kinda neat how media can be used as a jumping off point to learn about new things. there are the obvious things like documentaries, but then there are all sorts of other things. when 'hamilton' first got big, you ended up with people learning about aaron burr and the new york water system and various trivia from usa history around that era which wasn't even featured in the musical itself.
when 'mr bates vs the post office' came out recently over here (UK), a whole lot of people were able to appreciate the impact the whole horizon/post office affair had on its victims. sure, the story has been in the news for a few years now, but it's the first time it's been a story actively discussed in daily life. and people learning more about it has actively pushed the government to consider speeding up compensation or mass exonerations.
and even aside from these obvious instances, there are a lot that don't tell you up front and you realise as you're watching. when shows and films and books reference real life events through the veneer of fiction. suzume, referencing the tohoku earthquake of 2011 (something I imagine pretty much every japanese citizen is aware of - suzume's own age is very deliberate in how she lost her mother to the quake. she was very young at the time it happened, but it still had a huge impact on her and many others). link click, referencing the 2008 sichuan earthquake (and deliberately having the arc revolve around school-age children in a run-down old building when irl one of the reasons the casualties were so high was because of poor construction of school buildings). various kdramas referencing generational SK disasters: imf financial crisis (explored in 'reborn rich', but I imagine many other shows), sampoong department store collapse (referenced in 'move to heaven', but again, once I knew the history, it made a lot of sense why so many corrupt villains in kdramas were specifically involved in construction).
it's a mix of how, if you know the events being referenced, they'll impact you more. but if you don't know the events, then it gives you a reason to learn. I personally had very very vague memories of the 2008 earthquake, just in terms of some clips on the news at the time. I had no idea about the various factors that made the disaster so much worse until I realised what was being referenced when watching the show and decided to read up on it.
I have somewhat conflicted feelings on how fictional (or dramatised in the case of mr bates) media approaches specifically *disasters*, as opposed to other historical events, but I think the shows I've mentioned here at least take a victim-first approach.
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I was watching clips from Little Women 2019 on YouTube (im so normal about that movie) and on the one with Jo Friedrich getting together at the end, people were commenting “oh I’m so glad Jo found the capacity to love another person romantically because she would be a static character if not. They were so sweet together 🥰” and I had to close the tab because HNG,,,,,,
Firstly, it was heavily heavily implied that the ending where Jo gets together with him was simply made up for the sake of the publisher due to prejudices and constraints of that time period (which was reflected in Alcott’s own experiences of trying to get little women published). This was supported by the colour grading of the scene and it’s place in the story: it’s warm-toned and Jo hadn’t been characterised in any way that would suggest she wanted to be in a romantic relationship for the whole story. Her loneliness is not a byproduct of wanting romantic love, but of living as a struggling artist in the oppressive patriarchal standards of her time; there’s also the fact that her family is moving on and growing up all around her as she’s the only one left behind in her family home, which is further emphasised by the fact that she’s the one constantly clinging to the simplicities of the past. She considers accepting Laurie’s proposal not because she loves him in a romantic way or wants romance, but because life is a fucking struggle. And that’s why Friedrich showing up at her doorstep, from the perspective of a viewer, especially because he hadn’t shown up at all since the film’s opening, is jarring as hell. But it’s deliberately paced to be and ignoring this in order to make such a statement as “oh finally the perfect man for Jo” INFURIATES me. Especially when the scene under the rain? The confession scene? Was the cheesiest culmination of every romantic trope ever. This - accentuated by the jarring shift in themes and character - was a brilliant meta-commentary on actual criticism of the book where it felt like Jo married Friedrich out of nowhere.
Which brings me to the next thing - romantic love being seen as the be-all, end all for… everything. (coldest take of all time but unfortunately, not cold enough apparently) It’s not!!!!!!! Absolutely nothing against it (I love my ships as much as the next person) but when a filmmaker pays such attention in her commentary to love and societal perceptions around it, when she explores sisterly love and motherly love and platonic love etc. all so thoroughly. And you still leave thinking Jo was happiest and fulfilled when she gets together with Friedrich. I… I don’t know what to say. I’ve seen people say that the ending is ambiguous (and it is rather) but I’ve only ever seen it this way and I just don’t agree with the interpretation that Jo just gets married happily in the film because if so, holy crap was it paced/set up badly. All evidence just points to the contrary in terms of character, and themes, and just how the film is structured. And it’s genius! It’s one of the reasons why the film is one of my all time favourites. It’s such effective satire on how society (back then and evidently now) views romantic relationships. So it just makes me so annoyed when people ignore the nuance
Ok *breathes* I’ll stop
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bREAKS YUOR DOOR DOWN LIKE BIG BIRD!!!! can u 🥺 assign hakunochan 🥺 one 🥺🙏 PWEASEEE 🧎♂️🧎♂️🧎♂️
/ UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! HOW CAN I N O T ASSIGN HAKUNOCHAN A HUSBAND!!? OK SO LIKE! there are so many options actually- In no order in specific, these are the ones I would assign to moon lady;
Charlie: I think that he would be her idiot ur honor; like,, his goal is to look the coolest for his wife, he has to !! he would want to be the bestest and most awesome husband ever ✨✨✨ (and I'm not even mentioning their dynamic in extella bc I have to rewatch it again but there is also that to add too) when ur knight in shining armor does come in shining armor but- wait, where is the horse !?
Kadoc: emo. That's it. He can be a little pessimistic sometimes but he is always trying his best despite the tough times and don't ask me why but I just think they could have a cute dynamic because of the contrast in their personalities; once u get to know kadoc it's easy to realize that he has a good heart as how da vinci said, and considering his last appearance in the 7th lostbelt and how he is a bit more open, i think it could lead to funny interactions between them
Caeneus: caeneus is a pretty proud character but I feel like hakuno has that kind of silly straightforwardness that would make him get embarrassed all the time OIREUTRTYRIUY like i think about his april fool's line: !A scary person who's acting all tough from the very beginning. This Servant gives off a strong "piss off" vibe but with a little treat, negotiation is possible." (<- the little treat is her attention) also i just know that he would rip someone's arm off if they mess with his moon lady
Moctezuma: mocte: -angry and resentful- hakuno: -pokes him in between his furrowed brows- mocte: -not angry anymore- I THINK THEY COULD ALSO BE FUNNY- he would have an undeniable soft spot for her that even with his stubborn pride it would be evident to everyone else in the room- is it bias? absolutely not (it is)
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My RepCom Musing: Etain, Kal and Vau in TZ
Some time ago I rambled a bit about the parallel between Triple Zero and Order 66 and how in both cases Vau’s accused Kal of going soft by not wanting Etain and Besany face the consequences of their doing even though he was the one responsible for putting both women on that course himself (respectively, interrogation and stealing important data). Walon’s passive-aggressive reaction makes sense because let’s face it, it is always him (and Ordo) doing the dirty work in such situations.
But what I find also interesting in regard to Etain, is how both Mandalorians tried to spare her some unpleasant stuff and how differently she was treated.
I mean, Kal brought Etain to interrogation only partially to help Vau get the needed information as fast as possible. The other reason was to test her, not really the skills alone but if the team can count on her during the black op mission (“But the girl's got an edge to her. Let's see if she'll put pragmatism above principle.", as he said to Ordo). And yet, when Etain cracked up the prisoner’s resolution, Kal did not let her finish the job, leaving the worst for Vau:
So that was what she was doing. Skirata had wondered if she was using her Force powers to cause real physical pain. But she had cut to the chase and re-created the stuff that pain did to you anyway: it made you fear for your sanity long before your life.
He had to hand it to her. It was nonlethal and not that far beyond the usual mind influence. Maybe she was struggling to find an ethical limit in her own mind. Maybe it was her own nightmare, the worst thing she could conceive.
She kept it up for an hour. He had no idea whether she was suggesting terrible images and consequences in his mind, or if she was simply flooding him with adrenaline against his wishes, but whatever it was it was exhausting him and her with it. Eventually Orjul broke down sobbing, and Etain shuddered and looked disoriented as if coming out of a trance.
Skirata grabbed Vau's shoulder and shook him awake. "Get in there. She's broken him down enough for you to finish the job."
Vau looked at his chrono. "Not bad. What's up? Don't want to let her face the real consequences?"
"Just do it, will you?"
[...]
Skirata caught Etain's elbow. He wasn't used to grabbing small people: his lads were solid muscle, bigger and stronger than Etain. He felt as if he were clutching a kid's arm. He sat her down on the little bench at the back of the landing platform and took out his comlink to call for transport.
"No, I'm going back in," said Etain.
"Only if Vau calls us back."
"Kal ..."
"Only if he really needs you. Okay?"
They were still waiting for Ordo to collect them when Etain flinched and then looked back at the lobby doors.
They opened and Vau wandered out, rubbing his eyes. There was a distinctive tang of ozone clinging to him, like a discharged blaster.
[...]
Skirata sniffed the ozonic scent again and switched to Mando 'a, although he was sure Etain had flinched because she had sensed what had happened.
[...]
Orjul would be dead sooner or later anyway. No prisoners: not on this run. It was amazing how many people overlooked the inevitable while hoping for a way out.
Etain said nothing. She almost bolted for the speeder when Ordo settled it down on the platform. Skirata settled beside her. She simply seemed subdued.
Etain felt really bad after this scene to the point she even started questioning her view of Jedi and the Dark Side (“She vomited until she was convulsed by dry heaves. Then she filled the basin with cold water and plunged her head into it. When she straightened up and her vision cleared, she looked into a face she recognized. But it wasn't hers: it was the hard, long face of Walon Vau. Everything I've been taught is wrong.)
Kal spared her a great deal of worse guilt if she stayed with Vau and actually saw the mandalorian brutality but important is this: Etain wanted to finish the assigned job and Kal did not allow that. He decided when to pull her out and let Vau step in, to do the dirty work.
Vau’s jab at Skirata for being soft is nothing new. Surprisingly when he and Etain were hunting for the run away terrorist that managed got past Skirata & commandos “cleaning” the enemy warehouse, Vau also was ready to spare Etain some potentially nasty action:
Mird shot past her. She could feel the disturbance in the Force, and their respective instincts took them both to the 134th floor. Mird snuffled along the passage and came to a halt outside an apartment door, settled on its haunches, and stared intently at the door panel.
Vau put a restraining hand on her arm. "I know a Mandalorian regards a female warrior as his equal, my dear, but I feel I should offer to do this job myself."
"I'll do it," she said. She had to.
Vau disrupted the lock. The strill ran into the hallway, almost flat to the floor, and Etain followed it, drawing both lightsabers.
It occurred to her that she might have stumbled upon a family here, and then been presented with a dilemma: a Jedi with two drawn lightsabers, a room full of witnesses, and a cowering terrorist. What would I do? What will I do? But she sensed that would not be the case. It was just another fear of how far she might be prepared to go.
Vau was willing to do the dirty job himself (including the possibility of eliminating unwanted witnesses?) and offered Etain a way out of this situation that could force her going against her Jedi principles. The same as the last time, Etain felt she should finish the job by herself but in contrast to Skirata, Walon accepted her choice and in result, did not sheltered her from facing the responsibility of her action. She didn’t feel that much guilty for eliminating the terrorist with may means the last experienced hardened her (or just the narrative did not focus much on the afterwards).
Of course, killing a person you consider a terrorist in action is a vasty different experience that being part of process meant to break imprisoned person’s resolution and spirit, but I think these two parallel scenes speaks a lot about Skirata and Vau, two hardened Mandalorian veterans who were willing to spare a young Jedi some crushing feel of guilt but who also had a different approach to making the decision for Etain, who tried very hard to prove herself useful and reliable on this black op mission. Once Kal decided it was time to pull Etain from the job, he was the one calling a shot while Walon accepted Etain’s decision (need?) to be the one killing terrorist.
Etain as a Jedi and “not part of their family” yet may be seen as a special case, however the conflict of Kal “I know better so I make hard decisions for others in my care” and Vau “let them make a choice and deal with the consequence for everyone is adult and should be treated like that” seems to be constant part of the whole book series.
A little explanation: not all of Kal's decisions about his family were actually correct, and neither were all of them with negative consequences. It is more about the fact that Kal often makes very important decisions based on what he personally believes is the best solution. Just to be clear.
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me, dusting off the blog after yet another 50 years of vanishing with a pack of caprisun: so, i’ve been rewatching most of d/anganr/onpa content and have the three games which i plan to replay because ahaha, gotta love myself being enabled by SOMEONE to play ‘em, again...you know who you are and i’m only reminded by the utter guilt and misery my girl, mikan, has to go through after waking up from her vegetative state in neo world program. having to accept the harsh reality of the horrible actions she’s done in the name of “love” for junko, which was never real. having to come to a horrible realization that SHE pushed nanami to her death....SHE brought her closest friends, the first friends she ever had, to watch their representative, who brought them together, get killed and succumb to despair. having to finally see the damage mikan has done to her ACTUAL LOVE this applies for any ship i have with her be betrayed by her after abandoning them for junko’s “love”... it’ll destroy her. completely, utterly destroy her with so much guilt...and she’s already mentally unwell, to begin with. it’s those awful realizations that have mikan initially distance herself, fully, from everybody. for the first time, mikan feels completely undeserving of any attention she’s craved for so long... for the first time, she feels undeserving of forgiveness.
it is only by the unconditional support from everybody that mikan does find her own footing, no matter how much time it took because they’ve all had an understanding, and come out of her miserable state just enough to at least redeem herself by saving the survivors of the final killing game, in hope arc. while mikan’ll never be able to get rid of these awful feelings nor thoughts, not even the grim reality of being unable to bear children due to removing her own womb in replacement of junko’s, she now knows they all have each other and she has done a contributable part in saving kirigiri’s life as well as everybody’s reputation by pinning the blame for what happened to future foundation on the remnants of despair. in her eyes, she is forgiven by those she’s come to rescue and it’s this reassurance that will keep her marching to an unforeseeable future.
tl;dr: pluto feels for d/anganr/onpa for the 139192992992929292929th time all over again, thx 4 coming 2 my TED talk.
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