#sure enough everyone is reblogging some version the unedited post | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

littleeyesofpallas · 2 years ago

Note

IM just curious, can you talk about gotei 13 and zero divisions'flower symbolism in BLEACH ?

I don't know that there's much to add outside of canon. I think Kubo mentions in various supplemental materials what his reasoning was, and I believe they all line up with pretty standard Japanese floriography, i.e. hanakotoba[花言葉] lit. "flower language."

I was cross referencing things with the Bleach wiki and I realize that I have no idea where Kubo actually confirmed his preferred/intended readings for there, and the wiki doesn't have any citations on it (because of course they don't) so I'm just going to list everything I found on hanakotoba.com and point out anything that feels appropriate...

Kiku[菊]: Chrysanthemum(Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Noble/Virtuous/Lofty

Truth (White chrysanthemum specifically)

It is also more broadly associated with Longevity, Rejuvenation, and Royalty as it is the crest of the royal family of Japan. Its use with 1st division is mostly likely just evoking a seat of authority rather than flower language.

Okina-gusa[翁草]: Nodding Anemone(Anemone cernua)

Unspoken love

Ask for Nothing

Treacherous Love(a love that betrays you)

Really just laser focusing in on Sui Feng specifically here. Aptly reflects her whole thing with Yoruichi, although I don't remember offhand when the first time we actually see 2nd division's flower insignia specifically. I do know we don't even really see Omaeda properly until right before the execution (and the lt. badges are the only place we see the flowers) so it could also have been assigned after their big fight and hsitory/relationship reveal.

Kinsen-ka[金盞花]: Marigold(Calendula officinalis)

Desolation/Loneliness

The Grief of Separation

Mourning

Loss of Hope/Despair

This one at least came up in the actual manga when Kira fought Abirama. But it does seem like another character specific and relationship based one at its inception. Reflects Gin's whole self isolation from Rangiku in his pursuit of revenge, as well as Kira's abandonment in the process.

Rindou[竜胆]: Autumn Bellflower(Gentiana scabra)

To Love the Grieving

Faithfulness/Fidelity

Sincerity/Good Faith

Justice

Reliability

I assume the face value reading here is meant to focus on the "Reliability" part as the medical team. That or maybe "Love the grieving" as a reference to a sort of doctor/nurse's bedside manor. The "Faithfulness & Fidelity" reading does suit Isane's quiet devotion to Unohana though.

Ase-bi[馬酔木]: Lily-of-the-Valley(Pieris japonica)

Sacrifice/Scapegoat/Victim

Dedication/Devotion

Self-sacrifice

Another rather personal jab. A clear indicator of Hinamori's fate. "Dedication" and "Devotion" on the surface might still suit the division, but ultimately Hinamori being a "victim" and "sacrifice" of Aizen's ambition very starkly foreshadowed in this.

Tsubaki[椿]: Camellia(Camellia japonica)

Pride/Honor

Modest Splendor/Modest Virtue

Unwavering Elegance

The red tsubaki is also kind of a classically samurai associated flower on its own, hanakotoba not withstanding. When the camellia dies the flowers drop off their stems without wilting and it's seen as a kind of metaphor for samurai ethics; Better to die quickly and with your good image intact than suffer the indignity of a prolonged wilting.

This I assume is a kind of adjacent meaning to "Pride/Honor" and "Unwavering elegance." And certainly that kind of fixation on the appearance of honor and dignity suites Byakuya's slavish devotion to law and propriety even at the cost of his wife's dying wishes, and indeed any pretense of familial obligation to Rukia as his adopted sister.

Gokurakuchou-ka[極楽鳥花]: Bird-of-paradise(Strelitzia reginae)

pretentious love

to love a man concerned with his appearance

It took me a moment to really parse this. Most elaborations I found just danced around terms for a "fop" or a "dandy" in describing what I eventually boiled down to just "a man concerned with his appearance" so the particular tone of vanity was misleading. But I think the joke is just that Komamura hiding his wolf head under a series of masks and helmets does indeed count as "concern with appearance" just not in the otherwise implied flamboyant way.

Also the term "pretentious love" sort of fits with Tetsuzaemon's overwrought yakuza-like loyalty and deference to Komamura as his boss. It's not a simple modest devotion it's overplayed and loud and draped in pomp and ritual. He isn't just devoted in action, he has to give the express appearance of devotion as well.

every single time... I don't know why these two always tri me up. I even told myself when I was shuffling the images around, "remember you always screw up komamura and shunsui's flowers, so whatever your instinct is, remember to switch that." And apparently that means i actually had it right first and actively made it wrong

Well, in the very least this makes the various terms floating around like "dandy" and "fop" make much more direct sense, as Shunsui is very much a fashionable and frivolous personality when he's first introduced...

Ayame[菖蒲]: Siberian iris(Iris sanguinea)

good news

hope/desire/ambition/expectations

I dunno this feels weirdly absent of real relation to Kyoraku or even Nanao. I will come back to that "Hope/Desire..." one though. So stick a pin in that...

...However now I don't know what to make of the ayame in relation to Komamura.

(and of course people reblogged this before i could get around to correcting it, so likely no one will ever see this edit >:T)

Shiro Keshi[白罌粟]: White Poppyseed(Papaver somniferum)

thoughtfulness/consideration/compassion

pity/sympathy/understanding

death/sleep/forget/oblivion

I don't really know what to make of this... The specificity of White Poppy means the reading really should be "Death" or "Sleep" and I guess that kinda ties into Tousen losing his friend. But that feels like a stupidly loose connection. On the other hand the more general meaning of the poppy as "compassion/pity/sympathy" seems to match more of Tousen's actual relationships with his dead friend, with Komamura, and even to a lesser degree with Hisagi.

To "forget" or be lost in "oblivion" however feels like a very knowing and ominous point in the direction of Tousen having lost his way and forgotten himself in his quest for justice.

Suisen[水仙]: Daffodil(Narcissus tazetta)

esteem/respect/reverence

unrequited love

Another rather personal one. The general tone of Respect and Reverence and High Esteem could maybe refer to Hitsugaya's need to be taken seriously despite his age and stature, but that feels like loose and far too general fit at best. His unrequited love for Hinamori however suits this far better.

Nokogiri-sou[鋸草]: Siberian yarrow(Achillea sibirica)

to fight/to struggle

bravery/courage, but also healing/a cure/recovery

Obviously the "Fight" bit is super literal. Honestly that may be all there is to it though.

Azami[薊]: Japanese Thistle(Cirsium japonicum)

indepencence/separation

retaliation/revenge

strict/strern

not to be touched

I'm not actually so sure about this. The general theme of "sternness/strictness/discipline" I guess kind of fits? But I think the general kind of natural warning sign of "Do Not Touch" is really the best fit for both Mayuri and the department as a whole, although it feels oddly informal as a reading compared to the rest.

Matsuyuki-sou[待雪草]: Snowdrop(Galanthus nivalis)

relief/ease/comfort/solace

hope/desire/ambition/expectations

So the "Relief/Solace/etc..." bit certainly seems to fit Ukitake's demeanor as his terminal illness does indeed require him to frequently take an aside to lie down. But I was surprised to find that the "Hope/Desire/etc..." reading appeared here as well as with the Ayame, and I don't think it's coincidence that Kyoraku and Ukitake have matching themed flowers for their divisions.

Incidentally this also ties into Kaien as lt. since the Shiba name echos this same meaning of "Ambition".

Jinchou-ge[沈丁花]: Winter Daphne(Daphne odora)

Glory/Honor

Immortal/Indestructible/Eternal/Timeless

This one seems pretty obvious. "Glory" and "Indestructible" describe their reputation well enough, although they turned out to be far from indestructible, unfortunately.

It always kind of confused me that Kubo put their flower insignia inside the Gotei diamond, not only because they aren't supposed to be part of the gotei, but because it just seemed to break so many other design patterns... but then I realized that the only parts of the shinigami uniforms where the flowers are ever visible are on lt. badges(limiter stamps and the little sewn in tags being hidden) and there weren't any lieutenants in the royal guard.

Feels like a halfbaked idea to slap them on the coats just to make sure they show up somewhere, but then so was most of their introduction and role in the plot.

#bleach #bleach meta #shinigami #gotei 13 #yep....#sure enough everyone is reblogging some version the unedited post #with my flagrant errors intact and on display #and none of the corrections #=______=

180 notes · View notes

windwardstar · 5 years ago

Text

Writeblr Accessibility (Angry Un-Edited Version)

(This is the unedited version where I am not nice and the information in this post is buried beneath voicing anger and frustration. This link is for an edited, polite, informative and helpful version.)

Aka: How to make your writeblr more accessible.

Aka: how to include the disabled members of your community, specifically those who are blind or have visual impairments or processing difficulties, and those who have difficulty with some of the formatting due to other NT things going on. This should be your main reason. Because everyone deserves to be included.

AKA: including the disabled isn’t actually enough of a reason for some of y’all so AKA: HOW TO INCREASE VIEWERSHIP BY TAPPING INTO A PREVIOUSLY EXCLUDED AND OVERLOOKED DEMOGRAPHIC plus, since basically no other writeblrs are actually making their stuff accessible, you have an audience that can’t readily interact with others and is therefore more likely to spend more time on your wip. Because that’s what matters to you right? People giving you attention? Like. If this is why you’re doing it. Technically you’re less scummy than people who can’t be bothered or who delete the image captions. But that’s a low bar. So don’t start getting magnanimous.

Because the writeblr community is a community and excluding members of your community is a shitty thing to do.

And some of y’all are still shitty enough at caring about other people that the above isn’t enough of a reason and you need tangible benefits to you! Like increased ability for people to interact with your posts and your WIPS!

Part 1: The Posts

This is the part that most people are gonna be seeing initially when they come across your stuff as well as on their dashes if they follow you. Which is probably your goal. And if someone reblogs your shit, you want it to remain accessible on their blog and lead you back to this. So like. This shit’s important to make sure you get right.

Basic Gist: make it easy to read.

Don’t overuse italics and bold. When it’s just a word or a sentence or two, it’s helpful. When the entire thing is in bold, it’s just harder to read.

Break up the text. Use multiple paragraphs, headers, break things up into sections. Y’all are actually really good at this. (Probably because you learned you can make fancy headers and tailor the line breaks to your wip since tumblr got rid of theirs. But we’ll go with it.)

Read mores. Also generally really good about this. Just like… let people know what’s under them. Is it more worldbuilding? (more writing tends to be pretty obvious if you place it just at the “but wait what happens next?”) a tag list? An image description?

Post your writing as text, not an image if possible. Obviously if it’s a comic or visual poetry, you need the image. But if it’s just a screen shot from a word doc… copy paste the text.

Include Image descriptions - This is the big thing! And something I see basically none of y’all doing. And since writeblr seems to be under the impression everything needs a fancy graphic and that half the wip content is in the graphics… y’all are basically excluding people who can’t see them from the sandbox. Sorry only sighted people can play here.

So IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS:

Basic Rule: If it’s an image, it needs an image description. Give it an actual text description that someone could copy-paste into a text to speech program and get an audio playback of. Words on an image are just pixels. They don’t exist as far as screen readers go. Which means those of us who can’t process your image are basically stuck looking at a post full of “this image was removed for violating tumblr community guidelines” and “ooo that’s a pretty gradient, wish it would load.” which is “we have no clue what it says.” like the images may as well not exist if you’re not gonna describe them.

“But why can’t you just look at the pretty pictures? Why do I have to write out what’s on them out? Can’t you just look at the pretty pictures? They’re so pretty.”

Because some people ar blind and can’t see the pretty pictures. Put in the fucking image description so they can know what you’re posting.

So this means any:

Screenshot excerpts (why are you doing this? Just use the copy-paste and post the actual text. Stick it under a read more if it’s long)

Memes (also helps in understanding some of the memes bc they get abstract real quick)

Power points (all those text heavy powerpoint presentations where you break down your story? Yeah. those are all unreadable. Because they’re all .jpg or .png not actual text. You gotta type out those words as text. And then add in image descriptions. I know. It’s a lot of work /s but boo-hoo excluding people is bad and you should have learned that lesson in elementary school.

Mood boards (these don’t magically transform themselves into words for people who can’t see them. You put all the work into finding the right image and making them all work together. Put in a little more and add an image description.)

Those line breaks (a simple: [image description: a line break with a pinecone in the center. End description] works.)

Wip Bingo (i can’t say how many “disabled character” as a tile i saw but not one of you had image descriptions. Like. the dissonance there. Y’all care more about diversity brownie points than including actual members of your community. This is what I mean when I say your representation is performative.)

Any kind of graphic. Literally. if it’s an image. Put an image description.

How to write image descriptions and where they go.

Writing them should be pretty easy, after all you’re a writeblr which means you write yeah? So theoretically this is already in your skillset. It’s just writing a description of a thing. If you can’t do that. You suck as a writer. Like flat out. If you can’t figure out how to describe something in some way, it doesn't even matter if it’s good or sucks, you have fundamentally failed as a writer.

Writing them well. That’s a skill. Which you can learn.

The basic structure is this:

[Image Description: A description of the image. End Description]

[id: a description of the image. /ed]

Really simple? Right? Feel like you could do that? THEN WHY THE FUCK HAVEN”T ANY OF YOU? (secret answer: it’s the ableism. Y’all haven’t been forced by the stepford smile squad of positivity that is the writeblr community to treat image captions as an expected part of posting your content. And since it’s not required to pretend to be a decent person in the writeblr sphere, you don’t! Because y’all care more about appearances than substance and you think as long as everyone else isn’t doing it you can still live in your happy bubble where you’re Good TM. time to pop it. Writeblr sucks and has a horrible track record with ableism. Be better. You know what? Fuck it. At this point if what it takes for you to include image descriptions and diabled members of your community is to think you’re better than other people. Go for it. Technically you are closer to being a decent human being if you include image description.)

Anyway. Let’s take a look at some actual image description. That way you can impress all your writeblr buddies with how great your descriptions are and virtue signal that look you’re a good person because you’re including ~~~accessibility features~~. MAKE YOUR POSTS ACCESSIBLE.

Basic ideas for Writing Image Descriptions

Starts with “Image Description” - This lets people know it’s starting a description of an image.

Ends with “End Description” - This lets people know that the description part has ended and anything that comes after isn’t part of the description. Really useful if you then want to post an excerpt or talk about the image.

Brackets (or parenthesis) - these mostly just help visually distinguish the image description from the rest of the text on the post. Which can help people trying to find the description since sometimes text gets blurry and knowing where to look to read the description is helpful. Also, these are NOT a replacement for the above word direction. Not all screen readers will read punctuation. So basically, they don’t exist as part of the image description. The description should be readable without them.

[a description of the image] doesn’t work as an image description. It’ll just be read as “a description of the image doesn’t work as an image description.”

Bolding can help offset the image description, but only do so if it’s shorter than a sentence or two. Too much bolded text at once can be hard to read.

Some description of what is going on in the image. Include any text. Include major elements and the key elements of the items but don’t get bogged down in the details. Basically, if it’s important, include it. This is where writing descriptions for books makes y’all better equipped to write these than the general population. You already know how to filter and describe things so people can picture them without getting bogged down by the exact color of every wildflower when the focus is on the run-down car in the middle of a field.

Keep it short. Separate different visual elements into different sentences. If there are multiple images, use your judgement to decide if they can all be described in the same paragraph or need different paragraphs. (Example, in a wip bingo, the five squares in a row could be on it’s own, but you’d want to break up the rows with “row 1: list of the squares. Row two: list of the square.)

Where to put it:

Literally right beneath the image. That way it’s right there. Easy to find and locate for those who need it.

And if you’re one of those people who hates them, it’s then right below the image and those handy brackets mean you know exactly the part to skip over to get to the stuff you care about.

Do not stick them in the tags. Like no. You need them in the body of the post. That way when the post gets reblogged, the image description goes along with the image.

The post that has the image. Don’t post the image on it’s own (because you want a version without that ~ugly unaesthetic description~) and then add in the description in a reblog. Because tumblr will always go for the one without the image description. And the version with the caption will be buried in the notes and be basically inaccessible for those who need the description. Keep that image description and image as close together as you can.

Totally add image descriptions to posts you reblog.

AND DON”T FUCKING DELETE THE IMAGE CAPTIONS OR DESCRIPTIONS. Yes. that’s how much some of y’all hate disabled people. You think the fucking accessibility features aren’t aesthetic ™ enough and will go through the effort of getting rid of them. (You know, just like how society thinks disabled people are unsightly and does its best to get rid of us or at least keep us from ruining their precious reputations and images.)

There is an image caption option on the images themselves. Screen readers do pick them up. It’s the three little dots that appear on the image when you add it to a post. You can type a short description in there. But it won’t appear on the post itself. That can be a compromise if you can’t fit the image description into the post itself. Tumblr though tends to put the image descriptions in the post (follow the norm) because that’s where most of us have found them the most useful. But this feature does exist on twitter and the same principles apply so you can go apply this over there.

Blog layout

How to make your blog accessible. AKA why do all of you think slightly darker gray on a light gray-lavender half-transparent background with .8 font is in anyway legible? Like stop with the aesthetic and visuals for a moment. Yeah’ it’s all the same color and look at the lace and sparkles and you can see a relevant plot thing behind the post. But can you read it? I CAN”T.

This isn’t about screen readers. Screen readers can work if its white text on white.

But EYES. EYES need certain things to be met. LIKE I LITERALLY HAVE TO COPY PASTE SOMe OF y“ALL THINGS INTO A WORD DOC TO READ THEM because your blogs have gone for aesthetic over accessible.

And you know. If making it accessible for people isn’t enough of a reason.

THOSE READ MORES YOU”RE USING? YEAH if it’s on your blog and I can’t read it on your blog. Hopefully you can see where this is going. Nobody is gonna go into the auditorium if the door is locked and the ticket person keeps going “Idk why you’re having trouble, I got in just fine through the employee entrance. Maybe try the door again.”

So your WIP pages and blog. Since you love those custom themes. You gotta do web design accessibility. That means accounting for the fact not everyone is NT and physically abled!

The basics here are

No small fronts - pretend you’re writing an essay for school. 12pt times new roman or arial. 10pt can work depending on the font. Nothing too fancy, nothing too small. Also don’t go too big. Same problem happens that way.

Decent contrast - Like… if you were to stand across the room from your screen, could you tell there were two different colors? IF not, you DEF don’t have enough contrast. Black text on white works really well here.

No overly saturated colors- You know that feeling when you look directly into the sun? Yeah, that’s what happens when I try reading colored text. Or when I look at anything that is too saturated. It also shouldn’t be too bright. Get rid of the highlighter.

No moving elements in the background - falling flower petals or moving gifs are cool but not when they’re moving about in my field of vision while I’m trying to read something. Keep them off the screen.

Solid background on the posts. - if the background behind text isn’t solid, it’s harder to read.

Keep a single visual flow - don’t pull your reader’s attention twelve different directions. Make it easy to get from one bit to the next.

Use pages. And click to open. Pop up scrolling things are really difficult when you’re not using a mouse and make it difficult to resize.

Don’t have autoplay anything. Def don’t have music that can’t be turned off.

Also back to the clear headings and clearly labelled things. Makes it a lot easier to find information if it is labeled and actually easy to find.