A Storming Thought

            Black Sails opens in the first episode with a declaration of war from the pirates of Nassau against the world. This is partly true as the characters constantly struggle against the forces of England and the civilized world but in actuality, the war against the world is a war of perception. Most of the main characters of the show are concerned about their perception. They worry about how their friends, comrades, and the world will view them. A number of them focus on what history will say about them when they are long gone. Image is power even if that image is nowhere near the truth. This is something that characters like Flint, Sliver, Eleanor, Max, and Jack know to be fact. Even England understands that its true power lies in the false image that it has created. Every character relates to the idea of an image differently but it is always at the core of who they are. England It’s important to understand the image of England and how it was created. This perception of Engl

     Bloodborne stands out from the rest of FromSoftware’s previous games for a multitude of reasons. It has much faster and aggressive gameplay. There is a new healing system and the opportunity to quickly regain health after taking damage. Its consistent gothic architecture creates a Lovecraftian tone that differentiates it from the Souls series’ medieval and varied architecture. I think Bloodborne shows just how different it is in regard to its story. Dark Souls is primarily interested in trying to understand humanity and how it can be preserved. Bloodborne is focused on what comes after. What is the next step beyond humanity and how do we get there? How do we as humans ascend to something greater? Bloodborne purposes two options and then spends the entire game exploring each path. There is the advancement of the physical body through blood and there is the advancement of the mind through insight. Blood The proper story of Bloodborne starts with one special discovery. The knowledge

     The novel “American Psycho”, published in 1991, was a harsh criticism of American capitalism and consumer indulgence prevalent in the late 1970s and 1980s. Its 2000 film adaptation served the same purpose but in a more satirical light. This newer critique goes beyond pointing out the vain, insecurities, and fears of the one percent common within yuppie horror. It acts as a close examination of how the overconsumption of media and the false allure of the American dream can warp a person’s perception of reality and morality. The media that we consume informs our identity and shows us what is acceptable in society. This combined with the demanding restraints of hegemonic masculinity create a hollow version of what the ideal man is supposed to be. This ideal version of success has really only been attainable for a very select group of people in America, people like Patrick Bateman. Bateman is the perfect protagonist for this type of film. As a born wealthy, straight, white, able-bodie

         I think that it’s safe to say that the success and cultural position that the series, Naruto, has earned is undisputed. As the third highest-selling manga ever and with an incredibly popular anime, Naruto is well cemented within popular culture even outside of anime fandoms. References can be found all over the place. Despite the clear popularity and cultural importance, Naruto is often thought of as a long-winded series that abandoned its original themes and devolved into magic eyes, nonsensical power-ups, and overly sentimental speeches about friendship.            My goal in this essay is not to convince you that Naruto is the greatest anime or manga. Or that it’s a perfect story without flaws. My goal is to convince you that the series stuck to and fulfilled the themes that it laid out at the very beginning of its fifteen-year run. Naruto isn’t about an underdog kid using pure work ethic and dedication to overcome his disadvantages. It's not about using your natural