#the efforts people have gone through to preserve this game for audiences is art on its own

[2th]

for the rest of my life the ending of baroque will probably never stop being one of the most beautiful and poignant displays of hope, action, acceptance, and transition i’ve ever seen in a gothic narrative quite literally sitting beside bloodborne.

[paenling]

no ones saying you cant enjoy daniil? people like him as a character but mostly Because he’s an asshole and he’s interesting. the racism and themes of colonization in patho are so blatant

nobody said “by order of Law you are forbidden from enjoying daniil dankovsky in any capacity”, but they did say “if you like daniil dankovsky you are abnormal, problematic, and you should be ashamed of yourself”, so i’d call that an implicit discouragement at the least. not very kind.

regardless, he is a very interesting asshole and we love to make fun of him! but i do not plan to stop seeing his character in an empathetic light when appropriate to do so. we’re all terribly human.

regarding “the racism and themes of colonization in patho”, we’ve gotta have a sit-down for this one because it’s long and difficult. tl;dr here.

i’ve written myself all back and forth and in every direction trying to properly pin down the way i feel about this in a way that is both logically coherent and emotionally honest, but it’s not really working. i debated even responding at all, but i do feel like there are some things worth saying so i’m just going to write a bunch of words, pick a god, and pray it makes some modicum of sense.

the short version: pathologic 2 is a flawed masterwork which i love deeply, but its attempts to be esoteric and challenging have in some ways backfired when it comes to topical discussions such as those surrounding race, which the first game didn’t give its due diligence, and the second game attempted with incomplete success despite its best efforts.

the issue is that when you have a game that is so niche and has these “elevated themes” and draws from all this kind of academic highbrow source material -- the fandom is small, but the fandom consists of people who want to analyze, pathologize, and dissect things as much as possible. so let’s do that.

first: what exactly is racist or colonialist in pathologic? i’m legitimately asking. people at home: by what mechanism does pathologic-the-game inflict racist harm on real people? the fact that the Kin are aesthetically and linguistically inspired by the real-world Buryat people (& adjacent groups) is a potential red flag, but as far as i can tell there’s never any value judgement made about either the fictionalized Kin or the real-world Buryat. the fictional culture is esoteric to the player -- intended to be that way, in fact -- but that’s not an inherently bad thing. it’s a closed practice and they’re minding their business.

does it run the risk of being insensitive with sufficiently aggressive readings? absolutely, but i don’t think that’s racist by itself. they’re just portrayed as a society of human beings (and some magical ones, if you like) that has flaws and incongruences just as the Town does. it’s not idealizing or infantilizing these people, but by no means does it go out of its way to villainize them either. there is no malice in this depiction of the Kin. 

is it the fact that characters within both pathologic 1 & 2 are racist? that the player can choose to say racist things when inhabiting those characters? no, because pathologic-the-game doesn’t endorse those things. they’re throwaway characterization lines for assholes. acknowledging that racism exists does not make a media racist. see more here.

however, i find it’s very important to take a moment and divorce the racial discussions in a game like pathologic 2 from the very specific experiences of irl western (particularly american) racism. it’s understandable for such a large chunk of the english-speaking audience to read it that way; it makes sense, but that doesn’t mean it’s correct. although it acknowledges the relevant history to some extent, on account of being set in 1915, pathologic 2 is not intended to be a commentary about race, and especially not current events, and especially especially not current events in america. it’s therefore unfair, in my opinion, to attempt to diagnose it with any concrete ideology or apply its messages to an american racial paradigm.

it definitely still deals with race, but it always, to me, seemed to come back around the exploitation of race as an ultimately arbitrary division of human beings, and the story always strove to be about human beings far more than it was ever about race. does it approach this topic perfectly? no, but it’s clearly making an effort. should we be aware of where it fails to do right by the topic? yes, definitely, but we should also be charitable in our interpretations of what the writers were actually aiming for, rather than reactionarily deeming them unacceptable and leaving it at that. do we really think the writers for pathologic 2 sat down and said “we’re going to go out of our way to be horrible racists today”? i don’t.

IPL’s writing team is a talented lot, and dybowski as lead writer has the kinds of big ideas that elevate a game to a work of art, particularly because he’s not afraid to get personal. on that front, some discussion is inescapable as pathologic 2 deals in a lot of racial and cultural strife, because it’s clearly something near to the his heart, but as i understand it was never really meant to be a narrative “about” race, at least not exclusively so, and especially not in the same sense as the issue is understood by the average American gamer. society isn't a monolith and the contexts are gonna change massively between different cultures who have had, historically, much different relationships with these concepts.

these themes are “so blatant” in pathologic 2 because clearly, on some level, IPL wanted to start a discussion. I think it’s obvious that they wanted to make the audience uncomfortable with the choices they were faced with and the characters they had to inhabit -- invoke a little ostranenie, as it were, and force an emotional breaking point. in the end the game started a conversation and i think that’s something that was done in earnest, despite its moments of obvious clumsiness. 

regarding colonialism, this is another thing that the game is just Not About. we see the effects and consequences of colonialism demonstrated in the world of pathologic, and it’s something we’re certainly asked to think about from time to time, but the actual plot/narrative of the game is not about overcoming or confronting explicitly colonialist constructs, etc. i personally regard this as a bit of a missed opportunity, but it’s just not what IPL was going for.

instead they have a huge focus, as discussed somewhat in response to this ask, on the broader idea of powerful people trying to create a “utopia” at the mortal cost of those they disempower, which is almost always topical as far as i’m concerned, and also very Russian.

i think there was some interview where it was said that the second game was much more about “a mechanism that transforms human nature” than the costs of utopia, but it’s still a persistent enough theme to be worth talking about both as an abstraction of colonialism as well as in its more-likely intended context through the lens of wealth inequality, environmental destruction & government corruption as universal human issues faced by the marginalized classes. i think both are important and intelligent readings of the text, and both are worth discussion.

both endings of pathologic 2 involve sacrifice in the name of an “ideal world” where it’s impossible to ever be fully satisfied. in the Diurnal Ending, Artemy is tormented over the fate of the Kin and the euthanasia of his dying god and all her miracles, but he needs to have faith that the children he’s protected will grow up better than their parents and create a world where he and his culture will be immortalized in love. in the Nocturnal Ending, he’s horrified because in preserving the miracle-bound legacy of his people as a collective, he’s un-personed himself to the individuals he loves, but he needs to have faith that the uniqueness and magic of the resurrected Earth was precious enough to be worth that sacrifice. neither ending is fair. it’s not fair that he can’t have both, but that’s the idea. because that “utopia” everyone’s been chasing is an idol that distracts from the important work of being a human being and doing your best in a flawed world. 

because pathologic’s themes as a series are so very “Russian turn-of-the-century” and draw a ton of stylistic and topical inspiration from the theatre and literature of that era, i don’t doubt that it’s also inherited some of its inspirational literature’s missteps. however, because the game’s intertextuality is so incredibly dense it’s difficult to construct a super cohesive picture of its actual messaging. a lot of its references and themes will absolutely go over your head if you enter unprepared -- this was true for me, and it ended up taking several passes and a bunch of research to even begin appreciating the breadth of its influences.

(i’d argue this is ultimately a good thing; i would never have gone and picked up Camus or Strugatsky, or even known who Antonin Artaud was at all if i hadn’t gone in with pathologic! my understanding is still woefully incomplete and it’s probably going to take me a lot more effort to get properly fluent in the ideology of the story, but that’s the joy of it, i think. :) i’m very lucky to be able to pursue it in this way.)

anyway yes, pathologic 2 is definitely very flawed in a lot of places, particularly when it tries to tackle race, but i’m happy to see it for better and for worse. the game attempts to discuss several adjacent issues and stumbles as it does so, but insinuating it to be in some way “pro-racist” or “pro-colonialist” or whatever else feels kind of disingenuous to me. they’re clearly trying, however imperfectly, to do something intriguing and meaningful and empathetic with their story.

even all this will probably amount to a very disjointed and incomplete explanation of how pathologic & its messaging makes me feel, but what i want -- as a broader approach, not just for pathologic -- is for people to be willing to interpret things charitably. 

sometimes things are made just to be cruel, and those things should be condemned, but not everything is like that. it’s not only possible but necessary to be able to acknowledge flaws or mistakes and still be kind. persecuting something straight away removes any opportunity to examine it and learn from it, and pathologic happens to be ripe with learning experiences. 

it’s all about being okay with ugliness, working through difficult nuances with grace, and the strength of the human spirit, and it’s a story about love first and foremost, and i guess we sort of need that right now. it gave me some of its love, so i’m giving it some of my patience.

[lov3nerdstuff]

Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 2.1}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student (however no underage romance), blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 5k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

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The end of Robin's first year at Hogwarts had come sooner than expected. She had done fairly well in all of her exams, even defense against the dark arts, despite her previous concerns. After the incident in March, Professor Morgan actually had as good as ignored her for the remainder of the school year, and merely given her grades slightly worse than she believed she deserved. Nothing out of the ordinary, and the same could be said for the other subjects. She had made efforts however, since that night, to become better in charms, and it had paid off in terms of both grades and knowledge. It still hadn't sufficed to beat herbology, leave alone potions, but she felt comfortable with more spells than she had learned in class, and that ought to be enough.

Thus, when summer had finally forced Robin to return home to her parents' house, she had actually felt content with her overall progress of the past year, but also desperately ready for a break in all the learning.

That sentiment however had lasted for a mere week, and without the possibility to borrow books from her favorite potions professor, Robin soon had found the necessity to find other methods to keep herself busy, and distract herself from missing school. Those methods mainly had entailed sitting in on summer classes at the university her parents worked for, and while a twelve year old wasn't really the intended audience for any of those classes, Robin had been surprised to find that she actually had understood quite a lot of the entry level subjects. Thus her summer had been filled with classes on history, cultural studies and art –which had turned out to be more about architecture than about art after all– and she had learned a lot while yet being systematically excluded from everything not class related by both the regular students and the professors. Her parents hadn't been any better, as they had been working day in day out as always, ignoring her as always, saying "that's nice, sweetie" as always.

Only upon her return to Hogwarts for the beginning of her second year, Robin had actually felt like she belonged once more. Both the castle and the landscape gave her a feeling of finally being able to breathe again, after a long time of existing in a room with too little air. Sure, seeing her parents had been nice to some degree, but only at Hogwarts did she actually feel like a person of value again. At her parents house, she was an asset in a game that wasn't hers to play. At Hogwarts however she was Robin, and the master of her own fate. Even if to the others she was still the muggle born Slytherin who spent more time with her books than with her peers.

And just like that, she happily threw herself back into her classes and assignments, picking things right back up where she had left off last term.

The members of her study group started talking about their O.W.L.s and about fairly little else quite early on, and Robin soon found herself annoyed by them more than she appreciated their company. Thus she started to spend more and more time studying by herself instead, and eventually also eating by herself as well. Unlike last year, she actually didn't mind not having a permanent group, or anything that came even close to friendships. There was always someone she could sit with, should she choose to do so in the first place, even if that someone was only a brief acquaintance from one of her classes.

Her habit of borrowing books from Professor Snape had to her great luck survived the summer, and right after the first class of the term he had dropped a thick tome about preserving and properly storing different kinds of ingredients on her desk. Not the most interesting read, admittedly, but she would gladly take anything she got. It was still better than those books in the library that all basically said the same thing with different words. She found herself wondering more than once if perhaps they had all been writing by the same person, under different synonyms.

Thus for the following weeks in potions class, whenever they weren't actively brewing anything in particular, Robin would read in that book instead of listening to a lecture about some thing she'd known for half a year already, and to her surprise Professor Snape hadn't complained nor given her an odd look for it even once. Robin soon had realized that they might just have come to the silent agreement that she would learn more if she stuck to her books for now. Well, his books, but nobody needed to know about that. It was an unspoken agreement between them to keep this arrangement to themselves, as well as the quite good terms on which they were with each other at this point. Well, 'good' in Snape's terms at least, which meant that he mostly just let her be for the duration of class and she asked any questions she might have about her reads afterwards.

Eventually this habit, and this particular book especially, had led Robin to discover what she would put into the locket she had been wearing ever since the previous Christmas: a branch of dried dittany. Admittedly, fitting an entire branch into a locket of less than the size of her palm might have posed a problem, had Robin not done her research properly and come across a spell that allowed her to expand the space within the locket to a much greater size than the outside would let on. A simply extending charm, really, but very useful as she found. That only had left one issue remaining, and after having a frank conversation with Professor Sprout (whose favor Robin had gained last year by being the only Slytherin student who actually cared about herbology), Robin had been indeed allowed to take a branch of dittany from the greenhouse. In the week following upon that, she had carefully followed the instructions in the borrowed book and dried the plant while (hopefully) preserving all its qualities, therefore turning her nightstand into the best improvised laboratory she could manage.

At the end of her efforts, she'd actually been quite proud of the outcome, and that is exactly why she had kept the whole endeavour to herself and simply had gone back to wearing the locket every day like she used to, only that now it hid one of the finest healing plants the country had to offer. She'd have to see if she could get her hands on dried mandrake too, at some point. But for now, the dittany would do.

______________

The peace and quiet of her life at Hogwarts lasted for exactly two and a half months after term had started, right up to the point when Professor Morgan decided that it was time to mess with Robin once again. Honestly, while she hadn't really seen it coming this time either, she had indeed known that he eventually would start causing her problems again. And it just happened to be a lot sooner than she expected.

"Miss Mitchell!" His exaggeratedly cheerful voice brought Robin to an immediate halt, and an immediate spark of panic to her heart. It was Saturday night this time around, but yet again right after dinner and in the emptiest and dark hallway Hogwarts had to offer outside of the dungeons. Robin was spotting a scheme here.

"Professor Morgan…" Robin half sighed and half stated as she turned around to face the man in question. After over a year of having to listen to way too many girls fawning over him, she still couldn't understand how anyone could seriously and in good conscience consider this sleazy individual handsome.

"What a strange déjà vu to be having… Feels like it was ages ago that you messed up my classroom." He smiled innocently and shook his head to himself.

"Funny, to me it seems like just yesterday." Robin replied with the most neutral face she could manage.

"Ah, you and your… witty… remarks, how I have -not- missed those over the summer…" He sighed and raised his chin for a moment, peering down at her over the bottom rim of his reading glasses, which he wore only whenever he wanted to look particularly authoritative. Or that's what Robin thought, at least.

"What is it you would like from me this time, sir?" She asked as calmly as possible, while her hands were getting clammy again nonetheless and she had to resist the urge to wipe them on her trousers. That would've been a dead tell of her anxiety, and she didn't want him to see any of it at all.

"You will assist me in class on Monday. I will be demonstrating a spell that seeks out the other's deepest truths. Much like that famous potion, actually, what's it called again…"

"Veritaserum?" Robin suggested with a frown, keeping her face otherwise neutral while her anxiety went through the roof. He seriously wanted to force her to speak whatever truth in front of the entire class by using magic?! Was that even allowed?

"Exactly! However what I intend to show to the class is called legilimency."

"Never heard of it…"

"That is because it is not commonly taught at this institution."

At that, Robin's heart started beating even faster in nervousness. "But… then why would you teach it to us now, sir? And- and why do you need to demonstrate it on me, out of all people?"

Professor Morgan let out a small snort in return. "I'm not teaching it to you, don't be ridiculous… I'm merely using it to demonstrate something. And I chose you to demonstrate it on, because you are an obvious choice. You were so very intent on your honesty and truthfulness last year that I see no reason as for why it should bother you to speak the truth yet again."

"What if I don't want to assist you?" Robin asked quietly, with a lump in her throat that simply refused to be swallowed down, and her only hope was that the darkness of the hallway hid the fear in her eyes at least.

"Well, I would absolutely hate to force you to do it, Miss Mitchell, but I'm afraid you have no choice." He smiled sweetly, with just a touch of feigned sympathy. "Don't worry, it will be over in a blink."

"But-"

"You see, I told you about this beforehand because I came to realize that troublesome young children such as yourself need a role model for their actions, if we ever want something to become of them." He said with another self sufficient sigh, looking around the hallway as if dwelling in the righteousness of his own statement. "I believe one day in the very distant future you will thank me for every lesson I teach you now. So consider yourself lucky that I allow you to participate in this… lesson."

"Yes, sir." Robin gave back in a neutral tone, while her insides however were both on fire and frozen over at the same time. This was Morgan's late revenge for what had happened last term, it had to be… He'd waited until she felt safe, only to strike now. Petty move, honestly… and still Robin felt sick to the stomach.

"Very well!" Morgan was back to cheery. "I will see you in class on Monday. Have a lovely rest of the weekend." Without wasting another glance on her, he turned on his heel, clasped his hands behind his back nonchalantly and walked off into the direction of his classroom.

Robin however remained standing in her spot for a little while longer, heart beating frantically while a cold rush of adrenaline washed over her body in the most uncomfortable manner. Bloody hell, that man scared her more every time she had to interact with him, and it had only gotten exponentially worse since the detention incident. Tears started stinging in her eyes upon the mere thought of going to class on Monday, but she obviously didn't have much of a choice. Even if she found a reason to avoid class on Monday, he would just come at her with the same threat the next class or the one after that, and she couldn't avoid defense against the dark arts classes for the next five years to come. She also didn't want to, she actually liked the subject. It was only Morgan that she despised.

As the adrenaline slowly decreased and made room for rational thoughts once more, Robin also rediscovered her ability to move. Without even having to think about it, her feet carried her down to the dungeons and right to Professor Snape's office. Yet once she was about to knock on his door, her fist stilled mid-air as she finally paused to think. This wasn't a good idea… well, sure, he had told her to find him if she ran into any problems with Professor Morgan, but then again… she really didn't want a repetition of last time. More so for his sake than for her own. Also, she couldn't just come bursting into his office like the frightened idiot she was, hoping to be shown an easy way out of this the very second she asked for it. No, if she was to drag him into this again (and that was a big IF still) she better come to him with a plan already at hand.

Robin pulled her hand back and dropped it to her side with a sigh, then walked backwards until her back gently touched the cold wall on the opposite side of the hallway. What on earth was she even doing… She was a second year student, and Professor Morgan was… well, a professor. A bloody bad one, to her luck, but still… what kind of chance did she stand against him? Especially in regards to a spell that she hadn't even heard about, leave alone knew how to read up on if it wasn't something she was even supposed to learn about in the first place. She wasn't brave enough to go into the restricted section of the library, and the open one only had books appropriate for standard school topics. She couldn't refuse to partake, couldn't use any sort of shielding spell against him… Hell, if he'd just give her good old veritaserum, at least she would know what she was in for. There even were antidotes for that stuff! Actually… Morgan had said that the spell was rather similar to veritaserum. Robin crossed her arms over her chest and started pacing up and down the hallway, passing by the door again and again on each way.

Maybe… maybe she could make the antidote to veritaserum, and take it before class on Monday. Did that help against legi… what was it again? Gosh, she really couldn't concentrate whenever her anxiety got the better of her. And remembering technical terms wasn't all that high on her list of priorities when she was fighting with blind panic on the inside and not showing any of it on the outside. It was an unfair battle, really…

Antidote. Yes. It could work, it had to… it was the best plan she had. Again she walked by the office door, and right past it towards the end of the hallway yet again. How was she supposed to get the recipe for that antidote though? Or the necessary ingredients?! Making veritaserum itself was a rather advanced procedure, and even if Robin was far ahead of her class, she wasn't that good, not even close. The antidote would require even more precision and knowledge. Robin turned around once she reached the end of the hallway, and headed back into the opposite direction. She couldn't do it alone, couldn't do it at all maybe. But she also couldn't just sit by and do nothing while Professor Morgan would make her blurt out every secret she has ever had in class on Monday. Bloody hell…

"Will you stop pacing and come in already?" Snape's deep voice brought both Robin and her thoughts to a sudden halt. She froze in her step and finally lifted her gaze off the floor to see him standing in the doorway a mere two steps to her right, giving her that trademark pretending-to-be-annoyed frown.

Heat rose to Robin's face immediately, and she felt both embarrassed and relieved as he turned to the side to make room for her to enter.

"I'm sorry, sir, I just… I didn't want to bother you." Robin finally remembered to speak, as she sat down in the by now familiar chair across from his own.

"Now that you did, you might as well tell me the reason for it." He replied calmly as he took his own seat with an expectant expression. Robin held his gaze for a moment, then let her eyes wander around the room like she always did, until something caught her sight.

"The small jar with the green liquid in the third shelf from the bottom, second from the right… it stood on the second shelf from the bottom, last time I was here." She said quietly, before she could really convince herself not to. It was a stupid observation, without any meaning probably, but saying this was easier than answering his question.

Professor Snape's frown deepened as he followed Robin's line of sight, before it vanished and his eyebrows rose up high as ever. "It would indeed appear that it was… misplaced."

"Now or then?"

"Why are you here, Miss Mitchell?"

Robin looked down at her hands, as they were nervously fiddling with the edge of her grey jumper on their own accord. Darn it… she didn't even have any real reason to keep secrets from him anymore. He'd seen her cry, seen her desperate and seen her being a complete dunderhead. Snape was probably the only person in Hogwarts she had ever been entirely honest with in the first place, and when she thought about it, she had no intention to change that now.

With a still fragile certainty, she looked up to meet his eye again. "I'm here because I need the instructions for a potion."

His eyebrows lifted even higher, and he almost looked amused once again, but seeing as Robin herself didn't smile even remotely, the brief expression vanished in a blink. "Which potion?"

"The antidote for veritaserum."

"Why, pray tell, do you believe I would simply give it to you?"

"I do not."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I had to try nonetheless." There was no insecurity in her voice, which surprised her a little, but it didn't come unappreciated. This was a serious matter to her, and he might as well know that. At least he hadn't straight up denied her request and thrown her out of the office already.

Instead his eyes narrowed and he sat up a little straighter as he seemed to grasp the gravity the issue held for Robin. "Why do you need that antidote so desperately that you risk asking for it so boldly?"

"Self-preservation." As he merely gave her a look in return, she added, "I was asked to assist in a class on Monday."

"And that justifies your request because…?"

"It's Professor Morgan's class." Robin's voice went down in volume by more than she intended, but she couldn't care less because Snape's face showed an immediate expression of understanding, then question, and irritation at last.

"I see. What did he say to you, exactly?" He asked a bit too darkly for it to be nonchalant or even neutral, and Robin felt an odd sense of relief to see him still disliking the defense against the dark arts professor as much as she did. She only could've hoped that he had not changed his mind since March, and obviously he hadn't. So far so good.

"He said he wants to demonstrate a spell on me that reveals my deepest truths, and that the spell reminded him of veritaserum. Well, actually, I suggested veritaserum as a comparison because he couldn't remember the name." Robin shrugged and Professor Snape rolled his eyes theatrically, but Robin got the impression that it wasn't directed at her as much as at Morgan.

"Did he say which spell?"

"He did, but…" Robin bit her bottom lip for a second, reminding herself that he had indeed seen her panic before and there was no reason to not tell him about another instance now. "He did say which spell, however I… was too busy not dying over anxiety to pick it up and remember what it's called exactly." The annoyance she had expected to see on his face didn't come, which pushed her to continue on. "But I remember that it's something that's not taught at Hogwarts. He doesn't want us to learn it, just… just demonstrate it himself for some reason. I believe it started with an I or an L… I'm sorry, sir, I honestly don't remember. I should have though, I know…"

Oddly enough, Snape's reaction still was none of annoyance, but he rather stared right past Robin, lost in thought. Had her information not been completely useless after all? Anyway, she almost felt calm now that she had opened up to him about the situation. At least she wasn't alone with it anymore; someone knew of her concerns and actually took them seriously. That was a huge step towards getting out of this entire thing relatively unharmed. Her heartbeat slowed down significantly, and she didn't feel sick anymore. Good… Now, that other jar also had-

"Miss Mitchell?"

"Huh?" Her eyes snapped back to her professor and her cheeks gained in colour once again. She really needed to stop zoning out whenever she was in his office… Snape however kindly ignored her flustering and went right on as if nothing had happened in the first place.

"Was what Professor Morgan mentioned by any chance titled 'legilimency'?"

"Yes!" She blurted right out, eyes widening a little in surprise that he had actually been able to make any use of her poor information. "Exactly that!" The look she received in return however made her wish she hadn't answered all that enthusiastically, as it sent a chill down her spine in an instant.

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes, yes I am… Why? What kind of spell is that, professor? Why are you asking like that?" She asked in an almost insecure manner now, but didn't receive an answer as he got up and went to retrieve a book from one of the shelves in the far corner of the room. After flipping through the pages for a moment, he turned the open book around and handed it to Robin before moving to sit back down in his chair in silence.

Robin scanned the page to get the overall gist of it, and her eyes widened in sheer horror at every word she read. At last she placed the book on the desk between them and simply stared at Professor Snape in both shock and fear. Morgan wanted… and he really was forcing her to… no!

"That is why I'm asking like that." Snape sounded almost as displeased as Robin felt, even if he had no reason to in her eyes. She was glad that he shared the sentiment nonetheless.

"Can't… Is that… Is that even allowed?" Robin's voice was but a whisper, a plea almost to whoever would hear, to at least make this wrong.

"The use of veritaserum on students has… unfortunately been prohibited, however I'm not aware of any such rules regarding legilimency. As it seems, the ministry has as of yet turned a blind eye to it."

"And… and the headmaster?"

"Will hardly see a fault in a mere demonstration of the subject. He has always been quite… liberal."

Robin's face fell even more, and she stared down at the words on the page in front of her as they began swimming together slowly. Then however she frowned at a different issue. "Professor… It may be completely stupid of me to say, but… this spell does not sound like anything I know about veritaserum. I mean, sure, it both reveals the truth in a way, but if I understand correctly, this… is more than just a means to finding out the truth. It's a hellfire being compared to a match. Which leads me to believe that –and I do apologize for being so direct about this– Professor Morgan either has no idea about this spell, even though it falls into his supposed area of expertise, or he doesn't know a thing about even the most basic basics of potions."

"I'm led to believe that he isn't proficient in either." A small pause, and Robin managed a half smile at his fairly direct insult before he continued speaking. "And you are right, Miss Mitchell, legilimency has fairly little to do with veritaserum, or more precisely, nothing at all. Which is why I will not give you the instructions for the antidote."

While his words definitely made sense, Robin also felt her heart sinking and squeezing together painfully. It had been her only chance… or had it? Another idea sprung to her mind suddenly, and even though she knew that it was extremely inappropriate and straight out wrong, it was an idea born from desperation. "What if I poison him?"

Snape's expression did show a small but honest reaction upon her words, a mixture of astonishment and a hint of being impressed, but more words fell off Robin's lips before he could shut her up. "Maybe draught of living death, so that he doesn't show up to class until I graduate, or forgetfulness potion to make him forget that he ever asked me to do this, forced me to do this even, or a hate potion so he shows his TRUE self in front of the entire school, or-"

"That's quite enough, Miss Mitchell." He interrupted her with a scolding tone, and Robin sobered from her rant in but a second. Oh no… had she really just said all of that? Out loud?? To Professor Snape??? As he continued, his voice took on a more neutral tone again, but his eyes conveyed the same graveness nonetheless. "I'm giving five points to Slytherin, for your remarkable knowledge of admittedly rather suitable positions for the occasion. And I am giving you detention, for suggesting to poison a teacher."

"What?!"

"Come to my office first thing after breakfast tomorrow morning. You will be here the entire day, so don't expect to be indulging in any other… activities tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is Sunday." Robin frowned at him, and felt a little betrayed after all. She had a serious problem at hand and he was giving her detention?! However justified it was, for her impulsive blurt of a desperation born thoughts, she had hoped for a little more understanding at least. Also, there was no detention on Sundays. Usually.

"I'm well aware." He replied to her surprise, giving her another of those looks that said more than his words did. Only that this time Robin had no idea what exactly it was that it said. But she didn't question him, as much as she wanted to, for he wouldn't give a reply anyway. When Professor Snape demanded something to be done, it would be. That's just how things were, and Robin found herself admiring him for it even. He wore an armor of dangerous intensity for his daily robes, and it suited him better than anyone else.

"I'll be here, sir." She finally replied in a quiet voice, and her eyes went back to the book on the desk. Would he at least let her borrow it until Monday, so that she could prepare for what was coming her way?

As if he was reading her mind now indeed, he gave an answer to her internal question. "The book won't help you, Miss Mitchell, nor will any potion. I suggest you spend the night resting instead of pondering over either option."

"How did you know I would?" Robin asked with a half amused and half embarrassed huff. Did he actually read her mind? He probably did, and yet she had the sudden feeling that detention with Professor Snape wouldn't be all that horrible. Not for her, at least.

"Because I would. Given your point of view on this issue, it is the most sensible thing to do." He replied with a risen eyebrow and a pointed look. "However from my point of view, I strongly advise you to rest. You will fare better with energy rather than pointless knowledge in tomorrow's… detention."

Robin frowned at his cryptic statement, but he seemed rather unwilling to say any more on the issue and thus Robin took a deep breath before she went to reply in his trademark neutrality. "Very well. No books for me tonight, I'm going straight to bed. Would that be all, sir?"

"Careful, Mitchell. You wouldn't want to risk detention over your wit."

"I thought I already have detention, sir."

"Get. Out." He drawled in a low tone, and yet the not-smirk tugging on his lips didn't escape Robin's notice as she rose to her feet and walked to the door.

Somehow she felt better than she knew she should in the light of getting detention, leave alone what would be happening on Monday. But here she was, having to hide her smirk as she turned around to Snape once again. "Goodnight, professor. I'll be on time."

"You better be." He mused with another gaze louder than words. "Tomorrow."

As Robin closed the door behind herself and stepped into the dark hallway, turning into the direction of her dormitory, she allowed a small smile to grace her lips at last. Things still weren't exactly working out in her favor, but after talking to the quite possibly darkest person she had ever known, the world seemed an odd lot brighter nonetheless.

______________________________

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[recentanimenews]

Fan Community Shines at Shield Hero Manga Signing

  On a humid spring day in San Francisco, fans of the smash hit The Rising of the Shield Hero gathered on the second floor of Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya. Aiya Kyu, the artist adapting the Shield Hero light novels into manga form would soon take a seat in front of dozens of passionate fans. The event would be comprised of a formal interview, a fan Q&A session, a live-drawing, and a book signing. In the hour leading up to the event, the sense of anticipation was palpable–the air was electric.

The room at Kinokuniya was standing room only!

During the event, two fans cosplaying Naofumi and Raphtalia entered the store and were immediately swarmed with people requesting their photos! With good reason–they looked absolutely amazing.

Even Naofumi and Raphtalia showed up for the event.

Fans were also able to peruse a selection of Shield Hero merchandise ranging from T-shirts to manga and light novels.

As the manga artist, Aiya Kyu, took to the stage, the room fell silent. There was a really strong sense of reverence in the room–every eye in the audience was trained on Aiya-sensei as she answered questions and performed the live drawing.

Aiya Kyu effortlessly inking a pensive Naofumi.

Throughout the event, I noticed something really wonderful–people who were complete strangers before the event were talking to one another and building immediate friendships over their shared love of this story. I saw people connecting over their favorite story moments, comparing differences between the light novels, the manga, and the anime adaptation, and never once did I hear any of the typical gatekeeping that so often comes with discussions of anime adaptations and their source material. The fans who were here just wanted to connect with the creator behind something special to them, and to meet other people who loved the same thing they did. This is a really special community of fans, and this event represents the real, powerful ability of anime to bring people together.

Included below is a full transcript of the interview and Fan Q&A.

Interview

(Transcription credit: Kevin Matyi)

Tim Lyu (Crunchyroll Host): So, Aiya-sensei, how do you like San Francisco?

Aiya Kyu: It’s a very good place to spend your days, and I actually went around doing a lot of tourist-y stuff yesterday.

TL: Fantastic. Okay, let’s go and get straight into the in-depth questions–when did you start drawing manga, and how did you break into the industry?

AK: I always loved drawing. Ever since I was a child I was like, “I want to draw for a living,” so basically I went to school specifically for this kind of vocation. I was a manga assistant, then, finally I became my own manga artist.

TL: So how did you become involved in adapting The Rising of the Shield Hero to manga, and were you a fan of the novel before you started writing it?

AK: So I didn’t know about the series until I got the offer, and I was approached one day by the editorial staff at Monthly Comic Flappersaying “hey we have this series Shield Hero, would you like to draw a manga for it?”

  TL: Many fans find Naofumi’s story to be very special and relatable. What makes Shield Hero stand out from other isekai (‘another world’) stories?

AK: So I’m sure that everyone’s gone through a time where they were betrayed or they were framed by someone else, and they felt alone in the world, so that they really feel some kind of link to Naofumi. That’s probably why they feel so much emotion for the series, and that’s also the reason why this series is so unique in the isekai genre.

TL: How closely do you work with Aneko Yusagi-san for the manga adaptation, and do they have an active role in the work?

AK: How to present a story in a manga form is slightly different than that of a novel, so we basically have a little bit of freedom, but I work very closely with Aneko-sensei to make sure that their worldview is still correct but that it still has that very manga feel to it.

TL: What has been the most challenging aspect of adapting the light novel into the manga?

AK: The most difficult part is the fact that there’s a lot more words involved in a novel, so it’s very hard to fit all of that in a manga–it gets too crowded if you try to force all of the original words in there, so trimming the fat, so to say, and making sure that it’s presentable in manga form yet still has all of the concepts that are in the original novel is the hard part.

TL: Right, because, like you talked about before, when you talk about magic in the light novel you can just spend pages explaining, but in the manga, if you keep all of that, you basically have a nice PowerPoint presentation. Y’all don’t wanna read PowerPoint presentations.

AK: (She laughs) So basically you want to preserve the tempo and feel, making sure the manga isn’t too sluggish so in more explanatory segments you try to use more art and use pictures over words to keep the flow going smoothly.

TL: Naofumi is a complex character who’s viewed as a villain but is actually deeply kind and generous. Was this a challenging character to work with?

AK: I believe the character is very easy to empathize with and you just get into it with him in the novels, so trying to keep that aspect of being easily relatable going to the manga was very difficult.

TL: One of the more popular characters, Raphtalia, is a very complex character with quite an intense backstory. How did you work to convey all of her depth in manga form?

AK: Thanks to all of the efforts of Naofumi, Raphtalia is a very strong woman nowadays, but it’s very important to remember the past that she grew up from. It’s very difficult but I always try to keep in mind her backstory and to keep the past that created what she is now.

TL: And here’s a nice little fun one: which character from Shield Hero is your favorite to draw, and why?

AK: Naofumi’s the main character, he’s central to the story, he’s easy to empathize with, so I find him easiest to draw.

(As Aiya-sensei said ‘Naofumi,’ sounds of approval and laughter spread through the crowd.)

TL: I like how the audience, when she said ‘Naofumi,’ was just like “heck yeah.”

(Tim and Aiya-sensei laugh.)

TL: Do you have anything you would like to say to the Western fans of The Rising of the Shield Hero manga?

AK: First of all, thank you for the invite to the signing event, because I wouldn’t be here to begin with if it weren’t for the novels. It’s really amazing to see so many fans here for this event. It makes me happy, and I hope that you guys all continue to like Shield Hero.  

(Applause.)

A photo-op spot where anyone could become the Shield Hero!

Aiya Kyu then moved on to the Fan Q&A, starting with some questions sent in by our news readers from our article last week.

Fan Q&A

Crunchyroll News Reader: How do I improve my drawings to be a successful manga artist?

Aiya Kyu: Becoming a manga artist is not just skill–you also need luck in equal measure, but more importantly you need to be able to tell a story well, and not just draw well. So basically, in all aspects of drawing and storytelling, you just gotta keep practicing.

CRN Reader: Have you played any role playing fantasy games?

AK: In the past, I loved fantasy games and played a lot of them, but nowadays I just don’t seem to find much time to play very long games, so I haven’t been playing as much.

CRN Reader: Why have you chosen to draw this series in a more light mood than, let’s say a darker tone such as Berserk? We all understand that it’s primarily a good series and that it was drawn more light to help bring the more upbeat tone into it. However, Shield Hero has dark overtones in the story. Was this a request from Aneko Yusagi-sensei themself or was it your idea, since this was an isekai show?

AK: One big part of it was my original art style to being with. But I got very inspired by the illustrator for the original novels, Minami-sensei, and I wanted to approach that art style, so the inspiration from the original novels was a big part.

The event then transitioned into an open audience question and answer session.

Audience Question: When drawing the manga, have you experienced any emotional bonds with the characters, to the point where events that happened to characters still affect her?

Aiya Kyu: I’m sure that if I got too emotionally attached to a character, I would definitely feel some kind of emotion if something were to happen to that character, but I feel it’s better to pull back a bit and just look at the entire worldview. I always try to keep in mind to take a step back and look at the big picture instead.

Aud: Is there a character that you like drawing the least?

AK: I don’t have any particular characters that I don’t like drawing, like let’s say everyone’s least favorite character, Myne. I don’t have to really draw her as a beautiful woman so I can really relax while drawing her and so I have fun drawing her because I don’t have to make sure that she’s really cute. So I don’t have any characters that I don’t like drawing.

Aud: How does it feel drawing Mai solo?

AK: I just make sure that I give her evil looks. (Audience laughs) I just try my best to bring out the worst in her.

Aud: You already answered the question about your favorite character, but what’s your favorite shield design?

AK: I really like the small shield the best, because it’s the easiest to draw.

Aud: Were you expecting Raphtalia to become one of the most popular female characters of 2019?

AK: I really didn’t expect this at all when I was drawing the manga! I’m just transforming the already existing story into manga, so I didn’t really think too much about it.

Aud: Are there any characters that you want to see cosplayed?

AK: Let’s just keep it simple and plain. Give me Naofumi and Raphtalia.

Aud: What is your favorite character and why?

AK: I like the worldview of the series, and I like every single character. But if I really, really had to pick one, it’d be Naofumi because I find him the most fun to draw.

Aud: If you were trapped in an isekai, would you choose the shield, sword, spear or bow?

AK: Strictly speaking, if it was just for arms, I’d pick a sword.

Aud: Removing Naofumi, Raphtalia and Filo, who’s your favorite character?

AK: That’s a really hard question! If I really, really had to choose, since I like drawing monsters, maybe one of the monster characters, or Fitoria since she’s kinda somewhat a monster.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[obsidianarchives]

Black Woman Creator: Rayn C.

Rayn C., a native New Yorker, is a geek, a mom, and a creator. She is an avid comic reader, has been a comic con attendee for over a decade and a vendor at various conventions, markets, and fairs selling items such as coasters made from recycled comic books. 2017 is the year that a dream came true when she opened a comic book shop in Union City, NJ with her partner, Jazmin. She now spends her nights playing board games and Dungeons & Dragons way past closing time in the shop. We spoke to Rayn about Thought Bubble Comics and being a creator.

Black Girls Create: What do you create?

I recycle comic books into coasters. I go to cons and I cosplay. I’m a con vendor and right now I am actually in my comic book shop creating a counter.

BGC: What gave you the idea to make the coasters?

I used to get yelled at for water rings on my furniture and I was like “I don’t want some ugly ass coasters in my house.” So I took some beat up comic books that my brother had lying around and made them into coasters, and some folks were like “yo that’s really awesome, can you make me a set?” Making 1 set became making 10 sets and making 10 sets ended up with me going to conventions and selling them.

BGC: What are some of your favorite characters to cosplay as?

I have yet to do an elaborate cosplay. I did two of them last year, I dressed up as Lieutenant Uhura for New York Comic Con a year ago, and then I dressed up as Bulma earlier last year. Wig and all. That was really fun. Wigs are really itchy though.  

BGC: What made you want to start a comic shop?

I live in a neighborhood with a crap ton of kids. I’m also a mom, I have 2 daughters who are geeks themselves, and I was talking to them and realized that there was nothing for the kids to do in the neighborhood. For me, giving comic books to my kids is a really big deal. I wanted to share the awesomeness that is Marvel and the DC universes. And I realized they’re really into it, and their friends watch the cartoons for it, but there’s really no access to comic books in the area, so I just decided to try it out and see how it all works out.

BGC: Why do you create?

It’s a shitty world we live in, so I figure it’s a pretty good way to destress. It’s a form of escapism, but I sometimes like the Marvel universe better than I like ours. I like to make things and take my mind off all the shenanigans happening in the world.

BGC: So you mentioned that you have kids so for the comic book shop is it mostly going to be marketed towards kids and what’s that age range? Who is your intended audience?

I’ve gone to comic book shops for over a decade and I feel like the best ones have a variety. Veterans, older folks can come in and battle it out over the counter about who’s the best superhero. But then there’s also an area for kids to see the new comic books and something more age appropriate. So I’m trying to do the same thing here. I’ll have kids section, I’ll have the typical comic books. And I’ll try to get some old stuff, vintage comics, to pull in the older crowd.

BGC: What are some of your all-time favorite comics?

That’s the kind of conversation that could start a battle. I’ll have to say my all-time favorite was the Birds of Prey series. I don’t have all of them, I’m missing about 20 issues, but I have the majority of the collection. And it was because I was tired of seeing all these guys kick ass and save the world, so I was looking for comic books of chicks who lead the helm. And the comic book owner was like “I have this pile of these really old Birds of Prey comics that don’t really sell,” and gave them to me for 50 cents each. And I took the whole thing home and binged it really hard. So that’s been my absolute favorite because it was the first series where I got to see a whole bunch of women whoop ass with no guys in the pictures as much. That was inspiring for me. So I always go back and reread those as much as I can.

BGC: Who or what inspired you to do what you do?

I would say my kids, since they’re always asking me about the next comic book, and I was like oh maybe I’ll just get it in the store.

BGC: Do they help out with stuff?

I have them on one side of the store and they’ll play with scraps of wood that I have cut out - they’re “helping” - but building little things on the other side of the room. It’s more like they just want to hang out and see the process. How often are kids allowed to go into businesses and look at how it’s built from the ground up, you know?

BGC: Why is it important to you as a black person to create?

Black people have created forever and how often do they get recognition for it? For me, I would have to say that the reality really hit me when I went to my first comic con 10 years ago and barely saw another person of color in sight, besides me and my brother. We were like neon blinking signs. But I think once we understood how few of us there were in the cons we made more efforts to go to more conventions and bring more of our friends, and if you go near a comic con now, it’s so diverse and there’s little black kids showing up and cosplaying and it’s one of the most amazing things you could see, that joy. And black people make amazing things. 

I’ve been going to cons for 10 years now, and I’ve only started cosplaying last year. I was always shy about it because the rare times that I would see cosplayers of color, it wasn’t as widely received years ago, but now it’s a much more open door policy. So we should just take every opportunity to create as much as possible and just put it out in the universe. 

BGC: How do you balance creating with the rest of your life?

I work two jobs, I raise two girls, and I’m also opening a comic book shop. So for me creativity always happens at the crack of dawn or late at night. I have to squeeze out the time and place for it. I built a tiny studio in my house a.k.a. a work table, just to squeeze in my work in my own space. I won’t lie, there are months where I don’t get to create because everything else is demanding my attention. Like you have to pay bills. But the moment I get a chance, I’ll definitely be at that table, any opportunity that I get. I also horde a lot of arts and crafts.

BGC: Do you have any advice for young creators/ones just starting?

So it took me 6 months to perfect one process in making the coasters, which was the layering and the preservation of the comic books without damaging them. I screwed up for 6 months over and over and over. And I think the most important thing I learned about creating is that creativity is not just about successes. It’s mostly about the failures. And once you get through all the failures, you line up everything you figured out and learned in the process and you come out with some amazing shit. So don’t think the failures are bad, they’re pretty good.

BGC: What has been the response from the community so far?

There are a bunch of kids and teenagers who stand in front of my door when I’m working like “what’s going on in here, what are y’all doing?” Two days ago I was working and I told this teenager that I’m opening this shop and he went running down the street screaming “yo this shit gone be lit!” So there’s definitely an enthusiastic response so far, and some people stop by when my door is open and are like “thank you for doing something,” because this place was like a trash can for two years. It was a vacant dead spot. Technically it was supposed to be sold, the landlord was expecting gentrification to give him a big fat check, and I was like “nah, give it to me.” I’m going to do free art classes for the kids in the neighborhood, we’re gonna do cosplay events, we’re gonna have Yule Balls, we’re gonna do all these things for the kids, why would you want to give this space away to someone who doesn’t give a shit about us? And he gave it to me - I twisted his arm a bit, but I got it.

BGC: Do you have any future projects that you’re thinking about working on?

There is an assortment of things that I want to do. Right now my main obsession is playing with wood and resin as mediums. I’m very ambitious. I never picked up a tool my whole life but I said I’m just going to build some shit and see how it works out. I’m trying to build out more custom furniture and have engravings of old superhero logos and villain logos and do that as commission based work, and see if people like it. And if they don’t, then I’ll move onto another project. I’m trying to graduate superhero stuff to more adult-looking stuff and see how people react. Every time I take the coasters to cons, they garner a lot of attention. I used to sell them online, but I took the website down because I plan on selling them in-store now. And I’m trying to organize a small geek convention in my neighborhood too. And maybe I’ll try cons again, but the shop is taking up a lot of attention right now.

[saaynews]

NOT JUST K-POP: THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF KOREAN MUSIC

From SAAY to DPR, a new wave of homegrown musical acts are rewriting the rules.

The burgeoning Korean music scene is no longer solely focused on K-pop. Lately, many Korean artists have gone on to independently release their music, start their own labels, or simply find companies that allow them to express themselves. The formula for success has become much less rigid, and the lines are blurring between those in the underground and mainstream. To better showcase this growth, we talked to one artist and one label founder who are both shifting the industry in their own ways.

SAAY is a former girl group member turned singer and model, whose musical journey is now completely her own. On a Zoom call from her studio, where she’s currently working on new music that is set to be released this year, she speaks about her perspective and approach: “I’m the one who expresses what I want to say with my music…and I don’t care about other people’s views when I create something, there is only my music and myself.” From encouraging her supporters to love themselves, to being vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement, her attitude is a source of inspiration and comfort. When it comes to her diverse fanbase, SAAY describes them as the reason she has found global success. “They are the link between me and the world to me, and the most important bridge I would say. Communication with my fans is as important to me as making music.”

When it comes to the industry at large, SAAY is proud of the fact that it’s evolving at such a fast pace. “Until three years ago, the music scene of our country which we watched from abroad was not that great. But now, if we have a chance, we can collaborate with overseas artists right away. We respect that we are Korean even when we go abroad. They have so many respectful views about Koreans right now. I think all of this has a lot of influence on idols and musicians in a good direction.”

SAAY isn’t signed to a K-pop entertainment company, but rather a subsidiary of an American music corporation, Universal Music Korea. What attracted her to it was her passion and global mindset. “There [have been] a lot of great artists at Universal Music Group, like Ariana Grande and Amy Winehouse, from old to current times, and it’s one of the top three music labels in the world right now.” Beyond joining the ranks of legendary superstars, SAAY elaborates on her decision to join the music company: “ I was certain that I could support my music at such a huge scale, and my dream since I was very young was to sign a contract with Universal Music. I’m doing my music more happily because I achieved that dream.”

With the dancing and high quality performance ability of idol groups, and the melodic sound of the Korean R&B scene, SAAY doesn’t fit in the box of K-pop, but she also isn’t completely underground. This fluidity points to the future and fast-changing present of Korean music. To define her sound, she poetically labels herself as a “horizon.”

“You know, like an existing line that can be seen everywhere around the world? You can feel and see the horizon whenever you want, wherever you are.” As far as the future, SAAY predicts, “I think many fans and listeners all over the world will begin to see Korean music, gradually, on the Billboard charts, if it continues to develop just like now. As art and the music world are becoming more and more united right now, I’m sure it will happen very soon.” For her own personal goals, SAAY shares, “I hope to have my own world tour after this whole pandemic situation.”

“I think many fans and listeners all over the world will begin to see Korean music, gradually, on the Billboard charts.” — SAAY

On the other side of the artistry is the refreshing rise of independent labels and collectives, where artists and creatives have the power over their own work. DPR REM founded his label, Dream Perfect Regime, about five years ago. The process was organic, as he explains, “We all met up through mutual friends in the beginning. Just did normal kid stuff then — eat, play, chill, etc. But as time passed and we started talking amongst each other about various ideas and goals, we all realized we shared a similar passion for entertainment and all things related to it, and that’s really how it started.” He continues, “We had no idea on how to start, or even where to look to, but we trusted each other’s commitment. That’s really all it took. Everything else came through trial and error, to be honest.”

Many fans of the Korean hip hop scene are familiar with DPR, a multi-genre collective with a structure reminiscent of A$AP Mob. Well-known members include director and chief editor DPR Ian, artist DPR Live, producer DPR Cream and the founder REM. Everything done in DPR is a team effort, and REM describes this as the core of the collective. “All the employees here at DPR, from our members, to our ideas, to our projects (music, visuals, fashion, etc.) — it’s all done by us, the team. I say this time and time again, but we really pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t have anyone to tell us what to do or how to do it.” There are no set goals for the future of the label, besides having fun and remembering to keep all creative efforts in-house. “That’s what made us who we are, and that’s our DNA that I feel like we have to preserve.”

A huge draw for the work coming from the label is the authenticity and openness. The directors and producers are just as recognizable to fans as the artist. Every member of DPR is just as significant to the process as the next, and this equality extends behind the scenes as well, as REM aims to be “a friend first and foremost” to everyone at DPR, and sometimes gets frustrated with his role as the “business guy.” He explains, “DPR is a family beyond anything else, and I think it’s my job to keep it that way.”

“I say this time and time again, but we really pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t have anyone to tell us what to do or how to do it.” — DPR REM

Unlike bigger corporations that outsource or separate into different departments, with a smaller team, DPR does things differently in its own way. Due to the fast-paced nature of the business, “it’s quite the challenge in always trying to deliver content to our fans and keeping up with the pace of other companies or labels,” according to REM. “However, the way we go about our content, it really isn’t a numbers game…it’s more important putting all of our attention into one thing at a time.” The reason for this approach is simple: “That is the best way to quality-control what gets produced and eventually submitted to the world. I make sure I’m in every step of the process overseeing everything.”

“We didn’t have the slightest clue in creating an entertainment label or what that even entailed, but I think that’s kind of what led to our own unique way of creating our own culture and the way we approach our music and visual aesthetic.” DPR REM and his team of homegrown creatives have surely found their footing despite building from the bottom up.

As SAAY and DPR demonstrate, the expectations and stereotypes that once boxed Korean musicians in are slowly being broken down. It’s possible to be an idol, but it’s also possible to be an artist, and both sides of this equation are increasingly appealing to international audiences. Hopefully, as global music diversifies, where you come from won’t matter as much as the talent and hard work you’re willing to put in.

© HYPEBAE

[hitnaija]

NOT JUST K-POP: THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF KOREAN MUSIC

From SAAY to DPR, a new wave of homegrown musical acts are rewriting the rules.

The burgeoning Korean music scene is no longer solely focused on K-pop. Lately, many Korean artists have gone on to independently release their music, start their own labels, or simply find companies that allow them to express themselves. The formula for success has become much less rigid, and the lines are blurring between those in the underground and mainstream. To better showcase this growth, we talked to one artist and one label founder who are both shifting the industry in their own ways.

SAAY is a former girl group member turned singer and model, whose musical journey is now completing her own. On a Zoom call from her studio, where she’s currently working on new music that is set to be released this year, she speaks about her perspective and approach: “I’m the one who expresses what I want to say with my music…and I don’t care about other people’s views when I create something, there is only my music and myself.” From encouraging her supporters to love themselves, to be vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement, her attitude is a source of inspiration and comfort. When it comes to her diverse fanbase, SAAY describes them as the reason she has found global success. “They are the link between me and the world to me, and the most important bridge I would say. Communication with my fans is as important to me as making music.”

When it comes to the industry at large, SAAY is proud of the fact that it’s evolving at such a fast pace. “Until three years ago, the music scene of our country which we watched from abroad was not that great. But now, if we have a chance, we can collaborate with overseas artists right away. We respect that we are Korean even when we go abroad. They have so many respectful views about Koreans right now. I think all of this has a lot of influence on idols and musicians in a good direction.”

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Universal Music Group

SAAY isn’t signed to a K-pop entertainment company, but rather a subsidiary of an American music corporation, Universal Music Korea. What attracted her to it was her passion and global mindset. “There [have been] a lot of great artists at Universal Music Group, like Ariana Grande and Amy Winehouse, from old to current times, and it’s one of the top three music labels in the world right now.” Beyond joining the ranks of legendary superstars, SAAY elaborates on her decision to join the music company: “ I was certain that I could support my music at such a huge scale, and my dream since I was very young was to sign a contract with Universal Music. I’m doing my music happier because I achieved that dream.”

With the dancing and high-quality performance ability of idol groups, and the melodic sound of the Korean R&B scene, SAAY doesn’t fit in the box of K-pop, but she also isn’t completely underground. This fluidity points to the future and fast-changing presence of Korean music. To define her sound, she poetically labels herself as a “horizon.”

“You know, like an existing line that can be seen everywhere around the world? You can feel and see the horizon whenever you want, wherever you are.” As far as the future, SAAY predicts, “I think many fans and listeners all over the world will begin to see Korean music, gradually, on the Billboard charts, if it continues to develop just like now. As art and the music world are becoming more and more united right now, I’m sure it will happen very soon.” For her own personal goals, SAAY shares, “I hope to have my own world tour after this whole pandemic situation.”

“I think many fans and listeners all over the world will begin to see Korean music, gradually, on the Billboard charts.” — SAAY

On the other side of the artistry is the refreshing rise of independent labels and collectives, where artists and creatives have the power over their own work. DPR REM founded his label, Dream Perfect Regime, about five years ago. The process was organic, as he explains, “We all met up through mutual friends in the beginning. Just did normal kid stuff then — eat, play, chill, etc. But as time passed and we started talking amongst each other about various ideas and goals, we all realized we shared a similar passion for entertainment and all things related to it, and that’s really how it started.” He continues, “We had no idea how to start, or even where to look to, but we trusted each other’s commitment. That’s really all it took. Everything else came through trial and error, to be honest.”

Many fans of the Korean hip hop scene are familiar with DPR, a multi-genre collective with a structure reminiscent of A$AP Mob. Well-known members include director and chief editor DPR Ian, artist DPR Live, producer DPR Cream, and the founder REM. Everything done in DPR is a team effort, and REM describes this as the core of the collective. “All the employees here at DPR, from our members to our ideas, to our projects (music, visuals, fashion, etc.) — it’s all done by us, the team. I say this time and time again, but we really pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t have anyone to tell us what to do or how to do it.” There are no set goals for the future of the label, besides having fun and remembering to keep all creative efforts in-house. “That’s what made us who we are, and that’s our DNA that I feel like we have to preserve.”

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A huge draw for the work coming from the label is authenticity and openness. The directors and producers are just as recognizable to fans as the artist. Every member of DPR is just as significant to the process as the next, and this equality extends behind the scenes as well, as REM aims to be “a friend first and foremost” to everyone at DPR, and sometimes gets frustrated with his role as the “business guy.” He explains, “DPR is a family beyond anything else, and I think it’s my job to keep it that way.”

“I say this time and time again, but we really pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t have anyone to tell us what to do or how to do it.”

— DPR REM

Unlike bigger corporations that outsource or separate into different departments, with a smaller team, DPR does things differently in its own way. Due to the fast-paced nature of the business, “it’s quite the challenge is always trying to deliver content to our fans and keeping up with the pace of other companies or labels,” according to REM. “However, the way we go about our content, it really isn’t a numbers game…it’s more important putting all of our attention into one thing at a time.” The reason for this approach is simple: “That is the best way to quality-control what gets produced and eventually submitted to the world. I make sure I’m in every step of the process overseeing everything.”

“We didn’t have the slightest clue in creating an entertainment label or what that even entailed, but I think that’s kind of what led to our own unique way of creating our own culture and the way we approach our music and visual aesthetic.” DPR REM and his team of homegrown creatives have surely found their footing despite building from the bottom up.

As SAAY and DPR demonstrate, the expectations and stereotypes that once boxed Korean musicians are slowly being broken down. It’s possible to be an idol, but it’s also possible to be an artist, and both sides of this equation are increasingly appealing to international audiences. Hopefully, as global music diversifies, where you come from won’t matter as much as the talent and hard work you’re willing to put in.

Author:

Ashlee Mitchell is a US-based freelance writer with a focus on Asian and Black pop culture. Her work can be found in Teen Vogue, i-D, Dazed, and others. You can connect with Mitchell on her website and Instagram.

Not Just K-Pop: The New Wave Of Korean Music NOT JUST K-POP: THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF KOREAN MUSIC

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How the System Shock Remake Modernizes a PC Gaming Classic

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When LookingGlass Technologies’ System Shock released in 1994, few people knew what to make of it. It was a first-person game with action and guns, but it most certainly wasn’t a first-person shooter like Doom, which had been released less than a year before System Shock. It featured navigation and level design similar to games like Ultima Underworld, but it wasn’t necessarily an RPG in most respects. While System Shock received quite a bit of praise from critics and players who took a chance on it, but it wasn’t exactly revered as a game-changer or considered a major hit at the time. In fact, LookingGlass lost money on the game.

But not long after System Shock’s release, a new breed of games began to emerge, PC titles that were clearly inspired by its innovations. Titles like Thief and Half-Life, both released in 1998, expanded on System Shock‘s emergent gameplay and first-person storytelling. Other games, such as 2000’s Deus Ex, were largely re-imaginings of the System Shock formula. By the time BioShock arrived in 2007, a “Shock” game was a bit easier to define. In fact, imagine playing BioShock in 1994 and you’ll have a pretty good idea why System Shock is typically referred to as a game ahead of its time.

Even in that respect, the case of System Shock has always been a strange one. Because so many of the games that followed in System Shock’s footsteps went on to become more successful (at least in terms of sales), there are times when System Shock is remembered more for the games it inspired than LookingGlass’ original experience. That’s a legacy that Nightdive Studios, the team behind the upcoming System Shock remake, is well aware of.

“The original System Shock was a ground-breaking experience that inspired a generation of amazing games and developers, though, today, it’s been largely forgotten,” says Stephen Kick, CEO and founder of Nightdive Studios, who spoke to Den of Geek via email. “One of the driving motivations of developing this remake was to expand the reach of the original.”

Nightdive Studios’ desire to bring System Shock into the modern age shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, Nightdive was founded as part of an effort to re-release System Shock 2 for modern platforms, and the studio has spent most of the last eight years restoring and re-releasing classic games such as The 7th Guest, Doom 64, and even the original System Shock.

It was actually Nightdive’s work on an enhanced version of the original System Shock that convinced the team that the game deserved something more substantial.

“After we recovered the source code of the original and implemented mouselook and high-resolution support in the Enhanced Edition, we began to feel that underneath the complex and sometimes obtuse control scheme was a one-of-a-kind game,” Kick says. “[It was] something special that truly deserved to be revisited.”

While System Shock was indeed something special in 1994, its innovations may feel familiar to younger generations who take certain gameplay mechanics for granted in 2020. That means Nightdive has to answer a tricky question: how do you make System Shock feel special again for a new audience 26 years later?

“One of the constant struggles has been finding a balance between what the original did and what 20 plus years of game development and innovation have taught us,” Kick says. “System Shock was one of the first games that offered players a non-linear experience in a fully 3D world. It also allowed the player to customize the difficulty level of the various challenges they faced independently from one another, introducing an innovative system that to my knowledge has never been replicated…We knew that if we stayed true to the original and introduced modern conventions and mechanics that today’s audience expects that we could deliver an authentic Shock experience.”

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Defining what constitutes an authentic System Shock experience seems to be the key to successfully remaking the original game. Despite a legion of imitators that have come and gone, there are still elements of the original System Shock which remain relatively unique to it. For instance, System Shock was much more mechanically complex than many of its spiritual successors (and its official sequel) — certain weapons and ammunition dealt specific types of damage to specific enemies while “dermal” patches found in the game offered perks but also buffs to your character. The game also focused less on stats and other traditional character building elements in favor of a system where players collected “hardware” upgrades throughout the game.

Yet, when asked what element of the original System Shock (and the System Shock series) best defines it and separates it from everything else out there, Kick offers a clear and confident answer: “I believe it’s SHODAN.”

“I’ve played just about every game that can credit its lineage to System Shock and I can’t think of one that has an antagonist as diabolical or even remotely as memorable as her,” Kick says. “Even when she’s not directly interacting with you, she’s there. Security cameras are whirring and spying on you, Citadel Station creaks and moans as she alters and modifies the structure to her will, the pipes hiss and hum as she infects every system. She’s always there and the environment feels alive even when you’re surrounded by death.”

For those who don’t know, SHODAN was the primary antagonist of the original System Shock. Actually, she’s much more than that. As an advanced A.I. hellbent on wiping out humanity, SHODAN may sound like a pretty standard villain, but she’s actually a somewhat tragic figure whose plans are largely based on her desire to find a place where she belongs and gain some understanding of her own existence. As noted above, her omnipresent nature often casts her into the role of a constant companion. And it’s not uncommon for System Shock players to become attached to SHODAN despite her hostilities.

Kick attributes some of the effectiveness of SHODAN as a character to the work of the actress who voiced her.

“You can’t talk about SHODAN without mentioning the work of Terri Brosius who lends her voice to the character,” Kick says. “Her voice is absolutely chilling and the intermittent clicks, pops, and distortions that permeate her lines sink deep into your subconscious. It’s been over 20 years since we’ve heard her and she’s still one of the most quoted antagonists in gaming…We’ve heard samples of new SHODAN lines and the individual blips, stutters, and noise have been meticulously considered and handcrafted to preserve her iconic voice.”

It may sound odd for a modern studio to highlight things like “clicks, pops, and distortions,” but that’s another element that has always helped define System Shock. It was, especially in terms of sound, an ugly game. Voices were often distorted in such a way that not only accurately reflected the condition of the game’s audio logs but enhanced the level of dread. Like the recent hit Amazon film The Vast of Night, it used antiquated audio techniques to more effectively convey the uncertainty of a bizarre event.

It’s certainly tempting to call System Shock’s audio quality a by-product of an era when such complex sound design was in its infancy. To be fair, there is some truth to that. While that may cause many to list the sound design as one of those aspects of the original game most in need of a modern makeover, Nightdive recognizes that System Shock was filled with rough edges which were ultimately part of its grand design.

“There has been a very conscious effort to preserve that ‘rawness’ from the beginning,'” Kick says. “We knew that we wanted the art style and overall aesthetics to call back to the original so we developed a technique where if you get close enough to objects that the textures break down all the way to their individual pixels.

“This was by design so that from far to medium distances, the visuals look high fidelity with full PBR material support. But, when you get close up, it resembles the retro aesthetic. It adds a really beautiful texture and grit to everything that has become a unique feature specific to our game. It was important that when you looked at a screenshot of System Shock next to a number of other games you’d be able to identify it immediately.”

While the game’s art style helps preserve key elements of the System Shock experience, there are other ways in which advancements in technology have helped Nightdive bring some of the PC classic’s ugliness to life in ways that just weren’t possible in 1994.

“Visually, one of my goals was to realize the true horror of what occurred once SHODAN assumed control of Citadel,” Kick says. At the start of the original game, you wake up from a coma to find that the self-aware AI has turned a once-prosperous space station into a grotesque nightmare.

“Every creature, mutant, and monster you encountered was once an innocent crew member who was reshaped and modified with child-like curiosity by a near-omniscient being, and I made it a priority to explore that using the tools and technology at our disposal. Some of the things we’ve created are nauseating and downright disturbing.”

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As important as it was for Nightdive to retain and enhance certain System Shock qualities, the team also recognized that there are parts of the original game that simply don’t work as well now.

Consider those aforementioned audio logs, for instance. In 1994, it was shocking to think that a game could tell the bulk of its story through found audio. In 2020, Kick rightfully notes that such a storytelling technique has become “cliched and even parodied due to overuse.” Still, Kick describes those audio logs as being “quintessentially System Shock” due to the way that they “become somber reminders of the consequences of your actions.” As such, the team considers them irreplaceable.

That desire to retain the spirit of an idea while recognizing that the idea itself doesn’t necessarily work as originally intended resulted in Nightdive coming up with an elegant solution.

“The problem we faced was that the audio logs were placed so close together that you were constantly finding them and the length of each VO recording was not only slowing the player down, but they were overlapping,” Kick explains. “While you were listening to one audio log, you’d have already found another and that became very cumbersome. It was an easy fix, but we had to space them farther apart from one another to find a good balance. We’ve also re-written the logs to be a bit shorter and more concise with the information they convey.”

Audio logs are hardly the only way in which System Shock utilized design elements that were both technically outdated yet oddly essential to its core experience. There’s perhaps no better example of that contradiction than the game’s learning curve. System Shock was, in many ways, designed to be intentionally confusing and sometimes even frustrating. You weren’t meant to just blast through the game like a shooter, and mastery of its mechanics, interface, and controls demanded time and patience from the player.

While Nightdive has addressed one of those frustrating elements (its confounding controls, which were rooted in the era of primitive 3D exploration) without diluting that “hardcore” spirit of the original experience, there’s at least one other contradictory aspect of the original game that has raised difficult questions about the line between preservation and modernization.

“The level design is probably the worst offender,” Kick says of System Shock’s flaws. “Its labyrinthian design is archaic, but it’s undeniably System Shock.”

System Shock’s Metroidvania-like level design encouraged players to explore an expansive area in search of the way forward, but it was also often unnecessarily confusing. That typically resulted in the player running around without a clear sense of where they were, where they were going, and what they were supposed to be doing.

As frustrating as those parts of System Shock could often be, Kick suggests that our perception of System Shock’s learning curve may have as much to do with an overall change to how we look at games as well as how the game itself was designed.

“You should feel like a rat running through a maze under the watchful glare of a rogue artificial intelligence constantly testing you and obstructing your progress with her other experiments,” Kick says. “Contemporary games often hold your hand and direct you to the next objective with breadcrumbs or waypoints, removing the sense of dread, isolation, and relief you feel when you discover the exit. We’ve received some negative feedback about the level design, but it’s System Shock, so it stays.”

That philosophy not only captures why Nightdive is the perfect studio to revive System Shock but why there are so many who believe that System Shock is one of those pieces of PC gaming history which deserves a remake despite the fear that it won’t live up to memories of the original.

Even if you’ve never tried it, you may feel like you’ve played System Shock because you’ve played games like it. But you really haven’t. From its ambiguous philosophical nature to its brilliant antagonist and haunting cyberpunk aesthetics, only System Shock is System Shock.

While other games may have come along and evolved the System Shock formula, Nightdive is determined to ensure that future generations will never forget one of the PC titles that changed the medium forever.

“BioShock, Thief, Dishonored, Deus Ex, Prey, they all owe their existence to [System] Shock so, in that regard, we were not only motivated, but we were compelled to expand its reach as a way of honoring its legacy and the groundwork it laid for not only other games but the developers of those games,” Kick says. “So, no, I don’t believe that modern gamers are aware of how many video game concepts were introduced or refined by System Shock, but if we do our job right, hopefully they will be.”

System Shock is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC in 2020. You can download the Alpha Demo of the game on Steam and GOG now.

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