#primary goal of this art is seeing how far I can make him gaze into the void

[astatine-17]

Gunpowder Tim vs The Thousand Yard Stare

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 26 part one

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff)

Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes! 

I’m Coming Up So You Better Get This Party Started

The Lans arrive just in time to see Cousin Jin Zixun hassling Su She, and they wonder how he has the fucking nerve to come to a party that they are also invited to. 

Su she was invited by his new best friend Jin Guangyao, who deploys a full-on charm attack, wrapping Su She permanently around his little finger. 

Smoother than the Lanling weather that’s how he holds himself together Watch out, he’ll charm you 

Jin Guangyao grew up with women who earned their living by being charming, pleasant, and hiding their true thoughts from their clients, and he appears to have mastered this useful skill set. With Su She, he exudes confidence and authority, allowing the lesser man to bask in his attention.

With Zewu Jun he deploys helplessness and embarrassment, effectively controlling a man with much greater power than his own.

Lan Xichen confronts him about Su She's presence, and Jin Guangyao pretends he didn't know that Su She was ex-Lan. This seems super unlikely, given that JGY is good at collecting information that he can use to fuck with people, and also that he sheltered Lan Xichen from the Wens directly after Su She betrayed him.

Lan Xichen seems like he doesn't believe what JGY is telling him but then he decides to drop it, passive-aggressively saying that since JGY is uninformed, he's not guilty. Lan Xichen is actually assuming a lot here about his right to tell Jin Guangyao who to invite and who to shun, but JGY doesn't push back. Lying is so much simpler.

(more behind the cut!)

Su She wins for most unintentionally sarcastic-seeming toasting expression.

Jiang Cheng, Party Animal

Jiang Cheng arrives at the party, bringing his Jiang retinue and his bad temper. He super obviously casts around to try to find Wei Wuxian, who already told him he probably wasn't coming to the party.

Jiang Cheng is that guy who only comes to a party because the girl he likes said she was thinking about going, and then he spends the whole party saying "hey have you seen Mei Lin? She said she was going to be here but I don't see her."

Jin Guangyao formally congratulates Jiang Cheng on the Jiang clan's success in the hunt, and Jin Guangshan toasts him. As always, Jiang Cheng reacts to praise from authority figures like it's rain in the desert, smiling from ear to ear. He says that the Jiang Clan will donate the prey from the hunt to the other gentry clans. ...what?

Are we seriously saying that when these dudes go night hunting it's not just to remove dangerous bad stuff, it's for profit? 

Like, do they eat monsters? Wear their fur? Make leather from their skin? Carve jewelry from their claws? Is Jiang Cheng wearing a purple monster's skin right now? (There will be an art prompt at the end of this post)

Meanwhile, check out the way Nie Huaisang is looking at Jiang Cheng, wow.

Forecast: Hazing

Having gotten the single pleasant part of the banquet over with, it's time for the Jins to pick on the Lans. Cousin Jin Zixun goads Lan Xichen into taking a drink with him, knowing that this is (mostly) against Lan rules. Jin Guangyao tries to stop him by saying, hilariously, that it's bad to drink and fly on a sword, but CJZX waves this away and keeps pushing, saying that if Lan Xichen won't drink, it's an insult to him.

A random cultivator who is definitely on the Jin payroll backs him up, saying that teetotaling is for losers, and Captain Blowhard boisterously agrees. Loudly agreeing with powerful people is the Yao clan's signature martial arts skill.

Jin Guangyao looks embarrassed and helpless, which is, as mentioned before, his own signature skill. But he's just playing his own part in this piece of theater; everything happening at this party (so far) is happening for the benefit of the Jin Clan. Cousin Jin Zixun is an ass, but he's not actually a loose cannon, and Jin Guangshan is clearly enjoying the Lans' discomfort.

Why? This entire party, the hunt, everything he's done since the end of the Sunshot campaign, has been designed to increase and consolidate his power. His main goal is to get the Yin Tiger seal, but reducing the status of the Lans is also a good move for him. The Lans have been the strongest opponents to the use of resentful energy, and worked the hardest to conceal and contain the Yin iron in the past. If he wants to use resentful energy as part of his own cultivation, he needs them to chill. 

So this is a bit of a test; will they comply with the will of the larger group in order to avoid conflict, or will they refuse, which will allow him to label them as iconoclastic weirdos?. 

Lan Xichen takes a long look at his brother, who is expressing all sorts of emotions while keeping his face very very still. 

At a guess, he is thinking that this entire party is bullshit, that his brother's willingness to play along with these assholes is bullshit, that being viciously beaten for having a single drink in his life was bullshit, that Wei Wuxian not being here right now is bullshit.

Lan Xichen picks the "go along, get along" path, having his drink and using his magic skill of anti-intoxication to neutralize it, as he'd done previously when drinking with Wei Wuxian. 

Cousin Jin Zixun picks on Lan Wangji next, and since he cannot magically or even non-magically tolerate alcohol, there is a real risk to his reputation if he drinks. But Lan Wangji breaks rules when he feels like it, not when people tell him to. He pointedly ignores the offered drink while Lan Xichen looks worried. 

The rest of the party guests have a wide variety of reactions, none of them helpful, to these shenanigans. Jin Guanshan's son and heir watches with calm interest as the power dynamics play out.

All of this is actually not great strategy for the Jins. The Lans don't play little social games to gain power, because all that time they spend not drinking, not gossiping, and not doing other stuff? Is spent cultivating and practicing sword and musical battle forms. The Lan Bros are overwhelmingly powerful as individuals, and embarrassing them won't change that.

It's moot, ultimately, because Wei Wuxian chooses this moment to arrive.

Darkness Visible

Wei Wuxian actually made a big impressive stair-climbing entrance to Jinlintai a few minutes ago, with camera work echoing Lan Wangji's stair climb at the Wen Indoctrination Bureau from several episodes back. 

But nobody was around to see that, other than us, and when he appears at the party it's in stealth mode; he steps into the frame from out of nowhere, and drinks Lan Wangji's unwanted drink.

Lan Wangji responds by looking at him like this for the next several minutes.

Wei Wuxian doesn't have time for their usual sport of Extreme Gazing, though; he came for a reason, which is to find and rescue Wen Ning. He gets right to it, asking Cousin Jin Zixun where he's keeping him.

Jiang Cheng, who is the king of worrying about the wrong fucking thing, jumps up to try to stop Wei Wuxian from talking. Like, seriously, he's ok with the Jins trying to take his clan's special extreme weapon, but he's not ok with his head disciple being rude in order to fulfill a whopper of a life debt--Jiang Cheng's life debt, in particular--or being rude in order to preserve the clan's independence.

Jin Guangshan decides this is a good moment to bring up the Yin tiger amulet. Wei Wuxian pushes back, hard, pointing out exactly what Jin Guangshan is doing. He says he's setting himself up to be a new Wen Ruohan. 

Lan Wangji pays close attention to Wei Wuxian's reasoning here, and so does Nie Mingjue, unless he’s just trying to mask his confusion. 

Jiang Cheng is too busy being horrified to listen, apparently. Or he just doesn’t agree, preferring to be reduced to a secondary authority, rather than defy a primary authority.

Wei Wuxian is, of course, all about independence; he was literally born to be a rogue cultivator, despite being dubbed “patriarch” himself, not long after this. 

Let’s Go Crazy Let’s Get Nuts

Wei Wuxian gets tired of the scene and decides to lose his temper. He makes a show of being enraged, and he genuinely is angry, but I don't think he's out of control, this time.  

He acts like he's out of control in order to scare everyone, but he makes his points very clearly, reminding everyone that he has power they don't have, that he's good at killing, that he's not patient, and that his teeth are nicer than everybody else’s. 

Everybody in the room freaks out to one degree or another--except Jin Guangshan, who is apparently too pissed off to be scared.

It's hilarious that Jin Guangshan thought he was going to get Wei Wuxian to hand the Yin Tiger amulet over by creating a complex system of social pressure against him. Wei Wuxian's favorite way of responding to social pressure is to escalate it into violence, regardless of the consequences; he's been doing that at least since Gusu Summer School and probably a lot longer. Jin Guangshan should know this, given how many beatings his son has taken from Wei Wuxian over the years.

Wei Wuxian does a fantastically sexy scary, theatrical countdown, and Cousin Jin Zixun caves in and gives him the information he wants. It's worth noticing that even under threat of death, CJZX doesn't comply until he visually checks in with his clan leader. He’s genuinely a bad person, yes, but he’s a loyal soldier, which is what most of these clans value most. 

As soon as he gets what he wants, Wei Wuxian is perfectly, smugly, in control of himself again. Everyone in the room is still stunned and afraid, so Jin Guangshan has achieved that much, at least; nobody likes Wei Wuxian having the Yin tiger seal now, including Jiang Cheng. 

As he leaves, Wei Wuxian has one of those conversations with Lan Wangji in which everything is said in glances in the course of a couple of seconds. 

WWX: I love you, I have to leave you; I've got some shit to take care of and I won't be coming back to all of this. 

LWJ: I love you; I'm probably going to have to fight you; your funeral is going to be so upsetting

Wei Wuxian turns away from everyone, and you can see the weight settling on his shoulders, as he contemplates the choices he just made and the choices that are still ahead of him. 

Jin Guangshan, for the first and only time, loses his temper in front of everybody, literally flipping a table because he's so mad about what just happened. 

Art prompt: Jiang Cheng wearing an outfit made of a Chinese mythical creature. Bonus points if it’s a qilin. Bonus bonus points if Zhang Qiling (from DMBJ/Lost Tomb franchise) is standing next to him looking grumpy while Jiang Cheng wears an outfit made from a qilin. 

Soundtrack: Get This Party Started by Pink, Charm Attack by Leona Naess, Let’s Go Crazy by Prince. 

[sugar-petals]

I see that lately you’ve been reblogging the ice skating guy. Could you introduce him to us in the caro way??👀

i see, i see. you are falling for the beautiful ice skating guy. with delight do i talk about him. ♥︎ who are you asking about, then?

shōma uno (22) of nagoya, japan, the dreamiest ice angel you will ever see:

lucky newcomer stans: shoma is extremely easy to spot. 5′2, soulful, sparkly, and always headed for the podium because his artistry fucking slaps. this angel is the latest olympic silver medalist ✨

if you see a petite, serious-looking guy with thighs for the gods and impossibly elegant upper body work, you can be sure it’s him.

off the ice, look for this: the supreme doe face. dark uwu eyes, wide baby cheeks, 100% shook. needless to say: it’s over when he looks at you like that. 

something else to watch for when you want to spot the angel. his primary hobby is sleeping lmao! shoma naps everywhere. once, he was so exhausted, he was found cutely slumbering before his olympic press conference. 

meanwhile, his presence on the ice? expressive, alluring, aptly sensual start to finish. sometimes feisty, even. he saves all his energy and then delivers. it’s ballet on blades. the guy puts so much passion into his choreo. 

most well-known are the moments when he ends his program and switches back to his normal cute mode. that’s when you see the puppy gaze return.

bc the thing is: you won’t see shoma’s feistiness elsewhere. the japanese are already very reserved and shy, but he’s made an art form of it. his voice is quite light and high, that contributes to the effect. i have not seen one interview where he tries to stand out or embellish his answers. shoma stays true to his unobtrusive character, you’ll see him spaced out 90% of the time.

shoma is often freightened by social settings and fan service. if you didn’t know how he’s on the ice, you can easily get the impression that he’s avoidant or insecure. but it’s just this: he’d rather be gaming or eating than get animated and play celebrity. you have a cozy introvert here. he’s in the game since he’s 5 years old but still doesn’t show himself off, he’s in his own sphere. 

you might see him look overwhelmed pretty often, but the flipside of the coin is, shoma is humble and doesn’t act out of arrogance. for a skater this great, his ego is minimum inflated. he doesn’t like putting himself in the center. legend has it he could always win gold but takes default silver out of politeness 😂

what he does like and respond to is getting direct praise. shoma lives for encouragement. that shit flusters him immensely, and it’s something he accepts. when he’s uneasy in crowds he doesn’t smile very often. but to this day, fans shouting ‘shoma, you’re so cute’ before he starts to skate has proven to lift his spirits effortlessly. last time it happened, he immediately cracked a smile:

now, there is plenty to compliment. 

i mean, look. the sheer athleticism of this man. god knows how high he jumps.

from facial expressions to hand postures, everything captures the music. he looks fantastic. 

shoma has great sense of dramatism. what you’re seeing is always art. 

shoma’s infamous signature move is the cantilever. you can see why. the audience is losing their minds every time.

what else to praise? the absolutely beautiful costumes. 

shoutout to satomi ito who designs these.

the #1 shoma praise bot is skating god yuzuru hanyu (aka current reigning olympic gold medalist) himself. imagine this: a baby is babied by a fellow but slightly older baby. yuzu said this about shoma: “he is like a puppy!” what you see is what you get, shoma is as adorable as he looks. 

so, yuzu takes good care of him and makes sure smol shoma is always included even if he’s getting shy. even since the early days:

if you ask me, team japan couldn’t be any more handsome and princely. the sheer combined power of cuteness and skill. you’ll hear from these lovelies.

shoma and his younger brother itsuki are also pretty much inseparable. goals, this is the softest sibling insta you will ever see. once again, with sleepy shoma.

baby photos included. faith in humanity restored. 

he also has wholesome interactions with his idol and fellow skater daisuke takahashi. dai is a funky, bubbly personality and complements shoma’s introversion really well. 

another important person to shoma, if not the most decisive recently, is retired world champion stéphane lambiel. yes, this handsome swiss glamazon.

shoma went through a highly distressing period of being coachless last year. he parted ways with machiko yamada and mihoko higuchi (below) who were his coaches for 16 (!) years. they were a dream team.

so that he decided to go for something new ended up as the most heartbreaking shit. he lost his inspiration and will for skating and kept dropping to lower rankings. he broke down in competitions because his fans were cheering for him even if his skating deteriorated and he felt undeserving. 2019 was shoma’s existential crisis. he went to several camps to try out coaches, to no avail.

enter coach stéphane! who started to work with him last winter. oh thank god. lo and behold, shooms has been consistently improving and getting very smiley (!) ever since. these two go together like fries and ketchup. 

so, guess who is currently training in switzerland now. whole new world for the little guy 💕

stéphane is eccentric, cheeky, and bold enough to uplift and inspire him but also “so friendly!” as shoma described him. he praises genuinely and knows how to foster shoma’s talent. their language barrier is also no problem, lambiel is a polyglot. i think that stéphane is off ice what shoma is on ice, this is the perfect exchange. i love this song. 

the ice angel has quickly recovered from his misery thanks to the amount of positive feedback. on youtube, you find multiple fancams of stéphane getting very invested in uno’s performance from the sidelines 😄 shoma adores him and stéphane is a protective ice dad. just look at these two.

there’s no better coach he could have. stéphane’s choreographies perfectly cater to shoma’s poetic interpretation. so satisfying. so impeccable. as dostoevsky said, beauty will save the world.

last japanese nationals in december, shoma even took gold and cried from relief on the podium. he’s improved so much. stéphane will make him go far. 

what convinced him to coach uno was simply this: “his eyes sparkled!”. and yes, there’s hardly anyone who won’t be impacted by this.

this puppy has all of our hearts so let’s send out compliments to him. fingers crossed for shoma’s upcoming competitions and the next olympics where i am sure he will stun the world. i mean, he won gold in the baby boy hall of fame already. he’s a really great artist and soft person who deserves everything. thank you for attending my ted talk.

[samanthanicolleco-blog]

Magbubulaklak by Antonio Oil on fiberboard 60 x 81.5cm 1964

Angelito Antonio or “Mang Lito” was born on February 3, ​1939 and grew up in a simple farming household in Malolos, Bulacan. His passion for art began at a very young age, he participated in various art contests and had begun earning several big titles and awards to his name as a child. In 1958, he initially took up Architecture at the Mapua Institute of Technology which he then continued at the University of Santo Tomas. However, he eventually shifted due to a scholarship opportunity given to him and studied Fine Arts instead at the University of Santo Tomas, where he met several future colleagues like National Artist Ang Kiukok, Mario Parial, Jaime de Guzman, and Norma Belleza, a woman he later married. During his time at college, Antonio was granted a teaching position for his excellence, which he kept for over a decade even after graduation, by National Artists Vicente Manansala and Galo Ocampo. After that, Antonio only seemed to rise up further into stardom in the art world as he quickly garnered 20 more local and international awards to his name. He’s considered as one of the most influential artists of our country’s Modern Art movement, well regarded as an action painting trailblazer and for proliferating the Cubist style in Philippine art.

That being said, Antonio is best known for his Cubism style, an abstract approach to realism, with his emphasis on strong confident diagonal lines combined with a unique take on figurative distortions, and his use of black juxtaposed with strong primary or muted tertiary colors. He’s regarded as both modernist and expressionist in his approach, his subjects mostly consisting of figure folk. Having grown up a country boy surrounded by farmlands and small towns, there wasn’t much inspiration to draw from, thus, the young Antonio focused on the people that surrounded him. He showcased vendors, farmers, fishermen, and the simple daily lifestyle of his community. He wanted to illustrate an authentic representation of Filipino customs, traditions and way of life to the world, and incorporate the genuine emotions his subjects felt in that image.

Angelito Antonio’s ​Magbubulaklak was created in 1964, during his teaching years in the University of Santo Tomas. He made it with oil paints, commonly used to bring emphasis to textures and colors used, and a fiberboard base, a type of cheap wood used as roofing and wall sheaths. Which in hindsight, may seem like an atypical choice at first but through deeper analysis, can make sense because it may remind viewers of impoverished, barren walls where one may find forms of vandalization and graffiti in dilapidated areas; a possible contributing factor for interpretations later. The piece itself is a medium-scale painting that depicts a long haired woman holding several white flowers. She’s seated barefoot behind a container of more flowers and has an evident look of unhappiness on her face. She appears to be a flower vendor. Her hands are slightly stretched outward as if she’s anticipating to offer the flowers she’s holding to someone. Her body and clothes have visible contours from the yellow, red, white and even green hues that surround her, like casted shadows from a light source, making it appear as if she’s situated near objects with these different colored lights.

The title of the piece itself, ​Magbubulaklak,​ tells a story that can be universally understood by most if not all Filipinos, with a majority of us having experienced seeing something parallel to it in our lives. In translation, it directly means flower vendor or florist, however, the piece falls short on the latter definition as florists typically have a florist shop to professionally arrange and cut flowers. Instead, the woman appears to be selling in an open area with only a container of flowers, and she’s barefoot which is far from being professional.

Looking at the lines in ​Magbubulaklak​, we can see a rough outline which emphasizes the woman’s details and some of the background in the piece, the shapes appearing more organic and life-like in nature. Additionally, the texture of the piece is composed of variously layered brush strokes of different colors purposely on top of one another. These components may represent Antonio’s intention to illustrate an emotional setting and emphasize the reality of the scene. The use of thin, soft curved lines on the woman’s features contribute to her appearance of delicateness and sorrow. A feeling of being fragile or “walking on eggshells” that most of us experience when we are at a low point in our physical, mental or emotional health. The wide contour lines on her face and body also bring emphasis to her emotional state, the dark shadows toward the center of her face adding depth to her grim and frail look. Moreover, the outline of other forms behind the woman bring distinction to her surroundings and environment. This can be attributed to Antonio’s goal of creating a realistic and expressive setting that interacts with the subject, by acting as context and emphasis. He represents the scene as genuine as it can be to the flower vendors we see in most Philippine streets and sidewalks today.

Moving on, the piece holds more positive space than negative as nearly every inch on the painting is filled with shapes. It feels very crowded and chaotic, one might even say there’s a “fear of space” present in this piece. And since there is only one subject, the woman, it seems like the purpose of having no negative space was to somehow bring your attention to her first. By having a mess of shapes in a background that is incomprehensible at first glance, the painting forces oneself to look at something that is clear, stable and coherent which is ​her​. In my opinion, it was a bold yet clever move as it conversely emphasized how the surroundings were unstable and volatile, possibly foreshadowing her metal and emotional state. The overwhelmness from looking at the painting at first glance is really just to draw our attention to the center going out, to first take note of a clear subject then expand our line of focus outward as we investigate her relationship to the chaotic background and vice versa.

Furthermore, the colors in ​Magbubulaklak are composed of mostly bright primary colors red, yellow, and secondary color green, all of which are juxtaposed to the monochromatic white and black present. Initially, I was surprised to find so many bold and traditionally “happy” colors in what appeared to be a solemn painting judging by the subject’s facial features. The tones were very bright and lively, making the piece very eye catching and immersive to look at. Although my initial thoughts were that the subject would suit duller and darker shades to compliment the seriousness of the painting, but after looking at the whole picture, I understand and commend sir Antonio’s utilization of these specific colors. He used these bright colors as natural representation to our progressive cities and societies. It’s an abstract or distorted version of reality as it looks more chaotic in image but everything it represents is genuine, emotionally and physically. Chaotic streets and troubling emotions that surround the woman trying to sell her flowers, she is outlined with strong black lines and this contrast is what makes her pop out as the painting’s stable focal point, creating a clear distinction between her and her background.

In my opinion, although the piece can be generally interpreted with one common idea, “the subject is an unhappy and poor flower vendor”, the actual specifics may go in several directions. One possible interpretation is that the flower vendor is situated by a busy street, where cars and stop lights can be found, signifying the purpose of the familiar color group, the yellow and red representing a car’s flashing front and tail lights, and the green for “go” on the traffic light. An economic representation of the inequality between the rich and the poor, a gap between people with opportunity and those without; the people who can travel with cars and those limited only to the streets. In relation to the previous paragraph, an additional interpretation may be the background’s relationship to the subject as ​her emotions and thoughts. The chaos around ​her possibly represents the true mental state she’s in, underneath her sorrow features, it’s an image of someone with not much options or a way out. Using a traffic light analogy, the yellow and red around her could represent all the restrictions or barriers she continues to face, constantly stopping or slowing her down before she can have the opportunity for a better life while those in the cars can come and go as long as the light turns green. On the other hand, although very small, the presence of green located on her body may represent her spirit and remaining will to fight against the poverty she’s facing. This act of strength may be seen in her slightly stretched out hand where she attempts to sell the flowers to a possibly more fortunate passerby just out of view, a bridging interaction between the poor and the fortunate. Inspite of the piece being two-dimensional, it seems the painting crosses the threshold if we look at the angle of her gaze, because it can be met. 

Despite the fact that this piece is currently located in the Ateneo Art Gallery, a private university often referred to as a place of privilege, regardless of the painting’s location, anyone who meets the woman’s sorrowful gaze can recognize by reading her expression and appearance, the story of hardship, poverty and inequality she imparts to her viewers. If one chooses to meet her eyes, it is physically possible, noting painting size and placement, as her gaze is angled in a specific way that allows your eyes to connect if you wish to do so but just slightly out of reach so that you’ll have to actively seek it out yourself. This feature itself can be a play on social action, how recognition of present injustices and gaps in opportunity or privilege is there as long as you accept to see it. ​Though this interpretation might not be exactly what the artist wished to impart, I feel like this version engages with the country’s current social and economic concerns, especially on how the unfortunate are most affected by it. It provokes my mind about the structure of our own society and the injustices present. The historical divide between social classes but now in a modernized setting, and how we can do something about it if we only open our eyes and recognize that something needs to be done. In the end, this analysis deepened my own understanding and appreciation of the work and the artist’s thought process behind it, effectively motivating me to have more compassion for the other side represented behind the painting.

When we observe sir Antonio’s entire piece of work, we are able to see another side to the daily life he aims to portray in ​Magbubulaklak. ​We recognize his clever use of brightcolors to contrast and enhance the seriousness in the painting, a signature technique that he’s used across most if not all his pieces. I commend his level of authenticity for these conjured images, not because he had lived through the hardships firsthand, but for managing to observe time periods and modernize the setting of these experiences. He was able to evolve his perspective as times changed, knowing what current situations are, and manage to still reach the hearts of many people across different generations.

To conclude, from a bird’s eyeview, the piece does not come across as classical, harmonious or traditionally beautiful in nature. At first glance, it all just seems abstract and too complex to comprehend. Due to this, a possibility I see is the piece becoming overshadowed in the near future, maybe several decades from now, as it does not garner enough interest to an average person’s eye. In worst case, it would look irrelevant. And this may be because the work only portrays a current image in society, one that may yet again change in the future, thus, would leave this piece outdated and unrecognizable to any part in the Philippines. As a third world country, it’s only natural for the Philippines to experience dynamic changes every few years. However, the changing times also have an ability to emphasize the beauty in these pieces by classifying them as historical, so they set a reminder to everyone what life in certain time period was like; how society lived and such. If that is done, we will have further enhanced outdated pieces’s relevance to even future time periods, effectively making these ​historical pieces timeless. It’s honestly amazing how art can be just that, an abstract representation of realities and expressions. Thus, I can wholeheartedly admit that ​Magbubulaklak is a great piece of high value, as both a viewer and someone who has encountered seeing this representation in real life. Through this painting, I recognized my own experiences and values, it also opened my eyes to the reality of our society and the impoverished community that I don’t often get to see. Having been at tucked away at the safety of my home for the duration of the lockdown and pandemic, ​Magbubulaklak m​akes me pause and think about the people struggling right now, financially and in health, making me more aware and appreciative of what blessings I do have, and how simple actions like donating to these people can go a long way to help them. In the painting, the lady looks like she’s anticipating for someone to sell her flowers to. Rhetorically, by “reaching out” my hand to her, maybe then even if it’s just a little, can I make an impact in our society.

References: “ANTONIO, Angelito.” Heritage Arts & Antiques Gallery. Accessed July 14, 2020. Retrieved from http://heritagegallery.ph/2017/09/antonio-angelito/

“04 1964 Angelito Antonio – Magbubulaklak,” August 25, 2018. https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2018/08/25/katipunan-avenue-quezon-city-the-social-realism-collection-of-the-ateneo-art-gallery/04-1964-angelito-antonio-magbubulaklak/.

[newlifecc-akroh]

TED’S LONG FORM (REALLY REALLY) DETAILED #ExtremeTour21 UPDATE

(For those who want the “whole” story…..)

8-23-21

As many of you know, after an amazing time in Akron, Ohio, working with our long standing incredible local partners to #BringTheLove and #MakeADifference, through music, actions sports, and the arts; The East Coast tour team awakened Saturday morning to discover that the main staff vehicle and production trailer had been stolen from the parking lot of the facility they were staying at!

It would only be a matter of hours before a phone call from the Police Department would inform us that the awesome new van (recently donated to us by our dear Brothers and Sisters at SODAK Skate) had been found….engulfed in flames…. completely destroyed. Nothing recoverable.

Not only was this vehicle the primary transportation for the entire leadership team and staff for that leg of the tour, but the trailer contained literally every piece of production, staging, and gear that has been assembled over the years for the East Coast team to use to present these events; Free community celebrations that are meant to bring people together in underserved and often overlooked communities.

And..... on top of the loss of all of the tour production equipment and gear, as the event had been packed up late the night before, the van and trailer also contained almost ALL of the current artists' instruments and support gear!

The van was destroyed. The trailer was gone.

(Selah: Pause and Reflect)

This tour has always been an ambitious effort, only made possible through the incredible sacrifice and hard work of literally hundreds of people every year. It is a truly organic grassroots project, with every member of the team, from the local partners, to the artists, to the staff, to the leadership (from top to bottom), serving completely as volunteers, receiving no salary and raising their own support to fund their involvement.

Everyone who serves, does so freely, and relatively quietly, not seeking recognition or applause as much as seeking to help the most helpless among us.......

To be honest..... Helpless was definitely a feeling that would have been logical for the staff to feel as they surveyed the empty parking lot where the van and trailer had been just a few hours before.... as the leaders in the home office got the emergency call with the report... as the West Coast members of the Board came together for the hastily arranged early morning phone conference to determine what to do and how to respond.

In almost 30 years of the Extreme Tour, nothing quite like this had ever happened before. Not on this scale...... What were we going to do?

There was a lot to consider :

How do we get our stuff back?

With the van destroyed, how do we even get to the next city?

And, even if you could, How do you keep touring with no production or staging?..... with NO INSTRUMENTS ???

(capitalization for emphasis, not for added volume 😉)

And of course, Who would even want to go on to the next city after having all their gear stolen ???

If the artists leave (and who would blame them if they did ?); How to continue without the artists that perform during the events ????

Was this THE END of the East Coast leg of the Extreme Tour ???

(Dramatic Pause that was, admittedly, way too real in "Real Life" as we spent the first moments pondering these and all the other questions that flooded our minds.)

As the initial shock wore off, though; From coast to coast, from top to bottom; The leaders, the staff, the artists; We all came to a quick consensus.

The “End” ?

No.

Decidedly. Definitively….. Determinedly.

WHY NOT?:

When we first hit the road this Summer, East Coast or West Coast teams, we were responding to a Divine Call that thundered inside us. We always knew this was about way more than music.

It was about a Mission: To carry Hope. To DEMONSTRATE Love. Not just declare it.

TOGETHER. Making a difference.

We had spent the last two months traveling across the United States, going to inner cities and skate parks, the forgotten corners of small towns, “seeing and celebrating”, in action, those that have grown used to feeling “left behind”.

This had been a hard weekend, a devastating loss, for our organization and team, for sure. But these are definitely challenging times for so many in the communities we visit. Many of the cities remaining on the schedule were familiar places for us, cities we stop in each year, filled with hurting people we have come to know and love. And there are many new friends we just haven't met yet who are longing for a glimmer of the Hope we now carry, just like we were once.

In the midst of these difficult times….Now more than ever, even; What we are called to carry matters.

We believe we are called.

We’ve been sent.

We will go.

So, Focus was set, shoulders were squared, calls were made, friends from nearby cities sent vehicles to carry us, and off we went to the next city, trusting God to make a Way…..

(Shoutout here to our dear friends in New Castle, PA, who sent vehicles to fetch us, who gathered gear to facilitate the community event there… and then even loaned some of it to us for the rest of the tour (!).... Who encouraged us with their deep love and support as we picked up the pieces and carried on…)

Like we have learned it often does, it helped, in the midst of the difficult moments, to focus on serving others, to give ourselves to the Divine Calling God has placed on our lives. This was so much better than a melancholy gaze fixed on a crisis that could seem to be swallowing us.

And while we were serving, God was, unsurprisingly, moving.

It started with the most unlikely of phone calls on Sunday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the theft.

An anonymous tip had been submitted from some unknown “source on the street”…... ….Friends of a friend had explored the authenticity of the information…. They claimed that our trailer had been FOUND!!!

And to top it off, they suspected that stuff might STILL BE IN IT !!!

It seemed unlikely. Too good to be true, even. When the van is torched and the trailer has vanished, it is usually permanent, we’d been advised. But by the time news trickled back to us, we were told the trailer was definitely secured, and maybe even in transit.

Piece by piece, we received this information until…... sure enough….. the trailer was pulled, by a hastily assembled small crew of various friends, into the venue of the event in the next city, where we were!!! It was a miraculous moment, for sure! We finished wrapping up the event and then set about methodically examining the trailer and the contents.

Yes, there were definitely still missing items of real significance. There were still real losses, beyond just the major loss of the van. (We can talk about those in a minute.) But, piece by piece, victory by victory, we were finding precious, even critical pieces of the tools and equipment we use for the Mission we’re on!

All the staging…. RECOVERED!

All the sound equipment we use….. RECOVERED!

All the lighting….. RECOVERED!

All the trussing….. RECOVERED!

All the “In Ear” Monitor Equipment…… RECOVERED!

All the banners and signage….. RECOVERED!

All the percussion instruments…… RECOVERED!

An artist’s cherished, irreplaceable “First Guitar”....RECOVERED!

Other guitars, including a rare and extremely valuable collectible guitar…. RECOVERED!

The BRAND NEW Generator that HAD JUST BEEN DONATED the city before….. RECOVERED!

The BRAND NEW trailer ITSELF…… (Say it with me) RECOVERED!

I know, I know… So much capitalization.

Think I’m getting carried away?

No. Definitely not.

We knew the initial losses were, for us, staggering. The truth is, we even understated the losses when sharing them online as we knew much of what was lost was beyond what could be replaced and would likely have to be “written off”. We limited our recovery goal to just the essentials that were necessary to continue.

Some of the production equipment, for example, are professional pieces of equipment that had been donated and could not typically be found in the limited quantities we carry. Normally, they had to be purchased as part of “packages” much larger than we could ever afford. We imagined that the great improvements that had been made to our presentation over the past few years were likely gone for good.

What an incredible blessing to have that equipment restored!

God is so good!

And He deserves the Glory and Honor for all He has done!

So, we are committed to give Him praise, to declare the good report, Restoration by Restoration,

#VictoryByVictory!

Many of you have been following the journey of this collaborative effort even before this theft occurred. You have tracked the East and West Coast teams as they have traveled to the 58 cities they have visited so far this year. You have seen the pictures, and read the stories, of the thousands of people impacted by this effort to carry God’s Love and bring people together. We hope you have celebrated with us, Victory by Victory, all that God has been doing.

Perhaps some reading this have just recently begun watching what was happening, engaged by the startling incidents over this past weekend. If that’s you, hopefully you now, too, are celebrating with us, all the Victories that are unfolding, even in the midst of what started as incredibly disheartening hardship.

Carried away? No. Not to us. Not at all.

Celebrating Victory.

Lifting up Praise!

Convinced: He’s worthy.

This is the response we have decided to choose, to what seemed like one of the most devastating material losses in Extreme Tour history.

Rather than focusing on the property that was destroyed or remains unrecovered at this moment, we’re skipping ahead to the celebration of all God has done IN THE MIDST of this trial. (Example: The miraculous recovery of the trailer with so much of the contents still inside it!)

We’re focused on giving Him Praise for all He is STILL DOING even now, as the recovery continues to unfold. (Example: another artist’s cherished $ 4,000.00 guitar still missing even after the trailer was inventoried….. REPLACED BY A DONOR!)

And, we’re determined to continue to celebrate all that God IS GOING TO DO as we continue on with the schedule of cities that remain.

The communities that will still be impacted despite the enemy’s plans to have stopped this,

The people we will still get to carry Love to with artists that DIDN'T GIVE UP and with so much equipment that WAS RESTORED!

And especially with recovery and restoration we can see just on the horizon! (Example: The impending replacement of the tour van, because of the generosity of so many of you who have contributed, likely just a small number of donations away! Maybe even closer if we can find a deal.)

These are all victories to us.

And we want to #MakeVictoryViral!

This seems a much better thing to focus on with these posts and updates, right ? We’ve all seen enough depressing news lately, yeah ?

So what if we decided to all do this together ?

You AND us ?

What if, in the days and weeks to follow, we use this space to publicly tell the story of the great things God is doing as we go from city to city ? What if you join us by replying back with the stories of all God is doing as you go about the life and Calling God has given you ?

What if we celebrated all these things

TOGETHER ?

#VictoryByVictory !

Here’s our commitment to you, and a friendly challenge as well:

Let’s #MakeVictoryViral !

Let’s go back and forth here, telling the stories, carrying the good report of all God is doing in and around us.

Let’s share the good things and carry the #GoodNews here online, where people can #SeeAndCelebrate with us!

Let’s practice, in the hard times, serving others and watching for what God will do, and what Victory He might bring!

Let’s start now.

REMAINING CHALLENGES:

Like I reported earlier, there are still some significant items of valuable property missing. These are not small losses, and, as a collaborative effort of a diverse group of volunteers, the damage has been done to multiple parties, not just to the organization.

Several have asked about the possibility that insurance will cover the losses. While some items *might* be covered by existing insurance according to the conversations and research done so far by the parties affected, coverage may be problematic as the items are all owned by different parties and are not covered by one policy since they are, in many cases, personal property not owned by one party.

Where coverage does exist, deductibles are a potential issue as well as valuation of items insurance companies may not honor the true value of, such as the rare guitars that were stolen. It is our hope to see each damaged party made whole. Where insurance is an option, it is certainly being pursued.

However, there are some items that will likely not be covered. For example: The van, which does represent the greatest loss remaining, was insured for the travel, but was not covered for this kind of loss, in this kind of way. It will not be covered by insurance. There is also an artist, who sustained a loss of musical equipment, that did not have insurance that would cover their loss. There are also some having trouble as they explore the coverages they did think they had. Filing claims, we are learning, can be tricky.

Thank you for your prayers, for favor with the agents, for those able to file a claim. And thank you for your prayers, for recovery, for those who have suffered losses that do not have coverage for those losses.

We do believe God knows our needs, and hears our prayers. We trust Him to continue to take care of each of us, for sure.

And, as He moves and provides, we will continue to celebrate what He’s done right here, with all of you. We will continue to work to #MakeVictoryViral!

WANT TO HELP?

So many of you have been so kind to submit a donation to help with the effort to recover and become fully functional again. We thank you all so much for your Love, Support, and Encouragement. It means more than you know. You are truly, to us, being the Hands and Feet of God to help meet these needs.

Should anyone want to help us reach the goal we have set in order to fully recover, donations can continue to be submitted, over the next couple weeks, through the fundraiser that has been set up on Facebook, or through the support page, at the link located on the top bar of our website: www.theExtremeTour.Com/Support .

Our plan is to use the funds that are donated to recover the needs in three phases, prioritized by what is necessary to become fully functional, in the work we are doing, as quickly as possible.

PHASE ONE:

Purchase of a van so the team can get from city to city. (Approx. $15,000.00)

PHASE TWO:

Recovery of the stolen tablets necessary to run the systems. (Approx. $ 750.00)

Recovery of bass guitar for use by artists at events. (Approx. $700.00 to $800.00 due to endorsement discount)

PHASE THREE:

Recovery of remaining stolen personal property, prioritized by those with no alternate insurance or recovery option, followed by assistance with insurance deductibles for those who can file successful claims.

(For complete list, see below)

For those that are interested in helping with a particular need; Below, please find a list of the specific items or equipment that remains unrecovered after the destruction of the van and the inventory of what was left in the trailer after it was recovered.

⁃ Line6 James Tyler Variax Guitar ($1200)

⁃ Line 6 Pod Go ($500)

⁃ Artist Pedal Board ($1400)

⁃ Line 6 Firehawk ($400)

⁃ American Fender J Bass ($1200)

⁃ Les Paul Guitar ($1600)

⁃ Ipad ($450)

⁃ Android Tablet ($300)

⁃ (2) Athlete Pro Scooters ($650)

⁃ Athlete Skateboard/Helmet ($100.00)

⁃ Artist Equipment Case ($150.00)

⁃ Production Tool boxes ($300)

⁃ Various Production Materials ($100)

⁃ Event Tents and Tarps ($420)

Thank you for taking the time to read through this comprehensive and detailed update. God bless you all.

Watch this space and #JoinUs as we #ComeTogether to #MakeVictoryViral !

[blackaquokat]

Proposals Part 2

So there will be a third part, because this one got a little long. I JUST CAN’T WRITE SHORT STUFF, OKAY? Warning: I may have butchered how the draft worked back during WWII, it may change when I go back through and do edits in a more polished version because I’m a perfectionist. Also: my first attempt at a nonbinary character, please let me know if I did something problematic and I will fix it.

oo000oo

You meet Damien at his dorm room, at his request, in order to solidify the plan. Since you see a long night ahead of you, you bring dinner…well, you bring canned vegetables and biscuits. College life during wartimes at its finest. 

Luckily his roommate is out with friends, leaving the room for your full use without judgment. As a result, you’re sitting next to Damien on his bunk without a care in the world.

“So, how far are we going to go with this?” you ask him as you take a bite out of a carrot.

“I say we don’t admit the truth until the ‘I do’s,” Damien laughs as he takes a bite out of a biscuit. “We may as well see this through to the end.”

“So we’ll need to have some people in on it.” You tap your chin. “I’m sure my mom will get a kick out of it. I’ll write to her.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s overseas,” you explain. “But that’s not important right now. Do you know anyone who can officiate a wedding?”

“Um…I think one of my professors mentioned he was ordained.” At your confused stare, he continues, “Apparently it’s how he met his wife, he told us about it the first day.”

“Oh! Well perfect, in that case!”

Damien chortles at your enthusiasm. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

You lift your eyebrow at his observation. “And you’re not?”

“Fair enough.” He chews on a piece of broccoli before asking, “How many people should we invite to the ceremony?”

“We’ll play it by ear. When should the big day be?”

Damien hums in thought. “We should begin ‘sharing’ surnames in two days, I think.”

“I can hardly wait, Sugar!”

oo000oo

Between the two of you (mostly Damien, since he apparently has this mystical quality which compels others to adore him on sight and hang onto every word he says as opposed to your prickly antisocial tendencies), you manage to garner about fifty guests by the next day: students, mainly, with a few professors who are in on the joke.

It’s almost too easy, how smoothly it all comes together at first. You and Damien consider renting the gym for the event until Professor Lee, the one who will be “marrying” the two of you, suggests the lovely gazebo on the campus.

You’re both there now, resting against the columns and clutching clipboards with the other minutiae of the plan. The setting sun leaves a stunning pinkish-orange glow over the campus, and it warms your back (you hate when the sun is in your eyes, so it’s well acquainted with your back).

“So, how likely is it that your parents will actually attend the wedding?” you inquire, tapping your pen to your lips.

“I honestly do not know,” Damien answers. His pen is tucked behind his ear. “On the one hand, they wouldn’t come in order to express the full extent of their disapproval. On the other hand, I am the only child they have left now, would they really want to miss out on such an important event in my life?”

“Guess we won’t know until the day of,” you muse aloud. “Have you seen them since we broke the news?”

“No, but they keep calling to try to talk me out of it.” Damien jots a note down on the clipboard. “I think my roommate hates me, he finally unplugged the phone this morning when it rung off the hook.”

You smother a laugh behind your hand, before returning to your clipboard. “Okay, so do I want to wear a suit or a dress for my first fake wedding…”

When you catch a glimpse at Damien out of the corner of your eye, you realize you said that out loud. The blood rushes to your face and you need to remind yourself that breathing keeps you alive while you wait for his reaction.

(In hindsight, you probably could have played it off as a joke, or even spun it as a quirky fashion choice to make his parents irate, with a wink and quirks of your lips, but given the words to blow off your slip-up are already strangled in your throat, all hope of acting like you did not just expose your secret is for naught.)

Damien blinks at you curiously, and if the seriousness of his gaze is any indication, he is fully aware of your mistake and its implications. He shrugs the next moment. “I say whatever you feel like. My parents are going to snap their caps no matter what you wear, so I say go with whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“You…um…” you clear the hesitation out of your throat. “You don’t mind…?”

“Why would I mind?”

Bitterness crawls under your lips and you bite it back, but it still leaks through, “Some people do…”

(Some people you thought you could trust only for them to just leave and never speak to you again, some people who think you need to have your “proper identity” beaten into you when you don’t dress or behave as they believe you should, some people sling words that cut like knives or bullets that rip through the flesh of your lungs, but you don’t talk about that, none of that, you just go on with your life; dig the bullets out, stitch up the cuts with reality and stoicism, and give the world the façade they want, at least you can be who you want at home, the most important people in your life have accepted you sans one, and he’s abandoned you now so what does it matter?)

“Well, I don’t,” Damien dismisses. “It’s like I always say: life is ours to choose.”

But other people (just two, no just one because the other is underground, remember, dead from the fight for his country as if that helps when the grief suffocates you in the middle of the night) offer balms with kindness and acceptance about your refusal to subject to binaries, and it makes the wounds easier to bear (maybe two again, maybe, maybe).

A handkerchief appears next to your clipboard. Damien’s. You look up and see nothing but compassion lined in his face.

You hadn’t even noticed the tears welling in your eyes.

oo000oo

The morning before the “big day,” Damien comes to you with unexpected news.

“They want to have dinner with us tonight?”

The two of you are studying in the library together. Not the school library, but the local one, since your shift will be starting in the next ten minutes and your boss likes you to at least arrive early. You are collecting your scattered notes from the table for your mandatory college math course (a subject you could have gone your entire life never touching again), but you’re a little more preoccupied with the idea of speaking with Damien’s parents again.

Damien nods and crosses his legs at the ankles. His socks are stripes of blue and pink (why do you notice that?). “I was surprised too. Maybe they think they can still talk us out of it.”

The amusement in his voice is adorable.

“In that case,” you begin, “We should probably establish our boundaries, huh?”

“What?”

“We have to act like we’re a couple, don’t we?” you point out.

Damien’s mouth gapes for several heartbeats before he stutters, “I…I didn’t even think of that.”

You chuckle at the blood rushing to his face. “Clearly.”

“Well-I mean…erm…” Damien clears his throat. “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable—”

“Ultimately, we’re doing this for you, Damien,” you interrupt. “So we can act as intimate as you would like and I’ll go along with it.”

“I suppose…”

“I guess what you need to ask yourself is how uncomfortable you would like them to be.” You collect the last of the papers and shove them into your backpack. “Since that is the primary goal here.”

You’re not foolish, and you’re not a lovesick child who can’t discern reality from acting (not to mention you have a love for the performing arts; you took part in several school plays during high school), so this will be a piece of cake.

“Uh…” Damien shakes his head with a nervous laugh. “I have no idea what I’d like to do, to be perfectly candid…I’ve never been in a fake relationship before.”

“Neither have I. You’re my first.” You wink at him and what the hell, since when do you flirt, shit, he’s going to think you’re an idiot—

Damien stares at you with wide dark brown eyes, mouth agape (you are regretting every decision you’ve ever made, why are you like this?) before he laughs again, a little more genuinely. “That…I wasn’t expecting that from you.”

That makes two of us.

You clear your throat and stand up. “Well, anyway, you better make up your mind before tonight, because,” you check the watch on your right hand, “my shift starts in two minutes, so I need to go. Where are we having dinner, how dressed up do I need to be, and where do you want to meet?”

oo000oo

“So…what are you attending University for?”

The question wouldn’t be such a bothersome one if it weren’t for his mother’s passive-aggressive I’m-sure-you’re-not-good-enough-for-my-boy tone.

The restaurant is one of the more higher-end ones—the like you and your family would never afford even if all four of you worked half-a-year—called Charlotte’s, and thus far, the wait for food has been the most awkward fifteen minutes of your life.

You take a sip of your water, a pocket of saved time to think up a response, and collect your nerves. “Criminal justice. I want to be a lawyer.”

Damien’s parents (Walter and Lois, you finally learned upon the official introductions) exchange glances at this. “Is that so?” Walter presses.

You nod.

Lois taps her blood red nails against the white-tablecloth. “Even after your marriage?”

Your brow furrows and you meet Damien’s gaze. He’s a little stiff in the shoulders, but that’s the only tell for how nervous he is about this whole situation. The suit he’s wearing looks more like a costume than a symbol of high class, then again that might just be because you witnessed him do cartwheels in similar attire the night before this whole fiasco began (the night that caused the whole fiasco, you should say).

You look back at Lois. “My parents believe it’s important that I have a way to support myself, and I’m inclined to agree, so yes. Even after I marry Damien.”

Walter addresses his son. “And you approve of this decision?”

Damien surprises you when he places his hand over yours atop the table. “Absolutely. I respect my fiancé ambitions, and,” he turns to you with a smile more natural than anything else he’s attempted over the course of the night, “you respect mine, don’t you, love?”

You smile right back, and his silent support helps you muster your courage to initiate the more fun portion of the charade before this gets anymore awkward.

Namely: speaking more of the very not-at-all-high-class wedding you two are planning.

“Now,” you begin, “there are only a few things left for us to take care of before tomorrow. Since my parents are overseas,” it astonishes you, how easily the lie falls from your lips (they don’t need to know about your father, after all, it’s none of their business, future fake-parents or not), “We have the flowers we need, I have my outfit put together, and we even found someone to officiate us.” You pretend not to notice his mother flinch at the last one. “The main problem is that I will need someone to walk me down the aisle.”

The blood leaves his parent’s faces, and you bite back the laughter bubbling in your throat.

“I was going to ask one of my Professors—McGowan, she teaches Women’s Studies at the university—but if either of you are willing to walk with me, that would make me so happy!”

Once again, the powdery sugar sound of your voice is just nauseating, but also, once again, it makes the act totally worth it to see Walter’s face redden to the shade of a pomegranate.

“I…” Walter’s mouth opens and closes like a trout. “See here—”

“Were you speaking to me, too?” Lois squeaks. She looks like she wants to vomit.

“Of course!” You smile at her as innocently as possible. “Since my mom would have been the one walking me down the aisle if she were here, I would want to offer you the same opportunity!”

The color leaves Lois’s face, but she manages to keep from doing anything drastic. “I…I am not so sure that will be a good idea, my dear—”

“Well, if neither of you are interested,” Damien interjects as though his parents are not about to have individual coronaries, staring at you with such over enthused joy (you hope that means he’s having fun with this too), “I will walk down the aisle with you, my dear.”

To your surprise, he presses a swift kiss to your cheek. Aside from a slight widening of your eyes (he even seems a little shocked at this move), you think you hold onto your composure fairly well.

“Oh, thank you so much sweetie,” you gush. You turn to his parents again. “You have the most amazing son, I don’t know what I would do without him…especially with both of my parents—” you pretend to get choked up and fan your face a hint, “both my parents away, fighting for our country and the world…”

As Damien faux-coaxes you out of your act with his typical gentleness (hands patting your own and pulling you in for a small hug while muttering comforting words), you catch his parents alternating between expressions of what might be guilt and horror (whether it’s horror about your “situation” or the way you and Damien are playing up the couple act, you aren’t sure).

Dinner finally arrives and his parents take the opportunity to stuff their mouths with food as quickly as possible, probably to avoid further conversation for as long as possible.

oo000oo

As you and Damien leave the restaurant and bid his parents farewell, it takes every ounce of strength the two of you have to wait until his parents are out of sight before bursting into fits of laughter.

“You are a fantastic performer, my friend!” Damien commends through his sniggering (a deep, rumbling sound in his chest). “You really frightened them with your act!”

“Frightened? I guess that’s one word for it!” you chuckle, hands on your knees. “You were fantastic too! Offering to walk me down the aisle? That was perfect.”

“Well, what’s a future husband for if not to make his fiancé happy?” he jokes with a wink. You shove him playfully and the two of you crack all over again.

You both walk to your car as you talk, gushing over each other’s acts and having a good laugh at the expense of his parents. This cheerful atmosphere lasts the two of you until the first traffic light.

“Back there, you mentioned your parents again,” Damien begins.

You roll your eyes. “If this is about not mentioning my dad, there is no room in this whole shindig to bring that up with them—”

“No, I was going to ask about your mother.”

“…oh…”

“It’s just…obviously, she wasn’t drafted,” Damien begins, hesitation slowing his words, “and I just…I wondered why, with your father gone, she hasn’t returned to you.”

Your hands grip the steering wheel so tight you feel tendons pop.

“I’m not trying to judge her,” he hurries to add. “Obviously whatever she’s doing in the army is important, anything to stop the Nazis, I just wanted to ask—”

“She did it for my brother.”

Damien’s head jerks to you, but you focus your eyes on the road, blinking away thoughts of the last time you saw James. The traffic light changes and the scenery outside moves once more.

“I didn’t…I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“He left some time ago,” you explain briefly. “For…reasons”

Because he doesn’t approve of me, doesn’t approve of my choices, and hates that our parents do.

“But before he took off,” you continue, choking down the pain like bile, “Mom and Dad were worried about the draft. They didn’t want him to be enlisted, because…well, I think that would be obvious. But they weren’t happy with just my dad enlisting when we have an able-bodied young man, so my mom offered to go instead, and James promised to look out for me while they were gone.”

Damien doesn’t say anything for a long time. He doesn’t need to. The fact that you’re alone in your house says enough.

“He pays the rent every month,” you add. “Among other bills, and he sends me money in case I don’t make enough to eat, but that’s it. I’m getting through this first semester on scholarship money and what I have saved up from working at the library.” You shrug. “It’s fine.”

And it is, you tell yourself. Solitude doesn’t bother you. The quiet in your house doesn’t reach into your head and suffocate your thoughts (not all the time anyway). You can cook your own meals when you have the rations you need, and the radio offers pleasant background noise and war propaganda to listen to (though you were tempted to chuck it out the window when it mentioned the battle your father died in as a successful operation).

When Damien’s hand rests on your shoulder, you take in a deep breath and let it out as you pull into the entrance to his dorm.

You clear your throat and glance at him with a smile. “Guess I’ll see you at ten o’clock sharp then, darlin’?”

Damien returns your smile. “Of course!” But partway out of the car, he stops. A moment later, he looks back at you.

“What is it?”

He chews on his bottom lip and says, “Actually…can I spend the night at your place?” He must sense the irritation stirring in your skin and adds, “This isn’t pity, I left my suit at your house last time I was there and it will be more convenient for us to get ready and drive here together, since I’m walking you down the aisle anyway.”

But by the quirk of his lips, he knows you see right through that, and also knows you can’t exactly argue with the logic.

Not that you really want to argue, but he doesn’t need to know that. Nor does he need to know how much you’ve enjoyed his company and time these past few days, a welcome reprieve from the crushing quiet.

“Sure, but I’ll be taking the couch,” you assert.

“What, no!” he argues as he shuts the door on the car. “I’m the guest, I’ll take the couch!”

“I’m the host, it’s only fair—” you cut off and drop your head back against your seat. “There’s more than one bed in the house,” you recall with a sigh.

Damien bursts into such loud, bellowing laughter and it warms you up from the inside like a warm cup of coffee, so you can’t really regret your embarrassing mishap.

As you watch the streetlights flicker against Damien’s laughing face out of the corner of your eye, you’re reminded of the moon.

You’ve heard your fellow students, men and women both, describe him like a sun, and personally, the comparison doesn’t feel accurate. The sun is too bright, too harsh, and it’s there whether you want it or not, a constant irritating if necessary part of life.

Moonlight, on the other hand, is a subtle sort of loveliness that illuminates dark places and leaves you breathless. His smile is like that, a subtle but illuminating show of teeth. It draws everyone around him in like the tide, and even if they could, people never seem to look away from him.

And...and...

It’s just really not fair.

oo000oo

@damiendeservedbetter , @sweetestlittledarling , @silver-owl413 , and if anyone else wants to be tagged for Part 3 (where we FINALLY get to the wedding and aftermath), let me know!

[aion-rsa]

Lovecraft Country Episode 4 Review: A History of Violence

https://ift.tt/3baPa4w

This Lovecraft Country review contains spoilers. The episode is available to stream now on all HBO platforms.

Lovecraft Country Episode 4

Christina pulls into the Northside in her silver Bentley, unscathed, backdropped by Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money”, perfectly capturing her vibe of wealth and privilege and lack of fucks to give. A mood. Neither the destruction of Ardham Lodge or Tic’s ill-advised murder attempt have slowed her down, and she’s up to her usual cryptic nonsense. She’s looking for Hiram’s orrery, apparently the key to his time machine—because why not?— and has upset the local wizard wannabe, Captain Lancaster. Now, she has to contend with Winthrop’s branch of magical miscreants on top of playing whatever game she’s playing with Tic.

In “Whitey’s On The Moon” Christina was very delicately manipulating her father and Tic for her own agenda, under the guise of helping the Sons of Adam reach their goals. With Samuel apparently out of the way, she is now openly engaging in a power play, which is fun to watch even if I do hope the primary focus remains on the Black characters.

Christina’s arrival on Leti’s doorstep kicks off a National Treasure-like adventure for Tic n’em to find Titus Braithwhite’s hidden pages from the Book of Adam before Christina, or any of the 34 remaining lodges do. After some resistance, Montrose agrees to help Tic and Leti on their quest, given his research into Dora’s history, and into the Order of Ancient Dawn. The dynamic between Tic and Montrose, and the undercurrent of violence, makes them fascinating to watch.

Tic, Leti, and Montrose find Titus’ vault entrance in a Boston museum, and follow its north tunnel, across a chasm, past a death trap, beyond a puzzle door, and through miles of increasingly flooded passageways to Leti’s elevator— in the northside of Chicago. Magic, amirite? Some viewers will take issue with how little time is spent on the puzzles and code-breaking, which are the funner aspects of a “treasure hunt.” With Montrose’s knowledge of the bylaws and all their fictional references, they breeze through obstacles like a disappearing plank.

In last week’s episode, Leti’s elevator descends beyond the basement into a tunnel of death, and now we know where the tunnel goes. If there was a question of whether Leti was aware of her white neighbors’ bodies, her reaction seeing one float by should assuage any lingering concern that she knew—but her casual acceptance that they’re back in Chicago could be seen as too convenient. It’s reasonable to assume the other tunnels they didn’t take have equally puzzling endpoints, and the possibilities of what those hold are chilling and exciting.

Tic, Leti, and Montrose find Titus’ vault, and Tic unlocks it, revealing a chamber full of the remains of Indigenous people. When they attempt to remove the Titus’ pages from the hands of a corpse, Yahima (Monique Candelaria), is reanimated. Yahima tells tale of translating for Titus before refusing to continue. We know all too well that “exploration” often means exploitation, and it comes as no surprise that Titus murdered their entire family to coerce Yahima to translate his scroll. It’s even less surprising that he would imprison them, in life and in death. Lovecraft Country is awash in unsubtle homages to colonialist and racist harm.

Back in the relative safety of Leti’s home, Montrose slits Yahima’s throat. Montrose is a tortured man, and is made more so by the weight of the knowledge he’s learned about the Order of Ancient Dawn. As a Black, queer, man, he is already up against hate from racists and homophobes. And now he knows that an already unfair world is even more unfair, that magic gives advantage to those who would seek to harm his own, even without the additional power magic affords them. His son, forever entwined with magic and the legacy of the Sons of Adam, is always in danger because of his forebears. Montrose is heavy with fear, and Michael K. Williams embodies this with a superb performance. Fear drives him to destroy the bylaws and the only person alive capable of reading pages from the Book of Adam.

Read more

TV

How Lovecraft Country Uses Horror to Tell Black Stories

By Nicole Hill

Culture

Link Tank: How the Horrors in Lovecraft Country Are Bigger Than the Supernatural

By Den of Geek Staff

This episode expands the world of Lovecraft Country and gives us a sense of how vast the narrative is. As Leti tells Tic when he insists she and Montrose take the elevator to safety, “it’s not only just getting dangerous, he got kidnapped, I died, can you stop acting like this is only happening to you!” Tic has been seeing himself as the lone protagonist, the singular hero, but he has never been facing this alone, nor is he the only one who has been affected.

Ruby, for instance, is estranged from Leti. And outside of their brief attempt at sisterly bonding and cohabitation, Ruby is completely removed from Ardham and the Sons of Adam. Yet, even Ruby’s limited proximity to Leti makes her of interest to Christina and William. When she goes to apply at a department store for the upteenth time, she finds another Black woman —who applied “on a whim”— has been hired instead. She drowns her sorrows in booze and blues, at Williams’ invitation, and laments her circumstances. When she has sex with William —questionably ignoring his satanic-looking body art/modification— we know that there’s an ulterior motive, but Ruby doesn’t know magic exists, or that there’s reason for her to be pawn.

Tic behaves as though he’s the center of this universe, but we see magic touch everyone. Take Hippolyta. She has never trusted the story she was told about George’s death, and has sensed a wrongness about it. At Leti’s housewarming party, she is drawn to the orrery, which she takes; the very same magical orrery Christina and Lancaster are looking for. When she and Diana are driving home from Boston —without Tic n’em who took the magic tunnel route— she’s drawn to Ardham, and changes course, straight into the shoggoth’s den. We can call it instinct, but Hippolyta seems attuned to magic. Tic may not be the only person with an intrinsic magical connection.

It would be easy for Lovecraft Country to rest on a Chosen One and leave all of the heavy lifting to its male lead, but it’s clear Misha Green has a bigger vision for the show, and seems eager to give each character an opportunity for heroism. 

What makes this episode so compelling is how it introduces magic to the characters who have so far been on the periphery. Ruby and Hippolyta are both beginning to glimpse the real world, the magical world, and the story can only be elevated by their full immersement into magic and the complex structures of powers that surround it. Lovecraft Country continues to broaden its scope, while maintaining its sense of intimacy. The satisfying way it marries character-driven drama and sci-fi spectacle continues to enthrall.

Additional thoughts:

On Montrose: As of this episode, Montrose is queer-coded but not explicitly queer. In episode one, George tells Tic that Montrose got the worst of their fathers beatings. In episode two, George remembers Montrose greeting the league baseball players when they’d leave for the season, and Montrose recounts the beatings he got for that. Both implying that part of the abuse was their father’s response to Montrose’s perceived softness. In this episode, Tree suggests to Tic that Montrose is “getting close” with Sammy, who we met in episode one being intimate with another man.

Tree should be fought upon for being messy, in regards to both Montrose and Leti.

On Yahima: Yahima is Two-Spirit, which is an Indegenous-American umbrella term for a unique gender identity that can encompass intersex and transgender identities, but doesn’t always. Visually, Yahima reads as a trans or gender non-conforming person, and as such, the camera’s gaze repeats familiar, harmful patterns in media that sensationalize and otherize trans/intersex bodies. Yahima is also violently killed, which is another, unfortunately common trope.

There is something to be said about normalizing non-standard expressions of gender, and including characters who just happen to be intersex could be powerful. But that inclusion cannot come at the expense of those being reflected. Lovecraft Country makes a point of naming injustices, but the storytelling in this episode doesn’t justify Yahima’s inclusion, and the potential harm to trans/intersex viewers may be an injustice in itself. As always, intent < impact.

On Tic & Leti: I both like the idea of their relationship and am exhausted by it. It’s hard to determine whether they are bonded by shared attraction or shared trauma, and even if it’s both, it feels a lot more of the latter. Keeping them platonic feels like the more subversive choice but there is power in opening yourself to another person.

Ruby, girl, I get the appeal, but what is you doing? 

Hippolyta. Sis. Please.

The post Lovecraft Country Episode 4 Review: A History of Violence appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3bz7hBk

[crookedlyfadingcreator-blog]

clash of clans hack app

With the beginning of our "Best" Lists Campaign, we convey to you the Top Scary Games Of All Time..

For some of you, at one point in your life, subsequent to playing various amusements, from Halo 4 to FIFA 14,  Clash Of Clans Hack  there comes a diversion that drags you out so much that you're simply  not ready to complete it, and you say 'Screw it' and backpedal to a classification you're alright with. Or on the other hand you by one means or another drive forward and do complete it, and afterward do your best to not consider it until the end of time. I'm one of the general population who, if conceivable, take an accomplice along for each mission/journey. A canine is stunningly better, as in Fable 2 (the diversion wasn't that terrifying, I simply don't care for being distant from everyone else in dull and detached territories). Here's a rundown of the best terrifying amusements (as I would like to think, since I haven't played each frightening diversion at any point made):

1. Amnesia: The Dark Descsent (PC)

Developer(s): Frictional Games

Publisher(s): Frictional Games

Stages: Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux

The amusement is situated in London, in the year 1839. You play as Daniel, and when the diversion begins the player awakens in the Brennenburg Castle, with positively no memory of how he arrived,  clash of clans hack app  and doesn't recall that anything besides his name and where he lives, and the  way that something hazardous is after him. To achieve your objective, you need to investigate the manor with only a lamp. No weapons, no forces. No real way to safeguard yourself from the revulsions that torment the manor, everything you can do is run, as quick and as innovatively as possible. You'll need to settle things so you can utilize them, and unravel a few riddles as well.

There's a wellbeing meter, and alongside that there's additionally a rational soundness meter, and you should watch  clash of clans hack app  out for both. The rational soundness meter is influenced when you're in the murkiness for a really long time, or see something ridiculously distubing or gaze at a portion of the 'detestations' specified above for a really long time. As the rational soundness meter decays, the mental trips begin, which lead the beasts ideal to you. Having some type of light with or around you will help keep up the rational soundness meter, yet just in the event that you don't approach any, utilization the tinderboxes to light any flame you see. On the off chance that you see a terrible, distorted and unearthy being-keep running as quick as possible, since it will pursue you until the point when you're beyond anyone's ability to see. Try not to try and endeavor to battle it since this isn't Skyrim. Or then again Supernatural. Along these lines, run and stow away and don't remain behind entryways on the grounds that they can dispose of entryways effectively.

2. Alan Wake

Developer(s): Remedy Entertainment

Publisher(s): Microsoft Game Studios

Stages: Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

The hero of the amusement is Alan Wake (top of the line spine chiller writer), who is experiencing a mental obstacle which went poorly for some time. Alice, his life partner, and his specialist Barry  clash of clans hack app   propose a get-away, thus Alan and Alice go to Bright Falls, however they had no clue what was sitting tight for them. Alice is seized by an obscure power, and the player must beat different obstructions to recover her. Along these lines, you plunge into the heavenly world where fiction springs up, and it's not (more often than not) to support you. A world where a specific murkiness is gradually assuming control over those around Alan, and that incorporates people, creatures and even non-living things. You need to crush them with the consolidated utilization of light and guns.

You adversaries will have weapons of their own, and they'll come in various sizes and with various levels of quality and speed. They are secured by a layer of murkiness that encompasses them, and keeping in mind that it's there guns will have no impact on them. You need  clash of clans hack app  to dispose of the obscurity by utilizing the electric lamp or some other wellspring of light, and afterward utilize your trusty weapons to kick their rear ends. Ammo and batteries will be constrained, so make a point to gather them while you investigate the town. Greater wellsprings of light will wreck more rivals, and streetlights will produce your wellbeing speedier. There's additionally a discretionary goal, and it's entirely valuable: gather the scattered pages of Alan's most recent novel, Departure, and it'll contain data on occasions that presently can't seem to happen, and tips that'll enable you to advance.

3. F.E.A.R.

Developer(s): Monolith Studios, Day 1 Studios

Publisher(s): Vivendi Universal

Stages: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows

In this amusement, you're the Point Man-an individual from F.E.A.R., which is a restrictive special forces bunch that arrangements with extraordinary powers. The player is in this gathering fundamentally for his particular responsive reflexes. It's a first-individual shooter diversion, impacted extraordinarily by japanese loathsomeness. The general climate of the diversion is one of the fundamental reasons why it's among the best startling recreations. One of the interesting highlights of the diversion is reflex time-this backs off everything around (you move regularly) and enables the player to point and shoot easily. With respect to the weapons, you have your typical guns: rifles, guns, and so forth. The one thing that will likely crawl you out the most is Alma-the alarming young lady dressed in red. Be that as it may, at any rate your rivals are human, though clairvoyantly controlled ones with unprecedented capacities.

The mind flights are additionally something the player is subjected to more than once, infusing you with a solid dosage of dread and alert in the event that you get excessively arrogant on occasion. Parts of the amusement will upset your head a bit, and the sudden appearances will tire you out (rationally) sooner or later, so I'd propose taking short breaks in the middle of, if just to advise yourself that it's not in reality genuine.

4. Quiet Hill: Downpour

Developer(s): Vatra Games

Publisher(s): Konami Digital Entertainment

Stages: Xbox 360, PlayStaion 3

The primary hero of the amusement is Murphy, who's out for exact retribution, with one objective in his psyche: murdering a specific dreadful pedophile. On this way, he commits errors that cause issues down the road for him in the ass later on. The player investigates Silent Hill, experiencing creatures every step of the way. Guns are among the accessible weapons, yet they're horrendously restricted, as is the ammo. Your scuffle weapon ought to dependably be close by, however even that breaks in the long run. As the wellbeing meter decreases, it gets considered the character's appearance. You do get the chance to illuminate in excess of a couple of riddles, and other than that the primary concentration is battle, which will happen all the more every now and again while it's down-pouring on the grounds that beasts seem all the more regularly. Close by the principle mission, there are other minor destinations accessible that are identified with the townsfolk. The diversion's result will rely upon the decisions made by the player all through the amusement.

5. Dead Space

Developer(s): EA Redwood Shores

Publisher(s): Elecronic Arts

Stages: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

Unquestionably one of the best alarming diversions. You play as Isaac Clarke who gets by, alongside two different accomplices, their ship's impact with the dock of the mining starship they were sent to examine. Alongside making certain revelations about the Ishimura(mining starship) and the planet they're on (Aegis VII), they at last acknowledge how much peril they're in, and the battle against the Necromorphs-that are very like zombies, I think. Conduct astute. They're simply restored bodies and a more astute form begins. It's murder or be slaughtered: and they need to execute with a specific end goal to get off the planet.

The menu, wellbeing bar and so forth are seen as holographic projections. in any case, shockingly it doesn't stop the diversion, and you can in any case get hurt while attempting to check how much ammo you have cleared out. Not at all like zombies in any case, Necromorphs are equipped for vital reasoning, and headshots don't do much harm so you need to cut their appendages off on the off chance that you need to stop them. Be that as it may, they have another aptitude: recovery. As in, they can grow new appendages, similar to a specific Namekian everybody cherishes. Going to the weapons, the just a single you'll perceive is the rifle-different weapons incorporate a hydrazine burn, a plasma shaper, a contact bar. As the amusement advances you'll encounter a feeling of vulnerability, treachery, hopelessness, and in the end, a really unforeseen end.

For some of you, at one point in your life, in the wake of playing various diversions, from Halo 4 to FIFA 14, there comes an amusement that wet blankets you out so much that you're simply not ready to complete it, and you say 'Screw it' and backpedal to a type you're alright with. Or then again you by one means or another endure and do complete it, and after that do your best to not consider it until kingdom come. I'm one of the general population who, if conceivable, take an accomplice along for each mission/journey. A pooch is far better, as in Fable 2 (the diversion wasn't that startling, I simply don't care for being separated from everyone else in dull and disengaged regions).

[recentanimenews]

Yoshihiko Umakoshi: My Hero Academia's Veteran Character Designer

A note to those that have been reading my column for a while: I am planning to expand the scope of Creative Spotlights beyond just directors and animators in the near future. Anime productions are a collaborative effort and although taking an auteur approach is preferable for a features article, it doesn’t convey the entire picture of the final product.

  My goal for these articles has always been to highlight exceptional and lesser-known talent in anime, and after nearly a year of writing these pieces I feel I’m comfortable enough to cover other production roles. You can still expect me to cover directors and animators, but I’d also like to look at staff responsible for roles such as character designs, background art, sound direction, and soundtracks.

    Without further ado, the spotlight for this week will be on Yoshihiko Umakoshi, veteran character designer, animation director, and key animator.

  Full production credits: http://ift.tt/1Ih6jsH

  Sakugabooru page: http://ift.tt/2usn8yp

  With the anime adaptation of My Hero Academia surging in popularity, I figured now is as good of a time as any to highlight one of my favorite character designers and animation directors: Yoshihiko Umakoshi. My first exposure to his work was through the magical girl series Heartcatch Precure! where I fell in love with its cartoonish character designs and stylish action sequences. Following that, I checked out Casshern Sins and Ojamajo Doremi and became enamored with how he drew and animated characters. Umakoshi was one of the key figures who sparked my interest in looking at anime from a production standpoint and I want to convey what makes him an incredibly talented artist.

  Umakoshi is a graduate of the Tokyo Animator University who has spent most of his career at Toei Animation and as a freelance key animator. His first major breakthrough was as a character designer for Studio Cockpit’s Grappler Baki OVA, and since then he’s gone on to provide gorgeous key animation for many iconic anime series. Umakoshi’s animation cuts have popped up in a variety of different works, ranging from the hot-blooded Gurren Lagann to the meditative Mushishi. He’s a top-class animator who understands how to integrate dynamic action and cartoony deformations into one cohesive package.

    While he’s worked on countless animation productions throughout his lengthy career, Umakoshi’s most distinctive works were those at Toei Animation. Surrounded by the studio’s golden age talent such as Shigeyasu Yamauchi and Tatsuya Nagamine, he became the heart and soul of many beloved children’s anime. An often-overlooked magical girl classic, Ojamajo Doremi is one of his crowing achievements as both a character designer and chief animation director.

  The core of Umakoshi’s style revolves around having character designs which are fluid and malleable depending on the situation. His characters, while still cute and charming, are not bound by the common conventions of anime. For example, instead of relying exclusively on a chibi or super-deformed style during comedic sketches, he allows characters to break the mold of reality and express themselves in ways that are befitting of a cartoon.

  In Ojamajo Doremi, characters respond to surprise or excitement by having their eyes shrink into tiny white circles while their jaws quite literally drop to the floor. Umakoshi tends to prefer character designs that are slender but comprised of simple shapes (square torsos, circular hands), so that they are not constrained by movement or expression. His caricatures perfectly harmonize when exhibiting a “stretch and squash” motion, in essence carrying an ethos more similar to Western cartooning, as opposed to a distinctly Japanese drawing style.

    Additionally, one of the most charming points of Umakoshi’s style of expression is that it never becomes stagnant. Far too often, we see anime characters that only have a single “reaction face” for a situation – whether it be dumbfounded, surprised, or shocked. In Ojamajo Doremi, it would not be a stretch to say that each of the main heroines have hundreds of unique reactions. Especially for a long-running magical girl anime, Umakoshi’s designs and chief AD (animation director) role were instrumental in preserving the series’ creativity and charm over its four-year run.  

  While Ojamajo Doremi was a more traditional magical girl series where young witch girls helped humans with their everyday problems, its spiritual successor Pretty Cure focused on magical girls battling the forces of evil with martial arts and massive laser beams. Essentially, Pretty Cure was a fusion between Toei’s Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball that is still going strong today as a result of its widespread appeal to multiple demographics.  

  Umakoshi was brought on for Pretty Cure’s seventh installment, Heartcatch Precure!, as its character designer. Backed by his creative talents, he took the Pretty Cure franchise to new heights with his expressive overhaul of its battle heroine designs and creative applications of their superpowers. With the season’s primary motif being flowers, Umakoshi designed the Precure’s costumes to be graceful but to also represent each girl’s individual personality. For example, Cure Moonlight’s dress is longer and more elegant than the other Precures to show that she is older than the other girls while conveying her cool, refined demeanour.

    Most importantly, Umakoshi’s role as a frequent animation director ensured that the season’s fights were well-animated and thoughtfully scripted. Many other Pretty Cure seasons fall into the pitfall of having dull, choppy fights which consist of a few punches and then the finishing move. However, with Heartcatch Precure!, the Precure’s movements are accompanied by glowing streaks of light representing each girl’s color. They also perform flashy signature moves ranging from miniature spirit bombs to diving butt punches. The action is choreographed so tightly that it never feels stale, with each heroine serving a distinct role in battle. The huge range of dynamic poses and body/hair movements that are seen throughout the series helped secure Heartcatch Precure! as many fans’ favorite season. Additionally, Umakoshi was awarded the Character Designer Prize at the 10th Tokyo Anime Awards for his work on Heartcatch Precure!.

  Umakoshi later collaborated with his long-time colleague Shigeyasu Yamauchi on the Tatsunoko-Madhouse series Casshern Sins. Once again lending his talents as a veteran character designer and chief AD, his style of animation flourished under Yamauchi’s bold cinematic direction. Casshern Sins is a bittersweet anime set in a post-apocalyptic world where robots gained sentience and began destroying humanity. Throughout the series, the hero, Casshern, confronts many landscapes rife with death and despair, battling the endless hordes of robots who seek to destroy him. Both the guilt and loneliness that Casshern experiences throughout the series is captured so poignantly by the small nuances in his features and gestures. The way that the character conducts himself, with his forlorn gaze, slouched shoulders, and messy hair says all about his state of being – proof of Umakoshi’s ability to design expressive and sympathetic characters.    

  Just looking at Umakoshi’s career, it’s easy to see why he was the ideal choice to handle the anime adaptation of My Hero Academia’s character designs and animation direction. He’s had a fulfilling career working on superhero anime such as the Pretty Cure franchise and exploring how to put nonconventional character designs into motion. Many cornerstones of Umakoshi’s style such as his thick outlines and heavy shading (most notably with the scenes featuring All Might) have defined the anime adaption of My Hero Academia. Umakoshi is one of the greatest artists and animators currently working in anime, and his work is certain to leave an impression on anyone who is a fan of good animation. 

    Let us know your thoughts about My Hero Academia and Yoshihiko Umakoshi's other anime in the comments below! 

----

Brandon is a Brand Features Writer for Crunchyroll and also writes anime-related editorials on his blog, Moe-Alternative. Hit him up for a chat on his Twitter at @Don_Don_Kun!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com