#and the border to out of character is a lot blurrier | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

faunastanza · 4 months ago

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There was an explanation out there about angels, demons and dreamers and apparently Andre was an angel that could turn dreamers into demons or something. But there was this weird racism angle it had in the rps a long time ago apparently.

This sounds vaguely familiar! I feel like I heard about a weird racism angle too although that doesn't seem too obvious in the comic itself. People seem scared of angels but to be fair, angels seem to have reality altering/identity erasing powers, so it makes sense people would be scared of them. Or at least they DID, now who even knows what angels do anymore. The borders between angels and other people keep getting blurrier, which does lend to it turning into a childish racism allegory with them being treated badly for no reason. I think a lot of these details are in the discord though, frustratingly enough.

Andre being able to change one to the other is an interesting thought though. I wonder if he's done that to any of the main characters...? I can't remember any off the top of my head but I'll keep an eye out for it.

Marl is a monster and I don't want to give him any credit for anything, but the question of what happened to the Floraverse storyline when he got kicked out of it is an interesting one. I went and looked to see when the last time Marl was credited on one of the VNs/videos, and it looks like it was around the end of Try Try Again, one of the first of the many incoherent storylines to come. He is NOT credited for The Prophecy, which happens at the end of that Seeds: War is Hell stupid meta arc. So at some point between those two Glip took over the story entirely, but I don't know when. That might have been when the first minor came forward about Marl preying on them but I'm not sure, I don't remember the exact timeline.

Glip ignoring minors coming forward about abuse wouldn't be unusual for them though - even at that time they'd ignored some PMD-E people who'd come to them about Marl doing the same thing, if I remember right. It took until after the end of Call Sign for indisputable proof of what Marl was doing to come to light and force Glip to actually do something and divorce him, and even then they kept lying about what actually happened to try and cover up their own misdeeds. To this very day they still feel justified in not believing that first minor when they came to them about Marl and are very defensive about it.

Marl was incredibly secretive about everything to hide the horrible things he did, so no one really knows exactly HOW much influence he had on the storyline or how much he actually contributed. It's possible he just demanded credit for doing basically nothing. There's no way to really know for sure. There's an intriguing snippet in the middle of The Masked Sun which could be related though.

Assuming this excerpt is from some kind of note Marl wrote to Glip, then he felt like he'd contributed enough to Floraverse to have it be "his" story. Of course, he could've just been going on some kind of ego trip about doing nothing, or maybe he did play a large part in it, or maybe this isn't even about Marl but someone else entirely. MS Paint era!!! [jazz hands]

If I recall Amdusias, Orobas, and Beleth's designs were created by someone named... Exty I think? Who Glip I don't think has ever mentioned anywhere when it comes to those three (I believe they also dated for a while but I could be wrong). It's possible Marl also created some of the Floraverse characters, but again, there's no way to know.

Angels have become a muddled mess now, just endlessly ridiculous designs with worse and worse pun names. Whatever power or mystery they had is gone now, it's all subsumed into whatever navelgaze-y journey Glip wants to take for that update. They're so vague they could do basically anything if they have to, big ol plot devices. After all the intrigue set up around them at the beginning it's disappointing.

The Orobas in the main story and the Orobas in the porn comics are wildly different, it's kind of bizarre! I don't know if I'd necessarily say it was dubcon, but I will say it had pseudo-shota/loli vibes to it and I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Orobas also comes off pretty badly in it, it's generally uncomfortable in many different ways. I'll get into it more someday with a more in-depth summary.

tbh I don't care for Orobas that much but I DO like Amdusias and I want her to get her girlfriend back lol. I would have liked more development of Orobas and Amdusias' relationship in the comic but I don't think Glip's ever developed a relationship in it, people are just declared to be in relationships now. See: Principal and Quixate, Lily and Neon, Papaya and Quill, Quixate and Ellaroux, Phesund and Deca. I'd say River and Stolas but I don't actually know what they had going on.

#floraverse #asks

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nielisson · 5 years ago

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Best-Looking GMTK 2020 Games (Part I )

This list takes in consideration the short time for production

t h r u s t

One of my favorite games from this game jam. The graphics and the sounds are just impeccable! All those shaders and post process really added so much juice to the game. I am really curious to know how they made the background, since it has some sort of dynamic lighting happening there. I hope they release it...maybe with some modification to the game design.

Check it out.

Skrybblebot Can't Be Stopped!

For a 48-hour game, this is quite impressive. Not just graphically, the sounds and even the game concept are on point! I really enjoyed to play this game after I understood the controls. I just felt like it was not contrasted enough. Maybe it was due to that notebook page filter-like. I really recommend this game!

Check it out.

Our Castle Is Running Away, My Lord

The art style reminds me of Don't Starve, so I clicked on it right away. The graphics are indeed nice, taking in consideration the short time they had to make everything. I am not sure why the character jumps every 2 seconds, I am not sure if that's the idle animation...In general, the game design doesn't bring much innovation, but it's a very nice entry!

Check it out!

OH MY GOD

The graphics are quite impressive for the short period of time. The theme was present at all times, the animations are OK for the jam. I thought the player's walking animation could be a bit better, since we will be looking at him at all times. The game lagged a lot, so I couldn't really enjoy it as much. I also didn't quite understand the gameplay, even after reading the "how to play". I noticed that it was possible to switch the enemies' places, but what can we do about that? Anyway, this game deserves to be on my list as best-looking, but it's lacking in other areas. Interesting game, though!

Check it out.

Dog Walk King

This is the second dog walker game from the jam that I am playing. This one probably is better looking, even though there are some inconsistencies in the art style, and some of the graphics were blurrier than others. I believe they used some pre-existing assets, which is allowed in the jam. I just thought they could have chosen assets that match better. Also, the size of the world is not quite proportional to the character: a fire hydrant is bigger than the character, for example. Nonetheless, the character and the dogs are very nice, I have to say.

Check it out.

DROOC

Even though I couldn't play the game due to some technical problems (the game wouldn't download), I was very seduced by the art of this game. If it works as it says in the description, this game deserves more visibility. Well done, guys!

Check it out (and let me know if it worked!)

Border

" Your life is out of your hands, maybe if you can make it somewhere else, something good will come, but can you give up on old habits? "

Yes, that's the description of the game. I found it quite depressive, but there is some beauty in it somehow. The gameplay is quite short, but it's meaningful and it brings up delicate subjects. Graphically speaking, I found the perspective a bit off. The character's animation could be a bit better as well, and I know how hard it is to make a game in 48-hour, so I am not judging anyone for it.

Check it out.

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eorzeasntm · 6 years ago

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ENTM Tumblr Cycle 11

Round 8: Spring Fever

Hi folks! Our last round for this cycle - and on this platform - was a celebration of the warm weather and beautiful spring flowers. I asked our models to go out and take a pastel shot with some pretty spring plants. Our models all showed off their joy for the season, but the most joyous this round was:

Kota Tumet

Congratulations! The judges all loved how serene this shot was - truly the embodiment of a warm spring day.

Our guest judge this week was Twilight Dove of ENTM, the runner up of YouTube Cycle 2. Thanks Twilight!

The winner of ENTM Tumblr Cycle 11 will be announced in the NEXT POST.

In the meantime, for all our models, we have critiques and parting comments from our judges below the fold.

Judge Twilight

Adam Evershot: This shot feels a bit like I'm having a romantic spring stroll through a glade with a Prince Charming. I really enjoy the depth of the shot with you (or us?) walking toward the forest, but I wish that there was a clearer destination in those trees. The hint of the building just off to the side is a nice touch, but I wish it were a little less obscured by the foliage near the camera. I do think you've done a good job giving us a gentle action shot, and the overall feel of it makes your choice to be facing away from the camera work in your favor.

Kota Tumet: What a lovely screen shot! You look so serene, I can almost smell the flowers and feel the gentle breeze just looking at you! Great job, this shot really says "spring"!

Ni'ko Shae: I'm surprised you were the only one to take a photo in the rain! You're very on brand with your choice to take a photo with the purple flowers of the Sylphlands, I do feel like the background might be a bit too busy, and the lights behind you are a tiny bit distracting, but you placed yourself well in the frame and you lit yourself in a way that helps you stand out even though you're dressed nearly entirely in purple as well. Good job!

Peaceful Ursa: The softness of this photo helps make the bright, saturated colors feel more springy when they could have otherwise threatened to be a bit more on the summer side. I'm not sure how I feel about your choice to use the ripped paper border, it feels a bit distracting having such a jagged edge when everything in your picture is soft, it would be nice to have seen a version of this without the border or with a more pastel color filter to make the border a little less of a stark contrast. Your glamour is very pretty (My favorite glam of the round!) and fits in with your surroundings nicely without letting you fall into the background, nicely done!

Luma Lee: The colors in this picture are so nice, and I love the framing with the flowers and tree! My one gripe is that I feel that you're so far to the right that the left side of the screen feels a little empty. I really do like how this image feels though, like you're so happy to be looking at these flowers under a warm spring sky, good job this week!

Yojimbo Kasai: This photo is calm in a way that says spring to me, but the colors and the lack of any flowers or obviously green foliage make it feel a little cold. I'm torn between feeling like this image is early spring, or a warm summer's day, I really wish there was some more foliage around to really drive that spring vibe home for me. Your pose and the way you're framed in the picture are nice though, it makes me feel like pulling up a lawn chair and joining you in what I imagine is a very pleasant afternoon nap!

Yomu Kazul: Spring is the season of love, and that is what your picture looks to be all about! I love the concept of the botanist being seduced by the spring nymph, its a unique take on the theme and you did a good job with it. Your position is obviously front and center with your extra blending in with the scenery nicely without completely disappearing, the colors are nicely balanced, and you're both framed well in the shot. Nice job!

Haila Wetyios: The colors in this shot are very nice and vibrant, and your choice to use red was bold and sets you apart from most of the other contestants! When it comes to your pose and position in the frame, I like that it feels like you're welcoming the viewer to your spring garden, but I wish you'd positioned yourself in a more intentional looking way, right now you're inhabiting the space between center and 1/3d and it feels a little awkward to me. I like that you set up your garden for this shot and made sure it felt springy, and I feel like with a little bit of fiddling around with your surroundings and your position you'd have an even nicer image on your hands.

Judge Ona

Haila, my love! How beautiful you look in this image! Surrounded by such lush vegetation and greenery! You absolutely fit the role of Balmung’s flower lady! I absolutely love the variety of color and the outfit choice as well!

Things to consider: If you’re going to do a dead centered shot, make sure its exactly centered, otherwise it can just create just enough of a feeling of disquiet causing the image to appear weaker. Also, having the roses next to you with just a tiny bit of blurring, would have made you stand out much more.

Things I love: Your glamour is spot on for a spring scenic theme. I also love how you created a scene that highlights so many beautiful colors, and still allows you to be the focus of the image. The time spent to create the scene has helped to fit your own narrative, while also following the theme of the round.

Haila, it was wonderful to be able to be on this side of the table for this round of Tumblr and to be able to give you my critiques on your beautiful images.

Peaceful: You look absolutely adorable here Peaceful. I want to be sitting next to you smelling those wonderful flowers. I hate to say it, but you are the definition of Peaceful here.

Things to consider: When given the prompt of scenic, it is ok to include more of the background and have yourself be less of the focus. That being said, your use of the frame here, takes away from the overall image, and really the image would have been stronger without it. I would also caution you to use the sharpening tool wisely, as you are blurrier than the foreground flowers. This, unfortunately caused you to be less of the focus, putting the focus on the flowers and not you.

Things I love: I love how you dyed your clothes to match the color of the flowers. I also love your pose and expression. It really creates that calming feeling that I feel spring flowers deserve. Lastly, kneeling in front of the tree added an additional level of texture and dimension to the image.

Thank you for turning in such beautiful images this cycle and really taking a chance with your big Roe self. I have enjoyed following your progress and hope to compete against you in the future.

Yomu: When I first looked at your image, I was utterly confused. What is this 70’s show scene doing here and why is Yomu love drunk. Then I saw the girl in the background. I guess you’re taking after Bambi and are officially twitterpated.

Things to consider: Your extra blends in a lot. Because of this, I didn’t understand your emote. If the viewer isn’t analyzing the image, it may not be as strong as it could be. I would also try to keep all glam consistent, especially if you’re going for a theme in your image. Maybe try to put your extra in the same clothing style as your character next time.

Things I love: Your glam. You picked such a difficult theme to get right, but you pulled it off. And honestly, I have NEVER seen anyone use this hair style! The location is beautiful, and it definitely fits the overall Scenic Spring feel

Yomu, it has been so wonderful being able to see your images improve through the competition. I would love to see you try another cycle and continue to improve your images!

Ni’Ko: Another beautiful image Ni’ko, and finally a chance for you to use that signature color of yours. I would have expected nothing less of you then to find the most purple field and take the most purple picture you could get.

Things to consider: You have this very obvious purple theme, yet are wearing bright green pants. The blue butterfly seems a bit out of place as well. It blends too much, while also being this completely odd color that doesn’t quite match the rest of the image.

Things I love: Your pose is perfect for a cat who actually enjoys the rain. I also love that you chose rain showers for your image. Although we think of bright cheery flowers for the spring, we need to remember the importance of the rain through the spring and. I also love how you chose to do this image at night. It is definitely a different approach to Springtime then the other models. It was an excellent choice to say the least!

As you already know Ni’ko, it has been a pleasure to be your judge this cycle, and I cannot wait to compete against you in future rounds!

Judge Nadede

Adam Evershot: What wouldn’t be spring without a walk out in nature, taking in the fresh air of spring and seeing everything growing back anew. It is one of my favorite parts of spring actually. While a lovely shot, I feel that it is a bit on the overlit side, possibly due to a combination of outdoor lighting, filter and any extra lighting (if any) you used. You’ll just have to play around via trial and error to get the lighting to where it doesn’t look too washed out. That said, I do wish that there was some form of rim lighting used, especially around your head as it blends in with the tree and rock in the background. Nice job all-in-all and very glad to see you improving big time from last cycle to this.

Luma Lee: One thing that I enjoy about spring, all the pretty flowers that are in bloom. Not too bad of a job from you this week. The bottom half of your image, the lighting I feel is nicely done. The top half though is blown out from the sun being right over you, giving you that blinding flash of light in your image that is a bit distracting. From how your shot is set up, I feel as if though something should be in the foreground, like a minion or a bug that you’re trying to find in the flowers. Something like that would have given your image more of a story to tell. Just something to keep in mind, how can I tell a story within my image? Overall though, you’ve shown improvement throughout the cycle and feel that you’ve taken in from feedback given. Good job.

Yomu Kazul: Looking at your image, I was trying to figure out as to why you seem head over heels in love. Took quite a few times looking at your image and then I saw her, the forest nymph (?) in the background. It is an interesting play on the theme “Spring Fever” as it looks as if you are feverishly in love. Lighting around you I feel is pretty good. I do wish that your nymph had some lighting around her so that she didn’t blend in so well with grass. It took me a bit to even see her and wish I could’ve seen her sooner. Overall I think you did pretty well this week and throughout the cycle. You seemed pretty consistent in my book. Great work.

Kota Tumet: Such a lovely portrait of you this week. Your lighting, glamour, filter and pose compliments each other very well this week. Even the DoF (depth of field) is nicely done. This would be the epitome of what springtime means to me as it is something I try to do when possible (next to spring walks).Sitting outside, soaking in the sun with sketchbook, a good book in hand or have just music playing. I can say compared to your image from week 1 until now, all I can see is a vast improvement on your shots (I was blown away from last week’s image btw). Should be proud of yourself and keep up the great work.

Judge Terrini

Adam: This is a very pleasant stroll through the shroud and you have great framing here. I do have a couple of nitpicks here, one being the tower in the distance being a little hard to see, it would have a bit more impact if you could have had that a bit more prominent, the other thing being that your chosen filter seems to leave the shot's colors a bit uninspired. Something that made the colors pop more would have suited the warm colors in my opinion. It may have also brought out the yellow of your hair more instead of let your head fade a little into the background.

Haila: You seem to be all out into spring planting and I like that impression. The colors are really bright and bold but I would have liked to see you a bit more involved with the garden setting than simply being "welcome to my home." Also the choice of orange-red in your outfit makes the orange-red autumn trees in the background a bit more prominent and underwhelms the spring theme. A bolder red to match the roses or a more pastel or neutral color would have tied things together and downplayed the hint of autumn behind you.

Kota: Such a pastoral place to sit down and relax. I love the garden you found to take a seat in so much, but I think it might have been nice to have an outfit that was a slightly more pronounced pink or even a blue to tie in with the sky as you do fade a bit into the beautiful scenery. Besides that though, definitely a very strong shot overall. Lovely composition.

Yojimbo: I love this pose and the trees surrounding you are quite lovely, but the colors and contrasts do not leave me thinking spring. The abundance of white is more reminiscent of winter, the blue striped lounge is a hint of summer and the brown of your outfit seems more akin to fall. On top of this, your depth of field is focused on your torso when it would be best suited to be more focused on your face and arm in the forground. Individually I love all the elements here, but they do not come together well to fit the spring theme.

Judge Wulf

Well, you did it! You’ve reached the end of an ENTM cycle! I’m very happy and proud of all of you, and while I’m not fully able to give a personal message to each of you, I want you each to know how proud I am of you for following critiques, growing, and improving! You’ve made this another fun cycle for me to judge, and I can’t wait to see where you all go from here!

LUMA The first thing I really want to praise you for here how very in-focus the foreground is, and how much having those close-up plants really enhances the picture! The lighting is so bright here, and that’s a wonderful thing to communicate the feeling of spring. I feel warm and fuzzy all over just looking at this picture, and I’d say it’s one of your best so far! The up angle you have along with you crouching down makes me feel like I’m seeing this from the POV of a caterpillar or flower. I’m very happy with how far you’ve come throughout this cycle, and I want you to keep exploring new and creative ways to tell your story!

NI’KO You always have a knack for turning a theme on its head and showing me what I least expect, and this week is no exception! Yes, everything is dark and lacking the usual colors that one associates with spring, but in this picture? I am totally on board with it! The butterfly really stands out as a color contrast against everything else in the picture, including you! It’s a clash I can’t take my eyes off, and I’m willing to bet that’s the point! Also, after so much change, you’ve chosen to come to the final round in your signature Ni’ko look, which I certainly missed! Keep bringing your unique ideas to whatever you do I look forward to how you surprise us in the future!

PEACEFUL I love this frame – so much. It makes anything look like it was taken out of an old storybook. You do an excellent job with using this frame to create interesting edges to your photo. Your photo itself this week is also one of your strongest. You’ve clearly been listening when it comes to lighting, motion, and angles! One thing I super love about your photo this week is how you’ve made yourself compliment your surroundings – the purples and blues on you really serve to blend yourself in with the lavender around you! Peaceful, you’ve really improved over these past eight rounds, and I can’t wait to see you go further! Remember all you’ve learned this cycle, and make sure you keep trying new things!

YOJIMBO I can hear the soft piano and the breeze that accompanies this picture. I also think I hear the ocean, given a bit of your attire! Seriously, this picture is so relaxing! You very much take up most of the frame, but you’ve got a lot of little details on the edges that clue us into the full picture of what’s going on here. The blue sky, the corner of the umbrella, the tree branches, and the little bit of bench all come together and we fill the rest of it in with our mind. This is a good example of not needing to show everything, only what’s necessary. You’ve done an excellent job this cycle, and I hope you stick with us and keep showing us what you’ve got!

#ffxiv #ffxiv screenshots #entm #eorzea's neo talent management #entm tumblr cycle 11

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taulupis · 4 years ago

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Well then, let’s suggest some Queer Fiction with Descriptions!

A Practical Guide to Evil - the summary from their web page reads as follows:

The Empire stands triumphant.

For twenty years the Dread Empress has ruled over the lands that were once the Kingdom of Callow, but behind the scenes of this dawning golden age threats to the crown are rising. The nobles of the Wasteland, denied the power they crave, weave their plots behind pleasant smiles. In the north the Forever King eyes the ever-expanding borders of the Empire and ponders war. The greatest danger lies to the west, where the First Prince of Procer has finally claimed her throne: her people sundered, she wonders if a crusade might not be the way to secure her reign. Yet none of this matters, for in the heart of the conquered lands the most dangerous man alive sat across an orphan girl and offered her a knife.

Her name is Catherine Foundling, and she has a plan.

A Practical Guide to Evil is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl named Catherine Foundling making her way through the world – though, in a departure from the norm, not on the side of the heroes. Is there such a thing as doing bad things for good reasons, or is she just rationalizing her desire for control? Good and Evil are tricky concepts, and the more power you get the blurrier the lines between them become.

—

So! To start, PGTE is a fantasy setting where tropes are laws of nature unto themselves. The story follows Cat, a young and new Villain setting out to Do Wrong, Right. Her people have been conquered by the Dread Empire of Praes, and rather than rise up in a bloody rebellion, she believes she can improve her peoples lot in life by rising to power from within the empire. Cat makes for a clever protagonist, using tropes to strengthen or subvert her role in the story. There are enemies you love to hate, mentors you hate to love, and everything in between. There are clever schemes, cutthroat politics, awesome battles and tender moments of character development. The Evil Overloard List could conceivably be an actual guide in-universe and I love it for that.

Throughout the story, Cat struggles with the question of if the ends justify the means (and reflecting back on her past actions and fearing that no, they didn’t ). Her mentor is a capital-M Monster, so how does she deal with the fact that he is the father figure she never had? One of the most vile of villains in the series is, underneath everything, still human and very much a product of their upbringing. Given a chance, they could have been a better person. Can Cat still hate them when they never had that chance? Can she afford to let go of that hate, when the weight of their sins is something that can never be forgiven?

Yes, PGTE has very good representation across the board, with characters that are LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent all treated respectfully. But these characters are all more than that. Masego is a brilliant sorcerer, a loyal friend, and a bit too lazy when it comes to things that don’t capture his interest. He’s also neurodivergent, and ace/aro - that is part of who he is, undeniably, but it is far from the sum total of his character. In short, he feels like a real person, not a list of stereotypes. The same can be said for all characters with representation- they’re not token inclusions, but fully fleshed out people.

Anyway, I hope that this was a decent summary and not too ramble-y, and enough to get some folks interested in reading A Practical Guide to Evil. It’s on book 7 and is ongoing. It can be found at the below link. And I hope more folks will add to this list!

y’all really recommend books like: title, there are gay characters, enemies to lovers, young adult, written by poc

not once do i ever see a summary

#reading #book post #a practical guide to evil #pgte #book recommendations #please add your own recommendations to this!

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nemrut · 8 years ago

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Web-Series Novel: A Practical Guide to Evil by Erraticerrata

Title: A Practical Guide to Evil Author: Erraticerrata Status: Work in Progress

Link: wordpress

Summary: The Empire stands triumphant.

Her name is Catherine Foundling, and she has a plan.

Words from the author: A Practical Guide to Evil is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl named Catherine Foundling making her way through the world – though, in a departure from the norm, not on the side of the heroes. Is there such a thing as doing bad things for good reasons, or is she just rationalizing her desire for control? Good and Evil are tricky concepts, and the more power you get the blurrier the lines between them become.

Updates every Monday and Wednesday, as of the latest Patreon goal.

So I burned through this in 4 days or so and yeah, there is a lot to love about it. Guess the initial similarities in its premise to Worm can't be denied, what with being a teenage girl who joins the villains in the hopes to do good and is pretty ruthless in order to reach her goal, while she befriends people on the side of the villains where some aren't that unreasonably while the people on the side of good aren't necessarily all nice or good either. Still, make no mistake, it very much does its own thing. The concept with the Names is just fascinating and really, really cool. The way the rules of storytelling influence the world and characters and the different ways the various characters have found to interact with them is really creative and interesting

I love the setting. It's a an awesome fantasy setting with the familiar faces that I want to see, like Roman legions, orcs, goblins, dwarves, gnomes and so on but also given a creative fresh spin that it doesn't feel like an unimaginative D&D or LotR rip-off. The fact that the dwarves and gnomes seem to be by all accounts the heavy hitters of the setting with whom no one dares to fuck with is a nice change, for example. The geopolitical snippets that we see where the different nations, cultures and coalitions clash and unfold has been one of the stories bigger strengths. The racial and cultural clashes between characters hailing from different nations and social classes has also been explored in a rather good manner. It also has a certain anime feel to it, in a good way, that just makes it even more enjoyable to be me. I also love the fact that gender barely plays a role in this. Whatever role, job, class or function, in all facets in nearly all cultures, everything basically has a roughly equal split in terms of genders, with the goblins being the sole exception with their matriarchal society, which in turn was already alien enough, being goblins and all. No token girl or token boy characters in anything and no "you can't because you're a girl" story line either, it's rare to see it like that. Just enjoyment of the journey the character is on. Same with sexuality, it doesn't matter to anyone in the setting which way you swing or if you swing at all, so various things can be explored without taking over the plot. The lead girl is bisexual, btw, with a leaning towards girls. One of my favorite things have got to be the quotes at the beginning of the chapters. They can be hilarious and many of them have this distinct Magic the gathering flavor text feeling to them. I love them. Quotes like “Always mistrust these three: a battle that seems won, a chancellor who smiles and a ruler calling you friend.” – Extract from the personal journals of Dread Emperor Terribilis II

“I’ll be honest, Chancellor – revenge is the motivation for over half the decrees I’ve made.” – Dread Empress Sanguinia II, best known for outlawing cats and being taller than her”

or “Now kneel, fools, and witness my ascension to GODHOOD!” – Last words of Dread Empress Sinistra IV, the Erroneous

They generally crack me up and I am genuinely impressed that the author managed to come up with so many of them that are honestly lough out loud funny, well, at least to me. The dialog and witty banter has been consistently funny and energetic. I have laughed countless times and a lot of the side characters are lovable because of it. The good lines are not reserved for the main character alone but virtually everyone gets at least a few, it's rather balanced on that account. And it never becomes muddled enough that it makes the characters indistinguishable from each other, even if they share the same type of dark humor. By seeing when and on whose accounts they make the jokes, their characters still shine through. The fight scenes are decent, and the quirks and strengths of the setting and the dialog allow them to punch outside their weight-class. The meta aspects of the story itself are worked very well into the scenes and I believe that that is a very difficult thing to do. Here is a scene relatively early on: “We can get to that later,” I dismissed. “Evidently you’re the gritty type, but how far up the antihero scale are you?”

“As far as I need to be,” he responded gravely. I pushed down my urge to make something out of that. Crossbow Tamika had already finished reloading, and the pair of them seemed to be considering their next target. I really wasn’t liking the way Spear Tamika was beginning to angle towards me. “Are you the kind of gritty that works with enemies?” I probed. “You know, for the greater good and such.” A lesser author would have made me hate this but he pulled it off and made this fun.

More after the break but for anyone who wants to avoid even minor spoilers, give it a read, it’s awesome. Not perfect or anything as it does have its weaknesses but very well worth the read.

The side cast is funny and interesting. The 15th legion has some fun characters who are likable and enjoyable throughout. When talking about the Calamities and some others, things become downright amazing. The way they are introduced and then explored in their interludes on how they've built their legends meshes wonderfully with the more intimate and casual moments they share with each other when they just bicker and enjoy their company. I always hated the "if you lose you are dead to me" kinda villains and even though they are all very much villains, they also love and care for each other and generally having a personality allows for characters to have more depth, to have them care for more than just power. The Calamaties are larger than life, fun and epic. Which kinda flows into one of the not so much strengths of the story. Heiress is, as far as villains go...not exactly top notch. It doesn't help that while I do believe that she is a serious threat and annoyance, and that her plans are appropriately “oh shit” level, I still can't respect her because in her core, she is the stupid kind of villain, the short sighted backstabber who, as a character archetype, just isn’t that interesting, at least to me. The clash of ideologies that very much defined books 1 and 2 between the Lone Swordsman, the Heiress and the Squire suffered under the fact that both the Lone Swordsman and the Heiress upheld positions that, well, sucked. It wasn't a matter of who was right because it was abundantly clear who was and that's the main character. The Lone Swordsman was a partly mindfucked/brainwashed zealot with few redeeming qualities and the Heiress just wants to be properly evil and hates all this efficiency, stability and success that the villain faction had for a while now. What is there to ponder? I guess I would have preferred antagonists who also had good paths/plans rather than just being flat-out wrong/evil. Heiress especially, who at all times has been the bigger danger simply because she cares only about being evil in the right way and is unable to prioritize anything else. Still, she isn’t terrible, she has interesting/fun aspects, it is fun to hate her even if I roll my eyes a lot and her dynamic with her father is fun, even if only for the inevitable scene where Cat will do something horrible to him in order to punish the Heiress. Catherine is a character who has some weaknesses but in general she is fun to follow, entertaining and someone who knows how to end a fight. She has good lines, one gets a good feel for her as the story goes along and it’s interesting if a bit frustrating when her own, culturally biased morals shine through. Like her inherent dislike and condemnation of human sacrifice despite the fact that she has about committed nearly every atrocity but since she is from Callow, that kinda thing is a no-no. It’s the arbitrary if not contradictory moral position of a true person. I enjoy her journey and character and appreciate the way she deconstructs several conventions that are typical to the "want to save a society/nation/people" archetype. The story contained several digs at other stories, like this quote when they learn that the Heiress set her slave soldiers free. Nominally granting the Stygian war-slaves their freedom meant absolutely nothing, when they’d been indoctrinated from birth to obey their orders of their owners without fail.

Which is basically the biggest "take that" I've seen in a while, directed at Dany's freeing of the Unsullied who in turn then moved by her actions chose to follow her nonetheless. And of course, Cat is absolutely correct. That one act of liberation probably didn't really mean that much to those who, in her words, had been indoctrinated from birth to obey and fight. Later on, when the Lone Swordsman comes upon them, he is also aware of this dilemma. His solution was to not ask them to fight, to give them that freedom but that more than anything was what convinced them to fight for him anyway, and thus he unwillingly manipulated them into doing it anyway. I really loved that touch, especially since it was a plot point that was well set up in advance, touched upon over several chapters and then had a rather satisfying resolution. Or the general theme of the shonen protag/hero of the story taking umbrage with the lesser methods of his enemies and saying that's not the right way because it's wrong. It's a conversation that that crops up all the time, and that the hero will find a better way, only never saying what that better way is, mainly because he hasn't one until he pulls unlimited power out of his ass. Cat isn't like that and hates people like that and this inherent struggle against story conventions, especially with regards to the Black Knight is fascinating to me. Having the Calamaties and the Empress scheme and work around these inherent story elements is just cool. The romance in the story was rather lowkey which isn't bad per se, but Killian didn't exactly leave a big impact so far but I'm hoping this will change with the recent developments. Either strike out with someone more interesting or have Killian become more interesting and defined. So far, it was pleasant and cute but not exactly much substance. One more minor point of complaint would be the relatively steady amount of typos, missing words and the like, which happen about once or twice per chapter. Nothing tragic but definitely noticeable. Author also uses adverbs a bit too much, especially the "-ly" modifiers for the verbs instead of showing it through action and dialog how they feel but it works for the most part. Think that’s about it. The writing is overall rather good and I enjoy the story format, what with the interludes and all. So yeah, really loving the story. Story got its hooks in me and I powered through and it was a blast from start to the latest available chapter. Supposed to be five books, and we're in the first third of the third one so, this story will be going on for a while and I'm looking forward to it. 4/5

#a practical guide to evil #apgte #quotes #erraticerrata #webseries #webnovel

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recentanimenews · 8 years ago

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Failed Tanuki and Half-Baked Tengu: Identity and Community in "The Eccentric Family"

Failed Tanuki and Half-Baked Tengu: Identity and Community in The Eccentric Family – Part 2

By Dee Hogan

“Tengu, tanuki, humans... why are all of you so foolish? I'm completely surrounded by fools!”

In Part One of our winding two-part Tour de Kyoto, we talked about the assumptions and expectations attributed to the tanuki, tengu, and human populations that inhabit The Eccentric Family's world, as well as how the pressures to live up to an unattainable group ideal affected Akadama and the four Shimogamo brothers. Here in Part Two, we'll take the show's exploration of personal and group identity one step further, looking at the characters who defy their “natures” and deny their names, and how the lines between the three groups get blurrier as the series progresses.

What does it mean to be a tanuki? A tengu? A human? Is there any real distinction at all? Our characters insist there is, but their actions tell a different story.

“Tanuki Don't Do Horrible Things Like This” - Stereotypes and Falsehoods

“A tanuki who boils tanuki in a hot pot? We're not talking about tengu or humans here. Such a cruel tanuki does not exist in this world.”

It seems like for every individual who's the epitome of what a tengu, human, or tanuki is “supposed” to be, there's another who doesn't fit that generalization at all. Akadama is fierce and proud to the point of hurting himself because he refuses to ask for help or admit he's lonely, but his retired tengu buddy is amiable, looks after others, and is more than happy to join tanuki on a leisure cruise without making a big fuss about it. Likewise, Friday Club leader Jyurojin is a self-serving human who uses others and takes what he wants, while Professor Yodogawa sacrifices his career and throws himself in front of a gun in order to protect tanuki.

And, of course, standing opposite the “magnificent tanuki” Shimogamo Souichiro is his estranged brother, the embittered Ebisugawa Soun. Clinging to his goal of becoming the Trick Magister, there's no question that Soun sees himself as a tanuki even as he sheds (sorry) the characteristics that supposedly make tanuki what they are, going so far as to conspire to have his fellow furballs boiled in hot pots.

Soun makes for a dangerous antagonist not just because he's the antithesis of assumed tanuki behavior, but because he's aware of those assumptions and uses them to his advantage. When Yaichiro publicly accuses him of conspiring with the Friday Club to have both him and his father killed, Soun argues that “no tanuki would ever do that,” so clearly Yaichiro is lying. That his words echo Tousen's from the previous episode shows that the rest of tanuki society is inclined to agree with him.

The fact is, though, that Soun did do everything Yaichiro says he did. So either he isn't a tanuki even though he calls himself one, or the image that tanuki have of themselves is at best over-simplified and at worst flat-out wrong. Just as a “self-serving” human can risk their life to defend a tanuki, so too can a “peace-loving” tanuki betray his own. And if that's the case, then what does it mean to be a tanuki, or a tengu, or a human at all?

One obvious answer is that it ultimately comes down to that “blood” which is so important to the Shimogamo family. After all, despite not perfectly matching the stereotypes associated with their groups, no one ever denies that Akadama is a tengu, Yodogawa is a human, or the Shimogamo and Ebisugawa clans are all tanuki. Others might call them “pathetic,” “outcasts,” or “failures,” but they don't question their places among the three Kyoto spheres. So maybe “to be a tanuki” is simply to have been born to a couple of raccoon-dogs, and there's nothing more to it than that.

Except, well... there might be more to it than that.

“I Am (Not) a Tengu” - Birth and Choice

“I'm sure you'll become a sly old tanuki someday.”“And you'll become a magnificent tengu, Nidaime.” “I'm not going to become a tengu.”

Just when it looks like we might have a neat, tidy explanation of how to define the three spheres of Kyoto, Akadama's two “kids” have to come along and throw a wrench in the works.

Benten and the Nidaime are a pair of mirrors, identical and opposite. They both have all the fierce pride and elemental powers associated with tengu, but while Benten was originally a human forcibly trained to become a tengu, the Nidaime was originally a tengu who chose to reject that role. In so doing, they both challenge the idea that one's birth determines one's place on the “ladder” of Kyoto society—but they also imply that the price for breaking away is a great deal of loneliness.

Benten flies between spheres and worlds, a force of chaos existing everywhere and owning little. The Nidaime holes up in an isolated mansion, a force of order surrounded by a mountain of possessions.

Benten accepts and collects identities (Suzuki Satomi, Benten, human, tengu, half-tengu, celestial maiden, demon) as if they're gifts she doesn't hate but isn't all that attached to. The Nidaime won't take any identity at all, rejecting “tengu, tanuki, and humans” alike as unrefined fools. He doesn't even have a name, really, as “Nidaime” is just a title meaning “second generation.” He denies this title but never offers an alternative, leaving him functionally nameless. His lack of identity stands in sharp contrast to Benten's surplus.

“Dammit, you humans really are so nasty...”“I'm a tengu!”“Nope, you're a human. No matter what you do, human.”

In short, Benten defines herself as positive and multiple while the Nidaime defines himself as negative and null. Yet there's an awful lot of similarity in those differences as well. Both struggle to (or are unable to?) establish a single affirmative identity because none of the ready-made labels fit who they want to be. And, when they do attempt to define themselves, Yasaburo denies them those labels, as he initially insists Benten is a human (although in Season 2 he does seem to have accepted her position as Akadama's successor) and teases the Nidaime for saying “tengu-like” things.

Perhaps most importantly in a story with “family” in the title, both exist just outside the three Kyoto spheres. They lack a proper supportive community, with only the tenuous (if not outright hostile) bonds with Akadama, Yasaburo, and one another to keep them anchored to the city at all. Lost as they both are, lacking not just a group but a solid sense of self entirely, it's no wonder they're simultaneously drawn to and repelled by each other.

Rumor has it The Eccentric Family is intended to be a trilogy of novels, and I suspect that however Benten and the Nidaime's stories conclude will tell us a lot about where the series falls on these questions of identity and blood relations. Given the way Yajiro has returned to tanuki society and Yasaburo has accepted his betrothal to Kaisei, it's entirely possible Benten will go back to being “just a Suzuki Satomi” and the Nidaime will accept his role as Akadama's successor.

Personally, though, I hope that's not the case, or at least that it's not that simple. The series has already spent a lot of time blurring the boundaries between groups and suggesting that the lines between tanuki, tengu, and humans are either very flexible or outright nonexistent. Maybe they can't control the accident of their birth, and maybe that birth will affect some of the things they can do, but The Eccentric Family doesn't seem to think it fully defines them, either. It's more complex than that, particularly when those spheres start to mingle and clash—for better and for worse.

“Poking My Nose In” - Blurred Borders and Fallen Walls

“Long ago, a wise, old tanuki once said: 'Tengu getting involved in tanuki disputes...this is no good. Tanuki getting involved in tengu disputes... this is also no good.' I didn't like that saying.”

In addition to the variety of individuals within a group, there's also a growing sense throughout the series that there's a lot of similarity between groups as well. Despite those allegedly separate spheres of ground, city, and sky, our three groups are not nearly as distinct as they think.

Everywhere in the story we find instances of the groups interacting and interfering with one another. Our “model tanuki”

Souichiro starts this trend when he helps Akadama kick a gang of rowdy Kurama tengu off his mountain. Yasaburo carries this proud tradition into the next generation, as his two “sensei” are a tengu and a human, he's initially smitten with a human/tengu, and even briefly has the “honor” of being a member of the Friday Club.

These relationships can get messy and cause trouble, but they can also be quite beneficial. Despite that “wise old tanuki” who warned everyone to stay out of each other's business, the series itself doesn't seem to be advocating for “like to stay with like.” It's more nuanced than that.

True, humans getting involved with the supernatural has led to Jyurojin taking to the skies like a tengu and Tenmaya being able to trick tanuki. But Yodogawa's connection to Tousen and Yasaburo could spark an end to tanuki hot pots (two years in a row is a good start!), and Akadama's reluctant “adoption” into the Shimogamo family has helped both him and the tanuki (Yaichiro and Gyokuran might never have gotten up the courage to say “I love you” without his interference, after all). The “good” or “bad” of each relationship all comes down to the individuals themselves.

These blurred boundaries aren't just a matter of hanging out together—it's also about how each character thinks and behaves. Benten may have the pride of a tengu and the fickle possessiveness of a human, but she also has the fun-seeking impulse of a tanuki. Like Yasaburo, she can't resist the urge to get involved in others' disputes, so it's no wonder the two echo each other in their excitement about things getting omoshiroi (a catch-all term the subtitles translate as “interesting,” “amusing,” or “fun” depending on context) in the second season.

There are echoes like that throughout the series, in fact. Jyurojin and Souichiro both like to say that “an omoshiroi thing is a good thing,” and Yodogawa surprises Yasaburo when he blames his love of eating on his “fool's blood.” All of which continues to hammer home the point that the clear lines between tanuki, tengu, and human simply don't exist. Everyone can be fickle, or possessive, or so wrapped up in themselves that they lose sight of others. Everyone has their pride. And everyone has more than a little of that fool's blood running through their veins.

“Everything is Fun to Me” - Eccentric Families and Interesting Lives

“I don't care if you're a frog or what you are. I'm just happy to have you all in this world.”

So if a tengu can be flightless, and a tanuki can boil his own kind in a hot pot, and a human can have a love of the omoshiroi, and anyone can decide to become a tengu (or not), then what the heck makes someone an anything at all? Are we defined by who we say we are? By how we act? By the place we were born? What makes someone tanuki or tengu or human?

This is normally the part where I'd come swooping in with a Grand Conclusion, but the more I examine the series, the harder it is to find a single, succinct answer. Just when I think I have it in my hands, like a wily tanuki or a whimsical half-tengu, it always finds a way to slip free, scrambling into the underbrush or flying off into the night.

And maybe that's the point. Like the doors that fall down between the humans, tanuki, and tengu during the first Trick Magister election, or the train that crashes Benten's chaos straight into the Nidaime's order during the second, maybe it's so mixed-up and muddled that the lines are supposed to disappear altogether.

Yes, there are arbitrary divisions and power structures within this Kyoto, but should there be? Why must tengu be obeyed and respected? Why do tanuki have to accept their fate as part of a human's hot pot? And why do humans need to put tanuki in hot pots at all?

There's no reason, really. Yasaburo proves that when he cheerfully outwits and uses the tengus' pride to his own advantage. Yaichiro and Gyokuran prove it when they crash the Friday Club's party to rescue Yasaburo and Kaisei from the hot pot. And Yodogawa proves it when he founds the “Thursday Club” to keep tanuki safe.

So maybe this idea that tanuki, tengu, and humans are “like this” or “like that” is fallacious from the get-go. Maybe each character's “identity” has nothing to do with the groups they were born into or the arbitrary name they call their own, and everything to do with their individual temperaments and—perhaps most importantly—relationships with one another.

None of our characters are who they are because of some ingrained “truth,” but because of the lives they'd led and the relationships they've had with others. It's enough to be a single person meeting another single person, clashing or commiserating, forming bonds of love or hate or both. A Benten influencing a Yasaburo. A Tousen changing a Yodogawa. Teachers instructing their students. Parents leaving their marks on their children. And on and on.

Ultimately, then, maybe it doesn't come down to broad social groups based on faulty generalizations, but to families—to the community each person decides to trust and spend time with and protect. To the “home I can come back to,” as Yajiro says when he leaves on his journey.

The Shimogamo mom and brothers are so tightly knit and their senses of selves so much stronger than the Akadama “kids” not because they identify as tanuki or share genetics, but because they look after and support one another. Their community isn't defined by arbitrary expectations and stereotypes. It's defined simply by having people who love them.

Our central community doesn't stop there, though. Thanks in large part to Yasaburo's mingling and meddling, he's expanded his family to include the tengu Akadama, the human Yodogawa, and the two tanuki Gyokuran and Kaisei. You could also argue that he's (hesitantly) extended hands to both Benten and the Nidaime, though both are so caught up in trying to stand apart as individuals that they haven't accepted his offer yet.

In The Eccentric Family, individuals and communities aren't about three distinct groups and their rigidly defined spheres. They're muddled: Tanuki and frogs, tengu and half-tengu and not-tengu, humans who eat tanuki and humans who defend them. Unique, messy individuals with unique, messy relationships. “Delicate balances” and “wise old tanuki” be damned, Yasaburo has the right idea here. Watching this diverse, chaotic wheel spin is a whole lot more interesting.

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About the author, Dee Hogan

Dee is a nerd of all trades and a master of one. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and East Asian studies and an MFA in Creative Writing. To pay the bills, she works as a technical writer. To not pay the bills, she devours novels and comics, watches far too much anime, and cheers very loudly for the Kansas Jayhawks. You can hang out with her at The Josei Next Door, a friendly neighborhood anime blog for long-time fans and newbies alike, as well as on Tumblr and Twitter.

The Eccentric Family is available now for viewing on Crunchyroll!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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