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cinderelliee · 3 years

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My final character opinions before Chain of Iron...

Just finished my reread of Chain of Gold ahead of Tuesday’s release!!! I am posting my thoughts/opinions of the main cast so that after Chain of Iron I can see how or if my feelings change. Spoilers: most of my opinions are going to be that I don’t know enough about them lmao. I love the big cast of characters, but that unfortunately also means less time is spent on each one.

Disclaimer: I know that I love some characters that people hate and vice versa. My intention is not to start anything, but more to be more open about what I think about the characters. It’s okay to disagree and just because I say I don’t like a character, it does not mean I believe they are badly written...

Alastair Carstairs:

One of my favorites of the series, and possibly TSC as a whole (let’s see how the series goes first). I love him so much and I can’t wait to see how his story goes. I love that he keeps everyone at arms length and pushes everyone away, but he would also go to any length for the people he loves. I think he has a gift of being able to see people as they are, and notice things others don’t. Probably why he was the one, not Cordelia, who saw what was wrong with his father and kept it from his sister. I’m sure he used to look up to his father like Cordelia did, but instead suffered great disappointment when he learned the truth. And then when he went to the academy, finally having some time away from it, all he found was more disappointment. He did what he thought he had to to survive. And I think along the way he sort of lost himself.

I do think Alastair should make amends with the Merry Theives, but less for their sake and more for his own. I think his journey is more about finding and forgiving himself. There are other ways to live and survive than hurting anyone who gets too close to you. I think he started that journey in Chain of Gold when he dyed his hair back to black and broke up with Charles. But fixing yourself is easier said than done, it’s not one choice, but something that you strive for everyday. His journey actually reminds me a lot of Matthew’s; they have a lot in common and I think their paths will parallel each other’s. I also think Thomas will be a catalyst for Alastair’s growth, as well as a helping hand.

I can’t wait to see his dynamic with the characters this next book as he tries to return to his true self. It’ll be interesting to see how his relationship with Elias plays out too.

Anna Lightwood:

I really like Anna so far. I think she’s very unique and exciting. I love how dedicated she is to being true to herself, but at the same time cares deeply about her loved ones and shows it. Often times I feel like characters like her often act like they’re above showing affection towards their family, so I was pleasantly surprised when she wasn’t. This is probably because her parents love and support her, so she never had to scorn familial love.

Romantic love is a different thing. Now, my two pieces about her life style is: why don’t we all just have a good time. I know there’s some people who didn’t like that she called her many partners ‘conquests’ and that she had a little black book. But I didn’t really see that criticism until recently and I’m confused as to what people thought Anna was doing? Would they rather her not keep track and forget them all? It’s perfectly healthy to explore your sexuality as long as you aren’t harming yourself or others. I know Anna is seen as older, but she is still only 19 (I think? 20 at most right?). She’s still on her journey to figuring out who she is. She is a bit self-centered and definitely privileged (see her relationship with Ariadne), but if she didn’t have flaws there would be nowhere for her to grow from. I highly doubt Anna will be living her seductress lifestyle by the end of the series

Personally, I cannot wait to see how her relationship with Ariadne plays out. Hopefully Anna will have some healthy confrontation with how she reacted to her heartbreak and why. Anyway, Anna is definitely one of my favorites.

Ariadne Bridgestock:

She seems like an interesting character, and I like how she’s not afraid to go after what she wants. I’d like to know a little more about her past and motivations. I also think she’s in a really difficult situation with her family and who she is/wants to be. I think she made a really understandable choice when she engaged Charles, and I support her journey in winning Anna back (I don’t not agree with the people who judged her for not backing off from Anna. She is fighting for who she loves and we are all fools in love). I think she has a lot of potential, but I can’t quite say that I like her yet since she’s probably the character we know the least about.

Charles Fairchild:

No opinion. I don’t love or hate him. No feelings whatsoever. The only thing I care about is the possible drama he will cause for Alastair and Thomas or the Clave as a whole lmao

Christopher Lightwood:

This boy is great! I have no complaints about him at all. He is precious. Honestly I’d just like to see more from him! His lines always make me chuckle. Also I’m not convinced that he would be able to create a antidote before the Silent Brothers would’ve been able to. But whatever, it’s just a story so who cares.

Cordelia Carstairs:

I just think she’s really neat. She is a fantastic protagonist and definitely on her way to becoming my favorite TSC lead, other than Tessa, obviously. I love her strength, kindness, relentless resilience, and how headstrong she is. I think it’s hilarious how straightforward she is. There’s so many scenes where she just says exactly what she’s thinking and just surprises everyone around her because they underestimated her or never expected her to so forcefully share her opinions. I adore her relationships with everyone. Her and Lucie are adorable. Her relationship with Alastair is so sweet and watching them rebuild their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the book, and definitely something I’m looking forward to. Matthew and Cordelia’s relationship is one of my favorites from the book; I love how they challenge and surprise each other (I think they could learn a lot from each other). Her interactions with the Merry Theives in general are perfect.

One thing I will say is there just wasn’t enough of her. I was very surprised when I read it that James and her were basically co-protagonists. I didn’t expect James to have such a prominent role, usually the split between the girl and boy lead is 60/40 at most, but this felt more like a 50/50 split. I just would’ve prefered more from Cordelia I guess, but that’s just me.

Grace Blackthorn:

So at first I was neutral towards Grace. I didn’t care about her at all, but after I came online and saw how many people hated her and acted like her was a villain, I started liking her more. She obviously is a victim of her mother’s manipulation and she doesn’t want to do what she’s doing to James. It’s clear to me that she is doing what she can to survive and to help her brother, the only person she truly cares about. Since she is also one of the few characters that it’s unclear where her story is going to end up, I am curious to see how her story goes.

I know there’s some people who just wanted her to be a villain, and I totally get that. But I feel like if she was, we would get a less complex character. Cassie’s villains, with the exception of Jonathan perhaps, tend to be one dimensional (which is fine because that’s not the reason I read her books anyways!). I also don’t really think she needs much of a redemption arc because she’s just trying to survive.

James Herondale:

This is where I’m going to get a little unpopular. I don’t love James, BUT I don’t hate him either. I am just not interested in where his story goes at all. I think I get what Cassie’s goal was with his character. He doesn’t have Will and Jace’s dark past and he’s not a morally grey bad boy like Julian. James is caring and sweet and noble and has a good family and I can totally see why people like him. For me, he still fills the same exact role that I’ve seen, not just from Cassie, but other YA books as well, and I’m just tired of it. His motivations are doing whatever he can to protect his loved ones and doing things because they are the right thing to do. He is willing to lay down his life for the greater good. I just can’t see anything about him that feels new. The only times I’ve felt anything towards him is when Jem, Cordelia, or Matthew were making me feel something for him.

It could be because I don’t really care for Cassie’s plots and his arc is so heavily involved with all the Prince of Hell stuff. And the bracelet just pisses me off in a bad way. The solution to it is so simple that it just frustrates me, but does not intrigue me at all. I will say I like him better with the bracelet off so I’m hoping in stays off this next book so I can enjoy his POV a little more. I really want to like him, but I just don’t connect with him at all. I wish Cassie had come up with something other than the bracelet as well.

Jesse Blackthorn:

Imma be honest: at the moment I don’t really care about Jesse either. I don’t know enough about him. But it seems like we’re gonna get more from him this next book so I’m reserving my judgement until then. In Chain of Gold I noticed most of his scenes were pretty expository or he was passing along information, but we never really got to know much about him. Hopefully I will like him in Chain of Iron though!

Lucie Herondale:

I really like Lucie so far! My favorite part about her is that she is so practical, but also able to loose herself in whimsical fantasies. She is totally 100% Tessa and Will’s child!! I don’t have much to say other than I love what I’ve gotten from her so far, but I just need a little bit more to connect with her. I’m hoping Chain of Iron really explores her darker side and her motivations. I kinda have a feeling this next book will either make or break my opinion of her.

Matthew Fairchild:

Anyone who has been following me for a while now could probably guess that Matthew is my favorite from TLH. I don’t know what it says about me, but I relate to him on a personal level. Although I haven’t made the same mistakes he has, (thank heavens for that!) I do know how he feels. I do know what it’s like to have something happen, that’s completely your fault, and have it change your life into something completely different than you thought it would be. I have made a lot of posts about him so if you want more in depth details, they are on my blog.

I’m just going to say that, very similar to Alastair, I think that Matthew has a lot of amends to make, to everyone in his life. And his journey is what I look forward to the most. He’s made a lot of mistakes, huge ones, and I know it’ll probably get worse before it gets better. But I hope his story isn’t going to be as sad as everyone believes, (I don’t think it will be, since a vast majority of Cassie’s characters eventually get happen endings) it just means a lot to me that his character doesn’t end up a tragedy. Like I said before his relationship with Cordelia is something I am really looking forward to. And his relationship with his family as well.

I love him your honor. *if I loved him less I may have been able to talk about him more*

Thomas Lightwood:

I really like Thomas!!! I favorite thing about him is that he can so easily see the beautiful and worth in everyone and everything (which makes him perfect for Alastair!). I love how gentle and kind he is. So far what I have seen from him has been so great. And how he was able to carrying on despite his sister’s death and then Christopher’s illness was really admirable. But I’m going to say for him as I’ve said for most: I want to see more from him!!! I have faith that his and Alastair’s relationship with be the best part of the book, so I have high hopes!

Okay!!! I think that’s everyone!! Let me know what you think?? Do you agree or disagree! I would love to get into some discussions with people to pass the time until the release!! If anyone wants to make their own post, please tag me!! I’d love to see!!! Do you think I have enough ‘!!!!!!!!!’?

#Anna Lightwood #ariadne bridgestock #Charles fairchild #Matthew Fairchild #cordelia carstairs #alastair carstairs #James herondale #Christopher Lightwood #Thomas Lightwood #Grace blackthorn #Jesse blackthorn #Lucie Herondale #chain of gold #chain of iron #the last hours #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare

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wiseabsol · 4 years

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3. What is your favorite/least favorite part about writing? 6. Favorite character you’ve written? 14. What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (i.e. do you research? outline? make a playlist or pinterest board? wing it?) 15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing? 19. How do you cope with writer’s block? 24. Do you remember the moment you decided to become a writer/author? 33. What’s your revision/rewriting process like? 34. Unpopular writing thoughts/opinions?

3. What is your favorite/least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part is when you make discoveries about your world and your characters as you write the story down, and when you write something and go, “Oh, there we go, there’s the solution to this problem that was going to come up later.” For example, I recently had an evil mentor toying with a magical item while giving a lecture to his pupils. The magical item was mundane--essentially, just putty that you could mold into whatever shape you wanted, then solidify, then switch back to putty to reshape. And as I was writing that down, I went, “Oh, THAT’S what my protagonist is going to knock him out with down the line. That’s way better than her using a lamp. Excellent.”

My least favorite part about writing is getting started. Once I’ve cleared the hurtle of the blank page, writing becomes much easier and more exciting. But getting myself to start has become much harder since I developed my editor/critic’s brain.

6. Favorite character you’ve written?

In one of the text-based rps I’m writing with my best friend, I’m playing a shapeshifter named Sparrow, who is charming, funny, flirty, politically-savvy, and super vain about his appearance (think a courtesan-type character). He also has one of the most gut-wrenching backstories of any character I’ve ever written, and is struggling with triggers from that backstory. His romance with my best friend’s character is also my favorite romance that I’ve written with her, and it came as a surprise to both of us, since we were just testing out the characters at the time.

14. What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (i.e. do you research? outline? make a playlist or pinterest board? wing it?)

I do a lot of brainstorming and outlining, though my outlines aren’t plot-related ones so much as very detailed character summaries. I’ve honestly been struggling with plot lately, but I’ve been doing better character work, so I’m winging it more now. While I usually have a general idea of how the story goes, the actual writing of it clarifies the details and makes changes to my plans. On the bright side, the results are less stilted than my old work, since they’re not chained to plot outlines, but stem from the characters more organically.

15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing?

I’ve started telling myself, “Fuck it, let it be messy, I’ll fix it later.” Letting go of perfectionism is hard for me, but doing so has been helping.

19. How do you cope with writer’s block?

Honestly, the best way to cope with writer’s block is to just try something and see if it sticks, or leave yourself a note and skip ahead in the story to something you want to write. However, as I mentioned in an earlier ask, I haven’t been able to do much writing lately. And that’s hard, because I feel guilty for not writing, and I know if I just do it, I’ll feel better. Which is a bad mindframe to be in, especially because this year has been awful. I’ve been telling other writers to be gentle on themselves, because it’s hard to be creative when you’re stressed, but I struggle to take my own advice. So right now, I’m trying to give myself permission not to write, and to instead focus on other things. Editing. Reading. Playing videogames. Baking. Doing house/yardwork. Something to still ticks things off of my to do list, but also things that I can look at and see, “Yes, you did get something done.” It’s not a perfect system, and it does fall into the productivity trap, but it’s what I’m trying. When the stress passes, maybe then I can dive back into writing.

24. Do you remember the moment you decided to become a writer/author?

I think it was when I was applying for undergraduate college. I wrote in my application essay that I wanted to write stories that would show my readers that things can get better for them. I was writing as a hobby before then, but I think that’s when I decided that yeah, I wanted making stories to be a part of my future, and I wanted to write stories that I could publish someday.

33. What’s your revision/rewriting process like?

Mostly I end up rewriting the chapter or story in question. Draft one is for realizing and getting down the idea of the thing. Draft two is refining it to that thing and losing all of the flab that the story doesn’t need. Often I have another file on the side where I paste in what I’ve cut out, in case I change my mind and want to add it back in later, or in case I can use it in another project. I also save the original messy draft and do the cutting in a copied file. That way, I can reassure myself that the original still exists for me, and I can reread it when I’m feeling self-indulgent, but I’m also only giving the best version to my readers.

34. Unpopular writing thoughts/opinions?

-- Writing every day is a good idea, and does work well for the writing process, but it’s an unrealistic standard to hold yourself to, especially if you have a day job, kids, and other adult responsibilities. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t write every day. The guilt is just going to make you freeze up instead of returning to the work. Be gentle with your expectations for yourself.

-- If you’re including triggering or sensitive subjects in your work, and are planning to share that work with others (and ESPECIALLY if you’re planning to profit from that work), you should be doing your research about those subjects, portraying them as accurately as possible, and asking yourself if your story really needs that content to work. It is also a good idea to employ sensitivity screeners for that content, especially if you’re writing from a place of privilege and/or don’t have personal experience with the issues that you’re depicting.

-- Once the work is out there, no one has the right to ban it. They can be critical of it, yes. But not ban it.

-- Writers of privilege must include diversity within their work, even if they’re scared of getting their depictions of people from other genders, races, classes, religions, and so on wrong. And they will get it wrong. When that happens, just apologize and try to do better in the future. But staying in your lane is a bad idea, for three reasons: 1.) You should be striving to have empathy for others, and you can’t do that if you’re only writing about people who are similar to you. 2.) Writers of privilege have an easier time getting their work published, and so should be trying to push the market/publishing industry into a more diverse direction. And 3.) You should be showing readers of privilege that the world is a diverse one, rather than catering to their narrow worldview.

-- Getting defensive when someone is critical of your work is perfectly natural, but it’s also dumb. It’s so, so dumb. You have made a product, and no product made by human hands is perfect, and every writer has blind spots. So when someone is critical of your work, try to keep this in mind: this is not an attack on you. Let yourself feel the hurt in private, and eat lots of ice cream, and when you’re feeling better, look at the criticism and ask yourself: What led the reader to this conclusion? How can I fix it? What can I learn from this? This is assuming that the critic is working with you in good faith, by the way; sometimes they’re completely off of the mark, or are upset because you didn’t give them the story that they wanted. But if someone is going, “Hey, this is a little racist/sexist/homophobic/ableist/etc.,” sit up and listen. And for the love of god, don’t fight them over it. You’ll make yourself look like an ass.

-- Don’t workshop your story too early. Try to get a full draft down before you submit something for consideration. For one thing, you’re still figuring out what your story actually is. For another, writing workshops, while useful, have a tendency to pull your work to the middle / make it more acceptable to a general audience. Sometimes this will soften and even kill your bravest writing. Instead, use writing workshops as an opportunity to find writers who understand the themes you’re aiming for and the subjects that you’re discussing. Their input will be what you need.

-- With the current laws about copyright infringement, getting paid for your fanfic is a bad idea. If you want that to change, then fight to make the laws more lenient. As if it, you’re risking screwing over other fanfic writers by doing that. Does that suck? Yeah. But that’s also the reality we live in right now, and you’re not going to have a good time if a corporation like Disney slams you with lawsuits.

-- Genres like fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance/erotica, and murder mysteries are real literature. Saying they’re not has its roots in classism.

-- There is no such thing as apolitical writing.

-- Poets are underrated. Support them. Most of the time, they’re doing braver and more socially-important work than you are, and they’re doing it concisely, too.

-- Your first draft is going to suck. This is a good thing. You learn a lot more from bad prose than from good prose, more often than not.

-- Having your work rejected by publishers really is nothing personal. Sometimes it just wasn’t a good fit for them at that moment in time. If they’re interested in seeing more from you in the future, though, keep them on your list and send them something else during their next screening period. They don’t say that unless they mean it.

#technopanzer #Writing #I'm not sure all of these are unpopular opinions but some of them definitely are

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myanime2go · 4 years

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Top 25 Best Action Anime of All Time for Action Fans

When I say action, I mean ACTION! Maybe it's human beings need to pursue something greater than ourselves or of being much stronger, action anime offers something that brings us closer to our fantasy with sometimes illogical action sequences, the fate of the world, nation, city, or just the protagonist in the balance. Hello fellow anime fans and lovers to the top 25 best action anime of all time for action fans. Action anime is about conflict, thrilling confrontations, car chases and epic battles. It's heart-pumping action, nail-biting suspense, trigger happy characters and a love to hate or hate to love villain. You asked and we delivered. A list focused on action, explosions, eye-candy visuals, intensity of plot, characters, battles or stunts that should bring you a lot of hype and excitement. So lets get started;

25. Kill la Kill

Episodes 24 + OVA| Aired Fall 2013 | Produced by Trigger

From the creators of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann comes, Kill la Kill an anime with epic battles, eye-popping art style and astonishing moves. After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi goes on a journey of revenge looking for her dad's murderer. Her only lead the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade.Which brings her to the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school that's quite unusual. Ruled by the student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin and her elite four, they possess superhuman abilities.But with Senketsu, a rare sentient " Kamui" and her Scissor Blade. She makes a stand against them, hoping to uncover the person behind her father's death. Revenge is the story of the game in Kill la Kill, it starts up with a simple plot but becomes more complex and deeper than it appears with each episode, becoming much more than just an anime filled with fan-service and amazing fight scenes. I have been made a fan of Trigger and I honestly look forward to whatever future creative work they release. https://youtu.be/B98NY8Hfo7I

24. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Episodes 148 + OVA| Aired Fall 2011 | Produced by Madhouse

Hunter x Hunter is a well animated and thought out anime with plenty of action, with highly anticipated battles. The story begins with 12-year old, Gon Freeces as he embarks on becoming the world's best hunter in order to find his father. Who was a hunter himself and abandoned Gon when he was a kid, with his deceased wife's family.A hunter is a person who takes up dangerous tasks like searching for treasure, law enforcement and many other jobs. We will follow Gon and his three friends- Leorio, Kurapika and Killua. He meets on his arduous journey. Hunter x Hunter is an amazing action anime with a fantastic story, excellent characters with deep having their own goals and desires some simple while others complex. It's one of those rear unicorns in the action genre that those a lot of things well. You will be glad you watched it. https://youtu.be/d6kBeJjTGnY

23. One Punch Man

Episodes 24 + OVA| Aired Fall 2015 | Produced by Madhouse

One Punch Man is the story of Satima, a hero who is a hero just for fun and the strongest man in his universe that can defeat any opponent with a single punch. Based on Yusuke Murata's manga remake of ONE's original webcomic. Saitama strived and became a superhero after experiencing the thrill of fighting an evil villain. Putting himself on a rigorous training regimen for three years, only to lose all of his hair and accidentally become the strongest human who ever walked the Earth. Now leaving him with a new problem－he doesn’t get to experience the thrill of battle, as any encounter with Saitama ends with one punch. One Punch Man is quite different from other action anime, as rather than watch our protagonist struggle to become stronger, our hero has already reached his goals. The series takes this plot and shows us the emptiness that follows achieving a lifelong goal. Showing us the journey to one's goal is more fulfilling than actually reaching our goal. https://youtu.be/tMblzsXwAKo

22. Terra Fromer

Episodes 26 + OVA| Aired Fall 2014 | Produced by LINDENFILMS

Terra Formars is a show that is short, violent and an action anime that is simple to understand. Terra Formars, an anime about a bunch of genetically modified humans with characteristics of powerful organisms from earth, that get sent to Mars to find a cure to a lethal disease that is believed to have originated from Mars and exterminate a race of hyper-evolved humanoid cockroaches called Terra Formars that stand in their way. Terra Formars is an action sci-fi horror anime that deals with humanity fighting insects much like the film "Starship Troopers". Plot-wise it's not the best cause they try to add so much into it, but for action, it is pretty good. https://youtu.be/KVx9GrpN5lU

21. Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Episodes 203 + OVA| Aired Fall 2006 | Produced by Artland

Katekyo Hitman Reborn is definitely a well-made anime for its comedy and action. Katekyo Hitman Reborn deals with the mafia. Tsuna, our protagonist is the next in line to become the 10th boss for the Vongola Family - one of the many and strongest families in the mafia world. Reborn, a hitman, and also a baby travels from Italy to Japan to tutor Tsuna to become a worthy boss for the Vongola Family. From then on, Tsuna's adventures begins. Katekyo Hitman Reborn plot builds up slowly, with the first 20 episodes comedy-heavy. We will watch Tsuna change from being a clumsy weakling, to slowly growing up and become more dependable. It's a show that will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat. https://youtu.be/40pfu7XqWok

20. Darker than Black

Episodes 37 + OVA| Aired Spring 2007 | Produced by Bones

Darker than Black is definitely an anime that takes you on a journey with unique characters and an unusual style of story telling. Darker than Black takes place in a near-future world where two gates appeared, Heaven's Gate and Hell's Gate. The mysterious appearance of these gates brought with them the Contractors. Contractors are people who have entered into a contract with an unknown force in exchange for their humanity and gained a unique power in return. The nature of the contract, however, requires them to give back each time they use their power, which is anything from smoking a cigarette to writing a poem, eating etc. The story for most parts follows the infamous Contractor codenamed Hei. Called "Black Reaper" in the underground world. If you like shows about people with supernatural powers and action, I think you should definitely watch this series. It's a show that doesn't give too much away in the beginning but as the story progresses you can piece the whole plot together. The characters are also brilliantly done especially the contractors that are supposed to be void of human emotions. https://youtu.be/goYEIQT5m8U

19. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Episodes 152 + OVA| Aired Fall 2012 | Produced by David Production Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is definitely an anime that takes you on an adventure. It's a series that just keeps getting better and better. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure follows the stories of a different generation of the JoJo family, whose members have unique powers that they use to fight supernatural enemies. I personally like the way the story follows a different member of the Joestar family? It's an anime that lives up to the hype that surrounds it. Though it's an anime that requires a bit of getting used to, it sometimes doesn't take itself seriously but when it does, it keeps you at the edge of your seat. https://youtu.be/EO08vMz73YY

18. Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden

Episodes 720 + OVA| Aired Fall 2002 | Produced by Studio Pierrot

Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden is one of the longest-running and most famous international shounen. That has a special place in most anime enthusiast. The story follows the many adventures and misadventures of Naruto, a knuckle-headed ninja with a loudmouth, and his ninja pals. A problem student, Naruto was never popular or talented, especially as a ninja. This all changes when he discovers the hidden power of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. Will he achieve his dream of becoming the leader of the Village? And can he protect his friends from the countless evils that threaten to destroy all he has? Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden is an anime with a lot of characters, and there is definitely one you will feel you can relate to and you will cheer on for as the story progresses. And this feels like where the anime shines the most the ability to make us feel for certain characters. And all the while it takes us on an adrenaline-filled journey. https://youtu.be/j2hiC9BmJlQ

17. Megalo Box

Episodes 13| Aired Spring 2018 | Produced by TMS Entertainment

If you are a Rocky and Ashita no Joe fan, you will love Megalo Box a sports action anime that's violent and entertaining. The series takes place in a futuristic setting, where boxing with mechanical limbs known as Gear to enhance the speed and power of its users, Megalo Box is everything! The biggest companies either specialize in the technology or host the events that use the gear. Junk Dog/Joe an unlicensed citizen earns a living in the slums for a crime syndicate by throwing fights with his partner, a former professional manager. But this all changes when he loses to the Megalo Box champion Yuuri. Due to a lack of money, Junk Dog/Joe is forced to compete without the assistance of any robotic arms has he chases his dreams of challenging the champ at a huge tournament called Megalonia. Megalo Box is a great anime that really asks a big question of how much pain, time and energy one is willing to give and endure while chasing their dreams. And that resonates with me a lot. https://youtu.be/-j8sX95vkfc

16. Deadman Wonderland

Episodes 12 + OVA| Aired Spring 2011 | Produced by Manglobe

Deadman Wonderland was one of those shows that had everyone who saw it wanting more. It was a normal day like any other normal day for Ganta Igarashi and his classmates but everything in Ganta's life is soon turned upside down when his whole class is killed by a mysterious man in red.He is framed for his classmates' deaths and sentenced to death at a prison amusement park Deadman Wonderland - where the convicts perform dangerous stuns for the amusement of their visitors.Now in prison, Ganta lives in fear of the lethal poison collar around his neck that can only be slowed down by winning the deadly prison games. All the while not being able to tell friend from foe.Also since his encounter with the Red Man, he has acquired the branches of sin - a power that allows it's user to use his or her blood to do extraordinary things. Putting his life on the line to survive this brutal place all the while trying to find the Red Man and clear his name. Deadman Wonderland is a well-written engaging anime with plenty of horrifying scenes, deaths and amazing visuals. It's one of those animes that made me take an interest in the manga, wanting to find out the secrets that lie beneath Deadman Wonderland when I finished watching the anime. https://youtu.be/WUTFRxi5RXM

15.Psycho-Pass

Episodes 41| Aired Fall 2012 | Produced by Production I.G

Psycho-pass takes place in a futuristic setting, with interesting characters and weapons. In the future, the government is literally in your head. Monitoring your mental state and your likelihood to commit a crime.When the levels are high, he or she is haunted, captured or eliminated by the police forces. Enforcers armed with Dominators - special weapons that only activate when aimed at suspects with high likelihood to commit crime. Enforcers themselves are latent criminals who are overseen by police inspectors, who can terminate them at any time if they themselves pose a threat to the public. Psycho-Pass is an amazing action anime that shouldn't be missed. And thought-provoking showing how sanity does not always equal morality. https://youtu.be/DgDBzAHg4wU

14. Black Lagoon

Episodes 24 + OVA| Aired Spring 2006 | Produced by Madhouse

Black Lagoon an action anime with a lot of mayhem featuring modern-day pirates, outrageously amazing action scenes and interesting characters. Rokurou Okajima is a businessman living an average life, but this all changes on a business trip to Roanapur, Thailand. Where he is held for ransom by the Black Lagoon. But decides to join the Black Lagoon after his bosses leave him to die than pay his ransom.To survive in the ruthless Roanapur, this former businessman most transform from soft-spoken salaryman to ruthless mercenary. Black Lagoon an amazing anime that can't be mentioned without our trigger-happy Revy, who truly helps bring the series together. It's a story with a lot of ups and downs that tries to tackle themes like existentialism -what are we here for? what's our purpose? and morality - what is really wrong or right? Plus it has gun-wielding nuns, sociopath maids and the awesome Revy. https://youtu.be/d4EbGC7fKnQ

13. Vinland Saga

Episodes 24| Aired Summer 2019 | Produced by Wit Studio

If you ever wondered what watching what an angry Sasuke after he left the hidden Leaf village would be like, I give you Vinland Saga. Thorfinn grew up listening to tales of the legendary place, Vinland. A place said to be warm and fertile all year round, with no fighting. Different from the frozen village in Iceland where he was born, or a place with the need of his current job has a mercenary.War is his only home now after the death of his father at the hands of Askeladd. A man he has sworn vengeance against.Fighting alongside Askeladd in the war against England and the Danes, all to be granted a duel to the death with Askeladd to kill the man who murdered his father.What will he learn on his journey? Vinland Saga is the Berserk Adaptation we deserved. With stunning artwork, consistent and solid animation and characters you will connect with. It's definitely one of the best anime of 2019. https://youtu.be/b7ptrklt1sc

12. Samurai Champloo

Episodes 26| Aired Spring 2004 | Produced by Manglobe

Samurai Champloo is one of the most unconventional, thrilling action anime about samurai. Samurai Champloo follows three unlikely pair Fuu, Jin and Mugen. Brought together by chance but stuck together by choice or blackmail?, out of a debt to pay to Fuu after saving them from being executed.They follow her on a wild adventure to different places in their search for the samurai that smells of sunflowers. It's a series that takes the usual "power of love and friendship" plot most animes takes and throws it out the window. Throwing a trio of mismatch characters together and forming an unlikely team, we will all be sad to see part ways at the end of their journey together. I'm still hoping for a second season. https://youtu.be/MV9sMJau674

11. Tokyo Ghoul

Episodes 48 + OVA| Aired Summer 2014 | Produced by Studio Pierrot

Tokyo Ghoul is an anime I looked forward to watching after reading the plot, that I immediately started reading the manga. The world occupied by two type of people - normal humans and ghouls who look like us but have special abilities and eat normal humans as a source of food.Kaneki Ken after being tricked and almost killed by a ghoul is turned into a hybrid - half-ghoul half-human.Now he must learn to live in both worlds. Trying to fit into the ghoul community, while trying to hide his new identity in the human world. Tokyo Ghoul was quite enjoyable even though I felt there was room for more improvement. It's an anime that's not for everyone either being a swing or a miss. https://youtu.be/vGuQeQsoRgU Honorable Mentions

Bleach

https://youtu.be/SKxGokQWQ3c

BTOOOM!

https://youtu.be/H92d6YZkVO8

Dimension W

https://youtu.be/Mgq7hcFxkXM

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

https://youtu.be/bcG5ZkGB-XI

Akame ga Kill!

https://youtu.be/HOB4GZ1S1Wo

Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions

https://youtu.be/c5jgWAZc6wQ

10. Gurren Lagann

Episodes 27| Aired Spring 2007 | Produced by Gainax

Gurren Lagann is a popular action anime that pushed the boundaries of action anime and is an anime that has a special place in everyone's heart that has seen this anime. The story focuses on two young men, Simon and Kamina who are born in a time when humanity has been forced underground by the tyrant King Lordgenome, killing anyone who tries to come to the surface.Digging is the only way they know how to live digging further underground. That is until Simon has an encounter with Yoko a red-haired girl, who rashes down, fighting several enemy Gunmen. Seeing the sky for the first time the two young men are determined to drill their way to the surface, fighting for their right to live under the sun. Gurren Lagann is a classic, vibrant, heroic and outspoken anime. That's absolutely a must-watch. https://youtu.be/rAQylCHv8Cw

9. Mob Psycho 100

Episodes 25 + OVA| Aired Summer 2016 | Produced by Bones

From ONE the creator of One Punch Man comes another fascinating anime Mob Psycho 100. Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama is an awkward but kind eighth-grader who has to keep his emotions in check because he possesses psychic abilities. As long as he keeps a lid on his emotional state all hell won't break loose.Worried about this he meets Arataka Reigen for guidance, believing he is also psychic. Even though Reigen is just a con artist. He is actually dependable and Mob believes in him.Follow the story of Mob and his friend's journey to adulthood. Mob Psycho 100 is definitely a one of a kind series from its unique art style, well-developed characters that are very relatable, to the out of this world actions scenes. It is a true gem, that proves the saying "never judge a book by its cover" or in this case art style. A definite must-watch for an action lovers time. https://youtu.be/mV39saBlBLI

8. Afro Samurai

Episodes 6| Aired Spring 2007 | Produced by Gonzo

Afro Samurai an anime about revenge and katanas, filled with a lot of action right off from the beginning of the story. Afro after witnessing the death of his father in a dual with a man named Justice for the Number One headband. Afro vows revenge against Justice who killed his father for the Number One headband.But there is a catchy on his path to vengeance he has to possess the Number Two headband, if he wishes to fight the new Number One. And even after possessing the Number Two headband, he will have to fight pretty much everyone in the world people to get to the Number One. Because unlike the Number One, the Number Two can be challenged by anyone. Afro Samurai is actually 5 episodes but I made it 6 cause of the movie, which I'm 80% sure you will want to see if you watch the series. https://youtu.be/yB8_cdvEGZM

7. One Piece

Episodes 912+ | Aired Fall 1999 | Produced by Toei Animation

One piece is one of the most popular action anime series from its first air till date and still growing strong. In a world similar to ours, only with magic and unimaginable places. Luffy is on a quest to find the treasure of the former King of Pirates, as well as others who have heard of the legendary treasure.As Luffy travels, he will make friends and create a ragtag crew of members with their own dreams and goals. One Piece is an anime with a lot to offer from supernatural powers, amazing fights scenes, well developed and lovable characters and voyages to new and exciting places. It's definitely an anime that ticks a lot of people boxes on what they want in an action anime. https://youtu.be/-tviZNY6CSw

6. Sword of the Stranger

Episodes 1| Aired September 2007 | Produced by Bones

Sword of the Stranger is a really great movie with a lot of amazing action scenes. Nanashi a nameless ronin, gets caught up in a struggle with swordsmen from the Ming Dynasty China when he agrees to take a boy Kotaro and his dog to a Buddhist temple. The reason behind the Ming swordsmen relentless pursuit unknown. A man haunted by memories of his past, which as made him avoid drawing his sword, will this be too much for him to handle. If you love historical settings that's another reason to give Sword of the Stranger a chance. It won't disappoint with its relatable characters, amazing action sequences, beautiful art style and just the brotherly love that is shown between the two main characters has the story progresses. https://youtu.be/dYGpmgxKpNs

5. Dragon Ball Z

Episodes 291| Aired Spring 1989 | Produced by Toei Animation

Dragon Ball Z is like a fine wine that only seems to get better with the years. Five years have passed since Dragon Ball, Gokuu lives with his loving wife and son. But this soon changes when on a trip with his son, he encounters Raditz - who his Gokuu's long-lost brother.Raditz tells Gokuu where he is truly from and what his purpose was on earth. When he tries to compel Gokuu to fight with him to take over the earth a fight ensues.Raditz warns Gokuu and friends of a new threat that's rapidly approaching Earth. A threat that will plunge Earth into an intergalactic conflict and cause the heavens themselves to shake. A war will be fought has hero and villains race to gather the seven mystical dragon balls. Only the strongest will survive in Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball Z is one of the anime series that helped spread the love of anime around the world. It's thrilling, pulse-pounding and delightful to watch. https://youtu.be/E6CYI3Xb1tQ

4. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Episodes 64 + OVA| Aired Spring 2009 | Produced by Bones

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an anime with an amazing plot, engaging action, lovable characters, comedy, drama and beautiful music. In a world where alchemy is considered a highly skilled job, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood tells the story of two brothers who live every day repaying for their childhood mistake of trying to play god. Forgetting the greatest rule in alchemy "equivalent exchange". In the aftermath of a failed attempt at reviving their dead mother, Edward lost a leg and later an arm to bring his brother back, when Al lost his entire body. Hearing of a mysterious stone named the Philosopher's Stone that can correct the mistake they made. They begin their adventure in search of the stone, to restore what was lost. How far will their journey take them? A must watch anime series for anime fans alike. https://youtu.be/kKtNiPpJy0A

3. Attack on Titan

Episodes 59 + OVA| Aired Spring 2013 | Produced by Wit Studio

Attack On Titan is an extremely action-packed story with cliff-hangers, amazing characters and interesting battle equipment. In a world terrorized by giant man-eating humanoids known as titans, mankind hides behind large walls in constant fear. The only way they have to fight back against the Titans is the military. Eren Yeager, who witnessed the death of his family and friends as a child, is determined to fight back in the only way he can, by joining the military.But there is a lot of things going on inside and outside the wall. Showing that maybe titans are not the biggest threat to humanity. It's one of the best anime series of its year. With amazing visuals and soundtracks. https://youtu.be/KKzmOh4SuBc

2. Berserk

Episodes 49| Aired Fall 1997 | Produced by OLM / Millepensee, GEMBA

The story centres on Guts, a lone mercenary and Griffiths, a leader of the mercenary band -Band of the Hawk. You think Sasuke and Naruto rivalry was something, Griffith and Guts take it to a whole new level. Guts is a wandering mercenary who from his birth as had it rough - found under a hanged corpse, his adopted mother dies from the plague and his adoptive father tried to kill him, which forces Guts to kill him, scaring Guts even more.He meets Griffith as he wonders as a mercenary. He is forced to join his band of mercenaries, and as time goes he finds a home there, even becoming best friends with Griffith. But he later decides to leave after hearing Griffith saying he doesn’t consider anyone a real friend that follows someones dream and doesn’t have their own, so he goes in search of his own dreams. He joins the team again when Griffith has been captured and after a tough fight they rescue him, but Griffiths is a shadow of his former self, his body is completely broken. This is where the supernatural world is really explored now and by sacrificing the band of the hawk, he is revived better than ever.And the story of vengeance begins It's a series that is based on realism, at least when we look at human nature. Showing the good and evil, we humans are capable of and how society as become and so much more. https://youtu.be/_M1suLCbz-w

1. My Hero Academia

Episodes 88 + OVA| Aired Spring 2016 | Produced by Bones

My Hero Academia has been praised as one of the newest big three of its time. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born “Quirkless” meaning he as no powers, on this earth people with quirks (used for people with powers), is the norm. So Izuku is bullied for standing out (being quirkless), even through all this, he still dreams of being a superhero. And on one particular day, he meets the world's greatest Hero All Might, who passes on his quirk “One For All” to Izuku. Enrolling him into U.A. High School, a school that is known to cultivate the most promising next generation of superheroes and hero support teams. And like the intro says his story begins to tell us how he became the world’s greatest hero. It's a superhero genre that has been done right, very realistic with lovable and relatable characters. Showing how hard work and skill go hand-in-hand to being good at something. https://youtu.be/-jBRnSVaGmI So that's all amazing guys and gals, hope you loved my recommendations if you have an anime you think deserves to be on this list, hit me up in the comment section below I would love to hear from you. And check out all our other amazing content or our MyAnime2go merch store for anime, manga and gaming treats and gifts. Till next time have an action-filled adrenaline-pumping day.......

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thatonemendel · 7 years

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About BPD: my protagonist in my fantasy novel has something akin to BPD. What are the things you would say should be avoided in my depiction of her?

Oh wow, that’s awesome! Thanks for asking me~!

Gonna put this under a read more!

I’d avoid using terms like attention-seeking, selfish, ect. From my experience, people with BPD are often raised by parents who are overly smothering while being extremely pressuring under the guise of wanting whats ‘best’ for their child. They push them into doing things and to strive or the best, but no matter what they do it’ll never be good enough. (Example: In Black Swan, even though the main character gets the lead part in the ballet, her mother still acts unimpressed.)

Thus, people with bpd desire validation, even for small things, and feel unworthy constantly, even when they get it. This can come across as attention-seeking at times, because if they’re proud of something they’ve done they want to show it off to gain approval. When I was a kid and I drew art I would show it to my mom and get an unimpressed or critical response, so I put it all over the internet in hopes to gain some sort of approval, or validation for my hard work. People would claim I was seeking attention, just because I wanted to know that someone thought I was doing a good job.

I’d also avoid calling them childish. When I’m struggling with a breakdown I can literally act like a toddler, throwing things and screaming insults. I get so caught up in my own head that I stop making sense and I start slinging insults that are at myself, then just saying words that make no sense at all. It is indeed acting childish, but imo there’s probably a better way to word it?

Abusive is a big thing I’d say to avoid, unless the character is abusive, or was once and is trying to overcome it. Borderline people can do abusive behaviors, I am 100% agreeing with that, but having abusive behaviors does not always make someone abusive, imo. If they have behaviors like that during an episode and after being talked to begin to make the steps to improve it, that is a big difference. Seeking therapy, going to DBT groups, self-care, ect, to try and contain these behaviors is the best thing for a person with bpd to do. But, if that person is, or was abusive, you can definitely refer to them as such. (It’s up to you to decide the line between just having behaviors and being completely abusive, I think. To me, being abusive is having the behaviors without the desire to correct, fix, or even acknowledge them, but to each their own).

A big issue with bpd, for me, is not being able to correctly express my emotions. When someone asks me how I am, I immediately get defensive, because I don’t know how to answer. Sometimes my husband will tell me that I sound like I’m angry, or frustrated, when I’m just trying to sound normal. My outward emotions often don’t reflect my inner ones. It makes it very hard to communicate.

Also, a borderline character is prone to outbursts, even over small things, especially in times of stress. I often have outbursts and rant in a private journal, but sometimes I post them on social media only to delete them later. The issue here is that a person with borderline just wants to be heard, because they feel like no one is listening, even if someone directly is (because at that point they tend to feel like they don’t deserve it, which causes guilt, which causes more lashing out, ect). Often what they say are things they regret and, unfortunately, other people can get hurt in the process. From there, the character would hopefully try to make amends asap, but they should directly apologize without giving excuses. Basically saying, ‘I’m sorry I hurt you, you didn’t deserve that.’ There’s no need to go on to say, ‘I was tired, I was stressed, I was...’ because that doesn’t change the feelings of the person who was hurt. Eventually, the character can explain later, but addressing the hurt first is most important.

I think a big thing to touch on is the issue of feeling self-consciousness, no matter how successful you are. I’m currently the head artist of an avatar site- which has been my dream for over 10 years - and I still find myself doubting my worth on a daily basis. Whenever another artist releases an item and people fawn over it, I find myself secretly envious and wondering if people like their art more than mine, despite all of the praise I get when it’s my art being released. Even though I’m happy for them and I honestly love their art and I’m glad to have them, that deep part of me feels like I’ll never be good enough.

Borderlines do have a tendency to self-harm. Sometimes it can be about getting attention, because, like I said, they feel the need to be heard, but sometimes it’s because it’s the only way to stop the intense emotions. It’s almost like an off-switch, in a way, because it centers you and brings you back to reality - but there are much better ways of doing that, like guided imagery or DBT skills.

I’m not really sure how it would fit in a fantasy setting, but I’d be fascinated to find out! If you want to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes, however, you can always create your own mental illness with it’s own variety of symptoms, so no other illnesses are being unproperly represented!

#nonny #navi speaks

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audesignhistory · 7 years

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COMPARING VIDEO GAMES AND SURREALISM: CHAMPIONS OF ABSURDISM AND EXPLORES THE HUMAN CONDITION.

I originally wanted to base my essay on the ongoing debate about whether or not video games should be considered fine art worthy of being placed and revered in art galleries. Film critic Roger Ebert strongly opposes the notion that games should be considered art he said “Video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic”.

I find this to be totally untrue, I looked at games such as Journey, which depicts a moving and emotional pilgrimage across the desert with themes of sorrow, religion, death and rebirth. I honestly view this game as a modern day painting that could easily resemble a great renaissance painting. The only difference is the level of interactivity. Technology has taken us to the point of being about to directly respond and participate in art. Video games have become a medium that is vastly becoming an intense creative expression and diverse way to spread a message.

Games developer, Ryan Green, has developed That Dragon, Cancer, a game about how he and his wife are coping with the terminal illness of their youngest son. This game is his medium of expression and his way of coping. It’s as Keith Stuart, the Guardians game editor has said “games are an expressive medium. They are a form of communication… video games are now a language and language is a tool of expression and change”.

So I originally started this essay with the intention of seeing how technology and art are slowly becoming intertwined by games such as ‘Journey’ and ‘That Dragon, Cancer’. However the more I looked into the subject I was less interested in the definition of art or the technology surrounding the games. I was interested in what the games themselves were depicting. The more I looked for games that were not just aesthetically pleasing but said something deep and powerful I realised a running theme.

A lot of games that were striving to be something more than a pastime were looking deep into psychology and trying to explain hidden things about the human condition. Take American McGee’s ‘Alice’ series for example. You play as Alice from Victorian London who lost her family in a fire and been forced into prostitution. She has gone mad as a result and falls in and out of Wonderland trying to regain her memories of what really happened. There are stunning landscapes and all the wonderland characters are surreal manifestations of the awful people she knows from reality. The whole game uses wonderland as an allegory of her mind and when it starts to crumble you as Alice have to defend it.

Similar themes are depicted in indie game ‘Fran Bow’ where you play as a little girl trying to fight the demons in her mind. Gaming has become quite a popular medium on which to explore mental health, as you become so invested in the protagonists you almost can experience trauma and psychosis first hand.

Games more and more are dealing with things like PTSD and schizophrenia such as Special Ops or Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Bioshock Infinite has been praised for tackling themes like religious and political corruption, racism and xenophobia.

When trying to contextualise these games as works of art I found myself repeatedly going back to the surrealists. They were some of the first to try and depict the human condition outside of strict religious paradigms or with false rationality. They shed restrictive customs and structures to make something new. Which is how I feel video games have shed light on a new way to experience art, it’s shed the restrictive skin of being something as static as a painting or linear as a film. There’s room for a new experimental movement that hasn’t been all that prevalent in post-modernist art for the past few of decades.

The surrealists strived to ‘Revolutionise the Human Experience’ and create a new way of creating, they created the autonomous style. A technique of writing or drawing straight from your subconscious such as Andre Masson’s “Battle of the Fishes”. He rapidly sketched and applied paint directly from the tube. The image that emerged suggests a savage underwater battle between sharp–toothed fish. Masson, was physically and spiritually wounded during World War I, joined the Surrealist group in 1924. He believed that, if left to chance, pictorial compositions would reveal the sadism of all living creatures. Just like games were Ryan Green’s expression and coping mechanism surrealism and autonomous drawings were Massons.

Sadism and war is a common theme in surrealism due to Surrealism and the Dada movement being a direct political pushback against Western Ideals after the First World War. Artists like Max Ernst, a traumatised soldier created many works trying to deal with his experience of war and such created paints of strange creatures to represent his feelings on the political climate. Such as the Fireside Angel. He was motivated to paint the work after Franco's fascists defeated the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. Ernst strove to create a painting suggestive of the ensuing chaos he feared was spreading across Europe.

Due to the fighting style of some games, war and terror are also a common theme. Many games explore war, death and the primal urge to battle and survive. While some games take a more literal route like Call of Duty and depict actual battle, others take on a more surreal stance and like Ernst create strange and terrifying creatures to reflect and represent the real world. For example the Executioner card in Alice the Madness returns or in Ninja Theory’s reboot of the classic Devil May Cry series, you fight a demon that has taken over a news station that I think bears a resemblance to a portrait by Salvador Dali.

Surrealism was about making an unnerving illogical sense of the human subconscious. Dali in particular had a lot of work trying to depict dreams often alluding to childhood, sex, fear and death. Which again correspond with many themes in games. Horror games such as Silent Hill use strange desolate landscapes and horrid creatures to reflect the protagonists descent into madness. Silent Hill takes a lot of inspiration I believe from Nietzsche’s quote of “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee”. As it follows various characters as they are stuck in the Nightmare town forced to confront their literal demons.

Ernst also created images of strange landscapes such as Europe After the Rain II. Here he paints a vast apocalypse. In the midst of the ruined land, a soldier threatens a female figure with his spear or ruined battle standard. It has been suggested that the figures could be large garden statuary, or perhaps semi-mythical survivors of a futuristic war. You can easily draw parallels between that description and many game narratives today like Fallout or Bioshock. It even looks a little like one of the landscapes

A common critique of surrealism and the gaming industry is that they are both male dominated movements. There are a lot of depictions of women within them, but most of the time they are hypersexualised. Just as surrealism was used to pry open deep psychological traumas and violence, it also showed a primitive need for sex and women. Either depicted in motherly roles such as Magritte’s ‘The Great War’ or simply an object of desire like in Dali’s ‘Bleeding Roses’.

The same can be said for many games where a female characters job is simply to be a helpless love interest only good for a sex scene or two.

Often scantily dressed and there purely for male enjoyment. However just as Frida Kahlo still rose to be a prominent surrealist figure without prior art education, many female characters are being developed giving girls a voice and an outlet not seen as much in old art movements. Portraits are finally being painted of women that are more than just the male gaze.

They are giving stories that tell a profound experience to be had in a game to female characters, to be seen through a female lense. Games such as Mirrors Edge, Tomb Raider, Dragon Age and Final Fantasy.

I guess the point of this essay was not to try and depict games as surrealist works despite a lot of the time having insanely surrealist qualities. It was to show a direct parallel being how an art movement has tried to portray human psychology using unconscious expression and absurd character and landscape design with an emerging genre of video game doing almost the exact same thing but with a lot more deliberate finish. But even so Sigmund Freud dismisses surrealism saying it was not an unconscious artistic endeavour but a very conscious liberation of highly structured ego activity. So both games and surrealism are very well thought out methods of experiencing the human condition.

Overall I believe if the surrealists had the technology some very intense games would have appeared dragging the player into a twisted world to experience a vast dreamscape in a theatre of cruelty.

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