#I love dynamics and relationships between characters and how they evolve through various media

[clumsyraccoon]

DMC Questions Anon here!

The ending of DMC 5 leaves the door very open for new character dynamics to be formed. Which is exactly what this question is about.

(Keep in mind that if you don't want to or don't think you can you do not need to cover all of these dynamics)

(Also, I do not mean any of these dynamics as a group just for clarification)

How do you believe Dante and Vergil will move forward with their relationship after DMC 5? What about Vergil and Nero? How about Dante and Nero?

Vergil is going to end up needing to form a dynamic with all of the characters after he and Dante return from hell. The characters he will inevitably end up interacting with on a normal basis will be: Lady, Trish, Kyrie, Nico, Patty, and Morrison. How do you believe his relationship with all of these characters will turn out? How will they start off, and how will they develop?

Dante has a dynamic with most of this cast, but what do you think his dynamics with Kyrie and Nico will end up being like?

What dynamics do you believe Nero will have with Lady, Trish, Patty, and Morrison?

How do you think the dynamics Trish will have with Kyrie and Nico will play out?

The dynamic Lady will have with Kyrie?

The dynamics Kyrie will have with Patty and Morrison?

How do you think the dynamics Nico will have with Patty and Morrison will play out?

What dynamics (other than anything involving a member of the Sparda family with another member) are you most interested in seeing playing out?

(I have another question planned to do at some point asking you to talk about dynamics not included here)

Hello dear DMC anon! I am deeply sorry for the delay in my answer and for starting to answer not in chronological ask order 😔 This was the ask that was the first to give me inspiration and I admit that I overestimated myself saying it would take a week to answer ^^”

But returning to your ask! Ohohoh, I love thinking and talking about dynamics * rubs hands* , soo

- Dante-Vergil: I think that, at the beginning, the relationship between Vergil and Dante would be...strange. They’re just used to fight, stab, mourn, be angry, and a lot of other not very good and healty things towards with each other. I think at the beginning they would tend to act as they have always acted, their behaviour being like that for basically their whole lives, but slowly (veeeeeeeeeery slowly) and most likely with the help of Nero (and a therapist), they would start to change. In my opinion, Dante would be the one reaching out more, the one who firstly put some real effort towards communication and healing, while I picture Vergil instinctively trying to hide behind his “I don’t need humanity”. Thankfully tho, we have V’s memories and experiences that would metaphorically smack his head and finally make him see another point of view. The twins would go visit what remains of their old manor, and Eva’s grave. They would probably not say a word to each other, but they are twins and some things don’t need words to be understood, to be shared.

- Vergil-Nero: If Dante-Vergil would be strange, here we touch the peak of embarrassment, especially from Vergil’s side. Nero, despite being an orphan, is used to have people around him that loves him and he can call “family”. Vergil, on the other hand, has never experienced such things after Eva’s murder: he tossed away his own and only brother, he detached himself from his humanity and now not only he finds out his brother actually want him back in his life, but he also have a 20-something-year-old son. I don’t know if Vergil ever thought about having a family: I think he was too little before the accident for this kind of things, and he was too obsessed with his own delirious mission afterwards. We don’t know how and why the thing with Fortuna’s Red Woman happened, but I don’t think it was out of love and/or desire to have a family. Not for Vergil at least. (I have all my theory and headcanons about the Red Woman, but this is not the place I guess XD). I think they will be both wary of each other at the beginning, not knowing what to think of the other: you know, like two stranger dogs that study each other slowly walking in circles, trying to read the intention of the other, never daring to do the first step to move the situation forward. Kyrie would probably play a big role in their Reconciliation/knowing each other: she would gently push Nero, trying to ease his mind and doubts, being at his side whenever he needs it and probably suggesting therapy for the whole Sparda boys. And since I think Vergil would like her immediately, she would somehow also play the intermediary, inviting Vergil for dinner and starting conversations (that I totally see being super awkward the first few times), and sal those useful things to make sure that they slowly get to know each other.

- Dante-Nero: Nero would be very angry with Dante: as soon as the twins come out of the Underworld and return home, he would go there and scold both of them fot sure, but especially Dante. He didn’t tell him he was the nephew of the friggin’ Saviour his whole hometown worshiped, but most importantly he didn’t tell him he actually had a family. He didn’t tell him he was his friggin uncle, he didn’t tell him that Urizen was in fact the demon half of his father. Nero would shout and cry and swear against Dante, letting out all his frustration and anger and all the things he had time to ponder upon while the twins were in hell. But after that first burst of anger, Nero would slowly return to normal: it will take time for sure, since family for Nero is an important issue, but the desire to be with his family, to be happy with them, will prevail over any other negative emotions. One part of him will be also like “Woah, the Legendary Devil Hunter is my frigging uncle, this is so cool!”, but that’s a side he will never show XD

- Vergil- Lady, Trish, Kyrie, Nico, Patty, and Morrison: I think with Lady and Trish would be kind of awkward at the beginning: he has met both of them before his time as V and the subsequent return as Vergil, so he has some memories of both of them. However, obviously enough, he can’t base these new relationship on those past encounters, so he will have to rely on his experiences and interactions as V. With some time, I think they will manage to go past the awkwardness and start to know each other. (Maybe with Trish it will take a tad more time, since he still has to completely process the fact that there’s someone that looks exactly like his mother.) My headcanon is that Vergil would immediately love Kyrie, probably because she reminds him of Eva: her kindness, her selflessness, her love for Nero. Despite being the person who tore Nero’s arm off, she would be kind towards him, even if it a bit forced at the beginning. With time, I think their relationship will grow into an almost proper “-in-laws” one.

My take with Nico is that he would bear admiration for her skills, but he would also be put off by her personality. There are going to be some back and forth that are going to escalate in altercations, since I imagine Vergil is not very good at taking insults and/or not very good remarks and Nico is a snarky one who is willing to tell her mind. They would probably circle around each other like two dogs trying to understand each other. Nero will 99% of the times intervene as a peacemaker XD He would be pretty uninterested/neutral towards Patty and I imagine her to be a little wary of him at the beginning. I don’t remember if Dante ever mentioned his brother to her, but it was Dante she grew a bond with and is Dante that’s some kind of mentor/older brother to her.

With Morrison, I think Vergil will have a professional and only business related relationship. They’ll probably from time to time team up to roast Dante, but they’ll never let the other too near to themselves.

- Dante-Kyrie, Nico: Dante has already met Kyrie and, as everyone that has ever met the girl, is deeply fond of her. I think Kyrie would start inviting all of the DMC gang for dinner of sunday’s lunches: she wants them to bond in some other environment that isn’t slaughtering demons, and also because she deeply wants to know them as well. She’s a bit torn at the beginning, since she deeply thanks Dante for saving them and Fortuna from Sanctus, but she’s also mad at him for keeping Nero from the truth of his heritage. But Kyrie is Kyrie and she would end up forgiving him, mostly for Nero’s sake, but also because she can see he’s a good man at heart. Dante would try to avoid Nico and her questioning/fangirling (mostly for comic relief), but I think he admire how she’s a true Goldstein and how both similar and different she is from her biological father. She would become his official weapon repairer and in due time he will even entrust Ebony and Ivory to her care.

- Nero-Lady, Trish, Patty, Morrison: I think Nero views Trish and Lady as some very cool senior coworkers/aunties. He deeply respects and admire both of them and he cares for them, although not at the same level he cares for Nico or Dante. I think the events of DMC5 will bring them closer and will make the two girls think about him as a full grown adult now. With Patty, I think there’s potential for a siblings kind of relationship, similar to the one he has with Nico, since both of them aren’t afraid to speak their mind and absolutely would reprimand and roast him. The difference tho, is that Nero would be more of a bigger brother to her and probably would end up teaching her basic self defense techniques.

Morrison has the complete trust of Dante and I think it would take little to no time to gain even Nero’s one. After DMC5 he took a liking to him and would start to give jobs to Nero awell, especially if they are in the vicinity of Fortuna.

- Trish-Kyrie, Nico: I think Trish will have a very friendly relationship with both, although a bit superficial at the beginning? I picture Trish as someone that comes off as rather cold at first appearance, but than can warm up with time. Kyrie will make sure to make her feel comfortable and probably will initiate conversation to know better this mysterious demon woman, especially after she come to know her story. Trish would just humour Kyrie, but then she would find herself warming and opening up more. As with Nico, Trish will start to be a costumer as well, also giving the young girl with a lot of information about demons, devil arms and general knowledge of the Underworld, instantly become kind of an idol for her XD

- Lady-Kyrie: Given the fact that Lady has been a repeat costumer in Nico’s shop in Fortuna, I guess there are high chances that they’ve met before. At first I think Kyrie was kinda scared by a woman holding so many weapons at once, but after first hand witnessing how powerful demons are, having so much weapons (and be profiecient with all of them), is the least she can do to properly fight them. Like with Trish, I think both of them will warm and open to each other with time.

- Kyrie-Patty, Morrison: As with everyone, Kyrie will be welcoming with both, especially Patty, given her motherly nature. She would invite her often to Fortuna with the others and kinda become a big sis role model as well, being the mature and collected one in contrast to Nico. With Morrison she would try to avoid any conversation regarding Nero’s jobes, not very fond of all the gore and violence he surely faces (she hears too much from Nico anyway).

- Nico-Patty, Morrison: As with Nero, I can absolutely see Nico having a sibling-like relationship with Patty, being her bigger sister. Patty would probably find Nico very cool and would hang out with her and Kyrie while the others are on mission (probably would start to smoke to be cool as well, until Kyrie finds out and lecture her about a) how it is not “cool” and also not good for your health and b) how she has to have her own way to be “cool”, because she’s her own person and doesn’t need to imitate others). She would interact a lot with Morrison, picking up jobs for Nero or simply asking him a lot of questions about Dante’s jobs, because apparently no one is willing to give extended and exhaustive explanations about the demons they encounter and battle.

- What dynamics (other than anything involving a member of the Sparda family with another member) are you most interested in seeing playing out? I know it’s an impossible dream of mine, but I would like to see more human-demon and demon-demon relationships. Aside from the most obvious Sparda-Eva, I would really like to see what was like between Sparda and Matier or even brand new characters. My headcanon is that Sparda was not the only rebellious one, not the only that had a liking to humans, so I would be delighted to see how other demons acted towards humans and towards fellow demons: did they just take the side of human and fought for them against their own kin, or maybe someone tried the way of peace, of negotiation, of coexistence?

[lyonsdenprojects]

The Psychology of Fruits Basket: Kyo

Welcome back to my next entry in “The Psychology of Fruits Basket”! After discussing the importance of Kyoko in my previous piece, I want to start looking at how she impacted some of the other characters in the series starting with the ornery and sadly anxious ridden cat, Kyo. If Kyoko is a “butterfly godmother”, then Kyo is the child that Kyoko protects and guides the most out of the Fruits Basket cast. To truly understand the similarities between the two characters, let’s start by establishing Kyo’s characterization.

Being possessed by the Cat, Kyo is doomed to be scapegoat of the Sohma family from birth. While it may not have been the original intention of “the first promise”, the Sohma family curse evolved to the point where the Cat spirit became the the penultimate object for the rest of the Zodiac members to project their anger and frustrations on to. I will save the depth of the Zodiac lore in Fruits Basket so as to reserve some spoilers, but as Shigure puts it, the Cat allows the other Zodiac members to think “At least I’m better off than him”. The concepts of projection and scapegoating theory are very common themes in Fruits Basket which we will see repeatedly through various characters. As such, Kyo’s life starts as tragic as one might expect. His mother commits suicide due to the curse. His father blames him and ostracizes him for it. One of Kyo’s only saving graces for his childhood is that Kazuma, the grandson of the previous Cat, adopts him so that the Cat could have a fighting chance for once. (Though there is also a selfish element to this decision; Kazuma feels a sense of guilt because of how he rebuked his grandfather because he was the Cat. Interesting to note, Kagura, his self professed “love”, has similar guilt that drives her affections.) However, even though adopting him, Kazuma handles Kyo as a pupil more so than a true ‘father’ figure. Thus, no one in the Sohma family ever really takes the time to truly connect with young Kyo.

With this background, Kyo’s erratic emotional displays when interacting with those who care for him makes a lot of sense. This can be considered a Fearful-Avoidant Attachment style in psychological theory. Basically, because Kyo learned early on that the people he should be able to rely on in times of distress and danger are the exact people he can’t rely on, he never learned how to connect to people. We need safe social interaction to grow in to healthy, well adjusted adults. A great study that illustrates this is Harlow’s surrogate mothers study. In this study, Harlow presented young monkeys with two surrogate mother puppets who held food. One puppet had a plush covering to replicate fur and the other was only wire and wood. Harlow found that the monkeys given the wire surrogate, which had no comfort to offer, would only interact with the mother to get food. They would then exhibit anxious and fearful behavior when presented with new situations and environments. Essentially the comfort and security of a parental figure in childhood impacts how we learn to react to our environment. In this way, Kyo and Kyoko are kindred spirits. Remember that Kyoko was neglected by her family, only receiving the necessities she required to keep living. This treatment directly resulted in her acting out behaviors such as becoming the notorious leader of a Yankee gang. It is certainly not a coincidence that the author chose such similar names for both of the characters.

During his first day of school, Kyo becomes overwhelmed with anxiety due to flock of schoolmates he’s never met before fawning over him. To escape, he leaps out of a 2nd story window in a panic. As everyone reacts, Ou comments on how Kyo reminds her of Kyoko and not just because of his bright hair color. This memory recall is likely due to the bombastic, attention grabbing nature of Kyo that is similar to Kyoko’s. There are several other instances like this that point out that Kyo is intended to be a mirror of Kyoko. The irony of this is that Kyoko is also likely the closest thing to a mother figure that Kyo ever had. When Kyoko chose to befriend young Kyo, she did so without knowing his history or curse. She simply saw a child sitting alone in an alley amongst abandoned garbage and immediately empathized with him. She showed Kyo that he could make friends just by being himself this way (another recurring theme of the story). If you have ever watched the show Dollhouse, it is very reminiscent of Season 1, Episode 11 named “Briar Rose”. Echo goes to visit a troubled teen in an orphanage. Her imprinted persona for this visit is revealed to be based off a brain scan of that exact teen. However, Topher adjusted it to be the healed version of that teen if she is able to get the help she needs. Echo is essentially embodying the troubled teen’s potential future. It reminds me a great deal of Kyoko and Kyo's dynamic. Kyoko is very close to an image of how Kyo may turn out if he gets the support and healing he needs. If Kyo had not been upset by Yuki interacting with the Honda family, I wonder how much sooner Kyo might have gotten the help he needed? Might the curse have been lifted sooner? Would Kyoko have gone toe to toe with Akito? (I’d pay money to see that honestly.)

Kyo’s second chance at help arrives with Tohru who is able to teach all the lessons that Kyoko may have herself if given the chance. All the love that Kyoko poured into Tohru can be passed on to Kyo now. Honestly, in looking at Kyo’s character development in this way, with how Kyoko impacted his life, it makes most sense for he and Tohru to have the romantic relationship in the end. Believe me, I originally was of the opinion that Tohru should have ended up with Yuki. But now, after thinking through it, Tohru and Kyo were set up from the very beginning. Kyoko modelled how someone with their troubled backgrounds can love unconditionally for him in the short time they knew each other. She essentially introduced him to Tohru, a stable, understanding, and patient girl who is willing to wait for what is most important: The people she cares most about. That is exactly what someone with a fearful-avoidant attachment style needs. If Tohru’s father healed Kyoko, then Kyoko helped give Tohru the tools to heal Kyo. Next character up for review: Yuki! Follow me on my social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) or become a patron on my Patreon page to be notified on new analyses!

[bluh-bluh-liveblogging]

Elite - First Episode!

So! Thoughts about the first episode of Elite that I just watched! I kind of… did not expect to enjoy this as much as I just did? The actors are great, I love picking up a bit of Spanish on the side (not a language I speak… like… at all xD) AND the filming is awesome!

Gorgeous imagery aside – and there sure is a lot of it – I also loved the way the narrative was structured around the murder that is about to have happened. This is an impression absolutely unique to the first episode of this series because this is where we see the story begin and end before the unravelling of story threads from the middle to the eventual conclusion takes place.

This episode was meant to suck you in and get you interested and HOO BOY HOWDY it accomplished its purpose! (For me, at least.)

Regarding the murder mystery, I really liked how the various forward-flashbacks were tied in with the overall story to manipulate the viewer‘s interpretation of singular scenes (adding emphasis on likely future developments like the enmity between Nadia and Lu comes to mind) and it did not feel overdone at all!

Regarding spoilers, mind, I‘m still at the first episode and everything here is pure speculation. Mostly. I should maybe tag spoilers for the victim reveal?

Because, let‘s face it. It was obvious who would die in the end the very second this character made an appearance. At least to me.

Now, because this is what I invariably focus on, no matter what media I consume, let‘s give the various characters in the show a not-really-in-depth-because-i-am-just-talking-into-the-void-and-not-submitting-a-report review!

First of all, Samu. He is the obvious main character, sweet, cautious and just interesting enough to distract from his nice-boy image that… burdens him tragically? His decision to completely opt out of demonstrating his abilities in English during class is interesting and… so far, the only interesting thing he has ever done, except for a few nice, witty one-liners. Don‘t get me wrong, I actually like characters that are capable of… not starting drama every few seconds and the fact that he‘s seemed to be the sole supporter of his family makes him likeable? But I just know that he‘s going to have SOME bullshit going on and make decisions that will downgrade my tentatively positive opinion of him severely. I KNOW IT. Also, I… really don‘t like Marina for some reason?

Marina, then! She also follows the stereotype of the main characters love interest – the Girl That Is Not Like The Others. Which is not necessarily a bad thing! I just dislike characters that, in turn, are more attracted by the attractiveness of rebellion than the actual people who represent it for them.

(But I really liked her chemistry with Mano (?) in the two seconds they interacted.) (But that is the problem! UGH, love triangles…) I really liked that she‘s HIV-positive though! I loved how that was represented! That was apparently the big drama with the previous scholarship student though? I also like how she doesn‘t give a damn. But all in all, hm. Meh. Not my type.

Mano (?) - Samu‘s older brother who just got out of prison! And we still don‘t know exactly how! He‘s demonstrated so far: an astounding inability to sympathize with all and any struggles his younger brother has faced AND come on. That was one obviously placed camera AND YOU DIDN‘T EVEN HAVE THE GOOD SENSE TO COVER EITHER OF YOUR FACES COME TF ON WOULD IT HAVE BEEN SO HARD??? Also, flirting with the girl his lil bro is obviously dancing around already and hogging her instead of calling Samu? Seriously? That‘s just an asshole thing to do, no matter how much better you two seemed to get along, dammit!

Anyway. Then there‘s Guzman. I don‘t like him (yet). He‘s protective of his younger sister which, nice, would he not also completely ignore her wishes at the same time. His relationship with Lu seems built on the desire of the two powerhouses of the school to present a united front and also have some sex in bathrooms, but… are they actually happy together? Wait, wait. Are they even together openly? Nooooo, wait it was such a big thing that they were seen having sex! Hm. In that case, I don‘t get the nonchalance with which Lu suggests her boyfriend seduce another girl just to blackmail her. Are you that sure of his loyalty? Probably! Is that a really awful and manipulative thing to not only force a stranger but also your own boyfriend into? Yes!

But. I also know his type. He‘s the asshole with hidden depths that appear in fleeting glances only at first and then, when gradually revealed, make him your favourite character. I know that at one point I will be supposed to love him and I, a weak victim of viewer manipulation, probably will. I know how that one goes. (I still love Bellamy from The 100 with all my heart and I have suffered for it. Also only watched to the third season!)

Aside from the fact that she is gorgeous and the archetypical bitch, except also super smart, I can‘t say too much about Lu yet. Except that I ship her with Nadia, not that THAT is ever going to happen, I guess. Idk I kind of like her. In her capacity of being a huge asshole, that is.

Nadia! HOLY SHIT I LOVE HER!!! SHE IS THE BEST! And holy shit, the hijab thing was a biiig gun to pull out in the first episode, but when else, also, good demonstration of institutionalized prejudice and discrimination! (I was so mad, good job! Well, fucking awful that this is a thing that needs to be represented, but good job! And her statement about them restricting her based on their own dumb opinions and NOTHING else and how this is her belief and nobody is forcing her to wear it? YES YES YES GOOD GIRL! Screenshots from that scene were what convinced me to give this series a shot and holy shit, it was delivered so well!) I can‘t even say anything meaningful here, I just??? love her??? She is sassy and smart and NOT interested in the drama (which will change VERY soon and hoo boy is she going to seduce the SHIT out of Guzman while also falling in love, but I don‘t even mind. That much.)

Then there‘s Christian. I… really don‘t care for the second-hand embarrassment he keeps subjecting me to? And his attitude towards drugs and alcohol? And… uh… almost everything else? BUT! He handles all of the abuse directed at him with the same charm and grace that at first seems absolutely moronic but is soon (him walking through the school naked) revealed as an iron-hard sunny attitude? And I respect that. A lot. I will probably come to respect this dude even more as the story evolves, but I still don‘t like his character-archetype. But that‘s fine!

Also, Carla and this dude! Waaaaait did she only hook up with Christian because her boyfriend who‘s name I forgot was into it? She did not seem all that comfortable afterwards, which hints at QUITE the different power dynamic in that couple than is expected of them! I am very curious!

And! Ander! OMG he is SUCH a sweetheart! Sorry, I still think that getting high and making a dating app profile is dumb, but HE IS GAY and hooking up with Omar and he! Is the cutest! And only deserves good things! Please let him be happy!

Omar, for that matter… hm. He looks very tired. Also, why is he selling drugs? He‘s… Nadia‘s brother? I‘d like to see more of their sibling relationship tbh but… hm. Don‘t know what to think about him yet, but the drug thing kind of is a turn-off for me? I really hope to get to know more about him though, especially if he IS going to have a thing with Ander!

And I have many more thoughts about this and I really look forward to watching the second episode at some point in my life (which… uh… might happen sooner or later, but since my method of choosing stuff to watch includes maths and does not include personal opinion… probably later?) but now I‘m getting hungry and am going to eat something instead of screaming some more into the void.

[julianwolski]

Issue #1 - Why should you watch Yuri!!! on ICE?

With a premise that involves figure skating, something quite rare in anime, one would expect this series to bring competition to the front seat for the ride, or butcher everything about the sport along the way--but one would be wrong on both counts. I am the first to admit that Yuri!!! on ICE does batter the audience with a lot of technical information, but most of the time it’s used as a way to further the plot and develop the characters, which for me was fascinating to follow.

The main focus of the series is Yuri Katsuki. As Yuri says himself, he is one of a dime-a-dozen top Japanese skaters, who after failing in one of the biggest competitions of his career doesn’t know what to with his life. For all the talent Yuri has, it seems like he got stuck and stopped improving.

With shame dragging him down, Yuri makes his escape to Japan, trying to hide away from the world. He hopes this will be the perfect moment for him to look inwards and decide whether he wants to continue skating or wallow in misery for the rest of his life.

Talk about fanboy!

From the get to go, it’s clear that Yuri loves skating, but this love is presented through a different perspective. It’s not only by the words he says that we can see this emotion. Instead, the story is peppered with little moments that help the viewer understand how this feeling came to be and how it grew over time.

It all started when Yuri saw Victor Nikiforov, a then teen skater from Russia, a few years older than Yuri himself. Instantly he became a fan of the way Victor moved across the ice, and that early infatuation eventually evolved into admiration. Through the years these feelings shaped who Yuri is and helped him nurture his love for skating.

Even now, Victor still is Yuri’s idol. He is someone Yuri looks up to, and someone whose level of excellence Yuri always aimed to reach--if not technically, artistically.

He never managed to do that, though. Yuri has talent, but it feels like he doesn’t know how to harness it and direct his efforts the right way. Also, Yuri himself has trouble believing he has what it takes to get close to Victor.

That’s one of the reasons why when these two meet close and personal, after a surprising turn of events, the world shifts on its axis.  

Victor leaves Russia for Japan. Together, they share the same ice, something they only did in competition before, but never at an intimate level. For all the laughs that their first interactions will get out of you, slowly these two start to find common ground in the rink, and it’s not a surprise the way they get close to one another.

NIPPLE!

On their orbit, however, we have a bunch of other characters that make their mark on the story. One of them is Yuri Plisetski, the rival of our main character.

Yurio, as the series baptizes him early on, wants Victor’s attention to himself after a promise made to him. However, even as a young kid that is a genius on the ice, Yurio is completely inexperienced in life outside of it, and it shows.

Inadvertently he follows Victor to Japan and tries to get the man to come back with him, albeit with no success. In the end both Yuris battle for Victor in a way that doesn’t seem unlike two knights unsheathing swords for a princess.

Besides that, their interesting dynamic offers the audience two very different viewpoints of the skating world: one from the eyes of someone that has been at it for years but hasn’t reached yet the pinnacle of success, and the other from someone that is a threat to all the established players in the game.

If anything, we should have gotten an entire episode of this party!

These three are central to the story, but there’s a lot more skaters, friends, and family that manage to steal the scene. We get to know Yuri’s close family and appreciate how much they root for him. There are the friends Yuri left behind in his hometown when he was young, the other competitors in the skating world, many of them who are also friends with Yuri, the coaches, and fans; a lot of colorful faces that bring a worldly charm to the show.

And now, I couldn’t very well forget about Makkachin, Victor’s dog. He begs to be adopted by anyone that starts watching the show. With his cute, fun, and carefree nature, there’s a special place for him between Yuri and Victor--and in the hearts of everyone that gets into the show too.

Do I need to say anything?

I’m sure many people gave props to the series for being an important piece of media depicting a gay relationship, especially for its country of origin and the mainstream attention it got, and I’m not here to dispute that. What I would like to call attention to, is the fact that there was a lot of thought put into this series, especially when it comes to how it was written.

The way these characters act, being their actions right or wrong, seems natural but also idealistic at times.  The same with the way various of the relationships that bloom, and even how the characters themselves evolve throughout the show. Some may seem stereotyped or impossible to take seriously, but most of the characters and situations have a side that can resonate with the audience.

There’s a little bit of everything for everyone, that’s for sure.

Another thing that also impressed me was the absence of those big coming out moments. I’m not against them, mind you, but it is such a visceral part of our queer identities that when it doesn’t exist in a universe, or when it doesn't receive the same amount of attention, you start to wonder why it is the way it is in our own society. What we get to experience is the way the bond between Yuri and Victor gets stronger and thrives based on simple and pure moments.

And though, some might say it’s not realistic, the show does carry a level of realism within its core, especially in the figure skating front. In fact, people from the skating community criticized the believability of the talent of some skaters in the series arguing that they were doing impossible feats, only to have a real skater surpass whatever impossible feat they thought the series was based on. The name of the guy who did it is Nathan Chen, if anyone is wondering.

But I digress. This is supposed to be fiction, after all. Although silly at times, Yuri!!! on ICE has a lot of poignancy in the way it addresses some complex issues the characters have to go through.  

When it was airing I remember waiting for each episode eagerly. I’m sure now you’re going to smile and laugh and cry if you watch, and most likely want more of it by the end, which is good because there’s still a movie in the works.

With only twelve episodes, Yuri!!! on Ice is short, and if you fall for it, you’ll think it ends too soon. So, yeah, I think you should give it a try.

P.S.: The series has an incredible soundtrack! Not only it gives life to the characters but it also adds a lot to the experience of watching. You’re going to be singing some of the songs in no time, I guarantee!

[mindthewolves]

some thoughts, filed under: pacific rim

[this is gonna be full of spoilers. fair warning. but also curious what others thought of the storytelling in the movie.]

-the voiceover backstory was long and seemed like kind of a storytelling crutch. the thing is I don’t think the story needed to start where it did, with the onset of the kaiju attacks. it would’ve worked just as well to open at the height of the jaeger system, and cobble together the backstory from news footage (sans voiceover), the celebrity status of jaeger pilots (& specifically I would have loved for this to focus on POC pilots as an inversion of the directionality of media consumption today, which largely faces toward US/western media), and raleigh’s pov. it took quite a while for pacific rim to find its footing in terms of characterization, and introducing raleigh and his brother in this way - focusing on more of their daily routine and the sibling dynamic - could have helped the story gel sooner and heightened the emotional impact of yancy’s death.

-but one possible reason this wasn’t done is because drift compatibility and the entire premise of the jaegers is difficult to show without a narrative voiceover. potential workarounds: retrospective news footage of how the jaegers were conceived, engineered, and troubleshooted; or (and more interesting to me) a scene involving pilots who weren’t drift compatible. this is something pac rim never got to show, and given that compatibility is seen as rare and special, I’m curious what incompatibility looks like – bigotry, possibly, given the overarching theme of unity tying the film together. and assuming people are fluid & have the capacity for change, is it possible to fall in and out of drift compatibility, i.e. if the pilots discover something about each other, if the relationship becomes rocky, etc.?

-been thinking about ways the neural drift could be portrayed other than wandering through each other’s childhood memories, and I think sense8 does it more effectively in terms of how it overlaps narratives and shared experiences. in your eyes is another movie that plays with a similar telepathic bond in a very effective way. 

-it’s a movie made for the big screen visual; there’s so much detail to the kaiju and a lot of thought has gone into the monster anatomy, their evolving modes of attack, etc.

-so much so that there are more kaiju than speaking role women in this movie, more kaiju than speaking role POCs, and (subjectively; tbh I haven’t tabulated) the kaiju get more screen time than the female or POC characters. I’m also not sure why the kaiju are all nicknamed. like if you are hunting and tracking a group of things for a length of time, I understand; but for an enemy that appears singly and is dealt with immediately? why would you name it? (also the naming choice for the main jaeger...just no.)

-ok the racial politics first. I loved stacker’s portrayal, how his authority and the burden of command flows from him as easily as breathing. it’s never questioned. even when raleigh disagrees, he presses up to a point, but ultimately defers. & stacker is three-dimensional in a way that sidesteps tropes of black men in authority positions being angry or intimidating, or being sidelined or killed off for the advancement of a white character’s narrative: he has the people he wants to protect, he's willing to make the hard choices but is set up as the moral center of the story, and he has the weight of his own history behind him. the fact that he’s ostensibly drift compatible with anyone speaks to a remarkable capacity for empathy and understanding. ofc it’s found family that always gets me though, and the scene where mako very subtly gestures to herself to alert him to a nosebleed says volumes about their relationships, about the secrets she keeps for him, and the vulnerability he lets her see.

-mako on the other hand does fall into a number of racial stereotypes: all asians know martial arts, all asian women are demure and defer to authority. from a purely storytelling perspective, she makes for a good foil to raleigh’s more impulsive character, and they’re evenly matched. but when you take into account the larger pattern of racial stereotypes in mainstream media, this particular characterization irks me to no end (see: sense8, street fighter - legend of chun li) and this trope needs to die. also it irritated me that she had so little agency; she doesn’t fight (much) for herself to become a jaeger pilot, she stands back as raleigh decks chuck on her behalf, and later she’s ejected from the jaeger when raleigh decides it’s time to go it alone. she doesn’t make a ton of choices in this story. from a gender standpoint though, I definitely appreciated the restraint in terms of not sexualizing her as a character – the jaeger uniform she wears is the same as raleigh’s, she’s not shown in various states of undress, and the romantic subplot I was sure was going to rear its head just...didn’t? kudos.

-for a story set in hong kong, there are a bunch of white people. just sayin’. and sure the apocalypse could conceivably be postracial, but that’s not what’s happening here. the asian actors are background, and it’s most notable in the scenes with newt in the bunker – he’s always centered, and the camera singles him out while everyone else is just noise. the other jaeger candidates are indistinguishable from one another and unnecessarily, poorly matched against raleigh. mako is the only asian actor with more than a token line (and is, notably, japanese rather than chinese). non sequitur but it’s also not apparent to me why raleigh magically speaks japanese, or why it’s even necessary to include that detail in their meet cute. stacker speaking japanese I can buy, given their father-daughter dynamic, but raleigh doing the same sets off red flags for me.

-as a disclaimer I tend not to like action scenes for their own sake (avengers & batman v superman, boring; wonder woman: riveting, because the emotional stakes were palpable) but these definitely felt too long because the characters and stakes weren’t sufficiently fleshed out and there was so much attention paid to the kaiju when they were fairly monotone villains.

-like there was so much characterization that could have been capitalized on here, which is why I think pac rim has such fic potential: lots of space to fill in the blanks. and that’s not a bad thing, to leave those gaps. but at the same time I think the emotional beats of the movie hit late, and maybe they could have been played up more.

-for one I didn’t realize the striker eureka pilots were father and son until they were saying their goodbyes on opposite sides of an elevator door (see there are these great moments) and therefore when stacker sizes up the son, his mention of daddy issues seemed heavy-handed and not borne out in the previous narrative. idk maybe I missed something earlier on, entirely possible. I completely missed how the dog was a surrogate for the father-son affection until the elevator scene.

-second, the jaeger pilots just kept dying in droves towards the end of the movie but for a group of people with a skill set so rare and so valued? I wanted their deaths to be played up more. I wanted a funeral or at least a tribute to the wei triplets and the kaidanovskys, possibly also dredging up the jaeger carcasses from the sea. it didn’t have to be elaborate, but it would have made sense to take a moment. (it’s been a while since I watched battlestar galactica, but something that has always stuck with me – however vaguely – was the way the raider pilots would touch the memorial wall as they filed past, the sheer emotional weight that went into those few frames.)

-but geez the shoe motif. it was a neat metaphor for the theme of togetherness lacing through the movie, as well as for the concept of drift compatibility. & I liked how the two pairs of shoes contrasted each other. stacker gives mako (what I assume to be) the second shoe, making a complete pair, and it’s a little kid’s shoe that embodies unity and family and an innocence of heart. but when hannibal gets eaten, the gold-plated Shoes of Avarice TM are separated.

-the questionable science: the striker eureka is purely electric, and goes out of commission when an EMP hits, whereas the mark-3 jaegers run on nuclear energy AND YET power off when the plug is pulled? but wait it gets better. stacker’s been warned that he’ll die from radiation poisoning if he steps foot in another jaeger, and the emotional beat when he takes herc’s spot plays off his knowing sacrifice. not sure what he thinks he’ll die from though, because he’s stepping into a solely electric-powered jaeger.

-nitpick: why is there so much shouting in the jaegers. why the need to talk if you’re in each other heads.

-also from a safety design standpoint it seems like a terrible idea to have the pilots standing, with zero support in case of impact.

-also if the kaiju are so invincible and any non-jaeger weaponry doesn’t make a dent, someone explain to me how in the stinger, hannibal cuts his way out of a kaiju GI tract with a tiny tiny knife.

-soundtrack: it always feels like I have no vocabulary to describe art or music, but I liked how the electronic/percussive elements echo the construction material of the mechas onscreen, kind of like an onomatopoeia. the orchestral undercurrent carries the heroic tone of the movie, but it’s stained too with foreboding by the foghorn blasts. & the beat idk but it reminded me of the give-and-take choreography of a fight or of a dance, possibly also the synchrony between jaeger pilots.

-way better meta about the symbolism in the changing colors of jaeger pilot armor here:

Raleigh goes from a white uniform to a black one, which is a classic Manichean Heresy. One could argue that the switch symbolizes a loss of innocence, but I would say that it goes much deeper than that (though I would also argue that this is treated by the film as a positive thing – Raleigh trades innocence for wisdom in this equation). A Manichean Heresy is an inversion of traditional symbolism. In his white uniform, which would traditionally symbolize purity and righteousness, Raleigh and Yancy make a mistake that ends in his Yancy’s death, the near destruction of G*psy Danger, and Raleigh’s fall from grace. When he returns to the world, as a savior and mentor, he wears a black uniform.

When I realized this, it took me a while to figure out what it meant. It wasn’t until I considered Stacker Pentecost’s uniform that I understood. Stacker shifts from a dark silver uniform into a black one. This transition is less extreme than Raleigh’s, though I think in a lot of ways they mirror one another. It is never stated that Stacker or his partner made a mistake that led to his partner’s death, therefore it makes sense that Raleigh and Stacker would be represented in visually unique manners, since their narratives have different trajectories. Thus Stacker’s transition into the black uniform is likely representative of his gained experience (and his eventual – spoiler alert – martyrdom), because he was presented to us (in literal messianic imagery) as a fixed moral point even from his introduction.

[hiregdpr]

13 stories from STEM-qualified women in data

Monday, 11th February is the UN’s International day of women and girls in science – an opportunity to highlight the massive gender disparity in academic and career achievement in STEM. Globally, just 3% of students on ICT courses are female, rising 5% for maths and stats and  8% for engineering, manufacturing and construction.  The UK may feel like it is a marginal over-achiever, with 8% of its computer science students being women and 17% of workers in tech industries. But there is a huge gap between the aspiration to make the sector more female-friendly and the reality – only half of all the girls taking STEM subjects at school go into careers in the field. Data and analytics has good reason to feel it can help as there is an estimated 23% representation of women across the sector. DataIQ’s 2018 edition of the 100 list of most influential people in the industry was able to offer a 28:72 female:male ratio – in line with official targets for FTSE board membership, for example, but really still a long way behind the true goal of parity. To highlight the opportunities which are open to women taking STEM – and which might encourage more students to remain in this sector – DataIQ revisited the profiles of female members of last year’s 100. From those who had studied STEM, here is what they had to say in response to the question, “so – why did you choose data?” Gillian Tomlinson, chief data officer, RSA “I joined a credit bureau in my early 20s and found it fascinating. There are no two days the same and it’s an ever-evolving, dynamic industry.” Catherine Brien, chief data officer, Guardian News and Media “I didn’t choose data, I chose solving interesting, complex problems that could make a big difference. I chose to approach those problems in ways that drew on facts wherever possible, rather than simply opinion. And, coupled with a background in maths, that led to data – finding ways to make best use of what exists and, as importantly, designing the ways to collect new data we needed really to understand what we wanted (experiments, research…)” Helen Crooks, chief data officer, Lloyds of London “I didn’t – it seemed to choose me! Looking back, I am not surprised where my career has come from. I was a Mathematics and Sociology joint honours graduate and, in the ‘80s, data didn’t really exist. So I had a choice – accountant or something called a systems analyst. That seemed a bit more interesting than accountancy and it meant that I worked with Oracle V2 on the first database application in commercial business outside of the US. I was responsible for identifying why row level locking was needed on early databases. Things developed from there, so looking back, I really have worked in data for the whole of my career.” Michelle de Souza, chief data officer, Age UK “I’ve always enjoyed working with data. There is a certain level of satisfaction about driving evidenced-based decision-making. Over the years, I’ve seen attitudes change towards data, from disinterest to almost reverence. I particularly welcome the increase in the number of organisations saying data is changing the way they do business.” Papinder Dosanjh, platform lead for AI, ASOS “Why did I choose data? The potential to deliver transformational impact across businesses and wider society.” Johanna Hutchinson, head of data, The Pensions Regulator “I chose science – the process of collecting, managing, cleaning, analysing and interpreting data for a set objective is the basic premise of embedding data in a business. I’m motivated by wanting my work to have a high public value – developing the use of data in government gives me both.” Charlie Hutton, head of data science and customer analytics, Domestic and General “Choosing data presented me with a convenient vehicle to combine and carry forward both my passion for numbers and my hunger for a challenge. When used by an analytical mind, data is a tool which can be used to solve a variety of complex problems and provide solutions to challenges faced by businesses across many industries.” Ramneet Julka, director – customer analytics, ACE, Barclays “Through university, I always loved numbers, logical reasoning and analytical thinking and it influenced my choice of subjects, focused on finance and computing. Equally, I enjoyed working with people and was actively involved in drama, charities and debating. “ “So, as a trainee going through the rotation of various jobs, analytics was the most natural fit that played to my strengths and passions. It has been the perfect blend where the insights are powered through data and logical structured thinking, while the action and impact is powered through people, ie, developing strong stakeholder relationships and leading a diverse team of analysts.” Helen Mannion, global chief data officer, Specsavers “I would love to say I chose it, but really I fell into it. I always wanted to do something mathematical or analytical, but when I got offered my first job, I was rather indifferent to the role. I know they say you are not meant to accept the first offer that comes your way, but I did and, out of all the industries I had imagined working in, transport was not one of them!! Although, looking back, it was the best decision I could have made. My managers where inspirational and here I am, lucky enough to do something I enjoy everyday.” Yasmeen Ahmad, director, Think Big Analytics “With data, the possibilities are infinite. I have a passion for problem-solving and, with data as the raw ingredient, it is possible to create, innovate and solve problems in new ways. The process of taking data – numbers and words, digits and characters – and applying analytical algorithms requires out-of-the-box thinking. This process is both art and science to generate the best solution possible, which requires the combination of my skills in these areas.” “I am curious and inquisitive, skills that help me explore and discover insights from data and build stories. I enjoy building data stories that connect with people and help expand understanding into business domains.” Simmi Bajaj, former head of CRM, ODEON Cinemas UK and Ireland “It was a natural fit for my degree and love of numbers. After my first job, I quickly saw the benefits that data analysis could bring to any business and each role I have taken has made me a stronger advocate for the capture and use of data at every touch point of every organisation. I am passionate about making people realise the value of the data we have and to be data-driven at the core of everything we do.” Kim Nilsson, chief executive officer and co-founder, Pivigo “Numbers have fascinated me ever since my mother taught me about negative numbers on the back of an envelope when I was ten years old. My first career, as a scientist, was all about numbers, so it made sense to have some a connection with data.” “When I started reading up on data science, I quickly came to feel in awe of the enormous potential in better use of data. Now, I am a passionate believer that data science will revolutionise everything – how we work, live and pass our time. Why would you not want to be part of that?” Jeni Tennison, chief executive officer, The Open Data Institute “I believe that we make better decisions, faster, when those decisions are informed by data and that makes data both powerful and vital for tackling the big challenges that we face. So, working with data – and specifically ensuring that data can easily get to the people who need to make decisions – appeals to my desire to leave the world a better place. But it also appeals because I enjoy finding order and structure in things – ways to understand and explain the world – and that is what data provides.”

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