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hyeahgaku · 1 year

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JUMP GIGA Winter 2023 Special Interview with Yūto Suzuki-sensei!!

First JUMP GIGA 2023 cover to commemorate SAKAMOTO DAYS reaching its 100th chapter milestone since its serialization!!

In-depth discussion with Suzuki-sensei about his life and work, so on and so forth!!

Please tell us the things that you paid particular attention to when drawing the cover illustration of this GIGA issue.

Suzuki-sensei: The chosen pose is stationary, but I also wanted it to look intricate so I made the silhouette not too thin! I wanted to draw attention to his eyes, so I placed the gun next to his face and chose a strong colour (to create contrast)! I drew the texture more firmly than usual to give off a more powerful effect! I wanted to highlight his skin complexion so I deliberately chose cold colours for his shirt, hair, etc. but later I thought it looked a bit dull so I added the red light for the barcode scanner as an accent colour.

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A must-see exclusive interview for readers of SAKAMOTO DAYS, and aspiring manga artists!

Suzuki-sensei Profile

Birthday: July 6

Hobbies: Basketball

Special skill: Handicraft

Favourite manga: Hunter x Hunter (Note: This is additional, known info from the one-shot.)

First debuted in April 2019: Published Garaku (骸区) on Jump Plus.

September 2019: Published Locker Room (ロッカールーム) on Jump Plus. In November of the following year, it received a live-action drama.

December 2019: SAKAMOTO •坂本• (SAKAMOTO -サカモト-) was published on Jump GIGA 2020 Winter. (Note: FYI, this was kinda a prototype of SAKAMOTO DAYS.)

SAKAMOTO DAYS serialization commenced in Weekly Shonen Jump 2020, Issue No. 51. It has become a popular serialization today!!!

Suzuki-sensei, you were once featured in GIGA. Please tell us if you have any memories from that time.

Suzuki-sensei: There was that one time when I tried using Clip Studio Paint, I realized that there were many missing tones when I pasted the image. [Turns out that] I did not display the tone area. I remember the person-in-charge told me, “Full analog is better.”

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Top Column: Suzuki-sensei published SAKAMOTO•坂本• (above photos) in Jump GIGA 2020 Winter after being published in Jump+ twice!! The main character Sakamoto, his family, Shin and other characters have appeared in the series since then. The concept of the story is the same as the serialization version, but there are several differences such as Sakamoto being a supermarket store clerk, and he [and Shin] even killed robbers, so it’s interesting to see the difference!!

*Shin’s comment: This version of Sakamoto-san is so cool~*

Please tell us what’s the biggest growth or change you’ve experienced between when you were drawing one-shots and now.

Suzuki-sensei: When I was drawing one-shots, my stance was that I would just draw whatever I thought was interesting, so the readers could see what I wanted them to see. But now, I always think about how I could entertain the readers, and how I could make everyone find [the story] interesting. As for [my] growth, I’ve been able to use Clip Studio Paint much better now.

Do you have any advice for the new and upcoming aspiring manga artists on how to create a good one-shot?

Suzuki-sensei: I think that “attention-grabbing” and “page-turning” are key elements in a one-shot! It is important to have this thought in mind while you’re drawing - “This one’s interesting!” - and whether you can really draw that or not. It’s also very important that the reader is able to get on board with the story just because it interests them. Readers will tend to notice if you are focused only on making everything nice and neat or if you’re just summarizing things up. After all, these elements are intended to reduce the “stress of reading.” It might sound weird to make [your story] more exciting just for the sake of attracting people to read, but I think that is one good tactic for competing in a one-shot contest!

*On the next page, we will learn more about Suzuki-sensei!*

Top Column: You can tell from reading Suzuki-sensei’s debut work Garaku, that he’s a mangaka who loves manga and movies! The carefully-drawn backgrounds and elaborate camera work are one of Suzuki-sensei’s strong points!

Please tell us how you became interested in drawing manga and how you chose to pursue this career.

Suzuki-sensei: I was worried about my future career path when I was graduating from my graduate school. But then I came across Katsuhiro Ōtomo-sensei’s manga, Dōmu, which helped develop my interest to become a manga artist.

Are there any other creators or works that you feel have influenced you as a writer?

Suzuki-sensei: I really like the manga written by Katsuhiro Ōtomo-sensei, Takehiko Inoue-sensei and Hiroya Oku-sensei. As for movies, I love the director Christopher Nolan.

I heard that you studied Japanese painting. Does the knowledge you acquired turn out to be of use when drawing your manga?

Suzuki-sensei: I think that it is mainly useful when it comes to composition and form. Japanese painting focuses on the concept of creating a beautiful arrangement of shapes within beautiful compositions, and I always keep that in mind with my work. In the near future, I wish to draw more Japanese-style illustrations.

Please tell us about your manga work process and the tools you use.

Suzuki-sensei: I use an analog pen for drawing the characters. The solid colours, sound effects, effect lines, and backgrounds are digitally drawn by my assistants. I use a Zebra hard G Pen for pen work and inking, and also a digital software, Clip Studio Paint!

Bottom Column: The Ferris wheel scene [Sakamoto vs Boiled], which ranked 3rd in the “Spread Campaign” poll, and the coloured single-page illustrations also portray the balance of the margins, cool silhouettes and compositions!

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Top Column: The world of SAKAMOTO DAYS features characters with many gaps! From the strongest old man, Takamura, to the handsome but merciless Nagumo… The intense gaps are important to highlight the character’s individuality!

(T/n: “Gap” -also known as gap moe- refers to the contrast between one’s appearance and personality, or the difference between someone's actual personality and from first impression you had of them.)

How did you come up with the idea of a “retired assassin”?

Suzuki-sensei: First of all, I thought the idea of fat people being insanely strong is fascinating. So I asked myself, why are they fat? → Because they retired. Why? → Perhaps they got married or something? And that’s how I ended up making it.

Retired Sakamoto’s plump figure is cute, but it is an unusual character design for the protagonist of a shōnen manga. Please tell us the story behind this “fat assassin.”

Suzuki-sensei: I like characters with strong gaps, so I combined some elements from the two extreme opposites, such as the strongest old man and the strongest fat guy. And the result is that I found it more exciting to draw the strongest fat guy. Back then, I wanted to do a one-shot anyway, so I was focused on the story to make an impact. I truly never expected for it to get a serialization. I never modeled my character after anyone but later on when I learned about the movie “Enter the Fat Dragon”, I thought to myself that they are rather similar.

In SAKAMOTO DAYS, there seems to be many unique action ideas, such as Sakamoto repelled with a cough drop and fights inside the trains. How do you come up with such ideas?

Suzuki-sensei: Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always dreamed of absurd action [sequences]. Even in movies, one could wonder how they'd never think about doing this kind of action sequence or direction, and they may even ask themselves, “Do battles even occur in a situation like that?!” I like the kind of direction which would take the audience by surprise!

Bottom Column: One of the major attractions of this work is the depiction of powerful battles! It’s because the locations are familiar to the readers, and the battles are realistic and powerful beyond one’s imagination. It’s important to narrow down the situation in order to bring out the intensity of the battles!

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Many attractive side characters appear in your series, such as Shin and Lu. How did you come up with such characters?

Suzuki-sensei: Sakamoto is fat and a man of little words, so I figured he needed a handsome sidekick. During a conversation between the two of them, there was this stuff, “killing in [your] imagination.” I wished to portray that and that’s the reason why I made Shin a clairvoyant. He gets along well with the quiet Sakamoto and they surprisingly made a good team. As for Lu, I initially wanted to draw a battle with a Chinese assassin, and in the course of that, she would show up as a pitiable heroine. [I guess] in my case, I often have a “I want to draw this kind of development!” or “This is how I want the story to unfold!” goal in mind, so the characters are born in the process due to that.

*Lu’s comment: So that’s how I was born, huh~*

Among the characters in your work, is there any character that is particularly easy or the most difficult to draw?

Suzuki-sensei: I don’t have many characters that I find difficult to draw but there are times where they do look alike. So I tend to be careful with that. Gaku is a character that I can draw easily among all the characters. He is someone who doesn’t depend on others and pushes forward on his own path, and I admire people like that, so I enjoy drawing him.

*Gaku’s comment: Ahhh, I see.*

Please tell us your favourite scene from Volume 1 of the manga.

Suzuki-sensei: I like the scene where Shin jumps off the roller coaster in Volume 1. I drew it in such a way so that the readers would be able feel the floating feeling during that scene whilst they're reading. When I drew that scene, I thought to myself that I might be good with drawing action scenes! I remember getting a positive feeling [from it].

Bottom Column: A scene that captures the moment Shin jumped off from the roller coaster – from various camera [angles]! It is important to capture the cool moments in powerful action scenes, such as when Sakamoto tried to punch while disassembling a gun, or when Sakamoto approached the enemy from behind!!

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Top Column: One of the charms of the work is that it will always make you laugh!! In order to make the reader want to meet the characters and experience their world, it is important to make the story “easy” to read! Despite being a world where assassins are rampant, it still seems like a fun world [to be in] and that’s the charm of this work!

Your one-shots Garaku and Locker Room both have a darker worldview, whereas your serialized SAKAMOTO DAYS is a shōnen manga with comedy and action elements. Is there a reason why you decided to go with this genre?

Suzuki-sensei: It’s easier to make a dark story if it’s a one-shot. But with serialization, I thought it might become potentially harder, so I decided to make the most stress-free manga that I could draw and read, and that’s how this kind of setting came about.

Do you already have the ending of the story in mind, or have you not decided it yet?

Suzuki-sensei: Yes, I have already planned a definite conclusion in mind.

Finally, SAKAMOTO DAYS has reached its 100th chapter. Could you give a final message to our readers who are reading the story?

Suzuki-sensei: The series is only able to continue into a serialization all thanks to the readers! I cannot thank you enough. Thank you very much! I’m also very happy with the fan letters that I’ve received. Please keep sending them. Please continue to support SAKAMOTO DAYS!

*Sakamoto’s comment: Thanks for reading this far. I appreciate it.*

*Over 2.3 million copies sold!! Volumes 1 to 9 are on sale now!!*

fin.

#SAKAMOTO DAYS #Jump GIGA 2023 Winter #サカモトデイズ #interview #official media #yūto suzuki #yūto suzuki exclusive interview #jaen

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gluion · 9 months

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1, 3, 12 and 24 for the ask game!! :p

hi bar ily ❤️‍🩹🥳

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

man… i will always always love of linked arms and bruised hearts :’)) i know that the writing style may be just average but i have such a personal connection to that story. maybe its because i definitely self projected but i will always love friendships!!! i feel that its become such an important and recurring theme in my fics, if i’ll be honest <3

another favorite of mine is familiarity (it’s all sticky) <3 definitely an idea ive had for a long time and i had lovely @wuahae betaread it :’)) its very personal to me… idk i like to think of it as a fic that commemorates not only how much i do l*ve that loser but also how much i love cat <3

idk if this is cheating but of guitar strings and peeled tangerines earns its spot too!! the outline i made since the second half of the year and ive really been hyped and happy writing it <3 i feel like its a reflection of the nooks and crannys of moni imo </3 so its crazy that it’ll be even more personal than of linked arms and bruised hearts

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

OH I DEFINITELY HAVE SO MUCH FAVORITE ONES 😭😭 and alot of them will be from of linked arms and bruised hearts im afraid… i have a bad habit of rereading my works to see what i can improve on or what couldve been changed but also its a way to reflect on my growth as a writer

first, we have the scenes where reader and jichang come back to cheongju for the holidays :’) i think its just sooo domestic imo and it really does have u reflect on what reader and jichang have <3 i personally love the scene where reader finds out jichang has been keeping clippings of their articles <3 it does smth to my lil heart <3

another one is of course the train ride back home… idk to me its just a very sentimental scene about the idea of home and how they find it in each other :’))) particularly these passages always do smth to me

another scene in particularly loved writing is the scene between kevin and reader where they talked about reader’s life… they were discussing editorship and possible topics for the opinion piece and i just thought that the whole reflection of it was beautiful :’)

now for of guitar strings and peeled tangerines… ugh so much to say… first off i loved writing the scene where reader comes back to town… its the whole progression of them getting off the station, meeting juhak again, arriving at their father’s restaurant, u know the vibes :’)) in between every passage, u really see how much grief and resentment they hold towards this town.

The waves are strong enough to tip your balance. You do everything to stand on your own feet. The image of Jacob you drew on the sand has been washed off—it’s your fault for drawing it too close to the shore.

i know u particularly love this line and i think i do too now :’) smth i didnt know i would enjoy </3

another one i loved writing is the flashback… the first time we see how much peeled tangerines mean between the two… just so much astonishment joy and love <3

12. favorite character to write about this year

rah i think my favorite charas to write abt were definitely the friendgroup in of linked arms and bruised hearts! i also really loved writing moonbae and reader :’))) to me, they just have so much love for each other!!! it was just so nice to see them grow in my eyes as well

if were talking abt members tho, i did love writing about eric :’))) i know i couldnt give justice to the plot with my whack writing style but it was a treat to write abt that lil guy!

24. favorite fic you read this year

SO MUCH!!! WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN!!!

we have ofcourse gravity by @wuahae … still a banger i love her forever!

we also have the whole liu series by @sungbeam but special shoutout to off the record which brought me back to deobism and party people for being my comfort fic!! i also love beam’s night terrors… UGHHHHHEHEJS I HAVENT READ A FIC THt hits all the SPOTS I NEEDED DURING MY FINALS SEASON. genuinely saved me

i also LOVE plot twist by @sohnric :’))) IDKKKK I TOLD IT ALL IN MY REVIEW BUT WHEN I TELL U I FELT LIKE I WAS SPIRALING BACK INTO WHAT IT FIRST FELT LIKE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH KIM SUNWOO… IT WAS SRS TO ME!!

sorry for such a lengthy post <3 just so happy to have spent even just the second half of 2023 here on deobiblr

#all my loves #bar 📟

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historyhermann · 1 year

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Otaku Elf Review

Otaku Elf, also known as Edomae Erufu, is a fantasy comedy anime. It is based on a seven-volume manga illustrated and written by Akihiko Higuchi. Directed by Takebumi Anzai, it is produced by C2C, a studio founded in April 2006. This post will have spoilers.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fourth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on June 5, 2023.

This series focuses on a sixteen-year-old named Koito Koganei (voiced by Yuka Ozaki). She becomes a shrine maiden, known as miko, at a shrine in Takamini after the death of her grandfather. As a result, she becomes the caretaker of Eldarie "Elda" Irma Fanomene (voiced by Ami Koshimizu). Elda is an immortal and beautiful elf summoned from another world. Koito encounters challenges as Elda is an otaku and hikikomori/shut-in who fears going outside the shrine following an unpleasant interaction many years prior. Even so, she attempts to get Elda to enjoy life outside the shrine.

Originally, I had not been planning to write a review of this series because I'm already reviewing nine other series this season, either about magical girls (Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure and Tokyo Mew Mew New), legendary warriors (Unicorn Warriors: Eternal), VTubers (Kizuna no Allele), a yuri-themed cafe (Yuri Is My Job!), golf girls (Birdie Wing), idols (Oshi No Ko), or other subjects (Alice Gear Aegis Expansion and Skip and Loafer). One motivation for writing this review was because of Sailor Moon, which I'm currently watching, for the first time. It features Rei Hino as a shrine maiden, when she isn't Sailor Mars.

The animation style, comedy of an immortal elf being an otaku meeting a normal person, and the centrality of food, drew me in. The latter is primarily grounded in the cooking by Koyuzu (voiced by Hitomi Sekine), the younger sister of Koito. The same can be said for Koito and Elda's stories often becoming intertwined. Also, there are characters which are portrayed as "cute", like Koito's friend Koma Sakuraba (voiced by Haruka Aikawa).

I liked that every episode of Otaku Elf has some story about past Japanese culture, especially from the Edo period. Of course, Elda does all she can to impress Koito no matter what. This is despite the fact that although she has a laptop, she doesn't know how to use a cell phone. When she does use it, she texts so much that she angers the spirits! Elda does not know everything, however, and doesn't pretend she is all-knowing. She is wise, but not omniscient.

Yordeilla "Yord" Lila Fenomenea (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) and Himawari Kohinata (voiced by Teru Ikuta) are a good addition to the series. Yord is a dark-skinned elf, who is bad at directions, and has an absurd rivalry with Elda over an equivalent of tic-tac-toe. Dr. Akane Sasaki (voiced by Yumi Uchiyama) was similarly a positive character. In fact, she is shown in the seventh episode with Kadoi, getting drunk at a bar, with both of them as an interesting pair of characters together.

There is undeniable yuri subtext in this series, specifically between Koito and Elda, especially shown in the fifth episode. Otaku Elf has a degree of intimacy it can turn to and expand in each episode. As such, the series centers on the importance of spending time with others above everything else. In that way, Otaku Elf is special.

In marked contrast to Birdie Wing, the value of studying, and education as an extension, is emphasized through Koito's intense studying in the sixth episode. The importance of taking breaks and not over-extending oneself is an interrelated theme.

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I like the slice-of-life nature of Otaku Elf. This makes it different from magic-themed series such as Healer Girl and Management of a Novice Alchemist. Similarly, it is nothing like recent slice-of-life anime. The latter includes Let's Make a Mug Too, The Aquatope on White Sand, Teasing Master Takagi-san, and Laid-Back Camp.

The series differs from YuruYuri, Gabriel DropOut, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kin-iro Mosaic, Non Non Biyori, K-On!, and Azumanga Daioh, in the same genre. Elda is a living history resource, who is good at origami, but can have awful nightmares. There's occasional casual alcoholism. But, it isn't as present as it is in Bocchi the Rock!. The latter features a sick bassist named Kikuri Hiroi, who spends most of her money on booze.

The seventh Otaku Elf episode was one of the best in the entire series. It primarily focused on Koyuzu and her desire to spend more time with her sister, Koito. Some of the funniest sequences in the episode was when she charmed people in a wholesale market so she could get fish for free.

The latter episode was only rivaled by the eighth episode. It focuses on Elda meeting another elf, named Haira (voiced by Mamiko Noto). Some of the best parts were having the historical remembrance shown in anime style resembling wood block art. The episode features another miko, named Komari, the same age as Koito. Haira is an elf with beauty only matched by Elda. She is older than Elda and Yolde, treating them as her younger sisters. The episode implied Elda is a lesbian, as she said she liked all the teahouse girls during the Edo period.

By the end of the episode, it is clear that the series is uncritical of the fact that Komari was a social influencer and that Haira was a gambler. Even though Komari was critical of Haira for gambling, she tells Koioto that if Haira is doing what she likes, it is ok. On the one hand, this makes sense as Komari had been with Haira since she was young, allowing her to take candid photographs.

On the other, Otaku Elf, by saying that Haira's desire to be a gambler is ok, implies it is a non-issue and downplays it as a problem. Most gambling is prohibited in Japan. There are exceptions for some motor sports and horse racing. The latter is something that Haira said she wanted to do during the episode.

There is an ample culture of gambling in the island nation. The island has a difficult relationship with it. There is inconsistency between reality and law. Some have pushed to completely legalize gambling across the island. Even so, some people, and groups, have objected to expanded gambling in Osaka. They have argued that crime and addiction (to gambling) will rise as a result. Those caught gambling illegally in Japan can face fines or jail time. This hasn't stopped gambling from becoming pervasive, nor the millions afflicted with gambling addiction. The series could have done a better job with this topic.

Despite the problematic approach to gambling, the series often highlights the importance of remembering the past and preserving it. In the ninth episode, Elda reads a manga that has been published for over 30 years. She reorganizes her room due to a ceiling leak (with the help of Koito) and finds an old videotape. Often series only focus on new technology. They act like anything deemed "analog" isn't worth bringing up. In some cases, there is a blend of the "old" and "new". In the case in Steven Universe, a videotape of the protagonist's mother (Rose Quartz) plays an important role in the series.

Similarly in Otaku Elf, Koito sees a videotape for the first time, and goes to her grandmother, who has an old Betamax player, excited to watch a tape of something recorded from before she was born. She learns that her mother, shown on the tape, was also a miko of Elda as well! In a typical scene, Elda embarrasses Koito. She thinks she will be picked up in a "bridal style" pose and runs away as a result. The latter is part of the ongoing yuri undertones of this series, even though Elda and Koito have more of a master-student relationship than anything that is romantic.

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Otaku Elf is much more than a series with endearing character dynamics. It has a protagonist (Elda) who deeply cares about the town she lives in, a neighborhood of Tokyo, I believe. Unlike some other anime this season, such as Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, there's no fan service. Nor are there any characters which are "one-off jokes". In fact, the series, in some ways, counts as an isekai. It has a "genuineness and pleasantness" which evades many anime these days.

The show's animation studio is known for producing over 16 series, including two I'm familiar with: Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu (based on a manga by Katsuwo who also wrote Mitsubishi Colors) and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. None of the story elements in either of those series are present in this series.

The voice cast of Otaku Elf is just as strong as the show's opening song. Ami Koshimizu, who voices Elda, also voices the caddy of Aoi in Birdie Wing (Amane Shinjо̄), Mizuki Nakahara in Lycoris Recoil, Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon Crystal, Shiori in Princess Connect! Re:Dive, Yang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, and Konomi Yurikawa in Yurikuma Arashi. Yuka Ozaki, the voice of Koito, has lent her voice as Asuka Toyama in BanG Dream!, while Hitomi Sekine, voice of Koyuzu, voiced characters in Teasing Master Takagi-san, Konosuba, and Ms. vampire who lives in my neighborhood.

Haruka Aikawa, the voice of Koma, previously voiced a character in Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. Mamiko Noto, voice of Haira, voiced a supporting character named Kazuki Kosuda in B Gata H Kei - Yamada’s First Time, Hakko in Canaan, Elsa in Gunslinger Girl, Kanon's mother in Love Live! Superstar!!, Shimako Toudou in Maria Watches Over Us, Gin Todo in A Place Further Than the Universe, and Saki Arima in Your Lie in April, and many other roles.

All in all, Otaku Elf is highly relatable to the hundreds of thousands of shut-ins in Japan, which the government believes is a "new social issue", and those elsewhere in the world. It might even draw in an audience from anyone who is living at "home" with their parents, or others living a "hermit-like" existence, being social recluses from society.

In any case, I recommend this series highly. I hope that it receives a second season, even though that is unlikely considering the last nine series by the same studio have not been renewed. Often, companies try and limit corporate risk by planning out each season for only 11-13 episodes. If the show is a success, "additional seasons can be ordered" as noted by Justin Sevakis.

Otaku Elf is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

#otaku elf #pop culture #reviews #birdie wing #videotape #yuri #betamax #steven universe #bocchi the rock #gambling #vhs #hidive #alice gear aegis #voice actors #renewal #anime #Youtube

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etes-secrecy-post · 10 months

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Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

#Onthisday: Nov 19th, 2016

Title: Extreme Daphne Type Sthesia Excellia

I've seen a gameplay arcade of Extreme Gundam Type Sthesia Excellia from "Mobile Suit Gundam EXTREME VS Maxi Boost ON" (both 2016 arcade and the console PS4 exclusive), and It so awesome game that I've ever seen. Unfortunately, the Gundam Versus arcade game is exclusively to Japan. 🕹️🇯🇵 That is, until 2020 when Bandai Namco released the console port for the PS4 as an exclusive (both inside and outside Japan), but it can also run on Sony's next gen, the PS5 (with loading process was completely non-existed). 🙂

• Click here to watch a gameplay - [CLICK ME!]. 🖱️🖥️

• That's why, I drew Daphne with her new "Cuteness Mecha Armor", "Extreme Type Sthesia Excellia". 😁🐰🤖

Extreme Daphne Type Sthesia Excellia Came from the real: Extreme Gundam Type Sthesia Excellia [CLICK ME!].

Armament(s):

Beam Sabers • The unit's standard close combat weapon. This weapon is also used as throwable beam daggers.

Kreuz des Südens • The unit's standard long ranged armament. In its normal folded form, it functions like an ordinary high-powered beam rifle akin to a launcher weapon or can fire a large devastating beam. At full power, it unfolds to reveal several beam guns to expand its range.

Halbmond • Excellia's unique melee weapon that resembles a long beam sword. Rather than being stored physically on the machine, it is materialized from data out of thin air.

Sphere Bits • A set of sphere bits used to remotely attack any opponents. These are launched from the hand.

Shield Bits • A set of round shield bits located on the shoulders that can protect the Excellia or allies from enemy attacks.

Special Feature(s):

Link Rephaser • Invokes the power of the Dark Sthesias, allowing the use of one attack from each of the armor Extreme Rephaser variants. From the Tachyon, it brandishes the Halbmond and charges at the opponent. From Carnage, the Gundam fires a large orange beam of energy from both hands. Using Ignis, it fires three spheres of freezing energy in a fanning formation to immobilize enemies. Through the Mystic, it twirls the Halbmond above its head, creating a powerful whirlwind that sends enemy mobile suits flying into the air.

Milchstraße • This unit's Burst Attack, the head's hat-like visor locks into place as it fires a fanning radiating beam from the Kreuz des Südens in cross mode. Magic circles are also formed beneath its feet to form a potent barrier that protects it from all incoming attacks.

Daphne Synchron (Gumball OC) - owned by Estar99 (dA) Armor (Gundam EXA) - Gundam Series © Bandai Namco Filmworks, Inc. (SUNRISE), Sotsu

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takerfoxx · 11 months

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I love that Sayaka got brought back in resonance days just to continue her trend of being the universe's chewtoy

Bring meguca is suffering actually statistical error, Sayaka Miki who is constantly miserable and never has a good day is an outlier adn shouldnt be counted

See, I'd agree with you, if suffering wasn't literally a feature of being meguca.

Exhibit A: Homura.

Exhibit B: Kyoko.

Exhibit C: Mami.

I could go on.

Actually, this does bring up an interesting point. One thing I've always found fascinating about PMMM is that right up to the point when Homura accidentally timelooped her crush into becoming the most important person in the universe, there was NOTHING special about any one of them. These girls are literally just a small handful out of millions, and their dreams, heartbreaks, suffering, and deaths are just business as usual for Kyubey, nothing more than a few more marks to be used up and discarded before moving onto the next ones.

But then he made the mistake of contracting a certain self-loathing gay Catholic teenager, thereby ensuring that the suffering would reach critical mass, resulting in a full system reboot.

But bringing things back to your original point, Sayaka's suffering is what drew me into the series in the first place, so of course I had to continue it!

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c0mradepete · 10 months

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Vagina Obscura: Legitimation, Authority, and Authenticity in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Episode Transcript

About a month ago, I came across a brand new podcast series through Apple titled Unruly. American art influencer and writer Kimberly Drew serves as the host, and here is how she sums up the series at the beginning of each episode: “Where we take the quiet ways women’s bodies are commodified, defined, regulated and we name them – out loud. We wanna educate and support each other. Because your body is your business” (1:33). So far, Drew and her featured guests have covered topics such as social media, the beauty industry, fertility treatments, and menopause. Unruly has become one of my favorite podcasts so far, and while I would absolutely love to cover everything about the series, this blog post will strictly focus on “Episode 3: Body Language”. In this episode, Drew speaks with Rachel E. Gross, the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage”. In this book, Gross informs the audience about a growing movement to reclaim how women’s bodies are described within the medical industry. We shall be analyzing the episode’s content by using Craig Martin’s concepts of legitimation, authority, and authenticity from his book A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion.de 3: Body Language”. In this episode, Drew speaks with Rachel E. Gross, the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage”. In this book, Gross informs the audience about a growing movement to reclaim how women’s bodies are described within the medical industry. We shall be analyzing the episode’s content by using Craig Martin’s concepts of legitimation, authority, and authenticity from his book A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion.

In earlier chapters from A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion, Martin informs his audience about how social reproduction, or conformity, takes place through socialization. In Chapter 7: “How Religion Works: Legitimation”, Martin expounds on the notion of conformity further by introducing us to the concept of legitimation. Martin writes, “What happens when ‘that’s just the way things are’ doesn’t suffice as an answer? What happens when individuals probe further and require further justifications? This is when societies turn to what scholars call ‘legitimation’” (103). Basically, people are more likely to participate in a social norm if there is a good enough reason, and people are also more likely to participate if there is a danger or consequence as a result of refusing to comply. So, where can we find legitimation within Drew and Gross’ exchange? At some point in the episode, Drew shifts the conversation towards the experience of intersex folks in America. According to Gross, after an intersex person is born, it is not unusual for a doctor to perform a surgery to make the child’s genitalia appear “normal”. It should be noted that these people do not get to consent to these operations when they take place. Based on Gross’ inputs, we can see that medical professionals legitimize these surgeries by claiming “‘there’s a natural state of being that’s having men and women’” (10:34). Although there is no real danger to living in a world where the gender binary does not exist, these doctors are quite insistent about keeping sex and gender strictly male and female, or man and woman.

The next concept we will discuss is authority, and Martin has a lot to say about it as well as its various forms. The following statement from Chapter 8: “How Religion Works: Authority” stood out to me the most: “A second type of authority is linked to religious figures or social positions above one in a social hierarchy…For those who claim to be adherents to these traditions, the actions or commands of these authoritative figures have a special, important, or sacred status” (121). One example from Unruly comes to mind when I reflect on this. Firstly, Drew asks Gross how long the negative language surrounding women’s bodies has existed, and Gross dates this back all the way to Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician. According to Gross, he “did decide to name the genitals and he named them ancient Greek for ‘the part for which you should be ashamed…’” (18:18). Gross also briefly mentions that Hippocrates did not look at any actual female bodies; instead, he relied on whatever the midwives told him. Okay, so how does this affect us now? As more scientists and doctors began to research human anatomy, more shame-based terms were adopted. For instance, the French and German languages use words for “shame” to create a new word to describe a part of the female anatomy. For those who are unaware, Hippocrates is still relatively important when it comes to modern medicine; in fact, doctors swear to follow the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge to follow a specific code of ethical behavior. So, one could argue that since Hippocrates is a key figure in the history of medicine and healthcare, he holds credibility or authority over contemporary doctors. As a result of this status, many doctors continue to use language which does not feel inclusive for the majority of patients.

Finally, in the ninth chapter of his book, Martin touches on authenticity. He refers to this concept as a rhetorical power play; in other words, claiming authenticity “sets up a binary opposition between ‘the real’ or authentic and ‘the unreal’ or inauthentic—between an ‘us’ and a ‘them’” (146). This explanation is arguably pretty straightforward, and similarly to legitimation, we can see this concept at play. Towards the end of this episode, Gross concludes her thoughts by offering some advice to the folks tuning in to Unruly. She says, “There is a dynamic that can happen in the doctor’s office that we are all susceptible to…where they’re sort of an authority figure and you’re sort of the patient and…it’s like frowned upon to ask too many questions or to bring in your own research” (25:20). Although Martin uses religious-oriented events or people to describe authenticity, we can clearly see some sort of divide between the patient and the doctor. This divide can occur for many reasons; for instance, some women may feel hesitant about vocalizing their concerns because they feel intellectually inferior to the doctor. Although these women know their own bodies better than anyone else and are totally capable of doing personal research, they may feel like they lack credibility in their opinion because they do not have a professional degree. Furthermore, America’s healthcare system is designed to be fast-paced and offer quick solutions. Some Americans are completely aware of this, and they may feel as though they will be an inconvenience or a burden if they decide to ask multiple follow-up questions or ask for an alternative solution to their ailment. Essentially, the system appears to discourage patients from “overstepping” their role and questioning what a doctor suggests initially.

If one were to parse through the other episodes of Unruly, one may find more examples of religious concepts. However, it is safe to say that Episode 3: “Body Language” shows how we can use religious concepts like legitimation, authority, and authenticity to critically analyze popular culture and social norms.

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noramoya · 2 years

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FORMER MICHAEL JACKSON SPOKESPERSON MAKES SURPRISING REVELATIONS ABOUT THE KING OF POP•••

''Michael Jackson… The name still resonates with millions around the world, evoking dozens of hit songs and unforgettable performances that were an other–worldly experience for those who witnessed it – Michael Jackson at the height of his powers. I was one of Michael's biggest fans, long before I started working for him, so when I got a call from Michael saying he wanted me to be his official spokesperson and publicist, it was a dream come true ! I was thrilled, needless to say, when I heard his gentle voice on the other end of the line saying, “Stuart, I just want to say how happy I am to have you on board as part of the team. I can't wait to meet you. I just want to say, 'Welcome'." I reflected on that special moment as I sat at the Neil Simon Theater in New York earlier this year, waiting for the curtain to rise on another sold-out MJ performance: The Michael Jackson Musical.

I started working for Michael in the spring of 2002 as part of a new management team that was dedicated to reviving Michael's career, not just through his music, but through a number of visionary ventures that would further his artistic vision. I still have vivid memories of those heady, emotional days and our first meeting when I flew to Neverland from Vancouver. As I drove through the iconic gates on a sunny morning, past the thousands of flowers that lined the shaded walkways, the melodic strains of Walt Disney, coming from cleverly hidden speakers, gently drew me into the magical world of Neverland. Michael was having lunch in the courtyard behind his impressive Tudor home, so I joined him, his nanny Grace Rwaramba, Blanket, Paris and Prince, aged eleven months and five and six years old respectively, along with their manager Dieter Wiesner who he met in Germany in 1995 and who has become a father figure to him over the years. “Nice to meet you, Stuart,” he said, shaking my hand enthusiastically. A strong, firmer grip than I'd expected.

He introduced me to Paris and Prince, explaining that I worked for him and that I was from Canada. Paris' eyes widened. I didn't know what she'd read or knew about Canada, but she was curious about my country, for the words tumbled out of her mouth with engaging naivety: "Does it always snow in Canada, Stuart?" she asked. I smiled. “No, Paris, and we don't all live in igloos either.” She laughed. Dieter, Michael and I discussed the team's plans for his career and I spoke to him about his fans, telling him how lucky he was to have the best fans in the world, and that we planned to reach them in new and unprecedented ways. Michael responded immediately, saying how much he loved his fans and appreciated their support. “Stuart, outside of my family, my fans are the most important thing to me. I want you to do whatever you can to help me connect with them in a more personal way. Team members and I took Michael's directive seriously, initiating a series of events that did just that.

We orchestrated his return to Gary, Indiana, throwing a lavish 45th birthday party at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles with the help of Michael Jackson's fan clubs, which once again proved his enduring commitment to its idol. We opened the gates of Neverland to fans at a charity event which brought Michael an enormous sense of satisfaction. I think Michael's return to Gary was the most significant for him. Returning to his roots was truly a healing experience and I don't think he's ever signed so many autographs in one day ! “I want Dieter to show everything here at Neverland,” Michael said when we were done talking. “I want you to see all of this. Dieter and I hopped on a golf cart for a tour of the property so that I could see the famous landmarks I had read so much about, including the zoo with its elephant, a gift from Elizabeth Taylor, giraffes and assorted other exotic animals. When we got back Michael asked if Dieter had shown me the cinema. We just walked past it, but didn't go inside. “You have to see it,” said Michael. "I'll take you there." So I jumped in the golf cart again and we were off, arriving moments later. Michael led me into the lobby and proudly showed me the theater itself with its fifty burgundy seats.

“Stuart, I want to show you something,” he said. He opened a side door and I followed him into a large room with about a dozen hangers with their costumes, uniforms and also sequined gloves. "Stuart, check this out," he said, taking a black hat from a basket and tossing it over his head with a mischievous smile. He started moonwalking. I was transfixed, mesmerized by the illusion of Michael walking backwards and I, feeling a shiver run through me as I witnessed him perform his iconic dance move. He did it twice beside the mirror — a private performance by the legend himself. I felt so privileged in that moment, so touched by his generosity of spirit and his gift of friendship. What do you think of that, Stuart? he chuckled, lifting his hat and smiling at me. “Here, I want you to have this,” he said, tossing me his hat. “I know we will do great things together.” We returned home and joined Dieter and I said goodbye. To my surprise, as I was leaving, he ran out of the house with a book in his hand. “Stuart,” he yelled. “I want you to have this.” I knew Michael loved comics and had always wanted to buy Marvel so he perhaps hoped the team could help him rekindle that dream as he delivered to me, Comic Wars: How Two Tycoons Battled Over the Marvel Comics Empire — And Both Lost, by Dan raviv.

I opened it and read the inscription he'd written: "Stuart, thank you so much for your help and please don't make plans for the next decade." Sadly, Michael's career would begin the down–ward spiral that would end in his tragic and untimely death. Yes, memories of Michael came back to me at the Neil Simon Theater as the show unfolded, a brilliant montage of Michael Jackson hits from Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and so many others, performed by the brilliant Myles Frost. The show was spectacular, with a standing ovation at the end. I knew then, without a doubt, that Michael was back. His tarnished reputation was rapidly fading from memory, and his music and artistry remained invincible. After the show, I mingled with the crowd outside on 42nd Street, soaking up the excitement that only blockbuster Broadway shows can provide, and congratulating Myles the next day on his incredible performance. Michael wasn't just back, his legacy as the greatest artist in history is assured. I remembered what Brian Oxman, his longtime associate, had told me when I joined the team as Michael's spokesman: “Working for Michael Jackson is almost mystical. It is an experience you will never forget, something that will stay with you for the rest of your life.”

Michael is gone now, but his memory lives on in the hearts and minds of his millions of fans around the world, who keep the flame of Michael's life and spirit burning brightly in their hearts. Yes, he truly was the King of Pop, but he was also a kind spirit who tried to make the world a better place through his art, lift humanity out of its suffering, and create a better future for children. Children of this Earth. I believe it's important to remember that and simply honor the soul of Michael Jackson." — by Stuart Backerman

@swift-fated @mjjofficial @mjslays @mj-fans-alliance-blog @mjjsourcesblog @annievvv7 @anniemjjloverr @anneke-treasure @anniemjjloverr @lisabrown-mjfan

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saddestarcade · 2 years

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Wednesday Thoughts

First first, I think I finally have new special interest that can replace HP for me. My brain has been v bored and longed for new media to dissect. I’ve already watched the entire series twice and it came out less than a week ago.

I’ve seen a bunch of discourse on the Wednesday/Enid ship and the seemingly forced love triangle w/ Tyler and Xavier. I have some thoughts. Firstly, I think Enid, if anything, is bi. My evidence: her hair and nails throughout the series are pink, blue, and purple. Second, I actually find the love triangle to be a novel take on the trope. Sure, the guys are fighting over Wednesday and being zero communicative as to why they hate each other for like 4 episodes, however, Wednesday is not really conflicted in her feelings. I’ll get into the spoilery parts of that after the page break. Thirdly, Wednesday reminds me a lot of myself in middle and high school. I’m straight and absolutely OBLIVIOUS when women are hitting on me, but I also feel that my female (all iterations) relationships are the most important. Like besties before testies (of the cis varietal), know what I mean. Which was very confusing when I was a teen when girls gave me their numbers or asked for mine and I sincerely thought they just wanted to be friends. So regardless if they actually go the Wenid route, it’s ENTIRELY plausible Enid has a crush on Wednesday and Wednesday is like this is my friend and I will murder anyone who hurts her...

Oh wait, that happened in the show when Enid was going to meet Ajax. Now to the love triangle. Tyler and Xavier both read way too much into their interactions with Wednesday. Wednesday is firmly convinced Xavier is the murderer for the majority of the series and all of her interactions are to get the truth from him. I do think she genuinely likes Tyler which makes the betrayal all the more poignant. Especially because you aren’t sure, right up until the very end, if he was a willing participant or not. She will bounce back quickly because love and romantic relationships are not her priority, obvi. Maybe Wednesday and Xavier will become a thing if there is a season 2 but I don’t think it necessarily needs to happen. If Wednesday and Enid become a thing, that is also great, but again not necessary. Just keep giving me my goth Nancy Drew series. Thank you.

#wednesday #wednesday addams #wednesday netflix #wenid #nevermore academy

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naancypants · 3 years

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I don't mean this to be rude, but what do you think are the moments of romantic buildup between Nancy and Ace in season 1? Because we are being told it was this slow burn relationship but from season 1 to season 2 I felt like Nancy's feelings for Ace came out of nowhere... like did she and Ace spend any significant time together bonding in season 1 or even season 2? I can't remember. All I remember is Nancy having unresolved feelings for Nick, and her weird reaction to finding out he was with George. It's like Nace went from 0 to 100 and I just want to understand where the feelings or bond even came from with them, because I don't feel their bond yet but during the season 2 finale, it was clear we are supposed to ship them. But I still feel like I'm waiting for them to do anything engaging together beyond just existing around the periphery of each other if that makes sense. I either missed the "buildup", or moment when everything changed between them, or Nace is retroactively being presented as Nancy's important romance now. Idk it feels off to me. I only watched the show once, but I feel like the story should be clear and I feel caught off guard with Nace.

Hi! This is fascinating to me because, like you, I don't mean to be rude, but I genuinely cannot imagine not picking up on the romantic buildup of Nancy and Ace 😄

The season 1 era of slowburn was about laying the foundation, developing their friendship, and establishing how their dynamic works. There wasn't anything inherently romantic except for some small moments of "???" chemistry that isn't there between other combinations of the Drew crew.

These small moments are what planted the early seeds - towards the end of s1, Nancy started to view Ace as this fascinating mystery of a human being (and we know that "girls love mystery"), but also as someone she can feel safe with ("If I find the words, I will share them with you") - at that point in the series this was a BIG DEAL!!! Even now Nancy isn't always one to wear her heart on her sleeve, but her natural inclination to open up with Ace specifically has been there & consistent since 1x18. This is a surprising phenomenon for Nancy, so in a way it draws her in - and it signals to the audience that there's something special about this person.

Season 2 is when the writers decided to lean into this relationship that many viewers (myself included) were already feeling the potential for. Season 2 regularly highlights Nancy's growing feelings for Ace, which picks up in episode 7 when he meets Amanda for the first time.

Even the season 2 premiere ended with Nancy and Ace having a raw heart-to-heart about Ace's fear of losing his crew, and more specifically, losing her - this was a way of setting the tone for their relationship moving forward. It's basically the writers saying "hey *wink wink* look how much they care about each other! *nudge nudge* keep that in your mind!" The vibe of this scene is very much not the vibe that would be presented if it were Nancy and George, or even Ace and Bess. With Nancy and Ace it's a little bit nervous, a little harder around the edges, because there's something underneath it that hasn't come to fruition yet.

By the time we get to 2x12 and 2x13, Nancy's feelings are starting to become clearer; subconsciously for her, but more obviously for viewers.

If you watched 2x13 without feeling the excruciatingly palpable Nancy/Ace angst dripping off the screen, then I truly don't know what to tell you 😅 the majority of that episode was dedicated to building tension between them, even going so far as to have Amanda - Ace's girlfriend! - point out that there's a "vibe" between him & Nancy.

I do recommend watching the show again with all of this in mind if you're struggling with it. Obviously I can't force you to see anything, but this is how their relationship reads to me as I'm sure was the writers' intention (seeing as where we are now). They do have a subtle buildup, but the best buildup is always subtle. Nancy/Ace is rooted in friendship and trust and knowing the other person inside & out, not necessarily in moments of physicality and heart eyes (although Nancy & Ace have those things as well, if you're looking). This is why Nancy's feelings for Ace are manifesting so differently than her feelings for Owen, or Gil, or Park, or even Nick - Ace is her best friend, her partner in crime. He is able to see through her and connect with her emotionally unlike anyone else can, and that's where her feelings developed from. It's softer, quieter, more vulnerable, and therefore scarier for her to act on. Nancy's dreamscape in 2x18 was her awakening to all that's been building in her subconscious over time, which as an audience, we got to see glimmers of throughout season 2.

#a journey through the buildup of nace #sorry if you weren't looking for an essay jsjdhxxj. they're my number 1 otp right now so i don't have much moderation 😂#nace #nancy x ace #cwnd #cw nancy drew #nancy drew #analysis post #ask #long post #*success

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sc-aroshark · 2 years

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I still remember the day I first watched Yugioh. My cousin and I were scrolling through shows on my TV and I saw Yugioh on the screen as we went around. I honestly can’t explain what drew me to it in that moment but I had that sense of deep curiosity about it. For years of my life I just threw it aside and thought of it as ridiculous while I watched Pokemon, but that one day I thought “I want to see what it’s really about.”

That would be the day that would change my life, even just a little bit. We giggled through episode 1 and watched episode 2 talking amongst ourselves saying “this is so ridiculous!!” And then watched episode 3 and then watched all of season 1. I still remember the very moment I thought to myself “wow I really love this show.”

I wasn’t able to finish duel monsters at the time for whatever reasons I had, but 4 years later I picked the show back up again, and then proceeded to watch nearly every single spin off until that point. Never did the math but I easily watched 1000 episodes in that moment in time. It’s quite literally taken over my life, for lack of a better phrase.

Takahashi singlehandedly created one of the most important franchises ever and changed how we played and viewed card games forever, on top of changing the landscape for shounen series going forward. The Yugioh franchise has become an indescribable success and created so many more stories to tell beyond just his original work.

He was a genius, both artistically and in writing, and one of the smartest game designers of our era.

To die in such a seemingly random and senseless way hurts us all, and at such a young age too no less. However, at that young age he accomplished more than any can even hope to dream of, and that just shows how deeply special he was. I wish nothing but the best to his family, this is hitting them harder than anyone else.

Rest In Peace Takahashi. We’ll all miss you.

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tempenensis · 3 years

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Jujutsu Kaisen: Abyss of Math Course - part 1

The title already makes me shiver in fear.

This is the lesson-slash-interview with math professor that Takano-san (T-san) did. Hino-san (H-san) was actually his academic advisor when T-san was in university, while Sonoda-san (S-san) was his senior. This interview will be divided into four parts.

Jujutsu Kaisen have a lot maths?

T: Actually the two of you had checked the formula and wording during Jujutsu Kaisen vol. 14 and 15. Thank you for that!

H: No, no, that’s all because my daughter and son are big fans of Jujutsu Kaisen.

S: Me too. Thanks for letting me read it. It’s very interesting.

T: In Jujutsu Kaisen, “how do they fight under established constraint” is one of the fun of the battle. And due of it, math is considered. Then a question arised, “Akutami-sensei won’t actually explain the math of all jutsushiki, right?”, so I, Grade-2 master of Math, could not compete. This is the reason I thought to call the two of you, Special-grade masters of Math, to give an explanation.

H: I don’t think I can do such huge things (laugh). For example, Todo clapping his hands to swap places, and Awasaka’s ‘Abekobe’ are math, right?

S: Seems like you can express ‘Abekobe’ if you can use logarithm or negative function of differential well (Board 1).

H: As Awasaka said, if “the damage given” is input x and “the damage received” is output y, the larger the x is, then y becomes smaller. In reverse, the smaller the x is, the value of y becomes larger. However, by that definition, the rule is can only be applied in the specific domain. He is someone who has technique with such formula.

T: Actually, when they use cursed technique, you think the users have mathematical equations inside their mind, right?

S: Actually, our work involves modelling, so thinking about the math of a phenomenon is very fun

T: I’m glad you said so! In these 8 pages, we’ll talk a lot with Gojo Satoru in the center!

Board 1: In the specific domain (=the number range of input), monotone decrease function is applied, Awasaka's ability can be turned into a math formula!

Awasaka was the opponent who fought Itadori and Fushiguro. By using his "Abekobe" ability, the damage of strong attack becomes small, caused the two of them to struggle. After they saw through him that weak attack becomes huge damage, he lost to Itadori.

cont'd under the cut.

Complete consideration of Limitless cursed technique: Red, Blue

T: Well then, in the volume 15, I had considered that limitless cursed technique is something like the action of scaling, but I regretted that it might have more serious math. The image that Akutami-sensei hold is like the problem of “Achilles and the Turtle”. But I couldn’t write properly about the number sequence. The two of you have always been more knowledgeable on math than me.

S: In the first place, the techniques that Gojo usually use are three, right?

H: Yes, Cursed technique lapse, “Blue” and Cursed technique reversal, “Red”, and void formula “Purple”. First, let’s try to write the definition and assumption clearly. Describing it first is important after all. I drew it on the table (Board 2).

T: Limitless cursed technique is a cursed technique that uses infinity.

H: That is the engine, right?

S: By using that, “Blue” can attract, “Red” can repel, while “Purple” is the mix of two. Hearing only the words make them seem like a riddle.

H: Isn’t using this description already make sense? This seems like a job for researcher (laugh)

Limitless Cursed technique

He can make infinity in the space between him and his enemy, so the enemy who approaches him feels like they get further. As such, he does not let them touch him.

Approaching near becomes further away = they are stopped.

By applying this he is able to exert the power to attract, which is cursed technique lapse "Blue"

Furthermore, reversing the operation resulting in cursed technique reversal "Red".

Mixing the two resulted in void formula "Purple"

T: Akutami-sensei hold the idea of Achilles and the turtle. The time sequence is counted as infinity so they will never arrive.

H: This assumption is that, if you apply the process to reach, it has no end. Because time is a continuous thing, you can fit it into the frame of infinity, and if you apply that, there’s no end to it.

T: That’s right. If seen from 0.1 second window, one second has 10 frames. If seen from 0.01 second window, 100 frames. But in this case of 0.00000…01 second, if you add more 0 in between, you can increase the number of frames.

S: This, something approaching make it into convergent sequence, so there’s a point after all, to slow them down is the key, right? Saying it simply, if the convergence of convergent sequence can be slowed down, the convergent series of the situation is sorted, right? If you have a different sort of line…then you will get such formula (Board 2). The operation done using this sorting is “Blue”. In this sorting, extreme distance beyond N becomes larger than ɛ.

H: I see. So, it’s “Riemann series theorem”. If the subject (the person who receives jutsushiki) considers to converge the technique, it doesn’t look like convergent series (laugh).

S: Gojo is unpleasant guy (laugh)

T: Is that really a bad guy…

H: As an alternative, it seems fine to use the idea of strengthening the phase. Phase is, saying it simply, an established rule of what will happen if we include the two points in the same open set (group). Weak phase is the circumstance of “Together no matter what. You and me and everyone else are the same”, while strong phase is “Each point is separate, everyone is different.” The phase and distance “belong in the same group” in the assumption for scale. So, in theory, Gojo is able to control the weakness or strength of the phase.

T: This becomes difficult right away, but I’ll sort it a bit. So it seems that Gojo is able to tweak the concept of “near” and “far”. He can tweak the feeling of the enemy who thought “near!”. For example, if they are separated 1000 meters away, he can make them think “he’s near!”. In reverse, he can also control the phase to make the opponent think 1 m as “that’s far!”.

S: In the norm of finite dimensional space, the established phase is each other is equivalent, but for the time being, the details don’t matter. In the infinite dimension, that kind of things happen.

(to part 2)

#jujutsu kaisen #translation #gojo satoru #abyss of math

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maverick-werewolf · 4 years

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Modern Dragon Designs - Where they came from

Your regularly scheduled werewolf facts will return soon. For now, we provide this special, because you may not realize this, but I love dragons. There’s a reason one of my protagonists is basically obsessed with dragons.

Once upon a time, there was a movie - I don’t see anyone talk about it, I’m not even sure how many people are familiar with it...

It’s called Reign of Fire.

This movie shaped the modern Hollywoodian concept of dragons. Seriously, it did. Hear me out.

Released in 2002, Reign of Fire was a movie about - essentially - dragons as that age-old trope of “let’s take one monster and turn them into an overpopulated zombie plague so we can use them to tell a story about humans and make the monster just this brainless evil locust swarm backdrop.” This has happened to a lot of monsters by now.

But wait, these dragons aren’t like the dragons you might be used to: these dragons were completely redesigned from the ground up by the filmmaker(s) in order to make a more “realistic” and “animalistic” dragon that was acceptable by Hollywood, who generally views “dragon movies” (like so many other fantasy things...) as cheesy and silly. Market your movie as a film about dragons and you probably won’t get a deal. Well, turns out, coming up with your own gritty dragon designs worked!

Doesn’t this remind you of every other dragon you’ve seen in a movie for the last, you know, 18 years? Although it actually looks quite a bit cooler than those other ones that came after it

Please note that while I may sound sarcastic, jaded, and often maybe a bit scathing, I mean nothing against the creators of Reign of Fire or director Rob Bowman. I watched the movie in theaters when it released. I applaud Bowman for coming up with unique and interesting dragon designs, in order to have a different take on the creatures, so that they fit the story he wanted to tell, instead of doing what so many people do and completely co-opting concepts without trying to alter them to fit anything and... yeah... okay, I’m not going to talk about werewolf things in this post. Getting back on track:

What I don’t applaud is everyone ripping off Reign of Fire for their own dragons, doubly so because most of these people didn’t even take into account the reasons why it was designed that way. They should have left his dragons alone and come up with their own thing, but at least I guess Bowman can go down in history as the man who designed every Hollywood dragon for over a decade to come - with no signs of stopping - even down to the tail shape.

On Vice, you can find an article and interview with Rob Bowman, the director of Reign of Fire, discussing how he came up with this dragon design and how influential it has become. I highly recommend giving it a read.

Please note the Vice article is clearly written with the bias of someone who “can’t take dragons seriously,” so it’s also a good look at the Hollywood mindset about dragons and how much Hollywood treats fantasy in general like garbage (jerks).

It’s impossible to pretend this movie didn’t basically reshape modern dragons. Let’s get to the details...

Animalistic Design

Dragons in popular culture are generally - or at least they were generally - assumed to be powerful, intelligent creatures, often of a higher nature than humans and other mere mortals. They may be good or evil, but one can’t understate that traditional fantasy dragons are regal and majestic either way.

Reign of Fire wanted to usurp the majestic, intelligent dragon image, creating a smaller, hunched, knuckle-dragging sort of dragon that looks more like an animal - like a pteranodon. This is because the dragons in Reign of Fire are not exceptionally intelligent, noble beings that speak and hoard gold and have the wisdom of the ages. They are brutal hunters that set things on fire and eat everything smaller than them. So this design choice was a conscious one and a smart one.

The dragons in Reign of Fire are meant to be more scientific, more plausible, and also simpler, in a manner of speaking. They are not colorful, magical, ancient fantasy dragons...

Trouble is, everyone took cues from this design for their talking wise noble fantasy dragons, and it... doesn’t really work, at least if you ask me.

The dragon design in Reign of Fire looks like an ancestral throwback, an evolutionary ancestor to the intelligent, talking fantasy dragon, although they are smaller. They’re hunched, they haven’t evolved forelegs independent of their wings... you get the idea. Take a look at the “proto-drakes” in World of Warcraft versus the ordinary drakes, which have tiny dangly T-rex forelegs that haven’t fully developed yet, so they walk like the Reign of Fire dragons.

A proto-drake in World of Warcraft - also say hi to my worgen warrior

So many things taking this design for their intelligent, “higher being” dragons seems kind of... odd to me, to say the least. Unfortunately, Hollywood decided that’s the only way moviegoers can “take dragons seriously,” so here we are.

“Wyvern” - Two Legs vs Four

Municipal arms of Stjørdal, Norway

In medieval heraldry, there came to be a creature called a wyvern. Now, the etymology on the term “wyvern” is a little shaky. It originally didn’t specifically refer to a “two-legged dragon.” It is thought to mean/be derived from words meaning anything ranging from “asp” to “light javelin,” and essentially boils down to a flying serpent. It is noteworthy, of course, that the word “dragon” basically just means “serpent” too.

In heraldry, though, “wyvern” came to refer to a two-legged dragon - at least, if you ask the English, Scottish, and Irish; elsewhere in Europe, they may not be so picky. And now, in modern pop culture (such as Dungeons and Dragons), we often use it in the same sense.

Wyverns weren’t really a “thing” in folklore, just as dragons in folklore didn’t look like our modern idea of a dragon. It’s debatable whether the father of our modern concept of dragons, Fafnir (from whom Tolkien drew inspiration for Smaug), even had wings at all; he was essentially a serpent, perhaps with legs. Point is, wyverns come from heraldry, especially the specificity of two legs versus four.

So now you know why you might see a lot of people (myself included) referring to this design as a “wyvern design” for a dragon.

Dull Coloration - Grey and Brown over Red, Blue, Green...

There’s something else - something very important - that Hollywood took from Reign of Fire... the concept that dragons aren’t pretty colors and are, in fact, various hues of grey and brown, and any more contrasting colors are just vague indications instead of bright red scales.

Now, Reign of Fire obviously did this because - again - they were going for the more animalistic, natural look as opposed to the mysterious majestic magical being look. Okay, that’s fine. But then Hollywood decided that fantasy, too, has to be devoid of dragons with bright colors.

The green dragon in Game of Thrones

There are countless examples of this in modern media. Any dragon that was previously brightly colored has been dulled pretty much to an extreme. Sometimes you might catch a fleeting glimpse of them looking like a brighter shade, but it was probably just a trick of the light. Why? Because all dragons are desaturated to the point of being almost indistinguishable by color.

The golden dragon in The Witcher Netflix series

This is also why you see so many mods on the Skyrim Nexus called things like “true red dragon.”

There are plenty more examples of this - I’m sure you can see the difference when you look at those dragons and other modern film dragons over, say, something like this...

Red dragon in D&D

And now we move on to...

The Fire Breathing - Chemicals, not Magic

Bowman insisted on ditching traditional fire breathing (you don't want the audience wondering whether the dragon's mouth is being burnt up with every flame) and again looked to the animal kingdom for inspiration. The king cobra, once again, was a great starting point. It doesn't spray fire, but it can spit its venom. Even more useful was the bombardier beetle, which shoots two chemicals from its abdomen that, once mixed, create a hot, burning spray. Bowman used these real-world examples to inspire his own dragons. They don't breathe fire exactly, but rather spit chemicals from two different sacks in their mouths that, when combined, ignite. "That's anatomy. That's already been designed, so we're going to draw from there," he said.

(quoted from the Vice article linked to earlier in this post)

The Hungarian Horntail in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - fire is streaming from two separate organs in the mouth, but they aren’t chemicals mixing together like in Reign of Fire...

The director of Reign of Fire wanted his dragons to be more natural in that they breathe fire through organic means, based on chemical reactions, instead of the usual dragon magic. But lots of people loved this “mouth flap”/”mouth organ” design with “streams” of fire coming from the mouth instead of fire flowing directly from the dragon’s throat, so now you see it pretty dang often.

Horns? Brow Ridges!

Another thing that is basically out now in dragon designs is the real horns of many traditional dragons, like Spyro, and like the dragons in Dungeons & Dragons used to have.

These days, it’s all about brow ridges and big spiny scales that aren’t separate horns, they’re just big pointed scales or piles of scales or bone ridges - and they aren’t a different color than the dragon’s scales, either, pretty often. And, in general, dragon’s horns have become much smaller and far more numerous, and more like spines/ridges, as opposed to the great, sweeping horns of classical dragons.

Firkraag, the red dragon, in the D&D video game Baldur’s Gate II, from 2000

Firkraag is a very traditional dragon. Now, while Dungeons & Dragons has generally kept more traditional dragons (yay!), they did fall into the brow ridge horn thing - although they, thankfully, didn’t make the horns smaller and subtler and more numerous little spikes, like so many other modern dragon designs. They also went with the brow ridge horns for tieflings (once humans with demon blood, then some weird thing in 4E, and now I think they’re humans with demon blood again), as opposed to the ordinary horns of the tieflings in previous editions of D&D.

Skyrim dragon head concept art

The Desolation of Smaug(’s design)

Here is... a big one. Here, we’ll talk some about the production of The Hobbit films over time, so we’re going behind the scenes.

Alright, so we all know Smaug, probably, by pop culture osmosis if nothing else. He is the quintessential dragon. He’s basically the founder of all Western dragon concepts: he’s big, he’s red, he hoards gold, he’s extremely intelligent and talks, etc. You get the picture. Every dragon that we have borrowed at least something from Smaug. And, in turn, he was inspired by Fafnir, the father of all our dragon concepts, from Norse mythology - but Tolkien took it all a step further and created the concept of dragons that we have today. Or, well, the not Reign of Fire ones. The fantasy ones.

A map drawn by Tolkien: notice the winged, four-legged Smaug over his mountain

During the first Hobbit movie, An Unexpected Journey, we see Smaug attack the Lonely Mountain...

In this clip, you can plainly see that Smaug has four legs. This was actually edited slightly for later editions of the movie, or so I’ve heard (I haven’t watched any later editions).

I can tell you for certain that when I saw the theatrical release, it was like this, too. It is apparent throughout the scene that Smaug has four legs and wings, separately. I know because I was paying very, very close attention, because I was going to be very upset if Hollywood turned Smaug into a wyvern.

Well, they did - later.

Smaug the wyvern looking like just another slightly different take on the bog-standard Hollywood dragon

Apparently, some studio exec decided that having a traditional fantasy dragon, even if this dragon happens to be frelling Smaug himself, would not be okay in this modern Hollywood world. So we ended up with a dull reddish spiney hunching knuckle-dragging wyvern with an angler mouth (I’m sorry; I really am sorry if you like the design, that’s totally fine, it’s a fine design, I am glad you enjoyed it, but Smaug shouldn’t have looked that way IMO and forgive me but I am still in pain over it) in place of a more traditional dragon that held more to things like, I dunno, how Tolkien himself drew Smaug. Smaug’s movie design flies right in the face of that and destroyed our chance to finally see a proper traditional dragon done justice on the big screen.

Tolkien’s art of Smaug - note the position of the forelegs, separate from the wings, like in the earlier map

This is all just one big example why we should be thankful that The Lord of the Rings films were all shot in one go, so no one could alter important things like the design of the fantasy genre’s father of all dragons, in the middle of production. Of course, the production on The Hobbit movies was a nightmare at best, as you can read about in assorted other articles, and Peter Jackson was very unhappy with what the studio had him do to the series. All of that is just another story, I suppose.

Dragons Redesigned by Reign of Fire: Example List

Now that we’ve gone over just a few of the talking points about Reign of Fire’s dragon designs (although I didn’t even get into the flat, spaded tail look in detail), here’s an undoubtedly incomplete list of several examples that have either entirely taken the design and/or were massively influenced by it...

(please note that not everything in this list held entirely to Reign of Fire’s design, obviously; some have the fire, some don’t; some have horns, some have head/brow ridges; but all of them are wyverns and most are darkly-colored)

Skyrim - Obvious influence with the general design, skin/scales and ridges design, as well as coloration; however, it is noteworthy that the Elder Scrolls has had dragons with no forelegs since at least 1998, in the game Redguard - though that dragon was also very brightly-colored (also of note: Peryite, while technically a Daedric prince and not a dragon, had four legs at least as far back as Daggerfall in 1996)

The Hobbit films, specifically The Desolation of Smaug onward - as mentioned before

Harry Potter movies - Wholesale. Two streams of fire from mouth flaps in Goblet of Fire, generally dull greyish and/or brownish colorations, no forelegs, short/simple horns that are mostly ridges...

Gods of Egypt - The giant fire-breathing cobras have the mouth flaps

Game of Thrones - This one’s pretty obvious too.

Disney’s Maleficent - In the new live action Disney movie(s), the dragon falls right into this design (though the fire doesn’t come from mouth flaps)

Netflix Witcher series - Villentretenmerth is very much a wyvern design and a dull shade, and he in fact has no horns at all, even though dragons weren’t portrayed this way in any previous Witcher adaptations

Stargate SG1 (season 10) - In the episode series “The Quest,” a dragon appears and... well, it looks just like all those other dragons, though the fire does come from its throat.

Beowulf (2008) - I try not to ever talk about or think about this film, but I have to just throw out there that the dragon is very much Reign of Fire, especially with that wyvern design.

Seventh Son - If you can call Malkin a dragon - she was called one, I think - she definitely also has the same kind of dull-colored wyvern design.

Sucker Punch (movie)

Lots and lots of B-movies and direct to DVD/streaming films - Dawn of the Dragonslayer, Dragon (2006), Dragon Crusaders...

Something to note, also, is that cartoons, anime, and other non-film media is mostly - but not entirely - free from this influence. Cartoons especially are free from it, partially because they aren’t influenced by Hollywood producers who want “serious” and “realistic” dragons. Cartoons are allowed to have magical, colorful, four-legged dragons. Unfortunately, we are deprived of those in live action film and television, by and large.

There are still other exceptions - most notably things that were created before this influence, like Dragonheart and its spinoffs and sequels, which have thankfully kept their dragon designs consistent instead of erasing their forelegs.

Of course, why dragons are depicted as four-legged and winged in the first place - and when this depiction arose - is another topic entirely. I’m not going into that right now, seeing as how this post is already preposterously long.

Long story short, I was rewatching the movie Gods of Egypt and, when I saw the giant cobra monsters breathe fire, I was possessed to write this article. Because Reign of Fire’s influence is something I have always noticed ever since its release, and something my brother and I talk about a lot (and everyone who knows me has surely heard me talk about it, too) - because, frankly, it’s always bothered me. My favorite dragons are traditional dragons: four legs, bright colors, wings, horns, breathing fire, the works.

So, although the original creator of these design ideas did something cool and different because he wanted to do his own take on dragons, Hollywood decided that these design cues should be taken to dumb down all dragons forever, the same way that Hollywood has dumbed down so many monster designs so that the only acceptable ones just a bunch of near-replicas of each other, including werewolves.

I think it’s very sad that film producers think you can’t take something like dragons or werewolves seriously unless they are dull, nontraditional, and ugly. And I say ugly in the sense of these are not pretty, majestic fantasy designs - they are, many of them, intended to be ugly. Though I personally also hold the opinion that most of them are ugly regardless of if they are intended to be ugly.

So - now you know! If you haven’t seen Reign of Fire, go check it out to meet the father of modern dragon designs, from the color of their hides to the shape of their bodies, the smaller horns, and - sometimes - even their tails.

(Special thanks to everyone on my discord who helped me compile this list, as well as of course my brother and all our ranting at/with each other on this topic over many years)

If you like this post, maybe you’ll enjoy the rest of my blog, where I post a lot about folklore and all kinds of monsters (especially werewolves)!

Werewolf Facts --- Patreon

#dragons #pop culture #dragon #reign of fire #creature design #folklore #wyvern #wyverns #game of thrones #skyrim #harry potter #the desolation of smaug #the hobbit #movies #film #hollywood #long post #EXTREMELY LONG post

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samanthaswishes · 3 years

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What I Love Most About Daisy Johnson

This is the only day where I struggled to come up with a fic idea for this week, so I decided to just share my own personal thoughts.

When I watched the pilot for the first time on January 1, 2020, I knew from the moment Daisy, then Skye, appeared on my screen that she would be one of my favorite characters in the show. Little did I know that she would soon become my favorite fictional character ever.

It was her line in the very next episode, "100 people with 1% of the solution, that'll get it done," that solidified her as my favorite character. I just knew that there was something special about her.

Now, outside of fanfiction, I feel like I struggle to come up with words, so I hope I do our girl justice as there just aren't enough words to describe my love for her. Here is what I love most about Daisy Johnson:

Her Charisma

This is seen more in season 1 than any other season, but the moment we meet Daisy, we can see just how much charisma and optimism she carried with her. This is what really drew me in during the first few episodes. She seemed to always look on the bright side when things were rough or just try to push through the best she can. Especially after discovering parts of her past, it's stunning just to see how someone who has gone through so much can continue to put a smile on her face. She sees the world in a different light than the rest of the team does, and she finds a way to pull each of them into a new way of understanding. It's certainly one of the reasons Coulson was drawn to her and recruited her. Unfortunately, we don't get a lot of this in later seasons. At least not in the same way it was in season 1.

Her Compassion

Despite growing up with very little, Daisy still carries with her so much compassion and empathy for people. She strives in showing people that she cares about them. She hardly ever thinks about herself before others. The people around her are her first priority. She makes it a point to get an understanding of what people are going through.

She's willing to listen. She's willing to comfort. She's willing to put aside her personal feelings when someone is feeling down or upset. She comforts Mike when he is unable to see his son. She sits with May in the cockpit because she has a better understanding of what she may have gone through even if she doesn't have all the details. She promises to look out for Robin when her father dies. She understands why Robbie has to do what he has to do because of the Ghost Rider. She doesn't force Mack to go through the portal because she sees how important Hope is to him despite knowing that she is just a piece of code in a simulation. She apologizes to Talbot even though she wasn't the one that shot him in the head. She does it because she understands what he is going through when he sees her and genuinely wants him to feel safe around her when he cannot see his wife and kid.

Her Flaws

Daisy isn't perfect. She's stubborn. She may act before thinking from time to time. She sometimes takes on more than she can handle. But that's just it. She's human. Her flaws are what make her human. However, it's not so much her flaws in general, but how she learns and grows from them. Out of all the characters, Daisy is most likely the one who has gone through the most development since the start of the series to the end.

Perfect characters are harder to relate to in my opinion. I found myself in some of Daisy's flaws (stubbornness being a big one for the both of us), and her growth through her flaws is what helped me through mine. Daisy is not one of those characters that other characters have to learn from her flaws in order to deal with her. Daisy actually learns and grows from her mistakes and tries and tries again to be the best version of herself.

Her Strength

As stated previously, Daisy has gone through a lot in her life. She grew up having very little and moving between foster homes and even after she aged out/escaped the system (I don't think it was ever discussed just what happened), she still struggled in life. However, she always managed to push through.

This is seen time and time again in the show. After every battle, after every conflict, Daisy pushes through and comes back stronger than before. Daisy has gone through so much hurt: Foster homes, Miles, Ward, after receiving her powers, her parents, Andrew/Lash, Hive, Lincoln, the Framework, being the believed reason for the end of the world, Fitz's break, Coulson, Sarge, Nathaniel Malick. This girl has just gone through so much, but she always has the courage to push through. She doesn't let these moments pull her down. She allows herself to embrace them and make her stronger. She is truly one of the strongest members on the team.

Her Self-Discovery

Season 2 may not be my favorite season, but it is the one that has a special place in my heart. Daisy's story of identity and self-discovery is one of my favorites from the show. Daisy went from knowing nothing about herself to discovering who she was always meant to be. She learns of her parents. She learns her name. She learns she is Chinese (which I think she definitely already knew, but to actually hear it from a parent is something empowering in my opinion). She learns of her inhuman heritage.

Her story of self-discovery is also very special to me because I am half-Asian myself. Though I am Filipino and she is Chinese, it is still so cool to see someone who is similar to me in a sense be on my TV screen and be such an empowering and inspiring character. Even to this day, I still struggle with my identity, and Daisy's story has really helped me through it.

#djaw21 #djaw21 day 1 #daisy johnson #agents of shield #aos #aos meta

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