I remember you talking about Angel a little bit ago and how you didn't think he was as bad as everybody else was saying. What makes him appeal to you, I can't really get behind him in all honesty.

So I keep getting asks regarding to clarify my stance on Angel, and while I don’t mind this despite getting asks about it even now from HH fans and non-fans alike, receiving charitable and uncharitable asks and takes simultaneously from both, I might as well answer because I’m getting a bit tired of it. Not on here that often and every time there’s a new ask regarding it and I don’t understand why people want my take on this, despite me having already given one, or the clarification. That being said, my mind has changed a bit on the subject, and I kind of wanna give a small analysis on Angel and how I feel about him now, so here we are.

 Firstly, the debate surrounding Angel Dust is off-putting to me because while I seemingly see both sentiments, I also feel as though they’re both simultaneously wrong. The positions are usually “Angel Dust represents a harmful stereotype that contributes to our marginalization and is a literal walking sex joke and nothing else.” and “Angel Dust is a hooker. A sex worker, prostitute. He’s supposed to be in hell. He’s supposed to be bad and awful. Moron” and really, I dislike both of these takes for rather similar reasons. Reason being is that I feel that it’s addressing the wrong thing here, which is the characterization of Angel, and not really what the over-arching narrative and well, show itself has to say about Angel, and I also feel that the issue here isn’t homophobia as much as it involves vilifying sex work potentially.

My issue with the first take is that obviously, we’ve barely scratched the surface with this character. I will say that the way he was introduced in the pilot was left to be desired. Not that he was offensive or meant to be a major middle finger to the gay community, but simply because we typically see big, larger, main traits of a character in a pilot. In Angel, we primarily see him embodying those things that many of the “HH hate crowd” disliked about him. Upon first introduction, he genuinely does come off as a stereotype, something that was written solely for the purpose of being “the gay” and nothing else admittedly. While said analysis is probably inaccurate, I don’t blame anyone for initially feeling that way, and coming to their own conclusions. Recognize that everybody’s opinion on Angel is all pretty much based on first impressions, because we only have so much to say about him at the moment. There isn’t even a show. It’s the pilot. Things even now can still change greatly. However, Angel in the show, being a prostitute, and a sex worker, seem very much rooted in his character primarily because many of his own personal struggles also lie in the fact that he’s someone who’s also victim to sexual assault, exploitation, which obviously has connections to his occupation. We can say that many of his actions are rooted in not only his job, and experiences, but also the mask he wears to hide his pain. I feel like to simply look at that and say “Fuck Angel Dust, he’s harmful.” is simultaneously neglecting a silent minority in the gay community that genuinely deals with the hardships of sex work in real life. You don’t see that type of humanity brought to the forefront in regards to gay sex workers in media. They’re usually there to be mocked at, and while you could say Angel comes off that way initially, additional context in the comics and Addict suggests otherwise. He’s not Alastor. He doesn’t have all these special abilities aside from being able to manifest guns and bombs, and probably shoot webs out of his anus or something. Angel is in pain, and in a situation where he feels stuck. He feels like he’s on a leash and only copes in the way he knows how, that being hedonistic actions and such. As to what the general narrative and world of Hazbin might have to say? We don’t know, and that could vary. We don’t have a conclusion as to what the world of Hazbin has to say about Angel, and whether or not he needs to be “redeemed” which is an issue I take on its own. I will get into that shortly.

I take issue with the second take for similar reasons as previously stated, but it has less to do with the analysis coming from the people who say this sort of thing, and more about what it reveals about the people saying “He’s a prostitute. He’s supposed to be in hell. He’s baaaaad.” Because it shows a type of reactionary sentiment that justifies the villainizing of sex workers, and also goes to show that they probably appreciate Angel’s character for the same reason those who despise Angel, are critical of. They find him funny potentially because in their mind, Angel is something to be mocked. Because he’s a “freak” in the sense that he’s this awful, slutty monster, seemingly missing the intentions behind writing Angel the way he is, as a way of potentially showing a sign of sympathy towards the livelihoods of real life sex workers. Instead these people probably don’t think too highly of people who work in that industry and view them as a circus act, the same way they might view Angel as the funny token gay man, and it shows that people appreciate this character for very different reasons. Not to mention, this take is not a very good defense. Does someone being in hell necessarily necessitate them to be “offensive?” A very non-offensive, non-confrontational, seemingly polite person could be the most awful person when the optics of civility are stripped away... Like a politician.

However, I end up pondering about what the narrative itself has to say about Angel needing to be redeemed. Because of the pilot’s highlight on his hypersexual manner, I end up asking myself what he needs to be redeemed from. His sex work and sexual nature certainly doesn’t make him a bad person. His violence probably does, but there’s so much emphasis on the sexual side of him and not the “gangster” side of him, and suggesting that people who are exploited by the industry they work in need to be “redeemed” almost insinuates like they’re doing something wrong. As if it potentially shares the same reactionary sentiment about sex workers that those who view Angel as a laughing stock do. Now, if “redemption” is a euphemism for “rehabilitation” then I would view this differently. However, in the pilot, the term “rehabilitation” and “redemption” are both used, seemingly interchangeably, despite both of these terms having different meanings. In terms of Hazbin, since we’re in hell, which is based on the Christian mythos (most likely also inspired by other cultural interpretations of a bad afterlife) “redemption” here is probably referring to the absolving of sins and what have you, although we don’t really know what Hazbin’s criteria for being worthy of Hell is, and said criteria is also never questioned. We just know that everybody there in hell is supposed to be bad as the latter say, and that’s that. They’re all “sinful”, all worthy of being considered bad people despite some clearly not being so... awful. Vaggie isn’t so awful. She’s a bit angry, but for a good reason. Why is she in hell with literal murderers, homophobes, gangsters, etc? Of course we don’t know much about her yet, but she seems substantially more innocent than say Alastor, who’s a literal serial killer. But according to fans, she’s in hell. So she’s bad. Bad people go to hell, and hell is where the bad people reside in, and all are in need of rehabilitation or “redemption” in order to achieve/attain heaven. (obligatory jojo reference heehee) Issue being that what’s good and bad is subjective, and despite nobody being morally perfect, they’re just in this place together with no real chance of redemption, while being told by the dominant structure and culture in hell that nobody really even wants to be “redeemed”, despite nobody wanting to be there, and probably housing some regret, only to be chained down by a culture of doubt, and many of these inhabitants probably not even really needing to be “redeemed.” There are people who are there for probably very irrational reasons, like stealing some stuff from a grocery store or something. Hell, even if someone is a murderer, what if they murdered in self-defense? Or trying to protect their family? Are they, a sinner, in need of being absolved, and to confess their sin of wanting to survive? Many “sinners” are probably people who come from unfortunate circumstances, and are forced to adapt to certain conditions that force them to do things that are considered “sinful.”

Of course, this is all very assumptive. For all we know, Hazbin could very well go into detail about this type of thing, and I’d be all for it. I feel like a lot of the former critique I’ve mentioned would be cleared away and people would be able to actually make a formed opinion on characters like Angel instead of the typical surface level takes I usually see. I’d be highly disappointed if the writers of Hazbin didn’t go down this route and question the very nature of this Heaven and Hell dichotomy and the moral code and structure presented. I have to clarify though. I’m not “behind” Angel. I acknowledge his character and how he’s written, and honestly thought the way he was shown initially was sub-par, and still believe that. My irritation revolves around fans and non-fans alike thinking they have a finalized idea of what Angel is, when they don’t, and then you have Youtubers making videos pretending it’s flawless while making statements about how stereotypes are apparently not harmful at all while making the assumption that every harsh criticism is a result of people wanting to ALL destroy Vivienne’s career when that’s just as reductive as saying that Viv is evil for shit she did years ago.

Aside from this, there’s still other things about Hazbin too. Vaggie even now I still can’t really see how she’s in anyway offensive or purposely off-putting. She’s angry because she has to react to a world who wants to take advantage of her, and her girlfriend. I’d be pissed too. She isn’t angry because she’s written to be the angry latina (despite Viv’s dumb tweet about “I’M A FIERY LATINA TOO WEE”). Alastor is a subject of discussion too because of the whole voodoo thing despite him passing as very, very caucasian and white, while also claims of cultural appropriation due to the certain iconography used when Alastor exhibits his power while playing into that “spooky voodoo” stereotype. I don’t have much to say on this because I’m simply not that familiar the religious practice aside from it having origins in Western Africa, and the Caribbean. Some say Alastor is biracial but that isn’t confirmed I don’t think. Some people say Hazbin is bad because of a Jeffery Dahmer joke, and saying that Katie Killjoy is proof of homophobia despite her being pointed out as an actual piece of shit with zero standards.

It’s all crazy. I look forward to what the Hazbin crew do with Hazbin, Helluva Boss, and especially Zoophobia. My mind is still open.

Miraculous Kwami Swap

I’ve seen it done before where circumstances result in a different pair of heroes in Origins, but I’ve yet to see it fully expanded on just how wide-ranging the effects would be.

Imagine we have Alya and Nino get the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.

For one, it would be better on principle because of the idea behind this change is that the perspective and focus would ultimately be more spread out among the characters rather than central on two. This is in part because neither Alya or Nino would have the direct tie to the central plot other than by being chosen as the heroes. This means no tie to the villain or to the guardian.

Furthermore, there would be much different dynamics—not only with each other, but with their families and civilian lives. Marinette and Adrien had it easy in a sense as each of them was an only child. Compare that with Nino, who has a younger brother and Alya, who has two younger sisters to watch out for as well as one older one who is rather dead-set on protecting her from the akumas she has to go out and fight.

On the plus side, this means Nino wouldn’t need Marinette’s help to beat Nora at arm wrestling. On the other plus side, Nora would strike me as the type to catch on to Alya’s secret and try to help her…through training her to fight.

Alya: I can never use my arms again!

On the same note, this means very different positions for Alya and Nino as the Ladybug and Black Cat.

Alya was shown to be very big on the idea of superheroes in Origins, so she would be pretty psyched about being one, in a manner rather similar to Adrien. She’d have to learn that the life of a superhero is actually much more difficult than expected with secrets and juggling responsibilities—something she may “know” about from comics, but not something she would understand until she actually has to live it—much like in Sapotis where she initially said she’d tell Marinette her identity at the start of the episode only to back out of doing so by the end.

She’s also pretty reckless in canon, meaning that any instances of Chat!Nino rescuing her would be more of a response to her not fully thinking things through than him needlessly jumping in the way. This would allow for more growth potential for Alya as she is forced to take a serious look at her actions and possible consequences.

There would also be more difficulty with the Lucky Charm. Alya isn’t shown to be one for thinking things through, and that is something the Ladybug position would require and force her to do. This ultimately forces Alya to slow down and consider things before acting—both in regards to jumping to conclusions, but also in leaping before she looks. There’s also the bonus that this would result in Chat!Nino being able to step in to help direct her at points and allow him more of a role and say in battles.

On the other end, Nino is shown to be laid back in canon, but he is shown to be pretty good at thinking on his feet and planning things out. Even as an akuma, it took quite a bit of planning and set up to arrange Adrien’s birthday party. There’s also the other party from Party Crasher where Nino plotted out everything from what excuses to give the girls to how to get into the mansion. Sure, it was a horrible plan for various reasons, but it was a well plotted out one. His level of planning actually seemed to be about on par with Marinette though without the universe as a whole working against him most of the time.

Nino would admittedly do well with the Ladybug Miraculous. He’s smart, he’s a quick thinker, and he’s good at planning. But he’s not quite so good with leadership. We saw during Horrificator how he was acting—changing the script without telling everyone or consulting Alya when it was HER script, being harsh on Mylene, replacing her too quickly without considering her feelings. These were things the show didn’t call him out for, but they were still issues that should have been noted and addressed.

Nino is noted to be more of a follower, perhaps even codependent to a degree. In two separate instances, he pretty much gave up once Alya was down even though he could have continued and helped the heroes turn things around. First during Zombizou when Alya was kissed by the zombies in the elevator, he chose to stay behind with her and let himself be kissed once she was converted. It was sweet, sure, but there was no real reason for that if he knew Ladybug could restore things and that he could help her do so and save Alya. The second time was during Heroes Day when Alya was hit by the hate arrow and akumatized, he was so dismayed by it that he let himself be taken down as well. Ignoring again that this wasn’t the end and there was something he could do. Furthermore, whatever decisions he made or sides he chose to take seemed mostly dependent on other people and what they wanted from him at the time rather than using his own judgement.

A cat should be able to stand and act alone when needed, and that’s something he could gain from the Black Cat miraculous. Not to mention that there’s also the matter of the kwamis and how these pairings would interact.

Of the possible options for human and kwami teams, the most gain and interesting interactions seems to be with Alya and Tikki and with Nino and Plagg. Tikki would be encouraging Alya’s better traits but also helping to rein her in when she jumps to conclusions or acts without thinking. She’d also push Alya to consider how other people feel. Plagg, on the other hand, is particularly ornery and would be the one encouraging Nino to act rather than sit back, even if the “acts” he’s encouraging would be less than particularly noble. I’d also see Plagg having less concerns about acting out and Nino having to act more as the responsible one and trying to keep Plagg in line. Since he doesn’t have to worry about Nino being locked up and isolated the way commonly threatened with Adrien, Plagg would have less reason to need to behave. And since Nino likely couldn’t afford massive amounts of Camembert, he’d have less incentive to behave either.

This would also change the dynamic of the love square. Alya would probably consider her partner as a love interest since they’re both heroes and partners and that’s generally how it goes in the comics. It’s not about putting him on a pedestal, it’s about falling into expectations and it would be another aspect of heroism that Alya would need a lesson on. Furthermore, Nino still starts out with the crush on Marinette.

So we’d have Alya and Nino juggling their hero duties, school, families, and friendships. But what about those friendships?

Adrien is still the son of the big bad, but he doesn’t know it. Furthermore, he knows nothing about the Miraculous either. Being Chat Noir had no real impact on a number of aspects of his civilian life, so he would still have the initial circumstances of his first day of school, would still be friends with Chloe, would still be accused of putting gum on Marinette’s seat, and would still end up making things right with her by the end of the day. So he’s still friends with Nino an is still the center of a lot of people’s affections: Marinette, Chloe, Lila, and Wayhem.

Without Chat Noir, Adrien wouldn’t have an outlet for all the energy and freedom-seeking, so we’d be seeing a more vocal and dare I say rebellious version of Adrien than the one we get in canon. So not only would we have more Adrien and Gabriel interaction and conflict, but that also means Adrien manages to have more free time to hang out with his friends.

Ultimately, when the main duo are allowed to start asking others for help, Adrien would be high on Nino’s list. Nino would give Adrien the fox because of the illusion that Adrien tends to maintain. He knows that Adrien hides himself behind a mask and so would give him a chance to show his true self. The fact that it would be later revealed that Adrien is the son of their arch enemy would hit them pretty hard. Especially if things happen that result in Adrien switching sides to help his father.

Also, since Adrien isn’t Chat, that means he never inspired or got a front row seat to Ladybug’s speech and never fell for her. So no love square. That means he’s able to explore possible feelings for any of the people interested in him. In particular, Marinette.

Now that she’s brought up, what role does Marinette play in this? Imagine if she gets drawn into the whole thing by accident?

Given Alya’s nature, she strikes me as a proactive hero—to the point where she would be trying to seek out Hawk Moth in her downtime. So she starts going over possible suspects, looking for clues to where the akuma are coming from, what all Hawk Moth would need for his lair, etc. And one of the people on the list is none other than Adrien Agreste.

Think about it! Monsters start attacking only after he first starts showing up. Their class have almost all been turned into akumas by this point. It’s like Hawk Moth is targeting them specifically. And Adrien is never around during an akuma fight (because he’s hiding like any sensible person)! And Adrien is one of the few people in class who hasn’t been akumatized! it can’t be coincidence!

So Alya pulls Marinette into her scheme to check out the Agreste mansion for clues. And they would find nothing since as it turns out, Adrien actually is innocent.

Except Nooroo in this version of events isn’t nearly as passive as his canon counterpart. The heroes are struggling and Gabriel is even more of an ass to his son and to Nooroo himself. Needless to say, he’s somewhat spiteful and feeling particularly passive aggressive.

So when a random school friend of Adrien’s just happens to visit (read: scope out the mansion for clues), Nooroo uses butterfly effect—which he IS the master and creator of thank you very much—to get the Peacock Miraculous into her bag in hopes that she can help in some way. Inform the heroes, get the Miraculous to Fu somehow, help Dusuu, just something more than the Peacock Miraculous staying trapped in the safe where Gabriel can use it.

So Marinette gets home unknowingly carrying a magical item in her bag. Later on, she discovers she now has a strange broach. And an even stranger creature attached.

Marinette: AH! IT’S A GIANT BIRD! A MOUSE! A-A BIRD-MOUSE!

Marinette is still pretty smart. She would figure out at some point that Alya is the Ladybug hero and want to help. But the Miraculous is damage and using it would cause her harm. So Marinette tries to avoid using the Peacock Miraculous while also trying to either find the Guardian or figure out some way to fix the broken magical artifact…to…some limited success.

Ultimately, Marinette is trying to help in her own way, but with the volatile situation, she tries to avoid transforming unless the heroes really need her to. Unfortunately, given the difficulty Alya and Nino are having as the heroes, as well as the changes with Adrien that are forcing Gabriel to push matters more quickly, Marinette ends up having to transform and help out on several occasions. And as she does, she gets weaker as the damaged Miraculous is taking its toll on her.

So let’s review:

We have Ladybug!Alya. Quick to action and struggling with thinking things through, with a Miraculous and kwami that are pushing her to become more of a leader and plan things out.

Black Cat!Nino. A follower and possible codependent, with a Miraculous and kwami that are prone to trouble and pushing him to act.

Fox!Adrien. More rebellious and passive aggressive. With a super villain father and much less inclined to simply sit by and let people hang on him or infringe upon him.

Peacock!Marinette. More shy but less anxious or overwhelmed due to not having the responsibility of Ladybug. Still creative and intelligent, enough to know who at least one of the superheroes is, and by pure happenstance ends up with the Peacock Miraculous.

This can only go well!

Birth Chart Description of SNSD Seohyun 🌙🪐✨

hi everyone! sorry i’ve been gone for so long! i’ve been taking the time to dive deeper into astrology and learning to follow my intuition lmao, and this came to mind! 

like any of my other birth chart description series, I will be sharing what I feel and think about Seohyun’s chart and how it has manifested! do note that i do not have her birth time and her ascendant is purely my guess! happy reading ✨

Seohyun, born Seo Ju Hyun on 28 June 1991 is a cancer sun, capricorn moon! what’s interesting about her chart is that she has uranus, neptune and north node all retrograde in capricorn as well, so it’s likely that she has a capricorn stellium. immediately, this helps to explain why seohyun struggles with ambiguity and tends to play by the book perfectly. ‘rigid’, ‘practical’ and ‘stubborn’ are words used to describe her by her members jokingly, but not without reason why. Having a stellium in capricorn manifests in a way that the person may be more stoic and serious since young, because they are ‘growing’ into their chart. Especially with moon in capricorn, she may have trouble with accessing her raw emotions--feeling helpless, stressed and afraid of the unknown. Having a structure to life helps her to overcome her feelings and fear. Remember her refusing to address her older members in a casual manner despite only being 2 years apart? this is how Seohyun may hold herself back sometimes. She may come from a family that honours hierarchy and respect for elders a lot, bringing forth to Seohyun’s personality. capricorn moons may come off as rigid unintentionally, but they mean the best. this is what’s endearing about Seohyun, because as she grows older, she gets more comfortable with knowing how the world works and lets loose of herself. Like any other capricorn influence, it’s all about reaping what you sow. For Seohyun, her moon in capricorn helps her to ground herself, which is exceptionally important especially as a top kpop girl group member. She acts as the ‘logic’ in SNSD. This doesn’t mean Seohyun is a cold person at all. In fact, her cancer sun and capricorn moon combination makes for a person who is emotional and has a ‘childlike’ quality to her emotions, but she learnt at a very young age to manage it well. On the contrary, she may be the one who worries the most and thinks through the path that SNSD has to take in the future even though she may not show is much on screen as compared to her members. She is deep-minded, and over time she has learnt to accept life as it comes because not everything can be controlled. This in fact has helped her to follow her dreams and her heart. Without sacrificing and putting in hard work, how can she achieve her dreams? And right now, she’s able to live her dreams. 

She has a star quality to her, because of her venus, mars and jupiter in leo as well. to assert herself in the way she is most comfortable with, she prefers to assert herself in a ‘glamorous’ way. celebrities with venus and mars in leo (eg. Soyeon of (G)-Idle) are more likely to enjoy being a celebrity, because that’s where they feel most comfortable asserting themselves. they may unknowingly dream of being a celebrity before they are one. whilst she is humble, she is most comfortable when she is in a position where she can share most with others and lead others in a way. she does have her own ideals, but she knows how to display teamwork and only shares constructive information when she needs. her cancer sun makes her the ideal maknae, because cancer suns are caring and thoughtful. she almost always acts like a ‘mom’ figure to SNSD members, which they love. With her friends, she may be more laid-back and relaxed as compared to being around older people.

for her ascendant, there is a high chance that Seohyun is an aquarius rising! this makes complete sense, because it places her capricorn stellium in her 12th house, including her north node. 12th house is a house of subconscious needs and desires. with her moon, neptune, uranus and north node all in her 12th house, she may find it hard to understand her own feelings, dreams and intuition, as well as creative thoughts as compared to her members. she may come off as ‘boring’, but this is definitely not the case. because of so many of her ‘personality’ traits being in her 12th house, she is often placed in environments where she has to put in the effort to understand herself. as compared to her members, she may find it hard to assert her own ideas and feelings especially with her moon in the 12th. however, her purpose this lifetime is to overcome using her practical mind, and instead tuning in to her inner desires and intuition. sometimes in life, no matter how much you try to plan for things, life will not turn out the way you expect. through this, you’ll find that eventually life is only meaningful when you let yourself experience what you truly want instead of strictly following by the rules. 

although Seohyun may come off as a stick-to-the-rules kind of person at times, from her journey she has actually carved out a lot of her path from nothing. a simple girl with a desire to sing, slowly joining the celebrity industry and turning into an actress. without courage, she would not be able to achieve this. she has a quirky personality, although awkward but she is known to be engaging and fun in real life. aquarius risings tend to be shy at first and when they open up, they go crazy. seohyun has a firm mindset and she is not afraid to go her own path sometimes. she likely has saturn in her first house, making her more held back and serious than an average aquarius rising, she achieves her goals one step at a time. she may come off as gentle and classy, like royalty. saturn in the first house teaches her that good things takes time, and she is fully aware of that. having saturn in her first house helps Seohyun to build momentum over time and plan for her career.

with an aquarius rising, Seohyun would likely have a scorpio midheaven as well. scorpio midheaven is known as a mysterious sign and placement, analytical and slow to prey on things like a panther. however, they are ambitious and go forth and do whatever it takes for them. they strongly rely on their intuition and emotions to go forth in their career. this helps Seohyun a lot, because she is able to convey her feelings through singing and acting. she may take on roles of characters who are more ‘destroyed’ or ‘oppressed’, because scorpio midheavens like to ‘expose’ the harsh realities of life and ravel in the psychology of others. when Seohyun first debuted, she came off as a sweet, pleasant and obedient young lady. this is highly due to her taurus IC, giving her a sweet and soft disposition when she’s young. as she grows older, she slowly experience life and sees the world for what it is. in an old show featuring snsd’s physiognomy, the fortune teller claimed that Seohyun would be able to become ‘sexier’ and attractive to her fans as she grows older. although it doesn’t mean that she will be sexualised, it suggests that she will have more charms and being more comfortable with her sensuality as she grows older. this is exceptionally true, especially with the release of her solo single ‘Don’t Say No’. when she’s young she may struggle to accept how hard the world is, but eventually she’ll find herself growing stronger over time. it is no secret that scorpio midheavens undergo many revelations and changes in life, which is why scorpio is known as the sign of transformation. having a transformative sign on the midheaven shows that Seohyun may undergo some big changes in her career---from an SNSD member to a full time actress, a move that not many people expected. people may have the tendency to think of scorpio midheaven as a negative thing, which is false. Seohyun is one who puts in her utmost effort and uses her kindness to help others no matter what happens. her character and perseverance helps her to win the hearts of others easily and emerge from her career and a successful member of SNSD. whilst she is ambitious, she does not forget to remain humble, allowing her to grow brighter as a person. 

with her mars and venus in her 7th house in leo, Seohyun may find it hard at first to be comfortable with her ‘assertiveness’ and ‘attractiveness’. she may see herself as a plain jane and can’t see her own charm at all. in fact, she may even see others as being more attractive than her, so she becomes shy-er and ‘invisible’. she may also attract friends or partners who are more outgoing and charming than her, which helps her to feel understood because they bring that out in her. Seohyun is a lady filled with charms, it’s just that she may struggle to see it sometimes.

her cancer sun falls in her 6th house, which is the house of work ethics and responsibility, health and well-being of your body. if you’re a fan of snsd for a long time, you’d know that Seohyun is an avid fan of the healthy lifestyle (some would say she invented it. jk!) and takes care of her health the best.(telling her members that they could die eating hamburgers, and that sleeping at 12am is the worst.) it is no wonder that her sun falls in the 6th house, because she finds her self-worth through taking care of herself, her habits and lifestyle. this has helped her to become more successful and attractive. 

and this is it for Seohyun’s personality reading! i hope i have not missed anything out :) personally, i feel that this is a good example of not letting what others deem as doomed- ‘saturn in the first house’, planets in the 12th house, retrograde and etc. define you because you have the power to decide for your own future! placements of ours can make us or break us, so why not focus on the positive? Seohyun has shown us the perfect example for that and i wish that her career and life will only prosper further and no less 🤍🤍

okay ive been wanting to make a post like this for a while but i wanted to make it an essay and i dont know if i can really organize my thoughts in that way yet, so here’s a chronological bullet-pointed dump to explain my very important thesis:

be more chill is about internalized ableism, and jeremy, michael, and christine are all highly autistic coded. this is going to be very long and detailed but only because there’s a lot of details that work very well under this lens.

there’s probably even stuff i missed but this is already extremely long so it basically just functions as a way for me to collect a bunch of details that i can piece together later in a more coherent manner.

“more than survive” in the context of jeremy being autistic works so much. the theme of wanting to be just socially acceptable enough to not burn out or be harassed is so relatable, and it visually establishes very early how jeremy is isolated from his peers due to his own awkward behavior and hypersensitivity. it’s coupled with his very obvious anxiety disorder, but the social aspect just screams autistic coding to me. i take this song to basically be “not having a meltdown is basically my goal but i would love to be neurotypical enough so i can heighten my standards and actually enjoy my social life.” some choice segments:

“if i’m not feeling weird or super strange, my life would be in utter disarray, cuz freaking out is my okay”

jeremy’s house being a mess is partly due to his dad’s serious depression, yeah, but i believe the other aspect is that jeremy’s executive dysfunction makes it just as hard to clean up in his place

he gets super anxious at the prospect of his expected routine being shaken up and having to make the decision on his own of how to get to school

“so i follow my own rules and i use them as my tools to stay alive” honestly sounds like a euphemism for autism to me

jeremy not really realizing that he’s staring at chloe

“avoiding any eye contact at all” explains itself

michael’s introduction, oh my god, every time i watch this part i just adore it. i could talk a lot more about michael’s autism later but this whole segment sells it especially.

first off, michael keeping his hood up and headphones on in a deliberate attempt to avoid social interaction and stay in his own space is such an autistic mood. even before this scene he’s constantly moving in the background to his music a la stimming. in the later performances he spends a lot more time playing with his hoodie strings and even chews on them!!

the fact he doesn’t talk to or even really look at jeremy until his song is done playing also feels very autistic to me! and the way he dances so confidently and basically pretends even his best friend isn’t there for the time being because he’s engrossed in his own passions.

michael is a great friend but it’s clear that he doesn’t really understand that his coping mechanism doesn’t really work for jeremy, and that even though michael feels confident reclaiming his identity as a ‘loser,’ jeremy doesn’t really feel any better about it. i think a lot of autistic folks, or at least i do, have this tendency to assume what works for us works for everyone around us at first due to our struggles with empathy. michael tries his best but struggles to see outside his point of view. it’s mind-blindness in action and jeremy can’t communicate why it upsets him any better than michael can pick up on it not working for him.

near the end of the song, they have a brief moment where all the ensemble crowds in around jeremy and the lights start flashing, which i interpret as a visual representation of sensory overload.

we’ll talk more about her soon, but outside of jeremy’s fantasies about her, christine also avoids social interaction during this number, constantly hiding her face in a book and avoiding eye contact just as much as jeremy. people forget that she’s not comfortable with unexpected social interaction, and that really informs my headcanon for her which brings us to....

“i love play rehearsal” is an autistic anthem. it also works, possibly even better due to in-text evidence, as an adhd anthem, but combined with the above it makes so much sense for her to be comorbid autism/adhd. i did a breakdown of the song in this context before, but i’ll sum it up here

the song showcases what having a special interest/hyperfixation is like. christine is singing to jeremy, yes, but she really seems so caught up in her own passion without much regard for how jeremy is following it, and even cuts him off from responding to her once or twice because she’s just so hyped up on her own feelings. she also basically implies her happiness is reliant on her special interest which is very relatable.

lines like “you follow a script so you know what comes next” also really sell the interpretation that christine isn’t good in unpredictable situations, and has so many identity issues and likes having something to look to where things are laid out for her. i think that stability is what a lot of autistic people look for, especially teenagers.

also with that in mind, look at how upset she gets watching a play she loves about get rewritten into something weird and new that she doesn’t know.

also gotta love how she still self-isolates before this song by focusing on her book, until she has a reason to infodump to jeremy. and then feels guilty afterwards and goes right back into her book while apologizing for getting “carried away”....biiiig mood there

the whole intro scene showcases both of their awkwardness so much. jeremy gets completely thrown off by her sarcastic comment about the swim team and almost believes it, which implies that he can’t read tone very well. and then christine’s “you’re a virgin” comment comes across like she really didn’t think about how that would sound to jeremy before saying it since she only made the clarification after he was ready to panic about it. she has a habit of speaking before she thinks, i think, the self-harm comment is also very awkward considering she barely knows jeremy.

after that scene we get “more than survive reprise” where jeremy admits to routinely having such bad breakdowns that he needs to step out and go to the nurse which works for both the anxiety disorder and the autism interpretation.

i’m not quite sure whether i see rich as autistic (i see him with a lot of mental issues for sure though) so i can’t say much on “the squip song” but there’s definitely something to describing a confused autistic kid as “almost helpless.” rich definitely has a habit of giving too much information though, i’ll say that.

“two player game” is just jeremy and michael being autistic solidarity: the song. i guess this is a good place to say that jeremy and michael work well as a contrast b/w two sides of autistic community, the side that struggles to function and desperately wants a change bc they’re afraid of being alone forever, and the side that tries to love all their symptoms and embrace their autistic pride. and as coincidental icing on the cake, jeremy wears blue (associated with the derogatory views from autism speaks) and michael wears red (associated with combating said views through autistic pride).

btw you could probably attribute michael’s ability to casually down a long-expired crystal pepsi as a sort of weird sensory quirk. and his fixation w/ that sort of memorabilia honestly feels like a special interest in its own right!

both “nice sideburns....wolverine, right” and “like in x-men????” using fiction as a reference point for real life always gives me autistic vibes (esp the first point where he awkwardly uses it to start conversation). can we assume x-men is a special interest? :3

jake referring to jeremy as a ‘freak’ when the squip turns on is really sad in this context but it also does make so much sense

now we get to the squip.....and what do you know, it uses tactics from abusive therapy used on autistic children. dare i say that “be more chill” as a song isn’t just an abuser’s song, but an ableist’s abuser’s song.

first off, the “spinal stimulation.” here’s a not so fun fact: electroshock therapy has been used to discourage autistic behavior in very recent years. (content warning in link for graphic description of ableist torture)

then the lyrics, in which the squip mostly focuses on jeremy’s posture and physically punishes him for disobeying. jeremy is shown to really struggle to stand up straight and pose himself in a normal, confident way, and i think that tendency to be unaware of what our body is doing is a pretty autistic thing?

the fact the squip singles out stammering and refers to jeremy’s “tics and fidgets” brings attention to two more autistic traits of jeremy’s

the squip basically punishes jeremy for responding “incorrectly” to social situations like rejecting brooke, even if they aren’t objectively wrong. it eventually just starts speaking for jeremy because jeremy seems incapable of acting natural. the squip is an abusive autism parent.

“sync up” demonstrates jeremy’s weird relationship with empathy. he wants to be nice to everyone- will has even called him “deeply empathetic”- but he’s initially really bad at seeing other people’s point of view, which is why he positions himself as sort of against the world, seeing everyone as better than him or trying to set up these barriers of Coolness where everyone else must be perfect compared to him. he’s so surprised to learn that the popular kids also hurt because of his strict idea of the social structure. it’s a combination of low self esteem and a black-and-white viewpoint.

let’s go back to christine. the squip, already established as ableist abuser, finds her “highly unusual” for acting in a way that disregards everyone who views her. she has very strange and specific visions in her head, and it seems very natural for her even if jeremy struggles to follow along.

in later performances, she chews on her sleeve and spins around during AGTIKBI. that’s stimming, babes. also gotta acknowledge “i don’t always relate to other people my age, except when i’m on the stage”

i’m gonna use this section to talk about jake and christine. christineis a bit unsure when interacting with jake, until he validates her interest- her acting is what really touches him. but jake, while good-hearted, has trouble being self-centered and thus not fully aware of christine’s own needs and space. so christine is always a little uncomfortable around him, especially in public, and not always willing to socialize. he is right about her being kind of stuck in her comfort zone, though, not doing anything off of her stage. and he is genuinely nice to her, it’s just a matter of their social strategies clashing.

the fact that the squip blocks out michael...i’ve had a lot of times in my life where i was told that socializing with other “weird” people would be counterproductive for my social development and it was part of why i was stuck with so few friends. so i really feel the idea that blocking out the person who helps you feel confident in your atypicality is framed as a good thing so you can act more socially adept, and that doing otherwise would just drag you both down.

hot DAMN does “loser geek whatever” make so much sense for an autistic kid with internalized ableism.

“it’s not only school that’s rough, being lonely’s stupid tough” makes it pretty clear this isn’t about the school social scene as muc as it is the entire social scene of the world. we may not see it, but it’s just (not) interacting with people in general that jeremy can’t stand.

“michael says that weird is rad but feeling weird just makes me sad” as stated above, makes a Lot More Sense with the idea that michael is both a more confident autistic and really bad at addressing jeremy’s own internalized ableism and desire to make connections outside his small friend group.

everything about jeremy boiling down all his problems to his “instincts” sucking and needing to basically be told what to do really highlights how autistic kids can feel broken because of their inability to fit into the social norm, to the point where we repress every behavior that actually makes us feel comfortable and unique. 

not to mention the line about him being seen as a “normal handsome guy” since autistic people tend to be infantilized and never seen as desirable (will roland also implied this line has trans coding which is another discussion altogether but i feel i should acknowledge that here)

all of those terms that jeremy calls himself near the end- namely weirdo, misfit, oddball, freak, failure- all of this sounds like the shit people throw at autistic kids. like this goes beyond anxiety alone, this is jeremy being outcasted and oppressed by the general public due to his behavior. especially the “please don’t speak” part, considering how often autistic kids are mocked for misunderstanding when to speak, how to speak, and what to talk about. jeremy needs some freaking love. :(

“michael in the bathroom” is a panic attack, related to severe anxiety, but i do see a lot of aspects that play into autism as well. the little nervous stimmy movements of foot-bouncing and picking at grout, the explosive sensory overload during the “knock knock” section of the bridge, the whole concept of losing the only person you ever managed to connect to without sacrificing who you are, dealing with this massive change to your sense of philosophy and reality where you pinned everything on one person to ground yourself, and thus you’re now completely lost trying to isolate yourself from this big overwhelming social gathering...neurodivergent anthem all around.

jeremy and christine’s couch interactions during halloween give me such autistic positivity. christine basically echolales jeremy’s weird noise and they both have so much fun vocal stimming that they forget there’s another person in the room. it’s such a sweet moment until jeremy ruins it by realizing that asking her out right after a breakup is Not Really Good For Her.

christine’s reaction to the fire demonstrates a clear case of hyperempathy to me. it isn’t discussed as much as a complete lack of empathy, but autistic folks are prone to feeling way too much especially when it comes to others’ pain. christine talking about how she hates that everyone’s hurting and desperately wants to help but doesn’t know how, and how we’ve already seen how much she struggles to connect with others like jake....it’s a very relatable, very specific autistic mood.

going back to the theme of jeremy and empathy, christine’s above hyperempathy kind of breaks this mold, and while jeremy always does feel for the other kids, by this point he feels so strongly- particularly for christine, who he also saw as a perfect confident being until now- that the squip can manipulate him into “fixing” everyone the same way the squip was supposed to “fix” him. and he never considers that christine doesn’t need to be fixed because he just projects his own insecurity that strongly onto everyone else who seems “weird” in the same kind of way- hence why he assumes michael is jealous of him back in MITB. it’s likely a result of the squip’s manipulation but i feel like mind-blindness is a factor, even if jeremy switches between struggling to process others’ emotions and being extremely empathetic.

michael’s special interest saves the day!!! :D

the whole fight b/w jeremy and michael, assuming it comes from a genuine place of repressed bitterness, has a lot of added subtext with them both being autistic. jeremy accusing michael of “giving up” on social interaction, michael envies jeremy for trying bc michael is clearly Not comfortable in most large social settings, jeremy envies michael for his pride, it just hits home for me i guess

rich calling michael “antisocial headphones kid” honestly how is michael not canon autistic

in the off-bway version michael briefly speaks too loud forgetting that jeremy’s head still hurts which is a relatable Forgot About Boundaries thing. plus him smacking rich playfully forgetting that rich is Still In Pain

“voices in my head” works nice as a fuck-societal-norms-and-just-be-happy song. “embrace the traits that make you so odd” in particular :’)

jeremy remembering christine’s infodump about her obscure bowling alley performance art idea and bringing it up to her again!!!

the squip doesn’t go away because ableism and the anxiety it brings and all the upsetting symptoms of autism don’t go away, but with the right support and confidence you can live with them!!! good message for mental disorders in general and works very well in this context!!!

so in conclusion.....be more chill is autistic pride!!!

Tecna Profile

Name: Titania “Tecna” Petra Aster 

Age: 16

Gender: Nonbinary (she/her, they/them)

Birthday: December 16

Sexuality: Pansexual Polyamorous 

Magic: Technology

Astrological Sign: Triton 

Status: Commoner 

Occupation: Student 

Affiliation: Alfea College for Fairies 

Planet of Origin: Zenith 

Hobbies: Upgrading electronics, building technology, playing video games, coding, reading

Family: Medea Edith Aster (Mother), Preston William Aster (Father)

Position in Team: Tactician 

Pixie: Digit, Pixie of Data

Likes: Technology, being alone, cold weather, strategizing, inventing 

Dislikes: Crowds, her father, heat, being awkward, meeting new people

Appearance: Tecna is the tallest out of the Winx girls, standing at an impressive 6’4”. This also has her being taller than the Specialists due to her large quantities of Zenithian blood. She has pink hair, another trait from Zenith, cut in a pixie hairstyle close to her face with her hair covering one of her eyes. She has turquoise eyes leaning on the blue side of the spectrum. Tecna is lanky and skinny, appearing to be mostly skin and bones at a first glance. She lacks physical attacking strength due to her minimal amounts of muscle. Her posture is nearly perfect, but since she is so tall, she rarely makes eye contact with anyone. Tecna tends to wear more modest clothing due to growing up on one of the coldest planets in the Magical Dimension, hiding most of her skin under loose t-shirts and hoodies with long pants. Her skin is incredibly pale since she grew up without much sunshine and rarely went outside when it was light out. Her favorite colors to wear are on the cooler spectrum such as green, blue, purple, and turquoise. Tecna has pointed ears and a lower body temperature than usual, making her feel like ice to the touch.

Personality: Tecna is emotionally distant, to say the least. She doesn’t talk much with other people on matters of the heart, making her struggle to portray how she is feeling. When it comes to technological data, on the other hand, Tecna is natural at communicating. She seems to show off how smart she is without even intending to, seamlessly portraying all that she knows. She can figure most things out at a first glance, and if they do challenge her, it won’t take long for her to find the truth. Tecna doesn’t talk to many people unless they approach her first, having been taught as a child not to speak unless someone speaks to her first. She doesn’t know what emotions are meant to feel like after not being shown much affection growing up. When people show love towards her, she tends to respond with confusion and numbness, unsure of how to respond to such. Tecna holds confidence in herself simply because it hasn’t ever been challenged. Growing up, Tecna was told more of how to be rather than being allowed to develop on her own, making her come off as a robotic conglomerate of everything an upper-class family would want an heir to be like. However, she does want to connect with others after years of being alone without any children her own age to be friends with. Upon getting closer to other people who treat her with kindness, she tends to throw herself in danger if need be to ensure that they are protected. She loves her friends immensely, even if she isn’t sure how to display it. She’s an introvert by nature, preferring her time alone to being with many other people. She loves to learn more and researches new subjects often. Tecna is patient, calm, and smart while also being unsure of how to interact with others. 

Background: Tecna was born to Medea Edith Aster and Preston William Aster, an upper-class couple on Zenith. Preston led an important company producing technology with heavy ties to the leaders of the planet, making him partially a politician and partially a businessman. Medea was born to another important family in the business world and was pushed to marry Preston for the sake of increasing the power of her bloodline. Together, the two had a single child, who they named Titania. Preston had been looking forward to a son to pass the business onto, so when he wound up having a daughter, he grew angry. Medea was found to be infertile soon after giving birth to Titania, and Preston started to ignore them both to focus on his business. Titania attempted to reach out to him to the best of her ability, but he ignored all of her attempts to reach out due to his anger and disappointment, claiming he wasn’t able to reach out due to his focus on the business. Medea did her best to raise Titania, but she was often arguing with Preston while he was home and grew numb to the world, meaning she was a lackluster mother at best, even if she wasn’t openly horrible to her daughter. Medea did care, but she struggled showing it due to years of being manipulated causing her to grow distant from her emotions. Upon realizing Preston wanted a son instead of Titania, she attempted to adapt into a more masculine young girl with hopes of gaining his approval. Even so, Preston continued to ignore her, and the lack of care started to have a negative impact on her. Now, Titania was roughly ten. Throughout her childhood, she was tutored by many specialized teachers before going to a private school paid for by Preston, seemingly to get her to stop pestering him. Once she started going to school, Titania began to go by Tecna as a way of distancing herself from her father. Regardless of who was teaching her, Tecna excelled, showing herself to be a prodigy in her own right. Even with her success, Preston didn’t support her at all, leaving Medea as Tecna’s only supporter. Tecna started inventing things at around this time, finding a particular interest in technology. She also found herself to be a fairy, something surprising given that Preston and Medea both had minimal magic and couldn’t fight at all. After doing some research, Tecna decided that she wanted to go to Alfea, and she wound up getting a scholarship there based on academics alone since her father refused to support paying her way there despite having more than enough money to pay for Tecna’s tuition. Just before setting off, Tecna bid Medea goodbye, meeting with Preston one last time before leaving for Alfea. The two got into an argument about Preston’s lack of involvement in the sixteen years of his daughter’s life with Tecna saying that she never had his support growing up while countless others her age did have a father to lean on. Preston shrugged her off saying that he was too busy to involve himself in such trivial matters. Tecna snapped at him that he was selfish and would have been in her life if she had been born in a way that would have been optimal for him. She called him neglectful for ignoring her nearly all her life and manipulative for the way he treats Medea. Preston told her that she would never be able to understand his place in the world and the pressure that it brought, and Tecna vowed that she comprehended a lot more than he knew, not that he would realize it due to his absence. She internally decided to make a good life for herself as a way of getting back at his neglectful behavior before leaving for Alfea. Tecna held no guilt over the argument with her father since he never cared for her to begin with, allowing her to set out with a clear conscience and a wish to make a better future. 

Other: Tecna enjoys writing in her free time. After reading for many years as a child to escape her real life, she grew to hold a deep fondness for fiction regardless of the genre. She started writing when she turned roughly thirteen and has been ever since, but she doesn’t share her stories with anyone. There are some theories that she publishes her works online under an alias, but no evidence has ever been found of such due to her innate ability to hide things easily. Tecna has a fear of emotion, burying her thoughts in logic to keep from being swept up by feelings. As a child, she didn’t see much out of her mother, and she was only the subject of two primary emotions: disappointment from her father and pride from unnamed people who only wanted her for her prodigious mind. Since the disappointment was negative and the pride was empty, Tecna grew to be partially afraid of how people would feel towards her since it wasn’t ever genuine and positive. She doesn’t like to be excessively praised at first since it comes off as empty and manipulative since so many people only wanted her for her mind in the past. After a while, she learns about sarcasm and humor, and she takes full advantage of it at all times.

Position in Team:

Tecna is an impeccable tactician, enjoying playing strategy-based video games in her free time. She can use logic to find her way out of most situations, and her mind works quickly enough for her to find solutions in a timely manner. Tecna excels at using the environment to her advantage and can devise a strategy using the area around her quickly. She often gives the group orders in battle due to her position as the strategist even if she doesn’t hold an optimal demeanor to be a leader.

Dynamics:

Bloom: Bloom is a naturally patient person, and the two are polar opposites in the matter of emotional versus logical. The two are learning from one another slowly, with Bloom showing Tecna that emotion isn’t something to be feared and Tecna teaching Bloom how to think with her head in crucial moments. Even if they’re opposites, they value one another’s opinions greatly and listen to what the other has to say both in and out of battle, helping each other to expand their world views. 

Stella: Stella and Tecna spend a lot more time together than one would expect. They enjoy guilty pleasures together such as watching cartoons and reading mangas, discussing such often. Stella is happy to help Tecna with opening up to people more due to her extroverted nature, allowing them to mesh easily in an odd way. Stella gladly drags Tecna into talking with people, though Stella is careful about making Tecna overly uncomfortable while still taking her out of her comfort zone slowly.

Flora: Flora and Tecna are the two quietest girls in the group, and they enjoy quiet time together often. Flora approached Tecna first with hopes of pulling her out of her shell to talk with people a bit more often. Tecna was unsure of how to respond at first, but she slowly started to open up to Flora, realizing that perhaps emotion isn’t quite as bad as she was led to believe. Flora is the best at guiding Tecna through her steadily-developing emotions and is constantly patient with her.

Musa: Musa and Tecna are roommates at Alfea, and they get along perfectly. They understand the need to be quiet and are comfortable with enjoying silence around one another. Both of them have issues with their fathers and get along because of this. They never get into arguments either, understanding one another without even needing to speak. While both are quiet, they communicate well through body language, picking up on the other’s odd habits near instantly.

Aisha: Since Aisha was so physically apt and put a lot of focus on self-expression, Tecna didn’t know how to respond to Aisha’s joining the group, being the complete opposite. After a while though, the two did try to spend more time together, learning about different ways of expressing themselves (through actions from Aisha and words from Tecna) in the process. Aisha and Tecna are slowly working their way to showing their feelings openly after years of repression as well, being similar and treating each other with immense respect in that regard.

Roxy: Tecna invited Roxy to the party as soon as she joined the group, helping her into the ins and outs of being magical quickly. Tecna has grown to be much more open and emotional by the time Roxy joins the group, and she helps Roxy as a mentor figure, showing her pride openly and without hesitation. Tecna does a great job at teaching Roxy at a solid pace she can understand. Roxy, in turn, introduces Tecna to Earth media, which they enjoy together often.

Diaspro: Tecna and Diaspro are both emotionally distant from their parents and hid their feelings for many years. While Diaspro showed how she felt as an act of rebellion and a wish to take over her own fate, Tecna never had the drive to do so. Diaspro is the one to encourage Tecna to take charge of her life and to not let her father define her. Despite being radically different, they have a surprisingly strong relationship and enjoy talking a lot about what they’re going to do with their futures.

Sky: Tecna and Sky don’t have the chance to talk to each other much. Their relationship is based strictly on business, and they fight together well. They share a similar relationship to Tecna and Diaspro’s, but they don’t reach out to one another as often. They both long to take control of their own lives after years of being manipulated and pressed into a fate they didn’t wish for, making them both quiet rebels, though they don’t talk about such nearly as often as Tecna and Diaspro. 

Brandon: Brandon is surprisingly one of the more tactical members of the Specialist team, even if he’s not the designated strategist (that person being Timmy). He and Tecna get together every once in a while to test their mettle on strategy games, though Tecna beats him every time. Even so, they can learn from one another and devise new plans each time they meet up, allowing each other to see what the other would do in the same situation, improving their futual plots in battle.

Riven: Riven and Tecna can get the most sarcastic out of their respective groups and are similarly the most emotionally distant. Riven has a much greater temper than Tecna, easily growing angry and violent where Tecna is calm and patient. They don’t get along all that well due to their large differences in personality, but they don’t hate one another either. They rarely get into fights since Tecna refuses to respond when Riven gets too hostile, as in particularly bad moments, it can remind her of her father.

Timmy: Timmy and Tecna connected the fastest out of any Winx and Specialist combination. They’re both awkward, patient, love technology, and are distant from how they feel about other people. They’re best friends through and through, easily understanding each other without the need for words. Slowly but surely, they’re working on communicating how much they care about both each other and other people. They care greatly for each other and use one another as emotional rocks in a way.

Helia: Helia and Tecna don’t talk to one another very often but still get along well. They’re both quiet and are working on opening up to other people regarding their emotions. They express themselves differently but hold a strong relationship regardless. Helia found out where Tecna posts her writing online and figured out it was her after seeing into a notebook she dropped. He began to read her stories and found himself in love with them, but he doesn’t tell anyone the truth about her online identity as per Tecna’s wishes.

Nabu: By the time Nabu finds his way into the party, Tecna is much more open with herself. As such, she uses sarcasm often, and the two of them have snarky competitions from time to time, and it’s hard to find a winner. It’s all in good fun at the end of the day. Nabu finds himself indebted to Tecna due to her closing the Omega Portal before they met, and he’s incredibly grateful to her for saving his planet, causing him to go out of his way to ensure she’s safe and alive after meeting her, not that he would openly admit such.

Preston: Tecna holds a quiet enmity towards her father, even if she refuses to admit it to others. His lack of affectionate behavior towards her caused her to shut down emotionally as a child, leading to her immense struggles later in life. Preston’s open neglect and refusal to give her attention strained their relationship. Preston holds disappointment towards Tecna for not being the son he always wanted, and Tecna hates him for not accepting her as she was, instead being more in love with the image of a nonexistent child than her.

Medea: While Tecna does love Medea, the latter isn’t a good mother. Medea grew emotionally stunted after years of living with Preston, who openly manipulated and blamed her for his issues. She struggled to show her love for Tecna while the latter was little, and she wasn’t able to support her child due to her disconnection with reality. When Tecna grows up, Medea tries to better herself to improve her relationship with her daughter, and after a while, they connect in an attempt to make up for lost time.

Digit: Digit is similar to Tecna in their love of technology, but they are much more open with how they feel. Digit is outgoing and leads the pixies fearlessly, the complete opposite of quiet, reserved Tecna. Digit is happy to try and get Tecna to open up to others, believing that if she can build stronger relationships, it will help her greatly in the long run. Digit is Tecna’s biggest fan, encouraging her always. The two play video games together often, and Digit is the sole person Tecna has told about her secret online writings.

every odd number. >:)

murder pine headcanon asks // accepting!

under the cut because it’s  l o n g

1. How do they move and carry themselves? Pace, rhythm, gestures, energy? 

   Ozpin always carries himself very tall and somewhat graceful. He’s always very calm and collected, and has an air that he always knows what he’s doing  ( even when he doesn’t ). He often walks with the cane despite having no mobility problems, and holds a cup of whatever drink it is 90% of the time. He tends to gesture a lot, be it with just hands, mug, or cane. 

3. How do they position themselves in a group? Do they like to be the center of attention, or do they hang back at the edges of a crowd?

     Oz tends to keep to the outsides of large crowd. He doesn’t like drawing attention to himself, and will only take charge of a situation if it’s needed. He tends to let others talk first, and then speak himself when it’s needed.  

5. How do they dress? What styles, colors, accessories, and other possessions do they favor? Why? 

     like a grandad  he’s well known for the green turtleneck and the 3-piece-suit he wears in the show, and prefers more comfortable clothing. Most notable though, are his glasses, cross pin, and cane. The cane is the most favored and significant possession he owns – it’s passed down through reincarnations, and serves as an anchor when he ends up reincarnated in Oscar’s head. It’s something familiar, something he knows well and can always cling to. It holds so much sentimental value to him, and is the weapon he’ll always feel most comfortable with. 

7. How do they physically engage with other people, inanimate objects, and their environment? What causes the differences between these?

     He tends to refrain from touching others, unless he knows them well. He’s always very careful to not break any objects or anything in the environment. He does all this out of respect for other people and things, as over the centuries he’s learned that the best way to go about treating things is always to be kind and respectful. 

9. How do they manifest energy, exhaustion, tension, or other strong emotions?

      Oz always presents himself as calm and collected, and has a habit of hiding any strong emotions. If he ever does get overly tired or overwhelmed, he’s most likely to hide in his office or quarters. 

11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use?

     Oz speaks in a very calm and collected manor. He’s very well spoken, and tends not to use slang. He never raises his voice unless things are way too stressful and getting too hard to handle, but it’s extremely rare.

13. How do they greet the world — what is their typical attitude towards life? How does it differ in different circumstances, or towards different subjects? Why do they take these attitudes, and why do they change? How do these tend to be expressed?

     Oz always, always tries to put his hope and faith in the world. He always tries to see the good in people despite centuries of betrayals and hardships. He’s always incredibly kind and tries to help people as much as possible. The biggest reason for this is the mindset of  “ how can you save something, if you have no hope for it? ”  He still struggles sometimes, of course. His attitude towards life usually dips at the beginning of a new reincarnation because it’s always a reminder of his curse. It’s always a reminder that he’s stuck on Remnant with no way out, and that every singe death drags a new, innocent soul into his mess. 

15. What kind of inner life do they have — rich and imaginative? Calculating and practical? Full of doubts and fears? Does it find any sort of outlet in their lives?

     His inner life is full of doubts, fears, and guilt. He’s always trying to figure out how to best protect people and the Remnant, always having to decide just how much of the truth to tell someone. These things drive his more reserved nature, and how he’s very careful with words and tends to observe before acting. Although his thought processes often shift with each reincarnation, Ozpin’s is very practical, yet creative. He’s shown to very much think outside the box and be a great leader. 

17. Are they more shaped by nature or nurture — who they are, or what has happened to them? How have these shaped who they’ve become as a person?

     Nature and nurture both play an extremely big part of who he is. With each reincarnation, nature brings new traits and habits. For example, Ozpin’s reincarnation is much more cunning and rebellious than others, and the reincarnation that created the cane was much more interested in learning and building than others. Nurture brings all of his past experiences -- betrayals, watching the woman he loved become consumed by evils of the world, watching friends and allies lose their lives, losing his own life and reincarnating countless times. These all influence his actions and how he very, very carefully picks and chose how much of the truth to tell to people. 

19. How do they behave within a group? What role(s) do they take? Does this differ if they know and trust the group, versus finding themselves in a group of strangers? Why?

     Ozpin is more often than not the leader of the group. He’s usually the one in charge with being both headmaster and with the responsibilities of protecting the humanity and the relics. He’s most comfortable around his inner circle than any other group, and will speak up more when with them. As said earlier, Oz always lets others speak first, and will then speak up when he feels it’s needed. 

21. What kind of relationships do they tend to intentionally seek out versus actually cultivate? What kind of social contact do they prefer, and why?

     Cultivating relationships is something that Ozpin would never do. He seeks out relationships of people who he can trust, people who will help him protect the relics and the world for Salem. He always wants to protect people however, and tends to keep people at arm’s length in fear of hurting them and through guilt of being unable to tell them the whole truth. This makes forming actual friendships difficult, but he considers those in his inner circle to be his greatest friends and allies. 

23. How do they respond to difficult social moments? What makes them consider a social situation difficult?

     He’ll often respond by going quiet and reserved, not answering as much or losing concentration on what’s being said. However, he will often try to shut down or diffuse the situation if he can. A difficult social situation for him is when people start berating him for the truth and questioning everything he’s done, despite already having his reasons for what he does. Another difficult social situation is when people who don’t know the whole truth are trying to do something that could harm what is going on behind the scenes, but he can’t tell them what’s right because they’re not ready to or are not someone he can tell the truth to. He often gets very frustrated over being unable to tell people the truth to correct them in what needs to happen.

25. What do they need and want out of relationships, and how do they go about getting it?

     Trust is the biggest thing. He needs people to trust him, even if they don’t know absolutely everything about the whole truth. As much as he’d like to tell people absolutely everything, he just can’t bring himself to do it over the fear of causing chaos and panic in the world. There’s nothing he’ll ever do to get it forcefully, however – he lets people decide how much they trust him or not on their own.

27. What do they strongly like and dislike, in any category? Why?

     Ozpin has,, one monster of a sweet tooth. He absolutely loves anything sweet. On the other hand, he’s not so keen on bitter foods. There’s no specific reason for this, it’s just what his prefers. He also strongly dislikes people trying to show off power and their strength for no real reason outside personal gain when it’s not necessary. He believes that while power can be important and is needed, it must be handed with care, because he’s seen what it’s like for someone to become so consumed by it. He knows just how dangerous it is after watching Salem become who she is today.

29. What kind of activities, interests, and hobbies do they have? What significance and impact do these have in their lives, both positive and negative?

     Oz his a big interest in architecture, engineering, and astronomy. These interests stem from his sixth main reincarnation, where he started to learn more about the world and take interest in more modern times. His cane was created by this reincarnation, and he’s certainly tinkered with it over the years. He also had a hand in designing the academies in a later reincarnation.

31. Is there anything that counts as a “dealbreaker” for them, positively or negatively? What makes things go smoothly, and what spoils an activity or ruins their day? Why?

     The biggest deal breaker would be prying into things he keeps private for a reason and acting entitled and disrespectful. There are many secrets he keeps from the world, many things he refuses to tell the public and they’re all for very, very good reasons. Anyone who actively seeks out and asks for some of his magic / power in a want for power for their own gain is met with a decrease of trust and respect.

33. How do they learn about the world–what is their preferred learning style? Hands-on learning with trial and error? Research, reading, and note-taking? Observation or rote memorization? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Seeking patterns and organization? Taking things apart and putting them back together? Creative processing via discussing, writing about, or dramatizing things?

     His preferred learning style varies through reincarnations, but Ozpin’s most favored is very hands-on and trial and error (for example, how he started training using a sword, but later adjusted to using the cane when he became the next reincarnation). He tends to go by the ideal of “if you don’t try, you’ll never know” which leads to much more practical teachings. However, he still thinks that all other learning methods have their strengths and are just as important. He also understands that what one learning style may work for one person, but not for others. 

35. How and why do they internalize knowledge? What effect has that had on them?    

     There’s a lot of things that Oz keeps from the world. He keeps the truth about the world’s past secret apart from the select few people that he trusts. He does this for many, many reasons, mostly because he doesn’t want to cause panic and chaos. If people knew about the relics, things would quickly go down hill and unravel everything he’s done to try and bring peace to Remnant. Keeping such secrets often gives him a feeling of loneliness - he’s the only person that knows everything, and it’s a burden to keep. He struggles a lot with keeping it all together sometimes, even if he never shows it.

37. Have they had any special education or training that colors their means of learning about or understanding the world? Conversely, do they lack some kind of education considered essential in their world? What kind of impact has this addition or lack had on them?

Like Oscar, Ozpin was mentored by the last reincarnation before the merge. He has a bigger understanding of the world than most others due to his past, the only others who know the full story being Salem and whoever she told  ( and the people who were there when Jihn was summoned and asked about it ). He also inherited the muscle memory of the previous reincarnation, 

39. What sort of questions or thoughts recur in their lives, either specifically or as a theme? Why are these never answered, or answered permanently to their satisfaction?

     The most common questions Oz has are about the Maidens, Salem and her schemes, and his own powers, especially reincarnation. These questions are never answered to his satisfaction, as they just don’t know enough about them. He’s also constantly questioning how much someone should know,  and often has to think carefully about just how much of the truth to give to someone. He does this to protect both individuals and the world itself – if everyone knew the real truth, there would be mass panic. It would also put the academies at risk if everyone knew that there were powerful relics hidden within each of them. Another big question he has is how to beat or destroy Salem, which may never be answered.

41. What associations do they bring to mind? Words or phrases, images, metaphors or motifs? Why?

I mostly associate Ozpin with clocks, gears, other motifs of time, architecture and technical drawings, and green. This is mostly because of his character design and designs of his weapon / cane and office.

A Clarification of my view on Dean’s Psychological Profile

I’m focusing on Dean here, because the narrative is focused on Dean as our protagonist - though yes, absolutely, all of TFW are going through changes at the moment - and I’m going to keep this incredibly brief and borderline superficial (there’s a world of psychology out there and this is basically just scratching the tip of the Dean shaped iceberg, but it’s a significant tip) and pull on these, and hopefully deepen them, whenever I go into deeper deconstruction mode —>

The Alter Ego: the act of creating a second personality in which we feel complete confidence in our abilities, where we can separate ourselves from what we perceive as weak or unacceptable in ourselves, the existence of this second personality enabling us to do so whenever we feel a need to.

Like any superhero who has an alter ego ever in the history of super heroes. Like the shapeshifter from Monster Movie, who didn’t just create one alter ego, but a myriad of alter egos who all had similar traits of conflicted identites.

Dean’s alter ego comes into focus when he steps into his soldier persona, but this is and always will be a double edged sword, because what Dean needs isn’t to shed all of his masculine characteristics - he doesn’t need to let go of this alter ego - he just needs to find the inner balance to utilise this alter ego without fearing the more violent side to him will take over. That the more violent side to him is really one of bloodlust that he’s keeping at bay.

He scared himself in Hell, broke his trust in himself completely, and he’s carried that fear with him, but he needs to understand that he is in control of his own actions - if nothing else in this world - and its his choices now that define him, not the mistakes he’s made in the past.

Masking: we have a tendency to adapt to those around us and put on different masks and feel different levels of comfortable depending on the person we’re with. A mask is not a lie, but it isn’t showing the whole truth either. One’s true identity can be concealed behind a layer of these masks, and a mask can be culturally or socially constructed.

I believe this is what Dean often does with Sam. He has had a tendency to mask certain aspects of himself - like how much and exactly what he reads (holy hell he reads romance novels), his wider taste in music, the types of films he enjoys watching - and to me this is all tied to Dean’s conflicted sense identity and having spent most of this series battling with his fears and allowing them to dictate who he should be, never fully landing in who he is because of all of the insecurities surrounding his true identity. Insecurities that I would say were born in John’s lessons of manhood, survival and avoidance of feelings as distractions and weaknesses, but insecurities in himself that I believe has then been wholly perpetuated by societal norms throughout his life.

Neither Winchester has ever showed any kind of judgement of sexuality. Dean gets self-conscious and understandably so - because he believes and has possibly even experienced societal discrimination and judgement for being queer, and so he’s using techniques to blend in rather than stand out - while Sam just smiles and goes with it. Sam, I believe, would never judge Dean for being bi and, honestly, I don’t think John would’ve either (look at how Mary is and how it’s in text that the John she knew was of course different to the John who raised the boys into hunting) so this is not how they were raised to be.

For me this is important, because I believe Dean’s masking behaviour is all about Dean’s conflicted sense of identity, which feeds Dean’s need for purporting Sam’s idea of the big brother and asserting his authority by sticking to well-known patterns, rather than his masking having to do with masking his sexuality. His insecurities surrounding his attraction to men, to me, has to do with societal judgement, rather than the worry about familial judgement.

Deep down Dean has an idea of what he wants, deep down Dean has a good idea of who he is, too, but he’s gotten very good at leaning against his alter ego in order to avoid exploring these ideas further, especially since Sam can’t challenge that alter ego without knowing the other sides of Dean in full, no matter that Sam is our way into understanding that Dean should open up to communicating honestly and without hesitation. It’s very clever that Dean’s masking stands as an obstacle for Dean to take Sam’s prodding seriously, and, of course, it has also been detrimental (and narratively necessary) in ensuring the codependency has remained intact for so long.

Good thing someone was introduced into the narrative that sees clean through Dean’s act, has little patience for it and, more than that, knows every aspect of Dean inside and out and continously is shown to accept him and want to stay by his side no matter what… *glances to the ceiling*

Suppression: is the conscious act of pushing down an unwanted emotion or impulse - a defense mechanism at the ready whenever it’s needed. For example, we can choose to suppress undue anger, fear or desire if we feel the situation makes these emotions inappropriate.

Suppression is a healthy way of dealing with unwanted emotions in the moment. However, suppression can become a habit that actually gives the suppressed emotions enormous power. If you routinely suppress your emotions this technique only works for so long before the emotions come flooding back - they may go away for the moment they’re unwanted, but it doesn’t mean you’ve dispelled them completely - and an outlet will have to be found.

If the suppressed emotions can be funnelled into healthy coping mechanisms - such as artistic endeavour or even physical labour - then that’s great, but some people don’t have access to those types of outlets and, instead, turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Ah, Dean.

Repression: is the unconscious act of pushing down an unwanted emotion or impulse - a defense mechanism we have no control over and that may even result in blocked or reshaped memories. For example, our mind can repress childhood trauma out of self-preservation without us consciously being aware it’s done so.

Inner Child: True adulthood hinges on acknowledging, accepting, and taking responsibility for loving and parenting one's own inner child. For most adults, this never happens. Instead, their inner child has been denied, neglected, disparaged, abandoned or rejected. We are told by society to "grow up," putting childish things aside. To become adults, we've been taught that our inner child--representing our child-like capacity for innocence, wonder, awe, joy, sensitivity and playfulness--must be stifled, quarantined or even killed. The inner child comprises and potentiates these positive qualities. But it also holds our accumulated childhood hurts, traumas, fears and angers. "Grown-ups" are convinced they have successfully outgrown, jettisoned, and left this child--and its emotional baggage--long behind. But this is far from the truth. [x]

I wrote a bit about this in relation to the glorious 13x16.

To my mind, Dean is repressing a lot of the pain John caused him growing up. In S13 Sam even called him out on his behaviour around Jack, telling him that he was starting to sound like John and Dean merely replying with “good”. Dean doesn’t understand the extent of the damage John did to him, and until he can stop idealising this behaviour, until he can stop making excuses and defending John’s inability to show both his sons complete and unconditional love, I believe Dean will struggle with admitting to himself what it is he truly wants for himself.

Here’s the thing - Dean needs to learn how to acknowledge and nurture his inner child - not stifle it, but also not allow it to rule him ie. regress into a turtle shell in a self-indulgent manner if he’s face with a situation he doesn’t know how to or doesn’t want to handle - in order to let go of the past and heal. 

I believe there’s a sincere need for Dean to articulate a forgiveness for John’s choices and mistakes. For Dean to begin truly working on himself - be it in subtext (as it has been ever since 13x01) or actually textualised - he needs to let go of his idealisation of his father’s toxic masculinity traits and admit to himself that all he wanted from his father was unconditional love.

Once he can admit this, I believe he’ll be able to acknowledge his inner child and all that neglect that Dean himself is responsible for within himself, and finally begin to nurture that inner child and open himself up to what he wants for himself, which is what his father made him believe and feel he should never want because feelings are weaknesses, but more than that, the loss of his mother made Dean fear the idea of loving completely, not only because of how it instilled the belief that Good Things Don’t Last (which has been perpetuated throughout his life experiences), but because Dean could see how John’s love for Mary utterly broke him.

In spite of this crippling and wholly repressed fear, it’s what Dean has always longed for more than anything else: lasting love and a home and a family that is able to communicate through trust.

And because of this longing, Dean has suppressed his everyday emotions and his longing for real intimacy for a very long time, engaging in coping mechanisms for emotional outlets of varying kind, dressing himself in the toxic masculinity traits inherited by his father because the soldier in him means strength, assertiveness, determination, getting the job done without hesitation and being brutally merciless because the situation calls for it - his alter ego is an armour that has always made Dean feel safe and in control.

But, of course, the truth is that Dean has never been fully in control. He’s always been ruled by his fears, and until he can face those fears and be honest with himself about what he wants, he narratively shouldn’t be allowed or even be able to fully heal.

Dean finding his way back to his childhood and the home, love, family of that time, essentially undoing the wreckage that Azazel left him with, would also be a lovely emotional bookend for his journey. 

The fact that he’s now stepping into the father role for Jack has traces of all the best lessons for Dean, because for him to open up to an understanding of John the human man who made a helluva lot of mistakes, rather than John the father figure that Dean is protective of and which he emulates to this day, it’s important for Dean to gain perspective, and because of his complicated relationship with Sam of brother/father/mother and the forced parenthood, rather than the chosen, he simply can’t get there based on past experience alone.

Jack speaking the truths that Dean so desperately needs to hear in 13x06 is, honestly, quite remarkable.

Passing: is the ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group or category different from their own, which may include racial identity, ethnicity, caste, social class, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age and/or disability status. Passing may result in privileges, rewards, or an increase in social acceptance, or be used to cope with stigma. Thus, passing may serve as a form of self-preservation or self-protection in instances where expressing one's true or authentic identity may be dangerous. While successful passing may contribute to economic security, safety, and avoidance of stigma, it may take an emotional toll as a result of denial of the authentic self and may lead to depression or self-loathing.

Passing is a common mechanism to use especially when unsure of how you would be received should you come out as anything but straight, or should you reveal you’ve suffered through mental illness or have any form of handicap that might be easier to hide than have out in the open. Passing - and any of its inherent strategies - is employed to avoid societal judgement, discrimination, ostracisation and, in some cases, physical harm.

I feel that passing and masking - along with stepping into his alter ego - are mechanisms that Dean uses when he’s out in public. These mechanisms have become so habitual that many aspects of this behavioural pattern have become part of his only idea of who he is, and because it’s who he’s always believed he should be in order to protect Sam and everyone he loves, whenever feelings related to his true identity stir within him, all the fears that are so deeply rooted make him immediately suppress this true self. 

The root of Dean’s fear of rejection and fear of failure, which is where all his insecurity, self-blame, low self-esteem and conflicted sense of identity originates, is the loss of his mother and the upturning of his entire world, but there’s a flip side to everything, because the root of Dean’s core traits have all grown and flourished thanks to everything he’s been through, thanks to the lessons of John Winchester and thanks to Mary’s choices, not merely because of it.

I want to clarify this, because I’m not saying that his alter ego isn’t also him. We’re dealing with real facets of his actual personality and he is the soldier, he is the fighter, the weapon and the shield, and these traits aren’t meant to go away simply because he begins to heal and reaches a point where he’s able to be himself fully, speaking his truths without hesitation and going for what he truly wants for himself. 

It’s all about striking a balance and getting rid of the internal need Dean has of hiding who he is behind a facade. 

He’s come extremely far.

All those masks and dual natures of episodes 1-11 of last season felt like a continous visual manifestation of Dean beginning to take a closer look at this toxic masculinity armour he’s dressing himself in and hiding behind, the anger and the fear and the control and the lack of trust (in himself even more than in others), and growing aware of the necessity to let it go. The necessity was hammered home in the final scene of 13x20, where he realised that his mode of being was now directly reflecting itself in Sam, who told him that if they die, they’ll do that together too.

This season is digging at the theme of parenthood, at the themes of truth vs. lie, judgement, identity, choice and - I barely even dare believe I’m able to include it in this list - the theme of fear, and it’s digging at them with delightfully sharp tools. I’m very curious to see how deep these tools will actually get to dig. We’ve been on a continous growth streak ever since S11, guys, and the threshholds and cusping of S13 have been pushed to a whole other level in the first five episodes of this season, but… we shall see.

Now I’d like to take a moment and talk to you about unhealthy coping mechanisms and sublimation.

In psychology, sublimation is a mature type of defense mechanism in which socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are transformed into socially acceptable actions or behaviour, possibly resulting in a long-term conversion of the initial impulse. [x]

This pretty much means that if you have an urge to grab a gun and go out and shoot someone in the head because they’ve angered you, if you successfully sublimate that urge or impulse you will turn it into a healthy action instead, like going into your woodwork shop and building something useful or beautiful or both.

Now, does Dean Winchester engage in sublimation?

Let’s have a look at coping mechanisms that are labeled as negative: 

Avoidance — ie. not confronting a particular situation out of fear. Hi Dean having such trouble articulating emotions through words. *hard side-eye*

Smoking (hmh - including recreational drug use?)

Compulsive spending (meh)

Drinking too much caffeine — well

Escaping — pretty much running away, you know, like Dean did in 14x03 when he ran the fuck away from Cas. *harder side-eye*

Binge drinking — well

Sleeping all day (meh)

Promiscuity — meaningless sex takes the mind off what the heart truly longs for…

Stop eating/overeat — he doesn’t really care about being healthy; overeating is a stretch, but —>

Emotional eating — like eating pizza in a bed littered with empty take out boxes and snack food

I mean, looking at this list and I think we can say that Dean’s coping mechanisms have never been healthy and definitively are nowhere even in the vicinity of showing him off as a mature adult capable of handling his feelings.

I’m so fucking excited about how far he has been shown to have gotten, though, because 14x05 was head explosive goodness.

However, Dean labeling his behaviour as being linked to a healthy strategy of coping with, say, his anger, is a fallacy, and what’s always made me raise my eyebrows the most at it is the fact that it’s the man himself providing the label.

Dean does not have the emotional maturity - especially in S11 - to label his behaviour, and for him to actually believe his behaviour is a healthy and mature way to handle what life throws at him is worrying, to say the least, because it tells us that he’s kidding himself that there’s no need for him to actually work on himself.

The truth is that Dean has not been engaging in sublimation, but Dean using that label for himself in S11 - the season when the cogs truly started turning in his beginning to mature away from old habits - was a plant for where he should end up.

And boy oh boy is he learning lessons left, right and center.

Once he’s matured into self-actualisation and is centered and balanced in himself, he will be able to sublimate any of the above unhealthy coping mechanisms into behaviour that is healthy and sustainable. I cannot wait for that day!

Caucasian Chalk Circle

The Brecht play we are performing is The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

Caucasian Chalk Circle directly criticises class divisions and challenges moral dilemmas that have real effects on society, through the story told from the viewpoint of an old folks tale; in the original book, it is set in Medieval Georgia (with its prologue in Soviet Georgia) during the aftermath of WW2 and the Soviet Union. We are telling it as if it was set in Britain, and changing the names to those that are more like British names.

The basic plot follows that of a noble family (one overthrown governor, and an insufferably uncaring woman), their child Michael, a servant named Grusha, a moralistic view on motherhood, commentary on social class, and the implications being in a divided society during a time of crisis and revolution, respectfully. It takes place during a feudal insurrection (peasant’s revolt), which already shows it’s political intention, setting it right in the middle of a revolution of sorts. During this, the Governor is executed, and the rest of the palace must flee. Natella, his wife and biological mother to Michael, leaves the child behind in favour of her material objects rather than her son. Grusha, a palace servant, takes care of the child. She had been proposed to by her love, Simon, who had to leave her to fight as a solider. The events are a representation of the three years Grusha struggled to take care of Michael, such as pretending to be of a higher class than she is. She at one point nearly leaves Michael with a peasant couple, but cannot bring herself to do so. She additionally reluctantly and mistakenly marries a man she did not wish to marry while waiting for Simon in order to keep the child safe, after going to see her brother and not being selcomed by her sister-in-law. The moral outcome of the story is having an irresponsible and eccentric judge have someone draw a circle in chalk on the ground, have Grusha and Natella place Michael in the middle of it, and determine who the real mother of the child is by how hard they pull Michael out of the circle. The actual outcome is determined by how much Grusha actually sacrificed for the child, and how she selflessly says she cannot bear to pull so hard and violently on such an innocent child. With such love for Michael, Azdak (the judge), determines Grusha as the truest mother to the child instead of Natella, who only wants him as he is biologically her heir.

The story is based on a Chinese play “The Chalk Circle” with a similar plot that ends with the same ruling of judgement. It also holds many comparisons to the story in the Hebrew Bible, The Judgement Of Solomon, where two women claim parenthood of a baby. Solomon suggested to the women that they should cut the baby in half so each of them get part of the child. The real mother obviously couldn’t cope with the idea of her child being hurt, immediately offered the child to the other woman to save the child’s life. This then in turn revealed the true mother who got to keep her living child and exposed the fake one.

----

We began the process of learning about this play by reading through the majority of it I was not there for the beginning, however, I read through the ending of the book with the rest of the group and went back to read the rest in my own time. The script looked very intimidating and difficult to work with at first, however, as we began to understand the story, the script became easier to follow. It also helped when beginning to understand the style of Brecht and how to perform in a Brechtian manner.

The transition of changing over from focusing on either very naturalistic technique or over the top acting, to Brechtian technique was one that may take a while to get use to. While a lot of other roles meant we had to go into character analysis and relationships, Brechtian style doesn’t need or actually permit that. We are to remember that this play does not need any in-depth dissection of the relationships or characters, as the main goal is to show a story and invoke a reaction in the audience, not to pour our hearts out on stage in the most intricate fashion. The process of this play is to act outwardly and not inwardly, anything that is happening within the “universe” of the play must also include the audience in some way, such as speaking out directly to them while having a conversation, instead of just to that other actor.

The characters are based off archetypal qualities found in stock characters, and are presented through the use of “Gestus”, which means to exaggerate “gesture” to get a “gist” of the character. It is the portrayal of a certain type of character only using attitude, gesture or movement to show a typical character trait (i.e old man, beautiful heroine, evil dictator, solider, judge, etc). As well as this, many Brecht characters aren’t given personal names or are shown through the use of signs as well as Gestus. This technique is also used to comment on social class as well as positions of power certain people have based just on their unavoidable archetype, which is itself, a political move.

Another Brechtian technique that is used is Spass; this is translates to “fun”, and was a way to break the tension between serious scenes as well as put a stop to the audience getting too invested in the character’s personal stories. Brecht wanted people to not only think, but to laugh at the same time. He would do this through placing unprecedented comical songs, slapstick, stand up or physical comedy. This would often be done during very serious and difficult scenes, which would often make the audience question WHY they laughed at something. This use of humour to deal with something difficult to process or serious is something that has been developed on in most comedic routines, however, the impact of the use of Spass is still used in some comedy today, just in different forms. It also is quite telling that our particular generation uses jokes and internet meme culture to make fun of serious situations, cope with bad occurrences in people’s life or current world events. For example, these memes from the current coronavirus pandemic to cope with the adjustment and outbreak:

Bibliography

Allison Brown

Digital Annotated Bibliography

“Top Ten Explanations for How Toxic Masculinity Affects Mental Health”

Introduction:

           Toxic masculinity focuses on the ways in which masculine traits can become harmful to a man or those around him. These traits come from a long history of what it means to “be a man.” Some traits include: not crying, violent, strong, brave, in charge, big, wealthy, etc. In some cases, not all, these traits can lead to toxicity. In today’s world, men are pressured to fit these guidelines, otherwise they are not manly enough. Men are taught to socialize and present themselves in a certain manner. Young boys observe their fathers and mirror his actions/characteristics. A young boy might learn through their father and other men in their lives to provide for their wife, to protect a woman, to shake a man’s hand, to never cry, to become a lawyer or doctor, etc. These stereotypes are taught to young boys by the men in their lives and therefore contributing to the idea of toxic masculinity over time. Surprisingly, despite the stereotype of men being strong, six million men are affected by depression every year. The generalization that all men are strong and men cannot express emotions is leading to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression in men. The assumption that only woman can be emotional or have a therapist or cry forces men or boys to hide their feelings and not show how they feel, which over time can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. By keeping in one’s feelings, the person is stuck in them and never heals or moves on and therefore can become depressed. A common cause of anxiety is stress. If a man does not relieve this stress by either getting it out or talking it out, anxiety might follow. Toxic masculinity traits such as violence, sexually aggressive, non-emotional and strong lead men to hide their feelings or thoughts, leading to an increase in depression and anxiety in men.

Kupers, Terry A. and Aaron B. Rochlen. "Toxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prison." Journal of Clinical Psychology 61, no. 6 (2005): 713-724.

This academic article examines men in prisons and their experiences with psychotherapy. This article is credible and useful, because it includes drawing on real life people and using an experiment to test the theory. Terry interviews and observes fifteen men in prison to see the effects of toxic masculinity on their mental health. Approximately 283,000 prisoners have mental health issues due to a lack of resources available combined with men not sharing their emotions; therefore, their mental health goes ignored. The typical and accepted behavior of men in prison is tough and non-emotional and this intensifies toxic masculinity. The article also includes an analysis of prisoners in solitary confinement or extreme circumstances and how this leads to many psychological issues and anger, a factor in toxic masculinity, because a prisoner might get beaten up or made fun of if he does not display these toxic traits. Once the prisoner receives treatment or counseling, counselors report that it is nearly impossible to get the prisoner to open up about their feelings, because they are taught in prison to be tough in order to survive or get through it. The author suggest that counselors try to sympathize with the prisoner and also understand how toxic masculinity affects them in a prison setting. By educating prison counselors about toxic masculinity, they can break it down with prisoners and work through their issues in a healthier way. This article uses an extremely toxic and masculine environment to prove that a man’s toughness can lead to personal issues and is a block when in counseling.  

2.     Parent, Mike C., Teresa D. Gobble, and Aaron Rochlen. "Social Media Behavior, Toxic Masculinity, and Depression." Psychology of Men & Masculinities (Apr 23, 2018). doi:http://dx.doi.org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/men0000156. https://search-proquest-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/docview/2029446308?accountid=14506.

In this scholarly article, 402 men are observed to see the connection between social media use and depression. With the growing use of social media, researchers are beginning to explore the effects of both positive and negative social media on a person’s mental health. This article perfectly states the hypothesis of the experiment, how toxic masculinity would be measured and its results. This experiment is interesting, because it is current to today’s world and is an explanation for why depression and anxiety has increased in teens. Sadly, social media is becoming another platform for men to expresses toxic masculinity, due to the non-personal aspect of social media. Social media gives men something to hide behind or and makes everything less personal. The hypothesis at the beginning of the experiment was that the increase of negative social media experiences would reflect an increase in depression among users. This hypothesis seems likely, because bad experiences have a positive link to depression. Sexism, heterosexism, and competitiveness were how toxic masculinity would be tested. In the results, it was proven that more use of social media was leading to depression, especially negative forms of social media. Not only was depression directly linked to negative social media, but also toxic masculinity. This result is essential, because it proves how powerful social media is and that there is a correlation between social media usage and poor mental health. The point of this study, according to the researchers, is to shine light on an unexplored topic: how mental health is influenced by social media and how social media is another platform for toxic masculinity.

3.     Fox, Kathryn R., Alexander J. Millner, Cora E. Mukerji, and Matthew K. Nock. "Examining the Role of Sex in Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors." Clinical Psychology Review 66, (2018): 3-11.

In an academic article titled, “Examining the Role of Sex in Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors,” authors take the fact that on average, more men die from suicide than women and explore how this fact is connected to toxic masculinity and gender. Approximately, three and a half males die by suicide for every woman. Not only does this article include statistics about men vs. woman and rates of suicide but it goes into an explanation of every statistic; there is a reason for why suicide is more common in men than woman and this article explores multiple possibilities. One explanation observed is that the raise in suicide occurs in adolescence and later adulthood, times when gender and identity is being questioned. Identity is especially difficult for young boys, because their feelings or emotions are not usually talked about. It is normal to see a young girl cry or to say she feels like she doesn’t fit in, but it is abnormal to see this in a young boy. Therefore, these feelings may go under the radar for years, leading to a sense of not belonging, which then can lead to depression. The article states that to understand suicide between men and women, it is essential to consider the time, location, and other factors that influence suicide rates. Then the article shifts away from suicide, to non-suicide self-harm. After much research and thorough experiments, researchers do not see a clear difference in the amount of NSSI’s between genders. The authors talk about the different ways females and males hurt themselves and also their different intentions and meanings behind it. The explanation for men committing suicide more than women that connects to toxic masculinity is that women are more likely to use health resources and ask for help. The point of this article is not to say that more men are depressed than woman. The point is that more men are dying because of it. The article gives the explanation that this is partly because men do not seek help or talk to their friends and family as much as woman. Toxic masculinity sways men to hide their feelings and it is argued that this explains why more men commit suicide than women.

4.     Jenney, Angelique, and Deinera Exner-Cortens. “Toxic Masculinity and Mental Health in Young Women: An Analysis of 13 Reasons Why.” Affilia 33, no. 3 (August 2018): 410–17. doi:10.1177/0886109918762492.

This academic article focuses on the presence of toxic masculinity in the show 13 Reasons Whyand why psychologists encourage teens to not watch it. This article is a good addition to the list, because it incorporates pop media. Pop media is a huge influence on teenagers and young adults. This article supports the argument stated in a previous article, that social media is affecting teens and their mental health. This show was watched by millions, so it is important to examine the effects it had on its viewers. Examples such as photographing the main character under her skirt, creating a “best/worst list”, rape, etc. are all examples of how toxic masculinity is present in high schools and teenage culture. The show teaches young boys that in order to be manly or “cool”, one is supposed to be physical with a girl and act on his or her sexuality. The show displays a strong correlation between hegemonic masculinity and violence/aggression by its multiple fights and acts of violence. Besides the scenes of violence or disrespect of woman (rape), the emotional sides of the teenage boys are shoved away and not talked about. Main guy characters are seen obviously struggling, yet there are no scenes of them asking for help or finding a healthy way to cope. This show does not show healthy coping mechanisms. Instead, the boys are shown dealing with life through drugs, drinking, or sex. A healthier alternative would be a show that displays teenage boys going to their friends about their issues or seeking help. Overall, the show 13 Reasons Whyshows the negative effects of toxic masculinity on both men and woman and the unhealthy ways to cope with mental health. 

5. Vincent M. Marasco (2018) “Addressing Hegemonic Masculinity with Adolescent Boys Within the Counseling Relationship.” Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 4:3, 226-238, DOI: 10.1080/23727810.2017.1422647

In this academic journal, it opens up with acknowledging gender as a social construct and therefore, the idea of “what it is to be a man” is also a social construct. Different from the other academic journals, this one addresses the word gender and how it is a social construct and therefore toxic masculinity is a social construct. This helps the reader understand toxic masculinity and that it is an idea created by society. Factors of toxic masculinity such as: homophobia, emotional restriction, and a certain body image all contribute to poor mental health. The article includes an interview with a fourteen-year-old high school boy to see the presence of toxic masculinity in male adolescents. The issues that come up in the sessions are body image, misogyny, dis-respect, and a fear to appear emotional or vulnerable. These observations by his counselor prove that the main issues for men in adolescence is how to treat woman and an image that they must put up. For boys who are struggling with depression or anxiety, they feel as if something is wrong with them or that they must hide it to be a man. The following section introduces tips for counselors to help change the idea of “what it is to be a man” in young men and that they need to be educated on these issues and how to turn them around; to encourage young boys to express how they feel. By addressing toxic masculinity in school or counseling, these ideas can be broken down and replaced with healthy traits.

6.    Powell, Wizdom. "Speaking of Psychology: How Masculinity Can Hurt Mental Health." American Psychological Association. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/men-boys-health-disparities.

This popular article is a discussion between a host and Wizdom Powell, a professor in the Department of Health Behavior, discussing how racism, discrimination, and gender stereotyping can lead to an increase in poor mental health in men. Although this is a popular source, it is the only one that also addresses racism and discrimination. This article not only talks about emotions, but how race and income can lead to mental health issues in men. Powell addresses the fact that the stereotype of men not sharing their feelings leads to depressive thoughts, because they are lacking an emotional support system, which is essential in difficult times. Instead of talking to others, men use other coping strategies such as substance abuse or violence. The interview goes into how race plays a key role in this issue as well. Colored or white men who are of low income suffer from mental health especially, because of the lack of resources available to them. Also, the sad but true realization that racism still exists in the healthcare system, leads to lack of trust in the system by black people. A continuous or repetitive experience of racism is proven to lead to poor mental health, because men are told by society to ignore it and brush it off, but it does a toll on them and over time will negatively affect their mental health. In conclusion, factors such as race or economic status impact the amount of mental health resources available, leading to high numbers of mental health issues in poor areas as well as violence and substance abuse, because they do not have another way to deal with their issues, or have never been shown another way.

7.    Montero, Henry. “Depression in Men: The Cycle of Toxic Masculinity.” Psycom. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.psycom.net/depression-in-men/depression-in-men-toxic-masculinity/

The popular site, Psycom connects toxic masculinity to poor mental health, due to the lack of emotion expressed by men. In order to understand the connection between toxic masculinity and depression/anxiety, it is important to understand what anxiety and depression are. The article lists the main symptoms of depression in men and boys to show that there is a difference in depression between men and woman. For example, men are more likely to turn to alcohol compared to woman who are more likely to also develop an eating disorder. Due to the lack of emotional expression, men find other ways to deal with their issues such as: over-working, substance abuse, and aggression. The article addresses ways to change this method of coping in men and how society adds to this issue. Instead of laughing at a man’s feelings or saying just get over it, society can listen to men and treat them like a person who is suffering and needs help. The journal states, “Depression is not related to gender. No man or woman chooses to live with depression.” Mental health does not care about gender or masculinity, it can target anyone. Society needs to eliminate the idea that only woman can cry or be anxious. However, people do choose how to cope with depression or anxiety and society needs to create a safer and accepting environment for men to find healthy coping mechanisms.

8.    McCarthy, Kevin. “Toxic Masculinity Leads to Mental Health Problems for Men.” Healthline. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/toxic-masculinity-mental-health-problems-for-men#1

Healthline takes experiments and studies done by professionals to argue that men who adhere to masculinity rules are more inclined to suffer from mental illness. Although this list focuses on men, it is valuable to consider how a woman’s role affects this relationship. This researcher includes woman in his study, because woman help or add to toxic masculinity. It is inferred by society that woman like a strong, independent man; not a “sissy”. Specifically, researcher Y, Joel Wong, a professor at Indiana University, talks about the connection between sexism and a lack of social relations. Wong believes that the way a man treats a woman influences their mental health greatly, if they have poor or unhealthy relationships with the woman in their lives. Poor or unhealthy relationships with woman could include: only sex, violent, cheating, etc. All of these thigs lead to stress, a leading cause of depression and anxiety. This is why it is important to teach men what a healthy relationship looks like and how much their relationships affect their lives. This popular news article sheds light on how the ideas around sexism lead to poor relationships and therefore poor mental health in men.

9.    White, Ruth. “Toxic Masculinity as a Mask for Anxiety.” Psychology Today. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-in-mind/201712/toxic-masculinity-mask-anxiety

The Psychology Today article, “Toxic Masculinity as a Mask for Anxiety,” describes toxic masculinity as, “social expectations that mean should be sexually aggressive, physically violent, unemotional, and homophobic.” This article is valid, because it specifically addresses anxiety and what is causing this epidemic in today’s world. The article addresses bullying and that it is a leading factor in anxiety. The popular article references professor Y. Joel Wong and his argument that men conform to these social expectations even if they disagree with them in fear of not being manly enough. The article also references psychologists Tali Shenfield and her studies that show how negative emotionality is a leading cause of anxiety in young boys. Society needs to find a way to help young boys who are being bullied or suffering from anxiety so that they do not turn to the bad traits of masculinity. Anxiety is now common in our society and yet not spoken about very often. If society begins to open up about anxiety and symptoms and ways to help it, men will not feel alone or like there is something wrong with them. By encouraging emotions, healthy relationships, and freedom of sexuality, boys will feel accepted by their peers and will lead to a decrease in anxiety.

10.  Longo, Lauren. “Toxic Masculinity Harms Men’s Mental Health, Says American Psychological Association.” Care2. Accessed March 05, 2019. https://www.care2.com/causes/toxic-masculinity-harms-mens-mental-health-says-american-psychological-association.html

The popular cite, Care2, summarizes research done by the American Psychological Association. Although this is a popular site, the APA is credited with some of the most brilliant psychologist, teachers, students, and scientists. The APA has done over forty years of research and has concluded that traits of toxic masculinity negatively impact a man’s mental health. The APA comes to this conclusion through speaking with counselors who have seen the relationship between toxic masculinity and depression or anxiety. The article introduces the idea that counselors are diagnosing men with aggression or a substance issue and ignoring the diagnosis of depression, bipolar, or anxiety. The new guidelines, by the APA, will help psychologists understand their patient and understand gender roles and how complex men are. This article not only focuses on how men can help themselves but how counselors need to step it up to help men. If counselors are not aware of toxic masculinity and its presence in society, then issues such as depression or anxiety may be ignored.

INTERVIEW: The Director Who Stole Our Hearts Away to Antarctica: In Conversation With Atsuko Ishizuka

At the most recent Crunchyroll Expo, I had the unbelievable opportunity to sit down with Atsuko Ishizuka, the director of A Place Further Than the Universe, one of the most revered series of 2018, anime or otherwise. Aside from being my personal favorite TV show of the year, the New York Times gave the coming-of-age adventure a prominent spot on its “Best TV Shows of 2018” overview. The series was nominated for several Anime Awards and rightfully so - it’s poignant and compelling from its very first episode, and doesn’t lose an ounce of charm throughout its run.

Of all the interviews I’ve given with creatives in the anime industry, my time with Ishizuka-san was remarkable for the incredible passion she radiated, not to mention her thoughtful considerations on the collaborative process of creating an anime. I’m grateful that Crunchyroll was able to help produce this title and that Ishizuka-san was able to answer my questions here, and I hope that you enjoy this interview as much as I did!

Q: A Place Further Than the Universe is a very important title for us here at Crunchyroll. Looking back a few months out, how do you feel about it?

It’s my first original anime title, so I was very uncertain. I was anxious at first but I’ve received so much support.

On the topic of original titles, how did the series come about in the first place?

This started from the team that made No Game No Life, and when we were done with the screenplay, we were talking about continuing on with the same team. We were tossing around ideas and thought “How about something with esper girls?”

So how did we get from there to Antarctica?

It’s a long story, do you want to hear it?

Please!

First of all, it would be difficult coming up with an intriguing drama involving an esper girl. So we thought about a time leaper like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, but we also faced a wall there because it would be difficult to come up with a motivation. I had a personal interest in Antarctica so I tossed that out. The writer (Jukki) Hanada liked the idea and, after two or three more meetings, that’s what we settled on.

  Where does your personal interest in Antarctica come from?

The general image of Antarctica is a vast land full of mystery and unordinary, even a little occult. People speculate that there may be hidden UFOs there, but if you actually do some research, you find it’s mostly international expeditions that travel there. So in fact, it’s actually a mixture of a place that’s in the middle of nowhere, but also in the center.

Also, penguins are cute.

Have you been to Antarctica yet?

I wish I could, but I haven’t been there yet. It’s at the end of the Earth, so it is something the general population doesn’t have an easy time accessing — so I thought it would be something the main characters could explore.

Do you plan on ever going there?

If Kadokawa would be willing to fund the trip (laughs). Or Crunchyroll would be a suitable sponsor (laughs again).

I can’t speak for the company, but I would love nothing more than to support that.

Let’s go!

Something I thought was interesting about the show was that all four characters had different reasons for going to Antarctica — but do you think there is a common theme between them?

Starting off with having no common motivation among the four was a very hard handicap for the story, but if they could come to a common goal I thought that would be a good… of the story.

I cried almost every episode. Was this something you were intentionally pursuing?

Very intentional. Every episode is meant to be seen like the final episode.

That’s a very interesting concept.

Yes, every episode is intended to end with either tears or laughter.

Then it was a great success! What was the motivation for wanting every episode to end with finality rather than having subplots thread through multiple episodes?

This is something Hanada and myself wanted to do. Nothing that was tossed out during a production meeting, but it was a common goal that we had and something we pursued as a team.

Do you plan to make more productions together as a team?

I certainly want to continue working with the team and hope everyone’s thinking the same.

Did either of you go onto boats to get into the right mindset for the ship? The way the characters reacted felt very true to life.

We’ve gotten inside a ship and as far as cruising Tokyo Bay, but we haven’t gone to Australia, so the rest had to be done with interviews with Japanese expedition team members.

Speaking with them, did anything stand out during your conversations? What was an element of their story you wanted to share?

The general impression I had going in was that an expedition is a great adventure to risk your life undertaking, but in talking to the expedition members, I found that it was something they very much enjoyed. They had become a close knit family working together, eating together, sleeping together, and that’s something I wanted to convey through my story.

In real life, the male members of the expedition were very eager to undress and go out into the cold — but unfortunately, it was from the perspective of young anime girls, so that was something we decided not to feature. Apologies to anyone that would have liked to see them in such a state.

Did you watch any specific films or documentaries for inspiration about Antarctica that stood out to you?

When it comes to Japanese film, I watched Antarctic Story, but that’s different because it’s the story of the relationship between sleigh dogs and humans. When I talked to expedition members, their experience was far different than the desperation of that movie so I decided to work away from that direction.

Hinata was something of a fan favorite, and my favorite character too. What went into developing her personality, and why do you think she resonated with fans?

She’s my favorite character too! Normally in anime, when you take a high school girl character, the cuteness is something you have to push to the front — but I wanted someone who was more true to real life. So someone dropping out of high school and wanting to join the expedition…

Why is she your favorite character?

As a character that’s more representative of a real life as a high school girl, she has a darker background — that’s something that the audience can sympathize with. It’s something that’s not normally done, but with that kind of painful background, reaching a resolution is made more rewarding.

Hinata is always wearing shirts with food on them. Whose idea was that?

It started with a discussion between character designer (Takahiro) Yoshimatsu-san and myself. We wanted her to be wearing something dorky all the time so we started tossing out ideas. One of us came up with the idea for onigiri and it progressed from there.

Hinata tends to be mature for her age, so we wanted an element that would betray that kind of maturity. As a result, we had her wear something that a high school girl normally wouldn’t be wearing.

What one element of the show, whether a storyline or character trait, do you feel is the most Ishizuka-esque?

In order to bring excitement to the audience, we can’t just have a story with cute girls, there has to be something shown within them that they strive for, and that’s something I always insist on keeping.

Were you able to follow fan response from overseas while the show was airing?

I almost never have the time to follow fan reactions because I’m too busy myself, but for this show, Yoshimatsu was so fond of the anime that he spent the time to look at the fan reaction, and I found out from him that we were getting a lot of positive response from fans overseas — although I believe Yoshimatsu is still the greatest fan.

It’s very encouraging to have a staff member like that, so it’s been a huge support.

Has there been any fan reaction that frustrates you or you disagree with?

I didn’t find anything in particular. I think it’s always up to the audience to decide what the show means to them, so I feel like it’s also up to them to make up their own mind.

What would you like the audience to take away from A Place Further Than the Universe?

I think that the friends that you make when you’re on a team, especially if you’re working toward a single accomplishment, become like family. So I hope there are audience members who have found those kinds of friends and, if you are already grown up, you value those friends that you’ve made.

The anime also seems to be about the romance of youth. For me personally, it’s becoming harder to recapture the feelings I had from that age. How did you manage to bring forth those ephemeral feelings of younger years?

Even the grown ups are still struggling to achieve the goals and overcome their weaknesses. If a character is struggling with those issues I think it’s something worth exploring — grownups can still experience that aspect of youth.

When Shirase first steps onto Antarctica, rather than reflecting upon her mother or the struggles she’s undergone to reach where she is now, she instead shouts in defiance to those who had doubted her, which I found very cathartic. Can you tell me how you came to the decision to portray the scene in that manner?

First, in the anime, all those heading toward Antarctica are considered “losers”…and now it’s all these people who have managed to make it to Antarctica and overcome their struggles.

The second reason: the idea that her mother has died hasn’t sunk in yet, so it would not be realistic for the character to have the death of her mother on her mind when her sense of accomplishment is so high — she must still confront the death of her mother further down the line.

What would you like to say to people who haven’t had the opportunity to spend this time with you?

As a a creator of a show there is nothing more motivating than hearing love about your work. We’re very happy to receive fan letters at Madhouse.

Editor’s Note: You can send fan letter to Madhouse at the following address:

MADHOUSE Inc. Shin Nakano AM1 Bld. 3F 3-23-3 Honcho, Nakano-ku Tokyo 164-0012, Japan

I hear you birthday is coming up!

Yes!

Are you excited to spend part of it in America?

Very excited! I think this is going to be a very special birthday party.

Do you have any final messages for your fans?

We really thank you for your support. It’s very encouraging and I’m very glad there are so many fans!

Thank you for reading - please make sure to send your fan letters to Madhouse and, as always, enjoy A Place Further Than the Universe on Crunchyroll!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

‘Miss Hammurabi‘ came as a really huge surprise to me this year, in a great way of course. I wasn’t Go Ah Ra’s biggest fan, so I almost skipped this. She just seems overrated when she and her character always don’t match up. She had great projects, but it always felt like something was amiss her acting. But then, putting INFINITE’s L (Kim Myung Soo) alongside her and the fact that this is a legal drama convinced me to try and I was not even a bit disappointed.

In fact, the drama delivers something more than just drama. It tells stories about the lives of ordinary people, their real life struggles and social issues in modern day Korea.

The Story:

To put it simply the series tells the story of the life of judges and the various disputes that they have to settle (from wikipedia).

Park Cha Oh Reum (Go Ah Ra) is a rookie judge that is very passionate with her job and firmly stands for her beliefs and fair justice especially for the powerless. As she enters the court office as an associate judge, she unknowingly reunites with a person from her past, Im Ba Reun (Infinite’s L or Kim Myung Soo), a young judge who is popular for his firm principles and adherence to the rules. The two of them will together work hand in hand with Presiding Judge Han Se Sang (Sung Dong Il) to solve the civil cases of their department while facing their own personal battles as judges and as individuals.

Review:

What sets ‘Miss Hammurabi’ apart and above other legal dramas is how it attacked its challenges. Instead of going the usual route of talking about criminality in the court and the mystery surrounding the lead characters, this drama has shown a more human side to these judges.

They are seen as the powerful omniscients in most legal dramas, sometimes influenced by connection and bribery but nonetheless capable of deciding which life the characters or their clients shall lead. But here, we see the struggles of these judges in and out of the courtroom. We are presented an inside look to their real thoughts and how their everyday life went in comparison to their glorious roles as respectable men of law.

We are also unabashedly presented with the flawed truths about societal norms like gender discrimination in the workplace, power struggle, the clash between the unconventional new and the old traditional, the problems about following the inflexible hierarchy in the organization, the unjust treatment towards the oppressed poor and the special treatment towards the rich and people they are connected to and many others that are much closer to the truth. That are real and which are recreated in a fictional sphere to deliver sad but inspiring lessons that are realistic and often practical while keeping a pinch of idealism.

‘Miss Hammurabi’ is so good in delivering such a kind of story that is able to straightforwardly and strategically start slow burning kind of subplots that are able to challenge our characters and mold them and their relationships to something even more. These subplots are equally gripping and simply gratifying as it touches you in the most humanistic way at the end of every episode. I have in fact cried during every episode. They are just sad, like really sad, but nonetheless a fruitful journey filled with practical lessons about the everyday man. This reminds me so much of how ‘Misaeng‘ attacked its plot in almost the similar way.

Perhaps these dramas became so popular because of how it thrived to be about ordinary people and not about some grand scheme about chaebols or lead characters being on the run because of mysterious killers and whatnot. We surely love the sometimes scarring melodramas and heart-pounding romances, but it’s good to also have stories with a slice of life in it every once in a while, because that’s super relatable. It makes us realize how easily touched we are by these dramas because of how close it is to reality. A true gem in the rough.

Additional to the line of praises I’ve already given to this drama is its superb cast. Let’s give it that the storytelling is really solid and that character development has been evident all throughout the series and that consistency is wonderfully and carefully executed for each character, but of course not all of that ain’t possible if it isn’t because of its capable cast.

I had the strongest doubt that again Go Ah Ra won’t be able to pull off her role in the drama and she’s going to be an accessory once more to the male lead, but I can say that she made the right decision to pick this drama. Finally. She chose something that would definitely suit her and will make her shine. I didn’t think it would take one legal drama for me to believe in her.

Nonetheless, she made a very fine job of transitioning from a shy and naive teen to a strong judge with a lot of spunk and upright morals and compassion for the powerless. I was not one bit annoyed at how she portrayed the very idealistic and passionate judge that Park Cha Oh Reum is, even if Oh Reum’s character often had to exaggerate at how she does things, especially when trying to make the people realize her point. Oh Reum may be sometimes over the top, but Ah Ra’s acting has never been displaced. I think this is so far Go Ah Ra’s best performance as of yet.

On the other hand, I think that Kim Myung Soo is the ultimate revelation to me in this drama. I know already  that Myung Soo has the potential in acting. He has proven he has graduated from the campus crush or boy next door roles through the drama ‘Emperor: The Owner of the Mask‘ and it indeed showed, but I think his best performance yet is with ‘Miss Hammurabi’ as the introverted associate judge Im Ba Reun who became even more distant from other people after he took it to himself to become an objective judge who unflinchingly follows what the law says. He is often seen as an arrogant young judge with overflowing pride. Well, he tries his best to be an honourable judge like he once dreamt off but somehow in the process of doing his job, it seems that Ba Reun forgot why he was a judge. The burnout made him hate what used to be his dream, but then Oh Reum came back into his life without notice and he is exposed to a world full of hope and positivity because of her.

The characterization of the two main characters complement so much that while Oh Reum acts through her feelings, Ba Reun is the levelheaded buffer to guide her out from overthinking too much. That’s also why I think their team up worked. Because of how their relationship grew from merely nothing but acquaintances, to colleagues, to friends until they realized how much each has affected their lives in a patient, slow burn romance, which albeit not the main point of the story, still made a great side story because of its solid foundation.

Alongside these two great young actors is one of my favorite seasoned actors, Sung Dong Il. This guy is often part of the dramas I typically end up liking, so there’s no doubt he has great contribution with its success. And just like in those dramas, Sung Dong Il made his character Han Se Sang very fun to watch. Se Sang is the type of judge who is rough on the edges–with anger issues in the courtroom–but is very compassionate towards his fellow judges. He’s independent in the sense that he doesn’t strive for power and unabashedly criticizes his organization that seemed unyielding for years while upholding its old , unbending norms.

Se Sang may often clash with Oh Reum for her unconventional, idealistic opinions and may get into a silent battle with Ba Reun for the pride he is upholding, that is never to bend to hierarchy, but their love-hate relationship has been the perfect ice breaker in between watching heavy scenes that are rather always heart-wrenching.

Other minor characters like Jung Bo Wang (Ryu Deok Hwan) and Lee Do Yeon (Lee Elijah) adds more life to the series as they make perfect distraction away from the more serious topics. Bo Wang is the absolute gossiper that loves to barge inside Department 44’s office because of the beautiful stenographer Do Yeon who is his complete opposite.

Whereas Bo Wang is often clumsy and unthinking, Do Yeon is quiet but precise and reliable. There’s so much mystery surrounding Do Yeon at first that many people pass down false rumors about her and she doesn’t like to correct them, because she believes that people will believe what they want to so she doesn’t have to explain herself. She believes she doesn’t have to be friends with everybody, an extraordinary trait from a brave woman hiding behind a sweet looking face.

I must emphasize that aside from the characters that I have listed above, all of the other minor characters took on very significant roles that added more spice to the drama. We have seen how each of them are different from each character and that if viewed from different perspectives we are definitely going to see different sides of them that doesn’t really just make them bad guys alone or good guys alone. Of course, in one way or another, the people around you and how you are nurtured also indirectly affect what kind of person you are now, just like with them.

‘Miss Hammurabi’ has deeply explored humanity and their conscious effort to attack every struggle in a positive manner made everything in it every single bit that I am looking for in a drama. It has the right balance of melodramatic moments, cute and funny moments, friendship and romance. I think that the courtroom dramas are far from what I normally see from past legal dramas, but unraveling the sad stories of each victims and accused are an interesting thesis while trying to guess what decision will they rule out. These civil issues also opens our eyes to what we have closed our ears to, because of the standard facts.

Oh Reum’s independent actions are like little eye openers that also make us realize it isn’t so bad to be different, to not conform to the norm like everyone else, because like the saying ‘one person can make a change’–which we have stopped believing–goes, we see that no matter how minuscule or insignificant the change was, it’s still definitely a change that can make something become better.

On an ending note, though the ending became a bit hasty, I think that ending it with Oh Reum and Ba Reun finding comfort with each other is one of the best ways to close their own separate romance. Bo Wang’s and Do Yeon’s crazy romance is as much appreciated how playfully it was told. It’s also good to see that Oh Reum reunites with her mom outside the hospital with her mom remembering her and the whole gang meeting in Oh Reum’s home like a real family. Not tied by blood but by how they truly care for each other.

The show could have possibly extended to more civil cases, but I think adding more of it could have made this drama really tiring. So, it’s perfect that it’s only 16 episodes.

Plus, I super love how they concluded the series by tying each character’s fate into that one fateful memory in the library. We all think, based from Oh Reum and Ba Reun’s perspective, that they were the only ones there in the library when Oh Reum was vouching for a seat that she had saved and yet was invaded by a hopeless law student who was reviewing for the bar exam, but at the ending we are shown a glimpse of a younger Do Yeon and Bo Wang’s first meeting in the same library and Han Se Sang coincidentally being the hopeless law student who Oh Reum ousted from her seat that day. Se Sang always failed his past exams, but that day he had a really good feeling about it and perhaps that’s where it really all started. Fate, which is really sweet and nostalgic after all that court drama.

Rating:

Over all performance of the cast is really great, story is well written, the character development is very progressive and the drama as a whole is really fun to watch. So, I’m giving it a 5 out of 5 grade.

A piece of advise, though, is to make sure not to binge watch it in one go and instead give it ample time to grow in your heart one episode at a time.

Completed: Review on ‘Miss Hammurabi’ 'Miss Hammurabi' came as a really huge surprise to me this year, in a great way of course.