#<and it ultimately getting her fired for not connecting with the audience

[chefboyar-zeee]

Round Table: Trolls

In what ways does the film’s score situate the story with its narrative context?

Since music is a central theme in the "Trolls" film, the score incorporates various musical styles and motifs that complement the storyline. This includes original songs written for the film, as well as musical references to popular songs from different genres and eras. By integrating these musical elements into the score, the film's music reinforces its thematic focus on the power of music to bring people together and uplift spirits.

The score may also reflect the personalities of the characters and the different worlds they inhabit. For instance, the music associated with the Trolls may be bright and catchy, while the music associated with the Bergens, the film's antagonists, may be more ominous or somber. These musical distinctions help to differentiate between the various characters and settings in the film.

Some Examples:

After Branch demonstrates a poor nighttime routine when sleeping with Polly, she tries to match his energy singing even if he doesn’t enjoy the singing itself. So she sings “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed, with her own Polly twist. Ultimately, he rejects it by throwing her ukulele away in the fire.

When the audience doesn’t know much about the Bridget character, the audiences is introduced to her through song expressing her longing for King Gristle.

How do songs use character performance to push cultural authenticity in the film’s diegesis?

Poppy sings “Move Your Feet” by Junior Senior, when talking about the huge troll celebration that everyone is excited for. It’s a very reaffirming and fun song to get the people ready to party together. Every song is full of the entire troll community, showing their love and connection with each other. They sing of everybody being united, which is quickly shown to not be the case.

Although Armstrong is writing in conversation with Disney and cultured groups, and I am analyzing a fantasy film involving Trolls, what she has to say about fantastical themes and epic performances still applies. The music in fantasy films tends to have epic themes that evoke a sense of adventure, heroism, and magic. The use of sweeping melodies, dramatic crescendos, and majestic motifs helps to transport the audience into the fantastical realms depicted on screen (Armstrong, 2018).

In what ways does the film use musical “framing” to structure the score within familiarized styles?

By framing unfamiliar sounds within a familiar musical context, filmmakers can create contrast and emphasis on specific moments or themes in the film. The juxtaposition of different musical styles can highlight key emotional beats, character developments, or narrative shifts, enhancing the overall impact of the storytelling.

The songs come in when characters are having moments of extreme hope or need to inspire one another

The songs are meant to hype up the characters to execute some form of difficult task (I Will Bet Back Up Again)

Because of Poppy’s character, a significant portion of the film, specifically recalled plans or imaginative ideas, are shown in storybook (scrapbooking) which immerses you more into the fantastical world of Trolls.

#oxyfilmmusical #animatedmusical @theuncannyprofessoro

[that-rackin-frackin-varmint]

LT Back in Action: The fight for Artistic Integrity

I feel like we've commonly identified how in Back in Action, Daffy and DJ were so obviously mirrors of each other with their ambition to go beyond their current positions to be valued by their respective peers. But I don't see people make the connection on how Bugs and Kate's dynamic seemed to serve as a representation of Bugs' balancing act of preserving the remnants of his classic personalities against the growing passage of time and everchanging censorship standards.

The movie makes many references to audience demographics, PC culture, how corporate interest stifles creatives, the fumbling upper management -- all very prevalent subjects for the looney tunes characters. But for this film's focus, we see how it affects the film's leads.

Daffy gets his suggestions shot down in the writing room, his input is undermined by the execs, and was ultimately manipulated into starring in a film without express consent or autonomy. His insistence in pursuing the blue monkey was a deliberate refusal to internalise his debilitating loss of identity after he got fired.

DJ's a secret nepo baby who -- aside from not exactly getting as much recognition for his contributions to the films Brendan Fraser starred in -- seems to be living a rather cushy life judging from the interior of his house. The ending seems to suggest that he was involved in blind-siding Daffy because of his ambition to be more than a security guard. So he was just as much a pawn.

Kate is the newbie Head of Comedy, who is absolutely miscasted for the job and is clinging on for dear life to maintain this seemingly important position by doing what her higher ups want her to do. But because her higher ups are incompetent at knowing what works with audiences -- the moment shit hits the fan, they will absolutely use her as a scapegoat.

And Bugs has to navigate studio politics to pull strings for himself, seems to be well-versed in baby-talking the Warner Brothers into submission, and has developed a far removed capacity for emotional vulnerability. This limitation in expression seems like a learned tactic as he adeptly dodges Daffy's invitations for genuine connection throughout the film. Which makes this version of Bugs particularly best identified for his emotional constipation.

What this goes to show is that these characters were able to convey the struggles, frustrations and burnout that comes with creatives in their continuous battle against the hand that feeds them. Which I find makes this movie all the more timeless, and prevalent in our modern day.

[mezzy-1]

OMEGA VALORANT AGENTS AND THEIR COMICS

In an effort to convince the public of the necessity of the Omega Protocol aka. Legion, the world governments on the other Earth commissioned a number of artists and writers to create propaganda pieces for the Omega Agents.  A few agents opted out or provided direct input as to what they wanted.

“Threat in the Mirror” is by far one of the most famous copy of the Legion produced comics and most popular

A four part saga with the agents all starting out with fabricated origins to make them more like characters than they really were

Phoenix was literally a student but they wrote in that had powers since birth and was a vigilante in London

Skye was helping with environmental sciences as a surveyor but the comic changed it to her communing with nature itself in some kind of temple

Fictionalizing the lives of agents was part of the deal

The ‘Alpha threat’ is presented as Kingdom executives that cloned the agents and stole radianite to create doomsday weapons.  Not entirely true but not too wrong

The 1st part is them working together to beat some Kingdom grunts and getting enlisted and by the 3rd part they detonate a spike successfully at the end

They don’t show the after effects of the spikes at all, just showing them ‘absorbing the radianite in a harmless flash’

The epilogue is them gearing up for an all out assault on Kingdom HQ which hasn’t happened yet

A lot of crossover events in this comic between other previous issues of other comics

Pure insanity with weird science and geek romance, this is the ultimate nerd comics with the strangest concepts ever

Microverses, aliens, mutant creatures, giant bugs, and all sorts of silver age comic weirdos are the typical threats but are often coupled with KJ and Raze’s relationship going through change

Yeah the shipping is ongoing but it's pretty uniform at this point, especially cause both Omega agents are engaged

There was an issue commemorating it, with them kissing on the cover

The ‘tentacled terrors’ in this copy were some kind of octopus alien thing that were created in some kind of experiment

They quickly became a popular symbol and to make some money off of the merchandising rights, the company manufactured plushes of them

The plushes serve as the Omega version of the squid plush Neon owns

Friendly Fire is full of romance tropes cranked to 11 because of the comic’s pulpy nature.  This extends to the side characters like Gekko, Neon, Jett, and Phoenix

Omega Yoru is included in the Japanese spin-off version, making those issues a collector’s item

In terms of propaganda, it functions ok by making the audience like the agents more and sympathize with them.  Most of it is made up but the KJ and Raze stuff is 100% true

It's pretty much the Spawn comic but less edgy and more story driven and a little more toned down

The whole origin of Omen is unknown to everyone but the fans have speculated on what is canon or not

Viper’s involvement in his creation was understated in the comic as to maintain secrecy and keep herself from feeling too much guilt

Current story is that Omen was an scientist studying a ‘shadow world’ who had his experiment sabotaged that came back to avenge himself by attacking Kingdom and threats

Most stories are mostly an overpowered badass with issues massacring nameless soldiers and scaring the hell out of the villain of the week

Viper is sort of a confidant and source of advice in the comic, while Cypher is sort of the ‘guy in the chair’ for all of them

From time to time they focus in on Omen’s lack of mercy and loose connection to humanity, which forms most of the drama that keeps readers invested

When Fade allowed herself to be illustrated in the comic, it was an instant match made in heaven for her to be Omen’s sidekick

A bounty hunter was the perfect foil to someone who had lost all direction and needed help.  In the comics their powers come from the same accident

Overall it's a great antihero comic but the Omega Omen could not care less about it and neither does Fade

The first draft of the Valorant Legion’s comics

It was created by a legend in the illustration community that used to make classic superhero comics.  The author was like a mixture of Ditko and Eisner in terms of comic genius

Propagandists working with the Legion had a meet and greet with many of the agents, and from then on the the author elected a few agents to follow

KJ was obvious as a protagonist, seeing as she had a relationship with Raze adding some motivation and she was young like the target audience

The bots and her technical genius were definitely an important choice because they could easily symbolize the efforts the governments made to protect people, especially places like Pearl 

Brimstone being the good-cop leader was a choice made because of the fact Brim’s image was already iconic as a hardworking soldier and great leader

Viper was a foil to the group, which helped balance the complexity of the crew and added some variety to personality  

Omega Viper was mostly indifferent to the author, but did want her comic version to exclude some of her background

She is usually the lancer of the group, and willing to do the more extreme things

Cypher was a hard character to introduce, his relaxed nature but sharp intellect made it difficult to decide if he should add more darkness or be more witty

It was settled that he’d be a clever wordsmith and the group’s heart to an extent, but the author left out the parts of Cypher’s life he’d rather keep quiet

He became one of those joke-like characters who are competent but get into funny situations.  One liner and wordplay king.

It’s played for laughs to cut dramatic tension but Cypher coming back from the dead is a common story beat if he disappears somehow.  Cypher keeps things upbeat

Omen is like the opposite of this idea.  He is the group’s strong, silent one who much is not known about

His origin is kept secret but it’s made clear he wants revenge on Alpha earth

What makes the character work well with the comic Protocol is the fact he serves as an outsider at times and lets other characters play off his condition

KJ as the newcomer, Viper as the lancer, Brim as the leader, Cypher as the heart, and Omen as the emotional core felt correct for a comic in the author’s eyes

With the team assembled, the comic launched with incredible success and totally hit with most teens and young kids

As more issues were printed, more characters like Raze, Sage, and Sova saw more appearances and got storylines

It was a hit to say the least

This comic is part Captain America and part Suicide Squad, but the two protags also have a rivalry going on

Sova is a side character in this and gets a lot of fangirls much to Omega Sova’s annoyance

Breach and Brim are placed on missions to demolish terrorist groups and cybernetic armies.  They blow shit up and walk away like the A-Team in a lot of the stories

KJ and Raze are the tech people and there are often many panels dedicated to the badass inventions in action.  Lots of cool lasers and rockets

Playtime’s Over is a new issue that has them fighting against a newly formed militia that has allied with Alpha Earth and is using android soldiers to steal radianite

The leader of the group is a sort of like a doll maker, hence Playtime’s Over

It’s got Metal Gear inspired parts for certain, especially when Breach suplexes a mech and Brimstone uses stealth tactics by hiding in a box

The bickering the two have is fodder for the fans to create god knows how many rivals to lovers fics.  Omega Breach constantly teases Brimstone about this, much to his chagrin

It’s cheesy action and explosions with two badasses that one up each other, so it's not super well written in terms of plot but is beyond entertaining

Comic Headcanon at Alpha Valorant

After the siege on Pearl and any time after where they visited it, the younger agents would loot that one comic store

They were weirded out by the stories being of them at first, seeing media based on you is quite jarring

Eventually many of them started to read through the boxes that were brought back as ‘recon’

It’s become a ritual to sneak into the store and see what issues are available to take and who’s in what comic

It leads to so many in jokes

One right of passage new duelists have is finding their first appearance in the Legion comic book series

[grassbreads]

I've been rereading more slowly through SGRS since I binged through the whole thing in one day the first time, and god.

In Kikuhiko's first rakugo performance after he and Sukeroku do their play, he does a story about a woman searching for someone to commit double suicide with her. Specifically, the only bits of his longer performance that are transcribed into the manga are snippets of this central character picking out and beginning to seduce the man she wants to target.

Kiku finds himself when he does the play with Sukeroku. He finds something fundamental in both the female role he puts on and the way he's able to command the audience's attention to him. And that's what becomes his connection to rakugo—it's a place where he can find belonging and adoration showing off that aspect of himself. So as the first performance after that, Kiku's performance of Shinagawa Shinjuu is a beginning of sorts. It's the start of his true love affair with rakugo.

And in that moment, we're shown Kiku performing a scene of a woman choosing the man with whom she'll commit lovers' suicide. Kiku—the man who decades later muses constantly about taking rakugo as an art form to death with him—starts his career in earnest performing as a woman who's just decided who she wants to take to death with her.

Then the scene goes on, and we get a little snippet of Kiku as the woman beginning to seduce her lover to death. In the same way as Kiku is seducing his audience into his story, and just as rakugo is truly seducing him. Kiku is the seductress in the story and in his performance, but by nature of the art form, he's also the naive man seduced to death. He's playing all roles. If Kiku wants his love affair with rakugo to end in death, then equally, rakugo leads him to his own demise.

As an old man, Kiku sets fire to the theater and just about makes that double suicide a reality. The building is eventually rebuilt, however, and Kiku's family and friends carry on the torch of rakugo. It's only Kiku himself who dies not too long after. He's saved in the moment by his chosen family and connections, yes. He says that he was ultimately denied his lovers' suicide. And yet, his final performance to the dead seems to mark the beginning of the end for him.

Kiku's first performance after the play is, in every way, a brilliant moment of intertextuality. Kikuhiko is Osome deciding she wants to die, implicitly tying his discovery of what rakugo means to him to suicide. He's Osome choosing who to die with as he truly chooses his art form. He's Osome entrancing the audience like they're the foolish Kinzo. He's Osome seducing rakugo itself to die with him—taking the first true steps down the path that will lead to him becoming the be all end all of the art (emphasis on the potential for him to end all). He's Kinzo being seduced by the offer of suicide with rakugo. He's Kinzo being entranced by the adoration of the audience like Osome's so-called love.

For this moment of Kiku coming into his own and entering his doomed love affair with rakugo, there's no narrative that could have suited him better.

[wri0thesley]

Ok ok ik that diluc doesn't use a horse but agjshandma imagine knight diluc about to face an opponent in a tournament and reader gives him her handmade handkerchief as a good luck charm, not knowing about his obsession with her. Obviously he gets even more excited and wins on her behalf, looking at the audience to see her reaction. Looking at her proud smile is totally worth it, and Diluc begins to wonder if she can continue to look at him like that. This time as a married couple. Who cares if her status is lower than him? There's nothing he can't do to ensure she'll be in his bed soon, her body as the ultimate reward for his hard work.

I'm sorry I just read too many isekai manhwa ahdhskfbsn

diluc ABSOLUTELY learnt to ride a horse growing up. i don't for a minute imagine he didn't - and, after all, he was the cavalry captain before kaeya! he's probably very good with horses! (i also imagine he probably grew up with hunting dogs, just because rich noble types are like that. also because the thought of little ragbros playing with two of crepus' hunting dogs in front of a roaring fire is simply too cute to ignore). ANYWAY--

YES. knight diluc. knight diluc!!! knight diluc falling for someone common-born with a (totally understandable, knights are romantic figures) crush on him. they're flattered by him taking the favour, but expect no more from it - it's just a bit of romanticism, their father already has them promised to another for the sake of making connections - but . . . diluc has caught a glimpse of them now. they play on his mind. and who would really reject a knight?

[likealittleheartbeat]

i just think aang’s survival in the iceberg is such a powerful and multifaceted piece of iconography. it really succinctly visualizes the act of survival along with all the power and grief that go along with it. i can’t think of any iconic references we have for ‘survival’ as a concept in anglo-fiction (plenty of examples of sacrifice tho). i guess there’s some stuff with horses in fiction about enduring suffering, but they tend to emphasize how the suffering is necessary to strengthen the individual for the ultimate narrative resolution. the iceberg in avatar, tho, is so potent because it refuses to bless the suffering. instead, it acknowledges the strength of the survivor as something inherent that preceded the suffering. it also acknowledges that this kind of survival comes with a deep and painful toll, so it’s cruel to force upon someone. this is a very different concept than the parent teaching their child to toughen up or a ‘test sent by god.’ 

the iceberg has so many symbolic possibilities. even within the show. visually we see parallels crop up a few times: there’s huu concealed within his vines in the swamp, the library and Wan Shi Tong buried deep within the sands of the great desert, aang enduring ozai’s attacks inside a rock construction in the finale, and katara even creating her own frozen experience with Azula in that last episode. but we can go more metaphorical. we can symbolically connect this image of painful survival within an iceberg with how katara survives the attack on her village. She is saved but without any possible waterbending mentors to guide her forward--and at the cost of losing her mother and having her father leave to further protect their home. an arrested development happens for sokka because of the loss of those same adult mentors, too (although his is less representative of the fire nation’s attempt at complete cultural genocide of SWT waterbending). zuko and azula in their childhood find emotional and behavioral ways to survive the culture of patriarchal domination in their nation and their family and get locked into perfectionistic and self-hating modes due to the conditional love in their household. toph literally escapes like aang to find her own means of survival outside her parents’ coddling control, and for a long time, that escape is simply a way to split her life into two and cope rather than actually finding a way out and forward. 

it’s no surprise audiences connect with the show so much when it provides so many examples of surviving through different kinds of painful experiences. it’s easy enough to connect these experiences to real world survivors of abuse and imperialism and genocide. the queer closet analogy is another easy parallel that plenty of atla fans connect to the show. some of us have been forced to endure horrific things, and it is incredible that we were able to find a means to survive. and when we find ourselves on the other side of it, we can feel awed by the strength, agility, and cleverness we embodied at the same time that we’re finally safe to experience and accept the cruelty and pain we endured.

that image of the glowing boy in the iceberg is such a novel symbol to me, and there’s a reason it’s up there with the most famous images from the show.

[tendergraphite]

A Tree Of Palme; A Misunderstood Transformative Masterpeace.

Those who sit down and watch this film, often find themselves confused—Asking ''Isn't this pinocchio inspired? Past the puppet aspect, I'm lost! Not to mention, this is awfully dark for a kids film!'' I for one, am here to say it's the best reimaginings of the pinocchio tale I have ever seen. This film isn't just a retelling, but is an utter transformation compared to its source material: The original story being about a puppet going on a journey to become a ''real boy'', but not just that—A son. He wished to become human so he could be a being who could grow, whose flesh could adapt from it's role models and hold humanity. Palme on the other hand, is a story about someone who already is a boy; He was raised, he had parents—But Palme never grew up. His story is about finally getting to become a man.

Ultimately the story is about children dealing with the loss of their caregivers—Of how they are strangled by the feelings of abandonment, and how individually they've chosen to cope: Popo who after the sudden violent loss of her Father to a fire had to suffer threw the airre of jealousy from her Mother; Shadda who after his Mother died during what I presume to be childbirth (His Father I think never was in the picture) Was forced to mature at a rapid rate. On the outside he lies and says he doesn't need parents—Whilst on the inside, it's all he wants.

And then we have our focus Palme—His Mom Xian, who passes away due to her Depression. Palme had been created in hope of cheering Xian up, and maybe even lead her to recovery: Sadly she couldn't beat her battle, and took her life as a result. [ The following gifs were created by @iyashikei, they are some of the examples of the cinematography within the film, and how often the messages are not outwardly discussed but shown and how fucking cool that is.]

Palmes grief consumed him for years, it warped him to such a degree he couldn't recognise himself as something comparable to a human being—But Palme was human, before his grief he'd never needed to question his purpose or reason for living; And isn't the need for a purpose an innately human drive? That we as creatures, need more than just reproduction and survival to thrive? Palme felt shame, he felt hate but most importantly love—These are organic emotions, Palme was already a person.

I repeat this to say that this movie isn't about Palme becoming human, it's his goal but is a red herring for what he actually needs: That being, processing his grief and moving forward.

Kormah is a good example of how important it is to have someone whose gone threw a similar hardship in your life. If not for her, Palme wouldn't have changed his perspective or even understood Xian had passed away at all. She came from the perspective of never having a Parent who loved her, but of knowing all to well what it was like to love her Father deerly. It's horrible to think about, and truly puts into perspective just how disgusting child abuse really is, but despite her Father literally leaving her for dead—She still deeply loved him.

The film isn't unreasonably dark, but I understand how those who miss the meaning of the film think it to be so. Children are not exempt from death, parents pass away or even being abandoned. It's a simple truth of life that many may have trouble accepting—That children who are at their most vulnerable stage of their life, experience traumas many of us cannot imagen surviving.

writing all of this makes me realise just why general audiences couldn't connect. If you're not someone whose had abusive parents, or lost a loved one, it can be admittedly difficult to connect the plots themes and conclusions. Of course it's going to come of as incomprehensible if you can't read any of the subtext, especially with a film that uses it's cinematography to this degree. It's horribly sad this film flopped, i'll forever be thankful that despite that it got to be my childhood film. I doubt I'd be who I am today without this film.

I wish my statements were original, but the above article goes into far my depth than I could ever. I found it midway threw my writing this and figured I'd link it for anyone interested in a more-indepth analyse. This post was more so a summary of my general feelings on the film, so isn't as long as it could be.

[aerithisms]

hi! I just wanted to share my 2 cents about your aerith post and her screen time bc after I finished the game I shared the same sentiment, but after 2 weeks of thinking, rewatching and analysing cut scenes (this game lives rent free in my head now), I realized why they pace her arc the way they did. basically her arc deals with her duty as cetra and coming to terms w/ it. however there wouldn't be any progression if she was already resolved to do it, hence at the beginning of rebirth we have aerith who is happy to start her adventure w/ her new friends (the one she wanted to go w/ her mom as we learn from her trial, so her moment of joy after leaving kalm feels even more deep). but as we continue we can see the mix of inner struggles that resides in her: being last cetra, trying to moving on from zack and dealing w/ dark thoughts about hojo. her Costa del Sol scene suggests that she'll learn how to deal w/ all of that and she believes it'll make her a better person in the future (in some way it has come true bc aerith sacrifices her life and any chance to spend it w/ ppl she loves, and of all things she wanted exactly this). despite that it doesn't cancel her desire to have a normal life and enjoy every moment while she can (in the same Costa del Sol ch. where everyone leaves the beach you can see aerith lingering and watching the sunset as she tries to take it all in for the last time). I think starting from Cosmo canyon her resolve comes into form bc she admits about the loneliness she had to face. At the temple she's willing to learn how to control lifestream (even tho you can see moments when she's upset when it doesn't work out). and at the end she's resolved to fulfill her duty not bc she's a cetra but bc of her friends.

This way you learn to care about her as a person and not just her role as a chosen one. also it's just my personal impression that the devs didn't want her to be a walking sign of death to preserve that feeling of her loss. instead they tease the player the idea of saving her to via marlene, red xiii and partially zack scenes (which feels even more cruel imho).

i can definitely appreciate your perspective!! to clarify i didn't want her to be fully formed in her identity and duty as a cetra at the beginning of the game, and this sort of arc about her learning to explore that side of herself more was in fact exactly what i wanted, i just feel the game doesn't really address it as much as i wish it did. like besides the cosmo canyon fire scene and the last couple chapters there's not a lot there and you're left to infer a little too much imo. i would've liked to see aerith voice her feelings about it to someone more so that we could get inside her head about it. nanaki would've been great since he has a similar connection to the planet/responsibility to uphold the legacy of his people, or tifa since she and aerith confide so much in each other already. or even cloud! that could've brought more attention to their relationship in the narrative so it wasn't so sparse.

i do get that they don't want it to be obvious she'll die for new players but by the same token i sort of feel like if they were that concerned about that they wouldn't have had marlene straight up say sephiroth is gonna kill her. by and large this game's story feels targeted at a primary audience of people who've already played ff7 so i don't know that i feel that's a good enough justification not to explore all the facets of her character in more depth while they could.

that being said i absolutely agree that i love her arc about her connection to the party and how she clearly struggles with but ultimately is able to accept her fate because of how much she loves them and how much they brought to her life. i thought that was really beautiful and heartfelt. and for all my griping i did sob over the ending so it's not like these critiques i have ruined the emotional impact overall!

[karin-ko]

Hana-bi by Takeshi Kitano

The film "Hana-bi” was directed by Takeshi Kitano in 1998. The title of the film is not only a play on the fleeting beauty of fireworks but also a reflection of life and death. “Hana (花/flowers)" symbolizes life, while “bi (火/fire)" represents death (gunfire). As indicated by the title, the film contrasts the paths of Nishi, who descends into a path of destruction through repeated “gunfire" for his wife, and Horibe, who rediscovers hope for life through "flowers" and paintings.

Both former detectives are cut off from their path after an incident. Nishi, who has lost his child, job, and money, and faces his wife's imminent death, resorts to robbery and multiple killings to spend his final moments with his wife. On the other hand, Horibe is devastated after losing his wife and children who got along well, and suffering from a disability. Neither life is filled with happiness. However, the contrast between Horibe, who ultimately chooses to live thanks to Nishi's gift, and Nishi's decision to choose death alongside his wife, is heartbreaking.

Another contrast depicted in the film is Nishi's merciless violence juxtaposed with his gentle affection towards his wife and comrades. He embodies both a violent side, seen in his merciless killings of comrades' assailants and Yakuza, and a gentle affection, evident in his gestures of giving gifts to Horibe and his deceased comrade' wife, playing card games with his wife, and even sharing his cake with her. These seemingly contradictory traits encapsulate Nishi's character, beautifully woven together in the screenplay to depict both violence and love.

Also, the scenes featuring Nishi, who is taciturn and not very expressive, and his wife, who remains completely silent, possibly due to the trauma of losing their child, are tranquil compared to the tumultuousness of his days as a detective and the gunfire exchanges with the Yakuza. Even without words or sound, their emotions and affection are conveyed to the audiences through their acting, thus emphasizing the film's ephemeral beauty and grace. The words spoken by the wife to Nishi at the end, "Thank you, and I'm sorry," resonated deeply, conveying gratitude and apology for making him get his hand dirty, the trip plans he made, the death of their child, her resignation to life, and their end. I feel that she understands everything, and it emphasizes the deep affection between them and their profound connection. Though the peaceful and warm moments they shared made the final choice sorrowful, it was also a moment of beauty, evoking a sense of love.

The beauty of the sea was also striking in this film, but it seemed to be portrayed as a symbol of death. Because Horibe is disillusioned with his circumstances and future life and gives up on living, he frequents the sea. The scene where he approaches the sea in his wheelchair, his feet gradually getting wet, evokes thoughts of impending death, and he ultimately attempts suicide. However, after he is drawn to flowers and finds hope in painting, he no longer visits the sea. In contrast, Nishi and his wife, after spending peaceful moments together, end their lives by the sea. The sea, beautiful yet possessing an inexplicable fear from its depth, seems to juxtapose the beauty and terror of life and death.

Moreover, the artwork featured in the film is remarkable. Joe Hisaishi's music evokes memories of Studio Ghibli films, adding to the poignant and beautiful atmosphere of the movie, while Takeshi Kitano's paintings, scattered throughout the scenes, are unique and impressive. There are not only those depicted by Horibe in the film but also displayed throughout various locations such as the opening scenes, cafes, hospitals, inns, and Yakuza offices. Particularly noteworthy are the paintings featuring animals with flowers or those crafted using kanji leaving a lasting impression.

In terms of direction, I like that Nishi's bank robbery was depicted entirely through grainy surveillance footage, with no sound. That is innovative and striking. In this scene, Nishi mimics shooting a man with his gun, showcasing his sense of humor. Many scenes evoke a chuckle, and it is one of the captivating aspects of this film. Additionally, there are many instances where direction seamlessly merges two different scenes or elements, such as lighting a cigarette and gunfire, and music halting in sync with the character's movements.

[ultrakeencollectionbreadfan]

The Last Dragon Chronicles--Season 1 Structure

When I was younger, I read a book series called The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris D'lacey. Recently, I started thinking about how it could be adapted into a movie or a TV Series. Now, I think that a TV series would probably be the best medium for an adaptation. It would give the series lots of exposure, and maybe even get more people interested in the books. With that out of the way, here's how I would do season 1.

Season 1 would be based on the first book, The Fire Within. Unlike the book, the viewers would be made aware that the clay dragons can come to life almost right off the bat, a la Once Upon a Time. I'm picturing a reveal at the end of the first episode, where Elizabeth or Lucy Pennykettle--or both--enter a room filled with clay dragons and talks to them, and they come forward and answer.

The first season would essentially have three interweaving stories contained in it, as well as one big overarching story about rescuing a squirrel. One plot would be about David Rain and his hosts, Liz and Lucy. Another plot would be about the Pennykettle dragons themselves, and how they try to help the squirrels in their own unique way. The third plot would not be introduced until about halfway through the season, and would be the story-within-a-story that David writes, called Snigger and the Nutbeast, which, like in the book, would have a connection to real events.

David's Plot

David's plot would, much like in The Fire Within, be about his journey to finding inspiration and believing in dragons, all while trying to help a bunch of squirrels. Of course, since the audience knows by the end of the first episode that the clay dragons come to life, the suspense will be in getting David to believe in it, as well as figuring out just how and why this happens. David, much like Emma Swan before him, initially is quite skeptical about dragons, but unlike Emma, he is at least willing to play along. Lucy would act as his Henry, constantly talking about dragons and trying to get him to believe in them. Liz, on the other hand, would initially treat David like any other person and try to discourage Lucy from giving away too much. She'd warm up over time, however, especially after David breaks his special dragon, Gadzooks.

The Dragons' Plot

The second plot that would happen throughout the narrative is that of the Pennykettle dragons. As mentioned earlier, this would mainly be about their own efforts to help the squirrels. It would be more comedic than David's plot, and there'd be quite a few mishaps and close calls. We may even see a few scenes that homage classic silent-movie comedy. In the end, however, the dragons would ultimately achieve their goal. Of course, we would have to make sure that this sort of plot doesn't get too grating on the viewers. I personally would like someone such as Howie Mandel to provide the voices for the Pennykettle dragons.

Snigger and the Nutbeast

The third plot of the season, as previously mentioned, would not appear until about halfway through the season. It would be, essentially, the story-within-a-story that David ends up writing about the squirrels. This would not be irrelevant to the plot, however, as the passages would be connected to true events. Of course, David's special dragon, Gadzooks, would be a huge help in that regard. Personally, I would like this segment to be animated by someone such as Cartoon Saloon.

Changes

As mentioned earlier, there will be some changes between The Fire Within and this hypothetical first season. For example, the character of Sophie would be removed entirely. Instead, Zanna Martindale, who in the book series doesn't show up until the second one, Icefire, would take her place. In this one, she'd be more of an "eco-goth" and would have picked up Sophie's trait of caring for animals because of it. Also, the concept of dragontongue would come up in the first season, though it may not be called as such yet, because we would obviously need some way for the Pennykettles and the dragons to clearly communicate with one another.

So, I've just written a sort of structural outline for the first season of a hypothetical Last Dragon Chronicles series. I hope all you fans of the series enjoy it.

[hosannan]

it never gets easier — nanna on sociability;

"It feels a bit strange to suddenly be surrounded by so many people... I should be happy about it, shouldn't I?" — Nanna (Nordion Princess)

Now, that's an odd thing to say when your game ending, base skill (Charisma), and every subsequent descriptor of you subscribes to:

Lachesis's daughter. A charismatic young lady, she has her mother's graceful bearing. Appears in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. — (Nanna: Nordion Princess) Daughter of Lachesis, the princess of Nordion. Known for her grace, charm, and kindness. Appears in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. — (Nanna: Beloved Princess)

Which substantiates that while Nanna is capable of inspiring devotion and compelling those around her with emotionally-intelligent leadership skills, in reality, she struggles to adapt around new places with plenty of strangers. It's a nice dichotomy, I think, that she personally brings it upon herself to put her best foot forward despite feeling at odds, socially. I've always considered the talks from FEH, especially between Kiran and Nanna, to be more character detailing rather than something she'd ever profess to publicly, so it's like a nicely kept secret between her and the audience playing. So, in the same way, this is a secret she won't ever divulge to anyone but you! (points through the screen 💖—)

I find it refreshing that she actually has private reservations in new places around new people, since her publicized character is built on connection and natural grace. And to top it all off, she's got a breadth of experience when it comes to being dropped into a new crowd, given that she and Leif converged with Seliph's Salvation Army after essentially losing a majority of their own army in an attempt to liberate Ulster. I can't imagine it being painless, but in her own way, Nanna makes it look easy. Girl has the tendency to put her all into getting to know people and subsequently holding those people close, even if she feels frankly out of place doing it.

I indulge in the idea that Nanna couldn't help but feel othered in these situations. On top of the Salvation Army or even being summoned into FEH, she also had to move countless times (Ulster Capital, Hrest, Tahra and ultimately Fiana), so that probably magnified the feeling of being out of place. And yet she pulls away from this natural wariness because she always has been the type to overcome her base self. There's something inside her that demands mastery and self improvement, and yearns deeply for bonds despite herself. She wants fellowship, she wants commitment, she wants to swear by the growing amount of friends and family she's made. She wants to be more than herself, in order to belong. With her people and for her people.

I can only imagine she's still striving to better herself even now in the academy.

It's never easy, even if she makes it look that way, but to her, the friends she's made and the friends she has yet to come across are more than worthwhile.

[f1r3fly-j3]

This is my first tumblr post cuz like two people on tiktok asked me to make a tumblr for my arcane analyses so I made one!!!! Anyways i’m gonna copy and paste an analysis I made on tiktok for first post w/ some images for fun!!!!:

I have been wrestling with what Jinx sitting in the Jinx chair truly represents, or rather where Jinx truly “becomes” Jinx because I don’t think it’s the Jinx chair. There’s a hesitation when she says, “even though I’m… different.” It’s almost as if she’s still unsure (or can’t bring herself to admit it, which still works in my analysis; why can’t she admit something so small and kind of so obvious when she just sat in the jinx chair, a supposed declaration of who she is?). Why is she still unsure? Silco’s gone, her relationship with Vi is pretty much irreparable, what is there left to question? The closest answer that I could come up with is that Jinx sitting in the Jinx chair is simply the signal to Vi that their relationship is over, it barely confirms anything about Jinx’s identity. At this time, she isn’t Powder, she isn’t really Jinx, and she’s definitely not Vi’s sister.

Going back a bit, the entire tea party scene is defined by Jinx coming to the realization that Vi and Silco are the same (can be debated whether they actually are, but to her this is true. This also echoes the idea that everything Jinx says/thinks is the opposite of the truth, which I can go into in another post).

At this point in both relationships, Vi and Silco have made her feel manipulated, lied to, betrayed, they’ve both sided with topside, but they’ve also made her feel loved and affirmed (keep in mind affirmation), and both of them are her family. Jinx testing Vi by asking her to kill Cait is Jinx asking, "what is going to set these two people apart (Vi and Silco) who have so far hurt me in very similar ways? Who is going to finally choose me?" Jinx is desperately grasping for an answer to these questions; the answer is going to tell her who to be, what to do, who to believe, as she is completely lost at this point. When she knocks Cait out, the audience is thrust into this idea; the yearning for an answer and the equality of Vi and Silco:

The differentiation comes from Silco’s dying words, “You’re perfect.” Of course, Jinx killing Silco was a mistake, unlike her previously calculated tests, but it also gave her the affirmation that she desperately needed. Powder isn’t perfect, “Jinx” isn’t perfect, who Jinx is presently is perfect. Despite everything, “you’re perfect.” (remember what I said about Jinx not being anyone in the Jinx chair? This is partly why, coupled with the strenuous nature of the entire tea party and how fast everything happened). Vi couldn’t give that to her even if she wanted to. By Silcos death, both him and Vi had equal marks of evil and good (according to Jinx), but this love of who she is over who she can be is what made him different, and ultimately made him worthy of her choice (although obviously too late).

The most interesting thing about this is that Jinx gave Vi the same (figurative) end as silco, even more highlighting that affirmation. No, she didn't physically kill vi, but she forever severed their relationship and killed the view of Vi she’s had up until this point, of that sisterhood. She sits in the Jinx chair not because she knows she’s Jinx but to say, “I may have saved you (Vi) from Silco, but I won’t let you live. You are just as dead to me as he is.” She's now killed both because of an overwhelming love for both; a love that was killing her. (also nuanced bc physically Vi and Silco couldn’t be more opposite, Silco dead but his relationship with Jinx more connected than ever before, and Vi alive, but their relationship as bad as it could get). Jinx sitting in the Jinx chair is the official end of these relationships, not the official beginning of Jinx.

So, what does solidify her as Jinx? The rocket! Jinx firing the rocket wasn’t just a final exclamation of love for Silco, it was an exclamation of hate, rebellion, and resentment towards Silco, just as it was an exclamation of love for Vi. She aims the rocket at Topside because Topside has taken these two people who she loves away from her, she’s still remembering how both of them “chose” Topside over her. She’s grieving these two family members and accepting the fact that she is alone. This isolation and the removal of the choas of Vi and Silco is what makes her Jinx. Now, this is a little confusing because Jinx *is* chaos, how is her finally becoming Jinx symbolized through the absence of chaos? (let me tell you I was so pumped when I pieced this together) In the scene, every other chaotic, loud character is caught in calmness. Vi is “gone”, Silco is dead, Sevika is lying on a couch, Ambessa (arguably the most bombastic, loud character) is calmly looking at Mel’s art, the council is quiet in agreement, Ekko and Heimerdinger are chilling, Jinx’s visions are no longer there, Cait is screaming but it’s silenced.

You could simply attribute this to the technical aspect that the rocket is loud, and that it wouldn’t make sense to take away from this big act, but the more effective answer for this chaos question is simply: Jinx is chaos. The loudness of her screams and the rocket amongst everyone else’s silence is her absorbing the chaos of the rest of the show. She no longer needs chaos to surround her because Jinx is chaos. The feelings brought forth by the Jinx chair vs. the rocket, for me, confirm this conclusion. The Jinx chair was defined by feelings of loss, grief, pain, those that don’t align with newfound identity but rather the loss of loved ones. The rocket provides those feelings of relief and happiness that I was looking for previously, even in the face of such a horrendous act. The rocket confirms Jinx as Jinx, and the fight between her and this identity question that has pained and loomed over her for the entire show is over.

Reading this over again it feels kind of obvious but lemme know what you guys think!! There’s always more to talk about with this show which is why I love it sm. Thanks for reading!!!

[cyarskj1899]

Boo this man! Boo! Tomatoes 🍅! Lame! Sell out!

#SayHerName: Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron Clamorously Heckled By Crowd Chanting 'Breonna Taylor'

In today’s episode of Ain’t Nobody Coming To See You, Daniel, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron couldn’t get a word in edgewise during a recent speech because people in the audience only wanted to talk about one person; Breonna Taylor.

Source: Jon Cherry / Getty

According to the Lexington Herald-Ledger, Cameron was speaking at the 142nd Annual picnic hosted by St. Jerome Catholic Church, and damn near through the speech, audience members were chanting Taylor’s name so loud you could barely hear what the attorney general and Sunken Place HOA president was even saying. (Not that we care.)

Cameron reportedly never mentioned Breonna’s killing in his speech people but he did promise law enforcement he would “always have your back and we will always support the blue.” (I can not confirm whether he was wearing his blue suede shoes while tap dancing or not—but he was. He definitely was.)

This all came days after the FBI finally arrested some of the officers and former officers connected to the botched raid that took Breonna’s life. The arrests have inspired new scrutiny on Cameron and his lackluster work while serving as a special prosecutor in Taylor’s case because all he found cause to do was charge former Detective Brett Hankison with endangering Taylor’s neighbors by firing wildly into her building. (Another way to say that is—Hankinson was essentially charged for missing Breonna.)

That’s probably why even as Cameron stepped off the stage, people in the crowd could still be heard chanting Taylor’s name.

Of course, Cameron has maintained that the recent federal arrests had nothing to do with him or his bootlicking ways. (I might have added that last part.)

“Today, President Biden’s Department of Justice brought federal civil rights charges against four individuals in connection with the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor” Cameron said in a statement, according to WLKY. “As in every prosecution, our office supports the impartial administration of justice, but it is important that people not conflate what happened today with the state law investigation undertaken by our office. Our primary task was to investigate whether the officers who executed the search warrant were criminally responsible for Ms. Taylor’s death under state law. “At the conclusion of our investigation, our prosecutors submitted the information to a state grand jury, which ultimately resulted in criminal charges being brought against Mr. Brett Hankison for wanton endangerment. “I’m proud of the work of our investigators & prosecutors. This case and the loss of Ms. Taylor’s life have generated national attention. People across the country have grieved, and there isn’t a person I’ve spoken to across our 120 counties that isn’t saddened by her loss. There are those, however, who want to use this moment to divide Kentuckians, misrepresent the facts of the state investigation, and broadly impugn the character of our law enforcement community. “I won’t participate in that sort of rancor. It’s not productive. Instead, I’ll continue to speak with the love and respect that is consistent with our values as Kentuckians.”

Riiiiight—we definitely believe Cameron spoke to people in 120 counties in Kentucky and didn’t come across one person who was indifferent at best when it came to the subject of Breonna Taylor’s killing. He was definitely just walking around Kentucky talking to Kentuckians about her death at the hands of the very cops he constantly pledges to protect. 

The man literally can’t talk about Breonna at all without being sure to protect the little blue feelings of police officers. But sure, we believe he was doing his best work when he was in the prosecution seat and that his goal was justice and not a resolution that had the least negative impact on law enforcement. 

Seriously, I wouldn’t be mad if someone followed Cameron through the streets chanting “Breonna Taylor” while ringing a bell like the “shame” lady from Game of Thrones.

We want justice for Breonna, not some “Back the blue” stooge who just doesn’t really care. 

[katiemgrimes]

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[jpt3391]

No Regrets for Our Youth 

The movie sets the scene right away by playing somber music and having a wall of text that the audience member must read to understand the basis of the story. Because of prior knowledge of Japanese history, I was able to put into more context the reasons Kurosawa made this piece of art and its importance as well. It clearly set the tone as a political piece, but especially for that time, it was important for the public to understand what they had done. The events in question being the Kyoto University incident, also known as the Takigawa Incident (which is named after the professor that was fired, in the movie I believe it was her father who played that character but they did not use the same name), and the Manchurian Incident (an event where Japanese nationalists falsely accused China of bombing their railway and led to Japan invading Manchuria). Both of these events are crucial in understanding the context behind the movie. But moving on from that, it is clear that Yukie understands what is happening in the political scene, but similar to her love life, she chooses to turn away and just “freely” and enjoy herself. One of the shots that I found interesting was the one where Itokawa and Noge are both reaching for her hand, as it represents two views of Japan at the time. Because of that, we, as the audience, can draw the connection between Yukie and her personification of Japan itself. 

The things that she experiences throughout the movie are similar to what the Japanese people went through in understanding the government’s actions. For example, when she discovered the body that was laying on the hill, I felt the illusion that she had made, crumbling before her eyes. Right before she saw the body, she talked about how she admired the sound of military maneuvers and the gunfire that they do. Similar to I Was Born But…, the image of the military as noble and just, rather than being seen in a realistic sense, is an important scene of realization that not only Yukie went through, but I can imagine the audience went through as they watched it for the first time. Kurosawa pans down from the shot of their bewildered faces onto the body and I interpreted that as their spirits falling as they saw it. 

Yukie's image continues to fall as the years go on, trying to understand herself and the interactions between Noge and Itokawa, but ultimately ends up with Noge who still continues to be a leftist even after all that has happened to him. But that gets shattered when both she and Noge get arrested after being found as spies for attempting to “conspire” against the government, but for their freedom. Overall, this movie is an important piece that projects Japan in a different light than what some might be used to, as well as the history behind it which I think Kurosawa captured well.