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bi-dazai · 5 years

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2000 words on soukoku romance-coding in episode 26

i’ve talked a lot on here about how there’s a lot of romance-coding in the canon content featuring dazai and chuuya. here’s a rundown of my base theories here

i didnt add this in my original above post, but ill say now that diegetically chuuya and dazai are usually quite levelheaded and manipulative - both are the two youngest port mafia executives in history. even when dazai is annoyed with other characters (such as kunikida or atsushi) it is clear that he is play-acting. chuuya, meanwhile, is extremely level-headed and doesnt get upset at all - even when yosano and kenji appeared heavily armed. dazai is only slightly upset by shibusawa and dostoyevsky. the only person to genuinely get a rise out of both chuuya and dazai are each other. even so, their arguing has, from the beginning, been petty on the surface, yet upon reading into dialogue and animated/written/illustrated facial expressions show deep hurt at each others actions, particularly on their 4 year separation and dazai covering up his loyalty to chuuya by betraying his trust in episode 21.

i have two more points to add on concerning their non-diegetic relationship. firstly, that official merchandise and posters almost always depict chuuya and dazai either ogling each other (theres a trend of dazai ogling chuuya’s ass in particular) or doing something romantic together (for example there’s a poster where they are depicted hanging around together with no other characters near a christmas tree - christmas is considered a romantic holiday in japan. the same coding is given to many canon fictional couples in japan, and to another studio bones production pairing in bnha kiribaku, which has a similar level of gaycoding).

the second non-diegetic point you should understand about soukoku: it’s one of the most popular ships in japan, and japan’s anime industry tends to be a lot more open about showing same-sex relationships/gay-coding than the west is.

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and for a note on my authorship - i admit that i do ship soukoku, and that this gives me a bias. i am also bisexual and am much more sensitive to noticing homoeroticism than many straight audiences. however, to counter this point id like to clarify that it takes a lot to make me believe a same-sex ship has even the slightest chance of being canon. also, id like to say that i am an author in my second year of a creative writing degree and my first year of a film studies minor. these degrees both involve analysing text within production and authorial context (a lot...). in my free time i read a lot of papers and articles on the production context and general views of lgbt representation in different countries’ media, in particular the usa, australia, and japan. i consume every piece of media i view with an intensely critical eye and i specialise in connected diegetic elements with non-diegetic elements in terms of production, authorial, and social context

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*NOTE* im going to be doing things out of order here for no other reason than that i realised them in that order as i thought about the episode analytically

today i want to talk about something extremely specific that came up in episode 26, and it has to do with the use of symbolism and shot composition. it’s just a short, short sequence but to me it speaks volumes, both for their canon relationship and their coded romantic relationship.

specifically this sequence. this is just one shot and to me it portrays soukoku’s dynamic as explicitly romantic in a mise-en-scene sense.

before we like to go in, id like to clarify that the dialogue doesnt matter - it’s mainly expository stuff.

the first sc is the first shot we see of dazai and chuuya ‘alone’ in this scene. it’s unclear where mori is exactly. even though mori is clearly orchestrating the two of them and this entire scene’s dialogue, he isn’t in this shot until the very end. this defines the soukoku relationship, as well as their first meeting being entirely incidental, as being something that was supposedly orchestrated by mori but on a deeper level something they created and grow themselves. it is their relationship from the beginning, not mori’s. even though we know that mori is orchestrating this, we are told that this story will be about chuuya and dazai, not mori’s plans. along with that, it’s also the first shot of open sky we get in this scene, and it’s with just chuuya and dazai looking at each other, silent. it’s open and refreshing and new, but there’s something there already - which i will discuss now.

so. let’s talk about the vapour trail. the vapour trail has no real relationship to the scene or story at all. it would be perfectly logical to just place clouds here, or even place the vapour trail somewhere else. but this vapour trail is very specifically placed to form an arrow to comes from dazai’s heart and reaches towards chuuya, passing over mori’s head narrowly. mori watches the trail, dazai and chuuya watch each other. mori knows the middle part - that they will be tied together to be a device of violence of his own making. but at the other ends dazai and chuuya are tied together in a way that goes above and below mori’s knowledge. this symbolises their future together, and indicates a subtextual level to their dynamic.

the choice i want to focus on here, however, is the choice to have this arrow reach from dazai’s heart. as a writer, if i was trying to symbolise the general strategic soukoku dynamic i would have this arrow go from dazai’s head (the brains) to chuuya (the recipient and conductor of dazai’s plans). in fact, i have a dynamic im writing right now that is similar to this, in which one is defense and one is agility. however, these two also end up in a same-sex romantic relationship together later on. in order to code and foreshadow this, as well as add romantic subtext, often when using symbology i adjust my symbols to fit a romantic context subtly. as an author myself, this shot is a clear hint of adjusted symbolism in order to code dazai’s feelings for chuuya.

and if i’m to read further, i would even say that the fact that the arrow flies over chuuya’s head suggests that dazai currently has romantic feelings for chuuya that chuuya does not yet return (but comes to, something that i have discussed in my linked post above).

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secondly, tumblr user @cream-and-punishment made a fun joke post about dazai and chuuya “exchanging wedding vows” at their first meeting. firstly, it’s funny as fuck and when i first saw the post my reaction was just “haha it does sound like that!”. however, i keep looking at that post, keep returning to the script and that scene, and my reaction is now “wow. it does sound like that. like. exactly what soukoku wedding vows sound like. huh.”

for the lazy here’s the script (translated by the funimation subtitle team):

Dazai: You’re a cocky, overconfident child. You’re the kind of person I hate the most.

Chuuya: And I hate condescending pricks like you more than anything in this world.

and because im thorough, i ignored my english subs and listened the original japanese script as well (with my limited japanese to basically check for anything that could be translated differently or means something in japanese that is culturally untranslatable). what i found was that the english subs are right, and capture the original lines quite well.

dialogue can function as a tool for multiple results. in this two-line exchange, neither of the lines are meant as views into the character’s true interiors. instead, the purpose of this interchange is meant to be foreshadowing, specifically into the fact that this is how chuuya and dazai spend the rest of their relationship (up until the current point in the canon manga plot) expressing their opinion towards each other. it mirrors the kind of dialogue we see in episode 10 in which dazai and chuuya’s dialogue works as exposition for their past and their base dynamic, and here it is used to foreshadow what is considered backstory in the main plot (if that makes any sense?).

however, chuuya’s response to dazai is where im interested. im gonna pull my writer’s card here and say that if i was, again, just foreshadowing hatred and frustration as well as cooperation, i would cut chuuya’s line to something like this:

Chuuya: And I hate condescending pricks like you the most/just as much/etc.

“more than anything in this world”, of course, could just be incidental. but considering how a lot of soukoku’s dialogue is clearly double-entendre (read my original post linked above), it makes me consider a second option: that we are already putting that romantic double-entendre into their dynamic. if we refer to the future soukoku dynamic, in particular in episode 21, we are shown multiple times that chuuya genuinely cares for dazai’s well-being (secondary to rimbaud’s hat of course hahaha). chuuya would be genuinely upset if dazai died, and its implied (though still up to interpretation as opposed to the explicitness of chuuya’s shown feelings, however i would argue that dead apple is fairly explicit in dazai’s trust and feelings) the vice versa is also true.

going off that, often how both of them express concern for each other is by making ‘hateful’ comments towards each other. in episode 9, it’s clear there is uncomfortable tension in the room. there is 4 years of unspoken confusion lingering and chuuya is clearly, clearly upset. so dazai, in referencing an unchanging nature of what makes them them, calls back to one of his first mocking entries - how short chuuya is. it’s funny and it’s mocking, but the blows they trade are familiar and even when theyre brawling, despite being on opposite sides they take genuine pleasure in each others company. considering both of their personalities and histories as well as their trauma, both of them tend to struggle with interpersonal relationships and opening up. but chuuya and dazai canonically feel comfortable with each other, and know how to read each other well enough to both bounce off each other while also understanding what lies beneath.

so when chuuya says something like “i hate you more than anything in this world” we are pulled back to the present (in the plot), where chuuya says these things but moments later is concerned or worried for dazai’s wellbeing. chuuya in this line prioritises dazai as the foremost person in his life within minutes of meeting each other. diegetically (to the characters) we know this is them exchanging tense negotiation. non-diegetically (to what we know of the script and their future, as well as this entire exchange being mostly foreshadowing), we are clearly meant to interpret this to mean that chuuya will, eventually, hold dazai to be incredibly important to him, and vice versa.

of course, we also have the fact that the phrase “more than anything in this world” is yet another soukoku romantic double-entendre. as i mentioned with things such as “the silent treatment” and mentioning drinking heavily when someone abruptly leaves you, it’s clear that these are used almost entirely as romantic tropes. i’ve discussed this before so i wont get too much into it, but just say that this scene adds yet another line to that long list of soukoku double-entendres.

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considering at least the first 3 episodes will be related to exploring the soukoku backstory, ill be trying to post an analytic of soukoku for each episode of the 15 adaptation. furthermore, these posts won’t be explicitly about the potential of canon romantic chuuya/dazai, but will analyse soukoku scenes in a focus that i see fit for each episode. whether this is examining it like this post again, or examining it for foreshadowing or cinematographic details etc, will be decided once i watch each episode.

anyway lol! yet another rambling analytical of something nobody cares about haha

#long post #skk #soukoku #double black #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #damn i feel like a hack fraud tagging for attention but i wrote all this out so

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martechadvisor-blog · 7 years

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SMBs, Learn from these Easter Marketing Campaigns to Better Sales

It has been estimated that close to $17 billion is spent during the Easter in the US, thus making it one of the most profitable holidays, next only to Christmas. So, what can marketers really do to ensure much of this spend lands in their kitties? How do you design your marketing campaigns when your audience already knows it is the holiday season, and every marketer is all set to roll with their campaigns? To answer this in simple words, engage your customers in a way never done before. Build the ‘connect’, and touch the emotional chords to make the holiday unforgettable for your patrons.

When we polled a few martech insiders on the Easter-related brand campaigns that they had a quick recall of and the one key takeaway from it, this is what they had to say:

Industry Speak:

Holly Pavlika, SVP Marketing & Content at Collective Bias

"Holidays are great for social content because people have so many fond memories and traditions that can personalize / humanize stories that influencers create, which is key for engagement and sharing. Nostalgic content helps connect us with the content emotionally, and emotional connections help connect brands with their consumers. This dulce de leche mousse with crunchy sponge influencer content exemplifies that and received over 10,000 likes on Facebook alone."

Ivy Shtereva, Director of Marketing at Yes Lifecycle Marketing

“When considering current Easter marketing campaigns, Williams-Sonoma is the first brand that comes to mind. They’ve been promoting deals on candy, Easter baskets, dinner items and anything else to help hosts prepare for Easter parties. Throughout this campaign, Williams-Sonoma has been using a sense of urgency to engage consumers. It’s working, too: their email with the subject line “There’s Still Time! Order Your EASTER Feast & Get It Delivered to Your Door,” for example, received an open rate of 23 percent, a significant increase over the 16.1% average open rate registered in Q1 2017. At the same time, and to Williams-Sonoma’s credit, the brand has done a great job of diversifying their campaigns based on the channel they’re using. They posted a funny image of DIY emoji Easter eggs on their Facebook page and a great guide to hosting a festive Easter brunch on their Twitter account. While they did have promotional email messaging around Easter, they also ‘lightened it up’ with fun, value-added content on their other channels. I am always impressed by well-balanced marketing programs and, to me, the key takeaway is to always ensure marketers have them, especially during promotion-heavy periods."

Kathy Menis, SVP Marketing at Signal

“Candy is top of mind around the Easter season, and many confectionary brands are pursuing holiday-related campaigns, from Cadbury Cream Eggs to Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs to Peeps. The brands that do it best are those that engage with consumers not just through traditional channels like digital media or the Sunday circular, but also connect through emerging channels like Pinterest, Etsy, and Facebook, where consumers may engage during other critical moments throughout the holiday experience." “For example, imagine you are planning an Easter Sunday family event in your home. While you’re likely purchasing candy to fill Easter baskets, you’re thinking about other ways to delight your family, from the centerpieces on your table to the food you serve. Great marketers consider how they can engage with customers as they research and plan for all of the critical moments during a holiday season.”

Leo Castro, VP Product Marketing and Brand at BigCommerce

“Beauty Bridge, a beauty lifestyle brand and BigCommerce customer, recently conducted an Easter-themed email campaign, using creative copywriting and discounts to encourage customers to take advantage of sales. The campaign is understated, simple even, but stands out to me as a success because its message, while holiday themed, remains consistent with the company's existing branding and doesn’t overpower the product, which I often find to be the case when brands try to play into a holiday. For Beauty Bridge, the tie to Easter is subtle, and serves to enhance the featured products in an entertaining and playful way."

“What's more, as a brand selling widely-distributed products, Beauty Brand’s use of discounts is a great way to differentiate the brand and entice customers to convert, though the process of discounting can often be difficult for a brand to bring to life. In the case of holidays, sales occur quickly and extensive time setting up a single discount campaign can result in lost revenue. To combat this, retailers should look at easing their hurdles with ecommerce platforms that can set-up discount campaigns in minutes, rather than hours or days, making it easy for those brands to opportunistically leverage discounts, flash sales, and the like.”

Based on the above comments and looking back on some past campaigns, we present some key learnings for marketers to drive strategies that garner maximum profit.

Innovate without moving too far from the conventional

Carlsberg, which has always been counted as one of the best products in terms of experimenting with campaign ideas, drove an extremely successful campaign with its Pop-up Chocolate bar last year. You ask what’s beer got to do with Easter? Absolutely nothing! But, beer has got to do a lot when it’s a long weekend. A pop-up bar entirely made of edible chocolates, starting from the stools to the dashboard, with real beer of course, is an absolute delight and can’t skip the attention of chocolate and beer-lovers alike! The campaign fetched an outstanding number of beer-lovers to Carlsberg stores across cities.

Hotel Chocolat, a premium chocolate brand, had a bunny across their stores. People who came in the stores were asked to take pictures with the bunny and share it on Twitter with #TheBeauBunny. This campaign expectedly resonated well especially with kids around the country, who drove their parents to the bunnies, and definitely did not let go without buying chocolates. This year, Hotel Chocolat sent out an extremely innovative email eight weeks prior to Easter. The Easter egg varieties offered, were displayed in a unique fashion resembling a bunch of flowers, with messages clearly making a connection with users.

Cadbury’s EggsEverywhere campaign is another success, wherein the three giant branded eggs were dropped on the Loch Ness in Scotland, depicting the folklore of Loch Ness monster. The campaign included chocolates hidden around various corners, which people found and uploaded with glee on Twitter.

While the Easter egg concept generated success, Cadbury landed in trouble in its recent Easter marketing strategy, where it mysteriously took the word ‘Easter’ off its campaign. The ‘egg hunt pack’ may not have gone down too well with some audiences, as there was no mention of the annual festival apart from a deadline for which the product will be available. Recognized symbols such as the bunny, colored eggs, and religious signs get you a prompt recognition in your campaigns, as Easter is a symbol of renewal and new beginnings. You can rebrand your company centering on this theme, portraying how your products and services can help your patrons ‘rethink’, about their lives, and ‘renew’ it. However, moving too far away from the key theme may turns the game upside down, just as it did for Cadbury.

Setting the tone right early for festive occasions such as Easter

Marketers can boost their sales on Easter by hitting on an extraordinary customer-engaging campaign. One of the key tips to get there is to get the timing right. Although you may want to shout out ‘Easter’ a month after Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are over, it may not be a good idea. People need a little bit of time to wake up from the Christmas hangover, before they can digest the thought of more chocolates. The ideal time to begin your campaigns about three weeks prior to Easter. Research suggests that this is the time when Australians start discussing about the festival on Twitter. The week prior to Easter should be the one with the most dynamic and maximum number of activities around Easter marketing, and the whole thing should be wrapped up right after the festival ends.

Send Easter bunny emails

Marketers view their campaigns in line with kids, as the chocolate festival draws kids to force parents to make purchase decisions. However, it is undeniable that adults are thrilled about chocolates as well, and the frenzy doubles or triples when chocolates come as a prize or a freebie. Anything free is attractive, isn’t it? Especially, chocolates!

Send out bunny cards with an embedded gift coupon that can be redeemed to get Easter discounts or gifts, when patrons visit your site the next time. A brilliant gifting idea is grab bags themed around children, which relieve parents from the task of finding cute goodies for their little ones.

Reach out to the right audience

An Easter marketing campaign needs to be tailored well, so that the right message reaches the correct audience. Use data-driven insights to understand which part of your audience has what plan in mind for the holidays. While moms may look for an easy way to entertain their kids, dads are most likely to have a vacation in mind for the long weekend. Some just want to take advantage of the time-off to sit and relax. Once you know what your audience is looking for, identify the apt ways to engage with them. For instance, arrange an online coloring competition for kids with grab bags as prizes, or put a workshop that offers gifts on every purchase.

Strong call-to-actions

Make sure your messages are not simply beating around the bush, but come with a distinct and clear call-to-action. The message should have a sense of urgency weaved into it, as the Easter promotions and marketing campaigns are not going to last for weeks, but will be at peak for two weeks, and then fade off slowly.

Upsell with Easter-themed packaging

Marketers often try to drive traffic to their sites by offering Easter special promotions and discounts, which is indeed a good way to increase sales. But, upselling with the help of bunny-themed packaging may help you make more money in the holiday season. The simple reason being, patrons are interested in the bunny design, while products are probably at their original price, with no discounts attached.

Create events around Easter

Holding an Easter event is a great idea to drive customers to your business place. You may include egg races, egg hunt, and photography contests with the Easter bunny and promote on social media. Easter-themed social media contests can be used extensively to increase traffic to your site. A game or quiz will draw both elders and kids to your site, especially when the theme is Easter, and therefore, chocolate. So, in case you are in the online retail industry, put up a Pinterest board asking viewers to dress up in an Easter outfit and put their pictures on the web. Announce an attractive gift from your store for the best dresser.

Don’t stop at Easter

Whether your Easter campaign is a success or not, it’s a great space to learn and apply the marketing lessons, so that future holidays can be optimally leveraged for campaign opportunities. Keep a note of the next holiday season and plan your campaigns in advance to make the most of it.

Marketing centers around hitting the right person with the correct message, and all your efforts are directed towards it. For example, you can entice a mom watching a regular TV show, with a turkey-themed advert, while Thanksgiving is approaching. Look for every small and big opportunity and turn it into a rewarding one for your brand. Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Back to School, and summer vacations are a few you can base your marketing campaigns on. And, with a goal of enhancing your brand resonance, the list of marketing events is endless.

This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

#martech #marketing #technology #business #cmo

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