#mind is boggled truly

[declareqenius]

just finished love and death and elizabeth olsen you are phenomenal and i am floored by everything you do. line delivery???? always on point. facial expressions????? wondrous. face card????? SERVED. eyes????? GOT LOST IN THEM.

i love love love watching actors i adore and learning from them and lizzie is just amazing with everything she does. line delivery floored me so many times and she never missed the mark. god i love this woman she's just the best.

"i should take her out for lunch or coffee or something. i feel like i've been neglecting her while i've been not neglecting her husband." ????? LIKE???? MA'AM?? WHAT A CRAZY THING TO SAY??? AND AN EVEN CRAZIER LINE TO DELIVER PERFECTLY???

the yes during the reveal???? the "would you be interested in having an affair?" HER EYES IN THAT SCENE. the "have you never been french kissed before?" scene. my god i was blushing and i wasn't even in the room with them.

elizabeth olsen never stop acting please. (you help get people like me excited about it)

[laurapetrie]

If there were no girls like her in the world, there would be no poetry.

Willa Cather, My Antonia (1918)

[cashmere-caveman]

back on my mutineer camp bullshit (the rest of these)

[stickandthorn]

I think tlovm is super impressive just for the fact it’s an adaptation. While it isn’t perfect, the show has to adapt a fucking gargantuan amount of highly detailed content. Literally hundreds of hours of story and tiny character interactions and lore and NPCs and move for move combats and every other thing, have to be turned into 12 or so ~20 minute episodes per season. That is a truly absurd amount of stuff to condense, and the show does so pretty damn successfully. Adaptations with far less ground to cover do a whole lot worse. Especially given that, while every switch between mediums is hard and requires some changes to the story, a story told through dnd has the game system woven into every aspect of the characters and the world, and that has to be mostly taken out in the show. Core metaphysics of the universe have to be changed, concepts on which huge story elements are built have to be fully replaced. It is an absolute beast of a thing to adapt. Just the fact that the show exists at all is incredible to me. 

[communistkenobi]

the more I read about contemporary homophobic laws globally the more it becomes apparent that there is basically a 1:1 direct relationship between whether a country was under historic British rule and how many anti-sodomy laws they currently have on the books. like I knew this in a general sense but not the staggering degree to which this was the case. and I know this probably isn’t really shocking especially given how insanely anti-trans the UK is right now but it’s kind of insane to see just how much homophobia is a comprehensively global export of the British

[uncharted-constellations]

Re-reading untold tales kills me every time, They Were Babies 🥺

[comradeboyhalo]

bad softly telling pac its okay over and over again, that he's here for him, asking him questions to keep his mind off of the message, talking to him about richarlyson...oh how the tides have turned

[foxbirdy]

I am truly the master of dispersed camping at this point. never pay to camp on public lands my friends sleep in insane locations for free

[roitaminnah]

the chaos it would have been if they knew each other as kids. truly we cannot comprehend

[potato-lord-but-not]

I haven't been on Tumblr that much lately (my mental health has been shitty) but coming back here and seeing your art is just !!! it really makes me happy every time you post something. Thank you 💚

gawwww thank you!! I’m glad it can bring you some joy in these trying times, I hope your mental health improves swiftly, and that you take care of yourself in the meantime <3

[mustardyellowsunshine]

In today's episode of Shut Up Robin, Nobody Cares:

I finished Maison Ikkoku back in February, and I had a lot of feelings about the series. (It's good, do yourself a favor and go read it if you haven't.) As I read through it, I couldn't shake the thought: this is the caliber of romantic development Rumiko Takahashi can bring to the table?? We could've had this kind of relationship development in InuYasha??? 😭😭

The other thought I couldn't shake: InuYasha fans who still question the sincerity and depth of InuYasha's feelings for Kagome might benefit from reading Maison Ikkoku all the way to the end. They should read the final chapters of Maison Ikkoku, think for awhile about the blatant parallel themes found in InuYasha, and then try reevaluating InuKag's dynamic.

Now, I should clarify: I think the InuYasha series already makes it abundantly self-evident that the Inu/Kag/Kik "triangle" (🙄) is a complex situation that puts InuYasha in an extremely difficult position. (Well, it puts all of them in a difficult position, but you get the idea.) You just have to read the series with your brain on to see that. To review: teenage boy is tricked and terrorized by a demonic murderer; that demon successfully murders the boy's ex while masquerading as him; later his ex is revived from the dead against her will, wanders the earth as a vengeful spirit for awhile (who wouldn't be pissed about being brought back into that bullshit?), and is actively stalked by the demon who already murdered her once; teenage boy is falling in love with someone else when this happens, but he still wants to save his ex from being re-victimized by the demon who already brutally murdered her once. Anyone who sees that situation and describes it with a straight face as "InuYasha needs to make up his mind already" is probably never going to reconsider their assessment of InuYasha's character. They've already formed an opinion in defiance of the evidence. That ship done sailed.

But for some folks, I think experiencing the way Maison Ikkoku explores the same relationship themes—and particularly how it resolves those themes in the final chapters—could help them re-evaluate the emotional nuances in InuKag's relationship, and maybe help to re-contextualize the Inu/Kag/Kik conflict.

The parallels between Godai/Kyoko and InuYasha/Kagome are pretty obvious—Rumiko Takahashi consistently revisits this relationship dynamic in her work (it's present in Mao to a lesser extent). But I think Maison Ikkoku more directly confronts the emotional complexity of that dynamic. You can feel the difference in how RT more directly explores the messiness, complications, and pain of a) grieving a former relationship even while falling in love with someone else, and b) loving someone who is still tangled up in grieving their past. The InuYasha series obviously deals with those themes too, but Maison Ikkoku brings more focus and resolution to its exploration.

This may be for two reasons: 1) Maison Ikkoku had an older audience, as it was published in a seinen magazine geared for adult men between 18 - 40 years old, and 2) the relationship tension between Godai/Kyoko pretty much constitutes the main story of Maison Ikkoku; in InuYasha, the plot (such as it is) revolves around a vengeance quest and the monster of the week, and the relationship tensions between InuKag are second to that. Maybe that's why RT was more willing to get into the weeds with Godai/Kyoko and to more directly resolve the tension.

InuYasha does have some standout chapters where it explicitly deals with the tension of InuKag's situation (e.g., chapter 78, chapter 124, chapter 176, chapter 286, chapter 458, etc.), but there's this distinct hesitance in the narrative to resolve that tension in a substantive way. That's one of my beefs with the InuYasha series: it gives us moments of standout, concrete relationship development which then doesn't impact the future narrative all that much. The same relationship conflicts play out over and over again, well past their narrative expiration dates. See: Miroku flirting with women right in front of Sango after they've acknowledged feelings for each other; also the entire Kaō arc, which just... I do not understand the narrative purpose of that arc when it just exacerbates tensions that already existed and resolves none of them. Anyway. I digress.

You could argue this hesitance to permanently resolve relationship conflict comes from the episodic nature of InuYasha's storytelling. There's some truth to that, but that's not a satisfying explanation for why the main couple's relational status quo remains inert for the latter half of the series. Maison Ikkoku also does this to an extent—the "will they, won't they?" tension is strung along for as long as possible—but in general Maison Ikkoku does a better job of allowing relationship development to actually affect the narrative. Moments of emotional revelation and growth do change the relational status quo between Godai and Kyoko. They don't stay in quite the same relationship limbo that InuYasha and Kagome get stuck in for the latter half of the series. (It probably also helps that Maison Ikkoku is significantly shorter than InuYasha.)

All that to say: I think Godai/Kyoko is actually a useful mirror for examining InuKag, because they share the same themes and relationship dynamics without sharing the same narrative failings.

Okay, so: big time major spoilers ahead for Maison Ikkoku. Stop here if you don't want to see the conclusion of that series.

I want to look at how Maison Ikkoku's conclusion simultaneously revisits and resolves the main conflict between Godai/Kyoko.

Ahhhhhh my feelings!!! Man I love this series.

Okay, let's review the major takeaways from this scene:

• Notice how the tension between Godai and Kyoko—Godai's struggle with insecurity and Kyoko's feelings for her deceased husband—mirrors the tension between InuKag. And notice that the reader is encouraged to sympathize with both Godai and Kyoko. Godai is not "at fault" for struggling with insecurity and feelings of jealousy. That's a natural human feeling to have, especially in a relationship that hasn't been anywhere near secure until very recently. And despite whatever jealousy or inadequacy he may be feeling, Godai tries to see things from Kyoko's perspective. Part of Godai's struggle—the heartache of it—is his understanding that Kyoko is also not at fault. It's not her fault that she married before she ever met Godai, it's not her fault her husband died, and it's not her fault that she's struggling with the grief of that tragedy. She's trying to reorient herself to her new life after loss; she's falling in love with Godai, but she's also scared of betraying her husband's memory. (Let's hold that mirror up to InuYasha now, shall we? SHALL WE?) Moving on from Soichiro emotionally represents to Kyoko a breach of duty to a loved one.

• To reiterate: neither Godai nor Kyoko are "at fault" in this situation. That's precisely why it's a tragedy. They both have to process painful, messy feelings; both their feelings are valid and understandable. (Hold that mirror up to InuKag, girl. HOLD IT UP.)

• Notice how Godai explicitly acknowledges that loving Kyoko means loving the Kyoko who once loved Soichiro. "On the day I met Kyoko, you were already within her. That's the Kyoko I fell in love with." It's impossible to divorce Kyoko from her feelings for her former husband: that part of her life significantly shaped her into who she is. And I just love that Godai is hashing out his feelings at Soichiro's grave: it shows a sort of respect for Soichiro's memory, but more importantly it also shows that Godai knows his negative feelings can't ultimately be "fixed" by Kyoko. If she could fix them, he'd be having this conversation with her. (And by this point in the series they have had this conversation.) But Godai knows he's the only one who can truly work through/resolve his insecurity—especially now, when Kyoko has already assured him that she loves him—and I love how the scene's setting subtly demonstrates that. Soichiro's ghost is haunting Godai's feelings, not Kyoko's, and Godai is trying to work through that with Soichiro himself. There's no love triangle to resolve here: what needs resolving is Godai's own feelings of inadequacy which no amount of assurance from Kyoko can ultimately "fix." This is his ghost to fight. (We get an echo of this kind of inner conflict in chapter 458 of InuYasha: Kagome directly wrestles with the "ghost" of Kikyo and struggles toward some resolution of her own insecurities.... Only for the Kaō arc to come along later and materially damage that resolution and character growth for no clear reason, BUT I DIGRESS.) And this scene shows that Godai wins that fight: he comes to understand that loving Kyoko has to include accepting her past. Kagome reaches a very similar understanding in chapters 175 and 176 of InuYasha.

• To reiterate: Maison Ikkoku's conclusion is not the resolution of a "love triangle." It's the resolution of a series-long conflict, which is completely different. In order for love triangles to work—to actually function as love triangles—two competing love interests have to be viable options. This is quite evidently not the case in Maison Ikkoku: Soichiro is dead at the start of the series. It's literally impossible for Kyoko to choose him in any meaningful way. RT blatantly acknowledges this early in the series when Kyoko's father-in-law tells her she has to live her life. I cannot stress enough how self-consciously the series is not about a love triangle between Godai/Kyoko/Soichiro. (Mitaka is another matter entirely, for a different post.) Rather, the series is about the damaging power of grief in our lives, the rocky and painfully non-linear journey to healing from that grief, and how messy, fraught, and ultimately profoundly beautiful it is to love another person for exactly who they are — past pain/trauma and all. (Please for the love of heaven hold that mirror up to InuKag.)

• No, you know what? I'm not leaving that at a parenthetical. I'm just gonna say it: exactly as Maison Ikkoku is not about a love triangle, InuYasha isn't either. For the same reasons as stated above, the Inu/Kag/Kik dynamic is not ultimately a love triangle because Kikyo is dead at the start of the series. And while her spirit is magically revived—in an altered/diminished form—she is still not truly alive. The story conspicuously communicates this: her body is literally created from decomposing bones and cannot sustain itself (she needs to consume souls—other deceased spirits—to remain animated), symbolically suggesting she is of the dead even as she walks among the living. This is a facsimile of life. RT is not subtle about this. Kikyo is a tragic and complex character whose arc can be interpreted in many ways, but I think it's fair to say that the series self-consciously represents her as a past which can't be recovered. The damage has been done. She is dead, time continues to move forward, and there's no reversing that. (That's, again, why it's a tragedy.) Even her resurrected body symbolically represents this reality via death imagery. Ergo, from the very start of the series—just as we see in Maison Ikkoku—Kikyo is not a truly viable option for InuYasha. He can't choose her in any meaningful way. To "choose" her would be to essentially choose death—abandonment of life—just as Kyoko choosing Soichiro would make her "a wife who hadn't died yet." Kikyo represents an irrecoverable past just as Soichiro does. And the main thematic trajectory of each series does not suggest that Kyoko/InuYasha should give up on life by choosing death — it suggests they should choose life. Godai and Kagome conspicuously represent life, the possibility of living into the future. (Kagome is literally from the future, that's how unsubtle RT is about this.)

(A quick aside while we're here: no, Kikyo's not being a viable option does nothing to diminish the sincerity of InuYasha's feelings for Kagome. Kagome is not a "second choice," for the love of God the series blatantly addresses that very thing many, many times—like it's right there y'all—and I have already written a long ass post about why Kagome's insecurity over InuYasha's feelings for her shouldn't be taken as gospel truth.)

So, rather than being an actual love triangle, I think the Inu/Kag/Kik dynamic is a complicated emotional landscape that explores the same themes Maison Ikkoku does: how grief and trauma affect our lives, how painful and messy it can be to heal from that grief, and that loving someone—choosing to take that mutual risk with them—means trusting that they mean it when they tell/show us they love us, and choosing to trust them more than our own insecurities.

It's just that Maison Ikkoku explores those themes a little better. 😅 Which is why I think it makes a good mirror for re-examining InuKag: all the same themes without all the narrative failings and missed opportunities. ✌🏼

[ravenkings]

it really feels like you're staring into the void when you watch people debate which side is ~more justified~ in their child murder

[there-was-a-hole-here-itsgonenow]

Notes on privacy and safety for Will and Mike:

@aemiron-main made this excellent connection about how, due to Henry being able to appear in the memory of the Snowball with Max because Henry was watching the dance in s2, Will has a severe lack of safe memories because of how long Henry has been watching Will. His safest memories would have to be pre-s1 and even then further back. We know the swingset memory would have to be important for this reason, but this knowledge still goes to show just how invaded Will’s safety is. And because Henry has possessed Will before, would this not potentially jeopardize his safety even more? Henry possessed him, having taken frontal control of his mind. This would allow Henry the ability to see ALL of Will’s memories, right? It says so much about what could and will transpire in s5.

Will is, practically, thoroughly exposed to Henry. All of his personal privacy is potentially shared with Henry, none of which Will has had a choice in. Your own mind and the memories stored within should be an objectively safe place. Should be. This could additionally open up greater discussion on the affects of trauma and PTSD—how unsafe you can feel due to what you’ve experienced. Henry takes vulnerability and the feeling of being unsafe (as well as insecurity) for his advantage.

But on the topic of privacy itself, again, Will’s safe memories should be safe but they may not be. A lot of them probably aren’t. He’s been watched and intruded upon, mentally and physically scoured. His own safety/security is compromised due to this lack of privacy.

@sandinmybed and I recently had a great discussion about privacy and crossed boundaries regarding Mike (awesome perspectives from Sand). In a way, it made me think of aemiron’s post about Will. Here is the original thread this discussion is on, and below I have the parts of that discussion that reminded me of this ‘lack of safety’:

Sand:

Me:

Sand:

Me:

-

What I mainly want to pull from here for this post is that there is a theme of personal space being made unsafe and forced vulnerability. Your mind is a naturally enclosed space that retains your thoughts and memories. Your sense of privacy is also an enclosed space, set up by yourself and so naturally comes with boundaries too. Will has a lack of safety because of Henry encroaching his mind and overall space. Mike has a lack of feeling safe by means of his personal space being intruded on. It’s not something Mike has been able to control either; especially when El used her powers to spy on him (this is not to put El in a bad light; this is to highlight a lack of control on Mike’s end). His and Will’s situations are vastly different, but this theme is apparent and each situation has weaving points. It’s unwanted exposure, confidential info meant to be shared or not put on display (our minds are naturally enclosed but we can share them if we choose to, as well as our private spaces if we choose to open them; having your privacy taken from you takes away your sense of autonomy).

Something obvious to draw from this is the horrible fear of getting outed. There is a clear difference between coming out on your own terms versus being outed against your will. Many of us expect Mike to get outed because of Henry (myself included). Henry is always watching and gathering personal info to turn against others—to force their vulnerability. Mike’s boundaries are constantly crossed, his own privacy brushed off and even made light of. Mike is the character who especially has a [hidden but not so hidden] pattern of hiding. It has been made noticeable that there is a lack of control with his securities and boundaries. Of course Henry will take advantage of this. He already has been. He has seen enough of Mike—spied on Mike enough—to encroach upon his safety too.

And as Sand and I talked about… it is an incredibly interesting point that Mike’s personal space with Will is continuously interrupted/intruded on. Will’s feelings for Mike is one part of what is personal to him and certainly known by Henry. Mike’s feelings for Will have to be known by Henry too. Even the Jaws poster behind two Byler heart-to-hearts is just further indicative of Henry’s intrusion, one of many instances of Will and Mike’s lack of safety.

[theemporium]

oh god, cece, i'm so sorry that you and other POC are having to worry like this 💔 it really is just so unfair that those neo-nazi thugs are making people feel unsafe on their own streets, in their own cities, in their own countries. it's just appalling behavior and i'm so glad to see that so many of them are already being charged and sent to jail

and also let's be real here, the fucking nerve of white british people complaining about immigrants coming to their country?? like white british people weren't invading and looting every country they could get their hands on for centuries?? and then they have the nerve to complain about immigrants coming to the UK, people who just want to live in safety and peace and who want a chance at a better life?? it pisses me the fuck off, it really does

it’s like a fucking dystopian plot when you see all the videos and footage of these racist assholes rioting and attacking people in the name of “justice”. the fact they are using a very unfortunate, horrible tragedy as propaganda for their bullshit beliefs and views. it’s all truly disgusting and horrible and fucking terrifying, especially the further south you go in england (although it’s fucking everywhere down there). seeing them get pissy and aggressive towards people who have studied and worked hard to train in specialised jobs they would never be able to do is just the fucking cherry on top of it all🙃

[gendiebrainrotreceipts]

It’s depressingly hilarious how a minority of the population genuinely believe a genocide is happening to them all because most people outside of their echo chamber don’t buy into their delusions about themselves and because the government is slowly realising that maybe we shouldn’t sterilise and make other irreversible changes to children’s bodies before they even have the adequate mental capacity to appreciate the consequences.

[ardentpoop]

@adihildilid yeah 💕