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wildechild17 · 3 years

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Alright 911 fam, here’s commentary for the first episode of season 5!

“I really thought this year was gonna be different.” Really Bobby? Really? we’re in the ‘20s

Maddie! OH, thank god, she’s here, i love her. I hope she gets well this season and not written off somehow

Nope, can we stop talking about Ana please Eddie?

“Our Greatest Hits” oh, we are so going to have fun this episode.

Josh and May taking the reigns, hell yeah!

Oh FOR FUCK’S SAKE NOT TAYLOR AND BUCK--

damn, this is a lot of cyber attacks... and of course, no one wants to talk about it. this episode is gonna be... rough.

“My Wife... the apocalyptic doomsayer.” I love you Hen.

“The end of the world as we know it.” don’t get me on that song, please Athena.

Oh, here we go the rapist that attacked Athena, let him fry bitches-- wait... wait. with the ransomware, the supposed nightmare of Athena’s... I DON’T HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS. I HATE THIS GUY.

And of course he’s got groupies. of fucking course

i can’t remember the actor’s name. but i love Sean Renard.

“You” nope. let’s not.

please. please. can we stop with eddie and ana? please. oh boy chris sounds mildly frustrated. also eddie speaking spanish is... hng. damn right you’re not his mother bitch-- eddie? Eddie? EDDIE.

panic attacks... finally addressing his ptsd, thank you.

“I don’t panic” sure you don’t.

shit. Athena is having a nightmare. fuck fuck fuck. bobby where are you? oh, there you are cooking breakfast for-- wait. kid. kiddo. damn he’s growing up.

whyyyy. i know this is prevalent to the plotline, but can’t we just throw this guy in jail and be done?

damn, so all those benches that athena was put on is coming up now? damn. damn, that’s good writing. but while we’re at it, what about that bitch who drove may to near suicide? is she making an appearance this season?

another plane crash in the making. literally feeling like this is all of 911′s greatest hits coming together.

damn-- talk about a scare. my heart stopped i think for a second. WAIT I DIDN’T MEAN THAT--- NICK?!

all these panic attacks going around...

“You Lose” well fuck. here we go with the chaos.

WAIT NO I THOUGHT MY THEORY WAS GONNA BE WRONG-- NO. NO.

oh boy. this is reminding me of Cypher from fast and furious with the cars thing.

Maddie! Josh being a good friend! I love him. Uh-- hm. I have a question? Is this gonna be what kicks Maddie back into gear, somehow?

“Eddie? Diaz? How you feeling?” Buck, instantly: Wait what?

“Tell us where.” / “Everywhere” Bobby: Why did I ask?

oh the fanclub has an actual reason for existing. here we go.

Buddie content! Buck being concerned! I love them. Oh, boy Buck being passive aggressive, i love him.

Here we go, Athena going off road. I love her.

Oh boy. Oh boy. OH BOY. BLACKOUT. AHHHHH. WAIT NO THERE’S NINE MINUTES LEFT NO NO NO NO. for once can we get a two hour premiere or finale?!

And there goes the hospital. here comes the crash. thank god the 118 is already here.

Athena honey, be careful. Guy whose name i can’t remember who is Athena’s partner, you too. OH BOY i was right about revenge, but not who he was targeting.

oh boy. lila, fight your fucking heart out. HAH! NABBED AGAIN YOU BASTARD.

Lou is her partner’s name, good that i can finally remember that. WAIT WHAT THE FUCK----

WHAT THE FUCK NO NO THE PREVIEW THAT BASTARD BETTER NOT FUCKING HARM HARRY

#911 on fox #911 fox #athena grant #bobby nash #evan buckley #eddie diaz #hen wilson #chimney han #maddie buckley #josh russo #micheal grant

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legionofpotatoes · 3 years

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I love your art, it is very detailed in a neat way. Was wondering how you got started making it as a source of income? How did you get your first paid work, I'd love some advice on how to get started, if that's ok

Thank you. Of course it's okay, although I doubt I have enough work experience in art to really delve into this. I only went full freelance this year, and had been juggling art as a side hobby until then. If you're still interested in my somewhat narrow perspective, and are okay with my long-winded rambles, I'll give it a shot:

So to answer your question fully, I'll describe how I started and move into personal advice and learnings later on. As a disclaimer, I am a white cishet dude in my late twenties with a moderate cocktail of mental illnesses, but overall I can pass for a functioning adult so a lot I have to say may come laced with privilege I cannot fully identify.

So uhh I began drawing in around 2012? I think? Maybe halfway through 2011? And I mostly made fanart for things I enjoyed and tried to branch out in communities that felt nourishing to my style and interests (I caught a bug for alt posters and enjoyed mainstream movies so I spent a long time on posterspy early on). There were a handful of opportunities that came from there but I could only accept a couple because of primary workplace commitments. Still, it showed that networking in a focused community was definitely a good place to start; I myself have huge trouble committing to social networks and really staying socially active, but I knew it was an essential ingredient in succeeding so I tried to make myself be involved in challenges and art support trains etc. as much as I could.

In parallel to all that I also ran a few third party online stores (redbubble, teepublic) for disposable income and would sometimes, if rarely, hit around $100-150 a month from those sources combined. It is a sort of thing that requires helper accounts on other social media sites to promote it on, because the stores themselves have a huge volume of content that translates into low organic discoverability. Obviously it was never gonna be the way towards financial independence through art, and with community projects being few and far between, I opened private commissions in around uhhh 2017 I think, focusing on offering a few styles I knew I could do well, and sometimes operating in individual fandoms (it was mostly a bioware thing to be frank). But I had to close them back down after a year or so, again because of work-life conflict and how badly it was burning me out. The reason I kept trying to monetize this hobby is because I honestly hated what I did for my main job and wanted to see a way out in some shape or form in the future.

And then in 2020 I had to quit my main job altogether because of *gestures at pandemic* and deal with a mental breakdown from all the wonderful things it did to us and me specifically. I took a short break and decided to give art a shot full-time, and that was around May this year. I was planning on opening up commissions again (and I still am), but a few sudden opportunities that fell in my lap moved that timetable down and now I'm grateful to even be doing something I am getting adequately paid for.

So, with that somewhat limited perspective, here's what I've learned that I'd tell myself if I was just starting out:

1. Being a fan of something can be a shortcut towards effective networking kickoffs. Which are important evidently. If you love something and enjoy making content for it, join communities, settle into a combination of social media websites that feel right for those interests + your body of work + your inner rhythm, and try to play to content discovery as much as your mental health allows you to. Like I said, I know that I myself am incredibly bad at self-motivating to talk to people, so I found that synergizing common interests into fanart - which I enjoyed making anyway - could be a way to give myself a gentle nudge forward and build those bridges leading to community activities, which then net experience and coverage. Sometimes even freelance projects from official avenues. Again; picking the right spaces for what you're after is key. Companies roam twitter, concept art recruiters scour artstation or linkedin etc, instagram can land you private commissions and collab opportunities, so on and so forth. Find your niche and try to kick up dust. However...

2. I do not believe that any social profile can replace a good portfolio. The thing that made an immediate difference to me this year was building a coherent, simple website with my best work front and center and a contact form on top. Every single opportunity I got came from that form (maybe via twitter or instagram initially, but always sealing the decision after going through the website), so I firmly believe that showcasing your skills and portfolio in a visually arresting and user-friendly way is a big priority. I had some reservations about tackling that task but fortunately I had help from a savvy life partner and we slapped it together via wordpress in less than a day. Twitter/whatever social media is prevalent in your target groups is definitely important to get the right eyes on your shit, yes, but those eyes will then look for a second stop where your work and rates are more clear and concise. Simplicity is key imo, I cannot overstate this. So make a cute, simple portfolio!

3. Your skills and rates will grow and change as you do. Let them. Over the years I built several lasting professional relationships from my obsession over mass effect and kept getting opportunities both from bioware and their partner companies, some small and some a bit bigger. A one-off job earlier this year opened an unexpected door to another much larger commitment, and then the work I did there brought some attention from small businesses looking for commercial commissions. These were all incredibly different projects in terms of scope and budget, and I've been tackling them all on a case-by-case basis and slowly coming into my own irt my needs, rates, and SOW thresholds. It is still a work in progress (and a LOT of literal work as well), and very much a thing I struggle with in publicly marketing, which is why I felt a tad underqualified to answer your question in the first place (obviously I did not let that stop me). But what it means for me now is that I am rapidly developing into whatever my "version" of a functioning freelance artist is, and when the conditions for that guy are met, I need to be able to confidently plant myself and operate from that space despite past precedents. Do not let anyone bully you into downpricing what you yourself perceive as legitimate products of personal growth and development. Speaking of which...

4. The shitty challenge of turning envy into inspiration, and paddling outside your comfort zones in full riot gear. it is hard, but realizing that being a miserable, self-hating artist in my early days got me nothing but more misery back was the first real step I took and what truly blew the hinges off. I was just not pleasant to be around, I would badmouth my work all the time, and it all somehow made sense in my broken mind because the validation I sought was purely external and the way I sought it was through eliciting sympathy via self-victimization (even when I made something objectively nice). It all led fucking nowhere. Except perhaps to my own narcissism that I one day managed to identify and start managing. So I started looking at things that made me seethe with envy and calmly deconstruct and figure out their inner workings instead, do studies, and find nuggets of inspiration or discover new ways to approach rendering or building up specific elements. It was an application of analytical diligence to what I wanted to be a purely emotional, esoteric workflow, but that I deep down knew wasn't. Art is a discipline and a skill, and maybe it isn't a straight line, but you gotta find some line to thread nevertheless. Being self-hating was almost an identity I had to break out of, and despite it still being like, 4-5% there? I realize its cause and effect on me, my work, and those around me, so it is with a conscious choice that I gently set it aside when I work and especially when I learn. It won't always stay quiet, but the effort is the difference. Your doors towards accepting true growth and venturing into uncharted territories, art styles, and networking will really open from there. But there's a huge caveat...

5. Toolsets, accessibility, privilege, and all the good things that enable artistic expression and profitability are not given equal to all. you might do all the mental work I mentioned to be ready to rock and roll and learn and draw your way out of anything, but digital art is a fucking money pit that asks almost too much at times. I don't got a good case study here but identifying and ensuring accessibility to the tools you need to do your best work is, like, super important. The ergonomics can improve as you make money and settle into the job, but the basics have to be made available to you. And some of that might not even be under your direct control. That can be anything from pen tablets to software subscriptions to opportunities in hiring sullied by sexism or what have you. You gotta navigate all that through careful networking and money/time management. I don't do a good job of devoting specific slices of time to work/study, and my primary clutch is iPad software which went from a good deal to a nightmare scenario over the years. So all I can say here is do what I didn't; network, invest in a PC/tablet, and pick a software you'll learn that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

6. Be nice to work with? This one is hard to articulate and has landed my own ass in hot water in my early years because of how socially inept I am, but nothing is more worthwhile than being.. like. a good person to work with. That can be anything like meeting deadlines, or sometimes missing them but eloquently articulating why, being generous in early stages, being communicable and not too wordy in your emails, having a good grasp on abstract artistic concepts and how to describe them in simple terms, having a clear, laid out framework of your working rates in commercial and non-commercial projects and sticking to those guns with grace, understanding when you need to say no and saying it well, the works. Just being nice. Sometimes that might mean going headstrong with something you believe in, or simmering down and sucking up to the big man, all relative and adaptive. Part and parcel of the service provision dance that we all have to do in order to make bank. Know your lines here, obviously, and don't like. work for nazis. or uh.. *shudders* exposure. but be nice and empathetic and communicable and word will travel eventually. Skill may be in abundance these days, but good people are most certainly not, and capitalism has a way of bubbling up scarcity. Grim, but uh, them's the breaks.

I know I'm ultimately telling you to like. Have a body of work, make a portfolio, grow, and network. But that's really how I see it for now. And being nice can be a cherry on top that sets you apart, along with the inherent irreplaceable voice of your artwork. I think I rambled on enough, but if there is something specific you need my help with, even if you want to come off anon and talk in private, please feel free.

#anon #asks #long post #sorry I cant actually condense ideas better :(

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phoenixdnasty · 4 years

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The Problem with Season Five

this is already going to have a lot of you in the replies yelling at me. obviously, massive SPOILERS for s5 of she ra and the princesses of power if you haven't already seen it.

okay, so She Ra is definitely a kids' show, but it has a lot of themes aimed towards an older audience: abuse, war, found family, destiny and knowing who you are. I loved She Ra because it made me feel empowered, made me feel seen. after this last season, however, I don't feel the same. I will, however, talk about what it did well.

What She-Ra s5 did RIGHT

I very much enjoyed seeing the character development for most characters come to the forefront here. For example, SW returned to her original motivations. When she lived in Mystacor with the other sorcerers, her thirst for power was borne of a desire to fight the Horde. When she was rejected, then she chose to do what she did. We see a return to that in s5, where she takes a stand against Prime by enlisting Castaspella to stop her if she tries to take any power for herself. She ends up just wanting to help, to do what she can, which was excellent. Glimmer, Bow and a bunch of other characters are given some love here as well. I especially enjoyed seeing Bow and Mermista take on leadership positions in the absence of Adora; it was an excellent look into another facet of their personalities.

Character interactions in non-serious moments were, for the most part, good. Swift Wind and Scorpia being bros was not something I knew I needed but something I want more of. Netossa basically being Batman and knowing the weaknesses of everyone around her was great and an iconic scene. Bow thinking Catra was super adorable was also an excellent moment in the season and I could watch 9 more seasons worth of that. Something that surprised me was Entrapta's "not good with people"-ness being talked about and addressed by the other characters and explained by her; I wasn't sure if that was ever gonna be talked about in the show.

Side note: thank you Crew-Ra for giving Scorpia her own musical number, it was great.

Prime was also a fascinating enemy. He's this sort of religious figure, this world destroyer who's been around for seemingly centuries, maybe much longer. He's cold, calm and calculated. I've seen it pointed out that he's everything Hordak is not. He's manipulative, knows body language and facial expressions, and has a perfect grasp on how to get exactly what we wants. My favorite aspect of this season was the hive mind control. This was a very interesting plotline to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed HiveMind!Catra as well as Wrong Hordak. I loved the idea of pitting allies against each other and the angst and emotional weight that carried.

Going to use that point to segue into one of this season's strengths: Netossa and Spinnerella. Wow! We get a chance to see what a healthy queer/wlw relationship looks like, and two background characters get major upgrades in relevance. Two diversity points for one being a big girl and for the couple being interracial (in our world anyway), but diversity is the norm is SPOP and we might have to stan forever. It was extremely heartwarming and resulted in one of my favorite scenes to ever show up in animated media (one which I'll be stealing to add to my vows if I ever get married):

It was beautiful and I will absolutely never shut up about it.

There were some beautiful moments this season!! Absolutely gorgeous. A highlight for me cinematically was episode 5, which will probably bother some people when I say what I will below. I will be honest, the new transformation sequence and the scene of Adora holding Catra as She-Ra was powerful and had my heart pounding with excitement. It was awesome.

On the other hand...

What She-Ra s5 did WRONG

I'm going to break my issues with the final season down one by one, starting with the narrative of abuse.

From the very beginning, abuse is the most prevalent theme in the show. Prime (HP) abuses Hordak, Hordak abuses SW, SW abuses both Adora and Catra, and Catra abuses Adora. I liked the Crew-Ra tackling this issue. Abused people abuse people, right?

Why was everyone redeemed in s5? (Well, except for Prime, he was blasted away by She-Ra.) Hordak was given a blank slate to start over, even though he was the reason Etheria was war torn for at least a few decades; SW was given a hero's sacrifice, where at the end of her life she finally decides to do some good; and Catra is immediately forgiven for doing one good thing and all trust in placed in her simultaneously.

Hordak and H. Prime as abusers are pretty cut and dry; at no point are they ever remorseful for their actions, except for Hordak in the case of being abusive to Entrapta. SW is much more of an interesting character to analyze, because her motivations are geared directly towards herself. This seems to change in the final season, when she returns to her original motivations from back when she was in Mystacor. Defending her home. In her pursuit of the power needed to defend Etheria from the Horde, she fell into darkness. She began to abuse Adora and Catra.

One could argue that the hero's sacrifice she was given for redemption was unneeded. SW was an individual addicted to power. She was manipulative, using fake affection as a means to control. She didn't deserve a redemption. The only evidence we have of this supposed change of heart is a line to Castaspella: "...and stop me if I try to take the power for myself." Okay... so, SW, um... what changed your mind? Was it Micah? Because at no point has he forgiven you. In fact, there should've been much more hostility between the two of you (which is a point I'll address in a moment). In all honesty, the relationship between SW and Micah reminds me of what should've happened between Catra and Glimmer, or Catra and Scorpia.

And Catra... My problem with her story is that she was kinda just... forgiven? instantly. no repercussions, no long talks about feelings, no... consequences. Catra got the girl and that was it. A small list of things she did over 4 seasons, in no certain order:

Scratched what was implied were scarring marks down Adora's back

Was the cause of Angella's "death" #angelladeservedbetter

Kidnapped both Glimmer and Bow

Opened a world-ending portal all to ensure Adora failed

Also pushed Adora into what looked like an abyss

Verbally abused Scorpia into leaving

Wanted to pit Corrupted!She-Ra against her friends (dehumanization)

Got Entrapta sent to Beast Island, a deadly place no one ever returns from

And this is just the stuff off the top of my head. We all knew Catra was going to get a redemption, but this one was completely undeserved. She apologized to Adora and Entrapta. Two very short apologies for what canonly was at minimum, months of abuse, manipulation, intent to kill (which is literally mentioned by Adora) and general disregard for anyone or anything but revenge for something that didn't even deserve it. The entire cast should've been outraged. Glimmer in particular had a very big reason not to ever forgive Catra ("I'm not losing another parent!"), but it was all glossed over.

The biggest issue with season 5 was the abuse plotline completely dropped. You can't spend 4 seasons explaining how the cycle of abuse affects you and everyone around you... and shelve it. And we know the reason why it was shelved.

Let me first preface this with the fact that I am super happy we got representation. As a queer nblw who grew up feeling alone, it's so good to see things changing in media. An onscreen wlw kiss on a kids' show is groundbreaking and I'm very happy that She-Ra broke this barrier.

But all representation is not good representation. Catra and Adora is not a good representation of a healthy relationship.

Catra is shown throughout the series to be very unstable. This is even prevalent in season 5, when Adora "chooses SW" over Catra, she runs away. This breaks Adora's heart. The last thing that Catra needs is a relationship when she hasn't even confronted the issues that she has. There's no healing done in season 5, no therapy as the fandom loved to meme about, no long talks about forgiveness and the hurt caused. There's no callback to any of the pain and anguish that Catra put Adora through. Catra may love Adora, but if there is no healing done for the both of them, their relationship will fail. They will fall into the same cycle again. Adora will do something Catra doesn't like, Catra will do what she's done for all of the show, and it will repeat until something breaks.

I'm going to talk about the implications of the ending we have now, and feel free to argue with me.

She-Ra is a kids' show. Abuse is one of the main themes. Catra is shown to be an abuser. Here's what we are teaching younger audiences:

a. if you love someone enough, maybe they'll change

b. everyone deserves a second chance

c. your abuser will change as long as you're loyal and never stop trying to love them

d. things someone does to hurt you mean nothing in the wake of forgiveness

e. if someone who hurt you changes suddenly and wants to be back in your life, you should let them back in

Character interactions for the things that mattered (plot threads from previous seasons, general personality clashes, etc) were absent this season, in the moments where they mattered the most. (The best three in my opinion were Scorpia and Perfuma, the BFS inviting Catra in, and Mermista and Entrapta.) Glimmer and Adora should've had their time to talk. Scorpia should've gotten to say her piece to Catra. SW and Micah should've interacted more. Micah and Glimmer should've gotten more than an introduction!

I'm not going to get into how the entire final season was wrapped around making Catra and Adora get together (a fundamental writing no-no; it never ends up working), or how it was bad writing. I just want everyone to think critically for one moment. There are so many other glaring issues in what was, overall, a stellar show. If there was another season, or some mini episodes where the characters talk out their problems and past transgressions against each other, then I could excuse She-Ra. But I doubt we're going to get any of that. So I won't.

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high-five-of-teenager-trashblog · 3 years

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Discography Discussion: Wolf & Sheep

While Wolf & Sheep is my favorite album, I think it’s also the most recognizable one in H.O.T’s discography. No other album they’ve done has as many well-known tracks. In this discussion, we’ll be diving into the most teenage-geared album in the history of H.O.T.

The Wolf & Sheep Album

H.O.T’s second album Wolf & Sheep came out on July 5th, 1997. It’s the only album (besides the OST for Age of Peace) to be released outside of September - which also makes it the shortest time between albums. It’s also the only album besides Outside Castle that features the members on the cover. In case you’re trying to figure out who is who, I assume (from their features that are usually depicted in artwork of them) it’s the order they generally are in when they’re on stage (facing the audience from the stage), meaning from left to right it’s Woohyuk, Kangta, Tony, Heejun, and Jaewon. Compared to We Hate All Kinds of Violence, this album is bolder in its statements and was a continuation of their ability to criticize and uplift their young target audience.

Wolf & Sheep

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“Wolf & Sheep” is the title track for this album, and was their first attempt at targeting society - not just their teenage fans. Like other hard-hitting tracks in H.O.T’s discography, this one was composed by Yoo Youngjin.

Lyrics

It’s an aggressive song with lyrics about wolves attacking and taking sheep. The song is mostly metaphorical, and about people with power taking advantage of people without it. However, that’s only a surface-level understanding of the song. Usually, Yoo Youngjin usually writes about topics (and problems) that are prevalent across multiple societies and time periods, but sometimes he does write about particular events. “Wolf and Sheep” is about an event in the future that has already happened, but didn’t actually happen. The song starts with Woohyuk announcing, “The year 2000, June 28, they who had been foretold arrived.” This song was released in 1997, which was three years before that date. But it’s written in the past tense - in both Korean and in the English translation of it. However, when I looked up the date itself (June 28th, 2000) and ones similar to it, I didn’t find anything that matched or were of significance.

The closest thing I could come up with happened on June 28th, 1950. (Source) During the Korean War, there was a massacre on that day at the Seoul National University Hospital by the North Korean army. (Source) Here are some lyrics that could support this: “All the sheep’s family were turned into the hunted..the sheep’s cities were turned into battlefields...50 years of peace was broken on that day, and everything was destroyed in their hands...What sin did I commit to deserve all this pain?” (Lyric Source)

To add to this, I found a blog on Daum that supports my theory. This blog also adds that the album was announced on June 28th, 1997, but its release was delayed because Heejun hurt his shoulder. Considering that this is the most research I’ve had to do for any H.O.T track, it’s nice to see someone else support this theory.

Music Video

The music video for “Wolf & Sheep“ is the first H.O.T MV to be filmed outside of Korea. It features the members riding around in LA with cuts to them performing the track on stage. I know it’s not a big deal, but my personal favorite part is at the end when they’re running down the beach and someone does a flip and knocks into the camera. There is an alternate version of the music video that’s basically the same, just edited together differently.

Another point of interest

Interestingly, the track and the MV are both echoed later in “I-Yah”. While “Wolf & Sheep” was about destruction and loss of life for an event that might not have existed, “I-Yah” was about a specific event that included destruction and innocents who lost their lives.

Both tracks have the members wearing outfits that are supposed to look intimidating.

Both songs are arranged similarly, and have a point where Kangta wears a white and sings solo while the aggressive music momentarily becomes calm before he crescendos it back to anger.

Also, both are their only two MVs (from their main album discography) filmed outside of Korea. They were filmed in the U.S., but on opposite sides of the country, with “Wolf & Sheep” filmed in L.A. (the west coast), while “I-Yah” was filmed in New York City (the east coast). Which I find interesting, as both are clearly about events in Korea, yet filmed abroad.

(If you want to know more about “I-Yah”, I did a Discography Discussion about it)

Final Thoughts

While this track was quite ambitious for the group, promotions for it didn’t last long as it was quickly banned for the use of profanity. (In all fairness, there is a lot of it.) However, that was not the end for this album.

If you pay attention to their discography, you’ll notice a pattern. Usually when they release an album, they will show the hard-hitting title track first that is about a serious issue (such as “Warrior’s Descendant”). Usually the track will do well and set the tone for the rest of the album. Then, the next track will be a happy/inoffensive track (such as “Candy”) and will get a lot of love from the public - which was especially useful when a title track got banned. This pattern is why they’re able to get away with having an (at times) violent and profanity-heavy discography while still being considered to be family-friendly.

After H.O.T debuted, there were quite a few groups who claimed to be like H.O.T at the time of their debut, but when their first hard-hitting song didn’t get as much praise as “Warrior’s Descendant”, their follow up track would be something light. These artists would then stick to singing inoffensive songs for most of their discography. Perhaps if companies (including SM) didn’t panic and drop to making groups strictly as pop groups reminiscent of the music industry before Seo Taiji & Boys, the K-Pop industry as we know it today would have been very different. Even to this day, there isn’t a K-pop group that has reached the heights H.O.T did with as high of a percentage of critique songs for their title tracks (let alone the rest of their discography) - the closest being B.A.P, to my knowledge.

In my opinion, this pattern is most visible with the Wolf & Sheep album due to the track they released after “Wolf & Sheep”.

Full of Happiness

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The next song to be released on the album was “행복”. The literal translation is “Happiness”, but sometimes you will see this song being called “Full of Happiness” because that’s the feeling this song gives. They lyrics are about meeting someone who was very kind in the past, and hoping the meeting will go well. This song takes the feeling of happiness that was given to someone, then giving it back as strongly as (or stronger than) they received it. However, the music video was about a tennis player feeling happiness winning a match after not being able to do so at the beginning.

There are a lot of adorable details in this music video.

1. Woohyuk and Tony play fighting until the other members have to hold them back.

2. The other members stealing a table umbrella to shade Jaewon. My favorite part is watching them sneak around Jaewon’s back. Considering that it was a really hot day, I think that’s such a sweet gesture.

3. Heejun and Kangta play fighting.

4. Heejun smacking Kangta with a tennis ball, then fleeing while hanging onto his hat.

5. When the tennis player wins, H.O.T are in the crowd and celebrate.

With this in mind, I would like to remind everyone that this was the track media used when Jaewon was discharged from the military and all of the members reunited to call themselves H.O.T for the first time since disbandment.

Go! H.O.T.!

The first track on the Wolf & Sheep album is “Go! H.O.T.!” It’s a hype song about the group that lists each member and something about them.

Sexy Guy is a Kangta (Hey - Handsome!)

Wit Guy is a Heejun (Shinning Shinning!)

Mood Guy is a Tony (Hey - Funny!)

Wild Guy is a Woohyuk

Maknae Jaewon is a Shy Shy ! Guy Guy!

If you watch any live performance of “Haengbok”, you’ll see a part of this song sandwiched in the middle with the camera focusing on each of the members. Each performance is different, such as in one Jaewon does a flip and in another he pulls a comb out of nowhere and runs it through his hair.

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H.O.T’s Haengbok vs Super Junior’s Haengbok

SMTown used to release an album during the winter and summer seasons that brought together a lot of their popular artists. These albums would usually have one main song that everyone sang, then the rest of the tracks would be either split by group or just put different people together. On the summer 2007 album, Super Junior did a cover of “Haengbok”.

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When I first heard it, I adored it because I thought it was a fun, new take on a song I loved. Well, everyone seems to agree with that notion because when someone does a cover of “Haengbok”, they’ll usually do the Super Junior version, not H.O.T’s (even though it will often be labeled as a cover of an H.O.T song or say Suju cover, original by H.O.T). The two songs use different instrumentals, choreography, and even how the song is sung is different when you compare Tony and Woohyuk’s parts to the Super Junior version.

I assume the reason for this is that it’s newer, but also that it’s easier to copy and perform. Whereas the original is so H.O.T and feels older, so I don’t think a lot of groups could pull it off. With a track like “Haengbok”, each person performing it has to be vibrant, impossible to confuse with someone else, and have their own style of performing.

We Are the Future

The tone of the last major track on the album is not heavy like “Wolf & Sheep” or light like “Haengbok”, but instead is a mix of the two.

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“We Are the Future” is a high-energy dance track with lyrics about teenagers recognizing that they are the future, not the adults who are oppressive.

We're still in the shadows of the adults, We're still not free-

They fuss and bother us about this and that all day,

of course we can't do anything except get tired-

When are they gonna stop feeling satisfaction by forcing us to their ways?

One day goes by, and another day goes by,

we get more and more tired, feel like we're gonna collapse!

And yes, before you ask, this is another song by Yoo Youngjin.

Unlike “Wolf & Sheep”, which mainly rages about injustices that have been done, “We Are the Future” has a message of hope as well. The message is that you are the future, and you can change the world (and your life).

Within me, a new world is squirming to grow,

and now I will grow it and develop it on my own!

We are the future!

Throw it away! From now on, I tell you,

I'm the master of my life-

I'll believe it, I'll believe it, I'll be fine and strong on my own!

To add to this message, the MV shows a girl jumping off a roof, students getting hit by their teacher, a teenager shoplifting, and a student being bullied. These scenes are displayed between clips of H.O.T dancing and singing.

Compared to “Wolf & Sheep”, this displays scenes of reality that a lot of young people in Korea probably were familiar with either through seeing it happen to their peers or they themselves were going through it. This track is one of the reasons why H.O.T is called “The Nations First Idols” - they sang to people who were going through these issues. Unlike later groups, H.O.T never sang songs that were out of touch with their listeners.

Aside from the fact that this track is really catchy, I think it still resonates with people because they lyrics are about things that young people experience everywhere. For example, even though corporeal punishment was banned in Seoul back in 2010, it still happens sometimes in Korea (and in other countries as well).

But let’s be real, if you’re someone who isn’t at a good place in your life and you aren’t happy with where you are (or who you’re around), this song could apply to you too.

Other Songs of Interest

Free to Fly - This track also has an MV, but depending on the source, it’s a bit different. It’s cheesy 90s breakup song. If you didn’t know the lyrics you would probably assume it was a love song by how it sounds. I think this MV is part of the problem because it shows the guys being cute and saying sweet things - the audience awing over them doesn’t help either, hahaha. Yoo Youngjin must have been in a mood because “Tragedy” (which is also a track on this album), has the same kind of vibe.

The End of My Inferiority Complex - You’ve probably heard this track before because the beginning of it is at the beginning of the MV for “Haengbok”. This is the last song on the album that Yoo Youngjin had a hand in. It’s a teenage relationship drama told in one song. It’s about a guy who sees his girlfriend likes his friend more than him because his friend is all that. Since his friend has been so good to him, he feels like it would be best to breakup and let her be with his friend. However, at the end there’s a twist because when he goes to end things with her, she says:

You’ve got it all wrong,

That*s not the message I meant to give you,

I think I went too far in trying to express my feelings-

I was only so frustrated at you because you were so unconfident,

so unsure of yourself next to your friend-

Don*t be stupid, don*t fool yourself-

Hold me now, I love YOU!

It was the 90s so it makes sense that this would be the conclusion, but I want to call BS on it.

Lost 12th Birthday - This is probably one of the catchiest songs in K-Pop, and I find that it’s pretty easy to sing if you don’t know much Korean. Whenever it’s a member’s birthday, they’ll usually sing this instead of the normal Happy Birthday song, and you can usually hear fans sing it during birthdays as well. It sounds really cute and kind of nostalgic...until you look at the title of the song and find out what the lyrics are about.

This song is about someone getting in trouble, so their parents decide to not celebrate their 12th birthday. It goes on to talk about how on kid’s birthday, they went home after church to find their friends waiting for them to say, “ A joyous day a pleasant day you beloved birthday. Today I genuinely congratulate your birthday. (Happy Birthday to you)”. The kid resolves to be better afterwards and study harder. (However, considering that the lyrics at the beginning talk about how scared the kid was of their parents, I don’t think the kid is completely at fault. >.>)

Since the perspective changes during the song (Your birthday is just like my birthday. I want to be born again by your side today. So as I light you 12th birthday candle today. I want to find the memory I lost a short while ago), it’s also possible to interpret it as, “I had a bad 12th birthday, so I hope you have a better birthday than I did”.

K-Pop boy groups nowadays can make hit songs about how much money or awards they’ve gotten. H.O.T, meanwhile, has a bop about not getting to celebrate turning twelve. (Why am I fan of these guys again??)

Other Points of Interest

This was a glorious era of cringe and stupidity for the group. From Heejun dyeing his hair purple and getting banned from broadcast (part of the reason why his hair was covered during this time) to poorly written/acted dramas, Wolf & Sheep promotions had it all.

H.O.T in Joseon

H.O.T Does Math

H.O.T Become Aliens

Behind-the-Scenes of Haengbok

H.O.T Pretend to be Animals

Conclusion

Wolf & Sheep was a successful follow up to We Hate All Kinds of Violence. It was more ambitious in its critiques of society, while managing to be uplifting at the same time. Many things that were in this album parallel other tracks later in their discography. It was released right at the start of the Asian Financial Crisis, so perhaps it can be looked upon fondly as being right before Korea was hit by it. With this in mind, I want to share one last quote:

I thought about it occasionally, in what state I would be as an adult-

Could I always live like this? Oh baby-

I'm gonna make a world of my own on my own,

Don't force the same way of life on me.

Within me, a new world is squirming to grow,

and now I will grow it and develop it on my own!

WE ARE THE FUTURE!!!

If I could sum up this album, it would be with this: The future is yours, so don’t let the past keep you from making the present better.

Links Lyrics iTunes Spotify

#H.O.T Discography Discussion #H.O.T.#High-Five of Teenager #kpop #k-pop #old kpop #Moon Heejun #kangta #lee jaewon #Jang Woohyuk #tony ahn

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amethyst-wind-uk · 3 years

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Finally played Horizon: Zero Dawn (spoilered thoughts within)

First of all: The game’s amazing. Well worth the money. One of the best I’ve played in a good while.

The game itself is beautiful (amazing scenery and dungeons), and the machine enemies are gorgeously designed. They will punish you if you get cocky, too. Combat is by means automatic, especially when the bigger machines start getting thrown at you in more enclosed spaces.

Both the overall myth arc AND Aloy’s personal storyline are incredibly written, and tied together beautifully, allowing for plenty of perspective reflections on the latter as new information for the former becomes available.

Sidequests abound. While most are mechanically very similar (go to [x] and kill the machines there), the tertiary characters who the actual quests revolve around are a delight. Varied and entertaining, they really help to build the world that Aloy explores (some personal favourites of mine are Nil [leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not he wants to die as well as kill a lot of people, but he’s so effectively written as creepy. Like you know there’s something wrong with him from the first line of dialogue], Talanah [veteran huntress who quickly befriends Aloy, and their joint exasperation with their respective mistreatments from others allows them to bond quickly and deeply], Vanasha [manipulative spy/politician who masterminds an operation that is one of the most damaging and disruptive for the enemy faction, all while being so delightfully self-confident]. The Frozen Wilds DLC adds some other gems, like the Hunters Three [a trio of outcasts out to find closure over the death of their mentor while riffing off each other lovingly], Ikrie [a Banuk warrior who acts as a foil to Aloy, choosing to become an outcast with her own freedom when presented with the flaws and restrictions of her people - severing a very close personal relationship to do, to the benefit of both in said relationship], and Varga [Oseram metalworker who effortlessly falls into an easy companionship with Aloy]).

The main plot is long, and heavy on emotionally charged moments. The overall goal is surprisingly hopeful, as well as extremely dark. There’s a recurring theme about how light and shadow both get more powerful as the other does.

Aloy reluctantly allies with the mysterious evesdropper, Sylens, and their interactions are terrifically entertaining. To be blunt: They can’t stand each other. Sylens is a completely unlikeable dick driven solely by a desire for knowledge, while Aloy doggedly pursues any information about her mother. Their interests just so happen to intersect there, but it’s always apparent that they’d rather be dealing with anyone else.

One of the most complete character arcs in the game is that of prevalant and commonly-appearing side-character, Erend. He starts out as an immature mid-to-late-twenties dudebro who dicks around fighting and hitting on 18-year-old Aloy, but pretty quickly starts drinking his respect-women-juice and getting his act together. He grows into one of the most endearing allies for Aloy, dropping his sleaziness and bravado, and acknowledging her prowess and leadership. By the end of the story, he’s definitely one of the most likeable characters. Like, you’d happily share a drink with the guy regularly.

There are some flaws, as with all games:

1) The Fast Travel system is frustrating. For the majority of the game, unless you press deep into the wilderness first thing, it’s not unlimited. Until you finally unlock the Unlimited Fast Travel Pack, each time requires a single-use item. For a game this large, that’s quite annoying. Fast Travel has been a common staple of open-world games for some time now, and I don’t think there was really a need to try to reinvent that particular wheel. The loading screens for fast travel are also 10-20 seconds long each time.

2) For all the varied machine enemy designs, it’s really annoying that you can only ride the horse/goat/bull variants. The game gives you a mechanic to ‘override’ machines, making them non-hostile to you while hostile to other machines, and making the above three rideable. That being said, you’re gonna be supremely disapponted that the game lets you override the twenty-metres-tall robot T-Rex and then can’t ride it. Same for the multiple three-metres-tall giant cat variants. There are also giant condors, giant moles, giant crocodiles and giant rhino variants, and you can’t hop on those either (IT WOULD’VE BEEN SO COOL!). It really makes the override mechanic seem underutilised, especially given how important it is to the story.

3) The Datapoint collectables do really well in fleshing out the mythology of the series, there are just too many of them. Multiple kinds, with double digit numbers to find for all of them, makes it a drag to hunt them all down. They could do with streamlining that for the sequel.

4) I feel like Vala and Bast dying almost instantly was a waste, especially given how Bast was a childhood bully to Aloy (stuff can always be done with that, even on a small scale), and Vala is constantly talked about post-mortem as someone who could’ve potentially been a great friend to Aloy (they seem to warm to each other quite quickly during the five minutes they spend both alive). Vala’s death especially is kinda galling, because it serves to boost Aloy’s interactions with Vala’s brother Varl, as it is very similar to...

5) While Erend himself goes through a very successful character arc, it does unfortunately involve a woman (his sister, Ersa, who is superior to him in every sense [he tells you this himself without fuss]) getting fridged. We only see Ersa for a few moments in person, as she then immediately dies. It’s very unfortunate that Erend’s otherwise great writing is marred by this.

6) The final mission in the story is underwhelming. The significant buildup for both of the primary enemies featured in said mission is not proportional to their actual encounters. The human enemy is easily killed, and the machine enemy is just another iteration of a robot you’ll have killed half-a-dozen times by that point. Something of a let-down.

Still, I fully recommend getting the game (as well as the Frozen Wilds DLC, which adds a solid 8+ hours onto the game’s playtime while introducing new machine variants and gear, as well as the aforementioned characters and a plot that fleshes out the myth arc for the series). It’s a great time overall, and you’ll really enjoy how the game mixes fantasy and sci-fi so superbly.

#Horizon Zero Dawn #Horizon: Zero Dawn

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starlightshadowsworld · 4 years

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So it's no secret im critical of RWBY, I am with most things I enjoy. But the keyword of that is "enjoy", I love RWBY, have since I first discovered it and I wanted to talk about the things I love about it.

The Characters

You can write the most fantastic plot on the world but it means nothing if you don't have good characters. Since the beginning RWBY has been about its characters, it's even named after them. And we're introduced to these 4 girls all with hopes and dreams and watching them reach them.

And watching them grow throughout the course of the show is both heartwarming and heart breaking.

When these discussions come up everyone brings up. Weiss, which is fair she's had the most significant change (and shes a queen). She goes from stuck up princess to a warmer person. I love that she remembers the lessons she learned, Volume 1 or even Volume 2 Weiss wouldn't be the one comforting Yang in Volume 5. She might try but I feel like it would come across as insincere or lack the weight it did if Ruby was in her place.

This Weiss knows the pain Yang's going through, and the first thing that comes to her is to be there for her.

But hese two have never been very close. They've taunted and laughed and fought for each other and for me this is when Nice Weiss was just the new natural Weiss. But without losing what makes Weiss, Weiss.

But it's also the little things. Weiss defending Blake against Cordovin, Blake wrapping Weiss in a blanket when she's scared. Ruby being awe and supporting her team. The train scene to Argus felt like we were back in Beacon, Blake reading her book, Weiss is rolling her eyes but going along with Ruby and Yang and Ruby are fighting over who's winning a video game.

And its not limited to them, seeing Qrow being a badass and reluctant parent is always a fun time. And his alcoholism being explored was interesting and I didn't think we'd end up there. (It really puts Ruby into perspective, trying to be strong and happy for everyone with the stance of a leader. Ruby is a leader, that question was undoubtly answered.

Seeing Jaune, this goofy coward with a big heart go at Cinder because of Pyrrah's death... That hurt... That hurt a lot. And I may argue about the Statue scene but I hope he gets closure. (And stays away from those thirsty Mantle mums)

Ozpin's and Ironwoods downward spirals and reveals were beautifully done. It really felt like their Oz counterparts, going from the all knowing wizard to the man behind the curtain and the tin man losing his heart. You see just how much Ozpin cared for others, how his actions hurt many but have always been built on good intentions and just how human he is.

You see just how resilient and strong Ironwood is, how he's misguided but he will do whatever it takes. Really hit the theme of fear, especially with Ozpin's speech at the end.

The Music

Only gets better and better honestly. Casey you are awesome, the music is something I can never be prepared for. Until the End still makes me bawl like a baby everytime I hear it and they just reflect each and every scene, character and fight their placed in. The music in RWBY can feel as instrumental (see what I did there 🙃) to the show as the plot. Their intertwined, both telling these great stories. And they absolutely hold up, personally I love Weiss's songs and This will be the day and if that plays during the final battle I will scream.

They don't just hype up scenes, they add to them. I know ya'll were crying when Forever Fall started playing as the leaves hit the ground and Pyrrah's statue was revealed (... Not that I did.) And I'm already wondering about the songs for V8.

The writing and the Plot

Because despite some of the issues and criticism, it is good. I don't think we'd still be watching if we didn't believe that. Ironwood and Ozpin are my go to for awesome writing but their not the only instances of it. Yang and Ruby being reunited, Ruby instantly apologising and rambling and Yang giving her a big hug before bringing in Weiss, that was awesome.

Instantly we have Ruby, who up until now has been a leader crumble. In that moment she's Yang's little sister and Weiss is her best friend, nothing cemented that more for me that than moment after they've been apart for so long.

Ozpin's Backstory was long awaited and personally I loved it. You have two people, made us understand how much they loved each other and how their differing views changed the world and lead to the stare of remnant today. Do I prefer my headcannon? Of course I do, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this any less.

Tai, Port and Oobleck talking with Yang, we needed that joy and she needed it too. It just felt real... You have these teachers and mentors who've seen war and destruction and they try to make her laugh. And I wish we could've seen more of that.

And the fact it keeps making us and them question things. Was it wrong for Ozpin to lie? Was it wrong for Raven for leave? Are we doing the right thing by going to Atlas? Should we tell Ironwood the truth? Should Ozpin have told Salem? Should Robin be trusted? Should Zwei be integral to the plot? The fact that they can do this, lay the consequences for what happened and still make us debate on the outcomes and the what ifs is impressive. (Although the Zwei one is fact)

Symbolism

Here's a few I found because I am a sucker for it and yes I know they may not all be intentional:

Both Yang and Adam have similar semblances. Except, Yangs takes time over a fight to build up, reflecting her thrill of a fight and how she likes to take risks. While Adam charges his into huge and constant attacks, showing his desire and eagerness to hurt others. Making them somewhat parallel the other, how they are quite alike in attitudes but not heart which is why Blake chooses Yang.

Ozpin having the relic of choice under Beacon because he values it so much, he makes sure everyone has one before they join him, before Pyyrah became the maiden. How one choice changed everything for him.

The White Fang wear Grimm masks, how they became more about spreading fear and they became more like monsters.

Ironwood having the relic of creation, the focus of innovation and robotics that's so prevalent in Atlas and how its energy was used to raise the city above the rest.

Ozpin being associated with gears and clocks.

Qrow and Raven's names mirroring their bird forms. But also because crows are seen as symbols of misfortune and Raven's are symbols of insight and prophecy.

Every Wizard of Oz and fairytale reference. There are too many to name so here's a few: Pinnochio being eaten by a Whale (giant whale grimmm and our protector of mantle), Tock is a crocodile Faunus who's semblance was dictated by a ticking clock, Ozpin glynda and Ironwood are Oz the good witch and tinman. Salem has flying gorilla grimm.

(side note for V8, from the trailer it seems Salem is looking for someone. She represents the Wicked witch, has her flying grimm.. And its been said Oscar represents Dorothy so get the missing posters ready)

Pyyrah being the one to unlock Jaune's aura and the idea of losing someone the way he lost her is what unlocks his semblance.

And that's all. Im well aware RWBY isn't a masterpiece and that it's not awful either. I love it for what it is.

#rwby #I love Rwby #Rwby deserves more love its not a masterpiece but who cares #Message from a fan and a critic #ruby rose #weiss schee #yang xiao long #blake bellodona

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lostsummerdayz · 4 years

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Lost Summer Deep Dive - Christie Monteiro Part 1

An In-Depth Look At A Capoeirista Forgotten By Lore

by Nay Holland

When one thinks of capoeira, it is impossible to mention the impact video games had in bringing the art into the public eye. Sure, there have been movies, books, and capoeira schools for as long as the art existed, but video games were arguably the form of media which made the art popular. The same could be said for its representation in video games.

While you had capoeiristas like Richard Meyer and Bob Wilson in the Fatal Fury series, it wouldn’t be until years later that a rich Brazilian capoeirista known as Eddy Gordo would set the bar. No, he wouldn’t just set the bar, he would be the bar himself.

In arcades during the year of 1997 and home consoles the following year, many a player felt rage from a single man. A man whose flips, spins, handstands, and kicks, would bring awe to those who played him, and frustration to those who fought against it. He was both famous for moves never seen before in a 3D fighter, and infamous for being the definition of “cheap.”

Regardless how you felt about him, there was no denying that Eddy was different from the rest of the cast. In a game where homages to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Tiger Mask were evident, there was nothing who was comparable to Eddy at the time. His unique, yet slightly exaggerated, homage to capoeira brought new fans into the art. Capoeira became a popular buzz word for fighting enthusiasts almost overnight.

But was Eddy always considered to be the face of capoeira?

After Tekken Tag Tournament, Eddy was noticeably absent from the main roster. In place of him was a young Brazilian woman by the name of Christie Monteiro. A fresh face for a game that represented a new era in Tekken, her moves were very similar to Eddy’s.

In fact, apart from her normal throws, her movelist were identical to Eddy’s in every way. Eddy being a palette swap for her in Tekken 4 and Tekken 5 brought the “Christie is Eddy” angle to its head. At the time, although Eddy was included in these two games, Bandai Namco was trying to push Christie as the new face.

At the very least, they were trying to push a woman as the capoeira representative from the very beginning.

In a 1998 CVG interview, following the release of Tekken 3, the development team discussed how the concept of Eddy came about. When asked how the team went about designing its roster of characters, the team replied with the following.

“A good example is Eddy, since he wasn't planned to be the character you see at first. The development team wanted to include a character who used Capoeira, so the idea was passed on to the artist team. Mr Kimoto requested the artist to make a female character for Capoeira. However the artist said it was too difficult to design a female character who used Capoeria, so there came Eddy.”

It wouldn’t be until Dark Resurrection that Eddy had his own slot on the roster for the first time since Tekken Tag Tournament.

With the separation of the two characters at last, Christie’s push would be put on the backburner in lieu of Eddy’s importance to the story. Christie’s relevance came to a screeching halt in Tekken 7 as Eddy was one of the final main roster characters revealed without a Brazilian woman in sight.

NO!!!

Anyways, Christie wouldn’t make another official appearance until the mobile Tekken game, but considering the mobile Tekken game is literally a dump of old characters that didn’t make the cut in Tekken 7, that’s hardly a victory.

I started writing this back in early 2018, and since then, we’ve gotten Marduk back from the graveyard!

However, I’ve long since stopped holding out for hope. If she shows up, she shows up. If she doesn’t, well. It still won’t dilute the amount of love I have for this girl. Hopefully by the end of this I can shed some light on what makes Christie amazing to me.

So, what happened? How did the one who was pushed to be the babyface of capoeira after Eddy’s origin ended up becoming the queen of the indies known as mobile Tekken? What is it about Christie that makes me admire her as a character? Well, let’s start with her design.

Appearance

So, imagine the year 2001. You’re in the arcades and you see Tekken 4 for the first time. The attract video plays and you’re in wow at the graphics. Especially considering this is the first Tekken on a new engine in the arcade at least. Then suddenly you see this mami twirling and making sensual poses, flashing the biggest grin.

It was at this point you dumped quarters in the machine. Don’t lie. This totally didn’t happen to me at an arcade while I was in the Poconos. Nope.

I remember the rumors at the time. Everyone thought the designers took inspiration from Tyra Banks and Harada himself de-confirmed this.

Wearing a low-cut green floral blouse that cuts above her midriff, black leather hotpants with frills at the end, black fingerless gloves, and Spartan-style sandals, Christie’s primary outfit was made to turn heads and accentuate her features. As with most outfits and hair designs in this game, Christie’s design was also made to show off the new graphics engine for Tekken. Christie’s long brunette hair, coupled with her loose-fitting clothing, flows with the wind with every kick and acrobatic motion. Her design was made for comfort in mind as well as ease of movement.

Christie’s competitor’s outfit is a brassiere-style top with silk training pants and green fingerless gloves. Wrapped around her waist is a capoeira belt, much like Eddy’s competitor’s outfit. Whether this is an actual representation of her rank, or just a design choice, is up in the air. I’d like to say it’s the latter, though I believe a purple belt is a high ranking in capoeira.

Comparing Christie and Eddy’s competitor’s outfit, they aren’t too different from each other. In fact, side by side they appear like partners rather than a radical difference.

Following her debut, her primary outfit changes from a green to a light purple top and black to white colored hotpants. The top of her competitive gear is more confined and stylish while retaining the same effect as it did before. As the series progressed, her butterfly motif became more prevalent in her clothing.

With such a dynamic taste in style, one would think that her personality is just as bubbly, and you’d be correct to think so.

Personality

Pointing at her opponent with finger guns and firing off in their direction, Christie enters her ginga stance with a declaration…

“Here we go!”

Oozing with confidence no matter who she is fighting against, Christie never backs down from an opportunity to show off her studies in Capoeira arts.

Christie makes it clear to her competitors that if they take her lightly, they will pay for it in a loss.

Perhaps one of my favorite exchanges with another character is when she fights Bruce in Tekken 5. Bruce exclaims that the “competition has gotten easier on the eyes,” in which Christie taunts him in return. When Bruce questions if her capoeira can stand up to [his Muay Thai], she replies with a sultry tone of confidence.

Ultimately, Christie would win the bout and she toys with him, saying that his lack of rhythm will be the reason why he will never defeat her.

It’s exchanges like this, as well as her other intro pose where she blows her opponent a kiss and declares them to “go easy on her,” that she uses her looks to her advantage. It’s almost as a form of intimidation, being caught off guard by swift kicks coming at you at every direction while she emerges the victor, leaving the battle almost unscathed.

There is a depth to this. When things get serious, Christie has a sense of justice within the confines of her own capability. This is commonly brought up whenever Eddy runs off headfirst into danger.

In the same game, when she runs into Eddy, she doesn’t back down from fighting Eddy to save her grandfather’s life. Win or lose, she will fight her hardest for those who she loves, even if it means fighting the one person, she loves the most.

She’s also highly emotional as an individual as evident when she shows her disappointment at the end of her winning the 4th Iron Fist Tournament. This changes to a complete 180 as she sees the one person who she has been looking for all tournament, immediately returning to her bubbly cheerful self. A dark version of this trait shows when she is overburdened with emotion to the point of tears upon discovering that her grandfather passed away.

This combination of a flirtatious happy-go-lucky capoeirista who revels in her fights and a woman who is bound to protect those who she holds dear comes into full force in Tekken 6. Although in the overall canon she takes a backseat, controlling her in Scenario mode reveals hidden layers about her character.

One of the hypothetical scenarios that is brought up is when Christie and Eddy do cross paths in Scenario mode. If the former approaches Eddy, he will exclaim that she shouldn’t be here in high concern. If the latter approaches Christie, she will appear angry that he has, once again, decided to be inconsiderate in being brash for considering working with “Public Enemy #1.”

Both Eddy and Christie wish to protect each other, yet they do so by ironically placing themselves into harms way. While on a larger scale, they are two small fish in the giant ocean that is the Mishima bloodline story. If one zooms in on the microscope, you see two troubled young adults who wish to live in peace. One is bound by vengeance while the other is bound by duty.

Story

While Tekken 4 is the first time we see and hear of Christie, that game is not the first time we hear of her story. In Tekken 3’s prologue, Eddy was incarcerated after being framed for the murder of his father. During his sentence, he learns the art of capoeira from an elderly master. Up until his release, Eddy perfected the art of capoeira and entered the third King of Iron Fist tournament to exact

That elderly man was none other than…

Well…

The old man never had an official name. The Tekken wiki has his name as

DENSETSU NO KAPOEIRA MASUTAA

or the “Legendary Capoeira Master.”

For a while, the urban legend regarding his name was “Ho Chi Myong,” but unlike the Tara Banks inspiration, this wasn’t ever confirmed by Bandai Namco. I don’t think it ever will.

The one thing that was confirmed, however, was that the

DENSETSU NO KAPOEI---I’m sorry.

The elderly capoeira master was Christie’s grandfather. How did Christie herself know capoeira? Through Eddy, as a form of mutual respect for her grandfather teaching him the art. Suddenly Christie and Eddy having identical moves isn’t farfetched.

However, I always wondered why Christie’s grandfather never taught her capoeira himself? The obvious answer would be because he, too, was imprisoned. Still, you’d consider that maybe he would have taught her when she was a child or began to teach her. Who knows?

At the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, Eddy finds out that it was Kazuya Mishima who orchestrated the events which led to his father’s murder and his own imprisonment. Since then, he has sought out to find Kazuya and settle the score on his own terms.

Enter Tekken 4, where a concerned Christie realizes Eddy has gone missing. In her response, she spends the 4th Iron Fist Tournament looking for Eddy, sensing trouble brewing on the horizon.

Honestly this was Eddy’s fault to begin with. Had Eddy not told Christie that he was going to avenge his father’s death, she wouldn’t have bothered to put herself in harm’s way. However, Christie’s story had to start somewhere yeah?

In the end, Eddy doesn’t find Kazuya, but, if we take Christie’s ending in Tekken 4 as canon, we can deduce some details.

Christie wins the iron fist tournament, incredibly bemused, as she failed at her original goal in locating Eddy. However, seeing a familiar face in the crowd, she runs over to Eddy in a full embrace. Eddy appears in this ending with a cast on his arm, so it is assumed that his progress in finding his father’s murderer ended prematurely. Even so, despite his lack of success, he still shows up to his girl’s victory match in support. What a romantic.

Several months later, tragedy strikes. Christie’s grandfather is inflicted with an illness and the race to find enough money to pay for the operation begins. In the end, no matter who wins the tournament, they use their prize money to pay for the operation which turns out to be a success. Christie, Eddy, and her grandfather are all seen at a park practicing capoeira and everyone lives happily ever after, right!?

Unfortunately, not.

Several years later and the climate is different. Jin Kazama wages war against the world and it turns out that neither Christie nor Eddy was able to win the tournament after all.

Running out of time and resources, Jin makes a deal with Eddy. If Eddy works for him and helps exact Jin’s vengeance against Kazuya, then Jin will help pay for the operation. Considering this as an opportunity to become in direct contact with Kazuya, the murderer of his father, it’s a win win for Eddy.

He didn’t want to be a part of this war, but for the safety of the one person who was a father figure for him and the chance to kill the one who has caused him years of torment, he will take up a gun for Jin.

So, where does this leave Christie? Back to where we once were in Tekken 4, on the lookout for Eddy and her grandfather.

Do you see where I’m getting at now? “As the series progressed, Christie’s role became diluted?”

The sad part is that Christie is not the only character to suffer through this “character dilution.” The4thSnake’s video on Asuka Kazama goes over the same points that I could ever make, so please give that video a watch when you can. In Tekken 6, if it wasn’t Mishima related, it was on the backburner.

youtube

Once again, both parties are unsuccessful. Christie never finds a cure for her grandfather’s illness and he succumbs. Eddy is deceived by Jin, refusing to hold his end of the bargain, and is unable to save his master’s life. While visiting his grandfather’s grave, Christie discovers Eddy.

Instead of a warming reunion, Christie, in a fit of rage and sadness, slaps him while demanding where he was. In response, Eddy stands there, motionless, as he throws his Mishima Zaibatsu pin to the ground.

This is where Christie’s story ends. Officially.

What began as a bright young capoeira student ended a grieving shell of a person, thanks to the dishonesty of Mishimas and Eddy for pulling a Knuckles and believing Eggman---Jin Kazama.

If we look at the Tag 2 endings and assume, they take place after 6, Eddy takes a page out of King’s book and opens up a capoeira school for orphaned children. After some time passes, he embarks on a trip to become the world greatest stuntman the Mishima Zaibatsu has ever seen!

No of course not he’s going to confront his father and master’s murderers of course! What else would Eddy POSSIBLY do at this point!?

In Christie’s ending, as a continuation, she catches wind of this and chases Eddy, but, as history tends to repeat itself, she’s too late. Eddy is already on the train.

Some. Things. Never. Change.

At least she was spared a grim fate, unlike our friend here.

Conclusion

So. Where do we go from here? From the beginning, we know that Eddy is an integral part of Christie’s story. However, there are signs in her design that shows she can hold her own, both in a fight and in her sense of justice.

I recommend anyone to play through Scenario mode with all of the available roster and not just Lars, but in Scenario mode, Christie has a sense of justice that almost felt refreshing. It wasn’t just simply “where’s Eddy,” but it was also “I have to stop the messed up things from going on in the world”

Earlier I posted a photo where she confronts Eddy for working with the Mishimas and she has no qualms in defeating him to knock sense into him. I also mentioned the confrontation between Bruce and Christie, which is just about non-canon as far as Tekken 6 is confirmed. They treat their encounter as if it was the first time they’ve ever met. Bummer.

But there are signs of life for this character and when it shows, it’s refreshing to see. Christie is not the only character who suffers from this, but she is the one who is marred by the reputation of “always being in Eddy’s shadow.”

When discussion is brought up on why she shouldn’t be in the game? “Eddy is already in there.”

When the game throws her into a repeat storyline for the third straight game in the series? “Eddy is already there.”

Why is Christie out and about? “Her grandfather, but Eddy is there as well.”

Part of the reason why I considered myself a Christie main is because Christie is an underdog in the Tekken universe as well as within the competitive scene.

The irony here is that Christie was meant to replace Eddy, but the inverse happened.

One day, Christie can exist without having to worry about being in Eddy’s shadow. A fan can dream. Until then, I’ll always consider her my favorite fighting game character so there’s no replacing that at least.

There will be a Part 2 to this as there’s one key game that she’s a part of where she does regain some of that luster I wish she had in the main series. A game that is largely underrated but a game where Christie has had her moment in the sun.

Stay tuned for Part 2 soon! If you weren’t sick of me talking about Christie and made it this far, congrats! Stick around for the follow-up!

#tekken #tekken 7 #eddy #christie monteiro #video game

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nnghjioo · 4 years

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Galaxy Note 10 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 may have been supplanted by the S20 arrangement, however that doesn't mean it isn't in any case an awesome cell phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo9RHT1q-Fs&feature=youtu.be

While the Note 10 arrangement is likewise set for an invigorate over the coming months, with the better piece of a year since the arrival of the "full scale" Samsung, we're presently in a more prominent situation to evaluate what the cell phone offers.

Samsung may be pursuing a foldable future with noteworthy equipment like the Galaxy Z Flip, however there is a genuine bad-to-the-bone Note fanbase that need the entirety of the best Galaxy characteristics in a structure factor that advances efficiency and radiates crude force directly out of the case.

As we referenced in our underlying audit, the lines between the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note arrangement has gotten more obscured than any time in recent memory — and significantly more so with the arrival of the mammoth Galaxy S20 Ultra. That doesn't limit exactly how great the Note arrangement stays in 2020, however.

A lot of different challengers have hit the market, all competing for your consideration. All things being equal, the Galaxy Note 10 — especially the Note 10+ — is as yet perhaps the best telephone you can purchase at this moment. So in view of that, here are 5 reasons why you ought to consider this "all activity" Android force to be reckoned with.

S Pen

This time around, the main genuine differentiator between the Galaxy S arrangement and the Galaxy Note 10 is the incorporation of the S Pen, which despite everything stays a beefed up pointer. Samsung hasn't generally rolled out any gigantic improvements to the fundamental S Pen recipe since the Note 8 arrangement. Some new sensors have been the stature of the updates. Be that as it may, this is certainly not an awful thing, as it stays an awesome efficiency device is as yet the best cell phone pointer available.

As a work-centered installed extra, the S Pen is marginal great. While not every new component are great, the air signals may be perfect for an introduction situation or for when taking gathering photographs. The S Pen probably won't be the most helpful expansion to all, however to a chosen few, it stays one of the center motivations to stay with the Note arrangement.

Battery

With a sizeable 4,300mAh battery in the Note 10+, the bigger gadget is bound to be a throughout the day cell phone for the vast majority out there. The admonition here is that the Snapdragon model outlives its Exynos brethren by a reasonable edge.

While your own mileage may change, the Note 10+ is more than prone to have the option to stay aware of even the most feverish of days with a little squeeze left in the tank. The reality Samsung dumped Quick Charge 2.0 for USB-C Power Delivery is another reward as you would now be able to top up with the 25W charger in the case, or on the other hand, a different 45W charger.

Structure

samsung cosmic system note 10+

Samsung equipment has gone ahead so far since dumping the terrible plastic plans that it feels like a totally extraordinary OEM on occasion. The Galaxy Note 10+ submits configuration general direction to some different gadgets, however the outcome is perhaps the best telephone Samsung brings to the table. It is as yet perhaps the best plan on any cell phone accessible today.

The bended glass around the showcase flawlessly advances into the side edge, with delicate bends dissolving into the ravishing "Atmosphere" back glass board. Two-tone hues have been developing in prevalence, yet the Aura Glow Note 10+ is the zenith of bright cell phones. Samsung has nailed the structure on the Note 10 arrangement from beginning to end.

Show

samsung cosmic system note 10 presentation

We've seen the Galaxy S20 raise the stakes much further with the acquaintance of 120Hz with the S arrangement, however with framerate tops at FHD+ goal, the Note 10 presentation despite everything hangs with the best in the business. The square shaped state of the telephone additionally limits the presence of bezels, to where it feels like a practically complete screen.

At the point when set at the QHD+ goal, there are not many cell phones that have a presentation that looks this great. Samsung proceeds with the custom of the best cell phone shows with the Note 10+, and the first occasion when you utilize this showcase you'll get why.

One UI

Android 10 is presently generally accessible for a large portion of 2019's top-level Galaxy leads — including the Note 10 arrangement. In any case, Samsung has consistently been somewhat on the ball in numerous respects with their own One UI skin. One UI 2.1 is currently accessible to download, with this update bringing some Galaxy Z Flip highlights and more to the marginally more established handsets. Included inside the additional highlights are new camera modes and exhibition changes, in addition to additional on top.

They join the effectively noteworthy One UI highlight set that incorporates even highlights that stock Android still can't seem to include. While OS refreshes are a tad behind the Pixel arrangement, most Samsung fans lean toward having unquestionably more choices out of the container.

Where would i be able to get the best arrangement on Note 10+?

Since the residue has had sufficient opportunity to settle, the Samsung Galaxy Note+ can be had at a far less expensive cost than at some other time. It tends to be had as low as $639 renovated, which nets you the 256GB of capacity model. Different retailers, for example, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target, close by nearby bearers, additionally have superb exchange offers on the most recent Note arrangement, as well.

More on Samsung:

Gossip: Samsung 'Cosmic system Fold Lite' could hold back on additional items to offer $1,100 value point

Most recent update for Samsung Gear S3, Gear Sport includes Bixby, more highlights

Samsung patches security weakness affecting all Galaxy telephones sold since 2014

FTC: We use pay procuring auto associate connections. More.

You're perusing 9to5Google — specialists who break news about Google and its encompassing biological system, for quite a while. Make certain to look at our landing page for all the most recent news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to remain tuned in. Don't have the foggiest idea where to begin? Look at our selective stories, audits, how-tos, and buy in to our YouTube channel

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theanimeview · 5 years

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Controversial Opinion: The Rising of The Shield Hero, I don’t hate it + Why

By Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial

Top of the controversial titles to like this season in anime, according to most everyone I know's list, is The Rising of the Shield Hero. Why? Well, as you may have heard, it starts off with a false rape allegation against the protagonist and that is enough to have it burned from most watch lists as a potentially good anime or manga in the western (and probably everywhere else) anime watching community. HOWEVER, I think that focusing on this aspect without consideration for the rest of the plot and characters is faulty reasoning. There are lot of animes with messed up sh*t that happens--including murders (One Piece has a ton, and that plays off as a generally happy-go-lucky series), torture (Overlord anyone?), and instances where rape is heavily hinted as an outcome for a character in addition to assault that actually took place (SAO tentacle scene ringing any bells?). Considering that I’ve met at least one woman in my adult life that is like the redheaded princess that made a false claim in the anime and manga (and presumably light novel the series is based on) in real life - a long story for another day - it doesn’t seem impossible. It’s rare, for sure, but not impossible.

Taking a moment here, in American culture, of which I am speaking as a female, American citizen, false rape allegations are a major issue because women already struggle to be believed when they are indeed victims. So many women do not go forward about assault as it is and media that portrays women in such a poor light only reinforces the horrific mindset of “she probably wanted it” or “she probably just regretted it” or "she's making it up" that seems to be so prevalent in our culture. When false allegations are made, it only hurts real victims more. Media often likes to villainize groups of women as a result, and it makes it harder for real victims to come forward out of fear that they will be penalized for speaking the truth--which also happens way too often for anyone to feel comfortable with in the current state of affairs right now. Looking at this anime, it is hard for some to get behind the portrayal of this in any sort of media since we know how much it hurts real victims, but let’s take a moment to look at the anime/manga’s response to this setup. (*Please note, this is not an argument defending rapists or anything of the like. I am an avid supporter of victims of sexual assault and kindly ask that you don’t misconstrue my words. If you would like to question me further, wish to see me amend something stated here, or want to debate about what I’ve written regarding this subject, please feel free to message me. I am always open to criticism or revisions.)

What happens initially after the rape allegation is that everyone, save for the blacksmith after a short while and the people that later get to know Iwatani Naofumi (the protagonist), believes the victim. That is super rare for our culture, and even after the allegations come to light as being false, not everyone believes that he’s really innocent. Instead, the people continue to see him as a villain/rapist, which is even more surprising given the fact that he should have a lot of support given his prior actions and title. His title alone should have given him status enough to stand against her - I mean, he is (1) one of the four summoned heroes; (2) a hero that protects the masses more than the other three; (3) one that advances the most by investing in/learning about the culture he’s in and not just making assumptions because it reminds him of a book/game/whatever; (4) one that tries his best despite his severe disadvantages that continue throughout the series thus far (I’m only at chapter 50 in the manga); and (5) thinks critically about the state of affairs for the people beyond surface level (like cleaning up the corpse of a slain monster that one of the other heroes killed and left on the ground where it began poisoning the land and people living there).

SIDE NOTE: Even after being proved innocent, the Spear Hero still says stuff like this (chapter 44):

By the way, chapter 44 is where the ranged/arrow hero’s bad side really comes out. Just saying...

Naofumi lives through the allegation because he is a hero, so his status is helpful in that regard, but look at him compared to the others. Because of their hero status, the other heroes get away with a lot of ridiculous behavior, including their lack of foresight and not having to listen to the queen of the country they are summoned in (its a matriarchy system by the way, so they’re literally insulting the head of the country they live in and get away with it whenever they disregard her--which is something NO ONE else would be able to do). And yes, the manga makes it clear that the reason he is disregarded so easily is that he is the “shield hero” and not many respect the shield in this particular country, BUT he is still one of the four major heroes that they NEED. Angering him is not in their best interests, yet they still disregard/disown/hate on him because of this allegation (even after it is proved to be false). The situation, the society, is vastly different from our own and that’s something I appreciate from the series. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the rape allegation opening, but I can still appreciate that the author used it as more than just a means to put the hero in a bad starting position. As with most starting plot points, the allegation puts the protagonist into place for his hero's journey adventure while also setting up one of our antagonist for the series’ first arc. In addition to this though, it adds a world-building element to the story. Here, women are still considered relatively weak and damsel-like when it comes to fighting, but they have way more political and social power than men by comparison. The other three heroes don’t really experience this initially because they act like this is all a game and exist/live maintaining their patriarchal perspective hence the way the spear hero--a man who acts like he is all about women (protecting them, showing off to them, etc.)--doesn’t consider how the female characters that want to be with Naofumi feel. This idea could be applied to the others too since all the heroes disregard the queen regularly after the king is removed from power (before they were very amicable toward the king). If you are counting, that means the scene does three things. First, it acts as the starting plot point--setting up the protagonist’s starting point and an antagonist. Second, it shows that this is a matriarchal society in which women have more political and social power than men. Third, it shows/helps the protagonist understand the society is truly different here. The rules are different here. By extension, that means it is not a game--in games, justice always prevails (typically), but that is not the case here.

The anime is pretty different too in the set up since they reveal more differences right off the bat than letting you know over time (like how the country is a matriarchy) and having Myne, the accusor, put a lot more work into tricking Naofumi than in the manga (in the manga, she never fights for him or tells him much about the world, instead letting him figure it all out after they’ve parted). In the manga, Naofumi is an active character, while Myne is bidding her time for that evening to trick him. Naofumi buys her the gear to protect her without instigation, while she tricks him into buying gear for himself that she uses to win over the spear hero. Moreover, Naofumi has to convince the court to let him live because of his role in the manga, whereas in the anime they say they’re letting him live because of his role, essentially taking away an important essence to Naofumi’s character (the essence that he is capable, more so than the other’s even realize, of adapting to the world around him). Another change that I’m not a particular fan of is the other heroes saying that he should at least do his job of saving the world after all this--one that they wouldn’t do at all without proper payment according to their anime selves. There are a lot more differences too like in the payment scene where Naofumi is given more than the others, or how--- way too many changes for me to get into that are not important right now. The changes all make Naofumi out to be more passive and victim-like, maybe because those adapting the series knew that the start was really controversial and want to make Naofumi as likable as possible before his inevitable, anti-hero-like personality comes into play, and while I don’t like it I can kind of understand it from a storytelling perspective since there is no guarantee that this series will get a second season (and as things stand now, it probably won’t) so lets move on.

Emphasizing the difference between him and the others, in a way that is more obvious then the other three continuing to think this is a game over the course of the series, is how much knowledge Naofumi gains about the world which brings us to another controversial subject in this anime/mange: slavery. (*Please note, I don’t condone slavery either. I’m just analyzing its role in the manga and anime as critically as I can.) (Check out chapter 16 to see how the three still think it is a game even though they are on the verge of defeat.)

Having distinguished that this is another world with rules different from our own, we find that here (in the summoned world), slavery is real, and Naofumi uses that to his advantage. He doesn’t particularly like the idea, but he’s not in a position to change it or really go against it. The anime doesn’t let us know how against it he is, choosing to stay out of Naofumi’s head for most of the episode, but it’s pretty obvious in the manga, and manga spin-off which features the spear hero as the protagonist, that Naofumi is not a supporter of slavery. Still, he’s not in a position to change the rules of the country. NONE of the heroes are, and Naofumi understands that better than most considering that he is thrown from grace in the summoned queendom early on. With not many options, none at the start really, he buys a slave, but despite his hard words, readers can see that Naofumi isn’t planning to force the slave-girl, Raphie as I will call her from here on, into doing something not up to a skill level that he can’t defend her from, at least at the start.

Only after the pivotal scene in which Naofumi allows Raphie to make her own choice about continuing to fight does their relationship (him forcing her to fight and keeping her as a slave) change. After she agrees to continue fighting for him he never really orders her to do anything like that again, and the tone of the story and their relationship hints that she’s free to go whenever she likes if she chooses to do so of her own free will. In the manga, when the spear hero, most loudly but not alone, confronts Naofumi about slavery, the Spear Hero acts high-and-mighty and is silenced temporarily by the response he gets from Raphie before making up his mind that she must be brainwashed. Even after the rape charge is cleared and a bunch of other things happens, none of the heroes can forgive Naofumi from being a slave owner, but that only makes them stand out even more as flawed heroes. (Not just because they don't listen either.)

See, the beauty of this show is that the hero’s path, no matter which one you take, is one uniquely flawed. The Shield Hero has disadvantages and to overcome them he has to get his hands dirty with sins he never would have considered otherwise. The other heroes choose to be lone wolves, playboys, and snobbish--they suffer from hubris, and so while they are not aware of their sins, their path is as stained with blood as Naofumi’s is, if not more. The only difference is that Naofumi is aware of it and trying to use these sins to help others. With Raphie, for example, instead of buying a strong slave that he could have gotten in order to level up faster, he chose one he could help get stronger and healthier because if he had to have a slave, he felt that he might as well chose one he could help. The others, however, justify their sins in ridiculous ways, the most egregious of which, I find, is their sheer lack of concern for the people of the land. They constantly take care of surface level issues without concern for the deeper problems or nuances that come from such situations. Like killing a monster to upgrade their gear and not caring that the corpse literally poisons the land meaning the people can’t grow food or drink the local water without suffering from contamination. Or invading on another person’s hunting territory during the leveling island adventure thing and not caring that it upsets people and prevents them from leveling up in ways that may allow them to protect their homes since heroes can’t be everywhere.

I wouldn’t be surprised if all of the other heroes ultimately suffer horribly by the end with Naofumi living quite well-off for his efforts--maybe even being able to abolish slavery, though that does not seem to be a priority for him at all right now. And the good end wouldn't be simply because he's the protagonist, it would be because he's worked for it. If you take the spin-off as canon (I don’t know if it is), the spear hero certainly suffers betrayal at the end. That aside, I wouldn’t be surprised with the other three heroes suffering has nothing to do with their dislike of Naofumi, after all, Naofumi doesn’t make it easy to be likable to other characters (an anti-hero to the readers, in my opinion). The reason I wouldn’t be surprised if the other heroes ultimately suffer a bad end is because the other three heroes suffer from hubris while Naofumi does not. If, like me, you're a fan of ancient Greek and Roman heroes, you know that heroes who have hubris tend to fall on their own sword because of it. Already we see that their arrogance is causing the heroes that once were superior in fighting strength begin to suffer greatly for their hubris as the waves have been getting harder and harder and the other heroes are falling more and more behind Naofumi in necessary skills for living, and fighting, in this world.

In the end, it’s hard for me to hate this series when the storytelling elements are so strong. It paints its world as one filled with complicated grey areas, which is true of our own world and circumstances. By doing so, The Rising of the Shield Hero seems to be a transformative element in its genre. Not that other isekai’s aren’t attempting this kind of nuance in their writing, but the depth of this series stands apart in the current season and I don’t hate it.

#the rising of the shield hero #shield hero #rising of the shield hero #rise of the shield hero #yari no yuusha no yarinaoshi #Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari #A day in the life of the shield hero #long analysis #analysis

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journeymanssketchbook · 4 years

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Meditations on the heart

Chapter 1:

Three layers of the heart:

Have you noticed that you feel different feelings in different parts of you’re body?

People sometimes report feelings ‘giggles’ in their stomach

Or ‘stress’ in their head, as if gravity around them had take up an imaginary extra pounds

Or something that feels akin too an electric shock! On you’re elbow….

Well… there is one specific place you feel things where we will be focusing on in this course...can you guess?

Well..here it is….

The heart!

Why?

Well….I’m sure you have often heard the following phrases:

- “Home is where the heart is”

-”My heart hurts”

-”My heart glows”

Well, because of all this phrases it is clear that the heart is where much human emotion is felt

Therefore, it makes sense too look at how our heart is feeling in order too have a better understanding of ourselves.

And, we like to keep it brief so, we only use 3 different categories for how we classify how we feel

And, that’s specifically the following

more, ecstatic, and emptier

And, this is because there has been a lot of research done

And, this research has found that these are three prevalent feelings people feel.

So, let’s take a look at these feelings

And, we will do this one by one.

So, let’s start with the Emptier.

And, this one is important

And, this is because of the following:

And, if we know what it feels like to have none, we will better understand what it feels too have some

what does this mean?

This means that we will know the difference between a healthy heart in a healthy emotional state compared to a heart in an unhealthy emotional state

if you’re heart is hurting, of if you are depressed, in this course we call that feeling empty

This is because when people feel this way, they also report a feeling of ‘emptiness’ within themselves

everybody has actually felt this way before at least once in they’re life, it is a similar experience too simply being sad, but it hurts specially bad because you feel it in you’re heart

The next feeling is ecstatic,

The word ‘ecstatic’ might make the feeling sound like a good thing

but, for the purpose of this course, ecstatic will be more of a neutral term

This is because ‘ecstatic’ is really just a fancy term for saying you’re heart is beating very fast

let’s take a look at when you’re heart is beating very fast:

when you’re trying too run as fast as you can

When you’re next too you’re crush

When you’re in the boxing ring

When you think something horrible is about too happen

As you can see from these examples, the feeling described as ‘ecstatic’ can be a good or a bad thing

And, they key thing too know about this is the following

And, ecstatic is sort of am in-between phase

And, this phase looks like the following diagram:

[Glowing→ecstatic→empty] Or [empty→ecstatic→glowing]

So, what does this mean?

And this means the following:

Sometimes in part of you’re life you’re heading in a direction where you have more meaning

And, that sometimes you are headed in a direction with less meaning.

So, you might be asking yourself what is the point of all this?

And the point is that you now have a way too identify and interpret how you are feeling

And that gives you a way of measure of how you are doing in life based on how your feelings

And this is bio-evolutionary proven and tested theory

See, any animals drive is driven by what they are supposed to do

This is called the ‘relevance realization machine’

and in nature, when this machine is not appropriated too survival and reproduction for the creature and it’s species then the species inevitably goes extinct in a relatively short amount of time.

But, this does not mean the relevance realization machine cannot be honed, focused on, and upgraded

Identifying and describing how you feel is a key step in making this machine better

And, at the same time, working with this machine works on a persons sense of meaning itself,

And, this means that as we work though this machine together in this course, you’re sense of meaning will in-doubtingly improve and deepen.

And this means that you’re overall quality of life will improve over time as well.

And you get out what you put in

And this means that if you do all the worksheets and lessons correctly, you will experience higher emotions and move forward in life at a prompt pace

Finally, the last emotion is ‘Glowing’

And, this emotion is characterized from a warmness or lightness feeling in the chest

And, this is often described as a feeling of ‘home’ or ‘being cared for’ or receiving ‘love’.

It is also an emotion that is also shown when you do an activity that you are really good at or that you really enjoy and practice regulatory

And, if you have heard of that emotion above, it is also called ‘flow’

And coders, writers, and gamers often report experiencing this

And this is when you are in ‘focus mode’ with whatever you do when you are in this mode

And this mode of being is available too you if you’re emotions judge the action too be doing of high relevance

And this is because when what you’re doing is relevant, you’re brain gives you that ‘extra push’ to be more focused.

And, the goal of this program is the following:

1. Identify areas of yourself that are going ‘empty’, or that are ‘leaking’

2. Determine action too take too turn the tide around

3. Plan the action

4. Diligently execute

5. Take note of how it feels

6. Identify in which of the three states you are in

7. Adapt/keep the action or change it

8. Repeat

So, we just covered the first part of the first step.

In order too really understand the lessons taught

It takes practice and planning with relation too the lessons taught

And, these lessons are stacked like legos or building blocks

And, that means that after each lesson, you have to do the worksheets right after

And, that is so you can really understand the lesson before you go to the next one that is built on top of the one you already watched.

So, now we are going to go over some worksheets to do:

And, in the first worksheet we must identify the three layers of the heart

And, this is because we have too know about ourselves

And since this seems to be a very important part of our relevance realization machine

This is an important part of us too know about ourselves

And, I should note, the following

And that is in the following chapters for this course, the worksheets will look like the following:

1. The three layers of the heart

And, we just did that.

2. Following the heart

3. Finding balance between rational and emotional

4. Using the rational too win over emotional power/territory

And so now you have just completed the first lesson

So, make sure to complete the worksheets for this lesson

And after you have properly done that

Make sure you go on to the next lesson

And complete the worksheets there as well

Chapter 2:

Good afternoon and welcome too the tech tools course

It is great that you are here and investing in yourself

I assure you that you will not be let down if you do everything properly

And last lesson we covered “The three layers of the heart”. In which we discussed the three feelings associated with the heart.

And this lesson we will be covering “Following the Heart”. In which we go deep into the mechanisms of these feelings that tie them all together. And we will be understanding why this method of analysis with your own individual self is a powerful tool in focusing in on yourself.

Following the heart:

So, we already talked about this before.

And, this is going back to grounding ourselves using evolutionary biology.

And, remember when I explained the relevance realization machine?

well, we are going to be diving further into that

So, Take a look at your “3 stages of the heart” worksheet

So, you will note that the answer you have listed show you different times you have been in these stages.

And, you might be asking yourself, so what?

And it turns out, these instances hold the key too our next step

And remember this diagram from the last lesson?

[Glowing→ecstatic→empty] Or [empty→ecstatic→glowing].

Well, we are going too use this diagram again now

And, what we are going to do is build a formula for ourselves

And, you do this by placing a corresponding activity too each corresponding part of the diagram.

And, for when the diagram says “glowing”, insert actions you were doing in which you felt you’re heart glow.

And, for when the diagram says “ecstatic”, insert actions you were doing in which you felt you’re heart glow

And, for when the diagram says “Empty”, insert actions you were doing in which you felt yourself become a little more broken or emptier inside.

And, you might have some questions as too how too properly fill out this diagram

And, that is okay

If you don’t think it was a specific action that brought it about but rather a certain setting or group of people, write that on the side. In fact, the more accurate the picture, the better!!!

And, now we have actually completed a couple of steps

We can now play with processes of your own emotions switching too another emotion

And we have examples of how each individual emotion feels

Now it’s time for the third step in this cycle, which is too plan and take action!!!!

And, you might be wondering,

all these words and diagrams, it might be confusing.

Well have no fear!

This process is actually very simple:

Good action, transition (grind), Bad action-plan

And, Bad action-plan, transition, Good action plan.

And that is all there is too it!

And, Anything after these steps have been completed is simply rinse and repeat

And, that is simply a rinse and repeat process of completing planned-directed actions, giving feedback too yourself, and then executing on a set of improved planned-directed actions.

And, this is quite literally, a method for following you’re heart, you’re deepest dreams and desires

And, this again takes us back to the grounding this has in biological evolution

And, in biology, an animals instincts must be geared fundamentally to the thriving and surviving of itself and it’s group.

So, too make it simple

Consider the following:

you’re heart is an important part of you’re relevance realization machine, because it has much to do with emotions.

And, you’re relevance realization machine, as a part of natural evolutionary biology, has been tried and tested for at least a million years in many different environments and real life situations.

And, it is obvious to state that an animals relevance realization machine has been geared towards our survival

And, I shouldn’t even have too say it

And, people say that emotion is opposite too logic

And, they are right

But, that is because they are both two different metrics too judge you’re thoughts

And, emotions won’t help you’re logic

but they will help you’re well-being

And, after accepting your own emotions, you find a healthy outlet too let them grow and develop

And, if you do this, you will great because you are being productive and true too yourself!

And for the rest of this course you will be doing the following:

3. Finding balance between rational and emotion

4. Using rational too win over emotional power/territory

Now, you might be asking yourself the following

And, why did you bother explaining all this other stuff?

Why were you talking about that whole biology thing?

And, this is because linking things together is powerful

And linking you’re biology too you’re sense of meaning is empowering too yourself

And, I should note, the following

And that is in the following chapters for this course, the worksheets will look like the following:

1. The three layers of the heart

2. Following the heart

And, we just did that.

3. Finding balance between rational and emotional

4. Using the rational too win over emotional power/territory

And so now you have just completed the first two lessons

So, make sure to complete the worksheets for this lesson as well

And after you have properly done that

Make sure you go on to the next lesson

And complete the worksheets there as well

Chapter 3: Finding Balance between Logic and Emotional types of thinking

Good afternoon and welcome too the tech tools course

It is great that you are here and investing in yourself

I assure you that you will not be let down if you do everything properly

And last lesson we covered “Following the Heart”. In which we go deep into the mechanisms of these feelings that tie them all together. And we will be understanding why this method of analysis with your own individual self is a powerful tool in focusing in on yourself.

And this lesson we will be covering “Finding Balance between Logic and Emotional types of thinking”. In which we will cover planning action in order to bring balance to the two types of thinking. And we will be understanding the proper way too apply the two types of thinking. And, this lesson is special because here is when we start turning FEELINGS into actual ACTION and PLANNING.

And, now we will be planning our actual plan of action, when it comes too synthesizing how we feel with how we live in real life

And the following is how you do this, we are going to be covering how and why to do several worksheets now so make sure to follow along:

- So, Emotional thinking is known to be expansive

-And, Logical thinking usually narrows down our answers

-So, then it would make sense too use Emotional for when planning on an overall expanding strategy

- And use logical thinking too plan our way there realistically but solidly for ourselves. And in synch with our Emotional thinking.

- And open up the planning calendar that corresponds too this chapter now.

-And, it should be accessible through google drive.

[show them how too get in]

- [Give client the WarMap from the consulting course too use]

- Okay now take a look at this planning calendar

- Okay and now, remember this worksheet from before [Process of the heart]

- So, take a look at that worksheet now.

- And, you will notice that you have now a mock-process filled out for how the heart goes from emotion too emotion in terms of where and how and when doing what.

-And, what we are going to do now is combine the calendar with the worksheet

-And, you will amount one hour a day too working on one “Glowing agent” that could potentially lead too using it too replace an “Empty” feeling.

-And, now you will fill out a new worksheet

-And, this worksheet is called Moving from “Empty” to “Glowing”.

- And, here is where the most important part comes in

- And, because I explained the bio-evolutionary background too this,

you should have a fundamental understanding of what this program is truly trying too accomplish

- To truly aim in the direction you individually decide has fundamentally more meaning too you in life, and too lean into that

- And, as stated before, having the self-respect too lean into and be honest with you’re own feelings and decide based on the logical judgment of analyzing your personal landscape

-And, that is why we took note of the three feelings of the heart and our own individual interpretations of that.

-And, now that we did the worksheet “Moving from Empty to Glowing”, we put in order, the meaningful reality we are trying to move towards to, and the actions we will partake in, in order to get there.

- And now, we will dive one layer deeper, And really find out just how important these goals are going to be for us

-And, now open up the “Benefits and features of our mind” Worksheet

- And, so here in this worksheet we will be explaining too ourselves the benefits of the changes we are going to be committing too and separating those from the features.

-The whole point of this worksheet is so that you get a real firsthand feeling and grip of the inherent value of the process in which you are partaking with, and too build up hope in yourself by seeing that as long as you stick too the plan, you’re desires will eventually come through.

And, I should note, the following

And that is in the following chapters for this course, the worksheets will look like the following:

1. The three layers of the heart

2. Following the heart

3. Finding balance between rational and emotional

And, we just did that.

4. Using the rational too win over emotional power/territory

And so now you have just completed the first three lessons

So, make sure to complete the worksheets for this lesson as well

And after you have properly done that

Make sure you go on to the next lesson

And complete the worksheets there as well

Chapter 4: Boundaries and their power over ourselves and others

Good afternoon and welcome too the tech tools course

It is great that you are here and investing in yourself

I assure you that you will not be let down if you do everything properly

And last lesson we covered “Finding balance between rational and emotion” (Planning attack) . In which we planned for our futures using our own individual feelings and discussed how tying your own plans to your own feelings is empowering to yourself.

And this lesson we will be covering “Boundaries and Their power over self and other”. In which we understand what boundaries are and how to set them up to our advantage.

So, what are boundaries and why are we talking about them?

And, boundaries are the lines of self-respect we draw for ourselves and we avoid intruding on others

And, we will be setting up our own boundaries

So, complete the following worksheet

And, this worksheet is called “self-respect worksheet”

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cummunication · 5 years

Text

What is “Rape Culture?”

You’ve probably heard of the term “rape culture” or have seen it used on social media. Particularly prevalent with the “me too” movement, “rape culture” was especially brought into the light around 2016 when the Netflix documentary “The Hunting Ground” made its appearance. So what exactly is rape culture and why should you care? “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety. Rape Culture affects every woman. The rape of one woman is a degradation, terror, and limitation to all women. Most women and girls limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. Most women and girls live in fear of rape. Men, in general, do not. That’s how rape functions as a powerful means by which the whole female population is held in a subordinate position to the whole male population, even though many men don’t rape, and many women are never victims of rape. This cycle of fear is the legacy of Rape Culture.” I’ve heard the term used in both a positive and negative light however; some feminists fight against the use of the term and do not appreciate what they deem it being “improperly used”. Unfortunately nowadays, it appears sexual assault is more of a norm rather than out of the ordinary. “Is 1 in 5 American women surviving rape or attempted rape considered a cultural norm? Is 1 in 6 men being abused before the age of 18 a cultural norm? These statistics are not just shocking, they represent real people. Yet, these millions of survivors and allies don’t raise their collective voices to educate America about our culture of rape because of fear. Rape culture is a real and serious, and we need to talk about it. Simply put, feminists want equality for everyone and that begins with physical safety.” From the outside looking in, this can seem it were solely a “women's issue”. I’d like to argue it is a global issue. Neither geared at men nor women as both are impacted by this epidemic and hold power & responsibility in sharing our stories. The job of advocating for both victims and survivors of sexual assault need not fall on the shoulders of women but we also shouldn’t blame men. It’s more about educating individuals and providing those impacted with the proper resources and support. It’s about letting people know how their choices affect others and what everybody can do to play their part (a.k.a bystander prevention). `.If you are a man, you are part of rape culture. I know … that sounds rough. You’re not a rapist, necessarily. But you do perpetuate the attitudes and behaviors commonly referred to as rape culture. But just imagine moving through the world, always afraid you could be raped. That’s even worse! Rape culture sucks for everyone involved. But don’t get hung up on the terminology. Don’t concentrate on the words that offend you and ignore what they’re pointing to — the words “rape culture” aren’t the problem. The reality they describe is the problem. Men are the primary agents and sustainers of rape culture. Rape isn’t exclusively committed by men. Women aren’t the only victims — men rape men, women rape men — but what makes rape a men’s problem, our problem, is the fact that men commit 99% of reported rapes. Women spend most of their social lives with ever-present, unavoidable feelings of vulnerability. Stop and think about that. Imagine always feeling like you could be at risk, like you were living with glass skin. As modern men we must seek out danger. We choose adventures and extreme sports in order to feel like we’re in jeopardy. We make games of our vulnerability. That’s how differently men see the world from women. A woman must consider where she is going, what time of day it is, what time she will arrive at her destination and what time she will leave her destination, what day of the week is it, if she will be left alone at any point … the considerations go on and on because they are far more numerous than you or I can imagine. Honestly, I can’t conceive of having to think that much about what I need to do to protect myself at any given moment in my life. I relish the freedom of getting up and going, day or night, rain or shine, Westside or downtown. As men we can enjoy this particular extreme luxury of movement and freedom of choice. In order to understand rape culture, remember this is a freedom that at least half the population doesn’t enjoy. You may think it’s unfair that we have to counteract and adjust ourselves for the ill behavior of other men. You know what? You’re right. It is unfair. Is that the fault of women? Or is it the fault of the men who act abysmally and make the rest of us look bad? If issues of fairness bother you, get mad at the men who make you and your actions appear questionable. Because when it comes to assessing a man, whatever one man is capable of, a woman must presume you are capable of. The completely reasonable and understandable fear of men is your responsibility. You didn’t create it. But you also didn’t build the freeways either. Some of the things you inherit from society are cool and some of them are rape culture. Since no woman can accurately judge you or your intentions on sight, you are assumed to be like all other men. 73% of the time a woman knows her rapist. Now, if she can’t trust and accurately assess the intentions of men she knows, how can you expect her to ever feel that she can accurately assess you, a complete stranger? Rape prevention is not just about women teaching women how not to get raped — it’s about men not committing rape. Rape prevention is about the fact that a man must understand that saying “no” doesn’t mean “yes,” that when a woman is too drunk/drugged to respond that doesn’t mean “yes,” that being in a relationship doesn’t mean “yes.” Rather than focus on how women can avoid rape, or how rape culture makes an innocent man feel suspect, our focus should be: how do we, as men, stop rapes from occurring? You’ll quickly find that rape culture plays a central role in all the social dynamics of our time. It’s at the heart of all our personal interactions. It’s part of all our social, societal and environmental struggles. Rape culture is not just about sex. It is the product of a generalized attitude of male supremacy. Sexual violence is one expression of that attitude. Again, don’t let the terminology spook you. Don’t get hung up on the term “male supremacy.” The term isn’t the problem. The problem is that rape culture hurts everyone involved. Antiquated patriarchal notions of society make it difficult for men to come forward as rape victims just as much as they foster a desire for a man to be seen as powerful and sexually aggressive. Men shouldn’t feel threatened or attacked when women point out rape culture — they’re telling us about our common enemy. We ought to listen. Now that you know what it is, what can you do about rape culture? · Avoid using language that objectifies or degrades women. Speak out if you hear someone else making an offensive joke or trivializing rape · If a friend says she has been raped, take her seriously and be supportive · Think critically about the media’s messages about women, men, relationships, and violence · Be respectful of others’ physical space even in casual situations · Always communicate with sexual partners and do not assume consent · Define your own manhood or womanhood. Do not let stereotypes shape your actions. Don’t limit yourself to being a man. Be a mensch. Be a human being. All we need to do is listen, and reflect, and let their words change our perspective. Our job is to ask ourselves how we can do better.”

#metoo #me too movement #me too campaign #sexualabuse #rapeculture #feminist #feminism #sexualssault

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lilybaud · 4 years

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So I'm curious what oppression do asexual people face? I do understand there are some minor discrimination similar to homosexuality like being told it's a phase, but there have 0 laws against i, very few if any deaths because of it, few forced marriages. Maybe there have been cases of corrective rape?

sorry i took a few days to answer this -- i wanted time to give you a thoughtful response! this is kinda a version of an ask i answered last month, but i hope it helps answer your question!

here are some good posts that explain better than me:

https://livebloggingmydescentintomadness.tumblr.com/post/148453657895/the-aphobia-masterpost (This one goes into ace history, as well as many other topics – big recommend)

https://newt–x.tumblr.com/post/183606679191/a-spec-people-dont-experience-oppression (includes more comments/edits on the above)

So how are aces oppressed?

Let’s start with medical discrimmination: asexuality is classified as a mental disorder that you can get diagnosed with. Although the DSM-5 says that asexuality is a valid identity, it still lists hypoactive sexual disorder as – well, a disorder. This is basically defined as when someone is disinterested in sexual activity, and this disinterest causes them distress. This is the same boat that homosexuality was in until a few decades ago – and obviously, aphobia (and homophobia) are very likely to make people feel “distressed” about their sexual identity (I know that I do!) Imagine going to a psychiatrist and having them tell you that your orientation is a disorder that needs to be fixed: not great.

Even when ace people are not being explicitly diagnosed with Being an Asexual Disease, asexuals can often get into hostile medical situations, particularly in mental health settings. I have had several appointments with psychiatrists, counselors, and the like that were meant to be about unrelated topics, but when it came out that I was ace, the conversation turned to why this was a sign of isolation/pathology/other fuckedupedness. Other aces might be able to better speak about their experiences in this area, as I often avoid bringing up the topic in medical settings for this reason.

the discrimmination you’re talking about

Asexual people, particularly (but not only) female-identifying aces, have also long (long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) been targets of corrective rape and sexual assault. Here’s a good (altho far from exhaustive) HuffPost article on the subject. Corrective rape is a huge issue. This is a very prevalent fear for a lot of ace people, who also face other types of violence. A really horrible and tragic example is the murder of ace teen Bianca Devins last year by a man that she refused to sleep with (I won’t post links because they’re pretty upsetting) -- a death that aphobes online are still making terrifying comments about.

So yes! Ace ppl do actually face violence and death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s a post that talks about why it’s hard to be an ace PoC (like me!)

Tl;dr, many people don’t know what asexuality is – it’s sometimes called an “invisible identity.” But that doesn’t mean ace people aren’t discrimminated against as aces.

Exclusion from the LGBTQIA+ community

As I’m sure you know, many fellow people in the queer community hate ace people. There’s a perception that ace people are being special snowflakes, that we are basically straight, that we are not oppressed enough to be part of the community, that we diminish the importance of other sexual orientations, and on and on. This is really hard for ace people, because we seek queer spaces, spaces that are supposed to be safe for marginalized identities, are often those that are most explicitly anti-ace.

In addition, some in the queer community used to identify as ace because they had internalized homophobia or other things, and view asexuality as a cover for those feelings based on their own experiences.

From queer tumblr bloggers I follow to comments by queer friends and acquaintances, I’ve personally had spaces that I thought were safe revealed to be aphobic. That’s a pretty upsetting experience – I don’t talk about being ace very often, but it’s devastating to know that people you encounter in your everyday life spend so much time thinking about how much they hate people like you.

All this leads to many ace people being scared and unhappy. In a UK government survey of LGBTQIA+ individuals, asexuals were the group least likely to be “open” about their identity (at 89% reporting that they were not open). Cis aces were the least comfortable being queer in the UK, and had the lowest life satisfaction scores, out of all cis responders (the survey did not break down the responses of trans responders into allo/ace).

(Side note – many ace people emphasize other parts of their identities in order to participate in queer spaces. For example, if pressed in a pride group or seminar or friendly gathering or etc., I might just say I’m bi. This sucks too! All parts of your identity are legitimate and that should go without saying?)

Personally, there are few environments where I am comfortable with people knowing that I am ace. I don’t wear obvious pride gear, and I don’t call myself ace when I’m in LGBT+ groups. I’ve never come out to a romantic or sexual partner as ace. My sexual experiences have been highly traumatizing in part because of my identity. Only a few of my closest friends know that I’m ace. The negative perceptions of ace people, particularly those in the queer community, are main causes of this.

Why do we need to be oppressed to be let in?

One of exclusionists’ favorite sticking points is that aces aren’t oppressed enough to be part of the queer community. We do face discrimination in major ways – see above. But this raises a question: why do we have to be oppressed to be welcomed into LGBTQIA+ spaces? What qualifies as oppression? Is societal oppression “enough,” or does every ace person have to be personally subjected to a hate crime? I’m not sure if this line of thought comes from a genuine belief that society has to personally take a shit in your bed every day for you to even think about feeling comfortable in queer spaces, or if it is just cover for an instinctive dislike of ace people. Regardless, it’s something to think about. To quote the first masterpost linked at top:

“Nobody is trying to say that asexuals have it “as bad” or worse than gay or trans people, but we don’t HAVE to “have it worse” to be included and for our experiences to have merit without being compared to anyone else’s. Let me say that again: our experiences have merit without being compared to anyone else’s. “

Anyway thanks for your question! I don’t know if this helps or changes your mind on the topic. Please reach out if you have any other questions about my experiences as an ace person!

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cap-evanns · 6 years

Note

could you write like a oneshot where y/n and chris meet for the first time and there's a connection pls?

Hope you like it!

It was as if the cab she was on couldn’t have been going any slower. The Los Angeles traffic was probably her least favorite thing about moving to this city. Her flight was about to take off in 30 minutes and she couldn’t help but panic thinking about missing it. She promised her mom that this year she would make it to the family reunion. Her mom’s voice rang through her head, “No excuse this year Y/N! Boston misses you!”

Y/N leaned up to the cab driver and used her softest tone, “Hey bud, I can give you an extra 20 if you can speed it up. What’cha say?,” she folded a twenty lightly waving it between her fingertips and waited for his response.

Without saying a word he took the bill and nodded at her. Soon they flew through the LA roads, which would typically only spike up her anxiety. But the thought of her mom lecturing her for being late was a far worse option. The cab pulled over in front of the airport entrance and she grabbed her carry on from the trunk.

“Thanks!” she slapped her hand down on the trunk and booked it into the airport. Scanning her eyes across the list of flights on the television screen she found her flight. Flight 345 to Logan International Airport (BOS).

Y/N sped over to check in and booked it to the gate. She thanked herself for packing light, only having to roll around her small black suitcase and her tote bag around her arm. Finally reaching the gate she could finally sit down and relax. Looking down at her phone she let out a sigh of relief, made it with 5 minutes to spare. A new record for her.

The gate was getting busy and it was clear it was a flight headed to the New England area. There was of course the spare business people, those connecting through Boston, and then of course the bunch of New Englanders. They stuck out like sore thumbs in their Patriots and Celtics gear. It brought a smile to her face reminding her off how much she actually missed being home.

She kept her headphones in and went to work on beating the next level of the game on her phone. Not paying much attention she missed the intercom making flight announcements. Her head bounced up back to attention when the people around her started to huff and look angry.

Sliding off one of her headphones she turned to the man sitting next to her, “uh, excuse me, what’s going on?“

He turned to her and let out a groan, “our flight has been delayed. Something about the pilot getting sick.” He took off his black baseball cap and placed it on his lap. A set of blue eyes shined at her, “well guess we are stuck here.”

For a second she was taken back by how good looking he was. She made a note to herself to stop walking around with her eyes glued to her phone. For a moment she shuffled through everything she has done since sitting down, hoping nothing too embarrassing.

“Oh shit. Well hopefully not too long right, can’t be too bad.” Y/N shrugged her shoulders and turned a little in her seat to face him. “I’m Y/N, your new airport buddy.”

A chuckle escaped his lips and he gave her a sincere half smile, causing a dimple in his cheek to appear. “Nice to meet ya airport buddy, I’m Chris.” He bowed her head at her and laughed. “Are you headed home?”

She nodded at him in response, “Yeah a very fun family reunion,” the sarcasm was prevalent in her voice, “also known as the time to get grilled by my every living relative.”

“Hey, that could be fun!” he smiled at her and stretched his body in his seat. The man was so big and it was a bit humorous to see him hunched into the small airport seat. “I am going to see family too. A break from work.”

“And can I just say, I couldn’t help but look over… you’re never going to beat that level when you do the same move over and over again.”

She scoffed at him and let out a little laugh placing her hand on her chest. “Ouch,” Y/N looked down at her phone and grunted, “It is driving me mad to be honest. I know I am too old for phone games.”

Chris shook his head and reached into his jean back pocket to pull out his cellphone. Clicking through his messy phone screen he finally opened up same game app. “See, level 40. I can relate.”

“Just looking at how many apps you have on your phone stresses me out.” She couldn’t help but poke fun at him, “What man needs that many apps on his phone?”

“Hey hey hey! I offered to help you and here you are insulting me,” he rubbed his jaw and looked at Y/N shaking his head. “I mean I could take my phone and go somewhere more appreciated it.” Chris shrugged his shoulders and scanned his eyes around the room.

A smile swept across her lips, reaching over she shoved his shoulder lightly. “Oh stop you big baby, just teasing. Now show me how to beat this stupid game.”

Flight 345 to Logan International Airport (BOS) ready to board. The intercom rang throughout the gate lobby causing everyone to rush towards the entrance.

“Oof, I guess I am out of luck.” She stood up and threw her purse onto her shoulder. Leaning on her carry on she turned to look back at him. Chris got up and picked up a simple black duffle bag, “I think we can still make it work.”

Y/N looked at him confused, they walked over to board. He bumped his shoulder into her and whispered down at her, “How much you want to bet I can convince whoever you’re sitting with to swap seats with me?”

A light blush crept up onto her cheeks, she bit on her bottom lip and then quickly released it before answering. “Hmm… I think you can do it.” Y/N was never happier to have a delayed flight, and for picking the perfect seat in the waiting area. Her heart started to flutter as she looked at him.

Chris stepped forward and handed his passport and ticket to the flight attendant. Turning to you he grinned, “I think it’s a good thing our flight was delayed. Now I have the whole flight to school you in this game.”

#chris evans #chris evans x reader #chris evan fanfiction #chris evans fic #captain america #chris evans imagine #chris evans one shot #captain america fic #steve rogers fanfic

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kaneowldust · 5 years

Text

Report 15: I Bless the Rains Down in Zafaria

My apologies for such a late report as I am currently working to earning enough gold for a much needed vacation where everything isn’t trying to kill me. But back to the matter on hand. Great Bartleby is this world a much needed breath of fresh air and exploration after the slog that was Celestia. Basing a world off the African environment makes sense to me of course and we will of course also be dealing with more Celestia magic from now on. It was found in Celestia naturally but now feels much more prevalent and actually has some bearing. Plus we now have narrative that one could actually be invested in. Hey there is only so much ‘dig Marleybone out of their stupidity’ one can put up with. Also from here on out, each world is completely new to me so reports are going to be a little different as they are more first impression then compare and contrast gameplay, memories, etc.

The narrative is a basic one. Professor Falema has sent a group of handpicked students to study abroad in Zafaria along with Umlilo the flamingo sorcerer and the Olyphant Prince Tiziri. However communication stopped and your job is to find out why. You are sent to meet Inyanga WhiteStripes, a zebra witchdoctor, who saw the students last. Along the way you uncover plots to cause unrest between the main tribes to obtain special golden weapons and unleash the power of Spin…sorry-the Deck of Shadows. If I don’t see a certain spiky haired protagonist ahead I shall be disappointed.

This is also where we learn more about the Umbra Queen little by little as we explore each area as opposed to the exposition dump that we got from Malistaire. This reminds me a lot of the way Kane and the dark powers of El Dorado (if they ever decide to expand) was handled in Pirate 101. First just mentioning the great war, then Napolequin, and finally how and why Kane even existed. But that is beside the point. Granted I have heard Morgana was a bit of a disappointment from what I’ve gleamed of forums and the like, but I don’t know for sure since I have been avoiding a lot of this stuff to try and figure it out for myself (save for those special dungeons).

Each area for the main tribes has a distinct feel and culture to it alongside with mostly all new enemy models. We will also be taking on more Sun and Moon type enemies as well. Zamunda, the Zebra territory, is much more forest like and the art of battle is valuable to them. Sometimes it looks like they look for any excuse to battle. The Savanah, Lion lands, are more arid though they seem to be more of a hunter gather race. Stone Town is the empire of Elephants and is much more cultivated than the other residential areas. Plus magic. Lots and lots of magic. And finally you have the treetop village of the Drum Jungle.

The story revolves around these tribes at war with each other for various reasons. The elephants blame the zebras for the disappearance of their prince, zebras distrust the Lions, and the Lions are trying to keep their own kingdom in order with the usurping of their king. The gorillas are still following their Umbra Queen even after the whole sealing of her power thing because they felt like outsiders even as they formed the Zamunda Council. Most of the Zafarians seems to find you an annoyance like they have this less than enthusiastic view of Wizards.

Like all worlds from Mooshu on, there are books giving more world history. This time they are animated sequences of rock art depicting the takeover of the Umbra Queen and her banishment thanks to the Council of Light which was composed of several races from places like Wizard City, Mooshu, and a future world Avalon. I do love the details for each world really showing each tribe without a bunch of text dump; something I often appreciate in entertainment.

This is also the first time in memory we actually have an overarching villain for a world. A shady zebra witchdoctor named Tse-Tse Snaketail who wears “disguises” to trick both you and others into fighting each other. Honestly I thought he was just as an odd duck until the lions are asking you why the heck you’re beating on them in their first place instead of asking them whatever you wanted to know.

Speaking of knowledge, each of the students are either incarcerated, left behind, or in hiding. One is even put in a zoo! I like that they actually know who you are and are not just some wizard out of the ether. Fun aside, during the Five BOXES event, you travel to Skull Island and they actually refer you as a witchdoctor instead of wizard. Though we have seen from Mooshu and Marleybone that Wizard101 and Pirate101 share the same universe albiet not exactly parallel timelines as the pirates arrive in Mooshu just before the wizard comes in because the Emperor is still under the sleep spell; but pirates arrive in Marleybone AFTER the wizards have done their deeds since Meowarity is in prison. Heh wondering how worlds like Aquilla and Polaris will fare (seriously KingsIsle PLEASE give us a new world to explore for Pirate already).

So from your efforts you are able to bring about some measure of peace between the Lions, Elephants, and Zebras. I cannot say for the gorillas though. For all I know, a sizeable portion of them might still be loyal to the umbra queen. Playwise this area isn’t too hard but it can get tedious. For example you need to fight, say 5 elephant sorcerers, then go to the quest giver and they make you fight five more again. Granted some of the bosses have been giving me trouble and I KNOW everyone is saying to get the Waterworks gear. However I do not have the time these days to really sit down and spend all day farming. I wish I could, but I just can’t. So I am utilizing what gear I have and get from regular gameplay.

Though it does feel like it actually serves a purpose rather than Celestia that was more ‘learn stuff’ rather than actually making a difference towards the main conflict. Some, though, do feel like one off jokes but at least they’re short and don’t take forever and a day to complete them. I do kinda wish the Housing was a bit more impressive (though I am still stuck on that accursed Two Ring Circus quest because diamonds are a pain).

Unfortunately you are unable to keep Morgana from getting her Deck of Shadows. She even teases you how she was just like you and like you; you are capable of doing better things then being Ambrose’s errand wand. So it appears that we might have a much more personal interaction then we had with Malistaire. I’m not overly complaining by any means-no. But could go rather well or fall flat. Anyway I am off to deal with Spellwrit mobs as far as I can even if getting enough to complete this quest is a real pain in my frozen backside. Until then, take to the sky my friends.

#Wizard101 #wizard 101 zafaria #kane owldust

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