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lostsoulaltair · 4 years ago

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OnS Chapter 99 - Deep analysis - Love

Hello everyone, I hope you’ve been well; remember to take care of yourself everyone!

The new chapter is out, and of course,analysis and theories will come but, there’s something I want to talk about which was discussed with two friends from discord.

Therefore, let’s begin!

One of the things this chapter carried was “Love”. And many might say or state it’s the cliché of undeveloped romance but, the issue is, that’s not the central point of the story, how can I say this?

In one of the Afterwards Kagami released that sadly it’s not translated and I asked my friend which translated the raw chapters each time they were released to translate it; Kagami states the value of family and love, but for that, let’s talk about it on how that applies towards the story.

First of all, Kagami Takaya stated long ago that Romance wasn’t the main theme of the story; which so far has been true until the doubt that was born during the current chapter. But there’s a huge issue everyone dismisses, what could it be?

The issue is, love takes many forms, it’s not only romantic love or yearning for another person; how can I say this?

Within each chapter, we’ve seen love countless times among humans; and this isn’t romantic wise; it goes to the small shape of caring for another, it goes to worrying for the well being of another:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 20

It might seem like it’s a common panel with comedy but actually, that’s the first time Shiho Kimizuki shows love and affection in the shape of caring twards a friend, towards family; towards someone who supported and encouraged him to take a decision in way more early chapters.

It’s true the squad is young, it’s true they’eve spent at least 5 months together due to how the story began; but yet, they slowly started to take care of each other in their own ways without stating it clearly.

Another proof of such emotion is this:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 23

Another view of this is back in chapter 23 when Shinoa was going to tell Yu about the incident that happened when he became a seraph for the first time; but before that, the squad wanted to make a peaceful dialogue first and for that, they started to do it like a family would; Shinoa and Mitsuba aimed to cook for the guys that technically are the strength of the squad when it comes to defense; but of course, both ladies don’t know how to cook and this ended up depending on Shiho Kimizuki to cook a breakfast for the whole squad, therefore, what’s the point to this?

Correct. Love isn’t romance alone; love is caring for each other, making sure to deliver an appropiate notice to someone you care and that’s what the squad did together; they worry about Yu and true, they might not express it towards words but they can do it through actions:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 35

Yoichi used something Yu repeated to them and that goes to what Mika taught him back when they were in the vampire capital; they became family, they took care of each other’s back and this applied to Mikaela as well not due to him being an important person to Yu but rather because they care about Yu’s happiness and well being; they care for a person that means a lot to someone within the squad and it’s reflected a lot on Mikaela when he showed distrust towards Yu’s friends.

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 56

Another form of love despite the picture uploaded is the fact that Guren loves deeply his friends and specially Shinya, does this mean it’s romantic?

No. Shinya was the very first friend Guren had, a friend that supported his idea to destroy the Hiragi Family so they could be free from their graps ever since the events before the Catastrophe; they trusted each other in order to find out what they Family planned along what Mahiru aimed; both were partners in arms to check each other’s back and eventually, those two started to find more friends which later on became Mito, Goshi, Sayuri and Shigure; and the reason for Sayuri and Shigure to be friends was because they’ve been loyal to Guren; they were supporting pillars but they saw themselves as followers from the Ichinose household until that slowly changed; they saw each other as equals and friends as well.

Even when the world was going to end, they raced towards it bravely even if it meant dying in the process, but of course,Guren couldn’t withstand such event which lead to the Resurrection.

Is there any other form of love?

Of course there is:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 58

While it’s true the scene displays Kureto struggling agaisnt Shikama Doji and relies on kissing Aoi; it’s true that Kureto does harbor feelings towards Aoi but the fact that the shadow of his father, the shadow of the whole Hiragi Family was casted on each member; this only made that Kureto couldn’t express such feelings at ease, but such emotion of love could be seen back in the last volume of the LNs of the Catastrophe.

After the fight Kureto had with Mahiru; Kureto dialed his father to ask if this was also aware of everything to which Tenri replied that it was; that everything was proceeding according to certain plan.

And of course, during this conversation, Aoi Sangu became Tenri’s hostage since he ordered to shot Aoi; Kureto of course worried about her and made Aoi use her cursed gear to heal herself; and you might wonder, where’s the love within this?

The love in there as it’s pure form is the fact that Kureto does care about Aoi’s well being despite her being the least enjoyable character to see within the story by what the fandom has expressed so far and. Kureto despite having a cold demanor cares a lot about Aoi and it’s well seen in the fight against Tenri, when he goes and protects her.

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 5

Another form of love is the one that displayed Mikaela Hyakuya towards Yuichiro Hyakuya, a selfless love that was born from the very bottom of his heart:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 90

Correct. Mikaela told Yu he loved him; such form of love it’s the purest because Yu meant the world to Mikaela; Yu became his light to fight all the things his heart endured, Mikaela wanted to see Yu happy, he wanted to see him safe after the events of Ferid killing their family in front of them without mercy.

Yu and Mika have had a strong bond with all the time they’ve spent together; they knew what bothered them along when to scold each other whenever was uneasiness.

The love Mika displays towards Yu is a sincere form of love, the one that aims or seeks to see the well being of an important person; a love that aims the total security of said person but within this, it does not only focus on that; Mikaela despite being a vampire was able to keep lingering emotions since his reason to live was still alive; he was aware of Yu’s nature and yet, he did his best to ensure his safety despite adversity; but within this, he was aware Yu was in good hands, he had a family that cared about him, and of course, may might say chapter 95 was the opposite of it but, chapter 99 really striked down on such beliefs:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 99

Shiho and Yoichi were the first ones to get triggered by Yu’s easy emotions of just hearing Mikaela will be saved.

They doubted Guren for his actions and how it delivered to Mikaela’s death. They’re young, they don’t know how to express the form of love that goes by embracing someone or giving support words but one thing they do display is through actions; they care about Yu and care about what Mika held dear as well; they’ve lost their important ones in the process and they’re not willing to lose more.

And lastly, the love that confessed Shinoa Hiragi to Shikama Doji; while it’s considered quite surprising and even as something manipulated; in fact, that’s not really the case; Shinoa wanted to have a normal life, being a normal girl but she was aware she wouldn’t be one from the beginning and specially after remembering the events on which Mahiru ended sealing her emotions:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 99

I understand very well that this might be unpleasant to some, or joyful for others; as the writer of this analysis, I don’t find it joyful nor unpleasant; everything is held within a neutral point of view; and what it’s displayed in said chapter is actually Shinoa accepting what her heart feels. She’s aware her heart does beat fast when she’s close to Yu but it doesn’t mean she’s obsessed with him nor means she lusts for him; but rather, just like Mikaela; she wants to see him happy, that for once he manages to have a happy life, that he is safe just like the squad does too.

The main focus of the story asides from defeating the First Progenitor isn’t about creating romance; but rather to show that love takes shapes, love is built with time, it can go for appreciation, respect, careness, happiness for the wellbeing of someone that changed a life.

P.S: Analysis are held within a neutral view, they don’t support ships nor anything. The choice of shipping goes only to each respective reader.

The purpose of this analysis is not to justify or say Kagami is enforcing romance but rather, he is aiming to show that adminst catastrophic events, “love” is the key to keep standing, to keep fighting even if the reasons to live may be silly.

And just like my favorite lore story which is Honkai Impact 3rd, they always state: “Fight for all that’s beautiful in the World.”

That is applied within this chapter as well. A fight against a being that has a God complex.

What do you think dear readers? Do you agree love takes different forms? Let me know.

GIF belongs to hopeymchope

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tamuramachi · 4 years ago

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Top 10 Manga Picks: the Origins of Manga-Loving Yumi Tamura!

Loosely translated from the Da Vinci Magazine August 2020 issue.

"Tamura has been creating works that span mystery, horror, fictional warfare, action, and fantasy genres. What kind of manga has she been reading up to now? We asked her to introduce the 10 works that inspired her to start drawing manga, as well as what she considers her heart's bible. Includes comments from Tamura herself!"

Yumi Tamura's Comments:

1. Cyborg 009 by Shotaro Ishinomori

"When I was little, I watched the anime first and loved it, and then I read the manga around the time I was entering junior high school. I wanted to be 003 and go into battle with friends in the same way. I feel like it was my emotional support during the period of my 2nd year in junior high when I was having a hard time and ran away from it all."

2. Lolly no Seishun by Kimiko Uehara

"When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade of elementary school, Uehara drew a lot of one-shots in Betsucomi ('Lolly' was a weekly comic), and they were so interesting and moving every time that I was constantly in a state of emotion. I think because of that, I began drawing manga in my notebook, splitting up the pages into panels. Dramatic & rich with emotion, the depicted characters by Uehara, whether men or women, are full of charm & utterly brilliant. The energy and willpower of the female characters is really wonderful."

3. Thomas no Shinzou by Moto Hagio

"Of course I love 'Poe no Ichizoku' & '11-nin Iru!' too. Needless to say, Hagio is the greatest treasure. When I was in the 1st year of junior high, my friend & I were crazy about 'Thomas'. I liked Juri and my friend liked Oskar... we talked about going to Germany someday. It links together my own happy memories. I'm sure I didn't understand everything Hagio was trying to draw, but in the end, even now I cry at the image of Juri smiling faintly in a small panel."

4. Hamidashikko by Jun Mihara

"To me, this work is like the bible. It relentlessly strikes the deepest part of the heart and brings forth a flood of pain and tears. It wraps you up in a warmth that's helplessly miserable, sorrowful. Sincere gazes and intense dialogues. The power of the dialogues is truly unbelievable. The way the dialogues are presented along with the drawings make the best use of that power. Mihara's careful thoughts are at the root of all this. Even though I'm already this grateful, I will never get used to it. It's just amazing."

5. Kyoufu Shinbun by Jirou Tsunoda

"This is the most terrifying manga I've ever read. It's so captivating, & even decades later, it's still ingrained in me. There are various scenes that I'll recall whenever something happens. My younger sister & I would look at each other & go like ‘it's that’ or ‘that one scene, right?!’ & it would send shivers down our spines. We're already at a level of trauma. It's uncommon for a main story line to be most interesting while introducing all sorts of horrors."

6. Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu by Kazuo Umezu

"If I was told to read a manga now that would make me cry right away, then I would choose this one. Particularly the last scene of the mother crying. This work is unbelievably fierce, grand, rich in ideas, & just too fascinating. And the themes are so broad & deep that it makes you think about many things. It's a rare transcendental masterpiece that will, in the end, leave you feeling comforted & positive, thinking ‘it was a good ending,’ even though the journey is extremely scary & painful. Also, my contempt for Sekiya is strong.”

7. Macaroni Hourensou by Tsubame Kamogawa

"This is explosively entertaining. Fun. Cute. Cool. I love it! 25-year old Toshi-chan is the best! He's so cool. I don't know how many times I've read this. I still say the lines out loud even now. This is a very popular work that I can only describe as fun. There are not many other gag manga that make me burst out laughing quite like this one. I love it!”

8. Akaaka Maru by Minako Uchida

"I just can't stop admiring this work in general. The drawings, the rhythm, the stunning midpoint [?], the ability to think in a scientific way. And the proficiency of observing people. I admired it so much that I tried drawing contours of people & handwriting with permanent markers & brushes, but my drawing skills were so different that I ended up with nothing but doodles. ‘BOOMTOWN’ & the short stories are also very interesting & fun!”

9. Genji by Yun Kouga

"Innovative, I thought. I could clearly understand it. Kouga seems to be the kind of person who has a lot of sense. I've always thought it was amazing how her work & she herself had leadership qualities of the time to pull others along. I would very much love to know what kind of ideas Kouga has in mind for the rest of this work, since it hasn't been completed yet.”

10. Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya

"There was a period when I was having a very tough time, & it got to the point where I was having unhealthy thoughts like, ‘Is manga even enjoyable?’ But then this work came along & I was like ‘Aah, manga is fun after all! Thank goodness, I'm okay!’ So, this is a super popular & famous work to which I owe a debt of gratitude for making me realize & genuinely feel this way. I think it would be the greatest if I could portray the world in a similar way with such thoroughness. I envy that power of Ninomiya's! It's magnificent!”

Additional side comment from Tamura (in the speech bubble):

“I wanted to include the Bijohime series (Hana no Bijohime) & PARTNER by Tomoko Naka too! (I think it's obvious that these have an influence on my characters.) Other works that also left a strong impact on me are Ryouko Yamagishi's Arabesque; Yuko Kishi's Tamasaburou series and short stories; Rising! (Saeko Himuro/Author, Kazuko Fujita/Artist); the Palm series (Yasei Kemonogi); Astro Kyuudan (Shirou Toozaki/Author, Norihiro Nakajima/Artist); & Dark Green by Junko Sasaki. Makoto Kobayashi's Judo-bu Monogatari & Nanae Haruno's PaPa told me are also excellent! There’re also many other works that I'll never forget, such as those by Shinji Wada & Udou Shinohara, which have all influenced me in some way. I've always loved TONO's Karubania Monogatari too.”

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greengrungeemo · 3 years ago

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Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi was a quick finish for me. Very short, but sweet. I enjoyed the pinpoint focus on Rika and Akasaka. Small town maiden versus federal government city boy. The ultimate dynamic in a serious altercation: a utilitarian issue. A dam construction. Should the few thousand and their homes and livelihoods be sacrificed for the greater good of Japan and its energy resource capacity?

Yet, despite her small size and age, Rika may be the best symbol of strength than any character I know.

Why is this? Well, most who have played this chapter may describe how she has immense power and influence in Himanizawa due to the population treating her as a mascot and symbol, a vessel of Oyashiro-sama. Or, others could say that the fact she knows most, if not, can predict all days of her life leading to her end is a great power in of itself.

I personally view both of those as her greatest burden instead. A cross to carry. You can see it in her eyes. All she wants is to live happily with her friends, that’s all. As described by Akasaka and Ooishi, she never had any desire for power or wealth, only a humble lifestyle with the few she loves. Though, like many of us, life doesn’t tend to go our way. She is stuck. Alone with this issue. Trapped with an emotional affliction she struggles to deal with. She knows the exact day she’ll die. Who can she tell without sounding insane? Her friends? Her teacher, Chie? Doctor Irie at the clinic? Law enforcement? Her parents before their untimely demise? No. It’ll all sound crazy, and if she points at the happenings she predicts and says, “LOOK! See? I told you, I was right!” Superstition would be the primary thought process for all. “You did this then? You planned this?” See? It’s not so black and white, and I’m certain she already thought of every possible angle.

So why did she solely tell Akasaka her fate, and the fates of those affected by Oyashiro-sama’s Curse and their exact dates? A cry for help? An attempt to change fate? Trust in him? Perhaps sympathy or conviction to drive her point for him to go back to Tokyo and do exactly as she demands of him? My personal theory is that it could be any of these or a bit of all of them, or... it’s that she’s venting.

Yes, venting. This entire chapter focuses on the adversity that Rika must endure. She is a wearer of many masks. Intelligent (possibly due to these days being a recurring cycle for her? It *is* distinctly clear in her mother’s diary entries... Where could she be learning these skills and talents?), calculated as well. She knows when to act cute and when to drive her point forward. She knows this is all a matter of timing, and to set her pieces up carefully.

Akasaka on the other hand, he’s a good man. Faithful and devoted to his wife and his work. Sincere and strives to uphold the law and protect people. He may have a mission assigned to him, but he most definitely has his set of morals and principles that he strictly abides by. A good man. Yet, that may seem one-dimensional? And so it is proven. For this, he is naïve. Perhaps he’s overworked? Perhaps there’s simply so much information to keep tabs on, or perhaps he’s too focused on keeping his duty as maximum priority? Either way, he fails to absorb imperative information. When him and Rika are alone at the mountain view, she vents to him all of what will happen. She guarantees him the dam project will stop. Why? Because it will. She provides him exact dates and the events that will follow. Why? Because they will happen exactly as stated in verbatim. The stupidity and naivety of man. His perspective and priority was focused on “how Rika’s demeanor and speech changed”, rather than the actual information given. Pathetic, in Rika’s words.

It’s a shame, because he is the kind of man that would go out of his way to individually stop all of those events from happening. He has his morals to abide by, after all, and his emotional breakdown for Rika in the end is clear of that. His regret is clear... He’s a good man and that’s that.

Putting myself in Rika’s shoes, I wonder how this would wear on me psychologically and emotionally? Perhaps there would be moments of apathy or carelessness at the inevitability of it all - a nihilistic approach - or perhaps there may be moments of desperation? Stop it at all costs. No matter what, it feels as though it’s a much more powerful force than a tiny little girl can overcome, and that’s why it must be so hard on her. Despite her pain, the gestures she makes for Akasaka like cutting those phone line wires... brought me to tears. She wanted to provide him even a single night of respite, if it meant his happiness to be preserved a little while longer... That’s angelic to do with her burden. She’s so strong.

Also, her mocking and making fun of Ooishi’s laugh in the post-game extra was the best thing ever.

---

All in all, the lesson and theme this chapter emphasizes is on choice. Cause and effect. Every choice, big or small, shapes our fate. All choices have their own set of consequences, good and bad. Life would be boring if all the choices we made ended up with good results, and indeed it would be torture if every one of them resulted in bad consequences. Rika may not know what choices to make, but it seems apparent that she’s making the most out of the ones she does know to make to extend the fullness of her life and reach that one step closer to her dream. That’s great, and I’m proud of her for it. After some heavy lessons of my own, I’m making sure to be as careful as possible, but also to act when necessary for those I love. Striking that balance to preserve true goodness. If you slip, pick yourself up and make future choices that will prevent similar slips. Rinse and repeat, and build, build, build. Experience builds character, after all. What kind of individual will you choose to be?

#higurashi #higurashi when they cry #visual novel #pc games #rika furude

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brightbeautifulthings · 4 years ago

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Week 14 (p. 470-506)

[tw: death, violence, eye horror, racism]

More of Marathe and Steeply pondering out loud the overall themes of the novel, which are probably some of the most grounding chapters in the book. I'm not sure we'd totally know what to make of it without their commentary, since trying to string together coherent connections in a thousand pages is a kind of mental gymnastics. Some of those connections are stranger than others. What begins as a scene of Gately running errands weirdly (but sort of artfully) segues into a disturbing scene between the A.F.R. and the Antitoi brothers. There are plenty of things grim or uncomfortable or flat out distasteful about this book, but sometimes the graphic violence kind of jumps out and stabs you in the eye, say, with a railroad spike. It ends with an oddly spiritual image that I have spoilery questions about below the cut.

There's a very funny scene of Erdedy at an A.A. meeting that was published in The Review of Contemporary Fiction, and I confused the shit out of myself the first time I read IJ, wondering how the hell this scene in the middle of a thousand page novel I’d never read was familiar to me. It also contains racist depictions of African American characters' speech patterns, and I doubt this particular section would be published now. The humor in the scene doesn't depend at all on harmful stereotypes and would in fact, be a lot more funny if I wasn’t spending so much energy cringing at it. So many of the little racist asides could have easily been edited out of the entire novel to make it less offensive.

Week 15 (p. 507-538)

[tw: mental illness, OCD]

Hal is again acting weird in this section, cataloging all the blue things with an "involuntary grin" (p. 520). It's not clear if it's because he's ingested DMZ and starting to feel its effects or if it's because every character in this novel is Emphatically Weird, and his neuroses look pretty mild next to everyone else's. It's astounding to me that of all the problems these characters face (rampant alcoholism, Tavis's pathological openness, Avril's OCD, Politeness Roulette, and fear of open spaces, disembodied voices, alienating her children, etc.), Himself found that the most pressing one was Hal's inability to emote. Hal is one of the most functional characters on the page at any time, and while he readily admits having difficulty relating to his family, aside from Mario, he and Stice are "at complete ease with one another" (p. 521), which doesn't strike me as a terribly unhealthy absence of connection, communication, or emotion. (In any case, who could blame him for being a little robotic as a defense mechanism against the Incandenzas.)

"'Don, I'm perfect. I'm so beautiful I drive anybody with a nervous system out of their fucking mind. Once they've seen me they can't think of anything else and don't want to look at anything else and stop carrying out normal responsibilities and believe that if they can only have me right there with them at all times everything will be all right'" (p. 538).

Alongside Hal and Orin's, Gately and Joelle's are some of the best conversations in the book. Joelle has an intellectual's habit of commenting on the way things are said (pretty much the embodiment of irony), while Gately may speak in cliches but is much better at getting to the reality of things (embodiment of sincerity), yet they still manage to communicate in a way that's effective, insightful, and often funny. He thinks he's not that smart and worries other people will pick up on it, but he keeps up with her just fine. Gately notes that when Joelle talks about the veil, she doesn't sound like herself (more like she's reciting someone else's ideas from rote, imo), and, interestingly, Gately's voice almost seems to start to match hers by the end of some of the discussions.

Questions & Working Theories

Q: What “sordid liaison” (p. 30) with the M. DuPlessis, who dies in a later chapter, did the Incandenza family have? - Still not clear, but it sounds like J.O.I. either purposely or under duress gave a Master copy (or copyable copy) of the Entertainment to DuPlessis, or had it stolen from him before or after his death, and it was then stolen by accident when Gately robbed and killed DuPlessis. ("Whether or not the A.F.R. ever even recover this alleged Master copy from the DuPlessis burglary..." (p. 489).) What happened to that copy, if it exists?

Q: Is Marathe a double-agent, or is he just pretending to be a double agent? - Marathe has betrayed the A.F.R. and is aiding Steeply and the Americans in finding the Entertainment in order to get medical care for his wife. - Marathe is only pretending to betray the A.F.R. in order to get more information from Steeply. A: Marathe is a double-agent, and is actually betraying the A.F.R. "The A.F.R. believed Marathe functioned as a triple agent, pretending to betray his nation for his wife, memorizing every detail of the meetings with B.S.S. ... M. Fortier did not know Marathe had reached the internal choice that he loved his skull-deprived and heart-defective wife Gertraud Marathe more than he loved the Separatist and anti-O.N.A.N. cause of the nation of Québec..." (p. 529).

Q: Was Pemulis selling DMZ to the Antitoi brothers, or buying it from them? (It sounds like he’s selling it, but why?) - "Bertraund had been starry-eyed enough to agree to barter the person an antique blue lava-lamp and a lavender-tinged apothecary's mirror for eighteen unexceptional-looking and old lozenges the long-haired old person had claimed in a jumble of West-Swiss-accented French were 650 mg. of a trop-formidable harmful pharmaceutical no longer available and guaranteed to make one's most hair-raising psychedelic experience look like a day on the massage-tables of a Basel hot-springs resort..." (p. 482)

Q: What's the significance of Lucien Antitoi's spirit immediately after his death? Does this have an impact on the Wraith's activities? - "...and is free, catapulted home over fans and the Convexity's glass palisades at desperate speeds, soaring north, sounding a bell-clear and nearly maternal alarmed call-to-arms in all the world's well-known tongues" (p. 489).

#infinite jest #david foster wallace #infinite slow summer #infinite summer #infinite jest readalong #yrstruly

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reconditarmonia · 4 years ago

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Dear Chocolate Box 2021 Author

Hi! Thank you for writing for me! I’m reconditarmonia here and on AO3. I have anon messaging off, but mods can contact me with any questions.

Elsinore | Fullmetal Alchemist | The Locked Tomb | Motherland: Fort Salem | Simoun

General likes:

– Relationships that aren’t built on romance or attraction. They can be romantic or sexual as well, but my favorite ships are all ones where it would still be interesting or compelling if the romantic component never materialized.

– Loyalty kink! Trust, affectionate or loving use of titles, gestures of loyalty, replacing one’s situational or ethical judgment with someone else’s, risking oneself (physically or otherwise) for someone else, not doing so on their orders. Can be commander-subordinate or comrades-in-arms.

– Heists, or other stories where there’s a lot of planning and then we see how the plan goes.

– Femslash, complicated or intense relationships between women, and female-centric gen. Women doing “male” stuff (possibly while crossdressing).

– Stories whose emotional climax or resolution isn’t the sex scene, if there is one.

– Uniforms/costumes/clothing.

– Stories, history, and performance. What gets told and how, what doesn’t get told or written down, behavior in a society where everyone’s consuming media and aware of its tropes, how people create their personas and script their own lines.

General DNW: rape/dubcon, torture, other creative gore; unrequested AUs, including “same setting, different rules” AUs such as soulmates/soulbonds; PWP; food sex; embarrassment; focus on pregnancy; Christmas/Christian themes; focus on unrequested canon or non-canon ships; unrequested trans versions of characters.

Smut Likes: clothing, uniforms, sexual tension, breasts, manual sex, cunnilingus, grinding, informal d/s elements, intensity.

Requesting fic; open to art treats!

—

Fandom: Elsinore

Relationship(s): Hamlet & Ophelia; Hamlet & Horatio & Ophelia; Bernardo & Hamlet & Laertes & Ophelia

I found the friendships in this game, and the different ways that characters can reconcile or try to find a way forward together, to be really sweet and moving, and I'd love to read something that focused on those relationships of trust and support. I like how important Ophelia and Horatio's counsel and friendship is in timelines where Hamlet becomes king; I like Hamlet regretting how he behaved towards Ophelia and striving to live through his depression and find out what it is that he wants, not what everyone else wants of him; I like seeing childhood friends Bernardo and Laertes and Ophelia and Hamlet, whose growing-up has stretched them so far apart, taking time to catch up and enjoy each other's company a little.

So, futurefic in one of the timelines where everything doesn't go to shit? A timeline that we don't see? (There is something narratively interesting to me in Permanence/Passion in that the entire plot of Hamlet ends up as a distant backstory to someone's full life; I don't know how compatible that idea is with these requests, but if you want to write any of these groups fucking off to Italy or Constantinople or London and living until the Elsinore pressure-cooker is a distant memory, I'd be just as happy with that as with fic about them building some kind of future together still in Denmark, trying to make it better for its people and to hold on to who they are as individuals, and friends, beyond their roles.) If you want to write Hamlet/Ophelia, Hamlet/Horatio, or for that matter Horatio/Bernardo as shippy, I'm fine with that, but I don't want a focus on the romantic aspects of their relationship.

Fandom-Specific DNW: death of requested characters within the timeline being explored, or focus on death of requested characters. These characters die in this game a lot and I don't need you to pretend entirely that it's not a time loop game, but I would like them to be happy. If you write the Bernardo & Hamlet & Laertes & Ophelia request, I'm fine with either or both names/pronouns for Bernardo|Katherine, but I don't want to read a story focused on their gender or coming-out. Please don't include Peter Quince as a character (you do not need to retcon, you know, the existence of the time loop).

—

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Relationship(s): Maria Ross/Olivier Mira Armstrong

I'll admit: I am a shallow, shallow person who loves the heartwarming and id-satisfying Briggs loyalty-kink complex (The watch! Buccaneer handing Olivier a clean pair of gloves after she kills Raven! Constant and deeply sincere saluting! Olivier’s explanation of why she wants Miles around and her lack of patience for anyone’s shit) but would like an f/f manifestation of it for actual shipping. Post-canon or AU where Maria is assigned to Briggs, or works for Olivier in Central? Does Maria foil a plot against Olivier, or Olivier save Maria's life in battle? Does Olivier order Maria into a firefight? Hit me.

Fandom-Specific DNW: Olivier/men, even mentioned.

—

Fandom: The Locked Tomb

Relationship(s): Abigail Pent & Dulcinea Septimus; Gideon the First & Matthias Nonius

Dulcie and Nonius were two of my favorite additions to the cast in Harrow the Ninth (and Dulcie in "Doctor Sex" via letter). I loved everything we learned about Dulcie - her wit, her quick thinking in a pinch when confronted by Cytherea and her secret to Harrow. I found her "The only thing preventing me from being exactly who I wanted..." speech both genuinely moving and very funny, and I love her thirst for revenge. What else might she and Abigail Pent, "independent research? it isn't even my birthday!" daredevil spirit-talker par excellence who has just conjured up a ghost out of an epic poem, get up to after Harrow's bubble collapses? Or what were they up to when they weren't on screen in Harrow's dream, putting together this whole, well, play?

Nonius's arrival, entire scene, and departure to fight the Beast made me very, very happy on levels I have trouble explaining. It was so heartwarming?! Because it was impossible, and because poetry won, and because they went off to do the best they could...I don't know, exactly. I'd love to read either more about his mysterious past with Gideon the First, or about their second encounter as allies (throw in Marta, Ortus and Pro if you like as well!)

Fandom-Specific Exception: to my unrequested ships DNW, Dulcie/Cam & Dulcie/Pal. I love their three strand thing.

—

Fandom: Motherland: Fort Salem

Relationship(s): Abigail Bellweather/Raelle Collar

I fell hard for this show and Abigail/Raelle is the ship I’m most excited about - they get off to a bad start for all kinds of personal history reasons and have problems with each other, but when it gets down to the wire Abigail would do anything for Raelle and is very gung-ho about having Raelle’s unconventional but extremely powerful magic under her leadership, regardless of Raelle being a loose cannon. She told her she loved her!! <3 And by the end, Raelle also clearly knows what Abigail's going through (like when she talks her down in "Citydrop"), respects her leadership, and cares deeply about her and wants to protect her in return. I love that loyalty dynamic, and their competence as fighters/witches.

Physical combat, strength in general, magical strength, ability to work magic together, knowledge of the magical canon vs. out-of-the-box techniques...what parts of their skills and their bond could be challenged in the weird dimension that the end of season 1 leaves them in? Or when they get back home and new challenges await? (In my head, the decision not to send them to War College is not revoked; the unit becomes some kind of special-forces secret strike team rather than cannon fodder.) Maybe something where Raelle goes/has gone into a fight as a berserker-type for Abigail and then comes back to her, or where Abigail protects/has protected her soldier (her girl!! I love her protectiveness of Raelle towards the other cadets, imagine it in a battle!)? Or an arranged marriage AU where it's usual for witch soldiers to marry to combine their magic power or something...

I would also be up for smut for them, especially something d/s-y where the loyalty-kinky dynamic of Raelle being Abigail's weapon, at her command, is echoed in sex!

Fandom-Specific DNW: sex solely for magical purposes without an emotional connection (sex for magical purposes is fine), focus on Raylla (I don't need you to retcon it, but please don't dwell either on Raelle still having feelings for Scylla or on her getting over Scylla for Abigail), Scylla bashing, Abigail/Adil (I would prefer to imagine, if he is mentioned in the fic, that they’re just friends).

—

Fandom: Simoun

Relationship(s): Aer/Neviril; Aer/Neviril & Neviril/Paraietta; Aer/Neviril/Paraietta; Aer & Floef & Neviril & Paraietta & Rodoreamon & Vyuraf

Aer, and Aer/Neviril, really grew on me on my recent rewatch. I appreciated her more as the determined bit-of-a-loose-cannon, who grows into a respected role in the choir, than the manic pixie this time, and noted Neviril's comments about how she was drawn to Aer's determination. (I've written a lot more about what I love and am interested in about Neviril and the show in general, her journey of figuring out what it means to her exactly to lead an air force, here.) I'd love to know what happens to them post-canon - what is the "new world" and their travel in it like? It's an escape for them, sure, but what are they escaping to, not just from? Are there problems there, too?

I'd also be up for a poly situation where Neviril is involved with both Aer and Paraietta, her long-loyal second-in-command whom she's blessed and forgiven, as a V where they're friends or as a triangle where Aer and Paraietta are also involved (I don't quite know what that leg of the triangle would look like but I do like how they work together in battle even when they're shown as having personal issues.)

If Neviril and Aer make it back to the main world when war is brewing again, as at the end of the series, but their old cohort can't fly anymore, what do they see their role as being? Does Neviril see herself as a leader for peace, for war, for something else? How do they interact with their former squadmates, whether as part of a more plotty piece or not?

I could be interested in explicit fic for this canon, as an option - the series is, on some level, about the contrast between the reality and physicality of their bodies and the general perception of what they do (which even in its non-spiritual military capacity is removed from a connection to their bodies via the Simoun aircraft), about becoming an adult, and of course about gender.

Fandom-Specific DNW: I'm not really interested in Kaim and Alty and would prefer for them not to appear or for their backstory to come up. I would also not like to see pre-timeskip Dominuura/Limone.

#dear author letters

0 notes

bakudomaster · 5 years ago

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Pushing Daisies

Hello again everyone! It’s time for another in-depth analysis of a show that I’ve watched. This time I’ve picked a show that I have recently rediscovered - question: do you guys like pies and corpses...?

[The facts were these]

PREMISE

In the fall of 2007, a quirky little show known as Pushing Daisies premiered on ABC. Taking inspiration from all things kitsch and Wes Anderson, the story centered around Ned (no, not THAT Ned), a self taught baker specializing in pies who has the unique ability to touch dead beings and bring them back to life. As with many superheroes, his powers did not come without restriction: once touched, should Ned touch the “undeaded” once more, they would become dead permanently. Also, once Ned touches the dead, they exist consequence free for only 60 seconds before something living in close proximity has to die to balance out the cosmic scales.

A bundle of anxiety and intimacy issues on a good day, Ned uses his special skills to moonlight as a part time private investigator to help full time investigator Emerson Cod solve various murder cases and collect reward money. One day, it turns out that the case they have to solve is that of Ned’s childhood sweetheart, one Charlotte “Chuck” Charles. Ned takes a risk and resurrects her beyond the 60 second rule, meaning that someone else has to take her place in the great beyond.

Together with Ned’s waitress (and unrequited admirer), the quartet must solve mysteries, keep the secret of Chuck being alive again from her eccentric aunts and come face to face with all of their emotional issues.

Sadly, the show was cancelled before it ever took off, but more on that later on.

CAST & CHARACTERS

Lee Pace as Ned - the man with the magic touch, he owns a restaurant called “The Pie Hole”, where he makes... well, pies; what did you expect? Ned discovered his gift/curse at a young age when he resurrected his dog after being run over and his mother after she suffered a brain aneurysm. He also discovered that his powers did not come without consequence, as the cost of bringing his mother back to life was Chuck’s father dying. Abandoned at boarding school by his father, Ned grew up and opened his restaurant where he also helps Emerson Cod solve many murder mysteries for the rewards of justice and money. Due to his powers and abandonment issues, Ned has trouble opening up to anyone and carries around a great deal of anxiety. Lee Pace was previously unknown before the show, but he rightfully gained much recognition afterwards, going on to make a few bad movies before getting roles in the Hobbit and MCU franchises.

Anna Friel as Charlotte “Chuck” Charles - Ned’s childhood sweetheart and neighbor, Chuck grew up with her father, having believed that her mother died giving birth to her. Once the universe decided to claim her father as payment for Ned’s mother being brought back to life, she was raised by her shut-in aunts and never allowed herself to travel beyond the gates of her house for their sake. Deciding to break that rule, she was killed when she went on a cruise, after which she was revived the socially anxious Pie Maker Jesus. Chuck is a very optimistic and sincere girl who enthusiastically takes to solving cases. She carries around a bit of existential depression in her, what with being previously dead and all, but she cares for her family and friends very deeply. She can never touch her boyfriend again, but she’s very happy to just generally be around him. Anna Friel had a bit of a generic career before the show, but all that changed once it was cancelled. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work here.

Chi McBride as Emerson Cod - a jaded private investigator who believes in nothing but the almighty dollar, Emerson frequently contracts Ned’s skill to revive murder victims, ask them how they died and who killed them, solve their cases and collect easy reward money. He had a romance with one of his PI targets a few years before the series began, resulting in daughter who is now missing. He is the author of a children’s pop-up book, hoping to get it published so that his daughter will use it and come find him instead of the other way around. He does not like the complications that come with having Chuck around nor does he care for Ned’s frequent ethical dilemmas or Olive’s stubborn charms; but he does appreciate all of them in his own way. Chi McBride previously starred in Boston Public and went on to star in short lived shows such as Human Target and Golden Boy before getting a recurring role on the new Hawaii Five-O

Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook - a former jockey turned waitress, Olive works at the Pie Hole, lives next door to her boss and carries a very strong, yet unrequited love for our Ned. She does not take kindly to Chuck suddenly appearing and gaining the affection she had worked so hard without reward. She believes that Chuck faked her death and is locked out of the loop as to what is really going on. After some snooping around of her own, she makes firm friendships with Chuck’s aunts, Chuck herself (they even become roommates) and even Emerson. She also learns to accept that Ned will never see her the way he sees the dead girl and tries to move on. Kristin was a very well established Broadway actress before the show and won an Emmy for her role in the show’s second season. She went on to do more plays and more TV shows, with a few guest starring roles here and there.

Swoosie Kurtz as Lily Charles - a cynical and sarcastic agoraphobe, Lily was once part of a synchronized swimming duo called the Darling Mermaid Darlings with her sister Vivian. They toured all over the world before settling down to raise Chuck once her father died. She’s fond of martinis, guns and does not take kindly to strangers... or anyone for that matter. She also happens to be carrying a few secrets of her own as Olive find out and is devastated when she finds out Chuck dies at the beginning of the show. Ms Kurtz is a very acclaimed actress, having an Emmy and two Tonys to her name. She went on to star as Joyce Flynn on Mike & Molly after the show.

Ellen Greene as Vivian Charles - Chuck’s other agoraphobic aunt, Vivian was the other half of the Darling Mermaid Darlings. She’s much more compassionate and delicate than her older sister, but is lost and sad after her niece’s death. Wanting to explore the world in all senses of the phrase beyond her house, she finds herself frequently held back by Lily’s stubbornness... but is that all that’s keeping her back. She was also once engaged to Chuck’s father. Ms Greene is renowned for her role in Little Shop of Horrors (both musical and film versions).

STRUCTURE, DEVELOPMENT & WRITING

Described as a “forensic fairytale”, Pushing Daisies drew inspiration from all the 20′s right through to the 50′s. For those who haven’t seen the show, have you ever watched the Wes Anderson segment in the Family Guy episode Three Directors? You’d be surprised at how similar the setting is, even though it’s a parody. You could even say it has a very Tim Burton feel to it, and who doesn’t love Tim Burton?

Combining the murder mystery and fantasy show genres was not new at all. Medium started up 2 years before PD; whilst Missing & Tru Calling debuted the year before that. If PD was going to be different, it needed another element to make it a success, critically at least. It found that piece by embracing full on quirkiness and adding equal amounts of emotional gratification instead of the darker themes of the aforementioned predecessors, it could carve a niche for itself in the late 00′s television market. PD didn’t serve up thumping adrenaline in any of Ned’s pies, but it didn’t need to: there were other shows who could do that better. It aimed for something else entirely, making the crime element a portion of itself rather than the whole focus.

In this sense, the show followed through with the more intellectual sarcasm starting to appear more frequently at the time (thank you Tina Fey), but tempered it with sincerity. Characters were allowed to be jaded or anxious, but never at the expense of the lighthearted atmosphere. The show’s scripts were also tightly consistent with character development, often pairing very unlikely characters for humorous or heartwarming moments. Characters also took on very familiar tropes in a very unique way - instead of endlessly pining for the pie maker who could never be hers, Olive attempted many a times to get over him, finally accepting that friends instead of lovers was better than slicing Ned out of her life completely. Emerson was a hard-boiled private eye, who wanted his AWOL daughter to find him instead of the other way around.

As with many shows airing on ABC at the time, PD carried a family secret/scandal that affected almost every character, forcing them to go to great lengths to keep it buried once the truth had been discovered. It fit in well with the general theme as opposed to the other examples who used it for shock value or to prolong viewership.

Sadly, the pie maker and his friends weren’t destined to remain on TV for long. The show was one of the victims of the 2007/8 writers strike, forcing it’s first season to end after only 9 episodes. Production resumed afterwards, however the second season only premiered an entire 10 months after the first one did, with only a quarter of the viewership. ABC pulled the plug through the second season in 2008, leaving the final three episodes unaired in the US until May 2009. Pushing Daisies was... pushing daisies - eh? Eh? Ok, I’ll see myself out.

BULLSEYES & IMPROVEMENTS

What the show gets right:

The general offbeat, yet pleasant mood

Olive Snook - for a relative outsider (she’s not part of Emerson’s PI business nor does she truly know Ned’s secret), she worms her way into all mystery related plot lines, proving herself to be a badass sidekick along the way

Speaking of Olive, she is wonderfully unique. Though she sees herself as a rival to Chuck for Ned’s love, she bonds with the previously dead girl over taking care of Lily and Vivian, even rooming with her. She also doesn’t go down the tsundere route - she’s not afraid to discuss her feelings maturely with Ned and accept her defeat in amore.

Emerson and Olive frequently team up together, even though they’re as different as night and day. Olive proves herself so competent that Emerson offers her a position at his firm should she ever get tired of The Pie Hole

The sets and cinematography contribute to the fairy tale escapism mood. I wish more shows did this nowadays

Olive’s songs, especially her renditions of Eternal Flame and Hello (Lionel Richie’s version, though I’m sure Adele’s one would be equally perfect, if not more so)

Ned coming to terms with his abandonment and intimacy issues by slowly letting people in

Jim Dale as the eloquent narrator. Never have exposition and narration been so quaint

Vivian’s delicate melancholy when she realizes her boyfriend abandoned” her and now she has to take the rose colored glasses off

Digby - enough said

The show doesn’t get much wrong, but then again it couldn’t have considering the extremely short run. Had they received a full season at least once, I’m sure the tension in the various mysteries could have been a bit tiresome. Instead, here is a wishlist of sorts:

Who Dwight Dixon really was and why he was obsessed with the pocket watches

See Ned connect with his twin half brothers a bit more

What did Chuck’s father get up to after he took off

Explore Ned’s dad character, who he was and why he abandoned his two families

A slow burner of Emerson’s missing daughter plot

Emerson’s relationship with his mother (Debra Mooney is a hoot)

Delve into more of Vivian’s anger at her sister in the last episode

CULTURAL IMPACT

PD was a critically acclaimed gem right from it’s very first episode. That continued through the 22 episode run. Unlike its peers, it didn’t chop and change plot elements to see what worked and what didn’t. It chose a direction and it stuck with it.

Many fans have expressed their desire to see the show revived, claiming injustice at the fact that it was gone too soon. I think part of why it was cancelled, apart from the production troubles it faced, was that it was a bit ahead of its time. Considering it as a whole by today’s standards, it seems something better suited to Netflix rather than mainstream TV. It was a very specific show that needed a very specific mindset to watch. It didn’t have the commercial broadband appeal that Desperate Housewives or even Weeds had.

Could it be revived today? I think it’s in a very prime position to at least be considered. Creator Bryan Fuller is currently busy with Star Trek: Discovery, but I’m sure he could find time, at least in a consulting capacity. Streaming services offer a much more diverse set of original productions, something cable and network services are struggling to keep up with - it’s an environment that Pushing Daisies would thrive in. It comes down to the cast - Lee has a quietly booming movie career, but it would be nice to see him on TV again. Both Chi and Anna are busy with other TV shows, but I could see them working this in during their inter-season breaks. Kristin has just come off a cancelled TV show, so she’d probably say yes.

Let’s hold thumbs - after all, these guys are in the business of bringing the dead back to life

WHERE TO WATCH IT

The series is available on Amazon’s Prime Video service

If Amazon hasn’t licensed it in your region, you can find episodes from various channels on Dailymotion (just search for the titles)

#pushing daisies #lee pace #ned #anna friel #charlotte charles #chuck #kristin chenoweth #olive snook #chi mcbride #emerson cod #swoosie kurtz #lily charles #ellen greene #vivian charles #bryan fuller #bring back pushing daisies #literary analysis

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pass-the-bechdel · 5 years ago

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Marvel Cinematic Universe: Black Panther (2018)

Does it pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes, nine times.

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

Six (40% of cast).

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

Nine.

Positive Content Rating:

Three (though it’s worth reminding that this rating is based on the positivity of the content in relation to the female characters, not in general - there’s some real top-shelf content in here, otherwise. Still a very happy three for the ladies anyway, for that matter).

General Film Quality:

High-end. The commitment to nuanced storytelling is impeccable, grappling with all angles of a complex hypothetical far better than could have been anticipated. This is a movie which never loses sight of its own importance, while also never getting too bogged down in it to be entertaining. Earns every ounce of the hype.

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:

Passing the Bechdel:

Nakia gives her condolences to the Queen Mother. The Queen chastises Shuri. Nakia compliments Okoye’s wig. Nakia negotiates entrance to the club with Sophia. Nakia and Okoye conflict over loyalties. Nakia passes with the Queen Mother after Killmonger takes over, twice. Shuri and Nakia go into battle. They pass together later.

Female characters:

Okoye.

Nakia.

The Queen Mother (technically not a name, but I’m allowing it as a title).

Shuri.

Sophia.

Ayo.

Male characters:

Erik ‘Killmoger’ Stevens/N’Jadaka.

N’Jobu.

Zuri.

T’Chaka.

T’Challa.

Ulysses Klaue.

M’Baku.

W’Kabi.

Everett Ross.

OTHER NOTES:

I’m not sure if T’Challa ruining Nakia’s anti-HUMAN TRAFFICKING mission because he wants her around for emotional support is a very endearing intro for his character in this film...I mean, sure, they rescue the people in the convoy, but presumably there was more to the mission (otherwise Nakia wouldn’t complain that it was ruined), and T’Challa prioritises his feelings over both Nakia’s work, and the lives of all the people it effects. Coulda avoided the negative implications there with just a little fine-tuning in the dialogue.

“Nah, I’m just feelin’ it.” Michael B Jordan has such a great energy about him; he’s very, very convincing, in a role which could have broken the film if it were poorly cast.

But you know what? I fucking LOVE M’Baku, he’s my personal fave for the movie. That presence. This is an excruciatingly well-cast film (among other virtues).

I’m Hella into that Lion King vibe when communing with the spirit realm, too.

Erik shoots his unnamed girlfriend for nothing more than the drama of it, and that is not one of this film’s virtues.

Shuri calling Ross ‘coloniser’ is just...so good. There’s a lot about this film that is a reclamation, in big and obvious in-text ways, but there are also these kinds of little impactful choices which contextualise Wakanda’s relationship to the world and its history, and that kind of detailing is the difference between posturing, and playing for real.

The music in this movie? Also great. Traditional African and modern African-American, representing the interweave of themes and ideologies in-story? Fucking gold. They did not skimp on details in putting this movie together with intelligent design, and I am Hella into it.

M’Baku just fucking BARKING at Ross when he dares speak before him is the highlight of the whole film. It’s perfect.

A friend of mine has suggested that there must be a missing scene or two in this movie, wherein the Queen Mother convinces M’Baku to go into battle after all, since as-is he just kinda...changes his mind off-screen and she serves no narrative purpose at all. It’s unfortunate such a linking scene is missing, as it would have significantly enhanced both characters and helped to emotionally underpin the final act of the film, which is comparatively weak.

But anyway, M’Baku is my best dude in this movie. I love a huge man in a grass skirt.

The whole idea that W’Kabi and Okoye have a relationship at all is kinda nonexistent; we wouldn’t know about it at all if she hadn’t called him ‘my love’ that one time. Coulda beefed that up better, i.e. at all.

“Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew that death was better than bondage.” Michael B Jordan delivered every aspect of this character with such raw power and sincerity, y’all. He hits it straight home.

It goes without saying that there was a lot of pressure for this film to be good: a big-budget superhero action movie, part of the most lucrative cinema franchise in the world right now, taking on an afro-futuristic setting with an almost exclusively black cast? The potential for Black Panther to come off as little more than lip service paid to representation, ‘too PC’, lacking the guts to acknowledge the breadth of the racism that inevitably informs it, perhaps even falling dangerously toward racist cliches of its own...there is no other film of its kind, and as such, Black Panther could not escape being judged as more than an individual story on its own, as a representation of an entire continent’s worth of people and culture and what they could bring to an industry which has made an aggressive point of shutting them out in the past. The pressure was well and truly on to provide not only financial success put also critical acclaim, and boy oh boy, did they rise to the occasion or what?

The centrepiece of Black Panther’s success is Michael B Jordan as Erik Killmonger, striking a precise balance between the heat of well-deserved fury, and the chilling calculation of his revenge. Killmonger’s rhetoric is compelling, and it is the meeting point of the film’s threads, of Wakandan tradition, of the country’s privilege in the midst of colonial oppression and the dire morality of its secrecy, of the call of the wider world and the determining of one’s place within it. It’s vitally important that Killmonger makes sense, right up until he doesn’t - a good villain should always feel like someone you could almost follow, if only they weren’t taking things that one step too far - narratively, this is in an important pitch, but it’s also vital for the context of the viewing audience, the acknowledgement and the validation of that rage at injustice (without which, the film would come off as pandering to white guilt), but without the promotion of violent eye-for-an-eye solutions. Killmonger’s anger is never condemned, only the actions he perpetrates in the name of that anger; the viewer is forced to acknowledge the reality that made Killmonger what he is, but without being encouraged to forgive; only to understand.

I am hardly the first to observe that it is Nakia, not T’Challa, who represents the foil to Killmonger’s ideology, recognising and stirring to action at the injustice’s wrought upon the African people, but seeing in Wakanda the potential to offer unprecedented assistance rather than the opportunity for the oppressed to become the oppressor. The film is populated with character counter-balances, and it validates each perspective (while also illuminating shortcomings) to enhance the overall narrative, rather than equivocating too strenuously to make any point; Nakia values people like Okoye values her country, and while Nakia is right that blind patriotism fails the country if it allows tyranny, the strength of Okoye’s conviction is exactly what inspires the loyalty of those who follow her in the protection of Wakandan values; while Shuri ‘scoffs at tradition’ and leans entirely on the unending machine of technological progress, M’Baku and his people are safeguarding traditional practices and keeping ancient knowledge alive, which saves T’Challa when there’s no tech around - by the same token, without the protective blanket of technological progress, the Jabari would not be free to live as they do. There is good sense in the perspective which every character brings, and all of them are required in symbiosis to achieve a full picture of cultural identity.

In that broad conversation of identity and place in the world, if there’s one weak link, it’s the Black Panther himself, T’Challa. Not that he’s a weak character or that Chadwick Boseman is a weak actor - it’s just that he’s being thoroughly outplayed by all around him. It’s a good thing in regards to how well-cast the movie is and how it fleshes out its supporting players (in spite of the missing pieces pointed out in the notes above); in an overall-lesser film, the lead being the least compelling character - and especially with such a powerfully-constructed antagonist opposite him - could be a crippling flaw, but as-is Black Panther is pulling out enough stops to get away with having an under-sold Black Panther at its head. That, really, is a testament to the power of the story, and the work being done by everyone involved to tell the tale with tact, with dynamism, with all the colour and flavour the white-washed film industry has been denying all this time. We could talk about its flaws, sure, but there doesn’t seem to be much point - none of them are fatal, none are even particularly egregious, and the achievements of the movie far outweigh any quality blips along the way. Black Panther is a measured, sensitive triumph, and there’s a part of me that - in the best of ways - almost forgets that I’m watching a Marvel movie, a cash-grab - sure, they want to make money out of it, but this feels above all like a passion project. Passion like this, so fully-realised, I am not inclined to fault.

#Black Panther #Marvel Cinematic Universe #MCU #Bechdel Test #female representation

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sweetsmellosuccess · 5 years ago

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True/False 2020: Day 2

Number of Films: 3 Film of the Day: Some Kind of Heaven

Lovemobil: The idea of giving a sex worker their own rental trailer, so they can cut out the middleman and reap their own profits, might at first sound like an improvement for them, a way to take control over their own labor. But then, you have to factor in the daily rent they have to pay, and the fact these particular RVs are all situated down the same bleak German highway — set apart in roughly 1/2 mile increments — and suddenly the deal doesn’t seem quite so wonderful. Then, you have to consider how most of them got there in the first place: One such woman featured in Elke Margarete Lehrenkrauss‘s plaintive doc fell for the promise of a “friend” that she could find work as a cleaner in Germany, only to leave her native Bulgaria, arrive in Berlin, and immediately get abducted into a sex slave ring until she managed to escape. Another young woman, from Nigeria, is there in order to earn money for her family back home, still secretly hoping she can just meet a decent bloke and settle down somewhere. Not likely, given this crew of German factory workers, many of whom are “smelly” according to the women, and tend towards the domineering and physically abusive (one unfortunate soul we never meet gets murdered in the course of the film, stabbed multiple times, a horror the women shudder to contemplate). Despite the general misery of their jobs, and the awful experiences they have time and again with the hideous “customers” they encounter, it’s also striking how debilitating it is when the women aren’t actively working. Stuck in their mini RVs, with next to nothing to do, save brief spells of camaraderie with fellow workers, the soul-deadening boredom and idleness seems to demoralize the women even further. In one scene, near the end, the Bulgarian woman travels to Berlin to meet with her best friend, with whom she confesses her actual line of work. Horrified, her friend sobs and offers her the chance to move in with her in the city and get a less horrific and demeaning gig. The offer is clearly meant in heartfelt good faith, but even though her friend assures her she’ll take her up on it, we are to understand how deeply unlikely that is. As deep into the vortex of misery and shame as she is, it will take more than a sincerely kind offer from her best friend to extricate her from that awful trailer.

The Viewing Booth: More a kind of filmed thought experiment than a movie unto itself, Ra'anan Alexandrowicz‘s nevertheless provocative work offers interesting insights on the way in which we perceive materials that might challenge a deeply held belief. Alexandrowicz, an Israeli sympathizer to the Palestinian cause, brings in a series of students from the American university in which he works to watch selected videos having to do with the conflict, a selection of material divided in half between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli sides. His idea is to record the reactions of the viewers as they watch the videos, hoping to glean how an opinion other than his own might be derived at from the same source material. He meets with seven volunteers, but it is the outspoken Maia — whose parents are both Israeli — whom he finds most illuminating. Extremely skeptical of the pro-Palestinian videos, finding suspicious the most heart-rendering sequences, we watch her as she is momentarily affected (especially when they involve children), then as she scrambles to re-assess what she’s seeing and talk herself out of her sympathy. So intrigued is the director (correctly deducing that she represents the exact audience with which he wants to challenge and affect with his own work), he brings her back to the lab six months later, in order to observe not just those same videos, but her initial reaction to those videos, as they play out in front of her. To her credit, Maia isn’t entirely intractable, and seems more than willing to challenge her perceptions in order to gain a better insight into the process of her own biases at work. The conclusion they draw together, the ways in which our pre-existing emotional predilections drive us to reject and reinterpret that which doesn’t reinforce our beliefs seems obvious, but the way it plays out, in real time, in front of us, feels nevertheless intriguingly revelatory.

Some Kind of Heaven: I had certain trepidations concerning Lance Oppenheim’s doc about The Villages, the largest retirement community in the U.S. (naturally, it’s in Florida). Mostly, I wasn’t much interested in seeing an arch “aren’t old people cute” comedy. Fortunately, Oppenheim isn’t after anything quite so trite. While it’s certainly a crowd-pleaser, and often wry, his film also offers a deeper meditation on human psychology, how we remain who we are even in the face of our imminent demise. The framework remains engagingly simple, focusing on the sense of the community itself, via three specific protagonists: There’s Barbara, a newly widowed woman having to reintegrate back into singlehood; Dennis, a shifty handyman, who sneaks into the enclave living out of his van, in hopes of meeting a rich elderly woman with whom he can leech; and Anne and Reggie, married for 47 years, as they drift further apart due to Reggie’s increasing peculiar behavior, and heavy drug use. In each case, Oppenheim follows along their separate narratives, closely hewing to recognizable arcs, but allowing his subjects the dignity of veering from what we might expect. Very little is conclusive as far as their stories go — though in each case, a certain resolution has been established — but the effect is to suggest a greater theme: As the director put it in his on-stage introduction of the film, we do get older, but not necessarily any wiser. As his subjects sort through their unexpected circumstances, we at once recognize the familiar process of their upheaval, and realize even in the face of impending mortality, we still have no choice but to adapt to what’s thrown at us.

Tomorrow: Another raucous day beginning with the Sundance-fave Time; then Collectiv; Pier Kids; and Faith.

Photo from Some Kind of Heaven

Leaving the warmer confines of Philadelphia for the wind-swept climbs of the midwest this March weekend, I am down in Columbia, MO, home of the 17-year-old True/False Film Festival, a collection of (mostly) documentary films, entertaining buskers, and outrageously dressed Queue queens.

#sweet smell of success #ssos #piers marchant #films #movies #true/false 2020 #columbia mo #some kind of heaven #lance oppenheim #lovemobil #Elke Margarete Lehrenkrauss #the viewing booth #israel #palestine #Ra'anan Alexandrowicz #arkansas democrat gazette

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andrewuttaro · 6 years ago

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Spiderman: Far Frome Home - Film Review (SPOILERS)

<<<SPOILERS>>>

It’s time for a rare movie review on what is otherwise a sports blog! Yes, I like other stuff; especially movies. I consider myself an amateur film buff and watcher of the TV and Film Industries in general. Sometimes I like to not just be a consumer and give some thoughts back. I’m no expert critic, I’m very much a sucker. I’m a sucker for a good redemption story, a sucker for a good romance, good comedic vision and for a handful of actors. We all have our tastes.

I have been a fan of Spiderman the character for as far back as I can remember. I never read comic books; my entry point was the original Sam Remi Spiderman trilogy. Again: I’m a sucker. I know those films haven’t aged well but they established my feelings about movies. Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was the first movie character I related to on a personal level. Forgive me because as an adult I now understand what awful casting that was. Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane was the first movie character I was attracted to. Spiderman 3 was the first time I realized movies could be bad and, even worse, movies I like can be ruined. The train scene in Spiderman 2 when he almost dies was the first time I cried about a movie.

Yeah, this is all sappy stupid exposition, but it helps to know the reviewer, eh? If you couldn’t tell I am a little bit of an apologist for that original Spiderman Trilogy. I didn’t go to see the two Amazing Spiderman films out of protest. Yeah, I had some strong feelings at that time. I have since become an adult and given the Tom Holland Spiderman films a chance, but I still haven’t made the time to watch that Andrew Garfield crap… well I don’t know it’s crap because I haven’t seen that incarnation. Either way this isn’t about those films. While Spiderman into the Spiderverse is pretty clearly the best Spiderman film ever made in my opinion, I’m putting that aside for a moment in this review looking at live action Spiderman movies exclusively. Moreover, this is a review of Spiderman: Far From Home. So let me start by saying that in my heart Spiderman Far From Home is going to be right up near the top with Sam Remi Spiderman 1 and 2. That’s high praise for me. Let’s talk about it.

Sequels and Stakes

A good sequel heightens the stakes and adds complexity to the characters. This is often done by deepening the relationships between characters. That is certainly true in this movie. The best sequels in cinema history did this: Terminator 2, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and the like. Far From Home is difficult to think of this way because it’s a part of a rare property that has successfully executed a shared cinematic universe. I’m not going to go into depth about the MCU, better critics can do that. However I am going to consider how this Spiderman has grown as a result of other films he’s been in. I’m going to talk about the other films in the MCU Spiderman is in for building up this movie while also referencing Spiderman movies not in this universe. Let’s call this version of Spiderman Tom Holland Spiderman or TH Spiderman for clarity’s sake.

TH Spiderman has now appeared in five films, the most of any version of Spiderman. His first appearance in Captain America Civil War wasn’t about him but introduced us to his relationship with Tony Stark and the idea that this Spiderman would be teenage Spiderman. Let’s just all agree that TH Spiderman is a better Peter Parker than Tobey Maguire was if for no other reason than that youthfulness is a priority and a plot point. I think that is a pretty common opinion. Yes, Tom Holland actually looks like a teenager which Tobey Maguire never did; but I’m going deeper than that. TH Spiderman’s youthfulness is important to the plot and his character growth unlike any other cinematic incarnation. That’s all I really have to say about his role in Civil War. It was a fun reveal and it made me happy.

Spiderman Homecoming was revelatory. That movie did all the things you want from a Spiderman movie on the superficial levels: the suits, the action set pieces, the teen dramas and for the first time since William Dafoe’s Green Goblin, a fantastic very Spiderman villain. The reveal Peter Parker’s homecoming date is the daughter of the guy trying to kill him was next level stuff. Moreover, Homecoming set the bar high for TH Spiderman. This Spiderman is going to have a complex dad relationship with Tony Stark that proves to be unhealthy later and this Spiderman is going to trigger guttural emotions. When he’s trapped in the rubble crying out for help there is something so human and visceral in that moment that it still sticks with me. All this said, and this is a piping hot take: Homecoming isn’t better than Spiderman 3 for me. Calm down, I’ll circle back around to that.

TH Spiderman’s appearances in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Both are not really about him and rightfully so. However both those films advance his character by upping the stakes for his personal story dramatically. Tony Stark tries to protect Peter Parker at every turn and only includes him when circumstances force him to. When TH Spiderman turns to dust it’s much more a character moment for Iron Man than it is for him; but the trauma of that is felt in Endgame when the resurrected Spiderman needs to be pulled off of dying Tony Stark. I’ve never had to watch someone die thank God, but that event is felt very sincerely for Spiderman when we reach Far From Home now.

What we go to movies for

Spiderman Far From Home is one of those sequels that is better than the original. Far From Home is better than Homecoming. While Homecoming had real great popcorn moments, none of them elevated the film beyond the plot of Spiderman 3. Yeah, we’re back to that. Spiderman 3 is not a great film. I am willing to admit that. However, the way TM Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) continues to grow by way of the Daily Bugle conflicts and his relationship with James Franco’s Harry Osborne is real as fuck even if it wasn’t executed well. His relationship with Mary Jane was real shit that real adults have to deal with in their real adult relationships… well most of us don’t have to deal with getting kidnapped several times I suppose. Homecoming was about a teenager with daddy issues. To be fair, I’ve already stated youthfulness is important to the making of TH Spiderman, but I am not a comic book reader. For me you have to develop relationships better to be a worthwhile film and TH Spiderman is really the only three-dimensional character not named Tony Stark in Homecoming. Glad we got that out of the way.

Spiderman Far From Home is elevated above Spiderman 3 and maybe even the very first TM Spiderman film for me because all the characters around TH Spiderman are fleshed out far better in this movie and Peter Parker himself grows dramatically from start to finish. What TH Spiderman accomplishes in this film is bigger than what TM Spiderman has to overcome and accomplish in at least two out of three of the Sam Remi Spiderman films. I think that is true in both the execution of the plot itself and the character growth. TH Spiderman gets over his daddy issues when Happy Hogan explains to him even Tony Stark couldn’t really be Iron Man. Acknowledging your biggest role model had flaws is an incredibly deep coming-of-age theme. More than just that, Parker is overcoming survivors guilt he has about the whole blip thing and the events of the last two movies he was in. Through all of that he truly “finds himself” in this movie and decides he’s confident enough in the identity he just discovered to really trust himself, and another human being at that, in a romantic relationship. This movie was the moment when TH Spiderman and MJ surpassed TM Spiderman and MJ for me. In this movie their romance felt so real and very much earned. TM Spiderman earned the MJ relationship too but not like this. This is next level.

I came home to my wife after seeing this movie the first time and told her it reminded me of when I fell in love with her! I’m a sappy sucker, I admit it, but this is why we go to the movies! We go to the movies to feel shit! Let me repeat that: WE GO TO THE MOVIES TO FEEL FEELINGS! Video Games make me feel stuff too, but the narrative structure of movies is designed specifically to make you feel. I felt so much during the course of this film. The way Zendaya Coleman’s Mary Jane awkwardly responds to Peter Parker awkwardly trying to get with her brought me back to being in High School feeling those same feels. When their relationship works out, I felt that so hard! No kiss in a movie has affected me so much since… well shit, when Kirsten Dunst kissed the masked Spiderman all the way back in the Sam Remi films. Chills people, chills! Do go a step deeper: vulnerability is what makes the film work.

TH Spiderman is vulnerable with Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio because he thinks he needs another father figure. When Parker hands Mysterio the EDITH glasses it is his weakest, most vulnerable moment and Mysterio knows it. Mysterio (Quinten Beck) by the way is an effects artist. His specialty is literally covering up the truth and it makes so much sense because he’s a deeply pissed off character who hates that he was taken advantage of by Tony Stark. MJ pushes people away because she doesn’t want to be vulnerable. Her getting over that fear is the origin of the trust needed to make her relationship with Peter work. Frigging Happy Hogan is struggling to be totally vulnerable with Peter about his complicated (?) relationship with Aunt May. Nick Fury is pissed off the whole movie because he feels vulnerable not knowing shit anymore. That specific plot point is explained in the post-credits scene with the skrulls in a fun way. Everyone who was blipped or not blipped kind of feels vulnerable because of that giant nightmare. This film is fundamentally about finding yourself by accepting and understanding your vulnerabilities and turning them into points of confidence.

That is the essence of why Spiderman in general is such a great character. The vulnerability of youth. The vulnerability of being somewhat working class. The vulnerability of “With great power comes great responsibility”. To that end, Spiderman Far From Home is probably the best live action Spiderman film I’ve ever watched. It does Spiderman the teenage boy near perfectly. So let’s get to what you came here for: the grade.

The Grade

What I haven’t mentioned is the cinematography, script and general story is also very good. We’ve come to expect that level of quality from MCU films haven’t we? I’ve heard criticism the first half is too slow, but I disagree in that it establishes all the vulnerability stuff I mentioned and all the teen drama subplots I loved in this movie. The last time I did one of these reviews it was an A to F scale. That’s not helpful. It’s all going to be subjective and fundamentally arbitrary anyway so how about we do this: a Five-star system. Five Stars is a top film of all time, go see it immediately. Four Stars is an instant classic worth your money in theaters. Three Stars is a middling film that is enjoyable but don’t strain yourself to see it in theaters. Two Stars is just ok, don’t waste your money on it and wait for streaming. One Star is garbage that maybe worth a drinking game. Zero Stars is hot garbage you simply should not watch.

Spiderman Far From Home is a Four-Star film for me. It’s an instant classic I will try to get on DVD after seeing at least a couple times in theaters. It’s a top 5 Marvel film for me but that is a super competitive bracket. Very few films will be Five-Star for me, and I got to really think if there is a film that good in the MCU. Again, this shit is all arbitrary as all reviews of art forms are. Don’t @ me about the grade, @ me about my Spiderman takes you don’t like. I love talking movies so make a kind discussion out of it, no need to be an asshole. As Spiderman Far From Home has taught us: vulnerability is a good thing not to be afraid of.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. If you want more movie reviews I can do that. You just need to let me know in numbers if you know what I mean.

#spider-man far from home #spiderman #latest movies #movie review #film #Marvel #MCU #Peter Parker

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sparda3g · 6 years ago

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Gintama Chapter 699 Review

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After 10,000 years, this series is free. It’s time to conquer Earth! But seriously, it felt like it has been years since we last have a new Gintama chapter. The last one wasn’t truly the final chapter, but only final to be released in Weekly Shounen Jump. Today, Sorachi is on a mission to finish the series for good with a proper sendoff. What way to make a comeback than delivering a chapter that define Gintama perfectly; hysterical parody, emotional driven characters, and action-packed ride with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger.

By the time you see the color spread, you’ll know we’re off with a great start with Silver Ball Z. It’s remarkable how accurate Sorachi captured the visual work of Toriyama. From the character’s angle to design, it’s well deserved achievement to capture the sensation. Kondo didn’t need alteration though; he’s already a gorilla, so only the style has changed. To make the parody even better, the good portion of the beginning is a recap done in Dragon Ball style.

This is one of the best “previously on” segment that I have ever seen. It’s quite brilliant to take advantage of switching from one magazine to another and start off with a recap to remind the fans what happened while have a good laugh. It’s not only the artstyle that has changed, but even the narration reflects the same way how Dragon Ball has done in the past. All it was missing was the soundtrack. It is gold, or silver, however you want to call this moment. I laughed so hard at Katsura designed as Yamucha, and Takasugi designed as Vegeta. Strangely enough, it captured their character too well. Before the chapter truly begins, Katsura strikes Gintoki with Wolf Fang Fist.

The comedy doesn’t focus only on Dragon Ball parody, but also on Sorachi himself. Apparently, because of more time and switch to Jump Giga, Sorachi is now putting effort to his work with great quality of art, even if it does resort to Dragon Ball. Oddly enough, this seems to be low-key true to other Mangaka, but I digress. Hilarious that Katsura buries Yamucha by calling it a loser role. Rest in Peace, Yamucha. The best part is the ending of the parody. I seriously think Sorachi believes all of it.

Now that Gintama is in another magazine, Gintoki has nothing to worry about. No more worries about One Piece overshadowing him and no more worries about the rising suns that are Black Clover, My Hero Academia, and Haikyuu!!! to overshadow him. He can now overrun the world of Jump Giga, starting with Akira Toriyama’s power. So much so, he pulls the exact same ending shot from Dragon Ball. That is pure gold. Could you imagine if the series did end the same way? We’re going to need Gintama Super then. Takasugi brings the scene back to reality with Galick Gun. Oh how I missed this series.

He does have a point though. If there were silver balls, why bother planning this ambush in the first place? There wouldn’t be any need to sacrifice and nothing will be at stake. Well, thank goodness, it doesn’t exist. We can’t ruin the excitement now. Of course, what Sorachi does best is to segue to a more serious matter from a gag. It’s true with silver balls, life would be much easier on them, but Takasugi has no regrets. He’s thankful that they made it this far with their own hands; no tricks, no magic, just pure talent. All thanks to Shouyo. This is the type of writing I missed from this series. From there on, it’s all action-packed with many things to offer.

I assume with all the time Sorachi has with Jump Giga, he has enough energy to add plenty of details and sequences to the action scenes without wasting so much spaces. Unlike Boruto, it uses the panels wisely for tension and suspense. It’s why the action starts with a bang, literally and figuratively. It’s the Disciples against the cult followers. That panel with all three kicking asses while feeling the excitement is great. Thankfully, it’s not all of the story that was being told here.

Although they reached to the Altana Terminal, the ship that crashed is absorbing the altana. That means Shouyo’s body is absorbing it and soon, Tendoshu will gain a new way for their immortality plan. This does raise the tension higher, now that we establish that they’re on a ticking time bomb. They have to rush all the way up there and when you look at the scene, it’s incredibly difficult. It’s baffling how much people truly desired for immortality this badly. That’s where we receive a really heartfelt moment during the heated action.

While the action goes on as it becomes intense, Katsura begins a heartfelt speech that is shared with others that ties in the morale of immortality and cherish the life you’re given. Even if they were to die, he will have no regrets. It’s hard to say if their reunion was joy or sorrow, but it’s certain if one outlives another, it would be impossible to find another person like them. They have ups and downs, trying to kill each other. Despite all of the troubles, their bonds can’t be severed. It’s the bond that’s worth limiting to. Honestly, I can’t do it justice without the mention of its sequences.

The reason why this was so heartfelt isn’t just because we know their friendship is truly one of the kind or how well-written the dialogue is. It’s the action set piece that drives the emotion home with great sincerity. Not only it was entertaining, but you can grasp the words’ meaning at its best, leaving you feeling really good and emotional. It has great effective use of the flashback panels and the focus view to leave a strong impact. Like how Takasugi holds Gintoki’s hand to show the comradery, the unbroken friendship. It’s so damn good to see this series back again.

Gintoki can relate to the followers on one thing: not wanting to die. He can understand their wishes because he too wants to live long and enjoy the sensation with his friends. The others have their own wish to meet Shouyo. They want to vent out their frustration, but they may never know how much of a beating they will give until they feel satisfied. Not even eternity would do. Those panel shots with all of them enjoying are sublime. That’s how you do friendship. Those three are the best. The one major downside is the old friend of mine: darkness and it raised death flags.

Katsura spots a rocket launcher and push everyone back to dodge. Only he takes the damage from the impact, weakened enough to slow them down. They then gets trapped by both sides of their pathway, which seems like the end for them. While I didn’t think of that, I was a bit worried on what’s about to happen with Katsura injured. Anything goes and that’s what happens next. The explosions erupt from the wall, essentially saving the three from their certain doom. That’s where the other best part of the series comes in: the characters.

It was clear that it was too much for the three to handle all of the enemy alone, which is why it’s a great time to bring back all other characters to the fray. I like how Shinseigumi orders them to comply and if they don’t, then more power to them, because they would love to show their power. It’s not just them, it’s every character that has been around for a long time. It’s like witnessing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Gintama Edition; everyone is here! All it was missing was that theme song from Be Yorozuya Forever. Book it, anime staff!

What makes the scenario even better is how they are reflecting the long grueling journey after being ruled by Amanto for 20 years. They went through hell many times, but the result is paying off greatly. After the war, it made them stronger than ever. It’s no wonder earlier in the arc, it emphasized the growth of the Samurai. No more they will feel fear from them; it’s time to take Earth back. It’s a message that reads, “It’s been a long journey for your favorite characters, but they learn and grow, and when they show the result, the journey ends.” It’s already building for the closure that we have been waiting for.

You can’t do this justice without the beloved main characters. Just when Otae blocks the attack, which by the way is the same shot from the anime preview back in Jump Festa, the two come to save the day. Most importantly, after for so long, they can finally say, “Welcome to the country of Samurai.” The monthly release schedule really pays off for the quality panels like the one with Shinpachi and Kagura. So great to see them again. I got to remind myself how heroine is treated as well as a main character that doesn’t overshadow the protagonist. Yorozuya’s reunion is so close. I can almost taste it.

Characters aren’t great without amusing interactions. Matsudaira and Kondo are cooperating from sky and ground, like the good old time. Despite their political differences, mainly on the marriage, they are great friends. No matter what timeline they’re in, it will always be the Era of Samurai. Hijikata and Sougo work alongside with Shinpachi and Kagura, while she rubs in that Yorozuya is better than Shinseigumi as Sougo denies that claim. Some things never change, but that’s the way we like them.

There is an interesting development regarding with Utsuro. Tendoshu are in the process of gathering the Altana, but they are on the verge of losing their cult. The head leader however is fine with the way things are going. Shouyo’s body is slowly gaining a new heart. That will leave his disciples carrying a spare that wouldn’t destroy Tendoshu’s plan. Now the question comes in: why would the head leader needs to revive Shouyo completely? That’s where things get twisted.

If you have watched the preview from Jump Festa, there was a very strange scene with Utsuro mixed with Tendoshu’s body. It turns out that was true and not only true, but Utsuro has stolen their will. All this time, the plan isn’t for the sake of immortality, but instead, to revive Utsuro under his will. It makes sense considering that they consumed so much blood that they just so happen to control it like it belongs to them. The blood is like a virus, soon it will overpower you and a new mind will be inserted; case in point, Utsuro’s. In short, he has returned. This begs the question. Will Shouyo return as Utsuro with a new heart? It’s quite freaky to see three Utsuros in one setting.

The elevator scene is like a checkpoint for Gintoki and others to cool down and talk for a moment. Katsura does the talking while the other two stay quiet. It’s due to what Katsura said about their people and friends; everyone has grown stronger. They aren’t weak to ask them for a favor, rather fighting to help them. You can say they grew accustomed to be the one helping, not vice versa. Jumping ahead for a bit, Takasugi asks Gintoki for the heart; influenced by Katsura’s words, but not really all bright. They have enemies waiting for them, essentially, this scene become calm before storm.

Shinpachi and Kagura are assisted by Kyuubei and her clan, preventing reinforcements to barge through. It is the series’ way to have certain character to say their words or blessing, starting with her. She wishes to fool around a little longer with Gintoki and others like the good old days. She would be happy if they ruin her marriage interview. How charming.

In the midst of tensed action scene with Gintoki and others at the elevator lobby, Tsukuyo and others fight off the reinforcements to open path for Yorozuya. She gets shot through her leg. Damn. Luckily, Sacchan and Zenzou are there to back her up. Interesting though fitting for Sacchan to encourage Tsukuyo to not to die, unless she is with her lover. Strange use of context about the crotch spot, but the meaning holds the significant value. She’s not planning to die; she will live to see Gintoki again. Sorachi sure knows how to please the pairing fans; I’ll take it. I like Zenzou’s words for him as well. If he doesn’t return, then say goodbye to Jump issues. That’s funny yet heartwarming.

It’s hard to review the segment with great justice with its transition between Gintoki and his friends. It’s worth mentioning because how the scenes greatly complements the segment about what Gintoki has lost and gain. Takasugi wants the heart because he wants him to enjoy the life he can still take back. While that is seriously nice of him, Gintoki’s response is even nicer. He is fine with the way things are, because he doesn’t need to take it back. He got everything there. That includes Takasugi; when they fought alongside, when they fought against each other. That’s Gintoki’s reason to be there; never to lose anything. God, I’m going to miss this series.

The ending is crazy, especially the cliffhanger. Just when we got a teary sentimental scene, shit hits the fan when the explosion erupted by the lobby door. Damn you, Michael Bay! The heart slips out and Katsura is the only guy that can grab it. I was struck when his hand almost reaches it, only to get stabbed by the staff. Damn, that looks bad. Hitsugi sends him down crashing. I don’t know where they landed, but if they are fine more or less, I sense a new battle.

The intensity doesn’t stop as Gintoki trying to hold on the rope, which is ripping his skin. Cringe. Takasugi has to make an opening for them to land, so he jumps towards the door and breaks it, badass style. Wow, that was close. That elevator breakout scene was so damn good. Another scene from Jump Festa happens with Takasugi holding his hand out for Gintoki to grab onto. A couple of panels are used for heartfelt friendship scene as well as tension. It’s all fine and well, until Takasugi’s hand weakens. Tendoshu stabbed him with a sword. That’s where the chapter ends. Dammit, Gorilla…

I know Takasugi is semi-immortal, but the fact is he’s running out of time. If anything, this lessen the time even further. For all we know, this could be his last extra life, so if he were to die again, that’s it. Not to mention, it’s Tendoshu or Utsuro behind him, so the battle will be tough for him, even if not killed. This chapter has set up a death flag for each disciple, one in which has the highest. That’s Takasugi. Will he die here? I honestly don’t know.

This chapter was long but that’s expected for a month worth of content. With that said this was a hell of a return. There was a hilarious parody that this series is known for. There were tons of great action with plenty of fun moments. Characters were stellar as usual with believable motivations and relationships. The art is very solid, worth taking a time off. The ending was jarring with a cliffhanger that can make a person skip a heartbeat. It’s Gintama. I don’t know how many chapter we have left, but I will savor this as long as I can. The next chapter can’t come any sooner.

#gintama #chapter 699 #review #spoilers

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theinquisitivej · 6 years ago

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‘Avengers: Endgame’ – A Movie Review, and a Reflection on Endings

Endings are rarely the definitive final word.

A person’s story can come to an end, but the stories of the people around them and the world they live in carry on, even if that one person isn’t there anymore. That realisation conjures up a whole tangled mess of emotions, but it is the natural way of things. It’s not right to want everything to end with you. In life, we make the most of the time and energy we’re given, and if you make enough right decisions, get lucky, and dedicate enough of yourself, you’ll hopefully get to go with the sense that you did okay, and that those you leave behind are going to be alright. Endings in fiction are as infinitely variable as any other feature of artistic expression, but in narratives with expansive casts or fleshed out worlds, they often leave us with the feeling that we’d only have to stay a little longer and there would be more stories to explore. Just as the real world is bigger than any one lifetime, successfully-established fictional worlds feel much larger than any one set of characters and their narrative.

For the last eleven years, audiences have enjoyed a series of blockbusters featuring an impressively varied range of stylistic approaches. At their best, these films are deeply satisfying and affecting, delivering poignant moments about characters coming to terms with their own flaws and trying their best to do the right thing. But when considered together, these films have never entirely felt resolved, with each one going out on a lingering note of “just wait for what comes next”. The story was never over for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because another film was never far away. And now that the grand conclusion has finally come and $2.5 billion worth of us have watched and re-watched it, things are just the same as ever, and yet we’re at a moment that we’ve never seen before and are unlikely to see again for a long time. We’ve reached an ending of the story that begun with Tony Stark and his box of scraps in that cave in 2008. The story is over. But there are more stories to come.

Yes, there will be spoilers ahead. But I say again: this film has crossed over the two and a half billion dollar mark. I’m pretty sure if you’re reading this, you’ll have contributed your drop or two to Marvel’s bucket. So let’s talk about the movie.

I appreciate the efforts of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as screenwriters, Joe and Anthony Russo as directors, and the input of every person involved in deciding the final shape of Endgame’s story to make its structure noticeably different to that of Infinity War. The previous Avengers film is a constant juggling act, relying on the viewer taking to Thanos as a central thread around which the rest of the film is hung. We’re either seeing the various steps Thanos is taking along his journey, hearing about what kind of man he is and what he intends to do, or seeing characters who are consistently on the back foot as they frantically scramble to strategically and mentally prepare for an opponent they’re not ready for. By this point in the series, we’ve been conditioned to expect to see things primarily from the point of view of the dozens of characters aligned with the Avengers, but Infinity War is messy and fractured when you look at it from the perspective of the heroes. And that’s the point – our heroes are fractured, and so there’s no unified effort against the villain as he single-mindedly pursues his goal with continuous success. The Avengers are a mess, and they lose. Thanos is the one who seizes control of the narrative, undoing the decisions and sacrifices made by the heroes as he dictates what his ambitions are and why they are so noble… and because viewers are susceptible to sympathising with the person who names themselves the hero and takes the reins of the narrative, far too many people bought Thanos’ rhetoric. For a year there, we really were seeing think-pieces that said “maybe the genocidal zealot who emotionally manipulates people is right”!

But Endgame’s structure deliberately contrasts against Infinity War’s. Whereas Infinity War is about heroes being separated and the catastrophe that follows in the wake of this disunity, Endgame presents its heroes as a group of grieving people who are unified through their shared regrets and resolve to overcome their despair together and work towards a singular objective to try and fix everything. The Avengers are disassembled in Infinity War and reassembled in Endgame. As a result, the structure is comparatively more uniform. You can clearly differentiate the film into three distinct thirds – the five-year time skip that shows life on a mournful Earth still coming to terms with half of life being eradicated, the Back to the Future Part II time-travel mission as characters revisit scenarios from previous films, and the big blowout battle where every surviving main superpowered character in the entire franchise is dumped into one battle for your viewing pleasure. Each third offers something different, meaning you cover all of the ground that you’d want to in a dramatic, energetic, and emotional close to a blockbuster saga with literally dozens of characters who are all key players. Each third is impressively balanced, and they all act as strong supporting columns for the film as a result.

However, because these thirds are as distinct as they are, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll come away saying “I preferred these two parts over that third part, which felt okay but a little unnecessary”. Personally, I think there are plenty of themes (grief and a desire to revisit the past, putting guilt and trauma to rest, and of course, the strength of unity) and character arcs (Nebula finally choosing to integrate herself into a group of people who value her and literally killing the old version of herself who wanted only to please her abusive father-figure being the stand-out one) which help gel each of the film’s three segments together without much resistance. But I have encountered multiple people who have expressed the sentiment that they really liked two thirds but they could take or leave another third – inevitably, which third is which always varies. I can imagine that, if you’re not getting a lot out of one of the segments, Endgame will certainly make you antsy for the film to return to what you felt it was pulling off more successfully. The three distinct thirds can result in a fragmented viewing experience for some audience members. On the other hand, I felt that the clearer, more focused structure not only made the film seem less jumbled than its predecessor, but also made it a suitable companion-piece to Infinity War and its Thanos-centric structure.

The emotional response I have to Endgame is not the same electric glee I had from seeing the first Avengers, though moments like Cap picking up the hammer, the cinematic equivalent of a double-page spread of every single MCU hero charging towards Thanos’ army in one image, and “she’s got help” all sparked that feeling off inside me with more intensity than I’ve felt for a long time. No, what I feel more than anything about the MCU right now is a paradoxical sense of melancholic yet nevertheless delighted satisfaction. A part of that comes from the strengths of that first third, which, despite my sincere claims that all three sections gel together successfully, is nevertheless my favourite segment of the film (with the possible exception of the epilogue, but we’ll get to that). In this review’s opening paragraphs, I talked about endings not being the definitive final word as life and the world must always carry on. My reflection on that was primarily positive, but in this opening hour, we see the sad alternative form that this concept can take. Thanos killed half the universe and was killed in retaliation – the conflict ends, as does the hope of repairing the damage done by this tragedy. But the universe doesn’t end even with half of its inhabitants being gone. As Steve succinctly says, the survivors have to keep moving forward, “otherwise Thanos should have killed all of us”. It’s an outlook that Steve encourages, even if he can’t fully believe it himself, because he thinks it’s the best way for people to regain control over their unthinkable circumstances. The setup for Endgame presents us with a universe that died a half-death – everything ended for half its population five years ago, while life for the other half of the population persists, and they are trying their best to make sense of that.

That struggle with grief, both on a colossal and a personal scale, is what unifies every single character, but the difference lies in how they respond to that grief. Black Widow throws herself into her work to try and keep the good that superheroes can do going, but her efforts feel as if they aren’t enough, being told by Okoye that the natural tectonic shifts she’s reporting on aren’t something you actively address with a strike squad and that you have to “handle it by not handling it”. Hawkeye was always the simple guy involved in the Avengers who was kept grounded by his family. Without them, he has nothing to keep him rooted, no home to return to, so he goes in the complete opposite direction and becomes a dedicated avenger in a literal sense, dolling out punishment fuelled by his frustration without any of the purpose and direction that he gained from his connections to friends and family. Hulk / Banner actually come out of this having made some progress, deciding to meditate on what they learned from their losses and literally come together in their grief to become one being, Professor Hulk. Tony and Pepper make the most of the luck they managed to find together, but are both keenly aware of all those who weren’t so lucky, wanting to get back what they lost but keep what they’ve found, which is remarkably human and understandable. Thor… hm. Okay, yes, Thor is a mixed bag. In all honesty, I loved Thor in this film and was empathetic towards his depression and anxiety attacks. I also love that Thor gets to stay as he is and still be shown that he is indeed worthy to wield Mjolnir and fight in the battle alongside all these other heroes without having to change who he is. But I do acknowledge the issues that numerous viewers have raised about some of the jokes made by the other characters being at the expense of Thor’s weight, and how they found it uncomfortable, and, in instances, meanspirited and harmful. I love the current version of Thor and feel Chris Hemsworth injected even more bubbly charm and infectious spirit to his character while blending it with the genuine pathos Thor was going through with remarkable talent. But the film’s tendency to use the character’s weight as an opportunity to make jokes about him being fat is not ideal. I’m glad to see Thor continue as he is into further movies (though it is possible that they’ll say he lost weight between Endgame and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3), but I sincerely hope we DON’T see the fat-jokes continue as they are. The lighting, music, and performances of everyone in the cast all contribute to this palpable sensation of immense loss, which communicates not only what’s at stake in this epic conclusion, but also how each character involved has been changed by what they’ve had to go through since Infinity War.

But that only touches on the melancholic side of things; why do I also feel delighted and satisfied as I take in these sombre themes? Well, to put it simply, this one sticks the landing by closing the right doors in the most appropriate way while keeping other doors open in a balanced approach that seems so right. Tony Stark sacrifices his life after declaring “I am Iron Man” one last time, putting everything of himself into doing the right thing when so long ago he enjoyed a life of zero-accountability and kept his work on weapons technology at a safe distance. The image of his first arc-reactor in its memento case reading “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart” floating on the water at his funeral destroyed me at both viewings, because not only have his actions proved this fact as well, but we see numerous people all around this site as they pay their respects, showing the hearts of so many characters we care about who were connected to his. And Steve Rogers, the soldier who could never sit down if he saw a situation pointed south, after standing up against a galactic tyrant and his army, first alone and then with the support of countless men and women rallying to him, finally lets himself rest. Not many people have talked about the new horizons Steve takes in in this film; when the surviving heroes take Rocket’s ship to the Garden Planet, the camera makes a point of focusing on an extreme close-up of Steve’s eye as they travel through hyperspace. Even after nearly a decade of familiarity with this new era, the man out of time, a kid from 1940s Brooklyn, is seeing things that he could’ve never imagined. He’s come so, so far. I can think of no better conclusion than for him to return back home.

But the film’s epilogue isn’t just concerned with closing the curtain on these heroes as they sit down to rest. Just as these stories end, we see hints of what stories are yet to come for other heroes. In the sequence where the camera pans over the countless faces attending Tony’s funeral, it’s fitting that the last hero we see (before Nick Fury steps into frame under the veranda, concealed in the shadows at the very end, much like his very first entrance as a post-credits tease at the end of Iron Man) is Carol Danvers. Having made her debut just months ago, she is the most recent addition to this universe, so her position at the back of the line reflects that. Her placement halfway up the steps she’s standing on suggests that she’s acting as an embodiment for the road to the future – she is literally on the next step for the series of films Marvel will make as they move forward. And she’s not alone, because other heroes will continue to thrive and flourish as their stories continue. Sam is handed the mantle of Captain America, and what’s achingly beautiful about this exchange is the attitude of the two men involved. Sam views Steve as his friend first and foremost, so he is sincere when he says he’s happy for him. But Sam also respects Steve so much as the man who deserves to be Captain America. Much like how Mjolnir can only be wielded by those who are worthy, Cap’s shield becomes a sacred relic that should only be worn by the right man for the job. And when Steve gently encourages Sam to try the shield on, knowing full well what it means to the world and to both of them, he does so as both Captain America finding the right man to fill his position, and as Sam’s friend Steve, telling him with assurance that he really is one of the best people he knows. When Sam confesses that he feels like the shield belongs to someone else, Steve responds with elegant purity “it doesn’t”. Everything at the core of Captain America, the bravery, the conviction to always stand back up and fight no matter how much it pains them to do so, and the responsibility to always look out for the little guy, are all qualities which never belonged to Steve and Steve alone; those virtues can belong to anyone, and Steve tells his friend that he recognises them in Sam. I cannot wait to see the good that Sam will do as he follows his promise to do his best.

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has been developing a mentee / mentor relationship with Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man since Civil War, and here it culminates in a bittersweet arc that lays the groundwork for what I expect will be some fascinating and impactful characterisation in Far From Home in a few months’ time. Tony mourns for Peter most of all, viewing him as a surrogate son who has much of the same inventive genius and drive that he has, with the addition of some compassionate heart and level of responsibility that is far beyond his years. Peter has it in him to be better than Tony, and Tony knows this. So it’s understandable why the loss of that kind, youthful spirit and his limitless potential would hurt Tony so much. In Tony’s dying moments, we share Peter’s tears as we see how much this connection means to them both and realise what is being lost. But we know this is exactly what Tony fought for – the chance for the next generation to live and grow. Holland’s performance when we see Peter return to school hints at his sense of disconnection, as his expression creates the impression that he feels like a stranger in a place with which he once felt so familiar. With the support of his friends, especially Ned, he will find his way in the next step of his journey.

Endgame provides definitive endings for the journeys of characters we’ve been following for more films than we see most actors get to play Bond, but it also manages to cast a hopeful eye towards the future without compromising its position as a neat conclusion to everything up to this point. In fact, its simultaneous handling of reflective closure and moving forward with renewed purpose makes for a remarkably poignant milestone. Stories rarely strike such a balance between meaningful finality and the uplifting excitement of wanting more stories and knowing you’re going to get them. And that probably sounds shallow and frivolous because, at the end of the day, we’re talking about a successful studio delivering a hyped-up film that promises to be a finale but also serves the financially driven purpose of pitching you a dozen other films and TV series. But through the efforts of over a decade’s worth of dedicated storytellers and creative artists, this series has come to mean more than just another substantial drop in Disney’s bucket. It’s become a fictional world that a massive audience has fallen in love with in the same way that people did with Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mass Effect, and a hundred other worlds. We’ve rooted for these characters and cried at some of their most emotional moments, and we’ve grown to care so much about the MCU that it represents a living, breathing world for us. And this kind of ending just makes that proximity to reality that much closer. Stories end and lives come to a close, but they often do so in the middle of other people’s lives and stories. After all, Yinsen’s sacrifice in the MCU’s first film, Iron Man is the end of his story, but his death acts as a foundational moment for the man that Tony would grow to be – his ending is a part of Iron Man’s beginning. In Endgame, heroes pass away, lay down arms, or choose to step down from a position they no longer feel a need to hold onto. At the same time, other heroes move onto the next step of their journey, accept new responsibilities, and accept the titles passed onto them from those who know they will do a fine job. It’s a beautiful encapsulation of the natural balance between life and death, between the end of the old and the beginning of something new. It’s the balance that Thanos strived for but never fully understood, as he wanted to cultivate life but in his obsessive crusade ended up sewing nothing but death. It is only right that the heroes are the ones to achieve that balance through their actions and connections with one another.

Final Score: Gold.

Avengers: Endgame is overflowing and self-indulgent, but it has every right to be and more than earned it. There are missteps, and there’s room for disappointment over the direction that certain characters are taken in, most notably the original version of Gamora ultimately staying dead and staying the victim of an abusive father-figure who seizes all agency away from her, or Thor arguably continuing to veer away from where he was at the end of Thor: Ragnarok and his new weight being an excuse to make cheap jokes that feel uncomfortable. But it is also a well-structured film that offers three distinct tones that are all equally engaging, and its delightful moments of humour and momentous action strikes a grand and immensely satisfying chord with its examination of grief and the natural interrelationship of the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. It is as significant a landmark for this fictional series as any invested viewer could hope for. It’s a hell of a thing to have come this far, and I can’t wait for whatever comes next.

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glassy-star · 7 years ago

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Eighth house;

Once we have learned, in the 7th house, how to build alliances, how to be aware of other people’s universe and how to discover traits of ourselves we didn’t know existed, it’s time to gather all of these precious lessons and dive into the 8th house: a dark, humid and fertile place, where all things are destroyed and given a purpose anew.

The 8th house is a treasure box, locked and sealed with our most deadly secrets. Unlike those of the 4th and the 12th, which are fellow water houses, 8th house matters are more easily available to conscious access, and its contents are there, floating on the water’s cold surface like a trunk after a shipwreck. The energies of this house are kept away by us from the reach of other people, but we know exactly what is actually going on. And it is when we have an intimate relationship with somebody that the secrets of this house break free and become harder and harder to conceal.

The 8th house, then, is where people actually begin to know who we truly are and where our sincerest intentions towards our close relationships are finally revealed to our partner. At the same time, we use this house to discover our partner’s secrets too and, as intimacy grows, digging deeper and deeper into their self, we become able to see past their beautiful mask, learning that they are not so perfect or divine as we might once have thought. These investigative works towards discovering the ugly truth are the consolidation of Scorpio’s energy, and this is also behind this house’s association to sex and mysticism: the profound movements of the soul towards communion with another being.

The opposition to the 2nd house also describes this house’s association to other people’s values, so this is where we’ll find matters regarding inheritance, financial gains through others, genetic heritage, psychic skills unique to a family or even personal values that are acquired from relationships of any kind. The trine to the 4th house, in turn, depicts the origins of this house’s traumas and secrets, which are often found in the first interactions between the child and its environment and family, with an especial focus on the maternal figure. It is in the 8th house that these “bad” feelings, secrets, traumas and coping mechanisms can be transformed by the individual, which then learns, through the 12th house, how to let go of them to be finally reborn to something new.

Sun in the 8th house: in slow autumn day, a long sheet of clouds covers the heavens; light is grey, cloudy and dispersed. Private and concealed, the Sun in the 8th house shines rather discreetly. He doesn’t feel comfortable shining in full, in fear that he might reveal the secrets of his watery mind. People born under a star like this understand the sentimental complexity of their own selves, because they’re in constant contact with their deepest secrets and their ugliest emotions, too. They have become so used to this, that they are often masters of all mysteries; interpreting people and discovering facts is easy, rather intuitive. And because of this they hold the sunny power to transform all things into their purer forms for a price. Because the Sun here is veiled, the individual might find difficult to keep having a positive outlook on life.

Moon in the 8th house: like scythe, a yellow Moon cuts the sky, alluring and distant. The clouds make way for her light, dancing around in a longstanding waltz. There’s something graceful, but terribly powerful about this Moon. The river of emotions runs deep and troubled, disturbed by the desires of the soul to fuse with something else. People with this Moon have an intuitive understanding of what it takes to build an intimate and true relationship, and they can also interpret symbols of any kind with ease, even though the understanding is not completely clear, as if they spoke directly with their soul. This Moon also suggests a strong family inheritance of some sort, depending on the sign she’s in. Because there is so much going on in the emotional realm, the individual can be extremely private of their own feelings, looking at their own intensity from a distance.

Mercury in the 8th house: a curious wanderer reads a witch’s book; the absorption of ancient knowledge feels thrilling and strangely powerful. Smart and intuitive, Mercury in the 8th house is a trickster with a very dark humour. Here, he excels at putting the darkest and purest feelings of humanity into words. People with this placement are usually very aware of what lies beneath all things, and they can easily tell when something’s being hidden. They’re usually quite curious about the world’s nature and people’s functioning, and this Mercury guides them, decoding their otherworldly experiences with accuracy.

Venus in the 8th house: Juliet, having found her lord, kisses his warm, dead lips, then stabs herself to join him. Venus in the 8th weaves strong, powerful ties between her and the objects of her affection. People with this placement are constantly contemplating their love, and their soul burns with a striking wish to merge with the outside world. Relationships with people and objects are intense, sincere and never shallow, and this attitude towards others often stirs the secrets that lurk within. Venus here will run miles to find her star-crossed lover, or die trying, and be inevitably transformed a thousand times in this painful, but divine process. Moreover, Venus in the 8th people are often attracted to dark and mystical auras and themes, because they love this reflection of themselves.

Mars in the 8th house: an ancient knight lifts up their torch, illuminating the black, endless pool in front of them. A lover of danger, Mars is excited to unveil secrets and plunges himself courageously into darkness itself. People with this placement are passionate towards their supernatural interests, and their desire often transcends the physical plane. The 8th house lake, here, is agitated and stirred, so secrets of the emotional realm are constantly revealing themselves and disturbing the personality’s surface. When getting what they want, individuals with this placement are often strategical, making their way in silence.

Jupiter in the 8th house: a mysterious wizard blesses a wanderer with a dark spell, muttering words of death and betrayal. The world may seem like very dark place with this placement, but people with Jupiter in the 8th are exceptional survivors. There’s usually a wise understanding of darkness here, and the individual accepts the transformations they suffer rather naturally. The intimate life with others can be rich and fulfilling, protecting the individual from the monsters they see passing by at night. This may also be a symbol for the inheritance of large amounts of money, values or knowledge of some sort after marriage or from a family member.

Saturn in the 8th house: a figure stands firmly on top of a lonely tower, contemplating the night that surrounds them from all sides. Saturn here is a symbol for a fear of abandonment and letting go of this life’s conditions. The individual knows that something else beyond the life they know exists, but is fearful to approach it, thus becoming attached to either a physical or spiritual perspective on life. The lesson is often understanding that abandonment and the transformation that follows are inherent aspects of a natural cycle, and this understanding can unlock an enormous pool of magical wisdom. This fear might be reflected on the individual’s issues with intimacy, money and psychic powers.

Uranus in the 8th house: a young traveler is seen in the distance, crying and praying at the foot of a dead, leafless tree. Here, Uranus infuses his unorthodox methods into the supernatural, emotional realm. The individual with this placement usually has an unconventional approach to the concepts of mysticism, life and death, and deals very uniquely with their own religion. People with this placement can receive striking, sudden visions from a world unseen, and may often catch spiritual messages in the everyday world. There seems to be this inexplicable expectation that they life is going to change radically in a second, and so they are always prepared for the worst. Uranus in this house teaches how to let go of material attachments, pointing with a smile to that which is most essential.

Neptune in the 8th house: as mermaids sing and emerge beautifully from between the waves, a ship collapses against a cemetery of black rocks. Neptune, here, is about the idealization of the 8th house concepts of loss, transformation and death. People with this placement often present themselves with a distant longing for stepping into another world, far more beautiful and deadly than this one, and this is Neptune’s deception. They can be fairly detached from this world’s matters, and there’s usually a lack of discipline or boundary when dealing with mystical affairs as well as other people’s money and values.

Pluto in the 8th house: comfortable and warm, a child lays on her bed, listening carefully to the night’s terrors .People with this placement have a lot to hide and a lot to discover. Pluto’s the natural ruler of this house, and so relationships here are strong and intense, because of how much is at stake. Those born with this placement have usually been through a lot, and they know just how ugly and dark this world can get behind the curtains, through which they now see so clearly. A lot depends, of course, on the individual deals with this fact; a lot goes on between self-destructing or self-sabotaging and self-transforming or self-healing. But here it’s as if the soul, or the unconscious, is very close to the surface, and the consciousness is able see right through the veil of reality.

Detail: Gustave Doré, “Andromède”; 1869.

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talbottowearing · 3 years ago

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Israeli-American photographer Elinor Carucci is known for depicting the most intimate moments of her life. Elinor, with a remarkable frankness, exposes in front of the camera the most personal. Clenched lips, bare thighs, eyes sunken with fatigue, acts of love or self-care - her work is full of striking fragile openness. Noticeably sincere yet beautifully lit and carefully composed photographs constitute the main distinction of Carucci’s visual language. Balancing between ‘snapshot’ aesthetics of Nan Goldin and Sully Mann’s meticulous approach to staging the photographs, Carucci incorporates both methods in her practice. For example, Mother, being one of the most widely recognized and acclaimed series of Carucci, features almost theatrically staged compositions next to documentary images of the ordinary everyday life – such juxtaposition surprisingly creates a cohesive narrative, covering a wide range of various aspects related to the notion of motherhood. This method of creating a visual story made it particularly interesting for me to compare the following two bodies of Elinor Carucci: a purely documentative Diary of a Dancer and a more imaginative Closer.

In fact, Diary of a Dancer is a personal diary of Elinor Carucci herself – being a professional Middle Eastern dancer for ten years, she travelled around New York City’s five boroughs, performing for various publics and documenting everything over the course of three years – the performances, the ‘before’ and ‘after’.[1] Shot mostly in the dark rooms of restaurants, “sleazy bars” (Carucci Diary of a Dancer), with the artificial neon light of public restrooms or subway trains, Carucci has no choice but to use a flash, creating that Goldin-esque color palette of electric red, deep blues, and captivating greens. The reference to Nan Goldin becomes more evident with the series unfolding – we see the snapshot approach of Carucci in capturing and conveying the movement. The use of blur does not seem to be contrived or ‘superficial’, it is supported by what is being depicted, and it strongly supports the main theme of the whole series – it is a diary of someone, whose life is driven by all sort of movements, it is the diary of a dancer. Even when there is no obvious dance being shown, Carucci still uses the natural shake of a camera and blurriness of the focus. In the image that I’ve chosen, a woman, Elinor Carucci herself, is sitting in a car, moving somewhere unknown. It is a moment of self-concentration and contemplation. We don’t see her as a performer or as a dancer, she appears as a human, as someone we all can relate with. I love that visual lyricism of curved and smooth lines, of the street light which highlights the translucent figure of the woman, who’s physically present there but mentally seems to be absent, experiencing her own, private and intimate moment, which Carucci has gracefully captured for us to enjoy. Some of the photographs are self-portraits taken with a tripod, some are with a self-timer, and some are just observational documentary pictures. However, the overall feeling of the series is still not the complete documentation of the reality but rather the depiction of those very personal moments Carucci shares with herself or with people she dances with. It's not so much about the job of a dancer but about the emotional and mental state of the moment this particular depicted person is going through, just like a belly dance, “it is not just choreographically complicated, it is also direct, sexual, warm, alive” (Carucci Diary of a Dancer).

Another series I want to explore is Closer, Carucci’s first monograph, which focuses on her relationships with the members of her nuclear family: grandparents, parents, and a spouse. She drags the viewer into that intimacy, revealing the broad scope of such scenes, “from the erotic to the ethereal-exposing an emotionally honest world flooded with color” (Carucci Closer: Photographs). Visually, Closer is different from the Diary of a Dancer both in terms of light and overall aesthetics, the feeling. Trying to capture the private moments where outsiders are usually not let into, Carucci stages most of the photographs, unlike in the Diary of a Dancer, which, in the main part, is a documentation of on and off-stage routine. In Closer Carucci uses mostly natural light, and manages to achieve very dramatic, high-contrast shadows. The main body of pictures was shot in Israel, where the natural light is much more abundant, intense and strong, and there are many more windows than there are in most apartments in NYC.[2] With regards to the color, there is “a mesmerizing quality to the serene blues and vivid reds set against the myriad tones of bare skin” (Carucci Closer: Photographs). The pictures do not have a snapshot quality to them, in most of the cases they are staged, intentionally composed and lit, which is another difference from the Diary of a Dancer, where Carucci was shooting accidentally or in a rush. For example, the picture that I’ve chosen from Closer, titled Eran and I, is depicting Elinor lying in bed with her husband Eran, whose face is almost fully covered with Carucci’s body, except for one eye, which is firmly staring at the camera, proving that this image was staged since Eran is aware of him being photographed. The natural light coming from above is very soft, it highlights the skin tone of the naked bodies, creating that dim, muted, and quiet feeling of sharing a moment of intimacy with someone. By letting her husband look directly in the eyes of the audience, she breaks that wall and invites us if not to join but to closely observe and share their intimacy. And that feeling of intimacy is very different from the one depicted in the Diary of a Dancer – in Closer, those moments seem to be much more personal, they are not as direct and loud, instead, they are carefully curated and selected, accentuating the relationships inside the family.

Even though, both bodies of work refer to the same theme of sharing something deeply personal, the two projects are different from one another. I believe, it is because of the type of the relationship that Carucci is trying to capture. In the Diary of a Dancer, she’s documenting the relationship on the outside, between one and the world – between the performer and the audience, both on and off-stage; while in Closer, it is the relationships inside one particular family, by default, they appear to be more intimate, and it affects the choice to use natural light, a lot of bare skin, and muted color palette.

Bibliography

Carucci, Elinor. Closer: Photographs. Chronicle Books, 2002.

Carucci, Elinor. Diary of a Dancer. Steidl, 2005.

A Studio Visit with Elinor Carucci - B&H Explora. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/features/studio-visit-elinor-carucci.

[1] Carucci, Elinor. Diary of a Dancer. Steidl, 2005.

[2] A Studio Visit with Elinor Carucci - B&H Explora. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/features/studio-visit-elinor-carucci.

Link to the Diary of a Dancer: http://www.elinorcarucci.com/diary.php#0

Link to Closer: http://www.elinorcarucci.com/closer.php#0

Ilia Kuchuk

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moiraineswife · 7 years ago

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Autistic!Jasnah: Masterpost

Okaaay, so, as you might have guessed from the title, this post is a long list of reasons Jasnah Kholin is autistic af.

The short version: Jasnah is autistic because I, a Known Autism, say so. Have a nice day.

The long version (format): A long series of chronological quotes that all follow this pattern: Quote. *Insert ramble about why this is an Autistic Thing* *Possible and probable further ramble about why I’m emotional about that.

That’s literally it, people. Buckle up, I’ve picked through all three books (yes all three) to compose this post for y’all. It’s not going to be short.

To business:

The Way of Kings:

Jasnah glanced at Shallan, noting her, then returned to her conversation.

Introducing Jasnah ‘I don’t have time for social niceties I’m busy’ Kholin. From the first interaction she’s...Bad at interacting. Iconic.

“Then we shall do an evaluation. Answer truthfully and do not exaggerate, as I will soon discover your lies. Feign no false modesty, either. I haven’t the patience for a simperer.”

Jasnah is both blunt, direct, and honest in her speech as she is in her expectations from others. She doesn’t have the energy to deal with manipulation/lying/tarting up the truth to make it more socially acceptable bc she is a busy autistic lady with shit to do. (really, though, what she’s literally demanding here is the first rule of the autistic’s guide to easy conversation. Clear. Simple. To the point. To frills, no fuss.)

Jasnah didn’t argue further, and Shallan could see from her eyes that it was of no consequence to her if the king risked his life. The same apparently went for Shallan, for Jasnah didn’t order her away.

People do what people want to do and Jasnah doesn’t waste any time pretending she cares/that it matters to her for the sake of appearances. Again, this woman has a vendetta against typical social niceties and I love it.

“Now?” the king said, cradling his granddaughter. “But we are going to have a feast—”

“I appreciate the offer,” Jasnah said, “but I find myself with an abundance of everything but time.”

Do I need to point out the lack of social niceties again or are y’all sensing a pattern at this point? *King lovingly embraces his darling granddaughter that Jasnah just saved and orders a feast prepared in her honour* Jasnah: ‘Thanks but no I’m too busy to socialise.’

Jasnah was also a rationalist, a woman with the audacity to deny the existence of the Almighty himself based on her own reasoning. Jasnah would appreciate strength, but only if it was shaped by logic.

Jasnah feelings>>>>>>logic. This is a fairly common theme, of Jasnah being ruled less by emotions/sentiment/societal pressures/expectations and much more by logic/her own reasoning. She has her own way of looking at the world, her own rules for how it works, and she won’t be swayed by anyone else’s opinions on how she should feel/behave.

Jasnah turned to look out of the balcony into the dark space of the Veil. “I know what people say of me. I should hope that I am not as harsh as some say, though a woman could have far worse than a reputation for sternness. It can serve one well.”

Jasnah not being very self-aware in how people actually perceive her is also an autistic thing. Shallan notes several times that Jasnah is actually nowhere near as harsh/stern as she’s reputed to me, and, more importantly, she’s nowhere near as harsh/stern as she perceives herself to be. She also fails to note that Shallan actually enjoys the work/the challenge. This also implies that she takes what people say about her at face value and doesn’t have the necessary social skills to refute them.

Shallan tried to judge Jasnah’s mood, but the older woman’s emotions were impossible to read.

Again, this is a fairly common autistic trait. We struggle to read other people’s body language, but they often struggle to read ours as well. A part of this is probably Jasnah deliberately cultivating this kind of persona, but even so, she’s too unsure of how she comes across to have completely mastered this.

Jasnah carefully removed its contents, neatly lining up the brushes, pencils, pens, jar of lacquer, ink, and solvent. She placed the stacks of paper, the notebooks, and the finished pictures in a line.

Oh look, it’s one of the world’s biggest Autism Stereotypes (which I’m totally guilty of too): lining all the things up neatly, and making them Orderly.

At least with Jasnah one knew where one stood.

Jasnah of the straightforward, blunt honesty and ‘what you see is what you get’ strikes again.

When Jasnah was deeply immersed in one of her projects, she often ignored all else.

And here we see the Autistic Jasnah in her natural habitat: hyperfixating on her special interest.

The rest is under the cut for length!

Jasnah had elegant handwriting, of course—Jasnah rarely did anything without taking the time to perfect it.

Jasnah not doing anything unless it’s done Properly and Right according to her? Also Jasnah being indifferent towards things she hasn’t put any time into perfecting (such as drawing).

“I always forgive curiosity, Your Majesty,” Jasnah said. “It strikes me as one of the most genuine of emotions.”

Again, Jasnah encouraging/reacting positively to genuine/honest emotions because she doesn’t Understand the whole guile/lying/not being honest thing because honestly what is the point?

“Must someone, some unseen thing, declare what is right for it to be right? I believe that my own morality—which answers only to my heart—is more sure and true than the morality of those who do right only because they fear retribution.”

Honestly, just, this whole thing. For a start it’s a massive transgression of the Vorin social norms/expectations, especially for Jasnah as a prominent public figure as the sister to the king. For another it’s that internal rules thing again. Jasnah’s world operates according to Jasnah’s principles and Jasnah’s understanding of it, no-one else’s.

But Shallan had caught a handful of occasions, mostly when Jasnah had been distracted, and had apparently forgotten she wasn’t alone.

*Jasnah ignores social expectations so hard she literally forgets other people exist in the world* Also, again, the hyperfixation on special interest.

“And yet, those men are off the street. The people of this city are that much safer. The issue that Taravangian has been so worried about has been solved, and no more theatergoers will fall to those thugs. How many lives did I just save?”

“I know how many you just took,” Shallan said.

Jasnah has a habit of doing this, this very cold, calculated, logical and pragmatic way of seeing the world as well as morality. Shallan considers the lives taken, the emotional aspect of the moral dilemma, the horror of murder. Jasnah just sees it almost as statistics, as four lives taken to save many more. Shallan also focuses on the cold hard facts of ‘I know how many people you just killed’ while Jasnah is engaged in weighing up the probability of how many she just saved. (In theory, the thugs might never have attacked anyone again, so Jasnah might not have saved anyone by her actions, which I think is what Shallan is getting at here. But that’s just...A moot point as far as Jasnah is concerned)

This is also an example of her black and white thinking. There’s more net good in what she did than there is net bad. That’s where her questioning/reasoning stops because it makes sense to her. Shallan exists in the grey area, but I don’t think Jasnah even sees it in cases like this.

But it wasn’t the act itself so much as the cold callousness of it that bothered her.

This is an interesting one, and something I’ll talk about more a bit later, probably, but the way Jasnah comes across vs how she actually is. I totally get why Shallan views what she did as cold and callous, and in a way I suppose it was. It was fully planned and fully intentional. But I think for her it’s this kind of...separation between logic and sentiment. I think Jasnah feels very strongly and very deeply, but she doesn’t often display that to other people, and I also think she believes there’s a time and a place for that. Also, black and white thinking again. It comes off as cold to Shallan, but for Jasnah I think it feels more like common sense.

“You only needed to kill one of them.”

“No, I didn’t,” Jasnah said.

“Why? They would have been too frightened to do something like that again.”

“You don’t know that. I sincerely wanted those men gone. A careless barmaid walking home the wrong way cannot protect herself, but I can. And I will.”

Again, black and white thinking. (I’m also surprised this moment doesn’t generate more Discourse...Or maybe it does, I’ve just avoided it, either way) This is both a case for Jasnah not being able to predict people’s responses/behaviours, and also black and white thinking/internal rules at play. As far as she’s concerned those men are criminals. She has no assurances that they won’t hurt anyone else again. They’re already criminals, and there’s no chance for redemption or leeway, here. She’s made up her mind. They’re all criminals. They’re all dangerous. They all die.

Jasnah closed her eyes again, handing the brush toward Shallan. “Fifty strokes tonight, Shallan. It has been a fatiguing day.”

A)- routines the ‘tonight’ and the familiarity of this implies it’s something that happens every night. And the ‘fifty strokes’ is either another routine related thing, or an internal rule thing. Either way. Also this is probably a stim thing, since she’s using it to relax/de-stress.

Jasnah tapped her desktop with a fingernail.

Stimming.

“Brightness Jasnah does NOT like people entering her room. The maids have been told not to clean in there.” The king had promised that his maids were very carefully chosen, and there had never been issues of theft, but Jasnah still insisted that none enter her bedchamber.

Definitely, definitely, definitely an autistic thing. Issues with people entering Your Spaces or touching Your Things is a big autistic thing. (especially because the assurances about thieving don’t change her mind) Also the emphasis on not as in ‘this is a thing one absolutely does not do unless one wishes to die’.

“She’d believe me,” Shallan said. “She thinks she’s far more demanding than she is. Or…well, she is demanding. I just don’t mind as much as she thinks I do.”

Again, Jasnah taking what people say of her/how they say they perceive her at face value, and also lack of self-awareness in how people actually respond to her.

Jasnah regarded Shallan, face stiff, impassive. “I have been told that my tutelage is demanding, perhaps harsh. This is one reason why I often refuse to take wards.”

“I apologize for my weakness, Brightness,” Shallan said, looking down.

Jasnah seemed displeased. “I did not mean to suggest fault in you, child. I was attempting the opposite. Unfortunately I’m…unaccustomed to such behavior.”

Two things here: one, I’m like, 99% certain that Jasnah, who has been camped out at the hospital all this time waiting for Shallan to wake up is feeling anything but ‘impassive’ at this moment, in which case this is an example of her body language/facial expressions not matching up properly to her actual internal feelings, which is fairly common. And two: Jasnah’s apology being taken for a rebuttal and her obvious displeasure at it coming across that way when she literally intended the opposite (been there).

Also her general air of uncertainty/discomfort in this setting, which is one that’s obviously social/emotional. Also the fact that she pins her poor apology on lack of practice/familiarity with these kinds of interactions when, in theory, these kinds of things should come naturally to people. So like, lil bit of hinting/implication of scripting social things her, which I think her initial words reek of as well, as she’s said similar things before.

“You make it sound as if you were waiting out there.”

Jasnah didn’t reply.

“But your research!”

“Can be done in the hospital waiting chamber.” She hesitated. “It has been somewhat difficult for me to focus these last few days.”

“Jasnah! That’s quite nearly HUMAN of you!”

Again, a few things here, firstly that Jasnah is othered in a way by Shallan (and this isn’t the only time this happens, either) because of her lack of emotional response/social stuff. Secondly the fact that she’s clearly uncomfortable/struggles with this kind of conversation – the hesitation, the lack of responses are very much at odds with her usual composure and the way she has an answer for literally everything.

Words of Radiance:

She was all too glad to be leaving the stuffy room, which stank of too many perfumes mingling.

Prologue and we’ve already got Jasnah experiencing sensory issues in a crowded room with lots of perfume. What a way to kick things off.

“Many people consider that sort of thing enjoyable.”

“Many people, unfortunately, are idiots.”

Her father smiled. “Is it terribly difficult for you?” he asked softly. “Living with the rest of us, suffering our average wits and simple thoughts? Is it lonely to be so singular in your brilliance, Jasnah?”

A)- Jasnah obviously not enjoying social events/parties (she literally spends all of this one...contemplating the assassination she’s plotting. Like. Mood.)

B)- Gavilar’s comment is...Strangely sad, I think?? And perhaps a bit too on point. (This is very much just my reading of things but)...I don’t know. I see Jasnah trying to make a little quip/a joke here and it being misinterpreted because of her tone. And then, again, there’s that idea of othering that came up at the end of TWOK.

But I think the ‘is it lonely to be so singular in your brilliance?’ I think that....A huge part of that ‘brilliance’ comes from a mixture of Jasnah’s autistic traits: her special interest/her focus in them/her dedication to pursuing them...but also that sense of being other. Of not fitting in. The rest of “us” she doesn’t belong, she doesn’t fit.

And I think this idea of their ‘simple thoughts’ as opposed to Jasnah’s brilliant ones is a little like what we see with Renarin in Oathbringer, where Adolin explains that he isn’t trying to be lofty and brilliant, people sometimes just have difficulty following him. And I think this is what’s happening with Jasnah here (and in other places, she frequently talks about the difficulty she has in teaching, and how her methods are too intense and involved)

And also I think that....The saddest bit about this is that I think she was....Trying to joke here? Trying to fit in with those ordinary people, ‘the rest of us’, and just making a sarcastic joke on the back of her father’s comment about most people enjoying parties and she just sort of ‘well, most people are idiots aren’t they?’ And that’s what prompts this little moment here. So even when she’s trying to fit, and trying to belong, she’s still cast as the outcast, and misunderstood, and othered and it Hurts Me.

I, she thought, need to write this experience down.

She would do so, then analyze and consider. Later.

She literally topples into another world, effectively, and is just like ‘hm, I should make some notes on this and analyse them’. And. Yep. This is how she processes the world. By making sense of it, by treating everything according to Jasnah’s rules: it gets written down. It gets analysed. It gets understood. Bam.

Jasnah ignored the eyes of the sailors. It wasn’t that she didn’t notice men. Jasnah noticed everything and everyone. She simply didn’t seem to care, one way or another, how men perceived her.

Jasnah ‘I don’t have time for social expectations’ Kholin strikes again. Jasnah also just doesn’t care how anyone perceives her, social norms and expectations can go fuck themselves .

Jasnah grimaced at the thought. Shallan was always surprised to see visible emotion from her. Emotion was something relatable, something human—and Shallan’s mental image of Jasnah Kholin was of someone almost divine.

Again, the othering idea, as well as visible emotion being startling, as she’s typically so withdrawn/closed off/difficult to read. Yes friend, u guessed it, this is Peak Autism. Also the specific word in it being ‘relatable’ again marks that difference between Jasnah and...Everyone else. Again she’s different, again she doesn’t quite fit.

Jasnah relaxed visibly. “Yes, well, it did seem a workable solution. I had wondered, however, if you’d be offended.”

“Why on the winds would I be offended?”

“Because of the restriction of freedom implicit in a marriage,” Jasnah said.

Again, Jasnah misreading things/not being able to anticipate how people are going to react to different things. Also her view of marriage as ‘restricting’ says a lot about how she sees it/probably relationships in general.

Power is an illusion of perception.”

Shallan frowned.

“Don’t mistake me,” Jasnah continued. “Some kinds of power are real—power to command armies, power to Soulcast. These come into play far less often than you would think. On an individual basis, in most interactions, this thing we call power—authority—exists only as it is perceived.

“You say I have wealth. This is true, but you have also seen that I do not often use it. You say I have authority as the sister of a king. I do. And yet, the men of this ship would treat me exactly the same way if I were a beggar who had convinced them I was the sister to a king. In that case, my authority is not a real thing. It is mere vapors—an illusion. I can create that illusion for them, as can you.”

This right here is Jasnah explaining passing, without ever using the word ‘passing’. This is how Jasnah sees social interactions. They’re all illusions, they’re all, effectively, lies. They aren’t real to her. How people perceive others isn’t something that she can fit into her box of neat facts and logic. It’s this ever changing, insubstantial thing, ‘mere vapours’. And though she’s talking here about power and authority, the basic principle applies to literally every single social interaction ever. Aka: the secret behind how Jasnah Kholin (somehow) managed to convince ppl she’s allistic.

The orders of knights were a construct, just as all society is a construct, used by men to define and explain. Not every man who wields a spear is a soldier, and not every woman who makes bread is a baker. And yet weapons, or baking, become the hallmarks of certain professions.”

Actual footage of Jasnah Kholin going to war against social constructs and their flimsiness.

It was a picture of Jasnah, drawn by Shallan herself. Shallan had given it to the woman after being accepted as her ward. She’d assumed Jasnah had thrown it away—the woman had little fondness for visual arts, which she considered a frivolity.

Instead, she’d kept it here with her most precious things.

This is one of my favourite Underrated Jasnah Moments tbh because it says so much about her with such a simple gesture. We’ve established from the past book and a half that Jasnah is pretty bad when it comes to social interactions, and she’s even worse when it comes to displaying her emotions. But she’s not emotionless. She, personally, doesn’t see the value in visual arts, and hasn’t dedicated any time to it herself. Yet she keeps the gift that Shallan gives her. She understands how important this is to Shallan, and she quite literally treasures the art that Shallan gives her, and keeps it with her precious research/notes (and, like, Symbolism with her keeping her sentimental gifts and logic fuelled research in the same place/with the same level of importance/value, except one is hidden, and one is displayed)

And, like, Shall literally assumes Jasnah had just thrown away the picture?? And instead she’s got it kept safe with her most treasured possessions? Like??? The TL;DR version of this point is that Jasnah is horrendous at displaying her emotions/showing people how she feels about them/what they mean to her, but she feels things, goddammit. And now so am I.

What of this Sadeas? she thought, flipping to a page in the notebook. It listed him as conniving and dangerous, but noted that both he and his wife were sharp of wit. A man of intelligence might listen to Shallan’s arguments and understand them.

Aladar was listed as another highprince that Jasnah respected. Powerful, known for his brilliant political maneuvers. He was also fond of games of chance. Perhaps he would risk an expedition to find Urithiru, if Shallan highlighted the potential riches to be found.

Hatham was listed as a man of delicate politics and careful planning. Another potential ally. Jasnah didn’t think much of Thanadal, Bethab, or Sebarial. The first she called oily, the second a dullard, and the third outrageously rude.

She studied them and their motivations for some time.

Right. Now. Correct my autistic ass if I’m wrong, here, but I’m like 89% certain that ‘taking notes on the basic personalities/literally studying the people around you and making notes on the way they behave so you can actually understand them’ is not a typical allistic thing to do.

Shallan turned back toward him. That pride in his voice didn’t at all match what Jasnah had written of the man.

Jasnah can literally predict the oncoming apocalypse by the power of research, can she pin down some basic Facts about the people she’s observing around her? Nope. I wonder why.

“She wouldn’t let me be a mother to her, Dalinar,” Navani said, staring into the distance. “Do you know that? It was almost like . . . like once Jasnah climbed into adolescence, she no longer needed a mother. I would try to get close to her, and there was this coldness, like even being near me reminded her that she had once been a child. What happened to my little girl, so full of questions?”

Two things: one, this is probably (agonisingly) relating to whatever trauma Jasnah experienced as a child and I’ve got Painful Emotions about it. Secondly, Jasnah being very mature for her age/shucking Navani’s influence because it wasn’t what she thought she needed/wanted is, like, not exactly the most tactful/self-aware/socially conscious thing in the entire universe.

“You’re still human,” Shallan said, reaching across, putting her hand on Navani’s knee. “We can’t all be emotionless chunks of rock like Jasnah.”

Navani smiled. “She sometimes had the empathy of a corpse, didn’t she?”

Oh look, it’s canon low!empathy Jasnah: from the words of her own mother no less.

(Also, small note here, as a low!empathy autistic myself: I really love the way Jasnah is written because it complements my own understanding of empathy which is...Fairly complicated. Jasnah isn’t just like none and done here. It’s not that she just doesn’t feel empathy so she doesn’t care? She isn’t characterised as this brutal, unfeeling, robotic ice queen. There are a lot of nuances and complexities here as to how she relates to those around her and I love it.

She obviously loves her family very deeply, and is driven to protect and help them (in a very practical, logical way I might add. Which is typically how I relate to care/love as well. You want a shoulder to cry on? I’m going to sit there awkwardly, pat you on the head, and hope you stop soon. There’s a practical solution to your current problem? Heaven and earth will be moved to achieve it.) She keeps Shallan’s drawing, even treasures it. And I think that she obviously....Feels her lack of feeling (if that makes sense)

See: the hospital scene with Shallan where she attempts to apologise. She’s...Uncomfortable with the emotional aspect of things, and she’s completely wrong about Shallan’s intentions, and actually her actions as well. There’s a block there with the empathy...But that’s obviously something that doesn’t exactly...Sit right with her? She’s quite self-depreciating in that scene, actually, and it’s clear (to me, anyway) that there’s the sense of her being aware that there’s something...Missing. Something that...Doesn’t quite line up. Something that makes her different and stops her relating to people perhaps in the way that she wants to.

Anyway: don’t equate lack of empathy with lack of love: a novel by Brandon Sanderson. God bless. Intentional or not, this is one of the most relatable low!empathy characters I’ve ever read and I’m here for it.

“Chana knows, I wondered sometimes how I raised that child without strangling her. By age six, she was pointing out my logical fallacies as I tried to get her to go to bed on time.”

Shallan grinned. “I always just assumed she was born in her thirties.”

“Oh, she was. It just took thirty-some years for her body to catch up.” Navani smiled. “I won’t take this from you, but neither should I allow you to attempt a project so important on your own. I would be part. Figuring out the puzzles that captivated her . . . it will be like having her again. My little Jasnah, insufferable and wonderful.”

Again, a few things here: this concept of autistic children being far more mature/behaving like ‘little adults’ is actually pretty common. Also the puzzle-solving thing is just. Relatable.

Oathbringer

“Brightness?” Shallan said. “But … Shardblades aren’t fabrials. They’re spren, transformed by the bond.”

“As are fabrials, after a manner of speaking,” Jasnah said. “You do know how they’re made, don’t you?”

“Only vaguely,” Shallan said. This was how their reunion went? A lecture? Fitting.

Jasnah is believed dead for months on end, reunites with Shallan after who knows how long: immediately starts infodumping to her. Shallan:.......’Figured.’

People were always surprised to see emotion from Jasnah, but Dalinar considered that unfair. She did smile—she merely reserved the expression for when it was most genuine.

Jasnah back at it with the only bothering with emotions when they’re genuine. (Also Dalinar getting all indignant about people not understanding Jasnah/mischaracterising her is my favourite)

“They will try,” Jasnah said, “to define you by something you are not. Don’t let them. I can be a scholar, a woman, a historian, a Radiant. People will still try to classify me by the thing that makes me an outsider. They want, ironically, the thing I don’t do or believe to be the prime marker of my identity. I have always rejected that, and will continue to do so.”

Obviously she’s talking about her heresy here, but with a tiny smidge of tweaking it works well for her being autistic, too. She will always be a little bit different, always not fit, always be defined by being an outsider.

“In the face of such an atrocity, I would consider the sacrifice of one or more Heralds to be a small price.”

“Storms!” Kaladin said, standing up straight. “Have you no sympathy?”

“I have plenty, bridgeman. Fortunately, I temper it with logic. Perhaps you should consider acquiring some at a future date.”

Again on the feelings tempered by logic, thing. (Also Kaladin/Jasnah is interesting because they’re basically....polar opposites, and I enjoy the dynamic. But that’s for another day.)

“If you wish, Captain,” Jasnah snapped, “I can get you some mink kits to cuddle while the adults plan. None of us want to talk about this, but that does not make it any less inevitable.”

“I’d love that,” Kaladin responded. “In turn, I’ll get you some eels to cuddle. You’ll feel right at home.”

Jasnah, curiously, smiled.

Jasnah: approves of frank, honest comments. Even if they’re mildly insulting. As long as they’re genuine.

They didn’t talk tactics too specifically; that was a masculine art, and Dalinar would want his highprinces and generals to discuss the battlefields. Still, Shallan didn’t fail to notice the tactical terms Jasnah used now and then.

In things like this, Shallan had difficulty understanding the woman. In some ways, Jasnah seemed fiercely masculine. She studied whatever she pleased, and she talked tactics as easily as she talked poetry. She could be aggressive, even cold—Shallan had seen her straight-up execute thieves who had tried to rob her. Beyond that … well, it probably was best not to speculate on things with no meaning, but people did talk. Jasnah had turned down every suitor for her hand, including some very attractive and influential men. People wondered. Was she perhaps simply not interested?

All of this should have resulted in a person who was decidedly unfeminine. Yet Jasnah wore the finest makeup, and wore it well, with shadowed eyes and bright red lips. She kept her safehand covered, and preferred intricate and fetching styles of braids from her hairdresser. Her writings and her mind made her the very model of Vorin femininity.

Jasnah just not caring about social/cultural gender norms. Jasnah does what Jasnah wants. But also, gender roles, and tbh the entire concept of gender, is a social construct, it’s something a lot of autistic folks struggle with. (Also non-binary/agender!Jasnah just, as a fun little aside)

“Surely,” she said softly, “if Jasnah had known that I’d just confronted a deep insecurity of mine, she’d have shown some empathy. Right?”

“Jasnah?” Pattern asked. “I do not think you are paying attention, Shallan. She is not very empathetic.”

A)- Jasnah probably didn’t notice and B)- low!empathy Jasnah again.

Jasnah rubbed her temples. “Storms. This is why I never take wards.”

“Because they give you so much trouble.”

“Because I’m bad at it. I have scientific evidence of that fact, and you are but the latest experiment.” Jasnah shooed her away, rubbing her temples.

‘I have scientific evidence of the fact I’m not good at mentoring/teaching/with people in general’ actual quote from Jasnah herself. Also, just, the language here? The mentoring/taking of wards is an intimate social relationship in Vorin culture, but the way Jasnah speaks of it she uses words like ‘scientific evidence’ and ‘experiment’ which says a lot about how she views relationships in general tbh.

Also, I think her self-consciousness is something that’s interesting to note. This isn’t the first time she questions her teaching abilities/methods, in fact it’s one of her biggest and most obvious insecurities, it’s something that she’s very aware of. She knows she’s bad at this, and it bothers her.

“Ivory, you think all humans are unstable.”

“Not you,” he said, lifting his chin. “You are like a spren. You think by facts. You change not on simple whims. You are as you are.”

She gave him a flat stare.

“Mostly,” he added. “Mostly. But it is, Jasnah. Compared to other humans, you are practically a stone!”

[…]

“Jasnah?” Ivory asked. “Am I … in error?”

“I am not so much a stone as you think, Ivory. Sometimes I wish I were.”

And again with Jasnah being factual-based when it comes to her decisions ,and emotions based when it comes to her motivations. Jasnah Kholin feels things so deeply I will physically fight you over this matter. Also, given what we’ve seen, it definitely seems as though Ivory/Inkspren/Jasnah’s ideals are concerned with logic/reason/rightness, and that being a defining aspect of her/her order is interesting in the context of her being autistic.

Renarin still lurked at the far side of the room, mumbling to himself. Or perhaps to his spren? She absently read his lips.

Since, as far as we know, Jasnah isn’t deaf/hoh, the lip reading is something she acquired for other purposes. Probably as part of her paranoia/wish to protect her family, but it’d also probably help with auditory processing disorder. Which is basically where your ears hear words fine, but your brain scrambles them up and fails to make sense of them. Also a lot of autistic folks (self included) tend to watch people’s mouths instead of their eyes (bc eye contact Sucks) and I’m not saying I can lip-read, but if I could it’d definitely make life easier.

But when, before this, had she last heard him laugh?

“Maybe,” Navani said, “we should encourage him to take a break and go out with the bridgemen for the evening.”

“I’d rather keep him here,” Jasnah said, flipping through her pages. “His powers need additional study.”

Navani would talk to Renarin anyway and encourage him to go out more with the men. There was no arguing with Jasnah, any more than there was arguing with a boulder. You just stepped to the side and went around.

Jasnah being completely and utterly oblivious to the hidden agenda/undercurrent to Navani’s thoughts which is ‘Renarin is comfortable with the men/is enjoying himself with them, maybe we should encourage that?’ and just responds to her mother’s words and nothing else. The boulder analogy makes me laugh (but also recalls what Ivory said about her being ‘stone’ which is, again, a kind of othering, a setting apart of the ‘normal’ humans, based on how she emotes/deals with things/processes fact.

I’m sorry, Mother. I’ve been dealing with a lot of lesser ardents today. My didactic side might have inflated.”

“You have a didactic side? Dear, you hate teaching.”

“Which explains my mood, I should think. I—”

A lot of autistic folk find it difficult to teach people, largely because, if they explain something in a certain way, away in which they understand, they have trouble rephrasing it/altering it to make other people understand it as well. Can definitely, definitely see Jasnah struggling with this.

Jasnah preferred to work alone, which was odd, considering how good she was at getting people to do what she wanted.

This shocks me to my very core so it does.

Next to her, Jasnah stood with arms wrapped around herself, eyes red. Navani reached toward her, but Jasnah pulled away from the others and stalked off toward the palace proper.

Oh look, it’s touch!averse Jasnah. (she’s really not very touchy feely at all) Also Jasnah not knowing how to deal with her emotions/grief and withdrawing from people around her. Also I’m calling the arms wrapped around herself as a pressure stim. Fight me.

Jasnah met his eyes, chewing her lip as she’d always done as a child.

Jasnah having anxious!stims (that she probably forced herself to unlearn)

“Forget I asked,” Dalinar said, sharing a look with Navani and Jasnah. Navani smiled fondly at what was probably a huge social misstep, but he suspected Jasnah agreed with him. She’d probably have seized the banks and used them to fund the war.

Jasnah ‘fuck your social niceties, I have a war to win’ Kholin.

Suddenly they were young again. He was a trembling child, weeping on her shoulder for a father who didn’t seem to be able to feel love. Little Renarin, always so solemn. Always misunderstood, laughed at and condemned by people who said similar things about Jasnah behind her back.

Mm, who else was ‘solemn’ as a child? Maybe ‘correcting logical fallacies at age six’ ‘no longer needed a mother when she reached adolescence’ Jasnah. And, like, ‘people mock Renarin for his autistic traits...Jasnah is also mocked for having these exact same traits.’ It’s basically canon, people.

Jasnah fell to her knees, then pulled Renarin into an embrace. He broke down crying, like he had as a boy, burying his head in her shoulder.

Also, the fact that Renarin instinctively went to Jasnah for comfort, not Navani, who eagerly mothers literally everyone around her, or anyone else, he went to Jasnah ‘empathy of a corpse, made of literal stone’ Kholin for comfort and support tells me something. It tells me that these two had an understanding. That Jasnah understood Renarin, and that Renarin understood Jasnah, and that there perhaps a reason for that that has to do with their shared brain weirdness.

This is also the first time, as I recall, that Jasnah responds with physical affection. (And this doesn’t undermine what I said about her being touch!averse, she is, but a)- she initiates this contact and b)- it’s with someone she’s clearly comfortable with this level of contact)

Jasnah glanced over her shoulder at the gathering army. “And perhaps … this is one time when a lecture isn’t advisable. With all my complaints about not wanting wards, you’d think I would be able to resist instructing people at inopportune times. Keep moving.”

I have said it before and I will say it again, Jasnah infodumping to an exhausted Shallan in the middle of a fucking battlefield is the most autistic thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life.

These had always been right. Until today—until they had proclaimed that Jasnah Kholin’s love would fail.

And, to summarise it all neatly, Jasnah Kholin, empathy of a corpse, heart of a boulder, whose love in the end never failed her. *wipes tear* my beautiful autistic queen is good and full of love and feeling but just being really bad at showing it to people. We do not deserve her.

TL;DR: Jasnah is autistic af. It’s basically canon. Fight me.

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