#what i mean is that i love all the various ways of conveying Perspective

[unproduciblesmackdown]

#koe no katachi #in retrospect going ''yknow you could've used another scene actually even in the film lol'' like e.g. maybe nishimiya grabbing his bike #only to remember i started w/the clip from the music video Then went oh this bit in the movie kind of matches....juxt that position #reverse engineering reverse engineering.... #what i mean is that i love all the various ways of conveying Perspective #like a close cropped shot for like. the limited info a character has in a moment; someone else seemingly manifesting; suddenly being shoved; #now it is half past 6am time to retire. i went and hopped through sections w/o ever switching to a version w/subtitles. this mf.

[pikahlua]

Wow, okay, I’ve seen a bit of the translation drama now, and I regret to say a lot of people who very clearly do not know how to speak Japanese are being extremely polarizing about some perfectly acceptable word choices in the official manga. This is precisely the sort of stuff I hoped to help minimize when I started doing my translations. It’s been a while since I had to put out a warning like this, so I’ll do it now.

Be careful about getting too married to a particular word choice in English. A lot of word choices are very much up to a translator’s discretion. Language is fluid, and Japanese lends itself particularly well to puns and wordplay.

For example (and this is a particularly good example to explain my point), let’s talk about this panel:

Re: this post

Which leads into what seems to be the crux of the matter: Toga's "love." I've noted in passing before that having her use the word "suki" to describe this love is very curious. It's just an adjective that means something is the object of your affection. It's not a specific word for love like the nouns "ai (love, but broadly)" or "koi (romantic love)" are. "Suki" is just as often translated as "like" as it is "love."

In the above panel, we have the phrase “suki na mono wo suki to iu” (which I translated as “you tell those you like that you like them.”) The word “suki” is being used as an adjective to modify “mono.” However, there is an interesting nuance that is impossible for me to convey in an English translation!

The word “mono” can mean both “(tangible) thing” and “person.” Usually we can tell the difference based on context and the use of the correct kanji. BUT THERE IS NO KANJI USED IN THE ABOVE PANEL. The effect is that what this “mono” refers to is ambiguous. Is it the “things Toga likes” or the “people Toga likes”? It’s not clear: which means that both readings are correct! In fact, the word is probably meant to include BOTH meanings. “All things or people Toga likes.”

And the reason I can’t properly translate that into English is because I have no word that refers to such a thing. In English, it’s a question of “what Toga likes” vs “whom Toga likes,” but in Japanese BOTH meanings are captured by just one phrase.

The most accurate and extremely awkward translation in English would just be “You say who and what you like.” It’s not really something a person would say naturally, especially depending on the context of the conversation surrounding the phrase.

Additionally, “suki” is a very vague word that can be translated in many ways. It gets translated into English as various words all the time. I just decided to go with “like,” but “love” or “dear” would be just as viable. Like I said, it’s kind of up to the translator’s discretion. (And think about the corollary in English. “Like” may not usually mean “love,” but if you were in high school and told someone, especially of the opposite sex, “I like you,” “like” suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.)

Anyways, the whole point of this is that I just want to caution people against jumping to conclusions about these things, especially as you encounter disagreements about such things by fans in the wild. It may be true that a translator has a particular agenda they’re trying to push that runs counter to the message of a story, but it may also be a much more honest and correct translation than you expect. And if you ever need it, I’m always happy to give my perspective on a specific translation to point out the more charitable and non-charitable interpretations, the potential ambiguities, the nitty-gritty grammar issues, etc. (to the best of my ability, of course--I am not a final arbiter on these things either, just another learner myself).

#my hero academia manga spoilers #final showdown spoilers #linguistics fun #i hope i conveyed my feelings well on this #i just think these situations and ambiguities are more fun to discuss #before people become emotionally hung up on a particular word choice #though i don't fault anyone for being passionate about a particular interpretation #this is just the kind of stuff that butters my toast #but it feels a little sour when the drama has already run out of control

[loumandiel]

After the finale i’ve seen a lot of posts both here and on twitter and reddit suggesting that we can’t trust anything we saw actually happened, and/or Armand brainwashed Louis and implanted and removed memories, and that Lestat was nothing like he was shown and nothing in this season was real. I really don’t think that’s what’s happening and how we’re meant to interpret the show for various reasons:

1) It would be bad writing. Like it would be textbook bad writing. ‘She woke up and it was all just a dream’ is often mocked and used as an example of what you should never do for a reason. Pulling the rug and saying what you earlier wrote never happened almost never works. It takes away your audience’s emotional investment, removes good scenes, creates incoherence and aimlessness in your narrative and basically renders your story meaningless. With Louis we know he’s an unreliable narrator and we’ve seen how that manifests: he emphasizes things that support the narrative he wants to convey and omits things that challenge that narrative, he wants to protect Claudia and himself, he’s uncomfortable talking about his love for Lestat, he’s a master of hypocrisy and self-deception, and trauma and the passage of time have influenced his memories. But i don’t really get an impression that he’s untrustworthy in that sense that he literally actively lies or his memories are literally false. Lestat’s version of the events will probably be rather different but that doesn’t mean neither of them is ‘wrong’. I believe that most of the events in this season need to be true so that emotional and narrative integrity is maintained. I think this show’s writers are too good to erase their own story for a twist.

2) I know that some fans dislike the decision to make Lestat more blatantly abusive and are hoping that Louis or Armand is trying make him seem worse than he was, but that doesn’t make sense to me when you consider how the abuse is portrayed in the show. You can disagree with Lestat’s characterization but the way domestic abuse itself is depicted is very careful, consistent, accurate and realistic. Lestat’s abusiveness is not some extraneous detail you can remove by cutting a couple of scenes; it’s an inherent part of his character and the whole story from the beginning. I would go as far as saying abuse if one of the most important parts of this story. If you somehow take it out it becomes a completely different relationship and different show. Again we come back to the point where it would mean undermining the whole narrative. I also think that since the writers have been portraying this subject so well they know better than to insinuate that abuse victims are lying or imagining things. The DV scene in 1.05 has been endlessly analyzed and i do think we’re going to revisit it later from a different POV because it’s edited in the way that implies that there’s more to it. But i really don’t think they’re going to pull ‘none of this ever happened!’ twist with that or any other scene depicting abuse. That would be just cheap and offensive. I think we will in later season see things from Lestat’s perspective that make him more sympathetic (for example revelation that he really loved Claudia like in the books is something i’m almost certain we’ll see) but i don’t see them erasing something that has been so central for Lestat’s characterization.

3) Portraying Louis as some kidnapped brainwashed slave for Armand is at odds with his character and the themes of the show and would also, again, be bad writing because passive characters with no agency are boring, and relationships based on pure mind control are boring as well. Louis at times comes across passive because of his depression and exhaustion caused by trauma and abuse but he’s never been without agency. One of the most compelling and realistic parts of the show’s depiction of abuse is that Louis, like many victims, seeks and stays in toxic situations and relationships by his own volition and ends up repeating the same patterns. Lestat doesn’t coerce him into anything in the literal sense. Louis chooses to get together with him, to stay with him year after year even though they’re unhappy, and to take him back after his assault. Louis is always the one literally and metaphorically locking them in his coffin. I think whatever Louis and Armand’s relationship is like it’s in some ways similar to his relationship with Lestat. I think if Armand is using his powers on Louis it’s relatively minor rather than total brainwashing and quite possibly he’s even doing it by Louis’ own request. I feel that Louis could leave that Dubai coffin house whenever he wanted and Armand or no one else would physically prevent him. But because of how his own mind works he chooses not to. He and Armand are each other’s prisoners in some way and i think that’s much more interesting than Armand just keeping him under psychic mind control.

#is this any coherent at all i'm so tired i should be sleeping #iwtv #interview with the vampire #mal watches iwtv #txt

[magicaldragons]

writing.

things i've learned throughout the years

speaking from personal experience, writing, whether it's for a fic or an original work, is a process that comes to everyone very differently. which is also why it took me a WHILE to figure out what worked for me.

you've definitely heard this one before, but: 1. do not worry about making your first draft perfect. it will seem terrible, and that's ok.

it's the most common writing advice i've always heard as well, and i always understood what it meant, logically, but it was a piece of advice that was very hard to follow.

the second i gave myself permission to suck, though – the moment i said "i'm going to write trash," is when everything started flowing so much more easily.

it helps IMMENSELY to just push ahead and write whatever comes to you in the moment. do not start searching up synonyms. (yeah, i see you) and if you hate a word or phrase, put a *** next to it and come back later. chances are, you'll change your mind after seeing it from a new perspective, or be able to come up with something to replace it with.

it's always easier to edit than write from scratch, so give yourself material you can edit.

2. write for yourself. write what you love – what you would read.

it definitely draws people in more than any formula you think works or a piece you deliberately craft for a specific audience.

3. as long as your writing is comprehensible, grammar means little in front of the emotion your work conveys

i've read so many works that have left such a profound effect on me, solely because i could feel the amount of heart the author poured into it, it's always easy to look past minor mistakes, as long as what the writer says makes sense.

4. most importantly, when you're starting on that path of developing your writing skills, don't show your work to anybody. hear me out:

i've written about seven stories (for various fandoms) that will never see the light of day – not because i dislike them, but because i now realize, i had to write them for me.

and these stories (and the evident progress in my storytelling skils across all of them) are what give me the most confidence when i doubt my skills.

you can always share your works in the future, but the first couple of times you venture out with a vision in mind, make yourself your audience, it prevents you from diluting your ideas with expectations of other people's perceptions.

+ and finally, a bonus point:

a lot of the writing process, is just discovering yourself, in various ways

i always used to hear writers say:

"my characters did this on their own" or "the story just wrote itself like this"

and i never understood, because MY characters never did anything of their volition, in fact, they refused to do what i intended for them to and it would be a struggle to write a scene sometimes

and again recently i had that same problem, where i couldn't for the life of me, figure out how to describe a character performing a particular action. i waited for days for any sort of inspiration or logic to strike me, but it wasn't working.

i surprised even myself though, when i highlighted the whole section and deleted it.

but as soon as i let go of writing that one scene the way i'd planned it, a completely new option presented itself, and writing THAT scene was so much easier.

so no. my characters never tell me what to do, but they tell me what they don't want to do, and the realization that common experiences in writing will manifest differently in different people, really made me realize that writing is something you should follow your instincts in.

technicality-wise, you will always keep learning and improving. growth never stops.

so it's important to do what feels true to you, and do it in a way that makes YOU feel comfortable, whether that includes taking risks, being spontaneous, or starting small.

that's when some of the best things are created.

#for that one anon specifically #there's no failing when it comes to passion #there are only two options: success or growth #trust in yourself & your ability to grow #because it makes me go :( when people say “i love (writing/editing/art) but i wouldn't do a very good job” #writing #creative writing #fanfic #fanfiction

[missmungoe]

Seeing as you're getting asked a lot about live action, which characters outside of Makino and Shanks are your favourite to write about? Hancock? Buggy? The Straw Hats?

All of the above! You can usually tell which characters I love to write the most by how often they show up in my fics, like when I write the Straw-Hats, it's often from Nami's perspective, because she hits that sweet spot between 'extremely intelligent character with 100 contingency plans' and 'idiot who's never too proud to go along with the other idiots' shenanigans'. I also just love writing the Straw-Hats; they add a necessary levity to the more dramatic moments in my big fics, and their scenes together are always some of my favourite to write. I've yet to do a Straw-Hat centric fic, because my interests lie with a certain captain and barmaid, but they show up a lot in my writing for a reason.

My love for Buggy and Hancock came about a bit accidentally. I first started writing the latter through my Mihawk x Hancock fics, and I found her character incredibly compelling, the way she's so driven by her feelings while at the same time giving an appearance of being completely unfeeling. She's also a great foil to Makino for that reason, who's also driven by her emotions but who has no qualms about showing it, and after Mnemosyne, I loved their friendship so much I've started including it in the other Shanties timelines. Luffy might have taught Hancock what romantic love is (or what she believes it is, anyway), but at least in my stories, the one who taught her what it means to love is Makino. You'd also think my love for Buggy came about through his canon association with Shanks, but that was Makino, too. Their combative dynamic (read: Buggy's poorly-handled crush) first started in Andromeda Unbound, but is now a Shanties staple. I also just think he's a fascinating character, having spent his childhood and career in the shadows of others, Shanks more than anyone else, and yet he's got the exact same ability to drum up loyalty that Shanks does, and Luffy. Honestly, Buggy for Pirate King.

Another character I really love to write is Roger. Outside of Peony and Silver, his only major role is in Tideswept, but he's always such a delight to write. Like Nami, he strikes that perfect balance between 'knows more than everyone else in the room' and 'unrepentant agent of chaos'. (I also can't not mention Blackbeard, my villain among villains, who I love writing for the same reason that I love writing Roger, except with an added dash of evil.)

And of course, there are the marines - Garp and Tsuru and Sengoku (and Sengoku's goat), although my favourites are the random recruits in the various navy bases and New Marineford just trying to do their jobs. The bureaucracy and administration and everyday goings-on of this giant military organisation that is so much more than the powerful figureheads at the top.

But more than anything, it's Shanks and Makino, although their lives and stories are about more than just each other, which is something I hope my writing manages to convey<3

#I sometimes get asked why I don't write about certain characters and it's not (usually) because I don't like them #I just have my favourites<3 #although there are some who I'd love to write more about - like Smoker who's getting a bigger role in Salt Vows #and to the ones who've requested more Ben: I hear ya ;)

[mtdthoughts]

I have just finished writing Chapter 7 of the fanfiction.

This time, it's in Dali's perspective, and it contains the entirety of Episode 8 in his POV.

This chapter also hurt a bit to write. But I promise, it'll get better!!

I sat inside my tent, reflecting on what just happened. Just as I uncovered the truth of what had happened that Christmas night, Migi came and interrupted us. Through a series of blunders, he must have realized that Sali was me all along and bit me out of anger, and then he ran away from me just as I was about to start our revenge against Eiji. I attempted to run after him, but after encountering the old couple downstairs, there was no way I could continue chasing him, otherwise I’d risk exposing our secret to them. I had to give up and find Migi another day.

I continued staring at the bite mark my younger brother left on me. Sure, I understood why he was angry with me. I tricked him into falling in love with a disguised version of myself, and then I ruthlessly broke his heart after he caught me talking to Eiji. But I had to do it, it was all for Mother’s sake, and for ours as well. That’s what I told myself.

Yet even though I have lived with Migi my entire life, I wasn’t quite sure what to do now. Usually, when Migi was angry with me, he would just sit or lay down sulking, and he would get better after I comforted him a bit. I was prepared to take on Migi and all of his anger, but I wasn’t expecting him to run away from me. He’s never done this before! Even though I hurt Migi’s feelings, I hoped he’d be more understanding, that we could never live normally in Origon Village while we still had a duty to fulfill to Mother.

Who was I kidding? This was how Migi’s always been, relying on his emotions rather than reason. And it’s not like I haven’t noticed how Migi has  slowly slipped away into our new lifestyle in Origon Village. How he gradually became a true member of the Sonoyama family. How he… drifted away from me and Mother.

Regardless, this was something that needed to be done, and we needed to be together to do this. I’ll make it up to him later, but right now this matter comes first.

I lay in bed alone that night with nothing but a stuffed bear next to me. It felt unusually cold without my brother by my side. I struggled to get much sleep as I continually thought about what to do and what to say to Migi.

Suddenly, out of some strange compulsion, I decided to sneak out of the house and biked to Eiji’s house. I quietly crept over to the yard where Migi fell, and there I found the shattered necklace that Migi had tried to give me earlier. I picked up all the pieces and put them in my pocket before heading home to sleep.

Over the next couple of days, I decided to wait for Migi. I hoped that he would come back after cooling down a bit, but he never did. I also tried to repair the necklace, but I just couldn’t do it. It was shattered into so many pieces that it was beyond repair.

Eventually, I couldn’t wait anymore and decided to look for Migi myself. After searching around the various hiding spots we set up in Origon Village, I concluded that he had to be hiding in someone’s house.

I turned out to be correct, as when I showed up at Akiyama’s house, Akiyama’s words and expression revealed to me that Migi was indeed here.

After sending Akiyama away to fetch me a drink, I was able to locate Migi in Akiyama’s closet. He was still angry with me, but that didn’t matter right now. I just needed him to come back.

I attempted to force the door open, demanding Migi to come out, but he stubbornly refused to budge. Then, Akiyama’s intervention only left me more frustrated as I felt my chances of recovering Migi slipping away from me. I tried to convey my message to Migi through Akiyama, telling him that I didn’t mean to hurt him, and that I did all this to fulfill our promise to Mother. This was the truth, and at this point I was close to losing control of my own emotions.

Suddenly, Akiyama grabbed hold of me, telling me that I shouldn’t have to live according to my mother’s expectations, that I should let myself be free. Huh? What are you talking about? Don’t act as if you know anything about me… about us! This was something that needed to be done to end the curse that we carried all our lives!

Then, as Akiyama was distracted by his angry sister, Migi suddenly grabbed me and threw me into the closet. Before I could say anything, Migi told me he didn’t care about revenge anymore, and then proceeded to look me in the eyes, telling me that he won’t take orders from me anymore. I was lost for words. This was a complete disaster, as what I feared most came true, yet somehow, I couldn’t stop this from happening. I could do nothing but sit inside Akiyama’s closet, now stewing in the hopelessness from my futile attempts to take back Migi.

Suddenly, Akiyama wanted to go on a bicycle ride and took Migi with him. No. I couldn’t allow this to happen. If I continued to sit and do nothing, Migi would be gone forever. At this point, our secret didn’t matter anymore. I shoved the closet doors open and ran after Migi, but it was too late. I stood outside in horror as they sped away, with Migi shouting out loud that he was free.

Why? How could Migi do this to me? I thought that we understood each other, that we were supposed to be one, that we understood each other and the loneliness we shared.

I’ve always watched over him, protected him, and I remained the “strong older brother” just for him, even holding back my own pain and my own tears. I thought that Migi would be able to understand the sacrifices I had to make for our mission, that he wouldn’t leave me because of the promise we made. But how could he abandon Mother, how could he abandon me when we were so close to breaking the curse over us?

I suppose that in the end, Migi was just a brat who just cared about himself and his own pleasure. He only clung to me for comfort, and now that I’ve hurt him once, he’s ready to discard me like some broken tool. Even though we’re brothers.

I dragged my feet over to Mother’s grave and cursed the heavens for once again for bringing me yet again more misfortune. Before, I had Mother. Before, I had Migi. Now, I had no one.

This was all Eiji’s fault.

If he hadn’t killed Mother, she would still be with us.

If he hadn’t killed Mother, Migi would still be with me.

If he hadn’t killed Mother, my life would not have been filled with suffering.

At Mother’s grave I vowed to her that I would kill Eiji to set things right. To make sure that our suffering wasn’t for nothing.

If Migi wasn’t going to help me, then so be it. I’ll avenge Mother myself. I don’t need Migi anymore. I can’t let Migi drag me down anymore.

This was my duty.

Still, avenging Mother alone as Hitori Sonoyama was easier said than done. Now, I had to do everything Migi and I did in the house by myself, such as eating both our servings of food. It was difficult, but there’s no way I could slip up now. The old couple didn’t need to know about me, and I didn’t need them.

All I had to do was remain the perfect child. That was all I needed to do.

Doing all this felt like hell, and I reflected upon my situation as I vomited again into the toilet. Stupid Migi, why aren’t you here?

No, no. Don’t blame this on Migi. He’s always been this thoughtless and dull. And stop thinking about him, I thought to myself.

Later, I sat in the bath with the old man while stewing in my thoughts. Suddenly, after learning a trick about water pressure, I realized something: perhaps it was better that Migi wasn’t here anymore. Migi was always the incompetent one, always getting into messes that let me worry about him. Without Migi, I no longer had a stupid younger brother to drag me down while carrying out our revenge. All I needed to do was erase Migi’s existence from within me, allowing me to finally fulfill my duty to Mother.

Or so I thought.

When Halloween came, I hatched up the perfect scheme to kill Eiji. He always won the costume contest every year, so I rigged the winner’s throne so that a pumpkin would fall and hit his head once he sat on it. I thought it was quite poetic: just as Mother died after hitting her head because of Eiji, Eiji would die in a similar fashion.

Everything was going well according to plan, and I thought I could finally be rid of Eiji once and for all so that I could end my unhappiness once and for all, that I could finally prove that my life had meaning.

But then, everything went wrong when Eiji refused to sit on the throne. Suddenly, the one to sit on the throne was none other than Migi! I instinctively jumped down from the tree from where I was watching and ran as fast as I could to save him. I was in an utter state of panic.

At this point, our secret didn’t matter anymore, because Migi’s life was in danger! Even though I claimed I could erase Migi from within me, I just couldn’t. There was just no way I could, because Migi was my precious twin brother. These thoughts swirled my mind as Migi’s life flashed before my eyes.

When I heard the sound of the pumpkin being smashed my heart sank, as I thought that I had just killed my brother. Memories of Migi began to flood my mind. Memories of our time living in the Sonoyama house. Memories of us at school together. Memories of Migi… smiling from ear to ear during our date at the aquarium.

I thought that our days in Origon Village were meaningless, that they were simply a means to an end in avenging Mother, but I was dead wrong. In that moment I remembered what my original duty was, what my purpose was. Everything I did was for Migi, and it wasn’t out of some arbitrary obligation, but it was because I loved him. I loved him dearly, and it was his smile that I lived for, and it was the same smile that I trampled over and ruined. I thought that I was doing all this for him, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. A river of tears streamed from my eyes as I finally realized this truth.

I looked up to face what had happened, and to my shock, it was Eiji who was hit by the pumpkin, as if he had just saved Migi.

I stared at Migi, but before I could say, do, or even think anything, Migi turned around and bolted away as Akiyama ran after him. By the time I had recovered from my shock and thought of going after Migi, it was already too late. The crowd was in complete chaos, and I had already lost him.

The Sonoyamas found me in tears, and with worried looks on their faces, they frantically asked me if I was okay.

I couldn’t say a word.

They then took me into their arms as we walked home together, though I couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened.

Once we arrived home, the old couple put me in bed to let me rest, but there was no way I could get better. Even though it was good that Migi was still alive, I couldn’t bear that I had almost killed him.

Deep down, I knew that Migi just wanted to live a normal life in Origon Village, yet in anger, desperation, and fear, I couldn’t let him have it. Instead, I dragged him around, brought him into danger, and crushed his heart, thinking that he would just get over it. I feared that Migi would drift away from me if he became a part of this town, and yet I made this happen myself with my own foolishness.

What was I thinking?

I thought I was protecting Migi, but all I did was make him cry.

How could I do these things to him?

He was all I had, and yet I pushed him away so cruelly.

It’s all my fault that Migi’s gone now, yet I couldn’t help but want him back as I muttered his name while crying, clutching the remains of the dolphin pendant that he once cherished. It was insufferable, as if I was drowning in an ocean of my own tears and loneliness.

Even if Migi hated me, I still loved him. I don’t care if he was still angry with me, I just wanted him back, to make things right with him, to see his smile again, and I would give anything for that. Without Migi, how could I possibly go on?

#migi and dali #migi to dali #fanfiction #fanfic #wip #chapter 7

[bellenthigale]

THE BEAUTY OF ART

What makes art so appealing is its ability to inspire us‚ arouse intense emotions in us‚ and change our points of view. One of its most exquisite aspects is the depth of art. Art adherents cherish each form since it has a unique beauty of its own. Due to its complexity‚ which allows us to experience a wide range of emotions and points of view‚ art is a universal language that speaks to everyone. When we are in the presence of art‚ we experience things. Strong emotions‚ such as love‚ hate‚ joy‚ or despair‚ can be evoked in us by art. It can illuminate suppressed feelings and broaden our self-awareness. It reflects our commonality as humans and has the ability to transcend both time and space. As Pablo Picasso once said‚ “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls”. Let’s not cease recognizing and respecting the beauty of art in all its forms. It serves as a reminder to recognize the beauty of life and to see the world from a fresh perspective. Thus‚ a picture might convey peace or anarchy‚ depending on the artist’s viewpoint. The lines of a sculpture or the brush strokes of an artist may transport us to a different time and place‚ allowing us to see the world through their eyes and recognize its beauty. On top of that‚ art is not limited to one media. Every form has the power to captivate and influence us‚ even though each has a unique beauty of its own. Another aspect of art’s beauty is its ability to change and expand the way we view things. It offers us a new perspective on the world and inspires us to go beyond the apparent.

These days‚ I’ve made it a routine of going to museums. I always find tranquility and a calm day when I look at various works of art at different museums. It’s also become one of my go-to methods of stress relief‚ particularly with our hectic schedules these days that leave you feeling genuinely exhausted‚ depleted‚ and forlorn after every schedule. My favorite little getaway is to visit a museum; it provides me with a sense of calm‚ relaxation‚ and some peace of mind. I really enjoy going to museums because of this‚ in addition to the fact that the artworks are breathtaking and some of it can even have deeper meanings that people can even relate to. One piece of artwork had caught my attention and it reminded me of one of our choreographies‚ which made me chuckle. The pose was the same one as in the part where Chaewon sings‚ “Boom‚ boom‚ boom 내 심장이 뛰네." in our song‚ Eve‚ Psyche‚ and the Bluebeard’s wife. I couldn’t help but take a photo of myself in the exact same pose as the artwork since it was so adorable. The “KEITH HARING Art to the Streets” exhibition at the Mori Art Museum in Japan was the last collection of museum photos I shared on Instagram‚ in the month of December. Minoru Mori‚ a real estate magnate‚ founded the contemporary art museum known as the Mori Art Museum. It is located in the Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo‚ Japan‚ a commercial and cultural mega-complex that also houses the Mori Tower. I also took a photo of a Keith Haring phrase in Japanese and translated it into Korean. The quotation from 1987'3 #20 B (Keith Haring‚ Keith Haring Journals‚ 1987) reads‚ “Art is immortal. People die. I die too. But I’m not really dying‚ ‘cause my art lives inside everyone”. Pop artist Keith Haring is a well-known figure. But what really makes him renowned are his cartoon-like illustrations and audacious use of color. It is also generally known that he writes with a great deal of lines. Art is for everybody. Art is no longer exclusive to the rich; everyone may appreciate it nowadays. Through this medium‚ people may be inspired‚ healed‚ and united. The advancement of technology and the internet has led to a rise in accessibility and inclusion‚ removing prior barriers.The beauty of art must be acknowledged and embraced since it permeates all aspect of our lives. The saying goes‚ “Art is not what you see‚ but what you make others see”. Therefore‚ we should widen our minds and eyes to the world of art and discover the artist within of us.

I just recently uploaded a new batch of museum photos to Instagram‚ have you guys seen it? This time‚ the exhibition is being presented at Pace Gallery‚ 267 Itaewon-ro‚ Hannam-dong‚ Yongsan-gu‚ Seoul‚ South Korea‚ and is entitled “Cosmic Sensibility”. This marks the first solo show by the artist‚ Kōhei Nawa‚ in Pace’s gallery in Korea’s capital‚ Cosmic Sensibility‚ will run from November 22, 2023‚ until January 20, 2024. Nawa has always been fascinated by the sensuous‚ phenomenological‚ and perceptual aspects of art. This exhibition will showcase his interest in these themes by combining paintings and sculptures from five different bodies of work‚ including his most recent Spark series. This exhibit features both recently created works from his highly acclaimed PixCell series and his never-before-seen Spark sculptures. The diverse body of work by interdisciplinary sculptor Kōhei Nawa explores the limits between artificial and natural surroundings as well as the perception of real and virtual space. He produces a broad spectrum of work in the disciplines of painting, drawing‚ sculpture‚ installation‚ and many areas of design for collaborative projects through his Kyoto-based studio‚ Sandwich. Nawa states that he believes it is his responsibility to share such a liberated vision and spectacle with society as artists are able to see society's rigid laws‚ regulations‚ and viewpoints from a more open-minded position. He hopes that his work will help society see things in a new light.

[lynxgriffin]

I've caught up to (some of) the comics I was reading of yours and OH MY GOD 600+ (666 to be exact, OOH SPOOKY) pages for paper trail with intricate lore and genuinely tear-jerking moments. Funny things, heartwrenching things, use of game mechanics proper that I could totally see in a DR chapter, and things seemed so consistently IC. Every panel was wonderful. Your use/repurposing of Ralsei and having him be but one small aspect of a larger spectrum of Asriel was INCREDIBLE. I have so many words racing in my brain and none of them come out in a way that seriously conveys how I feel after reading that. I came out of the read as if in a daze, hours past bedtime unaware of what the time even was. It was so incredibly cool to see a re-imagining of what ASRIEL (not to be confused with Asriel) would look like within your own headcanon as well. I especially liked the later pages showing your process with how you gave him the glasses outline for his markings. IT IS JUST ALL SO COOL AND THOUGHT OUT AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Genuinely beautiful storytelling. You're so multi-skilled. An absolute treat to have that storytelling accompanied by beautiful art. Loved your pose work, loved your perspectives, loved your weaving of game and comic into a tight, hmm, scarf let's call it. Thank you for making it available in PDF too as it was easier for me to read that way. I can't believe this was free. I mean just WOW. When I'm doing better I am throwing something at your kofi or other tipping platform. I feel guilty just having this and giving nothing in return.

I understand this is super spoiler heavy so you might not want to publish this ask. I just had to tell you how much I appreciate your work. Thank you for the many years spent dedicating yourself to making something for others. I'm sure it wasn't easy.

Ooooh my goodness, thank you so much for the very long and very kind message! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story so much and thought all the various elements worked well! It was so much fun to think up and work on and I'm glad you got all that back from reading it, too! It makes it all worthwhile!

Just aaaah this is such a nice thing to get in my inbox, and it keeps making me smile! Thank you so much!

#ask lynx stuff #PT ask #PT positivity #!!! To the person asking about a specific tag for post-PT talk! #I'll be using 'PT positivity' for that! Hope it helps!

[mysticalspiders]

Voyage of the Nautilus: "Mobilis In Mobili"

We aren’t in a kettle yet!”

I want to start saying this.

But this luminous globe hadn’t been turned on without good reason. 

I also want to start calling all lights “luminous globes.”

You could sense that his everyday conversation must have been packed with such vivid figures of speech as personification, symbolism, and misplaced modifiers.

Aronnax sense that this guy has a tumblr blog. 

his hands refined, tapered, and to use a word from palmistry, highly “psychic,” in other words, worthy of serving a lofty and passionate spirit

What does it mean to have psychic hands??! Is this just a very nerdy way to justify staring at the captain? (I know that its some physiognomy bullshit but I still think that calling hands psychic is hilarious). 

New theory, physiognomy was just a way for men in the 19th century to justify staring at each other without it seeming gay. 

This man was certainly the most wonderful physical specimen I had ever encountered.

Besides the hilarious queer readings of this, I love that Aronnax looks at everything through the naturalist lens. Something something unique perspective of the narrator. 

Is “physical specimen” going to be the “manhood” of 20,000 leagues? 

What a look—as if he could magnify objects shrinking into the distance; as if he could probe your very soul; as if he could pierce those sheets of water so opaque to our eyes and scan the deepest seas . . . !

I am already on board with shipping Aronnax and the captain ... Aronnax just casually slipping in his eyes probing the soul in between asserting that he must able to see really well, like we wouldn’t notice. 

It was a sonorous, harmonious, flexible dialect whose vowels seemed to undergo a highly varied accentuation.

What a way to describe the way someone talks? 

and finally conveyed by an expressive gesture that we were dying of hunger.

I can’t figure out what this gesture is? Is Ned rubbing hist stomach? Or like running a finger across his throat? Imaging Ned just gesticulating widely and ranting in English is hilarious. 

“Like most Flemish people, with all due respect to master.”

“On the contrary, my respect is due you. Go to it, my boy.”

Conseil is so funny and so long suffering. And Aronnax takes it all in stride! Aronnax would be so lost without Conseil!

Finally, as a last resort, I hauled out everything I could remember from my early schooldays, and I tried to narrate our adventures in Latin

The image of these three men just desperately explaining their situation in every language they can manage finally culminating in high school Latin. 

“My views are fully formed,” Ned Land shot back. “They’re rogues!”“

Oh good! And from what country?”

“Roguedom!”

I think that Jules Verne is very very good at writing dialogue?! His characters are so unique and vivid and they play off of each other so well! The dialogue has really been a highlight of the book so far. 

Why, in every country on earth, when you open your mouth, snap your jaws, smack your lips and teeth, isn’t that the world’s most understandable message?

I guess this answers my previous question. 

Among the foods we were served, I was able to identify various daintily dressed fish; but I couldn’t make up my mind about certain otherwise excellent dishes, and I couldn’t even tell whether their contents belonged to the vegetable or the animal kingdom. 

I am always looking out for the food in these various classics. And I am already intrigued by this. 

#voyage of the nautilus #nautilus liveblog

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

While thanking fans today, Harry said something to the effect of things like this do not happen to someone like him. I found this interesting because his path to success and adulation always seemed a steady part of his image and privilege. Any thoughts on what he could have meant?

I've talked about this a bit before and I'd always like to hear more about Harry's perspective on what it means. But I think you're missing a key part of the dynamics Harry's career, if you think everything that happened was a steady part of his image and privilege.

I think anyone who went on X-factor would say that, almost by definition. The whole reason artists went on X-factor is because they didn't think the music industry was for people like them. You don't take that option (with all its downsides) if you think there's another path. There are plenty of UK artists of that time who, for various reasons, did think that the music industry was for people like them (Adele, Lily Allen, Matty Healey, Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, all had really specific reasons that they would see themselves as people who could have music careers and paths forward, that were very different from the experience of 16 year old Harry from Holmes Chapel).

I think that feeling that this doesn't happen to people like him fits with the anxiety he's talked about with his career (particularly specifically around being arrested), and also the way he has been very careful to form alliances with those people who things like this can be expected to happen with.

While I'd love to hear him talk more about what it means himself, I do think it's also interesting what it suggests about him. I think he's always been very aware of and anxious about his lack of what is often called 'cultural capital' (although I'm never entirely sold on the term, but it's a good way of conveying something important about Harry) and both very motivated to and good at building it up. I would argue that what you see as steady path of image and privilege just shows how good he was at emulating someone who things like this happened to.

#I think it'd be quite strange #if he was talking about being a closeted queer artist #because the deal has always been #that these things can happen to people like you #as long as.... #But Harry thinks many things I htink are strange

[medschoolash]

(I sent that first anon, I don't feel I conveyed what I was taking issue with super well) I don't mind Daemon doing bad things or being morally grey, I LOVE morally questionable characters, and p much all of GRRM's are. It's just that there is still a line for me, and I would struggle to root for a couple that felt it was all built on a man going to serial killer lengths to possess a woman, especially as a woman myself. There'd be a difference in murdering someone for (insert various political reasons here) and walking up to a random infant and killing them, in terms of doing bad and or morally questionable things, if that makes sense? I am not at all trying to preach or argue so I hope it doesn't come across that way, I just feel like they're being blunt and there's more complex things they can do than that sort of plot, if they go that way. (I also don't like how they've made the Targaryens seem worse and Alicent seem so much more innocent compared to the book, I don't trust HBO with this family)

oh, I understood you anon no worries! I totally think it's okay to have a boundary you won't cross when it comes to bad behavior. I personally wouldn't care but I don't think there is anything wrong with people finding it unsettling that a character they want to see with their favorite romantically might become a very homicidal serial killer. I can see how something like that would sully the relationship you enjoy between two people. At the end of the day, everyone has their limits so I get it.

I'm personally hoping we get to see obsessive jealous daemon but I don't think we'll see him take it that far . I agree that there are a lot of ways they can show Daemon being morally grey and I'm sure we will see plenty of that which is another reason why I don't think they go that particular direction with him even if I think it wouldn't be pure character assassination for him if it did happen.

I'm gonna kinda disagree that they have made the Targaryens seem worse than Alicent. I don't think they've truly drawn any lines in the sand when it comes to the two families. So far the Targaryens haven't done anything horrendous. Viscerys is a weak king but he's not a horrible king. Most of his better decisions have been pretty decent. Sure Daemon ain't shit but even his foolishness is isolated to his family dynamic or war. We don't see him out there terrorizing the common folk just for the hell of it. Rhaenyra is a pretty sympathetic character most of the time even when she's being a little reckless. Alicent so far has been shown to be a pawn of her father who has been shown to be a manipulative weasel but I wouldn't say she's been completely innocent. She made the choice to keep her relationship with viscerys a secret from Rhaenyra, she could have told her. She has also willingly done her father's bidding during her marriage. She was also extremely judgemental towards Rhaenyra last episode even though I did like that she went to bat for her. Ultimately I think the only takeway about Alicent the show has firmly established is that she's a young woman trapped in the patriarchy like most high-born women and Rhaenyra and the things going on around her are slowly shaping her into the woman that she will eventually become. We have yet to see exactly what that means yet so it's almost impossible to make a judgment on whether she's good or bad. At least that's my perspective on it. I understand that book readers have a much different perspective since what we see at this point in the show is different from what was written on the pages. I can also understand not trusting HBO but I wonder if having George himself involved might help put you more at ease? I always thought book readers would like that aspect.

#HOTD asks #HOTD commentary

[septembersghost]

I had a teacher in a introductory to film mentioned that in order to enjoy a film- you need to have a “suspension of disbelief” while watching it. Reaction videos of artists on social media- posted & viewed by amateurs to professionals can be fulfilling and/or lucrative to a point. As a fan consuming music or art, you get a deeper appreciation with further knowledge. A YT making the video said he enjoyed various artists’ work but in the process didn’t need to know all the personal details…

But in SM, eventually background info is shared to “understand the context” to appreciate it even more. One poster mentioned higher traffic with content from certain fanbases- so it’s deliberately chosen. Remember TS’s “Blind for love” Gucci hoodie LWYMMD reference “Love is Blind” Eros (aka Cupid) & Psych? (Sad story). Fans react strongly a negative or positive. Flaws can be damaging- “to err is human” which is inevitable-so for a person placed on a higher plane- the fall may be “fatal.”

this is one of my favorite topics because i connect to it and find it very complex - suspension of disbelief is certainly necessary for fiction to a degree. when you're watching a group of characters traverse a magical world, or seeing people burst into song onstage, or reading a tragic romance, and so on!, you have to be able to set aside certain boundaries and logic and immerse in that world being created, which typically has its own rules and design. even when something is ostensibly set in "our" world, with recognizable features and figures and guides, there's still a blurring that happens with fiction. we're meant to suspend that to appreciate the story, and then we apply our own subjective interpretations, emotions, experiences, beliefs, to that. knowing about a writer's background can impact how one looks at a story (in positive and negative ways depending on the circumstance), but death of the author can come into play too, where one chooses to provide a meaning separate to authorial intent or background.

with something like music, this becomes more difficult, particularly when it's highly personal and/or autobiographical/diaristic. CAN you listen to any artist knowing absolutely nothing about them and still enjoy their work? absolutely! and i certainly do! but you aren't ever quite getting a whole picture, or a full expanse of what an artist is conveying. knowing details enhances the breadth of the work, and i do find that i connect more compassionately to artists who speak to me as human beings. "As a fan consuming music or art, you get a deeper appreciation with further knowledge." yes. and then you can ask, is knowing details intrusive? it's impossible to make a definitive decision on this. fans wanting to know about their favorite artists' lives and experiences is as old as art itself, and has always been an aspect of modern pop culture, most assuredly heightened and ingrained with the beginnings of hollywood and the modern music industry. it's why there's always a market for memoirs. there is so much we absorb without even intending to at times. i couldn't begin to trace how i might know a given fact about an artist because it's usually an aspect of me following along with their career - unless you disengage entirely from other media and coverage, the stories are bound to get through, and that in turn influences your perspective on what they've created. this can be very enriching - knowing the paths they've taken, the heartbreaks, the triumphs, certain loves and losses - is connective across the work, but it also makes it inextricable, since once you know...you know. it doesn't preclude us from having personal interpretations as well, these things exist simultaneously, but it does indelibly give us insight into the artists' personal experiences. i don't believe it's wrong or irresponsible to try and empathize with/understand that, or to discuss it, when it helps to humanize and bring forth meaning from the work. it can be done respectfully and using the details and truths we know from the artists themselves. it just requires a certain amount of care.

that said, social media has certainly worsened this and made it more difficult for artists to escape, and that has notable downsides. i don't believe human flaws or mistakes from someone should ever be ruinous (unless it's something actually terrible like abuses, harmful prejudices, etc, but you know what i mean). everyone is going to mess up and stumble eventually, and there's a little too much reveling in mockery sometimes rather than extensions of grace. i also feel like the pedestal is a dangerous thing, and for me personally, it's helpful and grounding to know more about the PERSON, not the idol or the icon, to feel that empathy and recognize that reality, because then the pedestal doesn't matter, it becomes a more genuine expression of connection to their work. while we still keep respectful lines in place, i do believe we can analyze, we can put pieces together, we can follow a journey and the stories being shared, we can discuss the scope of that, and we can find the human heart at the center of things, and it brings illumination and wholeness to the art itself.

#anonymous #letterbox #this discussion fascinates me tbh i could talk about it a lot

[craftystudentbouquet]

Abstract Art And I

I have always loved bright colors and movement, like dancing its healing, relaxing fulfilling and challenging as well. The bottom line is the feeling and message that I want to convey through the medium. When I paint, every attempt is to capture the feel of warmth, passion, joy and bliss in none objective or figurative composition. I enjoy experimentation of different media and subjects.

My subject varies based on my emotion and statement but my love for colors is constant. In spite of this, viewers see different forms or figures in my abstract expressions. The good thing about these expressions is the freedom of the viewers to see and appreciate the forms in their mind’s eyes, like face painting in the eye of the viewer. I The symbols and forms of this art style are reflected in my cubism, abstract images, abstract relief sculpture, seascape, drawing, pastels and watercolor painting.

People see different forms or images in abstract art, the depth of what you actually see when you look at the paintings is partly based on individual exposure and understanding of art forms, color, shapes, line and texture; which are the physical elements that combine to make up the artworks.

A selection of different dark hues, shapes and forms may give various impressions to different minds; light, airy images as mystical; balanced, temperate forms as peaceful. Uli organic forms and shape are symbolical such as colors and forms have meaning in and of themselves. It is a simple truth that you can’t give what you don’t have. I am a believer and my work time is also a meditation time, which can go either way depending on the spiritual consciousness of the creative mind.

To me, my work section is an intimate moment between I, canvas and colors. At this creative moment there is a spiritual impartation from the artist to the Art. Hence the emotional reaction to these elements even if they create no recognizable object for us to hang onto.

I enjoy the inclusion and deletion of space. The handling of space or the illusion of space is another powerful element in the artist’s mind. If you are drawn into a yard of three-dimensional space stretching beyond the framework of the painting to sculpture, you are not alone. The impression of depth, perspective, airiness, solidity, textures and other spatial relations are created and controlled to achieve a desired goal.

The overall composition or design of my painting or sculpture is created to guide the viewer’s eyes to understanding and appreciation of the images.

I must admit, most of my figurative compositions is a celebration of womanhood, which I am very proud to be part of for they are the seats of wisdom and knowledge.

I pride in the feeling and reactions of my clients and viewers to my creations. I feel blessed in many ways than words can express. The challenge sometimes is getting the composition right, or balancing the elements of color, lines and shapes while maintaining a dynamic tension and massage beneath.

Energy is the life force that is present in all good art. This is not something that is easily defined. The life force of every work I do is the same, but different energy and different statements. It is this peculiar energy that makes my works speak to you, and makes them unique, original and identifiable to me. This energy is created out of experience and self-awareness, materials and tools, but the end is more than the means in the same sense that a musical composition is so much more than a collection of notes.

You are welcome into my world of abstract wall art or modern art, relax and let your eye leisurely wander over the collection of verities of art forms and styles. Let your heart and mind react to my colors, shapes, figures and textures. Come and spoil yourself a little in the illusion of vibrant spaces, the movement of lines and the mood of blissful atmosphere.

Come, come up close and explore the intricacies of brushstrokes, spatula- strokes, paint thickness, textures and compositional details. Enjoy how the parts are woven together to form the whole.

Take your time. My artwork cannot be understood and appreciated in a ten second glance.

Allow my art to grow on you, becoming more interesting and more enjoyable to look at eBook - Epoxy Resin for Arts and Crafts

#abstract #epoxyart #epoxy resin #abstract art #abstract painting #modern art #art guide #acrylicpainting #abstract expressions

[blindbeta]

Blind / Low Vision Person’s Review of “Blind” by Rachel DeWoskin and Why Writers Should Not Underestimate the Benefits of a Sensitivity Reader

[Content warnings: spoilers for the book. Ableism. Brief mention of an accident involving eye trauma. Mentions of suicide. Stereotypes about blind people. Also this review, because I focused on the portrayal of blindness, comes across negatively. Please know that I have no hate for the author and might even read another book she wrote. However, I did not like the way this book portrayed blindness and, as difficult as it is, I wanted to be honest in my review.]

I struggled with the title, and I’m not even sure benefits is the appropriate word. What I want to convey here is not Brought to You By Big Sensitivity Reader Company vibes, but more This Book Was Not Good and It Needed a Sensitivity Reader Very Badly vibes.

Blind is about Emma Silver, a high school student who goes blind in a traumatic accident. Here is a good summary and review by a blind person. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated well. I’ll start by saying this will only be a review of the portrayal of blindness — I’ll try to leave my other opinions out just to keep things focused.

Unfortunately, focusing on just blindness means that it will not make this review more positive, because this book is about a blind girl recovering from going blind. In a way that is both inauthentic and swerves well out of the author’s lane. I say that because, as I hope will become apparent, this book consists of main character Emma being sad about being blind for the majority of the book. The book doesn’t simply have a character who goes blind. That is the main character’s entire arc.

This is a long review. However, I believe it will be invaluable for my readers and anyone who is interested in writing a blind character. Because this book passes most of my minimum standards for writing blind characters and was still lacking due to many factors, including stereotypes. I included many sub-headings so you can find specific topics easily.

Helpful Links

I include these links in the review. I’ll list them here for easy finding.

Here are two reviews of the book by blind readers: one and two.

Here is a video of the author talking about some of research she did for the book.

Here is my post Things I Want to See More Of / Less Of.

Here is my post about writing a blind character adjusting to being blind and being all sad about it when you aren’t blind yourself.

And finally, here is the post I shared that lists misconceptions about blind people.

The Author

The author, Rachel Dewoskin, is not blind. I did as much research as I could, but even if I hadn’t done so before reading the book, it was obvious she wasn’t blind herself. There are too many inaccuracies and offensive moments. This becomes a problem not because her MC was blind, but because she told a blind person’s story and used tropes in ways I think would be better off written by a blind person. If I’m going to read a story like this, I don’t want to read it from the perspective of a person who isn’t blind. When I get into the details of what went wrong, I hope you’ll see why.

Did the author do her research? Yes. The author met with blind people, clearly researched assistive technology and cane skills, and even taught herself contracted Braille. She talks a little about it in this video.

In fact, I wanted to say I am so impressed and grateful this author immersed herself in things like Braille and cane skills. None of my followers have shared that they went to a Lighthouse For the Blind or taught themselves to read Braille or spoken so passionately about why they loved it.

But sometimes research falls short. Or it is simply not enough.

That’s why I’m writing this review. For you writers writing blind characters when you aren’t blind. Because while the author clearly had good intentions, while the author clearly did her research and put in the time to learn and listen in ways I don’t think many of my followers have yet — the book was not authentic enough for me.

This book needed several sensitivity readers. If it had any, I would be surprised.

The Cover

The audiobook seems to have Braille on the cover, but I can’t tell if it is accessible or simply a picture of Braille. The cover features the word Blind in white print on a black background, with what seems to be Braille in rainbow colors that also spell out the title. I’ll reserve judgment here, since I don’t know the answer. If the Braille is tactile, then the cover is fantastic.

In the video I linked, the author seems to be holding the hardcover edition of the book with Braille on the cover. I can’t tell if the Braille is actually tactile or not.

What I Liked About the Book

I wanted to list a few things I liked about the book.

1. The main character is Jewish.

2. Emma has a large family full of well-developed characters and realistic portrayals of various ages. Everyone reacts uniquely to her blindness and I thought these characters were all used well. The scenes with Emma and her older sisters as well as the scenes with her mom were really great.

3. Emma gets therapy for her trauma. She also gets training to use a cane. These are annoyingly rare in stories.

4. As I said, the author clearly did her research. This is obvious when reading the book and In everything I found when researching the author after I finished it. I want to give the author praise here. I thought her explanations of technology Emma uses were the most accurate I have seen so far, both in books and when doing sensitivity reads.

What I Didn’t Like

I will start with this: Emma, after a year of learning to use her cane, is still using a cane inside her own house. After a year. This is not realistic, nor does it seem comfortable at all to use a cane in one’s own home. I don’t know anyone who does this and according to the other reviews, I am not the only one who was surprised by this.

Basically, this story would be okay with some inaccuracies. That’s to be expected. The real issue I had with this book was that it uses tropes the blind community generally hates and that the book is literally about !!! a character going blind and adapting. That’s the story. If you remove the blindness and the trauma, the story falls apart.

The author told a story that was not hers to tell and she did so badly.

If you are confused about why I dislike this, please read this post called Writing Blind Characters Accepting Being Blind When You Aren’t Blind Yourself.

What Did The Author Do Badly?

Trauma and Blindness

The story starts when main character, Emma, goes blind after a fireworks accident. Not only is this cliché, but it also tics one of my boxes in my Things I Want To See Less of post. This author wrote about a character going blind due to a traumatic accident. Link to the post.

In telling a story that was not hers to tell, here are some harmful things in the book:

The author does not do a good job of separating Emma’s trauma from her blindness. To be fair, this is difficult and most people don’t know to go about doing so with purpose. There are a lot of times in the book where the fact that Emma is traumatized leads to her saying a lot of terrible things about blindness and blind people that are never corrected or contradicted in the story. Again, if you are not sure why this is a problem, read the link I shared to my post.

Here are a few times this issue came up:

-Emma develops a habit of rocking, which myself and many reviewers know to attribute to trauma, but it isn’t clear if the author thinks blind people rock, as the stereotype indicates. Is Emma rocking as a trauma response or because she is blind? The book doesn’t make it clear. This is a time where authors need to be clear.

-Emma assumed she will never get a job, be kissed, get married, etc, after going blind.

-Emma yells about being ruined due to her blindness. The first two hours of the audiobook consist of Emma complaining about being blind. She mentions never being able to get a job a few times, assuming she won’t be able to work. While blind people do struggle with employment, this is due to discrimination, lack of transportation, lack of accommodations, lack of community support, and other systemic issues.

-Emma calls herself disfigured.

-Emma states she wanted to die. In another part of the book, when a background character we never met, Claire, completed suicide, Emma wonders if she was so focused on Claire because she wondered if she wanted to kill herself too.

-On the subject of the character, Claire, Emma states: “How easy would being gay be compared to being blind?”

This is especially damaging because some people are blind and gay. It also isn’t fair for Emma to compare them and the systemic issues that are faced by blind people and gay people. Emma not only trivializes homophobia, but also decides being blind is worse. For Emma, being blind is the worst thing ever, which is very isolating to read.

There are times where the fact that Emma is traumatized was not only grouped in with her blindness, but where the author used trauma to write ideas about blindness that are ultimately harmful.

This book, if readers of the blog want to read it, should be a lesson on why separating trauma from blindness is important. Whether that means making clear distinctions in the narrative itself or just not writing about a character going blind after a traumatic accident.

Let’s continue the overall things done badly.

Stereotypes and Tropes About Blind People

1. Rocking —

I have already mentioned the rocking thing above, but to reiterate here, not all blind people rock to orient themselves.

2. Touching Faces —

Emma and another blind character literally feel each other’s faces, one of the most hated tropes for blind people. In another scene, Emma feels another character’s face without asking.

3. Where Are the Audio Descriptions? —

Emma compares her life to a horror movie she couldn’t watch. This is a subtle reinforcement of the idea that blind people don’t watch films or television. The book makes no mention of audio descriptions. I suppose Emma and all the other blind characters simply don’t watch films or shows anymore.

4. Supposedly Fake Service Dogs —

Emma gets a dog that is specifically said to not be a guide dog. Emma brings this dog to restaurants and to school. Emma explains that she can get away with bringing her dog because no one wants to tell the blind kid no. This was, as you may be able to imagine, frustrating to read. Plenty of blind people have been denied access to transportation and buildings with a guide dog that is supposed to be able to travel freely. Emma’s blindness would absolutely not be a big help to her in bringing her dog places where it is not allowed. In showing Emma getting away with bringing her dog into restaurants when he is explicitly not a service dog, the author is contributing to a huge myth that prevents actual service dogs from traveling freely. Yes, this is only a book and it probably isn’t falling into the hands of someone powerful — however, it has probably been picked up by a business owner, a driver for public transport, a teacher, etc.

5. Avoiding words like see and look —

Emma avoids words like see and look. She also gets angry at her friends for using such words. At one point, Emma’s friend says something and Emma snaps, “I can’t see”. This prompts her friend to, according to Emma, never make that mistake again. Toward the end of the book, Emma is still avoiding such words.

Here is a list of misconceptions about blind people. Look at #6.

Here is another review of this book that also touches on this issue. The reviewer states: “The strange thing is that I’ve never known any blind person avoiding the use of words like “see” or “look.” Again, I’d hate for sighted people to read this book and think that blind folk all avoid words with visual associations; in fact, the only blind friends I talk to moan about sighted people avoiding the use of such visual words because they think we’ll be offended!”

6. All Blind People Are Apparently Totally Blind —

At one point in the story, Emma attends a school for the blind. Another character, who I think was Emma’s mother, says that the campus is beautiful. Emma makes this remark: “Why bother making a school for the blind beautiful? It’s lost on everyone anyway.”

Wow, Emma, that was rude. This is another example of where Emma’s pain and anger cause issues for readers. If they take this at face value, they may think that blind people don’t notice or appreciate beauty. More importantly, they might also assume, like Emma, that all blind people can’t see. As I have stated many times on this blog, most blind people have residual vision. Not everyone is totally blind. This is why, like beautiful grounds, schools for the blind also have things like stairs with high contrast.

7. Subtle Use of the Idea That People With Low Vision Should Rather Strain Themselves Than Be Blind —

This one was less obvious for me. However, once I thought about it again, I understood what I was reading in this character. There’s a rather outgoing character named Seb whose personality is very refreshing in this story. Seb attends the school for the blind with Emma. Seb has low vision.

So Seb wants to get a job. Remember how Emma was afraid she wouldn’t be able to get a job now that she is blind?

Instead of showing Seb getting a job to prove that idea wrong, he knows he has to conveniently not mention being blind when he applies, showing up in sunglasses and without a cane. The book states he worries he wouldn’t be able to fill out the application.

Here is what the book states:

[Quote] “He got hired without telling any of the guys who ran the place that he wasn’t sighted; I know because he had confided in me and Dee the week before that he wanted the job—if friend worked there and said they had an opening—but Seb was worried he wouldn’t be able to fill out the application. So he showed up one night before closing time, wearing sunglasses and not carrying a cane, and asked all casually if he could grab and application and bring it back the next day.

And he spent all night filling it and brought it back the next day. He didn’t mention that he was blind or that the application had taken six hours to finish with the help of his sighted brother.” [End quote]

Seb has no obligation to reveal any personal information to them. If he wants to fill out the application on his own time, in a way in which he feels comfortable, that is fine. However, the book implies he thought he would not be hired if they knew he was blind. Rather than talk about the employment discrimination that is such a huge problem for blind people, the book decides to skip over this. And rather than address Emma’s fear-based expectation that she will never get a job, presumably because she doesn’t think blind people can do anything, the book ignores it.

Seb getting a job, especially in this way, does absolutely nothing to assuage Emma’s fears. Or challenge any possible low expectations the readers may have.

Seb fills out the application by himself and it takes six hours. Six. Hours. His brother also helps him eventually and it still takes that long. No one I know, even with intense internalized ableism, would sit there for six hours doing something like that.

Seb should be using a magnifying device or a scanner app. There is tons of technology out there for people with low vision and the author chose to include absolutely none of it in the book. Instead, she chose to show a character struggling for six hours without exploring his reasons for doing so. Does he do this because of internalized ableism? If yes, how can the same character tell Emma the school will get rid of her “Poor Blind Kid bullshit”?

Now, in some families and some cultures, it would be more appropriate for a family member to help. However, the author tells us nothing more about Seb’s culture, his family life, or his motivations. I assume he did not ask for his brother’s help until later, because I can’t fathom why having a family member help from the start would take six hours.

Why is a character doing this in a story that is supposed to be about adjusting to blindness? Clinging to his remaining vision instead of using a few adaptive tools to make things easier on his eyes hardly makes him a good role model for Emma. Why is a character modeling independence in this specific way? In a way that tells Emma that it is better to struggle with a little vision than to be totally blind?

This is reinforced when Emma says some kids, including Seb, pass well. This is something that cannot be given nuance unless it is written by someone who experienced it. Otherwise, the story shows Emma over and over again that being blind is bad. Undesirable. Which is ableist.

Do people struggle with this? Absolutely. Did the author write it well? No.

And Here Are a Few Things That Could Have Been Done Better

In this section, I wanted to go over things I thought could have been done better. They aren’t necessarily harmful, but I wanted to mention them.

Sunglasses

The main character wears sunglasses when she goes out. This is likely because she has a scar she feels self-conscious about, but this is still a big stereotype that the author could have taken more care with.

O&M Issues

So Emma has someone come around to teach her orientation and mobility, which was nice. The author put in her research here as well. However, the instructor leaves after a time, which seems odd. Rather than work with her around her schools or other locations, he decides she has learned all the basics. I received O&M training until university.

Now Let’s Examine The Blind Characters vs Tropes

In this section, I want to go over the biggest tropes in the stories structure, the number of blind characters, and what I normally advise to get around these issues. We’ll see how this advice compares to how the book turned out.

So, the things to look out for are:

-tokenism

-blind characters going blind through trauma

-blind characters being sad about being blind

Examining Tokenism

Emma is not the only blind character. The blind characters include: Emma, Sebastian, Dee, and Annabelle. I normally say to have one other blind character at minimum. The book meets that requirement.

Examining Blind Characters Going Blind Through Trauma

I also normally suggest avoiding characters going blind through trauma, especially main characters. If the writer would like to go ahead with this, I normally suggest 2 or 3 other blind characters who didn’t go blind through trauma. With 2 as the minimum. I admit, I prefer the main character not to be the one going blind through trauma, simply because the main character has so much power in the perception of the reader.

Let us examine each character.

Emma - went blind through a traumatic fireworks accident

Sebastian- unknown

Dee - unknown

Annabelle- went blind through Retinitis Pigmentosa

On the topic of Dee and Seb, Emma does mention they may have better hearing, which she claims you only have if you lose your sight before the age of ten. We can guess that Dee and Seb both went blind in early childhood or were born blind, but we aren’t sure. What I want here is explicit confirmation that other characters didn’t go blind through accidents. We only get that with Annabelle and her RP.

Not only that, but the other blind characters are not in the novel as much. Annabelle only shows up at the end, seemingly as a way for Emma to help another recently blind person to show how she has developed. Seb and Dee are only in a few chapters, mostly as flashbacks. They don’t get much backstory or development either.

However, it fills my minimum requirements, so I’ll let it pass.

Examining Blind Characters Being Sad About Being Blind

This is literally Emma throughout the entire book. Until the last few chapters.

Annabelle has a similar, shorter arc, although she is only 9 at the time. Annabelle comes in near the end of the book.

It is normal for people to need an adjustment period, particularly if they are young. However, to have the entire book consist of Emma being sad and having trauma focused mostly on her blindness is not something I’m okay with. Especially because, as I wrote in this post, it can leave non-blind readers with a very negative impression of blindness. Again, why would I want to read about this arc from an author who isn’t blind? Why make the entire book about adjusting to blindness?

Anyway, then we have Seb and Dee.

There characters were refreshing in this story, which is mostly Emma being sad and angry.

Dee doesn’t seem to be sad, but we don’t know much about her. She does seem well adjusted and laidback. She and Seb go skiing, so that’s something.

Sebastian gets a little more attention in the story. He does tell Emma the school for the blind will knock the “BPK bullshit” or “Poor Blind Kid bullshit” right out of her. I thought it was funny. Sebastian also has a big personality and interests outside of moping about being blind. He enjoys skiing and, according to Emma, he would have no problem with presenting on the Lighthouse For the Blind in front of people who aren’t blind, unlike Emma, who struggles with calling attention to her blindness. Which I can understand, what with the awkward questions her sighted classmates give her.

However, Seb also has an issue with hiding or fighting against his low vision in some parts of the story. If Sebastian were the main character, I could understand some of the things he does. However, this does not go well at all with Emma’s arc.

Anyway, Seb and Dee don’t get nearly enough time in the book for me to feel 100% comfortable using them as exceptions.

How Would a Sensitivity Reader Help?

If I were doing a sensitivity read for this book, I would suggest including more about Seb and Dee and the school for the blind. I would have explained that the way the story sidelines them shows Emma is not okay associating with her blind friends. I would have asked for more backstory, more contrast between them and the main character, and possibly a few more blind characters Emma met at the school for the blind.

If the writer was insistent on having Emma go blind in an accident, I would have suggested reducing the time she spent depressed and shifting the focus from her blindness to her traumatic accident. I would have had the author work harder to separate the two, even if it took Emma a while to do so. I would have also suggested reducing Emma’s remarks or have them called out. For example, her comments about not being able to get a job or beautiful schools being lost on blind people. Sebastian would have been excellent in this role.

I would have worked with her to either get rid of or subvert the list of stereotypes. Most of them are easy fixes.

I would have told her blind people don’t use canes in their houses. I would have given suggestions for assistive technology for Seb to use. I would have helped her with the section on trauma and blindness, reducing or erasing a lot of the issues I included there. I would have suggested giving Emma an arc that isn’t entirely about adjusting to blindness, even if her story starts with going blind.

I probably would have seemed nicer about my feedback because the author still had opportunity to make changes.

The author could have done more research on stereotypes and cane usage, but I think there is an important lesson here about the benefits of sensitivity readers.

In the end, a sensitivity reader would have fixed most of the problems in this story, despite the amount of research the author did. Research cannot always teach you everything and that is where a sensually or authenticity reader comes in. Moreover, there is a certain respect in involving communities you are representing. In paying them in money or exposure. In listening to their voices and respecting what they say. If the author was willing to learn Braille and sit with blind people to learn about canes and technology, why did she stop at getting sensitivity readers? Why does it feel like she didn’t want to include the blind community in any meaningful way?

I hope this helps someone.

-BlindBeta

#blind person reviews a review tag #book talk ; let’s review published books #review #blind representation #blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #trauma narrative #stereotypes #blind tropes #eye trauma #ableism

[kyotakumrau]

GIGS No519 Interview 京 [Voice]

GIGS 2021 JUN released on April 27th (interview itself was done on April 6th)

The last solo interview is with Kyo. In the previous interviews, all band members from the music instrument squad all mentioned ‘simple’ in reference to Oboro. Yet how did he perceive the song and what feelings were put into the lyrics? Let’s discuss it thoroughly.

The most important thing is that I want to be able to let out honestly what I want express, what I see, what I felt or thought that one moment.

text: Yukinobu Hasegawa photos: Reishi Eguma translation: kyotaku (pls let me know if you see any mistakes!)

You can get GIGS 6月号 on Amazon Japan or HMV or CDJapan or TOWER RECORDS or other shops!

――It shows in the footage enclosed in the deluxe and first press editions of ‘Oboro’ that the songwriting for the new album started quite some time ago.

京   I was probably working on various things without thinking about a single, so I don’t really remember when was it. I’m working on songs aaaaaaaall the time (laughing). I don’t really grasp when each song was done or which one will become a single, so honestly speaking I don’t really know.

――You’re also doing sukekiyo. I have many chances to speak with sukekiyo members and they were surprised that ‘Kyo will be sending new songs ideas or melody anytime’ (laughing). Is your pace of coming up with ideas as high with DIR EN GREY?

京   On the contrary, I’m not saying much in case of DIR EN GREY. Just about ‘I’m looking forward to it’. I’m not writing songs, so upon listening to the demo of the song sent by other members I just give them my opinion like ‘how about we change it a bit like this?’ or ‘this way is good’.

――At the time you started writing songs did you already have an idea what you wanted for the next album?

京   I didn’t. Not at all, I felt I could read this and that about the album from the direction we were going from the atmosphere of the songs the members brought in earlier. In our case we often don’t have talks like ‘let’s make an album like this’. So, on the contrary I usually don’t say much about things like album image, I think we can make more irregular thing if I keep a flat position.

――So even you are looking forward to what kind of response you will have when listening to the song’s demo?

京   I am.

――Because of the spread of COVID-19 it’s hard to move around now, so how do you get input for the music, art and so on?

京   Nah, I don’t really do anything. If you ask about input... the most I do is watching various news.

――Do you feel that the things happening around you and around the world are something that drive you when you’re expressing yourself?

京   I’m sure they do. What I think when I see and feel various things, how I communicate that, it’s about that.

――The single ‘Ochita koto no aru sora’ you released last year had a digital release only thus there were no lyrics included, but fans listened to the song many times to try to understand the lyrics. As a result, I think they realized that it’s a song with a dreadful/intense message. Because lyrics include a such date as ‘㋇㏥・August the 6th’ among other things, there was a reaction also from fans around the world.

京   Frankly, I don’t check fans reactions. I don’t know what people will think after listening, but I don’t want to talk about the atomic bomb. In the end, the fighting continues, the same things keep happening again and again...like that. I think there are many issues, but there’s no right answer to them, it’s all just collisions of what we ourselves think is right and just. That’s why you can’t say that something is bad as a rule. It’s just one way of thinking, there are many ways we can look at things. For example, currently during the pandemic holding a concert is the right thing to do or not, won’t the answer and the way of thinking be different for every person? Now more than ever we got a situation when it’s very difficult to say ‘this is the way’. It’s the way I feel now seeing various things.

――Because of COVID-19 there’s a lot of hate crime against Asians in the US. It’s a crime, but the people who commit it may see it as an act of justice.

京   That’s true. There are also many other issues like the gender discrimination, in all of them Japan is seen as lagging behind. It can’t be simply denied because the situation now and in the past is different, depending on the country or culture the way people feel or think is also different. It’s a difficult issue, isn’t it?

――I think you write many lyrics that make us think about that. There’s not only grieving in ‘Ochita koto no aru sora’, there’s a positive message at the end. That really resonated with me. Do you feel like the way you express and communicate things has changed?

京   No, I don’t think anything changed.

――I’d like to talk about ‘Oboro’ now, it seems like it was a pick out of few songs. What was your impression when you listened to the original song?

京   It was like all demos felt more like the album songs than a single. It’s normal as we originally didn’t start working on them thinking about creating a single, most of the songs were intended for the album and we decided to finish one as a single. Recently we had many up-tempo singles, so I thought it would be a good idea to release a ballad, not as epic as previous ones, but a ballad that could be included on the album.

――What kind of response did you have when you listened to the original song for the first time? Talking about the lyrics, I thought that because of the pandemic it became difficult to move around, and the thoughts have turned inwards. You told me [at t an interview] some years ago that you had some traumatic events, I thought [lyrics] relate to them.

京   In terms of the worldwiev and lyrics, recently there were no lyrics directed at one person, a lot of them had a message from a very broad perspective, that’s why first thing I wanted to do was to have a narrower worldview. So when I listened to the original song and the scene emerged [in my mind], the past songs videos are very broad. This isn’t a continuation but it was a start for me to want to put something like that together. It’s not about my own trauma, it’s a narrow worldview inside a big worldview. And without using grotesque expressions, I wanted to depict various feelings like love or hatred, and wrote lyrics with that in mind.

――The past songs you mentioned were also songs that had music videos made for them at the time. I was actually watching the video and having a flashback. The pain and agony of a woman, and I dare say her feelings about her aborted baby. That’s what gives a shape [to the new song]. At the moment is your expression or the direction of what you want to bring up in your lyrics changing?

京   I don’t mean it like we all should try being positive (thinking about the future) together, but as one should think about various things, I always want to write about what we think is the right path or what is just. But as I said before, what is right varies per person. It’s something I want to write about on the next album in the future.

――In other words, like stabbing/piercing each person’s feelings?

京   Well, yes. I think I’ve been thinking like that since the last album The Insulated World, but this time I’d like to go further into that direction... I mean it’s not like I have something precise I want to convey or I want to bring up this and that. The most important thing is that I want to be able to let out honestly what I want express, what I see, what I feel or think that very moment.

――As your age and work experience accumulate, I think people’s ideas and thinking will also change. What can you think of [that has changed] in the last few years?

京   Nothing (laughing). It’s not something you know about yourself. On the contrary I want to stay without changing. To change because the world is becoming a certain way is really not like me, I was always my own type of person, so I want to continue as I am. This is something I’m saying all the time, but I hate fixed ideas, I want to be always free to express myself. But there’s not much freedom in the world nowadays. Besides the problem with COVID-19, many countries have civil wars. That’s where we learn the importance of freedom again, and I also wondered if having a lot of freedom is not justice. When you start thinking like that it messes with your head, but I want to be free just in the world of expression. I feel like this is a one right no one can take away from me.

I think the most negative thing, for fans, for the band and for me, is not being able to show our real selves at the concerts.

――Are you taking that stance now as well when you’re writing for an album?

京   Nah, I haven’t written anything yet. We’re in the early stage of pre-production, so it’s not the point where I write lyrics yet. The songs are still in the middle of being changed, so it’s like I want to see more of them. Also, most songs don’t have a melody decided for them. And what I feel and think, what I want to express, things inside of me are changing every day. I want to be able to pack as current me as possible into [the lyrics], and to put into lyrics as recent images from the songs as possible, so I haven’t decided on them yet.

――Did you write the lyrics for ‘Oboro’ just before song-writing time as well?

京   Yeah. After the length/scale of the song is mostly decided in pre-production next is a step when I’m inserting temporary lyrics and then start recording.

――You have a [recording] vocal booth at home, so did you record ‘Oboro’ deciding the vocal direction by yourself?

京   If it was different, I probably wouldn’t be singing. I don’t want to go to a studio outside (laughing).

――Do you sing creating an environment for the song’s world like getting your room all dark when recording?

京   Nah, I’m a person who doesn’t do things like that, I can do it anywhere as long as I have a vocal booth. Just, I sing when I want to sing. When using a studio from what time and until what time is decided, engineers have their schedules, so even if I’m not happy with something and want to rerecord it, it takes time to get ‘let’s listen to it’ or ‘I’m gonna organize data’. And sometimes that timing doesn’t match my own rhythm. And, there are times when I want to sing soon after waking up or want to sing when I’m anguished not being able to sleep. I value this kind of speed so I can’t record outside my house anymore.

――In ‘Oboro’, even the trembling of your throat when your voice comes out got recorded, which helps the listener to get into the song even more. What were you looking for in terms of singing?

京   It’s a bit old-fashioned, isn’t it? In the past I was singing with my emotions so my mannerism/habits would really come out hard. After that I tried to get rid of them as much as possible, and as much as possible tried singing putting emphasis on the pitch and timing. For example, when the timing of each sound in first A melody and second A melody didn’t match perfectly, I would be unhappy, but now I just sing naturally so the timing can be a bit off. I deliberately sing with the feelings that were matching the flow of the song, so I don’t record with the intention of singing perfectly.

――You absolutely prioritise the emotions?

京   That’s right. But in case of ‘Oboro’, the lyrics don’t have a worldview where the emotions get stirred up to just burst out. They are hidden inside, I thought it would be interesting to sing in a restrained way without exploding. With that point, I recorded the song with the emphasis on the flow of the song. And I think I will keep that point the same when recording the album.

――There was a time when you were thinking like drawing a blueprint with many different voice tones and the arrangement of the choruses, it was interesting for you to play tricks with them, right?

京   There was a time when I pulled that out as a part of me, but now I want to pull other parts out. Increasing the things I can pull out, if I think the approach you just described is good, I just have to drag it all out. When I listen to the album as a whole, if I think there’s not enough appeal, I’d try a more gimmicky approach. In the end I won’t be satisfied with myself. I want to keep searching for more and more new ways, not only sing the way I’ve sung before.

――You had this kind of attitude from the start. As a coupling song for the single you have a customary self-remake song. This time it’s ‘TDFF’, to listen to the original song from the past again... ah, you don’t do it. I’m shaking my head for jumping into your answer (laughing).

京   I just briefly look at the old lyrics and decide I want to keep this part, I don’t need this part and so on. To some extend in myself I’ll just extract some part and from there extend the image and add things to it.

――Is it like breathing new life into a song?

京   Nah, it’s just the 2021 version. If we redid it now it’d look like this. We wanted to keep as many good parts as possible, but there were also parts where we felt ‘here it’d have been better to go with this’, so they got changed in the current version.

――By changing the song to a newest version can you see your attitude towards the singing or your thoughts?

京   I’m always putting in the things I’m feeling at that time, so I think to an extend I can see it. But it was originally a simple song, so it was easy.  

――It was also recorded in your vocal booth at your home, right? I think I’d actually like to have a peek at you singing to see what’s it like (laughing).

京   Ah, it’s a really simple booth about the size of the phone booth. There’s a small thing working as a desk and I put my computer there, singing while sitting down and using a hand-held mic. I don’t want to use a recording standard stand mic. I want to sing as much as possible the same way I sing at concerts. But there’s no space for me to stand up so I sing sitting down (laughing). But in my case, it doesn’t matter if I’m singing standing or sitting down or sleeping (laughing).

――It doesn’t really affect your concentration.

京   I usually can finish recording one song in less than 2 hours, so I think anyone can concentrate for about 2 hours (laughing).

――The 3rd song on the single is a live track. How do you feel about performing without the audience?

京   Honestly speaking the songs that require a response [from the fans] were a bit tiring, but there was no change with the songs focusing on the worldview or the songs that just explode. Doing it naturally is about doing it naturally. I haven’t listened to that live track yet, but yeah.

――But yeah (laughing). Did you choose the song that got the most votes?

京   Nah, I’m okay with any live track. Like ‘please choose whichever you want’, I leave it to the other members or the people in the company. Concert is a raw thing (=unedited, live), I had many live tracks in the past where my voice was all messed up or where I was singing cleanly. That’s why now I don’t have anything that would make me go ‘wait, this is a bit...’. I think the me from that time is packed there so anything is fine.

――You’re soon going to have a first in a while concert with the audience on May the 6th. I think you might answer ‘not at all’, but how are you approaching it?

京   Today I was at the concert film screening event in Osaka, and we talked there about the concert. And I said there that because it’s still a month away I don’t think about it (laughing). Listen, if you were told you will be having this and that for dinner in a month, you would listen with only half an ear being ‘yeah got it’ (=you’d forget it next moment) (laughing). I start thinking about it about a week before the concert. I’m not the type of person to go ‘I’ll do my best!’, I’ll just let out my honest feelings at the time.

――During the time when you didn’t have the type of space or time that is a performance with the audience, were there any moments when you started wondering ‘what are concerts?’ and so on?

京   No, there weren’t. There were moments when I felt like I’d like to do a show, but I didn’t really think about things like ‘why are we doing concerts?’ or ‘what are concerts for me?’. It’s not like all my music activities stopped, so I didn’t have a moment to think that deeply about it. If anything, rather than us I think it’s the fans who were thinking about it.

――Because for many people concerts are something they live for. Kyo, you’re looking healthy.

京   There were times when it was very hard for me mentally, I don’t know what was the reason. Now... I’m trying not to think too much about unnecessary things. I’m trying to only think about what’s in front of me or about things I’m able to do now, I’m trying not to push myself too much. I’m trying to accept myself as I naturally am. But even then, there are still things that keep piling up, making me worry endlessly. I wish I would be able to let them erupt at concerts. I think the most negative thing, for fans, for the band and for me, is not being able to show our real selves at the concerts.

#dir en grey #kyo #京 #GIGS #interview #translation

[flightfoot]

When trying to craft a character-centric story, one that revolves around developing and exploring a character and their personal story, it can be a challenge. That challenge gets even harder if you want to introduce a decent-sized supporting cast, and a limited amount of space in which to do all of this. 

Do you:

A. Focus as much as possible on 1 or 2 characters, the main protagonists, and have most other characters exist to further their stories? It allows for the chosen characters to have the maximum amount of development, since so much screentime is devoted to the them, but leaves all the other characters to pick up their table scraps, development-wise, only existing to serve the leads.

or

B. Give all the characters separate stories and arcs, maybe not as fleshed out or long as the protagonists, but enough that you get the sense that they’re their own characters and have their own stories, that you can care about them as well. This one is favored by a lot of longer stories and series with ensemble casts. It comes with some downsides though: less screentime can be devoted to everyone’s individual journey, and while one person’s facing their inner demon, going through their conflict, the other characters’ development is put on hold. Furthermore, it can make the narrative feel disjointed, less streamlined. It works well for an adventure story, but not always as well if the work revolves around a central theme or message that the different characters’ journeys are supposed to help convey.

Reading Trials of Apollo, I realized that there’s another way to achieve some of the aims of A, with having a central theme and message conveyed through character arcs, especially while developing a singe central protagonist, while not relegating other characters to only serving that protagonist’s story - at least directly.

Have the other characters’ stories expand on some similar themes to the main protagonist’s story.

That way, the side characters can have their own stories and development while still furthering the protagonist’s character arc.

For instance, in Trials of Apollo, Apollo learns from various other character’s struggles, realizations, and development, even though those characters didn’t exist FOR him - indeed, many of them are previous protagonists who are simply developing further from the decent amount of development they already had. Not that they’re the only ones, there are some characters who debut in TOA who he learns from as well. But it helps to illustrate that while these characters have arcs that parallel and inform his, they don’t exist to serve him.

Spoilers for Trials of Apollo below the break.

Book 1: Meg... Ok Meg’s is an outlier, since she’s Apollo’s partner throughout the series, and her entire arc about coming to terms with her adopted “father” being her abuser and breaking free from him is a very close and obvious parallel of Apollo’s own arc of breaking away from Zeus.

Book 2: Lit and Calypso. Lit feels like he doesn’t deserve the second chance and kindness Apollo, Jo, etc show him, especially since he tried to murder them all. Honestly Lit’s story parallels Apollo’s mostly in how other people react to him with kindness even when he’s done nothing to deserve it, and in how he became fiercely protective of his new family as a result.

Calypso parallels a different aspect of Apollo’s journey. She’s ALSO a mortal immortal like he is, just let out of the golden cage of her island, and struggling to cope with the change. 

Book 3: Jason and Piper. Jason’s more direct, with specifically tasking Apollo with remembering what it’s like to be human, since he’s certain he’ll die. At least, he’d rather die than let Piper do so. He doesn’t WANT to die, but he makes peace with his mortality if it’s to protect his friends.

Piper’s dealing with insecurity and uncertainty, not knowing who she is or how to connect with her roots. Hera’s meddling with her love life leaves her uncertain how much of her initial attraction to Jason was real and her own choice, and with also trying to figure out what her being native american, being cherokee, means to her, she’s feeling very lost. Piper’s left wondering who she is outside of what others expect her to be, and who SHE expects herself to be - an identity crisis that Apollo becomes very familiar with.

Book 4: Frank and Reyna. Frank reclaims his destiny, setting light to his own greatest vulnerability in order to save the camp, something that should have killed him... and yet doesn’t, setting him free instead. It doesn’t make much sense from an in-universe lore perspective and seems almost hand-waved, especially with Apollo’s speculation that by willingly facing death the way he did, he took charge of his own destiny and made his own fate, which undid the whole “tying his fate to a stick of wood” thing. It makes a LOT more sense when seeing it as foreshadowing and further theme-building for Apollo’s journey, for how he had to take control of his own destiny.

Reyna’s also been dealing with other people’s expectations, especially about her love life. That she needs to or should get together with someone, that they’ll “heal her heart”. It’s something she struggled with throughout HOO as well, especially with feeling as lonely and isolated as she did and needing support. The ending of Tyrant’s Tomb had her realizing that she doesn’t need to conform to anyone else’s ideas about romance, that she can figure it out in her own time. It doesn’t reflect as directly on Apollo’s arc as some others, but it follows the same “reclaiming your destiny and being who you are regardless of other people’s expectations” theme.

Book 5: Lu. She cared for Meg, but didn’t help her escape before this point, instead just helping make her time with Nero more bearable, try to make things better where she could, like by faking Meg’s “kills” of various people Nero wanted dead. But she didn’t quite have it in her to take Meg and run, not yet, since Nero had been her benefactor for centuries at that point. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t do it - not yet. And while Apollo didn’t trust her at first, he DID understand her not standing up to a tyrant on whom she depended, since he didn’t stand up to Zeus often either. 

There’s more to these character arcs of course as well as additional characters with arcs that parallel Apollo’s own, but these are the main ones that I hope get my point across. Having other characters’ arcs parallel the main protagonist’s arc in some way so that the protagonist can learn from them or have some particular theme explored further can be a very effective way of showing character development for a wide range of people without sacrificing the main protagonist’s own development time or having those other characters’ merely serve the protagonist’s arc.

#analysis #toa analysis #trials of apollo