#but truly (and sadly) the tragedy is what defines this story!!
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Kai faebriel I know you’re an angst machine but. Normal happy modern au
oh my dear anon. i fear that what we refer to as angst is inherent to the shitshow tragedy that is the story of the dsmp
#i was thinking about this when writing things up for the howl's moving castle au as well lol#but truly (and sadly) the tragedy is what defines this story!!#don't get me wrong i love taking characters and building them a happy ending#but like. for me even in the most 'normal' modern au cwilbur isn't cwilbur without the crushing pressure and mental illness#cniki isn't cniki if she doesn't nurse this feeling of burden and abandonment until she explodes#ctubbo isn't ctubbo unless he undergoes some awful shit way too young and changes for it#<- in case i haven't said it enough this is just what i find interesting and fun to explore no hate on the fluff#asks
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HP Rec Fest, Day 30
Here we come with more @hprecfest! Today I’m only reccing rare pairs since I couldn’t think of any pre-canon Drarry fics 🤔 I wonder if canon divergent / canon rewrite applies?? I don’t read them often either way, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to boost lesser known fics. I think this is my favorite rec post for the fest so far - there’s something so poetic in reccing these two specific fics alongside each other since Little Compton Street verse was my first (unforgettable, devastating) contact with Prongsfoot and 5 years later here I am reading them again - this time welcoming the pain. More embarrassing emosh blabbing below!
Day 30) a pre-canon fic:
empire builders by shecrows (James/Sirius, E, 25k)
Say, James, he rehearses in his head. Remember that time we were both roaring drunk at the end of term, and you put your cock in my mouth, and I came so hard I still get tingly thinking about it? Was that just a one off, d’you think, or did you want to do it again sometime?
Prongsfoot my beloved 😭😭😭 sometimes I feel like I’ll never feel as strongly about a ship as I feel for them which sounds so crazy because I don’t even read it! or, well. after being utterly ruined by Winter of ‘79 (curiously a fic within LCS verse as mentioned below) I promised myself I wouldn’t look for this ship anymore bc the inevitable tragedy of it depressed me way too much. I locked them away in a secret space deep within my heart and only allowed myself to re-awaken those feelings this year, with the brilliant empire builders. what a fic! a few lines in and I was hooked and completely obsessed with Sirius’ unbelievably spot on voice, the peak friends to lovers dynamics, and the unbearable sexual tension mixing guilt and devotion (my favorite shippy combo btw). fuck, they are so young and so lovable, and so attuned to each other it makes me wanna cry. never before a 25k fic has felt so short, I’ve read it in a frenzy and couldn’t stop thinking about their love for days. the best word to describe my state after this fic is “tormented” which might as well be the best compliment I’ve ever given in a rec.
Play Me Like A Love Song by @writcraft (Minerva/Will, E, 67k)
Minerva McGonagall doesn’t believe in love at first sight, which is why her instant attraction to drag king Wilhelmina ("Will") Grubbly-Plank is so unexpected. War tears apart the wizarding world and as one battle ends Minerva and Will must fight once more, this time for the lives of their friends on Little Compton Street. A love story spanning five decades defined by music, laughter and tears, in which love is not always easy, but it’s always worth fighting for.
truly a masterpiece of lesbian fiction, this fic is more like a religious experience, bold, brutally honest, romantic, eye-opening and necessary. I never thought I’d care so much for a ship like Will & Minerva but they worked their way inside my heart and I’m deeply moved by how their story encompasses everything that’s inherent to the queer experience: love, loss, resistance and hope. there’s so much joy and grief walking hand by hand, and it is our privilege to watch the characters mature and experience life as individuals and as a couple. Writ crafts oh so thoughtfully two stunning character studies (Minerva’s voice omg, please don’t @ me on my competence kink) while taking us by the hand into the magical universe of Little Compton Street, which is so completely irresistible and healing. I adore the atmosphere, the imagery, the soundtrack, and how this seductive setting allows them to explore their queerness in such a free, proud and joyful way *getting emosh* I feel like nothing I add here will make this story justice, it’s such a poignant and transformative fic but sadly deeply underrated like it happens to so many wlw tales. I hope this rec inspires at least one person to check it out and while at it please also check the entire series with a Drarry piece and a Prongsfoot piece, a perfect trifecta!
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What Holds the Key to Your Heart?
Today's inspiration comes from:
Embraced
by Lysa TerKeurst
"'When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me.”' — Luke 18:22
"I long to be a woman who follows hard after Jesus. And I’m not talking about a plastic-Christian life, full of religious checklists and pretense. No, that would be hypocritical at best and deadening at worst.
I want the kind of soul-satisfying closeness that can only come from daily keeping pace with Him. A rich and deep level of intimacy that frantic attempts at rule-following will never produce.
Rules and regulations were an everyday reality for God’s people in the Old Testament. Lists of dos and don’ts to help sinful people maintain fellowship with a holy God. First the Ten Commandments. Then law after law about sacrifices and ceremonies, food and cleanliness.
But in the New Testament, Jesus shows up on the scene and turns everything upside down with His message of grace. A message that declares, “Following rules won’t get you into Heaven. Being good won’t earn you bonus points. Lay down your checklists… your agendas… everything… and follow Me. Believe in Me. Receive Me.”
It was a complete shift in thinking. One that left people perplexed, like the rich ruler in Luke 18.
We first meet the rich ruler when he approaches Jesus with a question:
Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? — Luke 18:18
Jesus, already knowing his checklist-mindset, begins naming several of the Ten Commandments. It’s a list the rich ruler feels he has kept well. But Jesus has more to say:
You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me. — Luke 18:22
It would be so easy to gloss over this moment and think Jesus is simply talking about money. We could be tempted to label this a story for “those” people — the ones we think have more money than they know what to do with. But the words in this conversation are for every single one of us. Because the core issue Jesus is getting at is this:
What holds the key to your heart?
What holds the key to your heart?
Oh, how I want my answer to be “Jesus.” I want to want Him most. To live completely captured by His love. Enthralled with His teachings. Living proof of His truth.
There have been others who have gone before me who desired this as well. Imperfect heroes of faith we read about in the Bible who, despite their shortcomings, pleased God. And it wasn’t perfect actions that carved a path to God’s heart. It was something else. Something less defined that can’t be outlined and dissected. Something that was sometimes messy and offensive. But something that was so precious at the same time it caused God to pause.
Abandon.
It’s a word used to describe a little girl leaping from the bed’s edge, completely confident her daddy will catch her. It’s the same thing that fueled David’s courageous run toward Goliath with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. It’s what fueled Joshua. And Moses. And Noah. And Paul.
And it’s the one thing Jesus is asking of the rich ruler. Not for a life lived perfectly, but a heart of perfect surrender.
So this is my prayer:
Everything I have. Everything I own. Everything I hope for. Everything I fear. Everything I love. Everything I dream. It’s all Yours, Jesus. I trust You in complete and utter abandon.
Sadly, it’s also the one thing this man felt he could not offer. He stood on the edge of everything uncertain with the arms of all certainty waiting to catch him. And he just couldn’t jump; he lived his life entangled in lesser things.
He was not captured by, enthralled with, or living proof of the reality of Jesus. And so he walked away from the only One who could ever truly satisfy his soul.
Oh, friends. Let’s not allow this to be the tragedy of our lives. Let’s be found captured by Jesus’ love, enthralled with His teachings, and living proof of His truth. Let’s be found living with abandon.
Because the life that follows Jesus with abandon is the life that gets to experience His presence, His provision, His promises, His soul-satisfying abundance.
Father God, please forgive me for all of the times I have settled for lesser things. I want to want You most. Today, I am handing You the key to my heart. The key to everything in my life. I love You. I need You. And I want to follow hard after You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."'
Excerpted with permission from Embraced by Lysa Terkeurst, copyright Lysa TerKeurst.
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Trust In Your Feelings
One of the dark gifts I was given as a teenager by the religious authority figures in my life was a distrust of my feelings.
In my church youth group and chapel services in the Christian school I attended, I was taught I needed to guard against improper feelings of all kinds, including, but not limited to, the following:
Feelings of lust--the kind that might lead to all manner of avarice and dancing.
Feelings of doubt--the kind that might lead me to forsake my faith and become something terrible like a Presbyterian.
Feelings of rebellion--the kind that would cause me to reject the authority of the Bible, my pastors, parents, youth leaders, or anyone who would keep me from sinning profusely.
The list was longer than this, but you get the idea.
Sadly, scores and scores of teenagers raised in the dominant forms of Christianity in our culture are still being taught the same things. They are trained to distrust so many of the feelings they feel---feelings that are not only normal but useful for maturity and growth as a human.
The Church needs to do better.
But I am sharing all this not to land on some referendum on how the Church is messing something up again but to tell a bit of my own story about why I struggle to feel my feelings.
My teenage experience of learning to repress my feelings isn't the sum total of why I struggle to own what I feel, but it's an integral part of it.
We all have our own stories to tell about our struggle to truly feel what we're feeling.
Most of us push down our feelings because we've either been taught to do so or have learned that we ought not to trust them very much.
The fear that our feelings will determine who we are is a real fear that far too many of us feel.
One of the most helpful authors I've read on this particular topic is Melody Beattie, whose book Co-Dependent No More has helped millions of people learn to embrace their feelings without fear or judgment.
Beattie writes: Surrendering to the simple truths, even the simple truth of what we're really feeling, will always set us free.
Our feelings don't define us, but they can serve as a barometer to help us interpret our circumstances, trials, tribulations, tragedies, triumphs, joys, hopes, and dreams.
And if we are courageous enough to let ourselves feel them, we might discover the truth about ourselves, and here is that truth in a nutshell:
We are loved by a God who understands what we feel and how hard it is to let those feelings in without fear.
We are cherished by a God who has imprinted us with God's very DNA and who longs for us to live into that hope-filled knowledge with joy.
May you let yourself feel today. Trust that your feelings are teaching you and helping you to know yourself. Know that they don't define you; God does.
And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.
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Guardian rewatch: episode 6
Episode 6 jumps us into the case of a disappearing woman, Zhou Weiwei, with the SID team being on the scene, taking the unofficial statement of her fiancé, Ji Xiaobai. While in terms of the actual investigation this case is even thinner than usual, thematically its juicy. It’s musing on the self, and how the self is defined in the eyes of the others; it actually has a grown-up real life take on an unhappy love story, and it can even be read as having pro-immigration connotations. This episode is telling the viewer that one is not entitled to nice things because they are a human from the human world, and there is no sin in wishing to take a chance to move somewhere you can see the sun.
From the very first scene, Zhao Yunlan, who always has been shown as hands-on with the investigation, removes himself from Xiaobai’s flat, claiming that he has to speak to someone. It’s obvious who that someone is; and we see that our Chief is starting to rely on Shen Wei as his consultant way before he ever offers him that job. There is no reason for Yunlan to seek the other man’s help; and yet, he will end up solving with Shen Wei by his side, and purely through Shen Wei’s ample advice.
Left with the worried, grieving fiancé of the missing Weiwei, Guo Chancheng suggests they take a stroll to calm down emotions, bringing himself, the man in question, and Chu Shizhu to his favourite place. He is, once again, being the sweetest, most lovely and considerate human being on this planet; and Chu Shizhu is starting to take his lead, listening, being a calming presence - even going as far as to softly offering Ji Xiaobai a beer.
Hearing the sounds of a magpie, harbinger of good fortune, Guo Changcheng becomes animated, dragging Xiobai up to make a wish out loud. Xiaobai, predictably, wishes for his beloved to come back home, and Xiao Guo gladly repeats this wish, strengthens it with his will. This is where he is in his element: making people better, giving people hope, using his massive heart to help those around him. Guo Changcheng truly is too precious for words.
“Kid. You never make wishes for yourself?”
“I do. When everyone is happy, I am happy as well.”
We see Guo Changcheng’s simple, pure altruism resonating deep within Chu Shizhu, reminding him of his little brother that he lost. Well, I say “little” metaphorically, as the two are twins. That’s right, Guardian has two sets of twins, probably because it does not want to waste its extremely capable main cast. I’m not mad at it.
Later that day, Shen Wei is conversing with a flower Yashou conveniently living on campus. I think she has a name, but I have a habit of calling her Bush Woman, because it’s what she is.
She is animated poorly, but at least she is animated at all: there will be a scene later in the series, in which she is played by a bush, being shaken enthusiastically below the shot. The actual conversation is about a person Shen Wei is looking for: he has received a tip from Butler Wu in the previous episode that one of commanders in the Underworld army had a child. Hoping that that child could give him a clue at to where the next of the Hallows is stored, Shen Wei is now looking for them. Naturally, the child in question is also the missing woman in question, but Shen Wei does not know that yet.
Their conversation is interrupted by Zhao Yunlan being sited on the bike heading towards the university. In the next scene, Zhao Yunlan is shifting uncomfortably at Shen Wei’s office door. Presumably, he has knocked, heard no response, and is just about to give up and go home. This is the moment Shen Wei opens the door from inside, greeting him. Did he teleport into his office so he could talk to Yunlan? Yes, yes he did.
Despite being more than capable of deducing stuff on his own, Chief Zhao brings in the pictures of the disappeared Weiwei to Shen Wei to analyse for clues. We know that Shen Wei is aware that there is no actual legitimate reason for Zhao Yunlan to seek out his help - because Shen Wei states as much, in the nicest way possible. Zhao Yunlan does not actually have a satisfying answer to that, and his response is mostly boiled down to shameless flirting.
And also doing throughly shameless things to a lollipop while maintaining eye contact the whole time. Because why not give our protagonist in the show about brotherhood the most homoerotic character quirk he could possibly have, right?
As Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei continue discussing the case, it becomes more and more clear that they work together marvellously, going as far as finishing each other’s sentences. The body language also suggests that they are very comfortable in each other’s company.
Yunlan, who a few episodes ago would rather sleuth himself than ask people for clues, listens to the advise Shen Wei gives him, internalises it, and eventually uses it to solve this case. Scratch that, actually - he accepts it when Shen Wei pretty much solves the case for him.
Following Shen Wei’s words to the letter, Zhao Yunlan opens the portal into the magic dimension and discovers that there are, in fact, two Weiweis. The woman from the mirror - an Undergrounder, who left to live a normal life, and a human, who hid because she could not stand being unpopular, and now returned out of jealousy for her mirror counterpart’s perfect life.
It’s very hard to not sympathise with the mirror!Weiwei over the human one. All the former wanted was to live, and to love, and to be happy. All the later wants is to have all that without putting in any effort. Human!Weiwei does not truly understand that it takes more than taking to have a relationship, and there is nothing that would allow her to be entitled to happiness that she did not herself create.
Instead, she calls mirror!Wewei a monster, and the later snaps, creating a whirlwind of energy which threatens to destroy everyone in the mirror with her.
Unfortunately for her, one of the people she is threatening to kill is Zhao Yunlan, and we know how Hei Pao Shi feels about Zhao Yunlan’s life being threatened. This man, who does have a soft, squishy heart, and has previously allowed murderous Wang Yike to stay with her lover, all but snarls at mirror!Weiwei as he captures her.
The show treats hers and Xiaobai’s farewell as a true tragedy; it’s genuinely heartbreaking to see them cry, as we are shown flashback of their relationship.
In the past couple of episodes, we have witnessed a huge shift in Shen Wei. He may have been determined to detach himself and march onwards alone a short while ago, but he has also seen the SID being full of kind, righteous individuals; he has been begged to save an Undergrounder’s life; he has been asked for friendly support and advice by Zhao Yunlan, and so he, perhaps unwittingly, allows his Hei Pao Shi persona to soften. As he takes mirror!Weiwei away, he stops to have a little tiny heart to heart with Yunlan, saying that identity of a person lies in their heart rather than what or who they are physically. This is a very Shen Wei thing to say, actually, but it will be a while before Yunlan figures that one thing out. Two things on this scene:
One. The mask really does hide Zhu Yilong’s most prominent features pretty well, and to help the viewer understand how he could have been hiding his identity successfully for what could be months, the camera more often than not shoots Hei Pao Shi from a lower angle, and Shen Wei from the higher angle, or dead on, subtly reshaping the jaw line. It’s clever; as is often often the case with the camera work in this show.
Two. Isn’t it a little bit amusing how this ancient godlike being needs to fill in the paperwork in line of his duty?
As with Shen Wei’s advice earlier on, Zhao Yunlan takes Hei Pao Shi’s one to heart as well, and makes his way to human!Weiwei to make sure Xiaobai knows that she is not at all the woman he fell in love with and wanted to marry. He unearths her greed, jealousy and entitlement in full; in the end, this relationship cannot survive, because how could Xiaobai possibly stay with someone who does not know - someone who even is, in some ways, responsible, for his lover being taken away from him forever? As the couple breaks up, Wang Zheng and Sang Zan’s love song is playing in the background.
During this scene, the infamous “I would like to buy [this coat] for my girlfriend” moment happens.
As we know, he does not have a girlfriend. He may, however, have a boyfriend.
I really like the idea that he buys Shen Wei’s trench coats based on this. I really do. It is nice to see Shen Wei’s style starting to change dramatically as he and Zhao Yunlan become closer, of course, and I want it to be one of those deliberate coded messages Guardian is absolutely astonishing for. But at the same time, this is the jacket Yunlan is remarking on:
It sadly does not look anything like what Shen Wei wears. I will file this under “it’s true because the fandom said so”.
Later, Hei Pao Shi is having a conversation mirror!Weiwei, revealing that he knew her father, and getting a clue he was after. We are getting a lovely extreme close-up of his eyes. While the mask does not stand to scrutiny of close examination - seriously, they could have maybe put actual leafing on it! - I really love this shot.
At home, Zhao Yunlan is talking to Da Qing about his favourite subject, which is Professor Shen, and performing more shameless things to his lollipop while doing so. Brotherhood, my friends. This show it about bro-ther-hood.
Da Qing wonders if his friend has been bewitched by Shen Wei, because it is obvious that Zhao Yunlan does not shut up about the man ever. When asked whether Yunlan would arrest the professor if he were indeed from the Underground, Yunlan responds with a dismissive, almost affronted “He didn’t do anything wrong”. We are to understand, through Da Qing’s reaction, that this is extremely uncharacteristic of Zhao Yunlan to say something like this, and it is entirely reasonable for Da Qing to be concerned. We could extrapolate that Da Qing’s worried because if Shen Wei is dangerous, getting attached to him in such a blatant manner could put Zhao Yunlan’s career and life at a very great risk. So, Da Qing, who knows his friend very well, chooses to press all the correct buttons to kick-start his natural curiosity, and do some investigative work into Shen Wei.
Step one: break into his flat. As you do.
When we saw Shen Wei view the flat prior to moving in, it was shown already furnished, which is not entirely consistent with this tasteful, yet eclectic, furniture. I don’t know about you, but most flats I have rented have been furnished at IKEA. I can’t help but particularly admire his G Plan style mid-century side-board. And the fact that the man owns a gramophone, because of course he does.
Shen Wei’s book collection is wonderfully perplexing. I’m not surprised that he reads in English - he is educated, and Dragon City is explicitly shown as bilingual, seeing as signs and even gravestones are written in English. But choices were made with the selection of titles. Going off the English ones alone Shen Wei owns: three copies of the same book about architecture, a heavy looking tome on interior design, a tattered one on Van Gough, and the only non-fiction English titles in his possession are… Irvin Welsh’s Trainspotting and a novelisation of Rocky? The former is notoriously difficult read as it’s written entirely in the Scottish accent. The later is very difficult to find, as is often the case with unnecessary novelisations. Neither scream “Shen Wei” to me.
Apart from Shen Wei’s obviously fake book collection, we find out that he has some files on the SID. It should be a weird point of contention for Zhao Yunlan, considering that a) he also read Shen Wei’s files; b) he literally broke into the man’s apartment.
While Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing are still nosing around the flat, Shen Wei makes his way home, stilling at his door when he either sees that the lights are on (they won’t when he left), or notes with his Hei Pao Shi sense that someone is inside.
We, in turn, discover that he has sword replicas on his wall. The swords are obviously European, two of them are shorter, arming ones, and the one in the middle is a longsword with a hand and a half grip. All three have round pommels, downturned cross-guards, and the general shape most reminiscent of very Late Middle Ages (I would hazard at a guess and place them around second half of the 15th century). I wish we could have seen Shen Wei fighting with one of those at some point, because they would be wielded in ways very different from his own blade, but alas. The shield, by the way, has no business being hung together with those swords: it’s not only from a wrong era, it’s from a different part of the world entirely; my guess is that it’s a replica of a shield from the Tang dynasty.
Shen Wei senses Zhao Yunlan hiding on the balcony, and bites back a smile. Anyone else would be less happy to find out that their privacy being violated, but he is endeared at is the same way Yunlan was endeared at Shen Wei’s cunning during the prior episode.
After getting back to Zhao Yunlan’s own flat (possibly by waiting for Shen Wei to pretend to fall sleep), Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan move on to step two: contacting the Underground Regent about Shen Wei. Which is not as important a tidbit as finding out that Zhao Yunlan owns a swing.
Then, they move in to step three: the banner.
According to this article, it’s 锦旗, a traditional gift of gratitude. It’s addressed to “Dragon City University, Professor Shen Wei”, but is singed by “Zhao Yunlan”, without mentioning of SID or his position therein, implying that the gift is personal. The message reads “Helping people [is] helping oneself” and “conscience of the industry”. It’s extremely over the top, which both Shen Wei and Chu Shuzhi, tasked with delivering the banner, are aware of.
Shen Wei looks between tentatively amused and politely mortified.
Chu Shuzhi looks like holding this banner is the most excruciating torture he ever had to endure.
The banner, of course, has a hidden camera in it, so that Zhao Yunlan has a 24/7 feed from Shen Wei’s office. As he and Da Qing are watching the gift being hung, Da Qing is teasing Yunlan with Hei Pao Shi, who is surely the wrong man to tease him about.
In the next scene, Zhao Yunlan is at Shen Wei’s workplace again, and we discover from Shen Wei’s unpleasant boss that Li Qian has dropped out after her ordeal with the Longevity Dial.
From the way this is written and shot, I would surmise that Zhao Yunlan does not spring on the professor in a middle of an uncomfortable conversation, but rather has spent some time with him prior to it, volunteering to be moral support. He continues being a good friend by asking Shen Wei why he feels like he has to shoulder all of the world’s weight: it’s surprisingly insightful into a large part of Shen Wei’s personality.
There is little narrative reason for them to have this meeting, so I am choosing to believe that dropping in on Shen Wei randomly during lunch time is a habit Zhao Yunlan has started to form.
Finally, before the episode ends, we are privy to Shen Wei being the most polite, level-headed mugging victim. He hands the muggers his watch and money willingly, waiting for Zhao Yunlan, who is obviously stalking him, to show up and save the day. The muggers, enraged by his cool attitude, decide to shake him up, and, in the last seconds of this episode, the Pendant of Pining appears in shot for the first time.
Next up, episode 7: No, Shen Wei, It Wasn’t The Bears
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Just a quick note to say that I’ll keep those recaps going, but I will have to slow down the pace at which I’m churning them out to one every three to four days. There are some real life things I’ve been neglecting last few weeks that I need to spend my time on; and I’ve also started a new show (Sound of Providence, not Word of Honour - my watching priorities currently lie with Zhu Yilong being awesome). So, if I’m quiet here for a few days, I’m not gone, just a bit busy.
ETA. Realised that I made a booboo when translating the banner. Fixed that now.
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Letter to Lucasfilm
So, I’ve written a letter to Lucasfilm. It could be better, but this is what came out this afternoon. I hope others who are writing will share what they are putting into the mail. I was trying to be concise, but it still ran to several pages. Find it in its entirety below the cut:
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Lucasfilm, Ltd.
Attn: Fan Mail
PO Box 29901
San Francisco, CA 94129-0901
December 30, 2019
Lucasfilm/Disney:
I am writing to express my anger, shock, disappointment and deep sadness with the final installment of the Star Wars saga, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
I was ten in 1977 when the original film was released and have loved Star Wars ever since. I was thrilled by the reopening of the saga in The Force Awakens, and delighted by the excellent script, rich visual storytelling, nuanced character development, and thematic direction of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi.
Disney took on a sacred trust when it acquired Lucasfilm. Star Wars is deeply important to many people, and if you couldn’t do justice to the characters and themes of the saga, I’d argue that you had no business being involved in these stories. There is so much Disney/Lucasfilm got wrong in Rise of Skywalker, I’m struggling to gather my thoughts or express them coherently, but here goes:
Ben Solo. You created the most compelling character in the new trilogy by destroying the happy ending of the original trilogy. I was willing to go along on the ride Abrams and Kasdan began in The Force Awakens, because the fate of Ben Solo felt like it mattered. The questions raised in the new films: the nature of good and evil, the degree to which one’s family legacy defines a person, whether a one can atone for past sins; all of it felt alive and urgent in the person of Ben, a character I loved like one of my own children from the moment we so traumatically met him in The Force Awakens. His story was the beating heart of the new trilogy. His story is the one that mattered. His life was the one to be saved.
Ben solo was never an exposition device, cool villain, or disposable baddie to me. He was Han and Leia’s only child; loved, targeted, broken, lost.
The Rise of Skywalker redeems Ben Solo in the final act of the film, only to destroy him. Was it always your plan to kill the last Skywalker in the final installment of this story, to render the overarching message of all nine films as tragedy? If so, I wish I’d known this was your intent; I would never have engaged with these stories and made an emotional investment in them. If tragedy was your goal, that was certainly your choice to make, but I’d argue that you owed it to the audience and the cast to do a better job of it.
For example: You give us evidence that Han and Leia’s child was targeted by evil old men from before his birth. It’s a disturbingly explicit allegory of grooming and child abuse.
You give Ben Solo a backstory which implies he is guilty of vile, Anakin-style crimes against other young people, coding him as a school shooter, and then chose to exonerate him of this crime in a comic book, where the general audience will never know he was innocent. It’s a form of character assassination.
You consigned Ben Solo to the darkness for almost the entirety of three films, then denied him his voice in the final acts of his own story. “Ow?” The only words the redeemed Ben Solo will ever speak. Apalling.
You brought back Palpatine for this film (arguably rendering the message of the first six films meaningless), identified the Emperor as Ben’s tormentor all along, then denied Ben the opportunity to fight his enemy in the final act of the film. Rise of Skywalker literally throws Ben Solo into a pit, and forces him to climb out alone and unaided while Rey is whispered to by “all the jedi,” offering her words of encouragement. It’s grotesque.
I’m getting lost in rage and sadness again here, so let me just say that even if you inexplicably didn’t care about the last Skywalker in the Skywalker saga, you have done a grave disservice to Adam Driver in your treatment of his character in this these films. Perhaps you’ve heard of Driver’s non-profit organization, Arts in the Armed Forces? He’s deeply committed to the importance of stories as a way to make meaning out of the inexpressible. Did he really sign on to this project thinking that the final message of his character would be to say that even if you are able to come back from the darkness, your final act must be to die? That imperfect children don’t deserve compassion, forgiveness, life? You owe Mr. Driver an apology, but you can never really atone for what you’ve done to him.
You ended a nine-film, forty-two year saga with all the Skywalkers dead, and a Palpatine the last one standing. You spent three films tormenting Han and Leia’s child, only to kill him in the final act. What you did to Ben Solo (and frankly to us, who loved him) feels more like a horror story than anything else. In my dreams, I walk right into your offices and flip over tables.
There’s a lot more I could accuse Rise of Skywalker of bungling, but I assume you are hearing this feedback from others besides me, so I will summarize:
Rey Palpatine. Was is all about the midiclorians after all? By making her Palpatine’s granddaughter, you deny Rey everything that made her special; you deny her agency, and you negate the beautiful message I thought you were trying to communicate in the first two films with Rey Nobody: that the force belongs to us all, and that anyone can be a hero
The erasure of Rose Tico. It’s difficult to interpret this as anything but a capitulation to a loud, racist, and misogynist element of the fandom. It’s a very bad look, Disney. Please pay attention to the message you are sending.
Character development in general and a truly horrible ending: Rey goes back into her child-like costume, Ben Solo spent much of the film forced back into his stupid mask. Ben disappears at the end with no one to mourn him. Rey ends the film alone in a desert wasteland.
Rise of Skywalker is the most bleak, hopeless, and depressing Star Wars film ever made. As days go by, it’s becoming clear that it was also poorly written and edited. These stories matter to us, and we pay close attention to them. Disrespect us at your peril.
I don’t expect anyone will ever read this missive, or care at all about what an old shepherd on a mountainside thought about the execution of your multi-billion dollar movies. This is a personal exercise in catharsis as much as anything.
But here are a few notes in a language you might understand. I made some quick calculations about how much money I’ve spent on Star Wars over the past four years, and I’m sharing that with you now.
Movie tickets: I’m one of those people who sees movies I love more than once (I saw Empire Strikes Back eighty-one times in the theater!). I saw The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi at least ten times each. I’m not counting the cost of tickets for my extended family, whom I brought along to a number of screenings, or tickets for birthday party guests we treated to these movies. My teenaged daughter came along for all the screenings I am including, so I calculate I spent about $360 on tickets. We also bought tickets to Rogue One and Solo, so it was actually more, but you get the idea.
Books, tie-ins, DVDs, merchandise: I invested in The Art of the Force Awakens and The Art of the Last Jedi books, as well as at least one SW Visual Dictionary. I bought DVDs of the films of course, and CDs of John Williams’ beautiful scores. I bought and read a number of books; Boodline and the Leia novel, The Force Awakens novelization and Junior novelization, Aftermath, and a couple others whose titles escape me. At least seven action figures. Toy light sabers for me and my daughter. Posters. T Shirts. I know I’m not remembering everything, but it adds up to an expenditure of at least $347 in books and other Star Wars merchandise.
Star Wars Celebration: I splurged on passes for my daughter and I to attend Star Wars Celebration in Chicago this past spring. It cost me about $400, and a last-minute family emergency meant we were unable to attend, but the tickets were non-refundable, so it was money I spent on Star Wars nonetheless.
Total: $1,107
A laughably small amount to you guys, I’m sure. Perhaps a contrast is useful:
Total amount I have spent (tickets for my daughter and I on opening night) on Rise of Skywalker: $22.
Total amount I plan to spend on Disney Lucasfilm merchandise in the future: $0
I invested quite a lot of my time in Star Wars over the past four years. I’ve written thousands of words in essays, appreciations and analyses (mostly on Tumblr), where I amassed a modest following of just over a thousand people. I’m sure I occasionally bored my friends and family by going on and on about Star Wars. This kind of ‘work’ has no dollar value of course. I will say that it was great fun while it lasted, though I feel foolish in retrospect, remembering all the times I came to your defense, arguing that the saga was in good hands, that you had a plan; that you were going to tell a good story.
Sadly, I don’t think you can fix the damage you’ve done to the Galaxy Far Far Away with The Rise of Skywalker. You made this film, made your choices, and put it out into the world. I have no control over where you go from here, but as a person who has loved Star Wars since I was a child, I beg you to take some time to reflect before making another Star Wars film.
You’ve broken so many hearts. Mine was one.
Andrea ____
...my full name and address, blah blah, I live in Vermont
#letters to lucasfilm#Lucasfilm#tros#reylo#ben solo#tros grief#hit them in the wallet#disney lucasfilm
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Tonight marks 57 years since Marilyn left us – her body was found by her housekeeper in the early hours of August 5th and it was officially announced to the world that morning. Every year I try and write about Marilyn on both her Birthday and her Anniversary, each time I make sure to focus on one particular thing – to celebrate and appreciate her for the amazing person she truly was.
Baby Marilyn, then known as Norma Jeane Baker in 1929.
So many people and society tend to view Marilyn as a victim, passed around from man to man and used throughout her lifetime. This both angers and frustrates not just me, but many fans, who have spent years taking the time to research legitimate sources and find out who Marilyn herself was. Often her death is viewed as a conspiracy fueled gossip loving debate, so much so that she ends up no longer seeming like a young woman anymore, but an object of fascination.
Marilyn in the 1930s.
It seems to me that it’s easier for people to believe in the distasteful lies and conspiracies that surround not just Marilyn, but many other celebrities and icons before and after her. People cannot comprehend someone as beautiful, talented and loved as her to have any demons or hardships. It almost seems like it’s frowned upon to listen to the doctors original death verdict – which was, “probable suicide” as depression can’t always be comprehended or accepted by others. It also doesn’t continue to sell hundreds of books and trashy articles like conspiracies and salacious stories do and sadly, that’s what so many seem to care more about. In the end Marilyn ends up being turned into a former shadow of her true self, which is just not acceptable to me and so many others – therefore, I will continue to try and dispel the lies and bring back her true character.
Marilyn visits Catalina Island in 1943.
Furthermore, Marilyn’s death does not define her – intended or accidental it is still and will always be a tragedy, but, it does not take away from her 36 years of life and the achievements she made during and after her lifetime. Marilyn was a voice for the underdog, incredibly ahead of her time she defied gender stereotypes and was never afraid to be honest and speak out about taboo topics such as sexuality, abuse and the pay gap. She was also the third Actress to set up her own Film Production Company – Mary Pickford and Mabel Normand did so in 1916.
Marilyn by Andre de Dienes in 1945.
Marilyn constantly tried to improve herself as a human and an artist, she suffered immensely for her creativity, always wanting to be the best actress she could become. She was very self conscious of her limited education and loved to read and learn about a variety of subjects – her library had over four hundred books on it’s shelves varying from Psychology to Russian Literature! She loved the simple things in life, such as walking around Brooklyn, caring for animals, listening to music and spending time with loved ones. Ultimately, this was the real Marilyn, the person that so often gets lost in the publicity of hearsay and money making headlines.
Marilyn by J.R. Eyerman in 1949.
I truly hope that whenever a person comes across Marilyn, they take a few moments to discover the real her, the person behind the Blonde Bombshell persona. It’s so easy to see a headliner or false image and believe an inaccurate presentation of a famous person. I may be a little biased, but I can honestly say that feelings aside, Marilyn was truly an incredible woman, brave, generous, kind and strong, someone who just wanted to make the world a little brighter. Plus, even if all of these ridiculous, continuously disproven myths miraculously ended up being true, it would not change my the amount of respect or adoration I have for her.
Marilyn by Nick de Morgoli in 1953.
So many associate sexual promiscuity, addiction and stupidity with Marilyn and honestly, it not only saddens me but I find it incredibly, infuriating. Firstly, even half a century later, the amount of sexism and double standards that still exist in our society is simply disgusting. Therefore, I’d like to touch on each one of these so called flaws and share the facts behind the assumptions.
Marilyn in England in July 1956.
Did Marilyn have an affair? Yes, she did – with Actor Yves Montand during the making of Let’s Make Love in 1960 – not with the often noted, John F. Kennedy. In reality, they only met a less than juicy four times from 1960 and three of them were at public events. Yet as always, the woman is shamed and condemned – even if the hearsay comes about years after her death by people simply wanting to make some money. I would say that a huge amount of Stars in Hollywood had affairs during their careers, no judgement here, I’m just stating the facts. However, why is it Marilyn that is constantly criticized, judged and linked to every man in and out of Hollywood? In reality she spoke out multiple times about the peril of the, “Hollywood Wolves” and actually lost out on a contract renewal with Columbia Head Harry Cohn for turning down a proposition. Lastly, if she had slept with every single person that she’s been associated with, she’d never have had time to have such a successful career and three marriages.
Marilyn by Sam Shaw in the Summer of 1957.
Was Marilyn an addict? Yes, she was addicted to prescription medications such as Chloral Hydrate and Nembutal, which she would take for her depression, crippling anxiety and insomnia. Medical negligence was extremely high in the heyday of Hollywood and if you were famous and had problems, they could often be taken advantage of instead of resolved. Personally, I don’t know why being an addict gives others the right to condemn, judge, shame and insult someone suffering from this terrible sickness? If anything there should be compassion and understanding, we are all only human and the stigma needs to stop.
Marilyn by Richard Avedon for LIFE Magazine in 1959.
Was Marilyn just a, “Dumb Blonde”? No, but for some bizarre reason to me, people seem to not be able to understand that an Actor is performing a role, the character you’re seeing on the screen is just that – a character. However, because Marilyn was able to create such a convincing persona, people could not accept that in reality, she loved to be in her capri pants, with no makeup on, sitting at home reading a good book. Even during her lifetime, her acting was usually only appreciated when she took on dramatic roles, such as in Bus Stop (1956) and The Misfits (1961). Honestly, I don’t know why a persons intelligence has any influence in how they should be viewed and treated by others and I actually think if Marilyn had been less intelligent, she would have been a lot happier.
Marilyn during the filming of The Misfits by Elliott Erwitt in 1960.
I think a lot of people forget that Marilyn was actually a real person, just like you and me, a human that graced us with her presence on this Earth. Someone as beautiful, wonderful and pure of heart like her really existed and with such a judgmental and prejudicial society like ours, it can sometimes be hard to accept this. Just because Marilyn’s no longer here in a physical presence, doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve the same respect that we’d give to others. She gave a hell of a lot to this world in just a small amount of time, her contributions to Hollywood and for women are legendary and should be appreciated and shared.
Marilyn by Bert Stern for VOGUE Magazine in June 1962.
Wherever you are sweet Marilyn, I hope you feel the love and kind words so many of us only wish we could say to you. You’ve given so much happiness to millions of people, this girl especially and we truly love and appreciate you for being undoubtedly your true self.
“But when you’re famous you kind of run into human nature in a raw kind of way. It stirs up envy, fame does. People you run into feel that, well, who is she who does she think she is, Marilyn Monroe? They feel fame gives them some kind of privilege to walk up to you and say anything to you, you know, of any kind of nature and it won’t hurt your feelings.”
– Marilyn to Richard Meryman for LIFE Magazine published on August 17th 1962.
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57 Years Without Marilyn. Tonight marks 57 years since Marilyn left us - her body was found by her housekeeper in the early hours of August 5th and it was officially announced to the world that morning.
#1940s#1950s#1960s#angel#blonde bombshell#classic hollywood#icon#legend#marilyn monroe#norma jeane#norma jeane baker#old hollywood#retro#vintage
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THE DESOLATE VIDEO GAME
We've also seen sites give us stories tale past occurrences, and those that slyly builds mostly on levels of accuracy and give us something new, but none have been brave enough to generate a groundbreaking story bound over a fictional backdrop of real events. Yes, humans have resident evil, but barren is one many other game which tries to do this gtfo .
Desolate research desktop 1
Anyway, desolate 1.0 gameplay is a game that seeks to reveal an alternative past of the Soviet Union, and with this players are brought back two years ago to the massive and enigmatic tragedy that radiated and poisoned the numerous residents of Granichny Island. Now so supernatural incidents are kicking up a fuss on the secluded beach with a shady institution known as new Light attempting to protect things up, it's ready to throw into shoes from one of the volunteer groups looking searching investigate the various anomalies that have hit the island.
One aspect that surprised me early on with the wild eight was the opportunity to hop in with up to three others and play the game as a co-operative party. Meanwhile the game was played it alone, discovering the weird island as well as teaching about its residents is far more pleasurable to friends, but it also needs to take away the focus of just how vacant this overambitious country is really.
At the beginning of the game, players are placed in the tutorial level immediately and while I'm not a fan of arm-holding tutorial videos, this one does a pretty good job of displaying the ropes, attempting to set up a bit of the upcoming story without pressuring you to hurry along. Sadly, it doesn't take long until you know that it would be the strongest you'll get when it comes to concentrated storytelling, With a prolog speaking of horrid experimentation being carried out on the residents of the islands, before gradually but steadily forcing the player to find a way to avoid the gloomy and dreary facilities. Furthermore, short of intense FPS action and realistic drama, we are instead introduced to a game that attempts to compete with the likes of the Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R series by introducing survival mechanics and an open-world setting. What do these mighty genre-leaders do? We took a flashlight and went to the dim, gloomy island and Granichny to discover more!
Participants are then let loose throughout the accessible-world environment after entering the tutorial area and at first glance it looks as you might imagine, with a wonderful sense of a potential threat, with the complete discovery of the island's surroundings possible from the outset. As you wander through the empty and desolate game lands, you'll soon find yourself facing the nasty and irradiated creatures that occupy the land, most of which seem to be on a constant mission of killing you. Together with these fowl animals, though, there are documents that, once understood, help put together different aspects of the plot and show other specifics of what has occurred on the island through diaries and scribblings.
Desolate desktop 3 study
Exceptionally, however, this is as far as things are looking in terms of a truly immersive gameplay environment, with player interactions taking place across tiny dialog boxes reminiscent of older Fallout titles.
Of sure, there was a little more to it than and with barren allowing access to the full accessible-world off the, there's a lesson to be gained thru the exploration – foes and their distinct weak points can be discovered through studies and observing – and this enables for the opportunity to get the advantage thanks to understanding inside when in battle. As the game can even be played for up to four teams, the requirement for the analysis is almost non-existent if you just decide to rush in and pound away at the first thing that moves, so if you are playing alone then researching the opponents – finding the best critical hits and more – has a degree of significance for the proceedings.
A further essential element is your conservation but like any typical gameplay mechanic, barren has a functionality provided wherein players have to take care of physical and mental fellow human-being. It's a required addition because the consequences will get very severe if you neglect them for too long, with a weak emotional condition influencing how our characters see the universe. Yet unfortunately, desolate movie isn't quite the refined and satisfying feeling it should be. See, you have seen all of them after you saw your first Dorg, Madmen, and so on. After the first experience there's nothing new to think across, and the same goes for anything else you'll see, with buildings having the same materials, so even jumpscares are typically repetitive. Instead of instilling a degree of consistency in the playing, this needs to take any satisfaction or real horror knowledge out of the play.
Graphically and gtfo release date gets hit and miss a bit again. Within the map, the island's grizzly and lonely environment is well portrayed, but this is not necessarily a game that will see imaginative awards come in abundant supply. Worn colors see it feel such as the elderly Fallout as well as creep sports once again, as well as with both these series giving far more in-depth and usually more fulfilling perspectives, there was no reason users want to spend some time doing it again in a game that isn't as well polished as possible.
The folks over at Nearga tournaments have tried to provide previously mentioned superhero movie series with a defined competitor, but the lack of any meaningful content, small bit-by-piece character development, and an evident existential crisis is sufficient to turn this same people away. Sure the possibilities are for someone else great and it could be appealing with just a little more job, but with little to dictate how much Nearga tournaments are seeking to accomplish, barren on PC falls into the category of wanting to satisfy everyone, but fail miserably.
With a spending plan but nowhere close to the size of its now also crucial decision made, this is one that will easily be neglected whenever the next massive outdoor-world excursion comes in.
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LGBTQ+ Characters in Comics from the 20th century I like
It’s June, Pride is here and rainbow colours are everywhere. So, I figured I’d be a little retrospective and share a short list of LGBTQ+ characters in comics from the 20th century I have a soft spot for. I’ve organized these by date of the characters first appearing but, happily most are still having stories written about them today.
Let’s start with three ladies from DC:
Catwoman
Catwoman, specifically Selina Kyle has been around comics for a long time, nearly as long as the turbulence of her relationship with Batman. Though, Bruce isn’t they only character she has involved herself with over the years. I’ve got my share of comics featuring this fierce lady of many lives and antiheroine, including part of the New 52 run by Genevieve Valentine a few years back where her bisexuality was acknowledged as canon. Though, it was the film adaptation Batman Returns in 1992 with Michelle Pfieffer that blew me away when I was young. And remains, I think the most iconic Catwoman costume, which you can see in 4K now. Hear her roar.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is another longstanding character and probably the most popular female superhero. I had comics as a child with Diana along with watching the sometimes campy 1970s TV series with Lynda Carter. Perhaps even more interesting than the Amazonian warrior herself is the passions of one of her creators William Marston and the themes of those earliest comics. (I’d suggest the book Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peters Comics 1941-1948.) And of course, also the controversy over a strong heroine standing on her own sparked by Fredic Wertham in Seduction of the Innocent.
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy, or Pamela Isely with her sexual agency and connection to the Green, who admittedly may go about fighting for the environment as well as for women or children in the wrong way sometimes, is my top female character from American comics period. After again some rough treatment in comics recently, I wrote this year about her origins since 1966. Most people these days probably can’t think of Ivy without Harley, since it’s been 20 years since their first meeting in comics (longer for other mediums) but, these gals have a relationship that isn’t monogamous and has had it’s on again off again points too. (And note to DC maybe get it together on just how you define it since you waffle a bit hmm?)
Taku and Venomm
Black Panther was one of the few Marvel comics characters whose stories I’ve wound up reading. (My mum had this thing against some comics and one of my older brothers mainly passed on DC issues to me.) The Jungle Action installments written by Don McGregor are to this day still memorable. And part of that should be due also to Taku and Venomm (Horatio Walters), the latter first appearing in the “Panther’s Rage” arc. Though, it would take time for the open acknowledgement of this example of early gay characters in comics. Sexuality outside the heterosexual among other topics was taboo in the 1970s yet, McGregor managed with a collection of artists to bring a vision of Wakanda focusing largely on its black inhabitants and difficult social issues in the world to publication.
Juli Bauernfeind
I read The Heart of Thomas by Moto Hagio about boys at a German boarding school when I was 21. Juli was a character I connected to and the story had a profound effect on me. And I bawled my eyes out. It still makes me cry and is still one of the best comics I’ve ever come across. I reviewed the English edition a few years back. As well as wrote a post on the French bisexual author Roger Peyrefitte whose novel was adapted into a film which inspired Hagio.
John Constantine
Full of politics, call it dark with a dose of nihilism but, Hellblazer with John Constantine is just damn good. Sometimes the world is awful, people are awful, you’re awful and well yeah everything is going to hell. Constantine is pretty much dreadful for the women he’s often involved with, or well anybody really. It was in the early 90s readers were first clued into the history of his love life made up of girlfriends and boyfriends. And can we fail to recall the later S. W. Manor from Ashes & Dust: In the City of Angels, one of the most visceral takes thru a character that is basically a stand in for Bruce Wayne, and his twisted relationship with John? I’m not. It’s been a strange trip over the years some adaptations really glossing over his sexuality. Though of late handling this aspect of his character appears to have gotten better.
Stormer and Kimber
The madcap Jem and the Holograms was one of my favourite cartoons as a child in the 80s. I even had some of the dolls and cassette tapes. Stormer aka Mary Phillips part of the Misfits was the rock star I loved the most. Dedicated to music and actually quite sweet with the optimum blue hair. I had to try the colour myself. The episode where she teams up with Kimber after both have differences with their respective bandmates is a classic. So, it was truly outrageous when the series was revived in 2015 in comic book form by Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell, and the Stormer and Kimber relationship that had been brewing came fully out for fans. (Btw the comic also added a new character, Blaze who is a trans woman and girlfriend of Misfit’s fan Clash.)
Ash Lynx and Eiji Okamura
It’s been interesting to experience Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida in different ways from first encountering the comic when I was a teenager, picking it up again in my twenties, and yet again the animated TV series last year. I wrote about the comic and first few episodes of the 2018 adaptation when it was airing. Though, I haven’t posted much more on it because there’s a tiny percentage of its fandom I want to avoid, as well as 30+ years on the series is still— pain. This one is a tragedy folks. However, it also has a beautiful healing love story and touched on a variety of hot button issues that are sadly still relevant today. My love for these two teen characters in a gritty USA will live forever.
Chihaya and Kagetsuya
I’ve written before how the sci-fi title Earthian was what introduced and endeared respect for m/m comics from Japan for me. The art style of Yun Kouga has changed a bit over the years, nevertheless still stands out from the crowd. And Earthian with a taboo love between androgynous male angels remains my favourite of her work.
Michiru Kaiô and Haruka Tennô
Sailor Moon has become a multimedia sensation and is beloved around the world. Many kids and even adults of all sorts in the 90s will remember it in one form or another and cite it as an influence for pursuing careers in all sorts of creative fields. Along with countless fans recognizing or discovering something of themselves in the characters. There are several different characters for rep in the series. But particularly for me Michiru and Haruka were an opportunity in a very anti-LGBTQ+ climate (their relationship was even refashioned as being cousins when brought out in English for the first time) to nevertheless see such a loving, positive relationship.
Tomoyo Daidôji
Love is a theme the creative team CLAMP revisits and revisits and Cardcaptor Sakura is the magical girl comic series with a theme on all different forms. It is one of the first all ages titles from Japan that I will recommend to people. (Despite fyi containing a whopping four student-teacher relationships. Not the purpose of this post to go into right now though.) The best friend to Sakura, Tomoyo is one of my favourite characters. Always supportive, maybe a bit alarming popping out of bushes or other spots with her camera at the ready to catch either Sakura’s everyday life or battles, and possessing boundless fashion sense. (Btw, there are other characters in the series that are or could be interpreted as examples for my list as well. Sakura among them.)
Isabella Yamamoto
Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa, a sequel of sorts to one of the huge girls’ comics titles of the 1990s Gokinjo Monogatari, introduced a group of teenagers on the verge of graduating, some with an idea of what to do with their lives and others questioning the path they’ve so far taken. Isabella from an affluent background but, who struggled for acceptance from her family or nearly anyone until she was gifted a handmade dress by her childhood friend George (who is Bi btw), studies pattern drafting at the same art school as Gokinjo Monogatari. The most mature of the main cast, refined, always listening and offering a cup of tea, she achieves her dream career and self-actualization in fashion. Since I have a degree in fashion design, I have to agree that clothes are so much more than just something we wear.
#lgbtq characters#comics#catwoman#wonder woman#poison ivy#taku#venomm#juli bauernfeind#john constantine#stormer#kimber benton#ash lynx#eiji okumura#chihaya#kagetsuya#michiru kaiô#haruka tennô#tomoyo daidôji#isabella yamamoto
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Cinder...Sucks as a Villain.
7 volumes in and we still know nothing about why Cinder is the piece of trash she has shown herself to be. But I will go out on a limb here and say that she is a sucky ass excuse for a villain.
WHY?
Because she has nothing to define her.
Yes she had done bad things, yes she has killed people. But anyone can do that, and many have and we have had reasons for it.
It seems what we have here is a villain who is “evil for the sake of being evil”...But done wrong.
I am not saying you can’t have a villain who is such, but if you are gonna do it, you REALLY need to push that button. You really need to have the character WEAR IT!
Chibi-Cinder in RWBY CHIBI is a better example of this then her true portrayal, Chibi-Cinder is evil and she KNOWS it. She announces it to everyone and makes sure everyone knows it as well. She knows who she is.
Real Cinder.....Well, she’s evil, but we are the only ones who know it. Maybe she also knows it, but not in a self aware sense that helps drive it home. I understand that’s because the show is trying to be serious, but then we can’t have it both ways. Either she is evil and wears it like a button on her vest that says “hello my name is EVIL”. Ooooor She’s a serious-evil character and you give us that damn backstory Rooster Teeth...
A serious evil villain is one who we see how they became the villain. For no villain is truly born a villain. They become it over time for many reasons that contribute to the change.
We know Cinder wants power, she wants to be feared....But why? Why does she want this? What could her motives be? What happened in her past to make her this way? Abusive upbringing leading to a sense of revenge on the world who stood by and watched? Did she witness some horrific tragedy that she now feels she can stop from happening ever again if she becomes powerful? These are traits that make the villain serious, and sadly you can’t have “evil for being evil” and serious villain at the same time. It doesn’t mix.
An example of “Evil for being Evil” and Serious Evil is best shown with the two antagonists of Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite.
In Bioshock Infinite, the main bady is “Father Comstock” leader of Colombia and supposed “Prophet”. He sounds impressive, but once I got to know him, I discovered he’s just some racist nutter who wants to blow of the earth. I hear him frothing about how his carpet made of black people should be grateful he hasn’t trotted on any dogshit lately, and he becomes hard to take seriously.
Now look at the main baddy of the first Bioshock. Andrew Ryan had some weird ideas about “sweat ownership” but he was intelligent, articulate, and dangerously cleaver, and he wasn’t the type of man who wouldn’t ever let someone like Father Comstock take run over the kill switch.
The True Villain is the one who actually talks sense. The True Villain also sees themselves as the Hero and thinks what they are doing is right.
Roman Torchwick was an incredible Villain. And even had a potential moment to show maybe he could have became an anti-hero in the future.
He was the bad guy and damn well knew it and went out of his way to make sure others knew it as well. But on the other side of the coin we learn it’s because he really didn’t have a choice in the matter, well a choice he could see anyway.
“You’re asking the wrong questions Red! It’s not what I have to gain, it’s that I can’t afford to lose.” “The ones behind this are gonna change the world. YOU can’t stop them, I can’t stop them! And you know what they say, if you can’t beat them, join them!”
We have every sense and clue as to why Salem is evil. She has a backstory that gives us every detail to her plight. We know what she wants, and what she’s willing to do to get it, and why she wants it.
Cinder...Not so much. Not to mention how the bad writing of the show seems to almost hint here and there, that maybe we should feel sorry for Cinder when she has her ass kicked by RUBY and then RAVEN. (People who are really paying attention will know where those moments are and what I am talking about)
But the thing is, I can’t feel sorry for someone I barely know.
In truth I am getting a little tired of Cinder’s screen time, more so if I am not gonna be getting any story about her anytime soon, because it makes me ask, why invest my interest in someone who I am not going to get to know, or isn’t gonna entertain me by having an egg for breakfast and MAKING the Hen who laid it watch her eat it..
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Could you make like a top five or so best movies for a Kaiju film newb like me to dip their feet into? Thanks a lot!
Ooo, that’s a difficult but fun task! I’ll try my best!
For clarity, this is not a Top 5 Best Kaiju Movies list or even a TT’s Top 5 Personal Favorite Kaiju Movies List. This is a list specifically focused on introducing someone to kaiju, under the presumption they have very little if any understanding of the genre going in. As you specified, it’s for newbies - which means some of the best kaiju movies aren’t going to be on it, because a lot of the really good ones are far better experienced once you know the genre well. It’s hard to enjoy Avengers if you haven’t seen Iron Man, after all.
I’d also recommend watching them in the order I’m listing, because my goal is to give you a good entry point while also preparing you for the fun, weird shit that makes kaiju movies so special, and that’s going to take some progress.
First Intro to Kaiju Marathon Film - Kong Skull Island
I want to start you off with something close in tone to modern blockbuster sci-fi action movies, and while I’m spoiled for choices in this regards, I feel Kong Skull Island is your best bet. More than any other modern kaiju film, it puts an emphasis on how its monsters are characters, with the main plotline being focused on humanity coming to understand the titular monster, King Kong, as being far more complex than simple obstacle to be overcome. It’s also got a lot of weird monster shit in it, and honestly feels more like a typical Godzilla movie than a typical Kong movie, to its benefit. Plus it’s PRETTY GOOD and very fun.
Runners Up for this category: Pacific Rim (a better film than Kong Skull Island, but while it’s a great gateway to kaiju cinema, it means so much more if you come into it with an understanding of the movies and TV shows that inspired it - I would put off watching it until you’ve watched a LOT of kaiju movies just so your first experience is all the more impactful), Rampage (gets down most of the same positives as Kong Skull Island, but is less ambitious. Still a hell of a lot of fun and not a bad entry point into the genre.)
Second Intro to Kaiju Marathon Film - Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
Backtracking a couple decades, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is the first film in the 90′s Gamera trilogy, and probably my favorite of the 90′s kaiju flicks overall. Its sequels are arguably smarter (and definitely more ambitious) films, but you’re looking for an entry point, and this is what you need for that. It’s new enough to still be slick, while old enough to give you a feel for the man-in-suit action that defines the classic kaiju film - and has some of the best man-in-suit special effects of all time to boot. The villain monster, Gyaos, is truly horrifying and nasty, and the hero monster Gamera is absolutely lovable. The human cast is pretty good too, and it’s one of the best examples of a human hero with a supernatural connection to the main hero monster, which is a pretty standard (and deservedly so) trope for the genre.
Runners Up for this category: Godzilla 1985/The Return of Godzilla (a lot of the same good qualities along with a more somber/scary tone, but a bit harder to get a hold of), Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (again, a lot of the same good qualities, including the same director as Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, but with a bit more complicated mythology, and a bit more dependence on you knowing a bit about Godzilla already beforehand)
Third Intro to Kaiju Marathon Film - Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (1974)
Backing up a few decades more, our third film in the marathon is meant to dive into the fucking CRAZY shit that makes kaiju films so fun. With robot kaiju doppelgangers, spies, space-apes masquerading as humans, a giant semi-organic version of those Shisa lion dog statues, and 1970′s Japanese jazz music, this movie will give you a sense of how goddamn weird a kaiju flick can get, all while having some of the best action in the series. It kicks ass and will leave you baffled but entertained.
Runners Up for this category: Godzilla vs. Hedorah/Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (even weirder than this film, but more divisive among fans in terms of quality), Godzilla: Final Wars (weirder still, dumber, and far more divisive, but also so fucking fun)
Fourth Intro to Kaiju Marathon Film - Ghidorah the 3 Headed Monster
This is possibly my favorite kaiju film of all time, and while part of my love for it is how it marks a colossal turning point in Godzilla’s character arc in the Showa movies (and thus isn’t quite as easy to appreciate divorced from the context of the movies that precede it), I still recommend it here because even taken on its own it’s a gem. It’s a tight story that’s not quite as bizarre as Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, but still plenty weird enough to entertain and delight the imagination. Its got great human characters and great characterization for its monsters as well (they have arcs! They develop! It’s great!). This is the reasonable standard by which kaiju movies should be judged - this is the solid A grade kaiju film. Plus it gives you a good understanding of four of the most famous/important kaiju characters to exist - Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah - and so just for that it deserves to be viewed as a primer.
Runners Up for this category: Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (just as many good qualities as Ghidorah but sadly lacks Mothra), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) (just as many good qualities as Ghidorah but sadly lacks King Ghidorah and Rodan), Gorgo (I may get hate for this but Gorgo is not only a kaiju film, but a very good metric to judge solo kaiju films - an A Grade for a kaiju movie with just one main monster)
Fifth Intro to Kaiju Marathon Film - Gojira/Godzilla (1954)
If you want to see what a completely straight-laced, horror-centric, utterly serious kaiju movie could be, you have to go with the original: the Japanese cut of the 1954 Godzilla movie. It is a dark, somber, political, and legitimately unnerving film, with some great cinematography, marvelous acting, and an utterly gripping conflict at the heart of it. It treats its central monster as a character while still mining the monster movie concept for all the horror and tragedy it could muster, and if you do a little research on it (such as learning that the opening scene of a fishing boat suddenly being hit with an unexpected explosion of radioactivity was based on a REAL incident where a fishing boat was caught in the crossfire of a secret US nuclear test on the Bikini atoll, or how Godzilla’s rampage is designed to recall the firebombings that were inflicted upon Japan in WW2) you’ll realize it was a very daring film for its time as well. It is more than deserving of its status as a classic.
Runners Up for this category: Shin Godzilla (if black and white movies aren’t your thing, this has many of the same good qualities as Godzilla while being far more modern, though I think it is more effective in the context of the Godzilla movies that preceded it), Cloverfield (similarly serious and horrifying as Godzilla, but not quite as complex story-wise nor as good character-wise - plus the found footage style can put some people off)
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Kieran Cline, owner and founder of MoeRae Designs and its properties. Resident of Santuario, Arizona. Abilities: Fabric Manipulation & Telekinesis.
Biography
[+] (Enterprising, Quick, Debonair) [ - ] (Impatient, Aloof, Self-Centered)
If you were to ask Kieran what the most interesting thing about him was, he’d tell you that it was the story of how he founded his fashion brand, MoeRae, and his stories of working in the cutthroat fashion industry, but there are other more hidden things about him that are more interesting than those stories could ever hope to be.
Kieran was born to two young, deeply afraid parents, one of which was someone some would define as “gifted.” Most people, sadly, did not refer to their kind in such ways, most of the words hurled at his mother, who was born with an ability to move objects with her mind, were ugly and full of hatred, said by human beings who were afraid of being hurt.
His parents were hoping to flee somewhere they could be safe, away from those who hunted people with special abilities for sport. They had received a very threatening note in the mail, letting them know that they would come for the woman who was “gifted” and was bearing a child. They couldn’t allow one more to exist in the world, and make it a dangerous place. His parents, hoping to keep him safe, went into hiding with a group of other super powered people in London, and gave him up for adoption when he was born, not wanting him to be in hiding. They thought he would have a better future with someone else, hopefully regular parents who could show him a life where he didn’t have to be afraid.
Eventually, baby Kieran was adopted by an older couple who ran a pawn shop in Essex. They had him watch the shop, and do chores to help around as he grew up. They loved him enough, and tried to give him a good life. Kieran was fully supported by them, even when he told them he wanted to pursue a career in fashion, something that he was drawn to from a young age. He went on to study fashion at Central Saint Martins in London and later transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the city where his fashion career truly bloomed.
With each victory, came a tragedy, when he graduated from FIT, his mother died, a heartbreak he wasn’t sure how he got over. When he started his fashion line, his boyfriend left him, and he had started to develop painful headaches that came with increasing frequency. Doctors never knew what was causing said headaches, no matter the tests they ran, and Kieran noticed they appeared after a long day of working with his gowns, he attributed them to his creative mind being exhausted. His headaches were a product of his powers manifesting, he would manipulate the fabrics of his creations, not knowing that he was using his ability to make his clothes fit oh so perfectly, and move so elegantly.
Over time, part of Kieran did notice just how he could mold the fabrics with his mind, make them move, or expand slightly, but he wrote it all off, in denial about the possibility of being “one of those people.” Plus, he knew his parents, the two elderly owners of the quaint pawn shop in Essex, they didn’t have any abilities, so why would he? It was impossible to him.
Years passed like this, until one day when he was having one of his biggest showings at New York Fashion week, he faced another tragedy, the death of his father. He was under such an amount of stress and grief, that he yelled out at one of his assistants in anger, and caused a pair of scissors to go flying in the air right at his forehead, leaving behind a nasty, bloody gash. He and his assistant looked at each other in horror, and Kieran panicked, paying him a large sum of money not to leak anything to the press, or sue him. He couldn’t let his life’s work go down the drain because what he had been in such deep denial over for years had come true, he was gifted. Something that was only solidified by a scout from Santuario coming to recruit him yet again, an occurrence that happened every few years, but Kieran denied each time, until he no longer could.
Kieran immediately took an indefinite hiatus from his work, and left trusted members of his team to run it in his absence. He needed answers, anything that would tell him how and why this was happening to him. Kieran just needed a solution, something so he could get back to his life. In his searching before leaving for Santuario, he found the adoption documents his parents had, finally learning that the two nice elderly people from Essex were in fact not his biological parents. He now had names, but no idea where to turn. His biological parents had very little information he could find, all roads led to London when he was adopted and then puttered out. He hopes that his time in Santuario will help him hone in his abilities and learn exactly where he came from. Surely, if he has super powers, his parents had to as well, right?
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Snape’s ultimate tragedy
Heroic, shattering, and utterly melancholic was Professor Snape’s ultimate sacrifice in the brilliant magical world of J.K. Rowling. But what is truly fascinating about this part of the story is that Snape’s sacrifice was not a choice, it was the only way he knew how to fight, making it an inevitable fate that was dictated by a lifetime of misery.
Snape loved Lily all his life only on his part. In his own head, there was always a desperation towards any form of acceptance. He spent his years attached to an invisible person; a pathological attachment that gradually shaped a persona that dwells on the emptiness; one that draws motivation and power solely from it. Snape’s rejected love became an addiction to the rejection itself. He failed any true open relationship because he defined himself by the pain of loneliness. He was raised and strengthened by his isolation from the world, thus its only natural for him to succeed as an alley in the dark. It was not a choice for him to be a foe of the dark lord while being in disguise, it was actually the only way he ever knew how to fight. Its both true and scary that there would be no imaginary scenario for him to openly emerge as a hero while he is still alive. The revelation of his truth as the most valuable alley was hand in hand with his death, because this marks both the completion of his purpose, the end of his imprisonment, and the conclusion of the sorrow that is his existence.
“Lily?! After all this time” ... “Always”. The answer to Snape’s cryptic soul lays in this unforgettable exchange with Dumbeldore. This “always” is not only a deep strong love, it was a lifelong devotion to the impossible; the sort of devotion that slowly transformed into a dark and addictive escapism into the intimacy of solitude. Snape lived alone, dreamt alone, cried alone, fought alone, and eventually died alone, marking an end to his cursed lifetime of chasing the oblivion that sadly made all what he is.
#cinema#movies#review#art#harry potter#snape#professor snape#the half blood prince#albus dumbeldore#dumberldoe#magic#misery#loneliness#sacrifice#solitude#hero#heroism#dark#love
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Why Hirohiko Araki Is a Great Writer
Note: add writing saying “I am only going to be addressing JoJo because 1) I have not read his older works, 2) His works before and including Phantom Blood lack what I am talking about here and 3) I include JoJo spin-off manga under the “JoJo” moniker”
As the man behind one of the most influential manga of all time, Hirohiko Araki is already a highly praised writer and artist. However, I believe what lies at the heart of Araki-sensei’s writing style is not explored often enough. What I think are the most important factors in the writing of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are the extremes to which the author takes his creative freedom and his skill in writing relationships between people.
Phantom Blood is the most conventional part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. It has a structure very similar to other shounen manga at the time: hero has a rivalry, rival becomes obscenely powerful, hero learns martial art to defeat rival, ally dies, other ally narrates, hero wins etc. Phantom Blood’s writing only succeeds in the outlandish concepts introduced throughout: vampires appearing as a consequence of mayan blood rituals with magical stone masks, vampires somehow sucking blood by introducing their fingers inside a human’s skin, the power of the sun channeled (or created) by breathing, medieval warrior zombies, people being cleft in half by chains… frog punching. What also comes out here is a hint of the strategic battles the series will come to be known for, with Dio’s defeat at the hands of a burning sword.
A lot of the quality of the writing comes in the relationship between Jonathan and Dio, two characters who could not be more polar opposites who supposedly die together. While Jonathan is a typical nice guy shounen protagonist, Dio is a somewhat complex villain; he is irredeemably evil, but not unjustifiably so.
The decision to change protagonists was in itself an unheard of prospect at the time, each part bringing its own atmosphere and self-contained storyline, facts which allow Araki-sensei to explore all of them at length.
In comparison, Battle Tendency goes completely off the rails. If Phantom Blood is a cautious dip into the water, then Battle Tendency is a cannonball jump right into the deep end. This is where JoJo starts going from typical shounen manga to a manga characterized by battles of wits and skill rather than of pure brawn; and this change is reflected in its protagonist. Where Jonathan was the perfect gentleman who would never face his enemy anything less than head-on, Joseph likes to screw with his opponents’ heads. To show this change in character, his first major fight is against an enemy comparable to Dio, who is taken out a lot more easily thanks to Joseph’s fighting style. The insanity present in Phantom Blood is taken up to 11: the vampires are mere distractions to the new Pillar Men, Nazis are turned into Cyborgs and Hamon now apparently works on bubbles.
The relationship built between Joseph and Caesar is perhaps the most natural growth displayed in the series until this point. Their friendship grows gradually and culminates not with perfect teamwork, but with a realistic ideological fight between the two, one that Joseph would come to regret for many years to come. Caesar’s death is one of the most natural and powerful scenes in manga history, from the desperate dedication he displays even in his final moments, to Wamuu’s respect for him and to Joseph’s desperate cry for his best friend.
Stardust Crusaders is the start of Araki-sensei’s complete creative control. Stands now allow him to explore any fun and interesting idea he has in battles and to make stands that fit with their characters. The change of the format from single story to monster of the week supports the author’s writing style of throwing ideas at the wall and expanding them to his heart’s content. However, the clunkiness of his inexperience with such creative control is obvious. He is obviously pressured to come up with cool designs and powers for the stands (some of which he will later forget). In the second half of Part 3, getting used to the concept of stands, he starts writing interesting and fun ideas for his battles, like the D’Arby Brothers and Vanilla Ice. The insanity is punctuated by the increasing number of musical references (from Captain Tennille to Oingo Boingo).
Sadly, the characters take a backseat for the duration of this Part. Except for certain minor moments between the Crusaders, the characters don’t really have arcs (except for perhaps Iggy and Polnareff). For this reason, Jotaro, Kakyoin and Avdol are often criticized for having little to no character, which is a fair point. Jotaro himself is more of a superpowered version of the most barebone characteristics of Sherlock Holmes.
Dio’s return recontextualizes Part One as a tragedy rather than a story of sacrifice for the greater good, as well as making Part Three more of a culmination of generations of fighting rather than another story about saving the world. Jotaro vs Dio is still one of the best battles in shounen history because of the weight behind every single action the characters take feeling like the climax of the story.
Diamond is Unbreakable, in contrast to its predecessor, is not in the least an epic story about cleansing evil. It is, for the most Part, a slice of life. Therefore, its stand users have abilities more suited to everyday life (Bad Company notwithstanding), or rather their own special needs. The town of Morioh truly feels like a real (albeit bizarre) place, with a community comprised of people with their own personal goals. The advantage of Part 4 in Araki-sensei’s writing style consists of the fact that the author is no longer chained by the needs of the lengthy story structure that plagued Part 3. He himself pointed out in an interview that he could always go back to continue Part 4 if he wanted to (I could not find the interview again, sorry. If you can find it or correct me, it would be most appreciated).
The character’s relationships in DiU are quite evidently better defined than in Part 3. The main crew of Part 4 is smaller and it never feels restrained to keep everyone around at every point in the story (like Part 3 was somewhat forced to). In this way, characterization and character relationships are better crafted within stories that emphasize only those characters and relationships. Jousuke is never forced to be the main character of an episode; rather, he only is when the story demands it, making for a much better experience. Of note are Koichi, whose growth is signaled within his stand’s abilities, Rohan, whose growth is exhibited throughout the series and within his spin-off series, Joseph, whose appearance is bittersweet to old fans, as the sneaky and crafty Joseph becomes senile and unable to do anything worthwhile and Kira, whose chillingly normal demeanor doesn’t betray his dark tendencies.
After Part 4’s gleeful atmosphere, Part 5 dives right back into the horror-inspired roots of JoJo. Giorno Giovanna, Dio’s son, is a far more dark and cunning figure than Jousuke. Indeed, Giorno and the rebellious cell of Passione he becomes part of are a reflexion of past characters painted in a new, more sinister light, fitting with the new Mafia theme. They are a family, led by Bruno Bucciarati just as the Part 4 gang was led by Jotaro, but because of their jobs, they live in a world almost completely devoid of the fun antics of DiU. However, their relationships are just as well developed: Abbachio and Giorno’s one-sided rivalry is resolved organically, Bucciarati and Giorno’s hatred of immorality is what binds them together and Fugo’s “betrayal” is completely in character for him etc. As a villain, Diavolo is well written insofar as we recognize that his main attribute is his megalomania and his relationship with Doppio is magnificently fucked up in the best way possible.
The fights in Part 5 are brutal bouts for survival. The enemy stand users are trained assassins who will stop at nothing to get their revenge on The Boss. What makes this change even more effective is their motive for chasing the gang, the murder of their “family members” at the hands of Diavolo. Therefore, each ability is more valuable than each of the ones in Stardust Crusaders, since there are just a lot less of them. Each stand is that much more developed and consistent in its use (with the exception of King Crimson, but I’m not going on that rant right now) On the other hand, the concepts introduced for them are just that much more insane: a turtle in which one can enter by putting a key in a hole in its back, a stand that dehydrates everything at long range, a stand that can put zippers on anything etc.
Part 6 is a much more plot focused arc. The whole part focuses on Jolyne’s search for her father’s memory and stand discs with the help of Stone Ocean’s gang of reluctant helpers. This gang feels less like a pseudo-family, more like a bunch of people chasing their own goals and helping each other along the way. This, by the end of the story, is what will bring their demise at the hands of Pucci, Dio’s best friend. Despite this, I can’t say they are not well-written characters. Foo Fighters’, Weather Report’s and Pucci’s characters and arcs particularly are very compelling.
Within this story driven part, the villain of the week format just does not fit anymore. This is why, despite their great ideas and executions, a lot of villains from Stone Ocean are made forgettable especially by the ending, which left almost no hope for a direct continuation to be made. In many ways, it can be said that one of Araki-sensei’s strong points eclipsed the other one completely. The creative freedom which used to be a leading factor in why the series was so great was now taken to too many extremes (Looking at you, Heavy Weather and Bohemian Rhapsody) which detracted from the story more than they added.
On the other hand, the reboot Part 7 brought was exactly what JoJo needed, in my opinion. Now that stands had been grounded as more akin to abilities than the ghosts they were originally, there was no need to keep them as anything more than representations of the user’s skills. The bizarre nature of JoJo was also given almost complete freedom with the abolishment of continuity and concepts like stand arrows. Instead, Araki-sensei introduces pseudo-scientific and pseudo-philosophical concepts that fit in perfectly with JoJo. To explain the level of insanity, I will summarize the premise of SBR in one sentence: two men, one crippled and the other with the power of ball hamon, compete in a cross-country horse race in 1880s USA, while fighting dinosaurs and the president using powers granted by Jesus Christ. While the stand battles in the middle section are almost as forgettable as Part 6’s, it matters less because the most important aspect is the development of our two main characters.
The characterization in Part 7 is the best it’s ever been in JoJo. Johnny’s hopeful nihilism contrasts perfectly with Gyro’s playful jackassery. The main cast – now smaller than any that came before it – only consists of two characters (if we don’t include the very well written reccuring side characters). Every character gives a feeling of having their own agenda, while also each contributing to one side of the battle between Johnny and Gyro and President Valentine. Interestingly, Funny Valentine is probably right from an ideological stand point, which is an unexpected turn out from a mostly childish manga up to this point.
Part 8 brings Steel Ball Run’s ideological musings into the 21st century with a return to Morioh. Araki’s style has retained its mature edge, but shifted them into science-fiction territory. The characters retain the moral ambiguity found in Part 7. Jousuke would do anything for Yasuho, even torture somebody. Yet the familial aspect that had long been missing from JoJo returned in full force with the Higashikatas and their rival pseudo-family, the divided Rock Humans. This makes Joubin a perfect antagonist despite his seemingly underpowered ability.
The bizarre atmosphere of JoJo’s fourth part returns with the Shakedown Road and the Milagro Man arcs which have almost nothing to do with the overarching plot of the series, but enhance the sense of a world existing beyond the characters. The battles in JoJolion are realistic and brutal to the extent not even Vento Aureo was willing to go, despite the relative bizarreness of the enemies’ stands.
This is how Hirohiko Araki’s writing style changed over the years from simple and restrained to bold, philosophical, dark and bizarre. The overall mundanity of Hamon was slowly replaced by stands and other special abilities, allowing the author to indulge in outlandish ideas that complimented the intelligent, consistent and thoughtful structure of his battles. To conclude, I believe Hirohiko Araki is a great writer because of the balance between his strange, out there ideas and his calm and logical understanding of his concepts (with a few exceptions), combined with his ability for writing strong and believable arcs and relationships for characters.
Edit: If you want more details about the first four parts of JoJo, I wholeheartedly recommend Super Eyepatch Wolf’s videos on the subject, as he can go into much more detail in those.
#jojo's bizarre adventure#jojo no kimyou na bouken#jojo#jojo stands#hirohiko araki#araki#joseph joestar#jonathan joestar#jotaro kujo#josuke higashikata#jousuke higashikata#jousuke#jotaro#josuke 4#josuke 8#giorno giovanna#jolyne kujo#jolyne cujoh#jjba jolyne#johnny joestar#gyro zeppeli#pizza mozzarella#tequila joseph#tequila joseph is best girl#essay#analysis#article#Opinion Piece#sorry i wanted to put the part 5 dance in but there was no gif for it#how does king crimson work
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Kimetsu no Yaiba Chapter 143 Review
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I don’t really know if what we have seen is confirmed or not, but if we do believe it, then life sucks, and then you die. Shinobu tried her damn best, but challenging a Second Upper Moon was already asking for a secured loss. One revenge has failed, but a new one has spawned. Actually, there are now two personal stories going on here. This was an intriguing setup chapter for next two bouts starring non-pillars slayers.
As soon as the chapter begins with a cover page of the two sisters, it already set up for a depressing end. The flashback reinforce that claim. Dammit to hell. I know she was on a verge of death according to Doma with his punchable face, but it’s a case of hopefulness to believe otherwise. Sadly, it’s not meant to be. It ensues a heartbreaking and depressing defeat for Shinobu.
The flashback shows the moment where her life changed drastically; so much so, she doesn’t have the same sensation she once had in childhood. That sensation is happiness. She was living normal and peaceful, until a demon kills her family. Her view on happiness lies “atop a thin sheet of glass.” This could be a metaphorically speaking that her world lies in dark and cruel nature, while the other side lies the world she was once living in. That or another way of saying happiness can be shattered easily by a tragic event.
As seen in the last chapter, it was Gyoumei that came to rescue her and her sister. This moment inspired her to grow stronger and protect those whose happiness isn’t shattered. This is why she is likeable despite the hidden scary nature, which would be explained further later in the chapter. The two sisters made a promise to keep everyone happy; never let them experience any tragedy that shattered theirs. It’s no wonder the Insect Pillar is designed to be hopeful and free spirited. The two live to protect and slay demons. If they can slay a demon, they can slay dozens. If they can slay Upper Moon, they can slay hundreds. It’s what keep them motivated and strong. Whether they truly can kill one or not, they have to do it.
The image of Taijiro asking her if she is angry appears. It’s a question that defines her character as a whole. The answer is yes, all the time. This is rather sad knowing how she put up a “mask” whenever she smiles or even look calm and peaceful. Although she is nice towards humans and friends, she is always fumed with anger. It’s hard to blame her; she lost far too many loved ones to even feel genuinely happy. Even the little girls back home lost their families, and that alone enraged her. In a symbolic way, her anger is what lead to her fate: death by her sister’s murderer. That’s just cruel.
Doma pissed me off so much in this chapter. It’s due to the mix of sadness for Shinobu’s loss and the way how he tries to look innocent while taunting her with painful words. For starters, he hugs her out of pity; your opponent showing pity is the worst. He mocks her hard effort so harshly, with a smile no less. He calls it completely pointless, including the last strike that he brushed off easily. He even insults her by calling her weak and stupid; nothing like her sister. But it’s all fine with him, because that made up the reason to eat her. His death is going to be so rewarding. He ask for her final word in which she replies, “Go to hell!” At least she got her last word out of rage out, so kudos for her to stay strong till the very end.
Kanao does enter the scene at last, which got me a bit hopeful, but judging by the sequence, it’s too late. Shinobu sends a hand signal towards her; not sure what it indicates. It could be a sign to use that attack that can kill Doma. Not sure how it works, but that’s the element of surprise setup. Doma puts an icing on the cake of hated character by crushes her back or neck. She drops her sword and if we go by the reaction and the flow of an eerie atmosphere, it would seem Shinobu is gone, in front of Kanao no less. This sucks.
Kanao is enraged, the most expressive moment so far, and charges head-on with Flower Breathing Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo. I believe this is her first action as well, or at least a major one. She has been slowly developing throughout the series. She became lively like a person. It’s sad that life was going places until this happens. She attacks but misses Doma. Speed is key to defeat him, though I don’t know if she is fast enough to harm him. Because a new challenger appears, Doma absorb Shinobu for later snacks.
Now if we were to believe that Shinobu isn’t dead, rather unconscious, then perhaps there’s hope; sort of. It’s interesting that he keeps her body, rather than chowing down immediately. Because of this, maybe this would indicate that Shinobu is only out and it’s up to Kanao to rescue her. That will raise the stake, even if currently is already high enough. If she’s dead, then this battle could lead to Kanao retrieving her body for a proper burial. It would be a total tragedy if Shinobu was killed and eaten; nothing to mourn over. We will have to wait and see how this follows up.
Doma is so dislikeable at this point, but he does make a really good villain. His rotten attitude, despite how nice he appears, his harsh insults, and a face that needs to get fractured is all it needs to wish him for the worst. As for Kanao, this is her first major battle. She has undergone a slow development to the point she must fight. This could be really interesting; even more so for the aftermath if there’s more story to explore. It’s like witnessing a birth of a heroine. Granted, Nezuko is the main heroine and female characters are treated really well, but this could be Kanao’s uprising.
It looks like the next chapter will shift focus entirely on Zenitsu though. Not that it’s a bad thing, especially with this intriguing setup for the next battle. He has been appearing more serious than ever before, and he’s conscious; we now know why. He finds the demon he was looking for, but this one was his former senior. It is Kaigaku, thrilled to meet Zenitsu once again. It’s the student from Zenitsu’s flashback, I believe chapter 34, but now not only a demon, but an Upper Moon member. Wow, this has gotten really personal and crazy really fast. Now I understand why Zenitsu has been acting “strange.” This battle should be really good.
Overall, this was a pretty intriguing chapter. It has a sad defeat for Shinobu, likely dead, with the sad note of anger led to her end. Doma continues to be a threat and someone you want to see him get annihilated. An interesting setup for two battles; one with Kanao to avenge her master, and the other one with Zenitsu to settle a personal grudge. The visual is really good, coming a long way for the mangaka with its solid sequences and details. I expect the next chapter to start with a flashback. One thing is certain: when it gets personal, someone is going to pay dearly.
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Honorary Estonia Chronicles
Today, September 28th, marks the 24th anniversary of one of the most horrific and traumatic disasters we residents of the Baltic Sea area have ever experienced:
The sinking of passenger ship M/S Estonia. 🛳️
From a human standpoint, the disaster was tremendous even if you did not know any of the victims. But I must add that to us Finns as well as Estonians/Swedes/basically anyone and everyone who sails the Baltic Sea daily in ships identical to M/S Estonia, the tragedy was truly shocking and humbling.
The reason I´m doing this post is partly because today is the anniversary of the disaster, but also because I visited the memorial when I was in Tallinn and thought it would be worth it to introduce this tragic event to those who were not around when it happened - because if it happened then, it could easily happen now.
To fully understand the impact the disaster had on Estonia (the country) in particular, it's worth remembering that Estonia had lost their independence in 1944 when it was occupied by the Soviet Union and only re-gained it back in 1991, so in 1994 when M/S Estonia sank, the country was still struggling trying to define its identity and get back on its feet after 50 years of Soviet rule.
Another worthy point is that Estonia is a very small country with a population of only 1.3 million. To put it in perspective: the city of Munich in Germany houses 1.4 million people aka the entire country of Estonia could fit inside Munich! This of course means that the M/S Estonia disaster affected pretty much each and every Estonian personally.
I know many people, myself included, have seen the movie Titanic and probably thought to themselves “That could never happen in modern times”, but alas...😔
The story goes as follows:
Passenger ship M/S Estonia was the "crown jewel" of the Estonian shipping company Estline - and essentially perhaps even Estonia the country as a whole - and had the capacity to transport up to 2000 people at a time between Tallinn and Stockholm which is an overnight voyage.
On the evening of September 27th 1994, M/S Estonia set sail on her regular route from the port of Tallinn on its way towards Stockholm, with 989 people on board.
The night in question was a stormy one, but definitely not hurricane-level. For all intents and purposes just your average late September evening.
The voyage across the Baltic Sea started off as planned.
Passengers relaxed and nibbled on the bountiful buffet servings, maybe did some taxfree shopping, or enjoyed a sparkly drink and a spin on the dance floor in one of the ship´s bars.... 💃🍸 🎇
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as cruises go... Fun times, relaxation, enjoyment. Just living life and enjoying being alive.
If only they had known what was about to happen...
As night started to fall and the ship left the safety of the Estonian coastal area, the Baltic winds started to sway the ship more and more, and waves reached several meters. Some passengers started suffering from seasickness, but still this was nothing unusual for a rough night at sea in late September. 💨
As the clock started nearing midnight, many of the passengers started heading down to their cabins for some shuteye, even tho the storm was still tossing the ship quite severely and sleeping was probably going to be a bit difficult.
Shortly before 1 am one of the crew members touring the ship on his scheduled route heard a MASSIVE bang coming from the bow of the ship - and at the same time the ship itself met with a MASSIVE wave and tilted steeply. Way, way more than is usual for ships this size on open seas.
The officer naturally reported to his superiors about this anomaly, but the chiefs on the deck did not have clear visual on the bow and thus could not get a clear picture on what the hell that had been.
The noises coming from the bow were in fact so loud and so unusual that some passengers also left their cabins and headed upstairs to investigate the situation - a decision that proved to be quite critical.
Before we continue...
What exactly had happened?! 🤔
Even years later, the source of that loud bang and the subsequent events have been debated big time, with several explanations and conspiracy theories ranging from explosions in one of the trucks being transported as cargo to the crew simply having forgotten to close the front gate of the ship.
The (real) main reason however is that the front visor had ripped open during that storm that forcefully pounded on the ship all evening long, and finally in the middle of the night tore off completely, meaning that the ship´s front was left completely exposed and water was free to gush in from the ice cold sea.
Tragically this happened in the wide open sea in the middle of the night instead of closer to shore where rescue operations would have been much easier to conduct...
Soon after the officers started getting more and more reports of water flowing on the ship´s floors, and this naturally started tilting the ship even more, slowly but surely.
The crew tried furiously to steer the ship away from the wind and waves and pumping water from the engine rooms, but it was no use...
In a battle between humans and Mother Nature, there can only be one winner.
Rapidly an all-out panic started spreading among passengers who naturally by now had realized that something was horribly wrong - but tragically the strong tilt and raging ocean were proving to be too much for many passengers who had left exiting their cabins too late. Those who had left earlier had a much better chance of reaching the lifeboats, whereas those who had waited in their cabins too long were now trapped inside forever, simply waiting for the inevitable...
I don´t know about you guys, but for me that would have to rank as one of the most horrific ways to die! And not just drowning, but KNOWING you are eventually going to drown and there is no hope because you are trapped in a cabin and the freezing water level just keeps rising and rising...
That´s the stuff of horror movies. 😱
Sadly what most probably also contributed to the panic and distress inside the ship was the fact that the crew was seemingly caught completely off-guard and not able to take control of rescue operations. For example, there was only one, very faint, alarm being aired through the ship´s loudspeakers - but who even heard it amidst all that mayhem? Not many, as reported by survivors.
Some survivors later described that the scene inside the ship was a true definition of “every man for himself”, and how the smallest of decisions such as “Do I turn right or left at the end of this corridor?” was literally a life or death decision.
There were plenty of lifeboats for all on board so technically there was no need for loss of life unlike on the Titanic - but like I said, the situation on board was so dire and so chaotic, and only accentuated by the ever-rising water levels inside the ship which made it damn near impossible to move around, that many of the lifeboats and life-jackets sadly went unused.
And even more sad is the fact that due to the passengers being forced out into the freezing cold ocean in the middle of the night and in the middle of a storm, many who had managed to make it out of the ship later went on to die of hypothermia on the lifeboats or drowned in the raging sea while waiting for the rescue operation to commence.
The ship managed to send out an SOS and fellow cruise liners on the Baltic sea did rev their engines to get there in time - but the wrath of the ocean was too strong and time simply ran out.
In the wee hours of the morning, September 28th 1994, M/S Estonia finally fell on its side and sank to the bottom of the ocean, less than an hour after the front visor ripped off.
852 lives were lost on that night. 😢
Only 137 people survived, making Estonia´s sinking even more deadly than that of the mighty Titanic in 1912.
A staggering 86% of M/S Estonia´s passengers never returned home again.
From personal experience I can say that waking up that morning to hear the news of something this horrific happening basically right on my “front lawn”...
Surely something like this only happens in movies?! A whole giant passenger ship sinking completely out of the blue like that...
No words... 💔
And speaking of Titanic: as is well known, Titanic´s wreckage has long been investigated by scientists and even extreme thrill-seeking tourists, and many artifacts have been salvaged from the bottom of the sea.
None of that is possible with M/S Estonia.
In this case, the governments decided that in order to prevent the wreckage from becoming a target destination for looters or tourists looking for macabre experiences under water, not only has the ship´s exact resting place at the bottom of the ocean been kept a secret...
(basically she lays somewhere around the X mark)
... but also the hull was covered in concrete and thus getting into M/S Estonia the same way as into the Titanic via robots or divers has been rendered impossible.
This move of course caused massive controversy because as much as the concrete coating keeps looters out and protects the sanctity of the wreckage being the final resting place for hundreds of people, but at the same time it also prevented any efforts to perhaps salvage some victims for proper burials - and also meant that the the conspiracy theories still live on as to why this ship and almost 900 people had to sink 80 meters under water...
All the surviving loved ones of the victims now have are memorials for the tragedy - one of which you can naturally find in Tallinn overlooking the dock where the ship set off on her fateful last journey.
The memorial represents a “broken line” symbolized by the gap between two stone pillars reaching across a Tallinn park.
Next to the memorial stands a humble white cross reminding future generations of the tragic ending of M/S Estonia.
RIP M/S Estonia
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