#as time goes on the designs will (hopefully) become more nuanced
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Buddy Daddies interview with Toyonaga Toshiyuki
Interview with Toyonaga Toshiyuki (voice actor for Kurusu Kazuki)
Interviewer: When you first saw the character design, description, and other information about Kurusu Kazuki, what impression did you have?
Toyonaga: I felt like this was a bright character - but he was also clad in a coat that gave off a slightly bleak air, so I imagined that there must surely be more to him than just that womanising side. At first, this series was referred to by the nickname of "Parenting Project", so I wondered, "Is he becoming a papa or something???"
Interviewer: Once you actually acted as him, what did you find appealing or interesting about Kazuki?
Toyonaga: I think, hopefully, the brightness and liveliness came across. The director also told me, "Please do lots of cooking," and I wondered: how could I add my own extra touches to the character of Kurusu Kazuki, while staying true to the series and the character? I treated this as a test from the director. But there was already plenty of interesting nuance to the lines of dialogue, and I tried to convey all of that fully in my performance.
Interviewer: You were essentially playing the dual roles of father to Unasaka Miri, and a professional assassin. Was there anything you kept in mind at those times?
Toyonaga: Honestly, I wasn't really consciously thinking "this part goes like this" or anything. There are lots of fantastical bits, and as an assassin, he's always super casual about shooting people (I guess that's how it goes, when you're an assassin…) so I think his portrayal doesn't come across as all that brutal. If anything, I'd say I was probably most concerned with maintaining the overall balance between the realistic aspects and the exaggerated aspects.
Interviewer: Please tell us your impressions of Suwa Rei and Miri, as well as what you find appealing about each of them.
Toyonaga: I'm pretty envious of Rei-kun, in some ways. (laughs) But even Rei-kun, who seems at first glance to have an enviably self-indulgent life, has the kind of past only an assassin would. I find his evolution very fascinating. Miri-chan, well, what else can I say? She's just plain adorable. I think Kino Hina-san's performance truly brought all that charm bursting forth. I'm a father myself, so I've really gotten to understand that sense of "adorableness".
Interviewer: From the episodes that have aired so far, are there any scenes that left an impression on you, or that you're especially fond of?
Toyonaga: Well, it's not part of the story, just a super minor detail - but in the opening, there's this moment where Kazuki picks up Miri-chan. That movement is so totally realistic, it really gets to me. You can tell so much care went into that. As for the episodes themselves, that conversation with Miri-chan's mother in the bar was a memorable scene. Kazuki says shouldering everything is a mother's duty, and gets the retort that people who talk like that, without ever having been parents themselves, bring the greatest misfortune to their families… There's a lot to think about there.
Interviewer: Please tell us what you think are the selling points of this series "Buddy Daddies".
Toyonaga: Miri-chan is cute. I recommend it to people who like watching shows while having plenty of comments and questions about the story, and people who like suddenly noticing some words or truths that might surprise them, even if they have no particular questions or comments.
Interviewer: Finally, please give a message to everyone who is enjoying this series.
Toyonaga: It's an original series, so no one has any idea where it's going next - I think that's really fun and thrilling. "What kind of events will they get caught up in from now on? Will it turn out different from what I expected?!" Maybe it will, and maybe not. I hope you'll have a great time watching the show, including all those unexpected twists. It'll be fine! Miri-chan will never betray you!!!
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right okay i dont know exactly how persistent an issue this is bc i almost never go into the tags on this website, but even ive noticed this happening so i feel like that’s justification to make a post about it. the whitewashing of julian bashir as an established Thing not just in the fandom but in official merch has been discussed before, but recently i’ve noticed the inverse happening with martok and b’elanna, a white character and a lighter latina character who people seem to often draw darker than they are in canon. and there’s like. a Lot going on there to unpack.
so this video goes into some detail about the racism baked into the origins and design of the klingons in tos, it’s very informative about the anti-asian stereotypes especially in a 60s context but i feel like it doesnt really cover the way that antiblackness becomes a more significant factor in the next gen era so like. if you didn’t know, the majority of the klingon characters in the next gen-ds9-voyager era are either played by actors with dark skin or Very frequently by white actors in heavy dark makeup. if you look up the actors of grilka, alexander, kehleyr, and sirella for example you’ll see what im talking about like the difference is Stark and these are some of the main recurring klingons across both shows. hopefully i do not need to explain why packing white actors in brown makeup to play members of a species characterised as violent, warlike and animalistic is racist. i say hopefully bc who knows with this website. anyway i’d recommend this video for a wider context on the legacy of blackface in tv!
martok is a rare example of a klingon played by a white actor who, as far as i can tell, does not have his skin significantly darkened. so to see him frequently being drawn with darker skin is uh Slightly Concerning given everything in the previous paragraph! ive even seen art where he’s drawn darker than julian in the same post which... anyway im not trying to blanket condemn reinterpreting the design of alien characters in fanart, but i am asking white fans like myself in particular to think critically as to why, out of all the white characters and aliens on ds9, martok is the one you want to do that with.
because b’elanna is not a white character i think its a slightly different situation, but at the same time she does have lighter skin and i have seen fanart of her drawn much much darker and once again, im not condeming it especially in works ive seen which explore the relationship bewteen her latina and klingon identities, but its something white fans need to handle carefully. in the voyager episode Faces where she gets split into a human and klingon version of her (dont have time to unpack all that) you can see the difference in undertones between human b’elanna and klingon b’elanna (also included a pic of regular b’elanna for reference). the brown makeup is obvious here too and if you can see why it might be racist to attribute a person’s rage and violent impulses to a part of themself that is then personified as darker skinned/more brown, then you might also see some of the wider problems going on here and can understand that this is something that demands a lot of thought and consideration.
i’d like to reiterate that this is a very complex and nuanced issue, especially considering the intersection of fictional race within the setting and the racial biases operating behind the scenes/metatextually, and i’d love to discuss it more (and to cite better sources than youtube videos when i have the time). but for now i’d just like to say yeah just ask yourself what the implications might be to drawing these characters in particular darker than they are in canon, especially if theyre the only characters you do that for, or you’re intentionally contrasting them with other characters (e.g. b/7 fanart) or yk. drawing a white character darker than a character of colour like ive seen people do with julian and martok.
#disclaimer that i am a white european and if anything ive said here has been not my place to discuss i would be so grateful to be made aware#but like. i see a lot of this and while some of it is definitely like intentionally engaging with this aspect of the text conscientiously#a lot of it clearly comes from people thinking klingon = dark skin and not bothering to unpack Why thats been established#sorry anyway.#long post#star trek#tlhIngan#ghItlhpu'wIj
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Happy birthday to my girlwifeguy. Kiryu.
In all seriousness though, I did go on a rambling analysis of his character arc through the years, that you can read down here.
I hope people can appreciate the surprising nuance that he holds, since he's not often discussed!
I wanted to talk a bit about Kuro's character growth through the years, as it is his birthday, since I feel like it goes unnoticed by people most of the time!
Kuro, as we know, is a character that is a reformed Delinquent. One of the running themes of his Character is his self-worth, his regret, and his complex feelings surrounding how people perceive him.
(I also want to pen down my thoughts on the gender aspect of this later)
His 'atonement' arc begins with him applying to Yumenosaki, a place where he could hopefully become An idol that would make his little sister smile. At the time of his enrollment, however, Yumenosaki was not a place of serious study and passion.
Already we can see his core character traits emergent in this decision: His love for his family, His rash decision making and, Most importantly, his desperate desire to change, something, anything.
(In the interest of keeping this brief I will not prattle on too much about Keito Hasumi's involvement. Another time.)
Kuro was, and kind of still is, grappling with grief. Not just for his mother, but Also for himself. He lost himself, in a way. He missed out that normal life, on being a normal brother for his sister, on being a good son to his Mother and a good friend to Shu.
All of his mistakes overwhelm him, he's paralyzed by how badly he's screwed up, and thus resorts to Passive self harm, in an attempt to tip the scales, somehow. If he lets enough people punch him, he might feel like he deserves to have anything.
I cannot stress enough how bad his self-worth issues are. They are arguably the worst in Akatsuki, and that is Saying Something.
Now, after he joins Akatsuki and the war reaches his conclusion, he's decided to swing in the complete opposite way.
This is what I feel is less discussed, his tendency to mask his discomfort and extreme adaptability. He consistently lowers himself, and by consequence, his Own preferences and needs in order to compensate for a variety of things, like:
- His appearance
- His natural temperament and behavior
- His masculinity (again, thoughts to chew on another time)
This is why I really like Kuro's FS1. It marks his growth in !! Era. In ! Era he was extremely ashamed of his past and actively swallowed down most of his irritation, because he was afraid of what would happen if he got angry. He channels that energy into sewing and Karate instead.
He's trying so hard, to be a perfect Senpai, to live up to his Own view of what a 'good person' is: Someone who is unconditionally loving, forgiving and kind, someone who is... Mother-like. I think about that time he said that a Mother is a transcendent being, quite a bit. It reveals so much.
In Unification By Force, we see him finally snap, lash out at Keito, someone who he had repeatedly reassured that he'd listen to, be obedient to. He immediately regrets it, but it also causes him to contemplate their relationship, and more importantly his relationship with his past.
Kuro is coming to terms with the fact he will never be A good, perfect, shiny person. That people like Keito, Souma, Chiaki and Nazuna, that he idolized in a way, are not good people.
You can never become a 'good person', because the only one that can truly evaluate that is yourself, and if you are predisposed to dislike yourself, You can pretty much kiss that title goodbye.
He... Isn't endlessly kind, or tolerant, or polished. His designs that got rejected, came from a suppression of himself, and it showed in his work. He's rash, stubborn at times, airheaded, speaks crudely and brute forces his way Through things frequently. Even though he hates them, these things are what make him Kuro, Even his delinquent past.
And the Kuro he is today, is loved by so many people, who remind him daily, and they wouldn't love him if he wasn't himself in the first place, blood on his hands and all.
He knows as much, when he acknowledges Keito and Souma's patience in response to his ugly side. The fact that both of them are easily able to forgive and remedy their relationship speaks volumes for how much Kuro means to them, and it finally clicks for Kuro.
He doesn't have to overcompensate. He can't pretend that he never made a mistake, but he can't let it control him. He has to come to terms with his past, and his own self and appearance.
The people that care about him are able to immediately identify when his Outfit concept is Forced looking. His final outfit design is him coming to terms with this. It wouldn't have been the same, had they decided to go with the cute stuff that most people wanted. It wouldn't have been Kuro.
In conclusion, I love Kuro Kiryu and his unending drive to be a better person and his care for other people and his journey through grief and self-love and think people should love him for more than just how wife-material he is! He is so compelling!
#enstars#ensemble stars#kuro kiryu#longpost#sqrambles#me creating tags that i will just forget ok. whatever#ummmm i like kiryu a normal amount. hoping this will reach the other kuro character analysts#i think he is a deeply flawed individual like the rest of the enstars cast#brushing him off as just a malewife is doing him a disservice#but also... yk... I am kind of in love with him so I cant exactly say Never do that#i guess it would be better for me to say I want people to love him more deeply!#happy birthday my dearrrrr
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I like Takaaki x Hiroko so I designed a child.
Idk do you ever just realise you're very deep down the fandom hole?
Anyways here are the nuances:
-Her hair is Hiroko's hairstyle cut shorter because I think she'd take after Taka and value practicality. The first time she cut it herself and after that asked either Taka or Hiroko to do it. She doesn't really style it unless there's an occasion.
-Widow's peak from Taakaki.
-I'm pretty sure Takaaki wasn't born with grey hair so Kyo's hair colour is a mix of Taka and Hiroko's hair colour.
-Eyebrow's and eye shape are combination of both parents.
-Hiroko's eye colour because brown is dominant.
-Colour scheme for her outfit was based on Yasuhiro during DR1.
-The outfit was inspired by Taka liking Makoto's hoodie because she would 100% value what Taka says (hence the collar) but also value comfort over anything else when it comes to clothes (because she's related to Yasuhiro and Hiroko) so I figured the body warmer and comfy off the shoulder shirt was something she'd wear.
I've also been thinking of the nuances of the family dynamic. A lesson Kyo would learn very early on is that Taka probably shouldn't be told everything that goes on in the household.
This is maybe okay here and there but them without knowing the entire family did all of these on one day and:
And just like that Kyo was never asked to lie by omission ever again.
Oh, also there is uncle Mondo who absolutely knows not to swear in front of small children even when the situation demands it:
There's also the fact that this kid would be involved with so many famous people through her siblings. World famous programmers, superstars, writers etc. all just stop by occasionally. It's so unremarkable that she just says it to her classmates like it's nothing and becomes the centre of attention for reasons completely unknown to her.
Finally, and a little bit more angsty, I genuinely think Kyo would try so hard to get into Hope's Peak. She excels in classes, does sports, hobbies, literally anything in an effort to get into the school and follow in her brother's footsteps.
And then, when she's scouted, she comes home and tells everyone that she's an Ultimate and everyone is so excited for her. Then, they naturally asked what Ultimate title they gave her. She hadn't asked because she was so excited to be scouted so she opens the letter to find out...
...and she's the Ultimate Legacy Student.
I know this sounds like something a school wouldn't do but they have a draw to have one Ultimate Lucky Student every year and Hope's Peak is incredibly immoral so I wouldn't put it past them.
She struggles intensely with the fact that, according to the letter she received, non of her effort mattered. Her brothers are alumni, who are all still friends with their entire class of alumni, one of which is the current Headmaster of Hope's Peak. Did they just feel obligated to enrol her? Does she even deserve this letter if that's the only reason she deserves to attend?
Hopefully the fam can help out with that imposter syndrome.
#she wears boots like Taka's#because I don't believe a child would see those boots and not want a pair to match big bro#kiyotaka ishimaru#mondo owada#takaaki ishimaru#yasuhiro hagakure#hiroko hagakure#danganronpa trigger happy havoc#danganronpa#ishimondo
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@moresaints asked: 🎁
Kly was convinced she would never understand these humans and their holidays. What was even the point of this “Yule”? She recalled during her time as Queen that Eredin reported that some humans left sacrifices and gifts during the cold, short days to try and appease the Hunt and called it Yule. Kly and all the other advisors had laughed at the foolish ways of the short lived, violent little creatures. But now that she was forced to live among them, these strange rituals seemed to have more nuance. Especially in the Kynge’s court. The nobility gorged themselves on feasts and had balls, music and dancing deep into the night. The palace was covered in strange crystal baubles and branches of evergreen adorned with red and white berries and other plants. They offered gifts to each other and the Kynge and whispered of elves and far that would snatch up bad people and eat them. All completely ridiculous and frivolous. It made no sense at all, though Zelda seemed determined to teach her and make her demean and lower herself into participating.
Gifts in her culture were seen as gestures meant for elves assigned to marriage. After the Aen Saevherne assigned elves for reproducing, there was a ceremony of the two families. Each of the couple would give their intended a gift showing their skill and ability to provide. A showing of what they offered in the offspring planned to be had. There were no other times gifts were given, so Kly was reasonably confused when humans just gave each other things. She personally refused at least four already though she suspected the servants were taking them to be put in her rooms, the bastards. She didn’t want their gifts. It was uncomfortable. Insulting to her, in many cases. The only exception was for Zelda. She was an admirable if irritating woman; Kly found her to be tolerable and good company.
She offered the monarch a small, singular cuff link. It was silver and gleaming though the design was plain. She deposited it into the woman’s calloused hand and nodded. “It goes on the sleeve. Dip it into any food or drink, and it will alert you to poison or toxins.” Kly was ever the practical one. She wasn’t about to promise Zelda a tract of land, any horse of her choosing or the finest wine of a Beauclaire vineyard or a hand forged blade encrusted with jewels. Land becomes useless, animals die, wine goes away, blades go dull and rust. A device charmed to alert its wearer to toxins or foul play in their meals? That had permanence and use.
She pulled a phial from her gown and placed a drop on the cuff link. Hopefully she would be too distracted to ask why Kly kept poison on her person. No doubt she’d scowl and pour at the Aen Elle’s reasons. The small device chimed faintly like the ting of a hand bell and glowed pale blue with magic. “It’s a magic I refined for personal use. I’m sure it will be of value to you.” Because she was a target of many assassinations. Most by people in Auberon’s own inner circle. Crevan in particular. She dipped her head. “I hope it pleases you and shows my usefulness.” She paused and blinked for a few moments. That was…a bit uncanny. She immediately defaulted to a close translation of the engagement gifting. She cleared her throat and shook the thought.
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If memory serves, wasn't the manga based on an earlier script for MadoMagi? So maybe Homura was once meant to be a Yandere but was later changed to be more of a determined and depressed Kuudere? I wouldn't be too surprised if that's why that panel exists, but also using that panel is like saying "I don't like X's beta design, so I hate all of X!" which is... really dumb. Earlier stuff can be cool to look at, but also non-canon.
Edit: I published this and then reread it, realizing it was way too hostile. I apologize if you read that version first, Sakura. Hopefully this rewrite clears up my feelings on the manga.
In the first paragraph, I mentioned that:
“...this panel right here (in addition to some other stuff) is why I really don’t like it...”
It’s not just this panel that makes me really dislike the manga, but it’s a representation of all the dumb crap the manga does in order to be provoking. The idea of the manga being based on a beta version would make sense, given the appearance of Homura’s shield. However...
Even if the manga is based on earlier scripts, it still sucks. I don’t think it adds anything to the experience of PMMM-- in fact, I would argue it detracts from it. It lacks any of the nuance and careful writing that the anime had. Mami is graphically, with blood and gore, killed on-screen in a panel. Sayaka actually murders those two dudes on this bus. Maybe the original script was going to be more explicit, but I think the manga’s interpretation of whatever they were given was still bad.
I mean, Kyubey starts smiling malevolently and becomes some 4chan edgelord wannabe. Kyubey is a terrible creature but he doesn't revel in the misery of the girls-- he sees it as a transaction. It's a business deal. His apathy makes him more terrifying, but in the manga he's smirking and emoting all over the place. You can read Kyubey as a critique of modern society/capitalism but it falls apart if you try to apply that to the manga-- one of the horrifying things about Kyubey isn’t that he’s doing this maliciously, he’s doing it because he sees nothing wrong with using up and killing people to do so.
The manga goes for cheap shock value every time. Sayaka is heading towards a dark path? Let's have her kill the dudes on the train (which is implied in the anime, but confirmed with her dragging her sword WITH BLOOD). Mami dies? It's not enough that it'd be shocking on it's own, we gotta shown the blood and gore of her head being chewed. Kyubey's ruse is up? Gotta portray him as a smiling maniac so that we know he’s the bad guy. Homura is protective of Madoka? Gotta show her threatening to kill Sayaka with a big ol’ grin on her face. Homura is mad at Madoka because she’s still trying to make a wish? Better have her emote with an angry face and yelling to get across how serious she is. I feel like it consistently makes the wrong choice every opportunity it gets when it comes to subtly or shock value.
The manga does have some better parts-- the art is good, and the ending volume is a big improvement (I think it’s because the artist had more time to breathe with more pages, and possibly because more of the anime was out at that point). But overall I think it’s terrible. It’s a worse version of PMMM and actively detracts from it.
But you know what? That’s also just my opinion, and you can feel free to disagree.
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Fanfic Fashion - Engagement Gown
So in this episode, Rapunzel tries to booker a peace treaty with the Saporians by canceling the Day of Hearts and replacing it with a new holiday called ‘Unity Day’ to symbolize, what she hopes will be, the end of the second Saporian/Coronian war.
The Saporians surprisingly agree to the truce, however Rapunzel’s idea of ‘Unity Day’ is just to repurpose and repackage old Hearts Day traditions.... this goes about as well as you would think.
Anyways she talks Varian and Honey Lemon into participating in the ‘new’ tradition of signing the ‘Shampanier Scroll’.
Below is a segment from this episode... so spoilers
Varian starred up at the hastily repainted ‘Happy Heart’s Day’ sign in annoyance. All they had done was cross out the ‘Heart’ with a big red X and then wrote the word ‘Unity’ above it. It was tacky and lazy, and it pretty much summarized everything that was wrong with Rapunzel’s plan. They hadn’t even let the paint dry completely before hanging it up and the rose-colored paint ran down the banner making it almost ineligible.
It made Varian angry. This was their best shot at ending the war and Rapunzel threatened to ruin it all with her thoughtlessness. And the worst part about it all, was that the princess genuinely was trying. She wanted this peace more than anyone, but she was unfortunately too inexperienced and shortsighted to enact her attempts at diplomacy with any sort of tact.
She barreled on through with her ideas, ignoring how pressed for time they were, paying no heed to the nuances of history, culture, and tradition, and generally failing to listen to anybody. It was a surprise that Andrew and the rest of the Saporians had even agreed to go along with this mess.
It was more than surprising; it was suspicious.
Varian would have much rather spent the whole event with the Captain helping to maintain security. He didn’t trust Andrew to keep his word anymore than he trusted a storm cloud not to poor down rain. Unfortunately, Rapunzel had insisted that his participation in the festivities was vital to the negotiations.
Many of the smaller villages were sympathetic to the Saporian cause, including most of the former residents of Old Corona. As one of them, Varian was one of the few people in a position of power that they trusted. Seeing him agree to the truce and take part in the ceremonies could help to bridge the gap between the islanders and the folks of the mainland, which in turn could put pressure on the Saporian forces to keep up the peace.
It was all just political theater, and Varian hated it. He hated having so much responsibility. He hated having to plaster a smile on his face and pretend that everything was okay when it wasn’t. Mostly though he hated how his private affairs had become public spectacle.
Everyone knew that he was in love with Honey Lemon. That was no secret. The townspeople even referred to her as ‘the alchemist's wife’, which made Varian cringe whenever he heard it. Not only was it inaccurate, but he also felt that it was disservice to Honey Lemon herself since she was a brilliant chemist in her own right. Still their relationship, as rocky as it was, had always been between the two of them up to this point, and not some show for people to gawk at.
“I got the scroll!” Rapunzel sang out, carrying a roll of paper with her.
“And explain to me again how this is any different from just signing Herz Der Sonne's journal?” Varian asked, exasperated.
“It’s a scroll.” She said, pointing to it as if such a superficial change mattered. “Also it belonged to General Shampanier, the person who helped to end the first war, so it’s both Saporian and a symbol of our new truce.”
Varian folded his arms and looked at her as if she was the dumbest person alive. “General Shampanier? The same general who is still deemed a traitor by the Saporian people to this day... Gah, Rapunzel! Why do you think they all hate Heart’s Day to begin with!?
Rapunzel only looked up at him with big wide eyes and a pout on her face as she clutched the scroll. It made him feel guilty, which only made him even angrier. He wasn’t the one who was jeopardizing everything that they had worked for with their stupid schemes.
“Well, then just don’t mention that it belonged to her.” A voice behind him gently suggested.
Varian turned around when he heard Honey Lemon’s voice, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.
She was radiant.
Varian had sewn a new dress for her, just for the occasion, along with Faith’s assistance. His friend had found some old tablecloths that the royals were just going to throw away. Instead they had rescued the material and together had made a fancy ball gown of linen and lace, with Faith giving input to the design. Varian knew nothing of fashion nor of women’s undergarments, and was grateful for her advice. Especially, now that he saw what it look like on the love of his life.
It was cream colored and trimmed in off-white lace. Both the skirt and sleeves proofed out in soft folds of fabric, framing her already slender waist which was fitted in a golden threaded stay. The collar was also made of lace and hung off the shoulders revealing Honey Lemon’s swan like neck, which was adorned with a simple gold chain. Varian wanted nothing more than to trace kisses along those shoulders and hear her gasp in delight whenever he would reach the nape of her neck, but not here. Not with everyone watching them.
Instead he reached out and kissed her hand. As always, she wore the platinum promise ring he had given her back in San Fansokyo. He kept it’s matching half on a chain close to his heart. He had been but a boy, foolishly high on his own hype, when he had first proposed to her, and she, perhaps foolishly herself, had believed his grand proclamations. He had broken so many vows since then, made her cry so many times. He didn’t deserve her, and yet here she was, still refusing to leave his side. Hopefully today would be the day that he could finally give her the other half of that ring and keep his promise.
He tucked a stray bang of her hair out of her face and behind her ear and then in the same motion caressed her cheek. She nuzzled his hand and held it there with her own hand. She looked up at him with the sweetest smile, and his heart melted. He could get lost in her hazel eyes forever, the rest of the world be damned. Everything else about her was appealing to look at as well. From the delightful dimple in her chin, to her elegant long nose, to her fiery read hair that refused to stay in place. It was all imperfectly perfect, just like her.
“Do you like the dress?” He asked her.
“I love it.” She breathed. “Especially, the flower crown.”
Varian had spent hours that morning making the blasted thing. It was still February and there hardly were any blossoms to be had, and so he had scoured the country side looking for them. The end result was less grand than he had hoped for, but Honey Lemon had seemed to like the simpler style. It was an Old Corona tradition for bride-grooms to pick the flowers for the bride’s crown. True they weren’t having an actual wedding, yet, but Varian wanted Honey Lemon to feel special on this day, anyways. Just because the ceremony was performative, didn’t mean that his love for her was.
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Once More Unto the Bre-er, Black, I Guess:
Quick Thoughts on that Pacific Rim Anime
Having given into my curiosity, I have decided to start watching Pacific Rim: The Black.
While, I am still skeptical of the significantly darker tone and how much farther they’ll take it before it becomes unwatchable, I am pleasantly surprised that that’s not all there is to it. The series is going to some bleak places, make no mistake, and this will no doubt turn off those who want lighter and more uplifting fare from their Pacific Rim content. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the series has a good dose of heart and wit—with colour to boot! So far the series feels like an enjoyable blend of the pathos and heart of the first movie, with the escalated stakes and saturated colour and sense of humour of the sequel.
In a way it feels like a welcome change of pace and a course correction of sorts: It learns from the mistakes of Uprising while building on the foundation the original set in place.
The characters and story already have me engaged. Right from the get-go, you get a sense of how dire this fight is, being plunged right into the action at its most intense. You feel the stakes even before anything that serious has happened yet. The Travis family already shows a healthy balance of resolve, charm, and angst that even at it’s earliest, you can’t help but care for these folks. Hayley already strikes me as my favourite for her spunk and her soft-heartedness. Taylor is a bit rougher around the edges and can feel bit like a jerk at times, but he’s got just as much of a heart, and you quickly learn why it’s hardened. Loa is already stealing the show, as you can imagine a snarky mecha AI would. The first training scene gets special mention just for how hilariously inspired it feels.
When the tragedy does strike—and believe me, friends, it strikes fast here—you will be caught off-guard. I won’t ruin the surprise because I don’t want to overhype it or spoil it for anyone who wants to watch it too, but in short, you are lulled in a sense of secure tranquility. You get the feeling that things aren’t so bad where the story starts off. You get to know the other characters just a little bit, but you get a real sense of connection between everyone. Then just as when things seem to be getting fun, things take a drastically dark turn. There is a shocking loss, that while sterile in some ways, makes it clear right off the bat, that no one is safe in this world and it sticks.
Ordinarily, I’m not one for tragedies, but after Polygon’s last giant monster-based sci-fi tragedy, the infamous Godzilla Earth anime trilogy, it feels like a drastic even welcome improvement. In Gen Urobochi’s controversial high sci-fi take on the King of the Monsters, you got a barebones story where everything was either inferred, vague, or explained in an almost unbearable level of technical detail. You never got to see things at their best, or got an idea of what there was to care about or fight for. There was virtually no sense of connection between anyone, or a feeling that this universe was lived in. The characters had no real personality, defined almost entirely by their archetypes and positions, and some looked almost indistinguishable from one another. Here, the writing, art direction, and character design, all come together to create an undeniable sense of life. That’s right: not only is this an improvement over a Pacific Rim movie, but it’s an improvement over three whole Godzilla movies from the same studio. (Although having a Western writing team who is more accustomed to character tics and interactions probably helped in that regard.)
That said, the art and animation do leave some things to be desired. Again, while Polygon is clearly improving in some areas, this is pretty standard fare for them. While the character designs are nicely made and the cinematography easy on the eyes, with some shots looking beautifully rendered that I mistook a CG character for a 2D one at least twice, there are still some framerate and composition problems that stick out like sore monster thumbs. While only momentary, I did notice that sometimes the framerates for character movement would jump from smooth for a shot or two and then return back to Polygon’s normal stiff one immediately after, and while the backgrounds are beautiful sometimes it easier to tell there are CG characters walking on 2D pictures than others. Especially when it looks like the they are literally walking on a flat service at an angle.
Moreover, while the kaiju and jaeger design continue to impress in Pacific Rim fashion, they do feel like they suffer from similar problems as Uprising had. The jaegers you see in the opening and the main jaeger, Atlas Destroyer included, continue the trend of smoother and more vibrantly coloured mechas in the vein of Striker Eureka and G Danger/Avenger than the more characterized, robotic designs of the original, and if not for Atlas’s striking colour scheme and unique status as an unarmed training jaeger, probably would not stand out from any of the others. The kaiju are all looking good—and come from rifts that open on the mainland rather than the ocean this time—with distinctive new outlines and even new species for some added peril, but they do lack the monstrous alien aesthetic of the original movie’s monsters in some places, but not enough so to bother you. Although you will be wondering when the Precursors (or whoever made them, because Boy, does this show raise some questions fast) thought straight-up giant shrink-wrapped Dobermans were they way to go when it came to picking off humans, or when they decided to experiment with their colour palette. Most jarringly though, while the show does it’s best to regain that sense of weight and scale Jaegers had in the original film, they still feel lighter and faster like in Uprising, but with Polygon’s suddenly fluid framerate and stiffer range of motion, it might just stick out more here.
The music is alright. I’m not a fan of the subdued opening title music. I get it supposed to set the mood for the dire and dramatic tone and while it does, it also feels strangely too serious for a show from a franchise with as much punch as Pacific Rim. The main titles themselves are alright too, but they’re nothing too special. There’s some cool imagery and the stills of kaiju fighting jaegers remind me of the opening and end credits of the first movie, but some of looks less rendered than other parts and a lot of it feels just bland. (In short, my thoughts have improved since I first saw it, but not by much.) The series soundtrack itself is fine—it has a somewhat similar feel to the films’ scores but it’s also has some stock cues sprinkled throughout. So not much to talk about at the moment. The end theme is pretty good, since it reminds me the most of the original movie’s main theme. Hopefully we’ll get more of that.
I think my biggest gripe is one that simply cannot be overcome. The name: Why is it just “The Black”? Race-related jokes and unfortunate implications aside, it is just dumb. Bland. Uninspired. It reeks of trying too hard to seem nuanced and dark, but it just makes sound like it will be generic grimdark pretentiousness. Which is especially damaging when that is clearly not the case here. Even in the story, it makes no sense. From what I can tell about the plot and world so far, there was literally nothing stopping them from calling it “The Blackout”, which would have just been so much more appropriate. And don’t tell me “Pacific Rim: The Blackout,” wouldn’t sound even cooler.
(Or perhaps “The Mucky-Muck,” but maybe that’s just my Tenacious D fan-brain speaking.)
TLDR; the show definitely has it’s flaws and I’m concerned how far they’ll take the darkness with the series, but it’s pleasantly surprised me in a lot of ways. I look forward to seeing where it goes.
#pacific rim#pacific rim anime#pacific rim the black#pacific rim loa#hayley travis#taylor travis#atlas destroyer#kaiju#jaeger#mecha#monsters#anime#netflix#ramblings of the critter
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Weekend Top Ten #481
Top Ten Pixar Villains
Those rascals and rapscallions at Pixar are famous for twisting our emotions, aren’t they? Perverse masters at making us cry with sadness or joy, often at the same time (I’m looking at you, Inside Out, with your yellow and blue marbles). Oh yes, they’ll stick the knife in and give it a good old yank, like John Travolta teaches his daughter to do in Face/Off when he’s not really John Travolta and it’s a bit icky but then she stabs him at the end of the film so it’s alright really.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. Pixar, renowned for turning grown men into blubbering messes, mostly because an adult character was convinced to part with old toys he no longer plays with. But I’d argue that one thing they’ve done less well than their parent studio (that’s Disney) is crafting iconic baddies. I mean, we all know the Disney Villains; they’re so iconic and successful as pop culture icons that there’s an entire trilogy of movies based on what would happen if a bunch of them had kids (apparently they’d sing a lot). Pixar baddies though? Hmmm, maybe not quite so iconic. I can’t see someone making a live action prequel movie about Chef Skinner.
But that’s not to say they’re not great; in fact, rather than going down the route of snarling, moustache-twirling villainy, Pixar actually does a great job in creating antagonists instead. Sometimes they’re misunderstood; sometimes they’re not the person you thought they were! Quite often some kind of redemption is offered, and the villains are very, very rarely dropped off something tall. A lot of them aren’t even defeated, so to speak! A good deal of nuance and shade goes into a Pixar villain, and if they haven’t made as many all-time-great iconic ne’er-do-wells, it does seem as if their approach is starting to rub off on Disney mothership (the likes of Frozen II and Moana either don’t have, or at least subvert, the notion of all-powerful bad guys).
So what do we have? Well, hopefully, we’ve got a list of really cool villains from Pixar movies. most of them are presented as the film’s “big bad”, although there are a couple of lesser baddies. And I think we do see the pattern emerging, of more mundane levels of villainy; the selfish and greedy and damaged. It makes for great characterisation and some beautiful storytelling; some complex and pitiable characters. And, yes, a few absolute bastards too. Let’s tut disapprovingly.
Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty, Toy Story 3, 2010): a superb performance from Beatty as a seemingly nice, jovial old bear who’s really a manipulative, power-hungry, gaslighting bully. Realistically portrayed as damaged and bitter, he has a tragic backstory that feels real, and a sense of pain and loss that feels earned in this universe. Questions the nature of everything the movies are about, and is a genuine threat in more ways than one. Plus he literally leaves them all to die in the furnace!
Syndrome (Jason Lee, The Incredibles, 2004): Buddy Pine’s backstory is one of belittlement and rejection, so his switch to villainy is as well explored as many a comic book bad guy. But he’s interesting partly in what his character says about Mr. Incredible – in a way justifying the criticisms of superheroes, as Mr. I does ignore the admittedly-annoying Buddy rather than mentoring or respecting him – but also because he prefigures notions of toxic masculinity about a decade or so before they became, well, a threat to global democracy.
Al (Wayne Knight, Toy Story 2, 1999): Like how Lots-o can be seen as a dark examination of toy life (all toys are replaceable, kids don’t really love you, etc), Al also shows us another dark facet of toy-dom: namely the life of a “collectable”. Toys, in this world, want to be played with, preferably by children, so a big ol’ man-child who stores them in boxes or puts them on display is not ideal. It’s an inversion of what a toy is for; an object of joy reduced to a commodity. Is it entertainment versus art? Who can say? Also, he’s really just a massive jerk and a huge slob, so we feel no pity for him once he gets his comeuppance at the end of the film.
Sid Phillips (Erik von Detten, Toy Story, 1995): man, they nailed the Toy Story villains, didn’t they? Maybe there’s even more to come! But right out of the gate, Sid was a classic. An utter sadist in a skull t-shirt, torturing toys for kicks; adults can see the traits of a genuine sociopath (some serial killers start by torturing animals, remember!), and he’s portrayed like a character in a horror movie. Seriously, in 1995, Sid’s room was legitimately disturbing. I’m not sure what moral lessons his actions teach us, but just as a pure article of terror, he’s supreme.
Hopper (Kevin Spacey, A Bug’s Life, 1998): it feels a bit weird, if I’m honest, to celebrate a Spacey performance. But as a character, Hopper is excellent, one of the best things about the generally-overlooked-but-still-a-bit-lesser-Pixar Bug’s Life. Riffing on biker gangs, Hopper’s locust swarm in, revving their wings. Hopper’s a classic tough guy thug, dominating through violence and threat; a creature with a small amount of power determined to hold onto it, and ultimately eaten by a terrifying bird. Just don’t look at the cast list.
Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt, Coco, 2017): after the horror of Sid and the thuggery of Hopper, de la Cruz is a different, more insidious villain. He’s a thief and a betrayer who exploited and murdered his best friend, condemning him not just to death but to a forgotten obsolescence in the afterlife. He’s a perfect example of the gaslighting, friendly-seeming bad guy, more in the mould of Lots-o, but with the world on his side and a sweet guitar. Genuinely hissable.
Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammar, Toy Story 2, 1999): what, more Toy Story? Well, yeah. Don’t blame me, blame Pixar. And so Stinky Pete; a far more relatable and understandable villain, one driven to desperation through a lifetime of rejection and broken promises. Unlike the Machiavellian, power-hungry Lots-o, Pete just wants everyone to retire quietly together; he can’t accept the risks of freedom and only becomes sneaky and, indeed, violent after all else fails. But he does kinda get a happy ending, even if he doesn’t realise it; this is a villain who I feel could eventually be redeemed.
Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi, Monsters, Inc., 2001): Waternoose is the real baddy in Monsters, Inc., of course; a conniving capitalist who’s prepared to sacrifice the world’s children to keep his monopoly. But it’s Randy who sticks in the mind; his selfish, vain lackey, a monster with a huge chip on his shoulder. His design – lizard-like, snake-ish, with a huge mouth and invisibility – is seriously disturbing. Hearing Buscemi’s voice come from that form – an aggravated teacher, a furious accountant – adds something special, something darkly hilarious.
Evelyn Deavor (Catherine Keener, Incredibles 2, 2018): visually and conceptually, The Screenslaver (great name) is pretty cool, but when it’s revealed that the Big Bad is really under-appreciated tech genius Evelyn, that’s a great twist. A smart woman propping up her schmoozing brother, her criticisms of the heroes – like Buddy Pine’s – have resonance, although she’s learning the wrong lessons from tragedy. Her relationship with Elastigirl, from friendship to enmity, is very well-written and performed, and her belligerence at the end is a nice touch, denying the heroes of any catharsis from her capture.
Shelby Forthright (Fred Willard, WALL-E, 2008): I was originally going to feature the autopilot, but then I figured, if you can get Fred Willard in your list… and really, who’s the big villain here? It’s us, right? We killed the Earth. But Willard’s smiling, happy CEO is there, encouraging his customers to buy, promising them safety and security, promising them a repaired world… but really he’s shovelling them off the planet, secretly commanding the computer to take humanity far away and never look back. It’s a devious, horrible plan, giving the people unending luxury, making them want for nothing, turning them into fab, soporific blobs, basically because that’s easier than the alternative. It’s a horrible indictment of humanity (also: he’s the CEO of a company, but also – it looks like – that makes him rule the world? Creepy). So, yeah, the autopilot might be a baddun, but it’s the man in charge who’s the real villain of the piece, even hundreds of years later.
Sadly no room for John Lasseter, who may not have tried to enslave humanity or torture children, but still managed to be a huge jerk and a phenomenal disappointment.
#top ten#pixar#disney#villains#pixar villain#bad guy#movies#animation#toy story#incredibles#wall-e#monsters inc
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars: “Shattered” -Review
The true tragedy of The Clone Wars makes itself known in the tense and traumatic penultimate episode of the series.
(Review contains episode spoilers)
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Darth Maul is in custody. With his puppet government ousted, Bo-Katan and her loyalists once again have control over the planet of Mandalore. Her mission complete, Ahsoka Tano prepares to deliver the captured Sith Lord to Coruscant. However, the arrival of clone Order 66 upends her reality and forces Ahsoka to confront dark secrets.
I compared last week’s episode “The Phantom Apprentice” to a horror movie. Nathaniel Villanueva’s direction created an eerie and doom filled landscape that not only sold the high stakes action of the narrative, but also made the audience fully aware of the horrific events that were just around the corner. It’s rare that dread has been the key emotion of a Star Wars project, but that has certainly been the case here.
This feeling of unease carries into “Shattered,” the third episode of The Siege of Mandalore and the penultimate of the series as a whole. Director Saul Ruiz continues the atmospheric tension of “The Phantom Apprentice” into this chapter before shifting full on into emotional terror. “Shattered” builds to and continues on from the event that viewers of The Clone Wars have dreaded since day one. Order 66 has arrived. And it will change everything.
The final moments on Mandalore are a surreal experience. There is a temporary victory at hand. Maul and his loyalists have been supplanted, but there is nothing but uncertainty in the future. Bo-Katan Kryze is now left with ruling a planetary a government, a task that she is hardly prepared for. Katee Sachkoff has consistently given one of the most understated and nuanced voice performances on this series and watching Bo-Katan take stock of the planet she has now inherited is a sobering moment. I’ve talked before about the cyclical nature of Mandalorian history. Change is never permanent for people whose primary language is violence. It’s a quiet moment in an episode where so much happens, but Ahsoka asserting that Mandalore will need new leadership only for Bo-Katan to express doubt that that can even happen is perhaps the perfect summation of everything that Dave Filoni and his fellow creators have done with these sad lost warriors to date. We know now through Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian the painful route that these peopleface over the next two decades. There may be the semblance of hope now, but Bo-Katan like us know it’s a false one.
Also, can we just acknowledge that creepy Mandalorian sarcophagus that Maul is trapped inside? It’s an eerie artifact that turns Maul into a devilish Hannibal Lecter that is carted around like a deadly caged animal. Ruiz directs these moments with a certain degree of foreboding, with numerous haunting shots of and through Maul’s furious eyes and his trapped panting. It reads like a visual red herring. The visual language here tell us to be wary of this trapped rogue Sith, but the real horror lies elsewhere.
Filoni and Ruiz smartly hide the true warning signs elsewhere. Ahsoka walks into a briefing with multiple Jedi including Mace Windu and Master Yoda. Obi-Wan has engaged General Grievous and Anakin has left to inform the chancellor of these developments and the deciding moments of the end of the war at hand. Mace Windu has long been positioned as the Jedi that is perhaps the most lost in the twisted new reality that the Jedi have found themselves in. His wariness of politics and war have lead him to be a full participant in its actions and it has hardened him as a person. If the Jedi are lacking in compassion, it is Windu that is devoid of it. His callous response to Ahsoka’s questions serve as reinforcement of all of her existing biases of an organization that turned its back on her when she needed it most. Their paranoia in this case may be warranted, but that’s invisible to Ahsoka who is justifiably frustrated and angry with them for their actions. One of the quietest of the many tragedies in “Shattered” is that Ahsoka once again lets her loyalty to Anakin and her distrust of the Council prevent the halting of the pain that is to come. She doesn’t share Maul’s suspicions of Anakin to the Council, just as much because she worries what they might do with this information as she distrusts it herself. Even Yoda’s kind hearted request of a message to give to Anakin falls on unwilling ears. In this moment, the failures of the Jedi, even the ones that are the closest to their ideal like Yoda and Obi-Wan, have doomed their fate and driven away the people that may have been able to save them.
The moment arrives all the same. The end of the Jedi and the rise of the Sith were doomed to occur no matter what. After a heartfelt discussion about the ending of the war between Ahsoka and Commander Rex, Anakin’s betrayal is enacted and the galaxy is upended.
It’s maybe the one moment in “Shattered” that doesn’t completely make work. The decision to mix in the actual audio of Revenge of the Sith for Ahsoka and Maul to sense from across the galaxy is an inspired choice, but there’s an uncanny feeling to it that can’t be escaped. While Corey Burton and Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu performances are close enough in style and cadence to ignore, Matt Lanter’s Anakin was purposefully designed to be a more empathetic and heroic take on the character. Hearing Hayden Christensen’s dialogue is jarring and off putting. It’s an intersection of film and animation in a way that feels a little too awkwardly grafted for it to have the needed effect. It’s made even stranger by the layering effect of Lanter’s voice over Christensen’s for the final line of dialogue. There may be a reason for this choice, but I’m not sure it was the right move to make.
We are given little time to ruminate on this though before it all goes belly up and Rex and the rest of the clones begin the execution of the Jedi Order. It was always going to be a shocking moment, but in a moment of out of context cruelty, many of us given the events of Star Wars Rebels were led to believe that Rex would escape this sadistic fate in full. Even as he resists pulling his weapons on his friend, it becomes clear that we never got the full story from our clone hero and there are darker and sadder futures ahead.
Ahsoka’s escape and evasion of the hunting clones is a tragic and tense set piece. The visual irony of clones that were once so loyal to her that they modeled themselves in her image now forced to hunt her to the death is unnerving and effective. It takes a sweet moment from the start of this arc and turns it into a cruel cosmic joke.
I’m sure many of us clone junkies did find some justice in Rex finally finding the truth in Fives’s discoveries from last season. While it will never take away the hurt that such a determined and empathetic clone died as a disgrace in the eyes of his friends and allies, there is a welcome payoff that Rex’s final words before being subsumed by his programming is a recognition of his friend. It gives Ahsoka a mission to hopefully save her friend while also providing needed payoff for one of the darker moments in this series.
Ashley Eckstein has been killing it all season as Ahsoka, but the directions she takes her in here are new and unexpected. This is a more desperate, angrier, and more determined take on the character. At this point she has pretty much lost everything that has mattered to her, but instead of wallowing in despair, she meets it with resolve and unflinching competence. Her utilitarian use for Maul’s escape is a fascinating beat as it shows just how clear the limits of Ahsoka’s compassion are. She still cares about those that are close to her, but now faced with this all-encompassing tragedy, she has little faith in self-serving operatives like the unstable Zabrak.
Maul’s escape though does end up unleashing one of the most brutal set pieces in the history of the series. In a bone crushing combination of Darth Vader’s hallway massacre from Rogue One and the unstoppable determination and kinetics of some of the best Magneto moments from the X-Men films, Maul plows through a hallway of resisting clones. It is maybe a little indulgent in its violence and certainly is some of the most intense imagery we have seen on this show this season, but there’s a base pleasure in how Ruiz directs this carnage. Maul is the wild card here. We have mostly certainly not seen the last of him.
Ahsoka’s desperate rescue of Rex’s autonomy alongside a trio of loyal droids feels like a desperate battle for hope in the darkness of the final days of the Clone Wars. While we know that these two are destined to escape, Filoni and Ruiz still sell it all with heartstopping tension. Even when Rex awakens from his murderous trance, it only serves a small victory. Our heroes are far from out of the woods.
Kevin Kiner’s musical score is operating at the top of its game here and it may be the best sounding episode of the series in that regard. Kiner continues to play with the unsettling and eerie drones that were so prominent last week, but also mixes in the electronica of the series’ earliest days and cues from John Williams’s operatic Revenge of the Sith score. It creates a unique and tense audio landscape that sells the violent tragedy of it all with masterful precision.
Thank the Force we only have three days to wait. I’m sure nothing but more pain is on the way, but hopefully there’s catharsis too. I really hope there is.
Score: A
#Star Wars#The Clone Wars#Clone Wars#Star Wars: The Clone Wars#review#reviews#Revenge of the Sith#Ahsoka Tano#Captain Rex#Dave Filoni
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A GENERAL INABILITY
Funny how national events – or events that capture the national attention – stir one’s memory. To this writer, the attack on the national Capitol last January 6th was such an event. He recalled something he read some years ago. That being the late Christopher Lasch’s book, The Culture of Narcissism.[1] When Lasch wrote that book, he seemed to be motivated in part to explain the prevalence of leftist, anti-war demonstrators and of the then popular cultist movements. It seems that what he had to say then, in the late seventies, has relevance today.
His basic area of concern is how bourgeois society has lost its ability to meet challenges. Not only was the Western world unable to think of big solutions, but there also seems to be a lack of willingness to even try. And that state is not a reaction to a lack of such challenges; they are out there and threaten to overwhelm those societies, including the US. One can say that even though Lasch wrote this work some thirty years ago, his concerns are still affecting those nations today.
It is as if classical liberalism,[2] a central strain of belief in the West, has lost its ability to account for multinational corporations or be able to sustain a welfare state. More targeted in his comments is that that liberalism’s approach, that of science, has not developed effective policies to address the ongoing human/social problems that keep afflicting the West.
For example, while the loss of manufacturing jobs in the West to developing, low wage countries – mostly in Asia – has left behind segments of those western countries in dire economic straits, none of the western countries seem to devise the policies that would meet that challenge. Here is one account of this lack of development:
Even if the loss of manufacturing jobs in advance economies may have contributed relatively little to aggregate inequality in advance economies, the negative consequences appear to have been sizable and persistent for some groups of workers and their communities. Expanding access to programmes that facilitate the reskilling of displace workers and reduce the costs of their reallocation, as well as strengthening safety nets and targeted redistribution policies, can help soften the blow imposed by structural transformation and help ensure that the gains of productivity growth are shared more broadly.[3]
While this transformation has been going on since the seventies, this cited account was written in 2018. In all that time no meaningful program has been developed to provide the reforms that would reestablish those workers’ prior standing. They, the dispossessed, instead have become prime candidates for radicalization.
Lasch writes, “The natural sciences, having made exaggerated claims for themselves, now hasten to announce that science offer no miracle cures for social problems.”[4] Why this interruption to a history of ongoing successes and advancements? According to Lasch, one change has been significantly less reliance on the study of history.
And he not only points out that there is a lack of objectified history (which scientific bias would prefer), but a history soaked in “moral dignity, patriotism, and political optimism.” That is a history that not only tells of the past but does it with a dose of encouragement, praise, or castigation when a historical tale merits such an account.
The assumption was that before the post-World War II period, the people were able and disposed to learn from the past, but now the message is that the past is irrelevant. It stems from the notion that now is modern and then was, well, then and irrelevant to modern challenges. And this sense for contemporary conditions and their qualitative qualities seems to have affected those in power up and down the political power grid. And when problems are not fixed or are not even meaningfully addressed, distrust by those in harm’s way follows.
Recently, after giving conservatives a healthy dose of criticism, this writer pointed out that liberals have their own shortcomings as well. He then stated that that criticism waited for another venue to express some of that message. Here it is. Yes, over reliance on government has led to the diminution of local governance. This nation, in many areas, has experienced over-governance by empowered, far-off bureaucracies with dehumanizing regulations about how local things should be done. Please do not interpret this with a non-nuanced eye.
It is not an either/or issue, but one of degree. In a world of multinational corporations with enormous power, it is often the case that only central governments can meet the challenges they, the corporations, create or ignore. The trick – as it is with most of life – is to hit the right combination. But there is more to this general problem area than merely not reading history. And addressing that other area or areas will be done at some later posting.
But for now, this posting leaves the reader with this quote from Lasch:
The inadequacy of solutions dictated from above now forces people to invent solutions dictated from below. Disenchantment with governmental bureaucracies has begun to extend to corporate bureaucracies as well – the real centers of power in contemporary society. In small towns and crowded urban neighborhoods, even in suburbs, men and women have initiated modest experiments in cooperation, designed to defend their rights against the corporations and the state. The “flight from politics,” as it appears to the managerial political elite, may signify citizen’s growing unwillingness to take part in the political system as a consumer of prefabricated spectacles … not a retreat from politics at all but the beginnings of a general political revolt.[5]
Well, now thirty plus years later, as events in Texas this last week indicate – and while the problems with the power there is due to the mismanagement of a state, not a national entity – that revolt still has a way to go.
Perhaps if the states’ civics curricula were guided not by a natural rights point of view – one that blends in with Lasch’s observation for a preference of objectified studies – but one guided by federation theory, then, at least, how young people are taught about government and politics might help.[6] It has come to this writer’s attention that the state of Florida is going to consider in its legislature’s next session a mandated change in its public schools’ civics curriculum to offer a more local emphasis. Hopefully, that comes about, and the resulting change will be effective.
If change along the lines that Lasch suggests does not take place, what then? He goes on to address the way this whole current situation creates the conditions that generates a generation of radicals such as those who took it upon themselves to attack the US Capitol. As hinted to above and reflecting the reason this writer presently took up this topic, when this blog again addresses it, it will share Lasch’s attempt at predicting in more detail.
[1] Christopher Lasch, The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations (New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company, 1979).
[2] One can see classical liberalism as a main element of the natural rights view, that his blog claims has taken prevalence since World War II.
[3] Oya Ceasun and Bertrand Gruss, “The Declining Share of Manufacturing Jobs,” Vox(EU)/CEPR (May 25, 2018), accessed February 23, 2021, https://voxeu.org/article/declining-share-manufacturing-jobs . British spelling.
[4] Ibid., xiv.
[5] Ibid., xv.
[6] If the reader agrees, this writer’s book, Toward a Federated Nation, might assist educators and interested citizens to bring about such a shift. See Robert Gutierrez, Toward a Federated Nation: Implementing National Civics Standards (Tallahassee, FL: Gravitas/Civics Books, 2020). Available through Amazon.
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Episode Review: ‘BMO’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 1)
Airdate: June 25, 2020
Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, and Kate Tsang
Storyboarded by: Hanna K Nyström, Iggy Craig, Laura Knetzger, Anna Syvertsson, & Adam Muto
Directed by: Miki Brewster (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)
I just watched a new episode of Adventure Time...
That, dear readers, is a sentence that—after the airing of “Come Along with Me”—I never thought I’d get to write again! And believe me, it feels great to be proved wrong in this instance.
In October of last year, we were all treated to the news that four new Adventure Time specials—collectively identified as Distant Lands—would be airing in the next year or so. For months, the Adventure Time fandom has waited with bated breath for these specials to drop. Would these episodes be good? Would they live up to the series that came before? Would they undo the emotional satisfaction of the Adventure Time finale? These were the questions. And now, the first special—entitled “BMO”—is here. Does it live up to expectations, proving that Adventure Time always bounces back? Or is it toast-bread for sure? Read on to hear my thoughts!
Beginning in media res, "BMO" opens with the titular character on its way to Mars to terraform Mars. After running into an errant service droid named Olive, BMO is transported to a fantastical space station known as the "Drift." It is here that BMO becomes acquainted with a humanoid rabbit named Y5, and together, the two help reveal the insidious plotting of the station's capitalist overlord, Hugo, and his henchman Mr. M (who, it must be noted, is almost certainly Finn’s father, Martin, up to one of his many schemes). After much mayhem, hilarity, and poignancy, the special ends with BMO traveling back to Earth and meeting up with Finn and Jake for the first time—revealing that this entire special was a prequel to the main series, explaining how BMO first met up with his good friends in Ooo.
The first thing I'd like to comment on is the fact that many of the show's former crew members returned to work on this special. In addition to Adam Muto (Adventure Time's hard-working executive producer), this special saw the return of: storyboard artists Hanna K Nyström, Laura Knetzger, and Anna Syvertsson; storyline writer Jack Pendarvis; character designers Andy Ristaino and Benjamin Anders; art director Sandra Lee; and composer Tim Kiefer. I was actually quite surprised (and delighted!) that so many of the show's old guard returned to help out. And while this special also saw several new creative voices helping out (including folks like former OK KO! storyboard artist Iggy Craig, former Steven Universe board artist Miki Brewster, and writer Kate Tsang), the overall product was recognizably Adventure Time. I must admit, this was my biggest worry going into Distant Lands; without folks like Tom Herpich, Kent Osborne, or Cole Sanchez, would this feel like the show I know and love? I’m happy to say that the answer is yes!
BMO really is in fine form in this episode—from their singing the "Potatoes (More Exciting Than Tomatoes)" ditty in space all the way to their hitching a ride to Earth on a space lard. (Indeed, the sheer number of humorous remarks the little robot gets makes me think that many of the shows writers were saving up goofy one-liners following the show’s cancellation, just in case.) I’m quite pleased with how the episode handled the character, and, in truth, somewhat relieved. Initially, I was worried whether the character would be able to coherently anchor an hour long special, given BMO’s unpredictable and somewhat unreliable nature (see: “Ketchup”). Would 45 minutes of BMO’s seemingly boundless goofiness work? Thankfully, the other characters in this special do an excellent job counterpoising the lovable robot’s more, shall we say, unorthodox personality features (Y5 perhaps said it best when she noted that BMO tends to “expend energy for no apparent purpose”). The end result feels remarkably balanced, with BMO’s chaotic, goofball energy complimenting the very real plight of the Drift’s residents.
Speaking of other characters, Y5 served as a workable straight man, whose half-heartedly pragmatic personality contrasts nicely with BMO’s boundless and wacky optimism. I must give the writers and producers credit: it was extremely risky for them to feature a brand new character as one of the main players (rather than one of the show’s many beloved side characters), but for the most part, they stuck the landing. I think much of this success is due to Y5’s voice actress, Glory Curda, whose performance really breathes live into the character, giving her an earnest believability. That said, the fast-paced nature of this special precluded me from developing the strongest emotional connection to the character, and as such, Y5′s “my parents don’t appreciate me” subplot did not resonate with me as strongly as, say, “It Came from the Nightosphere” did. (But then again, not every character can be Marceline!)
Strictly in terms of story structure, "BMO" is not exactly groundbreaking, and the special follows the standard "buddy movie" formula fairly closely (You know, the structure that goes: "Two individuals from different walks of life are forced to work together. Despite a rocky start, they begin to function as a team. Alas, they are split up, but reunite just in the nick of time to save the world"). But unlike Grace Z. Li of Vulture, who wrote that the special plays out "expectedly" and as such "is simply unimaginative in its structure," I cannot say that the standard plot structure torpedoes "BMO"—it simply gives the special a solid story frame that supports the characters while also providing an opportunity for the show to drop some timely social commentary.
Adventure Time has never been one to shy away from such commentary, but I do not know if it has ever been more overt than in “BMO.” As Alexander Sowa of CBR puts it, Hugo—the alien-human overlord of the Drift—is a “futurist reminiscent of Steve Jobs or Elon Musk” who long ago used a spaceship to escape Earth during the final days of the Mushroom War. After “biohacking” his DNA with the genetic material of the grey aliens who flit around the Oooniverse’s infinite cosmos, Hugo and his ilk founded an Amazon-esque empire in the Drift, inculcating its inhabitants with a love for rampant commercialism. As a villain, Hugo really is the wombo combo: a selfish capitalist hell-bent on stealing riches, colonizing new lands, exploiting conquered peoples, and then leaving when the situation looks bleak. It is not hard to see Hugo and his followers as stand-ins for the leaders of today, who refuse to acknowledge the reality of thinks like climate change or income inequality—problems that, if left unchecked, will lead to cataclysmic societal collapse. It is a bleak topic for Adventure Time to meditate on, but at least the episode ends on a positive note, with BMO's actions proving that with the right leader(s) and enough people working together, otherwise powerless individuals can topple oppressive regimes and begin to right the wrongs that have been made by the bourgeoisie (if you’ll allow me to invoke the ol’ Marxist term). Now, "BMO" admits that such reformation is one that will require many sacrifices, but nevertheless, the special does emphatically assert that it is possible. And in the hellscape that is 2020, this is a message of hope that so many need to hear.
In addition to social depth, there's quite a bit of existential nuance to this episode, too. Perhaps the most striking scene in the entire special is the scene wherein BMO is torn apart and—for all intents and purposes—dies. It is a chilling scene made all the more haunting by the return of BMO's rainbow personae (last seen in season seven's "The More You Moe, the Moe You Know"), who urge BMO to accept death ("Now your job is to be dead") and recognize that the robot has failed in its mission to be a true hero. (As pointed out to me on Reddit, the scene stylistically echoes an eerie bit of dialogue from Portal 2, wherein GLaDOS tells you: “I have a sort of black-box quick-save feature: In the event of a catastrophic failure, the last two minutes of my life are preserved for analysis. I was ... forced ... to relive you killing me. Again and again. Forever." Talk about horrific!) Thankfully—in the spirit of the hero's journey—BMO bounces back from the brink of oblivion, proving that even in the bleakest of moments, all of us can be heroes.
Or something like that.
All in all, “BMO” was an enjoyable romp that dropped us back into a magical world we all love. While I wouldn’t say that the special was mind-blowing, it succeeded in its mission of telling a new story in a new place, while focusing on a character whom Adventure Time fans care deeply about.
Here’s looking to “Obsidian!”
Mushroom War Evidence: When it comes to the Mushroom War mythos, this episode was full of a lot of little details. CGO’s monologue reveals that, indeed, Earth was ravage by numerous nuclear weapons; what is more, it seems that some sort of doomsday weapon vaporized part of the Earth, leaving that gaping scar in the planet that has for so long fascinated the show’s mythology-junkies. It is also explicitly state that Hugo and his ilk were humans who fled Earth during the Mushroom War to escape certain destruction.
Final Grade:
Also, while I have your attention: Book update! As some of you might already know, over the last year and a half, I’ve been working on a book all about the history and production of Adventure Time! It’s been an absolute blast, and I’ve been lucky enough to talk to quite a few of the folks who worked on the show (including people like Tom Herpich, Jack Pendarvis, Pat McHale, and Rebecca Sugar). I’m in the final stages of type-setting, and should hopefully have the book ready to go within the next few weeks. Here’s a sneak peek of cover (please ignore the faint InDesign lines; they won’t be in the finished product):
Originally, I was going to publish this work through McFarland and Company, but then Cartoon Network got all pissy (long story short: I reached out to Rebecca Sugar and Adam Muto, got in contact with both of ‘em, and asked some questions about Bubbline. Rebecca responded and and confirmed that Bubbline was intended to be canon when she boarded “What Was Missing” but structural homophobia prevented it from being explicitly declared as such. This revelation made CN PR reeeeeaaally uncomfortable and they threatened to sic the lawyers), so I’m now going to be publishing through the University of Kansas Libraries. The good news is that the work will be free to download, and easily accessible! Yay! That said, if you want a hard copy of the book, I’ll post details about that in a bit. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled!
#adventure time#atimers#distant lands#adventure time distant lands#bmo#hanna k. nyström#iggy craig#laura knetzger#anna syvertsson#adam muto#miki brewster#sandra lee
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Make Lots of $$ online once you Understand The Value Ladder.
Hi. I am Malik Lakhdhir and I help Online Marketers do Affiliate Marketing without struggling with little to no money to start their Journey. If you are looking to become an affiliate marketer then be sure to keep tuning in for more video like this one. Please make sure to Subscribe to my channel and click the bell icon. Thank you.
What Is A Value Ladder? (And Why You Need One In Your Business!)
Here you are going to learn what is a value ladder and why is it so important for us as Affiliate Marketers. I have done intensive research on this topic and have some great information for you. So without any further delay lets dive right into it.
The Value ladder is a very successful concept that is used by Affiliate Marketers in their sales process. Oh, I would like to mention for those who stay to the end of this video there is a little thankyou bonus to help grow your online business.
lets jump straight into it.
Ok! you’re looking at the topic and you’re wondering to yourself, “what is a value ladder? Believe me this has got nothing to do with construction tools?”
As much as I love construction and the tools of that trade, today’s topic is focused more on ladders as they pertain to the online marketing world.
The brick-and-mortar world has figured out the true power of a value ladder. In fact, we have all been influenced by the Value Ladder but might have not realized. Hopefully that wont be the case after you watch this video and to help you I will be giving a live example later. I will explain what a value ladder is. I will also illustrate the power a value ladder can give your online business. Always remember the use of a well-thought-out value ladder combined with a thoughtfully designed sales funnel can truly ramp up sales in your business. If you don't know what a Sales funnel is put your comments down below and I will make a video explaining that.
The Basics
Let’s begin with a definition of a value ladder.
Well, simply put a value ladder is where you gain a customer when they purchase an entry level, inexpensive product. Most people using online marketing make the mistake of selling big-ticket items to their prospects as soon as possible. Let me repeat the definition again slowly and let it sink in. So, A Value ladder is where you gain a customer when they purchase an entry level, inexpensive product. So the two important and key things Inexpensive product and at Entry level. Then as you build a relationship with that customer and gain their trust, you can then introduce more valuable and more expensive products. It is a simple concept that, if mastered, can take your business to a completely different level.
The Components of a Value Ladder
First the Entry Level Products
Entry level products are low-cost products that introduce customers to your brand. The profit margins on these products is usually very small. And in some cases they may not make any money at all and that is ok. As this relates to the value ladder, one of the goals of these products is simply to cover the cost of advertising. It takes time and/or money to acquire a customer. These entry-level products help cover those costs. From there, the idea is to move your customer up the ladder over time.
Always remember that though these products might be lower in cost, they should still provide high value to your customer or client. This is the beginning step of the process of building trust with your customers. Your customers won’t take one step higher up your ladder without seeing that you will provide them with great value right from the start.
Then comes the Mid-Level Products
Once you have established a relationship with your customer and have gained their trust, they will be more receptive to your mid-level line of products.
Mid-level products are higher-priced items that fall somewhere in between your entry-level products and your high-end products. The profit margins on your mid-level products are generally much higher than your entry level products. If your entry-level products are covering your advertising costs, then any mid-level product your customer buys is almost all profit.
Obviously, this is better for the bottom line in your business and where you would like all your customers to go. But it doesn’t have to stop there.
The Top-of-the-Line Products
The top of the line products (the top of the ladder) are the highest value products. These are also the highest priced products in the product line.
This is where things get exciting! The profit margins of your top of the line products are usually very high.
Generally speaking, a customer does not go straight to your high-end products. Usually your customer has come through the entry and mid-level products first and has been familiar with your brand for some time.
But with that being said, the cost to acquire that customer was absorbed in the entry-level hopefully, and if not there, definitely in the mid-level product line. Therefore, when a customer purchases one of your high-end products, it’s almost 100% profit.
Ultimately this is where you want your customers to go.
Additional Products and Services
Some other products you might offer may or may not be associated with any particular item of your product line. These can be stand-alone products or an “add-on” to one of the products that you are selling at any level.
These products can vary in price from low cost to high cost depending on what they are.
Recurring Services
Recurring services are another nice feature of the ladder that can supplement your product line as well as your bottom line.
These often take the form of subscription services. In the case of physical products, this might include protection plans or warranties. They are generally inexpensive, but given their recurring nature, the profits can really add up over time
Lets look at A Real World Case Study
Lets take a real word example of the Apple Brand. Apple over the years has mastered and set the standard for creating and establishing a value ladder in their business. Not only do they have a diversified value ladder, they even have “mini-ladders” or a “ladder within the ladder” in many of the products in their line.
Let’s take a closer look.
The Beginning
Apple’s iPod Touch begins at $199 and goes up from there depending on how much storage you choose. It is relatively affordable and extremely easy to use. It has all the capabilities of the iPhone (less the cellular functionality) at 1/3 the price. It is truly a great value at a reasonable price.
The iPod allows the consumer to “sample” the quality and value of Apple’s product line at a relatively low cost. A brilliant nuance of this entry level product is the immediate introduction of a subscription offer. Many people purchase the iPod for music. But, Apple also offers a music subscription service to compliment the iPod. If you’d rather not have a subscription, you can order music “a la carte” through iTunes.
Furthermore, if you want to listen to music, you can either use your own headphones or Apple has you covered there as well. They have the EarPod wireless ear-buds available to compliment your iPod
They have the Apple Watch, priced from $199 ($299 if cellular capability is added), would also fall into the category of an entry level product.
Moving Up
Next Apples starts to get into the mid-level products with the iPhone and the iPad. It is also here where we begin to see the “ladder within the ladder” emerge.
The iPhone pricing starts at around $699. But as you know, that’s just the beginning. The price goes up depending on which model and also with increased storage space.
The same goes for the iPad. Apple introduced the “New iPad” which was reasonably priced from $329. The iPad Air begins at $499, and iPad Pro starts at $799.
So you can see that even within their mid-level priced products, Apple has established a “mini value ladder.”
The Top Rungs of the Ladder
Next, we start to get into Apple’s higher ticket items with the MacBook, iMac and Mac.
The MacBook line and their starting prices:
● MacBook Air — $1100
● MacBook Pro 13″ — $1300
● MacBook Pro 15″ — $2400
Again, each can be higher priced depending on the specific components installed.
The iMac line consists of the following:
● iMac 25″ — $1100
● iMac 27″ — $1800
● iMac Pro — $5000
The iMac’s are a computer that is integrated into the monitor and comes with a keyboard.
Next comes the Mac. The Mac is just the computer itself; the keyboard and monitor are extra.
● Mac Mini — $799
● Mac Pro — $3000
But hold on There’s More
In addition to all the above mentioned, there are many additional supporting and stand along products.
● Apple Care (protection service. One-time cost per item)
● Accessories (Ear Pods, chargers, keyboards etc.)
● Apple Music (either recurring subscription or one-time purchase of songs/albums via iTunes)
● Movies (also available through iTunes for rental or purchase)
● Apple TV (one-time cost)
● Apple TV+
Furthermore, Apple has designed common software across each device to facilitate an easy transition from one product to the next.
So you can see how Apple has created a brilliantly intricate and powerful value ladder.
Phew! Let’s Take a Breath
A quick disclaimer:
I think it’s important to note here that I am not trying to sway your opinion of Apple one way or another. I only used Apple as an example to show you how a popular company has implemented and perfected a value ladder.
Let’s carry on…
The Online Use of a Ladder
So let’s talk about how a value ladder can be useful in the online world, specifically marketing.
A good strategy for the first rungs of your ladder would be to offer a low-cost or even free item to attract leads. Again, regardless of whether your entry-level offer is free or low-cost, it needs to be high quality. For your lead to turn into a customer they need to see that they are going to get the most for their money.
This very important first step will give you many indicators about your lead.
If they accept a free offer, that indicates they are definitely interested. Some marketers refer to this type of lead as a “warm lead.”
If they are willing to pay a small price in exchange for an entry-level product you have to offer, that indicates they are significantly more interested. These leads will more likely be willing to buy what you have to offer later on. Marketers often call these “qualified leads.” Most consider them customers at this point.
To retrieve your free or low-cost entry-level offer, your customer will need provide you with their name and email so you can send them the product or instructions on how to retrieve it.
Then through the use of email, you can nurture a business relationship with that customer. Later, as you build trust with your customer you can begin to introduce new products and move them up your value ladder.
Create Diversity
If you want to be able to upscale your online business, it’s important for you too diversify your product line and create a value ladder within.
Whether you’re into e-commerce, or affiliate marketing, you need to offer a wide range of products with a wide range of prices.
As an affiliate marketer, this might require you to promote several different companies or offers. Ideally, you can find one company that offers a value ladder of products all in one place.
The Human Factor
Your “lead” or “customer” may jump on your ladder at any level. They may jump off at anytime as well.
It is also important to remember that the “lead” or the “customer,” is a human looking for your help in some way. Don’t just sell, sell, sell. Help them get what they need. Help them solve their problem. When you do that, you will find yourself getting everything YOU need.
Takeaways
● A Value Ladder can be a valuable strategy to scale your business
● Diversify your product line with a wide price range of products
● People buy from people they like and trust. So be yourself. Be honest. Run your business with integrity.
If you want to learn how to implement a value ladder in your business, click my links below the video.
That’s all for now fellow Marketers!
I genuinely hope you found this article informative and valuable. Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think!
Do you have a Value Ladder implemented in your business?
Is your line of products or services diverse in price?
Let me know!
Until next time…always be of help to others!
Malik Muhammed Lakhdhir
An Affiliate Disclaimer
There are affiliate links below this. If you decide to make a purchase after clicking through one of these links, I earn a small commission for that. It does not change the price for you whatsoever. Prices do not change regardless of where you buy.
Any income claims, or claims of success are not necessarily true for everyone. Just like any other career or business venture, hard work and persistence is required. Many people succeed…and many fail as well. It is up to YOU to determine your fate.
OH! Almost forgot, before I say good bye the special bonus I have is in the comments section below so don’t miss it. Thank you once again.
My Affiliate Link can really help make you money.
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The reality we decide to ignore
(Review of ‘Joker’. Seen in Nordisk Film Biografer, Aalborg on the 6th of October 2019, in Biffen Art Cinema, Aalborg on the 8th of October 2019 and at home on the 11th of January 2020.)
What do you get when you cross a comedy director with no previous directing experience with other genres with one of Hollywood’s finest character actors and the perhaps most famous and notorious comic book villain? When that director is Todd Phillips (of ‘The Hangover’ and ‘Road Trip’), the actor is Joaquin Phoenix and the villain is Batman’s The Joker, you get one of the most surprising film achievements of 2019. ‘Joker’ is a gritty, poignant and surprisingly profound character study that is telling us much more about the society we live in than it does about Batman’s arch enemy. As such Joker becomes a haunting reflection of a society in which virtues such as love and empathy have been long forgotten and replaced with fear, division and egocentricity.
In the film, we follow Arthur Fleck, who works as a clown-for-hire while he lives at home taking care of his ill mother, Penny. Arthur is in psychological and medical treatment for a - to us - unknown mental illness. He dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian and as we are quickly shown in a dream sequence he also dreams of being acknowledged and feeling valued; in this particular day dream: by his idol, talk show host Murray Franklin. But this version of Gotham - set in what seems to be the early 80’s - is no place for dreaming. Garbage strikes have been going on for weeks, the streets are being overrun by thugs and ill-adjusted citizens in line with an increase in the split between the top and bottom of society. In the opening credits, Arthur is attacked by a group of young people, but it is him who gets in trouble for losing a sign rather than them being punished for their attack. As Arthur points out: things are getting crazier out there. What follows is a thought-provoking and morally challenging journey to the bottom of Gotham City.
The main attraction in ‘Joker’ is Joaquin Phoenix. The character of The Joker has produced some amazing performances from Jack Nicholson and, especially, Heath Ledger, and it must be quite the role to take on for any actor. Phoenix puts himself right up there with the best, though, with a manic, nuanced and deeply human portrayal of Arthur Fleck. His physical transformation and performance alone is awe-inspiring: not only did Phoenix lose a lot of weight, no, he manages to infuse Fleck with a crippled physicality that mirrors his mental state. The way he runs, the way he laughs and the way he stares. It all highlights the state that Arthur is in.
The idea of giving Fleck a physical condition that causes him to laugh in certain situations is clever, and Phoenix takes it to the next level in the scenes where this laughter causes him physical pain or alienation from his surroundings; his eyes convey a different story than his laugh and it is deeply fascinating to study. However, it is in the gradual change from being socially awkward and unresting to becoming more calm, more cynical and more unpredictable, that Phoenix truly manifests his qualities. The scene in which he calmly goes from panic and despair to an almost trance like dance in a worn down and darkly lit public bathroom is as beautiful as it is alarming; one of the single most memorable scenes from any film in 2019. A scene that is only made stronger by the beautiful score - but more about that later.
While ‘Joker’ is Phoenix’ film, it still boasts a high quality gallery of supporting roles with brilliant performances from Robert de Niro as talk show host Murray Franklin, Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne, Frances Conroy as Arthur’s mother Penny, Glenn Fleshler and Leigh Gill as Arthur’s colleagues, Shea Wigham and Bill Camp as two police officers and finally Zazie Beetz as Arthur’s neighbour, Sophie. Common to them all is that they all highlight different aspects of how society - in Arthur’s eyes - is letting him down. Murray mocks him on live tv, Wayne distances him and everybody beneath him, Penny neglects him, the police hunts him and Sophie is not the girlfriend he imagines her to be. The fascinating thing here is, though, that Phillips is telling the entire story from Arthur’s perspective. He is not a narrator per se, but with him being present in every scene it is clearly his version of the story and, as such, he is highly unreliable if we are looking for the objective truth. And to be fair, I do not think that is what the filmmakers set out to do either. Here, the important truth lies both in Fleck’s imagination and reality and as such the ending is very fitting even though it has caused a lot of criticism for being a “cop out”.
In stead, Todd Phillips and Scott Silver want to give a voice to the people who are being shut out of society. The people we tend to look away from or distance ourselves from on the bus. The people who we laugh at when their weird mannerisms or actions are filmed and exposed on TV. The people who governments often find it easier to ignore or talk down to in stead of reaching out to or accommodating. The people who sadly sometimes end up causing unbearable tragedies. It’s a daring choice for Phillips and Silver to write their screenplay with this perspective but it pays off by creating one of the best films of the year.
This, of course, demands more than a brilliant ensemble as well as a daring director and screenwriter. When it comes to the quality of the crafts, ‘Joker’ is also right up there with the best of 2019. The cinematography is stunning as it really manages to show us the devastation of the state Gotham City is left in, but also in the way it centres on and helps Phoenix’ performance. Let me once again highlight THAT bathroom scene and the films use of mirrors. The film’s cinematographer, Lawrence Sher, rarely leaves Arthur out of sight whether it is in intimate close-ups or montages through the city. Equally as impressive is the production design, which manages to make Gotham feel alive and very real; dark and gritty when we are in the streets and colourful and exuberant when we are among the top of society. Additionally, you have to raise your hat to editor, Jeff Groth, who has created a tightly composed film from an excessive amount of material as Phoenix did a lot of different versions of each scene.
The most impressive aspect of the film’s technical aspect is, however, the score by icelandic Hildur Guðnadóttir. Her score is haunting to say the least with its deep and towering string sections combined with an ominous vibe that makes the score sit heavy on your shoulders as if it is the burden carried by Arthur. Guðnadóttir worked with Johan Johansson before his death and you can hear his influence, but make no mistake! Guðnadóttir is an artist on her own terms; her score has a unique sound that has landed her nominations at all the major awards and for which she hopefully will receive numerous wins too. The next strongest thing in the film after Phoenix’ performance. The score blends perfectly with the great overall sound design and it is perfectly balanced with the well-picked songs such as “Smile”, “That’s Life” and “My Name is Carnival”. I cannot count the times I have listened to this soundtrack since watching the film the first time.
I have seen the film three times now and I have been really unsure whether it was a 4,5/5 or 5/5 film, but considering it has stayed in my head for many days after every viewing, I have to say that I see it as a masterpiece. A film that I would never have expected to see from Todd Phillips. ‘Joker’ is a ruthless and brutally honest depiction of some of the deepest issues in modern society and a grim look at the possible consequences! From its core (Phoenix’ electric and mesmirising performance) it forces us to look at, to acknowledge and to reflect upon and discuss issues that popular culture and governments are normally too afraid to face and handle. In such, the entire discussion about the film in America is nothing but ironic and poignant. The film does in no way glorify violence or murder, nor does it convey unambiguous sympathy towards Arthur and his ultimately repulsive actions.
What it does, however, is that it dares to show us the person - the human being - behind the tragedies and horrific events that sadly are becoming more and more “normal” in the world today. The people in the periphery of society that we are letting down when medical centres are closed, when we don’t support them, when we expect them to behave like everyone else. That is tough to watch, and it is - of course - easier to just condemn these people as clowns or cheer on a caped crusader as he battles this evil. But in ‘Joker’ there is no Batman, there is no cartoonish villain, there is no looking away. There are only humans and their nuanced nature.
5/5
#Oscars2020#OscarsWarmUp#OscarNominee#Academy Awards#Joker#Todd Phillips#Joaquin Phoenix#Robert De Niro
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What are the differences between Statuario, Carrara, and Calacatta marble?
Statuario, Carrara & Calacatta Marble
Make no mistake, as similar as these three natural stones are, there are some key distinctions – find out what they are before buying
Many designers and homeowners alike are faced with the confusion that comes along with differentiating between Statuario, Carrara and Calacatta marble, and they aren’t truly to blame for their confusion because the differences between Statuario, Carrara and Calacatta marble are pretty subtle and incredibly nuanced – it often takes an expert eye. Much of the lack of understanding is due to the fact that they are both high-quality Italian marbles that are awfully close in appearance. Statuario, Carrara, and Calacatta marble are white with elegant gray veining.
Statuario is haled in Italy and is the perfect marble for carving statues, it is also a highly sought after material for residential and commercial projects. This white marble works beautifully as a large tile option, countertop slab, or book-matched backsplash or wall panel.
Various types of marble will all give your room a slightly different look, as each has its own unique color and veining. No two slabs of marble are going to appear the same, even if they are the same type. This is one of the reasons having marble in your home can make it feel so opulent – It’s refined and unique to your space. All you have to do is decide which one is for you.
Statuario Marble at a Glance
One of the all-time classic marbles, Statuario is a highly dramatic white and grey marble. With vivid and artistic veining, Statuario is bound to be the focal point of any design interior it occupies. White Statuario Marbles are used for flooring and wall in interiors as well as exteriors. It generally comes with natural textures and white color and it has nice durability and strength. In order to provide maximum satisfaction to our clients, we use the finest raw materials, modern machines, and technology for manufacturing the White Statuario Marbles. Our marbles are long-lasting & durable in nature and are specifically designed to enhance the look of any place.
Appearance
Statuario marble is a more exclusive stone with distinct gray and gold veining throughout and a striking, bold pattern. This marble is considered to be one of the major white marbles. Statuario marble contains heavy, bold gray veining mixed with thinner patterns.
Origin
Statuario marble is also quarried in Italy. The mountain quarries of Statuario marble are located above Carrara. Statuario has limited availability and high demand. The low availability of this marble makes it more of a rare find.
Applications
Statuario marble is an ideal stone for indoor applications such as kitchen countertops and backsplashes, bathroom vanities, and floor tiles. Statuario marble should not be used for exterior applications.
Availability
Statuario marble in all sizes and finishes.
Features
– Smooth finish
– Striking color
– Used for Flooring
– Appealing design
– Polished
– Easy to maintain and long-lasting
Price
The price of this white marble depends on the variation, color, variety, and size of slabs. For example, if the size is big with more whiteness and lesser grey veins or veins in a specific design the prices will be high. If the size is small, with lesser whiteness and different type of veins or more grey veins the prices will be lower.
Tile
The tile of this material can be made from slabs. The tiles are generally of the size 1ft x 1ft x 16 mm or 2ft x 1ft x 16 mm. Tiles can be used in Bathroom, Flooring, Wall cladding.
Slab
We are one of the leading suppliers of Statuario Marble slab. We buy blocks directly from the quarries of Italy and process the slab at our state of the art plant equipped with the latest machinery. The slab of Statuario marble is in thickness 16 mm.
Comfort and appeal
All stone and ceramic tiles, including marble, are notoriously cold underfoot. But like other hard flooring materials, marble also makes a very good base for radiant floor heating systems, in which hydronic tubing or electrical wiring is networked through the underlayment. This can turn a normally cold flooring material into one that is wonderfully comfortable.
Whenever marble is installed, purchase at least one extra box of tiles and keep them in storage. Every lot of marble tiles will have slightly different coloring and veining, and having replacement tiles from the same batch ensures that they come from the same quarry, making it much easier to match tiles if one breaks, cracks, or becomes stained.
This is also similar in appearance to Carrara, but it has a more translucent white background and more dramatic veining, which gives it a more luxurious feeling. This marble comes from the Carrara region of Italy, but north of the region where Carrara and Calacatta marble are quarried.
We are a leading Mines owner, Manufacturer, Producer, Supplier, Exporter of Makrana Pure White Marbles which is available in slab sizes & tile sizes.
When it comes to selecting home, villa, hotel, and projects, classic white marble remain the top choice for many homeowners. It’s no surprise that marble is so popular—the material has been attracting fans for millennia.
Calacatta White Marble
Worse yet, a great deal of the world’s Calacatta marble come from Carrara, Italy – where does it end? Because of this, they are often used interchangeably, but if you really want the correct stone for your home, you’d be wise to know the key distinctions. Generally speaking, Carrara is a deeper gray with much softer veining, while Calacatta skews whiter with thick, substantial veining.
Still, Statuario vs. Carrara vs. Calacatta Marble
Where are the differences? Well, you’re not alone, and like many, if you haven’t been able to tell the subtle differences between these two beautiful stones, this article should be a great guide and reference point to help you understand those differences and hopefully make the choice for your home or office all the easier. At last, you’ll know how to tell the difference between Carrara and Calacatta marble.
Carrara Marble
Carrara marble is the most common marble found in Italy, and it’s named after the region it comes from – Carrara, Italy. Carrara marble is often classified as much softer looking than Calacatta because of its subtle light gray veining that can sometimes hue toward blue. It’s often characterized by soft feather grains that homeowners go crazy over.
It makes for an incredibly unique looking material, as each slab of Carrara marble is created from one block, and when installed by a professional hand, the grains and veins run together and create a stunning design pattern, which ensures no two Carrara marble surfaces have exactly the same design.
Calacatta Marble
Calacatta marble is often much whiter, characteristic many homeowners and service professionals associate with luxury. It’s generally bright white with thick, elegant veins that can come in a variety of colors from beige all the way to gold.
It also comes from the same place in Italy, but Calacatta is usually much smoother than your typical Carrara marble. Because of its classic, timeless look, Calacatta marble has been a mainstay in bathrooms and as kitchen countertops for years. If you enjoy more dramatic veins in your natural stone, then Calacatta may be the right option for you.
Carrara Marble Bathroom
Carrara marble is one of the classiest choices you can make as far as bathroom décor goes. This elegant bathroom has a Carrara marble counter, as well as marble tiling throughout the entire space. While it looks incredible, keep in mind that if you also have a marble basin (sink), you’re going to spend a lot of time cleaning and wiping it down – you don’t want to let all the moisture sit there and take hold.
If you keep up with the maintenance, then it should look great for a long time, rather than dull and fade in a pretty short time. For this reason, this type of material is best kept to the countertop, but even that will be water prone in a bathroom, so keep on top of it and your bathroom will look lustrous for years to come.
While Calacatta marble is expensive and some homeowners might hesitate to use it in the bathroom, when done well this natural stone can be a major highlight, taking a boring bathroom to the next level. Calacatta marble will lighten up any bathroom with a great backsplash and make all who use it feel like royalty, as long as they do the proper maintenance to safeguard against its porous nature by cleaning regularly and sealing frequently.
This type of marble seems to suck up most anything that falls on its surface, so you’re going to want to protect your investment by implementing a strict, no excuses cleaning schedule. Never use any acidic or other harsh cleaning agents on your Calacatta marble, as only products designed specifically for stone care should ever touch it. We recommend a highly versatile formulated marble and granite daily cleaner, one that’s tough yet gentle, such as Granite Gold Daily Cleaner.
Carrara Marble Kitchen
Carrara marble adds the flair of style to any room, and this is especially true in the kitchen where it’s one of the most popular choices for kitchen countertops and islands. It’s light yet elegant color helps the kitchen area look more spacious, putting all who eat and cook there at ease. Take care of your marble by giving it the occasional polish as well as a strong seal, and it should remain pristine for years to come.
This Carrara marble countertop has thick yet soft gray veins running through it, and it really showcases the quality of the stone. Usually, Carrara marble works better in the kitchen than Calacatta because it tends to be darker and more heavily veined, hiding all those coffee, wine, and food stains that are bound to occur. Frequent use of this water-based stone sealer maintains maximum surface protection against staining, etching, and soil buildup, which can be helpful if you aren’t the world’s neatest person, as it will be a touch more forgiving than bright white Calacatta.
Calacatta Marble Kitchen
Obviously, Calacatta marble looks great on any surface or room, but when used in the kitchen it comes with greater maintenance responsibilities. While there really isn’t much of a difference between Carrara and Calacatta marble when it comes to being stain-proof, there is a difference between how visible these stains will be – remember, Calacatta tends to be whiter. They are both pretty porous, and nobody would classify either of them as low-maintenance.
However, if you’re insistent on using Calacatta marble in the kitchen, there are ways it can work. Just be vigilant about stains and always seal (and reseal!) your marble to prevent etching and premature aging. Things are often dropped in the kitchen, so there’s certainly a possibility that a heavy pan or kitchen tool could chip your precious marble.
Calacatta Marble Cost
Great looking marble isn’t exactly cheap, and there is a reason for that – it’s timeless. From classic to contemporary, a good slab of marble can be mixed with any home décor. So, how much are we talking about? Carrara marble is going to be a bit cheaper, as it’s more aggressively queried, and thus the supply is much higher. Also, this leads it to be seen as less high-end. A good slab of Carrara marble is going to cost anywhere from $75 to $100 per square foot before it’s installed.
Calacatta is considered the rarer of the two natural stones, and with that, there comes a premium. Conservatively speaking, you’re going to pay double what you would for Carrara marble, and the price tag may go as high as $250 per square foot. Of course, these prices are all going to vary depending on the supplier you choose, but think of these prices as a ballpark figure.
Statuario vs. Calacatta vs. Carrara Marble
Essentially, these three natural stones are incredibly similar, and the choice you make is going to rely largely on your budget. Statuario is the most precious marble varieties found in Italy. It has distinctive veining that can range from gold to grey. While Calacatta is seen as a little more high-end, that’s not a knock against the elegance of Carrara marble – it just happens to be more widely available.
All have similar maintenance requirements, are virtually the same density, and come from Italy. The key difference is going to lie in the color of the three marbles, as Statuario skews gray, Carrara skews gray and Calacatta skews white. Its whiteness reflects the purity of the marble, leading to a higher cost for the average consumer. Keep this in mind and you’ll finally know how to tell the difference between Statuario, Carrara, and Calacatta marble.
Whether you have marble in your home or another type of stone such as granite, slate, or travertine, natural-stone care needs to be a part of your regular routine.
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Hi, long time lurker, first time asker here. What are your thoughts on Trish's arc in Jessica Jones S3, and where do you think it would go if this wasn't the final season? Would she find a way to appeal her case or break out of prison?
Hi!
I’m really torn on Trish’s Season 3 arc, and I’m not sure if that’s because it was horribly upsetting or because I had trouble making sense of it. I am also trying my best to look at it without the bitterness of it being the last season, because I doubt they knew it would be the last season when it was being written/filmed, and so saying that it was an unsatisfying way to end her character arc isn’t a fair criticism.
Jessica Jones has always been a show that takes its characters uncomfortable, morally iffy places. It leans into the fact that sometimes people are just terrible– and sometimes they grow and improve and sometimes they don’t. As Jessica comments in her narration in the very first episode of Season 1, this is a story about seeing the worst in people– the uncomfortable and messy aspects of just being human and handling the cruelties of the world in whatever way works. And that’s something I really like and respect about this show. It never backs down from its darkest themes, and all of its characters are unapologetically flawed. One of my favorites, Jeryn Hogarth, is a terrible person in this universe (her comics counterpart isn’t a paragon of virtue either, but he’s better). She starts out awful, she goes through some horrific experiences, and she clings to her awfulness as a survival tactic. She isn’t given a redemption arc or a neat, satisfying happy ending in any season, and that’s a gutsy storytelling choice that I absolutely respect.
On a certain level, I feel the same way about Trish’s arc. She has always been an imperfect person– not to the degree of many of the characters around her, but still. In Season 1 and The Defenders she was a hopeful figure– a success story of someone who had escaped an abusive situation and managed to rebuild her life on her own terms. She believed in the superheroic ideal– the image of a strong and noble individual protecting the weak and saving the world– to a degree that Jessica, thanks to her own traumas, no longer could. Trish served as a light in Jessica’s darkness, to put it sappily, and pushed Jessica along one of her (Jessica’s) main character journeys: that of seeing herself as a good person and a hero again. And that was very powerful and wonderful, and aligned with the themes of the Kilgrave plot. This part of Trish’s characterization was also further boosted by the complicated nature of own desire to be heroic. After spending her life as a victim who had no say in her own life or identity, she wanted the kind of power Jessica had to protect others from that type of situation and to also feel empowered herself. Trish’s desperate desire to be a superhero cannot be separated from her childhood as “Patsy”– an adored public figure who she had no say in becoming. Building herself a new public persona, gaining both literal and metaphorical power… it’s all about “killing” Patsy and recreating that same sense of positive influence on her own terms.
With this in mind, it has been horrifying (by design, to be clear) to watch this justified and understandable desire turn desperate and corrupted, and to see Trish transform into an antihero in the last two seasons of the show. As Trish, despite her better judgment, starts rebuilding her relationship with her mother, all of that past trauma comes back to the surface. She loses her grip on her life. And this comes out in her fervent desire to gain powers at any cost, thus warping her concept of heroism. Trish does what, in fact, many of the characters in the show do when their lives fall apart– she copes poorly. Her plans go awry, she makes mistakes, then she tries to justify them, and on and on, digging herself deeper and deeper until the idea of becoming a hero by murdering “bad” people seems like a logical and reasonable solution– the only way to feel like she is actually doing something “good” that makes a difference. This season emphasized the fact that, despite the illusion created in Season 1, Trish never actually escaped from her mother’s influence, she never actually moved on from that trauma, and those lingering ties end up destroying her.
Again, on a surface level, I don’t have a problem with this. I actually love dark stories with hopeless endings, and it is in conversation with Jessica’s journey of escape and personal reinvention. But Trish’s arc felt wrong to me, and beyond the anticlimax of the show’s cancellation, I felt it lacked nuance. If I think about it really hard, I can justify Trish going full-on Punisher. But in the moment, on an emotional level, it felt like a forced leap in her characterization. We weren’t deep enough in her head to fully understand how she ended up going so far off the rails. There’s also the problem of Trish not being the main character. In some ways, her story felt more like angst fodder for Jessica than anything else. As a Jessica fan, I love the final moment of the season, when she decides to stay in New York in spite of everything. But as a Trish fan, it felt unfair for Trish’s pain to just be treated as one more thing Jessica has to endure. There’s also the fact that Trish– Patsy Walker– is a long-established and beloved Marvel character. Her life has been dysfunctional, of course, but she is a superhero. She is Hellcat. And currently, she is a fairly positive, upbeat, and heroic figure within the Marvel Universe. I know it’s not fair or constructive to compare the shows/movies with the comics in this way. The MCU is its own universe, and Jessica Jones in particular has made many, many deviations from the source material. These are essentially new characters in new stories, and that’s fine. But I am always a little grumpy when adaptations blatantly disrespect their source material, and the plain fact is that the many Hellcat fans who waited and waited for Trish to get her superhero origin were given the middle finger this season.
I have to assume that following seasons would have continued her journey. She is a major secondary protagonist, and with her mother dead and the very real consequences of Doing Heroing Wrong staring her in the face, her story would invite all kinds of further development and, hopefully, an actual, successful origin story. Jessica and Trish need each other, and I feel like that would remain true even now. I could see Jessica agonizing over what to do about Trish, considering breaking her out, deciding against it, drinking a bit… and then maybe Trish would get herself out. Or outside forces would intervene. Either way, I can’t imagine Trish would have spent the entirety of a hypothetical Season 4 locked up– and I suppose one upside of the cancellation is that we can imagine all kinds of scenarios from here to make ourselves feel better about the whole thing.
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