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https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-millionaire-detective-balance-unlimited-episodes-3-6-recap/
Studio: CloverWorks
Director: Tomohiko Ito
Inspired by: The Millionaire Detective by Yasutaka Tsutsui
Sleek, sexy, and absolutely outrageous, The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited continues this ride of crime-solving ridiculousness. Daisuke continues to dive into mischief and mayhem, tethered to the gruff, stern, power-bottom, Haru. Episode 3 is a hostages-on-a-train situation, where we get a closer look into Haru’s traumatic past. Episodes 5 and 6 seem to be the beginning of the overarching plot. The hidden gem here lies in episode 4, the lost dog episode.
Want to know what the REAL crime is? The fact that we are meant to be duped into thinking these two are straight. No. These are two queer, wholesome buddies who will hopefully one day realize that the reason their hearts beat so fast when they’re near each other is because they’re hopelessly in love with one another.
Episode 4 starts off with an annoyed Daisuke, strolling away from an exasperated and desperate Suzue who worries that she’s upset her relative. (Also, this dynamic is super fucking weird and annoying. It’s not cute and is one of the reasons I get taken out of this anime). He gets a ride from the butler to Haru, who wants to help some random kid find his lost puppy. Daisuke realizes he left his phone and wallet behind, which promptly after, shenanigans ensue.
They spend the night together, with Haru teaching Daisuke everyday things; how to grocery shop, how to cut vegetables, what alcohol to consume, and sharing with him the delicious secret recipes of the Katō family. This is the good shit I want in my anime. Handsome men bonding over the audacity of life. My favorite scene has got to be when they cook together, get drunk together, and Haru finds Daisuke in the bathtub the next day, after having slept there the entire night. What speaks to me about this very fun, filler episode, is that it enhances the relationship between our two main leads in a fun and wholesome way that does not raise any stakes. While this episode has a somewhat bittersweet ending for the initial case of the lost puppy, it leaves you feeling that there is a shift in the relationship between these two detectives. This shift will hopefully show us the beginnings of a foundation of respect and trust. This is necessary I think, as we head into what looks like the main plot of this first season.
Episodes 3-6 are decent enough if you watched the first two and liked them; however, episodes 5 and 6 have a slight turn in tone which I personally wasn’t a fan of. The amount of toxic misogyny I witnessed and the genuine discomfort I found myself feeling during these two episodes really took me out of enjoying this anime. I was quickly reminded that while it’s a fun little anime of two quirky cops, it is very much still copaganda. We witness multiple cops utilize underhanded, unethical, and if you’re a woman, downright terrifying methods in order to extract information. There is a whole scene where two cops essentially ambush a woman alone in a parking garage. Daisuke uses his expensive AI to take control of the hi-tech car said woman is driving in order to force her to end up at a specific location for him to frame her for manslaughter to bring her into the station. There is further coercion and manipulation that takes place, and it’s jarring. It reminds me that we are seeing more and more cultural shifts about how we as an audience as people in general want to move away from seeing cops as heroes, even in these dramatic and over-the-top pieces. This kind of nonsense will simply not be tolerated anymore.
Take a look for yourself on Funimation and tell me I’m wrong that this wouldn’t be better as a queer romance.
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The post ‘The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited’ Episodes 3-6 Recap appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Studio: CloverWorks
Director: Tomohiko Ito
Inspired by: The Millionaire Detective by Yasutaka Tsutsui
Sleek, sexy, and absolutely outrageous, The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited continues this ride of crime-solving ridiculousness. Daisuke continues to dive into mischief and mayhem, tethered to the gruff, stern, power-bottom, Haru. Episode 3 is a hostages-on-a-train situation, where we get a closer look into Haru’s traumatic past. Episodes 5 and 6 seem to be the beginning of the overarching plot. The hidden gem here lies in episode 4, the lost dog episode.
Want to know what the REAL crime is? The fact that we are meant to be duped into thinking these two are straight. No. These are two queer, wholesome buddies who will hopefully one day realize that the reason their hearts beat so fast when they’re near each other is because they’re hopelessly in love with one another.
Episode 4 starts off with an annoyed Daisuke, strolling away from an exasperated and desperate Suzue who worries that she’s upset her relative. (Also, this dynamic is super fucking weird and annoying. It’s not cute and is one of the reasons I get taken out of this anime). He gets a ride from the butler to Haru, who wants to help some random kid find his lost puppy. Daisuke realizes he left his phone and wallet behind, which promptly after, shenanigans ensue.
They spend the night together, with Haru teaching Daisuke everyday things; how to grocery shop, how to cut vegetables, what alcohol to consume, and sharing with him the delicious secret recipes of the Katō family. This is the good shit I want in my anime. Handsome men bonding over the audacity of life. My favorite scene has got to be when they cook together, get drunk together, and Haru finds Daisuke in the bathtub the next day, after having slept there the entire night. What speaks to me about this very fun, filler episode, is that it enhances the relationship between our two main leads in a fun and wholesome way that does not raise any stakes. While this episode has a somewhat bittersweet ending for the initial case of the lost puppy, it leaves you feeling that there is a shift in the relationship between these two detectives. This shift will hopefully show us the beginnings of a foundation of respect and trust. This is necessary I think, as we head into what looks like the main plot of this first season.
Episodes 3-6 are decent enough if you watched the first two and liked them; however, episodes 5 and 6 have a slight turn in tone which I personally wasn’t a fan of. The amount of toxic misogyny I witnessed and the genuine discomfort I found myself feeling during these two episodes really took me out of enjoying this anime. I was quickly reminded that while it’s a fun little anime of two quirky cops, it is very much still copaganda. We witness multiple cops utilize underhanded, unethical, and if you’re a woman, downright terrifying methods in order to extract information. There is a whole scene where two cops essentially ambush a woman alone in a parking garage. Daisuke uses his expensive AI to take control of the hi-tech car said woman is driving in order to force her to end up at a specific location for him to frame her for manslaughter to bring her into the station. There is further coercion and manipulation that takes place, and it’s jarring. It reminds me that we are seeing more and more cultural shifts about how we as an audience as people in general want to move away from seeing cops as heroes, even in these dramatic and over-the-top pieces. This kind of nonsense will simply not be tolerated anymore.
Take a look for yourself on Funimation and tell me I’m wrong that this wouldn’t be better as a queer romance.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
The post ‘The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited’ Episodes 3-6 Recap appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
It’s that time of year again. For the 6th year, Black Women’s Roundtable and ESSENCE present Power of the Sister Vote, an annual survey that looks deeply at the concerns of Black women in the United States and how—and for whom—they plan to vote.
As COVID-19 and state violence continue to devastate families and communities, and the Trump Administration continues to coddle and embolden white supremacists, the overwhelming concerns of Black women have slightly shifted.
The 2020 BWR/ESSENCE Poll shows that:
Black women are overwhelmingly concerned about survival, safety and stability when it comes to issues impacting Black communities.The overall top three issues Black women believe are adversely impacting U.S. Democracy are racism/rise in hate crimes; corruption in government; and voting rights/voter suppression tactics.Black women identify “reducing structural/systemic racism” and “policing and criminal justice reform” as the top two issues they want presidential candidates to commit to addressing to win their vote, followed by “eradicating COVID-19” and “protecting the safety net (Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security).”The poll also shows Black women respondents overwhelmingly favor the Biden/Harris Ticket (90%), while giving the current president a failing grade for the fourth straight year (80%).
In 2019, criminal justice and policing reform were the number one issues, separated by a mere 1% from affordable healthcare as the number two issue. In 2018, the number one issue was hate crimes/racism, up to 55% from 33% in 2017. While hate crimes/racism remains a key concern at number three, with a 13-point drop from 2018, it is now tied with equal rights and equal pay, which has risen 14 points as a concern from 2018.
The 6th ‘Power of the Sister’ poll also showed that Black women’s confidence in the Democratic Party demonstrated a generational divide. Still, the majority of Black women in all age groups agree that Democrats best represent their interests, with 87% of Black women 55 & over, 58% of Black women 25-35, and 60% of Black women 18-24 indicating as such.
In 2019, 73% of Black women, which was the same as in 2018, identified Democrats as the party that best represents their issues, however 23.6% identified as Independents or non-affiliated and 0.01% as Republican. In contrast, only 45 % of Black women 25-35 agreed that the Democratic Party best represented their interests, with nearly one-third indicating that no party represents them.
According to the 2018 Power of the Sister Vote survey, the Democratic Party experienced a 12 percent drop in support from Black women from 2017, while the percentage of Black women who said neither Democrats nor the Republican Party represents their best interests increased by one percent—21 percent in 2017 to 22 percent in 2018.
Regarding their 2020 voting plan, Black women are especially likely to vote by mail/absentee ballot (41%) or vote early in person (35%). Additionally, the survey reveals higher levels of voter enthusiasm due to the Supreme Court hanging in the balance.
According to Melanie L. Campbell, President of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, “The 2020 BWR/ESSENCE Poll is a reflection of the concerns we are hearing and seeing on the ground across the country. This is the third year in a row that racism and rise in hate crimes has registered as the top concern for Black women.
“Over the past three years we have seen a shift from more aspirational concerns to those rooted in survival, safety and stability,” Campbell continued. “I believe the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests due to racial unrest calling for eradication of systemic/structural racism and policing & criminal justice reform across the nation are reflected in this year’s poll.”
Caroline Wanga, Interim CEO ESSENCE Communications, Inc., weighed in the critical nature of not on the 2020 election, but the interior lives and experiences of Black women.
“There is absolutely no question of the power of Black women in driving major social and community change – and election 2020 is no different as one of the most important ever for Black women and communities in the United States, especially in the face of an unprecedented pandemic, economic instability, police brutality, social unrest and more as Black women focus on keeping our families healthy, safe and prosperous,” Caroline Wanga, Interim CEO ESSENCE Communications, Inc., said.
Wanga continued, “With our multi-platform coverage at the cusp of one of the most historic elections in our lifetime—including a regular column and our new digital cover featuring vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris and the stories of the Black women leading the Harris-Biden campaign, ESSENCE’s partnership with Black Women’s Roundtable for the annual Power of the Sister vote is more critical than ever as we continue our work to ensure that the strong voices of Black women are listened to, amplified and heeded regarding the issues of most importance to us.”
The 2020 Power of the Sister Vote survey was conducted via an online poll by ESSENCE and BWR. For a copy of the 2020 BWR/ESSENCE Poll Results, visit: Unitycampaign.org and Essence.com.
The post Black Women’s Roundtable, ESSENCE Release 6th Annual ‘Power Of The Sister Vote’ Poll appeared first on Essence.
Don't sleep on yet ANOTHER fun, factual and fiery sonic mission from the Afronerd Radio machine airing this Wednesday at 8pm eastern. Thanks to the good folks at BTalk100, the Mid Week in Review with its famed AFROnerdists, will analyze the following topics: Pixar's highly anticipated animated black culture centered film, Soul is moving to Disney+ to the chagrin of theater owners; and in likeminded fashion, the 30 year plus sequel to Eddie Murphy's Coming to America is also going to a streaming platform via Amazon; we left a number of topics on the barbecue grill per Sunday's Grindhouse podcast, so let's see if we can play "catch up"; Dburt had a conniption just at the thought of #WAP rapper, Megan the Stallion penning a NY Times op-ed piece entitled, Why I Speak Up for Black Women; expectations for Star Trek: Discovery S3-i.e. a time jump including a new character called "Book,"; our impressions on the S2 ending of Amazon's The Boys as well as predictions for the greenlighted S3; thoughts about the return of Watchmen's Rorschach (sort of) courtesy of writer, Tom King for DC's Black Label imprint......oh and what happened to Doomsday Clock's black Rorschach, Reggie Long?; Hmmm....latest reports assert that the markets are reacting favorably to Disney's corporate reorganization proposals.... so what is entertainment and media behemoth actually doing? ; The Mary Sue highlights a new Native American superhero introduced during NYCC '20's virtual convention. The Z-Hawk comic book honors the legacy of 3-year old Zaadii Tozhon Tso who was tragically killed by a distracted driver in 2015. Lastly, Mary Sue continued to shed light on Native American creatives in honor of this week's Indigenous Peoples' Day (as a counter narrative to the Columbus Day holiday) by acknowledging 5 talented and noteworthy Indigenous creators and activists on the "come up." Call in LIVE at 508-645-0100.
AFTER CLICKING ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK, GO DIRECTLY TO AFRONERD RADIO!!!
or This link below.....
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