#he doesn’t often get the chance demonstrate and use his intelligence and unique specialization

[daydreamerdrew]

The Defenders (1972) #56

[douxreviews]

The Umbrella Academy - ‘We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals’ Review

Right from the comics, by illustrator Gabriel Bá and My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way, comes the winter hit of Netflix nobody saw coming. Picture a love child between the X-Men and the dysfunctional Bluths, and you’ll have the Hargreeves siblings of The Umbrella Academy.

I must confess that I myself have yet the chance to read the comics this series is inspired by, but from what I understand, the premises don’t differ much at all. On the same day down to the same minute, 43 women across the globe give birth despite not showing any signs of pregnancy up until labor. Irregular and reclusive billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves scouts out these women and is able to compensate only seven of them in exchange for adopting their children, all which supposedly have been born with unique abilities. For reasons known only for himself, Hargreeves raises these youths, with assistance from an android-caretaker (appropriately referred to as ‘Mom’ by the children) and an exceptionally intelligent chimp named Pogo, into becoming a team of superheroes called ‘The Umbrella Academy’.

Right away, a premise like this that takes its own shot at subverting the superhero genre had my attention and, after the pilot episode, went on to dominate the rest of my week as I binged through its first season. From the get-go, it became clear that The Umbrella Academy is a show that is much more character-centered than it is plot-centered. This is not to say The Umbrella Academy lacks any signs of a narrative, but the series’ heart and soul is the dissection and exploration of the seven Hargreeves siblings who, in ‘We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals’, are reunited years later after hearing the news that father Hargreeves has passed away.

#1: Luther Hargreeves/Spaceboy. The former leader of the Umbrella Academy, Luther is the teammate with incredible super strength that is practically mandatory at this point for every group of superheroes. Presently, he operates as an astronaut exploring Earth’s moon, but returns to Earth once he learns of father Hargreeves’ passing. Picture Superman if Superman wasn’t very talented at inspiring morale or teamwork in his Justice League compatriots, and you’ll have Luther.

#2: Diego Hargreeves/The Kraken. In many ways the antithesis to Luther, Diego is a reckless hothead on the outside, and a bit of a momma’s boy on the inside. And unlike Luther, who maintained complete trust and faith in father Hargreeves until the end, Diego (as well as #3 and #4) has a fiery hatred for their father due to his cold, unfeeling, and abusive manner towards the children while they were growing up. Diego has the ability of accurate and expert marksmanship, and a dagger is his preferred weapon.

#3: Allison Hargreeves/The Rumor. Currently an aspiring actress, Allison returns home with her siblings while in the midst of a divorce, and if that weren’t bad enough, she has also lost complete custody of her daughter. Though her distaste doesn’t seem as passionate as Diego’s, she too harbors resentment for father Hargreeves. She has the ability to alter reality itself by beginning her wishes with the phrase “I heard a rumor…”

#4: Klaus Hargreeves/The Séance. Eccentric, drug-addicted, and in possession of a wardrobe that reaches every point of the spectrum, Klaus could be seen as the academy’s ‘wild card’ currently. On the surface he appears to demonstrate wit and an infectious energy for life, but internally, he loathes father Hargreeves, and blames him as well for being the catalyst for Klaus turning to his unhealthy habits. Klaus has the ability to talk to the deceased, but can only perform this when he is sober.

#5: Number Five/The Boy. Years before the start of the series, Number Five mysteriously vanished without a trace, and soon after, the Hargreeves siblings would begin to go their separate ways. In the pilot, Number Five returns, still in the form of his thirteen year-old self, with a warning from the future – the world will end in eight days, and Five has no idea what causes it. Though Five does genuinely seem to still care for his siblings, so much time spent lost in the space-time continuum has made him cynical, jaded, arrogant, and with a very relatable dependence on black coffee. Five has the ability to teleport, both through space and time.

#6: Ben Hargreeves/The Horror (Deceased). Killed or passed away by unknown means, Ben’s death seems to have been another factor that drove apart the Hargreeves siblings. Aside from the fact that he has an ability to generate monstrous limbs and tentacles from his body, (which he does not relish) little else is known about Ben. Thanks to Klaus’ ability to talk to the dead though, Ben is still able to keep in touch with at least one of his siblings.

#7: Vanya Hargreeves/The White Violin. A talented violinist, Vanya seems to be the only sibling without any sign of an ability. Her entire childhood under father Hargreeves’ roof has consisted more of her acting as an assistant to train the other, powered children, and being told that there just isn’t anything special about her. Despite this, Vanya doesn’t hesitate to return home and reunite with her siblings once she hears the news about Sir Hargreeves. Since leaving home, Vanya has published a book detailing the secrets of the Umbrella Academy, and outing her siblings’ identities as well, which seems to have created a rift between her and Diego.

This is show that has nicely mastered the practice of raising some mysteries and inquiries, while also still giving the audience just enough answers to chew on for the current episode’s forty-five minute run. From the memorial service onwards, the pilot continues with scenes upon scenes dedicated to simply fleshing out these characters: what they’ve been up to since they parted ways, their relationships with each other, which siblings they bear grudges against, and which ones they’re still loyal to. But because this is the introductory episode, it does have its moments here and there that are committed for pure exposition. For example, a scene featuring Vanya reuniting with Pogo and touring the old mansion where everyone was raised abruptly transitions to the two of them specifically discussing how many days it’s been since Five disappeared, which feels less like natural dialogue, and more like something needed to catch the audience up on Five’s backstory.

As a result of this being a setting where individuals with super-powers do exist, it’s evident from the beginning that this isn’t going to be a world exactly like the planet Earth the spectating audience is used to. What’s so engaging about The Umbrella Academy is that it just doesn’t stop there; there’s a lot of effort here put into the world-building to distinguish this series’ timeline as something that bears some similarities to our own timeline, but is clearly another world altogether. By the time we are introduced to Grace, the children’s android caretaker, and Pogo, I actually realized I didn’t even need elaborations from this show on their own backstories; I had just become so accustomed that this was a world with its own unique scientific advances and phenomena. Once you’ve laid down the law that time travel can and does exist, pretty much anything else goes.

Time flew by during my first viewing of this episode and once Five dropped the bombshell that the world is heading towards an imminent apocalypse and the credits rolled, I was hooked. The Umbrella Academy has a great start for those that enjoy nuanced characters as much, if not more, as they do good story-telling. Because only one episode is a little early for someone to be playing favorites, I suppose I won’t mention then how charmed I immediately became with the characters of Klaus and Five. Then again, from the looks of the internet around me, I seem to not be alone with that favoring.

Name That Tune:

Another wonderful takeaway from this series is its soundtrack, which sifts through multiple genres each episode, and while it often falls back on the trope of playing an upbeat tune to an otherwise extreme fight sequence, it has given me plenty of new additions to my iTunes library, starting with ‘Istanbul’ by They Might Be Giants. Never a song I would’ve thought I’d hear play during a gunfight conflict in a coffee-and-donut shop, yet here we are.

Hargreeves Humor:

Luther: “Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad.” Klaus: “I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'"

Five: “An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee.” Allison: “Dad hated caffeine.” Klaus: “Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us.”

Five: “Guess I missed the funeral.” Luther: “How'd you know about that?” Five: “What part of the future do you not understand?”

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

[tavtiers]

Mage of Light Analysis

for @jaserowells

the super geniuses!! mages of light make me cry because they're normally so awesome and then something bad happens to them (like dYING dangit wesley from daredevil whyy ;-;)

ANYWAYS here's my brief analysis: Mage of Light (80% activity) - understands knowing and perceiving: perceptuality, knowledge, information, fortune, agency, sight

opposite - Seer of Void (knows knowing and perceiving: incorporeality, secrecy, mystery, misfortune, submission, ignorance, nothingness) inverse - Heir of Void (inherits knowing and perceiving: incorporeality, secrecy, mystery, misfortune, submission, ignorance, nothingness; players - Equius Zahhak)

CANON EXAMPLES - n/a NON-CANON EXAMPLES - Minaeve (Dragon Age), The Tranquil (Dragon Age), James Wesley (Daredevil), Yu Narukami (Persona 4)

i'll mainly be using minaeve, the tranquil, and wesley as reference for this god tier, since i dont have much info on yu in front of me right now (im writing this without wifi :0). if you aren't into dragon age or daredevil, dont worry i will provide info on these characters! also if you'd like to know more about them, minaeve's wiki is here, the tranquility wiki is here, and wesley's is here

okay to start off i'll be looking at activity! tbh my mage of void analysis wasn't the best in my opinion, it was a little rushed, so im going to try to take my time with this one

alright, starting with activity: mages are active with 69% activity light is also active with 91% activity active classpects are meaner, but more likely to stand up for themselves

this makes a mage of light very active with 80% activity

whiiich means, a mage of light is likely to be meaner, but more likely to stand up for themselves if they're being mistreated. now, this doesn't mean that a mage of light would be a complete and utter ASS, there are a number of classes above it (*cough* thieves *cough cough*) that are much worse.

however, i could see a mage of light being a bit of a sarcastic smart-aleck. even if not all the time, they'd definitely become very adamant that their knowledge was the right one if they felt someone was spreading incorrect information. this is partly due to the fact that mages of light suffer both for and because of their knowledge. they've had to go through so much to know all that they do, and here comes someone saying things so utterly WRONG and thinking they're the genius here? it would definitely bother the mage to no end

one good thing about mages of light, as opposed to a mage of void (who could be incorrectly considered unintelligent by their peers), mages of light are extremely knowledgeable and it's blaringly obvious

funny idea: a mage of light could suffer from sight by accidentally walking in on things they're not meant to

or they could suffer from fortune and the spotlight by being born into wealth or getting unexpectedly famous, but it turns out to not be all it's cracked up to be

they could suffer from fortune or wealth by everyone being jealous of them or wanting to use them for their money

likewise, they could suffer from knowledge by everyone being jealous of them or wanting to use them for their intellect

for example: a straight a student everyone hates, people are friends with them only to use them (trying to get them to do their homework, etc)

speaking of school, they would EXCEL at education constantly getting straight a's, even if they weren't trying too hard. they'd just be lucky enough to get the right answer. however, the students wouldn't be the only ones to possibly dislike them. teachers could start to become annoyed with their constant correct answers (wont you give another student the chance to speak?) and they could even be accused of cheating on tests and whatnot

mages of light would be terrible at espionage (suffers from relevance, the spotlight). they'd constantly be caught if they tried to spy or sneak around

they would be incredibly useful in sburb due to their knowledge + knowledge (mage + light) combo, and their deep understanding of luck uNLESS the team was trying to hide from someone/something. then you'd regrettably be screwed :0

okay but tbh, this classpect is the ultimate super genius of the god tiers. no one's smarter than the mage of light (except for maybe a lord but that's debatable). and as i said before, they would be defensive of their knowledge. a mage of light would feel like they have the right to be the smart one and they have the right to know what they know, because of how much they've suffered to get there.

interesting thought: a mage of light could be completely unaffected by horrorterrors. horrorterrors are void symbols, and since a mage of light suffers from the opposite, they could be a welcome change for the mage. this classpect is not at all likely to go grimdark.

mages of light could work as excellent advisors for powerful, influential people (this can be seen with wesley) due to their deep understanding of fortune, knowledge, and power. they would also deeply understand the people in power themselves.

a snippet of a great analysis by dahniwitchoflight: "Bright lights could hurt their eyes and they might even suffer from all the attention and exposure, they could be someone important or influential because of their knowledge, the flash of a camera could be especially bad. On the flipside through their unique experiences, these things could be uniquely effortless for them to navigate moreso than other people, they could be people able to effortless navigate the spotlight of either fame or infamy. They could see the importance in the thing that everyone else ignores, the truth underneath all of the lies that nobody else detects."

POWERS

a mage of light, like all light players, would be exceptionally lucky in combat. however, this wouldn’t be just due to their aspect where the mage of light is concerned. because a mage of light has such a strong understanding of luck, they could definitely use their luck, and even their opponents luck, to their advantage.

they could know how lucky they were, and where and when to use their luck. their own knowledge of their luck could give them incredible confidence in dangerous battles that would leave other classpects terrified, because they would know for sure if they were going to come out unscathed.

also, as i said before, they could use their knowledge of their opponents luck to their advantage. if they knew an opponent was incredibly lucky with a specific weapon, they could trick them into using a weapon they were less skilled with. or if an opponent was especially lucky in a certain environment, the mage of light could lead them into a different environment to turn the tides of the battle.

i could definitely see a mage of light using their understanding of literal light to their advantage in combat. for instance, a mage of light could position themselves in such a way that their opponent would have the sun in their eyes, or shine blinding flashes of light at the enemy, etc.

in conclusion: so a mage of light experiences light uniquely, often suffering because of it. this gives them a unique perspective on and understanding of light, more so than any other class. they can then use their knowledge to benefit themselves.

CHARACTER EXAMPLES

the tranquil from dragon age in dragon age, mages (as in, magic users) have a unique connection with an alternate dimension known as the fade, that no other non-magic user possesses. the fade is an ever-shifting realm of spirits and demons, and mages access their magic by reaching across the 'veil' that separates the two realms and making contact with it.

when a mage undergoes tranquility, becoming a member of the tranquil, their connection to the fade is severed. this strips them of their magic and all emotions. many mages deemed too dangerous are forced to undergo this procedure against their will.

in this way the tranquil suffer from relevance; they accidentally drew too much attention to themselves in the past, leading to them having to suffer tranquility. after undergoing this procedure, the tranquil act almost like robots, experiencing no emotions and acting entirely on logic. many of the tranquil are horribly mistreated by others, even their fellow mages, due to the fact that they won't fight back. tranquil are extremely intelligent and skilled at scholarly pursuits. they also manage the finances in the circles of magi.

minaeve from dragon age minaeve is another mage in dragon age that suffers from relevance (among other things). when she was young, she lived with a clan of other elves in the forest. when her magic developed, her clan cast her out, not wanting to risk having too many mages in their clan. in this way she suffers from awareness (her unique awareness of the fade caused her to be cast out).

she stumbled into a village, starving and cold. when she started using fire to ward predators away, the villagers threatened to kill her. she was eventually taken to a circle by templars (basically a place used to house mages). she was never very good at magic, however she loved her studies and developed a special connection with the tranquil. this demonstrates how as a mage of light she understood both knowledge and the knowledgeable.

in dragon age: inquisition, during the attack on haven, she is trapped under burning pots of lyrium. if you fail to save her in time, the pots will explode, killing her. this is another way she suffers from light, with fire being a light symbol.

james wesley from daredevil wesley is kingpin's right hand man in daredevil. if you aren't aware of daredevil, kingpin (fisk) is the main bad guy, in charge of the criminal empire of hell's kitchen. he's... a kingpin basically.

as his right hand man (and best friend), wesley will do anything for fisk. highly intelligent (and sarcastic) he does everything from relaying messages to the crime bosses under his employers employment, to working as a translator for him (wesley is fluent in a large number of languages). though referred to as a lapdog by the criminals, he is incredibly ruthless in his own right.

as mages of light deeply understand those in power, wesley has a deep understanding of his friend and employer. for instance, when fisk is upset after madame gao threatens to stop working for him, wesley brings fisk's romantic interest vanessa to comfort him, without being asked.

this can also be seen when vanessa is poisoned later on. while they are at the hospital visiting her, wesley receives a call from fisk's elderly mother. she tells wesley that a woman (karen page) came by and questioned her about the kingpin and his past. not wanting to upset him any further, wesley decides to take the matter into his own hands, knowing that karen could ruin their operations in hell's kitchen. he leaves without telling fisk, and kidnaps karen.

while interrogating her, he receives a call from fisk, who is worried about him. at this moment, he makes a fatal error by placing his gun on the table to take the call. karen seizes her chance and shoots him dead. this shows how wesley incorrectly understood his own fortune, suffering because of it. this also symbolizes how he suffers from power; his friendship with kingpin causes him to lose his life.

(side note: wesley also understood how lucky matt and foggy {the main characters} were, which is why he attempted to hire them as lawyers)

some planet suggestions: Land of Brilliance and Skulls Land of Dreams and Candles Land of Chandeliers and Dementia Land of Meditation and High-Beams - this planet is a world of contemplation and relaxation for it's native consorts. at least, it was SUPPOSED to be. lately, intense, blindingly bright high-beams have been shining down from the mountains, disrupting the consorts' meditations. the mountains are too steep for any of them to climb, so it's up to you to scale the cliff faces, find out what's causing the problem, and put an end to it one way or another (and tbh your denizen is likely at the top)

Your most likely Denizen is Hemera. Some other viable denizens: Apollo, Synesis, Bythios, Sophia, Aether, Astraeus, Clymene, Pheobe, Hyperion, Theia, Helios, Eos, Tyche, Iris, Polymatheia, Coeus, Despoina, Brizo, Alectrona, Aegle Dahni came up with these! You can read her post with each denizen’s full description here

SONGS Softly - Homestuck reunion (PARKGOLF Remix) - 泉まくら Push - Mariana's Trench Good L_ck (Yo_'re F_cked) - Celldweller Karma Slave - Splashdown

QUADRANTS

god tiers a mage of light would be compatible with, sorted from most to least likely/healthy

<3 - Witch of Space, Witch of Breath, Seer of Space, Witch of Life, Seer of Breath, Prince of Space, Seer of Life, Prince of Breath, Maid of Space, Prince of Life, Maid of Breath, Maid of Life <> - Page of Space, Maid of Mind <3< - Prince of Hope, Prince of Breath o8< - n/a

alright i'm done! thanks for the suggestion :)

[trilies]

Chikusa Kakimoto, Assassination, and Rain Flames

subtitle: Mukuro Rokudo, do not use your fragile assassin DPS to fucking tank, you melodramatic asshole 

[image: three panels from the Kokuyo Arc after Chikua has first attacked Gokudera. Gokudera: “This guy... He’s no ordinary junior high schooler. Whether it’s his killing instincts or his fighting style... He’s a professional hitman!”]

I’ve talked before, if briefly, on why Chikusa Kakimoto is actually a pretty talented character. In the Kokuyo Gang lineup, he’s pretty identifiable as the “brains” to Ken’s “brawn”, even if they both ultimately follow Mukuro. 

Not only is it debatable how much education he received while growing up under the Estraneo (who were gunned down in the streets, even if they were children, if they showed their faces), it seems pretty likely that the Kokuyo Main Trio lived on the fringes of both regular society and the underworld. I mean, Mukuro up until the events of his arc wasn’t even recognizable as himself. 

Yet despite this huge setback, Chikusa still has grown to be pretty intelligent in knowing poisons, their antidotes, a second language, dealing with Mukuro, and how to handle extremely unique weaponry (which I feel as though he created and maintains himself, because that’s not a regular weapon at all). And yet it feels like he tends to be passed over pretty easily, even more than what often happens to KHR minor characters, whether in canon or in fandom. 

A part of that is probably his personality. As someone who RPs and writes Chikusa, it can be hard to puzzle out his personality or what’s going through his head. He’s a very quiet character who prefers to let his partner or leader do the talking. Thus, he can often fade into the background. 

But I think there’s something else, too, and it’s this: 

Chikusa Kakimoto sucks ass at fighting.

Oh, he can manage in fights against regular people, or average mafioso. Sometimes even above-average ones.  However, in a shonen fighting manga, that’s not going to mean much for long, and Chikusa is a minor character so he has even less of a chance for any thought to be put into him.

However, it’s not just that he’s bad at fighting... To be more specific, he’s bad at upfront fighting. Chikusa isn’t meant to be in this genre, because what he really excels at, what really makes him a dangerous force within the underworld... 

...are assassinations. 

We see this a few time throughout the manga, although Chikusa’s only two big fights are with Gokudera. (He participates TYL in the Big Clusterfuck (tm) and also during the fight against Team Giglio Ner in the final arc, although not with much attention paid to what he’s doing.) Both times, it’s not even a win, at least in the traditional sense. The second battle has Gokudera succumbing to the leftover poison effects and Ken coming in for an assist. And in the first battle, the way he wins isn’t that of an upfront fight, but rather... 

[image: Gokudera looking to where he thought Chikusa had fallen after he blew him up to fucking smithereens. “What-? He’s not there!!”]

Chikusa uses the smoke as a smokescreen for his own ends, vanishes from view, and reappears once it’s become certain that his REAL target (Tsuna) is there. That’s an assassin’s technique, and it shows that he’s pretty good at it for Gokudera to not have noticed at all until Chikusa makes his presence known a panel later. 

There are a few other places in which Chikusa very clearly demonstrates an assassin’s mindset and technique, even in his very first spoken lines. 

[image: two panels. The first panel has Ken saying “We’re boys from the next town, here for our away game, or something?” Second panel has Chikusa saying, “Quit fooling around. Finish it quickly, Ken.”]

Mukuro and Ken are very different from Chikusa, and like to draw out things in some ways although for different reasons from each other. Ken does it because he thinks it’s fun, and he clearly loves the thrill. Mukuro does it because he thrives on melodrama, and probably injects his veins with sheer Extra (tm) every morning. 

In contrast, Chikusa has no interest in hanging about. There’s no reason to fool around. To an assassin, you finish your target off quickly, and leave. That’s that. When you start thinking of Chikusa acting with some degree of an assassin’s mindset, a lot of other things and talents start becoming clearer. For example, in my last post talking about his talents, I brought up this moment: 

[image: a pane of Chikusa watching the fight between Tsuna and Lancia. “The Arcobaleno fired an instantaneous shot in under 0.05 seconds. It must have been a special bullet.”]

An assassin’s skills of observation are probably their most valuable skill, besides being able to murder someone and get away with it. Not only is this true in general, but I feel as though it’s especially true for Chikusa in trying to be valuable for Mukuro personally. (Chikusa tailor making himself for Mukuro’s use being a whole big post for another time, people willing.) Chikusa doesn’t have the multi-purpose eye that the Estraneo gave Mukuro, or Ken’s versatile Channels, or Chrome’s illusions. He’s had to make himself useful in other ways, and one of those ways means being able to observe, deduce, and keep up with Mukuro’s own train of thought. There’s a reason why I feel like Chikusa is essentially his Number 2, in a way that mirrors Gokudera very fittingly. 

(ANOTHER thing to babble about at a later date.) 

Other characters pick up on Chikusa’s abilities as an assassin as well, although they don’t outright say it as Gokudera first did. Going back to when Lancia is struck with the needles, consider his reflex time. It’s very clear that he realized that an attack was coming. If it had been aimed directly for him to silence him from giving away any of Mukuro’s secrets, he likely could have avoided it. However, instead, Chikusa aims for Tsuna despite Tsuna being the body Mukuro wants to possess. The implication is that Chikusa was banking on the idea that Lancia would focus on Tsuna’s protection over his own safety, only able to save one body and not two. It’s a move that proves successful. 

And in the moments immediately following it?

[image: Panel 1, Gokudera: “It’s the yoyo freak!” Panel 2, Reborn: “He’s gone. A hit and run...”]

There’s two main things to note in this sequence of events. The first is, obviously, that absolutely no one picked up on Chikusa’s presence until he had already attacked. 

The second is that, even as everyone is reacting to the sudden attack, Reborn confirms that Chikusa is long gone. He’s so gone that there’s no point in trying to attack him, or make a chase after him. This is Reborn, best hitman in the world even while stuck in the body of a toddler, making that call. 

Chikusa is really really good and really really dangerous... When he’s allowed to do things his way. 

So why not have done things his way in this arc?

[image: two panels. Panel 1, Gokudera: “You were pretty easy about letting them go, eh?” Panel 2, Chikusa: “Those were Mukuro-sama’s orders.”]

Again: Chikusa might be the brain to Ken’s brawn, but he still defers to Mukuro. In most cases, anyway. If Mukuro wants to be a melodramatic dumpster fire (which is always), then Chikusa will go along with it so long as it’s not a Really Stupid Idea. This means that, even when Chikusa is well aware that he’s being asked to do something which isn’t particularly in his skillset, he’ll go along with it, trusting the ends to justify the means and that Mukuro will be happy with the results. 

Also, I would just like to point out how Gokudera continues to recognize Chikusa’s talents. While he was more obvious about it when he identified Chikusa as a legit hitman in their first encounter, he’s also subtly acknowledging him when he addresses the fact that Chikusa could have been a much bigger problem for Tsuna and Bianchi (especially with them going to the only entrance to the next floor). Not only is Chikusa’s observational skills good in chaotic situations, as I mentioned before, but his weapon of choice also means that he could have gone for a wide spread of areas and been guaranteed at least one hit. 

And when the weapon involves poison... Sometimes a single hit is all that’s really needed. 

In all honesty, I think that some of the only reasons Chikusa even gets through the fights he does participate in would have to do with his dexterity... and a certain theory of mine. 

Let’s rewind back to the first fight he has with Gokudera. For all that he technically won it, Chikusa is still in incredibly shitty condition. But.... 

[image: three panels, depicting a group of adults and announcements that the police have arrived. Chikusa: “You’re Ken’s prey... It’ll be trouble if I intervened.. I need a shower...” And he shuffles off with a trail of blood behind him.]

I want everyone to bear in mind that, at NO point in his battle with Gokudera does Chikusa actually.... react to the attacks that are being leveled against him. Oh, sure, he responds to the physics of it all. When there’s an explosion, he’s blown back, or whatever, but he doesn’t really show any indication that he’s being hurt. That he’s feeling pain. 

And then he just... Shuffles to his shitty base. In the middle of nowhere. While evading police. Despite leaving an actual trail of blood behind him. 

When he finally arrives back in front of Mukuro, I’m fairly certain the reason he collapsed was because his actual body realized it couldn’t go any further, not because he was tired from all the pain he SHOULD HAVE TECHNICALLY been in. 

Here’s a question for any reader that’s beared with me this long: If all the Estraneo family experimented on all of the kids... What was done to Chikusa?

We know what they did to Mukuro, in giving him that eye. We know what they did to Ken, in giving him his teeth. Yet Chikusa does not display any such abilities so blatantly. While Mukuro and Ken showcase their abilities in all of their fights, Chikusa just comes to the party with yoyos and stubbornness. 

However... I think we’re given a hint of what was done to him, although it is only shown in the manga and the anime shows absolutely nothing similar to it. It’s only a single panel, and it’s not commented upon in any way. It’s during the final chapter of the Kokuyo Arc, where Ken is talking about their history with the Estraneo. In just one panel, we see a pair of Estraneo adults with one of them commenting “We’re still far from being able to use it.” At their feet is a small boy, with short black hair, bandages wrapped around his head, glasses on his face... and flames burning from his extremities. 

For anyone who pays attention during the Future Arc, it can be seen that Chikusa wears a ring with a blue stone in it. Thus, we can be pretty sure that Chikusa has Rain Flames, like Yamamoto, or Squalo. 

So.... What I feel happened is that the particular Estraneo experiments that Chikusa was subject to had to do with manipulating Dying Will Flames. Really, from what we can tell, most of the (successful) experiments were! Mukuro’s eye relies on the spiritual, an aspect that Mist is extremely connected to. Ken’s Channels are probably extremely reliant on the Sun Flame’s activation attribute. 

As for Chikusa... It’s hard to say what the intention could have been for Rain Flames. The flashback has the adults saying it’s essentially an incomplete experiment, and there’s no telling if they ever finished it before Mukuro slaughtered the entire Family. Yet I don’t think it’s much of a leap to say that Rain Flame’s “tranquility” factor could be adjusted until its owner couldn’t feel pain at all. 

[northshorehealthandfitness]

Top 3 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Clients

Man, I’ve got a treat for everyone today. Charles Staley, mentor, strength and conditioning connoisseur, and titan in this industry, reached out recently and asked if he could write a little sumthin, sumthin for the site.

Is water wet?

Is grass green?

Is Aragorn, also known as Strider, and son of Arathorn II, the High King of Gondor and Arnor?

Um, yeah.

Enjoy my friends. This is good.

Copyright: venezolana74 / 123RF Stock Photo

3 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Clients

It’s probably just natural to assume that in a teacher/student relationship, the transfer of knowledge only travels in a single direction. Over the years however, I’ve found that this assumption is far from the truth. In fact, there’s even a well-known saying that you may have heard:

“When one teaches, two learn.”

In fact, if I’m being honest, the primary reason I became a coach in the first place was to learn more about the subjects I intended to coach. I’ve often remarked that you might be confident in your knowledge of a topic, but only when you attempt to teach this topic successfully do you discover the gaps in your understanding.

In fact, Cal Newport, the best selling author of the highly acclaimed book Deep Work, passionately advocates a studying technique that he claims will dramatically reduce the time it takes to learn a subject — it’s called Active Recall.

  This method is disarmingly simple, yet it requires a very high level of discipline.

Very simply, you first read the materials you’re attempting to learn, and then (this is where the rubber hits the road) you stand up in front of an imaginary classroom and teach what you just learned (or more often than not, what you thought you just learned).

Very quickly, you’ll be painfully aware of the gaps in your understanding. So, back to the books, then deliver another lecture to your imaginary students, rinse and repeat until you’ve got it down cold.

In a very real sense, the methods and philosophy I currently impart to my clients is almost entirely built upon the backs of my previous clients: these are the people who, through their successes and failures, not to mention their often challenging questions, are largely responsible for what I know today.

So with those thoughts as an introductory backdrop, here the top 3 lessons I’ve learned from my clients over the years:

Lesson # One: The Clients Who Communicate With Me The Most, End Up Doing The Best

It’s very common for my clients to apologize when they think they’re asking too many questions, but what they probably don’t appreciate is that I’m actually relieved when clients ask lots of questions, because that demonstrates that they are highly invested in what they’re learning.

Translation: long-term, happy client.

Translation #2: Happy coach.

By contrast, the worst thing I can hear from a new client is along the lines of “Please just tell me what to do.” Words to this effect send a strong signal that my client need a high level of external reinforcement, which leads me to…

Lesson # Two: I’m Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea (And That’s OK With Me)

Now don’t miss my point — there’s nothing “wrong” with just wanting to be told what to do. If I were to hire someone to help me with something I found particularly challenging, I’d probably do the same thing.

Of course, whenever you need significant external support from a teacher or coach, your chances of long-term success are reduced. Thankfully however, there are some very good coaches who are remarkably successful with clients like this — I’m just not one of them.

And that’s OK — a cardinal rule of marketing is to avoid trying to be all things to all people.

Identify and constantly reinforce your specific strengths, and then restrict your marketing efforts to that narrow slice of the population who can benefit most from what those strengths happen to be. My primary market is highly-motivated (although not necessarily advanced) “over-40” men and women (And, for reasons that continue to elude me, for some reason, nearly all of my local clients are women, and nearly all my online clients are men. Seriously, I have no idea why).

It’s very common for new coaches and trainers to feel they don’t know enough to train other people, and while that may be true, I’ve been studying my craft for over 30 years, and in complete honesty, I have never had more questions than I have today.

Sure, I’m very good at a small handful of things, but I’m also completely incompetent in a much, much larger number of subjects and topics. The key to managing your competencies and shortcomings is to 1) know the difference between the two, and 2) stay within your wheelhouse when working with your clients. When issues arise that you’re not qualified to deal with, refer them out to other pros who are.

Both client and colleague will respect you for this.

Lesson # Three: It’s OK To Be Weird

In case you haven’t noticed, the fitness marketplace is a very crowded place. If you’re just like everyone else, well, you kinda get lost in the sauce, don’t you?

Lots of coaches have insecurities about the various idiosyncrasies and/or perceived inadequacies that they may have, but to them I say, embrace and even promote whatever makes you stand out.

In my own case, I don’t know if I’m weird exactly, but compared to most trainers, I probably stand out in a couple of different ways:

I’m older than most trainers (58 to be exact). Yes, the average age of the American population is slowly increasing, but fitness coaching is still a young person’s game by and large.

  I’m not especially well-built. Don’t get me wrong — my physique probably puts me in the top 1% of guys my age. But, compared to some of the guys I respect and look up to, I’m nothing special at all.

The previous two points actually work in my favor as it turns out, and here’s why: Although I’m of retirement age and “skinny” (6’2” and currently 190 pounds), I’m actually pretty strong. And (I almost forgot to include this point) I’m not all busted up like a lot of my older lifting buddies. In recent months, I’ve deadlifted 465 for 3 reps, done 8 pull-ups with 25 pounds strapped to my waist, and I’ve benched a pair of 90-pound dumbbells for 10 reps. And, I have no pain at all, ever. Nothing hurts. Now what’s interesting about all this is that, as much as I’d love to be a conspicuously muscular 240 pounds, I’ve found that many of my current male clients hired me specifically because they know they can’t be, or don’t want to be big muscular dudes. But, they DO want to be strong and athletic. And those guys my age who are bigger and stronger than me? I’m not their cup of tea obviously, and that’s perfectly understandable.

  Finally, although I assure you that I’m not terribly smart, I do seem to attract an intelligent breed of client. This is no doubt due to all the writing I’ve done over the years, or it may also be because I probably resemble a university professor more than a bodybuilder. Or (and I’d like to think this is closest to the truth), through my writing and coaching, it’s clear that I’ve thought a LOT about what I teach. And it’s also abundantly clear that I walk my talk. I’ve been living and breathing this stuff for over 3 decades now, and I’d like to think it comes across to prospective clients.

  I don’t really give a shit what other coaches do or don’t do. Now just to clarify, there are MANY coaches who I deeply respect and who I seek to learn from whenever I get the chance. What I mean here is that I am confident in my approach and what teach, and it doesn’t sway me one bit that my methods are different than many of my colleagues.  I don’t have clients do direct arm, calf, or ab work when they train with me — most trainers do. I don’t use “functional training,” whatever that is. I don’t use stabilization exercises. I don’t like forced reps, and I don’t text with my buddies or perv on nearby women as I’ve seen many, many trainers do. Again, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.

Bottom line: You might view some of your unique characteristics as shortcomings, when in truth they may actually be strengths. Be yourself and embrace whatever makes you “weird,” because that’s what will help you stand out to all the folks who actually appreciate your weirdness.

Coaching Is A Privilege That I’m Deeply Grateful For

One sad aspect of my professional community that I sometimes notice is an unsettling tendency for some trainers to view their less-fit clients as somehow inferior, simply because they might be carrying a few extra pounds, or because they don’t know how to lift.

As if fitness is the only thing that matters in life.

News flash: You can (and many people do) live a perfectly long, healthy, and satisfying life without EVER exercising or counting carbs — crazy right? Imagine — some people actually focus their energy on their careers, or their family, or other hobbies. The idea of a perfectly balanced life sounds good in theory, but it’s terribly difficult to pull off in reality.

So to my trainer friends, please remember that your clients have lots of skills and talents (and challenges for that matter) that you probably don’t even know about. And to my client friends, thank you for all you teach us during our time together in the gym. We can’t do what we do without you.

About the Author

Charles Staley is known as an iconoclast and a leading influencer in the fitness arena. His reputation and self-effacing style have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show, along with numerous radio and podcast appearances. He has authored more than 1000 articles for leading fitness publications and websites, and has lectured to eager audiences around the World.

 Charles is not only a thinker, but also a doer: At age 58, he competes in the sport of raw powerlifting, and is a 3-time World Champion (220 and 198-pound weight classes). His popular online coaching program (Staley Strategies) allows people to train under his expert guidance, regardless of where they live.

 Find Charles online HERE.

The post Top 3 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Clients appeared first on Tony Gentilcore.

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[truedogs-blog1]

The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier - Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

 “Remember that the most beautiful things in the world

are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.”                                                            Ruskin

 The Mongrel with the Mumps

             When Someone unfamiliar with the breed gets his first look at an assortment of American Pit Bull Terriers, he may be singularly unimpressed. These dogs, after all, lack the uniformity of show breeds. Some have large heads, while others, by comparison, have rather narrow heads. Some of the dogs are small, and even the big ones look like friendly smooth-coated retrievers. What these dogs have in common is not readily apparent to the casual observer. The trained eye, however, notes the whipcord bodies, the agile movement, and vise-like jaws possessed by even the narrow-headed dogs. All the dogs, from the smallest to the largest, have a tigerish aura. Even so, few people would no believe that these dogs are the very ultimate in canine formidability.            The supremacy of the American Pit Bull Terrier has been demonstrated time and again. When we consider that this breed has been bred for fighting for at least several hundred years, and more likely several thousand, years, it is not surprising that it would triumph, regardless of size, over other breeds that had not themselves been so bred. However, fifty and sixty-pound Pit Bulls have conquered 120-pound Tosas in Japan, and those dogs have been bred for fighting. Why does the American Pit Bull Terrier enjoy such an overwhelming advantage? The answer is not completely clear, but I think it has something to do with the length of time the breeds have been bred for the purpose. Obviously, the Pit Bull is a purer descendant of the ancient fighting dogs that the other breeds.            Of course, some people will be repulsed by the breed exactly because of its lusty enjoyment of fighting contact and its deadly efficiency therein. So be it. The breed is not for everyone. In fact, a Pit Bull owner should be a more responsible person than your average dog owner. One of the problems of the APBT breed is that while it requires responsible ownership, its appeal is all too often to the irresponsible types – but not always. Some truly eminent people have involved themselves with these dogs. “But why would anyone want such a dog?” is often asked – usually to the amusement of those of us who wonder anyone bothers with any other kind! Perhaps a more valid and more perplexing point is why anyone would take an interest in dogfighting. The point should be made that the most minute fraction of Pit Bull owners are involved, but even with these, how do we explain their interest?            To look at this from a more objective perspective, let’s consider horse racing. Now, we all know that the sport of horse racing is populated by a large number of shady characters; however, there is no denying that there are also lots of good people, too. Intelligent me (and women) are absolutely obsessed with the ownership and breeding of racing thoroughbreds. And many of these people are captains of industry of at the pinnacle of success in other fields; yet their greatest passion is for these horses, and their greatest joy is from whatever success they achieve with them. But why is it so fascinating, this “Sport of Kings”? After all, the slowest automobile travels faster with ease, and other animals, some smaller than the thoroughbred, can run faster, too. But it doesn’t matter. We all understand, to a greater or lesser degree, that fascination in such things is not irrational.            All right, then, let’s consider the seemingly irrational interest many have in pit dogs. First of all, fighting is a much more complex activity than simple running, with many variables and complications involved. Further, the American Pit Bull Terrier reigns absolutely supreme in this area. Other animals anywhere at all near his size have no chance. In addition, because of his great strength, agility, and courage, the APBT is good for other things besides fighting. As a bonus, the Pit Bull is intelligent, is affectionate, and has possibly the most stable disposition of all dogs.            There are many ways that the American Pit Bull Terrier is unique. Let’s just take one trait as an example. A disproportionately large number of Pit Bulls are able to climb trees. There seem to be two explanations for this fact. First, Pit Bulls are extremely strong-willed animals, and if there is something in that tree that they want, they’ll find a way to get up there! Second, Pit Bulls use their forelegs in battle for leverage, much as a wrestler uses his arms. This makes the forelegs, in some ways, more human-like and capable of grasping. All this, coupled with the characteristic strength of the breed, enables many individuals to climb trees.            In any case, I think anyone with a semblance of an open mind can see that there is plenty to be fascinated about in regard to these animals. They are much more complex than racehorses, and they are such a distinctive breed that it is difficult to be satisfied with anything else once you’ve owned one. This is all the more remarkable when we take into account that the breed is more trouble to keep than most (since they must be kept separated from other dogs) and that they are not particularly good-looking—in many people’s eyes, anyway! In fact, my friend Professor Lutz, who has kept a number of different breeds but is now absolutely sold on Pit Bulls, has dubbed this dog “the mongrel with the mumps” because of its often non-classic appearance. (Actually, I’ve always felt that the APBT took the prizes in both directions. While some are laughably homely or horrifyingly ugly, others have a distinctive grace and elegance.)            It is probably natural to jump to the conclusion that those drawn to the Pit Bull want an animal with fighting propensities; hence, they would be dissatisfied with any other breed. That premise would hold only for a very small percentage of APBT owners, as the vast majority are not at all interested in the fighting aspect of the dogs. However, even this great throng of “pacifists” would not be inclined to condemn dogfighting out of hand, as the general public does, for they have come to know their charges will enough to acknowledge the simple fact that letting them fight is about as cruel as allowing a bird to fly.            Regarding the small percentage of owners that are interested in the pit aspect of the APBT, the reader might think that even if the contests are remarkably complex and exciting, any interest generated would be dampened by the brutality involved. However, once you know what you’re looking at and seeing, a pit dog contest gives no more impression of brutality than a marathon race or, better yet, America’s favorite sport, pro football.            In any case, it is not my intent to proselytize the general public—or anyone!—to dogfighting. However, in view of the fact that I am obviously a big fan of Pit Bulls (the product of countless years of pit fighting), it would be an incongruity—not to mention an absolute hypocrisy—for me to condemn it. My main concern is that if pit fighting is made to seem worse than it actually is, the resulting public outcry will result in the passage of laws that will make it downright hazardous to own a Pit Bull. There are other pernicious effects of such legislation, and I’ll have more to say about that later on.            The point of this entire chapter is that the Pit Bull is a truly unique breed. Of course, all breed owners think that about their particular breed, but in the case of the American Pit Bull Terrier, it’s really true! That is why people, good people, demonstrate a steadfast loyalty to the breed in spite of everything. And there is surely no other breed with which such devotion—and yes, courage, too—is needed. In addition to unusual devotion and responsibility to his dogs, the Pit Bull owner must be strong-minded, for he will find the general public’s attitude toward his favorite breed to be completely negative and often hostile. It doesn’t help to know that these poor fools know not one whit what they’re talking about. And you don’t know whether to be amused or depressed by observing people conditioned by animal-welfare groups and the news media, in effect, jumping through hoops and insisting this attitude was their own idea! (The humane groups train the public through the news media to react to the Pit Bull in a negative way.) In any case, if you are going to own one of these “dogs of iron,” you had best have a little steel in your own makeup, too! Those that do will be repaid many times by their dog. As for the ignoramuses who can be such a nuisance, let us be patient and tolerant. Perhaps even a little pity might be in order. Not everyone is able to appreciate a good American Pit Bull Terrier and to enjoy the special thrill of owning one.

Stratton, Richard F. Chapter One. The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier. New York: TFH Publications, 1983. 9-13. Print.