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mirai-e-jump · 11 months

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Uchusen Vol.181 (Summer 2023) Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger | Detail of Super Sentai ft. Masashi Ikeda & Masato Yano Interviews Special feature on the film King-Ohger: Adventure Heaven (full translation of their Interviews and film info below)

🕷️Masashi Ikeda (Jeramie Brasieri) Interview (Page 62-64)

"Looks like I can't afford to keep sleeping, huh?" Many readers may have been surprised when they first heard that line. Jeramie Brasieri is a storyteller who has been watching over the Five Kingdoms and Bugnarak for more than 2,000 years. Born from a human and a Bugnarak, he yearns for world peace with a nihilistic smile on his face. How was such a unique character created? We asked Masashi Ikeda, who plays the role of Jeramie and the voice of the narrator since the first episode, about his role and thoughts on the work…or so it'll go.

"Ikeda-san, do you have any memories of any tokusatsu works?"

Ikeda: I loved Kamen Rider 555! I had all the transformation belts. I loved it so much that I begged my parents to get me the Psyga and Orga belts that appeared in the movie because I really wanted them (laughs). I also collected the figures and played with them by making them fight.

"Since then, you said you longed to become a hero."

Ikeda: I admired it, but I didn't think it was something I would become. I was born and raised in Tokushima Prefecture, and I thought that the entertainment industry was so far away.

"You didn't think you would become an actor?"

Ikeda: I moved to Tokyo to enter university, where I became enamored by the city. When I was struggling with various issues, I was approached by my current agency. When I was ready to take the first step toward becoming an actor, I was given the chance to audition for a show, which can be a gateway towards success for young talents. I auditioned for "King-Ohger" thinking that I was going to finally fulfill my childhood dream.

"Did you audition for the role of Jeramie from the beginning?"

Ikeda: At first I auditioned for the role of Gira and Yanma, but those fell through. Soon after, I was asked to participate in an audition for the role of the additional warrior. During the interview, they asked me about things other than acting, such as "what's your favorite food?" I was so nervous because I thought they were also looking into my personality.

"How were you informed that you got the role?"

Ikeda: When I heard that another audition for the role was to be filmed, I went to the office, but was told "seems like it's been decided." I didn't really understand, so I was left in daze for about an hour. It was only once I got home that I finally realized what happened and was overcome with excitement. I think maybe my manager wanted to surprise me (laughs). However, I couldn't react to anything after hearing that, so I ended up leaving flustered, I'm so sorry (laughs).

"What were your first impressions of the character Jeramie?"

Ikeda: I remember being excited about this role, thinking it would be interesting. Just hearing that he's half human, half Bugnarak, and that he's a 2,000-year-old pacifist. I just knew that he would be a sensitive character on the inside. I was curious about what happened to him in his 2,000 years of life, and about his appearance as the additional warrior.

"How did you prepare for the role of Jeramie?"

Ikeda: At the time of the audition, the description said "hard-boiled and pretentious," so I created the character in a slightly different way than it is now. I focused on how to make him look cool from his body language to his hand gestures.

"By "slightly different from what it is now," do you mean that after you passed the audition, you changed up your performance based on the director or producer's opinion?"

Ikeda: Actually, the script for the episode in which Jeramie appears (episode 11) arrived quite a while after the audition, but during the meetings at the time, the setting of Jeramie changed. For the time being, I abandoned the role I had played during the audition, and started to think about playing a different character again. The key word "sensitive" remained the same, but I have the impression that Jeramie is relaxed enough to enjoy having conversations with others. That's why I'm very conscious of making sure that he enjoys talking with other people. Also, there are scenes in which he speaks with his true feelings, which are different from how he appears to be on the surface. I try to keep that in mind while act accordingly.

"I heard that you used the previous work "Avataro Sentai Donbrothers" as a reference to help develop your role."

Ikeda: After I was cast as Jeramie, I watched all episodes of Donbrothers and went to the G Rosso theater performances. Donbrothers is mainly comedic rather than kingly, isn't it? I thought that the fun of the stage play was similar to that of King-Ohger, so I used it as a reference.

"Before Jeramie made his appearance, Ikeda-san had been providing the role of narrator. At that point, you still had not yet decided what Jeramie's character was going to be like."

Ikeda: The character had not yet been finished at that point. However, Director (Kazuya) Kamihoriuchi-san told me that he "wanted me to put emotion into the narration." During the first postrecording, I was at a total loss as to how to put emotion into the narration, and it took me a long time of trying. At that time, Director Kamihoriuchi said to me, "why don't you try adding in "…or so it goes" (…tosa)." I feel like Jeramie's character had been decided by that one saying.

"So the memorable phrase originated from the director! Until his appearance, Ikeda-san's name was not credited in the opening. While watching, some viewers may have been wondering whose voice actor was doing it."

Ikeda: For me, I don't like my own voice. That's why when King-Ohger started airing, I couldn't get used to hearing my own voice on air. It was the same when Jeramie made his appearance, I still have strange feelings about it.

"The line "Looks like I can't afford to keep sleeping, huh?" in episode 10 made the viewers realize for the first time that the narration was by a character in the show. From there, there was an immediate response to Jeramie. How did that make you feel?"

Ikeda: When it was realized that the narrator was Jeramie, and then when Jeramie appeared in the show, I was very excited to see everyone's reactions. On Twitter, I was so happy to see tweets with the subject of "the person who narrates is appearing! I had to practice many times how to say "Looks like I can't afford to keep sleeping" because it was the first line that showed Jeramie's emotion as a character, and not as the narrator.

"Did you ever meet the other five members when you were participating only as the narrator?"

Ikeda: I would try to observe them when they were providing the dub for the post recording. I met the five of them there, so when it came time for me to join the show as Jeramie, we were able to get along well.

"What was the first scene filmed as Jeramie?"

Ikeda: It was the beginning of episode 11. I was still wearing the hood and Spider Mask, so I could hardly see anything in front of me. It's not often that you get to perform in such a state, so it was a fun and new experience. When I finally took off my mask, I felt a sense of relief that I was finally able to present Jeramie. There was also a feeling of comradery, as I was finally able to perform with the other five.

"Please tell us about some of the most impressionable episodes you filmed."

Ikeda: In the scene where he meets Rita for the first time, they slap Jeramie hard across the face. Before shooting the scene, I told (Yuzuki) Hirakawa-san, who plays Rita, "Do it seriously," but when filming started, she hit me harder than I expected and I ended up making a face. I replied after that it would be nice if this turns out to be an interesting scene. From there, Hirakawa-san and I became good friends.

"Having played Jeramie so far, Ikeda-san, what do you find most appealing about him?"

Ikeda: Aside from the fact that he was born half human and Bugnarak, and despite having lived as an entity erased from history, I think it's the fact that he loves humans more than anything. He may come off as a pretentious person, but he's actually more pure and innocent, and wishes to bring peace to the the world more than anyone else. I think the gap between innocent and cute is also appealing.

"What were your impressions of the costumes and makeup?"

Ikeda: Normally, I wouldn't wear such pure white and pretty clothing, or put patterns on my face. Even so, when I look like that, the switch to Jeramie is flipped on. I saw it for the first time at the costume fitting, and since both Gira and Kaguragi wear eye makeup, I knew that Jeramie would have some as well, and I think he looks cool having makeup that reflects his sensitive personality.

"What are your thoughts on the post transformation design of Spider Kumonos?"

Ikeda: I honestly thought, "Is it really alright to be this cool!?" This design feels different from the Super Sentai series I watched as a child, so it's really cool. When the figures were released, I decorated them in my house where I admire them everyday (laughs).

"How did you create the transformation scene for Spider Kumonos?"

Ikeda: I worked together with action director (Watanabe) Jun-san to create the scene. When I looked at the finished video, I really felt as though I transformed. It was in that moment where I realized my childhood dream of being a hero came true, and I was overcome with emotion. Words can't express how happy I was, as I watched the transformation scene over and over again like a little kid.

"What was your first impression of Spider Kumonos's sidekick God Tarantula/Tarantula Knight?"

Ikeda: They're wonderful, aren't they? Notably, even though Tarantula is a giant robot, it's able to perform very gorgeous, delicately cool actions. DX Tarantula Knight has also been released, and I'd really like to decorate it in my room.

"It's understood that Ikeda-san has a "King-Ohger" merch corner in his home."

Ikeda: I've displayed King-Ohger post transformation figures, and pre-transformation acrylic stands. Jeramie's stand has recently been released. Naturally, Gira should be placed in the center, but in my house, Jeramie, Spider Kumonos and Tarantula Knight are the center (laughs).

"As filming continues, is there anything Ikeda-san would like to try as Jeramie?"

Ikeda: Spider Kumonos has the ability to control spider webs. I would like to use this ability to talk and fly around upside down while hanging on by the webs, even before transforming. I think it would be interesting to create the kind of eccentric image that only Jeramie could pull off. I'd like to experiment with scenes that make full use of wires.

"When it comes to action scenes like that, I think that proper body strength is necessary…"

Ikeda: I played soccer all the way through my 3rd year of high school, so I love to exercise (laughs). I know it'll be a lot of work, but since I'm able to be apart of a tokusatsu production, given the opportunity, I'd like to actively try my hand at action scenes!

"We're looking forward to it. Finally, what are your thoughts on playing Jeramie in the future?"

Ikeda: In terms of what will happen next, I really don't know. But, Jeramie is a character whose true feelings are shown through his facial expressions, so I hope to play him while emphasizing all of those emotions. I have had the pleasure of working together with truly wonderful staff and co-stars during the production of King-Ohger. I will do my best to continue to create a wonderful show with you all, so please give me your support! Jeramie will also be active in the upcoming movie, so please look forward to it!

⚔️Masato Yano (Rcules Husty) Interview (Page 65-67)

Yano: On the surface, he is a heroic king who wishes for the peace of Shugoddam. Behind the scenes, he is an arrogant dictator who is willing to sacrifice his people and invade other countries… The one who acts as a great wall that stands in front of Gira and his comrades, is none other than Rcules Husty. In this issue, we interviewed Masato Yano-san, who plays the role of Rcules, about creating the role of Rcules and his approach to acting. As well as the treasured episodes with his co-stars…?

"First, I would like to ask a few personal questions. Do you have any memories of any tokusatsu works?"

Yano: In regards to Super Sentai, I was obsessed with with "Denji Sentai Megaranger." I remember having the toys and playing hero with my friends. But my absolute favorite work was "Juukou B-Fighter." Beat Machine and the Juukou Base were the first toys from any tokusatsu show that were given to me, I loved them so much that I still remember them very well.

"Since then, did you ever think you'd want to be an actor playing a hero?"

Yano: No, no, my childhood dream was something else entirely (laughs). But actually, when I was in elementary school, I appeared as a child actor in "Kamen Rider Agito." At the time, there was a training school called Toei Academy within Toei Movie Studios, and that's where I once attended. Performance was part of the class, and this was before my debut, so I don't know if I can call it an entertainment career.

"So Yano-san, do you consider "King-Ohger" to be the first tokusatsu work you've appeared in?"

Yano: Since my debut was through theater (stage plays), I've always thought that tokusatsu was a world that I had no connections to. Many of the roles I've played in the past have often been that of a dark or fearsome character. Or, for example, playing the role of a criminal. It's a position that contrasts completely with tokusatsu works that are meant for children to watch. At the time, I was really surprised when I was asked to be apart of this production.

"The role of Rcules was not an audition, but rather an offer right?"

Yano: Previously, I had worked with Director (Kazuya) Kamihoriuchi-san (the main director of King-Ohger) on "Tokusou 9 (Season 5)", so I think that's why he invited me on. Also, I had worked with (Kotobuki) Kamiaka-san, who is in charge of filming for King-Ohger, in "Muyo Ireinkyo Shugyo (6)", so it was easy for me to get a feel for this project because it didn't feel like my first time on set.

"You also co-starred with (Taisei) Sakai-san, who plays the role of Gira, in "Shinyu wa Akujo" which was broadcast during January of this year."

Yano: That's right (laughs). I once asked Sakai-kun, who played the role of a junior colleague, "Have you decided on what project you'll act in next?" He responded with, "I can't tell you just yet…" and continued to keep it to himself. From the way he answered, I somehow suspected that he would be in the next Super Sentai series (laughs). When I asked him to "Atleast give me a hint," he told me that apparently he would have an "older brother." I responded with "It would be interesting if I got to play the role of a big brother," and then a week later I actually received the offer to play the role of Rcules! It was a big shock (laughs).

"What a fateful turn of events! When you were contacted with the offer, what kind of impression did you get from King-Ohger?"

Yano: I though it was interesting how everyone plays a leading role. Also, Rita's gender isn't explicitly stated, is it? I thought that was another perspective that was typical of modern times. In the case of Rcules, I simply thought that his costumes were decorated with so much gold that they were glittering. The abundance of gold is connected to the idea that he is a king among kings. Just wearing it makes you feel more confident. However, when I read his setup, I felt as though Rcules was a high quality heel (villain). It's an intimidating role, as he's always at odds with Gira.

"How did you go about creating Rcules's character?"

Yano: To be honest, I'm the only one who is given advanced knowledge on future developments before the shooting starts. Sakai-kun and the other six don't know anything, but I do. While keeping it hidden, I'll read the script and speculate, "So this is what's going to happen later on," while also acting unnoticed as to make sure the audience isn't spoiled.

"What exactly does acting unnoticed mean?"

Yano: First, make sure you don't make a face that will end up revealing your true intentions. Don't imagine what you're thinking about in the moment, or about your personal life. I think Rcules's charm lies in how mysterious he is. Furthermore, Shugoddam has a stronger military force than any of the other kingdoms, and in order to keep that dignity, I must be mindful of both my posture and tone of my voice. I try not to blink too much, and slow down my speech about two levels compared to my normal speed.

"Yano-san, what are you particularly conscious of when you are performing?"

Yano: This isn't limited to just King-Ohger, but I am always paying attention to the theatrics of my hand movements. I believe that hand movement can bring out a character, and if that part is neglected, the character's image would fall apart. I hope that, by all means, you will pay attention to Rcules's hand movements.

"I would also like to ask you about your co-stars. Rcules has two close servants, Douga and Boshimar. Yutaka Morioka-san, who plays Douga, and Jubun Fukuzawa-san who plays Boshimar, have had many scenes together."

Yano: That's right, I feel more at ease having both of them on either side. Actually, I don't treat Douga and Boshimar in the same way that I do the rest of my entourage, as I try to act a little different between the two of them. Some viewers noticed the difference in performance when I was searching on SNS, and they shared their impressions with both Morioka-san and Fukuzawa-san.

"What was your reaction after looking at the main story?"

Yano: I don't often watch the works in which I appear in, but I am genuinely curious to see how King-Ohger will turn out. And since we'll be filming long term, I try to check out how the previous story turned out while getting ready for filming.

"What is your favorite scene in the story so far?"

Yano: It's Episode 8! It's because it was the first transformation scene I performed in my life. The transformation poses were assigned to me by the action director (Watanabe) Jun-san, and I keep thinking about what to do, as a chance like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. At first, the idea was to just simply pull the Ohger Calibur lever, so that I wouldn't overlap with the other five, but unlike them, I prioritized sex appeal over passion (laughs).

"How did you feel when you actually saw the transformation scene?"

Yano: I felt numb! First of all, not only was I fascinated by the sound effects, but the atmosphere of a king was overflowing, which I enjoyed alot. The graphics, which are more advanced than the tokusatsu shows that I watched as a child, were wonderful, and I was more than happy to become the silver hero, Ohkuwagata Ohger. When I was a child, I liked gold and silver origami more than other colors, and I think silver is a special color. It was a very emotional moment for me, as it was the moment I became the hero of such a color.

"The Secret of King Rcules," a spin-off featuring Ohkuwagata Ohger and Rcules as the main character, is now available on Youtube. When did you first hear about the production of the spin-off?"

Yano: When I was contacted for the role of Rcules, the production of "The Secret of King Rcules" had already been arranged. For the Super Sentai series, it seems to be a rare occurrence for a spin-off work to be developed in conjunction with the initial TV series. In addition, it's available on Youtube, so I like that anyone can watch it. We will be filming it alongside the TV show, and while I was busy during the time we were filming, I always did my best as I was happy regardless.

"The key visuals for "The Secret of King Rcules" was also very cool!"

Yano: Yes, It's good!! The key visual is Rcules sitting on the throne, with the image of Ohkuwagata Ohger overlapping the other half of his body. To tell you the truth, I don't remember shooting stills for this key visual (laughs). I really don't remember. I'm sure it's the result of the designer's artificial editing technique. It was as if I was already in that situation and took a still in one shot. I sent it to everyone in our performers group LINE. They said, "You're so cool!" (laughs).

"In "The Secret of King Rcules" The development of Rcules being judged by Rita is depicted."

Yano: During the trial with Rita in Gokkan, the Bugnarak come into Shugoddam. It's for that reason that Rcules makes the decision to vacate the castle. Such an exchange is one of the three key points of "The Secret of King Rcules," however I would like you to watch it simply because it is interesting to see Rcules in handcuffs. And above all else, I want you to pay attention to King Ohger ZERO!

"I always enjoy reading Yano-san's Twitter feed, and I see that you are checking the opinions of the viewers."

Yano: That's right (laughs). When the broadcast first began, I honestly didn't expect to receive such an overwhelming reaction…I thought it would be nice if it would generate a little conversation, but every week lots of people would send me feedback and then give me their thoughts…Something else that caught my attention was the fact that these people who support Rcules had voluntarily added the word "tool" after their handle names.

"Because of the line, "People are tools" (laughs)."

Yano: After seeing the photo shoot, I started to update my Twitter more frequently, even though I hadn't been very active on it in the past. Words relating to King-Ohger were trending every week, that I was surprised on its impact. For this, "Rcules" would like to extend a thank you!

"Filming for King-Ohger will continue on, Yano-san, is there anything you would like to challenge yourself with?"

Yano: It would be to have a straightforward action scene. In "The Secret of King Rcules" we showed off a little bit of one, but I would like to perform one in the main story. From my previous works, I have experience in both action scenes and sword fighting, and I feel as though Jun-san is looking at me as if to say "You wanna do it?" (laughs). Also, as I had mentioned earlier, I don't know anything about Rcules's personal life, so I'd like to see a scene where Rcules is doing something other than political affairs. Maybe Rcules's morning routine?

"I was thinking about it earlier but, the impression of Rcules that we see in the show, and the impression of Yano-san that we are interviewing now is quite different (laughs)."

Yano: I'm completely different from Rcules! (laughs). When I feel that everyone is tired, or that the atmosphere on set is tense, I try to brighten the mood. Like maybe I'll try making a weird face. Since we're going to be together for a year, why don't we try to have a good time? Besides, I want them to get to know me better. I want to listen to what everyone has to say, and I also want to be listened to. I'm conscious of developing these relationships. I often perform alongside (So) Kaku-san who plays Kaguragi, but recently Mami Kamura-san, who plays Suzume, has joined the cast and we now have more cast members of the same generation. I'm very pleased about that as well!

"Finally, what is your enthusiasm for King-Ohger throughout this Summer?"

Yano: I hope that you will believe in Rcules and look forward to the future stories! Please be sure to check out "The Secret of King Rcules," available on Youtube, along with the main story! When you look back at "The Secret of King Rcules" as the show continues to progress, I think that you'll be able to enjoy the main story more. From now on, no matter what happens, I hope you will continue to watch King-Ohger!

👑Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger: Adventure Heaven Special Feature (Page 70-71)

Nationwide Release: July 28, 2023 (Friday)!

"Gira and the other kings head for the "Kingdom of Death!?" "Meeting with the Founding King of Shugoddam"

"Accompanied by Devonica, a native, Gira and the other kings visit Hakabaka, the Kingdom of Death. They enter to meet his ancestor before Gira's coronation as king of Shugoddam, and there they find Reiniol Husty, the first king. Will Reiniol tell Gira, the new king, the truth about Chikyu?"

In "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger: Adventure Heaven," which is the first theatrical film of King-Ohger, an unprecedented battle set in an unfamiliar country is depicted.

In addition to the rich story written by the tag team of pilot director Kazuya Kamihoriuchi and main writer Minato Takano, one won't be able to take their eyes off the guest appearances of kabuki actor Shido Nakamura and popular voice actress Ayane Sakura!

(Right) Reiniol Husty The first king of Shugoddam from 2,000 years ago, ruling over Hakabaka, the Kingdom of Death. (Played by: Shido Nakamura)

(Left) Devonica She serves as a guide to Hakabaka, the Kingdom of Death, appearing at the coronation to take Gira and the others to meet his ancestor. (Played by: Ayane Sakura)

STORY "As Gira prepares for his coronation, Devonica, who once grew up with him in an orphanage appears. She is a guide to Hakabaka, the Kingdom of Death. She wants to take Gira to see his lost ancestors. Through the power Hakabaka, he sets out with Yanma and the other kings, where once arriving, Reiniol Husty, the first king of Shugoddam, appears before them. He invites Gira away by telling him that he would disclose the truth about Chikyu, but after listening to his detailed story, demands that Gira give up his right to the throne over to Reiniol…?"

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awkwardtuatara · 10 months

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Things I wasn't expecting to have so many feelings about: a film about the lives of Tang dynasty poets. Why is Chang'an San Wan Li (长安三万里) so good. It tells the story of poet-warrior Gao Shi's life through snapshots of the past that get increasingly close to the present, his interactions with poet Li Bai, and how they change as they grow older. Definitely recommended for:

Poets, poetry, and poet culture. This is at the centre of the movie. There are something like 40 poems quoted (in part or in full) at various parts of the movie so you can make a bingo card if you want-

Super complicated and captivating characters and character dynamics. You know. Gao Shi is the 35th son of a declining clan who struggles academically but is a great warrior, who meets Li Bai (merchant's son, so automatically disqualified from the exam you need to become a government official) as they both travel to get government positions in a way that doesn't involve taking the exam. Li Bai is super flamboyant, a larger-than-life personality, and Gao Shi is timid but firm in his beliefs. They travel and part ways, promise to meet again, Li Bai forgets about the promise but meets Gao Shi like they never left, and again and again they meet and part as Li Bai becomes famous for his poetry but loses his political ambition and Gao Shi continues trying to be a warrior despite being more well-known for his poetry. Again and again they make decision the other can't understand, and maybe they have no right to the other's life, but you can't shake past bonds so easily. wrestling naked in the mud when you were 20 let you become Captain at 40 led to you meeting him again in the midst of a treason plot... it's bittersweet and gets really complicated

Gao Shi and Li Bai are the central focus but their connections to other characters (loyalty, rivalry, mentorship) are also fascinating

Chinese history (can't really speak to the accuracy but all the events actually happened and the right people are involved)

the typical angst that comes with being incredibly devoted to a country that has denied you again and again that characterizes a lot of Chinese scholars

reflections on identity and desire, what characterizes who you are and how that changes through time and circumstance

poets getting drunk and writing really great poetry. li bai really did this a lot

amazing animation and great visuals. The cities look so great and the scenes with the cranes and the gods as Li Bai was narrating...

Great use of visual and audio motifs as well, connecting things as time passes

the voice actors did a really good job too - the characters are clearly the same but their voices change as they grow older

I just think it's neat

#ok the purpose of this post is mainly “talk about chang'an san wan li so you can finally stop thinking about it so much”#not really gonna tag it #but if you see this it's well worth the watch

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aleksanderscult · 4 months

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Can you do the scene "he was my monster too"? That complete dialogue

Yeah, sure!

I love that line and scene (as every Darklina fan) because it really describes their dynamic. It's basically their relationship in just a few words and I'll explain to you why.

I'll start from here.

The Darkling used various means to get her to his side in that scene. First he bargained, then appealed to her loneliness that drew him to her every time through the tether, then pointed out that Mal couldn't understand her and now she knows it, then used Genya to show her what happens every time she leaves him, then tried to make her understand that they could save more lives together and kinda chastised her for the fact that she's stuck on the Novokribirsk murders and doesn't look beyond that, towards the persecution that's happening on a global scale for so many years.

Did he use various manipulative techniques to get her here? Yes.

Did he also mean the things he said? Also yes.

The Darkling sees in her the very thing that first separated him from other people too so many years ago: the rare powers they both have and can't find someone else to relate to.

Also, the fact that he has been proven correct ever since he witnessed Alina growing distant from Mal and feeling more and more alone makes him believe in that line even more.

Who else has rare Grisha powers? The Darkling

Who else is immortal? The Darkling

Who else has been "separated" from all others because of these great powers? The Darkling

Alina knew it all along but has been denying it to herself, clutching desperately on Mal in hopes that everything will go alright between them. But now, when Aleksander speaks these words, she realizes how true that is. There is the person that in terms of power and needs she can match and relate with.

I always believed that he wasn't only excited about having Alina's power in his hands here but also for the fact that she finally decided to willingly come to him. This is the first time that is happening ever since she left him on the Winter fete since she fought him every other time.

Her power is for his plans.

But her willingness and resignation are for him. He awaited this moment and wanted it for so long.

The connection between Aleksander and Alina existed long before the latter got the collar. So I bet that the collar and the nichevo'ya bite only enhanced that connection.

They can "touch" each other's powers. Reach out and feel it. They're connected in such a deep and strong spiritual way. I don't think any other Grisha have ever experienced that with another of his kind. They truly were unique.

Now these are the lines that are the basis of my "Alina feels embarrassed for her dark side and therefore afraid to admit that she wants the Darkling" philosophy and I will die on this hill.

Aside from the fact that this makes her an unreliable narrator, this is a major flaw of her character that Bardugo never fixed.

Alina, as every other person in the world, has light and darkness inside of her. But she's too afraid to admit it and, more importantly, even more afraid of embracing it. And that pushes her back. Instead of having this character accept her dark side and even using it at times on a moderate scale, we have her running away from it, never fully accepting it and presenting it as something disgusting inside of her.

Leigh could use this scene as the basis for her development. This and the "She would make herself a reckoning. She would rise" could be excellent premises of a girl becoming a strong woman and warrior, determined to save and lead her people and unite them with the otkazat'sya. Willing to become Queen just so she can make a change for the better and learn from the Darkling's actions and mistakes. Instead in R&R we got the same Alina. Again.

Alina had darkness inside her long before the Darkling did something. For example, when she let those people die on the skiff. The Darkling just put the kind of darkness inside her that made her connected to the volcra, the Fold, the nichevo'ya. There's a difference here.

Now. About that line.

I've said it before that Darklina is a ship of contradictions: man and woman, light and dark, good and bad. They're two sides of the same coin and therefore complete each other. In a way, one cannot live without the other. And they each have a piece that the other lacks and still wants.

The Darkling has darkness and Alina is a creature of light. But she still seeks that darkness in him and when she used it, it felt right and powerful and not at all strange.

Alina has light and the Darkling is a creature of darkness. But he still searches for her light because, to his great surprise, he likes the feeling of it.

You can see this aspect of them in their following quotes:

‘And he was my monster too.’

- Siege and Storm

‘Because with her he was human again.’

- Rule of Wolves

Both of them don't want to admit it. They recoil from it but Alina can't help but feel drawn to his darkness, to his "monstrous" side just as much Aleksander can't help but be enticed by her light, by her humanity. They bring out a wave of emotions and needs to each other that upset them.

But if only Alina kept believing in that line and if only that relationship and this aspect of it was explored more. It's so painfully interesting that I can't believe how the author chose to spend her trilogy talking about Malina.

Like seriously? Them over THIS SHIP AND THE WAY THEY WORK??

WHO ON THEIR RIGHT MIND---

#i just love that quote SO MUCH #this quote and “because with her he was human again” summarize their dynamic. Period.#the darkling #alina starkov #darklina #anon asks #pro darklina #alarkling #pro alarkling #pro darkling #pro aleksander morozova #siege and storm #shadow and bone #grishaverse #grishaverse trilogy #aleksander morozova

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randy-jade-4ever · 10 months

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Dialtown Party Game Concept

Hello friends. you might know me as the randy jade ask blog but I had something cooking in my brain for a bit and it was for a hypothetical Dialtown party game spinoff called Dialtown Party! Do note I don't really have any drawings but I might add some later if I feel like it so here we go!

The plot: It's Callum Crown's 100th birthday and Mingus is still trying to reform after the incident last February so in order to celebrate the big 100 for his peepaw, Mingus holds a festival in his name to get hip with the town. Everyone in Dialtown is welcome to participiate including someone who just moved in... you!

Basic Premise: In Mysims Party you would go through sets of minigames called Festivals with a certain number of characters per player in order to progress the "story" so I would think that the same can apply here. Example being something called an opening festival which has 3 minigames and then you unlock a festival after that which has 6 minigames. etc. etc. After every minigame you get points based on how well you perform in the minigame. In Mysims Party each festival was held by a different character, but in Dialtown Party Mingus hosts every festival, but she will say different things each festival to keep it fresh. I would think between these festivals you experience various conversations with the whole Dialtown cast and their thoughts on the festival and shenanigans ensue! This would also be a great chance to show interactions not in the original game like say... Abel and Bunny.

Every major and minor Dialtown Character is playable!: From Phonegingi and Oliver to cameo characters like Harry and Peter, everyone you know and love from Dialtown is now playable and has their own minigame to call their own! There's even some secret characters too! Later in this doc I'll explain every minigame and what you do to win in each of them. Mid-Festival Events!: Sometimes between minigames in a festival Madame Mediocre will appear and initiate a surprise event! Every player will pick a card from 15 or so cards and various things will happen. Here's the list of effects:

-An Enc0unter protection card. Nullifies negative effects from Enc0unter one time. (See the next section.) - A players party will recieve an item that temporarily increases a stat to the max for one minigame. (You can hold up to 3 of these items per player) - One character in players party has their lost stats restored - Every character in players party has their lost stats restored - The character used in the last minigame will have all their stats lowered by 1 - The character used in the last minigame will have all their stats boosted by 1 - A character in someone's party will be unavailable for 3 minigames - Nothing

Mid-Festival Events!(2): Sometimes between minigames... Enc0unter will appear! This mysterious figure could do all sorts of things. Change everyone's stats, add an unexpected minigame, lower everyone's stats to one, or max out everyone's stats.

Playable roster in no particular order: Phonegingi, Typegingi, Randy Jade, Oliver Swift, Karen Dunn, Bigfoot, Sgt. Norm Allen, Mayor Mingus, Jerry Gould, Abel Brannigan, Bunny, Nathan Hanover, Peter Kennedy, Roger Jones, Harry Fitzgerald, Hobo, Little Billy, Pierre, Curie, Zimothy Bunsen, Craig, Lorraine Deere, Terrence "Tango", Theoroar Rustlebelt, Stabby, Shooty, Gabby, Narrator, Frank, Ebenezer Dickens.

Secret Characters (No minigame attached besides some): Callum Crown, Marla Crown, Milton R. Wallace, Jack Kennedy, Steven Stevenson, Lola, Phonald Ringin, Frongles The Clown, Civilian

How to unlock characters: You play their minigame once. That's it. Mysims party character unlocking sucked i am NOT making other people go through that. You have the dateables and Gingi by default.

More about characters: Every character has 4 stats. Power, Running, Stamina, and Luck. Every minigame has preferred stats. For my sanity I won't be giving the stat numbers for every character so you'll just have to use your imagination for now. During festivals and after playing a minigame the preferred stats from the minigame played will have a point reduced on the characters stat. (Example: if a minigame had a preferred stat of running and power. Randy's power stat of 2 and running stat of 4 would be reduced to 1 and 3 respectively. A stat can go no lower than one.)

Minigame Structure: Every minigame will have 4 players and each player is represented by a Dialtown character or a custom dialtowner made in the player character's house. Each minigame will have a task and whoever can complete the task the best wins!

Special gimmick: In Mysims Party if you were to play as a character and then play as that character in their minigame the host for the minigame would be wearing a different costume. I would like to bring that to dialtown party. An example is that if you play as randy and then play the Randy minigame randy will be throwing swans at a randy wearing red clothes.

--MINIGAMES--

This section will list every characters minigame. This will be a LONG section.

Randy Jade's minigame: Ready, Set, Swan! Description: Randy now on a better course of his life is trying to overcome his fear of swans and needs your help! Grab swans around the enclosed area in the Dialtown park and throw them at Randy who is running around said area. A successful hit with a swan is one point. If you hit Randy with a special gold swan that's 3 points! Player with the most point wins.

Oliver Swift's minigame: The Wrath of Oliver Swift. Description: Oliver invites you to his horror house for a real scare of a time. Though looks like you're the one getting scared! It's up to you to avoid getting scared by Oliver. There are various hazards around the arena that might stun so watch out! Once you get scared once you get eliminated. Last player standing wins.

Karen Dunn's minigame: Painting Paint. Description: Karen needs help for her next piece! Each player gets their own canvas and must draw as many paintings as possible in order to win. each new painting requires a specific sequence of inputs. Most paintings by the end of the time limit is the winner! Bigfoot's minigame: Bananasssssssssssssssssssss Description: Bigfoot is craving some bananas and is asking for your help! Collect the bananas around the woods and give them to Bigfoot in the middle for him to eat. There's 1 banana, 3 banana, and 5 banana chunks around the area. Watch out though, every player can steal your bananas with a simple kick that can knock your chunk out of your hands. Player that gave the most bananas wins! (Idea suggested by:@fishy-sandwich)

Sgt. Norm Allen's minigame: Norm Allen's Shooting Range. Description: Norm is rootin' tootin' cowboy so it's time to see who can shoot the most targets scattered around the area. This is a first person shooter minigame where targets will appear at random. Bad guy targets are worth 1 point and super bad guy targets are worth three. Norm's wife targets are a -3 points so be careful before shooting. Player with the most points wins!

Mayor Mingus's minigame: Rugnapping. Description: Mingus is taking a cat nap, but her rug is so comfy and nice... it's up to you to take it out of her office! Slowly make your way through her office but be sure to play dead when she suddenly wakes up or otherwise you'll be stunned even when holding the rug. Once you have the rug you need to leave the room with it but watch out players can punch it off. Whoever leaves with the rug wins! If no one can get the rug out of her office by the time limit whoever held the rug the most will win.

Jerry Gould's minigame: Sheep Jeep. Description: Jerry needs to wrangle some sheep into their pens and needs your help. Direct the sheep into your team color's pen to gain points. Whichever player has the most sheep at the end of the time limit or when all the sheep are wrangled win!

Abel Brannigan's minigame: Funfair Agony. Description: Abel's self loathing is at a breaking point and you need to run the funfair while he's yelling at Randy. Direct funfair guests to the ride they want to. The ride a guest wants to go will be indicated by the icon above their head. Be careful of the other players and guests. Every guest taken to the correct attraction is one point. Every guest taken to the wrong attraction is -1 point. Whoever has the most points when the time limit ends wins!

Bunny's minigame: Bunny Stacking. Description: Bunny think he's the best but somehow needs help making burgers. Use a cursor to pick various toppings like lettuce, tomato, and onions and patties and buns to make the burger that Bunny wants at the moment. Everytime a player gives the right burger that player gets a point and Bunny will now ask for a new burger with different fixings. Player with the most points at the end of the time limit wins. Nathan Hanover's minigame: British People... Description: Nathan wants to talk to you, but unfortunately no one can understand what he says... Nathan will say something and you need to pick the correct translation of 4 options. If you get it right you get a point. If you get it wrong you get stunned. The player to get 5 correct translations first wins!

Peter Kennedy and Roger Jones' minigame: Factory Maintenance. (2v2) Description: Peter and Roger need help with their factory work! Each team will be given a set of items to collect. One team will have have to go to Peter and one team will have to go to Roger. The team that collects all of the items first wins! Harry Fitzgerald (And Jack Kennedy's) minigame: Bear. Description: Harry's boss is quite demanding so he enlists your help in getting orders for his job at a pizza joint. Each player will have their own line and must grab items in the kitchen like pepperoni pizza, breadsticks, and wings, and then put the items on the player assigned customers colored tray. If you did the order right you get three points and if you get it wrong you get nothing. Player with the most points after the time limit wins! Hobo's Minigame: Omelette for God. Description: The Local Hobo craves an omelette. Button mash in order to put as much food into your omelette as possible. Whoever button mashed the hardest in the time limit wins!

Little Billy's Minigame: Harassing the Swift. Description: Little Billy feels like annoying Oliver today so it's up to you to help distract Oliver while Little Billy sneaks up on him. Whenever Oliver feels like turning around click the right button above Oliver in order to get his attention again. If you fail to click the right button or don't click the button at all Oliver will notice Little Billy and yeet him and you immediately lose. With enough successful button presses, Little Billy gets to Oliver and scare Oliver and you win! Multiple people can win this minigame! Pierre's minigame: I Don't Think This is Therapy... (1v3) Description: The single player will be serving drinks (non alcoholic) to the other three players. The single player must serve the drinks via a long button combination while the other three will be talking about their woes via short button combinations. Whoever finishes the button combinations first gets a point. Whichever team gets the most point by the end wins! Curie's minigame: Drink Roulette. Description: Curie has put something in one of four drinks that is not very nice. Each player will pick a drink and one person will drink the bad drink and be eliminated. The three leftover players will then pick 1 of 3 drinks with one of them also being tainted and then the person drinking the next bad drink will be eliminated leaving 2 left. There will then be 2 drinks and one is also tainted. Whoever drinks the good drink here wins! Zimothy Bunsen's minigame: Bunsen BURNS. Description: Zimothy's comically large amount of bunsen burners are all going haywire. Traverse his lab in order to turn off the bunsen burners when they turn on. A bunsen burner turned off is one point. If you find the prototype for Zimothy's virus on a table that's five points. Most points by the end of the limit wins! Craig's minigame: Emergency Contact. Description: Craig is in a situation where he might need an emergency contact. Wait for when Craig has a button above his head and whoever presses the button first wins! Lorraine Deere's minigame: Conspiracy Conspirator. Description: Lorraine loves her conspiracies. Lorraine will say a conspiracy and it's up to you whether or not it's true. It's all about remembering what you got right before and what you got wrong before. Getting a question right gives one point while getting it wrong gets nothing. Player to get 5 correct answers right wins! Terrence "Tango"'s minigame: It's Tango Time! Description: Tango wants help in giving Mayor Mingus a gift. Tango will ask for something around the main hall and the first person to grab it and give it to Tango will get 1 point and then Tango will ask for another item. Whoever got the most points by the end of the limit or all things have been given in the main hall wins!

Theoroar Rustlebelt's minigame: Battle of the Rustlebelt. (1v3) Description: Theoroar places his faith in the single player and puts the other three players in a cage. the first player can send various animals onto the three players with certain button prompts and if the three players make contact with an animal they get eliminated. If the three players are all eliminated by the end of the time limit, the single player wins and if not the three players win.

Stabby and Shooty's minigame: Battle of Knives and Guns. (2v2) Description: One player on each team gets a knife while the other gets a knife. Each player will have 5 health points and the players can use the weapons to reduce the health of the enemy. The knife is close range while the gun is long range. Whoever has both teammates health deplete first loses while the other team wins. Gabby's minigame: Gabby Gabs. Description: Gabby needs your help working the counter at her shop. Each player will be assigned a spot and a customer will walk up to the players. The customer will put down a cash amount and then show what they want. There's a board on the screen showing how much everything is. You need to see what they want and then see if they can afford it. If they can afford it you press the yes button and you get a point. If they can't afford it you press the no button and you get a point. If you incorrectly guess whether the customer can afford the items you get no points. Whoever has the most points at the end of the time limit wins! Narrator's minigame: Gingi is Insane Actually (Cooperative) Description: Gingi has gone feral and Narrator needs everyone's help to guide them along the roads of dialtown. Everyone must work together in order to win. Gingi moves via the directional input each players give which is up, down, left, or right via a roulette. Each player rolls a direction then gingi moves in order of player 1 to player 4. If Gingi makes it to the end of the track within the time limit everyone wins! Frank's minigame: Bank Problems Description: Frank the Dialtown Bank Bodyguard is in need of help. Observe the bank visitors and when one has an exclamation mark above their head it means they're about to do a heinous act and you must run up to them and press a button in order to call Frank and throw them to the curve. Each time you successfully throw a person out you get one point. If you throw out Hobo doing a heinous act it's 3 points. Player with the most points at the end of the time limit wins! Ebenezer Dickens' Minigame: What The Dickens? Description: Mr. Dickens needs your help running the Scare Shack! All the faulty wiring and other faulty technology need fixing. When something breaks, mad dash to there and mash the button that's above the broken tech in order to fix it. Fixing it nets you one point. As time progresses more things will break at a time. Player with most points at the end of the time limit wins! Phonegingi/Typegingi's Minigame: Gingi Trash Exploring Description: Gingi wants to go dumpster diving. Use a button to clean through the trash and collect any collectables you might find. Each collectable has it's own point value. Whoever has the most points by the time limit or when all collectables are found, wins!

--THE ENDING--

After completing all the festivals there will be a cutscene with Mingus visiting his grandfather at the nursing home. Mingus will tell his peepaw that the festival was a huge success and that Mingus is more liked by the community something that she thought would never happen after what she's done. Callum isn't responding that much, but soon enough Mingus pulls out the postcard that Mingus used to be so focused on and gives it to Callum. "I don't need this anymore," She says and bids his peepaw farewell. The despondent Callum Crown finally shows some movement and picks up the postcard that was on his lap. Callum stares at the postcard for a long while before putting it aside. Callum closed his hypothetical eye and sleeps. CALLUM CROWN'S MINIGAME: ??????????? Description: This is more of a cutscene than anything. The minigame introduction is in an indecipherable text and when you go to the character select screen the only option is... Callum Crown. The minigame shows the usually start graphic but there's no timer. It's a flashback to the time when Callum took the photo for that postcard. You talk to the townsfolk slowly gathering everyone up to make that fabled photo. Everyone is in place and Callum says "Say Dialtown everyone!" Right as this happens it cuts to current day where a similar photo is being taken except it's everyone in Dialtown that you just did all the minigames with. and then the credits roll.

--CONCLUSION-- Secret Character Unlocks: After you beat the game you unlock Callum Crown, Milton R. Wallace, and Marla Crown. No one acknowledges how they're alive or how Callum remembers anything as their appearances are non canon in an already hypothetical non-canon game! You unlock Jack and Steven via scoring well in Harry and Jack's minigame. You unlock Lola by doing well in Randy's minigame. You unlock Phonald Ringin, Frongles The Clown, and Civilian with cheat codes.

In conclusion: I hope you had a fun time reading this hypothetical. Feel free to take this post and do whatever you want with it like draw fanart of the minigame concepts or whatever. Overall though I just hope you enjoyed a Dialtown superfan's rambles!!!

#dialtown #dialtown fanwork #dialtown phone dating sim #dialtown party

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transformers-mosaic · 7 months

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Transformers: Mosaic #499 - "Beyond Great"

Originally posted on June 12th, 2010

Story, Colours - John-Paul Bove Art - Robby Musso

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: John-Paul Bove wrote a lot about this one in various comments, so bare with me. The title of this strip is the English translation of “Ultra Magnus”. Being a colorist, Bove extrapolates an entire story from Ultra Magnus’ Diaclone color scheme, later given its own separate official identity as Magna Convoy. On Seibertron, he explained: “There is a little bit of a stretch here I grant you but basically the notion is that his paint has been blistered off by the extreme heat (which Magnus, being Magnus just went into anyway) and revealed his base colours. As for the eyes, they go from yellow to an orangy/red in the way that smoke glass changes the colour of light passing through it, and also because Magnus' eye colour is different to the Diaclone version!” By way of explanation for Prowl’s Earth design, Bove added: “this is set AFTER season 2 of the cartoon but before the movie, so Prowl has been to Earth but Magnus hasn't as yet got his armour.” On deviantART, he remarked: “One of my desires in doing this was to develop a character who never really had much to do, and explain a little bit why he would never be a great leader, but could be one hell of a soldier.” His interpretation of the character was as follows: “one of the things about being a leader is sending others to die for you, to send others on missions that they won't come back from. Being a soldier means taking the order to die and following it. How often are Generals, Admirals or Presidents ever called to the heart of the battle. It's why Magnus doesn't want the Matrix when he's offered it in the Movie.” On Magnus’ narration in the strip, Bove said: “I think Magnus is speaking from his point of view. He's a little bit resentful and a little bit in awe, so he's trying to make himself different to Prime. It doesn't mean that he's "right" per se. People are looking at him and expecting Prime, something he doesn't feel he lives up to, which over time has made him a little edgy on the subject. He's definitely speaking in this with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and sets him up for needing/wanting the armour later on.” He agreed with a reader observing Magnus took on armor to cover his burns: “Indeed - and also to differentiate himself further from Prime. Though he admires him, being reminded that he's NOT Prime is something that gets to him.” Clean colors below. Check back tomorrow for an absolutely wild follow-up to this one.

#Transformers #Transformers Mosaic #Maccadam #Sunbow Transformers #John-Paul Bove #Robby Musso #official creator #Ultra Magnus #Prowl #Hot Rod

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slayerkitty · 8 months

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Only Friends and the (Lack of ?) Narrative Frameworks

Something I have been tracking as part of the ongoing discussions about Only Friends is the use of the narrative framework for each episode. I've been tracking them since episode 3 when we realized during our discussions that there were different frameworks that were being used and what they meant in terms of the story the show is trying to tell.

So it was very interesting that we went five episodes with various frameworks in place only to suddenly not have one in episode 6. (Whether episode 7 has one is something I'll come back to later.)

So when I put out my current narrative frameworks post, I wanted to see what people thought about the sudden lack of frameworks when we've had them so consistently to that point.

On that post, I put these thoughts up for discussion:

Have we moved away from the use of narrative frameworks? Is it because everyone is saying the quiet parts out loud? Is it because we’re no longer only seeing what they want us to see or want each other to see? Is it because the characters have stopped lying to themselves and each other? The use of the narrative frameworks was so fascinating to me as a story telling device and that it was used for about half the show feels important so the lack of them is jarring (on purpose?).

@twig-tea commented on my post with some thoughts about it as well as bringing it up in a post of their own and through our discussion we came up with what we thought might be going on.

Up through episode 5, each episode has it's own narrator (except episode two, which sees everyone serve as narrator) and the story is being told through their perspective (to a point). With episode 6, it's distinctly lacking a narrator and a framework.

The change is so marked that it felt jarring to me because for almost half of the show to have a framework and then to not use one? What are you trying to say, P'Jojo?

After speaking to @twig-tea, it appears that maybe Mew's glasses were more than just a metaphor for him (in that losing his glasses and getting Lasik finally means he can see the truth about Top) but also for us, as the audience. The characters have had their "rose-colored glasses" removed and all that's left now is reality.

Episode 6 is dark, literally. As in, the lighting. The episode starts off bright and sunny with Top and Mew in the pool, having a great time, being in love. The brightness continues right up until Mew has Lasik. The scenes after that progressively get darker. Mew goes back to his apartment, his room lit dimly. Ray meets Sand and the bar is darkly lit. There is a brighter moment with Boston, Nick and Boston's dad, but then Nick and Boston end up in Boston's dark room (it's so on the nose). The Ray and Boston confrontation seems (to me) to be lit indirectly. Then we get all the YOLO scenes - dark, dimly lit, and where the truth comes out. Sand driving after Ray, the Cheum and April making up in artificial light (and isn't that a statement), Nick and Boston lying in a dark room. And of course, the amazing Mew and Top scene, lit only by candles.

The reason this episode has no framework is because the characters are no longer living in the fantasy they've made up for themselves. The lighting and camera angles have indicated that we are in reality now. They are saying the quite parts out loud; they are no longer lying to themselves and each other (or us). That's why the framework had to disappear.

So prior to episode 7, I wondered if episode 6 was going to be the only framework-less episode. If episode 7 didn't have one, would that mean that we would no longer have them? Would they come back?

What's interesting about episode 7 is that upon first watch, I did not observe a framework. Then I had that conversation with @twig-tea, who in addition to her insightful comments, also linked me to this twitter post courtesy of P'Jojo.

I'll copy @twig-tea's loose translation of the tweet here:

Essentially he says they filmed short clips of everyone giving three words on Boston as the intro to ep6 framework (as well as this video of Mew cussing Boston as the camera holder out. Pretty sure he basically says "your name is Asshole-Ton" to the best of my crappy Thai) but then decided that Boston's character stood on its own, actually, the audience already knew who he was and they didn't need that extra framing going into the ep.

EPISODE 7 WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A FRAMEWORK AND THEY TOOK IT OUT!

(And while I agree with P'Jojo that the episode doesn't need a framework per se, because it does stand on his own and us as the audience do know who Boston is without the framework, I WISH HE'D LEFT IT IN.)

Having said that, imagine how this episode would be if they left in Boston and his video camera recording his friends opinions of him. It paints certain other visual moments in this episode way more into a serious focus than an over the top dramatic moment.

Moments like this shift into a different view if you think of this episode as Boston's "home movie".

(gifs are courtesy of @chickenstrangers who did me a huge favor!)

Mew's the villain, Ray and Mew are sleeping together, Mew rejects Top, and Boston is the victim.

Now, I don't know how much weight we can put behind these moments as a framework because they took the overarching framework out of the episode.

Still, as @topmeow pointed out, the dramatic "super zooms" (as I like to call them) are indicative of a soap opera/reality tv/telenovela editing that is still fun and adds interesting visual moments throughout the episode. On their own, they potentially do one of two things. They either present the characters who get the zoom with the consequences of their actions and/or they could always be indicative of us slowly headed back into fantasy (back into episodes with a framework). Whether or not that's what we're doing will be answered in the next episode.

Tagging the Ephemerality Squad: @lurkingshan, @waitmyturtles, @wen-kexing-apologist, @chickenstrangers, @ranchthoughts, @twig-tea, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming

Apologies to anyone I forgot!

#only friends the series #only friends meta #ephemerality squad #thai bl

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amazing-spider-man-book-club · 3 days

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Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963)

Published: March 1963

Containing: "Spider-Man: Freak! Public Menace!", "The Chameleon!"

Introducing: J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson, The Chameleon (unnamed)

Synopsis: following the death of his uncle, Peter now has to leverage his identity as Spider-Man to find cash quick as a means of taking care of himself and his Aunt May. Various attempts to do so are stopped by his need to maintain a secret identity, his slandering by media mogul J. Jonah Jameson, and indifference by the public at large.

Read alongside us here:

@frankendykes-monster : After the better part of a year, material originally intended for Amazing Fantasy can now be taken off the shelf and published in The Amazing Spider-Man. For as much as these are two separate stories, our first one is divided into three parts and they chain together incredibly well with the new through-line of Peter desperately needing to make money.

Peter's origins are oh so quickly recapped in less than a page and transition immediately to the new status quo he finds himself in, at least for this single issue. Lee's narration on the title page is right, there hasn't been a character like Spider-Man yet, he can't even begin to worry about altruism or emotionally come to terms with his actual ongoing motivations (which will not come to a head for quite some time, keep following this blog!) because he needs to help cover the rent first. I think a lot of subsequent Spider-Man media neglect this lowest point of Peter's life now that I think about it; I'm not sure why, it makes for great material even if it isn't a "fun" read to see Spider-Man suffer. We get to see some nice stuff like Peter making a parachute out of his webbing, which at certain points in this run might feel more like a Green Lantern ring in terms of objects that said web fluid can be molded into. Spider-sense is also used several times, which is a power I've never been hugely into if only because it's convenient for writers to forget Peter has said ability whenever he needs to be punched in the face by someone right in front of him. Said ability was created by Ditko on the spot when asked by Lee how Spider-Man could see and fight people in the dark (just draw squiggly lines above his head and call it a day.)

I actually had no recollection of why Peter can't go back to show business as Spider-Man beyond the ingenious "you can't cash a check signed to Spider-Man" bit, but it's because of the debut of one J. Jonah Jameson. I mentioned in the post for Amazing Fantasy #15 that many of the plethora of characters "introduced" there would only become retroactively important after Ditko left the title...welp...can't say that here. Jameson will become arguably the second most important and frequently appearing character after Peter and immediately hits the ground running.

I think it's a popular interpretation of the character now to say that his thoughts on the subject of Spider-Man are misguided when he, a character inside the story, does not have the benefit of knowledge the we the readers do. It's fair game to say something is off about Spider-Man, this completely anonymous individual that can climb walls and swing across buildings and has already gotten into the habit of being a vigilante. Peter's relationship with Jameson isn't at all developed here, they don't even meet, but that will change soon enough.

Spider-Man exists in the same fictional space as other characters published by Marvel, huh, that was fast. I actually had to double check and see if this was published the same month as Fantastic Four #12, which guest stars The Hulk. It was. Truly the Marvel Age of Comics is upon us (I feel like I've already said this). My general thoughts going forward are...meh? Ditko is going to introduce enough characters and concepts that The Amazing Spider-Man isn't really hurting to team up with or fight other superheroes, but if they're here to stay for the time being, one of his get rich quick schemes being that he wants to join The Fantastic Four isn't a bad one.

And our first proper supervillain of the run, The Chameleon! The Chameleon isn't one of the "heavy hitters" amongst this rogues gallery, more a perpetual b-lister, but he mostly gets by on his excellent design; a blank canvas face that he can easily slide life-like masks over. Though, this is a concept that Ditko had already visited in Out of This World #6 (1957):

That would be the end of things for this issue, a nice transitional piece in the fallout of Spider-Man's origin, but some cracks behind the scenes are already starting to show. Even though the character is officially titled Spider-Man, with the hyphen, the text within the issue can't seem to recall if it's spelled that way or not. The second story has Peter referred to as "Peter Palmer" several times, though this isn't a blunder that would be repeated across several issues (see: Bruce Banner being referred to as Bob Banner). Ditko, upon being given the plot for this issue, reportedly hated the sequence wherein Spider-Man jacks a plane to save John Jameson in a plummeting space craft, comparing it to the likes of a high school football player joining the Super Bowl.

Where the plot that Lee provided Ditko came from is unknown, people looking into the subject like Stan Taylor and Stephen Bissette have come to the conclusion that they actually were provided by Jack Kirby to Lee to pass on to whomever ended up taking over Spider-Man, but the evidence isn't conclusive so I'll not state that that was the case. Ditko wasn't the type to be into flights to space, or making Communist villains like The Chameleon's motivations here, is what I will say. Ditko is clearly already developing very clear ideas on who Spider-Man is and where to take him, and any influence Kirby had on the conception of the character will quickly be shed. This will not be the last time we here of Ditko rejecting or altering ideas presented to him by Lee however.

@duel1971 : So very excited that we can start talking about J Jonah Jameson. In this story we see only one side of the man: a loudmouthed, ungrateful bully. He’s a perfect antagonist for Peter at this point in his story. Peter and his aunt are broke and desperate. Jameson is financially secure and has a platform that allows him to totally destroy Spider-Man’s reputation practically overnight. The fact that Jonah doesn’t actually know he’s targeting a struggling high school student at the moment is his only real defense.

The parallels between the Jameson and Parker families are something I’ll be writing more about as we go. John Jameson is successful and beloved where Spider-Man is shunned and hated, and Jonah has all the power in the world while Aunt May has almost none. Their similarity is in their loyalty to each other: part of Jonah’s hatred of Spider-Man in this issue seems to be fueled by thinking Peter was out to steal John’s glory in some way or another. (I say “seems to be” because it’s hard to take anything he says at face value.)

Second story: This one is really interesting to me because of how ambiguous Peter’s character arc is in it. He continually tries to do the right thing: first trying to impress the Fantastic Four in a desperate bid for a steady paycheck, and then aiding the cops in stopping the Chameleon. Both times, he is rejected and he remains an outlaw at story’s end. The last page features the Fantastic Four reflecting that someone as powerful as Spider-Man may well be a threat someday.

Of course, we know Peter didn’t turn to evil. But things aren’t going well! In spite of being powerful enough to take on the entire Fantastic Four by himself, he’s just a kid who’s worried about his aunt and doesn’t know why everyone hates him so much. It’s all too easy to imagine the path his life might’ve taken.

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your-old-sins-tournament · 3 months

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12 YEAR OLD OCS; SIDE B

Drake Blue [@silveredcircuitry] (she/her)

I was OBSESSED with Drake for like. several years. I drew her so much. Funnily enough though she was never the main protagonist, generally serving the role of "the narrator's best/first friend who knows magic in this urban fantasy setting". She was the extroverted, knowledgeable, tomboyish foil to my various introverted, new-to-this, vaguely feminine self-inserty protagonists I wrote. Her full first name is Dracanea or something but no iteration of her is terribly fond of it. She also for some reason used an abbreviation of her last name in early versions (I guess to either sound less pretentious or blend in) but eventually i just made Blue her actual last name upon understanding nobody does that.

She's half dragon on her mother's side, giving her an array of abilities that shifted a bit depending on whether I felt like including them. These almost always included superhuman strength and resilience, flight, and some flavor of pyrokinesis. She has wings that she could shapeshift away in some iterations but her flight is more magic channeled through having her wings out than actually using them properly. Also sometimes fangs which I rarely drew on her. Generally not great at the magic in the setting but not so much catastrophically terrible so much as she just. doesn't use magic that often.

She fucking hated dresses and preferred to wear whatever was comfortable and easy to climb/run/fly/fight/do whatever else in. I have one drawing of her burning a bunch of dresses and other girly accessories and I genuinely cannot tell if this was me characterizing her as a TomboyTM, just part of my "let's be feminist in the most cliche ways possible because i have unresolved issues and all the boys in my class bully me" phase, or Indicative of Something TM. Or like. All three.

She was a whole bunch of things kid-me thought was cool, but not in what seems to be the usual way. She wasn't someone I wanted to BE so much as someone I wanted to be friends with. Strong in a lot of ways that I was weak in, and I think having more distance between her and myself than the aforementioned dozens of self-inserts helped get me more obsessed with her. ALSO one of my earliest developed non-insterting-an-existing-person-or-character-into-the-story OCs.

she also made it into my very dead webcomic that i will not share a title or too too much information about besides the fact that i made her slightly terrible at hiding her powers and also in a lopsided rivalry with a sorceror who keeps trying to beat her in a fight just to prove he can. He doesn't actually succeed ever and she is increasingly annoyed with him especially once he dragged someone else into it. She could shove him in a locker and he would not be able to stop her.

Jenn Adreana [@apotheoseity] (she/her)

Despite her being made when I was literally NINE YEARS OLD (and I just turned 20), Jenn is still a character I regularly use and draw. Originally made for rp on the children’s coding website Scratch, and at one point used as an avenue to —at different points in time— selfship with multiple characters including Dipper Pines and Monika from DDLC, she’s changed drastically over the years. But she never stopped being an overpowered, shapeshifting mary sue 😌

#drake blue #ocs #bracket tournament #polls #ocs you made when you were 12 tournament #old sins #side b #jenn adreana

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yourlocal-lichen · 1 month

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Is there something you've recently worked on on your OCs?

I've been thinking more about Nox's character design and having fun with that a bit recently. it's been going through some major changes. also thinking more about an actual working title? nothing I'm super happy with yet but I'm considering ideas like Sunbeam Sword or Knight of Sunlight (I don't really like the alliteration or rhyming but alternatives sound too janky). possibly Sunlight Sword, but I also really like the idea of using the word Knight just because it ties into Nox a bit more who is largely the POV character. I really like having the emphasis on Bard a bit more though in the title because a lot of the story is about Nox's (non-romantic, obv) relationship with him. bit of a Great Gatsby situation in the way that this is a story of Nox experiencing Bard's life.

also thinking more about the points of narration in between chapters about Bard as like the perfect guy. thinking a bit about voice and what they do and don't mention about Bard. thus far I have an idea of:

city on a hill at war with an amorphous monster dealio, confusion, etc. etc. setting the scene before any real narration starts.

immediately after Bard has fully committed and found out that he can't go back, narration starts up again with like this wondrous new figure stepping out of the ashes or whatever with a vague interpretation of whatever dramatic-as-fuck introduction the city has given him (working idea: emerging from battle dust glowing etc. etc.) and like the amazing things that this person has done. no mentions of how young he is, just like moral purity or something.

after that I might just have one about his death and one as an epilogue. I could have more maybe or I could separate sections of the book with one little narrative bit like that, which is what I think I will do. I have a bit more of a concrete idea about the one with his death but secrets and I want to know a bit more about what that death will look like. as for the epilogue I really don't know how it's going to end, specifically I don't know how hopeful I want to make the ending lol

generally all of the narrative pieces will be written as if they were stories about something happening long ago (in itself a hopeful irony given that this story is really a commentary on current events), with a sort of glamorized detachment. anyway this got longer than I expected it was my happy little break between various homework assignments.

#[bard & crew wip tag]#hermia!!#bard #nox

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mediaevalmusereads · 9 months

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If We Were Villains. By M. L. Rio. Flatiron Books, 2017.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Genre: thriller

Series: N/A

Summary: Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.

As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: violence, misogyny, suicide, blood

Overview: I followed the author of this book on tumblr way back in the day while she was blogging about her writing journey. To be honest, I didn't have a strong opinion about her one way or the other, but I found the premise of her book intriguing. As a lover of premodern and early modern English literature, I figured I should give the finished product a whirl. Well, I finally was in the mood. Overall, my opinions on this book are a little mixed, but leaning towards positive. While I do think Rio does a good job creating a Dark Academia atmosphere and the emotional devastation of the last half of the book was well-executed, I think her characters and prose leave a little something to be desired. Still, for a debut novel, this was fairly memorable, so it gets 3.5 stars from me.

Writing: Rio's prose has its ups and downs, with some parts flowing quite well and others not so much. When the scenes were full of action (for example, the Macbeth performance and the Julius Caesar rehearsal afterwards), I was fairly engrossed in the story, so I think Rio does best when there are moments of tension inserted into performances or just after (like at various parties).

However, I also think Rio could have done more to show rather than tell. Because this book is told in first person, our narrator, Oliver, tends to be very straightforward about what he is feeling as well as side comments about background or context info. Personally, I felt like Rio could have held back a little more or been more abstract about how characters were feeling and acting.

Furthermore, I had some mixed feelings about using Shakespeare quotes as dialogue. Looking at the author's note in the back, it seems like Rio took this quirk from real-life grad students she knew at King's College. So while I don't doubt that some people do this, in a novel, it comes across less as realistic and more as pretentious. Maybe that's the point; after all, most of these characters aren't "good guys" and Oliver does say at one point that the school felt like a cult. But for me, I couldn't quite determine if Rio was deliberately creating a pretentious atmosphere to heighten the Dark Academic mood or if she was simply showing off her knowledge of Shakespeare's works. Either way, I felt the quotes a bit over-used and would have preferred if they were sprinkled in less liberally.

Overall, though, I did like the pace and the ease at which I could move through the novel. I was able to read this book fairly quickly, and things were straightforward enough that I never felt confused or lost.

Characters: There are a number of characters in this book, but I'm going to focus on the 7 protagonists, just to keep things brief (ish).

Plot: The plot of this book follows fourth-year theater student Oliver Marks as he and his classmates defend themselves from a bully while putting on Julius Caesar at their exclusive, elite arts school. (Obviously, it's a little more complicated than that, but I'm trying to avoid major spoilers).

This book is strongest in the second half when all the students grow more and more tormented by their actions and begin fracturing. Rio does a fairly good job of showing how characters began acting irrationally, and in a lot of ways, their descent mirrors some of Shakespeare's works.

I also thing the devastation of the end worked out well, and it was heightened by the emotional tension between Oliver and James. I do want to caution readers that if you're sensitive to the depiction of deaths of queer characters, you should skip this book. But personally, I found it somewhat fitting given the subject matter and the thematic connections to Shakespeare's works.

The main part of the plot that I didn't think flowed well was the beginning. The beginning was a little awkward in that Rio spoon feeds us a lot of information: characters narrate their family situations one after another, like Rio just wanted to get it out of the way. On top of that, there is a scene where one of the instructors interrogates a student until they disclose their greatest strength and greatest insecurity. To me, this seemed a lazy way to communicate characterization, and it almost soured me on the rest of the novel.

As a unit, I really did like the idea of these 7 characters essentially standing in for archetypes. I think it meshed with the themes of the book fairly well, and I liked the easy companionship that a lot of them had. I also liked that their relationships were often messy, especially during the second half of the book; it made them more interesting and when they began to break down, it felt all the more chaotic.

As individuals, however, I think things get a little murky.

Oliver, our narrator, is somewhat of a blank slate in that he doesn't seem to have a very defined personality, but maybe that's the point. He's stereotyped as the "support" or even the "nice guy," and there were times when I could see that shine through. He does seem to care about his friends and does admit to being naive, so I don't want to give the impression that he's entirely without merit. The main thing I didn't like about him was his attitude towards his sister, who has an eating disorder. He's not very considerate of her, and while I can understand being upset that his future at school is financially threatened by her, he snaps at her and says some pretty awful things. He also seems to characterize his family as awful, and while I understand the negativity there, compared to other characters, he has somewhat of a normal suburban middle class family. His whining about them, then, felt entitled.

James, Oliver's roommate and best friend, is stereotyped as a heroic figure, and I could see some of that come out in his actions. What I liked most about James, however, was his relationship with Oliver; the two are best friends, but there are times when their closeness tipped over into homoerotic and romantic intimacy. I enjoyed the tension there, and it did make for a more devastating ending.

Meredith, who is figured as the temptress, could have been written with a little more grace. While I think it's ok that Meredith exists as a sexual woman who is anxious about people overlooking her as a person, it also seems like the narrative does just that, at least until the midpoint of the novel. I very much did not appreciate the misogynistic comments thrown her way, even if they were partially in jest. Her character grew on me more in the second half, though, so she wasn't all bad.

Wren and Philippa are a little harder to define. Wren, I think, is supposed to be the ingenue, but it was hard to see that in the way she was written. Philippa is described as someone who is always overlooked, and I think parts of the narrative do a good job of showing moments when she has a great impact. As individual characters, however, I felt like there wasn't much to distinguish them.

Alexander is a character who is always typecast as (I think) a fool, and off stage, he seems to be mainly defined by his excessive smoking, drinking, and gay sexuality. I didn't quite know how to react to him, in part because his hedonism felt repetitive, but his drug use in the second half made some sense, given all that was going on.

Richard, the "bully," was interesting in that he was simultaneously loved and hated. I liked that the other characters had a complex relationship with him; they agreed he was a phenomenal actor but also loathed his ego. They see him as part of their group and as a friend, but also frequently argue with him. Having this complexity meant that I couldn't quite see him purely as an antagonist, and I like living in that delicious grey area.

TL;DR: If We Were Villains suffers from a few missteps (mainly prose and some characterization), but is rescued by the deft handling of a friend group's ultimate descent into madness. While I think Rio could have done some things to reduce the appearance of pretense and more solidly set up the exposition of the novel, this was a fairly solid debut that delivered an emotional punch towards the end.

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kishigunpla · 1 year

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Let's Read: A Requiem for Char: The Red Comet of My Youth - Chapter 2

by Shūichi Ikeda

This post will be an overview of the second chapter, And Then I Met “Him”

Here’s a link to a summary of Chapter 1, covering Ikeda’s early acting career.

When we last left off, Ikeda had just auditioned for the role of Amuro Ray, though without much enthusiasm. He recalls wondering if Matsuura had asked him to try out for the role because he had the image of him in Jiro Monogatari in his mind. But regardless, Ikeda was much more interested in the drinking party afterward than anything about the audition.

While waiting for Matsuura to get ready to leave, Ikeda spotted some production materials on the reception room table. Though not particularly interested at first, he remembers flipping through the pages and being immediately drawn in by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s character art. And one in particular caught his eye -

Ikeda: Among them, my eyes were glued to the drawing of a certain character, a young officer wearing a mask. He had a different kind of elegance and demeanor than the other characters. When I looked at the illustrations of his facial expressions and standing poses, it inspired me to think, "I wonder if this guy would talk like this," or "I wonder if he would say something like this."

His name, Char Aznable.

Inspired by what he had seen, Ikeda went back to Matsuura and asked if he could record some samples for Char. Though slightly shocked by Ikeda's sudden change of heart, Matsuura agreed.

At the pub later, after a few drinks Matsuura asked him if he'd like to play Char. Ikeda agreed, and Matsuura happily replied "Ok, it's decided!"

Ikeda: Even if I look back on it myself, I think, "It's like a drama," but this is the truth of how I met "him".

The truth, however, was much more complicated. Ikeda didn't know at the time, but another actor had already been lined up for the role. It took some pulling strings behind the scenes by both Matsuura and producer Yasuo Shibue to change things in time for production.

Ikeda: It's all in hindsight, but I always think that some coincidences have fatefully linked me and Char, and that it's the good fortune that I got from the talents and cooperation of various people. It was a truly blessed meeting for both me and Char.

When recording began, Ikeda recounts how immediately he knew Mobile Suit Gundam was something different, even just from the opening narration. His prejudice against robot anime was quickly disappearing.

Ikeda: The scene where Char appears on the TV screen for the first time is a cut where the camera rises from his feet toward Char's face, and the way he appeared was just wonderful and cool. "Who is this guy??" It’s full of charm that draws in the viewer.

In the studio, each actor's mic was in a specific position. On the left side were those playing characters in the Federation, and the right side, Zeon. Ichirō Nagai, who played Dren, was always sitting next to him.

Ikeda was a fan of Nagai's previous dubbing work and excited to record with him. Just like Char benefited from having a solid military aide like Dren by his side, Ikeda was very grateful to have someone experienced like Nagai with him.

Three months into dubbing, Ikeda already felt he had a pretty good understanding of Char and the direction he wanted to take the character. Neither Matsuura or Director Tomino seemed to have any objections, and Ikeda adds that since Char is such a beloved character even now, perhaps his direction really was the right one.

Much of the focus of this chapter is specific instances from the anime that Ikeda feels highlights one of the strengths of the show as a whole - the drama created by contrasts in each character's personality and temperament, and how they interact with each other.

One of the scenes he notes is Char in the bar listening to Gihren's speech in episode 12.

A man approaches, but Char can see through him as a Zeon spy just by the "smell" (atmosphere) he gives off. It's a simple conversation, but Char is able to immediately turn the tables and gain the upper hand. In contrast to Gihren's speech, which is gradually gaining momentum, the two's calm bargaining gives a contrast to the drama.

Another is episode 44, when Lalah asks Char to wear his normal suit while in battle.

Ikeda: To put it in vulgar terms, it's the same feeling as if your lover who lives with you is telling you, "It looks like it's going to rain today, so take an umbrella with you."

Ikeda: A good sense of warmth flows between the two of them. I tried to create an atmosphere that would make all the men in the world envy them, so I was allowed to play the role with a bit of a wet (softer) touch.

He also notes Char and Sayla's interactions towards the end of the show, specifically in the final episode where Char tells Sayla: "You’re an adult already (too)” (お前ももう大人だろ), the key point here being the “も”, or “too”.

Ikeda: I performed this scene with the intention of expressing that both Artesia and I have grown up, whether we like it or not, and that each of us has our own path to take, and that we can no longer go back to the old days.

Regarding the end of the show itself, interestingly Ikeda expresses some reservations about how Char’s story continued in Zeta and Char's Counterattack. To him, Char’s own war ended the moment he got his final revenge on the Zabi family by shooting Kycilia.

Ikeda: Is Char Aznable the kind of man who would accept a beating from Kamille or start a war in pursuit of Lalah's shadow? He is not the kind of man who would sit back and let his own style be denied to him, but he's more mature and stubborn, isn't he?

Ikeda: In the final scene of the theatrical version of "Mobile Suit Gundam III Encounters in Space", he becomes a crew member of a space battleship and departs from the earth sphere. There could not be a better scene for Char to conclude his story.

Finally, Ikeda talks about his interactions with Gundam fans at the time.

As the popularity of the anime increased, larger and larger groups of fans would gather outside the studio. The crowds eventually got so bad that the hotel next door started complaining to them. Yet despite the number of people, Ikeda comments on how mature and well behaved these fans were, especially compared to something like idol fans.

Ikeda explains that he’s very careful about how he acts around fans, as he doesn’t want to ruin the image they have of “Char Aznable” as a character. For that reason, he is very particular about choosing public events to attend.

Ikeda: My private life and Char's image are separate, but when I stand in front of my fans, I act with an awareness that I am Char. As a voice actor, this is the minimum courtesy for the fans, and I think it's a matter of pride as a voice actor. At the very least, I hope that the long-time fans who support Char, who I play, will also support my attitude.

That's all for Chapter 2. As before, I had to leave quite a bit out in this summary, but I hope you found it interesting to read!

#shuichi ikeda #char aznable #kishi reads

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adamparrishdyke · 4 months

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hiii erm i see you in the slc tag a lot so i wanted to ask! do you think stevo’s camera monologues are him from the future talking, or present him reflecting? cause voiceover stevo has knowledge of what’s happened, and is the one telling the story. so where do you think camera stevo fits in?

ty for this ask such a good question....... longass response about this movie beneath the cut

something i noticed in my most recent watch is how postured Stevo is for most of the film, yes he IS a punk but he's living as other people's idea of punk. The only person who sees through this facade is Bob, who doesn't try to break through it (but thats a different post i think). But I think there's three narrations/Stevos throughout different parts of the film;

-Stevo in the present: telling the story of SLC as a character he created in his storytelling narrative, larger than life, The First Punk in the City (the party scene, the scene where they buy alcohol)

-the 'real' reflective Stevo in the present, unaware of how it ends , (seeing their friend on the street, having his existential crises, Bob's death). lots of ominous lines about the future of society but not his own life

-the 'real' Stevo reflecting (at the funeral, and also at just like various points in the film. throwing in moments of clarity that u can only get from retrospect)

so in a long winded way camera stevo fits in as Its rly interesting how he is wrestling with control of the narrative the whole film but isn't aware that he doesn't have control over the direction of the story until his existential crisis caused by seeing the actual consequences of that kid doing way too much acid. So I think both Stevos tell the story and its not super linear and changes in between from scene to scene... film of a ll time...

#loved this ask very discussion question vibes #hope this made sense lolol #ask #mcon-kives #slc punk #films

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shipofthesis · 1 year

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Reflecting on Fallen London content in light of the Disgraced Former Founder

I’ve been looking into Fallen London’s Disgraced Former Founder (AK) because I’d rather just know then assume. Now, everything I’ve read has tracked with what I was assuming from what I already knew and have seen of him but. God, he’s insufferable. I’ve read through his professed list of influences, and my realizations on that front have been:

lamentably I have his written voice saved into my brain cuz I clocked it almost immediately (I tiredly clicked the link without registering who/what it was). This is wild to me cuz I have only really “read” him through whatever FL content he’s responsible for. Which makes me wonder how much is by his hand.

some of his commentary is... illuminating about the sort of person he is. Does he always sound this condescending? (Yes.) While a handful of his comments had me rolling my eyes or sighing this bit made me need to pause altogether.

What an ass. Anyway, my final and perhaps most important realization! I am convinced while his merit as a writer is up for debate he is very well read and his writing owes everything to that. It sounds like some of FL is less genius ideas he had and more him grabbing things he liked from other, more established authors. (Something his own narrative along this list supports, though I’m sure he thinks more highly of himself than I do.)

Why does any of this matter? Why am I subjecting myself to learning about this frustrating scumbag? Because I am reexamining (earlier) FL given this context, understanding that often fiction is a reflection of its creators.

I am thinking about how much of early FL content is the player character manipulating and exploiting people. I am thinking about the player character’s overarching narrative of starting from the bottom with nothing but your wits and grit, and winding up on top. I am thinking about how difficult it is to play a morally upstanding character if you take every storyline as canon rather than handwaving some here, others there. And I am thinking of all this while familiar with how people like AK think and create.

It sounds like AK regularly manipulated people while at Failbetter games. (Here’s a piece by the current CEO about AK’s behavior.) It’s safe to assume manipulation, intimidation, extortion, bribery, and other similar tactics are part of his everyday toolkit. Things the player character has options to do quite often, usually for greater profit. Even if you don’t play your character as morally dubious, there is something to be said of how various Making Your Name stories play out. How romancing characters is often a means to an end, how the university line is much more punishing if you uphold what is true and just. And likely many others I cannot remember in this moment! But wait, FL is a dark comedy and a horror show, it is also an rpg. This sort of thing is to be expected, right? It’s a dystopia where deathlessness has changed what violence means and we are all subject to the whims of monomaniacal space bats! What’s my point??

My point, what I am pondering, is how much of the player characters choices and actions were not written as something fantastical. How much of the sardonic narrator voice isn’t an affectation to amuse us, and how much the player characters sometimes ruthless, heartless, and even entitled actions and desires are not simply there to offer different Quirks. People like AK tend to think everyone thinks like them. The player character being written to use all tools available in service of their own needs, pleasure, ego, and rising power might not be entirely a hypothetical fantasy to AK. Well, maybe it’s a fantasy in that approaching the world of the Neath like this is not only accepted and justified, but the way to power. Power which you deserve because of your sharp wits and willingness to do what it takes, morality and ethics be damned.

#fallen london #schroedingers chat #i wrote this b4 the new patch updated some older content i would LOVE to know whats changed!#this isnt a knock against dubious morality in rpgs ive just been thinking

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meltthefrozenheart · 1 year

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My two cents remain on these two getting more the spotlight

I'm using these screenshots specifically because poor Kristoff was left aside and Hans ... well, is not present in F2. The context of the movie in part explains this particular situation, being totally focused on Anna and Elsa family, on giving an answer to various questions directly related to their parents, explaining why Elsa has these powers and how Anna fits in all of this. And, of course, this has to do also with a more thematical and narrative reason: we are following more Elsa prespective, so a more mythological narration, and the sisters are together this time. We have Spirits, mysteries, a ancient curse that can't be solved just by an "act of true love" etc etc.

Yet, despite all this, Frozen 2 also carries on themes and dynamics from the first movie: everything still calls back to F1, and the characters journey are a concequence of it. Hans being constantly recalled is an example, the Kristoff flashbacks during "Lost In The Woods" about his importants moments with Anna, but also how Iduna and King Runeard end up holding the same core values of those two through their actions: an act of goodness from Iduna's side by saving Agnarr's life despite the conflict going on, an act of evilness from King Runeard's by deceiving the Northuldra and even killing their leader.

About Kristoff and Hans themselves, my consideration falls on the fact that, whatever we want to put this down, they are just like Anna and Elsa: they both have a lonely past that ended up influencing them in their present. That is something the Broadway Musical uknowledges openly by allowing both Hans and Kristoff to express themselves even more compared to the movie itself (thanks to Jennifer Lee writing and Bob & Kristen Lopez new songs). This also helps reinforcing the themes Anna and Elsa carry on during the story, which strengthens the connection between the characters, but also delines even better the "Double nature" of the story.

Kristoff is a orphan since childhood, grewing up only relying on Sven and then the Trolls, becoming part of their community, leading to a complete lack of any kind of relationship with other human beings, until Anna came into his life. Hans on the other end grew up in what it's clearly a loveless family, preassured by being the 13th in line, seemingly threated as a nobody and irrelevant in comparison with his brothers, seeing his chance to make a name for himself going to Elsa's coronation.

The direction F2 took in many ways feels very disappointing on this part, but, at the same time, its story adds an interesting prespective on things, by revealing such a rich and deep history that ends up defining Anna and Elsa lives from their birth to their present. This also retroactively influences the first movie itself, which was one of the goals intended by the creative team.

And this is exactly my question: Are Kristoff and Hans just two random guys with nothing else to tell about them?

I get that Anna and Elsa are the core and center of things, but after these two sisters got their new roles, after acquiring so much experience and going through a life-changing journey, how can't this expand itself on character such as Kristoff and Hans? After all, we have Anna as Queen and Elsa as the Fifth Spirit, they accepted their new roles as part of their "destiny" after a lifetime of insecurities and lonelyness, but what about the two guys that, in a way or the other, are now both in a more uncertain spot compared to where they both started?

#Frozen 3 #Kristoff #Hans #Anna #Elsa #Kristanna #Agduna #Arendelle #Enchanted Forest #King Agnarr #Queen Iduna #King Runeard #Northuldra #Frozen #Frozen 2

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eyedelater · 1 year

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post of various tsurumi thoughts

it's interesting, through all the various flashbacks, to piece together the transformation of tsurumi from a moderately normal person to a miserable, deranged monster. and it's not because of his head injury.

the more i reread, the more every character grows on me. i even really enjoy tsurumi now. like when he's looking at youhei's posthumously adjusted belt with his stern and drippy face and narrating everything to himself. it's like, tsurumi does things in an extra creepy way, but you can tell that because he has lost some kind of control/sensibility, the way he acts is normal to him now? like he's only doing what makes sense to him, even if something's not quite right about it. and it's not the head injury. well, i think it plays a minor role. i think tsurumi was a weird dude to begin with, and then losing his wife and daughter made him much weirder/sadder/worse, and his experience on the battlefield had Some Kind of Effect, and then the head injury just tore down one more mental barrier between his internal proclivity for weirdness and his actual behavior. so he'll sniff things unabashedly, for example. he'll wear a man's skin as a shirt underneath his regular shirt (you could've at least put it on TOP of your shirt). in chapter 34, when he opens that dead guy's shirt and sees that he doesn't have a tattoo, he rubs the corpse's chest absentmindedly (while straddling). how conscious is tsurumi of the fact that he looks and acts super creepy, like, a lot of the time? some of it has to be on purpose (like miming chomping the candle of sugimoto's life) for the sake of intimidation, but he is also conscious of his own charisma and uses it just as often (like batting his eyelashes at edogai-kun). how easy or hard is it for him to flip the switch between scary and admirable, and how easy it for that switch to flip itself to scary by accident? and how much of it is up to the beholder?

much of his talent for manipulation is dependent on his self-control, which seems to be eroded at this point in his life. the volume version of the scene in chapter 211 (where tsurumi meets asirpa) is very important to tsurumi's character because he actually loses his composure to a higher degree than in any other scene. (in the magazine version, he does not lose his composure. it's a very significant change.) i mean, in other scenes, he "loses it" in a scary way, but always in pursuit of whatever he's doing or trying to do. like he bites off wada's finger as his first instance of "losing it," but he was going to kill wada anyway because he was in his way, so it didn't matter. and he went off the rails a little when he was gnashing his teeth at sugimoto and calling himself a shinigami, but i think a lot of that was for the sake of intimidation. when he meets asirpa, it's different. there is no underlying purpose. in fact, he loses it in a way that undermines his purpose. in that scene, he just can't stop laughing and laughing and dripping CSF and the scene grinds to a halt because he's the main guy and he's not doing what he's supposed to do and everyone's like "uhhhh this never happened before..?!" and that gives asirpa the opening to escape. he just couldn't contain himself when he saw her eyes that looked just like wilk's...

another thing about tsurumi. we know that he knew koito and tsukishima were listening when he was talking to asirpa and sofia in the church, so it's likely that he made sure to say what they wanted to hear about how his true goal was to fight for the sake of japan. the reader must then puzzle out how much of that was what he really believes and how much of his motives are based on avenging his wife and daughter. i think that in the end, tsurumi himself lost sight of which he was really fighting for. i think that when we see tsurumi's sad and painful face after he loses their finger bones on the train tracks, what he's feeling right then is like, "wait, without them, what am i doing this for?" right before he drops their bones, he makes the decision to reach for the land deed instead, and then he instantly regrets it, because no matter what he told himself or others, a very large part of what he cared about this whole time was based on them and not on the future of japan at all. and then tsurumi dies without fully sorting those feelings out, which is an appropriate end.

(i mean, we don't see him die, just like how we don't see sugimoto die, and then sugimoto turns up alive, so i guess it is possible that tsurumi didn't die and just went off into hiding somewhere. EDIT: actually an omake was added to volume 31 that shows that tsurumi survived his trip into hakodate bay. someone pointed out in the notes of this post that you can see aged tsurumi in the last panel of that omake. i didn't notice him there when i first read the omake even though i thought i looked at everyone really hard. but what matters in the end is that the story ended without him and he never interferes in tsukishima's or koito's lives ever again.)

when tsurumi starts leaking CSF, it's like punctuation. it changes the color of whatever is being done or said and additional meaning becomes apparent.

when tsurumi doesn't have his headplate on AND doesn't have a bandage covering it, he looks kind of pathetic. that's why he ordered the headplate even though it makes him look kinda scary. it's better to be feared than pitied. he can embrace the weirdness of having a big piece of equipment strapped to his face. he can't embrace the piteousness of having a big delicate injury on his face.

if wilk, kiroranke, and sofia hadn't been with hasegawa (tsurumi) when the secret police came to capture him, he most likely would have been captured and probably tortured and maybe killed. they had figured out that he was a spy, after all. if fina hadn't come back, she and olga would have survived, but they still wouldn't have been able to reunite as a family unless hasegawa managed to escape imprisonment the russian government, and then what? how could he live happily with them as a fugitive spy? he didn't know it at the time, but from the moment the secret police started heading toward his house, hasegawa's life was almost certainly on a downward trajectory, regardless of who else was there. yet he vehemently blames wilk and the others. does tsurumi think that it would have been better if he had been captured (and maybe killed) as long as his wife and daughter could survive? maybe. that casts something of a shadow on his patriotism, though, doesn't it? if he thinks he can personally do sooo much for japan, but he would have sacrificed himself for his wife and daughter... i dunno.

in the volume version of chapter 225, when tsurumi is talking to his judo master in niigata (part of the flashback of usami's history), they're speaking in what seems to be the echigo dialect of niigata. it wasn't like that in the magazine version; noda-sensei went back and changed basically all of the dialogue in that flashback into dialect. that means usami and everyone around him is also speaking it. (and unlike the change he made to koito's satsuma dialect, where he basically strengthened/corrected the lines from sorta-dialect into proper dialect, in this scene, everyone was speaking standard japanese in the old version.) example: tsurumi said to his master, "I was able to see something interesting, Master…" magazine (standard japanese) : "omoshiroi mono ga miremashita yo sensei…" volume (echigo dialect) : "omoshire- mon wo mikkoto ga dekimashita te sensei…" the meaning didn't change at all. echigo-ben is not hard to understand like satsuma-ben. ok it's a little hard to understand. and it seems to be very similar to tsukishima's sado dialect, since they're both in niigata, but there was hardly any sado dialect actually written in dialogue in the manga for comparison. anyway we can add tsurumi to our list of golden kamuy dialect speakers who suppressed it and learned how to speak standard japanese for their military job. and of course this is a big thing he has in common with usami now.

the people around tsurumi really see in him what they want to see. a lot of the time, tsurumi has finagled it so that what they want to see in him is also what he wants them to see in him, and the effect is that they love him. those who look up to him ignore the scary parts even when they see them. probably everyone who was nearby when he lost his cool after meeting asirpa has blocked that scene from their memory or found some way to write it off.

"He's doing something scary behind me… I just know he's doing something fucked up and scary behind me…"

#tsurumi tokushirou #golden kamuy #golden kamuy meta #golden kamuy spoilers #i'm serious with these spoilers tags. spoilers to the end of the story

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