#because their pop culture depictions are very similar

[absolxguardian]

Now this technically isn't textual, but the New Mandalorian movement feels like it was bringing a cultural change that already existed among the common people into the halls of power. When you don't have a society that sustains itself economically by constantly invading and exploiting its neighbors, not that many people are going to be warriors. I feel like if you asked the average Mandalorian their opinion on weapon policies they'd say "I really don't care, I'm a baker". (Which is also why I headcanon the Children of the Watch are doing a reactionary imagined past thing. Unless they were an even bigger slave state than Sparta, you need people of your group in support roles and wearing armor all the time is stupid).

Also Mandalorian weapons aren't just a literal source of internal violence. They are symbols of external violence and imperialism. To a lot of other people in the galaxy, it's their version of fascist/imperialist imagery. How would the Ubdurian trade delegation feel if Mandalorian still embraced and elevated the weapons and armor of their genociders?

TCW’s animation choices are questionable AF when it comes to Mandalore: New Mandalore and Death Watch are BOTH super white. True Mandos seem to have been retconned out, so Satine never even interacted with them, and there are no non-human Mandalorians in ANY canon in ANY faction more recently than the Taungs (other than Grogu and that one Twi'lek that married into the Skirata clan in RepComm, but as far as we can hunt down on the Wiki, that’s it), so it’s not like New Mandos OR Death Watch were responsible for the mostly-humans situation.

So, keeping in mind that TCW made ALL Mandalorian factions weirdly white without at any point explaining it (which I’m hesitant to take as actually representative considering the amount of whitewashingthe clones underwent), and other canon inexplicably also has Mandalore very human, I’m going to take visuals off the table for analysis. For all we know, there was a budget squeeze and they had to reuse models even more than the Frozen ballroom scenes, or they were going extra hard on the Star Wars classic of Planetary Monoculture. Until Filoni offers up an explanation for it (e.g. the specific scenes are set on a planet that is space Scandinavia, and planets like Concord Dawn have higher populations of color, similar to how fanon Stewjon is often interpreted as Space Scotland, so the majority of the planet reflects weirdly 1800s Scottish demographics, which aren’t 100% white but get closer than an ecumenopolis like Coruscant).

As such, my question is this: what CANON actions has Satine taken to “strip Mandalorian culture” that are not directly related to gun control?

She bans weapons, and armor (which has built-in weapons), and has people who want to open carry moved to a single planet because they’re functionally asking for permission to walk around with AK-47s for “tradition.”

She does not canonically ban the language; that’s fanon. She does not ban the food, the music, the art, the architecture. There are no mentions of her banning elements of religion that are unrelated to armor.

What actions does Satine canonically, explicitly take that constitute “cultural genocide,” that aren’t based in her non-violence or unexplained animation choices?

[thrashkink-coven]

hey there, would you mind telling me a bit about Lilith and your practice with her? I’ve been trying to do some research on her modern worship, offerings, and signs, but it can be really difficult to find anything that’s serious when there are so many references to her in pop culture :/

Okay so Lilith is extremely, and I mean extremely complicated.

Contrary to popular belief, “Lucifer” isn’t actually a name, but a title. The name Lucifer means “light bringer” in reference to Venus as she appears in the morning, but any “light bringer” can be considered a Lucifer. Prometheus for example, the man who stole fire from the Gods to give light to humanity, is a Lucifer. And so, there are actually many different entities that have taken the role of a Lucifer throughout history and in various different retellings. Eosphorus is the name of the deity that was revered by the Greeks as Venus, but Lucifer is a title that many different figures have taken on depending on the context.

Why do I bring up Lucifer? Because he and Lilith are very similar in that regard. Our earliest mentions of Lilith throughout history paint her not as an individual but as a species of night demon that frequently takes the form of an owl, she was known to bring crib death and miscarriage.

In the myth, Inanna and the Huluppu tree, a huluppu tree (a type of willow) is planted by the banks of the Euphrates River. The tree is tended and nurtured by the goddess Inanna, who plans to use its wood to craft a throne and a bed for herself. However, as the tree grows, it becomes infested with three troublesome creatures:

A serpent that makes its home at the roots of the tree. (What troublesome serpents have been portrayed in another mythology having to do with magical trees? HMM!)

The Anzu bird (sometimes described as a mythical lion-headed eagle) that builds its nest in the branches.

The Lilitu (a female demon or spirit) that makes her lair in the trunk.

Inanna, distressed by these creatures occupying her tree, calls for help from her brother, the sun god Utu (or Shamash). When Utu does not assist her, she turns to the hero Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh comes to her aid and, with his great strength, drives away the serpent, the Anzu bird, and the Lilitu. He uproots the huluppu tree and uses its wood to craft a throne and a bed for Inanna, fulfilling her original intention. Consider that it is a human, not the God of the sun, who helps Inanna with this problem. Interesting.

The inclusion of these three very specific creatures occupying this important tree tended to by the Goddess of love, to her dismay, are very important. Especially when he consider how Inanna’s visual depictions have been syncretized with Lilith. The idea of a serpent (perhaps a Lucifer) , an Anzu bird (described quite similarly to some depictions of abrahamic angels, specifically those like the cherubim) and a Lilith being “driven away” from this mythical tree are notable, especially because these are all symbols associated with Inanna herself.

Inanna, one of the most complex deities in Mesopotamian mythology, embodies aspects of fertility, love, war, and the underworld. Inanna's association with snakes can be seen in her connection to the underworld and her transformative journeys. In her descent into the underworld, Inanna removes one magical garment as she continues into the deathly realm. Just as the snake sheds its skin, Inanna sheds her power and identity as she descends, only to be reborn and restored.

Inanna is frequently depicted with wings, highlighting her divine nature and authority. The Anzu bird in the Huluppu Tree myth, while initially a source of trouble, also connects to the theme of overcoming chaos, which aligns with Inanna's role as a powerful deity who brings order.

Lilith, often depicted as a demoness, represents untamed feminine power, independence, and sometimes chaos. In later Jewish mythology, she is considered a night demon, but her roots trace back to earlier Mesopotamian beliefs. Her inclusion in Jewish mythology is summed up in the verse Isaiah 34:14: "Wildcats shall meet with hyenas, goat-demons shall call to each other; there too Lilith shall repose, and find a place to rest." (Hm… I wonder WHERE she will find a place to rest? Perhaps in a… magical tree?)

In Jewish mysticism, the feminine side of the tree of life is what creates the potential for evil. Even though it is the lightest, brightest, goodest form of feminine energy, for some reason, every time, disobedience pops up no matter what we do. It is an aspect of the feminine itself.

In the Huluppu Tree myth, Lilith (or a Lilitu) makes her home in the tree that Inanna nurtures. This connection reflects Inanna's association with both nurturing and taming wild, untamed aspects of the feminine. Lilith's presence in the tree also highlights the tension between order and chaos, which Inanna must navigate and control.

So what does this all mean?

Each creature in the tree draw direct parallels to the Goddess of Love herself. These can be interpreted as perversions of her divine nature, that she herself cannot be-rid of on her own. Inanna the Goddess of WAR couldn’t get an owl, a big bird, and a snake out of a tree??? Why? Likewise, why did the divinities refuse to help her? Why did she have to seek out a human specifically, to get those unwelcome guests out of her tree? And if it is so that Inanna just doesn’t really like owls and snakes, why is she represented with them (and generally just hanging out with them) so often?

Lilith, the serpent, and the Anzu bird reflect aspects of the divine mother that she herself cannot even tame. Lilith as the night owl also reflects an aspect of knowledge and wisdom, as owls can see in the dark and hunt strategically. Even though she is portrayed as an enemy of Inanna, Inanna never once can or even tries to harm her. Inanna being the Goddess of fertility, and Lilith being the demon that causes miscarriage, show that they are natural opposites, yet still derived from the same divine source, and never combative towards each other.

Similarly, Lucifer’s first ever depiction was as his role as Venus, the same astrological planet as what is associated with Inanna. In Christianity, Lucifer played the role of the serpent who convinced Eve, another archetype of divine femininity, to eat the forbidden fruit of knowledge. Interestingly enough, Lilith is never actually portrayed eating the fruit. Does she posses a divine knowledge that is inherent to her qualities as a night owl, to the point where she didn’t need to eat the fruit to have the wisdom to disobey Adam? Does she possess a knowledge that is inherent to the divine feminine force from which she was created? Is this because she was created from the divine forces of femininity itself and not derived from man, as Eve was? If this is the case, that even though Eve ate the apple, she did not become a Lilith, that stands to imply that there is an inherent quality about being derived from a human man, that repels or deflects that inherent feminine rebellious quality. Instead, being replaced with the the ability to submit.

Knowledge applied with the associations of night and mystery, create a feminine energy that cannot submit, and this is likely Inanna’s fault herself, as she very notably has a big issue with respecting any authority higher than herself, even death herself (as her big sister)

From a symbolic standpoint this tells us a couple things about Venusian energy in general.

1.) Regardless of how hard it tries to behave, it is inherently chaotic

2.) It has many faces, some of which do not jive with eachother, but even so, they continue to coexist, even if not in the same places

3.) It is a creator and a destroyer.

4.) It has a very rough time with the concept of submission.

Okay YAP fest, what’s the point?

Lilith is a great example of how the dark feminine exists within the light feminine as an inevitability. Lilith is not so much associated with war, the strategic enactment of violence., but rather the inherent unpredictability of femininity. Women both create life and snuff it, women can decide to procreate or to have an abortion. Lamashtu and Lilith respectively were invoked for abortive purposes.

And of course, Lilith’s adoption by feminist spaces as a self actualized protector of individuality and feminine rage also invoke heavy associations with Inanna as the Goddess of war. So in my interpretation, Lilith is that part of Inanna that went a little unchecked for a little too long. That combined with the themes of Lucifer’s liberation, paint a very interesting narrative about how femininity as a divine force shows up in obscure ways, perhaps even negative ways, whilst still being just as divine and inherent. To recognize Lilith as the antithesis of all of these things, is to see her as the unwavering aspect of femininity that cannot be tamed, even by femininity herself. The snake, the reborn, will always cause chaos at the root of the feminine energy. The Anzu bird, the angels, are susceptible to that same corruption. And the Lilith herself will always find a home within that feminine energy, unless of course, she is snuffed by the will of a man who doesn’t respect her. Still, she does not die, just searches for another place to rest.

Wow this was really long. SO. Lilith is the entity that embodies our biggest fears about femininity and the inherent knowledge that women posses. Women know how to create life, and women have the ultimate authority in ending it. To honour Lilith as a Goddess rather than a troublesome demon, is to recognize that even the parts of femininity that femininity herself can’t control are divine in nature. The knowledge that she possesses makes women incapable of submission. And the Gods themselves are aware of this, and do not interfere with her, because she is a Goddess herself carrying out an important function, even if it doesn’t adhere to what they might like. Basically, rebellion is an inevitability to any feminine creature that possesses knowledge. It is unavoidable.

It’s incredibly difficult to find anything about the worship of Lilith because for a long time she wasn’t given her flowers as a divinity. Even Inanna herself tried to get her to fuck off. You can honour her quite similarly to the way Artemis and Athena were worshipped, alongside Inanna or Aphrodite of course. As the dark, mysterious, yet inexplicably wise mother of demons, she is the creative force behind destruction. She’s the aspect that exists in all of these Goddesses, that most of us would rather not think about. She is a woman who cannot be held in captivity, if you tell her to procreate, she will cause miscarriage. If you tell her to obey, she will become even more rebellious. The more you repress her, the stronger she becomes. No matter how oppressed women become, no matter how subservient, so long as they have any connection to the divine feminine, they will have a Lilith inside of them.

Lilith’s representation of a succubus expands upon her associations as a woman who does what women do, (men thought women were sex objects for a long time) but not for the sake of cooperation, but for her own means. Lilith is very much a woman, capable of doing what all women and feminine goddesses can do. She simply chooses not to, similarly to how Artemis simply chooses not to procreate. The element of choice, (hello again, Lucifer) always being an option to women is, from a patriarchal standpoint, really scary for men.

So how do you worship her? Worshipping Lilith, like Lucifer, is technically paradoxical. Lucifer wants us to worship ourselves. If he accepts worship it’s because you’re using him as a metaphor for yourself. Lucifer believes in no man submitting to no God, so he won’t take on the role of the usual “authority”. Lilith is quite similar, to worship her is to worship the wise and rebellious spirit that exists in the feminine- yourself. Self honouring acts honour Lilith, just as they honour Lucifer. It’s important to remember that Lilith isn’t just rebellion for the sake of arguing, she isn’t a contrarian. She is self actualization that just happens to not go with the status quo. She does what she wants, if that pisses you off: cope. She’s not inherently against men or procreation, or even women who are submissive. She is the constant exception. The random variable that always pops up whenever we deal with feminine deities. So for me, I honour her as an extension. of every existing goddess. Within Inanna, there is a Lilith, as there is within Aphrodite, Hera, Artemis, Athena, etc etc.

Wow this was long as fuck but I hope it provided a little bit of insight as to why Lilith is so fucking confusing. Regardless of which contexts you feel are the most true, Lilith, like all deities will continue to evolve with time. Just as the narrative around Medusa has gradually changed into her being a victim instead of a monster, Lilith has shifted from being a demon that just kills babies to the ultimate personification of feminine independence. All of these interpretations are correct in the right context, you just have to figure out which context best applies to you.

OKAY if you actually read this far here’s a flower 🌹

[flagellant]

Hey! Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem like you actually know things about wend*gos and I genuinely want to have a better understanding.

Based on my limited understanding, the association with deer and wend*gos is more of a pop culture thing and the original concept of wend*gos arent like that at all. They're regular humans who got cursed for being cannibals, right?

Dont get me wrong, youre completely right in saying that people need to stop associating deer imagery with cannibalism as pop culture doesnt erase appropriation, but am I at least right on the history?

No pressure to answer if you dont want to, thanks for taking time to read this regardless.

Alright, it's been a while since I've spoken about the winter hunger so it's time for the perennial disclaimer: I am not Anishinaabe, and I cannot be considered a true authority on their practices and beliefs. Native America is, after all, not a monolith, and I can only speak for what I know through research and seeking to learn about this topic in order to be more respectful of them and advocate for that respect due to my audience's size.

With that said: You're correct. There is absolutely no deer imagery aligned with the Anishinaabe culture's portrayals and understanding of the being in question. I'm not 100% sure on its origins, but I'd be willing to bet that much of the inspiration would come from the Witcher 3's depictions of leshy--they click all of the buttons through visual language, and I can see why people would see that sort of iconography and begin applying it disrespectfully. Like I keep saying--fucked up deers are cool and spooky as hell! It's not a shock that through law-of-large-numbers and a history of oppression and thievery that the horror genre can often be anti-indigenous bc of that!

For clarification of the most commonly understood appearance of the winter hunger--and this is not so that you can more accurately use it, it is so you can more accurately defend against racist and inaccurate depictions--it takes the shape of humans. Often of people you know. There are sometimes qualifiers like frostbite or lack of feet but at the very root of it, it is supposed to look like a human being.

Further disclaimer: What I'm about to say may be an entirely wrong interpretation of the winter hunger, but it is rooted in my culture's understanding of a very similar evil being which exists in Dine and other desert-dwelling native tribes such as mine. It's further rooted in my specific understanding of religion through anthropological lenses, since that's why I love studying religion so much--because it doesn't exist in a vacuum it is defined by our understanding of our surroundings.

Picture it this way: Both the Anishinaabe and my own people are in some way considered extremophilic cultures. We both live in an environment which reliably becomes lethally dangerous to exist within if you aren't prepared, willing to sacrifice your own comfort for the survival of everyone, and combines a level of isolation during those extreme climates with a need to be able to trust those around you implicitly because you all want to survive. Deserts, be they snow or sand, are difficult places to live within. There are enough resources to go around, but it's not exactly uncommon for there to be enough to go around and that's all. You're surviving because you and everyone around you are putting the survival of everyone over individualist comforts.

The winter hunger and the desert swallowing you whole are always taught as something which looks like a human. Which sounds like a human. Which can trick others into thinking it is human. Beings which have the shape of a person, but have no humanity--they lost it or they never had it. And both of them are things which gain power over you when spoken of and thought of--they're a type of memetophage. They feed on people who know about them, so you're forced to balance "aware that this danger exists" with "need to know what the danger is". They often will try and trick you into evil deeds or danger yourself by wearing the face and voice of family and loved ones. People you know well to let your guard down.

Now remember that you are a culture which needs to prepare itself for extreme climate survival. Everyone has to rely on everyone else. But sometimes people aren't going to like the people they're surviving with. People will resent other people for whatever reasons they choose, justified or not. Living so close together and in such tight quarters can be stressful and bring out the absolute worst in us.

Imagine, for a moment, going out into a snowstorm or the bitter desert night, looking for food for everyone else, sent with someone you hate. It's a harsh life. Even at your safest you are at risk of death for whatever reason--getting lost, being attacked by an animal, taking a bad fall. It happens. It's a fact of life. It's horribly tragic but it's acknowledged as inevitable.

Imagine the knowledge of how dangerous what you two are doing worming its way into your head during this time. If you were willing to hate this person enough to kill them...it wouldn't be hard to convince everyone it was just an accident. Just something which happens. Kill a stag, then kill them and jam the stag's antlers through the wound. Or just disable them somehow and leave them to freeze in the snowdrifts and say they got lost. Or push them down a ravine. There are so many possibilities and all of them exonerate you of any complicity, because yeah, you didn't like them...

...but you trust each other to survive. You trust that you're all willing to give up things to make sure everyone is able to survive and get through these things. You trust that when you are in danger, you don't need to worry about it coming from someone you know. And so why would anyone suspect you? And maybe you convince yourself that what you did was good, actually. One less mouth to feed. More food for everyone. Or it's just easier for you--someone who you hated so much, and now you never need to worry about them again.

Imagine the way that knowledge that you've done it once would show up again and again. Anyone and everyone is now in danger because you've become aware of the benefits of being greedy. Of choosing to hurt and kill other people to further your own goals and desires. Of deciding that the sacrosanct ties of the whole community's survival is not a priority over your own violent impulses. The knowledge of what you can do to other people is, itself, a danger. You put the idea of it, the possibility, in someone's head, and there is every chance that it could start dwelling in there and taking root, changing them from a good person, someone you know, a member of the community, into an evil, selfish monster which has lost its humanity and merely wears that person's face. Uses its voice to lie to you. Wants you all to have your guards down around it. Something waiting to strike where it can.

Now remember that we turn rainbows into the bridges of gods because we needed to create a reason for them. That's the history of magic: we don't know how to explain something, or we don't know how to process it, or we do and need to obfuscate that knowledge through a layer of fiction to cope with it. We don't invent the divine for no reason, on instinct, without thinking. We do it because there is something that creating it offers us as a species and culture that would otherwise be lacked. So think: Why would tribal cultures who need everyone to be willing to set aside personal wants and grievances to ensure that everyone survives through harsh climates need to have something like the winter hunger or the desert swallowing you whole? What benefit does it offer the community? What is the purpose of sharing knowledge about this monster? Where would it fit into that culture's way of life and philosophies?

The answer becomes self-evident soon enough. We all know what it looks like when one person decides they can sacrifice other humans for their own personal greed. We call them oligarchs.

[its-not-a-pen]

—Terracotta—

Ok so I visited xi'an during my trip back to china (3 months ago?), and this idea popped into my head during the 9h train ride back to shangdong. I am of course 100% projecting my own love of the terracotta army onto Qin Shi Huang, in reality he did not care for this pit of mud statues depicting lowly commoners. In fact, no one ever bothered to write about it and they were lost to history until 1974 when some farmers digging a well stumbled upon them. But it's exactly the reason I'm so fascinated by them. QSH's tomb has not been excavated, and although I have a running joke about cracking it open--mercury vapors be damned--none of the riches inside will ever enchant me as much as the chance to see the face of a person who lived during this time.

Notes under the cut:

#1

the title Qin Shi Huangdi means "First Emperor of Qin" and was given to QSH by later historians. He actually called himself the Shi Huangdi, "First Emperor", and that is the title I've gone with here.

in English the other kingdoms are translated as "states" (i guess to avoid confusion?) but in chinese they are very much kingdoms.

The terracotta warriors used thousands of craftsmen, many of whom were slaves from conquered kingdoms. From a storytelling perspective I thought it would be more streamlined if there were two main artisans who reported directly to QSH.

QSH's clothes are based on the overly complicated courtly regalia. which has 12 symbols that only the emperor is allowed to wear

Notice how this hat is ROUND at the front??? Well I CERTAINLY DIDN'T. HAD TO REDRAW IT!!!!!

the stripped shirt is based on this Chu woman figurine. Clothes were fairly unisex during this time and I thought it was a nice fit.

#2

Paperwork: writing was done on books made of bamboo slips. Anecdotally, QSH had an impressive work ethic and would read 100 bills every night.

Bronze Goose lamp: ok this is actually a Han dynasty lamp pls forgive me. I saw this bad boy at the xi'an history museum and it's bewitched me body and soul. The goose neck is hollow and connects to a reservoir of water in the belly, which minimizes smoke and cools the lamp.

QSH is remembered as a brutal tyrant and brilliant statesman, but I wanted to present a more human version of him here. Bored, tired and drowning in work he refuses to delegate. His new empire is balanced as precariously as everything else on his desk.

#3

The attendants standing behind him are holding little wood tablets called hu for taking notes. Their brushes are tucked into their hats/hair, inspired by Han dynasty custom. (You'll see me using Han stuff a lot. Their cultures were very similar to Qin, since it was only a few hundred years apart).

So I had a slight breakdown trying to find the correct hats for the eunuchs, and ended up redrawing everything the night I was due to publish. Closest thing I could come up with was a reference to a round-style Han Dynasty hat which evolved into this square Jin hat. Yes, this is a cry for help .

#4

the wheeled platform is 100% made up, I tried to come up with a plausible way of getting a bunch of figurines into the palace.

#5 & #6

Painted terracotta soldier

How were the terracotta warriors made

The General: Fun fact, I got to see this guy in person!

#7

The Epic Wide Shot was inspired by some Tang Dynasty terracotta figures I saw at the xi'an museum!

#8

THIS KNEELING ARCHER. ARGGGGG. He use to be my favourite guy. I even went into the pit and drew him IN PERSON. the archers inexplicably have their hair buns on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HEAD. So because of him, I DREW ALL THE HAIR BUNS WRONG!!!! REDRAW!!!! PAIN AND SUFFERING!!!!

#10

Qin was famous for it's very long, thin swords. They were more useful as status symbols than actual weapons, as QSH knows from personal experience…

#11

QSH'S Tomb hasn't been excavated yet, but high levels of mercury have been detected in the soil, making the historical accounts of quite plausible.

[eregyrn-falls-art]

Gruß vom Krampus! 

December 5th is Krampusnacht, and I've done some pieces related to that over the years. This year I decided to update my depictions of Stan and Ford in the older two pieces (from 2016 and 2017 respectively), and to put the three all together. The original piece from 2016 was done for the 2017 Hunkles calendar (December of course), and the sequel was done for New Years the following year, with the final pic in the sequence appearing in Dec. 2020.

As I said in the original post, my version of the Krampus is based on looking at traditional folk costumes actually worn by krampus figures in Austria for the Krampusnacht festival.

And finally, just to keep it all in one place: after posting the 2020 piece, I got an ask about the little collection of Pines dolls that hang off of Krampus's basket in the second pic, and that Stan is holding in the last pic. I went into a long explanation (including an overview of the Krampus tradition and celebrations), so I'll put it below a cut here:

fernikart57 asked:

In your Krampus art... what's with that belt, neclace, bead (?) of plushes from the Pines Family?

Okay so like… the explanation is probably kind of dumb.  And it’s me making stuff up, rather than relying completely on the actual folklore.

So the Krampus figure is actually a collection of figures from Central Europe, particularly in the Alps, and the specific traditions associated with the Krampus can vary from region to region and town to town.  Thus, while a set of the Krampus tropes have kind of been exported and caught on in popular culture, that pop culture figure now only resembles *some* Krampus traditions.  I don’t think it’s accurate to talk about “a” Krampus or “the” Krampus, exactly, because of that regional variation.  It’s also worth noting that Krampus celebrations are very much alive in various towns in the Alps.

Generally speaking, though, Krampus is a “wild man” figure, often with a demonic face (mask), a furry body, and goat-like features (especially horns). There are some theories that the basic figure itself is pre-Christian (like a lot of the wild-man traditions of Central and Northern Europe).  (I personally think that’s pretty plausible, given the range of costumes we see.)

After the advent of Christianity, though, the Krampus became associated with “the devil” or demonic figures.  And eventually, in a lot of traditions within the Central European mountain area, Krampus got paired with St. Nicholas, as a kind of tag-team.  St. Nicholas in those traditions is almost certainly one of the origins of Santa Claus, in that he rewards well-behaved children with presents.  (But, traditionally he dresses like a bishop, and not in the outfit that a lot of Americans are familiar with.)  The 6th of December is the Feast of St. Nicholas, so Krampusnacht (”Krampus night”) is the 5th of December.  And Krampus acts as the opposite of St. Nicholas – if presents are a means of encouraging good behavior, then Krampus is the threat used to discourage bad behavior.

So, some of the accreted trappings of the Krampus are a whip and a bundle of birch branches, for beating children / people, and a basket that he carries on his back, into which he puts the naughty children he finds, to carry them off for punishment.  (Obviously, the message there is: don’t be naughty or the Krampus will get you.)  A number of the Krampusnacht traditions involve men costumed as Krampus running wild through the streets, threatening people with their birch branches or whips and so on, making noise (thus all of the bells worn around the neck) and kind of terrorizing people (not just kids), as a set-up for St. Nicholas to come in the next day and reassert order.  (Sometimes it’s only “terrorizing” in an “all in good fun” sense, similar to Halloween scariness; but apparently in some towns, it can get kind of rough.)

So with all of that background… I was originally just looking for a sort of “crytpid” or monster for Stan and Ford to be fighting, with a December theme, for that 2017 calendar piece.  They are encountering more of a magical, “real monster” version (rather than the folkloric ritual version), and therefore I took some liberties with the idea, even though I incorporated a lot of design elements from a variety of real Krampus costumes.

I didn’t want to put any actual children into Krampus’s basket for Ford and Stan to rescue, though (in the original calendar piece, they wouldn’t have been that visible).  But when I did the second piece, I included the doll versions of the four Pines, hanging from Krampus’s basket, as a sort of… symbolic magical threat, an expression of the idea that the Pines are its supernatural targets.  The dolls act as kind of representations of Krampus’s targets, and I also thought of them, in that sense, as a darker reflection of the St. Nicholas gift-giving tradition (still toys, but toys with a sinister meaning). If Krampus was a “real” supernatural being that goes around punishing the “naughty” or “wicked”… then what is its definition of “wicked”, and would it be a fair one, or unfair? 

In this scenario, Stan and Ford are not in the mood to debate with it over whether it is fair to take them to task for being “naughty”, but they are DEFINITELY not going to stand for the idea that the Krampus might go after Dipper and Mabel, so – time to take it down!

Anyway, for more about the actual Krampus, I recommend taking a look at the Krampus article on Wikipedia, or listening to this excellent podcast (which I was listening to as I finished the piece the other day; am very interested in getting that guy’s book!).

[magpod-confessions]

(loosely responding to a confession i saw a while back, but just a lot of stuff in general)

i don't like how the fandom is so quick to slap labels like 'sexist, racist, misogynistic, etc' onto anyone who dislikes a certain character. i know these things are very much an issue, especially in fandom culture, but it's really anoying when people will just throw those labels around just because people dislike a character that happens to be a woman of colour. because 1. people are allowed to just dislike characters 2. people can have perfectly good reasons for disliking minority characters that have nothing to do with them being part of a minority group

specifically i want to talk about preferring michael distortion over helen distortion. obviously michael is widely depicted as a white man, while helen is widely depicted as a black woman so it's easy to look at the general favouritism towards michael and shout racism and misogyny. but that doesn't account the numerous reasons people could have to prefer michael over helen that have absolutely nothing to do with helen being black or being a woman. So, I present several such reasons:

(now, to the people that are going to say "why are you comparing them?? they are different characters and you should treat them like it" first of all, why have you read this far. second of all, that does not apply here. these are not two seperate characters. these are two different interations/personas/whatever of the same being. comparison should be expected if not encouraged)

michael is more interesting than helen. becuase michael is the distortion when jon and the viewer know very little about the distortion and the fears, he gets to be more cryptic, he can hint at things and and be all mysterious and vague about the nature of himself and the world. helen on the other hand is the distortion when we have a much better idea of the distortions nature and the fears and how they work. thus, she has less opportunity to be cryptic and vague and mysterious, which , in my opinion, is one of michael's best qualities-and what makes him so loved by the fandom. helen attempts to be weird and cryptic like michael, but it's just very repetitive and boring because we already know how everything works and there is very little she can hide from us

michael is a more 'iconic' character. this basically comes down to, he's more quotable. he has his whole trademark laugh and all his great quotes "i am not a who archivist i am a what" "how would a melody decribe itself when asked" "does your hand in any way own your stomach" "there has never been a door there archivist your mind plays tricks on you" i could go on. i'm sure helen has some great lines as well but i don't know any off the top of my head, which honestly proves my point a little. anyway, helen doesn't have all that. probably becuase the writers didn't want her to feel too similar to michael but yeah. this reason is a bit basic but it's still true

michael is made to seem more important. I just want to clarify, what i mean here when i say a character is more importamt here, is that the podcast makes this character seem more important. they both had their effect on the storyline, but the show definitely makes one of them seem more important and influential (this reason encompasses a lot of things so i'm sorry if it gets a bit ramble-y) this kinda ties in with the michael being more mysterious thing. micheal is treated as this mysterious unknown character, a potential threat, an antagonist at some points. Michael affects the characters quite a lot, and jon specifically seems to dwell on him a lot. So despite having a lot less screentime than helen, he's built up to be quite an important figure. Helen is not treated as important by the show in the same way. by the time she comes along, the whole mystery and drama of the distortion has already happened, so she isn't that important. she becomes a little irrelevant to the plot, occaisionally popping in to bother jon. and that's what she's really framed as —an annoyance, a bit of a nuisance, but not that important or influential. especially in season 5, she becomes almost a comedic relief character. mag 187 is the exception to this, where she is very important for about one episode before being almost immediately forgotten about. her effect on the characters is made to seem important only in retrospect. michael remains relevant even after his 'death' because he plays an important role in jon's struggle with his humanity and his conflict over gertrude's morals. even though michael has very little screentime compared to helen, every bit of it is made to feel relevant and important to the overall plot. I AM NOT SAYING MICHAEL IS ACTUALLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN HELEN. YOU CAN LOOK AT HELEN'S EFFECT ON THE PLOT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE. I AM SAYING THE PODCAST ITSELF CLEARLY MAKES MICHAEL SEEM MORE IMPORTANT. sorry i just want to be super clear on that

michael has a more tragic/serious backstory. we all know what i mean here. michael shelley being manipulated and decieved and betrayed and kept in the dark, to become a monster that's whole purpose was to do those same things to countless innocents—there's so much that can be drawn from that and it's so poetic and interesting. it's also relevant to the overarching plot of the podcast like i said before. and like i mentioned before, helen is treated as a more funny character, not as serious or tragic as michael. don't get me wrong, there is tragedy in her becoming but it is not explored in the podcast canon. you can definitely talk about the srious stuff of helen's character but it isn't as grounded in canon if you do. also michael's death seems more tragic because michael shelley was framed as super innocent and undeserving of his fate while helen richardson was canonically kind of an asshole (not saying she deserved it either of course)

helen replaced michael. this relates to what i said at the start of this list—helen is going to be compared to michael as she is literally his replacement. for one, that does set michael fans against her slightly already because she's complicit in his 'death' a tiny bit. but the real problem is, she's expected to live up to michael—while also being different enough that it doesn't feel like the same character—which i personally don't feel that she does. i think i'd like her better if she was her own character and hadn't replaced michael, and i think that's a big reason that many people that prefer michael don't like her as much. it's also a valid reason to dislike a character. also, this has absolutely nothing to do with her being a woman of colour in fanon. if she was another white boy i'd still probably dislike her when she didn't live up to michael standards.

that's all i can be bothered to write, i think i had more ideas but i forgot sorry lol. anyway, notice how none of those reasons had anything at all to do with helen being a woman or often being depicted as black? if michael had been a woman of colour and helen had been a white man instead, these reasons would still apply

anyway i spent so long on this i thought of a couple reasons someone might preferhelen because i still love her and i don't want to make it seem like i dislike her. i don't. i just prefer michael but helen is still definitely top5 tma characters for me for sure.

we get to see the distortion adapt to it's new identity as helen which is super cool (i do not understand why no one talks about this.like hello????? it's so interesting?)

sometimes it's nice to have a more funny character, especially the juxtaposition between the more dark stuff of the podcast and lighthearted moments between helen martin and jon in season 5

i like her more subtle manipulations and the whole 'fake friend' thing. i thought that was a really interesting concept and a good way of bringing something new to the distortion

anyway, i know that white-twink-favouritism is an issue within the tma fandom (and dare i say tumblr as a whole) but let's remember than not everyone who likes or dislikes certain characters or prefers one character over another does so because they are sexist or racist. there are so many different reasons for someone to dislike or like characters that have notihing to do with race or gender.

i notice this debate particularly with michael and helen and i agree there could certainly be an element of sexism and a bit of racism too (not racism so much because she is not canonically black it's just a fanon thing so racist people probably just see her as white idk) but i think most people have genuine reasons like these to prefer michael and should not be called sexist or racist for having preferences.

🗣️ if i remember right mod i know you prefer helen so disagree with me if you wish. I'M NOT SAYING MICHAEL IS OBJECTIVELY BETTER THAN HELEN I'M POINTING OUT REASONS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE PREFER HIM. i'm not really here to debate whether michael or helen is 'better' i just wanted to point out something that annoys me a bit

oh my god you are so right anon. at the end of it all both distortions are just. the distortion. michael was more impactful to the actual story as a whole, being one of gertrude's assistants, but helen is also super important in jons journey into avatarhood. both of them affected how jon sees himself through this ( him seeing himself as a monster definitely is also from the distortion ) in their own ways , and while helen is more of comedic relief , she still is new. she's fresh. she is a blank slate for the distortion after having been michael for so long and that is so interesting , especially with how she feels at the very start after merging. - deceit

Agree agree agree. I love helen sm and I find her incredibly interesting (and well the disortion in general) and I do prefer her over Michael personally (partly bc im gay as hell), but I definitely understand why ppl love Michael sm. And yea I dont think ppl should be called sexism or racist over liking a character. Like theres a big difference between liking a character for genuine reasons and liking them bc you have a bias. Idk yea - Rosette

[frumfrumfroo]

The sooner people realize that Reylo is not just a ‘ship’ but rather a trope or concept. The better they will move on. DLF wants nothing to do with this concept except until they realize how monetarily valuable it is. Which shocking they have no clue of despite the NYT best sellers the community has been cranking out the last 3 years. Only then will they revisit this trope.

They won’t give us Ben Solo back, but they’ll use the Reylo trope for Lord only knows what. So I highly suggest to all of the people who are still holding out hope of Ben’s return. To just accept his senseless lazily written death and pretend that he got Sailor Moon’d into another universe where he gets to be loved and so that he heals.

I wouldn't say it's 'a' trope, it's a few dozen tropes. I call it 'The Dynamic' because I have a lot of ships which fit into a rough framework of similar themes, but they're all tonally different and have different storytelling concerns or occupy different genres. The kind of psychological complexity plus innocence, intimate emotional realism plus grand mythological symbolic splendour that Reylo has is extremely rare. There aren't stories being told like that very often. This was a generational opportunity to make something that would last, a defining pop culture moment.

Whereas The Dynamic is extremely popular and does pop up fairly often, it's VANISHINGLY RARE for it to be a) in a story with the balls to fulfil it and have it be redemptive/healing with both characters surviving b) for it to be both intentional and earnest on the part of the writers, not an accident or some cautionary tale bullshit or simply depicted as inevitably a tragedy.

Women write this story with an affirming ending all the time, but it mostly stays in the romance ghetto. When it pops up in the mainstream everyone loses their minds, so you'd think we'd have had someone realise by now it's a money printing machine but lol misogyny. Just like Hollywood has completely stopped making romcoms and no one wants to cater to the female audience despite the female audience being the biggest movie-going demographic and romance being the most profitable genre in publishing by a huge margin.

Disney are cowards who seem increasingly terrified of romance and I doubt they will do anything with the dynamic unless they happen to hire a real artist who wants to do it and they just stay out of the way. Which seems unlikely given how things have been going.

[adarkrainbow]

So a long, llloooonnnggg time ago, back when this blog was a slightly more chaotic mess than it is now, I talked about the huge wave of "mythical" interpretations of fairytales in the 19th century. It was THE big thing back then to read fairytales as being translations or evolution of ancestral myth, or legends tied to the weather or the cycle of the year, or even as tales of cosmic events becoming tales of regular characters. I talked before of Anatole France - he had a LOT of fun mocking this in his texts about the symbols and analysis of fairytales, and when reading his texts there is a certain work that pops up: a book claiming that... Napoleon was never real, and is an astral myth.

This book was written as a satire by Jean-Baptiste Pérès, a fervent defender of the Catholic faith, in 1835. Pérès was very, VERY offended by how the boom of comparative mythology, analysis of legends and attempts at explaining the folklore ended up to people talking of Jesus-Christ as "merely" a myth or even presenting the Christ as being simply an alternate manifestation of a universal myth. For example there was this one text, by Charles Dupuis published in 1794, called "L'origine de tous les cultes, ou religion universelle" (The origin of all worships, or the universal religion). In it, Dupuis literaly wrote that when you looked at it enough, Christianity was simply "the religion of Nature and the Sun", describing the Gospels as mere legends whose hero (Jesus-Christ) was basically the same character as Bacchus, Osiris, Hercules or Adonis. It is the tale of a god born from a virgin woman on the winter solstice, who dies, goes to the Underworld, and ressurects at Easter - the Spring Equinox ; a god escorted by his twelve apostles whose leader is strongly similar to the god Janus, a god who vanquishes the Prince of Darkness to repair the evils of nature - in the end, for Dupuis, it was all a "solar fable". Dupuis concluded that it was useless to consider if there was a real man named Christ, as it was to wonder if there was a real prince named Hercules, because for him "Christ" was just a religious name for the sun, and Christians just were followers of the Sun.

It is to answer these types of claims that Pérès wrote his famous work today, "Grand Erratum, source d'un nombre infini d'errata", (Great Erratum, source of an infinite number of errata), which was a take-down of this "solar analysis" by pointing out how, by the same logic of finding analogies with myths of other cultures or natural phenomenon, you could end up proving Napoleone was a mere myth of the Sun.

In twelve points he proved it. I won't list them all but here are some points listed. Napoleon is similar to "Apollon" (Napoléon - Apoléon, Apolluo, Apolleo) and Bonaparte is the reverse of "mala parte", "in the wrong part" - so Napoleon Bonaparte means "Apollon in the right place", aka in its ascension. Apollo was born on the Delos island south of Greece from Leto, the same way Napoleon was born on Corsica south of France from Loetitia. Napoleon had three sisters: they are obviously the three Graces. He had four brothers, with only three of them becoming king - it depicts the four seasons, with the three king brothers representing the sun-driven seasons (Summer, Spring, Autumn) and the fourth brother being the sunless season (Winter).

Napoleon had two wives. The first one, who was sterile and he rejected, represents how the Greeks saw the Moon and the Sun as a couple. The second wife gave him a son: she represents how the Egyptian couple the Sun with the Earth and their son, who was born on the 20th of March, the Spring Equinox, represents the fruits of an Earth fecundated by the Sun. Napoleone beating up, "smothering", "killing" the French Revolution, which was often compared to an hydra, is equated with Apollo slaying Python, down to the pointing out that "Revolution" is linked to "revolvo", reflecting the snake rolling upon itself. Napoleon had twelve marechals in activity and four inactive: they were the 12 constellations, and the four cardinal points. He only had successful victories when conquering Southern lands, but he was defeated when he went too much North - again, solar symbol. Napoleone ruled twelve years: it reflects the twelve hours of the day. Etc, etc, etc...

Pérès' work was done to encourage Christianity, but in the greater scope of things it was remembered and heralded as an EXCELLENT way to highlight the flaws of such an excessive "symbolic reading" or "mythical analysis": still today it is used to reflect how, if people start reading WAY too much into folktales, fairytales and legends, they can basically come up with everything and anything, and come to conclusions that are objectively wrong once you pull your head outside of what you focus upon. Aka: if you are down to find an universal solar myth everywhere, you can claim that Napoleon never existed and was just a god of the sun for modern France.

[crispycreambacon]

Cliché Then and Now

An analysis of the Fraggle Rock episode "Mokey, Then and Now" and how stereotypes permeate our perceptions

Disclaimer: I am not calling for a disavowal of the show, nor am I implying the creators were intentionally racist. I am also not African, so there are likely things I got wrong or missed out on.

Special thanks to @jazzyjuno for contributing to the essay and @madamegemknight for helping me compile screenshots!

— ☆ —

When I first watched the Fraggle Rock episode “Mokey, Then and Now”, I laughed at the usual wackiness and welcomed the surprise of a dynamic between Mokey, Boober and Wembley. However, a strange discomfort lurked at the back of my head once they traveled to the past and met their ancestors. I couldn’t understand why at first when the episode seemed to radiate nothing but the fun I’ve come to expect from this show. Then, the first song came on.

I looked up the lyrics to confirm what I had heard, and to my disappointment, I didn’t mishear. This is one of many examples of pop culture’s reference to Vodou, a widely misunderstood religion from Haiti that garnered an unfair reputation for being “dangerous” and “demonic”, and like a lot of media back in the day—even still today—Fraggle Rock utilized this to create a mystifying atmosphere with a sinister undercurrent. While the portrayal is not as negative as the caricatures surrounding it, it is still a questionable usage of an already stigmatized religion.

(From the first verse)

Who do you do? We do voodoo

(We do voodoo)

Who do you do? We do voodoo

(Who do you do?)

(From the chorus)

Eye of bat, ear of toad,

Hoppin' down the dusty road,

Lizard, gizzard, beetle stew,

These will bring good luck to you.

It's true... True Voodoo!

Caterpillar, caterwaul,

Crawling up the garden wall,

Song of shadow, air of rain,

These will make you strong again.

It's true... True voodoo!

It wasn’t just the lyrics that caught my eye. Funnily enough, I went to the comments section of the music video, and I saw someone say this.

This person is not the only one who made the connection. So have I, and that is because the instrumentation sounds like an amalgamation of different African music genres. The beginning shots even showed the past Fraggles playing drums which look similar to the djembe, a percussion instrument from West Africa.

I had originally thought the instrumentation derived solely from Afrobeat, but my friend Juno pointed out how the creators had blended music from different cultures together to create what was commonly identified as tribal music, making it difficult to pinpoint a specific genre it was emulating. She even caught similarities to music outside of Africa, namely the Axé genre from Salvador, Brazil.

Once that link had been established, I realized why I felt uncomfortable with the past Fraggles. The creators of this episode likely meant to play on generic caveman stereotypes, but in doing so, they accidentally emulated elements of African culture and their stereotypes.

• African Influences in the Past Fraggles' Culture

Take a look at the clothing that the past Fraggles wore. Their accessories and colorful patterns allude to tribal African clothing, specifically Maasai bead necklaces from Kenya and Tanzania, and other jewelry they wear are made from natural materials such as stones, plants and hay.

Covering hair is a very common practice in many African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe to the point the clothing they use to wrap their heads has its own name which is a headwrap. While the hats that the past Fraggles wear aren’t explicitly headwraps, the past Fraggles demonstrate a reverence of covering their heads to the point when Mokey accidently cited a word to force them to take their hats off, they cried out in despair.

Moreover, when people depict Africans in media or simply imagine them, Africans are often imagined as bald which is a consequence of the generalization of an important part of ancient culture and the spread of ideas propped up by eugenicists. Guess what happens when the past Fraggles take their hats off.

The past Fraggles operated under a monarchy under the “Great and Wondrous leader” Fishface Fraggle whose presentation screams of what an average person may think of when visualizing an African king. His sceptre is carved like an Asante linguist staff—which, while not held by the king, is closely related to the king—and his throne has a loose resemblance to a palanquin which, while not exclusive to African culture, is used in Ghana. To add onto the African king imagery, the past Fraggles briefly showed off fans in the first song which are associated with the king’s fan bearers in Egypt.

• The Poor Implications

On its own, the past Fraggles having African influences in their culture isn’t an awful idea. It only becomes a problem when those influences are being used in a context which further perpetuates African stereotypes.

With all of this in mind, Boneface Fraggle suddenly takes on the “savage caricature” image which depicts Africans wearing bones in their nose and speaking in “broken” English.

It wasn’t just Boneface who spoke like this. There were multiple instances where the past Fraggles didn’t follow General American English and chanted caveman speech which has been associated with Africans to imply their lack of articulation and therefore inferiority.

The savage and uncivilized stereotypes are pushed further when the past Fraggles act in an unsavory way. For instance, they have outlawed laughter, even though it is a completely natural act, and imprisoned a Fraggle for breaking this law.

When Mokey is proven to not be Blundig Fraggle as she claimed to be, they immediately called for her, Boober and Wembley to be imprisoned and tied to a rock for what is implied to be eternity.

• Why Should We Care?

After all, the creators likely didn’t consciously draw inspiration from African cultures, nor did they intend to enforce these stereotypes. In fact, I proposed they were likely focusing more on caveman imagery.

That’s the thing though. Stereotypes, especially racial ones, are ingrained in us so deeply that we can subconsciously be influenced by them when we create and enjoy art connected to their subjects. Caveman stereotypes have a lot of overlap with African stereotypes, so in the creators attempting to portray one image, they accidentally invoke another.

In spite of my speculations on them drawing from cavemen, we cannot be completely sure of the intentions of the creators when trying to portray the past Fraggles as from what I can tell, they had not made them public. Regardless of what they intended, that doesn’t erase that the culture of the past Fraggles can be interpreted as a cumulation of African stereotypes.

We may not even remember where stereotypes originate from as they are a gross oversimplification of observations from our ancestors, yet these stereotypes stick with us and our culture even if we aren't actively thinking about them. Believing and passing on generalizations is a lot easier than thinking of all the nuances of a subject and researching where these generalizations came from.

Let me make it clear: you are not a bad person for not noticing before. The creators are not bad people for unintentionally perpetuating these stereotypes. This isn’t an issue with individual morality. Stereotypes are, by their design, meant to go unchallenged for literal centuries, and people aren’t meant to ponder over their validity. They are presented as simple truths so that we won’t have to think about why they factor into how we treat and think about other people, and we won’t have to confront the prejudice that they can cause.

This is why we have to actively call out stereotypes when we do notice them because how else will we ever stop believing them so easily? If we never question why we believe and enforce them, how can we undo their harm? Even something as small as pointing out when stereotypes are used in a TV show or calling out someone who uses them for their tasteless jokes can lead to bigger changes such as dismantling the racism which benefited from stereotypes.

• So What Do We Do About It?

Moving forward, we need to be more mindful about how we portray subjects in our art to ensure we can explore them with the nuance they need and to ensure that marginalized groups aren't harmed by our art. We also need to be aware of when the media utilizes these stereotypes and how they are presented in the media’s context. Recognizing harmful portrayals in others’ work can help us stay vigilant when making our own art, and we can also help each other realize our own shortcomings and minimize the harm done in the future. We live and learn then, we can live and learn now.

[sadnessisavegetable]

My Takes on Depicting the “Human”formers (art included!!) part 2:

This time we’re going with the main Deception lineup of TFP and Orion Pax. Again, you may not agree with me, but this is how I see them. I apologize in advance if this crashes the mobile app, like this inevitably will on mine, but I have a lot of information to share. I hope you can vibe with this as I do because the Decepticons have some of my favorite designs.

The layout is 1) what is worn, 2) what they have on their figures at any given time, and 3) sleeping schedules that would determine how likely you are to see them in the common areas at any given time.

Orion Pax:

Wears things that are comfortable but a bit dressier. Loose button-ups or blouses, dark jeans or sweats, and I actually visualize him going barefoot a lot or wearing acrobat socks. Wears glasses for the aesthetic. (An alternate outfit could be him in a flapper dress with Cybertronian influences on the design and I could explain it, but I don’t want to.)

Tends to have a gun on him as well because it’s a habit from the early strains of the revolution before it exploded into a war, but also a book and notebook. Datapads everywhere. Very similar to Smokescreen in my version for that, as found in part one. Also keeps candies like skittles on him because he no longer needs any medications but still needs to feel like he has everything he needs.

Will Nap. He Will. Give him a spot to be and he’s Out. That is a threat or maybe a promise. But you will see him in the common areas when he can help it, even while napping.

Megatron:

Athletic wear, but can dress it up. You’re most likely to find him wearing a tank top and little workout shorts in the morning. He wears armored boots or slippers. But he also radiates the energy of someone who would go to a rodeo for the adrenaline. Very flamboyant colors in private settings, also expect to see his mining designation embroidered on the backs of his shirts subtly.

Handmade chewing cigars with the dark energon inside so he doesn’t suffer bad withdrawals but is still more coherent. Guns and knives and brass knuckles. Plenty of charges for an installed gun he has. Keeps batteries and chargers if he can, and a lighter. (Batteries for the lenses [Cybertronian glasses that are applied to the eye like contacts are] Orion uses and chargers for the screen that Soundwave wears, lighter for his drugs)

Sleeps when he can. It’s something he learned as the one who sees the absolute most action, so he needs the sleep to aim right and to even fight for longer. Very grumpy if he doesn’t sleep either. It’s unavoidable.

Starscream:

She(yes, she) wears a flight suit the majority of the time if she can, but postwar, it’s all sweaters and slim-fit jeans. Again, boots. A variety of them, but most are high-heeled. Her favorites are thigh-highs that look suspiciously like cosplay boots for a character out of Treasure Planet.

Flare gun, parachute, sweets, gum, energy shots, water, energon, a lighter, knife, gun, and a stress fidget. She’s practical, but would rather be over prepared than sorry later.

She sleeps intermittently throughout a 24-hour cycle because her battery works differently. If need be, she can get a recharge pad hooked up to her back, but she’s sure she would rather die.

Soundwave:

Wears a lot of dark colors, for sure. Tends to keep his face covered by any means possible. The more of him that is covered up, the happier he’ll be. It is rare to see any skin. Very formal, as long as his armor(not pictured, there are a few versions for my Soundwave design and both are big or awkward on the lineup page) fits over it nicely and he can move. But also will wear subtle references to games and music and pop culture.

Has snacks on him, and basic first aid stuff for both humans and Cybertronians. He’s basically a mother, y’all, come on. Also has a tablet that tucks into his armor nicely. He uses it for hacking.

Sleeps rarely. He’s a very anxious person under that calm demeanor and has issues falling asleep. When he is asleep without help, it’s very light sleep. Though he looks as though he died with his choices in sleeping - he’ll often just lay down on the floor, usually face-down.

Breakdown:

Practical clothes, though he does wear a necklace on him that Knockout made for him when they got married. Tends to gravitate towards jeans or cargo pants with work boots. Will wear funny shirts or souvenir shirts from his and Knockout’s travels.

If he has his way, he has a sledgehammer on him. He also keeps snacks on him and homemade energon sweets for Knockout in particular(Knockout faints easily, so it’s kind of important to calm him before that happens. Snackies it is.)

He sleeps when Knockout sleeps if he can help it. He likes the time to cuddle with his partner. He sleeps heavily though. Nearly snoring most nights.

Knockout:

The Fashionista. He knows his fashion so well and will dress up just to dress up. But it usually has a practical aspect to it because he’s very much a Car Guy. Red is his signature color still, but it’s more like accents so he isn’t too matchy-matchy with his car. Wears a lot of bling. :)

Tries his best to keep energon sweets on him as well, but often fails(stop fake pockets, y’all). He usually manages to have a taser though, if just a little one on his keys. And he has pictures of him and Breakdown(and their family if they managed to build one) on his person as well.

Doesn’t sleep much, but will pretend so that Breakdown does sleep. When he sleeps, it's usually hoarding all the blankets on the bed to keep warm and he is very wiggly until he hits a certain hour of his sleep...where it is evident he could have died...(poor Breakdown usually tries his best to check without waking him)

Dreadwing and Skyquake(twins who think alike):

Other than being glued at the hip almost if they manage, they are distinct with who they are. Dreadwing wears darker colors than his brother does, and often his skin is a bit more covered. Skyquake just is chilling as best as he can with light colors and bright colors, but also wears more jewelry and lower-cut or skimpier things. The jewelry has to do with Skyquake leaning into the fact that their caretakers put bells on him and Dreadwing when they became more stealthy.

On Dreadwing’s figure would be knives and a whip, as well as two sets of dog tags (one in his boot, one around his neck) with a locket fit on both sets of them with his brother’s picture inside. For Skyquake, he prefers guns and grenades(and handmade bombs :]). He also wears dog tags like Dreadwing, but on the one around his neck are also some beads he made from various Earth and Cybertronian materials.

These two sleep curled up together unintentionally. They’ll go to bed in separate rooms and still end up in the same bed. They sleep on a strict schedule though.

Shockwave:

This motherfucker is a roulette wheel for me. He likes feeling like he holds power, so formal Cybertronian wear. He likes practicality, so a big jacket with pockets and a hoodie. He likes feeling fancy, so sometimes even a gown or suit. This man is the most subtly flamboyant person I can point a finger at. I hate and love him. The thing haloing his head in pink is a bunch of loose plates that he managed to keep after his empurata, he had them turned into a form of armor or covering for his more vulnerable extremities if the need arises for them(tubing and wiring mostly, sometimes his eye)

Literally just. It’s giving Mary Poppins with her magic bag. Do not under any circumstances assume that he’s disarmed even when his blaster is physically taken off, that’s a good way to get dissected or vivisected. But above all else, he is a man of science and reason. He had notepads and pens in his pockets as well as sampling tools. Everything else is terrifyingly unknown to anyone that isn’t Shockwave himself and maybe Soundwave and Predaking.

He does sleep. We promise. But usually it’s easier to find him in forced shut-down because he overthought something or got overwhelmed. Most people on the ship think that he sleeps standing in front of the computer with his eye wide open, looking like he is working.

Predaking:

Another roulette wheel. But this time, I could reasonably say that he wears chain mail under his clothes. I think, other than that, he likes looser things he can move in, so Shockwave has free reign with some of it as long as it fits Predaking's requirements. Just a preference. Also. Throw shiny things on him, he is a dragon.

Hear me out: knickknacks. Little gacha prizes, foreign money, tiny little toys from surprise packs, rocks of all kinds, colorful glass bits, interesting bottle caps, and perhaps even gold things. But also functional shinies like the infamous Leaf Knife.

He snoozes. That’s what he does. He’s like a dog in that regard, he’ll lay down almost anywhere and “rest his eyes.” And always in the oddest positions.

Steve:

Okay, unlike regular Vehicons, Steve is very unique. He got his hands on his own individuality on accident, and likes playing with it. Sometimes he dresses nicer than his superiors just for fun, sometimes he blends perfectly with the humans, and sometimes he just “cosplays” other Decepticons for kicks(basically mimicking their style to see if they notice). His mask is the only one that has been customized to show hair.

He has souvenirs on him. He lost his memory and decided to make his new ones as epic as possible. He also keeps the regular gun that the others do, but it has been painted a bit to make it cuter.

He sleeps like the rest of the Vehicons do.

And standard Vehicons:

They have a uniform that looks like a mix of a Cybertronian one and whatever uniform and mask comes with their role. For those cleared to fly, they have a modified flight suit they wear over everything. For those who drive on the surface and go groundwork, they have a “human costume” for a uniform, consisting of a jacket, shirt, and jeans with their shoes of choice. For the miners, they wear coveralls with reflective strips that can glow if activated. Most will choose to wear something personalized under their uniform, and some also have subtle ink done.

On any given vehicon will be: energon rations, water, flares, a gun or two with ammo, their dog tags, money, keys, a phone, a tablet, and a recharge tablet. More can be added or modified in depending on position and personality, but this is the basic packing list for each one.

They sleep in shifts. The majority sleep during the night(including Steve), but a group sleeps during the day that guards operations on the ship during the night. They’re also incredibly tight-knit as a group, even when separated by job and rank, so sometimes they just fall into the closest bunk and cuddle or intentionally make cuddle piles.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group D Round 2: #D1 vs #D2

#D1: Prohibition era Mafia revenge story

#D2: Prophecy girlie, hyper cellphone, and gamer cat get silly

Details and poll under the cut!

#D1: 91 Days

Summary:

As a child living in the town of Lawless, Angelo Lagusa has witnessed a tragedy: his parents and younger brother have been mercilessly slaughtered by the Vanetti mafia family. Losing everything he holds dear, he leaves both his name and hometown behind, adopting the new identity of Avilio Bruno. Seven years later, Avilio finally has his chance for revenge when he receives a mysterious letter prompting him to return to Lawless. Obliging, he soon encounters the Vanetti don’s son, Nero, and seeks to befriend him using the skills he has quietly honed for years. Set during the Prohibition era, this show tells the story of Avilio’s dark, bloodstained path to vengeance, as he slowly ends each of the men involved in the killing of his family.

Propaganda:

This series has character designs by the art director of Baccano. In fact, the setting of it being in the early 1920s in America is sort of reminiscent of Baccano. However, the story is much crueler and more grounded than that other famous series, even if it involves a similar amount of guns and blood.

The anime follows a broken and traumatized young man fueled by revenge. It’s a tragedy and a thriller and a Mafia series. We see the lengths Angelo Lagusa goes to avenge his family, whom he’s the last living survivor of. He changes his name and leads a double life, getting close to the Vanetti family, who killed his birth family. But in the process of trying to do this, he gets adopted into this Mafia family.

He must wrestle with his morality as he keeps on the bloody road of revenge. People that don’t deserve to be hurt get hurt or killed because of his actions—even dying by his hands.

It's an anime that shows just how far someone is willing to go for revenge, willing to break everything in his path for it. And considering the Prohibition era came to an end in history, was all the trickery and killing even worth it?

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty/Death, Cannibalism, Emotional Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide, Alcohol and Smoking.

This entire series is a mob story so there's lots of guns, blood, and killing. There is an assisted suicide of an important character. Also the family dog dies when the main character's family is massacred in the first episode.

#D2: God Troubles Me (Hanhua Riji)

[Admin: Still couldn’t find a season 1 trailer, so here, have a PV for S2 instead~]

Summary:

Su Moting, the daughter of a god and a monster, is the supposed Chosen One set to fix the balance of the universe, but unfortunately, she’s just barely living as it is. Only just told of her great fate, Su Moting couldn’t care less as she juggles her social life, work, and her new duties (which she doesn’t take seriously). Alongside Moting are Star Tianji and Star Dikui, a god and a monster out to help our protagonist with her grand mission. They, too, are also struggling to figure out life on Earth, as Tianji is an immortal who doubles as the god of Su Moting’s personal cellphone and Dikui is a cat monster immortal more concerned with lazing about. Somehow, they make things work as the best worst roommates of all time.

Propaganda:

Four-season donghua (Chinese anime) that’s so recent and seeped in American pop-culture that I needed to do a double take when a literal cockroach said “Run, Forrest, run,” in English with a heavy Chinese accent. There’s a cat who plays video games (he’s very good at it), a phone who’s the worst kind of hype man, a sentient air conditioner, a guy who can shapeshift into any vehicle, off-brand Super-Man but jerky, a high-ranking god that collects anime figures, and the mega ultra cool protagonist who is a normal human girl fresh out of college and always low on money. It’s great

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty or Death, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights, Racism, Self-Harm, Suicide.

All the TW’s above are done for comedic effect, but they come in fast and hard with the humor. Better safe than sorry! The biggest things I remember are one or two “blink and you’ll miss it” racist jokes, characters joking about killing themselves out of embarrassment (no one goes through with it), and there’s a LOT of self-harm via stupid decisions. Stupid things like tying a loose tooth to the back end of a sports car sort of stupid. The protagonists have 3 brain cells collectively.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how they’re presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[amazonparrot975]

Burra-Bandhaa (Kareela in The Amazing Digital Fight Club)

So a while ago (specifically in August of this year), I drew a version of my TADC OC Kareela if she were in The Amazing Digital Fight Club, an AU made by @burrotello. Idk why I decided to share it now, but here you go.

She fights using kickboxing, which I know is different from regular boxing, but I decided to have her be a kickboxer because not only did I feel it'd make her stand out more, I also thought it'd be fitting for her as an Aboriginal Australian (for context, this character is an Aboriginal Australian character, and her tribe's culture is based on multiple different Aboriginal groups), since originally, before I found out TADFC was a boxing AU, she was going to be a coreeda fighter, coreeda being a fighting style that was based on the fighting style of male red kangaroos (the name even coming from the Ngiyampaa word for "kangaroo hunting"), and a common trope in media you'll often see, usually in things like animation and cartoons, I think also video games, is the kickboxing kangaroo. Idk the exact origins of a kangaroo being depicted as a kickboxer, but I assume that it comes from how male kangaroos, when they fight, it kinda looks like kickboxing. So because of kickboxing having an association with kangaroos, at least in media or pop culture, I decided that would be a creative way of incorporating the fighting styles of kangaroos into Kareela's fighting style, being somewhat of a reference to coreeda (at least in the fact that they're both based on how kangaroos fight), while having her still be a boxer. It's a different kind of boxer, but still.

Btw, since drawing this version of her (as in more recently I came up with this name), I've decided that her boxing name would be Burra-Bandhaa, which is Wiradjuri for "jumping kangaroo", "bandhaa" in particular being the word for "female red kangaroo". (I know technically the actual translation would be "jumping female red kangaroo", but I felt like "jumping kangaroo" also would be an accurate English translation too, it just wouldn't be a literal translation.) I got this translation from the WCC (or Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation) Language Program app, which is kinda like an English-Wiradjuri dictionary. If this isn't a correct translation, then I sincerely apologize, and feel free to correct me.

Also, one more thing, for some reason I keep imagining TADFC Kareela having a theme similar to Elena from Street Fighter 3's theme (HQ version). Idk why I assiociate Elena's theme with her when Elena is Kenyan and Kareela is Aboriginal Australian. I guess because the vibe of the song fits Kareela to me? Probably that. Lol

Edit: I forgot to mention her design was somewhat based on Gummigoo's (aka Migo's) design for The Amazing Digital Fight Club.

Her outfit also was originally gonna be more based on Elena's outfit as well (well, the bikini-looking portion specifically), but I couldn't figure out how to do it, so I came up with this instead, with a bit of help with a friend. The red and black are a reference to the Aboriginal Australian flag. Honestly, I really like how it turned out.

The lore for her in this AU would be she wanted to fight in the Digital Fight Club, but after finding out that NPCs couldn't fight in the Digital Fight Club (for context, Kareela was always an NPC, even in her original iteration), she decided to just fight people on her own, kinda like how Gummigoo decided to remain a street fighter (no pun intended, since I mentioned Elena earlier).

She gets along well with the other characters (except Jax), including Gummigoo, Max and Chad, and I imagine she's very agile with the way she fights, so she'd have a high agility stat. (I gotta make a version of this with the stats and everything, like the original TADFC images).

[izzymrdb]

Hi!

So I’m reading a chapter for school about “the discovery of childhood” which is basically tracing the European art history to record the view of children in Europe and the eventual increase in value of the period of childhood.

But that’s not the important part

It also talked about literature some, and how especially in Greek myths, even when the characters are children they are portrayed with the skills and emotions of adults.

And that got me thinking about the Hermes birth story, and how immediately following his birth he proceeded to commit crimes and invent.

Do you think this is due more so to the nature of literature of that time or the fact that he is a god? Or is there a different reason that I don’t know?

Well, there are likely several reasons behind it. Hermes’ birth story is established in the Archaic Greek era with Hesiod and Homer’s writings, which mean that his story is older than 800BC, however the problem with that is that our ability to trace stories prior to that is basically non-existent if you don’t find a very similar story in a nearby culture that did have written language we can translate because 1100-800BC greece was a dark age and 2000-1100BC greece had a writing system that we can’t translate reliably or at all. It’s safe to say that his story is at least from 1000BC and prior, which already starts to shape how we would see this story. Why? Because we do have a Hermes recorded in 3000-2000BC as Péhusōn, and he is a purely pastoral diety, and we also have a Hermes in 2000-1200BC as Hermāhās as a god of travelling and cattle.

The shape of literature at this point is basically non-existent other than for a few outliers, however, those outliers do match Hermes’ story. A young child of divine origin immediately causing trouble and showing off great feats beyond their young age? Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Hephaestus all fit this formula, and in non-Greek origins yet similar geographical area, Gilgamesh, Horus, and many other Indo-Iranian-European myths show a youth doing great feats. So, yes, a newborn doing great feats is in the shape of the literature of the time, and yes, his divine origin also plays a part into it. Gods are always depicted as great from birth, exceptional to all and clearly not capable of being mistaken for a mortal, mainly because myths do have a purpose, and here, it’s the idea that a mortal can become a god is impossible because gods are great from birth. Hercules, for all he was born a mortal, strangles snakes in his crib. A human baby could never, and that is why myths decide to depict babies/toddlers/young children rather than youths/teens. Now, for the whole actual question as to “why does Hermes steal the cows and create the lyre?” is my actual field of expertise! Hermahas and Pehuson are both pastoral gods, where did the stealing part come from? Well, Pehuson appears to come from Northern Greece and travelled south, but had a solid mythological structure. Travelling West, Apollo and Helios, both of a Indo-European origin, though Apollo is far more Hittite and Northern and Helios is pure Indo-European with likely Phoenecian and Egyptian influences from the South. Here is where everything clashed together: Sun gods have cattle. Re has his Heavenly Cow (Hathor), Helios has his ‘Stolen by Odysseus’ Cows (that we likely Just Stolen), and Apollo also has cows even though by the time the greeks got to him he wasn’t a sun god anymore and mostly just a light god. 

So, what happens is likely a huge mess of three different directions of religion trying to feasibly mash together. Apollo got given Helios’ stolen cows, Hermes got to steal some cows like Odysseus, and Helios’ stolen cows got given a new hero to be stolen from (Odysseus). Where did Odysseus come in? We have no fucking clue, mate, he just popped up in 1200BC and may have been a real person who led the Sea Peoples, like how Paris was a real Hittite king of Troy. This may be why Odysseus and Hermes are linked in myths. Why a crime? Well, Pehuson’s name means protection and the Indo-Europeans were never shy to put the ‘cowardly tricks’ as a virtue as to how great you are at protecting your family and things (see Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, Hercules, etc).

 Where did the Lyre come from? Apollo appeared to be a god of civilisation with the Hittites and Greece marks ‘civil’ behaviour by the ability to use logic and produce art, and hermahas does have a Shamatic association with conciliation and Pehuson has a connection with music via a possible pan-pipe story, so that may have been a real wild ‘they conciliate with music like a harp’ mash-up. So this is 100% a literature choice, a mythological moral choice, and the effect of several religions trying to make their separate puzzle pieces fit together into a brand new giant puzzle picture

[haveyouseenthis-childhoodshow]

Have you seen this childhood show: Tak and the Power of Juju (2007-2009), United States (English)

Commentary/Context/Memories: Still can’t believe they made this one. The game wasn’t even popular.

[Mod A: I am not in the loop for either the show or the video game, so I have no idea if this is a positive or negative commentary on the show/game haha. The character design does look a bit questionable, but then again the game was made 20 years ago. This show revolves around Tak, who after meeting the Jujus (magical creatures from another realm that can look like bugs or monsters depending on type), and so is able to summon magical powers from their realm. The show deals with conflicts within the Pupununu tribe (his friend Jeera is next in line after her mean sister for the title of Chief), issues with being able to control the powers, and other intrapersonal drama in their tribe. This show follows a similar trope to Road to El Dorado in that the villain is the Shaman of the tribe, Traloc (it does bother me that this is such a common trope with media inspired by Indigenous cultures, because it does inevitably end up demonizing actual Indigenous spiritual practices). I was curious about how Indigenous characters were represented on this show, and I came across an actual thesis on this topic; seeing academic research on pop culture has always been super fascinating to me! I linked it below (if you also wanted to read about it!) alongside with an article about Indigenous representation in video games that goes into the specific stereotyping/depiction of violence against Indigenous people:

[anghraine]

For the ship ask game, Elizabeth/Darcy

Sadly, the long post that got eaten was my original response to this. It had a lot in it, but I'll do my best to remember it.

So! Elizabeth/Darcy is the queen of ships, the terror of the seas, the—yeah, I ship it.

1- What made you ship it?

I don't remember! I was only eleven. I think I considered Mary/Darcy briefly for some reason, but (properly) discarded it. I do remember that I really wanted Elizabeth/Darcy to happen from quite early (I thought Wickham was obviously lying), and partly because of that and partly because of missing things on my first read, I was genuinely surprised that Elizabeth refused him! I thought she'd accept because of her family's situation etc, and then they'd have to deal with their conflicts in marriage.

(This isn't an unusual fic plot, and I myself wrote a fic that was meant to lead to Elizabeth and Darcy having to deal with their issues as a married couple—though I never got to the marriage part—so maybe not quite as batshit as it seems in retrospect, lol.)

2- What are your favorite things about this ship?

There's a lot that I love, obviously. I love the youthful energy of their dynamic, even when it leads to mistakes. They really feel like peers. I love the sense of balance between them. It doesn't rely on everything about their thoughts, feelings, and actions being individually equivalent or even always similar, yet these individual things add up to put them on a par intellectually and morally in a way that is actually pretty unusual for Austen.

I love that they're both clever and truly ethical with a bit of an edge that makes both of them impressive, and both of them very compelling characters in general and together. Yet when they fall in love with each other, they're both rather silly about it.

Despite being borderline ace (and lesbian!) myself, I also enjoy the sexual charge between them. I think that, despite the restraint of Austen's style, it's pretty glaring, especially in the last third or so of the book.

Oh, and I love something that I don't always with other ships. They end up with pretty much everything they could conceivably want out of life, we're assured of their eternal gratitude for their marriage (this is the final line, in fact), they get ... it all. It's not all that common for me to encounter a ship treated so generously by its author, without it feeling forced or saccharine.

But it doesn't feel that way at all (for me). I think there's a reason that it's such a juggernaut in the fandom and people are often so ??? about alternate pairings. You can feel the favor of the narrative itself for them, the way it's so fundamental to the fabric of the narrative that nearly everything in it serves to further the Elizabeth/Darcy plot in some way, yet in a way that makes the novel feel rich and engaging rather than shallow. And at the same time, they have it all! They're smart and hot and good and in love and happy and will never have to worry about money or anything worse than minor inconveniences from extended family, they're going to continue to grow as people, they're—it's so nice and so satisfying in a way that's actually really hard to execute well and it's done so well here.

3- Is there an unpopular opinion you have on this ship?

Many, lol. Despite their immense popularity, I think in some ways that the ship is kind of a victim of it, because there are these inescapable pop culture osmosis ideas of them that just strike me as either reductive or simply wrong. I don't think Darcy is a brooding sexy alpha male romance hero or that Elizabeth is a feisty individualist woman ahead of her time.

I think they're both very much of their time, actually! Darcy is not old-fashioned for the time and Elizabeth is not ahistorically unique. In fact, I would like to see depictions leaning into them as products of their time rather than away (I know of a few, but it's not common in the way I'm thinking, esp given my preference for the 1790s setting).

[historyhermann]

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (Spoiler-Filled) Review

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, known as Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei or MagiRevo for short, is a yuri isekai directed by Shingo Tamaki. It is based on a Japanese light novel series by Piero Karasu and illustrated by Yuri Kisaragi, which was later adapted into an ongoing manga. The series was produced by Japanese anime studio, Diomedéa. 

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the twenty-eighth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on March 30, 2023.

This animated series primarily centers on a Princess named Anisphia "Anis" Wynn Palettia (voiced by Sayaka Senbongi). She remembers her previous life, love of magic, and tries to turn these fantasies into reality. By accident, she comes upon her brother, Algard, who is breaking off his romantic engagement with Euphyllia "Euphie" (voiced by Manaka Iwami). He publicly declares his love for another woman. After she whisks Euphie on her magic broom, she convinces her father to let Euphie come live with her, become her magic assistant, and help restore her royal credibility.

Unlike yuri isekai, such as The Executioner and Her Way of Life or I’m in Love with the Villainess, this series focuses on a reincarnated princess living her second life. In fact, Anis, applies what she remembers about witches from her previous life in Japan, to this new world, to move it into toward social, or industrial, revolution.

MagiRevo mixes dramatic and slow scenes with bloody battles. Anis the "Marauder Princess" fights magical monsters and takes parts of them for herself. Through it all, Anis becomes the heart of the series. She deals with her father, King Orfans II Palletia (voiced by Kenji Hamada), who dislikes her. Furthermore, her trusted maid Ilia Coral (voiced by Ai Kakuma), becomes her sister of sorts.

The series remains engaging due to the Anis' determination to study science to create magical gadgets. This is coupled with Euphie becoming more sure of herself. While this happens, both women slowly develop feelings for one another.

In some ways, Anis gives off a vibe similar to Chisato in Lycoris Recoil. Other scenes are reminiscent of I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss, but there are more similarities to a 50-episode webcomic, The Girlfriend Project, which ended last year.

The aforementioned webcomic is set on Earth, and centers on two girls: one from a wealthy family (Ryn) and another from a working-class family (Julia). This anime echoes some of themes. The webcomic and this series both focus on finding one's self, confronting privilege, and dealing with obstinate family members.

However, MagiRevo has more drama and meddling male characters, such as a jealous prince named Asgard (voiced by Shogo Sakata). He is the equivalent of an over-controlling woman, such as Ryn's mother, since he wants to gain power by any means necessary.

MagiRevo depicts monarchies as slow-moving and bureaucratic. The King does administrative work, as does the Prime Minister (and father of Euphie) Grantz Magenta (voiced by Tomohiro Tsuboi). Anis takes bold action without needing anyone's approval. In one episode, she even brings Euphie with her to slay a dragon while the royal council is deciding what to do, enraging him.

This contrasts, in more ways than one, with the "benevolent"/"enlightened" monarchy shown in Elena of Avalor, or the incompetent one in Disenchantment. This is partially because the King in MagiRevo is a reformist, as his Grantz, while he fights against institutionalists and conservatives among the royal ruling class.

MagiRevo more than a yuri isekai. Anis is very principled, which influences Euphie to see the potential for a society with inventions created by Anis. Such qualities are enhanced by her character's sweet nature. She says that magicians should use their magic "to make other smile", rather than to hurt others.

Anis even creates special weapons for Euphie and believes she can make a better world. In other ways, how Anis acts is an indicator of how someone can have independence, even under monarchy, as Elena does, to an extent, in Elena of Avalor.

The villa where Anis lives shares similarities with the Cursed Princess Club in the webcomic of the same name, in that she brings in those who don't have another home. For example, Anis saved her maid, Ilia, from a marriage she didn't want, and Euphie after Prince Asgard dumped her.

Even so, Anis can be reckless, making her more than happy to help Euphie become more certain with herself, and recognize what to do with her life. She also goes to extreme lengths to ensure she can use a power akin to magic. What this means for Anis, is that she implants crystals from a powerful dragon into her body which turns her "into a monster" as the dragon cursed her.

While Prince Algard is a villain without repute, it is funny how Anis intentionally, or unintentionally, shatters his plans. In the end of the fourth episode, Anis and Euphie fly off to fight the dragon while Algard tries to convince the King into fighting the dragon on his own while threatening his authority. This is supported by the fact that Anis has more experience, as a high-ranking adventurer, while it is not known if Algard has any battle experience.

MagiRevo is woven together nicely. Other than the cuteness of the show itself, the writers did a good job with the story. Unlike some other series, they don't jump into a relationship between Euphie and Anis. Instead, it is built up over time, making it a slow burn. There are nice scenes of them Euphie together, including when they fight alongside one another, or slow dance at the end of episode 5, even complete with a mutual marriage/relationship proposal.

That is not unique, as the strained friendship between protagonists Catra and Adora is the central theme of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Another recent example is the canonized relationship between Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long in the ninth season/volume of RWBY, a young adult animated series. As such, this makes MagiRevo one of the recent series which has employed a queer slow burn between its characters, something which certain creators prefer over other storytelling methods.

The latter half of MagiRevo builds on what happened in the first half. Even characters such as Tilty Caret, the research partner of Anis, and Lainie Cyan, have more of a role. For Tilty, it means studying curses and medicines, but for Lainie, it involves unknowingly using their power to influence others, a "power of fascination". This was coupled with an novel explanation of "vampires" as humans who manipulate people's thoughts rather than sucking blood.

The show's writers did a good job constructing the friendship, and later romantic feelings, between Anis and Euphie. Both complement each other in some many ways, with Euphie as more practical in her attempt to trying to sell the idea of magicology concocted by her friend, Anis, to those who are skeptical. Their connection is only enhanced later in the series, with Euphie going along with Anis, who believed she had to accept her royal birthright.

These plotlines are expanded in MagiRevo with the presence of various enemies. The brother of Anis, Algard, wants to take power for his own gain. He goes to extremes in an effort to change the kingdom, even stabbing himself in the chest with a magic crystal, and fighting his sister. Their battle is only stopped by Euphie in the nick of time.

Algard embodies a similar toxicity present in Cassandra in Tangled. The latter is manifested in her actions against Rapunzel, when being manipulated by Zhan Tri. It is also displayed by the traumatized Ash Graven in Final Space after Invictus controlled her toward her former crew members, and an angry catgirl named Catra in She-Ra and the Princess of Power toward the princesses (and Adora herself). Algard is off his rocker and not being dictated by anyone else. This is his own off-the-wall plan. It ends in his banishment to the borderlands and Anis re-inherited as a princess.

One of the well-constructed aspects of MagiRevo is the internal struggle Anis has to confront when faced with the prospect of becoming queen. She does not want this, but resigns herself to it, even though this means abandoning her passion for magicology. The fact that Euphie sees through this, and tries to do whatever she can to ensure that Anis doesn't become queen, is a testament to her character! In fact, Euphie even agrees to take up a spirit contract with Lumi so she can enter the royal family, and will live forever, as she will become a spirit.

The last two episodes of MagiRevo bring home everything that has happened in the series. Anis tries to hold onto her identity as a princess and doesn't want it to be to be stripped away. I liked that Euphie directly challenges this mentality, coming off so strong that they end up fighting one another in the final episode.

Although Anis is unsuccessful, and Euphie wins the fight, they still respect one another. This isn't a series where they break apart, but grow closer instead. In fact, Anis even confides in Euphie that she has memories from her past life and wonders whether she is "real" or "fake", with Euphie providing the reassurance that she is human after all.

The final episode ended very powerfully in terms of the romantic development between Anis and Euphie, including multiple kisses, and implied sex. This wasn't something new in the series, as they are shown sleeping together many times. Unfortunately, Anis' father declares that Euphie is her "sister" now, a oft-used trope in anime. However, it appears that Euphie is only a sister on paper and a formality, as both of them are not related by blood.

The final episode sets the stage for a possible second season, with the King and Queen stepping down, becoming simple farmers, making way for Euphie and Anis as the new rulers. The latter both commission flying ships which remind me of those in the classic 2000s Disney films Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Atlantis: Milo's Return. Whether that was intentional on the part of the character designers, or they were basing them on the manga, I don't know. In any case, the series ends on a strong note, with Euphie and Anis flying in the sky together, while Lainie becomes an apprentice of Illa.

The voice cast is a strength of MagiRevo. Protagonists Euphie, Anis, and Ilia are voiced by Manaka Iwami, Sayaka Senbongi, and Ai Kakuma. These individuals have experience voicing characters in Fruits Basket, Re:Zero, Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Spy × Family, The Demon Girl Next Door, I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, and As Miss Beelzebub Likes.

Additional cast are newer to voiceover work, such as Hina Yomiya (who voices Lainie Cyan) and Arisa Kinami. Others are more seasoned, like Kenji Hamada, Shogo Sakata, Tomohiro Tsuboi, Hiromichi Tezuka and Yū Sasahara (who voices Tilty Claret).

The voices of the characters of MagiRevo are reinforced by the writing, plot, and animation style of MagiRevo. In the case of the latter, the show's animation studio, Diomedéa, is skilled with animating Squid Girl, Riddle Story of Devil, Girlish Number, and Beatless. But, this is their first yuri series they have worked on.

In any case, the fight with the dragon in the show's fifth episode, the battles that lead up to it, and Euphie saving Anis after she falls from the sky, to give a few examples, are emblematic of the amazing animation quality of MagiRevo.

The writer of this anime, Wataru Watari, has just as much experience. He was the screenwriter and creator My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, but worked on various other series, including Qualidea Code, Girlish Number, Domestic Girlfriend, Get Up! Get Live!, and The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent. Watari is not alone in this, as series director Shingo Tamaki worked on some of the same series, along with others, like Fuuka, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, and Future Diary.

MagiRevo is supported by Moe Hyuga, music composer for the series. He has composed music on some shows I've watched in the past, like Heroines Run the Show and If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die, and those I haven't seen, like O Maidens in Your Savage Season and Steins;Gate 0.

Hyuga's music matches the show's scenes, accompanying the action and drama, making it more impactful. A series can do well, or poorly, depending on its music score, and this series excels in that regard, in more ways than one.

The series grapples with the issues of class discrimination and division in society. It also touches on the topic of parental abuse, which some might think is treated "poorly" in the series. Such a perception is incorrect. Instead, the series primarily shows that the Anis' parents don't know what do with her. They see her as a bit of a wild child. They learn that she is much more than that and has vulnerabilities just like them. As a result, they bond with her and provide her support as she deals with her personal struggles. Hopefully this can be expanded in a second season.

MagiRevo comes at a time that LGBTQ representation in Western media is declining. GLAAD, which partners with major companies, recently admitted this in their "Where We Are on TV" report. They stated that 29% of characters in television programs will not be returning either because of a character dying, leaving the show, or the show being cancelled, ended, or shelved.

In contrast, despite overwork, and bad working conditions, in the anime industry, yuri anime continue to be produced. This year, apart from MagiRevo, the yurish Ippon Again! is airing, as is Soaring Sky! PreCure, while Nijiyon Animation and D4DJ All Mix ended.

This series sets a high standard for other yuri series in the future. With the premiere of new seasons of Tokyo Mew Mew New, Birdie Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, and Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear in April, as well as the debut of Yuri is My Job!, it remains to be seen if these series will be as impactful.

The same can be said for Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror (airing in July), The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess (airing in October), Whisper Me a Love Song (airing in January 2024), and I'm in Love with the Villainess and Hoshikuzu Telepath which will air at some point this year. This is also the case for Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Next Sky (an OVA), Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games, Vampeerz, Laid-Back Camp season 3, and I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level season 2, which are in development.

MagiRevo, otherwise known as The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.