Yellow, Like that River
When chlorine just isn’t going to cut it, it’s time to find yourself a water dragon. Not one of those silly lizards. We are talking legit dragons here. Public pools, I’m looking at you.
Dragons are featured heavily in a large number of Asian myths and folktales. Unlike their European counterparts which were seen as vicious monsters, most of these creatures are and were seen as wise beings that purify or protect bodies of water or control rain. The physiological differences between the two are many, but the way they were seen in these two parts of the world couldn’t be more disparate. Even today, dragons are seen as powerful cultural icons throughout Asia and while they aren’t worshipped or prayed to so much these days, they are still viewed as a symbol of certain nations. In fact, there was a Nike commercial not too long ago that featured a basketball player slaying a dragon that was banned in China. That’s some strong cultural identification, there.
Of course, dragons also did a great many other things. They are probably best known for their roles as a kind of imperial mascot, hence the strong aversion to imagery that defaces or devalues dragonkind.
In other news, I hope some people are enjoying the HT game in spite of its shortcomings. The poor thing’s ratings are pretty bad, but I expected that. I guess it doesn’t help that its free. Anyway, it was an exercise for an introductory game development class that was supposed to help us understand what work as an artist in the game development industry was like. I got a lot out of the class in the end, but I didn’t have much to do with coding it. As such, I can’t fix any bugs that might be in it. Oh well, sorry if you didn’t like it! Just put it down!
Discussion (20) ¬
This marks the beginning of the Pi Dynasty haha
You shouldn’t have made the 6th level impossible to beat!
I cannot for the life of me make out what the last item on the sign says. It almost looks like “NO SELKIES”, which I could see you doing as an obscure mythological reference, but I can’t tell for sure.
Drugs?
I also see golems. Less sense made.
har har har on the alt text 😛
Another profession of lilk’s. Pool manager.
Kid just wants to be everything. Next week he’ll be a firefighter or something.
Where’s the game link?
This episode of HappleTea is amazing. 😀
You need a Thor comic, although I’m not myth, being real and all. I think it will work out.
Wait…what is that small blue thing in the pool…?
It looks like a Dijjin from Golden Sun ><
The sixth level isn’t impossible, and neither is the game. I beat it today, just do a high jump over the JP necromancer and land on the tiny bit of land behind him, then you can jump that huge gap. The game is awesome, thanks K.
No Murder
No Sex
No Drugs
…take all the fun out of swimming why don’t you.
And also @Cancer Cowboy, you see Dijjin, I see Wartortle! 😀
If thats how you spell it.
Not to be a wet blanket or anything, but many chinese people might actually find this offensive because:
a) The sea dragon is still widely worshipped now.
b) The yellow river is something Chinese people still see as a mythical place of origin.
Then again those who still hold those beliefs probably won’t have access to the internet to see this. XD
Poor dragon…
@Gibrone haha You’re not being a wet blanket, it’s a valid statement. I talked about how dragons are still culturally significant symbols in China and elsewhere in the news post, so I’m very much aware of how this could come across to some people.
On the other hand, I’ve made fun of plenty of things people might hold dear or sacred before and I can’t say I wouldn’t do it again. When you try to appeal to everyone in an attempt to offend no one, you end up with watered down jokes or a strip that fails to say anything significant ever. That’s my philosophy, anyway.
I don’t think it would really be offensive. If anything, I would think it’s just a comment on the role gods have been delegated to in people’s hearts and minds, sort of like in that book American Gods.
BUT THAT’S JUST ME.
Wasn’t it the dragons that made the rivers yellow? On another note, babies have been found floating down chinese rivers apparently, probably disposed by local hospitals.
Nice polo, Dragon. B.T.W., the sign says “NO EATING NO MURDER/NO DIVING NO SEX/NO PEEING NO DRUGS” What a boring pool, that’s like, everything you do in public pools.