Why don't all character do a version of Nanami's overtime to buff themselves for the fight? Well you have to understand the metaphors the power system represents. I'm not saying power scaling is pointless but most abilities are related to the character's personalities in some way.
Nanami + Overtime + 7:3 technique:
Nanamis entire theme as a character is about his past working a corporate job and how he got tired of it. His 7-3 technique can be read as a metaphor for the 9-5 and the ratio part of the technique represents a "work life balance" so when he perfectly fits the ratio of both work and life it buffs his attacks. His overtime binding vow just makes logical sense in relation to his theme because overtime is a part of working a job. If all characters could make an overtime binding vow it wouldn't make sense for their characters because overtime is a metaphor for Nanamis personality.
Gojo + limitless:
Gojo as a character is lonely so him creating a barrier between him and the outside world as part of limitless fits his character.
Geto + cursed spirit manipulation:
Geto as a person was heavily traumatized but instead of trying to overcome his depression and trauma he lets resentment build up (kind of like how cursed spirits are formed), leading him to going insane and genocidal. Instead of releasing negative emotions, he suppresses them and this is exactly what cursed spirit manipulation does. It stores cursed spirits which are made out of negative emotions.
Sukuna and the fire arrow binding vow:
Sukuna's theme is that he's both an entity that is worshipped and a chef at the same time. Meaning when Sukuna did the fire arrow vow it perfectly fits into his theme. Sukuna always uses food metaphors. For example, he calls Gojo a fish that he's going to cut up. The narrator literally says "Sukuna cuts up the ingredients with cleave/dismantle then unleashes the furnace/divine flames to cook them". It's all meant to be a metaphorical representation of who Sukuna is as a person.
​
This isn't even reading comprehension curse it's media literacy curse. You can perfectly understand what is happening in a story and still misunderstand what it's trying to say from an emotional lens and not purely logical.
So when the question becomes "why didn't character x do x binding vow to become strong"? You're telling on yourself because you are admitting that it's stupid for that to happen because narratively it doesn't make sense for that character. If these binding vows actually happened you would probably complain and say the story has become binding vow spamming.
Secondly, what binding vows can the main cast even do at this point? They don't have a special one hit kill attack that they can instantly use without hand signs. I can't think of a binding vow that would make sense.
In conclusion stop taking the powerscaling so literally and try to understand what the story is trying to say.

I recently lead my first writer's room as a head writer! I've been working on a personal project for a while and when we finally got backed and financed, it was crazy! I don't have enough experience to be a showrunner, so we hired someone else. However, being in a writer's room and not just a PA was mind blowing. It kinda felt like knowing how to swim, but now it's my first time in the deep end. I'm sure there are more experienced people on this subreddit with better advice, but I just want to talk about what I learned.
Context: Even though I can't say which show it is right now, I can say that it is for cable and is a 13 episode, half-hour drama. Including myself, there were seven writers.

1: Don't be afraid to redo the pilot!

• They say "writing is rewriting" and this couldn't have been more true for me. Once we actually sat down and talked about what we wanted the season to look like, the pilot had to be rewritten. The pilot I wrote had won a screenwriting competition and has got many glowing reviews. However, I'd be lying if I said I put as much thought into the other episodes as I did the pilot, simply because I didn't want to waste all that effort on a show that might not even get made.

My showrunner really showed his experience by pointing out the flaws in the pilot, not based on the telling of the story in the pilot, but the pay offs we wanted to happen later in the series.

2: Confidence, confidence, confidence!

• This wasn't my first pilot that has been picked up, but it was the first that had actually been put into pre-production instead of just being optioned again or being bought to collect dust in development hell. I was the least experienced in the room and it really made me nervous. People who had some serious skill were asking me questions about my story that I genuinely never thought about before. After our first session, I honestly thought I shouldn't even be in there.

I talked about it with one of my producers and she encouraged me to just do the best I can. After all, you can't really be wrong or mess up something that doesn't really exist yet. The writer's room was really a place for everyone to just figure out what was going on and the first season is always full of experimentation. As my confidence grew, I was able to talk about my characters and core themes with a lot more depth, like I had when I was talking to myself. This made everything way easier to write and had I just had the confidence from the beginning, I feel like we wouldn't have started off so slow.

3: Lean on everyone's specialty.

• I always knew writers had preferences in genres and writing pillars like dialogue or structure. What I didn't expect was how rewarding it would be to have someone prop up your weaknesses with their skills. I usually write alone, so having people help fill in for my weaknesses was great! Leaning into what everyone else does best kept things going at a good pace.

4: Try new stuff till it sticks.

• I had ideas for the show that flat out did not work. Looking at the overall season, some of the episodes we wanted to do, didn't actually add up to the type of emotional pay offs we wanted. Out of the 13, only 5 (including the pilot) of my original episode ideas actually stayed. We came up with a bunch of stuff that was great, but didn't really fit. In the end, some of our random ideas worked better than ones were were sure of.

Even after we got everything off of index cards, sat down and wrote the scripts, there were holes and weaknesses in the season that wasn't as obvious before. Always looking at the big picture and the pay offs we wanted was key. Don't be afraid to try something new if you think it can improve the script or season, no matter what stage.

5: Communication

• When we were ready to start typing, there were some people who wanted to write certain episodes and others who didn't care which. However, we found out that everyone has an episode they really want to do and some people just didn't speak up about it. My showrunner talked with everyone together and individually to make sure people were not only writing for the show, but writing something they really wanted to sink their teeth into.

Other times when people were "too quiet", he made sure to make those writers give opinions on the topic at hand. Sometimes they had ideas they thought were stupid, but actually were really great.

6: Be friends

• Yeah, you can't be friends with everyone. It's true. Even so, our writer's room really felt like it kicked into high gear as we all got to know each other. We talked about what inspires us, what we do outside of writing and how our lives were going in general. It made it feel less like a job and more like the discussion you would have with your friends at a bar after seeing a movie. Awesome feeling. We even attended one of my writer's birthday party were he proposed to his long time girlfriend. After that, writing felt like butter. It's way easier to debate and fix things with people you get along with. I can't imaging being in a room with someone for that long for months with people I don't like or don't know well.

7: Check the ego at the door

• This is something my producer told me and something my showrunner said up front. We all are going to be wrong sometimes. If something needs defending, defend it, but not to the point to where it may cause a problem. Honestly, I couldn't have written this season this well on my own. Teamwork made the dream work.

We are scheduled to start shooting the pilot later this year, so I can't wait to see what happens next. It's far from over and there's a lot that still needs to happen before it even goes to screening, so I hope everything works out! If you have had any experiences in writer's rooms or advice, I'd love to hear it! I just thought I'd share this. Happy writing!

Right now I live with my ex. Literally just signed the lease. We broke up two, going into three weeks ago because essentially he drinks and it's a big part of his life, I don't drink and I have ptsd around it. He never drank around me the first 4months of our relationship. By the last 6months we didn't go out on dates, just whatever boring parties (no offense to anyone who likes that I just don't <3 ). Recently I was like, hey I've come really far with this but I'll get better and then you keep wanting more and more from me. (He wanted me to go to an adult themed bar and I'm like seriously). 8 months in on New Years he brought up maybe wanting to possibly be poly and have an open relationship which I immediately shut down and said, figure yourself out I'm not doing that and if you need that, I'm not for you. He never got back to me about any of it.
Digressing. We broke up because I was tired of him just not knowing what he wanted. He also hasn't had a job for 10months. I'm renting a room in the apartment he's in, so it's thankfully separated finances. Made that mistake ex before him.
I just? Feel really upset? I knew something was up before I moved in and he said he "didn't want to upset me" so waited until after I moved in to figure out if he, quote "still wanted to be with me, and figure that out" which after a week I said, essentially, no this is over. How long did he want me to wait? He didn't know.
Anyways. I live with him now. It's still safe. But I'm so emotional. I'm doing ACOA, going to church, did OT at work weekends till they said no more of that right now. I'm joining some rescue/animal organizations to help but that's just weekends cause thier all 2hours round trip.
I guess I needed to vent. But any advice is helpful? I have to keep setting boundaries. First three days after the break up He kept hugging me which I told him to stop, unless he asks first. And he was originally all, you can come cuddle with me to which I laughed in his face and said no. He can't stand people being upset but 80% of why I'm upset is literally because I live there and feel trapped about it.
TLDR: Advice for living with ex when they have zero boundaries and seem fine.

I've always heard of the 12H as the house of the subconscious, hidden influences and profound emotions. I'm wondering though: does the 12H have reigns over in palpable life? Especially in terms of the subconscious making itself known. How does it show up IRL, what are themes that it rules, etc.?

I remember listening to this (possibly two part episode) while going for a walk in 2020. A woman becomes emotionally invested in an online world/civilization she creates, but she eventually has to turn away from the game and permanently destroys the world she had built. It touches on themes of playing god and the grief of destroying a whole population, despite it being a digital one.
I can't stop thinking about this episode, but for the life of me, I can't figure out where to find it. Thank you for your help!

I remember listening to this (possibly two part episode) while going for a walk in 2020. A woman becomes emotionally invested in an online world/civilization she creates, but she eventually has to turn away from the game and permanently destroys the world she had built. It touches on themes of playing god and the grief of destroying a whole population, despite it being a digital one.
I can't stop thinking about this episode, but for the life of me, I can't figure out where to find it. Thank you for your help!

surprised no one has pointed out the connection between END OF THE ROAD BOYZ/cold visions as a whole and this song yet, but there are some serious similarities in the lyrics throughout the whole album. i think the strongest case for the reference is the fact that "boys" is spelled "boyz" despite the original "end of the road boys" tweet being spelled normally. plus we already know bladee isn't too shy to directly reference other artists, like in LOWS PARTLYY with the smith's "panic"
Boyz II Men:
"When I can't sleep at night
Without holding you tight
Girl, each time I try
I just break down and cry
Pain in my head
Oh, I'd rather be dead
Spinning around and around"
literally could just be taken from cold visions and it wouldn't be out of place, themes about insomnia due to emotional distress, "spinning around and around" referenced directly in END OF THE ROAD BOYZ; "You know this shit go round and round and round like a ferris wheel // And you know what goes around comes around like a carousel"
Boyz II Men:
"Although we've come
To the end of the road
Still I can't let go
It's unnatural"
FLEXING & FINESSING; "I know I'm falling off but, shit, I can't let go" and maybe a reach, but WODRAINER; "Thought it was over, I'm back // Thought I would quit, I can't"
i'm not gonna assume what it could mean for bladee's personal life cause if he wanted to say it directly he would have, but i think it's a fun little easter egg in the album. lmk what u think or if u have any other insights!!

: Crafting Harmony in the Tritina Form**
Summary:
The tritina is a poetic form that consists of three tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by a concluding line (envoi or tornada). The unique feature of the tritina is its end-word repetition, where the final words of each line in the first tercet are rotated in a specific pattern through the subsequent tercets and the envoi.
Examples:

1. "Tritina" by Louise Glück.
2. "Tritina of the Rose" by Wallace Stevens.
3. "Tritina for the Hitchhiker" by W. S. Merwin.

Tips for Creative Writing:

• Careful Word Selection: Choose versatile words that can adapt to various contexts.
  
• Create Flow: Utilize the repetition of end words to create a rhythmic and flowing effect.
  
• Explore Themes: Tritinas can be effective in exploring emotions, memories, or vivid imagery.
  

Questions for Exploration:

1. How does the end-word repetition contribute to the tritina's structure and impact?
2. Can you identify contemporary poets who have embraced the tritina form?

Additional Resources:

• Read tritinas by poets like Elizabeth Bishop and Dana Gioia for diverse examples.
  
• Explore how modern poets experiment with traditional forms to create unique tritinas.
  

Creative Writing Prompt:
Step 1: Choose a theme or emotion for your tritina.
Step 2: Select three words that will be repeated at the end of each line in a specific pattern.
Step 3: Craft your three tercets and the concluding envoi, adhering to the end-word repetition pattern.
Example: The sun sets low, painting skies aglow (1) In twilight's embrace, shadows softly grow (2) A world in transition, where dreams may flow (3)
In shades of amber, where memories flow (3) Each moment captured, a golden afterglow (1) In the canvas of dusk, where shadows grow (2)
As night descends, a mysterious shadow (2) Stars twinkle above, in a celestial flow (3) The day's final whispers, in twilight's afterglow (1)
Remember: The tritina's structured repetition offers a poetic dance of words, creating a unique and resonant experience.

Pre-marriage ceremony decoration is an essential aspect of any wedding celebration. It sets the tone for the entire event and creates an ambiance that reflects the couple's personalities and their vision for their special day. From the moment guests arrive, they are greeted with beautifully adorned spaces that leave a lasting impression.
Imagine walking into a venue that has been transformed into a whimsical wonderland, with intricate floral arrangements, twinkling lights, and carefully curated elements that seamlessly blend together. The pre-ceremony decor plays a crucial role in establishing the mood and setting the stage for the main event – the exchange of vows.
One of the most captivating elements of pre-marriage ceremony decoration is the use of floral designs. Skilled florists can weave together a tapestry of blooms that not only look stunning but also evoke emotions and create a sensory experience. From grand archways adorned with cascading flowers to delicate petals lining the aisle, the floral arrangements become the focal point, adding depth and texture to the overall aesthetic.
Lighting is another crucial component that can elevate the pre-ceremony decor. Soft, warm glows create an intimate and romantic atmosphere, while dramatic uplighting can add a touch of drama and sophistication. strategically placed candles or lanterns can also contribute to the ambiance, casting a warm glow that dances across the space.
Personalization is key when it comes to pre-marriage ceremony decoration. Incorporating meaningful elements that reflect the couple's interests, cultural heritage, or shared experiences can make the space truly their own. From custom-designed backdrops to carefully curated signage, these personal touches add depth and meaning to the decor, making it an extension of the couple's love story.
Additionally, the pre-ceremony decor can seamlessly tie into the overall theme or color scheme of the wedding. Whether it's a classic and elegant affair or a whimsical and bohemian celebration, the decor should reflect the couple's vision and set the tone for the entire event.
As guests arrive and take their seats, the pre-marriage ceremony decoration serves as a visual representation of the couple's love and the beginning of their journey together. It creates a sense of anticipation and wonder, setting the stage for the momentous occasion that is about to unfold.
In essence, pre-marriage ceremony decoration is an art form that combines creativity, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of the couple's desires. It is a labor of love that transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary backdrops, creating lasting memories for the newlyweds and their guests alike.

Disclaimer:
This post has heavy spoilers to the story of the version 2.2 and maybe to something else. Good luck to read all of this. I yap for Ena and maybe repeat myself little too much. Mentioned characters:
Sunday
Robin
Aventurine
Dreammaster
Bronya
Seele
Cocolia
Mentioned Aeons:
Ena
Xipe
Hooh
Long
Oroboros
Qlipoth
Mentioned organisations:
Beyond the Sky Choir
Astral Express
Family
In loving memory: Ena the Order “The one who transcends the many”
In loving memory of Tazzyrronth the Propagation “The Sand king”
In loving memory of the Great Tatalov “The Garbage King”
So, the original intent behind this post was to create a lot of puns about Order and Sunday (for example something like Golden Order Radagon Sunday, “I will have order” with Sunday and a falling train instead, Sunday working in a delivery and saying that someone’s order was cancelled).
But then I started remembering all parts of Penacony storyline that have fascinated me. And one particular part master stroked me. When Sunday used his “tell the truth or die in 24 hours voice magic” he used not the power of Order, but Harmony – the Path he supposedly deliberately left behind and betrayed.
How can I be so sure, that he didn’t use the power of Order, making it look like the power of Harmony? Well, nor Dr. Ratio, nor Aventurine, nor Welt, nor (most importantly) Robin didn’t notice any sign that the Order was used and that the power on display did in fact belong to Harmony. And mind you, all of them are quite clever, experienced and hard to deceive. And in Aventurine’s conversation with Acheron in the Horizon of existence, Acheron (who as Self-Annihilator isn’t affected by the illusions of Order and can see through them) referred to the brand, used on Aventurine as the “brand of Harmony”. And the last proof is that when Sunday uses this power, he makes a call (or if you are a pun enjoyer like me, “an order”) to Xipe, referring to THEM as “Triple-faced soul”.
So, this was a really long and a roundabout way to prove that even with his supposed devotion to Order, Sunday still remains the Pathstrider of Harmony (and the laws of the HSR universe dictate, that you become a Pathstrider by following a philosophy of a particular Path). While being a Pathstrider of two Paths is not called impossible in the game, and Harmony and Order mostly overlap, there are some key differences between them. It means, that Sunday to some extant still believes in a philosophy of Harmony and is not a complete devotee of Order, how some people could have believed.
So, the goal of this post is to delve on the philosophy of Ena and Harmony through Sunday’s story, words, thoughts and actions. And to make some obnoxious theories, but that’s later.
So, let’s begin!
Ⅰ
In his childhood, Sunday alongside Robin, was called by the Dreammaster “two best interpreters of the Great One”. That means, that as a child, Sunday was extremely close to the philosophy of Harmony.
Let’s remember what Harmony embodies as a philosophy:
“Then, they say, O you who have reached the end, enter into the paradise that envelops all! Join this great choir and feast, listen to the beating of billions upon billions of hearts, holding you in THEIR embrace...”
“To battle the brutality of the laws of the universe, intelligent lifeforms must discard their cowardly selfishness and the differences between individuals, fusing into one singular melody — to have the strong help the weak, and to protect life with death.”
That is what Harmony preaches and Sunday was a follower of this ideology. Harmony preaches selfless people not only helping and uplifting each other to build “the paradise” (a prominent theme in Sunday’s thoughts) bit also welcoming every other willing person. Harmony philosophy is about acceptance, forgiveness, cooperation, that no person is beyond redemption, that in every person has inside of them the force that genuinely cares for others and strives for good. Harmony preaches something like this: “Because if it is possible for every person to become a member of Family’s shared paradise, then we should at lest try to welcome them in it.” That’s why Harmonic Strings (Emanators of Xipe) are not people and are actually manifestations materialized as the responses to the Hive Mind’s demands. It is a seemingly naïve and romantic ideal for the sometimes and indifferent brutal universe of HSR that requires great kindness, compassion, understanding, belief in other people, ability to see the better in other people and uplift them. And Sunday-follower of Order reflects on that:
"When I appeared as a child, my speech, mindset, and soul reflected immaturity and innocence."
"As I grew into adulthood, I left behind my childlike side."
Sunday (as shown in the quest) was a person of great understanding, compassion, and love for other living beings, full of desire to protect them (bird, Robin, other people). He was able to embrace even the worst people if they would show even the slightest glimpse of desire to redeem themselves and change for the better, like people who allegedly sold their own children. It is notable that he both acts as a follower of Harmony and an enforcer of Order conspiracy because of these very character traits. The motivation is the same, just the choice how to act based on this motivation is different between him and Robin because of different experiences.
As the ardent believer of Harmony, the seed of doubt in his mind was planted ironically by the very followers of the Harmony -the Family. And the disillusionment about Harmony also began, when his belief in other people was tested. When asking Xipe to clear his doubts, Sunday asks three questions:
“Who can judge the strong when their power hides their crimes?”
“Who can vouch for the weak when they will pay any price to survive?”
“If "the strong defending the weak" is truly the foundation of paradise, then who is responsible for the suffering and anguish in this wretched world?”
The questions display that the preached Harmony doesn’t work as intended. The extremely hard ideal to follow was exactly too demanding for numerous people who couldn’t stand up to the responsibility that came with upholding it. Also, as displayed both in the main quest of Penacony and in numerous events and side quests, flaws and imperfections of Family(note: of the Family on Penacony) are numerous. We have an entire “Ode to Fool” in the Grand Theatre about internal bloodthirsty war between the Family, where two of the seven families of Penacony ceased to exist. When even Family: those who preach the Odes of Harmony don’t act as they preach, are not harmonious, don’t show compassion and forgiveness, it is extremely hard to still believe in its teachings. And from that, the belief in people starts to slowly crumble as the very belief in a possibility of a paradise preached by the Xipe, is tested.
That is what turns him to Order. The feeling that while the paradise of Harmony is theoretically possible, how much suffering must people experience before it actually arrives. And when will it arrive? And IF it will arrive? These doubts in human inherent desire to change for the better leads to the idea: “And what if they don’t change? Then why take the risks? Why not to create something that guarantees their safety, happiness and protection?” His desire for Order is still born from his love for humanity.
Ⅱ
And while the shift in beliefs did in fact happen, it wasn’t completed and some beliefs in Harmony remain, alongside doubts about the philosophy of Order.
To prove that, let’s remember the Grand Theatre part of the quest (“Everything that Rises Must Converge”).
Before that Dreammaster has a particularly interesting conversation with Sunday. Sunday not only changes their plan, taking Robin’s place in the plan and then he asks Dreammaster why Penacony was the chosen planet to bring “paradise” of the Order. If he was completely convinced, why would he pose these questions?
Sunday several times brings the part of 107,336 souls of the Oak Family in his monologues. Why? Because he uses them to give self-validation to his beliefs. It comes not only from his desire to grant “paradise” to everyone (and this guys as stated dreamed about the paradise of Order), but also from his self-perceived responsibility as the Head of the Oak Family to stand up to wishes and desires of his subordinates, to protect them, and as the man with greatest position among them, to fulfil the hardest task. Because if people he is in charge of follow and support his views, not only it gives him more belief in his set of beliefs(ha), but also gives him even greater responsibility to prove that their faith in him, in Order is not misplaced.
In first two acts he displays before us shortcomings of the Harmony, trying to display himself as the ardent believer of the Order:
In the first act “Ode to Prisoner” he says that the freedom was not really achieved in Penacony’s great Independence War, posing a doubt that the ideal of Harmony even existed in Penacony since the very beginning.
In the second act “Ode to Fool” the theme of not so harmonic Harmony remains. Sunday talks about internal civil war between the Family, that eradicated two of the seven families on Penacony. How “harmonic” it is!
But in the last and most important act “Ode to Order” has a surprisingly different theme, hidden in it.
It is supposedly talking about the future of Penacony, but there is something more if you listen to its content once again:
General: “Without a ruler who would protect the weak and fight back against the tyrants?”
Chansellor: “We must assist each other in protecting the weak, just as we must assist each other in opposing the tyrannical.”
This dialogue argues that the very measures Sunday preaches, are not required for the coexistence and unification are also an option. Case of how differently Order and Harmony solve one problem.
Jester: “Without a ruler, who will make the stars follow their paths, the tides rise and fall, and allow life to grow?”
C: “These things did as they will long before the ruler appeared, just as they will continue to do with rulers gone.”
Where the Order requires an all-mighty divine king, controlling the world (like God-Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer), Harmony simply says that actually such beings are not needed.
Minister: “However, now that we have bid farewell to our ruler. Who shall take their place?”
C: “We no longer require a ruler, for we were originally all rulers who stand above all things.”
Once again, order preaches about the ruler on the top of everything, the one who has all of the rights and makes all of decisions. But harmony doesn’t work that way. Harmony preaches that if every person has equal rights to enter its paradise, then they are essentially equal. Where Order differentiates people and treats them differently according to THEIR criteria, harmony does not as THEY are all-embracing.
The choice of the position of Chansellor as the one giving answers is deliberate. It is another innuendo on differences between Harmony and Order. In Order king takes the power and pushes everyone under his control. Chancellor, as the representation of Harmony in this argument, is a position not a person. He is subject to change, unlike king. Unlike king, Chancellor is chosen among the people, by the people. He serves as one man being the voice of many people, for they have chosen him as a Chancellor because their ideals are the same and thus, they have entrusted him to fulfil their ideals in reality in their stead.
Some people were not satisfied that the arguments were not posed against Sunday by the Astral Express. Well, this entire act serves as a counter to his arguments, showing the point of view of Harmony arguing against the necessity of ideals of Order. Most importantly, they don’t disprove hid arguments completely, but rather pose a possible alternative take on things.
The Clockwork doesn’t work on puppets because they are “satisfied”. But what gives satisfaction: Order or Harmony? In my opinion, Harmony. Remember: in THEIR paradise there is “peace bestowed, sorrows and strife released.”
The “king” in the text obviously refers to Ena the Order, and the last talk from the “Future” in the act is about “final rites” to the king, that there is no need to seek THEIR existence, nor remember THEM. It illustrates the final confusion of Sunday: if Ena didn’t fight back while being consumed, if the philosophy of Harmony prevailed in the confrontation among the Paths, why try to restore the Order?
And after that particular act he chose to reveal to us the finale of Ena’s story. That THEY were banished to oblivion by the united will of the people who defied Order. And THEIR death was praised alongside praises for the appearance of Harmony – the ideal that prevailed on Penacony in the end.
And that is what actually 3 is actually about. Puppets(Members of the Beyond the Sky Choir) ask what they and everyone else should do after the “king(Ena)” disappeared.
They feel no safety and out of their comfort zone when the one that controlled everything about their lives suddenly disappeared. And Chancellor’s answers are the representation of the ideology of Harmony, that you don’t need to be controlled to strive in life, for that there is more to universe and that the “king” is not actually required for betterment of society, that society can harmonize and evolve on their own, that the unity of people can replace the “king”. Ironically, “the Ode to Order” doesn’t glorify Order but rather disproves it from being the one and only universal truth.
In this act Sunday actually reveals, intended or not, that he doesn’t disprove Harmony’s ideal, that he subconsciously feels that it can stand on par with the ideal of Order.
Then, Sunday poses between us three questions, each one has different answers depending on your set of believes: order or Harmony. Notice, that Sunday doesn’t give his own answers to the questions.
“Is darkness equal to daylight?”
This question is very metaphorical. Radiance and light, eradicating darkness and giving protection to those under the light are a repeated theme in the ideology of the Order (“I shall ascend to the heavens, becoming the scorching sun. Bathed in my light, my people shall flourish, while all evil shall be eradicated” / “Those who live in the shadows do not bear the right to tread the illuminated stage.” / “I now permit you to gaze into the sun [hardest line in the game btw]”) But radiance is also a term sometimes used to describe Xipe. The greatest difference lies in the fact that what Order will not tolerate (“darkness”), harmony will be able to co-exist with and eventually embrace. So for Order they are different, but for Harmony not at all.
“Are sinners equal to the righteous?”
Order punishes the unjust and uplifts the righteous. For it, they are not equal. But for Harmony they are, mostly because before Xipe the very concept of sinners doesn’t exist. Harmony is all-embracing, for everyone can change for the better and be redeemed.
It is a discourse in philosophy: first question was about whether are you able to tolerate something that goes against you. While Harmony can, Order cannot (Sunday can as literally shown in the quest so he leans more to Harmony in that part). Second question was about whether people can change for the better and be redeemed. Order doesn’t believe in it, Harmony does.
“If you are born weak, which god should you turn for solace?”
It is another question to choose between philosophies because Sunday struggles to choose himself. If you are weak and you bow before someone(“king”) for the protection then this is a choice befitting Order, but if you choose to cooperate with others, uplift one another and “listen beating of billions of hearts holding you on their embrace” then this is the choice of Harmony.
Notice, that Sunday doesn’t consider us as enemies at all. As he says: “I genuinely wish to avoid a violent clash with my esteemed guests from afar.” When Astral Express team asks Sunday why did he invite us to the duel, he responds: “Because our shared goals give equal weight to the beliefs we strive for.” He regards everything happening more like a debate of two equally valid philosophies. Even in the fight with him (second one) he still invites us to join his chorus of Order. And he says “our final talk is concluded” only when he turns into his Embryo of Philosophy form, when literally everyone who could has risen against him. And then he reveals his true emotions:
“If your ‘paradise’ can save more people, sever my path with your hands”
He knows he is not infallible, that his plan can be wrong, that there is a possibility of making better choices, better decisions. And he asks us to prove, that Harmony after all is a stronger concept then that of Order. And his quote before that really makes everything extremely ironic:
“If we had never experienced solitude, how could we embark on different paths?”
Once again, this solitude refers to the times when he still completely followed Harmony. Yet he was the only person on the entire Penacony because of his great compassion, who actually followed what Xipe preached. Yet, in this he was alone. How can you be in Harmony with anyone, if you are alone. The irony is in the fact, that if Robin didn’t leave Penacony, of if he met another genuine believer, he wouldn’t have turn to Order and he would remain under Xipe. With many similarities of Order and Harmony: the epitome of Order is loneliness, being a sole ruler of everything, the epitome of Harmony is a unity of numerous people.
“And thus, my talk about Sunday has concluded. Next part is about Ena.”
Ⅲ
While his monologue about history of Ena can also be interpreted as parts above, it is much more interesting to discuss it when talking about Ena THEMSELVES.
“Let us commence with the dawning of the world… After the Dusk Wars, darkness veiled the sky, and chaos consumed the earth. Ena the Order emerged, destined to restore all existence. That marked the first day.”
The Dusk Wars are one of the most ancient (if not the most) periods of history we know about. Ena emerging at that time, makes THEM one of the oldest Aeons alongside Long, Hooh, Qlipoth and Oroboros.
” THEY gathered nebulae and forged them into picks, thus creating a grand lyre with black and white keys. Strike the white keys, and the sun rose. Strike the black keys moon and the rose. And so the cycle of day and night arose. That marked the second day. “
“THEY transmuted streams of stars into inked nibs, creating symbols to be pronounced and counted. THEY molded stardust into flowing rivers, assigning the righteous upstream and the unjust downstream. Thus, all things were marked and the world learned to discern between good and evil. That marked the third and fourth days. “
“THEY used the planetary rings to establish the law, forging a code of conduct among the masses. A grand lyre with black and white symbols of articulation and numerical notation took the form of musical notes. The downward-flowing river became a melody, and the cannon of law dictated the form. Thus, all mortals found their unique place within this symphony. That marked the fifth and sixth days. “
Ena, as we know was a control freak, at much bigger scale and extent, then Sunday could have ever hoped to become. We know that «Ena's harmonic songs seems to align within a three-dimensional framework, akin to an emperor maintaining hierarchical order among all creatures» Not only people, but the movement of celestial bodies were under THEIR control. THEY wanted to and almost controlled everything in the known cosmos. So, THEY were the only person responsible for everything. And when THEY were consumed, the manager of everything disappeared and the scales of order and discord lost their balance. That is why Hooh intervened and took THEIR responsibilities.
“THEY imbued world with meaning, perfecting all things in the heavens and earth. Then, THEY rested from the labors of creation. Yet, all beings cried to Ena – ‘Under the banner of the Order, you have defined all things in the Cosmos… but this made us realize that we are but puppets in your hands!’ – Thus, on that day, all beings united and cast the Aeon into the abyss of oblivion. That marked the seventh day. “
And this is the most interesting part. We know that Ena was consumed by Xipe, so why does Sunday refer to THEIR death as an action, made by humans?
As we know, Xipe “hails from multiple harmonious celestial words”, “a plural Aeon” and “THEY are the amalgamation of thousands of entities”. Thus, I pose that Xipe ascension was not a process of accension of a one person who somehow become an Aeon, but rather that several beings in a moment of unity (of “harmony”) were ascending as one. Next bit is purely theoretical:
But who could provide such unity before the existence of Harmony? Only the Beyond the Sky Choir – followers of Ena could understand the true extent of Ena’s control over everything and unify to create a change. Thus, mortals ascended into Aeon, befitting their shared beliefs, and from the Beyond the Sky Choir, Xipe arose with a new symphony of Harmony.
ⅠⅤ
Also, some other interesting bits from 2.2. storyline:
The most overlooked part of 2.2 quest for me is that part before boss battle when Sunday says that he doesn’t intend to either resurrect Ena or become a new Aeon of Order. While the actual possibility of such actions remains “enigmatic, we can now speculate that it could be possible to take control of a masterless Path or revive its master. I speculate that when we finally reach strongest Emanators level of poweallies/etc. the enemies we will be facing before actual Aeons will be unique beings like that: fallen Aeons in the process of resurrection or people in the process of becoming a new Aeon of a Path without one.
Another interesting bit of lore about Ena is that while she was “consumed” by Xipe, her Path still lingers in the cosmos masterless. While it was known about Paths of other fallen Aeons it is interesting that even assimilation by a broader concept Aeon isn’t enough to completely eradicate the Path from the face of the cosmos.
Some other connections that I noticed about Sunday while rewatching 2.2 quest were surprising even for me. Name a planet where the ruler intentionally left their subordinates in ignorance about the truth about the events for the sole reason of protecting them? It’s Belobog with Bronya and Seele (I could talk about similarities and differences of Bronya and Sunday but that would make already long post even longer). And this is why Ena was able to persuade Qlipoth. Because Qlipoth shares with THEM that general theme of protection. Because their Paths partly overlap. Because Preservation is about keeping everything dangerous behind the walls (in this case dangerous information about Cocolia), and everything inside the walls is safe, protected, or you could say “in Order”.
Ⅴ
P.S. I feel like in this quest there is still so much more to discuss(and I could write EVEN MORE), but this long wall of text is already too out of character from me as a humble follower of Enigmata.

Found this very interesting interview. Read the tl;dr part if you hate reading longass walls of text.
Note: Page 1 is mostly about Ryou's early days as a struggling novelist, then mangaka assistant and then mangaka and workflows during analog and digital era, the only important part is that Boy's Abyss is... not much of a culmination of her mangaka career, but a work where she can satisfy her ego the most, so i skipped them due to time. Pages 2, 3 and 4 have more info about Abyss.
PART 2: ABOUT BACKGROUND DESCRIPTIONS THAT SUPPORTS THE HUMAN DRAMA
Sauce: https://youngjump.jp/comic_award/interview/2024/05/index2.html
--How do you decide on the locations for your works?
It depends, but I tend to choose places where I have spent time in the past or places that remain in my memory.
--I see. Is there anything important to remember in order to recall the right location for the scene?
You can't open a drawer where there isn't one, so I think it's important to look at various places on a regular basis to increase the number of drawers.
--In "Shounen no Abyss", bridges seem to appear many times in important scenes, including in the first episode. Is this intentional?
Yes, it is. In the first episode, I put the bridge as a kind of borderline between life and death, and I think that the readers came to feel the danger from the bridge. So I may have consciously chosen to use a bridge in decisive scenes. Also, since Reiji is a person who cannot decide for himself whether to live or die, I have him hovering on the bridge, which is between life and death.
(Footnote for a panel from ch. 2: From the second chapter, "Incognito Date". The location of the bridge makes us feel more that Reiji is wandering between life and death.)
--I see. By having them perform on the bridge, you are also conveying the character's condition and humanity.
(Footnote with a page from ch.87: From episode 87, "After the dream". In episode 87, which is set in Tokyo, Reiji's wavering state of mind is expressed in detail using a bridge as a stage.)
--I feel that the timing of the rain is also very well thought out.
Rain is an indispensable element in a gloomy work like this, so I often think about the weather from the plotting stage. Also, when I draw rain, I imagine myself being in the rain. It is cold, my clothes stick to my skin, it gets in my eyes.... I hope that the reader can feel these things.
(Footnote with the page where Akira betrays Shino'oka and gives in to Yuko's temptation in ch102: From Chapter 102, "Amid the Overflowing Water". The texture of the rain effectively shows Nozoe's inclined mind.)
--you have to think about what kind of environment the person is in and what kind of air he/she breathes.
I think it depends on the type of work. For my works, that kind of accumulation is important, but there are also works where other things are important. I think you should think about it according to the kind of work you want to paint.
PART 3: ABOUT THE PICTURE DESIGN THAT SUPPORTS THE WORK
Sauce: https://youngjump.jp/comic_award/interview/2024/05/index3.html
--I assume that it was difficult to learn to draw pictures from a place with no experience in manga.
I learned by trial and error while actually drawing. Even now, I still have a hard time with drawings.
--I see. I (the interviewer) like the pictures in "Shounen no Abyss" very much because they match the content of the story, but it seems to me that you have changed the design of the pictures quite a bit from your past works. How did you decide on the style?
When I started my first serial, "Hoboreru Hanabi", I didn't have time to choose the style yet, so I drew what I could draw at the time. From the next serial, "Himegoto: Juukyuusai no Seifuku," I started to think about "making the eyes a little bigger" or "adding deformation.
--In the next serial work, "Hatsukoi Zombie," you used a much more deformed style of drawing. Why is that?
I think it was because it was serialized in a shounen magazine called "Shounen Sunday. I was conscious of the drawings of Rumiko Takahashi, who I have been a fan of for a long time.
--Did you have the medium of "Weekly Young Jump" in mind when you created the artwork for "Shounen no Abyss"?
If anything, I tried to make the design more in line with the content of the book. Considering the content, for example, it was difficult to use the same body size and eye size as the characters in "Hatsukoi Zombie". However, in the case of "Shounen no Abyss," the reality line differs slightly from character to character, and the way in which deformation is added is different for each character.
--Do you have any advice for new artists who want to improve their drawing?
I think it is important to be aware of the importance of observing what you are drawing. If you just draw from your imagination, you will end up with buildings whose structures you don't know, or wrinkled clothes that don't convey the texture of the wearer's clothing, which is a habit of mine. The result is a worldview that is not convincing. In this age of the Internet and other sources of information, it is important to observe the subject matter carefully and draw it, rather than making rough guesses.
--Do you still search for materials when you draw props, backgrounds, etc.?
Yes, I do. For example, I think about "What kind of room would this person live in?", "What kind of shoes would she wear?", "What kind of car would she drive? I think that the accumulation of such details leads to the sense of daily life that is conveyed in the work.
From episode 19, "seducer". The decor and accessories in Chako's room give us a sense of her life. (there was a page from that chapter i can't put in the post, gomwnnasai, gomennasai, gomennasai....)
End of part 3
PART 4: ABOUT WEEKLY SERIALIZATIONS (this is the important shit)
Sauce: https://youngjump.jp/comic_award/interview/2024/05/index4.html
-I feel that "Shounen no Abyss" has a great live-action feel to it. The characters' actions and the development of the story are unpredictable, and each time I am surprised to see how the story will unfold. Do you have a rough idea of how the story will unfold?
There is a general flow of the story, but basically, I myself draw the story while excitedly thinking, "Well, what will this person say or do on the next page?" In a nutshell, is this a romcom in which Reiji meets a variety of women and decides who he will fall in love (or into the abyss)? It's something like that (T/N: Ryou answered like questioning and answering to herself in the last paragraph of this section)
--I have heard that the starting point of the project for "Shounen no Abyss" was "a story about a double suicide" Do you often draw the story with the theme in mind?
Yes, I decide on the axis to some extent at the beginning. If there is nothing at all, the project itself will not be communicated, and it will be difficult to start a serialization.
--I think that in a weekly serialization, it is necessary to attract the reader intensely in the first episode. What were you conscious of in the first episode of "Shounen no Abyss"?
It's an ensemble piece, so I was conscious of showing all the main characters in the first episode. I also decided to make a memorable appearance of the heroine, Nagi, in the last part of the episode. I also thought about the order of the characters that Reiji meets. First, he meets Shiba-chan, who is outside of his interest, and then he meets and talks with his friend Chako. Then his childhood friend Gen would appear, and things would take a turn for the worse. Then, his family, which is the most painful existence for Reiji, makes an appearance. Then he crosses paths with a mysterious man, and finally a beautiful and bewitching woman appears. In order to make it easier for the reader to enter the world of the work, I made the flow of the story gradually fall into darkness.
--It's like Reiji is going down a flight of stairs one step at a time.
Yes, Nagi is waiting for him when he descends the last step. I changed the background accordingly. When he is with his friend Chako, the sun is out, and when the sun begins to set, he meets his family, and by the time he meets Nagi, it's already nighttime.
--I'm so impressed...! You have built in the backgrounds and elaborated on the details.
(Footnote for 2 pages from the 1st chapter that were shown: Both are from the first episode, "The Boy from That Town". He meets his friend Chako on his way to school in the daylight, but by the time he meets his family, it is dark and shadowy outside. The contrast of the background also depicts Reiji's descent into darkness.)
--What are the most important things outside of your work when working on a weekly series?
Physical strength is important. I also think it is important to keep your mind clear and avoid unnecessary stress. There are many times when I think, "I should have done this better," or "It will be difficult this time because I did that last time," but there is no use in overthinking things, so I try to switch over as soon as possible.
--Finally, do you have any advice for new artists?
I think it is important to have a lot of input while you are young, and to push your luck a little in creating your work.
--Thank you for your valuable talk!
Now, the tl;dr:
-2: Bridges in this manga are used as a gate between life and death.
-1: rain is important in this manga to depict the characters' overflowing emotions.
0: Ryou had to choose carefully the type of atmosphere and air for this manga.
1: Ryou drew Drowning Fireworks on a rush and could define a proper style, she shifts styles according to the tone and magazine shenis doing her works for.
2: She had to study locations and interior plaves to depict characters, their lives and mental states.
3: Boy's Abyss is a romcom on its structure. And the characters were introduced in a way you could instantly get familiarized with from the start, as it's an ensemble work.
4: characters were introduced in a way you can feel Reiji is going downstairs into the abyss. Yuri being the first because she's the character he's the least interested into, Chako next because she's the sun, the light, she's Kana Arima... okno, and Nagi last because she's Chako's thematical opposite and had to have an impactful introduction. and the endgame and endgoal are already decided since day one. Nagi is waiting for Reiji to do the last step
5: a good physical condition, being resourceful and brave enough are the keys for a successful weekly story.
That's it. See ya tomorrow.

First of all, I just finished Chapter 2 Part 2, so I guess I have less legs to stand on overall, but even without having played the following chapters, I think it's safe to say that there are some flaws with the way this branching path is handled
First of all, neither option can be justified from a logical standpoint. Sure, Sou can do the hacky thing, but 1) it's unclear whether or not that would even be useful in the next chapter (especially considering the fact Asunaro could change certain details of the Death Game to prevent Sou from fucking it up) and 2) Sou has expressed a LOT of anger towards the group, Sara specifically, even before the vote is over, meaning he might not even co-operate with the group at all
Second, neither option has the upper hand from an emotional standpoint. Sure, Sou would be pissed if you killed Kanna, but there is no reason to believe Kanna wouldn't be pissed if you killed Sou either. In fact, Kanna practically forgets Sou even existed after the vote is over (maybe that changes in the Final Chapter, but it's still weird that Kanna doesn't even get the slightest bit angry at Sara for ignoring her wish). Plus, Asunaro views human lives as replaceable goods, right? Wouldn't keeping Sou (or Shin, I guess) alive until the end of the Death Game, despite the 0,0% chance of survival, discredit their research, and therefore, their views? Wouldn't betting on Sou's survival, just to have a chance at discrediting Asunaro's views, be the emotional choice?
I'm probably wrong about all of this, but from what I can tell, Nankidai forced the Logic vs. Emotion theme on the story, completely forgetting to at least try viewing Sou's route as Emotion and Kanna's route as Logic. In the end, neither choice has the upperhand, both in Logic (the logical benefits of Sou's route are uncomfirmed at best) or in Emotion (given that Kanna should've been at least a little upset at Sara for voting Sou, which Nankidai forgot, apparently?)
Don't get me wrong, this game was phenomenal so far. It was an absolute blast to play this game, never knowing what to expect and sometimes wondering how you can have this much attention to detail, but having the game turn into "Good route vs. Bad route" (cuz apparently Sara starts acting like a prick in Sou's route?) based on a single choice for which neither option was better in any regard must've been the single most abrupt 180 I've ever seen anything take in terms of quality
Please prove me wrong, I want to keep playing this game but I just can't get myself to do so if Chapter 2 ends like this

I had intended to post this on Friday, but then Joostgate happened, so I decided to wait until all the emotions had died down a bit. For those who missed it (and/or who don't know about the rest of my Journey), here is my post on the first semi. Also, I have restarted my whole Eurovision journey for the second time and am posting the results on my personal blog. If anyone is interested please DM me. I'm not going to post a link here, because I have no desire to openly doxx myself.
Malta I’m sorry to say it, but there were too many girl-bops with overly intricate choreography this year. I don’t dislike this one at all, but qualifying after coming first in a strong semi-final with this was always going to be a tricky thing to pull off.
Albania as ballads go this one has some things making it a little more interesting for me, like that beat dropping after the first verse, but overall it’s still a ballad, so it’s on my middling list at best.
Greece I’ve watched this several times now, and I still haven’t figured out whether I like it or not. She had the worst outfit of the night for me, and I’m too old and out of the social media loop to appreciate that start. That said, I like that Greece has gone for something a little more ethno-boppy this year, and much admiration to Marina for performing like she did while ill.
Switzerland Wow, this is something else. I thought Switzerland had sent their best with Gjon’s Tears a few years back, but here’s Nemo with vocal talent that’s at least as good. In addition to that they manage to do all that while moving around on that tilted platform, making it even more impressive. Lastly, the song is actually pretty damn catchy, so overall I think they absolutely deserved their win, even if I personally favoured Croatia.
Czechia This sounds very much like a nineties indie song, which is not at all a bad thing. Had this been in the first semi it might have qualified, but I think, like Malta, it suffered from being fairly early on in a strong semi.
France Slimane can sing, but this isn’t really my cup of tea. What I do like is that he's kept things simple, because I’m really not a fan of all the flashy staging and over-choreographed dance routines. This is definitely the kind of song where you should just let his voice do the work. I’m glad it ended high, because it’s a good song, even if it’s not for me.
Austria Look, I have absolutely no experience with raves, but this would definitely get me dancing. I don’t know why we now have the second silver bathing suit (does everyone get the same costume designer every year? There always seems to be a theme), but I like the song, even if she’s not the best singer of the night.
Denmark I’m not sure how to describe this? A club anthem-ballad? It’s not bad, but there’s nothing about this that wows me.
Armenia This, this is what wows me. I have a major soft spot for upbeat ethnic music anyway, but Jaklin’s stage presence is through the roof. Couple that with a kick-ass voice and the sheer enthusiastic exuberance she brings, and this might actually be my second favourite song this year. I ended up dividing my votes between this and Croatia.
Latvia With apologies to all you ballad lovers, this makes me fall asleep. Plus I don’t get the blue plastic breastplate either. This was my most shock qualifier of the night, because I find it dull as fuck.
Spain This looks and sounds like a bunch of people trying to relive their 80s youth, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. It’s not amazing, but I do enjoy listening to it.
San Marino My first thought on seeing and hearing this was ‘this is what Ireland might have been if Bambie had held back’. It makes it more listenable to me, but I still can’t really say that I like it. I’m also not a fan of the aggressively pink and black goth look, but I’m the first to admit that I have an unreasonable hatred of the colour pink. Not my thing, sorry.
Georgia Yet another country breaking their NQ streak, woo! Aside from that I’m afraid that this goes onto my ‘okay but no wow’ pile.
Belgium This is terribly underwhelming… Fifty microphones and I still can barely hear him. Plus, power ballad, so not for me.
Estonia For some reason the fact that half of this sounds terribly off-key adds to the charm (and I’ll admit that they sounded much better in the final). I like their silly little dance, and overall I was amused. Definitely not the best song of the night, but it stood out from the rest for all the right reasons.
Italy If I had to describe this in three words, I’d say ‘SloMo in Italian’. This is a good thing, I should say, because I really liked SloMo. Definitely like this one. Also, kudos for having dancers of different body-sizes.
Israel I’m not going to touch on the politics here, but to me this is nothing more than another dull ballad.
Norway I’m as baffled as many others here as to why this ended last in the final, other than that this is Eurovision, and weird things happen. I’m generally not much of a rock fan, but I think this one could grow on me. Don’t be discouraged, Norway, there are plenty of people who loved this!
Netherlands Words cannot express how fucking proud I am of my country for sending this to Eurovision. I have not loved a Dutch entry this much since 2014, and I’m absolutely heartbroken that it got disqualified. This is simply the most Eurovision song you could possibly imagine, and I hope that we get proper (dis)closure soon on what actually happened. I’m personally inclined to believe the statement from Avrotros, because as many others have pointed out, it’s their reputation on the line as well if they back their artist, and in that case a DQ was absolutely disproportionate. This is without a doubt my favourite song of 2024, and as a Dutchie living in the UK I’d have voted the fuck out of it.
That's it for this year, back to (mostly) lurking for me...

Hi! EVN Dev here trying to understand what makes a good visual novel!
So I am currently developing a VN with a focus on action. The best way to describe it, is a story that reads like an anime or a shounen. However, the fight scenes don't take up much of the plot. When they aren't taking place, the story is filled with Slice of Life, humor, and romance. It's actually light hearted, until something horrible happens and then it decides to be dark again lol.
Now I'm asking this to because I'm starting to wonder if "action focused" is a good way to describe my vn. Terms that come to mind include Nakige (heavy emotions), bishoujo (I like female antagonists), and dark fantasy.
The reason I bring this up, is because I can't seem to find VNs with similar genres to my game. Utawareronomo's story is a fantasy with similar themes, though I don't think it's as dark as my story per se. Stein's Gate was a really good nakige and a dark fantasy, albeit with a focus on mystery rather than action. I've heard Full Daemon Murasma is a good place to look, but it appears to be more focused on shock content above anything else (And it has themes that are triggers to me...)
If my post makes any sense to anyone, could I please get some insights on VNs I might be able to look into for reference. Ultimately, my game is an EVN, so while JVNs are good, I'd also love some EVNs if you know of any.
Best!

Title: The Bendwenter: A Comprehensive Summary of Sandra Sildernan's Novel
Introduction
Sandra Sildernan's 'The Bendwenter' is a captivating novel that delves into the lives of its characters, exploring themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. This article aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the novel, highlighting its key plot points, characters, and themes.
Plot Summary
The Bendwenter revolves around the lives of two main characters, Emma and Jack. Emma is a young woman who has recently moved to the small town of Bendwenter to escape her troubled past. Jack, on the other hand, is a local artist who has been struggling to find inspiration for his work.
Emma's arrival in Bendwenter coincides with a series of mysterious events that begin to unfold in the town. As she becomes more involved in the community, she starts to uncover the secrets and hidden histories of the town's residents. Meanwhile, Jack's artistic block begins to lift as he becomes increasingly drawn to Emma.
As their relationship deepens, Emma and Jack find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. They must navigate the complexities of their own pasts and the secrets of the town in order to find a way forward together.
Characters
Emma: A young woman who moves to Bendwenter to escape her troubled past. She is intelligent, resourceful, and determined to uncover the truth about the town's secrets.
Jack: A local artist who has been struggling to find inspiration for his work. He is initially drawn to Emma's mysterious nature and is captivated by her beauty and intelligence.
Themes
Love and Loss: The Bendwenter explores the complexities of love and the pain of loss. As Emma and Jack's relationship deepens, they must confront the ghosts of their pasts and the challenges that come with loving someone deeply.
Secrets and Deception: The novel delves into the hidden histories and secrets of the town's residents. Emma's quest to uncover the truth about Bendwenter reveals the darker side of human nature and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets.
Art and Inspiration: The Bendwenter also explores the role of art in society and the creative process. Jack's artistic block and his eventual inspiration from Emma highlight the importance of finding inspiration in unexpected places.
Conclusion
Sandra Sildernan's 'The Bendwenter' is a captivating novel that explores the complexities of human relationships and the power of love to overcome even the darkest of secrets. Through its engaging plot and well-developed characters, the novel offers readers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant reading experience.

Gustav Mahler, a titan of late Romanticism, navigated an era of profound cultural and musical transformation. His compositions, often regarded as symphonic epics, reflect the zeitgeist of fin-de-siècle Europe while pushing the boundaries of tonality and form. To understand Mahler's music fully, one must delve into both its historical context and the theoretical underpinnings that shape his innovative sonic landscapes.
Historical Context: Mahler's life and work intersect with pivotal moments in European history, particularly the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1860 in Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Mahler came of age amidst rapid industrialization, urbanization, and social upheaval. The rise of nationalism, the decline of aristocratic patronage, and the emergence of mass culture profoundly influenced his artistic sensibilities.
As a conductor, Mahler held prestigious positions in Vienna, Budapest, and New York, where he championed the works of Wagner, Beethoven, and Bruckner while facing opposition from conservative critics and audiences. His tenure at the Vienna Court Opera exposed him to the city's vibrant intellectual and artistic milieu, where he engaged with figures such as Freud, Schnitzler, and Klimt.
The fin-de-siècle atmosphere, characterized by existential angst, disillusionment, and a yearning for transcendence, finds expression in Mahler's symphonies, which reflect the tension between tradition and innovation, Romanticism and Modernism, individual expression and collective experience.
Theoretical Analysis: Mahler's compositional style defies easy categorization, drawing on diverse influences ranging from folk music to philosophy. Central to his oeuvre is the concept of the symphony as a Gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art, integrating disparate elements into a cohesive narrative.
Mahler's symphonies exhibit a kaleidoscopic array of themes, motifs, and textures, often juxtaposing moments of exuberance with introspective reflection. His use of progressive tonality, extended harmonies, and expansive structures challenges conventional notions of form and tonal stability, foreshadowing developments in 20th-century music.
One hallmark of Mahler's symphonic style is his use of "progressive tonality," a term coined by musicologist Deryck Cooke to describe the fluid modulation and harmonic ambiguity that characterize his works. Rather than adhering to traditional tonal hierarchies, Mahler's music unfolds in a continuous process of tension and resolution, mirroring the complexities of human experience.
Furthermore, Mahler's incorporation of folk elements, such as Ländler dances and military marches, reflects his interest in the vernacular music of his native Bohemia and the broader Austro-Hungarian Empire. These folkloric elements serve both as nostalgic evocations of a vanishing past and as symbols of collective identity in an age of cultural fragmentation.
Conclusion: In Mahler's music, historical context and theoretical innovation converge to create a singular artistic vision that transcends the boundaries of time and place. His symphonies, imbued with the spirit of their age yet timeless in their emotional resonance, continue to captivate audiences and scholars alike, inviting us to embark on a musical odyssey through the depths of the human soul.