Daily Archives: April 27, 2023

The third film in the Tsai Ying-jie Trilogy, following The Swordsman of All Swordsmen and The Bravest Revenge, The Ghost Hill (Shi wan jin shan, ) is about as far from the franchises starting point as it gets. Theres no contemplation on the nature of revenge here, just a near-endless series of battles, each more outrageous than the previous one.

Those fights start with Tsai Ying-jie (Tien Peng, Super Warrior, The Silver Spear) and Peng Jun-fung (David Tang Wei, A Man of Immortality, King of Snakes) squaring off in a duel to determine who is the rightful owner of the Purple Light Sword. Much to Pengs surprise the match is called in Tsaiis favour. When Peng protests the grandmaster overseeing the contest invents instant replay and shows him all times Tsai could have killed or crippled him.

However theyre not the only ones who want the sword and King Jin (Hsueh Han, Heavenly Dragon and Earthly Tiger, The Killer Meteors) has his minions frame Peng for the theft of the sword and the murder of Tsais master (Lu-Shih Ku, Alls Well That Does Well, A City Called Dragon). Then they use it to kill Pengs master Yun Chun-Chung, making it look like Tsai had finally gotten his revenge on the old man. This should result in a second fight between Tsai and Peng, better known as Black Dragon, this time to the death.

And it would have worked if Yun Chun-chungs daughter Flying Swallow (Polly Ling-Feng Shang-Kuan, Green Dragon Inn, Fight for Survival) hadnt interceded forcing the real villains to reveal themselves. After that, theres no other option than for the three of them to storm Jins fortress on Ghost Hill and fight their way through the 10 Chambers of Hell in a quest for revenge.

Writer/director Ting Shan-Hsi (The Beheaded 1000, Blood Reincarnation) seems to be having a lot of fun with The Ghost Hill, especially with its villain. King Jin. With gold-coloured skin, a missing hand replaced by a spike metal mace that also fires darts, and a maniacal laugh hes a pretty memorable figure. Add his habit of tossing those who displease him into a vat of boiling oil, the same one he bathes in, along with his less than fatherly interest in his daughter (Han Hsiang-chin, The Romance in the Ghost House, The Fast Sword) and you have the historical version of a Bond villain.

And the film needs that because the heroes, while quite heroic, are also very bland. Thankfully the Beggars Army that joins them for the final battle adds a bit of personality to things. As do scenes such as an unfortunate spearman encased in ice being slid into enemies and an early version of the Flying Guillotine, this is more like a giant pair of scissors on a chain taking heads off in a surprisingly convincing fashion.

Give set designer Chen Shang-Lin (Rider of Revenge, A Touch of Zen) credit for making the inside of Ghost Hill such a visually stunning battleground and stunt coordinator Chen Shih-Wei (Zatoichi vs the Flying Guillotine, Chinese Kung Fu) credit for making the action as eye-catching as the setting. They both help the film punch well above its budget, which was considerably less than Shaw Brothers was spending on comparable films.

The Ghost Hill is a fun watch, and fans of the genre may notice a few plot elements that didnt become popular until years later. Its also a good choice to show to your friends who are curious about the genre.

The Ghost Hill is screening as part of this years Old School Kung Fu Fest put on by Metrograph and Subway Cinema In association with Taipei Cultural Center in New York, Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan). You can get more information about the films here, and a full schedule here.

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10th Old School Kung Fu Festival: The Ghost Hill (1971) Review - Voices From The Balcony

The conflict between the Jedi and Sith is central to the Star Wars universe, however, a similar rivalry occurred with another dark-side cult before that. The Jedi and Sith often represent the battle between the light and dark sides of the Force, but given the Order's 25,000-year history, it makes sense for the Jedi to have fought other groups before the creation of the Sith. The Star Wars books and comics have explored other dark side groups before in every part of the timeline, only now it's confirmed which of them came first. This revelation makes clear that the Sith weren't the first darkness the Jedi unleashed on the galaxy.

Star Wars: Timelines from authors Kristin Baver, Jason Fry, Cole Horton, Amy Richau, and Clayton Sandell sheds new light on the galaxy's history. It provides specific dates for the entire Star Wars timeline, which includes an overview of the Dawn of the Jedi and confirmation of when the Jedi's first dark-side enemies emerged. It also affirms that this splinter group predated the emergence of the Sith, something that was largely shrouded in mystery in other Star Wars media. While much is still unknown about the Jedi's first dark-side rivals, Star Wars: Timelines does reveal new information about them in relation to the Jedi Order's beginnings.

Star Wars: Timelines reveals that the Order Aspectu, a splinter group of the Jedi Order, existed in 20,000 BBY. This dates them approximately 5,000 years after the Jedi Order was founded and 15,000 years before the Sith also splintered from the Jedi. The Ordu Aspectu, therefore, was the first confirmed dark-side cult that the Jedi fought and the first darkness they unleashed on the galaxy. That alone is a major reveal for the Star Wars canon timeline, but the fact that it happened so long ago puts the Jedi's conflict with the Sith into perspective, showing that they're only a small part of a much larger history.

Related: The Jedi Order Origin Timeline Revealed Ahead Of New Prequel Movie

The Ordu Aspectu first appeared in the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra comic series by Kieron Gillen, where the rogue archaeologist set out to find their ancient and valuable relics. The series made clear that much of the Ordu Aspectu's story had been lost to time, with Doctor Aphra's father believing they were a selfless Jedi sect, while Aphra herself thought it more likely that they were a cult who sacrificed kidnapped Padawans to gain immortality. Whatever the case, Star Wars: Timelines estimates that the Jedi attacked the Fortress of Garn in 20,000 BBY, prompting the retreat of the Ordu Aspectu.

Like the Sith who came after them, the Ordu Aspectu's quest for power ultimately became their undoing. The leader of the Ordu Aspectu, Rur, sought to gain immortality, perfecting technology that may have been the prototype of a potential Holocron. He placed his mind in this device, but it led to the creation of an insane artificial intelligence called the Eternal Rur that killed all the Ordu Aspectu and the Jedi they had finally made peace with. Thousands of years later, Doctor Aphra traveled to the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, where the Ordu Aspectu had stored information, and used the data to find the Citadel of Rur.

After being reactivated, the Eternal Rur learned it had been thousands of years since the fall of the Ordu Aspectu, meaning he couldn't seek revenge against those he felt had wronged him. He attempted to kill Aphra instead, but she and her team managed to destroy the citadel and escape with the Rur crystal, which she later tried to sell on the black market. The ultimate fate of the Order Aspectu foreshadowed the Sith, who would wage war against the Jedi only to be destroyed. Even so, the Ordu Aspectu was the first dark side cult that the Jedi fought, making them an essential part of the Star Wars timeline.

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The Sith Weren't The First Darkness The Jedi Unleashed On The ... - Screen Rant

Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City are on the cusp of immortality following their 4-1 demolition of Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Pep Guardiola's men took a huge step towards retaining their Premier League crown after two goals from Kevin De Bruyne and efforts from John Stones and Erling Haaland sealed a resounding victory over their Premier League title rivals at the Etihad Stadium.

While the Gunners still hold top spot in the table, they are just two points clear of City having played an extra two games, throwing the title initiative towards the defending champions.

Victory though also keeps alive the potential of atreble, given City face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals and Manchester United in the FA Cup final.

The feat has only been achieved once in England by United in 1999, but Carragher believes this City team is already better than Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary side at least in terms of their style of play.

'This City side is superior to the Manchester United team that won the Treble in 1999', Carragher claimed in the Telegraph.

'There is barely any similarity in how they are going about trying to match that achievement.

'If City win the Champions League this season there will be those who believe we are watching the best English club team of all time, It would become increasingly difficult to argue against that view.'

The former Liverpool defender also believes City hold key advantages in many areas, with elite players including De Bruyne and Haaland.

But he reserved special praise for boss Guardiola who he believes in 'revolutionising' the game in two countries is arguably one of the best managers of all time.

'It is not just that City are winning. It is how they are doing it; the style, the authority, the panache and the inventiveness,' he added.

'City have the best striker in the world, the best midfielder in the world and without question the best manager in the world. He might be the best ever.

'Just as he did with Barcelona, Guardiola is re-imagining the game. No-one in this country can get near him or his team, his closest rivals Arsenal made to look like schoolchildren in what was supposed to be a title decider.'

City can go top for just the second time since August if they win at Fulham on Sunday as they look to benefit from their games in hand on Arsenal to take a firmer grip on the title race.

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Jamie Carragher lauds Manchester City as 'superior to Man United's Treble winners' - Daily Mail

Stars come out to pay tribute to Burnett

Julie Andrews, Cher and Katy Perry were among the A-listers on hand to pay tribute to Carol Burnett at the taping of an NBC special in the actor's honor. (March 3)

AP

LOS ANGELES Carol Burnettdidn't want toblow out candlesto celebrate her 90th birthday.The pioneering host of CBS' classic"The Carol Burnett Show"wanted a blowout TV special.

Thats why Burnett, who turns 90 Wednesday, jumped at the opportunity to mark her milestone with NBC's star-studded two-hour special, "Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love (8 EDT/PDT).

Rather than a birthday bash or whatever with candles and balloons, I wanted a show like you haven't seen in a long time, with a 19-piece orchestra, singers and wonderful music. I wanted a variety show, says Burnett, who earned TV immortality with the increasingly rare format."That's why I wanted it this way."

Consider this birthday wish granted, as starsfrom Cher to Charlize Theron celebrate the icon with the special, filmed last month at the Avalon Hollywood Theater.

In an interview earlier this month,Burnett still looks ready to hit the comedy stage, even if she's having trouble comprehending how the years have gone by.

"Ninety is hard to wrap my head around, because I don't feel it. And 90 is a big number," says Burnett, who credits frequenttreadmill walks and healthy eating for her continued vibrant demeanor. "Walking is good,and I'm very careful about what I eat."

YetBurnett doesn't appear onstage for the special, instead taking a table-of-honorseat where she could be seen laughing andclutching the hand of herbest chum of 62years, Julie Andrews, 87, duringsurprise moments.

Burnett saysshe was "absolutely gobsmacked" by moments includingvideo messages from first ladyJill Biden and former first lady Michelle Obama.

"That was pretty shocking," says Burnett, who didn't mind thatformer first lady Melania Trump, who is turning 53, didn't send regards."Melania has the same birthday as me. But she doesn't have a comedy special."

Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch and Kristn Chenoweth perform songs, while other comedians, includingAmy Poehler, Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Wiig and Lisa Kudrow, pay tribute to Burnett's trailblazing career.

"It's very sweet. They often say, 'You paved the way for me,'" she says. "But I say, 'If I'd never been born, they'd be doing exactly what they're doing.'"

"Love + Laughter" covers the breadth of Burnett's stellar career, including her performance as Miss Hannigan in the 1982 musical"Annie" (with a tribute from the actress who played Annie, Aileen Quinn) and her dark role as treacherous Marionin the final season of "Better Call Saul" (an appreciation from fan Bob Odenkirk).

But the birthday specialleans into "The Carol Burnett Show," which earned 25 Emmys during itsCBS reign from 1967-78. The special resurfaces timelessclips featuring Burnett withlate co-stars Harvey Korman,Tim Conwayand Lyle Waggoner (who died in 2008, 2019 and 2020, respectively).

"It still holds up, because we never wanted it to be topical," says Burnett. "We wanted it to be belly laughs and vaudeville." (Reruns air on MeTV.)

Remaining cast member Vicki Lawrence, 74, paidtribute to the comedy mentor, who hired the aspiring actressafter she sent a fan letter.Designer Bob Mackie, 83, showedoff the iconic costumes he designed during the show's 11-year run.

"Over 11 years, Bob Mackiedesigned 17,000 costumes. That's 65 to 70 costumes a show. Not just for me, but foreveryone," says Burnett. "And he loved doing the funny stuff."

Most memorable is the Miss Starlett curtain dress Burnett changed into during a classic"Gone With the Wind" spoof. For the new special, Maya Rudolph donned the curtain-and-rodcreation, which is part of the Smithsonian National Museum collection.

"That took only two minutes to getthat on me,because it was a quick change in a skit that was live (to tape) on TV," says Burnett. "So they just plopped it on. But it was heavy."

Fashion icon Cher wore a towering Bob Mackie gown and reminisced about her longtime friendship with Burnett, which flourished during her appearances on "The Carol Burnett Show."

"It was so sweet that Cher mentioned that she used toborrowclothes that Bob Mackie designed for me, and I love when Chersaid we were the same size," says Burnett.

Cher took a seat with Burnett and Andrews at the main table and botched her first take introducing a musicalstage act. Cher cursed comically about her own miscue before nailing the intro the second time.

"It was very funny," says Burnett, who hopes the "screw-up" is part of the extended version of the show, streaming on Peacock April 27. "We were 33 minutes over, and the network told us we had to cut some of the stuff. But it's not lost forever."

Spoiler alert, Burnett sangbriefly forthe special, when Katy Perry handed her the microphone to sing the final words of the famed "Carol Burnett Show" signoff, "So Glad We Had This Time Together." It got emotional; Burnett tearedup.

The song gets more profound "after all these years," says Burnett. "That will probably be written on my tombstone."

While "Laughter + Love" isairing, Burnett will be celebrating her birthday at dinner with her husband of 22 years, Brian Miller,near her Santa Barbara home. She won't be watching.

"We've seen it," Burnett sayswith a laugh."We're going to out to dinner with friends. Butthere will be cake."

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Carol Burnett's 90th birthday special stars Cher, Bob Mackie creations - USA TODAY

What if it was possible to stop the biological clock or at least rewire it?

A research team from the University of California, San Diego, has done just that by hijacking a genetic pathway involved in cellular aging, increasing longevity by over 80 percent.

Most of us see aging as an inevitable process of life, but some scientists are beginning to consider it a disease that we can treat or at least delay. Many factors contribute to aging. Some of them are environmental, like smoking, diet and pollution, but others are deeply entrenched in the way our cells are programmed.

Each of our cells acts as a tiny molecular factory that carries out all of the essential processes our bodies need to survive. The problem is that these chemical reactions can produce dangerous waste products, which build up over time and can damage our DNA and other cellular components.

Eventually, these damaged cells may start producing inflammation or turn into cancerous tumors. As a result, our bodies have developed programmed methods to shut these cells down before they can cause any problems.

"Many interacting, signaling components control cellular dynamics and the commitment to age-associated states," Howard Salis, an associate professor of biological and chemical engineering at Penn State University, told Newsweek. "Synthetic biology provides advanced design algorithms and genome engineering techniques to engineer new genetic circuitry to rewire those cellular dynamics to prevent the commitment to aging."

In the University of California study, published in the journal Science on April 27, the research teamled by postdoctoral researcher Zhen Zhouused yeast cells as a model for the aging process.

"The natural genetic circuitry inside yeast cells causes them to commit to an age-associated state. [In other words] they become aged cells," Salis said.

The study shows that "new, engineered genetic circuitry can be introduced into yeast cells to delay that commitment to aging for a relatively long time," he said.

In yeast, cellular aging is controlled by a genetic switch that either causes fragmentation of the cell's protein-making machinery or dysfunction of the cell's energy-producing powerhousesthe mitochondria. Either one of these pathways will lead to the cell's eventual demise, and it is mostly random as to which "deterioration pathway" is pursued.

The genetic switch that mediates these pathways is controlled by two molecules: one that drives the decline of the cell's protein-making machinery and the one that is associated with the function of the mitochondria.

In a normal cell, these molecules repress each other's expression, such that the presence of one prevents the production of the other. As the concentration of one molecule rises, the concentration of the other will decrease until eventually the cell is forced to "commit" to one of the deterioration pathways.

However, in Zhou's study, a new genetic circuit was created to allow the cells to oscillate between high levels of each of these molecules, preventing them from committing to either age-associated pathway. These engineered cells lived for 82 percent longer than those that had not been tampered with, indicating a clear increase in longevity.

While this study was performed using a tiny, single-celled fungus that is used to make bread, the results are still an exciting proof of concept that could be applicable to human cells. Salis detailed the importance of this study in a perspective piece in the same journal.

"There are many cellular pathways in yeast cells that are widely conserved and appear in human cells as well," Salis said. "Human cells do have more pathways with more interlocking feedback loops. But, importantly, the same/similar techniques can be applied to study and modify pathways in both organisms."

He continued: "Human cells also contain similar, but more complex, natural genetic circuitry that causes them to commit to age-associated states, which means that it can be possible to rewire those natural genetic circuits to delay aging in the same way."

This cellular reprogramming is not a quick aging fix that could mean immortality, but it could be used to delay the onset of age-associated diseases. "A feasible goal would be to lower the risk and morbidity of cancer, Type 2 diabetes and other age-associated diseases in healthy individuals so that human longevity becomes more uniformly high," Salis said.

The study's researchers, he said, have "demonstrated a road to understanding and controlling cellular aging...to pinpoint the tunable knobs and swappable wires that can be manipulated to redirect a cell's natural dynamics away from aging and toward the maintenance of healthy cell states."

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Biological Clocks Have Been 'Rewired' to Increase Lifespan by 80 Percent - Newsweek

Tulisha srivastava

Published: 2023-04-24T10:18:59

Updated: 2023-04-24T10:19:08

Ever since Trafalgar Laws encounter with Blackbeard, fans have been worrying about the fate of the Heart Pirates. However, chapter 1081 of One Piece reveals what happens to the Heart Pirates, and its not something fans would ever wish for.

Ever since the Punk Hazard Arc, Trafalgar Law has become one of the fan-favorite characters in One Piece. He joins the Straw Hat Pirates to defeat the Yonko Kaido. Once their alliance is over, Law parts ways with Luffy along with his crew and heads toward North East.

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Sadly, Laws luck runs out when Blackbeards crew attacks him. The Heart Pirates put up a great fight against the Blackbeard pirates. However, Oda leaves fans hanging for quite some time concerning the fate of the Heart Pirates.

In the Dressrosa Arc, Doflamingo reveals the immense power of Laws Op-Op devil fruit. It is the only power in the world that has the ability to make someone immortal. Even in a fictional world such as One Piece, the concept of immortality is rarely touched. Oda mentions immortality for the first time using the Op-Op fruit. However, that also means that Laws devil fruit is the most sought-out in the world. Heres a look at how chapter 1081 finally reveals the fate of Heart Pirates.

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Chapter 1063 features the Blackbeard Pirates attacking the Heart Pirates out of nowhere. In the face of powers such as teleportation, superhuman strength, and bizarre contagions, Laws crew find themselves overwhelmed. Nonetheless, they do manage to hold back the Yonkos crew to the best of their abilities. The fight continues in chapter 1064, where Law is facing Blackbeard head-on. The battle between two mighty crews seems to be in a stalemate.

Though it is clear that Blackbeard has an overwhelming advantage, the situation can take a turn in Laws favour at any moment. Mid-battle, Blackbeard makes his intention of attacking the Heart Pirates clear; he only wants the copies of Road Poneglyphs from Law. Sadly, after chapter 1064, Oda doesnt mention anything about Laws crew, leaving fans to make assumptions on their own.

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The chapter primarily focuses on Kuzans side of the story and how he has given up on the Marines. It reveals how Kuzan joins the Blackbeard Pirates. Fans also witness the overwhelming strength of the Marines hero, Monkey D. Garp. As Garp is there to rescue his apprentice, Koby, he faces off against Kuzan. Kuzan refuses to let Garp and the Marines save Koby while Blackbeard is away.

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The chapter then shows the broken Polar Tang, the Heart Pirates submarine. The rest of the crew is drowning with the Polar Tang. Meanwhile, only Bepo and Law are on land but barely alive. As Blackbeard is mulling over what to do with Laws devil fruit, Bepo transforms into his Sulong form and attacks him.

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This is surprising, considering Minks can only transform during a full moon. However, even that isnt enough to save Law. Bepo has no choice but to retreat, leaving his captain behind with the enemies. While escaping, he prays for his captain to be alright. While the status of the rest of the crew is unknown, it is clear that they arent in any good shape.

One Piece can currently be streamed onCrunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other TV hubs below:

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Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 3|Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Part 2|Chainsaw Man Season 2|BRZRKR movie|Jigokuraku Hells Paradise|Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2|Sonic the Hedgehog 3 |Invincible Season 2

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One Piece chapter 1081 reveals the fate of the Heart Pirates - Dexerto

Summary

Sweet Tooth continues to juggle numerous subplots, finally building momentum in Chicken or Egg? Theres plenty of tension in this installment, and Gus continues to be a heart-warming and lovable lead.

Chicken or Egg? delves into the history of Fort Smith, the scientific research facility that may have caused the spread of the pandemic all those years ago.

This installment also follows Aditya (Adeel Akhtar) and Gus (Christian Convery) quest for answers, while Aimee (Dania Ramirez) and Jepperd (Nonso Anozie) seek out their old allies to help them in their own mission to free the hybrid children from the Last Men.

We open with a flashback, introducing Gillian Washington, the female in charge of Fort Smiths Project Midnight Sun. She talks about researching immortality and human longevity, with the aim of eradicating diseases altogether.

Back in the present, Aimee and Jepperd head to Factory Town to find some of Jepperds old allies, known as the Hickey brothers. Unfortunately, his comrades have been taken by the latest variant of the virus, called the Doomsday Strain.

They stop off in a bar to rethink their strategy. Aimee decides to try calling her own buddies. They nervously wait by the telephone. While waiting, Abbot and his army cruise through town. Theyre drumming up recruits, parading their new cure around the surviving establishments to entice people into joining their army.

Abbot demonstrates the capabilities of this new cure, which is made using vital parts from hybrid children. They heal a man in the crowd, and this quickly wins over new supporters. The cured man is taken hostage, though, and later killed.

Meanwhile, at the zoo, Aditya has convinced the Last Men to let him go on a field trip to Fort Smith. The scientist hopes to find answers there and takes Gus along on the journey. At Fort Smith, Gus senses the presence of another hybrid. They are not alone.

Gus finds Pubbas desk and takes his keys and a set of pliers with him. The guards that are chaperoning Gus and Aditya are then attacked by a crocodile hybrid. Gus tries to communicate with the creature and can calm it down. The crocodile can speak, and he says that hes called Peter.

Peter is chased by the guards, who use a tranquilizer gun to sedate him. He is then dragged out of the building.

Due to the chase, Gus and Aditya find themselves coincidentally in the Project Midnight Sun research lab, where they find chickens and a camera containing an important tape.

Aditya plays the tape, which shows Gillian introducing their lead scientist on the project, Dr. Gertrude Miller, who we know better as Birdie, Gus assumed mother. They discuss the story of Dr. James Thacker, who led an expedition to the Arctic in 1911 to a rumored village that was free of disease, where its inhabitants lived well past 100 years of age. The boat they used was later found by Birdie, as seen in season twos opening scene.

Gus is astounded by the footage of his mother; she talks about finding microbes in the Arctic that could supercharge the immune system. She experimented on these microbes with chickens, and this, of course, led to the creation of Gus. Baby Gus is then introduced in the video.

Aditya plans to return the chickens and the tape to the zoo for further analysis. On the way back to the Preserve, Aditya thanks Gus for his help. Gus states that if they hurt Peter, he will never aid Aditya ever again.

In the other subplots, Becky continues her travels with a party of survivors. One of the group members, a young man called Jordan, wants to sign up with the Last Men army. Hes heard that they are based at a zoo in Essex City, where they are imprisoning hybrids. Becky decides to enlist with Jordan so that she can find her friends and be reunited with Gus.

Elsewhere, Rani seems healthier than ever and is allowed to move into a larger room, thanks to Johnny. She asks to meet with the hybrid children and secretly passes them food. The children attempt to escape but are soon spotted.

One of the guards warns them to stop trying, or they will end up like Roy. The children quickly figure out what happened to Roy. They are hurt that Gus would lie to them and then saddened by Roys passing.

The episode ends with Aimee and Jepperds prayers being answered. The phone finally rings, and the call is for Aimee.

What did you think of Netflixs Sweet Tooth Season 2 Episode 3? Comment below.

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Sweet Tooth Season 2 Episode 3 Recap - why does Becky enlist ... - Ready Steady Cut

The 2023 Spring anime season saw the premiere of the MAPPA adaptation of Yuji Kaku's Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, a series that forms one third of a Shnen Jump trifecta of new-generation manga referred to by fans as the "Dark Trio"; three titles linked by their leaning towards darker thematic content and grizzlier visuals than their predecessors despite being published in Shnen Jump.

Of the legendary trifecta known as "The Big Three", BLEACH is the one that leans furthest into a horror-inspired narrative, with the supernatural foundation of the show enabling it to explore themes in a manner that is reminiscent of darker fantasy titles; however, it does not lean as heavily into the body horror and gore of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, placing them firmly on different parts of the wide array of themes and concepts that make a horror title. Despite this difference; however, these two vastly different narratives are linked by their use of a single motif butterflies of death.

RELATED: Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Introducing the Criminals Condemned To Paradise

BLEACH and Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku both contain their fair share of supernatural or fantasy elements; however, the former's narrative sets up a cosmology in which the afterlife is a real and accessible realm; while the latter is a little less concerned with the supernatural per s, setting up the island of Shinsenky as a place that completely ignores the laws of nature in a way that makes it supernatural. The fine line between Heaven and Hell is a major thematic component, as the island's beauty is directly tied to its horror. In the third episode of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, the Vanguard Party finally arrives on the island of Shinsenky, and as Gabimaru and Sagiri explore the immediate area, Sagiri is taken aback by the vibrant beauty of the floral life and the dominance of nature in the area. This is mostly because Sagiri was skeptical that such a place truly existed, in addition to doubting the existence of the Elixir of Life they were sent there to retrieve, so the surrealness of the place was beautiful in a way she didn't think possible, therefore bringing comparisons to the cosmological concept of Heaven. However, Gabimaru didn't share her sentiment the random assortment of flora was evidence that the place did not follow any apparent rhyme or reason, making it eerie, rather than beautiful.

Towards the end of the episode, elsewhere on the island, the criminal known as Gantetsusai is also taken aback by the beauty, and a butterfly briefly settles on his left hand before he realizes the threat: the butterfly had a strange stinger at the end of its abdomen and a human face, with which it smiled eerily at him. Remembering the state of the only surviving member of a previous Elixir retrieval party, in which the man had beautiful flowers growing from his eye sockets and his mind reduced to an unresponsive state. Gantetsusai does not hesitate to chop off his own hand, afterwhich a number of monstrous abominations emerge from the nearby bushes to attack him and his attendant Yamada Asaemon Fuchi.

Generally, butterflies tend to be symbolic of aspects like transformation, change and rebirth and have been for as long as humans have observed them. In ancient Greek, butterflies were actually called "psyche", as the eponymous goddess in mythology was often represented as a beautiful woman with butterfly wings. Psyche was the goddess of the soul, and thought to be as beautiful if not more so than Aphrodite herself. Anyway, in Ancient Greek, the word for "soul" and the word for "butterfly" were one and the same, and the association of butterflies with transformation persists in a Japanese context; however, in both the Ancient Greek and the contemporary Japanese associations with butterflies, there is also a connection to death and immortality. A possible reason for this is tied to Psyche's journey, which involved several trials (two of which required her to journey to the underworld), an eventual marriage to Eros, the embodiment of love and a subsequent ascension to godhood through partaking of the drink of the gods ambrosia.

The word "psyche" in this context has also been used to mean "spirit" or "ghost"; however, in psychology, it refers to the totality of the human mind. In Japan, moths and butterflies are considered the same, with the "butterfly of the night"; and both can be associated with the spirits of the recently departed, which adds weight to the BLEACH series' using it in the very first "Death and the Strawberry", while Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku positions these butterflies in a realm where they are able to take life to support new life as their strange venom encourages the spontaneous growth of flowers across the body of the infected.

In BLEACH, the butterfly is used as a motif and also serves a functional purpose within the narrative. First seen as a representation of Rukia Kuchiki in the first episode in which she enters protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki's room, the Hell Butterfly (known in Japanese as "Jigokuch" is used by the Shinigami in the BLEACH universe to serve a variety of purposes. They have an ominous appearance, as they are completely black with some purple markings on their wings, and in certain situations, the fluttering of the Shinigami "Shihakush" (literally "Garment of Dead Souls") as they traverse through space gives the impression of the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

The main use of the Hell Butterfly is long-distance communication, with the Shinigami using them to send messages to each other across Soul Society as well as on the battlefield. They also guide Shinigami as they travel in between the Human World and Soul Society by means of the Senkaimon (VIZ "Tunnel World Gate"). Like most spiritual phenomena in the BLEACH universe, the Hell Butterflies are only visible to those with latent spiritual potential. In Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, the apparent beauty of the butterflies briefly hides their grotesque nature, which is actually depicted as inherent to their very nature in this series, which has constantly emphasized the thin line between beautiful and grotesque; life and death, and of course, Heaven and Hell. Like the Hell Butterflies from BLEACH, the human-faced butterflies on Shinsenky serve as a kind of introduction to the various abominations present on the island, but are also a dark interpretation of the transformation associated with butterflies.

MORE: Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Manga Releases Special One-Shot

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Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku and BLEACH Have This Interesting ... - GameRant

For almost as long as recorded time, the simple tree has played a role in the story of humanity.

We have trees in mythology at the time people believed in multiple gods, and then when people began to worship one god, they continued to think about trees as a character in that narrative and not just objects, Neda Izadi 20 MFA says. Its very important when we look at history that we recognize humans have always considered the tree very important, essential for life.

Among the Abrahamic religions, Christians and Jews believe the Tree of Life grew alongside the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, and for Muslims, the Tree of Immortality stood alone in that garden.

Whatever the belief, it started with a tree.

Its very important that we find an element that is similar in all the religious traditions and that one element it doesnt matter if youre Muslim or Jewish or Christian is the tree, Izadi says. The tree is mentioned in all these religions. Its a unifier.

And at UConn this semester, a host of programming presented as The Abrahamic Story of the Tree has centered on the importance of the stalky, woody plant, revering it for its dominance in culture, significance in the environment, and beauty in art.

Izadi says she conceived the idea for the series just over a year ago when she worked in the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and pitched the concept to Vice President for Global Affairs Daniel Weiner, whod asked for ideas on a way to work with Global Affairs Abrahamic Programs for Academic Collaboration in the MENA Region.

The Story of the Tree, which had figured into Izadis MFA puppetry project, came to mind but not only to connect the faiths. In a world where global warming affects everyone no matter their religion, a singular tree has added value or at least it should.

As planning began, the number of departments interested in participating grew, Izadi says, drawing, for example, UConn Hillel and the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery at UConn Avery Point with student art exhibitions, Archives & Special Collections with a display of picture books and engravings, and UConn Arboretum with tours of trees around campus.

Students in the After School Academy for English Learners worked with Izadi on a puppetry performance at the Hartford Public Library and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership installed a student art exhibit in Downtown Storrs.

When we started doing this, I didnt imagine we would be doing Indonesian puppetry plays at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, but that just grew out of Matthew Cohens expertise, says Kathryn Moore, assistant professor of art history who served on the working committee to put together the programming, which includes sold-out performances of puppet arts professor Cohens Ramayana: A Tale of Trees and Wood.

Many of the programs take advantage of UConn faculty expertise, Moore says, including Magic and Majesty The Immortal Tree exhibition at the William Benton Museum of Art that painting professor Kathryn Myers and her MFA students curated.

However, Texas sculptor Beverly Penn, who casts plant material in bronze, has pieces on display at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery at UConn Avery Point, Moore says, and work from Australian-Indonesian artist Jumaadi is on display in Migration of Flora at the Contemporary Art Galleries in the Fine Arts Complex.

We knew we wanted to invite scholars and get our own scholarly expertise involved, but we always wanted to be speaking to a general audience, Moore notes. We had that goal from the beginning.

This includes a two-day conference that Moore organized, The Tree of Life: Interconnecting Religions, Artistic Traditions, and Scientific Knowledge, on April 27-28, which culminates with a talk by evolutionary biologist Stephen Smith from the University of Michigan. Anyone is invited to join the conference, either in-person or virtually.

Making parts of the series available virtually also was important, Moore says, in part to respond to audience demand post-pandemic but also so they can live online long after the semester wraps and exhibitions are replaced.

The Tree of Life is inherently about creativity and celebrating nature. Think about what this idea can do to create dialogues between different cultures, Moore says. Were representing the beauty of nature, reflecting on the interconnectedness of nature, and finding connections between cultures that are unexpected.

Cynthia Jones, professor emeritus and director of UConn Botanical Conservatory, says there were at least a dozen trees mentioned in the Abrahamic texts and six of them are on display in the greenhouses at UConn, including a dwarf pomegranate, olive, and acacia.

While the Story of the Tree series includes many events steeped in art exhibition and performance, tours of the Arboretum and Botanical Conservatory are a way to acknowledge the scientific element and trees place in the environment.

Trees in biblical times were probably very similar to what they are now, if not identical, Jones says, explaining that a few thousand years is barely a second in evolutionary time. This means the palm branches that would have been waved when Jesus entered Jerusalem a week before Easter would look the same as they do today, for instance.

In a practical sense, humans value trees because they provide wood for shelter, food in the form of nuts and fruits, and shade from the sun, Jones says. Theyre part of a thin green layer if all vegetation were compacted over the Earths land mass, it would be only about 10 inches deep and supports all of life on Earth, taking in carbon dioxide, storing energy in the form of sugars, and releasing oxygen.

More than that, theyre also good for mental health, which might be one reason property in Manhattan on a tree-lined street often is more expensive than that a block over without trees, Jones says.

Trees offer what I think of as the human connection to nature, she adds. It might be biophilic, an evolutionary tendency to connect to other living things. It might be that theyre comforting to look at and allow our brain to recover from too much concentration. Trees are really important in the way they affect our emotional health and our sense of wellbeing. You can walk outside and look up into the canopy of a tree and watch the light playing on the leaves for three minutes and feel so much better.

An online calendar of events happening in conjunction with The Abrahamic Story of the Tree can be found online. The project comes with support from the School of Fine Arts, Humanities Institute, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Human Rights Institute, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, William Benton Museum of Art, UConn Hillel, and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership Abrahamic Programs.

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The Story of the Tree Has Artistic and Scientific Branches - UConn ... - University of Connecticut

Creating a character in a video game using various tools is easy. Or at least, the basic concept of creating one as, is in execution, you can get caught up for well over an hour or so as you try to get every detail right. Now, creating an entire mythology of sorts out of an entire set of characters, that would be trickier, especially if what you create had a major impact on those who you would interact with. That would be the main hook of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, the latest game from Devolver Digital and developers Deconstructeam, where you get to eventually craft an entire tarot deck and perform readings with it, crafting the fates of various friends and colleagues along the way.

The part about creating your own tarot deck is strong enough of a hook, but then theres the actual story behind it all, where you play as a witch thats been sentenced to exile on an asteroid in a cosmic void who eventually summons a massive Behemoth in order to help them get out. Said witch is Fortuna, the player character who was exiled for performing a divination that ended with a prediction that their covens leaders were less than thrilled with, and said Behemoth is Abramar, another imprisoned being willing to strike a deal with Fortuna and provide them with the magical energy needed in order to craft their own tarot deck.

Said deal comes with a catch, of course. As Abramar teaches Fortuna about the different types of elements and energy needed for creating new cards air, water, earth, and fire he asks her a series of questions about what she wants to eventually achieve with their new power, from how they want to be perceived to want they ultimately desire, culminating with what Fortuna would be willing to give up if order to be free, such as the death of a loved one or their own immortality. As the demo we played only covered the first hour or so, we havent yet been able to see exactly how your choices will fully affect things, but the dialogue alone between the nonchalant Fortuna and the massive Abramar as they discuss their goals once again shows Deconstructeams skills when it comes to captivating characters and dialogue, as they slowly begin to understand one another through basic chat and some practice tarot readings.

Speaking of tarot readings, lets discuss the main meat of the gameplay, the tarot cards. As you earn energy through the game, you can use it to create new cards, heading into the basement of Fortunas asteroid cottage prison in order to craft them. To do so, you pick a setting, a central figure, and various accessories, all with their own detailed stories and history behind them, like interstellar mining colonies, mother wolves, a cosmic bow and arrow, or the occasional shout out to other Deconstructeam titles such as The Red Strings Club. Creating the cards as you move around the background, pose figures, and scale and rotate bits is fun and easy to do, and can leave players sucked in for a while.

Once youre done, the various elements chosen for your card are analyzed, and a name and legend is provided based on your choices, along with the various meanings that the card can represent. Certain choices cost different combinations of energy, however, which is gained through the readings you perform with the cards. After a few tests with Abramar, we eventually get our chance to try it out on a visiting witch going over Fortunas sentence, determining if its still fair or not and if theyre eligible for some sort of parole. You shuffle your deck, draw a card, then place it in the area representing what your friend would like to know. Depending on your card, you then get to select from a series of meanings, allowing you to divine the persons wishes. The officer wants to know about their future? Well, depending on your card, it may not be a happy future, and you get to tell them if they can expect to lose a limb or wind up killing a fellow member of the coven.

Again, the demo only provided a taste of things to come, but what a taste it was. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is already doing an amazing job in making me want to experiment with its tarot creation even more, wanting to see not just how many combinations can be created, but how they can eventually influence a persons future as well. Of course, the deals made with Abramar help a bit for Fortuna, such as a choice I made about wanting to be idolized clearly influencing the visiting witchs perception at one point. Speaking of which, while the game doesnt seem to provide much in the way of different locations, the visuals are still striking, especially with the contrast between Fortunas cozy cottage and the massive Abramar wrapped around it, whom only they can see.

The demo wrapped up with one last twist, though, as we suddenly get a flashback to more modern times, showing Fortuna as a food truck owner on a road trip with their sister and friend towards a meteor shower, displaying Fortunas skills with a regular tarot deck as they receive a premonition of things to come, with all of this being the apparent origin of how they became a witch. It should be interesting to see where this origin goes and where her newfound skills at crafting tarot cards leads them in the present, and between the captivating narrative and the unique mechanic of tarot creation and divination, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood looks to be an impressive and fun journey when it comes out later this year.

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The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an Inspired Tarot-Crafting Game - Hardcore Gamer