#And to just give a general no- it can only be committed by samurai

[haven-gum-rockrose]

Pet peeve: when people making reaction videos refer to Dazai's suicidal tendencies with the word "seppuku." which is absolutely not what seppuku is. Now, tetchou swearing to split his gut if he breaks his word about Lucy and the ADA? That's seppuku. It's a very specific thing that happens a very specific way for a specific reason, and while it is related and they do share overlap in result, they are very much not words that can be used interchangeably.

[myinnerartist]

*Kicks Down Door*

it's me, ya boi, Load.

And I have some things to say.

But i want to mention @-thevyladsafespace for their post;

^^^ this one ^^^

Where they asked what the inspiration(s) was for the boys' outfits. Having a few guesses of their outfits being inspired by chinese/japanese fashion or dnd/generic fantasy style of fashion.

And, in my opinion, yes!

But... also no.

Lemme explain, But first;

I want to talk about their Daemos outfits. And my thoughts/opinions on the...

Starting with their Daemos Outfits;

And starting with

Noi;

who i actually i think his outfit fits Japanese Inspiration the most!

(Before i explain, i want to say i am not from japan or have visited, nor am i an expert, but i have watched MANY videos about japanese culture from LetsaskShogo on youtube! I highly recommend checking him out. He goes into everything about japan, its history, its culture, its fashion, Noh thearte, tea ceremonies, everything!) (Japanese culture is a special interest of mine, ahah)

His left side of his shirt is over his right side, which japanese traditional kimono style of clothing MUST have! (Wearing the left over right is a MUST in their culture, for only the dead or non-living wear the RIGHT side over the LEFT. It therefore symbolizes death.)

The closest reference for his shirt i can find rn is this one; (which if i remember right are called dogi!)

Additionally,

Useing this image as reference;

His pants are very similar to a style/type of Hakama pants (unfortunately, i have forgotten the name of them. I think a name for them was Karusan, but i may be wrong!!)

Image reference of the pants im talking about;

(They were worn by 'samurai' or otherwise japanese soldiers as a better alternative to hakama due to the pants better ease of movement and more suitability armor.)

Other than that though, he doesn't wear anything else that is SIMILAR to traditional japanese fashion.

Onto my opinions and thoughts about his design;

I love Noi's design the most. He is the most well designed out of the boys'. If i were to change his design, i would keep most of it.

He's an 8/10 for me.

Deducted points because WHY? WHY WITH HIS ARM. Omg. no... No. No!! his design literally would've been perfectly okay IF HIS ARM. WASNT-

give him his sleeve back pls... why was it taken away? What crimes did it commit?? Was color contrast against the armor wanted so badly ThEy TOOK AWAY HIS SLEEVE?? That's worse!! That's worse than just leaving his sleeve alone 😭😭😭

In fact, it would look BETTER if the sleeve was kept unyoinked!!

I apologize for how harsh i may sound. But i can't. I just can't.

Moving onto

Pierce;

My second favorite character~

I believe he is the second closest to having most Japanese inspiration.

With his utterly blue coat, that is the main point of interest in his design... that does look a lot like a kimono.

But i sure hope it isn't because the way he's wearing it makes me want to go

"DISHONER ON YOU!! DISHONOR ON YOUR COW!!"

- (mulan/mushu reference)

And that what he SHOULD be wearing would be similar to a Haori-jacket

Which what it looks like;

(The Haori is a traditional japanese hip or thigh length jacket that is typically worn over a kimono.)

His coat is, however, a Kimono's length. (Maybe even a little longer, actually, kimonos typically only reach the ankles. But the way he wears whatever he wears, could make it look longer than it should be or is.)

Additionally his sleeves and;

The absolute abomination his outfits back is. What the genuine *🐬 noise* happened.

The way his the back of the outfit is, it means that if he wears the unworn sleeve, the back will be SO DROOPED!! It would not be funny or sexy 😔

Here is a reference for how a kimono (though with longer/larger sleeves) with one sleeve not being worn would look;

(i am so sorry, but idk who the artist is and can not find them. Googling bee-com led to (i think) a bitcoin website, and katahada nugi was just for information for samurai armor.) (If anyone knows it would be very appreciated!)

*sigh*

Moving onto my thoughts and opinions on Pierce's design;

Pierce's deisgn is... rather simple. Other than the pattern on his pants.

... tbh i dont really know what else to say. It's simple, basic, the coat, arm-brace, and patten on his pants are the only points of interest in his design. (Other than his tattoo but we'll talk about it later.)

I'd rate him 3/10.

There's... Something. Theres a something... But it's not executed well (or at all) in his design. His (disaster of a coat that deducted points) coat and that something, is his saving grace of a few points.

.

.

.

And i WANT TO CONTINUE THIS in the same post and I PROMISE YOU, i am going somewhere i do i do i just,

In order to continue i NEED the photo space, what do i mean? i mean THERES A PHOTO LIMIT OF 10 ON POSTS!!! TUMBLR WHY 10??? 10??? 10 PHOTOS ONLY???

***insert image of a depressed man bent over in a blue school chair meme***

.

.

.

But i hope you stay tuned and to see you in part 2!! (And most likely part 3... oh boy. Im so sorry)

Again, i promise im going somewhere with this i just need time to cook and get the foundations down first. AND THE PHOTO SPAc-

[fast-moon]

I'm 30 years late, but...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine originally aired when I was 10 years old. I loved Next Generation when I was a kid, so I gave DS9 a try back then... and immediately grew bored of it. They weren't going to new planets or having space battles, they were just sitting around in one place discussing space politics, and there wasn't even anyone funny like Data to hold my attention. So, I stopped watching after a couple episodes.

But, since I keep hearing it ended up being the best Trek seres, I've decided to go ahead and give it a full watch-through. Maybe now that I'm 40 and have more life experience under my belt, I can appreciate it more.

Turns out I do! I've finished the first season, so I'll give a run-down of what I thought of the S1 episodes below the cut:

1-2. Emissary: All right, I actually understand the premise this time which completely went over my head as a kid. The Bajorans were under Cardassian occupation for decades, the Federation showed up and drove them out, now the Federation is in control of the Cardassian space station DS9 to help the Bajorans rebuild and return to self-governance. But wait! Turns out there's a wormhole that goes to the other side of the galaxy here and it's suddenly become prime space real-estate! And the wormhole is inhabited by... mysterious non-temporal entities that spit out a magic orbs from time to time and the Bajorans worship them as prophets.

3. Past Prologue: Garak is queer-coded like whoa and gives Bashir a taste of his own medicine about not respecting boundaries. Is also possibly like a quadruple-agent. And tailors a fine suit. Also, Kira got a haircut. There's rats on spaceships?! Oh, that's just Odo. Okay. Still, the fact that he considered that a convincing disguise means there's rats on spaceships?!

4. A Man Alone: A guy backstabs himself and blames Odo for it.

5. Babel: Poor overworked O'Brien gets so stressed out he starts speaking in tongues. Then it turns out it's contagious. And it turns out that it's because someone sabotaged the station decades ago with a dyslexia virus and then just kind of forgot about it.

6. Captive Pursuit: This actually touches on a moral question I'd been wondering about if we ever end up with sentient AI: If something is bred/programmed to like being oppressed, is it more moral to remove it from its oppression even if that makes it miserable, or to return it to its oppression if that's what makes it happy? This episode chose the latter.

7. Q-Less: A surprisingly boring Q-centric episode whose only shenanigans involved a space stingray Vash was trying to sell off. Q really does miss Picard.

8. Dax: Oh, another philosophical thought-experiment: If you committed a crime and then get reincarnated in a traceable manner and retain all the memories of your previous incarnation, can your current incarnation be held liable for your previous incarnation's actions? This episode decides it doesn't want to answer this because she's not guilty, anyway.

9. The Passenger: Bashir becomes even more insufferable and nobody notices.

10. Move Along Home: Samurai hippies come through the wormhole and demand everyone LARP with them whether they like it or not.

11. The Nagus: Quark falls victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is "Never get involved in a land war with Asia". But only slightly less well-known is this: "Never get involved with a Ferengi when profit is on the line".

12. Vortex: So... Odo just lets a guy get away with murder because he has a sob story and claimed he knew others of his kind? Just because he was wanted unjustly on his home planet does not change the fact that he murdered a guy for hire. Also, Odo can get knocked out by a rock?

13. Battle Lines: Remember that "Great Divide" episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender that everyone hated? No reason.

14. The Storyteller: O'Brien goes down to Bajor to fix the pipes, becomes God.

15. Progress: Kira has to go convince a Boomer to leave his land because they need the resources to rebuild the planet, but he's all "I got mine, screw them." She humors his sexist behavior all episode, then burns his house down.

16. If Wishes Were Horses: Bashir wishes for his own personal side-piece Dax, and real Dax is weirdly okay with this because "boys will be boys". The conflict in this episode is literally solved by thinking happy thoughts.

17. The Forsaken: Odo gets sexually harassed so reports it to HR who just laughs him off because they think it would be good for him to get laid. Then he gets stuck in an elevator with his stalker and it's revealed just how physically strenuous it is for him to maintain his human form all day, and yet he has never been afforded any accommodations beyond a bucket to sleep in. This poor space slime, no wonder he's always so grumpy. #JusticeForOdo

18. Dramatis Personae: TNG's "The Inner Light", but stupid. Once again Odo has to save the day because he's immune to the humanoid crazypox that seems to infect the station every half-dozen episodes, and yet they still just can't find it in their effects budget to adjust station operations enough to allow him the minimal comfort of not having to contort himself into human form every day until he collapses just to do his job.

19. Duet: I am a sucker for "Did the janitors on the Death Star deserve to die?" sorts of moral discussions, and this episode delivered that very well. Also, I'm in lesbians with Kira.

20. In the Hands of the Prophets: Lady who doesn't even have kids at the school nevertheless takes issue that the children aren't being taught in accordance to her religious beliefs. It's been 30 years since this came out and nothing changes.

All in all, a decent season 1. It does show its age in places, especially in its treatment of female characters, and being written before the internet and smartphones caused seismic cultural shifts that its vision of the future failed to take into account. But still, I'm liking it now that I actually understand what's going on. On to season 2!

[severinewrites]

The Way of The Samurai: The Hidden Philosophy of Samurai Jack

Meditation scene (Samurai Jack, Season 5 Episode 7 XCVIII)

Samurai Jack, a masterpiece, goes beyond being just a cartoon, exploring deep philosophical ideas that connect audiences of all generations. This series, made by Genndy Tartakovsky, it tells the adventure of a samurai warrior who is sent to the future by the evil Aku. While exploring the dystopian world, Jack thinks about Bushido, the code of honor and morals created by the Japanese samurai. He also thinks about philosophical questions about fate, choice, and the concept of morality.

You may wonder why I am analyzing a "kids' show", you might think it's a bit silly for a young adult like me to ever talk about this show even though it's never a kid's show to begin with. By reading the word "cartoon", you may think this is some childish show for children only, but no, it is not. Samurai Jack is a show where you learn so much, much better than what you learned in school or even what adults teach you about wisdom. This series has influenced us in how we think, act, and choose our own decisions in life, better than how schools teach us to be prepared for the future. This tackles topics such as frustration, blood lust, apathy, anger, wisdom, suffering, and acceptance. As we delve into this discussion, I will talk about why we should admire the hidden philosophical meanings of Samurai Jack.

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Samurai Jack is a very interesting character. He spent all his time in the future for over 50 years, and he almost gave up on ever going back to the past. When Aku sent him to the future, he was saddened and confused but refused to; he didn't give up and he still has this youthful optimism that he'll always find the way.

"It always seems bad at first, but then you find a way".

- Samurai Jack, S5 Episode 2 XCIII

This quote explains how he'll always find the way, even if it is hard to handle. This also relates to how we handle challenges in our daily lives and try to bounce back from them.

As the story progresses to a mature tone in season 5, they start to feel more suicidal and hopeless, which drives them to commit suicide by performing a ceremonial ritual "Seppuku" is a form of taking one's life that was considered an honor among the feudal Japanese samurai class. Based on Tartakovsky, they explained that they were meant to sacrifice and that they were meant to be tragic. Since all hope is lost for them, they decide to perform a ritual where they can take their own lives to honor their ancestors. This became a turning point for our main character, who has lived many lives. They saw a bad future and couldn't save their family, friends, and the people around them. They became a failure to their people. Luckily, they can get a connection with Ashi, a friend, and their partner. They save Jack from committing suicide, which makes them live to defeat Aku to save everyone around them. Everyone needs someone who can lift them up when feeling down or giving up their own life. Some people try to find a sense of meaning in life.

Seppuku scene (Samurai Jack, Season 5 Episode 6 XCVII)

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In this one episode, when Jack kills the first human, one of the Daughters of Aku, he feels guilty because he has no choice. He isn't aware they are humans. In this series, he never, not once killed a human before. It's always robots, insects, you know it. This is why he feels regret, because all of the daughters of Aku are misguided and blindsided by the cult they are raised in. It's tragic. He has no choice because they wanted to murder him and he needs to defend himself and most importantly, stay alive.

This leads to his inner demons coming out, blood lust.

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In episode 3 of Season 5, we saw a backstory of his father slaughtering his enemies. Before he fights them, he asks them this:

Your choices have clearly led you here, as have mine.

I will give you a new choice, Leave now and live or stay and face your destiny!

- Father of Samurai Jack

They gave a chance for his enemies to live, but the enemies decided to kill them, so the father lets out their sword and slaughters them one to one.

Young Jack was confused back then, still innocent, and tried to process why his father did that. The father explained to him, "The decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you are. You cannot hide from yourself."

I apologize, I can't find another video so this is the only video I got :'(

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If you tell me, how does this relate to Eastern philosophy? Some of the series' moments feature Jack's beliefs and culture. We can see their childhood before Aku arrived to destroy their world. Even in later seasons, we saw them meditating in episode 7, season 5, and meeting a monk to guide them to the "truth" and "overcome" their fear. They seek guidance from the monk to help them with their Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and heal them physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Based from the comment in this clip of the episode:

A comment from the video (Jack confronts his inner demons)

We might misinterpret criticism to bring us down or insult you unintentionally. I have one friend who's a friend they had lost through misinterpretation and it's often why such friendships break because of it. Jack's situation is getting worse, so the monk tells them the tea is bad. They wanted to tell them his situation was bad, especially being stuck in the future for 50 years. Mistaking kindness and help for criticism may lead to much frustration if you are so focused on anger so much.

This is Sado, or "tea ceremony," is a traditional Japanese art form that embodies the spirit of "wabi-sabi," a philosophy that values refinement, aged appearances, and loneliness. It involves boiling water, making tea, and serving it in a simple tea room. The process, including etiquette, hospitality, and room decorations, is considered art, creating a spiritual beauty that is the essence of Sado. I found comments in the video, the reasons why the monk said "this is terrible" because the tea lacked the most important ingredient — BALANCE.

This episode highlights the important lessons of patience and trust in the process. If you want to find the truth, you should be able to find meaning for yourself. Throughout his journey, Jack learns the importance of patience and mindfulness. He often practices meditation and other forms of spiritual discipline to center himself and gain the truth.

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There is also Good vs. Evil in this show. The good is Jack, the symbol of a savior and a warrior to save the people they love while there's Aku, the merciless demon who killed billions of innocents. In Eastern philosophy, there is no ultimate good or evil and it is only relative good and evil.

"All undertakings are beset with imperfections, as fire with smoke"

(Gita 18.48)

The show explores the struggle between good and evil, personified by Jack and Aku, respectively. It raises questions about the nature of morality, the consequences of abuse of power, and the determination of hope in the darkest of times. Like the symbol of yin and yang, opposite forces are interconnected and counterbalance each other. The yin-yang symbol, which depicts this concept, is often used to represent the pursuit of balance in life. Without evil, there's no good; without good, there's no evil. Balance is important; regarding Taoism and Buddhism. It places great importance on the idea of balance. Taoism, for example, emphasizes the principle of Yin and Yang, where opposite forces complement each other to create harmony. Both good and evil are needed to create a compelling story. When it comes to shows like Samurai Jack, it explores both sides in a balanced way possible.

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Through the end of the series finale, peace is restored, and Ashi and Jack prepare to marry, but on her way to the altar, she suddenly collapses, as slaying Aku invalidates her existence, causing her to fade away. The series ends with a grieving Jack smiling when he watches a ladybug land on his hand and then fly free in a grove of blossoming Sakura trees.

The message the show was trying to convey was that life is about the journey you face, even if it's a bittersweet one. Despite achieving his 50-year goal, Jack still feels empty inside. His true home was in the future, but he realized his true love was in the future. A ladybug, representing truth and a new beginning, lands on Jack's finger, reminding him of this. This may be a tragic ending, yes but it helps us move on in our lives even if it hurts.

Ladybug scene (Samurai Jack, Season 5 Episode 10 CII)

To conclude, this show has wonderful philosophies we could all learn in our daily lives. Samurai Jack delves into deeper philosophical themes. It explores the struggle between good and evil, the power of perseverance, the value of patience and mindfulness, and the importance of balance and acceptance. The series' conclusion emphasizes the greater good, the nature of time and fate, the impermanence (the quality of not lasting forever or for a long time) of all things, and the feeling of hope and never giving up.

Thank you for listening!

- Sincerely, Severine.

[carterkeller1234]

Late Post: Shin Sekai Yori Pt. 2

We've come to the conclusion of this tumultuous and telekinetically-charged discussion of eugenics and class division, what a ride it has been. For starters, the entire finale was a perfect conclusion to the entire "Shonen A" depiction that has been showcased throughout all fiends with the Messiah being an ultimate culmination of the unknowable aspects of children in the perspective of Satoru and especially through Saki. The Messiah being essentially a tool for Yakomaru's rebellion only further showcases the similarities between the PK humans and the queerats, as they both use the same telekinetic abilities to establish dominance on the other class, signifying that despite their outward differences they are one in the same as a society. Alongside this, we begin to see the inherent hypocrisy present in this version of Japan, with them perpetuating a eugenics based civilization but looking down on the queerats for committing morally questionable actions like the lobotomizing of the queerat Queen while they erase the children that don't meet their criteria. These episodes do phenomenal work in showcasing how each side is a reflection of their opposition with them possessing the same mentality and desires, but in the case of the queerats because they loss and are seen as inferior they are declared the evil faction. This entire final portion of the show is so drenched with ethical dilemmas and consequences, with the moral greyness being showcased in all of the characters, Squealer starting a revolt that leads to the death of many innocents, Saki potentially jeopardizing the world to save Satoru and essentially sacrificing Kiboumaru, and especially seen with Kiboumaru's reveal that his tribe was collecting nuclear armaments to effectively eliminate all opposing forces to his colony. This moral grayness contributes to the themes of sacrifice and redemption that each character goes through, being signified most clearly with how Saki and Satoru's child serves as the ultimate representation of the humans redeeming themself. In spite of all of the terror and fear that the PK children and "Shonen A" fiends represent, they are still the future and represent the next generation and the future that can improve. The anime even ends with the sounds of children laughing and Saki writing a letter while pregnant, being both visual representations of how despite the potential unknowing aspects of them, children are what change everything.

It's interesting to note that Squealer/Yakomaru sports a classic feudal samurai armor, given that he's meant to be the reflection of humanity. This draws up the parallel between his rebellion effort fueled by the same sense of pride and ego that fueled many of the lords of the era for which the armor comes from. It is meant to give him a noble appearance but this sequence only further showcases the dichotomy between his outward exterior of friendliness to Saki and Satoru and the inner lying will he'll go to to achieve his goals (i.e. destroying the Goat Moth colony stronghold).

Aside from just being a really cool shot, it further illustrates the "Shonen A" visage that many of the fiends in this show possess, showcasing the sheer fear associated with these unknowable figures, especially in the case of Saki. This perception of children through this lens of horror is the very overarching theme that this society discusses how it can effect the development of children to begin with. Of course it's only further showcased with the ensuing rampage that the Queerat Messiah wreaks through the lens of Saki and Satoru.

This is the scene that put everything into perspective, with Satoru revealing the queerats to be originally humans without PK abilities but in a state caused by genetic tampering. This is only made more impactful with this having the hindsight of Yakomaru's rebellion and trial, showcasing that he was justified in his quest and that they really were human. This scene serves to conclude and only further emphasize the class divide commentary that the show handled with the queerat plotline.

[multitec001]

The Ultimate Hand Tools Guide and Review: Multitec Takes Center Stage

When it comes to hand tools, Multitec Tools isn't just a brand; it's a legacy that spans generations, honed by a relentless pursuit of innovation and quality. Headquartered in the bustling heart of Delhi NCR, this Pan-Indian supplier has etched its name across the nation, quickly becoming a household name for professionals and DIY enthusiasts alike.

The Unsung Heroes: Wire Strippers

Let's kick things off with the stars of the show: the wire strippers. These bad boys are the hidden heroes of any wiring job. With the sleeves of their jacket slipping through insulation better than a hot knife through butter. Whether you're a pro electrician or an amateur DIYer, this range of wire strippers from Multitec cover you and save time.

Screwdrivers: Your Magic Wands

It is not so large a thing to start with, however pack a powerful punch. These trusty mates are similar to a magical wand you can hold in your hands to deal even with the most hard headed screw forgivers. In the design of the blades and handles, the multitec screwdrivers are worlds apart, with the blades sharp enough to make even a seasoned tech maniac shed tears of joy.

Hex Keys: Unlocking Possibilities

The kaleidoscope of options provided by Multitec is a toolbox full of marvels, each one straining to outdo the one before. Dig in and witness the full spectrum of a hex key: the humble but mighty tools of any worker in manufacturing. These small gadgets are literally magic boxes with which you can open any door–from IKEA-style furniture or machine tinkering.

Stainless Steel Tools: Bling with Durability

Let's not forget the stainless steel tools even! Because who doesn't appreciate adding a little bit of bling into their wrench? Stainless steel does double duty. It not only looks good, but it also provides solid performance under the toughest conditions, with nary a bead of sweat doing the job.

Nippers and Micro-Shears: Precision Cutting

Now, on the nippers and micro-shears, whatever. These are the smallest precision cutting tools that work like very fast tiny samurai swords, cutting through materials like surgeons' blades. Whether you are doing wiring, sewing, or tackling your most delicate craft projects, Multitec's nippers and micro-shears are your best friends.

Pliers and Nose Pliers: The Swiss Army Knives of Tools

The Multitec pliers and nose pliers are like Swiss Army knives, with the capability to solve all kinds of problems with ease. From pinching and folding to turning and crimping, all these tools are the ones to be added to any efficient toolbox.

Cable Cutters: Battling with Unruly Wires

And the rockers–the strongest power tools for those who have to punk the unruly cables–will not be missed in this checklist. The cable cutters from Multitec will easily make your way through the thickest of cables, which will not be the only thing you'll be having when working with them - a clean and neat workspace.

Power Bits: DIY Warriors' Secret Weapons

The power bits, the secret weapons of any DIY warrior; last but not least, nothing else. While performing the toughest of jobs, the multitec’s special power bits provide you with surety of completion on time with accuracy and efficiency.

The Multitec Product Lineup

To give you a better understanding of the breadth of Multitec's offerings, here's a quick rundown of their product lineup:

Product Category

Product Types

Wire Strippers

Automatic, Adjustable, Heavy-Duty

Screwdrivers

Flat, Phillips, Torx, Precision

Hex Keys

Ball-end, L-shaped, T-handle

Stainless Steel Tools

Pliers, Snips, Scissors

Nippers & Micro-Shears

Flush, Semi-Flush, Angled

Pliers & Nose Pliers

Slip-Joint, Linesman, Long-Nose

Cable Cutters

Ratcheting, Insulated, High-Leverage

Power Bits

Drill Bits, Nut Drivers, Impact-Rated

Multitec's Commitment to Quality

Multitec Tools Limited is the brand which is known for its unflinching commitment to quality, and fervent zeal for dramatic improvements, and, therefore, it continues to lead the revolution in the industry of hand tools. They manufacture their tools from the cutting edge facility of Roorkee, Uttarakhand with utmost care and zeal till all the tools bear the Multitec name. Their quality control policies are managed by highly skilled and experienced engineers, so every tool is a proof of their dedication.

Embrace Precision and Innovation

So irrespective of whether you are a skilled tradesperson or simply a do-it-yourselfers at the weekend, Multitec's hand tools are the indispensable companion on your journey to perfection. Let Multitec's hand tools embrace the excitement of an exacting, long-lasting, and cutting edge technology to position your projects to higher levels.

The Multitec Advantage: A Closer Look

Multitec's passion goes beyond the product to find itself in the other services offered. The manufacturing facility in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, which is one of the most advanced and updated ones, truly speaks of their commitment towards quality. Craftspeople, who are highly trained in their trade, diligently manage all stages of production, from the factory floor to the finishing touch, in order to produce quality tools of the highest order.

However, it gets Multitec ahead of the competition that their fanaticism for innovation makes them go beyond what we expect. They are not the kind that sit back and be content with what have been achieved in the past, rather they keep on moving forward. They always want to be at the forefront and this has seen more features as well as technologies that improve their tools.

Take, for instance, the very ergonomic design. Multitec realizes that comfort is what matters most when operating through tools and, therefore, this is the reason behind the precision craftsmanship of their products ensuring that the hand fits the tool seamlessly. This reduced fatigue while at the same time increasing productivity.

And durability would come to mind. Multitec's tools are built to stand anything, it is because of they only use the most finest materials and modern manufacturing methods.

Conclusion: The Choice is Clear

In today's dynamic market of hand tools, Multitec Tools Limited is an epitome of excellence as it provides products that not only match but also exceed the quality and performance benchmarks. Their steadfast innovation spirit, relentless dedication to quality and detailed design, which mainly includes a variety of models to serve every need have turned Multitec into an undisputed leader of the industry.

Call-to-Action: Elevate Your Craftsmanship Now!

Avoid sticking to the poorer instruments that can't be up to your standards. Raise your woodwork skills; take your creativity to a new level with Multitec's amazing hand tools. Their website is a great place to start. Visit it today and see for yourself how great the Multitec difference is. Embrace precision, durability, and innovation, and allow Multitec to be your trusted guide in every endeavour of creativity.

Visit for more at: multitectools.com

Contact us: 9815729563

[crystalelemental]

Unit Teambuilding - New Years Dawn

Dawn’s commitment to the oddball bit is immaculate.

General Overview Coming in with perhaps the strangest unit since Samurai Guzma, it’s NY Dawn and Sensu Oricorio.  Design-wise this is top tier, I adore it.  But oh man, what is going on with this alt?

Revelation Dance is just Ghost-type damage, 100BP, nothing special.  Feather Dance lowers a target’s attack by 2.  Teeter Dance confuses a target.  And her trainer move applies stat reduction shield, restores 40% of her HP, and boosts evasion by 1.  Sync nuke is powered up based on how much her stats are raised.  She can only boost evasion.  Riveting.  Her passives double stat boosts, double stat debuffs on foes, and...boosts special ghost-type damage by an unspecified amount.  Which...having acquired her, oh man.  So, the added damage is a second attack.  Which means any secondary effects activate twice, more on that later.  But moreover?  It’s a straight-up 90-100% increase.  Which is great, but it’s also worth noting she’s still below Giovanni’s Shadow Ball.  Like, the free one, yeah.  Still, best strike nuker, eat it.

Offensively, Dawn is somewhat straight-forward.  Sync Power Flux and Interference Sync 5 are decent sync multipliers, and she gets Power Posture for additional move damage, which basically becomes +60% because she effectively hits twice.  The only problem is she’s Lance.  She can’t buff a single stat.  She’s fully reliant on buffs.  But because she doubles buffs, she’s able to cap with eggmons.  MU Torchic is sufficient for her.  It’s an unusual but welcome option, even if it means she needs a special attack/crit buffer.

Defensive if where Dawn’s eccentricity shines.  Dawn has Recuperation 2.  She deal decent sync damage, then heals herself by a whopping 40%.  Her trainer move is a self-applied Potion.  She can cut physical attack by -4 in one move.  Her self-Potion also gives +2 evasion.  And any defensive buffs the team provides are doubled for her.  And of course, Stop Hitting Yourself is a drastic increase to the odds of a foe hurting themselves in confusion.  While her defensive stats are not ideal, this has potential.  Oh, and she’s also got Grab Bag 9, which is a -1 (-2 with passive) debuff to a random stat of the foe’s when a move is successful against them.  Note, “move.”  It doesn’t activate again when her extra damage goes off.  So if you hit attack, Feather Dance is a full -6.  But this also includes accuracy, and is every single move.  So Dawn’s also kinda just waiting for that one lucky roll to suddenly be that much harder to hit.  Also worth noting, it procs on any skill targeting an opponent, so Feather Dance counts, and Teeter Dance is effectively free AoE with no penalty, that’s also debuffing everyone.  It’s pure clownshoes.  Legitimately, I love when things do this.  I’m gonna have a blast.

Move Level and EX? Dawn kinda needs 3/5 for sync.  DPS could be manageable at 1/5, it’s hard to say without knowing the effect of her natural passive.  But all her interesting utility exists 3/5, and she needs it for sync, so 3/5 is the likely goal.  EX is up to preference, but is strongly encouraged.  Whether for damage on sync, or for the stats on defensive sets, Dawn’s a fairly solid candidate to choose.

Team 1: NY Dawn, Renegade Cynthia/Lucian, MU Torchic/SC Jasmine/SS Kris IF!  If crit rate also gets doubled by her passive.  MU Torchic is sufficient for Dawn’s offensive needs, just add Zone.  If not, SC Jasmine is your best bet, reliably capping crit quickly, and being able to cap special attack without Jasmine needing to use both X Regen All right away.  In the interest of compression, Lucian is also an option to debuff special defense if you don’t have zone, and his speed boosts get doubled and applied to her sync multiplier.  I would also be remiss not to mention SS Kris.  Again, provided crit is doubled, Dawn is the only unit Kris gets to cap independently.  Kris also supplies a bunch of special moves up next stacks.  Kris can also, at 3/5, choose to buff speed and defense.  Kris caps Dawn’s special defense turn 1 with rain dance.  SS Kris is a fantastic omni-buffer for Dawn.

Team 2: NY Dawn, Anni Lillie, Renegade Cynthia Alright that’s enough of the offensive stuff, time to talk shenanigans.  Dawn can potentially serve as the frontline tank for an Anni Lillie set.  By improving her evasion and having copious amounts of healing potential, Dawn really doesn’t need to do much but sit there and wait to dodge.  Her allies can just start blasting.  In Gauntlet, this would be especially effective with Lillie, just add some speed buffing in literally any capacity.  And with Charging Infliction 4 on Dawn, she can generate a lot more gauges than she uses while spamming Feather Dance and Teeter Dance.

Team 3: NY Dawn, Sidney/Mallow, Sonia/Hop Speaking of Teeter Dance, Dawn has Stop Hitting Yourself 5, which is a big increase to the odds an opponent doesn’t act while confused.  Combined with her AoE confusion, this makes her pretty strong as a disruptive support.  Sidney and Mallow are brought up because this skill stacks, and they have it too.  Meaning you get a huge chance for inaction, particularly from sides in CS.  Sonia and Hop are here for the offensive needs of the main damage dealer.

Team 4: NY Dawn, Bede/Lodge Lillie, Support Dragonite/Phoebe Anti-Latias.  Dawn’s 3/5 grid gives a random -2 debuff per move against the opponent.  Meaning you can hit Feather Dance or Teeter Dance, and get a debuff as well, with the added benefit of Charging Infliction 4 generating a metric ton of gauge.  This is useful for slower offensive units, who may not be gauge hungry specifically, but could stand to use the help.  Bede just needs a bit of special attack, while Lillie really needs crit rate.

Team 5: NY Dawn, Bertha, Support Pinsir This is a slight example of Tank Dawn’s potential.  Bertha has the ability to buff both defenses of all allies under Sandstorm, the effect of which is doubled by Dawn.  Bertha can cap her own crit rate reliably as well, and provides a ton of passive damage that is made all the sweeter by Dawn’s evasion and potential confusion disruption.  What Bertha needs is attack, something that can supplied by Support Pinsir.  You even get a little speed out of it, which is nice.

Final Thoughts Dawn is...eclectic, to say the least.  This is a very bizarre unit, and I love that.  She has such a propensity for shenanigans, it’s unreal.  I’m not fully sold on the potential of Tank Dawn, at least not in CS, but I feel pretty confident that Gauntlet makes it incredibly viable.  Time will tell, because you know I’m picking this up, and am gonna do the dumbest shit with it.

[squirrelwithatophat]

This really should have been fleshed out in the game, given that it would have been great for both lore and character development, but I can come up one potential in-universe reason why V wouldn’t want to explain the full situation to Kerry.

Basically, by the time the player can even initiate the romance, V would have had to have taken the Johnny-summoning/death pills at least twice — twice for Kerry’s sake specifically. Johnny convinced V to do it the first time out of concern that Kerry was depressed and planning to kill himself, and this suspicion does appear to be correct. Kerry is clearly depressed — describing his life as meaningless and empty, disconnected from his friends, divorced after a loveless marriage, ruminating about his past and obsessing over Johnny in particular for nearly half a century, and feeling unable to chase away the “darkness” on his own — and though he denies it to Johnny, he does seem suicidal. He brushes off reports that he attempted to shoot himself before being interrupted by security (first insinuating that it never happened, then claiming it was a publicity stunt), but when V/Johnny first encounter him in his penthouse, he has dismissed his security team, locked himself in the bathroom with a gun, and had left the shower running for an extended period of time (which would helpfully drown out suspicious noises or silences and deter anyone from trying to force their way in). But upon reuniting with Johnny, he immediately lights up and starts talking about music and friends and the glory days. When Johnny and V discuss taking the death pills again, one of the motives is how it will help Kerry emotionally, and when they do put on the Samurai reunion concert, Kerry indicates that this is the first time in years that he’s really been happy. At the end, he even gives away his gun, which can easily be interpreted as a symbolic gesture that he no longer intends to commit suicide. (People do surrender or destroy suicide tools as a statement of commitment to recovery in real life, after all). The next time they meet, Kerry is finally feeling inspired about his music, confident enough to stand up for himself against his manipulative manager, and even eager to talk about the future. Ultimately, his brief reunion with Johnny, which later can lead to a relationship with V, does bring him happiness and provide closure and give him the motivation to keep on living. If V revealed the full truth about the biochip and the pills, then it would become clear that Kerry’s recovery was at least in part at the expense of another person’s life, and he might very well feel guilty despite not being aware of or asked about the consequences at the time. V took drugs that he knew were speeding up his death to help Kerry (even if at Johnny’s request), and Kerry did express excitement about seeing Johnny again and/or disappointment upon finding V instead on more than one occasion. Given that Johnny can only take full control whenever V takes the death pills or has a seizure/blackout (itself an indication of the progression of his brain damage), interacting with Johnny does necessarily entail some harm to V, and knowing this would mean realizing that what Kerry perceived as happy moments were tainted with death and that he was unwittingly wishing for his now-lover’s doom to a certain extent. Again, even if it wasn’t Kerry’s fault or intention, V could have every reason to expect his depressed and very recently suicidal lover to react this way, especially if V dies in the end (which he suspects he likely will, given everything everyone has told him so far). It might feel easier to just hunt for the cure without going into much detail with Kerry, then either come back fine or end up dead, both outcomes which would make an explanation potentially irrelevant.

In my opinion, the developers really should have put decisions about disclosure into the player’s hands, both for general roleplaying purposes and because it would really tease out characterization and maybe add drama potential. For example, though totally unrelated to the biochip, the quest Dream On gives the player the option of revealing the truth to Jefferson Peralez (i.e., that he is and has for a while been a victim of mind control/brain hacking by unknown parties, to the extent of suffering permanent memory loss) or telling him a comforting lie (i.e., that his political opponent was screwing with him), and Peralez’s reaction to the reveal (or lie) does determine his long-term outcomes. As it stands, even if the player wants to at least partially conceal or hold back, this is either not allowed or it is outright negated by statements made by V without player input. For example, telling Panam directly about Johnny results in her expressing fears that V is suffering from cyberpsychosis; telling her that V is simply dying of malfunctioning chip to the neural implants (without explicitly mentioning Johnny) results in her grappling for practical ways to deal with the defective chip, without openly suspecting V of suffering paranoid delusions. But ultimately the player’s choice doesn’t matter because V suddenly brings up Johnny with little explanation via text five minutes later, and Panam seems to go along with it without much questioning (or any insinuation of cyberpsychosis).

Also, given that Kerry is the only LI who has had any outside/prior relationship with Johnny, there was huge potential for really exploring Kerry/V/Johnny relationship dynamics as well as playing with the lore surrounding the biochip (which seemed rather superficial throughout the game). If V really is gradually bleeding into or absorbing the traits of Johnny (as Vektor and Hellman and others insist is happening despite this seemingly not really playing out on screen), then it would be interesting to see Kerry picking up on that — not from any “V seems weird or out of character today” angle (which friends of V could potentially notice even with zero knowledge of the biochip or Johnny) so much as sensing something a little too familiar in V’s speech or mannerisms or so on. Perhaps V recognizes these flashes of recognition on Kerry’s face even if Kerry is reluctant to say anything — or playing into the disclosure/non-disclosure angle, an uninformed Kerry might find V unwittingly acting more Johnny-like charming or amusing (e.g., thinking it might reflect emotional closeness) while an informed Kerry might be frightened. Also, Johnny has strong opinions about all of the LIs — he expresses contempt for Judy (potentially for reminding him of Alt) and disgust for River (mostly in a jokey ACAB way) but adores Panam and urges V not to lose her. But Kerry was Johnny’s closest friend. So, for a guy who seems incapable of shutting up about anything, being dragged into a romantic/sexual relationship between Kerry and his new buddy V should really open the floodgates. Yet it doesn’t come across like Johnny thinks this is a big deal or anything. Also, while Johnny is clearly lacking in emotional intelligence/people skills, he was apparently concerned about Kerry being depressed and suicidal (hence wanting to check in), so it feels like he should be a little concerned about what’s going to happen to Kerry emotionally if either Johnny completely possesses V’s body or both of them die during the search for a cure, both of which are very real possibilities.

Anyways, just my two cents.

Brain Rot Thot

You know what bugs me? V not being able to tell Kerry about what the relic is ACTUALLY doing to him. I don't believe that Johnny told him about the biochip trying to delete V, just that sometimes it malfunctions. So while Kerry is aware that it's his buddy on the chip in this gorgeous kid's head, he's not aware of the damage it is doing. Panam and Judy were told about it, and River gets a vague talk about it if you're femme-V, but why not Kerry? Would have made for an emotional scene between the two of them. Probably why I always put in a chapter where it gets addressed after V has a particularly bad malfunction in front of Kerry.

[officialscaramouche]

ayo feel like doing a gorou confession fic for me? pretty please with sprinkles on top (you know that fucking tiktok)

Ofc Pizzato anything for u my dear 🥰

Pairing: Gorou x gn!reader

Warnings: slight angst

Word count: 1,969

You heard a couple friendly knocks on your office door, eyes glancing to the clock to see it was a little past noon and you knew exactly who it was. “Come in,” you chime, putting down your pen and stretching upwards with a smile.

“Helloooooo!” You hear as the door swung open, Kazuha flaunting an envelope between his fingers. “Letter time!”

You sweep to your feet and give him grabby hands. “Give it to me!” He chuckles and places the thin paper into your hands. “Tell me who it is already,” you giggle as you rip it open and slide the letter out.

“No,” he sighs, rolling his eyes. “I keep my promises.”

You quirk and eyebrow before you fold open the letter. “Even if I bribe you with dango?”

Kazuha smiles. “Even if you bribe me with dango.”

You grunt and groan but it quickly stops when you unfold the letter, reading the contents.

Good afternoon, cupcake, it starts. You blush at the pet name. I hope your day is going as well as mine. I’ve just won the office lottery! I’m going to ask for more snacks in the break room. That way, everyone benefits too! Specifically though, I want more sakura mochi! The ones you made for us were delicious. Share your recipe? :3

I adore you, your secret admirer.

You squeeze the letter to your chest and squeal, your face warm from blushing and your heart pounding against your chest. “Oh, Kazuha, whoever this person is, I really wish they’d come up and confess!”

Kazuha tuts and wiggles his finger. “But then the mystery wouldn’t be there anymore.”

“Screw mystery!” You squealed, gazing down at the illegible and scratchy handwriting, the mysterious stains and fur all over the page. “I’m ready to hear these words in person.”

Just then there was a knock on your door and a quick turn of the knob, one of the top brass leaning against your door frame. “Good morning, Chatty Cathy’s,” sang a familiar voice and ear twitches.

You wave while Kazuha bows, hiding the letter behind your back. “Good morning, General Gorou.”

The tail behind his back wagged discreetly as the two men share a knowing glance. “Kazuha,” the general clears his throat. “May I speak with you?”

The samurai nods his head and gives you a little wave as he walks out the door. “Bye boys!” You sing, tucking the letter back into the envelope and putting it away.

The next day, as routine, a little past noon you heard three friendly knocks on your door. You excitedly put your pen down, closing your ledger and standing out of your chair and onto your feet. “Kazuha,” you grinned. “Come in!”

He pushed the door open with his back, lugging a big box with some plastic sticking out from the top. “I’m just a mule to you guys aren’t I?” He groaned, lifting the box up and onto your desk. “This is ridiculous.”

You stood on your tippy toes to try and peek inside the box without being obnoxious. “What is it?” You hum, getting more and more restless.

“Your letter, what else?” He kind of snapped, letting out a deep sigh and rolling his eyes. “I wish he’d confess too. That way I don’t have to carry these things.”

You pulled back the top of the box that was just out of your reach. “Here,” pushing your hands away, Kazuha tore the box apart to expose a giant basket full of goodies and flowers. “The letter.”

Kazuha snapped the taped-on letter from the plastic and handed it to you. Wasting no time at all, you rip the envelope open and unfold the letter.

Dearest [Y/N], you’ve pierced my heart like an arrow through a target and I simply cannot get you off my mind. I heard from the grapevine that you wish for my confession. …Maybe I shall do so in the near future? It’s not that I do not want to be yours, but rather that you make me quite nervous. Still, we see each other for terribly brief moments but these moments are the most precious to me. Hopefully I can muster up the courage to finally tell you how I feel. In the meantime, please accept these treats and toys imported from across the globe. My favorite are the dog-shaped biscuits.

Your shy admirer.

Looking up from the letter you find Kazuha stuffing his face with some chocolatey cookies from within a tin box labeled ‘Fontaine.’ “Are those good?” You ask, reaching in and stealing one.

“Mhm,” Kazuha hums, taking a bite out of the one in his hand. “I’ve never had Fontaine chocolate. I guess the rumors about being the best were true.”

You melt under the sweet taste and crunchy texture, thinking that if your crush’s letters had a taste, it would be like this. “This is so nice,” you sigh, eyes sparkling as they gaze upon the basket. “Do you think he’s going to confess to me?”

Kazuha stares out the windows of your office that peer into the rest of the building, watching a certain general spill water on himself and the resistance leader. He takes another bite of a cookie. “Maybe.”

You squeal in delight and spin around in joy. “My heart’s beating so fast! I hope he does it soon or I’ll explode!”

Kazuha chuckles and playfully shoves you aside. “If you explode, I’m eating all of your snacks.”

“No! They’re mine!”

Weeks— almost a month— go by with no further letters. Kazuha stopped coming by, whether at noon or otherwise. The only knocks you got were visits from Kokomi about the budget or from other soldiers carrying reports and receipts from spending. Your heart ached at the sudden lack of contact, wondering if you had done or said something wrong.

Maybe your eagerness was intimidating and this mystery man just wanted someone to flirt with without commitment. Maybe he got bored of you. Maybe he didn’t want to talk to you anymore.

Regardless, you wanted to try and spark it back up in case you’ve stepped on some toes without realizing. That night when you got home, you tossed the ingredients for sakura mochi into a bowl and got to mixing.

The office ate everything you brought before lunchtime rolled around. With such great success, you had confidence that he’d reach out to you tomorrow, if not today.

But alas you were left in silence once more, leaving your heart to crumble and ache. You were quick to recover, considering you never met the guy— let alone knew his name. But you had no time to be worrying anyway, because in a couple of days one of the squads were returning from the front lines and you needed to factor in medical costs. Apparently they took a hard hit when Sara Kujou showed up with her samurai. Kokomi was depending on you, and you didn’t want to let her down.

You spend these few days really crunching the numbers, making sure that every wounded soldier would get the basic medical necessities with some left over for any miscalculations. With every i dotted and every t crossed, you stuffed your report into a fancy envelope and handed it to Kokomi. “Thank you [Y/N] for your hard work under such a sudden timetable.” She thanked, tucking the envelope under her arm. “The team should be arriving tomorrow, so I will be submitting this for review immediately.”

You bow respectfully and offer your thanks for praise. “It’s no problem at all, Her Excellency. I was given ample time to prepare the balance sheet.” You begin to turn when you’re stopped once again by her.

“Before you go,” she smiles softly. “Would you mind helping out at the infirmary? We’re short handed right now with the sudden intake of Delusions.”

“Of course, Her Excellency. I will be there whenever you need me.”

You weren’t specialized in medics but you had helped around often enough to know the basics. And anyone could become a master at immediate medical attention after doing it so many times.

The flood of gurneys was a little disheartening to see, but you were still thankful for all that they do for the greater of the country. It must be scary being at the front lines, but everyone knew what they were signing up for.

You catch sight of Genera Gorou and Lord Kazuha chatting with Lady Kokomi before you were assigned to a batch of wounded soldiers, feeling a little bad for harboring ill feelings toward the young lord for disappearing. ‘You could’ve at least told me that you were leaving,’ you thought as you rinsed the injured area.

“I can take over from here,” the head medic stepped in, slipping on a new pair of gloves before getting a closer look at the soldier before you. With most of everyone patched up and recovering, the medic team was able to take control of the infirmary once again.

You wash your hands and check the clock. A little past noon. It’s funny how at this time you would’ve waited with bated breath for a couple of knocks. But not anymore.

You step out of the infirmary and find Kazuha and General Gorou sitting outside on the benches there. “Oh, hi boys,” you say surprised.

Kazuha grabs and shakes your hand. “Thank you for helping out our soldiers,” he says seriously.

“Oh, it’s not that big of a deal,” you mutter. “I do this all the time.”

A calloused hand pushes Kazuha’s away and shakes your hand firmer, harder. “No, [Y/N],” Gorou says with a sort of oomph behind his words. “These are my men…my family. They would be suffering if not for your help.”

You look to the side uncomfortably, a little put-off by the tension in the air. “And that’s why—!” Gorou continues, suddenly eight decibels louder. You hold eye contact with the general, his face darkening into a deep red flush, his eyes glassy and ears twitching. He squeezed your hand harder and shut his eyes. “M-My C-C-Cupcake!!! P-Please let m-me take you on a date!!!!”

Kazuha winced at the loudness of his friend, covering one of his ears but still smiling nonetheless. The people walking by stared and mumbled, but it didn’t matter as you felt your heart pound against your chest. You felt your eyes well with tears as now your face flushed red, the general cautiously opening his eyes to see your trembling lips and pathetic pout. “A-Ah! [Y/N], don’t cry!!”

You tug on his hand hard, pulling the man into your arms and squeezing him tight. You sobbed into his chest, hearing and feeling how frantic his heart was beating as well. “You idiot!” You shout into his battle-worn chest. “Don’t disappear without telling me…”

Gorou caressed the back of your head and chewed on his lip, his tail drooping with guilt but twitching with excitement for being in your arms. “Did I…scare you?” He whispered tentatively, choosing his words carefully.

You pull away and wipe your eyes, Gorou watching you closely and holding tightly onto your waist. “I thought you got tired of me…because I stopped hearing from you.” Gorou frowned and cupped your face, thumbing your cheeks gently. “I even made sakura mochi and I didn’t—”

“You made sakura mochi??!??!!! Is there any left?!?” Gorou’s jaw dropped. He let you go to turn and run to the break room, halting before running back to embrace you once more. “Heh, uh…” he chuckled nervously. “I’d actually…rather hold you like this…”

You couldn’t fight the smile that spread across your cheeks, flushing your body against his chest. “That’s okay,” you giggle. “There aren’t any left.”

You had no idea that his ears could flatten sadly like that.

[demonslayedher]

Hi! I keep seeing people commenting again and again that Rengoku's "Umai" comes from "ancient samurai did it to enjoy every meal as if it were their last one", but I can't find a reliable source on that. Do you happen to know if that's true or it's just one of those fandom rumors that spread around and everyone believes them? Did the Rengokus used to be samurai?

I have... never heard this????? Granted, I don't stray from under my Tumblr rock when it comes to interacting with the wider KnY fandom, so that might be part of it. But I also have been a nerd for samurai since long before KnY might have been a twinkle in a gator's eye, and... I still have not heard this??????? Granted, I am but one nerd on the internet, so there's of course plenty I don't know. So I went looking into this on the Japanese interwebs, found a good handful of articles on the epistemology of the "umai" Rengoku uses and how the usage meaning can vary depending on the kanji it's written in, and...

Again, that's not to say there's not something out there, but I couldn't find anything that implied that this started as a samurai-specific phrase with a highly specific meaning behind praising a potential last meal's tastiness. Setting aside the question of the word "umai," though, there is a lot of meat to this interpretation, though. There is a lot of samurai and Zen influence at work in Kyojuro's character, the Rengoku clan, and in Kimetsu no Yaiba as a whole.

Let's start with the question of whether or not Kyojuro (and everyone else in the Rengoku clan) is a samurai. I don't think this is an appropriate phrase for a number of historical reasons as well as reasons in canon. First, to my knowledge, the use of 侍 "samurai" in KnY is limited to context of swordsmen from warrior families (武家 "buke") who would have acted under the title of someone who is a career warrior under the service of a warlord. Child Yoriichi uses this phrase when addressing Michikatsu, saying he wants to be the "second strongest samurai." This is appropriate for them, for as warrior family, they have the social expectations of samurai to live up to. This was back in the Warring States period, but the definition of samurai was a building block of the whole social structure in the Edo period, and being tied in with politics would be problematic for a family committed to an unrecognized/secret organization. The Rengoku clan had their own illustrious family legacies to maintain, their own master they already served separate from whatever warlord is in power, and their own dire mission unrecognized by the political world. Rather than samurai, most of the time the demon slayers (or demon hunters, as they were more commonly called in Yoriichi's day before "Corp" existed as a military phrase) were referred to as swordsmen: 剣士 "kenshi." This is how Yoriichi referred to the Rengoku ancestor who found him after Uta was slain. That all being said, the Rengoku family clearly would had been influenced by samurai culture, so much so that acquaintances might assume they are of the samurai class. Besides the general attitudes, there are many subtle details that make the Rengoku household seem like a buke. You know how excited I was when watching the movie and I saw the garden in Rengoku-san's flashbacks and was like, "ahhhh, look at that, only evergreens, no fading flowers, that is totally a garden appropriate for a samurai abode." "But wait!" you might say. "Cherry blossoms represent the evanescent nature of the samurai, scattering in youthful warrior glory!" Pssh, yeah, that makes it a real inauspicious thing to have in your garden. Sometimes you want a symbol of a samurai's undying loyalty and stuff instead. But the constant awareness of death? Yeah, totally a samurai thing. And that's part of why Zen was so popular with samurai/swordsmen. The more you dig into the samurai psyche about death and constant preparation for it (as well as the struggle to be stoic about it, as opposed to fearing it or being too eager for a glorious death), the more fascinating things you find. Even proper hygiene for making sure your head is a fitting trophy from the battlefield! One method of stoicism found in Zen is mindfulness, and it's actually been on my mind lately how so much of Breath users' abilities does stem from mindfulness (emphasis on the five senses, embracing mundane chores like Tanjiro tending rice as it cooks, heck, even the tree-like state), which would lend itself very well to the interpretation that each meal should be appreciated like your last.

Like, that's one reason the tea ceremony was so popular a practice among samurai too. It draws you attention to the moment. And it's pretty realistic that you'll never encounter a moment like that again with the people you're gathered with. It's the same sort of the approach, and it can absolutely be applied to eating. There is a lot of more general focus throughout KnY on meditation being a source of strength, be it training under waterfalls, Genya repeating the Nembutsu prayer or Ruka practicing Kankagari (meditation done by expectant mothers in the Rengoku clan, staring at a hanging lantern). Breath itself is so, so, so, so closely linked to meditation. It's as though Gotouge is trying to extol the virtues of mastery of the self, and how running away with our passions (perhaps well-meaning, but misguided) is what will make demons out of us. And Kyojuro, who sees good reason for being sad over his father's state, stoically chose mastery over his own emotions. He does not let his potential inadequacies become a passion that rules his heart, and this gives his mind the freedom to adjust quickly to new situations. Kyojuro does tend to live in a state of being in the present, and that means being mindful of an grateful for the details of everything and everyone around him. He accepts not only that he may die protecting his juniors, but that he might also grow old and weak. He neither seeks or flees from either course.

To become a demon would be to let oneself be consumed by passions, ultimately losing that appreciation for our delicate existence. Maybe I wouldn't call him a samurai, but I would feel comfortable calling Kyojuro a 武士 "bushi" (warrior) (albeit the over-idealized bushi mindset took through writings of people who could only look back and admire samurai of the past, and project themselves onto them a bit, but I digress, that's an interesting but irrelevant topic). Not every samurai was a good one, especially as we trickled through the peaceful Edo period, being a samurai was just a happy accident of birth that landed you a civil service position. But for someone who accepted a bushi lifestyle, they accepted that death might always be near. While it's very easy for bushi idealism to be taken to a fanatical level (and for politics, it always has been), KnY lifts up the best of it, with mindful attitudes to strive for even without death constantly down our necks.

[therealtsk]

tsk i’m DYING to hear your play-by-play on which worm characters have dumb fanon interpretations

UH OH YOU JUST OPENED THE FLOODGATES so the short answer is pretty much every major character but I am a high-effort bitch so let's do this: Taylor Hebert: jfc, I could probably hit a word count limit talking about Taylor alone. First you have the dumb as shit TINO (Taylor In Name Only) phenomenon where people just straight up SI as Taylor but pretend it's her and she's basically a different person wearing Taylor's skin like an ill-fitting suit. Then there's the Memetic Escalator Taylor interpretation where Taylor's Warlord era characterization is flanderized so hard that she turns into her world's version of Doomguy where her response to literally everything is ultra violence, mutilation and torture and she can totally beat up anyone you guys hahah coin sock goes brrrrr you go brutalize those totally deserving victims queen. And then there's shy, stuttering, soft spoken "useless lesbian" Taylor which is not as common but still, fuckin straight men and the way they infantize gay women. Taylor is perhaps the most consistently inconsistent characterization I've seen in fandom, it's fucking wild Lisa Wilbourn: Has two fanon settings. Taylor's best friend who exists solely to give exposition and get the "Stop Coil" subplot rolling (occasional gay subtext will be added in a way that feels fetishy) Or, the evil bitchy blonde who is first target of the SI. I constantly wonder if the people who write the frankly masturbatory SI's are aware that we can tell they're still bitter about girls not dating them in highschool. Brian: basically does not exist in fic aside from the occasional joke cause racism and also because of how popular wlw ships are in Worm fandom. you deserve better dude Alec: has a few token appearances in wormfic fandom that usually have him as the comic relief alongside Aisha, which might actually be for the best considering he's a rapist and the Worm fandom's uhhhh tendencies. Moving on- Aisha: prankster girl that alt!Taylor will adopt as a younger sibling. hopefully is not part of the totally-not-a-harem considering she's even younger then the rest of these teens Bitch: Another girl to fall into alt!Taylor's definitely-not-a-harem, but with more butch tendencies. Basically has no personality in fanon outside of her dogs Parian: SHE DOESN'T HAVE A SHOP FFS also another member of Taylor's totally-not-a-harem Flechette: yeah it's a harem Sophia: holy shit you think Brian's bad? The racism in pretty much every fanon depiction of Sophia is off the charts. Hyper-violent, super edgy, "predator/prey" speech inbound, will get humilated/killed in some new, supposedly satisfying but actually just deeply uncomfortable way, probably throw in some E88 shit too just because Emma: again, do the writers know we can tell they're still malding over the fact that the pretty girls in highschool didn't date them? fanon emma is pretty much a cardboard cut out of whoever was mean to the author. something something bitches three Madison: in fanon has a C53 fetish, occasionally is also Browbeat. don't ask why Victoria: gets hit with the blonde stereotypes even harder then Lisa, "Collateral Damage Barbie" is one of the phrases that activates my flight or fight responses. she basically is an entirely different character in fanon. bubbly dumb blonde girl with a massive temper and well other sexist bullshiit Amy: I hate even touching this character with a ten foot pole but basically is hit with the "soft useless lesbian" trope hard enough to make her into a completely separate person from her canon self. whether or not this is a good thing is still up for debate Carol: in fanon, an evil bitch who exists solely to bully Amy Mark: who? The rest of New Wave: cannon fodder for Leviathan Danny Hebert: literally stale milk instead of a personality, will probably die before the fic is over but we won't care because the author did not care either Armsmaster: hahaha robotman go brrrr or is an arrogant self-aggrandizing shit, can't interact with people without Dragon helping him 24/7 Miss Militia: fanon bat'd into team mom,

idk where this came from considering her first instinct upon seeing children is to pull out a gun holy shit wait is she actually Taylor's true mom- Velocity: canon fodder for levi Battery & Assault: sitcom wife, sitcom husband! please ignore how fucked up this relationship is if you look at it for more than two seconds Dauntless: haha armsy is JEALOUS also cannon fodder for levi Triumph: who? The BB wards in general tend to be incredibly bland, the only ones who have fanon personalities of note are Clockblocker and Vista. The former being such a huge prankster that every other line is a joke- or him complaining about how BULLSHIT Alt!Taylor's powers are. Vista is an angry kiddo who says that Shadow Stalker doesn't count as being a girl on the team The E88: no personality for any of them except that Kaiser is noble and really isn't that bad and also Purity did nothing wrong totally she's just a hot mom trying to do her best, please ignore how she exclusively targets characters of color and literally calls white criminals more civilized than miniorities- the worm fandom has something of a nazi problem i hate it here The ABB: racism and honorable samurai lung even though that has no canon basis so again, racist stereotypes The Slaughterhouse 9: This one makes me just as sad as the Lisa shit because dear god this is such a good cast of villains that fanon completely flattens to bowling pins for the Alt!Taylor of the week to mow down, why does this fandom suck so much. Anyway Jack is just the Joker, Crawler is masochistic, etc i'm moving on now The PRT/Protectorate as a whole: They are an evil paramilitary organization that pressgangs kids into signing up to become child soldiers, and somehow at the same time, they are a bunch of idiots who listen to the PR department and have stupid things like RULES that prevent capes from COMMITTING VIOLENCE. Being called "the biggest gang of all" is common and some shit like "at least the criminals are honest" is a likely statement. Cauldron: whoo boy this one really boils my blood but fanon Cauldron are just a bunch of evil idiots who can't even tie their shoelaces. basically a bunch of dudebros are upset that women run the world and that two of them essentially have "I win" powers so they have to make them lose to their SI- er, Taylor in fics so they can assuage their masculinity, which totally isn't pathetic Scion: Is at once the end all be all of worm you can't write a wormfic without scion or else it's TOTALLY MEANINGLESS because what is the point of a story if all the characters are going to DIE in a few years anyway, and at the same time is incredibly easy to defeat- this ties into how Cauldron is stupid. Scion Truthers pls shut up and go read something else okay I think that's everyone I would apologize but the only thing I'm sorry for is how messy this is

[kirisaki-daichi-scenarios]

How generous is imayoshi, hananiya and seto with their money? Are they invested in economy in general and do they spoil their s/o with expensive gifts to brag or rather not because they're cheap? I want answers to this because I've always been interested in the kirisaki daichi being a rich school (i just tossed imayoshi into this, although I've always seen him as some kind of bohemian nomad lol, my headcanon. If you want, please let me know your thoughts on that as well! Imayoshi is a treasure)

Seto Kentaro

lowkey seto strikes me as the kinda rich person who has no idea how much things cost

as in, he doesn’t particularly buy much anyway - scrolling through online shopping sites tires him out, let alone going outdoors to buy something in person

but when he does buy something, half the time it’s for way more than what he should have paid for it (to be fair, that’s probably also cause he’s grown up in tokyo, so is used to higher prices)

long story short, seto has ‘academically intelligent but very much lacking in any common sense’ energy

as far as spoiling an s/o goes, don’t expect much from seto - he won’t shower you with gifts, majorly cause he wouldn’t know where to start

but, on your birthday/valentine’s/etc, if he gets you a present, it’ll probably be on the more pricey side (but very good quality, will last you a while though)

Hanamiya Makoto

if you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that i hc hanamiya not coming from a particularly well-off family (see more info here), so he’s somewhat on the stingy side

he buys himself books secondhand (also necessary cause he reads pretty fast), notebooks too, and he doesn’t spend unnecessarily ever

cause he probably doesn’t have time for a part-time job, with his commitment to the basketball team (though i wonder if he occasionally gets editing gigs or some similar freelancing work in the summer to earn a little extra cash), and he doesn’t want to spend his mother’s hard-earned money either

anyway, with that in mind, it’s no wonder that hanamiya keeps gift giving to a minimum - and he’s also more likely to give you a gift that’s cheaper, but definitely something you’ll like

honestly the only time hanamiya might buy something more expensive is if he’s out with his rich boy buddies, but that’ll be bought 100% with his own savings

Imayoshi Shouichi

imayoshi’s vibes are so whack that he definitely has some bohemian vibes (though more in the sense that he’s Mr Reject Modernity, rather than being exceptionally creative/optimistic)

i do feel like imayoshi knows a good amount about economics (hell i think he knows a good amount about everything)

but the fact that he doesn’t bet money despite being pretty knowledgeable about horse racing, makes me think that he’s careful with his money

i'm guessing imayoshi’s from a solidly middle class family too, so he wasn’t raised to be a lavish spender either

plus, it’s very possible that he either grew up in osaka, another city in kansai, or maybe even the countryside - either way, life in tokyo will have proven more costly

again, don’t expect him to shower you with gifts but do expect the occasional very weird gift, and the occasional lack of a gift on a birthday or whatnot

he’s not massively stingy though; he has a collection of very random shit in his room that he paid for, for no particularly reason (alongside a bunch of cheap and broken glasses that he used to wear)

imayoshi’s room be like: some very high quality fishing gear, some very cheap and poor quality fishing gear, a random piece of god-knows-what that he fished out of the local river, a wind-up radio (from susa? for susa? no one will ever know), a bunch of horse racing magazines that he paid very little for, some samurai films that he paid a suspicious amount for

yeah what can you expect from imayoshi really

[aforrestofstuff]

Been a hot minute since I did one of these. A good friend of mine gave me a suggestion on my discord:

So yeah this required a lot of research because I only eat like 3 things lol. Obligatory crack warning.

Tornado of Terror: Ice cream because A: it’s good practice for her esper powers to control a semi-liquidous substance and B: her constant rage has actually raised her default body temperature an additional ten degrees, so eating ice cream is a good way to cool off. 

Silverfang: Oatmeal raisin cookies because he’s an old fuck. He likes chewy things because his teeth are held together by sheer force of will but also indulges in that extra crunch of the oatmeal to remind everyone in the old folk’s home just who the fuck they’re messing with. 

Atomic Samurai: Any dessert-flavored cocktail that is made up of around 90% alcohol and 5% violence. 

Child Emperor: Kid eats sweets for breakfast lunch and dinner, dessert to him would probably be a head of broccoli drizzled with a light yet flavorful dressing. Either that or milkshakes, because I get the feeling he doesn’t get to enjoy them too often... and of course they remind him of the good times with Zombieman. 

Metal Knight: Only eats pre-packaged nutrient bricks and has not tasted anything sweet nor enjoyed a food morsel in at least 17 years. 

King: I headcanon King as a huge momma’s boy who doesn’t get to eat a lot of homemade food because he fucking sucks at cooking and makes enough money to eat out all the time anyway, so his favorite dessert would probably be every and any home-cooked treat his mom makes for him. 

Zombieman: I’ll be honest, I thought this dude hated sweet things but after reading that manga extra of him drinking sugar with a side of coffee, my opinion has switched. His favorite dessert would probably be something extremely decadent and sweet, like one of those 1000-calorie Dairy Queen sundae-shakes jam packed with chocolate and cookie crumbs. Or an entire fucking lava cake because this dude’s metabolism is faster than the speed of light and he’d probably stomach something like that just to see if he can, since apparently he’s all about breaking his own limiters. A friend of mine once ate three-dozen pot brownies in one sitting while speedrunning Mario 64 and I think Zombieman would be able to do that without the aid of the munchies. I know Zman internally insulted Pig God one time for well, eating like a pig but give the dude some alone time and an all you can eat buffet of sweets and he’d find himself in the same situation. 

Drive Knight: Does not have a favorite food in general due to this motherfucker not installing tastebuds on account of them not being necessary to commit all degrees of murder. 

Pig God: Oh my god. More like what isn’t this dude’s favorite dessert? Pig God has lost the ability to dislike anything he puts in his mouth because eating has pretty much become his main source of income, so it’s safe to say that if he can swallow it, it’s his favorite food. That includes desserts, but I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t partial to pudding. Just pudding. Bread pudding, chocolate pudding, strawberry pudding. Pudding. 

Superalloy Darkshine: I’ve said this before but my boy Darkshine only eats the most obnoxiously healthy foods out there, sometimes over health-ifying those foods himself in his kitchen/protein meth lab. His favorite dessert would probably be one of those ancient bread seed logs and only because he’s allowed to put .2 ounces of stevia in it.  Either that or literally just any fruit ever.

Watchdog Man: Those pumpkin-flavored dog treats because my man gets paid 2 cents an hour at the Hero Association and the poor mf in charge of payroll has forgotten he exists so he’s grown accustomed to eating only the dog-related foods people leave to him as offerings on his weird pedestal thing in City Q. 

Flashy Flash: Doesn’t really have an affinity for sweet things on account of how fucking awful life in the Ninja Village was. He never got the opportunity to develop a sweet tooth because of all the basic ass food he’d be eating. Almost all desserts listed here would give him a heart attack, like making a Victorian era child drink McDonald’s sprite. It will not sit right with his spirit. His favorite dessert would he any vaguely sweet fruit with wine, or a coffee that is 90% creamer.

Genos: Something in my spirit is telling me he’d enjoy anything strawberry-related, although Saitama doesn’t like them. This leads to them falling out while a shortcake bakes in the background. Im kidding, obviously. But seeing as how ONE has a very “go stupid aaaaaaaa” attitude towards writing, it would be a very tame end to their relationship (assuming there’s gonna be an end) compared to all the other shitdick stuff happening in this series. Zombieman’s ass has been out for like 8 chapters, you can’t tell me shit.

Metal Bat: Kiddo snorts protein powder for breakfast, probably. He’s ripped as hell and his diet reflects that sorta, with a hint of seventeen year-old craziness thrown in there. Bitch eats like a violent stoner sometimes because he knows his metabolism can handle it and he won’t die from food poisoning nor food coma. However, his favorite dessert would be creme brûlée because it’s the only food you’re required to beat the shit out of before eating, and we all know he loves bonking stuff.

Tanktop Master: Over health-ifys shit like Darkshine, just to a lesser degree. However I also HC him as a huge momma’s boy, and if said mother is supportive in his endeavors to become the world’s swolest man, she’d definitely make him something both sweet and healthy. However, I’d doubt he care about slipping up on his diet every once and a while. He’d probably enjoy a soft serve here and there.

Puri-Puri Prisoner: his palate is very limited on account of being in literal prison. However, he doesn’t really hate it there for some reason, and I’ve even stated in a previous hc that he sometimes gets specialized meals in the cafeteria due to his status as a hero. His favorite dessert would probably be whatever chocolate-flavored sweet brick they can shit out. Like, motherfuckers get really creative with their ingredients while locked up and there’s a bomb ass recipe for chocolate cake floating around that I’ve tried and can confirm it’s 10/10 not bad. I’m getting off-topic. His favorite dessert is whatever asshole he’ll be eating out of that night.

Saitama: Even though he’s poorer than.... fuck, I don’t know. He’s broke but he still indulges in the prestige shit here and there. He’s got a massive sweet tooth even though he’s ripped as hell, hence why he eats so much fruit because it’s the only sweet thing he can afford to ingest without losing his gains. His favorite dessert would be anything banana-related, but nothing as decadent as say, dark chocolate. Probably banana foster waffles. I don’t know why that popped into my head, I just know Saitama would like them.

Garou: motherfucker could shit on a rock with sprinkles on it and call it dessert. His favorite, though? Sweet, sweet victory. And candy bars.

[makiiato]

Heyyyy you wrote that people can ask you about your ocs, so what's the selection? ^^

@skullchicken WOW I JUST SAW THIS AAAAHH

Please ask me about my OCs! I have a lot of them, but I'll tell you a little bit about the main ones, most of which were created as Shadowrun characters.

(Descriptions and lots of cool art under the cut!)

Vip3r, elf technomancer.

A former street kid from the Redmond Barrens, she thrived after being adopted into a relatively well-off corporate family and given a formal education. She excelled academically and even received a partial corporate scholarship for host design, but she overheard her parents worrying about how they'd fund the rest of it, she decided to take matters into her own hands and pick up a shadowrunning job... which went south nearly immediately and landed her in prison. She was then transferred to MCT custody as a test subject for some wildly unethical technomancer research, which her parents eventually discovered, and struck a deal with the company to enter a contract of lifelong loyalty and silence in exchange for her freedom. She found out about this years later, and immediately resolved to help them the same way they'd helped her.

Vip3r is the only TTRPG character I've played who's actually been able to play through a full personal story arc. Although she's kind of in pseudo-retirement for now, she's absolutely my favorite OC and is sort of my main, iconic character.

(art by @nightingales-thighs)

Voltage, elf street samurai.

Voltage is a loud-and-proud Ancients member who loves violence, elven death metal, hot girls, and her motorcycle, Caroline (seriously, if it were legal to marry a motorcycle, Voltage would do it without hesitation). She's dumb as a brick but generally well-intentioned and fiercely loyal to the people she cares about.

(art by @ossifer)

Killjoy, oni face/off-sam. (Sometimes I make characters who aren't elves, if you can believe it.)

When Killjoy's parents died, they left a massive debt to the Yakuza for her and her brother Koji to inherit. Restaurant work barely pays the bills as is, and Koji is an irresponsible dickhead, so Killjoy took up sex work and then shadowrunning in order to make ends meet.

Killjoy's story carries a lot of themes that are really personal to me; mainly a disconnect in how others interpret your identity versus how you want to be seen yourself, and the inherent horror of being a worker in a hypercapitalist society.

(art by @foxglovefaun)

Llolfaen, drow cleric of Llolth. (Sometimes I make characters for other games that are not Shadowrun. Also shocking, I know.)

Llolfaen was born to a noble house that prided themselves on their devotion to Llolth. To show this, each family under this house would dedicate their firstborn daughter to the priesthood. Being one of those firstborn daughters, Llolfaen was brought up to be a priestess and holy assassin for Llolth, seeking out heretics and giving them one chance to recant before slaughtering them. One target she was sent to kill was the matriarch of a rival house, and in carrying out this commission, she sparked a war between the two houses that ended in the near-extermination of her own. She prayed to Llolth to preserve her, and in answer to her prayer, she opened a magical portal that transported her to a small island nation on the surface run by a corrupt theocracy which is pretty much the worst place on earth, and was told that if she could survive here for a hundred years, she would be taken back to the Underdark and given dominion over this rival house.

Llolfaen is my character in an evil campaign in which the player characters are working for an organization that serves Asmodeus, and seeks to topple the established theocracy. My intent when I created her was to make a character who would be totally fine with committing atrocities and think that she was in the right the whole time, and I figured one of the easiest ways to do that would be to make her a product of a society with some horrifically twisted morals that she just accepted as normal. She's a horrendous narcissist who doesn't see anyone around her as people (save for her party members, sort of, and only because they're more tolerable than anyone else in this godawful country), and I'm having such a good time playing her.

She's actually becoming a better person in play as she starts to care about other people, which is... shocking.

(art by a friend who I don't believe is on Tumblr)

[armansanimeaddiction]

Samurai Champloo : A Tale of Two Ronin

By standard expectation, Samurai Champloo is a show that shouldn’t work. Our three heroes have no common goal nor traits, the show doesn’t really show any progression beyond the plot stumbling into the last two episodes. But in spite of that, the saga of Mugen, Jin and Fuu manages to capture something profound within all of us ; the meaning of life.

Ok, the meaning of life is a fairly big topic, and one that at face value seems to have been disputed time and time again. But the most potent of these studies is the field of existentialism, or more simply the study of existence. Existentialism was born of the anxiety of Søren Kierkegaard, whose anxiety caused him to ponder about how humans find meaning in what seems to be a meaningless existence. His works laid the groundwork for generations of philosophers to debate their own views on the subject, and for me to write this essay.

On face value, it would seem Samurai Champloo has very little to do with the meaning of life ; after all it's just a story about three vagabonds wandering around Edo Japan, looking for the samurai who smells of sunflowers - a flower which doesn’t really have a smell. Yet our main trio manages to encapsulate the introductory passage of Kierkegaard’s “The Sickness Unto Death”

The first member of our group is Mugen. Translated from Japanese, “Mugen” means “infinite”, which so happens to coincide with a Kierkegaardian concept. The infinite, according to Kierkegaard, is a sphere of being which corresponds to possibility; the capacity to change oneself and to be unbound. But one can get lost in the infinite, living a life of experiments and falsehoods that never get the legitimization than if you had committed to those ideals. We see this reflected in Mugen ; from the day he was born, he has never been told what to do and has always lived life on his own accord. But as a consequence of this, he has never been able to find satisfaction in friendships and ventures, always drawing himself away from the situation. When he reunites with Koza, it's clear to us that she wants the connection with Mugen, but having this unbound desire to move on from everything, he can’t stay with her. However, he is transformed through the story after having the honour the bet made with Fuu to accompany her on the journey; confronting his own demons of commitment. 

We then move onto Jin, whose name can be translated as “human” in English ; the finite, whose life will most certainly come to an end. For Kierkegaard, the finite is a regard for necessity and the definite in life. To live bound by rules which correspond to the reality of the world. Jin is held prisoner by these phantoms of the past ; he lives by a romanticised ruleset of the bushido, which he was excruciatingly ejected from at the hands of the one he respected the most. To lose oneself in the finite is to live a life where change seems impossible ; where one becomes confined by societal shackles, where no alternatives exist. Time and time again, Jin never makes the decision he wants to make, rather he does something because his ideals have told him it is the right thing to do, but it is not necessarily what he wants to do. He has never had friends, because his code forced him on a path of isolation to uphold honour and courage. Only after having been put in a situation by Fuu where he has to socialise with these other outcasts does he fulfil his own desires for once : he experiences love, he enters the red light district, and above everything else, he finds his first two friends.

Whilst Mugen and Jin represent opposite sides of the same coin, Kierkegaard exaggerates that it is the tension between these paradigms which makes us human and gives us meaning to our life. It is not an easy journey, it takes a lifetime to find this balance. And this is no better exemplified than the overarching theme of the show ; a mindless journey. Sure, their intent is to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers, but ultimately the stakes are much greater than that. Nearing the end of their time together, Fuu reminisces that she wants the journey to go on forever, as she knows that eventually they’ll split up to discover their own selves. And she knows this will definitely happen because discovering the self is a journey one can only experience by themselves, and that you yourself are the only one responsible for this. Mugen and Jin have known this their whole life ; Mugen was born on the Ryukyu Islands, barren and desolate. He could only ever rely on himself for his own survival, by and large after having been betrayed by his brother and having to fend for himself ever since. For Jin, his skill with the sword was second to none, sequestering himself from his peers, and eventually forcing him to kill the ones he loved the most for the sole purpose of his own survival. He has never been able to trust anyone with his life, just as Kierkegaard wrote ; you are the one solely responsible for your life.

No doubt, this is not an easy task. There is a large amount of anxiety associated with discovering the self ; it requires one to deconstruct who they are, with no guides to help you nor any standards of success. The path to individuality is a lonely one, where endless possibilities give rise to disorientation on how to balance this act of life. Jin and Mugen initially have no desire to be involved with Fuu’s antics, and had the bet not gone the way it should have, they would not have begun this path of existential understanding

For Kierkegaard, this anxiety is a necessary one for the pursuit of selfhood. Existential anxiety represents awareness of one's freedom of possibilities, and having the power to actualise one of them. Being solely responsible for one's future. This freedom is a double edged sword however ; knowing that you are the only one who can do anything about your self can cause a great amount of despair. The greatest of which is the sickness unto death ; an attempt to undo oneself of their self, to lack what it means to be human, all whilst not being aware of it. In the opening scenes of the show, we see Mugen and Jin ready to lay down their lives ; they have no respect for themselves as they don’t know what or how to live for. They succumb to the sickness unto death because they don’t know how to live, and refuse to accept that they don’t. But by the end, when our trio part ways, we see that they have changed. They now understand that they can change and they don’t have a set arbitrary goal ; they are now content with just existing, having experienced what it means to be a self with one another. 

Mugen initially was controlled by despair over the earthly. He was a glutton, whose first interaction with Fuu is getting her out of a sticky situation in exchange for 100 dumplings.  He has a constant infatuation with women and does anything to get with one. Early in his life, this was his friendship with Koza and Mukuro. But when he lost this connection, he thinks that the accompanying emptiness he feels is a result of such a loss, not realising that an inner hollowness was there all along: he lacked a self and tried to compensate by projecting their identity onto something external and finite. Ever since, he has never been able to fill this void. For Jin, this was a despair over his ideals. They are all that he had ever known, and to see them shattered in front of him causes him great misery, so much so that he shuts himself from others so that he can’t experience it again, not realising that he is more than those romanticised ideals. This is the extent of their sicknesses unto death ; a tragedy which subconsciously prevented them from moving on.

But in spite of this, they find new goals, higher goals which are immaterial. These goals are expressed by their passionate commitment to a style of life. Having experienced this journey, they find a new higher goal ; to explore the world and all the things that happen in it - the characterisation of them being content with their existence. It is important to note that they are not at the end of their journeys towards their goals, but they are at least now on the right path.

To reach their goals, they have to withstand trial and tribulation that comes with it. This is no better exemplified by the multitudinous fights they partake in, but the most distinct of these are the final fights they have. For Mugen, he confronts a demon of the past in Umanosuke, whose fighting style is as hectic as his own. To overcome him, he has to take a leaf out of Jin’s book and use a plan to defeat him, metaphorically demonstrating his growth as a self. Similarly for Jin, in his confrontation with Kagetoki, he is unpredictable so that he can land a killing blow, letting go of his strict bushido code for one glorious moment. 

Whilst Kierkegaard never directly addresses it, he implores the reader to be themselves, and experiment with their own life views. This is reflected with the stylistic choices of the show. Whilst this can be somewhat attributed to making the protagonists stand out, Samurai Champloo’s supporting cast is vibrant and colourful, so giving our main trio an even more distinct look demonstrates how different they are to the crowd and how they live life by their own accords. This can be further attributed to their styles of fighting ; Mugen adheres to no code and break dances mid fight, incorporating wacky movements into his fights. Jin on the other hand is constantly refining and reading his enemy to be able to take them down in one swift strike. These stylistic highlights demonstrate how our protagonists do not fit in with the standard societal mould demonstrated to martial artists or even just being a human in Edo Japan.

But there still remains one glaring question ; how does Fuu fit into all of this?

Fuu seems to be like a Kierkegaardian ideal. She isn’t perfect, but she is everything that Kierkegaard describes to be someone on the path to selfhood. She demonstrates qualities of the finite in being able to follow the expectations of society, but she doesn't let this impede on her own views. Her dream is immaterial - to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers - so she doesn’t despair (on a grand scale) over the material wealth they find along their journey. Through Fuu, Mugen and Jin learn what it means to be human, to have dreams and desires. And Fuu does see an end to her dream ; she has a tearful reunion with her father, who she ultimately forgives despite him abandoning her and her mother, showing that she also grows as a person along the journey too. She learns to become more assertive, adaptive and understanding of others too. The journey to selfhood is not one that can be achieved in a short period of time, but we see that Fuu makes significant progress on it throughout the time of the show.

So what can we take from this? It’s that we should discover the nature of our self, learn what it means to be a self, and to live life for our selfs. The journey of life will have an end for us, but it’s what we make of it that matters. 

“Do you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone?”

[orihara-infobroker]

Bushido, Honour and Ghost of Tsushima

Now that I’m done crying over a horse (I WILL NEVER BE OVER THIS), let’s talk about Shimura and Sakai and the definition of honour to a samurai.

Because the story tells us that Jin has no honour and is a bad samurai but that is from the perspective of Shimura and the samurai like him. There is no good ending for Jin, not because he doesn’t have honour, but because he defied the authority structure. Basically, it’s politics.

I believe Jin is actually the one with more honour and that Shimura forsakes his own honour on the beach when he pursues a course of action that leaves Tsushima (and the mainland) open to invasion. Because without Jin’s willingness to adapt, Tsushima would have been lost, no question. 

The principles of the samurai “code” - bushido - weren’t truly codified until Miyamoto Musashi wrote about the samurai class in his later years. This was in the 1600s. Ghost of Tsushima takes place in the 1200s, well before Musashi’s writings. Which is not to say that the samurai didn’t follow a code of honour but that code could vary from clan to clan, region to region. What was functionally the singular unifying factor was that the samurai were warriors and they were nobility. 

Now, as we all know, the role of nobility has historically been a very divided one. There are the ruling class who believe that their job is to take care of the people and there are the selfish pricks who are rich and entitled and abuse their privilege. Now, I’m not saying that Shimura is abusing the peasants but it is made very clear that they are not his priority. His personal honour (or perception of what honour is) is more important to him than the lives of the peasants. Even the lives of his own soldiers are less important than their perceived “honour”. And Shimura makes it clear that the will of the Shogun (yaaay politics) is more important than the lives of the people. Even his own “son”.

Jin exemplifies the noble who understands that his role is to protect all of his people. He is the people’s hero because he cares about them. He earns their respect and loyalty in a way Shimura cannot because Shimura sees them only as subjects to rule over, not people to care about. 

Further, in the game, Jin does some very “ninja” things. Using poison, assassinating, attacking from behind etcetera. Well. The shinobi as a class didn’t really come into being until the Sengoku era (around the late 1400s, early 1500s). So the criticism levied on Jin for his dishonourable behaviour is somewhat amusing because while samurai did have a general belief that assassination was dishonourable and that you should meet your foes on the field of battle face-to-face, they weren’t opposed to using non-conventional tactics to win battles. They just didn’t get their own hands dirty with it.

Now, if we were to talk about the principles of bushido as they have been interpreted through Musashi, there are nine principles by which a samurai should live his life:

1. Do not think dishonestly. 2. The Way is in training. 3. Become acquainted with every art. 4. Know the Ways of all professions 5. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. 6. Develop an intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. 7. Perceive those things which cannot be seen. 8. Pay attention even to trifles. 9. Do nothing which is of no use.

These are the principles that were later further reimagined as the eight virtues of bushido by Nitobe Inazo in the 1800s and are what most people see in reference to bushido today:

Righteousness (義, gi) Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. To the true warrior, all points of view are deeply considered regarding honesty, justice and integrity. Warriors make a full commitment to their decisions.

Heroic Courage (勇, yū) Hiding like a turtle in a shell is not living at all. A true warrior must have heroic courage. It is absolutely risky. It is living life completely, fully and wonderfully. Heroic courage is not blind. It is intelligent and strong.

Benevolence, Compassion (仁, jin) Through intense training and hard work the true warrior becomes quick and strong. They are not as most people. They develop a power that must be used for good. They have compassion. They help their fellow men at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, they go out of their way to find one.

Respect (礼, rei) True warriors have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. Warriors are not only respected for their strength in battle, but also by their dealings with others. The true strength of a warrior becomes apparent during difficult times.

Honesty (誠, makoto) When warriors say that they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do. They do not have to 'give their word'. They do not have to 'promise'. Speaking and doing are the same action.

Honour (名誉, meiyo) Warriors have only one judge of honor and character, and this is themselves. Decisions they make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection of who they truly are. You cannot hide from yourself.

Duty and Loyalty (忠義, chūgi) Warriors are responsible for everything that they have done and everything that they have said and all of the consequences that follow. They are immensely loyal to all of those in their care. To everyone that they are responsible for, they remain fiercely true.

Self-Control (自制, jisei)

Now if we look at either of these lists, we can see that Jin does not lack in honour. He does not stray from the path of the samurai. Quite the opposite, Jin exhibits exemplary personal responsibility. Shimura, on the other hand, while not without honour and generally consistent with Musashi’s guidelines, does stray far afield of the virtues. In fact, I would argue that his strict adherence to the “rules” as he perceived them is actually what makes him less honourable than Jin. He cannot perceive things in any way other than the one he was raised with and that is his downfall - and nearly the downfall of Tsushima. 

Which, historically is not inaccurate. (Not that you should be looking to Ghost of Tsushima for historical accuracy. In fact, please don’t... XD) During the actual mongol invasion of Japan, the mongols sailed from Korea and took Tsushima as well as Iki Island then proceeded to land at Hakata Bay. These islands simply did not have the number of troops sufficient to defend them against an entire fleet.

What actually defeated the mongols was not samurai honour (or Jin’s sneaky shinobi tactics). It was weather. During the battle at Hakata Bay, the mongols decided to retreat to their ships at night to avoid being ambushed by the Japanese. And because the troops were on their ships and out to sea when the tsunami hit, the mongols lost nearly half their fighting force. They retreated and, much later, planned a second invasion, following a similar path as the first. They attacked Tsushima and Iki again, routing the samurai and murdering many of the islanders. They moved against Nagato and Hakata Bay but this time the Japanese were better prepared for them and they were forced to return to Iki and other small islands. The Japanese counter attacked by launching raids on the mongol ships. As the Japanese continued to push them back, keeping them off the mainland, the mongol fleet was once again defeated, not by samurai, but by weather. A great typhoon struck the fleet and devastated it. The mongol commander fled, leaving many of his troops stranded on Taka Island where they were rounded up and killed by the Japanese. (Note this is a condensed summary of the invasions. There is obviously more detail to the actual events.)

Amusingly, what did come out of this war was a growing respect and fear for the Japanese from the Korean, Chinese and Mongol nations. The mongols, in particular were quite concerned by the Japanese swords. The Japanese, however, found that these earlier katana that they were using were inconvenient to use when fighting in close quarters against large numbers and responded by refining them.

Anyway, the history lesson aside, Jin’s story is a tragedy but it’s also an absolutely wonderful samurai story because it shows the lengths a truly honourable samurai will go to, to fulfill his duty to his principles and to his people.