drifterthorn

[drifterthorn]

Serving holiday magic with a side of fierce! When the lights shine bright, the queens shine even brighter! Bringing all the sparkle, slay, and spirit to this winter wonderland—because Christmas isn’t complete without a little GLAM!

#FestiveFashion #DragElegance #FierceAndFestive #DragHoliday #QueerJoy #DragShow #DragQueenMagic #LGBTQCreatives #GayPhotographer #QueerArt #DragExcellence #FierceQueens #SlayTheStage #DragPerformance #PrideAndJoy #LGBTQPhotography #QueerCreativit #acephotographer #splashbar

[drifterthorn]

From fierce lip syncs to jaw-dropping looks, last night’s drag show was an absolute celebration of artistry, creativity, and pride. 💃✨ I had the privilege of capturing these stunning queens in action, each one serving up bold energy, unique expressions, and unforgettable performances.

Every moment was pure magic, and I’m so excited to share these photos with you all. Swipe to see the glam, the drama, and the incredible talent that lit up the stage! 🌟

#DragShow #QueenEnergy #PerformanceArt #DragPhotography #LGBTQArt #FierceAndFlawless #NightlifePhotography #DragQueenMagic #PrideInAction #CapturedInTime

[drifterthorn]

[drifterthorn]

There’s nothing like the energy of a drag show—where every lip sync, every turn, and every fierce look tells a story of power, passion, and pure artistry. It’s been a blast behind the lens, capturing these bold moments and immortalizing the magic on stage. The queens bring the house down, and I’m here to freeze those iconic moments in time.

[drifterthorn]

Hetalia: Axis Powers Reflection  

I have never watched Hetalia Axis Powers but though it was weird and I did not really care for it. I did however like that each episode was about five minutes long. Overall I really do not get why this show is so popular or why there is nine seasons of it. I think if you have not watched this anime, you can probably just skip it.

The first episode introduces use to all the countries of the world and pretty quickly we understand that which character is a stereotype of that country. To me it gets kind of hard to tell the characters about because many of them are male and look the same. I did not care for the stereotypes that is shown without the show while I wasn’t exactly offended by the show it was just weird to see. It also seemed to make fun of our history and the events that happened. For example, Italy is depicted as a very clumsy and helpless country and relay solo on Germany. Italy the character even tells Germany to rule over him because he has always been ruled over by someone. He even says that Germany can order him and he will disappoint him. Italy also says that he can be used as cannon fodder and that he will mindlessly follow the chain of command. Germany is also shown as being noble and likable I think this is weird for the time period that the show is showing. Special since at this time period Germany to most people was seen as villainous.

Unfortunately, stereotypes are still a big thing in our world and how we often see our counties. I really do not get why we group the population together and only say they can be this thing. Everyone in the world is unique and different why do we have to try and strip that of them?

[drifterthorn]

Hi abhiramanimeblog,

This is also my first time seeing this show. I don't really got why it is popular or how it has nine seasons since it also did not hit for me. I also did not care for the stereotypes that the show had. I think there might be a way to make a show like this did not go over the line or make fun of the populations of people.

Hetalia and Stereotypes

This was my first time watching Hetalia and I have to say I did not like it. I found the stereotypes to be amusing, but the overall experience was just not fulfilling. It may be that I have just watched Your Name, but the story of Hetalia did not hit. I was also surprised to find out how popular this was since I have never watched it or heard of it, but it has over 9 seasons. I think it is offensive, but like the reading suggests it inspires conversation which is also important. For this discussion, I want to talk about the stereotypes in Hetalia.

I want to preface this by saying that stereotypes are not inherently bad. They can be very comedic when used to that effect. They are generalizations about a population which is definitely bad if it is taken as fact. However, most will not take a stereotype as fact so it is not a bad thing. I did not get offended by anything Hetalia showed. A big part of my not being offended may be that my country was not represented heavily. I can see how people from Italy and England could be offended by the depictions Hetalia showed.

Italy is depicted as a very clumsy and helpless country. This is true in some regard since they were not big winners in any major wars. Where I can see Helalia stepping too far is when they make Italy a country or a depiction obsessed with pasta which may be offensive to the Italians, any generalization about a country's interests will be offensive to some people. One of the only things I found truly funny from the show came from the chibi form of the show where the Holy Roman and Italian relationship was shown which was hilarious.

I also think that the depiction of Germany especially in this time as being something noble and likable is a bit weird. To most people, this time period in Germany is definitely villainous. They did some undeniably heinous acts and to paint them as some kind of good character is very odd. Obviously, the show does not go out of its way to have any villains. It is just trying to showcase a funny telling of events. It is still a bit weird.

In my life, I have seen a lot of stereotypes about Indians told to me. I do not let these stereotypes make me feel bad. I know who I am, and while I do fit some of them I am still my own person. I am not a generalization of my people.

Overall, Hetalia is a short show that can comically tell you about the history of the Axis powers. If you have some time you should check it out.

[drifterthorn]

Your Name Reflection  

I have never watched Your Name but it has become one of my favorite anime movies. I really love the art style and the music that is in it. Your Name is about two teenagers that share a magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. I recommend giving it a watch if you have not seen it.  

I think it is interesting in the beginning of the movie many people are fed up with where they are and what is happening around them and it is only by seeing the world though other eyes that we start to understand and appreciate what we have. I also think it is interesting that when Mitsuha Miyamizu and Taki Tachibana start to swap bodies they real do not remember that they did that. They also can only talk to each other by writing in each other's journal. However, in the beginning they both just think that they are dreaming about being in other body that is different than their own. The way they interact effects the other person, who they talk to, the money they spend, and the relationship they make with other person body in the different life. I think my favorite scene in the movie was when Mitsuha, her sister, and their grandma are walking though the tall trees and talking about what a union is.  

I loved living in a small town and I would go back to one in a heartbeat if I could. Not that living in a city is bad but I feel a disconnect living here. Whenever I visit a small town, it feels like a breath of fresh air. I also think it would be really cool to be able to swap bodies with someone and experience their life though their eyes.  That is a concept I have always found fascinating and probably why Sense8 is my favorite show.

[drifterthorn]

Hi abhiramanimeblog,

I am so glad I got to watch this. I enjoyed the plot of the two people swaping bodies and having to experience life though different eyes. I think it is interesting to see them form a tight bond even though at the beginning they do not meet each other.

Your Name and Kizuna

This is the 3rd time I have seen the movie Your Name and it is just as good as I remember it. It is one of my favorite movies I have watched in this class and I highly recommend anyone to watch this movie if they have not already done so. However, for this blog post, I want to talk about the Kizuna in Your Name.

Your Name mainly revolves around a body swap plot. 2 people of 2 different genders and livelihoods swap bodies and experience life through the other one's perspective. In this case, both characters Mitsuha and Taki gain an appreciation for the country and one another. Taki gains this through living Mitsuha's country life and engaging with Mitsuha in their diaries. Mitsuha gains this by living away from the country in the city like she always had wanted and realizing what she lost while also engaging in diaries. This is significant since both characters despite coming from different backgrounds and experiencing life in a city can see the appeal of the country and each other. We see that Mitsuha stops complaining about her life in the country all the time, and instead, she wants to go to the city to see Taki. We also see that Taki becomes obsessed with Mitusha's town and the disaster, he even makes his job revolve around stopping disasters like this which is shown to be unliked since he is not able to find a job. This appreciation they both share for the country along with their body swapping forms Kizuna between them and they cannot stop longing for one another even when they forget their names and experiences.

I can relate to the appreciation of the country. I have a lot of family members living in villages that are even less developed than Mitsuha's which I love and want to keep safe. I would never want them to die in an accident like what happened in the original timeline and I think I would go to great lengths to keep them safe. I also think that shared interests and appreciation can make connections that transcend time like in the movie. There are many people I know that although I do not see often or talk to often I can always find a common ground with some subject that we have talked about before.

Overall, Your Name is a must-watch movie. I think everything in it is amazing and it showcases how strong connections can transcend time. I would also recommend watching Weathering with You after Your Name to get some more context in this movie.

[drifterthorn]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Reflection 

I have never played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 though I have played the other games in the serious. With only watching the cutscenes I think we miss big parts of the story and the world it is based in. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is about Rex, an orphaned salvager who collects treasure from below the Cloud Sea for money. He is hired by Argentum Trade Guild Chairman Bana to salvage an ancient ship.  

Xenoblade 2 is full of visually stunning fantastical landscapes that range from lush forests, towering mountains, futuristic cities, and mysterious ruins. While the world is beautiful because this is a video game the landscapes of the world are designed to focus on the utility of the environments to the player. Serving as stages for combat encounters, puzzles and quest objectives. This can lead to the environments feeling more like tools and objects to be used instead of an immersive world that has its own stories and significance. Because this is a video game it is full of lore and backstory that enrich the settings however some areas may feel more like set pieces rather than living breathing world. Since the primary focus is on playing the game the way players interact with the environment can reinforce objectification of the environment. If the primary interaction you have with the environment is through combat and resource gathering, the environment becomes a means to an end rather than a place to be appreciated for its own sake.   

As someone who loves nature and would prefer to live in it instead of the city. I think there should be a way to live in balance with the world around us. Without the world we would not even be here. So, we should take care of it as best as we can.  

[drifterthorn]

Hi abhiramanimeblog,

I love that we are going over a video game intead of just an anime. I have play other games in this serious but not this one. I think it is interesting that in this game the go against the nor of nature taking care of itself. Instead humans have to artificialy create life. So in this game nature and humans are intertwine instead of being to seprate things.

Xenoblade and Objectification

This was my first time engaging with the Xenoblade series other than in smash bros, but it was very long. Only watching the cutscenes did not do justice to the story, since we were not able to actually able to engage with the game's combat system or world made it so that we missed out on a lot of the experience. However, for this blog, I intend to talk about the objectification that is present in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

In Xenoblade, there was a great disaster that left the world in the state we see it in the present. The characters we see are living in very distant civilizations. We also know that there is a place that is supposedly untouched by the damages of the rest of the world called Elysium where nature thrives. The characters in the story aim to make it to this mythical place, to find the paradise.

However, when the characters make it to Elysium they find that there is no paradise. No where that is pure and nature. We see Elysium is in ruin, the tree is dead and their are man made structures everywhere. The characters even question if they are in the right place when they make it to Elysium. There they meet the one who destoryed the world: Klaus. He made sure that nature could never repair itself.

We see that the only reason life can even seem to exist is through a solution Klaus devised where he artificially created life again to populate the world. This is done primarily through his genius, the genius of humans, as well as through humans since humans are needed in the process to bond with. In this way we see that the text is contrary to the idea of the objectification of nature. Nature in this case will be a part of humanity since it is humanity who ultimately will bring back nature. This game proposes a solution for ecological issues in which humans are the main providers.

I can relate to this concept of objectification of nature since I often do think of nature as something I can use to help me but not something I am truely a part of. I think the way society has become leans less into nature at least less so obviously. A lot of those processes that used to require direct nature are now made a lot simpler and do not require direct involvement.

Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles is a game you need to play to understand its environmental commentary. I would only recommend you to watch the cutscenes if you really do not want to buy the game.

[drifterthorn]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Reflection 

I have watched Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind once before so I remembered bits and pieces of it. I think it is definitely worth a watch if you have not seen it.  Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is about a young girl named Nausicaä who can communicate with massive insects that populate the dangerous jungle where they live.  

I think what I like best about Nausicaa that even though she is a princess is not a traditional one we normal see. She explores the poisons jungle and rescues Lord Yupa from an Ohm which is a giant insect. She works on the wind mills and is not afraid to be hurt like when she is bitten by a fox squirrel when she tried to befriend it. Nausicaa stands apart from the rest of the characters in the movie were others try to dominate nature and use technology destructively Nausicaa has a more harmonious approach. She sees technology and nature as interrelated tools that should be used wisely to maintain balance and peace. In the context of Nausicaa instrumentalism can be seen in how different characters use technology and the understanding of nature as tools to achieve their own goals. In many cases throughout the movie Nausicaa is the only one that tries a peaceful approach were others are quick to restore to violences. Many times, she is able to calm down the people and insects then lead the insects back to the jungle without anyone dying.

When Nausicaa falls into quick sand she dreams of a time when she befriends a peaceful insect. However, the village learn of this and killed the insect because insects and humans cannot live in the same world. I think many people in our world have the same mindset when it comes to humans and wild life. Unfortunately, there are plenty of stories of animals being killed because they were in human “territory”.

[drifterthorn]

Hi abhiramanimeblog,

I think a great scene that show her ability to coexist with nature is in the beginning with the fox squirrel even though she is warned to leave it alone and you can clearly see it is scared, she is still able to make friends with it even after it bite her. I think many people if they had been in that situation would have jerked there hand back and throw or hurt the fox squirrel.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Instrumentalism

This was my first time viewing Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and I thought this movie was very enjoyable. I liked the world design and the design of the bugs. I thought the movie had a clear structure and succeeded in telling the story it wanted to tell. Therefore, for this blog, I want to talk about instrumentalism in Nausicaä.

We see instrumentalism a lot in this movie. Mainly from every character other than Nausicaä. Every character sees nature as an instrument of human use and whenever nature becomes a burden or shows that it is not worth what it can be used for, the humans find it so that it is their right to get rid of it. This is in great contrast to Nausicaä who sees nature as something that should be respected and protected. She has a stance that all life is precious whether or not it endangers her. In this way, she is a saint-like figure (will get to this).

The movie functions as a critique of the instrumentalist perspective in society. We see that those who practice instrumentalism are often subject to the wraith of nature in the form of the ohms and their bug armies. The attacks from these bugs leave those who practice instrumentalism in ruin showing that the perspective will only leave people who engage in it in ruin. This is in contrast to Nausicaä who does not practice instrumentalism. She is able to coexist with nature often times being able to stop any of the situations she is in. We even see her regarded as a Christ-like figure for her actions further justifying her perspective.

There is also a contrast between the Tolmekians and the members of the valley. We see that those in the valley use items made from nature that they were able to forage. They coexist with nature and only try, and kill it if absolutely necessary. This contrasts with the Tolmekians who go out of their way to kill nature. Blaming it for their problems. They also avoid it by making all their weapons and machines out of metal which can not be found and have to be made by humans. They also seek to bring out the ancient warrior who uses explosions to singe the earth and destroy nature. Both societies show different stances on nature's involvement with humans. The movie heavily favors the existence of living with nature since it is that stance that saves the people.

I can relate to the instrumentalist perspective. I think I have that perspective. I am not really a nature person and I do favor using the environment to progress. However, I do not wish for nature to be completely destroyed for this purpose. There are limits that needs to be placed on what we can use, but leaving nature alone also does not seem like a good idea to me.

Overall this movie is very good. I would recommend anyone to watch it. It can be a great way to get a commentary on instrumentalism or just a great way to spend roughly 2 hours.

[drifterthorn]

The End of Evangelion Reflection 

So, The End of Evangelion is an alternative ending to Neon Genesis Evangelion anime show. I haven’t seen it before but I hoped that it would clear up my confusing from the ending of the anime show. It did not. 

At the beginning of the show the Nerv base is over taken with soldiers that are killing anyone they see. Shinji makes no effort to save himself and instead begs Asuka to save him. Because he has no will to live, he ends up getting Misako killed. Due to this Shinji ends up in a swirl of self-hate. He believes he is worthless and a burned.  

I think it is interesting in Shinji dream world that his personality and that of Asuka seemed to be enhanced. When Shinji begs for Asuka help, she refuse him and calls him out for his faults. Asuka has always shown more masculinity than Shinji but this extreme version shows Shinji that she is in charge and ready to battle. This cause Shinji to snap and throw the kitchen table and start choking Asuka. I think this scene show how trying to embrace something you are not is very damaging to a person. By choking and killing this Asuka, Shinji is killing off the masculinity that has been tormenting him throughout his life.

In my life while I have never been considered very feminine and it is something I have been bullied for I have never had the desire to change myself. I know when I was younger, I felt bad for my parents that wanted a girly daughter that wear dress. But even then, I know I was not that person and I could not be that person. I am who I am. I will be the only me. Why would I want to change that?  

[drifterthorn]

Hi abhiramanimeblog,

I watched the full series and the movie and I still would say it is a confusing mess. I do agree that trying to embracing masculinity or really anything that is not truely you always has disastrous consequences.

End of Evangelion and Masculinity

This was my first viewing of End of Evangelion and concludes my Evangelion viewing. This movie was a lot. It was very confusing with a lot of imagery, symbolism, and many ideas that were set up in episodes that I did not watch. I think I would need to watch the series over again and watch the movie a couple more times to understand it actually. However, I can point out the masculinity shown in the movie.

We see at the start of the movie with a very disgusting scene Shinji masturbates to Asuka's lifeless body. This act comes off as disgusting, yes, but it also is very out of character for Shinji. He has stated early on in the series that he does not objectify women and does not find true arousal from those parts of a woman. However, here we see him show that he does find arousal from this since he was able to masturbate to it. This act is unimaginable if you think of Shinji as someone of queer masculinity, but if you see this as him accepting or trying to embrace some aspects of hegemonic masculinity it all makes sense. Additionally, we see that he is unable to embrace this masculinity. He finds himself disgusted by what he did and goes back to being an inactive shell. This may indicate that those who try and force a change in their masculinity will only find disappointment in what they have done.

By reverting back to an inactive shell he also reverts back to his queer masculinity and once again becomes a burden. He does not even attempt to save himself and gets Misako killed in the process. This implies that the way he is causes problems and only reinforces his view of himself as someone who is worthless in this society pushing him to be more and more desperate.

This desperation culminates in his dream world (whatever it is) where he is in a room with Asuka. He pleads for her help, but she refuses calling out his faults and pushing him on the floor into a hot pot of coffee. This is an extreme version of Asuka made in Shinji's head that shows Hegemonic masculinity, she is violent and ready to take charge of the situation. In desperation Shinji then snaps and starts to take on aspects of Hegemonic masculinity again by throwing the table and then choking Asuka, symbolically killing off the hegemonic masculinity that has tormented him while also embracing it in another extreme way. This shows once again that the embracing of masculinity not your own has disastrous consequences.

In my life, I can relate to Shinji's lost nature. There have been times when everyone felt like the aspects they demonstrated do not align with everyone else making them want to adopt those traits like he does. Not everyone has done the deplorable acts he has while trying to emulate others but the idea is similar.

Overall, End of Evangelion is a confusing mess, to say the least. I would recommend you to watch this if you are an expert in ep 1-24 of the base series and have 12 phds. The movie shows more of Shinji's character and his character struggles as well as his masculine journey of desperation.

[drifterthorn]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 2) Reflection 

Continuing my watch of Neon Genesis Evangelion was interesting. We meet Asuka another pilot for the Evas. Asuka shows many masculine traits like being headstrong, confident, loud, thinking only about herself and loving to fight. Next to Asuka, Shinji lack of typical male traits more obverse.  

In episode sixteen Shinji decides to take on the more masculine role and lead the other Evas pilots in a battle against and unknown Angel. I thought in this episode even though Shinji is acting more masculine it felt every out of place for him. He even says that “fighting is a man job” even though his other too pilots are woman. I think there was a way for him to be more confident and showing that confidents without showing the worst traits of masculinity. In the last couple of episode we are introduce to Kaworu Nagisa another pilot for the Evas. From there the ending of the show seems kind of rushed. It is pretty clear from the start that Kaworu is not normal. He is actually an Angel. Throughout the show it has been a theme that Shinji is afraid to get close to people and yet he bonds with Kaworu super-fast. 

I watched the who series and I find the ending very confusing and I really did not get it. It seems like the last couple of episodes were rushed. However, I still think it is worth a watch. Thought-out the whole show it has a theme of having a boy who is not typical masculinity hero. While I cannot relate to the male side of this, I can relate to it on the female side. I am not a typical femininity woman. I am not girly, emotional, or elegant.  

[drifterthorn]

Hi abhiramanimeblog,

I did not like Asuka though I agree that she shows many masculine traits that are absent in Shinji. It was intersting seeing Shinji trying to appear more masculine thought it felt out of place. His action to me really did not seem like him.

Evangelion Part 2 and Masculinity

Continuing my first viewing of Evangelion was rough. I enjoyed the introduction of Asuka and the fight against the shadow angel but the conflict with Kawaru and the last episode threw me for a loop. It is very confusing to skip the episodes, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. However, for this blog, I want to continue talking about masculinity in Evangelion.

We see the theme of the woman in Evangelion being given typical Hegemonic masculine traits with Asuka. She is very headstrong and confident and loves to engage in violent acts with the Eva. These traits fit the typical male mecha anime protagonist but are instead given to Asuka a female side character. Her introduction makes the lack of masculine traits that Shinji shows even more apparent and makes him even more out of place with another character to comment on his lack of masculinity.

In the next episode assigned, we see that Shinji starts to resolve to act more masculine in his life. When he is sent off to fight the shadow angel he tries to take charge and show the other characters how it's done, even stating that fighting is man's job. Through these actions, Shinji aims to switch the narrative and make him more in line with hegemonic masculinity, but in a cruel twist of fate, his tactic fails. The show angel is immune to his brute force approach and he is sucked in. He then is forced to take a fetal position and pray for the women to come and save him which shows that he cannot his queer masculinity. He is eventually saved by the eva showing he cannot do anything himself.

Finally, Kawaru is an enigma in the story. He is a character that has those same queer masculine traits Shinji has, but he is not isolated for them like Shinji is. This makes him want to be closer to Kawaru, but it turns it that the reason he was able to act the way he did was because he was not human at all and had no need to feel any isolation like humans feel. This hurts Shinji and shows that queer masculine people cannot really find acceptance in a male masculine world.

In my life, I can relate to Shinji trying to act more masculine and failing. I can recall many times in my life when I tried to act tough only to fall flat on my face and show that I am not that guy which is similar to what Shinji was trying to do and what happened to him apart from the alien womb part.

Overall, Evangelion represents the struggles of a queer masculine man in a hegemonic masculine world. It represents these themes through Shinji's struggles and his inner conflicts. It is a series I would recommend to watch fully through.

[drifterthorn]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 1) Reflection 

I have never seen Neo Genesis Evangelion though I have heard about it. I think the show was interesting and worth a watch. The show is about a fourteen-year-old boy named Shinji who is reluctant to pilot a giant sentient machine in battles to protect Earth. 

In the first episode Shinji is brought to the NERV base that is overseen by his father that he has not seen in many years. As soon as he arrives Shinji is told that he must pilot a giant sentient machine and go into combat against a giant monster called the Angels even though he has not been trained. Shinji father left because Shinji was useless to him and he is only sent for when they need a pilot for the Evas. Shinji has no desire to fight and is afraid to do so. Because of this Shinji is called a coward and because of his fear and hesitation he is subjected to a lot of disrespect from the scientists, his father, and his friends. 

Shinji manners also led him to be ridicule. He is soft spoken and use yes ma’am and yes sir a lot. Because of this he is told many times to be a man, grow a backbone and have some confidence. He is also described as someone who only follows orders.  A lot of Shinji traits would be considered a lesser form of masculinity. 

We learn in episode four that only fourteen-year-olds can polit the Evas. Because of this Shinji is forced to keep piloting his Evas even though he does not want to. Otherwise, the only other pilot is a fourteen-year-old girl named Rei who we see in episode one is badly injured and is unfit to be a pilot.  

I think it is interesting that in episode five we see Shinji father Gendo be concerned for Rei when she is trapped in her escape pod. He forcibly opens the pod burning his hands in the process. Gendo acts like Rei is his daughter even though he completely ignores Shinji.