#segmentation Targeting and Positioning

[enrcloud]

Mastering Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP Marketing)

In today’s competitive market, understanding segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP marketing) is crucial for crafting effective strategies that resonate with the right audience. Segmentation involves dividing a broad market into smaller, more manageable groups based on shared characteristics like demographics, interests, or behaviors. Once segmented, targeting helps businesses focus on the most valuable groups by tailoring marketing efforts to their specific needs. Finally, positioning ensures that a brand occupies a distinct and meaningful place in the minds of its target customers. The STP marketing framework allows brands to deliver highly relevant messages, improve customer experiences, and achieve stronger brand loyalty. By strategically applying segmentation, targeting, and positioning, businesses can optimize their resources, sharpen their competitive edge, and drive growth in increasingly crowded markets. Learn how mastering the STP process can transform your marketing approach and create lasting customer connections.

[technologyequality]

AI-Powered Client Acquisition: Finding, Engaging, and Converting Your Ideal Customers

AI-Powered Client Acquisition Finding, Engaging, and Converting Your Ideal Customers So, you’ve optimized your pricing strategy with AI (if you haven’t, what are you doing?!). Now, let’s talk about what’s arguably even more important—getting the right people to pay those prices. Because here’s the thing: Not all customers are created equal. If you’re spending time chasing the wrong leads,…

[writingmochi]

lissie: i like how i position my blog now...

[ventesb2b]

Empowering Success: The Role of B2B Marketing Research Unveiled

Introduction

In the dynamic world of commerce, businesses thrive on the exchange of goods and services. In the intricate dance of transactions between companies, Business-to-Business (B2B) interactions take center stage. Unlike the familiar terrain of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketing, B2B marketing operates in a distinct ecosystem, where informed decisions are pivotal. Enter B2B Marketing Research – the compass that guides businesses through this intricate landscape, revealing insights that shape strategies and pave the way for success.

Understanding B2B Marketing Research: A Prelude

B2B marketing is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It’s about tailoring strategies to meet the unique needs and preferences of other businesses. This is where B2B marketing research emerges as the cornerstone. The process of B2B marketing research involves meticulously gathering and deciphering information about competitors, customers, industry trends, and the business environment at large. This data-driven approach equips businesses with a deeper understanding of the market, fostering strategic decisions that lead to growth.

Let’s connect for more insight:  https://ventesb2b.com/contact-2/

The Blueprint of B2B Marketing Research

1. Setting the Stage with Clear Objectives:

Every journey has a specific endpoint in mind. Similarly, effective B2B marketing research commences with crystal-clear objectives. Whether it's understanding customer needs, assessing competition, or evaluating current strategies – defining goals shapes the research direction.

2. Unearthing Insights through Data Collection:

Primary and secondary research form the pillars of data collection. Primary research entails direct engagement with businesses through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Secondary research involves analyzing existing market reports, academic research, and industry publications. Both methods work in tandem to paint a comprehensive picture.

3. Peering into the Business Psyche: Target Audience Analysis:

Knowing your audience is non-negotiable. B2B marketing research delves deep into understanding the demographics, behaviors, preferences, and challenges of your business customers. This insight fuels targeted marketing efforts that resonate.

4. Decoding the Competition: Competitor Analysis:

In a B2B landscape, competition is fierce. Researching and analyzing competitors' strategies, strengths, and weaknesses is akin to navigating through a labyrinth. Armed with this information, businesses can carve out their unique positioning, differentiating themselves in a crowded marketplace.

5. Navigating the Industry Seas: Industry Analysis:

The currents of industry trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements are relentless. B2B marketing research equips businesses with the knowledge to navigate these waters, capitalizing on emerging opportunities and mitigating threats.

6. Slicing the Market: Market Segmentation:

Blanket marketing is passé. Segmentation allows for laser-focused targeting. Whether based on industry type, company size, or geographic location, slicing the market enables tailor-made strategies that resonate with specific business needs.

7. The SWOT Symphony: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats:

A SWOT analysis illuminates a business’s internal strengths and weaknesses, alongside external opportunities and threats. This introspective exercise fuels strategic choices and arms businesses with the insights to chart a course toward success.

8. Crafting a Unique Identity: Brand Positioning:

Just as fingerprints are unique, so should a business's brand identity be. B2B marketing research guides the crafting of a compelling value proposition, establishing a brand that stands apart from the crowd.

9. Fueling Engagement through Content Creation:

In B2B marketing, content isn’t just king – it's the kingdom. From whitepapers and case studies to blog posts and videos, high-quality content addresses pain points, educates, and positions businesses as industry thought leaders.

10. Choosing the Right Avenues: Distribution Channels:

While the destination matters, so does the path taken. Identifying the most effective channels for reaching the B2B audience – be it trade shows, online platforms, or direct sales – ensures that the message is delivered with precision.

11. Decoding the Data: Data Analysis:

Data, when transformed into insights, becomes a powerful ally. Advanced tools and techniques unravel patterns, trends, and actionable insights. Data analysis is the compass that guides marketing decisions.

12. Constructing the Strategy: Strategy Development:

Armed with insights, businesses can draft a comprehensive marketing strategy. From messaging and tactics to goals and timelines, this blueprint paves the way for impactful B2B marketing.

13. Measuring the Expedition: Measurement and Evaluation:

Numbers speak volumes. Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly evaluating results allow businesses to fine-tune strategies, optimize efforts, and achieve measurable success.

14. The Cycle of Learning: Continuous Evolution:

In the fast-paced realm of B2B marketing, standing still is akin to moving backward. B2B marketing research is an ongoing endeavor. Staying attuned to industry dynamics and evolving customer preferences ensures that strategies remain relevant and effective.

Conclusion

In the intricate symphony of B2B marketing, research plays the conductor, orchestrating harmonious strategies that resonate with businesses across industries. With each data point collected, analyzed, and transformed into actionable insights, companies inch closer to success. B2B marketing research isn't just a process; it's the lantern that illuminates the path to excellence in the intricate realm of business-to-business interactions.

Aniket Deshpanade

Sr.Digital Marketink Associate

adeshpande185@gmail.com

www.ventesb2b.com/ New York, USA

[sarifel-corrisafid-ilxhel]

Been working on a Taxxon ref sheet for myself at work this week. I think it came out okay!

I am just realizing my handwriting is terrible, so here are my notes in type, as well as a few additional things I've figured out! (Ignore the mistakes, I've been sick and only had a few minutes at a time to work on this. ;-;)

TOP ROW

"Position 1: Watch. Head held upright. Eyes folded back for safety. Alert, looking in all directions. Frequent tongue flicks [to sniff the air]."

"Position 2: Stare. Fixated on a single target. Mouth presented for biting [if necessary]. Ominous background music."

"Position 3: 'Smile'. Head squished vertically [adjusts how eyes are positioned]. Eyes held in best positions for wild frontal field of view. Mouth clenched, no biting."

"Position 4: Biting. Mouth projects forward like a net [and opens wide]. Head expands outwards radially [to take bigger bites]. Two types of teeth: Clutching and Crushing teeth. Eyes fold back for safety. (Not listed: Bite force estimate around 10,000 to 15,000 PSI to chew through concrete and most sedimentary rocks. Acid saliva helps dissolve concrete, bone, carbonate rocks.)"

BOTTOM ROW:

"One Standard Jake (For Scale)"

"2 [pairs of] limbs per body segment on 7 body segments. Final segment only has 1 pair of modified legs." (Not listed: Taxxon body has 9 segments total, including head segment.)

"Front 2 [pairs of] legs move forwards to support upright torso when upper body held vertical."

"Living battering ram." (Not listed: Able to shove through doors, walls, some types of rock.)

"Body segments expand and contract like an accordion."

[thyfleshc0nsumed]

Much has already been said by other transfeminists on the "they hate us all equally" idea that many TME trans people fall back on when trans women speak on the specific ways in which we are targeted, and within the last few days, I've received a number of messages similar to this:

Frankly, I'm not even sure what has spurred this on--and this is the least aggressive and most direct of them--but many of them are not just the standard affair of transmisogynistic slurs and threats, rather they are posed as a defense of not just women, but trans men as well.

I don't believe that it is trans men or transmasculine people sending me these--though of course I could be wrong--so why do they highlight trans men within these messages?

The answer to me is obvious: within the trans man, the transmisogynist sees (correctly) the potential of an ally to their ends. Does the average radicalized transmisogynist look highly upon trans men and treat them with love and respect? I do not think so; these people are driven by disgust and indignation and view transsexuality and self-determination of gender and sex as degenerate, after all.

But motivated reactionaries know, if not understand, the mechanisms through which systems of power operate. For an ideology to be made manifest or maintain its reign, it does not require large segments of a population to be committed ideologues; that segment only needs to be amenable to the ideology and closed off from opposition.

So, while the radicalized transmisogynist is also a general transphobe, they know well that there exists stratification within their out-group and will happily incorporate sub-groups they also see as impure if it benefits their fundamental goal more than it damages it.

I think about early developments of whiteness. Did the 17th century propertied English of Virginia view their European-descended underclass as equals? Of course not. But when it became clear that material solidarity between the European underclass and Black slaves threatened their minority rule and their monopoly over expansion further into Siouan and Algonquin land, the propertied minority identified the essential components of their rule (chattel slavery and displacement of Indians) and became willing to grant privileges to the non-English Europeans so long as it solidified that rule. They codified this stratification into law over the course of the century. The European underclass, though still an underclass, now had a stake in this system. The propertied English had to give something up, but in exchange, they received new allies that allowed their fundamental aims and methods to remain unchanged.

So yes, perhaps the radicalized transmisogynist views the trans man as degenerate, but they understand that trans men have a stake in keeping trans women below them--denying this stratification helps uphold it.

Men who refuse to acknowledge that patriarchy exists still benefit from it and further its existence, regardless of whatever marginalizations they may face. Does patriarchy harm men too? Supposedly so, but only really in some psychic, damage-to-the-soul sort of way. The fundamentals of patriarchy is the positioning of women below men, even within a shared oppression. So to the transmisogynist, an allyship with trans men does not harm their essential aim: running trans women off of the earth.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Petrella at Chicago Tribune:

Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday used his first-ever appearance on Fox News to take his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs to the network’s conservative-leaning audience, labeling the Republican administration’s levies on imports “taxes on working families.” Pritzker, who has made frequent national media appearances since Trump retook the White House this year, is widely viewed as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. And as “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream noted in the morning show interview, the billionaire governor has taken a more aggressive approach to criticizing the president than other Democratic governors who are also frequently mentioned in those conversations, including Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer and California’s Gavin Newsom.

Illinois’ two-term Democratic governor wasn’t asked directly about his presidential aspirations, and he sidestepped a question about a Fox News poll that showed majority support for GOP positions on issues such as bans on transgender athletes, deportation of immigrants in the U.S. without legal permission and increased domestic oil production. Instead, the American people “want affordability to go up,” Pritzker said when asked whether Democrats are out of step with voters. “They want their costs to go down when they go to the grocery store. That’s the opposite of what this administration does. This administration says they’re for working families and then attacks working families with the biggest tax increase in U.S. history with these tariffs.” Pritzker’s roughly 10-minute interview followed a week when Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs roiled stock markets and left American investors, businesses and the nation’s trading partners perplexed about what the president is attempting to achieve. The governor’s Fox interview was immediately preceded on the TV program, which airs on Fox affiliates across the country, by a segment about support for tariffs in the shrimping industry in the South. Pritzker said the potential for tariffs to help certain industries that face competitive disadvantages is “an argument for targeted tariffs.”

“But that’s not what President Trump has done,” the governor said. “He’s put massive tariffs across the board, and that’s going to affect not only the cost for average working families going to the grocery store, but it’s also going to affect the sales of crops that we grow in the state of Illinois and across the United States.” Pushing the U.S. toward potential trade wars with some of its largest export markets is going to make it harder for highly productive Illinois farmers to sell their corn, soybeans, pork and beef, Pritzker said. “We’ve got to focus on targeted tariffs,” he said. “Good trade policy, I might add, is really about protecting U.S. workers, making sure that we’re expanding markets overseas, and focusing on lowering costs for American families. And none of what President Trump has done really does that.” Pritzker also pushed back on the argument that Trump’s use of tariffs is causing U.S. companies to consider building up domestic production or retain jobs here that otherwise might have gone overseas.

Some of those decisions already were being made as a result of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, while any possible significant increases in U.S. manufacturing and jobs as a result of steep tariffs would take years to materialize, “and we’re going to lose a lot of jobs and have a big recession in between,” Pritzker said. Pritzker also criticized Trump for using tariffs as a way of “punishing” major allies and trading partners, including Europe, Canada and Mexico, where the governor recently completed a trade mission and signed a memorandum of understanding with the state that contains Mexico City. “We’ve got a free trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States that should be strengthened, and we should continue to use that,” Pritzker said. “It’s one that President Trump put in place, President Biden abided by during his term, and now President Trump wants to blow all that up and re-trade the very thing that he negotiated.”

Yesterday on Fox News Sunday with host Shannon Bream, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) rightly called out Donald Trump’s tariff tax hike an injury to “working families.”

From the 04.13.2025 edition of Fox's Fox News Sunday:

[jessamine-rose]

hey I love your dottore series so I was wondering how pissed and over protective would the doctor and segments get if his enemies started actively targeting assistant

Read my Yandere! Dottore fics here ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

Ohhhh I love this!! Thanks for the inspiration, and I hope you enjoy this Yandere! Dottore x Assistant! Darling crumb (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))♡

Tw:: yandere, torture, Stockholm Syndrome

Note:: Female reader

As Dottore’s lover, you are in a precarious position. In addition to your involvement in his experiments, you are often seen with him. As such, you are his most, if not only, visible weakness.

Needless to say, Dottore would be furious to learn that someone attempted to harm his dear assistant. So are his Segments, whose reactions vary in intensity and conspicuity.

It doesn’t take long for his enemies to end up in his laboratory. The Doctor’s voice is deathly calm as he speaks to them and prepares his surgical instruments. But beneath his complex vocabulary, his fury is evident.

“…thus concludes the report provided by Omega. Do you have any objections to this experiment, my dear assistant?”

It helps that, unlike the other Harbingers and their lovers, Dottore need not hide his atrocities from you. As he operates on his enemies, you eagerly assist him and listen to the screams that fill the laboratory. At one point, he even allows you to take over.

After the noise has quieted, you happily thank Dottore. For him to protect you and let you witness his revenge…isn’t Zandik such a thoughtful lover?

[nostalgicmiscellaneous]

Lol as someone who actually works in the industry: you guys are very, very naive if you believe a tumblr blog would tell you secrets about the behind the scenes of Bridgerton for a bubble of specific fans, and even less that someone who actually have access to executives would be around telling so many incorrect stuff that can be proven wrong with some clicks. And would tell you about the actors that way, while working for Netflix. It's hilarious because production is segmented, there are different crews as well, and it simply wouldn't have production/executive inside information if it worked close enough to the actors day by day to know them, and they wouldn't work with all of them to know them personally, repeatedly in the way it says, as the teams are the same for a long time and they all have made their opinions on actors very clear. It's so stupid that it made the mistake of telling you all it doesn't work with crew. They really don't know how a production of a show works and it's funny to see anyone believing it. Then again, only Kanthony and Benophy fans do.

Not only that, contradicting not simply Netflix's news of profitability and success of Season 3, but in fact, actual market news and data releases, Investments prospects, and investors reports, plus licensing, that anyone with any inside information would know it's done publicly and show the actual success and profit delivered by Season 3. To even try to say it lost money, Lol. The data is there, if you worked in a exec. position, even management position, you wouldn't say something so ignorant.

Critically, official certified critics, and audience numbers averaged above Season 2 and on par with Season 1, and you can also check the aggregate of that on RT, IMDB, sites that reunited and average the score. Audience is measured not only by Netflix, but Luminate and Nielsen. Data that is ALSO PUBLIC. And that showed the successful amount of views, specially recovering audience that Season 2 had lost. It was also superior to QC. Netflix also ranks #6 ( above Season 2, again) as their most viewed seasons. Another public information.

It becomes evident you're dealing with a fan of Anthony and Kate and Sophie and Benedict when it spills target hate for particular actors, with nonsense that is so painfully clear from a fandom member, a mere angry fan trying with a insane agenda.

That's the problem when someone has an agenda against some actors and some fictional characters, a TV show, specifically a season. They throw away logic and believe anyone.

There is no insider, you have actual market information and investors/ experts that are not even Netflix connected telling you the success of season 3. Anyone who works for the industry would know that. Lol

There is no inside information of actors from that person. All cast and crew, and connected workers, and adjacents from media, PR and more, have their words and testaments to the cast and crew openly at their socials, dismantling their obsessive nonsense, contradicting them. I contradict them, lol, as i've actually met some of them and know their work ethics and behavior.

And most importantly, the so-called ''insider'' is not even from or in the UK…yes, i know exactly what i am talking about. But for now, i wont publish. For now.

Just be aware of bullshit and propaganda with fanwar nonsense. You're dealing with someone who is simply a discontent Kanthony & Benophy fan, and a Simone fan and hater of other actors in the show ( VERY OBVIOUS THE TARGETED HATE), connected ( lol very much connected) to a blog who has adopted the name of "Anti" since the start, who hates Polin. Some people just want to create a narrative, and while they say that Benedict is the most popular and wanted character for the GA, try to justify an eventual less number say it would be S3 fault, when S3 actually revamped the numbers from S2 and had incredible profitability ( again, public data).

But be aware that we know with 100% certainty, people like that do not work for Netflix. They don't even have a clue what a netflix contract is and how it works.

Also, a warning: People should have their faces and real names on when they say things, responsibility is a must, don't you all agree? Sometimes people think they are protected under the anonymity of a tumblr url to lie their hearts out and become desperate later when they have to own personally, with their actual faces and real names, and social reputation, the stupidity of their words.

And in a more fundamental sense, grow up. Tomorrow, someone else can simply create a blog telling the opposite about your favorites, their work, their seasons, it's a game nobody wins when fans act that desperate and stupid, lying and manipulating.

Or worse: perhaps someone with actual information can start posting, and you wouldn't like what they have to say…reflect on that.

[technofeudalism]

every reddit community is being flooded right now with posts about how amazing Joe Biden is and how he is the greatest President in American history and how "he's still got it."

normally, i'd find this kind of odd. because the tone has been drastically different everywhere else since the election loss. but then i found out why there's a sudden explosion of pro-Biden content.

During the 2020 presidential primary, Jill Biden campaigned so extensively across Iowa that she held events in more counties than her husband—a fact her press secretary at the time, Michael LaRosa, touted to a local reporter. His superior in the Biden campaign quickly chided him. As the three rode in a minivan through the state’s cornfields, Anthony Bernal, then a deputy campaign manager and chief of staff to Jill Biden, pressed LaRosa to contact the reporter again and play down any comparison in campaign appearances between Joe Biden, then 77, and his wife, who is eight years his junior. Her energetic schedule only highlighted her husband’s more plodding pace, LaRosa recalls being told. The message from Biden’s team was clear. “The more you talk her up, the more you make him look bad,” LaRosa said. The small correction foreshadowed how Biden’s closest aides and advisers would manage the limitations of the oldest president in U.S. history during his four years in office. To adapt the White House around the needs of a diminished leader, they told visitors to keep meetings focused. Interactions with senior Democratic lawmakers and some cabinet members—including powerful secretaries such as Defense’s Lloyd Austin and Treasury’s Janet Yellen—were infrequent or grew less frequent. Some legislative leaders had a hard time getting the president’s ear at key moments, including ahead of the U.S.’s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan. Senior advisers were often put into roles that some administration officials and lawmakers thought Biden should occupy, with people such as National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, senior counselor Steve Ricchetti and National Economic Council head Lael Brainard and her predecessor frequently in the position of being go-betweens for the president.  Press aides who compiled packages of news clips for Biden were told by senior staff to exclude negative stories about the president. The president wasn’t talking to his own pollsters as surveys showed him trailing in the 2024 race. 

so it turns out that, after the last year and a half of leftists saying "hey, isn't this guy really fucking old and kind of dying?" and being completely shit on, told to shut the fuck up, sit down and know our place... the guy was indeed dying behind the scenes.

and now, because this story is gaining attention in the mainstream media (CNN ran a segment earlier), reddit has full tilt re-engaged the Biden propaganda machine in order to "preserve his legacy."

throughout the entirety of the Biden presidency, and even before the 2020 election, Biden's cabinet, advisors, spokespersons, campaign staff, etc., abdicated their duty. their lust to remain in power, retain influence and secure gainful future employment in Washington along with their contempt for the average human being (including Palestinians) has effectively doomed us to 4+ years of Republican rule. now, they will go onto lobbying in the private sector and cash in on years of clout accumulated through being a dutiful stooge.

target your anger appropriately. stop blaming the voters. the Democratic party has never and will never care about you or anyone in this country other than their corporate owners.

[cheezybiscuits]

Field log: Elliot Manor

Note: The following is an illustration and transcription of audio and video recordings streamed from investigation of ground zero for SCP-468395. Instances of SCP-468395-A will continue to be referred to as Corrupted Security Drones (CSD) despite recent discoveries on their origins as standard drones.

Michelle: You hear that? behind the door over there, there's two voices talking.

Jordan: Yep. Could be the target. Stay on guard, she has weapons.

Team proceeds to the end of the hallway. Agents get into position in front of the doors and Jordan kicks it open.

Tessa Elliot: What-

CSD: Yeah NOPE!

Six rapid gunshots are heard and visual feed is disabled. Only one microphone records the following segment.

[04 level clearance required to access full file. Verify clearance level to continue] (Click keep reading)

Tessa Elliot: Wow…uh…okay…you just killed some SCP staff?

No one speaks for 3 seconds.

CSD: Well…yes! They’re hostile and intend to capture us, right?

Tessa Elliot: What happened to the boot licker you described a minute ago?

There is no talking for another 3.5 seconds and the CSD vents air as if to sigh.

Tessa Elliot: Anyway, back to those questions, so [SCP-468395-1-C] wore my skin huh? Is that why my corpse over there looks fresh from the slaughterhouse?

CSD: That’s correct.

Tessa Elliot: And now some gothy lookin' drone ate Cyn’s core and…survived? And has control of the solver now?

CSD: I’m skeptical of the twerp’s success myself.

Tessa Elliot: (chuckling) You keep calling her a twerp but the more you describe this kid the cooler you make her sound.

CSD: You think N is cool, because you’re kind like that.

Tessa Elliot: Psh, nah. He’s pretty cool, especially with the vampire-angel thing going on now.

CSD: Now you’re demonstrating what I just said.

Tessa Elliot: Do you think N would be cooler if he drove a company car?

CSD: On the condition that he'd get an upgrade for his cognitive processor.

Tessa Elliot: Are you sure you'd like that? You'd get competition for employee of the month.

CSD: Not if leadership and being cool are in the criteria.

Both chuckle.

Once again there is no talking for 3 seconds.

CSD: I have questions too.

Tessa Elliot: Oh?

CSD: How do I know I can trust you’re the real Tessa? You could be an anomalous doppleganger, an illusion, or any other type of deceptive SCP.

Tessa Elliot: Huh. (Pause) You got me there. I can’t exactly prove I’m not any of that. I betcha can tell my fingerprints are different, right?

CSD: And your facial structure has slight differences, along with your brain. Oh and I don’t need to scan you to see you’re 4 centimeters shorter than you should be at your alleged age.

Tessa Elliot: Hm. Well that tracks with me being a clone right? And there’s bound to be differences with how fast they grew my body. As for the height uh…I’m not as exactly well fed as I was from before the apocalypse?

CSD: Okay.  Next question: How does a technical genius that's avoiding the foundation think it would be a good idea to go to ground zero?

Tessa Elliot: I kind of wanted to see what was left of my stuff here.

CSD: How is that enough reason to risk all the dangerous-

They pause yet again. This time for 2 seconds. The CSD sighs again.

CSD: You wanted to look at your own corpse didn’t you?

Tessa Elliot: That and see if Dad’s SCP collection is still here.

CSD: …You know what, that passes as Tessa behavior.

Tessa Elliot: Right! Knew you'd come around!

CSD: Next question. You said you're avoiding bunkers since most of them are extensions of SCP-2000 right now and you'd get caught. How do you expect to survive outside of bunkers? What happens if you’re starving and can’t wait out a six-week glass-dust storm to take off your helmet for food or water?

Tessa Elliot: I got my own shelter for that. But I don’t know how much I can tell you about it.

(Transcribers note: What they’re saying next was sometimes hard to make out because they started talking at the same time and interrupting each other a lot. Francis if you find anything inaccurate here I just want to remind you, minimum wage, minimum effort.)

CSD: What? Why? I was completely transparent with you. That’s not-

Tessa Elliot: I kind of….have my own team I’m working with as you’d say? And, I dunno, you said you’re not working for the foundation right now

CSD: Yes but I wasn’t finished-

Tessa Elliot: And we're both different from the last times we saw each other-

CSD: That's true but I still haven't mentioned-

Tessa Elliot: To be blunt I don’t know who your next boss will be but they definitely won’t be friendly to me.

CSD: Yes but please Tessa wait second!

Tessa Elliot: I-alright.

CSD: (Pause) I said I was between employers, but I meant under the previous circumstances. I-it's different now. You're...alive now. Before, you were gone, I had nowhere to apply. Then I read about SCP-2000, and-

They pause again for 4 seconds.

CSD: As long as you’re alive, you’ll always be my boss, Tessa. Just, please, if you'll accept my application.

The subjects pause again for 6 seconds.

CSD: Wait shit-

Tessa Elliot What? What is it?

CSD: Wireless signal in the corner of my eye- son of a bi-

Audio picks up a single gunshot before disconnecting.

[Additional notes: Tessa Elliot has accessed files on recent 05 council members.  It is a top priority to capture and either amnesticize, or terminate the target.]

[cozage]

The Daughter's Return Part 3

Chapter 19: The Morning of War

Start From Beginning | Next Chapter | Table of Contents | Read on AO3

Characters: female reader x Portgas D. Ace Word Count: 1.3k

Marco woke you early to run one last routine checkup. 

“Still a happy and healthy baby you’ve got in there,” he said, giving you a nervous look. “You’re almost at month five.”

“Bell pepper month,” you said quietly, your hand rubbing over your stomach subconsciously. “Still so tiny.”

“And not very resistant to heat,” Marco warned. “So please, today…don’t do anything stupid. It’s not just your life anymore.”

“I know,” you whispered, staring at your small baby bump. You hadn’t expected to get so attached to this little nuisance. But when you weighed the thought of losing Ace or this baby…there was no contest. 

Marco hesitated, watching you. He knew you too well. Your behavior was too perfect. You were scheming. 

“Please don’t-“

“Just promise to save him, Marco.” Tears flooded your eyes. “Please.”

He knew how much promises meant to you. He knew you were asking him to promise the impossible. 

“I promise I’ll do the best I can,” he said. “Let’s get you up to Pops.”

You were almost there. Almost to Ace. You just had to behave for a little bit longer. 

“You’ll stay beside me through this entire thing,” your father said, sitting in his captain's chair. “I’ll need your eyes to find weak points.” 

“Of course,” you said, nodding in agreement. You stood tall and proud, as if that role would be the only position you’d have all day. Your good behavior had allowed you to roam freely around the ship today, but you knew the commanders were all under orders to stop you if you tried to run onto the battlefield. Plus your sea-prism shackles were still tightly fastened around your wrists. 

When your father’s ship rose from the sea, you stood at the bow of the ship, your eyes desperately searching for him. You didn’t care about the layout of the battlefield, you could examine that later. Right now, you needed to find him. 

He was so far away. And yet so close. You scrambled up and stood on the railing to get a better view, but it was him. He was alive. He was safe. For now. 

“No,” Ace mouthed in horror. He hadn’t even found you yet; this horror was from the sacrifice of so many that was about to be made.

You almost jumped down and took off towards him. But you needed to bide your time. Marineford was full of traps and different sections. You needed to see their hand before you put yourself into play. 

“Ace!” Your father yelled out. “Bear with me, son. We’ll be there soon.”

“Father!” Ace called out. 

There was an eerie silence amongst the battlefield, everyone waiting for the other side to make a move. 

“Do it,” you whispered, gripping a rope to hold yourself steady. 

Your father listened, and sent a shattering tremor through the sea. Giant tidal waves rose up, getting ready to crash down on the bay of Marineford. 

But they never came. The bay instantly froze over, Aokiji’s powers activating and solidifying the waters. 

All hell broke loose after that, every Marine aiming for your father and you in some way. But your division commanders protected you, and you took the time to examine the battlefield. 

Thousands of Marines stood at different portions of the battlefield. Men with swords and guns, strange patterns and sectionings. You had examined as much of Marineford as you could beforehand, but the Marines kept this place a highly guarded secret. Yet there was something that felt off about the battlefield. 

The canons. They were angled wrong. The walls were too low for a first defense. It didn’t make any sense. 

Then you saw it: the invisible line where the first defense stopped and the second defense started. There had to be a secret there; perhaps a wall segment that was activated by a trigger of some sort. If that wall were to be triggered while all of the pirates were in there, they would be fish in a barrel; easy targets for anyone who wanted to pick them off. 

At least one wall segment you’d have to get through. Though you had no idea how tall, how thick, or how it was activated. Practically useless information, but you reported it to your father regardless. 

And your father called Little Oars into action. He didn’t have to give any directions, Little Oars just went straight for the guarded platform. 

“Wait, Pops-”

“I know,” he said. “I made the call. Not you.”

“But he’ll-!”

“Quiet,” he hissed. “My men are more capable than you think. So watch.”

Cannonfire rained down upon Little Oars, but you refused to look away. You had caused this death and destruction. And when Little Oars fell to the ground, you couldn’t help but blame yourself for his untimely demise. 

Ace was screaming from the platform, begging everyone to run. But nobody would listen; of course they wouldn’t. Everyone loved the second division commander. So much they would be willing to die for him. 

You could see him drop his head in defeat, broken by the amount of loss he was being forced to witness. 

“You better live, Portgas D. Ace!” You screamed at him, putting all of your rage and hurt into your voice. “Because wherever you go, I go!”

His head perked up, and he scanned the battlefield, desperately searching for you.

“And when I get a hold of you-” you paused to take a breath, tears streaming down your face. “I’m going to kick your ass! Do you understand?!?”

His eyes widened as he found the source of your voice, and you could see the will to live return to his body, ever so slightly. That would be your goal for now. Keeping Ace alive and keeping the fight in him. 

You felt a shiver up your spine and turned to the source of the dread. The admirals. You had shown yourself, and you knew they would take advantage of that. 

And Akainu was staring straight at you, a triumphant smirk on his face. You glared back at him, until his eyes slid down to the cuffs around your hands. He raised an eyebrow curiously, and you could see him mutter something to his fellow Vice Admirals. 

Aokiji didn’t scare you when he looked your way, but Kizaru’s humored glance made your stomach churn. He raised a finger and pointed it at you. 

Suddenly Marco was on top of you, slamming you down onto the deck. An instant later, a beam of light shot past where your head had been. 

“No!” Ace’s voice wailed from the platform. “Stop! Don’t do this for me! Stop!!”

You tried to get up to see him again, but Marco held you down.

“They saw your sea prism,” he hissed. “They know you’re vulnerable right now, so stay down.”

“I have to see him!” You thrashed under him, trying to break free. “I have to let him know I’m okay!”

“We have to let the Admirals think they hit you!” he yelled. 

“They wouldn’t fall for such cheap tricks!”

“No, but their attention will turn elsewhere eventually!” he argued. “Just stay still for a second!”

You could hear the shouts and the battle raging on the ground below where your father’s ship was, and you wanted nothing more to fight alongside your family. You were half tempted to throw Marco off and start the race toward Ace without knowing anything else about the battlefield.

You heard a strange grinding sound that shook the ground, and you knew they were raising the hidden walls. The next phase of battle had begun. 

You took a deep breath and tried to center yourself. You couldn’t be rash here. You had to save Ace at any cost. So, you stared up at the sky and relaxed, waiting for the right moment to get back up. 

You listened to the sounds of the battlefield, trying to gauge where people were based on how loud the sounds of their weapons were. Strangely enough, some of the screaming seemed to be coming from above you. 

And then you saw a giant ship falling from the sky.

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[buttsandboltguns]

Burnt Processors, Smoking Barrels

“...-they sent her out again, today-...”

The autoloader to the hecodra’s 105mm rattled as it selected a smoke shell and extracted it from the carousel, exposing the shell to open air for bare seconds as it was loaded into the breach of her cannon. Her quad legs carried her up the slope of the trench embankment. As her barrel crested the ridge, she twisted her torso and let loose. The cannon shook as it fired the smoke shell, the heavy munition blowing directly through the side of the lightly armored target. Milliseconds later the shell detonated, white smoke blowing out through all the open sections of the other hecodra, this one a tracked unit built for speed. It slowly stuttered to a stop as its power plant was starved of air, slowly and gently shutting down and preserving its dearth of parts.

“...-how many deployments has that been, recently?-...”

She lay in wait, her legs nearly fully folded up under her chassis. Her chaingun was pointed towards the sky, up over the edges of the howitzer emplacement she had decided to roost in until the target came closer. A buzzing became prominent on her scanner and she powered up, her powerplant coming up from an idle rumble to a heady pounding roar. Tracking systems engaged and locked to a target fired across her communications channel by one of her squadmates. As the target drew closer, closer, she eased her chassis up until her chaingun crested the bare edge of the emplacement. A single impulse sent hundreds of 14mm shells downrange. The targeted aircraft bled smoke as it screamed overhead, crashing far on the other side of the gun pit.

“...-they say she’s going out with a unit of heavy infantry droids, will she be okay?-...”

The hecodra stalked along the trench in front of her unit of hepodoifs. She had made sure that the field mechanics had filled her ammunition bins and properly applied the reactive armor blocks to her outer hull. Conveniently, the blocks also provided a spot for the hepodoifs to grip onto if they needed to climb her armor for some reason - the indentations between the segments were perfect sized for the heavy droids to fit their manipulators in.

Behind her, the shock infantry stomped along at a brisk pace. They weren’t her beloved NAC.23s. They had been redeployed to a different front where her unit couldn’t go. So they gave her another unit of frontline mockups for this mission. Another group of droids built from parts, from pieces, from scrap and spare weapons. Just like her. All she had to do was get used to them. That couldn’t be so hard, right?

A sensor ping distracted her. Her legs skidded in the mud as she brought herself to a full stop, her dense ocular array scanning for the target she knew to be there. There, in the mud between trenches, well concealed but still visible. The near-flat domed top hull of a dronetank. Its long gun peered nosily through its concealment, pointing parallel to the trench she was in. She had to be careful or else the dronetank would detect her and their game of cat and mouse would very quickly result in her being caught in its jaws. They would need to move slow and-

The hecodra’s chassis rocked as one of the hepodoifs made to climb her. Anger simmered within her as the heavily armored humanoid droid settled between her upper powerplant housing and the rear of the housing of her main ocular unit. They hadn’t even asked. And here they were, putting their filthy hands all over her, and to what end? They didn’t even have designation gear.

Over the trench rolled a thunderous crack as the humanoid droid fired a recoilless rifle towards the dronetank. The shell impacted, throwing mud and shrapnel into the air. A horrid whine filled the air with the spooling turbine of their would-be prey, then abruptly dumping into a groaning scream as the beast lurched to life.

The rounded, nearly flat machine threw itself into full reverse as it pulled itself out of the fighting position it had dug into. Its hull was swiftly beginning to come around, dragging that dreaded main gun towards the hecodra. She needed to move, or she was going to suffer the consequences of other’s actions.

Her legs dropped from under her as she tried to flatten herself in the trench. A colossal cannon shot sounded out and the hepodoif that was riding her hull was blown away, shards of armor and internals scraping silver lines across her thick plating. The shell detonated deep in the mud behind her, the wet slop impacting the shielding over her powerplant and scattering the remaining hepodoifs.

The hecodra rotated her lower chassis, her legs hissing as she began to scamper along the trench. She had to get the drop on the dronetank. If she didn’t, the rest of the hepodoifs would be rendered into scrap and very likely herself as well. That wouldn’t do. She would show the enemy why she was called Cardinal Curse.

Her own powerplant gurgled and then roared as she surged up and over the embankment into open terrain. The dronetank was still aimed in its original direction - 70 degrees off of where she was at. She aimed - main hull, good angle - fired! The 105mm smoothbore roared its rebuke. The sabot dart hurtled towards the hull of the drone, impacting… and glancing away, a warbling pitch piercing the air from the ricochet.

The autoloader to the 105mm rattled. The carousel spun wildly through the ammunition. HE, HEAT, WP, none of them were the correct munitions. None would penetrate that angled hull.

Except for one.

The carousel slammed to a stop.

The selector arm raised the gun fired missile out of the carousel and into bare air, lining it up with the breach of the cannon.

The ram slammed it home.

The dronetank had caught her. Its neutral turn was faster than her ability to run across open ground. She trained her gun on target, waiting for the indicator that it was fully armed, before-

A shell ripped her flank open. Static filled her vision for several moments and she was thrown to the side, staggering heavily through the mud. A secondary detonation rocked her world to the side as her ammunition carousel lit up, the internal munitions blowing hard. The blowout panels flew off into the distant mud, a gout of flames spouting from her armor ribs. She wallowed in the deep mud, her legs struggling to gain traction.

The tank was going to be loaded again soon. Her gimballed 14mm chaingun swiveled over and began to hose the front of the dronetank, hoping to catch the sensor arrays. Instead her wild burst was rewarded with the blare of a jam alarm, the caseless munitions catching in the feed belt. Her right side manipulator unfolded from her armor and shoved into the mud, propping her hull enough to rotate her thorax around. Her 105mm read green. She could fire the gun missile if she just got it on target.

The crosshair pinned itself across the dronetank.

The dronetank re-focused its gun.

The missile flew. The tank’s howitzer roared.

The tank went up in flames.

But the world was already darkened for Cardinal Curse.

[osharenippon]

Shoujo Manga’s Golden Decade (Part 1)

Shoujo manga, comics for girls, played a pivotal role in shaping Japanese girls' culture, and its dynamic evolution mirrors the prevailing trends and aspirations of the era. For many, this genre peaked in the 1970s. But why?

Manga stands as one of Japan's primary cultural exports, deeply ingrained in the local culture and enjoyed by individuals of all ages and genders across various genres. Conventionally, manga is divided into two editorial segments: shonen (targeted at boys) and shoujo (targeted at girls). While shonen manga, propelled by hits like "Dragon Ball," "Slam Dunk," "Naruto," and "One Piece," has achieved global popularity, girls' comics, with their own international sensations such as "Sailor Moon," hold a crucial position in the market. The evolving landscape of girls' manga serves as a fascinating lens through which to observe the shifting fashionable aspirations and beauty ideals within Japanese society.

Shoujo manga has a rich history, dating back to the early 20th century. However, it truly gained recognition in its modern form in the late '50s and early '60s when prominent Japanese publishers introduced shoujo manga anthologies such as Kodansha's Nakayoshi and Shoujo Friend, as well as Shueisha's Ribon and Margaret. The acclaimed "godfather of manga," Osamu Tezuka, is often credited with creating the first modern shoujo, "The Princess Knight," in 1954, and the first shonen, "Astro Boy," in 1952.

A distinguishing feature of shoujo manga is that it is created by and for girls. But, in the '50s, this wasn't the case, and male artists dominated the shoujo field, which was considered an entryway to the manga business. By the 1960s, that would change as publishers recognized that women creators possessed a unique proficiency in crafting narratives centered around female experiences. Female manga-kas resonated with readers in a way that many male artists couldn't, marking a crucial shift in the landscape of shoujo manga.

The Volleyball Craze

A notable display of how shoujo could mirror societal trends unfolded in the '60s. In 1964, the Tokyo Olympics marked a new beginning for post-war Japan, and the female volleyball team, known as Toyo no Majou (the Oriental Witches), achieved stardom by clinching victory in the finals against the Soviet Republic. This triumph triggered a nationwide "volleyball boom," resonating particularly within the shoujo manga realm.

Shueisha's Ribon, historically the leader in the shoujo manga field, started publication in 1955. Still, the editorial house would only begin to make its series available in standalone tankobon format almost 15 years later through the now iconic Ribon Mascot Comics imprint. The first series to be made available by the imprint was Chikako Ide's "Viva Volleyball."

Simultaneously, over at Kodansha, Shoujo Friend was also eager to capitalize on the boom. Editors commissioned a title about the sport from illustrator Akira Mochizuki and novelist Shiro Jimbo. The final project, "Sign wa V," became a multimedia success, being quickly adapted into a live-action TV drama that achieved very high ratings.

While "Viva! Volleyball" and "Sign wa V" enjoyed success in their time, they did not etch themselves into the collective memory. The true shoujo sports manga blockbuster, a cross-generational classic universally known in Japan, is Chikako Urano's "Attack No. 1," serialized from 1968 to 1970 in Weekly Margaret.

It became the first shoujo manga title to surpass ten tankobon volumes (it had a total of 12 volumes), and it was forever immortalized thanks to its 1970 anime adaptation, which achieved high ratings on Japanese TV. Everything about "Attack No. 1"—from the original manga to the cartoon adaptation to the anime's theme song, which sold over 700k copies as a single—was a success.

The story of a high school girl trying to become the best player in her school, Japan, and eventually, the world became a phenomenon, setting the stage for the '70s "golden era of shoujo."

The Shoujo Lost Years

Until the '70s, manga carried the stigma of being a guilty pleasure, often viewed as a "poison" meant to dumb down young readers. Despite a few discerning individuals recognizing the medium's potential, manga critics, enthusiasts, and tastemakers — predominantly men — largely disregarded female-centric comics. Shoujo manga, despite its immense popularity, faced the harshest criticism.

Because society and critics downplayed shoujo, influential shoujo manga-kas from the '50s and '60s, such as Hideko Mizuno, do not enjoy the same level of recognition as their shonen counterparts from that era.

Hideko Mizuno and a page of one of her most celebrated works, "Fire."

Mizuno was one of the first women to create manga, worked as an assistant to Osamu Tezuka, and was behind several massive hits that had a significant impact on women in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. In fact, the most iconic shoujo manga-kas from the '70s golden period directly mention her as an influence. She fought to include romance -- now the essential element in girls' manga -- in her works back when such topics were deemed inappropriate by male editors.

Mizuno's repertoire was vast: she wrote mangas about little girls and their poneys, magic adventures, and romcoms based on Audrey Hepburn's movies, and she drew the first sex scene in a shoujo manga. The manga in question was "Fire," a teen-targeted manga featuring a rebellious American rocker, which broke new ground by having a male character as its focal point. Alongside other notable female artists from the '60s, Mizuno laid the groundwork for the '70s shoujo explosion, during which girls' comics took center stage.

In 1960's "Hoshi no Tategoto" (left,) Hideko Mizuno created the first shoujo love story. Serialized in Weekly Margaret between 1964 and 65, "Shiroi Troika," set during the Russian Revolution, was the first historical shoujo manga.

A contributing factor to this "golden period" was the emergence of several shoujo mangas as unstoppable hits, selling millions of copies and becoming cultural phenomena. These titles, considered masterpieces, continue to be read and known by multiple generations.

The BeruBara Boom

"Attack No. 1"'s success spread far and wide, forcing Japanese society to take note of the potential of the shoujo segment. Right after this historic success, Shueisha's Weekly Margaret hit the jackpot once again with another epoch-defining manga hit, Ryoko Ikeda's "The Rose of Versailles," which debuted in 1972. Set in the years preceding and during the French Revolution, it weaved together historical figures like Marie Antoinette and fictional ones, like the iconic Lady Oscar, a handsome noblewoman raised as a boy to succeed her father as the commander of the Royal Guard at the Palace of Versailles.

The first volume of the original comic had Marie Antoinette on the cover as Margaret's editors believed she'd be the favorite character. However, the androgynous Lady Oscar turned into a fan fave and the absolute star of the series, which is reflected on the cover of most rereleases since then, including the 2013 bunko version seen above.

When talking about shoujo manga classics from the '70s that are familiar to everyone in Japan, "Rose of Versailles" is probably the first name that comes to mind. It was a hit that really defined the era and impacted the country as a whole. While Marie Antoinette is seen around the world as a tragic, out-of-touch figure, in Japan, many women and girls see her as an aspirational historical fashion icon. While Sofia Coppola's 2006 film "Marie Antoinette" solidified this among younger generations, it was Ikeda's gentle portrait that made her a character loved by so many across all age groups.

When conceptualizing the story, Ikeda was heavily inspired by Stefan Zweig's "Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman," which she read while in high school. Once in college, in the late '60s, she, like millions of others, was heavily involved with the Marxist student movements. These references led to a historical romance that touched on heavy and revolutionary themes, which was atypical for a shoujo manga, a segment that, back then, was primarily catered to elementary school-aged girls.

Because of its unorthodox concept, Margaret's editors were unsure about the series. But right from the start, "BeruBara" (derived from the original Japanese title, "Berusaiyu no Bara"), serialized between 1972 and 1973, was an explosive hit, quickly turning into Weekly Margaret's most popular series. It was compiled in 10 tankobon volumes published, which sold tens of millions of copies. In fact, according to some stats, it is the best-selling '70s manga across all genres in total sales.

In 1974, after the original manga had finished its serialization, Takarazuka Revue, an all-female theatrical troupe, announced a stage adaptation of the story.

Posters of the first three Takarazuka adaptations, from between 1974 and 1975. Since then, the Revue has adapted the manga 11 times, with a new run scheduled for 2024.

The Revue was established in 1913 by the owner of Kansai's leading railway company, Hankyu, to boost tourism to the city of Takarazuka, his line's last stop. It was a huge success, and soon, the group had its own luxurious theater as well as its very exclusive academy where young ladies underwent an arduous audition process to become Takaraziennes. In 1934, a second Takarazuka theater opened in Tokyo. 

However, in the early 1970s, Takarazuka faced stagnation, with declining ticket sales attributed to the growing popularity of alternative entertainment forms such as cinema and television.

In 1973, Shinji Ueda, who had risen through the Takarazuka ranks as a director, made his debut as a playwriter in the company with a musical based on ancient Japanese history. While thinking about his next project, he decided to check out a manga popular with some Takarazuka fans, "Rose of Versailles," and he quickly realized it was the perfect theme for an adaptation. Lady Oscar, who had lady-like features but was also as handsome as a man, was the embodiment of the male role-playing Takaraziennes. Ueda reached out to Ryoko Ikeda, who, as an admirer of the troupe, quickly granted the rights.

But Ikeda and Ueda's excitement wasn't shared by many. Most of the Takarazuka team were skeptical about a play inspired by something as vulgar as a manga. Fans of the original were also highly protective of its characters and entirely against a live adaptation.

Amid this climate of distrust, the play opened at the end of August 1974 at the Takarazuka Grand Theater. The reaction after the first night was extremely positive. Soon, Takarazuka's "Rose of Versailles" was the hottest ticket in all of Japan, with the press breathlessly covering the "BeruBara boom" that led thousands of people to stand hours in line to get tickets to the coveted performances in Kansai and Tokyo. Ikeda herself was shocked by the media phenomenon when she returned from an overseas trip and had hundreds of reporters awaiting her at the airport.

A statue of Lady Oscar and Andre surrounded by rose bushes sits outside the Takarazuka Grand Theater in Hyogo, Japan.

The "BeruBara" media sensation single-handedly reversed Takarazuka's fortunes, leading to record-shattering ticket sales for the company. The Takarazuka Academy, which had seen declining applicants, suddenly became highly sought-after again, originating the saying "Todai in the East, Takarazuka in the West," comparing it to Tokyo University, the most prestigious university in Japan. The phrase underscored the desirability and prestige associated with a position at the troupe. 

Ultimately, the success of "The Rose of Versailles" propelled Takarazuka back to the pinnacle of the entertainment industry, a position it maintains to this day. The brand continues to hold great esteem among women of all ages in Japan, with Takarazuka's stage adaptations, derived from Broadway musicals, movies, novels, and shoujo manga, consistently selling out. Notably, various adaptations of "BeruBara" have collectively sold over 5 million tickets since 1974.

Following the manga and Takarazuka adaptation's explosive success, the anime debuted in 1979. While the anime received acclaim, Ikeda herself was not entirely satisfied, mainly due to the treatment of her favorite character, Andre, who played a significant role in the manga but had a minor presence in the animated version, which focused almost entirely on the manga's most popular character, Lady Oscar.

In 2013, celebrating Margaret's 50th anniversary, new special chapters of "BeruBara" were published. The first new story in 40 years resulted in Margaret magazine selling out across the country.

"BeruBara" remains a prominent franchise in Japan, spawning numerous licensed products, sequels, and spin-offs. Ryoko Ikeda, known for other successful series, continues to garner widespread respect and media attention. However, while almost everything related to "The Rose of Versailles" turned into a hit, there was an exception.

In March 1979, a few months before the anime premiere, a live-action film adaptation debuted with great fanfare. Fittingly for such a hot property, the movie was one of the most ambitious productions in Japanese cinema, with a substantial 1 billion yen budget. 

The Palace of Versailles granted permission to shoot in its interior. The filming was in English, with a European cast. The project was helmed by France's hottest movie director, Jacques Demy. Demy wasn't respected only in the West but also in Japan, where his two most important films, "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964) and "The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)," were also hits. In fact, to this day, both flicks remain popular among trend-conscious Japanese as examples of stylish oshare movies that fully capture aspirational girls' culture (alongside, among others, Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette"). Demy, the mind behind dreamy, girly movies, seemed like the perfect choice to turn this blockbuster shoujo classic into a live-action film.

The movie had the backing of three gigantic domestic corporations: Toho, the leading Japanese movie distributor; Nihon Terebi (NTV), one of the main TV stations; and cosmetic giant Shiseido. NTV and Shiseido made sure the movie had one of the most extensive marketing campaigns Japan had ever witnessed. The TV station aired specials and segments on this grand production. Meanwhile, Shiseido made the star of the movie -- British actress Catriona McCall, who played Oscar -- the face of its spring campaign, promoting its new Red Rose lipstick. Catriona was plastered on billboards across the country, made media and department store appearances, and starred in luxurious TV spots.

On the left, Lady Oscar and Marie Antoinette adorn the cover of Margaret in 2016, over 40 years after the end of the original serialization. On the right, Oscar models Dolce & Gabanna new collection for high-end fashion magazine Spur in 2014, celebrating 40 years of the conclusion of the original manga.

Back then, Kanebo, the second biggest local cosmetic company, was in fierce competition with Shiseido. TV ads from both companies had a tremendous impact, propelling singles to the top of the charts, and there was a battle on which commercial would feature the biggest hit. But, in the spring of 79, the focus of the fight changed. As a response to the Catriona "Rose of Versailles" campaign, Kanebo also hired a British beauty, actress Olivia Hussey, and launched a "Super Rose lipstick" with the tagline "You are more beautiful than a rose." The cosmetics war was another proof of the chokehold "The Rose of Versailles" had in the decade.

But when the movie finally premiered, it was a flop. Critics hated it, and Japanese fans thought the adaptation was weak and lacked impact. Catriona, in particular, was criticized for not conveying Oscar's androgynous charm, which perfectly balanced masculinity and femininity. With the well-received anime premiering just a few months later, the expensive movie adaptation ended up being outshone and forgotten. It became only a costly footnote in the manga's history.

An exhibition in Tokyo celebrates 50 years of BeruBara in 2022.

(It's worth noting that Kanebo clearly won the CM war. While the Shiseido co-produced "Rose of Versaille" feature film flopped, the "You Are More Beautiful than a Rose" song Kanebo commissioned from singer Akira Fuse became a considerable hit).

Movie aside, "The Rose of Versailles" is one of Japan's most beloved comics. From its debut in 1971 to its film and anime adaptation in 1979, it remained front and center in the country's mind throughout the whole decade. Its impact was felt in different fields, from the cosmetic business to the publishing business, from live theater to TV. It also forever changed how shoujo manga was perceived and remains one of the country's most beloved properties.

Ace-Scoring Manga

The 1970s marked a turning point for shoujo manga, as it began to gain recognition beyond its traditional audience, propelled not just by critical acclaim but by commercial success. The era witnessed the emergence of several blockbusters that captured the public's imagination. Notable among them were Yoko Shoji's "Seito Shokun," a tale centered on the daily exploits of a mischievous high-schooler, and Waki Yamato's "Haikara-san ga Tooru," a love story set in the Meiji period featuring a tomboy with a lady-like demeanor. These manga were significant hits during their publication in Kodansha's Shoujo Friends, becoming best-selling titles with tens of millions of copies sold.

Some shoujo classics from the '70s are still in publication today, appealing to a diverse readership spanning multiple generations. Suzue Michi's "Glass Mask," serialized in Hana to Yume since 1976, remains a cultural phenomenon with 49 tankobon volumes, over 55 million copies sold, an anime adaptation, a live-action drama, and a stage play. Similarly, Chieko Hosokawa's "Crest of the Royal Family," chronicling the adventures of a young American girl transported to ancient Egypt, has been a consistent presence in Princess magazine since 1976, boasting 69 volumes and over 45 million copies sold to date.

But, when talking about definitive shoujo classics from the '70s, titles that were historical successes, influenced everything going forward, and are known by everyone, three titles come to mind. We already explored one of these, "The Rose of Versailles." One of the other three is "Ace wo Nerae."

Following the monumental success of "Attack No. 1," the prospects of another shoujo sports manga achieving similar heights of popularity seemed improbable. However, Weekly Margaret defied expectations once more in 1973 with the release of Suzumika Yamamoto's "Ace wo Nerae" ("Aim for the Ace"), a compelling narrative focused on tennis that swiftly captured the nation's attention.

Japan and tennis already had some prior history. The first Japanese Olympic medalist was a tennis player, Ichy Kumagae, in 1920. Emperor Akihito met his commoner wife, Michiko, at a tennis match, and they initially bonded over their love for the sport. But, in the 70s, the country was taken over by an unprecedented tennis boom. At high schools across the nation, tennis became the most popular after-school activity. Fashion magazines like JJ and Popeye dedicated pages and pages to "tennis fashion." At the same time, trendy young adults decked in clothes from sports brands populated Shibuya and other stylish districts in Tokyo.

There were several contributors to the tennis boom. But the remarkable success of "Ace wo Nerae," which first conquered girls before dominating the nation, played a part in it.

The manga follows the journey of Hiromi Oka, a high school student initially plagued by insecurities but propelled into the world of tennis through the encouragement of her coach. "Ace wo Nerae" portrays her growth from a hesitant newcomer to a world-class tennis player, navigating challenges and discovering hidden potential along the way.

From left to right: Madame Butterfly, lead character Hiromi Oka and coach Jin Murakata as depicted in the anime. Madame Butterfly, a wealthy teen girl who is gentle and a world-class tennis player, is a fan favorite character.

In 1973, "Ace wo Nerae" was adapted into an anime. Despite initial modest ratings, the anime gained popularity through reruns. Encouraged by this, NTV decided to remake the cartoon. The second adaptation, which debuted in 1978, was an immediate hit. Concurrently, Weekly Margaret revived the manga series, which, after being first finalized in 1975, ran again from 1978 to 1980, spanning a total of 18 volumes.

Since "Ace wo Nerae," several hit mangas focused on tennis -- both shoujo and shonen -- were published. But, thanks to the success of its anime and the intragenerational support for the manga, the original work by Suzumika Yamamoto is still considered one of the defining and most beloved works about the sport. Its role in propelling tennis culture as part of the oshare youth culture of the '70s also defines its impact.

Japan Wants Candy

Following the monumental multimedia success of "The Rose of Versailles" and "Ace wo Nerae," the third shoujo sensation of the '70s is "Candy Candy."

Initially published in Nakayoshi, the story started taking shape when editors at the magazine sought a work of literary excellence akin to beloved classics popular among girls, like "Heidi" and "Anne of Green Gables." They enlisted Keiko Nagita, writing under the pen name Kyoko Mizuki, and paired her with one of the magazine's most famous artists, Yumiko Igarashi. The collaborative effort resulted in the creation of "Candy Candy," centered around an American, blond, blue-eyed orphan named Candice "Candy" White Ardlay.

"Candy Candy" epitomized various shoujo directions prevalent in the '70s. The protagonist, a white girl with lustrous blonde hair, embodied the fascination with Western culture during a time when Japanese youth held a keen interest in Europe and the United States. The manga's narrative style, characterized by its dramatic tone and plot twists, also aligned with the prevalent storytelling preferences of the era.

Candy Candy was such a resounding success that it became the first manga to achieve an initial print run of over 1 million copies of one of its paperback compilations.

Debuting in 1975, "Candy Candy" swiftly captured the hearts of Nakayoshi's readers, leading to unprecedented success. The subsequent anime adaptation by Toei in the following year propelled the franchise into the realm of a cultural phenomenon, sending manga tankobon sales skyrocketing. The seventh volume of the "Candy Candy" compiled paperback reportedly became the first Japanese manga to achieve an initial print run of over 1 million copies. Additionally, Nakayoshi's sales surged, surpassing those of its historical rival, Shueisha's Ribon, for the first (and only) time.

The adventures of young Candy were also licensing gold. With over 100 licensed products, the "Candy Candy" doll alone sold 2 million units, solidifying Bandai's position as Japan's premier toymaker, a status it continues to uphold to this day. The resounding success of "Candy Candy" forged a lasting alliance between Kodansha's Nakayoshi, Toei Animation, and toymaker Bandai, which led to the iconic "Sailor Moon" franchise in the 1990s.

While "Candy Candy" concluded its run in 1979, its appeal extended far beyond its original target demographic of very young girls, captivating kids, teenagers, and adults alike, thus contributing significantly to the manga and anime's widespread acclaim and enduring popularity.

However, a protracted legal dispute between Igarashi and Nagita has prevented the commercialization of any "Candy Candy" related products since the late 1990s, including reprints of the manga and re-broadcasting of the anime. The lawsuit arose from Igarashi's unauthorized licensing of merchandise based on the franchise, falsely asserting sole ownership of the copyright. Although Igarashi was initially credited as the lead artist in Nakayoshi during the manga's publication, the court ultimately ruled in Nagita's favor, emphasizing that Igarashi's artistic foundation was built upon Nagita's written work.

A collection of "Candy Candy" freebies offered by Nakayoshi magazine in the '70s. During the publication of the series, Nakayoshi would eclipse Ribon's sales for the one and only time in its history, (image credit)

Consequently, any commercial exploitation of Yumiko Igarashi's "Candy Candy" artwork necessitates the approval of both Igarashi and Nagita, a challenging prospect given the existing feud. Nagita, on the other hand, can profit from "Candy Candy" as long as she doesn't include any illustrations, which allowed her to release a book sequel in 2010. However, due to the dispute, one of the most beloved works in Japanese manga history is currently out of print. The lawsuit also blocks the anime from being aired or distributed. But, despite the almost two-decades-long media ban, "Candy Candy" remains widely known and beloved across Japan, a testament to its staying power.

While smash hits like "Candy Candy," "Ace wo Nerae," "Rose of Versailles," "Seito Shokun," "Hikara-san ga Tooru," and "Glass Mask," among others were key pieces into shoujo finally earning the respect it deserved, the rise of a revolutionary group of artists during the '70s was another critical element in shoujo's rise: the Year of 24 Group.

Part 2

[sonic-the-hedgehog-2006]

There's an interesting situation in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) where the player can perform a specific series of actions to miss out on an extremely minor amount of content.

After the player completes Blaze's Wave Ocean stage, they will be sent to a Castle Town hub area. The player will spawn in front of a Hint Bubble, like so.

This Hint Bubble is spoken by Silver, who will state "Maybe I'll talk to some people in the town..." once it's interacted with.

Once the player interacts with the Woman NPC beyond the Hint Bubble, as shown above, something fairly unique happens.

The dialogue changes such that now the hint features Amy saying "Did Sonic really head to the desert? Silver, do me a favor and help me find him first!" (Notably the subtitles incorrectly say "find my target first!")

This alone is interesting and a fairly unique Hint Bubble behavior (There are other instances where purchasing an item will change a hint). However, this specific iteration of Castle Town is one of the few instances in the game where certain triggers activated mid-stage will change the dialogue of NPCs, as opposed to their dialogue only changing between stages.

Once the player speaks to the Soleannan Soldier NPC positioned outside of the Dusty Desert Gate, almost every (but not every) NPC with an orange indicator above their head will have their dialogue changed.

Now the Woman NPC will direct the player to speak to the gondoliers using different, unique dialogue.

This is where the presumed error begins, as this second piece of dialogue does not trigger the flag to change the Hint Bubble from Silver's voice line to Amy's. Due to this, the Hint Bubble will be stuck with Silver's "Maybe I'll talk to some people in the town..." hint for the entire rest of the playable segment.

[leftistfeminista]

– Speaking of freedom, a topic that all women’s organizations especially highlighted in the last period. What would you like to say about this?

–It’s true, in fact freedom is at the top of the demands of all oppressed class. The patriarchal system is imposed on women from home to workplaces, and when they don’t accept the slavery, they will be “punished” with death. Notice that the women on the streets say, “We want to live.” Previously while the demands for how they wanted to live were highlighted, now they say, “We want a world, where we are not killed!”. The attacks on women are at the highest level. Freedom is the need of all oppressed segments in the imperialist-capitalist system. Freedom is the most fundamental problem of all women in the male-dominated system and its our first demand. Our fight and resistance are already for freedom and for liberation.

We must firstly explain that the women who are punished by all kinds of patriarchal methods are not victims, but the subjects that will destroy this system. In every material of bourgeois media, women shown as a violent “poor”. Without action, thoughts; women are seen as a victimized object that is cursed, beaten, abused and murdered. In fact, the message is clear; You will be thankful all the time, if you cross the line you will be punished with any method listed above!

We have lots of duties at this point. What will be our response to this violence, it’s a must that to go to an organization which will work beyond just seeking rights within the legal boundaries. We are not denying or underestimating this sort of works, but we will not be able to achieve true freedom by staying within these boundaries. We cannot break this violence without using revolutionary violence.

KBDH established with the claim of being a united-military-political organization of women that will organize the violence of women which will target all patriarchal institutions. Its currently true that we are not where we wanted to be and expected from us. However, there are objective conditions to take the women on streets to the illegal struggle which will spread the women’s struggle to the next level. Until now, we have carried out actions targeting the institutions of the patriarchal system, we want to increase these actions.

Women were left defenceless, unarmed, unorganized, with definitions such as “naive”, “peaceful”, “far from fighting” and “beauties”. We don’t accept these beauties, because what is trying to be imposed by them is deepening the slavery. Our only demand is freedom. First, we must create the awareness of freedom. Freedom, comes from organizing. Our call is: “Let’s organize, let’s get armed, lets create the united women’s struggle and be liberated”.

– Finally, what would you like to say…

– We believe we have the power, anger and sacrifice in order to do what we have mentioned, as long as we realize our power. Because while we are being taken to the cremation, we are the witches that who walks towards it with smile, and we dare to put our heads under the guillotine in order to be equal. We are the ones holding the positions on the front in defending the Rojava Revolution. We are the fighters/martyred in the mountains. We are the ones on hunger strikes to break the isolation in prisons. We are the ones who doesn’t leave the streets during the most violent attacks of fascism. Because we are women, we will become more beautiful as we resist and become free as we dare.