Given the opportunity, Branagh abridges everyone’s lines except his own. Much like the Guardian’s columnist, I found it surprising to encounter a Lear with abs – and not by accident. Branagh’s muscles seemed to have been deliberately contoured with mud to add maximum definition, as if in a Kardashian make-up video. This is ego, not theatre...

...For me, this was a reminder of Branagh at his worst and at his best. He shines as a talent-spotter, nurturing young British actors. Yes, his Lear was preposterous. But did you notice Jessica Revell, making her West End debut in the dual role of Cordelia and the Fool? Or her fellow 2023 RADA graduate Melanie-Joyce Bermudez, who was often electrifying as Regan?

Branagh has taken full advantage of his presidency of RADA to give opportunities to its brightest students – Jessie Buckley’s Perdita in his 2015 The Winter’s Tale was pivotal to her career. Eleanor de Rohan, here playing Kent, is another talented recent graduate who owes much to Branagh – I first saw her as Guildenstern while she was still at the school, when Branagh directed Hamlet with its students. (Tom Hiddleston, another Branagh RADA protégé, made a superb return in the title role.) Branagh’s mentoring of RADA’s finest is something to celebrate – the only ethical question is whether other drama schools have cause to complain.

if there's one thing consistent about me it's that pokemon will never leave my brain regardless of whatever else is in there

rewatched more community with my friend. more specifically, horror fiction in seven spooky steps (and cooperative calligraphy, but that’s not relevant here).

annie’s story is just so obviously the best. it’s not just reflective of how her mind works, but also reflective of her entire relationship to jeff, her latent anxieties of his predation, the way in which she fantasizes about having the power to, quite literally, murder him gruesomely. it cycles through annie’s entire inner monologue regarding what jeff means to her: first bridal carrying her into his home in a chivalrous way, asserting his desire to protect her as a father might, then introducing his more predatory and exploitative tendencies through his relationship to britta (who is fine with being a vessel of desire through which he consummates his animalistic urges, unlike annie), then asking to be reformed through annie’s unique intelligence (shoutout to king lear!! i knew annie had taste), but then ultimately revealing that her efforts to construct him in a more palatable image are futile, at which point she subverts the power fantasy by destroying him painfully and without remorse. even putting aside the fact that annie clearly views britta’s tacit enjoyment of sex with men (and jeff in particular) as something appalling and debasing (because she’s a lesbian), annie’s psychological landscape as it relates to her sexuality is a distinctly macabre gothic horror, illustrating how her sense of desire is mingled with horror and repulsion. annie’s attraction to jeff has always very clearly been a power fantasy, but whether he is the one with the power (reminds her of her father, an older man who has life experience validating her existence through his approval) or she is (her ability to reform him, the worst man she knows, ideally demonstrates her ability to be desirable to anyone; she wants him to submit to her that prove that she can be powerful in her own right) doesn’t really matter. either way it’s clear that this attraction is hollow, signifying her desire to be loved rather than her desire to love jeff.

it’s also interesting to note that troy’s story immediately follows annie in an attempt to show her up, and while far cruder and more childish, it also illustrates his latent sexuality and its more horrific implications. annie and troy, notably, are the only characters whose stories are about sexuality in any way, unless you count pierce’s racist and misogynistic delusions, which you shouldn’t. shirley fantasizes about being vindicated as a christian, jeff sublimates his own fear and loneliness through chang (lol), britta brittas it, and abed completely detaches himself from his story whatsoever, because he’s literally normal. but annie and troy both belie their fears regarding their latent (homo)sexuality through the vehicle of the horror genre. but while annie’s fear of jeff’s predation is resolved through an empowering subversion of her victimhood, troy’s anxieties about being codependent with abed are simply resolved through accepting his codependency as a power fantasy which he levels against the unnamed crazy old racist doctor (ie, pierce, but also ie, hegemony). obviously troy does eventually confront the fact that he has subsumed his entire identity into abed’s, but i do think there’s also something quite beautiful about the fact that on a purely subconscious level, it’s not something he’s afraid of, but in fact something he welcomes. by becoming one with abed, he is also becoming himself. it’s quite a puerile power fantasy, because it’s troy’s, but it also conveys a really poignant sentiment regarding the nature of troy’s desires, his anxieties regarding his growing codependency (moving in with abed earlier in the season, doing literally everything with him, trying to counterbalance this fact by randomly deciding that he’s into britta) but also his acceptance of it as something that only makes him “more awesome.” coming out isn’t linear, but also by the time troy does come out, he won’t actually need to, because the closet is made of glass.

Hi, I am Micaela (at least that's the name my parents gave me), and I am not sure about literally anything related to my identity. I'm not very sure about how this works, but I thought you may be able to help(?

Ok first of all I'm afab and even though I don't feel really disphoric ab my body, I do feel a little uncomfortable when people call me "mujer", for example (I live in a spanish speaking country).

I got to think that I maybe could be an nb person, but it still felt a little weird. I haven't discarded it yet, though, since it could be bc I'm not used to the idea.

(Could you please do a pronoun check with the name Mica and pronouns they/them? Some facts about myself: I am really passionate about music in general, but I more specifically really enjoy singing and listening to whatever I feel like listening at the moment. I also love reading and literature in general, though I don't really have the time to focus on this. I do not like running or swimming (like, at all), but I've been trying to lear a little swimming bc ik it's important. Whst else can I say... I have three dogs and they are sooo cute. Um, please mention me as a nonbinary person. I hope that's enough info lol.)

I also thought that I may be just a cis woman who wants to be smth else to make herself interesting (which is pretty sad), but idk.

I even got to consider that I might be a man, but they've got me a little traumatized and it's just really hard to even imagine myself as one (I'm just talking about my personal experience, but still I'm sorry if I made anyone feel ofended on any way).

I don't usually feel comfy wearing very femenine clothes, but sometimes I feel like it so I put on a cute outfit and go somewhere wearing it, and then regret doing it after some minutes. But this could ALSO not have anything to do with gender, so as you can see I'm a confused pile of teenager material. Help me please.

My sexual orientation is a whole mystery as well, but that woul make this way too long, so I'm just gonna sent it like this and, yeah.

Oh I would also appreciate if you could make some more pronoun checks for me, with the same info than the one above but changing a few things :)

1- the one above

2- changing the pronouns for she/they but keeping it nb

3- same as #2 but with she/her

4- same but with he/him

5- same but with he/they

6- keeping they/them but using whatever genders you think might suit me (on different paragraphs please)

7- the same as #6 but with she/they

8- same but with she/her

9- same but with he/him

10- same but with he/they

11- changing the gender to a girl

12- everything again but with Micaela instead of Mica (I'm sorry), and if you can think of a similar name that would sound good in spanish please tell me as well (it's not necessary to make more pronoun checks with that variation, I'm not that mean).

Okay sorry those are a lot of requests, feel free to take your time.

Of course, I will link some feminine/female genders, that I am not sure are in spanish, feel free to check them out!

Mica came by and told me they are non-binary, I didn't know so I asked them about and Mica was very nice. They also use they/them now, so please remember that

I told them she owed some guy money, but they asked me if he was against non-binary people. I realized Mica was scared. I went for them and helped her come out to a random guy. Starts are starts!

Mica got her new coat! She planned she write some poems on it. I told her to just be calm and write as a start, she also showed me some nice art she found. It has non-binary stuff, and I think she is non-binary?

He has a nice voice, also I heard that he goes by Mica, so I need to update his biography. He doesn't know I'm writing his non-binary life to help progression. With his premission.

Mica has made some nice music with me, he has this voice and I told them I know some cello. We made a nice poem-like song, but he wants to try more. Just drabbles, but they could make a career out of it.

6a. They are a demigirl, I asked Mica what is demigirl? They just said that it's when one is part girl or part feminine. They helped me a lot with some other stuff, but Mica is also feeling better. Not so feverish.

6b.They are making a story about paragirls like themself, and I feel like Mica is doing well. They are making me realize I may not be demigender, but I didn't tell them. Maybe later I'll tell Mica?

7a. She got some nice stuff, but I saw a demigirl flag and they shooshed me out? I won't tell her parents, I know they may not like it. I know Mica thinks your safe. Yea, Mica, I was talking about her the whole time.

7b.They came and said that she uses paragirl now, so I know they are ok with stuff like that. She has some knowledge on me, but how much do they know? Mica knows I'm trans and that's it? I should tell her I'm queer too!

8a.I saw her play piano, and she made the song sound like she was saying demigirl, which is her gender right? Anyway, I know she uses she/her, so I'm safe with pronouns. Mica use any new names?

8b.I know she has a dog, but I saw two dogs! Did she get a new dog or did the coming out make me forgot the color of them? Oh, she has 3 dogs. Ok, also Mica told me to tell you she a paragirl.

9a.He got some ncie heels, he told me to get him a newspaper? I think he is watching news more, wait wait, he told me he would make a letter about demigirls like him with newpapers. Mica is just a smart demigirl eh?

9b.I swore I saw him dancing to some song, he should dance more. I know where he is makes him worried, but Mica is missing out. Being a paragirl probably brings problems when girls vs boys comes up, but he could figure it out right?

10a.They have a new skateboard, and he made sure to paint it demigirl colors, which sound nice as frick. They asked if wanted him to paint me one but I don't mind. Mica does enough for themself alone!

10b.I got him, Mica by the way, a new dog sweater. They always want me to make them some, and I do get free dog pictures of the his cute dogs, but I want Mica to learn so I get them for free.

11a.She is just a girl with a hecking voice, I want Mica to get choir classes, but they say no. I respect her choice like their everything, but I am wanting to push this on her.

11b.I gave her a good, time. Made sure she felt like the girl she was. I learned she liked music so I got her some singers stuff. She also is getting some books soon from me.

11c.I told them that they are what they say, but they have been worried about over phone stuff. I think they said they want people to call them a girl and use they/them? I didn't have time to help them.

11d.He got a new book, and he said he has his dogs learning some words. I taught his dogs 'girl' and that Mica was a good girl, so they understood he was. Mica is nice to his dogs.

11e.I made sure they had fun, he got called a girl but they say it's ok, so maybe he is fine with girl? I want to wait until they comfirm it but just a update on him.

For 12 I decided to make a few paragraphs, no gender mentions. I hope it works in place for time for use both!

She got a new name, Micaela, and I know she will make it sound nice! I think she also spells it with a c, not a k, so be careful when spelling her name.

They have a letter written to a classmate you need to carry for me, but Micaela should have written Micaela on it. If you lose it they are after me.

He has some swim gear, and Micaela has wrote his name on it? I don't know why, but I want him to feel safe here, so if Micaela seems scared please ask him if he is.

Madra is a spanish name for girls that sounds nice, but maybe Micaela could work in spanish? I think it can be pronounced fine, but I only took a spanish class two years ago and know nothing anymore, so I am not the best. Monica also sounds nice

As for gender troubles, I had been questioning for a long time. I think exploring all base things is a good thing to do first: like all pronouns you know, etc. The gender bible is a nice place to look especially for dysphoria. Demigirl and Paragirl are gender identitys that are part feminine, and honestly those seem like good starting places. If you go through many labels that's ok!

https://gender.fandom.com/wiki/Demigirl and https://www.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Paragirl

Automotive Plastics Market Size, Share, Trends, Key Drivers, Growth, Challenges and Opportunity Forecast

Automotive Plastics Market report is an important manuscript for every market enthusiast, policymaker, investor, and market player. A detailed market research study of this report focuses on several essential parameters related to the market that includes but are not limited to a competitive landscape, brief segmentation and industrial infrastructure. This marketing report offers an in-depth overview of product specification, technology, product type and production analysis considering major factors such as revenue, cost, and gross margin. Automotive Plastics market is supposed to grow during the forecast period due to growing demand at the end user level.

An influential Automotive Plastics report represents all the regions as well as countries across the globe, which showcase a regional manufacturing status, such as volume, market size, value and price details. It has been believed that the finest market research report is the one which is pertinent, unique, and creditable that employs proven tools and techniques to turn complex market insights into simpler version. A market research carried out in this report assists in improving and enhancing the products so that future products offer more fulfilment to the valuable customers.

The automotive plastics market is expected to witness market growth at a rate of 11.2% in the forecast period of 2021 to 2028. Data Bridge Market Research report on automotive plastics market provides analysis and insights regarding the various factors expected to be prevalent throughout the forecast period while providing their impacts on the market’s growth. The increase in demand for the product for various industrial applications is escalating the growth of automotive plastics market.

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The polymeric materials refer to the materials that possess the capability of being shaped or molded via applying high pressure and temperature. The plastics are known to have various properties including low density, transparency, electrical conductivity and high toughness. Various thermoplastics and thermosets are generally molded and remolded to be used in the automotive industry. Polypropylene and polyethylene are the commonly used materials.

The major players covered in the automotive plastics market report are Magna International Inc., Lear Corporation, Adient plc, BASF SE, Borealis AG, Covestro AG, Evonik Industries AG, SABIC, Grupo Antolin, TOYOTA BOSHOKU CORPORATION, Faurecia, TOYODA GOSEI Co., Ltd., Sage Automotive Interiors, DSM, Dow, Momentive, TEIJIN LIMITED, Solvay, Akzo Nobel N.V., and CNR Group, LLC, among other domestic and global players. Market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America separately. DBMR analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Table of Contents: Automotive Plastics Market

1 Introduction

2 Global Automotive Plastics Market Segmentation

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insight

5 Market Overview

6 Automotive Plastics Market, by Product Type

7 Automotive Plastics Market, by Modality

8 Automotive Plastics Market, by Type

9 Automotive Plastics Market, by Mode

10 Automotive Plastics Market, by End User

12 Automotive Plastics Market, by Geography

12 Automotive Plastics Market, Company Landscape

13 Swot Analysis

14 Company Profiles

Countries Studied:

North America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Objectives of the Report

To carefully analyze and forecast the size of the Automotive Plastics market by value and volume.

To estimate the market shares of major segments of the Automotive Plastics

To showcase the development of the Automotive Plastics market in different parts of the world.

To analyze and study micro-markets in terms of their contributions to the Automotive Plastics market, their prospects, and individual growth trends.

To offer precise and useful details about factors affecting the growth of the Automotive Plastics

To provide a meticulous assessment of crucial business strategies used by leading companies operating in the Automotive Plastics market, which include research and development, collaborations, agreements, partnerships, acquisitions, mergers, new developments, and product launches.

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König Zucker

König Zucker · Friedrich Glauser · Krimi

Es war von Anfang an die trostlose Affäre par excellence gewesen, wie Polizeikommissar Kreibig sofort am Tatort feststellte. Schiebermilieu - der Tote, der am Boden lag, mit einer Stichwunde in der Brust, an der er verblutet war, hieß Jakob Kußmaul, stammte nach seinem Pass aus Riga, aber vielleicht hieß er gar nicht Kußmaul, vielleicht stammte er aus Bukarest, bei diesen Leuten war man nie sicher … Und der Kommissar Kreibig seufzte. Es war vier Jahre nach dem Weltkrieg, Wien war ausgehungert, und alle Welt schob. Seufzend dachte Kreibig daran, dass er wahrscheinlich Hofrat geworden wäre, wenn die alte Monarchie noch geblieben wäre, aber so … Und da war also dieser Jakob Kußmaul, der vielleicht gar nicht so hieß, lag am Boden, sein rosa Seidenhemd war auf der linken Seite der Brust zerrissen, und ein großer Blutfleck hatte das zarte Gewebe starr und bräunlich gemacht. Der Tote lag neben einem Tisch, und auf dem Tisch stand ein Schachbrett mit Figuren. Eine begonnene Partie. Neben dem Brett zwei Tassen mit schwarzem Kaffee, halb geleert, daneben zwei Silberschälchen für den Zucker: auf dem einen eines jener viereckigen Päckchen, in welchem drei Stückchen sogenannten Würfelzuckers verpackt sind, das andere leer. Auf dem Boden aber lag Jakob Kußmaul und hielt in der Rechten den schwarzen König des Schachspiels, in der Linken ein viereckiges Päckchen Würfelzucker, das zweite Päckchen, das offenbar vorher im leeren Silberschälchen auf dem Tisch gelegen hatte. »Wie lange hat er noch gelebt?« fragte Kommissar Kreibig den Gerichtsarzt. »Oh, so zwei - drei Minuten, glaub' ich.« »War er noch bei Besinnung?« »Glaub' schon, glaub' schon. So einer, der hat ein zähes Leben, das können Sie mir glauben, Herr Hofrat.« »Und Sie glauben, das hat etwas zu bedeuten, das, was er da in der Hand hält?« »Möglich wär's schon … Aber was? Ein schwarzer Schachkönig und drei Stückerl Würfelzucker? … Was soll das bedeuten? … Verstehen Sie das, Herr Hofrat?« »Vielleicht«, sagte der Kommissar, dem der ›Hofrat‹ des Doktors angenehm in die Ohren streichelte. »Vielleicht hat uns der Ermordete damit einen Fingerzeig geben wollen, einen Fingerzeig, verstehen Sie, Herr Doktor, wie wir zum Mörder gelangen. Denn etwas bedeutet der Zucker doch …« »Und die Schachfigur …« wagte bescheiden der Polizist Hochroitzpointer einzuwerfen. Er trug einen armseligen roten Schnurrbart, und seine Stirn war gefurcht. »Ja«, sagte der Kommissar, »der schwarze König … Ich kenn' einen König Haber, ich kenn' einen König Lear und wie die Könige alle bei Shakespeare heißen, Heinrich und Richard und auch König Ottokar kenn' ich - aber einen König Zucker. König Zucker …« wiederholte er und schüttelte den Kopf. Er sah sich im Zimmer um. Ein Hotelzimmer, wie viele andere. Abgewetzter Teppich auf dem Boden, eine grünliche Tapete an den Wänden, verblichen bis auf ein Rechteck, wo sicher einmal ein Kaiserbild gehangen hatte. Das Fenster ging auf einen Lichthof, es war ein trübes Licht im Raum, es regnete draußen, und dann wollte es bald Abend werden. Der Doktor verabschiedete sich, der Kommissar Kreibig studierte lange die angefangene Partie, schüttelte manchmal den Kopf, der Polizist in Zivil Hochroitzpointer verhielt sich still, endlich flüsterte er: »Soll ich den Kellner rufen?« Kreibig nickte. Er starrte auf den Toten. Unsympathisch, durchaus, sah dieser aus. Ein dreifaches Kinn, eine käsige Haut, die Stirn niedrig und Wulstlippen. Von jener berühmten »Majestät des Todes« war keine Spur vorhanden. Kreibig wandte sich von dem Toten ab und trat an den zweiten Tisch des Zimmers, der viereckig war und neben dem Fenster stand. Papiere lagen dort, Rechnungen, Frachtbriefe, Geschäftsbriefe: ›Gemäß Ihrer Bestellung vom 15. 10. beehren wir uns, Ihnen zu offerieren …‹ Eine Brieftasche, abgegriffen, zum Platzen gefüllt. Kreibig öffnete sie: Türkische Pfunde, Schweizer Franken, Dollars, englische Pfunde, zwei Checks. Kreibig zählte mechanisch das Geld, seufzte, weil er an sein Salär dachte, das er in Inflationsgeld bekam, versorgte die Banknoten sorgfältig wieder, als er ganz hinten in einer Tasche, verrunzelt, ein Stück Papier bemerkte. Er zog es ans Licht. Hinter ihm schlich der Polizist Hochroitzpointer auf leisen Gummisohlen durchs Zimmer. Das Stück Papier war ein Ausschnitt aus einer französischen Zeitung: auf der einen Seite die Ankündigung eines Astrologen, aber die Annonce war nicht vollständig, der zweite Teil fehlte. Auf der anderen Seite ein mit Rotstift angezeichneter Artikel: »Le traitement rationel du diabète par le professeur Durand.« Offenbar die Ankündigung eines Buches über die Behandlung der Zuckerkrankheit. Kreibigs Augen wanderten vom Zeitungsausschnitt zum Tisch. Zuckerkrankheit? … Zucker? … Zwei hatten am Tisch Schach gespielt und dazu Kaffee getrunken, aber beide hatten sie den Kaffee nicht gesüßt … Der eine, wohl der Mörder, hatte sein Päckchen auf der kleinen Silberplatte liegen lassen, der Kußmaul aber hatte das Päckchen, bevor er vom Stuhl gefallen war, noch rasch mit der linken Hand gepackt, während die Rechte … aber das kam später. Die Linke hatte also den Zucker gepackt, der Mörder war aufgestanden, hatte sich ruhig durch die Tür entfernt, dann war der Kußmaul auf den Boden gefallen, war gestorben und in einer immerhin merkwürdigen Stellung erstarrt. Denn die beiden Unterarme, vom Ellbogen an, standen senkrecht in der Luft. Die linke Hand hielt ein Päckchen Zucker, die rechte einen schwarzen Schachkönig… Der Etagenkellner Pospischil Ottokar, verheiratet, wohnhaft Mariahilferstraße 45, schien für den ermordeten Kußmaul keine übertriebene Hochschätzung aufbringen zu können. Er habe gesoffen, deponierte er, ganze Nächte durch, gespielt habe er auch, mit Freunderln … und Weiber … aber davon wollte er, Pospischil, gar nicht reden. Dabei sei der Kußmaul krank gewesen, zuckerkrank, habe keine Mehlspeisen essen dürfen, er habe auch einen Spezialisten konsultiert, der habe ihn einmal besucht, ein nobler Herr, Zylinder und weiße Gamaschen und einen schönen weißen Bart, aber in den Namen könne er sich nicht erinnern. »Ja, Herr Hofrat«, sagte der Kellner Pospischil, der arg verhungert aussah, »da lassen's am besten die Finger davon, denn der Mann da, der hat Konnexionen g'habt, ich sag' Ihnen, ein Oberst von der amerikanischen Delegation ist ihn besuchen kommen, und sie haben zusammen englisch g'redt, und überhaupt, Besuche hat er den ganzen Tag gehabt, Türken und Russen und argentinische - und auch G'sindel -, wenn Sie meine Meinung wissen wollen, Herr Hofrat, der Mann war eine düstere Existenz.« »Ja«, sagte der Kommissar Kreibig und strich über sein weißes Haar, das seidig schimmerte, »ja, mein lieber Pospischil, das hab' ich mir schon gedacht, ich hab's von Anfang an g'sagt, die trostlose Affäre par excellence, hab' ich's nicht g'sagt?« Und Hochroitzpointner nickte schweigend. »Sie können gehen, Pospischil … oder nein, warten Sie noch. Der Zucker, Hochroitzpointner, wäre ja erklärt, sehen Sie hier den Zeitungsausschnitt, nicht wahr, 'die Behandlung der Zuckerkrankheit' von einem französischen Professor namens Durand. Nun weiß man ja, dass Zuckerkranke, gerade weil ihnen der Zucker verboten ist, immer Hunger nach Zucker haben, und da hat halt der Kußmaul, wie er gesehen hat, dass er sterben wird, noch schnell das Packerl Zucker in die Hand genommen - gewissermaßen um seinen letzten Wunsch zu befriedigen. Nicht wahr? Was meinen Sie, Hochroitzpointner?« Hochroitzpointner antwortete nichts, er hielt die Hände hängend in Schulterhöhe, was ihm eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit mit einem bettelnden Hunde verlieh. Kommissar Kreibig hasste diese Allüren. »Antworten Sie doch, wenn man Sie fragt!« schnauzte er. - Der Geheimpolizist Hochroitzpointner antwortete nicht, er fragte, und zwar fragte er den Kellner Pospischil: »Mit wem hat der Herr immer Schach gespielt?« »Am liebsten mit dem Swift, einem Engländer. Der Herr… eh … der Tote hat gesagt, der Swift ist der einzige, der gut spielt! Die anderen sind nur Rotzbuben …« »Und der Herr Swift war heute nachmittag auch da?« »Ja, er ist um halb vier gekommen. Dann hat der Kußmaul … eh … der Verstorbene geläutet und hat zwei Schalen Braun bestellt…« »Zwei Schalen Braun? Aber wo ist die Milch?« »Die ist uns ausgegangen, da hab' ich zwei kleine Schwarze gebracht … Und da hat der Herr Kußmaul mich ang'schrien, warum ich hab' Zucker gebracht, ich weiß doch, dass er keinen Zucker nehmen soll, und der andere Herr, der Herr Swift, der darf auch keinen Zucker nehmen, von wegen - der ist auch zuckerkrank …« »So, so …« sagte der Geheimpolizist Hochroitzpointner nur und verschwand. »Sie können gehen, Pospischil«, meinte der Kommissar, »Oder warten Sie noch, haben Sie den Swift fortgehen sehen?« »Ja. Herr Hofrat, um dreiviertel vier hab' ich ihn geholt, von wegen es hat jemand am Telefon nach ihm gefragt.« »Und da hat der Kußmaul noch gelebt?« »Das weiß ich nicht, halten zu Gnaden, Herr Hofrat, das weiß ich also wirklich nicht. Ich hab' geklopft und hab' gesagt: ›Telefon für den Herrn Swift.‹ Da hat eine Stimme gesagt: ›Yes‹, die Tür ist aufgerissen worden, und ich bin zurückgefahren, weil, wissen'S, Herr Hofrat, der Kußmaul, der hat es nicht ganz gerne gehabt, wenn ich ins Zimmer gekommen bin, und einmal, da hat er mir …« »Das interessiert mich nicht, Pospischil.« »Da hat er mir eine leere Flasche an den Kopf geworfen … Ja, also, der Herr Swift, der ist mit mir zum Telefon gegangen, und dann hat er g'redt, englisch, ich hab' nix verstanden, und dann ist er fortgegangen. Hat mir gesagt, ich soll dem Kußmaul sagen, er kann die Partie nicht fertig spielen … Aber ich hab' mich verspätet, hab' zu tun gehabt, andere Gäste haben geläutet, ah, mein! Der Hofrat wissen gar nicht, wie schwer es unsereiner hat, den ganzen Tag laufen, und das kleine Trinkgeld, geizig sind die Schreiber …« »Schon gut, Pospischil, und wann sind Sie dann ins Zimmer gekommen?« »So um halb fünf, Herr Hofrat«, und ist der Kußmaul … eh, der Ermordete - es weiß ja keiner, ob er wirklich Kußmaul heißt, einmal hat ihn einer ganz anders genannt - da ist er am Boden gelegen, und ich hab' der Polizei telephoniert …« »Und Sie heißen Ottokar mit dem Vornamen, Pospischil?« »Zu Befehl, Herr Hofrat, Ottokar, ja, wie mein Großvater.« »König Ottokar's Glück und Ende« murmelte Kommissar Kreibig. »Wie belieben, Herr Hofrat?« »Nichts, Pospischil, so heißt ein Stück von dem Wiener Grillparzer, aber den kennen Sie nicht …« »Nein, Herr Hofrat, einen Gast dieses Namens haben wir nie gehabt in unserem Haus.« »Und Sie haben ein Messer, Pospischil?« … Der schwarze König … König Ottokar … aber dann passte der Zucker wieder nicht … aber der Swift war zuckerkrank, der Hochroitzpointner hatte vielleicht doch recht, aber Swift, Swift … der hatte doch keine Königsdramen geschrieben, nur diese Geschichten über die Reisen … Gulliver? Ja. Gulliver … Es ging ein wenig kreuz und quer zu in Kreibigs Kopf. »Sie haben ein Messer, Pospischil?« fragte er noch einmal, weil der Kellner schwieg. »Oh, nur ein Federmesserl, Herr Hofrat«, und Pospischil zeigte in einem rührend verlegenen Lächeln seine schadhaften Zähne. »Zeigen!« »Bitte schön, bitte gleich …« Aus der glänzend schwarzen Hose zog Pospischil ein Messer heraus, kurz wie der kleine Finger. Kreibig sah es an, klappte es auf: schartig, verrostet; er zuckte mit den Achseln. »Sie können gehen, Pospischil.« »Gehorsamster Diener, Herr Hofrat.« Und Pospischil verschwand ebenso lautlos wie vorher der Geheimpolizist Hochroitzpointner. Kreibig nahm einen Stuhl, stellte ihn neben das runde Tischchen, auf dem die begonnene Schachpartie stand, stützte das Kinn in die Hände und prüfte die Stellung der Figuren. Herr Swift hatte also Weiß. Er schien ein Liebhaber alter, erprobter Spielweise zu sein. Kreibig war ein guter Schachtheoretiker. Weiß hatte Königsgambit gespielt, Schwarz hatte es angenommen, wie viel Züge hatten die beiden gemacht? Höchstens zehn. Weiß hatte einen Springer geopfert, hatte also probiert, das uralte Kieseritzkygambit zu spielen, aber Schwarz kannte die Erwiderung - scheinbar. - Wer hatte nur die Widerlegung erfunden, die Widerlegung dieses Angriffes, der einmal als gut galt? Es war ein Kerl, wie hieß er nur? Süßkind? Nein. Schokoladentorte? Dummes Zeug! Ein bekannter Meister, ein Schachmeister aus dem vorigen Jahrhundert. Wen gab es da? Anderssen? Nein. Morphy? Nein. Pilger? Das war ein Theoretiker … Kreibig gab es auf … Er starrte auf den Toten. In der einen Hand der schwarze König, in der anderen drei Stück Würfelzucker … War der Zucker das Wichtige oder der König? War der Hochroitzpointner im Recht, der jetzt hingegangen war, den Engländer Swift zu suchen, um ihn zu arretieren? Den Swift, der ebenfalls ein Diabetiker war? »Kußmaul«, dachte der Kommissar Kreibig, der es unter der Monarchie sicher zum Hofrat gebracht hätte und der auch aussah wie ein solcher, kein Wunder, dass ihn alle Leute so titulieren - mein Gott, ja, sogar unter der Republik - »Kußmaul«, dachte Kreibig, »dein Tod ist zwar die trostloseste, undankbarste Affäre par excellence, aber du scheinst doch das Bedürfnis gefühlt zu haben, uns ein kleines Bilderrätsel aufzugeben. Dafür sollte man dir dankbar sein. Mein Gott, das Leben ist langweilig genug. Was hat es für einen Wert, deinen Mörder zu suchen. Kußmaul, es wird dich niemand vermissen, nicht einmal deine Freunderln, wie der Pospischil so schön sagt. Du hast nicht viel Gutes getan in deinem Leben, das sieht man deiner Visage an, Leute betrogen, Frauen verführt, ich will Gift drauf nehmen, dass du ein Erpresser bist, du bist ein Aasgeier, Kußmaul, und doch muss ich deinen Mörder suchen. Was willst du, Pflicht ist Pflicht, und wir sind's halt so gewöhnt. Und dann, wenn ich dein kleines Rätsel mit dem 'König Zucker' nicht löse, lachst du mich vielleicht noch aus, drüben, wo du jetzt weiter herum vagierst, wie hier auf dieser Welt … Die Dämmerung war dicht geworden. Kreibig sprang auf, drehte das Licht an. Der Tote streckte noch immer seine halb geschlossenen Fäuste gegen die Zimmerdecke … … Wer hatte nur eine Widerlegung des Kieseritzkygambits gefunden? … Kreibig beugte sich noch einmal über den Toten, öffnete das Hemd, das der Gerichtsarzt geschlossen hatte. Die Wunde war klein, sauber, mit ganz scharfen Rändern, nicht zerfranst … … Wie von einer Lancette, dachte Kreibig, ging zur Tür, schloss sie von außen ab und ging die Treppen hinunter. »Wie sieht eigentlich der Herr Swift aus?« fragte er den Portier. »Der Herr Swift? Der ist klein, alt und zittert sehr viel in den Knien und mit die Händ.« »So, so«, sagte Kreibig nur, zog seine Glacéhandschuhe an, die ziemlich abgeschabt waren. Im Büro ließ er sich ein Verzeichnis der Spezialärzte Wiens kommen. Er ging die Namen durch. Plötzlich, fast am Ende der Liste, sprang er auf und begann mit der Handfläche der rechten Hand eifrig auf seine Stirn zu schlagen. »Natürlich«, sagte er dazu, »selbstverständlich! Das königliche Spiel! Der König des Spiels! Der Meister! Der Schachmeister! Der Zuckermeister!« Und klatschte weiter gegen seine Stirn. Bis schließlich Hochroitzpointner sachte die Tür öffnete, erschrocken ins Zimmer äugte und leise bemerkte: »Ich hab' geglaubt, der Hofrat hat seinen Buben bei sich und haut ihm Watschen herunter.« Wozu zu bemerken ist, dass Watschen der Wiener Ausdruck für Ohrfeigen ist. »Und Swift ist so eine Art Kurier bei der englischen Gesandtschaft. Der ist fort. Im Auto. Ich hab' fragen wollen, ob man die Grenzposten alarmieren soll …« »Nicht nötig, nicht nötig, aber nehmen's eine Zigarette, lieber Hochroitzpointner …« Das war nobel, denn eine simple ›Drama‹ kostete damals … »Ist der Herr Professor zu sprechen?« fragte Kreibig. »Ich glaube …" antwortete der Diener. »Es ist eine wichtige Sache, Kommissar Kreibig, melden Sie mich nur.« Der Herr Professor trug einen schwarzen Gehrock, eine weiße Weste, aber sein langer Bart war eigentlich viel weißer als die Weste. Der Herr Professor war nervös. Er sagte, was man in einer solchen Situation scheinbar immer sagt: »Und was verschafft mir das Vergnügen?« »Herr Professor«, sagte Kommissar Kreibig, »warum haben Sie den Falotten erstochen?« (Falott ist ein plastischeres Wort für Lump.) »Falott? Erstochen?« fragte der Professor. »Haben'S keine Angst, Herr Professor«, sagte Kreibig gemütlich. »Es g'schieht Ihnen nichts. Es sind noch andere Leute da, die froh sind, dass der Kußmaul hin ist. Es ist also mehr ein Privattriumph von mir; denn der Tote hat mir ein Rätsel aufgegeben, und ich hab's gelöst. Er hat nämlich ganz deutlich den Namen seines Mörders verraten.« »So? Wie denn?« »Wüfelzucker in der einen Hand, den Schachkönig in der anderen.« »Und?« »Und Schwarz hat die Erwiderung zum Kieseritzkygambit gespielt.« »Verzeihen's schon, Herr Kommissar, aber ich hab' wirklich keine Zeit …« »Sie sind doch der Herr Professor Zuckertort. Spezialarzt für Diabetiker?« »Ja, und …« »Sie haben im vorigen Jahrhundert einen Namensvetter gehabt, der war ein berühmter Schachspieler, der hat auch Zuckertort geheißen. Und Sie werden zugeben, dass der selige Kußmaul (fragt sich zwar noch, ob er selig ist) den Namen nicht besser hätte andeuten können. Der König, der Meister, dessen Name mit Zucker anfängt … Und jetzt sagen Sie mir, warum Sie ihn umgebracht haben. Ich hab' keinen Verhaftbefehl, ich bin sicher, Sie sind im Recht gewesen, die Sache wird niedergeschlagen. Aber gönnen Sie mir den Privattriumph!« »Warum ich das Schwein abgestochen hab'? Warum?« Das Gesicht über dem weißen Bart wurde feuerrot. »Weil mir der Falott statt Insulin Brunnenwasser geliefert hat und weil mir zwei schwere Fälle fast an Sepsis zugrunde gegangen wären.« »Ja so«, sagte der Kommissar Kreibig, »Brunnenwasser statt Insulin …« und er empfahl sich. Denn Insulin ist ja das einzige, halbwegs sicher wirkende Mittel bei schweren Fällen von Zuckerkrankheit. Vor dem Schild des Arztes blieb Kreibig noch einen Augenblick stehen, las murmelnd für sich. Es stand da: »Prof. Dr. Regis Zuckertort, Spezialist für Stoffwechselkrankheiten.« »Auch noch ›Regis‹, Genitiv von Rex, und im Gymnasium hab' ich gelernt, dass Rex König heißt. Wirklich des guten zuviel.« Kommissar Kreibig zog kopfschüttelnd seine schadhaften Glacéhandschuhe an, trat auf die Straße und spannte seinen Regenschirm auf, weil es ganz sanft regnete. Er verschwand im Straßengetümmel, während ihm aus einem Fenster im ersten Stock ein weißbärtiger Herr nachsah, der vielleicht zum ersten Mal in seiner langen medizinischen Laufbahn es für nötig fand, über ein psychologisches Problem nachzugrübeln. König Zucker · Friedrich Glauser · Krimi Read the full article

Abs Workout at Home, 6 Pack Abs Workout, Home Abs Workout, #absworkout #...

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Lear More: The Power of a 28-Day Workout Challenge

King Lear

King Lear is one of just two of Shakespeare’s plays to mention Football (the other being Comedy of Errors). Kent insults Goneril's servant, Oswald by calling him 'Thou base football player.'

10 things you might not know about King Lear:

#Plays

Poor Kenneth Branagh. His West End production of King Lear has been savaged by critics – including the Observer’s Susannah Clapp – as an emotionally stilted, insubstantial affair. Branagh is, of course, a trained Shakespearean actor, although he hasn’t performed on stage in eight years. His luxuriant bouffant – making him possibly the most follicularly blessed Lear since Laurence Olivier – is all Hollywood, as is the surprising third-act revelation that this Lear comes with abs.

been watching a lot of bugs bunny w my family recently and let me just say..... abed nadir could outsmart that mf . easily!

the tempest for the shakespeare asks 🌊

THE TEMPEST: Which play do you cry the most about? Why?

most definitely king lear!! really its just. every element of that play makes me lose it. like its about the hamartia its about the abandonment its about the familial traumas its about the devotion its about the futility its about the ambitions its about the REDEMPTION..... unparalleled truly

DAY 4926

Jalsa, Mumbai                   Aug 22,  2021                 Sun 11:05 PM

.. raksha bandhan .. and the thread of protection and love and care all weaved into this festive day .. tradition .. our wealth , our culture , our everlasting existence .. and the liberty of non biological relationships to be endorsed as well .. its the trust and the emotion of a brother towards a sister , and a sister towards a brother .. that binding lasts forever .. in love in understanding .. in the belief of the sanctity of the moment .. 

immersed in that culture,  comes the coming together , despite the protocol of the virus .. ably in protection and care , but respected in the feel of the emotion .. 

.. and the day passes in the glory of its presence ..

work starts early tomorrow and the readings of the experience with ‘Amitji’ and Alexa is heartening .. thank you all the Ef for your blessings and love and the effort made to subscribe .. I do understand that the overseas is still a vacant territory, but I shall enquire if there are any plans to take it , beyond the shores of the Country .. 

.. the responses that ‘Amitji’ gives are of course the very first in the making and there shall be additions as we go along .. each design for the next shall have to be creatively challenging, especially the poems and the readings of the works of Babuji .. they need to be heard in the graph and the grain of the recitation as the poet would have wanted it to be portrayed .. and that is what I intend to attempt .. some of the works have a huge story behind them .. coming from the incidents written in Babuji’s autobiography, and some from my own personal remembrances .. the ones that have remained with me from the very early years as a teenager and the accompaniment that, I had the privilege to give to Babuji during the multiple ‘kavi sammelans’ , the poetic symposiums , public events , to different cities around the Country, at times late into the night, and to return back home, for he had to report on his professional job early in the morning in the External Affairs Ministry and that was a trying condition for him .. 

.. for me it was the excitement of hearing his recitation in front of lakhs of people .. at times 100- 200,000 in far off rural areas - the love of poetry at its prime ! 

Sadly one does not see or hear this happening in todays times .. there is attraction among the younger generation I feel towards the written word and its deep and meaningful renditions , but it needs to be woken up .. to be made available ..

.. I played a few of the renditions that have been done with a slight base music to heighten the experience, to some of the young and their reaction was encouraging .. some of them in the field of the media and in the field of ‘the influencer’ were impressed and commented on my Father’s works by expressing that .. “ one doesn’t hear such writings anymore , and it would be a delight for the new generation to have this experience “ .. 

I shall of course continue to endeavour in this direction .. bring more of Babuji’s works to all .. and perhaps at times render a brief story or an English or simple Hindi translation to the inner meanings , wherever possible ..

I am no master of the language, but if the format is acceptable , I shall of course seek assistance from some of the generation that lived in the times and the glory of Babuji ..

.. and .. knowing the many among our own Ef that have a vast knowledge and sense of poetry and literature , seek your inputs as well .. 

 .. it would be a great recognition of the immense talent that exists within us in  the Ef family , but also bring forth the strength of our Family that has remained just, trusted, and loyal to the DAY from DAY 1 ..

.. there are creatives in my mind of the audio readings of Babuji’s autobiography, of his thesis in English Literature on WB Yeats .. his dissertation being on Yeats’ own love and study on Occultism .. an Irish poet rendering his impress on the occult - a very strong and persuasive presence in our cultural existence from the very early centuries , out lasting so many other beliefs, yet still being in prominent belief even today .. 

.. the rendition of the Gita that Babuji translated into the language and the style and grain of Tulsidas’s Ramayan, is the only one of its kind .. the Jan Gita .. and bring to all , its learning through some of the attempts made by our own Ef ..

.. the translation of Shakespeare’s 4 major tragedies .. Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello and King Lear .. in the language of the Devnagri script, yet in the graph of the original Shakespeare graph, tone and writing .. never been done before ..

.. the plays were staged in Delhi .. in the 50′s .. Maaji and I played in Othello .. in the presence of some very distinguished guests .. Macbeth too was staged ..

.. just a reading of some of the originals along with the translations would be an interesting listen .. 

Modern inventions and technologies have provided us this gift of rendition to be heard and read in the absence of the narrator .. 

SOUND AND VOICE AS I SAID, earlier WAS THE FUTURE ..

.. we wait with bated breath on the reactions to them in the early attempts with this gadgetry just launched .. but there are several other units of presents that are being considered, and they shall also be tapped , I hope ..

Technology changes with each breath that we are consuming these days .. 

One wonders where the World shall take us .. 

But wherever it does .. an attempt should be made to hold the tail of its presence and try to move with it .. 

Much like my bicycle ride from Delhi to Chandigarh , when I was travelling to join the Govt.College, Chandigarh - not having got admission in Delhi University , at first attempt .. later of course I got admission in KM College, Delhi University and finished my BSc, from there .. 

.. but that story is another latent write ..

enough for the DAY .. 

 रात्रि की शांति में समय हो गया है , जा 

दिनचर्या की धुंधली यादों को बटोरने का , जा 

कुछ को भूलेंगे , कुछ साथ रहेंगे हमारे ;

कल फिर झहुआ भर के संजोएँगे , जा 

~ ab 

अमिताभ बच्चन 

Amitabh Bachchan

One thing i noticed by reading the synopses of the episodes that are going to air on November it’s that a most of them are about some internal conflict Molly has. 

The first five bunch of episodes ( episode 1 to 5) that were released on this month, October, were mainly about Scratch starting to live with the McGees and opening up to them. (The Curse, First Day Frights, The Unnatural, The Bandshell episode, Not so Honest Abe)

If these mentioned episodes are supposed to be a mini arc for Scratch, then the upcoming episodes that are going to air on November could be considered an mini arc for Molly’s character too. 

Let’s analyze the new episodes synopses: 

Note: Adding Mazel Tov, Libby!/¨No Good Deed too since they are airing near the end of October.

"Mazel Tov, Libby!/¨No Good Deed" : ¨When Molly discovers her best friend didn't even go close to big on the biggest day of life, Molly takes charge to throw Libby the best Bat Mitzvah ever.¨- ¨When Darryl gets in trouble at school, Molly volunteers to help reform his delinquent ways by giving him 'nice lessons¨

For "Mazel Tov, Libby!¨ i think this one could be about Molly getting carried away with throwing a perfect Bat Mitzvah without listening to what Libby wants to do first. Maybe Molly tries organizing the celebration the way she think its the best instead of listening what others have to say.

¨No Good Deed¨ This segment could be more about Darryl’s character growth than Molly’s. However, i think Molly’s is going to struggle with helping Darryl. We have yet to see how their sister-brother relationship it’s like, so, i’m interested in watching this aspect of her character being explored. 

“Game Night/The Don’t-Gooder”:  When Andrea steals credit for Molly’s volunteer work, Molly tries to expose her.

Based from the synopsis, it’s hinting that episode could be about Molly getting back at Andrea. For this scenario to happen, Scratch may try persuading Molly into exposing Andrea’s lies to the public. This episode it’s an unique way of developing Molly since it’s a bit rare for characters of her type to get back to people who messed with them in the past. 

¨The Turnip Twist; All Systems No. 9¨ (If this episode airs on Nov 6th)

¨For one day, Molly can only say 'yes' and Scratch can only say 'no'.¨

While i’m not sure about ¨The Turnip Twist¨ but ¨All Systems No. 9¨ its an episode i have been hyped about it since i first listened to the creators talk about it in the New York Comic Con panel 2020. The episode sounds like a good opportunity for Molly to understand that being positive all the time isn’t always a good thing. This aspect of her personality has been explored before in other episodes like ¨The Unnatural¨, this episode could go into further detail.

¨Monumental Disaster/Talent Show¨

¨When Molly meets Brighton’s legendary founder, Ezekial Tugbottom, she realizes he’s not the hero history made him out to be; ¨Molly tries to prevent Libby from humiliating herself in the school talent show without shattering her newfound confidence.¨

Both episodes look like they are going to develop Molly in different ways: 

¨Monumental Disaster¨ seems like we could see Molly getting very dissapointed after learing the truth about Brighton’s founder. This could be the chance the series shows another side of Molly, that being how she acts when she gets sad about something. This could involve Scratch trying to cheer her up in some way too.

As for Talent Show it’s clearly about Molly trying to protect Libby from humiliation. I think the episode starts with Molly lying to Libby about how she is good at playing an instrument when in reality she is bad at it. The rest of the episode is about Molly trying to cover that lie so Libby’s feelings doesn’t get hurt, something that fits Molly’s character a lot.

¨Scratch the Surface/Friend-Off¨

¨When constantly lying to Libby about Scratch begins to take a toll, Molly struggles to keep Scratch a secret; When Libby and Scratch struggle to be friends with each other, Molly sends them on a scavenger hunt in an attempt to force their friendship.¨

These episodes already have interesting premises since they imply a change in the status quo of the show. While they can go in different ways, the plot of ¨Friend-Off¨ could be a great for Molly to understand that she can’t force two people to be friends and sometimes things can be just fixed that easily. 

As for the Hannukah and Christmas episodes, i’m leaving them out since they seem they are going to be about other characters. 

In conclusion, i think Molly’s character flaws and personality are going to be explored in the detail in these upcoming episodes based on the synopses. I’m looking foward to how the show is going to develop Molly since until know it has been doing a good job at it.

someone made a vid ab how her school (britain but not england) never made kids read a lot and so she’s not good at reading classics so she doesn’t even though she’s at a top uni here n the whole but am i smart/ a good reader and it’s a good point???? like, i did lit at gcse then a level and even at a level you read about 3? 4 books max a year including a play and poetry, so like i think i read 2 books at most for exams? and i don’t feel a huge affinity to heavy classics, i could read it but i don’t think i got the full skills to go deeper with them at all, only started to at college 

Ask 5 different opera characters the "you can take 3 things to a desert island" question. What would their answers be?

based on today’s operatic viewing:

Eurydice: “do people count?”

“yes”

“okay: my dad, my husband, and a copy of King Lear”

Orpheus: “my wife, my double, and good music”

The Father: “my daughter, a pen, and some paper”

Hades: “Eurydice, some champagne, and another wacky suit”

Orpheus’ double: “Orpheus, a jacket that shows off my abs, and stuff for breakdancing” (Jakub Josef Orlinski if you’re reading this you are an incredibly gorgeous and talented man)

All this over the Japanese liking a game they don't like...

Ghost of Tsushima opens with a grand wide shot of samurai, adorned with impressively detailed suits of armor, sitting atop their horses. There we find Jin, the protagonist, ruminating on how he will die for his country. As he traverses Tsushima, our hero fights back the invading Mongolian army to protect his people, and wrestles with the tenets of the Bushido code. Standoffs take advantage of perspective and a wide field of view to frame both the samurai and his opponent in something that, more often than not, feels truly cinematic. The artists behind the game have an equally impeccable reference point for the visuals: the works of legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa

“We really wanted to pay respect to the fact that this game is so totally inspired by the work of this master,” director Nate Fox said in a recent interview with IndieWire. At Entertainment Weekly, Fox explained how his team at Sucker Punch Productions suggested that the influence ran broadly, including the playable black-and-white “Kurosawa Mode” and even in picking a title. More specifically, he noted that Seven Samurai, one of Kurosawa’s most well-known works, defined Fox’s “concept of what a samurai is.” All of this work went toward the hope that players would “experience the game in a way as close to the source material as possible.”

But in embracing “Kurosawa” as an eponymous style for samurai adventures, the creatives behind Ghost of Tsushima enter into an arena of identity and cultural understanding that they never grapple with. The conversation surrounding samurai did not begin or end with Kurosawa’s films, as Japan’s current political forces continue to reinterpret history for their own benefit.

Kurosawa earned a reputation for samurai films as he worked steadily from 1943 to 1993. Opinions of the director in Japan are largely mixed; criticism ranges from the discussion of his family background coming from generations of samurai to accusations of pandering to Western audiences. Whether intentional or not, Kurosawa became the face of Japanese film in the critical circles of the 1950s. But he wasn’t just a samurai stylist: Many of the director’s films frame themselves around a central conflict of personal ideology in the face of violence that often goes without answer — and not always through the lives of samurai. In works like Drunken Angel, The Quiet Duel, or his 1944 propaganda film The Most Beautiful, Kurosawa tackles the interpersonal struggles of characters dealing with sickness, alcoholism, and other challenges.

His films endure today, and not just through critical preservation; since breaking through to the West, his visual ideas and themes have become fodder for reinterpretation. You can see this keenly in Western cinema through films like The Magnificent Seven, whose narrative was largely inspired by Seven Samurai. Or even A Fistful of Dollars, a Western epic that cleaved so closely to Kurosawa’s Yojimbo that director Sergio Leone ended up in a lawsuit with Toho Productions over rights issues. George Lucas turned to Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress in preparation for Star Wars; he’d eventually repay Kurosawa by helping to produce his surreal drama Dreams.

Ghost of Tsushima is part of that lineage, packing in action and drama to echo Kurosawa’s legacy. “We will face death and defend our home,” Shimura, the Lord of Tsushima, says within the first few minutes of the game. “Tradition. Courage. Honor. These are what make us.” He rallies his men with this reminder of what comprises the belief of the samurai: They will die for their country, they will die for their people, but doing so will bring them honor. And honor, tradition, and courage, above all else, are what make the samurai.

Except that wasn’t always the belief, it wasn’t what Kurosawa bought whole cloth, and none of the message can be untangled from how center- and alt-right politicians in modern Japan talk about “the code” today.

The “modern” Bushido code — or rather, the interpretation of the Bushido code coined in the 1900s by Inazō Nitobe — was utilized in, and thus deeply ingrained into, Japanese military culture. An easy example of how the code influenced Imperial Japan’s military would be the kamikaze pilots, officially known as the Tokubetsu Kōgekitai. While these extremes (loyalty and honor until death, or capture) aren’t as present in the myth of the samurai that has ingrained itself into modern ultranationalist circles, they manifest in different yet still insidious ways.

In 2019, to celebrate the ushering in of the Reiwa Era, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party commissioned Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano to depict Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a samurai. Though described as being center-right, various members of the LDP have engaged in or have been in full support of historical revisionism, including the editing of textbooks to either soften or completely omit the language surrounding war crimes committed by Imperial Japan. Abe himself has been linked to supporting xenophobic curriculums, with his wife donating $9,000 to set up an ultranationalist school that pushed anti-Korean and anti-Chinese rhetoric. The prime minister is also a member of Japan’s ultraconservative Nippon Kaigi, which a U.S. congressional report on Japan-U.S. relations cited as one of several organizations that believe that “Japan should be applauded for liberating much of East Asia from Western colonial powers, that the 1946-1948 Tokyo War Crimes tribunals were illegitimate, and that the killings by Imperial Japanese troops during the 1937 ‘Nanjing massacre’ were exaggerated or fabricated.” The Nippon Kaigi, like Abe, have also pushed for the revision of Japan’s constitution — specifically, Article 9 — to allow Japan to reinstate its standing military.

This has been a major goal for Abe as his time as prime minister comes to a definite close in 2021. And from 2013 onward, the politician has made yearly trips to the Yasukuni shrine to honor the memory of war criminals, a status of which his own grandfather was accused, that died with the ethos of the modern Bushido code. Abe’s exoneration of these ideals has continued to spark reactionary nationalist sentiment, as illustrated with the Nippon Kaigi and their ultranationalist ideology. These traditionalist values have encouraged xenophobic sentiment in Japan, which was seen in the 2020 Tokyo elections with 178,784 votes going to Makoto Sakurai, leader of the Japan First Party, another ultranationalist group. Sakurai has participated in numerous hate speech demonstrations in Tokyo, often targeting Korean diaspora groups.

The preservation of the Bushido code that was highly popularized and utilized by Imperial Japan lives on through promotion by history revisionists, who elevate samurai to a status similar to that of the chivalric knight seen in Western media. They are portrayed as an honor-bound and noble group of people that cared deeply for the peasantry, when that was often not the case.

The samurai as a concept, versus who the samurai actually were, has become so deeply intertwined with Japanese imperialist beliefs that it has become difficult to separate the two. This is where cultural and historical understanding are important when approaching the mythology of the samurai as replicated in the West. Kurosawa’s later body of work — like the color-saturated Ran, which was a Japanese adaptation of King Lear, and Kagemusha, the story of a lower-class criminal impersonating a feudal lord — deeply criticized the samurai and the class system they enforced. While some films were inspired by Western plays, specifically Shakespeare, these works were critical of the samurai and their role in the Sengoku Period. They dismantled the notion of samurai by showing that they were a group of people capable of the same failings as the lower class, and were not bound to arbitrary notions of honor and chivalry.

Unlike Kurosawa’s blockbusters, his late-career critical message didn’t cross over with as much ease. In Western films like 2003’s The Last Samurai, the audience is presented with the picture of a venerable and noble samurai lord who cares only for his people and wants to preserve traditionalist values and ways of living. The portrait was, again, a highly romanticized and incorrect image of who these people were in feudal Japanese society. Other such works inspired by Kurosawa’s samurai in modern pop culture include Adult Swim’s animated production Samurai Jack and reinterpretations of his work like Seven Samurai 20XX developed by Dimps and Polygon Magic, which had also received the Kurosawa Estate’s blessing but resulted in a massive failure. The narratives of the lone ronin and the sharpshooter in American Westerns, for example, almost run in parallel.

Then there’s Ghost of Tsushima. Kurosawa’s work is littered with close-ups focused on capturing the emotionality of every individual actor’s performance, and panoramic shots showcasing sprawling environments or small feudal villages. Fox and his team recreate that. But after playing through the story of Jin, Ghost of Tsushima is as much of an homage to an Akira Kurosawa film as any general black-and-white film could be. The Kurosawa Mode in the game doesn’t necessarily reflect the director’s signatures, as the narrative hook and tropes found in Kurosawa’s work — and through much of the samurai film genre — are equally as important as the framing of specific shots.

“I don’t think a lot of white Western academics have the context to talk about Japanese national identity,” Tori Huynh, a Vietnamese woman and art director in Los Angeles, said about the Western discussion of Kurosawa’s aesthetic. “Their context for Japanese nationalism will be very different from Japanese and other Asian people. My experience with Orientalism in film itself is, that there is a really weird fascination with Japanese suffering and guilt, which is focused on in academic circles … I don’t think there is anything wrong with referencing his aesthetic. But that’s a very different conversation when referencing his ideology.”

Ghost of Tsushima features beautifully framed shots before duels that illustrate the tension between Jin and whomever he’s about to face off against, usually in areas populated by floating lanterns or vibrant and colorful flowers. The shots clearly draw inspiration from Kurosawa films, but these moments are usually preceded by a misunderstanding on Jin’s part — stumbling into a situation he’d otherwise have no business participating in if it weren’t for laid-out side quests to get mythical sword techniques or armor. Issues like this undermine the visual flair; the duels are repeated over and over in tedium as more of a set-piece than something that should have a component of storytelling and add tension to the narrative.

Fox and Sucker Punch’s game lacks a script that can see the samurai as Japanese society’s violent landlords. Instead of examining the samurai’s role, Ghost of Tsushima lionizes their existence as the true protectors of feudal Japan. Jin must protect and reclaim Tsushima from the foreign invaders. He must defend the peasantry from errant bandits taking advantage of the turmoil currently engulfing the island. Even if that means that the samurai in question must discard his sense of honor, or moral righteousness, to stoop to the level of the invading forces he must defeat.

Jin’s honor and the cost of the lives he must protect are in constant battle, until this struggle no longer becomes important to the story, and his tale whittles down to an inevitable and morally murky end. To what lengths will he go to preserve his own honor, as well as that of those around him? Ghost of Tsushima asks these questions without a truly introspective look at what that entails in relation to the very concept of the samurai and their Bushido code. This manifests in flashbacks to Jin’s uncle, Shimura, reprimanding him for taking the coward’s path when doing his first assassination outside of forced stealth segments. Or in story beats where the Khan of the opposing Mongol force informs Shimura that Jin has been stabbing enemies in the back. Even if you could avoid participating in these systems, the narrative is fixated on Jin’s struggle with maintaining his honor while ultimately trying to serve his people.

I do not believe Ghost of Tsushima was designed to empower a nationalist fantasy. At a glance, and through my time playing the game, however, it feels like it was made by outsiders looking into an otherwise complex culture through the flattening lens of an old black-and-white film. The gameplay is slick and the hero moments are grand, but the game lacks the nuance and understanding of what it ultimately tries to reference. As it stands, being a cool pseudo-historical drama is, indeed, what Ghost of Tsushima’s creators seemingly aimed to accomplish. In an interview with Famitsu, Chris Zimmerman of Sucker Punch said that “if Japanese players think the game is cool, or like a historical drama, then that’s a compliment.” And if there is one thing Ghost of Tsushima did succeed in, it was creating a “cool” aesthetic — encompassed by one-on-one showdowns with a lot of cinematic framing.

In an interview with The Verge, Fox said that “our game is inspired by history, but we’re not strictly historically accurate.” That’s keenly felt throughout the story and in its portrayal of the samurai. The imagery and iconography of the samurai carry a burden that Sucker Punch perhaps did not reckon with during the creation of Ghost of Tsushima. While the game doesn’t have to remain true to the events that transpired in Tsushima, the symbol of the samurai propagates a nationalist message by presenting a glossed-over retelling of that same history. Were, at any point, Ghost of Tsushima to wrestle with the internal conflict between the various class systems that existed in Japan at the time, it might have been truer to the films that it draws deep inspiration from. However, Ghost of Tsushima is what it set out to be: a “cool” period piece that doesn’t dwell on the reasonings or intricacies of the existing period pieces it references.

A game that so heavily carries itself on the laurels of one of the most prolific Japanese filmmakers should investigate and reflect on his work in the same way that the audience engages with other pieces of media like film and literature. What is the intent of the creator versus the work’s broader meaning in relation to current events, or the history of the culture that is ultimately serving as a backdrop to yet another open-world romp? And how do these things intertwine and create something that can flirt on an edge of misunderstanding? Ghost of Tsushima is a surface-level reflection of these questions and quandaries, sporting a lens through which to experience Kurosawa, but not to understand his work. It ultimately doesn’t deal with the politics of the country it uses as a backdrop. For the makers of the game, recreating Kurosawa is just black and white.