome like murder mystery and time-travelling. Like ReLife, I have read the manga during publication and also watched the anime and the live-action on Netflix.

My School President

This combines my two loves - BL and music. It also does not hurt that the leads are adorable and they actually know how to sing (unlike some BLs I know that have a musical number for no apparent good reason. Yes, looking at you, Between Us 😅). It is also the only Thai series that I almost have a complete collection of merch.

Now, to share my misery LOL. Tagging @lost-my-sanity1, @ellasaru12, @telomeke, @shortpplfedup, @queersouthasian, @plantsarepeopletoo, @dimplesandfierceeyes, @miscellar, @ablazenqueen, @dribs-and-drabbles

#tag game #sorry people #i just tagged the blogs I am following

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route22ny · 2 years

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Cartoon and commentary by Clay Jones

Here’s what I want to know: Who are the Republican members of Congress who sought pardons from Donald Trump after helping him try to steal the election from President Joe Biden?

One of the bombshells revealed during the Congressional January 6 Committee’s live hearing last Thursday is that several Republican members of Congress who had helped Trump try to steal the election asked for pardons between the election and Trump’s last day in office.

What this says is that not only did these Republicans know they were lying for Trump, but also knew they were breaking the law. Why would anyone believe they need a pardon if they believed they were only raising legitimate questions about the election? Hmm?

Call me crazy, but I don’t think criminals should hold elected office.

The thing is, these Republicans weren’t trying to make sure the election was fair. They were trying to steal the election. They were helping Trump try to commit a coup and become a fascist dictator.

Call me crazy, but I don’t think people who violate their oaths of office should continue to serve in office.

So, who are all these Republicans seeking pardons for the crimes of helping Trump steal an election? According to Jared Kushner, who was put in charge of sorting through all the requests for pardons (another task he was given that he wasn’t qualified for), there were a lot. There were so many pardon requests for him to go through, that the White House legal counsel’s “whining” about having to break the law for Trump was a distraction.

So far, we know that Scott Perry, the current chair of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus (racist cult goons), asked for one of those pardons. Perry denied the claim, tweeting, “The notion that I ever sought a Presidential pardon for myself or other Members of Congress is an absolute, shameless, and soulless lie.” This tweet obviously means he believes there’s no lingering evidence of his request for a pardon. Based on the track record of Perry and everyone else in the goon conference…or anyone who’s ever defended Trump, I think he’s lying.

But who else asked for pardons?

Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez tweeted at Congressional Trump goons, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, if they asked for pardons.

Gaetz was tweeting at AOC all day long until she asked the question, so at the very least, she found a way to shut Gaetz up. MTG did not reply either. Boebert did but she didn’t answer the question, instead, changing the subject to shit about gas prices.

Since none of them proudly answered the question or even took the time to lie in a denial like Perry, they’re all suspects. If any of them asked for pardons, this means they’re not qualified to serve in Congress. Of course, we already knew this.

Republicans really have no shame. They help Trump commit a crime, claim it wasn’t a crime, then ask for a pardon so they don’t serve time in prison for the crime.

Call me crazy, but I think members of Congress should be more loyal to the Constitution than to an orange racist gaslighting reality TV show host.

And why is Jared Kushner going through the pardons? Typically, The Department of Justice goes through pardon requests and makes recommendations to the president (sic). But, Trump had a habit of ignoring them such as the time he pardoned the racist Arizona sheriff, or Paul Manafort, or Dinesh D’Souza, or Michael Flynn, or Roger Stone, or anyone he secretly pardoned which we’ll all learn about when they get charged in the future and pull that pardon out of their pockets.

Donald Trump never understood which department did what. While taking pardons away from DOJ, he wanted DOJ to help him steal the election.

Jared also had a pattern of going around federal departments, specifically the State Department as he’d make arms deals with autocratic nations in the Middle East without consulting the Secretary of State. Jared’s only experience with foreign policy is taking bribes from bone saw-wielding sultans. But I guess it’s OK that he’s the one who goes through the pardons since he’s not a lawyer either.

Like his father-in-law, Jared’s only experience to before working in the White House was being a lousy businessman. Keep in mind, that he submitted three applications for his security clearance because he kept forgetting his relationships with Russians before Donald Trump eventually overruled the FBI and gave him a presidential security clearance. Say, did Jared ask for a pardon?

The big challenge here doesn’t end with prosecuting Donald Trump for trying to destroy our democracy in a bloody fascist coup attempt with white nationalist terrorists. We’re also challenged to remove all the criminal fascist goons currently serving in Congress. Obviously, when they’re in yee-haw racist districts that love them some fascism like the one MTG represents, they’re not going to be voted out like Madison Cawthorn.

We need to prove goons like MTG, Matt Gaetz, and Lauren Boebert, among others, actually broke the law. Since they’re not the smartest in Congress (which really says a lot), proving they’re criminals really shouldn’t be that difficult.

Call me crazy, but I believe people who tried to destroy our democracy to turn the United States into a fascist nation ruled by Orange Shitler should not serve time in Congress, but instead serve time in prison.

#january 6th hearings #trump coup #political cartoon #clay jones

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