tomschoolwork

[tomschoolwork]

Sailor Moon Cosmos, and Usagi's development

Sailor Moon Cosmos is a movie about good and evil clashing in the heart of Tokyo during an alternate present time. The story centers around Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon) and her Sailor Guardians, as they confront their most formidable foe yet, Chaos. Major characters include Usagi Tsukino(Sailor Moon), who embodies love, hope, and resilience; her partner and romantic interest, Mamoru Chiba(Tuxedo Mask); and their allies in the Sailor Guardians, each with unique powers and backgrounds.

The major themes explored in *Sailor Moon Cosmos* include the battle between light and darkness, sacrifice for the greater good, self-discovery, and the strength of human connections. Usagi’s journey isn’t just about defeating Chaos but also about understanding her power and purpose. The primary conflict arises as Chaos threatens to plunge the universe into darkness, challenging Usagi to confront her inner doubts and insecurities. Ultimately, the resolution centers around her acceptance of both her human vulnerabilities and her cosmic responsibilities.

For this analysis, Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development provides a lens to explore Usagi’s character. Erikson, a German-American psychoanalyst, developed an eight-stage theory that examines how social interactions and identity formation shape a person's development. He believed that each stage presents a psychological conflict that must be resolved to progress healthily into the next stage.

Erikson’s theory is built on several core assumptions:

Developmental Stages: Erikson proposed eight stages, each marked by a specific conflict that shapes identity and personality.

Lifespan Perspective: Unlike Freud, Erikson extended developmental stages into adulthood, suggesting lifelong growth.

Psychosocial Nature: Each conflict is social in nature, involving relationships and society’s influence.

 

Though influential, Erikson’s theory has faced critiques, particularly around its Eurocentric focus, which may limit its applicability across diverse cultures and identities. Additionally, some psychologists believe the theory’s stages are too rigidly structured.

Usagi’s journey in Sailor Moon Cosmos aligns closely with Erikson’s stage of "Identity vs. Role Confusion," which typically arises during adolescence. This stage is centered on the search for self-identity, where the individual questions who they are and their role within society. Usagi’s struggle is symbolic of this search, as she navigates her dual identity as a regular high school student and as the powerful, chosen Sailor Moon.

From Erikson’s perspective, Usagi faces both "Identity vs. Role Confusion" and elements of "Intimacy vs. Isolation," as her role as a leader often clashes with her desire for close, personal relationships. Her relationship with Mamoru and her friendships with the Guardians become pivotal, representing a safe haven within her complex identity struggles.

Erikson would likely assess Usagi as someone who is grappling with the responsibilities thrust upon her while seeking her authentic self. Her commitment to protecting her friends, despite the danger, illustrates her gradual embrace of her role, embodying the "identity" side of this conflict. Furthermore, she reconciles her vulnerability with her strength, which Erikson would view as a healthy resolution, allowing her to move toward the next stage of development with a stronger sense of self.

Key life events like her repeated battles, losses, and moments of self-sacrifice deeply impact Usagi’s character. Her inclinations toward empathy, optimism, and hope continually propel her forward, even as she faces doubts and fears. Her development reflects Erikson's view that identity is shaped by the culmination of both personal decisions and social interactions.

Usagi’s ongoing encounters with loss and sacrifice challenge her resilience and compassion. These experiences demand that she consider not just her personal goals but her responsibilities to others, influencing her growth in Erikson’s later stages. Her connection with Mamoru and the Guardians is pivotal, as these relationships offer the social support Erikson emphasized as essential for healthy development.

Erikson’s theory is largely effective in explaining Usagi’s development. However, due to Erikson’s Eurocentric perspective, the theory may not fully capture the cultural nuances in Usagi’s experience. For instance, her Japanese cultural identity emphasizes themes of self-sacrifice and duty to the collective, which Erikson’s individualistic model may not entirely encapsulate. Yet, Erikson’s focus on relationships and identity formation does align well with her experiences.

In analyzing Usagi through Erikson’s theory, we see a reasonable fit for her psychological journey. While Erikson’s stages may lack nuance for non-Western cultures, his emphasis on identity and social connections provides valuable insight into Usagi’s psychosocial development.

Chapter 9 of My Psychology by Andrew M Pomerantz highlights the importance of social relationships and identity formation in adolescence, aligning closely with Erikson’s theory. This chapter discusses how meaningful social connections foster resilience and self-identity, reinforcing the significance of Usagi’s relationships with her friends and her struggle to balance these with her larger role as a protector.

[tomschoolwork]

I get to overanalyze Marsha Thankk You for the Dialectics, But I Need You to Leave

Starting off, it overall is a song written in three different perspectives. That of an older figure who doesn’t believe in certain mental health conditions, a younger person who’s mental health is deteriorating, and lastly a mental health care professional, who seems to not take their patient too seriously. For now I will call them the Guardian, the Patient, and the Doctor.

The Guardian

The Guardian’s perspective is the most prolific, their voice and perspective being heard the most. When seeing the younger person who doesn’t know how to take care of themself as they once were able to, the Guardian simply tells them that they’re only sick because they want to be, with lines like “They could prescribe you any illness you'd like if you define the terms of your ailments.” That is the very opening of the song. When they don’t see their (seemingly child) getting better, they scold them, stating their own ideals with what seems to be malice, saying “Cause back in my day we didn't need no feel-good pills and no psychiatrists. No, we just drank ourselves to death, and god damn it, we liked it.” In a way, saying they’d rather in a way drown out their troubles via killing themself than suffer. At the end of every chorus, it’s the voice of the Guardian listing something that is implied they witnessed, or even went through. They listed bleeding out in their bathtub, lobotomies, shock therapy and “mad scientists” before saying that they’re just wasting their breath even mentioning the topic. This is made to mimic the perspective of those looking into the song from an outside perspective. When looking in, Marsha is seen as unhinged, it’s odd, it’s self-pitying, and it’s a cry for help, or a cry for attention to some. Somebody who aligns with the Guardian's perspective is probably likely to see something unnerving and ignore it, or suppress their feelings. It's easier to ignore what's happening than to acknowledge the uncomfortable, and the Guardian's perspective in Marsha highlights that.

The Patient

The Patient is a person who’s mental state is deteriorating to the point that they are losing their sense of self, because all they know is what they’re going through. When they cry for help, they are still not as heard as their doctor, or the figure telling them it’s all in their head. These two figures have more lines in the song than the person suffering in the first place. “Disease is in the eye of the beholder.” They say to their doctor, trying to convince the Doctor and themself that it’s possible to recover. They want to get better, but they have no faith in their recovery. The Patient is willing to change anything about themself to try and get better somehow, when all they know is their diagnosis, ridicule and trips to their doctor. “If our harmonies don't sync, we can change our voices. A chorus on condition of our diagnosis.” This perspective is one of the fans. There is some talk online about how WW’s songs tend to relate with the mentally ill, WW himself being open about his experience with being diagnosed with Bipolar personality disorder. It's one begging to be heard, and begging to know what it takes to be considered normal, to be healthy. Somebody who aligns with the Patient may look into the song and feel seen. They'll try to conform while trying to be recognized. To those who see themself in the Patient, Marsha may feel a bit sad, or they may feel better with being recognized.

The Doctor

With the second most lyrics, all they do is ridicule the patient, asking a few questions that tend to be asked in therapy, but warped in a way, saying “you-dentity” instead of identity. The Doctor is also heard saying the Patient is just a character, rather than a person. “You're not your thoughts, you're not your brain. You're just the character you've made.” The Doctor speaks coldly, and doesn’t diagnose the Patient. They look at the actions of the Patient, saying they(the Patient) would rather prefer to “flip through old issues of People” over getting better, completely disregarding everything the Patient cried out for help with. And after this, the Doctor just brushes them off with, “Well that’s our time, see you next week.” and with that, the song ends. The Doctor mimics the perspective of the analysts. They read into the wrong things, and try to understand every little detail of the words spoken, rather than the deeper meaning, and the true issue underneath. When only looking at the surface, you miss everything that happens beneath it. People who align with the Doctor need to stop trying to find deeper meanings, and Marsha may just look like another puzzle to answer.

But also WW has said all songs are up to interpretation, so maybe I’m just crazy.

[tomschoolwork]

All of the designs I made for a writing project

[tomschoolwork]

Ferderigo's falcon makes me so very ill (positive connotation)

The Tale of the Falcon/Federigo’s falcon is layered in a way that makes me physically ill to think about. All in all it’s about the transformative ability of love, and how love can change a person.

Starting off is the cruel irony. Firstly, Federigo loved Monna Giovanna so much he essentially bankrupted himself in the hope she would even spare him a glance, which she never did. She only really looked at him once he had so little to offer. He was so grateful she had the idea to even suggest they sit and eat dinner together, that he had jumped to give up something that was even possibly worthy of her to eat, but he had no clue that was the very thing she had desired. He wept when she asked, and she had assumed it was because of her want. They both didn’t want to hurt the other, but in a way, that’s exactly what they had done. Monna had led to Federigo’s bankruptcy and Federigo led to the demise of her very son.

Then there’s the diction. The way the story is built up, seeing the way Federigo had been a royal and how his money was so unimportant as compared to the love of Monna Giovanna, we watched his fall to the lower tiers of society, and didn’t regret it for even a moment. Then we see that Monna had lost her husband and feared that soon she’d also lose her child. She hadn’t wanted to request the falcon from Federigo, knowing that all her rejections led to him losing his status, but she had a mother’s heart, so she agreed to ask. Then seeing that Federigo still had his chivalrous mindset desired to make a meal fitting for a woman of a high status, as well as being one that he loved dearly. But we know what he doesn’t. It could have been a tragedy, but it hadn’t been and it was just a happy ending for the two.

Plus the symbolism used in it. The falcon is used as a way to show devotion. When the falcon is still around, Federigo is still devoted to his love of Monna Giovanna, and her devoted to her son. With the loss of the falcon, Monna loses her devotion, her son is sure to pass away without it (for some reason) and they realize the tragedy of the situation. And in the end, Monna chooses Federigo to marry. With the loss of the falcon, they lose the devotion to their constraints, now truly able to love each other.

Nobody talk to me I am going to be sick

[tomschoolwork]

Get this

So there are these guys on tiktok, RaisetheBread and MagicalWeave. RaisetheBread, or Asar, is a positivity poster, overall really nice and he posts a bread video every week. Personally, he makes my day, and also makes bread tutorials. He's like the Bob Ross of bread. He also answers all of the questions his fans have. Somebody asked if he has a kid, and he went on about how amazing and lovely his kid is, but he refuses to put the kid on screen because he doesn't want to shove a camera in his kids face for the enjoyment of strangers online and Asar knew his kid would hate that. Asar, really great guy, has like 2 million followers.

Then there's MagicalWeave, aka Aset. She makes blankets, sews clothing, does pottery, an all around creative channel. She also does crystal posts for when people are curious about the crystal collection on a shelf behind her weaving desk. Aset's also very sweet, giving out life advice, telling people easiest ways to get rid of stains, all in all being very helpful. She's at about 1.9 million followers.

Because of these two being very kind and great people, their followers are joking about them getting together. Then one day Aset embroiders some birds on a shirt, and Asar's kid loves birds. Asar is seen wearing that shirt later on, and off camera you can hear his kid laughing about his dad in a bird shirt. Then Asar makes some sourdough bread, and while yes it's common, he did it after a fan asked Aset her favorite and she answered sourdough. People are now theorizing, maybe they're dating, maybe they're in a situationship, who knows.

Until one day, Asar has his fiance make bread with him for the first time. Immediately, people are heartbroken. They thought he was a single dad and that he would get with Aset. But then, Aset joins him on screen. They were engaged the whole time, but they made separate videos to not force one into their interests. The kid? Aset gave birth to him. But Asar and Aset continue with their content, getting more followers and fans in general. Other creators talk about how cute they are, and they are THE internet couple.

Then out of nowhere, RaisetheBread gets suspended. Everybody's shocked, RaisetheBread was so big and got taken down without warning. Asar can't find a reason, and he refuses to use Aset's account to plead his case. He decided to stay back for a bit.

Aset on the other hand, refuses to take his account going down. She starts reaching out support hotlines, emailing the tiktok support center, and eventually, somebody links her to account called ReadySetGo. He's a gaming account with a small cult like following. And he HATES RaisetheBread and Asar for some reason. With a passion. ReadySetGo was the one behind the downfall of RaisetheBread. He sent his followers to start mass reporting the account, and his followers did. Aset kindly asked him to stop, and ReadySetGo immediately jumped to calling her horrible words, and saying he hopes RaisetheBread never comes back.

But Aset's other attempts worked, because 2 weeks after RaisetheBread went down, it was suddenly back up. Asar decided to make a YouTube account in case RaisetheBread went down again. Aset and Asar were happy about RaisetheBread being back up, but not long after, it was permanently banned. Aset was disappointed and all of her previous solutions didn't work the second time around, so Asar switched to YouTube instead.

Funnily enough during one of Aset's embroidery livestreams, Aset's kid called ReadySetGo "a dum dum bully" and it went viral, with ReadySetGo calling the kid horrible words and he lost a LOT of followers, lol

[tomschoolwork]

Ai is not art

Have you guys noticed how often or how much people defend AI? They post so much about how they need to use Ai to make art because they can't do it themselves. Spoiler alert; it's not real and all of their excuses are not valid at all.

Notice this: when defending their use of Ai to make work, they defend themselves saying "We need to use Ai to make sure we can create" they are wrong. Ignore them. They don't need Ai to create, they need Ai to be able to do work without needing to actually put any effort in. They want profit without any effort. Sounds appealing, right? Well here's another term;

artist exploitation.

"Hey, how can Ai be exploiting artists? It's a computer software!"

How do you think they get their sample photos? Ai cannot create without referencing and sampling. And who are they sampling from? Artists! Imagine posting digital art just for somebody to feed it into their Ai so they can turn your work into something else. And it doesn't even look good! Here's an example.

I fed a piece of work into an Ai to rework it. It's my own work and the only person who could possibly be harmed by this is me, and I took this risk. Here is the original.

And here is the Ai's version

Notice how different they are. The Ai isn't capable of recognizing/replicating what the original image was. It is just some smiling anime girls- which is stupid because it was a brother and sister drawing I had done. It also completely reworked their eye colors and made them paler. Also it hasn't realized how color theory works. I had done every color intentionally, the pink and blue represent and complement each sibling and the black also ties them together. The Ai doesn’t understand these and sees 2 figures to turn into anime girls, which- yikes- and overall is disappointing.

Ai isn't helping artists at all.

"But Ai can give the gift of creation to those who can't create on their own!"

While that sentiment would be nice, they aren't creating with Ai. They're essentially rebranding. They rework an image to create. And often times, it isn't a good looking image. Looking back at my image, yeah of course I made mistakes but the Ai also made mistakes. It can't pose the way I had been able to, and because it couldn't it filled in gaps. Imagine seeing somebody be glad they can finally make something, just to realize they're stealing work from others. It's not gonna be a good feeling at all. Those who are really determined to create find alternatives. Some people use their lips, use their mouth to hold the paint brush, use their feet, anything besides using an online program to reuse old work and pass it off as their own.

Also, Ai is being trained to steal jobs from real artists. And it sucks. Some people have been saying Wish by Disney is Ai generated, and let me just say it's not, it's just a disappointing movie. Wish is what happens when a poorly planned movie gets greenlit. Not everything bad is Ai generated.

Artists put a lot of effort into their work, it often takes hours to make and complete. Imagine creating something that took hours for you to make, and then boom; somebody else posts something that looks similar, but took them a few minutes at longest. And what they did to make it was wait for a computer program to spit out their prompt after they opened a program and fed some art to it. Artists would get disheartened and then they would slowly stop posting. If their work gets less traction for more effort, what's the point?

"What can I do to protect my art?"

GLAZE IT

Glazing your art will not at all impact how your art looks but it will impact Ai that are trying to replicate your art. It poisons the Ai, and it warps whatever they try to generate.

And also let artists know! If you see their art being bastardized by Ai screenshot it, report the post and let the original artist know. If you don't know the artist, report the post regardless.

Remember, Ai isn't a fun tool to make art, it actively harms artists! Report it if you see it being used in any way that could possibly impact artists, or other people negatively!