#visual composer 2020

[achilles-patroclus-comic]

The first 8 pages of Achilles and Patroclus, written by James Washburn & illustrated by Chess Amadé Albaneze, a new queer graphic novel currently in production based on Homer's The Iliad.

Achilles and Patroclus was originally a play by James Washburn of @magpieartistsensemble, but Chess first encountered it as an opera in the Seattle Creation Lab of 2020-21. "I was in love with the text," they said. "The music too, but there was this intimate vulnerability between these characters that survived when blown up to a grand scale. It's hard to write like that. I was in love with the poetry of it all."

When James of Magpie sought to bring the text to visual life in the form of a graphic novel, he noted that "Magpie received a lot of artist applications for Achilles and Patroclus, but once we saw Chess's, there was no question in anyone's mind. Their work is visceral yet elegant - the perfect balance for a story where violence and tenderness intertwine."

For now, only these 8 pages will be made public until the project is finished and in physical print. If you'd like to read the rest of each page as they update, you can subscribe to Magpie Artists Ensemble Ko-Fi or to Chess's Patreon. If you want to peek at the paneling drafts, those are available only on Chess's Patreon.

If you would like to help bring this project to life but can't afford to financially support us, please spread this post around and give this page a follow to keep up with our announcements! Getting this project in front of more eyes is more important than you know, so thank you.

James Washburn (he/him) is a gay, trans, and disabled Storyteller-Activist born and raised in Seattle. His work is predicated on the idea that a story is best told with many voices, and he is deeply influenced by his Queer, artistic, and Polish communities, and his experiences at the intersection of marginalized identities. He takes inspiration from folklore, mythology, and queer history. His work focuses on discovering queerness in traditional stories and reimagining familiar tropes and archetypes through a queer lens.

Washburn is the Founding Artistic Director of @magpieartistsensemble, an artistic collective focused on innovative cross-disciplinary storytelling.

Chess Amadé Albaneze (he/she/they) has been creating comics since 2009, and their current projects other than A&P include the comic @hooffellas and the queer paranormal DND-style podcast @dandiesindanger. They are an American genderfluid trans masc artist, composer, and performer whose music was performed in the SO Creation Lab and whose voice work can be heard in @janellefeng's short film La Mort de Robespierre.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Markos at Daily Kos:

It’s been a weird few months as we liberals have come to terms with the reality of yet another four years of Donald Trump-fueled chaos, instability, hatred, and insanity. Unlike 2017, when outraged liberals took the streets in resistance, it seems many of us are just shrugging our shoulders this time.  This is their America. They are welcome to wallow in it.  And Civiqs polling, visualized by The New York Times, confirms it.  [...] Among all respondents, those saying they’re angry have gone from 29% to 16%. Yes, a big chunk of that is happy conservatives. But among Democrats, we’ve gone from 10% angry while former President Joe Biden was running, to 6% angry when Vice President Kamala Harris was running, to 13% today. 

We just haven’t seen an outpouring of liberal anger, and the reason is clear: We warned Americans about what would happen if Trump was reelected, and they didn’t listen. They believed Trump’s lies about Harris, refused to believe him about his plans, and ushered in the dumbest, most incompetent president in history back into office.  We’re not angry. We’re shrugging our shoulders, saying, “You fucked around. Having fun finding out.”  One of the harsh realities of the Republican Party is that it is heavily composed of white, non-college-educated Americans, while Democrats are largely a white-collar, college-educated party. Biden funneled billions of dollars into red counties and states to rebuild shattered rural economies, bailed out the Teamsters, and enacted the strongest pro-labor agenda since former President Franklin D. Roosevelt—and voters, by and large, rewarded him and his Democratic Party by bringing back Trump.  Trump won those making $50,000 or less by 2 percentage points, after Biden won them by 11 points in 2020, according to exit polls (which are not perfect). And while the exit polls don’t break out income and race, it’s clear that poor white voters went overwhelmingly for Trump.  Non-college-educated white voters—a decent proxy for income attainment—voted for Trump 66% to 32%. Meanwhile, college-educated white voters backed Harris 53% to 45%. Among all college graduates, Harris won 56% to Trump’s 42%. So it’s not surprising that among voters making more $100,000, Harris won them 51% to 47%.  A significant number of Democrats also live in blue states, which have the kind of social safety nets to insulate their residents from some of Trump's promised abuses. Obviously, lots of Democrats will still suffer under the Trump administration, but his own voters will likely bear the brunt of it—and that takes some of the sting out of Harris’ loss. It’s easier to suffer the consequences when we see his own voters (as well as nonvoters) realize the error of their ways. 

Markos Moulitsas writes for Daily Kos that certain Democrats are shrugging instead of going all out outrage over a 2nd term is because Trump voters have fucked around and found out the disastrous consequences of their vote.

[yurimother]

New 'I'm in Love with the Villainess' Trailer Announces October 2 Premier, New Cast and Theme Revealed

On August 10, a second promotional video for the upcoming television anime adaptation of isekai Yuri series I'm in Love with the Villainess (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou) was released. The trailer unveiled the series' October 2 premiere date and previewed the opening theme song, "Raise Y/Our Hands!!."

Main cast members Yuu Serizawa (Rae) and Karin Nanami (Claire) perform the opening theme, as well as the ending theme "O.C. Optimum Combination."

The trailer also announced new cast member joining Serizawa and Nanami, as follows:

KENN - Rod Bauer

Daisuke Namikawa - Thane Bauer

Youko Hikasa - Yu Bauer

New visuals were also uploaded to the series website along with the trailer.

Previously announced cast includes Aimi, Ikumi Hasegawa, Sara Matsumoto, and Minami Kurisaka. The anime is created at Platinum Vision and directed by Hideaki Oba (Love of Kill). Additional crew includes:

Ayumu Hisao - Script Composer

Youko Satou - Character Designer

Hijime Takakuwa - Sound Director

Noriyuki Asakura and Usagi to Uma - Music Composers

Yachi Kiyotaka - Art Director

Yamagami Aiko - Color Designer

Sato Yoko and Kobayashi Toshimitsu - Animation Directors

I'm in Love with the Villainess is based on the series of the same name by Inori. Originally released as a webnovel on Shousetsuka ni Naro in 2018, the series was picked up by BL Bunko for digital publishing. It ran for five volumes, concluding in 2021. Hanagata illustrates the light novels.

A manga adaptation of I'm in Love with the Villainess began serialization in Comic Yuri Hime! in June of 2020. Aonoshimo illustrates the manga adaptation. Seven Seas licenses the manga, light novels, and the spin-off series She's So Cheeky for a Commoner in English.

I'm in Love with the Villainess is a popular series, especially with overseas consumers. It has been praised for its world building, characters, and emphasis on explicitly discussing LGBTQ+ identity and life.

The anime is set to premiere on October 2, 2023 and stream in internationally on Crunchyroll.

Source: I'm in Love with the Villainess Anime Official Website

[easternmind]

The weird and wonderful history of Kowloon as a digital interactive space - Part II

This article is the continuation of a previous post.

Any comprehensive history of 20th century Hong Kong is not complete without a chapter entirely dedicated to the architectural and urban planning puzzle that was Kowloon Walled City. Quite unlike any other slum in Asia or elsewhere in the world, the extreme conditions under which its inhabitants lived captured the attention of various international journalists and photographers whose reports of this accidental labyrinth, in turn, inspired some of the most remarkable artistic explorations of our time. In this regard, video games did not remain impervious to the powerfully stimulative imagery, as much a reference today as it was when its hardened concrete walls still stood tall.

Kowloon's Gate Suzaku VR - Jetman - 2017

Kowloon's Gate made a most unexpected comeback twenty years after the original episode via the crowdfunded VR project Suzaku developed by Jetman, a studio founded by and composed almost exclusively of ex-SME/Zeque staff. While it is not the remaster many had hoped for, essentially consisting of a walking simulation through some redesigned locations from the original, it does a commendable job in faithfully replicating its instantly recognizable, light-starved alleyways in competent high-definition. It is also the only VR-compatible entry from this list, granting it a degree of uniqueness over its counterparts.

Stranglehold - Midway/Tiger Hill Productions - 2007

Stranglehold is the result of a collaboration with Hong Kong movie director John Woo, developed as a direct sequel to his heroic bloodshed classic Hard Boiled, featuring Chow Yun-fat in the role of detective 'Tequilla' Yuen in his unending confrontations with organized crime. One of the game's most unforgettable levels, Slums of Kowloon, takes place during a particularly rainy day, seemingly in those last days when the zone had been emptied of residents and demolition work was well underway. The visual representation of the quarter is suitably evocative, its buildings in complete state of disrepair, the remnants of local businesses or places of prayer still discernible from under the piles of steel and cement rubble.

Resident Evil 6 - Capcom - 2012

For all its shortcomings, Resident Evil 6 partly succeeds in taking the first two episodes' concept of parallel storylines and realizing it to a much fuller extent. Its choice of different characters translates into entirely different campaigns, locations and playing styles. The very first scene in Chris/Piers' campaign occurs in the fictional Chinese city of Lanshiang, modelled after real-life Hong Kong. The mayhem in the main streets forces the player to take a detour into a location named Poisawan, which bears a striking resemblance to the Kowloon district. Though an unofficial representation, it is among the most skilled replications of the scenery we find in the vast photographic repository of the area. The degree of minutiae with which the district's haphazard electric installation is replicated, alone, suffices to demonstrate a true commitment to authenticity.

Paranormal HK - Ghostpie Studio - 2020

Few would dispute that Kowloon is, itself, naturally conducive to sentiments of dread and anxiety. Paranormal HK is a 2020 made in China production reviving the defunct neighbourhood in a gripping, blood-curdling contemporary ghost story. The player is the cameraman of a paranormal-themed TV show exploring the zone during the evening of the Zhongyuan festival, a scheme suspiciously akin to that of Akira Ueda's 2004 game, Michigan: Report From Hell. As a result of the thorough research work performed by its creators, as well as the impeccable usage of contemporary 3D graphics techniques to achieve accurate lighting conditions, players may momentarily experience the feeling of walking into a photo of the actual city as it existed in the mid eighties.

Sifu - Sloclap - 2022

Notwithstanding of its renaissance during the 128-Bit era, the beat 'em up genre is commonly associated with the arcade games of the late 80s and 90s, the period of time when it flourished and, arguably, reached its zenith. The simplicity of controls and ease of access sufficed to attract players to the arcade cabinet, while the frequently extreme levels of difficulty of advanced levels ensured a steady flow of cash for arcade room owners and game development companies alike. Nevertheless, the genre has but perished and, in many aspects, recent years have indeed elevated it to unforeseeable degrees of complexity. Sifu, by Sloclap, synthesizes the elation of digital hand to hand combat simulation with the real-life complexity of mastering a martial art.

As is the case of previous entries in this list, Sifu makes no admitted reference to Kowloon or Hong Kong. However, the designers left little to the imagination in what pertains to their inspirations when taking on the task of constructing the game's environments. Another notable coincidence stems from the fact that this production was made possibly with the support from a celebrated independent game funding group going by the name Kowloon Nights.

Stray - BlueTwelve Studio - 2022

Stray is one of the most revered independent video games in recent memory, and justifiably so. The long development process yielded many benefits, judging from the consistency and attention to detail that engrossed many an avid player. That the main character is singularly charming feline may have played an equally crucial role. The creators have made no effort to conceal the fact that the notorious Hong Kong district was a pivotal influence to the design of its nameless city. The first indication can be spotted in the game's earliest footage, in which a black cat traverses a street where a particularly conspicuous sign boasted the initials HK. Stray is less concerned with presenting a precise replica of Kowloon than it is about summoning the very essence of its atmosphere. Moreover, in an exquisitely poignant way, its ending lends an entirely new meaning to the term walled city. In the future, robots may well take the place of humans. Invariably, the Walled City is no more. Slitterhead - Bokeh Game Studio - Work in Progress

An sequence of unconscionable mistakes from the part of Sony Computer Entertainment's management galvanized Keiichiro Toyama to part ways with Japan Studio, as it once was, and establish his own game production label. Their debut title, Slitterhead, is described as a grotesque survival horror experience, a genre within which the author moves with matchless ease. Among the few certainties regarding this project is the fact that it will take place prominently - if not exclusively - within the Kowloon City province. A wide variety of aspects included in the preview footage leave the viewer optimistic as to this being one of the most accomplished portrayals of the district ever seen in a video game. Subtle yet telling signs already demonstrate the creator's in-depth knowledge of the quarter's architecture and history. Take, for instance, the suggestive image of the airplane flying mere meters above the top of the buildings. Although the growth of Kowloon was for the most part ungoverned, buildings did not rise above a certain height, even as inhabitants claimed for increased availability of space. This is due to the fact that airplanes landing at the nearby airport would be required to make their descent at relatively low altitude, performing a tight curve as they soared just above the enclave, thus preventing construction from expanding upwards. Another scene shows a child playing on the rooftops of the buildings, which once again is consistent with the documented habits of residents who, starved for sunlight and open space elsewhere within the city limits, had little alternative than to take the stairs all the way to the top.

Warehouse Kawasaki Arcade

I would be remiss not to make some form of allusion to Warehouse Kawasaki, an arcade built to replicate the Walled City with unthinkable detail. Though its ultimate purpose was for visitors to engage in digital entertainment, the venue was scrupulously put together. Point in fact, many of the objects used in the construction of the five floor amusement centre were imported directly from Hong Kong. Like so many other Japanese arcades, it closed its doors in 2019.

In recent years, a rather similar initiative was taken by the Chinese in their attempts to build unique mall spaces. The 文和友 malls in mainland China, found in Changsha, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, attempt to reproduce the walled city aesthetic. Local residents inform me that these are increasingly lacking in foot traffic, for which reason the majority of their stores are closed. Other digital replicas of Kowloon

A number of other videogames set in or deriving inspiration from Kowloon could not be featured in this article. A frequently cited reference in this context is the action/adventure game Fear Effect, one which I emphatically dispute. No doubt remains as to it being located in a futuristic version of Hong Kong, yet I could discern no parallels with the walled city, save for those scattered second-hand visual motifs that were no doubt imported from sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell.

The Utelek Complex stage of Deus Ex: Makind Divided presents a similar situation, where the overall atmosphere of the futuristic favela bears some resemblance to Kowloon, without meeting the specificity quota that would warrant a more comprehensive exploration.

The 2004 Shout! original Kowloon High-School Chronicle for the PS2 is a unique case, in that it borrows the city's name despite taking place in a massive, Tokyo underground dungeon that is later revealed to be a maze-like Egyptian pyramid. The odd choice of title remains unclear. Shadowrun: Hong Kong game (screenshot above) contains a very direct mention of Kowloon as the place in which an entire episode comes to pass. Another project still in development, Kowloon's Curse (screenshot below), is following the lead of many popular independent horror games in recent memory by using a visual design and structure that elicits memories of the late Playstation/early Dreamcast era. A short prequel episode was made available earlier this year, for free.

Additionally, I refrained from mentioning the Kowloon maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as I perceive both games to be insufficiently relevant to merit study or contemplation.

A space that refuses to be forgotten

(China rooftop stage from The King of Fighters 2003)

It would be a gross overstatement to claim that Kowloon is a recurring location or level design motif in videogames. The relationship between digital games and the real life ghetto has been one of sporadic references. What makes the subject so engrossing pertains to the quality of the relationship, particularly that of a small cadre from among the titles featured in this article. Kowloon's Gate was one of the most relevant game creations of the 32-Bit era, a game deserving of reverence and cult following inside and outside Japan. Likewise, Shenmue II is the second instalment of a truly ground-breaking and highly advertised series whose production costs alone were unmatched until quite recently.

Moreover, this is an affair that is far from concluded. The unexpectedly high number of allusions to Kowloon in videogames released or revealed just last yet demonstrates that its aesthetic is still very much present in the minds and hearts of artists and designers working in the field. The walled city lives on as a digital demarcation that is certain to resurface time and again in years to come.

[sylvysprit]

Unrequieted Eternity, my new OST album is now released!

Unrequieted Eternity A visual novel OST by Princess Sylvysprit Bandcamp: https://sylvysprit.bandcamp.com/album/unrequieted-eternity-ost

In 2020-2021, i composed an OST for a visual novel dating sim game, but unfortunately, it was never released, thus becoming lost media Thankfully, i have received permission to share all the songs with you! The game's title and song titles have been changed from the original, which was one of the agreements for releasing the OST (Though, i admit, i really like the multiple layers of puns and double meanings behind this new title)

I've always wanted to compose an OST for a visual novel, i was very happy when i was given the oppurtunity to do so in 2020 together with one of my favourite artists, the story and characters really made me want to give it my all I've appreciated visual novel composers for years, i felt very inspired by PC-98 visual novels, like Ryu Umemoto's works on YU-NO for example, obscure stuff like Revo's work on Riddle in Riddle, but also modern indie visual novels such as VA-11 Hall-A (and even a little bit of Yousuke Yasui…?) for the music, but of course, i mainly relied on my own intuition and touches (so, basically, a lot of piano and subtle anime/Touhou/jazz influences)

I am very happy that i'm allowed to share these songs with you now, as they are some of my favourite songs i have ever composed, especially because this was the first visual novel i've ever had the honour of composing for This OST holds a very special place in my heart, and i hope that you will feel something special when you listen to the music as well, i put a lot of heart into it, so please let me know how you feel!

[mrs-gauche]

So, on the new teaser published on DA Day this year, while I won't even try to go as in-depth as the amazing @felassan already did, compiling everything of note in this excellent post, like the sleep deprived German with limited vocabulary that I am, I'm just gonna add my little two cents to it, hopefully not repeating too much of what has already been mentioned. 😁

So why not start with the caption here!

This honestly made me snort out loud. 😂 I mean, it's like BioWare is not even trying anymore to be subtle about the fact that Thedas has we know it is 100% doomed. lol And yes, I know we all joke about Thedas constantly being in Apocalypse mode, but this time it really feels like some massive change is approaching.

But to be specific, I am pretty confident in that this is referring to both the destruction of the Veil, as well as the freed Evanuris dooming the world through some kind of mega Blight.

When I first read the word "revelation", it immediately made me think of Solas' Tower tarot card. The Tower literally represents sudden, disruptive revelation and potentially destructive change. While "damnation" is the concept of a divine punishment, to be "doomed to suffer in hell forever".

And as felassan theorized, if the last person in the teaser speaking is Elgar'nan, and if he is in fact connected to the Old God Lusacan, who is the God of Night, bringing about the "eternal night" and darkness…

“Lusacan, the Dragon of Night, calls to you. He lives where it is darkest and waits for the day he will rise. Drink of his blood and know the power in darkness: either fear the Night or wield it." "The darkspawn yearn to awaken and corrupt Lusacan to start a new age of darkness." “A night that will never end”

...Whereas the "revelation"/Solas tearing down the Veil, to me at least, always seemed to be associated with light or "purification" (for lack of a better word), with how it was described in Sandal’s prophecy and the way the destruction of the Veil was portrayed in the 2022 cinematic, almost blindlingly bright. (Also, "Solas" literally means "light" in Irish. lol)

„One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just as they were. The shadows will part. And the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see.“

So I think, like this "revelation" contrasts the "damnation", like Light and Darkness, at least in terms of visual language, there could be a hint of a figurative, as well as a literal "clashing" of two opposing forces? Like, both are destructive, but like The Tower represents destruction in order to rebuild/to enforce new growth/for the soul to evolve, while the damnation is nothing but irreparable corruption?

Anyway! So generally speaking, the teaser highlights yet again three of the factions/places we've seen in all the 2020 teaser/concept art/books/comics. It looked absolutely gorgeous and the voice over gave me goosebumps, as well as the amazing score again (that may or may not be composed by Hans Zimmer and/or Lorne Balfe lol I wonder) and the sound design! <3333 Though what’s curious to me, is that neither the Shadow Dragons of Tevinter or the Veil Jumpers from the Arlathan Forest were mentioned this time around…

So, I think this time the teaser might be more about the main plot beats/quests in the game than about the protagonist's potential origins, like how in DAO and DAI, you travelled to various places gathering allies and completed their respective narratives first before facing the main threat. Each of the places shown is coupled with a voice over from what is most likely gonna be an important character in each of these plot beats.

The fact that they changed the word "hero" in the plot blurb on the official DA website to "leader" is also.. interesting. It kinda reminds me of when Mark Darrah mentioned that the "vision statement" for Joplin was gonna be "We would be heroes, but the records are sealed". 👀 Or maybe the new protagonist might not be so heroic after all and more on the morally grey spectrum, which is always nice to explore. lol Makes me also yet again wonder about the "They call me the Dread Wolf. What will they call you when this is over?" line, meaning that, no matter how heroic our actions might be, in the end history might still remember us as the villain.

Antiva

This looks phenomenal and if they actually manage to realize a city as big as what this suggests AND fill it with meaningful content and people (side-eyeing you, Val Royeaux lol), it will blow my mind! lol Like felassan said, I'm very curious if we're gonna do some Assassin's Creed style "parkour" here, like what was kinda described in the short story "As We Fly" from last year! The Crows as the only real military defense of Antiva, particularly in Treviso, seem to be in deep trouble now, having been invaded by the Antaam and if you look closely, you can actually see the banner of the Qunari being displayed in the city!

"We fight for everyone. And we always will. The Crows rule Antiva."

My first thought hearing the voice here was actually Caterina Dellamorte. The lines express authority or leadership and it's also a more elderly sounding voice (to me at least), so Caterina as the First Talon would make a lot of sense to me! There have also been lots of speculation about her grandson, Lucanis, being a potential companion as well.

Rivain

(Oh no, all of Rivain got eaten by a squid. lol)

I've been hoping to go there ever since I first saw concept art of Rivain, and this is still giving me huge Pirates of the Caribbean (but with magic) vibes. 😂 As someone who thoroughly enjoyed playing AC Black Flag like ten years ago, this looks VERY promising! Though please, if we're getting any kind of underwater combat (like with the Vinsomer mentioned in the codex entry from last year), just don't make me fight dragons underwater, I'm still traumatized by the Lagiacrus in Monster Hunter Tri. 💀

"Glory to the risen gods. They come to deliver this world."

As to who is saying this, honestly, no idea. 😂 The blurb on the website mentions dragons in this place acting up for some reason, and the line sounds very cultist. lol But I'm definitely with felassan here, too, that this has to be connected to the Evanuris as well, given this GIANT squid thing on the map and all of the horrifying ocean related stuff linked to Ghilan'nain and her monstrosities, my money is also on her being one of these "risen gods".

And honestly… If I was a simple sailor or pirate and then one day I would see this emerge from the ocean…

….I'd probably start believing in these "gods", too. lmao

Anderfels

Next up, we're going to the Anderfels and Weisshaupt and I don't really have anything to add to what has already been said, other than "Shit is definitely Going Down Here". lol Lorewise, it would be crazy to go there and learn more about the very beginnings of the Wardens at their headquarters, so.. given the lines, the ominous sound of battle in the background here and some *things* from those reddit leaks earlier this year (felassan made a great post about this too, but spoiler warning of course!).. I just hope there will be enough left of Weisshaupt to explore after all this. lol

"Grey Wardens don't hide in our castle. I won't ask good soldiers to turn tail and run."

My first guess was the First Warden as well, but felassan actually made a few very good points here that make me question it… 🤔

I was also wondering what these "pillar ring" things are and while I first thought some kind of magical defense mechanism, I saw a reddit user suggesting that these rings could be part of a griffon training flight path?? Hell YEAH. #BringBackGriffonsInDA4

"Tremors have been creating disturbances of late. Their cause is unknown. Upon the distant horizon, a storm of ominous intent brews and darkens the skies."

That is a very interesting description, given that the sky in *this* concept art (which is definitely also showing Weisshaupt), is quite clearly the opposite of "dark". lol

(*looking suspiciously at the things I mentioned at the beginning here about "Light and Darkness" clashing* 👀👀👀 Maybe Solas came to visit here, too, because he just loves the Wardens, right? lol)

You know, if I read the words "tremors" and "Grey Wardens", my natural conclusion is "Something something Old Gods Underground + Grey Wardens Trying to Kill Them Before They Awake = Nothing Good" (and let's not forget about the eleven(!!) mountains/Ghilan'nain's ancient pools underground mentioned in Tevinter Nights as well), keeping in mind that Solas gets furious about the Wardens deliberately searching them out and slaying them (because he obviously knows what's gonna happen if all of them are slayed(!)), and in DAI there was already something ominous going on at Weisshaupt...

And all of this coupled with the new vinyl artwork and all the promotional stuff for DA4 so far, makes me feel like the Wardens will be busier than ever before...

Seven semi-circles with two of them still "lit" and the "tambourine"/Veil looking more broken with each new update....

Seven Old Gods/Evanuris that were banished when Solas created the Veil.....

Seven mirrors shattering....

Seven gates of the Black City, which Kordillus Drakon prophesied will someday shatter and cover both the mortal and spirit realms in darkness....

And speaking of "DARKNESS COVERING BOTH REALMS".....

Tevinter

One word: TENDRILS. lmao

So the last shot shows a big part of Tevinter on the map, most of it covered in purple clouds and tendrils...

Followed by a voice that had me like

"All the world will soon share the peace and comfort of my reign."

First off, that voice actor sounds SO familiar, omg, who IS that?? Someone suggested Joseph Capp, the voice of the Shadow Prince from Divinity 2 and that fits perfectly (DOS2 has quite a few VAs from DA actually and funnily enough, the Shadow Prince is part of Sebille's main quest, who's voiced by Alix Wilton Regan lol) Whoever it is, they're doing a great job at sending a shiver down my spine. lol Like, you can just TELL, he's the Real Deal. "Peace and Comfort" never sounded more menacing. 👀

Alright, so I'll make this short, and say that I'm also very very confident that this is Elgar'nan speaking.

People have suggested the Archon, the Black Divine, some Venatori or Qunari leader, but honestly guys, none of these make much sense to me when looking at the bigger picture here (aside from the visual hints I've talked about earlier). Like, this teaser is obviously trying to set this person up as a serious threat to *the whole world*, and the only way I can see this work would be if this person held just as much or more power than Solas, because if they don't, they would just end up being a secondary concern, like another Corypheus…

You just don't market a game by suddenly introducing a new smaller threat to *"AAALL THE WORLD"* less powerful than the one we already have, you know. 😂 And imo, the only one "outmatching" Solas in terms of power, at this point, would be Elgar'nan or any of the elven gods. Or literally the Blight itself/the Titans.

And then there's this

"Hundreds of years in the making."

We know who has been directing the course of history for ages behind the curtains… I mean, the entire series has been building towards Mythal getting her vengeance.. and what better way to finally get to that point than to bring her husband into the narrative, the one who was potentially the main instigator of the Evanuris's betrayal and Mythal's murder. 👀

(There's one thing I need to say though, and I know this is the silliest of nitpicks, but.. if that guy really does turn out to be Elgar'nan, am I the only one who thinks it's really funny how he's just… talking British English/the common tongue like that? 😂 I mean, I 100% get why they cannot make the actors talk in ancient elven with subtitles for the whole game (something I personally really appreciated when they did it for some of the ancient elves and spirits in DAI), like Corypheus wasn't talking in the old tongue either, and I feel like there are multiple reasons for why this just wouldn't work. And if we're looking for a lore reason, I guess even the imprisoned Evanuris had somehow enough access to people's dreams over the course of thousand years to learn the languages of present Thedas as much as Solas or any other ancient elf like Abelas or Felassan did, but it's still funny to me nonetheless. lol)

Anyway, the teaser ends with a dragon's growling sound and then another wolf howling in the back, which I interpreted as Solas giving Elgar'nan a fair warning here that he's indeed still the title-giving DAD character. lol If we get to see these guys battling it out for real, like Giant Demon Wolf vs Black City Sized Blighted Dragon, it's already the best game in my book. lol

You just know someone at BioWare is having a blast at coming up with as many references to Solas' Trespasser dialogue to put in these blog posts as possible. 😂 I just hope they can keep this promise, cuz I have a LOT of questions (and I need Solas to answer ALL of them lol).

Hmmm... You "hope so", yes? Well, after *this* teaser I sure *hope* that the sentiment of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" still holds true in this particular situation, because I'd rather still be on Team Solas if I have to choose between "revelation" and "damnation". 👀

I guess we'll see next summer... 😁

[animefeminist]

Author and scriptwriter Watari Wataru on cynical heroines, getting a lesbian kiss onscreen, and keeping his day job

Watari Wataru’s appearance at Otakon 2023 was announced with copious mention of his 2011 light novel series My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (sometimes known by the shortened portmanteau of its Japanese title, Oregairu). While it has its issues (like a spate of fanservice-heavy anime promotional material rather disconnected from the novel’s mentality), it’s also drawn comparisons to era contemporary Toradora for trying to integrate more grounded character dynamics into the extremely archetype-dense school rom-com genre. The series earned a dedicated fanbase, three anime adaptations from 2013 to 2020, three separate manga adaptations and three visual novel spin-offs (including one in 2023).

Even more of interest for AniFem readers, though, is Girlish Number. Its heroine, Chitose, is a cynical young voice actress who finally manages to snag a major role; convinced she’d just never been given a chance to shine, Chitose’s ego takes a serious blow when she can’t keep up with her costars. The series isn’t a brutal indictment of an industry a la Perfect Blue or Oshi no Ko, but a work-com closer to SHIROBAKO – ultimately upbeat but unafraid of airing its complaints, or of letting a cast of adult women have a few rough edges.

Stepping into the role of anime scriptwriter and series composer first to adapt his own work, Watari has increasingly taken up work on adaptations. In 2023, that included AniFem staff favorite The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, an ambitious fantasy series that turned heads for managing to include both a love confession and onscreen kiss between its titular couple.

Such a move is almost unprecedented outside of titles marketed exclusively as yuri or BL, and despite the many beautiful queer love stories that anime has told over the years with one, the other, or only subtext to wield, it’s easy to see why this achievement touched anxious viewers: this interview was conducted only one day before Bandai Namco attempted to declare the couple at the heart of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury as being “up to interpretation” despite, among other things, their matching wedding rings (the creative team, in an admirable answering power move, released a staff art book at Comiket that included wedding and honeymoon art).

We were able to sit down with Watari, as well as SNAFU editor and Gagaga Bunko Chief Editor Hoshino Horinori, for a short interview.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[black-arcana]

BATTLE BEAST Announces New Album 'Steelbound'

Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST will release their seventh studio album, "Steelbound", in October via Nuclear Blast. The official music video for the LP's title track can be seen below.

BATTLE BEAST keyboardist, producer and "Steelbound" title track composer Janne Björkroth states: "'Steelbound' is a song that is both heavy and light at the same time. It goes through the walls with a bang, both in terms of composition and lyrics, without forgetting the groove and the little twinkle in the eye."

A thunderous anthem of defiance and resilience, "Steelbound" is a power-charged battle cry for all who have ever been dismissed, diminished, or silenced.

"'Steelbound' is a song about all of us," Janne reflects. "About the power to resist injustice and the respect that belongs to everyone. Sometimes the settings can be a little off, but you can, and should, constantly adjust your attitudes."

BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo adds: "As a child, I was bullied at school, and as an adult, I've experienced misogyny and sexism in my professional and private life. Through all these experiences, I've become a person who always fights against injustice. 'Steelbound' is a power song for all of us trying to navigate difficult life situations and relationships. The song deals with painful things, but at the same time, it gives us strength to keep fighting against the world's injustices. Let's rise together, because we are 'Steelbound!'"

As BATTLE BEAST continue to build anticipation for their upcoming album, "Steelbound" marks yet another blazing chapter in the band’s epic journey — one that promises to set the metal world ablaze.

The single is accompanied by a stunning music video that visually amplifies the song's firece spirit and message of empowerment, delivering a cinematic experience as powerful as the track itself.

Last month, BATTLE BEAST released the first single from "Steelbound", a song called "Last Goodbye". At the time, BATTLE BEAST bassist Eero Sipilä commented: "The spark for 'Last Goodbye' was lit in the least rock and roll place imaginable: a hospital. In 2020, I spent a few weeks there and met an older woman battling cancer — a fight she'd been waging on and off since 1985. It made me wonder: how much can a person take before they give up? But she never did. She kept showing up, kept pushing through the treatments, kept being around. 'Last Goodbye' is a tribute to that human fighting spirit — the will to rise every time life knocks you down. As long as you're breathing, you're still in the game."

BATTLE BEAST's European tour starts with a bang on October 17 with the band's biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena. The trek, with DOMINUM as the special guest and Sweden's rising power metal force MAJESTICA as the opening act, will keep BATTLE BEAST on the road until mid-December.

BATTLE BEAST released its first live album, "Circus Of Doom - Live in Helsinki 2023", on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. The album is available on all DSPs and as a limited-edition CD plus Blu-ray digipak. Recorded at the Helsinki Ice Hall on January 27, 2023, mixed by the band's "keytarist" Janne Björkroth and mastered at the legendary Finnvox by Mika Jussila, this massive live package is a highlight for every dedicated fan out there and perfectly captures the ambitious dystopian carnival show BATTLE BEAST put up during their past touring cycle.

Louhimo revealed in November 2023 that she had been diagnosed with a ruptured left carotid artery, causing the postponement the band's tour.

Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012 with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä).

Three years ago, Noora, who in 2021 released her debut solo album, "Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space", under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner, admitted publicly that she had been struggling with eating disorders and her weight since she was "a little child" and said that she was "still trying to find a balance." She added that she had "been depressed and anxious sometimes 'without a reason'."

In an interview with Metal Divas, Noora explained how she ended up fronting BATTLE BEAST: "[In] September [2012], I got a call from [then-BATTLE BEAST guitarist] Anton [Kabanen] that they want me to join BATTLE BEAST. I had heard their music and loved the sound and the vocals, so the next day I called Anton and said I'm in.

"Anton found me by accident on YouTube when he was searching for the new vocalist," she continued. "He had been looking for a vocalist — male or female; [it did not] matter. The only thing that mattered was can that [he or she could] sing his songs without compromises.

"I've been singing since I was four years old," Noora added. "While being a huge fan of heavy metal of '80s and a teenager, I had some classical singing lessons when I was 16 years old. Then at the age of 19, I started studying music in pop/jazz line. At the same time, I started doing some jam sessions at bars. There I found my first band (ADMIRAL OCTOPUS) in the blues bar. We used to play rock and blues music from '60s-'70s and Janis Joplin was the reason I got the rasp in my voice. After ADMIRAL OCTOPUS, in 2011, I took part in a singing competition ('Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star') at Henry's Pub of Tampere and won it with Janis Joplin's 'Piece Of My Heart'. That's how my single 'Relax' was born."

BATTLE BEAST is:

Noora Louhimo - vocals Eero Sipilä - bass Joona Björkroth - guitars Juuso Soinio - guitars Janne Björkroth - keyboards Pyry Vikki - drums

Photo credit: Marek Sabogal

[glitteredbubbles]

The best movie scores of all time (in my humble opinion; not a comprehensive list):

Her (2013) by Arcade Fire. Had to list this first since it was like my gateway drug for movie scores. The music in this film is easily one of the best parts; it’s be totally devoid without it in my eyes. Listen to Photograph and thank me later.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) by Philip Glass. He’s one of my fav composers of all time, so he’ll probably show up multiple times. MISHIMA/Closing fills me with the saddest emotion known to man (Bob’s Burgers also used it in their Christmas episode!)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) by DeVotchKa and Mychael Danna. Everyone knows The Winner Is (rightfully so) but the horns and guitar on No One Gets Left Behind are so perfect for me.

The Last Black Man in San Fransisco (2019) by Emile Mosseri. He’s also one of my fav composers ever so he may show up multiple times on this list too. Please listen to Rock Fight and you’ll understand.

Kung Fu Panda (2008) by Hans Zimmer and John Powell. Okay hear me out, but I think this may unironically be the most beautiful film score ever. Between Oogway Ascends and Sacred Pool of Tears?? Yeah it takes the cake for me.

Synecdoche, New York (2008) by Jon Brion. This one took a while to grow on me but now takes up so much of my playlist. I recommend either Ok or Transposition.

You Were Never Really Here (2017) by Jonny Greenwood. He’s another one of my favs, and this score is so perfect. Listening to Tree Strings while staring at the ceiling is mandatory.

Little Fish (2020) by Keegan DeWitt. Holy shit this score is so beautiful and heartbreaking; you don’t even need to watch the super sad movie for that to be abundantly clear (watching the film is still recommended though). Anyway you should listen to All the Little Pieces from this!

Koyaanisqatsi (1982) by Philip Glass. This is one of the few which I recommend not listening to until you’ve seen the film; the whole point is how the score pairs with the visuals, so listening to a beautiful song like The Grid without context dampens the experience.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) by Son Lux. I listened to them before they ever did this score, so it was like a proud mother moment hearing it in theaters. This Is How I Fight makes me cry just knowing the context.

Kajillionaire (2020) by Emile Mosseri. I love weird lesbians falling in love set to weird music. Mosseri is so versatile and it’s really apparent here; just compare his other work to Infinite Love and it’s staggering.

Strawberry Mansion (2021) by Dan Deacon. This movie was so wonderfully weird and perfect (one of my favs niche directors collabed with one of my fav niche composers, so it was basically made for me). Walking to the Credits is so beautiful and a perfect way to end the film.

Mad God (2021) by Dan Wool. This movie is honestly too gross and gruesome to have such a beautiful and emotional score. The motif which can be found throughout the music guts me; Long Way Down is so good.

Bones and All (2022) by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It may be controversial, but I think this is the best score they’ve done. It’s so lush and gorgeous; it really shows you their range when comparing it to others of theirs like Challengers. The Great Wide Open (Reprise) changed my life.

Fantastic Planet (1973) by Alain Goraguer. Holy shit this soundtrack is so perfectly groovy and 70s, and it contrasts interestingly from the rather disturbing film. The guitar licks on Maquillage de Tiwa should be enough to convince you that it’s perfect.

Sing Sing (2023) by Bryce Dessner. This film is so beautiful and poignant, and the score matches it perfectly! I think my fav from this is Auditions.

Minari (2020) by Emile Mosseri. I told you guys he was one of my favs. I know everyone knows Jacob and the Stone, but what they didn’t tell you is that every song on the score hits just as hard if not harder. Sometimes I just walk around listening to Outro and feel like a ghost haunting my own narrative.

The Brutalist (2024) by Daniel Blumberg. I kind of hate to admit it because I disliked this film, but the score was so good and definitely deserved the Oscar (under the pretenses that Challengers wasn’t nominated). The motif throughout is already insane, so the way he makes it practically decay in Heroin?? Crazy.

Poor Things (2023) by Jerskin Fendrix. I’m not sure how I feel about this film, but the score was so gorgeous and fun. The bagpipes in London alone make me feel such sorrow somehow.

Luca (2021) by Dan Romer. God I love this movie, and the score is so beautiful along with it. That’s the Dream especially pairs with the film so well and I almost tear up listening to it.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2021) by Disasterpiece. I love this film, and this calm and gorgeous score pairs with it so nicely. Paper Lanterns is so nice to study to.

Honey Boy (2019) by Alex Somers. Okay so I know this movie is controversial, but the score is too good and poignant to not make this list. You’re A Fucking Star makes me catatonic like actually.

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) by Michael Andrews. This film was pretty odd and the soundtrack pairs with it nicely since it’s quirky and cute! Almost sounds like something out of an indie game; I recommend Heaven in five.

Tux and Fanny (2019) by Albert Birney. Such an odd and wonderfully endearing movie, and you know the score is good if the director is making it himself. All songs are pretty bite-sized, but I love Hot Chocolate!

Blue Jean (2022) by Chris Roe, Solem Quartet, and Amy Green. I’m honestly surprised this indie lesbian movie has such a gorgeous score, but Viv’s Motorbike is next level for me.

Spencer (2021) by Jonny Greenwood. This film really shows Greenwood’s range because he makes the score so stressful and chaotic yet cohesive, perfect for capturing how Diana must have felt in the royal family. Partita In Five For Two Organs is probably my favorite.

The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022) by Brad Oberhofer. I don’t care that this is actually a miniseries, this score has too many bangers for me not to include it. Listening to Eulogy on repeat as I just stare at my ceiling makes me so sad but I will never stop I fear.

Okay now speed round of films with mainly one good song on the score:

Orlando (1992) by David Motion and Sally Potter. The one song I’m including this for is one of the best instrumental songs ever. Please just listen to The Maze and you’ll understand; it truly feels like running through a maze dramatically.

The Menu (2022) by Colin Stetson. Stetson is one of my fav composers ever so I had to include so I had to include this. Just listen to All Aboard and you’ll understand.

Asteroid City (2023) by Alexandre Desplat. I didn’t really care for this film, but I love the subtle yet swelling score even though a lot of the songs sound the same. WXYZ-TV Channel 8 is my fav.

Paris, Texas (1984) by Ry Cooder. Okay so this film doesn’t have much of a score, but the rattling guitar plucking is so perfect for this movie, and Cooder is a master in his own right. Houston in Two Seconds sounds just like wandering through the desert.

Sound of Metal (2019) by Abraham Marder and Nicolas Becker. Kind of odd for me to say this considering the content of the film, but man, “Rejoice, Beelzebub!” gives me chills every time so I had to mention it.

Hereditary (2018) by Colin Stetson. This whole score is great and unsettling, which is perfect for the film, but Reborn is the real highlight here.

La La Land (2016) by Justin Hurwitz. The theme for Mia and Sebastian is so good, especially how it’s a repeated motif, but that’s why it’s on this part of the list since the songs kind of blend together. Anyway Epilogue is heavenly!

Oppenheimer (2023) by Ludwig Göransson. Usually Nolan has Zimmer compose for his films, but I’m really glad he was busy with Dune because Can You Hear The Music is INSANE like physically and sonically. I went home and listened to this song on repeat for the rest of the night after first watching this film.

Midsommar (2019) by Bobby Krlic. The score on this film is pretty sparse, but god is it beautiful when it wants to be. I adore The House that Hårga Built and the twinkly sounds in it, so stunning!

Phantom Thread (2017) by Jonny Greenwood. Mainly putting this here since I haven’t seen the film yet but House of Woodcock is one of my fav instrumental songs ever. I listened to it on a train ride across Scotland and I felt complete.

Under the Skin (2013) by Mica Levi. This movie is so oddly futuristic and the song Love from the score captures that feeling so beautifully.

Where the Wild Things Are (2009) by Karen O and The Kids. I can hardly remember watching this movie as a kid, but man the song Food Is Still Hot makes me so instantly sad when it plays. The humming is lethal with the guitar and gentle harmonica.

Nosferatu (2024) by Robin Carolan. This film is exactly what I was hoping for a Nosferatu adaptation, and Daybreak is just such a perfect ending song.

Petite Maman (2021) by Para One. There’s hardly no score for this film which makes the music just that much more impactful. The delightful, synth heavy track that is La Musique du Futur closes the movie perfectly!

[midaslabels-a]

✩　forbes.com/profile/kevin-yoon

From the Editor

Kevin Yoon began his career in the Korean music industry as a freelance A&R, producer, and creative director. He graduated Seoul National University with a degree in aesthetics, where he met Cho Tae-joon and Go Eun-sung. He learned music production while studying abroad in the United States.

Kevin Yoon worked alongside Cho Tae-joon as an A&R and creative director on several projects for CJS Entertainment's TRIX and PYRO.

After his work at CJS Entertainment, he produced and directed KNIGHT under YDH Entertainment. He developed and debuted the girl group KALEIDO underneath YDH Entertainment, and started debut preparations for Angelix. When YDH Entertainment disbanded KALEIDO without explaination, he left to establish his own agency, NINETY9 Creative — where he debuted Marionette, REMEDY, and SELENE.

While Kevin Yoon has been criticized for his poor business management skills, he's considered one of the best creatives in the Korean music industry — having won several awards throughout his career for his work as a producer and creative director.

Despite facing criticism for his management skills, he's often considered one of the "better" CEOs within the industry. NINETY9 Creative is considered one of the few companies that treats their artists fairly.

He's known for being incredibly picky and somewhat of a control freak when it comes to production and creative direction, but he does encourage his artists to try their hand at production.

He's considered an expert in the field of music production and is credited with introducing the idea of "songwriting camps" to the K-pop industry. NINETY9 Creative operates a year-round songwriting camp hosted by the company's in-house producers and a team of foreign composers assembled by Kevin himself.

While he wants his artists to be globally successful, Kevin prioritizes his artists' longevity — and the overall quality of their music and art.

His groups are known to be conceptual. Kevin has stated that he "avoids following trends set by other artists," preferring for his artists to create their own signature style and sound.

Kevin is considered to be a "true innovator" within K-Pop and is often credited with the introduction and popularization of "lore" and "worldbuilding" to K-Pop.

Forbes Lists

#20, CEO Next List (2024)

Accolades

Melon Music Award — "Songwriter Award" (2009)

Melon Music Award — "Songwriter Award" (2011)

Melon Music Award — "Songwriter Award" (2014)

Mnet Asian Music Awards — "Special Award: Best Producer" (2015)

Mnet Asian Music Awards — "Special Award: Best Visual & Art Director" (2016)

Melon Music Award — "Songwriter Award" (2016)

Golden Disc Awards — "Producer Award" (2017)

Mnet Asian Music Awards — "Special Award: Best Visual & Art Director" (2018)

Melon Music Award — "Songwriter Award" (2019)

Mnet Asian Music Awards — "Special Award: Best Executive Producer Award" (2020)

Golden Disc Awards — "Producer Award" (2020)

Golden Disc Awards — "Producer Award" (2022)

Personal Stats

Age: 46

Source of Wealth: Entertainment, Self-Made

Residence: Seoul, South Korea

Marital Status: Single

Albums produced by Kevin Yoon

"So Hot," TRIX (CJS Entertainment) *A&R

"Nobody," TRIX (CJS Entertainment) *A&R, creative direction

"Tell Me," TRIX (CJS Entertainment) *A&R, production, creative direction

"Why So Lonely," TRIX (CJS Entertainment) *A&R, production

"11:59 PM," PYRO (CJS Entertainment) *A&R, production alongside Cho Tae-joon

"I'll Be Back," PYRO (CJS Entertainment) *A&R, production, creative direction alongside Cho Tae-joon

"Be Mine," KNIGHT (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, production

"The Chaser," KNIGHT (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, production

"Man In Love," KNIGHT (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, production

"Last Romeo," KNIGHT (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, production, creative direction

"NU ABO," KALEIDO (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, exec. producer

"Rum Pum Pum Pum," KALEIDO (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, exec. producer, creative direction alongside Woo Seul-hee

"Red Light," KALEIDO (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, exec. producer

"4 Walls," KALEIDO (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, exec. producer, creative direction alongside Woo Seul-hee

All of Marionette's albums (admin note: excluding Happiness, last release was Queendom) *varied roles depending on era, worked alongside former partner Woo Seul-hee

"Hi Angelix~", Angelix (YDH Entertainment) *A&R

"Angels7," Angelix (YDH Entertainment) *A&R, creative direction

All of REMEDY's albums *A&R, songwriter, exec. producer, creative direction

All of NYMTH's albums *A&R, songwriter, exec. producer, creative direction

Related

[twicehaneul]

｡°✩｡⋆☾☼

↳ ❝ [AHN HANEUL INFO] ¡! ❞

안하늘

｡°✩｡⋆☾☼

FIRST TRACK: PUBLIC LIFE

★¸.•☆•.¸★ ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆ she looks just like a dream

the prettiest girl i've ever seen

from the cover of a magazine˚. ✦.˳·˖༺♡༻✶ ⋆˚. ★⡀.•☆•.★

✧୧ ꜱᴛᴀɢᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ: 하늘 / Haneul

✧୧ ʙɪʀᴛʜ ɴᴀᴍᴇ 안하늘 / Ahn Haneul

✧୧ ᴊᴀᴘᴀɴᴇꜱᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ: ハヌル / Hanuru

✧୧ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ ɴᴀᴍᴇ Hanna Allen

✧୧ ɴɪᴄᴋɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ hannie, han, it girl, guitar hero, demon hanna. miss korea. korea's sweetheart

✧୧ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ: september 30. 1997

✧୧ᴀɢᴇ: 28 (kor. ) 27 (in. )

✧୧ ᴢᴏᴅɪᴀᴄ: libra

✧୧ ᴄʜɪɴᴇꜱᴇ ᴢᴏᴅɪᴀᴄ: ox

✧୧ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ busan, south korea

✧୧ ʜᴏᴍᴇᴛᴏᴡɴ busan, south korea

✧୧ ʀᴇꜱɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ busan (1997 - 2010) seoul, south korea (2010- present)

✧୧ ᴄɪᴛɪᴢᴇɴꜱʜɪᴘ 🇰🇷

✧୧ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ 🇰🇷

✧୧ ᴇᴄʜɪɴɪᴄɪᴛʏ 🇰🇷

✧୧ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ:

.ᐟkorean (mother tongue)

.ᐟ ingles (advanced)

.ᐟ tailandes (intermediate)

.ᐟ japones (advanced)

.ᐟchino mandarín (basic)

✧୧ ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: female

✧୧ ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ: she/her

✧୧ ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ: straight

✧୧ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ: 167 cm

✧୧ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: 46 cm

✧୧ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʏᴘᴇ: O

✧୧ ᴇʏᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ: brown

✧୧ ʜᴀɪʀ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ: brown

✧୧ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ: kang kyungmin ( ig: kkmmmkk)

✧୧ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ: winter (aespa)

✧୧ ᴠᴏᴄᴀʟ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ: ailee (soloist)

✧୧ ʀᴀᴘ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ aisha (everglow)

✧୧ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ: seulgi ( red velvet) & chungha (soloist)

SECOND TRACK : WORK LIFE

✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮ I'm still on that trapeze

I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me ✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ᴀɢᴇɴᴄʏ: JYP entertainment (2005 - present)

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ᴏᴄᴄᴜᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: singer, dancer, mc, composer, producer and song writter

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ twice

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ᴘᴏꜱɪᴛɪᴏɴꜱ main vocalist, lead dancer, sub rapper, song writter.

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ ᴅᴇʙᴜᴛ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ october 20. 2015

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ᴅᴇʙᴜᴛ ᴀɢᴇ 18 (int) 19 (kor)

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ꜱᴏʟᴏ ᴅᴇʙᴜᴛ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ march 15. 2021

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ꜱᴏʟᴏ ᴅᴇʙᴜᴛ ᴀɢᴇ 22 (int) 23 (kor)

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ 10 years

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ɪɴᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴇɴᴅᴏʀꜱᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ: FIVEVIBE (since 2019) L'OREAL (since 2020) CHANEL (since 2021) DIESEL (2022) HARRY WINSTON (since 2023) LOEWE (since 2024) MIXSOON (2024)

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ ʀᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ ↴

.ᐟ★VOCAL 100/100 %

.ᐟ★RAP 80/100 %

.ᐟ★DANCE 96/ 100

.ᐟ★VISUAL 92/100

.ᐟ★CHARISMA 89/100

.ᐟ★STAGE PRESCENCE 99/100

.ᐟ★PRODUCING 73/100

.ᐟ★SONGWRITTEN 100/100

.ᐟ★COMPOSING 94/100

.ᐟ★CHOREOGRAPHY 84/100

.ᐟ★PUBLIC SPEAKING 77/100

.ᐟ★ACTING 72/100

..ᐟ★MODELING 83/100

.ᐟ★SOCIAL MEDIA: 69/100

.౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ꜱᴏɴɢꜱ ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴡɪᴄᴇ: like a fool, precious love, touchdown, one in a million, rollin, merry & happy, dance the night away, lalala, the best thing i ever did, fancy, girls like us, stuck in my head, feel special, more & more, oxygen, hell in heaven, go hard, shot clock, perfect world, rewind, espresso, cruel, i cant stop me, behind the mask, believer, doughnut, cry for me, gone, when we were kids, crazy stupid love, love warning, i got you.

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ʀᴏʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴅᴇʟꜱ snsd. iu. boa.

౨ৎ𖦹.ᐟ★ᴋɴᴏᴡ ꜰᴏʀ: Her vocal range. Her very high notes. Her humility and willingness to help others. Being one of the calmest members of TWICE. Her rhythmic gymnastics performance at ISAC. Viral fancams. Her acting in 2PM’s "My House" MV. Her strong and adorable bond with JYP NATION, especially with 2PM and GOT7. Her iconic lines. Her childhood friendship with Jungkook from BTS. Her love for SNSD and Red Velvet. Her obsession with tonkatsu. Meme face—extremely expressive. "Nation’s Crush". Her participation in K-drama OSTs. Her songwriting. Being one of the best idol cooks. Her high IQ level. Considered one of the smartest idols. Being competitive and cheating in games for variety shows. "Are you laughing at me?"

THIRD PART: MINDSET

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. baby, don't you see?

I got everything you need

only a genius could love a woman like me ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

･°☆.ೃ࿔ ɪQ 145

･°☆.ೃ࿔ ᴍʙᴛɪ ᴛʏᴘᴇ: isfj-t

As an ISFJ-T, she loves giving and promoting care and generous support to those around her, usually in a very humble way. She takes her members' opinions seriously and listens without hesitation, always striving to reach a common ground. She can detect problems before others do.

･°☆.ೃ࿔ᴡᴇᴀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱ ↴

☆ Overloading with responsibilities: She tends to take on too many responsibilities and sometimes feels overwhelmed by her desire to help others and fulfill her duties.

☆ Difficulty saying no: Due to her desire to please and support others, she may struggle to set clear boundaries and say no when necessary.

☆ Tendency to internalize problems: She may be reluctant to express her own feelings and concerns, often keeping problems to herself instead of seeking help when needed.

☆ Difficulty handling criticism: She can feel hurt or discouraged by criticism, especially if it is unfounded, as she highly values harmony and positive recognition.

☆ Focusing too much on details: Her attention to detail can sometimes cause her to lose sight of the bigger picture, making strategic decision-making more challenging.

･°☆.ೃ࿔ꜱᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜꜱ ↴

☆ Loyalty and reliability: Haneul is extremely loyal and trustworthy, according to her members. Once she commits to something or someone, she does so with admirable dedication and consistency.

☆ Attention to detail: Her ability to notice and care for small details makes her meticulous and effective in planning and executing tasks, ensuring everything is done precisely.

☆ Empathy and care: She has a strong ability to empathize with others' feelings and needs, making her an excellent friend, teammate, and caregiver.

☆ Ability to maintain harmony: She is skilled at keeping peace and harmony in her relationships and surroundings, valuing stability and resolving conflicts peacefully. Jihyo considers her a great help in group leadership.

☆ Pragmatism and practicality: Her realistic and pragmatic approach allows her to find effective solutions to problems and handle situations efficiently and in an organized manner.

☆ Responsibility and strong work ethic: She is known for her strong work ethic and sense of responsibility, ensuring that duties are fulfilled correctly.

☆ Selflessness: She often puts others’ needs before her own, reflecting great generosity and altruism.

☆ Ability to create a welcoming environment: Her attention to detail and empathy allow her to create warm and comfortable environments, whether at home or work. She has never received complaints from colleagues or staff and is often praised for her kindness wherever she goes.

☆ Persistence and determination: Once she sets a goal, she is persistent and determined to achieve it, not giving up easily when faced with obstacles.

FOURTH PART: TRIVIA

༺୨♡︎୧༺ . one thing about me,

i'm the baddest alive .༺୨♡︎୧༺

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:

baekyang elementary and middle school, busan " cheongdam high school " school of performing arts seoul

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ᴘʜꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛʀᴀɪᴛꜱ: slim build slightly above-average height small waist, hourglass figure tanned skin defined facial angles prominent lips small, upturned nose

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ʜᴀʙɪᴛꜱ: biting nails, removing nail polish with teeth, cracking fingers and neck, skipping meals due to a tight schedule, cursing and hitting the nearest object when scared, furrowing her brow when displeased or angry

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ʜᴏʙʙɪᴇꜱ & ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ:

Plays multiple instruments, especially the guitar Photograph Cooking Archery Athletics, acrobatics, all kinds of games Styling outfits Songwriting Yoga Gaming Good at mimicry and articulation Can hit very high and low notes for her vocal range Fixing things and building furniture

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ

order, honesty, empathy, helping and supporting others, jazz music, contemporary dance, the color black, animals, fruits like peaches, taking care of her members

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ᴅɪꜱʟɪᴋᴇꜱ injustice, dishonest people, sexism, violence, rude people.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ:

asthma. astigmatism and myopia. second-degree calf muscle tear from overstretching and overuse (2019)

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ᴘʜᴏʙɪᴀꜱ miedo a los payasos.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇꜱ ↴

.ೃ࿔ 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 eleven, thirty.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬 black. purple.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬: dogs. otters.

.ೃ࿔𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬:

martials arts. swimming. gymanstics. acro dance

.ೃ࿔𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐣𝐢𝐬 🦦 🏹 🎧 🎸

.ೃ࿔ 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 spring

.ೃ࿔ 𝐤𝐩𝐨𝐩 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬

2pm. snsd. red velvet. got7. wonder girls.

.ೃ࿔𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐬:

taylor swift. adele. ed sheeran. sabrina carpenter. olivia rodrigo. the pussycat dolls.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬

right where you left me. taylor swift. the 1. taylor swift. i will show you. ailee. thorn. buzz. creep. radiohead. zombie. the cranberries. yellow. coldplay. fix you. coldplay. without you. mariah carey. emotions. mariah carey. kidult. seventeen. seven. jungkook. don't wanna cry. seventeen. i. taeyeon. good day. iu eight. iu. palette. iu. no.1 . boa

.ೃ࿔ 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞:

ten things i hate about you. grease. la la land. me before you. little woman. pretty woman. truman's show. eternal sunshine of a spotless mind.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐭𝐯 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬:

friends. the office. anne with an e. criminal minds. full house. gossip girl.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐤𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚 goblin. while you were sleepling. angel's last mission: love. vincenzo. hey ghost, let's fight. king the land. what's wrong with secretary kim?

.ೃ࿔ 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬

comida italiana. tteokbokki. kimchi. bibimbap. galbi. ramen. frutas. cookies.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬

bubble tea. coffee. soju. wine. water.

.ೃ࿔ 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞

a man with an impressive presence, well-manered, protective, kind, a person who loves family and who has shared hobbies and passions with her.

[lmanbergmusical]

Everyone don the coats and your sashes, we are back.

Presenting you with 28 minutes of beautifully composed music, voiced by talented volunteers, and accompanied by fully-shaded semi-animated frames—

L'Manberg The Musical, Chapter 2: Part 1 [LINK]

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who was in the premiere! We hope you enjoyed everyone's spectacular performances and arts on the first part of Chapter 2. <3

If you missed the premiere, fret not! Go watch it on our youtube!

First time seeing us around? Take a quick moment to get to know us and what we do!

L'Manberg: The Musical is a semi-animated collaborated volunteer project started back in late 2020, aiming to re-tell the story of the Dream SMP through original soundtrack composed by our talented musicians and visuals illustrated and animated by our large department of volunteer artists!

Find out more about the project in our official website, tumblr blog, twitter, and instagram! Please re-blog and consider giving us a follow to stay tuned for more exciting updates in the future, thank you!

[m3loria]

❛ the pursuit of the better.. ❜

MELIORA﹙멜리오라﹚often stylized in all lowercase is a fictional south korean boy group formed and managed by l♡uvix audio & sonata media. they are the third ever boy group to be formed by louvix audio, and the first ever group to come out of sonata media. they are the successors to formerly dubbed "ANGELS OF K-POP", or the 6-member boy group RIX, louvix's first ever boy group and their first ever kpop success. the group was formed through a duration of quote unquote "global auditions", and members would be chosen by not only judges, but the first ever chosen member himself.

the group is composed of thirteen fixed members, there have been no lineup changes ever since their original finalization in december of 2019. twelve of the thirteen members were chosen by the first member chosen himself, hwan, who put the group together based on not only their talents, but their variety and chemistry. over the course of 10 months, the members hwan, junmin, jian, taro, haneul, yohan, kyrie, kiro, chaiya, hajoon, z, byeol, and chrysa would go on to become members of the final lineup, and the group would eventually make their debut on may 1st, 2020, releasing their first extended play ❛ BOREALIS ❜.

meliora is a latin word which means "better", "better things", "always better", or "for the pursuit of the better". the idea of the group is that they are supposed to a fresh start, a better project compared to the previous mess of a group which was RIX, who, frankly, ended horribly. though they are often referred to as a "shameless cash grab" and "an attempt to milk RIX's former fame", meliora have since established themselves as a group full of variety and versatility, known for their obscure reality shows and for their excellent dance performances, meliora have become one of the most influential groups in the 2020s, not only in korea, but overseas as well.

 . ࣪ ˖ basic information !

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ group name : meliora ( 멜리오라 )

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ fandom name : aponia ( 아포니아 )

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ label(s) : louvix audio, sonata media

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ members : yohan, chaiya, junmin, hajoon, kyrie, hwan, haneul, kiro, z, byeol, chrysa, jian, taro

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ debut date : may 1st, 2020

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ debut album : borealis

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ genre(s) : k-pop, dreampop, krnb

 . ࣪ ˖ lineup !

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ yohan ( 2000 ) : leader, main vocalist, main dancer.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ chaiya ( 1999 ) : lead vocalist, sub-rapper, visual.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ junmin ( 2000 ) : main dancer, lead vocalist.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ hajoon ( 2000 ) : main rapper, lead dancer.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ kyrie ( 2001 ) : lead vocalist, lead dancer, lead rapper, visual, face of the group.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ hwan ( 2001 ) : main vocalist, lead dancer, visual, center.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ haneul ( 2001 ) : lead dancer, lead rapper, sub-vocalist.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ kiro ( 2002 ) : main rapper, lead dancer, sub-vocalist.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ z ( 2002 ) : main dancer, main rapper.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ byeol ( 2002 ) : main dancer, lead vocalist.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ chrysa ( 2003 ) : main rapper, lead dancer.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ jian ( 2004 ) : lead vocalist, lead dancer, visual.

 ̟ ˖ ⁺ taro ( 2004 ) : main dancer, lead rapper, maknae.

[yuzuyoon]

Lol,

I saw a comment where someone was like JM got so much for WHO than JK ever did. I couldn't honestly stop laughing for ages. Like JM got bare minimum which is also begrudgingly after fans begging. JM didn't get ads, auto play, playlist to name a few. Like I just don't get where people come up with this bullshit. JK literally got TTH on day 1, was literally everywhere because the level pushed him. Like why even bother trying to say dumb thing you know. Anyways I can see that a lot of so called OT7, shippers and solos are scared and annoyed that JK can achieve this much with minimum support so they try to put anything and everything on him to make it look like it's not organic. Can you imagine if he got a Grammy nod 😂 I don't think he will because Grammys are inherently racist but it would be hilarious. Honestly that would be such a slap in everyone's face lol.

But one thing is for sure. The fake OT7s, shippers, solos have always been scared of Jimin and they continue to be to this day. I think deep down they know if JM leaves, they are fucked. I know a lot of people say RM might be the one keeping the group together but I am willing to bet it's JM. If he chooses he had had enough, I don't think BTS will cease to exist. Yeah others leaving will create a dent but I think JM leaving will break the group. I don't think he will be the way. He is too much of a good guy. He knows the legacy the group brings but it would be interesting to see.

If they do break up though, I would interested to see what happens especially to the shippers.

people really are just unaware. they also just dont like to see the truth. they want to believe the narratives they've created, so they act like they're true

one of my dreams is for jimin to get a solo grammy before bts gets one (because be real bts has to get one eventually (right???)) and everyone will get horrendously riled up about it

i think bts have gotten to the point where any member leaving would ruin the group but jimin has always been that member. he attracted fans during debut bc of his ab reveal, he attracted people in run era because of his perfect man stage, he attracted people in bst era because of all his killing parts, he attracted people during bts' tours because of his visuals, he attracted people during bbmas because of his pink hair and talent, he attracted people during nye because of his funny mistake with his sparkly jacket, he attracted people in 2020 because of his unique voice in dynamite, he-

do i have to continue? you put all that on top of the fact that he can sing, dance, he has the startings of being able to rap, he can write music, compose music, and produce music, he has the ability to come up with choreo and to come up with concepts. he literally was the project manager for be.

bts has always been a team that works together but jimin has always done more than the others to get them to their success levels, even if just by a little bit

[tilbageidanmark]

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS WEEK (#195):

What an unusual film experience!

A PUBLIC PROSECUTOR AND A TEACHER is the very last silent film from Korea (made in 1948!), a morality tale and a flowery melodrama. A kindhearted teacher helps a very poor student of her, a hungry orphan. Years later, she's accused of an accidental murder, and he, who's grown to be a successful lawyer, thanks to her help, is able to save her from a guilty verdict.

But the wordless story is explained via the voice of an overly-emotional orator, "The Last Crying Byeonsa", who gives a running commentary of every detail of the story, in a most unusual way. It is reminiscent of old traditions of oral story-telling. His sorrowful and plaintive interpretation makes this an unbearable tragedy, and the most memorable aspect of this film. (Via).

🍿

"Say, you haven't happen to see a white.... Wang?!"

MURDER BY DEATH was a spoof of the Agatha Christie-type whodunit mysteries, with an ensemble cast that included a rare performance by Truman Capote, a youngish, gayish James Cromwell, and another of Peter Seller's offensive Charlie Chan impressions. it was full of all the old whodunit cliches, down to the blind butler, done in a mid-70's Woody Allen joke style. The only somehow-original point was the opening title sequence which was composed of Charles Addams caricatures. 2/10.

RIP, MAGGIE SMITH!

🍿

6 MORE WITH ISABELLE HUPPERT:

8 WOMEN (2002) is another whodunit murder mystery, but very different. A delightful feminine Christmas comedy, taking place in an isolated snowbound estate, played by an all women cast. Eight of the best French actresses of the day, including sisters Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert, the gorgeous Virginie Ledoyen, Fanny Ardent and teenage Ludivine Sagnier ham it up. Full of surprises, the best one is that every so often, somebody suddenly starts singing and dancing, (like the Clip Above), or as in 'Toi jamais' or the final shot with Georges Brassens' 'Il n'y a pas d'amour heureux'. Also, nearly everyone secretly is or at least ends up gay! 8/10.

🍿 (Re-visiting the PARC MONCEAU episode from 'Paris, je t'aime', just to see the cutest Ludivine Sagnier again. This was the Alfonso Cuarón short when she was Nick Nolte's daughter.)

🍿 MAMA WEED, my first stylish, fun film by French director Jean-Paul Salomé. A wonderful crime comedy where Isabelle Huppert is a badass Arabic-French translator working for the Narcotic department of the police, but who "Breaks bad" and learns how to deal. Like ‘Personal Shopper’ it ends in the deserts of Oman. 9/10.

🍿 Hotel Vivier Cinémathèque looks like a glamorous short riddle, where Huppert is presenting 5 interactive gaming scenarios, Fantasy, Crime, Comedy, Horror and Animation. But actually it's a whimsical presentation of the 2021 spring collection by some fancy shoe designer.

🍿 "Austria is a country that produces neuroses and also produces culture".

MICHAEL H – PROFESSION: DIRECTOR is an insightful 2013 documentary about director Michael Haneke. It starts with 'Amour' and goes back all the way to 'The Seventh Continent'. Obviously it contains references and interviews with Isabelle Huppert who starred in his 'Time of the wolf' and 'The piano teacher'.

I'm glad that I've seen all his movies [except of 'Funny Games', naturally] so I don't have to watch them again.

🍿 SCÉNARIO DE 'SAUVE QUI PEUT LA VIE, a visual essay proposed by J-L Godard in connection with his 'Every man for himself' (1980). I only watched it because of Isabelle Huppert. His usual stream of consciousness approach mixing up movements, snippets of sounds, words, montage of ideas, unfinished conversations, colours... 1/10

🍿 I was ready to hate the short 3D installation VIRTUAL EMBALMING (2020), "a digital remembrance as a document for the future", but I didn't. Huppert and 2 other women were asked how they wanted to be remembered, and the artist built interesting, artsy alters to their visions.

🍿

It was obvious that the new "Crime Comedy" WOLFS is a mediocre piece of junk from its very first scene when frantic Amy Ryan kept hysterically talking to herself, and from when her "fixer" arrives, and finds a cliched parking spot right in front of her posh NYC hotel. It's a low-rent, uninspired, boring 'Michael Clayton' clone about a 'cleaner', where even the Croatian folk dancing scene felt forced and joyless. Like a copy of a copy of a copy, degraded through the endless, talent-less story-telling. 3/10.

🍿

40'S NOIR WITH LIZABETH SCOTT AND BURT LANCASTER X 2:

🍿 "I'm Mrs. Alexis Richardson."

"You say that like it was spelt in capital letters."

"Ha. Sit down."

Are you telling me or asking me?"

"Please. You know, you're quite an attractive man."

"Keep goin'."

"How far do you want me to go?"

"I'm at the plate. You're doin' the pitching."

I discovered Lizabeth Scott, the beautiful actress with the "smoky voice", because her long Wikipedia page is unusually extensive. She never made it "BIG", but made it big enough to star in 22 hard-boiled, mid-tiered Noir classics in the 40's and 50's.

In I WALK ALONE (1947), good guy Burt Lancaster, released from 14 years in prison, confronts his ex-buddy, bad guy Kirk Douglas. Scott is the sultry nightclub singer, dangling as a bait. Deception, betrayal, retribution... 6/10.

🍿 DESERT FURY is a strange melodramatic Western Noir which is played out in glorious Technicolor. It got beautiful 19 year old Lizabeth Scott who can't get along with her casino owner mom Mary Astor. There's good-guy sheriff Burt Lancaster who's in love with her. And then there's two gangsters who come to their Nevada desert town, who are blatantly a gay couple. They had been together for 15 years, and now one of them falls for young Scott. It's bulky 1947 cars and giant shoulder pads for the ladies, with a Miklos Rosza score working overtime, but it's all so mixed up, with such unclear message.

🍿

X-RAY (1977), my 10th by Krzysztof Kieślowski, in which men that are being treated for tuberculosis at a sanatorium share their thoughts about their lives.

🍿

THE ONE AND ONLY, my 7th film by favorite director Susanne Bier. A frothy romantic comedy, which was both critical and a huge commercial success in Denmark when it came out in 1999. With the always-delectable Sidse Babett-Knudsen, but everybody else on the cast was utterly forgettable, and the story was as cliched and boring as can be. 2/10. [*Female Director*]

🍿

Buster Keaton's 1921 THE PLAYHOUSE is remembered mostly for the first half, in which he plays all the roles, dozen or more, of an elaborate variety show. In the second part he falls in love with a twin. At one point he is dressed and made up as a chimpanzee.

🍿

THE WAY THE EAGLE SHITS is an anti-capitalist screed, an angry cry about wealth inequality and unjust distribution of assets, and it doesn't mince words, or use euphemisms. The Poor are fucked, it shows, in 1975 and today.

🍿

KONCERT, an early, whimsical film by Hungarian István Szabó, which was nominated for an Oscar in 1962. 3 guys on a piano bicycle ride by the Danube, and people join them in an impromptu performance. 2/10.

🍿

MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS (2011), my second artsy animation by Koji Yamamura (After 'Franz Kafka’s a Country Doctor'). A mixed-up theoretical metaphor about (one of) the fathers of motion pictures. The 'Strings' are the ones his horses triggered galloping in front of the battery of cameras, which took the photographs that later created the illusion of movement. 2/10.

🍿

"I want an unwritten life..."

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2008), my third strike-out from Rian Johnson (After the 2 boring Benoit Blanc stories). Always looking for a good grifters story, but I couldn't get into this one, even after 3 attempts, and had to bail out midway.

🍿  

(ALL MY FILM REVIEWS - HERE).

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

On Jupiter, it's mushballs all the way down

Slushy hailstones of ammonia and water were part of a bizarre theory to explain the planet's poorly mixed atmosphere. These mushballs seem to be real.

— Imagine a Slushee composed of ammonia and water encased in a hard shell of water ice. Now picture these ice-encrusted slushballs, dubbed "mushballs," raining down like hailstones during a thunderstorm, illuminated by intense flashes of lightning.

Planetary scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, now say that hailstorms of mushballs accompanied by fierce lightning actually exist on Jupiter. In fact, mushball hailstorms may occur on all gaseous planets in the galaxy, including our solar system's other giant planets, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

The idea of mushballs was initially put forth in 2020 to explain nonuniformities in the distribution of ammonia gas in Jupiter's upper atmosphere that were detected both by NASA's Juno mission and by radio telescopes on Earth.

At the time, UC Berkeley graduate student Chris Moeckel and his adviser, Imke de Pater, professor emerita of astronomy and of earth and planetary science, thought the theory too elaborate to be real, requiring highly specific atmospheric conditions.

"Imke and I both were like, ‘There's no way in the world this is true,’" said Moeckel, who received his UC Berkeley Ph.D. last year and is now a researcher at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory. "So many things have to come together to actually explain this, it seems so exotic. I basically spent three years trying to prove this wrong. And I couldn't prove it wrong."

The confirmation, reported March 28 in the journal Science Advances, emerged together with the first 3D visualization of Jupiter's upper atmosphere, which Moeckel and de Pater recently created and describe in a paper that is now undergoing peer review and is posted on the preprint server arXiv.

The 3D picture of Jupiter's troposphere shows that the majority of the weather systems on Jupiter are shallow, reaching only 10 to 20 kilometers below the visible cloud deck or “surface” of the planet, which has a radius of 70,000 km. Most of the colorful, swirling patterns in the bands that encircle the planet are shallow.

Some weather, however, emerges much deeper in the troposphere, redistributing ammonia and water and essentially unmixing what was long thought to be a uniform atmosphere. The three types of weather events responsible are hurricane-like vortices, hotspots coupled to ammonia-rich plumes that wrap around the planet in a wave-like structure, and large storms that generate mushballs and lightning.

"Every time you look at Jupiter, it's mostly just surface level," Moeckel said. "It's shallow, but a few things — vortices and these big storms — can punch through."

"Juno really shows that ammonia is depleted at all latitudes down to about 150 kilometers, which is really odd," said de Pater, who discovered 10 years ago that ammonia was depleted down to about 50 km. "That's what Chris is trying to explain with his storm systems going much deeper than we expected."

Inferring planet composition from observations of clouds

Gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn and ice giants like Neptune and Uranus are a major focus of current space missions and large telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, in part because they can help us understand the formation history of our solar system and ground truth observations of distant exoplanets, many of which are large and gaseous. Since astronomers can see only the upper atmospheres of faraway exoplanets, knowing how to interpret chemical signatures in these observations can help scientists infer details of exoplanet interiors, even for Earth-like planets.

"We're basically showing that the top of the atmosphere is actually a pretty bad representative of what is inside the planet," Moeckel said.

That's because storms like those that create mushballs unmix the atmosphere so that the chemical composition of the cloud tops does not necessarily reflect the composition deeper in the atmosphere. Jupiter is unlikely to be unique.

"You can just extend that to Uranus, Neptune — certainly to exoplanets as well," de Pater said.

The atmosphere on Jupiter is radically different from that on Earth. It's primarily made of hydrogen and helium gas with trace amounts of gaseous molecules, like ammonia and water, which are heavier than the bulk atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere is mainly nitrogen and oxygen. Jupiter also has storms, like the Great Red Spot, that last for centuries. And while ammonia gas and water vapor rise, freeze into droplets, like snow, and rain down continually, there is no solid surface to hit. At what point do the raindrops stop falling?

"On Earth, you have a surface, and rain will eventually hit this surface," Moeckel said. "The question is: What happens if you take the surface away? How far do the raindrops fall into the planet? This is what we have on the giant planets."

That question has piqued the interest of planetary scientists for decades, because processes like rain and storms are thought to be the main vertical mixers of planetary atmospheres. For decades, the simple assumption of a well-mixed atmosphere guided inferences about the interior makeup of gas giant planets like Jupiter.

Observations by radio telescopes, much of it conducted by de Pater and colleagues, show that this simple assumption is false.

"The turbulent cloud tops would lead you to believe that the atmosphere is well mixed," said Moeckel, invoking the analogy of a boiling pot of water. "If you look at the top, you see it boiling, and you would assume that the whole pot is boiling. But these findings show that even though the top looks like it’s boiling, below is a layer that really is very steady and sluggish."

The microphysics of mushballs

On Jupiter, the majority of water rain and ammonia snow appears to cycle high up in the cold atmosphere and evaporate as it falls, Moeckel said. Yet, even before Juno's arrival at Jupiter, de Pater and her colleagues reported an upper atmosphere lacking in ammonia. They were able to explain these observations, however, through dynamic and standard weather modeling, which predicted a rainout of ammonia in thunderstorms down to the water layer, where water vapor condenses into a liquid.

But radio observations by Juno traced the regions of poor mixing to much greater depths, down to about 150 km, with many areas puzzlingly depleted of ammonia and no known mechanism that could explain the observations. This led to proposals that water and ammonia ice must form hailstones that fall out of the atmosphere and remove the ammonia. But it was a mystery how hailstones could form that were heavy enough to fall hundreds of kilometers into the atmosphere.

To explain why ammonia is missing from parts of Jupiter’s atmosphere, planetary scientist Tristan Guillot proposed a theory involving violent storms and slushy hailstones called mushballs. In this idea, strong updrafts during storms can lift tiny ice particles high above the clouds — more than 60 kilometers up. At those altitudes, the ice mixes with ammonia vapor, which acts like antifreeze and melts the ice into a slushy liquid. As the particles continue to rise and fall, they grow larger — like hailstones on Earth — eventually becoming mushballs the size of softballs.

These mushballs can trap large amounts of water and ammonia with a 3 to 1 ratio. Because of their size and weight, they fall deep into the atmosphere — well below where the storm started — carrying the ammonia with them. This helps explain why ammonia appears to be missing from the upper atmosphere: it’s being dragged down and hidden deep inside the planet, where it leaves faint signatures to be observed with radio telescopes.

However, the process depends on a number of specific conditions. The storms need to have very strong updrafts, around 100 meters per second, and the slushy particles must quickly mix with ammonia and grow large enough to survive the fall.

"The mushball journey essentially starts about 50 to 60 kilometers below the cloud deck as water droplets. The water droplets get rapidly lofted all the way to the top of the cloud deck, where they freeze out and then fall over a hundred kilometers into the planet, where they start to evaporate and deposit material down there," Moeckel said. "And so you have, essentially, this weird system that gets triggered far below the cloud deck, goes all the way to the top of the atmosphere and then sinks deep into the planet."

Unique signatures in the Juno radio data for one storm cloud convinced him and his colleagues that this is, indeed, what happens.

"There was a small spot under the cloud that either looked like cooling, that is, melting ice, or an ammonia enhancement, that is, melting and release of ammonia," Moeckel said. "It was the fact that either explanation was only possible with mushballs that eventually convinced me."

The radio signature could not have been caused by water raindrops or ammonia snow, according to paper co-author Huazhi Ge, an expert in cloud dynamics on giant planets and a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

"The Science Advances paper shows, observationally, that this process apparently is true, against my best desire to find a simpler answer," Moeckel said.

Coordinated observations of Jupiter

Scientists around the world observe Jupiter regularly with ground-based telescopes, timed to coincide with Juno's closest approach to the planet every six weeks. In February 2017 and April 2019 — the periods covered by the two papers — the researchers used data from both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico to complement Juno observations in an attempt to create a 3D picture of the troposphere. The HST, at visible wavelengths, provided measurements of reflected light off the cloud tops, while the VLA, a radio telescope, probed tens of kilometers below the clouds to provide global context. Juno's Microwave Radiometer explored the deep atmosphere of Jupiter over a limited region of the atmosphere.

"I essentially developed a tomography method that takes the radio observations and turns them into a three-dimensional rendering of that part of the atmosphere that is seen by Juno," Moeckel said.

The 3D picture of that one swath of Jupiter confirmed that most of the weather is happening in the upper 10 kilometers.

"The water condensation layer plays a crucial role in controlling the dynamics and the weather on Jupiter," Moeckel said. “Only the most powerful storms and waves can break through that layer.

Moeckel noted that his analysis of Jupiter’s atmosphere was delayed by the lack of publicly available calibrated data products from the Juno mission. Given the current level of data released, he was forced to independently reconstruct the mission team’s data processing methods — tools, data and discussions that, if shared earlier, could have significantly accelerated independent research and broadened scientific participation. He has since made these resources publicly available to support future research efforts.