#Thought-provoking themes

[good-beans]

Prisoner @gunsli-01, here and ready for Trial 1!

Crimes: Drawing in unsuspecting victims with elaborate analyses and meta, and then slamming them with Es and Kazui emotions, T1 guilties angst, and Kotoko’s attacks!! Also, putting a round of ocs through brand new milgram horrors at @milgrammaintenance (Think of the children!) So, wardens, what will it be?

[tsutsumi-kurose]

Do you have any Tsukasa analyses?

hi!! thank you sm for the ask!! i love tsukasa analyses, so i was really excited to get this!! there is a small/specific thing i've been thinking about with regards to a couple tsukasa moments recently, and that is:

tsukasa and some not-so-rhetorical questions

there are two specific instances i've been thinking about recently of tsukasa asking typically rhetorical questions in a genuine way. the first time happens in chapter 91. when hanako and nene ask tsukasa how he got to them and why he was there, he asks "who cares?"

i find it really interesting that this question comes before tsukasa asks a long series of hard hitting questions about nene's lifespan, hanako's wish, and destroying the yorishiros. he's asking very real, actionable questions! and this question is grouped in with them! so while "who cares?" is typically a very throwaway question, coming from tsukasa in this moment, i read it as having much more weight. i think tsukasa is experiencing the feeling of that in a very real way. especially given the context of more recent chapters ("he doesn't come when i call," "if you want out, you're going to have to do the best you can by yourself," etc.) while this question may come across as flippant, tsukasa must truly be wondering: "genuinely, who cares where i've been? how or why i'm here? genuinely, do either of the two of you care what i'm up to? you're worried about nene's lifespan and the yorishiros. who he cares about how i got here or why? i have no reason to believe you do." i don't think it's a stretch to think that a boy whose calls for help don't get answered would genuinely wonder: who cares?

and with all the context of 91 up to now, i love to read this question in 110 as a genuine question from tsukasa that hanako hears as rehtorical, and flippant:

"so?" asked so briefly and bluntly is often a rhetorical question: more a statement of "that doesn't matter" or "i don't care." and from hanako's perspective, he has just poured his heart out. he's just said, "yes i could have anything in the whole world, but then i wouldn't have you." to him, this surely must seem like a logical fill in of, "I wouldn't trade you for anything."

but this is tsukasa. tsukasa, who has spent god knows how many years calling out for amane with no response. tsukasa, who knows the following to be fact: 1) hanako knows tsukasa is his yorishiro. 2) hanako has been working to destroy all the yorishiros. thus, the logic from the facts tsukasa has would say that hanako prefers to be without tsukasa. of course he'll be confused that hanako's words suggest he doesn't want to be apart when all he's done with his actions is keep tsukasa away from himself!

it's not surprising, then, that he would want an explanation of how these things connect. the facts tsukasa has say amane doesn't care about him and is prepared to destroy him. so of course amane saying "i wouldn't give you up for anything" is not going to compute, that seems like almost an exact contradiction to the facts tsukasa is working with. the "so?" here is the same question tsukasa's been asking since 1968 in chapter 101: "you'd prefer it if i stayed here, right, amane? or would you rather me gone?" tsukasa thought he had the answer, but now amane's saying the opposite.

i love this panel, because it reads as so hopeful. i really read this as tsukasa wanting to know more about why amane is hung up on never seeing tsukasa again. how often does tsukasa ever want anything for himself? other than to know how someone is feeling? and this moment feels significantly softer than other times he's asked similar things. tsukasa's always asking: what are you thinking? what are you feeling? amane, are you happy to see me? so i think he's genuinely asking here: why would that be a problem? i interpret this panel as tsukasa really, genuinely asking amane to explain that he cares about him, that he wants to be with him. because he has nothing to go off of to prove that that's the case. are you happy to see me, amane? so what if you can never see me again, amane?

to get really specific, i love the lighting in tsukasa's eyes in this panel. his eyes are mostly in shadow, but there's just a bit of light at the tops of them; his irises are almost all black, but there's a little bit of light flooding in at the bottom. because i love to torture myself with tsukasa angst (lol), i like to interpret this specific lightning choice as representing understanding beginning to dawn for tsukasa. a literal flicker of hope. maybe... amane does care about him? maybe amane does want him around? he might just be starting to understand that amane cares, but he needs it explained more, needs it spelled out. hanako's actions have not suggested this is true, so all he can go off of are hanako's words. he needs more words from hanako to make it make sense. so? why would that matter? he's starting to get it, but he has to ask, especially since it goes against all the other signs he's been given.

but, of course, hanako is hanako/amane is amane (i love him but he does win worst communicator for more than fifty years running <3 lmao) so he takes this as a rejection, and doles out his own in return, not hearing the request tsukasa is making, thus affirming what tsukasa already thought: that he hates tsukasa.

the mix of light and dark is gone from tsukasa'a eyes after hanako says "i hate you so much."

his face and eyes are flush with light--with clarity. i know you hate me, amane. no more doubt, no more questions, no more hope.

i'm obsessed with the angst of this entire interaction, and tsukasa asking, "so?" is the hinge it all rests on. the moment of suspension.

here's their chance. here is tsukasa wanting to understand why hanako isn't going through with the plan just because the two of them would never see each other again. here is hanako's chance to explain that he cares.

but it can't line up, not expressed like this. not with "do you love me?" tsuakasa and "of course!" amane. not when they're both so sure their love for the other is obvious, not when they both hear rejection in everything. not when they've both come to expect loneliness as a default, to the point where the other caring about them is never the logical conclusion in their eyes, no matter how obvious their love for the other seems to themselves.

here is a beginning, here in tsukasa's eyes, in his question. but both of them are only ever expecting an end.

(this analysis of tsukasa's eyes in this interaction also connects to the seed of a larger theory i want to explore more soon, which is the possibility that tsukasa's eyes going black isn't necessarily--or at least not exclusively--about the entity's powers taking over, but rather/additionally a reflection of his emotional state... but then that also ties into the really long post i'm trying to wrangle into coherence about tsukasa being genuinely tsukasa... so i may have to elaborate on that another time lol)

thank you again for the ask!! i really love diving into all the possible meanings behind specific/small moments, so i had a lot of fun with this!!

[baeshijima]

OKAY WAIT imagine you make blade blush for the first time in what feels like forever for him (tbh, it probably is), but instead of registering the feeling as being one of affection, he mistakes the pumping of his heart and tightening of his stomach as adrenaline; the very same feeling he gets when in the throes of battle.

"you know, blade, you're actually quite handsome." "...what?" "yeah! you have a really nice face, and your physique is grea—"

*cue him charging at you mid-compliment, his sword in hand with a wild blush staining his skin*

[ranticore]

hi hello i'm early into TVM and i gotta say i'm fascinated with the concept of moral execution. it's such an interesting sort of loophole and it has a really strong Narrative Flavor about it... i was wondering if this is based on/influenced by any particular real life practices or if it's wholly original, i'd love to know more abt that thought process. i like your guys

hiiii thank you so much for asking! for everyone else's context, 'moral execution' in inver (well, suzette really, but it has spread north) is a rare religious practice whereby a member of the clergy is symbolically executed, an effigy is burnt at the stake, and the person is given funeral rites per tradition. they are then free to break church law - particularly church moral laws - in the SOLE pursuit of the church's goals, because those laws apply to the living only. typically, after the individual has completed whatever duties assigned to them, they are killed for realsies, with the gap between their symbolic execution and their real execution simply being an extension of the time it takes for the soul to leave a dead body. so the soul is considered to have left the body before those illegal duties.

the church of suzette considers experimentation with magic (particularly faery magic) to be immoral and an executable offence, so in the context of the story. this is the reason for this particular practice to take place (so the church can experiment without being accused of hypocrisy or appearing to endorse magic)

i don't want to explain TOO much about the origins but it comes from two different 'sources'. number one is all wrapped up in the dead/undead theming in the story. each of the main characters is in some way already dead to their own society, this was just islin catching up (he is, metaphorically, undead). the rangers for example are only allowed to operate because they are also in some ways legally dead. and so on. narratively, all of the main characters in the story (except jean because he's built different) are 'undead' people all trying to come to terms with their death in some way shape or form (that sounds crazy but it WILL make sense i promise)

for the practice itself i wanted something that felt believably catholic lol. the church irl is very arcane and a lot of its rituals seem extremely esoteric, and it's also a deeply hypocritical institution that breaks its own laws all the time (but what's new). i wanted to create something that sort of enshrined that core of "we condemn this, but we're also going to secretly try it out". it is an excuse for them and a handy one too but also it's rooted in genuine belief about funerary rites and practices that the suzettes hold.

it's not based directly on any real religious or cultural traditions and if it resembles any, it's unintentional

[forcedhesitation]

Whether intentional or not, Otz (or his editor, rather) censoring Hux's mori with the gootoob demonetization symbol in his latest video is brilliant...Hux will never be safe for capitalism.

There is such irony in a huge corporation like gootoob penalizing people for showing the uncensored mori of the anti-capitalist killer...the killer who is the product of a massive corporation's greed.

Like, Hux began killing as a result of the fear he felt while trapped in a hostile, divisive, and isolating society that was trying to colonise other planets in the name of super corporation Huxley Industries. This is a society that would have seen him terminated for his sentience, that carelessly discarded anything deemed "useless" to its aims, which is in part used as a metaphor for being a minority and opposing the state through your existence alone. But Hux is also the embodiment of consequence, the inevitable reaper that comes to collect those who push past the boundaries of their own humanity for the sake of profit. What makes End Transmission so clever, though, is that Hux's victims were mostly pawns of Huxley Industries themselves, with no knowledge of the ugly truth at the heart of their world. We see that through Gabriel's discovery that he is a clone and that his entire childhood was a series of false memories fabricated by Huxley Industries' scientists in a lab. To me, this is a fantastic metaphor for the way that people in our own society are sold their beliefs, values, and identity from a very, very young age, often without us even realizing it until it's too late, if ever at all.

The tragedy of End Transmission isn't necessarily what happened to Hux, nor what happened to Gabriel, individually. Which, to me in itself is ingenious, because the problems we face today, or even on gootoob to bring it back to my original point, are not individual issues. We are all pawns of these corporations, and victims of their destructive actions. And so the real tragedy of End Transmission is that the corporation responsible for the traumas that Hux and Gabriel endure, and ultimately for the terrible society in which they exist, was never impacted by the incident on Dvarka. In fact, after Hux and Gabriel's disappearance, it's rather likely Huxley Industries simply covered up what happened on Dvarka, so that they could never be questioned. Perhaps another Gabriel clone replaced the one they lost. More A7 units replaced those lost on Dvarka. And the machine's gears just kept turning. Just like it does in our own world.

[gender-euphowrya]

i'm like a staunch defender of video games as a form of art and a valid way of experiencing beauty that's 100% on par with stuff like traveling or museum exhibitions like i will die on the hill that visiting a carefully crafted virtual world and living a story within it is a valuable way to learn and grow much like books and movies are and it's tough to get this message through to people whose idea of games is "that fortnite thing my kid keeps spending too much money and time on" or "the arcade games from my childhood where the only goal was a high score" or "gardenscapes innit"

and also because i do enjoy "hoohoo i push the button the guy he jump i get 15 000 points i'm winnar" games as well

[effelants]

sorry guys i'm replaying planescape: torment and i am unable to be normal about it

[cherrymoonvol6]

.

[aeroblast-radius]

spirit riding free really did just completely erase the message of the original movie and spit in its face in the medium of meaningless self-contained episodic slop didn't it

[seoafin]

they just aren't making anime like lain zankyou no terror higashi no eden durarara!! psycho pass no.6 mawaru penguindrum zetsuen no tempest etc anymore huh

[muchmossymess]

My mother asked what I have been reading recently and I don't know how to explain that it's been fanfiction

[atlantic-riona]

"it's not realistic—" do you think I am reading the genre named "fantasy" for how accurate it is to real life

[flowersinthebody]

Emotionally Impactful Video Essays and Documentaries That Stayed With Me

img: Clockwork Knight 2 (Sega - Saturn - 1995)

Hey y’all, welcome to my playlist of video essays and documentaries that really left an impact on me!

Just a heads up, some of the content may be disturbing and triggering, as they touch on heavy topics such as abuse, self-harm, violence, and adult themes. So please be aware before watching.

Now, let's get into it! These videos aren't necessarily "good" or "bad", and I'm not vouching for the creators, but they definitely stirred up some visceral reactions within me. Some left me feeling satisfied, while others left me deep in contemplation, but all of them stuck with me long after the credits rolled.

So, if you're in the mood for some thought-provoking content that'll leave you with a lasting impression, then check out these recommendations! But remember, it's all about the emotional feeling they evoke, so be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP8E6PYcUW2KAkJy6qLQwKxJvp89Hzxub

follow me on tiktok for funny reposts: @flowersinthebody

[haylee-bb]

Bruh. Don't hide that shit that's poetic as hell

love as religion; am i doomed? / on aromanticism

all highlighted sections from ‘aromanticism’ by moses sumney - the album notes // other excerpts in order: ‘doomed’ - moses sumney / quote by Naïmah Janse / earthlings - sayaka murata / ‘sun bleached flies’ - ethel cain / unknown / ‘doomed’ - final verse

[dravencore]

on that sexual abuse subtext post you mentioned trigun and now I'm just kind of curious bc I never really got that while watching it?

I'm tired and might add to this more later, but trigun (and especially trimax) has HUGE themes of exploitation and loss of bodily autonomy that lends itself really easily to SA subtext and metaphors. Imagery evoking SA is often used allegorically to reinforce these themes (fifth moon, etc.)

Also it's very easy to read everything about what happened to Tesla and how to trauma of it impacted Vash and Knives through the lens of CSA and how that fundamentally changes how you perceive the world and the people in it

And related to the above, in trimax Legato is literally a victim of CSA which is why he's Like That. In that case it very explicitly crosses the line from metaphor/allegory/subtext into like... Actual Text

[theparadoxmachine]

Just got tricked into watching half a religious "horror" movie about the rapture because it auto played after I watched the Quiet Ones (watched for Jared Harris, not great not terrible, worth it to see him being problematic while wearing stripey pajamas) and I want to rage about how awful and stupid and smug it was, like full audio essay style rant but my body is begging me to get some sleep so instead I just changed into my Exorcist t-shirt

*edit* that Chernobyl reference was entirely unintentional*