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krkn-rants · 5 years ago

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Reborn the Stage: vs Varia part 2 F E E L S

Okay, now it’s time to actually burst all my feelings in this post, which was actually the reason I even bothered to create a whole new Tumblr. Well, not about the whole Stage play (guess I’ll leave that for later), but especially about ONE. SPECIFIC. SCENE.

Even though I don’t think I will be giving any BIG spoilers in this post, I am still gonna put the possible spoiler alert (?) here

Here we go:

Okay, so I finally bought and watched the second part of the vs Varia stage play. Just to make it clear to you: Varia arc is my favourite one, the whole Varia is my favourite family - heck, even some of the members are my all-time favourite characters, not just from KHR. Fanarts of Bel are what got me into the anime, he was my “teenage anime crush”, later joined by other characters. I even cosplayed him and Xanxus (alongside with other KHR characters), I am lowkey collecting Varia merch, I own the original character song CD, I bought all the english KHR volumes that are covering the Varia arc and so on.

I JUST LOVE VARIA, OKAY? I am sorry, I will say this a lot in this post, but I am still not sure if you will get how much I mean that. Seriously, they and the whole Katekyo Hitman Reborn has been with me for over than 10 years now, I met so many amazing people, made great friends and memories thanks to this anime. I just’s can say how grateful I am for this anime and manga. And, especially, the Varia.

So of course, I was all hyped about the first part of vs Varia play, and even more hyped about the second part, waiting desperately those few months between these two plays.

And I am telling you, the second part hit me so hard. I cried. I know, I am very sensitive and a crybaby. Of course, it’s great to see another way of interpretation for this arc - I’ve seen this arc for like 10 times (and the last Sky battle even more) and read this part of the manga like another 5 times.

But listen here. You know what was the breaking point for me?

The very last fighting part, almost at the very end. It broke my heart.

Some time ago, I have read this post by autolykos/fiammy, where the first sentence says:

”when hayashida-san said in part 2′s interview that we’ll “understand why varia is together” after watching part 2....”

I didn’t understand what he meant at first. I mean - I get it, I’ve watched and read the manga for so many times and I had some little feels at the end. I know what the Varia is pretty dysfunctional, yet they still manage to keep going, somehow.

But I had a feeling that he was thinking about showing us an.. actual something? When we’ll be like “OH” in some exact one moment and understand immediately, not just after “reading between the lines and making own image about varia”.

After watching the final fighting scene in the stage play, I understood.

They changed that scene a little bit (not that visibly I guess, but I noticed immediately). And then it broke my heart. Seeing Varia, our chaotic squad with even more chaotic horrible relationships, cooperating as one, trying to make sure they protect their boss, bothered about him and caring about him to the very last moment.

A very small detail, short scene, but it made such a big impact on me.

And I thought that I can’t love Varia even more - and then this stage play, especially this scene, proved me wrong.

I just love that the stage play showed us this side of Varia as well, where they act united and can still be taken seriously Because, let’s be honest, 90% of their next appearance and after Varia arc can’t be taken that seriously - which is not bad, I adore this “dorky” side of them. But I think that we also needed something serious, to show their unity and cooperation as a family.

Speaking of “something serious” - I love how Xanxus was portrayed in the stage play. Not gonna lie, I am that person in fandom that likes the “memes” and “jokes” of Xanxus being that grumpy alcoholic boss, just sitting in his chair and not caring about anything at all. But because of all the fun content, I kinda kept forgetting how powerful and fearful he really is. Especially in the stage play, there were moments where I was legit afraid and scared of him. And I think THAT’S the true feeling you should from Xanxus.

I am sorry, English is not my first language and the composition of this post must be very chaotic. But if there was anyone interested and read through it all - THANK YOU, I hope you got what I was trying to say.

#khr #hitman reborn #reborn!#katekyo hitman reborn #xanxus #reborn the stage #varia

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shadowsblades · 5 years ago

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̗̀ world of warcraft player stats ̖́-

A Q&A meme for World of Warcraft players! Fill in your information (or add an N/A if you don’t want to look up the answer!), bold the relevant answers where applicable, and tag your friends! Please copy and paste the meme into a new post.

MAIN

Faction: Horde Race: Blood elf Class: Mage Favoured Specialisation: Frost Primary Professions: Skinning & Tailoring Secondary Professions: Fishing, cooking, archeology, first aid (rip)

ALTS

Number of alts: 4, but I don’t take any of them seriously Race/Spec of alts: Blood elf/Demon Hunter, Nightborne/Hunter, Blood elf/Death Knight, Void elf/Rogue

COLLECTIONS

Number of mounts: 243 Favourite mount: Drake of the East Wind Number of toys: 140 Favourite toy: Anglers Fishing Raft Number of pets: 230 Favourite pet: Li’l Ragnaros named “Lava Daddy”, gifted to me by @lightsblade <3 Favourite title: Starcaller Rarest item: idfk Do you still have an item that is no longer used? (ie. sigils, spellstones, etc.): probably not Mount/toy/pet you are trying to get: Pureheart Courser

ACHIEVEMENTS

Achievement points: 16,510 Achievement you are most proud of: Loremaster Achievement you have that can’t be acquired anymore: A bunch Achievement/s you are currently working on: 100 Exalted Reputations, Glory of the Legion Hero, Glory of the Legion Raider, Glory of the Pandaria Raider Number of exalted reputations: 90

PVP & PVE

Favourite battleground: Ashran Least favourite battleground: Isle of Conquest Favourite brawl: Cooking Impossible Least favourite brawl: Packed House Favourite dungeon: Grimrail Depot Least favourite dungeon: Shadow Labyrinth Favourite raid: Black Temple Least favourite raid: I just found out I have to run Molten Core at least 20 more times to get exalted with the Hydraxian Waterlords, so Molten Core Favourite quest/quest chain: I’m obsessed with uncrossing ley lines for Nazjatar World Quests, but also that one questline where if you leave your headlamp on a shark will eat you Least favourite quest/quest chain: All the dailies I have ever done for rep Favourite zone: Uldum Least favourite zone: Tol Barad

LORE

Alliance or Horde? Horde PVE or PVP? PvP Raids or dungeons? Raids Battlegrounds or arenas? Battlegrounds Classic or retail? Retail Ranged or melee? Ranged Tank, heals, or DPS? DPS Search for spoilers or wait for things to unfold? Look for some spoilers Sell items on the AH one-at-a-time or in a stack? Stack

UNCATEGORISED

When did you start playing? The day before Cata was released Owned memorabilia: WotLK poster of the Lich King pointing Frostmourne at me Favourite world event: Darkmoon Faire Add-ons you can’t live without: Recount, DeadlyBossMods, TomTom Things to do to kill time: Achievements | Reputation grinds | PVP | Mount hunting | Pet collecting | Play the auction house

Tagged by: ;) Tagging: @lightsblade, @weavefate, @terraforged, @holyforged, @sunrunnerrs, @diguerra, @embercrested, @redeeming-sun and anyone else who is interested!

#❛ can't stay out of trouble; can you? ❜ ❪ ooc ❫#can you tell I hate malfurion..........................................

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thenightling · 5 years ago

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The Dreaming issue 16

Okay, Simon. A Night Hag. Good for you in finally explaining what Dora is over a year and a half after you start! FINALLY!

Told you it would be kind of anti-climatic... Actually, I’m kind of relieved. I thought it might end up being ridiculously big. It makes sense but that really, really didn’t need to be a mystery / surprise. In fact that’s like announcing “Dora is humanoid.” It’s like “...And? Water is wet now?” This was your big build up? The reveal that the monster that is always hungry and horny ...is a Night Hag? That’s like trying to make a Marvel twist that Malekith is a Drow.

I shouldn’t complain. This makes perfect sense. I’m just annoyed at the long, drawn out “GUESS DORA’S AMAZING SECRET!” You might as well have said the secret is “She has weird ears.”

It makes sense. And of course she was the accidental catalyst and inspiration for Hyperion’s scheme. Thanks, Dora...

This really did not need to be drawn out as long as it was.

Though if we really nitpick here, Eve sort of fit the Night Hag Role when she was haunting the dying Matthew Cable before he became Morpheus’ raven... I know she’s technically not a Night Hag but she pretty much served that purpose during her appearance in Swamp Thing in the issue where Matthew dies (and ultimately becomes Morpheus’ raven).

Now let’s pause a moment. The records of Morpheus’ capture WERE SOLD AT AN ESTATE (Garage) SALE IN 2007!?! What the Hell type of garage sales do you go to!??

Thanks, Paul... Or is Paul dead? I figured Alexander Burgess should have passed away by now but who is running the estate that you can just buy records of Morpheus’ capture?!

Also do- not- compare- the Lord of Dreams to an app!

I have to admit this issue was actually kind of interesting (Finally! It hasn’t been intriguing since issue 7. That was the first and last truly interesting issue and even then it’s implied Daniel killed a bunch of men... for just catcalling...). However if that was supposed to be a “Surprise” twist that the “consciousness” uploaded in the house from The Dreaming was Cain, I figured that out the first page it appeared. Thank you for not trying to stretch out that “Surprise” reveal.

From the get-go I think Simon has had a pretty loose idea of what Cain actually is, confusing his compulsion to kill Abel with a generic “Kill everything!” Once you get the hang of his misunderstanding of what Cain is, it’s easy to spot Cain even when he’s a disembodied voice. Oh, well. Still better than Caitlin R. Kiernan deciding that Cain was a misogynist. Weirdly though, she wrote him okay in the volume 2 version of The House of Mystery. Just not the first version of The Dreaming.

Cain’s not that hard of a character to figure out, guys. He’s essentially The Crypt Keeper with an obsession with the concept of mystery, a love of his own spooky old house, and a fratricidal compulsion with some Vincent Price-isms. He’s not the Crazy Harry Muppet.

Paul Dini figured him out well enough to use him accurately in the kids show Justice League: Action for the episode Trick or Threat. But then again Paul Dini is a master. Cain’s been so badly mishandled in two versions of The Dreaming that I’m starting to seriously pity the bastard.

No joke, I had a weird dream back in early March of 2018. I might have posted about it back then. I’m just too lazy to try to find it. In the dream an old man that I thought was Alexander Burgess was trying to set right a terrible wrong he had done to The Dreaming. There was an elaborate pentacle on a floor. Don’t you just love when your mind gives you half-assed spoilers? Well, I was partly right... Thanks for the spoilers, Dream King. Too bad I misinterpreted who the bald old man was.

Dora has found Hyperion Keter, the man behind this madness. Apparently she, as a Night Hag, was feeding on him in his nightmares in the early 90s. He confronted her, told her that she was not real, and it caused her to fall into an existential crisis where Morpheus found her and took pity on her.

Hyperion (Who is essentially a Steve Jobs type) came up with a mad scheme to save humanity from it’s own fear, superstition, and cruelties in the name of religion by destroying all of that- our faith, our beliefs, our myths and legends and superstitions, through our very dreams. He created an AI that doesn’t know what their true purpose is. The AI wants to be good and benign but is designed to destroy belief. Daniel was branded with a powerful geas tattoo placed on him by his lover (and great-niece) Ivy, who was controlled by the occultists. Daniel came to Hyperion and showed him what his madness would do if successful so Hyperion decided to try to stop it but his own people turned against him. Weak and dying from cancer, Hyperion was helpless.

Cain’s “essence” was uploaded into a... Cloud server... And is now haunting the mansion where poor Hyperion lay dying and remorseful.

Sixteen issues and this whole thing feels like it could have been told in three or four issues... Ah, well. At least it’s moving now... And here I thought issue 16 would just be Lucien trying to kill himself. I guess that’s issue 17?

I don’t know why I’m so bitter. Maybe it’s because I know this could have been so much better. It had such potential. My subconscious gave me the loose version of the plot back in 2018. I saw the good parts.

Anyway, for all my bitching this was probably the best issue since issue 7. I liked issue 7, just not that weird part of Daniel apparently drowning those men for catcalling and Ivy “devastated” when Daniel had refused to be tattooed by her. And this was before the occultists controlled her. Here’s a little exercise. If it’s not okay for a man to do that to a woman, it’s also not okay for a woman to do that to a man. Respect your lover’s autonomy and never try to guilt someone into body modification, no matter what your profession is. No means no, bitch.

I AM amused, however, by the fact that the binding sigil- the geas tattoo holding poor Daniel is a cross between a Solomonic figure and a dream catcher. You trapped Dream ...with a Dream Catcher...

Anyway, for the first time since issue 7 we actually got answers. There was actual plot progression. And I actually give a damn about what’s going on.

Issue 16... is actually a decent read. Not bad. Definitely a lot more satisfying than most of The Dreaming so far.

I still miss the Vertigo logo...

Now for the next concern...

So… Who is ready for the (As of right now) “implied” death of Lucien next month? If this happens there will be no salvaging this version of The Dreaming. It’s just Caitlin R. Kiernan’s version in a new wrapper and changing which Dreaming character dies for a cheap knock-off of The Wake.

Please, let this implication be wrong…

#Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Universe #The Dreaming #Simon Spurrier

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thelawyerthatwaspromised · 6 years ago

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Analyzing Jon’s Speech Patterns around Dany and Sansa (cont.)

*Spoiler, this is very long.

Awhile back, I did a statistical analysis of how frequently Jon spoke when he was around Dany as compared to Sansa (and Jon with Dany versus Jon not with Dany) (x) and discovered the following:

Daenerys dominated the “speaking volume” in their shared scenes in Season 7.

Jon’s was on screen with Daenerys almost as often as he wasn’t...yet he spoke about 3x more frequently when Daenerys wasn’t in the scene.

While sharing far less screen time with Sansa in S7, Jon still spoke nearly as much dialogue in their shared scenes as he did with Daenerys in S7.

Now, I’m sure some might be wondering why this matters. Maybe the scripts just didn’t lend themselves to Jon going on long winded monologues. Maybe shouldn’t be “how much Jon spoke”, but “with what quality did Jon speak?”

This is focusing on the content of Jon’s dialogue in S7 to try to quantify what people who feel that Jon-Dany romance fell flat: it wasn’t bad acting, it was the deliberate withholding of pertinent personal information that defined the lack of depth in the build up to the Jon-Dany perceived romance.

First, I’ll describe my methods, then I’ll show some results!

1) I love statistics;

2) I am careful about how I use them;

3) If you’re reading this and think my methodology is unfair, go ahead and tell me why because I don’t like putting out predetermined outcomes

So here’s what I did...

I loaded Jon’s dialogue into textinspector.com

It’s a really useful tool that allows you to analyze text and speeches and gives scores for readability, textual diversity, and MTLD (measure of lexical diversity). MTLD essentially scores how measured language is used in a text. The higher the MTLD score, the more impersonal the text is and a lower scores means the text is more personal and casual.

Basically you’d expect a scientific article to have a high MTLD score and a casual dialogue between normal people would score significantly lower.

So from here on, remember that the higher the MTLD score, the more “formal” and less personal text is. It’s more thick with narrative. It’s deliberate and careful. It’s generally more disconnected with emotion.

I’m going to be showing the lines of text I included along with the scores. This isn’t perfect as the engine for some reason didn’t recognize certain points as whole sentences but it doesn’t matter for this exercise because I only focused on the words themselves, not the number of sentences spoken. Also, I did this manually so it’s entirely possible some words or lines were missed but I’m pretty sure I got it all.

Ok enough setup, here we go:

1) Jon’s interactions with Dany were very imbalanced quantitatively

Dany spoke significantly more than Jon. I already knew this from the previous stats post I put up, but it was confirmed again. Here’s a word count summary:

First meeting word count: Jon 270 / Dany 505 Granting Dragonglass word count: Jon 22 / Dany 112 Cave Scene: Jon 83 / Dany 83 (!!! first even scene!) Drogon Petting: Jon 26 / Dany 122 (back to normal) My Queen scene: Jon 43 / Dany 97 We’re fucked scene: Jon 55 / Dany 150

Right away you can see the imbalance. The cave scene is the only one that wasn’t drastically imbalanced, but it ended with Dany demanding that Jon bend the knee, mirroring the demands Stannis set for Mance in order not to burn and for his people to survive. Eesh.

That speaks to the quantity of their interactions only. What about the quality?

[much more under the cut]

2) Dany started impersonal; ended with wearing her heart on her sleeve

Probably not too surprising whether you buy into a Jon-Dany relationship or whether you think Jon is manipulating Dany...but it’s nice to see empirical data backing this up anyway.

Here’s the rundown from Dany speaking to Jon:

A) First meeting: I split the first meeting into two parts; the beginning where Dany was just meeting Jon and it didn’t become completely antagonistic and the second half where Dany lectures Jon about what she’s gone through and tells him her personal story. It gets more personal...so I would have to guess that the MTLD score is higher for the first half and lower for the second half...the first half being more impersonal and the second half becoming more personal as she grows angrier with Jon.

Here is the written text.

Remember, if I’m correct, then narrative and formal text should score higher on the MTLD scale. The higher the number, the more impersonal the lines.

This is the MTLD score for the first half of the scene where Jon and Dany met.

A score of 94 indicates that this is very formal. Information dumping, asking rhetorical questions, etc.

This is the written text of the second half of the scene.

Passionate. Angry. Contentious. Much more personal.

And the MTLD score? (should be lower)

About 75 now. Well, that makes sense. Let’s go on...

B) Granting the Dragonglass

This is Dany seemingly trying to stay impersonal with Jon after he reacts more or less silently to her inquiry about his brothers. The MTLD score should be higher. There’s nothing else very personal here.

94. The pattern holds. She made an initial inquiry but it went nowhere so the formality continued.

But Dany looks back. And that’s key.

We’re given a visual clue that she’s softening to him.

C. Dragonglass Cave / Drogon Petting

I put these two scenes together because I see them as Jon’s two biggest attempts at swaying Dany before the wight hunt. The Dragonglass cave is where Jon appeals to Dany’s reasoning. He uses some personal touches (like, literal physical touches) and gazing looks, but ultimately he approaches Dany with more words and information.

The Drogon petting scene is different because it’s almost entirely based on a gesture meant to impress Dany. Think of Quentyn Martell in the books trying to tame the dragons (and burning to a crisp). There’s no other reason for Jon to just waltz up to a dragon and pet it, especially when Dany had Drogon land and use the same stalking movements that have always been meant to intimidate people. Jon tries a gesture to influence Dany but I think it’s similar to the Dragonglass scene insofar as it’s a display of Jon being proactive in trying to sway Dany directly.

By this point, Dany is starting to become very attracted to Jon. This is perhaps the scene in which the ACTUAL equal coming together of Jon and Dany was the most possible. He approached her with the big picture. He tried to stress working together. He used what he could to show her that the enemy is real. As already pointed out, the dialogue word count is even for this scene. Dany appears genuinely interested as he’s showing her the cave. An alliance hangs in the balance.

The MTLD score should be dropping at this point if I’m right.

54. She’s speaking “to” Jon, not just “at” Jon. She’s trying to figure him out. She’s taking more time to explain herself. She’s asking meaningful questions. This is what happens to an MTLD score in this kind of text, it drops. It’s less academic, more personal.

“I’ve seen you staring at her good heart.”

“Ser Davos gets carried away.”

D) Jon leaves Dragonstone / “My Queen” scene

Jon’s got Dany really invested in him. There’s really not much more to say. Here’s the written text, and the MTLD score.

39 MTLD. You get it now, right? The more she gets wrapped up in Jon Snow, the more personal she’s getting, the more she’s giving him a glimpse into her soul and it’s reflected in this MTLD score that I’m using as an impartial empirical measure. I am quantifying for you what we see on screen; Dany is getting more personal with Jon as the season goes on.

6) Dragonpit and We Sail Together

I’ll save you the suspense, the pattern holds for the Dragonpit scene and the We Sail Together scene.

Dany conclusions: Starts out trying to talk tough...softens...falls in love...reveals everything to Jon.

3) Jon started informally and then completely shut it down

Yes, it’s completely true. Jon and Dany had sex. But that’s about all they shared mutually. Seriously. Just wait until you see this.

The first time Jon meets Dany, he is speaking passionately, from the heart, and with honesty. His MTLD score should be low then, right?

MTLD score of 47 for the first scene. Keep this in mind.

Wanna see something funny? This is all the dialogue Jon Snow spoke 1 on 1 to Dany for the ENTIRETY of the rest of the season.

This is as personal as Jon gets with Dany the rest of the way. I see tons of narration. I see passive participation in the conversation. So, again, if this holds then the MTLD score should be pretty high, right? Remember, my theory is Jon spoke passionately and personally and then learned that he can’t do that and that he has to be a passenger. So his score of 47 from the initial meeting should be at least somewhat exceeded here.

*edit note* the screen cap above doesn’t have about 3 sentences but the MTLD score below includes those*

Almost 90. There it is. Jon spoke one on one with less personally than he did when they first spoke as complete strangers. He was simply observational and/or narrating the things around him. “You weren’t gone long” - “you’re still here” -etc.

This is also where I have to point out that Jon spoke just 40 sentences (give or take...remember, some of the punctuation messed up the sentence counter) to Dany one on one after his initial meeting with her.

And let’s dive deeper in WHAT Jon actually ever says to her.

This is where I ask you to play a game. Forget that you might know what Dany says in response in these scenes. Try and figure out what Jon is talking about just by reading Jon’s dialogue.

Something’s amazing, Tyrion likes to talk, Jon didn’t expect something from her, but thanked her. Hey! We know something about the Children and the First Men and working together and that Jon’s people won’t accept Dany. We know there are some gorgeous beasts. She went somewhere, and Davos exaggerates.

Uhhh ok...this is going well.

Jon’s really sorry about something and regrets going. He thanks Dany, then not Dany. And.....WHAT THE FUCK SHE’S HIS QUEEN NOW? People are going to see what she is - that she isn’t like everyone else - and someone unreliable told her something. And that Tyrion said they were fucked and Jon agrees.

Epic love story.

Do you see what I mean when I say that Jon didn’t reveal anything to Dany? He held back any meaningful feedback except in 4 instances.

His most passionate dialogues were: 1) Their first meeting when he says why he won’t bend the knee,

2) explaining the need to fight together in the dragonglass cave,

3) on the dragonstone beach where he asks her not to use her dragons to melt castles and burn cities,

and

4) pleading with Dany to allow him to leave because it’s the best chance for the world to survive extinction.

And true to form, Jon’s passionate pleas get a lower MTLD score of 68. This is real!Jon and it matches up with his MTLD scores in other settings.

Conclusion: Jon tried to engage with Dany as equals and as potential partners. He was discouraged by her conduct and then shut down everything. His dialogue became colder and more impersonal as their supposed love story was meant to be “heating up”. Their perceived connection is based entirely on visual cues.

4) Jon’s behavior with Sansa is significantly more balanced and personal

Just another Jonsa lyin’ about Jonsa again! But seriously, it’s empirically true.

Here’s the word count overview:

Jon-Sansa reunion word count: Jon 176 / Sansa 170 Tent scene before BotB: Jon 133 / Sansa 237 Battlements: Jon 86 / Sansa 47

The word count pattern holds in S7. Jon and Sansa speak about equally following the pardons of Ned Umber and Alys Karstark, Sansa speaks more words when Jon seeks her counsel about the scroll from Tyrion, Jon speaks more words when he’s telling Sansa that he’s leaving for Dragonstone.

It’s an interesting side observation that the word counts are pretty even but I’m more interested in the MTLD scores for Jon and Sansa.

Remember, the lower the score, the more personal the dialogue has been as a pattern.

Jon and Sansa should be scoring very low in S6 - Jon should be scoring higher in S7 because (as I’ve written) I think he’s intentionally trying to distance himself from Sansa due to uncomfortable feelings about her role in his life.

First, the reunion.

Jon’s score first, then Sansa’s.

54. Very personal. Intimate.

47 from Sansa. Very personal. Intimate. Their MTLD scores are also close to one another indicating a mirroring.

Now how about the tent scene?

It’s contentious. Sansa is begging Jon to listen to her. Jon becomes agitated at Sansa’s protests. Sansa’s MTLD score should be lower than Jon’s but they both should be lower. First, Jon.

69 (nice) or 70. A little elevated, as expected. But still lower than the 90 Jon displays with Dany. What about Sansa?

55. Again, slightly elevated but lower than Jon’s. And, AGAIN, even though they’re disagreeing, the numbers are far closer between Jon and Sansa indicating that they are about as equally emotionally engaged in the conversation.

How about the scene on the battlements?

The pattern holds again! In case you’re wondering, Jon speaks with an isolated MTLD score of 52 and Sansa a score of 55. Incredibly personal. Emotional mirroring. Equal emotional engagement.

*EDIT FORGOT TO ORIGINALLY INCLUDE JON’S MTLD SCORE FOR THE S7 E1 SCENE WHERE I BELIEVE HE’S TRYING TO EMOTIONALLY DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM SANSA*

AND YES THE PATTERN HOLDS AGAIN!

It’s no accident either.

Jon and Sansa are consistently in the 50′s with each other and that number elevates with everyone else. Jon is usually in the upper 60′s- 70′s for scenes excluding Sansa and Dany while Sansa averages in the 70′sand goes up to even the 90′s in scenes without Jon.

Let’s play the “can you understand what’s going on in the scene just by Jon’s dialogue” game again. This time with Sansa.

They used to eat some particular vegetables. They shouldn’t have left. They couldn’t have known something probably because they were children. Sansa was occasionally awful, but Jon was no fun as a kid either. He insists he has nothing to forgive but then forgives her. They have bad ale with the Night’s Watch. He must watch over her or a ghost will murder him. They can’t stay there, though, because something really bad happened. The Boltons seem to be where they want to go. He doesn’t have an army either. I guess there’s someone available but they’re not there to serve him. He’s tired of fighting. Damn. He’s fought a lot. He’s killed brothers? Wildlings? Men that he admires? A young boy? He lost, too? This guy’s been through some shit.

Someone has a new dress...oooooooo. He’s stuttering over his words. Then he’s thanking Sansa for something. Davos saved Jon and has a reputation because Davos served Stannis. But there’s no time. For what? Well apparently to get more men. Someone’s overconfident. Jon has been probably doing more than playing with broomsticks. Ok this is an argument. Oh, it’s about Ramsay Bolton. A bad character, but Jon believes he’s fought worse. Jon doesn’t want to give up on Rickon. Is Rickon a drug addict? Anyway...

He’s apparently getting obvious advice now. He still is being told he needs to get a larger force but he doesn’t think it’s possible. Black sea creatures are not coming to help. He won’t let this bad man touch Sansa again. He’ll protect her, he promises. And now he’s decorating her room and making her bed. He’s not a Stark and Sansa is in charge of WF. She deserves it and they’re there because of her. Jon lost the battle until Sansa brought the Vale - and they came because of Sansa. Now apparently a Baelish guy had previously sold Sansa to the bad people. Jon insists that Sansa and he trust each other. And Father promised...something? Hmmm.

But do you see what I mean by the quality of Jon’s dialogue completely blowing away the quality of his dialogue with Daenerys? Either it was an accident and they didn’t realize they had Dany speaking over Jon repeatedly and that Jon had completely passive and DIFFERENT speech patterns than he’s displayed anywhere else (speech patterns completely devoid of meaning or exposition) - or- this was done on purpose. I’m, again, betting on this being intentional.

Overall conclusions:

A lot of people have called the J/D romance weak...and I think it’s intentionally written weak.

Jon is demonstrably different after the first scene with Dany.

Specifically this moment.

This is when, in my estimation, Jon made his judgment of Dany. He never ever spoke like this to her again...and really he hardly said anything at all from this point. Especially in moments when he was isolated with Dany.

He let her talk. He let her and her followers tell him what she wanted to hear. He even copied her own lines.

"People thought dragons were gone forever but here they are. Perhaps we should all be examining what we think we know." ~Dany, ep 3

"I never thought that dragons would exist again. No one did. The people who follow you know that you made something impossible happen. Maybe that helps them believe that you can make other impossible things happen." ~ Jon, ep 4

And he completely allowed himself to become a passenger in their conversations judging by both the word counts and the quality of his conversation.

I’ll leave you with this. These are the lines spoken by Jon alone with Daenerys the rest of the season.

The skepticism of the Jon-Dany romance isn’t just plausible, it’s quantifiable.

It’s one-sided and it’s setting up a pretty dramatic final season.

#jonsa #jon x sansa #Anti-Jonerys #anti targaryen restoration #Political Jon theory

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shera-dnd · 6 years ago

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I rant about Battle Angel Alita for about 870 words

Exactly 2 people said I should do it and that means I’m legally obligated to do it SO LET’S GO

First some disclaimers: Everything here is just my personal opinion and I’m not trying to call out anyone who enjoyed the manga. In fact if you enjoy the manga I would love to hear your reasons why. I kinda wanted to enjoy this, but just couldn’t

I should also mention that I’ve read the manga AFTER I watched the movie and I only read the original manga and not any of the spin offs or sequels.

also SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE MOVIE AND THE MANGA

Now for the rant:

My real major problem with the Battle Angel Alita manga (or Gunnm if you’re a weeb) is that it really did not age well. That thing was clearly written in the late 80s/early 90s and you can see that in how basically everyone interacts with Alita. Ido wants Alita to be his dress up doll, several bad guys want to boink her, Shumira and Jasmine see her as “that bitch trying to steal my man” and there is even a scene where she is forced to fight in a wedding dress.

The mangaka also can’t write romance to save his life. If you think that shit with Hugo in the movie was rushed you should see how that happens with Yugo. It takes 2 pages for her to want to dedicate her life to a dude who clearly cares more about Zalem than about her and Figure Four isn’t much of an improvement. I mean they did spend longer together before developing feelings for each other, but it feels like it is only there to give Alita more stakes in the next big dramatic fight.

Speaking of fighting. Alita’s power level fluctuates A LOT, like a whole lot. She will destroy most enemies in seconds, regardless of how badass they are, but the moment she is facing down against a named character she is gonna lose at least 2 limbs, need help from several people and still won’t land the killing blow. Halfway through the manga rooting for Alita becomes infuriating, because no matter how long the manga keeps telling us she is a badass she is still losing to every damned named character.

One of my favorite arcs in the manga also features a lot of those problems, but I still managed to enjoy a lot about it. I’m talking about the Motorball arc. It features several male characters that are genuinely friendly towards Alita and don’t want to get in her pants; a dude that looks like an ugly caricature of a person, but is actually a cinnamon roll and helps Alita throughout the arc; antagonists who actually see Alita as a threat and react to her accordingly AND the first named female characters other than Alita herself. Not to mention a very interesting piece of world building on how martial arts and concepts like Ki are understood in a society where most warriors are cyborgs (Also it has my bro Ajakutty)

BUT those two named female characters are Shumira. Who falls in love with Ido in .2 seconds and sees Alita as a threat, because she is clearly trying to steal her man and Zafal. Who has no spoken lines and close to zero ‘screen time’ (panel time?). Not to mention that this arc features that one massive giveaway that this female character was written by a dude: When the badass warrior woman sees another badass warrior woman in the battle field and says “A woman?” like this is the most unheard of thing in the world.

Seriously, her only positive relationship with another woman only happens 30 or so chapters into the manga.

Okay, that was a lot of words to just complain about how badly this manga aged, but since we’re already here I wanna mention something that I quite enjoyed about the movie adaptation and it is how it deals with arcs.

The first few volumes of the manga are very episodic and would not fit well into a movie format, so the movie decided to take the first 3 arcs (the Makaku, Hugo and Motorball arcs) and just combines them in a somewhat cohesive format.

Also both the movie and the manga end in sequel bait. Like the last 3 chapters of the manga are not considered canon, so you need to buy the sequel to get a somewhat conclusive ending or an answer to all the several questions you had over the last 55 chapters.

In the end all those things got in the way of my enjoyment of the manga and kept me from REALLY getting into it also that twist with the SECRET OF ZALEM was so underwhelming (ok, I’ll stop ranting now) and actually enjoying the legitimately good world building and combat scenes.

Oh god, that was a long one. Hope I didn’t sound too angry or aggressive...I kinda get carried away easily. Anyway if you disagree with any of my points or want to bring attention to the many qualities of the manga please feel free to respond to this post, but please let’s keep it civil.

#battle angel alita #gunnm #rant #oh this is gonna end bad

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burnouts3s3 · 6 years ago

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Yu Yu Hakusho, a review

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.) Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for Season (MSRP): 80 dollars for the entire series on Digital. 80 Dollars for the entire series on DVD. Animation Studio: Pierrot Licensed and Localized by: Funimation Entertainment Audio: Both English and Japanese Audio available Price per episode: 2 USD per Episode when bought digitally. 1.40 When bought in a season. (20 Dollars when bought per season vs 56 Dollars when bought individually). Length per Episode: 25 Minutes on average. 21 Without Intro and Ending song. Number of Discs: 4 DVD Discs per season. 16 DVD Discs in total. Episodes per Disc: 6 or 7. Bonus Features: Trailers for other Funimation licensed shows. Also on: Blu-ray, Hulu, Crunchyroll and Funimation Now, paid subscription services that allows dual language streaming of select shows. How much I paid: 160 Dollars/USD. (80 for the DVDs. 80 for the digital licenses for the show). Number of Episodes: 112 Episodes My Personal Biases: Gather round, old Toonami Faithful. Back in the 2000’s, I followed Hakusho closely when it was released on Toonami and Adult Swim. So, you can imagine, I’m heavily biased in favor of this series. My Verdict: Yu Yu Hakusho represents the last of an era. Not only is it a classic from the 90’s, but it’s a lean, matter of fact Shounen Anime that probably has the least amount of filler during a time Dragon Ball Z spent endless days on the Namek Saga. Still beautifully rendered, great score, fast paced action and one of the few Funimation dubs that manages to be more interesting than the sub script and you have one of the last few anime out there worth seeing. Buy it! KEEP IN MIND: Anime series and Western Television have very different formats when selling shows. While Western TV Seasons have one story arc that ends and begins within the season, Dubbed Anime is usually released in multiple volumes and releases. For example, While Yu Yu Hakusho each as 28 Episodes per season, Story Arcs, such as the infamous Dark Tournament Saga, beginning and ending points not found in an individual season. Author’s Note: The following review will be a review of the dubbed version of the show localized by Funimation Entertainment. While the majority of the scenes remain unchanged, the Funimation translated script contains additional dialogue, observations and jokes not found in the original version. Please keep that in mind. WARNING: SPOILERS Yu Yu Hakusho, a review

"And so it all begins. This boy's name is Yusuke. He's fourteen years old, and is supposed to be the hero of this story. But oddly enough... he's dead."

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Yusuke Urameshi is a delinquent more likely to get into fistfights with classmates than attend class. Scolded by everyone, from his alcoholic mother to childhood friend, Keiko, to his principal, Yusuke ditches school. But when a young boy is about to be hit by a car, Yusuke literally dies protecting the child. As a ghost with the help of a surprisingly cheerful Botan, the Grim Reaper, Yusuke learns that there was something of this life worth living. When Yusuke returns to life, he becomes a Spirt Detective, assigned from Spirit World to hunt down Rogue Demons. With the help of his classmate, Kazuma Kuwabara, and two enemies turned teammates, the Fox Demon reborn Kurama and the mischievous Hiei, Yusuke faces a whole slew of opponents he’d never thought he’d face. Has it really been 25 years since Yu Yu Hakusho first debuted in Japan? It’s hard to imagine Yu Yu Hakusho being made the way it was. This 112 Shounen Anime series managed to end on a complete note. Think about other shows in the genre. Shows like DBZ, Naruto, Bleach and One Piece manage to have over 200 episodes each and filled with filler and theatrical released movies. Other Shounen shows like this, like Soul Eater, manage to end on 26 episodes or around 50. But then there’s Yu Yu Hakusho, a show that had over 100 episodes with little to no filler but never achieved the merchandising empires Dragonball and Naruto had. Even Bleach, a series that had popularity drain out by the end of its run, was able to span more episodes and had more theatrical releases. One of the key successes was limiting the cast to a group of familiar but complex faces. The Team of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama were all memorable, but the interaction within the group was so great that it could span a couple of episodes. Each had a different morality and perspective. The Main character was a smart-ass with a potty mouth with a deep sense of morality, Kuwabara seemed to have a strong sense of honor and persistence, Kurama had a collected calm of a general while Hiei was always getting into trouble for his own reasons. Not only did the four manage to make each scenario interesting but the interaction with one another is something to be written about for the ages. One of the things I found surprising was how beautiful the animation manages to hold up. Granted, it still uses 90’s tricks such as speed lines and fade outs, but each fight seemed not only well choreographed but colored and detailed in a way that made me come back to watch more. Add to that, Togashi’s emphasis to make fights more strategic and detailed, and I found myself rewatching old fights again and again. Looking back, the fights always thrilled me but as I grew older, I appreciated Kurama’s fights more. That’s not to say Yusuke’s, Hiei’s or even Kuwabara’s fights were bad, but they generally devolved into “who’s stronger” fistfights with fireballs. Kurama’s usually revolved around a sense of strategy and out smarting his opponent with plant based wapons. The series got a number of dubs but the most famous one by far is the English version by Funimation Entertainment. I know Funimation gets a lot of flak for its translation issues, but Yu Yu Hakusho manages to use localization to its benefit, in that they make Yusuke, the loud mouthed delinquent that had little cares for the world, extremely likable and funny. Fans will recognize veteran voice actors such as Chuck Huber (who voiced 17 in Dragonball Z) as Hiei, John Burgmeier (Who voiced Tien) as Kurama and Chris Sabat (Who voiced Vegeta, Yamcha and Piccolo) as Kuwabara. Each shows a surprising amount of range as each character (especially Sabat) and manages to rival their Japanese counterparts. But Justin Cook steals the show as Yusuke Urameshi. That’s not to say Nozomu Sasaki, Yusuke’s Japanese Voice Performer, does a bad job, but Justin Cook manages to bring Yusuke to life thanks to some adlibbing and great comedic timing. (While Cook voiced Yusuke, he also acted as the Line Director at Funimation).

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The Funimation Script took liberties from the original source material and added additional lines not found in the original version. But, I feel this is one of the times where it benefits the scripts as well as the personalities. Yusuke’s additional dialogue not only manages to be funny but also solidifies the fact that if Yusuke were a real person, he’d be a pain in the ass to deal with. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. Another Yusuke, Yusuke Honma, composed the soundtrack. It not only managed to be dramatic, but comedic, emotional and powerful at the same time. Struggle of Sadness manages to be one of my all time favorites to listen to.

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The clear fan favorite out of all the story arcs is the Dark Tournament. When Yusuke is forced to compete in a life or death tournament involving some of the strongest demons out there, he’ll have to gather up his teammates and duke it out with some of the series most memorable opponents. It not only manages to be a good tournament arc, but also a great training arc and a lesson in mortality vs immortality. If nothing else, get the Dark Tournament saga. Verdict: Do you like Shounen Anime? Do you like owning a series and paying far less than for other long running series? Are you a fan of 90’s anime? IF you’ve answered yes, Yu Yu Hakusho is definitely a show to check out. Don’t let this one miss you! Full Price!

#yu yu hakusho #justin cook #funimation #yusuke urameshi #yusuke #urameshi #chris sabat #kurama #hiei #chuck huber #John Burgmeier #dbz #anime #review #shounen #shounen jump

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dakotahiggins-blog1 · 5 years ago

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I “It” can be defined as travel, yoga, life, etc. Here at The Road Les Traveled, we couldn’t agree more. I could write for an entire lifetime trying to define yoga and there will always be more to learn. Maybe this is why yoga can feel like an impossible or intimidating feat. I find beauty and comfort knowing that I don’t need to run full speed ahead because there is no finish line to cross. I hope this read inspires you to roll out a mat, move in a new way, or begin your very own yoga journey. Let’s treat this introductory course as an appetizer to a bottomless buffet where any and everyone is welcome.

Wherever you are, find a comfortable seat or stance. Focus on the physical connection to the ground below your feet or your sit bones. Allow the energy from the earth to transmit to and tingle at your feet. As you inhale, envision the energy traveling through your body…up your spine, vertebrae by vertebrae. Hold at the top.

Exhale… soften your belly.

Drop your shoulders from your ears. Release your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Soften the space between your eyebrows. Begin to deepen your breath. With every inhale, imagine your breath filling you up from the bottom to top like a glass of water…starting at your feet bubbling all the way through the center of your body to the top of your head. As you exhale, follow the air flow as it trickles down your center line. Allow your thoughts and physical tension to waterfall away with your breath that empties all the way down to your toes. Inhale….. fill up fully. Exhale….. let it go.

Welcome back. Let’s swan dive in.

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Who can practice yoga?

YOU. Congrats. You just connected your mind, body, and breath and therefore completed a moment of yoga. Yoga is both a universal and personal practice. Every single human being is capable of practicing yoga. It is as accessible as air. The use of props (magical little tools in the form of blocks, straps, blankets) are equally beneficial for seasoned yogis who want to deepen a pose and beginners who want to modify a pose to create more space.

Similarly, it doesn’t matter what inspires you to roll out a mat. If a 30-minute savasana is the name of your game or if you want to get upside down because you saw a picture of a pretty blonde in a handstand on a tropical island…POWER TO YA! I firmly believe this practice will give you what you need, even if it’s not what you were looking for. Yoga and life. Quote me.

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What is yoga?

Yoga is the union of physical, mental and spiritual practices originating in India 5,000-10,000 years ago. It’s not a religion, and it has little to do with looking better in a bikini, although sure, that’s a perk I suppose. In its purest form, yoga is raising consciousness on all levels.

There are many styles of yoga with Hatha yoga being the umbrella term for any type of yoga that teaches physical poses. Other styles include (from less physically demanding to more physically demanding) Restorative, Yin, Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Hot Yoga, the list goes on….

Where to begin?

Without being too open-ended, you can begin anywhere. Seriously. Yoga can look like laying on the floor with your eyes closed listening to your breath for 5 minutes. Roll up your mat and call it a day. It can look like a 90-minute sweaty, dark room with intense breathing and chanting. The most common places to practice yoga are a studio, an online platform, or at home without guidance. The only way yoga will stick is if it feels good in your body, so it’s important to find your practice.

I heard your requests and will soon be sharing some yoga classes on my YouTube Channel. Until then, here are online platforms from my yoga teachers – Rachel Brathen & Lara Heimann. Ode to the 2 warrior women with very different styles, but similar and contagious love for movement. They carved me into the yoga teacher I am, and I will be forever grateful for my t2 teachers, 23 days, 52 sisters… and endless amounts of chickpeas my Island Yoga YTT gifted me.

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When should you practice yoga?

You do not need to roll out your mat at 5 AM every day to be a ‘good’ yogi. I like to practice on an empty stomach or a few hours after a meal. First thing in the morning or pre-dinner. But, you can also catch me with my legs up the wall in an airport or shoulder rolling through an airplane aisle. To each their own, but if you’re going to a studio spacem, the most packed classes will probably be between the hours of 7AM- 11AM & 5PM-7PM.

Find the WHY

If I haven’t yet convinced you to give down dog a go, below are the black and white (and pink) facts of how yoga can benefit your mental and physical health:

*Spoiler alert* The mind does not shut off. Mine doesn’t at least! If you’ve cracked that code, please feel free to share with the class. Even if I don’t remember my dreams, that sucker was running through the night! The goal of yoga is not to shut off your mind, but instead to turn the volume down.

In my own practice, I like to imagine my thoughts like clouds… stay with me. When I was little, I would watch the clouds with my grandma for hours. First I bring my awareness to my breath, then I imagine watching my thoughts come and go like clouds in the sky. Become the viewer of your passing thoughts without running with and/or holding onto any thought for too long. Store the ones that serve you and let go of those that do not. Allow them, for a moment, to occupy your sky. Name the shape, then wish it well on its journey out of your head.

6 Tips to Inspire a Positive Yoga Practice

Arrive early. Hi, I’m Lesley and I am perpetually 5 minutes late to everything EXCEPT yoga. You know that look you get from the lady at the airport gate when you’re the very last one to board the plane with sweat dripping down your body and one too many personal items? Well, that does NOT compare to the guilt you feel tiptoeing through the intro of a yoga class and asking a very peaceful yogi to scooch over. Learn from my mistakes… arrive fifteen minutes early, get a good spot, introduce yourself to the teacher, and be the peaceful yogi for the class intro, not the panicked one

Practice around. Try multiple studios, different teachers and varying styles until you find a teacher you resonate with. It took me not one, not two, but three classes to actually enjoy a 60-minute flow.

Dress comfortably. There is nothing worse than wearing a shirt that falls over your head every time the teacher cues ‘down dog.’ Wear comfortable clothes that hug your body enough to let you flow freely without worry.

Leave your phone far away from the mat. Most yoga studios have cubbies or lockers to leave your belongings. Be sure to turn the sound off and tuck your phone away. The only thing more awkward than arriving late to class is having your phone ring VERY loud during savasana. If you’re practicing at home the temptation is very real, but all the distractions will still be there 60 minutes later, I promise.

Leave expectation in the cubby with your phone. The teacher, the flow, the speed, the music, your neighbor’s practice, your own ability…. the list goes on. This one is easier said than done. To be honest, I’d like to say the more you practice, the easier this becomes…but that simply isn’t true.

Listen to your body. Allow a teacher’s words to guide you, but your body is the best teacher. A good yogi is one that listens to their body…even if some days look very different than others. My absolute favorite yoga pose involves closed eyes, nature, and 2 blocks supporting me and a lot of relaxing. If something hurts, take it easy. If something feels good, go further. If you like the song, DANCE. Your mat, your practice, your body. The reason we turn the mind’s volume down is so you can hear what your body has to say.

FREE YOGA ALERT! In addition to the guided meditation at the beginning of this post, I’m breaking down Sun Salutation A a.k.a Surya Namaskara (SOOR-yuh nah-muh-SKAR-uh) + 6 easy poses to ease you into yoga or just inspire you to move

Tadasana: Inhale, raising your arms overhead with a neutral pelvis. Reminder not to flare your ribs here and allow your shoulders to come away from your ears. Greet the sun!

Swan Dive: Exhale, hollowing our your belly and connecting down into the earth.

Forward fold: Allow gravity to take over. Note that a slight bend (or even deep bend) in the knee here is welcome.

Halfway lift: Inhale and lengthen your spine with a lifted gaze and a flat back.

High plank: Exhale, planting your palms at the front of the mat, shoulder width distance apart while stepping your feet into plank pose at hip width distance behind you.

Chaturanga: Keeping your legs straight and pushing into your toes, lower down 1/4 of the way towards the floor similar to a low push-up.

Cobra/Up Dog: With an engaged core, flip your toes and keep your thighs off the mat while pushing the ground away beneath you with straight arms. Carve your chest forward. Note to keep your shoulders away from your ears and open your collarbones. Relax your glutes. Option to also put your knees on the mat here.

Down dog: With an engaged core, lift your tailbone towards the sky, press into the palms of your hands while pressing your thighs back. Create lots of space here. Note that a healthy bend in the knees is very acceptable, and nobody ever said your feet must touch the mat.

Walk to front of the mat

Halfway lift: Inhale and lengthen your spine with a lifted gaze and a flat back.

Forward fold: Allow gravity to take over. Note that a slight bend (or even deep bend) in the knee here is welcome.

Reverse swan dive

Tadasana

Some Favorite Poses

Child’s Pose

Cat

Cow

Bridge

Heart opener: Camel pose

Savasana

Your Turn! Tell me about your yoga practice below!

To read more about yoga, check out My Yoga Teacher Training at Island Yoga and Favorite Yoga Mats!

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Yoga appeared first on The Road Les Traveled.

#>Yoga #ff99cc;#>⊕#>–#>– Symptoms #ffffff;#ff99cc;> ⊕#ff99cc;>⊕#ff99cc;>–#ff99cc;>– High #ff99cc;">–

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murasaki-murasame · 7 years ago

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So it looks like Ao no Flag chapter 11 is up so I may as well post my thoughts on it before I go to bed.

I’m gonna put my spoiler-y thoughts under a cut but before I do I just wanna say that I have so much respect for this manga and how it’s actually, genuinely talking about the concept of sexuality in general, and even explicitly discussing queer sexuality without condemning or mocking it. We need more shonen manga like this in the world. I’m even more happy now that I chose to import the volumes as they come out. [And on that note, I ordered volume two yesterday, so that should get here in a few weeks]

Anyway yeah, thoughts under the cut

I know I just said it, but yeah my reaction to 90% of this chapter is just intense respect for this author and the way he’s handling the subject matter of this series. It really threw me off, in a good way, how open and explicit the discussion of sexuality was in this chapter, even if there’s still all sorts of ambiguity to parts of it, like how a lot of conversations with Masumi go.

I wasn’t exactly expecting her to be so upfront about the situation with her and her boyfriend. Wow. And then the beginning of this chapter’s surprises came when she talked about not being into her boyfriend anymore, and straight-up asking Taichi ‘how does it feel to love the opposite sex?’.

You can definitely tell from this entire chapter that Masumi is struggling with her sexuality, and trying to figure out what love even means to her. So because of that I’m hesitant to label her in any way, but she definitely comes across like she’s a lesbian who’s trying and failing to have ‘normal relationships’. The whole deal with her having a string of ex-boyfriends, her falling out of love for her boyfriend despite his good qualities, her confusion about what it even means to be in love with someone of the opposite sex, all seem to point at that. But I of course don’t want to deny the idea that her sexuality might be more complicated than that.

She’s definitely attracted to Futaba, that much is sure, especially after all this. It was obvious before, but the whole ‘if I said I liked her, what would you do?’ line seals the deal.

Continuing the whole trend of this post, I seriously want to give a shout-out to Kaito for having Masumi bluntly ask Taichi how he’d feel about a same-sex relationship, without it being treated as a joke, or something to be easily dismissed. Like. Holy FUCK. You never see this sort of thing happen in a shonen manga. It’s insane. And the fact that he doesn’t immediately dismiss the idea, and gets interrupted by Masumi’s bombshell of a line, and then the whole thing with the kid in the playground, is also really interesting. Typically in this scenario the protagonist would immediately dismiss the concept of having a same-sex relationship. So it’s just interesting that that whole conversation got intentionally cut short. If Taichi ends up having a bisexual awakening I’d be fucking ecstatic, you guys. I don’t want to get my hopes up yet, but still.

It’s interesting to get more insight in general into how Masumi interacts with others. The whole deal with her being seemingly critical of the idea of being friendly with people you aren’t attracted to, and being openly uncaring about people she’s not close to, is interesting.

I don’t think I explicitly touched upon it, but I also did love the whole sequence of her wondering out loud about the nature of what love even is, and what it means to be in love with someone. Part of me is inclined to think she might be on the ace spectrum with her repeated confusion and ignorance about love, but for one thing I feel uncomfortable about interpreting someone with a cold personality as being ace [since I don’t want to play into harmful stereotypes], and honestly her whole attitude reminds me a lot about feelings I’ve had in the past about the concept of love. When you grow up in the world as a queer person, the concept of ‘love’ that’s explained and described and marketed at you for your entire life is almost exclusively a heterosexual kind of love. So it can be incredibly confusing when you have to acknowledge feelings that the world hasn’t prepared you for or bothered to explain. I may or may not just be projecting at this point, but I feel like I can relate to what she’s saying.

And obviously her sense of confusion about ‘what it means to love someone of the opposite sex’ ties in a lot with her string of exes, and what she said about not knowing why she lost interest in her last boyfriend. As I said, it comes across like she’s basically forcing herself to do what’s expected of her, and it’s not working out.

Then we have the whole deal with the kid which mostly just served to interrupt the conversation and postpone Taichi having to acknowledge the concept of queer sexuality, but it also set up the whole thing I kinda touched upon before, with Masumi talking about her cold personality. I like how she casually called Taichi out for his habit of sometimes being indecisive and sometimes being intrusive, and how it’s gonna set him up for failure. You kinda get the feeling that she’s trying to tell him that it’s better to not care at all, which is kinda depressing. Though I think most of all she dislikes his wishy-washy attitude about certain things, and wishes he could be more consistent. You can just tell how annoyed she was when he tried to deny his feelings for Futaba.

Though it’s also interesting that Taichi pointed out that Masumi’s plan to become a vet doesn’t seem to jive with what she’s saying. I wonder if there’s something deeper there about how Masumi might on some level by lying to herself about her true personality. Or maybe she’s just fine with animals and not people, lol.

I wasn’t really expecting that whole flashback about Taichi seeing a cat get run over. Damn. Although something about his dialogue felt really confusing and I couldn’t tell what he was bringing it up for. It felt like he was relating it to the way he treats people now, but I’m not sure what he means. It sounds like he means he wants to be more impulsive so that he can do the right thing if he needs to, instead of hesitating, but something about it still feels odd. But he also seems aware that even if he’s trying to be more proactive he’s still not good at it, so maybe I’m more right about my interpretation than I thought. Eh. And it was nice seeing Masumi say that Taichi would probably be able to save that cat if it happened now.

Which reminds me that the first chapter starts off with Taichi monologuing about the question of who he’d save if he had to choose between a lover and a best friend, and how he didn’t know who he’d choose because he didn’t have a lover or a best friend. I think that’s what it was. I hope that’s not as foreboding as it sounds. I don’t exactly want this to end with anyone literally dying.

It was kinda depressing seeing Masumi brush off and try and deny the whole same-sex relationship conversation when Taichi tried to ask her about it again. But, well, that’s why she phrased it as a hypothetical. So that she could deny it later if she felt the need to. Which is pretty true to life, really. But it’s also interesting that Taichi actively tried to ask her about it again, even after the interruption, and that he seemed genuinely curious about what she wanted to say. Which also reminds me that we also didn’t see his reaction to Masumi asking how he’d react to the idea of her liking Futaba.

And then Masumi acknowledges that her opposite-sex relationships never work out, and so she wanted to get an idea of how the other side feels. Which pretty much aligns with what I said about how she’s confused about how love works, and wants to figure it out.

Seeing them poke fun at each other about their respective grudges was pretty hilarious. I almost forgot that Masumi was the one who got all angry at Taichi about how she didn’t want Futaba wasting time thinking about love. She kinda set herself up for that one, lol. And then she threw some shade in Taichi’s direction about how much she loved Futaba’s long hair, which she doesn’t have anymore after Taichi inadvertently inspired her to get it cut. I like that they know how to needle each other in a friendly way about stuff like this.

I wasn’t expecting them to get to first-name basis, but that was a really nice moment. The whole concept of ‘first-name basis’ is still weird to me, but it’s nice seeing them bond.

Then the whole deal with Taichi blushing about it happened and oh boy now my heart hurts all over again. Seeing Masumi’s wistful expression while she’s like ‘oh, so that really is the normal reaction, huh . . .’ just kinda hurt. It’s pretty clear that she’s just talking about how it’s ‘normal’ for someone to be flustered like that when getting closer to someone of the opposite sex, but it also just shows her even more how it’s not a reaction she herself has toward men.

In general I’m surprised at how much I related to Masumi in this whole chapter, but wow. Damn. I’ve definitely had that experience of seeing men get flustered/aroused/etc by women, and all I can think to myself is ‘oh right, that IS the ‘normal reaction’ guys are meant to have toward girls . . . ‘. It’s always a discouraging thing to think.

It’s almost kinda painful seeing how Taichi went through this entire goddamn chapter and still didn’t get what Masumi was trying to say. But that’s just how he is, I guess. But it does remind me of what I said about how the story went out of it’s way to avoid having him explicitly acknowledge the idea of queer sexuality and how he feels about it. It’s just . . . interesting, I guess, how the story is setting up this overall scenario of Taichi slowly coming to learn about and acknowledge that sort of a thing. It’s also worth noting that this chapter goes even further to establish queer sexuality as one of the main narrative pillars of the story, with how this whole part was literally about Masumi talking about the idea of sexuality in general and leaving Taichi with the question of how he’d feel about having a same-sex relationship. And in general, Touma’s and Masumi’s whole character arcs and whatnot are pretty obviously tied to this whole topic, and it’s one of the major sources of drama in the story thus far.

I said it above, but man I’d be so happy if this eventually leads to Taichi realizing that he’s bi, but yeah I’m not gonna hold my breath. Even if it’s more that the moral of the story is just about acceptance and understanding and whatnot, and not also a queer awakening sort of narrative, that’d be fine. But the possibility is there, and this is basically the only shonen manga at this point that I think has any chance of having a queer male protagonist, so it’d be nice to see.

Oh yeah, and Taichi saying that he still doesn’t get why she was crying reminds me that I definitely think that she was mostly upset about the whole fact that she can’t seem to make her relationships with men work out and she can’t figure out how love works. And yeah she’s probably pretty frustrated about not feeling ‘normal’, like what we got hinted at with Touma in the tomato plant scene.

In a lot of ways this whole chapter was really similar to that scene. I like that we got such a major look into Masumi’s character. We’ve kinda desperately needed a scene like this to help establish her side of things.

I, uh, didn’t really expect how sudden the end of the chapter came about, and how much stuff it feels like we skipped. Wow. I’m not really complaining, but still. I’m at least really happy that Touma won his baseball game. I’m so proud of my sweet boy ;_;

I’m kinda amazed that we’re ALREADY in summer, like what the fuck. I sometimes get a bit confused about these things because of hemisphere differences, but I’m pretty sure that means we’re around the middle of the year now. Though I also don’t know when the school year ends in Japan.

I’ve been kinda wondering in the back of my head how long this series might be, and the end of this chapter makes me think it might actually be kinda short, if we’re heading through it this fast. But who knows if the pacing will stay exactly the same the whole way through.

It’s worth noting that the next chapter will be the end of volume two. Just to put things into perspective.

Which reminds me that volume three probably won’t be out until like December so that sucks. But I’ll definitely import that when the time comes. [I’m also still hoping that we get to see Masumi on v3′s cover. That’d be nice]

#murasaki rambles #ao no flag #ok this got really long sorry #I have a lot to say about Masumi apparently #I fucking love this manga you guys more people need to read it #[also the title page was adorable and made me so unprepared for how intense this chapter was going to be]

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alecramart · 11 months ago

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So, newsflash, turns out I might like using capes for funky composition purposes. Also, here's Tess! Resident free spirit, dragon puncher, and cool big sis!

#aurora spoilers #spoilers #seriously this post is 90% spoilers by volume #art #digital art #digital drawing #fanart #comic aurora #aurora #aurora comic #tess ruunaser #Alecram's art #I actually own a cape/cloak myself and I love it

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omgchocolateunknownbouquet-blog · 8 years ago

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2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI

New Post has been published on http://auto.tintoantap.com/2017-audi-a7-prestige-3-0-tfsi/

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI

Take the lead when you’re behind the wheel of the 2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI. With a supercharged 333-hp TFSI® or an available 340-hp TFSI®, and an eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission that delivers impressive performance, not only will you get ahead, you’ll stay there, too.

We take this sentiment very seriously when you’re behind the wheel of the 2017 Audi A7. That’s why Audi drive select offers four distinct driving modes that allow you to tailor the drive to suit your style. Each mode uniquely adjusts the steering, throttle response and transmission shifts to help give you greater control — and greater joy.

This is not technology for technology’s sake. This is technology that can help connect you to the world and keep you connected to the road. This is technology for the driver’s sake.

Available Audi pre sense® plus uses audible, visual and physical collision warnings, followed by more drastic driving assistance measures as needed, in an attempt to prepare you for the unavoidable.

This feature enables Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto integration, enabling access to your compatible phone’s features, such as navigation, telephone, music and select third-party apps, and can be controlled through the Audi MMI® interface, your voice or steering wheel controls.

The available corner view cameras help when parking or maneuvering in tight spaces by providing additional vantage points from the car’s front or rear corners.

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Price

Price as built: : $71,350

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Engineering & Performance

Engine type: Six-cylinder

Displacement (cc)/Bore and stroke (mm): 2,995/84.5 x 89.0

Horsepower (@ rpm): 333 @ 5,300 – 6,500

Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 325 @ 2,900 – 5,300

Engine block: Aluminum-alloy

Cylinder head: Aluminum-alloy

Valvetrain: 24-valve DOHC with variable valve timing

Induction/fuel injection: Supercharged/TFSI®

Acceleration (0 – 60 mph): 5.2 sec.

Top track speed: 130 mph

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Transmission & Drivetrain

Transmission: Eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission with quattro® all-wheel drive

Gear ratios: 1st: 4.714

Gear ratios: 2nd: 3.143

Gear ratios: 3rd: 2.106

Gear ratios: 4th: 1.667

Gear ratios: 5th: 1.285

Gear ratios: 6th: 1.000

Gear ratios: 7th: 0.839

Gear ratios: 8th: 0.667

Gear ratios: Reverse: 3.317

Gear ratios: Final Drive: 2.848

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Steering

Type: Electromechanical power steering system

Ratio: 15.9:1

Turning diameter (curb-to-curb) (ft): 39.0

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Suspension

Front: Five-link front suspension

Rear: Trapezoidal-link rear suspension

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Brakes

Front (in): 14.0 (ventilated disc)

Rear (in): 13.0 (ventilated disc)

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Body

Material: Lightweight construction technology — aluminum exterior body panels and a steel chassis

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Warranty & Maintenance

Warranty: 4-year/50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty

Maintenance: 12-month/10,000-mile (whichever occurs first) NO CHARGE first scheduled maintenance

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Exterior Measurements

Wheelbase (in): 114.7

Length (in): 196.2

Height (in): 55.9

Overall width with mirrors (in): 84.2

Track front (in): 64.7

Track rear (in): 64.4

Curb weight (lb): 4,244

Drag coefficient (Cw): 0.28

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Interior Measurements

Head room (in, front): 36.9

Head room (in, rear): 36.6

Leg room (in, front): 41.3

Leg room (in, rear): 37.0

Shoulder room (in, front): 57.2

Shoulder room (in, rear): 55.9

Cargo volume (cu ft, cu ft, rear seatbacks up/folded): 24.5

Seating capacity: 5

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI EPA Estimates & Capacities

City: 21 mpg

Highway: 29 mpg

Combined: 24 mpg

Engine oil (qt): 7.2

Fuel (gal): 19.8

Recommended fuel: Premium

Emissions rating: ULEV 125

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Safety & Security

Driver and front passenger dual-stage airbags, front thorax side airbags, knee airbags and Sideguard® head curtain airbags

Front passenger occupant detection for airbags

Power central locking system with safety unlock feature if airbags deploy

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD) and brake assist

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with secondary collision brake assist and traction control (ASR)

Tire-pressure monitoring system

Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) in outboard rear seats

Electromechanical parking brake

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Exterior

Singleframe® grille

Full LED headlights

Automatic headlights

LED taillights and rear fog lights

Body-colored exterior side mirror housings

Integrated twin-trapezoidal exhaust outlets

Aluminum trim around exterior side windows

Supercharged fender badges

Power tailgate with hands-free release

Adaptive rear spoiler

LED turn signals integrated into the exterior side mirrors

Heated windshield washer nozzles

Power soft-closing doors

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Interior

Four-zone automatic climate control

Three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with shift paddles

Power tilt and telescopic adjustable steering column with memory

Power windows with one-touch up/down operation and pinch protection

Achat Gray Fine Grain Ash Wood inlays

Light cloth headliner

Sunroof

Dual front sun visors with lighted vanity mirrors

Auto-dimming interior rear view mirror

Ambient interior lighting plus

Heated, ventilated, twelve-way power front seats, including four-way power lumbar adjustment and memory for driver

Front and rear floor mats

Leather-wrapped gear selector

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Seating

Perforated leather seating surfaces

Ventilated twelve-way power front seats, including four-way power lumbar adjustment

Five-seat configuration (rear-bench seat)

Split folding 60/40 rear seatbacks with pass-through

2017 Audi A7 Prestige 3.0 TFSI Infotainment & Technology

MMI® navigation plus with voice control system

MMI® touch with handwriting-recognition technology

Audi connect® with six-month trial subscription

BOSE® Surround Sound System with 14 speakers, AudioPilot® noise-compensation and 630 watts

7” color driver information system

Audi smartphone interface including Apple CarPlay™ and Google™ Android Auto

HD Radio™ Technology

SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with 90-day trial subscription

INRIX XD™ Traffic

SD card slot with 64GB operating capacity (dual slots)

Cruise control with coast, resume and accelerate features

Audi music interface (two USB ports)

BLUETOOTH® wireless technology preparation for compatible mobile devices

BLUETOOTH® streaming audio for compatible devices

Garage door opener (HomeLink®)

Audi advanced key — keyless start, stop and entry

Parking system plus with rear view camera (front and rear acoustic parking sensors)

Audi side assist with Audi pre sense® rear

Audi pre sense® basic

Head-up display with navigation information

Audi drive select

Rain/light sensor for automatic windshield wipers and headlights

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