#stay industry

[paintedcrows-caws]

Front row seat to Alex Hirsch's InMotion London Talk!! Aaaa!! (The high quality close up photos were taken by the wonderful @stupidlittlespirit! Who was sitting with me and had a far better camera, haha)

You can watch the full thing here, recorded by the brilliant Topaz Animation!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn_O7CMM67A&t=137s

[shouyuus]

was thinking about it this morning as i was making tea and i think there's a fundamental gap in the advice we give to writers/creators to "first and foremost create for ourselves", bc yes. in the beginning, i am almost always writing for myself. i write all the time, and im sure that artists doodle and paint all the time too. there are things i've written that will never see the light of day and are truly just for me.

and then there are things that i choose to share, because i want to share them. because i'm proud of a story, and want to put it into the world. the act of sharing it is, above all, an invitation.

its me inviting you into a corner of my mind/heart/soul, opening the window and throwing open the curtains and waving, holding up a sign that says "hi! do you like this too? let's talk about it!"

what im asking for is a connection, a conversation. a shared space. digital or otherwise. and the so-called "harm" of "ghost consumption" is not that artists will stop creating art or that writers will stop writing -- no, that's not quite how creativity works (thankfully, and sometimes unfortunately). we will always create.

we just might not be inspired to share it anymore.

[sage-nebula]

"Suffer No Fools" - Shiver vs. Marina Analysis

It's been a few days since "Suffer No Fools" released, but I wanted to go ahead and release my analysis of Shiver's and Marina's verse since that's the one that has caused the most discussion within the fandom. I've seen a lot of debate over Marina's section in particular, with people unsure whether she was being sincere or sarcastic, and I think the actual answer is a little more complicated than one or the other, at least with regards to the first couplet of lines both she and Shiver sing. Of course, people are free to interpret this song however they wish, but after seeing numerous interpretations I personally didn't vibe with, I just wanted to put my own out there, breaking it down line by line.

So! Here we go.

Exchange 1:

Shiver: "Your haunting voice -- there's no escape. How nice it must be for your fans." Marina: "You're far too kind! I love your vibe. I can learn so much from your style."

Analyzing from dialogue only:

Shiver is insulting Marina's voice by calling it haunting and saying there is no escape, insinuating she wishes there was one. She says how nice it must be for Marina's fans, again implying that she isn't one.

Marina says that she loves Shiver's vibe, which on the surface could be a compliment, but given the context (a music battle) it could also be a Mean Girl "ooh I love your [thing] :)" passive-aggressive drawing-attention-to-something-ugly insult. More direct though, is the "I can learn so much from your style"; you can learn what not to do from someone just as much as you can learn what to do from someone. Marina's engaging in plausible deniability here.

HOWEVER. Lyrics are NOT the only thing that need to be analyzed from this first verse, which is arguably the MOST important exchange between these two. Instead, we need to look at how these lines are delivered.

Shiver is singing in a traditional Japanese folk singing style, specifically a style based on Shima-uta, which her voice actress has a background singing in. Unfortunately, I don't know the actual term for this style of singing, only that it's not kakegoe, something Shiver also does that is different from this. Anyway, in these lines specifically Shiver is singing in her Shima-uta style, a style that she has presumably been practicing since she was a small child, a style that is probably culturally significant to the Hohojiro clan. Singing in this style is not something that just anyone can do. It's completely different from singing in a (for lack of a better word) "western" style. The way you breathe is completely different. The way you incorporate your voice into your breathing is completely different. So by singing in this style, which Shiver has been doing practically her whole life and which, presumably, only she of the four there can do, Shiver is FLEXING on Marina regardless of what lyrics she chooses to sing.

But then Marina, who grew up under the domes in Inkadia, who presumably has never heard Shima-uta before she started listening to Deep Cut and heard Shiver sing, who presumably has had absolutely no training whatsoever on this style of song . . . mimics it perfectly and flexes on Shiver right back.

Could Marina's words to Shiver be interpreted as passive-aggressive in turn? Yes. But does it matter? No, not really. Because in this first verse, Marina's ACTUAL comeback is to take the style of singing that Shiver has been perfecting her entire life and throw it right back in her face despite having never (as far as we or Shiver know) practiced it herself. Shiver was flexing by presumably doing something Marina couldn't do, only for Marina to do it flawlessly, being every bit as divine with a voice so fine as Pearl said she was previously. Marina says "I love your vibe" so she takes it. Marina says "I have so much to learn from you" but does she really, when she can already do exactly what Shiver can, and has, just now, right in front of her?

And Shiver noticed, hence:

Exchange 2:

Shiver: "You remind me of my neighbor's little daughter . . . What's that saying? 'Octo see, octo do.'" Marina: "Glad you approve -- your praise has left me moved. Thanks to your notes, I'll find my groove!"

Shiver drops the Shima-uta singing, because now there's no point. Marina can also sing in that style, so it's no longer a flex. Shiver lost ground on that one, so instead we're back to the same (again, for lack of a better word) "regular" style of singing that everyone else is using. For that reason, we can go back to analyzing purely based on the words alone.

Shiver is calling Marina a copycat, essentially, because Marina copied her Shima-uta singing style in the previous verse (hence why Shiver had to drop it, as previously noted). Marina then gives her "glad you approve -- your praise has left me moved" . . . basically noting that by Shiver accusing her of copying, Shiver is saying that Marina -- someone who just tried the singing style off the cuff right there on the stage for the first time -- was just as good as Shiver, someone who has trained in that style her whole life. The audience saw for themselves that Marina was able to emulate the style, but Shiver saying, "you copied me!" is basically admitting that Marina was just as good as her in Shiver's own eyes, and Shiver is a pro. That's Shiver's aggravation handing Marina the win and Marina smiling wide as she accepts it.

Exchange 3:

Shiver: "Oh, look at the time. Isn't it getting late?" Marina: "Not at all! I could go on like this all night long."

This one doesn't even really need an analysis. For all that she prides herself on being "so cool even sharks call her cold-blooded," Shiver is known for being easily irritated and riled when she's losing due to her competitive nature. Marina successfully got under her skin, and this is her trying to end the battle fast because she didn't have any further comebacks. Marina, meanwhile, gives the classic "I could go on all night" because she's not riled at all, and is instead perfectly comfortable in this environment, knows what she's doing, and has had the upper hand from the start.

It goes back to another post I made about Experience vs. Inexperience. Shiver and Frye are still new idols, whereas Pearl and Marina have been at this for a long while. And while off the stage Marina is a sweet, kind, gentle person who will go out of her way to help others, and can sometimes be a little spacey or naive, she's also a 23-year-old literal genius who has been in the music industry for years now and knows full well what a rap / music battle is and knows her way around a stage. Personally, I found it to be a little infantilizing to insinuate that she "didn't realize Shiver was insulting her," when not only do I think she knew full well, but also she was the one with the upper hand not because of sick burns (that's Pearl's department), but because of sheer innate musical talent.

But those are just my thoughts! Everyone else is free to have their own.

[lil-inky]

his existence brings me both amusement and inexplicable dread smh

the urge to rattle him but naw I don’t wanna be within 3 feet with this man— /lh

[8um8le]

I love how sunny looks like the scariest one now yet weirdly very cute 🥰

Hopefully now they look more like hitmen who gets jobs across the globe lmao

[readingplannet]

I was reading the comments under Bible's announcement post for '4 minutes' and while I was so excited for this project finally seeing the light of day, I was also disappointed while reading the comments.

Why are we still having discussions about top/bottom in 2024? I know a lot of BLs have made you believe that top and bottom are entire personalities but that is simply not true. They are just sexual preferences and believe it or not sexual preferences do not define someone's personality.

That is why I feel the lead pair in "Pit Babe" is so path breaking. It is a very big example that your personality does'nt define your sexual life. Whose name comes first in a ship doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything. Also "Bad Buddy" in this matter, they refused to set themselves in boxes of wife(เมีย) and husband(ผัว). It was a series that very nicely explained the stereotypes gay couples face and the stereotypes that still exist in the BL industry.

Masculine, dominant ≠ Top and Feminine, submissive ≠ Bottom always (key word being always because there are people who fit into masculine top and feminine bottom too which is perfectly fine but diversity and representation of other people in the spectrum is equally important) and that is something that needs to be understood. I don't think I could have said it better than P'Apo myself. Also more power to him because he is one of the few BL actors who I have seen openly talking about this topic.

And believe me guys someone who played Vegas doesn't need to always play roles like that, moreover we don't even know what his role and character is going to be like. This is what acting is. Don't limit actors into boxes.

P.S This top/bottom discussion really needs to go. I haven't only seen this in comment section of BL actors but also in the comment section of gay couples. If they let you in this part of their life that's okay but if they are not comfortable sharing, just let it go. It hardly matters. We need to stop seeing everything with heteronormative lenses where there has to be a female/wife (เมีย) role and a male/husband (ผัว) role in every relationship.

[ohnoitsjetster]

If Curt Mega could stop having to mourn the tragic and heroic deaths of his love interests who aren’t actually dead that would be awesome

[anxhelstudies]

hello!

so since my life is kinda a disaster right now i decided to “reopen” this account because i want to share my study journay (but not only) and have positive vibes. i had this page i believe in my first and second and second year of uni and now i’m not a student anymore since i graduated in february, i did spend a lot of money on taking the ielts test to apply for a master in communication design in my dream uni just to think i made it in and realised the day after that i did not and i was just in the waiting list and right know i have little to no plans for my future because i do not know if i’m going to be in and to find a reasonable priced studio flat in the most expensive city of italy.

my only good news is that my aunt when found out that i did not get in told me to go and live with her family in london for some months this way since i already have a bachelor degree can apply for jobs in the design fields and do some networking. it’s sounds like a dream if only my heart wasn’t broken from the fact that i will not go to milan and live the life me and my friends where imagining.

i know what’s the right thing to do and it all seem i sign from the universe: passing the ielts test with a band 7.5 while i was expecting a band 6, failing to get in the master of my dream and living in milan, found a spot to do my passport so it will be ready for september, my aunt asking me to go to london right when there will be a design festival and then apply for jobs there. i’m torn apart and don’t know what to do so while i decide what i want to do with my life i’m going to post here my post-uni studies like language learning (chinese and korean) and design courses to add to my cv and make new projects.

so how are you doing?

[botanyshitposts]

so uh. does anybody else not know what theyre doing in life at age 23 because man,

[daneesoro]

When Zech trusts you well enough that 'you should know better' is used a compliment-ish

[amethystsoda]

the US animation community is banding together to provide resources, information, and fight for proper pay, limiting ai, and against random cancellation!

Here’s their linktree with the social media and other resources:

[stealingyourspins]

(Click for better quality)

Ninjago Mermaid AU- Zane.

Species: Narwhal. Chosen because of their ability to withstand cold temperatures plus their color pallet.

Zane is a Marine “spy” Robot used by researchers to record and collect data of Merfolk in their natural environment. Made in a partnership with Borg Industries and Julien Laboratories, he is a revolutionary advancement in the robotics field, going past a simple language learning model level to becoming a true AI in the 25 years of development. Zane’s expedition is simple: to help marine biologists to study Merfolk and blend in the best he can.

(Alt version with no spots under the cut and non transparent versions)

[spookberry]

I feel very torn on this, i thought id get an outside opinion

[vimbry]

hate whenever you're checking out anything relating to the natural world and you inevitably run into some "humans are the Real monsters," "the planet would be better off without us" comments. booooo. that's boring baby ecofascist quitter's talk.

[regicidal-defenestration]

This isn’t normal. This isn’t how life is supposed to feel. There is still time. It's scary but that's the point. Anyone else feeling decidedly abnormal here

[yeetlegay]

The fact that Gap, the first big, all-out, mainstream Thai GL series, is about grown women in an office setting makes me so fucking happy. As much as I really do adore stories set in high school/college and am so grateful we have them, it would’ve been so easy for a GL series to use that setting as a cop-out and water down the sex/messy relationships to make it more “palatable” to a mainstream audience. Lesbians and sapphics in general deserve the coming-of-age stories AND the sexy adult stories, and the fact that we got the latter right out of the gate makes me really hopeful and excited for the kinds of rep we might see in the future. 💖