deerstalker
https://www.blackenterprise.com/ultimate-black-owned-gift-guide-mothers-day/
This year, BLACK ENTERPRISE is celebrating mothers and supporting Black-owned brands. Mother’s Day is right around the corner, leaving little time to spare to land a gift she will actually like.
No matter what your Black mom enjoys, from candles to cocktails or nothing of the sort, BE knows businesses you can choose from to get mom the perfect gift. Black-owned jewelers and tea purveyors provide selections that will make Mom proud, including home goods and celebrity apparel that may align with her style. Perhaps you could become the favorite child, at least for the day.
For those still stuck on what to get mom, BE has you covered. Here are seven Black-owned beauty, designers, and spirits brands to purchase for the ultimate Mother’s Day gift.
Bolé Road Textiles
Bolé Road incorporates its owner’s Ethiopian heritage with high-quality fabrics that turn home essentials into heirlooms. From pillow sets to throw blankets, mom can decorate her home knowing these pieces hold a cultural resonance for the Black diaspora. Its website also boasts a gift section that displays colorful pieces to brighten mom’s special day.
54 Thrones
Buttery smooth skin? Who wouldn’t want that!? 54 Thrones has entered the big leagues with Sephora for its rich ingredients derived from Africa. Its nourishing formulas are a blend of 54 countries, inspiring its name. One could also easily gift Oprah’s Favorite Thing, the African Beauty Butter Collection Deluxe Tin, fitting for a Black queen.
House Of Aama
If your mother loves fashion, look no further than House of Aama. The brand is currently on the rise, worn by Black celebrities like Chloe Bailey on magazine covers. The luxury clothing line offers colorful silhouettes and innovative designs that moms can save for a special occasion or a fun night out. Its collaborations also extend to Target and Free People, making it a growing and accessible force in the industry.
Jayida Ché Tea
Jayida Ché, Arabic for “good tea,” is a Black Muslim-woman-owned tea shop based in Atlanta. Its owners specialize in tea blends that promote wellness from within. Its tea subscriptions and bundle sets can also help a mother host the most fabulous tea parties as well. Sipping good tea is Jayide Che’s mantra, and mom is sure to find a flavor that suits her fancy.
Sorel Liquor
Speaking of sips, Sorel is the perfect purchase if your mother is inclined toward cocktail-making. This artisanal liquor blends Moroccan hibiscus, Nigerian ginger, and other flavors from around the world to craft this special bottle. It seeks to reclaim the resources exploited in the spice trade to put an intoxicating spin on the classic Caribbean beverage.
Harlem Candle Co.
Calling all candle-lovers! For expertly crafted candles with innovative scents inspired by the city of its namesake, Harlem Candle Company is here. From a 22K Gold James Baldwin Luxury Candle to its Harlem Heroines bundles, these candles carry a piece of Black history within their wicks. Its Mother’s Day collection also pays tribute to Black motherhood, including its gift box made for moms.
Kua Designs
A Black-owned lifestyle brand that has it all and is socially responsible? Say less. Kua Designs offers a wide range of handmade jewelry, along with handbags and apparel made to embody the African diaspora. Not only will a gift from this Ghanaian brand make mom’s heart sing, but it will also contribute to its Kua Cares initiative, benefitting visually impaired women.
RELATED CONTENT: A Few Ways To Have A Magical Mother’s Day
My favorite digital manga subscription service Azuki, home of my beloved My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files is partnering with manga distributor Digital Entertainment to add seven manga series to its library. The seven titles — including The Boy Who Used to Be God, Thank You, My Mistakes., and Poisoner Home — are now available worldwide on the Azuki website and iOS and Android apps. Here’s a few of the new series with synopses from Digital Entertainment:
The Boy Who Used to Be God by Sen, distributed by Digital Entertainment: There is a country about to undergo a drastic change after a revolution destroys its sacred regime. Those who celebrate the new freedom, those who try to face the crimes committed by the former regime, and those who denounce the crimes… people in different positions are trying their best to survive. This is a story of a boy who was forced to be god seeking a childhood as an ordinary boy.
This looks like it will appeal to fans of: Historical fantasy, revolution and action, and perhaps complex world building
Thank You, My Mistakes. by Haruto Chino, distributed by Digital Entertainment: He’s a dad. Why would he do that? Daycare worker Yukari was too busy with the children for love. In fact, she didn’t have any opportunities to meet people in the first place… But, just when she was thinking that, she found herself having drinks with her friend Manami’s boss, Koji. The man Manami said was “good-looking, but strange,” was a gentleman and escorted Yukari back home. However, having had a few too many drinks, the two of them fell on to the bed, and… wound up kissing. The following morning, Koji was gone. Yukari was in agony recalling the previous night!! With those memories in tow, she did her work, but the “handsome dad” there to pick up one of the children was… the same man she had just shared her bed with!?
This looks like it will appeal to fans of: Romance and spice, workplace drama, and mature romance that the Josei fans might appreciate!
Poisoner Home by iwo, distributed by Digital Entertainment: Tateyuki Chono is devastated when his apartment and extensive collection of insect specimens burns to the ground one evening. But his luck turns around when a chance leads him to meet famed entomologist Izumo Kusanagi. Chono is floored by the kind hospitality of Kusanagi and his beautiful daughter Toko. However, the warm atmosphere of the estate belies a sinister secret. What is the true nature of Dr. Kusanagi’s research? And is Chono already trapped in a deadly web of terror?
This looks like it will appeal to fans of: Insects and the study of them, psychological narratives, and the horror genre
Mr. (Former) Yakuza is in Over His Head with Me, and I Can’t Escape Him. by Itsuka Hazuki, distributed by Digital Entertainment: The flirt who hits on her even during work is… a former yakuza!? Azusa is a doctor working as an occupational physician who takes her job seriously. Itsuki Sakuma is a handsome but suspicious guy who constantly annoys her during his evaluations! He’s frivolous, aggressive, and mysterious… But then, he was the only one who noticed Azusa being terrified of her ex-fiancé, who now stalks her. He said, “I’ll protect you. I don’t want you to be alone.” He suddenly started looking so serious! She tries to discipline herself by telling herself to not get spoiled, but as he shows his gentlemanlike personality, she can’t help relying on him…. And that’s when she saw the vivid traditional tattoos on him, and…!? He’s a (former) yakuza who never let his prey escape from him, and now he goes all out for the love of his life. Let the show begin☆
This looks like it will appeal to fans of: Rom-com vibes for sure, a gentle male lead as I’ve been told, and mature romance that the Josei fans might appreciate!
I’m a (Fake) Saint Who Was Summoned to Another World, But Apparently I’m Fated to Die If I Don’t Marry the Prince by Lala, distributed by Digital Entertainment: “I’ll return you to your world if you marry the prince.” That was the shocking proposal of the self-proclaimed god! I won’t really get a bad ending if I refuse, will I!? Office worker Sara was involved in a traffic accident, or so she thought. One moment, she was about to be hit by a truck, but the next… she found herself transported to an unfamiliar, grand castle, falling right on top of Prince Ars! When a soldier recognized her as “Sara,” the saint who saved the kingdom five years earlier, everyone suddenly started treating her as some divine being!! After questioning her reality, a voice came to her and said, “Capture the heart of the prince, who longs for the saint, and marry him!” The voice then threatened her, denying her return to her own world should she fail… Her only weapon in this challenge is her face that apparently looks just like that of the saint’s! And so began her zealous attempt to steal the prince’s heart!
This looks like it will appeal to fans of: Truck-kun’s shenanigans, light novels with long names, fantasy worlds, and plucky, determined young women trying to survive
Azuki is available on the web at www.azuki.co and in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The app features 300 manga series, including international hits like Attack on Titan, Fire Force, and A Silent Voice. Azuki also publishes acclaimed new series like Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms, Natsume & Natsume, and My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files, with weekly new chapters available exclusively via the Azuki app.
Start reading for free today with advertisements, or upgrade to Premium and access the full Premium catalog featuring thousands of chapters for just $4.99 a month. A 14-day free trial and discounted annual plan are also available, and additional volumes outside the subscription can be purchased via direct volume sales (Premium members get 20% off all volumes). Most titles are available worldwide (except Japan). Stay up to date on the latest announcements by following Azuki at x.com/ReadAzuki, facebook.com/ReadAzuki, and instagram.com/readazuki.
Love reading manga? See more on our site!
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram!
The post Azuki Adds New Manga Series for April appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Spoilers be waiting for Crimson Sky, but that shit happened fifty-leven days ago
Maaaan, listen. Before you ask, nah, ain’t no other recaps from this season so don’t even look. You didn’t miss a damn thing so don’t even bother Google with that. This show, this fuckin’ Shogun show y’all…listen. I put my jersey in the rafters for the recap game. I was Tim Duncan, enjoying my retirement and rarely seen and when you did see my, I had them jeans and flannel on with no edge up in sight. Your boy was trying not to be seen, OK! But this damn show. The power of Edo compelled me. So yeah, I had to lace them up one more time.
And while I am resisting the urge to recap this whole ass amazing ass season, I will start here.
Mariko. Mariko-sama. Is. The. Fucking. GOAT. Please, please, I beg of you, name me a more BOUT THIS ACTION, unshakeable willed character than The Translator. The T-M Hundred Terminator model.
Never been more upset to assume a character is dead, celebrate her escape and then realize nah, she bout to be dead as fuck. All in about 30 minutes, mind you. But T-M Hunned looms large in this episode, sorry, this masterpiece. So, let’s jump into this.
Laid to Rest
First off, as soon as I saw an old man on his death bed, I was like, this gotta be Blackthorne. About to die of old age in your comfortable bed, in this economy, gotta be a white dude. And it was. His boys looking at his Japanese artifacts and perpetuating some myth of him fighting off “hundreds of savages.” But hol up, wait a minute! I’m of the belief this shit ain’t real. Mostly because of the crucifix his blind ass clutches before we snap back to reality. But we gonna circle back on that.
Back in the Edo period, Yabushige in trying to wake Anjin. If it looks like your boy was hit by a bomb, he basically almost was. Except Mariko held that shit for him. For everybody fucking body. Old Man Blackthorne might have been some sort of dream sequence, but you know what was real? Mariko catching that powder last episode. No dying breaths. No last look goodbye, no gasp. Nothing. Just Mariko-sama already dead in John’s arms. After the Anjin let’s out the primal yell we all did last week, never stopped until confirming she was dead THIS week, John says a small prayer for her. And…he is NOT OK. Not to be lost in this, as ayebody is sobbing over T-M Hunned’s death, YabuJudas says (what he thought was to himself) “Forgive me…” which I’m sure, won’t come back to put a foot squarely in his ass.
Toranaga in the woods, literally stoking the flames, being watched over by his messenger bird with the same haircut. LITERALLY, NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS SCENE EXCEPT TORANAGA POKING A FIRE AND RANDOM NATURE SOUNDS, but you know something important is happening. The scene lasts 30 seconds and if you told me the fate of the world was decided in this moment, I would believe you. Cuz I’ve seen it happen before!
Back in Osaka, the council is meeting and y’all, this council been so fucking spineless and fickle to this point already. You can literally see the marionette strings on their neck for 9 episodes already. But now they bout to be intolerable! I mean good, fuck them. We ride for Lord T all day every day. But these dudes are all terrible people and terrible at their jobs. They all broken up about T-M Hunned’s death, saying it never should have happened. True. But where was y’all when she was literally fighting 8 muthafuckas in the yard with nothing but a spear and a kimono? It’s not like she was gonna break out a noble phantasm. The fuck did y’all expect then?!
Of course Lord T is “shocked and appalled to find that the woman he sent to offer her life up as an ultimatum to break the house arrest of his people and the other families somehow didn’t survive there is gambling in this establishment.” So, he done sent a raven saying yeah, you killed my vassal so I dipped out of Edo and sharpening my swords. It’s been emotional. Be easy.
This is complicated by the fact that the council knows that the council made this shit happen. As in Ishido. They still punks though. Ishido says that Lord T’s protest don’t mean shit, because they are united. Which is like saying, man, I hope it doesn’t rain today and the clouds been darker than sources for discrimination all fucking day. They couldn’t unite a pizza or a damn jigsaw puzzle right now. When MORE commentary happens about how its wild such a despicable act could come from the council. Ishido or “No I in team, but there is a Me” gonna try and blame Toranaga for the attack. Even Lady Ochiba is like, “this muthafucka…” The gall. The nerve.
Ishido is ready for war now, but the council is like, nah, she was good Christian folk, she needs a burial. Ishido tries to bypass this and play the Akechi card but Lady Ochiba is like nah b, y’all gonna give my homie her flowers.
To be clear, this was not a suggestion. This was not a request. Or a meek, sly offering. She told Ishido what the fuck was about to happen. I quote:
Lady Mariko will…generously be honored.
Translate that in whatever language you wish but the end result was, don’t shit get done till my girl is laid to rest.
Fin.
Ishido couldn’t do nothing but shut his ass up. The council is like we will have the heir’s support and army right. And Ishido, confident as all hell, like hell yeah we got that honor shit my dude. Let’s ride…after the funeral of course. And right when Ishido is writing the war report, an earthquake hits.
Y’all there are omens. And then there are just direct messages from the heavenly father telling you to slow your ass down. Perhaps, these dudes need to listen up more.
War Time Prep
Ishido comes to visit YabuJudas and listen. Y’all ain’t gonna make me feel bad for this snake. Y’all ain’t gonna make me be like, well, he had no choice, and the consequences of his actions are having a profound effect on him. Fuck all that.
HOWEVER…
This muthafucka is broken. Like picked up a pre-ordered cart of groceries and all the eggs look like they’ve seen war, broken. T-M Hunned’s death fucked him up, y’all. Ishido trying to sell this dude on him being on the council once Toranaga is dead. But YabuJudas, you know what he care about right now? Fish. Specifically, catfish in the pond. That ain’t. Fucking. There. Whew Lawd. Ishido gotta better chance of whipping out a cell phone and making an automated appointment with his therapist’s office for council than he does of YabuJudas being worth a damn for him moving forward. When Ishido said, “there are no catfish in that pond,” I heard that shit in the key of “there was no dope on that boat.” Ishido tells him to get his army ready, but y’all, he knows that shit is an absolute wrap.
Cut to Toranaga in the most majestic shot in the series…like what the actual hell man.
Anyways, he releases his falcon to the sky, saying, “Bear many Daughters.” I don’t have anything else to add except that:
- It’s just a beautiful ass scene and,
- Toranaga been on screen for a total of maybe 90 seconds, said two lines, and you already feel like he is controlling everything we see.
He Been IN IT
Old Man Blackthorne dreaming again about the path not taking and his sorta-sons asking about the savages. But all your Anjin can see is Mariko-sama. Naw, dead that savages shit. My man found LOVE. He wakes up from his micro-coma or whatever and is told he been out long enough to miss T-M Hunned’s funeral service. A couple of days ago! Damn, they must have thought your boy would never wake up. He’s been hit few times, so he walks with a limp. Now, he’s traveling with Father Martin on Toranga’s behalf and Taking the Blackthorne is expecting this staged death in the woods at any minute.
I want to move on from this scene, because the coming scenes are fucking cinema, but this part is so damn good to me. We saw this first when Father Martin misinterpreted his Japanese a few episodes back, but the good Father is so sure that the Heir’s army will help defeat Toranaga and Taking the Blackthorne is like, bruh, you don’t know shit. It’s just a dope ass way of showing how Blackthorne was the savage in a new land, not knowing shit about what was happening, the people, the customs, and Father Martin was trying to tell him how shit goes down. But now Blackthorne is clearly the more knowledgeable of the landscape than Father Martin, mostly because Father Martin is at arm’s length of the province and the culture, while Blackthorne has been IN IT. Just a dope progression. Aiight, we back to it.
Blackthorne realizing that Mariko made all this shit happen and that Toranaga didn’t even have to raise a sword or get within a stone’s throw of Osaka. Taken the Blackthorne thinks he’s about to die right here, but surprise, Mariko done went and prepared a place for your boy. Not in heaven, but literally on a boat and back to Toranaga. Blackthorne learns this and my dude just melts. He on the boat making the ride choppy cuz his tears flooding the lake. Shit was rough.
Lady Ochiba chillin with her son, finishing her latest chapbook. She recites Mariko’s last line of poetry back to her and asks her son’s opinion for the next line. Now listen, the heir is young, and sheltered and naïve. None of those things are his fault. But that stanza was trash. I’m just gonna be up front about that. Get this dude in a workshop ASAP. I got some texts he can get started on cuz supposed to be ruling over all this shit. You can at least get this word game tight. Not like he got shit else to work on right now. Thankfully, Lady Ochiba comes through with one of the many, many great lines in this finale.
Flowers are only flowers because the fall.
But thankfully, the wind.
Look, I ain’t going overboard here, I ain’t about to go full MFA on you or anything. But line economy, diction, staying within the metaphor. Trust me, the shit slaps. And also, a clear indication that some shit has changed.
Check Your Scorecard
Bruh, this boat ride. I’m still fuck YabuJudas all day, but that don’t mean I want to watch a slow death. This shit is rough as hell. First, he asks for Blackthorne to take him back to England. Like, my dude, what in the entire fuck is YabuJudas gonna do in 17th century England?! You thought shit was rough in the Sengoku lands, at least the folks wash here man! Then he tries to emulate Toranaga and wants the Anjin to teach him how to dive. This was Five Heartbeats, I still got it levels of sad. Blackthorne legit did the Homer Simpson in the bushes meme and tried to back all the way out of this dude’s field of vision.
But then, they see the ship. Or what used to be the ship. Burnt to a fuckin crips, sitting at the bottom of the channel. If you are scoring at home, here’s how Taking the Blackthorne’s current events are going:
Goes to Osaka with Mariko, assuming he’s gonna die there like everyone else.
Watches Mariko almost get herself killed via combat.
Almost has to kill Mariko himself as he seconds her Seppuku
Makes love to Mariko
Evades assassins
Watches Mariko get blown the fuck up
Wakes up *sometime later* and misses Mariko’s funeral
Assumes he’s going to be killed in the woods
Learns that Mariko saved his life before hers ended
And then…sees his only thing left, his ship, destroyed and useless
White dudes ain’t been down bad like this since they integrated baseball. But like, we have so much more emotional damage to go. They get to shore and yo, YabuJudas is happy to be home!
…until they hem his ass up IMMEDIATELY. His nephew said I was told to get your swords. Takemaru tells Yabu the order comes from Toranaga himself, and Yabu don’t even flinch. HE KNOWS IT’S THE END. He don’t fight. He don’t protest or try to talk any shit, just accepts it.
Muraji pulls Blackthorne aside and tells him that Christians slipped through and destroyed the boat. Blackthorne takes this as Mariko’s doing, as a deal for his life. Bruh listen, the way we just kind of never know exactly what the plans are until well after the fact…
Betrayal Brings The End
By the way, it’s a gruesome sight in town. Literal heads on literal stakes. Full village lockdown is in effect. Fucking around is not who Toranaga is.
YabuJudas is brought before Toranaga and yo…he doesn’t even hesitate. He’s basically like, so here’s the sitch, you betrayed me, let in assassins and after they killed Mariko, we got you 4K admitting this shit. So…is there anything else to talk about.
Can I make a note that, I would love to go back to the personal handwritten notes, perfectly folded rectangular letter as a form of communication. Like, for real, let us get off of Meg’s internet and just hand each other letters from now until forever. I mean, I kinda want that. Cuz the reality is, every time someone reaches in their clothes and pulls one of them muthafuckas out, it either confirms something bad has already happened or that something bad is about to happen. Shit was an omen. So yeah, I like the aesthetic but I might need to workshop mechanics of the letter revolution first.
YabuJudas admits the betrayal, and Toranaga is like bet. Your lands are forfeit, kill yourself by tomorrow night. Ok, cool, I think we’re done here. Damn, finished early, we can still get lunch.
After Yabushida (look, the dude is condemned to die, I figure I can address him properly now) gets several requests denied, Toranaga asks who he wants to second him, and Yabushida says the Anjin. Toranaga is like, nah.
And I literally laughed out loud at this part because I feel like Yabushida could have named fifty-leven people and he would have said no to all them until Yabushida chose Toranaga himself. I think Yabushida knew that shit too. Like damn, this dude really just wants to cut my head off. Should have humored him and seen how long Toranaga kept that shit up. We could’ve been there till it got dark.
No Translator
Man, what a kind of great send off for Fuji. She deserved a non-terrible ending to her story. But some of these scenes? Lawd. She sits next to Blackthorne, and he looks over to the empty spot and simply says, “No Translator.” Fuck man. Like, can we go one seen without putting our heart back in our chest and then, with gentle hands, removing that shit again.
Toranaga is holding his new son, and Ma Dukes said she is sorry for Lord Nagakado’s death. Toranaga is like, yeah, sad shit, but at least I got other sons. Y’all, he really said that Nagakado doing the reverse slip and slide and busting his head open on the healing rocks was a canon event. Shit is fucking cold out here. But the scene ends with of course, another letter, smuggled in secret from Lady Ochiba. First off, why this letter so long. Toranaga was unfolding this thing for half an hour.
Second, that is the face of a man who won every prop bet, every parlay, bet the Golden State Warriors wouldn’t make the playoffs, bet the Black talk shows would take Candace Owens back with no interrogation, everything. If I text this to you, that means I have already won, and you don’t even know what game we were playing.
And just to perfectly encapsulate this scene, my dude just spits some Mariko’s poetry off the top.
“Only her words remain with us now. But what a bonfire she made.”
But he’s holding back tears as he says this. Ugh, this fucking show.
Fuji has her families remains ready for transport and tells Blackthorne that she is leaving to become a nun. At first the Anjin is like, um, your boy is lonely. And it ain’t even like THAT, but your boy can’t really be alone right now. And Fuji is like, nah, I get it, but I don’t work for you no more? I hope that’s cool. And it is. Their relationship arc is pretty awesome, let’s just say that. After that reconciliation, she says she’s sad for the village because Toranaga is just killing folks after the ship got burnt. So Blackthorne requests a meet.
The Best Scene
Taking the Blackthorne meets Takemura on the edge of town and takes his weapons. Much more cordial than the beginning of this series. And look, I know everyone loves the Yabushida last scene. I do too. And everyone loves the scene on the boat with Fuji and Blackthorne. I do too! But this shit? This gotdamn scene. Possibly one of my favorite scenes in recent TV. Point. Blank. Period.
Toranaga first tells him that he will not rest until he finds out who sabotaged Blackthorne’s ship. Now, we should have known that nothing we expected to happen was going to happen this scene, when Muraji drops his cover and tells Anjin who he is. Not just that he was a spy for Toranaga. But that he is actually a samurai but converted to Christianity with the Portuguese. Years ago. And…your boy out here speaking the King’s English. Blackthorne is like, what the entire fuck is happening right now.
BUT the counter punch is that Blackthorne doesn’t even need the interpreter like that, because he prepared his own statement in Japanese. He apologizes for the disrespect he showed at the summit. He admits that he had given up and no longer had…he falters. Which leads to this gorgeous exchange:
Muraji: Hope? Hope. Or is the word you are looking for “faith”?
Blackthorne: At this point either one will do.
Ok, I will be brief. Writing is a talent. Writing is a skill. So it is unrealistic to expect every TV show to be beautifully written all the time. But something I want the streaming service hustlers to take note of is, uncertainty is a powerful tool. It does not serve your characters to always be so certain in what they say and do. Sometimes they don’t have the words, sometimes, they make bad decisions because they weren’t ready to make any decisions at all. I think a lot of writers think strongly defined characters is synonymous with strongly convicted and certain characters; and this scene is kind of a perfect example against that idea. ANYWAYS.
Blackthorne asks Toranaga to stop the terror against Ajiro, explaining that his enemies didn’t burn his ship, but that Mariko exchanged the ship for his life.
Toranaga: What about the Anjin’s war?
Blackthorne: [English] I don’t…need it anymore. [Japanese] My war, small war.
Do I need to say anything? Nah, I don’t need to say anything on that.
Toranaga is like, ok, cool, requests denied. Basically, even if that was Mariko’s order, someone still disobeyed his law, making them disloyal and that shit can’t stand. And now, we have the moment, I feel pretty comfortably saying might make Cosmo Jarvis the front runner for a Golden Globe. With tears in his eyes the entire time. He states that he, Blackthorne is actually the disloyal one and is offering his life for the village. When Toranaga says no, Blackthorne loses his shit. He admits that he was the enemy all along because of his intents when he got there. Your boy strengthens his resolve, quotes Mariko one more time and begins to commit Seppuku in protest. Until Toranaga stops him. And when I say stops him. He literally prevents John from driving the short sword into his heart and then gives him a forearm shiver to the face.
I had no idea what Toranaga was going to say after this. He could have spelled out the secret of life, and it wouldn’t have surprised me. But I did not have “if your dramatic ass is done showing out for TikTok now, get off your ass, repair that boat and make me a fleet.”
Wait, WHUT?
You know that line in Ocean’s Eleven when he Reuben says, “He’ll kill you. And then he’ll go to work on you.”
That’s what shit felt like. Like, why would I let you die when I have shit you could be doing for me. Blackthorne looking as confused as us. But you know what…them heads came off them spikes. So…win-win?
Great last moment between Takemura and his uncle Yabushida. He gives him his death poem. And listen, in the multiverse Yabushida may be a trustworthy dude, he may be Shogun, maybe he escaped to England. But within infinite possibilities, there’s a zero percent chance he was a good poet. Also, he gives over his will v.187.
So. Much. Shit happens in this conversation. It’s basically the best version of a villain dropping telling the hero his evil plan, except nothing like that at all, lmao. Toranaga basically ties up almost every loose thread over some casual ass conversation. First takeaway: yeah, he burned the Anjin’s ship, and he’d gladly do that shit again. That dude ain’t never leaving (and historically, never did).
Yobushida asks him how it feels to control the wind, and Toranaga responds, I’m not a player I just crush a lot.
Yabushida still can’t see how Toranaga can win with the Heir’s army backing Ishido and the other families united. How is Crimson Sky supposed to work? And Toranaga is like, my dude? Seriously? You really asking me that shit. Crimson Sky BEEN done, homie. Shoutout to Black Dynamite because they threw that shit before he walked in the room!
Then, Toranaga turns into a precog and starts telling Yabushida the future. But let’s be real, Toranaga was always a precog. Lady Oshiba sent a raven saying she off that Ishido pack. The regents gonna turn against him. And Toranaga gonna start his empire building in Edo, the center of his power. You know what’s coming right. SAMURAI SAID TORANGA COULDN’T COME BACK HOME. YOU KNOW WHEN HE HEARD THAT? WHEN. HE. WAS. BACK. HOME. This shit is done y’all. Check and mate before they finished setting the board up. And then this shit.
“All of us have made this possible. You, me, Lady Mariko…Even the barbarian who came out of the sea.
*Draws sword*
How many times I’ve thought of giving his life away but stopped. Not because he’s important – my banner would survive without him – but because he makes me laugh. And my enemies need a distraction.”
Fucking perfection. No jokes. No adlibs. When something is perfect, you LET IT BE.
To Be Shogun
Yabushida realizes that Toranaga wanted to be Shogun from the jump and every single move he made was for this eventuality. Got. Damn. Of course, when he asks for confirmation, Toranaga hit him with that call back line, “why tell a dead man the future?”
What follows: a self-inflicted wound to the stomach, a head turn, a dying man’s smile, a slight grin from the executioner and then one, clean, cut. A far cry from when he was a boy and unsure of himself, taking him several hacks to cut off his defeated enemies’ head.
CINEMA!!!
Don’t mean to short these last scenes, but are you not exhausted? Cuz I am. This effin show man.
Blackthorne takes Fuji out to the water one last time. He has put her families remains in the boat, and they row out together. He believes that a soul committed to the deep lives on forever. The spread her family’s ashes into the water before he does the same with Mariko’s cross, the beautiful line returning again, “let your hands be the last to hold her.”
And now, we arrive at the end, with Blackthorne trying to coordinate the village to raise the boat. Man, they ain’t pullin shit. Anjin tells them to rest, but then the strongest warrior in the land rolls up to help. I didn’t really need or want Buntaro to get some glorious ending but his life over the last few weeks been worse than Blackthorne man. So him laying down his sword to help pull Blackthorne’s ship out of the water was great. Better than great. But not as great as when the boat finally comes out of the water and the villagers all laughing and joyous elation, still pulling, still grunting, all working together. I dunno man. What other show does this?! Blackthorne offers Buntaro his water and is captivated by seeing Toranaga overlooking everything. As he always has. And maybe Blackthorne figured some shit out just now. Maybe he just admires the man.
…or maybe, Blackthorne is like me, likely you, that is looking at this towering achievement and saying, gotdamn. I’m standing in the shadow of greatness. Cuz that’s how it felt watching this show every week. Just a masterpiece. And if you disregard the 4K+ words I’ve already written, no notes.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram!
The post ‘Shogun’ Finale Recap: “A Dream of a Dream” appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
X-Men ’97’s episode “Remember It” gave audiences the first ever depiction of the Genoshan genocide, the most recognized tragedy within the X-Men’s lore. Until now, we’ve only ever seen this genocide depicted and mentioned within the Marvel comics. Rogue being one of the survivors gives us an up-close point of view of the before and after of Genosha. Here, we get to see the reality of being a mutant in the Marvel Universe firsthand. Genosha’s genocide marks the biggest killing of mutants in the history of Marvel Universe. Though this is the biggest attack on mutants, it’s not the only one.
Mutants have been getting massacred and dealing with numerous war crimes being committed against them throughout the years. Especially in the comic books, mutants don’t ever get peace or a reprieve. Every time mutants try to create a space for themselves away from humans (Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, The Morlock Tunnels, Asteroid M, Genosha, Utopia, Jean Grey’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Krakoa, Arakko) regardless of where they are or how peaceful they are, eventually the status quo always gets set back to “another month, another mutant massacre.”
Charles Xavier’s dream of mutants and humans coexisting peacefully feels hard to believe in when this is the result of mutants existing in their own space (or just existing in general), which brings me back to this iteration of Rogue in X-Men ’97. While the X-Men are grieving the death of their golden-hearted draft pick Gambit, Rogue is healing in her own way… by getting the people responsible for this shit: the creator of the sentinels, Boliver Trask, and the man that funded the sentinel program, Henry Gyrich. Instead of attending the funeral for the man that she loved, Rogue is on a main story mission to get her lick back – not a side quest in sight. Ya Southern Belle is locked-in as she busts into a government bunker with her Marvel vs. Capcom 2 move set to find the man that she needs to put on a t-shirt.
Bulls Rogue On Parade
First and foremost, I wanna make it clear that Rogue’s actions during this entire episode were entirely justified. The only thing she did wrong was not hit someone with her newly invented upside-down piledriver. A beautiful thing about X-Men ’97 is how it can call back to different points in time within the X-men comic books. Even though we’re talking about Genosha in the show, there are certain moments that felt like they were homages to the recent Krakoa era of X-Men comics. Krakoa was the second attempt of an island paradise for mutants, but this time they’d give the world miracle drugs that cured diseases and extended human life. All the mutants asked for in return was the recognition of Krakoa as their own sovereign nation. Long story short, humans showed their entire ass and proceeded to mess with them mutants once again by creating a whole S.H.I.E.L.D.-like organization called Orchis to slander and hinder mutants in any way possible.
When Orchis started legally detaining, exiling, and even killing mutants, this is one of the first times we get to see the X-Men matching their enemy’s energy. If your oppressor knows all they need to do is use violence against you because you’re going to turn the other cheek, then they’re going to use that method to their advantage. The X-Men even saved a member of Orchis (which was dumb as hell to me) following that belief that they must be better than their enemies. I never understood this belief when it pertains to people trying to kill you because they believe you to be “less than” – all you’re doing is giving your oppressors and enemies another chance to kill you. In the comics, Kitty Pryde shows us who the X-Men are when they stop turning the other cheek. Rogue does the exact same thing and when told, “I thought you were one of the good guys” she paraphrases the exact same line Kitty says to her ops.
Honestly, I didn’t expect X-Men ’97 to have this type of energy. They could have gone for an easy cash grab but they said, “nah, we breaking new ground with social commentary, homages and character development.” I wasn’t expecting to see Rogue out here getting it in the mud for the entirety of this episode, however, I am so glad that this is the approach that was taken. Not only is she given her own agency but we see how Rogue’s reaction to the mass killing of her people is put under a microscope by others. We hear about mutants protesting in the streets and riots ensuing. It then gets commented on that sure, they got a right to be angry but “that’s not the way to go about it”. We’ve been seeing mutants and X-Men having to be policed on their reactions to events. How you tone police someone in regards to 33-to-1,000 foot tall robots trying to kill them is wild work to me.
That Five-Sided Fistagon
I find it ironic that when an oppressed group gets attacked, their reaction is the one that gets scrutinized – not the actions of the oppressor. The first thing Captain America tells Rogue is that, “the attack on Genosha wasn’t just an attack on mutants. It shames us all but rampaging across the country dishonors those that died.” That ain’t how you ally, fam. This genocide should shame humans because it was done in their name and it was strictly against one specific group: mutants. Telling this woman, who lost her people and the men that she loved, that her actions disgrace those that died is a wild statement. The problem here is that Captain America is talking to Rogue like she is a fellow superhero. She isn’t. In my eyes? The X-Men are freedom fighters. Not superheroes.
Superheroes go on adventures, go on patrol and stop petty crimes. The X-Men go on missions to stop war crimes. They keep humans from attacking mutants and mutants from attacking humans. They are liaisons and ambassadors to human and mutant relations at best. At the heart of it all, the X-Men are freedom fighters/revolutionaries fighting for equal rights of their people. Captain America is a superhero, who believes in the American court system. Let’s not forget, the X-Men handed Boliver Trask over to the authorities for their court system. Now, all of a sudden, no one knows where he is after this genocide goes off and he’s being moved around. Nah, they tried things the “right” way – now it’s time for a much more direct approach.
For years in comics, Captain America and the Avengers haven’t been seen or heard when it comes to these numerous mutant tragedies. They’ve come to the X-men’s front door sometimes to ask them to get involved in their own issues (Civil War) or to tell the X-Men to hand over one of their own to their custody (Avengers vs X-Men). This has been something finally addressed in more recent comic books where we see Avengers aiding the X-Men and Tony Stark being set up as a huge ally to mutants. That’s all well and good (if not performative), but also Captain America and The Avengers having a blindspot to mutant tragedies over the years is an example of how not every hero is perfect, gets everything right, or can be everything to everyone.
Steve Rogers is supposed to reflect not the American government but the American dream. When America is doing some messed up shit, Steve is ready to be anti-establishment and for the cause. However, we see when it comes down to heading over to Mexico to get Henry Gyrich, politics trump Steve’s allyship. The government been playing in the face of the X-Men for the entire season. The authorities that should be holding Gyrich and Trask responsible aren’t, the President ain’t doing shit for mutants cause it’ll affect his poll numbers, and now Captain America talking about red tape, optics, and politics. Rogue chucking Steve’s shield five states over was the only logical response to the situation. Rogue didn’t launch that b**** outta spite and pettiness (only). She yeeted that ultimate frisbee to show her frustration for a government that should be doing something instead of nothing. Sound familiar?
*Zach Morris pause* Just in case that last part didn’t sound familiar, lemme break the 4th wall to inform you that we are seeing an entire genocide happening over in Palestine. It didn’t just start on October 7th, 2023 – it’s been in effect for nearly 80 years. It’s ironic that Steve Rogers was talking about needing government approval before he could help Rogue out by getting the extradited Henry Gyrich (who funded the sentinel program) from another country because in the real world, America is Henry Gyrich. America been funding the genocide that Israel has been committing. It’s real hard to believe in the system of justice when a reason for the banning of TikTok is because Palestinians have been showing the world the violence being used against them in Gaza, which is directly countering the Israeli propaganda of what’s been happening. My mutie, Senator Pete Ricketts (who is pro ban) said “Pro-Palestine content has more reach than the top US news websites combined.” Translation: “hey, Tiktok helping to push out facts faster than our propaganda can. They gotta go, y’all.” This is the situation we dealing with. The X-Men are an allegory for groups of people facing discrimination. It’s art imitating life. The people of Palestine been showing us the reality of the horror in their day-to-day lives so that what’s being done to them isn’t sugar-coated or swept under the rug. *Unpause*
Here Is Something You Can’t Understand, How I Could Just Kill A Man
Rogue dropping the beat Boliver Trask in front of her team is the most human and logical thing she could have done. There’s no moral high ground taller than the death toll of Genosha. Look at the numbers: the mutant population before the attack was 17,508,236 (25% of earth’s population). The attack killed 16,521,618 mutants (dropping mutants to 14% of Earth’s population). There is no handing Trask back to the authorities because the President already said the optics of this shit too crazy. Trask may even get off for his crimes cause a jury of peers ain’t mutant-friendly. Trask was all too willing to “get his life back” with the help of Mr. Sinister but when he saw that death toll on Genosha, now he wanna grow a conscience? Trask the type of dude to order mad shit at a restaurant then when the bill comes and he sees the prices, all the sudden he get amnesia over what he ate.
All Rogue did was remind this man of the consequences of his actions. Trask doesn’t get to have a change of heart when we all up in the thick of it. He was fine killing mutants when it was in the hundreds but once he went platinum and killing millions, now he wanna find God? Cool, Rogue reschedule that meet-and-greet with his maker then. Looking back, we can see that Xavier’s dream of existence was really steeped in respectability politics. The X-Men went out on dangerous missions to have humanity’s back and to show that mutants can be trusted. They risked their lives to get mutants a seat at the table just to exist. This is how humanity thanked them. You might be saying this is more Sinister’s fault than Trask and that Sinister is a mutant. Nope, Mr. Sinister is a human that experimented on mutants for years then used their genome to make himself one.
Throughout the original X-Men animated series, mutants got discriminated against, rounded up, put into slave labor, and told to leave – so they did and they made something of their own. They couldn’t do that in peace, and when Rogue sought justice revenge a reckoning, she got told that it’s not the right way to go about it. The West/politicians love to talk about proper procedure and paperwork in order to keep things within the system and to keep the wheel turning. We watched Rogue break the spokes on that wheel. Sure, there’s bound to be consequences for her actions. She busted a military base up, but she ain’t hurt anyone. Rogue’s going to get in trouble for damaging property and not working with the system that has continually failed her and mutants.
Wolverine said it besWolverine said it best, Rogue did what they all wanted to do. Maybe it was the shock of the moment but not one X-Man that coulda helped Trask did. Jean caught a whole building and launched that shit like an NFL quarterback over half the city into a nearby ocean. Jean ain’t do nothing when Trask fell. Nightcrawler can teleport (though velocity is an issue when someone is falling). Nightcrawler was church mouse quiet. Morph has turned into mutants that can fly and we saw him not even 5 minutes later change into a speedster. Morph ain’t change nothing about that scenario but he wanna ask, “Is this who we are now?” My mutie, this is who the X-Men have always been, it’s just that this time, your enemies made it impossible for you to turn the other cheek.
In the end, Rogue was right. Remember it.
For more of Rogue’s mental state as an empath check out:
Rogue: Play With Her In the Danger Room But Don’t Play With Her Emotions
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you?
Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and Instagram!
The post Rogue Against The Machine: Superheroes Don’t Kill but Freedom Fighters Do appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.