In no particular order, I like science, anime, and memes. So I will post about science, anime, and memes. Most of the stuff I re-blog and post will be humor -or at least attempts at. Therefore, don't come in here expecting anything particularly deep, romantic, philosophical or even given more than a brief cursory glance.
Just a quick little something to get out my ideas before the trailor/premiere come out.
First, based on his very immediate and public crashout over Alastor's return, I think this LGTV Yahoo is going to last all of 10 seconds with Charlie before asking about Alastor.
I'd like to say he'd be subtle about it ("isn't it usually the job of the hotelier to greet the guests?") but we all know this shark-blimp flying, football field stretch limo driving man is probably just going to go "sooooo, where's Alastor" right in the middle of whatever Charlie is saying.
I like to imagine this comes shortly after Vox's visit and Lucifer is teasing the "bellhop" about his boyfriend who just dropped by.
(in all seriousness, Lucifer is probably reminding Alastor of his loss in the battle during season 1, but I'm holding out hope that someone mistakes Alastor and Vox as a couple, or exes at the very least)
I think Baxter likes Niffty but refuses to admit it because he's a man of science with no time/room for something as illogical as love. Charlie tries to encourage him to admit his feelings (meanwhile Niffty has no idea).
I'm hoping Baxter gets a whole musical number that's very "I won't say I'm in love" coded.
I don't think Vox is trying to hypnotize Angel (since he's behind him), rather he's going to force Angel to watch something horrific, maybe something that involves Husk. (There's a brief image in the teaser of Husk tied to what looks like a rollarcoaster and Angel is leaping out to him, I think Angel is seeing Husk in that situation in the above photo).
I think Vox is going to give Alastor "one more chance" to join the Vees. Alastor is still going to say no though, and Vox is going to crash out.
Bad.
Fingers crossed that the fight ends up in a sex shop and Alastor has to improvize weapons from sex toys.
I am positively frothing at the mouth for this Wolfwood character design. Stupid big hat and enormous black coat and unnecessary absolutely necessary cross cufflinks and the Eye of Michael boots and vest. He's like the edgy lovechild of Alucard and Anderson and I'm LIVING for it
I go out of town and leave my computer home for one weekend, and this happens? Really?!? How could I have missed out on this historic occasion ヽ(*。>Д<)o゜
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Bang adjusts to having Garou back in his dojo. He tries to balance between guiding Garou with a firm hand while respecting his autonomy. Things seem to be going well enough, that is, until Garou starts acting strange.
Zoning out in lessons, coming back late, bruises on his body. His pupil is hiding something, and it's his responsibility to find out what.
.
.
.
I'd call it shameless self-promotion, but, well, no that's pretty much exactly what this is.
It’s funny how we project our own lived experiences onto the characters. I thought Garou was just genuinely avoiding the question because it’s awkward as hell to talk about that stuff as an 18 year old with a parent figure. But I’m a cis het woman. Of course i would see it like that; what could two supposedly straight cis men (ONE and Murata) meant to portray with Garou’s reaction? When it’s just as normal for kids to have crushes on celebrities. Every male straight OPM fan in the vicinity related to him liking the yellow ranger, having liked the yellow ranger themselves when they were growing up.
Sorry this is a bit long. I don't know when to stop talking sometimes 😅
You're right. It's very true that our own experiences affect how we interact with media. Everything -books, music, movies- is skewed by our own reality. I do not presume to know what ONE and Murata intended (if I ever do, it's mostly for comedic effect) and I am almost certain they meant to just have this silly little bonding moment between Garou and Bang as a moment of levity after several pretty intense chapters. (Do I genuinely think ONE and Murata intend to make Garou not straight? No. I love how ONE writes, but, having seen how they portray Puri Puri Prisoner, I doubt they would write a queer character as seriously and nuanced as Garou).
However, I just find it so interesting that what one person sees as "omg Dad, stop, you're so embarrassing" another person can see as "oh no, oh no, I can't tell them, what if it changes everything, what if they see me differently, what if they treat me differently, what if they can't reconcile their perception of me with how I actually am and leave me". And then when I picture Garou thinking the latter coupled with him only just now getting Bang back, it really makes more sense to me that Garou is freaking out because he's worried something bad will happen if he doesn't answer right.
But, like I said, that has to do with my own experiences. I couldn't tell people in high school "oh, I don't like people like that" because, at the time, I would get made fun of for being a "cold, unfeeling machine" or "a weirdo" or "a psychopath". Hearing the dreaded "you'll find someone someday" like the right person would come along and fix me. I didn't like being treated as someone less human, so I'd make up answers. I'd say my type was "Johnny Depp" because I really liked Jack Sparrow. Or I learned that everyone was really into Chris Evans and remembered that when people started talking about types so I could supply his name when asked about my own.
So when I see Garou squirming and sweating and stumbling along after being asked that question, I see my own experiences and recognize the signs of discomfort and the attempts to answer and move on. I see my own reality.
Even if that isn't what ONE and Murata intended when they wrote and drew this scene, that's what I felt. And, yeah, perhaps I'm not "interpreting" the texts correctly, but that's what happens when you make art. Draw a painting using blue and one person who sees it feels calm while another person might feel sad. Does one person feel incorrectly?
This is why I'm not a lit major. I don't really think I'm cut out for these kind of existential, unmeasurable questions 😂
Plus, with the end bit, expressly saying he likes Yellow Ranger because she looks like/reminds Garou of his mother, implies one of two things:
We've got a serious Oedipus issue on our hands, and I'm worried for Garou.
Garou doesn't really have romantic feelings towards Yellow Ranger and his feelings are probably closer to idolizing or hero worship.
Either way, poor Garou really needs a proper parental figure in his life. I'm really excited to see Bang fill that roll!
I wanted to make this little meta as soon as I read Chapter 170. Long story short, I couldn't at the time, but I can now and apparently there's some discourse going on? IDK. There's a reason I generally avoid Twitter ￣へ￣
Anyways, here's my two cents about that time Murata tried to "no-homo" Garou and, in my opinion, ended up backfiring wonderfully. Keep in mind, this is coming from an asexual, so my understanding about sexuality and romantic attraction may be skewed.
So, let's digest this panel:
In it, Bang makes the valiant attempt to bond over what he thinks is a safe subject matter. Garou's a young man, right? And what do all teenage boys have in common? Their raging hormones and crushes, obviously. Only, Garou doesn't seem all to keen to discuss this particular topic. Blabbing about the rotten morality of so-called "heroes" to some random stranger? A-okay. Admitting he has a crush to his father figure? Atrocious.
In fact, look at the facial expressions Garou's making:
Dude is looking like he's gay straight up not having a good time. He looked shocked and anxious and uncomfortable (just look at that sweat). And, yeah, the phrase "if you twist my arm" can, and frequently is, taken to be more sarcastic than genuine, Garou isn't really someone known for masking his feelings all that well. His facial expressions are vast and he always shows his genuine feelings, whether they're shock or fury or fear. (good compilation of Garou's many expressions compiled by someone more talented than me: https://the-nysh.tumblr.com/post/185831833031/garous-so-cute-and-more-like-his-age-when-his)
But he does give in and provide a name. And, honestly, his answer made everything clear to me. Like how Saitama knew Garou wasn't "Absolute Evil" despite all his bluster, I knew Garou wasn't Straight™ with this one answer.
Garou names a character. Not a real person, but a character from a show he, most likely, watched as a kid. This is like back in school when any gay kid in the closet would go "I'm not gay, I totally love Britney Spears", or maybe "No, yeah, I totally love boys, I've got a Jack Sparrow poster up in my room". You know the drill. Celebrities are a safe "crush" because they are unattainable, and you will never have to actually act on such a declaration. Fictional characters, by virtue of being -you know- NOT REAL offer even more separation. (And the reason I bring up the fictional character angle, is because Garou remembers her character from the show before her name, suggesting that he has more of an attachment to the character than the actress).
So now he's done it. He's declared a crush. He's answered the question. He's safe. Now what?
Subject Change.
The very first chance he gets, Garou shifts the topic immediately to something else. And look at that. The cockiness is back. The sweat is gone. I daresay, he looks ecstatic to be talking about literally anything other than a girl he supposedly likes.
Just look at his smile (ಥ ◡ ಥ)
And if that weren't enough. We are told exactly why Garou picked this character, this actress, of all the others at his disposal.
Okay. So, first off, that's sad. Like, major oofs here for Garou and his Mommy issues. Secondly, you mean to tell me that Garou likes this woman because she seems kind? Really? That's the main reason? Because, not to get too shippy on what is supposed to be a semi-serious sexuality analysis.........BUT, do you know who else is really kind? Someone who gives off major "familial" vibes? (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
Hmmmm, I wonder if there's someone Garou's met who he's seen to be very kind and protective over his ward.
Some who, thematically, represents the strong familial love Garou has never had and, apparently, craves. Someone who is closer to his age and he might be able to relate to. Someone who, canonically, he operates on a similar wavelength with?
I dunno, just a thought ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyways, thanks for playing "no-homo" Murata, but I'm afraid I'm still sitting tight on this Batarou train. Maybe next time ;)
Proving that science doesn't have to ruin anime, but can (in fact) enhance it!
Jotaro's Coat
For all we like to joke about Jotaro (and Kakyoin) wearing their heavy coats in the middle of the desert, there is actually some method to the maddness.
Coverage
Due to heat transfer, heat will always travel from hot to cold. So if you, a human with a core of 98°F (37°C), are in an environment hotter than that, you will start to absorb heat.
From here, it is a matter of competing forces. You can lose heat via convection (e.g. the wind) or you can gain heat via radiation (e.g. the sun). Depending on your enviornment, certain factors will have greater affect. In the desert, where there isn't much to protect you from the rays of the sun, it is better to have some barrier between you and the radiation (e.g. clothing).
Therefore, in Egypt, protection from the sun is key to staying cool.
Color
No for the color. It may seem counterproductive at first to wear black to stay cool since black absorbs heat. However, it is exactly this characteristic that makes it unusually practical for summer. Black will absorb heat from the sun, but it will also absorb heat given off by your body. And while Jotaro might have been even cooler if both sides of his jacket were black, the material of his jacket may offset the issue.
Material
The material of clothing plays a big role in breathability. Linen is a popular choice, as is cotton. However, cotton has a tendency to absorb moisture and hold it next to your skin. So when it comes to being active in the summer (or desert) heat, summer-weight wool is the superior option as it will keep you cooler and drier (it's one of the reasons that wool socks are so popular for hikers). Merino wool works especially well in hot humid weather, and it doesn’t wilt or wrinkle like cotton and linen.
