#there are many criticisms to make about the adaptation but this just isn't one of them
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I'm surprised at the hate that Sokka's character arc from NATLA is receiving. To me, Sokka's development and characterization was one of the strongest adaptations the series made.
In the original ATLA, Sokka's character arc revolves around him unlearning his own misogyny. He makes pointedly sexist comments throughout the early episodes like "Leave it to a girl to screw things up!", "There's no way a bunch of girls took us down!", etc.
Sokka's comments have a strong narrative purpose: they give a platform for women in the show (Katara & Suki mostly) to refute his attitude. Katara emphasizes traditional "women's work" (cleaning, cooking, sewing, etc), which forces Sokka to confront its inherent value. Suki is able to prove to him that women can fight too and he learns to respect female warriors. It's a great character arc and it's well-executed.
It's also characterization that is in direct response to the culture and feminism of the 90s and early 00s. The representation of women in the media at that time was...oof. It was not great. One-dimensional love interests whose only purpose is being saved by the male protagonist, mostly. Female protagonists were not as common, and certainly not ones who were depicted as being able to fight, and certainly not in cartoons. Female protagonists in animation were almost exclusively princesses.
ATLA was progressive in this regard. Katara was a complex female character in a time when there were not a lot of them, in media in general but especially in animation and kid's shows. (I grew up in the 90s; there were no characters like Katara in animation on screen for me.) ATLA incorporated the zeitgeist directly into the story, which is why we have Sokka learning to overcome his sexism in his interactions with Strong Female Characters.
If you go back and watch the original cartoon now, Sokka's sexism feels a bit dated. It's a very 90s, Girl Power, "girls can fight too" style of social commentary. It doesn't match with the media landscape of today. We've got 20 years of media with female superheroes behind us. If your message is "girls can fight too!" the response for the most part is going to be "yes, we know that. And?"
So imagine you're adapting the original ATLA for a live-action remake. You want to keep Sokka's character arc intact, but you want to update it for the 2020s. So what do you do? You look at the conversations that are happening today.
The 90s were about "girls can do everything boys can do", but the 20s are over that. The conversation is more about gender: gender expression, gender roles, gender dynamics. What does is mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a man?
Sokka's character arc in NATLA is focused on this question: What does it mean to be a man? At the beginning of the series, it's his identity as a warrior that defines him. He needs to be the warrior, the protector, the leader. He's constantly trying to reaffirm this part of his identity, and it's completely tied up in his perception of his value as a man. Instead of his interactions with Suki being about "how could girls possibly be warriors", it shifts to Sokka saying "I'm ALSO a warrior" and trying to justify that to Suki (and mostly himself).
His arc over the series is about him accepting other aspects of himself and relearning how to define his masculinity. He can still have value as man without being the greatest warrior. He can still have value as a man by using his skills as an engineer. He can still have value as a man by offering compassion and kindness to others, like the little girl with the doll & Yue in her final moments. Instead of rigidly defining himself by a specific set of gender roles & expectations, he learns how to define himself through his own strengths and qualities.
I know there are a lot of people who are upset at this change to Sokka's characterization, and the most common thing I see is that it results in changes to Katara's character and her anger in response to Sokka's comments. I think there are valid criticisms to be made about how the show handled the adaptation of Katara's character, but I won't go there with this. In terms of Sokka and his characterization, it was well-done and thematically consistent with the original. It's not an exact port, and it never needed to be. It's still a feminist arc that centres on unlearning harmful misogynistic worldviews, but the focus has shifted from external (roles of women) to internal (his role as a man). And his journey is one that people would benefit from seeing represented.
#atla#avatar the last airbender#natla#netflix avatar#atla meta#there are many criticisms to make about the adaptation but this just isn't one of them
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Hi Mark. With a lot of talk recently in the online space about the unreasonable outrage and horrendous death threats towards the Commander Rules Committee and Commander Advisory Group, I want to thank you for being the proverbial "shield" for some of the most heinous and grotesque backlash towards WOTC as the unofficial public representative for MTG. I know it can be absolutely draining for your mental health to receive harassment in this position, so I just want to say I am grateful and empathize that you are in this position. With that being said, as one of the most prominent faces of Magic, is it possible if you could say a word or two about the aforementioned harassment towards the RC and CAG to deter these harassers and possibly share your own experiences regarding unconstructive hate to help the victims of such depravity (if you're comfortable sharing)?
There are advantages and disadvantages of being one of the faces for Magic. When people like something we're doing, even when I had nothing to do with it, I get lots of praise. Most players only know a handful of Wizards employees, so they tend to assume that the people they know are responsible for the things that are happening.
There is, of course, a downside to that. When things happen people dislike, I'm also the light rod for complaint. Whether or not I had anything to do with the issue in question, I get the blame. I am Head Designer. Many times, I did have a hand or a say in what happened. And when I'm responsible, or partly responsible, for something, I try to own up to it.
Players are not a unified front though. When we do thing X, some of you will like it while others will not. I often will get complimented for the same thing I'm being yelled at for.
From time to time, we do something a majority are unhappy with. At times, we do things a majority are *very* unhappy with. That's when things can get a bit ugly. There are a lot of civilities built into daily life. There are just things you don't do or say to another human being. Most of that goes out the window online.
For some reason, the anonymity combined with just how social media has evolved has emboldened people to do and say things they never would in person (and I should also acknowledge society has changed in ways that even what's acceptable in person has changed).
What this means is I get a lot of negativity, some of it very personal. I'm not just talking about people criticizing the in-game choices I've made (or often didn't even make), but comments on me as a person, about who I am and what they think of me. People tell me that want bad things to happen to me. Not just getting fired (although that's a popular one), people vocalize, sometimes quite graphically, about things they want to happen to me.
The first few times this happened, I took it pretty hard. Having lots of people attack you online, saying horrible things about you, is tough. Humans look to other humans for approval. It's just built into our DNA to want others to like us. Having people attack you hurts. You have trouble sleeping, eating, it just weighs on you emotionally.
I was bullied as a kid. This really isn't much different except its much higher in volume and very public.
With time, I learned to adapt to it. It's not that I enjoy people saying nasty things about me. It still sucks, but I've found ways to process it. I came to realize that someone being nasty is more a commentary on them than me. And I adopted a philosophy of looking past the words to the message behind it. Most people complaining didn't like a choice we made about the game. I could focus on the feedback and less on the delivery method. But that took years, and it has a lot to do with who I am as a person. I enjoy the things I get to do with a public profile, so I accept what comes with it.
I've made the conscious choice to build a thick skin and weather social media, so I can continue doing what I love. It saddens me that I have to.
I say all this because I don't know if people really process the harm they're doing when they get negative online, especially towards another person. Most people do not have the years of processing angry messages like I do.
Words have an impact and that doesn't matter whether you're speaking them directly to someone's face or typing them in the privacy of your home.
Bullying is not okay. Cruelty is not okay. Making a conscious choice to belittle another human being, especially because they made a choice you disagree with about a game, is not okay.
When you use ugly words, you are doing harm to another human being (sometimes many human beings). Imagine if someone attacked you like that, or a loved one, or a friend. Don't do something to another human being that would cause pain if it was done to you.
That doesn't mean you can't communicate unhappiness. It doesn't mean you can't vocalize that you disagree with a decision made. I would stress two things. One, make it about the decision and not the person who made the decision. Explain why and how the decision impacts you, not what you think of the person because they made the decision.
Two, watch your language. As I said above, words have power. They can be used to build or to destroy. Is the language you're using designed to hurt? If so, don't use it. Use other language. If you need to take time to calm down, do so.
Community is what we as individuals choose for it to be. One of the things I love about the Magic community is how kind it can be, how accepting it can be, how uplifting it can be. But that's because we each individually choose to do that. The Magic community can get ugly, but only if we allow it to become so.
So please, the next time you're making a message designed to do something destructive rather than constructive, take a moment to reflect. Why are you doing this? What is your goal? Is it your intent to hurt someone? Because that's what negative language does.
I ask the Magic community to be better. I know we have the potential. I've seen it.
Be part of the solution, not the problem.
Thanks.
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I'm personally not looking forward to the Netflix adaptation of Devil May Cry.
With the new trailers, I wanted to share my opinions again but I will say that this post isn't recommended for those who only have praise and that any criticism is forbidden.
It's a pretty long post where I try to explain what is my main problem with the adaptation and that is the person who is directing it.
I highlighted some parts that I hope you can at least read those ones, but if I were to give you a TL;DR it would be this:
If you want to make an adaptation based on an IP that's been around for a while, even if you proclaim that you're fan, at the very least be modest and try not to cause trouble with your audience, given that you're supposed to be a professional in the industry and perhaps trying desperately to please everyone isn't such a good idea because you might be hanging with the wrong crowd and that will reflect on your image.
Sorry but I'm not interested to coddle that guy so if that brief summary is enough to make you displeased, I'm asking you not to read any further.
So, will talk about why it's difficult for me to praise Netflix Devil May Cry. It's because of the person attached to it.
I've criticized aspects of this adaptation before and while the majority will get angry because the show hasn't come out yet, thus any criticism is invalid, personally, what I have seen so far has been enough for me to have a disdain for it because one of my favorite series is being handled by someone who has never done anything with it before.
Proclaiming to be a fan doesn't automatically mean that it will be a masterpiece and for someone who is allegedly a professional in the industry, their conduct reflects on the product and others that are involved.
Also, just saying, that I refuse to use the word "anime".
Pseudo-anime perhaps but I'm sorry, DMC The Animated Series from 2007, that's the only Devil May Cry anime. I don't see any 'bishounen'/ biseinen' . Have you?
Anime, to someone like me who has been into anime and manga for two decades, is animation produced in Japan, primarily for the Japanese audience, with aesthetic that is different from Western animations.
So yeah I'm just gonna say Netflix DMC.
Ok, so, let's return to the subject, but first, I want to ask you and of course, you can provide examples because from my experience, I haven't seen anime studios acting so desperate like Shankar.
Please tell me if you have seen anime studios on their social media accounts being so friendly with people?
At most, there are some who on some occasions retweet fan creations like art or cosplay but in general they just post information regarding what they are producing, trailers or key visuals, but they don't engage much with the audience.
They are just working on the stuff they want to deliver to their audience, hoping they will enjoy it and look into feedback afterwards.
How many anime studios have you seen bragging like Shankar has been doing?
He actually said on Twitter "I never miss."
Oh and on a few occasions, this grown-ass man kept referring to himself in 3rd person, somehow thinking his fans will find it...cute? Yeah, so it was more like "Adi Shankar never misses."
It's obnoxious. You can tell me that he was joking, but he seems committed to his whole "I never miss with my projects" bit, so it's kind of hard to tell.
Oh and do you think it's also adorable when he reposted people's fanart without crediting? Even when some of them had watermarks?
Like I'm not kidding. If you follow him on Twitter, there were a few times when he was called out for not properly crediting artists and you'd think he'd stop after being told once but no.
In addition to that, one time when I was reading the comments on a reposted artwork, there were only two people that mentioned the artist while the rest of them didn't even ask things like "Hey did you draw this? Did the animation team do it?"
It seemed that even though they must have known it wasn't art made by Shankar or the ones doing the animation, they treated like it was no biggie if he was reposting.
As a professional, allegedly, he should have never done such a thing, but most of his followers seem treat him like "oh he's just enthusiastic, cut him some slack, don't be mean to him".
And we know that in general, anyone else who would do that sort of thing just once would get torn apart by others, but with that guy apparently we must be indulgent.
When caught in the act, he did apologize but like...shouldn't he know better? He most likely expects that everyone will forgive him for anything he does.
Thus, can you understand why I'm having a tough time to like something from that person? Who keeps bragging, promising the best anime ever, acting as if he invented DMC...
That's a person who is supposed to be a professional in the industry, yet he as only been acting like a redditor...And of course he promotes a lot of memes. Gee, I wonder who's the intended audience?
He's been desperately trying to please everyone.
This is why I like the way anime studios conduct their promotion for their projects. They are humble and want to avoid causing problems t and that's why they generally just post information, artwork, trailers etc..
That's something I personally appreciate.
Shankar has only been off-putting...Honestly, what the heck was Capcom thinking?
Apparently he wanted Dino Crisis, but Capcom was like, have DMC instead. It feels like they were saying "yeah do whatever with this IP, doesn't matter", as if DMC isn't popular, which was proven by the popularity poll they hosted.
I feel like this adaptation is mostly for the people that know DMC just from memes and I'm sorry for the long time fans that will most likely get insulted and told to shut up by the people who will only watch this generic Marvel/DC looking animation and be told that DMC is only good because of Shankar or think he should be in charge of other Devil may Cry projects.
So yeah, to me, above all is that narcissistic man who has been trying so hard to please everyone.
No, I don't think it's endearing when he spoke in 3rd person and claims that he never misses with his projects. I did not find it cute when he went on to say stuff like Vergil is a hero and other bullshit, because some people would believe those will actually be the characterizations in the show, only for Shankar to post something like "I'm joking, I'm just a troll" after those kinds of posts, wanting to gain sympathy from people, to see just how much of a fun guy he is and you must definitely watch his DMC "anime".
We already had the reboot that was supposed to appeal to the Western audience because Capcom thought the original series isn't appealing to westerners, but man were they wrong. Still hate it for the fact that they mocked the OG series and here we are again, another production that's mostly for the western audience.
So yeah, I'm just not a fan of how much that man has been boasting and assuring everyone how great the show will be.
Perhaps, for some of you, it will the greatest "anime" ever, he keeps telling you that! But not for me. I don't appreciate the shit I've seen him do on Twitter done and as much as he brags that failure never happens for Adi Shankar, not everyone is of the same opinion.
If it turns out that it might fail the expectations of those who only praised, what then? Will they keep praising despite being disappointed so that the series keeps getting content, even if it might be the same quality or even worse?
I think that will send the message to the bigwigs that those people are willing to consume anything.
Like I've mentioned thought out the post, I personally would have appreciated humbleness instead of someone trying so desperately to please everyone.
I'm not sorry for what I said and I know there must be others who share my opinions.
If you have made it this far, I thank you!
#devil may cry#dmc netflix#my thoughts#the shit he's done to artists on twitter#i do not appreciate his behavior#so desperate to please everyone
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Okay, maybe unpopular opinion time, but I started watching DanDaDan (ADORE it so far) and some of you are starting to become the meme of "that one friend who is too woke" about what happens in the first episode
TW for sexual assault + CW light DanDaDan spoilers if you haven't watched it yet. Its gonna be a bit ranty
First of all I wanna preface this with saying that, if Momo's scene with the aliens impacted you and / or you found it triggering, that's extremely valid. I am not claiming it isn't, specially for people who have any kind of sexual trauma. What I'm gonna say is not about that
What I mean is; I think we have gotten so used to a very big number of anime using sexual assault as a "funny" gag, having characters violate other characters' physical boundaries, or having a token perverted / incestuous / p*do character, all in the name of terrible "comedy" or fanservice, that we have started bracing up for any mention or showcase of sexual assault to be treated as a gag or as a "sexy" thing; specially when it comes to female characters, because sadly they're the victims of this 99% of the time. This, without going over the sexualization of characters in general, even when mundane things are happening
It's a sentiment I understand and share. I hate all of these tropes and "jokes" and it makes me really sad when a series I otherwise like has to include something like that. I actively criticize these kinds of things no matter how big a fan I am of a work in question
However, I think because of all this, we have forgotten that media can choose to use scenarios like that as an actual Bad thing to show. A bad and unfortunate thing that happens to a character that isn't used as comedy or as fanservice
I had heard about the sexual assault scene in DanDaDan prior to watching it, and I had decided I was gonna skip that scene, as I am someone who is both disgusted by these things and has trauma related to them. However while skipping quickly through the scene I thought it didn't look as bad as I was bracing for, so I decided it was something I could stomach. I was really surprised when I saw that the scene was strictly being handled as a bad thing happening to Momo, and that it also ultimately ended up with her escaping her assaulters before anything truly scarring happens
No jokes about the situation per se, no compromising shots other than the fact that she was in her underwear - and regarding that, the fact that she was built like a normal girl, her proportions and physical features weren't presented in any objectifying or exaggerated way, and through the whole scene she was fighting against it and being uncomfortable instead of submitting to the situation or being made to blush and get flustered about it like you can Disgracefully see in many other instances of other shows
DanDaDan is ultimately a horror / paranormal series. It's not as dark as others and it seems it doesn't pretend to be, but bad things are bound to happen. I think that, as long as you do it tastefully, almost any subject can be used for those bad things. Sexual stuff is sadly EXTREMELY misused in anime, and tbh in media in general, but I don't think it has to be a taboo thing to have your characters go through as long as youre not being weird about it
Furthermore, I think it's pretty clear that, at least the parts that have been adapted of this manga so far (I am not a manga reader btw, I have only seen the 5 anime episodes that are currently out, so if the manga later proves me defending it wrong, I'm sorry, and I'd like to hear it), are in part talking about bodily autonomy
Our mcs BOTH get assaulted, but nobody online ever pays attention to Okarun losing his genitals as him also having been assaulted simply because it's presented in a more unrealistic way. His initial motivation in the series is to retrieve his genitals, and even when he seems to have gotten them back the first time, something is still wrong (another part missing) and he can't just go about his life normally again as if nothing had happened, which I think is a clear metaphor of a victim's feelings after having been assaulted; and what is more, our first arc ends with the revelation that the ghost who did that to him seems to have done it to protect the place she's bound to, a tunnel, from men, for we get told that many girls have gotten sexually assaulted, killed and dismembered in it
About Okarun, I DO get that his situation is shown in a bit of a silly light because haha penis, but I am also afraid that people would have reacted a lot more if he was a girl losing his genitals instead even if it was painted in the same light. Both Momo and Okarun got out of the situation fighting, both of them were brave and as nonchalant as they could to their assaulters, but it's only Momo's situation which gets treated as the bad one. Both get terrible things done to them ! And both of them are being shown as bad things !
None of this means you personally can't be uncomfortable with any of the mentioned scene; after all, they're portraying something horrible that happens in real life. And again, I get that in Momo's case, although unrealistic elements are involved, the situation she's put in can look closer to a real life assault, and thus, it can be more triggering. But the fact is that the sexual assault of both characters is being used to showcase a terrible thing, it's not there just for a gag or for people to put their eyes on the characters' bodies, and I personally just think it's silly when I see people lump in the situations in DanDaDan with series like Undead Unluck, when the former is portraying assault as not only a genuinely bad situation but also as part of the many points I think the first act of the series makes about bodily autonomy, and the later uses it as a reocurring "funny" gag (I have seen people say it gets better later, but still, it's still used as a gag at some point)
This is brought to you by me seeing people on Twitter compare DanDaDan's assault scene to incestuous characters from other animes like Yuri from Spy x Family, Makoto from Saiki K., and Lance from Mashle. I am a big fan of two of those three series and let me tell you: those characters can fuck themselves, I don't find haha incest jokes funny or necessary in any piece of media
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The Third Installment to the Oubing Saga- Yunbing
PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED!
Entry ticket: reading this post and acknowledging that the following is about to be 18+. No, I'm not writing anything explicit, but it's going to be some mentions of sex. Move on.
After finishing Ne Zha 2025 (or the 2019 version if you're a real one), did you feel overcome by the gayness? Did you wonder why the fuck anyone would ever look at their best friend like that? Did shoujo anime music start playing in the back of your head?
...yeah you're not alone.
As previously mentioned, Oubing is currently China's biggest fandom ship (I stay hopeful that this wave of hype will last longer than it did in 2019). I also trust that you all understand why that is.
Seriously, I've never seen any piece of Chinese media except for straight up BL THIS gay.
Let's count on one hand how many BL tropes these movies include.
Red/blue
Soulmates
Only friend
Enemies to lovers
Friends to lovers
Oh oops, we ran out of fingers! Next hand.
Friends to enemies to friends to lovers
Forbidden romance
Demon x angel
Two halves of one... thing
...bondage? I suppose? If you know you know THE scene.
Oh wow look at that we ran out of fingers again. MOVING ON TO THE NEXT HAND-
Okay, I'll stop here. All of this makes Oubing technically a very vanilla ship (ignore the bondage that's mostly a joke. Though you WILL see a lot of art involving Ne Zha's red sash in... different usages) and very sweet. Pure love, I suppose.
Do you know about Shangmei Oubing, a variation on Oubing featuring different adaptations of Ne Zha and Ao Bing? Well now you do. Read this post to figure out what I'm talking about.
If there's a spectrum of the wholesome-ness of Oubing ships, Shangmei Oubing is in the middle. Yes, it's very toxic, but technically Ne Zha does really love Ao Bing a lot, just in the wrong ways.
On the OPPOSITE end of that spectrum, we have Yunbing.
Yunbing is the ship between Ne Zha and Ao Bing from the 2021 movie New Gods Reborn: Ne Zha. The movie itself is on Netflix- it's kind of a mid movie, I'm NGL, but the animation is pretty good.
I haven't watched the whole movie (how do I know it's mid? Because I saw some clips and they made me sigh out loud) so I'm maybe not the most reliable critic, but it's just not peak storytelling, okay?
Yunbing is 80% made TF up (headcanon ships are the best ships) because in the movies they hate each other, like TRUE hate, not gay hate. I'm talking GENERATIONAL hating.
If you ignore canon, though, (my favourite thing to do), you are left with Yunbing, which is honestly really fucking yummy.
Here's a quick overview of the background and dynamic of the ship/movie/characters without spoiling the plot of the movie.
The main character of the movie is called Li Yunxiang (remember that Ne Zha's dad is Li Jing, so technically his full name is Li Nezha prior to him fucking himself up via sashimi-ing his flesh from his bones).
Li Yunxiang is the reincarnation of Ne Zha in a modern setting in the fictional East Sea City (Donghai City). He doesn't know or remember being Ne Zha. He works as a deliveryman I think, or a smuggler or something low-paying and dangerous I think.
In East Sea City, water is in shortage due to the Dragon Clan (now a rich family business) hoarding it. The third son of this Dragon Clan (his name is De San) is, you guessed it, the reincarnated Ao Bing.
Actually I'm not sure if he's reincarnated or if he's just been here the whole time hating.
De San, unlike our polite nice Ao Bing from Ne Zha 2019/2025, or the terrified victim Ao Bing from Shangmei, is a huge bitch. He's also a girlfailure. He's not some mass-murdering psychopath, but he's a spoiled rich brat who lives and breathes capitalism and privilege.
Look at his stupid face. Isn't he punchable? No, despite the blonde hair, the director has confirmed he isn't mixed or foreign, he's just an idiot who bleached his hair.
He was supposed to be some sort of dominant playboy daddy character but the entire nation of China just immediately saw the potential for girlfailure brat bottom and I guess that's where my brain went too.
After Ne Zha pulled his tendons out, his dad paid some SERIOUS money to make him a mechanical tendon. Let me tell you I don't know why but this shot of his metal spine is SO fucking sexy
Sorry for thirsting on main, IDK what it is but it's getting to me.
De San still wants revenge on Ne Zha for pulling his fucking tendons out so he spends like 10000 hours trying his very best to kick Li Yunxiang's (confused) ass and never manages to get there, it's so funny.
See, the main reason this ship is so delicious is the dynamic, not their interactions because this is ACTUAL hate, I'm talking they'd kill each other in an instant with NO hesitation. The sexual tension is through the roof. Okay, they're both straight, but you DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THAT DOCTRINE.
Mild spoiler alert!
There's a scene in which Li Yunxiang gets one over De San by making him crash his car. As De San goes flying out of the car in intense pain, he glances over at Yunxiang, who's looking back at him.
Instead of giving him a middle finger or a thumbs down, Yunxiang fucking gives him a finger heart. IK it's supposed to be mocking but it's so funny, especially the BLATANT rage on De San's face afterwards.
The appeal of this ship is just the hate sex. This is a ship 100% meant for gooners, if you'd prefer sweet vanilla hand-holding and blushing you probably want to go back to regular Oubing.
Why does De San have such pillow princess potential? First of all, look at him. What the fuck is that waist to shoulder to leg ratio?
Second, in the Cantonese dub, he calls his father (Ao Guang) "daddy" (in English btw). Sorry, what? You are a twenty-something year old fully grown man. It is fairly common for rich Cantonese people to call their father daddy (according to my rich Cantonese friend) but it's a little much.
Third, he's such a failure it's hilarious. Spoiler alert: there's a whole scene in which his father calls him a failure and he's like "wait what". He's kind of dumb and pathetic despite being arrogant and proud.
Very princess-like. Chinese version of Drarry, basically. They also both really like cars! TBH if they weren't Ao Bing and Ne Zha's reincarnations they'd probably be really good friends.
Generations of hating each other is such gay behaviour, WHY is that other man on your mind over thousands of years??
Some of the popular headcanons for Yunbing:
Yunxiang calls De San "third princess" or "princess" because he's such a... princess
In the middle of like, fistfighting each other they somehow transition to having sex without knowing how
De San slaps Yunxiang in the face and he's like "on the other side too"
"Only I can be the one to kill him, fuck off!" *surprised look* "No that's not what I meant-"
Inappropriate usage of the metal spine (which is probably more sensitive and delicate...?)
I recommend, if you're looking for Oubing content (of the decidedly not workplace friendly variety) and if you like ENEMIES to lovers (emphasis on the enemies part) that you go through the AO3 Yunbing tag (云冰, I'll link the AO3 tag here directly).
If you want recs please ask me, I am so passionate about all three iterations of Oubing.
To quote a XHS user:
Oubing: Pure love
Shangmei Oubing: Pure fear
Yunbing: Pure hate
#ao bing#ne zha#nezha 2019#nezha 2025#chinese animation#ne zha 2#chinese#yunbing#new gods nezha reborn#ship dynamics#im sorry that waist labels him a TWINK#points finger: i want that man OBLITERATED
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I'm going to posit something that may sound a little weird at first: but I think the same kind of dissatisfaction that leads people into questionable or dangerous reactionary movements, is the same dissatisfaction that leads people to start witch hunts and dog piling on social media, is the same dissatisfaction that gets people into new age, vibes-based "health" and "cleansing your toxins" lifestyles, is the same dissatisfaction that leads people into an Marie Antoinette-style obsession with cottagecore and the nostalgia for an imaginary bucolic lifestyle that never really existed. It's estrangement from results, particularly direct results.
This is essentially just the Theory of Alienation, but the connective tissue between cult-of-action-to-cottagecore hit me in a particular way that made me want to dig into the specifics in terms of internet phenomena.
Just about every aspect of the computer-bound/computer-dependent lifestyle is geared towards separating people from process from product. We don't see the results, we don't see the mechanisms, we don't see the other people involved. So the prospect of working outdoors to plant something nourishing and be able to see and enjoy the results is intoxicating (especially if you don't rely on doing it for a living). So is the idea that you can just pick up a weapon and make something happen. So is the idea that you can punish people for real or much more often perceived crimes directly without waiting on due process. So is the idea that you don't have to throw yourself on the mercy of a doctor who trivializes and ignores your symptoms to the tune of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Hell, the obsession with generative AI being pedaled as a "solution" to the apparent "gatekeeping" of "talent" (or time/labor/compensation) is stemming from the same thing. There are plenty of examples but the roots connect. Returning to the theory of alienation for a second-- is not an accident that we have been separated from each other and from our labor, it is unimaginably profitable for the ones selling us things and keeping us beholden to them for scraps and pennies our entire lives. It is killing us. It has been killing us. Some people exponentially more than others. You know this, you're living in it.
I don't have a plan for the Revolution or whatever but I am pretty convinced that it is critically, vitally important that we Make Real Things, with our hands and brains and with other people-- real art, food, friends, crafts, tools, stories, clothes, fun; help with something, do things for people, grow something, fix something, learn something. Get a result you can see that's YOURS and GOOD and not a product of consumerism or fear. --Are there obstacles to all these things? Oh baby, are there ever! That's the point! That's the problem!! <-THE PROBLEM. This isn't a judgement!! We are all fucking struggling!!!
Making real things is essential not in a woo-woo way but in a practice so you can improve way. So many people are convinced they can't make things simply because they haven't made things before. Start somewhere, anywhere, and you can build the confidence to in yourself that you can do more. It will help you adapt and strengthen yourself in a world that is trying very hard to keep you powerless and isolated. Again -> The point. People end up seeking things that make them FEEL like they've made an instant change in the world, or feel like they're escaping the rat race, or anything that feels like regaining power over their lives.
But if you don't also control where that feeling comes from, you are open to being manipulated by all manner of opportunistic and predatory forces. If you create something tangible/observable within your own means (and this does NOT preclude collaboration), you made something of value and that value remains with you, to do with as you wish.
That's empowerment. It can be practiced and nurtured, in fact it MUST be.
#lifeblogging#MAKE REAL THINGS AND YOU WILL HAVE CREATED VALUE THAT REMAINS WITH YOU. SEIZE THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION.#anyway it's 3:30 a.m.#the spirit of the CBD gummie moved me#do with this what you will
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I relate to and feel represented by Towa heavily in that he exhibits Schizoid Personality Disorder unlike any character I've seen before. It was in my head for a while but I couldn't get a hold of Slow Damage to find the evidence for it myself until now, I sort of just used to look at Towa, squint my eyes and mouth the words 'I'm onto you'.
This will be a long, indulgent post, I have not finished said game and will probably update when I do especially after Madarame and Fujieda's route. This is based on patterns I've seen so far in the game as well as some spoilers I came across. Read at your own... something or other.

SzPD's main characteristic is the lack of interest or ability to form relationships. Towa is on the side of a lack of interest rather than ability. One way I see SzPD in him is socially, he's indifferent and blunt or when he makes an attempt to spare feelings he's evasive, he maintains this distance with everyone around him. He doesn't chase after romance; sex and pain are stimuli that allow him to feel something beyond crippling apathy. It doesn't stop there though.
When he wants to, Towa knows how to adapt, negotiate and manipulate others. This can often come as second nature to many with SzPD, not out of malicious intent but through a way to protect themselves by setting the relationships they do make on their own terms. He interchanges between inarticulateness and eloquence according to Akhtar's Profile, selectively choosing what he gives away and what he keeps to himself.
Finally, Towa's art model in the moment, whoever it may be, can easily be considered his 'interest person'. Again referring to Akhtar's profile, those with SzPD can be capable of excitement with carefully selected people and likewise they tend to have a penchant towards typically darker and unconventional things as a form of coping. Combine those two and you have Towa's heightened interest in the selected few when he unravels their darkest desires.
A second way I see SzPD is through his feelings of unreality, schizoids tend to be seen as 'detached observers', there's a lack of motivation or drive beyond the few things they want to do. Towa doesn't hold any long-term ambitions and has no real sense of urgency over anything, he's often dragged outside by others around him or if he bar-hops and searches for hookups. He also holds a sense of grandiosity towards his indifferent observation, the line that stuck out to me the most was when he said to himself, 'All the more proof that life was easier when you didn't care about anything.' A view you will often see from Schizoids time and time again in response to other people's emotionally charged issues.
Towa sometimes dehumanizes himself, describing himself as a 'single minded robot' when painting, playing a role when granting his art model's wish like he did for Asakura or by referring to 'Human Beings' as though he isn't one of them. Obviously as a child Towa was horrifically abused and treated like a 'thing' instead of a person and a result of that he has a weak sense of self, he has a tendency to cave in around more dominant personalities. This can be another thing that goes hand in hand with SzPD, entering into a 'Master/Slave' type dynamic in social relationships (SchizoidVision has a post on this concept, here) As I've explored, Towa has the faculties to play the 'master' in these dynamics like with his art models but he takes a 'slave' role with the main leads that hold the potential to lead into even worse dehumanization in the bad endings.
Thirdly, a way I see Schizoid in him is through his emotions plain and simple, he hardly expresses strong emotions or reactions to anything and everyone sees him similarly, that he's aloof or uncaring. It shows even more in how he doesn't care for social validation, praise or criticism does virtually nothing. He sometimes feels accomplishment for finding his inspiration to paint but Rei ends up being the one posting it on Roost's blog. He isn't dependent on other people's opinions whatsoever. A huge part of SzPD traits.
Finally, the use of his internal fantasy and how it obsessively consumes his time. When he begins painting he becomes utterly immersed to the point he neglects food or sleep, you can't snap him out of it forget any sort of practical responsibilities. This reflects in SzPD in how daydreams tend to consume a lot of schizoid's lives, often preferring it over reality. It can interfere heavily with day to day tasks, I can say there's multiple times I haven't left my room, eaten or slept over a period of time when I get an urge to create something or lose myself in my own head.
Overall, there's so many boxes he ticks so far it's as if he's become the box himself. I connect with him a lot for these reasons and he can easily be considered a major comfort character and face for my page, plus somehow I find the time and dedication to write this essay when I have my abandoned assignments just begging me to make a start on them. (I won't until I feel like it.)
#ccbrainfix#slow damage#nitro+chiral#towa#towa slow damage#slow damage towa#szpd#schizoid#schizoid personality disorder#cluster a
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I have heard and read many interesting and thoughtful reviews of Les Misérables about how the themes and characters being deeply rooted in racism. However, I barely hear anyone really talk about the explicit stance the book takes in being pro-colonialism.
I don't really have the interest in re-reading the book to every chapter because of long essays such as the Argot one, where Victor Hugo paints a very negative picture in Frenches which differ from the standard form.
Now, this isn't just about Standard French, but also any linguistic children of it, because Hugo explicitly talks about the usage of Creole. To make his stance clearer, even one of the members of Patron Minette is 'Créole'.
We can't have depictions of mixed race or non-White ethnicities in books like this without colonialism being the foundation of it. I feel like sometimes people will happily call something racist, and then move on without talking about how topics such as colonisation is thought of and expressed.
I think one of the villains here is the colonial mindset. If we aren't taught about colonialism and the effects and horror from the said atrocities and beyond harmful psychology, then we will read pages and pages of content, and only reduce the conclusion to: "Ah, racism."
When we think about the criticism of class, hierarchy, social inequality, court procedures, justice, religious morality, perceived equality, and so on, we got such a deep analysis of it from Hugo about France.
At the same time, he proceeded to be explicitly pro-colonial inside the book, within his other books, and in real life statements as well. It isn't equal or excusable that Victor Hugo, and historical authors alike, can analyse their own country in such detail, combing through their thoughts on the matter, while sweeping generalisations such as 'France has a right to colonise Africa because we bring civilisation to it' is being said.
How come some societies are given the luxury of having the nits and grits be explored and criticised, while other societies are given willy nilly thoughts? Surely, one isn't expected to understand all the doings around the globe. So then, why discuss it in one's book?
Sure, old books— and even contemporary ones— from places born from privilege, having pillaged and colonised in unwelcomed spaces, will inevitably reek of the colonial mindset. That is a given. The main difference in contemporary books is that there is effort to erase that mindset, which can be admittedly difficult to do, if all your life, you had been groomed by the education system to be pro-colonialism, or at least unempathetic to it, or believe 'it isn't that big of a deal.'
When we are thinking about adaptations of Les Misérables around the world,— and in my case, around Asia,— there is an element of charm or fascination in how artists in different countries interpret the points, messages, and arguments presented in Les Misérables.
Especially for countries victims to colonisation, and those of which who continuously suffer from the consequences of it; I don't think there is near enough talks in the anglophone side of the fandom (I don't know about any other side, I only know the anglophone side) about what it means to restructure and reimagine the arguments presented by the book.
In particular, when we see countries who were victims to French colonisation, like Vietnam, where we get to see 'cultural resistance' against the effects of the oppressive French policies portrayed in their most famous retelling of Les Misérables; there isn't much talk about the political statement in the act of translation and adaptation alone has.
Here, in these adaptations, the stories are being handled most likely by those who are native to the lands, cultures, and languages, and they get to choose what political opinion the adaptation is going to have now, whether or not that is something we would personally agree with. The power is given to the people nevertheless.
Therefore, we no longer get sweeping generalisations or a willy nilly essays of thought about language use or ways of society of the 'uncivilised countries', and instead we get to see insightful criticisms of their own injustices through the adaptations of stories such as Les Misérables.
I don't mean to romanticise the adaptations, because of course there's flaws to them as well. The main point is that, the people who would not have a voice are giving themselves it, and they can insert details the oppressors would've never been bothered to consider.
The themes of Les Misérables are very flexible, and therefore applicable to many injustices in nations not even touched by France. To learn about countries and national pride from peoples' thoughts and artwork relating to Les Misérables sure is an odd way of me exploring world history and politics. I do admit it's a funny of mine.
But as a fandom, or as a collective of shared interest, let's not dismiss obvious colonial thoughts that a lot of Hugo's points sprouted from.
Let's also not forget that European empires aren't the only empires to exist, and other adaptations can fall short in representing the themes of Les Misérables most likely it being largely influenced by their own biases.
All in all, let's give adaptations more love, and address the political implications of it as well as the literal racism and pro-colonial mindset the book argues for explicitly.
#idk I got distracted halfway through writing this and got demotivated#but eh I said what I said#les mis#I wrote this mainly because I remember texting someone about the Argot tangent#and I said that I was reading from Denny's translation#In which the response was only#“Don't trust Denny's translation”#And not about the observations and criticisms I made#No hate to the person I DMed#It just made me think about how the fandom brushes things up like this#or simplifies it by only calling it 'racism'#colonialism is one branch off from that#and yeah#they coexist#but it would be nice if we could explicitly discuss colonialism#without being pushed aside
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I'm not sure how much good this vent will do, I'm not even sure I want to post this vent after my last one, but I'm writing it just so it's out of my head and into words because it seems once again fandom has chosen to send vitriol Ashton Greymoore's way.
What for? They talked to a 'specter' of the primordial titan within them, through their connection to the earth, the natural flow of creation and destruction. They ask what will happen to the world, it responds that it'll endure, they ask what of the people, it responds that the strong will survive and the weak will be remade into something stronger, to which Ashton replies they think they understand. To fandom this means that Ashton is becoming a fascist, that they have a 'Make Exandria Great Again' attitude for wanting the Primordials back, that they need to be beaten up or 'get what's coming to them' in order to change their mind, and I can only sit here and stew and wonder if this hate is really well-founded? Ashton is among my favourite characters in C3, I get frustrated by them at times too but if I think about it a big percentage of my frustrations is more towards people disliking them than me disliking things they do, or Matt setting up scenarios that doesn't do them any favours towards the fandom that hates them. Some of these are knee-jerk reactions of course, but for others it does feel like they have it out for Ashton, and I don't wanna engage with that, which makes it quite lonely when most of the fandom hones in on it.
For the most part I can understand how the whole 'the weak will be remade' bit can be taken badly; it's definitely iffy, but every other plan we have is also very iffy. The Release Predathos option literally involves unleashing an entity that wants to genocide the gods, the Maintain Status Quo option ('option' the status quo imo is impossible, in my mind the Gods can stay but the dynamic will still have to change) maintains a relationship where the gods pick and choose who they feel deserves help, using their power to covet more power, strongarm and demand loyalty, and overall choose fellow gods over mortals when the chips are down and not owning up to it. We should also remember that entities can speak in riddles, 'remade into something stronger' doesn't necessarily mean death; it could mean to adapt and grow, to become strong enough to bear and overcome it as many of the PCs of Critical Role have done with their hardships and trauma. It's worth reminding that the sad truth is that people will die whatever outcome happens - the aim is always to lessen the amount but if the Gods leave it's a power vacuum, if we linger too long it's a Calamity, and if the Gods stay it's a holy war on a more wild and less organized scale - and that Ashton isn't saying they approve of such death, merely that they think they understand. The commune doesn't tell Ashton which way to go; it only tells them that the world will endure, there will be change and it will change people, trees will still grow, the wind will still blow, the waves will still flow along the coasts of the sea, and people will survive. I know the interpretation can differ from people thanks to Matt's patented vague or riddle-mounted choices in phrase, but I also think if it was the Wildmother who told Orym or some other follower that 'nature is a cycle, everything must adapt to change or else it'll die - this world will change, but it will also survive' nobody would be calling Orym a fascist, people would accept it because the Wildmother's domain is nature, and nature is not always kind.
While we're mentioning Orym - and because this is gonna come off as critical I must preface that I like and enjoy All of the Hells, that's not changed - I also gotta call it out here because it does very much feel like the people who hate Ashton hate them for the reasons they love Orym. Both are stubborn, they're diligent in their personal code, they care deeply for their friends and would give their whole being just to keep them safe, they believe in the Hells' power and greatness more than each member does and more than they believe in their own, but Ashton gets the hate mainly because these fans agree more with Orym on the god stuff. What confuses me though is how these same haters can despise Ashton for being consistent but love Braius, the literal Devil Worshipper who secretly is on board with the Chase Away plan only so he can help the Devil rule the world, the compulsive liar. Where's Braius' scrutiny? A world under Asmodeus will be a far worse 'survival of the fittest' scenario, why does Braius get a pass in all this stuff huh? Because he's funny? Seems people ignore the whole morality talk when they're discussing Braius' dedication to Exandrian Satan.
I find it irksome too that even the group seem to criticize Ashton reaching out to Primordials too - as if that wasn't what we wanted them and Fearne to do anyway. They don't dislike the gods simply because they're a 'great entity', it's because they're a great entity that holds power and doesn't use it equally or fairly; they pick and choose who to help, a lot of the time in Ashton's experience for their own self-service, but they won't prioritize mortals over another god no matter who cruel or heinous the god is being, and the following of these gods are so intertwined with politics that most religious motivation also ends up being political. Ashton has no connection to the gods, they reached out and got nothing, an Angel looked at them and made them feel like nothing, but they do have a connection to the Primordials; from the Earth Golem to the Titan Empress they're literally a vessel of, they experienced something significant in their connection to the Earth, so I don't like how that they're almost mocked for having it. In addition, Ashton's behaviour during this commune differs because of that connection, but also because the titans are a natural flow; they don't demand or test or politic or prejudice, and despite being a Great Entity in its own right it never made sure Ashton felt small for their own satisfaction, they asked a question and got an answer, it's the same reason Ashton has disdain for most political leaders but likes and respects Keyleth, Allura, Kima, Pike, and (eventually) Percy despite also being people in power. To call on Orym and the Wildmother as an example again; Orym's an Air Ashari, the Ashari are guardians of the Elemental Planes - made from the Primordials - not tied to a god, but nobody criticizes his connection to the Wildmother despite both not being a follower and his culture being more tethered to Primordials and their descendants. I'm not saying it's all correct for Ashton to want things to go back to how Primordials ruled, but we must remind ourselves also that we only know a story written by victors when it comes to the Schism - a story which could very easily have been altered and edited to make it feel more justified for the Primes and mortals to actively genocide all the Primordials, the native species and creators of this world, and desecrate their remains to make weapons, soul anchors, and cities - the specter didn't say 'fuck em, all mortals should die' after all, if they believe mortals would survive then they must be at the least tolerant of mortal existence. Why is it okay for god followers to say they wanna keep the world with the gods they have a connection to (and I'm not saying they aren't) but Ashton is out of line for wanting to have a world which has something active that they also have a connection to? It seems rather unfair to allow one side to have and the other to have not, picking and choosing because our audience's bias has spent more time with the gods, Ashton wanting something they can connect to doesn't feel all wrong either, the Eidolons still exist with faint worship hiding away so they're not smited by the gods, why can't faith exist so they're not in hiding? I sincerely doubt the Punk Rock that is Ashton is asking for the Primordials to fill the Gods' roles the same way the Gods have been running things either, they want to break the throne remember? There needs to be a balance in ideals and practice of course, and in an ideal world there could even be a more fluid and all-inclusive Exandria where gods and Eidolons live harmoniously with mortals without hierarchy and class systems, I think Ashton could happily live with something like that, they did say the world needs 'a little chaos' to call back to Matt hinting that the current world doesn't have enough.
Which leads us to those wishing violence upon Ashton - and I really don't like that. People who say 'hitting them over the head is the only language they understand' seem to misinterpret Ashton as if everyone around them have been on their hands and knees begging Ashton to reconsider and them ignoring valid points and pulling a Leroy Jenkins. In reality, nobody is actually talking to Ashton about it, a lot of the frustration with Bells Hells right now is that they aren't talking to each other, even about the end goal! Ashton has valid reasons for their thinking, so being violent isn't gonna change their mind; undermining, dehumanizing and trying to effectively bully anyone let alone someone with chronic pain and low self worth will never truly convince them to your way of thinking. All people understand the language of violence, but that language is not used justly, those who truly wish violence upon Ashton don't want it in hopes it'll force Ashton to change their mind, they want it for their own satisfaction of seeing them in pain; so they can further push them away from the rest of the group and go 'that guy's not one of us', make it so the people Ashton calls family after a lifetime of loneliness, confusion and abandonment - the people they promised they won't abandon, and have kept true on that promise even at their lowest - make them feel small and worthless, and force them into box where they can't be themselves, and I hate that people would want to treat them that way. Ashton IS capable of listening; they've stepped back and trusted the other Hells to do their own thing even when it's ridiculous like staging a play where they pretend to be Ludinus to trick Unseelie emissaries into thinking that he attacked them, they listened to the gods even when they didn't have to like they promised they would and despite it being very personal they held themselves back for the benefit of the group, and if the group talked to them calmly where they were all allowed to healthily discuss the pros and cons, the ideals and compromises, and the risk and reward of all plans that have been proposed then they would listen, and they would try - you don't need to slice bread with a broadsword.
Will Ashton 'get what's coming to them'? Maybe, but what is that exactly? We only assume to know the full vision of what Ashton wants to act on. All of Bells Hells are gonna face the consequences of the choice they make on Ruidus - when they finally make one that is - in and out of the world they live in, so won't that apply to everyone? So what for Ashton? do people want Fractures 2.0? Does everything Ashton wants in life have to blow up violently in their face? Family, Closure, their best friend's safety, why does 'what's coming to them' have to be something aggressive and harmful? People change through positive reinforcement and good experiences too! Caduceus Clay would remind you that it's love that makes people. Don't mistake this rant as me wanting Ashton to be exactly as they are now, I too want to see growth from Ashton and we ARE seeing it happen; I see it in small instances where they think twice about rash actions and try not to fly off the handle, when they sit just to listen or understand or to defuse tension, and that when they're going somewhere or doing something they let the group know in advance, those who think Ashton hasn't changed since ep. 1 aren't paying close attention, but that doesn't mean that they don't still have more ground to cover. I believe that Ashton grows the most through kindness; when they're treated like a person and not a blunt instrument or a nuisance, and I hope what's 'coming' for Ashton isn't rejection, bitterness, and isolation, but acceptance, empathy, and for someone - if you know me you'd know who I'd want it to be - to convince them that they are worthy of living, that they're special not because of their powers or blood or because they have died and been put back together again (honestly, it does irk me a little that both Keyleth and Imogen chose that for titles and to brag to the Matron, I know it isn't intended this way but sometimes it feels like saying 'your best defining quality is that you've died a lot') but because while they have every reason to hate everything they still chose to be kind to those who deserve kindness, they have a good heart and they mean well. Are they perfect? No! They're in their 20s very few people irl have their lives together at even twice that age, but I want them to have good things in their life; things that help them feel happy and safe and like they can still feel comfortable in their own skin without having to appear more 'palatable' for people who've already decided that they don't like them. I want them to know that they've always deserved to live and they still deserve it now, I want that not just for Ashton but for all the Hells, and hopefully they'll all live to have it.
And most of all I want the people who hate them to be wrong about Ashton Greymoore, and I want Taliesin to prove them wrong.
#critical role#cr3#cr3 spoilers#c3 spoilers#c3e110#cr spoilers#bells hells#ashton greymoore#taliesin jaffe#matthew mercer#yes this is my ass coming to the defense of Ashton again#not saying Matt hates Ashton but they don't half give them a short straw when they're seeking answers#Ashton and I are very different (*) but there are similarities I feel also very strongly about that I'm compelled to put my foot down on#(*I kinda expect they'd steal my wallet but then return it after seeing my donor card and tell me how to not make it so easy to steal)#this is not angrily targeting everyone - it's a culmination of things I've bit my tongue on that I disagree with#there will be people who don't like Ashton for valid and fair reasons a valid and fair amount - this is not against you#but the hate guys - the hate! It ruins my day seeing it let alone thinking about it#and 110 still had a lot of fun and interesting things going on in it that I'd rather focus on#I was not in a great mood already for having missed ANOTHER set of auroras last night#I've stared at this for half an hour in drafts between posting and deleting - if things get more bitter I'll definitely be deleting it#this is not put out to debate this is just pure shouting to the ether#and what I shout to the ether is that 'Ashton Greymoore deserves to feel loved'#it's out but it's not gone from my system it just won't boil over again for a bit - but I still don't like having these vents#I'd much rather rant about fun and good things that make me happy and are a comfort to me
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It's a shame about Astro Boy Epsilon 2003's design to be steeped lowkey in this "Well he's the most feminine of those seven robots so why not turn him into a girl" because his design is genuinely cute there, but also because of his more pacifist manners + caring nature, really sends an odd implication when it comes to turning of any of the famous robots from Astro Boy into a girl imho. Your comic really shined a light on that which I really enjoyed and it reminded me how while I enjoyed Astro boy 2003 it has its grounds to cover by how it changes things around
yeah I had the exact same thoughts! it's odd too that in 2003, epsilon doesn't retain the main qualities that make him such an interesting character- those being that he's a caretaker of human children, and his brief relationship with pluto. the former especially seems like such a missed opportunity given how much of a theme robot-human relationships are in the anime. we see plenty of other robots taking care of human children and the conflict that causes, so I don't see why one of those instances couldn't have been epsilon. it wouldve been a really smart way to integrate them more heavily into the plot. my only idea is the writers thought like "well if we make our only recurring powerful female robot a literal mother figure that feels pretty reductive" but it's not like the show isn't already sexist in other ways? and the consequence is that epsilon loses the things that made the audience care about him and becomes a pretty flat character. every other version of epsilon dies protecting a child. 2003 epsilon is defeated because she's worried about some random dolphins. it's kind of an emotional downgrade.
I don't mean to be overly negative though- I actually just finished watching the show last week and it was amazing. it had a perfect ending, which isn't something I can say for many things. AND most of the episodes range from "great" to "mindblowingly awesome and heartwrenching". there's so many good things to say about it- which is exactly why I get so critical of its few flaws, especially when it comes to things that felt like a downgrade from the manga. they stick out like a sore thumb! I could make plenty of complaints about the manga too (and I have, to my friends) but that doesn't stick in my craw as much because the manga is much less consistent in terms of quality. astro boy 2003 is a fantastic show and a really really smart adaptation apart from like, two things. and to be fair they're only things that will really bother you if you read the manga first, which I did. so if anyone reading this is an astro boy fan (or just likes robots tbh) and hasnt watched it for some reason...... do that. it's incredible, seriously. don't let my complaining scare you away.
#asks#tbh the way pluto is written bothers me WAY more than the way epsilon is written but thats a whole other can o' worms#and we have plenty of other great plutos and epsilons so i cant be too mad about it
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I need to rant somewhere: Catherine Pollack wrote this on her instagram: LIKE WHAT THE FFFFFF. The irony is that she posted videos of Khiteeva dancing BEAUTIFULLY alongside this.
A memorable matinee performance of “Raymonda” took place on March 15. First, there were more than twenty debuts in roles ranging from principal to secondary and character parts. Second, and unfortunately, A. Ermakov was injured during his variation. Another factor, in my opinion, was the accumulated stress caused by his many years of being (and there’s no other word for it) exploited as the company’s tallest and strongest male dancer, tasked with lifting larger female soloists. Instead of getting into shape themselves, these dancers relied on his exceptional partnering abilities. He repeatedly risked his health by lifting performers of weight categories that, by definition, should not exist in classical ballet (though this doesn’t entirely apply to the debuting ballerina). Before long, the tall prima ballerinas of the Mariinsky will have no partner to dance with, because these female soloists simply cannot lose weight.
By the way, Andrei “jumped into” the production, replacing T. Askerov, with whom A. Khiteeva had been preparing her debut (Timur withdrew a couple of days prior). I must commend Alexandra’s resilience and resourcefulness: having lost her partner on stage, she instantly adapted and filled the sudden gap in Jean de Brienne’s coda with an improvised repeat of her own coda using passé relevé—at an incredible tempo and with aplomb. Bravo! In the current climate, stress tolerance is in high demand; the company needs ballerinas it can depend on.
All the same, A. Khiteeva’s inclusion in “Raymonda” is contentious for reasons I’ve already discussed in my notes. Her artistic type is more ingénue than Grand Dame, and her access to the lead roles in “Swan Lake,” “La Bayadère,” and “Raymonda” was justifiably restricted, primarily due to her ballet and physical attributes—her stocky figure and proportions.
“The role of Kitri can be assigned to a highly agile ballerina… But to dance Odette and Odile or Raymonda, a ballerina must have a slender figure, ‘singing’ arms, and long legs. Dancers with a squat figure are not suitable for these roles…,” writes choreographer R.V. Zakharov, and I share his opinion. To be continued…
I thought on the whole, Khiteeva danced very well, especially given the last-minute partner switch. Khiteeva has a lovely presence, vintage port de bras and elegant, restrained classical lines and I've read numerous comments saying her persona isn't done justice on the video. I know Khiteeva is not the most traditional adagio dancer but I was blown away. The dream adagio variation is stunning, smooth, and calm and the details of her port de bras are unmissable. Not to mention, her reprisal of the coda, when Ermakov had gotten injured literally just minutes before, takes nerves of steel (and iron calves).
My main criticisms with her lie in the wedding variation, her legs just look a little shot and you can tell. I thought she looked a bit tired and this affected her upper body and epaulement as well, which was gorgeous for most of the ballet. There was wobbly pointework and some clunky and imprecise pas de bouree. This variation is deceptively difficult because it's so simple and your mistakes are so easily visible, and you have to dance it at the end of a very long ballet. Khiteeva has some progress to make in terms of her stamina for a full-length ballet, especially one as intense as Raymonda but I thought this was a very solid debut.
Regarding Pollack's complaints about on 'overweight' ballerinas. Khiteeva's body type, while not as slender as some of the other Mariinsky dancers, resembles a lot of dancers in major European and American companies. I'm not going to name names but look at some of the top principals at the Royal, Dutch National, and even Paris Opera for instance. Of course, all of the women are in ridiculous shape, but few are as rail thin as many of the Russians, this doesn't affect their ability to dance or portray particular characters in ballet. This is separate from talking about typecasting or technical abilities.
And while I don't disagree that Ermakov is overworked, telling the women that they need to diet to extremes is just not the solution. Google says Ermakov is 195 cm, at that height, he's going to be responsible for dancing with the tallest women in the company. Mariinsky knows what dancers they have employed- and they have a lot of tall, long-legged women. They're not suddenly going to weigh (nor should they) the same as shorter dancers. There is also not an actual 'definition' of a magic weight that a professional dancer has to weigh. I'm sure Pollack is referring to the VBA regulations but those are incredibly stringent, (girls over 50kg are often not allowed to be lifted) and have been consistently tied to eating disorders and also are structured for students going through puberty, not fully grown women. I know for a fact that these are certainly not followed in the professional world. Certainly, there is pressure to be in shape and to be thin, but different bodies carry weight differently and there is a growing acceptance of dancers looking like women and not like toothpicks, especially in the West. Case in point, I weigh more than 50kg, I'm dancing pas de deux, classical and contemporary on stage with a prominent theater, as do many of my colleagues. So much about safe, effective lifts is about technique, coordination and trust, not just about a number on the scale.
The bigger issue, which Pollack makes no mention of is that Ermakov does not have enough help. Among the principal men, Kimin and Stepin haven't been cast with the tallest women, only Askerov can really chip in. Considering the first soloists, Belyakov is useful but Capitane is not tall enough, Korneyev and Konovalov are not the most stable partners, Sergeev is aging out of big classical roles and Zverev's stage presence is frequently lackluster. The second soloists have a lot of young guys, who are slowly developing but have limited repertoires at the moment. I think Malyshev and Baibordin have a lot of potential, but I'm not sure either of them has danced a principal role in a full-length ballet. They can't be go to, pinch replacements with their lack of experience. This is one consequence of MT being so slow to develop their younger men, it means that people like Ermakov and Askerov have more intense workloads and are more vulnerable to injury. Now I wish the MT management did more to combat that, if they want to continue to hire so many tall, lanky women, I wish they would be more proactive about hiring men and continuing to look outside VBA for talent.
#ballet#ballerina#mariinsky ballet#russian ballet#mariinsky theatre#vaganova ballet academy#Alexandra Khiteeva#raymonda#ballet ask
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I liked writing my first story about the Rat king so now it's the Baron's turn, a litteral gentle giant and lovable teddybear.
Just like last time, the picture isn't mine, found on pinterest and belongs to whoever created it, credits to them if they see it.
Let me know what you think in the comments, i'm open to criticism and tips.
Baron Bon-Bon
Archived informations about Experiment 1257 ‘‘Baron Bon-Bon’’
-Experiment 1257 alias “Baron Bon-Bon” was created in 1991 by the Bigger Body Initiative to create a large toy capable of acting as a bodyguard for higher-ups of playtime but was later assigned to the Game Station to work alongside Mommy Long Legs to entertain the children in his own game called “Treasure Hunt”.
-He measure 3 meters/9,8f’t in size and his body is made of faux-fur for his chin while most of his body use a mix of minky and polyester to be both durable, soft and huggable.
-Out of nearly every other “Bigger bodies” the Baron is one of the few that is truly a pacifist and harbor a profound aversion to violence no matter it’s form, such is the case that he needed to be assigned to another position due to his refusal or incapability to use violence against anyone or anything.
EARLY LIFE :
-David bohman was an orphan amongst many others at Playcare but what set him apart during his years there was his ability to make friends out of nearly everyone, he was extremely jovial and could entertain anyone with his antics and jokes to the point that he was sometimes seen with the Smiling Critters and Miss Delight to prepare games to amuse his fellow orphans.
-Although David was close with virtually every orphan, he had no proper best friend to speak of, he wasn’t close with anyone in particular and seemed focused on bringing a smile to everyone’s face instead of building a circle of close friend like many others did.
-The scientists and counselors stationed at Playcare proposed him for the Initiative hoping to use his jovial nature to make him an unsuspecting enforcer for the company and he was soon taken to undergo the procedure.
PROCEDURE AND WORK FOR PLAYTIME :
-David Bohman, now called ‘‘Baron Bon-Bon’’ had a particularly difficult operation due to the materials chosen and size of his body also accompanied by trouble regarding his voice box and eyes.
-Baron had a difficult adaptation period to his new body and was in a strange daze most days where he would blankly stare at random objects, wall or even his clothes not able to recognize where he was or who he was.
-Another roadblock hit by the scientist were his inability to use violence, even swinging his cane at a training dummy was difficult and he seemed more afraid of using his cane than the dummy in front of him.
-It was eventually discovered that the procedure to create a “Bigger Body” amplified certain traits of the subject, in this case the Baron’s jovial and happy nature was amplified to the point that violence was almost entirely removed from him.
-disappointed but not discouraged the scientist tried, in vain, to get him to defend himself but his weapon of choice were words instead of his cane or bears claws.
-He was eventually trained as an entertainer using magic tricks and creative game to entertain the children visiting the Game Station, he worked alongside Mommy Long Legs due to his fun and almost comical appearance who made him easily approachable to most children despite his size and (sometime) uncanny smile.
-(Note: his secondary purpose was also to test the children’s intelligence during the Treasure Hunt by pushing their tracking and orientation skills further with each game).
Appearance, abilities and infrastructure.
-As stated previously his body was made using a mix of minky and polyester, this allowed him to have a malleable, soft yet sturdy body and capable of storing his equipment in hidden compartments of his body.
-Said hidden compartments include (but not limited to) : the sleeves to disperse harmless explosive glitter to capture people’s attention, his abdomen for a hidden balloon pump in case some children wants a balloon that Baron customize to theirs preferences and finally his legs storing all his magical equipment such as vanishing cards or glitter bottles and Golden Coins.
-His appearance is very reminiscent of a circus Ring master, easily recognizable yet unforgettable, he was fashioned after polar bears to show both their strength and hidden sweet nature as lovable giants.
-While he was assigned to the Game Station and couldn’t use violence (despite attempts to train him) his weapons are his cane that act as blunt weapon, his bears claws and his arms who are easily capable of lifting someone to eye’s level and suffocate or even crush them.
Trivia :
-His name of Bon-Bon came from the word candy in french while also referencing his kindness and sweet attitude thus calling him a candy or a Bon-bon (candy is "bonbon" in french is anyone is curious)
-His popularity was such that after being introduced at the Game Station, toys version of him were quickly made and flew off the shelves almost as quickly as they were produced, he was also proposed as being the face of the company but Huggy remained in this position.
-Baron Bon-Bon had a very close working relationship with Mommy-Longs-Legs and the day of a visiting child at the Game station often ended in a Treasure Hunt and a singing session where Baron and Mommy sung together to end the day for the children.
-He was so kind and jovial that people called him a “child at heart”, if only they knew…
-His games often included rewards such as the Gold Coin who needed to be exchanged at a store near the Game Station for a reward.
-Baron loved to play with children outside of his own game and could often be seen “carried away” by multiple children when he would have to jokingly call Mommy to save him from his kidnappers.
-Baron’s game held the records of being one of the cheapest game to host despite all the gadgets and tricks used during these games.
-He also hold the records of using the most glitter in a single game after being dared by an employee to make a Mommy Balloon and filling it with glitter, it exploded and covered the whole area of Treasure Hunt.
-He was scheduled to have his own show and even a cameo with the Smiling Critters but his game alone was so successful that he could’ve been considered the richest toy in the Game Station.
-His hat was supposed to be bigger but an administrative error resulted in him having a hat designed for his toy variants, he loved it and kept it often bowing with it, which soon became a signature move of his.
-"Gentle giant" was often a word heard during his appearances and games with how often he would gather groups of children to hug them or carry them on his arms and shoulders, much to their delight.
-Puppet shows were not uncommon but not as popular as the Treasure Hunt, he often made his own puppets and would switch voice depending on the characters, most famous include the King, the Old Lady, the Laughing Crow and the Pirate.
#poppy playtime x reader#poppy playtime oc#poppy playtime#poppy playtime chapter 2#oc art#oc#original character#mommy long legs#my writing#Baron Bon-Bon
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Because your opinion means a lot: Any chance you feel like sharing 5 upcoming BLs you're most excited about and why? And maybe as a bonus, something you think many BL watchers will love but that you will hate?
Ooooo, how exciting what a fun one. You sure you want this from me? I have very odd taste.
The 5 Upcoming BLs I'm Most Excited About
(this forced me to put together the 2024 Announced BLs list which is coming soon)
1 Spare Me Your Mercy
Increased rates of deaths in terminal patients has a police captain investigating the palliative care doctor with whom he's fallen in love. Their relationship deepens but the mystery persists, driven by mistrust.
Why? It's adapted from the novel Euthanasia by Sammon (Triage, Manner of Death) but more important, it stars some old guard BL actors: Tor Thanapob from Hormones as the doctor and (fuck me YES) Jaylerr from Great Men Academy and goddamn Grean Fictions as the captain!
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2 Wandee Godday
GMMTV and AllThis Entertainment producing a very pulp offering with new pair, GreatInn doing high heat, boxer meets surgeon. It features a one night stand, fake relationship, and all the cheesiest of tropes. Also features Drake, Podd, and Thor+ pretty boy (be still my heart).
Why? This is totally my kind of BL even if it isn't GMMTV's style of BL, and it's GREAT, so I'm in.
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3 The Next Prince (ZeeNew)
Domundi brings us more ZeeNew in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince - YES PLEASE.
Why? I did not expect this pair to stick so I really hope this happens. Give us the Little Pink Riding Milk BL we deserve!
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4 Lover Merman
Fantasy BL about a man who falls in love with a merman.
Why? I don't think it will be good but I LOVE merfolk.
5 Me and Who
Domundi for WeTV brings this adaptation of Wickedwish’s novel of the same name. It depicts a young man who dies and is reborn into the body of a billionaire heir. The heir happens to be engaged to a handsome man.
Why? I flipping LOVE this trope but I never expected to see it drive a BL.

10 I am cautious of but VERY intrigued
JAPAN'S Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka
From YTV releasing 1/11 about Soga, who, after a divorce and relocation to Osaka, seeks solace in dining at 26-year-old Sakae's restaurant. Unbeknownst to Soga, Sakae sees him as more than just a regular customer.
TAIWAN's Love For Love's Sake
Based on the Manhwa Love Supremacy Zone by Hwacha, this will star actors Lee Tae Vin, Cha Jun Wan, Oh Min Su and Cha Woon Ki. The plot of the drama is based on Tae Myung Ha, a young man who is dropped into a game based off of a novel that he knows. His mission is to make another player, Cha Yeo Woon happy. Cha Yeo Woon is Myung-Has favourite character in the novel. But then the game starts going completely different from the novel.
City of Stars AKA Fueangnakorn
Star Hunter started filming this 12/23 about an actor falls in love with a programmer and the narrative intends to “explore the ramifications of being public figure in the social network era who must endure critics, bullying, and defamation.” Looks like another Lovely Writer, Call It What You Want sort of thing.
My Stand-In AKA My Stand In
Chinese IP ALERT! Adapted from the novel Professional Body Double (职业替身) by Shui Qiang Cheng (水千丞) stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please).
OMG Vampire AKA OMG! Vampire (LeeFrank)
Frank and Lee Long Shi are back only vampires now. So many vampires.
The Rebound (MeenPing)
VIU Basketball based romance staring Meen (a national basketball player, so yay for that).
We Are (PondPhuwin)
GMMTV's university friendship Bl featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawin - basically ALL in the good kind of messy friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is gay. I'm IN! Trailer here.
Love Upon a Time (NetJames)
Domundi announced for 6/7/2023 then delayed to 2024. NetJames in a historical BL! Also feat Tonnam (Dr Sing from Triage).
Jack & Joker (YinWar)
DeHup brings us be gay, do crimes. Yin, War, Mark and a few other familiar faces doing Leverage but gayer. Yes, thank you, I will have that.
My Love Mix-Up Thai Remake (GemniForth)
GMMTV. Hum, well I do love this pair and I did like the original and maybe this time these characters will actually kiss? I'm actually fine with this pick-up. I kind of enjoy seeing different countries remake the same IP. Especially if it's IP I'm mostly unfazed by.

#asked and answered#2023 BL#most anticipated BL#my top picks for 2024#thai bl#Spare Me Your Mercy#Wandee Godday#GMMTV#The Next Prince#zeenunew#Lover Merman#Me and Who#domundi#Although I Love You and You#Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka#Love For Love's Sake#City of Stars#My Stand-In#OMG Vampire
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Honestly love to see you criticise the phantom musical, like I watched it and thought it was kind of a bad musical with a few good songs, and I feel very validated seeing I'm not the only one who didn't like it 😭
(I mean, each entitled to their opinions and so on, of course, and obviously I don't want anyone to stop liking something just because I'm a hater, but it does sometimes feel like the musical gets way more hype than it should…😅)
I wouldn't be as critical if I didn't at least like it a little but I do wish it didn't over shadow the book so much in the phandom. There are a handful of people who don't love the musical but we are kind of in the minority as the phandom feels very musical centric as a whole. A bad musical with good songs is a pretty valid interpretation. I think it's major weakness is that you have to be at least familiar with the source material, it doesn't stand on its own and as an adaptation it's pretty weak. What saves it are the good songs, the costumes and set design and when you have a strong cast it is an enjoyable watch but not a substantial one. There are moments where the music and lyrics almost make you think you're seeing something deep but if you scratch even a little below the surface there's nothing there. The song masquerade almost tricks you into thinking that there's some deep metaphor going on and everyone is hiding behind metaphorical masks but honestly no one really is. Aside from Erik everyone in this musical is exactly who they appear to be. In a lot of ways Phantom feels a lot like a concept album that needed a little more polish and a couple more scenes to tie it all together. There's a good IDEA here it just needs more fleshing out. ALW gets away with leaving things implied or glossed over because the audience already knows this story. I see a lot of people here and there who will talk about the musical like it has substance but a lot of the depth they assign to it, particularly to Erik himself, either comes from the book and isn't actually shown in the musical or it's their headcanon/interpretation. Erik's use of the punjab lasso? Not really explained at all in the musical. It's just something he has. If you're familiar with the book you know it was from his history as an assassin in Persia. Without the context of the book the musical falls apart in so many places. When you hold phantom up to a more competent musical like Sweeney Todd the lack of depth in narrative and characters becomes that much more apparent. In Sweeney Todd every character has layers and as connections are revealed the story deepens and the stakes only seem to raise. The moral greyness of the characters in Sweeny Todd is also a lot more interesting than in Phantom because it's fully realized. Madam Giry knows who Erik is and has a lot of insight to how he works but not a whole lot about their connection is revealed and it doesn't really pay off in any meaningful way. Who is Madam Giry? Why does she do what she does? What is her motivation? We know none of it, it's just kind of a given thing. Erik is probably the most complex character in the musical but sometimes it feels like ALW can't decide if he needs this character to be a cackling, cape twirling villain or a tragic, romantic hero and I'd be lying if I said there weren't times where I felt like musical Erik was a little too goofy and over the top for me to take him seriously. Especially Ramin Karimloo's version. He spends a lot of time shrieking at the top of his lungs and screaming. And yet I can't totally dislike Phantom because it has JUST ENOUGH good qualities. It's not like I don't understand why people like it or how it got as big as it did. But I do wish people were a little more honest about the actual quality of the writing.
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There's a long history of Dracula adaptations clearly made by people who have never read the book.
I think in this fine tradition you specifically should adapt the Beetle without reading it
You are SO right, anon. I am going to direct the movie version of The Beetle upon which all other adaptations will be based! It will full of iconic quotes that are not in the book and I will butcher all the themes and characters!
Initial thoughts:
-Robert Holt will be played by some no-name actor who is putting his entire heart, soul and mind into the performance. The Brick Guy is also played by this guy. The first part of the movie is filmed in a very straightforward period-drama style, with the exception of a Carpet Scene, which is filmed in soft focus like a "flashback to dead wife" scene.
-Robert will also of course be referred to as "Bobert" and wear jorts. Alas, he does not get a GAP sweatshirt or a slushie in this version because there are no Ordinary Solicitors to save him.
-The Beetle will be portrayed as just a beetle of varying sizes, and they will be CGI. Specifically the really low-budget bad CGI of the early 2000s. This is very important for my artistic vision.
-Paul Lessingham will also be CGI.
-The cat will be a real cat, and will be voiced by the guy who voiced Garfield from the 1990s Garfield and Friends cartoon.
-I am open to casting suggestions for Sydney Atherton, although again, I suspect that it would be best to forgo celebrities and cast a guy who has played the comic-relief guy in Oklahoma at community theater one too many times. I will change nothing about Sydney Atherton's atrocities, and will in fact probably add a few more, but all the other characters will say how manly and wonderful he is while he's like beating someone to death with a cricket bat in the background. The movie critics will read a lot into this directing choice.
-I will make Marjorie and Dora both girlbosses™ by giving each of them a sword and a multi-level marketing business. They will contribute nothing to the plot and I will be offended if people think they are bland characters.
-I don't really know the other characters, so they will be played by a gender-inclusive rotating cast, and everyone will keep mixing up their names. The goal is for it to be impossible to keep track of who's doing what at all times.
-The cat still dies but goes to Cat Heaven and there's a whole musical dream sequence (inspired by 1930s cartoons and musical numbers from Gene Kelly movies) about the cat having a really great time in Cat Heaven.
-During some mundane scene with this rotating cast of characters and CGI Paul Lessingham, Bobert will dramatically die of starvation in the background. Nobody notices.
-The train crash will be on-screen instead of off, and there will be a very long monologue from the train themself as they dramatically fall off a broken bridge (this will be a practical effect with a full-sized train). This monologue will be delivered by the same guy who plays the cat, and if the actor isn't crying real tears by the end, we will redo the take until we get it. There will be a lot of montaging and soft focus. We will give the train a tragic backstory, but the train is also kind of accepting of their fate, you know? The book of Ecclesiastes will probably be mentioned somewhere in here.
-I will be diverging from canon by having Sydney Atherton die in the train crash. Not from the train, though, he chokes on a shrimp cocktail moments before the train hits the ground.
-Credits roll
-Epilogue scene: Sydney Atherton ends up in Cat Heaven and all the cats jump on him like the hyenas at the end of Lion King and there's just a giant wriggling ball of cats. Bobert is there too, drinking a slushie in the background. Hard cut to black.
#THE BEETLE!#the beetle weekly#my writing#all right hollywood pony up the money#sometimes my genius... it's almost frightening
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The Problem With Yasopp
So like many people I was genuinely surprised by Netflix One Piece, adaption, which turned out the exact opposite of pretty much every single travesty that america has made when adapting Manga and Anime.
It certainly was not without flaws, for one thing it needed to be at least 3-5 episodes longer in order to fix it's pacing issues if it wanted to get all of East Blue into one season, and the fight scenes while very well choreographed, didn't exactly sell me on the superhuman strength of most of these characters.
However, there was one thing that genuinely pissed me off, in large part because the american adapters changed something they didn't like, in order to fit "western sensibilites" and in doing so, completely missing the point, and frankly tragedy of the original context.
That of course, is the character of Usopp's relationship with his parents Yasopp and Banchina, and the rather sad tale of plans going completely arry due to twists of fate.
In the west, the character of Yasopp has been a rather contentious one, for several reasons, but also one that has been a bit altered by the changes from Japanese to English.
Yasopp is critiqued heavily by people who don't like him for abandoning his kid, and his wife to seek adventure on the high seas. Now this is not untrue, but there is a bit of context here that's a bit lost in translation.
And you can really tell that, because the way Netflix portrays Yasopp leaving is the surface level one you might get if you just read Syrup Village arc, and you don't pay any attention at all to the timeline given.
In the neflix series, it's explicitly said that Yasopp left Usopp and his mother while Usopp was still a baby. That is such a common reading, that it's actually what the One Piece Wiki claims happened(Another example of why you should always be critical of Wiki's).
The actual Manga tells a different story.

Yasopp left Syrup village right before Banchina unexpedetly got sick with the disease that ultimatly killed her.
When Usopp is so touchy against Kuro about him badmouting his father, it's not in the context of him idolizing some father he never met, because Usopp and Yasopp knew and loved each other dearly. Usopp's wish to see his dad again isn't some wish to meet the father he only knows through stories, but to reconnect with the dad he loved so much growing up and was sad when he left.

And then of course there is the glory of mistraslation. If you've read this part of the manga, you might rightly be wondering, what sort of woman would be proud of the man who abandoned her to take care of their kid while he sought adventure.
The answer, which the english translation does not give, is a woman who was the one to convince him to go out on that journey in the first place.
Because that is what happened in the orignal manga. It was Banchina, for reasons we don't fully understand or have the context for, eho convinced her husband to go out and seek his dreams.
That's the reason why she is so certain Yasopp will NOT be coming home, but why she is also not bitter about it. She was the one who encouraged Yasopp to go out to sea, while she stayed home and took care of their kid, until he grew old enough to care for himself, and seek the seas himself if he wished.

The story of Yasopp, Usopp and his wife is a genuine tragedy, but not because Yasopp abandoned Usopp before he ever got to know him, but because Usopp's parents made plans for the future, that while not perfect by any stretch, seemed workable enough... only for the entire thing to come crumbling down after Yasopp left due to something as mundane as a random disease.
One can certainly make an argument that this was NOT the best course of action for Yasopp and Banchina to take, but it's not the complete deadbeat dad who abandons his baby trope that the Netflix series portrays it as.
Further hammering in that this was a bit more complicated than that, Yasopp seems to have been one of the very first crew members Shanks tried to recruit, having sought him out not long after Roger died... And Yasopp seems to have flat out rejected him, as he stayed with Banchina for years and years afterwards.
It adds a lot of context to the idea that Banchina was the one who ultimately convinced Yasopp to go out and chase his dreams while she took care of the kid... Because it took years and years for it to ultimately conclude at this course of action. Yasopp would continue to reject Shanks offer to join him for years to instead to take care of his wife and kid, until about a year before Shanks met Luffy, when his wife told him to go.
It's a hell of a lot more nuanced and interesting than what Netflix did, that's for damn sure.
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