#i only know one thing: capitalism is the root of all evil

[abyssruler]

isekai into genshin but the isekai’d person is a communist who gets into philosophical debates with zhongli and screams at him for creating the root of all evil: capitalism. and then they make out.

[centrally-unplanned]

So because I tend to be described as "center-left" by the forces of all that is evil and unpure assailed against me in their limitless and merciless cruelty, the way the far-right in the US misuses economic statistics tends to find no sympathy from me - in ways that I find difficult to even engage with. (Also, for balance's sake, true libertarians tend to be the ones who make this mistake the least, a solid W for them - they average the highest on this kind of economic literacy alongside the technocratic left). I am on the other hand more sympathetic to the reasons some on the left have for this mistake - but it is still unproductively misguided.

The idea from far-left is is essentially that the US economy is and must always be broken in all ways, because that is a premise that implies the platform of reform they endorse. This is a stance that, imo, most leftists will have because they want to help the poor. They will discuss child poverty and homelessness in the same breath as "living paycheck to paycheck" and the "immiserated middle class". They see these things as united, both causally but also practically - that the solution for the homeless and for the working class are the same, the bonds that will form a united front strong enough to cut the chains of capital in one fell swoop.

This is not only not true, but it is the opposite of true. A middle class that believes itself immiserated and struggling is one least likely to support the redistributive policies necessary to address chronic poverty because they are in fact very different problems. Those people are going to ask for tax cuts! They have jobs, they don't think they need welfare checks, but they do (correctly!) think lower taxes will help them. Cheaper grocery prices means cheaper wages for workers in the grocery industry, the current economy has been really good for the lower income working classes as the tight labor market has boosted their relative wages. Which middle class white collar people haaaaate, because it raises their prices. And since you want lower taxes but the money has to come from somewhere, you are more willing to cut things like welfare to pay for them.

When the problems are real they can align - like yes the housing market in the US is pretty busted, "everyone" will benefit from just making more houses. But even then, the "everyone" doesn't include all the incumbent upper-middle class housing owners, and it particularly doesn't help new home owners who have a mortgage to pay off that are banking on rising real estate prices. All these policies have real tradeoffs. Opportunities for solidarity do exist, don't get me wrong, but its not the default state. You think America won't raise taxes on the rich just to expand the mortgage tax deduction? In your heart you know we would.

Obviously none of this applies to you if you think the world is corrupted root to stem and only the blood of the capitalist class can water the soil of revolution and birth the flower of a new age, or whatever. But unless you want that you are gonna need accurate policy analysis to actually solve the problems within the system, and they will have tradeoffs. And a middle class that thinks itself too poor to help is not an asset in that.

[beybaldes]

one single thread of gold tied me to you

sejanus plinth x gn!reader

masterlist

summary: Sejanus Plinth sits on the steps of the academy with you by his side. Things may be bad, but there are worse places you could be

warnings: NO relation between reader and snow I might die if I see another fic where reader is his twin (not that they aren’t good fics, they are so good!!! I just don’t look like him at all 😭😭😭 free me), little angst but mostly fluff, ONE use of y/n, hehehehehe i posses evil powers

an: okay I know Ive not posted in like forever but I saw BOSBAS and fell in LOVE 🥲 technically spoilers and won’t be 100% book/movie accurate im going with straight vibes for this one :D enjoy!!

Sejanus Plinth was never meant to cross your path, let alone take violent root in your heart. In every other universe he never left district two and you never bumped into him on the playground at 8 years old, wondering where on earth he must have come from. There wasn’t such a thing as a ‘new kid’ in the capital, and yet, you had found one.

Or rather, he’d found you. You’d been chasing Arachne Crane around the playground in a game of tag, too focused on trying to catch her and not focused enough on the tree root that stuck out of the ground in front of you. There’d been no time to react, but sweet, gentle, wonderful Sejanus Plinth had caught you by the arm, his grip so firm you’d had his fingerprints bruised into your skin for weeks after. But he’d saved you from scraping your knee against the ground, and he held you up until you’d steadied yourself, and then he’d walked away without a word. Arachne had disappeared from your sight and you were suddenly infatuated with the mass of brown curls that were walking to the far side of the playground; you felt as though you had no choice but to chase after him instead.

Shivering at the thought that in another life you’d befriended the likes of Felix Ravenstill or Festus Creed instead, you reached out for Sejanus’s hand between the tables the mentors were made to sit at to watch the games. Surprisingly, he was receptive to your touch, tightly interlocking your fingers and hoping it would provide him with more comfort then you both knew it ever could.

As Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, the capitals weatherman, began to introduce the game to viewers watching from the comfort of their homes, Sejanus’s grip on your hand only got tighter, his hands beginning to tremble slightly as the screen at the front of the grand room began to show the tributes entering the area. As images of the tributes being pushed, dragged and shoved into their starting places crossed the screen, your thumb ran across the back of his hand, hoping you could make the shaking of his clammy palm against yours stop.

Slowly the cameras in the arena moved their focus from the tributes waiting for the games to start, and instead zoomed in on Marcus, hung by his bloodied hands on the fallen debris caused by the rebel attack.

“Oh my God.” Gasping the words out, you couldn’t tear your eyes from the sight, and you would’ve held onto Sejanus’s hand tighter if you were still holding it. Instead his hand was torn from yours as he stood among the other mentors, flinging his desk and device across the room with a rage you’d never seen in him before.

“You’re monsters!” He cried, hands scrunched into fists by his side, tears filling his eyes as he addressed the room before him. Peers, Sejanus didn’t dare call them friends, and teachers alike stood in silence, refusing to feed into his outrage and refusing to speak against the regime they had been raised in. Though some of them had never known anything different then a life with the hunger games, it didn’t take anything more then a heart in your chest to know how wrong it was. Even if Sejanus hadn’t known Marcus from his time in district 2, he was the same age as him, he had a family and friends back home hoping he would return to them, he was a living, breathing person who shouldn’t have had to fight for his life because his name was drawn from a hat. “All of you!”

Sejanus stormed out of the room, and you would’ve been hot on his heels if Coriolanus hadn’t grabbed you, holding you to your seat. “Just wait.” You didn’t understand at first, furious that Coriolanus would try and stop you from going after Sejanus to see if he was okay, but as he silently pointed at Mr Flickerman, you understood. Following Sejanus should wait ten seconds while Lucky counted down to the official beginning of the Hunger games and you could sneak away unnoticed. While you were never particularly fond of Coriolanus Snow, you could appreciate his brain and how it ticked.

When the ten long seconds were finally up, you sprung from your seat, a whispered thank you to Coriolanus as you snuck around the outside of the seated mentors, all of whom were enamoured with the screen. As you left the building in search of Sejanus, you briefly worried he’d be nowhere to be found, having run far away from the academy in hope he could escape everything. However, he’d been quite easy to find, hunched over himself on the steps of the academy, his arms wrapped around his knees and curled into himself as his shoulders jumped with strained breaths. A part of you prayed you’d never have to see him like this again.

“Sejanus?” His head snapped to face you, furiously wiping away the frustrated tears that had rolled down his cheeks and forcing something that tried to be a smile on his face. A frown pulled on your lips as your met his eyes, quickly crossing the steps until you were beside him. “Oh, Sejanus.”

“Did you see what they did to him?” His voice trembled as he spoke, hiccuping in breathes as he tried to tell you what he was thinking, tried to nullify the crippling ache in his chest. With the escape of a whimper from the back of his throat, your hands came to cup his face, caressing his cheeks and simultaneously wiping away any tears that crossed your path. “What they’re doing to all of them?”

“I know, I know.” You cooed, knowing there was nothing you could do to change things. All you could do right now was make your Sejanus feel better, though you worried even your best wouldn’t be enough. “It is wrong and cruel, so, so cruel, and one day people will see just how right you are.”

“They won’t.” He scoffed, his eyes turning to stare at where his shoes met the ground, avoiding your gaze. “They think that this is life, that this is how things are. And no one else sees an issue with that, at least not here in the Capital.”

One of your hands turned Sejanus to face you, not allowing him to look away as you spoke, while the other fervently soothed his curls away from his face, hoping a combination of the two could begin to make him feel better.

“Thousands of people will have seen your outrage at the games tonight, and if even one of them has been affected by it, then you will have made a change.” Sejanus’s features softened as you spoke, and while you knew his boiling rage was only reducing to a simmer, and that at the end of the day it would still be inside of him, you knew that he was allowing himself to get through this moment with your help. “Rome was not built in one night. Change will come, it just takes time.”

Silence didn’t have the chance to settle. “Why are you so nice to me?” That surprised you. It didn’t seem like a question that needed answering and it didn’t seem like something Sejanus would ever ask you. It felt too obvious. “No one in the capital has ever accepted me as one of them, and yet, my own district won’t recognise me as theirs either. Most of the people at the academy don’t even acknowledge me, and sometimes I feel like Coryo only tolerates me, but you? You are nice to me, like now. You didn’t have to come out here, you chose to. Why?”

Strangely, you’d never been so scared. You couldn’t help but think that you’d said or done something to make Sejanus think that your friendship towards him was fake or conditional, but it couldn’t be further from it. How did you put into words how much you loved him for him, without saying it just like that? Plain and simple?

“You are kind, Sejanus. You don’t see a lot of that around here. From the very first day I met you you have been nothing but kind - not only to me but everyone around you, even when they didn’t deserve it.” Your hand against his hair had moved back down to his cheek, the gentle caress of your thumb against the apple of his cheek turning more and more loving with every word you spoke. “You bring your Ma’s sweets to share, even when they’re the ones you really like, you recite your favourite books to me just because you want to talk and you know I’ll listen, you stop me from going home with scrapped knees and grazed hands everyday, and-“

It was like you’d suddenly become dangerously aware of how close the two of you had got, not only physically on the steps of the academy, but in your friendship over the years. Maybe more then a friendship if either of you were brave enough to say it. You couldn’t breathe and you couldn’t think about anything but his lips against yours. Removing your hands from his face and placing them neatly in your lap, you tore your gaze from his face and looked to the sunsetting sky. “Sejanus plinth, it seems I have grown quite fond of you.”

Sejanus placed two fingers beneath your chin, turning your face to make you look at him, like you had done just minutes ago. “I have grown irreversibly fond of you, y/n y/l/n.”

As Sejanus leaned closer to you, and you tilted you head so your nose would slot perfectly against his, a crowd of mentors came out of the academy, causing the two of you to jump apart. Sejanus looked more disappointed than you think you’d be able to get him to admit, and he stood from the steps almost instantly. “I have to go.”

If you’d been any less dazed by the almost kiss shared between the two of you, you’d have chased after him once more, but you found yourself frozen on the steps of the academy. Sejanus was going to kiss you. Maybe, if you were lucky, you’d find the two of you in such a position once again and maybe that time your lips would actually meet.

A part of you is certain you don’t even know the boy exists in any other universe. And yet, you find that you would plead before the Gods themselves to have the fortune of knowing him in every one.

An: thank you for reading!! Would anyone want a part 2 about Sejanus going in to the arena and reader and Coriolanus teaming up to get him out? I might write it anyway lol but please give me feed back and let me know what you thought!! Mwah <333

part 2: I swam a lake of fire, I’d have walked across the floor of any sea out now!!

[yoificfinder]

Hello!!

I would just like to ask for Royalty au for viktuuri please and thank you! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

every calculation falls silent by @thehobbem [T, 29K]

With an engagement arranged behind his back, Emperor Victor only wishes to have one last day for himself as a free man.

But the last thing he will be is free, once he meets someone who seems to have the exact same plans, and perhaps motivations, for today.

In Fire, In Whispers by @voxofthevoid [M, 12K]

“What do you think he meant by friendly stabbing?” Viktor asks, deceptively casual as he winds a lock of his hair around his finger.

“Sparring, probably.”

“Ah,” Viktor sighs, his disappointment loud and theatrical. “And here I thought he meant the other kind.”

Yuuri feels himself heat to the roots of his hair.

“Not here,” he snaps, hands clenching at his sides.

Viktor’s eyes sharpen, the veneer of pleasantness finally leaving his face.

“My mistake,” he says, his smile thin and icy. “You seem tired, Prince Yuuri. Let me escort you to your bedchambers.”

~

In which Viktor and Yuuri are the princes of warring kingdoms but manage to fall in love anyway.

My Love, We Deserve the Softest Eternity series by @japansace [G to E, 88K]

"A baby," Yakov gripes. "Not even a thousand yet, and he thinks he's in love!"

My Name on Your Lips by @feels-like-fire [E, 108K]

Yuuri Katsuki has been betrothed to the High King's son, Victor, since he was just a child; furthermore, as an omega, he's forbidden from practicing magic in combat. For years, he's been able to put off the former because the Prince was traveling abroad, and gotten around the latter by practicing with his mentor in secret.

Now Victor Nikiforov has finally returned home, and Yuuri is being summoned to the capital for their wedding. He needs a plan to put off marriage long enough to find a way to break the betrothal, while keeping his practicing from being discovered.

If only the Prince didn't have other ideas.

(Or, the swords-and-sorcery arranged marriage AU. Updates weekly.)

On Your Every Word by @stammiviktor [M, 71K]

It starts, as most things do, with an extravagant banquet.

"Dance with me?"

He’s holding out his hand. It’s an offering, an invitation, and a dare all in one.

The onlookers part and a blinding smile graces the dancer’s lips.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

(A Royalty AU, with a twist)

The Phoenix Lives by velvetcadence [E, 5K]

Prince Yuuri has banished yokai from the world. Now home from his travels, he must navigate another adventure: his arranged marriage to Prince Viktor Nikiforov.

But Prince Viktor is hiding a secret, one that may upset the fragile state of their marriage.

Please Leave a Light On When You Go by adjit [T, 19K]

Everyone knows tales of princesses trapped in towers and guarded by evil dragons, but, actually…

Yuuri is here by choice, thank you very much, and Phichit is quite a nice dragon, all things considered. It’s just that the knights who keep trying to rescue him don’t seem to be getting the memo.

And then there’s Sir Nikiforov, just another knight like the rest, except that he’s not. Because after he realizes that Yuuri is not, in fact, in need of rescuing, he drops it. And stranger still, he decides to stay.

the promise i'll make series by lily_winterwood @omgkatsudonplease [M and E, 102K]

When Crown Prince Yuuri of Japan escapes his army of minders at his Saint Petersburg hotel, he thinks he’s found the opportunity to explore the city as a commoner. When investigative journalist Viktor Nikiforov discovers the Crown Prince of Japan on a park bench in Saint Petersburg, he thinks that he’s found his ticket to redemption at the magazine he writes for. But like the stories of those stranded during the White Nights after the bridges go up, neither of them had anticipated falling in love. (Roman Holiday AU)

Roses of May by @cuttlemefishwrites [E, 47K] *WIP

At age five, all children are assessed for talent and beauty in the City of Hasetsu and the other eight cities of the Empire. Every year, five are branded with the mark of a rose before being carded off to the Emperor’s palace where they are trained to become Roses, or sacrifices to be sent every May to the Ice Spirit that lives in the castle at the top of the mountain. Roses never return, except for Katsuki Yuuri, who shocks the Empire when he appears again two years after his departure with a silver crown on his head and a blond baby in his arms, demanding the Emperor step down or face the wrath of his husband, the Ice King. But, not everything is what it seems.

The Dragon Prince and the Winter Son by @sophia-helix [E, 121K]

Yuuri Stark is a noble son of the north, returning to Winterfell in disgrace after the latest disappointment in his checkered tourney career. He hasn't given up his dream of becoming a knight, but maybe it's time to find himself a new path, settling down at home.

Prince Victor Targaryen is the greatest swordsman in Westeros, but he no longer finds joy in competition. Things are uneasy in King's Landing, where politics are shifting and dangerous, and he seizes the chance to escape north in search of the young man who came so close to beating him in a tourney last year — and was so beguiling at the banquet afterwards.

Together they begin a journey to the great tourney of Harrenhal, with intrigue, honor, friendship and love along the way...and inevitable political conflict ahead.

(A Game of Thrones fusion with 90% less grimdark)

Technically Arranged by @ajwolf84 [E, 78K] *WIP

Yuuri is a tech genius working in Silicon Valley, but he never would have gotten this far if not for the support of the Russian Royal family who offered him a full scholarship to the elite Rostelecom Academy and have been supporting his education ever since. Of course, this help didn’t come for free. He’s now considered a member of the Royal family, which isn’t so bad, other than the inordinate number of weddings he has to attend. There’s also the small stipulation that he is technically a candidate to become the Prince’s consort, but that’ll never happen…

The Tsesarevich Lives by mothedestiel [E, 50K]

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two conmen will lead him to the answer.

The Vastness of Space by @shysweetthing [E, 17K]

As chief communications officer on board the Interstellar Alliance Fleet’s Star Ship Victory, Yuuri doesn’t have to think about who he actually is on his home planet. He just has to listen to his captain, do his job, and…not fall in love with his best friend, the ship’s science officer, Victor Nikiforov.

Well. Two out of three’s not bad.

Then his mother calls with the worst possible news: She, the Empress of New Nihon, has arranged Yuuri’s marriage.

There’s only one thing Yuuri can do: Fake a boyfriend, and fake one fast. Who better/worse to play that role than the friend he wishes was more? What can go wrong? It’s not like Yuuri can fall more in love...

With Two Hands by whatsup_buttercup [E, 28K]

“Do you think he’ll let you get a picture with him?” Phichit’s voice comes through distorted by the long chain of communications systems and the great distance between them.

“I imagine some official photos might be taken,” Yuuri offers.

“You should try to work ‘I became a translator because of you!’ into conversation. You know, casually.”

Yuuri takes a large sip from his mug of tea, refusing to be baited. “We’ll see.”

Yuuri Enchanted by the__magpie / @wecalleverythinglove [T, 58K]

At birth, Yuuri Katsuki was given the gift of obedience, although he quickly learns as he grows up that it is a curse. He has to obey any command given to him, even if it puts him or others in danger. Too afraid to face the terrifying outside world, Yuuri stays in his home town of Hasetsu, until a chance encounter with Prince Victor urges him to venture outside of his safe bubble. Determined to break his curse, Yuuri begins on an adventure involving fairies, ogres, true love, and courage he never knew he had.

-----

Other people's rec:

Equivalent Exchange by writingfromtheshadows

The Nature of Things by Zombubble

Thanks for the rec, @tanouska, @kittygoeswoof90! 💙

[kingmagnificoofrosas]

They love you - they would do anything for you!

Words mean nothing if there's no action to prove them true!

The whole statement from the "evil book" - mind you- "bound for all eternity, nothing can break or bind the evil" is a capital B big fat lie!

A dear anon has already mentioned this before here on my blog through an ask. The gullibility of Amaya and the rest of the people of rosas almost hurts. Of course an evil book would tell you there is no way to get out of the dark!

Disney isn't the first and only one who has been spreading the message of "True love breaks evey curse and true love overcomes all. And darkness can never be greater than the light."

From the christian perspective, it's more than clear that everything said by the evil book isn't trustworthy as far as salvation goes! Evil isn't stronger than the good and never will be!

It's also intersting to note that the evil force (green evil magic) is potrayed as this shadow entity 👇🏼

Also, why trust the words of something that literally does nothing but evil and harm?

Even if we look at the whole Magnifico situation purely objectively, like my cousins daughter, not through the lense of faith and leaving the knowledge of trauma aside, the "He's a villain now and can't be saved" is utter nonsense!

The first half of the movie we are told and shown Magnifico's true intentions. His ambitions and desires. We saw him being genuine all the way. He's always been honest and kind. He never lied, played or manipultated anyone and even further explained multiple times how he feels and why he does what he does. And then we are shown "the book" the big bad thing that will defenitly do harm and take posession of Magnifico should he use it!

That's the information! If Magnifico uses the book, he will be "controlled" by the evil from this book! This is what even Amaya said! Plain and clear.

Also, geeky side fact to the orgins of the book : Magnifico didn't get the book himself, nor did he built the evil lair where he later on created his staff. From the art book we know that he found both the book and the evil lair during the renovations. [ He's built his castle on top of an already existing building ] That means, Magnifico didn't even go to pursue such a book. He found it and kept it. Cause we already know why - trauma rooted fear, anxiety, paranoia.

If someone is controlled/posessed by something, it's more than clear that the person isn't at fault for the actions done by the evil in them! Just look at the insane difference!

Oh yeah ... I know a posession by evil if I see one. And in this case, we had the facts served on a silver tray. It's not even a guessing game.

The only thing we can hold Magnifico accountable for is the fact he did reach for the book. But then again, we also need to consider WHY he did. Reason - his trauma! He was terrified!

If the book hadn't been there, believe me, this poor man would have had the worst mental breakdown and we would have probably found him huddled together on the ground suffering out his panic attack.

People don't understand the merry go round of thoughts a traumatized person has. And the emotions that come with it. In a situation as intense as Magnifico's we do have a domino effect. Or a wildfire-effect. One tiny spark on dry grass will eventually lead to a big fire. He was already triggered and highly stressed out, and severly traumatized people oftentimes aren't able to make the best decissions - or decissions at all.

If I think about it - if I had suffered a trauma as intense as Magnifico, already more than burdened with anxiety, fear and paranoia, and then something happens that triggers me immensely, I spend an entire night feverishly searching for an answer or solution, no sleep, no food, immense stress…. on top of that, no one in the entire kingdom that truly understands me ... Boy, I'd probably freak out and snap too.

The most support he's gotten during his spiral of misery was a pat to the shoulder. Not one single hug, no truly comforting words, a gentle stroke over his cheek, a kiss, truly loving words. That poor man got nothing!

Btw this is a quote from my cousins daughter. And she told it to my face randomly before I could even say anything! She said "You know, Magnifico isn't bad. The book is. He only wanted to protect everyone but the book made him evil. Bad book!"

And if that wasn't already enough, her younger brother watched the movie as well and then also randomly told me, "Bad book!" Furthermore - I wheezed and cried of laughter, because 1. I didn't expect this and 2. it was absolutely brilliant! - The daughter sat at the table and was drawing again, and then she told me, "The movie ... the magician and the bad book ..." The title she gave WISH! She made Magnifico the protagonist and the evil book the villain! Exactly right!

Anyway, then it happens, everyone KNOWS Magnifico is "controlled/posessed" and yet all of the sudden he himself is the evil? What??

In the past ten decades, disney had always done a fantastic job in displaying true evil and the - true love always wins - message. Even with quite recent movies such as Tangled, Frozen, Encanto etc. We've been introduced to the trauma topic and that "antagonists" can and should be saved.

I mean, I'm absolutely glad that we got Magnifico the way we got him, but I'm enraged about the toxic stance toward trauma.

If I'm looking at what disney did in the tangled series with Varian and Cassandra, who both had a short time period where they've been pushed down the "villain" road by trauma and by the hurt of not feeling valued, seen, heard or treated right and how this got resolved, I can only shake my head at what disney did in Wish.

Cassandra as much as Varian in fact- especially Cassandra- threatened the whole kingdom and also strived to hurt Rapunzel more than just once.

And she wasn't directly posessed by evil but heavily manipulated and blinded by it. All her "Evil actions" were completelty on her! And Rapunzel stressed that no matter what, she'll never give up on Cassandra. Why? Because she truly loved her! Because she knew that this evil wasn't who she truly is.

Rapunzel said "Even when I look at you now, after all that's happened, no matter what we've done to each other, I still see that look in your eyes. You're my best friend, Cassandra, and I will never give up on you!"

Can you imagine what could have been if Amaya and all the citizens of Rosas would have had that attitude towards Magnifico? Truly loving him for who he is and not only seeing him as a source for favours? They all simply didn't care! If they had, they wouldn't have given up on him as quick as the snap of a finger.

So we've seen antagonists and semi-villains getting redeemed before and we've seen the "True love conquers all" more than enough, and now, especially with Magnifico, disney and some ignorant haters want to tell us that this isn't what could have happened to Magnifico too?

It's ridiculous!

And the citizens of Corona forgave both Cassandra and Varian!

Now, once more, the "book" said - nothing can bind the evil magic! Yet this is exactly what happened after the people of Rosas unified and sang! The lights glowing in their chests is actually symbolic for their hearts unifying! It was immediately stronger than the hold of the evil magic, even though the book said, it's untouchable!

The evil magic was bound, "star" was set free and Magnifico pulled into the curse realm. You cannot tell me if they all had done the same thing with the goal in their hearts to free and save Magnifico, that they wouldn't have succeeded.

[coyotefang1987]

Flower Symbolism in Trigun

Okay so I've been going insane in the last few hours since the new episode of Stampede and I needed to share my very incoherent thoughts.

So here we go: (please excuse my grammar, I'm typing this up in an absolute craze)

Please note, there are major spoilers here

[Plant in context to Trigun will be capitalized btw]

I want to start off by pointing out the whole idea with calling the creatures that Vash and Knives are as 'Plants' and 'seeds' in the first place--that in itself is so much. Not to mention Noman's Land is a desert plant with little to no flora at all.

The idea and symbolism of life and rebirth presented with the idea of plants. Like how flora are usually the first type of lifeform to come back post mass extinction events. How plants are primary producers in the food chain, how life couldn't be sustained without plants giving up oxygen, food, and converting the sunlight into energy/sugar. Despite being giant moth flower humanoid creatures, the Plants in Trigun are doing essentially the same thing. Except they aren't renewable and they might also be sentient.

In addition to that, in media, seeds are usually a representation of hope. And in this case, a seed pod carrying the hope of humanity. I've been likening it to dandelion seeds. I don't think our group of guys were the only space-fairing fleet that was sent out from Earth.

I don't know how much of this symbolism is intentional and how much of it is completely accidental, but boy howdy is it there and am I going to eat it up.

Geraniums!

First off, the most obvious one is geraniums. The flower is very much thrown into our faces. What does it mean?

Okay so there's like 400 types of geraniums out there, they're not like a specific species- and when people say 'geraniums' it usually also includes pelargoniums which are a different genus. But you're not here for me to monologue about flower classification-

Well, operating under the assumption they're using the most common type of red geranium, which, funnily enough is not a geranium but rather a pelargonium. Pelargonium x hortorum. Commonly known as zonal geraniums or garden geraniums. I don’t know if I even need to expand on the idea that Vash and his story (and the Plants in general) are represented by geraniums. If the red coat wasn’t already a giveaway, I think the newest episode definitely makes it very clear. Well, first off I think it's interesting that they’re not ‘true geraniums’ (different genus, same family). Like how Vash and Knives look human but aren’t ‘true humans’.  

(Did you know geraniums can reproduce asexually via their roots by just…sprouting a new plant? It’s called clonality. Anyways yeah, I’m too lazy to expand on it but there it is. You can probably see the connection I'm trying to draw here)

Furthermore, let’s look a little bit into what geraniums represent. So according to the vast knowledge of the interwebs (I will put the links I used at the bottom.) geraniums are “attributed the powers of love, peace, healing, elegance and spirituality. They mostly have desirable symbolizing meanings, including fertility, health, joy, protection, frustrations passing away, and true friendship.” Red geraniums in particular are attributed to protection and ward against evil., spiritual beings and saints. “The geranium flower was a symbol of prosperity in Egypt, longevity in Japan, and immortality in China”. *Stares at Vash and Knives*. Gods…immortality…saints. Alright Nightow, I see you.

Look, I’m not done here. DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA geranium took on a slightly more negative meaning. Envy, deceit, folly, foolishness and stupidity. Although they were also seen “as ‘horticultural bourgeoisie’ and a sign of ‘crudeness and thoughtlessness of taste’. Geranium became a symbol of industrial mass culture.” This was probably unintentional (and if it is intentional, holy fuck.) but the idea that Earth in Trigun was destroyed by the folly of humans because if mass industrialization? Hello???? OKAY.

There’s just so much history with geraniums. I’m STILL not done. Let’s talk a little about geraniums and Christianity, yeah? You know, the thing that Trigun is chock full of symbolism of.

So first off, tradition. (I am not Christian, nor do I know much about Christianity, I just did some research on the topic so feel free to correct me.) I do believe there is a tradition to buy and gift red geranium on Good Friday? (I can’t find a very credible source about this, just some blog posts so idk) And the red is to represent the blood that Jesus sacrificed for the people. How he was beaten and bloodied because of his love for the people. How…he was given a purple cloak that turned dark with blood while he was mocked. 

Sound familiar?

Do we want to talk about Vash’s red coat turning black in the latest episode? Or maybe how traditionally dying Plants are red and healthy ones are blue? But Vash keeps himself covered in red?

Now, here’s an interesting fact. Did you know, wild geraniums look very different from the ones people like to commonly grow in their gardens? This is the spotted cranesbill (Geranium maculatum), the most common wild geranium. Look, maybe I’m stretching it here, but cultivated Plants vs independent Plants, anybody?

Anywho, not the point I was trying to make. Did you know another common wild geranium is called the Saint Robert’s Geranium? Robert’s? While no one really knows who the ‘Saint Robert’ the flower is named after, it has a very fun symbolism. Check this. The seed pod of this flower supposedly looks like the beak of a stork, which had people believe that they could help a couple who wish for children with fertility when used as an amulet and placed under the bed. cough Ep 11 pregnancy scene cough. Apparently, medicinally they’re also used to staunch blood flow from wounds. Despite that, in certain regions, it was seen as an ill-omen plant associated with death because snakes would often hide in its leaves. Snakes? Like…in Adam and Eve? Like as in temptation? As in Knives and Vash?

Okay last bit on geraniums. Just a little on the colors. In episode 11 of Stampede we see the giant plant root monster thing blooming flowers. I have assumed that they are black geraniums, aka Geranium Phaeum 

aka mourning widows. Of course, I could be wildly wrong but the meaning of this is fun so hear me out. While there doesn’t seem to be a direct meaning for black geraniums, we can clearly draw some conclusions on the common name for this flower. Like seriously, mourning widow? They’re also known as dusky cranesbill and black widow. Obviously associated with death (and grief?) and apparently maybe marriage??? Doesn’t help that geraniums can be considered a traditional bridal flower too. I think they’re also associated with melancholy. Anyways, on the other hand, blue blooms usually symbolize calm and peace while purple blooms symbolize royalty, accomplishments and admiration. 

So in context to the blooms we see at the end of ep 11, grieving for the loss of someone (Rem, his memories), rising to his Plant roots (haha get it?) and being ‘at peace’. 

HEY LET'S TALK ABOUT DOGWOOD

So I remember reading somewhere that he’s named after a singer or band or something but– His name is so close to dogwood that I could not pass it up.

Dogwood is a blooming tree that seems to have a representation in Christianity. There’s a legend about the tree and Easter. So apparently, the cross that Jesus was crucified on was made from Dogwood, because of such it was cursed and blessed. Cursed to be small so it can’t be used to make another cross but blessed to bloom beautiful flowers at Easter time.

The flowers of the Dogwood trees always bloom with four petals, like a cross, the center like a crown of thorns. Each tip of the petal is indented like it's been pierced with a nail and discolored like it was stained with blood. So goes the story. 

I think it's interesting that Wolfwood’s name is so likened to this flower/plant and I don’t believe this is unintentional. LIke it’s right there. Cursed by the Eye of Michael to grow too fast, blessed to be strong and hard to kill. Is/bears the cross that brings Vash to Knives in the end. 

Lilies (and other Flowers)

So, I personally think the plants look a lot like lilies. And lilies are commonly attributed to the virgin Mary. They typically represent purity, innocence and rebirth. They are often gifted at mourning flowers as well and are one of the most popular flowers at funerals.

Either that or the blue-eyed Mary flower, which has less meaning attributed to it other than its name.

Anyways, that's all my thoughts for today. Thank you for reading all the way down here if you make it hehe

If people find more flower symbolism or have thoughts please let me know, I want to hear them!!!<3

Geranium history and meaning: https://www.pansymaiden.com/flowers/meaning/geranium/

Geranium and Christianity: http://www.whispersofhismovement.com/2012/04/05/geraniums/

Mourning Widows: https://gardenersapprentice.com/gardeningtips/mourning-widow/

Dogwood story: https://www.plantmegreen.com/blogs/news/easter-and-the-legend-of-the-dogwood-tree#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20story%2C%20it,cursed%20and%20blessed%20the%20tree.

Lily meaning: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/home-decor/a39982524/lily-flower-meaning/

[licorice-and-rum]

Your analysis focuses entirely on Snape being irredeemable because he never takes responsibility for the harm he does. Almost all of your quotes in evidence are from his childhood and teenage years, in which he is indeed blind to his own malevolence.

Except this is the whole point of his story of atonement. He was radicalised into walking down a very bad road, and then tried to claw his way out of it. He does eventually take responsibility - as an adult. He commits himself to a dangerous path of spying to defeat Voldemort. He can’t bring Lily back, he can’t undo his mistakes, but he can understand that he was wrong to join the Death Eaters and dedicate himself to a different cause. If he didn’t take responsibility for his choices, he would’ve spent his days mourning Lily on a beach in the Bahamas instead of willingly signing his own death warrant by joining Dumbledore to protect Harry.

Nobody - and I really do mean this - is beyond salvation. Nobody, even those who have sinned gravely, is beyond waking up one morning and choosing to be a tiny bit better than they were the day before, even if they remain imperfect. Its a fundamental part of humanity. It’s a very dangerous road for go down when you dehumanise young people who make terrible choices, write them off as fundamentally evil, and deny them the opportunity to take a different road. Snape remained bitter and cruel and perpetuated the cycle of abuse, but he did in one very vital respect choose a different road.

https://youtu.be/SSH5EY-W5oM?si=XBskWqOT2X0tl0Am

Okay, that's a valid point to be made, I did focus mainly on teenager Snape but only because I thought adult Snape would be obviously interpreted from that point on. The fact is adult Snape doesn't exactly atone for what he did and what he chose to become as much as it looks like he did, simply because his harmful ways didn't affect only Lily, to begin with.

Look, you're starting from a point where Snape's most serious mistake was to turn on Lily and forgetting what I said earlier on in the analysis: Snape's biggest fault wasn't his personal/individual issues, it was his political agenda and beliefs, and what he did in the name of that.

Fascism isn't only a political aspect, because to be a fascist, there's a series of prior beliefs one has to have to be okay with what fascist governments and political groups will do to stay in power. To be a fascist, to openly advocate for what Voldemort and his followers advocated for instead of just going with the flow (which was not what Snape did at all), you just don't "become radicalized" like there's no one to blame here but some notion of propaganda. To radicalize to fascism, you must seek out information about it, advocate for it, and have prior beliefs of superiority that allow you to relate to it in a deep, core level - all of which we already attributed to young Snape in my analysis.

Let's put it this way: fascism is capitalism's emergency button. It'll only arise when capitalism is in crisis, which we don't see in the HP books because it's neither relevant to the story nor it seems that Rowling has the political knowledge to do so. But more than that, fascism is based on colonialist views of the superiority of one versus the other.

Think about what you know about Iluminism: the first thing I learned about it in school is that it was a dichotomous stream of thought - we have a lot of duality in it. In Art, we have the chiaroscuro technique; in metaphysics, we have the discussion about man versus God; and in politics, we have the "illuminated" man (white, heteronormative, cisnormative, high-class, educated men) versus barbarians or savages (non-white men or women).

The colonialist way of thinking stems from this very deep-rooted belief that some people are more rational, and more advanced - superior - than other peoples, and so it'd be their God-given task to "illuminate" those "savages" through colonialism. Fascism is the elevation of those beliefs to a place of persecution and political revisionism in the newer stages of capitalism. So quite literally, to be a fascist, one has to first have this deep-rooted belief that there are people who are inherently superior to others. A belief system that Snape demonstrates early on in his life that he does have.

And that's exactly what I criticize about JK Rowling's writing and what further supports my point of Snape failing to atone for his beliefs: what she says in her books, basically, is that it's okay to think some people are superior to others as long as you don't do anything against those inferior ones like it's very much exemplified by what happens to the Malfoys after the war. It's where her individual background shows itself in the worst ways - because she was raised in a society that benefited from colonialism, their way of looking and thinking still carries a lot of reminiscent of colonialist thinking. Ask a person from the Global South about Europeans and you'll see what I mean - even when they don't realize, there is clearly a rooted racism in the ways they're raised because of that.

So it's obvious to me that Snape's development couldn't ever surpass the point where his core belief of superiority lies because Rowling doesn't see this as a problem. Maybe as an annoyance but certainly not as a problem when it is, 100%, the problem. Especially if we're talking about a redemption arc because then it means that Snape could never actually make proper amends or be actually accountable for what he has done as a Death Eater.

To break free from this way of thinking we need what Fanon calls cognitive dissonance: an extreme discomfort that is the only thing able to shatter a core belief like that of superiority. Now, we can argue that for Snape a cognitive dissonant experience would be Lily's death, or Voldemort's persecution of he,r because this did show Snape that his beliefs of Lily's exception to the rule were misplaced. However, there are various indications that that doesn't really happen for Snape, especially when we talk about his adult version's behavior and that might be explained by a series of earlier motives.

I'll focus first on the behavior pattern that I identify as cues on the fact that Snape didn't exactly atone for his mistakes in his adult life and then I'll come back to talk about why I don't think Lily's persecution or death was a cognitive dissonant experience for Snape, as traumatic as it may have been.

So I said earlier in the analysis that it doesn't matter why we do something, it only matters that we did do something because our actions are what will have a reflection in real life, not our intentions. And while I stand by that, I cannot in a sane mind say that our intentions do not play a role in our actions - that's simply not true. But our intentions have a different role to which importance should be attributed, and that is in the way we make things. Our intentions have as the main core, our beliefs, and our beliefs will therefore guide our actions.

Now, to simplify, if I believe every human being has the same value and should be treated as such, I'll act with the intention of demonstrating such belief. So I vote for candidates who preach equality, and I advocate for equality in the environments I'm inserted in (even if it's only me doing it subtly, it's still there). I cannot dissociate myself from it, it's a part of who I am and therefore it leaks into all aspects of my life. The same happens with the contrary: if I believe that some people are inherently superior to others because of their birth, then my core actions will reflect what I believe.

See where I'm going to?

Adult Snape perpetuates the cycle of abuse he grew up with, not only in his house but also in his political beliefs and later on as a professor. Yes, it was the abuse he suffered early on in his life that made a core belief of his that there are people who are superior because of their strength (and then it evolved to believe that this strength came from magic and purity) but as an adult who believes in this, it's painfully obvious how he perpetuates it: he defends bullies and is a bully himself.

He uses his place of power to punish and abuse this power simply because he can, he looks down on those he considers weak and acts against them in a show of his own superiority. And that isn't exclusively shown only to his students but also to people who are "below" him in the social hierarchy of the wizarding world, such as Remus.

And yes, I do realize there is more to their relationship as colleagues than just a non-werewolf "picking" on a werewolf out of prejudice but I have to note that if you really broke through your initial core belief of superiority, the very least you have to know is that there are some boundaries you can't break even out of well-placed resentment. And one of these boundaries is using your place in the hierarchy to oppress people who are below you, which Snape does when he reveals Remus' condition to the wizarding world.

Plus, I do want to challenge your statement of nobody being beyond salvation as I do see it as a very naive way of thinking, although that's not my exact point about it.

First of all, salvation and forgiveness are two different things. You can do unforgivable things and still become a better person than you were when you did those things, I do not deny that. But the damage you did is still there, and no victim of this damage is required to forgive you because you became a better person - sometimes our actions are irreversible, sometimes the damage we cause (especially when it comes to fascist beliefs) is too great, sometimes we can't possibly do enough to amend the things we've done. That counts with abuse, with fascism, with r*p*... there are many things to consider before we say so freely that no one is above salvation. It's naive to believe that everyone deserves forgiveness because there are things that cause too much harm to ever be amended again.

And as I said before, salvation and forgiveness are two different things. I do believe people can do better even after doing unforgivable things. I won't say it's exactly fair to the victims but there are abusive people who have become better after a especially bad relationship, there are parents who have become better parents to their youngest children than they were to their oldest, there were supremacists who became much better people with life, I do not deny that. I have no desire to deny that actually.

What I am advocating for, however, is that we hold these people, and characters, responsible for their own actions and uphold the very pillars that will give us the basis from which we should judge the changes in their behavior. And what I am saying about Snape is that he did not fulfill any of these milestones for redemption, it only appears so because he turns against Voldemort but that alone isn't indicative of change because the evidence shows that his core beliefs are still the same and as such, his actions on a personal and general level will reflect that even without Voldemort.

The point I'm making is that our core beliefs are the ones that guide our actions, and therefore, Snape's actions cannot be deemed as completely redeeming because they don't reflect an actual change of behavior more than they reflect a change of perceptions of the people he sided with in the beginning. Snape's actions don't reflect a cognitive dissonant change but on a shallower level, a change in perception: he doesn't turn on Voldemort because he realizes that his supremacist beliefs are frayed but because he takes Voldemort's persecution of Lily with hatred.

I explain: we only hate in three instances, one of them being when the object of our hate directly or indirectly threatens the things we love. As much as I deem Snape and Lily's friendship toxic, I cannot deny the existence of love, so when Lily is threatened by Voldemort, Snape hates him because he is a threat to her. Which is fair, but it's not a cognitive dissonant event for him because of all the points I make above. His change is superficial, his loyalties change out of emotions and not out of convictions, and as much as this doesn't matter when it comes to the actions he has taken - Snape did have a fundamental role in defeating Voldemort and (questionably) defeating the corruption within the system Rowling so much adores - it matters because it'll indirectly impact the actions he'll make around it, hence his role as professor, for example.

As much as I do respect what it has cost him to endure as a spy for Dumbledore, I cannot say that his actions towards Voldemort are enough for a redemption arc because there's no actual change in Snape. He is the same he always was, he just had a change of loyalties out of love, which is noble but at the same time, it still causes damage to the people around him exactly because he didn't change.

[inconspicious-random-thoughts]

I think it’s more straightforward than that.

It’s not “Angels worshipped good and shielded all from evil.”

It’s “Angels worshipped Good and shielded all from Evil.”

Capitalised. That God is Good. The concept of goodness, its embodiment in the same way the Grim Reaper is death, or how the Sins are all embodiments of concepts (Asmodeus also literally being Lust, not figuratively). So Evil is Evil, an actual being Good’s Angels kept at bay, until Lucifer and Lilith gave Eve the Apple, and the Root of Evil took hold of her, making her its embodiment and forming Hell, a domain of its own to rival Heaven. With Lucifer’s true job being that of the jailkeeper, to prevent Evil from attaining enough power to overtake creation. Charlie and Vaggie meaning well but being oblivious to the truth of the world, since their superiors never told them the whole truth, since it didn’t seem they needed to know, or it was assumed they must.

Hello there.

It’s not “Angels worshipped good and shielded all from evil.”

It’s “Angels worshipped Good and shielded all from Evil.”

In the subtitles, its not capitalized. I am one of those people who has trouble watching and hearing something if I can't read it. lol.

But I won't deny the possibility of human error of the person doing the subtitles. The subtitle of one of Alastor lines was messed up. The subtitle saying it a lot less hot instead of fun, So we know mistake can happen. I honestly prefer the literally version of the capitalized.

Capitalised. That God is Good.

I full hearted agree that the "good/Good" representation in this still is God. I love how Good is taken more feminine features. Then the stereotypical male God because of whole biblical "Adam was made in God image" thing. But the show already shown different takes and not biblically accurate but its own universe that was inspired by it. Tho, one can argue they are genderless since they are celestial beings similar to Good Omens. They just take an image and "have to put an effort" for the genitals.

So Evil is Evil, an actual being Good’s Angels kept at bay, until Lucifer and Lilith gave Eve the Apple, and the Root of Evil took hold of her, making her its embodiment and forming Hell, a domain of its own to rival Heaven.

I agree that angels had to fight her to keep her (and possibly minions...I mean there were angels...so Good counterpart would have similar powers to have agents? )out. This as, I say this...I have the funny image meme "let me in" but with Roo with Heaven.

I like to consider Roo and Eve as two separate bodies. Because it was shown that Roo was standing next to Good before Adam and Lilith was created. That Roo already was an embodiment that manifested of evil. Since good and evil can't really exist without the other.

But one can argue that those were just illustration to represent. That Good and Evil had no true body yet. That they were omnipresence and exist. Similar to air. It exist, it around you but no true form. One can say Evil took on a form when Eve committed the first sin. But I don't oppose ideas and theories that Roo has latched onto Eve as some type of host. It would explain why Eve been MIA so far.

Personally, I like the idea that the physical forms manifested as the sin were committed. Then only grow larger and stronger as more people commit them. For example, Beelzebub came into existence then the act of Gluttony happened opposed the sins taking bodies as host. Then she grew more powerful each time time as people committed those sins through all of time. Roo falls into this category too.

I suspect that something happen to Roo that she missing a corporeal body or is somehow imprisoned which why she sort of laying low at the moment and pulling strings with deals to have servants and other minions. She still a force to be reckoned with and is slowly working toward on getting a suitable body and freedom.

Eve may play a role with Roo for sure. Either, she been with/is Roo this entire time or play an upcoming role in Roo strategy.

With Lucifer’s true job being that of the jailkeeper, to prevent Evil from attaining enough power to overtake creation. Charlie and Vaggie meaning well but being oblivious to the truth of the world, since their superiors never told them the whole truth, since it didn’t seem they needed to know, or it was assumed they must.

I already fully believe in jailkeeper Lucifer. Lucifer 100% knows about Roo. Not by simple knowledge because he once was an Angel of Heaven. He directly had to dealt with her. A high chance the direct reason why Roo has to lie low. Lucifer had somehow trap/imprison/weaken/rid of Roo body (you can't really destroy evil...but maybe its form to keep it from getting stronger?)

That Roo is not really secret but something Lucifer doesn't want to talk about. Or maybe it IS a secret because it somehow strengthen her. Like how a name has power in some fables? So, Roo truth became a myth over time because it was commanded or an unspoken rule not to speak of Evil... Which is why Charlie and Vaggie would be clueless about Roo beside being a "fairy tale villain." that Lucifer and Adam/Sera mention when they were younger. Charlie and Vaggie being shocked and scared to realized that Roo is real.

You know we are going to have Vaggie do a backstory of Roo like she did with Alastor in the pilot.

Roo will probably do something to Lucifer to at least temporarily weaken him or trap him. So out princess will have to step up and come to power. Something/someone has to make her go full power and something/someone has to prevent Lucifer from swooping in and saving the day every time. That trope of ultimate power saving the day would get old real fast. Who better then Roo to take Lucifer down (hopefully only temporary)

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group C Round 3: #C8 vs #C2

#C8: Government employee and his white cat boss

#C2: High social anxiety girl has to befriend her whole class

Details and poll under the cut!

*Text in green indicates that something has been changed.

#C8: White Cat Legend 2020 (Dali si Rizhi)

Summary:

Chen Shi, a young man from the countryside, journeys to the capital in search of his missing older brother, whose existence he only knew about upon his mother’s death. He knows neither the name nor face of his brother, and after finally arriving at the capital, he runs out of money as well. One thing led to another, and he finds himself employed at Dali Court, where he works for Vice Minister Li Bing, a large white cat.

On the other hand, Li Bing is of royal blood who was imprisoned because of his family’s treason. Now, he has to work in the government to atone for the crime.

At Dali Court, they review court cases from all over the country. But when an incident involving the esteemed ministers of the royal court breaks out, Dali Court is called to help, only to find themselves entangled in political threads and hit heads with an eccentric demon.

Li Bing is determined to get to the bottom of this, but how far can he go when he could regress into a real cat at any time when left unchecked?

Propaganda:

I’m tired of writing new propaganda every round, so I’m begging you to just trust me that it’s GREAT.

Intriguing plot? Check. Complex and interesting characters? Check. Comedy? Check. Drama? Check. 

The blend of comedy and drama is just so good. I started the show because I love cats and supernatural stuff. Who would’ve thought it would pull me into an abyss of despair of political intrigue. The cat demons turned out to be just the icing on the cake. 

We have all these different characters brought up in different ways that their ideas of what is Right conflict with each other. None of them are exactly Wrong or inherently Evil (well, except for maybe one guy), and this makes it so much more difficult to choose who to root for. You’d think everyone against the protagonists are the Enemies, but turns out even the protagonists are limited by their biases and unintentionally harm others. Even the two protagonists themselves get into arguments because of their different standpoints.

And I just love this because it makes them realistic, you know? The characters don’t always agree with their friends, and their enemies are not completely hostile either. It really all boils down to what they believe in. Sometimes their beliefs align with existing comrades, and sometimes they find it on the other side.

Production-wise, this show also gets a check on everything. As an adaptation, it’s amazing. The original manhua has quite a simple style—kind of like comic book drawings, and panels are all rectangles in one straight line. Storytelling is also simple and straight to the point. 

But the 2020 donghua? God, it went far and beyond that.  The animation team does not cut corners at all, which is a feat considering the show has a low budget from what I’ve heard. 

A short, simple scene in the manhua becomes an emotionally-devastating experience in the donghua. The animation choices, angles, music, and just everything else blend so well to deliver a STORY. This adaptation does not just copy frames from the source (like Blue Lock) or cut/reorder some of the scenes (like Horimiya and Sasaki to Miyano). White Cat Legend 2020 understands the material so well that it can creatively use the advantages of the animation medium to deliver an experience that exceeds even that of the source. Think Mob Pyscho 100 or One Punch Man s1 level of creativity. It even has mini stories at the end of the ending song. For s1, the mini stories are in stop-motion, while for s2 it’s formatted like a video game. You gotta appreciate the effort.

Please just vote for this show. It deserves to be in the Finals.

Trigger Warnings:

Cannibalism - There’s a cat demon who appears in human form, and he eats humans (it’s not shown explicitly, though).

Animal Cruelty or Death - said cat demon also eats animals raw (again, not explicitly)

Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore - There’s blood and fighting, and somebody also gets tortured in season 2. But again, nothing too graphic

#C2: Hitori Bocchi’s ○○ Lifestyle (HitoriBocchi no MaruMaru Seikatsu)

Summary:

Many of us know what it is like to transition to a new school with few to no friends in a new environment, going through the arduous process of getting to know people again. Bocchi Hitori knows this struggle all too well, having just graduated from elementary school and thrown into middle school. Unfortunately, she suffers from extreme social anxiety: she faints when overwhelmed, vomits when nervous, and draws up ridiculously convoluted plans to avoid social contact. It does not help that her only friend from elementary school, Kai Yawara, will not be attending the same middle school as Bocchi. However, wanting to help her, Kai severs ties with Bocchi and promises to reconcile with her when she befriends all of her classmates in her new middle school class.

Even though Bocchi has no faith in herself, she is determined to be friends with Kai again. Summoning all of her courage, Bocchi takes on the daunting challenge of making friends with her entire class, starting with the delinquent-looking girl sitting in front of her…

Propaganda:

This is a fun and lighthearted show. Watch it if you need something cute to chill out! The art is cute and colorful, the music lively, and the animation fine enough.

As it's adapted from a four-panel gag manga, the story is simple and focuses on the various characters. They all have pun-based names related to their main personality trait, so they're easy to remember if you know some basic Japanese (Hitori Bocchi means all alone, for example). The girls are all adorable and fun in their own quirky ways, and I loved seeing the heroine doing her utmost best to overcome her fears -and other challenges- to befriend them in the hope of fulfilling her promise. That's the power of the Do-Your-Best Fairy! They all care for each other (despite some teasing) and help Bocchi with her monumental task, never pulling her down for her struggles but gently pushing her in the back when needed.

But most importantly, Hitori Bocchi is a very relatable character. As someone suffering the same trouble, I related a lot with Bocchi, from her silliest worries to her escalating panic and weird schemes in an attempt to prevent anything wrong. Anxiety is faithfully represented, mixed with the right amount of laughing to how far Bocchi can get to avoid fearful situations in her very cute ways. It feels good to see a character like me in a such positive light! The struggles are real and acknowledged, and it’s really moving to see our heroine overcome them little by little in a very humanizing way.

This series has become one of my comfort materials, and I come back to it when I need hope and inspiration in everyday social interactions! If you need one last thing to be convinced, listen to that most adorable and silly song that will give you the Power of Motivation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGoGwlNmZUQ 

Trigger Warnings: None.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[anarchywoofwoof]

Hello again! I'm the beginner that asked you the gun control question. This question is a little more hypothetical. So, obviously absolishing capitalism would decrease the crime rates a lot. But in an anarchist society, what happens to people who do crimes not caused by capitalism- things like murder and that? This is probably gonna be my lsst question don't worry.

let me address your last comment first.

please never stop sending me asks. i love this type of engagement. this is one of those unique things about tumblr that i actually appreciate tremendously, so please do not think you're bugging me. i answer when i find the time, if i feel that i can provide some kind of meaningful answer. or a funny one.

anyway, about your question: what happens to people who do crimes not caused by capitalism. let's add another layer to our conversation about crime, specifically murder, in an anarchist society.

it's important to emphasize that while we often try to separate crimes into those caused by capitalism and those that aren't, the reality can be more intertwined than it first appears. in many cases, even acts like murder can be linked back to the systemic issues inherent in capitalist societies. some theorists believe that capitalism can create mass murderers by causing people to 'malfunction.'

it may be hard to accept or seem like a stretch (i am sure someone will send me an anonymous ask letting me know) but it's really not if you break it down. capitalism, by its very nature, breeds inequality, poverty, and social alienation. these conditions create a breeding ground for various forms of violence, including murder.

think about it - a lot of murders aren't committed by inherently 'evil' people. instead, they're often the result of desperation, untreated mental illnesses, or a life measured in crime and violence as a byproduct of poverty, racism and marginalization.

for instance, studies have shown that areas with higher poverty rates often see higher rates of violent crime. it's not a coincidence. people living in poverty, facing daily struggles and systemic - often racist or classist - barriers, can find themselves in situations where violence feels like the only option. it's the tragic type of outcome you get in a system that fails to address basic human needs and inequalities.

this is before addressing mental health as a whole, which is massively underfunded and often completely ignored, especially in capitalist societies. many who fall victim to violent acts suffer from mental health issues. we need to do a better job at understanding the context of incidents like these and realize that with better support systems in place, such tragedies might be preventable.

much like gun violence, an anarchist society would aim to tackle the root causes. by removing the regressive structures of capitalism, we would work towards a system where resources are distributed more equitably, where people are supported and integrated into their communities, and where mental health is addressed proactively.

beyond this, you start getting into prison abolition, which i've covered in prior asks a few times if you're interested in checking that out.

this is all a very simplified overview, and the real world is messy and complex. but these ideas and concepts are about envisioning a society where we address the causes of violence at their roots, rather than just dealing with the cleanup work. i certainly don't have all the answers and these thoughts should be considered minor grade contribution to a broader, ongoing discussion by minds much greater than mine.

[tired-reader-writer]

Finally, finally I am back on my ArSen bullshit. So starting from where I last left off (chapter 94):

Fr tho, Hilmes, where was this when I needed you to have the attitude? This just reads as copium ffs.

I normally don't give that much thought to Team Zahhak's philosophy, but this time I decided to sit down and mull on it a bit. Evil is the way of the world, the root and origin of all things, and humans have established “justice” to oppose it. The problem? Justice isn't One True Thing as many like to think— to borrow Narsus' metaphor it's actually like a thousand stars fighting to dominate the sky. And what this causes is conflict, everybody thinks they're right, and therefore the others must be wrong, and to prop up their own justice blood is shed.

One would normally associate bloodshed with, y'know, evil. Which makes me wonder if Team Zahhak thinks of justice as a hypocrisy— in fighting for their justice the pain and loss the fight inevitably causes is no different from that which evil would cause. In seeking to banish evil they just kept inventing evil itself over and over, with a prettier facade on top.

Maybe Team Zahhak sees it as a pointless, fruitless endeavor, and thus chases evil in its own right instead of dressing it up in pretty ideals that ultimately mean nothing.

That's my interpretation of these panels, I buy that line of philosophy obviously, but I think I can see where they're coming from, especially considering the origins of Zahhak himself (which, to make it as vague as possible, he was born from evil, so surely that must've shaped his worldview?).

I want to say, “what did you think was gonna happen when y'all went crazy like rabid dogs on the capital and let Bodin run free to do whatever he wanted???” because I am right— but my anger is tinged with dread/grief because the consequences. They're going to bite Hilmes in the ass.

Interesting. VERY INTERESTING. I'm spinning this in my head. What can I do with this, hmmmm~

They were conscripted, ey?

There's something about their faith taking the shape of brutality. That their “love” for their God wasn't characterized by, like, I dunno how to put it, a genuine connection with Yaldaboath nor spirituality nor anything like that if that makes sense, but rather in the form of... Gah, my brain isn't cooperating.

The way they were so proud of killing the defenseless and vulnerable (women and children) leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

“I think we've done our duty to God well enough to call it a day.” my god my fucking god, like, killing enough people means you did your job means you don't have to do anything more no meaningful deeds or introspection you don't need to do more you've murdered and that's apparently fucking enough shut uuuup.

I know they were manipulated by those above them, the clergy and the higher-ups who wanted this campaign but ugh. Ugh.

If one were to only look at the deeds of followers of Yaldaboath, I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that Yaldaboath is an ever-hungering bloodthirsty god who demands bloodshed and human sacrifice as worship.

Of course, it's not the case, I'm sure the faith means something else, something far less murderous, but there's a point where the original intent and purpose is lost and the twisted version takes over. It is the real, tangible impact it has on the world and the people in it that ultimately matters.

Of course, this is not a problem unique to the faith of Yaldaboath, the Parsian priesthood is pretty corrupt (@innerchorus made a post about that, I'll link it if I can find it again), and y'know, all institutionalized, big religions seem to follow the rough chops. Hell, in my homeland's history one of our kings went to war to seize Buddhist texts from another king!! Like what!! That's so antithetical to what Buddhism is supposed to be about!

Where am I going with this? Honestly, I've got no fucking clue. I just needed to rant, I suppose.

Everybody's big sister comes into clutch and nudges Arslan to not lose focus.

Also, is it just me or does Arslan's hair seem kinda long in this scene? Like,

Am I imagining things???? Was his hair always this long?

After two whole rants in the same post I no longer have the brain juices to dedicate any meaningful thought about the Royal Academy thing but I will say that I definitely want to know more about it. Who attends it? Is it a boarding school? Do other regions of Pars have similar academies? How do children of nobility and the wealthy in more rural areas learn? At home, with private tutors? This was never elaborated on and I'm left with a bucketload of questions.

They!! Alfarīd looks so cute here, look at that smile! And Farangis is so fond. I really love their bond, though I wish it was featured a little more (I guess it kinda is, but it involves Farangis pushing Alfarīd onto Narsus and I'm not sure how I feel about that so yeah).

And between and behind the two there's one of the dresses Alfarīd showed Narsus later on! The one she didn't end up buying, though I have to admit it's a cute design.

[justbrainrot]

Okay, my Legendborn Cycle deep nerds— I have an idea for writing the story of Faye & Natasia’s relationship rattling around in my brain and I need to chat some stuff out, you with me?

(This will clearly contain Legendborn & Bloodmarked spoilers— it’s also a long one, y’all)

Item the first:

How exactly are we explaining the difference between how Bree’s root affects Sel in BM ch40-41 vs BM ch58? Because getting mega drunk & literally losing one’s humanity are… really different outcomes lol.

I personally think that consent is the key here (big ol’ hat tip to @jenosavel for this reasoning, it has been exploding my brain for a few weeks haha) & that Bree actively pouring root into the shared casting they created (for completeness I’ll also point out that she believes the construct/bomb they created was entirely Sel’s work, but he says it’s both of them) created the drunk-but-better feeling Sel has afterwards— plus his eyes go back to gold! They aren’t bright bloodred anymore nor are they the burnt sienna that they were once his mesmer was removed by Valec at the bar. Contrasting this with the changes he experiences after consuming her root by force in the last bloodwalk— it’s night and day. His eyes are “molten red,” his fangs are black, he has claws ffs! The only difference I can see between these two situations is Bree’s consent regarding use of her root (well the bloodwalk does take place on its own plane & not on earth but everything that happens in all the bloodwalks holds true on earth as well so.)

Anyway I obviously think this is a super compelling theory BUT it also means that Natasia can’t help him. She is probably in her own descent, since at this point we are six months after Faye’s death, & if the thing that has been keeping her balanced since she broke out of the Shadowhold years ago has been shared castings with Faye, then she’s pretty screwed unless she has access to the kind of edible (drinkable?) aether Valec sells or is friends with another rootcrafter. I don’t see why or how she could do that though, since it’s not like she can hide being a Merlin to anyone in the know.

Definitely interested in hearing other theories about this!

Item the second:

When I first read LB I was convinced that the accepted fact that Merlins would descend into demonia without their Oaths had to be a straight lie & just another way that the Order manipulated Merlins into giving their lives over to the cause. Are we to believe that all unbalanced cambions on the planet are bound to the Order? Like every single one? Nahhhh. Valec doesn’t have any children (that we know of) but he’s also very unlikely to be the only cambion on earth who isn’t descended from Merlin, & who knows what kind of shenanigans the others get up to? Plus one of the fun things Ms. Deonn has peppered these books with is the arrogance of the Order thinking their way is The Only Way— both how wrong that is & how that hubris blinds them from seeing the magical world as it truly is. I was mega surprised by the fact that Sel’s descent was a major part of the plot of BM. So that’s my previous headcannon bias which likely affects the following, I guess.

I just can’t wrap my mind around how the descent even works in a way? Like maybe this is just the Sel heart eyes talking, but though I understand how he explains it to Bree, I also wonder how reliable a narrator of his own destruction he is, because our boy doesn’t have the best self esteem. Like yes he for sure tries to kill Bree, & that’s capital letters BAD, no arguments there, but he’s not operating with all the information at the time! And as soon as he has the relevant info he’s the first to kneel to her in the ogof y ddraig, even though he must be as confused as anyone as to why she pulled Excalibur from the stone.

Let’s just take a look at the text, shall we?

"Oaths are sealed through personal belief and intention. Belief is why Lord Davis could do all the evil he did and not be burned by his own Oaths; he believed what he did was right. I believed I was doing my job well when you first arrived on campus. That going after you was the right thing to do."

“I'm not excusing you," I say. "But back then, you were doing your duty. What you thought was right based on what you knew. I didn't know what I was either."

Okay— so theoretically no ill effects should have come out of him being wrong about Bree being a goruchel, because he believed she was a threat, just as Davis believed he was serving the greater good. Cool cool.

I frown. "When did you worry?"

He shifts on the log to face me, eyes darting across my face so quickly, I almost don't feel the sparks.

"When I saw your bravery. Your fury. Your heart. When I started to see…” He swallows, brows knitting together. "When I started to see what I believe Nicholas sees when he looks at you. Only a monster could look at you and want to destroy you, Bree."

The knot loosens in my chest a fraction. "But you were still serving your Oath to Nick, then. So even though you were worried, you couldn't have succumbed that night, not technically . . . right?"

"Perhaps. But my behavior then affected how I behaved later, after Nicholas was taken." He inhales. "By the time the Regents arrived, I had been feeling the effects of not fulfilling my Oath for several days."

So by his estimation he begins his descent the night of the second trial. Which (tragically!) is the same night he begins to fall for Bree. (<— this part is my opinion but anyway) it leads me to my other point: his demon side is drawn to all the negative human emotions, yeah? Fear, suffering, anger, pain, etc. How can he be in descent when he’s feeling the beginnings of what is arguably the most human emotion of all? One which continues to grow throughout the whole of BM, during the time he’s away from Nicholas, yes, but protecting Bree with all he has?

Plus I just have to say it’s bullshit that there’s no stopping the descent once it starts. Like obviously no (Natasia) but also come on. It has to be a foregone conclusion? There’s no other option? That just seems like an obvious lie to scare baby Merlins into acting right. (Again— this is where my previous headcannon bias rears its head, so I question myself on this one.)

I’m not even sure what I’m saying here anymore 🤪 these books have got me all kinds of fucked up. How is Sel in descent at all? Is he just confusing it with his actions serving the spirit of his Oaths but not the letter? Or does it not have to do with any of this stuff & is simply about being away from Nicholas? Sel says himself that the Kingsmage Oath runs deeper than either of them has ever acknowledged, likely because it’s been part of them since they were really young kids, & it’s one of the most powerful Oaths in the Order.

Anyhoodle this is what my brain is record scratching on these days. Plssssss gimme what you’ve got in the comments because what else are we gonna do while we wait for her to write book 3?? Also please let me know if you are at all interested in my Natasia/Faye fic idea. I think it’s pretty funny that I’m over here writing a story about characters that don’t even appear in the books so far except for short flashbacks. 😆 What if I were a normal person writing fluffy selbree smut? Lmao anyway that’s not me I guess. (Everyone else continue to write that though lol because I like reading it.)

Just tagging folks who I have been in the comments with a few times, no pressure y’all: @you-are-my-king-now-cariad @thoughtfulbearpanda @blackdragonflies88 @ofstarsandmoonlightt @ashaligtwood @poisonousflora

[pisces-magazine]

Antinatalism debate with male friend

OH MY GOOOOODDDDDDDDD HE REALLY WON'T LET IT GO HELP😭

i just went back to the gc and he said sumn more. like, he CAN'T let me have the last say sdocnfvig nervous men are hilarious, in some way.

OH AND HE HAD THE FKCXJD AUDACITY TO TELL ME I TOOK IT PERSONAL, LIKE I SAID TO HIM EARLIER. passive agressive much? maan...!

i really got flashbacks of the vegan debate. it's the fucking same. really, the root to all evil is sexism and/or capitalism.

you know those ppl who get offended (intimidated) by vegans/vegetarians? they say stuff like "you should RESPECT that i eat meat as i respect you don't !!" 💀

the mass apathy and cognitive dissonance is really dangerous.

i feel for him. he thinks, as many people, sadly, that 1 or 2 people won't change the world, won't change anything. a handful, at most, which is not true at all.

this phenomenon speaks volumes about the effect the media have on society individuals. i have to talk about this.

if the media showed, talked about all the millions of happy families that there are, he wouldn't be so hard on this. cause he- oh my god, he said "but think about the ppl who adopt and are misserable. there's a lot of that" like💀 dude... that's rare. it's rare to have adopted kids, for starters, but sad ones? rare. and actually, families with adopted kids are happier, as they are definitely planned, unlike genetic families, which, i don't even have to say it, right?

so if we were to decide whether to adopt or not, based on the quantity of happy families, then we would for sure decide to adopt. but of course if i say this, it'd be like white noise to him.

"I won't make a difference" - said millions of people in unison.

i noticed something. he started, towards the ending of this debate (on my end, passive aggressive discussion on his) to mimic my wording: quoting, and a try of elevating the terms, longers answers. and while i kept saying more things, adding to my argument, from different angles, he kept saying the same things, just in different wording. a visible wall on his end, not a single moment where he tried to really understand the words in front of him.

this all started by him saying he wanted to have kids with his genetics, in which i advised to adopt because it is, in a nutshell, better. and of course, he took it as a personal attack, only he did not realise (or at least wouldn't admit so).

also, i think it, too, offended him that i just said that people who knowingly conceive are plain bad people. i guess it shocked him. he then pointed out that selection of words, so i corrected myself saying that they may not be bad people, but definitely just plain ignorants which... he did not appreciate, lol.

he just started uni this month, so i get it a little, very little, bit. i tried to cool it off asking about what subjects he has. because i started this year, in april, and we very likely have some in common. i asked about "introduction to scientific knowledge", because that one made me read an AMAZING book on knowing how to debate, basically. so it would serve him a lot to read that one lol. hope i didn't make it obvious.

like my mother said hundreds of times, "university opens your mind" which i totally share. hopefully he will be different in a couple of months.

i think this was the first time we talked seriously, like, without joking at all. a little note on that: make sure who your so called friends are by debating difficult stuff with them. talk about politics and society phenomenons. that will actually tell you enough about who they are and how mature (if anything) they are.

so, by this experience, i will distance myself from him, sadly. i am really disappointed. having male friends is hard because they tend to get defensive about their ideas and beliefs. and ugh, i just know he wouldn't have put this resistance towards my information if i was a guy. he has a lot of work to do in himself and he doesn't know. and if he doesn't know, then there's no point in me telling him i will take distance, as he won't realise. that probably means just never talk about serious stuff with him ever again, which is sad tho. i can be pretttty weak on distancing from people who are wrong on some things but share a humour sense with them, so i'll see. i'll update, if/when i remember.

keep an eye out on your males, people.

[cienie-isengardu]

Now that you've mentioned it more than once, the old Lin Kuei and the Umgadi have quite a few similarities and differences. What do you think they all are? Does Liu Kang not intervene because the Umgadi is in Outworld, so it's out of his jurisdiction?

Generally speaking, I think it all comes to Liu Kang’s own flawed sense of duty that blinds him to the questionable nature of Umgadi and even of his own version of Lin Kuei. Not saying that duty is not important or there is no honorable thing about pledging your own life to protect others or even the whole realm, but that should be a choice made by each person, not something forced upon children fed by someone else’s idea (tradition!) their life means little compared to people they are supposed to serve.

Lin Kuei in older timelines were an assassin clan that for ages abducted children to turn them into killers. In more modern times, the abduction happened less often as Lin Kuei had their own share of children born into clan and some people even joined their rank on their own (Smoke and Cyrax), but generally speaking, the nature of clan did not change overall:

Lin Kuei served those who paid the best

clan members were indoctrinated to blindly serve the Grandmaster that could - and would - kill them for failing a mission,

friendship, as personal bonds between warriors, was seen as weakness and forbidden

no one was allowed to leave the clan - and those who did were hunted down and either killed or forced into C.I. project

In Mythologies: Sub-Zero, the original Bi-Han was introduced as one of the most cunning Lin Kuei assassinations yet during mission he plainly admitted if he did not steal ordered thing, he would end dead, which shows that even successful warrior is always one step close to own death, either by dying on mission or as punishment for failure. 

Of course, Liu Kang’s version of Lin Kuei and Umgadi are far away from what the old Lin Kuei was at its core, at least as the source material showed so far. However there are still things that personally rub me the wrong way. Tanya and Li Mei’s official bios and intro dialogues are full of the worrying details about Umgadi, the Palace Guard protecting the Royal Family we are meant to root for and see as the good guys... Only to learn how fucked up is the whole system maintained for who knows how many generations.

Umgadi recruitment & their ties to biological family?

[Tanya’s BIO] Chosen as an infant from Outworld’s first-born daughters, Tanya was raised by the Umgadi’s priestesses. She’s never known her birth family.

or

[Li Mei’s BIO] As her parents’ firstborn daughter, Li Mei was claimed by the Umgadi, the warrior priestesses who guard Outworld’s royal family.

or

Scorpion: Your parents' identities were kept from you? Li Mei: To ensure my loyalties were only to the Umgadi. 

or

Raiden: It must be hard, not knowing your birth family. Tanya: My Umgadi sisters are all the family I need. 

or

Kenshi: "Umgadi come from all over Outworld?" Tanya: "All first-born females become postulants." 

or

Kitana: "It's time to gather the First Born." Tanya: "And train the next generation of Umgadi."

Their personal bonds, including romantic/sexual ones?

[Tanya's BIO] As an Umgadi, Tanya is sworn to piety and chastity. That is why her bond with Princess Mileena, were it known, would cause a scandal. By following her heart, Tanya risks not only her position but also her life.

or

Tanya: "The bond I share with your daughter --" Sindel: "Is forbidden to an Umgadi!" 

or

Sindel: "You, above all, must obey Umgadi rules." Tanya: "I must obey my heart, Empress." 

or

Ashrah: There is nothing evil about you and Tanya. Mileena: There is to those wedded to Umgadi tradition.

Leaving Umgadi?

[Li Mei's BIO] But it all fell apart when a terrible tragedy unfolded. Li Mei was blamed for this and In the aftermath, she did the unthinkable: she quit the Umgadi. Friendless and alone, Li Mei needed a new purpose. She joined Sun Do’s constables, the Outworld capital’s rough and tumble police force. Over time, she became their First Constable.

or

Raiden: I thought no one left the Umgadi. Li Mei: The circumstances left me no choice.

-> as the story and tie-in material proved, Li Mei was unfairly accused and was a victim of Umgadi Matrons intrigue. Her stepping down from the role of leader of Palace Guard makes sense, as death of the king on her duty is a valid reason for resignation (an act often considered honorable), but there is no implication that Li Mei even got a fair trial? Granted, she chose to leave Umgadi and was allowed to do so, which is much better than old Lin Kuei's harsh punishment by death, but also shows that Umgadi does not have many options once accused of failure or ostracized by her own “sisters” & Royal Family.

Umgadi training and growing up?

Sub Zero: "The Lin Kuei are trained from childhood." Tanya: "As are the Umgadi, Sub-Zero."

or

[Tanya's BIO] As she grew older and saw other initiates wash out, Tanya feared that she would share their fate. But that fear spurred success; after many attempts, Tanya passed her trials and became a full Umgadi.

-> and if parents’ identities are kept from the initiates, what happens to those who did not pass the trials? Were they allowed to come back to a family they did not know at all? Did Umgadi even keep any record from which family each little girl was taken? Li Mei, who left Umgadi is said to be friendless and alone, which suggests no ties to the outside world, be it biological family or other people.

-> also, Tanya succeed because of fear of becoming one of wash out. Not the blind faith in the rightness of the cause, but fear of failure.

And sure, Umgadi is way better than old version of Lin Kuei presented in various source material, but it still share some serious similarities, like taking away children's freedom to choose for themselves or considering personal relationship (friendship for Lin Kuei, ties to biological family or the sexual & romantic one for Umgadi) as forbidden, to ensure their blind loyalty to the Grandmaster or Royal Family. And this is just what we learned about Umgadi in the first game, the introduction to Liu Kang's new era and I won't lie, it took me out by surprise because the game itself presents Sindel and her Family as someone we should like, while Umgadi system cast a different light. And I do not have an idea if NRS did that on purpose or if the studio did not think enough about the implication both for Edenian society and Liu Kang. Especially with intro dialogue like this:

Geras: "The Umgadi was one of Liu Kang's best innovations." Tanya: "My order sprung from his mind?" 

And if Umgadi was one of Liu Kang's innovations - a system whose whole purpose is to protect the Royal Family at the expense of countless number of first-born daughters, then maybe Bi-Han's claims about Lin Kuei's enslavement shouldn't be treated as baseless either.

[borntogayz]

A couple more things:

“It’s gossip” “it’s only rumors”

Where else would it start from? Corporations and people in power will ALWAYS protect themselves, the brand, and the money. They would NEVER release a statement themselves if they knew there was a possibility of shutting the “rumors” down. Why would they acknowledge the “gossip” and intentionally tarnish themselves?

“They could be lying” “it could be a plot”

Well it’s a good lie, because it’s believable. He has a history of bad behavior, and has never said or done a single thing that empowers or is positive towards women. Historically, men in power have used their position to sexually abuse women. This has happened hundreds of thousands of times from managers at corner stores to the biggest Hollywood CEOs. And we know this for a fact. This is not an insane or outlandish accusation.

-

I cannot believe I’m about to say this, but of course not every man is a sexual abuser or sexual abuse sympathizer. But many are, and I believe it’s because they know that that’s how they will remain successful. Men will defend their abusive friends because that’s how we keep the capitalistic dream alive. Oop there it is, just outed my own political ideology oops.

Men in power will always have power, and the companies and his peers will always protect him. I’m not saying this as someone who hates men, I’m saying this as someone who believes that capitalism is the root of the evil. It’s the money, the brand, the status quo that is being protected. The rich and powerful want to keep their subordinates SUBORDINATE.

This is what I believe and it’s how I’ve viewed the world for a long time. I’m not offended if you disagree and want to unfollow or block, I’ve done to same to many people.

Even if it is 100% proven that there is no victim, or that he’s a perfect angel, all I can see now is the lack of outward support for women. How no one said a thing. How PR means more than empathy. How these corporations, every single team, the fia, Red Bull, havent said a thing about how dangerous sexual abuse is or how they would/will support victims of abuse. The silence is hurtful.

People will only stand against hate and abuse when they know others will stand with them. And corporations, celebrities, and athletes will only stand against hate and abuse it it won’t hurt their careers or income.

[ithacanradio]

the Barbie movie could barely stand on its own two legs because it insisted on the patriarchy being the root of all evils, America's supposedly feminist speech falls very short when it refuses to include any anticapitalist elements into it, reducing women's repression to performativity and beauty standards and the thing is that the movie does flirt with the idea of capital how could it not! Barbie herself is a commodity and patriarchy/feminism isn't the only theme of the movie there's also real world/barbieland which comes to the forefront the moment Barbie starts having thoughts of death and then gets abruptly shoved back because the showrunners evidently didn't know how to deal with it but by the end this theme reappears, inevitably, with Ruth Handler and the amateurish grainy films of real women "I want to be one of those who produce value" Barbie, a commodity, dead labour, wants to become real (and she's even using marxist words to go at it!) and in the end to become real she has to accept death. anyway the Ken song was funny but this movie could have been so much better if capitalist realism didn't permeate its script blocking out any actually interesting elements