#those depictions alongside how my personality is perceived?

[theoptia]

Your ability to accumulate a cult-like following on social media websites while being bizarrely enigmatic should be studied by Harvard

*Kim Kardashian voice* Not bad for a girl with no talent.

#i love how you all describe me. #pity i blocked the anonymous degrading my physical appearance because #those depictions alongside how my personality is perceived? #you’d think i was disgustingly insufferable!

[writingwithcolor]

Depicting Real World Religions Alongside Constructed Religions

Maya asked:

Hi WWC! Thank you so much for this blog, it's an infinitely wonderful resource! Do you have any suggestions for how I can balance representation of real religions with fantasy religions, or should I avoid including these together? Does the fact that certain things bleed over from our world into the fantasy world help legitimize the appearance of real world religions? I feel like I can come up with respectful ways to integrate representation in ways that make sense for the worldbuilding. For instance, no Muslim characters would practice magic, and both Jewish and Muslim characters would conceive of magic in ways that fit their religion (rather than trying to adapt real religions to fit my worldbuilding). I also have some ideas for how these religions came about that fit between handwave and analogous history (though I realize the Qur'an is unchangeable, so I'm guessing Islam would have come about in the same way as IRL). BTW—I'm referring to humans, not other species coded as Muslim or Jewish. I may explore the concept of jinns more (particularly as how Muslims perceive fantastical beings), but I definitely need to do a lot more research before I go down that road! Finally, I saw a post somewhere (*but* it might have been someone else's commentary) suggesting to integrate certain aspects of Judaism (e.g., skullcaps in sacred places/while praying, counting days from sundown instead of sunset) into fantasy religions (monotheistic ones, of course) to normalize these customs, but as a non-Jewish person I feel this could easily  veer into appropriation-territory.  *One of the posts that I'm referring to in case you need a better reference of *my* reference: defining coding and islam-coded-fantasy

[This long ask was redacted to pull out the core questions asked]

"Both Jewish and Muslim characters would conceive of magic in ways that fit their religion (rather than trying to adapt real religions to fit my worldbuilding)."

Just a note that while having religion be part of magic is a legitimate way to write fantasy, I want to remind people that religious characters can also perform secular magic. Sometimes I feel like people forget about that particular worldbuilding option. (I feel this one personally because in my own books I chose to make magic secular so that my nonmagical heroine wouldn’t seem less close to God somehow than her wizard adoptive dad, who is an objectively shadier person.) I’m not saying either way is more or less correct or appropriate, just that they’re both options and I think sometimes people forget about the one I chose. But anyway moving on—

Your decision to make the water spirits not actual deities is a respectful decision given the various IRL monotheistic religions in your story, so, thank you for that choice. I can see why it gets messy though, since some people in-universe treat those powers as divine. I guess as long as your fantasy Jews aren’t being depicted as backwards and wrong and ignoring in-universe reality in favor of in-universe incorrect beliefs, then you’re fine…

"I saw a post somewhere (but it might have been someone else's commentary) suggesting to integrate certain aspects of Judaism (e.g., skullcaps in sacred places/while praying, counting days from sundown instead of sunset) into fantasy religions (monotheistic ones, of course) to normalize these customs, but as a non-Jewish person I feel this could easily veer into appropriation-territory."

That was probably us, as Meir and I both feel that way. What would make it appropriative is if these very Jewish IRL markers were used to represent something other than Judaism. It's not appropriative to show Jewish or Jewish-coded characters wearing yarmulkes or marking one day a week for a special evening with two candles or anything else we do if it's connected to Jewishness! To disconnect the markers of us from us is where appropriation starts to seep in.

–Shira

To bounce off what Shira said above, the source of the magic can be religious or secular--or put another way, it can be explicitly granted be a deity or through engagement with a specific religious practice, or it can be something that can be accessed with or without engaging with a certain set of beliefs or practices. It sounds like you’re proposing the second one: the magic is there for anyone to use, but the people in this specific religion engage with it through a framework of specific ideas and practices.

If you can transform into a “spirit” by engaging with this religion, and I can transform into a “spirit” through an analogous practice through the framework of Kabbalah, for example, and an atheist can transform through a course of secular technical study, then what makes yours a religion is the belief on your part that engaging in the process in your specific way, or choosing to engage in that process over other lifestyle choices, is in some way a spiritual good, not the mechanics of the transformation. If, on the other hand, humans can only access this transformative magic through the grace of the deities that religion worships, while practitioners of other religions lack the relationship with the only gods empowered to make that magic, that’s when I’d say you had crossed into doing more harm than good by seeking to include real-world religions.

Including a link below to a post you might have already seen that included the “religion in fantasy worldbuilding alignment chart.” It sounds like you’re in the center square, which is a fine place to be. The center top and bottom squares are where I typically have warned to leave real-world religions out of it.

More reading:

Jewish characters in a universe with author-created fictional pantheons

–Meir

#religion #magic #fantasy #Judaism #Islam #Worldbuilding #Jewish #asks #supernatural beings

[justforthepoets]

What is MBTI?

In simple terms, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or better known as MBTI, is a tool that is used to understand as well as categorise different personality types. In MBTI theory, there are four categories.

The four categories :

I or E (Where you focus your attention)

N or S (How you take in information)

T or F (How you make decisions)

P or J (How you deal with the world)

Each individual possesses a singular preference from each category. Within each category, there can only be one designation. Whether it's Introversion (I) or Extraversion (E), you inhabit one realm exclusively. This principle applies uniformly across all categories. This results in the emergence of 16 distinct and unique personality types.

For example, my preferred preference from each category is I, N, T, and P, which makes me an INTP.

Below the line, I shall explain each category simply and to the best of my abilities

1. (I)NTROVERSION or (E)TRAVERSION

The first category and primary preference pair are introversion and extraversion, depicted by the letters I and E. These facets illustrate differing energy orientations, outlining contrasting approaches to directing and receiving energy, as well as focal points of attention.

(E)TRAVERSION :

Extroversion involves a preference for social interaction, excitement, and stimulation. People who identify with Extraversion feel energized when they interact with others and the world around them. They enjoy being involved in their surroundings and getting feedback from people and events. Interacting with others and being outside recharges their social battery. They naturally focus their attention outward.

(I)TROVERSION :

Individuals who resonate with Introversion gain energy from pondering concepts and ideas within their inner thoughts. They appreciate spending focused time alone, often preferring their own space where they can tailor their surroundings. These personality types require solitude to recharge and find tranquillity. Their inner world serves as the source of rejuvenation, naturally directing their attention inward.

2. I(N)TUITION or (S)ENSING

The second set, (S)ensing and i(N)tuition, illustrate contrasting ways people perceive information and approach the world around them, shaping their responses and behaviors. They depict the perceiving mental processes for taking in information and the opposite ways to see things.

I(N)TUITION :

Intuitive individuals engage in envisioning both past experiences and future potentials based on what they perceive. Those inclined towards Intuition prioritize recognizing patterns and exploring potentialities within the information they receive. They emphasize the broader context and strive to establish connections between various pieces of information, relying on insights and gut feelings alongside their sensory experiences. Intuitives are inclined to explore imaginative ideas and possibilities, often contemplating theoretical concepts and asking "What if?" questions, as they delve into the deeper significance of things rather than focusing solely on practical matters.

(S)ENSING :

Individuals who favor Sensing direct their attention towards information that is solid and observable, emphasizing specific details and factual data. They rely on their sensory experiences to perceive the world around them, valuing practicality and direct observation. The term "real-time" resonates strongly with Observant individuals, who are deeply attuned to present circumstances and events. While they acknowledge the significance of the past and future, they primarily consider how these temporal dimensions impact their current actions, leading them to adopt a focused and pragmatic approach. Observant types prefer to engage in hands-on activities that yield tangible results, prioritizing action over abstract discussions.

3. (T)HINKING or (F)EELING

Our third category, the Nature scale, indicates our preference for either emotions or rationality when making decisions. The key distinction between thinking judgments and feeling judgments lies in the criteria they use to evaluate options.

(T)HINKING :

Individuals inclined towards Thinking prioritize objective principles and factual analysis in decision-making, relying heavily on logic and reasoning. They rely on factual information as their main tool and assess alternatives based on their logical coherence and practicality. These individuals typically approach relationships by emphasizing fairness and effectiveness, valuing respect above all else. While they may value relationships, they can sometimes overlook emotional responses, feeling uncomfortable with emotions that do not align with their rational mindset. However, this doesn't mean they lack empathy; they tend to evaluate situations rigorously.

(F)EELING :

Individuals who lean towards Feeling prioritize personal values and relationships when making decisions, often guided by their emotions and concern for others. They tend to exhibit caring, compassionate, and warm traits, demonstrating varying degrees of emotional expression. Feeling types are deeply protective of those they care about, whether it's their immediate family or broader communities in need. However, they may sometimes become overly invested in others' well-being, affecting their decision-making across various aspects of life, from personal relationships to broader societal issues. They recognize the importance of emotions and prioritize the welfare of others over cold objectivity and factual analysis.

4. (P)ERCEPTION or (J)UDGING

The fourth and final MBTI preference pair, Judging (J) and Perceiving (P), represents opposite approaches to engaging with the external world and how others perceive one's behaviors. Whether someone leans towards Judging or Perceiving influences their outward focus and energy expenditure, reflecting their inclination towards interacting with people, events, and situations in the external environment. Regardless of one's preference for Extraversion or Introversion, everyone exhibits both extraverted and introverted aspects of their personality at different times, either through decision-making processes (Judging) or information gathering (Perceiving). Therefore, individuals tend to introvert the process that they do not extravert, reflecting a balanced engagement with both internal and external dynamics.

(J)UDGING :

Individuals who favor Judging prefer a structured and organized lifestyle, seeking control over their environment by creating plans and adhering to them. They primarily engage with the outside world through their decision-making processes, whether through Thinking or Feeling. Closure and decisiveness are significant for those with a Judging preference, as they feel most at ease when they have a clear path forward. They prioritize preparation and adherence to plans, preferring clarity and finality over spontaneity. While this trait can sometimes lead to rigidity, most individuals with a Judging preference are not unreasonably stubborn, recognizing the need to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. However, too many surprises can cause frustration and stress for them. Judging types typically exhibit a strong work ethic, prioritizing duties and responsibilities, and emphasizing adherence to rules and standards for achieving success, driven by a sense of fairness and a desire for tangible results.

(P) ERCEPTION :

Individuals who prefer Perceiving, also known as Prospecting, embrace a flexible and open-ended lifestyle, preferring to explore options rather than exert control over their environment. They primarily engage with the outside world through their information-gathering processes of Sensing or Intuition. Remaining open to new information, last-minute opportunities, and being adaptable are central to those with a Perceiving preference. Prospecting individuals excel at dealing with unexpected challenges and seizing opportunities, reacting to their surroundings rather than trying to control them, which allows them to make the most of whatever circumstances they encounter. While their openness to possibilities can lead to impulsive decision-making and difficulty committing due to the abundance of options, it also fosters creativity and productivity. Their minds constantly generate a myriad of options, akin to a stream of consciousness, enabling them to find innovative solutions and explore a variety of interests. Despite potential challenges such as indecision and perceived unfocus, the Perceiving trait facilitates a dynamic and stimulating approach to life, characterized by a continual exploration of diverse opportunities.

Your dominant preference from each pair highlights your potential strengths. While you primarily rely on certain preferences, you still utilize others to varying degrees, akin to your hand preference where one hand is favoured, but both are used. Occasionally, you'll need to tap into less preferred preferences, which may present challenges, known as a personality stretch. Understanding your strengths and stretches aids in self-awareness, enhances interpersonal understanding, and fosters personal growth. These preferences don't operate independently; when combined, they form the 16 MBTI personality types, offering a comprehensive understanding of personality dynamics and development.

The 16 personalities can also be categorised into groups (with their respected colours) :

Analysts : INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, ENTP

Diplomats : INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, ENFP

Sentinels : ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ

Explorers : ISFP, ISTP, ESFP, ESTP

These groups are not important when it comes to understanding the basics of MBTI. Nonetheless, those are all the types.

All information (none of which is my own) was accessed through these websites :

Feel free to read more about MBTI through these websites or others to gain a better understanding. What I have used from these websites are the BASICS. I am no professional after all lol. I hope it's not that confusing. I tried to use the information that most applied in a simple way. Sorry if it does not come across as so.

Following this, I shall be typing the characters in Dead Poets Society. This is for those who don't have an understanding of MBTI.

#dead poets society #charlie dalton #todd anderson #neil perry #dead poets edit #dead poets fanart #dead poets honor #dead poets memes #mbti personalities #mbti personality types #mbti types #mbti #myer briggs #intp #entp #intj #entj #infp #enfp #infj #enfj #isfp #esfp #isfj #esfj #istj #estj #istp #estp #dead poets live

[herald-divine-hell]

The Character of Amayian and His Personality

So, I recently came to a realization that a lot of people might be entirely confused or bewildered by Amayian’s character - with some perception that he is entirely perfect, his trauma is built only to give him sympathy and shock value, and that his compassion toward others is played up in the manner of incel-like behavior. I specifically received an anon that rubbed me the wrong way, and entirely mischaracterized Amayian’s character and growth to a false version of him that never truly did exist. 

Let us start with the first point made. Is Amayian perfect? In my view, he is not, nor had I ever attended him to be perfect. There is plenty of evidence that shows he is incapable of being perfect - perhaps the biggest is his social ineptitude. Amayian had constantly be closeted and sheltered as an early age, picked almost on exclusively by his relatives based upon numerous factors - he was slow to anger, easily trusting, and to some extent his skin tone played a heavy role in that regard as well. Alongside that, his father’s example of reclusively of emotions, coupled with the determination set up by his mother and father to handle his powers in a subdued manner, implemented a severe level of inability to react socially to events or people. 

I refer to this as the Cutting of the Heart which many of my characters go through - both in the Dragon Age Fandom and my own personal writing -  emotions are a significant part of the human experience, and almost everyone on Earth has felt certain emotions. Now the understanding of those emotions and feeling such emotions are completely different, and I took examples from many cultures throughout history who view stoicism and repression of emotions as an ideal to demonstrate the dangers of particularly imposing a emotionless life upon children can have severe inhibitors emotionally, but as well as mentally. 

Yet, his magical abilities also permitted some level of political benefit for his family. Amayian had an acute awareness of manipulating fellows dreams, which allowed some information being shuffled down from him when he dreamwalked. His uncle in particularly used such an ability to cause him to be entirely mentally dependent on his family’s praise, tying down to his self-worth. He became not a child nor a man, but a tool for political machinations. If he failed them - which his family insinuated and Amayian mentally confirmed through the death of his mother - he would be casted away and forsaken. Of course Amayian would strive to be perfect in every regards, but the fact is that he does constantly fail, and it is a lesson taught by Leliana that failure itself is not a terrible thing, but how we react to the presence of failure that is important. 

Now to Amayian’s personality in regards to having “nice guy syndrome”, and in truth I cannot find anything that depicts Amayian as a “nice guy”. In truth, it is very much the opposite, especially if you read many of my writings of him. Not once does Amayian perceive any benefit or reward to being nice, especially in regards to receiving sexual favors from someone like Leliana. Amayian does not even think like that at all. The very conception that others would find him attractive never dawns on him, and instead he perceives the requests of such things as entirely on his ability to provide a service - to be a tool. In truth, when he began to realize that he may have romantic feelings to Leliana, he instantly disengages with the possibility, and is in truth frightened on the idea that Leliana would even find him a romantic suitor, especially given that Leliana and the Warden at the time were in a romantic relationship. It is partly the reason why he flees after Denerim, as much because he once more “failed” to save the Warden, just as he “failed” to save his mother, as it is that as long as he stays away from Leliana, his affection would remain quiet, and that she would never have to burden herself with someone like him. 

Now, how does that exemplify a “nice guy” or a “incel” relationship? When he does become part of a relationship, he is entirely dedicated toward Leliana or his partner, depending on the au, and would strive to do their desires at every turn. That is in no way a depiction of a “nice guy”, and once again shows a misinterpretation of his character and his actual relationship with Leliana. 

If anyone wishes to fully understand the basis of Amayian’s identify, I would highly recommend watching Violet Evergarden, where her character was very much an inspiration for Amayian as a person. 

#Dragon Age #Dragon Age Inquisition #DA #DAI #Dragon Age Trevelyan

[crimeboyisms]

One of my favorite aspects of c!Tommy's character is how his traits would ordinarily be assigned to a female deuteragonist, and are instead given to him, arguably the main male "protagonist" of his story. When I say this, I am referring to his personality, as well as the way his character is treated by both the other members of the server and the audience themselves. A character who seems to be similar in nature to c!Tommy, at least at a surface level, is Asuka Langley, one of the two female deuteragonists in Neon Genesis Evangelion. She is introduced to the audience as a young spitfire of a pilot, one who is both proud and confident as well as abrasive in her personality. She is shown to be passionate, easily irritable, and stubborn with a tendency to default to aggressive outbursts as her emotional outlet. Alongside this, she is deeply insecure about her worth as an individual, and is depicted within the show as believing herself to be "worthless" outside of her assigned role as a pilot. Though not a perfect mirror of c!Tommy by any means, as far as female deuteragonists go Asuka is a prime example of how several core aspects of c!Tommy's character could typically be seen in that role despite his status as one of the protagonists of the Dream SMP. Another trait he displays which is not as relevant in Asuka's character, but is often found in character's of that type, is his "kind but not nice" personality. His compassion and vulnerability hide beneath the bold and brash persona he presents to others, and those parts of himself shine through in important moments of clarity, adding depth to his character and giving the audience a reason to love him. In fiction, this type of character is perceived by the majority of the audience, and even other characters within the story, to be obnoxious and irritating, and is seen as "over-reactive and over-emotional" when analyzed with a shallow lens. Characters with these flaws are often looked upon with derision, and are in general less favored than their counterparts. To see c!Tommy's embody these character tropes as the main character of his story is something I find quite interesting, and it's one of the reasons I enjoy his character.

#c!tommy #tommyinnit #dream smp #dsmp #i just think he's neat !!!

[itariilles]

My Statement on Tolkien 2019

[ French translation and German translation availible. ]

It has been incredibly difficult for me to speak on my experiences regarding my experiences of hostility and othering in spaces that I loved and still hold dear to my heart, and for that reason I have been silent. That is until now. 

I have decided that now is the right time for me to come forward with my experience and statement regarding my negative experience as a person of colour engaging in Tolkien spaces. 

I want people involved in the wider Tolkien community to reflect on their roles in the specific spaces they inhabit, and how you can foster a better environment for marginalised groups to interact and engage with those spaces in a safe and inclusive manner. 

Take your time to listen and put effort into listening to fans of colour when they are speaking about their lived experiences and their grievances especially when they are speaking about a topic as personal as racism. Being critical of a work you love and the media surrounding it is not easy thing, but we need to recognise that these criticisms are valid and deserve to be taken seriously when it affects a collective of people across different backgrounds. 

I want to preface this by stating that I am speaking only for myself and my own lived experience as a vocal young non-black POC in a predominantly white space. I acknowledge that my experience is by no means universal or indicative of all POC in Tolkien fandom spaces. 

I also understand that real life interactions differ widely from interactions on online fandom spaces, but there are disturbing similarities across both online and real life spaces with specific regard to the environment and treatment of vocal POC in both. 

The tragedy is many people do not realise their impact not only on the individuals involved, but on the wider attitude towards POC voices in fandom when the topic of racism is discussed. We need to build safe environments where critical discussions of diversity and race from the people most affected by them are taken to heart, not invalidated or spoken over as targets of microaggressions. 

To give a bit of context, Tolkien 2019 was an in person conference organised by the Tolkien Society (which I was a member of at the time). The official website for Tolkien 2019 has been taken down but the Tolkien Society has a nice summary written in August 2018 breaking down the event here. 

I was approached by the Education Secretary at the time about my possible involvement in a panel discussing the history and future of the Tolkien Society which I elaborate on further in my statement. It was the first time I had felt that I had a platform where I could freely express my voice as a diverse reader and consumer of Tolkien media who held diversity in Tolkien as a core value in the wider Tolkien brand. 

I felt that as the only non-white member on the panel I had an obligation to speak out on the topic of diversity when it was raised. I tried to speak briefly about some of the points and discourses I had heard on portrayals of diversity in Tolkien media with as much nuance as I could manage at the time. In response to some points I had made I was met with vocal disapproval by some audience members and visible signs of disapproval and hostile body language from others. 

This was made even more jarring when later during the course of the event when two white creators hinted at vague notions of diversity were met with a far greater degree of approval. The former instance was during the context of a panel regarding the upcoming LOTR on Prime series, and the latter was during a talk presented by the chair of the Tolkien Society.

I felt intimidated and reluctant to involve myself any further in the Tolkien fandom, especially in real life spaces as my experience at Tolkien 2019 had only solidified and reaffirmed my fears and unease I had engaging in a predominantly white fandom with few visible POC members and creators who tackle topics of diversity and racism in both the community and source texts.

Following this event I was approached by an affiliate of one of the attendees who very kindly took the time to listen to me and suggested that I should write a statement in response to my experience. To my knowledge, my statement has not been shared or published on any platform yet and this will be the first time I have ever spoken about it publicly. 

Since then some of my thoughts and opinions on certain aspects of Tolkien fandom and meta have shifted or evolved which I will hopefully expand on in the future, but I wanted to share my initial unchanged statement I wrote reflecting my immediate reaction to my experience. 

I want to be seen as a Tolkien creative and critical thinker above anything else, but I cannot move forward with my work without speaking about my lived experience in a space which has been consistently hostile to me and so many others across different Tolkien spaces for so many years starting with my account of this one experience.

I hope my statement finds itself in good hands and I will always be willing to engage with others about my experiences so long as you engage with me in good faith. 

The statement I wrote on 25/09/2019 is as follows:

From the 9th to 11th of August of this year I attended a conference held by the Tolkien society aptly named “Tolkien 2019” that advertised itself as the “largest celebration of Tolkien ever held by the Society” in which I both spoke as a panelist and independant speaker. The event itself was a mixture of both formal and informal panels, papers presented by selected members of the society, and evening social events.

My invitation to speak on the “History of the Tolkien Society” panel was presented as deliberate choice made by the panel organiser as a gateway for discussion about diversity and representation in Tolkien. On the official programme, the panel was described as a discussion concerning “what the Tolkien Society and Tolkien fandom in general may become as it encounters digital spaces, issues of representation and diversity, academic interest and a myriad other factors that make up our lived experience today”.

Although there was much excitement and anticipation on my half in the weeks and days leading up to the event, it soon turned to dread when the tone and climate of the discussion dawned on me when I took my seat alongside five other panelists ranging from seasoned Tolkien scholars, long-time members of the Society, and a member with a leadership position within the Society. On that four person panel, I was the only one racialised as non-white. In fact, I was one of only three people in a room of approximately fifty to sixty people racialised as non-white.

It wasn’t long before the true motive of placing me — a young, new member of the Society, who felt already out of place and out of my depth even being offered the opportunity to participate in the first place — on a panel of what I perceived to be more seasoned members of the society.

When the topic of diversity and representation in the Tolkien fandom was raised by the moderator, I saw it as an opportunity for me to share my own experiences as a young fan who predominantly consumed Tolkien content online, as well as some observations I had made regarding the current pop-cultural perception of Tolkien as being heavily influenced, if not wholly entered around the Peter Jackson trilogies and being deeply ingrained with the issues that seep from those interpretations into our overall perception of the Tolkien brand.

One of the talking points that seemed to have caused the biggest uproar and dissent was one in which I referred Tolkien’s description of Sam’s hands as brown in two instances — the first in the Two Towers, and the second instance in Return of the King and how this has been translated into film as both literal and symbolic interpretations. The former in the Ralph Bakshi’s the “Lord of the Rings” released in 1978 in which I noted that the decision to portray Sam as more ethnically ambiguous compared to the other Hobbits was a deliberate choice, whereas the latter was depicted in the recent Peter Jackson trilogy released in the early 2000’s took the description symbolically and cast the white American actor Sean Astin for the role.

The backlash I received for this was, I believe, absolutely disproportionate to the views I expressed. I saw members frown and grunt in disapproval, as well as some visibly shake their heads at me. In spite of me parroting how I saw both interpretations as equally valid as a defence mechanism in the face of such an aggressive response to what to me seemed like an innocuous observation made by a young person of colour who did not see many portrayals of people of colour in Tolkien. 

Comments such as “I don’t care who they cast as Sam whether he’s black, brown, yellow, blue or green!” and “Tolkien’s message is universal I don’t see how race factors into this!” were shouted in between points I was making, and countless others were made as an effort to dismiss the effort I put in to hopefully start an open dialogue about the lack of diversity in adaptations of Tolkien and how it has coloured our perception of the overall brand, and perhaps fantasy as a whole.

Some other talking points I decided to mention included Peter Jackson’s Easterlings (coded as being North African or Middle Eastern in the film) as being appallingly Orientalist and damaging in a post-911 world, as well as referring to Tolkien’s vague descriptions of certain characters and people groups that can be interpreted as ethnic coding or perhaps hint at a more diverse cast than the popular brand of Tolkien that may have us believe. I iterated that it is the responsibility of consumers of Tolkien and Tolkien related media to push for different interpretations of the text in order to break the perception that Tolkien’s works are entirely Anglo and Eurocentric with no place for people of colour in the vast world he had created in my opinion as a love letter to his own.

A month later it is still difficult for me to fully wrap my head around what I had experienced during the conference, much less articulating it in a statement, but if there is a note I would like to conclude on it would be this: it was never about changing Tolkien’s works, but reinterpreting his 20th century text littered with colonial artefacts and reimagining the foundations of his work through a 21st century lens in an attempt to decolonise the interpretation of his works in popular culture.

To change the way we read, write and depict the Tolkien brand is to fundamentally change the landscape of the entire genre of fantasy which has and still derives so heavily from Tolkien’s works and the global Tolkien brand.

End.

#tolkien fandom #tolkien society #racism in tolkien #tolkien fandom racism #ok to reblog

[captainkurosolaire]

Let it all go

Think, speak, do. We shine through these formed notions.

No secret we’re all the byproducts of passion. So It’s no wonder innately we excel under that pacific condition. Or feel so strongly compelled to it. Whether it’s lust, ambition or undertaking our creative outlet. Morally people depict you differently by confessing or being earnest. Because of this, that characteristic trait has become deserted. If you convey too much emotion, you’re weak. Should you be ill, you’re pitied or invalidated from any struggles you accomplish or unknowingly given a farce bond. To debate is a conflict that many believe only can be of hatred intent. Or to win with senseless ego. When often in reality it’s to be polar educated, for betterment. Our society has pressurized this naturalness that attention of others warrants a higher value. Appeasement to be perceived by others, will never be relevant. Simplistically being real is what matters. We’re all diverse. Unique and special, our weaknesses they’re really strength’s awaiting you to channel them. I’d implore to seize them! All you are. Identifying yourself is how you’ll reach an apex and find true enjoyment, happiness, your flame of passion cannot be extinguished, even when you stumble. One thing or person, will never dictate your worth. Despite how it should feel… Confidence and openness isn’t a sin. If I could spread my abundance many times over, I would. However this is where I introduce myself. Typically where any wisdom comes from is because of firsthand experiences. Achieved a piss-poor job in updating and letting everyone know, I’m alright, those who do care.   For them, I lay it all here. I’m incredibly impulsive, stubborn, and most importantly a loser. With only one thing in common in symmetry to a pirate, I play. These things are quintessential, instead of allowing us to be defined. We’re rebellious. In realism. Little I’ve told in life, but I’m mildly autistic. I try desperately to be more and otherwise never show, but denials don’t heal. Furthermore, I also have a rare disease, but again I am not conveying myself for sorrow or anything else. The people I have come to know here, you’re my friends alongside inspirations. You all mean a lot even though I struggle in communicating it. Perhaps should my confession here be splayed out, It’ll hold a few understandings. So I struggle horribly in remaining socially energized in connection with everyone that I really do, wish too. In regards to any RPer’s that may have felt inadequate or vice-versa that I felt suddenly distant, I do apologize. But know, that I assure you, I’m the only one who’s ever felt anything but obsolete. My passion stems because It’s required and necessary. It’s my intense obsessive tick. Within it, pain is foreign. I’ve painstakingly dealt with struggling in my learning’s, teachings, my attention span requires desire. Though, I’ve a lot of exercises. Never did I think or sought to have gotten as many people’s time that I have had, whether their eyes, or Role-play, sharing. It’s valued and appreciated. Builds me up and no matter the amount, has gotten me back up. I am convicted strictly to achieve one thing, to be good enough, to find and maintain that. It’s really it. My impulsiveness is my fault, my unpredictable and lackluster energy of little sleep leaves me never the same, it’s like waking up with a reset button, often. So a majority of the time, I have to write all in one-shot. My quality under that fluctuates, worsens, or shifts. For me, quantity more often is better than quality. Because the more repetition I practice in things, or train for it’ll cancel out being reset. I want to be able to effortlessly write quality so the more extensive the better. As I stand, I continuously never feel I can sustain or stay in one place long but that’s not in another it’s because of my inability to remain like I’m giving them my everything. Or gifting it. I cannot ever put in real words or meaning when it matters, and I often just push away or out those who matter, I always act when it’s too late. And, due to this, I’ve failed and failed, and failed. It’s under that pressure, anxiety builds, the dam breaks, and suddenly, no matter what you set out to do or the purpose, it’s for not. Then like many in this abyss, you don’t even try anymore, or become almost weightless. Or you reunite back to where often it starts, alone. And maybe that’s just where I’m destined to perform within as recommended by the closest. And I don’t say any of that for sympathy or edginess. This is just finding identification. Writing is the only avenue I eventually even am able to convey my truths or show my authenticity. In us lies world’s only we witness within our minds. Only able to be written and given life by you to allow others a sharing. So I know there’s many factors that can discourage but do unleash, only you can ever bring that light. Even should my pen ever be hollowed, I assure you my heart does roar. With each word and thing I do, there’s a heartbeat. So hopefully this all covers a lot of the missing tags I never got too. Thanks for the inclusions, invitations, whether FC’s, dungeons, weddings. They weren’t unseen and the inbox of asks, either chain’s or otherwise, and love, support, hell even if there’s any resentment or hate out there for me and disdain, any emotion I gladly absorb, It’s all energy. That sustains my well-being. With all this cleansing, it’s probably better I go on reserved with RP and maybe just discontinue altogether. Outside of the long-term people or other’s who can even tolerate my insanity, I’m probably just one-shots, shorts, erotics, shipping, or hashing established out already RP. Or like in the case of few people already if there’s deep interest can just include when I do stories.  Been getting few people that join Crew regarding things and I just work on giving them mentions and inclusions or figure out what they’d partake in. Centering myself out and creating so many Crewmates and antagonists and things, gives a lot of balance. Especially with hyper imagination. Hard to ever feel empty. Not nearly good or reliable enough, for long-term. Though I’ll keep practicing forward, I’ve managed to improve greatly compared to where I first began. With the right mindset and psyche, I’ve found there’s little I cannot conquer. In my hope’s one day, I’ll make my destination. You gave me a beautiful world to know and hold. Stay precious, life.

#This is just essentially a Mun - About Me #OOC stuff #Updates #Sorry for the month's gone #Soul searching courage

[vampirenaomi]

This is a translation of an interview that was included in the booklet that came with vol. 2 of the Japanese Part 5 DVD/BD release. The interview is with Kenjiro Tsuda, Albert’s voice actor, and he talks about his work on Part 5, Albert, and his views on Lupin III in general. It was conducted by Mai Takano.

The interview was translated by @sotetag. You can contact her about translation commissions if you’ve got Japanese material you’d like to see translated.

LUPIN THE THIRD PART 5

INTERVIEW SERIES PROJECT  [PART 2]

KENJIRO TSUDA

Albert d’Andrésy

An interview series project in which the staff and the cast that worked on the show tell us their thoughts about the production of “PART 5”, anecdotes, etc. Part 2 is with Kenjiro Tsuda, who voiced Albert. He passionately tells us how happy he was to be able to participate in “Lupin III”, which he has liked since he was a kid, and how he feels about Lupin!

– Mr. Tsuda, you have claimed to be a “Lupin III” fan. What was it like to voice Albert d’Andrésy, a new character?

Tsuda   I was just happy to be in the world of a show that I’ve loved since I was a kid. Actually, I also participated in PART 4, but playing a regular character really is completely different.

– PART 5 takes place in France, Arsène Lupin’s country. It depicts a modern, “digital” society. What was your first impression of such a setting and the character called Albert?

Tsuda   The setting itself was very new. Regarding the digital aspect, I was surprised by  Okouchi and the rest of the staff’s skills, because it didn’t feel out of place at all in relation to earlier Lupin installments. As for Albert, my first impression was that he was a bit of a cold, bitter character. But that changed as each episode progressed. I realized that his cold, sarcastic attitude was just a façade, and he became more and more fun.

– Albert was created from original author Monkey Punch’s wish for “a character that will keep on living and become involved with Lupin and other characters for a long time”. At first glance, he’s gentlemanly and mysterious. He also likes Leblanc’s “Arsène Lupin” series, so the fact that his surname is “d’Andrésy” made him exciting.

Tsuda   People who like him will get the reference. According to producer Kiyozono, that surname indicates that he might be related by blood to Lupin. They also look alike a little.

– PART 5 is innovative and delves more deeply into the characters, but Albert’s existence is what gets closest to Lupin’s past and roots. How did you prepare to play such an important role?

Tsuda   I have the impression that I got started right from the first episode. At the recording for episode 1, I didn’t know about earlier developments, so I had just prepared for the role of a bad guy. Then, I got instructions from sound director Kiyomizu to be “a little more casual”. He explained, “Albert is not a bad guy. He looks like it, but he just has a bond with Lupin,” and we made adjustments little by little. Albert is part of the elite in the higher ranks of the Judicial Police. He may look like a cold wire-puller, but in reality, there was a time when he was a professional thief along with Lupin. Albert the Elite is a façade. He created his current personality for the sake of the big job of “stealing France” and to run the path to success – that’s how I understood it when I voiced him. On a base level, he’s a thief. He hasn’t changed at all since he teamed up with Lupin.

– He has a strangely antagonistic relationship with those around Lupin, such as Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, the so-called Lupin Family, and Zenigata. How do you perceive his unique relationship with Lupin?

Tsuda   They’re rivals, I guess. Story-wise, that’s what they became. At first, there’s a strong nuance to them deceiving each other, but once they fight alongside each other, they get closer. Then, they grow apart again. The fact that the sense of distance between them keeps changing is because they’re rivals, I think.

– The scene in which Albert has a nightmare after Lupin told him, “You’re not cut out to be a thief,” and then he wakes up was impressive.

Tsuda   He must have been so frustrated. But there’s also a scene in which Albert throws Lupin’s words back at him. He gives as good as he gets. In that sense, they really are equals.

– What was it like to work with Kanichi Kurita, Lupin’s voice actor?

Tsuda   I think Lupin’s dialogues, to put it simply, have a lot of ad-lib. Albert’s dialogues are similar, but they’re definitely not the same. So, when I was going to perform, I had to remind myself, “Don’t let [Kurita] pull you into it.”

  Even in Lupin’s dialogues, there are scenes in which Kurita has to restrain himself and be more serious, and there are scenes in which he can be more extravagant, so it varies a lot from scene to scene. That feeling is what made it so much fun to interact with him. I pretty much only talked to Lupin (laughs). Every other interaction was political or with a subordinate.

– Lupin was your partner in all scenes that had emotion. By the way, is there a character that you would have liked to talk to, or any scene you particularly liked?

Tsuda   I like Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, and I definitely like Lupin, so I’m very satisfied in that sense. The story focused on Lupin, after all. There was also the appearance of a very modern girl called Ami. She’s a girl that also carries the elements of a “digital society”, which is one of the themes in PART 5. When she started to smile, to feel awkward, to open up and show emotions, she became very charming. As for my favorite scenes, I would say it’s the ones in which the whole Lupin Family gets together and smart-talk each other. I just love that kind of interaction. Of course, there were also many serious, exciting scenes that made me go, “Ooh!” and, “I see!” but it’s the silly interactions that make me happy. Same thing with the scenes I recorded. Albert barely appears in the scenes where the whole Lupin Family is together, so I got to watch from the sidelines (laughs). The silly parts, including the atmosphere when we were recording, really moved me. That’s why, if you ask me what episodes and what scenes I liked, I’ll say it was the unassuming ones. Especially in the last episode, when things get hectic, and yet the Lupin Family keeps on going lightheartedly as usual. That’s the kind of interaction between them that I really enjoyed.

– I can tell how much you love it.

Tsuda   “Mr. Kurita, I’m so glad you’re Lupin,” I told him earnestly. He replied, “Oh, really?” like he was pleased with himself (laughs).

– So, what fascinates you about “Lupin III” is the Lupin Family.

Tsuda  I think they’re multifaceted. They are connected by several bonds, but they’re not dependent on one another. Each one of them has a role that they carry out professionally. It’s that kind of rich relationship. Of course, the story itself is also fascinating. Most of the current main staff wasn’t involved in the earlier Lupin series, but... Out of the original cast, there was just Kiyoshi Kobayashi, but it’s amazing how the younger generation that replaced them is enthusiastically “creating a new Lupin”. We’re frantically trying to turn the Lupin franchise, which has existed for 50 years, into something new without ruining it in any way. PART 5 is also a return to origin, after all.

– You’re right; even though PART 5 depicts modern era, it feels surprisingly old-fashioned.

Tsuda   Before we started recording, Kiyozono told me, “Mr. Tsuda, it’s in France this time. France is Lupin’s origin,” and he sounded really excited. Well, I guess it also put a lot of pressure on me, though. It’s like he was telling me to do my best (laughs). I felt encouraged to protect the franchise without hesitation. People will actually die. It’s a representation that takes courage. I was also moved by how that place was thoroughly depicted.

– This might be unrelated, but the second act, in which Albert plays a more active role, has an atmosphere reminiscent of French movies from the ‘50s to ‘70s (film noir). Do you think it was a result of themes like “friendship and betrayal between men” and Yuji Ohno’s music?

Tsuda   Indeed. He was very particular about setting the mood, too. I think he worked hard to set the mood while explaining as little as possible. For example, there were quite a lot of scenes that made me wonder, “Is this scene really necessary to the story?” while I was performing. I realize that’s where the mood comes from. Albert lives with a man. Even though it’s a modern setting, I wondered, is that necessary story-wise?

– That’s true. His story with Lupin could have been told without including that.

Tsuda   Yeah, it’s deliberately depicted. He lets him smoke his cigarette, and that portrayal gently sets the mood... There are scenes like that all the time. I think those sweet moments just pile up to create that atmosphere and draw you in. “Lupin III” has always done that kind of thing. The Lupin Family doesn’t put into words what’s important. I guess showing relationships and moods in the whole scene is an adult representation. Anime nowadays often explain too much. We would still have an adventure even if those parts had been left out, but in the end, Lupin is an adult show. At first glance, it looks like it’s just kicks and giggles. It’s really cool.

– Even when it’s kicks and giggles, there’s some leeway for adults.

Tsuda   That’s what’s fascinating about “Lupin III”.

– Has your way of life been influenced by “Lupin III” in any way?

Tsuda   I always feel like living a rich life. Everyone in the Lupin Family lives a rich life. They do exactly what they have to do. But I think there’s this underlying idea that life is supposed to be fun. I guess it’s what we call freedom. This way of life that values freedom, where you’re not tied down to anything, resonates with me. If you really read into it, they all protect their freedom very stoically. They strive to be free and are willing to take risks. They don’t actually talk about it, though. But I can tell from their behavior that they’re strongly determined to “protect their freedom”. That’s probably why so many people like “Lupin III”. It inspires them.

– “Protect their freedom stoically.” I feel like that is also true for you, Mr. Tsuda. You’ve played a lot of remarkable villains in recent years, but how do you feel about that?

Tsuda   Villains are interesting. I have enjoyed the moments when cool villains stole the spotlight. I’ve rooted for villains from a villain’s point of view. Even on the stage, I’ve had many chances to play the role of the bad guy since I was young... Well, I guess I’m suited for it.

– Maybe it’s a good match with your mysterious voice.

Tsuda   Maybe you’re right. However, it’s been reversed recently. Like, “He seems like a good guy, but he’s voiced by Tsuda, so he must definitely have an ulterior motive” (laughs).

– Evil follows you everywhere (laughs). About Albert, maybe it’s because he’s a wire-puller at the beginning, but as we start seeing who he really is, he becomes more and more endearing.

Tsuda   He went in exactly the opposite direction. I’m glad. Actually, the animation team worked hard on Albert, too. Of course, several people drew Albert’s face, but his face looks strangely cool sometimes. His face makes me do a double take and wonder, “Was he always this handsome?” Kiyozono told me that it’s because the animators worked really hard on it and you can’t miss Albert’s attractiveness from their point of view... He actually said this for the package.

– (Everyone laughs)

Tsuda   I definitely want you to watch Albert’s expressions over and over. It’s good commentary, isn’t it?

– It’s great. I want to check it out now.

Tsuda   Check it out as often as possible (laughs). When he’s looking down and then he raises his head, he looks incredibly handsome. Albert as a government official, and the wild Albert from the past. That’s how some parts drew me into the animation. If he looks this cool, I have to make him cool, too.

– There’s a lot of Lupin merch with those images, right?

Tsuda   Well, I’m really grateful for it. I worked hard to do them justice.

– What I find fascinating about Albert is how he works to make good on his words; he claims he will “steal France” and so he makes his way up to the higher ranks of the Judicial Police.

Tsuda   Albert really is an overachiever. Lupin is the same way. For example, whether he starts working in a normal business or becomes a government official, he will really excel at it. He’s a genius, a strategist, amazingly brave, determined, and a man of action. He’s got it all. Albert is on the same level, so he has the ability to succeed in his career all on his own, even if he led a normal life. Being “the greatest thief in the world” is on the same level.

– I agree. Without spoiling the PART 5 finale, what does Albert hope to gain by taking over France?

Tsuda   Oh, that hasn’t been shown yet. Albert has already gotten high up enough that he can attend meetings in the presence of the President of France. I hope it’ll be revealed in PART 6, 7, 8... for instance (laughs). This is just a supposition on my part, but I think Albert might be a thrill-seeker. If there’s something more thrilling than being a thief, it’s being a thief that “steals France”, or at least that’s how I see it. I mean, it’s just a hunch that it’s more interesting. Maybe he has an even bigger ambition and having France under his control is just one step toward that goal.

– He’s such an interesting character, isn’t he?

Tsuda   I’m also glad to have met him. It was a big responsibility, but it was a fun job. It allowed me to have pleasant interactions with Kurita and everyone else. “Come here! Let’s go grab a bite,” stuff like that. They were considerate of me so I wouldn’t have to be anxious.

– That is also an adult environment. Do you think it has something to do with the way Lupin and Albert get closer when they work together?

Tsuda   In the sense that they work together to reach a goal, yes, maybe. In our line of work, we have to work closely together for a certain period and then we just say bye and go on our merry way. In order to make a good show, we treat one another respectfully at our workplace even if we feel competitive, and when we think, “That person is interesting,” we just go and talk to them to close that distance.

– It’s really a team work. That is also the kind of relationship that “Lupin III” teaches us about.

Tsuda   Lupin’s stories have always been that way; even when things get hectic, it’s always very invigorating at the end. This is my personal opinion, but PART 5 also ended on a invigorating note. Lupin can be different depending on whether it’s a TV series or a movie, but this finale was definitely positive. That’s Lupin for you. Even when Lupin is worn-out and driven into a corner, he’s always in good spirits. Even when we were recording PART 5, you would often hear, “Lupin is really strong!” He was even shot by Albert. He goes through so much, and yet he always recovers (laughs). Since he’s always in good spirits, maybe it’s some sort of dream that such a person would be the protagonist. Goemon, Jigen, and Fujiko have some sort of dark past, too. However, Lupin is the one who shines on everything. He is an overwhelming sun.

– Albert is also compared to Lupin in terms of “sun and moon”, isn’t he?

Tsuda   Yes. Under the overwhelming sun, even a child like Ami will grow fast. That’s why I find the ending invigorating. It’s probably one of the reasons why the Lupin franchise gets so much support.

– Incidentally, what is your favorite movie or series?

Tsuda   In the sense that I remember watching it every year, “Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro” is definitely eternal. I also love the second series, with Red Jacket Lupin, whose reruns I would watch when I came home from school.

– Red Jacket Lupin also got a reference in episode 11 (“Get Pablo's Collection”) of PART 5, right?

Tsuda   That was so touching. I feel like PART 5 was some sort of compilation of everything that is good.

– I look forward to Albert’s return in the finale and the invigorating ending. Finally, what is your message to all the other fans who love “Lupin III”?

Tsuda   “Lupin III” is a show that is supposed to be connected to the future. While it introduces such modern elements in PART 5 and changes with the times, it never loses its aesthetics and remains a broad-minded series that will live on. That’s why I definitely want it to last for a long time. PART 6, 7, and 8... Of course, I want Albert to have an active role, too. I really hope I can help build a relationship that brings out a new side of Lupin that no one ever saw before. And I hope that everyone who bought this package will continue to love “Lupin III” and fully support it. Don’t forget to watch Albert’s expressions over and over! (laughs)

#lupin iii #lupin the third #albert d'andresy #kenjiro tsuda #tsuda kenjiro

[recentanimenews]

ESSAY: Berserk's Journey of Acceptance Over 30 Years of Fandom

  My descent into anime fandom began in the '90s, and just as watching Neon Genesis Evangelion caused my first revelation that cartoons could be art, reading Berserk gave me the same realization about comics. The news of Kentaro Miura’s death, who passed on May 6, has been emotionally complicated for me, as it's the first time a celebrity's death has hit truly close to home. In addition to being the lynchpin for several important personal revelations, Berserk is one of the longest-lasting works I’ve followed and that I must suddenly bid farewell to after existing alongside it for two-thirds of my life.

  Berserk is a monolith not only for anime and manga, but also fantasy literature, video games, you name it. It might be one of the single most influential works of the ‘80s — on a level similar to Blade Runner — to a degree where it’s difficult to imagine what the world might look like without it, and the generations of creators the series inspired.

  Although not the first, Guts is the prototypical large sword anime boy: Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife, Siegfried/Nightmare from Soulcalibur, and Black Clover's Asta are all links in the same chain, with other series like Dark Souls and Claymore taking clear inspiration from Berserk. But even deeper than that, the three-character dynamic between Guts, Griffith, and Casca, the monster designs, the grotesque violence, Miura’s image of hell — all of them can be spotted in countless pieces of media across the globe.

  Despite this, it just doesn’t seem like people talk about it very much. For over 20 years, Berserk has stood among the critical pantheon for both anime and manga, but it doesn’t spur conversations in the same way as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, or Dragon Ball Z still do today. Its graphic depictions certainly represent a barrier to entry much higher than even the aforementioned company. 

    Seeing the internet exude sympathy and fond reminiscing about Berserk was immensely validating and has been my single most therapeutic experience online. Moreso, it reminded me that the fans have always been there. And even looking into it, Berserk is the single best-selling property in the 35-year history of Dark Horse. My feeling is that Berserk just has something about it that reaches deep into you and gets stuck there.

  I recall introducing one of my housemates to Berserk a few years ago — a person with all the intelligence and personal drive to both work on cancer research at Stanford while pursuing his own MD and maintaining a level of physical fitness that was frankly unreasonable for the hours that he kept. He was NOT in any way analytical about the media he consumed, but watching him sitting on the floor turning all his considerable willpower and intellect toward delivering an off-the-cuff treatise on how Berserk had so deeply touched him was a sight in itself to behold. His thoughts on the series' portrayal of sex as fundamentally violent leading up to Guts and Casca’s first moment of intimacy in the Golden Age movies was one of the most beautiful sentiments I’d ever heard in reaction to a piece of fiction.

  I don’t think I’d ever heard him provide anything but a surface-level take on a piece of media before or since. He was a pretty forthright guy, but the way he just cut into himself and let his feelings pour out onto the floor left me awestruck. The process of reading Berserk can strike emotional chords within you that are tough to untangle. I’ve been writing analysis and experiential pieces related to anime and manga for almost ten years — and interacting with Berserk’s world for almost 30 years — and writing may just be yet another attempt for me to pull my own twisted-up feelings about it apart. 

  Berserk is one of the most deeply personal works I’ve ever read, both for myself and in my perception of Miura's works. The series' transformation in the past 30 years artistically and thematically is so singular it's difficult to find another work that comes close. The author of Hajime no Ippo, who was among the first to see Berserk as Miura presented him with some early drafts working as his assistant, claimed that the design for Guts and Puck had come from a mess of ideas Miura had been working on since his early school days.

  写真は三浦建太郎君が寄稿してくれた鷹村です。 今かなり感傷的になっています。 思い出話をさせて下さい。 僕が初めての週刊連載でスタッフが一人もいなくて困っていたら手伝いにきてくれました。 彼が18で僕が19です。 某大学の芸術学部の学生で講義明けにスケッチブックを片手に来てくれました。 pic.twitter.com/hT1JCWBTKu

— 森川ジョージ (@WANPOWANWAN) May 20, 2021

  Miura claimed two of his big influences were Go Nagai’s Violence Jack and Tetsuo Hara and Buronson’s Fist of the North Star. Miura wears these influences on his sleeve, discovering the early concepts that had percolated in his mind just felt right. The beginning of Berserk, despite its amazing visual power, feels like it sprang from a very juvenile concept: Guts is a hypermasculine lone traveler breaking his body against nightmarish creatures in his single-minded pursuit of revenge, rigidly independent and distrustful of others due to his dark past.

  Uncompromising, rugged, independent, a really big sword ... Guts is a romantic ideal of masculinity on a quest to personally serve justice against the one who wronged him. Almost nefarious in the manner in which his character checked these boxes, especially when it came to his grim stoicism, unblinkingly facing his struggle against literal cosmic forces. Never doubting himself, never trusting others, never weeping for what he had lost.

    Miura said he sketched out most of the backstory when the manga began publication, so I have to assume the larger strokes of the Golden Arc were pretty well figured out from the outset, but I’m less sure if he had fully realized where he wanted to take the story to where we are now. After the introductory mini-arcs of demon-slaying, Berserk encounters Griffith and the story draws us back to a massive flashback arc. We see the same Guts living as a lone mercenary who Griffith persuades to join the Band of the Hawk to help realize his ambitions of rising above the circumstances of his birth to join the nobility.

  We discover the horrific abuses of Guts’ adoptive father and eventually learn that Guts, Griffith, and Casca are all victims of sexual violence. The story develops into a sprawling semi-historical epic featuring politics and war, but the real narrative is in the growing companionship between Guts and the members of the band. Directionless and traumatized by his childhood, Guts slowly finds a purpose helping Griffith realize his dream and the courage to allow others to grow close to him. 

  Miura mentioned that many Band of the Hawk members were based on his early friend groups. Although he was always sparse with details about his personal life, he has spoken about how many of them referred to themselves as aspiring manga authors and how he felt an intense sense of competition, admitting that among them he may have been the only one seriously working toward that goal, desperately keeping ahead in his perceived race against them. It’s intriguing thinking about how much of this angst may have made it to the pages, as it's almost impossible not to imagine Miura put quite a bit of himself in Guts. 

  Perhaps this is why it feels so real and makes The Eclipse — the quintessential anime betrayal at the hands of Griffith — all the more heartbreaking. The raw violence and macabre imagery certainly helped. While Miura owed Hellraiser’s Cenobites much in the designs of the God Hand, his macabre portrayal of the Band of the Hawk’s eradication within the literal bowels of hell, the massive hand, the black sun, the Skull Knight, and even Miura’s page compositions have been endlessly referenced, copied, and outright plagiarized since.

    The events were tragic in any context and I have heard many deeply personal experiences others drew from The Eclipse sympathizing with Guts, Casca, or even Griffith’s spiral driven by his perceived rejection by Guts. Mine were most closely aligned with the tragedy of Guts having overcome such painful circumstances to not only reject his own self enforced solitude, but to fearlessly express his affection for his loved ones. 

  The Golden Age was a methodical destruction of Guts’ self-destructive methods of preservation ruined in a single selfish act by his most trusted friend, leaving him once again alone and afraid of growing close to those around him. It ripped the romance of Guts’ mission and eventually took the story down a course I never expected. Berserk wasn’t a story of revenge but one of recovery.

  Guess that’s enough beating around the bush, as I should talk about how this shift affected me personally. When I was young, when I began reading Berserk I found Guts’ unflagging stoicism to be really cool, not just aesthetically but in how I understood guys were supposed to be. I was slow to make friends during school and my rapidly gentrifying neighborhood had my friends' parents moving away faster than I could find new ones. At some point I think I became too afraid of putting myself out there anymore, risking rejection when even acceptance was so fleeting. It began to feel easier just to resign myself to solitude and pretend my circumstances were beyond my own power to correct.

  Unfortunately, I became the stereotypical kid who ate alone during lunch break. Under the invisible expectations demanding I not display weakness, my loneliness was compounded by shame for feeling loneliness. My only recourse was to reveal none of those feelings and pretend the whole thing didn't bother me at all. Needless to say my attempts to cope probably fooled no one and only made things even worse, but I really didn’t know of any better way to handle my situation. I felt bad, I felt even worse about feeling bad and had been provided with zero tools to cope, much less even admit that I had a problem at all.

  The arcs following the Golden Age completely changed my perspective. Guts had tragically, yet understandably, cut himself off from others to save himself from experiencing that trauma again and, in effect, denied himself any opportunity to allow himself to be happy again. As he began to meet other characters that attached themselves to him, between Rickert and Erica spending months waiting worried for his return, and even the slimmest hope to rescuing Casca began to seed itself into the story, I could only see Guts as a fool pursuing a grim and hopeless task rather than appreciating everything that he had managed to hold onto. 

  The same attributes that made Guts so compelling in the opening chapters were revealed as his true enemy. Griffith had committed an unforgivable act but Guts’ journey for revenge was one of self-inflicted pain and fear. The romanticism was gone.

  Farnese’s inclusion in the Conviction arc was a revelation. Among the many brilliant aspects of her character, I identified with her simply for how she acted as a stand-in for myself as the reader: Plagued by self-doubt and fear, desperate to maintain her own stoic and uncompromising image, and resentful of her place in the world. She sees Guts’ fearlessness in the face of cosmic horror and believes she might be able to learn his confidence.

    But in following Guts, Farnese instead finds a teacher in Casca. In taking care of her, Farnese develops a connection and is able to experience genuine sympathy that develops into a sense of responsibility. Caring for Casca allows Farnese to develop the courage she was lacking not out of reckless self-abandon but compassion.

  I can’t exactly credit Berserk with turning my life around, but I feel that it genuinely helped crystallize within me a sense of growing doubts about my maladjusted high school days. My growing awareness of Guts' undeniable role in his own suffering forced me to admit my own role in mine and created a determination to take action to fix it rather than pretending enough stoicism might actually result in some sort of solution.

  I visited the Berserk subreddit from time to time and always enjoyed the group's penchant for referring to all the members of the board as “fellow strugglers,” owing both to Skull Knight’s label for Guts and their own tongue-in-cheek humor at waiting through extended hiatuses. Only in retrospect did it feel truly fitting to me. Trying to avoid the pitfalls of Guts’ path is a constant struggle. Today I’m blessed with many good friends but still feel primal pangs of fear holding me back nearly every time I meet someone, the idea of telling others how much they mean to me or even sharing my thoughts and feelings about something I care about deeply as if each action will expose me to attack.

  It’s taken time to pull myself away from the behaviors that were so deeply ingrained and it’s a journey where I’m not sure the work will ever be truly done, but witnessing Guts’ own slow progress has been a constant source of reassurance. My sense of admiration for Miura’s epic tale of a man allowing himself to let go after suffering such devastating circumstances brought my own humble problems and their way out into focus.

    Over the years I, and many others, have been forced to come to terms with the fact that Berserk would likely never finish. The pattern of long, unexplained hiatuses and the solemn recognition that any of them could be the last is a familiar one. The double-edged sword of manga largely being works created by a single individual is that there is rarely anyone in a position to pick up the torch when the creator calls it quits. Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond, Ai Yazawa’s Nana, and likely Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter X Hunter all frozen in indefinite hiatus, the publishers respectfully holding the door open should the creators ever decide to return, leaving it in a liminal space with no sense of conclusion for the fans except what we can make for ourselves.

  The reason for Miura’s hiatuses was unclear. Fans liked to joke that he would take long breaks to play The Idolmaster, but Miura was also infamous for taking “breaks” spent minutely illustrating panels to his exacting artistic standard, creating a tumultuous release schedule during the wars featuring thousands of tiny soldiers all dressed in period-appropriate armor. If his health was becoming an issue, it’s uncommon that news would be shared with fans for most authors, much less one as private as Miura.

  Even without delays, the story Miura was building just seemed to be getting too big. The scale continued to grow, his narrative ambition swelling even faster after 20 years of publication, the depth and breadth of his universe constantly expanding. The fan-dubbed “Millennium Falcon Arc” was massive, changing the landscape of Berserk from a low fantasy plagued by roaming demons to a high fantasy where godlike beings of sanity-defying size battled for control of the world. How could Guts even meet Griffith again? What might Casca want to do when her sanity returned? What are the origins of the Skull Knight? And would he do battle with the God Hand? There was too much left to happen and Miura’s art only grew more and more elaborate. It would take decades to resolve all this.

  But it didn’t need to. I imagine we’ll never get a precise picture of the final years of Miura’s life leading up to his tragic passing. In the final chapters he released, it felt as if he had directed the story to some conclusion. The unfinished Fantasia arc finds Guts and his newfound band finding a way to finally restore Casca’s sanity and — although there is still unmistakably a boundary separating them — both seem resolute in finding a way to mend their shared wounds together.

  One of the final chapters features Guts drinking around the campfire with the two other men of his group, Serpico and Roderick, as he entrusts the recovery of Casca to Schierke and Farnese. It's a scene that, in the original Band of the Hawk, would have found Guts brooding as his fellows engage in bluster. The tone of this conversation, however, is completely different. The three commiserate over how much has changed and the strength each has found in the companionship of the others. After everything that has happened, Guts declares that he is grateful. 

  The suicidal dedication to his quest for vengeance and dispassionate pragmatism that defined Guts in the earliest chapters is gone. Although they first appeared to be a source of strength as the Black Swordsman, he has learned that they rose from the fear of losing his friends again, from letting others close enough to harm him, and from having no other purpose without others. Whether or not Guts and Griffith were to ever meet again, Guts has rediscovered the strength to no longer carry his burdens alone. 

  All that has happened is all there will ever be. We too must be grateful.

      Peter Fobian is an Associate Manager of Social Video at Crunchyroll, writer for Anime Academy and Anime in America, and an editor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: Peter Fobian

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[letterboxd]

Chadwick.

Adam Davie pays tribute, as a viewer, to the “immense power” of Chadwick Boseman’s body of work, which features “portrayals of Black life that are true to our experience”.

“I just want to tell stories that expand people’s minds, and about who we are in the world,” Chadwick Boseman told GQ in 2018. This is how I will remember him. This is who he really was. The 43-year-old star of films such as 42, Get on Up, Black Panther and 21 Bridges (which he also produced) was more than just an actor. He was someone who was perpetually committed to positive representation, inclusive storytelling, and portraying Black excellence on screen.

He was rarely a character actor—since his mainstream breakthrough in 42 he almost always played the lead—but he was definitely someone whose character informed his choice of roles. These parts led to empathetic and intimate performances, which then informed us as viewers as we watched him battle foes both systemic and supernatural for the greater good.

As Jackie Robinson in ‘42’ (2013).

Boseman’s death on August 28, 2020, to colon cancer, is another cruel blow for humanity as we navigate a deadly pandemic, escalating racial tensions within the United States, and a multitude of other global challenges that threaten our security and posterity. In a day and age when, literally and figuratively, the United States has its knee on the necks of Black Americans, to lose such a great man who was committed to fighting these culture wars through the medium of film is a huge blow for those who appreciated his talents and his activism. It’d be tempting to say that he only played a superhero in the movies. But his performances are buoyed by his off-screen words and deeds, which emphatically demonstrate his commitment to elevating his people through on-screen performances.

“You’re a strong, Black man in a world that conflicts with that strength, that really doesn’t want you to be great,” Boseman told The New York Times’ Reggie Ugwu in 2019. “So what makes you the one who’s going to stand tall?” As an actor, he was always mindful of how Black men were portrayed and perceived in the media. And because of this, he carefully and convincingly carved out a niche for himself as someone who was determined to offer a broader spectrum of Black images and stories. In an era when Black athletes are being told to shut up and dribble, Boseman chose to take on the role of Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013).

As James Brown in ‘Get on Up’ (2014).

For Robinson, shutting up and dribbling (or swinging, in Robinson’s case) was the only option. And in this starring role, Boseman fit like a glove, portraying a man who carried the weight of a generation of Black ballplayers on his shoulders. While portraying the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Boseman delivered a performance of quiet strength. It mirrored Robinson’s own commitment to non-aggression amid the threats he faced.

As you watch the film and learn more about the man, you come to realize that you’re not watching someone imitate Jackie Robinson. You’re watching someone step into the shoes of a man with whom he shared similar values. Because of this, the performance and the emotional impact of the film carries immense power. This impact was duplicated in much of Boseman’s later work.

With Teresa Palmer in ‘Message from the King’ (2016).

Over the years, Boseman continued to challenge himself with further roles portraying historical and iconic figures. And there was never a role that was too weighty for the Howard-educated, Oxford-trained actor. Before “Black Lives Matter” became the phrase of the moment, he was already informing an industry and an audience that—if they didn’t know already—he was Black and proud of it, as he portrayed the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, in 2014’s Get on Up.

As our broader culture continues to criminalize Black men from the womb to the tomb, Boseman chose to take on the role of eventual Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, telling, in Marshall (2017), the story of a man who was committed to the rule of law while also dismantling systems of oppression that unjustly and disproportionately impacted Black men and women in America.

As Thurgood Marshall in ‘Marshall’ (2017).

And when certain individuals—such as the current president of the United States—referred to our place of origin (Africa) as “shithole countries”, while also telling certain Americans to “go back…” to the “places from which they came”, Boseman and Ryan Coogler gave us a destination worth yearning for with 2018’s Black Panther.

I created my Black Life in Film list because I was fed up with my inability to locate a catalog of films that properly represented the Black experience, both in the US and abroad. In the four years I have been adding to the list (and its many genre spin-offs), Boseman has been out there, reinforcing its existence, by creating and starring in roles that have given me the uplifting depictions that I and so many others craved. He used his God-given talents to provide portrayals of Black life that are true to our experience, and he never, ever, wavered from that commitment.

With Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright in ‘Black Panther’ (2018).

Given his acting chops and dynamic personality, Boseman could’ve easily chased the fast bucks while in Hollywood. But instead, he decided to carry the weight of his country’s history, oftentimes its original sins, throughout his life in Hollywood. And he never backed down from the responsibility that came with this challenge. It’s a burden that not too many can shoulder, but Boseman never saw it that way. It was always a blessing; an opportunity to showcase not just the best that Black America had to offer, but the best that America had to offer as well. Because his story and the story of Black resilience, innovation and heroism is the story of America too.

We are so fortunate to have the long-lasting power of cinema. Even though he’s gone, Chadwick Aaron Boseman’s legacy will live on through the timely and dignified body of work he left behind.

—Adam Davie

As Stormin’ Norman in ‘Da 5 Bloods’ (2020).

As well as his acting career, Chadwick Boseman also directed two shorts: ‘Heaven’ and ‘Blood Over a Broken Pawn’. In his final role, he plays trumpeter Levee, alongside Viola Davis as Ma Rainey, in the forthcoming Netflix adaptation of August Wilson’s play ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’.

#Chadwick Boseman #rip chadwick #black panther #da 5 bloods #42 #jackie robinson #thurgood marshall #get on up #letterboxd

[helkiedustballs]

Mental Illness and the Horror Genre

An exploratory essay by Emma L. Gilbert

The relationship between horror media and mental illness is messy, and on many occasions outright screwed up. Today, I’m going to take you through various examples of horror films that utilize mental illnesses and disabilities, often as a central theme, and examine how exactly mental illness is used to benefit the tone of each film, and how some of them may or may not use it in a distasteful fashion.

Without further ado, here we go!

“Psycho” is the earliest film I know of at the moment that utilizes mental illness explicitly as a sort of evil or “villain”. The big reveal is that the character Norman Bates’s late mother developed as another personality inside his head which, very clearly, resembles Dissociative Identity Disorder (we will actually be talking about DID more than once today, as it appears to be the most common mental condition used in horror movies next to psychosis or schizophrenia).

I can only assume in the time of “Psycho’s” release, this portrayal was considered anything but realistic to general audiences (The term “psycho” is even considered a slur nowadays by a fair few mental health experts and activists). Mentally ill individuals were but a disturbed fantasy in the minds of the public, and in many ways they still are.

In more modern times, mental illnesses on the “scarier” side (like DID) are seldom understood or spoken about, and this makes them a very easy target to use as driving scare factors in horror films. We fear what we don’t understand, we know this, we’re talking about it a lot nowadays, but movies similar to “Psycho” that use such things as plot material for their stories still get made so carelessly.

Let’s dive into another example more thoroughly:

 “Midsommar” is a 2019 horror film directed by Ari Aster, the man behind “Hereditary” (which we will also be discussing). I know a lot of people love this movie, just like people love “Psycho”. It won just about every award from Fangoria’s 2020 “Chainsaw Awards”, which are completely fan influenced. But it completely missed the mark for me because of a couple instances involving disabilities. And while these instances are miniscule, it’s the fact that they are so miniscule, so “tossed in”, that bothers me.

My first problem begins at the start of the movie. We open with our lead fretting over an ominous email sent to her by her mentally ill sister, which is all well and good. But the ultimate result of this situation is that she was right to be worried, as her sister had hooked herself up to a car exhaust pipe which she used to poison herself and their parents, resulting in the death of all three.

This is… extreme. And while it’s absolutely okay to be extreme (I’m one of those horror fans that enjoys a little extremity), it’s peculiar, and yet not so peculiar, to have it alongside the aspect of the opening I’m about to explain.

The illness of the sister character is specifically labeled as bipolar disorder. Why is this specifically a problem for me? Mentally ill people can be dangerous, that’s an indisputable fact. But I’m gonna pause “Midsommar” here, because it’s a good time to shift over to a movie that I believe suffers the same problem.

 “Split”, both in the title movie and in the ensemble “Glass”, refers to anti-hero Kevin Crumb’s disorder as Dissociative Identity Disorder (there it is again!). This was a problem since the very conception of the first film, because it’s doing that thing where a mental disorder is used explicitly to make the villain of a horror film scarier. And while the character of Kevin isn’t ultimately seen as evil, the film still misconstrues many things about DID in order to keep its creep factor (like, people don’t wind up with evil alter egos who kidnap and kill people in a cult-like fashion, and people with DID do not go through extreme physical altercations when different personalities take the front).

This was many folks’ first introduction to the very concept of DID, just like back in the 60s with “Psycho”, and the movie does little to deter the audience from taking what they are seeing as factual. It really drives home the fact that Kevin has this disorder that is real, using that perceived realism to enforce the horror of its story. It uses a lot of typical “professional” imagery and dialogue, such as namedropping the disorder and having the character attend a therapist regularly on-screen. These things in film tend to equate in the general ignorant public’s mind to something bordering on or outright factual. While I choose to believe most people recognize the easy potential for illegitimacy in fictional movies, I still notice, even in myself, how further research is seldom enacted, and the information granted by that movie remains present in the back of our minds.

I’m not trying to say this is entirely the fault of the team behind “Split”, because I believe people should be responsible for recognizing that not everything they see is true, no matter how legit it looks. But the fact is that people are stupid and do take stuff like this as fact whether they realize it or not, and I think that filmmakers and storytellers should hold a little responsibility for making sure their highly fictionalized portrayals of real things (especially real people) don’t get taken as hard fact. Easy resources for understanding complex mental conditions are not popular enough or offered enough to garner the public’s attention; I’m sure someone would rather watch “Split” instead of reading a textbook on DID studies.

 All that being said, let’s go back to “Midsommar”. The mention of bipolar disorder is a one-time occurrence, but it still sticks out to me; both because I noticed a trend in Aster’s films of using mental illness explicitly (like I said, “Hereditary” comes later), and that this diagnosis is used at the ultimate expense of the sister.

Throughout the movie, Terri (the sister) is seen as a scary, taunting ghost through Dani (the lead)’s eyes. She is only ever depicted as that terrifying last picture of her, with tubes taped to her mouth and their parents beside her. She also seems to be looking right at Dani in these sequences, too, if I’m remembering correctly. It’s a fearful memory; her sister is a villain.

Using a disorder described as a “mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and ability to carry out daily tasks” to tie to a character that was unhinged enough to plug herself into a car exhaust pipe to kill herself and her family seems… like a reach, to me, at least. She would’ve had to plan that out- it takes serious dedication, supplies, thought, and time to pull that off. Bipolar people can be prone to sudden outbursts, not necessarily to planning and executing an intricate double homicide/suicide.

What I’m trying to say is that there’s no way bipolar disorder was the sole cause here. There were clearly more “things” she had going on, but the only thing they say is that she’s bipolar, therefore suggesting that is the reason behind what she did, and then treat her like a vengeful ghost the rest of the movie.

There is perfectly good reason for Dani to see her sister as something sinister, though. Literally the only aspect of this plot point that messes it up for me is that we have a “diagnosis”. It doesn’t feel right to me to use such a common and non-extreme illness for the sake of being like “ooh check this out, this is a real mental illness and mentally ill people do bad stuff sometimes, look at that! Look!” It’s lame, and unkind, and, like “Split”, borders on irresponsible. It’s times like this where a character’s mental condition could use a little more ambiguity, especially when it’s literally never brought up again. It’s so nonchalant, so careless, and that’s what bothers me.

Now, I’m gonna move away from mental illness alone for a hot second and explore how “Midsommar” treats its other disabled character.

“Midsommar” depicts an explicitly inbred character with a facial deformity named Ruben who lives with the Swedish cult and is treated like a sort of “higher being”. They are clearly treated with care, but through the gaze of the American characters, we see them as off-putting. And, again, this framing makes sense, as Ruben was purposefully conceived through incest because of some misguided religious belief that disabled people are closer to clarity.

But, stop; what is this portrayal doing, again? It is doing that thing where it uses a disabled character to give us the creeps. And this is made worse when Ruben goes on to kill and skin one of the American characters, and then wear his face as a mask.

Okay, listen. It’s wrong of the cult to purposefully bring a very physically and mentally challenged individual into the world for religious reasons, but that’s not relevant to my point. Yeah, it’s weird, but people like that character are real- and, no matter how they came to be, they’re here now. Why are we always looking at these people with pity or fear, and normalizing that reaction? It can be jarring to see someone who looks like that, sure, but they’re a person, and should be treated like one.

Oh, and not to mention having Ruben wear the skinned face of a “normal” person is absolutely representative of wanting to “look like everybody else”, which is a screwed-up narrative especially when you’re using the disabled person as a straight-up monster. I get the whole “skin the fool” thing, that was funny, but did we have to do that? This is Ruben’s “normal”, and that’s not an awful thing.

Before we reach “Hereditary”, I’d like to say that the utilization of deformed people as killers and monsters in horror is, I think, arguably more prevalent and inescapable than the use of mental illness by itself. It’s present to a point where we just have to deal with it and the amount of irreplaceably iconic villains with facial deformities, but I’d like to believe that we can do better and move past that. Make a monster, not a person.

 Let’s get cracking on “Hereditary” now, which I think uses mental illness as a much more core aspect to its story than “Midsommar”. Again, Aster makes it clear out the gate that our evil character (the grandmother) was indeed mentally ill, and this is, again, used at the character’s expense.

Now, I wanna keep this short, because with how much I went off talking about “Split” and “Midsommar”, I think that what I find troublesome about a movie called “Hereditary” about a mentally ill cultist grandmother passing on her “lifestyle” to her family is rather obvious.

I mostly want to discuss the character of Charlie, because her portrayal is what bugs me the most. My gripe with her is that she is very obviously autistic, or something along those lines, which is framed as a creepy thing about her. She’s supposed to be some kind of “chosen one” that her grandmother wanted, and I guess this was grounds to have her be the “creepy one”. But this can be done without making the character blatantly mentally compromised (and before anyone comes for me, I’m autistic, and despite the many wonderful things about it, it also does hinder me from some basic things in life, so, yeah, it’s compromising). It’s just so tacky, uninspired, and tired.

In regards to other characters, we see Annie speak of how her grandmother suffered from mental conditions (I can’t recall whether or not one was specifically named), and then watch her exhibit various “scary” symptoms herself (trying to set her son on fire, etc.), which grow worse post-Charlie’s death as she is wracked with grief. Annie’s case isn’t quite as terrible as things such as “Split”, as she never actually does anything, only attempts and then snaps herself out of it (before the end of the movie where everything goes to hell, of course). My main problems, as mentioned, are with Charlie and the grandmother, mostly Charlie. I just wanted to attempt to cover all “Hereditary’s” portrayals at least briefly before moving on to my next subject.

 Now that I’m done being mad, let’s explore another recent horror film that uses mental illness as a core aspect.

“Daniel Isn’t Real” is a 2019 film by Adam Egypt Mortimer about a boy (Luke) who experiences a traumatic event as a young child, which he copes with by manifesting an imaginary friend named Daniel. Daniel doesn’t stick around, though, as he tricks Luke into poisoning his mother, almost killing her, and resulting in the two locking Daniel away.

It’s incredibly easy to decipher the, once again, use of DID symptoms. One could easily push this movie aside due to this fact, as clearly, the mental illness is used as the spooky horror thing again. But I’m of the belief that this film handles itself a little better than the likes of “Split”, and here’s why.

It’s a bad thing to use mental illness as your villain, unless you do it right, and there is a way to do that. Luke (the mentally ill person) isn’t the villain, Daniel (the mental illness symptom) is, just like Kevin isn’t “Split’s” villain, but the important difference is that, in “Daniel Isn’t Real”, the audience sympathizes realistically with Luke, doesn’t turn his illness into something extremely outlandish. In “Split”, the audience is following the heroine, who is terrified of the outside force that is Kevin and his personalities. “Split’s” DID is otherworldly and threatening. “Daniel Isn’t Real’s” DID is threatening, but something the audience and Luke hold hands through and fight together.

Aside from some muddy metaphorical aspects (assuming I’m reading it right) and the use of some racial stereotypes common in horror films, “Daniel Isn’t Real” is on the upper end of horror featuring mental illness.

It is also worth noting that there is actually a specific mental illness brought to attention in the film, schizophrenia, as Luke is seen reading a book about it once he starts realizing he’s losing control of Daniel. But this is merely a suggestion, as he doesn’t actually know what is going on in his head and we never get an official declaration of his condition. This brief clip pretty much only helped in solidifying my perception of the story as about mental illness first, and a demonic imaginary friend second. If you ask me, I think dissociative identity disorder fits more with the film than schizophrenia, but my knowledge on both of these disorders is relatively “bare basics”, so take that with a grain of salt. And besides, from this point on I’m going to be looking at the portrayal mainly as an undefined trauma induced condition.

I view Daniel as a visual representation of Luke’s mental condition. He is rude, and childish, and malicious, nothing like who Luke is, who wants nothing more than to get rid of him. Mental illness can feel like there is some evil thing in your brain telling you awful things and threatening your existence, and Daniel represents this feeling perfectly.

Going even deeper, the movie opens with a shooter entering a small café and massacring multiple patrons and themself. One of the things that causes Daniel to manifest is Luke, having left his home where his parents are shouting at one another non-stop, coming face to face with the dead shooter. It is later revealed that Daniel, an ancient demonic “imaginary friend”, was inhabiting the shooter at the time, thus making him the cause of the massacre. And he chose Luke as his next host on that fateful day.

Pause now. We’ve got a blatant mental illness metaphor, and it’s the direct cause of a murder. Why am I more lenient on this and hard on things like “Midsommar”? It’s because this detail plays into what I view as a very interesting interpretation of mental conditions and their preceding trauma.

Looking past Daniel being a demon, I see this as the shooter struggling with the same or a similar type of mental condition caused by a past trauma. This person was sick, as all terrorists of this breed are. Again, this narrative is helped by the fact that we are following Luke and not someone on the outside of his problem, and therefor understand the real lack of control had by anyone Daniel (A.K.A. mental illness) has touched, and, more importantly, the helplessness they feel.

Am I saying people who enact gun violence are partially innocent and have no free will? No, that’s stupid. The real point of me bringing this up is simply that I find it interesting how the film looks at trauma as sort of a contagion. Hurt people can hurt people, and traumatized people can traumatize people. Whatever “demons” that killer hosted were passed on to Luke- and, if the film wanted to go for a broader subject and ditch the singular evil imaginary friend concept, passed onto many others, too. But, it didn’t, and I think that works best, as symptoms like Daniel typically only manifest in young children, assuming you wanna go with the DID/schizophrenia reading, which is what the film offers to us.

We see experiences and fears felt by everyone who has mental illnesses portrayed visually in “Daniel Isn’t Real”, sometimes feeling like a mixed bag of different symptoms from different mental conditions. I see myself and my own experiences in Luke, and it feels good to see the mentally ill person as the hero, and the mental illness being at least mainly a threat to the mentally ill person rather than the outside world, which is how it is more often than not.

And while the movie ends on a sad note, actually quite similar to Kevin’s end in “Glass”, what it does with its runtime is, for the most part, what I want to see more of in terms of mental illness in horror.

 Like I said at the beginning, we’re an easy target. Autistic, obsessive compulsive, anxious, depressed people like me are scary when you have no idea what you’re looking at. Yes, we can be dangerous sometimes, but to nobody more than ourselves. But much more than dangerous, we’re scary to ourselves.

I’ve lived in terror for long periods of time before due to my mental illnesses, and I’ve had this thought; “why doesn’t someone make a horror movie where the mentally ill person is the protagonist, and the mental illness is the monster?” “Daniel Isn’t Real” executed this idea almost perfectly, if not for the fact that Daniel was out to hurt other people, because what’s scarier than a person with a realistic mental condition hurting other people? Ooooo.

Living with mental illness can feel like a horror movie all on its own. The horror is in my head, and I can’t kill it, only keep it at bay, control it. And I think that is scarier than any Norman Bates, than any Kevin Crumb, than any Ruben. To live with a force in your head that wants nothing more than you for to be in misery is a horrific reality worse than any killer.

And before I close, I want to comment on one more little detail. I’m much more critical on recent movies that work with this subject matter than I am on older movies; that’s why I had so much to say about the Aster films and “Split” and so little about “Psycho”. This is because I understand how invisible the very concept of mental illness was in everyday society in “Psycho’s” time. It wasn’t just an easy target, it was a given, and nobody writing these films had any idea of what they were doing or the seedling of thought to look into it. It was that alien.

Today, we are talking about mental illness so much, and yet we are still so careless with what we use it for in our media. It is blasphemous to me that directors and writers still insist on using mentally ill people as villains and creepy characters. Mental illness is such a complex experience that deserves to be explored from the viewpoint of those of us who live with it, not as a toy for the bigshot horror director of the hour to toss around like a hot potato.

There was an excuse in the 1960s. There is no excuse now. We can do better.

#writing #essay #horror writing #horror essay #horror #horror movies #horror films #midsommar #hereditary #ari aster #daniel isn't real #shudder #psycho #alfred hitchcock #split #m night shyamalan #glass #unbreakable #new writer #young writers #article #articles #horror article #horror review #daniel isn't real review #my writing #my post #adam egypt mortimer

[porchwood]

ToastedTHG: Does Katniss (protectively) infantilize Prim?

[I may revisit this post later in light of CF and MJ, but it’s ridiculously long already and I really want to stick with THG for the moment.]

I don’t mean this as harshly as it sounds, simply that, to my way of thinking, Katniss depicts - and likely perceives - Prim, especially early on in THG, as a much younger child. I find with older siblings (my own sister and friends that have little sisters), the younger sibling sometimes gets “stuck” in their head at a certain age/stage, and it stands to reason that Prim would be locked in Katniss’s mind by the trauma of Mr. Everdeen’s death, Mrs. Everdeen’s neglect, and the girls’ near-death by starvation as seven-year-old “sweet tiny Prim, who cried when I cried before she even knew the reason.”

When I first started reading THG fic, it bothered me that Prim always came across as so much younger than she’s supposed to be (though I found myself doing the same with her character when I first started writing THG fic). She always seemed to be about eight years old, whether Katniss was twelve or eighteen. And then I went back to THG and really looked at how Katniss presents her:

She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. 

My little sister, Prim, curled up on her side, cocooned in my mother’s body, their cheeks pressed together. 

The community home would crush her like a bug. 

Even at home, where I am less pleasant, I avoid discussing tricky topics. [...] Prim might begin to repeat my words and then where would we be?

I reach out to Prim and she climbs on my lap, her arms around my neck, head on my shoulder, just like she did when she was a toddler. 

“She’s just twelve.” (not that age twelve isn’t still childhood, but this reads to me like “She’s just seven years old...”)

The woods terrified her... 

...Prim, who’s scared of her own shadow... 

In this way [Rue’s] exactly the opposite of Prim, for whom adventures are an ordeal. 

I’m not suggesting that any of this is negative or untrue, and as I’ll explain in just a moment, as the story goes on, Katniss paints quite a different picture of her sister between the lines. But as I revisited each of these passages (not to mention the “little duck” references on reaping day), I couldn’t help feeling that Katniss is still seeing and describing a sweet, frail, starving seven-year-old. And it’s not hard to see why.

I protect Prim in every way I can, but I’m powerless against the reaping. The anguish I always feel when she’s in pain wells up in my chest and threatens to register on my face. 

Katniss is an exemplary protective older sister - the only thing she wanted in all of this is to protect Prim :_( - and I would never find fault with her depicting Prim as a tiny frightened thing who needs shielding from the world at all times. But there’s a whole lot more to Prim that her sister eventually lets slip out (intentionally or otherwise):

Sweet tiny Prim...who brushed and plaited my mother’s hair before we left for school, who still polished my father’s shaving mirror each night because he’d hated the layer of coal dust that settles on everything in the Seam. (This is that same tiny vulnerable seven-year-old taking care of her adult mother and tending to her dead father’s memory - every single day, even while she’s starving to death! I can’t think of anything I did that consistently at age seven, let alone taking care of another person!)

On the table, under a wooden bowl to protect it from hungry rats and cats alike, sits a perfect little goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves. Prim’s gift to me on reaping day. (As @ghtlovesthg pointed out - this means Prim must have been up before Katniss!)

“I’ll be all right, Katniss,” says Prim, clasping my face in her hands. “But you have to take care, too. You’re so fast and brave. Maybe you can win.” (Prim reassuring Katniss at the Justice Building! I’d forgotten about that one!)

...When she sells her goat cheeses at the Hob... (Prim is a businesswoman, not just a sometime-trader! Discussed a smidge more in this post.)

Prim milking her goat before school. (Again, uniquely responsible in a child, because this is an every-single-day responsibility, not something you can skip if you sleep in or rush if you’re running late. At least, not if I understand milking correctly.)

What’s funny was, Prim, who’s scared of her own shadow, stayed and helped. (With that miner’s awful leg wound)

That’s another thing about my mother and Prim. Nakedness has no effect on them, gives them no cause for embarrassment. Ironically, at this point in the Games, my little sister would be of far more use to Peeta than I am. (I’m almost 40 and I’m still squeamish about male nudity! It’s part of why I love Katniss so much! And I love Katniss’s admission of sweet, tiny, vulnerable Prim being useful to a mortally wounded Peeta.)

Something that’s only faintly nodded to (and that in CF) is that Prim has been dealing firsthand with pregnancy/labor/delivery, probably alongside her mother - I’d hazard she’s something of an apothecary apprentice at this point - but certainly with Lady, her goat. Lady was a gift for Prim’s 10th birthday (just over two years before THG begins), which means she’s been tended by Prim through at least two pregnancies, as well as the mauled shoulder. I belabored this a bit in WtM, but this also means that Prim had a small side business in goat kids, either trading them back to the Goat Man for the stud service that keeps Lady in milk, selling male kids to Rooba for meat (which would probably break Prim’s tender heart a bit), and/or selling females for a tidy sum as future dairy goats.  

What’s more, if Prim hasn’t gone through menarche herself by the start of THG, she’s surely intimately aware of it (between close living quarters, limited “sanitary supplies,” and her mother’s patients). This is something else I’ve touched on (and will belabor in the near future) in the Mooniverse, but I think menstruation was both a hopeful and a terrifying thing to the women of Twelve. (On the one hand, they would certainly experience irregular/absent periods, delayed menarche, etc due to malnutrition, so the appearance of a steady cycle would mean joy for those who dearly wanted to get pregnant, but there would also be something of Katniss’s “terror as old as life itself” at the prospect of those children who might result.) We never get a chance to see this, sadly, but I’ll bet Prim had a crush (on Peeta’s oldest brother, who was crazy about her in turn). Did she share Katniss’s fear about bringing children into the cruel world she lived in, or was she looking forward to being a mother one day? 

To wrap this up, for a little perspective, let’s take a quick peek at another example of a twelve-year-old female character. Say, an intelligent one with an ugly yellow cat...

(yes, I know Crookshanks comes along a smidge later, but I’m not crazy about movie!Hermione and this gif was too perfect!)

At the beginning of THG, give or take a few months, Prim is the same age as Hermione in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. 

Please tell me this gives someone else a wee start (and I don’t mean the gif of Captain Kirk)!

Now, I’m not trying to equate these characters by any means, though there are similarities between the two (and I’ve been wondering for days now: if Prim was Hermione, Rory Hawthorne would be Ron, for so many reasons, but who would be Harry??)...The Grangers are dentists, Mrs. Everdeen is a skilled apothecary; both girls have a heritage looked down upon by some of their peers (though it’s interesting that, at least from Katniss’s perspective, Prim is universally adored rather than scorned as a “Seam brat” - and she’s got to look the tiniest bit Seam in some way!). I would hazard that Prim knows the plant book cover-to-cover at this point - and heck, Katniss even describes Prim (and their mother) as “work[ing] magic” in their healing! :)

I freely admit that Hermione had loads of advantages Prim could only dream of (relative affluence in the Muggle world, 20th-21st century conveniences, access to superior education from the get-go, not to mention real magic), but one would expect - and I think, will find - a similar emotional maturity in Prim at that age, if not more weighted to Prim's side, since she's living in a brutal post-apocalyptic dystopia where she lost her father (in terrible circumstances) at a very young age and works alongside her mother to tend sick/wounded/dying coal miners - surely a harrowing experience for even a seasoned healer.

Anyway, I found it interesting to compare the two, however briefly, and consider just how competent Prim totally is may be behind the scenes. I mean, she should have a Time-Turner by CF, at the very least. :)

#toastedthg #primrose everdeen #meta #prim #prim everdeen #thg reread

[nathandmsudesign-blog]

Context + Land Art Reading Response Questions

1) Context, in the realm of art especially, deals with the state of affairs and circumstances that make up the works setting. Within this we learn that there are different types of context. Viewing context deals with where and how an object is placed. This speaks volumes to how a work is taken in and sussed out. According to the reading, internal context is the juxtaposition of parts within the whole and the meanings they evoke through proximity to one another. On the other hand, an artists context is the life history, experiences, and time influencing the person whose work we are taking in. The social context of a work of art is the time and place in which the work is made. Finally, historical context is the work alongside other artifacts throughout history.

2) This was a helpful read in terms of putting the pieces together to gather meaning and create desired meaning in work. Meaning equals the sum of a works subject matter, medium, form, and contexts. The subject matter in a work of art is the topic or subject being physically represented. It basically covers what you see and perceive. Medium can defined as the means and agency for how something was made; for example oil paint or carved soapstone, or charcoal on paper. Form encompasses the way we see something, the view from which we see it, and how the subject matter is shown and depicted. When you put those things all together with the contexts (defined separately in the previous question) which are broadly defined as the state of affairs and circumstances that make up a works settings, you can begin to piece together meaning. Additionally, you can better articulate and communicate desired meaning in your own work. 

3) This was one of my favorite land art works that I saw. I love the mix of the expansive landscape with the geometric shape of the tunnels. It is very satisfying to look at from down on ground level and from above. The show mentioned that the tunnels were meant to give people a sort of safe enclosed space to enjoy the landscape and it really does play on that human need for comfort. There were 4 cement cylinders placed strategically as an X to let in the rising and setting sun on the winter and summer solstices. The holes in the cylinders represented different star constellations. I love how the artist really incorporated the landscape in many ways. It’s a cool marriage. I like how the artwork still translates and looks cool on film and in photos for people who can’t actually go to the place itself.

4) In the land artwork Time Landscape, Alan Sonifist took a plot of land in the heart of New York City and repopulated it with natural plants that would have existed on the island before it was colonized and inhabited by so many. It is a little bubble of nature as it once was and he was seeking to reunite people who lived there or who may be visiting with the heritage and the natural beauty of the place as it once was. It’s like a haven of natural beauty in a sea of development and it is still there to this day.