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inkblackorchid · 8 months ago

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What the hell happened with Crow: an autopsy (Part 3)

Trying my absolute damnedest to finish this one and part four sooner now that I've finally covered the Pearson backstory. *Ehem* Hello again! I hope you're ready for more yelling about a certain spiky-haired Blackbird aficionado, because I sure am.

To get some things out of the way first, though, here come the usual disclaimers:

This is part three of a series of posts about hpw Crow's character was handled during 5Ds' whole run. You can find part one here and part two here. Reading them technically isn't required, but things sure will make a whole lot more sense if you do. (Bring snacks, they're long.)

This post isn't meant as a Crow hate post, nor is it meant to convince people who didn't vibe with his character to change their mind. This is my very long winded-attempt to analyse the writing decisions surrounding his character as best I can, without too much bias. That said, full disclosure, I do personally like Crow, so there's a good chance that will shine through whether I want it to or not. But also, I'm trying to have fun here, so please cut me some slack.

In case you haven't read my previous Crow posts (no shade there) and/or still believe the many, many production rumours that have been haunting the 5Ds fandom since the show's original run, please let me burst your bubble(s) with some insanely comprehensive research by someone over on Reddit (thanks again to @mbg159, who's also here on tumblr): No, Crow was not meant to be a dark signer, or the final boss of season 1, and his spike in screentime has nothing to do with his cards. And also, No, Aki didn't get less presence in the narrative because her VA got pregnant. What if you don't have the time to read either of those long posts? In that case, please take away this simple, very easy rebuttal of why the above theories are bullshit: Their would-be "key points" don't line up with the 5Ds production timeline. At all. Not even vaguely. So please, ditch them, let them die, seeing them still talked about makes me feel like I'm gonna break out in hives. And for the love of god, don't use this post or in fact anything else I post to pit Aki and Crow against each other. Both characters have their strengths and their reasons to love them. I am not the least bit interested in starting any character discourse. So please, spare my sanity. Ok? Thank you.

And now, we can get to the good part at last. In my previous post in this series, I stopped my analysis at episode 95, a.k.a. part two of the Pearson backstory. In this post, I will thus be picking up right after, at the very start of the WRGP—with the Team Unicorn match. The goal for this post is to analyse Crow's part in this particular arc, then provide some food for thought/ideas on how things that rubbed some people the wrong way could have been improved.

More below the readmore, and I give you not just my usual warning, but an extra warning, too: The universe will not let me write short things, so tread with caution, stay hydrated, and expect a veritable dissertation below, because this post feels long even to me, who has long since lost her sense of length when it comes to text. (But I'm well aware this is the result of me refusing to split the WRGP part into two separate posts, so I take full responsibility for that.)

Since we left off right after I chewed through all the issues with Crow's rather belated backstory and especially Black-Winged Dragon last time, we jump right into the thick of things now, with episodes 96 and 97, which serve as the preamble to Team 5Ds' first WRGP duel against Team Unicorn. Crow only gets two major things to do during this short stretch of episodes, the first being that he's Team Unicorn's gateway into roping Yusei into a duel during practice, which helps them set up a ruse that baits the 5Ds gang into sending Jack as their first wheeler because they think Jack's deck is best suited to countering Andre's—which, as it later turns out, it is not.

(Arguably the screenshot where Crow gives off the strongest Youngest Sibling Vibes during the entire show. Look at him, all chastised.)

Crow's second role is an odd one that I argue only he out of the main three guys could fulfill at this point: He's the one to get injured right before the Team Unicorn match, rendering him unable to compete, which leads to Aki offering to take his place for that particular match.

(Pictured: Bird Boy regretting all his life choices up until that point simultaneously.)

Here's the first moment I have to talk about in greater detail. See, the thing is, I don't know what the fandom consensus on Crow getting injured here is, but I argue that this moment was a (rare) strategic decision made by the writers at this point. Crow's injury accomplished several things: 1. It sets up the mystery of why his back wheel locked up out of nowhere, which is later paid off through Team Catastrophe's shenanigans. 2. It organically allows Aki to take his spot without introducing any argument about which of them is "worthier" of having that third spot. 3. Through this, it also allows him to actually bounce off Aki for once (a point I will come back to below, during the Team Catastrophe section). And 4. It allows the show to (TECHNICALLY) pay off the setup they did in letting Aki get her turbo duelling license and train with the boys. (Generally, Crow's and Aki's character writing intersects a bit during the pre-Diablo incident WRGP section, something I'll touch on below.)

Moreover, I think this is also the only match where they could have done something like this, and the reason for it is very simple: Team Unicorn are one-off opponents whose presence in the narrative is only relevant as far as it concerns the WRGP, and they are also one of the first teams the 5Ds gang faces. If we think about the opponents Team 5Ds has after this, it becomes very obvious why Crow could only be injured during this duel: If they had tried pulling this stunt later, it would have forced the writers to pull Aki centre stage during a much more plot-relevant duel than this one (which they were apparently allergic to, but let's not go there), not to speak of the fact that it would have forced them to sideline someone they were definitely trying to sell as the third portion of their protagonist trifecta, which would have probably been awkward. (If not for the fact that they literally did this to Crow later in the show, but I'll get there. Yes, I know there's a lot already that I'll still be "getting to".)

The thing is, whether or not it feels like an awkward writing choice to make so early in the big tournament of this arc (you be the judge of that), Crow's injury finally allows him to have a few interesting character moments for once. For one, there is his immediate disappointment about being forced to stay on the sidelines. Aside from the fact that this is a human and relatable reaction to his injury, it stings even more for the character than it does for us as the audience, because Crow got a moment where the Satellite orphans he previously took care of cheer him on for the tournament literally within the same two Team Unicorn preamble episodes.

(Say what you will, this is just stupid cute.)

So when Aki eventually offers to take his place during the match, he's understandably apprehensive—and again, this is human. It may seem mean in the moment, but from a character writing standpoint, it's a natural response. Plus, it's certainly more interesting to watch the group have a bit of conflict among themselves, rather than everyone immediately jumping straight to acceptance. It introduces tension, and, for however brief a moment, raises the question of whether Crow might refuse to let Aki take his spot. This is also the point where Aki and Crow's character writing officially intertwines, at least for the stretch of episodes between the Team Unicorn duel and the Team Catastrophe duel. And you know what? Say what you will, but I think it does a world of good for both of them. The 5Ds cast, as lovely as it is, doesn't get a lot of room to bounce off one another where it concerns personal matters anymore, once the WRGP starts. Arguably, they get little time to bounce off one another outside of plot-related discussions at all once this portion of the show comes around. The characters are treated as "fully developed", and thus, the writing largely doesn't take the time to show us how the group naturally interacts with one another anymore, especially not with how many side characters (chiefly Bruno and Sherry), antagonists, and duels the show now has to juggle. So Aki and Crow getting even a smidgen of personal conflict here is honestly a breath of fresh air. The interaction kicked off by Crow's injury isn't completely plot-irrelevant, like most character interactions during the pre-WRGP were, but it's not something that feels like it's only there to explain the machinations of the antagonists to the audience, either.

Let me go through this in a little more detail to illustrate my point.

So, episode 97. Crow storms off after Aki offers to take his spot, while Aki heads out to prepare her runner, intent on helping her team. The personal motivations here are already very nice and reflective of these characters as we've gotten to know them up until this point: Crow's angry and disappointed (mostly at himself, which is noteworthy!) because he can't compete. And specifically, he's angry because not being able to compete in the first match means he can't show the kids his duelling like he wanted to. Then there's Aki, whose offer to take Crow's place is every bit as much of a strategic suggestion as it is a bid for acceptance from her. Acceptance, which is the thing she's been all about ever since she was introduced, basically. So she pleads with her friends to accept her, see her as an equal, and allow her to duel for the team, which they do. And Crow initially throws a fit, but then...

(Listen. You have no idea how much Crow and Aki getting to actually be friends means to me.)

He comes around to the idea and not only gives Aki his express permission to take his spot, he even coaches her a bit right before the match. Moreover, as his text states above, he literally entrusts her with the kids' hopes, as well as his own. This quickly brings both of them full circle: Crow, who already has a theme of legacy attached to him, passes the torch to Aki for this match, and in so doing, offers her the acceptance she asked her teammates for. (Frankly, stuff like this makes me wonder why on earth people were so eager to pit these two against each other, when their shared moments are actually some of the best-written during the often rocky WRGP arc.) So, though this injury pulls Crow out of the duel, it, funnily enough, ties him better into the story and to the other characters.

From there, we then dive into the Team Unicorn match proper. And well, being injured as he is, Crow doesn't exactly get a whole lot to do there. However, since we're in the portion where his and Aki's writing overlaps a bit, I do need to go on a quick tangent about what Aki's portion of this duel means for Crow.

(Sigh. Okay, buckle up for a quick and rough detour.)

First, something I need to get out of the way and off my chest: I have made no secret out of the fact that I hate Aki's portion of this duel, save for the moment where she summons Stardust. Hell, this duel segment is pretty much universally hated by anone who has even a smidgen of sympathy for Aki. It's regarded by many as the very moment the writers axed Aki's character, and for good reason: After all the buildup surrounding her getting her turbo duelling license, the supposed "payoff" of it all is that she gets to duel against Andre for a depressing four turns before being defeated immediately, which leads into Yusei's frustrating portion of this duel, which, to my knowledge, isn't regarded any more kindly by fans than Aki's segment. It's a massive let-down, simply put. But the thing is, it's not just a let-down for Aki. After all, the brief character conflict she had with Crow about taking his spot here can and should be regarded as part of the setup for this moment, and as such, it can also be considered to be wasted the second Aki leaves the track after barely making an impact whatsoever.

However, I do need to mention that I have a theory on why this segment was handled the way it was, mostly because I feel like Crow's later interaction with Aki, shortly after she's out of the duel, underlines it (mind that this is just my personal theory, though, after having watched the show perhaps more times than can be considered sane): I think there is a cultural aspect to this duel. See, the word ganbaru, which anime subtitles often like to translate with "do your best" or something along the lines, has a greater significance than the translation implies. Though it's not inaccurate per se, there's more than just the idea of doing your best behind ganbaru, because it's something like an umbrella term not just for doing your best and succeeding, it's also the idea that you have to keep trying, even if you don't succeed. It's related to tenacity, to persistence, even in the face of terrible odds. And make no mistake, I don't mean the Japanese equivalent of "if at first you don't succeed, try again" here. I genuinely do mean "you have to keep trying, even if you fail". There is no guarantee of success here. And for that reason, the idea behind ganbaru is also that it's not simply the success that has value, but the effort made in the attempt to attain it, regardless of the result. (Side note: I tried to scrounge up a resource I could link to that nicely explains this concept, but unfortunately, all the promising articles were paywalled and the ones I learned it from require institutional access to lecture materials.) And this is where I will posit the tentative theory that this is exactly what the 5Ds writers were going for with Aki's segment of the duel—it was very much meant to be the payoff for her turbo duelling license setup and her plea to take Crow's place, but it wasn't so much her success that was meant to be valued, as the effort she (and by extension, Crow) made for and during this duel. And this is where Crow's little pep-talk with Aki after she's out of the duel comes in, because it feels like it supports exactly this interpretation:

(This is essentially the whole sequence. Note how Crow, despite so fervently entrusting Aki with his and his kids' hopes prior, doesn't admonish her for making a bad showing in the slightest.)

I don't think it gets any clearer than it is here. During this sequence, Aki is painfully aware of how poor her performance was against Andre, especially after she was so insistent on duelling at first, and despite having been entrusted with Stardust by Yusei, to boot. Yet, Crow doesn't have a single word of criticism to offer her. Instead, he even tells her she did well and that nobody's perfect. It very much reads as valuing Aki's effort over the result she achieved to me, and thus seems perfectly in line with the idea behind ganbaru.

However, if we assume I'm correct about the intentions behind this writing choice, we come back to why Aki's segment of the duel is so hotly debated and why it may have arguably been a disservice not just to her, but to Crow, too, character-wise. Because the majority of non-Japanese watchers of the show culturally don't have a 1:1 applicable concept like ganbaru, this writing choice was more likely to fall flat for them, because to someone who wasn't raised to understand the idea behind it, Aki's portion of the duel doesn't register as a payoff; it registers as a massive disappointment, because it feels like the writers, who had so much setup already done for her, let her fail on purpose, just to later let Yusei attain his arguably dumbest victory of the entire show. Thus, they also essentially waste the conflict she had with Crow about whether she would be allowed to take his spot in the first place, because with how little she achieved during the duel, she may as well not have gotten on the track. (Figuratively speaking. Please Do Not take this to mean I would prefer a version where Aki hadn't duelled at all. That would be worse. It would be infinitely worse.)

(Also, side note: If this post reaches anyone who's actually Japanese and still remembers this duel, I would genuinely love your input on whether my interpretation is feasible or just wishful thinking. Did you interpret Aki's part of the duel the way I did here? Or did it fall flat for you, too? If what I'm saying here feels like an absolute reach, please tell me. I'm honestly just trying my best to make things make sense here and remembered this concept from some classes I took in Japanese studies at uni.)

With all that in mind, it doesn't come as a surprise that some people were just as frustrated with the way Crow was barred from duelling here as they were with Aki's segment or Yusei's later victory. But it is what it is—the Unicorn duel concludes the way we all know it to, and with that, the show begins setting up the following duel with Team Catastrophe.

The only other, non duel-related, noteworthy thing that happens between the Unicorn and the Catastrophe match is a brief appearance at the Poppo Time by Sherry, who admonishes the signers for celebrating their victory early and warns them about Iliaster. Why do I bring this up? Because it's one of less than five times that Crow is in the same room with Sherry. Remember, Sherry. The girl he later, during the finale, talks out of working for the big bad evil guy because he suddenly seems to have such a deep understanding of her motivations and character that he can accurately deduce what argument will make her understand that working with Z-ONE won't give her what she's looking for. So, does Crow get a meaningful interaction with her during this scene, then? Nope. Not even in the slightest. Crow says exactly one sentence that is aimed at Sherry during her appearance, and that sentence is this:

(What a meaningful conversation!)

And yes, I will come back to Crow and Sherry's dynamic in particular. But we'll save that for the Ark Cradle arc post. For now, just keep it in mind as we move along to the other WRGP duels.

So. Team Catasrophe.

During the duel against this team, which was previously only hinted at ominously, the writing for Crow and Aki overlaps again, and this starts with the writers essentially doing a complete switcheroo of what came before: Instead of Crow getting injured and being unable to compete, it's Aki who crashes, ends up in the hospital, and is thus forced to give up her spot during the duel. (This also goes hand in hand with her suddenly losing her powers, which we are given absolutely zero explanation for, but let's not talk about that clusterfuck here. If you're interested in my opinions about that particular trainwreck, I have a rant for you.) Additionally, it's during this stretch of episodes (103-105, which is a whopping four episodes less than Team Unicorn got) that we find out that not only Aki's crash, but Crow's previous one, too, were both sabotage, caused by the rather unscrupulous Team Catastrophe by way of a special card that can cause real damage even when there is no psychic duellist present. (A card we also find out was given to them by Placido/Primo, but this is irrelevant for both Aki and Crow.) Crow's reaction to this piece of information, particularly once Aki gets injured due to the same thing, is where things get interesting for him again, because he gets pissed, to say the least.

(A moment I imagine firebirdshippers must have been positively delighted about.)

Here, I have to reiterate an earlier point: Think what you will of Team Catastrophe, of Aki's crash, and of the sequence where her powers suddenly don't work, but this moment here, where Crow gets angry on her behalf and swears to duel Team Catastrophe into submission—not because he wants his kids to cheer for him, or because he wants to prove himself, but as revenge for his friend—is one of sadly only a handful of moments the writers use to show the strengthened relationships between the individual members of Team 5Ds after the dark signers arc. It's one of the precious few scenes that actually shows, rather than tells us or lets us search for scraps in the subtext, that the signers, and the members of Team 5Ds as a whole, care for each other outside of revolving around Yusei like planets around the sun. Even if it's laughably small, it's at least a hint that there are individual friendships between the other signers, too, that they all stick around one another for reasons beyond gravitating towards Yusei for one reason or another. And for that alone, I'm grateful that they put this here, even if Team Catastrophe was otherwise so ridiculous and made such a bad showing at their actual match that they could barely be taken seriously as antagonists at all.

Speaking of which. The actual meat of the matter. The Team Catastrophe match. What does Crow do here? Well, he duels! Even though he wasn't supposed to, for injury-related reasons. What both his participation as well as the actual duel accomplish, though, are that they not only showcase previously established character traits of Crow's again, but they also make a (possibly unintended) callback to a previous, major duel Crow took part in: His dark signer duel against Bommer/Greiger. Where and how? Let's see.

Firstly, Crow's participation. The reactions of the other characters to this make it very evident that Team 5Ds did not plan for this, with Yusei and Jack even going as far as to say they "had no choice" but to let Crow duel, because he insisted. This is perfectly in line with the stubbornness we already know from him at this point—a stubbornness that was also a major reason for why he took Bommer on and later continued his duel with said man, despite Yusei showing up and telling him he shouldn't be duelling a dark signer.

Secondly, there's the manoeuvring thing, and here's where I can call attention to a fun tidbit: The WRGP isn't what introduces the concept of manual mode during turbo duels to the audience. It's Crow. During his duel with Bommer. Being crafty and a bit shrewd as he is, Crow, during said duel in the DS arc, purposefully switches to manual mode when he duels Bommer, because he figures that attacks that can deal real damage can probably be evaded if you actually have control over your runner and aren't stuck in autopilot.

(Don't believe me? Here it is. And frankly, it is somewhat hilarious, yet also very fitting that Crow is the only one who thinks to do this during a duel with a dark signer.)

The reason this particular bit is relevant during the Team Catastrophe duel is because Crow essentially repeats this trick here. Of course, it's a bit less impactful now, given that manual mode is standard for WRGP duels, but still: Due to Hook, the Hidden Knight, Crow is forced to pay attention to the track and manually evade the monster's attempts to make his back wheel lock up during the duel, mirroring how he thought to manually evade Bommer's attacks during the DS arc.

Thirdly, there's the revenge angle, and this one is a particularly juicy callback. Remember, Crow's major reason for taking on Team Catastrophe, despite being injured, is that he wants to get revenge for Aki. This directly parallels how his major reason for duelling Bommer during the DS arc was that he wanted revenge for his kids, whom he believed to be dead at that point in time. (It also, interestingly, establishes a bit of a connection to his deck, which boasts a fair amount of revenge effects, but I'll not get into that here, seeing as I've talked about Crow's cards a bit before.)

Keep in mind, despite all the things listed above that this duel accomplishes, it's also by far the shortest WRGP duel. It lasts a whole six turns, total, which is ludicrous compared to the likes of 27-turn Team Unicorn, 26-turn Team Taiyou, or 25-turn Team Ragnarok. And I don't think it's controversial to say that the Catastrophe guys are probably the most forgettable WRGP Team, too. Yet, somehow, despite all its shortcomings in terms of memorable antagonists and plot relevance, this is one of the best duels of the WRGP where Crow's character writing is concerned. Now, I'll be perfectly candid: Coming into this post, I did not expect the Team Catastrophe duel, of all things, to end up being as good at actually showcasing Crow's character and his ties to other characters (who aren't Yusei) as it was, but here we are. And we had better hold on to the good the Team Unicorn - Catastrophe segment did for Crow, because the next thing that's coming up is a harsh break from the WRGP, starting with the sudden appearance of Placido's home-engineered army of killer duel robots. And what does Crow get to do during this part?

Uh. Well.

(Pictured: Bird Boy being demoted to benchwarmer while the city's being ransacked by murder duel robots.)

Nothing. A whole lot of nothing, is what.

During the duel robot invasion, we only ever flash back to Crow to ascertain that he is, in fact, useless during this part of the show, something he shares in common with Ruka, Rua, and Aki here, because all of them get pretty much nothing to do while Yusei finally gets the hang of accel synchro. Granted, Aki gets to save a little girl at the hospital, but in comparison to Yusei's lengthy, plot-heavy duel with Placido, this feels like a consolation prize. And for once, Jack is only marginally better off, too, because sure, he gets to beat up a couple of robots, but that's it, really.

Where Crow is concerned, his plot relevance doesn't actually resume once the Placido duel finishes, though. (And neither does Rua's, Ruka's, or Aki's, while we're at it.) Because wouldn't you know it, the next big thing directly after the duel robot invasion are the Red Nova episodes, where three out of five signers (Crow, Aki, and Ruka, unsurprisingly) are removed from the screen almost in their entirety again while Jack gets his much-needed dragon upgrade so he can keep up with Yusei, in order to uphold his status as a classic, almost-evenly-matched yugioh rival.

Speaking of upgrades and dragons, let's make a quick detour while our protag and rival duo take their express vacation to the Nazca plains. It is, of course, no secret that no signer outside of Yusei and Jack ever got a dragon upgrade within the anime. (No, I'm not forgetting about Life Stream Dragon. But that one, unlike Shooting Star Dragon and Red Nova Dragon, was a.) teased all the way back in the DS arc and b.) didn't have a unique summoning method or some other gimmick that made it an "elevated" synchro. So I'm discounting Life Stream as a "proper" dragon upgrade on purpose.) Is this the point where I start arguing that Crow should have gotten one, then? Well, not quite. Not with the writing the show canonically gave us, at least—after all, with how late Black-Winged Dragon was introduced, it would have been bonkers to upgrade him here already, if even at all. However, I do argue that the way the show hands only Yusei and Jack upgrades seems a bit... off. Now, I know why only those two get upgrades, or at least I think I do. After all, they're the central protag/rival duo, and within the framework of the character archetypes the larger yugioh canon has created for itself, this would have always made them the first, if not the only candidates for dragon upgrades. What feels a bit off to me, though, is that specifically the 5Ds cast feels like it... chafes a bit against those character archetypes, for lack of a better word. The problem is this: The signers, as far as the first two arcs are concerned, are sold to us as equals who all have very powerful ace monsters. Yes, Jack and Yusei are still undoubtedly the best duellists among them, but not on account of having uber-powerful extra special monsters that were acquired through supernatural means that are categorically inaccessible to the other signers. However, with the appearance of Shooting Star and Red Nova, this changes. While Yusei and Jack were previously and would have always been the two guys who had a Special dynamic with a capital "S" on account of their character archetypes, their acquisition of the dragon upgrades—and even more so, the lack of upgrades their fellow signers receive—now decidedly puts them in a different power bracket and skews the balance between previous, supposedly "equal" characters. (Which, unfortunately, is yet another thing that makes everyone else easier to sideline.)

Why do I bring all this up in a post dedicated to Crow? Because this new power imbalance arguably impacts him more than the other signers—because he's Team 5Ds' second wheeler and doesn't miss another WRGP match from here on out. Thus, that power imbalance is felt in the upcoming duels, where Yusei and Jack bust out Shooting Star and Red Nova like it's nothing, while Crow is left manoeuvring with the somewhat underpowered Black-Winged Dragon and whatever else he can come up with. This is also why I claimed that the show did sideline Crow in some aspects further above. Because while some parts of his writing go to great pains to establish him as part of a protagonist trifecta that is now supposed to take centre stage before the other characters, he also permanently lives in Jack and Yusei's shadow, ultimately barred not just from reaching equal status as a signer (due to his late and rocky introduction and dragon acquisition), but also barred from becoming the equal of his foster brothers as a duellist. Frankly, I'm surprised the show didn't make this a plot point, because the first thing my mind jumps to when I think about this is whether Crow felt left behind after his brothers acquired such immensely powerful, special cards. But more on my personal writing ideas later. For now, let's just put a pin in the power-imbalance thing.

So, when is Crow back on screen in any meaningful role, then? (Note that I mean this as literally as possible. As per my discussion about "screentime" and my gripes about it in part two, I gloss over the parts where Crow is on screen, but could be traded for any other signer or even a lamppost without affecting the scene at all.)

Well, the next thing Crow gets to do isn't exactly glorious, but it sure is funny.

(I want you all to remember that he has to wear this costume and play this part in Team 5Ds' absurd plan to capture Yaeger/Lazar because he lost at rock-paper-scissors. This will never not be funny to me.)

Ignoring the hilarious outfit and Crow playing the bait at a fabricated cup ramen promo event meant to lure Yaeger in, bird boy does actually get something that's not just for funsies to do during the two episodes where Team 5Ds is trying to get more information about Iliaster: He gets to have a duel revanche against Yaeger, who, if we remember the DS arc, ditched him the last time they squared off. Much like the Team Catastrophe duel, this one, too, calls back to previous duels Crow has had: For one, it's the obvious conclusion to his unfinished, first duel with Yaeger. And for two, Crow repeats a "trick" (for lack of a better term) here that is also unique to him: losing on purpose, which we remember from his duel with Lyndon.

(Identical-looking clown family jumpscare be upon ye.)

And again, much like getting injured for the Team Unicorn duel, I argue that this story beat here is something that could also only have been accomplished with Crow. Because he's the only one who has previously duelled Yaeger, firstly, because not wanting to make a child cry by beating their dad in a duel makes sense for him as a character due to him being a family-oriented person who loves children, secondly, and because losing on purpose in this scenario is a tactic that would seem out of character from anyone else, thirdly. (We recall, the only times Jack and Yusei, respectively, ever consider/offer to lose on purpose is when the lives of people close to them are on the line, in the shape of Carly/Rally. As for the others, aside from not being present, Aki, Rua, and Ruka are so heavily sidelined at this point that they would have never been an option for this. And if his writing is anything to go by, Bruno is mostly purposefully forbidden from accomplishing Plot Things, especially through duels, while he's Bruno.) But hey, due to the way this episode is set up, losing on purpose works out for Crow, because it convinces Yaeger to stop hiding and actually share his knowledge about Iliaster. This, by the way, is the second scene where Crow gets to be in a room with Sherry for a longer stretch of time. And look, him joking that Sherry might kill Yaeger if he doesn't spill the beans about Iliaster soon is fun and all, but in light of the Ark Cradle duel later, I have to point out that he, again, doesn't get to have so much as a shred of a meaningful conversation with Sherry here. Again. But moving on. The scene with Yaeger at the Poppo Time then leads us first to the small sequence in the arcade where the gang has to win a simulated duel to get Yaeger's encoded intel, then to episode 116—the Moment Express episode, where, due to this being a Yusei, Sherry, and Bruno-focussed episode, Crow gets nothing to do again. (And also doesn't get to interact with Sherry again.)

Congrats! We've survived the WRGP break. This leaves us with three more WRGP duels before shit hits the fan and the Ark Cradle arc commences. And full disclosure, I'll be doing a bit of a quick-fire round of those three duels. Why? Because despite them all having their merits in their own rights (they're the better liked duels of the WRGP for a reason), there honestly isn't that much focus on Crow during them. He duels, yes, and I've seen people point this out over and over again as the supposed smoking gun that shows how Crow had so much more relevance and screentime than Aki and yadda, yadda. We've been there. And it's not that I can't see where this argument is coming from—I'll be the first to tell you that it's a travesty that Aki never got to duel in the WRGP again outside of the Unicorn match. But I want to use the final three matches to dig into how the way these matches—and especially the opponents to go with them—were set up made it nearly impossible for Aki to replace Crow again during any point of the WRGP finals.

First, episode 118. This is the only preamble episode we get for the first two WRGP finals teams, and here, our group is split in two: Yusei, Bruno, and Rua introduce us to Team Taiyou, while Jack, Aki, and Crow introduce us to Team Ragnarok. There isn't much to say here, because the only thing this episode does for Crow is a shallow repeat of what the Team Catastrophe duel did: By putting him in a group with Aki and Jack, and letting them decide among themselves, independently, to check out the exhibition match, it implies that he voluntarily spends time with signers who aren't Yusei. Thumbs up. Gold star. You made an effort (I guess). Then, the real fun starts.

Round one. Team Taiyou.

(Pictured: The sweetest country bumpkins to ever grace this earth. Yes, I'm biased.)

So here's the deal with Team Taiyou, from a narrative standpoint, as best as I can grasp it: They are a callback to Team 5Ds' roots. Specifically, to the boys' Satellite roots. The Taiyou boys come from humble origins, have only one, mostly home-engineered duel runner, and play using old cards that are widely considered shitty, as 5Ds canon tells us. They are essentially the non-signer, countryside version of what Jack, Crow, and Yusei once were, which is why this is the first duel where the duellist constellation on Team 5Ds' end couldn't possibly have been altered. Team Taiyou is there to remind us where our boys started, so it has to be our boys duelling them. This also goes for Crow, even though this duel otherwise doesn't accomplish much for him, character-wise. Instead, it's more of a narrative wink at the audience, as well as providing a breather between otherwise extremely tense, plot-focussed duels. But yeah, Crow's part in this match isn't much to write home about; he doesn't get any verbal interactions that are very meaningful to his character, can't get so much as a scratch in on Zushin, even with Black-Winged Dragon, and is defeated so Yusei can take out the legendary giant.

Round two. Team Ragnarok.

(Behold the pizzazz of at least two contenders for Haircuts With The Most Spikes in the show.)

Though this duel is framed as being even more so aimed towards bolstering Jack's character writing than Crow's, given the inclusion of Dragan's personal history with Jack, Team Ragnarok gets significantly more interesting for Crow again than Team Taiyou did. This is, of course, mainly because of Brave/Broder. Where Team Taiyou were a callback to the 5Ds boys' roots, Team Ragnarok are their narrative foils. Dragan is the duellist who lost his pride to contrast Jack, who's brimming with pride at all times, and Harald/Halldor is essentially the rich, "destiny isn't bullshit, actually" version of Yusei. Meanwhile, unlike the first two, who highlight our 5Ds boys' characteristics by contrasting them, Brave acts as Crow's mirror. Through Team Ragnarok's flashbacks, we see that he gets almost exactly the same, lovable-rogue-type backstory that Crow did during the DS arc, just in a different setting. The only, major difference between them is that while Crow is more down-to-earth, Brave likes to be pretty flashy.

(Keep in mind that he's doing this on a runner. Is there such a thing as courses on how to do acrobatics on your runner? Like there are courses for vaulting on horseback irl? I'm overthinking this again.)

Unsurprisingly, the duel thus ends up addressing the similarities between Crow and Brave, mostly through two things: One, the duel essentially becomes a contest of who can out-trickster who, culminating in the famous, ridiculous-in-the-good-way sequence where Crow activates a trap from his graveyard, to the shock of pretty much everyone present. And two, despite being on opposite sides, the two bond over their concern for the children they took care of and their concern for children in general, which is expressed most clearly in the scene where Crow's kids, in an attempt to hold the poster they made for him higher, very nearly fall over the barricade in the WRGP stands. Despite the hefty length of the full duel, these are pretty much the only things actually related to Crow's character that come up, though. They're good, don't get me wrong, but in a duel that is otherwise this dense with plot, Aesir shenanigans, and Iliaster foreshadowing, it's no surprise that the duel doesn't add that much to Crow's character, outside of giving him someone he can bounce off very well and relate to. Again, though, we are faced with the same situation as with Team Taiyou: Due to the way the members of Team Ragnarok are written, meant to contrast/parallel one male duellist each from Team 5Ds, nobody other than Crow could have taken the third spot here, either. It would have felt awkward from a narrative standpoint (as much as I would have loved to see Aki duel more).

Now, finally. Round three. Team New World.

(Welp. Here come the robots.)

I had to check to make sure I wasn't misremembering this, but due to the way this duel was set up so José/Jakob could bust out Meklord Emperor Granel with a ridiculous amount of attack points, Crow gets a resounding four turns total in this duel. (Gee, I wonder which other character got this treatment during a WRGP duel.) During those four turns, there are only two things he accomplishes: One, leaving behind two combo pieces Yusei later uses, and two, showcasing the shrewd tactics that earned him the label of "trickster" during the Ragnarok duel by bringing out a non-synchro monster that can take advantage of a synchro monster's attack points and effects—Aurora the Northern Lights. And arguably, this is a very smart play, moreover, it's the only time anyone in the show has the bright idea to not use synchro monsters against the known and feared synchro-killer Meklords. Unfortunately, as smart as it is, the narrative doesn't reward Crow for this play—José all but shrugs what could have been a turning point in the duel off, then proceeds to steamroll Crow the next turn, leaving Yusei to score the win, as usual. To get back to the "Crow got so much more screentime than Aki during the WRGP" thing for a second, of all the duels in the WRGP finals, this is arguably the one where Aki could still most easily have taken Crow's spot again, because here, it doesn't matter whether it's him or someone else, as this duel isn't tied to his character in any way. Unfortunately, due to the Granel-steamroller-strategy, this is also the duel where letting Aki take his spot again would have been the biggest shot in the foot, because unless they had changed Team New World's strategy, Aki would have gotten brutally guillotined here, same as Crow—something I can't imagine anyone, not even people who hate Crow, being happy about.

With that, though, we've finally made it through the WRGP. So, what's the bottom line here? Frankly, speaking from my own interpretation, Crow occupies an... odd spot during this tournament, to say the least. Though he does get to duel the majority of the time, few of the duels actually cater to his character in any way. Moreover, he only gets to be the star of the show in a WRGP duel once, during the by far most forgettable match against Team Catastrophe. And mind that I use the term "star of the show" very loosely here, because the problem the WRGP arc as a whole has, in my opinion, is that the rather lame Team Catastrophe duel is the only one in the whole tournament that isn't won by Yusei, which categorically means that any of the other character's big moments are usually undermined by the fact that they ultimately still need him to save the day. Thus, moments like Aki summoning Stardust Dragon and Crow using an anti-synchro-killer strategy that for once actually forgoes synchros are somewhat cheapened by the fact that they're not actually the turning-point moments they're initially painted as, because ultimately, Yusei always has to be the one to save the day. What's worse is that this almost feels like a bit of a non-issue that could have easily been fixed—given that the show tells us that teams can shuffle around their line-up for a match any time. But unfortunately, the writing never interacts with this as a possible strategic element, nor does it ever seem to consider letting Yusei lose, or forcing him to give up his spot for a match. I feel the need to say that I don't put the blame at Yusei's feet here, though: This strongly feels like an oversight by the writers, and perhaps a disproportionate need to have a nigh-infallible protagonist (on the duelling side of things) that their audience would never run the risk of calling "lame". For Crow, though, this chiefly means one thing: In any duel other than the Catastrophe one, it was always clear that even if he partook, he would never finish the match. And yes, this is technically an issue Jack has, too. But this is where the character writing outside of the duels comes into play, too.

Unlike Jack, who actually gets to do something during the Diablo invasion (albeit very little), who gets his very own dragon upgrade and who gets a very personal, pre-duel plot with Dragan, the show's writing doesn't bother giving Crow a lot of plot- or character-relevant things to do, once the WRGP starts. This is also why I was so surprised at how much the Unicorn and Catastrophe duels embrace his interactions with Aki—compared to the later duels in the finals, this portion still makes Crow feel genuinely relevant and interwoven with the other characters. Meanwhile, out of the three final duels, only the Ragnarok one actually tries to establish a connection to his characterisation, through Brave. The Taiyou duel only sets itself up in such a way that Aki partaking instead of him would have been awkward. Meanwhile, the New World duel just has him being treated like a floormat in a sad parallel to Aki during the Unicorn duel, seeing as they both get a nice moment where it looks like they might turn the duel around (Aki summoning Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon onto the field at the same time; Crow summoning Aurora the Northern Lights, which couldn't be absorbed by the Meklords), only to have their hopes dashed as they're mercilessly cleared off the track. Outside of the duels, many scenes sadly give the impression that they may as well not have included Crow, though—he often gets so little to contribute to a moment or even to say at all that substituting him with a cardboard box seems like it would not have impacted the scene in any way. And that's without addressing his non-existent connection to Sherry, which feels extra glaring, given his later interactions with her on the Ark Cradle.

All in all, the WRGP feels like a very mixed bag, where Crow's character writing is concerned. His belated backstory, which I talked about in part two, is front-loaded and asks as many questions as it answers. Then the tournament commences, gives him some actually decent character interplay with Aki for once (at the cost of letting her succeed in the tournament, it seems), only for him to be basically irrelevant during the WRGP pause again. And once the whole thing resumes, it becomes this hot-and-cold thing where some duel aspects seem tailored to him, while others treat him as completely expendable. The end result is an arc where I'm left wondering why exactly the writers felt the need to make it seem like Crow made up one portion of a protagonist trifecta, if they never actually bothered treating him as equal to the other two. (The answer, I believe, lies somewhere between the fumbled setup they did for him during the Fortune Cup and DS arc, and the way yugioh in general treats its character archetypes. But that's just speculation on my part.) The one, saving grace the WRGP (outside of the Pearson backstory) has for Crow is that it at least doesn't introduce any new character- and/or timeline inconsistencies. In fact, his character stays remarkably true to form once the tournament begins.

Okay, onto the final bit, then. As I've done in both previous posts, let me delve into completely subjective territory and offer some ideas on how this arc could have been handled to make it seem a little less all over the place with Crow. And since his writing here canonically intersects with Aki's several times, let me try to do it while offering the best of both worlds to both characters, if I can.

As far as Crow's backstory is concerned, I've already offered my solutions to that in part two. Now, to stay consistent with my own suggestions, I'll try to branch off what I wrote in the last post. This means that, as per my previous two analyses, we're dealing with two scenarios again: One, Crow stays a signer and we try to touch canon as little as possible. Two, Crow isn't a signer and we adjust canon in whatever way we need to to make him feel interesting and necessary despite/because of that.

First, though, let's get two adjustments I personally would have made in both versions out of the way:

The way the WRGP is structured puts every character that isn't Yusei at a massive disadvantage, where character moments in duels are concerned. Thus, I propose an overhaul. Among the changes I think could have benefitted the characters (yes, all of them) are: One - Aki actually getting to accomplish something during the Unicorn duel (she can and should still have her moments with Crow, but maybe let her portion of the duel end in her thanking him for coaching her, creating a more upbeat scene that strengthens their friendship, which could double as good setup for their later double-duel against Sherry). Two - letting the Team Catastrophe duel actually play out properly (as in, they become more meaningful as opponents by having a better strategy, for example, and Crow could stick it out longer against them, in order to make this more so his win than Jack's. Also, why not let Aki actually see him get back at Team Catastrophe for her?). Three - giving Crow an actual character moment during the Taiyou duel (what if one of the country boys had played a card or two of the ones he learned to read from? It could have helped drive the parallel between the two teams home.) Four - letting Crow's anti-Meklord strategy get at least a little payoff, if only for two turns (show us at least proof of concept, damn it!). Yes, the Ragnarok duel is the only one I wouldn't rewrite (unless special circumstances are introduced, see below). Additionally, let Team 5Ds alter their line-up more than once, damn it. Let them actually strategise about the duels, let them take into consideration who should go first when and whose deck might be better suited to which scenario. Also, remove Yusei from at least one duel. Doesn't matter how, just let him not partake once. Perfect setup to let Aki duel again, and would also allow for spicy character interactions. (Arguably the best duels where this could have been done would have been any of the final duels, though it would have also required rewriting the antagonists somewhat in any case.)

For the love of god, give Sherry and Crow some setup. Let them actually interact, let them introduce their philosophies to one another, just do something, anything to make Crow understanding and talking sense into her during the finale seem earned. A few chance meetings, or maybe even a tiny side-plot could have done so much here. And if you can't let them interact outright, at least let Aki and Crow talk about Sherry! Double whammy! The two characters who end up duelling against her are made to seem even more like a team, and Crow actually gets to find out what Sherry's deal is on-screen. Just. Set. it. up. I beg you.

There we go. Now, onto the two branches.

Option A: Crow stays a signer and obtained Black-Winged Dragon.

Seeing as Crow's signer status, funnily enough, isn't all that relevant during the tournament itself (save for two notable exceptions), there aren't that many fixes to be made here. Crow can still get injured, miss out on the Unicorn duel and be the star of the Catastrophe duel. But giving him something to do during the duel robot invasion that isn't standing around and hoping Yusei will fix everything would also be nice. It's fine if he can't drive out there and duel, but why not let him do something else? He's a crafty guy, why not let him find, say, a way to fry the Diablos' runners, taking a few of them out even from a semi-stationary position without duelling them? He could at least get as much of a consolation prize scene as Aki got with her saving that child. Then there's Team Taiyou, which, save for what I proposed above, is a duel that doesn't feel like it needs changes. Crow does his thing here. That's it. The same goes for Team Ragnarok, especially given that they're specifically written to oppose an all-signers Team 5Ds. Finally, there's Team New World, which, if I'm being completely candid, I would personally overhaul to change the cyborgs' strategy entirely in order to actually let all three members of Team 5Ds shine. But this is the version where I touch canon as little as possible, so... Aside from what I wrote above, no changes needed. Just make Crow seem a little more relevant, make his strategy have at least a little payoff, even if Granel's back out and menacing literally two turns later.

Option B: Crow, as per my previous posts, isn't a signer and doesn't have Black-Winged Dragon.

This is the version that would categorically require heavier changes, though they honestly don't arrive until the break in the tournament. Unicorn and Catastrophe stay the same, I would still propose that Crow gets to be a little more useful during the Diablo invasion. But! In this version, seeing as he never acquired BWD, the break in the WRGP would be an excellent spot to let Crow acquire an upgrade for his beefy Blackwing ace monster of choice. Give him a little side-plot, too, something to do, something where he proves himself. Maybe let him run into Iliaster here, or maybe call back to Pearson again and introduce the new Blackwing upgrade as a treasure Pearson stashed away before he died (maybe this could have even been the card Bolger was actually after; the world is our oyster here). Then he's beefed up, too, and actually feels a little more on the same level as Jack and Yusei. The tournament recommences and again, the Taiyou duel could stay mostly the same, I think. Ragnarok and New World are where it gets really interesting, though. The way I see it, Ragnarok could go two ways with Crow not being a signer: Either he partakes as he did in canon and his non-signer status is called out as a peculiarity by our Swedish boys who happen to be obsessed with fate (which would make his performance against Brave seem all the more impressive), or, due to this being a duel all about destiny and celestial pissing contests, Crow's spot is given to Aki again for this duel due to her signer status (this would, obviously, require rewriting Brave, perhaps even switching him out for a Ragnarok lady instead). As for Team New World, this duel would honestly be a lot more juicy with a non-signer Crow, because much like he was for the dark signers, a non-signer Crow would essentially be an unknown in their plan for the cyborgs. He would be the guy who's Not Supposed To Be Here. Granted, he would still be beaten, but he could still get an excellent moment where his out-of-left-field anti-Meklord strategy genuinely seems to turn the tables for a bit, angering José and providing even stronger setup for Yusei to win later.

Aaaaand that's that. Somehow, I get the feeling the WRGP had the least things that needed fixing because it also had the least actual character writing. But that might just be me. It's late and I have been writing for A While. But hey, I got out part three faster than part two! I consider that an achievement.

Now, while I get my talking points in order for part four, I hope you'll have fun chewing on this one. See you in the grand finale to my Bird Boy dissertation.

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haru-dipthong · 1 year ago

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I'm learning more about "localisation discourse" in the anime fan community and my god it is so stupid. The arguments are so incestuous, like people in these discussions (both sides!) haven't ever considered what translation or localisation is outside of the context of anime and manga. Like lots of anime fans say they "hate localisation and want accurate translation" - and then the translators are like "localisation is accurate translation". Both sides are just talking past each other.

I believe that the translators are doing nothing wrong - if a translation reads naturally and conveys essentially the same meaning as the original, that’s a good and accurate translation. The “anti-localisation” crowd are abusive and awful. But both sides of the discourse are terrible at communicating.

First of all, the word “localisation”, as it is understood outside the weeb community, means “adapting a work or product for use by a different population than the original (usually a population of a different geographical region)”. As a programmer, I deal with localised text in our product - for example we have different localisations for Australian english text (en-AU) vs British english text (en-GB) vs US english text (en-US). Yet, many anime/manga/etc translators call themselves localisers - what variety of english are they supposedly localising the content into? Probably US english, but it’s certainly not specifically americanised a lot of the time (e.g. Kimetsu no Yaiba isn’t being americanised in any translations I’m aware of), and the days of jelly donuts are far, far behind us. Erasing japanese cultural references is no longer "more marketable", and hasn't been for a long time. Most anime translations (including the ones that the “anti-localisation” crowd complain about) are simply translations into an international variety of english, and decidedly NOT localisations.

So if the “anti-localisation” crowd aren’t complaining about localisation, what are they complaining about? They often say they want “accurate translations”, but this isn’t true either. An “accurate translation” is a translation that simply conveys all the information from the original. おはよ！→ “Sup bro” can be an accurate translation, but I’m sure the anti-localisers wouldn’t agree (おはよ and sup bro are both just phatic greetings, we don’t need to specify morning unless it’s not obvious from the visuals that it’s morning). What they actually want is a translation that “sounds right”. This may seem impossible to deliver since it is so unspecific, but I think it’s actually quite simple - in short, overly-weeby translations have become their own variety of english, which I’ll call en-WB. Often fan translations are in this specific dialect because the fan translators haven’t studied actual translation and simply know what “sounds right” in en-WB.

For example, these anti-localisers often say they are annoyed that honorifics are removed. To a regular old translator with no knowledge of the anime discourse, this is very silly because -chan and -kun are not present in any common variety of english, so why would they appear in the translation? To divorce this discussion from anime briefly, a very good translator who is translating a full length Japanese novel would adapt the relationship/hierarchy dynamic via speech patterns and phrasing, rather than using the honorifics directly. But the anti-localisers don’t want a brilliant translation into international english, they want a passable translation into en-WB.

Both sides of the discourse are misunderstanding each other, using dumb arguments that completely miss the point. Anti-localisers are saying shit like ”fan translations are better!!” which really means “fan translations sound like how I expect the translation to sound, and pro translations do not sound like that” which means “fan translations are translating into the english dialect I expect and pro translations do not”.

Meanwhile pro translators are saying “pro translators are fans too!! And how could an amateur be better? We studied to do this professionally!”. But this is flawed logic - the lack of formal training in translation is ironically what enables fan translators to translate into en-WB correctly. Pro translators of course could translate into en-WB if they wanted to/were told to, but they don’t - they want to make the translation as accessible as possible to all viewers, meaning that making the language natural and internationalised is the correct course of action.

To me as a half-japanese person who has grown up with smatterings of anime from an early age, anime is just cartoons to me. It's just another tv show, there's nothing special about it. So when I talked about translation as I have in previous posts, I was basically unaware of this stupid discourse and was simply discussing translation as it exists outside of the anime/manga industry - rewriting a work as if it were originally written in the target language. In principle I don't believe anime should be treated any different to other tv shows when being translated, and I personally hate en-WB, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me. But that's what a bunch of anime fans want, and that's fine. They can have their (in my eyes) terrible translations, and I can have my (in their eyes) terrible translations.

If we were talking about translating literature or live action tv or news articles instead of anime we wouldn't be getting any of this discussion. I think it's almost entirely the fault of anime's history with fan translations and heavy handed cultural erasure by 4kids etc that's led to the current state of things. And unfortunately those things still influence how people think about anime translations now. I just want to approach anime translations like I would any other translation - but the existence of this discourse adds an annoying layer over it all.

#localisation #localization #anime #anime and manga #japanese language #translation #japanese #langblr #jimmy blogthong #official blog post

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beanghostprincess · 9 months ago

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Sabosan Modern AU in which Luffy hosts a party in his house because Ace and Sabo are both out for the night and he thinks it's a great opportunity to turn it into fun (because he hates having the place to himself. It's boring and lonely). It's just the usual six people (East Blue crew + Vivi) but they always have so much fun anyway. So the thing is- They're drunk. Wasted. And they don't even get in trouble anyway, they're just playing silly games in the safety of their home and there's nothing wrong with that, surprisingly. It's impressive how they manage to get in more trouble when they're sober. However, Sanji is going through a rough time. He's been quiet all night and everyone knows something's wrong with him because he has been in a mood for the past week, but he's Sanji, so, he won't talk. Something something, Zoro and Sanji fight like usual but this time Sanji is drunk and honest and everything hurts, so he ends up genuinely feeling like shit and going upstairs to ignore everyone because he can't handle all of that right now. Nobody follows him because again, they're all drunk and they don't even know what to do with that and it'd be surprising if they even noticed the fight because, again, drunk and playing games. And since Sanji has always been and always will be in a romantic teenage coming-of-age movie ever since WCI happened, Sabo just casually, randomly, comes back home because of inexplicable reasons (the reason being he fought with Koala in their college dorm for setting on fire one of their books while saying the educational system is a scam and she kicked him out for the night). So the guy sees all this party they have and just goes "I'm too tired for this. Just don't break anything and God, please, don't go into Ace's room" / Usopp: Wait, why? / Sabo: You don't wanna know.

So Sabo goes upstairs to his room, hoping to get some sleep or work done (work being planning his next riot, not studying. Imagine Sabo studying, pffft) but instead, he finds a blond sitting on his bedroom floor on the verge of a panic attack, drunk, crying and begging Sabo not to kick him out because he doesn't want to go back home. Sabo has no idea why the hell he's saying that because he doesn't want to kick them out, especially Sanji, now that he's saying all of these incoherent things about being afraid to go back home. Sabo recognizes what's going on because he has gone through this himself and they also have to deal with Ace's panic attacks a lot. So he helps Sanji calm down and ends up reassuring him that no, he's not going back home tonight. He can stay all he wants. And Sanji keeps crying and whispering things and names Sabo only knows because of magazines and the news ("Vinsmoke Ichiji, next in line to preside the executive table at Germa Enterprises!" / "Commonly known as a heartbreaker, Vinsmoke Niji was recently seen on a date with one of Charlotte Linlin's daughters!" / "Accused of problematic commentaries, Vinsmoke Yonji addresses the discourse by saying, and I quote 'Who the fuck cares?'"). So, alright, Sabo is not fond of the Vinsmoke family and at first he wasn't fond of Sanji either for the same reason, but he's different from them and he has known ever since two years ago the guy came over with lots, and lots of food only because Luffy wasn't eating properly. But Sabo now knows the rich family isn't just full of shit socially but also inside, and seeing Sanji so anxious and weak about it makes his blood boil. Now is not the time to get angry, though, so he just stays by his side and waits for him to calm down, offering him a shoulder to cry on. The guy is drunk and having the breakdown of his life and the only thing Sabo can do right now is be there for him, even if he wishes he could just go over to their ridiculously huge house and burn it down. The things Sanji talks about aren't pretty. They make him want to throw up.

Sanji ends up falling asleep and Sabo takes him to his bed so he doesn't sleep, well, on the floor. Sabo goes downstairs instead. Besides, he has to clean up the mess the others made anyway.

So Sanji wakes up in a random bed, recognizing the room, and wanting to die from the hangover he's having right now. But he remembers everything, sadly, and he wants to die from embarrassment because he just vented to his friend's brother like it's nothing. They get along, but not that much to do shit like this. He wants to try and sneak out of their house before anybody notices, but of course, Sabo does. It seems the guy has a power for these things. But Sabo is extremely nice, actually, and it isn't that awkward in the end. They're alone because the others got up earlier to go home and Luffy went with them too to spend the rest of the day with Zoro (wow, who could've guessed). Sanji doesn't want to go home but he needs to get the fuck out of here because he feels like he's intruding, especially since Sabo has made breakfast (normal, regular breakfast. Nothing too special but it's way more than what he expected from these siblings). He has to finish eating and then he'll go home! But then Sabo offers him a shower and- Okay. He'll go home after having breakfast and showering! But then Sabo tells him to, please, stay, and be my guest, it's a bit boring here on my own and I want an excuse not to study. And how can Sanji say no to the guy who has helped him so much? So he stays. And one thing leads to another and it's already nighttime because they actually have a lot of things in common and they have fun together- But Sanji needs to go home. Now. Because if the news finds out about him being away for this long it's gonna be a problem and his brothers will be twice as annoying.

Sabo finally lets him go but- But there's something in his eyes when he does. He's worried sick. He's so concerned for him that it's aching inside of Sanji's heart too. Sanji wants to stay the same way Sabo wants him to not go. Almost begs him to. But he can't. But Sanji knows, then, that if he ever needs somebody to talk to, Sabo isn't that far from home anyway.

#then his brothers beat sanji up one day and he can only ask sabo to come pick him up #i want this thing to end with sabo beating the shit out of the vinsmokes thank you #this is all so cliché but tell me sanji isn't cliché look me in the eyes and tell me sanji wouldn't be in a dramatic teenage movie #one piece #black leg sanji #revolutionary sabo #sabosan

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 1 year ago

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tuesday again 10/10/2023

by dry volume, this post is 80% talking about gallery walls. tl;dr : do not buy or hang up things you do not like in a vague attempt to make your house look more grownup ONLY put up things you love, mat your art to give it visual room to breathe.

listening

had a playlist of the james bond theme songs on while i was deep cleaning my kitchen and the line "YOU GOT TO GIVE THE OTHER FELLA HELL!!! " from SPECIFICALLY the guns 'n roses cover of live and let die (even though the playlist had the correct mccartney version) has been THOROUGHLY stuck in my brain for forty eight hours.

youtube

reading

academic transphobia to follow:

an anti-reading section, for once. Retraction Watch (site that tracks academic paper retractions and major academic beef like when someone is stripped of tenure for fraud, formerly my beloved) published an op-ed by an anthropologist TERF who is Big Mad she got called out by her professional association for trying to submit a conference talk that amounted to hate speech against her trans colleagues in the name of the stupid fucking largely disproven sexing skeletons thing. the comments have devolved into the professor sock puppeting anyone who goes "hey RW why did you platform this?"

would be very interested to hear from RW about how a retracted conference talk has the same impact on the scientific community as a retracted paper, but we'll fucking see. i think RW provides an important service to the scientific community (they are the most indepth and thorough tracker of retractions, more so than the actual publishers) but this is a fucking weird move

watching

rewatched Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988, dir. Zemeckis) for fic research. GOD this movie is fucking good. it performs a minor animation miracle every thirty seconds.

playing

nothing to report

making

by popular demand (four people), some thoughts about gallery walls. some discourse on the method, if you will. i went with a gallery wall bc i like the look and i had an extremely large blank wall to fill bc this apartment is slightly too big for me. the string lights remind me very much of my dorm rooms but cool lamps have been few and far between down here.

how to get art (and why/caveats)

i honestly don't have a ton of direct collecting advice here other than "have you tried going to a lot of thrift stores". i cheat bc both my parents were architects who collected art, everyone in my family dabbles in fine art, and my sister has her bachelors in art history. so i am awash in paper, constantly. i grew up with a set of flatfiles and a closet full of spare frames. i recognize most people do not grow up like this.

with that caveat out of the way, how do i actually get my art? usually one piece at a time over a very long period of time. there's a postcard on my gallery wall i got in 2009. this is a game you will be playing for the rest of your life as you discover things you like and your tastes evolve.

it is VITAL that you love every piece on your walls. no filler ikea canvases unless you actually like them. the instant you start thinking "oh i need a landscape to look Grownup" you have to strangle that thought in the cradle. there are no rules, especially in art. put whatever the fuck you want up on your walls with no regard for the public's taste.

i feel like "i should buy and put up more art" is something that often falls into a vague Grownup Improvement Goal (like budgeting) bc it is an Grownup Improvement Goal and not bc they actually want to buy and put up more art. fortunately for everyone, you do not have to buy or put up Morally or Socially Improving art that will impress some vague category of grownups, bc we don't fucking live in victorian times.

most importantly you do not need to spend much (or in some cases any) money to put things on your walls. getting the effect you want (fancy washi tape, matching frames) may take some money, but using the printer at work and stealing some scotch tape is free.

how to get art (actual advice this time)

i feel a little silly typing this all out but i really like reading other chewsdayposters' processes, and it is really helpful for me a lot of the time to have someone say: actually there is this complete other way of doing something you have never considered bc u did not grow up with it

i ask you: do you have a stack of sentimental papers somewhere in your home? congrats you have some frameable items. a thing does not need to be Fine Art to be in a frame to go on the wall and make you happy. tape up a birthday card. put a quilt up on your wall. pushpin a label from a jar of pickled herring bc it reminds you of your grandma. frame a beloved tshirt. this is a martha stewart ass statement but things that are not traditional paper art on your walls will add variety and whimsy to your home.

other places for art that are not thrift/estate/yard sales:

i do believe that making your own art, including a $3 paint-by-numbers kit, will fix something in your brain. it's very similar to how i personally have to go stand with my feet in a body of water twice a year or THE SLUDGE smothers my brain

your favorite weird indie bands are almost certainly selling posters on bandcamp even if they're not currently on tour

i like the artists' co-op justseeds for art that deals with "social, environmental, and political engagement" like my beloved "fuck space tourism" poster

start a "good lines" or equivalent "art i like" tag on here and buy prints when u have the money. even if artists here don't have a shop open or don't have the specific piece u want as a print, ask if u can throw them an appropriate amount of money on venmo or something and get it printed locally or online. ive had good luck with vistaprint and they have rolling sales

do you like a piece of art in the public domain, like something from a museum? print it out. put it in a frame. no it's not as nice as a professional print but it's free if you do it at work and now it's on your wall

fuck around on wikimedia commons and the internet archive. i particularly love pulp magazine covers and little illustrative insets for out of date astronomy books

non- and semi-consumable supplies

if u put $25 into supplies u can use for many many other projects (i assume you probably have some of the following list), you can make any frame nice and save approximately a gajillion dollars.

good utility knife and extra blades

hammer

tape measure

level (comes with most command hook packs, you can also use your phone)

stepstool, sturdy chair, or patient tall person

assorted nails (you can buy a little tackle box with assorted nails from most big box stores)

little squeezy tube of DryDex spackle ($5) and putty knife or honestly old credit card to fill in nail holes when you move out

OR command strips and hooks

matboard that is white on one side and black on the other (~$8 at big box craft stores). you can use this to cut your own mats and/or replace a kind of weird back on an otherwise good frame

most printer paper these days is acid free. steal some from your workplace.

assorted small brushes

little thing of acrylic paint in whatever color you want your frames to be (~$1.50 ea). you can also spray paint your frames for a different finish but i don't have the space or patience in this apartment

sandpaper or sacrificial emery board

i would further recommend a little set of letter size desktop drawers/mini flatfiles like this to keep all the small stuff you want to frame in one place. i have sentimental art i don't want to frame in one drawer and things i do want to frame in the other. this has been very good for my brain bc it's all safely and flatly contained out of sight, and it's easy to flick through a stack of things i already love when i need one more small thing or one warmer thing to fill a gap

frames

the good news for us is that frames and art are a fucking bitch to move and people frequently give them away. your local discount and thrift stores are going to be fucking awash in small frames 8.5"x11" and under for under $3 each. when you are thrifting or estate saling or yard saling or generally gallivanting about on a weekend, pay little attention to any art actually in a frame. is the frame in okay shape? can you repaint it without too much trouble? will it clean up all right? does it have the glass? can you insert the glass from a different frame into the one you actually want without any thrift store employees noticing?

for weird sizes above 8.5x11 and outside poster size that cannot be easily found at thrift stores, the big box craft stores here in america have roughly quarterly frame sales and frequent coupons. do NOT get your shit professionally framed at michaels bc they upcharge by about 3x compared to other local framers (both on the east coast and here in tx).

i went through two periods of seriously buying frames (last year of high school and the year i moved into the original lair, when/where i thought i was going to stay for a few years) and ive swapped in out and between those dozen or so total. once you have built up a little stock of frames that fit the general sizes of art you tend to collect, ur pretty good for a while. the only new "frame" i bought for my gallery wall was a little floating shelf.

mats

the absolute biggest fucking thing u can do to make your art look nicer is mat that bitch, which gives it room to breathe. if your art does not have a built in border or a lot of white space (see 9, 12, and 13 in the gallery wall below, as well as 8 which has a ton of negative space with the car door), you need a frame bigger than your art. you can google the suggested proportions yourself or decide with your heart.

i am a big fan of a very slapdash floating mat, which means cutting a piece of printer paper to size or flipping around the paper that tells you what size the frame is and slapping your art right on top of that, sometimes with a lick of gluestick to keep it in place. generally a floating mat means a sort of 3D matting technique but we don't have time for that. do not do this printer paper technique long-term with a particularly beloved or expensive piece of art.

u can also buy pre-cut mats at Michaels or Joann’s for not too too many dollars, or cut your own with the acid-free matboard ($10 for a poster board sized piece) and a new utility knife blade and a steady hand. or, if you're lucky, it comes with the frame.

gallery wall specific advice

there aren't any rules. actual galleries and museums tend to put the center of a piece or group of pieces at 57" from the floor. you may want to fuck around with that depending on your own height, the space you have, and the pieces you own.

a gallery wall does not need to be 24 pieces like this one. it can be any number.

this is the first one i have done mostly by myself and it is the most color-restricted one i have ever put up. it is also the one with the most successful repeating motif (circles). usually i grab the art i want most to go together and send pics to my art historian sister who will then arrange it for me and say shit like “do you have another small blue thing for the top left” or “do you have two pieces that are warmer and larger” or "different frame for the middle left"

look at a lot of other gallery walls. personally i like the ones that have non-framed and non-square things in them. ideally mine would have photographs and taxidermy in it for maximum weirdness. but u cannot go wrong with a grid, or all horizontal pieces, or all vertical pieces. for a full wall puzzle piece like this, u do not generally want an american southwest four corners meeting situation. stagger it. lay everything out on the floor and move it around eighteen times (this is the worst part). the gallery wall as a whole does not have to be perfectly aligned to the ceiling or the back of your couch or what have you. it can be sort of an organic blob shape along the top and bottom edges.

my wall

this soothing blue and green wall with wood tone pops has pieces from almost half my life. it skews later in college/recent acquisitions, as i sharpened my taste for limited-number prints and had a car to go to thrift stores with, but that’s just how this specific wall came together

the list below should tell you what each piece is, how much i paid for it (and the cost of the frame if applicable), and when i got it. this wall has most of the Nice Art in my collection that is signed/numbered/in some way slightly fancier bc it is the wall i stare at when on my couch.

embroidered Scorpio constellation hoop, birthday gift from my sister (free, came with hoop, i used some makerspace felt and batting to properly back and finish it much later so free with my tuition), nov 2016

numbered and signed print of an italianate cityscape, $5 and came with the frame and mat from an estate sale, i put a new back on it with scrap matboard so the back of the print wasn't just naked, fall 2021

signed print of a new england landscape, came with the frame and the mat but is stained right over the signature :( $2.50 from salvation army, one of the last things i bought in spring 2023 before i moved

signed original multimedia on board collage by my sister from her like second ever gallery show, $69 in winter 2022 for the art, the frame was from a free pile i gave a new acid free back with scrap matboard. that was such a good free pile i got a huge pile of frames from that

magazine page (idk which one either) i saved in high school (i graduated in 2013) or very early college, frame was from a free pile by the side of the road in summer 2021 and repainted with some white acrylic paint. it is float matted with printer paper. maybe a dollar for the paint? i definitely did not buy the magazine

this is an out of print poster by one of my favorite living artists (Josh McPhee) so i emailed him and asked if i could get it printed myself if i threw him $25 and he said yes. i think it cost $22 to get it printed professionally, the frame is basics by studio decor ($20 for a 2-pack) (i spent so much money and time on this one bc i wanted a very specific look for a very specific space in my kitchen in the old apartment), feb 22

signed numbered woodcut by Roger Peet ($20 in august 2020), another studiobasics frame that was i think $8 in summer 2022. float matted with acid free matboard and not printer paper.

gigantic fuckoff unsigned unlabeled poster i bought bc she reminds me of the Barnes & Noble murals, $10 at goodwill (came with the frame, half off) sep 2023

star chart from the US Naval Observatory that was on a free shelf at Amherst College when i was taking a class there in fall 2018, another studiobasics frame (idk when i bought this one) so under $10. float mount on acid free printer paper.

plaster frog mirror from an estate sale in spring 2021, i do not remember how much i paid for it but it was not more than $5

oh goddamnit this is a new block so of course it restarted the numbering. fatal off by a power of ten error, very typical for astronomy. poster from a show i went to in college spring 2015, do not remember when i bought this sub-$10 studiobasics frame either, float mount on acid free printer paper.

signed poster from my roommate-at-the-time’s cousin’s band in fall 2014 (i can’t actually find the receipt but i did find an email from her cousin letting me know he shipped me and my roommate’s orders together lol) let’s say $20, another sub-$10 studiobasics frame of mysterious provenance.

moon map out of an old science book in high school, let’s be generous and say $10 for both the book and the frame (another studiobasics)

numbered but unsigned new year’s print from a local-ish print shop in massachusetts, $12 at savers with the frame, fall 2022

cover of a very fragile vintage paperback copy of raymond c/handler’s The Long G/oodbye i acquired in high school (could not have been more than a dollar or two), with a frame and mat that came in an ikea multipack my dad bought me in high school bc i had a set of l/ackadaisy miniposters i wanted to hang, looks like the closest modern equivalent is the EDSBRUCK, a single will run you about $12 today

postcard inherited from my grandpa’s collection of loose paraphernalia in 2010 (free but at what cost etc), frame is a studiobasics that come in a pack of 6 for $20 (less if you have a coupon) so let’s round down a smidge and say $3. don’t remember when i bought this frame either, it is matted with real matboard bc the postcard and the back of the frame are so thin

“my heart is a fish” cross stitch (a reference to the imperial radch trilogy of books) i made this and did not date it but i know i blogged about it on here at some point between 2014-2018, i remember having to buy five colors of thread but owned the hoop already, again back and finished it properly much later with maskerspace batting and felt, let’s say $5 not counting my time

postcard from @believerindaydreams last winter in another studiobasics frame and float mounted with acid free matboard.

tiny moon mirror from salvation army in early spring 2015, under $5

CD mirror from Vapor95 ($125? preorder in fall 2021), came with velcro command strips which was very nice of them

a $300 original multimedia collage (the first one my sister ever made, when she was in middle school) i bought in spring 2021 from her first show, sitting on a $5 acrylic shelf from five below i bought last month

22-24 are national geographic maps, 50c each at an estate sale last month, had to buy $7 worth of binder clips and pushpins to put them up bc i don’t fucking know what box they’re in and didn’t have time to rip the whole closet of boxes im ignoring apart

a slightly longer tl;dr: do not buy or hang up things you do not like in a vague attempt to make your house look more grownup ONLY put up things you love, thrift and repaint your frames if possible but you can get very cheap studiobasics ones if you want them all to match, acid-free mat your art for preservation and to give it room to breathe, keep a little drawer or box of stuff you love and might want to frame

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem #a month and a day out from my birthday which feels momentous

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robotlesbianjavert · 10 months ago

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10 fav things about spinner + 10 fav things about shigaraki

this is like asking me to describe my favourite things about the gentle warmth of the sun on my skin on a cloudless day at a beautiful lake that is good and fun to swim in. how can i put words to how perfect something like that is.

TOP TEN THINGS ABOUT SPINNER.

gay little hench fella. most important character trait always.

the bravado and bluster he gets introduced with being a cover for his deep-seated insecurities and internal struggles...

...his claims of high-minded idealism and lofty goals when his true wants are so simple (HOMOSEXUAL LOVE) (and to matter in some way i guess.) (mostly love. though.)

i know he is an annoying backseat gamer. i have said this before but it's so charming to me.

how surprisingly well his character development elevates the Themes & Motifs around how important human connections are for the ostracized. and he doesn't have to be annoying about it.

the charming little touches of characterization. him shrieking GRAND THEFT AUTO as a battle cry in 160, when he has to move his headband tail out of his eyes when trying to deliver a speech to toga. they make him feel so that much more real.

he's so poetic. he should be a writer. that warped, crumbling horizon...i'd never seen anything prettier GOD i know he was writing angsty poetry.

as someone who usually prefers secondary/side character to the mains, he is like. such a great example of a side character done right. he's like commentary on the nature of being a side character (monoma is another example of this in the manga), of the interplay between dehumanization/discrimination (Shoji Arc DNI) and crime, of connection with others and how they inspire us pushing us, etc etc etc. lots of the fun themes.

he is so sincere. so crazy sincere, once you have his love, he is so sincere. and so determined. he has the soul of the troubled outsider type of shonen hero who has to become stronger through the strength of his bonds. but also the energy of that shonen hero's love interest. all trapped in the body of a secondary character. he is so amazing.

when his face is drawn so small and cute and squishy like you can eat it :3

TOP TEN THINGS ABOUT SHIGARAKI

the reason i read bnha in the first place was because i stumbled upon the leaks of chapter 222 with the tortured flashes of shigaraki's past when i was discourse diving for fun. and then looking at that chapter in full, the way that shigaraki delivered what he remembered of his backstory, the Insane Tragedy of it all. well how could i not love him.

when he wants to murder highschool students. who wouldn't!

i love his physicality, the way his body language is portrayed - like he's generally pretty loose and slumped (especially early on), but he's also very purposeful? it's something that i think horikoshi generally excels with in art, but shigaraki just takes the cake.

for that matter his whole character design is perfection. early on with all the hands was such a unique and creepy look that tied in beautifully to his backstory and also Themes & Motifs. and even when he loses most of the hands, his face is so <3 with all the eyebags and scratches and wrinkles. he's also the character whose appearance has changed the most, in a way that goes hand in hand with his character development.

when he gets pissed off when he first starts trying to recruit people so he goes to the mall. to angst publicly. he wore a hoodie <3

he's a character that's really easy to reduce down to his victimhood and trauma - and lots of people sure do that! - and his victimhood and trauma are essential parts of his character, but even with the dumbass possession arc shigaraki never loses sight of who he is and what he wants, even beyond AFO's influence. it's also really easy to make him Just a villain, a straightforward villain who cares for nothing and no one. but he does care about things, he cares about the league! he does it all.

much like spinner and in fact more than spinner, he has The Most shonen hero energy despite being thee villain. and he's so cool about it. he even gets a love interest.

petty misanthropic bitch but as soon as you know you're place he's chill. this is how shigaraki/resdestro is real.

chapter 379. everything about it but also how he called nagant a flip-flopping screw up. i'm ignoring how he said the same about my friend gentle criminal.

his smile :)

i feel like both these lists do not do enough to really encapsulate why i love them. but one must try.

#bnha bloggin

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eternalstronghold · 3 months ago

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Black Myth: Wukong Review

Black Myth: Wukong is a visually stunning game, with great bosses, and fantastic fighting elements. The rich Chinese culture it intertwines with only adds to its beauty. The game is sort of a follow up of the novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en, and even has references to characters and events that take place in the book. It's a great game full of rich culture, but may lead some to confusion if they're not familiar with the novel. Some reviewers have even done some research to understand who Sun Wukong is and why certain events are as important as they are.

The opening scene is beautiful. Taking you directly in front of the Giant Spirit God, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the massive Heavenly Army. After a disagreement and fight between Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen, you are now a different monkey. The Destined One. Meaning you must find the six relics from Wukong and hopefully revive Sun Wukong. Though there isn't much of a play-by-play story, the animations that play within the six chapters are absolutely amazing and done in different styles of animation. They also do a great job of explaining the background of that chapter's villain.

Wukong isn't a soulslike game. It may seem like it at first, but the game plays more like traditional action games. The game is a lot more forgiving, but isn't too easy where its as if you can just button mash and win. The game lets you swap armor, weapons and even lets you have access to a handful of spells. The game can quickly become strategy based, as you also have a mana meter, focus meter, stamina bar, and obviously health. Attacks and moves take stamina, spells will take your mana, meaning you need to do combos in order to be the most effective during combat, especially during boss fights. There's also cooldowns for certain spells, so you also need to strategize on whether or not you absolutely need to use transformation, which allows you to become the powerful creatures you've defeated. There's plenty more mechanics that you must use for yourself to truly grasp how much you could possibly plan for a battle against a boss, including resource management.

The levels also have enemies within it, so you aren't just battling boss after boss. Though I wish invisible walls weren't the fix to a lot of exploration, it definitely still feels like a massive world. It has a very wide-linear design, one obvious path you must take to advance the story, however there is some exploration available, usually for extra loot or enemies that can give you a special Spirit Skill, Curio items, or chests to upgrade your health, stamina or mana.

Though there is plenty good, there are also plenty of odd, and bad things. Personally, I have not had any performance issues, however there have been reports of people falling through the ground, experiencing performance issues, and crashes. Even when they're running RTX 4090s, these things should not be issues, but alas they are reported in other reviews of the game, so we must dock some points.

The developer, Game Science has had some very questionable things come out of it. The first being a report from IGN, rightfully questioning the developer's history of sexism and other comments made by employees. The second being a very strange google document for content creators, highlighting the do's and don'ts. The list containing

"Do NOT include politics, violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse.

Do NOT use trigger words such as 'quarantine' or 'isolation' or 'COVID-19'

Do NOT discuss content related to China's game industry policies, opinions, news, etc."

Personally, these issues also make it hard for me to be able to give this otherwise beautiful game an amazing score. Censoring topics deemed as "feminist propaganda" and a past of hurtful comments from employees that work at the company, I have to bring the score down.

Our final score for Black Myth: Wukong is a 6/10. An otherwise beautiful story, linked with Chinese culture, backed by a developer full of a rough history in just its decade of existence.

#gaming #black myth wukong #wukong #journey to the west #review #eternalstronghold #gaming review #gayming #popular #top #game #game science #video game #video game review

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gayleviticus · 6 months ago

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there's a song we sing at church sometimes called 'come all ye unfaithful' and i kind of hate it, not cus of anything in the song itself, which is fine (though not musically my taste) but it just kinda feels ironic against this christian culture of like. 'we're all broken and nobody's perfect and we should be open about that, but also the ways in which you express that imperfection is very restricted.'

like. idk. it feels like just another way of co-opting the discourse a lot. it's OK to not be OK, but only in very specific and prescribed contexts, and we have to make sure you extract some kind of theologised Gospel message from it in the end.

people can't just be struggling, it has to be like, 'oh this struggling is an opportunity for you to realise that you don't have to be perfect for God's grace is sufficient.' it's not that i don't think theology and faith can speak to these times, but it feels like an approach that is always trying to load more onto people. it rejects the easy answers of ignoring people's brokenness only to immediately invent new easy answers like 'we're all sinners' 'God's grace is enough'. idk. hard to put into words.

the psalms in general feel like they have an honesty this church culture often doesnt, but i particularly like psalm 89, because it starts as any other psalm praising God for his goodness, power, his covenant with David. "His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun. It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies."

and then suddenly - it shifts: "But now you have spurned and rejected him; you are full of wrath against your anointed." It's almost like the psalmist's set a trap for God - buttering him up with all the usual praise and flattery and then turning the tables. If you made this promise, LORD, why have you betrayed us? Why have you abandoned us?

But at the same time, this very thing shows a depth of faith. If the psalmist had truly lost their faith in God, why appeal to his promises? Why appeal to the sense of goodness, or justice, or integrity of someone you think is fundamentally wicked - or non-existent? It's the psalmist's faith in God's love that pushes them to call God out for this seeming betrayal.

Other psalms (and the Prophets) often blame this betrayal on the sinfulness of Israel, and there's certainly a place for that. But Psalm 89 doesn't - and I think it's important not to read it through that lens. The Psalms give us language for our relationship with God, and it models for us how to feel broken and angry with God.

The psalmist here is still reverent - being angry with someone you love does not justify abuse - but they don't hold back in their criticism. "You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust."

Anyway. Idk. that's a bit of a digression, but i think in some ways it would be less frustrating if churches dropped the whole pretence of 'yes, we love being open and honest about our brokenness' if really there are still very specific socially-acceptable ways of expressing that brokenness. (and tbf, part of this may be itself an expectation that people should be open about it with everyone - I think there are ways to process and express struggles openly in a community of trust, but said community of trust will not always be your church or pastor or small group ig)

#christianity #religion #christian #bible #old testament

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the-seas-song · 6 months ago

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@transexualpirate @meidui @capsicle13 @hainethehero @cowboyhorsegirl

@frankthesnek @whinysteve

I'm sorry for the super long wait - real life has been kicking my butt - but I finally finished my bottom!Steve and Stony astrology essay! I hope it brings you as much happiness as writing it did me. 🥰

You do not have to know much about astrology to read this post. I think I explain everything. If something is confusing, please let me know!

Warning: some NSFW!!!

The Basics: I am looking at Steve and Tony's synastry chart, which describes how their natal charts interact with each other. To learn about Natal charts see here, Synastry charts see here (since these are fictional characters, I'm not really worrying about orb size).

Thanks to my chronic health issues I don't have the energy to do a full synastry reading – this analysis is mostly conjunctions, and is focused on their romance/sexuality placements.

At least, it was, until I fell down several different rabbit holes. So... I hope this post makes sense and isn't one big incoherent ramble.

This is MCU based: Steve was born on July 4, 1918 in Brooklyn; while Tony was born on May 29, 1970 in Manhattan. I came up with their birth times.

The word Conjunction means that two planets/asteroids are right next to each other. They are in the same zodiac sign and (usually) house. Being so close together merges their energy – like the astrological version of a hug.

Relevant Asteroids:

Chiron

Juno

Eros

Alma

Asteroids are like mini planets, and have a specific meaning/purpose. Mars is usually associated with sex, but that's only a small part of it - it's also about primal instincts and drive. The astroid Eros, on the other hand, is just about sexuality - the Greek god Eros is where the word (and concept) of eroticism comes from.

While Venus tells you about what you're attracted to in love, Juno tells about the traits you need in a long-term partner – this is the astrological personification of want vs need. The asteroid Chiron tells you about the major soul wound you will be dealing with throughout your life. Alma tells you about your soulmate.

Tony's Gemini Sun is conjunct Steve's Venus, Juno, AND Eros!

Tony's Cancer Venus is conjunct Steve's Sun.

Tony's Capricorn Eros is opposite Steve's Cancer Sun.

Tony's Aries Moon, Chiron, Juno, and Alma is conjunct Steve's Chiron and Alma.

Now, let's go through this!

Steve's Eros in Gemini and 10th House:

Eros in Gemini says, “If you want me, talk to me!” Here Eros thrives on the interaction of ideas, and the intellectual stimulation found in sharing observations, data and little understood facts. He likes it known how well he comprehends a subject and how much he could teach about it. Eros in Gemini wants to hear the words, or receive little cards with messages of love, much more than he wants to get a box of chocolates or even a massage!

Gemini governs the realm of the mind, the known universe, its facts and fancies. When Eros dresses in this outfit, he seeks intimacy first through intellectual rapport and that usually means talking. The mere act of communication can stimulate this position of Eros into desires for deeper intimacy and union, provided one listens to the discourse. The beloved’s inattention to detail or loss of concentration on the subject kills a genuine pursuit faster here than in any other sign.

Curiosity about how things work, why people behave in a certain way, or where some tradition began all contribute to the stimulating mental atmosphere where Eros in Gemini likes to live. He uses knowledge as a lure, his mind as bait and his wit as reward. He also uses these intellectual instruments as a bastion against the pain and suffering of the emotional world. The first of the AIR signs, Eros in Gemini has a sense of mental objectivity and a distinct need for space. Although drawn irrefutably to the depths of intimacy by the nature of Eros itself, in this sign he may at times do more talking or reading about emotional closeness than going out and experiencing it.

HIS EROS IN GEMINI: Cosmically activated by ever changing scents. He always likes to be surprised. Flip him out with a hot Latin scent one moment, then blast him with a fresh, clean soap smell the next. He wants to hear: Come here, go away! The laughing cavalier of love, Eros in Gemini can’t engage his heart without a strong mental affinity. He’s aroused by new info, gossip and jokes that he hasn’t heard yet. He gets bored with moralizing and emotive ranting. So just keep him interested with lots of chitchat. He’ll love that you change the subject before he can. Whether he’s happily soulmated or not, this guy needs to feel as though he’s with a variety of people. Feel free to show off the myriad aspects of beautiful you to him. Reassure him by remaining unpredictable and always elusive. (source)

Eros Kinks:

Gemini/3rd House: giving and recieving oral, Dirty talk, Voice kink, Breath play, Moaning, Roleplay, Teacher-Student dynamic (will be the student), Blowjobs & Handjobs for dayss, Switch, Fisting, Threesomes, Making out (the best)

Capricorn/10th House: Edging, Dry humping, Bondage (handcuffs, straps, Ropes & etc), Orgasm control, Cuckholding, Sadism, Whips, Office sex, Secretary-Boss dynamic, Size kink, Black & Red lingerie (source)

Eros in 10th

Here, the person can fall in love with people who hold positions of prestige, which in fact may in some way be related to the area of their career. Can experience strong love affairs with the executives of the company in which works. Is, in general, a person who provokes intense passions within his workplace. (source)

Steve's Venus in Gemini and 10th House:

People with a Gemini Venus are very communicative people in their relationships, they are the type of people who could talk with their crush and/or significant other for hours on the phone or through texts. They love to tease and give nick names to their partner, anything that gives some sort of communication. They are attracted to people that are very witty and intelligent, they don’t care much for looks, they want someone who can stimulate them mentally and not physically, they care more about talking and mental stimulation than the physical aspects of relationships. Venus in Gemini is very flirtatious, but may not be if there is prominent earth or water in the chart [Steve has this], but for the most part, they love to flirt by stimulating the mind of other individuals and just getting to know people and asking many questions. Gemini Venusians want someone that will make them laugh and never be boring, if you’re not funny or you’re monotone, you’ll bore the Gemini and they’ll go off and look for something better. Naturally they don’t like to be held down by relationships most of the time, but they will if the relationship never gets boring and is exciting, they need that in order to stay committed. Venus in Gemini is a whirlwind of beauty and mental stimulation, and that’s what makes them such interesting people in relationships and just in general. (source)

Venus in the 10th House: In terms of love, these individuals tend to choose partners based on logic rather than emotion, carefully considering whether they will be good partners. They are drawn to powerful and accomplished people but also value trustworthiness and accountability. With traditional values, this placement indicates that these individuals may meet their partners at work or in a professional setting and desire, not just a successful partner but also one that adds and support their own success. (source)

Steve's Juno in Gemini and 10th House:

Juno in Gemini

Juno in Gemini natives crave intellectual connection the most. It might sound cliché for a Gemini/Mercurian placement, but the truth is that no matter how attractive a person is, it won’t truly matter to a Juno in Gemini native unless the mental connection is there. I have personally met a couple people with this placement, and they have identified as sapiosexuals (or sapiophiles). They just find mental stimulation as appealing as physical attraction, and they believe that lifelong partnerships and/or relationships are based on intellectual compatibility.

Juno in the 10th House

People with this placement need someone who can understand the level and depth of dedication they have when it comes to their craft, their work, and most of all, their ambition. These natives cannot be with someone who isn’t going to help them achieve their goals, those who doubt their abilities, and those who settle for less. Juno in 10th House natives thrive with a partner who can push them to succeed when things get challenging, someone who trusts that the native can accomplish their work goals, and who can believe in the native’s leadership skills. (source)

In general, Gemini is a very youthful and intellectual sign. Steve having these planets/asteroids in his 10th house means he's drawn to older and professionally-established people. Steve not only wants, he needs to be the bratty bottom for long term success.

(Not to mention, Steve was 26 when he went into the ice – and his mind and body were still 26 when he was defrosted in March/April 2012. This means Tony is 15 years older than him.)

The Sun represents your core personality. What Steve both wants and needs is Tony. Just Tony, the man who looks into the mirror and hates what he sees:

Steve: “Your heart was in the right place.” Tony: “I wish I could say, “the story of my life,” but we both know that's not exactly true.” Steve: “I wish you wouldn't do that.” Tony: “Do what?” Steve: “Put yourself down all the time. Be so self-critical.” Tony: “I don't think anyone's ever said that about me before. They've said other things. Called me other things. Genius, billionaire, philanthropist... narcissist, egomaniac...” Steve: “Because that's the person you present to them. But I don't know that Tony Stark. I just know you as Tony.” (source)

Now, Tony's Eros placement. It is in Capricorn and opposite Steve's Cancer Sun. Oppositions are like yin and yang – completely different on the outside, but the same underneath. They are always in complementary elements (earth/water and air/fire).

Tony's Eros in Capricorn and 2nd House:

Eros in Capricorn. These natives are sensual and earthy in their sexual desires. The libido is strong, but controlled. Saturn-ruled Capricorn is a sign that likes to be in control—not necessarily in control of others, but in control of themselves. Many Eros in Capricorn people channel much of their desire nature into accomplishing something significant.

Eros in Capricorn says, “touch me, buy me things, and balance the books if you think you are qualified”. This position of Eros has powerful concepts about what is good and what is good enough. There is a need for competence and capability that the earthy sign of Taurus would never consider important. Eros in Capricorn is looking for a type of tangible perfection in the other or failing that, a certificate of completion at least.

Capricorn may sublimate its earthy and very ardent desires for sensual contact and intimacy through the ever-present demands of work. Productivity, attainment, and a feeling of self-sufficiency are vital qualities for Capricorn and they like to see them in the partner as well as themselves.

The third of the EARTH signs, Eros in Capricorn has a powerful need to connect in a physical sense and may also have equally powerful reservations, fears and objections to intimacy. Caution is the watchword. This sign is acknowledged as one of the most difficult to get to know. They do not open up easily and they may not stay open long.

The paradox is that Capricorn is extremely sensual and sexual in a very earthy, potent, Pan-like way. Its symbol is half goat after all and the implication of fertility and sexuality imbibe the image. They have all the desires of Taurus lounging side by side with their deep well of fear. (source)

Eros Kinks:

Capricorn/10th House: Edging, Dry humping, Bondage (handcuffs, straps, Ropes & etc), Orgasm control, Cuckholding, Sadism, Whips, Office sex, Secretary-Boss dynamic, Size kink, Black & Red lingerie

Taurus/2nd House: Ball gags, Toys, Gagging, Lingerie, Choking, Sensation Play, Having someone as their Fucktoy, Objectification in general, Body worship, Food fetish & Sploshing (eating food on someones body), Hickeys, Massage sex, Chokers (source)

Eros in 2nd

Here love itself can improve a person's financial situation and promote the process of personal self-evaluation. Possible love affairs that offer passion but at the same time serve the personal interests of the person and offer him security. Possessive person who sees his/her partners as his "property". (source)

Tony's Eros placement complements Steve's Eros placement perfectly. But not only is Capricorn associated with the 10th House (paralleling Steve's placement), but it also touches on Tony's fear of emotional intimacy. To repeat the article above: “The paradox is that Capricorn is extremely sensual and sexual in a very earthy, potent, Pan-like way. Its symbol is half goat after all and the implication of fertility and sexuality imbibe the image. They have all the desires of Taurus lounging side by side with their deep well of fear.”

This leads us to Tony's Venus placement. His Venus is in Cancer, and is conjunct Steve's Sun.

Tony's Venus in Cancer and 8th House:

The Venus in Cancer man is attracted to everything feminine about women. He can theoretically be interested in a woman with any type of look, but he tends to notice feminine attributes like long hair, simple and sweet clothing, soft summer dresses, and aura of innocence, etc.

The Venus in Cancer man is also attracted to someone who shows their emotions and is able to be vulnerable. He wants someone who sees him emotionally and appreciates him for who he is.

This man will usually pick women who are unlikely to reject him. Any type of rejection is extra hurtful to a Venus in Cancer man. He will have a hard time letting go of a relationship, even if the partnership goes badly. The Venus in Cancer man is romantic and loving. He is protective, but at his worst, he can also be jealous or possessive. This man needs an intuitive connection with his lover; he wants both partners to be able to sense each others’ feelings. The Venus in Cancer man desires someone he can take care of. He loves to provide for his partner.

Sensitivity is big for the Cancer man, even if he doesn’t show it. He may hide behind the “crab” shell because he has such a gentle internal world. It can take the Venus in Cancer man a while to open up to his partner. He is really protective of his feelings and needs to be sure he can trust someone. Typically, the Venus in Cancer man will be like a parent to his family and friends. He is the caretaker of the group. He’s very protective of those he loves. He may try to be the hero for everyone, not for the glory, but because he feels the need to save everyone.

Sometimes, the Venus in Cancer man can end up with emotionally unstable partners because he attracts people who he needs to “mother.” He may do this completely unconsciously, but the end result is a lot of emotional turmoil.

Ideally, the Venus in Cancer man will feel needed but not suffocated. He wants a partner who lets him take care of them but who doesn’t need a full-on surrogate parent. (source)

Venus in Cancer: You’ll attract a nurturing, empathetic partner who values emotional security and creating a cozy, comfortable home together. (source)

Venus in 8th House: In a relationship, you want to share yourself completely and seek your soulmate. You place a high value on intimacy, which may lead to jealousy or possessiveness if you feel hurt or in danger. Sex is an important part of any relationship for you, and you may have numerous kinks and desire to explore your sexuality and limits with a trusted partner. This placement is often fraught with drama, and you may choose the wrong partner for a relationship. Ultimately, you have a strong desire to save and assist others but remember that everyone must first help themselves to solve their problems. (source)

Steve is much more in touch with his feminine side than Tony is. He's definitely the CapMom to Tony's IronDad. (Tony even teases him about turning “the mansion into a day-care center”)

In the comics, Pietro accuses Steve of having “an incurable mother hen complex.” In the films, we see Steve seek out other Avengers in order to talk about their feelings and provide comfort (Natasha in TWS and EG, Bruce in AOU, Wanda in CW) – essentially playing therapist, so he can ignore his own issues (Natasha calls him out for his in EG).

Steve's Sun and Moon signs are both ruled by feminine planets, and his rising sign is ruled by the androgynous Mercury.

Steve's Sun in Cancer:

The crabs are feminine, cardinal water signs. Due to being associated with the water element, depth runs deep in their veins. They are very tender and easily get bruised. It is not easy for them to let go of the hurt someone pondered on them. Motherly instinct is in abundance in their nature. They are extremely sensitive and vigilant of everyone’s needs in their vicinity. They can come out to be a little dependent on their friends and family because they need a lot of support in their regular emotional bursts. This doesn't mean that you can take them to be weak. They have hard shells on the outside, primitive stuff can't penetrate and bother them.

It is usually hard for a Cancer man to live in the present. They find it difficult to forgive and forget thus it is highly likely to see them bothered due to things that happened a long time back. They have a funny side inside their fragile hearts too. If they feel comfortable around you a Cancer man's traits of being a fun-loving person can pop out.

Cancer traits in males can be seen even in their workplace. They are very dedicated to their duties. They can be seen putting extra hours without any hesitation. These extremely chivalrous souls are very sensitive and get easily wounded so it is important to be considerate to them. Being intuitive is one of the most basic Cancer man traits. They believe in vibes and stay away if needed, to save their emotions and energy.

Cancer Male Characteristics include qualities like being supportive, sentimental, moody, family-oriented, and loyal. They have big-time nostalgic feelings all the time and feel the longing in a very deep manner. They are very traditional people, the kind who love deep, stay at home and fulfill all kinds of needs of their loved ones. They can be moody at times. So if they are acting weird lately, give them some time, it is seen that a Cancer man returns to their original self in a very short period. Patience walks hand in hand with a Cancer man's personality. They never leave you midway if you are having a bad time. They are highly versatile and social in needed situations. They can be lazy at times and highly unpredictable. (source)

Steve's Moon in Taurus:

Those born with the Moon in Taurus have an instinctive need for material security. This doesn't necessarily mean that they have a materialistic attitude, just that they need everything to be materially arranged to feel secure enough to pursue other interests. They have a strong sense of values, possibly inherited from their mother, are emotionally stable, and other people feel calm around them.

For natives with a Moon in Taurus, the easiest way to calm down after an emotional overload is to eat something good. In this case, the old instinct kicks in: if there's something good to eat in the house, all is not lost. Life goes on, and everyone can relax and forget about the unpleasantness.

The Taurus Moon is extremely strong-willed but also has some vulnerabilities but nobody knows them. (source)

Steve's Virgo Rising:

Wholesome, organic and au natural the Virgo Rising vibe is one of absolute honesty. From the beach to the midwest these folks comprise darn near every natural and wholesome vibe there is, From the California vegan to the Idaho country boy. And this is no coincidence. When you have the earthiest of the earth signs as you ascendant it’s darn near impossible to shrug off that down-to-earth quality, and why would you want to. In this world full of designer bodies and makeup-caked faces the Virgo vibe is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Virgo Rising Men cue the montage of slow sidelong smiles, nights in truck beds, and hard sweaty (and for some reason shirtless) labor. These are the men for whom the cornfed country boy was created. Not to pigeonhole these men, because they seem to be able to find their earthy natural truth wherever they happen to be from boasting just as many indie looks, and surfer boys as good old fashioned country ones. Beyond their looks there tends to be a certain whole grain quality to their manner. No forced laughs. No frivolous conversation. They can be very well educated and still prefer a no-nonsense approach to communication. All of which comes together to create a presence that one could only describe as trustworthy. Wherever these earthy boys happen to be, expect them to be vibe natural and shoot straight. (source)

Virgo risings are the most detailed, analytical, keen, sharp, methodical, critical and nit-picky sign of the zodiac. They are extremely discriminating and watchful on all the details. They can literally find the needle in the haystack because they can actually see it. Virgo risings are modest on their own terms. They are cautious, conservative and contemplative in thought as their brain kicks around the entire minutia. They are also quite industrious and they have an attraction for wealth.

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When Virgo risings speculate, it often causes them to worry or go into a state of high anxiety because they just want to know the details coupled with the bottom line. They can be very sensitive to their surroundings and the conditions that surround others. They are cautious in their interests, diplomatic, shrewd in business and have a keen way of being tactful. They act with forethought and sensitivity because they include the details with their thoughts.Virgo risings can be totally organized and attentive to details in some areas, while at the same time be appallingly disorganized and sloppy in other areas.

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The voice is normally rather soft; however, it can sound a bit flat and somewhat lacking in coloration. Overall, it is the general neatness and cleanliness typical to Virgo which really catches the eye. Regardless of the Sun-Sign, there is something of the fussy bachelor or prim old maid present. They probably look their best when in very simple attire. (source)

(Cancer and Taurus are two of the most possessive signs in the zodiac – if Steve got Tony, he would never let him go.

Also, his Virgo Rising makes me think of that hilarious AA episode where he tells Clint “reading files is my hobby”))

Who can forget the time Carol Danvers called Steve a “hipster doofus”?

In all seriousness, that comic page is an excellent example of Steve's natal chart – he's hanging out in a park that has been around since he was a kid, talking about how unprocessed ingredients not only 'taste like heaven' but the way he remembers them, and rereading Lord of the Rings for the millionth time.

We got Steve's first 'accurate' backstory in 1981 (the first backstory was published in 1978, but was later revealed to be a false memory):

I see here – that he grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City! Evidently, much of his youth was spent trying to help his family make ends meet during the depths of the Depression. Oh... I see... his father died when he was still a child, and his mother had to struggle just to keep her son and herself fed. Still, despite their deprivation, Steve kept up with his schooling, and became a voracious reader... especially of fantasy! Given the state of his reality, I can well understand why. Ah. It seems that the boy also had a natural talent for art. But he kept his love of art, and of books, a secret to avoid taunts and beatings at the hands of his peers. As the Depression wore on, time became increasingly difficult for the Rogers' household. Sarah Rogers took in laundry... and taxed herself to the limit to provide for her son. But time and hardship eventually took its toll, and as Steven entered his late teens, his mother passed on – a victim of pneumonia. Out on his own, young Rogers managed to find a cheap boarding house and took a job as a delivery boy. It was not an easy life, nor a very good one... but somehow, he survived. And then, one day, while trying to escape into the fantasy world of the movies, Steve Rogers encountered an even harsher reality – in newsreel footage of the Nazi war machine in its relentless march across a war-torn Europe!

I want to call attention to the word choice here: deprivation. Deprivation means “a state of extreme poverty” and “the fact of not having something that you need, like enough food, money, or a home.”

Steve wasn't just poor, he was constantly on the verge of starving and being homeless – which would have been a death sentence, considering his numerous health issues. “But somehow, he survived.”

We know that Steve's Taurus Moon is an essential part of his character – he is strong willed and he did get his moral code from his mom (he is the original mama's boy, after all) – but that lack of material security? That's huge, and the effect it had on his psyche cannot be overstated. Really. If you like Steve, you have to understand this.

But back to Tony. Steve is his ideal romantic partner – but accepting that means accepting his soft and vulnerable side, which Tony isn't great at (keep reading for more on this).

Tony has his Moon, Chiron, and Juno conjunct each other in the first half of Aries (1-15 degrees). These planets are conjunct Steve's Chiron. In the second half of Aries (at 24 degrees) Steve and Tony have Alma conjunct Alma.

We're going to look at Tony's Moon, Chiron, and Juno first.

Tony's Moon in Aries:

The Aries Moon has a strong tendency to be "me first" in the sense of focusing on self-interest. Aries Moon rejects conventional behaviour and accepts discipline with difficulty. Aries tends to be nervous, quick-tempered and impulsive. Those born with Moon in Aries have a bold attitude, always seem self-satisfied and act boldly.

Moon in Aries steps into adult life like a child. The natives following their instincts, without hesitation, with a certain naivety, with natural and sincere enthusiasm. They are great lovers of unexpected and risky experiences. Those born with Moon in Aries throw themselves into situations that sometimes cause heart arrhythmias in parents and relatives. When the other personality traits lead to temperance, then the natives have a pronounced spirit of initiative, making their own way in life. (source)

An Aries Moon man is action-oriented and fiery. In relationship with their family, they would provide for their family monetarily before doing so emotionally. They ensure that all financial needs are fulfilled first. They make impulsive choices in love and in life, and these choices are passionate and wild to say the least. It requires a partner who is cool, calm, collected and sorted in their mind to handle and be happy with this man. (source)

i.e. IronDad.

Tony's Aries Moon is sextile his Gemini Sun and trine his Sagittarius Rising. This means his sun-moon-rising placements are constantly channeling energy into – and enabling – each other.

(A little astrological nerd fact: Tony's Aries Moon is ruled by Mars, while Steve's Taurus Moon is ruled by Venus. Venus/Mars is one of astrology's ultimate power couples!)

Tony's Sun in Gemini:

The Gemini man is very extroverted. He’s always ready to go and jump into something new and exciting. Since he needs constant stimulation, he is quite versatile and good at handling more than one task at once. He can be quite competitive, always up for a good challenge.

The Gemini man is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication. Geminis are smart and quite good at talking and keeping up with conversations. He might be the type to give advice, most likely unwarranted. However, his communication skills aren’t always a good thing. He can be quite persuasive and skilled at lying. Also, he is awful at talking about his feelings. He will avoid it all costs. (source)

Tony's Sagittarius Rising:

Epic adventures, sweeping grandeur and swashbuckling heroes, the world of the Saggo Rising is the stuff of legend. In their minds they’re just doing what feels right; exploring, laughing, living life to the fullest, but to the rest of us mere mortals they blaze through our lives with a passion and bravado we can’t muster on our best day. The downside….It’s very lonely at the top. Their propensity to burn so brightly garners both fans and detractors. And sometimes burning this bright causes them to blow out. But my God what would we do without their shine.

Much like his symbol the centaur, Sag rising men tend to be equal parts savage and civilized–the noble beast, if you will. In fact, he may just be the most outwardly “manly” sign taking on the world with a masculine bravado not seen in any other sign, well except perhaps Aries. But what really sets these guys apart from the pack is their stunning lack of “meat-headed-ness”. Underneath all that swarth and sweat is actually a great mind with great hope and faith in both himself and the world around him. This great mind effectively enables him to put all that passion and energy to use, while his more primal side keeps his idealistic side grounded in the real world. Balance is the key and a lot of Saggo men tend to either overuse one to the detriment of the other, or they flip back and forth rushing ahead with the primal side and using the philosopher for clean up or explanation reasons. In relationships, this balance becomes even more important because this man above all others can go from wild sex God to sexless priest at the drop of a hat as restraint is not his strong suit. However, if he can control his urge to delve into extremes, these men usually have a huge impact on the world around them. (source)

In Tony's comic backstory, he has a childhood love of King Arthur and Arthurian legends; and there's no question that Iron Man is both a 21st Century Knight and Tony's ultimate self-fulfillment fantasy (in a good way!).

There are two types of idealism, and people often confuse the two. Steve and Tony are especially interesting, because they each personify one of the types of idealism:

1. “a person who values principles above practical behavior”

2. “someone who believes that very good things can be achieved, often when this does not seem likely to others”

There is a comic quote that sums Steve and Tony up perfectly: “Steve gets back up because it's the right thing to do. Tony gets up because he believes in the future.” (if anyone knows what comic this is from, please let me know!)

To quote another comic:

I remember one day, way back, I asked Tony what drove him to work so hard all the time... “Wonder,” he said. The man who single-handedly defined the technology of our age was fired by an innocent, childlike awe at the possibilities of the universe around him... he told me about the kick he got out of cutting loose in a fully stocked lab. About the hours that would slip away unnoticed as he wrestled with a new idea... about the buzz of taking a concept further and faster than anyone had dared before. About the euphoric moment when he knew – just knew – he'd got it right. He told me about his heroes... Newton and Edison, Babbage and Riemann, Faraday and Leonardo. And the others, the visionaries who looked to the future... Wells, Gernsback, Campbell, Asimov and Clarke... with their time machines and flying wings and metal men and rocket ships... “The future -”, he said; looking down at his open hands, “-begins here.” (source)

And @starkly-tony :

Tony has never had much faith in anyone else to do anything right. And when it comes down to it he’s not a big fan if himself, either. But he believes in the future. He believes that, for all its flaws, humanity is bettering itself. It’s worth investing in. It’s why he does what he does and why he’s a futurist. Steve is the exact opposite. He believes in individuals. But, coming from the 40s, he’s already seen the future, and what it looks like is a whole lot of the same. Sure, some things are better, but there still war and strife and pain and inequality. He has no reason to believe that another couple decades will make any difference at all. But when you put them together, they complement each other perfectly, whether as teammates or friends or anything else. Tony has more than enough faith in humanity for the both of them and Steve has more than enough faith in people. And I just think that’s beautiful. (source)

All of this is great, but we have a giant self-esteem shaped hole here.

Tony's Chiron in Aries and 4th House:

In Aries, the Chiron wound is all about a core feeling of worthlessness.

This is supposedly one of the most difficult yet important Chiron placements, although I tend to find that all Chiron placements are really painful. The reason that Aries can be so difficult is because it’s directly related to who you are as a person.

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Those with the placement of Chiron in Aries will often feel that they lack some sort of core self or that something is somehow wrong with them. They won’t feel sure of themselves or appear confident at all.

They may feel that they’re unfocused, uncentered, or that they just generally don’t belong. They may see everyone else in life moving along with a purpose but feel that they weren’t given one.

Above all, people with Chiron in Aries may feel that they don’t have the right to exist or that they are somehow a mistake.

The shame from this wound may make it very difficult to actually acknowledge it and begin to heal it, but this wound can also be extremely transformative as it heals.

After all, we’re all here for a reason, and the person with Chiron in Aries always has a very important purpose in the world! (source)

This Chiron placement very often indicates a broken home. In many cases, the parents didn’t have a good relationship. They may have been absent as well. Temporary or permanent separation is very common among people with a Chiron in 4th house natal placement.

Chiron in 4th house indicates a difficult relationship with one of the parents (often the mother). Typically, the care they could give you was not sufficient in some way. It can also happen that they were not present mentally and they couldn’t respond to your needs appropriately. It is very common that this parent was in an overwhelming position themselves and they had no resources to take care of you because they couldn’t take care of themselves either. This placement very often indicates a mother wound.

It’s a frequent theme here that there was no one around who had the inner strength and resources to teach you how to cultivate emotional stability. Childhood is very often a lonely time in your life. Children blame themselves for negative things around them, and this guilt often leaks into your adulthood as well.

This placement suggests that early influences may be holding you back. It is common for these people to feel guilt if they are about to make substantial changes in their life, something that was not evident to happen in your family. You may feel disloyal and unconsciously sabotage yourself in order not to “betray” your ancestors.

Chiron in 4th house in the natal chart suggests an unhealed relationship with the past. This placement may suggest guilt or shame related to your past. Letting go is very hard. People with this position sometimes keep blaming their parents for the deficit in their childhood, even into adulthood. Chiron here often manifests as clinging to past memories and seeing it as something preventing you from building your future. In other cases, you may try to desperately escape your past. There’s no balance.

When you are out and about in the world, you suppress your true emotions and try not to show weakness. This placement can indicate a fear of vulnerability because of the experience of no one being around to hold space for you. It can also work out as creating a sense of safety by accomplishing great things in your professional life. Many people who have this Chiron placement seek reassurance in their achievements. They are often hard-working and determined individuals. (source)

Moon conjunct Chiron:

Moon conjunct Chiron is a very painful aspect. If the outcome of this aspect is that you felt unwanted and that you weren’t taken care of, you might now feel extremely lonely and insecure.

There are many ways that this could have played out. Your mother might have been absent, verbally abusive and aggressive, passive-aggressive, or simply ignored your emotional needs.

You also might develop nurturing issues towards yourself and others. You may ignore your own needs because they were ignored by your mother or primary caretaker, or you might ignore the needs of others who are close to you (your partner, children, family, friends, pets, etc.).

The healing path with this moon conjunct Chiron aspect is to reconnect with the inner child and give your child what they didn’t get when you were actually little.

I personally believe that the inner child will always exist energetically on some dimension, so simply ignoring them isn’t an option. You won’t be able to heal these wounds until you go through the process of healing yourself inside.

Only then can you nurture yourself and others in an appropriate, caring way. (source)

Honestly, these placements read like a character biography. The devastating effect Howard had on Tony cannot be overstated (see here, here, and here for some good meta).

Juno in Aries

The first group of people with this placement are those who act in a dominating way during first impressions. These natives want to know if potential partners have what it takes to handle their fiery and strong energies. The second group are those who want a partner who is dominating and assertive in nature! They might purposely play coy and damsels-in-distress to see how those potential partners react. They need to see what the other person will do, or how they react to certain situations — if the potential partner can be as assertive as they are. And lastly, the third group is a mixture of the first and second groups. They might swing back and forth with their dominating, self-reliant attitude, to becoming a passive spectator in the next moment.

Out of all the placements, this may be the one who does not want to marry after all. These people’s self-reliance and confidence in their own company may overpower their desire for romantic partnerships. (I have this placement, so I know the struggle of this particular placement very well).

Juno in the 4th House

If Juno in the 2nd House natives yearn after the security and safety of a house, Juno in the 4th House natives yearn to make a “home out of the house.” People with this placement want to feel emotionally secure with the partner they’re with that goes beyond material things or tangible results. This is especially true if Juno is in retrograde. The native might have seen the unsavory dynamic of their childhood families, and may want to “do it all over” in a proper way to rectify and soothe their inner child. But they also could’ve had a good and emotionally secure childhood, and wouldn’t want to lower those standards their loving parents have established. (source)

Juno Aspects the Moon: The attraction will be to emotional and nurturing partners, and domestic types. At least they will tend to be nurturing with the harmonious aspects conjunction, sextile and trine. (source)

The 4th House is associated with Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon. Tony having his Juno in the 4th House and conjunct his Moon means his need for Cancerian traits is strengthened. This puts Tony in the first group. All Tony wants and need is Steve. The sensitive dork hiding under Captain America.

Now, on to Steve's Chiron in Aries and the 8th House:

In Aries, the Chiron wound is all about a core feeling of worthlessness.

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They may feel that they’re unfocused, uncentered, or that they just generally don’t belong. They may see everyone else in life moving along with a purpose but feel that they weren’t given one.

Above all, people with Chiron in Aries may feel that they don’t have the right to exist or that they are somehow a mistake.

The shame from this wound may make it very difficult to actually acknowledge it and begin to heal it, but this wound can also be extremely transformative as it heals.

After all, we’re all here for a reason, and the person with Chiron in Aries always has a very important purpose in the world! (source)

The 8th House rules over matters of intimacy and trust, and Chiron’s presence here can indicate significant wounds in these areas. Individuals may struggle with letting others in, fear betrayal, or grapple with issues of power and control in their relationships.

Chiron’s placement in the 8th House also bestows individuals with a unique ability to empathize with the pain of others. They can often become skilled healers or counselors, using their own experiences of healing and transformation to guide and support others on their journeys.

Over time, those with Chiron in the 8th House can develop remarkable resilience and inner strength. Their ability to confront and heal their deepest wounds gives them a sense of empowerment and a profound connection to the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

Ultimately, Chiron in the 8th House represents the “dark night of the soul,” where individuals must confront their inner demons and face their fears head-on. It often represents a journey from woundedness to wisdom, where the individual can learn to harness their own transformative power. The symbolism of this placement is much like to that of the phoenix rising from its ashes—a powerful metaphor for rebirth and renewal.

Ultimately, this placement teaches us that our deepest wounds can be sources of strength and that through embracing our own vulnerability, we can facilitate powerful and enduring transformation in our lives and the lives of those around us. (source)

The 8th House is associated with Scorpio and Pluto; thus it carries the same themes:

Transformation, sex, taboos, and all the strange things that sit beneath the surface - the eighth house gets a bad rap, but it can also be one of the most fascinating. Known also as the house of sex, the house of death, the house of transformation, and the house of reincarnation, this is the place where death, legacy, deeper intimacy, shared resources, inheritance, magic, secrets, and all shady things reside. It is a house that also serves as an entryway into the spiritual realm. Delving deep is not for the faint of heart but for those who do have the chance at significant personal change and true transformation. (source)

Tony's life has been shaped and defined by his abusive father. Steve's, on the other hand, has been shaped by the powers of life and death themselves.

Steve lost both his parents at a young age and struggled to survive the deprivation he was born into. Like his backstory says, “it was not an easy life, nor a very good one.” People focus on his bravery and selflessness, but not what drives it – systemic oppression and trauma. He would have rather died as a government lab rat than continue 'living' his pre-serum life.

Ultimately, Steve and Tony share that same core feeling of worthlessness. It has manifested itself differently (4th House vs 8th House), but the core issue (Aries Chiron) is the same.

Steve's Chiron is conjunct Tony's Moon and Juno:

When the Moon and Chiron unite in a harmonious dance, they create a powerful confluence of emotional vulnerability and the potential for profound emotional healing. This aspect can bring unresolved emotional wounds and sensitivities to the surface, activating our insecurities and fears, but also presenting opportunities for growth and transformation.

Within the embrace of Moon conjunct Chiron synastry, individuals are drawn to each other by an inexplicable force, a magnetic pull that transcends the realms of logic. This connection fosters a deep emotional bond, a sense of shared vulnerability, and an innate desire to support and heal one another.

Partners in this cosmic union often feel a strong emotional resonance, as if their souls have known each other for lifetimes. They instinctively recognize each other’s sensitive and nurturing traits, creating a safe emotional space where they can openly communicate about past hurts and offer unwavering emotional support and understanding.

While Moon conjunct Chiron synastry presents a profound opportunity for emotional healing, it is also a journey that demands courage and vulnerability. Individuals may find themselves confronting deep-seated insecurities, childhood wounds, and emotional patterns that have long been buried beneath the surface. (source)

Imagine yourself in a deep and profound connection with another person, where the energies of Juno, the asteroid of partnership, seamlessly align with Chiron, the wounded healer. This special alignment signifies a unique bond that has the potential to heal and transform both individuals involved.

As you explore this divine union, you may find that the wounds and vulnerabilities of the past are brought to the surface, allowing both you and your partner to face them with courage and compassion. Rather than seeing these wounds as limitations, they become opportunities for growth and healing, both individually and as a couple.

This alignment invites you to question how you can support and nurture each other's healing journeys. What measures can you take to create a safe and sacred space where each person feels seen, heard, and understood? How can you encourage each other to embrace vulnerability and acknowledge the depth of emotional wounds?

Consider how this alignment between Juno and Chiron can deepen your understanding of each other's pain and struggles. Allow yourselves to be open and receptive to the healing energy that emerges as you hold space for one another's growth. By acknowledging and addressing these wounds, you can foster a relationship rooted in empathy, acceptance, and transformation. (source)

Can Steve and Tony do this? Do they have the healthy astrological aspects needed to work out their issues? Well, Mars rules over both conflict and sex. They both have their Mars in an Air sign – Steve in Libra and Tony in Gemini.

Tony's Mars in Gemini:

Weapon: Words, hands, and the mind

Mars in Gemini is often known for playing the role of devil’s advocate. It’s also a sign of great debating skills with a talent for arguing about a broad variety of topics, even if you only have a superficial understanding of them. Your secret weapon? Agility with words! Mars is the planet of strategy and severance, while Gemini is the sign that symbolizes the mind and communication. Mercury-ruled Gemini is often known as the silver-tongued trickster, but Mars in Gemini points to a sharp tongue! You love to learn about everything under the sun, and you’ll even go as far as provoking people just to see what their reaction is and what you can learn from it. Outwitting your competition tends to be your goal, but when you’re the one who is out-smarted, you’re turned on and/or willing to concede with respect for your opponent.

You’re quick on your feet, but your mouth moves even faster. If you don’t slow down every now and then, you’re also prone to cutting people with your words. Just because you can say it, doesn’t mean you should. Speaking carefully is important if you don’t want to hurt others unintentionally or have your own words used against you. When it comes to sex, you’re curious enough to experiment and try out all kinds of things, at least once. New sexual experiences are a big motivator for you, but a healthy dose of dirty talk and new positions can do the trick if you’re in a monogamous relationship. (source)

Steve's Mars in Libra:

Weapon: Kills you with kindness, the pen, and contracts

Warrior Mars usually doesn’t care about getting covered with mud during a battle, but dainty Libra would rather not get their new clothes stained. Like Mars in Gemini, Mars in Libra fights with words. Having Mars in Venus-ruled Libra makes you highly aware of how others perceive you—and very good at using it to your advantage! Mars in Libra is about optics, but it’s also about fairness, making it vital that you have wordsmiths on your side (like lawyers, writers, and politicians) if you’re not already crafty with words to defend and drive home your points. But the chances are that you’re actually very articulate. Appearances are important to your Mars sign, which can lead you to be passive aggressive, leading people to conclusions in round-about ways instead of getting to the point. When charm and manners don’t work, however, you’re not afraid to pour your anger and passion into an articulate letter or speech. You like to keep things civil, so your martial talents tend toward diplomacy, compromise, and the art of persuasion. You have an aversion to confrontation, so you usually find the most palatable way to present an argument or disagreement before approaching others. Your ability to see both sides of a situation might be your greatest strength when it comes to anticipating and countering arguments.

You’re highly motivated to win the trust of others, and humility is one of your greatest qualities that helps you achieve this goal. The passive type, you’re more likely to wait for others to make the first move in the bedroom and on the debate floor. As an airy cerebral Mars placement, you’re good at mirroring partners and opponents, intuiting their train of thought and movement. But rather than risking rejection or failure, you prefer to wait and see how you can reach your goal without spending time in the trial-and-error process, which makes the pen (and written word) a more powerful tool to you. You can erase, scribble out, and carefully edit a written message, but actions speak louder than words, and the thought of that being used against you makes you reluctant to say or do anything that can give others ammunition. Committing to a decision can feel intimidating to you because you’re well aware that there are always consequences to actions, and the thought of not being able to undo something often makes you hesitant. But more often than not, that can lead you to gain an unfavorable reputation, so it’s important that you make an effort to earn and maintain people’s trust by following through. (source)

It truly amazes me how Steve and Tony embody their natal charts.

Steve's Libra Mars trine Tony's Gemini Mars:

Mars Trine Mars in Synastry: The World is Your Oyster

When Mars is trine Mars in synastry, the chemistry between you feels easy and natural. Your energies harmonize beautifully. There’s a free flow of activity and passion between you.

You instinctively understand each other’s desires and motivations. When one of you is fired up to go after a goal, the other provides enthusiastic support. You’re excellent at spurring each other on.

In conflicts, you’re usually adept at finding fair compromises. There’s give and take because your basic urges aren’t fundamentally at odds. You take each other’s wishes into account.

With so much powerful Mars energy flowing smoothly, together you can move mountains. Things just seem to magically click into place once you join forces. The world is your oyster!

The steady support this aspect provides allows your ambitions and passions to thrive side by side. In each other, you have found the perfect teammate and cheerleader. Day by day, you just love your partner forever more.

As Mars rules sex, you share a natural physical rapport, with instincts that sync up effortlessly in the bedroom. Each of you intuitively knows what touches will please and excite the other. There is little inhibition between you in expressing your carnal desires.

Together you feel confident, energetic, and willing to experiment. You want to eat your partner like a lion pursuing its prey. You sometimes skip foreplay yet still manage to go as far as Orion.

There’s an open, honest quality to your physical relationship. You help replenish each other’s reservoirs of personal vigor. Under this influence, passion flows hot and steady like a volcano waiting to erupt! (source)

Tony's Gemini Mars conjunct Steve's Gemini Jupiter:

Mars conjunct Jupiter in synastry creates a dynamic and lively energy between two individuals. This aspect enhances the enthusiasm and zest for life in the relationship. Both partners are likely to experience an increase in their vitality and sexual energies, which can bring a sense of excitement and passion to the partnership.

In this conjunction, there is a tendency for the romantic partner to inspire and support the assertiveness and self-expression of the other. This creates an environment where both individuals feel encouraged to pursue their goals and desires. They may find that they are more motivated and driven when they are together, as the combination of Mars and Jupiter stimulates their ambitions.

Furthermore, this aspect fosters a spirit of friendly competition between the partners. They may engage in playful banter or enjoy challenging each other in various aspects of their lives. Both individuals are likely to have a mutual interest in trying new experiences and exploring different ways of doing things. This openness to novel ideas and approaches can lead to growth and expansion within the relationship.

Additionally, Mars conjunct Jupiter brings a heightened level of sexual energy and desire into the partnership. The couple may find that they have an increased libido and a strong passion for one another. This aspect can contribute to a fulfilling physical connection, as well as a deep emotional bond, as both partners luxuriate in the pleasure of indulging their desires. (source)

Steve's Libra Mars conjunct Tony's Libra Uranus:

Mars conjunct Uranus in synastry creates a dynamic and electrifying energy between two individuals. This aspect sparks a shared desire for excitement, adventure, and pushing boundaries. Together, you both have a thirst for new experiences and a willingness to explore uncharted territories. The relationship becomes a catalyst for change and growth, where conventional norms are challenged and unconventional approaches are embraced.

This conjunction often manifests as a passionate and fiery attraction, with a sense of unpredictability and spontaneity. Both individuals thrive on the unexpected and are not afraid to take risks. This dynamic combination can lead to exhilarating adventures and a constant state of excitement. The electrifying energy between Mars and Uranus fuels a need for freedom and independence, allowing each person to express their unique individuality within the relationship.

While this aspect can bring about a sense of chaos or unpredictability, it also offers an opportunity for personal growth and liberation. The Mars-Uranus conjunction encourages both partners to break free from societal norms and explore their own desires and passions. This can lead to a deep bond based on shared values of freedom, authenticity, and embracing one's true self.

However, it is important to note that with this aspect, conflicts can arise due to the strong personalities and desire for independence. Both individuals may have a tendency to be impulsive or rebellious, which can lead to clashes if not managed carefully. It is crucial for both partners to honor each other's need for individuality while finding ways to maintain a sense of stability and security within the relationship. (source)

They do have the healthy Mars aspects.

But do I really need to say anything else? We already know Steve and Tony can read each other in an instant, challenge each other, and have overwhelming UST.

Interesting side note: Natasha has her Mars in the final Air sign (Aquarius). This is why she is the only other Avenger consistently involved in important discussions (someday I will finish my essay on how she has been their co-leader since A1, and deserves to have her talents and accomplishments recognized. Unfortunately, today is not that day).

Steve and Tony's Alma's conjunct in Aries:

Alma in Aries / Alma in 1st: Soulmate connections will have a thrill of excitement and spontaneous energy. You will gain more experience with your soulmates for multiple lifetimes as there is a sense of fresh air and impulsiveness / youngness. There will be impulsive adventures and mischievous nature within soulmate connections. Your soulmate partner(s) will be more assertive & courageous and passionate, impulsive, loyal, intensely attractive. Possible meeting: Within Important life events. (source)

Aries Alma: Your soulmate will approach you first when meeting. When meeting you’ll know fairly quickly that you’re soulmate since Mars rules over speed. There will be extreme passionate love between the both of you. This person is someone that will bring the more ambitious side of you out by inspiring you to be better. They will give you a lot of confidence. (source)

I have read that having Alma conjunct Alma is a sign of Twin Flames. Personally, I don't believe in the (unfortunately) very popular and pseudo-spiritual Twin Flame culture that has developed over the last decade – it's mostly an excuse for toxic and immature behavior. I also haven't seen any legitimate astrologers take it seriously (even though there are a ton of fluff articles on the internet).

However, I definitely believe in the astrological concept of Mirrored Souls (this is what the Twin Flame nonsense is derived from). Two people who may appear to be very different on the surface, but are fundamentally alike.

Steve and Tony are Mirrored Souls, and everything in this post proves it. They also have the majority of their placements in the same four zodiac signs – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer (which are also the first four signs of the zodiac).

Watching the films, it is obvious that Steve and Tony trigger each other – and thus, can either heal or destroy each other. And the universe, because their relationship is the through-line for all of the Infinity Saga (I personally refuse to accept the plot of EG for this very reason – we got some nice isolated moments, but deserved so much more plot-wise).

In conclusion, Steve and Tony are not just soulmates, they are two halves of the same whole.

#Stony #Stevetony #Bottom Steve Rogers #Fem!Steve #Astrology #Mine

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