The Fact That Richard Sees/wants Us To See Judy Poovey As Sort Of Dumb, While Also Seeing/wanting Us

赤羽業 & 浅野学秀: the Venus de Milo problem

The results of the second semester finals between Gakushū and Karma were a convergence of their respective narratives throughout the school year—two students molded by opposing forces. Their teachers, reflections of each other’s antithesis, shaped their worldviews, while their relationships with those around them sculpted their distinct approaches to solving the final math problem. The infamous image of Venus de Milo was not just an emblem for the question; it was the perfect metaphor for the philosophical gap between the opposing sides in the academics area of Assassination Classroom.

"Atoms" and "body-centered cubic structures"... I can't let those terms throw me. The question itself is quite simple. "You are inside a box surrounded by enemies... calculate the volume of your territory". Since our powers are equal, our attacks nullify each other. In other words, everything on the inside is my territory.

I'm surrounded by eight enemies inside this cube. Which means I need to calculate the volume of eight seals... and deduct that from the entire cube to get the volume of A0!

For Gakushu, the math problem was a test of control, an exercise in subjugating chaos to rationality. His solution was methodical, precise, and insular. To him, the box was a microcosm of his reality: a confined space where the rules are absolute, and success is achieved by bending those rules to one’s will. His focus on the “body-centered cubic structure” was emblematic of his fixation on the quantifiable. Pareto efficiency: Gakushu operates under the assumption that resources (or, in this case, space) must be allocated with optimal precision, leaving no room for inefficiency or external variables.

Yet, his flaw lies in his refusal to acknowledge the world outside the box. His worldview, while brilliant, is fundamentally limited by its rigidity. Gakushu does not look beyond the immediate; his vision, though sharp, is narrow.

Occam’s Razor is a philosophical principle suggests that the simplest solution is often the correct one. Gakushu eliminated extraneous elements, breaking the problem into its most essential parts to focus on what can be controlled within the given parameters. This is not to say he was wrong- we know that Gakushu's solution was correct. What decided the exam results was the race against time, which all comes back to how fast they arrive to the answer. Gakushu shaved down the details of the problem to maximize time and efficiency. In his own words: "The question itself is quite simple". Yet in his haste to simplify the problem, he unknowingly complicated it unnecessarily for himself, which ended in his loss.

The animation captures Gakushu’s mindset perfectly: his field of vision narrows, spotlighting only the part of the question he deems essential, with the rest fading into darkness. While his approach is flawless in theory and execution, it leaves no room for alternative interpretations or broader connections, leading to that inadvertent inefficiency. In another context, his approach would have been unbeatable.

I was only looking at this single small cube, but... since this is a crystal structure built from atoms... that means the same structure continues on the outside. In other words... there is more to this world than this single cube.

And if I look around me, I can see that everyone has their own unique talent... their own territory. And everyone else can see that too!

"Everyone has their own unique talent… their own territory," is an example of moral relativism, the idea that no single territory, talent, or solution is inherently superior to another.

Karma initially approached the question with the mental schema that it required extraordinary talent or effort to solve. By rereading and reframing the problem, he adjusted his schema to understand that the solution lay in simplicity and clarity, rather than overthinking or exceptional skill.

In contrast to Gakushu's animation, Karma’s mental process is visually chaotic, the animation mirroring his initial overwhelm. The camera pans dizzyingly across the paper, as if he’s grappling with the sheer surface-level complexity of the problem. But this momentary disorientation sparks something critical: a shift in perspective.

His realization has the essence of metacognition, which is the ability to think about one’s own thinking. He steps back from the problem, recognizing its context within a larger framework. This is the dialectical opposition between them: while Gakushu seeks to rule the box, Karma understands that the box is merely one part of a vast, interconnected world. His solution acknowledges the multiplicity of perspectives, valuing the contributions of others as integral to his own success.

Rather than avoiding the problem’s complexity, he embraces it (literally opening his arms lmao) using his own experiences and relationships as a lens to find clarity. Karma’s breakthrough is not his alone. It’s a culmination of the lessons from Korosensei and the camaraderie of Class E. These influences allow him to reframe the problem, breaking through its apparent complexity and arrive at an easy solution. Gakushu just didn't have that luxury from his father and Class A.

The Venus de Milo as a Metaphor

The Venus de Milo is known for its iconic missing arms, which were long gone before the statue was even discovered. Because of this, many interpretations of how the statue of Venus was posing and what the artist was trying to portray arose. In the same way, the final question symbolized a challenge that was both finite in its mathematical boundaries yet infinite in the ways it could be perceived. Here lies the thematic brilliance of the sculpture and the exam question: both demand the solver to confront the known and the unknown simultaneously.

Bunny Corcoran , The Secret History

У меня затопило комнату 🥰❤️

The Shippuden Naruto-Sasuke reunion gets funnier the more you get to know Sasuke.

" I didn't kill you on a whim, I'll kill you now though"- This boy has a Superman level no-kill code that he adheres to with too much conviction. He's a ninja. He was raised to kill, and no one would blame him if he did. Yet his only aim is Itachi.

Jumping down the ravine to hold Naruto- We see later on he doesn't like people touching him. He's basically screamed it in people's faces & is not shy about telling people to move it. He doesn't seek out physical touch either & he has a million long-range attacks.

He jumped down because he wanted to hold Naruto. That's it. He has never gotten this close to anyone without a practical reason & Sasuke was much faster than Naruto. He did that side-hug and whispered in his ear for no reason other than he wanted to be close.

Getting distracted during the fight- he has planned out step-by-step every fight he's entered with a bunch of failsafes. He's constantly thinking seven steps ahead. He was utterly distracted by Naruto. That's IT. Naruto was the only factor in these fights that got him off guard

The first episode sets up this reunion like Sasuke has gone too far down a dark path when in reality he knew exactly qhat he wanted, had plans to escape Orochimaru on his own, he ended up taking down THREE big threats and like 20% of the Akatsuki. On his own. That reunion was Sasuke playing a part to convince Orochimaru to leave Naruto alone, to convince himself that he didn't care(though he desperately did), and to make Naruto stay away.

Like most of it was to save himself & Naruto the pain.

He's such a dramatic lil boy

akutagawa, climbing through the agency's window:

kunikida: hold it right there

akutagawa, scowling: i am not here for conflict, though i will not hesitate if it arises--

kunikida: yeah i know; ur here to see atsushi

akutagawa: i most certainly am NOT-

kunikida, ignoring him: well you can't see him today

akutagawa, immediately forgetting his protests: you wish to keep me apart from him--

kunikida: look, brat, atsushi is in trouble right now, he can't see you--

akutagawa, worried and angry: is he hurt? why did no one inform--

kunikida: what? no!

kunikida: he did something reckless, so he's in trouble. his punishment is that he can't see you

akutagawa:

akutagawa: what

kunikida: but since your already here, here's the agency's grocery list for the week

akutagawa:

kunikida: you can see atsushi again next week

akutagawa:

akutagawa: does it matter which brands i get or--

She gave him the piece with the happy face and then he gave it back to her because he wants her to have it and I'm crying because this is exactly what they want each other to be— happy. They are so in love with each other that it's making me emotional. They deserve the world and more.

rip Bunny Corcoran, you would have loved chatgpt

having depression makes your friends seem like the coolest most put together people on earth like wow... you got out of bed, had breakfast, went to work, AND spent some time on a hobby when you got home....? that's so impressive you're like superman or something. can i borrow your power.

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