#also i hate this propaganda machine of a story

[sherlockianscholar]

in "his last bow" when holmes says: "stand with me here upon the terrace, for it may be the last quiet talk that we shall ever have." i never like to interpret it as a permanent goodbye, but in reference to the impending war and violence that will eliminate "quiet talks" into something much more chaotic. or at least, that's what i like to tell myself.

[quixtrix]

dolph was always meant to be doomed; something of an analysis

i'm on my third rewatch of captain laserhawk, and on this one i've been focusing more on the little details that you don't get on your first or even second time watching it. i've noticed little things, such as pey'j helping and then going on to shield a hybrid who's dressed similarly to jade in the third episode. but i've also noticed bigger things, such as alex and dolph.

keep in mind that this show is just filled to the brim with political messaging, it was purposefully designed that way. so when someone mentioned on here that alex was an accelerationist, it explained a lot. we don't know much about alex in terms of his backstory, we only know he helped dolph after dolph attempted to mug him and they ended up falling in love. it's also implied that alex and dolph have been repeatedly reported on the news as terrorists more than we've seen, with rayman referring to them as being the usual suspects when the kaiju attack happened, despite dolph literally not even being there when alex did that shit. they're known to do this shit, and we know alex is a charismatic guy. it's not too far fetched to say once or while dolph was falling in love with this gayass white saviour saint that alex talked him into this shit for alex's own purposes. because yes, he has a cause, but he's also a bit in over his head, maybe with power. he's aware of the power he has over dolph, how he actively uses the 'i love you' card multiple times when they're together and when they're not together. he just had a bit too much confidence in his hold over dolph, but to be fair, alex, you were topping some indulgent mob boss for your cause (because let's be honest of course your sources would be tight if they were being fucked for it) then continued fucking said mob boss and got caught with your dick out by your ex who you think you can get back with. alex uses people as tools, he just doesn't put his shit in the right places at the right times.

i'm getting off track, but the point i'm getting to is that alex most definitely saw dolph, a man who clearly has some jacked up eden tech smacked onto his twink ass, at his lowest, and picked him up like a shiny new toy. he was always going to use dolph. but how come dolph is so easy to use? he's starved for kindness. he's the stray dog that comes up to you at restaurants to act all nonchalant because 95% of the time he gets neglected, but the second he gets offered scraps, he shows how hungry he is. we don't know much about his childhood, and what we do know is under the lenses of literal eden propaganda. we do however know how people get like underneath the hand of eden.

everyone say thanks to rayman, who concidentally, is dolph's foil. both of them worked under eden as their lap dogs, one as a propagandist and the other as military, but dolph had gotten out of the hold the propaganda had on him while rayman's barely shaking it off. both of them are also portrayed as poor little tragic immigrants and the impoverished stand ins both in universe and story wise. they're the feel good picking yourself up american dream stories that people can feel inspired by or feel proud about the country with. dolph had a photo with a kid holding a doll of him. before he became ex military, he was definitely the guy they paraded around as a previous lost cause that eden helped. red, who's as political as his assigned colour, bitches about identity politics in that one off line for a reason. he also jus hates brown people fr he kicked me down a flight of stairs

now we can assume that dolph had picked himself up out of the propaganda machine somehow. he realised he was used and he didn't want that shit. he's attempting to get himself his own life, for fucks sake. he jus happened to get lead on by the wrong guy, which then lead him to get used by eden AGAIN. this time not only in a physical way via soldier work, but emotionally too, with sarah easily manipulating him with what? a sob story and helping him out, maybe being friendly with him along the way.

he wants a normal life. he wants a goddamn normal life. he jus continues to be selected as a tool.

you can see how fucking starved he is for kindness. you ever think about the fact that in his dream life, he sees jade and pey'j? he knew these people for less than a week, yet they get a place in his dream life. most notably, jade gets a speaking role in his dream life. the only other person who speaks, besides marcus, is alex, someone who had known him and shown kindness to him. jade has also shown kindness to dolph. she's the friendliest face there in the ghosts, being the first one to check on dolph when he wakes up, offers an explanation to him, and also makes an effort to include him in her little shenanigans with the video and all!! dolph was all emo alpha wolf and all, but despite his constant cold shoulder, she was kind!!

there was someone who was more than kind though; bullfrog. because bullfrog actively looked out for dolph, despite his constant pushback against bullfrogs advice whenever they weren't separated. and in the end, it's bullfrogs kindness and compassion that hits dolph the deepest. dolph gets out of his depressive state to go back for bullfrog. he cares about people, he goes out of his way to do shit for the people who show him the slightest bit of kindness. he backed up sarah after one good conversation with her to marcus for fucks sake. dolph is just a guy who keeps getting used though. he's so loyal to anyone who looks his way that it's a fatal flaw that ends up with his head blown up. he's a shakespearean tragedy at the moment. i hope in the potential season 2 that he gets to have more moments where he gets to be his own person. not defined by an organisation or a person or a cause, but what he chooses to define himself by. he's on his way there. he jus deserves to be allowed to live for himself. after all, he has already met his end of that story. he can make a new one.

anyways if u reached the end of this im down to discuss this :D i also did get a few points from other people on here, but let me know what u think nd all

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 2, Match 1: Ogai Mori vs. Pascal

Submitted kids:

Ogai Mori: Uhhhh let’s go with Dazai and Chuuya. It gets complicated to figure out the adoption status of everyone else

Pascal: Village children

Propaganda under the cut!

Ogai Mori:

"Alright so Mori is a shady criminal underworld doctor who’s out here treating /looking after the sick boss of the Port Mafia. During this time he runs into this kid who tried to kill himself and treats him (because he’s a doctor and that’s what he does). This kid (Dazai) is HIGHLY suicidal and will Not Stop trying to kill himself. So Mori’s like “ok stick with me real quick” and takes him to visit the mafia boss. While they’re there Mori kills the boss and tells Dazai that’s he’s the only witness and the story they’ll tell is that the boss died of natural causes and made Mori his heir.

So the plan works and now Mori’s the mafia boss, plus he’s looking after this very suicidal teen on the side. Meanwhile someone (Chuuya) is out there single-handedly destroying the entire mafia. So Mori looks into it on his own and goes “oh that’s a teenager! Around the same age as my boy! Imma capture him and force them to be friends! :)” So he does, but they (Chuuya and Dazai) HATE each other. Absolutely despise each other’s very existence. So Mori’s like “well if I force them to work together forever, then they’ll HAVE to get along!!”

Anyway his two boys become the most powerful duo in the canon lore of this animanga.

Eventually Dazai leaves the mafia because his friend dies while doing mafia work. Very tragic, Mori still talks to him like he’s his estranged son that he wants a relationship with. Mori and Chuuya don’t interact much in the main manga but in all the bonus material he’s definitely very parental to him. Specifically the aquarium side story from mayoi— sure that was a job but iirc he kept telling Chuuya to relax and just enjoy going on a fun aquarium trip."

Pascal:

"not putting all of his lore here bc of the pg-13 rule but he's this robot who is the sweetest guy imaginable, he is pretty smart cares a lot for his kids (again, cant get TOO into that but he is v/ protective of them) and also is a pacifist who rlly just peace between the androids & machines even tho thats pretty fucking difficult (he even is an ally to the android resistance and trades w/ them frequently!)

from his unit data (because im Bad at describing things lol):

""A pacifist machine lifeform that despises conflict and strives endlessly for peace with humanity. This unit possesses incredible intelligence, as well as a deep interest in the history of both humans and machines."""

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

NATASHA ROSTOVA (WAR AND PEACE) (CW: Pregnancy)

1.) Natasha is one of the MCs of the novel and for the majority of it she stays an incredibly complex, flawed and fleshed out character but then THE EPILOGUE COMES. In the epilogue she marries Pierre Bezukhov (who I talked about in my previous propaganda) and essentially loses her personality. The point of her existence now is to serve Pierre and be his 24/7 baby machine. The narrative puts emphasis on how important singing is for her (Natasha expresses herself through it) but after she gets married she stops singing (the other moment she stops singing is after her failed elopement with Anatole Kuragin, when she's depressed and basically at her lowest point) because she doesn't need it anymore since she has a husband UwU.

Natasha is described as a perfect and understanding wife for Pierre and yet she's allowed only to soak in his views and thoughts without adding anything from herself. ("Now that he was telling it all to Natásha he experienced that pleasure which a man has when women listen to him—not clever women who when listening either try to remember what they hear to enrich their minds and when opportunity offers to retell it, or who wish to adopt it to some thought of their own and promptly contribute their own clever comments prepared in their little mental workshop—but the pleasure given by real women gifted with a capacity to select and absorb the very best a man shows of himself." (c) Book 15, Ch. 17).

When Natasha's cousin Sonya tries to stop her from eloping with Anatole, Natasha screams that she's now his slave and will do anything he wants and although she and Anatole never meet again after the elopement fails, she never escapes the fate of becoming a slave to her man.

To be honest I dislike Natasha (there's no excuse for how she and her family treated her cousin Sonya) but the way she portrayed in the epilogue infuriates me. Her marriage to Pierre cancels out her character arc and personal growth she had before it completely.

2.) After 2k pages detailing her unique way of thinking, lust for life, hyperactivity and love of freedom Natasha is married and therefore summarily shunted off to being jealous and incapable of understanding her husband's higher purpose, no longer singing and having no other preoccupation in life but the color of her children's pov

3.) oh my god. so shes this young girl (literally shes like. 13 to 17 throughout the main story). as natasha makes her way into society, she gets more and more hated by tolstoy. (because tolstoy hates society & women). if im remembering correctly the first time she flirts with a man & uses a fan she gets scolded. all of her love interests are considerably older than her. when natasha is 17, she gets engaged to andrei (who at this point would be around 27). he goes off to war! because he loves war. while hes away, anatole (who is vaguely around andreis age) seduces natasha. he knows she's engaged & impressionable and does it anyways. anatole plans to kidnap & elope with natasha, but the plan gets found out. natasha learns anatole is already married and tries to kill herself via arsenic. she gets better. pierre (27) who has known natasha since she was 13 & is close with her family and is also andreis friend, visits natasha. he comforts her and she's like "no what i've done is unforgivable and deplorable". pierre then kind of proposes to her ("if i were free"). natasha stops singing for a while. this is significant because singing is very important to her. well fast forward his wife dies. then theres the epilogue where pierre and natasha get married. natasha is miserable and is basically a baby pumping machine and she also stops singing again.

GWEN (BBC MERLIN) (CW: Mind Control, Adultery)

1.) She was one the main 4 characters in the show and basically the leading lady as the show went on and YET. She was literally treated like an object to make her pain a point of conflict and angst for the male characters and then SHE WAS BARELY EVEN THERE. FOR THE SEASON FINALE. THE LEADING WOMAN. so that the writers could focus on their male characters more. Also in season 4 the writers forgot that they had to make a Guinevere/Lancelot affair happen (to follow the Arthurian canon that they ~totally~ were following before. this is sarcasm btw). But at that point Gwen as a character was not in a place where she would do that. So instead of writing something actually good they decided to just have Gwen end up with an Enchanted Bracelet That Makes You Cheat On People. I’m not joking. So it wasn’t even her choice to have an affair and they never explore the implications of this. And it’s never even revealed to the characters that she didn’t choose this. She’s just. Never vindicated. Evil and terrible.

2.) At the beginning of the series there was on episode when Gwen was like “women should be allowed to fight” (in a battle that was happening). A big part of her character at the beginning was also knowing armor and weaponry bc she was the blacksmith’s daughter. But then in the series finale they had her say something along the lines for “I’m not meant to fight” just so she could be gone so that the writers could just write about the two male leads

3.) Okay also in the last season they didn’t know what to do with Gwen’s character so for almost half the season they made a plot line where she was mind controlled (again :)))) after being kidnapped and tortured. And like. Again instead of focusing on her and the effects it had on her they made the whole thing an excuse to get Male Lead # 1 and # 2 angsty about it. They had to like. Knock her out and throw her into a lake (magic baptism???) to reverse mind control and then they literally never her reaction to the whole situation ever. Literally objectified for the plot.

[drconstellation]

Brazil and The Dream of Escape

I was delighted to find in the Xtras that the machine created to be used by Furfur to use to find out how many demons Shax could requisition for storming the bookshop was inspired by the movie Brazil. This is another nod to Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, who directed this film, and who almost directed the failed GO film in the 1990's.

I love this film. Always have. Yes, I was around when it came out in 1985. I'm that old. It's always been in my top 5 favourite films. And its totally relevant to Good Omens.

Brazil can be described as a dark dystopian story based on the novel 1984. It doesn't have a happy ending, but its funny, horrific, ludicrous, romantic and timelessly beautiful all at the same time. Its so iconic that when ever I see its influence in other productions its been unmistakable.

It stars Jonathan Pryce long before he was a James Bond villain or the head Sparrow in Game of Thrones, a comedic turn from Robert de Niro and a handful of other famous faces that you are bound to recognise, such Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm and Jim Broadbent.

Pryce, as Sam Lowry, lives in a world that is strictly controlled with paperwork that comes in multiple copies, where people are routinely arrested and tortured and a long running unexplained terrorist campaign sees bombs explode in the most random of places. Sam has dreams of a beautiful woman floating in the sky, and he is a sliver-armoured winged hero trying to rescue her. He eventually finds that she is real, and finds out her name through various means via his work and contacts. He tracks her down, but that is where it all starts to unravel as she is mixed up with an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.

Its easy to see the common themes and elements that run through the film with GO: the desire to run away and escape (that doesn't work,) a totalitarian authority controlling the masses, propaganda, piles of paperwork, an undercurrent of rebellion, torture and abuse, forbidden love between classes, a villain hidden in plain sight.

There is an art deco aesthetic to the film that also carries over to other films and shows it has influenced, and the busy work floor scene that stops on a dime to watch the tv show de jour while the boss isn't looking is one of the highlights of the film.

It was a reference of this that caught my eye in the Cohen Brothers modern fairy tale The Hudsucker Proxy, where they copied the busyness of the work floor for their mail room scenes, but also the art deco aesthetic. That's another film that is always in my top five films, and could go a round of comparisons with GO - its got time stoppage, an angel appearance and a near-godlike manipulator.

It also appears, surprisingly, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The casino at Canto Bight is Brazil inspired, in the way its introduced to us, its decor and the music. I know some people hate this film because of what they did to Luke, but I love it, the whole thing is just utterly gorgeous to look at.

And if you've watched any of Loki recently, since S2 of that show finished not long ago, you would also seen some influence from Brazil in the retro look.

I love the classic art deco style. my grandparents had an art deco house that I spent many of my childhood hours in. The style itself is a clean, unadorned look, and often is meant to give a look of movement, speed or strength. A classic example of this is the Bentley, of course, which comes from the height of the art deco era in the 1930's.

Hell is the other place we see the Brazil influence in GO, where is looks like it's constantly several decades behind the times, with overhead projectors and manual typewriters and odd looking not-quite steampunk contraptions.

Brazil is available to stream on Disney at the moment, if you'd like to take a look. I highly recommend it, its one of those influential films that once you know it, you see its long reach in the most unexpected places.

[jamlessjj]

Hey team (I say as I make prolonged eye contact with my U2 mutuals) so while I was on a road trip a few weeks ago I chanced upon a record store that had an absolute treasure trove of old magazines and managed to find these gems. Would you all like me to post some scans of the articles and/or covers? Here is a list of what's pictured. If any of these strike your fancy, lemme know:

U2's Propaganda, Issue 15, Winter 1991/2: A special edition that focuses on the release and making of Achtung Baby. Its contents are very campy design-wise with a cool arts and crafts type of vibe. Lots of photos from the late 80s and early 90s, at least half of which I hadn't seen before. Contents include an Achtung Baby scrapbook, an article detailing the making of "The Fly" music video, and an article about the process behind designing the Achtung Baby album cover.

U2's Propaganda, Issue 16, Spring 1992: A pretty text-heavy issue with a well-rounded bunch of articles in terms of topics. The entire first half of the issue is dedicated to coverage of preparation for the Zoo TV tour, focuses on the band as well as artists and others involved in various aspects of the tour. This article's look is giving "graphic design is my passion" in the best way possible. There's also an interview with Brain Eno, an article on the spoof tribute band "The Joshua Trio," and a report on the Negativland thing that happened.

U2's Propaganda, Issue 17, Winter 1992/3: Its cover story, "Sixty Nine Things You May Not Have Known About Life in the Zoo," is a rapid-fire and visually immersive list of happenings from the Zoo TV tour. Big photos of the band and the staging, including some of Bono in the foregone but never forgotten red version of The Fly costume. This issue also focuses on fan content, with a mailbag section and some stuff about various fanzines.

Rolling Stone, Issue 761, May 29, 1997: Pop-era U2 on the cover, looking extra cool. The article is titled "The Wizards of Pop." I haven't read all the way through this article, but this is the premise we're given: "Who are those men behind the curtain? It's Bono! The Edge! Adam Clayton! Larry Mullen Jr.! On the eve of their supergiant '97 world tour, U2 reveal the heart inside their consumer-nightmare machine." A couple of neat photos, too.

Rolling Stone, Issue 986, November 3, 2005: Bono on the cover, and a suuuuuper long interview with him, like, including photos, this thing is about 16 pages long with a teeny tiny font size. I've only skimmed the text but the whole thing seems to have a relatively down-to-earth vibe, which the photographs compliment well. Pretty biographical, based on what I've seen it vaguely reminds me of Bono's Surrender. Found this quote while skimming and I like it a lot: "I've always had these melodies in my head. If I'm beside a piano, I put my finger on a key. I hear a rhyme."

Rolling Stone, Issue 1074, March 19, 2009: U2 on the cover, shot in a way that seems to call back to their cover on the aforementioned 1997 issue. Published around the release of No Line on the Horizon, this is definitely more of a journalism piece as far as I can tell, rather than an interview piece. I like how this article is laid out visually. Focuses on the process of creating and recording NLOTH, and includes some photos of the band working on the album. Also, eyeliner Bono. Dude absolutely dominates one of the pages.

Spin, Volume 4 Number 10, January 1989: A brooding and melancholic Bono on the cover. I enjoy the cover's visual and emotional drama, and its mythical quality definitely goes hand in hand with the corresponding article. After getting past three ads for a multitude of cigarette brands, including one with a pop-up fish holding up a supposedly irresistible offer for a pack of Salems, you'll find an article titled, "Hating U2," with the premise, "U2 set out to become the biggest band in the world. Now they're fighting to avoid being crushed by their own myth." The magazine's overall minimalistic look matches well with how U2 was publicly perceived at the time. Again, haven't read the article in depth, but I think it's the one I look forward to reading to most. Seems to deliver a considerate/compassionate and entertaining look at celebrity, and the tensions between fame and music making, all in relation to Rattle and Hum. Includes some photos that when viewed in the article's context, totally showcase a tension between the mythicism of celebrity and ordinary personhood. Three out of the four photos were new to me.

I'm sure digital versions exist for some of these articles already. I at least know you can find some past Rolling Stone articles and interviews online. But still, I think there's something to be said about the original physical versions with all the photos, design choices, and whatnot. As a younger person, I find these physical copies especially valuable, as they're like primary sources that allow me to better connect with a time I didn't get to live through personally.

I'll probably have lots more to say about each of these at some point in the future, but in the meantime, I'd be happy to post scans if anyone so desires!

[lintwriting]

i think i really love how visceral the politics of signalis is. not just in the in-your-face propaganda aspects. but like, the way it dooms the narrative.

the whole plot of signalis is based around two entirely disconnected settings -- the Penrose ship and the Sierpinski prison. They are so disconnected from each other across time and space that you spend the whole first half of the game disoriented by the whiplash these two locations give you.

and personally? I stayed confused until I realized what connected them:

they're the two branching paths of Ariane's future.

after her military service, she gets a state letter informing her that if she's not accepted into the Penrose program, she'll be sent to Sierpinski, a "re-education" camp that's actually just a prison mine.

And, to her luck, she "somehow did end up joining the Nation's Penrose Program, the same one on the posters she had seen years prior."

I love and hate the way the wiki frames it, because yes the Penrose space expedition program seemed preferable to the prison camp.Yes, she had seen posters of it and glamorized it as a new start for her. After all, she was an art-obsessed outsider in a world where people molded into being unfeeling machines, where art is frivolous and degenerate except for how it serves as propaganda. Why not dream of a new planet?

But it's all a lie. The Penrose program sounds too good to be true for Ariane-- how can this under-qualified, ostracized freak get accepted into such a prestigious program? -- because it IS too good to be true.

The truth of the program is that it's a glorified propaganda tool, and a useful way to get rid of political enemies. Just send them off into space and tell them it's for the good of the empire, to find new planets to colonize. Then, after 7.74 years of loyal service to the program, tell them:

If you have not found a suitable world for landing by this point, accept that you will not. Find solace in the thought that others might be successful where you failed.

Remenber, you will die having served your Nation by partaking in a glorious demonstration of our power. --- End of decrypted transmission ---

As you are probably aware, your ship's spare parts and rations will soon be depleted.

Penrose is ostensibly about founding new colonies on different planets, but the reality is that these vessels seem to have very little planning put into them, like throwing darts at the wall and hoping one of them will stick. Some people wonder about the efficacy of wasting ships of supplies for this seemingly useless endeavor, but they're missing the point and buying into the propaganda.

The truth is that Ariane was just a pawn for their political power play, quite literally a demonstration of their power, like a horrifying version of The Tallest sending Invader Zim on a useless quest to conquer Earth to keep him out of their hair, like Ozai banishing Zuko off to chase a hundred year old myth. And it cost Ariane her future.

And like, that means no matter what, Ariane never had a future. Penrose is death by space, and Sierpinski is death by mines. She never had a choice, only the illusion of one, because she was doomed by the political reality of living in under an authoritarian state that would never value her.

And like, it's so impossible to ignore the similarities of this to the Cultural Revolution in China. I think the retro aesthetic of the nation references that, along with the Chinese characters littering all the walls.

Ariane's story reminds me a lot of Ye Wenjie's story from the 3 Body Problem, as a similarly powerful woman who also dooms the whole world because of the ANGUISH of the Cultural Revolution destroying her future.

Except, unlike Ye Wenjie, we're not going to get a bunch of assholes calling her an Eve, doomer of mankind. Instead, the story actually succeeds at portraying Ariane as a tragedy doomed by the narrative.

[kerizaret]

Any news on the Cyberpunk dead world au that you're willing to share? :3

HI HI SORRY THIS TOOK A WHILE!! But yes I do in fact have something to share!! It's about time I do!

In fact im taking this ask as an excuse to give a whole CPDW AU introduction!

The story takes place in the dystopian city-state of Shibuya, a huge closed off city isolated from the rest of the world. It's controlled by one government with extremely strict rules and ideologies, which seems particularly adamant on limiting people's creativity and self-expression. Its also very controlling

Rui is a government-hired mechanic there. His family are mainly responsible for building, programming, fixing and maintaining robots / drones / other small devices controlled by a system called "SEKAI" which serves the purpose of "maintaining order" in the city – patrolling, restraining criminals, offering help to citizens etc. These "forces" are controlled by a group of high-ranking government officials led by miss Asahina who the Kamishoros direcly respond to

Rui has figured out long ago by closely observing and helping his parents' work (who he knows were showing this to him on purpose), that the SEKAI System doesn't serve as a way of protecting the citizens, but rather of controlling them, constantly surveilling, creating a "perfect" false narrative, spying and eavesdropping in order to quickly silence anyone who might oppose the vision the government has

Knowing he's partially partaking in this as someone who makes the SEKAI tech, he's decided to revolt by himself by sabotaging his own inventions to break in the long run, going to peoples home's to fix their broken devices while secretly deactivating their hidden cameras or hacking them to spy through them on more important government supporters or officials. He has also managed to create a copy of Len - one of the highly intelligent government AIs capable of freely hacking into any SEKAI device, scanning its code and even controlling it - and created Rin who helps him in his secret work

Rui is aware that there exists some kind of an organised resistance in the city, since he often has to fix devices they broke and hears about their stunts from time to time. From his investigations it seems their activity has started becoming apparent a few years prior, not too long after the introduction of a new governmental program called "TV-fication"... Still, despite all this information, Rui hasn't been able to ever track them down before to find out more

It would seem, though, that he caught the eye of someone from the secret organisation "Untitled" after his most recent job...

That's the main premise!! The beginning relies heavily on Rui's pov at first but we'll learn a lot about other characters later as well, don't worry :3

Other important characters include:

• Emu, a journalist for her family's popular TV chain and member of a very influential governmental family

• Nene, a low ranking common worker and Rui's neighbour, though they don't talk much - not since Nene's parents have undergone the TV-fication process...

• Tsukasa Tenma, the beloved shining star of the Aoyagi idol industry and also the main propaganda machine of the government, spreading their message and ideals through his songs, in interviews and any media appearance (Rui hates his guts)

• Ena & Akito, Tsukasa's advertiser and on-set stylist respectively (as well as his reluctant friends), working for the governmental Shinonome advertising company

• Mafuyu, currently training under her mother to take her role as a leader of this "police" force in the future, owner of the KAITO AI

And others.... there's quite a few characters appearing in fact! But that's all for later :3 for now you shall get this!

(Also reminder I'm working on this with the wonderful @xxwelxx !! This would NOT have become such a big au if not for their help!!)

[marcusrobertobaq]

Why people often confuses Connor's deviancy with Hank's relationship status:

They got similar impacts after a point the story. Usually when the SI goes up are choices that also gonna impact Hank's rep positively. But as u can see they're totally unrelated, not only in the narrative but also the math system.

So, no... Connor doesn't deviate cuz of Hank. That's not true. I believe the devs themselves realized leaving a dialogue implying that would go against what they constructed and also becoming a plot hole when you're outside one specific route (an issue the game got overall).

(deviant Connor about Markus if dude got killed in Crossroads)

According to the narrative there may be 3 main reasons why he can choose deviating:

Amanda AI betrayal, when he also thought he mattered enough for CL to not lie to him (Daniel parallel);

Finding common ground with the deviants story, empathizing with 'em (esp the Tracis);

Realizing he ain't doing "the right thing" by helping the megacorporation to repress androids - he included, as they're using him as just some tool.

As he may have 3 main reasons to choose not deviating:

Believe deviants are extremly dangerous to humans, a threat to the country and to innocent people - and he's the one that can help preventing chaos from happening (CL propaganda);

Believe deviants are no better than "bad" humans he met along the way and that he's the one that can help prevent chaos from happening (CL propaganda + experience);

Fear of failing his mission, his whole purpose and ending up as 100% nothing (not useful) for Amanda - someone he got a level of attachment -, consequently ceasing to exist (dying) in the end (not even destroyed but the existence totally deleted).

In resume Connor's machine vs deviancy clash looks like a mix of doubts/conflicts about the deviancy situation + fear of "death" (ceasing to exist).

According to the narrative Connor's main topic related to Hank, something not impacted about the machine vs deviancy clash, is his worry and empathy towards Hank's trauma: mf's a traffic accident survivor, got a bad relationship with androids "cheating death" due to his own son's death as it's basically an INSULT when all the guy wants is having his kid (kids are quite a relevant topic in Connor's arc btw) back in his arms + the belief an android is responsible for Cole's death in attempt to ease his own sense of guilty.

All dude wants is Hank to overcome this trauma cuz it worsened things like suicidal tendencies and alcoholism - and also his hatred for androids.

Ain't only cuz these personal issues can make his job difficult but also cuz he starts respecting Hank and where mf came from after a point in the game, even if he "hates" the guy's guts.

I'd say Hank's experience alongside Connor in the case witnessing deviants stories confirming his negative opinion on humans made him realize he was being a coward this whole time attacking the wrong people:

and sadly his rep with Connor alone is what decides if the guy finally act upon his bullshit and "uses his suicidal tendencies" to fight for what he think it's right (telling law enforcement to fuck off definitely) or die in cowardice in his own house by his own hand victim of this same issue.

I can't help but say it's again continuation issues as this scene makes no sense when you're outside a very specific route.

A better summary would be: Connor doesn't deviate cuz of Hank, but Hank "deviates" cuz of Connor (due to bad design cuz Connor himself shouldn't be the reason he changes his mind but the whole picture imo).

I believe to fully visualize a character and context in a game like this we need to analyze each variation in the story, not only playing a specific route - the easiest one they call "full best ending", the one the game itself helps u to get - cuz it's easy losing context and also a good part of the character's range of expressions. When u do that u realize the character got a base that won't change doesn't matter how u play.

I'm offering y'all material to work with and go explore yourselves cuz i've been seeing some terrible takes recently and got "where tf is this in the canon bible?". What u gon do with this info ain't my jurisdiction anymore, my mission ends here.

[emotionaldisaster909]

Oh, joy))

Just had a fight with my father

Who’s completely lost to the propaganda, because he is extremely easily influenced

So i showed him those videos from Kyiv

And he says

“Answer this: Why won’t Zelensky sign a peace treaty?”

And I ask him

“Answer me this: Is this an excuse to kill innocent people???”

On which he says that every day everywhere people die whether you like it or not

So I ask him

“Are you serious??? Are you insane??? Are you fucked up????”

And he spilled alcohol on me))0

And called me a piece of shit

Who doesn’t understand anything

And who’s opinion doesn’t matter

Now))

This is exactly how our government looks on it’s people

He speaks their words

Because he listenes to their propaganda every single day from every device

From multiple devices at once even

Has been for years

Now.

How am i supposed to change minds of thousands of brainwashed people in my country

If I can’t even change my father’s mind

What am I to do

I can’t even hate him

Because I know that he literally has an official mental disorder

Which made him believe all kinds of liars - cultists, medical frauds - for as long as I remember

What am I to do?

What am I to do when people say that it’s not just Putin’s war, that russians must pay, that Russia must be bombed in return

Aside from the fact that the majority here is agains the war

But, just as in Hitler’s Germany, we are forced to keep our tongues shut

Which we don’t

And we get beaten up, arrested for bigger sentences than rapists and murderers

Used to instill more fear in people’s hearts

And to tell stories about “foreign agents” who were sponsored by “The West”

Should we start a civil war?

Should we kill people who are just too naive and bombarded by all sides by levels of propaganda Goebbels would look up to?

And

As a journalist

Believe me when I say that this propaganda is WICKEDLY smart

It uses all the methods known to history of information in a rapid fire speed

It even turned around my own desire to not see things “one sided” into the decision not to see anything at all in fear of being lied to

Which is dumb

But should i be killed for this?

I just kept listening and talking to people

Different people in my job

And a funny thing about a tattoo artists’ job

Is that there are many soldiers getting tattoos

Good thing is, many of them come and tell us that they quit, that this war is pointless, that it’s just our government making money from it

But some don’t

Yet when I talk to them

They

Talk like

People

Not some monsters

Just people

But they truly believe

That they’re doing a good thing

That they’re fighting to free the oppressed

That they’re fighting to protect their people

Or to avenge their fallen comrades

I

I might be just too naive and empathetic myself

But

I don’t want them killed either

I don’t want any deaths

Haha

I want a third path

Hahaha

Yeah, I might be too influenced by the ideas of a fictional character who is also called stupid and naive for his views

But

I don’t know

The only people I want to be punished are those who rule this machine of war and hate

And not only from our side

But

Maybe it was also told to me by propaganda

But i don’t think that American government wants this to stop too

I think I saw it in english media as well that US government is known for profiting on wars all around the world

Forgive and correct me if I’m utterly wrong

But in that same post that said that the entire russian population supports war

Was said that we could’ve stopped it

We

Tried.

Before the arrest of Navalny and soon after our opposition had the biggest rise in this century

We had so many mass protests

They were all brutally suppressed

Young men, women, literal kids and, I shit you not, literally VETERANS, GRANDPAS AND GRANDMAS who ALREADY LIVED THROUGH ONE WAR were BEATEN AND ARRESTED BY POLICE FORCES which are supposed to PROTECT THEM

After the arrest the oppression of opposition has strengthened

We lost our leaders and organisation

Protests began to lessen

Yet with the declaration of “The Special Military Operation” people ROSE AGAIN

And the same thing happened

But worse

So many brutal laws were adopted

All to ensure not a single negative word or movement against the government

So yeah me and my family might be soooo fucked for what I’m writing right now

I’m really not so sure if tumblr is safe

I’m riding on sheer hope for a fluke

But

I just

I am so sorry for keeping my eyes closed for so long

This app and talking to people here is what made me open them

What let me express my rage and made it boil to the point where I couldn’t shut up anymore

I don’t know if I should post this or not

I don’t know.

I might not

Will it make a single change?

I know a way of doing this safer and for a longer time

Actually

It would even be more influential

Yeah

But I wish there will be time

When I can no longer be afraid

And when my words will be heard loud and clear

Along with all the voices of those

Who stand with the free world

For peace and love

And

Hualian)

[extraaa-30]

PJO & Palestine pt. 2

This is going to unpack some bullshit I've seen about Rick Riordan. For pt. 1 about why "boycotting Disney" is not actually the thing you need to be doing right now, go here.

Imma try to keep it brief this time <3

In addition to the misleading info about Disney as a boycott target, I've seen some ridiculously facile takes about boycotting the show because of Rick Riordan.

As far as I can tell, the drama stems mostly from this blog post, where he shares his (fairly tepid but still principled) view of Palestine and Israel.

Here are some key takeaways:

The blog post is from Oct 17, 2023. Only ten days into the genocide, and with plenty of attention still lingering on Oct 7 worldwide. As far as I know, he hasn't shared any updated reactions

Should he? Maybe. Here's what he has to say about it in the blog post:

He goes on to talk about having readers in both Israel & Palestine:

Maybe you think he should pick a side. Maybe you're sick of both-sideism and if you see one more media take equating Israeli grief to Palestinian grief during a motherfucking genocide you will launch yourself into the sun. Rick goes on:

I don't know what you were expecting from a children's author whose overarching theme is, "You might think you know who the monsters are, but be careful; black-and-white thinking like that reduces us all."

[SPOILERS for non book readers] In PJO, Percy ultimately agrees with Luke that the system is unjust and can't remain as it is. Luke's willingness to sacrifice the lives of their friends is the thing he can't support.

The series deeply explores questions of monsters vs. victims, how our circumstances shape us, institutional injustice...

I get the anger when people, especially celebrities and the media, use calls for nuance to avoid taking a stand. I don't think it's accurate to say that's what's happening here.

I said I'd keep this short and I've obviously failed, so let's get to the most damning part of Rick's blog post:

This is what has people calling him a Zionist. And do I kinda hate it? Yeah, I do. That line "security and support" is propaganda that Israel has spent 75+ years feeding into the global media machine. I also hate that the overwhelmingly pathetic response of most public figures has conditioned me to be impressed by breadcrumbs like 'Palestine should also be secure and supported and free.'

So there you have it. Rick's opinions from 10 days into what has become a 100+ day genocide.

Maybe this all sounds unforgivably centrist to you, and that's your right. You don't have to engage with his stories. Approaching content with an eye to the author's real positions and attitudes is a healthy way to interpret media critically.

However, I'd really like people to remember two things:

This is not a JKR situation. Watching the show does not give money to someone who actively uses their platform to spread hate.

If this is about your own media purity, I have bad news for you. Literally none of your faves are perfect, and neither are you. Trying to only interact with un-cancellable media is futile, discourse-killing, and self-absorbed at a time when there are more important things we should be doing.

Ultimately, the choice of whether to engage with content from someone whose views you don't agree with is your own. You get to decide where to draw that line.

I, personally, can respect a lot of what Rick says here. He's a children's author using his platform to speak to children. He has his eye on the long game. He still emphatically argues for a free Palestine.

There have been other betrayals from other artists that I couldn't tolerate. It's a personal choice.

So please, stop shaming people for watching this silly little show. Stop trying to police how others engage with media that isn't hurting anyone.

There's work to be done.

[leastdatablebracket]

ROUND 4, MATCH 2

Propaganda under the cut!

Shuu Iwamine

Propaganda

This damn partridge kills you CONSTANTLY, regardless if you romance him or not. One of them is literally at the START of the school year, he beheads you then uses your head to pilot this grotesque horror movie android thing! Completely unprompted, you can just die immediately! Horrible school doctor material, even worse boyfriend material, but alas, he's my favorite character.

[hatobf spoilers and also gore / violence kind of ?] he literally kills the mc in both of his endings, and in the true route he uses her best friend to kill her . and chops her body up and puts them in boxes to his student . and he puts her brain in a strange scarecrow machine . its insane hes so undateable man <//3

Decapitates protagonist and puts her head in a jar. Kills multiple other characters. Just generally an unpleasant person . My favorite character btw

He hates your species, sees you more as a science experiment than a romantic partner, and also kills you in his ending. Plus he has just, the worst attitude about the whole thing.

Bad End with him the government takes you out. "Good" end with him he cuts off your head, sticks it in a jar, and talks to it while on the run from the government. (Spoilers for hatoful BBL) True End of the whole game that ties up all the characters' stories, he kills you again but this time sends your head to your childhood best friend and takes your brain out to make basically robo-frankenstein. Was also an adult when the MC was a young child, and is the school nurse at MC's high-school. He's also a partridge. 

Literal birderer (bird murderer) 

It also turns out the (unrequited?) love of his life was the father of the MC's childhood friend. AND HE DOESN'T PULL ANY OF THIS SHIT WITH HIM. HE EVEN BECOMES A SLIGHTLY BETTER PERSON FOR HIM IN HOLIDAY STAR. It even turns out that everything thing he did in the true route of Hatoful Boyfriend was to fulfill a promise he made to that man on his deathbed (ALTHOUGHT RYOUTA'S FATHER NEVER ASKS HIM TO COMMIT ANY MURDERS, FATBIRD JUST THINKS MURDERS ARE A GREAT SOLUTION TO MANY PROBLEMS). So like, he's not just a murderous sadistic partridge who is also kind of a dick. He could not be one. Just NOT FOR YOU. OR ANYONE ELSE. JUST THIS ONE SPECIFIC PIGEON.

Solas

Propaganda

He believes all mortal beings deserve to die. He is bald but in a very unsexy way. He exudes zero chemistry and talking to him about romance is like talking to a boiled egg. 

Described by major media as "elf hitler," he dumps you to destroy the world

He is a smelly know it all, and that's before you find out he is a deity in disguise who caused the rift you spend the game trying to fix in the first place and he betrayed you and chopped off your hand

Breaks up with you, disappears without saying anything, plans to destroy the world

Look. I’ll admit I have not personally romanced solas. I am baffled that anyone would WANT to romance solas. I know we all love a waify little elf wizard with questionable motivations but jfc look at him like im trying not to say anything demeaning about bald dudes but he does not wear it well. Also iirc you can only romance him if you’re also an elf and then he’s weirdly rude and dismissive if your character is Into Elf Culture. Look im a huge lesbian but Iron Bull is RIGHT FUCKING THERE why would you do this.

[most-tragic-character-tournament]

anon's wording is awful (like you said, we don't do that here!), but the ani propaganda is deeply disappointing. it leaves out a lot of the more tragic factors of his character. it's essential to the concept of traditional tragedy that the character dooms themselves but could not have done otherwise due to circumstances, and that's a major piece of his story. i also think his paranoia and the self-fulfilling prophetic nature of his dreams are essential to calling him a tragic character, as well as the fact that he watched his mother die in his arms because he doubted those dreams for too long. he caused his wife's death and destroyed everything he cared about because he was so scared of repeating the mistake that killed his mother. he's in the fucking cycle, babey!

all he wants is to secure a safe place to raise his family, and instead he loses everything he's ever loved and kind-of, sort-of destroys organized society as the galaxy knows it. losing all four limbs and burning half to death means he gets turned into a puppet shell incapable of experiencing any worldly pleasure -- even consuming food is beyond him. this is intentional on palpatine's part, who has groomed anakin since the he was nine and now keeps him as a vicious guard dog of sorts due to the fact that anakin can't survive without him. he's permanently stuck in a torture device of a suit that forces him to constantly call on the force to even stay upright. functionally, as vader, he's nothing but a completely inhuman cog in a machine that hates him until his son-- who he believed died along with everyone else he loved-- shows up.

in summary, his story really wouldn't be out of place in a greek play if you discount the space travel. sorry for going off on a tangent in your ask box! please vote anakin. he's much more than some guy with a glowstick: he has really severe space bpd 👍

[Propaganda]

[companion-showdown]

Who is your favourite companion?

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

propaganda under the cut

Compassion

Imagine this you are a Remote who is very happy being a space time anarchist punk thank you very much. Hanging out with their pal Kode and then suddenly in comes this British Twink talks your pal in to committing suicide so they can get their boyfriend back and then unplugs you from your culture and plugs you in to their Time Machine so you have to start travelling with these people who you hate. And this time travelling Brit keeps trying to stop you being Aromantic. Then suddenly bam you get turned into a TARDIS and now British Twink’s ex best friend turned Genocidal Dictator (who looks like she is from the 1920’s) try’s to turn you into a breeding slave to make more TARDIS’s from the war that is yet to happen for them but you have already experienced. So the Twink makes takes away your autonomy and ability to control where you land in a brutal and unconsensual act of needless cruelty and cowardice because they think they know how to look after you better than you a space time anarchist punk from the future so. Oh and they also seal of your primary means of defending your self from War Queen Romana who wants to make You a breeding slave. Eventually you break their conditioning and kidnap an unwilling time lord saving them from the destruction of their home before/after the war you came from. Now you have fun times and occasionally visit the war. Then you get board and become all of humanities afterlife and make everyone immortal after they die. Also you are the 5 A’s Aromantic, Asexual, Agender, Autistic, Anarchist. (anonymous)

Mind-links with the TARDIS and becomes a TARDIS herself. Travels with a human companion of her own and becomes a key player in the War. Later turns herself into the City of the Saved, an afterlife for all humans in the universe. What more can you ask for? (anonymous)

repressed bisexual from the sixties who's in love with the Doctor (anonymous)

Roz Forrester (joint propaganda with Chris Cwej)

Even though I never really followed the New Adventures books (so am probably not the best person to speak up for them) I've come to love these companions and their dynamics with Seven just from the three novel adaptation audios and the boxset of four new stories with them. Two 30th Century Adjudicators (basically military police) who end up leaving their job and journeying with the Doctor instead. They're pretty much polar opposites to each other but work together well and are both competent and likable. The actors both do a great job of bringing them to life and despite how little they've been used by the audios I think they've made a great impression with their limited time. I certainly hope we'll be hearing more from them beyond the one announced boxset where they're appearing with all of Seven's other companions. (@seven-times-champion /@elden-12 )

[getvalentined]

What are your thoughts on the First SOLDIER trio(Glenn, Matt, and Lucia)?

To be completely blunt, I'm not a fan.

I've got a long-winded and spoiler-filled explanation that I'm putting under a cut, but to put it simply I hated them to start, but I'm comfortable putting up with them now. The story is going to have to do a fair measure of work if SE wants me to do more than put up with them—but I admit that's entirely possible, because the narrative and characterization shift in Chapter 5 impressed me so much I actually want to see where things go.

As stated, I started out pretty much hating them, because their whole dynamic seemed super forced (to put it lightly) and it felt as if the narrative wanted me to see them as fun quirky people while they're running around assisting in literal genocide. That's pretty fucking bad. The FS trio aren't lifelong victims of Shinra's propaganda machine like the cast of CC, either! Lucia is clear from jump that Shinra is in the midst of wiping out the Rhadoran people and that's why they're likely to be violent, and they're justified in that response; she doesn't like it, but maybe they shouldn't have turned on Shinra and then they wouldn't have this problem. Glenn is not only okay with it, he kinda seems excited to get into it. Matt poses himself as perfectly comfortable with the whole affair.

In the first three chapters, these characters come off as genuinely evil people under a thin veneer of extremely forced hijinks.

Glenn referred to Refu by the name of Shinra's propaganda mascot and then declared that he was going to shoot him to death in order to create a diversion. Matt subtly noted to Glenn that they were probably going to have to murder the kid that just saved their lives because he appeared to be Rhadoran. Lucia and Glenn both referred to native Rhadorans as monsters.

Glenn doing the mission to get money for his dying grandmother, who is implied to be his only living family, was almost good! And then it was immediately revealed that the only reason he doesn't have money is because he gambled it all away when she went into the hospital. His refusal to refer to Matt by anything other than a nickname that he obviously hates and asks repeatedly that he stop using was almost worse. The fact that Lucia fucking trained him and he's ordering her around because "I'm the leader!" is literally repulsive.

The narrative seeming to push that all of this is okay because these are the main characters and they're friends so they're allowed to treat each other like literal shit and also they're Funny! so it's okay that they're behaving like actual monsters? That made the first three chapters of First SOLDIER a teeth-grinding, sickening experience that I'd like to never repeat.

The revelation in Chapter 4 that they aren't actually really friends, that Glenn chose Matt and Lucia to come with him on the mission because they trained together and he doesn't seem to really know anyone else? That was good. That was genuinely good, and I appreciate it. The slow building implication that their horrible behavior has been them trying to out-posture each other was also very good, to the point that I assumed it was wishful thinking on my part—until Chapter 5, when Sephiroth does what they never would have, and they react with appropriate horror.

The sheet gets ripped off and it's proven that no, they're probably not evil, they've just all been trying very hard to be the biggest badass in the idiot brigade, and actually that's extremely fucked up. And now there's someone here with more skill than they could possibly match and more trauma than they could possibly comprehend, and their stupid posturing is literally the reason that a kid like Sephiroth is in this position in the first place. Because they insisted that they could do the job without batting an eye, but they were never capable of that level of atrocity—and so Sephiroth, who has nothing but Shinra, has to clean up the "mess" they left. He has to do the hard part, because these shitty adults have been more interested in how they look than how they actually operate.

That? That was fantastic. Sephiroth's massacre and explanatory tirade and subsequent breakdown was brilliant. The response was excellent.

I appreciate the narrative twist, and I'm interested to see where it goes from here. Their interactions and behavior in the Halloween event have given a slightly better look into their actual behavior, and I think they may actually be interesting people! They may be fun characters! I want to see who they are now that they're done pretending they're totally fine killing children, pets, et cetera.

I still don't like them, but I do understand them, and I'm eager to see where they go from here. They may even win me over eventually.

[found-family-tournament]

Found Family Tournament Round 1 Part 9 Group 42

Propaganda and further pictures under the cut

Because You Made Me Smile (or Extended Tenma Household): Tsukasa Tenma, Toya Aoyagi (& Saki Tenma)

Aurinko Crime Family: Juno Steel, Buddy Aurinko, Vespa Ilkay, Peter Nureyev, Rita, Jet Sequliac & the Ruby 7

Submissions are still open!

Because You Made Me Smile (or Extended Tenma Household):

I would put saki here too but she's not as relevant to toya and tsukasa's relationship. Basically Toya's dad is a huge BITCH (his name is literally harumichi. who carries a child around in their womb for 9 months only to name it harumichi. I'd cry.) who has forced Toya to play classical music for since he was old enough to reach the piano i guess a d toya HATE classical music and he meets tsukasa at school and they become friends and toyer tells stew caca about his dad and kasa's like "well actually u should do what you want. fuck what he says." toya then latches onto him as if he were his big brother

let me explain a little thing real quick before i say this next thing; project sekai has 3 sets of 2 biological siblings, those are the Shinonomes, the Hinomoris, and the Tenmas. Each family got events exploring their dynamic with their siblings.

I think it's worth mentioning that in the Hinomoris' and Shinonomes' events, any other characters that weren't virtual singers got 3* or 2* cards, while in the Tenmas' event, Toya also got a 4* just like Tsukasa and Saki.

okay so there's this boy named tsukasa tenma right. worlds #1 big brother and also universal big brother this guy cannot stop gaining siblings it's crazy he's a wonderful funny loud and optimistic guy. and there's also his little sister saki tenma. very cheerful and always tries to smile and wants to live her life to the fullest bc she was hospitalized for most of her younger years. they both love each other very much. then there's this boy named toya aoyagi who the siblings meet sometime as children and they all connect due to all three of their connections to playing piano. toya's very polite and serious and kind of oblivious but very kind. toya grows to despise classical music and playing piano & violin due to his father's very strict and harsh nature. at some point tsukasa tells toya that it's okay for him to do what he wants even if others disapprove. this gives toya the courage to quit doing classical music and do something for himself and due to this he is able to meet his partner and start doing street music which he ACTUALLY enjoys doing. toya looks up to tsukasa very much and tsukasa canonically thinks of him as a little brother. he also lends saki the plushies he wins from claw machines and worries and cares about her condition very much and while they're not as close as toya is with tsukasa due to how often she was hospitalized as a child they still care about each other deeply.

basically tsukasa and saki are a better family for toya than his actual family and. and. i'm inconsolable about them <//3

Aurinko Crime Family:

Queer! Space! Pirates!! It's kinda your typical "it started as a heist but along the way we became family" story, but in space. And not a single person is cishet. An ex private investigator and sharpshooter with only one eye, his very cool and smart hacker assistant and ex lover thief who he ran away from, because he has problems basically get adopted by a cool crimeboss lady with a metal stomach, her wife, who is a doctor and also generally pro stabbing people, and a big dude, who gives great, but often cryptic advice. Oh, also a car that isn't a car. All of their dynamics are awesome. Buddy definitely has mom vibes. Juno and Vespa definitely have a sibling dynamic. The movie nights. Aaaaaaaahhh!