#miki 2024

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

Yesterday, I went back in time to experience one of the darkest chapters of our national history, the sadistic, mafia-filled 90s by watching Miki (2024). It is one of those movies that makes you stare at the screen in disbelief long after the movie ended. You think about it as you go home from the cinema, you keep thinking about it the next day, and the day after. It opens your eyes with its brutality. It opens your eyes to the brutal legacy of our own country.

I look back at what Milan Ondrík (the actor who plays Černák) said about the movie in a recent interview: "First of all, it is not a movie about Černák, it is a movie about the dark history of our country, and we have created it so we [Slovaks] can learn from our mistakes." I have to agree. When you watch the movie (and even when you learn a little about the period), you realise that Mikuláš Černák and other Slovak mafia bosses of that period were really just figures on a large chessboard, the tip of the iceberg. They were usually guys from working-class backgrounds, the underdogs. Bus drivers, boxers, ex-cons, fruit sellers. They learnt how to adjust to the chaos of the era, saw an opportunity to make money quickly and seized it, not giving a damn about the destruction they were leaving behind.

And what they did was monstrous, but then you look at the "protectors of justice" who allowed them to carry on, the lawyers who prepared dubious contracts in their names, the judges who helped them get away with their heinous crimes, the investigators and policemen who covered up after them for a bit of money stashed in an envelope. The politicians who often used the mafia to do the dirty job for them. The mafia thrived because the environment not only allowed them to but even actively encouraged them to continue. These gansters used an opportunity that was presented to them on a silver platter.

I think the mafia never really disappeared. The "criminal forefathers" killed each other in open gun fights in front of blocks of flats, and their successors learned from their mistakes, moved to the shadows instead, and became much more sophisticated. And when you look at the recent changes in the Slovak legislation, all the reduction of penalties for criminal activity, who is to say that there won't be new Černáks, new Sýkoras, new Piťos again? New guys seeking new opportunities to seize, just because the system is once again giving them a helping hand.

So. Go. See Miki if you can (and if you have the stomach to take it, the movie is 18+ for a reason). Watch the movie they have created so we can learn from our mistakes.

---

For those of you who are not familiar with our underworld, the movie tells the story of Mikuláš Černák, one of the most notorious mafia bosses in Slovakia. Slovakia went through a turbulent and dangerous time in the 1990s which was a period marked by a sharp increase in organised crime in the midst of political and economic upheaval. The mafia had an impact on many facets of life. After Communism collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1993, Slovakia quickly moved from a centrally planned to a market economy. Emerging mafia groups took advantage of the political vacuum and economic turmoil produced by this change. Because of the abrupt change in political institutions, the legal system and law enforcement were unprepared to deal with the emergence of organised crime. Mafia organisations were able to operate with impunity because of the police's underfunding, inadequate training, and massive corruption. This helped mafia spread their influence throughout a number of industries, including nightlife, politics, and the construction sector.

[arielluva]

let's play maiden dissection!

[andstuffsketches]

typical ohtori student council meeting

[shira-ceres]

Drdttober Day 15 : Magical Girls

[duodolce]

Fellas is it gay to be underwater with another mermaid

[mo-ok]

☝️☝️☝️ pink 🌸🩷🧁

🌠

[its-gettin-weird]

Something quick and sloppy I did for mermay :,)

[headslikekites]

paintober day 24

I'll follow you into the dark

[voidpineapple]

my favorite madoka magica girl

[white-cat-of-doom]

New character portraits from Japan as they get ready for opening night in Shizuoka tomorrow, 17 July 2024!

Kanako Fujiwara as Sillabub.

Ayaka Yoshida as Jellylorum.

Yukako Shingu as Jemima.

Nanako Yoshimura as Victoria.

Namiko Hanada as Jennyanydots.

Akane Aihara as Demeter.

Haruka Yamazaki as Bombalurina.

Rika Takeshita as Tantomile.

Ayu Shimizu as Rumpleteazer.

Ryudo Tsutaki as Mungojerrie.

Kyomi Ishibashi as Cassandra.

Junpei Sano as Tumblebrutus.

Miki Kanehara as Grizabella.

Yuto Tanaka as Mistoffelees.

Yujin Haga as Gilbert.

Suguru Fuminaga as Macavity.

Junpei Wakebe as Munkustrap.

Kazuki Kanemoto as Old Deuteronomy.

Seiji Hashimoto as Bustopher Jones and Gus.

Masaru Kitamura as Rum Tum Tugger.

Kaisaer Tatike as Skimbleshanks.

Shuichi Kawazu as Carbucketty.

Ryujiro Isshiki as Coricopat.

All photos from the previous stop in Nagoya, which took place between July 2022 and May 2024.

[redsamuraiii]

Three "Japanese" series premiering February 2024!

Me :

[scootarooni]

preview of my piece for @galasynth 2024 !!! ⭐🔌

[arielluva]

miki to anthy

[why-the-heck-not]

what I want is a completely plotless book/tv-show/movie with characters I like just chilling & living their lives. No plot. No obstacles. Just purely character interaction

[ravenclod]

DAY 18 : FANDOM AU

> YAYAY!! i decided to draw art for an au me and @koka-mi [ my amazing epic friend ] are working on !!! im not gonna spoil the detailz rn but all u need to know is its a musician x fan kyosaya au >:33 once a name is decided ill edit that in + make a blog tag for it yay

> hi so pls ignore that this is 3 dayz late... ive been pretty busy + been grinding on prsk and i was struggling a bit w this drawing asw but !! its here now !! tmrw im gonna try do catchup ahahahshsh

[dailyfe]

Drivers participating in the women's test during Pre-Season Testing at Jarama (08/11/24) by Simon Galloway