Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Acacia Sgt]

True. Sometimes coincidences just happen.

Just ask Dennis the Menace. Which of the two? Exactly.

[DragonFlames]

I'm just here to tell y'all that Cu Chulainn's famed spear, the Gáe Bolg (or rather Gáe Bulga) was used to target his enemies' crown jewels and was always used covertly (mostly underwater). So that "It targets the heart" thing is a Fate invention, probably done to prevent Nasu from describing how people's genitals get destroyed by spreading barbs.
Yeesh. xD
Also, Ulster and Leonster (Leinster) are (or were) regions in ancient Ireland.

And Fhirdiad (Fer Diad) was Cu Chulainn's foster brother, whom he killed using the Gáe Bolg.

This has been your "where names and things come from" trivia for the day.
I'll be leaving now, because I don't want any part of this other song and dance that is going on currently.

[Ottservia]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

This is not my decision. People have treated it as such for a long time. Go on any streaming service not dedicated to anime and under genres there will be anime. People refer to themselves as anime fans not referring to just the style of animation. You yourself compared anime to culture, meaning it at least has similarities in and of itself. You cannot blame Wraith for referring to it how society, or at least outside of anime circles (which is the vast majority of society I would say, but correct me if I’m wrong since I know next to nothing about anime), and you cannot complain about generalizing all anime after just comparing all of it to one culture just because now it benefits you.

Yeah but that’s looking at it solely from a western perspective. In Japan anime is literally just the word they use for any kind of animation regardless of where it originates. It’s not a genre. Even so, the west has adopted the term for use to specifically refer to animated works that come from Japan that is the origin of the term. And another thing, I’m not comparing an entire medium to one culture. Japanese animation is from Japan and made by Japanese creators who live in Japan and follow Japanese beliefs and value. Those beliefs will inevitably show up in their work. It all essentially comes from the same place that’s why Anime has a lot of the same ideas and themes because they all take inspiration from the same sources that being Japanese ideals and culture. It’s the reason why there are so many fps games that come from the US simply because our culture is built around how one man with a firearm is able to rise up in the face of oppression. Art is shaped by the culture it’s created in. It’s inevitable that in some way those ideals are inevitably going to show up in  a creator’s work.

[Sidereal Wraith]

19 minutes ago, Armagon said:

And nobody's really gonna mistake Death Note with the short story from 1950 either even if they are similar so I don't see the point.

 

11 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

Also who’s to say that death note plagerized that story. It could just be mere coincidence. You aren’t Tsugumi Ohba nor do you know him. You don’t know if he’s even read it or that he is able to read it cause for all you know the story was never translated to Japanese audiences. Could he have read it? That’s a possibility but it’s also just as likely that it could be just mere coincidence.

Even if both stories have the similar narrative conceit, protagonists who act very similar with that power and a plot that is almost beat for beat? Once again:

Both stories have protagonists who discover they have the power to kill people via describing how they die in a book, experiment to see the limitations of this power, use the power for their own perverse pursuit of their idea of justice, use the power to kill criminals who get away with crime, become obsessed with the power, become suspected criminals by the police, and finally use thepower to kill off lots of people in an elaborate scheme. 

I think it goes well beyond being just a coincidence. I just read Ballard’s story today and immediately drew several comparisons to Death Note. Also J.G. Ballard is a famous enough SF writer to have two of his novels made into films by both Steven Spielberg and David Cronenberg. And would you look at that:

http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?259
 

A lot of his works have been translated in Japanese.

[Codename Shrimp]

7 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

was used to target his enemies' crown jewels

truely gay bolg is an apt name

Quote

to prevent Nasu from describing how people's genitals get destroyed by spreading barbs

He has done worse

xD

[Interdimensional Observer]

1 minute ago, DragonFlames said:

I'm just here to tell y'all that Cu Chulainn's famed spear, the Gáe Bolg (or rather Gáe Bulga) was used to target his enemies' crown jewels and was always used covertly (mostly underwater). So that "It targets the heart" thing is a Fate invention, probably done to prevent Nasu from describing how people's genitals get destroyed by spreading barbs.
Yeesh. xD

Are we sure whoever forged the Gae Bolg didn't have one seriously bad case of "envy"? Because this sounds like what a psycho could potentially do.

 

[null]

8 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

I'm just here to tell y'all that Cu Chulainn's famed spear, the Gáe Bolg (or rather Gáe Bulga) was used to target his enemies' crown jewels and was always used covertly (mostly underwater). So that "It targets the heart" thing is a Fate invention, probably done to prevent Nasu from describing how people's genitals get destroyed by spreading barbs.
Yeesh. xD

Oh, my... XD

----------

 

[Armagon]

8 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

I'm just here to tell y'all that Cu Chulainn's famed spear, the Gáe Bolg (or rather Gáe Bulga) was used to target his enemies' crown jewels and was always used covertly (mostly underwater)

Wait, so Cu Chulainn was Aquaman?

[Dayni]

7 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

I'm just here to tell y'all that Cu Chulainn's famed spear, the Gáe Bolg (or rather Gáe Bulga) was used to target his enemies' crown jewels and was always used covertly (mostly underwater). So that "It targets the heart" thing is a Fate invention, probably done to prevent Nasu from describing how people's genitals get destroyed by spreading barbs.

Okay, I'd dispute it being aimed at just the crown jewels and I do remember it being thrown by him while he's riding a chariot. Thrown by his feet.

Considering however it had to be hacked out of anyone who was stabbed with it, that would be ever worse.

Also @Interdimensional Observer I don't remember that being mentioned, but considering he was able to hulk out, you might be right. @Armagon, Maybe the musclebound one from the 90's.

[Ottservia]

3 minutes ago, Wraith said:

 

Even if both stories have the similar narrative conceit, protagonists who act very similar with that power and a plot that is almost beat for beat? Once again:

Both stories have protagonists who discover they have the power to kill people via describing how they die in a book, experiment to see the limitations of this power, use the power for their own perverse pursuit of their idea of justice, use the power to kill criminals who get away with crime, become obsessed with the power, become suspected criminals by the police, and finally use thepower to kill off lots of people in an elaborate scheme. 

I think it goes well beyond being just a coincidence. I just read Ballard’s story today and immediately drew several comparisons to Death Note. Also J.G. Ballard is a famous enough SF writer to have two of his novels made into films by both Steven Spielberg and David Cronenberg. And would you look at that:

http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?259
 

A lot of his works have been translated in Japanese.

I still doubt anyone is gonna mistake the two. One is a graphic novel while the other is just a short story. A text based medium while the other is more visual not to mention the immense time gap between them. Even so I doubt the short story deals in the concept of shinigami and how the Japanese view death and mortality which Death Note does though I wouldn’t know because I haven’t read it.

[Lightcosmo]

Thank you @Armagon @DragonFlames @twilitfalchion @Sooks @Benice and @Father Shrimpas for the birthday wishes, I'll hold them closely to my heart!

[Sooks]

2 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

Thank you @Armagon @DragonFlames @twilitfalchion @Sooks @Benice and @Father Shrimpas for the birthday wishes, I'll hold them closely to my heart!

You’re very welcome!

14 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

Yeah but that’s looking at it solely from a western perspective.

That’s where both Wraith and I are.

[Sidereal Wraith]

13 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

I still doubt anyone is gonna mistake the two. One is a graphic novel while the other is just a short story. A text based medium while the other is more visual not to mention the immense time gap between them. Even so I doubt the short story deals in the concept of shinigami and how the Japanese view death and mortality which Death Note does though I wouldn’t know because I haven’t read it.

You’re missing the point Ottservia. Sure DT goes into more detail about the power and where it comes from, but it doesn’t change the fact both stories have eerily similar plots points, protagonists and the protagonist’s powers. I immediately thought of DT while reading it and just how similar both were to one another.

https://www.ballardian.com/now-zero-vs-death-note

The plot thickens!

Edited December 16, 2020 by Wraith

[Ottservia]

10 minutes ago, Wraith said:

You’re missing the point Ottservia. Sure DT goes into more detail about the power and where it comes from, but it doesn’t change the fact both stories have eerily similar plots points, protagonists and the protagonist’s powers. I immediately thought of DT while reading it and just how similar both were to one another.

https://www.ballardian.com/now-zero-vs-death-note

The plot thickens!

Okay sure but from what I’ve read of the plot synopsis of “Now Zero” death note definitely seems to heavily inspired from it but it’s by no means a ripoff. Light isn’t a depressed salary man. He’s a high school honor student with a god complex. They also get the notebook in different ways and the focus of each narrative is different. Death note is a story about themes regarding the nature of justice and what it means to essentially play god. From what I can gather “Now, Zero” is more a nihilistic tale about the twisted thoughts of depressed coward who is simply fed up with the world. The focus of each story is relatively different in terms of their overall themes and messages

 

12 minutes ago, Sooks said:

That’s where both Wraith and I are.

Well that’s just ethnocentric 

[Interdimensional Observer]

22 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Okay, I'd dispute it being aimed at just the crown jewels and I do remember it being thrown by him while he's riding a chariot. Thrown by his feet.

Wikipedia's textual citation on the Gae Bolg runs as follows:

"The Gáe Bulg had to be made ready for use on a stream and cast from the fork of the toes. It entered a man's body with a single wound, like a javelin, then opened into thirty barbs. Only by cutting away the flesh could it be taken from that man's body."

 

22 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Also @Interdimensional Observer I don't remember that being mentioned, but considering he was able to hulk out, you might be right.

When I saw Wikipedia mention his utterly grotesque Hulk-esque transformation:

Spoiler

"The first warp-spasm seized Cúchulainn, and made him into a monstrous thing, hideous and shapeless, unheard of. His shanks and his joints, every knuckle and angle and organ from head to foot, shook like a tree in the flood or a reed in the stream. His body made a furious twist inside his skin, so that his feet and shins switched to the rear and his heels and calves switched to the front... On his head the temple-sinews stretched to the nape of his neck, each mighty, immense, measureless knob as big as the head of a month-old child... he sucked one eye so deep into his head that a wild crane couldn't probe it onto his cheek out of the depths of his skull; the other eye fell out along his cheek. His mouth weirdly distorted: his cheek peeled back from his jaws until the gullet appeared, his lungs and his liver flapped in his mouth and throat, his lower jaw struck the upper a lion-killing blow, and fiery flakes large as a ram's fleece reached his mouth from his throat... The hair of his head twisted like the tangle of a red thornbush stuck in a gap; if a royal apple tree with all its kingly fruit were shaken above him, scarce an apple would reach the ground but each would be spiked on a bristle of his hair as it stood up on his scalp with rage."

I felt a little dismayed that Shin Megami Tensei's two artworks of Chu Chulainn are pretty boy and dashing man. The short SMTIV sidequest featuring Cu Chulainn (or was it Setanta?- SMT treats the young Cu Chulainn as a separate demon) had it said that he shouldn't lose focus and get angry, which just barely hints at this rage mode found in the myths. 

However, Wikipedia also says that normally, Cu Chulainn was handsome. So SMT isn't entirely wrong there, it sorta captures Cu as he is 90% of the time.

The above descriptive paragraph on Rage Chulainn makes me want to 🤮, but if SMT is going to have pretty Setanta, why not give Cu Chulainn a new design that reflects his ferocious anger? It's been decades, he qualifies for an redesign. -But Rama takes top priority in the pantheon of demons needing new artwork, this great avatar of Vishnu is not the titular hero of the Ramayana in any way whatsoever. Diana/Artemis takes second place in the priorities, her usual design is horrendous, and Maya's Artemis is never used, nor very authentically Virgin Goddess of Moon and Hunting either.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Interdimensional Observer

[Sidereal Wraith]

1 minute ago, Ottservia said:

Okay sure but from what I’ve read of the plot synopsis of “Now Zero” death note definitely seems to heavily inspired from it but it’s by no means a ripoff. Light isn’t a depressed salary man. He’s a high school honor student with a god complex. They also get the notebook in different ways and the focus of each narrative is different. Death note is a story about themes regarding the nature of justice and what it means to essentially play god. From what I can gather “Now, Zero” is more a nihilistic tale about the twisted thoughts of depressed coward who is simply fed up with the world. The focus of each story is relatively different in terms of their overall themes and messages

They’re still very similar in concept of death via writing it in a book and how both protagonists end up using that power.

[Ottservia]

1 minute ago, Wraith said:

They’re still very similar in concept of death via writing it in a book and how both protagonists end up using that power.

Yes but they’re not the same thing. The two stories have different goals, ideas, and overall messages. Same premise different message in the end so I would hardly call it plagerism

[Armagon]

At the end of the day, like anything in storytelling, execution is the most important thing.

 

[Sidereal Wraith]

1 minute ago, Ottservia said:

Yes but they’re not the same thing. The two stories have different goals, ideas, and overall messages. Same premise different message in the end so I would hardly call it plagerism

Yet very similar plot concepts and narrative conceits.

[Sidereal Wraith]

In fact it kind of reminds me of Battle Royale and The Hunger Games.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Wraith

[Sidereal Wraith]

Anywho I’m going to read more Ballard now. I’ll let you guys if I come across any other of his stories that were “homaged” by your favorite authors or creators. Remember kids, nothing is sacred anymore!

Edited December 16, 2020 by Wraith

[Sooks]

39 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

Well that’s just ethnocentric 

Okay but you still can’t blame Wraith for treating anime as a genre, which is joe it is often treated (correct me if this is not what you’re saying).

[Dayni]

37 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

"The Gáe Bulg had to be made ready for use on a stream and cast from the fork of the toes. It entered a man's body with a single wound, like a javelin, then opened into thirty barbs. Only by cutting away the flesh could it be taken from that man's body."

Yeah, it'd been a while since I remembered it having to be prepared in the stream, but yes, from the fork of the toes means exactly that it says.

There's mad, then there's throwing a spear from your toes to skewer foes so badly they will die removing it.

Wading into the anime discussion, calling it a genre as a whole still feels weird to me because the point of a genre seems to not fit as an adequate description the stylistic medium and genres of anime are still a thing. Like calling Bollywood a genre wouldn't work either.

[null]

I guess the music is at least one good thing that's come from Heroes.

Edited December 16, 2020 by twilitfalchion
Wrong link

[Lightcosmo]

4 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

I guess the music is at least one good thing that's come from Heroes.

I wouldnt say the only thing, it has some amazing artworks.