#MOE MOMENT HIS ULTIMATE WEAKNESS

[dnangelic]

( oh ? ... i don't know about that . ) the words ring out slowly through his mind , and it rashes ; develops a bothering itch that has him speaking out before he even realizes it . ' even if they do , everything still belongs to the artist --- ' a flush , and then he hesitates . ' i mean , a thing is just a thing . when people's feelings end up imbued into an artwork , then sometimes , it can seem like it's come to life ... ' from the likes of the snow queen and idea to insomnia and argentine , he had experienced it over and over by now --- artworks that seemed to be alive , that birthed all sorts of thoughts and feelings of their own , in tandem with the past's . if nothing else , there were his own father's precious words : ' magic is born out of people's hearts ... or at least , that's how it's supposed to work where i'm from . if something like a portrait really does end up having a mind of its own , isn't it only because someone else gave those feelings to them ? '

the flower trades between their hands , and he smiles . it was the first time too that anybody had ever gasped like that called him --- not just his other , but even him in tandem , amazing . the immediate leap of his heart once more morphs him ; he stares at the passing setting with his own mesmerized wonder . a red dress and a yellow flower , as well as the deep , deep black of live soot in a dim , elegant room --- everything was beautiful , and he indulges for as long as he can . ' meaning ... ' never once had he thought of it in that way . after all , someone like him was controlled so expressly by his most natural feelings , that if there had ever been any sort of meanings , then they had likewise been carried and wholly believed in as unconsciously as the rest . still , wouldn't it have been nice to give meaning to anything that had been decided meaningless by others ? the thought's cut short as kate continues --- it's encouraging , it's a little embarrassing , but her faith and confidence , even her awkward shyness and incredible request , sends his heart immediately into his throat and transforms him again .

' are --- are you sure ?! nobody's ever asked that before , and anyways i ... ' he wanted to paint this scene . the one that he had memorized , of kate and the flower , a sight that would surely haunt him in flashes , memory and its sentimental twinges making every shape and color all that much more rich and luxurious after its steeping . head shakes at the trailing , throwaway end of his words --- ' i mean , if it's really okay , then yes , ' his eyes pinch as elation fills every inch of his expression , ' i'd love to show you my art . '

taking her into someone else's too was little trouble , and when he finally remembers how to walk and move --- ( don't just stand there grinning , you idiot , or i'll take over and take kate in myself ! ) kate's already buzzed and hurried about the room . his arms open out to her , more than somewhat shyly . if he wasn't careful , his heart would ... no , it would be fine --- he could at least control himself this much when it mattered ! and no matter how afraid he was of the idea , she wouldn't think he was gross or a creep for having to touch her just a little bit , right ?!

' please ... excuse me , ' he shuts his eyes even as he can feel dark grinning , pushing on his back , sallying their arms forth in order to gently lift kate , depositing her --- through the frame , into its field ; yet another world , guided and allowed by the magic of the black wings . ' i should stay on this side to be able to bring you back once you're finished , but how is it ? '

even from here , the caressing winds , the field of flowers and sun-lit wheat stretching on for miles without a single building or live soul in sight seemed to be the epitome of freedom . even if it was an oil-lamp lit dusk-night within the manor , it still seemed bright and sunny day within the portrait . was it warm , then ? just as comfortable and faint-scented as it looked ? ' ... if you ask me , i think it's a really nice painting . i only wonder where it's supposed to be --- if anywhere , really . '

ㅤㅤ" WHEN you put it that way, it gives Kate the impression that the paintings have a mind of their own ... " Following that logic, paintings were then essentially the physical manifestation of an artist's mind but how these two were able to interact with a painting was a mystery in itself. No matter the method, the clues seemed to point entirely to Dark who appeared to be the anomaly in this entire situation. It was his only form that was capable of utilizing these abilities after all. So, that would mean Daisuke was the original host of this body and Dark was the true identity of the curse ? Even if that was the case, the idea that Dark was a separate entity felt oddly ... wrong. Were they the same person then ?

ㅤㅤHer mind suddenly flashed back to the concept of unification; the physical and mental union between a shadow and a human but if the circumstances were such then neither Dark or Daisuke would've existed as separate individuals. Perhaps she could ask more about it later. It felt rather inane to compare the rules of the Shadows House to humans from entirely different worlds.

ㅤㅤShe nodded and trailed after Daisuke to witness their abilities first-hand but she couldn't help but notice how suddenly his body had transformed. From the looks of it, he couldn't exactly control his transformation either. Their existences must've been a bit unstable if they were constantly switching back and forth but what was the trigger ? Was it based on their emotions ?

ㅤㅤKate gazed expectantly towards the painting of the meadow, attempting to gauge for any sign of magic of some sort but to no avail -- that is until Daisuke effortlessly reached in to pull out ... a flower. She gasped in disbelief at the sight of the flower and carefully took it into her hands for any signs of superficiality but ... it was essentially lifelike. " ... Kate is amazed. To any other person, the painting is simply a beautiful accent to the room but in your hands, there's life -- perhaps meaning that can be brought forth. " She cautiously reached towards the painting in attempt to touch it herself but it was nothing more than a mere surface for her soot to be smeared on. She drew her hand back with a frown, deciding to leave it alone for now. Kate eventually returned her attention towards Daisuke and shook her head. " Kate understands you just fine. So in short, the artworks need to depict where your destination is ? The logic seems reasonable enough. Kate is certain that if you keep practicing, you'll eventually be able to reach the places you desire with ease. After all, you love art, don't you ? Kate is confident that passion will pay off with enough time and effort. " She found herself lowering her head towards the flower and awkwardly began to fidget with its petals. " ... And, if it means anything, Kate is already quite fond of the drawing you gave her so ... she would enjoy the idea of seeing more of your art in the future. If ... you'd be willing to show Kate, of course. " Even if his skills were at the level of an amateur, the amount of thought and care he put into his paintings was honestly quite endearing and not to mention, he had quite the adorable artstyle so she was rather eager to see more. Kate wasn't much of an artist herself anyways so there wasn't a whole lot for her to judge so as long as she cast aside her own pretentious standards. ( still, it must've been difficult living with a curse that required some form of application to the arts ).

ㅤㅤ" ... Huh ? " Her mind had buffered until she suddenly realized that Daisuke actually made her an offer to take her ... inside the painting ?! " Y - you can take Kate inside the painting ... ?! Kate was actually going to ask about that but she was convinced you were the only one able to go through them ... " She appeared hesitant, uncertain if going on an adventure right now was a good idea ( what if someone came looking for her ? ). But ... this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ! Perhaps there was no time like now to take this chance !

ㅤㅤKate glanced around the room in a panic, seemingly indecisive about her next move before finally settling with finding the nearest parchment and pen. She scribbled down a quick note for Emilico, just in case she returned before Kate did and left it on the table before returning back to Daisuke -- that is, until she recalled the flower in her hand. She froze, contemplating what she should do with it for a moment before disappearing off into the other room. After some rummaging and the squeak of a faucet, she came out with a miniature vase filled with water and promptly housed the flower before stepping back to admire her handiwork. This time, she was set.

ㅤㅤ" ... Kate gives her apologies. " She finally made her way back over to Daisuke. " If it's alright with you ... Kate would like to experience it for herself. "

[mozillavulpix]

I'd like to hear your take on peak Gohan

Oh lol you saw!

Okay, let's do this.

Why Tournament of Power (anime) Gohan is Peak Gohan

1. He can actually fight

Gohan 'discourse' I find often gets oversimplified into two camps; the 'why isn't Gohan a badass fighter' camp, and the 'why can't Gohan just live in peace and not fight' camp. And the two of them feel like they're constantly arguing with each other over how Gohan should be characterised.

But I kind of find myself seeing valid points in both camps. On the one hand, I don't want Gohan forced into a lifestyle that doesn't suit his personality. But on the other hand, I also know that Dragon Ball is a fighting show and if you don't have the ability to fight (or even worse, used to have the ability to fight but lost it), you kind of look really lame no matter how many cute slice-of-life moments there are. (This is the problem I had with DBS Ep 52)

So, like...why can't he have both?

People act like there's some hard rule that if Gohan doesn't 100% dedicate his entire life to training like Goku does, he'll never get stronger (and in fact will keep actively getting weaker), but...why does that even have to be the case? This is just fiction. You can easily say "he found a compromise where he's a scholar but maybe trains a bit in his spare time so he won't get weak". I think it'd make enough sense for his character. He wants to be a scholar, but he also cares a lot about protecting his family and friends. It feels pretty natural.

2. It fixed Ultimate Gohan

Conceptually, Ultimate Gohan is honestly one of the coolest thing in the late era of Dragon Ball. After one flashy transformation after another, the idea someone's final form is basically them looking exactly the same – no big hair or scary glowing eyes – and yet remaining as powerful as someone with a form like that is just really cool to watch. It gives that sense that the character is in total control, not consumed by rage or whatnot to turn them into a different personality.

My personal big issues with the form, however, are that 1. Gohan basically gets given it for free without having to do much at all. In fact, he has to literally sit there and do nothing while he has a ritual performed on him. It's good comedy, but not as satisfying as him, like, literally having to fight and sweat for his power-up. Especially one which has all the trademarks of being a 'Final Form'.

And 2., Toriyama makes Gohan's personality when he uses that form against Super Buu very assertive and cocky, almost overconfident. Which obviously happens in fights sometimes, but Gohan is probably the member of the cast who is naturally the least like that, so it's kind of jarring to see him suddenly smack-talking his enemy like Vegeta.

It's kind of not why I like Gohan, so I really didn't like the implication that 'for Gohan to be a strong fighter, he needs to be cocky and a generic badass'.

Anyway, Gohan in the Tournament of Power fixes both these issues. For one, he has to seemingly work and train to get the 'Ultimate' 'form' back again, even if it was directly only for 1 or 2 episodes in the Super anime. And even with that power, he still maintains the traditional personality of the more polite member of the cast who also really appreciates and hypes up everyone else.

He's kind of like...the moe one, if that makes sense.

3. He gets to be cool without it feeling overblown

This was basically the issue I had with Vegeta in Dragon Ball Super. It's fun to give a character power-ups and big emotional moments, but if you reach too far, it starts to feel like mindless pandering to fans without any real understanding of a narrative.

Vegeta gets a lot in modern Dragon Ball, a lot of it for basically no reason other than ticking off a checklist. (The most egregious example to me was SSG in the Broly movie. It's not the most powerful form, there's basically no reason to even use it, but they made him dramatically use it in the movie just to prove to people he had it.)

Anyway, when they brought Gohan back, I was worried it'd fall into that trap, but it hasn't (so far). He didn't get any big power-up in the Tournament of Power, his little plot was all about learning to fight better with the power he already had. He didn't beat or even fight Jiren. Because the story took it conservative with him and decided he didn't have to be the strongest or even get close to Goku's level within one arc to show that he was cool. Sometimes you can wholeheartedly appreciate a character for what they are and what they've done, and not for what they're not.

This is also the reason why Tournament of Power (manga) isn’t part of the discussion. Because 1. I actually have trouble believing...power-scaling wise, that he’d be stronger than Kefla, it feels like too much of a jump in power to the point it feels unsatisfying and 2. he acts weirdly confident and not as polite and empathetic there, it falls too much into the trap of the Super Buu fight.

and...I think that's about it?

[uniformbravo]

having a full on existential crisis over an episode of anime i watched tonight

it all started with big time rush

in 2009 a sitcom called big time rush aired for the first time on nickelodeon; it was about a group of four teenaged boys from minnesota who move to hollywood under a famous producer to become his next big boy band sensation. a simple premise, launched into unprecedented success, resulting in four seasons of musical shenanigans, three full music albums, and three big concert tours, including international shows. the band, both fictional and real life, featured four attractive young men by the names of kendall, james, carlos, and logan. they quickly gained a fan base of mostly teenage girls, which resulted in online spaces created for the purpose of sharing their passion, and as is common in such online communities, this certainly involved fanfiction- lots of it.

enter me, a teen in high school who loved to write fanfiction. my big time journey began the day my younger sister decided to put on the show big time rush in the living room, where i sat at the family computer typing away. the noise caught my attention, and i got sucked into the episode. there was a boy wearing a dress on the screen. i became interested.

i watched more of the show. i typed its name into the search bar on the website fanfiction dot net. i had a friend at school who shared my interest in fanfiction, particularly of the slash variety. i introduced her to this new show i had been watching. she shared a fanfic she had enjoyed immensely with me. we dragged each other into the world of big time rush fanfiction reading and writing.

it took over my life; i lived and breathed big time rush. i began posting my own stories to fanfiction dot net. i received positive feedback; i met people. i made friends- two people in particular who became very close friends. we communicated through ffn’s private messaging system, then through email. we talked every day, we wrote stories for and with each other, we exchanged phone numbers. it was one of these friends who introduced me to the website called tumblr, where fellow fans of our beloved big time rush gathered and talked about it- a community.

it was a slow start- this website was new and unfamiliar to me- but eventually i got the hang of things and settled into my niche. i had fun, gained followers, met even more people. tumblr was a place not only for sharing one singular interest, but for accumulating all of your various interests and celebrating them in one place. it was through this aspect that i first learned of the up and coming band known as one direction.

they had released their first smash hit single and everyone was talking about it. i was wary, far too loyal to my beloved big time rush- but eventually i started to feel left out and in an effort to feel included, i decided to take the plunge and see what this “1d” was all about. it was intimidating, though- there was so much information, and no apparent beginner’s guide to tell me where to start. this drove me to making a post calling for a “one direction buddy” to take this role, to introduce me to all the most important aspects of this band. and my call was answered.

enter my wonderful friend cam, a follower of mine at the time. they were into both big time rush and one direction and were eager to provide me with all the information needed to get into 1d. while ultimately this venture didn’t amount to anything, as i lost interest in becoming a fan, my friendship with cam persisted and we grew very close. even as time went on and big time rush faded into the background to be replaced with newer, fresher interests, and our paths as fellow fandom members split, we kept in contact and remained friends. years and years of fandoms, years and years of friendship.

in the midst of the tenth year, cam developed a new interest, in a sport called ice hockey. as is tradition, they shared their passion with me, showing me their favorite team, highlighting their favorite members. we watched a game together. personally, i’ve never been one for sports, but i am quite into anime, which consists of many genres, including the “sports” genre. one in particular that i’ve enjoyed immensely in the past is the volleyball anime, haikyuu!!. this anime devotes a lot of time to explaining and depicting the sport in a way that makes it easy for any viewer to understand the rules and inner workings of volleyball. it’s exciting. it’s the first time i’ve ever even adjacently been invested in a sport. one could even call it a gateway into the world of sports.

all this to say, when i watched that game of ice hockey with cam, the same parts of my brain that loved haikyuu!! lit up and in a classic display of my specific brand of interest, i found myself yearning for the epic highs and lows of ice hockey, but in an animated format. an animated format originating in japan. a japanese animation. an anime. my curiosity burned a hole in my brain that resulted in a combination of the google search bar and the words, “hockey anime”.

to my disappointment, i found nothing- at least, not to the degree i was hoping. there is an upcoming anime, slated to air in the fall 2021 anime season, about a group of girls who form an ice hockey team together- as it is an original project rather than an adaptation, it remains to be seen whether the anime will fall into the category of “sports anime,” or if indeed it will lean much more closely to the “moe” genre. the latter is not what i had in mind during that particular search.

adding the anime called “pride of orange” to my “plan to watch” list on myanimelist dot com, i moved onto the next result: an article about an early 2010’s anime i had never heard of before. while not about the sport i was looking for, it featured a character whose signature weapon was a field hockey stick. it wasn’t even the right sport. it was a weak, insignificant link, but all was not lost.

i happen to have an affinity for watching anime i happen upon completely by random and know little to nothing about; i found the movie “anthem of the heart” purely coincidentally, when i searched the name “jun” as part of some research for one of my original characters and discovered that it was the main character of said movie, which i then watched and ended up enjoying quite a lot. another time, when i was at best buy one day i happened upon a dvd on their dedicated anime shelf for a movie called “hana and alice”, which i had never heard of before. i liked the box art, so i took a picture of it to remember the title and watched it on my own later that week; it became one of my favorite movies.

with these and other similar experiences in mind, i saved the anime in my “plan to watch” list, and, later that same week, began my watch of “sket dance.”

it’s a school comedy anime, one of my favorite genres, so it’s no surprise that after overcoming the initial skepticism i carry into every new show i watch it quickly became my new fixation. not an obsession, but something i was pleasantly surprised to find consistently enjoyable. the characters are fun, the humor is tight and fresh, and the stories are unexpectedly touching at the right moments. everything i like to see.

which brings us to tonight. the culmination of this ten plus year string of events and occurrences. getting into big time rush. joining tumblr. meeting cam. watching anime. searching for hockey anime.

i put down my apple(TM) pencil. i set my ipad aside. i downsized the ebook window i’d been referencing. i stretched; i was hungry and tired. i’d been rereading passages of various animorphs books all day. i needed a break. i needed to sit back with some food and an episode of my latest comfort watch, sket dance. it’d be nice to set the dramatic, tragic world of animorphs aside for something lighthearted and fun in its place.

well.

i sat down with my bowl of strawberries and played the episode. it finished. i watched another. this one broke the formula a bit, played with the art style. i was into it. the preview for the next episode was mysteriously blank, and short, stating only the title. it was intriguing. i’m down for the show to get a bit more serious for an episode, i thought. i’m down for some potential backstory for one of the main three. i’m ready.

i was not ready.

bruh.

b r u h .

next two episodes proceeded to take me out back and beat me to within an inch of my life, slowly at first and then all at once. barely made it out alive. questioning everything. how can a show, so silly and goofy, do that, to me. how could i let my guard down like that. how could i be so tricked, and deceived, and blindsided like this. i don’t know who to trust. i don’t know if i can trust again. whiplash so damaging, permanent. i thought i wanted answers. i thought i wanted to know backstory. i didn’t want this. i never wanted this. emptiness

how did it come to this, these twelve years of my life. had i known back then, would i have posted that fanfiction? would i have joined tumblr? would i have sook out a “one direction buddy”? a hollow husk of a person, i am left with only my thoughts to ponder this small history of mine. the things i could have done differently. the things others could have done differently. all these butterfly effect moments, adding up to what? culminating in what? it’s 2:26 am and i’m writing an essay on how shook i am over that episode instead of going to sleep. but i can’t just say nothing, you know? i need to put something out there, reach deep enough within myself to find the thing that’s still there, broken and huddled and tiny as it is. i need to feel some semblance of the self again. the me from before i watched this episode. the innocent version of myself, blissful in ignorance. it’s too late now.

that episode…………..was fucked up. that was seriously fucked up. im not okay bro they really just came in left field and slapped that in my face expecting me to get up and walk away just fine afterwards like No that isn’t how this Works y’all need to bundle some therapy sessions with ur episodes pullin that shit come ON

exhaustion is taking over the shock, i am simply tired now. i will fall asleep and when i wake up sket dance will be a happy fun show again with NO fucked up backstories ever Or Else. i’m fucking serious right now i’m gonna count to 3 and that shit better be retconned when i turn around,

screams

thank you

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Stark’s New Intern” Chp. 18

"Friends tell me I am crazy And I'm wasting time with you You'll never be mine It's not the way I see it 'Cause I feel you're already mine Whenever you're with me (oh, oh, oh)

People always talkin' 'bout Your reputation I don't care about your other girls Just be good to me…"

The S.O.S. Band—"Just Be Good To Me"

Erik laughed so hard that his stomach hurt.

Athena had the biggest lop-sided grin on her face as they both listened to Giselle go in on her project manager. Massacred plates of chicken taquitos, chimichangas, and ceviche sat piled around their table along with empty margarita glasses. The three of them spent two hours talking and cutting loose from work.

By the time they tumbled out of the restaurant, it was after nine in the evening.

"…no the Lyft will take us all home and you can pick up your car in the morning," Athena said to Giselle.

Erik called a Lyft for them all and within thirty minutes they were back at the Oakwood in front of Erik's unit. Shaking his legs out, Erik felt lightly buzzed and happy to have a full content belly. He was also happy that Athena and Giselle had squashed their past beef and were back to being cautious friends again. Erik could tell over dinner that they had a bond itching to come back together. Giselle finally conceded over a Cadillac margarita that she had been wrong about Athena, bringing both women to drunken tears and much-needed hugs. Both women had a lot of pride about getting to the top on their own merits, and Erik sensed they were both eager to mend their relationship, but too stubborn to face one another without feeling like the loser with their tail between their legs. It was good to see how they might have been back in college together. So much laughter and shared inside jokes. He felt a lot of camaraderie with the two of them and it was one of his best chill out with friends night he'd had in a long time.

Standing in front of his residence, both women were relaxed and attentive to him.

"Thanks for hearing me out and giving me suggestions on how to handle Janine and them," he said stretching his back.

"Three more weeks!" Giselle said holding out her fist.

"Three more weeks," he chimed back giving her a pound.

"See you fools later," Athena said. She reached over and gave Erik a big hug, "Keep your head up, you'll make it."

Erik kissed her cheek as he held onto her, but then the soft warm feel of her body in his arms did something to him and he rested his lips on her mouth. The kiss was gentle but promised more to come when she opened her lips and took his tongue. His hand slid down her gray blouse and gripped the meat of her ass.

He reached over and pulled Giselle in close and kissed her. The surprised look on her face didn't stop him from rubbing on her ass too. The expensive margaritas had him feeling frisky. Bold.

Neither one of the women pushed him away, and by the time he was sucking on Giselle's neck, Athena was already tugging on the erection that was poking hard against his slacks. He felt even more brazen when Giselle's hand slipped down to pull on his dick too.

He stood back from both of them and cupped his right hand over the top of his erection. He had never had a threesome before and he was eager to get down to it. But would they?

"Maria ain't here tonight. We can go up to my room…"

His eyes darted between the two of them.

"We?" Giselle asked.

"I'm not doing no eenie-meenie-minie-moe," Erik slurred, "you can both get this dick right now."

Athena regarded Giselle with questioning eyes.

"Erik, I don't do girl-on-girl," Giselle said.

"I said you both could get it, I didn't say with each other. That's up to you two."

"We're all drunk. Let's just say goodnight," Giselle said taking a step back from him.

Athena clung to him still and Erik couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.

"Night, girl," Athena said pulling Erik toward his apartment.

Giselle watched them move away from her and for a moment, her eyes looked shocked that Athena was going with him.

Erik held out his hand toward her.

"You can do what you want or just watch or whatever, but I really want you too."

He couldn't hide the loose stumbling of his words and it made Giselle smile.

"Everything consensual and full of mutual respect," he said, trying to coax her with a sexy voice, or at least what he thought sounded sexy.

"You are tipsy," Athena giggled.

Erik nodded his head toward the steps.

"You and those stupid dimples," Giselle said. She sauntered over and Erik clasped her hand.

###

It was one thing to fantasize about a threesome. It was also another thing to jerk off to threesomes while watching porn.

Everything was different in real life when two fine women climbed onto Erik's bed naked and legs open.

Kissing them both had been the ultimate in pleasure and it was easy for him to move from mouth to mouth and tongue to tongue. He thought his body would overheat when they all sat on the edge of his bed twisting necks back and forth. His fingers caressed nipples and breasts and the mixtures of their two perfumes drifting around his nose made him heady and weak. Giselle sucked on his neck as Athena took his wet tongue with hers and stroked the tip of his dick. He took off his shirt then and shucked off his pants and boxer briefs. Athena went down on him first and Erik fondled Giselle's breasts as he watched Athena's head go up and down on his lap.

"Suck that shit, Ma…" he groaned.

Giselle sucked on his tongue and his erection grew firmer in Athena's mouth.

Releasing Giselle's lips, his heart triple thumped in his chest as a rush of maddening desire came over him. Athena's tongue dragged up his length and her eyes were glued to his as she kneeled before him, her large breasts hugged up against his balls.

Sex was as natural to him as breathing and he knew Giselle's and Athena's bodies very well. But having them in front of him together made him nervous now. The weight of his dick was making him antsy. He had kissed them both into a frenzy and enjoyed the slow release of skirts, blouses, bras, stockings and sheer black pantyhose along the way.

He slowed down and replayed everything up until that moment.

Athena was more assertive than Giselle, not caring if her newly reunited friend was down for the loving or not. But it didn't take long for Giselle to ease into it, her concerns about being sexual with Athena unfounded. She had to fight for time with his lips and snatched it when Athena fondled his balls. His nuts felt so full and once Athena licked the pre-cum from his slit, Giselle was already thrusting her tongue down his throat as he fingered her wet folds. He found himself turning mechanical with his movement, focusing too much on trying to give each woman equal attention instead of just going with the flow.

"Erik?" Athena whispered.

He swallowed hard and licked his lips.

Relax, he told himself.

He eased up on overthinking everything once he fell back on the bed with Athena sitting on his face and Giselle bobbing her head all on his dick. They too found their own rhythm with him and Athena gave Giselle space to touch or be touched by her.

The sensations in Erik's body were heightened more and he had to keep track of his arousal to keep from ejaculating too soon. As much as he wanted to cum in Giselle's mouth as he ate out Athena's pussy, he wanted to save that first erection for penetrating both of them.

"Raise up," he gently whispered to Athena.

Athena rolled over and he groaned when he saw how her gorgeous skin just glowed from him licking her to the verge of an orgasm. She cradled her breasts and he nipped at her clavicle before standing up and pulling Giselle onto the bed next to her.

He grabbed a condom from inside his nightstand and opened it carefully. Both women's eyes sparkled as he rolled the rubber down his length. Both were okay with him using the same condom between them since they were all pretty much sex partners all together any other time. They were all clean and safe. Erik kept on top of that shit religiously.

His nerves kicked in again when he looked down at both open legs and two wet pussies waiting on him. Who to dick down first?

"Erik…"

Giselle whined his name and her hips rotated on the bed. Athena gave him a big smile and he felt that he was given the okay to get between Giselle's legs first. Taking a deep breath he pushed her legs back and rested his knees on the bed. Giselle raised up on her elbows as he lined up with her opening.

"Erik!"

Eyes clenched tight, Giselle lost her breath when he pushed in, the sound of her wet pussy making Athena sigh in envy.

"You feel so good," he exhaled as he shifted his weight to get down deep inside of her.

Heavy thrusts kept Giselle moaning and Erik turned his head from staring down at his sheathed dick stretching her out to watch Athena's face. The other woman moved closer to him and he reached out to squeeze her right breast that overflowed in his hand.

Legs splayed out, Erik gazed at Athena's opening and she was so juicy, clear natural lubricant just trickled out of her making her glisten down there. He pulled out from Giselle and scrambled over to get inside Athena. He sank into her and the warmth surrounding him made him gasp and crush his chest against hers.

"Damn, girl…"

Breathy grunts fell from his mouth as he put in work, but it didn't last when he jumped off of Athena to spoon around Giselle. He held Giselle's leg and pumped into her. Athena stroked his ass, her fingers clutching his glutes with firm squeezes. He almost lost control of his release when he felt her touches move to cradle his balls.

"Fuck!"

Twenty minutes in and he couldn't hold back.

Pulling out of Giselle, Erik stood up and pulled off the condom. Eyes darting between the two, he fisted himself. Giselle and Athena bent their knees and opened their legs wide on the bed, their thighs touching together.

"Open your pussies!" he shouted.

They both peeled back the slick lips of their vulvas.

"Making me nut!"

The root of his dick jumped in his hand and hot semen splashed all over the back of their thighs. Throwing his head back, he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom and let out laughter that shook his entire body. His head dropped forward and he saw his cum sliding down their wet skin.

"Damn...that shit felt amazing," he snapped.

Dropping to his knees, Erik took his time eating them both out until each of their thighs nearly suffocated him.

Any issues he had about dealing with two women at once went away once he got his second wind. He relaxed into the sex and it was good all night long.

###

Exhaustion and dehydration had him gulping down a bottle of orange juice in the kitchen without a glass. He padded into the living room naked and plopped his sated body on the couch. Athena and Giselle were piled on his bed fast asleep. He heard a buzzing sound and reached for his suit jacket that sat in a ball on the armrest.

"Fuck…"

Devika.

He totally forgot about her. There were several text messages from her and a voicemail message. He texted an apology and made up an excuse about being out with interns and getting drunk. Well, it wasn't an actual lie. He did get drunk. And he was with other interns. Just knee-deep in other pussy.

He watched TV and dozed off.

A key in the door woke him up, and he wasn't sure if he was dreaming until Maria walked in…

…with his Aunt, Uncle, and Walter.

"Shit!"

Erik jumped up and covered his lower parts with a couch pillow.

"Whoops!" Maria said turning her eyes away from him.

Erik's Uncle Bakari grinned and Walter doubled over with laughter.

"JaJa! Really?" his Aunt Shavonne said when she stepped fully into the living room.

"Surprise!" Bakari said.

"What are you doing here?" Erik muttered stepping back from his family and bestie.

"We wanted to surprise you," Bakari said.

"I just came back from Noel's place and found them outside," Maria said.

She no longer averted her eyes from him with his dick and balls covered up.

"Get dressed, we'll take you to breakfast," Bakari said.

"Um…okay-"

"Erik…"

Athena walked out wearing her bra and panties. She stopped near the bathroom when she saw the others.

"Oh…excuse me," she said.

Erik felt his face get warm and it grew warmer when Giselle walked out of his bedroom next wearing his tank t-shirt and her thong.

Bakari looked at Erik and shook his head.

"Boy, you are just like your Mama," he said.

"Excuse me for a minute," Erik said.

He backed away from everyone and both women followed him into the bedroom.

"Ohmigod, I am so…I want to disappear right now," Giselle mumbled throwing on her clothes.

Athena laughed.

"They don't know us, so I'm not going to trip," Athena said pulling up her skirt.

Erik put on jeans and a polo shirt. Slipping on a pair of Keen sandals, he wiped his hand over his face.

"Yo, Erik, we hungry," Walter called out.

"Who is that out there?" Giselle asked.

"My aunt and uncle, and my homeboy from Oakland."

"He's fine,' Athena said.

Erik glared at her.

"He is. Don't be jealous!" Athena teased.

"I can't go back out there. Maybe you all can leave first?" Giselle pleaded.

The doorbell rang.

"Erik!"

Maria's voice sang out to him.

"Let's go. Don't make a big deal and don't make eye contact," Erik instructed.

He rubbed a bit of deodorant under his arms.

"C'mon," he said.

Walter stood watching him outside his bedroom door with a lopsided grin and Erik punched his boy in the shoulder. Back in the living room, Maria had a pinched look on her face. Her eyes went to the front door.

"Devika," Erik said.

Devika had on work out gear and carried a tray of Starbucks coffee and a bag of Yum Yum donuts. Her eyes took in his surprise visitors, but they grew narrow when she saw Giselle and Athena.

"Sorry, didn't realize you had a full house," Devika said.

She turned around and left.

Erik ran after her.

"That boy is his father's child."

His Aunt's voice drifted behind him as he scampered down the steps. Devika's car was in a guest carport spot and she flung open her driver's side door.

"Devika, wait a minute."

"I waited up for you. All you had to say was that you weren't coming. I was worried…"

She stopped and looked at him.

"Here."

She handed him the coffee and donuts.

"I was drunk and I just stayed home—"

"I get it, Erik."

"My family is here visiting. Can I see you later?"

"No."

She hopped into her car and rolled down her window.

"Devika, it ain't what you think—"

"Erik. It's cool. I should've called first. Go be with your family."

"Wait—"

She backed out and drove away leaving him alone.

He turned around and came face to face with Giselle and Athena.

"You and Devika?" Giselle asked.

"I gotta get back to the Fam," he said.

Walking back up the steps to his apartment, Erik felt horrible. He let his dick make decisions based on lust, and he disappointed a woman he really liked.

"Fuck," he muttered.

He couldn't win for losing.

His cell vibrated again.

Stark.

"Yeah?"

"Good morning to you too, Stevens. I have some news for you. I'm ending your internship right this minute."

"What? Why?"

Erik stood outside his apartment. He could hear his family talking to Maria inside.

"Be in my office first thing Monday morning-"

"Why are you kicking me out?"

"Monday."

Erik held the phone to his ear.

His family was here to celebrate his internship, and he was being kicked out.

Fuck. Fuck.

Chapter 19 HERE

###

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[fuckthegovfucklove]

My *current*Relating Framework

“The widespread assumption that ethical behaviour takes the fun out of life is false. In actuality, living ethically ensures that relationships in our lives, including encounters with strangers, nurture our spiritual growth.” 

― Bell Hooks

As a result of my disapproval of societal depictions of what good relationships look like and represent, I’ve decided to rip up the script and play an active role in the process of meaning construction. In my solitary moments, I jotted down some of the principles I believe are essential to relating with others in a way that is fruitful, just and consistent with my own personal politics. I will most likely update the list with time but for now, these are the tenet’s that form the Nonconformist Lover Relating Framework:

Individual Autonomy - You are you, I am I.

“Because to take away a man's freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.�� ― Madeline L'Engle

Autonomy is a complex construct that concerns the regulation of behaviour by the self, or the authorship of one’s behaviour, as opposed to behaviour being controlled by forces perceived as outside the self. When individuals are autonomous, their behaviour is self-organised and self-endorsed, and their actions are experienced as fully voluntary and authentic. The opposite of autonomy is feeling pressured, coerced, or compelled to act by forces or pressures perceived as external to the self.

When navigating interpersonal relationships, it is crucial that as an individual you do not attempt to coerce or control the actions of another. To do that is to disrespect their autonomy, assert ones dominance and sow seeds of inequality. You only has complete control over one’s own actions, that includes deciding not to continue relationships that are not conducive to one’s wellbeing. Rules are coercive, personal boundaries are a necessity.

Reject the desire to pressure or influence others to suit your needs, but experience them and appreciate their individuality, only offering solicited advice that may aid their individual growth. Encourage others to exercise their personal freedom and act authentically, so long as their actions don’t harm others. Do the same and watch how you attract others who share a similar disposition or value yours.

Mutuality - We do, what WE want.

“In contexts of massively unbalanced power, love seeks dispersed and accountable power. Mutuality recognizes common power to give to, receive from, learn from, and challenge. And it aims at common well-being.” ― Cynthia Moe-Lobeda

In this context, mutuality is the degree of correspondence between two individuals perceptions of their commitment to each other and to their relationship, as well as the state of having mutual desires, interests and values. It’s voluntary cooperation. Often times what occurs in relationships are assumed mutualities from both individuals, that is an unspoken belief that the other person has the same desire, interest, values or intention to commit as you. The unspoken nature of assumed mutualities often times becomes a bone of contention.

There are many conventional assumed mutualities, such as communication frequency, co-habitation plans or leisure time. Things that people who like each other “should“ do. Aim for a more intentional, organic mutuality, that is doing things out of a clear shared desire for it instead of out of duty/obligation. This allows a genuine appreciation for each others time or commitment as it comes out of sheer desire - no arm twisting involved.  When individuals perform relationships off of societal scripts, they’re given the power to coerce and reprimand individuals for not acting the part i.e being “a good partner“ or “a good friend”. Such actions strip individuals of their individuality and attempt to box them with the power invested by societal norms.

No assumptions should be made about the nature of a relationship. Making explicit, conscious agreements can be useful or even mandatory for relationships that involve actual outside responsibilities, minors or dependencies, otherwise they are almost always unnecessary and burdensome. If an individual does something for you that you enjoy once or a couple times and is no longer consistent, remember that their actions or consent are not ongoing rights. You can speak to them about your concerns but at the end of the day you aren’t entitled to their time or commitment. If they are interested in doing the things you’d like to do with them, then you are on the same pages which is great. If they do not have the desire to do certain things they are well within their right not to and it is up to you to either respect that and fulfil your desires by other means. It is wise practice, allowing you to infer the qualities of an individual off of their voluntary actions vs actions they do out of duty.

Intersubjectivity - I try to see what you see.

“Walk with me for a while, my friend—you in my shoes, I in yours—and then let us talk.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich,

In this context, having an intersubjective attitude involves having an interest in, attunement to and responsiveness to the subjective, inner experience of another individual, both at a cognitive and affective level. While empathy is generally the ability to understand and share feelings with another, intersubjectivity attempts to understand reality from that persons point of view. To do this involves paying attention to how another interprets reality and responds to situations, although your analysis will always be to some extent skewed by your own subjective reality. The aim is an appreciation of the wholeness of the other person with a special awareness of the other’s subjective experience, allowing you to better understand, empathise with and be considerate of another - widening your personal worldview.

Intersubjectivity is key to really understanding how you’re actions may affect an individual and ways you can accommodate them. Adopting this practice protects the marginalised and the individuality of others. The best way to develop an intersubjective attitude is to ask another questions about how they emotionally, intellectually and factually perceive different situations, to learn about their background and what impinges upon them, to imagine the world that they exist in and how it affects them. Speak to them about it and show nonjudgemental responsiveness to encourage emotional safety and intimacy.

Self-awareness and emotional self-disclosure is crucial too. You must also be aware of your own subjective nature and have the willingness and ability to reveal your own inner states to the other person, make your needs known,  share your thoughts and feelings, giving the other access to your subjective world.

The key is to not assume you know an individual, but to be intentional in getting to know them. You can never fully know why another person does what they do. When you only see others and how they act through your own subjective lens, how their actions affect you and without empathy, you are prone to project onto them and develop narcissistic traits that can become psychologically abusive.

Humanise - I perceive you as human.

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” ―Brené Brown

To humanise, as a weak antonym for objectifying, describes a behaviour or process that appreciates the individuality of and in others. It is the viewing and treatment of other persons as if they possess the same mental, emotional and physical capacities, and agency that we enjoy as human beings. We recognise others as three-dimensional individuals, and therefore have regard for their feelings, rights, needs, boundaries, well-being and lives. To humanise someone is also to refuse objectifying and categorising them based off of their differences be it religion, race, culture, nationality, disability, beliefs, lifestyle, sex, gender identity, socioeconomic status.

To humanise others you have to recognise them autonomous individuals, develop intersubjectivity and emotional empathy in order to perceive them as complex thinking-feeling human beings. Another human being is not a replaceable tool that exists merely to take care of your needs, you do not own them, they are not an object of discharge of instinctual impulses, you are not in the best position to make decisions/speak for them or deny them of their autonomy, their boundaries are not something you can dance around or break into. To do this is to oppress another by unjustly exercising power or authority over them.

Through dealing with others with empathy, concern for their experiences and feelings, and an active interest in what makes them a different, complex person you develop the capacity to allow the differences in others and ultimately to value and encourage those qualities which make that person different and unique. You suppress the knee-jerk reaction to judge others according to your or societal ideals and develop the ability to aid those in need.  

Solitariness - I enjoy my own company.

“But many of us seek community solely to escape the fear of being alone. Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.” ― bell hooks

Solitariness refers to the quality of being apart from others. One that is desired and sought for, as opposed to loneliness that is isolation accompanied by the longing for company. Solitariness a positive state, it is a type of chosen aloneness, during which personality development and creativity may arise. In this state, the individual is not avoiding social interaction due to social anxiety or preference. They enjoy the experience of alone time and can use it to explore themselves.

Recognising that time alone is not only okay but necessary and fruitful, is it step towards ensuring that you are in control of your own well-being. Solitariness goes hand in hand with autonomy and both are essential to developing self-sufficiency. Being committed to your own care and equipping yourself with the material necessities, emotional tools and affirmation are essential to creativity and engaging with others in totality. When the important people in your life have their own things going on, you aren’t overcome with loneliness or resentful because you also have your own life to live. It’s about cultivating your own living compass.

There is a wild difference between interacting with others out of perpetual need and needing the support of others when in trouble. The former indicates that you use those interactions, as bell hooks puts it, “as a means of escape”, while the latter is sign of the ability to ask for help from a good support system. It may come easier to others but experiencing wholeness alone over relying on others to either constantly affirm you or complete you is something you should strive for.  It is the only way you can protect yourself from the inevitable side effects of interacting with people who are human.

Compersion - Your joy brings me joy.

“Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read, it merely records the degree of the lover’s insecurity.” – Margaret Mead

Compersion is a relatively new word that’s yet to make an appearance in mainstream dictionaries, but it describes a feeling that many of us experience. Compersion describes an “empathetic state of happiness and joy brought about by knowing or witnessing the happiness and joy of another individual”, specifically when the source of their pleasure does not come from you. It’s most common usage is in the nonmonogamous community when describing the positive feelings an individual can experience when a lover is enjoying another relationship. An antidote to jealousy some say.

Compersion operates on a foundation of emotional security and altruism. As an aromantic and someone who can’t really recall experiencing jealousy, compersion comes to me relatively easily. Through conversations with others who have rather opposite inclinations, I noticed a stark difference in our subjective perception of reality and interpersonal relationships:

The Comparison/Competitive – Curious/Connective Mode Polarity: This is a quasi-theory I conjured up to attempt to understand disparities between individuals and their experience of compersion. An individual who is primarily on comparison/competitive mode struggles to feel true happiness for others because they fall in the trap of comparing themselves to and creating competition between them and the source of another’s pleasure. On the other hand, an individual who is primarily on curious/connective mode is more excited at the prospect of learning about this new source of pleasure and how it pleases the other, as well as the potential opportunity to also connect with this source of pleasure. While one worries needlessly about being replaced or not “measuring up” as though they were an object, the other lives vicariously through the another knowing that every relationship exists between humans who are unique and incomparable.

Treating relationships as zero-sum game where if one is winning, the other is losing is another way surefire way to ice out compersion. If your knee jerk reaction to seeing another experience joy is to think “this isn’t fair, I want that too“ then developing a sense of selflessness is in order. In addition, examining your abundance-scarcity mindset is helpful. By believing that there is an abundance of people that you too can form fruitful relationships with, seeing others enjoy theirs shouldn’t trigger a scarcity panic.

While compersion does present as a positive feeling, this can only ring true in situations that are not riddled with injustices and don’t contribute to the oppression of an individual or another group. This brings me to the next tenet.

Indignation - I see injustice and I address it.

“Anyone can get angry, but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for everyone, nor is it easy.”

― Aristotle

Indignation is a trickier one to navigate. Indignation is a reactive emotion to anger over perceived mistreatment, insult, or malice. It is related to a sense of injustice. It may also refer to a morally right or justifiable decision or action or to an action which arises from an outraged sense of justice or morality. How legitimate or fair your indignation is is dependent on whether your concern is for the genuine welfare of others or if your outrage is rooted in your own subjective beliefs.

To demonstrate, from "Ethics According to Aristotle & Kant" : "If I see a bigger boy beating up on a small child, I feel indignant; I think what he is doing is wrong. It would be wrong for me and it is wrong for him. On the other hand, if another person is merely ill-mannered or foolish, I might be annoyed or even angry, but I don't feel indignation. The word indignation implies a sense of right and wrong." Theres a "sharp distinction between the moral and the merely prudential. What is moral is what I am strictly obliged to do, whether I like it or not. It has nothing to do with my inclinations and desires, but is simply my duty. The prudential, he says, is based on my own inclinations and desires." When are we fighting for collective welfare and freedom or just our own?

A sense of injustice is necessary because what we often find in interpersonal relationships is we’re faced with situations where we see maltreatment, not just happening to ourselves but being carried out by others to others and, being carried out by ourselves. Situations where someone is being wronged, exploited or oppressed. In order to create the just world we all (I assume) want to exist in, we have to be prepare to identify and address the injustice we see around us and perpetuated by us. Sometimes this requires compassion. It requires reflexion and a desire for restorative justice. *unfinished*

[diy-dentist]

[Moe flinched as he felt that sudden touch, his grasp growing looser on the handle as Mort’s stronger one was better more suited

‘What the hell is wrong with me, am I so weak I can’t even lift my own bag?’

The contents wouldn’t have been of much use to him really, his weight so low that even the thinnest of his clothing dropped off of him like a tent.

‘Your words, not mine~’

He’d already been told of the side effects that were to come from what he went through. Moe just hadn’t expected that it would be much worse.]

…

[What came next he hadn’t expected. Which in reality made sense, he couldn’t have but-

‘Weak, weak, thinks you’re weak~’

‘He wouldn’t, he doesn’t-

‘Stop your blabbering and grow a pair already.’

Giving a look around, he did this a few times before lightly leaning onto the offered shoulder.

In such places, especially in the south of Georgia, such a thing for two men to be seen together like that whether purely innocent was dangerous.

It helped a little, he hadn’t done much moving around in such awhile that it took time to adjust his balance again.

The parking lot was thankfully but barely a few people, most minding elsewhere and gave clear way for them to continue over to Mort’s car.

1959 Saab 93B in a powder blue finish.

Not very much practical in the sense but Mort was proud of it nonetheless, he carpooled in it a few times in the day along with some other guy he couldn’t remember the name.

He just hoped he fixed that sticky door jam after all that time had passed. That poor guy’s fingers.]

[Mort's heart, which had already been beating out a faster tempo than usual on account of the hug initiated by Moe, now seemed liable to pound out of his chest when Moe actually leaned into the offered shoulder. The touch was light, and Moe had seemed nervous about initiating it in the first place, but it was still something. Something to make his soft, yearning heart ache ache ache, made him want to always have this to hold onto, made a small and quavering part of him want to confess everything right then and there--the depths of his feelings, the way he never wanted Moe to ever feel like he was lesser again, the---

No. He couldn't. Not yet, not when there was still a chance for the sting of rejection. Not when there was still a chance that Moe would ultimately realize that he deserved so much better than someone like Mort. So he simply let the man lean on him, walking him to the side of the car as a fond smile crept across his face.]

Ahhhh, there's my baby. Who says she's not a practical car, huh? You're special enough to me, Dolores. Yes you are~.

[Realizing that he had begun to pat at the side of his car as though it was a particularly flighty horse rather than an automobile, Mort coughed into his hand awkwardly, straightening after a moment to allow Moe to step away if he wanted to.]

Ah, anyway. Load up your bag and then we can get this show on the road, huh?

[The statement was said with a jaunty twirl of the key ring around his fingers--a half-hearted attempt to make Moe laugh and release some of his tension, even as part of his brain screamed out the klaxon alarm of oh my god who in the fuck lets you even TALK to people.]

[He'd been sure to try and arrive at the hospital where Moe was being kept exactly at noon, last-minute rush to pack the last of his personal items be damned--they wouldn't talk about how he'd practically had to cram several of his more stubborn shirts into the suitcase and then struggle to zip it shut, cursing under his breath all the while. And they also wouldn't talk about how his strange dreams had kicked back up again, images of nondescript abandoned structures in landscapes that looked eerily similar to Ohio flashing through his brain every single time he tried to close his eyes. It was just his brain using pent-up excitement and anxiety over the family reunion against him. Norman was just being paranoid. He was absolutely fine. Everything was going to be fine.

...Once all the care instructions were done being explained to him, and once the paperwork had been filled out, and so on and so forth. Mort had never really had to check someone close to him out of the hospital before--had never really been to a hospital much in his life to begin with--and had had no earthly clue about the quite frankly asinine amount of paperwork that was involved. It seemed like every single time he finished filling out a particular form or paper, they shoved five new ones into his hands. And while he appreciated the amount of dedication and care that was going into Moe's healing--especially compared to the last place they'd put him in--Mort would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't starting to feel like a hamster on a wheel, running and running and running with no clear end in sight.

Which was why no one was more relieved than he was when the last piece of paper was taken away, leaving him to let out a soft sigh and lean back into the chair as he waited for Moe to arrive at the main waiting area. Finally, all the trouble and stress that he'd gone through over the past few months was over. Finally, they could get back to some semblance of normalcy. He and Russ and Moe and all of them.

Closed as his eyes were in relaxation, Mort simply startled awake at the sound of footsteps, opening his eyes and simply saying his words as he turned towards Moe instead of what he would normally do.]

Oh, Moe! There you are. You, uh...ready to get going?

[Lord, he hoped the almost childish excitement wasn't sneaking into his voice too much as he sat there.]

@sunrise-sunsxt

[thesimpsonsbracket]

Round 1, Match 13

Bart Sells His Soul (Season 7, Episode 4)

The In a Gadda da Vida intro was a wonderful kick-off to this episode and helped to frame Bart's outlook on the topic of the episode. This is one of the few bits from the show I remember from back in the day and to me it's a classic scene.

The intro quickly pivots into the episode wherein Millhouse rats out Bart to the pastor. I liked how readily the pastor believed that it was Bart without any kind of evidence and I'm completely willing to believe that they've had a long and complicated relationship.

And so we see Bart hocking his soul to Millhouse for $5. What follows is a series of comically unlikely events that I couldn't help but enjoy. For episodes like this it's easy for me to turn a blind eye to the absurdity of the plot when it works so well in telling a story and this episode does a wonderful job of painting Bart's slow decline into madness.

It's at about this point that the Moe B plot picks up and I have to say I really like this one. As with most things Moe related, it goes exactly as you expect it to, but this time it's fun to watch the crash and burn happen slowly over the course of the episode.

Episodes like this really do make you feel for Moe, though. He seems to be an incredibly capable businessman with zero charisma and if he ever realized that he could be a millionaire. All he has to do is run the business from the shadows and let a much more likeable person be the face and he's golden.

Anyway, moving back to the main plot, Bart eventually breaks and goes on a mad hunt to get his soul back, leading to a brief Comic Book Guy cameo and then back home the worst depression I think I've seen him in thus far. In a shocking turn of events, Lisa forked over the money to buy Bart's soul back from CBG and all is, once again, well in Springfield.

--- versus ---

Fear of Flying (Season 6, Episode 11)

WOW, what an intro. Starting with the Smithers cameo and onto Homer's rapid fire bar crawl we get a Cheer's parody and one of the most memeable moments from the show, followed by a hilarious fake out with Guy Incognito.

We finally arrive at the last bar in town and Homer fakes his way into having to fly a plane with hilarious consequences. The plane wheels jumping back up into the plane and sending it crashing into the ground was so funny I actually burst out laughing. And now we've arrived at the subject of this episode, free flight for the Simpson family to anywhere in the US (except Alaska or Hawaii).

In the next scene we see Homer deliver one of the most incredible speeches I've see on this show, regardless of character and we also start to see the beginnings of Marge's plane fear, which we see come to fruition in the very next scene.

We can see that Marge is shaken by the near-flight experience and begins to slowly descend into insanity (which seems to be a recurring thing with this family). Homer is refusing to spend money on a therapy for Marge, trying instead to use a radio psychic and then a movie treatment.

Side note: I love Homer's callback to It's Raining Men, his favorite song which Moe threw out of the jukebox when he was kicked out in the intro. I also love the VHS rental store's name: VHS Village (formerly The Beta Barn). Little things like this are distinctly Simpsons and it carries over into Futurama as well and it's something I've always loved about that show.

Finally, Homer cracks and Marge gets proper therapy. There's a bit of a weird disconnect here where we see Marge in her session and then she's leaving with Homer and he starts complaining about nothing. Marge says she's just left her first session and then we immediately cut back to her in the chair again and it seems like the whole scene was cut like this just to make this joke and I'm not sure it was worth it.

This happens again about a minute later after a childhood flashback where I'm reminded that Patty and Selma are Marge's sisters but this cut back to Homer being increasingly paranoid feels less out of place. We get a great but very odd Lost In Space dream sequence. Marge finally starts to get to the root of the issue as she uncovers a traumatic childhood memory of seeing her father as a steward on a plane. From here we get a series of plane-related flashbacks from Marge's youth that are interesting but ultimately just an extra gag.

The ending of this episode sadly fell a little flat for me and I feel like this could have been comfortably broken up into a two-parter in any other tv show but being crammed into one episode we get what I feel is a weak payoff from Marge. The very end of the episode is also a bit of a flat note as we see Marge getting up the courage to take flight again, only to have the plane fail to take off and skid off the runway into a lake. No big payoff for her overcoming her fear and I don't think the memories that were uncovered were particularly interesting, which is unfortunate. I feel like out of all the family Marge is the person I know the least about and I was excited about getting a look in at her past but this feels so insubstantial as to exist solely for a one-off joke.

--- verdict ---

This is a tough one. Even as I'm writing this now I'm not entirely sure which way I'm leaning. Both episodes were great and while Bart Sells His Soul was evenly good throughout, Fear of Flying had higher highs and lower lows but I think it averaged out to be about the same.

Even though I don’t think the main plot lived up to what it could have been, there were so many moments in Fear of Flying that made the episode worth it anyway and I think I have to give it the win here.

[aion-rsa]

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 11 Review: The Dad Feelings-Limited

https://ift.tt/2X8fN3N

This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 11

The Simpsons goes back to the past to make way for the future on Season 32, episode 11. “The Dad Feelings-Limited” is an origin story, revealing the sad and lonely tale of Comic Book Guy. No, it isn’t done in panel layouts, and his super strength turns out to be his greatest weakness. 

Comic Book Guy, diversely voiced by Hank Azaria, is a fairly one-dimensional character. He critiques everything he sees, and has no stomach for outside criticism. He’s already got a bellyful of tacos (breakfast burritos on a workday). He doles out droll insults to children too young to understand them.

Like many of the origin stories on The Simpsons, the first order of business is to explain the particular limits of the character. Professor Frink had the Nutty Professor for a dad. Comic Book Guy’s father was Postage Stamp Fellow, played by Dan Aykroyd.  

The sequence is slightly reminiscent of the Taxi episode where we meet cab driver Jim’s family. Christopher Lloyd’s presence even looms over this episode in the film parody. But the main difference is that here, it is the one dimensionality of the character which adds dimension to him. The very thing which pushed him into the comic book netherworld is the information he gleans from it, like reading a Classic Comics adaptation.

“The Dad Feelings – Limited” skips not only the couch gag, but the entire opening theme sequence, which is always an early indicator of a good episode. This means there is more meat to the story. We find ourselves in Comic Book Guy’s apartment, right above his store, where he has prepared scones for his mangaka muffin, his wife Kumiko Albertson (Jenny Yokobori).

She has fashioned his five breakfast burritos into a Voltron. They are nerds. They met in the Season 25 episode “Married to the Blob,” when she was visiting Springfield doing research about America’s saddest cities for an autobiographical manga. It was a match made in “Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con.”

They are now living what seems to be the perfect life. And for that they will pay. Their mornings are spent wandering as aimlessly as the plots of the upcoming Avatar movies. They go to Miyazaki marathons. They revel in a happy, carefree life. More than one, if you count their cosplay universes. Meanwhile, Springfield families like the Simpsons are circumnavigating the heedless waters of children’s birthday parties — intolerable, mal-nutritious events where every bouncy castle is a death trap — in the hopeful dreams of visiting parents. After a day of it, Homer and Marge need adults.

The first adult we see is Ned Flanders, and already eyes are rolling across the country, but he is dispatched in a particularly malicious maneuver, with no regrets nor even a pang of conscience. They know they’ll be forgiven. He’s in the left-handed forgiveness business. The grown-ups are gathering at Moe’s, and they’re playing games. Not even adult games, regardless of how much Moe grasps at single entendres for dirty jokes.

It’s Trivia Night at Moe’s and every question is so specialized it looks like the game is fixed. The Simpsons pair up with Kumiko and Comic Book Guy, and of course between the geeky young couple and the domesticated Simpsons, the disparate couples fill in every gap. It works not only as a contrivance, but as a gag in itself.

Kumiko gets the biggest laugh of the night. She actually commands and gets it on demand. The premise of the show is the discussion of having children, but this joke is brilliantly executed. After Kumiko spends time with baby Maggie, we can see her maternal instincts kick in. The transition is expertly muted, and there is a sweetness and innocence in the build-up. Kumiko is timid with Maggie, afraid to do anything wrong, but is brought into the child’s world completely.

We have no idea Kumiko is going to go Game of Thrones’ Dragon MILF on us, but her delivery on “impregnate me” can tumble walls. It is as hysterical as it is unexpected. Yokobori almost upstages herself in a later sequence. She commands Marge and Homer to fix a problem, calling Marge a “baby drug dealer” and Homer a “cheeseburger goblin.” To be fair, she’s really not off the mark with that one. He could put it on a resume.

Then things turn a little dramatic, what with all the discussion of bringing children into a General Mills cinematic universe starring the Hamburger Helper critter. But in the end, the “Great Resistor,” a hero Comic Guy thinks up in the heat of the moment, is able to frustrate his sexy Greenland gremlin’s deepest desires. Although I don’t for one minute believe she’s been keeping that particular fetish from him.

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The discussion at the center is a new one for The Simpsons. Apu’s children came organically, although Marge’s advice also played a big part in that transition. But with Comic Book Guy, we wonder whether a person who spends his entire life dealing with children should actually deal with children. Is he prepared to heat formula when he can’t even cool Kumiko’s baby fever?

The best part of the episode is how the “right” things are set in motion for the wrong reasons. Marge pushes to uphold Springfield’s community standards, but appeals to Homer’s base side to manipulate it into action. The young, unfettered couple can sleep in. They don’t have to lug car seats on airplanes. Even their cosplay sex is good. They can do it anywhere, on a kitchen or bathroom floor, on a new microwave popping popcorn. It is a Simpsons twist to have Homer vow to do “anything to destroy their paradise.” The concept gets two “fehs” for emphasis.

At least Homer and Marge get to “see how the other half dies” in a model crypt. The bit about comparing decomposing in adjoining coffins to “snuggling for eternity” is very goth, and the “Til death, do each other” line is poetry. Bart, however, gets credit for the best couplet of the evening: “Our parents are undead, our dad will eat your head.” Being Mrs. Dracula is all fun and games until you get trapped in a crate full of smooth jazz.

The segment pokes fun at the generational divide. Bart and Lisa put away their cell phones to watch the cemetery showing of “Forward to the Past.” Comic Book Guy points out that a movie screen is “unswipable.” This is also where we see the weakness-as-strength in Comic Book Guy. He realizes he can experience a movie he’s seen a million times for the first time again through the eyes of children, He also realizes “little ones love useless knowledge.” This is the one scenario where his superpowers actually come in handy. It is also his kryptonite.

“Living with your folks, the beginning of the end,” Groucho Marx said in Animal Crackers (1930). “Drab, dead yesterdays shutting out beautiful tomorrows. Hideous, stumbling footsteps creaking along the misty corridors of time.”  Kumiko calls it a place where there is no hope, and Comic Book Guy finds it’s also a place where his sheets haven’t been changed.

Aykroyd throws just enough SNL-consumer-probed-toy-manufacturer-Irwin-Mainway-intrigue into his introduction as Postage Stamp Fellow to pepper it with Ghostbusters suspense. One written gag which works very well is when a crawl explains that a philatelist is a person who specializes in philately. Comic Book Guy comes from a long line of collectible-collectors, from cruel bird houses to antique cricket cages. The house he grew up in displayed everything but love. The sequence also contains a very Rocky and Bullwinkle moment where the narrator, Bob Balaban, breaks the second wall by arguing with a character.

That’s not the only curveball in the episode. We learn Comic Book Guy tried to pitch at his school baseball team and had one devastating specialty throw. It’s what separates the men from the boys and ultimately the villains from the jugheads. The minor trauma of his “worst day ever” is basically a misunderstanding based on the expectation of a disappointment so great even “the left hand of god,” Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, could only walk it home.

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The Simpsons season 32 has been a standout because it is moving forward into new territory while updating the attitudes of their early seasons. The series is no longer as sloppy as it used to be but they are still putting the Springfield community under a microscope, and looking at the microscope through a telescope. It is as subversive as it has even been, but buries the subterfuge in plain sight, whether it’s well-lit or not.

The “Radioactive Man Re-rises” poster which frames Comic Book Guy and Kumiko as they mingle to create the “interracial nerds in the future” is a subtle double entendre in a pro-family themed entry; Bart and Lisa have to be bribed to act like desirable youngsters. “The Dad Feelings-Limited” is a very warm installment of the series, but it’s got a devious heart. What makes it so funny is how good it looks worn on their sleeve.

The post The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 11 Review: The Dad Feelings-Limited appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[rallyanime-blog]

Boruto: The True Next Generation

(SPOILERS INBOUND) 

The sequel we never thought we needed.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has (surprisingly) lived up to its name as the true “next generation of Naruto”.

Take that as you will.

However, what I can tell you is that BORUTO, in its first arc, establishes itself to be an enjoyable slice of life/ mystery romp that introduces and explores a new cast of lovable, colorful characters that manage not to be cheap knock-offs of their parents. In addition, BORUTO takes the establishes characters of prior years and builds on them in new and interesting ways. BORUTO isn’t just riding the coattails of NARUTO but rather comes into its own place of belonging.

THE FOUNDATION CONSPIRACY

The first arc of BORUTO comprises of an episodic SOL that introduces the next of generation of ninjas fighting in the hidden leaf while also slowly building a monster-of-the week mystery. Although this combination can result in neither of these two aspects being as good as they could be (see LWA), BORUTO makes it work by having the weekly bouts be opportunities to explore the troubles of characters and to result in tangible character development. Ultimately, I believe that this approach to the execution justified both the character exploration as well as the overarching narrative by intrinsically whilst not explicitly tying the two together.

I feel that this is better than the approach that LWA took to its overarching narrative as character development felt more incidental than earned. Akko’s development, although logically sound, felt at times in service of the explicit narrative (Words) rather than when Akko herself needed to develop.

Enough about that and back to BORUTO. BORUTO’s first arc feels clean and concise. When I myself started feeling that there wasn’t much room left for weekly mysteries the series quickly catches on and escalates towaard the climax, resulting in a reveal that was legitimately surprising.

(AGAIN, SPOILERS)

The innocent class rep, side character extraordinaire, being the main baddie was actually a surprising twist that, in retrospect, made sense. Now, I am not suggesting that there was any grand foreshadowing within the show but it was rather that BORUTO kept the early episodes free of any contradictions whilst also beginning to drop small hints after episode 10. It may not be brilliant writing, but it sure as hell works.

The battle that ensues felt thought out. The adults in the scenario carefully analyze the situation and proceed with both caution and poise. Sumire is given a surprisingly poignant backstory that ties back into the remaining darkness left in the village. Boruto, unsurprisingly, talks both Mitsuki and Sumire out of doing anything rash and ultimately saves the day. 

Such as to be expected from the new generation of Naruto.

However, it would be unfair to call the resolution another case of the patented NARUTO “talk-no-jutsu” when you consider that Sumire is a literal child forced by her father to become a terrorist. If we consider how Nagato literally nuked Konoha and killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians and Naruto still found it in his heart to forgive him, Sumire is literally nothing in comparison.

The arc ends on a positive note and ties up many of the loose ends presented in the story. 

THE NEXT GENERATION

By far the strongest aspect of this first set of episodes is the characters presented within the narrative.

Perhaps the best part of BORUTO is how it establishes an entirely new cast of characters that feel more than what their designs indicate. An unattentive viewer would simply dismiss the new academy class as just recolored versions of the original cast of NARUTO. However, every character has a unique personality not indicative of her design. Every character is given a lot screen time with other characters which helps to flesh out their interpersonal relationships and how they react to others.

Additionally, I adore how old, established characters are given new dimensions that are explored in the series. Unlike a Dragonball Z in which Goku and the old gang were relatively the same except for appearance, Naruto and Shino are almost completely new characters.

Naruto is now ninja president working tirelessly within an old bureaucracy that has obviously failed to keep up with 50 years of technological and urban advancement compressed into 20 years. This has put a noticeable strain on his relationship with his family; a family that he never knew growing up. Yet, like always, Naruto refuses to throw in the towel and toils his sanity away basically 24 hours a day (technically more given how his clones also are working simultaneously). He has become a much calmer and responsible adult in comparison to his boisterous old self.

Shino on the other hand, is now a teacher who is grappling with his own weakness as an educator. What was formally the most stoic character of the Konoha 12 has now matured to a clumsy professor just trying his best to keep up with his students and sometimes failing. This 180 accompanied with actual character development on Shino’s part is so well accomplished and it serves as an actual reward for sticking with his character throughout all of NARUTO.

Boruto, in addition, surprised me in how likable he actually appeared to be. His frustration with his father presents a nice contrast to how emotionally starved Naruto was in the beginning of the manga. Also, Boruto is seemingly much more talented and charismatic than how Naruto was yet he still struggles with trying to always do the best thing possible and to save everyone. Yet the show makes abundantly clear that Boruto is still a kid. The episode that showed Boruto being a chuuni for his favorite actor did a great job as depicting him as his age.

Of course, for a lot of people, Sumire was the star of the final battle. As already discussed earlier, Sumire’s turning was rather unexpected yet a fitting way to spice up the ending of this arc by having this seemingly “moe” character become the big bad for the arc. There really isn’t a lot that I could say about Sumire that hasn’t already been said but I hope to see more of her in the future.

ANIMATION AND MUSIC

BORUTO has managed to sustain fairly decent animation quality for what seems to be a long form production. I like the aesthetic and detail put into the village as well as the softer color tones used to reduce contrast between the characters and their surroundings. It gives it a nice, homely feel to the story that fits the tone of the more lighthearted start of this series.

Although there are a few less than polished and stiff moments in a couple episodes, the series makes up for it with some choice cuts of sakuga that highlight the great martial arts and action directing being showcased.

Although there have been doubts surrounding whether BORUTO can uphold this standard of quality, I don’t think that it is entirely impossible. Studio Pierrot is well experienced with handling long form series and series such as Hunter X Hunter (2011) managed to maintain exceptional animation quality for 148 episodes.

The soundtrack isn’t much to write home about. However, the OP by Baton Road is amazingly catchy and fits the tone of this early section of BORUTO perfectly. I love the color usage and dynamic credits courtesy of the man behind the Bleach OPs.

CONCLUSION

This first cour of BORUTO has proven itself to live up to its name by building on the world, story, and characters of NARUTO in new and constructive ways. I have high expectations for BORUTO in the coming arcs especially since we have Sarada Gaiden coming up soon (Be prepared for the shitstorm).

(What I hope Boruto doesn’t become)

[rieshon]

Fall 2018 Power Rankings

Wow, I actually finished this shit sort of on time this season.

1 Yagate Kimi ni Naru: You know a show is good when you put off finishing it just because you don't want it to end. I did that with Yagakimi this season, and not only is it my favorite show of the season, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite yuri anime of all time. It's not just that Touko and Yuu are such an adorable couple, but that the story and relationship dynamics are genuinely original for a yuri anime. You've got two heroines who are de facto dating from the outset, so no will-they won't-they bullshit like most yuri stories (lookin' at you citrus)... But only sort of, because it's complicated. You've got one heroine who doesn't want her girlfriend to fall in love with her because she has a weird identity crisis because of past trauma and is afraid to embrace her own individuality which having someone fall in love with her would validate because she's "only herself" around said girlfriend... And then you've got the other heroine who thinks she's asexual/aromantic but slowly starts to realize she's actually just gay, but only after she's promised her girlfriend she won't fall in love with her because she "can't." To say this is a weird relationship is putting it mildly. There's also some stuff you usually don't see in anime at all, like another character who actually IS aro/ace, and a live-in adult lesbian couple (one of whom is actually revealed to be bi later on) who are the Big Gay Mentors to the younger characters. There is still the requisite amount of Yuri Melodrama, of course (elevated by a beautiful soundtrack from the venerable Haketa Takefumi) but it's so much more interesting than usual here. Oh, and of course, as I mentioned above, Touko and Yuu are the most darling couple ever, perfect cinnamon rolls who must be protected. Well, okay, maybe not perfect: they got issues. But I love this story and characters so much I actually picked up the manga to read what happens next, and I basically never do that. Maybe it's not technically the "best" anime of the season, but it's the one I love the most. ★★★★☆

2 SSSS.GRIDMAN: Somehow, based Trig just keep doing it. You'd be forgiven for thinking Darling in the Franxx, the show that has "SMART ANIME FOR ADULTS" practically engraved on everything about it, would be the 'cerebral' robot anime Trigger made this year, and Gridman, a spinoff of a cheesy tokusatsu show that was itself a spinoff of Ultraman, would be little more than a fun but forgettable robot romp. You'd be totally wrong, of course: Gridman is every bit the heavyweight that previous Trigger/Gainax robot anime are, with its own flair of course. It takes a while for it to fully develop and present its themes about social anxiety and isolation, but once it does it really pops off. The dual heroines of Akane and Rikka are brilliant, not just for their lewd character designs but also for how well their stories are written. Rikka is the real hero of the show--Yuuta might be the one jumping around in a robot, but ultimately Rikka is the most important. Stellar performances from both Ueda Reina and Miyamoto Yume as Akane and Rikka, respectively, really carry the thematic weight of the show. There is, of course, some great art and animation on display, as you might expect from Trigger, who always make the most (and then some) of whatever resources they're given. Episode 9, which takes place for the most part inside of a dream, was especially visually striking. An all around great production and one that won't soon be forgotten. ★★★★☆

3 Zombie Land Saga: With all that out of the way, here's a show about some moe zombies. Ah, anime, even after all these years it still finds ways to surprise me, like a show about moe zombie idols being as genuinely moving as it is hilarious. Probably the weirdest thing about Zombie Land Saga, even as a show that features the undead filming commercials for a Saga-based fried chicken restaurant and competing in a Takeshi's Castle-style mud Olympics, is that it unironically works as an idol anime, too. All the characters (well, except for Yuugiri, who is woefully underutilized) really do grow throughout the show and it gives the idol anime aspect a really solid backbone to build off of. Of course, Zombie Land Saga is more than just another idol anime, and calling it a zombie idol anime is somehow still selling it short. From the aforementioned chicken commercials, to the unforgettably epic zombie rap battle, to the middle schooler biker gangs, to basically everything Yamada Tae does, this show was not just surprisingly moving but shockingly hilarious at times. Also, it must be noted that these zombies are fricking adorable: definitely way cuter than the undead should ever be. Especially Junko who is the best girl, once again proving the superiority of Showa idols. ★★★★☆

4 Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai: Since this is a light novel anime through and through, it seems fair to describe it in terms of light novel anime: it's basically the Monogatari series meets Oregairu. Our sardonic protagonist with a heart of gold (and impossibly hot girlfriend) meets a bunch of high school girls with weird supernatural problems and helps them solve them. That might make it sound boring or derivative, but as I always harp on, it's really all in the execution and Aobuta sticks the landing. It reminds me of those above shows not just in narrative content but also in terms of how sharp the dialogue is: it is one of those delightful shows where you could have two characters just have a conversation for 24 minutes and it would still be endlessly absorbing. The reliable Ishikawa Kaito is great as our male lead, bringing not just snappy wit to the table but also a surprising amount of emotional depth in later story arcs. The aloof, sarcastic protagonist is of course done to death in this genre (hi, Kyon!) but Sakuta is certainly an example of it done well. It helps that he's such a loving oniichan and cute boyfriend, which really endears him to the viewer. The gallery of heroines is of course stocked with plenty of cute and sexy girls--the art and animation is top notch--but what really carries the show is Sakuta's relationship with his girlfriend (and best girl) Mai, which is a continuing story throughout the series even as the focus moves to other heroines. They're just so adorable together. Ironically, the element of the show that probably matters the least is the weird sort-of-sci-fi plot hooks: you're really just here to watch these characters talk through their emotions and stumble through adolescence, and the sci-fi plot devices are basically incidental to all of it. ★★★★☆

5 Himote House: Talk about a dark horse of an anime... Himote House is the latest... thing... from the man, the myth, the legend who brought us Minarai Diva, Ishidate Koutarou, and it's great. It's half nichijou-kei anime, half just a seiyuu radio show that's animated, and it's all superb. In the scripted bits, the show can get wonderfully weird, from the episode that used the Game of Life to teach us about the lack of gay rights in Japan, to the episode that took place entirely inside of a copy machine, and I haven't even mentioned the Bitcoin episode yet, which is too bizarre to even give away in this review no one will read. The unscripted bits are also great thanks to a collection of some of the seiyuu industry's top personalities, including the always great combination of Suzakinishi, comedic genius Mimorin, and the criminally underrated Mizuhara Kaoru whose performance as Tokiyo really must be experienced: it starts over the top and just keeps going from there. Even the cheap 3DCG animation is surprisingly charming, and it's at least good enough that these girls look genuinely cute, although the show is also helped along by regularly inserting some nice hand-drawn stills in the most important moments. Almost everyone probably overlooked this show this season, but I'd give it a hearty recommendation. ★★★★☆

6 Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-san: I hope Comic Cune anime are here to stay, because this was certainly the best pure nichijou-kei offering this season. It's "cute girl vampires" but, as you might expect from the source, this is the most laid-back depiction of vampires you're ever going to find in fiction. None of the human characters even seem to be remotely bothered that vampires are in their midst, the sun is an inconvenience that mostly makes it harder to go buy manga in the middle of the day, and they order their blood from Amazon. Even when a vampire hunter shows up, she's just won over by the vampire girls' cuteness. It does use vampire lore to tell some amusing jokes at times, like Sophie getting trapped outside because she had to count all the seeds in a sunflower, or Akari getting a plank put on her in bed because the vampires felt bad that her bed didn't have a lid, but mostly you're just here for the cute girls cuting, and cute they do. There's the requisite amount of soft yuri, and the character designs and animation are fantastic. Very little to complain about here--the show's only real weakness is that the jokes are occasionally kind of meh. Ellie is best girl. ★★★☆☆

7 Uchi no Meido ga Uzasugiru!: Shocking no one, the Comedy God delivered again. This show is frequently laugh out loud funny, and it's helped along by animation from Douga Koubou that is right up there with some of the best they've ever produced. The sole factor that makes this show somewhat weaker than Oota Masahiko's previous works is that with its completely absurd comedic premise it is ultimately trying to tell a very serious story--about a little girl who is terrified of having her late mother replaced by having any other adult woman enter her life--with a premise that definitely should not be telling a serious story. The show is at its best when Tsubame (voiced by Numakura Manami in some of her best-ever work) is being an irredeemable lolicon shithead, not a role model. Still, the show is pretty great most of the time, and it only gets better when ドM best girl Midorin turns up about halfway through. The Russian loli is pretty cute too I guess, but as seems to always be the case in these shows (I can't help but remember another Douga Koubou production, Mikakunin de Shinkoukei) the silliest and most perverted girls always steal the show. ★★★☆☆

8 Irozuku Sekai no Ashita Kara: It's a P.A. Works original, so that means it's time to complain about how it's not as good as other P.A. Works originals! Seriously though, although it's not the second coming of TARI TARI, this show is easy to recommend, being beautiful both artistically and narratively, with a simple and heartfelt story to tell about a girl going to a new place (well, a new time) to discover herself. Yep, you guessed it, this is one of my favorites: sentimentality anime! Girl literally learns to see the beauty in the world that she had been blind to by leaving her comfort zone and falling in love. Good shit, good shit. My main complaint is that the best girl, Kurumi, gets short shrift as best girls often do, although she at least does get one little story arc to develop her character. Ishihara Kaori is solid as the female lead, but I just loved Naobou as the snarky Kurumi so much. It's also worth noting that although the cast actually has a fairly even gender split, all the male characters are pretty much inoffensive to likable, which is all I really ask in a show like this. There's no one on the level of Wien, but Chigusa and Kurumi's relationship was pretty cute. Overall, though, this show is just about drinking in the atmosphere and the feels, and trying to avoid thinking about time paradoxes. ★★★☆☆

9 Akanesasu Shoujo: I had cautiously high expectations for this show going into the season, and although it didn't blow me away with a masterpiece, I was satisfied with what I got. The show doesn't have the best production values, but it has a solid premise that is executed well. A group of misfit high school girls in the incredibly lame Radio Club find a way to slip between alternate dimensions, have misadventures where they learn that The Real Power Was Inside Us All Along, and end up saving the universe from being consumed by some vague evilness. The story comes courtesy KID's Uchikoshi Koutarou, and definitely feels like something you might find in a science fiction visual novel. It's not afraid to be at least a little adventurous, with the various dimensions we visit being varying degrees and kinds of social commentary, and it even goes as far as killing off major characters and actually letting them stay dead! Plus, it had Kurosawa Tomoyo basically playing like three or four characters at once, which has to be worth something. If nothing else, I respected this series. ★★☆☆☆

10 Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet: Romeo and Juliet may well be the Bard's most widely popular play, so it's not surprising that now we have an anime version of it... sort of. In true anime fashion, this is not a tragedy of star-crossed lovers, but a comedy of errors about two goofball kids who fall in love at a ridiculous boarding school. Set against a backdrop of, uh, race war. Kayano Ai's blondenblu Juliet is pretty cute but as is typical in these shows the best girls never win, namely Ayaneru's Hasuki and the actual best girl, Shimamura Yuu's Chartreux. As always, the gay girls are the best. The show does have an unusually likable protagonist for one in this genre: Romio is a big dork who is singlemindedly dedicated to his cute girlfriend, and even if she's not the best girl, you definitely want to root for them. A pretty good show. ★★☆☆☆

11 Animayell!: Kirara anime are playing second fiddle to other cute girl shows again this season, but like Harukana Receive last season, this show is still decent. What it lacks in a compelling premise (sorry, not only do I come in thinking cheerleading is lame, but the show's animation isn't good enough to get it over as a cool thing) it makes up for in the most important ingredient for an anime, homosexuality. Not only is there the immaculately gay Hanawa-chan and the extremely homo Ukki, for some reason at one point theres also a completely random, out lesbian side character who asks our heroines for advice confessing to her female home tutor. But yeah, it's definitely worth it for Hanawa and Ukki at least; your mileage may vary on the rest of the actual show. ★★☆☆☆

12 Sword Art Online Alicization: I've repeatedly gone on record saying I love a slow burn, and I don't necessarily mind when nothing happens in a show if its at least giving me some good atmosphere and characters to gnaw on in the meantime... But man, is the new SAO one slow-ass show. Though I've never read the books, this really feels like a case of following the Original Way too closely. That's not to say that what is here is bad by any means; there's some truly interesting concepts, a good SAO story, and of course some stellar animation, but they probably could have cut this first cours down to like, six episodes and still accomplished the same things. I still have confidence that it will get more hype as we progress, though. There's a long way to go in this one yet, so this rating is anything but final. ★★☆☆☆

13 Debidoru!: This show is an ugly looking 3DCG abomination that was probably made in MikuMikuDance, but thankfully we now live in a post-Kemono Friends world, and so Debidoru! was still pretty great. You couldn't ask for a better trio of voices for an ad-lib stuffed comedy than Hanazawa Kana, Mimori Suzuko and Iguchi Yuka and they fill their roles with aplomb, especially Iguchi, who at one point tsukkomis so hard she clips the microphone. Like the best no-money shorts it also had some moments of true ART, like Sugahara Souta (the director) singing the moe opening song (in one uncut take) for no reason, or one of the greatest things I saw all season, episode 11, which was done (also in one take) entirely with paper cutouts of the characters in front of a camcorder. It's not really a mastapeece in the way Himote House was, but it was certainly a memorable little show. ★★☆☆☆

14 Beelzebub-jou no Okinimesu Mama: I'm as surprised as anyone that this show ended up as low as it did, but by the end of the season I had a hard time convincing myself to even load up the latest episode of this one, and it's hard for me to really even say why. On the face of it it should be my jam: it's full of cute girls and pastel colors, and it's even occasionally lewd. Really, it's probably just because there's so many male characters who get a decent amount of attention in the narrative. It also doesn't help that Beelzebub (despite being a cute blondenblu voiced by Oonishi Saori) is not really a very appealing character, which makes the protagonist, who is constantly fawning over her like she's the best thing since sliced bread, come off as less likable as well. It had some good stuff too, like Sargatanas's shyness and Gocchin's needing to pee constantly, but I guess it wasn't quite enough to hold my interest. It also doesn't help that my favorite girl, Eurynome, was barely even in the show after she was introduced. We ankle fetishists gotta stick together, man! ★☆☆☆☆

15 Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: I had exactly zero expectations for this show to begin with, so I was pleasantly surprised with it at first. Those great typographic effects, especially, really sucked me into the first episode and I was excited to see where it went for the first few weeks, especially with the promise of cute girls on the horizon. The girls have been underwhelming, though (mainly by virtue of their having nothing to do in the story) and what actually is going on in the story, I find incredibly dull. Rimuru is just such a booooring protagonist, and his very existence tends to sap the tension out of scenes since you know he's ridiculously OP and will probably just absorb whatever bad thing shows up next like he's absorbed every other bad thing up to that point. 俺TUEEEEEE isn’t even necessarily something I hate, and it can be made to work, but Rimuru isn’t cool enough of a guy or really interesting in any way that I can self-insert and live vicariously through his TUEEEEE-ness. Just give me more Shion, she is the best purple oni secretary. ★☆☆☆☆

16 Hashiritsuzukete Yokattatte: I guess I should put this down since it's technically a show I finished from this season. It's kinda boring and lame, do not recommend. The girl with the glasses never even puts them on, she just wears them on top of her head like a doofus the whole time. Might have been able to deliver some feels if it was in a longer format, but just falls flat due to the <60 minute total runtime. ☆☆☆☆☆

[recentanimenews]

In Demon Slayer, Compassion is the Strongest Weapon

The world of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one that’s filled with a constant tension. There is the everyday of the Taishou era, a time of relative peace, but there are monsters lurking in the shadows. Demons with supernatural abilities that kill and consume humans roam the land, and following a demon attack that claims his family and infects his sister, Tanjiro joins the one organization that directly opposes the oni. While Tanjiro no doubt has innate skills as a swordsman, one of his strongest traits isn’t his fighting ability, but rather his compassion. It’s not unusual to see shonen heroes have a streak of compassion; in fact, their abilities to understand the struggles of the everyday people who don’t have a voice is common enough. To fight for your friends is to fight for the people you care for and are invested in. To be a champion of the people or of a downtrodden society is to have a high moral compass, even for those you don’t know. The ability to wholeheartedly sympathize with your enemies though, that’s a much rarer thing.

To most of the Demon Slayers, the demons are monsters and remain monsters until they die. They have to be exterminated for the greater good. If someone had recently been changed into the demon, the least they can do is kill them quickly, for mercy killing is ultimately the best they can do. Demons are the enemy, and it’s much easier to think of an enemy as something to be wholeheartedly destroyed. There are no exceptions to the rule and in fact, it’s much easier to be uncompromising in a do-or-die situation. This is a situation where dealing with tragedy is commonplace, and it’s very likely that they haven’t seen any exceptions to the rule to have to think around them. Enemies are enemies, and they have to be killed before they kill more innocent lives.

There is no denying that the oni are mass murderers. That they are almost always willing to view human life as expendable and relish in their newfound power is not something that the series denies. As part of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjiro knows that the demons are a threat that needs to be stopped. After all, they did destroy his family, consistently try to harm him, and are overall a menace that feeds on humanity. They are monsters, and have to be cut off at the source, there is no arguing this. However, there are exceptions to the rule, Nezuko being one of them. Even then, he’s aware that she is an exception, and that most demons he encounters are not going to end up rediscovering their humanity midway through. Tanjiro is willing to fight his enemies, but he’s also not one to dehumanize them. He’s aware that demons used to be humans once, and that makes him feel pity instead.

During a lot of demons’ dying moments, they begin to regain portions of their humanity, as they remember what drove them to the edge in the first place. Being abandoned, being unloved, treated as worthless and taken for granted; all negative emotions that ended consuming them and forcing them to the edge. They all have tragedy behind them, and we see what that is as they fade away. That is, we the audience see it—but none of that is communicated to Tanjiro. There are no speeches explaining their backstory, so Tanjiro remains none the wiser, and yet he is able to remind them of something they lost because of his inherent kindness. He is respectful to his enemies when he has no reason whatsoever to be. It’s much easier to return cruelty with cruelty than maintain a level of sympathy for those after your life, especially when you belong to an organization set on wiping out said monsters. 

It’s also very clear that this is not a case of naivete. Tanjiro knows the demons are dangerous, and he knows they have to be stopped. He is not the type of character that blindly believes that everyone can be redeemed. He is committed to his cause. Still, doing what you think has to be done and still holding respect and pity for your enemy are not mutually exclusive. Tanjiro manages to do both because he’s inherently polite and kind, something that the demons come to value, even in death. 

It's very hard to maintain a moral code in a full-scale conflict. To dehumanize an enemy, to see them only for their actions as a thing that must be destroyed, that's the far easier path. Maintaining a code of respect isn't always feasible when faced with a great enemy. Still, Tanjiro has managed to do so, and for better or worse, whether his coworkers agree with him or not, his small acts remind the demons of something they've lost. 

What do you think of Tanjiro's philosophy? Is it a strength or a weakness? Let us know in the comments!

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Noelle Ogawa is a contributor to Bubbleblabber and Cup of Moe. She can be found on Twitter @noelleogawa.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 11/15/2018

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Thursday 15th November 2018. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

PRIME MINISTER MOTTLEY PAYING OFFICIAL VISIT TO SURINAME – Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is paying an official three-day visit to the Republic of Suriname from today, Wednesday, November 14, to Friday, November 16. President of Suriname, Desiré Bouterse, has invited Mottley to visit the South American country. Mottley has underscored the importance of her visit, saying relations between the two countries would be strengthened. “Closer cooperation with Suriname in the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, energy and education and training would be in Barbados’ interest. In addition, Suriname’s strategic position between Latin America and the Caribbean presents significant potential for exports from Barbados,” she pointed out. Noting that the two countries shared similar goals, the Prime Minister stated that Suriname was focusing on removing identified weaknesses, for example, enacting more business-friendly legislation and improving the ease of setting up business. Barbados and Suriname established diplomatic relations in March 1978. This friendship was strengthened in February 2005 with the signing of the Agreement for the Deepening of Bilateral Cooperation between both Governments. This Agreement provides for joint action in several areas, including trade and investment, agriculture, housing, the environment, education and training, science and technology, marine affairs, culture and sports. It also made provision for a Joint Commission to facilitate implementation of the agreement via the execution of projects. Those accompanying Prime Minister Mottley on the official visit include Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on International Business, Ben Arrindell. While Ms. Mottley is on official business in Suriname, Minister of Housing, Lands and Rural Development, George Payne, will perform the functions of Prime Minister. (BGIS)

NOT BACKING DOWN – Late Wednesday evening, officials from the Ministry of Education were locked in a meeting with management of Grantley Adams Memorial School, as students continued their protest action for the third consecutive day. Joy Gittens, Deputy Chief Education Officer, and Patricia Warner, Senior Education Officer, met with Jonathan Lewis, chairman of the school, as well as principal Valdez Francis, the deputy, Sandra Murray, and other officials at the Blackman’s, St Joseph secondary school. The students began their protest on Monday after they were banned from purchasing food from outside vendors. However, hundreds of them have vowed to “stay hungry” until the bell rings at the end of school. (DN)

MINISTRY STEPS IN – The ongoing saga involving Grantley Adams Memorial Secondary School Principal Valdez Francis and students over access to vendors selling outside the school’s premises at lunchtime has drawn the attention of the Ministry of Education. Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday Ministry officials, led by acting Minister of Education, Senator Lucille Moe engaged in an over two-hour meeting with the principal and members of the school’s board including chairman Dr. Johnson Lewis. Neither Francis nor Lewis would comment on the situation, which for the past three days has reportedly resulted in “hundreds” of students flocking to the institution’s outer fencing where the vendors are stationed and engaging in protests. Some students, they report, are said to be on a “hunger strike” to protest their principal’s recent actions. Disgruntled students did not hold back how they felt. One loudly complained “We want better service” while another shouted “These people have no hairnets, no gloves, no nothing” as he complained about the school-sanctioned service. “We don’t get anything,” yet another said as he and his fellow students demanded an improvement to the lunchtime offerings. The protesting students argue that the school’s canteen is charging unreasonable prices for food and claim that the food falls well below their standard of taste. After the session, Senator Moe said the meeting was called for the school’s board to comprehensively update ministry officials on the situation unfolding at the rural school. “We need to go back and discuss what we were just updated on. We only just got an update, so we can’t make a decision on action.” When asked what would be done to bring the protest to an end, Moe said the education ministry would be following the correct process before making a decision. “Everything in life is a process and certainly we would want to ensure that we follow a proper process and a process would require investigation. “So clearly we came to a meeting, so we could be apprised of the situation and find out exactly what is occurring, so that from there we could look at it and make a decision based on whatever knowledge we gain from our investigation,” she added. Since Monday Principal Valdez Francis ordered that all gates be locked during lunchtime, including the gates leading to the playing field, in an apparent attempt to prevent his charges from leaving the premises to make food and snack purchases. The volatile situation has left parents uneasy. Meanwhile, vendors outside the school when Barbados TODAYvisited would only indicate that the situation was “frustrating”. (BT)

CUTTING OVERTIME AT SSA – The clock is ticking on overtime at the Sanitation Service Department (SSA) as, very soon, it could be a thing of the past. Minister of Environment Trevor Prescod said this was one of the cost-cutting measures being implemented to assist the cash-strapped, state-owned entity. Speaking to THE NATION during a CARICOM meeting on climate change at the Radisson Aquatica on Wednesday, he said in the past, they had increased the number of shifts to three to try to rid the streets of garbage. “Sometimes there were three shifts a week . . . . That was up from sometimes one or might go to two, but it depended . . . . But in addition to that, we had to even go into the process of overtime which we are now cutting back on that because of the present situation and the Government’s finances,” he said. (DN)

NEW STATIONS COMING ON AIR – Barbados could to have two new radio stations on the air in the coming weeks. Chairman of the soon-to-be-renamed and re-branded Barbados Broadcasting Authority (BBA) Dr Allyson Leacock told a news conference this afternoon at Government Headquarters that the board has already started to review the applications for the two radio licences. “We are ready…I’m talking days, weeks because we already have applications and as long as the applicants can be given spectrum, we expect that would not be a lengthy process at all. The review has commenced and we have two at the moment and we expect that there will be more after people are aware that we are ready to roll out new applications,” Dr Leacock said. She said while the two applications are for radio licences, there have been none for television as yet. The former General Manager of the state-run Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) however told reporters the Authority does not want new applicants to duplicate existing formats and was therefore considering issuing licences in new categories such as talk radio – news and sports, all local radio and all music genres.  She pointed out that this was not mandatory. Dr Leacock said the BBA will also be facilitating the exposure and promotion of Barbadian creativity and culture. “So there is no doubt about it, these platforms are another avenue to empower many of our creatives to be able to have their material more visible or more frequently aired on radio,” she added. She contended that as the lines between broadcasting, social media and telecommunications continue to get thinner, there will be opportunities for many of the island’s bright young people to generate revenues from their creations and for media houses to capitalize on this showcase of the best of Barbados. Dr Leacock said she expects that if there are applications for television licences the owners would also place greater emphasis on reflecting the Barbadian culture. The chairman also placed broadcast media on notice that the Authority will be policing the various entities for acceptable standards and content. “We are certainly looking at that very seriously. I would say however that policing in and of itself is a challenge because we have zero policing virtually online. So one of the things that we discussed this morning with the executives is the importance of media houses that also have online platforms, policing those platforms,” she said. She disclosed that the board of the BBA has agreed that each member would adopt a station or two that they would monitor. “And our desire to have access in social media that would allow the public to make inputs and give us feedback or to say ‘look, I heard this today and I was very unhappy with it.’ These are the kinds of collaborative approaches…it’s a collective because this is our Barbados…this is our society. And therefore if there are things we would like to see approved, while the ultimate responsibility may be ours, we could only do it as a collective, as a nation,” contended the head of the broadcast regulator. Dr Leacock also announced that the Authority will be overhauled to reflect the new technological age. (BT)

CITY OF LIGHTS – Pedestrian-only streets, sidewalk cafes and bright lights are some of the ideas the recently set-up National Cruise Development Commission are suggesting for an improved and enhanced Bridgetown.   Dean Straker, the commission’s head of a sub-committee exploring ways to improve The City, shared his thoughts at a town hall meeting Tuesday night at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. Scores of Barbadians turned out to express their views and give suggestions on improvements in Bridgetown that could be of benefit to cruise and other visitors. He told the audience that included several tourism stakeholders: “We need to know if possibly you would want to see Heroes Square become a green area with restroom facilities; where the changing of the guard takes place every morning and the Zouave Band performs.” “Would you want us to pay homage to our past by placing statues of our national heroes around the Square? Would you want to see Harbour Police in uniform return to The City, and what about small boats operating like taxis up and down the Constitution River?” he said.  (DN)

BARBADOS ACCREDITATION COUNCIL CLOSED ON FRIDAY - Members of the public have been advised that the office of the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) located at Manor Lodge Complex, Lodge Hill, St Michael, will be closed on Friday, November 16. This is due to the staging of the BAC’s Quality Assurance Open Day which will take place in National Heroes’ Square, the City, on that day. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, November 19, at 8:15 a.m. Management of the Council apologises for any inconvenience caused. (BGIS)

POLICE PROBE SHOOTING INCIDENT – Police are investigating a shooting incident which occurred around 9:25 last night near KG’s Mini-mart in Kingsland, Christ Church. One vehicle was damaged in the incident. Anyone who can provide any information that can assist in this matter is asked to contact Police Emergency at 211, Oistins at 418-2612/418-2608 Crime Stoppers at 1800-8477(TIPS) or any Police Station.  (DN)

FOUR CHARGED WITH SHOOTING DEATH OF BREAD VENDOR – Kishmar Young, 20, of Chase Gap Halls Road, St Michael; Wayne Bryan, 17, of School Lane, Halls Road, St Michael; Romario Daisley, 18, of Tramore Lane Waterford, St Michael and Rashon Sealy 18, of Alleyne Land, Bush Hall St Michael, have been charged with the shooting death of bread vendor Hayden Mayers. The four are expected to appear in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court tomorrow charged with the November 8, murder of Mayers who was killed at Mansion Road, Bank Hall St Michael while making his bread rounds with a relative. In addition to the murder charge, all four accused are jointly charged with three counts of robbery which allegedly occurred on the same date at Butlers Avenue, Bush Hall.Mayers, of Hinds Road, Black Rock, St Michael died about 15 feet away from the vehicle from which he sold his bread. (DN)

NO BAIL FOR WOUNDING ACCUSED – A Vincentian man charged with wounding two brothers will remain on remand at HMP Dodds despite an application for bail by his attorney Ria Layne. Curtis Bernard Bute, who lives at Holders Land, Brandons, St Michael will stay at the St Philip institution until December 12. The 48-year-old is alleged to have committed the crimes against Deque and DeVere Gittens on September 15 with intent to maim, disfigure or disable them or to do some serious bodily harm to them. In an application for bail Layne told acting Magistrate Sandra Rollins her client had no previous convictions in either jurisdiction and had no matters pending. She also revealed that Bute was in a “peculiar” situation given that his work permit had expired. She however explained that an application for the permit to be renewed had been submitted. “This is a serious offence [but] this is an honest man who is seeking to make an honest living here for the last two years. He repatriates some of his earnings to St Vincent to help support his grandchildren,”  said Layne who disclosed that her her client was willing to submit to any bail conditions including handing over his passport to the court in other to allay the Crown’s fear that he would abscond. However, Rollins ruled in the prosecution’s favour after Station Carrison Henry said that the Crown’s objections to bail remained the same.  (BT)

FIRST-TIME OFFENDER CAUGHT WITH DRUGS - A first-time offender will have to successfully perform 180 hours of community service if he wants to keep his criminal record clean. The requirement was imposed on Shaquan Tyrese Rashid Springer, of Mahaica Gap, Green Hill, St Michael today after he pleaded guilty to having 13.5 grammes of marijuana worth $300 in his possession on November 14. Acting Magistrate Sandra Rollins also ordered that he return to the District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court on February 13, 2019 to give an update of his service. Police were on patrol at 3rd Avenue Long Gap, Spooner’s Hill, St Michael carrying out checks when they had the occasion to speak with Springer who consented to a search. In his pocket was a Ziploc bag with 45 greaseproof wrappings containing the illicit substance.  (BT)

PSYCHIATRIC CHECK FOR TEEN – Seventeen-year-old Jamal Ramon Anderson Hackett, of Thompson Gap, Black Rock, St Michael who allegedly wounded a 16-year-old schoolboy has been transferred from HMP Dodds to the Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation. Acting Magistrate Sandra Rollins remanded the accused to the Black Rock, St Michael mental health facility until December 5 following lengthy submissions from his attorney-at-law Kashka Hemans in the District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court today. Back in October Hackett pleaded not guilty to unlawfully and maliciously wounding Stephan Hoyte on October 9 but guilty to stealing an $800 cellular phone belonging to Hoyte as well as robbing Kashone Joseph of $30 on September 17. He has been on remand since his first appearance on October 17. “At present this young man is being held at HMP [Dodds] . . . it is no place [that is] in the best interest of a young man of such and impressionable age,” Hemans argued. However, Station Sergeant Carrison Henry again renewed the prosecution’s objection to bail saying that Hoyte, the complainant, had been re-admitted to hospital this morning for the same injury and there was a strong possibility that “he may have to go back to surgery”. Given the circumstances the acting magistrate said she could not grant bail at this time. Following further submissions, Hemans put in a submission for his client to get an evaluation by doctors at the hospital. (BT)

COOKER OF DRUGS – A 34-year-old electrician found in possession of a food processor and a rice cooker containing $8,000 worth of marijuana has six months to pay a $5,500 fine if he wants to avoid spending the same amount of time at HMP Dodds. The amount was imposed on Chad Lee Lashley, of Ellerton, St George today in the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court after he pleaded guilty to possession, possession with intent to supply and possession with intent to traffic two pounds of cannabis. Station Sergeant Carrison Henry said police acting on information went on duty to Cheapside in the City on November 13 where they saw Lashley with a box. He was approached and subsequently detained and taken to the Oistins Police Station where a search was conducted. In the food processor police discovered five black packages and eight packages in the rice cooker wrapped in carbon, in vacuumed sealed bags, all containing the illicit vegetable matter. In mitigating for leniency for his client attorney-at-law Mohia Ma’at told acting Magistrate Sandra Rollins that his client was a father of five who was holding down two jobs – that of electrician and mechanic – to provide for his family. He said that although Lashley was known to the court this was the first time that he had been charged and convicted for drugs. “It was a one-off thing and he is sorry for the act. The quantum is unfortunate . . . . but he has not wasted any time as he came to the dock and said ‘I did it, it is my fault,” the lawyer said as he asked the court to consider a discounted fine given his client’s early guilty plea and other mitigating factors. For the charge of trafficking a $4,500 fine was imposed which must be paid in six months or Lashley will face the alternative of six months in prison. For the supply charge he was fined $1,000 also in six months or an alternative sentence of three months in prison. “Thank for you mercy ma’am,” Lashley said. He was ordered to pay the amounts by May 14, 2019. (BT)

WINDIES TO BATTLE BANGLADESH IN ALL THREE FORMATS – When the Windies men line up against Bangladesh in the upcoming two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is series, Windies will have a winning record since these two teams have been playing each other. Windies lead the Test contest 10 – 2; ODIs 20 − 9 but are tied four matches a piece in the T20Is battle. The last time the teams met, Windies took the Test series 3-0; but lost both the ODIs and T20Is series 1-2 respectively. The Windies will be after more positive results for this encounter. The team will also be without Test and ODI captain, Jason Holder who has a shoulder injury and will undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation in Barbados. Vice-captain, Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the team in his absence. (PR) FULL SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Shermon Lewis, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, and Jomel Warrican. SCHEDULE 1st Test – November 22 – Chittagong 2nd Test – November 30 – Mirpur 1st ODI – December 9 – Mirpur 2nd ODI – December 11 – Mirpur 3rd ODI – December 14 – Sylhet 1st T20I – December 17 – Sylhet 2nd T20I – December 20 – Mirpur 3rd T20I – December 22 – Mirpur  (DN)

PUSHING POSITIVE VIBES – Johnathan Daniel is on a mission to create positivity wherever he goes. The 24-year-old Deighton Griffith Secondary School alumnus is the brains behind Positive Vibez Creative Revolution, a fledgling business he is determined to make a success. So far, he has created videos with uplifting messages with and for students at the Kingsland, Christ Church school, which can be viewed on its Facebook page. He also intends to create a space where young people can go and speak to someone and receive sound advice. But as upbeat as he is now, Johnathan told Nation Y that he came from “a really bad place” last year after he was kicked out of his home and lost his job. “I was at home, living comfortable and working. Life was pretty easy,” he said. He and his younger sister often quarrelled. However, his mother said the next time that happened “she would put me out because she didn’t want anything bad to happen at home”. He and his sister fought, and he was asked to leave. Fortunately, he found an apartment that same day. “Life was good and I was still managing but the thing is, I used to pay all the bills at home and when I was put out, I had just paid all the bills. So when the landlord told me she wanted me to pay the first month’s rent by [a certain] date, I didn’t have enough money. I had asked for an advance at work but it still wasn’t enough for me to cover the rent and survive,” he said. Soon afterwards, Johnathan lost his job. “So, there I was. Kicked out from home, lost my job and I was renting. I had a girlfriend and because of my situation . . . she broke up with me and was with my friend. That was the last big thing that happened to me,” Johnathan said. Overcome with negative thoughts and feeling depressed, he became bitter and angry, a contrast to the happy, positive person he had been. He started getting panic attacks. Talking to his friends was not easy because they didn’t understand what he was going through. Still, Johnathan refused to give up. Although a friend, Dawn, “a wonderful lady” whom he credits with encouraging and uplifting him, offered support, he was still feeling depressed. “I turned to drugs . . . . I wanted to know what I was going to do with my life. How was I going to overcome? “I wanted to know what love was because to me my mother couldn’t have loved me and put me out the way she did. This girl couldn’t have loved me and did what she did to me. To me it wasn’t about having money – it was about respect and giving me the same in return.” He said he knew it was Jesus’ love he was seeking. In his quest for unconditional love, he had a Road to Damascus moment. “It was while standing at a bus stop headed for work after I got another job that I experienced God’s love. As I was listening to music . . . I felt something extraordinary happen to me on the inside. I can’t describe it. All I can tell you is that it was the best feeling that I have ever felt . . . . I cried for a week straight every time I thought about His love. I was overwhelmed.” Johnathan said that after hearing a voice in his head telling him he had to forgive everyone, he felt “all of the burdens and heartache inside of me [immediately] left”. He added: “I felt so light . . . . Out of that, I believed in God. Having God as my source where I get my happiness and my joy, it gives me the ability to not let things people say have an effect on me because I know my Father in Heaven loves me and cares for me. “I rededicated my life to God and set out on a mission to push positive vibes. Then the Holy Spirit came to me and said, ‘How you want to heal Barbados and bring the youth back together and your family isn’t together?’ I said, “You have a point”. He met with his family and told them what had happened to him. After prayers and tears, his mother told him to return home. Johnathan believes that everything happened as God wanted. He had no money to get Positive Vibez started but God is showing him the way. (DN)

NOT TOO OLD TO SOCA – It was a priceless soca show and a night fitting for legends; legends whose voices are as golden as when they started their careers decades ago. The show was made richer with the presence of MC Admiral Nelson whose sound knowledge of the art form and its history provided invaluable information throughout the night. I don’t think it’s too early for the producers to bill next year’s event Soca Goes Platinum or Soca Goes Diamond. Clearly, what they offer is worth way more than gold. The Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust outdid itself this year with the staging of Soca Goes Gold 2 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) last Saturday night. The mark of any great show is how it starts and how it finishes. The show began with a fitting tribute to the late great kaiso legend, Trinidadian Shadow, who died on October 23 at age 77. It was the Mighty Bit Bit, his powerful seven-year-old Bajan vocals and his mentor Gabby who had the honour. Under the patronage of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, the show ended with David Rudder’s impassioned plea to Rally Round the West Indies. While the start and finish are two good gauges to measure a show’s greatness, what transpired in between was amazing. Around 10:25 p.m., a soca General took to the stage clad in a red jacket. Hours after being flown in from New York, Edwin Yearwood gave a high-energy, entertaining and enjoyable performance. Belting out some of his favourite hit songs, Obadele, Yardie, Pump Me Up and Sak Pase, to name a few, the army leader took full control of his soca charges. His wish was their command. The obedient crowd did all he asked. Even those sitting found themselves swaying from left to right as the sounds of Sak Pase vibrated through LESC. In a mixed crowd of old, young, in between, black, white and Indian, the talented entertainer had the crowd rocking and singing along. It was over 40 minutes of an amazing performance that simply could not have been topped. Cultural Ambassador Mighty Gabby then made a solo appearance. It was hit after hit after hit including Hit It, Dr Cassandra, Boots and Jack. The multiple kaiso king who has gone abroad and represented Barbados well in competitions showed why he was a living soca legend. Trinidadian Gypsy was next on stage. The 65-year-old took the capacity crowd on a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The entertainer, whose real name is Winston Peters, started by singing his 1997 hit Little Black Boy. He got a little naughty in his rendition of For Cane. He ended with his anthem The Sinking Ship but not before showing off his ex-tempo skills by doing an entire verse on Prime Minister Mottley whom he had campaigned for during the recent General Election. Sweet singing Baron was up next. Although he looked a bit frail at times, the 70-year-old could still hit the notes and serenade the crowd. He sang hits such as Sweet Soca Man, Say Say (Fire Fire) and Feeling It. And as if to remind us that he was still a party man, the entertainer raised his shirt to show off some waistline moves that caused the crowd to scream and ball in amazement. Closing the show was 65-year-old David Rudder who came on the stage singing: The Hammer. Truth is throughout his set he had little singing to do as the crowd did it nicely for him. He sang Calypso, Trini to De Bone, his signature universal tune High Mas and others as the crowd danced the night away. Those who were previously sitting rose to their feet. And although it was now minutes to 2 a.m., the night did not end then. Some party faithfuls stayed on and danced to the sounds of DJ music while others limed and chatted by the bar. It was clearly evident that a good time was had by all.  (BT)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 48 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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The Last Jedi Is Star Wars for People Who HATE Star Wars

If Rogue One was Star Wars for people who didn’t like Star Wars, then The Last Jedi is Star Wars for people who HATE Star Wars. By, for, and of.

“But I like Star Wars!” That’s fine. They still didn’t make this movie for you. This is a movie with contempt for you, the audience, contempt for the characters, and contempt for Star Wars itself.

The movie LOOKS great. Ships go fast, things blow up, people shoot blasters: it looks appropriately Star Warsian. The director has spectacle down pat, maybe even better than JJ Abrams did. But that’s all the movie has going for it: spectacle. That can entertaining by itself, but once you notice the underlying problems (so many I can only touch on a few here), you realize that, despite it looking like Star Wars, it’s just not Star Wars.

Star Wars is supposed to be a Science Fiction Space Opera, an epic story about the struggle between good and evil. Good is noble, honorable, and virtuous. Half of Team Evil, in the form of the Galactic Empire, is clear and unambiguous: it is a cruel and murderous despotism who maintains power through terror and force. The other half of Team Up To No Good—The Force and the Dark Side thereof—is amorphous, seductive, and corrupting. As the Rebels fight the Empire in starships to defeat its evil, so, too, must Luke Skywalker fight against the whispers of the Dark Side in his heart, fight to embrace the harder but more rewarding path of the Light Side, in order to defeat Lord Vader and ultimately the Emperor. That is Star Wars, and a movie without that dichotomy at its core is not Star Warsian.

The Last Jedi evinces no such dichotomy. Though its metaphysics are murky, as is its morality, and though it pays lip service to the notion of the Dark Side, when Rey confronts a place strong in the Dark Side (as Luke did in the tree on Dagobah), the Dark Side appears as just an infinite mirror, reflecting Rey back at herself. It’s a magical trap, straight out of a Sword and Sorcery tale, and unlike the Dark Side tree on Dagobah the infinite mirror pit is neither ominous nor disturbing. The Dark tree revealed to Luke the danger of him becoming his father, in a memorable and jarring vision; the Hall of Infinite Mirrors reveals precisely nothing about Rey. She makes no meaningful choices, gains no insights, and the entire event is pointless. There is nothing at all to indicate why this part of the island is Dark, nor does that imputed quality affect the movie in the slightest.

Moreover, the movie explicitly embraces the notion that the Force itself is Balance (Luke says this over and over again when teaching Rey). Not split between Light and Dark, but Balance. Added to this, the only coherent moral thesis advanced by any character is explicitly nihilistic and relativistic: Benicio Del Toro’s character says there is no difference between the Republic and the First Order, that cruel and wealthy arms merchants arm both sides and profit from the war, no matter who wins. Taken to its logical extent, making war against the First Order is meaningless, as both sides are (in effect) the same and whether one or the other wins, nothing changes.

Star Wars is about heroics and heroism. From the raid on the Death Star to rescue the princess, to the doomed last-ditch battle on Hoth, buying time for the transports to escape, to the intricate plot to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hut, characters risk their lives to save the lives of others or just to fight evil, many times at great cost to themselves. Courage, especially physical courage, is central to the entire trilogy (and is the chief reason the series is so beloved).

The Last Jedi mocks courage, heroics, and heroism. Poe Dameron, the cocky fighter pilot, risks his life and the lives of his teammates to destroy the most formidable ship hunting the Resistance, and for this is upbraided and demoted. Later, faced with a no-win scenario, he concocts a desperate plan to disable the First Order’s tracking, allowing the remnants of the Resistance to escape and live to fight another day. Not only does the plan fail, it results in the deaths of some 2/3rds of what few members of the Resistance were left. And when Finn, a non-entity through most of the film, is about to sacrifice his own life to save even that pitiful remnant, he is knocked off course by a fellow rebel, and the First Order’s weapon is allowed to fire. His self-sacrifice, the intervening character says, is stupid and pointless because that’s just the way it is.

The only time anyone is allowed to sacrifice themselves heroically, is when Vice Admiral Tumblr Hair (played by Laura Dern) gets to blow up the entire First Order fleet whilst dying heroically, but even this sacrifice is meaningless: Kylo Ren and General Hux survive, and are able to mount an assault on the planetary base the Rebels fled to, an assault that is more than twice as large as the one Vader launched against Hoth. Tumblr Hair dies for nothing. In this movie, all heroics are meaningless, and that is just not Star Wars.

The total lack of heroism is one reason, but the other is this: This movie is just not epic. And Star Wars is epic.

I don’t mean epic as in a series of ten 300,000 word novels, I mean epic as in a weighty and significant struggle which matters. A struggle that means something. Tolkien, now Tolkien was epic. Even the Jackson “Lord of the Rings” movies managed to feel epic. (“The Hobbit” movies, not so much.)

The original Star Wars trilogy, from the Death Star to… well, the other Death Star was epic. It was a galactic struggle for freedom, with momentous consequences for the galaxy, and the movies let you feel that. Hell, even the PREQUEL TRILOGY was epic (in comparison). Get past the first film, and the struggle against the robot armies and the loss of freedom for the galaxy had moments of epicness. Star Wars is supposed to be epic.

The Last Jedi is not epic.

The very first scene is Poe pranking General Hux (primary combat leader of the First Order), just like Bart Simpson used to prank Moe the Bartender. No, Hux didn’t ask around for an “I. C. Weiner? Is there an I. C. Weiner on the bridge?” but he did say, over and over, “Can he hear me now?” after Poe placed him on hold.

That’s right. The head of the main bad guys—who MUST be competent and terrifying for the film to feel epic—is reduced to a stammering doof parodying a VERIZON WIRELESS AD.

(You know, I didn’t think you could HAVE product placement in a Star Wars film. Well played, Disney. Well played, indeed.)

The inapt and distracting humor (Content Warning: actual humor not included) continued throughout the movie. The film never had the chance to feel epic because every moment of sincerity was spoiled by a joke. It was so bad, I kept expecting Vice Admiral Tumblr Hair to stroll onto the bridge shouting “Wassup bitches!” It would not have been out of place.

“Epic” is a matter of artistic execution, not in-world scale. You can threaten to blow up two ferries with a couple of hundred people aboard or actually blow up five planets with billions of inhabitants, and the first scene might very well feel more epic than the second, if the director makes it so.

Epic and moving stories—epic in spirit, not epic in length, stories of great deeds being done by great men—require a sense of grandeur, of majesty, of awe. That is, the writer must have, within their breast, an understanding of the might and power of great men and great deeds. They must FEEL it.

A small man cannot.

Small men—not short men, but men with shriveled souls—have no notion of greatness nor daring. They cannot comprehend nor depict a struggle against insuperable odds, self-sacrifice in the face of near-certain doom. Their own paucity of courage and manliness dooms their every effort. Art reveals the artist, inevitably.

Even if they depict events that might, in other hands, feel epic, in their hands such events appear quotidian and even boring. Explosions, practical effects, and sound design can give the appearance of an epic struggle, and can distract the audience from a work’s fundamental flaws, but if at its center there is naught but a hollow emptiness, a nihilistic meaningless, this will render all the struggles pointless, no matter how many people are supposedly fighting or supposedly dying.

Epic stories like Star Wars do not have weak and incompetent enemies, nor do they mock heroism and heroes. The Last Jedi never does anything but.

Epic deeds are never pointless. They ALWAYS impact the world. They matter. No deed in TLJ matters. In the end, the good guys are utterly defeated. The Rebellion is destroyed, reduced to the paltry few who can ride aboard the Millennium Falcon, and the entire Galaxy has abandoned them, choosing despotism over the animating struggle for freedom. The movie is a Shoot the Shaggy Dog story, made up of many smaller Shoot the Shaggy Dog stories. It’s a fractal diagram of suck, and the closer you look, the more abhorrent elements you discover. TLJ is suck all the way down.

The Prequels were bad Star Wars movies. The Last Jedi is a bad not-a-Star–Wars movie. TLJ is the anti-Star Wars, the un-Star Wars, a cheap and hollow counterfeit of a far greater work, identical in appearance, but lacking any substance.

I’ve noticed that the more exposure people have to Pulp stories—you know, the GOOD stuff—the more they dislike The Last Jedi. People who read Pulp regularly have become attuned to the flaws of modern F&SF, so the deficiencies in TLJ are readily apparent to them. To fans of the more modern stuff, this probably seems like more of the same entertainment they get every day. Which is most of the problem, and not just with this movie, but post-modern culture as a whole.

Audiences WANT stories of heroism and heroics. They meet a deep need in us to admire the brave and self-sacrificing, and to be inspired by them.

The Last Jedi is not such a tale. It is entertaining, because of spectacle, but that spectacle hides the movie’s poisonous core of nihilism. Time will not be kind.

After all, a movie that includes this scene will never attain the status of an intergenerationally beloved classic:

http://ift.tt/2BbFzeU

I rest my case.

Jasyn Jones, better known as Daddy Warpig, is a host on the Geek Gab podcast, a regular on the Superversive SF livestreams, and blogs at Daddy Warpig’s House of Geekery. Check him out on Twitter.

The Last Jedi Is Star Wars for People Who HATE Star Wars published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi