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444lpblue · 11 months ago

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The Witch and the Beast Anime's Outlook

I've finally awakened from my anime slump and have been catching up on a lot of anime. I learned my lesson about trying to do too much and watch too many shows. Therefore, I'm going to limit the number of anime I watch going forward so that I actually have time to write about them. I was barely finding time to watch the shows I've decided to begin, let alone write about them. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable now after grinding a ton, and I would like to talk about one of my anxiety-inducing and highly anticipated anime, The Witch and the Beast.

If you didn't know, The Witch and the Beast is possibly one of my favorite mangas of all time, if not my absolute favorite. It's very under the radar, and I think if you love the world of Ancient Magus Bride or enjoy The Case Study of Vanitas and want a darker twist with a highly aesthetically pleasing art style, I think you should give it a try. But back to the anime, like most people when their manga get adapted, when I first heard it was announced, I was extremely excited—after all, who wouldn't be? Getting an anime adaptation is probably one of the things you wish for your favorite series. After months of confirmation, we finally got the first teaser PV, which looked fine (I did have some complaints about it, but it was mostly fine). We learned that the studio working on it is Yokohama Animation Lab.

If you've been watching anime recently, you might have come across some of Yokohama Animation Lab's works, as they have been quite active since 2017. They have produced visually appealing shows such as Miru Tights and Lapis Re:LiGHTs. However, more recently, they've released shows with less-than-stellar visuals, like Kingdoms of Ruin, The Great Cleric, and Rail Romanesque 2. Even their highest-rated show at the moment, The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt, doesn't exactly have amazing animation quality; it's more of a passable-looking show. Which made the studio choice a huge large concern for me, as The Witch and the Beast is a series that relies a lot on its visuals. It's an integral part to the enjoyment of the series, it's a series that relies on its aesthetically pleasing artwork for the sake of showing off the characters and the worldbuilding.

However, studios aren't people, and I didn't want to adopt an incredibly negative outlook because the people working on it will change over time, and anime relies heavily on freelancers. The quality of the anime you see from individual studios will differ greatly. But there is a difference in that aspect to an extent in Yokohama Animation Lab, much like in this interview said. They are looking to become more of an in-house studio rather than freelance due to the costs of subscription programs. Oogami Yuuma emphasizes that while digitalization in anime is often viewed as a cost-cutting measure, setting up the required digital environment can be initially expensive. So they are seeking a cost-effective solution. His statement, to this day, still rings pretty true. If you look at the staff for Yokohama's series episode by episode, you might be surprised that a majority of the episodes do seem to involve in-house staff more than the average anime. However, that doesn't seem great when their recent quality, especially in shows like Kingdoms of Ruin, has been rather atrocious. In all visual aspects, animation (incredibly lacking), storyboarding (low quality and not engaging, scene flow to eachother like a slideshow), compositing (incredibly jarring). The only thing I can praise about it is its art direction.

I mentioned Kingdoms of Ruin specifically as it does share several key staff with The Witch and the Beast and I think it's just worth mentioning. Now with all that being said you can see how my worry for the adaptation was incredibly large at the time (in the fact it still is), but I've lessen my worry of it when I tried to look at the individual staffs working on this show and the stafflist of the recent Yokohama shows.

Unfortunately, I did sit through some episodes of Kingdoms of Ruin (do not recommend), and I found it interesting that the staff list for the show was rather small at times— a lot of animation directors, but not many actual animators. For example, one of the action-heavy episodes only had a singular key animator. It's as if they didn't have enough staff. I would say that Kingdoms of Ruin is of lower quality than even the average Yokohama series.

This got me thinking, where are the staff going? Well, there are several options. Yokohama has some upcoming releases, but unquestionably, their biggest series coming out is Whisper Me a Love Song (which I also love), followed by The Witch and the Beast. The other two upcoming series are not nearly gaining as much traction.

This is all just a guess that likely won't amount to anything, but just the type of series that The Witch and the Beast is and the fact that it's the series coming right after Kingdoms of Ruin, I think it's possible that it will end up benefiting from the staff that was missing from that series. I feel like Yokohama will try to put more effort into this series, considering they didn't opt for their usual newbies and completely in-house directors; rather, they got a veteran director in Takayuki Hamana.

Hamana has been in the industry for an incredibly long time, but chances are you haven't heard of him. Recently, he directed Power of Hope Precure Full Bloom, which had a lot of great cuts from what I've seen. He has also recently finished working on the Sorcerous Stabber Orphen series, which didn't receive the best reception (more so for its rushed nature rather than visuals). Additionally, he worked on the Rakudai Majo movie recently, which unfortunately doesn't have an English release yet.

While it's not like these recent shows have the best ratings on MAL or other sites, it tends not to be because of the visuals but rather the story, over which he likely didn't have much control, especially in the case of Precure. He's very much capable of delivering a good product if the source material and the script are solid. Beast Player Erin is his highest-rated work, but he also has shows like Library Wars or Arte, which I know many people like.

In studios like Yokohama, I always tend to favor veteran directors, as they have been in more situations and will likely be able to find a way to maintain quality better than newbie directors; their industry connections should allow them to get external staff to help out. Hamana has shown evidence of this many times, even in the rushed release of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and the hazardous release pace of each season. They all still managed to have well-animated cuts here and there, and that has been a trend for a majority of his series.

If you just put some of his randomly directed series on Sakugabooru, for example, you'll find that every one of his series tends to have cuts listed there. I think this is a testament that Hamana, while he won't always make the best shows, knows who to bring in and how to manage them for the more important parts of a show. He's a very consistent director, and I think he's someone who could and likely will benefit The Witch and the Beast's studio situation a lot in terms of its production quality. Whether you'll like his directing style (which tends to remind most of 2008s anime) is an entirely different matter, but he is a source of hope in terms of its production quality.

And you know with all this talk of Yokohama and the many people, like me worried for The Witch and the Beast's quality, while I may not be a fan of the many visual direction choice that has been shown in the PV, we haven't gotten any real evidence that the production quality or animation quality will be bad. From the most recent PV and likely final PV, the character designs look fairly well-maintained for the most part. Close-ups are impressive. I also like the expressions for them, strong eye work. Overall CAD work seems good.

Though, essentially, there isn't a lot of animation shown, so that aspect of it can't really be touched on at the moment. So, conclusion? It's a really lazy thing to say since I made you read through this long spew of mine, but I don't really know either. It really is a wait-and-see situation; however, I do encourage you not to write it off just because of the studio choice. A good pick in a director like Hamana, and some other staff I haven't even touched on, like the character design by Hiroya Ijima, and the external studio situation in terms of releases, provide hope for the series, and I genuinely believe that, at the very worst possible version of the series, it probably will be about the Genius Prince's visual quality, which isn't great but won't be a complete disaster. However, with Hamana at the helm, I do expect a better quality show than that.

I'll see you guys next time on January 11th when the show comes out, because, trust me, I will be there.

#the witch and the beast #majo to yajuu #winter 2024 #winter 2024 anime #anime

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tinyozlion · 1 year ago

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Parsing Gundam Wing:

A Field Guide to a Classic Anime

So, you’re watching Gundam Wing.

Maybe you’re seeing it for the first time, maybe you’re returning to it as a fan of yore, maybe, like me, you’re trying to introduce it to a friend. Perhaps you are watching the English dub, or with English subtitles– doesn’t matter. There’s only one script for both. You’re trying to make it through the first episode, and oh baby, oh baby– What is this pacing? Who are these people? Why do they talk like that? What the fuck is a battle seed? Yes, the robots are cool, but the rest seems like a cursed soap opera. You are understandably hesitant to continue.

This is normal.

Take my hand. Shh, shh, come to my arms. You are safe now. I’m here to help. Welcome, brave explorer, to a classic 90's anime that once took America by storm. It’s very good. No, really, I promise, it’s very good.

Now, I can’t promise that you’ll love it! If the Space Opera And Ethics Course With Hot People and Robot Fights genre isn't for you, that's fine, take some hummus and go in peace my friend.

But the rest of you… we are brothers now.

Gundam Wing was lightning in a bottle when it first came out in North America, but even if that particular explosive debut will never come again, I think there’s still a wealth of enjoyment to be had for new fans– especially if like me you love stories that have a lot of depth, a lot of crunch, a lot of rewatch value, a lot of iterative shipping possibilities.

I realize that we live in an era of total media saturation; the notion of investing time in ANYTHING new these days is a tough sell. There are infinitely many things to watch, read, play, listen to-- so how do you justify getting into something that’s kinda old and a little janky? With some parts that haven’t aged as well as others? Something that maybe takes a bit of extra participation to get into?

...As a spoonful of medicine to help ease the media-fatigue, let me share with you something that I've found true in my life: rough edges invite you to participate in creation.

Stories that invite (or demand, or beg) you to participate in them have their own unique value, completely distinct from the value of those that satisfy you immediately; they will reward you for investing in them your time, your creativity, your curiosity.

And I think this is one of those stories! I genuinely want more people to play in this sandbox with me! So, here I am, making a blog about it.

--This is my guidebook to getting into Gundam Wing. It is intended to be a sort of companion, a primer-- maybe a walkthrough? An invitation? to this complex and juicy series.

This won't be a fan wiki-- those already exist, thank goodness, and people can check those out for themselves-- rather, I'd like to make this a repository of context and insight, and to fill in those troublesome missing pieces in the show that are big stumbling blocks to understanding what's going on!

I want to give you what I didn’t have when I started this series back in anno domini two-thousand-and-naught:

All the damn information.

Naturally, there will be more drawings, memes, crabs, very stupid gifs, and probably some crying throughout. And you have my word that I will try and present this in a comprehensive, inclusive, character-agnostic way.

...That said, I am not stealthy! I cannot possibly disguise the fact that I’ve given exponentially more thought to certain characters than to others. You will almost certainly be able to tell when you’ve encountered my Blorbos, my Special Interests--

(Shh, Tinylion! Back in your teapot!)

--But! Look into my eyes. Here is an Absolute, Unwavering Truth about me:

I love, or at least love something about, Every. Single. Character in Gundam Wing. and I will do my absolute damndest to give them each their due diligence, because they're worth it, and so are you.

Thank you for coming, I hope you enjoy whatever you find here ♥

~ Wesley, and to a lesser extent, TinyLion

#Parsing Post #Gundam Wing #TinyOZlion #tinyozlion pgw

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mobagehelllocal · 4 years ago

Note

D, E, O, T & U for the Tweels, Leona & Malleus?

A/N: Ohoho... Thank you for requesting!

all characters featured are depicted as 18+

warning: explicit content below cut!

Leona Kingscholar

Dirty Secret:

As his romantic feelings for you began to grow, he grew quite territorial. He was always by your side. There were some days that his gaze would linger on your form more often than not. It was his instincts telling him that you were the perfect mate to bear his cubs.

He would always be more willing to stay close with you, instinctively attempting to brush his scent on you--and make it clear to others that you were his. You probably never realised it, but it happens on days when you’re fertile.

Experience:

Leona isn’t as experienced as people think he is--he knows enough about the mating process and how his own body reacts to women in heat--but male Lions don’t actually have heat nor do they experience ruts.

As a Prince of Afterglow Savanna, he certainly is taught how to pleasure a woman, but he’s never really seen or wanted to have sex. However, as a male lion, he doesn’t get into the mood often... unless you’re in the mood.

Oral:

Leona can be quite the unbearable tease. He loves to watch you fall a part with his fingers and his tongue. He also never actually let’s you come though--he’d prefer you did that when he’s inside you and you could do it together.

Leona actually doesn’t expect you to perform oral for him, nor is it something he actively seeks out. He also (with your consent) would prefer to come inside your core, rather than your mouth.

Toy:

He might dabble with a few toys--maybe a vibrator. He’ll tease you almost to your peak--but he’ll stop right before that, because he prefers that the two of you reach your release together.

He still prefers good old fucking though. His brows twitch just a little at the thought that he might not be pleasing you enough if you’re thinking about toys. “haah? more? it’s my turn, herbivore.”

Unfair:

Male lions don’t really get heats or ruts--they have sex when the female lions get into heats. So most of the time, when Leona gets frisky, it’s because you’re feeling particularly horny. There’s absolutely no point in attempting to hide how much you want him--he can smell it on you from a mile away.

That being said, he can be very unfair because he makes it his personal mission to ensure that you’re so pleased--you can’t say anything to his smirking face.

Jade Leech

Dirty Secret:

Jade has incredible control of his base instincts, and often spends most of the lovemaking process driving you close to orgasm countless times with just foreplay. Even when you actually do have sex, Jade is still--most of the time--in control. Most of your sessions is you being pleasured to exhaustion, and he hadn’t even removed his pants yet.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to be rough with you, he does to some extent, but--it’s almost a dominance thing. He likes seeing you fall a part in his arms--he likes seeing all the different faces you make when he touches you in a certain way. To do that--he has to be in complete control.

Experience:

Probably has had some experience before you. If anything, he’s at least experimented with other people--enough so he knows what he wants and likes from sex.

If you ask him how to please him in bed, he’s more than willing to tell you exactly what he likes. He’s thrilled that you’re invested in learning more about him. On his end, he’ll learn things about your body and kinks that you could have never thought of.

Oral:

He certainly enjoys giving you oral--he loves the way your expression twist into utter bliss. He especially finds it amusing when you, particularly worked up--actually tangle your fingers into his hair and push your lower body into his face.

It’s something he won’t ask for--but a certain thrill will shoot up his spine when you ask him to let you give him oral. In turn, he’ll find it very exciting to tell you exactly how he likes it. When his cum spills onto your face, his eyes darken quite a bit--your expression in that moment made Jade’s impeccable control slip.

Toys:

He’s entertained the thought of slipping a vibrator into your heat, and sending you to enjoy your day as you normally would. He’d want to watch you tremble, and shiver as he adjusts the settings from a distance. The only reason he doesn’t actually do this, is because he doesn’t want any of the other students seeing your expressions and, or getting any ideas from the likely scent emanating from you.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) for you, the bedroom is free game. He loves to see how far he can tease you with his array of toys before he finally let’s you come. He will never do anything you’re uncomfortable about. He’s also likely to let you tease him with his own toys--just to see what type of look will cross your face when he gives you ‘power.’

Unfair:

He’s one of the biggest teases from the Twisted cast. He’ll drive you as close as possible to your orgasm, before going hands off again. Rinse and repeat, until you’re crying and begging him to just let you fall.

He also enjoys watching you play with yourself--whether with your fingers, or pushing in a particularly thick dildo into your own body--his eyes are ever attentive and his smile calm as he tells you to--“go deeper, my dear.” .

Floyd Leech

Dirty Secret:

He’s the type of person who would actually willingly do it in public with you. He’ll push you into a corner--hidden behind the stairs, and fuck you silly. When other students (especially those with animal features) turn to you (because they can smell it on you), Floyd will simply give them a smug grin.

He’s also very much the type of person who will purposely mark you in very noticeable places. If he’s aware that he put a mark somewhere on your body that you didn’t know--pretend, your nape--he’ll move your hair aside just so people could see it.

Experience:

Somehow, I think he has less experience than Jade, but likely more experience than Azul. There’s a chance the farthest he’s gone with other people is oral sex or just foreplay because nobody manages to hold his interest long enough for him to want to have sex.

Because of his personality, I think Floyd isn’t the type of person who’d be approached often and propositioned for sex. This is fine with him, he’s mostly uninterested with it anyways... until you.

Oral:

He very much enjoys it when you perform oral on him--he loves the way your mouth feels around his cock. If you’re willing to deep throat him, Floyd would absolutely loose it--his hands would tangle in your hair, and force you down on his cock as far as you can go.

He’s not really interested in giving you oral--he will if he’s in the mood for eating you out in particular. But most of the time during sex, he doesn’t always consider that you might want it. You often have to ask--and doing that can take awhile.

Toys:

He certainly finds them interesting and fun. He’ll use them on you to tease you as much as possible. However, there’s a chance that he’ll quickly grow bored of using it and shift onto pounding you into the bed. He’s also... iffy with toys sometimes. Like, you can say he sometimes gets jealous that the toy was receiving your warm squeezes instead of his cock.

If he’s in a particularly good or patient mood, he’ll let you use some toys on him. He thinks its cute if you try to put him in hand cuffs. Though be warned, no matter how much power you think you have in that moment--the moment Floyd doesn’t feel like it, he’ll reverse the situation immediately.

Unfair:

He’s very unfair, but not in the same way as Jade as that he’d tease you. He’ll tease you, certainly, but not with words. He’ll come out of nowhere to press his body against yours, and you’ll feel his hard cock through his pants--“shrimpy~ let’s do it right now~”

He’s unfair in the sense that you’ll find it very difficult to refuse him when he’s in the mood. He’s also the type to get turned on, and to stay turned on for quite awhile--so sessions with him are always long, exhausting--and you certainly can’t walk the next day.

Malleus Draconia

Dirty Secret:

Whenever the two of you engage in lovemaking, he’s incredible soft and slow with it. He’s always incredibly romantic, with it--but the truth of the matter is that he wants to be as rough with you as possible. He wants to lose himself to the sensation of your warmth--but if he does that, he’s likely to destroy the whole dorm... so he won’t.

He’s also alarmingly aware of how fragile the mortal form is, so he’ll never budge on this. He’ll prefer never to treat you roughly, and will always go for slow, romantic sex. Actually seeing hickeys, or the lightest bruises on you--genuinely upsets him, and he’ll have to be coaxed into having sex with you again.

Experience:

Well... given that he wasn’t even allowed to show up in front of Eliza... He probably knows how sex works, and he’s likely at least have done it a few times. You can probably count the number of times with just two hands but... He’s never really understood the pleasure aspect.

That is until he had you in his bed, and your scent in his sheets. It’s only then did Malleus completely understand what the hype with sex was.

Oral:

He finds it very intriguing--there’s just something so enchanting and intoxicating about the way you’re spread across his bed--quivering--your eyes dazed as he made you orgasm with his mouth.

That being said, when you do oral on him--Malleus is a goner. He never expected that something like this could be enjoyable--and he might break the bed post with how hard he’s holding it as you suck him off.

Toys:

He would hesitate to use them because he’s not so sure how to--nor did Lilia inform him of them when he was given the birds and bees a few hundred years ago. While he’s willing to test them on you, he’s more likely to just get excited and go straight for the main course.

Because you encouraged him and let him test some toys on you, he’ll agree to let you test some other toys on him too. However, he’ll be pretty clear with you when it’s something he doesn’t like.

Unfair:

He’s actually very fair as a lover. He’s not the type to tease you too much--and he’d rather the two of you enjoy your lovemaking as much as possible. For the centuries he’s been alive, nothing has ever made him feel like this at all--so he’ll enjoy it as much as possible.

That being said, he’s not above a few coy, “ohoh? you must want me a lot, bright one.” But he’ll never tease you beyond that--he’s just as eager as you to share these moments together.

#twst headcanons #ai spicy alphabet #leona spicy alphabet #jade spicy alphabet #floyd spicy alphabet #malleus spicy alphabet #aiwrites #aiheadcanons #aithirsts #ai simps over jade #ai simps over floyd #ai simps over malleus #ai grudgingly simps over leona

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script-nef · 4 years ago

Text

An actual break | Gojou Satoru

Category: fluff

2.6k words; Beach date [4/6]

← Previous chapter | Masterlist

You haven’t been to the beach in months. So a car trip for hours, where you can blank out and peer out of the window to enjoy the wonderful and ever-changing scenery is amazing. Dipping your feet in the water or eating from food vendors or enjoying the warm summer sun on your skin. Perhaps getting a tan if the weather is perfect. This would all be perfectly enjoyable and possible.

If it wasn’t for work.

“[Surname]-san, why are you coming with us? You said you can’t fight.” Itadori calls from the backseat, nestled not-so-comfortably between Fushiguro and Kugisaki.

Wouldn’t it be better if Kugisaki is in the middle since she’s the smallest and the skinniest? The thought drifts into your head but you soon understand why. As soon as the words leave his mouth it’s met with a firm and resounding slap on the arm. Itadori’s yelp of pain is silenced under her hiss of “God, you’re so tactless! Now move over, it’s getting cramped with all of the bags.” Ah, she didn’t want to sit in the middle. And what bags? I didn’t bring any.

They keep their banter up and a quick glance to both Gojou and Fushiguro indicates that they have no intention of stopping it. Gojou is actually humming through the bickering. Why do I have to be the adult? He’s like, 5 years older than me. That’s literally what he said as the reason to drive instead of you.

“It’s fine, Kugisaki-san. I’m coming along because there’s been a lot of cursed spirit activity around here and I need to see if something abnormal is happening. I’m not going to get in the way of the fight so you don’t need to worry.” You send Itadori a smile through the back mirror which he responds with a quick nod, then a confused look.

“Isn’t that Gojou-sensei’s responsibilities?” The mentioned adult laughs and smoothly makes a right turn. You want to slap him.

“Normally, yes, but he insists on being insufferable.” You turn to face them, leaning onto the seat with a scowl. “The report he made was nearly illegible and last time something like this happened, and I had to sit down with him for 3 hours to complete it. Even then, he was going off topic half the time and trying to distract me. Itadori-kun, Kugisaki-san, listen to me. If he doesn’t do his work, you have to practically force him.”

“Doesn’t work.” Fushiguro comments while looking out the window. Gojou has the audacity to laugh again.

“We had a great time! You were laughing your head off by the time we were done.” A light tug on your shirt makes you sit back properly. The scowl stays in place.

“I missed dinner! And I missed the last episode of Haikyuu thanks to that!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll take it up by buying you dinner, okay?” He must be kidding if that makes up for missing your favourite anime. Kuroo came and went thanks to him. The car comes to an abrupt stop just as you’re about to complain again. “We have arrived!”

Salt wafts in the air as the sea twinkles underneath the afternoon sun. It’s hot today, and humid enough to make your clothes stick to your skin, which is gross. Sunny and warm means a swim will be ideal, but you have to take care of the whole recurring curses thing first. Previous reports have said that they were all mid-level, so hopefully Gojou’s students won’t have that much of a problem taking care of them. That also means they, including you as well, might have the opportunity to relax for the rest of the day.

The actual spot is somewhere in the nearby forest, filled thick with trees and so large that even if someone went missing it would take ages to search. An ideal hunting place since a lot of people visit there. Numbers dropped quite a bit after the fifth person “went missing”.

The first task is to cover the place with a curtain. Since the place is so large and not encompassing the entire place was deemed too risky, large amounts of cursed energy is required. Hence Gojou’s efforts right now.

“[Name]-san.” Kugisaki calls you. “Are you coming in with us?” Her voice is tentative, like she doesn’t want to offend you. It’s kind of funny because she shows more respect for you than her actual teacher for some reason. Gojou complained about it before. She doesn’t know the extent, or more accurately the lack of, your powers and has a right to be worried. All she knows is that you can’t fight.

“Ah, I am coming in, but I’ll stay far away from the fight. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“And I’ll be right by her side!” Gojou snaps into thin air, linking his arm with yours. “Your personal bodyguard! But I’m sure you guys can handle this one.” Still humming a tune, he sends them along their way with a reassuring smile. You smile at Kugisaki and wish her good luck. Shooting Gojou a suspicious glare, she runs ahead to the two boys and starts whispering. They look back at the two of you and get into what seems to be an argument. A bad thing to do right before a possibly life-threatening mission.

You watch the group disappear deeper into the woods, fear gripping at your heart. This is actually the first time in the field after years of being tucked away in an office. Ken-chan specifically requested it due to your unique cursed energy situation. Apparently that was the first time he asked for a favour to the principle and he never asked for anything again. They can handle themselves, you’re sure, but Itadori already had a close call.

“Worried?” Gojou, on the other hand, sounds like he has no concerns in the world. Maybe that’s a testament to how much he trusts his students. It doesn’t alleviate your agitation. “It’s fine, we can just take a break here and if trouble comes, they can take care of it themselves.” You stare at him incredulously. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! I’ll step in if something goes wrong. You’re all in safe hands.”

There is no one better than him in terms of fighting with cursed energy. How on earth someone like this gets imbued with endless power, you’ll never know. Sighing, you take a seat on a fallen log. The moss on them tickles your fingers. It feels nice, something to distract you from your brain being its usual bastard and thinking the worst case scenario. Gojou plops himself down right next to you.

“We can go see them if you’re that worried, mother hen.” Nudging his leg shuts him up. Closing your eyes, you concentrate on reaching out for their cursed energy. Eight signals flicker from where they went, three blazing stronger than the others. One of them is nearly blinding. Sukuna is on a completely different level. If there’s that much of a difference in energy, they’ll finish soon and come back to have fun for the rest of the day. God knows they need it.

Your eyes flit open and come face to face with Gojou’s blindfold. It causes you to fall backwards and you brace for impact with a little yelp. But Gojou’s arm surrounds your abdomen, lifting you into the air and onto your feet. Heartbeats thud in your ears thanks to the sudden adrenaline boost.

“Did I scare you?” His laugh is cheeky. “I’m bored… Wanna play 20 questions?” As usual, his train of thought is impossible to even attempt to follow. A window of hundreds of tabs wrestling to be the first all the time is probably what the inside of his mind looks like.

“Sure, why not.”

Fushiguro, Itadori and Kugisaki all perk up when they receive the news of a day off to enjoy the beach. Since it’s closed off to the civilians, it’ll be like a private party. Something to keep their mind off of another mission that’s bound to come soon.

While they run off to the beach, you go to talk to the park rangers for the paperwork. Gojou asks if you want company but someone needs to supervise the children. The process takes barely 10 minutes anyway.

When you come back to the beach, the trio is screaming in the sea while trying to fight each other. Even Fushiguro is laughing. Childlike innocence is beautiful and long overdue. Two huge parasols and towels are laid out nearby where they’re playing. Gojou is out of his usual attire and in a swimming trunk. His blindfold is still on. Is this what was in the bags?

Now that you look more closely at the students, they’re all in swimwear as well. Looks like you’re the only one that didn’t get a memo.

“Heya! Done?”

“No thanks to you, Mr The-Whole-Reason-I’m-Here-In-The-First-Place.” He laughs at the nickname.

“You should change.”

“I didn’t bring a swimsuit. Nobody told me and I was just thinking of dipping my feet.”

“Nobara brought you one. It’s in the bag labelled ‘If you look inside I’m going to kill you.’” Laughter comes out at the absurdity.

“Why did Kugisaki—”

“Because she wants you to relax. Now come on! Let’s have fun!” he pushes you excitedly towards the car. It’s really weird how someone your senior has more energy than you and his three students combined. Sighing, you trek back and find the bag. It really is labelled that, in caps. Kugisaki is a good kid.

There’s a bathroom nearby for you to change in. The wind is still pretty strong when you walk out but you’re saved thanks to the school jacket. There’s also a pair of flip-flops. Ken-chan must have helped since they all fit perfectly.

Itadori is being half-drowned when you come back. Fushiguro and Kugisaki are merciless when it comes to fighting. Gojou smiles as you walk into his line of sight. Scooting over to let you into the shade, he lies back onto the towel and stretches his legs out into the sun with a slight groan. You stay sitting up, watching the three children absentmindedly.

Sunlight tickles your feet. The sea breeze stops it from being too hot but it’s slowly getting stuffier under the jacket. Quickly discarding it, Gojou catches your eyes while you fold it up.

It’s impossible to tell if he’s awake or sleeping thanks to his signature blindfold, but this is the most relaxed you’ve seen him in years; hands folded behind his head and muscles completely loose. Small scars dot his body, probably gained from fights which he deemed insignificant enough to bother Shouko with or heal himself. In a way, it’s a reminder for all the battles he’s survived. Pretty easily too, you’re guessing. There’s a deep one on his stomach and your hand moves towards it for some reason.

Long fingers intercept your hand just before it touches the scratched skin, entwining themselves to you. One end of Gojou’s lips quirks up.

“I’m going to be embarrassed if you keep looking at my body, you know.” You immediately attempt to rip your hand back but he’s got you locked tight. He’s not even using Infinity. Heat threatens to explode your face because he’s been awake all this time and you’re going to die from shame. “If you wanted to touch me then you could have just asked.” Your fingers graze against the skin on his stomach for a split second but he loosens his grip and you will be damned if you don’t take that chance.

Gojou cackles, enjoying your flustered state, and he’s halfway to suffocation because he’s laughing too much. His instincts still allow him to move out of the way for your punch. Doesn’t stop him from laughing though. Even his students, who were screaming and playing like they didn’t have a care in the world, are looking at the two of you. God, where’s a hole for me to die in right now?

Eventually, his laughter dies off. He’s still chuckling though. His teeth glint in the light as he gives you a wide smile. A sense of foreboding washes over you.

“Up we go!”

“What?” Two arms hook under your knees and back, lifting you effortlessly into the air. Your body bounces in his arms every time he takes a step closer to the sea.

“Wait Gojou, wait wait wait wait!”

“Gojou-sensei wai—”

The water is freezing.

“Gojou Satoru, I’m going to kill you!”

“That’s admirable! I’m sure you can do it!” Fushiguro snickers as you swipe an arm at Gojou, who moves away effortlessly again. Hair is plastered to your face and this rage is not going to subside unless you rip the blindfold off his smirking face and dunk his head into the water. But he keeps dodging you, just barely, as if to taunt you further.

Exhaustion sets in quickly since moving around in water is a lot harder and anger eats away at your stamina. Just as you’re about to give up, Gojou’s face is slapped with a wave of water. Everyone looks to Kugisaki. She has the biggest smile you’ve ever seen.

“Pfft.” Fushiguro’s laughter breaks the silence. Itadori snickers at Gojou’s drooping hair. Soon everyone’s laughing. Then Gojou whips water that hits all three of them straight in the chest with a resounding smack. They immediately retaliate with a wave that you get caught up in.

It somehow turns into a students vs adults fight. Delighted laughter echoes in the air as everyone yells and shrieks when assaulted with icy water. There’s an unspoken rule to not use cursed energy, which is why your side is being pushed back. There’s no beating three excited kids when they’re on a holiday high.

Backtracking a bit to get away from the constant surges of water, you don’t realise you’re going deeper and deeper into the sea. A rock shifts underneath your feet and you’re plunged into the cold grips of the sea, not even given enough time to call for help. Panic overtakes your senses as you squeeze your eyes shut, hands scrambling for something to hold onto.

“[Name]!” Warmth engulfs you as Gojou lifts you out of the murky depth, worry and dread weaved into his voice. You blink rapidly as he gently brushes the hair off your face, and you see his eyes without the blindfolds for the first time. “Look at me, are you alright?”

They’re… indescribably beautiful. It’s the purest and translucent blue you’ve seen in your life, able to beat the colour of the ocean or the sky on its clearest days. It could compete with even the most exquisite sapphire locked up in a vault underground. And they’re clouded with concern and fear because of you.

“[Surname]-san!” Bringing yourself up by hugging Gojou’s neck, you see the trio wading through the water to you, dread clear on their faces. Itadori reaches you and rapidly asks if you’re fine and that he can’t possibly describe how sorry he is. It looks like he’ll dig his head into the ocean floor if you ask him to do it. Like he’s waiting for you to reprimand him.

But all that comes out is laughter, bright and childlike. They all look at you like you’re crazy. You have no idea why you’re laughing either. Maybe you’ve finally gone insane.

But being in Gojou’s arms, seeing his and Itadori’s face relax, brings you so much happiness. Tightening your arms around Gojou’s neck, you rest your head on top of his as he calms them down.

Maybe it’s the adrenaline from nearly drowning, maybe it’s something else, but your heart thumps rapidly into your ribcage, probably loud enough for him to feel.

Next chapter →

#gojou x reader #gojou satoru x reader #gojou imagine #gojou satoru imagine #gojo x reader #gojo imagine #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru imagine #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk imagine #jujutsu kaisen imagine #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #gojou #gojou satoru #fluff #series #female reader

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plutoswrath · 3 years ago

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i’m jealous of your big heart when it comes to animals lmao. i’m arachnophobic and it can be so annoying to have sometimes. i haven’t been able to tie it back to astrology, as much as i would like to. i asked because i was wondering if there was a clear indicator based off certain placements like how 6th house rules animals, 6th is ruled by mercury so i jumbled them even though i probs shouldn’t have lol. and with venus it ties to personal taste so i wondered if it could indicate a liking towards a certain animal. i have sag and sag venus in 6th and embarrassingly enough, i was obsessed with horses. like i came out of the womb adoring them. as soon as i learned to talk i was a walking horse encyclopedia. my obsession died down. i’m not a horse girl, i swear on my life.

i agree with you about the cancer loving animals. animals are babies and momma cancer loves to nurture the babies. i feel like cancers are the most likely to hate the “are you a dog or cat person” question. they’d get offended because how dare someone assume their heart isn’t big enough for both. more than both, really. throw a turtle in there. a rabbit even. cancer asc peeps usually have a shit ton of animals. it’s probably the sag/abundance in the 6th. or they either own a horse or Great Dane. but this is off topic because i forgot i had a follow up question.

if you could tie an animal or a couple animals to each sign that you think best represents that sign? or just seems like one they’d like? some are so easy and others just leave me blank. my arachnophobia thinks scorpio’s deserve better than scorpions but my terror blinds me. but i was looking up the symbolism behind animals and tying them to signs. so far, i’ve concluded that while horses should go with sag, their highly intuitive and empathetic animals. their behavior is like a mirror so if you’re nervous, they are too. so pisces or cancer actually seems to be a better fit. and to stay on topic of cancer with animals, i always tie wolves and dogs in general to cancer. the wolves are tied to the moon and familial dynamics and also i think they’re a great symbolic opposition to leo and how leos tend to resemble cats. sun and moon, dog and cat, night and day, that sort of thing. i realized i’ve rambled but i’m looking forward to your opinion because i’m so lost on what other signs would have. it’s been a year old question in my brain and it’s time for help from the master.

I'm sorry to hear that, I'm had a friend once who was arachnophobic and having phobias like these is really no fun, I can't imagine what it feels like really having them. And omg don't feel bad for liking horses when you were a child, literally so many children, especially young girls, like horses simply because people decided horses where a 'teenage girls only' thing somehow?? (and I will have to dig deeper into this at a point because here where I come from the horse girl thing is soooo painfully real and I want to understand the phenomena). And if I'm not mistake, arachnophobia (like most types of phobias), stem from some kind of trauma right? I absolutely don't try to get to personal but if we look at phobias in that way, maybe it's good to also include looking at planets/asteroids that point to trauma or aspects that can represent/indicate traumatic experiences in that sense! And I agree wholeheartedly to the 'dog or cat' question, I don't get offended by it but I hate this question in general because every animal deserves my love and empathy adfghj and yes, mother feelings definitely play into this haha! I think cancers enjoy (to an extent) having that occasional (or constant) outlet for their nurturing side and the bound you have to animals is also very intuitive and requires a lot of patience and getting educated as well as being observant and reading between the lines somehow and all that dedication paired with emotional knowledge just really speaks to water signs in general (and animals don't judge openly with words, just your energy asdfgh) Uhh, I like the question regarding the animals and I agree with your takes on it so far!! I think one animal can not represent all the core traits of a sign alltogether, but I'll try my best here! and psdfghj no need to call me master because I'm literally so far from anything close to that but thank you so much still, I feel honored really!!

The Signs as Animals:

Disclaimer: some of them are inspired by my ‘the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit’ tarot deck.

Aries: House cat. I know, I always thought cats actually link pretty well to Aries! Cats are just the perfect mixture of intelligen and curious, reserved, stubborn, aggressive, senstive as well as playful/impulsive! They are quick to learn and not afraid to face off against any other, bigger animals, but also can live pretty well together with other pets in the house, as long as they don‘t bother them too much. Especially when it comes to intimacy/pda they are very picky, but forceful when demand it. Seem flexible and unbothered at first but actually have the firmest boundaries when it comes to their personal freedom. Will let you believe they need you but give it a few weeks and the neighbor has better treats than you and gone they are asdfgh, but it's actually a harmful stereotype to believe that cats don't need you because they can become extremely fond of you and grow very attached.

Taurus: Elk. Based on the interpretation of my tarot deck. The elk represents earth energy, it is grounded, is established in itself and knows their core values and acts according to them. They show consistency, coherence and care. Dedicated to who they love and what they care for. Can become narrow minded due to knowing what's best, based on their perception of what's right and necessary, which can effect their ego negatively. Very Taurus for me. Gemini: Dragonfly. I refer to the interpretation of the Dragonfly based on my tarot deck. The dragonfly represents the mind: everchanging, quick, fascinating, a reflection of the world inside us and aroudn us. As the dragonfly is very quick (refering to Mercury's fast and nervous energy) the dragonfly also calles for paying attention to what quality our mind has and to become mindful, because on first glance things always appear different tahn on first glance (Mercury floats between detail-oriented and paying attenetion and being too fast, impatient). The dragonfly is joy and magic, as well as impatience, restlessness and being unable to concentrate. Cancer: Killer Whales (but also whales in general)! I thought especially about Killer Whales, because I once watched a documentary on them and they went in depth about how they have different cultures and different languages even (if I remember correctly) in their familys. Cancer often gets associated with the home life, but I think I wanted to look at it from another perspective, as in how does family 'become' family and how do those family roots develope, what do they consist of, how do we define family and what holds it together (and especially: how do our roots shape our own emotional patterns and nature in life?). I think the mystery of the Killer Whales but the whole complexity that lies behind the fascination of how these animals function and also how deeply affected Killer Whales are by their emotions/when they are absent from their kin, just opens up another big question of family dynamics and how we relate to one another and how principles we always condoned to human beings now apply to animals too. I think the whole part about the Killer Whales relation to emotions and their family's cultures just really made me link them to Cancer. Leo: Otter. I refer o the meaning of teh Otter based on my tarot deck. The Otter resembles the energy of the inner child: it's pure bliss, playfulness, they love to live and live for life itself, and out of this eagerness to enjoy life comes also a contentment and completeness towards life itself. To reconnect with otter energy, it is advised to step into settings of celebration, or total creative self expression and from the outside looking 'unproductive/selfish' indulgence. But actually, this energy is what makes life so enjoyable in the first place.

Virgo: Octopus. Highly intelligent beings that can quickly adapt and take the initiative. Self sufficient by nature, they aren't aggressive unless provoked, they like to mind their business unless they get curious (then they cling heavy onto you because you are their new object of interest). They can change color if it's needed (Virgo is a mutuable sign and can blend in perfectly in social occasions/new situations) and tbh the inking part about octopus just reminds me of the fact that most Virgos have a really quirky side to them you only get to see when you annoy them long enough (aka you are a long term friend). Libra: Gazelle. I refer to the meaning of ten Gazelle based on my tarot deck. The gazelle combines the creation of beauty and harmony, creativity and hyper awareness of it's surroundings, very affected of the imbalances in it's environment, but in it's try to remain this beauty around them, they tend to forget their achievments and stay in the present with their thoughts, as they constantly wheigh out the 'what if's'. A very perceptive animal in the tarot deck and this attribute is equally it's strong suit and downfall. Scorpio: Tiger. I refer here to the meaning of the Tiger based on my tarot deck. Waits in stillness and darkness to reconnect to their own inner power. Healing in isolation with the help of the lunar forces, waiting to regenerate. The Tiger energy shows itself in being passionate, sensual and stepping into ones own power, recognizing ones strength. For me, this is very Scorpio (Moon) for me. When the Tiger in unbalanced, it becomes overstimulated and acts according to this hyperawareness. Sagittarius: Zebra. I refer here to the meaning of the Zebra based on my tarot deck. The Zebra stands for an open mind, visionary and eccentric, new thinking, as well as being young at heart and expansion. I personally connect horses with passion and drive, because they are truly powerhouses. Based on the meaning of my tarit deck, the Zebra also is sociable, at least people find themselves drawn to the energy of the Zebra because it triggers their desire to learn, and I think this is something very beautiful Sagittarius symbolizes when they come into your life: be prepared to broaden your horizon for more.

Capricorn: Camel. I refer to the meaning of the Camel based on my tarot deck. Camels here represent absolute dependence on self and being able to find the answer to problems in oneself. This self reliance and capability reminds me of capricorns, the camel is finding the 'cool' aka water inside of them and Capricorn is traditionally also symbolized as the sea-goat (which I seriously think should really be considered when anaylzing this archetype) and Capricorns have (imo at least) a rich emotional life, but it's just deeply locked within. The Camel represents showing responsibility for their own actions, regulating the self and circumstances around them as best as they can, which makes sense for Capricorns, ruled by Saturn they usually are confronted with task in their life. If the Camel energy is out of balance, it shows a lack of vitality, with Capricorn representing the senior age in life makes sense, especially since Capricorns can tend to feel very old (exhausted)- Aquarius: Platypus- and no, I’m not using the Platypus because ‚wow all Aquarius are so weird like straight up aliens 🤪🤪’ I think the platypus is a good representation because it makes us question what we’ve known so far about animals and Aquarius too is a sign that introduces us to new ideas and perspectives all in the favor of progress and considering alternatives, leaving the status quo. Pisces: Raven/Crow. I name these two in particular because as far as I know it’s only the ravens that have been documented intimating people’s voices and tones, but crows are definitely more known for their bright mind. For me people often forget Pisces mutable nature and how quick witted they actually are. These birds are hyper intelligent and their observational skills are truly amazing. In my Wild Uknown Animal Spirit deck, the crow is an animal carrying 3rd eye energy. Here, the view is clear, the crow is moving through different dimensions and sees what other’s cant. For and the emotional depth (void) Pisces is conencted to it just seem to make sense.

#i swear i will be more active the next days #replies #anonymous #astrology #zodiac #the signs as #the signs as animals

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popwasabi · 4 years ago

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Why I don’t give a fuck about canon

Recently, after randomly coming across some dope pictures of Transformer toys on Instagram that gave me a strong case of nostalgia, I was inspired to revisit an old childhood favorite in “Beast Wars.”

“Beast Wars,” in case you never watched or heard of it as a kid, is the continuation of the Transformer’s story set in the future as descendants of the Auotobots and Decepticons, the Maximals and Predacons, respectively, accidentally travel to prehistoric Earth to continue a centuries long battle between the two opposing factions.

There’s a lot of to digest there, so I’m not going to go into extreme detail over the plot, but the cast features colorful characters such as Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rattrap, Dinobot and Megatron to name a few. They all have interesting and distinct personalities and generally play well off each other. It was a big part of my childhood and I collected an ungodly amount of their toys back in the day.

(This was my first ever Beast Wars toy and I think it’s beautiful.)

My rewatch though was…a mixed bag to say the least. The graphics have not aged well. The adventure of the week setup of the plot was repetitive and lacked real character development at times. There were characters that were added in last minute to the show clearly to promote a new action figure over the story on numerous occasions. Though I found the humor to still be pretty good, the action was stale and just lacked high stakes most of the time, save for a few episodes.

I was not shocked it didn’t land terribly well on my rewatch but you know what did? “Beast Machines!”

“Beast Machines” was the follow-up to Beast Wars that had the Maximals fighting on Cybertron where Megatron has taken control of the whole planet using a virus that changes Transformers into mindless drones to do his bidding. The remaining Maximals manage to survive however after Optimus discovers The Oracle which reformats them into animal robot hybrids that are both mechanical and biological. This sets them on a quest to stop Megatron and bring biological and mechanical balance to Cybertron once and for all.

The series is much more narrative based than the previous as it follows a steady trajectory to its epic conclusion. The animation is much sharper, and the soundtrack is fun as hell to listen to still. The pacing is much faster as the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Maximals and all the old characters from the previous grow in interesting ways and develop into more organic people (literally in some ways). Optimus is a more hardcore and emotionally damaged leader and Megatron goes from being something of a punchline in the previous series to a far more menacing and calculating nemesis. The story touches on themes of balance, authoritarianism, PTSD, love and reunion to name a few and for a kids’ show it is, dare I say…more than meets the eye.

I absolutely loved it as a kid and I might actually love it even more as an adult, so it was shocking for me, to say the least, when I read further into the history of the show, that a lot of fans straight up rejected it back in the day.

Common complaints I came across were they didn’t like how characters, such as Ratrap especially, “changed.” They didn’t like the new bio/mechanical Maximals and couldn’t believe that Cybertron was once an organic world.

Their big reason (in just about every forum and video I saw about it)? It didn’t adhere to “canon.”

Now, I’ll start this by saying there is no objective way to critique or even not critique a story. People can like or hate something for a variety of reasons that don’t follow a strict logical pattern. Gods know I have a few questionable/divisive favorites in my catalogue that I have written about here that are based on abstract ideas and personal experiences.

(The Matrix Reloaded is still great btw)

But I will say, if you judge a mega franchise’s latest entry on how well it is supported by established canon it is, in my opinion, a flawed way to critique a work of fiction.

Canon, sometimes referred to as “lore” by fans, is most often applied and used to describe the long running back stories of franchises that stretch beyond just the main books, movies or series, or even the original narrative of the plot. Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and to a certain extent Harry Potter, all fall into this camp of series with so many interconnected parts, with more than one main character featured in each, that fans follow along this canon like ancient monks studying scripture and history books.

And they can be just as fanatical and over zealous about it.

(I wish they were more fanatical about proper hygiene or at least deodorant...)

My problem with the ways fans often view canon is that their conceptions of what a new story should be is based entirely on the past rather than what is happening right now with the story and what themes the writer is trying express with it this time.

They base their impressions of the story on external continuity more than the internal continuity.

Yea, the changes in a series like “Beast Machines” are jarring to say the least. Cybertron was formally an organic world like Earth? Rattrap doesn’t have confidence in himself and actually at one point sells out his comrades? Transformers can be biological now? It’s a lot to take in but when watching the story play out it’s not like these elements aren’t explained through the text of the new story.

Cybertron lost balance between its robot inhabitants and its biological life forms and its why it’s out of balance now, and Megatron is the logical progression of that inbalance. Rattrap is struggling to understand his new form, half his friends on the Maximals have been turned into drones, and the remaining team out loud say they don’t have confidence in him. He has PTSD from both the events of this story and the Beast Wars and feels insecure because of how others view him and that’s perfectly logical to not just the story but also the canon. If a fan is willing to give a story a chance they will see that the canon hasn’t actually been destroyed in much of any way and the logical progression is actually there if they simply listen to what’s going on.

(Seriously, it’s not that deep.)

Fans need to stop confusing a character achieving a franchise long arc with being “suddenly different.” In this way, criticisms of canon in new entries in long running series reveal that fans really just lack imagination to connect the dots. It would be like complaining that Luke Skywalker can’t become paranoid and make a grave mistake in judgment because people never change, nevermind the character already has changed a lot from his origins in “A New Hope” to where he was in “Return of the Jedi.”

(Oh wait, people did do that…)

But that’s not to say you have to like the new direction either. You can understand these changes and still be like “well, it’s not for me. I don’t care for a PSTD angle or a new origin for Cybertron,” but that’s whole lot different than saying the new series “rapes your childhood” or “Bastardizes the canon.” All the old canon you hold nostalgia for still exists. My love for “Beast Machines” is not harmed by the existence of newer Transformers properties that don’t meet what I look for in the series.

Too often, fans take changes to established “lore” very personally because it doesn’t fit their expectations or have the same nostalgic feelings they had before. When new entries in mega franchises occur fans often try to judge it by how much it is like what they watched before, rather what makes it different and what it is saying now. Again, you don’t have to like new directions in tone or character but consistency to established work DOES NOT equal good storytelling.

I have not been immune to this myself in the past, of course. Back in the day I wrote a 2500-plus word diatribe on “The Amazing Spider-man 2” that mostly went after how it changed the character I grew up with in a bad way and butchered the established back story I knew him by.

You know what other story doesn’t follow canon very well though? “Spider-man: Homecoming.”

(Now, hear me out...)

Spider-man in the MCU is generally agreed upon to be a good thing by fans. Both movies were big hits both critically and financially and fans often go as far as to say Tom Holland is the “definitive” Peter Parker.

But Holland’s Spider-man differs quite a bit from the comic-book webslinger. This Spider-man does not have a spidey sense. His best friend is not Harry Osbourne but in fact a retcon of a Mile Morales character. His father figure is Tony Stark, something that never happened in the comics, instead of Uncle Ben, which no matter what way you spin it is arguably his most important relationship in the series.

His character is a reverse of traditional Peter Parker too. Where comics Peter is a reluctant hero, who if anything hates being Spider-man and the burden of his responsibility, “Homecoming” Spider-man actively seeks out responsibility and in many ways enjoys his role as the famous webslinger. In fact, his whole arc is about him earning a spot as an Avenger. He wants to be THE hero and be worthy of it. It’s completely different from what we know of Spider-man.

(He just wants Tony sempai to notice him uWu)

Now I know some fans actually do complain about this Spidey from a “canon” standpoint, but most don’t. So why did this Spider-man get a pass for many but not “The Amazing” one? Quite simply it’s because stories, as cheesy as it sounds, are about feelings and stories like “Homecoming” tell a good story that effectively make those feelings connect with the audience.

We root for this Peter Parker and his journey to becoming an Avenger and successor to Iron Man because the story is told well, the emotions feel earned, and frankly both films are fun and enjoyable.

It’s easy to complain about canon for many nerds because it’s something tangible that they can point to and make a big stink about when they don’t understand why a movie isn’t reaching them. I don’t doubt that many neckbeards genuinely hate a film like “The Last Jedi” (Hell, I’m not a big fan myself) but when those same nerds enjoy something like “The Mandalorian,” a series that has its own loose relationship with canon and establishing new rules in the series, it tells me it’s not about the “lore” to them.

(Easy, fanboys...)

I have come to understand, in my growth as a nerd, that my problems with a lot of movies and TV shows in my favorite series rarely, if ever, have anything to do with the story not meeting some arbitrary guidelines regarding canon. It has more to with the story simply not connecting with me emotionally. The story isn’t drawing me in and keeping me on its narrative path. I’m not feeling the same magic that someone else might feel enjoying it because either a) it doesn’t feel earned to me or b) it just stylistically isn’t for me.

To paraphrase a line from another mega franchise, also owned by Disney, the canon is more like guidelines than actual rules.

(Didn’t expect to see ol’ Barbosa in this write up, did ye?)

It can show you where a story comes from but it isn’t law that you strictly adhere to it. Of course, when writing a new work in a popular series you should consider what came before it but I would like writer’s the freedom to try something new and most importantly fans to be open to it. You don’t have to like it but the idea that new entries in a story MUST remain strict to the canon is bull shit. Not even the original Star Wars trilogy adhered to its own canon perfectly, as clearly the writers were in fact making it up to a certain extent as they were going along.

(hmmmm...)

And that’s ok, because some of those changes were great! Made the story better and made the conclusion stronger.

Again, you don’t have to like every new entry that tries something bold or confrontational in your favorite franchise but if writers strictly followed canon to the T we wouldn’t have things like “Homecoming,” we wouldn’t have “The Mandalorian,” and we certainly wouldn’t have my favorite Transformers series “Beast Machines.”

Canon shouldn’t be a trap for writers and it shouldn’t be a litmus test for fans digesting it. There are so many better ways to judge a story than whether or not it fits neatly into established lore. A good story is a good story, regardless of whether or not it’s supported by something as static as canon.

“Beast Machines” has its flaws here and there, but canon isn’t one of them, at least not for me. Again, if you feel that the lore is important, that’s fine, you don’t have to ignore it but I would ask you to look beyond what came before when critiquing a new story.

Otherwise, you might miss something special that comes next…

Now then...

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stickyricewithmangosauce · 4 years ago

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Godlike does not mean good

I myself would call myself a fan of the MCU as well as various shounen anime. I like the storyline (at least most of the time) and especially the fights are fun. Lately, however, one thing has struck me more and more. Something that is usually really natural, especially in superhero movies and the like. The power expansion, the level-up of abilities. Part of every good superhero story is how the hero works on himself, has difficulties and comes out stronger than ever at the end of the film or season. Of course, that's called character development and I don't want to get in the way of that. But, and here comes my but, because otherwise I wouldn't bother writing this text, at some point even the most blatant level-up is just boring. Let me elaborate before the few who read this throw rotten vegetables at me. I'll explain with an example. I want you all to think back to the early 2000s for a moment. Back when super-lowrise jeans were actually still considered good-looking; people who liked anime or comics were still freaks(I definitely don't miss that) and Naruto didn't yet have a miserable kid named Boruto and Narutos worst failure was merely not passing the genin exam on his first try. What were those times (seriously, I have no idea. I was a kid at the time)? Those were the days when Kakashi had saved Team 7 and Itachi and Orochimaru were considered the ultimate final bosses. Today, Kakashi, Orochimaru and Itachi are nothing compared to Naruto and Sasuke (even if at least Itachi and Kakashi are just *chefkiss* in character). One could think that the two are the gods and the others were only allowed to watch them being created. A narrative that I actually don't disdain. The student overtakes his master at some point and that's right, that's good. Naruto, however, has taken it to an extreme that is difficult to comprehend. How did the Sharingan go from "I can see chakra flows and I'm not quite as bad as the Hyuugas" to "Bitch, im a godlike creature and you have to kneel before me"? By the end of Naruto Shipuuden, neither Naruto nor Sasuke had much left to develop in any great or impressive direction. Who were they going to face either? They were fighting the ultimate. They were absolutely and without any doubt the strongest, no one could stop them now. An epic ending. If only it had stayed that way. I don't think I'm wrong in saying that Boruto doesn't come across quite as well as his predecessor. However, besides the unlikable protagonist, we also have another problem. What could Boruto possibly have problems with? I mean, we have Naruto and Sasuke, who are so incredibly ridiculously strong. They can take on anyone, right? But let's say they can't. Suppose they don't win every fight after all. Then how strong must their opponent be? How strong then must the hero of the story be to defeat the villain? The answer is obviously that the hero is stronger than those who fought against a goddess. At some point there comes a point where we can no longer take the whole thing seriously. How are we supposed to identify with heroes who could kill, who have even killed God? In many cases, it's not said at all. The power level in Boruto is at such a high level(I don't mean Boruto himself) that the fights are fun to watch(which of course is completely okay if that's what you want and need), but someone who uses their head and thinks about it, it has now taken on dimensions that are unimaginable. The only way I can identify with such people is if I develop a God complex. But honestly, how am I supposed to enjoy a series if I can't see myself anywhere?

Also one of the reasons why I prefer the first Marvel films to the new ones. The heroes have simply become too strong for me. Hawkeye, Black Widow, IronMan and Captain America are all still vulnerable to a certain extent. Yes, even Thor was. Especially in the first part and I don't mean he didn't have his powers. Thor had such an incredibly flawed character back then that put him in such a bad spot that even his powers wouldn't have helped him. HOWEVER, Marvel handled it a thousand times better than Naruto and you could take a leaf out of their book if you think you have to have such over strong guys in your world. Probably the best example is Wanda. She's the strongest Avenger. She's badass. She's strong. She's amazing. And actually to an extent I couldn't keep up. Actually, but luckily I've been implanted with compassion. I can't help but feel connected to her. My God, how many times have I wished to create a reality where all those lost to me live? Despite her massive power, I can understand Wanda, relate to her and just this incredible pain in her, makes her a person I can relate to. In WandaVision she has developed especially internally and that's why we wanted to follow her story (and of course the cool magic stuff).

I'd like to let this comment come to an end now. So godlike powers doesn't mean that a series/movie/whatever is going to be good, exciting or enjoyable. It just means that you have to put down a special level of subtlety so that the characters don't lose their humanness. You need a good understanding to recognise when you've told the end of a story, because otherwise you end up with things like Boruto, and nobody really wants that.

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millennialdemon · 3 years ago

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Coming off of true trainwrecks the likes of Mars of Destruction and Skelter Heaven, I actually came out of Dark Cat with a sense of respect and gratitude for its competence.

For the uninitiated, Dark Cat is a notoriously bad OVA from 1991 that you will see listed in many Worst Anime Ever countdowns. It follows 2 brothers, “dark cats” Hyoi and Rui, who investigate supernatural happenings and purify evil with their somewhat undefined powers of shapeshifting and increased strength/agility. The majority of the story in the OVA is about a school girl named Aimi, who is pining after her childhood friend Koizumi, who since the rejection and sudden death of his crush, has been suffering a depressive episode and ignoring her. Hyoi and Rui sense dark forces are manifesting at the school, and they keep an eye on Aimi while fighting off the increasingly brazen appearances of demonic enemies.

A monstrous ex-dark cat named Jukokubo is revealed to be manipulating Aimi with his dark powers, and Hyoi and Rui fight him, but not before Aimi succumbs to the evil magic -- as well as her own violent jealousy and overprotectiveness of Koizumi -- and transforms into a horrific tentacle monster that kills seemingly everyone in the school.

In the end, Koizumi realizes that Aimi was in love with him the entire time, and doesn’t fight her when she engulfs him completely. Apparently this act of selfless love was enough to purify them both, and although they do indeed die, their souls are “light” and able to ascend. This throws a wrench in Jukokubo’s plan to prove that humans are The Worst, so he turns tail and leaves his boss fight against Hyoi, threatening to return again. In the epilogue, Hyoi and Rui reflect on the mission and wax poetic about the nature of humanity while crossing a busy street.

… Ehm… happy ending, yes?

Now then: there are actually quite a few things I enjoyed about Dark Cat, and they are all very simple things that I had come to miss after days of watching other entries from the Bottom of the Barrel.

It had a narrative, and was -- mostly -- comprehensible in its storytelling, as rushed as it may have been. There was an undeniable presence of an art director, something I’m not convinced was present in a few of the other similarly rated titles I have seen. Some of the shots were noticeably well composed and even clever, and required an artistic vision and some decent effort to create. The animation wasn’t awful, the designs ranged from serviceable to genuinely charming (I like the subtlety of Hyoi and Rui’s cat-like features!), and I liked that the characters actually emoted. It wasn’t as generic as I expected and took some risks, even if they didn’t pay off and left it with a reputation of being “too grotesque to be enjoyable”.

I can understand the common criticisms of the gore and body horror being poorly animated, but I won’t decry it for existing and “being ugly”... of course it’s ugly, it’s body horror reminiscent of The Thing from The Thing. (Now would be a good time to warn people not to look this OVA up, unless they are sure they are okay with body horror and gore of this calibre. Tentacles with teeth and spines rip out of people’s skin from the inside and deform their hosts, it is quite awful! I would also include a warning for trypophobia -- there are shots where the mutations form clusters of holes on the skin.) The body horror in Dark Cat being disgusting and making my skin crawl isn’t a fault -- I think it’s the intended purpose. Though I will concede that:

The phallic imagery of the horrific flesh mutations, particularly that of the teacher who attacked Rui, was… bizarre, considering that otherwise the OVA isn’t particularly dark in tone or otherwise sexually graphic.

Perhaps having grotesque body horror is completely unexpected in a story about two bishounen teens (?) who can turn into cats and fight ghosts.

Yes, Dark Cat, the OVA put on Worst Anime Ever lists for being a grotesque spectacle, is just as commonly placed on those lists for being a dumb anime about guys that can transform into house cats and who fight supernatural entities with not so amazing powers. This is a gripe I’ve seen in a few popular reviews, but there was no point during my watching experience that I thought, “Man, these teens are pansies, they don’t even turn into big scary lions or anything! What’s the point, it’s practically a power-down! cinemasins ding” because I don’t go into anime expecting every single male character I see to be Big & Strong & Cool, because I uh… don’t have brain worms I guess? I don’t know what to say about this criticism really, other than people who watch a lot of shounen have very strange hang ups about super powers.

Otherwise, it seems the biggest reason Dark Cat is lauded as One of the Worst -- perhaps even ahead of the silly concept and nauseating gore -- is actually because of the abysmal english dub. It’s my honour to say that I didn’t watch the dub, so it doesn’t factor in at all into my impressions!

So in the end, perhaps my only true gripes with Dark Cat are:

Despite having no particular issue with body horror and gore existing, the extent of destruction and graphic death gave the OVA a bit of a snuff film vibe.

The conclusion to the story was quite bad.

It could be surmised by the brief plot outline I wrote earlier that Dark Cat isn’t a very complicated story. Demons and ghosts exist and wreak havoc on emotionally vulnerable humans, and supernatural soldiers try to mediate between the realms by purifying tortured ghosts and saving those dragged into darkness by evil entities. These beats are common in the supernatural genre of anime, but Dark Cat’s handling of its tragic morality tale left me more confused than anything.

Koizumi didn’t do anything wrong -- he shouldn’t have had to die for the sin of not reciprocating Aimi’s feelings, nor for developing depression after the rejection and death of his classmate and crush. Aimi… did things wrong, but was nevertheless the most compelling character in the OVA. Throughout Aimi was kind, patient, and forgiving when it came to being treated badly by Koizumi. In the finale however, it is revealed that Aimi was the one responsible for Koizumi’s crush’s death, assumedly having murdered her out of jealousy or out of revenge on Koizumi’s behalf for hurting his feelings. Prior to this, the first students to be killed by the tentacle monsters just happened to be the ones that had bullied Koizumi in class earlier that day -- implying that Aimi was getting revenge on them, as well.

It was with these revelations that I started to wonder: Why not just let the flesh monster manifest as a direct result of Aimi’s negative feelings? Aimi confessed to murdering Koizumi’s crush before the events of the OVA -- would she have done so if she wasn’t being influenced by the malignant force set on her by Jukokubo? I feel that her arc would have been much more interesting without the introduction of a non-compelling and badly designed villain like Jukokubo, because then we would know it was all her. Even if she was influenced by forces exacerbating her pre-existing jealousy and rage, that is a more satisfying option than having a big dumb green cat of a villain to trace everything back to so neatly.

And really, what did Jukokubo do in the story beyond take the spotlight, and the blame, from Aimi? He had some previous relation to Hyoi and Rui, but it’s not developed at all, and his ideological rivalry with Hyoi was trivial. Hyoi could have come to the same conclusions about holding out hope for humanity without Jukokubo there to insist he be a guest to debate on his political podcast.

The lack of accountability regarding Aimi is a part of why the resolution to her conflict with Koizumi feels so wrong -- he succumbs to her feelings because he realizes the evil was born from her suffering, and he feels that he has to sacrifice himself to make up for unknowingly hurting her so much that she turned into a monster from hell. In the end she is absolved via being purified and getting to die with her spirit entwined with Koizumi’s, and he apologizes for having not recognized how he was hurting her.

Aimi kills his crush, kills his bullies, and ends up -- inadvertently, at least -- killing almost all of their classmates, because she was tilted about her childhood friend not realizing she had romantic feelings for him. And when Koizumi learns all of this, he apologizes and dies with her, and this is proof of humanity’s goodness? The dark clouds part and the rain stops and Aimi and Koizumi ascend in a heavenly ray of light, because he decided, while she was devouring him, that he was wrong to ignore his murderous best friend’s love for him?

I guess it’s fine -- it was probably mostly Jukokubo’s fault anyway, and everyone was just an unfortunate victim of his meddling… 😒

Other than the bad writing, the string of deaths that happen in the finale when the monster lets loose in the school are quite uncomfortable to behold. Deformed student bodies are splayed and strewn around classrooms, and the bullies are rendered into unrecognizable mounds of pulsating flesh in their homes. The violence of a fight against a monster like this, I can handle, but the graphic images of helpless death were difficult to stomach. And in this OVA, there is no miraculous reversal of the demon’s damage once it is purified -- there is no implication whatsoever that everyone who died isn’t still just as dead as Aimi and Koizumi in the end.

The main thing I was actually worried about when I watched Dark Cat was that there would be sexual assault, thanks to reviewers griping it for “generic hentai tentacles”. I am relieved to say that there is none, at least not insofar as deserving a comparison to actual porn. There is sexual content scattered throughout the horror scenes: The occasionally phallic appearance of the tentacles, shots of the tentacles coming down from under skirts, and there is one shot of nudity when Aimi’s shirt is ripped open as she transforms, though I would say it’s too horrific and ugly to be sexualized or otherwise considered “fanservice”.

What is the point of the hits of sex imagery in Dark Cat? I have no idea. This isn’t Alien, it isn’t about the horror of sexual assault or the violence of creation -- though the main horror of the scene where Rui is ambushed by the teacher seems to be that she uses magic to seduce him, only to reveal a very phallic tentacle from her mouth that she means to kill (or infect…?) him with, which can have multiple, potentially offensive readings… it is a one off, however -- and there doesn’t seem to be any moral posturing about it as is often seen in slashers. I couldn’t parse any sort of consistent STI allegory regarding the plague of tentacles upon the student body, despite how many summaries I have read that describe the tentacles as that, a “plague”.

… I realize I am probably the only person on earth to give any aspect of Dark Cat’s production this much thought. To sum up: It seems to just exist for the shock value. Considering the extent of disgusting imagery already present a la The Gore and Deformation of Human Bodies, I don’t think this OVA benefitted from featuring some explicit looking tendrils, beyond cementing its abhorrent reputation.

Is this all to say that I think Dark Cat is a good OVA? No, of course not. It’s tone deaf, and tasteless, and has awkward pacing and bad writing. But compared to the utterly soulless and artistically devoid works the likes of Skelter Heaven and Mars of Destruction, I would say the fact I was able to write this much about Dark Cat is testament to that fact that it at the very least, contains content -- and some of that content was like, decent! Skelter+Heaven was such a mess it was all I could do to understand the sequence of events, and Mars of Destruction was so bland I literally have no posts about it on the blog despite watching it more than once. Psychic Wars was a snoozefest I barely finished that similarly has no mention on the blog, and Hanoka’s production gimmick couldn’t save it from being a totally forgettable romance story.

Therefore, Dark Cat is the best worst title I have seen thus far, by virtue of being executed with an average amount of competency for an OVA from the early 90s, and for having a balance of good and bad elements that gave me something to hold onto and mull over after viewing.

3/10.

Oh, and I loved the bad 80s insert songs.

#:Dark Cat #dark cat #2138 words later the verdict is. It was ok

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wedreamedlove · 5 years ago

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Hello, I hope you're doing okay ❤️ I would like to ask what you believe the MLQC boy's love languages are. Thank you ☺️

i’m doing good, thank you! i hope you and yours are staying safe with the pandemic around the world right now ;w;!

i touched on this in my “the 4 men and their chinese archetypes” post but i’ll see if i can go in more detail here. first, just so everyone’s on the same page, the 5 love languages are:

words of affirmation: expressing affection through spoken affection, praise or appreciation.

acts of service: actions, rather than words, are used to show and receive love.

receiving gifts: gifting is symbolic of love and affection.

quality time: expressing affection with undivided, undistracted attention.

physical touch: it can range from having sex to holding hands. with this love language, the speaker feels affection through physical touch.

people can have a dominant one or be spread out among many of them. the last time i did one of these tests i had 8/10 points in acts of service, quality time, and physical touch LOL.

ZHOU QILUO

words of affirmation is definitely a biggie. he’s always hyping MC up and calls her his superhero just like how he’s her superhero. he seems to get reassurance from words too because a lot of times when he reveals his weaknesses it’s through a call or asking questions.

ex. [Apricot Forest Date] or [Old Friend Date] about whether people like him for him or his persona.

receiving gifts is another huge one because he’s always bringing back souvenirs from his trips! i still remember that cute call from [Spring Sonata SSR Secret Password Call] where he shoved a teddy into MC’s suitcase, haha.

those two are probably the two main big ones but physical touch isn’t that far behind. it’s just unfortunate that his job keeps him away for long periods of time so that’s why i don’t think it’s as important as the other two. he’s certainly a physical person but hmm just to a normal extent?

again, because of his job, i think acts of service and quality time go further down. these acts and times are perhaps more precious because of how rare they are with his schedule but that’s also why it’s not his love communication.

if he had a SO whose love language were these two, i think a lot of effort would have to go into the relationship to make sure both parties were being fulfilled. his idol job is just so consuming.

BAI QI

he’s an interesting guy because, when push comes to shove, he can deliver monologues of loving words, [Spring Festival Date] anyone!? But his true nature is to be quiet. he’s just content to sit or stand there and watch with heart eyes.

very much an acts of service and physical touch lover. if you think about it acts of service was everything he was doing in high school! beating punks up who threatened MC, carrying her to the infirmary when she collapsed in PE, and dropping his jacket on her when it was raining.

i can’t stress how much he’s all about touch though. in fact, that might be above everything else. he really is like a big doggo who will nuzzle MC at the smallest opportunity (y'all i’m never gonna get over his shaving ASMR and how drunk in love he sounds when his face is caressed).

anyway, he pats MC’s head, holds her around the waist (happens often because of his flying), and iirc they hold hands often. i bet half of the reason he invites MC out on motorcyle rides is so he can have her holding onto him LOL. also, again, [Spring Festival Date] anyone!? he just reached out to grab her hand and kissed the back of it!!

quality time is also pretty big imo. even though he does have a job that takes him away for long periods of time like Kiro he’s willing to forgo sleep to be with MC for even a second longer, ex. [Endless Abyss SSR Beside You Call] where he goes to her place right after work.

all this being said i think that, while words of affirmation isn’t his main one, it’s still present. he’s a bit shy in general about the enormous breadth of his love towards his SO but he’s not shy about expressing his emotions, if that makes sense? so words still feature in his love language!

despite him gifting the gingko bracelet though i don’t think receiving gifts is high at all in his love language. the bracelet is very meaningful between the two of them but it was a one-time thing.

XU MO

another words of affirmation man! the literati gene is super strong in him and his family, haha, and he’s always praising the MC and reassuring her or building up her confidence. a guy who can flirt through poetry is definitely a shoo-in for expressing love through words. not to mention he’s just a wordsmith in general.

i’d say another high one is touch which may be surprising? or maybe not since he comes off as being the most sexually aggressive amongst the men. but yeah he’s always reaching out and stroking MC’s head and he seems to really like hands too and entwining the fingers! his ASMRs have a ton of skinship, like a lot lot (my brain is flashing back to the pottery one and how he explicitly tells you to stop moving or else he can’t guarantee that nothing will happen).

i don’t really see any of the others featuring as high. they’re present but he doesn’t seem to put much emphasis on them, you know? in fact, i think MC gifts him more things than he does her LOL. quality time… both of them are busy and spend time with each other whenever they can, but again there doesn’t seem to be a particular weight associated with these.

LI ZEYAN

quality time oh god SO MUCH QUALITY TIME. li zeyan just letting you breathe the same air as him means he loves you— i’m kidding. but, no, seriously him accompanying MC on all sorts of fanciful things shows just how important he places her. efficient capricorns got no time for anything they don’t care about.

another high one is probably acts of service. the motto with this man is that he rarely says anything nice and doesn’t initiate touch that much, until he’s sure you’re into him, so instead he’ll just do things in the background.

when MC was researching about a show he had his assistant send her all the materials, [Gentle Confrontation SSR Animal Like You]. then when she was staying at that leaky hotel he switched her to a better one and had his assistant pick her up, [Marauder SSR Change Hotel Call].

i don’t think this is super high but receiving gifts is a thing with him. he seems to enjoy gift giving and receiving (even if he scoffs at it half the time). much like kiro, he brings back souvenirs from his trips. and i wonder if making and giving the pudding counts as a gift rather than an act of service.

anyway, i should have given this disclaimer in xu mo’s section too, but just because these two men don’t have high values in the rest of the love language doesn’t mean they don’t like them. it just means it’s not a priority but the average levels for a healthy relationship still apply!

LING XIAO

hmm maybe too early to talk about him? haha, but he did get an ASMR track and he’s been introduced a bit so let’s see… i think he’s a touch and words of affirmation man except his words of affirmation comes off more as ribbing. he’s not shy about manhandling the MC so that’s why i think touch is somewhat important to him.

not as high as the rest but i think quality time is something too. he’s like a wild animal LOL and just the fact that he’s spending any time with you means something. otherwise, you would have been ignored or he wouldn’t even be near you.

he’s also a bit like li zeyan in that he does things in the background or makes you feel like you’re abandoned before he swoops in and helps you (he just wanted to see you panicking first). i don’t know if that counts as an expression of his affection though, since it was mostly done for his own enjoyment LOL. like he definitely reluctantly helps out because he’s bratty like that but hmm…

#mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #mlqc victor #mlqc gavin #mlqc kiro #mlqc lucien #mlqc shaw #mlqc ling xiao #mlqc xu mo #mlqc zhou qiluo #mlqc bai qi #mlqc li zeyan #love and produc(ing) meta #answered asks

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ashitomarisu · 4 years ago

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Senki Zesshou Symphogear (Review)

YOU MOTHER FUCKERS PUT ME THROUGH THE CRAZIEST HELL I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED.

With the watch finally coming to a close, I can finally shove all my thoughts about this series in general. Prepare yourselves!!

Let’s get one thing out the way: THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE MAGICAL GIRL SERIES. In fact, I do not want to consider this a mahou shoujo series at all. It has more underlying idol tones. DID I MENTION HOW ECCHI AF THIS IS?!

As one of my followers told me: MAGICAL IDOLS. Enough blabbing! Let me at least touch base on a few key factors.

Story

To be frank, Symphogear’s concept is one I cannot wrap my head around completely. There’s something ominous, yet mysterious about the idea that may never be explained due to the complexity of the world-building and lore behind this franchise.

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Animation

Other than the few minor flaws I did notice, the animation did stay consistent and has even improved throughout the series. It was enjoyable to see close combat action once again and even some legit transformation scenes. (My eyes need bleach now).

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Characters

In short, the whole cast left me intrigued. There was never a dull moment where I wanted to shy away from the screen. The writers literally kept things tight to keep the audience drawn to the situation. Thus, I’m impressed.

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Casting

My favorite aspect in any anime is to go full throttle, no-hands-barred about seiyuus. To be honest, I had no problem with the casting choice. The main cast alone is a spectacle, seeing veterans, newcomers, and in-between bringing their own style to each of the characters.

(Translation: NANJOLNO NANJOLNO NANJOLNO NANJOLNO)

(Let’s just move on before I continue to praise this woman to the nth dimension).

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Overall

Though the anime did exceed some of my expectations, some of the outcomes left me disappointed. On the other hand, I would like to address one major flaw with this series that kept bothering me: substance.

While I was checking out AXZ, something caught my attention in terms of how this show was being presented. Prior to watching it, I was expecting to commit my whole summer to understanding the lore within, only to be shocked when I found out only 65 episodes were produced.

(A whole season of Precure, for example, really needs no more than 50 episodes to get its point across.)

With a concept as deep and complex as Symphogear, 65 episodes doesn’t even scratch the surface of its potential. I understand if they must have planned to keep everything tight and without filler, but that’s where sacrificing substance can hurt. In fact, I feel like I just went through a cotton candy wheel except someone laced it with alcohol and tried to seduce me.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it for the most part. If anything, 100 episodes could have properly done this series enough justice.

Would I recommend this?

Sadly, no. As much as I praised to some extent, this is a very mature and graphic title that is not suitable for everyone. The ecchi and psychological undertones might be a turn-off if you are not into intense, sensitive content. You don’t have to take my word, though.

If you do decide to check it out, proceed with caution by watching at least the first episode of S1 before even thinking about continuing.

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Now that I’ve finally gotten through that hellfire, let’s change course to a more positive note. Currently, I am awaiting the for the poll to finish before I can announce the next anime watch.

OH GOD. Will I be taking a trip back in time to a previous phase or will I surrender to another idolesque type of hell!? Stay tuned for the results in a few days. Til next time, here’s hoping senpai notices you!

#2020 anime watch #review #symphogear #what the f*ck did I just watch

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italian-sides · 5 years ago

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“Ombre e Bastoni”, ch. 3

Hello again! As usual, thank you so much to @misslilidelaney for writing this and @watcher-from-the-heights for being my awesome beta all the time. I also tag @ts-italian-gang, because I can and I want to. If you want, you can support the fic on AO3 too! Imma post the third chapter as soon as I finish posting it here on Tumblr. Anyway, enjoy! Whenever Emilio Picani walked into the Dolce&Remì, all heads turned. Even if he lived in Bologna on a permanent basis for three years by now, he didn't know why everybody there, especially the usual people, laid eyes on him as they didn't for other customers. And yet he wasn’t that flashy or even fashionable. Sure, he was tall, he had fine features and an enjoyable physique, but he wasn't that special. He was just a nice guy, with his passion for colorful ties and pastel cardigans. Of course, he knew very well that he had been in the sights of a couple of them for a long time: he well remembered Romolo's ruthless flirting and Virgil's stuttering when he asked him to be his tutor on the subjects that he himself studied before opening his own therapy office in Bologna. And no one, not even his roommate Remo, knew how he opened Luca's eyes to his cousin Patrizio, whom Emilio loved with all his heart. All three boys were undoubtedly beautiful, charismatic and, in their own way, interesting. Yet he couldn't accept their court. Because 30-year-old Emilio Picani hadn’t decided to come out yet. Partially due to his parents, fervent Catholics unlike him, but mostly because surprise surprise... Emilio Picani was shy. And before the bar, the usual places where he felt at home were his office and his room, where he surrounded himself with memorabilia from cartoons and anime, things that fascinated him since adolescence. In short his shyness, mixed with the stereotype of the glittery, feather-filled homosexuals he was accustomed to by his parents, always kept him away from the whole LGBT world, which the psychologist didn't feel a part of. He envied his little Emilian cousin when he came out as pansexual, and he knew very well that sooner or later, hanging out with Patrizio's clique, he had to decide, too, to get out of the closet. So he declined Romolo's declaration for that very reason. Although it wasn’t the only reason. The second reason was... slightly taller than him. His shoulders were wide, although he often slouched, making himself about ten centimetres shorter in height. He had bright green eyes, almost to an unnatural extent. He had his hair shaved on the sides but with a thick quiff on top, which he held back with a yellow headband, clearly his favorite color. He rarely laughed, but when he did, it was a low, deep laugh, able to literally shake the Veronese's stomach. And he was from Veneto, like him. His second piece of home, after Patrizio. Emilio Picani, thirty years old, a therapist and still in the closet. But completely gay for Giuda Schiavon. He was convinced of that by now. He tried to deny it, to say that it was just his imagination. Everyone at the bar loved him, they laughed with him, they confided in him, sometimes for sentimental nonsense, sometimes for more serious consultations. Tommaso became one of his patients from the first day that he finally opened his office, and the two were now pretty close, almost like brothers. He was the first to whom Emilio confessed his sexual orientation. Tommaso embraced him and murmured: "Don’t worry, nobody figured it out." They laughed, and the Veronese immediately called his cousin, who promised not to say anything, for the time being, to anyone, not even his significant other, Luca. Unfortunately, not even Tommaso could dispel Emilio’s doubts. Those doubts that by now became certainties, in those three years, and devastated the psychologist. Giuda, his beautiful, silent, mysterious and fascinating Giuda, couldn't even bear the sight of the Veronese. He never treated him badly, but Emilio couldn't help but notice how he changed his attitude whenever he walked in.

He often looked at him from the bar's window. He looked at him for a long time, laughing and joking with everyone, even with Virgilio, and by now he could read his expressions without hearing him speak, just by observing him. So he knew that the coldness he showed him was real. As his eyes became slits, as his words became cold hisses, rarely addressed to Emilio. Never openly unsympathetic, but incredibly icy. And apparently, whatever he had to do in the kitchen, he always had to do it when he walked in. But no one knew about his crush, except for Patrizio, who after all read him like an open book. And not even Patrizio could understand the change of mood of the Venetian, in the presence of his cousin. The young Bolognese tried to convince his cousin to surrender, or at least to talk to him, and this was precisely the reason why Emilio pushed himself, thanks to a nice glass of Millesimato di Conegliano, to speak, perhaps for the third time in three years, to Giuda in the bar. And that made the dishwasher guy so nervous that he dropped the glasses' tray in his hand. "You're welcome.", the Venetian hissed, looking at him, for the first time in three years, in the eyes.

A rush ran through Emilio’s body. An electric shock like he never experienced before. Joined by an endless lump in his throat for what just happened. As soon as Giuda wandered off to take the broom to sweep up the floor, followed by Remo, Emilio stood up and tried to go around the counter to pick up the glass pieces but Tommas ostopped him right away. "You're gonna hurt yourself. You get paper cuts all the time, can you imagine what would happen with glass?"

"But... Giuda..." Tommaso sighed and perhaps understood: "Giuda will be fine. It's not the first time he’s spilled glasses. Maybe he should calm down a bit; if he hadn't been so tense he wouldn’t have dropped them. Don’t even think it’s your fault." Emilio sighed, taking off his glasses and shaking his head: "But it is my fault." Patrizio approached him, and put his hand on his shoulder again. Luca was behind them and suggested, matter-of-factly: "Emilio, do you want to get some air?" The Veronese nodded carelessly and they went outside. Despite Patrizio's dirty look, the Veronese automatically extracted his pack of cigarillos and lit one. As he blew out the smoke from the miniature cigar, he kept looking inside the bar. And he saw Giuda, with his yellow gloves, going up on the counter and looking around. He'd been... crying? His eyes, particularly the left one, were tremendously red. The sigh, undoubtedly of relief, emitted by the young Venetian followed by the hand on Remo’s shoulder, definitely devastated the 30-year-old. Patrizio was watching the scene next to him, and he murmured: "He acts like he’s the victim when he actually did it all by himself. What a two-faced snake..." "Patrizio, please...", begged the Veronese. "Please what? He dropped the glasses, not you. You just thanked him, Emi. I don’t know how you can like someone like t..." Patrizio opened his eyes wide and shut his mouth with one hand. But the damage had been already done. Luca was looking at both of them with his eyes wide open like a deer in front of headlights. He looked at them both with shock, Emilio who by now had given up and begun to silently cry, pulling from the cigarillo like a madman, and Patrizio who continued to whisper his apologies. And he cleared his voice pretty nicely before asking, with kindness, despite the hard accent typical of his region: "Do you want to come to our house for some hot tea? I’m sure we can raid some of Romolo's nicest cookies." Emilio nodded, and his cousin’s boyfriend took them both under his arm, taking them away from the Dolce&Remì. The boy giggled when, while stepping into the living room, they surprised Virgilio and Romolo sitting on the couch and hugging each other, watching Mulan on Blu-ray, claiming to have fallen asleep, not noticing the compromising position. He silently watched Luca hugging Patrizio from behind, whispering something in his ear while the young Emilian was preparing tea for all of them. And he widened his eyes in terror when both the Molisan and the Roman confessed that they had noticed his crush on Giuda probably before Emilio admitted it to himself. The evening passed quickly, almost too quickly, between the teasing towards Emilio for his questionable choice - Romolo was still so mad at him, for obvious reasons - and when it was time to go home, Emilio thought of staying in his cousin’s apartment with his three lovely roommates. But he knew that in that same building, his roommate Remo was coming home. So he kissed his cousin on the forehead and hugged the other three, and took the elevator home. Once the door was open, he found Remo looking at something on the computer, in the dark of the dining room: "Oh, hey, Emì. You ran off to your cousin? Giuda wanted to apologize for treating you so badly." Right. He had such a sorry face. "Actually, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I made him destroy the glasses and I ran away. Holy crap, I've been a jerk. I hope he doesn’t throw a chair at me the next time I walk into the bar." "C'moooon. Giuda smashes glasses, and not only those, more than he could ever admit!", laughed the Roman, before yawning loudly and getting out of the chair: "Listen... I wanted to do something nice at the bar... Something that can involve young people but traditional at the same time. If we had a briscola tournament [1], would you like to play?" "Holy crap! Are you seriously asking me? I love briscola!" "Alright, bruh. C'mon then, I’ll talk to Tommy tomorrow and see what we can do about it. If you don’t come to play, I’ll never talk to you again!" Emilio nodded and Remo went to his room, a little diabolical smile on his face.

[1]: according to Wikipedia, "Briscola is one of Italy's most popular games, a Mediterranean trick-taking, Ace-Ten card game for two to six players played with a standard Italian 40-card deck. With three or six players, twos are removed from the deck to ensure the number of cards in the deck is a multiple of the number of players; a single two for three players and all four twos for six players. The four- and six-player versions of the game are played as a partnership game of two teams, with players seated such that every player is adjacent to two opponents."

1 - 2 - 3 - ?

hope you enjoyed, ciao!

Quando Emilio Picani entrava al Dolce&Remì, tutte le teste si giravano. Anche se ormai viveva a Bologna in pianta stabile da 3 anni e poco più, non sapeva perché tutti i presenti, specialmente i soliti noti, posavano lo sguardo su di lui come non facevano per gli altri clienti del bar. Eppure non era così appariscente o alla moda. Certo, era alto, aveva dei bei lineamenti ed un bel fisico, ma non era così speciale. Era semplicemente un bel ragazzo, con la sua passione per le cravatte colorate ed i cardigan color pastello. Certo, sapeva benissimo di essere stato nelle mire di un paio di loro per un lungo periodo, ricordava bene la corte spietata di Romolo e il balbettare di Virgilio quando gli aveva proposto di dargli ripetizioni sulle materie che lui stesso aveva studiato prima di aprire il suo studio a Bologna. E nessuno, nemmeno il suo coinquilino Remo, sapeva di come avesse aperto, con le cattive, gli occhi di Luca nei confronti di suo cugino Patrizio, che Emilio adorava con tutto il cuore. Tutti e tre i ragazzi erano indubbiamente bellissimi, carismatici e comunque, a loro modo, interessanti. Eppure non poteva accettare la loro corte. Perché Emilio Picani, trent'anni, ancora non si era deciso a fare coming out. Un po' per i genitori, ferventi cattolici al contrario di lui, ma soprattutto perché sorpresa sorpresa... Emilio Picani era timido. E prima del bar, i soli posti dove si sentiva a casa erano il suo studio e la sua camera, dove si circondava di memorabilia a tema cartoon ed anime, cose che lo appassionavano sin dall'adolescenza. Ed insomma, la sua timidezza, mista allo stereotipo degli omosessuali glitterati e pieni di piume a cui lo avevano abituato, lo avevano sempre tenuto in disparte da tutto il mondo legato ai gay, del quale lo psicologo non si sentiva parte. Aveva invidiato il suo piccolo cuginetto emiliano quando aveva ammesso di essere pansessuale, e sapeva benissimo che prima o poi, frequentando la compagnia di Patrizio, si sarebbe dovuto decidere anche lui, ad uscire dall'armadio. Quindi aveva declinato la dichiarazione di Romolo, proprio per quel motivo. Anche se non era proprio l'unico. Il secondo motivo era... poco più alto di lui. Aveva le spalle larghe, anche se spesso le teneva ricurve, togliendosi una decina di centimetri buoni. Aveva gli occhi di un verde intenso, quasi innaturale. Aveva i capelli rasati attorno alla testa ma un folto ciuffo al di sopra, che teneva indietro con un cerchietto giallo, palesemente il suo colore preferito. Rideva raramente, ma quando lo faceva, era una risata bassa, profonda, capace di scuotere lo stomaco del veronese.

Ed era veneto, come lui. Il suo secondo pezzo di casa, dopo Patrizio.

Emilio Picani, trent'anni, psicologo, omosessuale ancora nell'armadio. Ma completamente gay per Giuda Schiavon.

Ormai ne era convinto. Aveva cercato di negarlo, di dirsi che era solo una sua impressione, la sua immaginazione. Tutti, in quel bar, lo adoravano, ridevano con lui, si confidavano con lui, a volte per sciocchezze sentimentali, a volte per dei consulti più seri. Tommaso era suo paziente dal primo giorno che aveva aperto, finalmente, il suo studio, ed i due erano ormai uniti come fratelli. Era stato il primo a cui Emilio aveva confessato il suo orientamento sessuale. Tommaso lo aveva abbracciato e aveva mormorato: "Tranquillo che non lo ha capito nessuno." Avevano riso, ed il veronese aveva chiamato subito il cugino, che aveva promesso di non dirlo, per il momento, neanche alla sua dolce metà, Luca. Sfortunatamente, nemmeno Tommaso era riuscito a dissipare i dubbi di Emilio. Quei dubbi che ormai erano diventati certezze, in quei tre anni, ed avevano devastato lo psicologo. Giuda, il suo bellissimo, silenzioso, misterioso ed affascinante Giuda, non riusciva nemmeno a sopportare la vista del veronese. Non lo aveva mai trattato male, ma Emilio non poteva non notare come cambiava atteggiamento quando lui arrivava. Spesso lo guardava dalla vetrata del bar. Lo guardava per un bel pezzo, ridere e scherzare con tutti, persino con Virgilio, ed ormai riusciva a leggerne l'espressione senza sentirlo parlare, solo osservandolo. Quindi sapeva bene che era vera, la freddezza che dimostrava nei suoi confronti. Come i suoi occhi diventavano fessure, come le parole diventavano freddi sibili, raramente rivolti ad Emilio. Mai apertamente antipatico, ma incredibilmente glaciale. Ed a quanto pare, qualsiasi cosa dovesse fare in cucina, doveva sempre farla quando arrivava lui. Nessuno però sapeva di questa sua cotta, ad esclusione di Patrizio, che dopotutto lo leggeva come un libro aperto. E nemmeno Patrizio riusciva a comprendere il cambio di umore del veneziano, in presenza del cugino. Il giovane bolognese aveva cercato di convincere il cugino ad arrendersi, o almeno a parlare con lui, ed era proprio questo il motivo aveva spinto Emilio a ringraziare, complice un bicchiere di buon Millesimato di Conegliano, a parlare, forse per la terza volta in tre anni, Giuda ad alta voce nel bar. E questo aveva snervato talmente tanto il lavapiatti, che aveva fatto cadere il vassoio di bicchieri che aveva tra le mani. "Prego." Aveva sibilato il veneziano guardandolo, per la prima volta in tre anni, negli occhi. Ed un brivido aveva percorso il corpo di Emilio. Una scarica elettrica come non ne aveva mai provate prima. Accompagnata da un magone infinito per quanto era successo. Appena Giuda si era allontanato per prendere la scopa per spazzare, seguito a ruota da Remo, Emilio si era alzato in piedi ed aveva cercato di aggirare il bancone per tirare su i cocci, ma Tommaso lo aveva fermato. "Ti farai male. Ti tagli anche con la carta, cosa vuoi fare coi bicchieri?" "Ma... Giuda..." Tommaso aveva sospirato, e forse aveva compreso: "Giuda se la caverà. Non è mica la prima volta che fa piovere bicchieri. Forse dovrebbe calmarsi un po', non fosse stato così teso non li avrebbe fatti cadere. Non provarci nemmeno a pensare che sia colpa tua." Emilio aveva sospirato, togliendosi gli occhiali e scuotendo la testa. "Ma è colpa mia." Patrizio si era avvicinato, e gli aveva messo di nuovo la mano sulla spalla. Luca era dietro di loro, ed aveva proposto, pragmatico. "Emilio, vuoi uscire a prendere un po' d'aria?" Il veronese aveva annuito distrattamente, ed erano usciti. Nonostante l'occhiataccia di Patrizio, il veronese aveva in automatico estratto il suo pacchetto di cigarilli, e se ne era acceso uno. Mentre tirava dal sigaro in miniatura, aveva continuato a guardare dentro il bar. Ed aveva viso Giuda coi suoi guanti gialli, salire sul bancone e guardarsi attorno. Aveva... pianto? I suoi occhi, in particolare quello sinistro, erano tremendamente rossi. Il sospiro, indubbiamente di sollievo, emesso dal giovane veneziano seguito dalla mano sulla spalla di Remo, aveva devastato definitivamente il trentenne. Patrizio stava guardando la scena accanto a lui, ed aveva mormorato: "Sembra quasi che sia lui la vittima. Quando invece ha fatto tutto da solo. Che razza di falso..." "Patrizio, per favore...", aveva implorato il veronese. "Per favore cosa? È lui che ha fatto cadere i bicchieri, non tu. Tu lo hai solo ringraziato, Emi. Non capisco come fa a piacerti uno c...." Patrizio aveva spalancato gli occhi e si era tappato la bocca con una mano. Ma ormai il danno era fatto. Luca stava guardando entrambi con gli occhi spalancati come un cervo davanti a dei fari. Aveva guardato entrambi con fare sconvolto, Emilio che ormai si era arreso ed aveva iniziato a piangere silenziosamente, tirando dal cigarillo come un ossesso, Patrizio che continuava a sussurrare le sue scuse.

E si era schiarito ben bene la voce prima di chiedere, gentilmente nonostante l'accento duro tipico della sua regione: "Vuoi venire a casa nostra a bere un thè? Sono sicuro che riusciamo a saccheggiarne di quelli buoni di Romolo." Emilio aveva annuito, ed il ragazzo del cugino aveva preso entrambi sottobraccio, portandoli via dal Dolce&Remì. Il ragazzo aveva ridacchiato quando entrando, avevano sorpreso Virgilio e Romolo seduti sul divano uno addosso all'altro, a guardare Mulan in Bluray, asserendo di essersi addormentati e di non essersi accorti della posizione compromettente. Aveva osservato in silenzio Luca abbracciare Patrizio alle spalle, sussurrandogli qualcosa mentre il giovane emiliano preparava il thè per tutti. Ed aveva spalancato gli occhi terrorizzato quando sia il molisano che il romano, avevano confessato che si erano accorti della sua cotta per Giuda da probabilmente prima di quando Emilio lo aveva ammesso a sé stesso. La serata era passata in fretta, troppo in fretta, tra prese per i fondelli ad Emilio per la sua scelta discutibile (Romolo ce l'aveva particolarmente a morte, per ovvi motivi), e quando era stato il momento di tornare a casa, Emilio aveva pensato di restare a dormire nell'appartamento del cugino e dei suoi tre adorabili coinquilini. Ma sapeva bene che, in quello stesso palazzo, il suo coinquilino Remo stava rientrando. Quindi aveva baciato sulla fronte il cugino ed abbracciato forte gli altri tre, ed aveva preso l'ascensore per tornare a casa. Una volta aperta la porta, aveva trovato Remo guardare qualcosa al pc, al buio della sala da pranzo. "A Emì. Te ne sei scappato da tuo cugino? Giuda se voleva scusà per avette trattato come l'ultimo deji stronzi." Come no. Aveva proprio la faccia dispiaciuta. "Ma mi dovrei scusare io. Gli ho fatto distruggere i bicchieri e sono scappato. Porco can, mi sono comportato di merda. Spero non mi tiri addosso una sedia la prima volta che entro in bar." "Ma vaaaa. Giuda spacca i bicchieri, e non solo, più di quanto potrebbe mai ammettere!", aveva riso il romano, prima di sbadigliare rumorosamente ed alzarsi dalla sedia. "Ascolta... Volevo fare un qualcosa di carino al bar... Qualcosa che possa coinvolgere sia i giovani ma sia qualcosa di tipico. Se facessi un torneo di briscola, tu giocheresti?" "Porco can! Ma me lo chiedi? Adoro la briscola!" "Bella zì. Allora dai, che domani parlo con Tommy e vediamo il da farci. Guarda che se nun vieni a giocà te tolgo er saluto!" Emilio aveva annuito e Remo si era diretto in camera, un sorrisetto diabolico in faccia.

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siobhanreviewsmovies · 5 years ago

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Siobhan Reviews Movies: the 2019 Re-review

we may be a month and a half into 2020, and maybe at the end of this cinematic year I’ll actually do this on new years. But anyway. It’s very obvious when you read a few of the reviews that my rating system is based on how I’m feeling about the movie as I sit through the credits. Because that’s when I write the reviews. But my dad gave me an idea yesterday - to rank all of the movies against each other, to come up with a better rating system. So here goes, I guess.

29: Dora and the Lost City of Gold

I saw this with my friend for my birthday, which was a mistake, but in our defense, there actually wasn’t anything else on, and it’s a tradition. The big problem was that we weren’t the target audience, but then, we couldn’t work out who the target audience actually was.

Original Score: 4/10 New Score: Also 4/10. (not actually bad enough to beat the lowest score on here, transformers 5, the one with the knights of the round table story line)

28: Alita: Battle Angel

I saw it twice, and I regretted it both times. I regretted it so much the second time that I actually downgraded my rating. It was that bad.And now, I’m going to downgrade the rating again.

First Score: 6/10 (What was I thinking?) Second Score: 5/10 New Score: 4/10

27: Dumbo

I don’t even really know why I went to see Dumbo. I’ve never been a Disney fan. I don’t even think I’ve seen the original Dumbo. It was a cg horror-show, and not in the fun way. Sometimes you should just leave movies as the original 2D animation.

Original Score: 6/10 New Score: 4/10

26: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Again with the disney movies. I actually enjoyed the maleficent movie. it was nice. But the second? it was weird and unnecessary. The only redeeming feature was Michelle Pfieffer.

Original Score: 6/10 New Score: 5/10 (I mean, it was pretty, so it had that going for it)

25: It Chapter 2

I’ve never been that much of a Steven King fan. But some of his movies are decent. It Chapter 2 was decent. But it was weird. I kinda like my horrors on the non-alien-clown-side of weird, thanks.

Original Score: 5.5/10 New Score: 5/10

24: Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw

I mean, they should really stop with the fast and furious films. They really should. It was enjoyable, as long as you suspended your disbelief at EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE MOVIE. They’ve decided to go straight into actual scifi, with no reason why.

Original Score: 5/10 New Score: 5/10

23: Pet Sematary

You know what I said about Steven King movies? Same deal, but at least Pet Sematary was coherent. To an extent. It still had that weird, second story-line that wasn’t resolved.

Original Score: 7/10 New Score: 5.5/10

22: Avengers Endgame

I gave it a high score on the day, but it wasn’t that great. It was... a big screen spectacle where they didn’t actually put that much effort into making it make sense. which was sad. But anyway, now I’m only going to watch Thor movies. I like Thor movies.

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 6/10

21: Aladdin

It was really pretty, and really lovely. Was it an outstanding movie? nah.

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 6/10

20: How to Train Your Dragon 3

It really bugged me that the light fury was feminised when literally none of the other dragons were. It was like “how do we show that this character is a love interest and not just another character?” But other than that, it was a decent movie.

Original Score: 7/10 New Score: 6.5/10

19: Rocketman

I think, in my head, I was trying to compare Rocketman to Bohemian Rhapsody the whole movie. I tried not to, but alas, sometimes it’s difficult not to compare similar movies. Anyway I liked it, but I felt weird watching a biopic about someone who helped make it. I can’t really explain it.

Original Score: 6.5/10 New Score: 6.5/10

18: Godzilla: King of Monsters

It was a monster movie. It was pretty. There’s not actually much to say besides that.

Original score: 7/10 New Score: 6.5/10

17: Spider-Man: Far From Home

Look, it was pretty enjoyable, and I really liked Jake Gyllanhal as Mysterio

Original Score: 7.5/10 New Score: 7/10

16: Charlies Angels

The new Charlie’s Angels was fun. it wasn’t necessarily well written, but it had the same appeal as a fast and furious movie. It was action packed, it was cheesy, it was fun. I’m looking forward to more movies like it.

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 7.5/10

15: MIB International

It was silly, it was ridiculous, it had aliens. MIB International was everything I wanted.

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 7.5/10

14: Hellboy

I know I’m supposed to not be comparing movies to other movies, but I was hard pressed not comparing the new Hellboy to Guillermo Del Toro’s early 2000s movies. Which I love dearly. It was violent and gruesome, and sat about even with the old ones, but for different reasons.

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 8/10

13: Black Christmas

I’ll always watch a movie that frames the american college sorority/fraternity system as a cult. Especially if it has aesthetic.

Original Score: 7/10 New Score: 8/10

12: John Wick 3

John Wick 3 was funny. And it was pretty. What more do you need from a hyper-violent action movie?

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 8/10

11: Yesterday

Yesterday was a really lovely movie. it was a beautiful feelgood movie, but not in the lame way.

Original Score: 8.5/10 New Score: 8.5/10

10: Detective Pikachu

I re-watched detective pikachu today. Man I love that movie. It’s sweet and funny.

Original Score: 8.5/10 New Score: 8.5/10

9: Captain Marvel

Despite how much I’m starting to dislike marvel, I really did like Captain Marvel. Probably because, if you ignored the links they put in to prove that it’s part of a franchise, it could actually stand alone.

Original Score: 10/10 New Score: 8.5/10

8: The Lego Movie 2

YOu know when movies self reference, or reference other movies, and it’s super annoying? The Lego Movie 2 did those things, but in a not annoying way. It a “this is really stupid but in an enjoyably way” kind of way.

Original Score: 10/10 New Score: 8.5/10

7: Zombieland 2: Double Tap

So it was a shameless cash in on a very fun movie, but that didn’t make it less enjoyable.

Original Score: 9/10 New Score: 8.5/10

6: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

I’ve heard that Scary Stories wasn’t actually super well received, but I really enjoyed it. It had everything in it that I wanted to see, which is really all I need from a movie.

Original Score: 10/10

New Score: 9/10 (Okay, so it does need to go down just a little bit, since it’s number 6 on the list.)

5: Knives Out

In a year of sequels and franchises, Knives out was a refreshingly original movie. A whodunnit where you thought you knew who the killer was for 70% of the movie. With interesting characters who all got what they deserved. It was awesome.

Original Score: 8/10 New Score: 9/10

4: JoJo Rabbit

I don’t watch war movies, as a rule. JoJo Rabbit is an exception. And a brilliant one. They managed to make light of very, very dark subjects,but not in a way that trivialised any of them. Nothing felt trivial in JoJo Rabbit, despite the comedic take. It was beautifully done.

Original Score: 9/10 New Score: 9.5/10

3: Happy Death Day 2 U

The perfect sequel to the perfect groundhog-day-slasher-flick. and I say that with all the love in my heart. I’ve watched Happy Death Day and its sequel so many times. They just makes me so happy.

Original Score: 9/10 New Score: 9.5/10

2: Us

Us was my number one movie of the year until Ready or Not came along in all its slasher flick glory. It ticked all of the boxes: compelling story, beautiful cinematography, and outstanding acting. It deserves every award, if only they’d give the big awards to genre films, which they don’t, for some reason.

Original Score: 10/10 New Score: 10/10 (even if it’s not my favourite movie of the year, it’s my second favourite still)

1: Ready or Not

Genuinely the most fun movie I saw this year. The aesthetics were great, the action was amazing, and the story line was coherent. I was laughing with impressed glee the entire movie.

Original Score: 10/10

New Score: 10/10

#Siobhan Reviews Movies #2019 #movie reviews #this took way too much of my afternoon #but that's alright #it was worth it

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psychoticparadox · 5 years ago

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Introduction

So here we go again... I can’t even begin to guess how many times I’ve tried to be consistent with my blogging, but here goes another attempt.

As I go through life, I witness changes in myself & my environment as a whole.. Experiences build me and mold me, etc. Hopefully I am evolving throughout this process, but life is a roller coaster and I’m somehow still hanging on.

So, let’s get into this introduction a bit more with an ABOUT ME, shall we?

I think a proper greeting is due, so....

HELLO THERE! *waves*

My name is Angel. I am a shy introvert that over-analyzes every damn thing. Its both a nightmare and some cases enjoyable; depending who appreciates it and/or encourages it...if that makes sense. Some people admire my deep over-analyzing to details and therefore it energizes me and makes life as a whole FUCKING AMAZING...and simply put; WORTH LIVING. I literally crave this and thrive on this. This is my drive and simply put; keeps my crazy ass going.

Others will throw up road blocks that cause me to literally CRASH... I just shut down and become isolated, too afraid to share my most inner desires, dreams, identity, etc. When I shut down, I literally go into psychosis and helplessly drown in my own head. Often times, I contemplate suicide, as I feel so lost and engulfed in darkness... surrounded by loneliness and severe depression/anxiety. My self worth is fucked during those moments as my drive is deprived from my surroundings.

I am a Cancer Crab Zodiac, but was suppose to be born as a Gemini. My mother was pregnant with me for 10 months vs the “normal” 9 months. So I tend to take on both zodiac characteristics which makes shit even more fucking complicating.

I went to college for (too fucking long) for Psychology, Nursing, Law, and Arts. My passion seems to mostly be future based as a whole with whatever my surroundings may be. This means I may be adaptable, but also skip around like an ADD fucktard.

Which brings me to my next “about me”; I studied Psychology due to my vast diagnosis. I have been diagnosed with the following..... *clears throat*.... oh wait, I’m typing....so um..... *cracks knuckles*.......

Schizophrenia, Bipolar 1, ADD, BPD, Anxiety, Chronic Depression, Narcolepsy, Cataplexy, OCD, Epilepsy, CPTSD, Aspergers, Legally Blind, Dyslexia ...the list just keeps going....

By now, I’m sure you’re thinking... “HOLY FUCK THIS CHICK IS NUTS”..... yes, yes I am, but it also helps me see the world so different at the same time, and helps me be more understanding. If I could explain it in a lump-sum, it helps me see the world in different shades of colors others may not see. I see many are misunderstood and therefore went into Psychology to help anyone else through their battles. I had to face most of my battles alone, in silence, and don’t want anyone else to feel how I did; alone. Its one of the worst fucking feelings there is, and I thrive in helping others problem solve, plan for the future, come up with a game plan, etc. I find the human mind so fascinating and just can’t help but gravitate to increasing my knowledge of it. Even though I already have my Doctorate's in Psychology, I still can’t get enough of the mechanics of how we operate as a whole, as no one person, no one illness, is the same. And I find that amazing. I am thinking of going back to school to get my PhD in NeuroPsychology, as this is only a few more years and will educate me further. This will allow me to study brain scans in a Psychologist way. Fucking neat right? Naw? Eh,,,,I’m odd. *grins*

People often think that because I am an INTJ (Introvert Intuition Thinking Judging) personality, that I lack feelings and emotions, when its completely the opposite. I am an empath and my crazy mind throws that into my own mess of more shit for me to over-analyze as well, so I tend to show my emotions in silent, or with those closest to me I trust. Around the “right people”, I am quite driven, nurturing, loving, protective, loyal, outgoing, etc. I realize I may come off as arrogant, and even seem to have narcissistic behaviors, due to being so shy and my illnesses, and severe CPTSD. I am usually pretty reserved at first, and mostly observe others and listen. Once I know how they ‘tick’, I then will open up pieces of myself I feel may be appropriate/acceptable. I try to give others inspiration and drive. If I feel a part of me will do them no good, I keep that piece of myself quiet. Sometimes its unavoidable and my moods/actions are uncontrollable, and I try to be as communicative about my situation as I can, but most of the time I am at war in my own head and can’t even communicate to my own damn self, so its even harder to push that communication to others during those times....then BOOM.....domino effect. They feel worse as well as me. So overall, I try to only talk if whatever I have to say will be of aid, not to just “fill the silence”. My head is so loud as it is, so it does make it harder to push through my own internal noise as well.

As humans, we are our own worst critics it seems. This can be both beneficial and chaotic...and in some cases, (such as mine), completely disabling. To use this to our benefit, we must use it as lessons vs criticism. We need to grow and learn from our own thoughts and actions, as well as others, and NOT be criticizing it. Its hard to do, but the more we feed each other supportive inspiration, the brighter each of our futures will be. See what others have passion in, and fuel the fuck outta it. When you fuel others, you will fuel yourself; trust me. We are all empaths to an extent. We feed off each other. Most of the time this is referred to as “energy” and “vibes”....but its true. Whatever you put out into the universe will always return back to you... so I always quote “Spread those good vibes, y’all!”

Now, if you’ve made it this far in my post, first let me just say THANK YOU. This means a lot to me. I felt (and still struggle with this to this day) of feeling invisible and secretly hated... so when anyone shows any interest in me, I light up.

So onward of the whole “about me” I suppose, as well as my intro to this blog.

I needed an outlet to pour my mind into, as well as help others connect to me in a deeper way since I struggle with communication. My mind will literally overflow with thoughts that need to be thrown up somewhere, so heres one place they’ll go. I also plan to vblog on YouTube. I am a streamer on Twitch as well. I am on Facebook, Instagram, Discord, and will spread into other social medias as I see fit.

I started streaming on Twitch October 27th, 2019. It changed my life in many ways. I started it to build a safe place community/family, and it has been amazing. I cannot be more thankful for our community family. I mostly do the “Just Chatting” feature on there, but stream game play from time to time, and multi-stream with others as well. I mostly focus on helping others with therapy chats for free & run on a ‘donation/subscription” basis.

I absolutely love music. I’m obsessed with Rick & Morty. I used to be obsessed over Pusheen, and as I still have a place for that adorable feline in my heart, the obsession kinda faded.

I love to game and favor adventure slash games and FPS mostly.

I enjoy drawing anime, even though I have no interest in watching it. Go figure.

I write poetry from time to time. I also make jewelry, paint, etc. I love to design; whether it be decorating, technology based, fashion related, WTF ever....LOL I see it as an artistic way to plan I suppose?

I am a very misunderstood individual and hope for understanding for myself, as well as others.

I will end this post there for now, and add on when the urge comes. I hope y’all stick around and enjoy my company.

~peace & love~

xoxo angel (^_^)

#intro #about me #aboutme #info #intj #streamer #twitch #mental health #twitch streamer

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undeadimpulsereviews · 6 years ago

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The “Goblin Slayer” Problem (Editorial)

Warning before we begin; there will be spoilers for many different anime in this piece. I could say them all but that would just make this longer. They are older series, so at this point if you haven’t tried to watch, play, or read the things I talk about or show then I’m sorry but you were warned.

So before I begin I want to say one thing. This is not an attempt to defend Goblin Slayer alone. Also, this is not me saying that Goblin Slayer is a good or bad series. I have not read the light novel or manga, and I have hardly watched the Anime. I have seen two episodes and, while I plan to continue the series, I am currently not following the show at this time. However, I do know of the problem at hand and have done my share of research. I won’t be taking sides in this debacle; so please, don’t jump to any conclusions. I may lean one way or the other at times but, again, it all stems from my opinion. So let me just say one thing. For those saying that Goblin Slayer is a terrible series and those who watch it are terrible people, or for some people who are trying to defend the series in some fashion. Many of you are wrong and a lot of you are the problem... Let’s begin.

So to start things off, what exactly is Goblin Slayer? For those in the anime community that, somehow, don’t know after things blew up; Goblin Slayer is a series about an adventurer that goes by the same name. This adventurer does one thing, kill goblins. The series is a dark-fantasy series that takes a deeper look at a possible take on goblins. This isn’t your friendly goblins you may have come to know from shows like That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime or Overlord.

These are the definition of monsters. Their aim is to kill, pillage, and do as they please. This is where the problem comes in. What is it that these goblins like to do? In the case of Goblin Slayer it’s either brutal death or, for the unfortunate women of the world, rape.

Now the controversy stems from the first episode of the anime. While it wasn’t the starting point of the series; the anime was where most people and unsuspecting viewers first saw the series. In the first episode we are met with one of the main characters, the priestess. I don’t know if she has a name and I can’t seem to find one. Most of what I find on her just calls her priestess so we’ll just be going with that. The priestess is new to adventuring and is looking to go on her first job. She’s unsure of what job to take and is approached by a group of three looking for her talents. The four of them accept a job to hunt down a band of goblins that have been a menace and all seems well. However, they are not prepared and underestimate their enemy. This results in the death of two party members and the kidnapping of another. One member is brutally killed and the scene is shown to some extent, the other’s death takes some time and is by no means painless. Though, death and violence are a concept many can sweep under the rug; and what became of the other two? The priestess is alive but distraught; the fourth member, a monk, was caught off guard by a hobgoblin and was taken deeper into the cave. To make a long story short, the monk did not die but the monk is a women and the other alternative for the Goblins is no where near better.

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Above is the scene in question; in the video you can see what becomes of the party. Near the end is the part that has caused an uproar among the community. If you have seen the scene, don’t wish to watch the scene, or possibly can’t stomach the scene; don’t worry, you are not forced to watch this to understand where I am coming from. Just know that the rape scene, that has become somewhat of a controversy, happened. It wasn’t a long drawn out scene that shows everything imaginable, but it shows more than enough to know the act happened.

Now, after the first episode aired, things escalated in a way that people probably didn’t see coming. Many people were disgusted over what they just watched. People were outraged that a scene like this could go unchecked. It got so bad that sites like Crunchyroll had to issue a warning on the show for mature content on future episodes. People on Youtube started making terrible, and probably mostly faked, reaction videos. Though, worst of all, people began to verbally attack one another for viewing the show and finding enjoyment in what Goblin Slayer truly had to offer. “If you watch this trash anime, then you are a trash human being.” You’re a terrible person if you actually enjoy Goblin Slayer.” Whoa, Whoa, Whoa... Lets back it up a couple paces. Why did this all of a sudden become a huge mine field? We’re better than this people. Why is one rape scene the cause for so much strife and hatred? If it’s this easy to anger people, then what problems are within our future? Next you’re going to tell me that everyone will be at each others throats over an anime characters sexual orientation.

Joking aside, anime has been the hot zone for some of the dumbest issues recently. Why is this so new to people? What is it about Goblin Slayer that makes the red flags fly? It’s not the first series to explore dark themes and show scenes like this. Why is it that, not only the anime community but, people within “nerdy” communities are so easy to anger; and not just that, why do things go so far. No one knows how to argue their point, and so many people feel they need to go to extremes to get their point across. You’re all making the community worse; you are one of the reasons anime gets a bad name. No one wants to watch and talk about something when the other people watching are as toxic as they come. Be constructive, stop attacking others because they don’t like something you enjoy and vice versa. NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE WHAT IS PRESENTED! I know it’s a surprising concept but, please, actually try to see things from a different perspective other than your own. You’re not fully right in your opinion, but at the same time there is always some truth.

We’ll get back to the community as we talk about the issues. I did some more research into the controversy and found some ideas that just need to be thrown away. Not just from the side of people against Goblin Slayer but, also, for those attempting to defend it. For starter, lets begin with the side against the show. What is it about the rape scene that makes you all so angry. Lets start from the top.

Rape as a concept

Now the act of rape is obviously a very sensitive topic. I don’t have any business speaking on the topic when it comes to various scenarios, but please bear with me. The biggest issue I have with rape as a concept is the very sensitivity some people exhibit. Now, I can’t speak, and shouldn’t speak, for actual victims; however, I can assume that most people who aren’t victims attacking Goblin Slayer are doing so because to them rape equals bad. There is no argument here; rape is a terrible act that should never take place but, there lies the crucial problem, it does happen. It’s sad to say but, at this moment in our lives, rape is a very prominent thing. So why exactly do the alarms sound when somebody wants to portray rape in a visual or written medium?

Rape holds just as much place is movies, anime, and video games as do things like murder or other extreme felonies. Though, you never hear any backlash for the countless people murdered in games like Grand Theft Auto, or the themes of domestic abuse in stories like Oyasumi Punpun.

Why do things involving straight violence get a pass, but the moment a terrible sexual act is presented everyone starts a war? I think it’s the gravity of the crime. It’s hard to say but, here in america, murder is something known. We’ve seen it so many times before that we’re desensitized to it. We see news stories about school shootings and, at this point, it’s become more of a common occurrence for a lot of people. Things like rape, however, are crimes that tend to go unnoticed by the overarching community. I’ll be completely honest most cases of rape, that I’ve seen, are all fictional. Until recently, with all the sexual assault cases being presented against celebrities, you’d never hear about someone being the victim of rape; but, let me reiterate, this is based off my experience. I don’t know at the moment how often of a crime rape has become and how open victims and other people are when it comes to the issue. In my experience, with the society around me, it’s not something that everyone has been exposed to a great extent.

Again, I could be wrong about a lot of this, but I believe this is the building blocks of our problem. People know that rape is a thing, but they aren’t fully desensitized to the act. In a lot of respects this is still a very good thing. Fight for the real life victims and go against those who would even think this action is a right thing to do. However, this is the exact opposite for a lot of media. We should be allowing things like anime, movies and video games to portray the act. No matter how dark or gross it may be to some, we must accept that this is a thing. By producing hate speech against a studio or it’s people we breed a source of censorship. People may not believe it, but the collective voice has power and if this voice wants to see something end because it shows rape then it can do just that.

If we allow something like this to go on, it’s like an act of coddling the masses. If you can’t accept a rape scene, then just don’t watch. You’re eyes aren’t glued to the screen like some torture devised from a clockwork orange. If we censor the scenes of rape or domestic violence then that is just another way we hide the truth behind the curtain. At that point we are just taking word or mouth from people who also, probably, don’t have the business to speak about the subject. We’ve all see how well that works. “You shouldn’t smoke, it’s terrible for your body,” Don’t drink and drive, it’s your life and the life of others on the line.” No offense to my teachers, but the PSA’s don’t work. Words can be powerful, but the media has the power to show us just how terrible certain things can be to ourselves and others. Enough about all this however, we’re getting a little off track. Lets get back to Goblin Slayer.

Most of you have no right to Judge

Now before you read the bold face text and think to stop reading, hear me out. This isn’t a jab against every viewer of the first episode, or all those who say the show is a bad show. It is however a starting point for me to fight some of those who have produced their fighting words. Why exactly has Goblin Slayer been the subject of so much hatred. What is it about the scene in Goblin Slayer that pushes the envelope? Rape is not a new concept in media but for whatever reason it erupted at this very moment. Now there is one thing I want to say to some of the attackers. This won’t apply to some people, but I know there are a select amount of people this still applies to. This can not be the first rape scene you’ve experienced. I refuse to believe that every viewer had their innocent minds torn apart because they’ve never seen a rape scene prior to Goblin Slayer. Whether it’s from previous anime or manga like Berserk or Hellsing

or from rated R films like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. There is no possible way, within our world, everyone has avoided this. The case can also be made for literature outside of Japan. Take the popular series, Fifty Shades of Grey. I did my research for this and, while there isn’t a clear rape scene, the book does utilize sexual content to sell itself to it’s readers. The book has been panned by people who legitimately enjoy BDSM as a sexual activity. They have said that the book fails to capture what BDSM truly is and pretty much boils down to sexual abuse.

Now here’s the kicker; if you’re alright with any of the series mentioned above, or know of another series that uses rape in any form. Then your opinion is mostly flawed. There are definitely other reasons why you may say the scene is terrible, but if you’re latching on to the concept that showing rape or portraying rape is bad because it’s rape and the show is bad by comparison; but you give rape a pass in other things then, guess what, you’re a hypocrite.This may be a small amount of people among the bigger picture, but I know that there are people judging just to judge. It comes with the territory. At that point you’re just looking for something to hate about another series, or jumping on the bandwagon to be relevant. Though there are some people who have made arguments as to why the scene is bad, and why the show is by comparison.

The scene fails to be dark

For the more avid viewers, some people have said that the scene in Goblin Slayer wasn’t handled well. It’s not necessarily the fact that it was a rape scene, but that it was a poorly constructed scene. The scene was presented to show that this is not the happy fantasy setting that many people have come to know from other series in the genre. It’s meant to be dark and the scene was used to illustrate that the world and it’s monsters are a threat, no matter how small the creature may be. It also served to illustrate that no matter how weak the monster is; the adventurer should never go in thinking the job will be a breeze.

One of the things I’ve seen people say is that the story fails to produce a dark tone because of it’s art style. The character design of the cast is to cutesy to produce a dark feeling and the scene just falls flat. Some people have used Berserk as an example of how dark themes and rape work because Berserk utilizes a more realistic art style.

While it is a possible fact that the realism of Berserk plays to the mangas benefit; this does not prove the former. In Goblin Slayers case, people have stated that the female characters are the problem. They look to “moe-cute” and due to this the dark themes and scenes fall flat. Maybe there is some fact in what people say. I’ve seen my fair share of anime and it’s really difficult to make dark moments from these characters. Except, I would never actually say that if I wasn’t being sarcastic. It’s easier for me to say that, if you believe this idea; If you believe that an anime can’t portray a dark scene or mature moment because the characters are “cute”, then you’re wrong.

YOUR WRONG

COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH

ART STYLE DOES NOT ALWAYS DICTATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SCENE.

Just because something looks cute, does not mean it is instantly impossible for that to show dark subjects. You can believe that the art style or character design of a particular series is the reason a dark scene fails; that is your opinion. However, you can not say that cute character design or “Moe” art styles instantly make it impossible to convey dark themes. That idea could not be farther from the truth.

There is no reason for attack

For other people it’s more on the bigger picture of the scene as a whole. I said before that the rape scene serves a few purposes. It’s a means to introduce the goblins of the world and goblin slayer. It provides a level of world building and also danger. Now this is all opinion and I can’t dash anyone for saying they believe the scene did not deliver. That is all up to interpretation. I believe that the scene does an alright job at getting the point across. It’s clear that the party was under prepared. It worked to illustrate that goblins aren’t to be messed with, even if they are smaller and weaker monsters when compared to others. Could there have been a better way to introduce these things? Maybe, but I believe the scene is fine for what it’s trying to show. The show isn’t centered around these scenes. You don’t have to agree with the scene or like the show at all. It’s all your opinion. However, that does not give anyone the right to start attacking.

If someone likes goblin slayer then that’s the end of the story. You think it’s a terrible anime, they don’t. I think Dragon Ball Z is a highly overrated trash fire, but I’m not storming the doors of Toei Animation and calling them bad people. Your opinion is yours alone; you can share your opinion, and please do, but that doesn’t make you right. The same goes for the other side; it is your opinion that Goblin Slayer is a good show or manga. Cool, I’m glad you find enjoyment in a new series. There’s one problem; if you’re going to defend the series for what it presented, then you need to be more constructive and do your research. The thing that made me start this piece was a post I saw on twitter. There was a back and forth between two people about the series and the scene in question. The argument escalated to involve politics and other issues. Talk involving Social Justice Warriors, or feminists were also thrown into the mix. Why? What does any of this have to do with an anime about a man who kills goblins? Where does someone start talking about the political aspects? What do SJW’s have to do with anything regarding this anime? It’s one thing if you enjoy the series but, if you plan to defend it, or other things, please don’t just spout off nonsense. You’re just making yourself and the other people in the community look bad.

Tell the people why you think the show is good, seriously debate the shows pros from it’s cons. If they won’t listen to you and would rather attack you then they are not worth the effort.

Good Vs. Bad

I’ve said my piece on the Goblin Slayer controversy and ultimately; I don’t understand why it’s a controversy. Are we, as people, really so innocent to the idea of rape as a concept or story element. I still don’t fully understand what makes the rape scene of Goblin Slayer that final nail in the coffin. The scene serves a purpose and, while the purpose may not be the best; it does it’s job in my opinion. What baffles me the most is that this didn’t happen sooner. The concept is not new and by far this is not the worst use of it. I’ve read my fair share of manga and researched into other series and can say that I have seen far worse portrayals. In fact most of the scenes that bring about good development from the story or character are scenes that show the action did happen. In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the main character Lisbeth Salander is raped by her “caretaker” fairly early in the film/book.

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The scene is horrifying and disgusting; even with most of it happening behind closed doors. However, it serves a purpose to the future plot. We understand that the concepts present are terrible, but the scene works; and in my mind the same could be said for Goblin Slayer as well as other shows. Take Hellsing for example.

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For Hellsing the scene above is used for two things. One is to show a deeper look at the main characters back story; while the other is a commentary on religion within the series. it’s been years since I’ve seen Hellsing Ultimate so I won’t go in depth on the scene in fear of getting something wrong, but if you’re fine with watching the scene then it is above.

These moments have their uses; it’s a dark and terrible concept for sure, but viewers need to understand that it’s a real thing and the media should portray it. Just as they portray death and violence. We’re adults, and it’s our job to accept it. Unless, of course, the scene actually serves no purpose.We shouldn’t be attacking Goblin Slayer just for the scene; there are plenty of anime and manga that deserve way more animosity than this. To name a few there is Killing Bites.

This series starts with an attempted rape on the main female character. the scene is put in place to introduce our main two cast members; as well as, introduce the viewer to the concept of human animal hybrids. The scene ends with the main female character transforming into the form you see above and then killing her assailants. This is one of the worst things anyone can do. It’s one thing if the scene happens, but to make a scene where rape is attempted, only to present the powers present in the series is a huge cop-out. At that point the series is saying that the main character was never in any real danger, severely down playing the concept of rape. That feels extremely insensitive to actual rape victims. There were better ways to introduce the characters and the abilities. Another example is Magical Girl Site.

This is what I don’t understand, we pan Goblin Slayer for the first rape scene shown. While a show like this is ONLY about the rape and abuse of a school girl. Some people think that Goblin Slayer is some how more edgy than Magical Girl Site. How? Site uses abuse and rape as a means to somehow build their main character to be a “killing” magical girl. If Goblin Slayer somehow pushes the envelope, then this series has demolished the entire post office.This dark themes of the show are terrible and sickening to the point that they feel forced. Are we sure we didn’t get the names mixed up? Every scene of this series just feels like a horrible and disgusting attempt at shock value. The only problem being that it’s missing the value. Last example is Sword Art Online.

While not as terrible as Site, this scene was extremely unnecessary. It’s purpose was to anger Kirito and give him a reason, as well as the viewer to hate the antagonist of the second half. However, this was all already established. This scene could have been completely changed with her just tied up in the background and it would still get the same message across. I, as well as other people, make the argument that Asuna was almost the victim of a rape. In my mind the antagonist was fully intending to go that far after everything was said and done with Kirito. This is a lazy attempt at shock value and character building. A cheap way to show who we are rooting for and who we are against; even though this was all already established at the beginning of the arc.

Rape is an element, or concept, that plays a huge role in a narrative, and I believe that a lot of people who watched Goblin Slayer when it aired don’t really realize this. It can be effective, or poorly tacked on. If you’re not a fan of how rape is being portrayed, then just stop watching the material. Though the biggest thing we need to take away from this is that rape is an important concept in media. It’s terrible, but we need to be shown it almost to the same extent as violence and death. It’s not always shown in the best ways, but it can work. Though, whether you dislike it or accept it in a media aspect; don’t start taking your animosity out on other viewers. They did nothing wrong. Don’t like it? Then just don’t watch and move on with your life.

Thanks again for reading all the way through. I know this topic will probably raise some flags for people, and I may see some hate here and there. This is how I’ve seen the issue as it has unfolded. There are many people across social media that just have the situation all wrong in my mind; that, or they are approaching it from the worst possible positions. I can’t tell you if Goblin Slayer is a good or bad show, but I can say that it’s starting episode is not at fault. I may be back later in the month with a review; though with how Tumblr’s new policies I may need to move shop. I’ll keep you all posted, and again thank you for reading to the end. Have a good one.

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