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meloncubedradpops · 4 years

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Repo! the Corona Opera: Part Two Fascist Boogaloo

Greetings fellow Repo! fans,

Here is my second installment of a series of three essays where I compare our contemporary times with the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. My first piece detailed the similarities between the two worlds, and turns out, I have an awful lot to talk about still. I ended my last article by posing the question, "What went wrong in this dystopia to normalize the concept of death due to nonpayment?" No doubt, this movie is incredibly outrageous on many fronts, particularly within the dynamics of the Largo family. As mentioned in the previous piece, I highlighted the pervasiveness of GeneCo's power and influence towards the citizens in the city (is it called city of GeneCo? GeneCo-land? GenCity? An actual city in Italy??).

People who write stories often bend the rules to make their story compelling. Be it exaggerating social interactions, creating scientifically impossible scenarios, or even allowing the characters to use technology that does not exist yet. I admit the creators of Repo! applied all those tactics and more, which makes the parallels I draw that much more surreal. I want to acknowledge this before I dive deeper because yes, I truly think it would be impossible to have a company who can offer cheap and dirty surgeries with an absence of debilitating class action lawsuits resulting from botched procedures, infection, or their body rejecting the organ transplant. And while I admit Zydrate does not exist, yet, but we do have a long history with opioid abuse. If you asked me when I first watched the movie if I think the Largo family could be a mirror of an ultra wealthy family from real life, I would have politely disagreed with you. But times right now are freaking weird. A single day does not go by where something completely outlandish is blasted all over the news, particularly in the United States.

In my last essay I pointed out examples where the citizens in GenCity live a life after experiencing a mass extinction event. Besides the technological anachronisms, society and GeneCo have an uncomfortably close relationship with each other. GeneCo is not merely a corporation that offers healthcare and surgeries, it has an unyielding power politically too. I argue that GenCity is ran by a fascist government that is controlled and operated by GeneCo.

If you're not a person who is super familiar with fascism, basically it's an extremist right wing government philosophy. I find it interesting that in the song "21st Century Cure", Graverobber says: Industrialization has crippled the globe. Although plagues, war, and other hardships existed before industrialization, that paradigm of change accelerated the imbalances between man and nature. Fascism did not exist until after World War I, after all. Between the world war itself and the Spanish Flu of 1918, there was a lot of pain and suffering felt all over the world. Fascists took advantage of vulnerable populations and asserted that their political party is the only correct party, and those who oppose are considered an enemy. Historically fascist governments have blurred the lines between the spheres of what's considered "public" and "private", and often danced harmoniously with business allies in pursuit of profit. As an effect, fascist governments have required citizens to foot the bill of a private company's losses. With enough propaganda, fascist governments will have you believing that this is ultimately for the betterment of everyone. And if you give them enough time, they will normalize terrible acts against humanity that barely make a peep, if the truth even comes to light.

For the rest of this essay, I will be highlighting examples in the Repo! movie that correspond with characteristics of fascism, using political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt's The 14 Characteristics Of Fascism, which was published in the spring 2003 issue of Free Inquiry magazine.

The 14 characteristics are:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism: Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

The world surrounding GeneCo occupies itself with the concept that this incorporated area derives a sense of nationalism, in the absence of much dissent. If you see below, there is an advertisement on the top right corner that says, "Your Birthplace for a new Heredity". GeneCo is not just a company that sells organs and surgeries. It is its own incorporated city. This ad, combined with GeneCo's relentless messaging that not only did this company save humanity, you must conform to the idea that only GeneCo can provide you the experience of feeling clean, safe, and perfect.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Being able to legally repossess someone's organs because they didn't make their organ payments is about as disdainful as you can get. Nathan has a whole song called "Legal Assassin", and there doesn't appear to be many laws that would at least have the pretense that these repossessions are remotely humane. There are multiple instances in the movie where Nathan approaches a client who is already restrained, panicked, and powerless. From what I can gather from the media in Gencity, GeneCo proliferates the idea that the company would be dysfunctional if people could get financed surgeries and let those payments go to collections. When you're a mega corporation, they let you do it.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause: The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

While the career of a Graverobber is certainly creepy and macabre, the idea that they could be executed without a jury of their peers is especially strange. After I created my last essay, my friend Veronica pointed out, that per "A Needle Into A Bug", one of the deleted scenes from the movie, that street zydrate is not actually derived from the brains of dead people. He extracts zydrate from bugs that nest inside the craniums of dead people, which in my opinion is a huge distinction. So who is he really stealing from? Is it morally okay to dig up a corpse to get drug goo to sell to junkies? Absolutely not, and the idea is incredibly disrespectful for the dead. And while I am sure there are graverobbers in this world that likely steal things like jewelry from corpses, I still wouldn't justify being executed extrajudicially.

Further, Graverobber's relationship with the Largo family has me believing even more that GeneCo needs them more than their media campaign can justify. Rotti has access to incredible surveillance of the city, so you would think he would eliminate anyone who enabled Amber Sweet's addiction. My theory is GeneCo knows that street zydrate may result in more surgery sales. However they want to continue making money selling the lab-grown stuff. So the end justifies the means, if we can associate graverobbers and those who use street zydrate as criminals, we can continue believing that "they" are the enemies setting everyone else back.

4. Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. AND 12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment: Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

GeneCo employs a private police force to carry out law enforcement. They patrol around a graveyard, a quasi-public space carved out for those who mourn. And because there is pervasive video surveillance, Rotti can demand that they do his bidding at any time. An example is his order to murder the repo man. We aren't aware of any sort of involvement beyond the borders of GenCity, but even the concept of a graveyard being a warzone is a special kind of hell.

5. Rampant Sexism- The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

Genterns! On the surface, it’s pretty cool that there is a large volume of female medical professionals who are skilled enough to carry out surgeries. However behind the sexy veneer is the reality that Genterns are not set up for success. They are not provided adequate PPE and work under non-sterile conditions. In the "Mark it Up" scene, one is killed by Luigi. Imagine going to medical school for years and years, only to be tasked with the job of organ warehouse worker. Then on one of your shifts you are stabbed to death because the CEO's son bumped into you while you were working. Not only that, but you are also expected to dress proactively for the purpose of selling the GeneCo product and experience.

6. Controlled Mass Media: Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. GeneCo has a monopoly on the media of the city. Politics, entertainment, healthcare, you name it, they have a direct stake in, and control over, the media. We do see from time-to-time tabloid clippings of the Largo family. But generally speaking, GeneCo puts a lot of effort in upholding their image. The best evidence is Blind Mag's story. She is a singer who acquired the ability to see after a GeneCo cornea surgery. And while she clocked into work day in and day out, singing and advertising for GeneCo for 17+ years, her departure resulted in Rotti murdering her. But why? Was he afraid of the things she would say? Rotti knew he was terminally ill when she declared her resignation, and yet killing her on stage is somehow less of a scandal?

7. Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. Fascist countries use fear as a tactic to keep the masses scared and compliant. The universe of Repo! is one filled with tragedy. Millions of people have died. I would imagine that the series of events that would lead to the creation and success of GeneCo was contingent upon people being scared for their lives. While dealing with the coronavirus, I find myself constantly checking my temperature, keeping my distance from people, and wearing a mask out in public. The human spirit is resilient, which is how we have survived so long. However sociopaths smell our fear and use it against us. The city of GeneCo is surrounded by plots upon plots of graveyards, signifying the carnage left after their public health crisis. I have a strong feeling that GeneCo was able to harness the threat of whatever caused the massive organ failure epidemic and as an effect created a power vacuum.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined: Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

This one is going to be a reach, particularly because there is an absence of religion in this story. I don't think religion would be on the creator's of Repo!'s purview, and honestly I don't blame them. If you look at the imagery of the story, however, it is very gothic. We have no idea if religion survives, and if it does, to what extent. I would imagine that people still have spiritual needs, and I argue that the GeneCo Opera is an example of how they get that fulfilled.

"If you want it, baby, GeneCo's got it"

The GeneCo opera is not your typical opera experience. GeneCo specifically tells their customers to "testify". People are singing in unison, praising GeneCo. Clearly GeneCo has taken several human rituals and blended them together to create an over-the-top entertainment experience that seeks to advertise their company behind the testimonials of its patrons. The benefits of the opera for GeneCo, as a fascist entity, are two-fold: have people associate their most nirvana moments with an experience only GeneCo can offer (zydrate and surgery), and distract them with religious-like concerts so they won't question their neighbors being murdered on the streets by that very same company.

9. Corporate Power is Protected: The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. AND 13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption: Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Throughout the entire movie, the Largo family is front and center. We know Rotti is terminally ill, and he utilizes his final moments to tie up loose ends in his life. His children feel entitled to his estate and the company of GeneCo. At no point do we see Rotti consult with a board of directors at GeneCo, a private fiduciary firm, or with any government entity. I would describe the company of GeneCo to be a weird combination of an aristocracy, government body, and corporation. His children commit crimes with no recourse or justice. Rotti kills the doctor who tells him he's dying. Luigi kills multiple people throughout the movie. In one of the opening scenes, we see a photograph showing Pavi is cutting off a woman's face. In the credits we see Amber's body guards lying dead on the floor during her press statement. What sort of corruption took place to make these occurrences so prevalent and normalized?

10. Labor Power is Suppressed: Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

We aren't super privy to the machinations that make this city functional. But there is a clear stratification that has sustained itself long enough that healthcare is not a right in this city, and those who can't pay for necessary healthcare can finance it. In a just society, if we have the means to save humanity, we can figure out a way to pay for it. Be it taxes on the most wealthy or other cost-saving measures, if there is a will, there is a way. However if you give a company enough power and money, it will do everything it can to stay on top. The best examples I can think of would be Nathan and Blind Mag's tenuous career at GeneCo. Neither really wanted the job they were given, but they were forced into those positions by Rotti. Had Bling Mag belonged to a entertainment union, would she have had more protections? Would a proper investigation into the murder of Marni result in justice being served, and the opportunity for Nathan to live a better adjusted life? Rotti masterfully manipulates situations that create powerless outcomes for his employees.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals: Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts We don't see any particular evidence that GeneCo is currently hostile to higher education or academia. What we do know is the technologies of this world are akin to something we'd see out of the 20th century. However GeneCo is advanced enough to synthesize usable organs. In my last essay, I drew parallels to today by highlighting that there may have been a "brain drain" of intellectualism as a result of academics dying from their public health crisis. Outside of the opera house, we don't see many examples of art in this world. Maybe this is what happens when a government stops funding programs it deems frivolous or challenges the status quo?

14. Fraudulent Elections: Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Based off context clues in the movie, we know that there is a group of voting citizens who help determine whether or not a company can repossess financed organs that are passed due on their payments. We don't know who makes these votes, the election process, or anything like that. So it is hard to say if GeneCo goes beyond their media campaign convincing voters to keep repossessions legal. Despite this lack of knowledge, I would argue that GeneCo wields incredible power regarding the course of elections for laws that apply to them. Okay, you want to pass a law to make organ repossession illegal? Fine, we don't have to offer products on a payment plan. The very threat of being able to take away healthcare is something right wing governments loveeee doing.

Speaking of elections, the United States 2020 general election is approaching. Now that I argued the ways that GeneCo is fascist, I will tie together ideas from both of these essays into a final piece that I hope you will like. If you enjoyed this article, please send it to all your Repo! friends.

#repo! the genetic opera #repo #Fascism #halloween #election #geneco #politics #horror #2020 #coronavirus #zydrate #musicals

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homestuckexamination · 4 years

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Your explanation on the discourse was really interesting because... it catered entirely to the team? I know we all like this webcomic, and don’t want something we spend so much time on to have anything bad, but if we love something, it’s okay to admit there’s something bad or many bad things going on. There’s a least one member who’s name I won’t say that is without a doubt at fault and has said and done many horrible things, including saying they wrote their part just to anger fans

Let me put my view out there anon, even though I’ve talked about this at large before. First of all, as I’ve said ad-nauseum before, I will say that in the context of The Epilogues and Homestuck^2, I am someone who likes what is going on. I genuinely enjoy the direction of the story, with no external prompting, and the Discourse always catches me off-guard because I never realize what people are going to be arguing about next, because when I am going through the story, I really DO enjoy what I am experiencing. Of course it is not perfect, by any god damn means, however, I am parting from the basis that my opinion inherently differs from the vocally negative voice of the Fandom right now.

I am a Content Creator. I am a writer, and I have started dabbling in art recently. I have plans, and ideas, to write a book, I want to create an original setting, that I’ve designed through an amalgam of my experiences, my points of view, and the things I like, as well as my hopes and dreams. Do you know why I side with the Team and ‘cater’ to them when I talk about Discourse? Because. The Fandom. Fucking sucks right now.

I have voiced my opinion on the Epilogues, and had death threats and suicide bait sent at me because I DARED to defend them! I have seen the Team- The same Team that made Pesterquest, one of the most Fandom-positive pieces of media I have ever had the pleasure of playing through, being sent those same threats and suicide bait at a scale I cannot even begin to comprehend. I have seen Queer Authors express their identity and experiences in the text, and people twisting them in some delusional way to accuse them of being Queerphobic in turn.

Do you know why I seem to ‘side with the Team’? Because I like the content they are producing, and the ‘fans’ are a ball of vitriol that tells me that if I like the Epilogues, I am either delusional, a bootlicker, or evil. Because I see the ‘fans’ pop into a post the official Twitter is doing, about supporting BLM, and what I see is people ignoring the contents entirely to send the team insults and ask ‘WHEN IS HIVESWAP ACT 2′ like a broken record. Because I see the ‘fans’ latching onto someone on the Team like the ONE SOURCE OF ALL EVIL, and proceed to doxx her, call the police on her, and threaten her and everyone close to her until she has to step down and drop off the team, during a global fucking Pandemic.

Am I biased for the Team? YEAH of fucking course I am, because I like the things they are exploring, because I related to things they are writing, because I truly do believe they’re doing something fun and entertaining, and what I see in turn in the Fandom, is hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE.

You say that it’s okay to admit there’s something wrong or bad in content you like, but at this point it’s that the worst of the Fandom doesn’t even like the content. They actively do nothing more than dislike it, and consume it ONLY to be angry, threaten and throw insults around. And if you even so much as dare to claim that, hey, maybe these aren’t healthy habits of Media Consumption, and you should, you know, not keep following something that makes you actively seethe and that you go in with the inherent idea that everything being written is being made to hurt you, you get called ableist for daring to tell people that they should take care of their mental health and not stay in a constant state of anger.

It IS okay to admit there’s something you dislike, or many things you dislike in content you follow, so long as you actually enjoy the content overall. It is more than okay to be critical of things you like. However, there is a difference between being critical, and being hypercritical to the point of rage and bandwagonning. Take Roxy for example. Roxy. Roxy is one of my favorite parts of the Epilogues, and I have seen them beyond recognition by the Fandom. But because the trans girl Roxy Headcanon was so popular, there’s so much vitriol around it. And it is okay to prefer to read Roxy as a trans woman. I do actually! It is one of my favorite headcanons! My own name is Roxy! In fact, with the ‘dubious canon’ divide and the Team’s explicit encouragement of the Fandom to have their own takes and read, they have done MORE in the way of elevating headcanons that diverge from their content than basically any other content creator I’ve seen before.

But then, then people start down a negative spiral. Well, transmasc NB Roxy sure wasn’t something they expected, right? It is not bad representation in the slightest, between the Epilogues and the deeper exploration of Roxy’s feelings in the Pesterquest Route, they are a really solid and interesting case in my mind! But there’s not even the sliver of positivity to be found. Why, surely, the ONLY reason why Roxy would be a trans guy instead of a trans woman, is because the Team is aware of the headcanon and is trying to spite the fans! Ergo, transmasc Roxy is an ATTACK on Trans Women, and as such a transphobic addition to the story!!!

And in the process of doing so, you’re erasing the identity, experiences and relation a queer team has with a character they have messed with, and turning a positive piece of representation around to CALL the team TRANSPHOBIC for it. You’re ignoring the possibility that ANYONE could read Roxy that way, and that the ONLY possible reason for it is SPITE and SPITE alone. Imposing your view on the read of the character, twisting the context of the content around to make it to be negative, and keeping that furnace of hate and distrust going.

And this is. With. Literally. Everything. Again, I have been on the side of the Fandom that likes the content since the Epilogues came out. I have seen the Fandom ignore, and twist, the actual positive beats of the Epilogues like they never existed in the first place, and exacerbate the negatives. I have seen people call them literally evil, and throw extremely puritanical views of what kind of Media should exist, and what things should be scrubbed off of Media entirely, forever. I have seen the most minor of shit spark discourse, because the Fans are prompted to disregard every single positive thing and positive reading, and instead twisting authorial intent from something that could be fun, from a projection of their own experiences, into a personal assault that surely no one could ever enjoy.

If you ask me to see the bad in the content I like, and the creators that I follow, I ask you, too, to see the bad in the ball of vitriol this Fandom has become over the past year. My opinion is informed by the reaction the Fandom has had to the content I like, and what it has told to me, by the reaction I’ve seen them have, as well as by the words of the Authors on the topic, and the content they have pumped out. I have seen and read ‘receipts’, I’ve seen every last piece of discourse happen, no matter how minor it may have been, because I am lucky to be a mildly loud voice in the Fandom because of this blog.

So when I seem to side with the Team instead of the Fandom, know that I am not making an impulsive choice to cover up the flaws of content I like. I have seen enough going around to inform this choice, and I know who I’m defending. And if you think “catering” to the Team rather than the Fandom considering what the Fandom just did is strange, I honestly don’t know what to tell you. We just have inherently different points of view.

#Homestuck #HS^2 #Homestuck^2 #Epilogues #WP #Discourse #Long Post #Longpost

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coolgreatwebsite · 4 years

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Cool Games I Finished In 2020 (In No Real Order)

Oh, hey! Right! I have a website! I’m like a week late on writing this, but what’s a week on top of an entire year of not writing, right? 2020 was... well, we all know what 2020 was. For me personally, it was simultaneously the best and worst year of my life. The worst in both ways you can probably assume and ways you definitely can’t (neither of which I’ll be getting into), and the best in ways I absolutely never would have guessed. That uncertain job I mentioned last year got very suddenly much more certain, at a much bigger company, for a much larger amount of money. That allowed me to get my own place, making my weird living situation much less weird. Still haven’t gotten the majority of my belongings off of the east coast, but if the entire world wasn’t currently fucked up by a global pandemic I’d have sorted all that out too. What I’m saying is that, for the third year in a row, my life has been a complete whirlwind that has left me very little time to get comfortable with any aspect of it. But I did manage to play more video games than I did last year! Which is perfect, because it’s once again time for another one of these. Here’s a bunch of cool games I experienced for the first time in 2020.

Astro’s Playroom (PlayStation 5, 2020)

My one word description of Astro's Playroom is "delightful". It's just an absolute goddamn delight. A total surprise too! Included with every PlayStation 5, Astro's Playroom is, in my opinion, one of the best pack-in games of all time.

First off, it's an incredible tech demo for the PS5's new DualSense controller. It was easy to brush off Sony's talk about the controller's haptic feedback and triggers as some Nintendo-style HD Rumble bullshit, but it really is incredibly cool once you get your hands on it. The game is obviously more than a tech demo though, or else it wouldn't be on here. It also just so happens to be an extremely solid and fun platformer on top of that. Astro controls exceptionally well and the levels are all well-designed and fun, even the gimmick vehicle ones designed to show off different features of the controller. It also has an oddly compelling speedrun mode, made all the more compelling by the PS5 notifying you when your friends beat your times and the ability to load into it within two seconds from anywhere on the console. But the biggest thing for me and, call me a mark, because I am, is that the game is an honestly incredible love letter to PlayStation history.

For the first time ever, Sony has pulled off a nostalgia piece without it ending up as embarrassing garbage in the vein of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. There's a Nintendo-like joyful reverence for all things PlayStation oozing out of every single corner of this game. There are so many nods and references and gags for literally every PlayStation thing of note throughout the the last 25 years, and then on top of that there's a whole heap more for the things that AREN'T of note that only hyperdorks like me would get! A sly reference to the ill-fated boomerang controller? Yep. A goof on the fat PS3's Spider-Man font? You betcha. A trophy you can earn by repeatedly punching a Sony Interactive Entertainment sign until it breaks and reveals the Sony Computer Entertainment sign it was slapped on top of? Yeah buddy. It's deep cuts all the way down, even up until the final boss which had me grinning like a total dipshit the entire time. The game is endlessly, effortlessly charming.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch, 2020)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the perfect game at the perfect time. That doesn't mean it's a perfect game, I actually have some issues with it, but it could not have released at a better time than when it did. It came out at the very very beginning of everyone going into lockdown due to the pandemic, and it was the biggest game in the world for a couple of months as a result. I played like 300 hours and that pales in comparison to the amount of time many others put into it.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the most different Animal Crossing game there's ever been, and I'm of two minds on it. Like, I loved the game, I played a ton of it, but it's lacking so much of the stuff that made me love Animal Crossing in the first place. The series has been slowly trending in this direction for a bit now, but it's not really a game that happens around you anymore. It's all about total player control. You select where everything goes, you customize every detail of everything to your liking, hell, you can even terraform the landmass to be exactly what you want. Your neighbors take a backseat in focus and end up as little more than decorations with limited dialogue and next to no quests associated with them. Series staples like Gyroids are missing in action. Facilities and services that have been around since Wild World aren't implemented. It's similar to past Animal Crossing games in a lot of ways, but on the whole it feels like a different thing.

But like I said, two minds. New Horizons strays from what I truly want from an Animal Crossing game, but I can't deny that the game as it is is a hell of a lot of fun. There's SO much you can do and SO many options, it's super addictive. Plus it implemented my long-requested feature of letting you effortlessly send mail to friends online! Too bad the actual online play is as cumbersome as ever.

In conclusion, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a land of contrasts. I'm kidding. It's good, but definitely missing something in a way where I can understand some people being disappointed in it. I had a ton of fun though, and I'm probably going to get back into it later in 2021.

Trials of Mana (Nintendo Switch, 2019)

Late in 2019, with the physical release of Collection of Mana for the Switch, I decided I was going to play through each game on it for the first time and finally find out what this whole Mana thing was about. I went into Final Fantasy Adventure (the first game in the Mana series, because every RPG had to be Final Fantasy back then) with zero expectations and found a totally serviceable little Zelda-like with light RPG elements. I enjoyed my time with it. I went into Secret of Mana with the expectation of it being a beloved classic and found the worst game I beat that year, hands down. That game fucking sucks. I get why it made an impression on people at the time, but it's just so so SO awful to play. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed. Honestly, I would have been disappointed even if I hadn't heard it was one of "the best games" for so long. It would have been a disappointing follow-up to Final Fantasy Adventure, a game that in and of itself isn't anything incredible. Secret of Mana is just that rotten.

I braced myself for more disappointment when (after a much needed vacation from the series) I started up Trials of Mana. This game had a reputation too, as a long-lost classic that never made it stateside. One of the best games on the Super Nintendo, criminally never released for western audiences! Like Secret of Mana before it, I'd heard nothing but effusive praise. Unlike Secret of Mana, however, I was very pleased to find out that Trials of Mana mostly lives up to the hype. From a gameplay standpoint, Trials is an improvement on Secret in almost every single way. It's not perfect. The menus are still kinda clunky, animations for things like magic and items are still frequently disruptive. But the main thing is it actually plays like a sensible video game designed by humans with brains. Attacking is responsive! Hitboxes aren't complete nonsense! You don't constantly get stunlocked to death! There are more answers to combat than casting the same spell for five straight minutes to kill your enemies before they get a chance to move! It's great!

On top of being an enjoyable video game to actually play, the presentation is top notch. Secret of Mana could be a pretty game with decent music in some spots, but Trials is consistently gorgeous and the soundtrack is across the board great instead of randomly having songs that sound like clown vomit. And while Trials of Mana doesn't have the deepest story in the world, it manages to avoid being completely paper-thin like Secret. The story actually kind of has a reason for being a bit straightforward, and the reason is that it has a really cool system where you pick your three playable characters from a pool of six. Each character has their own goals and storyline, some of which line up with other potential party members, some of which don't, and you'll even run into the characters you didn't choose as NPCs along the way. This and the relatively brisk pace of the game make it highly replayable.

I'm really glad that Trials of Mana made it over here in an official capacity, even if it was like 25 years late. It's as good as I expected Secret of Mana to be and singlehandedly saved my interest in seeing any more of the series. I'm aware the quality of what came after is very spotty, but I'll get to the rest eventually!

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PlayStation 4, 2020)

They (almost) did it. They (basically) pulled it off. They remade (a chunk of) Final Fantasy VII and (for the most part) didn't fuck it up. Ok, funny parentheticals aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake is astoundingly good coming off of over two decades of just absolutely dreadful post-FF7 sequels, side games, and movies.

Final Fantasy VII has been historically misremembered as this kind of miserable, angsty, brooding thing, both by fans and by the company that made it. FF7-branded media after FF7 itself is a minefield of changed personalities, embarrassing original characters, and monumentally lame stories. Final Fantasy VII Remake is the first post-FF7 anything that actually remembers the characters, setting, and plot of Final Fantasy VII and what made them memorable and special to people in the first place. Which isn't to say it's a slavish recreation! There's a ton of changes and additions, and I actually like almost all of them! Except for some really big stuff I'll touch on in a bit!

The combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake is great. I was super skeptical about it when the game was first announced, but they actually managed to make the blend of real-time action and turn-based RPG menuing fun and engaging. The characters all play super differently from each other too, which is a huge and welcome difference from the original game. The Materia system fits like a glove in this revamped combat system as well. The remixed music is good as hell, and the visuals are beautiful (outside of a couple of very specific spots that I'm kinda of surprised they haven't fixed in a patch yet). It's a well-executed package all around.

But alas, as always, there are negatives. For starters, this is only part one of the overall Final Fantasy VII Remake project. It goes up to the party leaving Midgar which, as you may or may not recall, is the first six hours of the original game. They compensated for this by fleshing the hell out of the Midgar section the game, ballooning the overall playtime to total of about 30-ish hours. The game feeling padded is a common complaint but for what it's worth, I didn't really feel it until the unnecessarily long final dungeon, There's also the previously mentioned and funny parenthetical'd changes and additions I don't like.

This is big time spoilers for this game so if you don't want that jump ahead to the next game on the list. The Whispers suck ass. Final Fantasy VII Remake should have been brave enough to be different without having to constantly derail everything in the most ham-fisted and intrusive way possible. You can have Jessie twist her ankle without making a spooky plot ghost trip her. I don't want to fight the physical manifestation of the game everyone thought they were getting as an end boss. If you're not doing a straight remake, that's fine, but have the fucking guts to stand by your artistic decisions without feeling the need to invent the lamest deus ex machina I've ever fucking seen. The last couple of hours of this game are 100% about the Whispers and are awful for it. It's a true testament to the strength of the rest of Final Fantasy VII Remake that this aspect didn't completely sour me on it. I can only hope that they stay dead and gone for good in the games yet to come and the remake can be different while standing on its own two feet.

I truly cannot wait for the next entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake project. I'm excited for Final Fantasy VII in a way I haven't been since the late 90s. I have a bit of trepidation that they could royally screw it up. I mean, they already got kinda close, as I said in my last paragraph. But they got so much right in this entry that, for the first time in decades, I'm willing to believe in Square Enix when it comes to Final Fantasy VII.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (PlayStation 4, 2020)

My one word description of 13 Sentinels is "fucking crazy". I realize that's two words, but shut up. A bizarre hybrid of visual novel, adventure game, and strategy RPG, 13 Sentinels not only makes that work, but makes it work incredibly well.

The story is fucking bonkers. It's told entirely non-linearly and is purposefully dense and confusing, but it does an amazing job of hooking you with a cast of likable characters and some impressively well-paced twists, made all the more impressive by the fact that you can tackle the story in basically whatever order you want. I'll say it again for those in the back, the story is Fucking Bonkers. Wherever you think it's going, it's not going. Where it is going is PLACES. Seriously, if you want a wild goddamn ride, this is the game for you. The presentation is also stunning. It's a drop dead gorgeous game with a really nice soundtrack. Easily Vanillaware's best looking game, which is saying something seeing as looking good is Vanillaware's whole deal.

If I had to levy one criticism against the game, it's that the strategy RPG portion is just kind of ok. It's enjoyable enough, it doesn't get in the way and there's not too much of it, but once it starts introducing armored versions of previous enemy types it's kind of done doing anything different. It is really good at getting people to out themselves as having no idea what tower defense is as a genre though!

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch, 2018)

I haven't really historically been a "Musou Guy". Not to say I've actively disliked them, they're just not something I've seeked out very often or played very much of. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition kinda turned me into a "Musou Guy" a little bit? It's good, surprisingly-less-mindless-than-you'd-think fun.

I actually super don't care about the Zelda branding. I think all the fanservice stuff is meh at best. What I do care about is that there's a ton of character variety and a metric shitload of content. There's so many different characters and weapons for those characters that all play differently from one another and SOOOOOO many levels to play. Like the story mode is, again, kinda meh, the real meat of the game is the Adventure mode and there's a ton of it. It's 8 different world maps, each based off a different Zelda game, with each square of the map containing a little mini-scenario with unique objectives and rewards. There has to be at least 1000 scenarios between all the maps. There's so much. And that's not even getting into some of the other side stuff like the challenge modes and the fairy raising. It's a crazy amount of game in this game.

And again, it's not as mindless as it'd seem. It's not really a game ABOUT destroying 5000 guys, it's an area control and resource management game where the 5000 guys are one of those resources. Knowing who to send where and when to fight who is way more important than pressing the XXX YYY XXX YYY on the more than one million troops.

I'd say that if you're even cursorily potentially maybe interested in a musou game, this is the one to try. And if you like it, it could literally be your forever game. A sequel came out recently too, and I'm looking forward to trying that out soon.

Phantasy Star Online 2 (Xbox One, 2020)

Phantasy Star Online 2 finally came stateside in the year 2020, eight years after its initial Japanese release and initial American cancellation. It's no Phantasy Star Online 1, but it is a really fun game in its own right provided you can find the willpower to break through its clunkiness and eight years of confusing poorly tutorialized free-to-play MMO cruft.

The main thing going for PSO2, and this is a major improvement from PSO1, is that the act of engaging in its combat is fun. The combat is just feels really really good. There's a bunch of different weapon types and classes, and once you find the ones that really click with you you're in for a good time, whether you're izuna dropping dudes with wire claws or literally doing air juggles and rainstorm from Devil May Cry with the dual machine guns.

The other stuff around that combat is weird. I generally like it, but it's weird. The story mode is one of the most bizarrely presented things I've ever seen. It apparently used to be something you'd seek out in the levels themselves, but presently it's just a list of scenes you pick from a menu and watch with next to no context until it makes you fight a boss sometimes. There's some weird moments in there that MIGHT have been cool if it were presented in literally any other way?

The systems and presentation are also way more... I dunno, pinball? Pachislot? In very stark contrast to how chill original Phantasy Star Online was, everything in PSO2 is designed in a way to maximize that flashy light bing bing wahoo you got ~*~RARE DROP CHANCE UP~*~ feeling. Which isn't to say I don't like flashy light bing bing wahoo, but it's a weird different thing.

Was it worth the wait? Yeah, sure! For me! This is another one that I played like 300 hours of! I haven't even seen half of it, I fell off right before Episode 4 released because it coincided with my move! I'm gonna go back and see all that shit! PSO2's fun! A different flavor of fun than the original, sure, but fun all the same. Another one that I'm glad finally made it over here.

Riichi Mahjong (A Table, 1924)

Holy shit I fucking did it I finally learned how to play Mahjong and it rules.

It started when I picked up Clubhouse Games for the Switch. I saw that it had Riichi Mahjong and something in my brain snapped. For whatever reason, I decided that this was the time I was going to rip the band-aid off and figure this shit out. It wasn't too dissimilar to the first time I decided to try eggs, but that's a different and much stupider story for a different time. I did the tutorial in Clubhouse Games, looked up some more basics and advice because the tutorial wasn't super amazing, and I kept playing while being aided by the game's nice helper features like the button that pulls up recommended hands. I kept playing and... sorta got it. I learned the basic rules, but none of the strategy. And then I stopped playing for a few months.

In that few months, for whatever reason, a decent amount of people I know had their brains snap the same way? Like a more-than-two amount of people I'm either friends with or following online also decided to learn Mahjong. I decided to get back on the horse and downloaded Mahjong Soul and I don't know whether it was perseverance or the power of anime babes, but this time I got it. I still refer to a sheet with all the hands and whether they work open or closed, and I'm by no means a master player, but I actually honest to god understand what I'm doing and it's an incredible feeling.

Mahjong has such a huge amount of what I like to call "Get That Ass" energy. It is the energy you feel when you get someone's ass. In Mahjong you are either constantly getting someone's ass or getting your ass gotten. Someone puts down the wrong tile and you fucking GET THEIR ASS DUDE! They're got!! They're a fucking idiot that put down the wrong thing and now you have their points!!! Or you draw what you need yourself and you're a brain genius all according to plan and everyone gives you points because you're so wise!!!! It's great!!!!!

Mahjong has long been one of those games where I'd say "I'll learn this someday" and never reeeeally actually try to learn, and I'm so glad I finally took the effort to because it's good as hell. And, truth be told, it wasn't THAT hard to learn? Like you can get to the point where I was where I didn't know the strategy fairly easily in my opinion, and once you do that It's just a matter of continuing to play to understand the rest. I highly recommended that you also go out and learn it if you similarly revel in getting that ass, it's so satisfying once you do.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PlayStation 4, 2020)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio took a big gamble with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. After seven games (more if you take spinoffs and remakes into consideration) they decided to focus on a new main character and, even more unexpectedly, they decided to change things up by turning the series into a turn-based JRPG. Their gamble paid off in spades. This is easily in my top 3 favorite Yakuza games.

The JRPG gameplay is surprisingly solid. There's definite room for improvement, but they nailed a bunch of it right out of the gate. Some mechanics are a little janky and I wish the job system was more fleshed out or just worked more like Final Fantasy V's, but they nailed one of the most important things and made the battles brisk and fun. It's a great foundation, especially for a team that's never attempted anything like this, and it's way more fun than the combat's been in any of the previous Dragon Engine games. I can't wait to see them iterate on it.

Everything else is top fuckin' notch. The music is great, the side content is fully fleshed out in a way it hasn't been since before they switched to the Dragon Engine, and I love the characters and story so much. Yakuza has a new main character in Ichiban Kasuga, and he's my son and I love him. Kiryu was great, and I love him too, but he was a bit of a passive protagonist. Stuff happened around him and he mostly just stoically reacted to it. Ichi is a much more active lead and it's great. He's a big lovable dope, and his tendency to keep an upbeat attitude and eagerness to leap into action is such a breath of fresh air. And it's not only Ichiban, since this is an RPG you have a whole party of characters and they're all great! Having them with you at all times bantering with each other and reacting to things is another great change of narrative pace, too.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon just straight up rules. As someone who has historically not been too much of a fan of the Dragon Engine games, it's simultaneously a refreshing new take on the series and a fantastic return to form. I can't wait for what comes next. Wherever Ichiban goes, I go.

Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Nintendo Switch, 2020)

After 23 years of Japanese PS1 exclusivity, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure finally got an English release this year for Nintendo Switch. I'm glad it did, because Moon isn't just the very definition of A Sebmal Game. It's the Sebmal Game missing link. In addition to being just a great video game, it helped me make a mental throughline for a bunch of games I love and a large part of my taste in video games.

To keep a long story short (seriously, I have a much much longer version of this saved in my drafts that I'll maybe finish someday), Moon turned out to be not the JRPG I assumed it was, given the title and basic story pitch, but a secret prequel to a game I love named Chulip. Moon's developer, Love-de-Lic, was formed by a handful of ex-Squaresoft employees, many of which worked on an extremely formative game I love named Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Love-de-Lic broke up in the year 2000 and its staff went on to form a bunch of different studios that ended up making a BUNCH of different games I love like Chibi-Robo, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Dandy Dungeon, and the aforementioned Chulip. These games, when you make the connection and line them up, all have a very distinct weirdness in common that makes perfect sense once you've realized many of the same people worked on them. Figuring this all out felt like snapping a piece of my brain back in place, and it was really crazy to come to understand exactly how much this studio that formed and disbanded decades before I'd even heard of them had impacted my tastes and, hell, my life.

So what is Moon, for those who don't innately understand what I mean by "a secret prequel to Chulip"? Moon is an adventure game where you explore a world with a day/night cycle, learn about that world's inhabitants, and eventually solve their problems. Think of it kind of like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but if the sidequests were the entirety of the focus with no Groundhog Day time reset mechanic and none of the Zelda stuff like combat and dungeons. You play as a young boy who, after a late night JRPG binge session, is sucked into the world of the game he was just playing. Everything is off from the way it was portrayed while the boy was playing the game, though. The hero he had previously controlled is actually a silent menace, raiding peoples' houses for treasure and slaughtering every innocent animal that crosses his path in an endless quest for EXP. The townspeople seem more concerned with problems in their day-to-day lives than the supposed world threatening crisis outlined in the game's intro. It's up to you as the boy to investigate this world's mysteries, help the townsfolk, mend the damage the hero has done, and eventually restore love to a loveless world.

Speaking of love, I fucking loved Moon. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the music, I loved the way it looks (even though the Switch port is a little crusty in that basic emulator-y kinda way), I loved how constantly bizarre and surprising and funny it was. Like I said earlier, it's the very definition of a game made for me. It was essentially the progenitor of a long line of games made for me, and of games potentially made for me but I don't know yet because I haven't played them due to not understanding Japanese (UFO: A Day in the Life translation next please? Anyone from Onion Games reading this??). For as similar as Moon and Chulip are in their systems and pacing, I think I might actually like Moon better despite it coming earlier? It's not as full force maximum impact absurd as Chulip is, but it is a lot more playable and less obtuse once you get a grip on the time limit mechanic. You don't need a full strategy guide included in the instruction manual for Moon, and you don't need to exchange business cards with every single character to get information vital to finishing the game either.

I truly cannot recommend Moon enough if your taste in games ventures anywhere off the beaten path. Maybe this is a little conceited of me, but I assume if you're reading this article, let alone this far down into it, you relate to my video game opinions at least a little bit? You should play Moon. Everyone reading this sentence should play Moon. Moon: Remix RPG Adventure is my game of the year for the year 2020.

These games were also cool, I just had less to say about them:

Death Stranding (PlayStation 4, 2019): Death Stranding, much like Metal Gear Solid V, was a game I enjoyed for the gameplay and not much else. The story, characters, and writing were a huge disappointment for me, but man if I didn't enjoy lugging those boxes around and setting up my hellish cross-continental goon summer camp lookin' zipline network. Mr. Driller Drill Land (Nintendo Switch, 2020): I am a known Mr. Driller Enjoyer, and I enjoyed this Mr. Driller. Originally released for the Gamecube, Mr. Driller Drill Land is another long-time Japanese exclusive that finally came stateside this year and it's packed with new and novel twists on the Mr. Driller format. It looks super sharp, the music's great (also the credits music is the most impossibly out of place and extra as hell shit in the world and it's hilarious), and it's just a good ass time. The main campaign is pretty damn short, but if you're a post-game content kinda guy it has that and it's all super hard. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PlayStation 4, 2020): They finally made another good new Tony Hawk game, and all it took was perfectly remaking two of the best old Tony Hawk games! Plays exactly like you remember it with the added benefit of the best mechanics from up to THUG1, looks great, packed full of content, even has most of the music alongside some mostly crappy new stuff. It's the full package as is, but I do hope they end up adding THPS3 to it eventually. Mad Rat Dead (Nintendo Switch, 2020): Mad Rat Dead was a pleasant surprise that I only picked up because I saw a couple of people on my Twitter timeline constantly talking about it. A fun and inventive platformer where all your actions need to be on beat with the music. The gameplay feels great (aside from some not so great performance issues on Switch), the soundtrack is fun, and it's got a real good style to it. Demon's Souls (PlayStation 5, 2020): I love Demon's Souls and this is Demon's Souls. It plays exactly the same with some minor quality of life changes. I don't agree with many of the artistic changes, but there's no denying it looks incredible on a technical level. If you want to play Demon's Souls again or for the first time, this is a perfectly valid and fun way to do so. Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party!!!! (Nintendo Switch, 2019): Groove Coaster is one of my favorite rhythm games, and they finally made an acceptable at-home version with Wai Wai Party. It's not a perfect replication of the arcade game control-wise, I have some issues with the song choices, and the pricing is frankly fucking ridiculous if you're not a Groove Coaster maniac like I am, but the same ultra satisfying gameplay is all there. You can even play it vertically in handheld mode! Flip Griiiiiiiip!

And we're done! Phew! Honestly didn't realize I played that many good games until I typed all this out. Thanks as always for reading this far. I'm gonna try and get back to regularly posting Breviews this year at the very least. Honestly don't know if I'll get anything else up on here, but we'll see. Here's to hoping 2021 is a little bit less of a nightmare!

#article #Year Wrapup

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acatfishconfession · 4 years

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Chapter 1: Who am I?

If someone - anyone, had bothered to ask me (other than my elementary school teachers) where I could see myself at age twenty-nine, pushing thirty. It sure as fuck wouldn’t be here.

“Where is ‘here’, exactly?” Here, is sitting in a broke down computer chair. Listening to sad instrumentals on YouTube auto-play while I sip my Dunkin refresher, binge eat munchkin donut holes and cry over my laptop keyboard.

I wish I could say that was the worst of it. Truly, I do. But the real depth of it - the most heinous and offensive thing of all that I am doing right now is why I am here and writing this with my D.D. and emotional bullshit.

Most of my time is currently occupied flipping between five fake Instagram accounts, three fake Facebooks, two fake Twitter accounts, a fake Tinder, a fake Bumble, and my three personal accounts on social media where I’ve already lined up my next potential ‘mask’. Which is what I like to call the unwitting victims of image theft.

That’s right, world.

I am an online catfish.

Hate me. Hate me as much as I do.

I keep hoping that maybe if I feel enough of it - it will somehow trick the overly sensitive, non-confrontational, and social anxiety-riddled side of me into once and for all stopping this madness. Or at least making me feel guilty enough to just want this be over - in whatever way this sort of insanity can end once and for all.

I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit considering the two ways it most likely will. As well as the one that I don’t dare to even mention because it’s as foolish and more unlikely than any other.

The two main ways it will likely end are death or prison. The likelihood of death being by my own hand though, is slim. Not impossible, but most definitely unlikely. Purely for the fact that I am without doubt, the biggest pussy I know. Hell, most of my tattoos were just a means to try and impress friends. Which sucks even more now because I hate damn near all of the friends I wanted and equally the tattoos that I have.

Still not sure if it’s because I hate the tattoo artist that did them or just their artwork in general. Either way, there it is. I’m a pussy. If you were concerned for a moment that I might kill myself and by partisan obligate you to contact someone for help - you can relax now.

No. If I die it will most likely be homicide via crime of passion. I am fully aware that I may inevitably piss off the wrong person in my catfishing ventures, and end up at the bottom of a river somewhere. But that would probably be good old karma just doing what she’s best at. After all... When you play a dangerous game with emotions, those emotions can become the most volatile weapon anyone can wield. Especially when they are tested and toyed with enough. As for prison... Well... I know there are many legal actions people can take in regard to how their photos are used and what is said about them. How they are portrayed by others online or otherwise falls under the realm of slander - if I’m not mistaken. Not entirely sure if we can call it genuine identity theft. I’m pretty sure the entire point of being a catfishing is to work in a lucrative enough way to which the content owners will be forever (or at least prolongingly) never the wiser to what you’re doing. So you change things like name, locations, ages, birthdays, etc. Avoid them and their circle of friends with prejudice. I don’t just mean ‘don’t send them friend requests’ or ‘don’t check their pages’.

If you’re good at catfishing (if one even call the level of depravity you have to hit to do it well ‘good’), you pull out all the stops. Finding all of their accounts on every site and app and blocking them, their friends, their friend’s friends, and families. Whole geographic locations sometimes. Anyone from their area or who went to their school. You vanish from their potential radar.

And believe me when I say.... At catfishing... There are none better than me. At least, not that I’ve ever heard of.

That’s not to be confused with boasting. I feel disgusted with myself in even stating it. Because that’s what it is - disgusting. This is the first time I’m admitting this in my entire life. So, I suggest you take a deep breath with me before you read what I’m about to confess. Ready?

In - one, two, three, four, five, six.

Out - seven, eight, nine, ten.

I have catfished as (yes, I’ve counted)… One-hundred and twenty-seven people.

I know... I know... It’s impressive. Horribly and disturbingly so. And that does not account for the number of accounts I’ve had for each of them. Emails, Instagrams, Facebooks, etc. Even a few Vampirefreaks and Darkstarling accounts back in the day. I can’t even remember the names of most of them anymore. Only their faces. But even those fade over time.

You’d think for as prolific as I’ve been with getting to know them, their lives, and those around them so intimately to pull off the amount of catfishing I have - I’d remember more clearly. But I suppose if you do anything for as long as I’ve been catfishing, you’re bound to lose track of a few memories or blips of time.

I know you’re all dying to know exactly how long I’ve being doing this for. So I’ll tell you. The answer may be as equally shocking as my ‘mask count’. Realistically, take a moment and try to guess how old I was when I started. Here’s a tip. As I sit and write this, I’m 29. Just a few months shy of my 30th birthday. Now go on.... Give it your best shot.

Got a guess?

Ladies, gentlemen, and thems. I have been catfishing since I was eight years old.

That’s right. Only eight years old. I’m sure you were thinking surely fourteen or even fifteen. Technically, you’re right. Somewhere around there is when I actually became aware of what it was exactly that I was doing. But things were much different then. When I was eight, the internet being a modern in-home comfort was relatively new. We had dial-up. Screechy AOL start up sounds that were most likely close rivals to what would be Cthulhu’s mating call. The days of poorly moderated chatrooms and weak HTML coding. Not even Myspace existed at that point (I really miss Tom. We took him for granted. Zuckerberg’s rules kind of make him seem like a bit of a cuck. But I digress.)

Before I was twelve years old, no one knew what the hell ‘catfishing’ was. We’d never experienced enough of it to have to worry that people online would lie about something as outlandish as their face. Their age, name, or location - maybe. Shit, people have been lying about their relationship and marital statuses since the dawn of man. The internet didn’t breed lies like that, (though I’m certain it made it a great deal easier to do). Those were the kind of lies that you’d think of when it came to telling lies on the internet. But nothing like this.

Now look at us. For every ten of your actual friends on Instagram, there is at least one catfish following you or trying to make friends with you. Not that it’s a factually proven ratio or anything, more so an idea. I’m clearly not a scientist or research analyst, and as we’ve already established - I’m way too busy maintaining fake accounts to actually look up factual catfishing statistics.

So why? Why did I do it? Why do I continue to do it? Why confess now? Most importantly, who the hell am I? The ‘whys’ are a bit more complex than just selecting reason A or B. But if you’re really curious to know and willing to hear what I have to say and find out what makes up a catfish. Or at least - me. The most prolific online catfish likely to date (here’s hoping I am because I’d hate to know there is anyone crazier than me out there). Then stick around, because I’m ready to tell you - all of you. Everyone who cares to read this story. I am going to do my best along the way to help you answer some questions you might have. What is it like, how does it make me feel, do I really feel guilty, are there other kinds of catfish, and which one am I? And of course - how to spot and potentially stop a catfish.

Maybe by the end of this blog series, and once you are past out-right hating me (if you can find it in you to get past out-right hating me.... *Insert nervous and shameful laughter here*). You’ll be at least thankful to have learned some new things and gained an understanding that you hadn’t expected to from this. Or at least be thoroughly entertained - because, who the hell doesn’t love a controversial story line? As for who I am....

I really wish I could give you an answer. Because truth be told - I don’t even know anymore.

Maybe in writing this series, I’ll figure that out. Hell, you might even help me get there a bit. Aside the most obvious and recently discovered portion of that answer being, that I am first and foremost, a massive piece of shit - for stealing people’s photos and lying about who I am.

#story autobigraphy catfish controversial writing series book author blog blogging internet fake faking socialmedia

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jeremys-blogs · 4 years

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Shin and King: Godzilla’s Two Halves

My time as a fan of the Godzilla franchise goes way back, to some of my earliest memories. I recall watching reruns of the old Hanna Barbera cartoon with my younger brother, and from then on I was hooked. I saw the 1997 film in theatres, as well as the subsequent spin-off animated show, and virtually every other piece of Godzilla media that I've stumbled across, be it VHS copies of the classic Japanese films or even newer films, I've attempted to see. Bottom line, I love the guy, and as such you can bet I was hyped as Hell for the recent King of the Monsters film by Legendary. And sure enough, the movie didn't disappoint me. As someone who grew up hoping there would one day be an all-out monster mash of a film with the G-Man and all his classic fellow kaiju, it was a dream come true. And with Godzilla vs Kong on the horizon, it looks as though my childhood fantasies of seeing these larger-than-life characters in exactly the way I'd always imagined them to be isn't going to be ending anytime soon. However, while big spectacles are all well and good, we mustn't forget that this kind of exciting portrayal isn't how the big guy started out, as his origins are, to be frank, pretty sobering.

Because of course this most famous of kaiju was created not to excite youngsters with epic battles against other monsters, but as a grim and serous allegory for the horrors of nuclear power gone wrong. And of course who better to make such an allegory than the nation who, for now at least, are the only ones to have ever been on the receiving end of it? But, as you can probably expect of such a dark origin, that kind of depressing idea doesn't exactly put bums in seats, even as highly-regarded as it was, which is likely why so few of it's sequels and remakes have ever touched on it. Those latter films, while certainly more entertaining and popular, have never managed to really capture just how terrifying Godzilla is supposed to be. That is, until 2016, when Toho Studios released Shin Godzilla. This film, essentially a modern remake of the original, brings Godzilla back to his roots in making him a symbol of a horror the Japanese people have personally experienced, those being the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Like the original, Shin Godzilla is a powerful and serious film, making it abundantly clear just how bad things got for the people who had to deal with the tragedies this monster represents.

However, even though I greatly respect Shin and consider it among the best Godzilla films I've ever seen, something interesting occurred to me as I was watching it. Because while it's true that it does a fantastic job of recreating everything that made the original movie great, as well as ably putting a modern spin on it, there's no getting around the fact that the majority of Godzilla films are worlds apart from the grim and gritty ancestor they all shared. That's not to say either type of film is bad by any stretch, but Shin is, sadly, not going to win many fans among those whose only interest in Godzilla comes from him being a hero who helps humanity defend itself against other kaiju. For those fans, it's pretty clear that the American film, King of the Monsters, is much more their cup of tea. And as stated previously, I adore that film. In fact, I'd consider it my personal favourite film of 2019. And thus we get to the main point I wanted to talk about. Shin and King are polar opposites in their respective tones and goals, yet both of them are made out of a love of Godzilla, the only contention being the kinds of Godzilla films they have a love for.

Take these two films together, back-to-back, and what you're essentially left with is a perfect capsule of the Godzilla franchise as a whole, and more importantly, a good look at the two sides this character has shown during his sixty-year-plus history. On one hand we have Shin, which honours the origins of the character by making him a danger to the world as a whole, with humanity just barely scraping by a victory against the destructive terror that he symbolizes. And on the other, we have King, which puts Godzilla in the role of a heroic saviour. Still dangerous and destructive, sure, but nevertheless on our side against a greater danger than himself. Evil and good, destruction and salvation, villain and hero. Godzilla has, over his exceptionally long film and TV career, has been all of these things and more. He's been a face for the terrible things wrought by humanity's own hand that we must overcome, and he's been a defender against a variety of other and more malevolent forces. Shin and king together are Godzilla, in his entirety, and all he weight and spectacle and meaning that come with him. And when you look back, no other movie monster has ever managed to have that kind of narrative weight behind him, even though there are likely many other household creature names out there.

It almost seems nonsensical when you stop and think about it, doesn't it? That a single character can have such wildly different interpretations yet still be thought of as the same person. And it's especially impressive when you consider that there's hardly any other characters in fiction that you could do this with. If one were to, for instance, take the Emperor from Star Wars and turn him into a goodie, or take Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and make him into a baddie, people would rightly call you out on that choice because it would go against everything that their characters are and what role they're supposed to serve in their story. But Godzilla? With him you can have a champion of humanity, an abomination wrought by people's misuse of scientific power, or anything in-between and nobody would bat an eye. It's a versatility that most likely contributes to why the character has remained as popular as he has over the decades. Because with this kind of varied characterization there's literally no end to the kinds of stories you can tell with him. In many way's he's like the modern pop culture equivalent of a fantasy dragon. A beast who, over countless retellings of stories has a whole world of meaning and importance behind it.

But of course, as with any long-running franchise, there are the points of contention between different fans. To those who prefer the original Godzilla (and subsequently the films that try hardest to emulate it, like Shin) the more numerous movies that depict Godzilla as a kaiju-fighting antihero are often scoffed at, regarded as "not real Godzilla films" because they lack the seriousness that the character was originally conceived with. On the flipside, we have those who find great enjoyment with the other films, arguing that while they may not have the great and weighty allegory behind them they're still fun movies that have kept the name Godzilla popular throughout the latter half of the 20th century and beyond. Go to extremes and those same people will even say that, since those types of stories make up the bulk of Godzilla's appearances, that this should be considered the canonical interpretation of what a Godzilla film should be, with the serious original more of a case of early-installment weirdness. Needless to say, this viewpoint has not sat well with those who consider the original film as gospel to be help up on a plinth. Bottom line, there has been division between fans of this kaiju over whether the smarter or more fun outings are the objectively better versions, and like any audience dispute, its not likely to be an argument that'll end anytime soon.

But, speaking as someone who has had his fair share of experience with fandoms, this kind of division is something I just can't help but shrug my shoulders at. There's room in the world for multiple types of incarnation of the same character after all, and there's no reason to be at odds with one another over our film preferences, even though we may feel strongly over what truly counts as a better film. As for me personally, my love of both Shin and King should make it pretty clear by now that I absolutely adore both faces this character has had. Both the villain and the hero. Shin is a truly engaging and horrifying movie that had me glued to my seat from start to finish, and was rightly deserving of it's place as the winner of Best Picture of the Japanese Academy. King of the Monsters, by contrast, is just pure entertainment, bringing me a massive smile whenever the title character or one of his equally-famous fellow kaiju appeared on-screen. I said before that this was the kind of monster movie I'd always hoped for as a kid, and it didn't disappoint. Both films are tremendous regardless of what it is you're looking for, and both of them do brilliantly at holding up and honouring the legacy of cinema's most iconic giant beastie, and all the history that comes with him 🥰

#essay #writing #my stuff #godzilla #gojira #shin godzilla #king of the monsters #godzilla king of the monsters #kotm #monsterverse #godzilla kotm

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callmemythicalminx · 4 years

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Musical Review: Dear Evan Hansen

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So. I finally succumbed and watched Dear Evan Hansen. I felt at least that it deserved a watch if only for the music as it’s been praised and achieved such great acclaim. And for the most part, I can see why. The songs are catchy and memorable and I found myself enjoying Sincerely, Me more than I thought I would. Requiem is beautiful and You Will Be Found packs an emotional Act 1 finish if you were to listen to it without context. If this were another show, I probably would have cried during most of these songs. Throughout the show, I found myself quite detached from the music. The reason why? The story. The characters. The message of the whole show- It ruined what could have been a great representation of mental health and suicide in a musical.

The story starts off with our awkward and only slightly memorable main character, Evan, preparing to start his first day of Senior Year. We’re introduced to him as he types himself a letter, an assignment given to him by his therapist who is forgotten about once the show gets going. He has social anxiety, stumbling over his words and panicking about what could be, as he fiddles with his broken arm and feet. As someone who has experienced many forms of anxiety myself, I connected with this fear immediately- this, however, didn’t last for long. We meet his mother Heidi, who brings the audience more information on just how scared Evan is of people, that he can’t even order food out of fear of talking to the delivery man. Once again, another situation which I relate too. Heidi is one of those stereotypical parents used in shows, who works too much, isn’t really as close to the kid as they think they are and is, of course, separated from the other parent. She sings her struggles after pushing Evan to get his fellow students to sign his cast to make friends and then we move to the other important household of this story, the Murphy’s.

We meet another stereotypical family, a mother who’s trying, a father who’s present but miles away, and the kids who hate each other. Connor is our next big character though he’s reduced to just a prop essentially after 10 minutes. He’s a loner and an aggressive bully to everyone around him, getting high and ignoring his parents. He and his sister Zoe argue, while his parents do the same. Cynthia, the mother, sings about her struggles and then the show continues. Evan interacts with two new characters at school, Jared (a douchey family friend) and Alana (a self-absorbed classmate). They both notice his arm in a cast but don’t sign it. Connor then comes along and in a fit of rage, thinks Evan is making fun of him and pushes him over. Zoe sees and apologises for her brother’s behaviour. After singing about how miserable the rest of his life will be if it continues this way, Evan then writes another letter about how bad the day was. It focuses on Zoe quite a bit as he has a crush on her and it’s the only thing making him happy. Connor comes in then and signs Evan’s cast in giant letters, before finding a printout of the letter than has just been written. He immediately gets angry again and storms of with the letter, thinking Evan was once again making fun of him. The cast and letter now become huge props in the story.

The story continues as we find out Connor has committed suicide and Evan’s note was found with him. The Murphy parents believe it’s their son’s suicide note and now think he and Evan were best friends, further seeing proof of this when they see their son’s name on his cast. Our main character tells them it’s true and kickstarts a seemingly neverending cannon of lies in an attempt to help the family with their grieving. Throughout most of the show, he then tells them more lies about what they did, the places they visited, including specific detail on an apple orchard where they spent time together. He enlists the help of Jared and Alana to help him write fake emails from Connor to himself and further build his web of lies. This eventually leads to the creation of The Connor Project, a kind of charity to keep his name and ‘story’ alive, raising money to reopen the apple orchard. During this time, he’s distanced himself from his mother, instead now enjoying the attention he gets from the Murphy’s and Zoe, who is a weird romance becomes his girlfriend. The character of Connor has now become nothing more than a prop for use in the show, though his actor still shows up after his death. Instead of continuing the character though, he’s now become a figment of Evan’s imagination, a version of Connor that has been made up and is nothing like the one before. Though the show’s story follows the idea of not being forgotten and keeping his story of suicide alive, in actual fact, it’s just being erased as everything that he was is replaced with lies.

Eventually, as the Murphy’s begin to suffer the consequences of Evan’s actions receiving online hate, he finally reveals that everything was a lie and that he and Connor were never friends. At this point, I was expecting the punishment for his actions to be huge- but there was nothing! He sings once more about his miserable life while the family turn on him in disgust. He and his mother then forgive each other for both of their wrongdoings after revealing more information that doesn’t make much difference to anything and then everything is fine. The show finishes with Evan and Zoe talking one last time at the apple orchard, where he thanks her for keeping the secret of his lies and she responds that it brought their family together. After she’s gone, Evan writes a final mental note talking about the impact he’s had and that he’s finally accepted himself… and that’s the end!

What in the hell was that? It’s not often that I get to the end of a show and think to myself ‘what just happened?’. I took nothing away from this story or the characters. There wasn’t a single thing in the musical that I liked, apart from the music. Most of the characters were bland and stereotypical in personality and the others had no redeemable qualities to make them interesting or likeable. First and foremost, I dislike Evan… a lot. The character’s bad representation of social anxiety doesn’t excuse his manipulative and awful actions to get himself more attention. His romance with Zoe feels forced and almost predatory in a way as he used her grieving, emotional vulnerability to get close to her. He suffers no consequences for his actions, though they had a tremendously bad effect, yet the show pushes the audience to think that they somehow created positive change towards the communities view of suicide. Because of his lies, an entire boys life was erased and fabricated into something else. His family ended up receiving copious amounts of hate online ‘for not looking after their son’ which you would think would lead them to reveal the truth about Evan’s deceit- but nope, ‘it brought them closer together’! The apple orchard reopens yet that feels uncomfortable as it was funded by the charity of people believing the manipulative lies of one teenager.

What is the message of this show? What am I supposed to take away from it? ‘You Will Be Found’ could have been such a powerful song in a different show, one that uses the theme of mental health in a proper way. I detest the fact that Connor’s suicide simply becomes a plot device and is overlooked as Evan spreads his lies. We never find out why he killed himself, which further makes his character’s erasement more annoying and stupid. I think the show definitely believes it’s being progressive by discussing these themes of mental health, but it’s just using them. Instead of showing something beautiful, to show no one with mental illness is ever truly alone, the show instead feels cold. Evan, Jared and Alana all seem to use Connor’s suicide to advance their own selfish reasons. After the damage is done and Evan moves on, the Murph’s are left to continue picking up the pieces, lying about a fake version of Connor. I would have loved to see more of his character, see the reasoning for his suicide. We saw from his short time on stage that he was angry, abusive and aggressive but this is never explained why.

The story could have been so much better if while Evan spins his web lies, he ends up finding out more about Connor and his own mental health issues, maybe through a diary or something similar to Evan’s letters. Our main character could have then realised that others feel the way he does and what he was doing was wrong. He could then understand that suicide is never the right answer and that he’s not alone. He could have suffered real consequences before telling the world about the real Connor and what they should learn from him. Instead the show tried to push this positive ‘you are not alone’ message from a false version of a character, made up by someone who is manipulative and selfish.

I know I’m one of few who dislike the show and that I’ve been very harsh with it, which is completely understandable. Everyone has different opinions, which is why I love being part of different fandoms so much. I really thought I’d relate to it after suffering through school with mental health issues myself but it just made me angry. I’ve always thought that especially nowadays, suicide and anxiety are always portrayed unrealistically in entertainment and media. There are very few things I can think of that do it well. A musical with a powerful message and story like the one I described could have been amazing, especially as love for musical theatre continues to grow. Instead, Dear Evan Hansen fails to represent even realistic mental health issues, never mind anything positive to help deal with it. I just can’t like this show now after seeing how badly it portrays these themes, especially male suicide and anxiety. In our modern society, it’s still a huge problem and a show that could have been there for young teenage boys who deal with these issues could have been incredible. Teaching them that suicide isn’t the answer and there is always someone who can help you would have been not only great to see, but revolutionary in getting people to discuss this complicated and emotional subject. But instead, we got this story. As I said, the music is exceptional and, if you didn’t know the context, could be super useful in helping you feel less alone. The story and characters ruin this positive idea though, instead using mental health as cheap prop for a terrible story and characters.

🌟 🌟 /5

#dear evan hansen #dear even hanson #dear even hansen the musical #musicals #broadway #musicalreviews #musical review #west end #musical theatre #musicaltheaternerd #musical theater fandom #musical theatre kid #musical theater geek #connor murphy #evan hansen #you will be found #review

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itsbap · 6 years

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From B.A.P’s Daehyun To Baby Hyun: An Interview With K-pop’s Newest Solo Artist

Jung Daehyun debuted in 2012 as part of the idol group B.A.P, but these days, he is embarking on his official career as a full-time solo artist. Although he released his first solo single “Shadow” in 2017, he is now working under the name Baby Hyun and getting a fresh, new start with a brand of music that is uniquely his own. He has a lot in store that he wants to show fans and will soon be doing so with the launch of his first solo mini-album.

What The Kpop was recently able to interview this talented artist and chat about both his past and his future. From serious music questions to fun questions about his favorite things, read below to learn more about Baby Hyun.

WTK: First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. Do you have anything to say to your fans before we get started?

BH: Hi, this is Daehyun. It’s been such a long time. Thanks for reaching out, and I do feel regrettable about how long it has been. I want to tell you guys a lot of stories as a solo artist. Please send me lots of love and support during this journey.

WTK: You were a member of B.A.P since 2012. Now that you are pursuing your solo career full time, what are the things you feel have changed the most? Are there any challenges you’ve been facing on your own?

BH: Before I was a member of B.A.P, I had vocal training for 10 months. After I became a trainee, I did about four more months of training, then I became a member of B.A.P and we debuted. Becoming a solo artist hasn’t changed things too much, but I do have to be on stage alone and do everything by myself. The biggest change I experienced at this point after becoming a solo artist is… everything feels new and different as I start afresh. It’s difficult, but it’s a rewarding experience each time I take a new step.

WTK: I’m sure you and the other members of B.A.P are really busy right now as everyone is starting their own solo careers and companies, but have you been able to meet up recently?

BH: I haven’t seen them much since the 2018 tour, but we still keep in touch and support each other from distance. I don’t think B.A.P separating has changed much with that. I still love, support, and miss everyone.

WTK: Do you have any plans for a solo fan meeting or tour overseas? I know so many fans would love to have you visit their countries.

BH: I can’t really go on an international tour right now because of my current circumstances, and also, I have some issues with my passport which makes it difficult. I do wish that I could meet and perform for them in order to make some great memories with my international fans. But as of now, I don’t have other ways than social media, so I’m trying to use that to return the love.

(Editor’s Note: Daehyun will be going to Japan in April for a joint fan meeting tour with fellow B.A.P member Jongup. You can click here for more information.)

WTK: You are primarily working on your own right now. Are you enjoying the challenge and freedom right now? Or do you find it difficult to do everything by yourself?

BH: Right now, it’s a process of building things up one by one. I plan to work as a single-person management company. I’m in the process of going through all of those procedures and setups. I can’t give this up or become too complacent and get lazy about it. Although the process is tough, I want to get to a certain point with it. I don’t know when that will happen, but I won’t stop or give up. It’ll be great if I had my fans’ support.

WTK: Everyone is so excited for your upcoming mini-album! Apart from the album, however, do you have plans for any additional activities like musical theater?

BH: I’m planning to show a lot of new and different things starting with this mini-album. However, musicals would be great as well if I get the opportunity. When the time comes, I hope a lot of the fans will come to see it!

WTK: Since you already have experience with acting through musicals, would you ever consider acting in a K-drama as well?

BH: I’m planning to get closer to the fans through music at the moment, but if I get an opportunity, I want to try acting too.

WTK: You have accomplished so much in your career as a singer. What’s the most memorable accomplishment to you?

BH: I did achieve a lot of things through my work and all, but I don’t get very attached to my past achievements. I get more motivated about the achievements to come in the future. One thing that never change though are the fans. No matter what the circumstances are, being with my fans is always so rewarding, precious, and dear to my heart.

WTK: Let’s talk about your upcoming album! What kind of songs will it include?

BH: All of the songs on the album have never been released before. It’s a way of declaring my brand new start as the solo artist Jung Daehyun. At the same time, I think I can show the fans a sound that’s more uniquely mine. Concerning other details, it’ll be great if you can check it out when the album comes out!

WTK: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would you choose?

BH: Since I just began as a solo artist, I want to show the people and my fans just my own music for a while.

WTK: Speaking of singers and music, what’s your favorite song these days?

BH: I listen to Luther Vandross a lot nowadays. He is a great artist. You can learn so much from him.

WTK: Do you have any new genres or concepts you would like to try as a soloist?

BH: When I’m somewhat satisfied with my music, I want to try jazz later on.

WTK: We’re really excited that you have a YouTube page now! What kind of videos and content do you plan on uploading?

BH: I plan to share a lot of things that I haven’t been able to share before— like my daily life and what goes on behind the stage. At the moment, I’m working on my videos. From now on, I plan to share a lot regularly through YouTube.

WTK: Your departure from TS Entertainment was very recent. Have you thought about taking a vacation and just enjoying some free time for now? Where would your dream vacation entail?

BH: I don’t think now is the best time for me to take a break. There are so many things I want to do and a lot of things I still need to improve on first. I plan to show a lot through music. My dream vacation would just be something like the sense of relief and relaxation that comes after a performance is finished.

WTK: Recently, a group of BABYz got together and wrote a song for B.A.P, even making a music video. Did you see it already? (Readers can click here to watch it.) If so, do you have a message for the fans involved in the project?

BH: I saw it on YouTube. I was so moved. It is because of the fans like this who show support and love that I don’t give up when things are tough and I’m able to stick to music. I want to tell them that I truly am immensely grateful. I want to say this more than anything— while I’m alive, I will sing for you guys. I truly love you guys.

WTK: Since so many fans sent in questions, we would like to ask you a series of quick, silly questions for fun. Try to keep your answers to one word if possible. The first one is— spring or autumn?

BH: Autumn.

WTK: Favorite book?

BH: I don’t have one.

WTK: Chinese food or Japanese food?

BH: Japanese.

WTK: If you could travel back in time, which person would you like to meet?

BH: Luther Vandross.

WTK: What is your biggest goal for 2019?

BH: I don’t have a set goal. I am just going to work hard and be consistent. I just want to meet fans more.

WTK: Do you still love cheesecake?

BH: No.

WTK: What makes you happiest these days?

BH: Singing.

WTK: Favorite place in Busan?

BH: Sajik-dong.

WTK: Thank you! That was a lot of questions (laughs). We held a game recently and the winner was able to submit a video question for you. We’ll show it to you, but our readers can click here to watch the video. The question was, “How do you deal with art block/being exhausted creatively?”

BH: (To the fan) I think that no matter what you do, there will be tough times and slumps. Often they will be repeated too. Even if you attempt to overcome it in your own way, it’s difficult to overcome it completely. The important thing is who is beside you at that very moment. When I was in a slump, sometimes it was because of people. But when I got over slumps, it was also because of people. I couldn’t overcome it completely on my own no matter how much I tried. The people who are by your side in a challenging moment are really important.

WTK: It’s been seven years since you debuted and many things have changed. Where do you think you will be in the next seven years?

BH: For sure, I will be doing music.

WTK: Whether about life or music, what is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

BH: Experience was the best advice. I still need so much advice, but I know that it will come through life’s experiences.

WTK: I know all fans want you to know how much they love you and how special you are to them, as well as how they will always support you in all that you do. Do you have any last words to your fans?

BH: I want to say thank you to all the fans for all the support and love that were given in the past seven years. And I hope you guys love my music as a solo artist too. I think nothing has changed. I’m still Jung Daehyun, and I love singing. All I want is to be remembered for that. I am truly grateful, and I love you guys.

Thank you so much to Daehyun/Baby Hyun for participating in this interview with us! He is so kind and was happy to answer every single question we included. In addition, he is working hard with English to be able to communicate more with fans. Whether it’s through music, YouTube, acting, or more, we wish him the best of luck and will be rooting for the success of all his solo activities!

source: What The K-Pop

#b.a.p #daehyun #t:interview #190320 #what the kpop

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swiftie5891 · 5 years

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Taylor Swift is no Snake – only Karyn is

My response to “30 THINGS I LEARNED BEFORE TURNING 30”

At the beginning Taylor refers to social media and says that many people hide behind it to insult and hurt others emotionally. Although Taylor wants to use it as a connection to her fans, she has learned that she does “not need the validation of someone telling me that I look 🔥🔥🔥”. Here, Taylor addresses the exact danger and disadvantage of social media. Today’s generation is using it to get validation, while creating an image of a perfect life. They post pictures or videos of them partying, drinking, doing sports, eating healthy food. Especially make-up tutorials are very popular among teenagers. Thus, the dream job of them is not being a firefighter, a police officer or an astronaut any more, but being an “influencer”. When you don’t adjust to a beauty image, you are called names and are prone to insults. Also Taylor has learned that. In her article she writes, “you could unwittingly see someone telling you that you look like a weasel that got hit by a truck and stitched back together by a drunk taxidermist.” People who write comments like that either don’t realize that they seriously hurt someone by writing this or they want to hurt them intentionally and hide behind the internet’s anonymity.

The second lesson Taylor has learned is that a kind behavior is not always beneficial. When you are always kind, people might get used to this and take advantage of it by using you for their own goods, or they do not take you seriously when you clearly state your opinion. I’ve also learned that saying “No” does not mean that you are selfish, but that it is good for yourself to stand up for your opinion. Whether people accept your opinion shows your true relationship. Do it Taylor-style: “Be like a snake – only bite if someone steps on you”. Be kind to people who are kind to you, but if you feel used or oppressed, stand up for yourself, you deserve it.

Taylor’s third lesson is important for everyone who feels bad for failing. Just because you have failed does not mean that you are a “loser”. It also does not mean that you haven’t given your best. Like Taylor says, “it’s good to mess up and learn from it and take risks”. Having learned from your mistakes or failures can help build your character, and it makes you stronger. In my case, I´ve failed my driver’s license test the first time. Although I was really really sad at first, I suddenly realized that it was for my own good because I had to take five or so more lessons, which helped me gain more self-assurance. So, I’ve passed the second one. It has also helped me learn to accept my failures, to live in it and to come out stronger.

Everyone who hates his or her body should take a look at lesson four. DO NOT HATE YOUR BODY BECAUSE OF A CERTAIN IDEAL PORTRAYED IN ANY KIND OF MEDIA! Especially in times of social media, showing your skinny and/or trained body has become an influence on people, especially on young people. Being confronted with pictures of those “perfect” bodies every day can make you feel bad when you don’t adjust to that beauty ideal. Like Taylor says, “a lot of us push the boundaries of dieting”. We search for various diets Hollywood stars have used to get “in shape”. But when you look at the consequences of those hard-core diets that make you lose a lot of weight in a short time, you should recognize that you’re harming your body. In my opinion, you should do sports – but not to adjust to a certain ideal. You should do it to make and keep your body healthy. You should also not lose weight to become as skinny as possible. You should do it to relieve pressure off your joints and to stay mobile. You should always remember that you have ONE body and that you shouldn’t stress it with an excessive diet. I have lost 20 kg myself during my senior year at school to be able to wear a nice dress. But most of all I recognized that my knees started to hurt while walking and I was out of breath after taking the stairs. Those two factors encouraged me to do sports, and it has helped me so much. Additionally, it supported my learning process during the finals. I am glad that Taylor has shared her opinion on that to show especially young people that pushing “boundaries of dieting […] can be really dangerous” and that “there is no quick fix”.

As lesson number five Taylor names banishing drama from your life. It is nice to hear from her that she is also suggesting blocking poisonous people. When your life is so consumed by people who cause drama in your life, you do not get to focus on yourself. Especially when you’re feeling down yourself and other people decide to knock you down additionally, you have every right to block them. Like Taylor says, “be discerning” of those around you. Sometimes you’ve tried to solve the problems with those people but then it happens again and again. Here, you have to decide if the person is worth it or if a further contact is just hurting you. Sometimes you gotta let go of people, even if it feels weird or hurts at first. If the drama queens are taking swings or the jokers are dressing up as kings, just let go and say “here’s a toast to my real friends”!

I love that Taylor is addressing it in lesson six: women are allowed to age. She says that the pressure on women regarding “everlasting youth” is not fair because it “isn’t even remotely required of men”. When men get older, they are told that they look wiser and that aging makes them sexier. When women show visible signs of their age, they are told that they look old and should do something about it. When you look at the amount of anti-aging cremes for women available in beauty stores, you can see the apparent importance of that matter for women. Also when having a look at the many Hollywood stars and their faces, it seems that aging women in the entertainment industry do not exist. Sometimes those frozen Botox faces are really scary, especially when you see pictures of those women before they have (in my opinion) destroyed their faces. I do not say that women should not take care of themselves, but I think that at some point in our lives, we should accept that we get older and that our bodies will change. It is natural, and all of our scars and wrinkles stand for the things we have experienced in our lives. And this does not refer to plastic surgery after an accident or anything else which has disfeatured someone’s body and face. On the contrary, I think this should be supported by health care.

Lesson seven has seriously touched me. It is so sad that Taylor and other artists have to be scared of any kind of violence. Those two examples Taylor addresses have touched me personally because I love going to concerts. Especially the attack during Ariana’s concert shook me because so many young people were killed and got hurt at a place where they wanted to have a great time seeing their idol. I don’t get why people hurt other people like this. At the same time I start to understand why the safety arrangements at concerts have changed a lot. It is terrifying to read that Taylor only felt safe(er) on stage wearing QuikClot army grade bandage dressing and that she does not feel safe privately at all. I have the biggest respect for everyone involved in the planning of the tour and for the security people who had to do their best at keeping everyone safe. For this reason I try my best to get through the security check as fast as possible by looking what is allowed beforehand and by already opening my bag when the person in front of me is checked. I am also being nice by saying “hello”, “thank you” and “good-bye”. Taylor’s last sentence shows how we can deal with those threats best: “We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears.”

Lesson number eight is very important for our self-esteem. It is a lesson I have also learned myself: “For an approval seeker like me, it was an important lesson for me to learn to have my OWN value system of what I actually want.” It is so important to have your own values and to stand up for them. When people say, “don’t listen to what others say”, I always answer, “that’s right, but I care what I think”. We do not have to follow everything other people say when we do not feel comfortable with it. Unfortunately, when you say this you are mostly called stubborn or not able to compromise. But I think in the end it is most important what we think of ourselves and that we can be proud of our decisions, although it might sometimes annoy others.

Lesson number nine: self-made cocktails. I should really try that because there’s nothing cooler than hosting your own birthday party for example and being able to offer some really nice cocktails.

Lesson number ten is really relatable. When you like to cook, you’ll always find some recipes which you love to cook and which taste delicious. I started to cook myself to be in better control of what I am eating and to reduce the amount of fat I am eating because too much fat causes a really bad feeling in my stomach since I’ve had to get my gallbladder removed in 2015 (1 week after Taylor’s 1989 show in Cologne). I am also using the garlic crusher because it helps to have little pieces of garlic in your meal without it being too strong. Moreover, I’ve just heard that garlic is a good way to make some meals more digestible. At this point, I’d recommend Taylor to release an own cook book with her favorite meals because those dishes sound amazing.

Number eleven is great. Command tape is so so good. I’ve also used it to put a hook for my jewelry on my wardrobe because I did not want to have a hole in it. It has not disappointed me because it has not fallen down yet (for about 10 years).

Number twelve is really important. Although it is sometimes hard to admit that you were wrong, apologizing is really important for a friendship / relationship. This can help the friendship / relationship to build trust, and it helps the ones affected get past this.

Unfortunately, lesson thirteen is a very current issue. This exactly is the problem: many victims of sexual assault do not come forward because they think that no-one will believe them. Moreover, like Taylor writes, going through the trial must be horrible because you have to talk about it and to live through it again. I am lucky that I have never been in this position. Maybe this is why I don’t understand why you could feel ashamed for it because like Taylor says, “It’s something no one would choose for themselves.” The ones that have done this should be ashamed for doing this to the victims, not the victims themselves. It is so important for the victims to speak up to hold the offender responsible for the things they have done, to start the process of putting it behind them (at least to regain some normality) and to prevent others from being assaulted by the same person. I hope in the future more victims will be believed to reduce those horrible deeds.

Lesson fourteen is something most people have to deal with. When a person close to you loses someone or has to go through any other kind of tragedy, you mostly do not know what to say. Mostly the only thing helpful for them is to let them know that you are here and to hug them. I think you know it is a real friendship when you are in a bad place and see if the other person is here for you or not. I have experienced this various times. Every time I thought I have finally found a best friend whom I can depend on in all situations, I have gotten disappointed. I have always been there for her when she had a bad fight with her boyfriend, and I have listened to her relationship problems and the problems she had at work. However, when I was in a really bad place because my grandparents have died within a short time and was totally looking forward to a movie night to get some distraction, she wrote me that exact day that she would rather go out with another friend to a bar. This was the time I stopped believing in that friendship. It is hard when you try your best to help your friends but mostly do not get it back. Now I’ve gotten to know some Swiftie friends whom I have never met personally, but feel really connected to and get really good advice or encouragement, which I love to return. I am so glad Taylor wrote about this in her article because I feel like the feeling of mutual support has declined nowadays.

I have learned lesson fifteen as well. Vitamins can make the way you feel so much better. Some years ago, I was feeling really sad all the time and I didn’t know why. My doctor one day told me to get my blood tested and it showed that I lacked Vitamin D and B12. So, I started to take supplements and a few weeks later I felt so much better. Taylor says something helpful here: Magnesium. For someone who loves going to the gym 5 to 6 days a week like me, magnesium is really helpful for the muscles, especially to avoid cramps due to overload. It seriously helps.

Lesson sixteen is important for everyone who trust people they haven’t know too long too soon. Taylor explains that “the layers of a person you discover in time” are “more valuable” than the ones you see when you first meet them. I have experienced that too. For example some years ago I got to know someone of whom I thought could be my best friend. We had so much in common and we had fun at the beginning. However, over the time I learned that she was only talking about herself, and when I needed her, she wasn’t there. Those are the moments when you realize that that friendship won’t work out. I have also experienced that a short time later. I was part of a dance team for about 20 years. Then one day we had a discussion about our costumes. Something that I didn’t feel comfortable was suggested, although it was well known that this was the only thing I would never wear. It was a long discussion and I said that I’d rather quit before wearing that because it would make me feel horrible and uncomfortable. In that situation no-ne really stood up for me and understood me. That was the moment when I saw that we were not a real team, because in a team no-one would be left behind and no-one should be forced to wear something that they don’t feel good with. That was the moment I knew that I would never feel happy there again and some month later actually quit. And I have to say it was for the best. I had so much fun the years before but with the time that (long) first impression has changed for the worse. That’s why I can really understand Taylor when she says that we shouldn’t trust everyone’s first impression they make on us.

I think lesson seventeen is learned by everyone someday. In our teens we do stuff to our body of what we later think, “why did I do that exactly?”. I think it is part of the process of discovering and growing up. I once cut my hair and especially my bangs. I looked like … I don’t want to say what. Over the time I have learned how to treat my body well. I also use moisturizer and body lotion, although I have to treat my face differently due to acne-prone skin. I use special cream for it some days, I use peeling about three days a week, and once a week I treat myself with a face mask with activated carbon and hyaluronan to reduce my pimple scars. Remember, you have only one body. So, treat it with kindness.

In lesson eighteen Taylor addresses the importance of dealing with your childhood “scars”. She explains that our childhood scars can haunt us into our adult lives. I think it is important that someone like Taylor is opening up about not being popular as kid because we can relate to her and learn that we can rectify it. Besides being not popular as a kid, like Taylor, I have also been made fun of because of my weight. Although I have lost 20 kg already, it is still a factor that makes me feel insecure sometimes. I have learned to live with it and I want to lose some more weight to improve my health and lower the risk of getting diabetes or something else. Moreover, I think many shops have awesome clothing for girls with some more weight and we are able to dress nicely and according to our body. Everyone can dress like they want to, especially nowadays, but it is most important for me to feel comfortable, even with some more weight than the average person. I am glad that today I can say that I have found some amazing friends who don’t care about my weight and are also very protective when I’m made fun … although today I seriously ignore that because I know what I have achieved and what I am able to do. I am probably more flexible and can do more sit-ups than an average-weight person. And I am proud that I can do the splits like Taylor in the Delicate music video … although I haven’t tried it on a car yet.

Lesson nineteen is really relating. It is so important to tell your friends how you feel. And you have to be honest. A real friend should be interested in how you feel. If you can’t share this with your friends, then with whom can you (except your family of course)? It is always good to know that you have friends who care about your feelings and try to understand. Also when you have problems with someone, it is best to address them instead of only thinking about it. Communication is everything, both in a relationship and in a friendship.

Lesson twenty is something we all learn in our twenties: “the difference between lifelong friendships and situationships”. When you’re new somewhere, like a job for example, you try to find mutuals of whom you soon think as your friends. I am a person who is searching for mutuals very quickly because I hate being alone. Although you might get along with many people quickly, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be BFFs. I think a friendship can develop when you spend some time outside of your “situation” and get to know each other more closely. In that case you can learn that you’re perfect in your “situationship” but not in a friendship. I am glad that I am friends with people who I know for more than twenty years (I’m 27, by the way) and who I see at least twice a year because we don’t live that close to each other anymore. And I am glad that I have also friends who I have met later but write with consistently.

Lesson twenty-one: fashion = experimentation. I can only say: so true. When I look back at pictures from my primary-school years, I think, what did I wear? Then I’m like, I was a kid … and it was the 90s. That’s ok. Later I had a time when I loved wearing black leather bracelets with rivets, my hair couldn’t be dark enough and I had a skull and crossbones phase thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean. I think it takes some time, a long time, to find a style that we feel comfortable in and that fits us. I still like to try new things. For example, I’ve changed my hair from a dark blonde to red. And I love it. I actually feel more confident with it. By the way, Bleachella is nothing to be ashamed of, Taylor. Although I prefer your fair hair like it is now, I also loved the brightness.

In lesson number twenty-two Taylor addresses fighting fairly. In a relationship or friendship a fight should not be about who is winning. Like she says, the best thing in a fight is communication and trying to talk about it calmly. Communication should also be used to prevent a big fight. When you have a problem with something or someone, talk about it. It is so true what Taylor says at the end: “They don’t give out awards for winning the most fights in your relationship. They just give out divorce papers.”

Number twenty-three: WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK, TAYLOR!

Number twenty-four: I am glad that I haven’t had to deal with illnesses like this yet. When I read this it always makes me thankful that my parents are healthy. I can only imagine how helpless you must feel. I totally get that you learn to prioritize other things and that you feel like other worries feel so much less important.

In lesson twenty-five Taylor clarifies that artists don't have to feel miserable in order to produce great art. I think that the artists’ experiences influence their art regarding the atmosphere of the song, painting or so on. When I was feeling bad and had to write an essay for college, I was not able to produce something good. I know it is not comparable to writing a song, but I think our feelings influence our productivity. However, creative writing or painting can be used as a way to come to terms with negative experiences. But the thing that is produced during that process does not have to be the artist's best work. I am so happy that you, Taylor, have left the negative experiences behind you and are doing better than you ever were.

In number twenty-six Taylor says that she likes to make countdowns for certain events. I love countdown apps too. I have a countdown for my birthday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve and for concerts. I also have a count … back for the Reputation album. Look What You Made Me Do, Taylor! It is good to know that things you’re excited about are in your future when you’re feeling down or stuck. I hope I can soon add the release of TS7 and hopefully a concert to my countdown app site on my phone.

In lesson twenty-seven Taylor explains how to deal with bullies and how to disarm them. Especially in a time of social media, where bullying anonymously is so easy, especially celebrities have to deal with any kind of “opinion” about themselves. Taylor’s handling of the hate campaign against her is awesome because she has used the word she’s been called and turned it into a symbol for her sixth studio album “Reputation”. She has exchanged the negative association with a snake (being devious) with a positive one. Now Swifties associate the symbol with the phrase, “Be like a snake - only bite if someone steps on you.” The best way to deal with bullies is either to ignore them and don’t give them what they want: attention. Or you do it like Taylor. You use the word you’ve been called for yourself and turn it into … Karyn. She has become the icon of the tour, and her shiny eyes and the way she rose behind Taylor during Look What You Made Me Do will never be forgotten. I’ve been bullied because of my weight in school myself. It hurts a lot because you don’t know how to deal with that at a young age. But as I grew older I learned that although they were bullying me I got better grades than them and graduated from high school and even got a university diploma a few weeks ago, while they left school after the 9th grade. There are so many things which are more important than what people have to say about you. Today I know that, like Taylor says, you learn how to deal with people like that and grow stronger. It’s the best revenge you could get because all they’ll ever gonna be is mean.

In number twenty-eight Taylor talks about her connection to politics. Although many people say that celebrities should just do their job and act or sing, I think it is important for people like Taylor to speak up politically and to encourage young people to educate themselves about and engage with politics as well. I still can’t understand how people with reactionary concepts can be voted to be in such high positions. I hope that here will be more celebrities who use their influence on their fans to put the right people in high positions, or at least to animate more people to use their voice and vote. Sometimes the reason why the “wrong” people win is because of those who do not vote because they think that nothing will change anyways and that one vote does not matter. But when many people think like this, there are more and more lost votes which might cause a different outcome.

Lesson twenty-nine: the hair changes its texture. I always wondered why the texture of Taylor’s hair is so much different now. The curls were so sweet and totally fitted country-Taylor. I think her hair has changed with the eras and adjusted to the “New Taylor”. Maybe the new era will also welcome her curly hair back. But we love you no matter what your hair looks like, Taylor.

Finally, lesson thirty. When Taylor has done something wrong, she has punished herself. On the one side it is good if a child recognizes when he or she has done something wrong, but on the other side it can cause a hard life when you will always question your decisions to an extent that is not good. Of course it is good to consider the outcome, but when you have actually failed and made the wrong decision punishing yourself for the decision you have made is not healthy. Like I’ve learned watching The Bold Type, living in your failure is good and important to learn from it and to build your character. You can’t change the past anyways. It is good to deal with your decision and your failure but it is also important to Shake It Off afterwards.

@taylorswift @taylornation @elle

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metalgearkong · 5 years

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Thoughts on “Death Stranding”

Death Stranding was one of the most anticipated releases of this console generation, and finally in November of 2019 the world got their hands on it. I got my copy about three days after it came out, and leading up to me playing it, I intentionally avoided all trailers and gameplay footage. I wanted to experience this game as freshly as possible when it was in front of me. I bought this game out of pure confidence in Hideo Kojima’s brilliance, and wanted to support him regardless. After being fired from Konami, the publisher he was with sincemost of his career, he created his own independent studios, and Death Stranding is their seminal title.

Hideo Kojima is most known for the Metal Gear series, and is the grandfather of stealth video games. I wasn’t a big fan of Metal Gear Solid 5, but Metal Gear Solid 1 through 4 are some of my favorite games of all time. I also adored P.T. the demo for his upcoming Silent Hill rebooted under Konami. It’s one of gaming’s greatest tragedies that it was discontinued, as P.T. is one of the most subtle and terrifying pieces of media I’ve ever experienced. Konami decided he was spending too much money on his projects, and they apparently weren’t about to give him millions of dollars further to finish Metal Gear Solid 5 and start a new game with Silent Hills. Death Stranding is a brand new original game made by Hideo Kojima’s brand new studio Kojima Productions (under Sony), and I have deeply conflicting feelings about it.

We play as Sam Porter Bridges; his name referring to his job and the company he works for. Bridges is a pseudo governmental organization which employs Porters, glorified couriers who deliver cargo between the fractured cities on a post-apocalyptic USA (now called the United Cities of America). Like any Hideo Kojima game, the beginning is front-loaded with cinematics and exposition. In the past, his cinematics may have been long (revolutionary for their time) but at least they were informative, dramatic, or entertaining. The cinematics in Death Stranding feel dull, lifeless, overly long, and worst of all, don’t deliver information of this vastly strange world very well. I was deeply confused constantly as to what the new terminology for very ordinary things were, and I don’t feel like I was given enough emotional connection or information to care much for this world.

Gameplay is all about lugging cargo on foot from one place to another. One of the most major fundamental aspects of this game that keeps me from liking it, is the world itself doesn’t make much sense. Not only are lone men sent to physically carry cargo on their backs between places miles apart, the hazards of getting from one place to another make this method of connecting cities extremely dangerous and anti-efficient. Not only is the terrain rough, the environment is populated with marauders called MULES who seek out to stop you, and ghostly entities called BTs who will essentially drag you to the underworld. These BTs are invisible to the naked eye, and a loud sensor on your shoulder tells you when they’re near. Sam has a special syndrome called DOOMS which allows him to at least partially see these BTs (at lest when he’s holding still). To add to it, Bridges don’t give him a vehicle or weapons of any kind. If someone dies in this world, soon their body causes a “Void Out” which means their corpse basically becomes a nuclear bomb. Yes, someone’s fresh corpse becomes a nuclear bomb, lets send out men by themselves through all these hazards as our means of connecting everyone to the network and making UPS deliveries.

This all would be more than enough if it weren’t for the Timefall. In this world, Timefall is basically the name for rain, and it instantly ages anything it lands on. We see this demonstrated when Sam puts his hand out in the rain, and the place where the rain drops, ages that tiny bit of skin immediately. This is essentially several times worse than if the rain was simply acidic. The problem with this is, why does the Timefall only seem to affect certain things? Why aren’t the futuristic buildings and roads constantly degraded? Why does Sam’s rain coat doesn’t degrade? Why does the entire environment except for what’s inconvenient for gameplay affected? Your cargo, if carried in the rain, will degrade, worsening your score at the end of delivery missions. You have to spray it with repair stuff to get it back to good condition. And if the rain is this destructive, why is Sam only equipped with a hood? Have you every been out in the rain in a raincoat with a hood? You still get wet, especially if you simply look up slightly. This whole world doesn’t seem well thought out, and is unique for the sake of being artsy and different.

The game, according to the map, seems to take place on the East Coast, somewhere around Southern New England, but the terrain itself looks like nothing from the East Coast (even after an apocalypse). The environments look more like volcanic Iceland or Northern Europe, and I question why Hideo Kojima chose the East Coast of the United States as the game’s location if the terrain resembles nothing like it. Most of Death Stranding is hiking from one place to another, getting packages to their destinations in as good of a condition as possible. As far as the walking mechanics are, they are very realistic and in-depth. All of your cargo is physically represented on Sam’s back, and each item has a weight. When walking, Sam has to use his balance to stay upright. Each arm is mapped to each trigger button, and as a hiker myself, I appreciate the level of detail of carrying a heavy load. The strange juxtiposition to me, is that this is a very serious game that takes everything super seriously, yet the main game is all about carrying a comically large load on your back. It looks comical compared to literally every other aspect of the game, and I think Death Stranding would have been a lot more fun if the cargo’s weight was simply represented, and not its physical presence.

The menus and much of the UI is also terribly designed. As a lifelong gamer, I shouldn’t have been driven to such levels of frustration trying to simply make sense of the menus. I’ve never had such a difficult time getting to know a game, and I would dissect this UI to study what not to do if you want to teach your players how your game works. It feels intentionally unintuitive, especially because most of what the menus do, are typical things found in any video game. All of these issues would be more forgivable if the gameplay was any fun, but when you have nothing to look forward to are managing meters, walking miles with 120 kilos on your back, and avoiding annoying enemies, it all kept me from wanting to keep pushing onward. There is a multiplayer aspect similar to Dark Souls, in that other players can leave ladders, ropes, and roadways for other players to use, but I live in a place where I can’t use multiplayer, so these helpful aspects did me no good.

Death Stranding is a truly bold and unique vision. I am genuinely glad Hideo Kojima was able to land on his feet so quickly, and form his own video game company with his own staff, vision, and goals. It’s uncommon that a triple-A game is able to take such interesting new routes with the open world format. Death Stranding is completely devoid of microtransactions and other money making bullshit filled in other major titles to release on consoles. While I did not enjoy this game, it seems like many other people did. Even if I don’t love every game, I’m all for this sort of visionary game design, and wish the industry encouraged more of these sorts of titles. It’s better than playing franchise games only pushed out to make a quick buck, or have little difference from their prior titles.

I like Death Stranding for what it is, but calling it a grind to play would be generous. Most of the mechanics and concepts feel deliberately tedious, and I’m not going to subject myself to two dozen more hours of it to uncover the story. Besides the gameplay, the logic of the world didn’t make any sense to me either, and the obtuse cinematics with a bloated sense of self importance when very little is accomplished, I found very little reason to care about anyone in this world. Hideo Kojima always wanted to make movies before he landed in the video game industry, and his passion for writing and directing has reflected that throughout his career. I have a feeling Death Stranding would have worked better as a TV series, and not as an interactive tedious game experience. I like what’s happening at Kojima Productions on a purely philosophical level, and I hope this game does well enough for them to continue making unique games. My personal feelings on Death Stranding are not overall positive, but I’m rooting for Hideo Kojima regardless

#death stranding #hideo kojima #kojima productions #sony #ps4 #playstation #playstation 4 #sam porter bridges #norman reedus

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wits-writing · 6 years

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Mister Miracle (2017) #12 (Comic Book Review)

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[Past Mister Miracle reviews here]

Tom King and Mitch Gerads Mister Miracle miniseries has reached its conclusion. This series has given me something new to dig into with each successive issue. How much any of my analysis holds together as a unified whole or in reflection of the conclusions this series has reached can be left to hindsight.

I’ll mainly be treating this like a review of any of the other issues before this, looking at what Scott Free’s choice in the aftermath of last issue’s revelation means for him and the lives of his family.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Most of this issue is structured around Scott Free having conversations with the characters who’ve died over the course of the series and how they view the life he’s chosen. Granny Goodness chastises him for choosing the never-ending cycles of war and domesticity over her. Forager says he’s condemned himself to Hell by not taking the chance Metron offered at the end of the previous issue. Orion tells him he’s in Heaven and that he doesn’t blame Scott for choosing this “perfect life” over what he left behind in his suicide but expresses disappointment that he’s left the struggles of existence behind and how Scott may as well be dead. Then Scott’s confronted by his two false fathers. Darkseid wordlessly sits beside Scott on the couch as he rocks Jacob to sleep, still present in the margins of his life. Highfather tries to comfort Scott in the aftermath of his “failure”, which Scott responds to by punching him in the face. Taken together, their source of disappointment comes from this series lacking a grand conclusion or major revelations about the true nature of what Scott has been living through. Whether they think he’s chosen domestic bliss or a life of never-ending war, they believe he’s chosen to remain trapped.

Last time I ended my review on the question of this miniseries’ place in continuity. A question I was happy to ignore with this series up until that point because it felt solid enough as a standalone that it didn’t matter. As Scott reaches his final interactions with a ghost of his past, Oberon, that’s the same conclusion Mister Miracle, the character and the series, has reached after everything that’s happened. Oberon is the only one of these specters to express happiness for Scott with the life he’s chosen over “All those crises and continuities that never really make sense.” (Kind of funny considering King himself is writing a crisis for that continuity right now.)

There’s an idea this series, and by extension my reviews of it, kept coming back to as it went on, that life can feel like a trap. “Nobody escapes death”, Scott Free proclaimed in the aftermath of his suicide attempt and the conclusion this story has drawn is that nobody escapes life either. Scott’s choice doesn’t mean he’s succumbed to hell, chosen paradise over struggle or given into the traumas his parental figures put on him. Mister Miracle, Super Escape Artist, has remained the embodiment of freedom, but the series posits that freedom in life isn’t a goal but a process that never truly ends. No matter what the past has left Scott with or what the future holds for him and his family, he always has right now for better or worse. Scott conclusions about his own life, given in a monologue to Barda at the end of this issue, show a recovery and healing beyond what we’ve seen from him before. Whether or not this happy life Scott has finally built for himself is a trap that he “failed” to escape from, he doesn’t want to anymore.

“Darkseid is.”, the phrase that’s hung over this series, represents everything out of Scott’s control, the things that drove him to suicide and the darkness inside him. It’s an immutable statement of presence, that nobody can ever escape their own dark side. As the story wraps up, Scott has found a retort to that statement as certain as the bleakness it represents, “Yeah, I know. But… We are too.” Existence recognized as an end unto itself.

I’ll end these reviews about Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ work on Mister Miracle on a bit of a personal note. This series has meant so much to me over the past eighteen months. Writing helps me process a lot of feelings about what I’ve experienced through stories across different media. I’m still discovering my own writing style and I’d like to think it’s more defined now than it was when I wrote my first reviews years ago, but I wouldn’t know how to categorize it. No matter what, sharing my thoughts with however few or many people have chosen to check my stuff out is enough. Mister Miracle has given me plenty of material to work with and wrap my mind around, something I find as entertaining as any good piece of media on its own. I’m sure I could even find more to say about this series when I inevitably reread it and if/when that happens, I’ll probably put it all together again in some form online.

If you have ever liked, reblogged or even shared anything I’ve written somewhere online, thank you.

#Mister Miracle #Tom King #Mitch Gerads #Comic Book Review #Wit's Writing #DC Comics #Scott Free #Big Barda #Barda Free #New Gods #The Fourth World #comics #comic books

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craftmanatee · 6 years

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Fantasy, is good, bad and ugly.

DISCLAIMER: Most of what I am writing here is for myself and not much consideration will take place. This is just a write up of all the things ive experienced and researched on put together as concisely as possible. A practice essay of sorts.

I do find myself to have finally separated what makes Fantasy what it is from Escapism or just Entertainment and how it works, especially for us today. Fantasy is used incredibly vaguely, going between its natural definition (Something akin to Imagining or daydreaming) to a specific genre in storytelling or visual or description of something. These are just methods of using the word that change based on how it is used, but it has been used often and vaguely to the point that it looses its original intent. A lot of what you use the Word on can already be better replaced with other words such as escapism, daydreaming or imagining, surrealistic etc.

Here is my addition to the definition of Fantasy: “Fantasy is an imagination derived from the Real World in order to better understand it.” Or “An explanation of the Real world”

This means that Fantasy can be negative, or positive. The imagination, or simplification or replacing of the things you dont know with things you do know. It is what we use to explain many things to children and people alike, especially if the specifics of the explanation will not suffice to the target person.

As soon as you put together this intent in which to understand the Real World through Fantasy, you can better identify what makes good fantasy, bad fantasy and Ugly fantasy.

To put Ugly Fantasy away real quick (As it is an entirely different subject). Ugly fantasy in the case of this writing is fantasies that abuse the uneducated, gullible or any person prone to fall for some kind of falsehood that flips their belief of the real world into something bad. So ideologies, fanaticism or any kind of prospect that changes how you perceive anything, into something that is not even remotely fundamentally real of that said thing.

Good Fantasy is fantasy that manages to convince, persuade or anything to you of the subject that they are trying to convey, but in a way that affects you. An example is simple folk tales told to Children such as “Hansel and Gretel”. Stories like these are meant to scare or teach kids of things to avoid, not do, etc. In a way, the same way how a Slasher Horror movie shows us what is stupid, or dangerous, such as splitting up.

Bad Fantasy is simply just fantasy that dont follow real world implications and as such could be misinterpreted. An example is Pornography. Therefor, for anything that is identified as “Bad fantasy”, its good to learn to not take in any implied effects, be it emotional or educational as true. But rather for entertainment purposes mainly. A better name for this would be “Simple” fantasy or “plain” fantasy to better describe it into the current definitions of Fantasy.

But for now, it should be Called Bad Fantasy as it is often used and is what people think Fantasy is in aspects of media today that I will point out.

Fantasy today is not Fantasy. It is escapism. You pick something up, it could be a book, movie or a game and you know how it is fiction and thus escape into it. Depending on your preferences, some things are suited to have you escape more into it than others simply because of either familiarity, or a deeper understanding of the subject. Movies as an example combine many aspects between visuals, story and music to have you have certain senses put your guard down and fall for whatever fantasy the movie has in place. There are many people who adore movies and have seen so many to the point where these cinematic tricks no longer work on them and they then happen to see how flawed the fantasy is. But that does not mean that it cannot be enjoyed.

This is where we separate Escapism and Fantasy from each other. I hate how (ex:)Toy Story 3 or a majority of animated films play out, but I do enjoy watching them. I know what comes next, but just maybe, I will still find something to like about it. This is me just liking a piece of Fiction for my own reasons, this does not apply to everyone.

But I can still identify how in Toy Story in general, has an amazing fantasy about better taking care of your belongings, or in this case, Toys. (I just think that the Fantasy can be enhanced if it did not fall slave into typical cinematic story beats)

But what we have majority of the time is fantasies that play an exaggeration to something. Such as power fantasies. Or fantasies that is exactly what you want. These are “Bad” fantasies that dont really add to any understanding, it is simply for entertainment purposes and feeds whatever “Sin”(Lust, greed whatever, lol) that you have in an innocent light. But I will claim that these fantasies are eroding Fantasy in general by the chance that these “Bad” fantasies can be misinterpreted and be wished upon. The reason why there is so much bad fantasies is because of misinterpretation of prior fantasies.

Here are some examples as to what is good Fantasy and what is Bad fantasy and what is Escapism, and how they surmount to themselves.

Lord of the rings is a story told and derived from the real world that puts conflicts into some kind of characterization. The fantasy tells of something very deep to the point of some kind of spirituality, religious or subjects of fate in general. But the Escapism is how the world is dressed up in these characterizations such as the different races and creatures. It is easier to buy in on a story of grand fate if it has appealing subjects. But, simply having elves should not be enough, there needs to be rules set in place and functions. Because of this, you then also buy into the characterizations. Basically, LotR didnt have what it had without reason. I do believe Tolkien did this in reverse however. He first had a Fantasy, but dressed it up later to better escape into. It is how Elves are Elves, and not just a different tribe of humans.

UnderTale is a good modern fantasy example and leads into a different subject such as modern intelligence! People today are a lot more educated than before, and thus when they want to escape into something, the fantasy needs to be really good in order for people to buy into it. Folk tales have been updated time and time again because of innovations such as writing, books etc that demanded more explanation in these stories. People asked more questions as stories get re-told which finally revealed cracks in these old stories. Undertale, however is a different kind of medium. Undertale tells of a pretty typical fantastical story of hope, but, it is the method that it tells it that gets people to buy into the story. As a Videogame, Undertale directly addresses the player for its actions. It also subverts videogame expectations in order to have you truly appreciate the message that undertale generally gives out. Even when the player disobeys this message, undertale still plays in on its fantasy that it is a Videogame. And as such, Undertale very well uses modern intelligence and expectations to the point of players realizing into listening and understanding what it has to offer.

The Marvel Cinematic universe is nothing but colourful escapism. It takes a simple fantasy of becoming truly special, and stretches it out far and wide. The best quote from a superhero film is probably “With great power comes great responsibility.” Just as a quote, this is the fantasy that Superhero fiction plays with even without the knowledge of this quote. Fundamentally and purely, this is what superheroes end up doing. Their power also becomes a responsibility. But, despite this. The movies, comics, etc mostly play with “ With great power..” portion of the quote. When a supehero character finally reaches a paragon status and finally realizes the full quote within its character, there wouldnt be any more stories to tell with that superhero. This is why we keep seeing reboots and rehashes. They keep starting over, witnessing the journey that it takes to fully realize that one quote again and again. And therefor, they are mostly being retold again for the fantasy of having super powers, or great power.

Fantasy is incredibly vague today, and I do feel like my added definition has you better deconstruct a fantasy from anything. Fantasy has started getting wishy washy near the 80s and onwards, and is why there is so many “Bad” fantasies today. With the advent of video games and new generations of people, it will become more clear and easier to seperate Good fantasy from Bad fantasy and Ugly Fantasy. Even movies, shows and games have a little Ugly fantasy that needs to be made aware of. Such as how Overwatch, a game that pandered to the LGBT community, making it all feel insincere, a complete opposite effect of fantasy.

After so long, I have read and researched on certain genres and going into deep analysis on them has made me discover a philosophy, or a new genre I will try to develop on. It is called Punk-Fantasy and that is a Write up I will make continuing this one. (And after that write up, actual proper content will be uploaded...)

#essay #real talk #fantasy #undertale #lord of the rings #folk lore #marvel #overwatch #movie #book #videogame #game #fiction

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little-miss-sunshines-blog1 · 7 years

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An ex-Larrie Testimonial

I am an ex-Larrie.

So there it is. Interestingly, the walls didn’t come crashing down, the earth didn’t stop turning, and the seas didn’t turn to dust. I’m still sitting here, in front of my laptop screen, with no visible change to world around me. Well then.

It has taken over a year for me to fully transition to where I am now and to feel comfortable enough to share some of that journey. So, here goes.

Recently I have been speaking with others in the fandom about why it can be challenging for people to walk away even when they want to, and it has been fascinating. Ultimately, what I’ve found is that many Larries stay because they don’t want to lose their “community” and for those that are particularly heavily immersed in Larriedom, the leap from Larrie to ex-Larrie can be significant. Being a Larrie can impact your day-to-day life in varying ways, and in many cases, you may not even realise how deep it runs until you start the process of moving away from that environment.

There’s little value in going into the what/when/where/why scenarios that influenced my own decision to become an ex-Larrie. There was no epiphany moment and nothing I can point others to that fully explains why. The reality is that it was a series of small things that accumulated over time and being in the right headspace to look at things with a critical eye, being ready to be honest with myself, and a preparedness to admit that I had been wrong.

Perhaps this testimonial will resonate with others who are wavering, perhaps it will provide some level of comfort in knowing that what you’re feeling isn’t unique, and that maybe you’re not alone. If it serves no other purpose than that, then putting it out there will have been worthwhile.

So why does it feel so difficult to leave?

Community: A sense of community is something that most people inherently seek out, whether in real life, or in their online life. At times, being a Larrie can seem comforting and reassuring. It can feel safe and welcoming. Feeling that you are part of something bigger; part of a “team” standing side-by-side and fighting for those that you believe can’t fight for themselves can be a powerful thing. But as you start to question the validity of these beliefs, the reality of what it could mean to leave that world behind can start to settle uncomfortably.

Friends: Being a Larrie enables you to form bonds with other like-minded individuals. These friendships form fast and firm, irrespective of physical location; drawn together online and fighting the good fight in the trenches against the boys’ “teams”, the media at large, and any other person or organisation that is being focused on at that time. But what happens when you’re no longer embroiled in this imagined battle? The basis for these friendships will no longer exist and, with such opposing viewpoints, they may end.

Entertainment: As a Larrie, there is always something with which to occupy your time; whether scrolling through your timeline on various social media platforms, reblogging cute gifs or manips, chatting to your Larrie friends, catching-up on the latest drama or following along as some old conspiracy theory is dredged up and rehashed. There appears to be an almost limitless supply of things to keep you entertained. It’s easy for people to say “well, find another hobby then, study something, read a book etc”, but that kind of paradigm shift takes time and can seem overwhelming.

Online Imprint: Once you make the decision that you want to separate yourself from Larriedom, what then? If you’ve cultivated an online presence predicated on the belief that Larry is real it might be everywhere, in every corner of your online imprint. Unless you’ve been very careful, you may have also shared pieces of who you are in real life, forever linking you to this world. You can lessen the impact but can it truly be eradicated? Screen shots, as they say, are forever.

In Real Life: What happens if you’ve made your Larrie beliefs public to your friends/family/co-workers in real life? It can be a very reasonable concern for some people and you may be worried how you’re going to extract yourself from this without suffering from some level of embarrassment.

What are some of the personal impacts of being a Larrie?

Time: Time and what you do with it is an interesting concept regardless of whether you have too much or not enough. When I turned my back on being a Larrie I was suddenly presented with an abundance of time. It was a genuine shock to discover exactly how much of my precious time I had been devoting to keeping abreast of the minute-by-minute “updates”.

FOMO: There is a disturbing sense of needing to ensure you are constantly wired-in to what is happening in Larriedom. This need can become consuming. It’s unhealthy. It’s distracting. It’s disturbing.

Music: Music has always been a big part of my life. Being part of a fandom for members of a band obviously means that music is a huge part of that experience. But being a Larrie also means that many of those songs have taken on specific meanings. I hope over time this will change and I can once again appreciate these songs for what they are.

Relationships: As a Larrie, you can find yourself closing off a big part of who you are and what you spend your time doing from those around you in real life. After all, who would understand? It can limit your ability to make new connections because you feel the need to hide this part of yourself. Whether through embarrassment (which should in reality be a massive red flag in and of itself), an unwillingness to share your online persona, or the fear of being stigmatized.

Stress: Experiencing an unpleasant physical reaction when you see an alert pop on your phone for someone’s Instagram or Twitter is not healthy. Being afraid to open that notification because you’re worried you’ll see something that doesn’t fit your Larry construct is not normal. Having to steel yourself in preparation, and then force your eyes to open and actually look at your phone screen is concerning.

Goalposts: You set yourself arbitrary deadlines for things to happen. “If “it” hasn’t happened by x date then I’ll leave”, you say. But then it doesn’t happen, so you move the goalposts for some seemingly plausible and justifiable reason. You reset your expectations, but that niggling feeling telling you something is inherently wrong gets louder each time.

Exhaustion: You wait and wait, believing that one day it will all be worth it and Larry will be “free”. They’ll strut the red carpet of some movie premiere or awards show hand-in-hand. They’ll be lauded in publications as the power couple of a generation. They’ll do interviews with Ellen and Oprah and grace the pages of fashion magazines. Except they won’t. Because this isn’t a fantasy. It’s hard to live off tiny pieces of contrived “proof” waiting for something that will never, ever happen.

Disappointment: Being a Larrie can be a constant, soul-crushing disappointment. You latch onto every tenuous link about a t-shirt someone wears or the colors in the background of an Instagram video or the lyrics of a song or a follow on Twitter and, along with your Larrie counterparts, proclaim them to be secret coded messages. You cling to every shred of hope and over-analyze every minuscule detail. But there’s never anything concrete, because of course, there can’t be.

Regret: Moving on means acknowledging you were wrong, that this thing that you’ve ardently supported is a falsehood, a fantasy, and so removed from reality that it can be slightly mortifying to admit. From my perspective, I acknowledge and regret many things from my time as a Larrie and I am sorry that I perpetuated and publicized these untruths.

It’s been nearly 18 months since I started this process, from the very first time doubts started to creep into the back recesses of my mind. My journey has been long and the road has been bumpy at times, but I’m here now as a testament to the success that process can be.

I am happier, I am enjoying my fandom experience far more than I ever did as a Larrie, and my real life has changed for the better. I have made new fandom friendships by seeking out like-minded individuals and whilst that was hard at the beginning, as with most things in life, it just took time, patience, and perseverance.

If you read this and identify with any of what I’ve said, I would encourage you to reflect on whether it may also be time for you to leave Larriedom behind. Reach out to others who have gone through similar journeys or send me a message, I’ll always be happy to talk and provide you with any support I can.

At the end of the day, the more people that make the move in a considered and positive way, the softer the landing will be for those that follow.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope that it can, even in some small way, help others to make the break.

#ex-larrie #testimonial

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shorthaircutsmodels · 5 years

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kitsunesbooks · 7 years

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Nier Automata is a Better Dark Souls than Dark Souls

There is a trend in modern media, especially within video games, in which the story tells the tale of a character who must suffer a great deal before ever reaching their supposed happy ending. Nier Automata is no exception, and it is a game that most certainly takes inspiration from the grandfather of this trend, Dark Souls. However, it is my honest opinion that Nier Automata handles the theme of suffering and the concept of repeating cycles far better than Dark Souls ever could. The most obvious contribution to this opinion is the much more focused writing of Yoko Taro. While his stories can be extremely convoluted and confusing, his characters are far too endearing for players to dwell on the more questionable details of his work. Dark Souls on the other hand has been hit or miss with its characters over the course of the three installments, and the series’ focus on open ended storytelling doesn’t always resonate with players. These two games both have common themes that tie back to our everyday lives and have even helped people like myself to pick themselves off the ground and continue walking forward. The overall concept is something truly wondrous and powerful and something I hope to explore in this article.

The beauty of the first Dark Souls game is how it blends a noble quest with a feeling of pointlessness. Throughout the game, you understand your goal to be the rekindling of the First Flame, but as you fight your way through the Undead Burg and the Undead Parish you begin to ask yourself a pivotal question. “What is there left to save?” The kingdom of Lordran is in ruins, undead walk its cobbled streets and there are few people left with their sanity intact. It is a dismal situation to say the least and it depletes your motivation to almost zero. You constantly doubt your goal is even worth struggling for because you aren’t even certain if it will even fix anything. Even then, there isn’t much to save in the kingdom of Lordran. Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki wanted to tell a story that was both inspired by the Western fairy tales he enjoyed as child and as well as his favorite manga, Berserk. Both inspirations are more than present within the entire Dark Souls series, this is especially true for the former. Growing up, Miyazaki enjoyed Western fairy tales, but because he wasn’t very good with English, the stories had many gaps within them that he would have to piece together himself. This open ended story telling is what influenced the Dark Souls series as a whole. It is also what allows that overwhelming sense of pointlessness to persist throughout the game.

Dark Souls’ blend of hope and hopelessness is reflective of life itself and that is one of the reasons the game resonates with players so much. It rekindles the pleasure brought on by getting through some sort of trial. Whether it be a tought college semester, and important project, or just a rough patch with friends. The almost iconic boss fights within Dark Souls capture that great sense of relief when you finally defeat one after so many tries. It is a truly beautiful and almost genius metaphor for our own existence. We constantly find ourselves trying and trying and ultimately failing time and time again. Despite so many failures we keep pushing ourselves to succeed. There are times when we are defeated and we can’t get back up for awhile, but we still persist. Dark Souls is a game that rewards persistence, but not only that, it rewards skill. Dark Souls encourages players to analyze situations and think quickly in order to find the best course of action. The very way the game controls is meant to feel more real than most “hack n’ slash” kind of games. The controller itself is divided up to represent two halves of a body. The very mechanics and controls reflect the lore and themes of Dark Souls which ultimately helps bolster the kind of metaphor it is aiming to portray. The ultimate flaw in this is that these themes are not presented upfront. Everything in Dark Souls takes a back seat and gameplay is at the forefront. Because of it’s open ended storytelling, few will be motivated enough by a single cutscene of exposition. Though, for the few that do stay, they experience a great metaphorical challenge and a test of resolve.

Nier Automata is the game that does away with the open ended storytelling the Souls games are known for nowadays, while still keeping the core themes and metaphors that were present in those same games. Yoko Taro is a master of character drama, and while the NPCs of Dark Souls are endearing and entertaining to interact with, they still have a level of open-endedness about them. Granted, Yoko Taro’s focus is only on the three main characters of Nier Automata, their interactions with one another and the overall arc of the story helps to perpetuate the concept of the repeating cycle. Even the first words uttered by 2B in the first route of the game state clearly that this story is neverending. The beauty of Nier Automata is the fact you are not playing an avatar like in Dark Souls. The fact that Dark Souls puts you into the world via a created character and its NPCs are more or less lackluster in terms of an overarching story means that the ties you have aren’t nearly as strong. Nier Automata puts you in the shoes of three fleshed out characters with personalities far different from your own. They talk to each other, they share moments together, the player, in this instance, is just an observer. I think that this is what helps Nier Automata pull one out from underneath Dark Souls. Its three main characters and the ways they interact are completely endearing and it makes the story all the more emotional when things don’t go their way. You find yourself wishing desperately that those three androids could be happy and that is the root of Nier Automata’s emotional investment.

The suffering that 2B, 9S, and A2 all go through is yet another reflection of life. Everyone just wants to be happy, but we are all caught in a cycle of happiness and suffering. Happiness doesn’t seem to be permanent for anyone. When things finally hit rock bottom for our heroes, we find ourselves empathizing heavily because we more than likely have been in similar places, or were experiencing those same emotions when we sat down and played. It is an almost cathartic experience as you can’t help but cry with those lovable androids as they slowly break down emotionally. Route C/D of Nier Automata is no easy thing to complete as it is the most emotionally charged part of the game, and honestly, one of the most emotional parts of any game I’ve played. It is when Yoko Taro really does bring out his best talent and forces us to watch as the characters we spent two whole playthroughs bonding with collapse under the weight of their problems. It replicates the feeling of empathy we get towards a close friend and represents a powerful understanding of emotional writing. Giving players all this time to bond with 2B and 9S only to then drag them through the mud is one of the best writing choices this game made, but it is by far the absolute best.

The greatest thing this game has to offer is it’s final ending. Ending E is one of the best endings I have ever seen in a video game and it is what brings the themes of Nier Automata to forefront. The game takes a dramatic shift by addressing the player directly and essentially interviewing the player. The final conversation the player has with the game is one of the most heart wrenching and relatable things I have seen in a video game and I think it definitely is one of the best ways I’ve seen to end a game. It was that ending that cemented Nier Automata as one of my favorite games of all time. The powerful message behind that ending and the ultimate breaking of the cycle is a moment still imprinted within my mind and it will stick with me for a very long time. It is the same feeling I got whenever I defeated a particularly tough boss in Dark Souls, but magnified exponentially. That is what makes Nier Automata so good. While Dark Souls rewards persistence consistently with each boss fight, Nier Automata holds out on that feeling of relief to absolute end of the game. That is what makes that relief all the more potent and heartwarming.

Both of these games represent powerful metaphors for life and the struggle we go through day in and day out. Ultimately, Nier Automata’s character drama gives it an edge over Dark Souls as it also reflects the mechanics of the Souls series in terms of the way death is handled. Both games have extremely similar themes, but Nier Automata is far more relatable and its charm and gameplay are what will drive more people to play it, while Dark Souls will forever be recognized for its difficulty alone. It is a shame, but understandable why. Nier Automata is one of the best souls-like games in terms of theming and I hope that Yoko Taro’s next project does more with these themes. Nier Automata is a game I plan to treasure for the rest of my life and I urge anyone going through a rough patch in their life to sit down and play it. You will not be disappointed.

#Nier Automata #2B #9S #A2 #Yoko Taro #Hidetaka Miyazaki #Dark Souls #Solaire #Praise the Sun

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