#so this isn't really about architecture but about making it believable i guess

[aelisinsims]

i'm sorry there's so many pictures, i was just so happy with this area and i wanted to show you guys

[szhmidty]

I can never really get over how much of the resentment towards modern art is based purely on some group of art nerds liking art you hate and disliking/dismissing art you like, and being strident about it.

With architecture, I kinda get it. You are forced, in some sense, to engage with architecture. It's funny to me that there seems to be widespread ignorance about the fact that large bricks of steel, glass, and concrete keeping getting made for economic reasons rather than artistic ones, but the distaste and frustration for it makes sense.

You just don't have to go to an art gallery full of modern art, though. Duchamp's fountain is not hiding in your closet ready to jump you.

"But szhmidty, all these hoity-toity art critics say that bullshit, degenerate modern art is supremely important, some of them even insult your intelligence or proclaim you ignorant for not liking a painting with 3 stripes or a "sculpture" that's just a lamp with a barbie doll shoved in the bulb socket."

So? Why do you care? Why do you worry about their opinion? They don't matter! They don't determine the direction of commercial art, and their relevance outside their narrow field is negligible. They don't matter, or they wouldn't if you'd just get over your seething hatred.

Why do you care if this person called you a baby for your art taste? In what way does it affect you? Why does it make you so angry? I truly do not get it.

At a certain point, I need you to realize that you're trolling yourself.

==========

You know what art I "love"? Christian art. Well, the stuff that's well crafted and coherent enough to be somewhat entertaining on it's own merits.

I didn't bother watching God's Not Dead 2 though 46 or whatever, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching the first one. That movie evinces a level of contempt for me, me as a person, me as someone who thinks like I do, in a really pure, unadulterated way.

The studio, actors, and champions of God's Note Dead deeply hate me and everyone like me.

But for the life of me I cannot muster resentment towards that film that comes within an order of magnitude of the resentment towards modern art and it's defenders.

There is, I guess, the unpleasant fact that I share a world with millions of people like that, that such people ultimately decide national policies. I would prefer that not be the case.

But on a personal level I just don't value or care about their opinions enough to be insulted by them. It's like being insulted by a toddler. I would genuinely be more upset if a friend's kid called me a butt-face in anger. At least I want the kid to like me.

==========

I have a similar dynamic with "subs only" anime fans. You have specific cases where the dub is more of an adaptation of the original, where there are strong differences between the sub and the dub, and for those I'll grant that the sub is probably better.*

I'd originally written up a paragraph on subs vs dubs here, but actually it just doesn't matter. I basically never watch a sub unless the dub is genuinely horrible, or the story is wildly different because the dub got censored for american audiences or whatever, or if a dub literally doesn't exist.

There's a large contingent of anime fans who feel contempt for me as someone who defaults to watching dubs. They will openly mock and belittle dubs preferers.

And like. I just can't care. Outside of a personal enjoyment in having arguments and yelling about things I do and don't like, I simply feel nothing when I see contemptuous comments from subs preferers.

*The exception is Ghost Stories. Anyone who recommends the sub over the dub isn't merely a disciple of the holy art of subtitles, they're just delusional. Or they hate the very specific brand of humour that the Ghost Story dub is going for, but if I'm being honest I would not believe the average crunchy roll subscriber if they claimed to dislike it. I've seen what makes them cheer.

==========

There's something of an irony to writing 10 paragraphs dedicated to people who insult me only for me to end each section with "I don't care." Like why would I write so much if I didn't care?

Mostly I'm just trying to look for cases where I might be on the other side of this issue, the side of the insulted, belittled, and demeaned, to put myself in the hot seat, as it were.

You can believe me when I say "I don't care" or not, I don't care.

[reikorun]

KlubOutside Q&A 401-500 [Translation]

Translated by @reikorun

Q401.

2022.10.24

I'd like to ask you a question about BTW! Given that "Bruno" means "bull" (*buru = bull in Japanese) and the crest which represents "The Inks" is also reminiscent of Taurus, are you perhaps using the zodiac constellations as a reference for the names of characters?

A401.

No, that's not the inspiration. I didn't even consider the "bull" in "Bruno"…. Now that you've brought it up, it does appear as though I used that as source material, LOL.

Q402.

2022.10.31

It is said that the Gotei 13 constitutes just under 3000 people, but with this many Shinigami, is it possible that this can result in Zanpakutō with the same names? Also, will it ever have the same name as a Zanpakutō that existed in the past?

A402.

No two Zanpakutō can ever hold the same name in the same era. It may, however, share the same name as a Zanpakutō from the past.

Q403.

2022.10.31

What is the name of Ryūken's mother?

A403.

I have passed on background details to anime staff so depending on the composition of the story, it may appear in the anime.

Q404.

2022.10.31

Do you have a favorite character among the Dragon Quest heroines? I like Jessica.

A404.

I guess the childhood friend from Dragon Quest 4….

Q405.

2022.11.07

I have a question. Is the horizontal line running across Hisagi's nose a tattoo or tape…? In the anime, it was drawn to look very tape-like, but the one Kubo-sensei drew in color on the cover of the novel, for instance, is expressed with the same coloring as his "69" tattoo, so personally I assumed the anime turned it into something that was tape-like for a certain reason, but is it in fact a tattoo?

A405.

Did it really end up looking like tape…? It's a tattoo.

Q406.

2022.11.07

What is your favorite traditional Japanese sweet? Alternatively maybe I can ask, do you prefer sweet or salty?

A406.

I like sweet foods more, and I like almost all traditional Japanese confectionery made with Tsubuan (*chunky sweet red bean paste).

Q407.

2022.11.07

Will Ichika's Zanpakutō turn out to be Mirokumaru, the same one owned by Senna?

A407.

That won't happen. They're two different people and Mirokumaru isn't a name I came up with.

Q408.

2022.11.14

The certificate of residence bonus was wonderful! I'm a huge fan of the actual contents of course, but the red seal which secured the envelope and the "KOS" design representing the name of this fanclub is so cool. 

A408.

This was Ishino-san's design proposal. Isn't it great?

Q409.

2022.11.14

About the Shiba siblings and Ichigo, are they cousins?

A409.

That's how it is.

Q410.

2022.11.14

The Granz brothers share the same birthday, height and weight, but are they considered twins?

A410.

They are.

Q411.

2022.11.21

What kind of dog is Uni-chan?

A411.

Pomeranian.

Q412.

2022.11.21

I would like to learn more about the mechanics of Shunpo. Unlike teleportation, if you come under attack while moving, will the attack successfully land?

A412.

If it can keep up with the movement speed, the attack will land.

Q413.

2022.11.21

In volumes 15 and 32, Hitsugaya Tōshirō is seen making fun of Hinamori, calling her "bedwetter Momo", I believe this indicates that he's old enough to remember Hinamori from her early childhood. In the general overview of the Gotei 13 from "KaraBuri+", it's mentioned that his current concerns include the sluggish rate of his growth. Furthermore, in volume 26, Hinamori says "I don't need to be given advice about growing by Hitsugaya-kun!!" Judging by this, it seems that Hitsugaya has been experiencing a longer period of halted physical growth compared to others, however is it possible that he is older than Hinamori?

A413.

He's older.

Q414.

2022.11.28

I like the atmosphere of Soul Society's architecture. Are there any places you used as reference?

A414.

Other than Louis Kahn and Oscar Niemeyer which I mentioned in a previous Q&A, I like Brutalist architecture and have been aided by, or rather, influenced by the Royal National Theater in England, Corbusier's chapel in Ronchamp and the Trinity Church in Vienna to name just a few. Additionally, I also like the residence of Luis Barragán.

Q415.

2022.11.28

In chapter 302 of volume 34, "Pride on the Blade",  specifically on the double page spread where Byakuya says "because you aimed your blade at my pride", Rukia is drawn pressing a sword against her own neck through Zommari's ability. However, Rukia is seen clasping Senbonzakura rather than her own sword, a fact that has no direct relevance to the contents of the main storyline. Did Kubo-sensei draw it that way because you wanted to convey something? 

A415.

I commented on this at the BLEACH exhibition.

Q416.

2022.11.28

Since assuming the role of Captain, did none of Rukia's comrades tease her by calling her "Captain Abarai"? I'm curious if she's being called "Captain" in the first place, considering that the nickname "Kuchiki" has become commonplace among those around her. 

A416.

Shunsui immediately began addressing her as "Captain", so calling her by the title of “Captain” very quickly caught on among everyone else. Shunsui has always been the type that would make an effort to immediately call a newly appointed Captain by their title and help them get used to the new environment quickly.

Q417.

2022.12.05

Sensei, is there a character from BLEACH that you would like to see made into a figurine, or do you have a favorite among those that already exist?

A417.

I think it would be great if a figurine of a scantily clad female character was released. If they have big boobs then anyone will do.

Q418.

2022.12.05

The following information has been recorded on Wikipedia regarding Ichigo's Zangetsu after the conclusion of the series:

"On top of being able to fight by choosing between single blade style and dual blade style while in Shikai (through changes to Reiatsu), while in Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu can be used in either a katana state (a combination of Tensa Zangetsu from the beginning and middle stages of the series), or in a large sword state (after special training with Urahara Kisuke and Hyōsube Ichibē of the Zero Division respectively)." Is this accurate?

A418.

Let's refer to official source material, not the wiki.

Q419.

2022.12.05

In the scene where Kenpachi meets Yachiru, Zaraki asks her "where did you come from?" Yachiru touches Zaraki's Zanpakutō, was this foreshadowing that Yachiru = Nozarashi?

A419.

Since I've already talked about Yachiru here, I can give you an answer: yes, you are correct.

Q420.

2022.12.12

Regarding the advertising slogans on the character cover art at the time of the Jump magazine publication, in addition to the catchphrases which accompanied the Captain & Vice-Captain cover art illustrations that were printed in the art book "All Colour But The Black" and the Jump special issues, are they created by Kubo-sensei rather than the editor? Are there also any other slogans devised by Kubo-sensei that were not included in said cases?

A420.

My editor writes all the slogans. The editor who did the work around the Captain and Vice Captain title pages, is Nakano-san who is currently the editor-in-chief of Jump.

Q421.

2022.12.12

Please tell us the gender of both Senjumaru and Nianzol.

A421.

Senjumaru is a woman and Nianzol is a man.

Q422.

2022.12.12

Where in the body is the location of the "Saketsu" and "Hakusui", often referred to as "the heart of a Shinigami"?

A422.

In the context of acupuncture points, I imagine that the Saketsu is the equivalent of "Jade Hall", and Hakusui is around the "Heavenly Pivot". ×[1]

Q423.

2022.12.19

What was the most stressful event in your life?

A423.

I guess it was when I first appeared on stage at Jump Festa. It was before the series had an anime adaptation, so there were only three of us: myself, my editor, and the female host, it was tough. I think it was at this time that I did my first ever autograph session.

Q424.

2022.12.19

If anything, it always bothered me to no end that there was a certain air about the BLEACH anime where it appears to be trying to make it look as though Ichigo and Rukia were in love with each other. How much did you tell the anime staff about your vision for the final landing spot of the original work?

A424.

I didn't tell them anything because no one asked me about it. Before the anime aired I was only told “the entirety of the Soul Society arc should be covered in one year”, so I thought "oh, the anime will end in a year." I can't remember very well whether or not the anime tried to turn Ichigo and Rukia into lovers.

Q425. 

2022.12.19

Akon's skin tone is painted in a different color between the Thousand-Year Blood War arc color pages and KaraBuri, is this something intentional? I remember his complexion being quiet pale, so it caught me by surprise to see him painted with some color in his cheeks in the Thousand-Year Blood War. 

A425.

At the beginning of TYBW, I used a color that gave him a bit more of a typical human complexion as it creates a contrast with Mayuri. Was the color choice really that dark…?

Q426.

2022.12.26

Has Kubo-sensei checked the lines in the English-language edition of BLEACH? Are the nuances and so on reflected in the English translation?

A426.

I like the English language, but it's not like I can read it so I don't check them.

Q427.

2022.12.26

Please tell us the intonation of the name "Kazui"! 

A427.

It's the same as the intonation of "atsugi" (*Japanese for warm clothes). The same with "kabuki" (*eccentric), or "kasumi" (*haze).

Q428.

2022.12.26

Who is your favorite member among the Bambies?

A428.

I like all the Bambies.

Q429.

2023.01.02

Is Byakuya affectionate towards Ichika?

A429.

Very much so.

Q430.

2023.01.02

Is the entire 5th Division barracks overflowing with items of Hirako Shinji's leisurely pursuits?

A430.

At present, It is being extensively renovated to suit Hirako's tastes.

Q431.

2023.01.02

A question regarding Findorr. During his conversation with Hisagi, the way in which there is a repeated exchange of questions and answers, until finally Findorr makes a serious attempt at his life after an incorrect answer is given, in addition to Pinza Aguda, it reminded me of the Yōkai Kanibōzu. I was wondering if that's where sensei also developed his ideas from.

A431. 

When I looked it up, it turned out there is indeed such a Yōkai! That wasn't the source of my inspiration, but I love Yōkai so I'm glad to have learned about one I had no idea existed.

Q432.

2023.01.09

I love BLEACH so much that I want a T-Point card or some other kind of point redemption card with a BLEACH design on it! Where can I ask to have my suggestion considered!?

A432.

This question was sent before the art exhibition, but I'm glad to say the cards were made available!

Q433.

2023.01.09

All four of the Seireimon Gatekeepers have gigantic bodies, but I wonder if they have increased in size naturally or if they are using a kind of enhancement drug or something in order to serve as Gatekeepers.

A433.

Being a Gatekeeper of the Seireimon is an occupation only held by those who possess a huge physique on an exceptional scale.

Q434.

2023.01.09

Ichigo's occupation was revealed to be a translator, but what languages does he translate?

A434.

He does English to Japanese translation.

Q435.

2023.01.16

If Shinigami had a driver's license, who would you say is the best driver and who is the worst?

A435.

I suppose it depends on what measure of skill we use, but if we're talking about safe driving, then it's Isane, if it's about mastery, then it's Kisuke, as for those who are bad at driving… I get the feeling that a lot of them would be quite bad…. Kenpachi would probably crash first….

Q436.

2023.01.16

I think the Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, is an Arrancar who embodies an abundance of praying mantis elements, both in terms of his Zanpakutō name and its release call, but also in terms of his personality which appears to fit the idiom "praying mantis's axe" (*courageous but doomed resistance). The other day, a program called "Amazing Insects!" featuring Kagawa Teruyuki-san was being rebroadcast on TV, and I learned about a praying mantis called "Peruvian shield mantis" which is characterized by its round thorax. Is this praying mantis the original motif for the round part of his clothes behind his head?

A436.

When I searched it up, it really did resemble Nnoitra! Interesting way of looking at things but it's just a coincidence. 

Q437.

2023.01.16

It seems that Yammy's Fracción Kukkapūro was left in the spot where Yammy died, but was he safe when the Quincy launched their assault in the final arc? 

A437.

He's safe. Well, to be honest, if you had asked me this before I got my dog Uni, I would probably have said that he's dead…. But now, I can no longer bear to watch any form of entertainment where an animal dies, so Kukkapūro is fine.

Q438.

2023.01.23

The 'Shop' has goods such as T-shirts and art boards, but are there any plans to add a wider variety of other merchandise in the future? (Acrylic stands, for example.) Personally, I really want Yuyu-chan merch…!

A438.

There were quite a few acrylic stands released at the exhibition…. But it's true there aren't many Yuyu goods so I'll let my editor know! 

Q439.

2023.01.23

Sensei, although you draw BLEACH as a battle-themed manga, do you always bear in mind that it also has aspects of horror manga while writing it? I ask this question because I read the new one-shot and it reminded me of the consistent presence of horror elements which has been there since the beginning and that made me curious.

A439.

Wherever it was that I felt "it might be more interesting if it was slightly scary here", I would go ahead and draw it with a slight touch of eeriness. Though, I don't have any particular intention of drawing manga in a horror-like style. I'm not good with scary stuff. I can't handle scary stories or movies at all, but I'm fine with the ones I've drawn myself. 

Q440.

2023.01.23

Within the story of BLEACH, multiple anesthetic drugs were presented such as Shinten, Gaten and Hōten, but are drugs like Gaten and Hōten effective even on people with high Reiatsu?

A440.

That's correct. Out of those Shinten is the weakest, followed by Gaten, then Hōten which has the strongest effect and can even come to take effect on individuals who possess a powerful Reiatsu. 

Q441.

2023.01.30

Kubo-sensei, do you use BLEACH LINE stamps?

A441.

Deciding whether or not to use stamps from one's own work is a matter that varies among artists, but I'm the type who's too embarrassed to use them. My editor and my friends often use BLEACH stamps.

Q442.

2023.01.30

Did Kubo-sensei come up with the novel titles, like "The Honey Dish Rhapsody" and "Can't Fear Your Own World"? I'm especially interested in the "knot" from the title "We Do knot ALWAYS LOVE You" because it reminds me of Yumichika's line "it's much harder to tie than to untie."

A442.

"Can't ~" was suggested by Narita-san and I gave it the okay, the rest are titles I came up with. The "knot" from "We Do knot~" as you correctly pointed out, was extracted from Yumichika's line.

Q443.

2023.02.06

Sensei, does Orihime still work at the bakery? Or has she become a housewife and is occupied with raising her child?

A443.

By the time of the one-shot, Kazui has grown somewhat and Ichigo also has a job that allows him to stay at home a fair amount, so she works part-time at the bakery every now and then.

Q444.

2023.02.13

Do you have a favorite novel?

A444.

The first time I spontaneously thought "I love this~" was when I read Revolution No. 3 by Kaneshiro Kazuki.

Q445.

2023.02.20

I'd like to hear which character's lines gave you the most trouble to create so far.

A445.

I don't remember which lines gave me the most trouble because it's not the spoken lines that stand out but rather the plain explanatory narration.

Q446.

2023.02.27

What exactly did sensei do in order to improve his drawing skills? Did you do things like drawing rough construction lines, or did you try copying your favorite pictures?

A446.

Of course I tried drawing by imitating my favorite manga, but it was never something good enough to be called a 'copy'. I still don't know the proper way to draw construction lines.

Q447.

2023.02.27

When did Ichigo get his hair cut short? Was it Yuzu-chan who cut it for him at the time as well?

A447.

I haven't decided on when exactly he got it shortened, but after graduating from high school, Ichigo used to go to an ordinary hair salon. At the badgering of Yuzu who became a hairdresser, Ichigo now goes to the beauty salon where Yuzu works.  

Q448.

2023.03.06

The subtitles of chapter 129 and chapter 130, which were included in volume 15 of BLEACH, were titled "Etude of Transcendent Technique" when they were published in Jump magazine. Does Hinamori Momo's theme music comprise of "glass elevator", which was unveiled on the JET special website, in addition to the fourth étude "Mazeppa"? 

A448.

That is a title dedicated to Ichigo's training. When putting the chapters into a tankōbon, I thought the main focus here should be Hinamori, so I changed the title in that direction. Wow, I never would have guessed that I'd receive a question about the subtitles at the time they were being published in the magazine.

Q449.

2023.03.13

What kind of pen nib do you use when composing your manga with traditional art mediums?

A449.

A Zebra G pen. I only use this one type.

Q450.

2023.03.20

The front cover of volume 70 features Haschwalt, but why is the illustration different when the book jacket is removed? Is this something sensei intended? I was curious because the book jacket of the other volumes was the same as the inner cover illustrations. I mean, his expression on the book jacket looks like a cold stare, but when you remove it, you can see a little light in his eyes and his expression is also somewhat melancholic…. To go further, in the opening poem, his eyes are closed. When you follow that sequence, like the fluctuations in the emotional state of Haschwalt himself, you're left with an indescribable feeling. I was observing, thinking how amazing it was that the sequence of facial expressions synchronized with the opening poem!

A450.

The variations are intentional.

Q451.

2023.03.27

What day of the week is Kubo-sensei's favorite day on Love It!?

A451.

If I had to choose one, then it's probably Wednesday. (*Love it! is a variety show in Japan.)

Q452.

2023.03.27

Is the reason why Nemu's breasts have gotten so big a side effect of changes in Kubo-sensei's art style throughout the series? Or is it because Nemu has developed? Or perhaps Kubo-sensei finds it more fun to draw them bigger?

A452.

Huh, are they that different? It was always my intention to draw them large from the very beginning. 

Q453.

2023.04.03

Is the necklace worn by Ricky in BAD SHIELD UNITED the same one Rachel wore?

A453.

That's correct. Huh, I get questions like this too!?

Q454.

2023.04.10

Are the settings etc. of this recent one-shot and the Hell Verse movie treated as parallel?

A454.

It's separate from the movie.

Q455.

2023.04.10

There was an event called "Bankai Battle" in the BLEACH mobile game, was Kubo-sensei involved?

A455.

I'm not involved, but I'm aware that the swimsuit illustrations were erotic, so I want a book with all the swimsuit art collected inside.

Q456.

2023.04.17

I love Kitarō as much as I love Bleach, so I get excited every time Kubo-sensei talks about it. I love Mizuki Shigeru-sensei's manga of course, but I also love the Kitarō anime, has Kubo-sensei ever watched it? I like the sense of distance between Yōkai and humans in the second season (70's).

A456.

I've only watched the third season. (It's not that I dislike the others.) In the third season, there was a guest appearance by an original character known as Yumeko-chan, so it appears to be an unconventional choice among fans, but I like her. The rendering style for Kitarō is completely different from the original work (like his hair type), but when I was in elementary school, I used to draw Kitarō in both the style of the anime and the original work.

Q457.

2023.04.24

In chapter 477, Rukia jumps out to protect Ichigo from Tsukishima, however her facial expression appears to be one of surprise, so I was considering if it was actually Riruka controlling her body. Whose intention was it truly, Rukia's or Riruka's? 

A457.

It's Riruka’s.

Q458.

2023.04.24

I would like to know if there are any painters that Kubo-sensei likes or any that have influenced him. Thank you.

A458.

My favorite painter, or perhaps I should say, my favorite painting is 'Flowers In a Vase' by Édouard Manet (or more accurately, it's something like 'Carnations and Clematis in a Crystal Vase'). When I was a student, I tore out a calendar page which had that picture printed on it and pasted it to the wall of my room.

Q459.

2023.04.24

I was convinced that Ichigo would become a doctor, but I am surprised to find out that he became a translator. I would like to know what led Ichigo to becoming a translator. 

A459.

It's because he had an interest in connecting two worlds.

Q460.

2023.05.01

Is Yokochin doing well? I'm worried that he may be involved in some high-priced reselling or something shady like that.

A460.

It really seems like that would be the case, huh?

Q461.

2023.05.01

Were Szayelaporro and Yylfordt actually brothers during their time as humans? I think it's an exceedingly rare occurrence for both brothers to Hollowfy after death and also become an Arrancar, but I wonder if there was some common trigger? I have been curious about the pair for a long time, so I would like it if you could tell me.

A461.

The two of them were too similar at their core, so they were met with the same fate.

Q462.

2023.05.08

This is a question regarding Yayahara Yuyu. It seems like she's obsessed with gyaru style due to Lisa's influence, but what was her appearance like before that?

A462.

She wasn't a gyaru back then, but I might draw what she used to look like someday so I'll keep quiet for now.

Q463.

2023.05.08

Where is Nelliel's Hollow hole located?

A463.

In the heart.

Q464.

2023.05.15

In the one-shot, Rukia referred to Orihime by her first name, but how does Orihime address Rukia?

A464.

She calls her "Rukia-chan".

Q465.

2023.05.15

I want to know why Yoruichi-san can take on the form of a black cat. It seems possible to interpret it as the form of Yoruichi-san being sealed into a different one, that of a black cat, however it also appears to be fundamentally different to Hadō and Bakudō. Is it a power that diverges from Kidō? Or perhaps it's some kind of technology belonging to Urahara-san?

A465.

It's the Shihōin bloodline. Sometimes, individuals who can transform into the shape of an animal emerge from within the Shihōin clan. 

Q466.

2023.05.22

I frequently use LINE stamps from BLEACH and BTW! I would like BLEACH and BTW LINE themes too, are there any plans of this kind for the future?

A466.

I haven't heard about any such plans, but I'll let my editor know!

Q467.

2023.05.22

It appears that Ryūken is a surgeon, but what department has Uryū been working in since becoming a doctor? 

A467.

He is currently assigned to the pediatric department because he is popular with children.

Q468.

2023.05.29

I would definitely love to see replica Zanpakutō being made into merch. Whether it's a full scale model, or around the size of a pencil, I'd like to make a collection either way. What do you think?

A468.

I feel like there were keychains out there in the past…. I'll try to pass that on to my editor. 

Q469.

2023.05.29

In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, when they gathered energy as part of the world distortion repair team, and in the novel CFYOW, after the battle with Tsunayashiro and company had concluded, Hiyori came to the Soul Society in a normal manner. Does that mean the other Visoreds who remained at their base of operations are able to travel back and forth between Soul Society and the Human World like normal now? Are they opening the Senkaimon by themselves? I assume if they don't have a Hell Butterfly, they'd be sent through the Dangai…. I'm curious what their relationship with Soul Society is like after the battle with Aizen had come to an end.

A469.

At present, the Visored are being lent passes that can substitute for a Hell Butterfly.

Q470.

2023.06.05

I've always been super curious about this, but are all Shinigami's underwear loincloths? Is it different for female Shinigami, or people like Sasakibe-san who likes Western culture, or Ichigo who is a substitute Shinigami?

A470.

Excluding those who are extremely picky about it, It's a basic loincloth for both men and women.

Q471.

2023.06.05

Are Aizen-sama's glasses just for show? Personally, I thought that he wore them to make his face look gentle, but I would like to know the reason behind why he wore glasses if there is one. 

A471.

You're exactly right. He wore them in order to give his face a softer look.

Q472.

2023.06.05

Just like with Isshin's Engetsu and Ichigo's Zangetsu, when there is a parent-child relationship, will the names and properties of a Zanpakutō be similar?

A472.

Not limited to parent and child, similarities can sometimes occur among blood relatives.

Q473.

2023.06.12

When Ichigo addresses members of the Gotei 13, regardless of their rank, he either drops the honorifics in their name, or attaches the polite suffix '-san', like "Byakuya" versus "Rangiku-san" for instance. Does he have some kind of criteria? I can understand dropping honorifics if it's an opponent he once fought or something, but for example, when he interacts with Tōshirō for the first time in the story (with the Hitsugaya advance party), Ichigo was already calling him just "Tōshirō!", so that got me curious.

A473.

I wonder what it is… I get the feeling that Ichigo drops honorifics for guys who, in his mind, are classed as "youngsters"….

Q474.

2023.06.12

I love the Lost Agent arc. Roughly how old is Ginjo, and how exactly did he become a substitute Shinigami? 

A474.

How he became a substitute Shinigami is a secret, but his human age is 28 years old.

Q475.

2023.06.12

Gerard's Schrift is M: The Miracle, and his ability involved "the gigantification of any body part which had damage incurred upon it and then strengthening it." When Gerard was sliced in half by Zaraki Kenpachi's Bankai, something resembling a Quincy cross emerged from his head. Was that something akin to Gerard's core and if it had been destroyed, would Gerard have been defeated?

A475.

If it were destroyed, he would have been defeated. As long as something is capable of destroying it.

Q476.

2023.06.19

In the PV for the Thousand-Year Blood War arc anime, was it Kubo-sensei himself who drew the "Thousand-Year Blood War arc" lettering which appears in the logo?

A476.

It was the designer. That lettering is great, isn't it? 

Q477.

2023.06.19

I have a question about the Central 46. They are said to be composed of forty sages and six judges gathered from all over Soul Society, but what is the recruitment criteria like? Is there some kind of training school, like the ones in the Human World? Also, as far as I can see from the illustrations in the manga, they appear to be wearing clothes which are similar in appearance to Shihakushō, so I wonder if they are also classified as Shinigami?

A477.

They are Shinigami.

Q478.

2023.06.19

Since Yachiru, Nemu and Unohana-san are no longer here, what happened with regard to the personnel of the Shinigami Women's Association?

A478.

When it comes to Nemu at least, Hachigō has already become a member.

Q479.

2023.06.26

If there are any recently released games that you highly recommend, please tell me about it.

A479.

By the time this is posted, I plan to be hooked on the new Zelda game.

Q480.

2023.06.26

Painted on Lilynette's mask, there is something resembling the flame insignia found in the BLEACH title logo, is there any reason why that flame mark is on Lilynette's mask?

A480.

The one on Lilynette's mask is her Estigma. ×[2]

Q481.

2023.06.26

Dokugamine Riruka from 12 years later looks so pretty. What is her current occupation?

A481.

She started up her own brand and works as a designer.

Q482.

2023.07.03

It is mentioned that Captain Unohana sensed something strange about Captain Aizen's corpse. Is it a result of the fact that she had slashed too many people in the past, that she felt something was wrong from the sensation of cutting (or perhaps slashing) during the autopsy? Also, was this one depiction that hinted at her past as Yachiru who is known for slaying an excessive amount of people?

A482.

It is because she has seen too many corpses, both in the past and present. I guess It's a hint if we can call it that? 

Q483.

2023.07.03

Does the Soul King have a name?

A483.

He does. It may be revealed depending on the current flow of events in the anime.

Q484.

2023.07.03

In the anime, the color of Ukitake's eyes were brown, however in sensei's color illustrations, his eyes are painted green on several occasions. Which is correct?

A484.

They are green.

Q485.

2023.07.10

When Grand Fisher confronted Isshin in his Shinigami form, he made a statement along the lines of "Kurosaki Ichigo is a Shinketsu (*true blood)", but what exactly did he mean by "Shinketsu". My prediction is that the word refers to a being who happens to possess all the elements of "Shinigami, Quincy, Hollow and human", or perhaps a being born between a Quincy and a Shinigami. 

A485.

"Shinketsu" refers to a Shinigami who was born from a Shinigami, not an individual from Rukongai who became one.

Q486.

2023.07.10

I like Hisagi and always look forward to seeing his Zanpakutō in action ever since its first appearance, but the phrase "a shape that reaps life" appealed to me so much that Kazeshini became my favorite Zanpakutō. Hisagi exudes a strong impression of a character who is often toyed with, so I recall being very happy because he was surprisingly cool. Nevertheless, it's because my mental image of Hisagi was just as the aforementioned, that I also remember being taken by surprise after seeing Kazeshini. There are some characters whom I think have a Zanpakutō that is different to their image, and some characters whom I think have a Zanpakutō which suit them perfectly. So, I'm curious whether sensei creates a character first and then thinks about their Zanpakutō, or if it's the other way around.

A486.

Off the top of my head, they come after the character. The same goes for Hisagi, of course.

Q487.

2023.07.10

I quite like Kurumadani Zennosuke, but I haven't seen much merchandise featuring him…. Even after I tried searching, I could only find one card from BLEACH Soul Card Battle… I'd like to see any kind of Zennosuke merch released even if it's just a sticker. My dream is to buy Kurumadani Zennosuke merch someday. Also, Kubo-sensei, what kind of goods do you think you can commercialize with Kurumadani Zennosuke? If you don't mind, please tell me.  

A487.

It won't be profitable because you're gonna be the only one buying it, you know? Come to think of it, I feel like there wasn't any original artwork made for Kurumadani at the exhibition either….

Q488.

2023.07.17

This is a question regarding Ōetsu's line, "I know the whereabouts of every Asauchi" which appears in volume 59. I considered that perhaps this so-called "whereabouts" has three components:

1. Physical location ①

2. Physical location ②

3. Psychological & spiritual location 

First of all, "1. physical location ①" is the storehouse where the Asauchi are kept, which will be distributed to those who will soon enter the Shin'ō Academy and become Shinigami or members of other organizations. Even in this case, it certainly would be surprising for Ichigo, but I don't think it's something to be that boastful about. This is because it is (most likely) a teacher from the Shin'ō Academy who takes out Asauchi from the storehouse and then distributes them, so it's not Ōetsu's privilege.

Next, "2. physical location ②" means that, similar to GPS, he can perceive the current location of all Zanpakutō which have been released from their Asauchi. 

Finally, "3. Psychological & spiritual location" is the key point where Shinigami who possess Asauchi liberate their Asauchi. I believe there is a standard which dictates how far a Shinigami needs to go before they are able to release it, and I wonder if Ōetsu knows what that standard is for all Shinigami. Knowing the key point for the release criterion of all Shinigami extending from Soul Society let alone to the various locations in the Human World is truly an extraordinary feat which deserves to be called 'god-like'.

It's not the best idea to base things on personal impressions, so I would appreciate your opinion or answer regarding this analysis.

A488.

What Ōetsu meant is that he knows "who owns the Asauchi and what kind of state it is in" so no. 3 is the closest.

Q489.

2023.07.17

When Ikkaku was 3rd seat and Yumichika was 5th seat, did anyone occupy the 4th seat in Squad 11?

A489.

No one did.

Q490.

What is your favorite drink at Starbucks? (Including any limited-time items from the past.)

A490.

It's Adzuki Frappuccino.

Q491.

2023.07.24

In the story of Isshin and Masaki-san's chance encounter, we observed an injury, received from a Hollow, which had undergone treatment. But, I wonder if it involves the Kishi being treated directly, or if the soul is treated after being extracted from the Kishi, or perhaps the soul is treated directly through the Kishi? Which one is it? Since Shinigami do not harbor Kishi in the first place, they only have a method of treatment for the soul, and since the Quincy are living human beings, I think it was necessary to establish a treatment method that directly affects the soul through the Kishi.

A491.

There are Quincy who treat only the Kishi, and there are Quincy who have the ability to treat even Reishi alongside the Kishi. 

Q492.

2023.07.24

The art exhibition was so amazing! I would like to know about three characters in particular who appeared in the exhibition illustrations. Is the man wearing glasses next to Ikumi-san her husband?? Is the boy in the suit next to Nelliel Shishigawara-kun?? I also want to know about the pink-haired woman to the upper left of Uryū. It took me 20 odd hours to put the puzzle together, but I finished it without incident so now it's displayed in my room!

A492.

The pink haired woman is Riruka. You are correct about the other two.

Q493.

2023.07.24

It's something I noticed when looking at the newly drawn illustrations made for the art exhibition, but has Kubo-sensei never drawn Harribel outside of her Espada look (such as in a swimsuit)? I wound up paralyzed after seeing all the different versions in Brave Souls. There are swimsuits for Nelliel and Riruka, but now that I think about it… I started to wonder about something. Is the reason why there were few opportunities to draw Harribel, because it's difficult to integrate her with other characters?

A493.

It doesn't seem like Harribel would be willing to wear a swimsuit, does it?

Q494.

2023.07.31

The back of Kisuke's haori from volumes 2 to 5 has a circle with the character "喜" (*ki from "Kisuke") within it, but it disappears from volume 6 onwards. Does this design change have any significance? Or does Kisuke wear two types of haori that he made himself?

A494.

I got rid of it because it was too tedious to draw, but maybe I should just pretend that he has two? Well, from a design perspective, I prefer for it to be simple without that particular aspect to it.

Q495.

2023.07.31

What will happen to the returned Zanpakutō of Shinigami who have left their position in the Gotei 13? Will Ōetsu turn them into Asauchi again?

A495.

After being stored for a fixed period of time, they are returned to Ōetsu and made into Asauchi again. The length of this "fixed period" depends on the owner.

Q496.

2023.07.31

Captain Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Hinamori are childhood friends, but are these two neighbors? Or did they live in the same house? 

A496.

The same neighborhood.

Q497.

2023.08.07

When a child is born among inhabitants of Soul Society, does that soul belong to someone who died in the Human World? Or, is it that inhabitants who died in the Human World are mixed together with inhabitants of Soul Society who were born and raised there?

A497.

All newly born children are inhabitants of Soul Society.

Q498.

2023.08.07

If the poison of Kamishini no Yari were to be injected into Nakk Le Vaar, without anything being injected into him beforehand, would he die? Or will he endure? 

A498.

If he is injected with the poison without ever having come into contact with Gin (his Reiatsu) at all, then he will die.

Q499.

2023.08.07

Is there even the slightest possibility that Luppi could be a girl? When I first saw Luppi I thought "she's super cute"…. So I was shocked to hear a male voice actor perform the role in the anime. Up until then, I had been calling him "Luppi-chan".

A499.

Even if there isn't the slightest chance, please keep calling him "Luppi-chan".

Q500.

2023.08.14

Towards the end of Volume 55, Mayuri remarks towards the Captain Commander: "that time, 1000 years ago, you failed to kill that man", but the words "that time" suggests that Mayuri also happened to be present on that occasion. Do his words actually carry this nuance?

A500.

Mayuri found out about it in the course of researching other things. He was not actually present.

Translation Footnotes:

×1. "Jade Hall" is located on the sternum mid-line. "Heavenly Pivot" is located at the level of the navel.

×2. “Estigma” (mask crest) is a term which appears in the Masked character book, page 246: “A pattern marked on an Arrancar's face, possibly as a remnant of their mask. It is unique to each individual and can also appear when they activate Resurrección.”

[insert-username-here566]

YES @mosswithcrows OK ok

Hobbies

While athin prides himself on caring for his people and being strong this man is a collector himself. Rocks, coins, bug shells, you name it he like has a little bod or jar of em. He likes to give them to people as well and it actually becomes relevant later bc ruby(temporary name for the dragon princess) doesn't understand why the little gifts matter to him at all and why his people town and friends all smile when he gives them gifts. (See- see what I did there? Collector? Like the dragon lord? The parallels? OK I'll stop lmao)

Jade (temporary name for Athins older sister) is a seamstress and sword fighter. She has no hands, so she uses her feet talons. "Swords are just bigger needles, and enemies are cloth." She studies other races and is the most versed in different cultures and their exchanges. She fought in the war alongside her mother. I love her bc she's so sassy.

Obsidian (athins younger brother, another temp name) studies magic. I mean it when I say this kid is obsessed with finding new ways to fight and make life easier for everyone. He fully believes that magic is the future. As much as I play him as the comic relief he is very smart. He never got the chance to fight in the war effort but he really wanted to. He has all these ideas on how to take down a dragon that doesn't include hundreds of avians dying just to take down a small group. (Little bit of lore here, he's the one who truly ends the war)

Ruby(another temp name for the dragon princess) engages in a lot of classically feminine hobbies like dance and jewelry. At the start of the story she doesn't have much of a character because she isn't much of a person. As it progresses, she learns she actually really loves sculptures and building. She gains in interest in architecture and art. I think it's very fitting because the golden trait falls to the one that will help their race prosper more. The war lead to a lot of jobs and growth in the dragon communities, and she will provide homes and art for her kingdom.

But don't worry, I'm happy to answer questions about the plot.

Her boyfriend, still even after the arrangement, is a dragon who's family rose to power in the war. His father had a proficient skill in preserving organic materials. Taxidermy. You can guess why that was a valued skill.

As of right now he is unnamed because he's a recent addition to the cast lol. I've been making this story for about 3-4 years and it's had a lot of changes.

[thessalian]

Molly!Rook vs the Ossuary

But first, the egg

Solas: So all is well and I am a liar?

Molly!Rook: You're really leaning into that "god of sarcasm" bit, aren't you? Or is it just that sarcasm is one of those ways that you can lie without actually lying?

Solas: .........

Molly!Rook: But in answer to your question that isn't but kind of is? Yeah, Ghillan'nain's playing with Blight. Like, mega-Blight.

Solas: Believe it or not, that is better than I expected.

Molly!Rook: ...Okay, you're gonna need to run that by me one more time.

And, at little conference in the Surreal Estate

Molly!Rook: So then he told me that actually only a little of the Blight leaked out and they want to unleash the rest and ... yeah, glorious tool of creation, yadda.

Neve: So ... wait a minute. You're telling me that the ancient magisters went looking for the Maker in the Fade, saw architecture and decided it had to be the Golden City, and accidentally made a crack in a prison for elven gods and Blight. Blighted themselves, took that tiny shred out with them--

Harding: And that fresco we saw, with the evanuris binding dragons. There's probably something to that. I wonder if that means that the evanuris have the same kind of immortality as Corypheus did with his fake archdemon...

Bellara: Not that this isn't ... fascinating ... but also terrifying, but ... look, anyway, what do we do about it? I mean, I guess we have to do something...

Molly!Rook: We're already on the right track, Bel. We have the dagger, and since you're up here, I figure you have the Vi'revas fixed.

Bellara: Oh! Yeah! Sorry; I was coming to tell you and got distracted!

Neve: Understandable. I'm still reeling a little myself at having to rewrite all those "Blight is the hubris of the magisters" snarks in my head. ...Still kind of is, though.

Molly!Rook: So, have we got names?

Neve: Speaking of magister hubris and what it gets them...

Treviso, in Antiva

Harding: Oooh, pretty market. Do you think we'll have time to pick up something nice for my ma?

Molly!Rook: I'm sure we'll be back a time or five, Harding. First we have to meet-- Hi, you must be Andrateia...

Teia: Teia, please. And you would be Rook. Come with me; we should be off the street to talk.

Molly!Rook: I'd ask for you to call me Molly, but honestly, I'm kind of leaning into the whole "Rook" thing a bit more.

Harding: *side-eyeing Molly a little* Because...?

Molly!Rook: Gender neutral. I'll go by 'she' if I have to, but honestly, it's just ... female for tax purposes.

Harding: ...*sigh* Right.

And, a bit of exposition later, somewhere under the sea or canal or something

Harding: You know ... I've been a surface dwarf my whole life and being in tune with the Stone is a bit weird, but this ... is ... scary.

Molly!Rook: I take it you mean the "being under the sea" part and not the "Venatori bodies literally everywhere" part. Also, speaking of people who kill, is it just me, or were you getting off vibes about that Illario dude?

Harding: His reactions are really off, I have to admit. Think this is a trap?

Molly!Rook: I personally think he's trying to make everyone think he's gritting his teeth and bearing the idea of sending strangers after his cousin when he wants to go himself, but really he's gritting his teeth and bearing the idea of having to rescue his cousin at all but he has to because Grandma First Talon is insisting.

Harding: That's ... worse, right?

Molly!Rook: I figure we're going to surface to bad, yeah. You know. As a treat for after the bad we've dealt with here because I'm reading some shit about enforced abominations-- Oh. Hi.

The 'hi': *is directed at a bunch of Venatori out for blood*

Lucanis: *appears kind of awesomely and murders basically everybody*

Molly!Rook: Well, hello.

Harding: You remember Varric's stories about what happened to Kirkwall, right? And what Anders conned Hawke into doing? Feeling shitty over that is what made Varric take stupid risks in the first place!

Molly!Rook: We're trying to kill gods, Harding.

Harding: I know. Just ... can you not get into a thing with the abomination?

Molly!Rook: I promise nothing.

Lucanis: I am standing right here, you know.

Spite: No, no ... I'm liking this...

Molly!Rook: Look, we're here to rescue you. *glances at Harding* Yes, really.

Lucanis: Need to destroy a vial of my blood and kill the mage who took it from me before we go.

Molly!Rook: One question.

Lucanis: ...Go ahead.

Molly!Rook: Can we rob the place? Harding wants to hit your gorgeous market when we're back topside and I want a shiny new dagger.

Lucanis: ...*little chuckle* As you like. I doubt we will leave any alive to complain.

Harding: ...Do not. Romance. The abomination.

Molly!Rook: You're not the boss of me.

Further into the Ossuary

Lucanis: You are ... very thorough in your robbery.

Molly!Rook: Admittedly I'm trying to see if there's anyone else who needs breaking out of this bubble of suck.

Harding: ...please let them all be monsters. Please let them all be monsters. We don't need another abomination--

Lucanis: I am standing right here.

Harding: Look, you probably didn't hear about what the last abomination I heard anything about did to Kirkwall!

Molly!Rook: And the one before him was actually pretty damn cool and used her powers for good.

Harding: .........

Molly!Rook: I really did get all the stories, Harding. Including about things that Nightingale said about her time with the Hero of Ferelden and a mage named Wynne.

Harding: ...But why, though?

Molly!Rook: Veil Jumpers aren't just explorers and tinkerers, you know. I'm also a historian. Give me all the stories!

Lucanis: Right now we are getting all the demons. Your friend Harding got her wish.

Molly!Rook: Oh, right. *pulls dagger and orb* Time to put this shiny dagger I robbed to some use!

Lucanis: But you're a--

Molly!Rook: *is become skinny death with blade and fire*

Lucanis: ...Mages ... do that?

Spite: I like them!

Lucanis: ...

Spite: So do you, it seems!

Harding: Hey, Lucanis! Gonna help out here?!?

Lucanis: Oh. Right.

Spite: I'm gonna do the bridge thing! Might impress them!

Lucanis: Shut up and kill.

And, a fairly big fight later...

Molly!Rook: Ow.

Lucanis: Now, this is why I thought mages didn't engage head-on. The Crows could teach you a few tricks, you know.

Molly!Rook: ...Awesome! Now, lemme rob the last shiny and then we'll go.

Lucanis: We are sure it is "Rook" and not ... say, "Magpie"?

Harding: That. Is. A. Myth.

Lucanis: All right, all right! You are very uptight about your corvids, no?

Harding: Kind of side-eyeing one a little hard right now...

Molly!Rook: Okay, I got shinies, let's go before this place collapses.

And, above

Teia: They took Catarina!

Viago: You need to stay and--

Lucanis / Spite: Give. Me. Something. To kill.

Lucanis: *shakes head* Gods. You said something about killing gods. That should be challenge enough for me right now.

Teia: Okay, okay, yes.

Harding: Anyone want to tell these people that Illario is seriously overacting?

Molly!Rook: Now is not the "methinks the corvid doth protest to much" time, Harding. We'll help them as we can but dude, I'm not getting into the family nugshit if I don't have to. C'mon, Lucanis; let me show you to the Surreal Estate.

Lucanis: The ... what?

And, at the Surreal Estate

Molly!Rook: So?

Lucanis: It's ... interesting. I like the bed in the pantry.

Harding: There's a bed in the pantry?

Molly!Rook: There's a pantry?

Harding: ...What have you been eating?

Molly!Rook: Leftover trail rations. ...Wait, this means I can cook? THIS MEANS I CAN COOK!

Lucanis: ...You cook?

Molly!Rook: *already peering into the pantry* THERE ARE COFFEE BEANS IN HERE, TOO! SCORE!

Lucanis: .........

Spite: Say it! SAY IT! ...Okay, let me talk to them and I WILL SAY IT!

Lucanis: ..................

Spite: *gives Lucanis a nosebleed and a massive headache*

Molly!Rook: ...Okay, no, that is not okay. I don't know what we can do to de-demon you ... or let Spite back into his natural habitat, whatever, but the physical pain that you're clearly way too used to is not okay.

Lucanis: He'll get bored once you leave.

Molly: And he uses you as a chew-toy for sending us away? Fuck that.

Lucanis: Please.

Molly!Rook: ...Okay, I get you probably don't say that very often, so I'll leave it for now on one condition.

Lucanis: Name it.

Molly!Rook: Make some Antivan-style coffee for the crew who likes it? Like ... say, me. Definitely me. I've been using a battered copper pot over a campfire for awhile and--

Lucanis: You are boiling it?!?

Molly!Rook: Needs must over a campfire, dude! Save me from myself, okay?

Lucanis: *little smile* It shall be done.

Harding: If he cons her into distracting something important while he bombs a chantry, I'm gonna be pissed.

[zumpietoo]

Oh Snorteee/Silly/janASS, we all know you came racing and saw these yourself....

I think the best part here is

A) you found a "new" word

B) Ummm.....I wish?? (especially given the promotion/transitioning, I realized this AM I'll need to work almost every weekend in July) But even if it were true, whelp, again, who knew having leisure time was a crime (tho clearly given your endless bad fanfic production/gushing over truck stop coffee shows us all JUST how busy YOU are....).

"My life" is apparently now what I spent my Saturday AM coffee time/waiting for spray paint to dry between coats/planning moar projects doing. It would appear you also don't know how to multitask, Snorteee....

C) I'll take the "get over you" as full admittance you ARE, in fact, yet another Silly/janASS sock....speaking of, that would indicate a lack of gainful employment, noooo???

OML......aside from that, in fact, Cole sings verrryyyyy nicely, you seriously think he reads our comments on fan blogs? Good loordddd....the "delusional" one is yourself!

And even if he couldn't and did, why do you get to decide what opinions we hold and how this remotely "props up his sad ego"? This is beyond heelarious....

Wait....it's back to me again? But I thought (see above) you "didn't need to hear about my lunacy"? But here you are....

Plus love how it's the usual shit she places when she sends anon hate (to say nothing of she clearly sent this to herself).....and again, love how she's back to THIS narrative, too....

And, also, dude....isn't that what your sole purpose (and making moar sock accounts/"writing" really bad fanfic) is about Peepster? So how DO you "get out of bed in the AM", anyway????

Ooohhh....not only stupid (and I do love the endless rage over Cole having gone to do karaoke with friends at a dive lounge), but also fat shaming.....

It's also a bit of a flip on how, truly, the only discernible talent CabanaPee DO have is making very bad, verrrryyyyy stupid tiktoks to attention/frame whore with.

Now he's evooolllll for enjoying playing video games? Who knew?

Actually, it appears, they're legit dragging him for having.....hobbies/interests.....good lord.....however, if that IS a character flaw:

A) Horseback riding (tho I believe Ari's likely better at that)

B) Auto mechanics/vintage car enthusiast

C) Photography (DUHHHH.....and second career)

D) Paleontology (just guessing)/anthropology/archaeology/etc (his college major and third career)

E) Mid-century Art/Architecture/etc

F) Snowboarding/Skiing

G) Surfing/skateboarding (I mean, I tend to imagine?)

H) Ancient literature/other intellectual pursuits

I) Travel/exotic cuisine/foodie

And honestly? Just off the top of mah head, here.....AND Ari shares quite a few of these...

Conversely, PP????

A) Theatrical make-up (which I'll grant, she isn't terrible at)

B) Hypochondria

C) Whining

D) Pimping cults

E) Snide, middle school meangirling

F) Rustbelt anti-intellectual bourgeois tacky ignorant trash

Guess we're done!

[eolewyn1010]

Charité, season 4 - episode 1

Alright. Let's do this. Consider everything past this point a spoiler, and yourself warned.

The dramatic lighting and music (vocalizing instead of the instrumentals that dominated the Charité music over three seasons) make the first scene appear very stylized, like a theater play. I don't hate it, but it sure is something else. I guess they broke with the continuity when they chose this season's setting.

Post-Corona, and she's not wearing a mask in surgery? Consider me unimpressed.

Ew. What did that poor greenscreen do to you?

"fires in Czechia coming closer to Saxony" - 2049 taking notes from 2022, huh? Ever so optimistic.

At least we get pretty lesbians. In fond memory of Therese...

They sure took the fashion choices in an interesting direction. And by that I mean, eurgh.

Who is this slimeball and can I castrate him.

Heritage of the last several seasons: An uncouth but motherly nurse with a heavy Berlin dialect; every generation needs one.

See, if you can 3D-project shiny holographs into the middle of the room, you should adapt your architecture. An auditorium that uses this technology should be built in a circle around the projector so everyone has the same chances of seeing the goddamn things! Logic, anyone?

In about 25 years, colors in architecture will have died out for good. Depressing, but not unlikely. The look of this place is giving me anxiety.

This woman's mouth movements don't fit her words at all. Why is she dubbed, and why so poorly?

"I don't eat sweets." *has sweets standing next to her* Is she dumb, or does she think Doc Safadi sr. is dumb?

Oh, nice, they have a botanical garden!

Super-quick zoom! Do you see our modern technology? DO YOU SEE IT YET!? More zoom! Sheesh, cut it out.

Why is everyone so awkward / impolite to Julia? Because her wife is pushing the health reform?

Poly marriage. Nice. ...and also, Nachtigall, ick hör dir trapsen.

Maral is ever so charming to Dylan. Isn't it nice to condescend to your co-worker from day 1?

Oh, nice, they all have universal translators. I get that they want to put in a lot of international variety, but why does the girl not speak any German when her mother does?

Take out ovarial tissue? From a teenager??? If she ever decides to have kids, can't she start by trying it the more obvious way? Why take it out in the first place? It's well-kept in her body, isn't it?

This mother is the worst.

Julia actress's delivery of her lines is very inconsistent. Some scenes, she plays good; others, she sounds like a third-grader reciting Erlkönig.

Did they steal that shot from Tatort: Der Herr des Waldes?

This concrete house is as fugly on the inside as it is on the outside. Thanks, I hate it.

Ehm. Okay. ngl, Martin's and Otto's PDA looked a lot more believable. Can you at least commit to your gay smoochies?

Why does the Armenian-German kid have a French name?

Brat wants to join the army for his democratic values. What, does he want to bring freedom to the poor savages? Gawd.

Starting to think Nils and Seda aren't a couple anymore, which makes the friendly relationship they have all the nicer.

Rest of the family is bitching. Greeeaaat.

Giving your doctor false medical information before surgery? Sure, why not! Is everyone here an idiot?

I don't really vibe with these extreme zooms.

Now she's wearing a mask - that's barely even covering her chin, nevermind her nose. Why is this so inconsistent?

Really good of you to treat a dying patient in hearing distance to another patient who has the same disease. Like. Just lock down sound transmission to the neighbor quarantine room?? Why is everyone so illogical?

Yeah, fuck. He's only a background character, so we give up after three attempts.

Maral got her self-righteousness from Seda, huh?

Yay, pandemics! Every generation needs one.

This all sounds very negative because I'm not terribly into the speculative future setting, but honestly, I don't hate watching it. My engagement with it is low in comparison to previous seasons Charité, but it still is interesting. And I'm kinda committed to the trash factor.

[thepixelpenguin]

Mario Kart Tour: Oxford Foray

Told you this page would be random.

I think an underappreciated aspect of Tour's city track design is their atmosphere. They don't just tour recognisable landmarks in a believable layout, they really capture the city's character! From New York's dazzling nightlife to LA's casual appeal, Singapore's extreme extravagance to Sydney's energetic simplicity, Vancouver's splashes of colour and natural beauty, Amsterdam's effortless harmony with canals and nature alike, Rome's ancient architecture with comfortable life on top, Madrid's modern bustle with impressive history underneath, Athens' proud (and hilly) past and Bangkok's humble yet hopeful future, and Berlin's seamless integration of all eras: they're all accurate as far as I can surmise. There's only a few that I think don't quite hit the mark. Paris’ modernity is smothered in quaint romanticism, though what else could one expect, Tokyo has little of its maximalist flair, but perhaps the graphics limited that, and then… London.

I'm certainly biased, it being my home country and the only city on the list I've seen for more than a day, but it seems to only hit the beats of its most recognisable icons: laudably no doubt, but the city isn't just its imposing imperial riches! What strikes me about London is its fast-paced mishmash of cultures that fill in all the gaps between the great British statements like water running over cobbled streets: history and novelty around every corner! The course gives me the impression of the former but not the latter. 

I'm not sure I'm qualified to rectify this, but I can make up for it with another English icon! My hometown has its history, but not enough to base a tour around. My current homestead, however, is undeniably culturally significant, and it's not just that. I hope I did well to convey the place as storied and not just interesting, but inviting, a genuinely fun place to stay for a day or a year. That's how I feel about it at least.

HERE WE GO

1: Our foray begins on the left side of the picturesque High Street, between Queen’s College and the Examination Schools. It’s a noticeably wide street (and a noticeably wide gothic limestone starting gate with a waving chequered flag to boot), with a cobbled dividing strip, and plenty of buses to crowd the way! As the road narrows and items are collected, there’s a right turn into the Covered Market, which has three narrow lanes to choose from, and a few opportunities to weave between.

Out of the market is a sharp right turn down a walled alley, with the lovely Exeter and Lincoln colleges adjoining. This is before a huge 180 turn with another item set around the Radcliffe Camera, an impressive dome in the middle of a big communal square. Having lost its fence, at that, so if you’ve got a mushroom and are prepared to miss out on items, the shortcut is worth it! Racers continue north past All Souls College and the Bodleian Library to reach the roundabout connecting Broad Street and Holywell Street. Remember the Bridge of Sighs to your right.

The route continues up Parks Road, a leafy avenue with plenty of boost panels, before splitting around Keble College! If you continue straight forwards, you get an easy wide road, and a view of both the Natural History Museum and University Parks. However, if you take that subtle sharp left, you can find a potentially faster cut-through that’s a bit tougher to navigate. I didn’t even have to design this one!

Both options reconvene at the apex of St Giles, where a patch of off-road leads to an optional ramp, and the road broadens to quite a degree, leaving room for a ridiculous row of coins. The abbreviated straight ends at the Martyr’s Memorial, which now has just a humble patch of grass behind it instead of an entire church, just to improve the flow.

A quick left turn introduces Broad Street, which, you guessed it, also widens out, somewhat narrowed by some of the city’s numerous bike racks. However, this one has its right half covered in short wooden ramps, for the first half! These can be useful for some trick boosts, but more coins lay the other way. Items are given at the halfway point. Before reaching the roundabout at the end, there is a conspicuous diversion past the Sheldonian Theatre (which has no fence, to make way for the race) and through the library complex towards the Bridge of Sighs. Racers may either run straight through the gate (tricking as they go) or take the grated glider ramps to make it over the bridge!

The return to the start line via New College Lane and Queen’s Lane is a winding, narrow path, walled in by the historic namesake colleges. You’ll have to forgive them for not having karts running through their grounds. Nonetheless, navigate those chicanes and a final left turn (with a sneaky cut over the pavement) brings you back to the line. It’s a long one alright!

2: As in track 1, we begin on the High Street, though this time we forge ahead past the Covered Market, the traffic turning off before the Carfax Tower, until the course swerves into the Westgate Centre. In a strikingly similar manner to Coconut Mall, the route has two walkways either side of an optional drop with escalators, before a right turn into a more open area where the drop and escalators are forced. I swear it’s coincidental! The decor is distinct at least. 

After grabbing items wherever you may encounter them, exit the mall via another sharp right turn onto open road. Make use of its breadth before you have to navigate the Castle & Prison, which is exactly what it sounds like! A couple of narrow turns later, there is a brief anti-grav uphill to wind up the Castle Mound to a big glider ramp, from which one must avoid the dreaming spires of Nuffield College and St Peter’s College some random church, or grab some of the revolving coins if you’re daring…

Though you could just drop onto the street, the Ashmolean’s grand ionic forum is a perfect landing place, where one can drift around to jump down the stairs and find themselves heading onto Broad Street once again! This time, the route heads past the theatre and turns at the roundabout, so the other lot of ramps, this time occupying the left half, can be made useful. The lap ends the way you’d expect after turning at the roundabout.

3: Unlike both 2 and 1, we start our race on Cornmarket Street (under a long hanging sign of oil paints on wood, the closest I can get to putting a pub in a kids’ game), a place I would be remiss not to include, along with its clutter of bicycle parking. If there’s one thing you notice about transit in Oxford, it’s how many bicycles are in the way. However, if you can dodge around the racks, you may find some coins or even dash panels…

Anyway, Cornmarket is a simple, if not uninterrupted, straight, which racers take south, spying once again the Carfax Tower and then the Town Hall and impressive Christ Church. You know, the big one. The road continues down St Aldates with all its traffic, but soon turns left through the open gates of Christ Church Meadow! The next half of the lap takes place in greener pastures, first down a puddle-ridden southward straightaway with sparse items and Moo Moos spectating, then when the course meets the Thames and Folly Bridge, a more wide open snaking route with grass shortcuts abound! The riverside path remains intact, but still off-road.

After doing this eastward a while, the course drastically narrows as it winds its way northward strictly following the meanders of the Cherwell. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from driving through the river itself, but the bumpy terrain and drag force balances any advantage of breadth. A wiser path is found by jumping onto a series of punts, which can be quite hard to aim for, but offer a trick each time. They’re not hard to come by in Oxford. This continues all the way to the Botanic Gardens, which can themselves be snuck through via a gap in the fence. Those wishing for a complete row of item boxes and, of course, the exquisite surroundings, can find themselves jumping over the pond in the south section before reaching the north, where a quick right around the fountain directs you between the greenhouses to reenter the river. The river, of course, does continue past the gardens, but who would want to miss out? Especially when that part of the bed gets so muddy…

When you’ve finally made it to Magdalen Bridge, you need only drive under it to find a wide slope up to the roundabout, which is drifted around before crossing the bridge to witness the lovely Magdalen Tower! We then cross the line - the line from the other versions, that is - before sneaking past the University Church to reach the road past the Radcliffe Camera. The Bodleian Library can now be dashed through for a guaranteed double box, if you can find the narrow entry! The rest is obvious: take Broad Street one last time, westward now, to reach the top of Cornmarket Street.

So how might these all fit together if they were given the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe treatment? Honestly, probably better than the individual courses! Lap 1 takes version 1, of course, but stops short of Broad Street, instead cutting through via Cornmarket to start lap 2, with version 2 taking over by way of a right turn at Carfax Tower. Lap 3 simply commences from the High Street and doesn’t bother with the whole Broad Street diversion: we’ve already seen it!

Oh right, I also made the music for it! You'll have to forgive Musescore's playback engine, they try, bless 'em.

It too had to be truly emblematic of Oxford, and besides the obvious historical, academic, fancy vibes, no sound reminds me more of this place than the echoing of church bells! And there are choirs in every college. So I ended up with a rather baroque piece, arpeggiated bass, change ringing, suspensions and all, which certainly suits the locale, but does NOT typically suit Mario Kart's encouraging energy. Heck, they almost always rely on synths, too, let alone their melody-first composition style that is entirely unfamiliar. How did I fit the mould? By focusing on intensity of Biblical proportions! If there's one thing choirs and organs can do, it's a ramp-up of DRAMA. With enough build and release, it's got the natural energy. Slap on a drum-beat and it ends up shockingly fitting. With all the zero inspiration I had to go on, I seriously surprised myself with this one. Judge for yourself!

Oxford is quite a convenient place to work with: most cities are so massive that you have to smush all the landmarks together and the layout doesn’t quite come naturally. But this place is already so compact, and packed with unmistakable buildings! Also, I know they’re trying to be flattering, but can you believe London saw not a drop of rain?! I think Oxford should be partially cloudy by contrast, providing a gentle rainfall, but with enough streams of sunlight to pierce the depressing grey… it could make the meadow look positively angelic!

Perhaps one day I’ll try my hand at Hong Kong Hustle to address Tokyo’s plight… or Shanghai Streets, I can’t decide! And then there’s one that is so easy to make that it’d be kind of funny just to do for the sake of it. We’ll see.

If anyone wants to take the names Rio de Janeiro Jaunt, New Delhi Journey, Moscow Scoot, Stockholm Swing, Cairo Cruise, Geneva Chase, or best of all, Brussels Bout, be my guest. And if any modders feel like 3d-modelling most of Oxford for me, I would love to give it a look :D

[slickshoesareyoucrazy]

Do It Anyway

We're leaving South Florida for home today, and it's 2 long days of driving. I have books to read and all but on previous trips, this is where I'd be texting you, A. Well maybe not right now because it's still before 8am on a Saturday but soon. You had 4 dogs. You were up. 😂😂😂

Anyway, I'm trying to deal with my grief in constructive ways, and the stuff I read tells me to not deny myself the things I previously enjoyed. I should do it anyway. So I'm texting you anyway. I wish you could text back. The fact that you can't royally sucks. But anyway ...

Reds are really looking good so far. I know it's mid-April and you make fun of me all the time for being a pie-eyed optimist, but dude ...for real maybe this year. 😃⚾

Looks like Kentucky is going with Mark Pope as the new head men's basketball coach. What a 180 from Calipari! 😂 I'd like to think you'd be down with this choice. He was on the 1996 championship team and he seems to be a really good, ethical man now as the coach of BYU. I can't see a bunch of 1 and dones and early NCAA exits being ok with him ever. I guess like all things, we'll see. 🏀

D's boy has his commitment announcement for football on Friday. He got 12 Division I offers! TWELVE! The Boy and I might go, but even if we can't make it, holy SHIT! As expected, D is just beside himself with gleeful pride. It's a hoot. I can't wait for high school football season now in a way. I don't want to wish time away but it will be so cool to watch D's kid play. When we go, I'll save you a seat. 🏈

On non sports related stuff, I met a friend I'd never seen in person before in Miami. She and her family were overly generous with us, which you know makes me super uncomfortable. I'm going to have to come up with a local gift basket back home to send her to just make the hum of, "This is too much and too nice and I don't deserve all this," go away. Anyway, we went to downtown Miami Beach on Thursday night so the Boy could check out the art deco architecture (because of course that's what he wanted to do in Miami 😂😂😂), and there in the middle of the historic district is Redhead Pizza and Burgers. Who names their diner that? Everyone noticed it. My friend looked at me like 😳😬😳🫢, because that made someone who never met you think about you. So she knew I was definitely thinking about you then. You really are everywhere I go now. I should just start believing that and stop being surprised when it so blatantly happens.

The sadness of missing you isn't any easier. But it is getting easier to go places and do things. In fact, I'm oddly way less anxious about so many things now. And that's probably because you're wherever I go; you're always with me. It's actually easier now to do it anyway. I still wish I was texting you at your house though. Hearing about the dogs. Hearing you bitch about Kentucky and telling me I'm too hopeful about the Reds and speculating about which school D's son is going to choose. I love that you're always here, but I still wish you were there, and that I didn't have to Do It Anyway. ❤️💔😢

[lezmooshie]

Sup! I'm Maxine (26, she/they)! I'm a software engineer that has very strong opinions about what it means to create 'good' software. My definition of 'good' software comes in the form of development priorities. First, make it work. Then, make it good. Finally, make it fast.

Making it work is pretty straightforward. Does the project reliably perform its intended purpose? Accrue any technical debt you need to in order to get this finished first. This is about pure functionality. Most projects stop after getting here; if you stop after you get here, you have not created a good project.

Making it good is the most nebulous one, I think. To me this is about being extensible and accessible, where accessibility is more than an afterthought. Accessibility is a core design principle, and means that you ensure that it's usable by anyone. 'Anyone' especially includes people who would otherwise be excluded, regardless of whether that's because of disability, lack of technical background, financial constraints, etc.

Going further, being accessible isn't just about the end-user. Is the project architecture conducive to long-term development, both in terms of the data structures and the structure of the source tree? Is the project well-documented? Can a junior developer learn to use it without spending hours studying it? Do new contributors get proper feedback on their contributions/PRs? How difficult is it to become a new contributor in the first place? All of this also applies to upstream dependencies as well.

Making it fast is about optimization and making improvements where you can, such as to speed/efficiency, memory, network traffic, etc. But don't mistake its position as the last priority to make this about "premature optimization" or whatever, I don't quite believe in that (though that's a separate (but related) conversation). No, this is a matter of paying off some of that technical debt you accrued while making it work.

And you might think that this bar is really damned high. And you'd be right! But it's not impossible. That's why this is my standard for 'good' projects, not 'great' projects. I don't believe it's possible to be 'great' by these standards. It's like the idea of perfection: always chased, never caught; greatness is something projects should strive for, but should never consider themselves having achieved.

Anyways, as you might guess, I believe that technology is way too important to be locked away behind "proprietary interests" and other excuses used to maintain one's position in society and the status quo, so sharing that knowledge and empowering others is really important to me. Ask me how I feel about Linux. To that end, I work on several projects that make software development more accessible, such as Peacock and its core libraries (one of which is a css parser I wrote myself!)

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Шоу о девочке у кого есть холодний фасад? Это моя любинмая типа. Она похожа на меня.

Really hope I got that right, it's been a while since those college Russian classes. I knew this would be one I liked. I knew it would be a fun one to watch with sweetie. I did not expect something to compete with this year's already existing one-two pinch of bangers in Apothecary Diaries and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Can't believe a silly little light novel romcom like Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian would be so good.

Pretty simple setup, not unlike your Kaguyas and your Komis. Titular Alya is a pretty, refined ice queen who transferred to an elite academy. This time the hook is she's biracial; Russo-Japanese which is more common than people tend to think at first. They are right by each other, before Russia went off the rails a dream trip for me was always this ferry that goes from Western Japan to a South Korean port then up to Vladivostok on the far Eastern edge of Russia. There's also the Kuril Islands, a disputed chain north of Japan proper. Lot of cool history there, I'd highly recommend Vaga Vagabond's video on the Sakhalin Oblast. Very cool blend of old Japanese & Russian architecture. Great channel in general tbh, hitchhiker traveling his native Russia.

Where was I? Oh, right. Alya is half-Russian and grew up there. So behind that cold demeanor she has a habit of muttering what's really on her mind in Russian. The main guy actually does know the language but he hides that from Alya. Because holy shit is this girl forward. Good lesson for anyone bilingual; one of my favorite genres of faux pas is when someone who gets way too comfortable shit-talking people in a less-common language locally gets checked by someone they didn't realize could understand them.

Pictured above is the infamous sock scene. You can look up "Alya Sock Scene" and find it pretty easily I'm guessing. Yeah...if you have a friend with zero reading comprehension that just likes to call things "problematic?" Steer them away from this one. Alya's pretty brazen in Russian, the series loves going into lewd anime romance tropes, and it embraces that aspect. What makes it work is a certain level of awareness...like, the main guy is just into this kinda otaku stuff. So he'll comment how he's ended up in a dating sim scene or something. His sister's the same way, and it clearly isn't real incest but she likes to tease him by invoking existing tropes like that. I like it, but yeah it'll probably be a deal breaker for some.

As a whole I think it works. Alya is very cute, when she's not using language to hide flirting she's using it to hide that she's just insecure about not fitting in well or has trouble asking others for help. It's a great foundation with a lot of flexibility. The main guy Kuze is also solid, has some baggage with his parent's divorce and coming from wealth. The side characters are great too. I can't wait for future seasons.

[thebrethrenpost]

Eye-openers in the Hong Kong Trip ft. Macau 🇭🇰🇲🇴

If I were to describe Hong Kong as a place here in the Philippines, it would definitely be Binondo on steroids (literally). The architecture, the street food, the tight, claustrophobic spaces and especially, the capitalism. It’s a Western Chinatown on a whole different level.

Despite my shallow observation, there are some things that I learned about the place. In terms of culture, rules and how things work. Below are the things that gave me an eye-opener about the place.

Strong Order

One thing I noticed while visiting Hong Kong was that there were no beggars or homeless people. It was the first time I saw a place where nobody was sleeping on the streets or begging. Another notable aspect is the safety. I guess the main factor is the extensive CCTV surveillance. Cameras are everywhere—on the streets, in the trains, and even in housing areas. Surveillance is highly utilized, making it very easy to track someone who has committed a crime.

Of course, the place isn't perfect. You can still see trash here and there and mischievous people doing things they shouldn't (both locals and foreigners). But the sense of order is strong. You don’t see many policemen patrolling, but if they do need to respond, they are quick—usually within 5-10 minutes.

The Cold

One thing is for sure when I came to Hong Kong: just because it's not snowing doesn't mean the cold is bearable. To give you context, I've dealt with cold temperatures before in the Philippines (around 20°C). When I heard and saw that Hong Kong doesn't have any snow and the temperature was only between 14°C-16°C, I thought, "I'll just bring a thick jacket then."

Boy, was I wrong. The first time I went outside the airport, it was freezing cold. Even with my jacket on, I was still cold. It was so cold that I had to turn off the air conditioner in our room because it was too much. It was so cold that I had to turn on the hot shower and wait for the room to steam up while drying myself, just to get warm. I thank the heavens for my wife buying heat tech garments.

Kabayan

If you go to Central Square, you'll find a place where a lot of Filipinos are chilling on the street with their cardboard boxes as floor padding. They sing videoke on their smartphones, play bingo or card games, and even trade goods. These are our "kabayans"—Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) spending their time on the weekend. They're very warm and welcoming whenever they meet a fellow Filipino. The first time you see them, you'll definitely feel like you're at home.

To be honest, I wish I had more time to spend with them on those streets, listening to their stories, hearing about their families, and learning about their experiences as OFWs. There was even a time when we met an OFW while walking in the subway station. She shared her story about her experiences and how life has been going for her in the Philippines. The only words I spoke to her were, "Kabayan! Kumusta?" and the conversation just flowed from there until she directed us to the correct station. You can tell they want someone to talk to and listen. I believe that being heard in your own language has a profound impact on making someone feel better and comforted.

Disney Land

The happiest place on earth. This was the second time I went to a theme park, but this one was different for me. It wasn’t just a place for excitement and laughter. This theme park somehow brought us to tears. The inner child in me came alive when I experienced it. It’s just different. The happiness, joy, and imagination of becoming a part of a magical place are so surreal. I wish I could express more of that in words, but it’s just magical.

EA vs SEA

Traveling in Southeast Asia is really different from traveling in East Asia. Although Singapore also has a strong sense of order, extensive surveillance, and beautiful theme parks, Hong Kong and Macau have very distinct environments that differ greatly from Southeast Asia. East Asians tend to be more reserved, with people minding their own business and maintaining a quiet dignity. In contrast, Southeast Asians are warm, welcoming, and interactive.

I could even tell this because most of the noisy ones in the place were either Filipinos or other Southeast Asians. Of course, you also have some East Asians being loud and extroverted, but when I saw that street performance in Central Harbour, the ones who gave the craziest cheers were from SEA.

Macau

If Hong Kong was Binondo, Macau is Intramuros. The place has a strong Spanish/Portuguese vibe, which is evident in its architecture. They have a street that looks like a little Lisbon. The buildings and pavements resemble those in Latin Europe. Of course, the place is dominated by casinos. But they offer free rides, luggage drop-offs, and tours of tourist sites. If given the chance to go back again, I am confident I could tour Macau for less than Php 1000.

Thoughts

Traveling definitely opens your mind. It gives you new perspectives and broadens your thinking about what works for you and for others. I know it can be frustrating when people do things that don't make sense to you. It's easy to conclude that something is definitely wrong with them. But if you visit a place where that kind of thinking works for everyone, and you're the one who's different, you can see how your world changes. This trip was an eye-opener, and I can't wait to see more in the future.

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

Taehyung's beautiful "Rainy Days" (Song Analysis)

*taps mic* is this thing on?

Well...it's been a while, hasn't it? We've been silent but we are still very much around, still listening to the Tannie's music, watching all the content, still loving vmin and namjin, we watched all streamable D-Day concerts, the Disney+ movies, all of it, we've just basically been keeping our ARMY time to ourselves.

But then came Tae.

But then came Rainy Days. And we were lured back here to scream a little at what we've gotten.

And yes, before the inevitable anons come to try and discredit everything in this post, yes we are aware that (so far) Tae doesn't have any writing credits on the songs on Layover, Love Me Again and Rainy Days. But try as you might, no one can ignore just how vmin coded Rainy Days is and how specific some of the references are. Everyone picked up on it, regardless if they were a vminie, OT7 non-shipper, or even a xkooker. Posts crying about and pointing toward Park Jimin being the one were everywhere and honestly, I've missed moments like there.

So, Rainy Days, huh, let's talk about the vmin references, shall we?

First of all, can we talk about just how gorgeous and atmospheric Rainy Days is? And how very Taehyung it is? Because it just fits him truly so perfectly, just like Love Me Again does. I love how the soft mellowness of the song contrasts with the brutalistic architecture of the building shown in the MV, the old-school iMac, and the little Pomeranian acting as Yeontan. I did get tricked into thinking it was Yeontan until Tae did his live and told us, nope, that's Rocky, a doggy looking very close to how Yeontan does since he couldn't travel with Tae. We know Yeontan has health issues, so I should've guessed as much, but either way, it is absolutely adorable how much love for Yeontan is in Tae's debut as solo artist. Find you someone that'll love you as much and as deeply as Tae loves Yeontan. I'll wait.

I love the use of the iPhone sounds within the song, the notification tone as well as the typing sound, though it isn't very fitting (it also reminds me of vmin, how they enjoy FaceTiming, texting and calling each other) for someone who was the Samsung Galaxy ambassador ha ha. Wonder what Yoongi had to say about that.

But moving along to the lyrics, as well as two moments from the MV itself, there are a few vmin references that are hard to ignore. And they were "obvious" enough that basically everyone picked up on them.

The first little thing, and this one could very well be a reach, is this Little Prince/Jimin connection. In the MV Tae falls asleep watching TV and we're shown clips of a fox and a flower which immediately made everyone think of the fox and flower from the Little Prince, and then also the moment in the first season of In the Soop when Tae and Hobi went on their little trip and spotted a mural/poster for the Little Prince. Adorable.

Then in the second verse we have Tae singing the following line:

We can start again, open all the doors

The mention of doors made me perk up because it instantly reminded me of this line in Sweet Night:

That I still hope the door is open

So it feels like, if Rainy Days really is a vmin song, it would either play before Sweet Night, or after, when something came between them but Tae wanted a second chance, still had a hope that they could be together and that all things aren't lost yet.

Now this, who do we know basically laughs at anything and everything Tae says, who has mentioned time and again that Tae is the funniest, like in one of the RUN episodes he mentioned how Tae had been making him laugh all day as well's throughout the filming? That's right, our boy Jimin.

Don't believe me? Well, check out this thread and see for yourself.

Next we have the line:

You're my four-leaf clover

Do I really need to explain this one? In a BB or memories DVD, I don't remember exactly, we had a moment when Tae was looking for a four-leafed clover and Jimin, to surprise and make him happy, went and acted as though he'd found one for it (though it wasn't a real four leaf one) which made Tae happy anyway. Years later for their performance of HOME, standing in front of what appeared to be a reference to the Mirror or Erised, we saw vmin wearing matching four-leaf clover necklaces with Tae appearing next to Jimin as though he was what Jimin's heart desired the most.

Then in the MV we have a scene where Tae is in some kind of art room creating. Eventually he picks up a baguette, which points for originality, and uses it to paint a Vante art piece showing a painting that looks like an alien with its little antennas. And who reclaimed the alien "nickname" just a few years and and who is basically the only one who can still call him that? Exactly. Jimin.

Speaking of whom, further in the lyrics we get this line:

Those hurtful words

And sure, perhaps I'm delulu and reaching, whatever, let me have fun, but still that line reminded me of something. FESTA 2020 where Jimin spoke about how he was sorry for the things in the past, how they were buddies back then (I'm still waiting for him to elaborate on that one, they were buddies back then so, Jiminie, what are you now? Care to share?) and got into a lot of disagreements and how he now feels sorry for the harsh words he used with Tae. And Harsh words can very much be hurtful. So another potential reference?

At the end of the day, as I mentioned before, Tae doesn't have writing credits on Rainy Days but, as you just read, those things just fit a little too well to be just a coincidence, right? So perhaps, just like they'd done with Chingu years prior, maybe Tae sat down with the producers/lyricist and told them what he wants in the song?

And that would be it. We're both extremely excited for the rest of Layover, for the next 3 (!!!) MVs, and all the promo Tae mentioned he has planned (based on ideas and things he saw ARMY had mentioned wishing for) and if he'll have writing credits on any of the songs. But it is a little strange to me how Tae has been so outspoken about working on and writing songs for his mixtapes for years, how he'd shown us snippets from his songs, and yet now as we are getting his debut album, no writing credits (so far). Guess we shall wait and see.

[ninjahiccups]

Hi there! I saw in one of Songbird of Asgard's chapters that you headcanon Heimdall as demi - do you have any other Heimdall headcanons you would like to share with us? Sincerely, a definitely-not-Heimdall-content-starved anon.

I have a few, though I don't want to share some of them just yet since they would give away things that happen in SoA later on.

-Like I said, I hc Heimdall as demi. Gender identity really doesn't matter to him so long as he can tolerate someone and trust them enough to accept them (which is the real hard part lol)

-Heimdall is a little shit, that much we know. I like to think that applies to people he's close to as well, but in a different way. He'll give them sass and do annoying things to them just for the fun of it. Short? He puts things on the top shelf just to watch them go crazy looking for it, then casually reveal that he moved it after they've lost their mind just to watch them blow up. Have a pet peeve? You better believe he's doing the exact thing that pisses them off every chance he gets. Neat freak? He will 100% walk into their space and fuck it up. If they're someone who will push his buttons right back at him for revenge it turns into a never-ending war of pranks and sass and just messing with each other, and he's too prideful not to have the last laugh.

-Speaking of caring, Heimdall is an all or nothing kinda person, so if he cares, he goes all out. He'll be a selfish, snobby prick to everyone else, expecting them to meet his needs and expectations because they aren't worthy of his time and effort. But if someone's earns his trust and becomes important to him, he will do anything for them. There are limits to how far he'll go depending on the circumstances, but he is devoted to the people he values.

-The same can't really be said for animals, unfortunately. Yes, he respects them, but in the end he sees them as tools that can outlive their usefulness, hence his reaction when Gulltoppr dies. T_T Though he could grow to care for an animal as well, but it would take a lot. It boils down to how he perceives external bonds, seeing them as valuable only if they benefit him (we can thank ol' Odin for that) and he has to get very, VERY close to people to let go of that idea be as devoted as I described above.

-I see him as being 6'0, 6'2ish max. I know Kratos is 6'4, and it looks like Heimdall isn't *too* much shorter than him? (This would make Eivor about 5'5 in SoA)

-Based on the God of War: Lore and Legends book, I'm guessing Heimdall is not too much older than Baldur? The book states Odin and Freya were married about 125 years before GoW 2018 and Baldur came along 5 years later. Freya clearly knows Heimdall, and considering she doesn't care for him at all makes me think she never saw him grow up (if she did I honestly think she would cut him some slack since she has a soft spot for children). That would mean Heimdall would have to be an adult by the time Freya came around, making him at least 135ish? BUT he still seems a lot younger than the other gods like Tyr and Thor based on appearance alone, so he can't be too much older. I hc he's 150ish, which is still very young compared to most other gods.

-My mans is touch-starved and you can't convince me otherwise. So force this man into a hug for god's sake, he just can't admit he needs it so someone has to take it into their own hands.

-He appreciates the arts. Literature, architecture, visual art, music, anything like that. He's just very picky about what he likes.

-I subscribe to the idea that his fate would have been different if just one person cared about him. He would have had one reason to trust someone other than Odin, and that could have changed his perspective completely. Odin likely never allowed that to happen specifically to keep Heimdall under his thumb.

-He does drink, but it's more of an Asgardian culture thing than a letting loose thing. He never gets drunk and has no desire to be.

-His favorite color is gold (shocking, I know).

-He had to learn how to control his foresight in his youngest years. It's always warned him about anything that's coming at him, but actually *reacting* to it in an efficient way was something he had to work on. He wouldn't have been able to catch arrows when he was a teenager, just duck out of the way of them. Of course, his mastery over this skill is part of what makes his ego so enormous.

-My dude is an indoors enjoyer. He very much likes neat environments, clean floors, organization. Outdoors is only nice in the short term, but ask this man to go camping? No way, bruh. You'd have to work to get him to sit on the ground, let alone SLEEP on it.

-Between Heimdall's snarkiness and Atreus's smart mouth, I see so much annoying sibling energy between them. If things had been different, Heimdall would have definitely been like a smartass, I'm-better-than-you older brother, and Atrues would have been the flat-out irritating, Nuh-uh-your-face-is-stupid younger brother. I will ride or die with the idea that the god of order and the god of mischief would piss each other off like brothers who beat each other up for fun. I may or may not plan to hint at this is SoA at some point ;)

(Side note, this blog DOES ***NOT*** support Heimtreus shipping. That last headcannon is strictly in a platonic and familial kind of way)

That's all I can think of right now, other than the ones that would give some things away is SoA. I hope you enjoyed that anon!!!

[theback-rooms]

Ask your neighbors if they've seen this too! If the stairs make any kind of architectural sense, they'd presumably also connect to the closets of the people directly below you.

I don't really know any of my neighbors. I just moved here in 2021 and everybody was still pretty holed up from the pandemic. I moved here to be close to a friend, and then she got a new job and moved away. I like my apartment, so I haven't wanted to move, but I don't have a lot of people I know here, and most of them are just friends of my friend, so I'm not particularly close to them. That's why I had so much trouble deciding who to talk to about this staircase thing, because I'm not really close to anybody here. I even work remotely, so most of my co-workers are in a different state!

I eventually decided on talking to Katie about it. She's someone I met at a local swing dancing event a few months ago (Yes, I know: crochet? swing dancing? I'm a nerd.) We hit it off and we've hung out a few times since then. Anyway, I messaged her and we arranged to go out for breakfast tomorrow morning (she was busy tonight--a date, lucky bum!). I'll tell her about it then and see if she'll believe me.

Meanwhile, I took people's advice and talked to the maintenance guys. Specifically, I talked to one maintenance guy, Carter, who has apparently worked here for decades. I asked him a bit about the history of the building. He said it was built in the 60s and it was originally a hotel.

Here's the lobby:

(sorry about the smeary camera lens)

Interesting fact: it turns out that the 7th floor, where I live, was not original to the building! It was added on later. You can kind of tell when you look at the photo from the outside:

There's that ledge between the top (seventh) floor and the next floor down.

But there's still no possible way for those stairs to be there. When you look at them through the stairway door, they go straight out the wall before curving around. That means that there would be an externally visible stairwell sticking out from the wall, and you can see that there isn't one.

I tried asking Carter about it anyway. I'm sure my face was bright red, but I started telling him about "a friend of mine who found an old boarded-up stairway in her apartment building" and asked him if anybody had ever found something like that here. He laughed and said no, and added that he knew every nook and cranny of the building, including the elevator shafts, the attics, the roof, and the little cubbies in the hall that open up so they can access the bathroom plumbing in the rooms when something breaks. If there was anything resembling a secret stair, he'd know about it.

I guess he just doesn't know anything about a stair that according to the laws of physics, couldn't actually be there.

[willel]

Right. I don't literally think it's frozen. Things can be changed and adjusted there out of step with the real world. Though it also seems like that "snapshot" can get overwritten by... something or other (like the school for example) Like if you have two files with the same name in two different folders, when you drag one to the other folder, it'll get overwritten.

The reason why clocks and whatnot don't move forward is likely because nothing electronic really works in the Upside Down or rather they malfunction quite a bit (except radios I guess??? in S4 they communicated through radio)

But I think this still points to the idea that the Upside Down is only metaphysical. It exists until it doesn't. It must be really easy to shape it once you know the cause....

All of this and reading your post real quick has a new theory forming in my head.

Imagine the real world and the upside down as two separate giant bubbles independent of one another.

As we know, when two bubbles touch, they either stay separate bubbles that exchange fluids with each other OR they sometimes make one bigger bubble when one absorbs the other. Or they pop.

When if the "snapshots" we see in the Upside Down are the result of some force sometimes pulling the two worlds together, causing the real world to leave an impression on the Upside Down?

Maybe it's not just one character causing these snapshots, but a series of events has caused the two worlds to become unstable, so without anyone intervening, they sometimes bounce off each other and touch?

I'm of the belief that Will's kidnapping was the result of many things. Some of it was an accident, some of it was a coincidence, but a lot of it was on purpose.

Maybe the same can be said about the situation with the Upside Down? It isn't just one thing or one person that caused this phenomenon. Multiple things have created and continue to affect the Upside Down and all its metaphysical glory??

And as for your theories regarding whether it was Henry or Will who shaped the Upside Down into what it is (which is a separate theory from the one I've been rambling about this fine evening), I would still lean toward it being Will. You are right that it perfectly fits Henry's tastes with its lack of people and no sense of time, but I think that's what might make Will so interesting to Henry if it was Will. The fact that Will accidentally created Henry's perfect living conditions would make Will the most precious protégé he could home for (since El betrayed him)

The main reason I have a hard time believing it was Henry (or even El) is simply because they haven't seen Hawkins in decades or at all. Will couldn't have known every little detail like Nancy's diary or the inside of Eddie's trailer, but there was still something to work off of. It's not a perfect theory for sure though.

And then, regarding the Upside Down only being in Hawkins, I don't think that is the case either. Or rather, I think the "Upside Down" is actually a part of Dimension X, the place Henry was thrown into. I think the Upside Down Hawkins is like a bubble that formed in Dimension X. Like a bizarre little playground that popped up one day while Henry wasn't looking. They have the same vines, creatures and gooey substances, just different colors and lacking human architecture.

It took him and the Mind Flayer an entire year to make it back to Hawkins to torment Will in S2. I can only assume during S1, even if he controlled the Demogorgon remotely, he was not physically present and was still on a "journey".

Alexei once stated that they came to Hawkins to create a gate because it was nearly impossible in Russia. I don't think this is because Dimension X is exclusive to the Hawkins area, but simply that the barrier between the worlds is weak in Hawkins and only in Hawkins. This is echoed again in S4 when Brenner used a pencil to describe to El how weak the barriers between worlds is in Hawkins thanks to gates being opened and closed over and over again in the same area.

Theoretically if there is enough power and force involved, a gate could be opened anywhere. But I'm not sure if it would open up to a place like the Upside Down, I think it would just be Dimension X just like the first time El threw Henry in.

I've been seeing people claim the upside down is stuck on 4:08pm, but does anyone have a screenshot of that? I've searched up and down for clocks in the Upside Down but haven't found anything indicating a specific time.