Mithrun's desire as an SA analogue
TW discussion of SA and detailed breakdown of aesthetics evoking SA. The way I discuss this is vivid in a way that may be triggering, though there is no discussion of actual sexual assault. Just survivor's responses to it.
People relate to Mithrun and see his condition as an analogue for a few different things, like brain injury or depression. And I think all of them are there. But I also see Mithrun's story as an SA analogue, and Ryoko Kui intentionally evokes those aesthetics. I think it's a part of Mithrun's character that a lot of people miss, but I very much consider it text. This is partially inspired by @heird99's post on what makes this scene so disturbing; so check out their post, too :)
So to start off with, the demon invades Mithrun's bed, specifically. There's even a canopy around it, which specifically evokes this idea of personal intrusion; the barrier is being pulled apart without consent or warning. The way the hand reaches towards Mithrun's body from outside of the panel division makes it almost look like the goat stroking over his body. It's an especially creepy visual detail; similarly, the goat's right hand parts into the side of the panel as well. It's literally like it's tearing the page apart; but gently. So gently.
Mithrun is in bed. It is his bed that the demon is intruding on. He's in a position of intimacy. The woman behind him is a facsimile of his "beloved" that he left behind; the woman who, in reality, chose Mithrun's brother. He is in bed with his fantasy lover, who is leaning over him. While this scene isn't explicitly sexual, it is intimate. And it is being invaded. The goat lifts Mithrun gently, who is confused, but not yet struggling.
The erotics of consumption and violence in Ryoko Kui's work(remember that the word 'erotic' can have many different meanings, please) are a... notable part of some of her illustrations. I would say she blurs the lines between all forms of desire: personal, sexual, gustatory and carnal, in her illustrations in order to emphasize the pure desire she wants to work with and evoke to serve her themes. Kui deploys sexual imagery in a lot of places in Dungeon Meshi, and this is one of them.
In this case, horrifically. The goat's assault begins with drooling, licking, and nuzzling. The goat could be enjoying and "playing with" its food. But it can also be interpreted as it "preparing" Mithrun with its tongue as it begins to literally breach Mithrun's body. The goat also invades directly through his clothing; that adds another level of disturbing to me. There's nothing Mithrun can do in this moment of violation. Mithrun is fighting, but he is fighting weakly, trying to grip on and push away when he has no ability or option to. All he can do is beg the goat to stop. And it doesn't care. This all evokes sexual assault.
The sixth panel demonstrates a somewhat sexual position, with Mithrun's thighs spread around the goat's hunched over body. In the next, the goat pulls and holds apart Mithrun's thighs as he nuzzles into him. The way the clothing bunches up looks a bit as if it has been pushed up. It has pinned Mithrun down onto the bed, into Mithrun's soft furs and pillows. It takes a place made to be supernaturally warm and comfortable, and violates it. It's utterly and intimately horrifying. To me, this sequence of positions directly evokes a rape scene. I think Kui did this very explicitly. These references to sexual invasion are part of what makes this scene so disturbing; albeit, to many viewers, subconsciously.
This is also the moment the goat takes Mithrun's eye. Other than this, the goat seems exceptionally strong, but also... gentle. It holds Mithrun's body tightly, but moves it around slowly. It doesn't need to hurt Mithrun physically. But in that moment, it takes Mithrun's eye. Blood seeps from a wound while an orifice that should not be pierced is penetrated. This moment, the ooze of blood in one place specifically, also evokes rape. That single bit of physical gore is a very powerful bit of imagery to me.
Finally; it is Mithrun's desire that is eaten. After his assault, Mithrun can find no pleasure in things that he once did. He is fully disassociated from his emotions. This is a common response to trauma, especially in the case of SA. It's not uncommon for people to never, or take a long time to, enjoy sex in the same way again; or at all. They might feel like their rapist has robbed them of a desire and pleasure they once had. I think this makes Mithrun's lack of desire a partial analogue for the trauma of sexual assault.
Mithrun's desire for revenge was, supposedly, all that remained. Anger at his assaulter, anger at every being that was like it; though, perhaps not anger. Devotion, in a way. To his cause. I don't know. But the immediate desire to seek revenge is another response to SA. But on to Mithrun's true feelings on the matter.
This is... So incredibly tragic. Mithrun feels used up. Like his best parts have been taken away. Like he's being... tossed aside. This certainly parallels the way assault victims can feel after being left by an abuser. Or the way assault victims feel they might be "ruined" forever for other partners. These are common sentiments for survivors to carry, and need to overcome. In the text, it's almost like Mithrun feels the only being who can desire him is a demon who might "finish devouring" him. That that's his only use. It's worth noting that Mithrun trusted the demon. Mithrun's world was built by the demon, and Mithrun, in that way, was cared for by the demon. I think this reinforces Mithrun's place as a victim.
There's also something to be said about Mithrun as a victim of his own possessive romantic and sexual desire. The mirror shows him his beloved just dining with his brother, and it infuriates him. He doesn't know if the vision is real, nor if she has really chosen his brother as a romantic partner. The goat then creates a whole fantasy world where she loves him. As Mithrun's dungeon deteriorates, she is the only person that continues to exist. Mithrun continues to have control over her. And that is the strongest desire the demon is eating, isn't it? There's something interesting there, but I don't know what to say about it.
In conclusion, I think Mithrun's story is an explicit analogue for sexual assault-- though, certainly, among other things! The way the scene plays out and is composed explicitly references sexual violation and invasion of the body. His condition mirrors common trauma responses to sexual violence. And, at the end, he finally realizes he can recover.
Let's end on a happy Mithrun, after taking the first step on his journey to recovery :) You aren't vegetable scraps Mithrun. But even if you were-- every single thing in this world has value. Even vegetable scraps.
1K notes
·
View notes
Okay, so here are our options:
1. David Tennant is the Fourteenth Doctor because the Jodie Whittaker's Doctor regenerated into him.
2. Ncuti Gatwa is the Fourteenth Doctor because Ten3 does not count.
3. Sacha Dhawan is the Fourteenth Doctor because Jodie Whittaker's doctor regenerated into him.
4. Jodie Whittaker is the Fourteenth Doctor due to the existence of the War Doctor.
5. Peter Capaldi is the Fourteenth Doctor due to the existence of the War Doctor and the time David Tennant regenerated into himself.
6. Matt Smith is the Fourteenth Doctor due to the existence of the War Doctor, and the time David Tennant regenerated into himself, and Jo Martin’s Doctor.
7. David Tennant is the Fourteenth Doctor due to the existence of the War Doctor, and the fact that he regenerated into himself, and Jo Martin's Doctor, and the existence of TenToo.
8. TenToo is the Fourteenth Doctor for the above reasons.
9. Donna Noble is the Fourteenth Doctor for the above above reasons.
10. Both David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa's Doctors' true numbers are unknowable due to the existence of The Timeless Child.
11. Both David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa's Doctors' true numbers are unknowable due to the existence of The Timeless Child, and the uncountable amount of times The Twelfth Doctor died and was reborn in Heaven Sent.
12. Both David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa's Doctors' true numbers are unknowable due to the existence of The Timeless Child, and the uncountable amount of times The Twelfth Doctor died and was reborn in Heaven Sent, and all Doctors seen in noncanon materials are actually canon (Peter Cushing films, Scream of the Shalka, Curse of the Fatal Death, etc...)
13. Both David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa's Doctors' true numbers are unknowable for all of the above reasons and also because pseudo-Doctors such as The Valeyard and The Dream Lord are also The Doctor.
14. The above is true, but The Doctor is simply a title, and anyone who claims to be The Doctor is also The Doctor. Jackson Lake is The Doctor. Clara is The Doctor. Missy is The Doctor. Graham is The Doctor. Every actor who has played The Doctor are also The Doctor.
15. The above is true, but due to The Egg Theory everyone else is also The Doctor. We are all The Doctor.
16. None of the above is true because no Doctor after the Revival is canon.
17. None of the above is true because no Doctor after the First Doctor is canon.
18. None of the above is true because there is no Fourteenth Doctor. The number was skipped for some reason.
19. The numbering system is flawed and useless to current canon, and we should switch to identifying Doctors by their actors, as we do with The Master. (Example: Hartnell!Doctor)
20. The above is not true because we would still need to find a way to differentiate the 3 - 4 Doctors played by David Tennant.
21. All of the above is technically true, and Russell T Davies should put it up to a poll and see who wins, and we must all commit to the democratic vote.
8K notes
·
View notes
🌠 tauros-balls Follow
guys i just realized something! every region starts with an O sound! kanto... sinnoh... think about it!
👻 allister-is-my-baby Follow
Uh... Unova? Galar? You did not think this one through, did you, buddy? -_-
👾 gomy Follow
Wait what about Johto though? It has two Os!
🛣 i-ate-your-oran-berries Follow
??? what about it? what does that have to do with anything?
✴️ motorotom Follow
🎲 zorua-autisms Follow
@allister-is-my-baby You forgot Hoenn, Kalos, Pasio, Alola, Paldea and Johto? Try again.
🧮 malasaladala Follow
Pasio, famously known for not ending with an O
🛖 the-celestica-furry Follow
this goddamn website i swear
🌅 met-ho-oh-shes-trans Follow
Oblivia starts with an O! So does Orre!
🏵 juic3d-shuckle Follow
NOBODY WAS ASKING ABOUT WHAT THEY START WITH
🤖 boyhatterene Follow
well technically...
🦀 fa-klawf Follow
Oh my god
🪦 lessgrem Follow
Sinnoh ends with an H
🧼 doquartet Follow
🎐 031882849918402313864 Follow
"Orange islands" start with an O too btw
💎 teach-a-man-to-wish Follow
the orange islands aren't a region, and to be honest i'm pretty sure they're just made up
🏺 ghostinachinashop Follow
In my accent Unova ends with an O sound
⚙️ gegegegegegear Follow
Where on Arceus's green earth are you from that it's called fucking UNOVO
🏺 ghostinachinashop Follow
sinnoh
🐧 pingusplup Follow
Hi, Sinnohan here! No we fucking don't????
🛎 arceus-is-king Follow
Actually, I'm from the same place @ghostinachinashop is, I know what they're talking about! In certain circles of Hisuian peoples, we pronounce it that way!
🏺 ghostinachinashop Follow
no you don't i made it up to artificially extend the thread
🎁 send-him-to-the-distortion-realm Follow
🪤 ellise017418xo Follow
M.e.e.t. 💕 𝕙𝕠𝕥 💕 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗱 PØKÈMÔÑ 🔞RE.ADY to 𝚏x𝚌𝚔🔞 >>>>> C͓̽L͓̽I͓̽C͓̽K͓̽ ͓̽H͓̽E͓̽R͓̽E͓̽ <<<<<<<
🧠 unown-sigma Follow
And NOW the post is complete. Great work everyone! Same time tomorrow?
5K notes
·
View notes