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morethansky · 7 months ago

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***TBB FINALE SPOILERS***

"The Cavalry Has Arrived" aka MY OTP IS CANON NOW

A truly absurd amount of meta and thoughts and screaming under the cut:

Overall

• I...loved it????? This is the biggest plot twist of all for me. Like I've said incessantly, I've had so many issues with the writing choices for this show, and I'm so grateful the brainrot set in so I could start watching it through a fandom lens and have way more fun with it than through a media critic lens and being a hater. But like...that was actually really satisfying to me within the parameters of where the show had led to in the last four episodes??

• As everyone on the planet probably knows by now, I would've been much happier if this show had led to the Batch choosing to do the right thing and joining the clone resistance, and if we never get another clone series, I will continue to be unbearable and salty about the lost potential of telling that story. But after Echo left and we stopped following his story, I gave that hope up. And ofc nothing about my criticism of this season is invalidated. But given the pieces on the board, I'd pretty wholeheartedly give the finale my stamp of approval!

• I'm ultimately glad that this show ended on a "We don't leave our own behind" note, because that's the clone energy and general Star Wars energy I'm looking for, and they did a great job of applying that theme to every non-villain in this episode, minor and unnamed characters included—but it's still so darkly funny for them to have continued to push this idea even though the first season is literally about them leaving their own behind and moving on. And then Crosshair calls them out on it. And then he just...leaves himself behind. Even in their first appearance in TCW, the Batch's entire vibe is that they keep trying to convince Rex to leave his own behind lmao. I just feel like the show wanted this adage to tie everything together, but then forgot to keep applying it somewhere along the way. But hurrah for this abundant use of it!

• My overall biggest criticism was that even within this one episode we got back on the rescue/captured/rescue/captured treadmill. It's the biggest plot crutch of the show. It's so goofy that Omega and Echo rescued both the children and the imprisoned clones by themselves. The setup made it so that by going to rescue Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair actually put her in more danger. And because they were there, more clones died, wtf!! But I do like the narrative flip—Echo and Omega were both saved by the Batch in their introductions in this era, and here are they are being the ones to save them in return. Omega and Echo also are the characters in the main cast who deserve the rescuer plotline the most, since they have been consistently portrayed as helping those in need no matter what.

• Hilariously, one of the most pivotal roles that the Forest Trio plays in regards to the GFFA at large is that they were essentially Rampart's rideshare drivers, thus enabling him to be there and force Nala Se not to hesitate to destroy Project Necromancer.

Rampart and Nala Se

• Hemlock saying his work makes him indispensable is fantastic dialogue; it just seems like some dickish thing he would say to shit on Rampart, but it ends up giving Rampart the idea to try to leverage his work to become indispensable himself, and in saying that line, Hemlock ushers his own ruin!!! This is the kind of script work I've been begging for.

• Also I was so right about Rampart being like a Kallus foil! That infamous shot of him in his sad, sterile room after Bahryn is mirrored here with Rampart sitting in pretty much the same position, except his path is the opposite from Kallus's.

• They did an EXCELLENT job with Rampart's fate. I was worried they were neutering him these last couple eps, even if the comedy was gold, but this was very well done. Everything that happens leading up to his death makes complete sense for his character, and it accomplishes the very key plot point of destroying Tantiss. At the start of the season I couldn't figure out how and why the Batch was going to end up delaying Project Necromancer for like thirty years, so I feel validated that they pretty much don't. Very typical of this show to not have the protagonists do the heroic work, but fuck it, I like this instance.

• The humanizing of Nala Se in this show has always been a bit of an interesting choice given that this is feels like such a direct successor to TCW and she was so clearly a villain there. But although they don't quite redeem her, her motivations and her fate were also artfully executed here. Her conversation with Omega pretty much takes into account every Nala Se scene in this show, which is a great way to wrap her character up. And I really like the mirror of Nala Se giving Omega her datapad in the season premiere, and Omega giving Nala Se a datapad here. Both times, Nala Se is determined to set Omega free.

• And I'm so glad there was a follow-up to the destruction of Kamino as well! Nala Se getting a bit of revenge against one of the beings responsible for the genocide of her people and destruction of her homeworld is not something I expected at all, and I love it. And the setup of Nala Se picking up the detonator and Rampart picking up the blaster is just fantastic, because you know from just those two shots that Rampart is willing to kill to gain Palpatine's favor for himself, and Nala Se is willing to die to make sure the being she loves will be free.

Echo and Omega supremacy

• Give me an Echo-led rebel show where he convinces all sorts of people in the Empire and the underworld to defect/help them, please!!! He's so good at it, completing Emerie's turn so efficiently! We have to assume Rex is also good at it given his cell and that he has clone spies and even undercover agents, but every time he sees Hunter he has tried and failed to recruit him lmao. Also REX'S NAMEDROP but him not showing up surely means...we'll see a continuation of his story soon after this...right??? Also this means Howzer still lives, oh, thank god.

• "Because it's exactly what I would do." Strategist Echo comeback yessss!! A nice little callback to the Techno Union arc that kicked this story off as well. And HELL YEAH Omega's relationship with Echo is my favorite out of all of her connections, and I'm living for their spotlight together this ep. I'm extremely invested in found family stories not relying on nuclear family narratives, and I love that you see throughout the show that Echo doesn't "raise" Omega like a kid—he trains her like a cadet. Like someone who he intends to be his equal, which is a nice and very appreciated contrast to others treating her like a precious sheltered baby.

• Their goodbye scene in "Truth and Consequences" is one of my favorites in the show, and I just adore that when Omega is upset, Echo doesn't coddle her—he reminds her of her duty to watch over the others, giving her a purpose and a reason to stand tall. When he conveys that he was worried about her and thinking of her while she was captured, he gifts her a weapon he designed and made for her during that time, so that she won't have to be defenseless after being defenseless for so long in captivity. It's so clone trooper, and I love it and the glimpses these details give us about clone culture and how the older clones cared for the shinies and the cadets and showed their love for each other.

• I also liked that Omega couldn't have escaped without Tech's training, since slicing was so vital. And all her stealthy stabbing is of course reminiscent of Hunter. And finally some emotional payoff for the ongoing bit about Wrecker being afraid of heights! I'm weak for inspirational Star Wars quotes, and this show hasn't had many, but "Just stay focused on what's ahead, not what's below," is a lovely one.

Forest conversations, my beloved

• The Kiners scored the fuck out of this episode!!! So many clever, thoughtful reprises. This is the first reappearance of Crosshair's theme that's played on the synths since he began healing! And then it segues into a soft violin tremolo version that makes me cry, and then it intertwines with "The Sacrifice" from Tech's death, ouchhhh. I have a lot of meta I need to write out about the tracks "The Reunion" and "They Always Work It Out" and how they say so much about Hunter and Crosshair, but I can't believe how well my analysis paid off in the cues in this scene! More on that in another post.

• Gosh, Wrecker's injury scared the shit out of me. But I love him so much and I'm glad he got at least a little moment, even if he didn't really have a story arc here. Or you know, in the entire damn show. And I ultimately liked that the purpose of it wasn't just to freak us out but to give them a plausible disadvantage and to give Crosshair someone to fuss over the whole time and act more recklessly because of it, thus reiterating this key character trait of his.

• I love Crosshair being worried about Wrecker and Hunter and them being worried about Crosshair. That's the squad content I crave and have been missing!! Unfortunate that it specifically has been happening when Omega is out of the picture. Writers, I swear to you, you can do both.

• Can't believe it took another half season for someone to say something about Tech's death, and it was Crosshair, who wasn't even there?? Cool line and sentiment, but man, so frustrating. I like this callback to his conversation with Rampart, though. "Depends on who's giving them" and in this first act he keeps trying to give those orders himself. Thinking of Rex on Umbara: "We're not programmed. You have to learn to make your own decisions."

• God the forest conversations in this ep and the previous one fed me so much. Hunter saying, "And so do those clones" had me literally jumping out of my seat and cheering. Baby boy, it took you so goddamn long, but thank you for finally actually giving a shit before the conclusion of your story. And "It's what I deserve," hnghhh that's the good shit, and it hearkens back perfectly to "I belong in here." And Hunter immediately telling Crosshair hell no made me very happy. And then later Hunter saying "Crosshair—" when he's worried Crosshair is still going to sacrifice himself, but Crosshair reassures him that he'll be right behind them... My heart! What a Crosshunt feast we got in this ep!!!

• Can't believe we also got so many Crosswrecker moments from the get-go and they kept coming! And my three precious little Techwrecker crumbs: the way Crosshair specifically chooses Wrecker to say the cutting remark about Tech to; the way Wrecker bows his head because that was right on target; and Wrecker being the one to watch Tech fall and to scream, "Don't do it, Tech!" in "Plan 99" yet the one to say with such conviction here, "We've always known the risks. And so did Tech." That's just so...finally accepting your beloved is gone ;_; Not really deserved by the text, which kept all but a total of like maybe one total minute of mourning off screen for some fucking reason, but.

Clone X, more like Clone Sexy

• There aren't nearly as many Clone X dudes as I expected?? I guess Crosshair's situation wasn't that rare after all? Or do they just run through them super quickly because Rex's team keeps taking them down?? Regardless, god, THEY ARE ALL SO SEXY. The way they animated their movements was so creepy and hot. And them not speaking was so eerie, I loved it. And then the moment that CX-2 did was so effective and terrifying!!! But remembering that those were clones in there is so, so heartbreaking.

• I really like that Echo really felt like both a clone trooper AND the resistance agent he is now this whole episode, and Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair actually briefly got to feel like commandos. The slick stealth and silent communication was also very sexy.

• MY GOD, I loved these action scenes. They were lit and choreographed so cool, they were super intense and had real consequences and close brushes with death, and the logic of the fight flow was really good, too. A character being incapacitated because they went to try to help an ally is always a wonderful driving force for action and gives it that crucial character-driven element that raises the stakes, and is great for making sure the main characters aren't too OP, and there was a ton of that here.

• Hunter and Wrecker getting shot by laser cannons and Hunter pushing Wrecker away from the blast made me shriek in terror AND THEN CROSSHAIR SHOOTING THE PILOT DEAD ON NO HESITATION NO ANXIETY NO TREMOR BECAUSE HOW DARE YOU HURT MY HUSBAND I'M FUCKING LIVINGGG. And then Wrecker stumbling over to Hunter and lifting the debris like he does in TCW. Boom, three pivotal character-driven action scenes in a row that divulge a key characteristic of each character! Excellently written and directed.

• Also I am SO SO SO HAPPY that we're getting to see this protective Crosshair come out in full force!!! This is the Crosshair who risked his life to try to save Mayday, who shouted hysterically when Hunter fell into the ice and was so desperate to get him out, who worried over Omega on Teth. I also really like this contrast with how he was about Echo—"Echo's on it." He knows Echo will get the job done and be safe and that's despite his former prejudice against regs. He's worried about Hunter and Wrecker and that's despite previously spending time trying to hunt them down. And when he suffers consequences, it's because of him worrying about them, and that's so delicious.

• Finally got to hear Crosshair screaming! And Hunter was already the screamer in this show, but goddamn does he get to scream in this episode. Thank you, directors, for this whump material! My man Steward Lee never lets me down.

• THE WAY THAT WHEN CROSSHAIR IS TRYING TO SAVE WRECKER HE REACHES FOR A DC-17 OMG!!!! I feel so validated! And just like with Mayday, he's incapacitated afterward...

• God the way CX-2 waits to be tossed the vibrosword and then leans down with it while Crosshair is already incapacitated is SO brutal, like this is not a battle injury. It's straight up what Anakin fucking Skywalker does to Count Dooku just before he becomes a Sith Lord, like holy shit, dude. This scene is so cool and I've watched it 10,000 times over the past 24 hours, but also why did he do that lol, is he just supposed to be particularly cruel?? Obsessed with tormenting Crosshair for some reason?? Also, these vibroswords are exactly how I've pictured Ahsoka's being in A Future for Us :D

• At this point I was like, uhhh, the messaging of Crosshair struggling with this psychomatic hand tremor since the first episode of the season and then the symptom literally being taken out of his........hands sure is a Choice, especially coupled with how they've treated Echo (or you know, not). When they showed him still with the symptoms later, I was very relieved, AND THEN HUNTER LITERALLY CURES CROSSHAIR THROUGH THE POWER OF THE LOVE AND FAITH AND TRUST HE HAS FOR HIM IS THERE ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD???? But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Echo is the GOAT

• "You were helping us, Dr. Karr?" / "I am." I love this subtle line and how Emerie acknowledges that she wasn't sure of her loyalties before but is certain now. And I love that she says such a clone trooper thing, "You have my word," and then doing the clone shoulder pat, especially in direct contrast to the natborn kids hugging Omega just before.

• "Hey, kids. ...And other kids." is just so fucking 501st, I can't explain it. I'm just so ecstatic that they did Echo such justice in the end, giving a nod to everything about his character, even his dorkass cadet personality. And it wasn't just so he could die, thank god!!!

• Like Echo even got a DARTH VADER homage??? That's his mass-murdering general (affectionate). More on this here!

• Also is there anything more Big Dick Energy in the world than Echo eviscerating Rampart—who either the clones would recognize as a former vice admiral or at least see his captain rank plaque—with what may not be a theme this show really earned but is ABSOLUTELY a theme that Echo deserves and has shouldered for over two seasons...and then just straight up shoving him out of the way so that he can talk to his brothers???? And with his stormtrooper helmet—which is like Echo refusing to dirty his hands (including his new, long-awaited one) by touching Rampart oh my god??? Sexiest man alive.

• So the answer is no, there isn't. Fives is hollering from the afterlife. Half those clones immediately developed a crush on him in that moment. That one clone later placing a blaster in Echo's arms so gently confirmed this for me (remember the symbolism of Echo making the energy crossbow for Omega? He even gives her his borrowed blaster in this scene), but it's so sad that he died because of it, whyyy.

• Also I love the "Clones don't leave our brothers behind" riff on the "We don't leave our own behind" adage. It's very fitting that Hunter would put it that way because he only means his squad (+/-1), whereas Echo would see it as meaning his people.

• And I love how when Rampart first shoves Echo, the clone in front that Echo's been talking to prickles and makes brief eye contact with him, to be like, "Should we take him? I've got your back." I felt that girls (gender neutral) in the bathroom energy so hard.

• The clones helping each other out of their cells made me so emotional. And it's the same way that Hunter and Crosshair do later...

• Echo asking for volunteers, just like Rex did on Umbara..................

• I think this post is breaking and I'm still only two-thirds of the way through my rewatch, oops. And yesterday I stayed up until 8 a.m. after I put it on again after watching it for the first time... I'm so normal about this show. More tomorrow!

• Part 2!

#the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #this ended up being 3k of me gushing about echo sorry not sorry #love of my life #amph talks #the bad batch #star wars

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ehhh2000 · 5 months ago

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Tekken 8 - Anti Reina Mishima Stamp(Rant) Huge Tekken 8 Spoilers!

This is gonna piss off Reina fans, but just a friendly reminder..... this is my opinion. If you love her, go on a page that praises her. You won't get it here. Alright here goes.

I was playing Tekken 8 at my friend's house. It was a fun time, and the story has improved from Tekken 7 (with the bland, monotone narrator gone, thank god) and..... Tekken 6 (ugh!) but has a few flaws.

The biggest flaw which almost ruined Tekken 8 for me, was this character, called Reina Mishima.

This is without a doubt, one of the most poorly written female characters I have ever seen in my entire life.

You mean to tell me that Lucky Chloe gets shit from Tekken fans, but Reina Mishima gets a free pass? WTF? I mean I am not a fan of Lucky Chloe (ok her character design is cute, but she is abusive AF to Eddie T.T) but at least she wasn't a forced and contrived, plot device character like Reina, and is just a dumb troll character from the creator, as a middle finger to their haters that really hated her guts.

Like you think Rey from Star Wars, Disney Remake Mulan, Bella Swan, or Captain Marvel were bad?

Well, that is nothing comparred to this DeviantArt OC, Mary-Sue reject.

So Reina is the daughter of Heihachi Mishima. (Oh, so we are doing the Lars Alexandersson plot-twist, from Tekken 6 again, in 2024... aka lazy, repetitive writing for Tekken 8 when it comes to introducing new characters... got it 👍)

My issues with her that makes her a poorly written character is that:

-She is a flawless fighter, like Disney remake's Mulan bad. I know she is suppose to have flawless fighting moves like Heihachi, but good god, this is just embarrasing.

Edit: Ok, I understand that it is a fighting game, and the Mishima's are suppose to be powerful, badass fighters, so Reina should be no exception. Fair enough. I still think she is a self-insert character because she was just thrown into the story, with no buildup or references from previous games (Same issue I had with Lars in Tekken 6 btw, he just exists to replace Jin as a MC, and they made him a Mishima to make him more relavant, instead of him just standing out on his own as a character. I don't hate Lars btw, he has a cool character design, but the hair is riduclous, and I felt indifferent towards him at first, but now I kinda see him as a potential father figure to Jin in Tekken 8.)

-She is trying too hard to be a hardcore, edgy, tomboy, cool-looking version of Asuka, so I will call her the poor man's Asuka Kazama.

-Her character design and oufit is uninspired and too modern for my liking (Black boots, black short-shorts and A black and purple hoddie, huh.... how creative... -_-) oh and short black hair and purple streaks to add to the edgy, tomboy look. (Or the Karen look as I like to call it ^^)

-She is younger than Jin Kazama, YOUNGER! Despite being Jin's aunty. Yes, you heard correctly. I think the creators wanted a self-insert character to have some sort of sex appeal, which is why they made her look younger and prettier, and show off her legs (which gives me the ick.) And her calling Jin "Senpai" didn't help either.

(I also didn't like the fact the creators made Kazumi Mishima and Jun Kazama look younger than their own sons, like what is wrong with looking a bit older, mature and graceful? I actually want to see a badass, old lady in Tekken that can fight! Kazumi felt like a missed opportunity in that sense.)

-She manages to beat the shit out of Kazuya in her ending, despite her looking like a twig. Reminding me too much of something out Inuyasha, when that abusive, unbearable, bratty, girl Kagome would do the same thing to her love interest Inuyasha, for comedy! 🙄

I will admit that Kazuya is a shitty father (Sorry fans 😭 don't kill me) at least Kazuya has flaws, he is a damaged man, blinded by hatred, rage and has an obssession with power, like it's a drug to him. A wrathful devilman, but not completely heartless, otherwise he would just be another mini Heihachi.

Reina has no flaws, no personality, no interesting backstory and is just a pathetic Jerk-Sue Character (a Mary-Sue that is a Jerk, with no consequences for her actions.)

-She is also not a good plot-twist character either, again, she just ripped off Lars' backstory, so there is no originality from her.

-And to add to the cherry on top, when it comes to her being a poorly written, fanfic-styled Mary-Sue character, she is also....... a devil! 😈 Unless if it is revealed that she is Kazumi's daughter or something, then why the hell does she have to devil gene? And she wants to be the new Heihachi, huh? Wait till she finds out that Heihachi is the OG devil hater.

Terrible twist, terrible story, and a terrible first impression of Reina. 🤬 Fuck this character!

#rant #reina mishima #antireina #poorly written #like wtf #femalecharacters #marysue #overrated #overratedAF #i hate her #idc #my opinion #haters gonna hate #tekken #tekken 8 #jin kazama #kazuya mishima #heihachi mishima

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rrotcodfox · 10 months ago

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possible eyestrain/flash warning

my little intro 😵😵😵😵

i hope im doing this right because im super new to tumblr and this intro is far from little…

╔═ஓ๑ ♱ ๑ஓ════╗

IM AYDEN 👽 im 16 and use he/him

really heavily into a lot of stuff right now specific things being we happy few, palworld, postal, undertale, warrior cats, eragon book series baldurs gate 3, and more i cant tbink of

lapfox trax and kmfdm are currently my biggest obsessions but i like other bands too

i would put this on the boundary list but i do NOT want any columbiner tcc freaks following me im tired of you morons giving kmfdm a bad rep.. you guys are exactly what kmfdm hates

i reclaim slurs and i do so frequently so probably dont interact if youre not good with that

fair warning i do have audhd and i am not great with people and i overshare on certain topics a lot, which can really be seen here because my intro is a mess

┊BOUNDAR/DNI LIST┊

typically i dont have any need to make a dni list because i just block people i dont like but considering the people on tumblr……… yeaaah!!

for starters, typical dni criteria, racists, bigots, homophobes, transphobes, etc

ABSOLUTELY FUCK OFF if youre apart of the tcc and/or little moronic columbine fanatic group i hate you and i wish you would all die, if youre a cat disliker/hater i will not elaborating on this, murderer sympathizers, furry haters im a furry myself i do not want to be friends with you

preferably dni if you are over 19, only talk politics, only talk about how your life sucks and nobody likes you, only talk drama

i am okay with joke flirting, sexual jokes, reclaiming slurs, offensive jokes (that is if you can say offensive jokes)

PLEASE INTERACT BG3 fans, cat lovers, NORMAL kmfdm fans, we happy few fans, people who like the prodigy, people who arent rude just to be a dick, postal fans

┊ stamps! i love stamps ┊

treating my intro like a myspace account

tumblr let me use more than 10 photos

#kmfdm #im begging you guys cool people talk to me i need friends #postal #intro post #warrior cats #i feel a little guilty for using these tags for somereason not sure why #lapfox trax #renard queenston #we happy few #flash warning for the stamps 😓#super nervous to post this mainly because i know im gonna look back on it and projectile vomit everywhere #the prodigy #postal dude #postal redux #whf #SoundCloud

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birf · 11 months ago

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I need a deviantart style stamp going “my hero academia’s blue sky biggest hater”

#i hate it #i hate so much #and i want everyone to know about it

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liliuastrawberry · 1 year ago

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Do you find any Dashie and Wolfgirl character or ships overrated by the fandom?

✿ Does Izzy find any D&W characters/ships to be overrated?

I’m glad you asked. I don’t have any characters that I find overrated, but I do have a couple of ships. Not getting into all of them on this post though.

Let’s get into it!

✿ Milo & Lee

This ship is so gross on so many levels imo. I’m not against gay ships in the slightest. I have tons and tons of characters in queer relationships, but this one just isn’t good mainly because Milo and Lee fall into the found family troupe. The found family troupe is when a group of unrelated characters come together as their own family based on different connections and shared experiences rather than blood/relations. They see each other as brothers. BROTHERS EVERYONE!!! They are two peas in a pod. When Milo jumps in to save Lee vice versa is because that’s his brother!!! They have never viewed each other romantically. They quite literally grew up together too and it’s so obvious when you watch their interactions together. I don’t even have to site anything, JUST WATCH ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ On that note: honestly we need to save Milo and Lee because a majority of the people who like them are genuinely weird as hell and they like them for weird reasons. I have yet to hear people actually like Milo and Lee for the amazing writing, build up, and characterization. Like as stand alone characters in the series they are SO SO GOOD and they do deserve the hype that they get, however they’re getting it for the wrong reasons and I think that’s why I personally tend to stray away from them and love other characters more. (AGAIN it’s not because I don’t like them, because I do like them, however the weird jokes and over sexualization from the fandom really ruin it for longtime fans like me).

✿ Milo x Ava

This one isn’t super popular, but I see it so often that I need to comment on it because..ew. At first I was really confused as to where tf this ship came from until I started to rewatch some of Wolfie’s older videos (to gather up my evidence because I don’t just say crap without having the evidence behind it) and I came across the short film “Shadow”. In this short film we see Ava following Milo around as he tries to have conversations and finish his chores, but Ava keeps on crowding around him - not because she’s in love with him (because how dare a female character be around a male unless she’s in love with him!!!!), but because she admits towards the end of the film (time stamp: 4:41) that she really looks up to Milo and wants to be just like him when she’s older. I think it’s incredibly weird how many times people asked under that video if Milo & Ava’s hug was a kiss because not only are the events that occurred platonic, but because Ava acts and sounds significantly younger than Milo. Heck the doll herself looks so much younger too. Chloe was mentioned in that video too..Milo’s girlfriend?? Hellooooo? Why would he kiss Ava? Let’s use our brains!

✿ Milo x Kolya

One word. Ewwwwww!!

(Editors note: the fact that a lot of these are Milo is concerning lol)

✿ Bonus!! contrary to popular belief - I really like Shison!!

I’ve been seeing this ship get a loooottt of heat in the livestreams mainly because people do not understand that they are not related in the slightest, but also because Mason x Milo has become incredibly popular. Nothing against Mason x Milo, BUT SHISON ON TOP MMMKAY???

/)/)

( ᴗ͈ᆺᴗ͈ )つ━☆ ･*。

⊂ 　ノ　　　･°

しㅡＪ　　　°。+ * 。

I am their biggest hater and also biggest defender.

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lavelled · 3 months ago

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frenching my athletes.

A stabbing in Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom, near Sussex Road, left three little girls dead. Please don’t harm children.

Your handiwork, Henri.

Why not blaze a trail like Malcolm X, next to your bedhire wife, whom you don’t live with, and go console the mournful parents by pointing heavenward to declare pedos first and coax them to watch your bullshit interview?

An unasked-for televised event was your Oprah interview. It caused a self-made billionaire and media leader to plead, on air, to be chiseled free. It was where the wife, in scripted speech and zero cyber allowance, taught us that the Internet is the wild, wild, West and oppressive racism permeates on the corner of Lord Privilege Avenue and Barrington Court. Your new interview on online harm was that royal curriculum of sort of admitting yes you’re that leading hunched figure on the Internet posting internal messages of fenced-in childhood rape that spell disaster while your NDA-signed robot, paid to not look at media reports, feigns digital awareness concern. I’m supposed to flip the normal life lies, rat rationality, do-goodness, nope they’re pathologically evil. As if it were so easy.

You advertise Rachel’s homemaker show, for whatever reason, with a nod to rape culture so that even Martha Stewart equals a bowl of soup or starter course to you. You need to stop borrowing Martha’s domestic businesswoman identity. The Executive Summit doesn’t exist. You use repurposed photos to mislead the public. Hamptons is “mattress” and “stamped” and “knotted” toward an unconsenting girl. Your partnered lies result in self-harm and tragedy, but do continue.

Because we’re all so rapt, hemorrhaging sympathy for a life-stealing prince with access to media. One person not buying your shit is model and author, Stephanie Adams, who jumped to her death in NYC on the eve of your vanity wedding. She was holding her young son at the time.

A 2005 AP Archive birthday promotional video: Prince Harry Celebrates 21st Birthday On Thursday. 45 seconds—amidst a prairie grassland barns & noble—you talk of a roll in the hay. Your words: “Probably do something crude. Nothing worth mentioning on camera. We’ve celebrated other guys’ birthdays so far with cards, but, luckily, I think we finish exercise, so we may tuck into a beer or two if we’re lucky.” You’re Charlie demanding, in opposite Irish pro-bono terms, that you’re owed a girl after burying her into the earth. The old brooms that lean on green windows? You are trying to claim first cousin anatomical property in rape-like fashion.

In Xtinction, we’ve lifted digital camouflaging on Archillect, Murat Pak, Elon Musk, Piers Morgan, Spencer Morgan and Bill Ackman. You’re the main Twitterer for miles around. You controlled former President Trump’s page upon a time where you etched the garish: “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.” At 12:06 a.m. A morsel of non-words welded together for Tom.

Another endeavor of yours was tweeting insult-laden mapwork about Haters and Losers.

Loser is the world’s biggest action star who performs his own mountainside and flying stunts.

Hate means implicit cruelty and other trappings, but mostly girl-owner (philanthropist). You rearrange letters in Cheat. In 2003, you tried to play victim by pointing a finger or foot at an uncle jailer, wearing painted artistic bloodstains. Though, you’ve been presiding judge. Google: Prince Won’t Face 2nd Probe on Cheating Claims—NBC News.

Hate means 8. You linked, chained, harnessed, handcuffed my star cult. No small matter, it’s just the cult is being killed off by your wife and family. Evan Wright, Rolling Stone reporter and author of Generation Kill, which was a tv series. Suicide. Gun to the head. July 12, 2024. British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen. Suicide. February 11, 2010. Green Street, London.

You tweeted this gleaming passage: “I would like to extend my best wishes to all, even the haters and losers, on this special date, September 11.” That’s one way to use the World Trade Center inferno to tell America, the military, all humanity of your 911 policing job.

Smart.

#reading #books

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lightat25ji · 1 year ago

Text

Even before I downloaded the game I always thought Ena was super pretty. But when I downloaded, I got to play it myself, got to see her myself. The first time that I was reading her dialogue, oh my god. I would just press the screen and as the dialogue changed, she would make another cute face, and another, and another. And when I first saw her smile. It was truly a magical moment. Then I read the story. I read all of the Nightcord main story. I watched her self intro. All of her first and second side stories on the Ena cards I own. All the event stories with Ena in it. I know all of the Ena lore. No one knows Ena Shinonome from Project Sekai more than me.

Whenever I play Nightcord at 25:00 songs, and I hear Ena’s voice in the song, I lose my shit. How can one have such an angelic and mesmerizing voice? Then I see her dancing. Oh my lord. Every day I wake up and think about Ena Shinonome. I think of that how she was born on April 30th, how she is 158 centimeters tall and how she wears a choker in one of her outfits. When I wake up and open Project Sekai I first go to her profile and admire her beauty. Her beautiful brown hair and eyes. Every day I think of how unfairly everyone treats Ena. I just want to kill her shitass dad. Like man why don’t you put your bulldog face away and treat your daughter with some respect like she deserves. He does not deserve to share a blood bond with Ena. She is absolutely so talented and you have no right to say otherwise because you are a dumbass. Same with Akito. God I just hate Akito Shinonome. I wish to never see his face in my life again. I wish to never hear his voice. I wish for him to be deleted from Project Sekai. He is truly a nuisance to everyone around him, especially Ena and the other members of Vivid Bad Squad. That mf does not deserve to be in the same group as An. An is a goddess. Anyway this is about Ena let’s continue. Another person that does not deserve Ena at all is Mafuyu. Bro you get to sing with Ena Shinonome and talk to her everyday but you are still depressed? Man I would be the happiest person on earth. Yet you still show no emotions with ur brocken ass and tell Ena that her drawings are just “ok” like please shut up nobody likes you. Ena is an amazing artist and I am so proud of her. Her personality is amazing as well. I absolutely love how she can be a softie sometimes, especially towards Mizuki (#mizuenacanon). If she was real I would make thousands of alt accounts just to follow her social media account. I love you Enanan. I wish you could know how happy you make me. I will pull all of her 4 star cards, just you watch. I love Ena Shinonome with all the love I have in my body. She is all I need. Only I deserve to have all her cards. I will buy all her stamps (I only have a few left), and all her covers (almost none left right now). Ena was my favorite Project Sekai character before I started playing Project Sekai, she was my favorite when I first downloaded Project Sekai, she was my favorite when I first played Project Sekai, she was my favorite when I had the game for a month, and today is my 2nd month anniversary of playing Project Sekai and she is still my favorite character in the game. I have never betrayed Ena, she was always my fav Project Sekai character. There is no greater Project Sekai character like Ena Shinonome. I live Ena Shinonome, I breathe Ena Shinonome, I am Ena Shinonome. Be a true Ena fan and then tell me you are an Ena fan. I am the only one who’s worth of Ena Shinonome. No one else deserves her as much as I do. I will protect her with all my love and energy always. I will always doxx Ena haters. I am here for you Ena. I will not let anyone hate you. I am the biggest Ena Shinonome fan. If there are 10 Ena Shinonome fans in the world, I am one of them. If there are 5 Ena Shinonome fans left, I am still one of them. If there is 1 Ena Shinonome fan left in the world, I am still one of them, that one person IS me. And if there are 0 Ena Shinonome fans left in the world, I am dead. (copypasta)

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midnightmisadventures · 1 year ago

Text

Ugh guys I regret to inform you I've had more fuck ass drsms

I've never felt haters this bad in my subconscious before

First that one copy cat stereotypical karmic bitch

Now, we were at some school prom. We had our luggage and was on our way to a hair appt. Just passing through. When we got there our luggage had to go through a sort of "coat check."

They stamped our hand a gave a wristband corresponding to our stuff

So we saw the prom, we saw the festivities but it wasn't over when we realized we were gonna be late if we didn't leave

So we go to the desk to get our stuff, we trade in our wristbands and the woman out the counter immediately starting acting weird towards us

And was basically like "uh no, I just realized I don't really recognize you guys, yea you're not getting your stuff"

And she started making me go through all these tests. Like smiling and she'd be like "yea just doesn't seem sincere, NEXT"

And I was becoming livid. Like she started being the biggest bitch arguing with us. And she was just like I'm starting to think you didn't even go here.

And at first I was trying to hide that fact cause they didn't question us on the way in. But she was being difficult so I was like fuck it.

I started yelling that you can't just take our stuff, and decide you don't want to give it back that's illegal there's laws against it. You didn't inform us that we had to be alumni when you TOOK our stuff. Which you REQUIRED

I was fronting on all the law terms, but I'd figured it was right.

0 notes

titsuya · 3 years ago

Note

CONGRATS ON 800 SAR, i'll give u two things:

first a kiss (obviously the best one >:c)

and.. wholesome suna headcanons <3!!!

- suna asks u to shave ur kitty meow meow because he says it bothers him

- suna doesn't clean between his ass cheeks in the shower because he thinks that men should be dirty

- suna eats his boogers

- suna has dirty toenails and bites them clean

- suna definetly collects your shaved leg/arm/tummy/face/pussy hairs and keeps them in bags as memoirs

hope this made your day bestie! love you loads <333

i swear, joy, ur about to get blocked

#— luv letters 💌#— luvjoy #— mooooties 🐄#stamped by my biggest hater

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

Link

It's 53% alcohol and tastes like fire. Here's how this liquor brand took over China At 1,498 yuan, or $209 for a half-liter bottle, it might not sound like the kind of bargain Costco shoppers usually go for — but in this case, it absolutely was. That price represented a steep discount over Moutai sold elsewhere — that is, if you could get your hands on it. The luxury spirit is so beloved in China, it sold out quickly. “Anytime they have any stock [of the product] available, it’s going to be gone almost instantly,” said Ben Cavender, the Shanghai-based managing director of China Market Research Group. “You’ll see people clamoring [for it].” Apart from the Chinese diaspora, however, Moutai is still virtually unknown overseas. Almost all — about 97% — of its sales come from China alone, according to its financial reports. So how is a company that sells its products primarily in just one country now worth more than some longstanding global behemoths? And can Kweichow Moutai, which is described by some Westerners as “drinking liquid razor blades,” succeed in appealing to non-Chinese consumers? From historic icon to status symbol Moutai has one unmistakable advantage: the drink is China’s national spirit. Moutai baijiu — the type of liquor the company makes — is a clear, potent spirit that’s been dubbed “firewater,” thanks to the fact that it’s 53% alcohol. The red-and-white bottles of its flagship product, “Feitian,” or “Flying Fairy,” are a staple at Chinese state banquets and business events. Known as the favorite tipple of Mao Zedong, founder of Communist China, and as the “drink of diplomacy,” it was famously used to welcome former US President Richard Nixon on his historic trip to China in 1972, and again in 2013 when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his US counterpart, Barack Obama, in California. Once, at a state dinner in 1974, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told Deng Xiaoping, the future Chinese leader: “I think if we drink enough Moutai, we can solve anything.” “Then, when I go back to China, we must take steps to increase our production of it,” Deng responded, according to an archived US government transcript. Being part of so many major public events in China “really set the brand in the national consciousness,” said Cavender, who likened it to another giant beverage maker, Coca-Cola, in that regard. “That’s the same reason why Coke has actually done so well from a marketing perspective. If you look at the way they’ve done their advertising over the past 50 years, they’re at pretty much every big event. You see Coke at when the Berlin Wall comes down. You see Coke commercials at Christmas. I think Moutai is that brand for China, and so I think that part explains why it’s so popular.” A Moutai representative declined requests to be interviewed for this story. Some say the story goes back even further in Communist Party lore. During the Red Army’s “Long March” in China in the 1930s, soldiers used to pour Moutai on their feet to help disinfect wounds, Chinese state media has reported, citing a former army lieutenant general. Legend has it that members of the Red Army even used to turn to the drink to knock themselves out before surgery, said Hao Hong, head of research at BOCOM International, the securities arm of China’s Bank of Communications. “It’s a story [that goes around],” he said. “They didn’t have anesthesia. So they had to use Moutai as a drug to numb [people] from surgery.” Today, the brand is seen more as a luxury status symbol than for its “Red” roots. Some customers buy it not to drink, but to keep as investments. Limited-edition cases are collected and showcased by international auction houses, like Christie’s, which says that some bottles can fetch more than $40,000 each. Moutai has found a way to be “approachable for a lot of regular consumers, at least for special occasions,” while at the same time also offering collectors’ items that reach the ultra-rich, said Cavender. “That’s something that makes Moutai, I think, different, from a lot of the international beverage brands,” he said. It’s also been a tremendous advantage during an economically tough year: wealthy consumers who are spending less on travel may splurge more on liquor, Cavender added. A meteoric rise Moutai has long been seen as one of China’s blue-chip stocks. In 2017, it became the world’s biggest liquor maker by market value, surpassing Diageo (DEO), the British owner of Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Tanqueray. In 2019, Moutai also became the first Chinese company since 2005 to see its share price hit 1,000 yuan (about $145), notching another market record. And last year, it became the most valuable non-tech company in China. (Alibaba and Tencent, the country’s top two tech giants, are valued higher, with their shares listed in New York and Hong Kong respectively.) In 2020, Moutai’s shares soared 69% to record highs. Hong said that he believed there was no major impetus for the rally last year; just that “most people are gradually realizing the ability of this company to be able to generate strong cash flow and no debt.” “It’s like a badge of honor for value investing,” he added. “People love the stock — because year after year, it just continues to deliver.” Xian Li, a 66-year-old retiree in Shanghai, is one of those people. He’s invested in Moutai since 2004, just three years after it went public. Li said he was excited to buy in because it was clear from the beginning that the company was “financially healthy,” and able to reward shareholders with a generous dividend. Since then, he’s invested more than 136,000 yuan (about $21,000) into the stock. The payoff has been huge: a few years ago, he made enough to put his son through university. “The dividend [alone] each year could cover my daily expenses,” said Li, who plans to hold onto the stock indefinitely. “It’s also going to help me to afford medical bills and nursing home expenses.” Not everyone is so bullish. Allen Cheng, an equity analyst at Morningstar, made headlines in 2019 when he downgraded his rating on Moutai’s stock to sell. Cheng, who has since maintained that position, argues that the company’s prospects are overblown, and that “the market has already reflected all the positives of the past 10 years.” “Being the only hater is really difficult for me,” he said with a laugh. “I think it’s a bubble here.” Authorities, too, have warned investors of a potential stock bubble. In 2017, Moutai suffered a huge selloff — wiping $7.8 billion off its market cap in one day — after state-run news agency Xinhua, which often conveys the Communist leadership’s sentiment, urged investors to take a more “rational view” of the company. “It’s important for Kweichow Moutai … to stick to its slow pace,” Xinhua said in an editorial. “Pulling up a plant to make it grow inevitably leads to unbearable pain. Short-sighted speculation will cause tremendous damage to the value of investment.” The move was not uncommon. Beijing frequently tries to sway investors through state media, such as last summer, when a government-run publication encouraged people to buy into stocks. That could have a domino effect, particularly because mainland Chinese stock markets are dominated by retail investors. According to a 2020 survey by the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation, almost all investors there — 99% — were individuals. The making of Moutai One of Moutai’s biggest advantages is its ability to keep the price of its product high. It claims to have limited capacity since it can only produce its drinks in one place. Similar to champagne — which comes from the eponymous region in France — Kweichow Moutai is named after Maotai, a picturesque small town in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou. (The company’s name is based on an old romanization of the town’s Chinese name.) Like champagne, the drink can only be called Moutai if it’s produced in that specific location. This is where the company says its baijiu — distilled from fermented sorghum and rice — gets the magic touch. Environmental factors, such as the town’s climate and seasonal changes in the water of the local river, help give the liquor its unique taste and is “beneficial to the production process,” according to the Moutai Museum. Inside the town, Moutai’s impact on the economy is deeply felt. As of 2019, Maotai was the richest town in western China, according to disposable income statistics from the municipal government of Renhuai, in Guizhou province. (Guizhou is among the country’s poorest regions.) That would never have happened if it weren’t for the beverage giant, said Qi Wang, a local resident. “Kweichow Moutai is the leader of Maotai,” he said, adding that the company’s boom helped encourage him to open his own liquor factory. “It influences all aspects of the town’s development.” Its close ties with the government don’t always guarantee protection, though. In 2013, sales slumped when President Xi embarked on an anti-corruption drive, leading the government to stamp out any sign of “extravagance” among officials, including of expensive liquor. The campaign led to “unprecedented pressure” on the alcohol industry, Moutai noted in an earnings report. Sales still grew that year, but only around 17%, compared to 44% the previous year. In 2014, that number plunged to about 2%. The firm has since bounced back — though it now faces other problems. In recent years, it’s been dogged by numerous corruption scandals, which has led to the ouster of several top executives, according to state media. Other major firms have faced similar pressure. China regularly investigates powerful executives for corruption — while using the findings to send a warning to others. This month, a Chinese court sentenced Lai Xiaomin, the former chief of a top, state-owned financial firm, to death for bribery. Is China enough? Moutai has an outsize reliance on the Chinese market. To be sure, the company has tried to push overseas, notably by starting a “fan club” in the United States, traveling to Africa to woo new business partners and teaming up with foreign players, such as Italy’s Inter Milan soccer club. But for the most part, it’s had little to show for it. In 2019, almost 97% of sales still came from China. Last March, the company launched a social media campaign called “stay at home with Moutai,” which encouraged users around the world to try new recipes during lockdown. One Instagram and Twitter post, for instance, suggested mixing the drink into a “sunset cocktail,” while another offered instructions for a noodle dish that could pair with the liquor. The campaign demonstrated an effort to stay connected with international consumers, even during the pandemic. But analysts have pointed to other challenges ahead. Moutai needs to do more to diversify, according to Spiros Malandrakis, industry manager of alcoholic drinks at Euromonitor International. “It needs to have started yesterday,” he said. “International spirits always start local, like baijiu, but they become international. That’s the key. That’s how you take over the world. That’s how you become sustainably big.” Malandrakis pointed to Mexican tequila, Russian vodka and American bourbon as examples. None of those “would have survived” if they didn’t go global, he added. The process, of course, doesn’t happen overnight. William Dong, managing director of Evershine Australia, which distributes Moutai in Australia, New Zealand and Italy, said that many people still need to be educated about what baijiu even is. “We have distributed the product into basically everywhere that we could,” he said in an interview from Sydney. At the end of the day, most customers are still Chinese, he added. “I would say probably 80%.” It doesn’t help that the drink is an acquired taste. Some people eschew Moutai’s strong kick, while others label it “firewater.” “[Some] Westerners find it, and I quote, ‘kind of like drinking liquid razor blades,'” said Malandrakis. An even bigger threat, however, may be generational and gender gaps within China. Currently, the core demographic for baijiu is 40 to 60-year-old men, according to Malandrakis. “The next generation of drinkers does not particularly want to do exactly what their father’s generation did,” he explained. “It’s not great for the future, if you don’t start having new people coming in.” Malandrakis compared it to sherry, which was loved for centuries but later fell out of popularity as it “became synonymous with consumption of older populations.” Not everyone is so worried. Even with its weak international position, Moutai’s baijiu was the world’s best-selling liquor in 2019, according to Euromonitor. “The Chinese market is so big, and it’s continuing to become more wealthy,” said Cavender. He also noted a recent swell in local pride, which could draw more domestic consumers in. For all its challenges, even critics admit the company’s dominance is nowhere near diminishing. “The brand — and the heritage that the brand has — it’s really impossible to replicate that,” Cavender said. “Somebody can’t set up a new venture tomorrow and do what they can do. It’s not sort of possible to go back in time and get Mao Zedong to be interested in your drink. It’s not possible to sort of be located in the town where they make their products. So I think they have a strong built-in story that allows them to flourish.” CNN’s Beijing bureau and Serenitie Wang contributed to this report. Source link Orbem News #alcohol #Brand #Business #China #Fire #Heres #HowliquorbrandKweichowMoutaitookoverChinaandbecametheworld'slargestbeveragemaker-CNN #Liquor #tastes

0 notes

dipulb3 · 4 years ago

Text

It's 53% alcohol and tastes like fire. Here's how this liquor brand took over China

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/its-53-alcohol-and-tastes-like-fire-heres-how-this-liquor-brand-took-over-china/

It's 53% alcohol and tastes like fire. Here's how this liquor brand took over China

At 1,498 yuan, or $209 for a half-liter bottle, it might not sound like the kind of bargain Costco shoppers usually go for — but in this case, it absolutely was. That price represented a steep discount over Moutai sold elsewhere — that is, if you could get your hands on it. The luxury spirit is so beloved in China, it sold out quickly.

“Anytime they have any stock [of the product] available, it’s going to be gone almost instantly,” said Ben Cavender, the Shanghai-based managing director of China Market Research Group. “You’ll see people clamoring [for it].”

Apart from the Chinese diaspora, however, Moutai is still virtually unknown overseas. Almost all — about 97% — of its sales come from China alone, according to its financial reports.

So how is a company that sells its products primarily in just one country now worth more than some longstanding global behemoths? And can Kweichow Moutai, which is described by some Westerners as “drinking liquid razor blades,” succeed in appealing to non-Chinese consumers?

From historic icon to status symbol

Moutai has one unmistakable advantage: the drink is China’s national spirit.

Moutai baijiu — the type of liquor the company makes — is a clear, potent spirit that’s been dubbed “firewater,” thanks to the fact that it’s 53% alcohol. The red-and-white bottles of its flagship product, “Feitian,” or “Flying Fairy,” are a staple at Chinese state banquets and business events.

Known as the favorite tipple of Mao Zedong, founder of Communist China, and as the “drink of diplomacy,” it was famously used to welcome former US President Richard Nixon on his historic trip to China in 1972, and again in 2013 when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his US counterpart, Barack Obama, in California.

Once, at a state dinner in 1974, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told Deng Xiaoping, the future Chinese leader: “I think if we drink enough Moutai, we can solve anything.”

“Then, when I go back to China, we must take steps to increase our production of it,” Deng responded, according to an archived US government transcript.

Being part of so many major public events in China “really set the brand in the national consciousness,” said Cavender, who likened it to another giant beverage maker, Coca-Cola, in that regard.

“That’s the same reason why Coke has actually done so well from a marketing perspective. If you look at the way they’ve done their advertising over the past 50 years, they’re at pretty much every big event. You see Coke at when the Berlin Wall comes down. You see Coke commercials at Christmas. I think Moutai is that brand for China, and so I think that part explains why it’s so popular.”

A Moutai representative declined requests to be interviewed for this story.

Some say the story goes back even further in Communist Party lore. During the Red Army’s “Long March” in China in the 1930s, soldiers used to pour Moutai on their feet to help disinfect wounds, Chinese state media has reported, citing a former army lieutenant general.

Legend has it that members of the Red Army even used to turn to the drink to knock themselves out before surgery, said Hao Hong, head of research at BOCOM International, the securities arm of China’s Bank of Communications.

“It’s a story [that goes around],” he said. “They didn’t have anesthesia. So they had to use Moutai as a drug to numb [people] from surgery.”

Today, the brand is seen more as a luxury status symbol than for its “Red” roots. Some customers buy it not to drink, but to keep as investments. Limited-edition cases are collected and showcased by international auction houses, like Christie’s, which says that some bottles can fetch more than $40,000 each.

Moutai has found a way to be “approachable for a lot of regular consumers, at least for special occasions,” while at the same time also offering collectors’ items that reach the ultra-rich, said Cavender.

“That’s something that makes Moutai, I think, different, from a lot of the international beverage brands,” he said.

It’s also been a tremendous advantage during an economically tough year: wealthy consumers who are spending less on travel may splurge more on liquor, Cavender added.

A meteoric rise

Moutai has long been seen as one of China’s blue-chip stocks. In 2017, it became the world’s biggest liquor maker by market value, surpassing Diageo (DEO), the British owner of Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Tanqueray.

In 2019, Moutai also became the first Chinese company since 2005 to see its share price hit 1,000 yuan (about $145), notching another market record. And last year, it became the most valuable non-tech company in China. (Alibaba and Tencent, the country’s top two tech giants, are valued higher, with their shares listed in New York and Hong Kong respectively.)

In 2020, Moutai’s shares soared 69% to record highs.

Hong said that he believed there was no major impetus for the rally last year; just that “most people are gradually realizing the ability of this company to be able to generate strong cash flow and no debt.”

“It’s like a badge of honor for value investing,” he added. “People love the stock — because year after year, it just continues to deliver.”

Xian Li, a 66-year-old retiree in Shanghai, is one of those people. He’s invested in Moutai since 2004, just three years after it went public.

Li said he was excited to buy in because it was clear from the beginning that the company was “financially healthy,” and able to reward shareholders with a generous dividend.

Since then, he’s invested more than 136,000 yuan (about $21,000) into the stock. The payoff has been huge: a few years ago, he made enough to put his son through university.

“The dividend [alone] each year could cover my daily expenses,” said Li, who plans to hold onto the stock indefinitely. “It’s also going to help me to afford medical bills and nursing home expenses.”

Not everyone is so bullish. Allen Cheng, an equity analyst at Morningstar, made headlines in 2019 when he downgraded his rating on Moutai’s stock to sell.

Cheng, who has since maintained that position, argues that the company’s prospects are overblown, and that “the market has already reflected all the positives of the past 10 years.”

“Being the only hater is really difficult for me,” he said with a laugh. “I think it’s a bubble here.”

Authorities, too, have warned investors of a potential stock bubble. In 2017, Moutai suffered a huge selloff — wiping $7.8 billion off its market cap in one day — after state-run news agency Xinhua, which often conveys the Communist leadership’s sentiment, urged investors to take a more “rational view” of the company.

“It’s important for Kweichow Moutai … to stick to its slow pace,” Xinhua said in an editorial. “Pulling up a plant to make it grow inevitably leads to unbearable pain. Short-sighted speculation will cause tremendous damage to the value of investment.”

The move was not uncommon. Beijing frequently tries to sway investors through state media, such as last summer, when a government-run publication encouraged people to buy into stocks.

That could have a domino effect, particularly because mainland Chinese stock markets are dominated by retail investors. According to a 2020 survey by the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation, almost all investors there — 99% — were individuals.

The making of Moutai

One of Moutai’s biggest advantages is its ability to keep the price of its product high. It claims to have limited capacity since it can only produce its drinks in one place.

Similar to champagne — which comes from the eponymous region in France — Kweichow Moutai is named after Maotai, a picturesque small town in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou. (The company’s name is based on an old romanization of the town’s Chinese name.) Like champagne, the drink can only be called Moutai if it’s produced in that specific location.

This is where the company says its baijiu — distilled from fermented sorghum and rice — gets the magic touch.

Environmental factors, such as the town’s climate and seasonal changes in the water of the local river, help give the liquor its unique taste and is “beneficial to the production process,” according to the Moutai Museum.

Inside the town, Moutai’s impact on the economy is deeply felt.

As of 2019, Maotai was the richest town in western China, according to disposable income statistics from the municipal government of Renhuai, in Guizhou province. (Guizhou is among the country’s poorest regions.)

That would never have happened if it weren’t for the beverage giant, said Qi Wang, a local resident.

“Kweichow Moutai is the leader of Maotai,” he said, adding that the company’s boom helped encourage him to open his own liquor factory. “It influences all aspects of the town’s development.”

Its close ties with the government don’t always guarantee protection, though.

In 2013, sales slumped when President Xi embarked on an anti-corruption drive, leading the government to stamp out any sign of “extravagance” among officials, including of expensive liquor.

The campaign led to “unprecedented pressure” on the alcohol industry, Moutai noted in an earnings report.

Sales still grew that year, but only around 17%, compared to 44% the previous year. In 2014, that number plunged to about 2%.

The firm has since bounced back — though it now faces other problems. In recent years, it’s been dogged by numerous corruption scandals, which has led to the ouster of several top executives, according to state media.

Other major firms have faced similar pressure. China regularly investigates powerful executives for corruption — while using the findings to send a warning to others. This month, a Chinese court sentenced Lai Xiaomin, the former chief of a top, state-owned financial firm, to death for bribery.

Is China enough?

Moutai has an outsize reliance on the Chinese market.

To be sure, the company has tried to push overseas, notably by starting a “fan club” in the United States, traveling to Africa to woo new business partners and teaming up with foreign players, such as Italy’s Inter Milan soccer club.

But for the most part, it’s had little to show for it. In 2019, almost 97% of sales still came from China.

Last March, the company launched a social media campaign called “stay at home with Moutai,” which encouraged users around the world to try new recipes during lockdown. One Instagram and Twitter post, for instance, suggested mixing the drink into a “sunset cocktail,” while another offered instructions for a noodle dish that could pair with the liquor.

The campaign demonstrated an effort to stay connected with international consumers, even during the pandemic. But analysts have pointed to other challenges ahead.

Moutai needs to do more to diversify, according to Spiros Malandrakis, industry manager of alcoholic drinks at Euromonitor International. “It needs to have started yesterday,” he said. “International spirits always start local, like baijiu, but they become international. That’s the key. That’s how you take over the world. That’s how you become sustainably big.”

Malandrakis pointed to Mexican tequila, Russian vodka and American bourbon as examples. None of those “would have survived” if they didn’t go global, he added.

The process, of course, doesn’t happen overnight.

William Dong, managing director of Evershine Australia, which distributes Moutai in Australia, New Zealand and Italy, said that many people still need to be educated about what baijiu even is.

“We have distributed the product into basically everywhere that we could,” he said in an interview from Sydney.

At the end of the day, most customers are still Chinese, he added. “I would say probably 80%.”

It doesn’t help that the drink is an acquired taste. Some people eschew Moutai’s strong kick, while others label it “firewater.”

“[Some] Westerners find it, and I quote, ‘kind of like drinking liquid razor blades,'” said Malandrakis.

An even bigger threat, however, may be generational and gender gaps within China. Currently, the core demographic for baijiu is 40 to 60-year-old men, according to Malandrakis.

“The next generation of drinkers does not particularly want to do exactly what their father’s generation did,” he explained. “It’s not great for the future, if you don’t start having new people coming in.”

Malandrakis compared it to sherry, which was loved for centuries but later fell out of popularity as it “became synonymous with consumption of older populations.”

Not everyone is so worried. Even with its weak international position, Moutai’s baijiu was the world’s best-selling liquor in 2019, according to Euromonitor.

“The Chinese market is so big, and it’s continuing to become more wealthy,” said Cavender. He also noted a recent swell in local pride, which could draw more domestic consumers in.

For all its challenges, even critics admit the company’s dominance is nowhere near diminishing.

“The brand — and the heritage that the brand has — it’s really impossible to replicate that,” Cavender said. “Somebody can’t set up a new venture tomorrow and do what they can do. It’s not sort of possible to go back in time and get Mao Zedong to be interested in your drink. It’s not possible to sort of be located in the town where they make their products. So I think they have a strong built-in story that allows them to flourish.”

Appradab’s Beijing bureau and Serenitie Wang contributed to this report.

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xenotoppdogg · 7 years ago

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introduction into topp dogg

debuted October 22, 2013 under Stardom Ent. with 13 members the members are sorted among 4 “Kingdoms” Wizard Kingdom: Dance Line “display different genres and colors” Dragon Kingdom: “we’re exotic and have strong personalities” -PGoon “they're both scary like dragons” -Kidoh Lion Kingdom: have a “strong, dependable, carefree image” -Yano Knight Kingdom: have “an upright image” -ATom their company merged with Hunus Ent in July 2015 currently in 2017 they have 4 former members fandom name ToppKlass important videos that every topp klass should watch: Dogg on Topp Topp Dogg Project Topp Dogg All Kill Topp Dogg Pepero Game

okay now lets get into our 9 current members (we’ll go in age order since the leader is the oldest)

Park Sehyuk (PGoon) 10.18.1991

Dragon Kingdom Leader, Vocalist former YG trainee former back up dancer for Evol miss my queens speaks Japanese DJs while topp dogg is on hiatus ABS “Einstein sunbaenim” hates pepero (pocky) and ramen Jenissi: my dream was to become an Italian Chef PGoon: that would've been a mistake almost threw up eating Jenissi and Hojoon’s pasta kept stealing chips from BJoo, Yano and ATom’s team while they cooked his sister is Say from Bulldok

Jeon Hojoon (Hojoon) 10.31.1992

Wizard Kingdom Lead Singer, Lead Dancer former Brave Ent trainee former back up dancer for Evol thought ring ding dong was Nintendo has won several dance competitions he is a fashionista sometimes the members call him Harry Potter because of his round glasses Xero once called him “our four eyed hyung” fought BJoo and ATom with a crutch kissed Sangdo during the pepero game never forget this

Yu Sangdo (Sangdo) 03.02.1993

Dragon Kingdom Main Vocal voted by the members as the most handsome with a bareface cleanest out of the group sponsors a lil girl from Myanmar his Instagram is amazing AESTHETIC had dreads for their debut it was as awful as you think got bribed by Gohn to be quiet with chocolate kissed Hojoon during the pepero game tried to hide the kiss with an umbrella but .5cm of pocky speaks for itself attacked Nakta because he wanted to sleep with doldol honey vocals when topp dogg’s teasers came out for debut people really thought he was gonna be a rapper lmaooooooo but to be far he had dreads and was tan af and looked hard af so I guess I understand no longer lives in the topp dogg dorm

Shin Yooncheol (Nakta) 04.24.1993

Knight Kingdom Vocalist former Jellyfish trainee almost debuted with VIXX his stage name means “camel” in Korean he chose it because he says he looks like a camel tbh he can do a great impression of a camel lmao Hansol wants to fight but in reality they are bffs really loves frogs is a great producer tol (184cm~6’) no longer lives in the topp dogg dorm doldol’s guardian angel/father protects doldol from the other members specifically sangdo and gohn “In Nakta’s heart, there is only Doldol”

Kim Hansol (Hansol) 06.15.1993

this is my bias forgive me if its long lmao Wizard Kingdom Main Dancer, Vocalist, Face of the Group former JYP trainee former back up dancer for Evol loves voguing check out scissorhands p1&2 smol (172cm~5’8” at most) luvs/h8s BJoo&Nakta hates when people ship him with people esp. other members so pls don’t do it but he still likes to show a lot of skinship to his friends and members came out as asexual in August 2017 did a makeup tutorial on periscope outed BJoo for having to poop during a periscope lmao has a butterfly tramp stamp don’t ask idk may have gotten another tattoo but never confirmed or said what it was he just posted a pic hinting at he might have gotten another one really likes butterflies prob explains the tramp stamp calls his fans his butterflies has supported the LGBT+ community even before he came out and has always seemed sensitive to what might possibly offend any of his fans cried once bc he had to ask girls on the street to take a pic and they kept rejecting him

Kim Byungjoo (BJoo) 01.08.1994

Wizard Kingdom Lead Dancer, Vocalist former back up dancer for Evol voted as the member that is most popular with younger girls has a tattoo above his right elbow that says “Bounce” always screaming WAOOOOW (p1&2) thought the capital of Greece was Rome ABS Xero, Hojoon and ATom put clear tape at the foot of the door to the room BJoo was changing and singing in and then yelled that they we’re going to the convenience store so BJoo came running out and fuckin fell on his knee and almost died lmao kept telling Hojoon and ATom to shoot him with their crutch and hairdryer and then almost fought ATom when he turned o the hairdryer to “shoot” him and it was on the hot setting near his crotch lmao his last wish before being “shot” was to see his mother and “pls don’t shoot me” to which he followed with “SHOOT ME NOW” this all happened within like five minutes literally a mess

Shin Jiho (Xero) 02.03.1994

Wizard Kingdom Main Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist, Visual his stage name is Xero because he said 0 is before 1 batman’s biggest fanboy also thought the capital of Greece was Rome the other members tend to say he’s the dumbest/slowest member lmao in topp dogg project the host said his stage name was xero bc he had nothing in his head literally a model annoyed members with a rubber chicken wore cow pajamas, called himself sexy and then started singing Lee Hyori’s “10 Minutes” because in Korean “cow” sounds like “just”

Kim Sanggyun (ATom) 05.23.1995

Knight Kingdom Rapper, Vocalist, Dancer former BigHit Trainee former back up dancer for Evol not in Wizard Kingdom but should be tbh EXTRA full of himself (in a good way) chose himself amongst the members as closest to his ideal type, the member he admires the most, quickest to have their first kiss, the member who looks the best naked, most popular with older women and younger girls lmaoo in p101s2 he voted himself as most handsome are we really surprised? went on hiatus from topp dogg to participate in p101s2- his performances: SHINee’s Replay, Who You? Rap Eval, Showtime made it into the top35 he was eliminated at rank 26 only 6 ranks away from making it into the finale became close friends with the MMO trainees on the show, especially WANNA-ONE’s Jisung and Daniel he will be debuting with the second project group coming from p101s2, JBJ, in Sept. 2017 hates pocky fought BJoo and Hojoon with a hairdryer got a Brazilian wax and liked it kinky bastard

Seo Sangwon (Yano) 09.27.1995

Lion Kingdom Main Rapper, Vocalist, Maknae he’s the last one in the Lion Kingdom his stage name is supposed to sound like “you know?” before topp dogg his stage name was “Swaggy Snoopy” i’m so grateful he didn’t stick with that is close to Hyuk from VIXX is the best at speaking English amongst the group no longer lives in the topp dogg dorm participated in SMTM4 got a Brazilian and almost died easily hurt by criticism ABS “fuck money, fuckin haters, fuck my label value” got attacked kissed by Gohn during pepero game literally wore a shirt that said “comme des fuckdown” during it lmaoo

okay those are all the current members so I'll just give a brief overview of the 4 past members

Jenissi (2013-2016)

Lion Kingdom Rapper read the “Warrior” series literally a book series about feral cat clans fighting I read them when I was like 7/8 BRNRNR PRSTR can’t hold chopsticks currently a solo artist

Kidoh (2013-2015)

the one being fed by BTS’ Jin Knight Kingdom Rapper former BigHit trainee was supposed to debut with BTS is close friends with BTS’ Jin currently a solo artist

Gohn (2013-2015)

Lion Kingdom Main Vocal After leaving topp dogg he went to serve his mandatory military service Recently got back on Instagram His service should be ending soon but I do believe he’s still in it but idk tbh he’s just posting pics in uniform so take this with a grain of salt lmao When his service is over he wishes to become a solo artist

Seogoong (2013-2015)

Lion Kingdom Main Vocal Originally left topp dogg to be in their sub group under dogg but when Stardom merged with Hunus under dogg disbanded Currently a solo artist with a new stage name (I’M)

thats it for my introduction into topp dogg’s members pls love and support them in the years to come :)))

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dontshootmespence · 8 years ago

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Becoming Real: Defy Expectations

In this installment of Becoming Real, toward Diana’s final months in high school, she has a plan to convince her fathers to let her dye her hair, but does she really need a plan? @coveofmemories @the-slytherin-ice-queen @cosmicjennifer @mxolh Look below for how I picture her hair. :D

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For months, Diana had had a picture on her phone of what she wanted her hair to look like. She saw a picture of a girl that looked a lot like her with absolutely gorgeous green, purple and blue hair. It was all waved throughout her entire head of hair and it was positively amazing. Since then, she’d been obsessed.

In the years since her fathers grew up, having crazy-colored hair wasn’t so unusual, but there were still people who looked down on those with wild hair. It was fucking stupid. Diana was a certified genius. Just like her Daddy. Her hair color did nothing to lessen that. It was only about a month earlier that she’d turned 15, so she wasn’t sure if her fathers were going to let her dye it, but she was obsessed, so she had to try.

When she walked in the front door, she made sure she had her entire speech planned. She’d earned this. She was going to college. She made great decisions and was grown up enough to make this decision; it was nothing in comparison to deciding on Georgetown and she’d already done that. It was her hair anyway. All of it was floating around in her head. “How was school, baby?” Luke asked. Spencer would be home soon, but he was the one working later today. Maybe she should wait until they both got home. Screw it. She was too excited and nervous.

“School was pretty boring,” she laughed. “I can’t wait to start at Georgetown. I need more challenging classes.”

Luke chuckled. “Just like your Daddy,” he laughed. “I don’t understand, but I can’t wait for you to start either. If we haven’t said it enough, we are amazingly proud of you.”

She smiled warmly. Nearly every day they told her how proud they were of her. But she never got tired of hearing it. “Thank you, Dad. Ummm...I have a question for you.”

“What is that look?” he asked. Diana had her arms tucked behind her back and she was shifting back and forth.

Before he could get a word in edgewise, Diana launched into lengthy exposition about her hair. “See this picture, right here,” she started, bringing out her phone and showing her Dad the picture she’d been coveting for so many months. “It’s this amazing mermaid hair. I really wanna do it on my own hair. Like, I know it’s crazy colors and there are still people that make this dumb connection that your hair and your intelligence are somehow linked, but I don’t care. I want cool hair and I wanna be a doctor, so can I please, please, please get my hair dyed?” She clasped her hands in front of her face and hopped up and down. “PUH-LEASE!”

Snorting, Luke brought his arm up around Diana’s neck and brought her in for a hug. “You had that whole thing planned, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” she said quickly. “Can I please?”

“I have to ask Daddy if he’s okay with it too, but I don’t see why he would care.”

Diana hopped up and down excitedly, waiting patiently for her Daddy to get home so that he could confirm. While she waited, she started her homework and texted Emma, saying she was most likely going to get awesome, cool hair soon. The second Spencer walked in the door, Diana ran up to him and gave him the biggest hug she’d probably given in recent memory. “What do you want?” Spencer laughed. “I can tell when you want something.”

“I wanna dye my hair,” she said quickly, pulling out the phone yet again to show him the picture. “Like this. I know I’m a little young, but I really wanna dye it. And look at the time stamp. I’ve been thinking about this for months, so it’s not an impulsive decision. Dad said he didn’t mind, but he wanted to check with you first. So can I please-y, please, please dye my hair?”

Spencer kissed her forehead and laughed - the exuberance on her face was contagious. “Yes,” he said. “It’s going to cost a lot, but considering you got a full-ride to Georgetown, I think Dad and I can swing for the hair.”

“Yes!” she screamed. “I’m going to be an awesome, purple, blue and green haired doctor!”

Spencer laughed. When he and Luke were younger, people, and specifically employers, had a much bigger issue with someone’s hair being dyed, as if somehow that made a damn difference when it came to competence. It had lessened in the years since their daughter had grown up, but there were still those that held faulty assumptions. But they had no issues with it. “Yes you are. You’ll do what you always do, prove the haters wrong and defy expectation. When do you want to get it done?”

“It’s going to take a few trips to get the color out of my hair so the craziness can be put in, but can I start this weekend?”

With a nod of their heads, Diana started running around the house again. It reminded them of when she was a kid, running around with Thumper in hand.

----

Nearly two weeks later, Diana had been to the salon quite a few times, and today was the day the color went in. Her stylist had turned her around while she blew out her hair, so she hadn’t seen it yet. When she turned Diana around, Diana almost cried. “It’s so amazing!” She combed her hands through her hair and gave her stylist a hug before paying with a credit card given to her by her fathers for occasions such as this.

When she walked in the door, her father’s mouths dropped. “You look gorgeous, Di,” Spencer said as he played with her hair.

Luke came out from the bathroom and exclaimed. “Our very own mermaid!

At 15, she was no longer their little princess, but their beautiful, badass, mermaid queen.

#otp: it's all good #spencer reid x luke alvez #spencer reid #luke alvez #reidvez #ralvez #dontshootmespence #becoming real

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coin-river-blog · 6 years ago

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Image: Twitter/Justin Sun

By CCN.com: Tron founder Justin Sun is out to prove that crypto is not a scam ― despite hyperbolic emotional protestations by haters that it is.

To this end, Sun hired a former SEC employee to be the first compliance director for Tron, a blockchain platform for supporting smart contracts and high throughput.

Sun believes that tailored regulation will promote the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies by stamping out con artists.

Justin Sun: I Fully Embrace Regulation

“We’re ready to fully embrace regulation here,” Sun told VentureBeat. “We’ve just hired our first head of compliance, who previously worked for the SEC for almost eight years.”

We want to make sure we’re fully regulated in not only the United States, but also China, Korea, and Japan in the future.

Blockchain is like a new operating system. We believe the world will need to embrace the blockchain. And we’re very optimistic about how it will be regulated.

The SEC, I think, also sees the blockchain as a good opportunity for innovation in the United States. I’m hoping that this year the SEC will license and regulate coin-based exchanges. This year will be the year of full regulation.

youtube

Sun made the remarks at the NiTron Summit in San Francisco on January 18. At the conference, Sun shared the stage with NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, where the two discussed the challenges of entrepreneurship.

Justin tweeted an amusing photo of himself with the retired NBA superstar holding a Tron mascot wearing a Los Angeles Lakers jersey.

It was amazing to talk about our shared values. Let’s continue to wake up every day doing the things we love! @kobebryant #TRON #MambaMentality pic.twitter.com/WI6m6OvkeK

— Justin Sun (@justinsuntron) January 19, 2019

Justin Sun is only 28-years-old, but his ambitions are huge. He really wants blockchain and crypto to go mainstream.

One of the ways he hopes to do this is by launching the BitTorrent Token (BTT) on the Binance Launchpad. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol that boasts 100 million users in 138 countries. Sun acquired BitTorrent for $126 million in July 2018.

The BitTorrent Token is a cryptocurrency linked to the BitTorrent file-sharing platform.

Former Exec Torches BitTorrent

BitTorrent was recently rocked by unflattering allegations from a former Tron executive, who trashed the project.

Two weeks ago, former chief strategy officer Simon Morris said there’s “no way” the Tron blockchain can handle BitTorrent’s high rate of transactions. On Reddit, Morris was dismissed as a disgruntled, incompetent former employee.

But that’s not the biggest scandal that Tron has suffered. In June 2018, CCN broke the news that Tron had plagiarized code from Ethereum and other projects and changed the file names to make it hard to identify the source of the code.

Sun has called the plagiarism scandal a “misunderstanding.”

Exclusive: Researchers Allege Tron Plagiarized Code from other Crypto Projects https://t.co/0ASaJic1ZK

— CCN.com (@CryptoCoinsNews) June 21, 2018

Meanwhile, Sun brushed off these setbacks and is charging ahead because he believes 2019 will be a watershed year for the crypto industry. Specifically, he believes that video games will help bring blockchain into the mainstream and decentralize the Internet.

“The first application of the blockchain is for games,” Sun told VentureBeat. “Most people don’t know that.”

They’ve even said that blockchain doesn’t have any use for games. But if you look at the Tron blockchain, games are tremendous there.

We have three to five application uploads into the Tron network every day. That’s why I was talking about 2,000 apps this year in my speech. We see massive adoption.”

Sun: Games on Tron Give Control to Players

Sun says most of the blockchain games on the Tron network are democratized because they give rights back to the players.

“You can own your own custom characters,” Sun explains. “You can sell those custom characters to other players, or trade with each other. Meanwhile, developers feel inspiration because they can control their own games.”

In contrast, Sun says if you publish your video game on Android or iOS, it’s controlled by Google or Apple.

“They take their cut and they control your publishing,” Sun noted. “They can delete your game if they want to. But for Tron right now, you can build your traffic volumes and you don’t have to pay a middleman to distribute your game.”

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