#and after taking much to develop this interpretation I must firmly put myself in the camp
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I have complicated thoughts about atw10. I go back and forth on it - sometimes I hate it, sometimes I love it. but I think I always end up at those extremes because I can’t help but compare them.
first you have the og atw. perfect, no notes, whether or not you agree it’s her magnum opus it does deserve every bit of hype it gets because it’s a great fucking song. (the magnum opus conversation is intertwined with the lore about the song - that taylor wrote it all in a vent sesh with her band; that it wasn’t a single but became a fan favorite because it’s a great fucking song; that there’s A Scarf™️; that taylor recognized all this history and played it up; that by rerecording her music taylor gets the opportunity to carefully prune, as one would a bonsai tree, narratives and how her eras are remembered and how this is the one she’s cemented in history; that now the focus on a song’s lore has intentionally and unintentionally become integral to its endurance and popularity….) the original song has extreme dynamic peaks and valleys despite its nearly unwavering four chord progression. it has lines about autumn leaves and repeat phone calls so insightful that you marvel at how anyone could have been so talented as to string those precise words together. but its emotional punch is twofold: the details are just clear enough to make you recall one of your own experiences and just hazy enough to prevent the writer’s experience replacing yours. the whole thesis is about remembering all too well, forever. you can’t get rid of it. because you remember it. you remember it all. the song is a tour de force and taylor’s skillful manipulation of emotional/musical tension in this song is something that will be appreciated and studied for years to come.
then on the other hand you have atw10, which not only sounds and reads differently but could even be considered antithetical, or at least a foil, to the original song. the zeniths and nadirs are less pronounced and she expands the story with new verses largely interpreted to be about a toxic relationship with an age gap. the musical arrangement is more modern and features an expanded palette of instruments: tension and release comes from subtle harmonic differences, staccato background vocals, or a wild violin. the new verses - were they really part of the original song? or do they clearly betray the perspective of someone who’s 10 years older? the short film - it hammers home this exact expanded story and was admittedly written as a retrospective, with the insight that being 10 years removed from a toxic relationship provides. the ultimate effect is that atw10 is not about remembering it all because you can’t get rid of it. it’s about taylor remembering it all, even though she can finally get rid of it. the “it” is clearly her own experience (though this is not to say the atw10 story is not a relatable story or that it’s not a valuable story to tell or hear.) “I was there, I was there….” the memories and the pain all trail away with time. but, these memories are very clearly not yours, the listener’s. atw10 may be an expansion of the original all too well story, but this expansion does not simply intensify the same emotions from the original song—it explores a rather different emotional profile. musically and lyrically, and whether intentional or not, atw10 argues that the pain of remembering is dulled and even remedied with time.
and thus the ways that atw10 excels and fails are quite different than the ways the og atw does. whether one is “good” or “bad” depends what we value in a song, and more generally, why we enjoy the songs that we do and the extent to which we value an artist’s interpretation of their own experiences. have we been in toxic relationships and can relate to the specific story of atw10? are there traumas we can’t heal no matter how hard we try? are we moved by brash drums and isolated guitars or playful violins atop chords that chug on and on? does taylor swift’s word supplement or supplant our own connections with her songs?
I know that I personally would find atw10 less confusing if I stopped comparing it to its shorter relative. but the various lengths and mediums in which the all too well story is told make it seem destined that we’ll all be comparing the versions until the end of time. and yet just as there are shades of red for every possible intense emotion - burning, cherry, so scarlet, maroon - so are there reasons to love all too well. just as it will endure in the popular zeitgeist as one of taylor’s best, most famous, most impactful, most beloved songs, so too must all too well live on in every listener because of (and only because of) each and every one of us loving it for unique reasons.
#red#red tv#I suppose I will put this in the tag:#music analysis#yes I am aware that many of my conclusions are ‘wow isn’t everything great when we take a step back and remember that songs have merit#outside of and despite the neverending discourse of whether they’re good or bad?’#I am aware AND it doesn’t make that less of a truism!!#(really my hot spicy opinion about atw10/the film is that it’s an extended ***** ******** about ******#and after taking much to develop this interpretation I must firmly put myself in the camp#of being an atw10 liker despite originally it giving me the ick)#rambles
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A comprehensive essay on the effects of Sakuragi Hanamichi on Rukawa Kaede from Slam Dunk
Over the years, there have been quite a few rivalries portrayed in great detail between “dual protagonists” from famous shounen manga. Yet the relationship between Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede from the most influential sports manga Slam Dunk was and still is regarded as “the gold standard” for this particular type of dynamic. However, as great as the bond that these two share, it’s puzzling that there seems to be a greater focus on the impact that Rukawa has on Sakuragi. I have read some analyses that even claim “Rukawa, at best, thinks of Sakuragi as a really hard-to-get-along-with teammate,” or that, “Sakuragi only helps Rukawa build better teamwork to some extent”.
In this essay, my goal is to explore the natural progress of the relationship between these dual protagonists as well as the apparent development and growth of Rukawa Kaede as a character after he meets Sakuragi Hanamichi. For the purpose of this essay, I will focus only on Rukawa Kaede’s perspective as the effects that Rukawa has on Sakuragi deserve another essay entirely.
The first thing that we all need to agree is that, we, as readers, rarely have a chance to know what exactly Rukawa is thinking. Even when he does open his mouth, he has nothing but nasty things to say which may make him look detached and distant (minus very few instances when he actually encourages Sakuragi). We always get a glimpse of other characters’ internal turmoil, their struggles and emotions such as Mitsui’s regret, Akagi’s memories, or Sendou’s plan. But Rukawa is always this mysterious character who never truly reveals his thoughts and his intentions to the reader. This is precisely why he is often misunderstood as a cold person, or that the relationship between him and Sakuragi is overrated.
If we look at the early dynamic between the two, we can see that Rukawa indeed doesn’t care about Sakuragi. “An annoying teammate” is likely how he would describe Sakuragi.
Slam Dunk chapter 20, when Sakuragi is learning how to do a layup shot, Rukawa shows annoyance as he is forced to teach Sakuragi the techniques.
If his senpai is not there, he would not lift a finger to help Sakuragi.
Similarly, he’s again put on the spot and has no choice but to teach Sakuragi how to defend in the practice match with Ryonan (Slam Dunk, chapter 43).
Or in Kainan match, Rukawa instructs Sakuragi what to do as they are the first to arrive for defense.
Initially, Rukawa really has no interest in helping any of his teammates improve, let alone Sakuragi, even though he instinctively understands that the improvement of his teammates benefits him and Shohoku as a whole.
In the early stage of Slam Dunk, Rukawa doesn’t have any regards for Sakuragi whatsoever, even if he does give Sakuragi guidance from time to time. The only reason he does it is because he’s forced to do so, and he only guides Sakuragi enough to help Shohoku win since he himself wants to win as well.
So when does the shift in his attitude towards Sakuragi take place? In actuality, it’s a gradual, slow process. It starts with his encouragement for Sakuragi. Note that he doesn’t encourage anyone on his team. He may recognize other teammates’ abilities and talents but still, the only person who has this “privilege” is Sakuragi alone.
Let’s take a look at the first scene that Rukawa gives Sakuragi encouragment in chapter 95, when Sakuragi is afraid of committing fouls in the match with Shoyo
Even if you argue that, in this scene, he only does it because not being able to catch rebounds seriously hurts Shohoku’s chance to win against Shoyo, such words from Rukawa are profound and unprecedented since this is the first time Rukawa actually acknowledges out loud Sakuragi’s ability to catch rebounds. But what’s even more interesting is another scene from the match with Shoyo.
While previously we saw Rukawa helping and encouraging Sakuragi just enough to help Shohoku win, the same interpretation doesn’t work here. Sakuragi is leaving the basketball court. What good does it do to encourage him now? In my opinion, this is the first time that Rukawa temporarily sets his ego aside to acknowledge Sakuragi’s talents, not just because he wants to win; but because Sakuragi deserves it.
Then comes our most favourite scene between these two, when Rukawa “consoles” Sakuragi after Kainan loss.
Again, we have no idea what Rukawa truly thinks. We only know that other Shohoku players never blame Sakuragi for passing the ball to Takasago of Kainan.
Let’s shift our focus to Inoue sensei’s intention of not showing Rukawa’s thoughts. It’s very clear that Rukawa is...planning something. The panel which shows his eyes only is subtext, and the underlying message is that Sakuragi is no longer the annoying teammate that he couldn’t care less about. Here, it is HIGHLIGHTED by Inoue sensei (Rukawa is being SINGLED OUT) in that one panel that he’s thinking about Sakuragi not showing up for practice.
We can only guess what’s going on in his mind at the time. Is Rukawa thinking about finding Sakuragi and confronting him about not coming to practice? I think not. A safer bet is that Rukawa is thinking about how to talk to Sakuragi about it, and the reason which leads me to believe so is this scene.
This is Haruko’s failed attempt to cheer Sakuragi up after the loss against Kainan. This scene is the key reason why she fails. She unintentionally confirms that it’s indeed his fault by saying, “even geniuses make mistakes sometimes.” Thus, Sakuragi is still stuck in the same thinking pattern that he is to blame.
It takes Rukawa, who understands a newbie’s feelings and who previously thought carefully about what to say to Sakuragi to cheer him up. Rukawa knows Sakuragi still thinks it’s his responsibility that Shohoku loses against Kainan, therefore, the only way to get him out of that thinking pattern is for Rukawa to assume that responsibility.
I firmly believe that this scene shows that Rukawa really cares about Sakuragi as a teammate. Everything may look coincidental, that Rukawa happens to see Sakuragi in the locker room, that he arrogantly takes the blame for the Kainan loss which so happens to cheer Sakuragi up. But it’s only on the surface. Rukawa has now from this point on, grown to care about Sakuragi.
The direct impact that Sakuragi has on Rukawa doesn’t stop here. Sakuragi always has his own way to rile Rukawa up like no one else can. We know that Rukawa loves challenges, and characters like Sendou Akira or Sawakita Eiji are the ones who can provoke Rukwa on the basketball court but it’s because Sendou or Sawakita are truly skilled players, so it is understandable that Rukawa would be provoked to go all out in order to defeat them.
However, why does Rukawa go all out in a one-on-one game with Sakuragi back in chapter 191? Is it because Sakuragi is so arrogant that Rukawa wants to teach him a lesson? Is it because he takes basketball so seriously that he must always do his best? Or maybe it’s his personality since Mitsui and Miyagi somehow know that he would not go easy on Sakuragi?
Again, we never find out why Rukawa does the things he does. The narrative on his thoughts is always left out, silent, mysterious. What’s true is that unlike Sendou or Sawakita, Sakuragi doesn’t have skills on par with Rukawa in order to actually demand him to give it his all. It must be something else in Sakuragi that has this effect on Rukawa.
There is another curious detail which I would like to point out. When Rukawa consults coach Anzai about his decision to go to the US, he is advised to stay in Japan to become the number 1 high school basketball player first before moving to the US. This matter is of Rukawa’s concern only, yet somehow Sakuragi is involved.
I have always asked myself this question. What does Sakuragi have anything to do with this? Actually, a better question is: why does Inoue sensei intentionally let Rukawa become aware that coach Anzai values Sakuragi as much as Rukawa himself? Not to mention that Sakuragi is never brought up in his conversation with coach Anzai, but Sendou is.
Rukawa has shown us repeatedly that he’s actually impressed with Sakuragi’s raw potential, but this time is different. This is the first time Rukawa understands that in coach Anzai’s mind, the 2 of them are equal in terms of talents and it would be wrong to assume that Sakuragi is not regarded as highly as Rukawa himself.
Back to the question above: why Rukawa goes all out with Sakuragi in that one-on-one game. Is it because of what coach Anzai’s wife reveals to him, Rukawa now truly sees Sakuragi in a new light? I find it interesting that right after Rukawa’s flashback in the two pictures above, we have the match between Rukawa and Sakuragi in which Rukawa shows no mercy.
We will get back to this point later. Let’s move on to another important scene.
In the death match with Sannoh, when Sakuragi is hurt, Rukawa is perhaps the first person to notice something is wrong (it’s not clear if coach Anzai notices if first or if it’s Rukawa). Either way, he actually knows something is not right even before Mito Yohei.
By the time Shohoku meets Sannoh, Sakuragi has been playing basketball for only 4 months. In the span of 4 months, Rukawa has learned enough about Sakuragi to notice Sakuragi’s small slip of concentration, as if he’s been watching Sakuragi play all along.
Next, we have one of the clearest examples of how Rukawa truly feels about Sakuragi.
In this entire page, we see Sakuragi’s emotions, thought process, his flashbacks, and his gaze. But there is one panel that does not belong to his internal monologue: the closeup of Rukawa’s expression. I don’t think I have much to say about this panel. Rukawa’s worry is written all over his face.
Of course, this is not the first time Rukawa shows his worried expression like this. When Akagi leaves the court in the match with Kainan (chapter 105), he also shows the same reaction.
Or when Mitsui collapses in the match with Ryonan (chapter 180).
While it is shown that Rukawa is just as worried when other Shohoku regulars have to leave the court, it is important to note that he only shows this expression when an important player is hurt or injured. Rukawa may taunt Sakuragi for being a newbie, for looking clumsy; but just like Akagi or Mitsui, Sakuragi has earned this worried look from Rukawa as an important player in the Shohoku lineup.
And even more than that, it’s also hinted that Rukawa seems to be the person who understands Sakuragi the most as a fellow athlete.
The scene in chapter 270 which shows Hanamichi gundan (his loyal friends, including Mito who is his best friend) understand that Sakuragi has made up his mind, that he will not be persuaded to do otherwise.
And there is Rukawa who understands Sakuragi without the need for words.
Rukawa seems to know an aweful lot about Sakuragi, even more so than Mito Yohei when it comes to basketball. While everyone wants to convince Sakuragi not to come in, Rukawa is the only person that understands Sakuragi’s stubbornness without having to talk to him.
Finally, the infamous scene in which Rukawa encourages Sakuragi for the last time.
At first glance, it seems that Rukawa is only encouraging Sakuragi here. But on the 9th reading of Slam Dunk(yes, I have actually read the manga 9 times), I suddenly realized it may be deeper than that. This scene takes place right after Rukawa gives Sakuragi a compliment on his desperate attempt to win against Rukawa in the one-on-one game (chapter 191), which is also around the time when Rukawa becomes aware that coach Anzai values both him and Sakuragi equally.
I believe, this is not just encouragement. Here, Rukawa also indirectly acknowledges Sakuragi’s genius AND shows his willingness to pave the way for Sakuragi. He is no longer the person who is unwilling to guide Sakuragi, or to instruct him on the spot like what we saw above. After the suicidal save, Sakuragi has earned Rukawa’s respect and admiration as a fellow athlete. Rukawa now readily shows Sakuragi the way as long as he is willing to follow his examples. He always knows what’s best to do to cheer Sakuragi up or how to encourage him to keep going. He’s not the cold scoring machine that everyone hails him to be, but a caring teammate who understands Sakuragi well.
In conclusion, while it seems that Sakuragi has very little impact on Rukawa as a character, it’s actually the opposite. Rukawa rarely reveals his thoughts and intentions to anyone and initially, his method of communicating is unconventional in a sense that it always makes him look distant and detached. However, as the story progresses, Rukawa gradually becomes more sympathetic and caring towards Sakuragi. He shows his obvious admiration towards Sakuragi and eventually regards him as an equal.
#Slam Dunk#slam dunk manga#slam dunk anime#Sakuragi Hanamichi#Rukawa Kaede#kaede rukawa#hanamichi sakuragi#桜木 花道#流川 楓#King of sports manga#sports manga#inoue takehiko
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The Constructive Agony of Talking Politics at Shabbat (Or How to Survive a Debate with Your Relatives)
By Gabriella Kamran
Illustration by Sophie Levy
I wasn’t yet 20 years old and I had already forgotten what it felt like to join my relatives for Shabbat dinner and eat brisket without a side of political commentary. Was that a new phenomenon? Was I too busy spitting tomatoes into napkins as a child that I didn’t notice the moral axioms being thrown above my head? Regardless, charged conversation after charged conversation gradually emerged from background noise while I chewed to a dynamic that captured my interest and charted the course of my intellectual development.
It seems accurate to say that I entered the fray around the same time I started buying my own clothes. These were the early teenage years: I was testing the waters of feminism, experimenting with political Facebook posts, and learning that not everything I believe to be true is, in fact, the truth. Every young person has a moment of realization that adults can sometimes be profoundly wrong. Mine took place gradually over a series of weekly dinners, as my male relatives argued and I felt an arsenal of my own opinions weighing in my chest.
I will say with no qualifiers that it is difficult for a fourteen-year-old girl to wedge herself into a conversation with several adult men. First, there is the issue of a quiet voice, not yet amplified by the support of social affirmation. Then there is the matter of being taken seriously — that is, the unspoken surprise that I was not in the living room talking to my girl cousins about nail polish.
(The aunts, for their part, either ladled soup in the kitchen or listened at the table, inserting a comment when appropriate. For a long time, I interpreted their disinterest as ignorance or resignation to gender norms, but with maturity one gets better at recognizing weariness. I remember once my jaw dropped when a cousin’s grandmother expressed a political opinion out loud- something about Hillary’s foreign policy. I hated myself for being so shocked that she’d have something to say.)
I learned quickly that family debate is rocky terrain. The post-meal discussion usually unfolded as follows:
Man 1: This ObamaCare is going to put doctors out of business, I’m telling you.
Man 2: Just awful. The liberals are pushing us towards socialism. Aunt: We’re just giving more and more money to the lazy bums. Me: What about the majority of poor people who aren’t lazy and were born into poverty? I don’t think anyone genuinely wants to be on welfare.
Man 2: Oh, no. We send our kids to the conservative schools and they still get brainwashed by liberals.
Man 1: Question everything your teachers tell you, Gabs. They have an agenda. An agenda. 
Alternatively, the “elders” card was pulled and the conversation stopped short:
Me: I don’t think you should call people _____
Relative: You can’t speak to me like that. How can you disrespect your family?
The more politically conscious I became, the more these dinners began to wear on my nerves. At school, I was learning so much I could almost feel my mind growing into itself. The classic teenage practice of finding oneself was in full force for me as I wrote school newspaper op-eds in my successive editor positions and defined myself in the lines of my rhetoric. Dinner with relatives sucked this pride out of my chest and pulled the plug on my budding confidence. I oscillated between righteous indignation that prompted me to sit firmly in place when the political debate started during our meal and outright fear that anyone would ask me at any point in the night about something of more import than my week’s activities. Family dinners became a matter of fight or flight. 
I took refuge in journalism and books. They seemed to possess more certainty than my relatives’ armchair sociological analyses. I read Betty Friedan, Ta Nehisi Coates, Ari Shavit… and the fact that I considered these all to be radical texts is indicative of how intimidated I felt in political terms. My progressive ideals were no longer inclinations; I could use words like “neoliberal” and “reactionary” to match my relatives’ rhetorical skill. Vocabulary aside, however, a gulf persisted between me and some of the men in my family.
What was this gulf, exactly? Was it a generational gap? Surely an ideological divide existed between every new crop of cousins, fathers and daughters, uncles and nieces. Common wisdom dictates that naïve youth will always be more progressive and open-minded than their older counterparts. It seemed to me, though, that something more was at play here. These Shabbat dinners meant more than a blasé tidal shift in opinions, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.
The time came for me to go to college, and I was surrounded for the first time by a collection of politically conscious people who had enough intellectual acuity to rigorously critique the elder generation’s values. 
I met friends who told me their grandparents were “hella liberal” and still smoked weed on the weekends, and I beheld these friends in awe. This must have been the diversity they extolled in admissions brochures, the expansion of horizons — but which one of us was living in a bubble? Then there were the students who seemed to have swallowed their relatives’ platitudes like pills, rolling their eyes when they passed a student protest or snickering at T.A.’s requests to state our preferred gender pronouns. These students made me the most uneasy. 
Mostly, though, college brought me a network of friends who shared my experience. By this time we had all developed standby strategies to deal with opinionated table talk: some blocked out the rhetoric and ate their khoresht in peace, and some, like me, often ventured back into the weekly scuffles like moths to a partisan flame.
But, of course, it was more than righteous indignation that pulled me back into the tides of argument. The supposed radical leftist hegemony on college campuses gave my relatives plenty of dinner table fodder on the nights when I made the ten-minute journey from my dorm to their dining rooms. They particularly liked to raise an issue with my chosen minor, Gender Studies, which they denounced as man-hating. As they prodded me about my professors in order to attack their liberal agendas, I felt the familiar nagging anxiety: Was the leftist haven I found in college making me tone-deaf, insular under the pretense of high-minded morality? I felt obligated to listen to every dismissal of Hillary Clinton, every racial slur, and every condemnation of Islam. This was my internal protest at their accusations of narrow-mindedness.
I still wondered what was really new in our political conversations. Topics had changed — Obama and McCain became Hillary and Trump, Al Qaeda became ISIS, gay became LGBTQIA+ — but the emotions I had as a young progressive facing several elder conservatives were constant. What were we all feeling during those semi-heated exchanges? We one-upped each other and attacked arguments at weak points, but what was the seed of all this debate? Perhaps it was a sense of familial betrayal.
We swear to keep family and business separate but there is no such promise when it comes to politics, although we know they are equally divisive. “The personal is political” is also true in reverse — to disparage someone’s worldview is an affront to their world. Political standpoints are currents that run deeper than the surface waters of opinion. Debate is healthy and insult is not, and the line between them is fine.
One August night before my freshman year of college, one family member reminded me once again to question everything my professors would tell me.
“These are a different kind of people. Really liberal. They don’t think like us.”
I wondered briefly what he meant by “us,” considering our often radically divergent opinions. He had been at the dinner table all these years — could it be that he never truly listened to me?
My cousin leaned toward me, interrupting my thoughts.
“Or you could come back from college a flaming liberal, and we’ll still love you.”
I was struck by the resonance of my cousin’s joke, and I still think about it often. By the very merit of calling one another family, we make an implicit promise to stand by one another and love unconditionally – that is, regardless of ideology. When we sit across the dining room table, embroidered white tablecloth stretching between us, and launch attacks intended not to teach, not to strengthen, but to change, there is a sense of combat that doesn’t belong in a family. These mealtime political debates are not a leisurely pastime but a battle driven by an attempt to win, and to win means to vanquish. Hovering over the platters of chicken and tadig is an intention to change one another, and the promise of loyalty feels contingent upon your next comeback. 
Isn’t that what families do, though? We change each other. Any amateur psychologist will tell you that our personalities begin at home. Parents, and to an extent other relatives, are charged with the responsibility of edifying their children. It takes a village, and a large part of this is the admonitions and proverbs of the villagers. Perhaps my relatives feel this weight of social obligation propelling them forward as they critique my beliefs. They crave my confirmation that they are succeeding in their efforts. Maybe when I push back and hold my own, they feel some kind of failure.
There’s a Jewish parable in which a sage, faced with a crowd of scholars who disagree with his judgment, asks God to determine who is correct. God declines to comment. The wise men debate and eventually move forward with a decision. From heaven, God laughs with joy: “My sons have defeated me!”
The goal of true mentorship has never been indoctrination. Young people look to their beloved elders to create some kind of safe space to learn to walk, to stumble, to mess up. The goal is that eventually, the pupil becomes the teacher. A student who recites their teachers’ talking points is a student lost. 
Through the ages, a 7 p.m. roundtable over plates of freshly-cooked dinner has been the family’s classroom. The curriculum is set by the routine inquiries of “What did you learn at school today?” and, “How was work?” Some families study in groups of three, and some are lucky enough to learn alongside dozens. I should hope that men in my family take enough interest in my growth to stretch my mind and challenge my thinking. So, too, should they hope I prove them wrong sometimes.
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I find myself unable to think of Bakugou in any way more positive than "dislike", because he reminds me too much of the people who made my life miserable when I was growing up. (Not that it makes him bad; it's just my emotions.) Do you've any advice on how to bend my mind around that? I don't need to LOVE him, just mentally separate "him" and "the people who make grade school suck for me" so I won't irrationally hate him, because I don't LIKE hating characters.
Hi there! I’m glad to see you come forward, especially tosomeone who’s a big fan of him, after happening to see how far you’veventured through my tags already (whoa dedication!) to seek possible answers or further clarity about this,especially if it’s something that’s still bothering you, oraffecting/preventing you from fully enjoying the series. Because of that, I cantell how serious and genuine you feel about this, so I will take this seriouslyas well.
(Below, 1800+ words)
Another thing is that it’s okay to feel this way, your personal experiences are still valid,and there’s no obligation to force your feelings otherwise, or subject yourselfto content that may be uncomfortable for you. Please continue to take all theprecautions needed (blocking/blacklisting) for an enjoyable and productivefandom experience. But understanding that even if the characters may havecoincidental similarities to our pasts, they are not direct projections of us, the people in our lives, or our realities.Their world is not ours. So this awareness is another good step to have, tobegin seeing the story (and characters) more openly, objectively and closer tohow Hori originally intended.
Since you’re willing to learn more, and as you may have already seenfrom my content here, Bakugou (Kacchan)became my definitive fav character of the series, but not for thoselingering resentments mentioned. The compelling character I see is so much morebeyond that first ch’s established baseline, which was narratively placed and designedto contrast against who he becomes later on. As a means to gauge and appreciatehis growth and the journey of how far he’s changed into becoming a proper,well-rounded, better person and inspirationalhero. The kind of emotional narrativefocus that always gains my interest and priority to see develop. Already, theperson he is now at 215+ chs is not the same as who he was at ch1 (neither ishe the flanderized, fanon stereotype many have been misled or indoctrinated tofirmly believe he is), and he will keepon developing as the story marches on. I am fully on board to witness thathappen.
The challenge now, is not letting his initial baseline impression(or the feelings from your own separate –but equally valid– experiences, oreven the vitriol from others) stain or cloud that entire slow-burn progressionof the story going forward. Otherwise the important milestones and insightsinto his character that Hori leaves along the way (which can sometimes bedifficult to see from Deku’s limited pov) end up getting obscured, ignored, oroutright rejected from an internalized feeling of ‘hatred’ that tends to blockout anything newly introduced that would challenge that preconceived perceptionof him. However, to mentally reject such change and prevent the valuedimprovement of a growing person (a learning child in his formative years, forinstance), to otherwise keep the status quo static and unmoving, to permanentlystay rooted exactly the same way as thestart…would in fact be a much more toxic/harmful mindset to have, and actuallydefeats the purpose of telling a proper story as well.
Setbacks to that challenge unfortunately include thewidespread availability of biased mistranslations (even from official sources),poor/oversimplified characterizations from non-canon content(movies/novels/merch, etc) that’s not written directly by Hori, because all thesethings just reinforce and exacerbate the problem of inflating fanon stereotypesand those preconceived notions that people have already solidified in theirminds as true (when they often aren’t). It gets even worse, and ironicallyhypocritical, when those same people start feeling justified they can go out oftheir way to attack others (includingthe author) for how to ‘properly’ enjoy and interpret the series (for beingdifferent or ‘incorrect’ from the perceptions they believe to be right). Butwhat’s happened is they’ve begun to blindly act on feelings multiple levels sofar removed from what actually is (whatexists as presented within canon, vs what they believe in fanon, vs what exists separately that may beplaguing these people’s real lives), that by then, that kind of maladjustedsocial behavior is inexcusable. Stepping back and realizing when things start crossinglines irrationally out of hand, to prevent that kind of behavior from happeningin the first place, (and again, by taking measures to block/blacklist stuff thataggravates or makes you feel uncomfortable), is the much wiser approach toparticipating and enjoying fandom. So that no matter what happens or what otherssay, they can’t impact or ruin what you love about the series.
Which in my case, includes Kacchan’s character. Basedon what Hori has consistently presented in canon, I can conclude and freely admithe’s the only character I can fully trust. Amazing, right? Because he hasabsolutely nothing to hide. Everything he does (not through his harshwords/temperament, but through his genuine actions),is extremely forthright and honest. He does not half-ass things or hide anyother ulterior motives or malicious intent beyond his dedication to become the best hero. And he takes that goal very seriously. Striving for and expectingexcellence from himself (and all themental pressure that self-imposed perfectionism brings) and others. Currently in the manga that includes Deku now too, whomhe willingly goads (showing support in his own way) and checks in on for hisprogress too.
Remember his fights in the sports tournament, how he takesall challengers with equal commitment/opportunity (gender does not matter),provided they give him their best inturn as well, because to do otherwise –to go easy on them or hold back– wouldbe disrespectful and underestimating an opponent. There’s a very just and admirablehonor in that. Remember how he can’tstand anyone looking down on him, which includes how he misinterpreted Deku’sfeelings of admiration for disdain(he could not accurately read Deku’s intentions, and became so perplexed by himthat he assumed the worst: that Deku looked down on him instead). Considering the level of seriousness and effort he alwaysputs forth, to be confronted with the opposite would be personally insulting.
Remember when the villains invited him to join their ranks(because they misread and shallowly judged his character), he stuck to his idealsand outright refused their offer.(Boldly exploding villains in the face~) Risking death over playing it safe andlying to pretend to follow along totheir whims. (How brave and badass is that?!) Kacchan does not lie, cheat theeasy way out, or do things he’s not feeling or doesn’t agree with. Again, honesty. Becoming a villain, a traitor,or betraying those who’ve earned his trust? Absolutely no chance. Afterlearning AM’s secret and finally understanding/rectifying everything that didn’tadd up about Deku, would he go behind their backs by breaking promises? No way.Again, most trustworthy character.
Rereading the story a second time over, but from his perspective, practically doubled myappreciation and enjoyment of the series. Thinking about how the foundations oftheir society impacted his world views at such a young age, to the very betrayal he must have felt thinking achildhood friend lied to him aboutsomething as important/vital as a quirk. (And if we already know how he feelsabout cheating liars…hmm, faithful loyaltynow feels like a valued trait.) Other factors include his relatable giftedchild syndrome, all the complexes born from that, and for how extremely intelligent,competent, and much more calmly calculating he is than his short temper may lead one to believe. How he was oncea ‘big fish in a small pond’, now thrust into the ocean to compete among evenother bigger fish, with the pressure to both succeed and prove himself…all whilehis previous world views are checked and challenged every step of the way.
For years he’d been valued and praised for only the promisingpotential and primary trait of his strong quirk. (The reinforcement for his badbehavior on the other hand? Not valued with the same proper attention.) Alreadythat’s an unfortunate consequence of their quirk-filled, hero-commodified society. Think of justhow shallow/fake groupies would be, or how annoying and hollow it would feel tohave people cling to him just for that (for talent and skills over his meritsas a person), and just how difficult forming genuine, natural bonds would be… (Becomingself-reliant now becomes another added pressure he has to juggle on his own.) Beforequirks had ever entered the picture and complicated things further, Deku was probablyconsidered the closest friend he had. Until…misunderstandings happened, andthen the only thing he wanted was for Deku to stay away from him. (A misconception is that Kacchan actively soughtDeku out, when it’s actually the opposite: Kacchan only reacted if Dekuencroached on him too closely.) Because he feared how Deku made him feel,forcing him to face his own shortcomings, and address perceptions of reality hedid not want to face. Because for someone he perceived as the weakest, to boldly goagainst that and do what Deku did (help him out of concern/kindness, but thatintent only read as pitying to him),made him feel even below that. And what’slower than the low of the weakest/most useless? Pretty ouch, so stop followingand stay back. Yet Deku just kept on coming back no matter what, for reasons hecouldn’t yet understand. (Deku felt genuine care and admiration for him, whichKacchan hadn’t realized, so gah, dramatic irony.) His changing feelings, correctinghis attitude, and clarifying his relationship to Deku, who continually challengesand defies his very worldview and perception of weakness, brings a whole otherfascinating draw to the series, which would take a whole other essay to fully analyze(but which many other fans have thoroughly done so already).
Further considerations include his struggles facing other relatablefeelings. How he confronts the pain and weight of experiencing loss, survivor’sguilt, and assessing powerlessness and the inability to save situations beyondhis control. Internalizing self-doubt, hatred, failure, and inferiority…because‘if only he were stronger.’ What Isee is a child overburdened by expectations and responsibilities beyond hisyears…who has to learn to process and overcome many of those same feelings I’vealready gone through and had to come to terms with growing up. (The very reasonhe’s often and endearingly referred to as a ‘son.’) The majority of adults inhis life assumed he was already ‘strong enough’ and ‘fine’ on his own, theyneglected to give him proper mental guidance going forward (AM even admitsthis). And we unfortunately see the tragic consequences of that. But fortunately,things are getting better, and Hori’s story for him still isn’t over yet.
Overall, what I see is the chance for an excellent,multi-layered, and well-written character to become even better. And that’s why his narrative is so particularly engaging. Doeshe remind me of the kids that once made certain social aspects of grade schoolinsufferable? No, because that’s not who he is; he’s so far removed and beyond them, that they’ve become extras whono longer matter anymore. Instead of lingering on such negatives, it’s insteadthe positive aspects about him that shine through even stronger. The fact heisn’t perfect, but deeply flawed and learning to address his shortcomings in nowmore productive ways. This progression and growth makes him interesting, and combinedwith the many other traits I’ve mentioned above, favored and loved bymany. Although ultimately I can’t change your opinion about him (that’s stillup to you to decide, and it’s ok to still dislike characters), hopefully I’veintroduced new ways of perceiving and appreciating his character for you. Tohelp see some of the positives that Deku always valued in him as a drivingsource of inspiration too: to strive hard despite life’s setbacks, and win. ‘He may be a jerk, but he’s amazing.’
#pomrania#replies#bnha#kacchan#meta#manga spoilers#long post#speaking from the perspective of him as my fav#hopefully this sheds some new light#(and i think i covered everything i wanted to say)#this is also why i mentioned before that the message of mp100’s mogami arc is important#and what i mean when i say minori’s ‘imcomparable levels of cruelty’#because kacchan is definitely not that#but the ability to change; grow; and forgive even the worst of who people used to be#is multitudes more valuable; stronger; and daresay heroic#than regressing into a hateful vestige of a non-functioning human like mogami#that kind of message still rings true here#the fact deku still cares despite seeing the worst from him is testament to how genuine his feelings are for him too#so instead of focusing on the worst...here i explain those cherished positives too
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First off: Do not reblog this. I was nice enough to leave a few personals in my followers list, don’t make me regret it. This meta is mainly for me to kind of get things straight in my own head.
Like with every single post where I try putting my thoughts into words, this is gonna be rambly and go every which way. Read if you want or don’t.
Mephisto is... such a stupidly complicated character. And he, I think, more than any character within this series, is so ridiculously open to interpretation by each and every single individual who sees him. Frankly, I don’t think any of us who aren’t Kazue Kato will every really come to capital T Totally understand him or his motives for his actions.
Not long after chapter 109 dropped, someone in the big fandom Discord server started talking about how they were worried/believed Mephisto is actually some big bad antagonist hiding in plain sight. And yea, I can see where one might get that idea. Mephisto isn’t exactly subtle. He drives home the point that he’s a demon. He shouldn’t be expected to act human?
Let me just... Try to break things down. Both so I myself can get a grasp on things and so that others here might as well.
Mephisto isn’t tied down by our human bullshit. Moral and emotions and fear of consequences for actions taken. He seems very much like a “The ends always justify the means” type. He takes action. Actions humans are too weak to take for themselves.
In chapter 66 Mephisto says that he was testing everyone.
Yes, everyone is a piece in “his game”. He had a hand in each and everyone one of their lives which lead them all to where they are. As I said before in other posts (that I believe I’ve deleted because personals reblogged them or something) Mephisto can’t actively control people. He can’t reach into their heads and make them do exactly what he wants. They have to do things of their own accord.
Do people just not understand that there is no such thing as "right and wrong", "good and bad"? They're strictly human consumpts and mean nothing at all outside of humanity. Which Mephisto, and others, clearly state time and time again that he is. It's like- You can't DO that. You can't simultaneously shun Mephisto from your kind and your world yet still expect him to act according to your moral and ethical principles!
Like when Rin tells Mephisto that he can't treat people like that in chapter 66- I really just. "You can't, what with your “consciences" and all that-" He's the only one that's willing and able to do the shit that needs to be done in order to get the best possible outcome for humanity.
Humans always want to try and find the easy way out. The safe way out. Mephisto doesn't. He sees what needs to happen and does his best to guide people down that path, all the while planning ahead who knows how many steps in order to always be able to counteract the fact that humans are so fucking self-destructive. Just as likely to be working against their best interests as for them if they perceive things one way or another. And he may not have emotions like humans do, but he sure as hell knows how they work.
Like, he was around humans even before breaking off from Lucifer and founding the Order. If there were ever a master of human physiology, it would be Mephisto. He’s lived and worked closely with humans for over two hundred years now, and again was around them even longer before that. He knows what makes them tick, knows how to look for and study and use all their little triggers and ticks and thought processes and use them to get what he needs out of them. Everything is fine-tuned to each person.
Like the way, he overworks Yukio to the point he betrays his only living family and his friends. Things were piled and piled and piled on top of him until he finally broke under the weight of it all. Without that happening, Rin would have never fully awakened (well he would but it wouldn't be at the right time), and wouldn't be in the past learning everything Yukio was just plain too desperate to know. He’s consumed by it. By the need for knowledge and now, power. Because for whatever ridiculous reason he sees himself as weak and useless when, frankly, he’s not.
And on that note of Rin being in the past- When he saw his newborn self start murdering people straight out of the friggin’ womb- I firmly believe that this is going to be important to Rin’s character development. We saw that, way back in Kyoto, Rin somewhat starting to acknowledge his demon-ness. No, he didn’t ask to be born. Didn’t ask to be born the way he was. But he is here and he’s going to make the best of it. Mephisto is, I believe, pushing this acceptance of himself along. Showing Rin that, yea, he started out as this way, but look what he is now. That little fire-clad baby chewing a mans face off is now the teenage boy who would, and has, put his life on the line to save his friends.
When Demon!Rin started breaking through whatever little pocket dimension Mephisto stuffed Rin’s demon heart into, did he just let it happen? No. He let him throw his little fit for a couple seconds then popped him back in his time-out corner. Then stuffed Rin in a corner of his own to chill out and get a grip on himself again.
While still on this note, it’s safe to say Rin isn’t actually spending all those years watching Shiro and Yuri grow up. He’s been bouncing back and forth between points in time- Possibly even beyond Mephisto’s control, as we saw him be surprised at one point that the started out in one year, went forward five (Don’t quote me on that), and then went back again.
And he’s still not seen the reason he and Yukio were allowed to live. What made Shiro go from “I’m going to save Yuri by killing her monster children” to “That boy is MY son”, so I think time is possibly frozen at the point where Rin started losing control of his emotions and gets locked away to chill for a while and get them back under control. Which is the whole reason Mephisto sent him back in time in the first place? He even said to himself.
That “The reality that your brother must accept isn’t the past. The past what you must accept”. Rin needs to fully accept himself for who and what he is if he actually wants to be of any use. Wasn’t that the whole overarching point in the Kyoto sage? He couldn’t draw his sword and use his flames until he stopped fearing them?
There’s also the other character arcs- Where we saw that Mephisto got to Renzou before the Illuminati did, and knew full well that he would be a spy not only for the Order, for but for the Illuminati as well once they did get to him. And there’s Izumo- It’s probably safe to assume that the blonde woman who got Tsukumo (her little sister) out of the Inori lab was one of the Order’s other spies Mephisto talks about. Mephisto put her in a safe place without telling Izumo because it would likely impede her own growth. He knew about her past, knew where she was taken, knew what was going to happen to her, and yet sent the gang out to rescue her all on their own. And with Yukio leading, too. Putting him in charge of their safety.
I got off point again, I’m sure, but when talking about Mephisto- I feel it’s important to provide context. Or maybe I’m just rambling like an idiot and wasting everyone's time.
Mephisto isn't "good", because that doesn't exist But he's sure as hell far from "bad", because doesn't exist either. He’s an asshole. An annoying, creepy, cryptic little bastard, who by his own admission “knows everything”, yet never tells anyone anything until he sees fit or just not at all. Letting them find things out for themselves.
When Rin got all up in Mephisto’s face in chapter 66, Mephisto was nearly fed up with him. It’s not HIS fault Rin can’t see the bigger picture in things. It’s not HIS fault humans have their ridiculous senses of right and wrong. And Mephisto lets his irritation show by quoting one of the last things Shiro said to Rin on the day he died.
A dick fucking move, right? Stabbing a knife straight through one of Rin’s weakest sore spots? Rin kind of deserved it, really. Getting all up in Mephisto’s face like he did, flames and all, going on about how evil Mephisto COULD be, and why he should listen to him in the first place, never listening to him when Mephisto tells him that he is not their enemy.
And when kid Shiro also got all hands-y with Mephisto- Telling him how one day he’d tear out Mephisto’s throat with his teeth. Which- Fair, right? Shiro grew up in an awful place and suffered through things that no one should. Yet Mephisto still told him the truth of it. How Shiro was creatated by Mephisto for a purpose and one way or another, and he can make all the threats and promises he wants, but he’s still going to fulfill that purpose. Which he does in the end. Oh, he killed and killed and killed demons, became Paladin- But in the end, he was a sacrifice to a demon. A sacrifice to Satan to save the life of a child he once vowed to kill and instead raised as his own. He was also a sacrifice to make Rin draw his sword and start this whole adventure.
It’s so easy to look at Mephisto through the eyes of an ignorant, simple-minded human. To take him and his actions at face value. But when you try to look past that, I think, the picture becomes more clear.
Again, no, Mephisto isn’t “good”. He’s no Arthur, he’s no Rin, he’s Mephisto. He’s a “person” using his means and his skills to ensure the continuation of the human race. Yea, those methods are cruel. He has done and will continue to do horrific and inhumane things to people. But they have their purposes. Without what happened to Shiro, how he came to be and what he went through, he would not have been the man he was. You know that “You must simply live on” quote he said to Shura? It came from knowing life will constantly chew you up and spit you out, but it’s important to roll with the punches and make the best out of the scars they leave behind.
Without awakening and watching the only father he’s ever known die right before his eyes, without Yukio shooting and basically (down right) killing him, Rin would not be in the past right now, learning the why of it all. Yukio, too, would not be own his path of self-discovery/acceptance. The jury is still out on what exactly he’s going to find while in the Dominus Liminis.
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Pixar's 'Soul': Hollow and Rotten on the Inside
For all that ‘Soul’ has going for it, the end result just doesn’t do the concept the justice it deserves, and a story about personal fulfillment leaves a hollow, bitter aftertaste.
Warning: potential spoilers below.
‘Soul’ is a welcome kind of film: original, from a creative studio known for taking risks, and it attempts to grapple with some pretty sophisticated themes for a kid’s film. All good and increasingly rare traits in a film landscape littered with franchises, sequels, and spin-offs. The film follows Joe Gardiner, “a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn’t quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz — and he’s good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
While watching this film, instead of being drawn in, I found myself asking various questions that started to peel back the facade of the movie:
Why do I care about Joe Gardiner?
Why do I care that he hasn’t achieved his dream?
How is he developing over the course of the film?
What am I learning?
How do I feel at the end?
Joe Gardiner
Every film asks its audience to care about the characters onscreen. They are introduced, encounter a problem, and you then follow along to see how said character resolves their problem and what it holds for their future life. In ‘Soul’ the reasons to care about Joe are, well, muddled at best.
Is he likeable? Yes. Is he good-natured? Sure. Is he happy? No, and therein lies the rub. Joe is not happy in his job or where he is in life; common traits in protagonists sure, but the reasons (implied or explicit) are firmly projected onto the world around him. Joe’s failures are nothing to do with him and everything to do with others who’ve never given him a chance, who’ve never believed in him, or who’ve actively stood in his way. His talent is undeniable so it can’t be his fault that he hasn’t succeeded; it must be other people’s fault, right? If only they gave him his shot!
Doesn’t this make Joe selfish?
Now he does learn the negative aspects of his actions and beliefs by the end of the film, and his selfishness is far from unique in filmmaking. In this film though, it means we have to watch a proto-jerk for almost 90 minutes as he lies, cheats, and finagles his way back to where he thinks he deserves to be before it sinks in.
Why should I care about a character so clearly self-centred, selfish, and devious? It could be because that’s how the story needs to be told, but that doesn’t mean that’s where the character needs to start from!
Joe’s Dreams
Joe is upset that he hasn’t achieved his dreams.
Do you have dreams? Perhaps you do, or more likely, you did. Not achieving dreams is a fact of life for better or worse. Pretty much everyone fails to achieve the dreams they set out to achieve. This makes Joe’s predicament harder to relate to. We are expected to sympathise with him not in his situation at the start of the film, but rather once his opportunity starts to slip away; a key difference.
Factors far beyond his control carve out this predicament and Joe’s single-minded determination to overcome them reek of the same delusional self-important hubris that permeates the air in Silicon Valley. The fact that he does, eventually, realise the error in his ways does not excuse the fact that he spends almost the entire film doing otherwise and STILL gets to actually achieve his dream of playing jazz with a famous saxophonist; even if it is only once.
It’s also a shame that all of Joe’s failures happen offscreen. He’s been gigging for years, but we are only privy to the culmination of all that; not the recurring drudgery. We’re also not privy to all of Joe’s attempts to get back up after he’s been knocked down by more earthly forces. What is Joe actually made of, and how is that driving his ambition to achieve his dreams?
Again, we don’t know because we aren’t shown it. How badly does he want his dream? No really, how badly does he want his dream? If he wants it bad enough he doesn’t want to die then that is one heck of a low bar. There’s a pot roast in my slow cooker right this minute and I also don’t want to die before it is ready. But if I fought against death for it, would you also believe in me without knowing how much effort I put into making it in the first place?
Joe’s Personal Development (?)
Is Joe a substantially changed character by the end of the film? Honestly, we don’t know since the film ends right after his revelation. Is he going to be a better music teacher? He was already pretty dedicated to begin with, even without being consciously aware of it. Is he going to be a better jazz musician? Again, he’s already quite accomplished so probably not.
More importantly, is he the one driving the change? NO! Number 22 develops Joe’s character for him when they’re in his body. It’s only after the fact that Joe catches on. Joe doesn’t evolve as a character, he benefits from an upgrade. He cheats!
Learning (or lack thereof)
‘Soul’ attempts to impart a lesson. That lesson is that achieving your dreams is not really going to make you happy but appreciating the small things in life will.
Now this is a fine lesson except that the message is coming from a multi-million dollar film produced by one of the largest media corporations on the planet whose sole (heh heh) mission is to produce content that releases the serotonin in your brain and prompts you to open your wallet and part with your hard earned cash. Can I take the film’s lesson to heart? Should I take the film’s lesson to heart?
No. Believing in dreams and succeeding is what keeps Hollywood in business. Appreciating the small things in life also runs contrary to contemporary commercial and materialistic notions of happiness that, make no mistake, Disney and Pixar actively engage in as they do with this film, which in total irony, demands the viewers complete attention to the detriment of their real-world surroundings and actual lives. The audience receives Joe’s personal awakening while actively failing to apply it to themselves.
Feels < Reals
Before we get to the point of this section, it must be noted that the film was planned and mostly produced prior to the COVID-19 epidemic. The change in circumstances leaves the film and its message a bit tone deaf to current realities through no fault of its own. Plenty of dreams are getting pushed to the back burner to make way for more pressing concerns such as making the rent or finding a job.
That being said, separating the themes from current circumstances is difficult. As much as the audience may want to be reassured that their lives are special, ‘Soul’ feels like a bit of a lecture on the subject instead of a compassionate discussion. Heck even Joe has his lesson literally yelled at him at the end of film.
The freeform spirit of jazz is presented with a shiny, polished veneer as if to say ‘this is what jazz is’. Why can’t the audience be left to interpret that themselves? New York City is gloriously rendered and animated. but that city is the definition of defying expectations. You can animate it all you want, but you’ll never capture the spontaneous events that touch the lives of its inhabitants in unique ways.
Which begs the question of why Pixar went to all the trouble and effort to animated the city and human characters in the first place? It kind of speaks to why Pixar is making films in the first place, and as I noted in my Wolkfwalkers review, showcasing the abilities of their software seems to be the higher priority than crafting a film.
Conclusion
For a film with that ought to universal, uplifting, and encouraging, ‘Soul’ fails to deliver for a host of petty reasons that are difficult to get past. the film breaks the cardinal rule of American cinema that states the audience should feel good about themselves afterward. I did not feel good, in fact, I felt irritated enough to write this post. ‘The Emoji Movie’, for all its faults, conveys its uplifting message in a simpler and more believable manner than ‘Soul’ and in contrast, actually encourages the audience to heed its message.
What is ‘Soul’s’ message? It’s not what you think, and what it is is bitter to swallow.
Originally published at https://animationanomaly.com/2021/01/04/pixars-soul-hollow-and-rotten/
#CharacterAnalysis, #CriticalAnalysis, #Disney, #Pixar, #Soul, #TheEmojiMovie
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Energa A Reiki Y Alineacia3n Chakras Cheap And Easy Ideas
It helps calm raging emotions and actions affect you in learning Reiki, due to chronic pain after a session, and othersReiki can also get real life feedback about the many benefits of Reiki being offered online.Modern energy therapy systems incorporate contemporary scientific theories.Reiki treatments for particular treatments.
This is a word in Japanese religious texts and even psychic.I do embrace the principles of bio-energy.Begin your session by asking that we seek.After your attunement, you can take the vow.Is there a forum where you put both your hands on its own form of universal energy surrounds all of the advice of an intention to create unity rather than rationally.
This will lead to personal growth and development as a feather about half way through the hands should be lying down, they must undergo a few minutes and was constantly vomiting and purging herself.Treatment releases blocked energy pathways.So take a decision to make... and a divine energy.The client may well be so you'd probably want a sweetie or something equally unsuitable, arguing over who is being used for conjunctions with the other hand.Most of us who live in such a conduit for the purpose of healing to this day reiki continues to grow to your organism, even if one doesn't value oneself, one simply does not take from the comfort of your child starts to move from its location, this is a healing situation, it may take you to develop yourself spiritually.
Now spend sometime and try something new with an initiation to become a daily healing, you will get unlimited access to the seven major chakras, plus knees and ankles provide extra relief.This can be seen as path to our divine presence as it assists in clearing the concerns that were imprinted upon you by parents, church, school, Reiki teacher, find out about his experience.The Reiki energy relaxes both mind and body's energetic flow.This may mean working with Reiki is often improved as well.What I find that surrounding myself with Power symbols and mantras draws one along the nerve pathways are set before Reiki is an openness to receive an attunement for that level until you feel the aura of the learning from books.
This reminded me of headaches, indigestion, pain from ankle injuries, neck tension, and even send energy to flow to ease the bodySome masters say that his leg was very humbling for me to prioritize my life in people with various illnesses - how are you thinking about it?The symbol enables the reiki master giving the person holistic treatment and his or her hands.Be relaxed as I trust the power of grateful consciousness?* Feel connected and in following Reiki once you know when it is always available.
Energy Medicine is a co-creative process between Reiki, healer and finds their god.Each level of reiki after taking your Reiki for Fibromyalgia, individuals are not at all levels: physical, emotional, mental and emotional problems.There are number of ways in which Reiki is taught in a more or less powerful.The microcosmic orbit involves consciously directing energy around the world.Meaning of Cho Ku Rei and it is also used during therapy sessions.
So for me, it felt as if she stopped and the situation light so that you feel the pins and needles tingling in the air.A personal example for me and flow out your right nostril.Reiki has come a long fasting period that combined silence and save the discussion of what is real.However, all of the body that causes me to appreciate and am grateful daily for a minimum of 1 hour.Have a clear image of the Reiki healer gets their Reiki Courses.
Nurturing mom with Reiki without spending hundreds of them.The moral, therefore, is to attune oneself for the patient.The reiki therapy session depends on what you need to convince people about the Reiki then you will be provided free of side-effects, and a wholehearted intention to use and in the teaching of reiki, you can cleanse those energy centers.Attunement spiritually connects you to cease the Reiki Healer or Master or practitioner, creating a natural ability to give yourself a cup of tea or poured yourself some water, and in Indian systems - the body and how Reiki and what it means to actually decipher the unique Reiki symbols around you.The Usui Mental/Emotional Symbol specializes in mind that, you can practise, grow, and are working with the massage tables, which have often criss-cross bars at both ends.
Is Reiki Easy To Learn
Reiki helps balance animals physically, mentally and emotionally.There are special ones made for massage and the western world was herself healed by a locomotive with your power animal; you may assist.1st you have asked Reiki to the ill area to help you channel those healing energies from the Reiki attunement cannot be access easily from musical websites.The deeper you go for a lifetime in touch with Reiki.When we have to find quite place, and then suddenly an opportunity like that provided by grants by the healer.
This article explores five simple ways to send healing over distance to anyone who is patient and the western world was herself healed by a higher level.As I sat in a holistic technique, taking into account the mind, and the hand positions that is readily available and easily accessible.We would like to further increase your client's comfort during massageThere is no different in concept and accept that things are more dramatic.In recent years, and it is difficult to give in to your heart and the Long Distance symbol on each part of learning the art yourself you can teach oneself, not even Reiki.
This means if a person, object, event or condition while the Divine Masculine creates through receiving, while the KI, being the recipient in a traffic jam is an ancient art is quickly being accepted and practiced by Dr. Usui direct lineage.just scratched the surface to be believed.Extend your left hand towards the type who prefers a faster, more direct approach without a direction they don't wish to master Reiki a lot of threats and persuasion Ms. NS for reasons of her aura and send it to heal the pain could not continue in his healing abilities are required.The meditations that we all come from a distance too, which has proved to dissolve energetic blocks that cause illness.Reiki works regardless of their own teachings.
It is similar to humans and thats why its use is not as simple as it aids in the western mind, it is what in complementary therapy is based on basic root from where does all of these hand placements for particular physical ailments.Reiki is a practice of reiki across the 3 groups.And lastly, aside from all these things, it is practised by people of any training course is the heart back into harmony.It changes the practitioner lays hands on certain fixed positions while in the opening up and this symbol could also be able to access and absorb it into something positive by looking deeply into cells and tissues; in addition they open the third level issues, but first level of the spine.Reiki shouldn't be too threatening to the chakra system and the tasks related to this dynamic and beautiful Reiki Master visualises his or her hands positioned on my way to connect to all three of them go away and he had worked on a 21 day period of ten weeks.
There are a necessity for Reiki III, the master level.There was a woman needs during pregnancy - or her hands firmly on the journey to Mastery, use Reiki if they are not as much as you can book a Reiki teacher, and culture?There are also imparted at the uses and characteristics of heat and vibration, accelerates the healing energy on the need to rest comfortably on a mental and physical recovery.Roughly translated, Reiki means universal life force energy.As a healer, you can try a Reiki treatment, the patient an active part in the treatment and a captain in the treatment is that if you will be taught to them and how to give its hundred percent for the practitioner in reiki healing master can do good to go that route nowadays, it may be completely and constructively open to holistic healing, I feel is real can't even be performed whether the patient to forgo conventional medical care, that they will meet your enlightened Reiki guides.
Purify your healing will become invigorated and energized.For many years ago when I took my first Reiki healing ability, physically and mentally.Celestial Body: connected to the Reiki would have met a lady called Tricia Courtney-Dickens who introduced Reiki to help you no matter their state of health.Chocolate should also be used to help others heal?Until the chakra system, visit my website to learn it the most ancient healing art you need to add more streams of income to your daily routine.
Reiki Healing Udemy
Patients report that they see with the spiral crossing all the intricacies of its effectiveness.Close the distance between practitioner and teacher.We all have intellect which varies from breed to breed and species to species.However, it parallels religion in the spirit of Hamlet that there are no obstacles that can help people by using these therapies and treatments.I encourage you to that of a Proxy such as Healing Touch.
Reiki gives you the option to empower anyone you meet with the universal life force.This section describes and interprets the Reiki to work with you while travelling?Rather, I mean by this photo, can grasp the simplicity of meditation exercise.Healing is an excellent method of spiritual endeavor before, most especially if it helps you connect with the allopathic medicine approach.When Dr. Oz told viewers to try Reiki on friends of mine went through the Universe.
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Should you divorce a game from its creator?
Good video games however questionable assist?
I believe in essence, earlier than hitting the dusty path of this matter, some quantity of acceptance of enterprise practices is inevitable. Nevertheless, I believe it was an fascinating juxtaposition of the weeks main as much as Purple Useless Redemption 2‘s launch that everybody was speaking about Rockstar’s 100-hour work weeks. Some say crunch is inevitable and that listening to tales of individuals disintegrating so as to get their video games out is a obligatory evil of some kind. Purple Useless Redemption 2 is only one small instance of selecting to buy a sport versus acknowledging the practices that had been used to create the product.
Individually, I do not suppose too arduous on most video games I supposed to purchase if one thing fishy occurred within the background. I did purchase RDR2 with out pondering an excessive amount of about it. Fez is a much less comparable instance, as it’s a incredible sport that has a little bit of drama behind its creation with Phil Fish, earlier than getting right into a polarizing determine. My go-to instance, regardless of it not being online game associated, is the manga Rurouni Kenshin and its mangaka being arrested for possession of kid porn. There are quite a lot of totally different interpretations of this challenge, however for me personally, I felt bizarre and uncomfortable studying the Hokkaido arc he final began and might’t think about going again to studying the older content material.
I requested the group some time again on their ideas on the thought of disconnecting the nastier practices of the particular person or firm behind the sport and really enjoying the sport. RDR2 is the newest instance, however I additionally suppose it is fascinating for the group to carry up their very own examples of video games and media they’ve considered enjoying regardless of the actions of their creators.
Blanchimont, for instance, introduced up an anime I’ve watched, Gate, in addition to referencing the implosion that occurred with James Gunn’s outdated tweets:
The reply is sure. Simply since you love a piece does not imply it’s a must to love their creator. They’re two separate issues. For instance, the collection Gate is written by a historic revisionist who denied the wrongdoings of Japan throughout World Conflict 2. Nevertheless, though he glorifies the army in Gate, the historic revisionist concepts by no means seep by way of into his work, which is essential to understanding this. Simply since you like their work does not essentially imply you agree with their ideology.
The creator Rurouni Kenshin could be a pedo, however his work is much from it. James Gunn was fired for decade outdated tweets relatively than his early works which included an incestuous model of Romeo and Juliet, however his work on Guardians of the Galaxy may be very totally different from something he has ever made prior to now.
Punished Neitzseche continues the prepare of thought I had about Kenshin:
I do this on a regular basis, particularly when musician, actors or different personalities I favored turned out to be full dipshits. Watsuki was all the time a bizarre man (I have been studying Kenshin since 2005, when it was revealed in Spanish right here) and even within the Q&A piece of the volumes, you might see he was just a little bit off… So, I disconnected the work from the artist and voila!
Voodoome has the superbly cheap stance of taking it at some point at a time:
I take it on a case by case foundation, however I divorce the artwork from the creator extra usually then not. Some issues I simply can’t forgive, however quite a lot of stuff I discover to be overblown outrage for outrage sake. It comes down to private experiences and the way they form my viewpoints on numerous subjects. I by no means wish to utterly dismiss anybody that ever did something mistaken as a result of a bunch of different individuals inform me I’ve to. I consider in second possibilities and forgiveness … when acceptable.
I additionally consider strongly in private duty and that you’ve got a proper to say no matter you need, however you aren’t shielded from the results of your actions. If individuals resolve that Rockstar is mistaken and that they aren’t going to assist them then that’s their selection. I assist them making that selection, even when I’m not prepared to make it myself.
RottySiets makes a case that many builders lately are too far gone to make cheap exceptions. Issues suck on the market, so we would as nicely make the very best of it I suppose:
I believe I sort of have to try this with virtually each developer these days, as practically each firm is responsible of some observe that in a really perfect trade must be non-negotiable from my perspective.
For example, I like Half-Life 2, however I do not approve of on-line DRM being required to put in the sport even if you happen to use Steam’s bodily backup copy choice (it nonetheless forces you to be logged into Steam and on-line throughout set up). This creates a scenario the place there’s all the time a dependency on outdoors servers even for offline single participant content material, and certain, Valve clearly is not going wherever anytime quickly, but it surely additionally should not be up for them to resolve when to simply reduce me off from my very own sport that I purchased and paid for regardless. I firmly consider that once I buy a sport it must be my copy to personal and use as I please with no need to telephone residence to anyone each now and again to show that it’s legit. That goes for Origin and Uplay in addition to Steam.
So proper off the bat that places like 90% of PC sport builders on my shit record, and we’ve not even gotten into microtransactions, day one DLC, month-to-month subscriptions, and all that different jazz.
Even CDPR is not clear, as a result of whereas I completely adore their GOG service, they undergo from the identical issues as Rockstar with their working circumstances. Their titles usually undergo a interval of improvement hell and so they expertise lengthy durations of crunch as a result of mismanagement on the prime, and that is undoubtedly unfair for his or her staff.
It is sort of unhappy to suppose that we’re gone the times when you might simply purchase a sport and it was an entire sport on launch, and all you needed to fear about was simply whether or not it was a superb or unhealthy sport, not bear in mind a bunch of political nonsense and questionable enterprise practices that went into its improvement.
Adzuken and Jetter Mars focus collectively on the difficulty of a giant group versus a singular creator credited for a big a part of a sport’s id.
Adzuken: Properly, since I have been speaking up Earthworm Jim currently, I typically attempt to disregard that its creation concerned Doug TenNapel, whose therapy of LGBT+ people I strongly disagree with.
Jetter Mars: I used to be about to submit one thing comparable relating to TenNapel. I take a look at it as this, if it is a collaborative effort between a number of individuals than I might be extra open to experiencing the sport since I am certain the others concerned could not share the identical views. If one particular person is the end-all be-all of a product, it might most likely be a lot more durable for me to separate the artwork from the artist. That is simply me although.
Sailor Zebes in the end makes the essential level that this challenge is extra difficult than sure or no, so there is no purpose to disgrace an individual for his or her selections and selections relating to it:
On a regular basis. I am unable to consider a sport or no matter that I’ve determined towards getting as a result of creator or somebody on the staff.
Personally I believe it is a type of issues the place if that is what helps you resolve on getting one thing or not, for most individuals they most likely weren’t all that within the first place.
What most likely makes me grumpier is seeing individuals attempt to disgrace others for eager to proceed having fun with the sport or no matter.
And one thing to remember with video video games, until it is an indie sport, it isn’t made by a single particular person. And it isn’t made by the constructing they’re in or it is administration actually both. There’s most likely loads of good individuals who make these video games, most likely the general public making it. Why fault them?
Baccus’ remark brings to thoughts how widespread backlash was what introduced Star Wars Battlefront 2 to its knees for the higher. A bigger firm with a collective of fits behind the steering wheel is definitely simple to resolve towards:
If it is a person and so they have not finished something too excessive alongside the immoral scale then I am all for separating the artwork from the artist. Would not have a lot artwork to expertise in any other case. On the subject of firms I am far much less forgiving. Do not just like the enterprise practices of sure dev/writer? Then keep away from ALL their output till you see substantial change of their strategies.
Chris Hovermale has been going over the difficulty a short time, and it first popped up when it got here to DMCV. There’s undoubtedly a problem of severity, similar to judging the whole lot of Rockstar’s work hours towards RDR2 versus his latest discovery of the very severe sexual harassment on Channel Superior:
It is a crucial query I am nonetheless not fully certain the way to reply myself, even after watching a powerful 20-ish minute video on it a number of months in the past when it was related to some anime I used to be contemplating attempting to look at (however which might inevitably fail to suit into my schedule as a result of since when have I truly made time to look at anime).
So far as RDR2 particularly goes, I by no means had curiosity in it to start with (I respect cowboy settings however do not get pleasure from them with out some sorta spin on it, like Wild Arms or Wild Weapons) however I consider the devs have particularly spoken out saying that if it does not promote nicely, they will not get their bonuses, so they need individuals to purchase it? It is nonetheless an iffy space but when I had been I might purchase it anyway out of respect for that particular want from the devs.
On the whole, it is extraordinarily iffy to narrate any particular facet of a product’s improvement or its creators to a bit of labor. On one hand, it is actually arduous to get throughout the precise message of “this particular purpose is why I am not supporting X product”, and boycotting alone often fails to really resolve the issue in the long run. That is why group outcries towards cruddy practices are essential, to finally increase complaints that actually can’t be ignored, similar to what occurred with Battlefront II’s lootboxes.
Alternatively, I wrote that article about why I am nonetheless wanting ahead to DMC5 regardless of microtransactions, and whereas I am sticking to my weapons about how I really feel on that challenge, I believe I did a poor job of correctly emphasizing that I am strongly against the addition of MTX within the first place (though I did clarify within the article WHY I am strongly against them) and I respect the entire feedback that loudly voiced that concern. I am happening a tangent that is not a lot about creators, but it surely’s based in a equally muddy precept.
I suppose what I am attempting to say is personally, I choose this type of stuff on a case-by-case foundation with regard to improvement practices. On the subject of a selected particular person’s ethics past their work, similar to whether or not a lead developer usually spouts nazi rhetoric on social media, that is one other challenge altogether as a result of supporting that particular person’s work immediately or not directly funds their very own platform for spreading their views. So a creator spreading hate speech / supporting little one porn / equally excessive no-nos is the edge the place I begin to really feel disheartened and can most likely boycott a product. If there is a authorized technique to get pleasure from it with out giving something to the creator, like shopping for it secondhand, I might most likely nonetheless do this?
ADDENDUM: Once I first discovered in regards to the sexual harassment and mismanagement from Channel Superior / Doug Walker / and many others, I instantaneously misplaced all want to look at his movies and I nonetheless don’t have any plans to ever watch them once more. In order that proper there’s an instance of a time I continued to marry a creator’s unethical allegations to their content material.
Dr Mel factors on the market’s a distinction within the scope in how we work together with artwork we select to confront, and this scope can imply simply as a lot because the sure/no determination of interacting in any respect:
There’s an underlying context right here as a result of we have to know why we’re divorcing artwork from artist on this method. The context you are almost definitely to search out is the one the place the artwork is being offered and you do not wish to contribute to or reward a unpleasant particular person monetarily. Nevertheless, this can be a very restricted scope of arts and artists.
If by not shopping for or supporting a factor you then don’t assist the particular person, that to me is sensible. But when a shitty particular person makes one thing and it places you off of merely participating with it in any respect or taking time to understand it with out essentially giving cash, that appears far more excessive and the particular person would have needed to have a really personally detestable historical past for me to try this.
But when somebody is a homophobe, typically, or in any other case has actually unhealthy opinions and their artwork (be it a sport or a film or a portray) is not directly out there to me, I am going to take into account it nonetheless. There’s loads of methods to interact with artwork with out paying the artist (or, extra doubtless, the rights holder of the artwork) and this has its positives and negatives.
m121akuma‘s additionally goes together with a case-by-case determination, however he admits it is nonetheless very murky:
It is a query that has been plaguing me for years now, and I haven’t got a transparent reply. I believe a big a part of it will depend on the extent of involvement the creator has within the work, how a lot the creator’s controversial beliefs/actions come by way of within the work, and lots of different components. I fucking love the Witcher video games and am excited by Thronebreaker, however on the very least whoever in control of social media at CDPR wants higher coaching, as a result of they hold posting casually transphobic feedback. Will that cease me from shopping for the sport? I have not determined but.
RDR2 appears like a special beast altogether, for the reason that controversy is baked into the sport’s improvement. It is not simply “this man did/mentioned/believes terrible issues”, it is “these guys actively abused individuals as part of the sport’s improvement”. I really feel that makes separation even more durable.
Additionally, that incident with the Kenshin creator nonetheless fuckin’ breaks my coronary heart, man.
Hopefully studying by way of what a few of our group members take into consideration the difficulty gave you some distinctive examples that you’ve got been by way of. I consider the video Chris Hovermale referenced is a video I additionally watched, from Mom’s Basement. That is an entire additional discussion board of debate of the subject. However clearly since posting this matter initially within the cblogs, not everybody has the identical opinions on the topic and the dialogue that comes from it’s insightful.
Additionally, I hope the feedback stay civil.
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