24 | any pronouns | neurodivergent | i identify as an embarrassment | no queueing, no sideblogs, just complete anarchy | header and icon from maoujou de oyasumi
Why do Ghost Stories seem unable to change? Or refuse to? This question stemmed from the Braun Talks how arc for me.
Because Braun clearly wanted to keep Soleum around. He was willing to do so much for Soleum and yet he was not willing to do the ONE thing that would convince Soleum to stay. The thing that ultimately caused Soleum to leave him.
He refused to stop killing people.
Why??? Maybe Ghost stories grow off of fear? Or off of death? No thats not right. We can see with the Counselor, Blue Dragon, even Cheong that fear had no correlation to power. The more people you kill does not correlate to the amount of power you have.
Maybe you're unable to? Maybe when a ghost story is "born" or whatever they can't change their story? They're stuck the way they are? No that doesn't make sense either because we can see Ghost stories CAN change. We can see it in the Counselor from conniving fox spirit who tricked people to a protective spirit of Sekwang. We can see it in the dragons forced to be Mascots at the Cheerful Theme Park. We can see it in Cheong and how she grew and evolved.
So why? Nothings forcing Braun to stay the same and theres no gain from killing people. Is he just not willing? He clearly wants Soleum to stay yet hes not willing to change ONE thing? It wouldnt even ruin the show! So....
This questions has perplexed me for a very VERY long time. Today I think I have an answer. Mostly because of a couple lines Soleum shared in Chapter 407.
In chapter 407 we have an extremely rare view of someone who views themselves to be a ghost story. Soleum. Who views himself as the Mascot and the Resort itself.
And we can see his reaction to the Manager changing his story. From a theme park filled with kind friendly sentient Mascots. Where the employees and Mascots all have an innate knowledge of everything that goes on. To something else. Something more realistic. Something without mascots. Something with speakers. Something without employees. Something more practical.
And we can see how genuinely disgusted and angry Soleum is. How hes affected so heavily by someone changing his ghost story.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
I believe the reason Ghost stories refuse to change is not because they can't but because its a tremendous mental burden.
They see it as something revolting. Something strange. Something wrong. Something extremly difficult to mentally get through. Its not they can't! Its that the concept is just utterly wrong to them.
I believing the closest human concept is to be told to walk on all fours from now on instead of on two legs. You're perfectly capable of it! It just feels wrong. Maybe you could do it for a little bit but forever?? You don't want to do that! Its strange its unnatural to you! You dont know how to properly walk on all fours! And now theres new factors you've never thought of! Not to mention its also kind of humilating! Absolutely not!
Do you see what I mean. To them that's what change is. Its not like it is for humans. Where you can chop off all your hair move countries and live anew. Its more difficult for them. Because to change their ghost story is to change themselves. To alter and warp their very being. Its not they cant. Its just that it feels very very wrong.
But lets clarify real quick. When i talk about ghost stories I am talking about entities who are in charge of their ghost story. Who embody it. This would be entities like Blue Dragon, Braun, Magic Bunny, Director Cheong, Golden Flower, the Counselor, Yongyong etc.
I do NOT mean entities like the Manager of the Golden Resort, Brauns talk show employees, ushers from the Manor of the blind, Red Friday.
Because ultimately they are all servants to someone else. To whoever is in charge of the Ghost story. To whoever embodies it. These entities do not seem averse to change. Actually some like Red Friday and the Manager actually seem to embrace and yearn for it. Ultimately tho these entities are controlled by whoever owns them. They cannot make changes. And they do not embody a story/setting. They simply are one being.
Change is difficult for those who embody a Ghost story. Whether the Ghost story embodies a whole theme park or consists of one entity alone it doesnt matter. Its difficult for Ghost Stories who embody and control their own story to change. Because it feels wrong.
And looking at the stories who change through this lenses you rlly get to see a different view.
First you gain a lot of respect for Ghost Stories who purposefully changed themselves. Like The Counselor and Director Cheong. From a fox spirit who tricked and lured people in to the protective spirit of Sekwang City. A spirit friendly to humans. From a monster who terrorized villages to a supernatural Director at Daydream.
And it makes you feel so much pity for Ghost stories who were FORCED to change.
The Dragons contracted to be eternally trapped as Mascots at the Cheerful Theme Park.
Magic Bunny who seemed so desperate to change back. Who created an amalgation of parts all to resemble its original form despite it not being acceptable by the Theme Park. Magic Bunny who seemed so desperate.
Blue Dragon who seemed so tired. Who seemed to have fully given up on the prospect of returning to its past story. Blue Dragon who made do with what it could. Valuing kindness and a person's good nature. Making it a waterpark. Making the Mascot a Blue Dragon. Yet clearly missing its past so so so much.
And then theres Braun. Braun who while not being forced to change entirely, was forced to change. To embody both his own ghost story and also the ghost story of the Good Friend. It clearly changed him. It made him have an extreme attachment and care to Soleum. It made him want to save Soleum. It made him change.
And Braun clearly hates this change. He clearly felt humiliated and pathetic as a Good Friend. He doesn't even want to admit he's changed. Yet he clearly has.
He mocked and ridiculed the ghost story of the Good Friend and told Soleum it was fake. Never real. That as soon as that plushie burned so did the Ghost story of the Good Friend. But thats not true. Because the Good friend is HIM. And its shown that it's not true by the bunny desperately trying to reach Soleum from inside Brauns screen.
Braun admitted it. Yes it was a unique experience. Yes he did mildly enjoy. He was forced to by his very own screen. But he tried not to admit any further. He tried to make a show that the Good friend was gone and when he was summoned again he wouldnt embody that ghost story anymore. He was trying to trick Soleum, himself, and everyone that he had not changed. Not that much. He was still the Tv Talk show first and foremost.
And he supposedly proved this to be true. When Soleum asked for Brauns help after Agent Choi discovered him as a spy, Braun denied him. After all it wouldn't make for a very good story. And thats Brauns story what he embodies, what the talk show host embodies.
And yet hes clearly desperate for Soleums forgiveness afterward. Hes eagerly offering to help again and again and again only to be denied. He continuously tries to get on Soleums good side again. And thats not the behavior of a Talk Show Host. Thats the behavior of a Good Friend. Which means he changed. And he doesnt want to admit it.
I think the best example would be allll the way at the end of Part 2. When Soleum discovers that his human body is trapped here as the host of Sekwang city. And he himself is nothing but an amalgamation of ghost stories with only the mind of Kim Soleum. A good friend.
And he begins to go insane. He begins to die really.
And Braun shouldve let him. The Ghost story he tries to convince himself he is would've. Oh what a tragedy! But what a beautiful ending no? Wipe a tear and applaud!
But thats not what happened is it? Instead Braun desperately used his plush form to try and grab the item that would save Soleums life. He sacrificed his own body for Soleum. And then his ACTUAL body went out of its way to get help. To get Soleum help from his human companions. Just like when Braun frantically tried to hold together the collapsing plush body of Kim Soleum. His friend.
So yeah. The reason Ghost Stories do not change is because they find it to be unnatural, humilating, and a giant mental burden. Maybe an obvious conclusion. Maybe not. Yeah
with love. you have to fact check shit. yes you. you still have to fact check shit. a lot of people are great at fact checking stuff they don’t want to be true, but somehow are still absolute ass at fact checking stuff that’s rhetorically convenient to them. even people my age, who I KNOW grew up doing internet/bibliography literacy workshops, and being warned not to believe anything that isn’t reliably sourced, people who DO harp on fact checking conservative output or whatever, are still kneejerk sharing unsourced shit that is partially or wholly untrue or misleading, because it suits whatever narrative they’re pursuing in that moment, without even a “take this with a grain of salt”. fact check!!!!!! look at the sources!!!!! yes it’s a drag!!! do it!!!!!
a reminder that "you should probably fact check that" is not an attack on your beliefs. if it's true then you have nothing to lose from fact checking it. and if it's false? you have everything to gain from fact checking it
the situation with harry potter is kind of unprecedented in some ways imo because it is maybe the largest media franchise in history to be created & owned by a single person who still has direct creative control over it. who is also a billionaire with significant cultural/political influence. like the usual "no ethical consumption under capitalism" type excuses shatter on impact when the bigoted author in question is logging onto twitter every day saying explicitly that when you buy the tim hortons ravenclaw donut she is using your donut money to fund the genocide of trans people. like with big franchises usually there's at least a little more diffusion of responsibility than this
the mercedes clr incident at le mans is one of the only racing crashes i feel comfortable laughing at because a) nobody was seriously injured and b) it is a little funny that mercedes watched their car do That and were like "okay. uh. you know what we're just never doing le mans ever again"
your weird obsession with having a fully formed white picket fence found family who all speak like they've inhaled their therapist who you subconsciously want to be adopted into is ruining your ability to interact with the source material
CANCEL george rr martin for being directly responsible for 1) a Bowl of Mac and Cheese esque YA book titles 2) insufferable people saying "oh you sweet summer child" in comment sections across the web and 3) "the lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep" sigma phonk edits
im sitting on a patio at my favorite cafe rn and im hand stitching them hem of a dress im working on. and i can see why someone would say im being performative by working on something like this in a public space. but frankly theres no element of that. i just want to work somewhere that isnt my apartment. i want to be in public, i wanna chat with strangers, i wanna see the world. it’s nice to hang out somewhere that isnt my home!
what i mean is when you say people are being performative you discourage them from doing shit they love in public. and thats no way to foster the world we want to see.
suburban women on september 15 1967 tuning in to star trek and seeing fuck-or-die mode spock getting in a sweaty man fight with captain kirk in amok time
origamiaround
titsay
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk
