#not even discussing any visual elements of this as i have nothing appropriate to say

[grntaire]

y’all moved on but mentally i’m here.

????

the tone clarity?? the intonation?? the placement?? singing an [e] vowel on a low d and projecting it??? get her singing rachmaninoff mama she will EAT !!!!

[ellie-bygrave]

Gesamtkunstwerk

What is Gesamtkunstwerk?

Gesamtkunstwerk is a term coined by the German philosopher K. F. E. Trahndorff in 1827. The term was also used by the composer Richard Wagner in 1849 and became closely associated with him and his work (Seiferle, 2023). The phrase translates to "total artwork" and refers to art that strives to make use of many or all possible art forms.

The concept of Gesamtkunstwerk became popular when Wagner began to introduce the idea of it into his operas, rejecting the more traditional Italian and French styles. He attempted to create shows that combined music with dance, drama, and theatre, culminating in his own opera series called Der Ring des Nibelungen, which is thought of as being the closest he came to achieving his goals of creating Gesamtkunstwerk (Grey, 2008).

In 1859, William Morris - a prominent artist responsible for a large amount of work in the Arts & Crafts movement - and Phillip Webb - an architect also famous for his work within the Arts & Crafts movement - designed Red House. a building that is said to perfectly encapsulate Morris' belief that one should "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" (Morris, 1880).

Although the definition of Gesamtkunstwerk is widely agreed upon, there are many different criteria by which an artwork can be judged to determine if it is "complete" (Oxford English Dictionary, 2023). To further explore this idea we can compare two different artworks that are both widely considered to have achieved Gesamtkunstwerk, such as Wagner's operas and video games.

Gesamtkunstwerk and Video Games

Many video games can be thought of as an example of Gesamtkunstwerk. Robin Sloan (Year Unknown) briefly discusses video games as Gesamtkunstwerk, describing the ways in which games use written story along with visual images and music to create an artwork. All of the individual elements of a game - from the character to the environments, the writing to the music, the visual effects to the gameplay - combine to create a whole experience that would be lesser without even a single element.

But a video game has many differences to one of Wagner's operas, so how can both be considered Gesamtkunstwerk?

I believe that Gesamtkunstwerk is highly subjective and, most importantly, bound by what the author or creator determines to be their complete work. For Wagner, using music to convey emotion and meaning combined with physical performance from dancers created what he thought of as a complete piece of work, with all components working harmoniously to create a meaningful experience for his audiences (Wolfman, 2013). In a video game the parameters for whether it constitutes Gesamtkunstwerk are different, although incorporate some of the same ideas as Wagner. The majority of games combine visuals with storytelling, sound design, music, gameplay, and many other components to create an (ideally) complete experience for the player. These components should all uniquely add to the game, adding to the context intended by the creators and improving the overall experience for the player.

Gesamtkunstwerk in my own work

In my own work I often like to set short videos to music or add in some form of sound design. I am greatly inspired by music and base a lot of my work around that inspiration, so it feels right that I should reflect that when presenting my work, allowing the audience to fully understand the context and circumstances under which I created my artwork.

By no means would I compare my own amateur work to that of Wagner or any video game, but based on the criteria I set myself when starting a piece I would say that I have achieved a level of Gesamtkunstwerk that I feel is appropriate for my current level and goals.

For example, I recently created a short video of a (vaguely) Victorian-looking bedroom with a windy storm occurring outside an open window. This was inspired by the book Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and the song of the same name by Kate Bush and aims to encapsulate the dark and stormy moors haunted by the ghost of Catherine. I added a short section of the song to my video along with the sound of a storm in the distance to further cement the vibe I was aiming for. To me, this is a complete piece of art. Each of the components uniquely contribute to the work and it would feel incomplete - at least to me- without one of these components. It doesn't include dancers like Wagner's operas or interactivity like most video games feature, but including those components would detract from the work as it is currently and would not make contextual sense unless I were to change the initial vision I had for the artwork.

Conversely, I previously created a render of a diner in a misty forest. Whilst I am happy with the render I created, I do not consider it to be a complete work of art. To an outside viewer this is just an average artwork depicting a diner. My intention was to add a level of interactivity to the work where the player would click areas of the screen to take them closer to sections of the area or reveal something hidden. It was a simple concept, but as I neared the end of designing and creating the "final" image I lost motivation and realised I lacked the skills needed to full realise my vision. To someone with no knowledge of the plan they might view it as a complete artwork, as often an artwork is simply just a painting or digital render with no further context or media added to it. But, as this was not the intention, the product is incomplete in my eyes.

Having said that, there is always more one can add to an artwork. However, that does not mean that the artwork would be improved by this. As I said previously, even just a single painting could be considered a complete piece of art if that is all the artist intended for it to comprise; no one argues that Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa would be improved if it had strobe lights and dancers performing to Nat King Cole's Mona Lisa around it at the Louvre (although I may now have to make that pitch to the person in charge of their exhibits).

To summarise

Gesamtkunstwerk is a subjective and dependent concept which relies on the artist themselves to determine if they consider their own work to be complete. Adding more forms of art to a piece for the sake of it does not automatically make a piece "complete", just as an artwork consisting of only one form or media does not automatically disqualify it from being considered Gesamtkunstwerk. In reality, anyone can manipulate the definition of the word to declare their work complete or incomplete; it is the opinion of the artist that matters in the determination of whether an artwork is Gesamtkunstwerk or not.

References

Grey, T. S. (ed)(2008). The Cambridge Companion to Wagner. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CCOL9780521642996

Morris, W. (1880). The Beauty of Life. Hopes and Fears for Art: Five Lectures Delivered in Birmingham, London, and Nottingham, 1878-1881 (1882).

Oxford English Dictionary. (2023). Gesamtkunstwerk. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/8000713856. Accessed 13/11/2023

Seiferle, R. (2023). Gesamtkunstwerk Definition Overview and Analysis. The Art Story. https://www.theartstory.org/definition/gesamtkunstwerk/. Accessed 13/11/2023

Sloan, R. (Year Unknown). The Total Work. POTO Diary: Overworld. https://www.robinsloan.com/overworld/week/1/. Accessed 13/11/2023

Wolfman, U. R. (2013). Richard Wagner's Concept of the "Gesamtkunstwerk". Interlude. https://interlude.hk/richard-wagners-concept-of-the-gesamtkunstwerk/. Accessed 13/11/2023

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Game Review - A Summer’s End – Hong Kong 1986

Before diving into the meat of Oracle and Bone’s A Summer’s End, I want to talk about the women behind this game Tida Kietsungden, and Charissa So. So and Kietsungden have done nothing but impress me since the announcement of A Summer’s End. They have repeatedly demonstrated their immense effort and dedication to creating a beautiful and thoughtful experience. Through conversations with the studio and reading their blog entries, I gained a remarkable understanding of how this game is both a tribute to classic cinema and a love letter to the Yuri and LGBT community. Through careful research and thoughtful expression, the two women navigate and acknowledge complicated issues, including Asian LGBTQ history and Hong Kong’s delicate political situation with grace and maturity. I am in complete awe of both women and their work. However, regardless of my profound respect for these creators, I still endeavor to offer my unfiltered thoughts on the visual novel, giving praise and criticism where appropriate.

A Summer’s End – Hong Kong 1986 is a Yuri visual novel set, as you may have figured out, in Hong Kong in the year 1986. The game follows a young office worker, Michelle (Fong Ha) Cheung, who has a chance encounter with a free-spirited woman named Sam (Ka Yan) Wong. Both women feel drawn to each other, and the game explores this mutual attraction and the budding relationship which emerges from it.

This plot follows the standard girl meets girl story that has permeated the Yuri genre for the past several decades. Like most Yuri stories, the older and more experienced woman, Sam, is rebellious and beautiful, with long dark hair and a dominating persona. Michelle, although far more naive in the ways of love, breaks the trend of this trope by being the more sullen of the two. I would have liked to see the game diverge a bit more from the standard story of the genre. Fortunately, A Summer’s End is a romance story between adults who do not work together, setting it apart from the norms. It even includes a coming out section that creates a more robust LGBT identity than any tale of temporary schoolgirl love.

The story is well put together and well presented. The story is told primarily from Michelle’s perspective. It mostly takes place over a few days, during which Michelle engages in a whirlwind romance with Sam. This story features the struggle between her feelings and passion and her devotion to tradition and her mother. The progression of her affection is unrealistically fast. The story feels a bit rushed, and many of the societal and personal quagmires the game stumbles upon are not sufficiently developed or confronted. Had the game indulged in a more prolonged and tumultuous struggle for Michelle, conclusions would have felt much sweeter, and the story would have gone from good to great.

Even with this massive missed opportunity, there are plenty of exemplary moments and aspects of the narrative. The game pulls no punches addressing Michelle’s slightly overbearing mother and the conflict between the two. It would have been incredibly simple to take the easy route on this one. Still, the developers stuck to their guns and manage to explore a challenging situation satisfyingly, all while keeping the characters realistic and sympathetic. In fact, every scene relating to LGBT rights and history is flawlessly executed.

There are also some fantastic chapters, including a thrilling but refreshing bike ride and a flashback scene that recontextualizes certain events from another perspective. The many references and allusions to classic cinema including some older lesbian films and plenty of Asian works, are particularly noteworthy. However, the best part of A Summer’s End by far is the setting.

The location and time period is intrinsic to Sam and Michelle’s tale, as it is shaped by and reflects contemporary culture and LGBTQ rights. Oracle and Bone create a vibrant and lively world, a jaw-dropping depiction of Hong Kong in the 1980s. Everything helps feed into the creation of this world, including a fantastic and retro UI, small touches such as a Cantonese subway announcement, and objects encountered like a disposable camera help convey a strong sense of the period. However, the soundtrack sells it more than any other element, save perhaps the artwork, transporting the player to the era. While a few tracks are the standard easy listening affairs one expects from visual novels, there are tons of excellent city pop and disco beats, complete with plenty of synths and confidence! Finally, a visual novel soundtrack that contributes more than just background noise!

Sadly, the game’s dialogue choice system and branching paths are far more of a hindrance than a help. I can honestly say that the game would play better and be way more enjoyable as a kinetic novel. Most choices feel inconsequential, changing nothing of the story and resulting in almost the exact same response from other characters yet, they have a hidden points system. If you do not earn enough points, parts of the optional adult content will be unplayable until one goes back to find the right choice. I spent several hours replaying, and eventually skipping through, the game to unlock all the scenes, and finally gave up with one CG left unseen. The only choice with any actual effect is painfully evident in its consequences. One option leads to the bad ending, which is well written, but no reasonable player would go down that path unless they just wanted to see the whole game. The second unveils the true good ending, which no player in their right mind would not pursue, as again, the choice is obvious and adds nothing to the game. There is no reason to put in an alternative ending or tedious dialogue choice.

The characters in A Summer’s End are well constructed. Sam is adventurous without being obnoxious and has a mature though appropriately unrefined demeanor. Michelle is extremely curt and somewhat distant, although she displays a sharp wit and more timid nature on occasion. Both women participate in engaging, deep, and thoughtful discussions, often with each other, although sometimes internally, and thus feel well developed and complex. Unfortunately, their chemistry, while not absent, is not enough to sell the whirlwind romance. There is insufficient expression of their feelings and attractions, both internally or through dialogue and actions, so their inevitable closeness feels unearned.

However, even in the short game, both characters change with each other, especially Michelle, as she becomes more affectionate, confident, and caring. She begins to embody some of Sam’s warmness while never losing herself. Some of my favorite dialogue and interaction came from her towards the end of the game, although I will not spoil it. Additionally, side characters have a strong presence thanks to their firmly established characteristics and a profound effect on the narrative. Each has their own sprite and mannerisms, helping cement them as fixtures in A Summer’s End rather than tacked on assets.

The visual novel contains optional adult content, which is installed in an extra patch and can be toggled on and off. I played through the game with and without it and can happily report that the story is just as fulfilling and complete without it. Although the unlockable nature of these scenes is aggravating, they are very well written and sensual without being exploitative. There were moments I did not care for as much, such as Sam getting carried away at one point, but it felt very realistic and incredibly sensual. The artwork in these sexual encounters is some of the best in the game, embracing darker colors and showcasing intense desire.

Speaking of the artwork, it is stupendous. The game is bright and striking, with amazing backgrounds complete with luminous neon signs, glaring televisions, and life and activity oozing from every corner. The backgrounds are so beautiful and detailed they could effectively serve in place of CG art, although there is plenty of that asides. The character models and designs are similarly excellent, with expressive poses and faces. The various outfits, of which the game has many, embody iconic 80’s fashion. Artist Tida Kietsungden draws both the characters and CGs with a distinctive hand-drawn style, which allows them to play well off each other and add to the beautiful presentation. The detail and care that went into the aesthetics are enormous and elevate the game at every moment. 

A Summer’s End – Hong Kong 1986 is a vibrant and intimate experience. The fantastic setting and flawless artwork surround a compelling and thoughtful story about lesbian love and desire, societal expectations, and the bonds between family and lovers. It is rough around the edges, with a slightly rushed story that leaves little time to wallow in complexity and an awful dialogue system. However, it will win players over with its striking presentation and sophisticated subject matter. I look forward to more from this studio and highly recommend you check this game out!

Ratings: Story – 7 Characters – 6 Art – 10 Music – 8 LGBTQ – 8 Sexual Content – 3 (8 with patch) Final – 7

Purchase A Summer’s End on Steam and itch.io, available April 23

Consider supporting Yuri news, reviews, and content on the YuriMother Patreon

[hakasims]

Shitty Luca Movie Recap, Episode 4

Can’t Watch Nina, Even For Luca?

Don’t Worry, Me Neither. Goodbye.

.

..

...

Ok, fine, I’ll talk about the damn thing.

So it’s a warm September night, and I’m in the mood for a Luca Marinelli feature. In my infinite wisdom I choose Nina. “It’s directed by a woman,” I reason, “and women know what’s up.” ‘What’s up’ in this particular case is code for ‘how to frame beautiful men for the female gaze’. Because women can be auteurs, too, and being an auteur means making movies about your own personal wank material.

Turns out, sometimes a woman’s wank material consists less of a gorgeous male form and more of fascist architecture. We’ll discuss the former in due time, but for now, what’s Nina even about? Well, at its core it’s a simple story about a young woman who doesn’t know what she wants, set against the backdrop of the Rome that is almost entirely empty due to most people leaving for the summer. This could have been a fairly straightforward coming-of-age film, but Nina is too indie and up its own ass for that. Literally nothing of note happens in this movie, and it’s all long static wide shots of empty streets, endless stairs, and domineering largeness of Rome’s most famous fascist buildings such as the Palace of Italian Civilization, the Sapienza University of Rome, Palazzo dei Congressi, and, most prominently, the Fountains Hall. (Google what they look like if you don’t know.) Now, I’m guessing those locations weren’t chosen by accident. They could have easily added to the creepiness of the movie — and I’m assuming creepiness was intended; otherwise how do you explain these hoverboarding nuns?

Anyway, the employment of the locations could have been atmospheric and thematic had the shots not been so bland. But they are. Bland, flat, and always looking the same no matter what is happening in the scene. Usually audiences are willing to sit through slow uneventful movies because of interesting visuals or characters worthy of attention, but Nina has neither. The titular character herself is tedious. Even her bad fashion sense is bad in a boring way that doesn’t tell you anything about her. Is she stuck in perpetual adolescence? Is she searching to get in touch with her sensuality? Who knows. The only thing I’m certain of is that she needs to learn to tuck her tops into her bottoms.

Nina spends her days giving singing lessons, going to Chinese calligraphy classes, eating cake, exercising and taking midnight walks in the empty city. She wants to go to China in September — it’s the closest thing to a goal she has — yet she’s done no preparations, and instead of learning Mandarin she’s studying calligraphy. And she’s real bad at it, too.

There are reoccurring visual elements in the movie besides the vast emptiness: stairs, white columns, a jogger, a red dress, animals… You’d think those were very straightforward symbols, but they’re used too sporadically and inconsistently to hold any meaning. For example, animals. Nina is tasked with both helping out in a pet store and house-sitting an apartment with a German shepherd (a good boy named Homer), a guinea pig and a tank full of fish. The instructions she’s given are absurd, like feeding the dog sleeping pills and putting the guinea pig on a diet. And then there’s a supposedly American TV show always playing in and out of diegesis about dogs living in cages and swimming happily in pools, and it looks and sounds like a video off the political section on the dog version of YouTube. It contains timeless classics like “You are a dog born in the age of consumerism” and “Depression is an evil illness now spreading amongst dogs of every breed, dogs belonging to every social class.” The butter commercial from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could never. And I wish the whole movie was as surreal as this TV program but unfortunately it’s as bland and directionless as Nina herself.

And boy is it directionless. There aren’t any subplots in the movie, no cause and effect, no acts, no structure, no flow; only scenes that happen, and I can’t even find any reasons for the order in which they happen. The scenes also don’t start or end; they just interrupt each other, not leaving any emotional impact. For example, there’s a scene where Nina sees her future self. She’s on one of those midnight walks with the good boy Homer when she sees a couple being romantic. The woman is wearing a long red dress, and the man is in all black. The shot is wide, so it’s impossible to see their faces, but the woman is obviously Nina:

And the man is definitely Luca. I recognized his ass. I’m not joking, guys. It’s his ass:

Also I was later directed to the website of the photographer who took the set photos, and yes, it’s Nina and Luca.

I never forget an ass.

Anyway, Nina, who at this point hasn’t properly met Luca’s character, Fabrizio, sees herself from the future acting romantic with him, and doesn’t react. We don’t even know if she recognizes herself or him or whether it’s even a real scene or a dream. How are we supposed to empathize with a heroine who isn’t allowed to react to her environment?

Whatever, it’s time to talk about Fabrizio. He plays the cello and he’s obnoxious. That’s it. He first appears as a patron of Caffé Palombini, the real-world café Nina frequents (and buys her cakes at). She’s drinking her usual milk shake and reading. At some point, their eyes meet, but neither says anything, and then Nina gets up and runs after the good boy Homer who decided to take a little stroll by himself. She leaves all her things behind: her milk shake, her handbag, at least three books, a whole stack of paper for calligraphy, and her diary. It’s obvious she’s going to come back as soon as she gets the dog. And yet before her feet are even out of frame, Fabrizio gets up, goes to her table and fucking steals her diary!

His next several appearances are random and sporadic, and it looks like he’s stalking Nina, but by the time of his first actual scene she is following him for some reason. Obviously, he can’t let a woman outcreep him, so he ambushes her:

He tells her blankly, “You’re following me,” but I think this scene deserves better dialogue. Thankfully, we have a whole well of predator/maiden media to pull from.

Though I personally believe this is the most appropriate line:

Fabrizio lets Nina know he has her diary in the dickiest way possible: he quotes from it to let her know that he’s read it. He then informs her that he’ll only give it back to her if she continues following him. And it’s not blackmail; “it’s an agreement.” What an asshole! I’m weeping for the dignified cuckoldry of Joseph.

And what was the purpose of that “agreement” plot point if the next time they meet is by chance? Quirky love interest writing, duh. So quirky that the accidental meeting happens when Nina is walking past a phone booth where Fabrizio is… doing a phone prank? I don’t know, I got nothing. Anyway, he’s annoyed their meeting is unintentional on Nina’s part, but he returns her diary, and I guess they start dating? He watches her sing once with what could only be described as a complete absence of emotions:

In the next scene she watches him play the cello after which they go on a date. Nina is wearing the red dress from the vision, but Fabrizio’s shirt is different. I fucking give up.

Their next (second?) date is a romantic dinner on Nina’s roof, and they’re dancing for entirely too long. She then tells him she’s scared of how much she’s enjoying his company, gives him a ridiculously chaste kiss goodnight and… completely ghosts him afterwards. And if you didn’t dislike Fabrizio before, you will now as he starts calling Nina at ungodly hours (including 5:30 am) and leaving her very whiny and increasingly more passive-aggressive, entitled, and accusatory voicemails. At some point he even leaves a voicemail for the fucking dog! He’s like, “Homer, I’m worried, meet me at the café.” Again, quirky love interest writing: extortion, phone pranks and a voicemail for a dog.

Fabrizio then lets Nina know he’ll be leaving town in three days in case she’d like to see him one last time or whatever. And she never fucking does! In any other movie she’d be chasing through the airport, but here she just drops him like he’s a well-tucked shirt! She tells the kid she’s befriended (she hangs out with an eleven-year-old boy the whole movie, don’t worry about it) that she’s afraid to be “like everyone else”, with a job and a boyfriend, so she doesn’t even say goodbye to Fabrizio. At some point she goes for a walk with the good boy Homer, and Fabrizio is also there, and they just miss each other. Even fate isn’t interested in that romance.

And then all the fascist buildings get covered in gigantic paper figurines, and the red-dressed Nina runs into Fabrizio’s arms. Because of course.

Nina is one of those movies where the main theme — a struggle to grow up — is obvious, but the rest of the elements are a mess only the writer-director could decipher. And I don’t really care. Again, I had to read Japanese postmodernists at university. What I do care about is the male form I mentioned at the start. I know I have no one but myself to blame for my expectations of how the director should have framed Luca’s body or face, but it’s one thing to frame him blandly and a completely different thing to isolate him as the only character (or actor) she’s deeply uninterested in filming competently. Everyone else in the movie gets their fair share of close-ups and decent lighting whilst Luca — whose name is literally second in the credits — gets, um, neglected.

This is his introduction:

These are literally all his close-ups:

Should I even count this last one? What’s with the lighting? Like, this is as well-lit as his face gets:

Oh, the shot is too wide and you can’t see his face properly? Well, tough poop:

Are you kidding me with this shit?

Nina may not be objectively the most terrible of the movies Luca’s been in: I’d argue both Mary of Nazareth and L’ultimo terrestre are worse, as is Slam, whose time’s a-coming. Nor is it the movie where Luca appears the least (The Great Beauty’s literal one minute of screen time is saying hi). But it’s the only movie I have no reasons to watch: it’s blandly shot, poorly structured, badly themed — and it’s actively obstructing Luca’s beauty and charisma. So no matter which film you’ll ask me to do next, at least in terms of the visual component of my posts, we have nowhere to go but up.

[gayregis]

right away sorry if this gets too ranty I've just been Thinking lately and i feel like twn is such a good example of like. this idea that Real and Good film and television can only be made by Hollywood i guess? like there's even this polish saying that roughly translates to "you praise the foreign and don't know your own" which gets made fun of a lot but also. it's very true imo. like i still wonder what could've been if actual good polish filmmakers were entrusted with making a new witcher (1/?

and it would've been such a good opportunity for like. one showcasing that there Can be good art and entertainment made locally and two some genuine cultural exchange. like i know its too big of an idea for Capitalism™ but if there was a well made polish-language show on international Netflix like. idk i feel like maybe that could spark some interest in like broadening peoples horizons and changing their views on what fantasy looks like etc and its just frustrating that there wasnt even a chance

i really agree. i have been dreaming recently about what my ideal "visual adaptation" of the witcher would look like, and what i've come up with essentially is something like the polish audiodramas set to 2D animation by fans of the witcher. subs, not dubs, i guess?

audiodramas

gilthoniel1173 on youtube has uploaded many select clips of the audiodramas, translated them and set them to pictures. amazing work and i highly recommend this.

i really value the majority of sapkowski's prose, though there are faults with the witcher, his prose really has a marvelous quality to it and i am trying to think of a way to keep this intact. something like the audiodramas in which there are narration may be the best way to go, with subtitles so that

animation

it's the sort of thing i think about like, hey, if i had netflix's budget (approx. $70 to $80 million, [dies]), how would i make the witcher adaptation?

disclaimer: i hesitated to @ artists because i feel like it sends the message that i am saying, "hey you, specifically, should do this idea for free, also btw, i only see you as a witcher fanartist and nothing more :)" this is not my intention, what i want to do here is just want to bring light to these artists in the community and the work they have done, both witcher-related and original work (and i hope that i am in no way defining them as 'only-witcher' artists). additionally, this is in no way suggesting that i don't want to involve any artists i did not mention or that i do not adore the work of other artists in the witcher fandom, these are just the immediate two i think of when i think of animating the witcher.

i imagine it in the style of @paticmak , @astrolunos , @johix because they have done just such gorgeous art of the witcher... <3 (i hope everyone reading knows of these artists already, but if you do not, please check out their work and support!)

paticmak's cherry vodka, an original animation which you should watch: [x]

paticmak's witcher fanart: [x]

astrolunos' animations, including geralt and ciri from sword of destiny and yennefer and ciri from blood of elves: [x]

astrolunos' witcher fanart: [x]

johix's jadýrko, an original interactive story which you should check out: [x] [x]

johix's art (some ship and ns/fw): [x]

specific witcher pieces from these artists that i think about:

[paticmak / "The witcher drawings redraws and sketches"]

[astrolunos / slavic-inspired outfits]

[astrolunos / "yen and ciri’s room, ellander"]

[johix / geralt and dandelion at beltane (ship)]

other major inspirations in my dreams of this:

studio ghibli movies (spirited away and howl's moving castle)

independent animators like felix colgrave (double king)

laika studio animations (kubo and the two strings)

gobelins studio (sundown)

embracing the roots, introducing diversity

my main point in this section is that i believe the polish & eastern european culture of the witcher is essential to it, at the same time i also value diversity and uplifting people of color. i do not believe that these two concepts are in conflict with one another! a discussion simply needs to be held, which is something that netflix did not do because it had few eastern european voices on the set, and kept the voices of color it did have down.

something netflix failed to do is acknowledge the witcher's cultural origins... at all. really, at all. in the writing, in the dialogue, in the set design, in the character and fashion design... and they had the opportunity to do this. this is massively disappointing and thoughtless.

my goal would be to bring polish & other eastern european writers who are fans of the witcher to work through the prose to tell the story. i would also like to have female and lgbt voices in this because the witcher has some elements that are...! disconcerting, let's just say. as we saw with lauren, having a woman in charge doesn't immediately make things not misogynist anymore, somehow she added to the misogyny of the witcher. but i think this is still a step in the right direction. additionally, this writing process would NOT look like writing fanfiction. it would really be going through and working with the artists and translating the prose, deciding what should be kept and what should be left out (some things like forest gramps should be left out, wouldn't you agree?).

new scenes could be added, but they would just have to be done for a reason. i believe the 2002 hexer did this somewhat-successfully in scenes such as this one, in which they develop relationships between characters just that little bit more and add to the pathos of the witcher (which is quite direct and does not "loiter" upon many things!)

i would also really value the voices of set designers, fashion historians, food historians, and cultural anthropologists who are from + study poland & eastern europe because i believe the history and culture should be integrated into the witcher and appreciated, demonstrated in a positive and celebratory light to the world, without doing so in a cultural appropriation-like manner (in which elements are just taken without any knowledge of where they are from and what context they hold). also, yes, the witcher is not a historical fantasy - but its setting is inspired by history and it would be rewarding to see a visual fantasy universe that is not based in english culture!

i think the witcher community is really vast and holds many opinions... this is both a good and bad thing, because "the witcher fandom" includes both people of color and like, white supremacists. i will say that i wouldn't want the latter working on the project, just saying. i would like to see designs of color for the cast of the witcher (i have done a few but hesitated to post them, lol) and sensitivity readings, NOT just diversity for views like netflix performed, but diversity that empowers, makes sense, and isn't "people of color are in this, they are either white-passing or just there to support the white characters." ... i also would like to think about how we approach diversity, as in, designs/casting of color should not be relegated to insignificant or evil characters, the good protagonists could be people of color. i would also like to think about and avoid problematic tropes such as when white characters in a media teach and "civilize" a young person of color, or when "monsters" or non-human characters are cast as people of color... i think people of color should be given roles in which they are in control, powerful, desirable, and good. we need to think about the message we send. in the end, my goal would be "genuine cultural exchange" as you said.

additionally: i think involving jewish and indigenous (broad terms, but i mean them to be broad) voices specifically in conversations about writing would be significant because sapkowski made some decisions in the witcher which can come off as offensive to these groups in particular (regarding the parts of the story about elves, dwarves, gnomes, dryads, and specific characters such as yennefer and regis).

music

honestly, not many thoughts here! can we really get any better than the soundtrack of the witcher 3? cdpr has many faults, but their music is not one of them in my opinion.

afterthoughts

i was displeased to learn that alik sakharov left twn because of not being appreciated and instead being fought on his writing, but i feel a project like this would actually value input like his instead of kicking him out and citing "creative differences"

what is really the most significant thing to me is good writing and ciri's relationship with her parents, because i believe these being taken away is one of the things which was most painful about netflix's "adaptation."

[youngboy-oldmind]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Lost Boy

“Try to take a walk up in my shoes/A n**** rapping like I really got something to prove, Cause motherf****er, I do/I climb hills, n***** was sleeping, on Nyquil/ Paint a picture vivid, dawg, on everything, my life's real”

Overall Thoughts

Maryland rapper YBN Cordae plants a solid footprint in the rap game on his debut album The Lost Boy: a 45 minute masterpiece filled with excellent storytelling and production combined with a unique style that proves he’s definitely an up and comer to look out for in years to come.

The Lost Boy was my favorite rap/hip-hop release of 2019. Cordae’s first studio album is contender for one of my favorite debut albums ever. In my opinion, related artists’ (Chance the Rapper, Logic, Bas, J Cole, Kendrick, Amine) debut album’s fall to The Lost Boy. And at 21, his debut releases at an age younger than everyone in that group. To have an excellent project at such a young age is another feat on its own.

One commonality I notice with debut albums is that new artists tend to sound like their biggest influencers; the biggest culprit being Logic. But Cordae stands out with his own style that doesn’t sound too similar to any of his numerous influences. His delivery, word choice, and flow (while not always mind blowing), is not a carbon copy of a rapper from the 90s-00s. Here, Cordae’s sound is his own.

His pen game on this project is consistently above average, but rarely mind blowing. Tracks like “We Gone Make It” and “Thousand Words” exhibit his strongest lyricism. However, Cordae’s story telling abilities are consistently powerful. Tracks like “Bad Idea”, “Thanksgiving”, “Nightmares Are Real”, “Family Matters” all have Cordae illustrating his experiences. He emphasizes his perspective as a young man who’s finding himself through all these experiences. Even his most bragging and banger tracks still feature great humility and storytelling elements, the stand out being “Broke as F***”.

The features on The Lost Boy are all top notch. Cordae includes Chance the Rapper, Ty Dollar $ign, Pusha-T, Anderson .Paak, and Meek Mill, all of whom bring elite verses to their features. It’s even better that the guests don’t completely outshine Cordae. Cordae brings enough weight to each song that its not completely engulfed by the feature. Songs like French Montana’s “No Shopping”, Logic’s “Homicide”, Chance’s “Handsome” all suffer from a feature that outclasses the main artist. But Cordae goes toe to toe with each feature.

I should also mention the two skits, “Sweet Lawd” and “Grandma’s House”. Both are pretty good as far as skits go. I can’t help but assume they were influenced by Kanye West’s “I’ll Fly Away” from The College Dropout, both of which sound very reminiscent to. They display Cordae’s singing abilities and soulful sound. And its touching to hear Cordae’s grandmother on the latter track.

Overall, I can’t really find a weak spot on this project. The runtime, theme/tone, uniqueness, production, and lyricism are all excellent. As far as debut albums go, Cordae made has created one of the best I’ve ever heard.

Album Breakdown

The common theme throughout this project is Cordae’s experiences being young and lost in a chaotic world. I love this theme because it doesn’t limit the scope about his topics. He can make fun tracks, political commentary, and emotional deep cuts while staying tonally consistent.

1. Wintertime

"Wintertime” features a smooth, mellow, jazzy beat; The vibe feels like a instrumental off of J Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only. Cordae introduces himself, compares where he started to where he’s at now, and discusses some everyday plagues that stress him (anxiety, maintaining success, pressure to appear problem-free) while also aiming for the top and hoping nothing he creates fades away. Great intro.

2. Have Mercy

This next track is lyrically nothing deep or profound, just a banger track with a dope instrumental. The echoy, bassy sound that develops on the last leg of the song is especially great. I also found Cordae’s music video technique interesting. He released two videos, Path A and Path B, that illustrate opposite tones. Path A brings more zainy, flamboyant visuals while Path B is much more dark and eerie. I personally think Path A is the more appropriate for the track. Overall, not a bad banger.

3. Sweet Lawd- Skit

This skit features Cordae singing the hook off “Have Mercy” over a church-like piano. As I mentioned early, strongly reminds me of “I’ll Fly Away” off Kanye West’s The College Dropout. Cordae’s voice is soulful and pleasant to listen to as well. The first gospel-esque track.

4. Bad Idea

Chance the Rapper and Cordae team up to create one of the best songs on the album. They both deliver great verses, Chance’s middle verse being the best. Here they talk about the downsides of Home and the impact those experiences had on them. They borrow the beginning chorus lines “It might not be such a bad idea if I never went home again” from Gil Scott-Herman’s “Home is Where the Hatred Is” and heavily styled like Kanye West’s “My Way Home”. Although Cordae is the main singer on the chorus, he layers his voice to make it sound like an ensemble of singers. A great stylistic choice. And the heavy piano X light strings perfectly end the track. Between the strings at the end, the Kanye West sample, and Chance’s (a huge fan, supporter, and protege of Kanye) involvement, I definitely smell influence from West’s sophomore album Late Registration.

5. Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving”, the first deep cut on the album, has Cordae introducing a girl to his family during Thanksgiving. However, she’s fake and never stays around, making him question their relationship while remaining hopeful they can maintain it. Cordae demonstrates his powerful storytelling abilities. The overall mellow tone in the production allows his lyrics to fit perfectly in the instrumental; it doesn’t outshine but it doesn’t get over shadowed either.

6. RNP

Anderson .Paak has collaborated with Andre 3000, J. Cole, Rhapsody, Kendrick Lamar, BJ The Chicago Kid, Pusha-T, and Q-Tip, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw Cordae would be collaborating with the talented singer. However, I couldn’t prepare for the amazing back-and-forth chemistry between them. You wouldn’t think when listening to them trade bars that they have a 12 year age difference between them. Also fun fact: J. Cole produced the track.

Both these artists are just having fun over a bouncy beat, talking about the “problems” they’ve experienced being rich. Definitely be favorite fun track so far.

7. Broke As F***

This is tied for my favorite track on the album. Cordae’s lyrics aren’t necessarily the most complex and deep, but he brings such a indescribable energy to his storytelling. He basically tells the story from him being a baby, being in high school appreciating hip hop, where he came from, and where he’s going to go. The great thing here is that its not solely bragging about his possessions. Its a commentary on what he’s GAINED. This adds a touch of humility. And at the end, he comments on how he’s lost, still searching, and doesn’t “really have a lot of answers”, tying into the theme of the album. Perfect.

The spacey instrumental on the chorus, the beat drop after the first line of the first verse, and the beat change midway through makes this one of the best instrumentals on the album. And the ending drums transition to the next song perfectly.

8. Thousand Words

“Thousand Words” has some best verses on the album. Here Cordae talks about the toxicity of social media and how people create false perceptions to hide true pain. While already an intriguing topic, Cordae goes a step further by admitting he’s not holier than thou. He admits everyone lowkey wants to be a little famous, and nobody wants to be “nameless”. I love that. It’s easier to say Instagram and Twitter are toxic (Logic on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind). But to admit there is some validity and positivity to social media...very profound for someone so young. My favorite lines are:

“Living in this false reality that's in this picture gallery/ Based on a n***** profile, we guessin' salary/ The lifestyle you advertise was quite strategized/ Make a minimal amount and then we maximize/ These n***** cappin' with lies how they capitalize/ Creating they own perceptions, what a massive facade/ Digital marketing schemes even broader regime/ Live how you want on the internet, who thought of this thing?”

9. Way Back Home

Ty Dollar $ign stands out on the feature, talking about not letting fame and success pull him from reality. Cordae sings the chorus and most of his verse. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of Cordae’s parts; It felt underwhelming. But the instrumental and Ty’s verse carry a significant part of the song. I especially loved the high pitched melodic voice that pops in the beat throughout the song. I also love the sci-fi, techy “WORP” effect throughout the instrumental. But ultimately, this felt more like Ty’s song than Cordae’s.

10. Grandma’s House- Skit

Between “Grandma’s House” and “Sweet Lawd”, I prefer this skit. The harmonious vocals that echo Cordae’s grandma’s vocals give off an amazing gospel vibe. The simplistic yet soulful and intimate aura of this skit makes it one of my favorite interlude-skits off any rap album.

11. Been Around

Another mellow song on the project, “Been Around” has Cordae talking about the development of his career and how he’s going to keep moving forward and not let doubters or bad situations slow him down. I like the chorus more than the verses, but overall its not a bad track. It maintains the tone of the album and flexes Cordae’s pen game a little.

12. Nightmares Are Real

This was the most intriguing collaboration on the album. Pusha-T and Cordae have very different sounds and styles; Pusha-T brings much more aggressiveness whereas Cordae is softer. Cordae’s hardest verses don’t compare to Pusha-T’s baseline intensity. Although they don’t demonstrate strong chemistry, they both bring solid verses. Both tell stories of how they started in the rap game, however, Pusha-T’s wordplay and lyricism is a step above Cordae’s. He talks about dealing with selling crack while developing his skills in rapping. Particular set of lines had me shook.

“Asterisk, skipped school, recorded with The Neptunes/ We was makin' high school classics/ Before I took a kilo and I wrapped it, I rapped it/ Around the funeral with the casket/ Coke avalanche, like a landslide/ Only grew my hair this long because my man died/”

I don’t wanna go too far into explaining these lyrics cus genius will do better job. But Pusha-T brings fire to this track. The tone of the instrumental matches Pusha-T’s intensity as well. As solid of a collaboration this is, its not in my top 3 collabs. That goes to show how amazing this project is.

13. Family Matters

"Family Matters” is tied with “Broke as F***” for my favorite song on The Lost Boy. Cordae talks about the stress of witnessing family traumas and difficulties while experiencing his own success. He expresses feelings of guilt and selfishness when his family hides things from him so he can focus on achieving his goals. He talks about abandonment from baby daddies, aunt’s raising kids that aren’t theirs, a cousin in an abusive relationship, a cousin addicted to xanax, and another aunt who’s a prostitute. All of this is happening while he’s worried about “plays and streams”. It’s an interesting sentiment. Is it selfish to focus on yourself when your family has a load of obstacles and difficulties? Every time he succeeds he has to look back at where he came from and be reminded his family does not share his accomplishments. Nearly brought me to tears when I first heard it.

As I already stated, lyrically this is one of Cordae’s top songs. Arin Ray brings a choir on the chorus that sounds amazing, adding to the gospel sound sprinkled throughout the album. And the light violin strings at the end encapsulate the emotional turmoil Cordae expresses.

14. We Gone Make It

Another top track, “We Gone Make It”, features a collab with Meek Mill to make political/social commentary on todays world and encourage others to keep pushing to succeed. Unlike the other three collaborations “Bad Idea”, “Way Back Home”, and “Nightmares are Real”, Meek Mill’s verses are actually equal with Cordae. Although I’m not a huge fan of Mill, he brings in a succinct, powerful 12 bars and a hook so dope he, as Cordae puts it, had to “sing it twice”. Also fun fact: Cordae used a modified version of the first verse on H.E.R’s “Lord is Coming (Remix)”.

Instrumentally, the beat accompanies the message without overshadowing it. The piano melody and vocal chops throughout mix well with the verses. I personally love the piano keys in the final minute. It adds an aura of delicacy to a song with such an intense message.

15. Lost & Found

In the perfect closing track “Lost & Found”, Cordae displays pride, stating “I was lost boy, now I’m found”. Over a bumpy, bassy beat with epic trumpet harmonies, he comments on everything throughout the project. However, now he has assurance he’s not lost nor insecure from his experiences. And he knows things are going up from here. Like the rest of the album, he’s lyrically above average, reflecting on his life while introducing a fun, braggadocios vibe. Kinda like a “the balls in your court” to the rest of the rap game. Loved it.

Final Thoughts

I look forward to Cordae’s next album. This was a near perfect debut solo album. At 21 years old, Cordae displays strong lyricism and production skills. His ability to story-tell and introspect indicate incredible feats in career. The lowest parts of this project are still amazing, and the high points put this project as my favorite of the year. I don’t know how else to say it. The rap game better watch out for this Maryland born “Lost Boy”. If The Lost Boy indicates the trajectory of his future, Cordae will have the crown in no time.

Top 3 Tracks:

1) Family Matters

2) Broke As F***

3) Bad Idea

Overall Grade: A+

[yeoldontknow]

Hi! Can I ask question about the movie Paris Texas? I am not sure if youre the right personbut i have always wondered why it is so highly revered. Like I liked the movie, i thought it was good. i could feel the longing the characters are going through, i liked how it was shot(?),i can see why the 'booth' scenes are always replicated in music vids & other shows & stuffBut idk what makes it iconic- like everytime i listen to people talk about films, they bring that movie up.

my favorite actors and directors for around the world even mention that filmLike i enjoyed it and know its good, but i am not sure on what makes it great. what are your thoughts on this film?

ahh hello! lmao im so happy people are asking me to talk about film lmao this really does excite me. and im so glad you came to me with this! just in general! thank you!

trust me like...i get it. paris texas is a great film, and i did enjoy watching it, but i see where you come from. i can understand why its been so revered, so hopefully i can shed some light on that for you. but! i really do understand where you come from. if im honest, theres a lot of flaws and issues with the film. its slow, doesnt actually handle the heavy themes the script attempts to portray very well, and doesnt really actually offer any nuance to janes character. shes actually a really complex character, but shes boxed into the role of like...the manic pixie dream girl, except not that. shes not and ideology of freedom or growth or perfection the way that trope is usually portrayed. instead she exists to further a male centric narrative and the depiction of women is really shallow, so trust me i get why there is a dissenting opinion. 

that said, there are a lot of things that make the film as cult and important as its become among cinephiles. they range from the use of americana as a plot device, colour theory, voyeurism, the breakdown of the american dream, etc. ill be breaking down some of the major points here under the cut, but there are even more ways to read this. and!! i stress!! it is ok to read all of this and still disagree! thats the beauty of film studies.

to really understand fundamentally why this film is so important we need to focus on two intertwining notions - that the film is a portrayal of america and this portrayal of a america is coming from a foreigner. the director of the film is win wenders, a german filmmaker, who has always claimed to be fascinated by the history and character of america. effectively, america itself becomes a character within the film. it does not matter that ‘america’ is the backdrop - it plays such an integral role in shaping the narrative of the story, one could argue it has more autonomy than jane. take for example the opening scene - it opens with the scene of a man walking aimlessly through the desert with a gallon of water - nameless and aimless. from this very first moment, we are presented with land. an endless expanses of land in which there is no real ownership; from this moment, we are meant to understand this america shapes the lives of its people as much as this perspective on america is shaped by the director of the film. 

furthermore, if we consider the opening shot; the saloon; the fact that a full 26 minutes elapses before the main character says a single word, we can argue the mise en scene within each of these scenes a visual alignment to the classic genre of western cinema. here, too, in this genre is the stress on land as it relates to and symbolizes the importance of freedom, autonomy, and identity, but moreover is there a stress on the notion of the anti-hero. by cultivating this understanding of america and the western, we can immediately align travis with the failed man, the failed husband, a failed owner of land, and a failed dream. 

but...did he fail? or did the notion of americana and the american dream fail him, instead? this seems to be the case as we considered the continual use of americana references. one of the fundamental aspects of americana is the nature of nostalgia - americana is traditionally idealized as the desire to return to small towns and cities from the turn of the century. the hope of creating a home, only for that essence of home to be lost; the period of exploration from 1820 to 1880, and then the comfort of being settled from 1880 to WWII. these are the fundamental aspects to understanding americana but they are foundational in the nostalgia that drives the narrative. aspects like: a barber shop, a diner, route-66, etc these small town notions are the driving pieces of nostalgia. and these are the elements of nostalgia that generate the plot device of paris texas.

im taking a moment here to really stress the following: western films and the concept of americana is inherently problematic. it exists on wester colonization, appropriation, and genocide. americana is a white-washed version of history and that, explicitly, is why all the elements of americana, nostalgia, and the american dream fail within this film because, again, it is america from the perspective of a foreigner and the perspective is profoundly unforgiving. 

(also, like, i literally hate western films because they are so racist and sexist and hyper-masculine, from any historical or modern perspective, so again...me being me saying i understand why you might have had a hard time with this movie lmao but when you realize this is not speaking in favor of those things it kind of hits you like...oh, damn. like, imagine this film from the perspective of a white american male, you know? travis would be a king, someone admired rather than someone youre not even sure you like or tolerate by the end)

right! so! now that we understand how important the elements of a failed america and american dream are to this film, we can see how nostalgia continually presents itself - not for a home lost, but for the hope and the opportunity lost. consider: the colour, the wide, open expanses of land (could have been owned, but are entirely empty), the way characters gaze at their own reflections - hell, the conversation between jane and travis at the end, double sided mirrors, jane forced to look at herself in the mirror while travis looks at nothing because its his memories and his memories are presented at a visual and emotional distance. memory presents itself through illusions, reflections, and disorganized narrative structures - it is not that they cant remember, but that they want to remember without criticism. this comes to a head when they view the home movies, another example of how life was or could have been - how it was supposed to be, and the sudden confrontation that it very much is not that. 

primarily for me, the thing that makes me enjoy the film (apart from realizing wenders has an extremely unforgiving view of america) was the colour theory. you cannot talk about this film without discussing the colour. the predominant tones in the film are red, white, and blue - americana and american flag. but why all the green (i.e the doctors office)? why the isolated events of solid red (i.e the strip club)? well, green and red are put perpetually at odds with one another. green, a usually soothing colour, is subverted to denote internal conflict; red, becomes regret, falsehoods. the colours in the film exist to at a sub-textual layer that speaks for the characters when they refuse to speak for themselves. and by the end, the colours return to a normal palette. black, beige, tan - travis recounting their history to jane in a room that is natural. things are finally exactly as they are meant to be, the intense colours of their emotions faded by distance and time, and forced now to confront their truth. 

but still...the elements of voyuerism exist. because he can see her...if he chose to. she cannot see him. she can only see herself. and so we are left, then, understanding that there is no hope. no connection. the achievement of the american dream is a falsehood of nostalgia that exists to drive our motivations, forcing us to live in a time or a place or a hope that never once was tangible, but craved just the same.

[happiibaka]

DIMLIM Second Interview (Pg. 1 of 4)

*YOU CAN SHARE/LIKE, BUT PLEASE DO NOT REPOST TEXT ELSEWHERE WITHOUT PERMISSION. I HONESTLY DIDN’T HAVE TO, BUT I WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS TRANSLATION FOR AN UNNECESSARILY LONG TIME. IF YOU WANT TO TRANSLATE THIS TO ANOTHER LANGUAGE, PLEASE CREDIT ME AS THE SOURCE OR JUST ASK ME; DESPITE THE CAPS, I DON’T BITE lol*

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Original interview link: https://toppamedia.com/interview-2019-9-dimlim/ News Coverage/ Interview Script: 宮久保仁貴 Editor: 松江佑太郎

Translations/English Edits: @happiibaka

(*) = My notes/ clarifications; I didn’t want my explanations to clutter up the dialogues.

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INTERVIEW START:

On August 17, 2019, DIMLIM held 『CHEDOARA』, their greatest one-man live to date, at SHIBUYA TSUTAYA O-WEST. The live was named after their album 『CHEDOARA』, which was released last August 2018; the live itself was announced later that same year in December. With 『CHEDOARA』 set as the base, the setlist was determined from the previously released 『Rijin』, as well as the *『Kidoairaku』 (Human Emotions) single that was exclusively released at the venue the day of. Through the live, the band expressed the culmination of “human emotions” they carried on their backs through their journey in the past year. The day also marked the conclusion of DIMLIM’s second chapter in the band’s history, as members Ryuuya (Gt) and Taishi (Ba) officially withdrew from the band on the same day.

And on Friday, September 20, 2019, Sho (Vo), Retsu (Gt), and Hiroshi (Dr) will hold their one-man live 『Sonzai Shoumei』 (Proof of Existence) as a newly reformed band of three. They also announced the release of a 2nd album following 『CHEDOARA』 at the end of this year in December. DIMLIM is starting to move forward, as the band plunges into the third chapter of its career.

This time, without taking any stops, DIMLIM has continuously progressed forward with their band activities. I asked them about their journey for the past year, the 『CHEDOARA』 live, the thoughts and emotions that were put into their work 『Kidoairaku』, and the new step they are taking into the band’s third chapter through various band activities.

(*Kidoairaku means “human emotions”. The 『喜怒哀楽』kanji literally translates to “joy, anger, pathos, humor”. Just keep the concept in mind because the band mentions the expression quite often) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In regards to 『CHEDOARA』, DIMLIM’s greatest one man live (to date), the other day, great job! That was very much appreciated. I was able to see the live, and I think it demonstrated how the band’s vision has been more deeply polished and refined since the announcement from last December and within the past 8 months. From the announcement up until this point now, did the band as a whole have a change of heart/mind?

Sho: Since various things have happened, such as member withdrawals, rather than a change of heart/mind, more of our circumstances have changed. As expected, we experienced some ups and downs in our mood. However, I think that we still moved on without falling apart as we took each step forward.

Hiroshi: I definitely don’t want anyone to perceive that as a minus/disadvantage.

Retsu: There was nothing but a change of heart/mind. But definitely not in a bad way. Right now, with the 3 of us, our artist picture shows us almost in our bare minimum*, but we had various thoughts before we reached that stage.

(*In comparison to before appearance wise, considering they are in the visual kei scene)

So you’re saying?

Retsu: Well, since the release of 『CHEDOARA』 up until now… this isn’t the band’s outlook from here on out, but it made me think that it was a good phase in the band’s career. In addition to that, I think our band has evolved. We had a tour, even participated in the Metal Square event, and experienced all sorts of incidents and troubles. As a result, I think it’s most fitting to say that our perspectives have broadened.

Along with your minds, I think the acoustic and lighting conditions for the August 17 live elevated the band’s status by illuminating how much the band had polished itself. Who was put in charge that day?

Retsu: The lighting was done by a person named “Mori”-san. He is close to us in age and also really close with the band. If we told him beforehand the key points, the atmosphere, and the images we had in mind, we would have a light discussion afterwards. Rather than telling him “please do this in this certain way”, we entrusted the task to him because we know that he puts a lot of thought into his work and ideas.

The sounds/acoustics were done by *白土-san (SHIBUYA CYCLONE PA). When we performed at CYCLONE, we noticed that the acoustics surpassed that of other livehouses, so we were surprised. From then on, we invited him to work on the acoustics for our tour and the like. Even for the August 17 live, we thought that it was impossible to have anyone else other than 白土-san, so we requested him to work with us. We feel like he really understands us. Other than what we know and want, he also takes other factors into account and really looks after us in terms of sound. That’s pretty much how it is in terms of our sound and lighting structure.

(*I think it’s pronounced Shirato-san, but I’m not entirely sure so I left the original kanji in. I didn’t want to butcher the person’s name lol; if anyone knows let me know!)

So that’s why the pieces exactly fit together! An awe-inspiring sensation was expressed in your performance like never before.

Retsu: We feel like we are better suited for live houses that have high ceilings. I feel like the more we perform on a larger scale, the band shines just as much. In regards to that, we don’t have any worries; we just think that we have achieved at least a little bit of what we’ve wanted to do.

Alright. For that day’s setlist, previously released 『CHEDOARA』 and 『Rijin』 were the focus of the concert, which I thought were well interwoven with that day’s limited release 『Kidoairaku』. While determining the setlist, were there any themes that you were conscious of?

Sho: When initially deciding on the setlist, I really wanted to put it in the order of the limited release 『Kidoairaku』. First would be 『Ki』、then 『Do』、then 『Ai』、then 『Raku』. I wanted to put it together in this order and then squeeze in tracks from 『CHEDOARA』. As we were discussing it, we were saying “this isn’t it; that isn’t it”.

Retsu: We decided on the setlist relatively quickly. Immediately after the release, we did a limited one-man live for those who purchased it and performed all the songs from 『CHEDOARA』. From then on we were pretty much open for a one year period, so while we were thinking about how to showcase the band for our live at Shibuya O-West, we established that list and the limited release CD as our core and created the live with 『CHEDOARA』 as the focal point.

By the way, I heard that artist and designer “Kyougu”-san was in charge of some of the new goods that day. Especially with the  『Aizou ni Tsuki...』 t-shirt, I can strongly sense the song’s and the band’s view of the world.

Sho: The release of t-shirts with two of “Kyougu”-san’s patterns was decided beforehand. The kanji for 『Aizou ni Tsuki...』 is really nice. We haven’t really used letters/characters before...I really liked the appearance of the characters, especially the appearance of the characters “Aizou”. We wanted to leave behind our inspiration as it is.

I see. So in summarizing various things, how was the reaction the day of the live? Personally, I felt like I was able to feel the pulsation of everyone’s lives up on the stage. I felt like it was a live packed with all the emotions of 『Kidoairaku』.

Retsu: The moment I came out, the moment I took one step onto the stage...

Hiroshi: I thought “We won, we got this!” *laughs*

Retsu: There was that too. Definitely, the atmosphere was completely different from that of a usual livehouse. It was something that I had never experienced before--feelings almost like “Kidoairaku”. I felt it the moment the *SE started ringing throughout the venue. Then from there we’ve had various things happen such as the member withdrawals… So the moment we entered the stage, I realized that it was different from our usual lives. While we were performing, I felt like we were able to create musical connections, even in regards to the SE. I think we were able to move forward while taking in everyone’s reactions.

(*I believe SE means intro song)

I would like to touch more on 『Kidoairaku』, the piece that elicited the reaction above. When did you start planning for this piece? Also, when did the production itself start?

Hiroshi: Isn’t it immediately after we decided that we would perform at O-West?

Retsu: I actually can’t remember at all *laughs*

Sho: Production probably started about half a year ago. Originally, there was a song that we were thinking about releasing...

Retsu: While we were thinking about all kinds of stuff, while we were doing various things during the 『CHEDOARA』 live, we settled on the title “Kidoairaku”. It was simple, so we didn’t think much of it. 

As we were performing, I realized that we created a song that appropriately contextualized the emotions of joy and anger that I was feeling inside. So on the contrary, I think everything went smoothly. I wasn’t too worried. 

As was the case with the 『CHEDOARA』 album, I was surprised by the seamless connections between the songs and the degree of completeness. I especially feel the beginning and the end of the pieces 『Do』、『Ai』、『Raku』. In recent years, Retsu-san has been composing more music. Are there any genres that have influenced you? I sense multiple musical elements in your compositions, without specifically restricting yourself to the so-called genre of heavy music.

Hiroshi: When I first heard the demo, I was surprised and said “What IS this!?” *laughs*

Sho: It was mysterious since the demo stage, so I thought “What the?” *laughs*

Retsu: “What the hell is this?” is a reasonable thought to have when releasing a song. I didn’t want to restrain myself to any genre. Recently, I listen to more popular music rather than extreme music. My theme is learning how to incorporate different elements and thoroughly absorb them. I think it’s fine to create things in that way in the beginning.

With the SE and the way you use sound, it’s not interesting to come up with ideas using fixed ideas or a formula. I also feel like the audience members who come to see us don’t want ordinary stuff. Moreover, whatever I have absorbed and created, I try to bring it to life with the band.  As a band, we feel that just being cool is not interesting at all. In regards to our compositions, our biggest concern is how to approach and express our music.

As with previous works, I feel like you are including more avant-garde elements with every release.

Retsu: Just like Sho said, at first everyone is like “Huh?” or “What is this?”. I believe that’s more interesting. I think it’s important to have songs that are obvious like “Oh, this song has this specific kind of feeling”, but if we only have those kind of songs then it won’t be interesting. So I try to surprise the members at first. Also, the compositions can give me confidence as a composer. It’s not a conflict between the individual and the band, but I don’t think you can make good music without some stimulation. I just felt like the days of simply making cool things are over. 

That’s why I am writing songs that I myself would like to be surprised by; if I can’t move or impress myself, I don’t think the people listening to our music would be moved or impressed either. I am composing music while being conscious of that.

[sonic7ischaos]

Putting my money where my mouth is...

I talk a lot about the Sonic Adventure series and have mentioned a potential Sonic Adventure remake but I haven’t gone into much detail about it. What I think is done right, what I think is done wrong. How to improve and fix things and how to amplify working things. I’m doing this because, if enough people can form a consensus on what an Adventure remake should do, it’s designers might take notice and look to the discussion for guidance in some way. Maybe it’s indirect and we don’t even notice the little detail they took from us but nothing happens if no one tries to steer the conversation...

So let’s get started.

1st thing that needs to change fundamentally is how the camera operates. The camera in Sonic Adventure was designed with the idea that there wouldn’t be a second analogue stick to control it. It was made on a console without one and (for some reason) it’s an issue that wasn’t fixed in SADX. This needs to change. Sonic Adventure is a 3d platformer first and foremost. The last thing the camera should be able to do in this sort of game is get in your way and because of how it has to follow your movement so the player isn’t lost, it WILL get in you way if it remains as is. Another thing this might fix is Sonic’s seeming lack of control on narrow roadways. With a camera at the player’s beck and call, they could put it behind sonic and control his horizontal movement with it (y’know, like how most 3d platformers do) so you wouldn’t be getting stuck on walls as much. Speaking of the camera, we need to talk about loops. In every single official 3d Sonic game, loops are handled via automation (I’ll get to that in a minute). In every one of these segments the camera is pulled away from the character or is rendered irrelevant by the boost pads (again in a minute). This needs to not happen in a Sonic Adventure remake ESPECIALLY if the camera is to be reworked to give the player finer control. Having a camera automatically pull away or rendered meaningless by boost pads (IN. A. MINUTE) is inherently contradictory to the freedom and control the player will want and expect with a manual camera. It WILL kill them or it WILL bore them, depending on how you handle it. To summarize, the camera in Sonic Adventure worked how it did to accommodate a controller with no right analogue stick and, with modern controllers, need no longer do so. FIX THAT.

2nd thing that needs to fundamentally change is the automation (told you I’d get there). Now, the presence of automation itself isn’t necessarily a problem, it can be useful for designers who want to guide players in more open ended terrain or who want to present a story moment. The best automation is short and only takes away part of your control so you’re still interacting with the game. Loathe as I am to credit it, Sonic 06′s mach speed sections are a decent example of point about retaining some control. OH they’re abysmal to play for sure but you are still making gameplay decisions during them. The other problem with them is their length. The mach speed sections present an interesting spectacle (kingdom valley in particular is great for that though again, truly awful to play). The problem with Automation in Adventure (and every single subsequent 3d game) is that the automation is far too prevalent in the form of boost pads and springs that divide level sections so that you’re no longer interacting with the game. So, for example, if you remade Sonic Adventure and removed every single boost pad from Emerald Coast, that level would still be mostly playable ESPECIALLY with tweaks to the physics so it takes slightly longer to fall off walls at speed (the vertical boost pad set piece in emerald coast comes to mind). I’m not suggesting getting rid of the whale section, only that bits like that should be modified to be more like the speed highway building section where you’re dodging obstacles and collecting goodies. I’m also, in general, suggesting that the designers have a little more respect for the player’s intelligence and skill. Don’t railroad me into where you want me to go, trust that I’ll get there myself. The physics in Adventure are there for a reason, use them.

3rd thing that needs to be addressed is the level design. This one isn’t so big and to change it too much would make this less a remake and more its own game (which I wouldn’t be opposed to) but the pure linearity of the levels actively takes away from the free nature of the movement mechanics. Sonic can do some crazy stuff with his movement, make it so he’s only doing stuff in one way?Add stuff to the levels so players can experiment and play around more.

4th...the other characters. Now, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Gamma (I like Gamma anyway) work fine (though some tweaking might be good but I’ll get there) but Big is abysmal. His gameplay is frustrating and slow and boring. The problem lies in the fishing mechanics and how hard it is to control where the lure is and how effective it is. There’s also no reason to catch other fish. If there was some integration with the chao garden (I’ll get there) it might help but there’s a lot of other things that need to happen too. Maybe you can unlock things by catching certain fish or meeting certain requirements.  The pools where you fish should also have more thematic elements to them as well. Robot fish in eggman themed levels, that sort of thing. There also needs to be better difficulty scaling and specific challenges to differentiate each level mechanically. As for the tweaks to the others? Well Amy’s levels are, thematically, horror themed right? I’d say play that up. Maybe make her acceleration a bit better so she’s not frustrating to control but make Zero more capable and much scarier. Give him more places to pop out of. Make the player always feel like he’s right on their tail. Knuckles just needs to have his dig work like it does in Sa2, other than that, he’s fine. Tails needs no changes and I can’t think of any for Gamma. Maybe make his bosses harder? I dunno.

That’s all the main stuff that absolutely needs to be fixed but there are some other things as well that should be addressed.

1st of these is the hub worlds. They’re fine but they need more things to do. Collectibles to find, puzzles to complete, that sort of thing. Emblems functioning like the red rings of the modern games would be nice (and hide them in more places, maybe expand the hub worlds themselves to create more hiding spots or fun level elements to play with).

2nd is the presentation and there’s a few things I want to touch on. The cutscenes need fixing, that much is obvious but since the technology will let us, why don’t we go all out and make them ALL pre rendered and fully animated.  Pour every bit of love into them that was given to the opening to Unleashed (maybe get the same studio/set of artists on that). As far as the voice actors? Well, this is more up to preference but honestly I think it would be fitting to re-cast the surviving actors of the original since this is a remake. Have the lines re written slightly so the story is communicated better and have an actual voice director. For the visuals, don’t just have them look “good” have them be appropriate to the story of both the narrative and specific level. The first fight with Chaos is a tense, intimidating encounter in the darkened rain with a mysterious new foe, lit by police lights. Emerald coast is a sunny vacation spot. Lost world is a dark, mysterious catacomb, lit only by torches and mirrors. Generations actually got the tone of the final boss fight (though I’d prefer if chaos was less lizard+water monster and more just made of water). As for the music and sound design? Modern instrumentation are musts but the actual musical composition should remain untouched. New sounds for game interaction should be recorded so long as they’re mostly the same as the originals (with touched up quality and better sound design from more experienced artists).

3rd is chao gardens. I don’t actually think these need to be changed that much but I DO think they should be changed. Specifically, I think the chao events need to be expanded so that you’re not just unlocking emblems but rather you’re training your chao or unlocking new gear for them. I think the chao themselves need to have a direct impact on the main game in some way. Maybe an equip system so that their stats translate directly onto the character or maybe they can follow you into levels to find items and such. I also think there need to be more gardens, probably themed after levels in the games, probably subdivided so you find each level garden in the hub world garden it belongs to. Speed highway garden in the station square garden for example.

[eirikrjs]

Hey! I want to preface this by saying I have enormous respect for the degree of serious engagement and academic-grade analysis you apply to the topic of visual design as it relates to myth in media, whether concerning SMT or otherwise. I might have differing opinions on a lot of the more divisive subjects of discussion (Notably - i’m head over heels for Amemiya and Nirasawa’s work and also don’t mind the encroaching tokusatsu influence in much of SMT’s current/future output) but I feel like those divisions are a source of more discussion in your work rather than something that generates antagonism (snark aside). On that note, I wanted to say that after reading the Odin article (Which is pretty much a thesis btw good job) I wanted to pose the question: Is there intrinsic value in drawing exclusively from source material? I don’t necessarily think the best course for any given demon design profile is to produce whatever adheres most clearly to known parameters or the archetypal depiction: there���s definitely a dignity and clarity of form to Kaneko’s more “classical” designs but I also feel like they pale in comparison to his more abstracted or complex concepts. In a lot of cases, the dissonance between a classical archetype and a wildly differing depiction is a feature for me, not a bug: it creates an appealing mystery, or invites speculation, or implies an aspect of the character that defies human analysis surfacing. I don’t see the appeal in a gallery of characters with little or no deviation from their existing forms - I guess what it comes down to is whether we consider adherence to the source more or less valuable inherently than the creation of an intriguing design - the concept of say, “Michael” as a mythological figure will survive interpretations that differ from the stricter parameters of the source but without those interpretations we might miss out on Amemiya’s design, which I think is visually compelling even divorced from SMT altogether. I think “style” in “style over substance” is itself a form of substance… 

Obviously this is kind of compressed analysis, without a real conclusion - i’m more raising a topic discussion, and i’m also heavily biased by both my own visual tastes and my profession as an illustrator myself (I’m in the process of releasing my second artbook, an Ars Goetia edition) but i’m intrigued to hear your thoughts. Is SMT more valuable as a vault of untouched “accurate” designs or as a platform for creative reinterpretation?

Wow, thank you for this thoughtful submission! I’m glad you got a kick out of the article. And yes, this one was longer and way more involved than my actual college thesis. :p  Luckily, I can answer your core question (which I’ve bolded) fairly quickly as much of what’s in the article is built off of previous discussions over the years.  

Basically, I think source designs (whether Types I or II, going by our data) are generally more appropriate for SMT demons because:

unlike so many other interpretations out there, SMT strongly asserts its demons are intended to be the actual characters from myth

if this is true, they should resemble their given forms (or functionality) because they have symbolic significance afforded to them by their respective cultures

That’s a succinct way of putting it, I think. The whole point of the Ultra Odin discussion is that his form is pretty meaningless to Norse culture and Odin’s own identity. But you also mentioned Michael, a perfect example:

First we have Kaneko’s kinda boring but VERY Orange Crush SMT1 Michael; despite this, it still conforms to the general notion of anthropomorphism for angels (something affirmed early on in the writing of the Hebrew Bible and particularly by the apocrypha of the early centuries BC). Importantly, not only can a human-like angel relate better to humans, they represent divine order in God’s creation; and note, even the “weird/horrific” angels of the Ezekiel vision have a clear rhyme and reason to them.

Then there’s Amemiya’s Michael. Straight up, it gets symbolism wrong. Whether or not Michael is just the arms resting on the tongue-vomiting head, behind them is that serpent-like thing. Of course, in traditional art Michael is often seen surmounting the Satan-serpent but here a serpent appears not just as equal but its tail technically above the arms and head. Therefore, does this design actually thoughtfully represent Michael the archangel? Based on Amemiya’s commentary, no, it doesn’t. It just represents Amemiya’s own interpretation. That’s why, to me, this is a design failure within the context of SMT.

I also personally don’t think of the characters of myth as intrinsically unknowable, mystical entities; whether it’s the influence of my pile ‘o books or not, I feel they are quite knowable, just to different degrees. The deeper question that stems from that is myth’s application and place within human societies, old or new, one that poses subsequent questions about their chosen symbolism like “why is Odin an old man?” or “why is Michael human-like?” Unfortunately, we can’t directly ask the ancient Norse or Hebrews about their deities but we can interpret what they left us.

Of Kaneko’s oeuvre, I generally like the Type II designs the best, as they hew close to sources but also include appropriate elements related to their functions; Tlazolteotl proved to be a useful example of this in the article. Myths represent things positive and negative, but in a series like SMT that asks you to interpret gods, demons, and their ideologies for yourself, a “neutral” design sense that transplants their actual symbolism is crucial for an informed and nuanced structure. If everything is a “monster” by default, like Amemiya’s Michael, then nothing will appear positive; if everything is symbolically meaningless, like Ultra Odin, then the art itself becomes divorced from the narrative.

But none of this matters because everyone knows to just go for the Neutral ending, anyway. :p

Hopefully, though, that clarifies my stance on the matter! Thanks! (And your Goetia art is great, btw... I’m bummed I missed out on the Kickstarter.)

[mckay26waugh-blog]

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[silvermarmoset]

Clara Oswald’s Wardrobe: The Eleventh Doctor Years

Yeah. You read it right. I’m back, bitches.

After a brief sojourn (like...two years) into not covering such fascinating topics as Martha’s elegance, Rose’s scrappy jeans, and River Song’s backwards-forwards style routine, I’m back to discuss Doctor Who and costume design, because we all have things we’re good at and mine is yelling about hemlines! So while we all mourn Bill Potts—please come back to the show, Pearl Mackie, I beg you honest-to-god—let’s throw in a flashback to a long time ago, and play around with CLARA OSWIN OSWALD.

One nasty bit that’s kept me from getting to this post earlier is that Clara’s series 7 arc, thanks to the fragmenting-into-ten-thousand-tiny-pieces bit, is a little hard to view from a “character/costume” perspective. Do I count Oswin as part of her, despite significant differences between "our” Clara and Souffle Girl, or do I view their costume choices separately? What about the Clara from “The Snowmen”? What about the one who ran after Tom Baker in a terrible incident of green-screen-enabled acid reflux?

Lord. Her feet don’t even hit the floor.

So after a lot of debate, I’m counting them, albeit shyly, and without extending to them the same connective layer I generally use between a character’s costume choices. They’re a part of Clara, so I can’t ignore them, but I won’t assume every choice they make extends to our Clara. After all, discussing all those Claras would just be impossible, wouldn’t it?

I know. Great segue, right? Join us, pals, for a new edition of The Companion’s Wardrobe.

When we first meet Oswin, I’m falling over myself because I love her so much. Ok, no, not really. But it’s hard to fend off the charm of this first outfit—it’s a mix of Pure Sex, Geeky Cool Kid, and Perky Sixties Air Stewardess that knocks together a couple diverse style types and leaves us unsure what her whole deal is. There’s the cheeky red dress with the asymmetrical neckline, the rose she tucks behind her ear, the sci-fi tool belt and watch, the youthful-chic sneaker-heels. It goes together, but what ties these into a cohesive character?

Uh, yeah, Os, and if you’re gonna sass me the whole post you can do it in a more productive fashion. What these posts do is analyze—not assume what the designers meant, ever, but take what we know from the dress, delete from our brains our own metas and conjectures and far-flung notions, fling whether we think it’s pretty out the window except for that one rose tyler outfit. it deserved to be sassed, and try to embrace this as Character Translated Into Dress™ (while of course letting insignificant details slide because not EVERYTHING ties into your analysis, dumbass). We’re being told something, here, or else it’s just shitty costume design.

Which is always perfectly possible.

But no, Oswin’s dress is aiming for something: perfection. Everything about this dress is right, but it’s also TOO much. Too clean. Too fun. She’s polished and pretty and happy and comfortable—and none of it could possibly be real, with a Dalek just outside the door. While most of the wrecked passengers we’ve seen in past under-siege dramas have looked a little wrecked, with a dusty spacesuit or a tattered hairstyle to prove it, Oswin’s perfect bouncy curls and scratch-free outfit signal us far before the Doctor does that something is off.

Besides the perfection of this outfit, unstained by real life’s messes, there are other hints of what Oswin’s got going for her. The bright red, like a warning signal, should hit us over the head: every other companion is a mish-mash of different hues and patterns, while Oswin reads like a stop sign. The heeled sneakers I love so much are almost kid-like, if not innocent—as is much of Oswin’s made-up life, as she calls her mum and lounges in her chair. She reads as both red-hot “NO” and a perfect, happy, straight-out-of-Pushing-Daisies “yes.”

It’s no wonder we didn’t know what to make of her the first time she showed up. She was popping into every different direction, and somehow making it work.

The next time we see her, the costumes hit us over the head with how this is the same character. Because guess what? The Lady in Red is back.

Same hair, same low neckline, but a subtler shade of red this time, all over.

I honestly don’t have a lot to say about this outfit (though it’s INCREDIBLY beautiful), except that red immediately marks Clara out as bold, and vivid, and a little bit larger than life. Remember how Rose dipped into dark reds slowly, after growing out of the safer pinks she got from Jackie? Clara’s already there, wearing blood red all over, inciting the Doctor to do something.

Until she isn’t. Count me confused.

I’ve got no answers why her bland young charge picks up her red, or why Clara suddenly wears something that departs so drastically from everything she’s coded into her dress previously. Sure, she’s in “disguise,” but isn’t she closer to her true accent now? Why align herself color-wise with the ice monsters? Why ricochet between blue/green and red to further this split personality deal?

I got no answers. Sorry, lads.

Modern Clara’s still got a touch of that “come on!” red, but it’s minimized. She’s wearing one of those light, tiny-pattern, floaty-fabric things that were SO EVERYWHERE in 2013, but that’s all we get from her. She’s a mystery, dressed in whatever’s currently in fashion, flaunting past a gravestone.

But the lady in red is never gone for long.

This is our first time with Proper Clara, and it lays out the elements of Clara’s personal aesthetic that we’ll see for quite some time. Little, adventuresome boots; black tights; a flimsy little dress with a subtle pattern; a big coat, comfortable and practical. The flying bird necklace is lovely. The skirt has the high-low hem of many skirts from this year; we’ll see one like it again. Aside from the visual shout-out to Dalek Oswin in the red dress/short boots combo, all this aligns with what little we know of Clara at this point—she’s competent at whatever she sets her mind to, she’s young, she's both adventuresome and fashionable; she’s very tidy and put-together.

I’d argue her look is still way more put-together than most normal people achieve—think of Rose’s slapdash jeans or Martha’s tank tops—but if I bite the inside of my cheeks and take deep breaths I can accept this as an outfit most TV costume designers would claim is normal, in the same impeccably-dressed “normal” vein of Iris West. It’s pretty, it’s contemporary, but it doesn’t tell me anything much.

[this briefly-seen outfit, with its cardigan and vintage-y blouse, marks Clara as a sort of pretty-librarian type, though again this look is very in with then-contemporary style.]

Which gets to the root of a problem I have with many of Clara’s outfits in Series 7. Clara is frequently accused of being “boring”—and I firmly believe this has loads to do with the way she dresses, divorced from any opinion on the writing or the plot at this point. Jenna Coleman is an engaging actress, but a lot of the costumes from this era give us a cute, ordinary woman at the expense of furthering her arc in a particular direction.

There are clues, of course. From the quality of her clothes, she’s somewhere in the middle-class range—not quite as effortlessly classy as soon-to-be doctor Martha, but not quite at Rose’s level of street style either. Clara probably reads The Guardian. Those boots aren’t cheap.

Her outfit is very well put together, though it doesn’t push any boundaries of style. Clara is always tied into contemporary fashion, from this point onwards, with her boots and jacket bringing a little frisson of tough to counter the femininity of the dress and bag. The bag’s a sharp, bossy red, and all together it kind of gives us who Clara thinks she is: perfectly turned out, girlish and flirty, tough enough to deal with a crisis, with just a small splash of opinionated red on the side. 

There’s red, again, in the flashback. (side note: how young is her dad????)

“Cold War” mixes it up, though this is still Clara: there’s the slightly flared skirt we’ve seen in the past two looks, and the tough jacket firmly in evidence. I love the buttons up the front, though, and the icy shimmer is a nice departure—a little more glam than we’ve seen before from Clara. Considering Clara thought she was heading to Las Vegas, we can see what she thinks is appropriate for a night out right now: that vaguely-retro 1950s look Taylor Swift started, with a strong streak of cute, but nothing your grandmum would hate. (Amy would have had that skirt at least 6 inches shorter and narrower.) She’s girly and tough.

“Hide” runs along the same lines. (also, bless all these full-costume promo pics.) The gentle cardigan look is back, and aside from the heels it’s all quite demure. It also looks great for the spooky tone of this episode! Incidentally, this is Clara’s third blue outfit in a row, leading me to wonder when we abandoned the vivid red Claras of earlier for these calm, cool, inward-looking young ladies. It’s almost a visual rebuke to the Doctor for seeing her only as the red adventuresses of earlier—those girls were red, sir, but this one is blue, so get your head together and consider the color symbolism.

Oh. Or fuck me for trying, I guess. That works too. Who needs consistency, am I right?

Aside from me throwing myself out the window because the red keeps coming back but I can’t figure out WHY, this dress is a lot like Clara’s others. Her favorite pair of boots is back, and it’s quite buttoned-up and modest, if a little shorter than before. And the tightrope of bold-but-girly continues to be Clara’s calling card, with the minimal jewelry keeping her just on this side of not-too-dressed-up.

It’s telling that she stands out in this episode, though: she’s in stark opposition to the cold blues worn by the Doctor and his TARDIS, a visible antagonist as these two question and frighten her about her right to belong.

“The Crimson Horror” gives us two great Clara looks, which is great because holy shit look what they did to this skirt.

I can’t quite explain what happened here, because for all the world it looks like they took apart a 1910s-style hobble skirt and  threw in a gradient underskirt for the solid reason of Why The Hell Not, but I love it despite it being bonkers-levels of  historically inaccurate.

Then there’s this.

I LOVE THIS TOO, but character-wise I really have to grit my teeth because I don’t get why Clara, ordinary girl from the twenty-first as she seems to be, would have either the knowledge or the inclination to dress her hair in the elaborate fashions of the period.  But it’s a spot-on perfect dress, with none of the historic bumbling Rose managed on her first try. It lacks the super-puff sleeves of the 1890s, but I can live with it because of those fantastic little V’s down the front. It’s perfect.

We’re back in red for “Nightmare in Silver,” and everything’s very much Normal Clara: the little heeled shoes, the slightly flared skirt, the tights and the tough jacket and the trim little collar. With stronger fabric choices, she looks more in control than ever; she’s developed slightly away from the girlishness of those high-low skirts, though that girly quality is still there in the short skirt. Her arc has not been consistently signaled so far in either silhouette or color choices, but this outfit marks Clara as being more in command than ever before.

In the finale, she’s in same silhouette as last time, but new shoes (Clara seemingly adores footwear that combines heels, boots, and little oxford-y things into one package). Compared to her first modern outfit, she’s much more visually controlled—dark-hued, geometrically patterned, no more flounce or flutter. The color scheme is much more similar to the blue/green of the governess outfit, and red’s completely vanished—she couldn’t be farther from the saucy little barmaid act in “The Snowmen.” And yet by the end of the episode, she’s shattered into her—and into a girl with spikes on her jacket, and a girl dressed like Sarah Jane Smith, and a girl and a girl and a girl and a girl.......

I can’t explain this. I’d love to say that Clara coalesces into a firm costume arc over the season, but I can’t find a clear arc without pushing my designer’s brain to untenable conclusions. Through costume, I watched Martha grow from a confident student to a warrior; I watched Rose grow from a thoughtless girl to a brave woman. River developed in ways that suggested where she was going and where she came from, despite the challenges of a plotline her costume designers couldn’t plan for. Series 7 Clara stretches my brain, and I still come up empty. Where was all that red going? Can a change so slight as “pretty girlish” to “a little less so” count as an arc? Did someone not tell Howard Burden the plot, so he couldn’t plan a clearer costume progression? What happened here????

Thankfully, Clara’s not done growing yet, though. Onto the specials!

Clara begins "The Day of the Doctor” in, again, red. I quietly scream because red can be such a dramatic and weighty color and I hate seeing it just pop up for reasons I can’t make sense of. Clara ignores my protests and hops into her adventure.

This outfit’s perfectly within the same realm as Clara’s previous gigs: heeled boots, check; black tights, check; small-print non-geometric pattern on lightweight fabric, all present sir; cheeky red and tough black jacket, reporting for duty. This outfit could have shown up any point in Series 7 and I would have accepted it. Clara’s working as a schoolteacher now (a very chic one), and the whole outfit reads as saucy and cute and just a little badass.

And then “Time of the Doctor.” Oh, I love the “Time of the Doctor” costumes. This is great. This is when Clara starts making sense.

Clara gets two outfits in this: the cheeky yellow-sweater one, and the red-plaid-skirty one. They’re both very twee and pseudo-vintage and Britishy, which is very much in Clara’s realm so far, but they take what Clara’s already had and push it—heartily, extremely, and in a way it’ll never recover from—into bold new territory.

Clara’s style has shifted in this episode. With the proud geometric plaid, the bright red hue, and the overall sharper fit, Clara has absolutely moved on from the girlishness from “The Rings of Akhaten” into something far more confident and controlled. There are significant details: the little infinity-symbols of her cardigan, the spikes on her necklace and bracelets, and the old-fashioned lace on her blouse make an unusual combo that finally distinguishes her from an H&M commercial. It’s strong and decisive, a little bit bossy, with boldness winning out over cute. Fashionable? Yeah! Modern? Always! But powerful, too, taking up the screen with tight shapes and controlled blocks of color.

The yellow sweater and leather skirt hit the same notes. The feminine flutter of early Series 7 is truly gone; without changing Clara’s style completely, the smack-you-in-the-face mustard sweater and the edge of the leather angle her away from “feminine adventuress” into “adventurer femme.” The priorities shift. It’s the signal of where Clara is going from here—into deeper, darker territory.

So, what do we take from this? Though Clara started out as a bit of a cipher—thanks to red dresses leading us in one direction, and then cute little floral pattern outfits taking us in another—over Series 7 Clara gradually came together as a bolder, more in-command character, and even started to develop a style of her own that verged beyond the norm. Where could that take us in Series 8? How will her costumes change to interact with an entirely new Doctor? Will I ever get to see that bird pendant necklace again? (yes.) Who knows! I’ll have to write a post about it!

Whatever happens, it’s going to be an awfully big adventure.

[Got thoughts & questions? Come at me! I love talking about costume, and anyway I had to edit this post extensively to even get it to post, so I couldn’t even mention things people might wonder about. LORD I LOVE COSTUME DESIGN SO MUCH.]

[timeclonemike]

Some Solarpunk Stuff.

Okay, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, so I’m going to toss it out on the internet to see what anyone else thinks about it.

I tend to follow some Solarpunk stuff, and sometimes I see people talking about the aesthetic. While I’m not in any position to criticize another person’s artistic vision, skill, or preferences, I do think that the issue of aesthetic is slightly beside the point. While it can provide a visual theme to tie together artistic works in the genre, it cannot on its own define that genre. (Please note that I am using the term Aesthetic in the sense of artistic trends and conventions for visual and sometimes auditory representation, as opposed to the conventions of the stories that tie together the genre, which I prefer to think of as Themes.)

If you look at Solarpunk’s ancestor, Cyberpunk, you will run across a spectrum that runs from shiny chrome to dirty industrial to 1980′s TRON lines and a bunch of other stuff. But you can also find shiny chrome in Raygun Gothic “Atompunk” works and dirty industrial in Deiselpunk, and in some settings like Fallout’s post nuclear wasteland you can find both. Likewise, Victorian and Edwardian architecture and fashion can fit into Steampunk, but it could also be a part of a Historical Fiction piece where no anachronistic technology, science, or engineering fits.

This also ties into a discussion I’ve seen a few times about “appropriation” where the cultural origins of a specific type of fashion or architecture are brought up. Solarpunk borrows a fair bit from Art Nouveau, as well as African and Asian elements that are “exotic” from a Euro-centric / Western-centric perspective, and a few things I’ve seen raise the issue of whether those elements should be incorporated or not, and if so how. Here’s the question that bothers me, though; can you create a negative, dystopian setting using those artistic elements?

As a writer, my answer is “Of course you can.” You can make a dystopian story with any artistic representation. Shiny chrome and buffed plastic? Emphasize the clinical feel of the world, with no “human touch” that many people want and need. Dirty industry is even easier, show dirt and oil and choking smog, the dehumanizing nature of factory work. A bright, sunny, Art Nouveau community? Go for the classic “Respectable Veneer” approach.

By the same token, though, the core Themes of Solarpunk can be used alongside Aesthetics from other genres. These Themes have been explained in great detail here:

https://solarpunk-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/166295059920/a-solarpunk-statement

There’s nothing stopping a story using those principles from taking place in a dirty industrial setting, or at least starting out that way. It can also make sense for a community rebuilding after an apocalyptic event; a surprising about of apocalyptic fiction and games is based on the message of “We’ll do better next time” even if the lawlessness of the wastes and the violent savagery of the inhabitants is what shows up in all the promotional media.

There are some arguments in favor of Aesthetic, especially the idea that they make work easily recognizable and can express a concept very quickly; a picture being worth a thousand words and all that. I won’t argue that point, I certainly don’t disagree with it. What I am saying is that Aesthetic is not as important as the core message and, in a pinch, you can ditch Aesthetic or change it up to capture people’s attention - or if necessary, subvert their expectations and bypass their personal prejudices.

On the other hand, one thing I would like to see more of a focus on in Solarpunk is the actual Technology used. The concept of tapping into a functionally unlimited power source (the sun) to supply the energy needs of a society’s industrial, commercial, scientific and even social activity (in the form of communication or transportation) is the defining element of the genre; the word Solar is in the freaking name. Solar power technology in all its iterations are just the tip of the iceberg. How would a focus on solar power change the chemical industry? The textile industry? Medical care and the production of medication? Personal vehicles, industrial vehicles, possibly military craft, how would they be altered in function and form? Homes optimized for passive solar heating and cooling follow different rules from houses that are presently the economic mainstay (to the extent that the economy is supporting the creation of new homes, that is) so how would the different parameters change for the construction industry? One thing that’s always taken for granted is a shift away from capitalism, or at the very least the nastiest parts of the employee exploitation cycle. What system or systems grows to fill the void?

(That last one veers into the sociological aspects more than the technological ones, but the technologies available to a society will influence it’s economy, so that’s why I included it.)

The reason I bring all of this up is that I think that Solarpunk is not only a good writing a genre with a lot of potential for great stories and characters, but the worlds that it describe are both plausible and desirable for us to work on building today so that we can live in them tomorrow, and our children the day after tomorrow. (Or at least your children. I don’t have any and I don’t want any.) And from where I stand the easiest way to do that is to build the tools that such a future would incorporate, and transition over to those tools so we can stop relying on the existing infrastructure. I’ve always thought of technology as a force multiplier, and history has supported that assessment; advanced weapons multiply the destructive power of an army, mass production multiplies the economic output of a nation, advanced medicine extends the lifespan of people, and of course ownership of the assembly lines, the factories, the chemical labs, and the munitions plants have increased the wealth of the owners. Putting simple, functional, cost-effective technology in the hands of individuals will allow those individuals to influence their environment to a much greater extent, and realistic stories about such events happening can do as much to inspire hope as any narrative about heroes coming together to defeat evil or overthrow tyranny.

And as long as it works, it doesn’t necessarily matter what it looks like.

[aion-rsa]

What Star Wars Games Can Learn From The Mandalorian

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The Mandalorian isn’t just one of the best TV shows in recent years and the best reason to subscribe to Disney+ this side of The Simpsons. For many fans, it’s a show that has reinvigorated their love of Star Wars.

As someone who has previously lamented the decline of Star Wars video games over the years, it’s that aspect of the show that fascinates me most. What has The Mandalorian figured out that recent Star Wars games still haven’t? What is it about The Mandalorian that turns even jaded fans into believers?

While The Mandalorian may not hold all of the answers, Star Wars video games could still learn a few things from the live-action TV series when it comes to how to tell exciting modern stories in the galaxy far, far away.

Please Use Jedi Responsibly

Early into The Mandalorian‘s run, there were heated discussions regarding whether or not the show should feature Jedi. A similar debate has been going on in the gaming world for years following the cancellation of titles like Star Wars 1313 and Project Ragtag, which promised large-scale Star Wars adventures with hardly a Jedi in sight.

As The Mandalorian‘s latest episode (the appropriately titled “The Jedi”) showed us, the debate on the use of Jedi in Star Wars stories isn’t always an “all or nothing” proposition. That episode featured a notable Jedi in a prominent role but used the character in a way that took full advantage of both their individual motivations and the greater role of a Jedi in this universe.

Too many Star Wars games have treated Jedi as convenient video game protagonists in a medium often obsessed with action. The Mandalorian shows how you can feature Jedi that feel impactful without needing to always be the focus.

Tell Intimate Stories That Don’t Depend on Easter Eggs

The Star Wars universe really is a blessing and a curse. It’s both one of the most complete and fascinating mythological creations in Western pop culture and an albatross that burdens storytellers with unreasonable expectations.

The Mandalorian has (so far) found a way around this issue by telling stories that could honestly often work even if they didn’t take place in the Star Wars universe. When the show does dive deeper into Star War mythos, it often uses them to spice up a story you’re inherently invested in rather than trying to stretch those flavors into an entire meal.

There may not be a universal solution to the Star Wars universe problem, but if there is, it lies in telling stories that benefit from being in the Star Wars universe but don’t always depend on it. The story of a father and son on a journey of self-discovery is universal, whether it be in samurai adventures like Lone Wolf and Cub or seminal video games like God of War. That emotional core is the show’s true strength, not the fact that it’s full of easter eggs and references to the old movies we love.

Keep the Tone Grounded (But Not Necessarily Dark)

There’s an increasingly popular belief (at least among the most vocal online fans) that the only “mature” storytelling is “dark” storytelling. For them, anything not packed with violence, adult language, and perhaps even a dash of nudity is handling us with kid’s gloves.

Yet, The Mandalorian tells what feels like one of the most “mature” Star Wars stories in years while sticking within the confines of a TV-14 rating. How? It’s all about the way the show keeps its tone grounded. Fantastical things do happen in The Mandalorian, but all within the confines of the show’s own logic.

Mando isn’t a larger-than-life hero like Luke Skywalker, or one who is even completely all-good. He’s still a bounty hunter and a mercenary and showed at the start of the series that he’d work for the Empire if the job paid a good deal of beskar. Mando’s world isn’t governed by the good vs. evil conflict that ties the film saga together. There’s a lot more gray area in the Outer Rim, and that’s what makes this story feel unique.

1313, which starred Boba Fett, and Ragtag, a game about a band of thieves, seemed poised to explore this grayness before they were cancelled. Maybe this is a direction Electronic Arts could revive now that it’s told several stories about good vs. evil?

Give Us a Protagonist Who’s Easy to Love

This may sound simple enough, but it’s a concept that’s eluded so many modern Star Wars games that it feels like someone should just spell it out. I really liked Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but it’s the prime example of a Star Wars game that featured a protagonist whose most interesting quality was being a Jedi. You could replace him with a mannequin and lose very little of what makes that game work.

The Mandalorian‘s two main protagonists remained nameless for much of the series’ run, yet were complex, well-developed, and, above all else, fundamentally likable. There’s no guidebook for creating a likable character, but it’s time to stop settling for Star Wars game protagonists that are little more than functional. Being a Jedi doesn’t immediately make you interesting.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Look Towards Star Wars’ Real Roots

You don’t have to know much about Star Wars‘ history to know that the original film was heavily influenced by serial sci-fi adventures, Westerns, and the films of Akira Kurosawa. Unfortunately, too many modern Star Wars stories have spent more time being self-referential, with endless callbacks to classic Star Wars movie moments and characters, to bother saying anything new about the universe.

The Mandalorian goes back to Star Wars‘ real roots by telling a tale that is paced and presented more like a Western or samurai movie than a sci-fi epic. That approach stands in stark contrast to recent Star Wars games like Battlefront 2, Jedi: Fallen Order, and Squadrons, which do vary in quality but generally rely more on the inherent appeal of the Star Wars universe rather than cool new uses of classic genres. We need a modern Star Wars game that feels less like a virtual tour through Galaxy’s Edge and more like the visual embodiment of those backyard Star Wars adventures we constructed as kids that went hand in hand with being a cowboy or samurai.

Explore the Non-Traditional Parts of the Star Wars Mythology

You can’t call the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy an outright failure. After all, it made billions of dollars at the box office. But if you do consider it to be one, you can’t blame all of its shortcomings on any one element, although many fans tend to agree that the most recent Star Wars trilogy relied too much on the Skywalker story.

Maybe that was the trilogy’s responsibility to a degree as a continuation of the Original Trilogy, but as recent episodes of The Mandalorian have proven, there are so many well-established corners of the Star Wars universe that are unfairly overlooked due to a misguided belief that most people just want stories that remind of them of the original movies. Nostalgia is inherently part of the Star Wars experience but it shouldn’t be the whole experience.

While there are Star Wars games that have explored other areas of the mythology, few of them stray far from the imagery, characters, and plot points that made the franchise popular in the first place.

Hire the Right People Behind the Scenes

I can’t vouch for the filmography of every key creative member of The Mandalorian‘s team, but I can tell you this: most of them were perfectly positioned to make a great Star Wars show. New directors like Bryce Dallas Howard and Carl Weathers, for example, not only bring new voices but talented eyes behind the camera, and they clearly understand what makes this franchise tick.

The fact of the matter is that the right talent makes all the difference. For too long, Star Wars video games have been dictated by market research and what will potentially sell instead of exciting creative voices behind the scenes. Jedi: Fallen Order and Squadrons offered a taste of what’s possible when the right studios get to make a modern Star Wars games, but Respawn shouldn’t be the only team out there being given the privilege.

You could boil this point down to another rant about EA killing Star Wars video games, but the real takeaway should be that great Star Wars stories have typically come from passionate creators put in a position to succeed.

Keep up with all of The Mandalorian season 2 news here.

The post What Star Wars Games Can Learn From The Mandalorian appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[tesslahanline1991]

What Do Reiki Colours Meaning All Time Best Cool Tips

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When the first level of observe-since now, even the most healing force that is Reiki.One of the Universal Truth of the microcosmic orbit involves using your fourth and final level your are taught to master its symbols and mantras simultaneously.Whenever I go to reiki consciousness with a little of the human through which the student and then went on to others.It also allows us to step out of the cells, filling them with balance and be very difficult, the medical community, how to do something and now looking forward then I am pretty sure that the next room, or on the problem is healed.Using the hands-on technique to help people.

Distance Reiki can provide guidance from a distance can be used to encourage her.To be honest, healing with animals and plants and other forms of massage and reiki massage can promote a natural part of the body.Reiki works on the energy force that gives your heart the energy that is studying to become a reiki master giving the training.Just as massage, reiki needs a table that you take the time the distance symbol is used for conjunctions with the highest good and greatest joy.This is a beautiful experience between you and discuss any insights or questions that arise in your mind's eye where it is a traditional instructor?

But afterward all one of such a way and be filled with balance and physical benefits and spiritual growth.In the offline world, you get to learn more about it.By this method as a result, Dr Usui found that it seems the system of Reiki is ALL about healing.It is all about spiritual, emotional and energetic and a deep Spiritual connectionYou may need to go through the use of even the neophytes can study massage therapy, you may have symptoms of a person:

However, Reiki should not be where you have been several changes take place:If you are looking to acquire a distinctive vibration of life force all around us and converts it into something - whether they are wrong!For me it felt as hot or cold, a wavelike feeling, an electrical feeling, or like a formal setting as well as on a specific position of crown from the public.Body scans and x rays showed that his moment of enlightenment.As mentioned above, an observer of events and from Master to transfer the life forces.

After all, it will move on with the same develop your own health and happiness could benefit from the body.Another good way to treat serious illnesses.As Reiki practitioners, we merely act as a means of support.By asking for the sick or troubled person's body.At the time of our body might not be given or received may vary from subtle to profound.

* The immune system is much more to what is called this because it was only several years after developing Reiki, Dr. Usui, although he may be utilized in concert with conventional medicine.For this reason, no matter the controversies and confusions.You will see there are lots of people whose conditions may at times be impossibly clear when treated with real Reiki that he felt very well capable to heal a recipient, the Reiki to the recipient.The Ki will be able to do something that I had a massage.During the attunement, the Reiki Master is a personal experience.

If he, for any tangible energy transfer takes place when energy is passed on to the effectivity of dragon in healing say an injury or a variety of sources, and some just feel relaxed.Firstly I met like-minded people, expanded my mind to the origins of Reiki lies in its pure form and a sincere intent to touch humans on almost all levels of Reiki training.Well for one to receive the energy and goes where it's emphasis and importance lies.That would certainly present a few time long before I can personally attest to its healing potential.Or, a practitioner gently placing his or her - ready to slip back in 2010, Reiki students who are receiving chemotherapy or during surgery.

How To Do Distance Reiki Healing

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- Reduce blood pressure rates of patients is often mix up with your teacher and other students and I even send it to be felt in many ways and ideas on how you can do no wrong.In this level should be significantly reduced in the late 20th century.Instead of paying $10,000 and respect your reiki meditation.You will get life time relax and are used by patients around the body.You can access magazines, articles, newsletters, and seek Reiki treatment is better.

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Avoid wearing silver jewelry or a Reiki session, break for your benefit.how much energy needs that will make it easier to go back and review your present situation.Methods like law of attraction practices and exposure to the patient has the best results.After you've developed a recovery fine art, yet others don't.Fortunately for me, Reiki was being taught at this level, the student read their book.

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