#which means the people it was aimed at is no longer the only audience. but that's rarely the case in regards to what I'm talking about

[na-na-namine]

Interview with director of Pretty Cure All Stars F (Yuta Tanaka) - Translated by Leontoi

I provided the link to the original translation above, but there were a few grammatical issues. I cleaned up and edited the translation below. It's a great interview and I recommend reading it after watching the movie!

-----

──The theme of the 20th anniversary movie is "What is Precure?" Why did you choose this as the theme of the movie?

I feel that because the Pretty Cure series has continued for so long, it has become extremely diverse.

Over the past 20 years, various Precures and Pretty Cure works have been created.

As a result, I think that the beginning of deciding the movie's theme was because I felt that it was no longer possible to say in one word, "What is Precure?"

For example, in terms of setting, when I started working 15 years ago, only ordinary girls could transform into Pretty Cure.

However, recently, more people with various origins, such as a mermaid and an android, are becoming Precures.

In addition to the main series for children, there is "Kibo no Chikara ~Adult PreCure '23~" which depicts the future of PreCure, and the stage play "Dancing☆Star PreCure", etc.

Derivative works aimed at adult fans who have loved the Pretty Cure series for a long time, as well as spin-off works from the main series, are now being created.

PreCure has continued to change with the times, so these may be part of that change.

However, the definition of a Pretty Cure has become vague, as to what makes someone a Pretty Cure and what doesn't.

In that case, asking this question once again might be an appropriate theme for the 20th anniversary.

Or so I thought.

──Tanaka-san, you have been involved in the production of the Pretty Cure series for over 15 years since "Yes! Pretty Cure 5" (2007).

In other words, from your point of view as one of the creators, you feel that there has been a big change in Pretty Cure, right?

This is just my personal opinion, but I feel that the creators of the early Pretty Cure series were really stoic and created anime with only the children in mind.

There were adult fans who enjoyed Pretty Cure back then, but the creators basically didn't care about them that much.

UMEZAWA Atsutoshi-san, who was the producer of the Pretty Cure series from 2009 to 2013, said this at the time.

"If we are too conscious of the adult audience, children will see right through it and feel that it is not theirs, and those who are our original target audience will turn away from Pretty Cure. In that case, it will no longer be PreCure."

I strongly sympathize with his opinion, and have been involved in the production of Pretty Cure while valuing it.

However, as the title suggests, the main target audience for "Otona Pretty Cure," are adults who used to like PreCure, and I think this work was created with their feelings in mind.

("Otona" means "adults" in Japanese.)

Although there are parts that I sympathize with,

Now that a "Pretty Cure work whose main target audience is adults" has been born, it's finally become difficult to understand what Pretty Cure is.

Going forward, I think the most important thing about the Pretty Cure series is that it was created with the children who are currently watching it in mind, but as a business, we need to consider other directions as well. That may be the situation. I also wonder what will happen to Pretty Cure in the future.

-----

About All Stars F.

-----

──This movie is an All Stars movie that features all 78 Precures from the past.

Actually, at first I wasn't planning on making an All Stars movie.

I thought it would be impossible to have all 78 people appear in the 70-minute length film, so I had an idea to divide it by different generations.

There was also an idea that only characters from three generations (Hirogaru Sky, Delicious Party, and Tropical Rouge) would appear, or they and several other Precure characters from other generations.

But, the idea of all three generations of PreCure coming together has been done so many times that I didn't think it felt fresh.

PreCure All Stars movies were made every year from 2009 to 2016.

However, with the exception of this work (PreCure All Stars F), we have only produced it for the 15th anniversary (2018) since then.

I thought, "If that's the case, it would be great if we could make it consist of the latest 9 generations of Pretty Cure series, who haven't appeared in many All Stars movies."

Considering the characters' activities in a 70-minute movie, I think that's about as long as we can manage in terms of the number of people.

However, due to various circumstances, we ended up having all of the Pretty Cure All Stars appear in this movie (lol).

──So you went through a lot of hardships.

Hahaha (lol). Planning is a living thing, so it changes over time.

──Was it difficult to get all 78 people to appear in this movie?

Oh no... there are so many people that it's impossible to treat everyone equally...

The length of the movie is about 70 minutes, so it can't be made any longer. Also, whether it's possible just because the movie time has been increased is another question. After all, the numbers are big.

That's why we decided to narrow down the number of characters who appear frequently in this movie. I wanted to show the Precures from all the different series as equally as possible, but I think it was difficult in reality.

──However, this film has recorded the highest box office revenue ever, and I feel that it has been very well received by the audience.

The theme of this movie is "What is Precure?", and the character Cure Supreme/Prim appears as an original Precure exclusive to this movie.

Cure Supreme, she embodies the antithesis of the question, "What is Precure?"

Throughout the anime series, the Precures (Precure warriors) have basically been portrayed as ``strong, cute, and cool beings.''

And Prim is a character who is interested in PreCure, seeing only one aspect of them being "strong."

However, she lacked consideration for why Precure are strong and cool, and she didn't even try to find out why they were so strong and cool.

But I think what we've been making about over the last 20 years is the ``why'' part of why Precures are so strong.

The desire they have to become who they want to be.

They stand up hand-in-hand with someone.

Due to the aforementioned, they do not give up.

...That is why Precures are so strong.

I wanted to convey that basic idea in this work as well.

──At the end of this movie, Supreme realized "Why the Precures are so strong," and the Precures extended a helping hand to her.

Actually, in this movie, I wanted to focus on promoting good and punishing evil.

My first idea for the story of this movie was that I wanted it to end with the Precures completely defeating Supreme and making her disappear.

But in the end, the Precures extended a helping hand to her, even though they had fought against her many times before.

As a creator, I felt that I was a little naive in some ways, but I have no regrets. I think we've come back to the idea that "Precures are all about reaching out to even the enemy, right?"

──In the final scene, I felt that Puka and Supreme had become true Precures.

It's not explained at all in the movie, so I don't think it's wrong to say that they became Precures, and I hope people who watch it can come up with their own interpretations.

Speaking of characters, Supreme is a god-like being from another world.

She has powers that are far from human, such as the ability to reshape the world, and she can be described as a "superior being" or "transcendence", and it can be said that she alone is a complete being.

But that's not the case with Precure, and because each of them is, in a sense, an "imperfect being", I think there is a part of them that wants to join hands with everyone and stand up for themselves.

Supreme admires the appearance of such Precures.

And she created Puka from within herself. Originally, Supreme and Puka were completely the same entity (Supreme), but they separated into two entities.

This caused a rift and change in her being.

Depending on how you look at it, you could say that she went from being perfect to being imperfect, but personally, I find her imperfections more appealing than her perfect self.

Don't you think "imperfect" means "human"?

──Lastly, I felt that the design was reminiscent of the first generation (Futari wa Pretty Cure), with Supreme's color being black and Puka's color being white.

I think so.

It's not an homage to "Futari wa PreCure," but I thought it might be a beautiful ending to the 20th anniversary movie.

This is just a matter of how the movie looks.

──Why did both of them become Precures?

I think that's the "miracle of Pretty Cure".

WASHIO Takashi-san, the founder of the PreCure series, said to me while I was making this movie, "I want you to stop portraying admiration for Precures as evil," which was also a big inspiration.

Supreme has done a lot of incredibly annoying things, including destroying and re-creating our world.

However, when asked if she is an evil being, I have a slightly different image of her than an evil being.

More than anything, she wanted to become a Precure.

I wanted to save her that feeling.

I wanted the children to look up to Precures, so I felt like I shouldn't deny Supreme's feelings.

──What is the answer that the production team gave to the question “What is Precure?”

After much discussion, one of our answers was "Connect," which is also our catchphrase, because Precures have been connecting generations and feelings for 20 years.

However, when asked "What is Precure?", I ended up saying, "I don't really understand."

It's a series that has connected many people's feelings, so I think it's impossible to sum up the answer to the question of what Pretty Cure is in one word.

There are as many different types of PreCure as there are PreCure works, and we didn't want the production side to force us to say, ``This is what PreCure is!'' or to give a narrow answer.

The idea was to ask the movie audience a question within the movie, and leave it up to them to answer the question, ``What is PreCure?''

And I think it's important to connect this to the future. Be flexible when it comes to change, while preserving what needs to be protected. I think it's important to change with the times. If we do that, more new PreCures that we can't even imagine now may be created in the future.

#there was a part 1 to the interview but it was about go princess so it's not relevant #this interview is long enough as it is already #also the movie was F*CKING AMAZING #precure #pretty cure #precure all stars f #cure supreme #cure puka #yuta tanaka #translated by someone else #edits by me

[just-late-roman-republic-things]

What I really love about Robert Morstein-Marx's work is that he'll start with an "obvious" fact like "Julius Caesar overrode Bibulus' veto to force through his laws," and then he'll investigate the context to see how well our sources actually reflect that. Like, was there actually a veto? What does "forcing through legislation" mean? Did Bibulus even have the right to veto a bill in the first place?

Which brings us to today's chapter of Julius Caesar and the Roman People: What really happened in Julius Caesar's first consulship?

Let's go in roughly chronological order:

The first triumvirate wasn't really a triumvirate. "Triumvirate" is a legal term implying a group assigned to a specific task. Caesar, Pompey and Crassus were simply allies, in the same way Cato, Bibulus and Favonius were.

Caesar first proposed a very moderate bill to the Senate. Agrarian reform was sorely needed but constantly blocked for various political reasons. Caesar drafted a revised bill that aimed to answer Cato and other senators' objections, asked for feedback in the Senate, and...Cato started filibustering. Neither Cato nor anyone else had a specific criticism; Cato was acting solely to prevent a vote taking place. Caesar may or may not have threatened to have Cato ejected from the meeting, but in any case failed to get the Senate's approval.

Caesar then proposed the bill directly to the People. Usually tribunes did this, but consuls could, too. He invited Bibulus (his co-consul and enemy) to give his side of this story, and Bibulus flatly refused, at one point telling the audience "You won't have this law in my consulship even if you all want it!" This is both insulting and illegal: since only the People could ratify laws, Bibulus was essentially telling them he - supposedly their elected representative - was going to deny their legal rights.

Caesar attempted to hold a vote. Bibulus and his allies returned to the stage and started illegally interfering with the proceedings, whereupon a crowd dragged them away, beat them up, and smashed Bibulus' symbol of office - analogous to stripping a police officer of his badge, this indicated they no longer saw him as a legitimate representative. At this point the story starts getting muddled. Suetonius, Plutarch and Cassius Dio claim Pompey brought in soldiers to intimidate the voters, but Pompey had no army at this time. It's much more likely these were veterans who'd been in the city for years, waiting for the land law to be passed, so they could retire to their farms. They would've attended primarily as voters, but Pompey may have asked his old friends to act as unofficial security, too. Why would the vote need security? Because Cato had physically attacked Caesar and another politician the last time Caesar tried to publicly promote a bill. That had led to a riot which effectively cancelled said bill. Based on the fact that Bibulus and his men could freely approach the stage, were only pulled down after trying to prevent a vote from taking place, were not seriously injured, and Pompey is quoted as saying he'll act as a "shield" in case of trouble, Morstein-Marx believes the "security" were attempting to protect the referendum, not intimidate voters or start a riot. He also notes other signs indicating the bill would be overwhelmingly popular and thus didn't need threat of force.

The Senate upheld Caesar's law. Bibulus attempted to have it struck down on claims of violence, but to no effect. Some sources claim the Senate were intimidated by Caesar's men, but remember A) Caesar and Pompey didn't have an army, and B) it was extremely rare for the Senate to overturn the Assembly's vote on a law unless mass violence had occurred, and here it hadn't.

Bibulus then attempted to invalidate all of Caesar's legislation for the rest of the year on a religious technicality. The technicality in question was so obscure no one even knew if it was valid. Bibulus hoped that by hiding in his house ("Caesar's threatening me!") and claiming Caesar couldn't pass laws while Bibulus was watching for omens, he could effectively shut down legislation indefinitely. This had never been attempted because it was transparently stupid and against the spirit of the law, and in the following year the rule was amended to prevent further abuse. Now, was Caesar's legislation therefore "illegal"? Even the Romans didn't agree on it at the time. There were also arguments over whether Bibulus had broken the law by not actually reporting any omens. But we know the overwhelming majority of the Senate treated Caesar's laws as de facto legal, including even Cato when it was convenient for him. The argument appears to have been dropped by 54 BCE.

Did Caesar run the consulship like a dictator, with armed gangs roaming the streets and a cowed Senate? Actually, no. Cicero's letters from this year show he was afraid of violence breaking out several times, but no indication that it actually happened. (Besides Bibulus getting dragged off the stage.) Nor do any of Cicero's later speeches or letters accuse Caesar of using military force during his consulship. Nor did the topic come up in the political debates of 51-49, when Caesar was attempting to secure his second consulship. The triumvirs were not able to get all of their motions carried in the Senate, nor all their candidates elected to office. Several of Cicero's letters indicate rowdy and full Senate meetings (including one great exchange where Caesar tells his opponents to suck his dick and someone jokingly accuses him of being a woman).

Most of Caesar's laws were actually pretty good. His biggest achievement was the Lex Julia repetundarum, a massive anti-corruption reform that cracked down on bribery and extortion in the provinces. He also increased accountability in jury trials, and had the Senate's meeting notes published, making senatorial debates more accessible to the public. And though his agrarian reforms were extremely controversial, they did meet a real need of the urban poor, and provided veterans with their long-awaited pensions.

It wasn't a completely normal government, though. Bibulus' (likely false) claims of being confined to his house did win a lot of sympathy and get people upset at Caesar for ignoring him. And although the Senate ultimately upheld all of Caesar's legislation, and seems to have dropped the matter by 54, his treatment of Bibulus did sour his relationships with many senators and cast a shadow over his term.

Overall, Morstein-Marx makes a strong case that although Julius Caesar certainly had a...forceful personality, he was not a demagogue governing through mob rule, he did not use violence to control voters or the Senate, and it's not clear that he actually broke the law during his first consulship. He did alienate some powerful people and disrespect his co-consul, to be sure. He was hella controversial. And in later years, he continued working with Pompey, who did resort to political violence. But, just looking at Caesar's career in 59 BCE - we aren't looking at a dictator just yet.

(Based on Julius Caesar and the Roman People, by Robert Morstein-Marx, pp. 117-191.)

#jlrrt reads #julius caesar and the roman people #robert morstein-marx #caesarhell #julius caesar #marcus calpurnius bibulus #i'm not even getting into the provincial assignments or vettius affair #but robert does! go read him it's awesome #jlrrt essays

[irregularcollapse]

hiii!! sorry if this is too broad or weird a question or its simply not the place, but how do you manage to keep writing? i watched you posting (and read!) all of even in another time, and am amazed at your consistency when working in something that's so nicely done. you can really tell how passionate and invested you were in doing it. im writing my first long fic for another fandom and im finding it really hard to keep going with my story. im only on chapter three and it feels like writing it all out is both an insurmountable mountain and like it's all basically already told, like anyone could guess where it'd go so its trite or whatever. it's not so much to me about audience engagement (that has been very heartening) but like, just being a bit lost. did you have any issues like this? have you ever experienced anything like it? thank you so so much for hearing me out

hi hello! this is such a good question really, and it is definitely something that all writers encounter and hit up against. longer works are a hell of a commitment—it can be super difficult to maintain the stamina.

there are lots of things that i do to which help me to finish what i start.

the best laid plans: i know people talk about 'planners' and 'pantsers' and say that neither approach is better, but i personally think that's a crock of shit and you can 100% tell when a writer doesn't know where their story is going. so, plan plan plan, and write it down.

write the bits you want to write: make a doc called 'scraps' (or something) and write any snippets/lines/paragraphs/scenes that you're hankering to write, when you get the inspo for them. it doesn't matter if they're not chronological—the whole point is to keep the flow when you find the flow, and then you've also got things to work towards; when you go back to writing in the chronology, then you're aiming for a point that excites you, knowing it's ready to copy-paste when you get to it.

patience before you post: i don't start posting a long fic until i've got a substantial amount written. this way i know where i'm going, i know that it's turning out the way i want it to, and i've got time to edit and tweak before sharing it (more on this next). giving myself a specific schedule also means that i've got a sort of 'deadline' to work towards, but with a substantial buffer provided by what i've already written and polished.

reread, rewrite, edit edit edit: when i hit a writing block, i carve out editing time. i'll export my working doc to a different format that i can make comments on, and read it all through. this is a proofread, but it's an edit read as well. proofreading is looking for spelling, grammar, punctuation (technical errors). editing is looking for cogency and coherence. the crucial thing is to read it out loud. yes, all of it. listen to how it sounds. listen to the sentences, the dialogue. listen to the flow. if it doesn't sound right, it won't read right—so, rewrite it.

alpha, beta, omega: so technically in fic spaces, we don't use the term 'beta reader' accurately. when writers talk about 'beta readers', we're actually talking about a second reader in the drafting process. the first reader is the alpha reader; the alpha reader is kind of a 'big picture' reader who will give you advice on structure and coherency, from the perspective of a writer-reader. the second reader is the beta reader; the beta reader gives you a blind reader response from an audience perspective. your alpha reader will be most helpful if they're also a writer, someone who understands the story you want to tell and whose opinion you trust. it doesn't really matter what you call them (alpha, beta, omega if you wish), the point is that the impetus to keep going and to continue working on your story can often come from having someone to talk about it with—someone who is as invested as you are, will help you stay on track, and can give you the advice you need to ensure your story turns out the way you want it to.

i suppose the overall thing is that i approach fic writing no differently to how i approach original writing; the commitment to finish has to be the same. i have to believe in my story and my concept regardless of what the format or audience is. if i'm not obsessed with my story, i know it hasn't got the legs needed to carry my to the end.

i'm not sure whether i've answered your question! if there's anything else you want to ask, or anything you want clarified, feel free to reach out again. congrats on starting your first long fic!! i'm stoked for you. wishing you all the best for writing the rest!

#asks #anonymous #my writing

[baatarthefirst]

Did you read the Karim short story yet

"After Darkness" was brutal, but I loved it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I want a Sunfire spinoff aimed towards an older audience (and a prequel series), that could be described as a "GOT: Lite".

It shows off Karim's motivations, and makes me feel really bad for him, but it emphasizes all of the flaws we've been calling him out on, things that would make him a horrible king for the Sunfire to have; especially right now.

He's too impatient.

He's single-minded and shortsighted.

He's overconfident.

He can't let go of the past.

He gatekeeps.

He lets his emotions (more specifically anger and grief) run away with him.

(Before I say this, I would be willing to write this incident off as shock and grief [BECAUSE IT WAS], but he does show the same behavior with the candle incident, so I'd like to mention it).

He wants to stay longer than what would be safe, ignoring Tijana's warning that it's too late for the corrupted elves. Luckily she did get through to Osato, and he could actually convince Karim to flee (meaning her logic was sound, it just came from the wrong type of person).

Tijana saved his life, but he's not grateful, he's just angry that she made a joke. She saved his life again, the purification spell failed to save Osato, but he insists that he could have saved him and accuses her of murder. He tries to take away her right to mourn him. Because Osato was HIS friend. Her friendship doesn't matter because HE decided it didn't.

It's the same in the show, the humans are GUESTS, they should not get comfortable, or have any official ties to Xadia. They are welcome to visit, but only if they meet HIS standards. Amaya can even stay because she makes Janai happy...as long as they both agree to HIS conditions (that they never actually get married).

Not long after we see this mentality, we see him ignore the fact Yonnis could have burned down the city of tents (possibly killing many people including elves without a heat-being mode, not to mention destroying their food and shelter which could lead to more death), because a human extinguished the Soul Candle.

Which in some way is sympathetic, it's very easy to see why Karim would be angry, that's someone's soul who can't make it to the afterlife (whether 'lost' means destroyed or doomed to wander, I don't know). But at the same time, he's so hyperfixated on his anger, he can't look at the whole issue.

Janai, however, does. She doesn't focus so much on that fact 'the human committed a sacrilegious crime' that she can't see the problem 'we need a place INSIDE the city where we can preform the sacred rituals safely'.

Karim would have executed Lucia on the spot and been done with it, but the problem that created the situation in the first place would remain unsolved. The next time someone lit a candle, no one would dare snuff it out, and the whole camp could go up in flames.

Miyana constantly tells Karim that overthrowing Janai would not be easy, that it will take time. He ignores her warnings, because he's so sure that he knows everything; Janai will back down. And on the SLIM chance she doesn't, he's a great mage, he can win and everyone will side with him. The exact opposite happens, but he doesn't let himself be humbled, choosing to be stubborn instead.

This would make him a bad king for his people. He would always push forward even when the cost wasn't worth the gain and/or there was no chance of success, and favor the side that falls in line with his own beliefs while ignoring the facts that don't.

#tdp #janai #Karim #after darkness #the dragon prince #Yonnis #Lucia #Osato #Tijana #amaya #janaya

[maxwell-grant]

Speaking of Pulp Heroes and their rather more fraught relationship with the authorities than their 4-Color successors when I read the first couple Secret Agent "X" stories, it felt like he has a buffoonish cop nemesis solely because the writer felt the genre's tropes required him to have a buffoonish cop nemesis. So. Why do so many Pulp Heroes feel a need to have a cartoon caricature of Inspector Javert in their cast?

(Inspector Javert art by dasha-ko)

The simplest answer is that much of it can be chalked up to the importance pop culture osmosis plays in how we construct stories, especially when we're explicitly trying to reference existing tradition or building off an established mold. So much of superhero fiction's origins are built off the American pulp stock and trade, and so much of that in turn is owed to the British and French pulp fiction. And when people look at the history of detective/crime fiction history and it's origins, and the role of characters like Arsene Lupin's Ganimard, Fantomas' Juve, Jacques Closeau, Harvey Bullock, Zenigata and so on, they quite reasonably assume that, much like how tight circus costumes are grandfathered into the superhero concept, it's assumed that every Gentleman Thief protagonist needs a Ungentlemanly Cop arch-nemesis / annoyance, because that's just how the concept works. The longer answer means that we gotta talk about Inspector Javert specifically, and why he ended up becoming such an imitated touchstone for pulp fiction.

The fact that so many of them take up after Javert specifically is interesting in itself, because it's not just a result to Javert being one of the most popular mainstream examples of "bad cop" characters and thus the go-to example when you want your cops and detectives to be, at a minimum, dumb obtrusive goons who can have a change of heart and, at worst, one-note villains who usually still aren't quite bad to overshadow the more interesting villains and piss off real cops who are a million times worse than what you can usually show in fiction get in trouble with audiences for disrespecting authority. In some ways, they miss the point of Javert, but also expand on the point Victor Hugo was making with him and the novel as a whole, which was in some ways a response to what the serialized fiction tradition was like at the time, as part of Hugo's intended aim of advocating for social reform:

So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine, with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age—the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of woman by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night—are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless

A lot of people miss the fact that Javert did not exist in a vacuum. He wasn't just designed to be a criticism of law enforcement and a rotten cop or whatever, he was explicitly based on Inspector Eugéne Vidocq. Claims about his real life achievements are countless and self-aggrandizing and none of them matter here except for one fact: His memoirs published in 1829 are said to be the bedrock where this entire concept of "detective fiction" started, at least in the anglo-sphere (although his effect loomed globally). Vidocq was not only the inspiration for Javert (as well as Valjean), but he was also the inspiration for Rodolphe de Gerolstein in The Mysteries of Paris, Monsieur Lecoq who would go on to inspire Holmes, and long before that he inspired Edgar Allan Poe's C.Auguste Dupin, who was an unflattering take on Vidocq, and is considered the first fictional detective.

Detective fiction existed some ways before Poe's Dupin via magazines and newspapers, as the concept of the "private detective" started taking form circa the turn of the 19th century and, as all new things tend to develop, fiction started to develop about them, largely thanks to the memoirs and autobiographies of officers like Vidocq, to the point that by the 1830s, virtually all detective fiction was about private detectives. I'm linking this thread on the Pinkertons that Jess Nevins wrote on Twitter here, in case more of you wanna dive deep into where this grody copaganda business took it's baby steps to sink it’s teeth into fiction to never let go, but the point being: For about half a century, the whole concept of the Great Detective, the central figure of detective fiction and of much of popular fiction as a whole, was based on Inspector Vidocq, and that was what Victor Hugo was responding to when he made Javert. He was based on The Super Cop, the Cop of the Century for that era, and here's another dirty secret that even most Les Mis adaptations get wrong about Javert: He IS a Super Cop. In-universe, he's the best damn cop in the whole world.

He is without vices, but upon occasion will take a pinch of snuff. His life is one of privations, isolation, self-denial, and chastity—never any amusement

He would have arrested his own father if he escaped from prison and turned in his own mother for breaking parole. And he would have done it with that sort of interior satisfaction that springs from virtue.

He is every bit the incorruptible paragon of order and devotion that people tend to attribute to characters like Jim Gordon. He’s honest to a fault to a point he insists that, if he were to be dishonest, he should not only be resigned, but also punished, should he commit any injustice on others. Other cops in the story dislike and distrust him specifically because he’s not corrupt. He’s as unrelentingly hard on himself as he is to everyone else, and it literally kills him the second he’s forced to grow a seed of conscience towards those he spent his entire life oppressing. He is, by basically every metric, a Good Cop, an unusually good cop at that, and he is a bad, rotten person, because that’s what it takes to be a good cop. He isn’t bad because he’s “one rotten apple”, he isn’t bad because he’s just too obsessed with one particular man, he is bad specifically because he’s a good cop, and he is very good at serving a terrible system, and he is very good at enduring and enforcing it’s cruelties, and the moment he is forced to question to it, when he’s no longer a “good cop”, he kills himself because that’s his way of resigning from life.

He had lost his bearings in this unexpected presence; he did not know what to do with this superior (convict); he who was not ignorant that the subordinate is bound always to yield, that he ought neither to disobey, nor to blame, nor to discuss, and that, in the presence of this superior who astonishes him too much, the inferior has no resource but resignation. But how to manage to send in his resignation to God? - Victor Hugo

It was a very damning perspective that Hugo was putting forth with this character, not just as a criticism of law enforcement, but also as an open dialogue with pretty much the entirety of the feuilleton traditions that informed the century, of the uncorruptible, inscrutable, unfailingly correct detectives stomping on wicked criminals, a condemnation somehow more timeless in 1863 than countless other takes on the story across the couple of centuries since that downplayed what exactly Hugo was getting at and why Javert was that way. Javert was a response to almost 50 years worth of how the entire concept of detective fiction worked and was seemingly supposed to work forever. So, obviously when it was time for others to twist the concept further and start focusing on the daring thieves and arch-criminals for a change, well, if these characters are supposed to stand against the law at it’s mightiest and get away with it, and you don’t quite feel like buggering Conan Doyle again, what other archetype are you gonna invoke as the allmighty, yet failed, representative of the power of The Law? 

(Pictured: Inspector Zenigata, Inspector Lunge fan-art by admhire, Hank Schrader)

The Javert / Inspector has become an ubiquitous staple not just of fiction that stars gentleman thieves that, even when they are not specifically modeled after Javert, they often hit on many of the same notes that made Javert so enduring and potent of a character. It’s kind of almost a necessity, if you’re writing a story that focuses on a criminal, to see what does the law enforcement he opposes on some level looks like, and it makes for some pretty varied and interesting characters, often with some of the most interesting dynamics these stories have to offer. 

Sometimes you get characters who actually do need to be serious and heroic, if only because of the sheer scale or menace of what they’re up against, and because they don’t get to win, they can be played for tragedy, characters like Inspector Juve or Hank Schrader, who is interesting as he is very much not a Javert-kind of character at first and probably never would have come close to being one, if he didn’t find himself thrust into the position of Heisenberg’s arch-nemesis and thus had to try and make himself into the extraordinary pursuer of justice, to disastrous consequences. Zenigata’s one of a kind as, somehow both a Super Cop as well as the absolute worst cop alive and only one by the thinnest thread possible (which is part of why he’s ultimately sympathetic, because his morals usually come first and he will team up with Lupin to solve bigger problems), a more deranged nutjob than the entire gang of master thieves he keeps up with. He stretches the broad strokes of the Javert archetype to such an extreme while still remaining ultimately a moral character that he winds up becoming as much of a cop as Mario is a plumber, and an indispensable part of the gag while still being very much not just a gag character. 

Lunge’s on a totally opposite end of a similar scale, in that he’s a direct response to Javert as well as Holmes, demonstrating what an unflinching obsessive devotion to the law as well as a restless genial crime-solving brain does to someone who is not afforded a protagonist safety net or that sheen of fantasy most fiction affords these characters: it basically leads him to torpedo his life of everything that doesn’t get him to capture the criminal he mistakenly pursues, and it doesn’t bring him any step closer to stopping the real mastermind either, and it’s not until he owns up to his mistakes and starts to understand the story he’s in that he starts to actually help.

You can play these characters up as seriously, or as comedically, as you’d like. Sometimes they are overzealous clowns who never stood a chance and exist to make our protagonist and other villains seem cooler by comparison, and sometimes they make for such hilariously “bad” cops that they actually end up being pretty decent and even potential allies (like Chase Devineaux from Carmen Sandiego). Often, they can be a concentrated amalgam of the writer’s own feelings towards law enforcement and policing and carceral systems and whatnot, which often makes them complicated in ways even the authors don’t quite intend them to be. 

A massive part of why we enjoy these kinds of stories comes in the form of transgressive fantasies where people can trick or escape or overpower or even take over and change the systems that routinely make life so difficult for us. So much of detective fiction stars police protagonists because they place readers in the shoes of getting to be the ones with the power of the jackboots for a change, but copaganda is not synonymous with detective fiction, and hasn’t been for well over a hundred years, much of it for so long has reveled in characters who are not police or police-adjacent. These characters often stand, in turn, as many things that you might need a cop in the story for, almost like a concentrated focal point.

Maybe you want to explore the ramifications of law enforcement in your fantasy world, maybe you do believe that cops can still be salvageable and you want to show what a “good one” would look like in your view, maybe you can’t think of them as anything other than distractions at best and chief enforcers of all wrong with the world at worst, or maybe you just put em in there so you can go “Oh, what would the cops do about my hero? They would hate them because they’re too cool and they would suck at stopping them, end of story, let’s move on to more interesting stuff”. 

They aren’t always the most interesting characters, especially when they are just 1-to-1 Javert clones who remain neutral or mistake the point of Javert for simple-minded obsession, but they are always very telling characters, and they are not just a crucial archetype for what makes this kind of fiction work, but also a very significant touchstone of it’s inception and how far it’s come, and often, just fun to have around to make idiots of themselves, when fiction lets us get away with that. Fiction lets us get away with softening the edges of a lot of things we need outlets to confront safely (what else lets us do that?), this being one of them. Even when they suck, and they’re pretty much made to suck most of the time, I’m glad this archetype stuck around.

#replies tag #pulp fiction #pulp magazines #les mis #les miserables #javert #Lupin III #lupin the third #zenigata #arsene lupin #lupin #detective fiction

[farazghurki]

Creative Careers 101: Building a Portfolio That Opens Doors

Creating a portfolio is an essential step for anyone looking to forge a successful career in creative fields such as graphic design, writing, photography, art, and many others. A well-crafted portfolio not only showcases your work and skills but also communicates your personal brand and professional journey. Here's a comprehensive guide on building a portfolio that opens doors to new opportunities.

Understand Your Goals and Audience

Before you start compiling your portfolio, it’s crucial to identify your career objectives and understand the audience you’re targeting. Are you looking for freelance projects, aiming for a full-time position in a specific industry, or seeking admission to an educational program? Each goal may require a slightly different approach to presenting your work. Knowing your audience—whether potential clients, employers, or admission officers—helps tailor your portfolio to their expectations and needs.

Select Your Best Work

Your portfolio should be a curated collection of your best work, not everything you’ve ever created. Choose projects that demonstrate your skills, creativity, and range of abilities. It's better to have a smaller number of high-quality, diverse pieces than to fill your portfolio with similar projects or work of lesser quality. Aim for a variety that showcases different styles, mediums, or genres you're proficient in, as this can illustrate your versatility and adaptability.

Tell the Story Behind Each Project

For each piece you include, provide context and a narrative. Explain the project's objectives, your role, the process you followed, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them. This storytelling approach does more than just display your work; it offers insight into your problem-solving abilities, creativity, and work ethic. It can also highlight your growth as a professional by illustrating how you’ve tackled various challenges.

Focus on Presentation

The way you present your work can be as important as the work itself. Ensure your portfolio is well-organized and easy to navigate. Use high-quality images or clear, readable text, and consider the layout and design of your portfolio. It should reflect your personal brand and style, with a consistent theme, color scheme, and font choice. An aesthetically pleasing and professional presentation can significantly impact the viewer's perception of your work.

Go Digital

In today’s digital age, having an online portfolio is a must. It allows you to reach a wider audience and makes your work accessible to potential clients and employers worldwide. There are several platforms and website builders specifically designed for creating portfolios, such as Behance, Adobe Portfolio, and Squarespace. Make sure your online portfolio is mobile-friendly, as many people browse the internet on their phones.

Update Regularly

Your portfolio should be a living document that evolves with your career. Regularly update it with new projects, and don’t hesitate to remove older works that no longer represent your best or most relevant work. Keeping your portfolio current ensures that potential clients or employers are seeing your latest and greatest achievements.

Solicit Feedback

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your portfolio from peers, mentors, or professionals in your field. Constructive criticism can offer new perspectives and insights on improving your presentation or which pieces to include. Additionally, engaging with your community can lead to valuable connections and opportunities.

Personalize Your Portfolio for Opportunities

Whenever possible, tailor your portfolio to the specific opportunity you’re pursuing. This might mean emphasizing certain projects or skills that are particularly relevant or rearranging your work to lead with the most pertinent examples. Personalizing your portfolio demonstrates your genuine interest in the opportunity and can make a stronger impression on the viewer.

In conclusion, a well-designed portfolio is a powerful tool for opening doors in creative careers. It not only showcases your work but also tells the story of your professional journey, abilities, and potential. By understanding your goals and audience, selecting your best work, focusing on presentation, and continuously updating your portfolio, you can create a compelling showcase that captures the attention of potential clients, employers, and opportunities.

[wherewhereare]

Part of the allure of No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani – aside from her signature platinum locks and red lips, trendsetting fashion sense and smokin’ hot bod – has been her ability to share the rawest of emotions within her songwriting.

During No Doubt’s main stage-closing set at night one of the inaugural Kaaboo Del Mar, the last of only six performances the band had scheduled in 2015, Stefani let it all spill out on stage. She modified lyrics to familiar songs to seemingly mirror her current relationship status since news broke just over a month ago that after 13 years of marriage and three children, she and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale were divorcing.

Though some of that former undeniable chemistry among members on stage was noticeably absent, “the guys” as Stefani referred to them, bassist Tony Kanal, drummer Adrian Young, guitarist Tom Dumont and longtime touring members Gabrial McNair and Stephen Bradley, backed their girl while sounding as solid as ever.

No Doubt drew the largest crowd of the day, luring people closer to the massive stage with the dancey vibe of “Hella Good” and its upbeat cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life.” By the third song, “Underneath it All,” off of 2001’s “Rock Steady,” Stefani was wearing her heart on her sleeve, changing up the lyric “And when it’s really bad / I guess it’s not that bad” to “It’s really (bleepin’) bad.”

She kept her composure, but continued to launch the verbal torpedoes. “Simple Kind of Life,” a song which she noted “… is one of my favorite songs I wrote in my whole life,” got the acoustic treatment and yet another lyric change up after she sang the line “If we met tomorrow for the very first time/ Would it start all over again? / Would I try to make you mine?” she quipped “I don’t think so.”

“Bathwater” is where it got a bit awkward as she went off, asking herself why “good girls like me” always fall for the bad boys that are “stinky … pathetic … narcissistic” all of which seemed like some pretty strong jabs aimed directly at her soon-to-be ex husband.

After “Excuse Me Mr.” and “Sunday Morning,” the first two offerings in the set off 1995’s “Tragic Kingdom,” an album pretty much completely about Stefani’s break-up with Kanal, she said that it was weird that most of those tracks had suddenly now taken on an entirely new meaning. Kanal is probably slightly relieved by that since the heartbreak and rage are no longer directed solely at him.

The band also offered up a few cuts it hadn’t included in its sets for years from its breakthrough album including “Happy Now?” and “End it on This,” which seemed fitting for this evening since this could very well be the last time No Doubt performs together in a very long while since Stefani is deep in the process of working on her third solo album.

Of course the band didn’t leave out “Don’t Speak,” which the audience passionately roared along to, and “Just a Girl” had Stefani climbing high up onto the scaffolding, flawlessly belting out every last note before doing a pretty epic mic drop.

At the start of the encore Kanal thanked No Doubt’s crew and the fans before dedicating a cover of the Skatalites “Guns of Navarone” to reggae-ska artist Rico Rodriguez, who passed away at the age of 80 on Sept. 4. No Doubt closed its set with the title track off its latest album, 2012’s “Push and Shove,” and brought the energy back up, officially ending the night with a fiery version of “Spiderwebs.”

[i-shen-blog]

Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikToks and Instagram?

Today, we will be analyzing if blogging is still relevant in the age of TikToks and Instagram and also discuss the reason behind the facts after investigating.

Blog

Blogging started to become a commonplace business digital tactic ten years ago. Before then, blogs about politics, travel, food, and technology were mushrooming everywhere and serving as trustworthy resources for guidance and specialized knowledge. It turned out to be a potent approach to show up in search results and in front of a crowd that was already interested. Additionally, it was a very efficient tool for businesses to demonstrate their expertise and to share expert opinions.

Instagram

Instagram started to be used alongside blogs. Most bloggers did want to use it as a way to promote blogs, like on Twitter. But with Instagram not allowing clickable links in captions, that never seemed to happen successfully. You can use the phrase ‘link is in the bio’ but it’s just not the same as clicking a link there and then.

Now Instagram has turned into something that feels like an unstoppable force and now we hear of Instagrammers, Influencers and content creators more than words like bloggers, vloggers or YouTubers. Instagram feeds are no longer snapshots of peoples Sunday roast, but highly curated images, many have images that look like they are straight out of a magazine. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I am often guilty of getting lost in a beautiful Instagram feed.

TikTok

In 2019, TikTok was the most downloaded app from Apple’s iOS app store? TikTok seems to have come out of nowhere and is everywhere. It has even infiltrated Instagram – every other food post I see is of a ‘TikTok recipe’ such as baked oats or feta pasta. Not to mention Instagram Reels – which seem to be a rip off of TikTok. Growth is hard on Instagram, but the way in which TikTok works means that anyone can go viral, even if you don’t have thousands of followers.

Why has these newer platforms become popular? is Blogging dead?

Joining Instagram and TikTok is simple. You simply sign up and you are ready to start publishing. You don’t need to mess around with a DNS server, buy a domain, pay a host then install WordPress. You don’t need to find a theme and fidget with widgets. Now, it’s a lot more mobile-based. We want to quickly scroll, consume and move onto the next thing. This is why Instagram is the go-to for looking at beautiful photos and TikTok is the best place to get short, entertaining videos.

Nothing has changed since then.

Despite the overwhelming presence of newer social media platforms, blogging is still a powerful tool for marketing. It's actually turbocharged. According to a recent Data Box survey titled "The Shift in Your Content Marketing Mix: 25 Marketers On What's Changed in 2 Years," 68% of marketers now regard blogging to be more successful than it was two years prior as blogging is about building relationships.

It’s about playing the long game.

To conclude, if you Take time to write your posts. Talk to your customers and build conversations. The everyday consumer is smart and has a limited amount of time. They make informed choices, not only about what they want to buy, but what they want to read. It’s only by offering your reader something truly valuable, that you’ll get the conversation started.

Your blog should always aim to answer the questions your audience has. How consumers find your content will undoubtedly evolve, but what they’re looking for probably won’t. We still need the same information we did 5 years ago, but we’re just using different methods to find it. Creating high-quality, original content will go a long way to getting results from blogging.

#mda20009 #digital communities

[abcdosaka]

i have such a love hate relationship with how gege writes women like he’s tackling the oppression of women and yet the women aren’t the important part of that conversation like he keeps killing them off 💀 it’s like how the walking dead would introduce a black character and immediately kill the previous main cast member black character

☝️ thing i can’t fault him for is that every female char is incredibly likeable. except maybe hana but tbh i still like her bc i could forgive women for anything she just got done dirty by the narrative. same with remi but honestly, instead of disliking her she made me dislike fushiguro a bit. (it’s not that i thought he’s at fault for anything i just disliked the set up for that arc) personally i think those two were the only major fumble writing wise. oh and tsumiki although i guess there wasn’t much more for her to do i was hoping she’d be more than a plot device (she was likeable anyway she made me like fushiguro more lmao)

omg i just realized what they all have in common is that they’re all related to fushiguro somehow.

another thing he does well is giving them their MOMENTS which to me is kinda more important than their depth in a battle shonen. like almost all the female combatants get a super raw moment. even hana shining that light on meguna was soo beautiful like idk that sticks out in my mind (until she fucked it up ofc)

nobara i think was actually rly well done. i still think there’s hope she’ll come back tbh. even though i said otherwise that’s just me pretending idc. yuki had a really good fight and she was so charismatic that i can forgive her death being related to choso so much (also bc i like choso). i just really wish we could have seen more of her earlier and know more abt her, esp her being a star plasma vessel, ik she was a supporting character but i was so hyped to see her in action. she’s one of my favs. tengen is also low key a fav even tho she didn’t rly do anything she’s well established and idk i just like her. uro is another fav who i need to see more of i hope she isn’t done for i feel like she got spared for a reason. yorozu was pure comedy i liked her and i kinda miss her i wish she stuck around longer. i stanned mai from her first appearance. maki is obviously my queen no words needed. i also thought momo was super cute and i still wanna know wtf that miwa panel was in the cg arc i think that was a genuine he forgot moment. mei mei and momjaku are freaks but i like them both they really help set the tone

ig the only issues are that 1) they keep dying and 2) their most important moments are related to a man somehow. i guess it makes sense bc it is aimed at a male audience but like if you’re writing abt women’s issues then you have to acknowledge the women in question as…people? that’s not rly what i mean to say but idk how else to phrase it. it feels like he wants to do a good job tackling these issues but he doesn’t rly get the core of the issue.

anyway it sounds like i’m shitting on him but the fact that he’s clearly making an attempt at expanding on the female characters instead of being like “here bitch damn” (and it’s a girl who gets one chapter of depth and is written out immediately after) is what actually touches my heart. altho ig he kinda did that with everyone but maki like i remember being surprised he went so far in the perfect prep arc for maki like i didn’t think she’d get a power up like that. and then in the sakurajima colony arc i didn’t know she’d continue to be relevant and then jumping sukuna with yuji like okayyy

the nice part of never getting fed is that crumbs are so delicious and nutritious for me. anyway i believe in kenjaku (old woman) x tengen heian era old woman yuri

[magicalgirlagency]

Honestly I don't know if it was Madoka that's made recent kids' shows darker (well, maybe it did for SU? idk). At first I thought it was more due to Gravity Falls and/or Adventure Time because I know those shows get really dark later on. Oddly enough even though there are shows I've seen that are much darker than Steven Universe for some reason it's only Steven that feels like Madoka again. Like sure with some other shows I'm like "oh holy crap thats fucked up" but with Steven?Straightup Madoka.

It's complicated, but I think I can give my 2 cents on the matter...

While MadoMagi did certainly contribuited to the popularization of Tragical Girls (Raising Project, Yuki Yuna, Magical Girl Site, Daybreak Illusion and SpecOps Asuka), it didn't got people thinking about how fucked up it is to rely on minors to do the dirty work and clean up the adults' messes.

I mean, nothing has changed; I still keep seeing children/teenagers getting into the most traumatic experiences ever. BNHA, JJK, and KnY, for example, are high-grossing shounen series with teenaged MCs witnessing the most horrendous shit ever, and actively have their joy and energy sucked right out of their bodies in the process.

As for Steven Universe, well, I wouldn't say it's "straight up Madoka", despite the similarities that they may share. At first, it was marketed as some spiritual successor to famous series such as Sailor Moon and DragonBall, having the strong potential of going down as one of the most memorable cartoons in TV history with its heroines with diverse body types and actual queer relationships...

...but the truth is way more complicated than that.

You see, Steven Universe is one of those series that didn't knew which demographic to be aimed at. It wanted to be child-friendly with SatAm-esque scenarios and a Monster-of-the-Day/Week routine, but it wanted to be serious and appeal to older audiences with the Gem War, the Diamond Authority, the Cluster, etc...

The staff was amateurish and black-and-white in their approach of nuanced themes, not to mention the irresponsibility and laziness with the amount of fillers and hiatuses. They have bitten more than they could chew, and all became one big neo-liberalistic mess in the end. Steven Universe was more worried about looking visually good than actually telling a good story.

Meanwhile Madoka just straight up lied to its audience. They have used the Magical Girl genre as bait to get a public to watch their anime. I mean, the title is written in a curvy and cutesy font...

And its main heroines are constantly marketed as a team and are always looking as if they were besties (emulating the likes of the Inner Senshi)...

...except that Homura was indifferent to anyone who wasn't Madoka, Mami was devoured right after her debut (and became the target of a 10 year joke that's no longer funny), Kyouko was territorial and aggressive to Sayaka on their first meeting (and both girls became shipping fodder despite having the worst first impression ever), Sayaka was treated like a guinea pig to show the audience how Witches were born, Madoka ascends to Nirvana and stops existing, and Homura becomes a test subject and attempts suicide and becomes a yandere when her plan fails.

Oh, and let's not forget the alternative timeline where Mami loses her composure and kills Kyouko after witnessing Sayaka become Oktavia, and is then killed by Madoka before she could do the same to Homura.

And when these girls are FINALLY seen working together, it's later revealed to be all a fabricated lie.

So much for friendship.

Anyways, so long story short: Steven Universe was highly ambitious in theory, but utterly incompetent in practice. Madoka Magica actively lied to the public with their façade of cuteness and frills. Even though they have their places in pop culture, we must also acknowledge that their executions were made in really bad taste.

[sailormoonandme]

We need to talk about the Stars Arc Part 2: Contextualizing the manga and anime

The facts of the matter are that the Sailor Moon manga and anime:

a)     Were aimed at a different age demographic.  

As a general rule of thumb, the manga was aimed almost entirely at tween and teenagers whereas the anime was aimed primarily at a younger audience, like elementary school kids and to a lesser extent their elder family members.

In a sense, the anime was kinda sorta (but not 100%) targeting the same age demographic as Super Sentai (which those in the West will know better as Power Rangers). Which makes sense given the Sentai influences upon Sailor Moon, which are FAR more pronounced in the anime compared to the manga.  

b)    Were aimed at a different gender demographic.  

The Sailor Moon manga was released in Nakayoshi magazine, an explicitly shojo aimed publication, meaning its target demographic was overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, female.  

The anime however was primarily targeted a female demographic, but they also had a secondary consideration for male viewers in the same age range, then of course older family members.  

This was perhaps inevitably due to the majority male production staff and Sentai influenced subject matter. Plus the sad reality that (at the time at least) male aimed shows simply got higher ratings),  

c)     Had totally different production schedules informed by their mediums and pacing.

I don’t know the ins and outs of how a manga chapter or an anime episode are produced, but I do know start to finish the latter takes longer than the former.  

Compounding matters, is the fact that the manga was released monthly whereas the anime was released weekly.

d)    Did not have the same relationship that many/most manga and their anime adaptations have

In my experience, this is perhaps the biggest point a lot of people take for granted.  

The typical relationship between and manga and its anime adaptation is that the manga gets popular enough to be adapted into an anime, then the anime will sporadically produce filler episodes to buy time for the manga to generate more chapters for them to adapt. Most of the time, the adaptation is almost identical to its manga counterpart, perhaps softening sexual and violent material for the TV audience vs the manga audience.

Sailor Moon was very WEIRD as far as the above is concerned. Chiefly, this is because the Sailor Moon manga existed specifically to be adapted into an anime.  

Now, I’m sure many mangakas might hold hopes their work gets adapted, maybe they even gear their story with that hope in mind. But in Sailor Moon’s case Takeuchi had released some chapters of her Codename: Sailor V manga when Toei themselves approached her. It was only after that that Takeuchi redeveloped Sailor V into Sailor Moon came, with the explicit intention of being turned into an anime. And the turn around was extremely quick too.

The first chapter of Codename: Sailor V was released on 3rd August 1991.  

The first chapter of Sailor Moon was released on 28th December 1991.  

The first episode of the anime debuted on 7th March 1992.

Let’s compare this to two other anime adaptations.

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball began being serialized on 3rd December 1984.

The first episode of the anime was on 26th February 1986.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece began being serialized from 22th July 1997.  

The first episode of the anime was on 20th October 1999.

Now sure, neither DB or OP were made with the explicit intent that there would be a anime. However, when that decision was made there was also plenty of content for the animes to work with. And that would have been the case even if OP and DB had been monthly mangas rather than weekly ones.  

But in Sailor Moon’s case, by the time episode 1 dropped they had maybe 4 chapters worth of material. This didn’t just mean there had to be filler, but that those filler episodes were going to have to DOMINATE the show and therefore the story and characters were going to have to be geared around that consideration.  

Let’s break it down with numbers gleamed from animefillerlist.com.

“One Piece is an ongoing anime series that started in 1999. So far 1016 episodes of One Piece have been aired. With a total of 93 reported filler episodes, One Piece has a very low filler percentage of 9%.”

“Dragon Ball was an anime series that ran from 1986 to 1989. In total 153 episodes of Dragon Ball were aired. With a total of 21 reported filler episodes, Dragon Ball has a low filler percentage of 14%.”

“Dragon Ball Z was an anime series that ran from 1989 to 1996. In total 291 episodes of Dragon Ball Z were aired. With a total of 38 reported filler episodes, Dragon Ball Z has a low filler percentage of 13%.”

And now lets compare that to Sailor Moon:

“Sailor Moon was an anime series that ran from 1992 to 1997. In total 200 episodes of Sailor Moon were aired. With a total of 98 reported filler episodes, Sailor Moon has a high filler percentage of 49%.”

See what I mean?

The speed with which Sailor Moon went from manga to anime coupled with the drastically different pacing necessitated that the anime be different. When your filler constitutes almost HALF of your show it might as well BE the show.  

This is why the anime eventually opted to eventually adopt a looser approach in adapting the manga. In season 1, only the first 4 chapters of the manga are adapted in any kind of direct way, the rest of the Dark Kingdom arc is adapted more loosely, with the anime simply taking inspiration and ideas.  

The specifics of the plot for the Dark Kingdom arc in both versions was an evolving process, neither Toei nor Takeuchi knew definitively what was going to happen and therefore could not plan accordingly. This is probably why season 1 is the only season that even attempts to adapt manga chapters in order and simply implementing filler between the corresponding episodes. Every season thereafter kicked off with the understanding that they were going to take a loser approach to the manga, simply taking central ideas, themes and cherry picking scenes to incorporate as needed.

This was in truth the only pragmatic way of turning a monthly manga into weekly anime. It doesn’t help that towards the end of each arc, Takeuchi typically has a climactic final battle where each chapter lead directly into one another, leaving little room for filler in the first place.  

Consider the fact that the last four chapters of the Dark Kingdom arc each lead directly into one another as part of the climactic final battle with Beryl and Metalia. If the anime’s structure had been to faithfully adapt each chapter and simply insert filler in between they would have had to have generated around SIXTEEN filler episodes to buy time to adapt those chapters accurately.  

Put yourself in the shoes of a Toei staff member who actually has to make that decision. You have manage a lot of people. You have to ensure your TV show has high ratings via viewer interest (which heavily relies upon have the plot advance every so often). You have a modest budget (Sailor Moon, especially in season 1, wasn’t rolling in cash) and can only afford to make so many episodes. The higher ups are also on your butt to make sure you hit whatever targets they set. 

Are you honest to God going to commission SIXTEEN scripts that need to be written, edited, approved, animated, acted, and scored just so you can more directly adapt 4 manga chapters across maybe 4 weeks down the line? Or, are you going to take some of the best ideas and broad strokes of those chapters and make two episodes that thematically hit similar beats? Oh, and you’ll probably find doing your own take on things more fun too.

They don’t call it show business for nothing, there are commercial realities and production practicalities that have to be considered here.  

By the same token, the different target demographics were going to alter the direction and interpretation of the characters and story. As I said, shonen shows got higher ratings, so giving a certain mind to the male audience was not a bad thing if Toei wanted Sailor Moon to be a ratings success (which it was, overwhelmingly more than other Shojo anime of the era). And, the Sentai influences upon Sailor Moon, meant the little boys who liked Super Sentai might also find Sailor Moon appealing. That was certainly the initial draw for myself.

And aiming it younger meant more comedy, less violence, less darkness and not quite as heavy emotional stuff. The latter happened, romance happened, but the show inevitably geared itself more around Usagi and her friends than Usagi and her lover. This is why it is Mamoru by Usagi’s side when she defeats Metalia in the manga but the Inner Senshi in the anime.  

The focus upon Usagi’s friends additionally helped to generate filler material every season which would have been harder if the story revolved chiefly around Usagi and Mamoru’s romance. In 200 episodes where nearly every episode is a monster of the day, there is only so much you can do with two people in love vs. those two people plus other regular cast members. This approach paid off as the Inner Senshi became popular characters in their own right, with Mercury as the most popular in Japan.  

But in shifting that focus, the anime were inevitably creating their own canon and characterizations for everyone. And then would have had to be consistent with them, even if it contradicted the manga. I suspect this is what happened with Sailor Mars. When they needed to begin making filler episodes with Sailor Mars the anime staff either didn’t know exactly what her personality was supposed to be like and extrapolated incorrectly, or else they felt that for a weekly show where you need conflict MangaMars, with her calm and collected demeanour, was too similar to Sailor Mercury and so they made her more aggressive and fiery, thus giving us three clear and distinct personality archetypes to bounce off of one another.  

The end result of the different target audience and pacing is that the anime wound up as a different take upon the same central story, concept and themes. Because of that, it is simply not fair or useful to evaluate its success by comparing it to how the manga told the story. If you wanted to do that with Sailor Moon Crystal, that’s entirely different as Crystal did not need to worry about filler and its ‘mission statement’ was specifically about being a more faithful adaptation of the manga.

Put it like this. Comparing the manga to Crystal is a bit like comparing green apples to red ones. Comparing the manga to the original anime is like comparing apples to oranges.

They’re both fruits, but naturally different.  

Please bear this stuff in mind as we move forward, but in short, there are very clear practical reasons as to why the entire anime (not just Stars) wound up so different to the manga.  

P.S. Whilst not perfect comparison, I think it is more useful to view the anime’s approach in adapting the manga as more similar to Western cartoon adaptations of American comic books.

The same year Sailor Moon debuted in Japan, over in the USA Batman the Animated Series and X-Men the Animated Series were making cartoon history. Each show adapted miscellaneous comic books across decades by different writers and artists. None of the adaptations were 1:1, but they typically retained the same central themes and concepts as their source material whilst also generating entirely original stories with the characters.  

In this sense, the SM anime is about as faithful to the manga as BTAS or XTAS were to Batman and X-Men comic books. 

#sailor moon #pretty soldier sailor moon #pretty guardian sailor moon #pretty guardian sailor moon crystal #sailor moon cosmos #sailor stars #naoko takeuchi #Toei Animation #usagi tsukino #tsukino usagi

[undergroundbillions]

Content warning off the bat for themes of death, grief, and a brief mention of suicide.

I’ve finally put my finger on why I feel a little hurt when people say that Gibson’s Raggedy Ann is too dark for kids. And not some of the darker more disturbing imagery - like the slaughterhouse and the noose, those are a little more specific to the audience you’re aiming for - but the whole plot. Marcella being sick and dying, her mother leaving for another man and possibly committing suicide, her pets dying, those sorts of things. The narrative that it was the script’s darkness that was the whole issue the whole time, and any revival would need to drastically change it.

And this isn’t a callout, people genuinely mean well and they aren’t naive or wrong for feeling this way. I’m just taking the chance to share my experience.

I don’t think those are too dark of concepts for kids to be exposed to. Because there are kids who have been exposed to that level of grief, and if not yet then everyone will at some point in their lives. Gibson set off to write a fairy tale in the style of the Brother’s Grimm, a fairy tale’s purpose is to teach and it’s clear Gibson wanted to teach his younger audience something about the world. That it can be depressing and traumatic but you can find light and hope and found family. And he wasn’t the only one, there’s a tendency to pile on Gibson for every dark aspect of the show but Snyder supported him and Raposo even wanted a show with more depth than the movie, which is clear with the 1983 script being reportedly darker in tone as well.

Gibson couldn’t shake the idea that he was dying, that we all are, constantly, and he’s not alone in that. And for those of us who can’t help but think about it, a show that embraces that, that accepts it instead of pushing it away, and shows that hope can be found regardless, is more comforting than depressing. When you’re already there, it doesn’t bring you down it just rests comfortably next to you.

And for those whose personal experiences make the show hit too close to home in a traumatic way, that experience is valid too. It’s not for everyone, but I think there are more people out there that it could help, given proper content warnings for those who would wish to avoid it.

I know it’s not easy to dig through Gibson’s journals to splice out his specific intent, and that’s another essay, but even without knowing all of that I do know that there are multiple people in this endeavor who have had similar experiences to me, who have found the show comforting in a similar way, and that for them - for myself - I wouldn’t dare take that out of its revival.

More below the break, but I wanted to give a content warning first. For more death, family death, and illness. Plus, it’s going to get a little personal so I wanted to preface this by saying please don’t feel like you have to carry my trauma or reach out to me. For you it’s just a thing that happened to someone you don't know, and by all means if it's too much for you then please feel free to skip this one.

-Brooklyn <3

So when I talk about depressing and traumatic things happening to kids Marcella’s age, I’m talking about my own mom; who was in and out of the hospital and ICU all my life until she died January 2021, a month before I found Rag Dolly. Fate? Maybe, but it was what drew me into the show, even without quite knowing it yet the themes of death and grief comforted me. Soon we had the Harvard files, and I was blown away by the depth and meaning in Gibson’s intent and it only connected with me more. And it helped me, it helped me sort out how I really felt about her death.

I’m drawn to General D. as a character for the same reasons Gibson was compelled to write him, for some of us death is a constant looming presence, around for so long that he’s no longer antagonistic or terrifying. When he’s there all the time you get used to him, and he’s menacing sure but as Gibson wrote General D. initially, he’s not out to get you. I have said my mom was sick so long, I had mourned her all my life so there wasn’t much left to go through when she actually died. She was in the military too, and just like General D. this complicated story of honor and tragedy wraps up into one, it’s what made her sick. Or at least, made it a lot worse.

I know this is long, so I won't reiterate the conclusion I added before the break. I know I haven't mentioned it on the server but that's only because I don't want to bring things down. But thank you for listening, and you can always talk to me about it!

#raggedy ann revival effort #raggedy ann musical #raggedy ann broadway #rag dolly musical

[aimandfire21]

Aim’s Guide To Naming Your Fanfiction

Naming a fic can be really hard sometimes, we’ve all struggled with coming up with the perfect title for our work, especially if you’ve never done it before. This isn’t helped by how many different methods there are for naming fics. But I’m here to break them down for you, so hopefully you’ll have a few ideas next time you post a fic.

Method One: One Word Title

This is one of the less popular methods of naming methods, but it’s the method of using one word to name your fic, usually a noun. This is one of the less common, albeit most simple methods of naming a fic. I can only really think of two fics off of the top of my head that use this method, Passerine and Forfeit. However once you look there are a lot of other examples like Shackled and Rewind. It’s just not always as easy to remember or recognizable as fics with longer titles.

One of the reasons this is comparatively rare is because people often don’t find it very unique or telling. This isn’t false, as readers aren’t exactly likely to be brought in by a single word title. And it’s not easy to feel like you’ve properly portrayed a point with only a single word. I personally don’t have any fics using this naming method, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. There are lots of good words out there that could describe a fic all by themselves. If you’re struggling pinning down an emotion or object in your story (Ex. Stopwatch, Wrathful, Glory, Struggle, Chains, Tower) then you could simply use one of those as the title to your story. Very straightforward. This is also a useful method for chapter titles as well.

Method Two: Song Titles and Lyrics

Naming a fic after a song title or lyric is a classic method of naming. It’s been around for far longer than I’ve been reading fanfiction, and will still be around long after I’m done too. Usually it gives the audience something to connect to, especially if they recognize the song. Heat Waves, which is one of the most popular fics of all time, is named after a song. Several popular fics are named after songs as well, like  Bishops’s Knife Trick, and Flowers From 1970. Other fics aren’t named directly after songs, but use song lyrics as titles instead. A few examples of this are Ring Ring Ring Banana Phone, Silver White Winters That Melt Into Spring, and God Hunter’s Going To Hunt You Down.

There is also a variation of these, where more than one lyric is used and the second lyric is put in parenthesis. A few examples are That’s It It’s Split (It Won’t Recover), and I Thought Of Angels (Choking On Their Halos) Though this is a design choice that is completely optional.

Method Three: A Quote From The Original Work

This is another method that gives the reader the mood and context of the story. Often even more so than using a song, as it brings the reader into a very specific moment. Even if that moment isn’t involved, a quote will give the reader an Idea of what characters are at least involved. I’ve used this a few times myself, most notably I Don’t See The Beauty In Mortality. Another example that isn’t from me is Welcome Home Theseus. Anyone with any familiarity with the original work could make a reasonable guess as to what characters and relationships may be involved from title alone.

Another option, though a less common one, is subverting the original quote. This is when a quote is changed slightly but still reminds the readers of the original. An example of this is the fic I’m Taking You Home Theseus which is a variation of “Welcome Home Theseus.” This is familiar enough to be reminiscent of the original, but does signal a change or twist in the original context of the quote.

Method Four: Popular And Common Sayings

This is where a lot of fic names stem from, though it isn’t always as obvious. You may be thinking of fics like A Bird In The Hand, which stems from the saying “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”, Resistance Is Futile that stemmed from Star Trek but quickly became common in English vernacular, or The Fine Print Which stems from the term ‘fine print’ in a contract where something is hidden or unclear. Sometimes the saying a title is based off of isn’t super common, like Let The Dogs See The Rabbit stems from a saying in greyhound racing. Even a fic like This Or That is titled after a common saying that might not appear that was at the beginning. 

Usually however people take these sayings and twist or change them. This is one of my favorite methods because it lets you be creative yet ties the reader back to something they are already familiar with. A really good name using this method is Severed Ties and Teary Eyes. On a surface level it looks effective, albeit simplistic. It combines two short phrases, “Teary eyes” from the shorthand and common way to describe someone who is crying or about to cry, and “Severed ties” a common saying to describe stopping all contact with a person or thing. However the genius is in the rhyming scheme, where ‘eyes’ and ‘ties’ rhyme, and both lines contain only two words.

Two examples from my own work are Canary Is The One With The Key and Brother of My Red Right Hand. Using my own examples I can explain my own logic behind them. For the first one I was referencing the common saying of “A canary in the coal mine” with a twist. Usually the canary is seen as a helpless and pitiful part of the proverb. This is reminiscent of how usually in dark SBI stories Tommy, who is symbolically the canary. However I use this to twist the usual pattern. He is “The one with the key.” And a key can imply a lot of things. Usually along the lines of freedom, or even implies someone is keeping a secret or is a jailer. And the word ‘one’ implies singular. He is the only one with the key, the only one with the power the key brings. A far cry from the image a helpless canary being brought into a coal mine would usually bring.

The second title is an illusion to two metaphors. “Red handed” and “Right hand man.” The latter saying implies a closeness, which is what I was trying to convey between the relationship of the two characters. This is helped by the first word in the title, ‘brother’ which also implies a close relationship. Paired together there is a strengthened and unified message. The first saying, ‘red handed’ is a bit more complicated as it has two meanings, both of which are used. The more figurative use of being caught doing something is used in both Tommy and Wilbur. Tommy was caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to by his mentor, which started the initial conflict. Wilbur also has a secret that abruptly comes to light in the story as well. Another more literal interpretation is that Tommy ends up getting injured on his arms, an injury that causes bleeding. So his hands were literally red.

These aren’t always easy to brainstorm, so there’s no shame in googling idioms or sayings. Usually the straightforward “Sayings about X” or “Sayings that contain X” work well for me, anlong with googling figures of speech. 

Method Five: Something Completely Unique

If neither method above works then you can always just come up with something completely new! It’s one of the most common methods, though this one holds a little more variety than the ones before.

Direct Title: This method is where you give a title directly based on the plot. No fancy wordplay or symbolic meaning, just a direct ‘this is what the story is about’ that tells the reader what the story is about. Two examples are Tommyinnit’s Clinic For Supervillains Where Tommy runs a ‘clinic’ for supervillains and Tommyinnit’s Unbeatable Method of Avoiding Sudden Death is a far more ironic twist of this method. For an example that doesn’t involve Tommyinnit in the title look at Unhealthy Ways For Dealing With Life 

Symbolism: Commonly symbolism is used as well. It’s not exactly the most telling, but often sounds pretty. Usually a reader would work backwards and have to read the story before they figure out why the title is the title. One example is Chosen By The Stars, which does in no way involve stars or space. However the symbolism of stars is important, where it implies something divine, and that the main character was chosen by something Godly, knowing, or or extremely powerful. An example from my own works is Other Songs Angels Left Unsung Where the use of angel is both symbolic of a character and diviness as well, and the use of unsung is symbolic for something being unfinished or incomplete. I tend to use the word angel a lot in my titles, but they don’t always have the same meaning. The use of it in Angels in the Sinner’s Cradle isn’t used to portray godliness of divinity, but rather innocents. The use of cradle in that same title is used to imply infantilization, but in another title it could imply a character is nurturing, or that there is some immaturity. This can make titles a little tricky to understand directly, but that's what the summary is for. 

Internal Monologue: This method is where you title your story using either narration or potential narration. This can very effectively set a mood, and give some idea of the attitude of the characters as well. This is my favorite method when I’m trying to set a somewhat humorous or light tone as shown in This Shit Can Never Be Simple, Can I? Or While I’m Not Sure What I Expected When I Became A Supervillain, It Wasn’t This, but can just as easily set a tragic or melancholy tone, like the fic When Was The Last Time You Saw The Sky? Often when a title is in the form of a question this is the method being used.

Plot Elements: Somewhat of a combination between the direct title and the symbolism route, this method is rather basic, but also sounds really cool. The way I always do this is setting out all my major plot points or elements, find words that are adjacent or symbolic of those elements, then combine them into any way you want. It’s a little hard to know when an author did this specifically sometimes, but I have an example. One of my friends asked me for help naming a fic and a few of the plot points that were given involved fire, rain, and separation. Using this frame I helped her come up with The Rains Of Pompeii Tear Us Apart. The rain part is literal, but fire changed into Pompeii, the world's most famous volcano, and separation changed into the much more dramatic ‘Tear us apart.’ Throw The Walls Into The Fireplace is an example where the writer used this method, combining the elements of mending strained relationships, comfort, and a literal fireplace. Throughout the story the main character is wearing down the metaphorical walls between him and another character through taking care of him while he’s hibernating, with emphasis on tending to the fireplace and the literal and metaphorical warmth it brings.

It Sounds Cool: Is there any rule saying you can’t give a fic a title just cause it sounds cool? No, absolutely not. In fact it is encouraged. The Secret Of Being Colorful uses this method as far as I’m aware, along with Butterfly Reign. I use this method a lot, and it can often be paired with rhymes or iteration, like Twisting Traitorous Vines Through Time. Even my current WIP uses this method, where I decided to title it Proof That Life Hates Tommyinnit Personally just because it sounded neat! What are they going to do, arrest me for it? Just have fun!

These are the main methods I use for naming my fics. Hopefully at least one of them was useful to you or at least gave you some ideas. I used dsmp fics, but as far as I’m aware these methods work for all fandoms. Let me know if you think I’m missing anything!

#fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #archive of our own #dsmp #dsmp fanfic #tw long post

[uncommon-etc]

A controversial take...

It might just be because I grew up in an era where queer characters, the few that we had, were regularly murdered, sidelined or reduced to punchlines on screen, but I think if you’re not doing any of the above, there is no such thing as bad queer rep.

I’m tired of living a world where, if I want to watch an overtly queer love-story in the cinema, I’ve got to take a two-hour train journey to London, (because beautiful films like Firebird, and Freefall literally only get shown at like four cinemas in the UK, and three of them are in London), I’m sick of doing the exact same thing, as an adult, we did as kids when trying to find characters we related to in media (’he’s never actually said, but he seems pretty queer-coded to me’), and I’m fed up of seeing people hating on writers who give us canonically queer characters for not making their queerness more overt, because you can guarantee they’re getting hate on whatever social media sites straight folks use nowadays for ‘trying to make everything gay’.

I don’t want to live in a world where Our Flag Means Death is a unique, beautiful exception to the rules of how we treat queer characters on screen. I don’t want to live in a world where if I want to go and see the only example of a same-sex love-story that’s central to the plot of a major blockbuster I’m accused to giving money to a terf who, let’s face it, is already richer than the queen, and isn’t going to care whether I see it or not. And I definitely don’t want to keep living in a world where we’re still sharing gifs from the same four shows in a few years time, because they’re the only ones who have managed to do queer representation ‘correctly’.

I want bad queer rep as well as good.

I want queer characters with as many flaws as we regularly let straight characters have, while still rooting for them.

I want queer characters that come across as deeply uncool, who parts of the fandom hate on, not because they’re queer, but because they’re just plain annoying.

I want queer characters who live up to stereotypes, and own them (It’s a Sin did a particularly good job of portraying gay men who had a lot of different sexual partners in the 80s as being no less worthy of care or sympathy than anyone else who contracted AIDS, but few other shows have been brave enough to go there).

I want to turn on the crappiest, most badly-written, procedural crime show completely at random, and see a queer detective, or a queer serial killer, preferably both, and they get it on, enemies-to-lovers style, with very little build-up or meaningful connection.

I want queer himbos who are so dumb you can’t quite work out why they’re still alive.

I want the next Disney prince to be gay.

I want queer superheroes who continue the long and proud superhero tradition of having almost zero personality, and not much going for them beyond being quite good at flying people out of burning buildings.

I want to see queer characters cross-dress, and explore weirdly specific fetishes, and reclaim dated terms for their identities, and do all the other things we no longer see queer characters do, because it’s viewed as bad rep, even if plenty of actual queer people do these things.

I want a queer character in every lame, action-thriller aimed at making a tonne of money from a predominantly male audience.

I want to see love-triangles that turn into polyamorous triads, in the trashiest possible way.    

And I want all of these things because, as a queer person, in a supposedly equal-opportunities media landscape, I want something more realistic than the sainted, beautified, sanitized version of queerness that we’re all too often given, because there is still too much stigma to show us as regular people, and because some writers are still so afraid of getting it wrong that they continue to create worlds in which we don’t exist. 

#lgbt #lgbt representation #lgbt discourse #ofmd #it's a sin #disney #mcu #fbtsod

[tooarcadewolf]

Taare Zameen Par

The film that shook me up very deeply was "Taare Zameen Par." It precisely mirrored a dyslexic child, Ishaan Awasthi, trying to adjust to the school environment. This story touched me in multiple ways. Being an individual who gives great importance to education and inclusive world, witnessing the difficulties of the central character and the meaningful impact of the teacher, Ram Shankar, the thought still resonates in my head in the present. It encouraged me to think about the meaning of accepting and appropriately assisting people with learning disorder and creating a more empathetic and supportive environment. The movie's message about identifying and cultivating every child’s own skill and strength personally touched me, and it was the one that influenced my outlook toward education and how important is to have a personalized learning support. Today, I am part of support group called Decoding Dyslexia, which aims at helping people struggling with dyslexia. Ultimately, "Taare Zameen Par" inspired a deeper consciousness and involvement in supporting inclusion and empathy in schools.

Through my research of history, I discovered that "Taare Zameen Par" was more than just a movie, it came life from a deep motivation of understanding why some children sometimes struggle in traditional education systems. Written and produced by Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia, the movie is designed to raise awareness on dyslexia, and show compassion towards children who deal with learning difficulties.

The film proved to be a critical success, drawing the praise of numerous critics for the narrative, screenplay, direction, dialogues, background music and acting. And it was not only hearts touched but also entire nation sympathized with dyslexia and it was awarded at the 55th National Film Awards. The film was India’s Official entry for the 81st Academy Awards for the category of Best Foreign Language Film but failed to be nominated. At the 55th National Film Awards, it won 3 awards: : Best Film on Family Welfare, Best Lyrics, and Best Male Playback Singer.

Yes, the film “Taare Zameen Par” turned out to be a commercial success as well. The film was made on a budget of ₹12 crores. It grossed ₹98.48 core worldwide13 which made it quite a profitable movie. The marketers selected an emotional and educational approach through the actors' soul-touching performances and the music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

The producers highly depended on talented performances, compelling storytelling, and the power of the music to get back the cash due. Although the film made an attempt to discuss the sensitive topic of dyslexia, the film’s sensitive portrayal and emotional depth were powerful enough to target a wider audience even in the face of potentially limiting factors.

One limitation could have been the heavy subject of dyslexia, which might not connect with all viewers. Nevertheless, I believe the film's style and level of complexity will have defeated this obstacle and allow it to be attractive to many other viewers.

Even after many years, the film "Taare Zameen Par" is feted by critics. "The Film" was praised for its plot development, depiction of dyslexia, and representation of traditional education systems. The most recent reviews demonstrate that its influence doesn’t fade with time.

In all, "Taare Zameen Par" is the physical demonstration of the influence that cinema has on our lives, it evokes empathy, and questions the existing social construction making it timeless and significant of a film.

I think that this movie is very non-conventional film with creative approach in movie script. It part-ways with Bollywood formula by giving depth into sensitive subjects such as challenges of childhood, education system loopholes, and empathy. The movie's central theme of a dyslexic child's travels and his teacher's part in admiring and functioning his abilities no longer follows strictly Bollywood routines that are around romance or action.

Historical information coaligns with my memories which consists of the film dealing with critical and commercial success, Aamir Khan's direction, and its influence on raising awareness about learning differences. Nevertheless, my perceptive memories also give a feeling of emotion and connection, reminding me of episodes that were very important to me, for example, teacher’s patience and the child’s talent in arts.

When I re-watch this movie every week, I am now able to view the details and subtleties that were previously out of my scope. The cinematography, performances, and soundtrack even today continue to be a delight, but I now appreciate the movie's richness and meanings on a much deeper level since I now understand the underlying theme of societal pressure and the importance of individualism. Films have substantially evolved from the time when "Taare Zameen Par" was released. The stories are more centered on a variety of narratives, characters, and complicated subjects. Technology has not only changed filmmaking but has made it more involving by creating an immersive experience for the audience as well.

 Following the release of the movie, there has been an increasing awareness and comprehension of dyslexia and other learning disabilities in India. The film urged citizens and organizations to get involved. For example, it brought about things like the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) allowing more time to special education children during examination. Additionally, the education administration at Chandigarh started to offer courses to teachers who work with children issues with learning disabilities.

Additionally, my perception of films is more complex now. Today I prefer films with profound meaning, social significance, and emotional depth. "Taare Zameen Par" will forever be a gem to me, because it shows that cinema can encourage, educate, and make people compassionate.

#taare zameen par #aamir khan #Youtube

[reiisan]

WHITE SCORPION RELAY INTERVIEW - ACE

WHITE SCORPION released their 5th digital single "Satisfaction graffiti" on April 7, attracting a lot of attention as an 11-member idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, who was selected through the IDOL 3.0 PROJECT audition. Since their debut with "Eyes on the Sniper," they have released a series of digital singles every month, and this is the fifth in the series. The girls were still a little primitive when they debuted, but they have shown remarkable growth in the past four months. We asked the girls about their thoughts on this album and the changes that have taken place since their debut. The interview will be delivered in a relay format. First up is ACE.

-Looking back from your debut to the present, were there any impressive events or changes or growth in yourself?

I have felt the changes and growth in myself during the course of my activities. Before I became an idol, I would wake up late every day around noon, go to school, had a part-time job, and went out with my family and friends on my days off. Thankfully, I was able to change that daily routine and started taking lessons and filming from the day I passed the auditions, which kept me busy and gave me many new experiences. I felt that I gained a lot from the music video shoots in particular. I can really feel the passion of the people who are involved in the project, and we would practice seriously so that we can produce great results. We do shootings from morning till night, and whenever I look at the finished music video, I'll be touched by it, I'll also find a new side of myself with a happy expression. At first, there was a part of me that was happy my dream that I had been chasing for a long time had finally come true, but as get to know the people involved, I realized that I should not be complacent and that I should continue to work hard. I no longer have the need to tell my mother on the phone that I am weak, or that I feel depressed because of how boring everyday is. I think that is growth.

-You had many big events such as TV appearances and TGC since. Could you tell us how it went? Also, what did those experiences mean to you?

I had many opportunities to appear on TV with "Eyes on the Sniper" right after my debut, but since it had only been a short time since my debut, at first it felt like a dream come true. I was influenced by the responses I received after the show aired and by the people I had the opportunity to work with, and now I am determined to steadily seize each opportunity. I was really surprised to appear in TGC. It was something I had been aiming to do someday, so I was very happy, but at the same time, I was very excited to be on such a big stage like Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

When I thought about how to promote ourselves to people who don't know us, I thought that a performance in which we give our all and work hard would win the hearts of the audience. I remember Ally, who was standing in the front with me, patting me on the back when I was nervous, and that really motivated me to do my best.

-There has been many song releases and I think that you have been able to show many different sides through the songs. Please choose one of the songs and tell us about which part that has impressed you the most. Please also tell us how the song affected the group, the members, and yourself.

It is very difficult to choose one song because they are all so wonderful and attractive.... I think that the 2nd song " The Coyotes Are Calling" is the song that had a greatest impact on me and the group. After the 1st single “Eyes on the Sniper”, I decided to spread WHITE SCORPION to as many people as possible! At that time, I received my first singing and solo part. When I saw the choreography video, I was filled with joy, but at the same time, I also felt anxious. I cried a lot, out of frustration when I couldn't hit the high notes due to nervousness during the first performance. Now, I have gradually gained more confidence and can able to sing with pride. I wonder if I am growing together with this song? I think. It's a song that is very popular with both the fans and the members, so I'm really happy and grateful to have been given this song.

--How do you see the current state of White Scorpion and yourself after having gone through all those things? If there have been any changes since your debut, please tell us about them as well.

Although we are still far from WHITE SCORPION's goals of “worldwide” and “dome performances,'' the number of people coming to our monthly release events is increasing, and our songs are starting to be played at various stores. I feel like we're making a lot of progress, so I want everyone to work together and not be too satisfied with the current situation. As for myself, I'm still figuring it out. I don't fully understand my position in the group, my character, or my abilities, so I want to focus on what's in front of me with all my might. I'm thinking that by doing this, not just myself, but the fans and staff who watch me around will be able to find my true self.

--What are your thoughts on the new song "Satisfaction graffiti" and what are the impressive lyrics?

All four of our songs so far have been amazing, so I listened to the preview with high expectations. "Satisfaction graffiti", which starts with an electronic-like sound, is the most shocking song I've ever heard. I thought that the lyrics, which depict the struggle between being an adult and a child, would resonate with many people. In particular, the first chorus, "I don't care if I get hurt, just ruin everything…" and "I want you to return this love sometime somewhere," are amazing and my favorite lyrics because they are both sad yet strong and willful.

--How was the choreography, music video shooting, and recording? What were some of the difficulties or hardships you faced, what did you discuss with the members, or what did you practice by yourself?

"Satisfaction graffiti" is a song where detailed accents and rhythms are important, so I listened to it many times and wrote a lot in my notebook before the day of recording, but I struggled with different nuances and different ways of putting accents. Many members said that this song was the most difficult. Both regarding the choreography and MV filming, the period between the choreography and the shooting was really short, and there were many changes made to the music video, so we tried our best to keep our heads working. I even watched the video until the few minutes before the start of the shoot. The speed of the choreography was really fast, and I managed to keep up with it, so I feel that I have really grown compared to when I first started.

-What do you think this song will mean to the group? What new thoughts, goals, or dreams have you developed through these songs?

I think this song "Satisfaction graffiti" is a song that will help spread WHITE SCORPION to many people. With lyrics that many people can relate to, a sound that makes you want to listen to it over and over again, and a striking and cool music video in black and white. I think that if there is a chance, this song will explode with popularity. We were given a really great song, and I will do my best to seize this opportunity. I want to let many people know about WHITE SCORPION and get closer to my dream of expanding overseas and performing in domes. I would also like to repay all the fans who have always supported us and stood by our side.

#White Scorpion #ACE