#i listened to massive attack-group four on loop during this

[villowrose]

✦ 🗡️

[swampythesweetsketch]

 Fun idea I had this morning but I want to share with you guys for fun.

NSR GUARDIAN ANIMAL AU

Gist of AU is that someone/something is born with a tiny, magical animal that accompanies them.

Think Golden Compass but everything gets a animal, and the animals also act as magical instruments.

Imma call these creatures "Notels".

Qwasa energy is the lifeblood of these creatures, of which means the world is rampant with energy. Drawback is that the city's blackouts are caused by a lack of artists openly preforming for the energy to freely flow.(Unknown to NSR)

NSR are the major power to Vinyl City due to their rare instance of multiple/being bigger than average Notels.

Buildings have Notels that act as protector to their home (confined to that one space). They stay until the home is demolished, they will continue to exist to supply their home(s) with energy until they are exhausted of all musical resources.

Security bots have their own Notels, but the animals are smaller, chibi versions that focus their energy on keeping their mechanical holders charged at all times. They can hop onto other bots if their initial bot is destroyed in combat and will scurry off to new energy sources if there is no other bots around.

Human(oid) figures have more normal sized Notels that turn into various instruments that match up to their talents. They can also turn into other objects, but Notels are more music focused.

Non-music Notels are often referred as Nolls.

TIME TO HOP TO THE CAST AND PLOT

Bunk Bed Junction!

The two are still a band, but their sewers becomes a underground cavern that has old scriptures that depicts the more open, free flowing energy of Notels. They wish to join NSR in hopes of opening up the freedom of performance to other artists.

Pretty much like the OG B2J, but their focus is changed a bit to help Notels become stronger beings to help Vinyl City climb out of the black outs.

As Vinyl City keeps getting the blackouts and music tastes have all become selective, many Notels have started disappearing due to their respective genres starting to die out in the EDM dominate city.

Mayday's Notel is a rat! A smart creature that came to her in early age, it turns into her guitar. It stays perched in her hair and loves the food from Aunty, as to why B2J are regulars.

Aunty's Noll is a octopus, that turns its tentacles into various cooking utensils. I thought you might like to know.

Zuke's Notel ia Ellie! The little alligator uses their back scales as Zuke's drums and fangs as drumsticks! Ellie is still an integral support character as she and Zukes share the only braincell in the group.

Kill, who pops in after DJSS, has a armadillo Noll that turns into his phone.

First Artist, DJ Subatomic Supernova.

The first NSR artist they face off against is DJ Subatomic Supernova. His Notel is a dog, a nod to Laika, the first animal to ever orbit the Earth.

The Notel is made of pure Qwasa, with rings around its tail that turn into the scratch discs DJSS uses with a custom turntable. These rings will always burn up and become compact Qwasa stars that fizzle out over time. These stars are the main energy source for Club Planetarium.

The dog is massive, about the same size as DJSS. It's breed is best described as a greyhound.

Second Artist, Sayu.

She herself is a Notel!!! Kura Kura Stream Hun was once a interactive hologram theater that fell under, and Sayu was once a little fish Notel that swam around the building. When the place went under, she was alone for years.

It wasn't until the new NSR kids found Sayu and evolved their idea of reviving their old favorite building into a giant aquarium for Sayu to preform. And in debut of her inclusion to the NSR artists, Sayu evolved into the mermaid you see today!

The kiddos do have their own Notels that work as the aquatic buddies to Sayu!

Tila writes Sayu's lyrics and the beta singer of all the mermaid's song. She's the only one in the four creators that has a Notel. That is a vibrant green-red beta fish that turns into a small microphone for Tila to sing into.

Remi is the artist of the group, his Noll is a sunfish that uses its body as a drawing surface. When drawn on with a new design, it will swim around Sayu and act as a "magical transformation" of sorts.

Dodo is the choreographer for Sayu, teaching her the moves for her shows. His Nolls are mossballs. Tiny little things that act as the tail in Dodo's routines to help Sayu understand the whole of her dancing!

Sofa, the editor, has eel nolls that work in the background with him to navigate the theater and control lighting and setting for Sayu's preformance. He's the one with the strongest Nolls as their energy helps fluctuate the surroundings.

Third Artist, Yinu!

Her district is unique as she is a classical prodigy that seems to be the only other genre kept actively alive in Vinyl City.

Her Notel is a gosling, who uses their feathers as piano keys. The keys break apart over time as Yinu and her Notel are not fully grown, so she does most of her preformances with a physical piano until then.

Her mother's Noll is a spider, who uses their webs to create iron bars to trap B2J.

During Yinu's last stand in battle, her piano is broken already, so she and her Notel work together. But her Notel is near exhausted of feathers and has to stop when B2J reach her. They stay to help Yinu calm down and wait for her mother to shrink back down. They leave when the mother and daughter play the broken piano, helping Yinu's Notel regain energy.

Fourth Artist, 1010!

Neon J has a Moose Noll. I’m not sorry. It shrunk a bit since he became a cyborg to help charge his body. Back then it had to rely on tricking Neon J to sleep with soft lullabies to tune out the war going on, but now it can choose to stop feeding him its energy to force him to sleep.

White/Rin has a tiny wolf Notel that turns into a long microphone stand, he uses it for solos. Other than that, its a little wolf puppy that chases Rin around to keep him charged.

Red/Zimelu has a cockatiel Notel that turns into a microphone/drumstick combo. A single long, thin stick that Zim can sing into to generate a flat disc that sharpens into a circular saw, the handle acting as... the handle. 

The cockatiel loves perching on his arm and nibble his ascot.

Yellow/Haym has a rabbit Noll! It has a reaaaalllyy fluffy tail that pop off into pompoms! Haym loves using them to boost the moral of his team! When not in use, it lays in the faux ascot of Haym’s- he really had a hoodie hood for his rabbit to stay in!

Blue/Purl-Hew has a Snake Noll that extends it’s tail into a thread-thin whip. He uses it to grab his teammates out of danger. The snake loops around his neck and has constant yawns since Purl-Hew doesn’t exert a lot of energy outside of work.

Green/Eloni has a Cat Notel! It turns itself into cat ears headphones with a little microphones. When not doing anything else, it lops in the circle on Eloni’s head and cat naps there. He has trouble keeping his head straight sometimes, but he can never remove his precious chunk. 💚

When B2J crash their party, Mayday is terrified of Eloni’s cat and Purl-Hew’s snake cause she thinks they might eat her rat (Who she has gone to call Chebbar. Like Cheddar, but with a B).

When 1010 are nearly destroyed, all the Notels/Nells freak out in hopes of repairing their respective boys, but this only makes things work as they are what cause 1010 to ultimately explode.

When Neon J comes to the scene- atop 1010 limousine. No matter where I fight whether near or far- I bleed in the name of NSR-

When Neon J comes to the scene, he and his MEGA MOOSE NOLL (who turns into a rapier with many disfigured blades that hut out like antlers.

The Mother Machine that keeps spawning 1010′s new bodies has its own Noll that is respectively a doe. All of 1010′s Notels/Nolls rush to their protection. Moose dad and Deer mom are PISSED.

All the Notels and Nolls cling to their beaten owners after the fight, the doe keeps close to Neon J when the Mother Machine is destroyed.

Fourth Artist, Eve.

Eve has two Nolls, peacocks that are pink and white respectively. They turn into her masks or Humor and Tragedy.

When one is used, the other uses its feathers to construct large arms and hands that chase B2J around. When they swap, all hands and arms melt into puddles that can still cause damage if stepped in. They evaporate after a little bit.

The peacocks steal Eve and try to run into the white void when she’s defeated, pecking Zuke when he catches up to them and talks to Eve. They eventually deescalates the tension and pet them while they talk.

They follow B2J outside the studio in order to combine their feathers into a key that unlocks the gate to NSR tower.

Final Artist, Tatiana.

Tatiana has a Noll, a steel gray hummingbird. It looks dead a majority of the time. It may look rejuvenated one second, but the next it will look drained of all life. Tatiana refuses to acknowledge her Noll’s problem.

When B2J encounters Tatiana, they battle with their music which seems to revive the Noll. That catches Mayday’s attention.

Mayday goes in to shame Tatiana for neglecting her Noll’s need for Rock, revealing B2J’s motive for auditioning in the first place. 

To save the Notals, dying form the lack of their genre being played and oppressing artists that don’t fall in line of EDM.

Tatiana is caught off guard by the revelation, but listening to Mayday’s complaint, she turns her Noll into the clock hand blades she battles with. Using the rock music played by B2J to fuel her Noll’s power.

Mayday and Zuke are forced to drop their Rock solo and battle with EDM mixed with their tunes. The combination boosting their power enough to  overcome Tatiana ‘s attack.

As the battle concludes, the clock tower releases Tatiana’s guitar, who reveals to a phoenix Notel that has been supplying the tower with the majority of its power since Tatiana abandoned her old persona, Kul Fyra.

Kliff comes into the scene, and using Tatiana’s weakened Notel and Noll against her, takes control of them to grab the last bit of power from NSR.

All the defeated artists call in to see Tatiana, beaten. It is there that everyone is then told how the lack of genres have been killing off the Notels and causing the blackouts. But Tatiana refuses the idea... then her Noll collapses. 

Mayday and Zuke rush to the Noll’s aid and play their music for the poor thing. Kliff chews Tatiana out for not seeing the obvious. He misses the hypocrisy in his speech, as he only idolizes Rock as the definitive music genre of Vinyl City.

During their fight, Kliff uses his Noll to control the tower’s system and the satellite starts to fall.

The finale continues as normal, the districts are returned to their respective Artists, and Tatiana puts the call out for artists of all genres to come to the Grand Qwasa to preform like never before.

Kliff, seeing a error in his ways a little too late, gives back Tatiana’s Notels and leaves his own Noll behind with her.

Lyrics screamed, horns blasted, drums punctured, string snapped.

The blow of musical energy surges the Grand Qwasa as the whole city glows in a light long missed as every single artist plays their heart out. 

But it works, the tower transforms with the help of its Noll (a metronome) and flings the satellite back into orbit.

Mayday is given Tatiana’s offer to join NSR and refuses, and instead is gifted her Notel.

Tatiana’s Noll is fully revived and reveals to be another phoenix, still steel gray but it’s body burning brighter than ever before.

The announcement is made to restructure NSR, and in so, Vinyl City is opened alive once more to revived and brand new Notels.

ANNNNNNNNDDDD that’s the end! Thanks for reading my rambling of a AU that doesn’t change a lot but was fun to make! 

Byyyeeeeeee!!!!!!!

[killscreencinema]

Final Fantasy XV (PlayStation 4)

A Final Fantasy for fans and first timers... is the first words we’re greeted by as we boot up Final Fantasy XV, ya know, the one with a hunky all male cast of four who look like a K-pop band. 

Though, to be fair, as far as equality in sexual objectification is concerned, it doesn’t take long before absurdly scantily clad ladies show up in the game in the form of Cindy, a friendly auto mechanic, with a distinct Southern twang, and a penchant for prominently displaying her decolletage*; and Aranea Highwind, a Dragoon and, I can only assume from her outfit, S&M enthusiast.

*To elaborate on this point, Cindy has a tendency to move in very unnatural ways during conversation, such as bending or leaning forward, like she’s practicing her Maxim cover pose, which serves no other purpose than give the player a good look at her cleavage.  While this is an unfortunately common trope in anime and video games, it bugs me... not because for SJW reasons, more because NOBODY MOVES LIKE THIS!

Anywhoozles, I guess my point is that before this game was released, it seemed like there was a lot of bitching about the main boy band cast, but let Cindy and Aranea serve as reminders that Final Fantasy XV is an anomaly in an industry that normally caters predominantly to straight males. 

End of rant - on with the review!

Final Fantasy XV, released by Square Enix in 2016, starts off with the main character, Noctis, crown prince of the kingdom of Lucia, setting off on a road trip with his buddies... his entourage if you will... as one last hurrah before he gets married to the lovely Lunafreya.  While gone, though, the capital city of Insomnia is attacked by the evil Niflheim Empire, the king is assassinated, and a power Crystal is stolen for an unknown, likely destructive, purpose.  To retaliate against the Empire, Noctis and friends travel the countryside in search of the Royal Arms, powerful relics left by previous Lucian kings, as well as the blessings of the godlike Astrals in order to gain their assistance in the battle ahead.

Say what you will about the bro-ness of it all, the plot is nice and simple, with a fairly clear goal and memorable if somewhat archetypal characters.  Noctis is the reluctant hero with a destiny; Ignis is the snoody intellectual; Gladio is the surly tough guy; and Prompto is the wisecracking lovable loser - the “Ducky” of the group, if I can borrow a reference to Pretty in Pink that only people may age will maybe get.  We’ve seen these characters in hundreds of other stories, but darn it if these protagonists don’t have a charming dynamic with each other that makes bantering fun to listen to (although it gets repetitive as they’ll often repeat the same conversation loops throughout the game - I can’t tell how many times I’ve heard Prince Noctis suddenly whine that it’s too hot before Gladio curtly replies, “Then lose the jacket.”).

The only character I didn’t feel worked as well is the villain Ardyn.  He looks douchey enough, with his MRA fedora and an outfit that looks like a Goodwill vomited on him, but I never felt like I had a clear understanding of his motives nor his connection to Noctis, until its the information is dumped at the climax of the game, and even then, I could barely hear what the hell anyone was saying because the music drowned out the dialogue.  What I could glean of Ardyn’s motivation seemed kind of weak though.  The moment you meet Ardyn, he seems like a harmless weirdo who wants to help, but everyone in the Noctis’ party is immediately wary of his intentions for no real reason except the video game knows he’s the villain.  I feel like reveals such as this are more effective the closer the villain is personally to the protagonist.  Had Ardyn been a trusted chancellor of Noctis’ father, and even a beloved mentor for the prince, masquerading as an ally and one of the few survivors of the Imperial attack, only to betray Noctis as a crucial moment (along the lines of what happens in Altissa that seals the deal as far as Ardyn’s role in the story goes), then I would have felt more investment in this conflict.  Such as it is, I didn’t really give a shit and that’s kind of where the story slowly fell apart for me. 

What I did enjoy all the way through was the gameplay.  This entry of Final Fantasy dispenses with turn-based combat altogether, instead leaning hard into full-on real time fighting reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts. While it’s fast paced and fun, the Final Fantasy fanboy in me still misses the good ol’ fashion slap fight combat the series was built on.  I certainly hope this style of fighting isn’t going to be what we get for the FF7 remake. 

One of my favorite aspects of the combat is how summons work in the game.  As you build alliances with Astrals, you can call on them during battles to assist you with a massive attack so powerful it leaves total devastation in the surrounding environment (which is a beautiful touch). However, you can summon them at will, as the option to summon them only pops up if you meet certain requirements during battle.  For example, if Noctis’ HP is critical and the battle has been going on too long, you may or may not get the option to summon Ramuh (the wizardy lightening god).  While it’s good that the player can’t use these summons whenever they want, as it would GREATLY Nerf the challenge level of the game (these attacks will often end any boss fight instantly), it’s also rather frustrating figuring out how to trigger the summon if only so you can see the cool animation.  Thank goodness for YouTube, I guess!

I really dug the familiar modern aesthetics of our world mixed with a fantasy setting of Lucis.  This is nothing new in the Final Fantasy series, as both Final Fantasy 7, and to a larger degree FF8, both effectively achieved this mix.  Speaking of which, the overall throwback to earlier FF games are nice, such as the idea of an evil Empire equipped with magical technology that they use to dominate the world ala Final Fantasy VI (my personal favorite of the games btw).  Seeing Magitek engines and troops with modern graphics almost makes me pine for a remake of Final Fantasy VI... though I worry such a thing might take the magic out the experience of playing the 16-bit game.

Anyway, while I liked the world of FF 15... I feel like we barely scrape the surface of it.  Whereas in nearly every game in the series you are eventually able to travel the entire world at will, visiting every nook and cranny, with Final Fantasy XV, you’re limited to Noctis’ kingdom of Lucis, a watery Venice-like city called Altissa, and... that’s about it.  It just feels very, very... small.  Also there are invisible barriers, and in a post-BOTW world, this is unacceptable.  Granted this game was probably already nearly complete by the time of Breath of the Wild’s release, nevertheless, games like Skyrim and the entire Elder Scrolls series existed and had little to no invisible barriers.  So my point is this:  invisible barriers are obsolete.   If you consider you game “open world”, artificial barriers shouldn’t exist.  I should be able to jump my Chocobo over a goddamn road barrier like I’m Evil fucking Kenieval, not suddenly have my leap impeded by nothing, forcing me to find a more inconvenient, circuitous route to my destination. 

Anyway, once you begin getting used to the overworld, at some point during the story, the game thrusts you on “rails” and it’s good-bye open world, hello unwelcome Final Fantasy XIII style corridor gameplay.  You can go back to the open world at any point, but that doesn’t make finishing the game any less of a tedious slog.  The game’s momentum comes to a HUGE halt once Noctis is completely separated from his friends and is left wandering the bland, dark corridors of an Imperial lab for what feels like a goddamn eternity. 

So I guess what I’m saying is Final Fantasy XV, an otherwise excellent game, really shits the bed at the climax, but is ultimately still worth checking out.

[arielsojourner]

LOOSE ENDS/FUTURE HEAD CANONS “Luke and Vader Save the Galaxy” - Some final snippets in this universe as requested focusing on what happens for our favorite clones in the future. As you can see, I stole my favorite ideas from the EU. The rest of the masterpost you can find on my main Tumblr page. Thanks everyone!

-The holonet figures out Anakin and Padme are married and have twins near the end of the Tatooine campaign. (Not that the they were hiding it, but it certainly didn’t help that Hack Squad had set up several holomedia accounts and groups for clone brothers to post and share photos and stories and keep in touch with each other. Several of the troopers had holocameras and like taking pictures of their Jedi General goofing off and being something other than a stoic Jedi.) Holosnaps of Anakin embracing Padme and carrying his children cause a massive crash of several popular holomedia sites. The Jedi Order neither censured nor expelled him. When Ventress later posted her own holosnaps of Obi-Wan and Duchess Satine, the Jedi Order again said nothing. As Master Windu later remarked when some journalists just wouldn’t leave him alone, the Order had much more important business to take care of and deal with.

-The GAR reformed under the Reconstruciton Accords into the Republic Reconstruction Forces or RRF, and was no longer just a military force. The Force sensitive clones form the Jedi Corps branch of the RRF.  Luke’s first students are clones but he is not adverse to teaching anyone who has the ability, regardless of age and his students take up the tradition. Force training is offered at nearly every Home Base where clones have made their communities on half a dozen different worlds. Many parents choose not to give up their children for Search when their children can learn how to be Jedi and stay in touch with their families. It leads to widespread changes within the Order and in the centuries that follow, the time will be referred to by scholars and lore masters as the Era of Reconciliation between a variety of Force traditions both old and new.

-Luke continues to help people and travel the galaxy with the RRF and his students. He opens a formal Jedi academy and training facility on Yavin IV and the planet is claimed as a formal home planet for the clones. He is confronted by the Noghri some years later who have tracked him down and they pledge loyalty to him in honor of what he and Vader did to protect their planet. The clones and the Noghri warriors get along like a house on fire and together manage to cause even more chaos and help an even greater number of people throughout the galaxy.

-Luke visits the Order’s Temple on Coruscant only once at Master Plo and Master Kenobi’s invitation. During the tour he asks them quite candidly why they are bothering to reconstruct the Temple over what feels like a Sith Shrine that is seeping malevolence into the very air. Master Jocasta Nu who overhears the question, fires back that he is the foolish one settling his Academy on Yavin IV. Luke thanks her for her concern but informs her that the Sith Ghost of Exar Kun was handily disposed of with the help of ghost!Vader and his students before anyone moved into the old Temple structure and the planet now is a beacon of Light. Coruscant, cannot say the same. The Order moves off Coruscant within two years after Luke’s first and only visit. The land still belongs to them though and they let the gardens retake the entire Temple District before they leave Courscant.

-Luke finds time to keep up with racing and ensures that when his old model X-Wing is finally released onto the market he buys one for his personal use. It isn’t the same without Artoo, though.  He still is invited out with clones for nights on the town. He visits dozens of systems and explores the galaxy. He keeps a careful distance from Anakin and Padme’s family, not wanting to interfere until Leia attends Young Legislators Camp one summer and in an effort to stop Luke from moping dejectedly around the house for being abandoned by his sister, Anakin brings Luke to Yavin IV for Jedi summer camp. Luke and Luke bond and are so similar in mannerism and mood that they spend the entire summer joined at the hip.  The clones and those familiar with clone culture take it in stride. They don’t find it odd at all to have little Luke following grown up Luke around. 

-Ventress settles up the bets she took for the 501st eventually. She takes one look at Luke and Luke on Yavin IV and knows who the winner is. She sends the substantial credit pot to Chatterbox without a word. 

-Satine and Obi-Wan bicker over the finer points of pacificism and the Jedi Code for the rest of their lives.

-Ahsoka Tano delays her Knighting by over two years, choosing instead to stay with Anakin and when not with Anakin, traveling with various clone troopers (but mostly Captain Rex and Commander Cody) as part of their ongoing mission to tackle the Datapad of Disasters that Luke maintains from his Father’s memory. She insists that Barriss is Knighted alongside her which further delays things since it takes at least the approval of 4 High Council Members to be present for the Knighting outside the Temple. After her Knighting, a party rivaling the celebration after the Battle of Theed is held.

-Barriss Offee ends up leading a group of medic clones on mercy missions all across the galaxy. She walks unmolested through brutal firefights and defies all governments and treaties to treat the sick and the wounded. She ends up in command of the Medical Corp of the RRF. It is rumored she has not raised her saber in attack or defense since the day the chipped clones were triggered, and only then to defend others, not herself. She never returns to the Temple, but at Ahsoka’s insistence joins her friend at her Knighting and receives official Knighthood herself.

–Ventress always wanted revenge. It was what drove her to the Dark Side. Luke had once told her the best revenge was living well. She isn’t sure that she is living well, being the friend of largely moronic battle droids and the diplomatic voice of the Separatist Alliance systems before and after the Reconciliation Accords are signed.  She never wanted power or influence, but now she has both. When she grumped about it to Luke he laughed and says that is what made her a good leader. She never marries but she and Quilan Vos have four terrifying daughters together.

-Fives takes several clone apprentices over the years, and becomes a formidable leader and eventual high admiral of the RRF navy. It is one of the proudest days of his life when he takes command. With Echo serving with him, they lay the groundwork for clones to live and work in a variety of different arenas not just in military operations, always looking to help the innocent and those suffering above all else.

–Hardcase is the first of the clone brothers to take an apprentice and begins training Loops as soon as he can. The two of them are tireless in coordinating and leading the decades long battle against the remnants of the Zygerrian slave empire. In the end, Hardcase sacrifices his life to save his former apprentice and thousand of child slaves and finally destroys entire slaving civilization once and for all. He is memorialized with a statute at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV and another in the Order’s Temple proper.  Loops however, believes that the most important memorial to his dear teacher and older brother are the several drinking songs written in his honor still sung in cantinas around the galaxy to this day.

–Chatterbox doesn’t so much choose an apprentice as an apprentice named Rob chooses him. Rob is cheerful and talks enough for the both of them and latches on to his older brother and won’t let go. People wonder how exactly Chatterbox manages to train Rob to be a powerful Jedi since Chatterbox is still very much a brother of few words. Eventually, Chatterbox succeeds 99 as the representative of the clone brothers. It is his gift of listening to the Force that proves instrumental in reaching a peaceful resolution to the galactic invasion the Reformed Republic faces fifty years after the death of Sidious. His one and only speech on the matter was so persuasive it is remembered as the catalyst for peace and responsible for saving trillions of lives. Chatterbox is named one of the most influential speakers of the time, an irony that never fails to have his brothers’ all laughing until they cry. In the future, historians will mourn the fact that only one recording of Chatterbox’s speeches survived because with his powers of oration and his name he obviously was a prolific speaker. It is such a shame that all other records of Chatterbox’s public speaking have been lost, historians mourn centuries in the future.

–Waxer and Boil go back to Ryloth and there an orphaned Numa remembers her brothers and isn’t going to let them go again. They end up adopting her and several other war orphans. Eventually they lead galactic efforts to aid the orphans of the Clone Wars finding homes. Many children are adopted by the newly freed clone soldiers following their example.  With encouragement from Senator Organa and Senator Amidala, they eventually leave the army proper and focus on leading the humanitarian efforts under the banner of the RRF.

-Captain Rex and Commander Cody like the good soldiers they always were, never retire. Their aging slows to a crawl for several decades before continuing on at a moderate pace. They spend the rest of their lives working with the Luke’s Jedi and their favorite Generals and Commanders maintaining peace in the galaxy. While Anakin Skywalker will always be considered the General of the 501st and Obi-Wan Kenobi will always have the loyalty of the 212th, the two battalions frequently operate under the joint command of Ahsoka Tano and send troopers to support Luke’s growing squads of Force sensitive clones on missions. 

When they have free time, Rex’s favorite thing to do is to travel with Commander Tano to visit the Skywalker family and the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. Cody loves to work training the new cadets who are interested in joining the RRF, showing his younger brothers how it is really done. Cody is also one of the few active military clones that Duchess Satine welcomes to Mandalore.

-Over time, the 104th reforms, takes in members of the Coruscant Home Guard and becomes a permanent detachment protecting the Order wherever it may call home. Master Plo couldn’t be happier.  Plo Koon is the first Order master to take a clone cadet as a Jedi Padawan on the understanding that there will be none of this “no attachment” business. Master Koon agrees. 

-When Luke Skywalker, taught the Force by his father and by his other self and by half a dozen clone Force Sensitives and Obi-Wan reaches his teen years, Yoda himself travels to Naboo and asks if Luke Skywalker will be his padawan learner. The discussion that follows at the twins’ birthday party is an interesting one to say the least.

-It is a good thing that the RRF diversifies from the GAR. Fifty odd years after the death of Sidious during an invasion from the Unknown Region, the RRF with its Jedi Corps, its Refugee programs, Medcorps, Slicer teams, and its good old fashion troopers are quick to react and stand with the Jedi Order to defend the galaxy. They manage to stop the fleet before it passes through the Outer Rim. It is a costly campaign and in the end it is Luke using the Force to throw the alien fleet out of orbit of the Dantooine system that wins the day and allows the rest of the fleet to arrive under the command of Admiral Fives and General Anakin Skywalker and his children and stop the invasion before it starts.

[japansojournsummer2018]

A Sojourner’s Guide to Japan

So, you’re planning on staying in Japan for a while? If you need help figuring out what to expect and how to behave, look no further.

Where?

Japan is a small island nation located to the East of China and the Koreas, at the far Eastern edge of Asia. It is a traditional and ceremonial culture, and it celebrates its roots that go back for thousands of years. While it is not correct to loop it in with all other Asian cultures, it does share several similarities with its neighbors China and South Korea. For starters, the kanji system used in Japanese writing borrows thousands of Chinese characters that use the original Chinese pronunciation and the Japanese version. Both Koreans and Japanese people bow to each other as a sign of respect. All three have mixture of Buddhism, Christianity, and Shintoism, though Shintoism remains mostly in Japan. Japanese people often practice parts of both Shintoism and Buddhism. Most other religions cover a much smaller portion of the population.

How is it run?

Information taken from (https://www.eubusinessinjapan.eu/why-japan/regions-prefectures). Japan is divided into 9 regions and further into 47 prefectures. The regions are Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Japan’s capital is Tokyo City, located in the Kanto region. Other major cities include Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Kawasaki, and Saitama. Japan is a constitutional monarchy, where it has an emperor with limited power. It has an executive, legislative, and judicial branch, much like the US. The Prime Minister acts as the official head of government. The emperor acts as a ceremonial leader, which is the only real area in which Japan’s government involves religion. Japan’s government is very modern compared to the ancient feudal times when much was decided by war and conquest.

Major Historical Events

Japan has experienced several significant events in its history, concerning both itself and the rest of the world. Information taken from (http://miner8.com/en/13587) The US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th, 1945, taking tens of thousands of lives and forcing Japan’s surrender in WWII. Japan’s constitution was put into effect on May 3rd, 1947, under the United States’ supervision. Japan gained its independence from US control on January 1st, 1952. It joined the UN in 1956. It was the host of its first summer Olympic games in 1964. Some historic battles include the Battle of Sekigahara and the Battle of Tsushima. (https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/features/2017/jul/ten-moments-that-shaped-japan/) The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 killed 100,000 people and leveled Tokyo and Yokohama. The attack on Pearl Harbor was orchestrated on December 7th, 1941, triggering the US’s entrance into WWII. Matthew Perry was responsible for the end of Japan’s isolationism, when he signed a treaty with Japan to allow the US to sell goods in Japanese ports.

Society

HeirarchyStructure.com (https://www.hierarchystructure.com/japan-social-hierarchy/) describes Japan’s class system as a 3-class system. The upper class, comprised of royals and business owners, the middle class, full of small business owners and servicemen, and the lower class, comprised of laborers. This follows a similar structure to the US, bar the royal family. One could ascend or descends the classes based on their income, and the system is not a strict one. Gender roles in Japan typically follow the same blueprint. Men are expected to work and bring home the paycheck, and women are expected to stay home as a housewife. As with many cultures, this has been challenged in recent years, with the roles being reversed or completely ignored in some cases. Despite this social progress, the work-oriented mindset still dominates the culture regardless of sex and has led to a lower birthrate in the country. To continue to work and contribute to the company takes place over family matters in most all situations.

Japanese people are taught to save face in public situations, which means that they will avoid confrontation at all costs. They will avoid discussing hot button issues as arguing in public would be disruptive. You can expect a Japanese person to agree with you or appear to even if they do not, as saving face takes priority over honesty if it means causing discomfort. In this sense, Japanese culture is very high-context, as you will have to rely on one’s body language and behavior more than what they are saying to truly understand what they mean. Their communication is very neutral, and this can often lead to misunderstandings with foreigners who are used to being very expressive. Choosing to yell or openly voice your opinion will make you come across as a brash and loud person, so trying to be quiet and not stand out is usually the best route to take. It is also a good idea to study Japanese as much as you are able, as it is the only language outside schools that is officially used. School teachers are required to have a good amount of proficiency in English, so you will hopefully have less trouble there if you are traveling as a student.

The culture is also a very polite one, where greetings change based on who you are addressing. You might say “yo” to a friend you see on the street, but if you were introducing yourself to a stranger, you might open with 初めまして、私は_____ です (hajimemashite, watashi wa ____ desu), which translates to It is nice to meet you, I am ____. Clothing and posture are also very important in the workplace. You are expected to bow at different angles when thanking someone, which also depend on who you are thanking. Depending on the company, you will likely be expected to be dressed professionally at all times. Japan is a very monochronic culture, where punctuality is an absolute must. There is even a saying, “if you arrive on time, you are fifteen minutes late.” This simply means that you should always strive to be early as it is simply expected of you. You should also be respectful of others space, as touching is very rare in public among most people. In other situations, like drinking or on a subway, it may be different. Just don’t run up to hug your Japanese friend despite what you might be used to back home. (http://guide.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=9&CID=104)

The fun stuff

Let’s start with the cuisine. Japanese people typically eat three times a day- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are no cultural norms regarding who you must eat with and where, so go out and eat to your hearts content. I would advise carrying cash on you at all times, as not every store will accept credit cards. The Japanese currency in the yen (pronounced “en”), and it comes in numerous coins and paper notes. (https://www.oanda.com/currency/iso-currency-codes/JPY) It was made official in 1871 and has been the national currency ever since. As for where to exchange USD for Yen, you can find exchanges at airports, and most banks and post offices will have an exchange available as well. 100 yen is worth a bit less than a US dollar, so you can kind of estimate what something costs in dollars if you can round down a little. Food does not necessarily cost more over in Japan, but portion sizes are sometimes smaller and may have you buying more servings depending on your eating style. Much of Japan’s food is based around fish, as they are an island nation with fishable waters on all sides. Also expect to see lots of lobster, octopus, shellfish, and other aquatic foods you might not normally see. Beef will be more expensive, as Japan has limited access to supplies of it. Japan has thousands of ramen shops, and you won’t have trouble finding a quality sushi restaurant either. Sushi, curry, and ramen share a spot as the most popular foods in Japan. Most meals will have a bowl of rice and miso soup, with an assortment of other dishes. Pickled vegetables and some sort of meat will usually accompany them. Table manners are a whole different animal. I have shared a video earlier on my blog that you can use to get a decent idea of how to behave at the dinner table.

If you’re looking for entertainment, you likely won’t need to travel far (unless you’re out in the inaka, or countryside). You can sing karaoke with friends, go out to a bar (if you’re old enough), join a community group, go fishing, go skiing/snowboarding, sightsee, the list goes on and on. If you’d rather stay home and watch TV or listen to the radio, they have that too. NHK is a massive company funded by viewers that serves as a neutral reporting station. They are a good source for national news if you can get the information translated. There will also be local stations depending on where you are located, so check with the locals to see who is best to tune in to. Japan also has one of the largest film industries in the world. The movie Tokyo Story won Best Film produced in Asia in a Sight & Sound listing, and Japan has also won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film four times. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Japan) Check out a studio Ghibli film for a classic anime masterpiece, or head down to the theater to see if you can find a movie with English subtitles.

Regardless of your reason for going to Japan, I hope that this paper helped you out, and maybe even saved you some embarrassment in an otherwise unfortunate situation. Be sure to check out Mount Fuji during your stay and visit an onsen (hot spring) before you go. Good luck!