#[inconsistent style central right here]

[the-choir-inbox]

Noel how did you and misha meet??

Same question goes to penny and Ricky

[toychest321]

L.U.V. Dolls - Initial thoughts

(Special thanks to @dollsinvogue for notifying me about these and clarifying their names! And credit to youloveit.com for most of the info I'll be going over)

For anyone not in the know, the creators of Glo Up Girls are releasing a new doll line named L.U.V. (Limitless, Unique, Vibrant) Dolls, coming May 1, 2024

The most notable aspect of this release is the fact that the dolls' outfits were displayed at New York Fashion Week!

To add onto the line's central high fashion aesthetic, the dolls' boxes (from what we've seen) are made to resemble magazine covers

Already I'm giving them major props for such a bold choice in marketing!

I also admire how while the brand has a clear theme (with bold prints and ruffles in particular being a running motif throughout designs), most of the characters have styles that speak well to their individual personalities! It makes me want the line to succeed so we can see the second outfits in doll form as well, and speaking of which...

The first design we have is for the character Harper. I absolutely ADORE both of her looks here, I'm guessing she'll have a very soft and sweet personality between the use of light colors, lace, and puffed sleeves! I'm also detecting some slight 1950s inspo with the a-line silhouettes, sinched waists, polka dots, and large collar! I also really hope the dolls come with the purses shown! Easily an 8/10 design here.

This character Londynn's designs are probably my second favorite, and another good example of consistent characterization! The hot pink pops without distracting from the bold prints on display, and the use of colors like black, brown, white, and beige tie them all together! I'm also wondering if this character might be an adventuring type between the animal motifs (fur on the first coat and a pale pink zebra print on the second jacket) and knee-high tan boots. While the doll's style doesn't look to be exactly for me, I appreciate the thought put behind it! Also I'm giving a bonus point for giving the doll textured hair as well, 7.5/10.

In third we have Brooke, and I find I'm somewhat conflicted with these designs? Both of these respective designs are fairly well-executed imo, but I'm not sure they give off the same character. The left honestly kinda reminds me of Karma Nichols but slightly edgier with the sleek material and black accents. The right, meanwhile, gives me girlboss vibes. I will give it that they were able to make a professional look without being too boring (side-eyeing Barbie Style rn), by adding the ruffles at the jacket and pants for a unique silhouette. Maybe the inconsistency in style is for a day-to-night look? Honestly the only thing I'd change are the puffed sleeves on the first designs. Overall I'd say this is a solid 7/10.

And lastly we have Autumn's looks, and honestly? I kinda hate it. The first look is decent, but sorta comes across as too similar to the first two's outfits between the pale tones and the pink? That second look though is atrocious. The skirt looks like a puffer jacket and doesn't match at all with the pattern, and asymmetrical sleeves have always been a pet peeve of mine. It's a Barbie Extra look, in a bad way. 5.5/10

Despite my negative thoughts towards the end, I have high hopes for this line! With Rainbow High abandoning its High Fashion aesthetic for an uglier child-friendly sparkle rainbow slime vibe, I feel like these dolls could take up the hole it's leaving behind if they play their cards right!

I look forward to what this line has to bring!

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1128 review

I'm still editing the full Egghead review I pitched after the last chapter. I ended up having a lot of thoughts and real life has been busy, but it's coming.

Meanwhile, we've got a packed early arc chapter to play with here. It's fun to see how everyone was a little right and a little wrong about the mysterious kingdom in our weeks of speculation. A lot of people hit the right cues to notice the people weren't giant size, and of course this place wasn't actually meant to be a retconned design of the central Elbaf village we'd seen in the past. But with the full picture of it being basically a terrarium and the surrounding room having stone walls and an actual giant present, I'm much more inclined now to say we're somewhere on the island proper.

The much-speculated inconsistencies with outfit pieces turn out to just be mistakes. I might not have fully ruled out the possibility, but I was always skeptical they were intended to mean anything. I'll be very interested to see how far the corrections go when volume 111 comes out.

But if I may nitpick, even in this chapter we can see the Lego castle crumbling like brick and mortar instead of plastic construction materials. Despite being told that they're all synthetic materials that smell funny when they burn. It's a missed opportunity not to draw them like what they're meant to be. A decent adaptation could go the extra mile with this kind of thing, maybe do a CGI physics sim of a Lego wall coming apart and the pieces scattering realistically instead of the standard cloud of dust environmental destruction we're getting here.

This week's Jump cover and colour spread make a great first impression. The painted style Oda's used for a handful of recent covers has been awesome, and I love the details of the colour spread. Franky's souped up broom bike - absolutely radical. And of course Zoro just sits casually on the dragon's head. And the forced perspective on Luffy's broomstick coming right up to the camera gives it all such a dynamic, active composition.

The chapter builds fantastically to the key reveal as Luffy's group descend into the town and meet the locals, with little hints like the lack of wind after they hit the ground. Nami making the suggestion that the crew could have been gigantified is a funny if you remember chapter 410 (titled Giant Nami, and in which Kalifa mistakenly assumes Nami has transformed into a giant after seeing Chopper's Monster Point) but that's probably a coincidence rather than a deep cut. I'm actually surprised in hindsight I didn't see anyone theorising the crew turned giant (or shrank) as a way to reconcile the size issues of last chapter…

I like Luffy calling out Usopp's handling of the cat. Calling attention to his weakness so directly feels like setup for a character arc, instead of it just being another instance of a running gag. I'm less enthused with the standard set of Sanji gags, particularly the idea of setting up a two-way mirror in the womens' bedroom. But what's new? Better humour is the reactions and expressions of the crew when confronted about the sacred animals they just beat up. And Nami extorting Chopper after saving him. It's classic Strawhat humour all the way down, the bad and the good all together.

The scale of the reveal shot after Luffy hits the mirror (another great gag) is jaw-dropping. And I love the expectations play that this isn't a toyroom or child's play place but a fully enclosed human terrarium by what has to be an adult hobbyist who's sewing clothes for his miniatures and everything. His craft room is well-stocked, and he cares enough to call it a temple. I've done a decent few model ships and Gunpla in my time, so I see and respect where that comes from. I'd be pretty miffed too if those 1/144 pilot figures broke out of the display cabinet and set my study on fire too.

The page leading into the Sun God's arrival (love the headgear btw, is it hard to sew at a mini scale while looking out of that thing?) is a lot of fun. The slow build up of the suspicious noises and snippets of offscreen dialogue. The smoke under the door as he reaches it. The door flying open to the battle already in progress. It all makes me very happy.

If I may nitpick again though, I still don't like how Luffy's outfits are working with Gear Five. The Egghead one vanished entirely and came back when he left the form. The Egghead cape stays and turns white, but the boots and axe vanish, and the helmet fuses into his hair somehow? You can see the horns turned white and still sticking out, even with the rest of it gone. That's going to bug me for days. And of course it all returns to normal when he leaves Gear Five in a few pages. I don't understand or like how this works. Just keep the outfit, turn it white. It's like Oda is trying to treat the Gear Five design as too iconic to change and is putting the reversion to it over the story's continuity.

As the chapter wraps, the plan to bust through the opposite mirror and the wall behind it becomes a tiny bit questionable when we consider that said wall will be built to giant proportions, orders of magnitude thicker and denser than the crew must be picturing. But it's the monster trio there, so if anyone can do it…

I know it's the new arc honeymoon phase, but man this one was a fun ride. Creative ideas, mostly funny gags, the mystery of who and where and how building with every new detail. My nitpicks can't bring down the joy of exploration that comes with the opening of each new story in this series. Can't wait to see where it goes next.

[footballworldcuptickets]

Agyemang Forcing Way into USA FIFA World Cup Striker Mix

FIFA World Cup: The American icon believes the Charlotte FC forward’s consistent Gold Cup performances have dramatically altered the USMNT’s striker hierarchy. Howard weighed in on Patrick Agyemang’s emergence as a potential solution to the USMNT’s long-running striker dilemma. The Charlotte FC forward has impressed at the Gold Cup with two goals in four matches, and Howard praised the 24-year-old’s mentality and urged him to keep working.

In the never-ending search for a consistent striker, the U.S. Men’s National Team may have found an answer in young forward Agyemang. As the Gold Cup unfolds, the 24-year-old has emerged as a standout performer, and former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard believes he’s earned the right to be in the conversation for the starting striker role, possibly even for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Appearing on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast with fellow American legend Landon Donovan, Howard praised Agyemang’s recent performances, suggesting that while he may not be the permanent long-term solution just yet, he’s doing everything right to keep himself in contention. He’s getting the chance and making the most of it, Howard said.

Agyemang Boosts FIFA World Cup 2026 Hopes with Strong Form

He brings grit, isn’t afraid to get into physical battles, moves intelligently off the ball, and technically, he’s good enough to contribute to the build-up. If people want to say he’s not the long-term No. 9, then fine but tell me, who is? Howard’s comments come amid another period of uncertainty regarding the USMNT’s striker depth.

Injuries and inconsistent club performances have plagued many of the once-promising names in the American striker pool. In contrast, Agyemang has not only stayed healthy but has also been a reliable presence up front. With five goals in ten appearances, he’s quietly become one of the team’s most productive forwards during this Gold Cup stretch.

Howard emphasized that Agyemang’s recent form has shifted the dynamic within the squad. His contributions have effectively raised the bar for others vying for that central striker spot. He’s made the competition real again, Howard noted. The guys who aren’t here, who we keep saying are going to be the next big thing, they’ve now got to come in and re-prove themselves. They’re already behind.

Agyemang Stakes FIFA 2026 Claim as USA Striker Race Heats

With just over a year before the FIFA World Cup 2026, opportunities to impress are dwindling. After the Gold Cup, Howard points out that there are only about 10 more international fixtures, friendlies, and tune-up matches before the final roster starts to take shape. He’s going to get the next two games, Howard said. And once this tournament ends, there might be 10 games left before the World Cup.

He’s earned the right to play in at least half of them. So, if you’re another striker trying to make that roster, you now have fewer chances to do so. That reality puts significant pressure on other forwards within the USMNT setup. Howard’s point is clear: it’s not just about potential anymore. It’s about production. And right now, Agyemang is producing.

Historically, the U.S. has struggled to establish a true leading forward. Despite promising spells from players like Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi, and Daryl Dike, none have locked down the position over the long term. That lack of stability has been a recurring issue across multiple World Cup cycles, making the emergence of Agyemang all the more important as the team builds toward the Football World Cup on home soil.

Agyemang Emerging as Key No.9 for US Ahead of World Cup

Agyemang’s style of play also offers something different. He doesn’t rely solely on flair or technical brilliance but blends hustle, physicality, and positional awareness. He fits the mold of a modern forward who not only finishes chances but also helps the team defensively and in transition. His versatility and attitude may be exactly what head coach Mauricio Pochettino needs in the months leading up to FIFA 2026.

Howard, known for his no-nonsense assessments, believes this surge in form can’t be ignored. It’s not like he had one good game and now he’s done, he said. He’s consistently showing up, scoring, and putting in the kind of performances that force the manager to pick him. That’s how football works. You earn it.

The former Premier League keeper added that this situation creates a new reality for the national team setup. Instead of waiting for someone else to finally emerge, the coaching staff now has a viable option already performing on the international stage. While Agyemang may not start every single match leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, he has undeniably carved out a place for himself.

Experience the passion, drama, and glory of the Football World Cup 2026 live! With gettickets365, it’s easier than ever to buy FIFA World Cup Tickets, including premium access to FIFA World Cup Final Tickets and Football World Cup Final Tickets. Don’t wait, secure your World Cup Tickets now and cheer for your team on the biggest stage in football.

[transcuratorsblog]

Freelancer vs. Agency vs. DIY: Which Graphic Design Option Is Best?

Whether you’re building a brand from scratch or revamping your marketing assets, one question always comes up—who should handle the design work? Should you hire a freelancer? Sign up with a design agency? Or go the do-it-yourself (DIY) route with online tools?

Each option has its pros and cons depending on your goals, budget, and timeline. But choosing the wrong one can lead to inconsistent branding, wasted time, or even costly redesigns down the road. That’s why more and more businesses are opting for professional, reliable Graphic Designing Services that balance creativity, scalability, and brand consistency.

Let’s break down the three most common routes—and help you figure out which one fits your needs best.

1. Freelancers: Flexible, Affordable, but Risky

Pros:

Budget-friendly: Freelancers are often cheaper than agencies.

Quick turnarounds: Ideal for one-off projects like a logo, brochure, or social media post.

Flexible hours: Many work on weekends and evenings.

Cons:

Varying skill levels: Quality is inconsistent; portfolios don’t always reflect real-world performance.

Limited capacity: One person means bandwidth issues for large or fast-moving projects.

Dependency on individuals: If your freelancer disappears mid-project or is unavailable, your timeline suffers.

No built-in quality control: Revisions can be endless if communication isn’t crystal clear.

Best for:

Startups or solopreneurs with tight budgets and basic, low-volume design needs.

2. Agencies: Scalable, Strategic, and Reliable

Pros:

Team-based approach: Multiple experts (designers, strategists, illustrators) work together.

Brand consistency: Agencies build style guides, templates, and systems to keep your visual identity unified.

Strategic thinking: Good agencies bring creative direction aligned with business goals.

Project management included: No chasing updates or revisions—everything is handled professionally.

Cons:

Higher cost: Agencies charge more due to overhead, team, and scope.

Longer onboarding: More time may be needed upfront to get aligned.

May feel less personal: Communication can sometimes pass through multiple layers.

Best for:

Growing businesses, funded startups, and established brands that need consistent, strategic design support across multiple platforms.

3. DIY Tools: Fast and Cheap—But at What Cost?

Pros:

Free or low-cost tools: Canva, Adobe Express, and others offer thousands of templates.

Full control: No waiting for a designer—you do everything at your own pace.

Accessible to beginners: Drag-and-drop interfaces make design easy to learn.

Cons:

Generic visuals: Your brand might look like everyone else’s.

Time-consuming: Learning design basics takes time—and even more to do it well.

Limited creativity: Templates can’t replace trained design thinking or brand storytelling.

Inconsistent branding: With no central design system, visuals often lack cohesion.

Best for:

Bootstrapped entrepreneurs or early-stage content creators who need simple visuals fast.

Which Option Is Right for You?

Here’s a quick rule of thumb:

Choose a freelancer if you have a specific, short-term design task and don’t need long-term brand alignment.

Go DIY if you’re just testing the waters or working with a tiny budget.

Go with a design agency if you’re looking to scale, maintain visual consistency, and elevate your brand across platforms.

But increasingly, hybrid models—like subscription-based design services or dedicated agency support—are giving businesses the best of both worlds. These services offer the flexibility of freelancers with the professionalism and consistency of an agency.

Conclusion: Your Brand Deserves More Than a Quick Fix

No matter how small or new your business is, your design speaks volumes. It’s the first impression people get of your brand—and often the one they remember. Choosing the right design partner isn’t just about saving money or time. It’s about building something lasting.

So, whether you’re done with DIY fatigue, juggling unreliable freelancers, or ready to scale confidently, explore the value of professional Graphic Designing Services that blend strategy, creativity, and consistency.

Because great design isn’t a cost—it’s a growth tool.

[alexmax253]

A Complete Guide to 4KV Stabilizers and AC Booster Stabilizers: Why They Matter for Your Home and Office

Electrical appliances are an essential part of modern living, but many people underestimate the importance of voltage stability. In India, where voltage fluctuations are quite common, devices like 4KV stabilizers and AC booster stabilizers are more than just accessories—they’re necessities. Whether you're running a household full of sensitive electronics or a commercial setup with heavy appliances, having the right stabilizer can help ensure both safety and performance.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into how these stabilizers work, why they are essential, and how to choose the right one for your needs.

What Is a Voltage Stabilizer and Why Do You Need One?

A voltage stabilizer is an electrical device that maintains a constant voltage level to protect appliances from voltage spikes, surges, and drops. If you've ever noticed lights flickering or your AC not cooling effectively, that’s often due to inconsistent voltage.

Fluctuations can cause:

Shortened appliance lifespan

Higher electricity bills

Overheating or malfunctioning devices

Permanent damage to motors and compressors

Investing in a stabilizer is a small price to pay for long-term protection.

What Is a 4KV Stabilizer?

A 4KV stabilizer is designed for high-power appliances or setups that require up to 4 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) of load support. These stabilizers are ideal for:

Home setups with multiple heavy appliances

Commercial spaces with equipment like photocopiers, printers, or medical machines

Villas or apartments with centralized air conditioning systems

A 4KV stabilizer ensures a reliable power supply across varying loads. Most modern versions come with features like digital displays, time delay systems, and thermal overload protection.

Benefits:

Protects multiple devices under one unit

High load-bearing capacity

Auto cut-off and surge protection features

Suitable for both single-phase and three-phase supplies

What Is an AC Booster Stabilizer?

As the name suggests, an AC booster stabilizer is specifically designed to support air conditioners—particularly in areas where voltage supply is on the lower side. These stabilizers not only maintain a stable voltage but also boost low voltage to the optimal range, helping the AC perform better.

An AC booster stabilizer is especially useful in semi-urban or rural areas where voltage can frequently drop below the minimum required for AC compressors to start.

Key Features:

Wide input voltage range (90V–290V)

Wall-mountable design for easy installation

Advanced IC-based design for faster response

In-built thermal protection

Benefits:

Improves AC cooling efficiency

Reduces compressor wear and tear

Prevents unnecessary tripping and breakdowns

Saves energy over time

Comparison: 4KV Stabilizer vs. AC Booster Stabilizer

Feature4KV StabilizerAC Booster StabilizerPurposeHigh-load appliances (multi-device use)Air conditioners (low-voltage areas)CapacityUp to 4 kVATypically supports 1–2 Ton ACsVoltage Handling RangeWideBoosts low voltage specificallyApplicationsHome, office, commercialHomes with low voltage issuesInstallationFloor or wall-mountCompact wall-mount

How to Choose the Right Stabilizer

Before you invest, here are a few things to consider:

Appliance Load: Know how many and what types of devices you’re supporting.

Voltage Range: Choose a stabilizer with a range that suits your locality’s power condition.

Mounting Style: Some people prefer wall-mounted units for space-saving reasons.

Additional Features: Look for digital display, surge protection, thermal cut-off, and energy-saving modes.

Final Thoughts

If you want to protect your electrical appliances and ensure smooth operation, choosing the right stabilizer is crucial. While a 4KV stabilizer is perfect for heavy-duty or multi-appliance setups, an AC booster stabilizer is ideal for homes facing low-voltage issues that affect air conditioner performance.

Both types have their own specific advantages and can save you from costly repairs or replacements. Investing in a reliable product from a trusted brand ensures safety, performance, and peace of mind.

[miosalonblog]

Expand Without Limits: Multi-Location Management for Hair Salon Owners

More the locations, more the responsibilities!

Hair Salon Service Market size was valued at USD 71.5 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 6% between 2024 & 2032. 

– GMInsights

One of the major common challenges in multi-location management is Consistent Quality and Management. Ensuring uniformity in customer service, engagement, team performance, proper sales and overall business operations can be overwhelming; even your hair salons have a talented management team.

This is where hair salon management software can make all the difference. From managing inventory to maintaining client data and making informed decisions, the right tool can simplify the process and help you stay on top of it all.

In this article, we’ll explore actionable insights into effective multi-location management strategies and how the right software can drive success.

How Do You Know Your Salon Is Ready To Expand?

When you're considering expanding to multiple locations, asking the right questions is crucial to assess your readiness. Here are some essential questions to guide your decision on salon expansion:

Is  our current business model successful and scalable?

Can we maintain quality across multiple locations?

Do we have financial resources for expansion?

Is our revenue growth predictable and sustainable?

Is there sufficient demand in the new location(s)?

Do we have the right leadership to manage multiple locations?

What risks are involved in expansion, and how can we mitigate them?

Do we have a marketing strategy that can be replicated across locations?

Are we prepared to handle potential growing pains?

Do we have the right technology to support multiple locations?

Can we track and report performance across locations effectively?

Is this the right time to expand, based on our long-term business goals?

What Are The Challenges Of Multi-Location Management For Hair Salons?

Hair Salon Service Market size was valued at USD 71.5 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 6% between 2024 & 2032.

 – GMInsights

Although expanding to multiple locations can be beneficial for salons seeking to capitalize on the growing demand for hair services, it also presents a range of challenges that must be carefully considered. Here’s a list of 9 common challenges faced by hair salons while managing multiple locations, especially the chain outlet model.

Inconsistent Service Quality

Complex Inventory Management

Scheduling Chaos

Team Cohesion and Morale

Communication Breakdown

Brand Inconsistencies

Financial Oversight and Reporting

Fragmented Marketing Strategy

Operational Inefficiencies

Inconsistent Service Quality

Delivering the same high quality of service across multiple locations can be difficult. Maintaining customer satisfaction can be challenging when different locations operate under varying management styles and team dynamics.

Complex Inventory Management

Handling stock levels, reorders and product distribution across multiple locations is more complex. Without proper inventory management, overstocking or running out of products risks your operational delays and client satisfaction.

Scheduling Chaos

Coordinating bookings and staff shifts across multiple locations often leads to confusion, resulting in missed appointments, understaffed shifts, or double bookings.

Team Cohesion and Morale

Managing a diverse team across multiple locations needs careful oversight. Differences in team culture, leadership style, team performance and morale lead to inconsistencies.

Communication Breakdown

A lack of clear communication between locations often leads to confusion and delays. Whether it's planning campaigns, selling gift vouchers or other loyalty programs without a central communication platform, misunderstandings can arise.

Brand Inconsistencies

Each location might unintentionally stray from brand guidelines; maintaining a cohesive brand identity, including ambiance, decor, lighting, customer experience and service delivery, can be difficult with multiple locations.

Financial Oversight and Reporting

Tracking revenue, expenses and profitability across sites can be overwhelming, making it difficult to evaluate the overall business health without a unified system.

Fragmented Marketing Strategy

Executing effective marketing campaigns that resonate across various locations. Promotions and campaigns tailored to specific regions or customer bases can become misaligned without proper marketing strategy.

Operational Inefficiencies

From managing workflows to standardizing processes, inefficiencies can creep in, increasing costs and decreasing customer satisfaction.

How Do You Manage Multiple Business Locations?

Managing multiple hair studios effectively requires a structured and strategic approach. Here are the best practices for managing multiple locations:

#1 Organize & Standardize

Establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), i.e., create clear guidelines for day-to-day salon operations that can be followed across all locations. This includes everyday cleaning procedures, inventory management, client handling, consistent branding, service delivery, staffing practices and more.

#2 Set Strong Hierarchy

While you eventually want all your staff to be on the track, first you need to identify the potential leaders. These may come from your existing staff or hiring new managers. Having a strong and efficient management team is important when it comes to managing multiple locations. Also provide hierarchy-level access to your employees and tag them to report their managers.

#3 Legal Considerations

If you're planning to run multiple locations across different regions, you need to take local rules and regulations into account. Check their privacy policies, data protection, and other compliance and qualify their regulatory requirements. For example, if you're planning to open a hair salon in Saudi Arabia, you should adapt to salon software that supports ZATCA compliance.

#4 Communication

You must implement a robust communication policy to keep the information sharing between locations. Use communication tools to keep all locations connected. Hold regular meetings, one-on-one conversations with all location managers, to discuss performance, challenges and upcoming goals.

#5 Centralized Management System

Implement a cloud-based salon management software to track client appointments, staff schedules, inventory, finances and marketing. Also get real-time updates on sales, performance and financial reports to make informed decisions and identify issues early.

Utilize Reporting for Your Multi-Location Hair Salons

Focus on the Bigger Picture

Use centralized reporting and dashboards to monitor key performance metrics like revenue, client satisfaction, performance and more across all locations. This gives you a bird's-eye view of your daily operations. Schedule daily, weekly or monthly reports to your inbox or WhatsApp messages for easy understanding and quick decision-making.

Regular Performance Audits

Perform regular evaluations of each location's financial health, customer feedback, and staff performance. Reconcile discrepancies between locations, address operational challenges, and ensure that all locations are adhering to the same policies and standards. Utilize consolidated data from all locations into one unified view to compare performance, identify the best and make adjustments to underperforming areas.

Raise the bar of employees

Ensure all staff across locations receive the same level of training to maintain high service standards. Set clear goals and expectations and use performance reports to track progress and recognize top performers. Also create a positive work culture of continuous improvements, encourage employees with incentives and make them feel valued.

Conclusion

Expanding your hair studio business offers significant growth opportunities but also presents unique challenges. From ensuring consistent service quality to maintaining operational efficiency, the complexity of multi-location management cannot be underestimated. By implementing structured strategies, utilizing the right technology and ensuring open communication, you can overcome these challenges.

Key Takeaways

Standardization is key: Establish clear SOPs, consistent branding, and standardized training across all locations.

Technology is your ally: Utilize salon management software to streamline operations, improve communication, and gain valuable insights.

Focus on data: Leverage reporting and analytics to track performance, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions.

Prioritize communication: Maintain open and consistent communication between locations and foster a strong team culture.

Embrace continuous improvement: Regularly review and refine your strategies to adapt to changing market conditions and ensure long-term success.

Is your salon ready for expansion?

Elevate your client experience, streamline your operations, and stay ahead of the competition. Let's discuss your growth strategy.

Request a free demo

[mockup-templates-free]

From Sketch to Reality: The Journey of Fashion Design Simplified

The world of fashion design is an enchanting blend of creativity and precision. From the initial spark of an idea to the final runway-ready garment, the process is a testament to innovation and craftsmanship. Central to this journey is the role of mockups—visual prototypes that breathe life into concepts. With tools like a Fashion Mockup Generator, designers can seamlessly translate their vision into a tangible format, paving the way for refined final products.

Every designer’s journey begins with inspiration—a moment where imagination meets possibility. Yet, turning an abstract idea into a wearable piece requires structure and visualization. This is where a Fashion Mockup Generator plays an invaluable role. By offering detailed templates and design previews, it bridges the gap between rough sketches and polished designs.

The Creative Process of Fashion Design

Fashion design is a multi-step process that demands both artistic flair and technical expertise. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

1. Inspiration and Concept Development

The journey often starts with a mood board, where designers gather images, fabrics, and color swatches to define the theme of their collection. For example, a designer inspired by nature might include elements like floral prints and earthy tones.

2. Sketching the Design

Hand-drawn or digital sketches act as the first visual representation of a garment. These sketches provide a basic outline, showcasing the garment’s silhouette, details, and intended fabric.

3. Creating the Mockup

Mockups are critical for testing and refining design ideas. Designers can use tools like Fashion Mockup Generator to create digital prototypes. These tools allow them to visualize how fabrics, patterns, and textures interact, ensuring the final design aligns with their original vision.

Example: A designer creating a summer dress might start with a floral sketch, then use a mockup tool to test how different patterns appear on the dress. This step avoids costly errors in fabric selection and garment production.

4. Material Selection and Pattern Making

Once the design is finalized, selecting the right materials is essential. This stage includes sourcing fabrics and creating precise patterns that serve as blueprints for cutting and stitching.

5. Prototyping and Final Adjustments

The mockup transitions into a prototype, often referred to as a muslin. Designers create a sample using inexpensive fabric to test the fit and functionality. Feedback from this stage informs any necessary adjustments before final production.

Bridging Creativity and Precision

Mockups are more than just design previews; they’re problem-solving tools. By simulating the look and feel of a garment, mockups help:

Identify Design Flaws: Early detection of inconsistencies saves time and resources.

Enhance Collaboration: Teams can visualize and discuss designs more effectively.

Improve Presentation: High-quality mockups enhance pitch presentations to clients or stakeholders.

For designers seeking accessible resources, platforms like Top Mockup Providers offer comprehensive collections. These sites provide customizable templates, enabling designers to explore creative possibilities without technical hurdles.

Why Mockups Matter in the Digital Age

The rise of digital tools has transformed the fashion design landscape. With platforms offering Premium Mockup Resources, designers can:

Experiment with different styles in real-time.

Share digital prototypes instantly with teams or clients.

Minimize waste by refining designs before physical production.

Mockup tools not only streamline the design process but also align with sustainable practices by reducing material waste. This shift reflects the industry’s growing commitment to eco-conscious innovation.

[adagencyappplcombine]

From Clicks to Conversions: The Importance of Visual Consistency in Digital Marketing

In today's fast-paced digital world, digital marketing has become the lifeline for businesses looking to engage their audience, build brand loyalty, and ultimately drive conversions. However, success in digital marketing doesn’t just depend on creating attractive content or running multiple campaigns. A critical, often overlooked aspect is visual consistency—a powerful tool that shapes how your brand is perceived across different platforms. By ensuring that your visuals, from fonts to color schemes, remain uniform, you can elevate your digital marketing strategy and turn mere clicks into meaningful conversions.

Why Visual Consistency Matters

In the world of digital marketing, visual elements such as your logo, typography, imagery, and colors play a crucial role in brand recognition. When these elements are consistently used across your website, social media, emails, and ads, they create a coherent brand experience that fosters trust. Consistency helps your audience remember your brand and recognize it instantly. When a customer knows what to expect, they are more likely to engage with your content and feel confident in making a purchase decision.

This uniformity also improves the effectiveness of your campaigns. For instance, users who click on an ad and land on a website that mirrors the visuals they saw in the ad are more likely to convert because the experience feels cohesive. A visually consistent brand communicates professionalism and attention to detail, two key factors in building consumer trust and increasing conversion rates.

The Impact of Visual Consistency on Brand Perception

When done right, visual consistency enhances your brand's identity and storytelling. It ensures that regardless of where your audience interacts with your brand—whether it's through a banner ad or an Instagram post—they receive the same message and visual impression. This cohesion reinforces your brand’s personality and mission, allowing customers to form an emotional connection with it. Over time, this leads to increased customer loyalty and trust.

However, inconsistency can cause confusion and dilute your brand message, leading potential customers to abandon the sales process or, worse, move to a competitor. Apppl Combine, a leading digital marketing agency, recognizes the importance of visual consistency and its direct impact on building trust and increasing conversions.

How to Achieve Visual Consistency in Digital Marketing

Achieving visual consistency requires a strategic approach. Here are a few tips to help your brand maintain a uniform visual identity:

Create a Style Guide: A comprehensive style guide that defines your brand's colors, fonts, logo usage, and image styles ensures that everyone in your team is on the same page.

Use Templates: Design templates for social media posts, newsletters, and website content. This will make it easier to maintain a consistent look while speeding up content creation.

Unified Content Management: Ensure your visual assets are stored centrally so that every team member can access and use them, avoiding visual inconsistencies in your campaigns.

Regular Audits: Periodically review your digital platforms to ensure that all visuals align with your brand's identity.

Conclusion: Consistency Drives Conversions

In the competitive landscape of digital marketing, visual consistency is more than just a design preference; it's a proven way to increase brand trust and drive conversions. As brands focus on improving their click-through rates, they should pay close attention to the visual elements that guide customers from awareness to purchase. At Apppl Combine, we help brands build visually cohesive and powerful digital marketing strategies that not only capture attention but also convert leads into loyal customers.Ready to boost your brand’s impact through visual consistency in your digital marketing efforts? Contact us at Apppl Combine and let’s craft a winning strategy

[kirankumar166]

Ariba S4 Hana Integration

Streamlining Procurement: The Power of Ariba S/4HANA Integration

SAP Ariba and SAP S/4HANA are powerhouses in the enterprise software world. Ariba revolutionizes source-to-pay (S2P) operations with its cloud-based procurement solutions, while S/4HANA acts as the intelligent digital core for businesses. Integrating these two systems delivers exceptional value, unlocking a streamlined, efficient procurement process.

Why Integrate Ariba and S/4HANA?

Here’s why this integration is a game-changer for procurement:

Centralized Master Data: Maintain a single source of truth for critical master data, such as supplier information, materials, and contracts. This eliminates inconsistencies and data synchronization errors.

Improved Spend Visibility: You will gain real-time insights into spending across your organization, enabling better budget control and strategic sourcing decisions.

Enhanced Compliance: Automated processes and standardized workflows reinforce procurement policies, reducing the risk of non-compliant purchases.

Guided Buying Experience: Empower employees with a user-friendly, catalog-style shopping experience within Ariba, ensuring they source from approved suppliers and adhere to contracts.

Touchless Invoice Processing: Automate invoice matching and reconciliation, minimizing manual intervention and accelerating invoice processing time.

Integration Methods

There are a couple of primary approaches for integrating Ariba and S/4HANA:

Direct Connectivity: For a streamlined approach, you can establish a direct connection between the two systems without needing middleware. This is often a preferred option, especially for smaller setups.

Mediated Connectivity: When complex integration scenarios involve middleware solutions like SAP Process Integration (PI/PO) or SAP Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG) provide flexibility and scalability. These tools enhance data mapping and process orchestration.

Getting Started: Key Steps

Assess Your Needs: Analyze your procurement processes, identify pain points, and set clear integration goals.

Choose the Right Integration Approach: Decide whether direct connectivity or middleware best suits your complexity and future growth plans.

Configure and Deploy Your Integration: This involves setting up the SAP Ariba Cloud Integration Gateway, establishing connections, mapping data fields, and customizing workflows.

Thorough Testing: Ensure seamless data exchange and flawless process execution before going live in a production environment.

Continuous Monitoring and Improvement: Monitor the integration’s performance regularly and optimize as needed to maximize efficiency gains.

Embracing the Benefits

Integrating Ariba and SAP S/4HANA creates a modern, intelligent procurement ecosystem. By combining the best of both worlds, organizations achieve:

Optimized supplier collaboration

Reduced procurement cycle times

Significant cost savings

Increased operational agility

Improved supplier relationships

You can find more information about  SAP ARIBA in this  SAP ARIBA Link

 

Conclusion:

Unogeeks is the No.1 IT Training Institute for SAP  Training. Anyone Disagree? Please drop in a comment

You can check out our other latest blogs on  SAP ARIBA here – SAP  ARIBA Blogs

You can check out our Best In Class SAP ARIBA Details here – SAP ARIBA Training

Follow & Connect with us:

———————————-

For Training inquiries:

Call/Whatsapp: +91 73960 33555

Mail us at: info@unogeeks.com

Our Website ➜ https://unogeeks.com

Follow us:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unogeeks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnogeeksSoftwareTrainingInstitute

Twitter: https://twitter.com/unogeek

[dwellordream]

“The mistaken claim that Amazons must have received their name because they were single-breasted was widely repeated by Greek and Roman writers, and every author thereafter is obliged to grapple with the paradoxical image. A fiction invented in the fifth century BC was behind the notion. This fake “fact” surfaced at least two centuries after the tribal name “Amazon” for an ethnic group of men and women was used by the Greeks (chapter 1). The historian Hellanikos of Lesbos (b. 490 BC) described Amazons as “a host of golden-shielded, silver-axed, man-loving, boy-killing females.” Then Hellanikos attempted to make their foreign name “Amazon” into a Greek word. The Greeks were fond of this sort of etymological exercise of forcing Greek meanings onto loanwords from other languages, based on similarities to sounds in Greek. The strong tendency of ancient writers to create and accept crude, “patently absurd” word derivations is well known.

In this case, Hellanikos maintained that Amazones must mean “breastless” or “lacking breast” because a- means “without” in Greek and mazos sounded to Greek ears a bit like mastos, the Greek word for “breast.” A rival folk etymology suggested that the name meant “without grain,” because maza was Greek for “barley.” The Scythian nomads were in fact meat-eaters, not vegetarians, but this dietary label was much too dull to compete with the lurid image of women who sacrificed their breasts to become warriors. Hellanikos’s false etymology demanded a story to explain the Amazon’s missing breast. Various dreadful scenarios were proposed for the method of this alleged self-mutilation, which was based solely on specious wordplay.

Airs, Waters, Places, a treatise attributed to the physician Hippocrates (fourth century BC), stated that Sarmatian women seared the right breast of baby girls with a red-hot bronze tool, so that the right arm would be stronger. The idea here was that the potential power of the breast would be displaced to the corresponding arm. It is physiologically true that handedness often corresponds to slightly larger hands and feet on the dominant side of the body, and that habitual exercise of one limb or hand can result in development of larger bones and musculature. (As noted in the previous chapter, bioarchaeological signs of right-handedness and larger finger bones among archers have been ob- served in the skeletal remains of warriors of both sexes in burial sites across Scythia.) Hellanikos and Hippocrates were contemporaries of Herodotus, our earliest and most accurate Greek source of detailed information about Sarmatians, Scythians, and Amazons based on his firsthand observations and interviews around the Black Sea in the fifth century BC.

Significantly, however, even though Herodotus describes many gruesome and extraordinary Scythian customs, he never mentions this self- inflicted breast deformity. Nevertheless, the idea took hold. Diodorus, Strabo, Pomponius Mela, Justin, and Orosius repeated the tale that Amazons used an iron tool to cauterize the breast at infancy or before pu- berty so that it would not hinder their use of the bow and spear. Pomponius Mela said that removal of the right breast made them “ready for action, able to withstand blows to the chest like men.” According to Apollodorus and Curtius, Amazons “pinched off” the right breast but retained the left for nursing their babies. Arrian described Amazons who came to join Alexander’s campaign in Persia (330 BC); to him, the right exposed breast appeared to be smaller than the covered left breast (see chapter 20).

We know that at least three later writers disagreed with the one-breast notion. John Tzetzes, the Byzantine commentator on Hellanikos, pointed out that the etymology was untrue because cutting off a breast would cause fatal bleeding. Another author, Philostratus (third century AD), rejected Hellanikos’s claim and proposed a more logical—and more humane—explanation, that amazon actually meant “not breast- fed.” Philostratus argued that real-life Amazons love their children but do not nurse them because the practice results in mollycoddled children and saggy breasts, undesirable traits in their warrior culture. Instead, the nomadic horsewomen nourish their babies with mare’s milk, honey, and dew. Tryphiodorus, a Greek poet of the fifth century AD, also defined amazon as “unsuckled.” Such a concept was far removed from Greek culture, with its stay-at-home nursing mothers, but seemed reasonable for nomadic hunter-warrior women.

A similar practice appears in a sixth-century AD Roman description of a northern nomad tribe called the Scrithiphini (probably the Sami people of the western Arctic region) whose women and men hunted together. According to Procopius, their infants were not nursed but fed with bone marrow and swaddled in cradle boards hung on trees while the mother and father pursued game. Once the sensational “factoid” of one breast became embedded in the catalog of Amazon attributes, each successive writer routinely included it in his description of the women warriors. Perhaps the concept seemed appropriate because Amazons represented the opposite of Greek wives and mothers, and their “terrifying asymmetry” signaled their barbarism.

Some modern scholars suggest that deliberately removing one breast was intended to symbolize the Amazons’ willful destruction of their own femininity and so resonated with Greek men who feared women who behaved like men. For Greek women, the removal of one breast would signify the terrible sacrifice Amazons made to become more like men. For other scholars “one-breastedness” signi- fied Amazons’ freedom from nursing and maternal attachments: Amazons “don’t need breasts because they will never raise children.” But many ancient Greek texts described Amazon mothers, and some referred to nursing babies (not to mention the archaeological discoveries of female warriors buried with children; chapter 4). According to another theory, Amazon “breastlessness” stood for the “sexual unripeness of the nubile adolescent” Greek maiden. Some scholars point out that Greeks associated the right side of the body with masculinity and the left with femininity. Most classical writers described removal of the right breast while the left was exposed, but some reversed the sides. And Greek artists were inconsistent about which of the two breasts was exposed in Amazon battle scenes.

If the concept of removing a breast was such an important symbolic attribute for the Greeks, then one must wonder why no single-breasted Amazons appear in classical art. Despite the popularity into modern times of “just-so stories” about how the Amazon “lost her breast,” ancient Greek painters and sculptors invariably depicted the mythic Amazons double-breasted. As noted, symmetry was an essential quality of the Greek ideal of beauty. Amazons of myth and art were always portrayed as beautiful heroic women, the equals of the handsome aristocratic Greek heroes. Perhaps physical asymmetry in artistic scenes would be jarring to Greek aesthetic sensibilities. (Ugly or deformed people appear in artistic illustrations of ancient comedies or scenes of daily life but are rare in heroic situations.) Moreover, artistic portrayals of Amazons are often erotic—showing mutilated women could interfere with sexual appeal.

Vase painters and sculptors often emphasized Amazons’ bosoms with diaphanous drapery or body-hugging garments. Another artistic “convention” was to show fighting and wounded Amazons in chitons (loose, short, belted tunics fastened at the shoulder—also worn by Greek males) worn in exomis style, with one breast and shoulder exposed. Art historians have interpreted this typical Amazonian pose in many different ways. Was revealing a breast an erotic gesture? Was the “one breast exposed” intended as a subtle, less graphic stand-in for the ��one breast missing” literary motif ? Was a bared breast meant to evoke sympathy, in the case of wounded Amazons? Was flaunting the breast in the midst of battle a way of taunting or distracting the male heroes, or was it to make sure the men (and the viewer) understood that they were being attacked by women? In fact, one exposed breast reflected practical active attire. The archer goddess Artemis and the huntress Atalanta were dressed for action this way, and so were many Greek male archers, workers, warriors, and heroes. In Greece and other ancient cultures, the dominant shoulder of active figures was often left unclothed for freedom of movement.

Apparently Greek artists and their audiences were not persuaded by the literary trope that female archers were hindered by their breasts. But if artists never depicted one-breasted Amazons, why did the idea catch on and persist so stubbornly in Greek literature? Did some ancient cultures really practice breast removal or suppression? Was there some exotic custom or mode of dress that could have been misunderstood in antiquity, leading Greeks to believe reports of “breastless” or “single- breasted” women warriors? An atrocious practice in West and Central Africa today results in the maiming of millions of young girls by their mothers who hope to prevent rape. “Breast ironing” involves cauterizing budding breasts with a heated metal tool to inhibit breast development. Is it possible that travelers’ tales of similar African “breast-searing” customs were known to the writers of the Hippocratic texts and projected onto Sarmatian women and Amazons of Scythia?

There is no way of knowing how ancient this “secret” ritual of Central Africa really is, and in the absence of any other evidence the likelihood of a similar practice in ancient Eurasia seems slight. Nonetheless, the coincidence is striking, given that several ancient Greek sources mention the use of a heated metal tool. A fictional romance written in Egypt by Dionysius Skytobrachion, about Amazons transported to a Libyan setting, included ethnological details from North Africa to give local flavor to his tale (see chapter 23). When girls were born to the Amazons, he wrote, “both their breasts were seared so that they would not develop into maturity, for they thought that projecting breasts were a hindrance in warfare [and] this is why they are called by the Greeks Amazons.” He is the only ancient author to say both breasts were cauterized, as in modern reports of breast ironing. Did the author know of an African breast-searing custom? The answer is unknown.

A less violent, practical ethnological tradition of “breast suppression” for the comfort of horsewomen existed much closer to home—in the heart of ancient Amazon territory. Since antiquity girls and women of the Black Sea–Caucasus were trained to be expert archers and riders who hunted and fought. Ethnographic evidence among Circassians, Ossetians, Adigeans, Karbardians, Abkhazians, and other groups points to a long tradition of “flattening the breasts during maidenhood.” When girls were seven to ten years of age, their mothers laced a leather vest or corset around their chests, to suppress movement when the girls were riding and shooting. The leather corset was worn until marriage. On the wedding night, the groom slowly, patiently unlaced the fifty-some ties to demonstrate his love, respect, and self-control. Early European travelers in the Caucasus described this traditional article of young women’s attire, which later became known (and modified) as the “Circassian corset.” In the Caucasus, commented the German historian Julius von Klaproth in 1807, “young unmarried females compress their breasts with a close leather jacket, in such a manner that they are scarcely perceptible.” Archaeologist John Abercromby remarked in 1891,“There is nothing improbable in believing that the Caucasian custom has a long row of centuries behind it.”

One of the Nart sagas refers indirectly to the custom of enclosing the torso of girls in leather corsets. In one saga the hero Warzameg mocks a young woman for having “breasts like old bouncing pumpkins.” The simile reveals Caucasian cultural values, notes the Nart saga translator John Colarusso. Ridiculing large, unrestrained, bobbling breasts was meant as a great insult. Among horse peoples of the Caucasus, swinging, pendulous breasts were considered unsightly and awkward “for one simple reason.” Colarusso explains: “If a woman were to go galloping on her horse across the steppes with large breasts unconstrained, she would be uncomfortable and in pain from their bouncing. So there was a premium on small, firm breasts” for active outdoorswomen. Notably, in the 1920s, European and American women’s new liberated, active lifestyle coincided with tight bandeaus to minimize the chest and flatten the breasts into a boyish silhouette.

Athletic women of most body types tend to favor some sort of bosom support, and modern mounted archers wear tight bodices. It’s reasonable to guess that in antiquity, most female riders, archers, fight- ers, and athletes bound or supported their breasts in some fashion. “Support, binding, or restraint, or some form of sports bra for riding” was probably used by mounted nomad women. Greek artists often depicted Amazons with tight-fitting tunics and diagonal chest bands that may have functioned something like a modern “cross-your-heart” brassiere, notes one art historian. Was there any other special attire that could have been misunderstood by the Greeks as “breastlessness” in antiquity? In vase paintings, many Amazons are clad in cuirasses (rigid bronze breastplates), scaled armored tunics, laced corselets, and upper garments and straps, much like those worn by men and all of which had a “flattening effect”.

These artistic depictions reflected the chest armor of padded or rigid materials and scaled armor worn by real nomad warriors of both sexes in antiquity. Archaeological discoveries in Saka-Scythian-Sarmatian lands have turned up a variety of armored tunics fashioned from horn, hooves, bone, and small gold plates or scales in the graves of both men and women (chapters 4, 12, and 13). Baldrics (diagonal chest straps) and wide belts of leather with gold, bronze, and iron plates were also common in male and female burials. If the Greeks observed fighting women clad in protective chest armor that looked just like male armor, the flat-chested effect would help explain descriptions of “breastless” Amazons.

Modern “Amazon” fantasies often picture women wearing curvaceous metallic chest armor molded in the shape of breasts, à la Wonder Woman and Xena, Warrior Princess (fig. 16.4). An ancient version seems to be depicted in figure 5.1. But such erotic “breasted” armor is imprac- tical and dangerous. Experienced female soldiers of any era know that breast-shaped metal chest armor would be life-threatening. Why? Because cone-or dome-shaped projections would direct the force of blows of weapons toward the sternum and heart. Even a fall could be fatal, causing the sharp metal separating the breast hollows to injure or even fracture the breastbone. Therefore, armored fighting women in antiquity would have worn padding under chest plates shaped exactly like the men’s, presenting a flat surface or a ridge down the center to deflect blows away from the heart.

In antiquity, some male and female warriors wore heavier armor on one side of their bodies, leaving the other side less protected or exposed, which could give an impression of single-breastedness. As we saw in the archaeology of Scythians (chapter 4), the skeletons of warrior men and women indicated that most battle injuries were on the left side of the body, dealt by right-handed opponents. Heavy armor for a gladiator’s sword arm and shoulder was used in Roman times, especially for the gladiator known as the “Thracian.” Suits of armor with pauldrons, heavy plates protecting one shoulder and arm, were often used in mounted combat. One-sided armor or shoulder padding unfamiliar to the Greeks could have been mistaken for single-breastedness and could account for Arrian’s report of the asymmetrical chests of the Amazons encountered by Alexander.

The notion of single-breasted Amazons—which seems to signal something about a warrior women’s sexuality, willpower, and masculine strength achieved by sacrificing a feminine attribute—has clung to the standard literary description of Amazons for more than two millen- nia. It seizes the imagination because it is gruesome, just as the tale of African mothers who cauterize their daughters’ breasts grabs attention today. A seductive false “logic” still clings to the ancient image. To people who have never drawn a Scythian-style bow or observed women archers competing in Mongolia, it seems to make sense that womanly breasts might present an encumbrance in archery. But drawing the bowstring back along the cheek or holding the bow out from the body while turning to the side means that breasts are no hindrance and there is no danger of injury to them.

Instead, a real concern is that loose clothing might interfere with the bowstring. Therefore archers wear body-hugging upper garments, like those shown on many Amazons in ancient art. For beginning longbow archers, the most vulnerable area is the inner forearm, which can be struck by the bowstring. Yet the notion of protecting the chest persists in archery. Women—and men too—are often encouraged, even required, to wear chest-guards, even though expert male and female archers find that close-fitting shirts and a forearm guard are the only safety requirements. An analogy exists in modern boxing. Unsubstantiated safety concerns were long used to justify excluding women from boxing. Women won the right to box in the 1970s in the United States but were required to wear an unwieldy plastic chest shield, which caused more cuts and bruises and made the chest a much bigger target. In 2008, medical experts convinced the boxing commission to lift the regulation.”

- Adrienne Mayor, “Breasts: One or Two?” in The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World

[aiyexayen]

The ChengXian/WangXian parallel gifsets about the sad boat rides with Wen Ning made me think, once again, about how Wei Ying was worried about being the Jiang Cheng in his relationship with Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying just had so few models of relationship, and only two real models of a serious relationship involving himself--Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. He saw himself as a caretaker in each of them.

Even Jiang Yanli, ultimately, though there was certainly more give and take there. He only accepted a very specific kind of caretaking from her, though, and we see how fraught that was in the way Yu-furen shamed Jiang Yanli for it.

But Jiang Cheng was the most complicated. He and Wei Ying were the Yunmeng Shuangjie. Twin Heroes. Both of them strong male cultivators. Their relationship was such a carefully orchestrated imbalance. Wei Ying had to take care of Jiang Cheng even to the point of making sure Jiang Cheng didn’t feel taken care of. He was stronger, but he had to make sure Jiang Cheng didn’t feel weaker.

And at the same time, he had to be able to have his best friend and brother and navigate the lines of teasing and boasting that came with those dynamics and also with his natural brash and outgoing and free-spirited personality. It’s not something that weighed particularly heavy on him until later on, of course; it’s just How Things Were.

But Lan Zhan being Wei Ying's true equal was a heady taste of something new, something he was desperate for.

Someone he didn’t have to take care of in all those tricky, sticky ways. Someone who could understand him from the outside. That equality between them--of swords and strength and wit--formed so much of their early relationship. The ways Wei Ying and Lan Zhan excelled differently weren’t seen as anything but surface-level differences, cultivation styles. They could choose to take care of each other on their own (like in the Xuanwu cave) but there were no expectations except that which they set for themselves.

The best cohesive example I can think of is the situation at Dafan Mountain. Jiang Cheng has taken off after Wei Ying, to come and find his troublemaking brother and bring him home, ostensibly being the one to wrangle and care for his brother and best friend and someday-second. But as soon as he finds them, Wei Ying is clearly the one in charge. Jiang Cheng gets locked into a shield barrier, given a verbal half-teasing pat on the head, and left behind. Wei Ying goes off with Lan Zhan to find the source of the problems and their new level of partnership is beautifully put on display through their fight (other things happen in that fight, too, but that’s another post).

Jiang Cheng was never allowed to truly take care of Wei Ying. His parents never let him. Wei Ying never let him. He tried, all the time, most of all when he gave himself up to the Wen soldiers. But even that was immediately undone, turned back around on him.

Wei Ying never figured out how to attain any semblance of true equilibrium in his relationship with Jiang Cheng, even after everything at Lotus Pier, especially after everything at Lotus Pier, either before or after the core transfer. Maybe if he had, things would have been different. Maybe if he had, he wouldn’t have sacrificed his core to begin with.

It’s debatable how much Wei Ying expected to keep living after his core was gone. It’s even more debatable how much he really thought about anything past his own desperation in the moment, about all the promises broken with that single act, about how that would affect his relationship with anyone else. That doesn’t seem like a very Wei Ying thing to sit and think about.

Regardless, once the core was gone, he and Lan Zhan weren't equals. It messed up his relationship with Jiang Cheng, too, of course. The resentful energy was its own kind of strength but it couldn’t make up the difference in any way that counted. It just complicated everything by a thousand times and added in all kinds of new problems.

Even though Jiang Cheng had his core and Wei Ying had nothing but the tortured screams of the lost and vengeful echoing in his head, Wei Ying was still the caretaker there.

Don’t let Jiang Cheng find out the secret. Don’t let Lan Zhan become embroiled in it or expose the secret. Make sure Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli and Lotus Pier are okay. Lift Jiang Cheng up as a leader. Win the war. Apparently still be alive welp didn’t see that coming. Protect them all. Even if it means leaving.

But as much as he scrambled for strengths and leaned on his demonic cultivation he was still weak. Able to wipe out entire outposts of Wen agents yet repeatedly brought to a point where Lan Zhan could kill him easily and we know that the only way he could hope to match him would be to use this dangerous thing that's eating his soul, so shit could really get out of hand. Which wasn't really winning in the end. Demonic cultivation for him in general wasn’t strength so much as carefully-applied weakness.

Not to mention his reputation. They got so far off-balance where reputation and social standing was concerned.

Wei Ying’s merits had been contentious throughout his life--on the one hand, they're all he had to elevate himself beyond the need for the Jiangs' charity, or anyone's charity, as his status as family was so fraught and inconsistent. Being the best made all of that a moot point as much as it could be. And it also made him able to take care of said family, fulfilling all manner of "repay debt" vibes and "I'm obsessed with justice and protection" vibes.

On the other hand, they were definitely part of what made things so difficult with Jiang Cheng. Wei Ying’s reputation outclassing Jiang Cheng’s as a prodigy, a swordsman, a hero, even as he balanced it out by getting a simultaneous reputation for goofing off and being irresponsible. He did his best to make them complementary even though they were never really allowed to be.

But Jiang Cheng said it himself when he visited Wei Ying at the Burial Mounds--as soon as he started walking a different path, all of his merits and his skills and his reputation were turned upside down and used to make him a more effective villain.

So suddenly he didn’t even have any good social standing. He was mistrusted and then hated and reviled. On a number of levels, he could handle that, because it was more important to him that everyone who wasn’t him was okay. But it put him at complete odds with the great Hanguang-Jun, which was definitely something he made a point of noting more than once so we know it really, really mattered to him.

And that knowledge crept further and further in, between the war ending, things going back to some semblance of normal when he...couldn’t, and eventually him ending up in the Burial Mounds.

It was inevitable. He was the weaker one between himself and Lan Zhan, in every possible way. He knew of only one way that could go down.

It's a fear that got tangled up along with the rest of his paranoias, insecurities, traumas, resolutions, and twisted certainties pre-timeskip. On top of that, he lost a central piece of his identity and had no idea how to replace it.

If he isn't himself, who else can he be? Who else might he turn into? Someone who needs to be taken care of? Someone who might have his agency circumvented by a stronger person who thinks he knows better?

He sure did that to Jiang Cheng, and he never really had to own up to that piece of it. He never really regretted it either but he also sure didn't want to be on the other end of it.

Aside from that, Wei Ying just didn't know how to not be the strongest person. Being equal is the closest he’d ever come. He's never been allowed to be weak and taken care of unless he's play-acting and isn't that fucking heartbreaking? Fuck.

So who is he without that?

He still fought with the strengths he had and pretended to have the rest of them. And in one last great act of being the protector and caretaker, ran off to the Burial Mounds.

We do get to see Wei Ying and Lan Zhan working in tandem to bring back Wen Ning, and even though Wei Ying stumbles at the end (for the first time ever, I think, into Lan Zhan’s arms?), he does it successfully. They’re still able to work together, in spite of everything that’s happened, especially when Wei Ying is leaning into his actual talents. Even if Wei Ying’s weakness is still looming over his shoulder, as we see later.

Being with the Wens, living a simple life, leaning into his strengths, being part of a community and family, taking time to work on his scholarly/inventor hobbies, all this served to calm a lot of those fears and also conveniently take Wei Ying out of the scenarios and away from the relationships that caused them. It offered him tentative new pieces of identity to grab.

But then, of course, he lost that, too.

Post-timeskip, Wei Ying is thrust right back into a world where he has to finally face those issues. Whether you take it as he still has no core, or he has Mo Xuanyu’s really weak core, he’s not doing so great where that’s concerned.

He still has strengths. We’re not actually shown any indications that this man is weak at any point, not truly. He has a better grasp on the situation at Mo Manor than all of those precious Lan babies put together.

But we are shown that he uses a bunch of hands-on crafty tricks, talismans and spells and such. And, interestingly, in counterpoint we’re shown Lan Zhan descending from the heavens with his qin. Wei Ying doesn’t use a dizi here yet (let alone sword), and Lan Zhan doesn’t use Bichen. I do think that’s lovely.

However, Lan Zhan is still incredibly strong, in more ways than just physically: his reputation is strong, his presence is strong, his confidence is high, his mastery of the qin is unparalleled, he’s had sixteen more years to grow up and develop his golden core.

From the framing, and Wei Ying’s reactions, and the Lan juniors’ reactions, it’s pretty clear that’s the impression Wei Ying has. There’s an imbalance between them (along with alllll the other reasons he might have to want to stay away from/keep Lan Zhan out of things). He doesn’t see them as complementary, just as not-the-same.

He meets Jiang Cheng next and, hey, Jiang Cheng is actually really strong now, too (also he always was but meh). Again, Wei Ying uses his tricks to outwit and outmaneuver the situation at hand. Again, he’s struck by the impressive image of someone entering the scene like a badass.

And what a deliciously awful carousel of conflicting feelings. Pride? Despair? Longing? Love? Annoyance? Delight? Relief? Pain? Fear?

But as far as strength goes, clearly Jiang Cheng has it in buckets, now. Which means even if they still had a relationship, Jiang Cheng surely wouldn't even be the Jiang Cheng in it anymore. What a horrible realisation.

It can’t be helped much by the fact that Wei Ying almost lets himself get run through and Lan Zhan enters the scene to fucking save him. Even if it’s from the kid we know he just bested.

And that’s the back and forth we see at first. Wei Ying proving his strength and his character but the framing and his reactions proving that he’s still caught in the idea that Lan Zhan is stronger and better than him.

Lan Zhan is beloved. Lan Zhan is strong. Lan Zhan would never accidentally murder people he loved more than life itself. (OKay I won’t get into that but tell me he didn’t think that at any point I dare you)

He accepts it and plays it off as not a big deal, but it clearly is. In his rare serious moments, we see that.

So post-timeskip, Wei Ying has to figure out who he is and then how he can be said person. A significant part of the character and relationship development post-timeskip is about that.

He once again finds himself exploring uncharted territory of building relationship dynamics he’s never experienced with Lan Zhan. It started because he realised they were equals. It can’t develop further until he acknowledges that they still are.

He figures out how to be weak with Lan Zhan first, that it's safe and allowed and okay. There’s nothing wrong with being taken care of. It doesn’t have to define him and it doesn’t have to be about agency or about all the twisty psychological junk that was all wrapped up in his familial relationships at all.

Then he figures out that he still has the capacity to take care of someone like Lan Zhan back, that he’s still able to be needed, and not just someone to follow around and protect.

Wei Ying has strengths, strengths that were always there and always part of him as well as new ways he's grown and changed. He’s an inventor, he’s a genius, he’s a prodigy, he has his talismans and his music and his people skills and his teaching ability and his empathy and his heart.

All this definitely comes to a head on the steps of Jinlintai, by which point it feels like one of the only remaining imbalances that Wei Ying feels so keenly is their status, which of course Lan Zhan snuffs out utterly romantically.

It’s even more poignant that that moment comes right after Wei Ying gets Suibian back. And he's not nearly as good with it--Lan Zhan has to protect him multiple times in that fight and then of course he gets stabbed. But the point is still made, that he was still able to fight, and even his failures with the sword just drive home that this isn't who he is now. And that's okay.

By the time they're at the Burial Mounds again, Wei Ying has accepted the way they work as a team and that they can be complementary. And they fight flawlessly.

I love that growth for him.

He absolutely ends up being the Jiang Cheng, in a number of ways. He runs after Lan Zhan when he’s drunk to keep him out of trouble. He ends up left behind to take care of defenseless people while Lan Zhan runs off and has an epic sword fight in an evil fog bank.

He has to be taken from Lotus Pier, unconscious, in a boat, and is held so preciously in Lan Zhan’s arms.

But. Turns out it’s not so bad when the person you’re being Jiang Cheng for isn’t Wei Ying.

I swear this is not throwing shade at Wei Ying.

But he figures out, slowly, how to actually have a relationship built on even ground, as equals, in spite of being unequal in all the ways he used to think mattered. And he only manages it with someone once he’s on the weaker side of it.

I just think that’s super interesting.

And I think it sets a precedent for Wei Ying to understand the flaws in his old dynamic with Jiang Cheng. Especially once there aren’t secrets between them.

Everything has to change, anyway. Everything has already changed, almost two decades ago, and it isn’t going back. It can’t ever go back. Everything they were to each other was bound up in Jiang Yanli’s presence, in promises long broken, in dreams long dead, in a future that has already proved to not be real. In the old Lotus Pier, a lot of it, since they never really moved on from that, either, even back then.

Jiang Cheng has grown up. He’s raised a kid. He’s raised and trained disciples. He’s been a sect leader for over a decade and a half. He’s been to other people what he never could be to Wei Ying.

He’s also proven that he still wants his brother to fix things, still expects him to be able to. Still wants to fight, still knows how to cry. Still acknowledges fragmented pieces of their lost dynamic. Probably more of the healthy ones than Wei Ying ever has, too.

Jiang Cheng still, even in the wake of learning about the golden core, even after everything he’s built and has become, acknowledges Wei Ying as a strong person. As someone as strong as he is, if not stronger in many ways. As having the capacity of an older brother.

But then, Jiang Cheng was always able to conceptualise a world where he and Wei Ying were equals, complementary if not evenly matched, just as much as Lan Zhan was.

It wasn’t a fantasy that Wei Ying indulged him in. It was a reality that Wei Ying himself didn’t know how to accept and kept at a distance, carefully juggling too many separate parts of a whole he couldn’t allow to come together until they all crashed down.

But he’s been on the other side of it now and maybe it’s enough. Maybe he can take what he’s learned in building/rebuilding his relationship with Lan Zhan and apply it to other people. Especially Jiang Cheng.

And maybe Jiang Cheng has been a sect leader and an uncle long enough to not let Wei Ying get away with shit.

[newmusickarl]

Album & EP Recommendations

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey

Halsey’s evolution across her career has been quite something to witness. Having begun her career in pure pop territory, her artistry has developed over time with each new record seeing the American singer-songwriter up the ambition and scope of her music. Now with this her fourth album, Halsey has gone bigger than ever, teaming up with Nine Inch Nails members and Oscar-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for her boldest work to date.

Produced entirely by Reznor and Ross, Halsey describes this new record as “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.” Naturally with any concept record there is going to be a cinematic feel, however Halsey has gone one step further and even delivered a full theatrical film to accompany the album, the trailer for which you can watch above. Although I am yet to see the film, there is no doubt that the musical portion is a mightily ambitious and accomplished project, with each song seamlessly segueing into the next despite the array of styles and genres across each track.

It may still be a pop record at the heart, but with the masterful touch of Reznor and Ross, Halsey also brings in some industrial rock elements, as well as a bit of pop punk in places too. However, it is not just sonically that Halsey pushes the boundaries but also thematically as well, using the album’s concept to press the issue of feminism and misogyny within the lyrics. Arguably what’s most striking about this record though is how tightly constructed everything is here – under the watchful eye of Reznor and Ross, the dramatic production is inch-perfect.

Most importantly, the songs here are just fantastic, from the religious imagery and glistening synths that lace the wonderful melody of Bells of Santa Fe, to the raw, grungy guitars of You asked for this. There’s also the atmospheric piano ballad 1121, where Halsey really flexes her impressive vocal cords. Pulsating, stylish electro-pop single I am not a woman, I’m a god is another standout. Once you have been amazed by all of this, the gentle plucking and raindrop like xylophone of stunning closer Ya’aburnee arrives to really blow things away.

In a year packed full of outstanding pop records, Halsey has delivered, for my money, one of the best of the lot. With Reznor and Ross holding the reigns, they help Halsey deliver on her epic vision with both style and control. It’s one thing to attempt a record like this, it’s another thing to pull it off as expertly and vibrantly as this – hats off for this one!

Listen here

Screen Violence by CHVRCHES

Also delivering their fourth album this week was Scottish synth-pop group CHVRCHES who, whilst predominantly maintaining their vintage sound, have lyrically pushed themselves into darker territory on this new record. Probably their finest work since their debut, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry takes no prisoners as she tackles sexism and misogyny, calling upon her own experiences within the industry to really illustrate the issues being put front and centre.  

This is highlighted best on electric single Good Girls, a track Mayberry wrote “after listening to some friends arguing about the present-day implications of loving certain problematic male artists – I was struck by the lengths that people would go to in order to excuse their heroes and how that was so juxtaposed to my own experiences in the world.”

Other highlights include He Said She Said, a glistening synth-driven pop banger that’s contrasted against razor-sharp lyrics with a defiant message at its core – catchy, but also powerful and thought-provoking. There’s also the superb collaboration with The Cure legend Robert Smith, How Not to Drown, which is a moody, atmospheric, and synth-soaked belter of a track. Although it is incredible right the way through, the real spine-tingling moment comes during the song’s outro thanks to the ghostly vocals of Smith being cast over some hauntingly melodic guitars. Outside of the singles, the rawness of heartbreaking closer Better If You Don’t leaves the biggest impression.

All in all, this album ranks amongst their best work and although it may not be quite as dramatic or impressionable as Halsey’s album, there’s still plenty to which you’ll want to digest and ultimately keep returning.

Listen here

How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? By Big Red Machine

The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon have certainly kept themselves busy over lockdown. It seems they weren’t satisfied with just taking Taylor Swift’s music to incredible new heights on 2020’s folklore and evermore, as they have now also released their second album under their Big Red Machine guise. The most noticeable thing about this second record is that the duo have extended their collaboration further this time around, bringing in renowned artists such as Ben Howard, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan and Fleet Foxes, as well as two more collaborations with Miss Swift herself.

Given the talent involved, it is no surprise that this makes for a really special and stunning collection of songs. There’s wonderful electro-folk track Mimi, which sees singer-songwriter Ilsey Juber join Justin Vernon on lead vocal duties. Phoenix sees Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell join in for a wonderful, horn-backed number. This track in fact isn’t the only time Anaïs Mitchell steals the show, as her beautiful, soothing vocal performances on opener Latter Days and closer New Auburn arguably provide the two best moments of the entire album.

The two tracks with Taylor Swift are also fantastic, with Renegade offering a sweet, pop cut that wouldn’t be out of place on either of Swift’s last two records. The better of the two though is Birch, a piano-driven, string-tinged ballad which sees Swift simply providing back-up vocals to Vernon’s haunting folky croons. It’s stunning and possibly my new favourite collaboration between the three artists.

Ultimately this is just a superb album, with Dessner and Vernon thriving alongside their chosen collaborators for a collection of songs that will frequently both move and astound you.

Listen here

Donda by Kanye West

Easily the most talked about album of the week, after several launch events and many, many delays, Kanye West finally released his long-awaited tenth studio album, Donda. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of excessive, bloated albums, so with Donda clocking in at almost 2 hours long it was always going to struggle to win me over.

As expected, this is another West project that struggles with inconsistency, with moments of brilliance balanced out with plenty of moments that ultimately underwhelm. Although it has more high points than Ye and the production is more polished than Jesus Is King, there is no track as good as Ghost Town and sonically I found it less inspired than Jesus Is King in many ways. I’m not sure just yet if this is indeed the worst West album, but it is certainly down there in the bottom half for me.

That said, there are still some great moments to be found here. Once you get passed the massively irritating Donda Chant opener (honestly, so painful!), the Jay-Z featuring Jail offers an anthemic rock-influenced gem to get the album started properly. From there The Weeknd featuring Hurricane, the Lauryn Hill sampling Believe What I Say, the heavenly melody of Kid Cudi feature Moon and the organ-backed closer No Child Left Behind provide some of the other highlights. However possibly the finest moment comes in the form of Jesus Lord, a 9-minute epic that sees West deliver some of his best bars in years, returning to the social-consciousness that made him a star in the first place.

If you are a fan of West’s recent gospel-influenced work, then this album will reward you for your patience if you stick with it. For me, although there are some moments I enjoyed, the length was just too much, with this album having the same inconsistency problem that The Life of Pablo had but without reaching the same heights as that album did when it was at its best. Disappointing, but still somewhat worthwhile.

Listen here

The Awesome Album by Mouse Rat

And finally on the albums front, if like me you are a big Parks & Recreation fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that Chris Pratt’s fictional band from the show, Mouse Rat, have finally released their debut album this week. Featuring classics such as 5,000 Candle In The Wind and The Pit, this one is a lot of fun for fans of the show.

Listen here

Tracks of the Week

Good Ones by Charli XCX

Coming off the back of the definitive lockdown album How I’m Feeling Now that earned her both a Mercury Prize nomination and a place in my Top 5 albums of 2020, Charli XCX has returned with a new synth-driven banger that packs in an insanely catchy hook and wonderful 80s vibes.

Listen here

Family Ties by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

Also making his return this week was King Kendrick who delivered a fantastic new collaboration with his cousin Baby Keem. Over a brilliant horn-driven beat, the two family members go toe-to-toe and bar-to-bar across this concise hip-hop banger.

Listen here

Alone by Rag N Bone Man & Nothing But Thieves

A remix of a track from Rory Graham’s latest album Life By Misadventure, this version sees Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves join in on vocals, along with some triumphant rock production that replaces the stripped back nature of the album cut.

Listen here

Spirit Power & Soul by Johnny Marr

The brilliant first track from his forthcoming new EP, Spirit Power & Soul finds legendary guitarist Johnny Marr in fine form, sonically calling back to his days with Bernard Sumner in Electronic. Built on a masterful central riff, pulsating synths and a big anthemic chorus, it’s a belter!

Listen here

Nothing Else Matters by Chris Stapleton

And finally this week, we’ve had plenty of great, unique covers of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica already this year, with Miley Cyrus and Phoebe Bridgers already offering their own take on the classic song. However, I’ve always got time for another and this 8-minute epic from country singer Chris Stapleton is just as dazzling, thanks to some amazing bluesy guitars and his textured vocal performance.

Listen here

[filminvasion]

Death on the Nile Movie Review

“Death on the Nile” comes to theaters with a string of marketability issues, most of which stemming from a cast that suddenly became pariahs in the press for everything from vaccine stances to sexual assaults to, oddly enough, cannibalism. There was fear all this could sink the film, which is a shame, cause it all has nothing to do with quality.

The cast, and the mystery, is not as good this time around but the most important thing is still in place and that’s Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot. Branagh the actor also only narrowly beats out Branagh the director; the Oscar nominee for “Belfast” proves once again he’s adept at cerebral, immaculately mounted thriller.

His Poirot is even better this time around; a first act origin story shades in his tireless dedication to duty and nobility and provides greater sympathy for the man. Otherwise he is every bit as enthralling as he was before: a man whose mind works a mile a minute and always seems to have a surprise reveal right in store. Plus the ‘stache is hall of fame facial hair.

The story picks up years later with the wedding of Simon Boyle (Armie Hammer) and Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), a honeymooning couple who happen to be doing so in Egypt with family and friends. She’s a socialite and he’s nearly penniless, causing speculation to the marriage, but it’s the surrounding wedding party who look most suspicious.

The arrival of Jacqueline (Emma Mackey) has the couple most on edge; she was the fiance of Simon before Linnet stole him. But there are others such as Cousin Andrew (Ali Fazal) and the maid (Rose Leslie) who may wish harm upon the couple because they covet money and others, such as former Linnett fiance (Russell Brand), for love.

Sophie Okonedo, Letitia Wright, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French also work their way into this list of suspects but to say that Egypt, with its pyramids, ruins, opulent locales and bazaars becomes the central star of the first half would be an understatement. Branagh is off the train here and can provide a lot more texture this time around.

Soon the wedding party is sailing down the Nile in a luxury liner (still, the architecture is magnificent and Branagh knows it) and that’s when entanglements, romantic and otherwise, begin to reveal themselves and threats are made and the murder occurs. 

Branagh is excellent at lining up the suspects- slowly panning through the row of them and encircling them with his camera as his character probes them for any type of inconsistency that might occur to his massive brain, pulling us this way and that. It’s edge of your seat filmmaking, even if the story of killing for love and money is as old as the hills.

The cast is good at keeping their secrets close to the belt, for most that’s about the best you can say for their development. I liked Okonedo as the bluesy singer and Mackey is compelling as a woman scorned, while Gadot makes fine window dressing. It’s Branagh’s show though, these people are just living in it.

Overall this is what Branagh is particularly good at; taking old literature and giving it style as well as class, while continuing to honor the source material. It proves that there is still cinematic life in Agatha Christie’s tales, while also showing that Branagh is ever dutiful in mining for it. He keeps us guessing, and has a ton of fun doing it.

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Light Novel Review: Sexiled Vol. 2

I recently became distraught over the state of light novels when an English license of Buck Naked in Another World was announced (obviously, that is was the problem with isekai harems, too much PANTS). However, my sadness quickly turned to jubilation as I realized that I had the second volume of Sexiled loaded up and was able to throw myself into the phenomenal tale of women dismantling the patriarchy, obliterating misogynists with overpowered magic, and kissing. Ameko Kaeruda has penned another triumphant and empowering feminist power fantasy for all readers to enjoy.

The story begins shortly after the conclusion of the first volume. The all-girls adventuring party Lilium is now famous after their spectacular win at the sparring tournament and enjoys their elevated status, one of the perks of which is a VIP table at their favorite restaurant. They are also responsible for supervising lower-ranked parties on quests. Usually, this involves men underestimating Lilium, attempting to show off and protect them, and then needing to be saved by the girls.

Just like the first volume, Sexiled 2 takes the opportunity to tell a few short stories highlighting gender inequalities from the real world. One such story involves the team representing at negotiations and a duel on behalf of a young woman who, after going out with some friends, was drugged and then forced into an engagement. When the slimeball man laced her drink and proposed, she did not say no, which he took as agreement. This narrative is an allegory for sexual assault, with the man drugging her drink and then taking her lack of ability to say no as consent. Kaeruda changes this structure slightly to being a woman forced into engagement instead of unwanted contact, which is understandable; these are delicate topics.

The main villain and story arc take more of a central state role here than in the first volume, which saw the antagonist act in the background as a driving force for Tanya to seek her revenge. It starts when Lillium gets invited to the palace for a party, which includes a side plot about the disparity in men’s and women’s fashion and footwear culminating in Laplace, still acting under the pseudonym Stone Cold Stunner, kneeling to present Tanya with a ring (gay).

While at the palace, the girls learn of the court grand mage Maxwell. He has served for the past 300 years as a dominant force in the country, manipulating it to become a sexist society where women are mistreated and forced to conform to unfair standards, all to sate his inferiority complex. More importantly, Laplace confesses that he is her father, who abused and experimented on her for his gain. When some of Maxwell's misdeeds finally caught up to him, he framed and imprisoned her. However, encouraged by Tanya’s ability to stand up for herself (and the love shared between the two), Laplace is finally able to face him.

The second half of the book features the epic showdown between Lilium and Maxwell. It is satisfying and grand; however, I, unfortunately, had a few issues with it. For one, while the battle has an excellent flow and builds during it, there is not much time for Maxwell to be established as a complete and motivating adversary, making some of the payoffs feel unearned. It is also hard to track Maxwell’s motivations and various schemes, he is making an immortal bride army cloned after Laplace, but he also wants to use her blood to create immortality, and he is going to drain all the mana in the city FullMetal Alchemist style. There is just a bit too much coming at the reader too fast for it to stick.

Fortunately, there are plenty of aspects in this light novel deserving of love and praise. The humor is spot-on; it is outrageous, profane, and injected with just the right amount of meme culture. Laplace proclaiming, “We’re not in trouble yet! This isn’t even my final form… I still have 530,000 more phases to go!” is outrageous but also profoundly in character for the confident sorcerous. The most excellent bits of comedy always involves the absurd amount of power the women of Lilium have. Whether they are taking over a jail cell and redecorating it with posh furniture, sneaking a midnight snack from the emperor’s refrigerator, or punching the living mana out of some sexist pig, there is always such a sense of fun and adventure, not to mention female empowerment!

Another huge positive for this volume is that it expands outwards with a few more interesting side characters, such as the princess Arianora, who is a vital part of the grand battle with Maxwell. It even features a few male characters that are not complete evil bastards, one of my few complaints about the first volume. Tanya reflects on her surprise when she meets a man who is as inspired by Lilium as the many young women in the novel, saying, “Male or female, it doesn’t matter. The circumstances of your birth should never deter you from following your heart.” That sentiment is quality feminism, and I adore its inclusion.

Additionally, the returning minor characters get some more love in this volume. Nadine uses some of her secret assassin skills to dismantle opponents and sexist traditions with frightening speed. She has a few scenes devoted to her acting without Tanya or Laplace, making her a dynamic character for the occasional B storyline. Katherine Foxxi, a minor antagonist from the first volume who, after being shown kindness by Nadine and realizing her greatest desire is to help people, joins Lilium and frequently accompanies Nadine on her quests. This B team has some of the best moments in the novel, such as when Katherine chooses to fight Maxwell, giving Nadine the chance to slip away in a dramatic and thrilling sequence. However, there are too few moments when all four women work together at one task, which somewhat destroys the idea that they are one team of equals, especially considering how much more powerful Tanya and Laplace are from the others.

Volume 2 takes steps away from the possible love triangle I predicted in my review of Volume 1. While there were initially romantic inclinations between Nadine, Tanya, and Laplace, Kaeruda pulls back Nadine’s involvement with the two, leaving the magi-knight and sorceress most of the romantic moments. These scenes are never exessive or grotesque and usually consists of the two embracing or holding hands. While the characters make a few more sexual jibes and speak of kissing, deeper physical contact between characters is minimalized. This censorship is both an upside, as it allows for a greater focus on the plot, and a detriment, as characters are clearly romantically involved, but the reader is told this more than they are shown it. There are, however some choice nuggets of Yuri goodness such as the ring scene previously mentioned and Tanya inspiring Laplace to stand up against her abusive father. Of course, having too many sexual moments may undermine the point of Sexiled, so I ultimately applaud Kaeruda on the restraint.

While I have minor grievances with many pieces of the light novel, the positives vastly outweighed the negatives. Unfortunately, there is one aspect of Sexiled that I cannot reconcile, the illustrations. The opening full-color pieces of artwork are adequate. Still, within the book, readers are too often greeted with atrocious sketches with inconsistent character appearances that often appear warped and stretched. Setting the poor quality artwork alongside Kaeruda’s fantastic script and Molly Lee’s excellent translation damns them that much harder, and so the illustrations detract significantly from the work.

Sexiled: My Party leader kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress! Volume 2 is another excellent and empowering female power fantasy. While it makes minor missteps in its pacing and artwork, the hilarious and thoughtful narrative will leave readers feeling emboldened and affirmed. This volume cements Sexiled as one of the greatest light novel series I have ever read and an absolute must-read for all fans of the medium, and frankly many of its detractors too.

Ratings: Story – 9 Characters – 9 Art  – 3 LGBTQ – 5 Sexual Content – 3 Final – 8

Review copy provided by J-Novel Club

Check out Sexiled Volume 2 digitally today: https://amzn.to/35ZObR2 (Affiliate Link)

[massistocchifontana]

The Relational Foundation System: Massimo.Love

The relational foundation system: Massimo.Love

      One of the basics in what I teach is creating a relational foundation. What this includes is 7 core areas that form the foundation to which most relationships should be governed by. These are areas that we all have the capacity and ability to instil in our relationships but often through naivety and complacency we fail to ensure that they become central to the relationship. 

 I have always felt that most relationships miss out on one of the seven areas and this is largely because we are not taught how to relate in an all-encompassing and conscious manner. Instead we are taught through conditioning and this is largely resting on the shoulder of our care givers and the society we are brought up in. Moreover, I do not believe there is a one size fits all relational style, but with this there is the expectation that individuals can be clear enough to recognise this and make the necessary adjustments in themselves when striving to relate effectively.

  Let’s start with number 1 on our star and you’ll see how each feeds into the relational foundation:

 1.     Be present: 

 Being present is truly an art form in this day and age. We have become so distractible that it is very seldom now to find someone who is consciously present with you. Our phones, technology, social media, everywhere we turn there is a potential distraction waiting to hook us into a sale or some sort of offering that it will be a valuable addition to our lives. 

 The problem with this in relationships is that people feel distraction, and the person distracted is convinced that they need the distraction. They will feel that you are not present and this isn’t even in the bedroom yet. Unfortunately we create a polarised dilemma for ourselves where in the bedroom we can be in the throes of presence because our arousal has sparked our desire to want to be engaged and connected, but when we come out of this phase we return to our natural default we have conditioned and this is where our partner truly does pick up our distractibility.

 This is point one for a reason. The reason is that we have to become very diligent in creating the right discipline in our behaviours and thinking and this is where it starts. Once we have mastered this ability to remain present, we begin to create a new pattern of relating not only to the other person but to our own thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This is the key that opens all!

 “When you fall in love you recognise you’re not the most important person in the world, and your focus becomes another person” Russell Brand

 We need to recognise that when we are in a state of having fallen in love, it becomes common practice for us to be in the throes of rapture in the relationship and we are plagued by nothing other than the person in our lives. Our whole nervous system gets conditioned towards this other person and this is where our emotional cording begins to occur and we get deeper and deeper into love.

  2.     Be Consistent:

Most of us have heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. A key take away from that story is that regardless of one’s potential, consistency is a key ingredient to overcoming most obstacles in life. This is what life has shown me, and hence why being consistent is one of the major elements to the relational foundation system that we all need to understand and learn to adopt.

 Consistency begins with the decision to reflect on how you have chosen to live your life. The more disciplined we are, the more we can maximise our time in life and it is here where we can achieve a greater sense of control and freedom. 

 When we communicate our consistency to our partner or new partners, it is one mechanism we can use to explain how we have conditioned our life so there is no confusion when allowing someone new entry into our routine. This also gives our partner a great opportunity to know how we function and when making necessary adjustments, because there will be adjustments made when in a relationship. 

 The word consistency runs through various other topics, such as sex, communication, manner in which we relate, touch, openness, responsibility, drive, determination, fitness etc...

 We have to be conscious and not complacent to the fact that our consistency will define the strength of the relationship. If we falter in our consistency in communication let’s say, you will trigger your partner to react differently (mostly unconsciously at first) to counterbalance the inconsistency. 

 This is a common habit when starting the courting phase of a relationship. When we fall in love with our partner our communication regardless of the mode is always a major priority, but once we are lulled into a false sense of security there is usually a drop in this consistency. Just this very small detail can cause many problems later on in a relationship. Consistency leads into showing your love language. 

  3.     Show your love language: 

As a very basic concept, ones love language will differ in comparison to many other people in the world. We make the mistake that because we may speak a common language with our partner that all is understood when we communicate, but this is where we are often lost in translation.

 I like to think that we all speak a dialect of our language and learning to communicate our love needs time and practice in assisting our partner to attune themselves into understanding how that is. 

 The reason behind this practice is to ensure that your partner feels heard. Think for a moment how not being heard makes you feel? Even the most secure individual will be irritated by someone not hearing them, especially when these kinds of discussions at first are more intimate in nature. What may occur later on in the relationship as a result on not being heard, is that anything we say and do will present itself as an opportunity to create an argument. However, it is important to remember that most of the time the argument is not about the meaningless event as such, but holds deeper meaning as a result of consistent misunderstanding.

 The exercise of understanding your love language is essential in understanding the manner in which you communicate your love. But what is more important after this understanding is recognising that showing your partner how you love them is vital in the longevity of the relationship.

 4.     Walk the talk:

Being impeccable to your word is the quality of someone who is sure of their mind and values and will face up to potential insecurities in view of pursuing longevity in the relationship. The key here is facing up to difficult moments.

 This is where this pillar is equally vital, because the actioning out of 1. being present, 2. being consistent and 3. showing your love language is reinforced by our ability to walk the talk. If we are able to achieve just the four pillars mentioned, we will no doubt level up our relationship to a difference position altogether.

 Most of the mistakes we make in a  relationship will be diminished considerably just with these four pillars. 

 By walking the talk, what begins to occur and strengthen, is our partners trust in us. And this trust is vital in creating a solid and long lasting relationship. We can diminish any form of insecurity and trauma they may have faced previously and position ourselves as someone completely trust worthy and secure. 

 Creating an environment of trust for someone will always pay itself back in dividends because you are fundamentally erasing any trace of insecurity within the couple. This insecurity is unnecessary, and without it, there is only room for progression and growth. This growth will become an inspiration for both partners in the couple and create a platform for true vulnerability and deep intimacy to occur.  

 5.     Vulnerability and Intimacy:

To be truly vulnerable and intimate with someone means that we have reached a level of self-consciousness where we are no longer deeply affected by the judgments of others. We have transitioned to a place where depth has become very important to us and being superficial does not fulfil us in anyway. Our self-image and especially our sexual self-image has been strengthened and we continue to surrender to who we are daily. 

By transitioning through the pillars and reaching this stage of this developmental model we begin to realise that there is a level of authenticity that we cannot escape from. There is a need for depth and real intimate connection and anything other than this feeling wont suffice. Our relationship with ourselves has become more surrendered and we become highly attuned to our needs and wants.

 When we find ourselves at this stage of the developmental cycle, we have understood that vulnerability = intimacy and intimacy = vulnerability. The two concepts are deeply intertwined but what is most important is that we no longer fear arriving at this place. We become more open and surrendered within ourselves and this feeling is transferable to whichever partner we have, current or future. 

 “We cannot unsee what we have seen”

 This new experience will open a new door to our expectations and needs.

 6.     Expectations/Needs:

I often suggest that couples regardless of their stage of development should speak about their expectations and needs. This is essential in gaining clarity within the relationship, because no one likes to get it wrong. 

 The difference with this pillar is that there is a different state of consciousness going into the discussion of ones expectations and needs. Here we are informed by an openness and acceptance of ourselves and others that is deeply informed by love. 

 This pillar is not about gratification but it is more about assisting yourself and your partner in navigating the grey areas ina relationship so that no thinking is required because we just know. We know what our partner needs and they know what we need. They understand our expectations both intimately and outwardly in the world, in the same manner in which we understand theirs.

 It is here that boundaries are no longer boundaries, but there is a beautiful fluidity and playfulness in the relationship that leads to feelings of freedom. We have complete clarity in what we need to keep fulfilled, equally we understand what our partner needs in establishing their depth of fulfilment. 

 It is here where I believe this to be the experience of true love and non-attachment.

  7.     Love/non-attachment:

Our conditioning around the concept of love has been romanticised by Hollywood and love stories of old. We have become conditioned to believe that the chemical connection we experience for a short period of time with someone is love. The fall into love is an unconscious leap of faith wishing that the others arms will provide us the fulfilment to feel complete. 

 The experience in itself is a beautiful one and holds so many lessons for us through our growing deeply, yet this path does not lead to any form of fulfilment on a conscious level. We may feel consumed by the other we have fallen in love with, but the reality is that we have prioritised another through infatuation, driven by hormones that crave release.

 Until we have gone through this cycle a number of times and recognised that there is no love without non-attachment then we have no truly understood the first pillar of this developmental cycle. The necessity for us to become present and mindful of the flow in ourselves and in our relationship is essential in being able to surrender to the other in such a way that we feel empowered in doing so.

 The act of non-attachment is essentially not allowing your sense of wellbeing to rely upon anything other than your own presence of awareness and consciousness. Loosely, it means to be in-the-world but not of-the-world. By being in the world, you are completely present in the flow of wherever you place yourself, unaffected by the pull of over emotionality and the unconscious impact that many emotions can have in clouding our judgement. 

You are so present in feeling yourself and your partner that the alignment between thought, feeling and action have become one. There is seldom the inner voice needing reflection and criticism. The sensation is one of freedom because there is nothing holding you back from being anything other than fluid in all situations. You are able to love in its fullness and richness and embrace the entirety of your partner with the feeling of full surrender and acceptance. 

 It is in this place where we learn how to let go and it is through this letting go of our partner that we can allow them to grow to their own level of fullness. It is here that they have understood our needs for growth and freedom and are not afraid of where that may take us. The sense of togetherness is always present, but the sense of control and ownership is completely eradicated.

 Although this may not be everyone’s idea of happy ever after in the romantic sense, the desperate need for freedom is shared by every single person that exists. We all crave it but have never been taught how to fully express this need or to help others in achieving it. 

 The unfortunate act of being in a relationship immediately sets a blueprint for us to follow which is about control and ownership void of freedom. Or at least freedom within certain parameters often assumed that we should follow. It is here where I believe many relationships need the work to achieve a higher level of consciousness and ultimately understand that love can mean something entirely different. It can mean something much richer, healthy, fluid and far more beneficial for us than the way we currently understand it.

Via Con Dios