#like the literary references and the themes of taking control of a narrative
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juliette-cai-enthusiast · 8 months ago
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Listening to The Good Witch and getting the most insane song envy why didn’t I write this album
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imaginefinneganswake · 2 months ago
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Wither hayrein honds tuck up your part inher.
Finnegan's Wake - James Joyce
ChatGPT40 literary report:
The line you provided, “Wither hayrein honds tuck up your part inher,” seems to evoke James Joyce's distinctive style, although it appears somewhat fragmentary. If we assume it is either an exact or closely inspired Joycean passage, the following approach will help analyze it through the lens of Joyce's literary innovations, particularly referencing Finnegans Wake, his most experimental work. This text exemplifies his radical approach to language, which mixes multiple languages, sounds, puns, and dream-like logic.
1. Joyce’s Use of Language and Polysemy
Joyce was known for creating language that operates on multiple levels simultaneously, a technique central to Finnegans Wake. Each word or phrase can have several meanings, often fusing words from different languages and linguistic traditions. This phrase seems consistent with that tradition. Here's a breakdown of the possible meanings embedded in the words:
"Wither": The word "wither" could relate to the verb "to wither," as in to dry up or decay, or it may also reference "whither," meaning "where to." Joyce often played with such homophones, where one word can generate a variety of meanings, allowing for both physical and existential interpretations.
"Hayrein": This could be a portmanteau blending "hay" and "reign." It evokes images of agriculture and ruling authority—perhaps a comment on the decay or mortality of something once fertile or dominant. The "reign" part could also carry associations with sovereignty, control, or passage of time, invoking deeper metaphysical concerns about who or what has dominion.
"Honds": Likely a modification of "hands." Joyce frequently used variants of common words to suggest different associations, such as "honds" echoing Old English or Dutch/German influences (in Dutch, “hand” is also “hand”). This can evoke both literal hands and the concept of handling or taking action.
"Tuck up your part inher": This is a more challenging construction, though Joyce often created phrasal constructs that force a reader to think associatively rather than literally. "Tuck up" suggests gathering or preparing something, which may be physical (like clothing) or more abstract (like preparing oneself for a journey or task). "Your part inher" could relate to inheritance (a "part in her"), where "her" might symbolize the land, a role, or an allegorical figure like Ireland, history, or even the female figure as muse or motherland.
2. Possible Interpretations
The passage as a whole seems to play on the idea of action, inheritance, and responsibility. A breakdown could suggest:
Direction or Displacement: The phrase "Wither hayrein" may suggest movement or an inquiry into where something is going, possibly in the face of decline or decay ("wither"). This could be reflective of Joyce's frequent exploration of themes like the decline of Irish culture, personal legacy, or the inevitability of death and time.
Agrarian Imagery: The word "hayrein" evokes rural, agrarian imagery that recurs in Joyce’s work. It could symbolize a form of pastoral nostalgia, while also hinting at the transience of harvests, seasons, or power (with the duality of "reign"). This could tie back to a broader commentary on the passage of time, societal change, or a collapsing authority.
Agency and Action: "Tuck up your part inher" seems to compel action—telling someone to claim or prepare for their role, perhaps in a broader inheritance, whether material or metaphorical. Joyce frequently addressed personal responsibility within historical and cultural frameworks, often leaving characters struggling with the weight of their heritage and their place in history. This could imply the same sense of engagement, telling the reader (or character) to prepare to "play their part" in a shared historical narrative or personal destiny.
Feminine/Irish Symbolism: The phrase "your part inher" could refer to Ireland, often personified as a woman, as in many nationalist and literary traditions. If so, it may be addressing someone to take up their inherited role concerning the nation, history, or personal legacy—perhaps a call to action to preserve cultural identity in the face of change or decline.
3. Allusions and Themes
Joyce often wove classical, historical, and biblical allusions into his works, and this passage could be read with those lenses in mind. For example, "inheritance" is a biblical theme, and in the Irish context, it could refer to the inheritance of culture, history, or even the troubled political landscape of Joyce’s time.
The passage may suggest a struggle between loss (decay/wither) and inheritance, demanding that the individual "tuck up" (prepare) to take responsibility for a legacy that is at once fading and persistent. This could resonate with themes found throughout Joyce’s works, particularly concerning Ireland’s historical and cultural identity.
4. Conclusion
This fragment, though brief and abstract, reflects Joyce's typical complexity. It challenges the reader to engage with language on multiple levels, invoking historical, cultural, and existential concerns. The play with words such as “wither,” “honds,” and “inherit” may suggest themes of decay, action, and legacy, while simultaneously calling attention to the reader’s responsibility to interpret and inherit the meanings within Joyce’s language itself.
For literary experts, this line can serve as a microcosm of Joyce’s broader thematic preoccupations—mortality, history, and the complex interplay between individual and collective experience. It is a striking example of how Joyce compresses vast ideas into intricate wordplay, demanding that the reader unfold the layers of meaning embedded in every line.
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withhertea · 1 year ago
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Featuring in our Summer 2023 issue, Maisie Peters discusses the magic of music, the power of vulnerability, and her spell-casting sophomore album, The Good Witch.
“I really believe in the magic and the power of music. Songs can often feel like spells,” beams singer-songwriter Maisie Peters. Back in London for just a few days, sandwiched between tour dates, the artist is contemplating her upcoming sophomore studio album, The Good Witch, on the set of her Wonderland shoot. With nods to fantastical childhood tales and references to witch hunts, the 23-year-old blends the line between fact and fiction, creating an honest and mystical space between.
At its core, the album is a coming-of-age story, a brilliant description of the dizzying reality of the twenty-something years. Love, happiness, heartbreak, devastation, confusion, and anger: those all-encompassing emotions that feel larger than life during the primary throes of adulthood weave in and out of the tracklist. But while these themes are present throughout, Peters assures me that she was seeking refuge from their complex grip whilst penning these tracks. “If I felt out of control in my personal life, this album was my little universe where I could say and do what I wanted to and make characters say and do what I wanted from them.”
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If her debut, You Signed Up For This, served as a snapshot of the adolescent experience and a farewell to her teen years, The Good Witch was expectedly the start of a new age. Take first single “Body Better” as an example. A deeply personal cut, it captures the insecurities that surface after a sudden end to a relationship — the torturous ruminating whilst trying to understand why it didn’t work out. “I wanted to begin with “Body Better” because I wanted to start with a real intent,” she explains. “I’m serious about music and I want to be an artist with longevity. I think to do that, you have to be prepared to sacrifice — you have to be vulnerable, you have to open up and give something of yourself.”
When it comes to songwriting, it’s easy to see how seriously Peters takes her craft. Attention to detail is rife as she spins literary references and mythology into early 2000s pop-esque power and a decade-defining tone akin to Lorde’s Melodrama. “Because I write pop music, I’m looking to say something concisely,” she lets on. “I want people to understand what I’m saying.” And it is safe to say she has achieved what she set out to do. Putting the most complicated emotions into direct terms, she creates music that resonates with the 20-somethings of today.
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It’s hard to pick a standout track from The Good Witch, but Peters’ own personal favourite is a good place to start. A beautiful ode to her on-stage team, “The Band And I” details their experience touring around the United States in a bus, playing live shows, and meeting the fans. “It’s a song you only really write once. It embodies this huge part of my life and it’s so special to be able to sing about that every night on tour.” There is also the title track, which explodes into a compilation of voice notes from Peters’ closest friends and cheers from her Webster Hall show. However, “Coming Of Age” is one of the most poignant of the album, reminding us that we hold power over our own narratives. “It’s a very easy thing to do to give so much magic to somebody else. And I’m a songwriter, so I’ll have my muses and think they’re God’s gift to the world,” she laughs. “It can be beautiful, but why have we given them so much power? Take it back! Give it to yourself. Recast the film.”
It is clear that Peters fights the battles she faces with her craft. “If you sing about something enough, it begins to work its way into what’s really happening,” she says. As true as this may be, I am left assured that Peters’ success is more than manifestation. It is pure magic.
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vividsoh · 3 months ago
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INSPIRATIONS, REFERENCES & INFERENCES (BUNGO STRAY DOGS)
BLOG 3: PHASE 0 (FRAMEWORK & IDEATION)
I've drawn inspiration for my game from a variety of media, but the anime series Bungo Stray Dogs has proven to be one of the most fascinating. This show's distinctive fusion of dark humor, supernatural powers, and literary allusions has inspired me and helped me incorporate a few of those ideas into my own work. I'll discuss the similarities and differences between Bungo Stray Dogs and my game in this post, emphasizing how aspects like the use of supernatural creatures, nuanced character development, and literary inspirations influenced my development.
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The Dark Underworld: Gangsters and Supernatural Exploitation
Bungo Stray Dogs' depiction of a world where gangsters and mafias take advantage of people with supernatural abilities and use them to subvert laws and control society is among its most captivating features. The notion that criminal organizations can manipulate and weaponize supernatural beings strikes a deep chord with the themes in my game. In my story, individuals in positions of authority take similar advantage of strong entities, resulting in a society where physical prowess and unique skills are not only respected but also mistreated and feared. Similar to Bungo Stray Dogs, this dynamic creates a layer of moral ambiguity where the distinctions between hero and villain are hazy.
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Complex Characters: The Wacky Darkness of Dazai
My admiration for Bungo Stray Dogs also extends to Osamu Dazai's character. His persona is an intriguing blend of dark humor and melancholy overtones; he is primarily suicidal but also frequently the source of comedic relief with his bizarre, eccentric actions. I'm excited to add this harmony of humorous and serious themes to my game. One aspect of Bungo Stray Dogs that I want to imitate is their ability to explore complex, occasionally unsettling themes while maintaining a lighthearted tone with endearing, quirky characters. While Dazai and other characters in my game deal with serious subjects, they manage to do so in a way that adds humor and a distinct charm to the story.
Literary Influences: From Authors to Artists
The way that Bungo Stray Dogs adapts real-life writers' works to form its characters and storyline is among its most inventive features. Every anime character is based on a well-known author, and many of their skills are derived from the themes or titles of that author's writings. I find it really inspiring that character design and storytelling can incorporate literary allusions. Although my game's characters won't be based on writers directly, I'm adopting a similar strategy by incorporating the environments and missions of the game with inspiration from painters and artists. My game will infuse the interactive gaming space with the emotional depth and tragedy of great artworks, much like Bungo Stray Dogs brings life to literature. To translate the feelings and ideas of these artworks into the challenges and narratives within the game, a mission may, for instance, be inspired by the chaotic energy of a Picasso piece or the melancholy tones of a Van Gogh painting.
Bungo Stray Dogs as a Literary Reference
My game has been greatly influenced by Bungo Stray Dogs, not only because of its inventive concept but also because of the way it skillfully combines literary allusions, dark humor, and complex themes into a seamless story. I want to make a game that appeals to players on a number of levels by incorporating similar elements, such as the use of supernatural abilities, the creation of nuanced, humorous characters, and the incorporation of artistic influences into game design. The combination of these concepts should give the world I'm creating more nuance and character, much like Bungo Stray Dogs has captured the interest of its viewers.
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sam4samina-blog · 1 year ago
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Minor science fiction subgenres:
Alien Conspiracy Science Fiction: The basic premise of Alien Conspiracy Sci-Fi is that the existence of extraterrestrial life or humanity's interactions with extraterrestrial life has been covered-up.
Astrobiology: Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe, here on Earth and out among the stars.
Classics: The pillars of the science fiction genre
Cybernetic Revolt: The cybernetic revolt, the robot uprising, the destruction (or attempted destruction) of humanity by artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence may be robots, a supercomputer, a computer network, or a whole race of intelligent machines.
ESP Science Fiction:  ESP Science Fiction features characters with Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP). The core ESP powers are clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition. Under a broader definition of ESP, other powers are included: Telempathy (or empathy), Telekinesis, Teleportation, Levitation, Healing, Pyrokinesis, Coercion,...
Galactic Empire: In this subgenre, there is an empire that spans galaxies.
Isekai: Isekai is a Japanese genre of light novels, manga, anime and video games that revolve around a person who is transported to and has to survive in another world, such as a fantasy world, virtual world, planet or parallel universe.
Mecha: The term mecha may refer to both scientific ideas and science-fiction genres that center on giant robots or machines (mechs) controlled by people. Mechas are typically depicted as humanoid mobile robots.
Mythological Science Fiction: Stories within this sub-genre are rooted in, or draw from fables, mythology, folklore, or fairy tales. The story may retell the myth entirely or draw from the tropes, themes, and symbolism of the myth.
Planetary Romance: Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds.
Recursive Science Fiction: Recursive Science Fiction is the most metafictional of all Science Fiction sub-genres; it is Science Fiction about Science Fiction. That is to say, the narrative story of a Sci-Fi story explores Sci-Fi itself. Plots, characters, settings, descriptive terms (like avatars) are recycled throughout Sci-Fi. There are three basic variants of Recursive Sci-Fi: tuckerization, intertextuality, full-blown recursion. Tuckerization uses real people as fictional characters usually achieved through inside-knowledge, much like an inside joke or homage. These characters can also be Sci-Fi fans or authors. Intertextuality happens when a reference to another text is made within the story. Intertextuality is more than just the influence of one text on another, there are deliberate connections that shape the narrative. Full-blown recursions are self-reflexive narratives that offer commentary on the genre of Sci-Fi.
Restored Eden: Taking place on Earth in a near or far future, Restored Eden Science Fiction depicts an Earth where most of humanity has moved on and the Earth has healed to become a paradise.
Retro Futurism: Retro Futurism is a trend in the arts that prizes futuristic visions from the past (until about 1960). Futurism was a reaction to a surge in technological progress and featured visions of a utopia just around the corner and a sense of optimism. The return to this historical futurism allows us to reexamine the imagination and dreams of the past.
Slipstream: A subgenre with elements of the surreal and postmodern themes. It crosses the genres of literary fiction and speculative fiction, including science-fiction, fantasy or both. Slipstream is often defined as fantastical, illogical, surreal, and jarring.
Subterranean fiction: Subterranean fiction is a subgenre of adventure fiction, science fiction, or fantasy which focuses on fictional underground settings, sometimes at the center of the Earth or otherwise deep below the surface.
Superhero fiction: Superhero fiction is a genre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities, and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains. The genre primarily falls between hard fantasy and soft science fiction spectrum of scientific realism.
Sword and Planet: Sword and Planet Science Fiction merges the medieval with the cosmos.
Transhumanism: The stories offer possibilities about how humans may transform in the future. These transformations may be small or complete alterations. These transformations are often characterized as evolution, often with the aid of science—as in biological uplift.
Undersea Science Fiction: Space offers infinite possibilities for our imaginations, but so too does the ocean. A self-describing sub-genre, Undersea Science Fiction takes place under the sea.
Xenofiction: It is a term applied to stories told from the perspective of a non-human.
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Blog post - 09
What are embedded and emergent narratives, and how do these two play a significant role in games today?
Since 1999, the phenomena of unexpected contextual stories emerging during play, known as emergent narrative, has been studied in the area of game studies. However, the focus of that discussion is primarily on hypothetical narratives produced by either the system or the player.
Emergent translates to "becoming." In expressions like "emerging technologies," it is frequently used. We anticipate seeing this cutting-edge technology deployed widely very soon. For instance, in the early 1990s, the Internet was an emerging technology.
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An embedded narrative, sometimes known as a "story within a story," is a literary device in which a character from one story takes on the role of the narrator of another (within the first one). Nesting stories refer to multiple levels of stories within stories. Assume, for instance, that character A tells a narrative about character B and that character B then tells a story about character C. The primary tale level, where character A is located, has two embedded stories at two distinct levels. In the world of video game design, emergent and embedded stories refer to how stories are developed and experienced within a game. Emergent stories are those that the game's designers do not predetermine but rather emerge organically through the player's interactions with the game world and its systems (Gaver, 2002). On the other hand, embedded stories are predetermined by the game's designers and presented to the player in a linear fashion (Gaver, 2002).
Emergent stories are often associated with open-world games and sandbox games, where players have a high degree of freedom and agency to explore and interact with the game world (Gaver, 2002). In these types of games, the player's actions and choices can lead to a wide range of outcomes, and the story that emerges is often unique to each player's experience (Gaver, 2002).
Emergent narrative refers to a story that emerges from the player's interactions with the game world and their choices. Where the player has a high degree of freedom to explore and interact with the game world. An example of a game with an emergent narrative is "Minecraft," where players can create their own story as they build and explore the game world. Players can create their own stories as they explore and interact with the game world, and there is no predetermined plot or ending. Furthermore, "Grand Theft Auto V" - This open-world action-adventure game allows players to explore a virtual city and engage in various activities, such as driving, shooting, and completing missions. The player's choices and actions in the game can create their own unique story; moreover, "The Sims" - A life simulation game that allows players to create and control their virtual people, known as Sims. Players can create their own stories and scenarios for their Sims to play out, and the game does not have a predetermined plot or ending.
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On the other hand, embedded stories are more common in linear games where the player follows a predetermined path and experiences a set story (Gaver, 2002). These stories are often more focused and structured, conveying specific themes and messages to the player (Gaver, 2002). Embedded narrative refers to a pre-written, predetermined story built into the game and follows a specific plot. This type of narrative is often used in games that strongly focus on storytelling, such as role-playing games (RPGs) or adventure games. An example of a game with an embedded narrative is "Final Fantasy VII," which has a pre-written story that unfolds as the player progresses through the game. "The Last of Us" - This action-adventure game has a profoundly emotional and narrative-driven storyline that follows the journey of Joel and Ellie as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, and "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" - This RPG has a complex, branching storyline that follows the story of Geralt of Rivia as he searches for his adopted daughter. The player's choices throughout the game can impact the story and lead to different endings.
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It is not necessarily the case that one type of narrative is "better" than the other. Both embedded and emergent narratives have their strengths and can be effective in different situations. Embedded narrative can be a good choice for games that strongly focus on storytelling and character development. This type of narrative allows the game designers to carefully craft a specific story and ensure that the player experiences a specific sequence of events. This can be especially effective for games with complex, branching storylines or multiple endings. On the other hand, an emergent narrative can be a good choice for games that place a greater emphasis on player freedom and choice. This type of narrative allows players to create their own stories and experiences within the game world and can be especially effective for open-world or sandbox games.
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Ultimately, the best type of narrative for a game will depend on the specific goals and design. Some games may benefit from a complete and predetermined story (embedded narrative), while others may be better suited to an open-ended, player-driven story (emergent narrative). Both emergent and embedded stories play a significant role in modern games, and many games today use both types of stories to create a rich and engaging experience for players. For example, some games may use an embedded story to provide an overarching narrative while allowing players to experience emergent stories through side quests and branching storylines (Gaver, 2002).
Overall, stories in games can be either emergent or embedded, and both types of stories play a significant role in the way games are designed and experienced today. By understanding the difference between these two types of stories, game designers can create more engaging and immersive experiences for players.
References: Gaver, W. (2002). The Culture of Gameplay. In The Video Game Theory Reader (pp. 21-40). New York KĂŒcklich, Julian. "Precarious Playbour: Modders and the Digital Games Industry." The Fibreculture Journal, 2005. Juul, Jesper. "Games Telling Stories." Game Studies, 2005.
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izayoi-hakuyu · 4 years ago
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Vanitas no carte: A case study of the vanitas motif?
In this I want to examine how the vanitas motif is used in the manga “Vanitas no carte”. In other words: Is the main character just called Vanitas because it’s a cool name or is the manga embedded within a certain literary/artistic/cultural tradition? And is the connection to that tradition just the name of the main character (spoiler: it isn’t, at least in my option) or is the vanitas motif deeply interwoven within the narrative and its themes (spoiler: it is, at least in my option)?
Talking about spoilers: I have only read up to chapter 40, so this may be updated as I continue reading. On the other hand, there will be spoilers for the chapters up to chapter 40.
Note: I don’t know if something like this has been done before. If it has, I’m very sorry. This is actually my second step into the actual fandom and I’m lacking an overview. Also English is not my native language and it’s hard for me to articulate myself properly. I’m sorry if the topic of the vanitas motif within the manga has been discussed before and I’m sorry for any mistakes I make.
So what is vanitas as a motif?
“Vanitas” is latin for “vanity”. As a theme in literature it addresses the transience of all being.
These works of art associates with the vanitas motif show the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. Symbols of wealth and symbols of death are often arranged in a contrasting matter. Similar to “memento mori” (latin for “remember that you [have to] die”. Memento mori is a vanitas symbol itself and they are overlapping), it accentuates the inevitably of death. But instead of the death itself it emphasizes the vanity and transiency of the human life. Motifs connected to vanitas became especially popular during the baroque period due to religious and social upheavals and the experience of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and several plague pandemics and the steady presence of destruction and death. On the other hand, social injustice rose due to the build of expensive castles by absolutist rulers.
The vanitas-motif not only criticizes the worldly glory and pleasure that is transient in nature. But vanitas also accentuated that the humans are powerlessly confronted with their own fate and have no control over their own life. This mindset originated in the traditional Christian belief that earthly pursuits and goods were believed to be transient and worthless. Furthermore, people would be expected to accept their fate that would be inflicted by God. While everything earthly would be eventually in vain, God would be eternal.
The paintings under the term “vanitas still lifes” are the most well-known incarnation of the vanitas motif, but it has been also incorporated as a motif not only in painting, but in poetry (for example in the works of the German baroque poet Andreas Gryphius. And I kid you not, he wrote an ode called “Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas!”) and other forms of literature. Within the vanitas motif developed a whole collection of symbols associated with it. These are also presented in this manga.
Vanitas symbols in Vanitas no Carte
Hourglass
The hourglass that takes form in Vanitas’ earring is a classical symbol of vanitas. The flowing sand symbolizes the passing of lifetime and mortality. A symbol of the passing of time and the eventual death is also expressed in the gearwheel ornaments on the “Book of Vanitas”.
Skull
The cover of the first volume shows Vanitas in front of a picture frame made of golden skulls. Skulls are symbols of vanitas and memento mori. They are reminder of death and human transience. One of the skulls on the cover is wearing with a crown, which alludes to the typical form of presentation of the vanitas motif, to juxtapose symbols of death and symbols of wealth and worldly power. This relates to the role of the vampire Queen Faustina, who is both in reign of the vampires but who also seemingly spreads death over them by spreading the curse as Naenia (a name also connected to death, as Naenia was a funeral deity in ancient Rome. The name Faustina on the other hand
is a whole new topic for another day and is most likely referring to Goethe’s Faust, a play that revolves around a scholar who makes a contract with the devil. Actually the act of vampires exposing their real name includes elements of/refers to the Faustian pact motif).
Book
The book itself also a symbol of vanitas and finds its place in the story in form of the
”Book of Vanitas”. Books (among measurement tools and the like) within the vanitas motif represent the emptiness and vanity of earthly knowledge and striving. Subsequently they symbolize the haughtiness that can arise out of thirst for knowledge. From this perspective this symbolism is also tied to Dr. Moreau, who horribly abused Vanitas and other children in experiments to gain scientific knowledge in order to become a vampire himself...and his eventual failure.
Knife
Another part of Vanitas as a character is also connected to the vanitas motif – his knife. The knife stands for the vulnerability of the human life and also functions as a death symbol. The knife is especially charged symbolically as Vanitas attacks NoĂ© on the rooftop, declaring their cooperation has ended at this point. Vanitas is refusing to let another person in his life, refusing to trust someone else but himself. His attack towards NoĂ© with his knife not only is an attempt to make NoĂ© hate him, but also a symbolic “cut” of their ties. But the symbolism doesn’t end here, as NoĂ© is the one who stops the knife with his hand. Showing that he will refuse their ties to be cut. Showing that he will stay at Vanitas side no matter what and that he accepts him and doesn’t want him to be alone. In a second situation where their relationship is on the verge of breaking is the conflict within the catacombs, as NoĂ© refuses to agree with Vanitas idea of fighting back Laurent. Vanitas lashes out, severly insults NoĂ© and tells him to leave, if he doesn’t agree. But NoĂ© stays at his side (and still shows him that he doesn’t agree). One could conclude that Noé’s relationship with Vanitas has an element of transience in it by Vanitas coping mechanism of avoiding and leaving others in case of conflict. And NoĂ© fights this transience of their relationship by offering Vanitas trust, acceptation and in the end stability. During their next conflict, where NoĂ© spits out that he wants to drink Vanitas’ blood, Vanitas leaves. But this time it is Vanitas himself who initiates remediation, who fights his own transience when it comes to social relationships. He returns (which is unlikely to him, as Dante states), his care for NoĂ© are stronger than his desire to be fleeting, not being able to be “caught” by anyone. And sees NoĂ© waiting for him. Again, offering stability.
Mirror
The vanitas motif is not only imbedded in the accessory of Vanitas himself. It also finds its place in the design of NoĂ©, more precisely in the small mirror attached to his tophat. In the context of the vanitas motif, mirrors symbolize vanity and the evanescence of earthly beauty. It also stands for pride and haughtiness, similar to the Greek myth of Narcissus. This actually contrasts Noé’s humble personality.
Flowers
Within the manga Paris is described as the “City of flowers”. While flowers can be also a symbol of love and even immortality, their blooming and withering can also be a symbol of death and fleetingness of beauty, especially in the context of baroque symbolism.
Musical instruments
Musical instruments are a sign of transiency as well, as the sound vanishes into nothing as soon as it is articulated. Music is seen as something unique and unrepeatable, and also as something that is transient in its nature. This becomes evident in Cloé’s character arc, as music is her way to manipulate the world formula. Her life is also highly influenced by the transience of her surroundings, while she herself is forced to remain static.
Carpe diem
Latin for “seize the day”. It’s the name of Jeanne’s weapon. “Carpe diem” is an idiom that was especially popular in the baroque era, but it dates back to the roman poet Horace. Along with “memento mori” and “vanitas”, it emphasized the fleetingness of all life. “Carpe diem” emphasizes the call to make use of the day and the time left and to act, despite the eventual transient nature of all afford. The own mortality should be remembered and therefore the day should be seized. This reflects the main characters Vanitas, NoĂ© and Jeanne, who carry on and refuse to give up, despite the external and internal struggles they face.
The color blue
The color blue takes a significant role within the narratives (Vampire!Vanitas being born under the blue moon). While it is not traditionally connected with vanitas itself, the color blue, together with the color black (which are the two dominating colors within human!Vanitas’ character design), is connected to death and melancholy.
The role of the vanitas motif within the narrative
The vanitas motif is embedded both in the form and in the content of the narrative.
The vanitas motif is embedded within in form of the manga as it has an analytic plot structure. This means the story’s conclusion is already presented in the beginning and the rest of the story unfolds how the eventual conclusion happened. This is the case in “Vanitas no carte” as it presents the conclusion, that Vanitas dies in the end within the first chapter and we are actually reading Noé’s memoirs. Therefore it is a constant reminder, that Vanitas will die and nothing that will happen in the story will change that outcome. Everything that happens in the story appears basically unable to change the end. Every positive development is overshadowed by the fact that it is made clear by the narrative since the very beginning that there will be no happy ending for the main characters. This is especially notable in the scene on the rooftop in volume 3, where NoĂ© declares, how he will stay on Vanitas’ side. This scene is followed by an overlying narration of NoĂ©, who says that memories of the beginning awake memories of the end and expressing his regret. In this positive, powerful scene where Vanitas and NoĂ© make up and the themes of human bonds, free will, acceptation of oneself and others and trust really shine
also embeds the eventual tragic end. The omnipresence of death and its fatality and the transience of life and the knowledge that nothing lasts is the essence vanitas motif and it is presented in the mere structure of the manga.
But its not only the structure where the vanitas motif is woven in, but also the story. This shows especially in the character Vampire!Vanitas and in the mere name itself. As Cloe’s case shows: Vampires are pretty much immortal, if not directly killed. On the other hand, it is the curse of Vampire!Vanitas that endangers vampires: Because it gives them back their mortality and the transience of their existence. A transience not brought by an outside force as in the church, that hunts the vampires – but transience within themselves and their very nature. Vampires fear becoming cursed as much as humans fear death – it can always happen, to everyone. It’s not fast, but slow, seemingly unstoppable “decay”. So it is fitting for someone called “Vanitas” to bring transience and the constant reminder of death and fear upon their whole species.
Another factor of the vanitas motif is the inevitable passing of time and the changes this brings – a theme that is deeply tied to several characters arcs, where death and loss and how to deal with both is a major theme (especially when it comes to Vanitas, NoĂ©, Jeanne, but how they relate to each other thematically is worth an analysis itself and I would digress too much). This is especially notable in Cloé’s arc, who is the only vampire in her family and becomes more and more isolated and alienated from her family, who eventually forgets about her. Cloé’s wish to stop the passing of time (and the underlying wish to be happy with her family, to be accepted for what she is), to fight the transience or rather to fight the vanitas manifests in the time loop. The time is reset and tied into a loop – symbolizing not only her being stuck in the past, but also her refusal of a future, since a future meant nothing but being forgotten for her, who sees no other purpose in herself but to execute the will of her family that has long forgotten her.
The concept of vanitas also includes fatalism and the belief that humans don’t have control over their own lifes. This makes Lord Ruthven , who uses curses to bind other vampires to his will and eliminating their own (as he did/tried to do with NoĂ©, Jeanne and CloĂ©) a fitting villain from a thematic viewpoint as he impersonates fatalism. Personal choices or free will don’t matter for him as he erases both. This makes him a foil for Vanitas and an antagonist not only in actions but in world view. To Vanitas the freedom of his will and the consciousness of his own choices are extremely important to him. He could never choose in the past and was more seen as tool used by his surroundings than as a person. This emphasis of choices opposes Vanitas to the traditionally fatalistic viewpoint of the vanitas-motif. Not only that, but he uses the Book of Vanitas to actually reverse the curse and fighting the transience of existence that has befallen the vampires.
So Vanitas fights Vampire!Vanitas not only as a person by preventing the curse from killing vampires – but simultaneously he fights the transience and the fatalism: He fights vanitas as a concept itself.
But the narrative doesn’t deem transience not as internally negative. Quite the opposite, the narrative sees transience as an opportunity for change. The change of fixed structures is also an important theme after all. This change of structures is of both negative (as the curse dissembles the true name of the vampire and therefore their entire nature and Jeanne’s struggle and agony with coming in terms with seeing herself changing) and positive qualities. In one of the early chapters Vanitas complains about how the vampires are stuck in the past and therefore refusing his help – it is not only after Vanitas proofs himself that he is at least tolerated. The message of the positive side of change is also within Vanitas’ and Noé’s improving relationship and understanding. Even though Vanitas has a hard time to accept these changes (as he didn’t tell NoĂ© about the state of the Queen, because he thought he wouldn’t believe him and refers to the several past experiences of vampires almost killing him), the positive relationship of both of them even inspires changes in others. Notably Laurent. Who, inspired by seeing a human and a vampire in a positive relationship begins to question his own beliefs and is even on the road to uncover secrets of the church, breaking up entrenched structures as well.
As a conclusion one could say that the manga makes many, many allusions to the vanitas motif and incorporates them structurally, thematically and plot-wise.
Vanitas no Carte is really a case study of vanitas.
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bestworstcase · 3 years ago
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The tts fandom "rewrites" the series by adding Varian and trimming the kiddy/filler episodes. They rarely address any actual problems with the shows characters, pacing, etc, nor do they ever really rewrite much beyond those two points.
So it still sucks, it just sucks in fast forward and also Varian is there now.
that’s tangential to what i’ve been gnawing on actually, bc like--hm. i think a lot of varian-in-s2 fic is mediocre for the reasons a lot of fic period is mediocre, ie it’s being written by amateurs in their spare time with zero quality control and is often like, kids having fun while testing the waters of longform fiction. and like, writing a novel length story is HARD! ive been doing it fairly seriously for FOURTEEN YEARS! and feel like i’m only just starting to truly get the hang of it. and the mediocrity of your average varian-in-s2 or v7k longfic is largely the mediocrity of being, you know, new to this.
[& frankly: the reason so much mediocre tts longfic is varian centric is because the varian side of the fandom is actually writing longfic, which um, is not really the case in other corners of the fandom gfbfndbk]
anyways no it’s more of the
 mindset undergirding like, metaposting and fan discussions that got me thinking about this + the attitude towards tts itself + the specific tropes different corners of the fandom seem to gravitate to when the subject of ‘fixing’ the story comes up--like there’s. varian fans + moonvarian obv but there’s also new dreamers + benching cass and cassunzels + ‘cass took the moonstone to protect rapunzel and YEARNING’ and so on, & of course a big part of it is folks just wanting their preferred character or (sigh) ship to hog the spotlight which, fair, but-- wait ive cracked it i think
tts DOES HAVE an extremely clear and tightly focused narrative through line which acts as the keystone holding the story together, and that is of course the conflict between Rapunzel Growing Into Her Power and Cassandra Struggling For Her Freedom. that is what the story of tts is
about.
& what i see happening a lot in fan discussions + metaposting + actual rewrites is people looking at the bad structure and plot contrivances and weak characterization stemming from the writing being very plot driven and going “this is a mess” and then kind of papering over it all by slotting their favorite character into whatever arc they wanted that character to have, but they do that without meaningfully changing the through line. so they are--bear with me i’m going to make a reference comprehensible to Me Only--it’s a wonderland uk tour problem where the skeleton of the original story is left intact and the meat is kind of awkwardly shifted around in an attempt to make it a different story and you end up with bad literary taxidermy.
so like--i promise i’m not trying to pick on varian fans here gkfhdkd it’s just, again most of the longfic in this fandom is varian fic--a lot of moonvarian concepts that get tossed around rely on his efforts to save his dad but then just kind of peter out into
well there’s a conflict with rapunzel
and zhan tiri
 manipulates him
 and half the time you end up with “tts but varian is cass and cass is on a bench” and varian being railroaded into cassandra’s canon arc because
well that’s what the person who takes the moonstone is supposed to DO. (this gets even more egregious when it’s new dreamers shoving eugene into that role but then also refusing to commit to the conflict mbgnfnsh) or else there’s a series of contrivances to let moonvarian happen so as to “fix” cassandra’s villain arc while also not actually changing much and then there’s this weird vibe of varian is a main character now but also irrelevant bc the story is still cass vs rapunzel.
and all of that feels very weird to me because! why is the first thing you do when you sit down to do a rewrite not asking “what is my version of this story about?” not in a thematic way (theme comes last) but in the elevator pitch way--what is the one-sentence pure distillation of the story’s central conflict? like for bitter snow i would say it’s righting past wrongs vs an oppressive status quo--the cass vs rapunzel conflict still exists but is in no way the centerpiece of the whole story, and that’s what allows bitter snow to be SO much wider in scope than tts, i’m not trying to have a very tightly focused interpersonal through line and a sprawling revolution story at the same time
everything is just bones. rewriting is literary necromancy and the tts fandom refuses to open its cadaver
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shreddedleopard · 4 years ago
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10 Reasons it would make narrative sense for Levi and Historia’s character arcs to conclude together.
I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, but I’ve been nervous of the backlash. Feels like it’s now or never though, and theorising for/analysing stories is one of my favourite things to do - I’m clearly missing those literary analysis essays from university days. So please excuse me if you think I’m deluded - I probably am - but the analyst in me won’t let me be until I’ve got this all out of my system.
Beware, it’s a long one. There's some thoughts on chapter 130 nearest the bottom!
1. Childhood Parallels - The Abandoned Children
Levi and Historia’s childhoods mirror one another - there are striking similarities, but then also sections that fit together to complete each other, as though they are matching jigsaw pieces. The characters start out in worlds that are opposite - Historia has the comforts of a safe home, food on the table, and fresh air and sunshine. She has all the physical nourishment she needs, but she does not have her mother’s love. On the contrary, his mother’s love is the one thing Levi does have, otherwise living in poverty underground. Both their mothers, however, appear to be using sex and the idea of love as a means to survive or way to try and improve their circumstances, and it is out of this necessity that both end up being born.
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Levi is clearly affected when he first hears Historia’s tale of her childhood - Isayama shows this through the fact that Levi’s plate is the only one left untouched at the end of her story. He has been so sucked in by what she’s relayed, and probably saddened, that he hasn’t been able to bring himself to eat as the others have. Historia’s story rings true with some of his own experiences, but also highlights the world he may have found himself in without his mother’s love.
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Remember, Isayama consciously thinks about each panel he’s drawing - he wouldn’t include a small detail like that without reason. We see more of these instances of small but significant stylistic choices and minor details as we progress. Isayama stated in an interview that he wants to give fans an ending that fans would never guess, but that when they look back, the clues were there all along.
Continuing on with the theme of their childhoods and Isayama’s stylistic choices, let’s take a look at two significant moments:
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Both characters, although experiencing different forms of deprivation initially (Physical vs. Emotional Nourishment) were abandoned at crucial moments in their lives - when they were looking for validation from their primary caregivers and the people who should have been responsible for demonstrating affection. Historia was abandoned when, after reading and taking onboard information she read in books just like her mother, she reached out to hug her, and Levi was abandoned at the moment he demonstrated that he’d absorbed everything Kenny had taught him. The parallel between these images is very powerful.
Kenny is a character that highlights more parallels between Historia and Levi.
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Kenny’s words highlight the literal lack of growth in height for both Historia and Levi - both are particularly short, and also look youthful - but we can also take the words to suggest that the characters are still very much defined by what happened to them in their pasts, and have yet to step away from their demons and achieve closure on what has happened to them as children.
At this point, we can definitely say that Isayama has chosen to tie both Historia and Levi’s stories together through their childhoods - their backstories are revealed alongside each other, in the same arc of our story, and in terms of experiences, they are both identical and mirror opposite at different points.
2. Shared Values
Despite being deprived of affection for large portions of their childhoods, both Levi and Historia appear to have experienced glimmers of kindness in their darkness as well, and this has shaped some of their values and behaviours.
Levi experienced his mother's love for a short while until he lost her - we know how deeply she cared for him from her refusal to give him up despite Kenny’s advice to her when she fell pregnant. Historia had Frieda’s kindness instilled in her, even though she's not able to consciously remember her actions until later. 
Both display an affinity for animals, with several manga and even anime-only scenes where we see them being affectionate and kind to their horses. We don’t see this as prominently with any other characters.
But one of the biggest shared values is their desire to protect children. I've posted on this before, but here are a few examples of Levi being driven by this value:
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It’s clear Levi has a soft spot for children. And Historia? We know her feelings on children from her first action as Queen - realised with the support of Levi.
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3. Kenny’s failure 
 Levi’s success?
These next scenes we’ll focus on represent the moment that Levi and Historia are set up to undergo that ‘growth’ Kenny was referring to earlier in the uprising arc. Note Isayama’s choice of words here, and the symbolism of the whole scene. Kenny doesn’t tell Levi, ‘I couldn’t be someone you looked up to,’ or ‘I wasn’t fit to act as your father figure,’ he literally says ‘I can’t be some kid’s dad.” What does he do then? He shoves the titan serum at Levi.
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Isayama pays great attention to this - dedicating several panels to the weighty moment, and Levi’s expression. It’s very dramatic. Notice how the word ‘Dad’ even has it’s own speech bubble. It’s almost as though Kenny is passing the mantle on to Levi - passing that responsibility on to him. It feels as though the passing of the serum replaces the missing words, ‘but you can.’ Isayama didn’t have to have Levi ask that question in the moment before Kenny passed the serum on to him. He could have positioned it so that the discussion about dreams was the precursor to the serum being passed over - which in my head, for the context of the scene, would make more sense. But he didn’t; he chose to have Kenny say that exact line to Levi - to admit his inadequacy as a father figure, with that focus on the word dad - and then hand the item over to Levi.
By itself, the scene could be seen as highlighting the ways that Levi is already a better father figure than Kenny. He has been somewhat paternal in his role as a Captain. But it’s the very next scene that brings Historia immediately into focus.
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Historia looks suddenly so much maturer here, and the way the scenes sit immediately after one another feels too much like foreshadowing.
If you want the full effect of what I mean here, just rewatch this section of the anime!
We are presented with parallels between them once again. The focus of the crown and power of the monarchy being bestowed on Historia parallels the gift of the serum from Kenny to Levi - drawing on the ‘titan science’ element of the Ackerman heritage, perhaps?
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Let me take a moment here, while we have these two visual representations of the Ackerman and Royal bloodlines side by side so perfectly, to point out that Isayama chose to answer a question in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine regarding the nature of a child born of both these bloodlines in 2018:
Q: If a child were to be born between two people from the royal family and the Ackerman family, which blood would take precedence? 
A: I think that both [of their bloodlines] would be reflected.
4. Blood Lines, Identity and Destinies - the Acker/Royal connection
We are still missing some information about the Ackermans, and Mikasa’s own Ackerman powers and behaviours have been a focus in recent chapters, prompting more questions. This suggests that the role of the Ackermans will be important in the story’s finale. With that said, lets have a look at what information we have about them so far in relation to the Royal Family:
- They worked closely with the Royal Family at one time, even being described as their sword and shield until they fell out of favour.
- They cannot be controlled by the king’s vow or have their memories tampered with. For this reason, they became enemies of the crown and the two bloodlines became at odds with one another.
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Do either of these scenarios sound familiar in a romantic setting? The knight and princess trope has been hugely popular in fiction for as long as stories have been told - Lancelot and Guinevere is a well known classic. And two feuding families finally brought back together through love by the younger generation? Romeo and Juliet, anyone?
Okay, so maybe I’m reaching here. But Isayama has opened the discourse around this connection between the two bloodlines without concluding it, so I am certain it will have a part to play in upcoming chapters. Why create two characters from said bloodlines with such satisfyingly parallel but awful childhoods, if not to use them in some way to conclude this part of the narrative in the future?
5. The Beast Titan.
Another common plot point that Levi and Historia have is Zeke. The Beast Titan is a defining element in both their arcs. Levi is driven forward by his vow to kill Zeke, and this is repeated to the point where we expect this to be realised, or at least to see some satisfying resolution between the two. Historia’s situation is defined by her vulnerability to being turned into a Titan in order to consume Zeke. This threat to Historia’s life as a normal girl is also repeated across the later story arcs, just as Levi’s vow and apparent destiny to face off again with the Beast Titan is. If we link back to the knight princess trope, we could suggest that Historia is the metaphorical princess, Levi is the metaphorical knight, and The Beast Titan is the metaphorical dragon. The dragon must be slain in order to protect the princess, and the one to do this is always the gallant knight, or the hero. We know that Levi has been labelled Humanity’s Strongest, and even a hero, before.
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It has been Levi’s destiny from the start. What's more, what is the crux of Zeke’s plan for Eldians? 
Euthanasia by preventing reproduction. Zeke’s ideology basically directly opposes the values of Levi and Historia - who wish to save as many children as possible.
6. The Smile
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If there is one scene Levi fans lost their heads over, it’s this one. The Smile. Who was responsible for getting the sullen Captain to smile? None other than Queen Historia. The one time we get to see a genuine smile from him, in all 131 chapters of SNK, is when Historia playfully punches his arm. I think by this point, it is absolutely fair to say that Levi has a soft spot for her, although I’m not suggesting this is anything romantic at this stage due to her still being a child. What else is interesting about this scene? Let’s look at it from Historia’s point of view. She’s still a 15 year old girl. I’m hardly suggesting she’s got deep, meaningful feelings for a Captain so many years her senior. What I am suggesting, is that clearly there is the beginnings of her seeing him in a different light, and feeling some sort of fondness towards him too. This is also the stereotype of innocent, youthful infatuation - how many times have we seen teenagers play-fighting or bantering with the object of their affections? Something might just be stirring in Historia towards the Captain as she begins her transition into adulthood.
7. THAT (deleted) Scene
Okay, so we can’t very well talk about the smile in the context of this topic without addressing this scene:
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There were a few scenes cut to make the uprising arc in the anime more streamlined. This is one of them, and again, has been one of the most talked about. People either love or hate this scene. In the manga, it absolutely sets up some major character growth for Historia, when she goes from being scared and allowing Levi to threaten her into taking an action, to standing up to him atop the wall at Orvud district, throwing his own words back at him. In contrast to Historia’s willingness, Levi becomes more receptive to her perspective and backs down, which also shows his growth. (More on that shortly!)
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So, if it adds to the narrative around Levi and Historia, and is a key part of their development as characters, why did Isayama let the studio remove it? It must be because their influence on one another’s growth is no longer important to the story, correct?
If you ask me, that couldn’t be further from the truth. 
Isayama has stated there were some elements of Uprising that he was unhappy with. Just, for a moment, think how this scene would fit into the bigger picture of a relationship (whether that be deeply platonic or even romantic) between Historia and Levi. Could people get behind that knowing that once, he handled her so roughly? Does keeping this scene as canon for the anime open a can of worms in terms of what is and isn’t acceptable (even more so than the age gap already does) when it comes to a relationship? Could Isayama be seen as glorifying abuse and suggesting that female characters are likely to develop feelings for men who have treated them so poorly in the past? I completely understand Levi’s reasoning for acting this way in this scene, and I loved the set up and pay off later in the arc. However, I do believe that animating this, and then having them become much closer later in the story, could make a backlash likely.
My conclusion to this particular section is - if their influence on one another as characters was unimportant, and the payoff of them reaching a stage where they bring out the best in one another wasn’t relevant to the rest of the story, then The Smile shouldn’t have made it in, right? So much of the set up was removed that it would have been far easier to scrap the scene than to try and figure out another reason for Historia to punch Levi, and make him smile.
That punch was important. It remains for a reason.
8. Levi’s Echo
So, since we discussed the impact of Levi’s words on Historia in the previous point, and how Isayama uses them to illustrate her character growth, let’s jump ahead all the way to chapter 130. We’re now post time skip, where Historia is nineteen. She’s matured now into a young woman - a woman old enough to acceptably conceive a child. This is the chapter which caught everyone’s attention due to Historia’s words to Eren regarding the idea of said child. But first of all, I want to focus on a scene which appears a couple of panels before her question:
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‘It’s not as if I’ve just been tending to cattle all this time.’
What does this line mean? The only thing we know in terms of what Historia has been doing in the time skip is that she set up an Orphanage that Levi was also very much invested in and supported her with. So she’s not only been tending to cattle, but ... tending to orphans? With the Captain’s help?
Remember how we said that Isayama doesn’t include subtle details unless there’s a reason. Having Levi support her with the orphanage as a way to show how much he cares about the poorer children wasn’t needed - we already know from several instances discussed earlier that he cares about that topic deeply. So surely this must have been a small detail to set up for a later reveal?
This line alone is interesting, but not necessarily enough to suggest a big influence from Levi. But it’s the next line that grabs attention:
‘There’s no need to fight or run.’
What does this echo?
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In my mind, the reason served by this dialogue in 130 is twofold. It works with both the literal events of the deleted scene, and also with the reader’s knowledge that the scene was disregarded later:
1. There is no reason to run or to fight, because Levi is on her side now. When he originally spoke those words to her - run from me or fight me - they were used in reference to what he and the corps were going to make her do - ie, become Queen. Now, they are not forcing her to do anything - they aren’t making her comply with the 50 year plan of producing as many royal children as possible and turning herself into a titan. Instead, she’s empowered by them, and very importantly, him, to make her own decisions while they try to figure out an alternative. (Why do I say him? I’ll cover this in the next point). And yet ... she still chooses to bear a child. A child born of love, not necessity. This is the difference between the birth of her child, and her own birth. And funnily enough, Levi’s birth, too. 
The cycle of history is being broken.
2. Her words serve as a reminder that in the revised version of events, Levi never even forced that choice upon her in the first place. He’s always been her ally and treated her with care and respect. Even more reason for her to value and care for him in return. There really is no need to run or fight - from the military police, because she will bear a child, stopping them from turning her - or from Levi, either. 
9. The Hooded Figure
As promised, let me explain why I say that Levi empowers Historia (yet again) to make her own decisions. My good friend Key made a wonderful discovery regarding the hooded figure panel, and honestly, based on the evidence I’ve seen, I’d be prepared to bet a whole lot on this next claim:
Levi is the hooded figure who warned Historia of the plan to turn her.
I’ve shared Key’s original post previously, but here’s the gist, with some added observations.
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Levi from the hallway; Levi from that iconic scene, fits the dimensions of the hooded figure perfectly, without having to adjust the panel sizes. 
The jacket worn is lighter in colour than Eren’s standard black one, but is reminiscent of the jackets worn by the Levi Squad in the uprising arc. The only other clue we’re given to work from is that the figure has their hands in their pockets.
Hmm ... you know who else has a habit of stuffing his hands in his pockets?
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So if Levi is the one who warned Historia, is that why she subtly uses his words when talking to Eren?
Let me return to chapter 130 once more, and just invite you to read the following panels from a different angle.
10. Mikasa-Eren/Levi-Historia Parallels
Alright, so this is a bit of a head-mash, but just consider what I’m about to say. In our panels with the Historia-Eren-Zeke conversation, Mikasa is never mentioned by name once. Zeke mentions ‘this Ackerman girl,’ however there is no confirmation that Eren was in fact talking about Mikasa when he asked Zeke about the Ackerman traits ...
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Isayama only shows us the conversation with Zeke after Eren has just spoken to Historia about her fate and what the Paradis government want her to do in terms of bearing children. If these are just all memory fragments of Eren’s, why would discussing this with Historia suddenly make Eren think of a conversation about Ackerman traits with Zeke?
In this conversation, Zeke puts two and two together and gathers that Eren is asking these questions because of Mikasa. He then tells him how much Mikasa obviously cares about Eren, regardless of any ‘ingrained behaviour.’ What does Eren then link this with?
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The conversation where Historia asks him what he’d think if she was to bear a child. What does ingrained Ackerman behaviour and Mikasa’s true feelings have to do with Historia’s child?
I want to suggest this possibility: this conversation has nothing to do with Mikasa’s feelings for Eren, and everything to do with Levi’s feelings for Historia.
Eren even confirms that Zeke has the wrong end of the stick with asking him how he will respond to Mikasa’s feelings.
What are you even talking about?
Here, he is not considering how he will respond to Mikasa, because he can’t even contemplate that with what he is about to do, and how long he has left to live (although this may have then prompted his later conversation with Mikasa after the market - where he sees Levi save the boy that he will later kill - do you see how this is all linking together?)
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Here he means the lives of Historia, her child, and potentially even Levi, as well of course as Armin, Mikasa and the rest of his friends. Want to know why I think that? Isayama hinted it. Again.
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We have the image of Historia, suggesting the idea of bearing a child, followed by the image of the child Levi saved, followed by the image of Levi himself.
Isayama draws every detail in every panel for a reason. If part of his conclusion to this manga involves Levi and Historia intertwined and the birth of an Ackerman-Royal child, it won’t be a massively random idea.
It will contribute to an ending where the clues were there all along, but we never really considered them.
(There’s more, so much more, but I have to stop somewhere or I won’t leave my computer. If anyone wants a part two because you’re thirsty for more of this crap, drop me a comment!)
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ouyangzizhensdad · 4 years ago
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Ok, I've been sitting on this awhile (mostly because I worry that my reaction stems from personal feelings, rather than the content of your actual post) but while I agree wwx's arc is not ABOUT trauma, I do think he IS traumatized. Like, he has a literal phobia of dogs due to childhood trauma w/ dogs??? And I take issue with the idea that someone cannot be simultaneously traumatized and resilient/always smiling. I mean, refusing to process and deal with negative experiences and emotions because if you can choose to be happy, why would you choose to be anything else can actually be worse for you than just letting yourself be sad for a little bit. People are supposed to feel the full emotional spectrum and refusing to acknowledge sadness doesn't make someone not actually sad. As someone with a sunny personality who almost always let's things roll off my back, that doesn't mean I don't have trauma to deal, it just means it presents itself in different ways than someone with a different personality. Everyone is entitled to their interpretation of characters, so I'm not trying to say yours is inherently wrong, my point is more that it's not a guarantee that having a happy personality = not traumatized, especially when there are other things to point to them being traumatized.
Hi anon,
I think it’s important to consider the context in which I addressed fandom’s discussions on “WWX’s trauma/ptsd,” which in this case was a response to people explaining many of his behaviours during his first life, from the Sunshot campaign onwards, as resulting from trauma. I never meant to suggest that WWX could not experience trauma, at all, especially since in an earlier post about my thoughts regarding the trauma argument I did highlight that we get in the narrative an example of how WWX reacts when faced with trauma through his cynophobia (although I can’t find that post because it I can’t remember exactly when I shared it đŸ€·â€â™‚ïž). It was more to oppose the ideas that (1) events are inherently traumatic and thus that because these distressing things happened to WWX, WWX must be carrying trauma from them (because if we’re going to use psychology/psycho-analysis for literary analysis, it might be good to consider that the perception of trauma in psychology is not that) and (2) that there are no other narrative or character explanations for those behaviours that are not rooted in trauma. 
In this case, I think the novel makes it clear that while WWX is of course affected emotionally by the events, the things that people point to as resulting from trauma are actually tied to his cultivation methods and him losing control. I do feel like that interpretation is coherent with the authorial intent, which seems to be confirmed in one of MXTX’s interviews. To share here the most relevant possage:
[WN killing JZX] was perfectly an example of how Wei Wuxian was losing control. The more he lost control over his demonic cultivation, the more likely he was going to receive a backlash.
Of course, authorial intent is not the end-all-be-all of everything, and, certainly, there exists probably as many interpretations of a text as there exists readers (or, in the case of MDZS, we should also probably include all the people who haven’t read it but still have an opinion on its content). However, my brand of meta focuses on reading the text closely and challenging interpretations that are floating around in the fandom space against the text itself--the narrative, the characterisation, the themes, the symbolism. To say, ‘perhaps some people tend to associate a certain behaviour with a specific thing (ie, emotional volatility with a traumatic response to a distressing event), however does it seem like the text wants to lead you toward this interpretation? Does the text provide other story-specific explanations, some of which might actually be more cohesive and coherent with the narrative/characterisation/themes (ie, emotional volatility in this specific instance is a side-effect of the influence of modao on WWX and his loss of control)?’ That doesn’t mean I’m always right, of course I’m not. But I also do not prescribe to the belief that every interpretations are equally credible. That is, I do believe that people are entirely free to interpret a text however they choose, even if it means reappropriating the text and completely ignoring parts of it or mentally rewriting parts of it; all the same, I do not think these interpretations are particularly helpful when it comes to understanding and analysing the text itself (though they are interesting in that they help understand how a work is received by certain demographics). So, yes, sometimes I will write posts that aim to contrast certain popular interpretations with what can be gleaned from a close reading of the text. 
In addition, let me clarify that when I contrasted “resilience” with “trauma”, it was not in terms of personality trait so much as a reference to terms used in psychology: where how a person processes a distressing event through a trauma response or through resilience. 
As for the “smiling thing”, I think it is important to remember the context of the discussion, where I cited the novel:
Jiang Yanli said that he was born with a smiling look. No matter what unfortunate thing happened, he wouldn’t cling on to them; no matter what situation he was in, he would be happy. Although it sounded a bit heartless, it really was not bad.
In the original post, I did reframe this quote by acknowledging that yes, smiling is not an inherent proof that someone has never experienced trauma.
To me, this is a clear move from MXTX to position WWX as the kind of protagonist who can face a storm and keep his smile on his face. I can imagine that some people take it perhaps as a subversion, as the text telling us that WWX is weathering it all with a smile but underneath it all he is just a bundle of unaddressed trauma. And that’s certainly a possible interpretation, but it’s not mine. In this case I think the text is being straightforward. What we see of WWX also seems to support that: the way WWX just rolls with being brought back from the death, how easily he finds a way to adapt to things, etc.
That was more of an acknowledgement that wrt this topic, the novel seemed to have chosen a very straightforward approach or, in other words, to choose to not be That Deep. The smiling disposition here is not part of a psychological diagnosis, but simply a story/characterisation shorthand. I also never suggested that this meant that WWX is not affected by events: “ My point is not that WWX is unaffected by the things that happened to him or the things he’s done during this portion of his life: of course he is! Especially as they are happening to him, or when he is still stuck in a very difficult situation. But I don’t think his character and his arc is about trauma”. I think that nuance is important. 
At the end of the day, I do not want to force people to change their minds. I only use my free time to over-analyse a novel and sometimes try to challenge people to reconsider their initial interpretations of the text or their approaches to literary analysis more generally. 
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thezolblade · 5 years ago
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A heads up on TMA canon content warnings
In light of the recent MAG Season 4 - Bonus Q&A Part 2, I thought it’d be worth giving the tag a heads up on the topic of escapist vs dark/real/traumatic horror and content warnings.
Some fans have taken the creators’ word from earlier Q&As about TMA being escapist horror, of the sort that won’t cross any previously uncrossed lines into dark and upsetting content, and trusted the tone of the show so much that they haven’t checked each episode’s trigger warnings - or have listened to episodes and then asked the creators to add warnings for major themes, which they’ve agreed and added after the episodes were already live.
But the canon has undergone major structural and tonal shifts every season, and has gotten darker and hit closer to home about many ‘real’ topics (war, racism, assault and close metaphors, depression, etc). And the creators have said they’ve changed their minds about TMA being escapist in the way they described it before.
All of which is to say: take care of yourselves while listening, whatever that means for you. Approach the podcast as something with dark content that changes as it goes on, which may get triggery in ways that aren’t wholly warned for, in ways early episodes weren’t. If it helps to check transcripts, or ask friends or official discord members about certain topics, then take those steps! Anyone who’s up to date with s5 has probably gathered this much by now, but there may be people newer to the show who could use the psa.
[Disclaimer: this not meant to be any kind of commentary on how well the canon is handling dark topics. Just that it’s getting darker, for anyone who may be caught off guard.]
Here are the relevant bits of Q&As, for reference:
S3 Q&A:
Jonny: Escapist horror is
it’s very practical, in a lot of ways. It is a way of
catharsis, it’s a way of indulging in fear and  spooking yourself out in a controlled, safe way, allowing you to safely  indulge in those slightly darker emotions and feelings. Which is one of  the reasons that for Magnus I think it’s so important to take certain boundaries and treat certain subjects with a lot of respect and sensitivity, because one of the key things here is you need to be able to trust that you can enjoy the horror. You need to be able to trust the  writing and the performance, that it’s not going to suddenly cross  lines and, what has previously been a very pleasing, spooky catharsis,  suddenly becomes incredibly upsetting.
And of course I think there is the other sort of horror—and obviously it’s not a binary here, it’s very much on a spectrum. But what I think of more as literary horror, which is using the mechanisms of horror, the mechanisms of being spooky, being scary, to actually examine and come to  terms with darker subject matter.
VS:
MAG Season 4 - Bonus Q&A Part 2: (This has recently come out on Patreon, but they didn’t sort/choose the questions in advance, and this kind of warning is worth mentioning even if the full Q&A is behind a paywall. Starts at 30:20.)
Alex: This is from Aneilert. Jonny, has the horror of Magnus seemed to get less escapist over the time you've worked on it? Have you ever changed a story in the writing because it felt too real or too close to real life trauma/horror when you started writing the actual words?
Jonny: This is a tricky one. To a certain degree yes, but too a certain degree I've kinda done that less as the series has gone on, and I'm going to be honest you're probably going to be seeing a lot more of that 'real' horror in season 5, because honestly, I've gotten angrier, I guess. Over the course of, I mean it's, for all you can say 'this is meant to be escapist', and it still broadly is, it's very, like, you aren't writing in a vacuum, you cannot write in a vacuum, everything is fundamentally to one degree or another political and reflective of where you're coming from. And a lot of early Magnus, as I think is so often the case when a creator says 'oh I just want this to be escapist', what they often mean is 'I haven't been properly considering my own politics and outlook in relation to the work that I'm putting out', and I think as it's gone on I have become a lot more aware of what Magnus is actually saying, and yeah I've leaned into it a bit more. Which, yeah it is probably less escapist, but it's also more real, I guess. I don't know, it's a tricky one.
Alex: There's also a side effect of, the longer the narrative you craft, the less it can be escapist and not be trite, because you have to engage with the baggage that you are collecting as you travel down that journey, and if it was still just 'ooh a monster' a hundred and seventy five episodes in, it's trite. You can either have a truly escapist thing which is short running, or a non-escapist thing which is long running. I'm not aware of you being able to do something which is true escapism, that's also very long running.
Jonny: The longer you go, the more you are going to find yourself saying something. And the real question is, how long before you try to be more aware of what it is you're saying.
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howaminotinthestrokesyet · 3 years ago
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Behind The Album: OK Computer
The third studio album from Radiohead was released in May 1997 by Parlophone Records. This would mark the first album that Nigel Godrich worked on as their producer. The band would self produce the entire album themselves, which they have done on every record since. In 1995, Brian Eno asked the band to contribute a song to a charity compilation for War Child entitled Help. They were scheduled to do the recording in only a day, which led to the track, “Lucky.” Godrich would say of the recording. “Those things are the most inspiring, when you do stuff really fast and there's nothing to lose. We left feeling fairly euphoric. So after establishing a bit of a rapport work-wise, I was sort of hoping I would be involved with the next album." This track would form the foundation of what would become OK Computer. In early 1996, the group took a break from touring because they found it a bit too stressful. Thoughts now turned to a new record with the mindset of distancing themselves from anything similar to The Bends. Drummer Phillip Selway would say, “There was an awful lot of soul-searching [on The Bends]. To do that again on another album would be excruciatingly boring.” The label gave the band a rather good sized budget for recording equipment for the new release. A number of producers were considered for the album, but they kept coming back to Godrich as an advisor on equipment. Eventually, the band hired him as the producer. Ed O’Brien said of the album, “Everyone said, 'You'll sell six or seven million if you bring out The Bends Pt 2,' and we're like, 'We'll kick against that and do the opposite'."
In early 1996, Radiohead began proper recording of the LP at Canned Applause Studios in Oxfordshire, England. Issues immediately came up as the band had difficulty staying focused on one song all the way to completion. Selway would talk about this later, “We're jumping from song to song, and when we started to run out of ideas, we'd move on to a new song ... The stupid thing was that we were nearly finished when we'd move on, because so much work had gone into them." Although the members of the group were considered equals, the voice of Thom Yorke always represented the loudest one in terms of musical direction. Godrich would talk about his role within the group in an interview. They “need to have another person outside their unit, especially when they're all playing together, to say when the take goes well ... I take up slack when people aren't taking responsibility—the term producing a record means taking responsibility for the record ... It's my job to ensure that they get the ideas across." His permanent role on each Radiohead album would lead to the producer being called the sixth member of Radiohead. After only recording four songs, the band left the Canned Applause Studio for a variety of reasons Including the fact that the studio had no bathrooms or dining rooms. They decided to take a break from recording in order to support Alanis Morissette on tour, which gave them a chance to try some of their new tracks live. Around the same time, Director Baz Luhrmann asked the band to contribute a song to his film, Romeo and Juliet. “Exit Music for a Film” would be played as the credits rolled during the movie, but they did not give Luhrmann permission to place the track on the movie soundtrack. Yorke would later observe that this song became very important to the album. It “was the first performance we'd ever recorded where every note of it made my head spin—something I was proud of, something I could turn up really, really loud and not wince at any moment."
In September 1996, the band began recording again at a mansion in Bath, England owned by actress Jane Seymour. Jonny Greenwood would say the environment represented a much more pleasant change for the group. It “was less like a laboratory experiment, which is what being in a studio is usually like, and more about a group of people making their first record together." One quality that the band enjoyed during the sessions came in the fact that they took full advantage of the natural environment of the mansion. “Exit Music for a Film” utilized some natural reverb courtesy of a stone stairwell. They recorded Let Down” in an empty ballroom at 3 o’clock in the morning. The group worked at its own pace as Ed O’Brien observed later. “The biggest pressure was actually completing [the recording]. We weren't given any deadlines and we had complete freedom to do what we wanted. We were delaying it because we were a bit frightened of actually finishing stuff." A majority of the album would be recorded live with no overdubs because Yorke hated them. The band completed the rest of the album at the studio in Saint Catherine’s towards the end of 1996. In January 1997, the strings for the album were recorded, then they spent the next two months mastering and mixing the album. Actually, the mixing of the album only took a couple of days. Nigel Godrich would later comment, “I feel like I get too into it. I start fiddling with things and I fuck it up ... I generally take about half a day to do a mix. If it's any longer than that, you lose it. The hardest thing is trying to stay fresh, to stay objective."
Several artists would influence what would become the finished product of OK Computer. First and foremost came the 1970 album Bitches Brew by jazz great, Miles Davis. Thom Yorke would tell Q what he saw in that recording that made up his vision for this album. “It was building something up and watching it fall apart, that's the beauty of it. It was at the core of what we were trying to do with OK Computer." Other artists that helped to inspire the record included Elvis Costello, REM, PJ Harvey, the Beatles, Can, and composer Ennio Morricone. Jonny Greenwood would describe OK Computer as an attempt to recreate the sound on all these great records, but they missed the mark. The band would expand their instrumentation for this album to include electric piano, Mellotron, cello and other strings, glockenspiel and electronic effects. Spin would say this about the release, “A DIY electronica album made with guitars." The lyrics to the album focused on themes much more conceptual when contrasted with The Bends. Yorke would sing about a wide variety of topics including transportation, technology, insanity, death, globalism, capitalism, and more. The singer would say, “On this album, the outside world became all there was ... I'm just taking Polaroids of things around me moving too fast." He also took inspiration for some of the lyrics from a selection of books including Noam Chomsky, Eric Hobsbawm's The Age of Extremes, Will Hutton's The State We're In, Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up! and Philip K. Dick's VALIS. Despite the abstract nature of the lyrics on the record, many critics have looked upon OK Computer as a concept album. They argue that there exists a singular theme running throughout the record, but the band has consistently denied any attempt at making such a release. Jonny Greenwood commented, “I think one album title and one computer voice do not make a concept album. That's a bit of a red herring." They did pay particularly close attention to the order of the tracklist taking almost two weeks to complete it.
The album opens with “Airbag,” which highlights the drumming of Phillip Selway. The track had been inspired by the work of DJ Shadow. The band would later admit that they represented novices in this attempt to base a song on DJ Shadow due to their lack of time with programming. Yorke had actually read an article in a magazine entitled “An Airbag Saved My Life.” Another book that helped to create the basis for the song lyrics emerged in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Yorke had always been obsessed with the idea that any time you get into a car you could possibly die at any second. The second track “Paranoid Android” stands out as one of the longest tracks in the band's entire catalog. Two songs inspired it from classic rock, “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” by the Beatles and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. The lyrics are meant to reference the alien from Douglas Adams’s A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Yorke got the idea after watching a woman lose her mind after a drink spilled on her at a bar in Los Angeles. “Subterranean Homesick Alien” referenced “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan. The lyrics are meant to refer a person who is abducted by aliens, then returns home to realize his life is in no way any different. The beginnings of the theme for this track actually began for the singer in private school when he had an assignment to recreate a British literary movement called Martian poetry. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare inspired the lyrics to “Exit Music for a Film.” This should come as no surprise as the band had specifically created the song for a remake film. Yorke would use it as a chance to simply recap the entire narrative in the song because Zeffirelli’s version of the film greatly affected him at the age of 13. “I cried my eyes out, because I couldn't understand why, the morning after they shagged, they didn't just run away. It's a song for two people who should run away before all the bad stuff starts.” The singer had tried to replicate Johnny Cash’s Live at Folsom Prison as he sang along to his acoustic guitar. “Let Down” represented an attempt by the band to recreate the sound made famous by Phil Spector and his wall of sound. Yorke would later comment that the lyrics are “about that feeling that you get when you're in transit but you're not in control of it—you just go past thousands of places and thousands of people and you're completely removed from it.” The singer would look upon such lyrics as perfect symbolism for Generation X, which had strongly influenced the direction of it. “Karma Police” contains two major sections that alternate between piano and guitar, which originally came from “Sexy Sadie” by the Beatles. The title of the song was an inside joke between the band during the previous tour. If something bad happened to someone, they would say that the karma police were going to get them. The short Interlude “Fitter, Happier” became something that the Radiohead frontman wrote in 10 minutes while on a break. The voice came from the Macintosh Simpletext software application. He would later describe the words as a “checklist for slogans from the 1990s.”
“Electioneering” turned out to be one of the band’s heaviest rock oriented songs probably ever with lyrics that were inspired by the Poll Tax Riots. Another source of inspiration came in the book Manufacturing Consent by Noah Chomsky. “Climbing Up the Walls” has been described by Melody Maker as “monumental chaos.” The track was arranged by Johnny Greenwood for 16 instruments based on composer Krzysztof Penderecki's “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima.” No Surprises” would be initially inspired by “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys, but they really wanted to replicate the mood of “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong or the soul music of Marvin Gaye. Yorke would say the song’s narrator is “someone who's trying hard to keep it together but can't.” The track that started it all “Lucky” was actually inspired by the Bosnian War. Yorke wanted to illustrate the actual terror of that conflict on the charity album, Help. Another theme that he drew upon emerged in his own anxiety about transportation. Critics have likened the guitar on the song to 1970’s Pink Floyd. The final track on the album “The Tourist” was specifically arranged by Jonny Greenwood to create a bit of space on the LP. The lyrics originated from Yorke witnessing tourists in France trying to see as many sites as possible. The title of the album came from the 1978 radio series based on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when character Zaphod Beeblebrox says, “Okay, computer, I want full manual control now." They had first heard the line while listening to the series on the bus for their tour in 1996. Yorke would say this about the title later. It “refers to embracing the future, it refers to being terrified of the future, of our future, of everyone else's. It's to do with standing in a room where all these appliances are going off and all these machines and computers and so on ... and the sound it makes." The artwork would be created by both Yorke and Stanley Donwood using a computer. The Radiohead singer would observe this about the art, “It's quite sad, and quite funny as well. All the artwork and so on ... It was all the things that I hadn't said in the songs."
Leading up to the release of the album, the band got very little support from Capitol Records because they did not have too much faith in the commercial potential of it. Much of the pessimism came in the fact that the record did not have any singles to put on the radio. Ed O’Brien would call it the “lack of a Van Halen factor.” The singles that were released from OK Computer included “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police,” and “Lucky.” All of the singles charted in the top 10 in the UK, while they also did very well making the top 20 on the US charts. Their official website was created in order to promote the record, as well as some non-traditional promotional techniques by the record label. One such idea came in their decision to take out full-page ads in popular British newspapers and magazines with only the lyrics to “Fitter, Happier.” Another promotion sent out floppy disks to people in the press, which included many Radiohead screensavers. Upon its official release, OK Computer would debut at number one on the UK charts, while in the US the record made it to number 21. Please note that this was the highest American debut for the band. By September 2000, the release had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide.
Critics loved the album across the board. Writer Tim Footman would comment, “Not since 1967, with the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, had so many major critics agreed immediately, not only on an album's merits, but on its long-term significance, and its ability to encapsulate a particular point in history." Many critics saw it as a very important album. Mojo wrote in their review, “Others may end up selling more, but in 20 years' time I'm betting OK Computer will be seen as the key record of 1997, the one to take rock forward instead of artfully revamping images and song-structures from an earlier era.” The New Yorker would congratulate the band on taking many more risks artistically then their contemporaries like Oasis. “Throughout the album, contrasts of mood and style are extreme ... This band has pulled off one of the great art-pop balancing acts in the history of rock." Most of the reviews that were slightly mixed seemed to focus on the fact that when compared with The Bends, this record did not contain as many catchy songs. The release would go on to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Album, but did not win Album of the Year. The praise for the album seemed to inundate the band a little too much. Also, Radiohead did not agree with the universal assessment that they had made the greatest progressive or art rock record since Dark Side of the Moon. Thom Yorke would say, “We write pop songs ... there was no intention of it being 'art'. It's a reflection of all the disparate things we were listening to when we recorded it."
The legacy of the album came to be represented in a variety of ways. First, the release of OK Computer coincided with the election of Tony Blair. Some writers have pointed to the pessimism on the record as a sign of things to come. Stephen Hayden would write, “Radiohead appeared to be ahead of the curve, forecasting the paranoia, media-driven insanity, and omnipresent sense of impending doom that's subsequently come to characterise everyday life in the 21st century." Second, the arrival of this album directly coincided with the decline of Britpop. The Oasis album Be Here Now did not attain the commercial or critical success that What’s the Story Morning Glory had received in 1995. Third, OK Computer directly influenced a new generation of artists including bands like Bloc Party and TV on the Radio. The album has landed on many lists over the subsequent years as one of the best releases of the decade and all time. Yet, not all retrospective reviews have been kind to OK Computer as it has also landed on some lists as one of the most overrated records of all time. A New Musical Express column criticized the release as the exact point when Radiohead stopped being good, but instead started to become important.
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theliterarywolf · 4 years ago
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I'd like to ask for an explanation of themes and trope-deconstruction. Could I get a breakdown of those terms?
I’ve been sitting on this ask for a while because I wanted to use examples that are both succinct but also meaningful. However, my brain is constantly being in 18 different directions so I should just do it while I have a brief aside of focus. If I get too ‘teacher-mode’ in any of this, please let me know.
Theme, of course, refers to the central message or subject in a creator’s narrative or media. It, however, does differentiate from the notion of ‘What is this thing About?’ 
Because while you can say something like ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender is a saga about a young boy who can control the elements of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air training to save the world from a cruel dictator from an Empire of Fire with the help of his friends and allies’, that doesn’t necessarily touch upon it’s themes of loss, friendship, growth, and communication (amongst many others).
Let’s look at something like Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon (Vanilla Version). What are the games’ narratives? You move to a tropical nation where you immerse yourself in the culture by befriending supernatural creatures and participating in the nation’s coming of age ceremony all the while said nation is currently trying to implement aspects from other nations (i.e.: creating a formal competition league) and there’s some suspicious happenings going on in the background. However, again, that summation doesn’t necessarily go into the themes of broken families, mental health, borderline colonization (I say borderline because it isn’t as egregious as it seems in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon), and growth (amongst others). 
Another way to look at theme is to think about what a creator is trying to say with their content without blatantly putting it in black and white. 
Trope Deconstruction is any attempt (successful or not) at taking a well-established literary trope and subverting or rearranging it to create something new or a new take on an established set of themes.
For examples of this... I could mention Spec Ops: The Line but I don’t want my Activity to be filled with an month-long debate about that game again, so...:
-Undertale being a massive deconstruction of your typical RPG, not just with the ‘you don’t have to kill anyone’ aspect, but also with the overall meta-approach to morality. 
-We also have Doki Doki Literature Club and Hatoful Boyfriend which, of course, start out as your typical, quirky visual novels but then have one turn into a psychological horror deconstruction of VN tropes and the other Deconstruct all the quirk of being a sole human in a school for birds into a thriller narrative of past misdeeds, abuse, and political espionage.
-One minute but still poignant example would be in Mattel’s now-defunct series Ever After High. While the entire series could be labeled as a Deconstruction of the Tropes relating to classic fairy tale characters, one example that people remember is a certain scene near the end of the Thronecoming special. Apple White, daughter of Snow White, is put into the same sleep that her mother was put under. 
In a mad dash of tears and fourth-wall breaks, the character Daring Charming (one of Prince Charming’s sons) comes to fill his role in kissing her awake... Just for nothing to happen. After numerous tries and murmurs of unrest and unease rolling through the student body, Daring’s sister Darling Charming forces her way through and forcibly gives Apple a very intimate bout of CPR which wakes her up immediately. This is a Deconstruction of the whole ‘Sleeping Princess Awoken by a Charming Prince’ motif.
-I’d also add in the play M. Butterfly (not Madame Butterfly, but M. Butterfly) which is a deconstruction of the themes presented in the original Madame Butterfly opera where a Japanese woman falls in love, marries, and is completely devoted to a white US navy officer who leaves back to America shortly after the wedding just to come back years later with a fancy American wife: utterly destroying our titular character to the point that she kills herself. M. Butterfly deconstructs all of this by focusing on a French Embassy worker who falls head-over-heels in love with a Chinese opera singer without realizing that in the traditional Beijing Opera field all female roles are performed by men. Said opera singer also turns out to be a spy for the Chinese government who seduced our main character to extract political secrets from him. 
(Sidenote: To anyone who’s followed me for a while and knows how much the phrase ‘Remember! There is no Homosexuality in Red China!!’ makes me laugh, this is where it comes from)
The play ends with our main character, after having been humiliated and his wife back home leaving him and other characters snickering behind his back about ‘did he just... not notice a penis whenever they were having sex, or..?’, becoming a mentally broken mess who puts on his ‘Butterfly’s’ kimono and makeup and ends up killing himself.
So, yeah: I hope that this helps clear up what I was talking about when I mentioned those two terms.
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iatheia · 4 years ago
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EDA reviews Part 6 - books 47-55
Previous part 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
47) The Slow Empire - Uh, couldn't really follow this one at all. There are books when the first person narration works, but not here - too many jumps in setting, too little connective tissue, most of it told from the POV of a person who is barely connected to the protagonists? And that's even before they started repeating chunks of text wholesale between various parts - and I couldn't figure out if it was intended, or if it is the ebook was acting out on me. More than half way through the book, I still couldn't entirely tell what the story is supposed to be about, or if the plot has even started yet. Even having finished it, I find myself somewhat aghast. There are a few glimpses of something interesting, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what. 4/10
48) Dark Progeny - Also not really feeling it. It's not a bad story, but I do rather prefer a Doctor Who story to actually feature the Doctor and the companions front and center, whether they are POV characters or not. Here, though, they are barely in it - it's even more egregious than the previous one in actually giving the supposed protagonists stuff to do, and even on rare occasions we do switch back to them, it is all pretty generic. Anji developing telepathic abilities and the Doctor trying to calm her down all the while Fitz is freaking out in the background? Yes, please, more of that. Following around 20 interchangeable OCs that have nothing to do with the trio? No thank you. 6/10.
49) The City of the Dead - If you are invoking magic in a sci-fi universe, you need to be able to handwave it. It doesn't need to be awfully complex, "something something aliens, something something energy" is usually enough, but without it, you can't just throw magic about willy nilly. There are rules.
There are moments when it is a beautiful story, evoking a lot of dream-like wonder, and if it managed to remain a hazy dream, it probably would have been better for it. At the same time there is something very uncomfortably cynical about it, to the degree it left a bad taste in my mouth. There is a narrow line between not shying away from the ugliness of the world and deliberately making something ugly just for the sake of it, and often it felt like it was leaning towards the latter. Dunno, I started out wanting to like it, and feeling rather conflicted about it, but by the end became utterly indifferent. 7/10
50) Grimm Reality - Pure crack. Mind Robber wishes it could be as hilarious and off the wall as this story is. It throws every cliche fairy tale narrative device in the book at the characters and expects them to take it with the straight face, all the while realizing that the rules of the world are completely bonkers. And it manages to sustain this energy throughout, which is a no small feat. It's actually pretty exhausting by the end of it. Fairy tales stories do not belong to a lengthy literary genre, and even taking time deconstructing them, at 95K words becomes it becomes just too much - figuratively, and, on occasion, literally. Still, pretty great, I wish more books had its energy 9/10.
51) The Adventuress of Henrietta Street - *sigh*. My expectations were pretty low to begin with, and I still am somehow disappointed. Credit where credit's due - it is probably most coherent of the books from Miles. And at least it's better than Interference. That's really not saying much, though.
Honestly, if you've read any story about prostitutes, murder, satanic sex rituals bordering on blatant pornography, eastern culture and "mysticism of female sex" used for fetish fuel, written by a dude who clearly gets off on all of this - you've read all of them. There is really nothing revolutionary or compelling about it. On the list of "plots I never want to see in Doctor Who", they are definitely up there. And the Doctor is dying again, because it wouldn't be Miles's book without it. And he's, uh... living in a brothel, trying to marry someone, in order to, uh..... ritualistically tie himself to Earth, for, reasons? Did I read that right? After over 100 years of living on Earth and wanting to do nothing else than seeing the back of it, right. And writing books not quite about sex but definitely about sex. Because that's the thing the Doctor apparently does now. Self insert what self insert. And Fitz and Anji are just... there. On an occasion. All of it exposed on in a dull faux academic style without a shred of characterization, all the while absolutely nothing of note is happening, despite being a singularly longest EDA.
Just, if you hate the characters so much. If you don't understand what makes them tick to this degree. If you don't even care to learn. If you consider any established emotions they should have about the plot you are putting them through beneath you. Why are you writing in a shared universe to begin with? 2/10
(I did have an unintentional moment of hilarity with it, though. There is a character that is referred to as Lord ______, as if his name is censored. TTS would always pronounce it as Lord Underbarunderbarunderbar. Always gave me a chuckle).
52) Mad Dogs and Englishmen - A hilarious story, a very easy read, flowing from scene to scene. There are several occasions of fridge horror treated with levity that I would have rather have avoided. Plus, it is as incestuous as a book about books can get, and yet.... It is just absurd enough to work.
Plus, the whole, “His books are full of black magic, mind control...and perversion - moral and ethical and sexual. He is polluting the atmosphere of our group”, “What’s next? Rewrite War and Peace so it’s about guinea pigs?” - Oh, the shade. It is a good book in its own right, but just for this alone, 10/10
53) Hope - It's a pretty average book. Not outstanding, not horrible. Would have made a decent episode, all things considered, in a bread and butter sort of way. It does have some great ideas - the refuge of humanity, the conflict between Anji and the Doctor finally coming to light - not quite the type of conflict I was hoping for, though. If only it had a bit more nuisance, without neatly delineated black and white, if the antagonist didn't end up being a mustache twirling villain, if the Doctor didn't end up strong-arming everyone in a much more macho manner than he normally goes for (with a rather clunky dialogue). It had potential, even if it didn't end up being realized in full. 8/10
54) Anachrophobia - Very meh. The set up was fairly contrived, it never made me care about any of the characters, including whatever the hell the Doctor and co were doing, not to mention any of the secondary characters. Not terribly engaging, after a point I was mostly flipping through it. There is some big conflict brought up at 95% mark, and it is resolved in just couple of pages via a deus ex machina and a paradox. Overall, I might have said that I would have liked it better if I was in a mood for existential horror, but I took a break in the middle to listen to the Lease of Life - and it actually touches upon several similar themes, but with and outstanding character drama and much more graceful execution, which made this book look even more poor in comparison. 5/10
55) Trading Futures - I will give the author all the points for keeping an eye on the future. Perhaps, in 2002, predicting tablets being used as menus in fancy restaurants wasn’t that big of a reach, but I absolutely had a spit take when TTS has read to me something about “eye-phones”. There are some modestly clever moments throughout the book. Too bad that the rest of it is a complete rubbish. Not terribly original, either - a lot of ideas are copied directly from other books and other franchises. Reasonably entertaining, all things considered, but in a much more slapstick sort of way than was probably intended. 7/10
Overall impressions so far - This batch is, for the most part, fine. Some stories are worst than others, some better. With one exception, nothing horrendous, but nothing to write home about, either. They are, for the most part, serviceable. Individually, they have decent enough plots. But. There is very little character work. They can generally be read in any order, or dropped entirely, and you wouldn’t miss anything. The Doctor is mostly coasting from the excellent streak in the last batch, always in a spot light. I am starting to tire of the whole amnesia arc, though - it was good, but it ran its course, and at this point, with everything functionally back to norm, with barely a stray mention of it here and there, we are starting to be overdue for some semblance of resolution of all that. Henrietta Street is entirely a step in the wrong direction - not only it does nothing worthwhile for the characters, it’s just getting unnecessarily further into the weedworks, adding yet another plot thread that is forced on other writers to carry (they mention it occasionally, but it’s not like there is much to build upon) - rather viciously reminding of the previous mess of an ark “don’t you dare to think that it is over”. And I am so over it. Just, move on.
The companions fare rather worse. They are decent enough, they participate in action, in each book, they are mostly staying in character, with a handful of neat moments here and there (in a blink and you’ll miss it sort of way, though), they aren’t written off as an unnecessary burden to carry, which is an improvement. There is nothing meaty given to them though - they ask the necessary questions, do the things required of them, and generally stay out of the way when they are not needed. I guess Anji has at least some character driven moments, even though most of them are reduced to “I miss my dead boyfriend”. Which is... fine, we’ve all lost people, we all mourn them in our own way, but it has been 14 books since her introduction, and she is leaving in another 10. To have her character reduced to just that bit from her first book, with barely anything else to offer.... Plus, all the while, she rarely felt like she integrated into the team - because she is constantly eying her exit and returning to normality (even though she always decides to stay just a little while longer due to circumstances), it’s like from the very beginning she had one foot out of the door.
But while Anji is a bit of a one trick pony, at least she has that much. Poor Fitz gets absolutely nothing to do. The last meaningful book that addressed his character in any way was all the way back around book #42-43, and even that was just catching up on plot after his prolonged absence. He’s been essentially frozen since early 30s books. He is generally a fun character to have around, and does good supporting work, but can he please get something more impactful any time soon? Heck, by this point I’ll even take the recurrence of “finding a new love interest number 20 who will inevitably die by the end of the book” - it has been overdone, and it is certainly not a very exciting plot, not to mention reductive, but at least it’d be something. Though, I guess only one companion is allowed to carry that staple at the time, and right now Anji is it, two dead lovers is just an overkill.
And it is an absolute shame - especially when considering that on the other side, Big Finish was in the middle of streak of some of the best stories. Over the same time that these novels were published, we had audios such as Project Twilight, Eye of the Scorpion, Colditz, One Doctor, Chimes of Midnight, Seasons of Fear, which were full of character.
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angelatiwi · 4 years ago
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【literature and art Commentary】See clearly the face of the "dangai drama" By National Radio and Television Zhiku
Guide : Not long ago, "Dangai Drama" and "Shanhe Ling" became a hit and attracted social attention. "Dangai Opera" became a hot topic for a while. Many production organizations have heard the news. According to relevant information, there are more than 80 Danchang dramas to be broadcast this year, already started, and in preparation. In 2021, they were dubbed "Dangai 101" by netizens. Why this niche subculture became a film A new outlet for the show? Is there really a market need or a capital marketing effect?
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One, Capital is acting an increasingly important role in the development of Dangai dramas Tanmei, originally meaning "wonderful, aestheticism", Tanmei culture mainly refers to cultural works that express the love between two men and target women as the audience. Since it was introduced to Mainland China via the Internet in the late 1990s, it was first popular with comics and online novels. Since 2014, the web drama "Counterattack" has been adapted from online texts, and the development of Chinese dramas has been on the fast track. Among them, there are several iconic dramas. 
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For example, in 2016, "Addicted", this youthful campus-themed drama, was taken off the shelves due to its overly explicit content and obvious violation of online audiovisual-related policies. However, its spread was rapid, breaking through 10 million in 24 hours before it was released, and 100 million before it was removed. In 2017, "Guardian" embodies a strong desire to survive in its creation. For the first time, the male love in the original work was changed to brotherhood, and the final broadcast volume exceeded 3.2 billion. The overall production of the drama is not excellent, even slightly rough in special effects, but for the first time it became popular with two top stars. In 2018, "Chen Qing Ling" was a purely commercial creation after capital intervention. From planning, production, dissemination, and even peripheral product development, the entire process and the entire industry chain were firmly controlled by commercial capital, becoming a phenomenon-level network of the year. Drama, a single episode has 113 million views, and the total number of views currently exceeds 9.1 billion. The 2021 "Shanhe Ling" is a reprint similar to "Chen Qingling", with more than 1.27 billion broadcasts.
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From the perspective of the development process of Dangai drama, there are two notable features : First, from the content point of view, under the background of increasingly strict policy supervision, the desire to survive is becoming stronger and stronger. The male love component in Danmei literature is weakening, and it is basically transformed into brotherhood and confidant love, gradually move closer to mainstream values; Second, with the intervention of commercial capital, Dangai drama has long been not only a special film and television drama theme, but has become a new format that is more and more closely integrated with capital and fan economy. It is like a new industry investment outlet, and it is also a fast Star-making tools have an increasing impact on young people, but they are also prone to proliferation of themes, causing problems such as chasing stars and excessive entertainment.
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two,
Why did the drama come out?
First of all, from the perspective of subject matter, due to policy restrictions, Danmei culture has always been in a relatively recessive subcultural position, a taboo place for industry creation, and the Internet is a flexible, The free "heterotopia" provides the soil for the prosperity of Danmei literature, and fully releases the "audience's eros creativity" (Marcuse language). Through their own participation, Internet audiences, such as writing fanarts, in turn promote Danmei literature The development of online literature, and as the commercialization mechanism of online literature becomes more and more mature, the influence of Danmei literature is also growing, forming a huge fan group, which has become the most important soil for the prosperity of Dangai drama.
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Secondly, it is also related to the homogenization of the current love genre drama series. Looking at some of the current romantic dramas, whether it is a modern sweet pet drama or an ancient costume fantasy drama, there is a core creative mode that allows the hero and heroine to "sprinkle sugar" anytime, anywhere, In addition, there are some romantic dramas that do not respect the rules of artistic creation. They create emotional conflicts through sadomasochism, triangle love and even polygamy between men and women, which are easy to be assimilated and routine, and love such as "the domineering president falls in love with me" drama, There is also the suspicion of dwarfing and objectifying women. On the other hand, Dangai drama does not deny the masculine and rough part of men, but at the same time removes the overly feminine part of men, providing a relatively novel emotional model. Just as netizens commented, "When the audience watch Dangai drama, they just want to see the emotions of evenness and detachment from gender. This is an important reason for delaying the change of the drama to get out of the circle." 
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From a deeper reason, it is because with the economic and social development, the improvement of women’s economic status has brought about the awakening of women’s consciousness and the tremendous increase in spending power. Few works actively cater to women’s preferences, including consumption of male sex. Many Danmei dramas are typical popular cultures written by women, presupposed with female audiences, and women as the absolute main consumer. Looking at the dramas that are out of the circle, the biggest feature is that the appearance of the two male protagonists must be high, and their behavior interaction must also meet the aesthetic expectations of women.
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three,
What problems will the prosperous creation of Dangai drama bring?
Dangai drama originated from Danmei culture. Although it is constantly evolving under the dual drive of policy pressure and commercial interests, it shows marginal values after all, and is a subculture that is more suitable for enclosing self-initiation. Once Danmei's text was adapted into a Dangai drama, it has a larger audience, and its dissemination and influence are also greater. If it is allowed to over-market, large-scale follow-up creation and other bad tendencies, it will not only have an impact on mainstream culture and mainstream value, but also on the industry trend. It will also bring adverse effects, and we must pay attention to it. 
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First, it has an impact on the values of young people "Ban Yue Tan" once pointed out that "Dangai drama enters the field of mass entertainment, and you need to beware of its adverse effects, especially on young people who are not deeply involved in the world. Research has shown that the motivation for many young people to first come into contact with danmei culture is that they are influenced by their peers, and then they "enter into the pit" under the attitude of being curious. In a survey of female audiences aged 15-23, in the question "What factors make you start reading Danmei literature", the second-ranked option is "Affected by CP orientation in animation, film and television, and variety shows". The establishment and broadcasting of so many delay-change dramas will objectively stimulate the soil of "corrupt culture", which may confuse young people who are in the critical period of shaping their outlook on life and values, and their aesthetics will be biased. As the article "Guang Ming Daily" stated, "When Danmei culture has stepped onto the cultural front and is known and obsessed by more and more people, the problem is not that simple when it even has an impact on mainstream values." 
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Second, the marketing chaos of delayed reform dramas will damage the industry's trend
With the rise of Danmei culture, excessive marketing has acted a role in fueling the flames, and these marketing platforms are often inextricably linked with production agencies, and they will take the initiative to set up issues, such as in the Weibo Chaohua community, movies, TV series, and animation In the ranking list, the topic of "male and male CP" in some Danmei-themed works not only appears on the list, but also often occupies the top rankings. In addition, although some dramas have reduced the affection between men and men in content, they have strengthened or even extreme in marketing. They are ubiquitously hyping up the ambiguous emotions and behaviors of men and men, promote marginal values and emotional views, impact the mainstream value sentiment, and disrupt the network environment. And order is more likely to overwhelm and obscure mainstream voices. As some media publications pointed out, "We should not be wary of Danmei culture itself, but after some companies have tasted the sweetness, they have bottomless hype and excessive consumption of "corrupt culture" in order to cater to market demand."
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Third, Dangai dramas cannot carry serious and heavy mainstream value expressions 
The characteristic of Dangai literature is that it is mostly confined to the overhead world, exaggerating the sorrows and joys of the individual. Its characteristics determine that this subject is difficult to carry an epic and heavy narrative, and some Dangai dramas highlight the male on the screen in order to attract attention. The ambiguous teasing of body language, some can't bear to look directly, show a tendency to be vulgar and low. The competent authority has repeatedly emphasized that the creation of TV dramas must follow the requirements of "finding the right topic, telling the story, and making a good shot", and fulfilling its duties and mission, the first is to find the right topic. Literary and artistic creation advocates a hundred flowers blooming, but realism must be the mainstream of the topic selection and the mainstream of creation, because fundamentally speaking, socialist literature and art are essentially people’s literature and art, which must reflect the most mainstream life and promote the most mainstream values. From the creations in recent years, we can also see that only by adhering to a realistic attitude, describing the characteristics of the times, and showing the spirit of the people, can we resonate with the audience and give full eduction to the spiritual inspiration of literature and art. 
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Fourth, the creation of Dangai dramas can easily lead to a utilitarian mentality. 
The appearance of Dangai drama can make the starring famous quickly and become a shortcut to fame and wealth. As a result, many young actors are eager to appear in dramas, and there are even mature actors who want to take the opportunity to become popular. Netizens ridiculed them as "too utilitarian and ugly to eat." "If young actors don't want to sink down to hone their acting skills, but are rushing to shoot and change dramas to become traffic stars, who would be willing to act in reality-themed TV dramas in a down-to-earth manner? In fact, in recent years, under the control of the national authorities, the problems of star chasing and excessive entertainment have been brought under control. Many real acting actors have ushered in the spring, and the industry atmosphere has been invigorated. This is countless down-to-earth. The actor's hard work is hard-won If the opening of the Dangai drama is opened, there will be a resurgence of problems such as traffic fraud, exaggerated acting skills, and even sky-high pay.
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It can be seen that the large-scale follow-up of the drama is not as simple as the theme of overheating, but also involves the issue of value orientation. If it is not properly guided, on the one hand, it may have a negative impact on the values and aesthetics of young people. On the other hand, it may make industry creation move toward utilitarianism and speculation, and it may be in line with the core socialist values. There are conflicts in the socialist views on literature and art. How to supervise this new form of literature and art is a test of the wisdom of the competent authorities.
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Literature and art is the clarion call for the advancement of the times. It can best represent the style of an era and can best lead the trend of an era. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized :”Chinese writers and artists should be the forerunners, pioneers, and pioneers of the times, and write and record the great practices of the people and the progress requirements of the times through more muscular, moral, and warm literary works, and demonstrate the beauty and nobility of faith. The beauty of China promotes the Chinese spirit and gathers Chinese power.” Literary and artistic creation must firmly grasp the correct orientation, insist on putting social benefits in the first place, and unifying social and economic benefits. "Dangai 101" phenomenon urgently needs to be strengthened by all parties concerned to conduct fine management, especially in the face of large-scale project establishment and broadcasting of delay dramas. It is also necessary to consider the establishment of an early warning mechanism for themes, and the industry value orientation and creative wind direction. In addition, it requires the joint efforts of the entire industry, especially the major creative communication agencies, to further enhance cultural awareness and responsibility, adhere to the people-centered approach, and actively invest the most advantageous resources in realistic themes. The majority of actors should sink their bodies, hone their acting skills down-to-earth, and use more profound thoughts, exquisite art, and well-made excellent works to create a biography for the people, statues for the times, and souls for the nation.
(Author's unit: Development Research Center of the State Administration of Radio and Television) 
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 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Ub89VUIqXFMSY8pDdbdZHQ
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tomasorban · 5 years ago
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The Myth of NĂŒ Gua (NĂŒwa) Snake Goddess
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Introduction
In the Year of the Water Snake it is appropriate to tell some of the earliest creation myths of ancient China, the legends of the female divinity Nü Gua, a snake goddess. Many of these stories were transmitted orally; the specific details are influenced by the evolution of culture and by the philosophical, religious, and political movements that influence the retelling, reorienting, and transforming of the narratives. These stories are filled with supernatural beings, woven into shamanic rituals, and grounded with the cosmogony of tribes and clans that were later adopted into mainstream dynasties and cultures.
The roots of these myths may well come from pre-history; however, there is evidence of their existence dating to the early Neolithic period in China. There is reference to Nü Gua in the late Neolithic period in China during the age of the Three August Ones. Later myths from the Han Dynasty depict Nü Gua and her companion Fu Xi, one of the Three August Ones, as brother and sister, husband and wife, worshiped as the progenitors and ultimate ancestors of humankind. Fu Xi and Nü Gua are often represented as half-snake, half-human.
Snake worship is attributed to the Xia clan, which dominated the Northern regions of ancient China in the Yellow River area around 2200 BC. These myths are similar to other creation myths from around the world. In China, over time, the snake became the dragon, which is one of the most enduring symbols of Chinese culture and mythology.
The ancient texts identify Nü Gua as the original ancestor of humanity, half-snake, half-human. She is the creator who molded humans from clay. When the pillar supporting the heavens was damaged, she repaired the sky. After the chaos of the flood, Nü Gua restored order to the world, provided stability, and populated it. She was responsible for the restoration of order and brought the five phases back into harmony. Her actions regulated the movement of all celestial bodies, restored the seasons, and recreated the axis mundi. To create harmony on Earth she fashioned musical instruments. The ancient Chinese matriarchal society revered and celebrated Nü Gua as the powerful creator goddess, and the practices continue to this day.
Although Nü Gua originally stood alone, similar to the shifts we find in the West in later texts and iconography, Nü Gua became paired with Fu Xi, who is identified as her brother, a creator god. Fu Xi is credited with the creation of the hexagrams of the I Ching and many other inventions. Nü Gua and Fu Xi are represented as intertwined snakes, the embodiment of yin and yang. They are depicted holding the instruments of creation, the compass and the square, the tools that were used to take the measurements of the Universe at the founding of a new world following the great flood (Nibley, 1992). Although there is disagreement among the texts, there is some evidence supporting the idea that Nü Gua was one of the Three August Ones. These legendary rulers served around 3000 BC to 2200 BC before the Xia dynasty.
Nü Gua is also linked to Yu the Great and the flood stories. In some myths she is his wife, and Yu is depicted as a dragon rather than a bear. In these stories it is Nü Gua who works with Yu to hold back the floods. Yu is awarded similar mythical doctrines and tools consistent with those of Fu Xi. Together Nü Gua and Yu repopulate the world and establish order. It is Yu who establishes dynastic rule and the rights of Kings. This union between Nü Gua and Yu is one example of the shift from the matriarchal culture of the snake goddess to kingship and patriarchal rule.
However, in the earliest creation myths from China, Nü Gua is an independent powerful goddess, the creator of humankind. She is a matchmaker, bestows fertility, invents sound and music, and brings harmony to heaven, earth, and humanity. She is a benefactor to people and all living creatures. However, just as we see in the West, the power of the strong female creator Goddess is diminished first by pairing her with a male God, and finally by attributing all of her creations to a male God who usurps her power. One example would be the legends of P’an Ku, the male Titan who splits heaven and earth and creates the world and humans from his own body.
In the Year of the Snake it is important to remember and honor Nü Gua, who represents an important aspect of the Chinese matriarchy, culture, and cosmology. She is the Great Mother of Humans, a cultural heroine, and one of the most powerful and influential primordial goddesses in ancient Chinese mythology.
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The Myths of NĂŒ Gua
Nü Gua is the Great Mother Goddess in matriarchal society since antiquity and belonged to a tribe in Northern China with names and connection to the snail. It is said she was formed like a human; but, instead of legs, she had a serpent’s tail to glide over the Earth. She also had a long head with two fleshy horns, and her body was that of a snail; she was originally worshipped as such. She is most often portrayed as a snake deity much akin to other cross-cultural mythologies linked with the snake and creation, to matriarchal primogenitors. Nü Gua is mostly depicted as half-human, half-snake (later half-dragon) and always as a semi-mythical and supernatural being. The mythical figure of Nü Gua as a creator God predates the male creator stories of P’an Ku in classical mythology by six centuries. She appears early in the tradition referenced in “Question of Heaven” in Chu Chi, Songs of Ch’u and in the Shanhaijing, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, in Fengsu Tonji, Popular Customs and Traditions, and later in records from the Han Dynasty, including many descriptive passages in the Huainanzi, a major repository for Chinese myths, and in the Shou Wen Jia Zi, Talking About Text and Explaining Words.
It is important to mention that while the written Nü Gua myths started appearing during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), they were transmitted orally from a much earlier period. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) burned a huge number of literary texts and old myths to exert cultural and political control. As with most book burnings, the losses were irreparable, since they contained mythic themes, archetypes, and symbols critical to the survival of its culture. The Han Dynastic scholars revised what was left and reclaimed the Nü Gua myths from non-orthodox history, legends, and folklore, and, of course, added their own twist to these stories.
Nü Gua existed in the beginning of the world before there were any people. Most sources concur that it was her loneliness that provided the impetus for creation. She walked plains and valleys and felt that the world was a very desolate place without animation. She began with making chickens which cluck through creation, then dogs to run through the forests and glades, sheep to graze in the plains, pigs to root through the earth, gentle cows, powerful bulls, then horses to run free. On the seventh day, while walking along a river, she glimpsed her own reflection. She sat beside the flowing waters and ran earth through her fingers, then took water from the river and yellow Earth and molded the clay as little creatures, which began to laugh. She loved the noise and so continued to make more creatures. As the creatures came to life, they called her mother and wandered the Earth to repopulate the world. She is a self-aware, independent, creative, and powerful feminine force.
At some point, Nü Gua was so exhausted that she realized it was not in her best interest to continue to fashion each person individually. So she took a rope (which later became a measuring cord on her compass) or, in some texts, a piece of ivy or a vine from the mountainside, dipped it into the yellow clay, and then tossed the drops and bits of mud to all the directions. Each drop contained the essence of a distinct human. The rich and the noble were those hand crafted from the yellow clay, and the poor and the ordinary were the manifestations of pulling the rope through the mud and flinging it. Later with the establishment of class and privilege, the hand created humans become nobility and the rope drops commoners, so it is not only telling of creation but of social hierarchy. There are detailed descriptions in the Feng Su Tong Yi, Comprehensive Interpretation of Customs, of Nü Gua’s intention of enrichment and beautification of the world through her creation of human beings, not necessarily the creation of social classes.
In other variations of this myth, as Nü Gua listened to the laughter of her creations, she began to contemplate what would happen when they died. She was concerned that she would have to keep making more and more. It is written that she fashioned men and women in halves and taught them how to love one another so that they could repopulate the Earth. With this role she takes on the archetype of the first high matchmaker, the inventor of marriage, and comes to be identified as the goddess of marriage, fertility, and childbirth. Her temples were built near streams often depicted as the place of creation. Thus we see how she came to be identified in the classics of Chinese culture as the Mother Goddess, the Guardian Goddess, and a great matriarch. The snake in world mythology is believed to control the sources of water and is the hierophant of fertility and the creator of humans.
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NĂŒ Gua and the Flood, Repairer of Heaven and Great Guardian of Human Life
The most detailed accounts that link Nü Gua with water relate to the story of the taming of the floods that is chronicled in the Huainanzi. During antiquity, the sky and the earth were in total chaos, and humanity was in danger of extinction:
in ancient times the four limits (of the world, si ji,) collapsed and the Nine Provinces split apart. Heaven did not completely cover the world, nor did the Earth support all things. Fires raged without going out and water surged on without ceasing. Fierce beasts devoured the simple people, and the birds of prey carried off old and young alike. Thereupon, Nü Gua smelted the five-colored stones to patch up the azure sky, cut off the turtle’s legs to reestablish the four limits, and killed the Black Dragon to rescue Ji Province (the central of the Nine Provinces, which in this passage stands for the entirety of China). She piled up ashes from the reeds to halt the rampant waters. Thus the azure sky was patched, the four limits corrected, the rampant waters dried up, Ji Province restored to order, and the treacherous creatures died. The simple people lived, walking on the back of the square provinces (Fang Zhou, i.e., Earth) and embracing the round Heaven (lewis, 2006, p. 111).
The accounts in this text are concerned with the ravages of the cataclysmic flood and the tipping of the sky, and with fires that are intense and raging—linking fire and water as parallel catastrophic events. Nü Gua blends colored stones to restore order to time and space and to save the world from the utter chaos of the flood. The five colored stones are linked to the Five Phases, internal and external alchemy, and were used for medical purposes in the Han to cure illness. Much earlier the Zhou Li states: “In all cases of treating sores, use the five poisons, to attack them, use the five energies to nourish them, use the five medicines to treat them, and the five flavors to regulate them” (Lewis, 2006, p. 112).
The five poisons refer to the active ingredients, five minerals of five different colors, and the five medicines are the five stones, assimilated into the standard set of the five minerals that are used to patch up the sky and treat the body. They are also considered an important aspect of alchemical casting of metals for a proper marriage between fire and water. The earliest known inscription for rectifying the body through balancing the circulation of qi is an inscription carved on a piece of jade. Jade is said to be the only stone unused by Nü Gua because of its sacredness and ability to bring protection, healing, and balance by its mere presence.
Nü Gua had many roles—far beyond the restoration of the world to order and harmony. She is also credited with setting the seasons and reestablishing the poles. She became a savior figure and presided over the protection of humanity and reemergence through the granting of new life, namely the permutation of the fetus into life. She also captured and joined the energies of the sun, linked humanity with the heavens, and connected the macrocosmic with the microcosmic, fire and water. She presided over the relations of marriage metaphorically, alchemically, and literally. Later Taoists believed she alone holds the secret of the Way of the True Person and follows the eternal nature of Heaven and Earth.
There is a second and later version of the Flood myth in which Gong, the water dragon, destroyed one of the pillars supporting the sky, which caused cosmic chaos. A black hole in the celestial vault resulted in torrential rains and fires, and floods raged everywhere. Nü Gua melted stones of different colors and patched up the sky. She used a tortoise for support of the world, slayed the Black Dragon, and collected ashes and reeds to stop the flood. She mended the sky and repaired the earth from this disaster. The multihued clouds in the sky are from the colorful stones she used to patch the sky. The reason that western China is mountainous and the east lower is because she used the longer legs of the tortoise to support the west and the shorter ones for the east. In this version of the cataclysm the damage is permanent; the earth’s pillar is damaged and points northwest. There is a cosmic flaw, and this is why Chinese rivers flow towards the east. It also suggests that the cosmic order is disrupted through male violence and restored through female benevolence.
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NĂŒ Gua and Music
Nü Gua is credited with the invention of various musical instruments, including the shenhuang, a reed pipe wind instrument, and the xiao, a vertical bamboo flute, as well as many reed and wood instruments fashioned from organic materials. One part of her work for restoring the world was to create harmony between heaven and earth. She achieved this by gathering the ashes of reeds to stop the devastating floodwater. In later accounts of her subsequent death and transformation into a jingwei bird, she carried wood and stone to construct a dike against the raging Eastern Sea. In many sources, Nü Gua is said to have ruled through the mythic powers of wood to balance the element of water, whether in slaying the black dragon, or in using reeds or wood to control the floods. Her work in restoring harmony through music is also a cultural innovation, and many stories say that Nü Gua invented music and musical instruments to entertain the children she created.
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NĂŒ Gua and Fu Xi in Modern Mythology
Joining the myths of Nü Gua and Fu Xi marks the beginning of the suppression of female power in China. This change begins around the time of transition from the early Han to the later Han Dynasties. It is a period that is marked by military expansion. Nü Gua begins to be paired with the mythic figure, Fu Xi; and they are represented as a married couple and as patrons of marriage as an institution. Han iconography depicts these two as a primal couple who restored and populated the earth after the flood. They are both linked to snake or dragon spirits and to themes of creation. They are guardians of transformations, gatekeepers between the inner and outer, and protectors of tombs and of the crossing of boundaries from one state to the other.
A different rendering of the origins of humans appears in the Duyizhi, A Treatise on Strange Beings and Things that involves Nü Gua and Fu Xi’s brother-sister tryst. The myth is set at the very beginning of the world. The sole inhabitants are a girl and her older brother who reside on the mythic Kunlun Mountain. Although they wanted to marry to reproduce, they were shamed because of their blood connection. They plead and send prayers and declarations from the top of the mountain. “Oh heaven if thou wouldst send us two forth as man and wife, then make all the misty vapor gather. If not make all the misty vapor disperse” (from Tu, yi chih, Birrell, 1993, p. 35).
Of course, the prevailing winds worked in their favor and gathered and united the vapors—so they were wed. In other accounts the vapors are smoke snakes and rings. Nü Gua is depicted as very shy and ashamed. She gathers reeds and grasses to weave into a fan to cover their faces. So we see both shame and guilt about intercourse, no fig leaf, but incest. The difference here between Adam and Eve is that their union is condoned and receives the stamp of approval. This custom of brides holding fans over their faces during wedding ceremonies persists today.
There are many other accounts of the coupling and creation, including the use of clay to create human figures and the power to animate them, and countless local folktales and myths about the signs for the go ahead to marry and join forces. Remember that childbirth in more primitive times was rather miraculous, not requiring male participation—and children knew only their mothers. As the reproductive process became more obvious, ancient China moved toward a patriarchal structure, and Fu Xi became an icon of the utmost importance.
We can safely say that Nü Gua’s divinity was suppressed—her independence eroded. Her divine pairing with Fu Xi is similar to Zeus and Hera in the Greek pantheon. Edward S. Shafer (1973), a prominent American Sinologist and Tang Dynasty scholar, states: “Her gradual degradation from her ancient eminence was partly due to the contempt of some eminent and educated men for animalian gods, and partly due to increasing domination of masculinity in the elite social doctrine” (p. 29).
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The Balance of Yin and Yang, Fu Xi and NĂŒ Gua
Fu Xi invented a writing system by carving small pictures and numbers onto bones and tortoise shells.
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Fu Xi is depicted as a major deity and helper to humanity. Although some myths articulate his primal coupling with Nü Gua, he also stands alone as a separate powerful creator deity. But perhaps the greatest legacy of Fu Xi is that he shared mythic attributes with Nü Gua which may well have provided a foundation for the development of the Han yin/yang cosmology, which facilitated our understanding of the interdependence between the male and female.
Fu Xi appeared in the Han as the first in a lineage of sages and, more specifically, sagekings. He is credited with being the creator of the trigrams of the I Ching. His direct connection to and contemplation of the natural world revealed to him the theory for complementarity. This concept of complementary pairs is the very foundation of the Universe, as their dynamic balance and tension lead to change and transformation.
When Fu Xi ruled the world in ancient times, he looked up to examine the images in Heaven, and down to examine the models on Earth. He examined the markings of the birds and the beasts, and their suitability to the terrain. Near at hand he took it for himself, and at a distance, from objects. Therefore he created the eight trigrams in order to communicate with the powers of spirit intelligences, and in order to categorize the natures of myriad objects. He invented knotting cords to keep records and made nets and snares for hunting and fishing. He took this form from the hexagram li (from Treatise of the Yi Jing, lewis, 2006, p. 117).
Fu Xi is the ultimate progenitor of human technology, as evidenced through his invention of the trigrams of the I Ching. He is also credited with the invention of the calendar, writing, and numbers. Ruling jointly with his wife Nü Gua, we are provided with the foundational spirit for yin and yang, sun and moon, birds and beasts, and the distilling of all things into categories. He taught humanity survival skills such as fishing, creating nets, and tool making and was said to have brought the Great Waters of the Universe into order by digging dikes, canals, and irrigation ditches to tame the Yellow River. He, like Nü Gua, is credited with the invention of musical instruments, such as the guqin, a seven-stringed musical instrument, and the pipa, a lute, which he taught people to play to accompany the telling of stories. Fu Xi is a major force in his own right. He received The Yellow River Chart from creatures that rose out of the Yellow River and the Luo Writings, which are the Lou Shu Emergence that provide the knowledge for the organization of time and space. It is said that he discovered the trigrams on the back of a tortoise.
United as the divine creators of the world, Fu Xi and Nü Gua hold back the floods and provide the structural and the functional principles of an ordered world. The best-known image of Fu Xi and Nü Gua appears in the Wu Liang shrine where they are co-creators of the world. Their intertwined serpent bodies rotate around an invisible vertical axis mundi (cf. Santillana and Dechend, 1969). Fu Xi holds the carpenter’s square used to establish divisions and create the trigrams, and Nü Gua has a compass, to restore the circular heaven to its place (Nibley, 1992). These tools are complements, as the square is associated with the feminine principle of earth and the circle with the masculine principle of heaven, and are used for taking the measurements of the world, for keeping order in the world.
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The union between Nü Gua and Fu Xi might be viewed as the first sacred marriage, the joining of two equal powers that provides order and structure to the cosmos. Their bond bestows a foundation to understand the connections among Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. As co-creators they give birth to The Three Treasures. They are the guardians of the tombs, gatekeepers of the sacred waters, twin snakes of life and death; they have the power to transform, regenerate, and create. Their paired bodies provide the creation of all origins, the DNA of life, including the trigrams, hexagrams, protein bases, and the fertile water from which all life emerges. Together they are yin and yang; they control the floods, pole shifts, and soul shifts, wind and rain, fires and alchemical gold. This is the mystic marriage of heaven and earth, the creation of an ordered and dependable cosmos, the foundation of the collective identity of all people.
There is a word in modern Chinese, a phrase really, kuci chu; and it signifies “the way things should be, the moral standard.” Literally it means the compass and the square. May we embody both Nü Gua and Fu Xi striving always to restore and maintain the sacred and constant balance among heaven, earth, and humanity.
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