#Culture of Anime Analysis

[demonslayerunhinged]

Ohhhhhhkayyyyyyy.......

*claps hands*

time to lose some fucking followers

So I haven't posted in a while because I'm currently battling a cold and a sinus infection, so most of my time is spent slowly rotting away and fusing with my bed, but during this time I've had the chance to think about some things regarding this blog and the stuff I post.

When I created this blog I didn't expect the amount of follows, likes and reblogs I got and while I'm grateful that people like my work a side effect is that I'm starting to not just put pressure on myself to produce content but also to produce sanitized, censored and morally 'approved' content.

And by this, I mean not making posts and sharing opinions that I know some people would deem problematic, especially when I see the blurbs on the blogs that follow me like 'pro-shippers dni' and stuff. I unconsciously started to mold my thoughts, opinions and subsequently posts to the expectations and restrictions I placed on myself which meant that whenever I wanted to make a post I'd have all these questions banging around in my head 'like is this okay?', 'will people like it?', 'will I lose followers?', 'will people think I'm a pro-shipper?', and so on. These questions were especially loud when I posted the answer to that RenTan ask and when I posted the male fanservice series. I don't want that, I don't want to question and second-guess myself every time I want to make a post, I don't want to run my blog based on the approval of others.

This blog is my safe space, it's where I can voice my opinions, problematic or not. I like to look at things from an unbiased and objective point of view and just because I can see the basis of a 'problematic' ship or character doesn't mean I support pedophilia, domestic violence, abuse etc. etc. Even when it comes to characters, storylines and ships that I may not necessarily like because ultimately this is fiction, these are 2d characters born from someone's amazing imagination, so live and let live.

If you have a problem with this, my blog, and my posts, feel free to unfollow and block me. I appreciate your support for my past posts and I understand if you don't like my blog anymore but don't go on posting negative comments or 'ew' reblogs of my posts in a misguided, self-righteous attempt to prove to yourself that you're a 'good' person. I'll just delete them and block you.

I also won't be answering 'morality-fishing' asks, I don't have to prove my 'goodness' to anyone just to get them to follow and approve of my blog and content. As long as the ask is polite and genuine, I will answer to the best of my knowledge, giving both biased and unbiased opinions.

The #KnYFansAreFuckingStupid posts have been deleted because they're kinda mean-spirited and serve no purpose except to make myself feel like one of the 'smart' fans. I would rather make posts that debunk misinformation by providing as many links and resources as possible than condemn people who believe them because we've all gobbled and spread misinformation at some point or another. I will still condemn people who complain and say bad stuff about queer ships because fuck you.

In Conclusion, no more sanitized, censored or pandering posts. This is Demon Slayer Unhinged, not Demon Slayer Morality Reassurance or Demon Slayer Puritan and Sanitized. My goal is to try to deliver good, quality analyses and shitty memes.

And for those of you who still choose to read my shit. Thank you for trusting me with your time, your asks and your content. It means a lot to me. Thank you. 🩷🩷🩷

[touchoffleece]

Apology in Advance for the probable incoming Sulemio v Destiel Poll posts.

There are layers to why the dumb ship poll has me feeling so passionate, some are: -Sulemio more or less checked off a Bucket List Want I thought I would die before seeing it become a reality. That being: a Sapphic Anime couple where the main focus and story doesn't revolve around discovering or accepting their sexuality and showing it can be a successful story public perception wise and money wise (G Witch has some of that self discovery stuff but it's like a D or E level plot). And having it so the gay relationship can't be perceived away as besties or sisterhood or with a Bury Your Gays end. -wlw/GL ships constantly getting overshadowed by mlm ships or get played down to hype up mlm ships because "there can only be 1 lgbtqi+ ship" mentality in fandoms. -Sulemio fandom was vibing and more or less quiet until this rewoke us up here on Tumblr. We are all once again speaking and writing deep analytical lengthy posts about how deep, well written and portrayed the love between both characters were not only in subtext but throughly explicit sentences in dialogue or actions of Suletta and Miorine, and the world around them. I am very happy to join in and revisit the awesomeness that their story was since I can't truly replicate the journey that was watching their story as it developed in real time. (Shout out to my 2 het cis male acquaintances who nagged me to give G Witch a shot back when only ep 0 and 1 were out you guys freaking amazing. Bros gave me unforgettable memories.) -But a big one I see not getting talked about a lot is how this match up is giving a big and much needed reality check to western-media-live-action-only-consumers/fans that: Just because something is an animation it does not make that type of art/storytelling/show/whatever you want to call it inferior to live action. A few years back I saw so many west live action tv fans shit endlessly and mercilessly on Magical Girl Utena because of a similar ship poll where it had come down to live action fandom ship vs canon anime ship. (iykyk, I don't want to restart that shit up again since it hurt a lot to watch as someone who liked the ship that was leading but didn't watch Utena-I'm too weak for that hurt- see the show and its contribution towards actual wlw/gl representation get shit on) A lot of the criticisms and punchlines of statements were mocking people for getting attached to cartoons as "grown ass adults"; a criticism any animation enjoyer probably knows all too well. Post so many animation shows in western streaming sites get cancelled or be erased and locked behind vaults because the CEOs think there is no fanbase or value in creating animation, this sentiment more towards animated shows with depth in their stories. I think back to that poll and the ensuing shit show. To think about that back then and see a reflection of that situation with the Ship (Sulemio) that has been stated to be inspired by the ship from Utena (Utenanthy) that was shat on so much by similar media consumers back then who perceived and said animation is a lesser form of storytelling-after seeing so many animation shows I enjoyed get cancelled because of this same sentiment from people thinking no adult wants animation as entertainment- to see Sulemio beat "the greater known" ship from a western live action media show that didn't even want the gay representation associated with itself, it feels like properly bandaging a seeping wound that you were letting "dry out". This all still feels like ship war with ships and fandoms that shouldn't have reason to beef, but the catharsis of seeing such a: powerful, moving, and overall amazing story that is Gundam the Witch from Mercury (free on Youtube to watch btw) and Sulemio's love story get recognized when it still feels like animation as a storytelling device gets looked down upon and has partially been erased, is making me cautiously optimistic that maybe in a few years we can get our amazing in depth animated shows that got taken away because animated storytelling is "just for kids" or "isn't good enough".

[musings-and-overanalyses]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Why This is My Favourite Ghibli Movie

CW: Major high-school English teacher vibes ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

Nausicaä of the valley of wind is a story of the titular character Nausicaä and her being a bridge between the world of humans and nature to bring peace, thus fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley of the Wind. The film begins with her walking and exploring the Sea of Decay, an area with toxic air, plants and fungal spores. She collects some spores and finds the hard molten shell of an Ohmu (gigantic blue-blooded trilobite-looking creatures), which her people use to make weapons and tools. As the name suggests, the Valley of the Wind is a civilisation that depends on and bases their culture around wind, which one can see through an abundance of windmills and gliders, including the one that Nausicaä rides. They are shown to be peaceful people who do not interfere with the politics of the warring human kingdoms or disturb nature. Nausicaä in particular is shown to have a special gift with animals—from calming Ohmus to having a pet fox-squirrel. As the existence of the kingdom depends on the sea wind that shields them from the effects of the sea of decay, there is a general reverence towards nature and its other members such as the Ohmus, that are often referred to with honorifics.

This was an element I liked: the symbolism goes deep in this film; for example, with the nature of wind—it being the very breath necessary for life is contrasted with its other face, through toxic spores in the sea of decay capable of killing anyone who inhales it.

It is revealed that humans had built The Giant Men, weapons so dangerous—not unlike our atomic bombs as shown through the characteristic mushroom cloud—that the destruction caused by the war had unleashed the fury of the Ohmus, an otherwise gentle species. They wiped out entire civilisations and where they died, the Sea of Decay grew on their decomposing corpses, showing how all life is interconnected and that even in death the rage of the Ohmus, and through them the rage of nature, wouldn't subside. It is then that the viewers find out that this is not some far-off planet, but a post-apocalyptic future on earth.

New species of plants and fungi made the Sea of Decay their habitat—nature and life always find a way. It is implied that the humans lost the war referred to as the Seven days of Fire, but the truth is that it is not a war that can ever be won. Even if you win the war against nature you lose. As the story progresses, we see that the plants and fungi that Nausicaä collected from the Sea of Decay are actually trying to purify the soil and water—nature holds no grudges but only seeks balance.

The seventh of the Giant Men, a sentient atomic bomb if you will, apparently hid underground for a thousand years until the kingdom of Pejite found it for use against their enemy, the Tolmekians. They both remain oblivious to the sheer destruction that can be caused by this Giant Man and they don't care either. Despite the balance between humans and nature being a delicate one, instead of trying to rebuild together, they justify to themselves that the war is necessary for self-preservation and to put humans back on top of the food chain.

In their hubris, the Tolmekians and their princess Kushana believe that with the help of their superweapon they can destroy the Sea of Decay despite knowing that it will trigger the wrath of the Ohmus. The Giant Man however is not complete and hence, though the devastation is great, the final giant man dies and all that is remains to be done is to calm the wrath of the Ohmus.

Nausicaä saves an Ohmu child who was injured by Tolmekian soldiers to lure the Ohmus into a war. She saves the baby Ohmu and sacrifices her own life to calm the sea of maddened Ohmus. The now-calm Ohmu then revive Nausicaä, symbolising the mystical healing power of nature and its ability to support and create life.

Nausicaä is an excellent protagonist, and how the trope of the chosen one is utilised is beautiful and full of symbolism. Right from the get-go, we see her being inquisitive and brave. She is willing to defend her people but not through violence. And it is made abundantly clear that her avoidance of violence is not due to any lack of strength; when she strikes down the soldiers who killed her father, rather than feeling any sense of pride (as one might expect from a character not used to strength), it sickens her. She shows understanding even towards Kushana, whose men took over her kingdom. She sincerely loves and respects animals and plants.

There was a prophecy among the people of the valley of wind that a person clad in blue over golden fields will save their kingdom and bring peace. And towards the end of the film, Nausicaä's clothes becoming blue with the blood of the baby Ohmu she saved and the golden fields being the tendrils of the Ohmus healing her is poetic to say the least.

In addition to a good female protagonist, we also get a powerful female antagonist in Kushana, who starts out as a one-note expansionist ruler, but it is revealed that she lost her limbs and got severely maimed by the sea of decay, motivating her to destroy it once and for all. Proud and arrogant, sure, but she has a motive beyond just wanting power and possesses some form of a moral code. In another story she could be the protagonist bravely defending humanity against the evil, alien-esque trilobites and spores.

It was a unique and meaningful choice on Miyazaki's part to symbolise nature through the Ohmus—alien-looking giant insects—instead of something cute and fluffy. Oftentimes humans care more about the conservation of animals that they find cute (pandas over, say, Panamanian golden frogs), but an animal doesn't have to appeal to human aesthetics to be worth conserving.

Absolutely not to be missed is the breathtaking soundtrack by Hisaishi. There are symphonies, techno music, sitar-like instruments and a child's humming, all elevating every scene to give a moving experience.

Ultimately it is an ambitious story that aims to deal with themes of coexisting with nature, the futility and dangers of war, and of how innocent children who should live carefree lives are dragged into it and made heroes. This film is often categorised as falling into the genre of Solarpunk: a literary and artistic movement that centres around building a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. Although this film does depict violence and wars, it ultimately shows a peaceful future is possible.

Truly a masterpiece. 9/10.

[leitereads]

Kuroshitsuji: an analysis on "fagging" and a change of power dynamics between characters

I know how disappointed some fans are regarding the "politically correct" presentation of Ciel and the overall "fagging" culture that was common back then at elite boarding schools in the UK. From what I have heard from people slightly older than me, this was a thing that carried on into the late 90s in certain private schools. As of now, I am sorry, I don’t know anyone rich enough to ask them regarding those things.

However, what I can say about this matter is that a) this practice is can be found almost anywhere in the world (mostly in universities), b) it is about power exchange and how it leads to respecting tradition and bond with other students, c) I am part of it in my own university and d) it’s deliciously represented in Kuroshitsuji, in a way that somehow gives us a different perspective over what Ciel can and cannot do, limiting his actions, something that he, as a powerful noble, is not used to.

Fagging

In many countries and cultures cross the world, "fagging" has many different names, and many different forms. In the US you have fraternities and sororities, here in my country you have the "Praxe". In the UK you have (had?) fagging, in which consisted exactly on younger students doing most part of domestic tasks that were supposed to be made by older students. The older the students were, the more power and status they gained inside the institution, and therefore the more privileges they had. In consequence, although these fags didn’t have an easy life, they still had some sort of protection and status themselves for serving someone older. This creates an hierarchy based on age, more specifically just academic age.

Ciel, as being someone young is, of course, at the base of this hierarchical system. Someone who is used to be at the top of the hierarchical ladder is going to struggle to adapt to a new environment, one in which he simply cannot understand/agree with the traditions imposed. This will create a certain obstacle at first, because he needs to learn how to navigate in a different society so different and, at the same time, so similar to the one he belongs to: the only difference being where he stands. And we see Ciel, for the second time in his life, working himself from the the way down to the way up.

In the first time, his birth condition (well, let’s assume we are speaking about Ciel’s condition, and not o!Ciel’s one at least) gave him a kickstart in life: a manor, monetary goods, a title. In this case, he is a mere 1st year student, and he must subjugate himself to the desires (sometimes sadistic) of older students, especially Clayton at first.

Psychological Implications

It may be complicated from Ciel, even more taking in consideration how prideful he is, to swallow that pride and abide by traditions he a) doesn’t relate to b) finds useless and c) seeing himself without a lot of power to swiftly surpass those obstacles. Ciel is not there in order to live the academic traditions that are present around him, nor to make friends, of course. And, in the end, fagging and these other academic traditions open the door to just that: when people suffer together they usually stick together. This is the meaning of fagging, Praxe, and all the other academic traditions listed. And this is not what he is searching for. Which puts a little bit of strain on him, and he ultimately might think they are extremely childish and ridiculous.

Another interesting aspect of this overall power exchange here is that Sebastian is in a higher position of power than Ciel, as opposed to their base situation. This is, of course, extremely debatable, and the power that each one of them holds in their master/servant (no, I am not talking about that sort of thing… eww) is quite mutable, and, at times, one may hold more control over the other, and that is changing. Here we have a third factor contributing to that mutable power exchange: a different environment, where Sebastian’s position allows him to be seen as more respectable. And this is extremely delicious to see when he lets Ciel undergoing the initiation ritual with the bedsheets and being thrown: Sebastian is, obviously, enjoying himself at the expense of his master’s suffering, since in normal situations he simply cannot do that, at least not as frequently. To Sebastian this is cathartic, and to Ciel (Sebastian’s master) this must feel extremely insolent. Especially because Ciel is someone who likes to always be in control, having in consideration all he went through.

Undergoing this traditional upbringing will, hopefully, provide Ciel either the necessary tools regarding being more self-reliant and independent when it comes to Sebastian because, even if the demon is able to help him out with all the domestic tasks that he needs to do, who knows what will happen when Ciel loses (even if just temporarily) Sebastian one day (which, as another post explained, it might happen sooner than we think).

By being a fag and by navigating a position in which he is in a lower position, Ciel can’t find many shortcuts to success, and he will need to a) rely on his interpersonal skills, b) make connections with other students, c) be aware of what’s going on, socially, around him (read the room) and d) use his insight more than the sheer force and threats of Sebastian.

[superectojazzmage]

Really interesting aspect to Amazing Digital Circus is how the performers aren’t actually, like, forced to do anything.

Its made pretty clear that the adventures aren’t compulsory or anything like that. There’s no punishment for not participating, the performers can just wander off to do other stuff instead of taking part in adventures (Jax, Pomni, and Ragatha do exactly that and Zooble tries to do it only to walk into the Gloinks by accident). Ragatha claims that Caine only generates the adventures as a way of helping the performers avoid abstraction and they’re totally optional, while Caine himself notes that the one thing he can’t control in the Circus is people’s own minds and souls. There’s no gun to their head forcing them to partake in these weird, oft-traumatic antics, their free will is not impaired in any way.

But at the same time… what else are they gonna do?

They can’t leave obviously, so their only sources of entertainment or any real life experience for that matter is whatever they have on hand in the Circus and the weird cyber-island it exists on. That would be fine but there doesn’t seem to be a ton of real amenities on the island beyond the Circus, and the Circus is mostly just confusing and terrifying and bizarrely empty for something meant to entertain people. The “rewards” for adventures are just that, seemingly only able to be given to them by Caine as a condition for winning and consisting of stuff like dinners. Presumably they’re allowed personal possessions or hobbies, but what is that going to amount to when there’s nothing but circus equipment and the occasional object you’d see in a children’s rec center?

Any kind of purely adult fun is preempted too, even though the only people in the Circus are adults in their twenties to forties. They can’t go out drinking or engage with media that has anything above an E For Everyone rating. They can’t have sex because of the enforced censorship and kid-friendly nature of the Circus (and their avatars probably aren’t even physically capable of it), and even if they could why would they WANT to have sex with each other considering their avatars’ appearances and their hideously clashing personalities? They’re not even allowed to swear or discuss “adult” topics, so they have to stifle and censor their speech constantly instead of speaking frankly as adults.

(as a side note, I feel like this whole “all ages” element is possibly intended or could be read as a satire on the infantilization of the modern internet by corporations and censorship in general in modern society, but that’s a whole other post)

Literally the only break from the monotony of the Circus is when Caine changes things slightly by introducing an adventure. And even that doesn’t seem to attract much enthusiasm from the performers, since the one adventure we’ve seen so far sucks and seems to just annoy everyone more than anything. Caine tries to give them things they would enjoy, but is clearly limited by both the strict content rules of the Digital World and his own poor understanding of humans; he created the Fake Exit to try and cheer up Kaufmo by giving him what he wanted — an escape from the Circus — only to realize he couldn’t actually let them out that way and that they wouldn’t respond well to thinking they’re getting out only to have their hopes shattered (which is exactly what happens to Pomni).

These annoying, asinine scenarios are the only thing that createsk any sort of change or excitement in the Circus, so of course everyone is going to engage with them because otherwise they’ll be bored out of their skulls. And being bored out of your skull is a sure fire way to push your mind ever closer to abstraction. And maybe even with how dumb they are, the adventures could be fun, but it’s hard to get very enthused about them when they’re the only thing you have, day in, day out. That monotonous feeling of running without moving never goes away.

The reason the Circus breaks people so much and so badly isn’t because of how freaky it is, but how tedious it is. It offers only an illusion of choice while never impairing the performers’ ability to recognize that they DO have a choice and SHOULD be able to do other things because they’re people but they artificially can’t. And that suppression of their ability to have choices and do whatever they want like any human can is what drives them mad.

[thatboneyfella]

I found this skull near a shed under a bush next to a few scraps of dusty matted fur. It seemed to be in pretty good condition.

At first I thought it was a canine skull of some sort, but after looking up pictures I wonder if it’s closer in shape to an American badger skull, although maybe a raccoon skull? Maybe five inches long? I’m not sure. What do you think?

hello! i think you're spot on. american badgers and racoons are very hard to distinguish, i cant say for certain but i would guess this is probably a raccoon. the zygomatic arch comes to a sharp point at the natural conclusion of the orbital, rather than being in the middle or back end which is typically more of a feature found in badgers in general. the eye sockets also dont appear to be terribly elongated. the lacrimal duct is pronounced (which is that hole by the front of the eye socket) which is found in several placental mammals & marsupials however racoons it tends to be more of a upside down triangle shape and that seems to match up.

like i said i cant be absolutely certain but my guess is its a raccoon as well. :)

[highfantasy-soul]

Oh wonderful, another YouTuber I usually agree with butchering their critical thinking skills while talking about NATLA.

Just like with Jessie Gender, I usually agree with Read With Cindy's takes on media, but, just like with Jessie, Cindy just....point blank lies about what happened in the live action Avatar?

Because I have that terminal condition of 'can't let inaccurate information remain un-challenged', here's my response to her points:

She claims that because Sokka isn't sexist, Katara has nothing to be angry about…..so colonization, genocide, a 100 year war, the fire nation murdering her mother, the broken state of the world aren't things to be mad about? Sexism is the only thing a WOMAN could POSSIBLY be angry about???

She claims they 'sanitized' Sokka's character 'removing his flaws so he has nowhere to grow' - same as the last point - do you think sexism is the only flaw a man can have? There are absolutely no other character traits available for men to have that they need to grow from?

She claims that it's only in the animated show that Katara frees Aang from the iceberg - in the live-action, she wasn't the catalyst for the story - that's just…demonstrably not true. In the live-action, Katara's waterbending is still what breaks Aang free. Just because she doesn't do it in an angry tirade doesn't mean it wasn't her power. Yet again, women can show power in MANY ways other than screaming at sexist people. In the live-action, she's waterbending despite Sokka's command for her not to, he's trying to find a mundane way to get the boat back and Katara decides to attempt to solve the problem with her waterbending - which works, but also breaks Aang free. Yet again, if you can only see 'agency' as 'screaming tirade' then you're missing out on a lot of other ways people can show their agency

She claims that they substitute showing Katara and Sokka's 'everyday life' intro for Aang's to push him as the main character rather than the Water Tribe siblings, but…that's just not true? The live action shows Aang's 'day-in-the-life' AND Sokka and Katara's - it actually shows more of Sokka and Katara's 'day-to-day' than the animated show does. So this point is just a flat out lie.

She continues on about the 'hero's journey' and how the hero 'always refuses the call' - yet….in the animated show, Katara NEVER 'refuses the call' to go with Aang - she almost abandons her family to 'answer the call' and only stops because Aang and her family don't want her to be separated from them. Please stop using the hero's journey as gospel and anything that breaks from that mold is 'bad' - but if you ARE going to use it….get better at viewing media because all that DID happen in the live-action.

Cindy claims that the 'call to adventure' in the live-action is still 'go to the north pole' but it's not - the call to adventure is helping Aang on his journey to be the Avatar - a journey that Katara and Sokka willingly go on to play a part in saving the world. Did you not watch the entire first episode and then the first part of the second? She claims that Katara had no reason to go on the journey in the live-action other than to help Aang when that's point-blank not true. She was excited about how much more bending she could do and how, because of Aang (like in the cartoon), she could now become a better waterbender. Part of her journey out of the southern tribe is STILL for herself and her own growth, not just Aang's.

Cindy makes the argument that Katara isn't a real main character in the live-action because she had nothing to do with the inciting incident (Aang being released from the iceberg) and she didn't have her own reason for going on the journey (get a waterbending master at the north pole). Both these assertions are, just factually wrong. Katara DOES free Aang from the iceberg and she DOES continue on with him because being in the world is helping her waterbending - she even got a waterbending scroll out of it and the mental training that helps her begin her journey. Not only that, but the inciting incident could also be seen as the decision to help Aang or not, it doesn't have to specifically be 'freeing him from the iceberg'. That's an incredibly narrow way to view inciting incidents.

But more than that, Cindy's assertion that those two things have to be present in order for someone to be a main character are just…really bad and narrow storytelling. You can still be a main character even if you don’t personally cause the inciting incident: ummmm…Aang? Hello? He didn't CHOOSE to be the Avatar, he was drug along and finally had to accept his role despite not wanting to at all! Not only that, but Sokka is a main character too, so is his reason for sticking with the group not good enough? Is he not actually part of the Gaang?

She goes on to say that Katara was the glue that created and held together the Gaang and in the live-action, she wasn't. That's…also literally not true as well. In the animated and live action, Sokka is totally on board immediately with saving Aang after Zuko takes him (after Katara changes his mind about turning Aang over in the first place), then she's the one who insists that they all need to continue on with Aang even after the immediate threat of the fire nation is done. In the animated show, Sokka is on board from the second episode on, so Katara isn't 'keeping everyone together' - yet. I think Cindy is drawing from future seasons with that analysis when it isn't accurate in the live-action at all. Many times in season one of the animated series, Aang is actually the one to get in between sibling squabbles and tries to keep them together, so placing all the weight of being the glue of the party on Katara is…well, parentifying Katara in a way that's not exactly the best.

Cindy also claims that live-action Katara never has any dialogue or action that does anything for the story. That's just….again, inaccurate? Genuinely it feels like she just stopped paying attention to Katara the moment she didn't scream at Sokka and just heard the 'wah wah wah' of Charlie Brown adults every other time Katara spoke. She didn't pay attention to Katara as a character at all and that says more about Cindy's view of female characters than it does the writer's. She even claims Katara didn't do anything to help in fights when….she definitely does? Just because she's not a super competent waterbender off the bat like animated Katara is, doesn't mean she doesn't try to help in battles, but it makes a lot of sense that she's easily beaten because….she has no combat training and is fighting against trained soldiers???? Sorry she isn't 'girl boss' enough for you.

At the same time, Cindy is claiming that Sokka is put in a more important role than Katara and he's learning all these new things while Katara isn't. Which tells me that Cindy doesn't put any importance into Katara learning about leadership and waterbending and keeping the emotional core of the party in tact (something she claims Katara needed to do but didn't) - she only views Sokka learning about different ways to interact with being a 'warrior' as important. Apparently, Katara struggling with her cultural trauma isn't 'a lot going on' with her character - I guess Cindy found that stuff boring and just wanted more 'heroic' stuff. Apparently sustaining the cultural traditions of her entire tribe wasn't enough going on with Katara - that stuff isn't important and at all, apparently.

Again with the complaint that Aang is 'just pulling Katara along with him on his own journey making Katara a passive observer' while…showing the scene where Katara is practicing waterbending herself and encouraging Aang to join her in training too? And HE'S actually the one being more passive???

I think Cindy fundamentally misunderstands ensemble cast stories. She makes the claim that because Katara and Sokka don't come into the story until 20 minutes in, that means they can't really be main characters. Tell that to EVERY ensemble cast that picks up new protagonists along the way! Is she also saying that Zuko isn't a main character because the show didn’t start with him? Because he didn't "cause" the inciting incident?

Of course, she then tries to claim that both Suki and Yue were relegated to 'love interest for Sokka' in the live-action but she somehow believes that that wasn't the case in the animated show?? Both Suki and Yue had SOO much more agency in the live-action than they did in the animated series! I already made a post about Suki, but Yue's post is coming.

Idk how you could ever call live-action Katara 'meek' or 'just a good girl with no flaws'. She stood up to Sokka when he wanted to turn Aang over to the firebenders, she pushed for them to go on the journey with Aang, she stood her ground against Zuko and his entire group of soldiers (ALONE!), she joined Jet in tracking the spy and attacking him and his men, she stood up for what Jet was doing (before she knew everything) and then stopped the arrow from blowing up everyone at the palace, she again stood her ground against Sokka and made him see her pov (and she accepted seeing his too), she was excited to join Aang in the spirit world, she fought back against Pakku's sexism, and she stood her ground against Zuko yet again to defend Aang. So, which one of those things was 'meek' or 'just being a good girl'?

Cindy also claims that everything about waterbending was just 'handed to Katara so easily' and she didn't have to work for it. Like, WHERE???? In the animated series, Katara was automatically great at waterbending and was doing super advanced stuff immediately! In the show, we see her practicing in every spare moment. To claim that her being given a scroll that had been hidden among her tribe for years in an effort to preserve their culture the fire benders were trying to destroy was 'cheap' and 'just handing the win to Katara without her having to work for it' is, quite frankly, pretty disgusting.

This poison of 'individuality is the only good trait, you have to do everything yourself or else it doesn't count and you had it easy' is so freaking toxic and we need to get rid of that thought process right freaking now! To have your own culture fight and risk their lives to preserve knowledge to pass down to you is a beautiful and powerful thing - to claim that it was 'the easy way out' discounts the sacrifice of all the water benders before Katara who sacrificed so that she could have that knowledge. She still had to study and practice from the scroll - would you say that reading the works of scholars before you meant you didn't actually learn anything? You needed to do all the experiments and research yourself or else you're 'lacking agency'?

Not only does she have to study and practice from the scroll, she learns from observing other benders and trying out new moves based on their techniques. She uses both the scroll and her observation of others to scrape her way into learning new waterbending techniques. Contrast that with the animated Katara that we never see training unless it's the point of the episode yet she's still doing amazing things without a hitch. Absolutely bizzare that Cindy (and so many others) complains that Katara didn't crack open an entire iceberg with her rage, but ALSO complains that she….lifted some water to stop a fireball claiming it was 'too advanced' of a move for her to be able to do…..choose one, PLEASE!

The more 'critiques' I see people making about the writing of female characters in NATLA, the more I'm afraid we're regressing massively in what we think are 'acceptable' ways to write women. It seems like they all want to go back to the early 2000s white pop feminism that lacks any nuance or intersectionality - the only thing women can be mad about it shallow sexism and the only way to SHOW they're mad is to get physical or scream their heads off. No other method of showing anger or complex reasons for anger are allowed, that's "watering it down" rather than adding layers and nuance, incorporating every aspect of a character rather then just their gender to their motivations.

Ironically, what they're doing is contributing to gender essentialism - women are this way, men are this way, the only way to fight against 'women are this way' is to scream at a hyper-sexist man and if you're not doing that (or don't have a hyper-sexist man to scream at) then you aren't actually a 'strong female character' because screaming at sexism is the only thing that makes a woman strong.

[littlemisspinky]

someone's probably already said this better than I can, but I cannot stop thinking about how perfectly Pucci and weather contrast and simultaneously reflect each other. Pucci is Christian and devotedly so, yet his stand is covered in the alphabetical symbols for DNA, which is a literal quantifiable measurement of a person and often associated with evolution and natural selection, two scientific concepts which many extreme Christians vehemently deny. And his ability is to distill a person's entire being, their memory (and with it, their personality), and their Stand, into a physical object. He essentially has the ability to transform the ethereal, formless soul into something tangible, and a manmade piece of technology, at that. Weather, on the other hand, doesn't seem to share his brother's religious convictions, and yet has the ability to manipulate the heavens themselves. His ability evokes the very idea of divinity and is literally nearly god-like.

In Pucci's memories, parallels between depictions of the devil and Dio can easily be drawn. They first meet when Dio is hiding out in the church after hours. Dio is an invader, a creature of the night encroaching on holy ground and Pucci welcomes him in, suspecting but not genuinely knowing his true nature. It's ironic to know that "Dio" is Italian for "God." Pucci is drawn in by a man who calls himself god but is actually a demon. And Pucci's final plea to Dio whilst holding his sister's corpse feels quite Faustian; he'll give anything to bring back his dead loved one. And Dio, in a twisted way, delivers: Pucci is able to salvage his sister's soul, but nothing can be done with it. It's just a disc, a reel that he can view like a movie.

When Pucci finally "kills" his brother--aka taking his soul-- Weather is next seen in prison with his devil-horned hat for the first time. The irony is that Weather hasn't really done wrong. He committed no real crime aside from being unable to control an ability he was cursed with. Pucci's stand is a curse, too, in a way-- Pucci's stand, in appearance and ability, directly contradicts all of his religious beliefs; he is forced to stare his bleak reality in the eyes when faced with White Snake. Weather's is more directly harmful to those around him: he turns people into snails, causing them to lose their humanity and decay. It is corrosive, perhaps as he believed himself to be, blaming himself for bringing on his own and Perla's misfortune.

One of Stone Ocean's themes is appearances not being what they seem. The convict seeks justice and love. The corpse is alive and walking. And the man in the priest's garb is a devil, while the man with devil horns is innocent.

[anti-dazai-blog]

Thoughts on this post? (Since it says “so tired of seeing people make this claim”, but you’re the only one I’ve seen make this claim)

https://www.tumblr.com/whathorselegs/752052420940546048/actually-so-tired-of-seeing-people-say-dazai

in general my thoughts on people having opinions that are contradictory to mine are “valid, understandable, have a nice day 👍”

The whole fun of literary analysis is that we can all contradict each other and none of us are wrong so long as we bring up textual evidence to support our claims.

As far as I can tell, the person in that post brings up plenty of textual evidence, so good for them!! They’re valid and their interpretation is valid (and in the same vein of things, they have every right to be annoyed by people who have opposite interpretations, so long as they interact civilly with people who disagree. I am very proudly mutuals with @dazai-fan-page and we don’t need to agree on everything to be polite and respectful to each other. They have good posts, check out their account if you’re interested, 10/10 highly recommend)

[s1mul4crum]

EAST ASIA SIMULATION

people , particularly westerners, when it comes to the ‘positive’ perception of east asia have an idea of east asia that is not only orientalist but simulated, and entire fabrication. westerners observe aspects of east asia divorced from their natrual context, and not only are they taken from their context, but these symbols of culture become commodified and altered to appeal to the west ,such as westernised japanese food. symbols of the real e.g japanese foods, become replaced by hyperreals e.g westernised japanese food. these hyperreals form a collective fictionalised hyperreality that is east asia to the west . the real cannot be distuinguished from the simulated as both become entwined with one another and exchanged. hyperreals become abundant and the real dissipates. this gives way to simulacrum ,copies without an original, arising e.g anime. anime could intially be regarded as a hyperreal of many facets e.g animation , storytelling, culture ect. this masks the real and warps it. it then progresses to replacing the real, evolving into simulacrum as there is no longer an original which it mimics. it disguises the fact that there is no real, and thus becomes the real and serves as a symbol of authentic culture.

there is also a psychological looping to this process, as there already exists in the mind of the west an orientalist basis that posits the east as an other, therefore making it a canvas for exotic fantasy. what the west lacks the east ‘supplements’ in a way that still positions western society as the standard e.g technological advancement (by western metrics). the root of orientalism is of course steeped in racism, making fetishisation nothing but abhorrent racism masked in a false appreciation. diverse peoples, cultures and histories cannot be reduced to mere attraction, because by doing so it erases any aspects that are considered ‘unattractive’ e.g japans war atrocities, it fixates on what is seen as attractive. it dehumanises because these people and cultures are intricate and carry positive and negative elements, and elements seperate to western perceptions e.g collectivism (which is at times glossed over from an indivudualist standpoint).

this process is not linear and has many components. soft power policies e.g anime, kpop, fuel and contribute to this simulacra of the east. the intent is not to be reductive and blame the easts use of soft power for this racism, as it is not a matter of blame or polarising conclusions (right vs wrong), but a matter of dissecting perceptions and attitudes. the simulation is believed, this fiction consumed, because the modes of simulation are propaganda (via soft power). no one is immune to propaganda.

—

what i say is again purely analytical and my own subjective thoughts, this is not meant to offend people or cause division. this is also not meant to speak for the entirety of east asia, east asia isnt a monolith and neither are the people. i may update this aswell.

[greyestflower]

Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue

Oshi No Ko (2023) and Perfect Blue (1998) are two Japanese anime that critiques and exposes the dirty business of the entertainment industry, especially idol culture. Although Oshi No Ko takes on a supernatural element to it and Perfect Blue is a horrifying psychological thriller, both anime have captured the depravity of the crooked and shameless minds involved in the industry.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD (Oshi No Ko anime series and Perfect Blue anime film)

Oshi No Ko is a (somewhat) recent anime series starring Japanese idol, Ai Hoshino who was killed in the very first episode. She was murdered by her fan as she gave birth to a child despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs. This disturbing incident is unfortunately based on true events in the Japanese entertainment industry. Many idols are treated wrongly, which is often covered up by their agencies or the media to have a clean outside.

Japanese idols (or アイドル, pronounced aidoru) are young entertainers of Japanese pop culture, both male and female, who, as a group perform on-stage. Their entertainment mainly composes of producing their own music and singing and dancing to it. They are adored by their fans and very often, despite their young age, sexualized.

This is sometimes considered normal and the adults of this mindset of adoring and sexualizing young female idols are called lolicons (lolita+complex). Anime itself sexualises underage characters and dehumanises them by saying "it's just animation" (but we'll save this conversation for later). This complex is still prevalent in the idol industry. The extremity of the audience's lolicon mindset is visible in both Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue (Perfect Blue more than Oshi No Ko). In Oshi No Ko, Ai Hoshino is stalked and murdered by her fan for giving birth to children despite promising her audience that she loves them in her songs.

Idols work under a contract for an agency. This agency is in charge of the idol group and could also be in charge of other entertainers. The more underground agencies scout for idols in the street by approaching every conventionally beautiful girl they encounter. This tactic is practiced in Japan till date. This was seen in Oshi no Ko when Ai Hoshino was approached by Ichigo Saitou from Ichigo Productions. And during the conversation between Ai and Ichigo, we get to know how the entertainment industry is made out of lies and that it is normalised.

These anime bring forth the many realities of the entertainment industry, not only idol culture. There are so many social issues that one can find in both Oshi no Ko and Perfect Blue. For example in Oshi No Ko, Kana Arima, the prodigious child actor, grows up to be forgotten by the public. She tries different jobs in the entertainment industry but nothing works well. She becomes desperate for acting gigs and other jobs that will get her the recognition she seeks. Mem-Cho (stage name) is a 27 year old YouTuber who hides her age so she'll still be accepted in the entertainment industry. Idol agencies usually do not hire girls above 20 (they like them young… a disgusting mindset, really), therefore many 20+ year old idols quit that field and move to a different entertainment field, usually acting, like seen in Perfect Blue with Mima, the protagonist. So, 27 year old Mem-Cho finds it difficult to pursue the dream of becoming an idol. In fact, it is difficult to be a 27 year old YouTuber (like I said, they like them young).

Perfect Blue is the right film to watch if one wants to experience the mental torment that any person used by the entertainment industry as an object to showcase. Mima, a former idol who gets into acting, receives threatening messages, letters from her stalkers and her fans who are obsessed with the idol ideal. She endures a feeling of dissociation as her reality warps and her memory crumbles. The director, Satoshi Kon, gives the viewer the same dystopian feeling that Mima goes through. My words will not do justice to the film. If you are fine with having an existential crisis as though you are in Mima's place throughout the duration of the film, do watch the film. I highly recommend it!

Both anime have a lot in common except Oshi No Ko leans more towards fantasy and Perfect Blue towards dystopia. None the less, both anime portray the Japanese entertainment industry accurately. I recommend both anime (not that I am some sort of expert). Thank you for reading!

[kalcium-yippee]

Some of yall are so obsessed with what the creator of media says down to how many breaths they took between words that you forget you are supposed to think about the art you take in

[pookys-ponderings]

Capitalism and Consumerism in Spirited Away.

Having only watched this movie passively once before, I was surprised to see that the movie is full of anti-consumerism and capitalism themes, and advocacy for a humble lifestyle.

When analyzing any media, I usually start by recognizing the metaphors, and then I expand upon them. I recognized many elements relating to capitalism in the movie, but due to time constraints and the presence of other responsibilities in my life, I will only analyze one of these elements:

The Parents

The first metaphor I identified was Chichiro's parents. They were flagged as representing consumerists in my mind, since the very first lines in the movie that are spoken are from the mother, saying that because the new town is small she will have to shop in the next town.

It is clear that shopping and buying things are somewhat to the mother. This doesn't necessarily mean anything bad about her character, only that the characters live in a capitalist society and rely on things like grocery stores to function.

Eventually the family stumbles on the abandoned theme park and the father beelines in the direction of the smell of food, even though the park is clearly empty and warm food in such large amounts without any people nearby is very suspicious.

One line I find very interesting as the mother and father begin to eat is that the dad says it's okay not to wait and that they wont get in trouble because he has brought money.

It seems that he thinks that if he has money, he can convince the people who made the food to be okay with them eating without permission.

This turns out not to be true since they are turned into pigs for eating the food that the spirits have left out. In this world, humans can be turned into pigs to be fattened and eaten by spirits.

In my experience, the phrase "everyone has a price" is a bit of a dirty yet somewhat true saying. The father is essentially saying that if you can pay enough, you can be excused from doing inappropriate or harmful things. Unless someone is very morally upright, I would say that many modern people in the capitalist society we live in would do things that they normally wouldn't do unpaid for a price. Thus the person who is paying to get away with a misdeed (the father, in this fictional case) has come to accept that their inappropriate behavior is normal and okay.

The last strong line relating to the parents as consumerists (in my opinion) is when Haku mentioned that they in their pig form do not remember that "they were ever human".

Perhaps the film is trying to convey that living a consumerism lifestyle will make you inhuman, to the point where other people can use you for their benefit if you are only passively consuming and unaware of how you may be being exploited.

This is definitely true to a degree in today's consumerist society where users who passively consume media or services on the internet -- even content or services made free -- are exploited excessively and destructively by companies who obtain, sell, and buy personal data backhandedly, and use that data to target the user once again. It is definitely appropriate to make the metaphorical comparison between consumerism and low pigs to be fattened and eaten, since they are both prepared to be used by people with more power and not aware of their exploitation.

There are a lot more metaphors in the movie I could comment on, such as Yubaba's character being the extravagant capitalist boss of the spa spirit world, her twin sister foil Zeniba, the humble sorceress who lives in a thatch hutch, Yubaba's spoiled "big baby", or No Face being a metaphor for a lonesome rich man. But I should move onto other assignments, and if I have time I will share my thoughts on these later.

[captaingimpy]

What Even Is Anime? A Reflection

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching “Vinland Saga” Season 2, and it got me thinking about the essence of anime. This show, with its profound exploration of trauma and the quest for new purpose, sparked a deeper reflection on what anime truly is. “Vinland Saga” delves into the human condition with such depth, portraying characters who grapple with loss, seek redemption, and strive to find…

[touchoffleece]

Idol serving their new and first music focused group 1 week after debuting their Spanish Branch and they all sound amazing.

Their group debut song:

For normal non vtubing people who might not catch the symbolism of the lyrics: Most vtubers who join a company usually rebrand/reboot their persona/character they portray. In vtubing there's a taboo of breaking the kayfabe to vtubers having pre existing identities. So this whole message of the music video and lyrics are a positive spin on indies joining companies where we usually see "reboots/new lives" for the content creators when they get hired by a company. Enya Ignis (red hair and fire themed) is the only new character and her lyrics sort of present that while hinting at her "past life". Shabel Tonya (Blue Smilodon aka ancient cat themed) and CHIiiKAFUJII LISA Lisa (loveless pink colored psychic sheep) were indies who were kept secret until their individual debuts and announcements. They got to keep their existing "brand" but got glowups in their designs. Like Enya their lyrics also touch on that whole transition not only for them but for their pre existing fans. The MV and song also does a pretty solid job at showcasing each of their strengths and what they provide towards the band/group, all while being a fun tune.

[thatboneyfella]

hey there! I found a skull a while back and I think the lovely thing perhaps belonged to a rabbit. The skull was a little full of pine needles due to being under a tree.

A few days ago I rediscovered it where I had previously found (and left it), and then moved it, so here’s some more recent pictures that have the pine needles cleared out, and with a vertebra (?) that I found alongside it.

just wondering if it is indeed a rabbit skull & if you have any other thoughts on it!

hi! spot on! i believe that is indeed a rabbit! rabbits have much more delicate orbits and long nasal bones which is the give away (at least for me) when you get into squirrel or rat territory it gets trickier (in my opinion). but yes, from what i can tell i'd say you got it right!