Several times I've been asked about why I use the profile picture that I have and/or what my name refers to. The answer is multifaceted, and it's a bit more of an ordeal to answer than "I think x character is cool" or whatever the explanation is that most people have for their profile picture, so this is my longwinded essay about the why of it all.
The profile picture:
It's a drawing of an alien called Lam. It was drawn by the infamous occultist Aleister Crowley, and it was first published in 1919. According to Crowley, Lam is a Tibetan word for way or path, and it has connections to Buddhism. I don't care about that. Crowley, who was probably high out of his mind at the time, claimed to have seen this critter when he drew it.
What interests me about this image is how similar it looks to the stereotypical grey alien before that became a pop culture sensation. The only real difference being the much smaller and more human-like eyes, as opposed to the big black orbs. In fact, aliens were born out of the occult—notably through theosophy—before any normal person claimed to see one. Theosophists placed a special value upon various planets in the solar system, and many of them would claim to commune with aliens. Quite a number of these fake totally real encounters had the subject referring to the "alien" as an "aryan" or some other very human-like description. There were some more "exotic" alien descriptions that didn't resemble humans too much in some cases.
Anyway, the "sightings," eventually would solidify into the grey aliens we so often hear about today. If you dig into commentary from alien fanatics online, you can find speculation about other alien races, and alleged sightings do vary to some degree, though. What fascinated me about Lam is that it constitutes a kind of "missing link" between the "aryan" aliens and the grey aliens. My interest in alien/UFO history is part of why I chose to use this image.
My name:
Gsarthotegga is pronounced as sar | thought | tay | ga, I guess—whatever, who cares? The name comes from the author Clark Ashton Smith, who was part of Lovecraft's circle of friends, and while he penned many poems and also would draw and paint, he was mostly know for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror short stories that he submitted to pulp magazines. Gsarthotegga is also known as Vulthoom (please, ignore the garbage artwork on this page). The story Vulthoom can be read here. Vulthoom is presented as a deity or god, but it's also very clearly a space alien.
The name and profile picture in unison:
Okay, if you've looked at many profile pictures on here, then I don't need to tell you that most of them are of high school girls from anime. Then you have a few people who have black and white pictures of Stalin or whatever...
I have controversial views on anime (and everything else, to be honest) that often clash with other MALists, and I don't ever try to tone these opposing views down or carefully choose shows where I'll have a positive reaction. Don't care, and I gladly invite these Animefan Crybaby responses I so often receive. I've embraced that "alienation" by choosing an image and name that both correspond to fictitious aliens. I wanted a long, unwieldy, even enigmatic name. One that s might not or will be left to wonder about the origin of, but it stands out like a sore thumb when they see it. The picture synergizes with the name well, while also being kind of creepy and funny at the same time. It's also very memorable on a website that has a predictable pattern when it comes to profile pictures.
Perhaps it's counter-productive to choose a profile picture and name that was partially intended to mystify, but then to demystify the pair by explaining away everything, yet most people won't read this in the first place, and now I'll have something to point to when asked, instead of having to type up an answer every time.
Scores and what peons on MAL think about art doesn't matter. Like, get this, because it's pretty important: It's the art that matters. Is that revolutionary enough for you? , it's not an IQ test to score your anime, retard. Before you dissect a frog, you should know what you're actually doing, and the same goes for ing judgment on my favorite anime.
Let this broken vase sink in. It's just a broken vase, you say? That light contorting and refracting has a certain awe to it that you can't experience otherwise, but you probably didn't realize that. Well, I did. Think of the symbology and how it's, like, conceptual, man. Makes me feel like Epicurus or something just thinking about it. This vase looks more beautiful than an intact one that you'd purchase at Walmart. Just like how men need to man up and learn to appreciate used-up old women, you need to accept this broken vase into your heart to understand it. I'm an aesthete, seeing beyond the surface, while you're like, "shit's broken," sweeping it into a dustpan! You might have thrown away a million dollars if the CIA could have gotten ahold of it for money laundering. You have no vision, stuffing everything into pigeonholes and whatever other holes that might strike your fancy. Who are you to baselessly dismiss this art? You got up in the vase's feng shui and tried to make it yours, insisting upon yourself because of your presuppositions, missing the point of expression altogether. Worst of all, you attempt to dismiss rather than to understand. That's right: You're a dismisser; whereas I'm an understander.
Oh, yeah, and just in case you're not enlightened enough to get it because you haven't taken as many yoga classes at the local mall as me, I also rate anime, and my ratings are explained below, so check them out.
What's that? I don't even have a ratings section on here, you say? Why should I have to prove anything to you when we live in an incredible world where Congo the Chimpanzee was making better art than you?
Wow, look at this wonderful painting! Abstract expressionism is serious business and not monkeying around at all!
In case you're too plebeian to understand the deep meaning of this painting, then , repeat, and all will be clear: Everything around the image is part of its meaning. Its uniqueness is part of the uniqueness of the single place where it is. Everything around it confirms and consolidates its meaning.
I think there is a resurgence of anti-elitism because at this point in time MAL has not yet learned how to be elitist. And I think we are going to be part of the throes of that transformation, which must take place. MAL is not going to be the tourist trap it once was in the last decade. Elitists are going to be at the center of that. It’s a huge transformation for MAL to make. They are now going into an anti-elitist mode and elitists will be resented because of our leading role. But without that leading role and without that transformation, MAL will not survive.
My man, ThatAnimeSnob 2.0, also known by the totally ironic moniker rorikonfan, giving a dope-ass take on Usagi Drop, his words flowing like a cakewalk with sprinkles and sugar on a rainbow slide!:
Before I twirl into the whimsical whirlpool of thoughts, let’s sprinkle some glitter on the fact that I’m indifferent to slice of life serenades. They’re like marshmallows on a gloomy day—fluffy but not filling. Moeblobs, however, frolic miles ahead in the absurdity race. So here I am, plopping down to watch this anime because it pirouetted into the top ten on every cosmic billboard within weeks. I pondered, "How in the cotton candy clouds did this happen? It’s just another stroll through mundane-ville!"
Peeking at the plot reveals a sprinkle of nothingness. A dude unearths that his grandpa played the parent role late in the game and decides to nurture the sprout after the old sage hops off this merry-go-round. So, what’s all the chitter-chatter about? Whispers suggest it’s got a weird twist at the manga’s climax (not spilling the jelly beans—spoiler alert!), or perhaps it blooms feelings like a garden of emotions. But honestly, the storyline feels as thin as a crepe, characters are cookie-cutter cutouts, and the ending flutters away like a butterfly into the void, so my eyes aren’t glued to a masterpiece through an objective kaleidoscope.
Yet, I must it, the presentation dances on a tightrope of finesse. It captures the essence of the ordinary with a sprinkle of magic stardust. I a whimsy-tastic anime from ages ago called Chocotto Sister—where ludicrousness reigned supreme! With everything from snuggly lolicons to Santa handing out nudie gift wrap to unsuspecting teens; it had a slice of life vibe but quickly tumbled into silliness, wrapped in a lame production bow that faded into forgetfulness.
Usagi Drop prances through a dreamy garden of subtly woven artsy whimsy. The visuals leap like pastel kittens, each character a dancing firefly that beckons eyes to twirl. The voice acting hums just right, never sailing over the top into the land of drama llamas. Each character behaves with a sprinkle of sense; no hopping teens with angst grenades in sight here! The hero juggles work like a circus clown, while a wistful girl seeks her treasure map to joy. This slice of life, so rare among the anime trees, sparkles like a unicorn at tea time. Most shows skedaddle past the ordinary, gift characters with sparkle coins, and toss them into school sagas that turn into accidental nudity rodeos. And how ‘grown-up’ parenting traipsed around in Astarotte no Omocha?
Usagi Drop sidesteps that and serves a delectable dish of realism, pouring out the bittersweet recipe of caring for a dreamy child in a world of grown-up grumbles. It reveals the sacrifices, spun with threads of sadness, and let's not kid ourselves—it can be tough for realism-dodgers, who make up around 99.98% of the whimsical media land. Heck, I juggle with realism too! Yet enchanting as it dances, this show is grounded more than any other I've snuggled with in parenthood tales. Many swear by the second season of Clannad, calling it realistic, yet its finale shouts fairy tale escape—a wishful mirage! Then there's Kurenai, where a young lad spins tales of tending to a gloomy girl, sprinkled with action sprinkles, swirling dementia, and even love’s taboo dance. Was it grander than Usagi Drop because of these? Nope, not at all!
Now hold your spaghetti horses, I’m not making a grand statue of realism here! Sure, the storytelling has its wobbly jellybeans. Like, poof! Daikichi scoops up Rin like a magician conjuring a goldfish! Home sweet home—bam! And she waltzes into kindergarten without a single treasure map or riddle in sight. The whole ‘adoption’ jazz? A cakewalk on a rainbow slide!
Nay, it’s not the tale twists or the plotty potpourri that tickle your noodle but rather the oodles of feels it flings at you! Sure, any silly fanfare/fadish/sparkly moe concoction can attempt this jig, yet none succeed by prancing in normality. Oh, they just bluster in supernova levels, splattering sex, kabooms, doom, and debauchery, then strut about claiming 'maturity' while tickling skepticism too raw! Characters? Pure vanilla, bare of quirky sprinkles, frizzy beehives, or attire obsessions. They play their roles like pros, needing no zesty garnishes! That’s my jam with this show; it dances with simplicity and realism without snoring off, even if you’re not vibing with the genre. And this comes from one who paloozed with titanic yarns like Aria, Wandering Son, and Yokohama Shopping Diary and found them snooze-fests extraordinaire!
Is it a show of whimsical wonder? Indeed, it dances in the realm of the unusual, and I sparkle with delight in saying this! In a sea of anime sameness, Usagi Drop leaps forth like a hopping unicorn, casting the glow of authentic life instead of a feeble 'adult' tale. Yet, one must twirl in doubt—would it jiggle its fame without 'that peculiar event' at the manga's finish (which the anime decided to play hide-and-seek with)?
ThatAnimeSnob Ghibli Art, Circa 2025
Those lumps aren't gonna make themselves, Pudding!
Cool, today they release Deltarune chapter 3 and 4 and with that half of the game is complete. Maybe I'll try it out soon though I'll keep in mind you warned me it wasn't as creative as Undertale.
By the way, I did a list using a book called 1001 games you need to play before you die, if you'll like to check it out. I don't agree with most of the "modern" picks (the book is from 2013 and so it missed the start of the golden era of indie games) though I like the fact the author included Alter Ego and Bioforge from the 80s and 90s, and the Infocom text adventures sound interesting. The dude is a big fan of RTS games so you maybe will find some interesting titles for yourself. I've only played 14% of the list XD
Well for starters I questioned the DJ being Dr. 909 from the very beginning.
Why do i say the steak guy is Dr. 909?
Firstly, I never really saw the resemblance around the mouth area specifically between the first time Dr. 909 (the guy behind the camera at grandma's house) was introduced vs the DJ.
The guy behind the camera also seemed more cocky and relaxed while the DJ wasnt.
To make matters worst, he also smiled at Axel which could mean he was either very confident or that he knew Axel.
I also dont think that the hacker would casually walk with information around his neck like that like I've been saying.
I also dont think that the hacker would go in person to deposit money.
When the guy was eating the steak, there was a reason why they kept zooming up to his face like that.
Very strong possibility that im wrong but we have to keep watching to find out. Maybe im just reaching because what would also be the point revealing 909 to be someone else this far into the show?
Strings always make for an interesting action scene for me. The thing with cutting to the metronome is also nice though I want to see how they implement it or if it's just a rule of cool showpiece. It reminded me of those modern thai action movies like The Night Comes for us or The Raid or Headshot for some reason because of the level of violence
Yeah had the scene with the doctor XD. I wonder if that slight shading style anime from that early 90s period used (FFV, , Victory Gundam, Ran) was to save budget because of the bubble collapse. and Ran pull it off very elegantly though VG and FFV always looked so cheap to me for some reason
Oh I never knew about it being a meme lol, I only heard and saw of that fight where it suddenly has Looney Tunes physics XD. The Nakamura fight scene with the purple color palette in Ninku also does that thing with the neck bending to show the speed of the situation
Yeah it's an exact replica of the games. If we were to go inside it I bet I would get lost as soon as I got into the red maze section of the original Yume Nikki, if two players get separated it would be so confusing to meet together again unless you woke up XD
I was kind of disappointed with how the anime solved the issue with the killer of Ran's mother, I know it's to show the father figure role of the guy who commanded the water supply batallion but "your mother wouldn't be proud if you killed him" is such a strawman and it doesn't make sense even if he did knew her, especially with how easy Ran takes his advice XD. Apart from that it's a really cool world and has a lot of tender moments.
Ah ok. Not really into the reviews but back in the day his reviews were always on top of the most popular stuff. Of course back when review voting system was much better (helpful) now it's stupid cuz the one with most reactions gets on top. Unless they fixed it tho prolly not.
Watched a yt video about it but can't find it anymore... Yes Gauntlet simple but fun especially when you play with friends :D. Classic like l'empereur for NES?
The only NES Koei historical game I managed to beat. Comparing to the FM Towns versions it has competely different feel to it xD (25:23)
Yea exactly and thats why I said it wasnt realistic, in the sense of they showing up, fucking up everybody then retreating wtf lmaoo
Things such as travel time from x continent/location to x continent/location on the other side of the world in literal minutes were already so dumb in earlier episodes.
And yes I know it obviously wont be in minutes but thats how it appears since the time of day for instance doesn't really change lol
Well dont know if its just me but I kinda pay attention to these details.
Oh yea she wasnt a spy in the same sense as we were thinking, that's funny though lol
All Comments (5663) Comments 65f43
By the way, I did a list using a book called 1001 games you need to play before you die, if you'll like to check it out. I don't agree with most of the "modern" picks (the book is from 2013 and so it missed the start of the golden era of indie games) though I like the fact the author included Alter Ego and Bioforge from the 80s and 90s, and the Infocom text adventures sound interesting. The dude is a big fan of RTS games so you maybe will find some interesting titles for yourself. I've only played 14% of the list XD
https://backloggd.com/u/Blowing_Wind/list/1001-games-by-tony-mott-using-versions-i-have/
but hey so far Im mostly right about the direction :D
Why do i say the steak guy is Dr. 909?
Firstly, I never really saw the resemblance around the mouth area specifically between the first time Dr. 909 (the guy behind the camera at grandma's house) was introduced vs the DJ.
The guy behind the camera also seemed more cocky and relaxed while the DJ wasnt.
To make matters worst, he also smiled at Axel which could mean he was either very confident or that he knew Axel.
I also dont think that the hacker would casually walk with information around his neck like that like I've been saying.
I also dont think that the hacker would go in person to deposit money.
When the guy was eating the steak, there was a reason why they kept zooming up to his face like that.
Very strong possibility that im wrong but we have to keep watching to find out. Maybe im just reaching because what would also be the point revealing 909 to be someone else this far into the show?
Imagine if Axel was somehow related to this organization too, it would make sense why he does all this capoeira shit.
https://myanimelist.sitesdebloques.org/anime/58812/Shin_Samurai-den_Yaiba
So Axel is a bigger deal than we actually though? But I had a feeling though lol
As for the guy in the beginning, that looks like Dr. 909.
Yeah had the scene with the doctor XD. I wonder if that slight shading style anime from that early 90s period used (FFV, , Victory Gundam, Ran) was to save budget because of the bubble collapse. and Ran pull it off very elegantly though VG and FFV always looked so cheap to me for some reason
https://sakugabooru.com/post/show/119776
Oh I never knew about it being a meme lol, I only heard and saw of that fight where it suddenly has Looney Tunes physics XD. The Nakamura fight scene with the purple color palette in Ninku also does that thing with the neck bending to show the speed of the situation
Yeah it's an exact replica of the games. If we were to go inside it I bet I would get lost as soon as I got into the red maze section of the original Yume Nikki, if two players get separated it would be so confusing to meet together again unless you woke up XD
https://sakugabooru.com/post/show/121591
This Norio Matsumoto fight has some funny smears
Dude we should try this page someday, it's Yume Nikki and its fan games but as an MMO:
https://ynoproject.net/
Watched a yt video about it but can't find it anymore... Yes Gauntlet simple but fun especially when you play with friends :D. Classic like l'empereur for NES?
Seems like it's model kit so you have to put it together most likely
snoy want's to make modern gaming even less fun :D
https://myanimelist.sitesdebloques.org/pxhc/film/the-satisfiers-of-alpha-blue/
Things such as travel time from x continent/location to x continent/location on the other side of the world in literal minutes were already so dumb in earlier episodes.
And yes I know it obviously wont be in minutes but thats how it appears since the time of day for instance doesn't really change lol
Well dont know if its just me but I kinda pay attention to these details.
Oh yea she wasnt a spy in the same sense as we were thinking, that's funny though lol
Also Kowloon looks like fun based on clips I saw.
Ohh you didnt watch episode 8 yet, I was wondering why you responded so vaguely.
So guess I spoiled it for you? :D
But I know you probably dont even care about that lol