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081314 · 8 months

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Twst fest 2023 live stage readings (notes)

During the “Twisted Wonderland Festival” event that was held on August 20, 2023, the voice cast (sans Kouki Uchiyama, the VA for Idia Shroud) gathered together and delivered two live readings for the audience. As attendees were not permitted to take recordings of the event, some of them very kindly went and wrote down what they remembered hearing after they returned home. I've translated and compiled some of what they wrote in this post. This information comes from a number of different tweets, summarized notes, and anonymous discussion board comments. As we can’t presently be certain what dialogue and whatnot reported here is incorrect and what is verbatim, please take all of this information with a massive grain of salt.

Lastly, please do not pester any of the sources I listed for more information.

Thank you.

Live Reading 1

Featured Characters: Epel, Vil, Jack, Floyd, Azul, Riddle, Silver, Lilia, Cater, Kalim

Scenario: The characters recollect the different hometown events and make plans for summer vacation.

The scenario begins with Kalim, Riddle, Cater, and Silver sitting in the school courtyard, talking about where they’ll be going on summer vacation. The other students come over and join them as the discussion goes on. (The order is described differently in different accounts I read, so this might be out of order.)

Lilia and Vil said they had a great time in Sunset Savana, and Silver talks about the rabbit run race he did in Deuce’s hometown. Floyd says he wants to compete in a cool race, too, and then Epel talks about the sled race from his own hometown. Silver says Sebek seemed to have enjoyed himself on that trip. Thanks to the cuckoo clock Sebek bought him as a souvenir, he’s been able to wake up on time. (TL note: they said he literally said the clock pecks him?? Does he just put it by his bed and let the bird jab him in the face?? Dfgdfg). Epel is glad to hear Silver liked the clock so much.

Vil says that sled race does sound like fun, but it takes place in the winter, so they couldn’t take part in it during summer break. Harveston gets nixed as a summer vacay spot.

At some point Vil starts talking about skincare and sunburn prevention, and Epel says he thinks getting a little burnt looks kinda cool… maybe. Jack isn’t concerned about sunburns, but he does start talking in detail about preventing heat exhaustion (might be a reference to what happened during Tamashina Mina).

Vil asks Riddle about tourist spots in the Queendom of Roses, but he only suggests a bunch of “boring” places like court houses and libraries. He says there’s so many you wouldn’t be able to go to them all (during summer break).

After suggesting a bunch of different places, they eventually decide going to the beach would be a good idea. Azul and Floyd propose the Coral Sea but get rejected since the water is too cold there even in the summer. They talk about what they could do at the beach. Silver suggests they split open watermelons, as he learned from his father that it’s a legendary form of training. Silver offers to bring the watermelons. Jack agrees to come along (not because he wants to go have fun with them or anything!! (tsundere))

Kalim says they should all go to his place (his family has a private beach? And a beach house?). Azul gets excited.

Azul: So we’ll be going to a millionaire’s hom- I mean, you’re always so incredibly kind to me, Kalim-san, I would love the opportunity to meet your parents!

Floyd teasingly asks Riddle if he even knows how to swim and offers to possibly teach him.

Riddle: How rude. I’ve memorized a number of swimming instruction manuals, and in theory, I can swim just fine! (he doesn’t indicate if he can, in practice, swim though.)

Lilia suggests the pop music club boys put on a live beachside show.

Lilia: If we’re all going to the beach, I’ll need to make sure to wear that genie t-shirt Malleus bought me!

Silver: The first thing you need to make sure you do is stock up on sun screen.

Other random notes people included:

Azul wants to rake in the dough at the Asim’s beach clubhouse, but Floyd doesn’t want to work. Cater thinks a beach clubhouse would be totally Magicammable though.

It is mentioned that summers in Briar Valley are cool

Lilia says he wants to wear a stylish swimsuit

Epel would sometimes get excited and slip into his local dialect, then get flustered, and quickly switch back to standard Japanese.

Live Reading 2

Featured Characters: Malleus, Sebek, Ace, Deuce, Ortho, Leona, Ruggie, Jamil, Jade, Trey

Scenario: The characters compete to see who can come up with the best menu for a competition being held by the school cafeteria. They split into two teams: Trey, Jade, Malleus, Sebek, Ace, and Ortho on one team; Leona, Ruggie, Jamil, Rook, and Deuce on the other. The winners will be able to get as many add-ons/sides with their meals as they want for one whole month.

The scenario begins with Ace, Deuce, and Ortho talking together in the cafeteria. They come across a flyer for the aforementioned contest and being talking about it. Malleus and Sebek come over and join them. Since it’s a school event and he wants to learn more about the kinds of things humans eat, Mallues is interested in taking part in the contest. Sebek enthusiastically says of course they will take part!!

Sebek suggests the following menu:

The Young Lord’s favorite ice cream

Gargoyle castella for the Young Lord

The other students start coming over and join the discussion. Jade somehow ropes Jamil into things, and when Jami tries to escape, Rook appears and stops him (he holds his arm or something).

Trey is with Rook, and Malleus bids them to sit next to him. Ortho looks at Jami, Jade, and Trey and gets excited since they’ve all “maxed out their cooking skills”.

Jade: We’ll all be sure to try our best [in the competition].

Jamil: Would you stop saying ‘we’!

Ruggie and Leona appear. Ruggie says there’s no way he’s gonna let them get their hands on the prize.

Jade (smiling): Oh? But we’re certain to emerge victorious, considering the members on our team.

Ruggie: I ain’t gonna sit around when there’s free food on the line!!

Leona: Yeah, well, I am. Least until today's lunch break’s over.

Some sort of spat occurs between Leona and Malleus (no account I read describes it further than that), and Rook steps in to split everyone up into two teams.

Malleus’s team: Trey, Jade, Sebek, Ace, and Ortho Leona’s team: Ruggie, Jamil, Rook, and Deuce

Malleus’s Team

They talk about how bread/pastries sold in the foothill town sell out it minutes. Ace, Ortho, and Sebek wonder if it’s because it’s a limited deal that they sell out so quickly. Jade says when they have limited time and limited quantity deals at Mostro Lounge, those products end up becoming popular. Mal’s team decides on a menu based on “limited quantity”.

Leona’s Team

(I mashed together this convo from two different posts so the lines might be out of order)

Leona: Okay, theme’s gonna be meat. You guys come up with the rest.

Jamil: How about we spice up the menu a little? Add something extra?

Rook: We can flambé the meat in front of the students. Meanwhile, I shall perform a song by their one side, while Jamil-kun dances at their other!

Jamil: What!? Why me!?

Deuce (or Ruggie? Same lines are reported for both of them) : That’s a great idea! He’s great at dancing, and he can rap, too!

Ruggie: We got this in the bag!

Jamil: Now you listen here…

Leona (laughing) : Ain’t hospitality Scarabia’s whole thing? Go on, dance.

Jamil: Please, stop! You guys are taking this too far!

While all the students start talking excitedly about their menu plans, Ortho looks at the flyer again and he looks sad. Deuce and Ace ask him what’s wrong, and when they go to look at the flyer with him, they realize the competition already ended a while ago!

Sources https://twstsoku.com/archives/s22qvy5u.html https://fusetter.com/tw/PXwGGxcK https://twitter.com/turuume7/status/1693245073721545041?s=20 https://twitter.com/turuume7/status/1693246767574425746?s=20 https://twitter.com/Futo_wakiaiai/status/1693249798093275391?s=20 https://twitter.com/Futo_wakiaiai/status/1693249008716947481?s=20 https://twitter.com/Futo_wakiaiai/status/1693247064988422492?s=20 https://twitter.com/Futo_wakiaiai/status/1693247068993896483?s=20 https://twitter.com/Syokuji_Suimin_/status/1693239399474204926?s=20 https://twitter.com/Syokuji_Suimin_/status/1693238782840250470?s=20

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topaz-mutiny · 6 months

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I think the fans are underestimating how differently people can process things.

I am consistently seeing posts say "Ashton/Tal were repeatedly warned the shard was not for them/will 100% kill them", when this was absolutely not the case, and, more importantly, it is very likely for groups of people to completely misinterpret the warnings. Even if they've known each other and loved each other for a decade.

I certainly thought the warnings were not clear or frequent enough so I was shocked like lightning in the latest episode that they were meant to be absolute death flags.

Please note that I'll mostly refer to the fictional characters, I don't want to bring the people behind the characters too much into this.

First, I would like to point out, the show takes place over weeks and months with plenty of breaks and interruptions. That is plenty of time and opportunity for memories to get faded, muddled, crossed-over with other memories, etc.

The "warnings" happened two weeks to a month ago. And even when they were fresh on the cast's mind, here are the warnings verbatim (bold is my emphasis):

But be warned, holding the strength of the two in one vessel might sunder it. You bear the dormant strength of the empress. Find and bestow the might of the emperor.

- Evontra'vir, episode 74, aired October 5th. The conversations move on to unrelated things with no followup.

Ashton: He also said it might be dangerous for these two shards to intermingle. Or he didn't say dangerous, he said that-- it could destroy me. Orym: --A chance the vessel could break. Laudna: --The vessel <air quotes> could break. Fearne: Wasn't there something if you put them together with the right thing that it'll be okay? Ashton: It might come together and be okay, yeah. -- Dancer: Maybe if it were to meet one of its own ilk, it could awaken. Allura: What you said as a point of warning likely is true. To have both within a singular vessel, it's possible one could survive, but it's also highly possible that it would rend you into a thousand pieces. -- Allura: We're in a strange area of experimentation and unknown knowledge. -- (after finding out Ashton has a fascimile of a Luxon beacon in their brain) FCG: So he's got two things in him or them? Allura: It would seem, which is why I'm a bit--Well, you're either the greatest weapon we could hope for in this time, or will be our end. I couldn't tell you. Orym: Boy, maybe we don't add a third thing. Ashton: I was put together by bits and pieces. This was not an intentional thing and it, I honestly shouldn't have survived it. It was, literally, I was put together with junk. Allura: In an odd way, your fragmented nature might be what keeps all of this in check. ... Perhaps we don't put another powerful entity within your form.

- Various, episode 76, aired October 19th.

To me, these warnings were not clear in the slightest.

To me, these warnings were interspersed with so many words like "possible", "might", and "chance" that I completely misinterpreted the situation as "For Ashton it is dangerous but doable" instead of "The Game Master is telling you Ashton's character sheet will be ripped up."

This is the problem with using in-character voices and using descriptors that imply chance or flexibility. They can drastically weaken the meaning of a phrase such that people like me will mistake it for something else.

Because that's how my brain works. "May", "chance", "perhaps" suggest to me a reasonable set of odds for an action and does not come across as the grave warning a game master would want.

And as a reminder, these muddled warnings were weeks apart and weeks away, which can make remembering the meaning even worse if you've already misinterpreted them. That's why I was 100% on board with Ashton taking the shard. It seemed reasonable but dangerous, so when Matt said "I warned you." in that grave tone and with that grave look I was thrown for a loop. I went "oh no! those were serious warnings!?" and the panic started setting in.

Also a contributing factor was the pressure and lack of communication from Bells Hells.

Fearne did not want the shard, and finally stated that thought aloud to Ashton. For Fearne and Ashton, that meant the only choice left was Ashton, because, for one reason or another, the 5 other people in Bells Hells repeatedly assumed and pushed the shard onto Fearne and wrote themselves out of the equasion. FIVE characters absolved themselves of being active participants. Once the idea of Fearne came to mind and this Emperor Fearne/Empress Ashton/Callowmoore shipping dicotomy, Bells Hells just stopped talking about it and never once considered if any of them should take the shard should Fearne refuse.

So... yeah that's how my brain works.

#critical role #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers #c3e77 #ashton greymoore #fearne calloway #bells hells #evontra'vir #taliesin jaffe #matthew mercer #communication breakdown #tl;dr Bells Hells needs to talk to each other more instead of just assuming how things will be #do you want explosions and dead PCs? that's how you get explosions and dead PCs.#people will think differently and can misinterpret what you say #even this loving group of 8 people can misinterpret each other despite being together for like a decade #tbh I thought the shard going to Orym would've been ideal #I might repost this for the Monday crew idk

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vintagetvstars · 13 days

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Nichelle Nichols Vs. Yvonne Craig

Propaganda

Nichelle Nichols - (Star Trek) - She speaks for herself. Legendary, iconic, at the forefront of feminism and civil rights in the 60s, she is a triple threat who did so much more. She volunteered from 1977 to promote recruitment diversity within NASA, including some of the first female and ethnic minority astronauts. Martin Luther King Jr. compared her work on Star Trek as a 'vital role model' to the civil rights marches. She refused to be dismissed, fought for visibility and shone whilst doing so. As a woman in stem, and simply a woman she means the world and stars above to me.

Yvonne Craig - (Batman, Star Trek) - 7 year old me didn't know she was a lesbian but she sure knew she liked batgirl

Master Poll List of the Hot Vintage TV Ladies Bracket

Additional propaganda below the cut

Nichelle Nichols:

She is the original badass babe. She was a black woman in a leading role on TV in the 60s, a trailblazer for black actresses for years to come. She is so beautiful and so awesome.

she's fantastic. have you seen her? paved the way for black actresses on TV even while her lines and scenes were being cut and improvised the most iconic uhura line in the series. (sulu: "I'll save you, fair maiden!" uhura, pushing him away: "sorry, neither!") she's incredibly talented and it's a crime the show didn't give her more screen time (or make her sing more often because she also has a beautiful voice!)

“Sorry, neither” in response to “fair maiden” was ad libbed by her. There’s a lot more I could say but what else do you need??

A sci-fi icon!

She was such a trailblazer, and Uhura was such an important character for so many people to be able to see on TV. Apparently Mae Jemison (the first African American woman to go into space) cited her as a reason she wanted to become an astronaut. She was just an absolute legend!

The story of Martin Luther King telling her not to quit Star Trek gives me chills. Representation matters. “Thank you so much, Dr. King. I’m really going to miss my co-stars.” Dr. King's smile, Nichols recalled, vanished from his face. "He said, 'What are you talking about?'" the actress explained. "I told him. He said, 'You cannot,' and so help me, this man practically repeated verbatim what Gene said. He said, 'Don’t you see what this man is doing, who has written this? This is the future. He has established us as we should be seen. 300 years from now, we are here. We are marching. And this is the first step. When we see you, we see ourselves, and we see ourselves as intelligent and beautiful and proud.' He goes on and I’m looking at him and my knees are buckling. I said, 'I…, I…' And he said, 'You turn on your television and the news comes on and you see us marching and peaceful, you see the peaceful civil disobedience, and you see the dogs and see the fire hoses, and we all know they cannot destroy us because we are there in the 23rd Century.'"

She shared the first interracial kiss on Star Trek, helped propel real life African American women into space-related careers, and looks divine in a mini skirt.

HOW DID UHURA WALK BACKWARDS SO FAR??? WOW!

#vintage tv stars poll #tv ladies 1 #nichelle nichols #yvonne craig

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sgiandubh · 5 months

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S on BBC 4's Saturday Live: 'anything but a quiet life'

As you all know, S was today on BBC Four's Saturday Live radio talk show, sharing the scene with people like super male model David Gandy, Catrin Finch - a Welsh harpist of international repute and the ever fascinating Lucy Worsley, a strong contender (along with Mary Beard) for the title of personal favorite (living) historian.

You can listen (as I dutifully did twice) to it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001t96r. I don't know how to embed it on this page, but that shouldn't be a problem.

The show is always interesting and I strongly suggest to let it play along and not rely only on my summing up & comments. I particularly enjoyed Lucy Worsley's Medieval and Baroque musical selection (flawless!) - but enough said, we're here for S, who was live on show from BBC's London studios.

As usually, I am going to transcript it as much as I can, primarily for those reading this post and using Google Translate (@bat-cat-reader, you are served!). So, you will kindly excuse the length, thank you.

At the 07:40 mark, a half jocular mention when prompted by the host: not a cricketer and not a harpist either (you can say many things about S, but not that he's got no humor - always a big plus in my book). But then things quickly get emotional, when he immediately mentions his mother (the question generally asked was 'what did your parents sacrifice for you?'), who 'sacrificed a lot (...) [as] a single parent, (...) she gave us everything, I think'. And then he quickly gets emotional, mentioning Chrissie H. again:

'(...) can I give my mom a shoutout, it's her birthday, on Monday [Nikki Bedi, presenter: 'aww, of course you can!'], so happy birthday, Chrissie, and thank you so much and I wish... I'm glad you never got me a harp, because I would have never dedicated myself. I think that's why I became an actor, because I didn't have to work too hard at one thing.'

It's then David Gandy's turn to talk about his own rural childhood in Billericay (Essex), his close knit family and his parents' endeavor of building a business and the now incomprehensible need to use faxes, something he has now to 'explain to the younger ones'. Then Nikki Bedi turns to S (13:08): 'Sam's laughing at that. Do you remember faxes?' Answer: 'I do.. I mean, I remember faxes getting scripts through or couriers bringing you know, scripts to your door, it..it's just a completely different world, now, and I am sure the fashion world is completely different now, isn't it, David, I mean it's changed so much'.

Onwards to more questions asked by Mrs. Bedi. This one was interesting (19:16): 'Sam, do you fear that each job you do is an act that could be your last? Is that always in the back or front of your mind?' Answer: 'Yeah, I think.. David, I mean...um... earnestly, everything you're saying there kinda rings true for my career as well... I am sure for Catrin being, you know, being a musician, I think it's, you know [Nikki Bedi: is it true, Catrin? CF: yes, absolutely, yeah, many things David said... it's the same (...)'].

Huw Stevens mentions alternatives to 'gigs', the need to plan for the future and the fact 'you always have to remain busy', mentioning S's whisky. Gandy also mentions S ('you've got quite a few businesses [...] a man after my own heart, we'll then gonna have to go out'), immediately cued in by Nikki Bedi ('whisky, tequila, gin').

Just after Lucy Worsley's superb intervention (easily my favorite of the whole program!), cue in to the kilt on a glacier part of S's chit-chat I am sure we all dutifully 🙄, by now. I noted the slight hesitation in his voice, while mentioning 'my...my friend, Graham McTavish', so I will not - yeah, sue me-, I repeat: I will not transcript this verbatim, simply because it doesn't really bring anything new or important to what we all know, already. Sitting on a glacier 'in a kilt, in commando, yes, it's my claim to fame'. Disgruntled Tumblrettes, beware - he poked fun at himself (shall I sign this to you, or are you able to read my lips?) and that is something only very intelligent people are able to do without sounding pathetic. Another interesting thing is the way Nikki Bedi presented S ('the actor, award-winning liquor maker and writer'- 36:00), roughly midway of the whole broadcast.

His dedicated segment begins at the 49:10 mark and lasts until the end, about 10 minutes in all. He was introduced by Huw Stevens: "Sam Heughan, it seems, would like anything but a quiet life", plus some cursory bio elements, mentioning his mother's influence on his own creativity, his breakthrough as JAMMF, but also TCND (Nikki Bedi watches it and 'apparently the third episode is the most steamy' 🤦‍♀️). 'He is also a philanthropist, businessman and thrill seeker, and of course, as mentioned earlier, has his own whisky and is a best-selling author'. Mentions his 'parents, characterful people, hippies, in the Seventies, with a love for Tolkien'. S: 'my mum would probably kill me if I called her a hippie' - also, 'she is not the best singer, but there was always music around'. Stevens mentions the Gandalf's Garden Soho hippie community both his parents were a part of before he was born, but S doesn't develop it. The rest (difficult childhood, loner, using his imagination sparked his creativity, etc) we know from Waypoints. The very Scottish concept of 'stravaigin'' comes along in the conversation, which is not exactly a drifter and a bit more than a wanderer (if I understood correctly) - perhaps a good title for a second personal memoir, S? I'll leave this idea float in here for free, heh. OL comes along then, and by far the most interesting thing he mentioned about it is that "it is my life, it's taken over my life', hoping it would sparkle at least some conversation in the comments' thread. OL 'has also been hugely beneficial for Scotland, increased tourism by 200% in some locations (...), and it's all down to the magic of Scotland'.

Next projects: exciting not to really know what is next, but 'I am also saying no to a lot, because I am in a place now where I think the next decision is really important (...). I enjoy being in control now (....), producing my own shows and you know, my own products. (...) once you take control of that creativity (....) there's a lot of freedom and yeah, we shall see'.

And then Huw Stevens makes a joke - but was it really a joke? it's the BBC, after all - and says that all four of the guests could contribute something to what 'could be the next generation of Bond', (S: 'the finest British production'). Cue in an anecdote about S being invited to present an event to Buckingham Palace and taking a cab to a pub, right afterwards. MPC and tomorrow's book signing at Saint Pancras station wrap off the show.

Quickly, my 50 cents on it: way, way better than expected and S always delivers when they ask no weird questions about his private life (hallelujah, maybe they listen to us, after all?). The question about the fear of each job being the last reminded me of one of his answers in a very early interview: 'your biggest fear? getting the sack'. This time, his answer, whatever he intended to say, got lost in the brouhaha, but I suspect not much has changed, essentially, even if the 'after OL' part of the show strives to tell a more optimistic story.

But the thing that impressed me the most and in a very good way is the attention he got from all the other people invited in that studio. Unlike the social nobodies of Tumblr, they did not find bizarre the fact that he created his own spirits business and is actively promoting it. They were far from judging him: in fact, I even think he made a new friend of David Gandy, who had quite positive and nice and honest things to say about him. S was articulate and graceful and very moving every single time he mentioned Chrissie. And I am also sure he would have loved to share more things, especially when David was lovingly talking about his wife and daughters. But he couldn't. And that is a shame. But this too, shall pass - The Boy is slowly learning to say no to a lot of things, as he just let us know. Probably the best news we've got from him in a good while.

And now, onwards to a particularly venomous Anon I am still pondering the answer to.

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evilcowgirl · 1 year

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hiii!!! i love your writing so much omgg i just had to request :) would you write something about some of the van der linde boys with a badass gunslinging gf??

Van Der Linde boys with a gunslinging gf

pairings: javier, arthur, charles (x reader)

a/n: omg thank u so so soo much for my first ever request i was literally soo excited when i saw this !! it took a while i apologize but heres a few drabbles(?) of the 3 guys i'm able to write rn, maybe a continuation when i get into writing others ! also, merry christmas .✧⋆ !!!! :D

warnings: minor violence

word count: (combined) 4k

summery: collection of short stories, the boys with a gf who can handle a gun

Javier

You and Javier were a force to be reckoned with. Both of you were equally as dangerous apart but together somewhat of a perfect storm was created. You first met each other in a rather conventional fashion—a simple "Hello" uttered from behind a lipstick-stained rocks glass at a dingy bar.

He somehow found the courage in his under his alcohol induced haze to respond to you with words.

He barely even slurred, "Hello to you too." He took a seat right next to you. He was a little buzzed, but not unattractively so. Just enough for him to smile a bit more than he usually would and to have the confidence to suavely slide his hand over yours as you two spoke.

You didn't get too far in your conversation before you were interrupted. You were used to drunk men thinking they had a chance with you but never two at the same time. It was amusing at first but when he noticed Javier clearly holding your attention he didn't back off.

"Hey sweetheart you ignoring me?"

"Don't I look busy asshole?" You say begrudgingly shifting your attention away from Javier to the pest hovering next to you.

"C'mon sweetheart don't be mean. . ." He mumbled out, he seemed harmless but you knew how quickly guys like this could flip.

"I'm not your sweetheart, you can leave now." You said bluntly.

Clearly this guy wasn't letting up, he got even closer to you in fact. You could feel his breath against your cheek and smell the stench of liquor on his breath.

"You should be careful with an attitude like that girl," He said in a hushed tone, this time you could hear the venom in his words loud and clear, "You might end up gettin' hurt real bad."

Javier had caught the last part, perhaps not verbatim but he'd heard the words "Hurt" and "Bad" and decided he didn't care too much for clarification.

Before he was able to step in to create a space between you and the man you were quick to draw your gun on him. There were a few gasps at the quick motion, everyone in close proximity stilled waiting to see what you'd do. Including Javier who was clearly less on edge than the rest of the civilians observing the situation.

You couldn't lie, the attention you felt from all the eyes on you was exciting in a way you knew you were dead wrong for liking.

"I said to fuck off, didn't I?" You questioned, your voice was steady and smooth like you'd just been carrying on a conversation with the man and not threatening to paint the bar with his blood.

He was trembling in his seat, not able to look anywhere but from your eyes and the barrel of your gun aimed right at his chest. It was a clear threat, you always aimed to kill.

"Hey, sweetheart, look—I ain't lookin' for no trouble just drunk is all," He said nervously, his hands up in defense, "C'mon just—I was just teasing I'm harmless really!"

"I'll show you harmless alright!" You all but growled at the man. He flinched at your words but decided to keep defending himself.

He was the type to not know when to stop talking, you soaked in his desperation for a bit, waiting until he'd humiliated himself enough for one night before you lowered your gun.

"Get." You ordered him, turning away from like the moment you stopped aiming, like he'd stopped existing. He bolted without another word, tipping over his stool and stumbling over folks on the way out. You knew that it was best to leave right after him, just incase someone took offense to what had just gone down but Javier gave you a sense of security that made you feel like finishing your drink.

"Sorry about that. . ." You said smiling up at the man who was still perched right next to you, you noticed his hand on his blade sitting at his hip.

"Javier." He said returning the smile. You felt a bit giddy that you hadn't scared your man off. You were sure that he'd be leaving right behind that drunkard but here he was grinning at you like you were some angel sent down to start bar fights.

"Javier," You said slowly, letting the letters roll of your tongue, "Thats pretty." You said.

He seemed amused at that. You told him your name and that you had to get going soon for obvious reasons and he nodded.

Javier was honestly distraught at hearing that, he hopped that he'd get to spend more time with you. You were unlike any other girl he'd met. Of course it had just started as a simple lust driven opportunity, but now he wanted more from you.

"Though I'd hate to lose you so soon, muñeca." He said leaning in closer, a confident hand coming up to stroke your cheek. You knew that he had to be crazy to be attracted to you after your outburst.

"Yeah?" you said leaning into his touch, "What about the hotel across from the sheriffs?" You suggested.

There was a twinkle in your eyes of something alive and eager that Javier knew he would never get enough of.

After just one night with you he knew that he was smitten. You'd been together for hours and fell asleep in each other's arms in a post-coital bliss. Now here he was waking up to you grabbing your gun off the nightstand before even pulling your shirt on.

"I have to see you again." He said into the dark room. You smiled immediately turning to face him. You could make out his face already looking back at you under the glow of the still barely rising. His arms resting behind his head, you couldn't tell if he'd been awake like that four hours or if you'd waken him up with your movements. You inched towards his side of the bed, not bothering to button your shirt all the way before you leaned down to kiss him. It was slow and entrancing, you felt like you could melt right into his skin as he glided a hand over your bare back. You moved the loose strands of ink colored hair out of his face to kiss his forehead and resisted the urge to stay when he grabbed your arm to keep you close.

"I have to go." You said more sorrowful than you expected. It was true, you weren't here to stay, "I can't be in town like this—I should. . .It was a risk to even be with you for a night here."

He nodded, something you didn't expect after your stuttered excuse, "I understand. I'm in a similar position." He said. You tilted your head at him in confusion. "If you'd like you can come back with me. I'm running with a few people, I'm sure you've heard of us."

You considered for a moment. You weren't stupid; you knew that Javier wasn't just a normal man you met in a bar. He didn't look like an O'Driscoll and that was all you really cared about. You had no real home and even with how much pride you took in your ability to take care of yourself you knew that strength was truly in numbers. You were alone, defending yourself with just your words and your revolver. It usually worked but you'd been way too close for comfort countless times. It was getting more dangerous everyday.

"Mmh. . . I dunno. I've been on my own so long. I'm not that good with people." You said looking down at the pale sheets beneath you. You wanted to stay here longer with him, listening to his voice for another night.

It felt ridiculous to even consider letting a man you'd just met lead you off somewhere unfamiliar just because he was a good lay. At the same time though, it felt even more ridiculous letting a chance like this go. You were tired of fighting for your life all on your own. It'd be good to have at least one person by your side, even if it was only temporary.

"I wouldn't lie to you, mi muñeca, we protect each other. You'll be safer with us—with me." He cradles one of your hands in his.

"You're real sincere, anybody ever tell you that?" You say to him jokingly.

"Yes? Just one of my many talents I suppose. Does that mean you'll join us?"

His brown eyes peer so deeply into yours. You wonder if he feels just as hopeless looking at you as you do looking at him. You lean in to kiss him once more, its just as delicate as the air feels between you two.

"Yes, I will." You say against his lips.

You feel him smile as he reaches around your waist to pull you on top of him. You squeal embarrassingly but it's covered up by another kiss, this one not so brisk.

Arthur

Arthur had always been the protective type when it came to people who he loved. It didn't matter that you could take care of yourself or even that you wanted to take care of yourself. It was natural for him to make sure you're safe; if anything was to happen to you he was sure he'd go insane.

You joined the group around the same time as Javier, the both of you bonded over your status as a newcomer and eventually your fondness for Arthur. He was stubborn and mean as a rabid dog sometimes, but there was something special—not so harsh behind those bright blue eyes.

You took a while to fess up about your feelings towards him. In the end it was you first and him following the next day, admitting to you that he felt the same way like a man admitting to a crime he'd be hung for. You'd been polishing your gun then and had the malevolent instinct to point that gun right between those blue eyes that made you so weak. It made you furious that he'd let you feel like a food for a whole night before telling you. Instead though, you dropped your gun on the wooden table where you sat at and rushed over to kiss him. Feverishly like you we're dying for it. He blushed of course, soothing you with a firm hand at you waist.

"Hey girl, calm down." He'd said with that rough chuckle of his. It was absolutely sickening how gone you were for him.

Now you were both stuck in Valentine with your guns drawn and bullets flying faster than you've ever seen. it'd started in the saloon, like things like this usually do. You decided to have a drink together and play like a normal couple for a bit. It was sweet, you with your leg tangled up against his under the bar and the way you leaned against him to let out a drunk giggle at just about everything he said, funny or not.

I'd all come to a screeching halt when Tilly came in looking terribly distressed as her eyes searched for you and Arthur. You stood up at seeing your friend like that, rushing over to her with your man not far behind.

"Tilly what is it?" You asked her looking lover her quickly to see of she was harmed.

"It's these men we was trying to rob, me and Karen. They caught on and tried to grab us both right near the general store, I got away but," She took a breath as you held her shoulder, "Karen's still with them."

You'd been angry since the moment you saw Tilly walk in with her cheeks tear-stained, but now that you knew another member of the gang was in danger you were furious.

"You stay here with him, I'll take care of this alright?" You say to her and then you're rushing off again. You pull your rifle in hand right then.

"Hey hey, wait up." Arthur says pulling your arm. You're first reaction is to tug it away from his grip, which doesn't work he only holds on tighter. "Now I ain't lettin' you go on your own," He says and you can tell that's final, you simply roll your eyes. "Tilly why don't you head back to camp, you move fast and don't make any stops. Go on and leave right after us." She nods.

"Be safe." She says to both of you, wiping a bruised cheek.

You both walk together at a quick pace but silently. He knows that you're mad at him and doesn't push it for now.

"There." You say pointing to the struggling blonde. They hadn't got very far at all with all of Karen's kicking and scratching. They seemed to have just gotten her arms tied up as she lay over one of their horses.

"Hey you sons of bitches!" You yelled as you broke into a run, "Let her go!"

They both turn to you, the shorter one of the two grabbing Karen by her tied hands and holding her in front of him as a shield. They're both grimy-looking with these snarky grins and matching blue eyes that made you feel sick as they peered into you.

"Can we help you lady?" The taller one says, a calm hand tapping against his sidearm. This was meant to intimidate you but it did nothing of the sort. You knew you could take down both of these men blindfolded and drunk in one second if it came to that.

"Alright, fun's over, let go of they lady and we'll let you on your way." Arthur said standing a bit between you and the two men. This didn't stop you from shooting daggers at them with your eyes.

"Now partner, you can't possibly expect us to let 'er off this easy after she stole from us?" The shorter one grunts. Karen stops her struggling and simply looks to you.

"We were just plannin' to teach her a lesson." The other comments with a chuckle in his voice, like this whole thing was a game to him. You couldn't take anymore of this.

"You let her go or I'll have your head splattered all across this town. Both of you." You move in front of Arthur, bumping his shoulder pretty harsh as you did. You reached for Karen but was stopped by cold metal against your side.

"Hey, get ahold of your woman 'for somethin' bad happens to her."

It's real tense all of the sudden, even more so than it was before. You stayed calm though, unfortunately quite used to having guns aimed at you. Before Arthur could make his move you were using the heel of your rifle to hit the man across his temple with all the strength you could muster.

Red splattered across the dirt as he fell unconscious. Almost simultaneously the other fell right next to him in a worse condition, a bullet just like you'd promised.

You wasted no time aiming at the other once more. You never left a jobs unfinished or a man still breathing.

"Go to hell." You whispered just to him before pulling the trigger.

"C'mon." Arthur said with a shake of his head in that low voice he used when he was pissed off at you. You couldn't help but smile at it. He was going straight towards his horse that you'd both arrived here on only an hour ago. You were sad to have tour date cut short but you had mere seconds before the law was onto you.

"Thank you both, I would've died having to listen to those two idiots bickering any longer."

You gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, telling her that it was your pleasure before catching up with Arthur.

"You grumpy man, ain't you gotten used to me yet?" You said as he helped you up on his mare. Even when he was disappointed with you, which happened much too often with you attitude, he never failed to be a gentleman. Not that he would ever admit that.

"And you ain't gotten tired of almost losing your damn life? I could've handled that" He scolds you. You lean against his back as you two make your way back to camp as a silent apology, though you plan to make it up to him later in private.

Charles

Charles was intrigued by you the moment you were brought into camp. When he first laid eyes on you your skirt all torn and frayed at the hem with Dutch carrying you over his shoulder like a misbehaved child. It wasn't too common to see newcomers being pulled in like this; a fresh face in camp met with tons of questions—especially a pretty one.

What was surprising to everyone was Charles' blatant interest in you. He asked just about everyone who you were and where you'd come from. At first it was just written off as him being overly concerned about a stranger at camp but the women quickly caught on to that glimmer in his eye when you were mentioned.

Dutch had found you attempting to hold up the same bank that he and a few others were at planning on doing the same. You'd looked so unassuming; just a harmless little thing waiting to retrieve her mail. No one gave you a second thought until you were threatening to put bullets into the skulls of anyone who so much as thought of moving.

Dutch and his boys had no choice but to comply until you were done emptying out the stash, silencing the brave bank teller who had the valour to attempt taking you out and two civilians with loud mouths within a second. Three bullets, none of them missing. After you left the boys came after you, Dutch hitting you over the head and tying you up before the law had to chance to.

"She fought like hell," Micah said talking a seat near where Charles was standing. Charles didn't much enjoy his company but tolerated it from time to time. "Nearly shot me right between the eyes, the bitch. Would have if Dutch hadn't knocked her out."

Charles simply hummed in response. He noted the abrasion right above his left eye that was still spotted with dried blood.

"I'll be glad to see someone put her down soon. Can't believe we let a woman get over on us." He continued.

You were dragged behind the wagon by Dutch where no one could see. It like that for a short while before Dutch was seen again, walking out with a proud grin on his face heading towards Charles and Micah.

Even with only having known of your existence for a few minutes Charles was desperate to find out what happened to you. Were you killed? There was no gunshot—maybe strangled?

When Dutch approached he nodded to both of you. "Charles, my boy, I'm sure you're well aware of our visitor? I trust I can ask you a favor and that you'll get it done well. She's tied up behind that wagon over yonder, get her clean, fresh clothes and something to eat. She'll be here a while."

Micah didn't hide his distaste, "She'll be staying a while? That bitch that almost killed me? If anything I should handle this, I'll scare her up real good." There was a fire in his eyes that Charles didn't like, he was out for revenge.

When Micah started to stand he pushed him back down with a firm hand at his shoulder, "If he wanted her terrorized he would've asked you." The man's dark blue eyes were shooting daggers at Charles, but he kept himself in place for his own sake. They'd had issues before and they hadn't ended well for him.

"Truly exceptional, my boy," Dutch commented, "I see value in this girl, she's dangerous and we need danger on our side during these faithless times. In all my years I've ever seen a woman handle a gun like that." He says handing over a handgun. It was sliver with floral carvings at the handle along with an engraved rabbit.

Micah scoffed but didn't protest. Just then there was a loud crash coming right from where you'd been left.

"I do suppose that that is your cue." Dutch said, taking his leave to his tent.

Charles was right behind him, heading towards you where you'd managed to knock down a few things from the wagon with your struggling. Nothing too important, just a crate of canned foods that were now surrounding you.

This didn't stop you from tugging at your restraints like your life depended on it—it just might.

When Charles approached you the first thing you noticed was your gun in his hand. After that, it was the long haired man holding it. He was taller than the rest of the men who'd helped in taking you hostage. Broad shoulders and a muscular figure hidden behind his loose fitting shirt.

"Hey my gun! You got it back for me." You said excitedly.

"Yeah, just as long as you don't try anything with it. I'm hoping I won't regret it." He seemed sweet enough.

You smiled to him when he handed you your gun. You used one hand to take your gun and the other to shake his hand right after. He was taken aback by your touch but still shook your hand anyways. You thought childishly that your hands fit together really nicely.

"Well, I ain't really got any reason to shoot you. I just met you, i'm civil enough," You said, " I don't even know your name yet." You knew in your conscience that you had no business wanting to know this mans name, any of the men infact. They had all played a part in your capturing and unlawful imprisonment here.

"It's Charles, and Civil?" Charles said with an easy smirk on his face. You thought of how good it felt to make him smile.

"Of course! About as civil as they come these days. I hope you aren't attempting to dishonor a lady, Charles." You say patting his leg.

"Robbing a bank and shooting three people is civil?"

"Nowadays. . ." You say honestly. It was about the only way for someone like you to get by, other than selling yourself in town.

"I guess so. . . I can't say much since my friends were in there looking to do the same. They say you're really good with a firearm." Charles says.

"Who said? The blonde one? I should've shot him where he stood when I had the chance—the bastard." You remember the way he'd grabbed you right when you left the bank. You were sure you had a bruise on your arm from it. Though, you'd certainly left him worse off.

"Micah. . . yeah he's something." The man says not sounding too offended at how you'd blatantly insulted his gang mate.

"Is that what y'all call degenerates 'round here?" You said with a laugh. You could tell Charles somewhat agreed. You weren't sure too what extent with his whole 'impassive observer' thing he had going on. "I need to keep one eye open if i'm gonna be here a while if he's just wandering around. We didn't really have great first impressions."

The man nodded, "You emasculated him. He's frightened of you."

You smiled, a smile too sweet to be owned by who Charles had been told was a murderer. "He should be. He's real lucky to be alive." There's a brief pause where you think over your next words but eventually you decide that you have nothing left to lose. "You seem different than the rest of them."

Charles seems surprised by your observation. It was obvious to you though, he had a calm air around him that was refreshing after being manhandled by the rest of the gang up until you found yourself here on the ground. Of course, you didn't know Charles very well. All that you knew at this point was his first name and how remarkably handsome he was.

"We have our differences, as does anyone with such a large group like ours. You'll fit in well." He says.

You raise an eyebrow at him, "What makes you think I'll be staying?" You ask him.

"Dutch plans to keep your around, but I'm sure if you really want to get out of here you could ." He shrugs.

It's getting late, you feel the slight chill of the night creeping in and you envy the girls you see sitting out by their tents. It really was a fine set-up. With a cook and women to do chores. They obviously had their fair share of muscle, even a few men you hadn't met yet. Still it hurt your pride to think of submitting to a place like this.

"You seem impartial. You wouldn't miss me Charles?" You teased.

He looked away flustered at your words. "One of the worst things you can do is keep something wild in captivity."

You searched his face for something more, a hint to what he was thinking, but there was none. You yawned, stretching our your bound legs as much as you could.

"I'm pretty tired, maybe I could think it over tonight?" You suggested. If by the morning you decided this spontaneous crush was nothing more and came to your senses you'd be able to get out of there before sunrise.

"We'd have to find somewhere for you to sleep." He said gesturing for your legs. You shifted closer to him, dirtying your dress even more so that he could release you. His skilled fingers worked over the knot, loosening it enough for you to kick it off.

"Thank you." You smiled

You both made your way over to a lean-to where Charles lays down a cot. You feel just as out pf place as you look but your try not to let it bother you. You wave at a few friendly faces and keep your head down at others.

"I would feel better with you sleeping near me, with your situation and all." You nod. You have your gun back, but you're exhausted and honestly you feel better with Charles right next to you.

That night you spend hours talking about each and everything that pops into your head. You find yourself more talkative than usual even though Charles is a man of very few words. He's a delightful listener. He gives these subtle nods and hums that let you know he cares about whatever you're saying. By morning you find yourselves face to face and much closer than you'd started the night before.

When he finna opens his eyes a few minutes after you theres still stars in the dark morning sky. The glow of the sun not yet risen leaves a gorgeous hue over everything beneath it. It's so peaceful, the security of camp and feeling Charles' warmth from how close you two we're laying.

You whisper, "I think I'll stay."

#rdr2 #rdr2 fanfic #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #javier escuella #javier escuella x reader #charles smith #charles smith x reader #arthur morgan imagine #javier escuella imagine #charles smith imagine #red dead redemption 2

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jimmy-dipthong · 11 months

Text

Why are anime translations so bad?

Disclaimer: I have never done any professional translation, and I don’t watch dubbed/subbed anime very often. But recently I watched a few episodes of subbed Demon Slayer at a friend’s place, and I noticed how bad some of the translations were. It reminded me of my childhood, watching subbed Ghibli movies and thinking “that english sounds weird”. As a kid I thought it was an unavoidable part of translation, but now that I can speak Japanese, I realise that we can do so much better with translations!

This post is my attempt to identify what a “bad” translation is, and hazard some guesses at what mistakes translators make that lead to these bad translations.

Examples are from Ranking of Kings, episodes 10 and 11. Screenshots taken from Crunchyroll.

What do I mean by bad?

Reason 1: They don’t sound like natural English.

If a character in an english cartoon said some of the stuff that characters in anime say in translations, it would sound very unnatural. Anime-translation english is unnatural and awkward sounding.

ダイダ様、久しぶりに街に出てみますか？ Price Daida, it’s been a while, so why don’t we go down into town?

This example sounds awkward. What’s with the random “so” in the middle of the sentence? No one in English media talks like that. If you just remove the “so” and replace it with a full stop, we get a much more natural sounding sentence.

Price Daida, it’s been a while. Why don’t we go down into town?

Or even something like this:

Price Daida, why don’t we go into town? It’s been a while since you’ve been down there.

Reason 2: They don’t fit the character.

This screenshot shows the character Kage speaking (the black blob). He has a character trait of being kind of immature and almost never using polite Japanese, even to royalty, which is very disrespectful. The original translation makes him sound so formal! Kage is supposed to sound like a 15 year old who tries way too hard to be rough and intimidating. Can you imagine someone like that saying “You may say those things”?

いやいやいや、なんかいい感じなこと言ってるけど、違うからね！ No, no, no! You may say those feel-good things, but reality is different!

It doesn’t preserve his characterisation at all. Way too formal and not juvenile enough! A better translation would be:

No, no, no! Nice motivational speech, but they’re just words!

The devil’s advocate & descriptivism

Now, I’ll preface this by saying I am a hardcore descriptivist. I’m not saying that these translations are wrong, or that the resulting English is incorrect English. What I’m saying is that they do not achieve the goals of a good translation, those goals being preserving what is being said and how it’s being said.

It could be argued that by now, anime translations have become a new dialect of English. Anime fans have come to expect the awkward-sounding phrasing, and instead might see natural English as unexpected. This is a fine rebuttal of my first point (it sounds awkward) but not of my second point (speech-pattern-based characterisation is often lost). Even then, anime translations are not exclusively for established anime fans. First time viewers may be put off by the unnatural language choices and strange turns of phrase. “Anime is cringe” they might say, and they wouldn’t be wrong. A good translation should be understandable to the entire target audience, and first time or casual viewers certainly make up a large portion of that target audience.

Why do the translations end up so bad?

They err on the side of direct translation over meaning-based translation

Often, it seems like the main nouns and verbs in the sentence get translated verbatim, and the rest of the translation is forced to bend around those. In addition, they do not consider how a similar sentiment might be phrased in english. Even if it’s a japanese way of saying something, they preserve the individual words instead of changing the whole sentence. Let’s look at the Kage example from before:

いやいやいや、なんかいい感じなこと言ってるけど、違うからね！ No, no, no! You may say those feel-good things, but reality is different!

I’ve coloured the text so you can see which pieces got translated separately. In this example, basically every word is being translated separately. Now let’s look at my example:

いやいやいや、なんかいい感じなこと言ってるけど、違うからね！ No, no, no! Nice motivational speech, but they’re just words!

I’m translating the entire middle verb phrase as one atomic piece of meaning. It’s not individually important that, for example, the specific word 言ってる was used, so it’s not important that I translate it directly to the word “say”. What is important is that Kage is saying that Despa is saying some nice stuff, but it doesn’t change the facts. I have a feeling that the more you can group words together and translate them as a whole phrase, the more natural the translation ends up sounding (and the more characterisation you can preserve).

They use weird words, due to dictionary translation

Let’s look at another example:

兄上は弱者だと、どこか甘えていないか？ Aren’t they sort of spoiling Brother, just because he’s a weakling?

In this example, the word 弱者 is translated as “weakling”. “Weakling” is a pretty rare word to hear outside of anime. That’s probably the best direct translation if we’re looking at the word 弱者 out of context. However, words always appear in context. Both times the word 弱者 is used to refer to a person in this episode, it’s used to refer to disabled people (Bojji, who is deaf, and a citizen, who is both blind and deaf). The citizen is actually not physically weak, in fact he looks pretty chunky and strong, so 弱者 is not being used to refer to his physical strength, only his disability. The English word “weakling” strongly suggests physical weakness, so I don’t feel like it’s appropriate here. Instead, I feel like a more appropriate translation would be:

Do you think Brother gets special treatment, just because he’s so pathetic?

Daida is immature and heartless at this point in his character. He has contempt for both Bojji and the citizen, and sees them as weak, but he also feels pity for them. I think the word “pathetic” sums up his emotions for them much better than the word “weakling”, as well as not coming loaded with the incorrect “physical weakness” connotation.

As a side note, you may have noticed I translated the first part of the sentence differently too. That’s another example of how (in my opinion) grouping words together to translate a phrase as a whole results in a much more natural phrasing.

They try to preserve the original grammar

An important skill to have when translating is knowing which aspects of the phrase are important to preserve in translation, and which parts are not important. Word order and grammar are almost never important enough to preserve.

ダイダ様こそ、選ばれた人間。 Prince Daida, you are one who is chosen.

In this example, the past tense verb 「選ばれた/chosen」modifying the noun 「人間/person」 seems to have been determined to be important to preserve by the translator, which leads to the awkward phrasing “one who is chosen”. In reality, the minutia of the original grammar is not important to preserve - we can translate 選ばれた人間 as a set phrase rather than translating the words individually:

Prince Daida, you are one of the chosen few.

Again, we can see that the translation is improved by grouping words together and translating the phrase as a piece of atomic meaning!

Anime translation is a naturally restrictive medium

For dubs, the characters’ mouth movements need to match up. This really narrows down the possibilities of translation options. It means that sub-optimal word choices may be used, and the rhythm of speech may be forced into an odd speed in places.

For subs, although the syllables and mouth movements don’t need to match up as perfectly as they do in dubs, the subtitles still end up needing to be applied over the same moments of speech. However, often, if the given situation in the anime was to be completely reframed in English, maybe no one would have said anything at that moment. There are times when someone would say something in Japanese that you would expect someone to not say anything in english.

デスパー：弟子の悪口は許しますけど、私の悪口は許しませんよ！！カゲ：逆でしょ！！！！ Despa: You can insult my apprentice, but I won’t let you insult me! Kage: You’ve got it backwards!

In Japanese comedy, the role of ツッコミ (best translation is “the straight man”) is ubiquitous and plays the part of a laugh track - telling audiences when to laugh. In this case, Kage is playing the part of ツッコミ by pointing out that what Despa has said is the opposite of what you’d expect him to say. In this example, I feel like if this was an English cartoon, Kage wouldn’t have said anything. English speaking comedies generally expect/trust audiences to get the jokes without them being explicitly pointed out. I feel like this shows how attempting to fit subtitles to every spoken phrase can lead to slightly unnatural turns of phrase, since the translator is attempting to fit some speech into a place where there wouldn’t have been any in the first place. In my opinion, the best “translation” for the above would have been to cut the 1 second clip where Kage butts in with his line altogether.

———

Again, I should reiterate that I’m not a translator. I’m very keen to hear counter-arguments if you disagree with what I’ve said! Translations have got me really interested recently and I’m hungry for more opinions.

#langblr #japanese language #japanese #japanese grammar #learning japanese #linguistics #translation #language acquisition #language learning #language #anime #ranking of kings

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charcubed · 1 year

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I'm curious, what are the main reasons why Dean is your favorite canon bisexual in media? Love your meta and that video btw

Ooooo, anon, thank you for the kind words and for giving me an excuse to talk about my love for bisexual icon Dean Winchester <3

I'm going to be really annoying (sorry) and quote part of my meta first. It summarizes and articulates many of my thoughts on this. And then to further answer your question I'll add a bit under it!

From the very beginning, Dean Winchester has been a character tied to classic elements of American masculinity. He was introduced with a superficial veneer involving those elements, but almost immediately the early episodes provide a look at the complexity of his character underneath it. Over the years, that complexity was further explored, and he came to embody a study in things society would often have us think should be incompatible contrasts: the gruffness and grit of hunting life and its associated masculine iconography, paired with his open and deep emotional care for the world; unabashed love for classic rock, superheroes, and horror movies, as well as unabashed joy connected to TV dramas, chick flicks, and childhood favorites like Scooby-Doo; life on the road with a muscle car, but the desire for a home base with creature comforts he can make his own; motivation to always help people, but the clear longing for balance with personal domesticity and relaxation so he could save not only others but also himself.

As a whole, his character functions as an effective deconstruction of toxic masculinity and stereotypical American heroism. And while much of Dean’s most masculine traits and interests are said to come from his father’s influence, part of his journey is loving those parts of himself on their own merit not because he ever had to but because he wants to. He is not his father, and he redefines those valued parts of his identity so they are his and his alone. He also crucially learns to recognize and joyfully embody that those masculine traits were never all that he had to be, working through and overcoming shame and hesitancy along the way. The result? He’s “good with who he is.”

He and the audience are encouraged to see that there are no rules his identity and interests must subscribe to, on a micro or a macro level. The message is to disregard predetermined destiny or duty. Free will means his life is his to determine, his family can be what he makes of it and how he defines it, and what he needs and wants do not ever have to be mutually exclusive. Dean’s journey is about freedom from outwardly-imposed limitations–whether those limitations come from his father’s example and the God altering his story, or from the pervasive societal ideals and network/executive interference outside of it. Dean can and should contain multitudes, all at once.

In this way, Dean’s story is a powerfully queer narrative that acts as metacommentary. In the fullness of its execution, it is also specifically a deeply bisexual narrative.

The not-so-hidden truth is that Dean is canonically a bisexual man. His story was afforded something that’s rare for most characters and almost nonexistent for queer ones: fifteen years of lengthy, nuanced development.

[...]

Again: Dean’s identity journey is about how he can and does contain the capacity for multitudes, and it’s part of what makes him such a compelling character. He can like “this” and “that.” He can be attracted to women and men. Or, as writer Ben Edlund and director Phil Sgriccia said in a DVD commentary, Dean has “the potential for love in all places.”

I wanted to include the above verbatim because it spells out something specific: Dean's narrative is bisexual in its bones. Supernatural evolved to become a queer text, but the specific ways the show and Dean as a character evolved are very intertwined with and informed by the fact that Dean is a masculine bisexual man. SPN is a story that was not meant to be about being queer, but as it became about freedom through free will, those themes were then leveraged and emphasized in connection to queerness because of Destiel. And by the end, the free will narrative and Dean's journey as a bi man are utterly inseparable, because Dean's fight for true freedom is tied to his love for a man and their untraditional family in a way that higher forces are trying to hinder.

You cannot cut out or edit or remove Dean's bisexuality from the story, or several narratives and plot lines (not just Destiel) would at minimum be misunderstood or at maximum fall apart. And yet, simultaneously? Dean's bisexuality is also far from being the sole important thing about his character because he is written with such nuanced complexities and across so many years of material.

Of course, add onto this the overall unique situation that surrounds Supernatural as a piece of media. People talk at length about how there will never be anything like it again, including me; that's obviously true from multiple different angles and for multiple different reasons, with Destiel being prime amongst them. But a related yet distinctly significant branch of that topic is there will never be another bisexual character who is written and evolves quite like Dean.

Was Dean supposed to be bisexual from the very start, out of the mind of Kripke? Who can know for sure, but probably not. Were certain writers and members of production deliberately putting more queercoding and subtext into Dean's character/story from the very start? Who can know for sure, but potentially yes, and certainly the answer becomes unarguably definitely yes the farther you get into the show. That's part of my love and passion for him too, because all of that is deeply unique and incredibly cool.

Dean's bisexuality evolved in a way that (against all odds) actually feels organic, seamless, and like it's simply a part of his character that's been there all along. The effect when you look at Supernatural as a whole body of work is that Dean's always been bi, and his expressions of and acknowledgements of that part of him ebb and flow depending on situation–which is a very relatable notion for many queer people. And as those writing the show became more committed and certain about that piece of who Dean is, so did he, in nuanced and subtle ways skillfully embedded into his story by design. It's bafflingly, impressively cohesive; gives him an incredibly realistic feel; matches his overall character growth; and rings true to his demographic, age, personality, and experiences.

Dean and his story and the situation(s) surrounding both are simply incomparable, and that will be true forever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

...also. Well. I simply love him, y'know? For even more reasons unconnected to this. How can you not, right? :')

Thank you for asking, and thanks for reading this bi Dean manifesto!

Putting my video that you mentioned here for anyone who's not watched it:

youtube

My new magnum opus, please stream, etc.

(or watch on Tumblr here)

#bisexual dean winchester #dean is bi #bi dean meta #bi dean winchester #dean winchester is bi #supernatural #spn meta #char writes things #God I LOOOOOVE HIIIIMMMM #dean #anonymous #yes I used like 5 dean is bi tags. I'm valid. leave me alone

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paranormeow7 · 1 month

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Had a whole essay post on the change in public opinion on the kister document, and how even if the initial doc had plenty of issues (I agree there is transphobia/unnecessary screenshots/its messy) it doesn’t change the fact that it does still show dangerous behavior from Alex/the hurt caused to the victims is still very real (I should know. I’ve spoken to them and many friends of mine who were groomed, who said Alex’s behavior mirrored their abuser’s) but scrolling past posts that almost say verbatim how our “mindset of always believing victims is going to get a real victim to kill themselves” or some shit is actively rotting my brain.

Alex threatened suicide multiple times, as outlined in the doc, which is terrible behavior. The fact that she hasn’t done it already means she likely isn’t going to this time, so please get y’all’s brains fixed and realize that literally saying that believing victims is the problem is a batshit insane thing to say.

If somehow every single one of the like 8 people who came out with bad experiences with this guy lied about everything and every single screenshot is doctored and Alex is the real victim and all of his ex friends and fans want them dead, then great, i was wrong, a lot of us were wrong, and we all owe Alex a huge apology. But the truth is, those situations are incredibly rare and it’s fucking WEIRD how everyone ALWAYS jumps to that insane conclusion every time a victim isn’t perfect (or even bad. victims are allowed to be bad and still be victims). honestly, my opinion is that until more information comes out on both sides, we should all shut the fuck up and stop jumping to conclusions. It’s weird as fuck to go speculating into the lives of these random people you do not know.

This post has some incredible points about some of the issues in the document.

https://www.tumblr.com/scrollypoly/745144076107759617/okay-trying-this-again-i-finished-reading-that

Tw for victim blaming under the cut, so you guys know that I’m not lying about the batshit stuff people are saying, too. Do not try to find or attack the OPs of these posts. If you do that, you suck.

(PS: has anyone considered the likelihood that the reason the doc was so messy is because the victims were upset and angry over their treatment? And how minors, which a lot of people affected by him were, don’t tend to be the clearest or most perfect at sharing information? Emotions do not excuse bad behavior, but it is an explanation that I don’t think anyone really thought about. Even if the people Alex hurt were/acted shitty, it doesn’t mean Alex wasn’t also shitty.)

#actual sugar post #delete later #rant #blabbering #long post #ish #rambles #izzy.txt #Alex kister

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zsakuva · 1 month

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How do you come up with so many intricate plots and characters? They seem so… human? I’m very surprised you don’t read much! I guess what I’m asking is, what’s your creative process? Do you take inspiration from aspects of yourself, or is it more of a form of escapism? When you write your plots, do you imagine yourself as the character, the audience, or both?

Another thing that truly amazes me and makes your channel stand out a lot is the way you give the listener a voice. It feels like each listener is so different and unique, and *actually* interacts with the character. It also feels like you’re never spoon feeding us information? All the questions do get answered, but it’s different style imo. Usually, in most ASMR RPs I’ve heard, the speaker will repeat what you said verbatim, (eg. “You think XXX?”, or “You want me to XXX?”), and the frequency at which these types of phrases are used makes it *seem* like a RP. Of course, it’s a challenging medium - the audience needs to know whats going on somehow, but you manage to achieve the same in a much more subtle way. It makes me wonder how long you spend planning out your content haha.

Final question, do you prefer to type or handwrite your plans, scripts, etc? I’ve always preferred planning on paper, even though it’s a bit impractical haha. Also, would you mind showing us your handwriting? I think it says a lot about a person! There’s the stereotype that people usually have a certain handwriting that corresponds to their major/occupation, and if I remember correctly, I think you studied film? I’m just curious hehe. No pressure, of course!

Sorry for sending you an essay, I hope you have a restful and comfy Friday!

Thank you!

Honestly, I don't know how I do it myself considering my memory is absolute shit! Though I don't read much, I learn about characters through other mediums such as television shows and movies. I'll try and break this down for ease of reading!

~My Creative Process~

When making a character or series, it all depends on where my initial inspiration began. For example, with Niall, I wanted to create an M4M series exploring a character who carries trauma of being forcibly outed, betrayed by someone he confided in, and how those events affected him through his adult life. The core of Niall's story was confronting fears that manifested due to the Listener's actions in school, and finding that there was a way to heal, albeit slowly, and a hope to love despite external animosity. Niall exists because I wanted to tell a particular story.

With Zaros, he first came about because of The Noble Trials plot. I knew that he would be different from other characters, so I'm using this series as a means of testing my skill with a new editing style, story format, and new world setting. Although it's more work, I have the most fun with The Noble Trials and making its lore (though I'm always a sucker for that)!

I go into creating characters with the belief that they are all extremely flawed. Whether that be by nature or nurture, there will inevitably be some slew of events in their pasts that shaped the way they act in the current timeline. This also extends to the Listeners so they aren't rigid, boring, and an empty shell. Characters can clash, but they can also change with and for each other. A good example is Isaac's story. He was scarred by his past, and was willing to confine Pickle in the house if it meant not losing someone he cared for again. Pickle was also scarred with abandonment and instability, wondering if they would ever find a home. Isaac gave them a place to belong, and Pickle gave him consolation and courage to face the unknown.

When I write, the character's actions must reflect the backstory in which they were crafted, so I always need to dive into their heads.

~Listener Dialogue~

This requires much more thought to make interactions seem authentic, but there's a fine line between repeating words verbatim and not alluding to any sort of context. I dislike repeating the Listener's words so I try to indirectly insinuate what they were saying whenever possible. If I can do so with SFX alone, that's a bonus! But when scenes contain heavy dialogue, it can be difficult to get the message across without being heavy-handed with repetition, unless that's the purpose of a specific moment.

~Handwriting vs Typing~

I always handwrite my outlines! On some occasions, I can start and finish a script without the help of one, but my workflow tends to include writing an outline of some kind, and it has to be done on paper! I feel like the ideas manifest quicker that way.

However, I always type my scripts. It's much easier to edit, share with other voice actors, and there's a level of professionalism in formatting that motivates me to write more!

Here is an example of my writing. This screenshot was part of a Twitch stream!

#zsakuva #sakuverse #audio roleplay #boyfriend audios

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darkwolf989 · 15 days

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Outside The Office Chapter Twenty Five

TW: Reader faces consequences of her self injurious actions.

I tiptoed over the metal pathway that guided people over Vox’s massive shark tanks. Part of me knew it was fully enclosed and totally safe. But the other part of me still feared falling in- the ending for that wouldn’t be pretty. Around me, screens lined the walls leading to his primary office. I stepped into the circular room.Only one chair sat smack in the middle- his.

“Welcome, welcome, reader,” Vox said as he turned his chair around. He clasped his hands together. “So glad you could make it.”

That unsettled feeling rushed through my gut. Vox knew, he had to. Otherwise what was this?

“I have something interesting to show you.” Vox said calmly as he stood up. “Com’here. Take a seat.”

I took a step back and he shook his head. I heard the metal of the door slide shut behind me.

Fuck.

“I mean, you could try to back out ,kid, but then I would have to go straight to Lucifer and Valentino and honestly, what would that get you?” Vox continued in a rather unbothered voice.

He had a point. Hesitantly, I took the proffered seat, half expecting to be strapped down like a horror movie. That didn’t happen, thankfully. Vox hit a button and all the screens but the biggest went black. Data flashed in front of me. Pulse rate. Respiration rate. Blood oxygen Level. Blood pressure. EKG chart. Temperature. Blood glucose level. Hydration level. Weight. A mix of numbers.

“See, what’s interesting about these numbers,” Vox said as his hands pressed heavily against my shoulder. “Is that they’re drastically different from just a few days ago.”

Another screen popped up. Higher numbers in some areas. Lower in the other.

I swallowed as I looked at the vital signs on the two screens. I decided at that moment that playing dumb was my best option.

“So? What am I looking at?” I asked. Even to me, my voice sounded shaky.

Vox had the nerve to chuckle. “Oh, princess, you know exactly what you’re looking at. But if we’re going to play that game, I have another video to show you. Several actually.”

Double fuck.

I watched the flash. One showed myself at the gym that morning, knelt over the garbage can. Another showed me tossing away breakfast. Another of me played quickly as I went through that morning’s routine, going to the gym, coming home, showering, Vox and I in the kitchen, talking. Me, scribbling in my notebook the day before, outlining my plan.

“You know what’s even stranger? I specifically asked you if you had eaten lunch and yet…I can’t find you doing so anywhere in the video. So either my technology is faulty, or you lied to me.” He leaned down closer, “And I promise you, my cameras aren't the issue.”

God fucking damn it.

Vox dropped the notebook into my lap. “Open in. Tell me where any why you think this little plan of yours is a good one. Come on, reader, I want to know.”

His voice was dark. Dangerous. Terrifying. This wasn’t my Vox, this was…Vox as an overlord. I swallowed. “Vox, this is the plan verbatim for new recruits, I used to do it to…”

“I know all that.” He waved his hand dismissively. “That data has been in my harddrive for years, that isn’t what I’m asking. I want to know why YOU thought it was a good idea to put YOURSELF through it, knowing that your powers are growing, knowing there is a difference- especially for you- between what you could do in heaven and hell, and probably most importantly, why you KNEW it was so terrible that you felt the need to hide it and yet, still did it anyway.”

I didn’t think I could feel any smaller. “I wanted to be stronger. I just, I knew you guys hate the way angels do things so I thought I just…”

“Would do it anyway?” He rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Kid, we despise how they act because what’s normal to you is incredibly cruel in actuality. You’re honestly lucky I paid attention because if you let this go longer, Valentino’s anger would be the least of your worries. Look how little it took to fuck up your vitals. A few days of stress induced vomiting and here we are.” His voice softened. “The question is now, how are we going to handle this? Because I won’t let you keep doing this to yourself.”

I looked at him in confusion. “Why are you asking me that? Aren't you just going to tell Valentino and Lucifer and let them handle it?”

He shrugged, “I mean, that’s an option you could choose. But I don’t think it needs to go that far, at least, not right now. So I’ll make a deal with you.”

I hesitated. “What kind of deal?”

He squeezed my shoulders. “The kind that doesn’t harm you. I need a few things if this is going to stay between us. I need you to eat. I need those vitals to improve. And I need to never, ever see you push yourself that hard ever again. You can work out in moderation, and eat healthy but you cannot break yourself time and time again. The next time it happens, I won’t be the only one who knows. Understood?”

I nodded in defeat. The crushing feeling of self loathing settled over me like a cloud of darkness. But another part of me, a very, very small part, was glad that I had been seen.

“Oh, and if your vitals don’t improve the deal is off. Lucifer will know and Valentino will know, and I’ll take you down to the hospital myself. And trust me, you won’t like what they do to you there.” His eye swirled for half a second and then he blinked. His tone lightened and he clasped one hand on my shoulder. “Let’s start with lunch, shall we?”

I glanced back at him in both disbelief and fear. “Wait a second. Let me get this straight- you’re keeping this between us? You’re not tattling on me?”

Vox shrugged. “I see no reason to make this a bigger deal than it needs to be. I sincerely don’t think any long term harm will come to you because I caught you so early. You’re not fighting me on it, you acknowledged the issue. You have to trust someone in here, sweetheart. And for whatever reason, you don’t feel yet that you can trust your boyfriend's reaction. So at the very least, trust mine.” He offered his hand and he pulled me to my feet. “Now come on, let’s get you back on the right track. I know a place that has the most amazing salads. And I have one of my employees building an appropriate, data driven workout plan that should get you where you want to be in a much healthier way.”

As I followed him out the door I wondered if this was what it felt like to have an older brother, or maybe a parent who cared enough to notice when things weren't quite right. And even moreso, who cared enough to listen and call me out on my bullshit when I backtracked. Whereas my father would have been thrilled I pushed myself that hard, Vox clearly wasn’t. But instead of the harsh punishments, he offered a compromise. He offered safety, and trust in a drastically different way than Valentino did.

Lunch alone with Vox further proved my point. True to his word, the restaurant he took me to did have the best salads, and after eating a sufficient amount, he walked me back to the apartment. Before he left, he handed me a thin file- the workout plan he promised.

“No one will be angry you’re trying to get stronger. But no one will stand for you to hurt yourself either,” he warned before embracing me in a hug. “It gets better, kid. You don’t have to be that perfect little angel ever again- you can let that go.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

Alone in the apartment, his words echoing in my mind, there was one lingering thing still bothering me. Valentino. Vox was right, I didn’t feel like I could tell him when this all began. Maybe part of me feared his punishment. No, that wasn’t what I was afraid of. I feared his rejection.

But the Vee’s were close. All it would take was one slip of a video from Vox to Valentino, or one accidental mention and all of this would come spilling out. Would his reaction be worse if he found I kept it from him longer than I already had? I decided I wouldn’t take that chance.

I stepped back into the elevator and hit the button to Valentino’s studio. I needed to do this now, while I had the nerve.

#valentino x reader #valentino x wife #the vees #valentino x you #hazbin fluff #vox x reader #valentino #hazbin hotel #the vees x reader #valentino hazbin hotel #vox hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel vox #vox #hazbin vox #voxval #vees #vox the tv demon #vox hazbin x reader

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cereal-before-milk · 2 years

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VAGINAS AND JAPAN

What would happen if in a country like Japan, which has a festivity on phallic symbols (Kanamara Matsuri), a woman decides to exhibit art whose main concept is the vagina? Maybe you already know the answer or you can imagine it or maybe not, anyway this is what happened to Megumi Igarashi, a mangaka, artist, sculptor, feminist and activist, whose mission is to free Manko.

❀ MEGUMI IGARASHI

also known by her stage name Rokudenashiko, which means good for nothing, she was born in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, on March 14, 1972. Unlike her sister, who was a perfect girl, Megumi wasn't a good student, wasn't even good at sports and wasn't a very formal girl either. Igarashi was also bullied, although she was so insensitive that didn't even realize she was being bullied. In 1990 she moved to Tokyo to study philosophy at Kokugakuin University. Shortly after graduating in 1994, she began to devote herself to manga, even winning an award from the Kodansha publishing house in 1998. Making manga made her less and less excited due to the competitiveness, but Igarashi found a refuge in experience reporting manga or of reality (taiken rupo).

In 2002 Megumi got married so she began to introduce her sexual experiences into her works. She created a manga about infidelities (something that happened in their marriage on both sides) and as the society in which she lives they only get angry with women and men are usually forgiven, but very few people in Japan managed it understand, so didn't have many sales. When discussing her sexual experiences, she realized that no female mangaka drew pussys. Megumi says that all the feminist artists' portraits of vaginas she had seen were sad and dark, showing how difficult it is to be a woman, but she wanted to show a more cheerful and colorful vision of the vagina and make it a pop icon, just like the penis in her country.

Igarashi had a complex about her own vagina, as she had never seen another one before and thought her might be abnormal. More or less there came the idea of starting to make molds and art on her vulva. At first the artist was a bit cautious, but when she started receiving a lot of negative reviews and comments like "you must be a really horny girl", she jumped at the idea of dedicating herself to making art with her manko (Japanese slang for refer to vagina).

Megumi wants women to be able to talk about their pussy freely. "Most Japanese women have been brainwashed by their parents since they were children to think that their body, especially their vagina, is obscene. Boys are allowed to talk about the penis easily, even in public, but girls are not allowed. Parents forbid it. I think it leads women to think that our sexual organs are shameful and dirty. If women had more freedom to talk about their vagina, they could ask to use a condom, discuss sexual illnesses, their problems, etc. without being embarrassed, since people feel uncomfortable just hearing man(ko), but the same doesn't happen when they hear the word penis". Verbatim words from her blog 6d745.

❀ MANKO ART

As I said before the main theme of Rokudenashiko's art is her Manko. With that idea always being the center of her artistic concept, she has designed a lot of objects from necklaces, bracelets, to cell phone covers or even a remote-controlled robot.

Within her art collection in 2011 a series was born that she calls Deco-man, which is a play on words between decoration and manko. It basically consists of making molds of her vagina, decorating them and turning them into dioramas where her vagina is subtly camouflaged, like on that golf course or on the moon.

Her star work is a 2 meter Kayak called Pussy Boat. She even cost her freedom to carry it out.

And how can we forget about Manko-chan, her beloved pop icon. A very striking figure with a funny (obviously) slightly anthropomorphic pussy shape that has a manga and a lot of merchandising such as: floats, clothes, figures of different colors, plushies, etc.

She also organizes workshops for women who are interested in learning more about their vagina. And they don't need to bring materials, since Megumi prepares everything.

❀ HOW DID SHE BECOME AN ALLEGED CRIMINAL?

In July 2014, the mangaka was arrested at her home and all her works were seized for violating Japanese law against obscenity. It all begins in 2013 when she wants to raise money through crowdfunding to carry out her star work, a Kayak (pussy boat) with which to take walks.

To all the people who contributed to the project, she sent the data of her vagina so that they could make the 3D project, but despite the fact that it was something artistic / for work, it violated the laws of obscenity, since in Japan it is forbidden to share your private parts. Obviously, Igarashi didn't think her detention was fair at all, since sharing data isn't obscene at all. "My vagina is no different from my legs or my arms," She claimed to the police. And of course it was not fair at all, since the police and the press, from a corrupt system, violated her rights and criminalized Megumi for an act that she didn't even initially have, political, vindictive and far from obscene intentions.

She spent 10 days in jail, during which time a total of 21,000 signatures were collected online to drop the charges against Megumi, and a week later she was released. But on December 3 of that same year, she was arrested again along with Minori Watanabe, a feminist writer and sex shop owner, for displaying an "obscene" object, a plaster replica of Pussy Boat, in Watanabe's store. (everything in a sex shop could be considered obscene, don't bother). On December 24, Igarashi was charged with "exhibition of obscenity", "electromagnetic obscenity recording" and "distribution of electromagnetic obscenity recording medium" and was finally released on bail on the 26th. In 2015 the trials took place to declare her guilty or not guilty.

A couple of curiosities that I have read on her Twitter is that of the 3 judges of the supreme court who handled her case over the years, all were men and in Japan there are also women in the supreme court and also that since she was bored between trial and trial looked for a part-time job.

*a part is not guilty* Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi

In 2016 she was found not guilty, because as the Kayak had such a striking decoration and color it was difficult to relate it to a pussy. She still had to pay a fine of ¥400,000 (€2,800 / $3,100) for having shared her vagina data and everything that the police had seized from her was returned and Megumi was finally able to navigate her kayak.

Had she been found guilty, she would have faced 2 years in prison and a fine of ¥2.5 million ($19,400/€18,000), a disproportionate punishment considering what she did. In 2021 Megumi Igarashi could already breathe without worry since she had her last trial (she could still have gone to jail), she paid the fine and is finally free. But not everything was a punishment for Igarashi, thanks to the fact that her case went viral and reached many parts of the world, Mike Scott, singer and guitarist of The Waterboys, became interested in her, he is currently her husband and they both had a son. So for Megumi being arrested became a kind of Tinder.

❀ WHAT IS OBSCENITY? 2016

French edition/ spanish edition

Megumi Igarashi narrates in this manga a bit of her life, everything that led her to make art with her vagina, the days she was in prison and the injustices and absurd situations she has experienced.

Obscenity is full of very interesting reflections on the female body and why it is considered obscene. Spoiler alert: because the man only sees them as a sexual object, but Rokudenashiko proves that it is just another body part. "They can be erotic, but they can also be funny, empowering or adorable."

The manga It a strong criticism of Japanese society, although it can also be applied to many others (I think the whole world shares taboos towards the vagina, maybe not in the same way, but in essence). This criticizes hypocrisy, since of course penises and vaginas are not the same, but not only in form and function but also because of how they are treated/represented in society. Megumi questions the reason for this, because the vagina is disgusting and is never portrayed, why it is talked about with disgust or even it seems as if it is forbidden to talk about it because it generates rejection and yet the same thing doesn't happen with the penis.

A couple of details that catch my attention is how the "Good for nothing" hides her anger with humor. In fact, humor is also used to cover up situations of criticism and injustice and thereby demonstrate the strength of the author, she applied the best way to laugh rather than cry. The other detail is how she never gives a conclusion. This manga that borders on the documentary, doesn't have absolute answers, only guidelines through personal experiences so that you can draw your own conclusions and be more or less on her side. She doesn't try to force you to have her same ideals.

What is Obscenity? is an excellent choice if you want to eliminate the taboos that your society has put in your head about the pussy, see the vagina with different eyes, normalize it, appreciate it much more and turn it into something pop.

Just say thank you Megumi Igarashi and FREE MANKO! <3

#feminist #feminism #Megumi igarashi #Rokudenashiko #free manko #3d art #japan #manga #manga recommendation #I love this woman so much

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