title: Cucurbita

text: When there is more pollen applied to the stigma, more seeds are produced in the fruits and the fruits are larger with greater likelihood of maturation, an effect called xenia. Competitively grown specimens are therefore often hand-pollinated to maximize the number of seeds in the fruit, which increases the fruit size; this pollination requires skilled technique. Seedlessness is known to occur in certain cultivars of "C. pepo".


title: Cucurbita

text: The most critical factors in flowering and fruit set are physiological, having to do with the age of the plant and whether it already has developing fruit. The plant hormones ethylene and auxin are key in fruit set and development. Ethylene promotes the production of female flowers. When a plant already has a fruit developing, subsequent female flowers on the plant are less likely to mature, a phenomenon called "first-fruit dominance", and male flowers are more frequent, an effect that appears due to reduced natural ethylene production within the plant stem. Ethephon, a plant growth regulator product that is converted to ethylene after metabolism by the plant, can be used to increase fruit and seed production.


title: Cucurbita

text: The plant hormone gibberellin, produced in the stamens, is essential for the development of all parts of the male flowers. The development of female flowers is not yet understood. Gibberellin is also involved in other developmental processes of plants such as seed and stem growth.


title: Cucurbita

text: Seeds with maximum germination potential develop (in "C. moschata") by 45 days after anthesis, and seed weight reaches its maximum 70 days after anthesis. Some varieties of "C. pepo" germinate best with eight hours of sunlight daily and a planting depth of . Seeds planted deeper than are not likely to germinate. In "C. foetidissima", a weedy species, plants younger than 19 days old are not able to sprout from the roots after removing the shoots. In a seed batch with 90 percent germination rate, over 90 percent of the plants had sprouted after 29 days from planting.


title: Cucurbita

text: Experiments have shown that when more pollen is applied to the stigma, as well as the fruit containing more seeds and being larger (the xenia effect mentioned above), the germination of the seeds is also faster and more likely, and the seedlings are larger. Various combinations of mineral nutrients and light have a significant effect during the various stages of plant growth. These effects vary significantly between the different species of "Cucurbita". A type of stored phosphorus called phytate forms in seed tissues as spherical crystalline intrusions in protein bodies called globoids. Along with other nutrients, phytate is used completely during seedling growth. Heavy metal contamination, including cadmium, has a significant negative impact on plant growth. "Cucurbita" plants grown in the spring tend to grow larger than those grown in the autumn.


title: Cucurbita

text: Archaeological investigations have found evidence of domestication of Cucurbita going back over 8,000 years from the very southern parts of Canada down to Argentina and Chile. Centers of domestication stretch from the Mississippi River watershed and Texas down through Mexico and Central America to northern and western South America. Of the 27 species that Nee delineates, five are domesticated. Four of them, "C. argyrosperma", "C. ficifolia", "C. moschata", and "C. pepo", originated and were domesticated in Mesoamerica; for the fifth, "C. maxima", these events occurred in South America.


title: Cucurbita

text: Within "C. pepo", the pumpkins, the scallops, and possibly the crooknecks are ancient and were domesticated at different times and places. The domesticated forms of "C. pepo" have larger fruits than non-domesticated forms and seeds that are bigger but fewer in number. In a 1989 study on the origins and development of "C. pepo", botanist Harry Paris suggested that the original wild specimen had a small round fruit and that the modern pumpkin is its direct descendant. He suggested that the crookneck, ornamental gourd, and scallop are early variants and that the acorn is a cross between the scallop and the pumpkin.


title: Cucurbita

text: "C. argyrosperma" is not as widespread as the other species. The wild form "C. a." subsp. "sororia" is found from Mexico to Nicaragua, and cultivated forms are used in a somewhat wider area stretching from Panama to the southeastern United States. It was probably bred for its seeds, which are large and high in oil and protein, but its flesh is of poorer quality than that of "C. moschata" and "C. pepo". It is grown in a wide altitudinal range: from sea level to as high as in dry areas, usually with the use of irrigation, or in areas with a defined rainy season, where seeds are sown in May and June.


title: Cucurbita

text: "C. ficifolia" and "C. moschata" were originally thought to be Asiatic in origin, but this has been disproven. The origin of "C. ficifolia" is Latin America, most likely southern Mexico, Central America, or the Andes. It grows at elevations ranging from in areas with heavy rainfall. It does not hybridize well with the other cultivated species as it has significantly different enzymes and chromosomes.


title: Cucurbita

text: "C. maxima" originated in South America over 4,000 years ago, probably in Argentina and Uruguay. The plants are sensitive to frost, and they prefer both bright sunlight and soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. "C. maxima" did not start to spread into North America until after the arrival of Columbus. Varieties were in use by native peoples of the United States by the 16th century. Types of "C. maxima" include "triloba", "zapallito", "zipinka", Banana, Delicious, Hubbard, Marrow ("C. maxima" Marrow), Show, and Turban.


title: Cucurbita

text: "C. moschata" is native to Latin America, but the precise location of origin is uncertain. It has been present in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Peru for 4,000–6,000 years and has spread to Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. This species is closely related to "C. argyrosperma". A variety known as the Seminole Pumpkin has been cultivated in Florida since before the arrival of Columbus. Its leaves are wide. It generally grows at low elevations in hot climates with heavy rainfall, but some varieties have been found above . Groups of "C. moschata" include Cheese, Crookneck ("C. moschata"), and Bell.


title: Cucurbita

text: "C. pepo" is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, domesticated species with the oldest known locations being Oaxaca, Mexico, 8,000–10,000 years ago, and Ocampo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, about 7,000 years ago. It is known to have appeared in Missouri, United States, at least 4,000 years ago. Debates about the origin of "C. pepo" have been on-going since at least 1857. There have traditionally been two opposing theories about its origin: 1) that it is a direct descendant of "C. texana" and 2) that "C. texana" is merely feral "C. pepo". A more recent theory by botanist Thomas Andres in 1987 is that descendants of "C. fraterna" hybridized with "C. texana", resulting in two distinct domestication events in two different areas: one in Mexico and one in the eastern United States, with "C. fraterna" and "C. texana", respectively, as the ancestral species. "C. pepo" may have appeared in the Old World before moving from Mexico into South America. It is found from sea level to slightly above . Leaves have 3–5 lobes and are wide. All the subspecies, varieties, and cultivars are interfertile. In 1986 Paris proposed a revised taxonomy of the edible cultivated "C. pepo" based primarily on the shape of the fruit, with eight groups . All but a few "C. pepo" cultivars can be included in these groups. There is one non-edible cultivated variety: "C. pepo" var. "ovifera".


title: Cucurbita

text: The ancestral species of the genus "Cucurbita" were present in the Americas before the arrival of humans, and are native to the Americas. The likely center of origin is southern Mexico, spreading south through what is now known as Mesoamerica, on into South America, and north to what is now the southwestern United States. Evolutionarily speaking, the genus is relatively recent in origin, dating back only to the Holocene, whereas the family Cucurbitaceae, in the shape of seeds similar to "Bryonia", dates to the Paleocene. Recent genomic studies support the idea that the "Cucurbita" genus underwent a whole-genome duplication event, increasing their number of chromosomes and accelerating the rate at which their genomes evolve compared to other cucurbits. No species within the genus is entirely genetically isolated. "C. moschata" can intercross with all the others, though the hybrid offspring may not themselves be fertile unless they become polyploid. The genus was part of the culture of almost every native peoples group from southern South America to southern Canada. Modern-day cultivated "Cucurbita" are not found in the wild. Genetic studies of the mitochondrial gene "nad1" show there were at least six independent domestication events of "Cucurbita" separating domestic species from their wild ancestors. Species native to North America include "C. digitata" (calabazilla), and "C. foetidissima" (buffalo gourd), "C. palmata" (coyote melon), and "C. pepo". Some species, such as "C. digitata" and "C. ficifolia," are referred to as "gourds". Gourds, also called bottle-gourds, which are used as utensils or vessels, belong to the genus "Lagenaria" and are native to Africa. "Lagenaria" are in the same family and subfamily as "Cucurbita" but in a different tribe.


title: Cucurbita

text: The earliest known evidence of the domestication of "Cucurbita" dates back at least 8,000 years ago, predating the domestication of other crops such as maize and beans in the region by about 4,000 years. This evidence was found in the Guilá Naquitz cave in Oaxaca, Mexico, during a series of excavations in the 1960s and 1970s, possibly beginning in 1959. Solid evidence of domesticated "C. pepo" was found in the Guilá Naquitz cave in the form of increasing rind thickness and larger peduncles in the newer stratification layers of the cave. By c. 8,000 years BP the "C. pepo" peduncles found are consistently more than thick. Wild "Cucurbita" peduncles are always below this 10 mm barrier. Changes in fruit shape and color indicate that intentional breeding of "C. pepo" had occurred by no later than 8,000 years BP. During the same time frame, average rind thickness increased from . Recent genomic studies suggest that "Cucurbita argyrosperma" was domesticated in Mexico, in the region that is currently known as the state of Jalisco.


title: Cucurbita

text: Squash was domesticated first, followed by maize and then beans, becoming part of the Three Sisters agricultural system of companion planting. The English word "squash" derives from "askutasquash" (a green thing eaten raw), a word from the Narragansett language, which was documented by Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, in his 1643 publication "A Key Into the Language of America". Similar words for squash exist in related languages of the Algonquian family.


title: Cucurbita

text: The family Cucurbitaceae has many species used as human food. "Cucurbita" species are some of the most important of those, with the various species being prepared and eaten in many ways. Although the stems and skins tend to be more bitter than the flesh, the fruits and seeds of cultivated varieties are quite edible and need little or no preparation. The flowers and young leaves and shoot tips can also be consumed. The seeds and fruits of most varieties can be stored for long periods of time, particularly the sweet-tasting winter varieties with their thick, inedible skins. Summer squash have a thin, edible skin. The seeds of both types can be roasted, eaten raw, made into pumpkin seed oil, ground into a flour or meal, or otherwise prepared.


title: Cucurbita

text: Squashes are primarily grown for the fresh food market. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported that the ranking of the top five squash-producing countries was stable between 2005 and 2009. Those countries are: China, India, Russia, the United States, and Egypt. By 2012, Iran had moved into the 5th slot, with Egypt falling to 6th.


title: Cucurbita

text: The only additional countries that rank in the top 20 where squashes are native are Cuba, which ranks 14th with 347,082 metric tons, and Argentina, which ranks 17th, with 326,900 metric tons. In addition to being the 4th largest producer of squashes in the world, the United States is the world's largest importer of squashes, importing 271,614 metric tons in 2011, 95 percent of that from Mexico. Within the United States, the states producing the largest amounts are Florida, New York, California, and North Carolina.


title: Cucurbita

text: As an example of "Cucurbita", raw summer squash is 94% water, 3% carbohydrates, and 1% protein, with negligible fat content (table). In a 100-gram reference serving, raw squash supplies of food energy and is rich in vitamin C (20% of the Daily Value, DV), moderate in vitamin B6 and riboflavin (12–17% DV), but otherwise devoid of appreciable nutrient content (table), although the nutrient content of different "Curcubita" species may vary somewhat.


title: Cucurbita

text: Pumpkin seeds contain vitamin E, crude protein, B vitamins and several dietary minerals (see nutrition table at pepita). Also present in pumpkin seeds are unsaturated and saturated oils, palmitic, oleic and linoleic fatty acids, as well as carotenoids.


title: Cucurbita

text: Cucurbitin is an amino acid and a carboxypyrrolidine that is found in raw "Cucurbita" seeds. It retards the development of parasitic flukes when administered to infected host mice, although the effect is only seen if administration begins immediately after infection.


title: Cucurbita

text: Cucurmosin is a ribosome inactivating protein found in the flesh and seed of "Cucurbita", notably "Cucurbita moschata". Cucurmosin is more toxic to cancer cells than healthy cells.


title: Cucurbita

text: Cucurbitacin is a plant steroid present in wild "Cucurbita" and in each member of the family "Cucurbitaceae". Poisonous to mammals, it is found in quantities sufficient to discourage herbivores. It makes wild "Cucurbita" and most ornamental gourds, with the exception of an occasional "C. fraterna" and "C. sororia", bitter to taste. Ingesting too much cucurbitacin can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea and even collapse. This bitterness is especially prevalent in wild Cucurbita; in parts of Mexico, the flesh of the fruits is rubbed on a woman's breast to wean children. While the process of domestication has largely removed the bitterness from cultivated varieties, there are occasional reports of cucurbitacin causing illness in humans. Cucurbitacin is also used as a lure in insect traps.


title: Cucurbita

text: "Cucurbita" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the cabbage moth ("Mamestra brassicae"), "Hypercompe indecisa", and the turnip moth ("Agrotis segetum"). "Cucurbita" can be susceptible to the pest "Bemisia argentifolii" (silverleaf whitefly) as well as aphids ("Aphididae"), cucumber beetles ("Acalymma vittatum" and "Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi"), squash bug ("Anasa tristis"), the squash vine borer ("Melittia cucurbitae"), and the two-spotted spidermite ("Tetranychus urticae"). The squash bug causes major damage to plants because of its very toxic saliva.


title: Cucurbita

text: The red pumpkin beetle ("Aulacophora foveicollis") is a serious pest of cucurbits, especially the pumpkin, which it can defoliate.


title: Cucurbita

text: Cucurbits are susceptible to diseases such as bacterial wilt ("Erwinia tracheiphila"), anthracnose ("Colletotrichum" spp.), fusarium wilt ("Fusarium" spp.), phytophthora blight ("Phytophthora" spp. water molds), and powdery mildew ("Erysiphe" spp.). Defensive responses to viral, fungal, and bacterial leaf pathogens do not involve cucurbitacin.


title: Cucurbita

text: Species in the genus "Cucurbita" are susceptible to some types of mosaic virus including: cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), papaya ringspot virus-cucurbit strain (PRSV), squash mosaic virus (SqMV), tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). PRSV is the only one of these viruses that does not affect all cucurbits. SqMV and CMV are the most common viruses among cucurbits. Symptoms of these viruses show a high degree of similarity, which often results in laboratory investigation being needed to differentiate which one is affecting plants.


title: Cucurbita

text: Long before European contact, "Cucurbita" had been a major food source for the native peoples of the Americas, and the species became an important food for European settlers, including the Pilgrims, even featuring at the first Thanksgiving. Commercially produced pumpkin commonly used in pumpkin pie is most often varieties of "C. moschata"; Libby's, by far the largest producer of processed pumpkin, uses a proprietary strain of the Dickinson pumpkin variety of "C. moschata" for its canned pumpkin. Other foods that can be made using members of this genus include biscuits, bread, cheesecake, desserts, donuts, granola, ice cream, lasagna dishes, pancakes, pudding, pumpkin butter, salads, soups, and stuffing. Squash soup is a dish in African cuisine. The xerophytic species are proving useful in the search for nutritious foods that grow well in arid regions. "C. ficifolia" is used to make soft and mildly alcoholic drinks.


title: Cucurbita

text: In India, squashes ("ghiya") are cooked with seafood such as prawns. In France, marrows ("courges") are traditionally served as a gratin, sieved and cooked with butter, milk, and egg, and flavored with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and as soups. In Italy, zucchini and larger squashes are served in a variety of regional dishes, such as "cocuzze alla puviredda" cooked with olive oil, salt and herbs from Apulia; as "torta di zucca" from Liguria, or "torta di zucca e riso" from Emilia-Romagna, the squashes being made into a pie filling with butter, ricotta, parmesan, egg, and milk; and as a sauce for pasta in dishes like "spaghetti alle zucchine" from Sicily. In Japan, squashes such as small "C. moschata" pumpkins ("kabocha") are eaten boiled with sesame sauce, fried as a tempura dish, or made into balls with sweet potato and Japanese mountain yam.


title: Cucurbita

text: Along with maize and beans, squash has been depicted in the art work of the native peoples of the Americas for at least 2,000 years. For example, cucurbits are often represented in Moche ceramics.


title: Cucurbita

text: Though native to the western hemisphere, "Cucurbita" began to spread to other parts of the world after Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Until recently, the earliest known depictions of this genus in Europe was of "Cucurbita pepo" in "De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes" in 1542 by the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs, but in 1992, two paintings, one of "C. pepo" and one of "C. maxima", painted between 1515 and 1518, were identified in festoons at Villa Farnesina in Rome. Also, in 2001 depictions of this genus were identified in "Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany" ("Les Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne"), a French devotional book, an illuminated manuscript created between 1503 and 1508. This book contains an illustration known as "Quegourdes de turquie", which was identified by cucurbit specialists as "C. pepo" subsp. "texana" in 2006.


title: Cucurbita

text: In 1952, Stanley Smith Master, using the pen name Edrich Siebert, wrote "The Marrow Song (Oh what a beauty!)" to a tune in time. It became a popular hit in Australia in 1973, and was revived by the Wurzels in Britain on their 2003 album "Cutler of the West". John Greenleaf Whittier wrote a poem entitled "The Pumpkin" in 1850. "The Great Pumpkin" is a fictional holiday figure in the comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz.


title: Cucurbita

text: "C. foetidissima" contains a saponin that can be obtained from the fruit and root. This can be used as a soap, shampoo, and bleach. Prolonged contact can cause skin irritation. Pumpkin is also used in cosmetics.


title: Cucurbita

text: "Cucurbita" have been used in various cultures as folk remedies. Pumpkins have been used by Native Americans to treat intestinal worms and urinary ailments. This Native American remedy was adopted by American doctors in the early nineteenth century as an anthelmintic for the expulsion of worms. In southeastern Europe, seeds of "C. pepo" were used to treat irritable bladder and benign prostatic hyperplasia. In Germany, pumpkin seed is approved for use by the Commission E, which assesses folk and herbal medicine, for irritated bladder conditions and micturition problems of prostatic hyperplasia stages 1 and 2, although the monograph published in 1985 noted a lack of pharmacological studies that could substantiate empirically found clinical activity. The FDA in the United States, on the other hand, banned the sale of all such non-prescription drugs for the treatment of prostate enlargement in 1990.


title: Cucurbita

text: In China, "C. moschata" seeds were also used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of the parasitic disease schistosomiasis and for the expulsion of tape worms.


title: Cucurbita

text: "Cucurbita" fruits including pumpkins and marrows are celebrated in festivals in countries such as Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Britain, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Argentina holds an annual nationwide pumpkin festival "Fiesta Nacional del Zapallo" ("Squashes and Pumpkins National Festival"), in Ceres, Santa Fe, on the last day of which a "Reina Nacional del Zapallo" ("National Queen of the Pumpkin") is chosen. In Portugal the "Festival da Abóbora de Lourinhã e Atalaia" ("Squashes and Pumpkins Festival in Lourinhã and Atalaia") is held in Lourinhã city, called the "Capital Nacional da Abóbora" (the "National Capital of Squashes and Pumpkins"). Ludwigsburg, Germany annually hosts the world's largest pumpkin festival. In Britain a giant marrow (zucchini) weighing was displayed in the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in 2012. In the US, pumpkin chucking is practiced competitively, with machines such as trebuchets and air cannons designed to throw intact pumpkins as far as possible. The Keene Pumpkin Fest is held annually in New Hampshire; in 2013 it held the world record for the most jack-o-lanterns lit in one place, 30,581 on October 19, 2013.


title: Cucurbita

text: Halloween is widely celebrated with jack-o-lanterns made of large orange pumpkins carved with ghoulish faces and illuminated from inside with candles. The pumpkins used for jack-o-lanterns are "C. pepo", not to be confused with the ones typically used for pumpkin pie in the United States, which are "C. moschata". Kew Gardens marked Halloween in 2013 with a display of pumpkins, including a towering pyramid made of many varieties of squash, in the Waterlily House during its "IncrEdibles" festival.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: The Father of the Bride franchise consists of a series of released comedy and romantic comedy films, based on the premise of the 1949 novel of the same name. The film adaptations respectively depict the events of wedding preparations from the point of view of an overly-protective father, and his growing realizations that his daughter has grown.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: Developed by MGM in 1950 as a comedy, the original film was critically and financially successful, and was followed by a sequel in 1951. In 1991, The Walt Disney Company purchased the film rights to the story and adapted a romantic comedy remake through its Touchstone Pictures film studio. The time-period for which was shifted to be a contemporary adaptation. It was also followed by a sequel in 1995. Though the remakes were not critically acclaimed releases, they have subsequently gained cult status within their respective genre. A third installment, "mini-sequel", was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic and was released on September 25, 2020, to support World Central Kitchen's efforts in relieving those effected by the coronavirus.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: A reboot of the franchise was developed at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures as an exclusive for the company's Disney+ streaming service and was released on June 16, 2022.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: The 1949 satirical comedy novel, "Father of the Bride", written by Edward Streeter serves the inspiration for the film adaptations.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: The story centers around Stanley Banks and his troublesome attempts to adapt to his daughter's engagement. The story provides readers with insight into the mind of an overprotective father, and the comedic scenarios that follow. Stanley is a working man, who has to pay the expensive bill for a wedding he doesn't accept wholeheartedly. Over the course of the story, he has a change of heart and comes to understand that he must welcome the next phase of life. Illustrations for the book were provided by Gluyas Williams.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: When the doting, middle-class working, father Stanley Banks, learns that his beautiful daughter Kay is engaged to Buckley Dunstan, a series of comical difficulties arise. Stan navigates a range of wedding planning problems ranging from monetary to emotional, all while his wife Ellie tries to keep the peace and remain calm. His love for his daughter grows as Stan realizes he is the father of the bride, and that she has grown up.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: One year following the wedding of their daughter, Stanley and Ellie Banks are surprised with news that their daughter Kay is pregnant. While everyone fawns over Kay and the excitement of the upcoming newborn, Stan retrieves as he is not yet ready to be a grandfather. When the family continues to prepare for the coming baby's nursery and debates over what name it shall have, Stan finds himself being the one that Kay turns to for help because of his mellow facade. In helping his daughter realize that she is ready to be a mother, Stan realizes that he too can find excitement in the coming events.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: A remake released in 1991, the events of the plot were updated for a contemporary audience. Though the critical reception upon release was mixed, the movie has subsequently been deemed a romantic comedy "cult classic" film.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: George Banks and his wife Nina, are the proud doting parents of their daughter Annie. They are both surprised when she returns home from studying abroad, and announces that she is engaged to a man she met in Rome, Italy. George's whole world turns upside down, as the overprotective father copes with advancing to his daughter's next stage of life. Nina's excitement contrasts and equals the apprehension of George. The pair quickly navigates the wedding preparations including, meeting the in-laws, an eccentric wedding planner and his flamboyant assistant named Franck and Howard respectively. When things continue to move at a pace out of his control, George comes to terms with the reality that his daughter has grown up and happily walks her down the aisle.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: A sequel to "Father of the Bride" (1991), and a partial remake of "Father's Little Dividend", "Part II" picks up where the previous installment left off. The sequel received a less favorable critical reception than its predecessor but once again became a romantic comedy cult classic movie, albeit this time.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: As George adjusts to the reality that his daughter is married and that his son Matty is growing up, he initiates plans to sell his home with retirement in mind. Annie announces that she is pregnant. Upon realizing that he will become a grandfather, George must come to terms with that fact that he is aging. Not ready to be a senior citizen, George begins a series of comical events associated with a midlife crisis. Amid these events George receives even more surprising news, when his wife Nina reveals that she is also expecting a baby. Realizing that he will go from being the father of the bride to the father of the newborn, George navigates preparations for the two babies. The family receives assistance from the eccentric Franck Eggelhoffer in planning the baby showers and preparing the nursery. Throughout these events, George realizes that he will get to experience the joys of parenthood with Nina all over again, with his upcoming baby. He repurchases his home and finds excitement in fathering his baby daughter, Megan.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: Developments for a third installment began as early as 1996, following the release of "Father of the Bride Part II". Though the second film did not perform as well as the first movie, Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers were confirmed to return in their respective roles. The project however, remained in various stages of development hell since its inception. In February 2014, "Hollywood Reporter" Nikki Fink exclusively reported that the script was finished, and would center around the wedding of Matty Banks. He stated that the character would be gay, and that the story would center around George coming to terms with his son's sexuality. Steve Martin seemingly debunked the report, one day later. By October 2017, George Newbern stated that a script written by Charles Shyer had been completed. Various actors from the first two films, expressed interest at different times in returning for a third film. Following reports that The Walt Disney Company is rebooting the franchise, talks of a third film dissipated.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: In September 2020, Nancy Meyers announced a follow-up to the first two films was coming. The first teaser trailer was released on September 23, with an official preview released the following day. The "mini-sequel" was written and directed by Meyers, with the plot including a family reunion over Zoom at the request of Matty Banks, and depicted George Banks' reaction to 2020. Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Kieran Culkin, George Newbern, and Martin Short reprised their respective roles, with Alexandra Shipp and Robert De Niro joining. The film benefited World Central Kitchen charity, supporting families and children who suffer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Father of the Bride 3(ish)" was released on September 25, 2020, exclusively through Netflix while also streaming on the service's YouTube and Facebook pages.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: In September 2020, it was announced that a Latin adaptation centered around Cuban-Americans is in development with a script written by Matt Lopez. By February 2021, Gaz Alazraki signed on as director. Andy García starred as Guillermo "Billy" Herrera, the titular character in addition to serving as executive producer, while Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner served as producers. The project is intended to be a joint-venture production between Warner Bros. Pictures, and Plan B Entertainment with HBO Max distributing. It was released on June 16, 2022.


title: Father of the Bride (franchise)

text: In February 2018, it was announced that various remakes were in development from The Walt Disney Company for their Disney+ streaming service, drawing from their library of intellectual properties. One of the projects named in the announcement was "Father of the Bride".


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The Battle of Shanghai () was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) of the Empire of Japan at the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It lasted from August 13, 1937, to November 26, 1937, and was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the entire war, later described as "Stalingrad of the China", and is often regarded as the battle where World War II started. After over three months of extensive fighting on land, in the air and at sea, the battle concluded with a victory for Japan.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Since the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 followed by the Japanese attack of Shanghai in 1932, there had been ongoing armed conflicts between China and Japan without an official declaration of war. These conflicts finally escalated in July 1937, when the Marco Polo Bridge Incident triggered the full advance from Japan. Dogged Chinese resistance at Shanghai was aimed at stalling Japanese advance, giving much needed time for the Chinese government to move vital industries to the interior, while at the same time attempting to bring sympathetic Western powers to China's side. During the fierce three-month battle, Chinese and Japanese troops fought in downtown Shanghai, in the outlying towns, and on the beaches of the Yangtze River and Hangzhou Bay, where the Japanese had made amphibious landings.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chinese forces were equipped primarily with small-caliber weapons against much greater Japanese air, naval, and armor power. In the end, Shanghai fell, and China lost a significant portion of its best troops, while failing to elicit any international intervention. The resistance of Chinese forces and length of the battle at over 3 months shocked the Japanese, who had been indoctrinated with notions of cultural and martial superiority, and largely demoralized the Imperial Japanese Army who believed they could take Shanghai within days and China within months.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The battle can be divided into three stages, and eventually involved nearly one million troops. The first stage lasted from August 13 to August 22, 1937, during which the NRA attempted to eradicate Japanese troop presence in downtown Shanghai. The second stage lasted from August 23 to October 26, 1937, during which the Japanese launched amphibious landings on the Jiangsu coast and the two armies fought a Stalingrad-type house-to-house battle, with the Japanese attempting to gain control of the city and the surrounding regions. The last stage, ranging from October 27 to the end of November 1937, involved the retreat of the Chinese army in the face of Japanese flanking maneuvers, and the ensuing combat on the road to China's capital, Nanjing.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On 9 August, Lieutenant of the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces came speeding in a car up to the gate of Hongqiao Airport. As he was stopped by a Chinese guard, the lieutenant attempted to drive past the gate. The guard stopped him again and Oyama shot and killed the guard. Other Chinese guards returned fire and Lieutenant Oyama was killed in the shootout.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Access to Hongqiao Airport was a violation of the terms agreed by China and Japan under the terms of the ceasefire signed in 1932. It is still unknown whether Ōyama attempted to enter the military airport. The incident heightened the tensions between the Chinese and Japanese forces in Shanghai. On 10 August, the Japanese Consul General demanded that the Chinese withdraw the Peace Preservation Corps and dismantle their defense works around the city. He also made it clear that the Imperial Japanese Army regarded the shooting of a Japanese officer as humiliating, and that any further incident would escalate the situation. In response to the incident, the Japanese began sending in reinforcements to Shanghai. Facing the increasing Japanese military presence in Shanghai, Chinese troops were also being deployed to the Shanghai area beginning on 11 August.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On 12 August, representatives from the United Kingdom, France, United States and Italy along with Japan and China participated in the joint conference held in Shanghai to discuss the ceasefire terms. Japan demanded the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Shanghai, while the Chinese representative Yu Hung-chun dismissed the Japanese demand, stating that the terms of ceasefire have already been violated by Japan. The major powers did not wish to see another January 28 Incident, which greatly disrupted foreign economic activities in Shanghai. On the other hand, Chinese citizens feverishly welcomed the presence of Chinese troops in the city. In Nanjing, Chinese and Japanese representatives met for the last time for final efforts at negotiation. The Japanese demanded that the Chinese withdraw all Peace Preservation Corps from Shanghai and all regular troops from the vicinities of the city. The Chinese insisted that the Japanese demand of a unilateral Chinese withdrawal was unacceptable since the two countries were already fighting a war in North China. At last Mayor Yu made it clear that at most the Chinese government would concede that the Chinese troops would not fire unless fired upon. Japan on the other hand placed all responsibility on China because of Chinese deployment of troops around Shanghai. Negotiation was impossible and there was no alternative other than the spread of war into Central China.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Around 9 am on August 13, the Chinese Peace Preservation Corps exchanged small arms fire with Japanese troops in the Zhabei, Wusong, and Jiangwan districts of Shanghai. At about 3 pm the Japanese army crossed over the Bazi Bridge (八字橋) in Zhabei and attacked various centers in the city. The 88th Division retaliated with mortar attacks. Sporadic shooting continued through the day until 4 pm, when Japanese headquarters ordered ships of the Third Fleet stationed in the Yangtze and the Huangpu River to open fire on Chinese positions in the city. Late that night, Chiang Kai-shek ordered Zhang Zhizhong to begin Chinese offensive operations the next day. The next morning the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) began bombing various Japanese targets and Chinese ground forces attacked at 3 pm. On the same day, August 14, the Chinese government issued the Proclamation of Self-Defense and War of Resistance (自衛抗戰聲明書), explaining the government's resolution against Japanese aggression. The Battle of Shanghai had officially begun.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Zhang Zhizhong's initial plan was to have the numerically superior Chinese forces attack the Japanese by surprise and push them into the Huangpu River, then blockade the coast to deny the Japanese the opportunity to land reinforcements at the Huangpu wharves between Yangshupu and Hongkou. The 88th Division was to attack Japanese army headquarters near Zhabei, and the 87th Division was to attack the reinforced Kung-ta Textile Mill, where the Japanese naval command was located. Zhang estimated it would take one week to achieve these objectives; however, the operation ran into trouble when his troops were fought to a standstill just outside the Shanghai International Settlement. Japanese strongholds were fortified with thick concrete and were resistant to 150mm howitzers, the only heavy weapons the Chinese possessed. Chinese troops could only advance, under the cover of machine gun fire, by getting close enough to the emplacements to kill those within with hand grenades. The Chinese advance was greatly slowed and the element of surprise was lost.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Lacking the heavy weapons to destroy the Japanese bunkers directly, Zhang Zhizhong decided to encircle them instead. On August 16, he ordered his men to take the streets surrounding the Japanese strongholds. Every time a street was successfully cleared, the Chinese would set up a sandbag blockade, gradually surrounding each stronghold and closing off all possible routes of escape. The tactic was successful at first and the Chinese were able to destroy many emplacements and outposts in a single day. However, the Japanese then deployed tanks in the broad streets, enabling them to easily repel Chinese attacks and defeat the encircling strategy. On August 18 the Chinese attack was called off.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On August 18, Chen Cheng reached the front lines to discuss the situation with Zhang Zhizhong. They decided to send the newly arrived 36th Division into the fray, attacking the Hueishan (匯山) docks on the northern side of the Huangpu River. Meanwhile, the 87th Division broke through Japanese lines at Yangshupu, and pushed onto the Hueishan docks along with the 36th Division. On August 22, the tanks of the 36th Division reached the docks, but were unable to hold the position for long. The Chinese troops were insufficiently trained in coordinating infantry-tank tactics, and the troops were unable to keep up with the tanks. Without sufficient infantry to protect them, the tanks were vulnerable to Japanese anti-tank weapons and artillery in close quarters and became useless when they entered the city center. The few troops who did manage to keep up with the tanks through the city blocks were then trapped by Japanese blockades and annihilated by flamethrowers and intense machine gun fire. While the Chinese almost succeeded in pushing the Japanese down the Huangpu River, the casualty rate was exceedingly high. During the night of August 22 alone, the 36th Division lost more than ninety officers and a thousand troops. 36th staff officer Xiong Xinmin saw a Chinese suicide bomber stop a Japanese tank column by exploding himself beneath the lead tank.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On August 22, the Japanese 3rd, 8th, and 11th Divisions made an amphibious assault under the cover of naval bombardment and proceeded to land in Chuanshakou (川沙口), Shizilin (獅子林), and Baoshan (寶山), towns on the northeast coast some fifty kilometers (31 miles) away from downtown Shanghai. Japanese landings in northeast Shanghai suburban areas meant that many Chinese troops, who were deployed in Shanghai's urban center, had to be redeployed to the coastal regions to counter the landings. Thus, the front line was lengthened from metropolitan Shanghai along the Huangpu River to the northeast coastal districts. The Chinese offensive in the urban center had ground to a halt, and the fighting in downtown Shanghai essentially became a stalemate with both sides suffering heavy losses and making minimal changes in the front line. The Chinese divisions were able to hold on to Zhabei, Jiangwan, and other downtown positions for three months, until situations in other areas made it strategically impossible to continue defending them.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The frontline fighter aircraft of the Chinese Air Force at the beginning of full-scale hostilities consisted primarily of Curtiss Hawk IIs and Hawk IIIs (many license-built at the CAMCO plant at the Jianqiao Airbase) and the Boeing P-26 Model 281 Peashooter. The Chinese pilots in particular used the Hawk IIIs in various multi-role combat operations against Imperial Japanese positions in and around Shanghai, while the P-26 primarily provided escort cover.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On August 14, the ROCAF bombed the Japanese Navy flagship "Izumo". In what became known as "Black Saturday", bombs from ROCAF aircraft fell in the Shanghai International Settlement. While the Chinese pilots were instructed not to fly over the Shanghai International Settlement, the Japanese flagship was berthed right in front of it in what may amount to using the civilian enclave as a human shield; 700-950 Chinese and foreign civilians were killed outright, with a total of 3,000 of civilian deaths and injuries resulting from the accidental release of the bombs, with most of the death occurring at the Great World entertainment centre, where civilian refugees had gathered after fleeing from the fighting. The bombing was not an intended attack on the International Settlement: the four errant bombs were intended for the Japanese cruiser "Izumo", which was moored nearby in the Whangpoo (Huangpu) river, adjacent to the Bund. Two exploded in Nanking Road and two in front of the Great World Amusement Centre on Avenue Edward VII, killing an estimated 2,000 shoppers and passers-by. Japanese planes responded to the attack on "Izumo" and the 4th Flying Group of the ROCAF, based in Henan, under the command of Captain Gao Zhihang (高志航), shot down six Japanese planes, while suffering zero losses. (In 1940 the government announced August 14 would be "Air Force Day" to raise the morale of the Chinese populace.) From August 15 to 18, the Chinese fought the numerically superior Japanese air force in intense air battles that saw two Japanese squadrons destroyed. China was fighting the air war with every airplane in its possession, some of them purchased second-hand from various countries. It was not able to produce any planes of its own to replace those lost in combat and was always running low on replacement parts and supplies. Japan, in contrast, had a robust aviation industry able to design and manufacture technologically advanced planes and could easily make good their losses. Thus, it was impossible for China to sustain an air war with Japan, however, the Chinese Air Force were given a much-needed lifeline with many new replacement fighter aircraft under the new Sino-Soviet Treaty as the initial inventory of American-made aircraft were gradually lost through attrition. In the Shanghai campaign, the ROCAF is said to have shot down 85 Japanese airplanes and sunk 51 ships, while losing 91 of its own airplanes, just under half of its entire air force at the time.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On August 15, the Japanese formed the Shanghai Expeditionary Army (SEF), composed of the 3rd and 11th Divisions, under the command of General Iwane Matsui. On August 19, Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe announced that the Sino-Japanese conflict could only be resolved through war, regardless of any attempts at negotiation by third party nations. Konoe said that the initial plan of localized "containment" around the Shanghai region had now escalated to total war, with the ultimate goal of forcing the Chinese government to fully cooperate with the economic and political demands of Japan. On August 23, the Japanese began the bombing campaign over Nanjing, and various cities in Central China. The Shanghai Expeditionary Army also arrived on the same day.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: At the beginning of the battle, Zhang Zhizhong, as the commander of the 5th Army and the Nanjing-Shanghai war zone, was responsible for conducting Chinese operations. The failure of the initial Chinese offensive greatly dismayed Chiang Kai-shek and his staff. Chiang criticized Zhang's failure to make sufficient preparations, especially the procurement of weapons capable of penetrating Japanese bunkers, before sending the troops in massive waves, which resulted in unsustainable casualties in many divisions right from the start. Zhang was also criticized for his overconfidence and his penchant for holding press conferences for both foreign and Chinese reporters in the cosmopolitan city. Chiang Kai-shek and his staff, the most prominent including Chen Cheng and Gu Zhutong, began taking over command duties from Zhang. Chiang Kai-shek himself would eventually become the commander of the third war zone which covers the entirety of Shanghai. Regardless, the Chinese offensives against the Japanese garrison failed despite outnumbering the Japanese troops, due to the lack of heavy weaponry and artillery support.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: As the Chinese forces began to withdraw from the Shanghai area, more Japanese troops began to land near Shanghai, inflicting heavy casualties on the Chinese side. The fighting spread across from Shanghai metropolis all the way to the township of Liuhe, near the coast where the majority of the Japanese landings occurred.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The perceived strength of the Chinese response resulted in major reinforcement for Japanese units. The 9th, 13th, and 101st Divisions, the 5th Heavy Artillery Brigade, and a brigade-strength mixture of smaller units were ordered from Japan to Shanghai by Imperial General Headquarters on 11 September 1937.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On August 23, the SEF, led by Iwane Matsui, landed in Liuhe, Wusong (吳淞), and Chuanshakou. Chiang Kai-shek had expected these coastal towns to be vulnerable to Japanese landings and ordered Chen Cheng to reinforce the area with the 18th Army. However, the Chinese were no match for Japanese firepower. The Japanese almost always began their amphibious assaults with heavy naval and air bombardment of the Chinese coastal defense works and trenches. It was not unheard of for the Chinese to lose an entire garrison to such bombardments. However, the Chinese would reinforce almost immediately to counter the Japanese troops who had just made their landing after the bombardment.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In the two weeks that followed, the Chinese and Japanese troops fought bitter battles in the numerous towns and villages along the coast. The Chinese troops fending off the amphibious assaults had only their small-caliber weapons to depend on, and were not sufficiently supported by the ROCAF and the almost nonexistent Chinese navy. They paid heavily for the defense. An entire regiment could be reduced to just a few men in action. In addition, Chinese coastal defense works were hastily constructed and did not offer much protection against enemy attacks, as many trenches were newly constructed during lulls in fighting. Moreover, the sandy soil of the coastal region meant that it was difficult to construct sturdy fortifications. Many trenches would collapse due to rain. The Chinese raced against time to construct and repair these defense works despite constant Japanese bombardment. Logistics difficulty also meant it was hard to transport the necessary construction materials to the front line. The Chinese often had to turn to bombed-out houses to obtain bricks, beams, and other such materials. However, the Chinese fought against great odds and tried to hold on to the coastal villages as long as they could. It was commonplace for the Japanese to successfully occupy the towns in the day under heavy naval support, only to lose them during the night to Chinese counterattacks.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Such attacks and counterattacks continued well into late August, when the fall of Baoshan, a vital coastal town, seemed imminent. Chiang Kai-shek ordered the remaining troops of the 98th Division to defend the town. One battalion, under Yao Ziqing (姚子青), was assigned to the task. The situation in Baoshan was grim, as the Japanese had surrounded the town on September 5. However, Yao ordered his men to defend to the death. Japanese artillery strikes reduced the town to rubble, and Yao was killed in house-to-house fighting. On September 6 Baoshan fell. The entire battalion, except for one soldier, was killed in action. The Chinese would continue to sustain this level of casualties throughout the Shanghai campaign.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On September 11, with the fall of Baoshan, the Chinese Army moved into defensive positions around the small town of Luodian (羅店), the transportation center connecting Baoshan, downtown Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang and several other towns with highways. The successful defense of Luodian was strategically paramount to the security of Suzhou and Shanghai; as early as August 29, German adviser Alexander von Falkenhausen had told Chiang Kai-shek that the town must be held at all costs. The Chinese concentrated some 300,000 soldiers there, while the Japanese amassed more than 100,000 troops, supported by naval gunfire, tanks, and aircraft.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The carnage and intensity of the resulting battle earned the fight for Luodian the nickname "grinding mill of flesh and blood" (血肉磨坊). Japanese assaults typically began at daybreak with concentrated aerial bombing, followed by the release of observation balloons to pinpoint the exact location of remaining Chinese positions for artillery and naval strikes. Japanese infantry would then advance under smoke screens, with armored support. Japanese planes would also accompany the infantry and strafe Chinese reinforcements.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chinese defense was stubborn even in the face of overwhelming firepower. During the night, Chinese soldiers mined the roads connecting the coastal towns to Luodian and engaged in night combat to cut off Japanese advance troops. At daybreak, the Chinese would garrison the foremost defensive lines with comparatively few troops in order to reduce casualties resulting from intense Japanese bombardments. The Chinese would then emerge from rear positions to engage the enemy when the Japanese land offensive started after naval and artillery strikes had ceased.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Despite their numerical superiority, the defense of Luodian would prove impossible for the Chinese. The Japanese superiority of firepower forced the Chinese into a passive position, from which they could not mount counter-attacks until the Japanese were practically on top of them. Because of this, the decision was made to defend the entire town to the death, a tactic which greatly accelerated the attrition rate within the Chinese ranks. The casualty rate of General Chen Cheng's army group was more than fifty percent. By the end of September, the Chinese had been almost bled dry and were forced to give up Luodian.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On October 1, on advice from his commanders, Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe decided to integrate the North China and Central China Theaters and launch an October offensive to subjugate the Chinese government and end the war. By this time, the Japanese had increased troop strength in the Shanghai region to more than two hundred thousand. Japanese troops also invaded the town of Liuhang (劉行), south of Luodian. Thus, the frontline moved further south onto the banks of the Wenzaobang River. The Japanese aim was to cross the Yunzaobang and take the town of Dachang (大場), which was the communications link between Chinese troops in downtown Shanghai and the northwest outlying towns.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: If Dachang fell, Chinese troops would have to give up their positions in downtown Shanghai and regions east of the Huangpu River to avoid encirclement by the Japanese. The defense of Dachang was vital to how long the Chinese army could continue fighting in the Shanghai war zone; for this, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized whatever remaining troops he could find.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The two armies engaged in seesaw battles, with little changes in the frontline along the Yunzaobin River. From September 11 to October 20, the Japanese army was able to advance only five kilometers. At the most intense moments, positions would change hands five times a day. On October 17, the Guangxi Army under Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi finally arrived to join Chiang Kai-shek's Central Army in the battle for Shanghai. The Chinese then staged a final counteroffensive in an attempt to fully consolidate Chinese positions around Dachang and retake the banks of the Yunzaobin River. However, the counteroffensive was poorly coordinated and again the Chinese succumbed to superior Japanese firepower. The Japanese utilized some 700 artillery pieces and 150 bombers for the Dachang operation and the town was totally reduced to rubble. The fighting was so fierce that the Chinese casualty rate per hour was sometimes in the thousands, and some divisions were incapacitated in a matter of just a few days. The fighting continued until October 25, when Dachang finally fell. By then, Chinese troops had no option but to withdraw from downtown Shanghai, which they had held for almost three months.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Starting the night of October 26, the Chinese began withdrawing from Shanghai's urban center. Because Dachang and other vital suburban towns had been lost already, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Chinese troops to retreat from Zhabei, Jiangwan (江灣), and other positions that the troops had held for seventy-five days without faltering. However, Chiang ordered one battalion of the 88th Division remain in Zhabei to defend the Sihang Warehouse on the northern bank of the Suzhou Creek.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chiang wanted the Chinese military presence to remain in Shanghai as long as possible to have a positive reflection on the ongoing Nine-Power Treaty conference that was in session in Brussels, with the hopes for possible intervention from Western powers. The rest of the Chinese troops crossed the Suzhou Creek and regrouped to engage the Japanese troops.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chiang's original plan was to fight in areas south of the Suzhou Creek and inflict as many Japanese casualties as possible. However, through three months of intense fighting, Chinese troop strength had been greatly reduced. Most units had their strength halved, and as a result a division had the fighting capability of less than two regiments. By now, the Chinese army needed between eight and twelve divisions to match the fighting strength of just one Japanese division. Thus, Chinese commanders were pessimistic about the outcome of the Suzhou Creek combat.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, Zhang Fakui and other commanders insisted that the Chinese troops should enter the Wufu and Xicheng defense lines to protect Nanjing, but Chiang wanted the Chinese troops to continue fighting on the southern bank of Suzhou Creek. On October 28, Chiang arrived in the battlefield to boost the morale of his troops. However, the situation was bleak. On October 30, the Japanese crossed Suzhou River and the Chinese troops were in danger of encirclement. The Chinese army was at its limit of endurance.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: As early as October 12, the Japanese chiefs of staff had already formulated plans to force a landing in Jinshanwei (金山衛), a town located on the northern bank of Hangzhou Bay, south of the Shanghai region. The Jinshanwei landings would facilitate a northward push into Shanghai, to complement the landings in northeastern towns, such as the ones around Baoshan between late August and mid-September, which brought about a southward push.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chiang Kai-shek was aware of the Japanese plan to encircle his army in Shanghai from the north and the south, and had already ordered his commanders to take precautions of the possible Japanese landings at Jinshanwei. However, the impending fall of Dachang in late October forced Chiang to redeploy the Chinese divisions originally stationed along the northern coast of Hangzhou Bay.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: As a result, the lack of Chinese defenses allowed the Japanese 10th Army Corps, composed of units diverted from the Battle of Taiyuan in the North China Theater, to land easily in Jinshanwei on November 5. Jinshanwei was only forty kilometers away from the banks of Suzhou River where the Chinese troops had just retreated from the fall of Dachang.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In October, the SEF was reinforced by the Japanese 10th Army commanded by Lieutenant General Heisuke Yanagawa. On 7 November, Japanese Central China Area Army (CCAA) was organized by combining the SEF and the 10th Army, with Matsui appointed as its commander-in-chief concurrently with that of the SEF. After winning the battles around Shanghai, the SEF suggested the Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo to attack Nanking.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The CCAA was rearranged and Lieutenant General Prince Asaka (Yasuhiko), an uncle of Emperor Hirohito, was appointed as the commander of the SEF, while Matsui stayed as the commander of CCAA overseeing both the SEF and the 10th Army. The real nature of Matsui's authority is however difficult to establish as he was confronted with a member of the imperial family directly appointed by the Emperor. In anticipation of the attack on Nanking, Matsui issued orders to his armies that read:


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Nanjing is the capital of China and the capture thereof is an international affair; therefore, careful study should be made so as to exhibit the honor and glory of Japan and augment the trust of the Chinese people, and that the battle in the vicinity of Shanghai is aimed at the subjugation of the Chinese Army, therefore protect and patronize Chinese officials and people, as far as possible; the Army should always bear in mind not to involve foreign residents and armies in trouble and maintain close liaison with foreign authorities in order to avoid misunderstandings.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On December 2, Emperor Showa nominated one of his uncles, Prince Asaka, as commander of the invasion. It is difficult to establish if, as a member of the imperial family, Asaka had a superior status to general Iwane Matsui, who was officially the commander in chief, but it is clear that, as the top-ranking officer, he had authority over division commanders, lieutenant-generals Kesago Nakajima and Heisuke Yanagawa.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: After securing control of Shanghai, the Japanese army began its advance towards Nanjing on November 11, 1937, approaching the city from different directions.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The Japanese advance to Nanjing can be characterized as a "forced march". Almost all units covered the distance of almost 400 kilometers in about a month. Assuming that capture of the Chinese capital would be the decisive turning point in the war, there was an eagerness to be among the first to claim the honor of victory.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The Japanese army was engaged by Chinese soldiers on a number of occasions on the way to Nanjing. As a general rule, they were heavily outnumbered. As the Japanese came closer to Nanjing, the fighting grew in both frequency and severity.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Japanese landings at Jinshanwei meant that the Chinese army had to retire from the Shanghai front and attempt a breakout. However, Chiang Kai-shek still placed some hope that the Nine-Power Treaty would result in a sanction against Japan by Western powers. It was not until November 8 that the Chinese central command issued a general retreat to withdraw from the entire Shanghai front. All Chinese units were ordered to move toward western towns such as Kunshan, and then from there enter the final defense lines to stop the Japanese from reaching Nanjing.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: By then, the Chinese army was utterly exhausted, and with a severe shortage of ammunition and supplies, the defense was faltering. Kunshan was lost in only two days, and the remaining troops began moving toward the Wufu Line fortifications on November 13. The Chinese army was fighting with the last of its strength and the frontline was on the verge of collapse.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In the chaos that ensued many Chinese units were broken up and lost contact with their communications officers who had the maps and layouts to the fortifications. In addition, once they arrived at Wufu Line, the Chinese troops discovered that some of the civilian officials were not there to receive them as they had already fled and had taken the keys with them. The battered Chinese troops, who had just emerged from the bloodbath in Shanghai and were hoping to enter the defense lines, found that they were not able to utilize these fortifications.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The Wufu Line was penetrated on November 19, and the Chinese troops then moved toward Xicheng Line, which they were forced to give up on November 26 in the midst of the onslaught. The "Chinese Hindenburg Line", which the government had spent millions to construct and was the final line of defense between Shanghai and Nanjing, collapsed in only two weeks. The Battle of Shanghai was over. However, fighting continued without a pause on the road to China's capital and the ensuing combat immediately led into the Battle of Nanjing.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Even though the Battle of Shanghai was only the first of the twenty-two major battles fought between China and Japan, Chiang Kai-shek's decision to send his best troops into the battle had significant repercussions. At the outbreak of the war, the Chinese NRA boasted a standing army of some 1.75 million troops, but the combat strength was significantly lower as the majority of the Chinese troops were poorly trained and poorly equipped. Only about 300,000 were comparatively better trained. These troops were reorganized into some 20 newly formed divisions. Of these, around 80,000 had belonged to the German-trained divisions that composed the elite units of Chiang Kai-shek's Central Army. However, even these divisions were not sufficiently supported by combined arms. Thus, out of a grand total of almost two million men-in-arms, less than one hundred thousand Chinese troops were able to fight Japan on more or less equal terms.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chiang Kai-shek's decision to commit his elite divisions to fight in Shanghai caused his elite units to suffer some sixty percent casualties in the three-month bloodbath. In one single blow, Chiang also lost some 10,000 of the 25,000 junior officers trained by the Whampoa Military Academy between 1929 and 1937, in addition to some tens of thousands of potential military officers. Chiang Kai-shek's Central Army was never to recover from these devastating losses. By the time the 88th Division, arguably the best of these elite divisions, began its defense of Nanjing, it had been reduced to seven thousand men, of whom three thousand were new recruits to replace the losses.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Losses to the Nationalist army's very small stock of armor were also significant. The Chinese deployed three tank battalions in the battle and its immediate aftermath. The 1st Battalion had 32 VCL Amphibious Tanks and some 6-ton Vickers Mark E tanks. The 2nd Battalion also in Shanghai had 20 Vickers Mark E tanks, 4 VCL Tanks and Carden Loyd tankettes. The 3rd Battalion had 10 Panzer I light tanks, 20 CV35 tankettes, and some Leichter Panzerspähwagen armored cars. Almost all of these were lost during the battles in Shanghai and later on in Nanjing.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The heavy casualties inflicted on Chiang's own military strength forced him to rely more on non-Whampoa generals, who commanded the provincial armies and many of whom had questionable loyalty to Chiang. Because of the reduction in his military power, Chiang lost some of his political leverage over local warlords. In effect, Chiang Kai-shek was effectively only the head of a loose coalition, rather than the commander-in-chief of a united fighting force. The sapping of China's best fighting men also made the planning and execution of subsequent military operations difficult. In essence, Chiang Kai-shek's concerted pre-war effort to build a truly effective, modernized, national army was greatly devastated by the sacrifices made in the Battle of Shanghai.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: A major reason that the Chinese army held onto the city as long as it did, even though it was on the brink of collapse, was that China was hoping for Western intervention in the Sino-Japanese War. Western nations had been paying little attention to China's plight since they were preoccupied with the situation in Europe. In addition, most Western nations had little prospect that their intervention would help China in the long run because they believed that China would eventually lose. If China was deemed militarily weak, economically backward, and politically disunited by Western powers, it would not make sense for them to help China when it seemed bound for defeat by Japan.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Thus, Chiang Kai-shek had to devote everything China had to offer to make sure the Western powers knew that the present conflict between China and Japan was a major war, not a collection of inconsequential "incidents" as had been the case previously. Based on this political strategy, Chiang Kai-shek had to order his troops to fight to the death in an attempt to arouse international sympathy and cause the international community to adopt measures that would help China and sanction Japan.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: On September 12, one month after the Battle of Shanghai began, China formally brought the case against Japan to the League of Nations. Again, the League was not able to formulate any effective sanctions against Japan other than an October 4 statement that gave China "spiritual support". The United States was not a member of the League and Great Britain and France were reluctant to challenge Japan. Of all the major Western powers, only the United States seemed able to act more since it was not embroiled in the volatile European affairs.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In addition, on October 5, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the Quarantine Speech, calling for the United States to help nations fight against aggressor nations. This speech had a tremendous effect on raising China's morale. Because America seemed willing to confront Japan, the British representative suggested to close the League case and convene the Nine Power Treaty Conference. Since the Nine-Power Treaty was signed as a result of the Washington Naval Conference of 1922, the opening of the Conference automatically brought the United States into the effort to rein in Japanese aggression.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: American entry into the international response brought new hope to the Chinese, and Chiang Kai-shek again reiterated the need for his troops to hold on to Shanghai to prove that China was indeed worth fighting for. By mid-October, the Chinese situation in Shanghai had become increasingly dire and the Japanese had made significant gains. The vital town of Dachang fell on October 26 and the Chinese withdrew from metropolitan Shanghai.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: However, because the Nine Power Treaty Conference was to begin in early November, Chiang Kai-shek ordered his troops to stay in the Shanghai battlefield, instead of retreating to the Wufu and Xicheng Lines to protect Nanjing. He also left one lone battalion to defend the Sihang Warehouse in metropolitan Shanghai. Chiang also visited the frontlines to encourage his troops.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Because Shanghai was the most important Chinese city in Western eyes, the troops had to fight and hold on to the city as long as possible, rather than moving toward the defense lines along nameless towns en route to Nanjing. On November 3, the Conference finally convened in Brussels. While the Western powers were in session to mediate the situation, the Chinese troops were making their final stand in Shanghai and had all hopes for a Western intervention that would save China from collapse.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In terms of its long-term effects on the war of attrition, the Battle of Shanghai bought enough time for the Chinese government to move some of its vital industries to Wuhan and Xi'an, and from there to Chongqing, China's wartime capital after the fall of Nanjing and Wuhan. The difficulty in dismantling and relocating thousands of tons of machinery and factory equipment, especially in the heat of Japanese bombing campaigns, meant that the Chinese government fell short of its goal of moving the entire industrial base from the Shanghai region.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Many factories were destroyed during the fighting and ceased to be functional. Of the nearly twelve hundred factories and workshops of all sizes, only slightly more than ten percent were moved out of Shanghai. However, as insignificant as they were, these factories formed the core of China's wartime industry, especially in the bleak days of the blockade of the entire Chinese coast, the closure of the Burma Road, and the low tonnage of supplies flown over the Hump.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: Chiang Kai-shek's strategy of bringing the fight to Shanghai to force Japan to adopt an east-to-west direction of attack also prevented Japan from cutting right into Central China. As a result, the Battle of Wuhan was delayed for almost a year, and the time bought gave the Chinese government breathing space to recuperate and relocate more resources to Chongqing. Overall, even though Chinese losses were irreparable, the strategy of trading "space for time" proved its worth.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: The Battle of Shanghai was a military defeat but a high point for Chinese nationalism. The beginning of full-scale war meant that China would no longer stand idly and allow Japan to conquer its territories piece by piece as it had done in the past. It also demonstrated China's resolve not to surrender even in the face of overwhelming firepower. However, Chiang Kai-shek's order to have his troops make one death stand after another greatly sapped his strength and directly caused his army's inability to defend Nanjing for even two weeks.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In his memoir, General Li Zongren pointed out that Chiang's staff had proposed that the Chinese army reserve around ten divisions along the Wufu Line to protect Nanjing and felt it made no difference if Shanghai could be held for a few months longer at the expense of huge casualties. However, as China was not able to defeat Japan single-handedly, Chiang believed the best option was to bring the western powers into the war by eliciting international sympathy being committed to the resistance in Shanghai.


title: Battle of Shanghai

text: In his correspondence with Hu Shih, Chiang wrote that China was capable of withstanding six months of combat before changes in the international situation would have to end the war. This may have also caused Chiang to devote all of his best troops in the first battle of what would eventually become a prolonged war. However, while Chiang's initial assessment was overly optimistic, China continued to fight for eight more years until Japan finally surrendered after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration is a master-planned community (MPC) and census-designated place (CDP) in Osceola County, Florida, United States. A suburb of Orlando, Celebration is located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney Company. Its population was recorded as 11,178 in the 2020 census.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: After founding Celebration, Disney followed its plans to divest most of its control of the town. Several Disney business units continue to occupy the town's office buildings. Walt Disney World operates two utility companies, Smart City Telecom and Reedy Creek Energy Services, that provide services to the town. The town itself is connected to the Walt Disney World resorts via one of its primary streets, World Drive, which begins near the Magic Kingdom.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Various New Classical architects participated in the design of buildings in Celebration. Downtown Celebration's post office was designed by Michael Graves, the adjacent Welcome Center by Philip Johnson, and the Celebration Health building by Robert A. M. Stern.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Other well-known architects who have designed nearby buildings include Charles Moore (Preview Center), Graham Gund (Bohemian Hotel), Cesar Pelli (movie theatre), and Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown (SunTrust Bank).


title: Celebration, Florida

text: In the early 1990s, the Disney Development Company (DDC) established the Celebration Company to spearhead its development within about of land in the southern portion of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Total investment for the project is estimated at US$2.5 billion.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The master plan was developed by two Driehaus Prize winning architects, Jacquelin T. Robertson of Cooper, Robertson & Partners and Robert A. M. Stern. The extensive landscape, parks, trails and pathways were designed by the San Francisco firm EDAW (now AECOM). Urban Design Associates, of Pittsburgh, PA, developed design guidelines, called a Pattern Book, as a tool for the design of new architecture within the community. Celebration is planned in an early 20th-century architectural style and is not zoned for high-density residences. Celebration was named the "New Community of the Year" in 2001 by the Urban Land Institute. Disney hired graphic designer Michael Beirut to design community elements including street signs, retail signage, manhole covers, fountains, golf course graphics, park trail markers, as well as home sales brochures.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The first phase of residential development occurred in the summer of 1996 with Celebration Village, West Village, and Lake Evalyn; this was followed by the North Village, South Village, East Village and Aquila Reserve and the final Artisan Park phases. Later phases included construction by a number of developers, including David Waronker.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Disney CEO Michael Eisner took an especially keen interest in the development of the new town in the early days, encouraging the executives at Disney Development Company to "make history" and develop a town worthy of the Disney brand and legacy that extended to Walt Disney's vision of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). DDC executives collaborated extensively with leaders in education, health, and technology in addition to planners and architects to create the vision and operating policies for the town.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: There were a series of car accidents involving a retention pond adjacent to World Drive which required the addition of more safety structures.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Disney attempted numerous efforts to encourage economic and ethnic diversity among residents in the early days of development. The company placed advertisements in newspapers and magazines that catered to African-American and Hispanic demographics, printed brochures featuring racial minorities, and hired African-American workers in the community's sales office. In addition, the owners of the first 350 houses and 123 apartments were chosen by a lottery in an effort to prevent racial discrimination against homebuyers. However, by 2000, it was revealed that the racial makeup of the community was 88% white, compared to the surrounding county's 59% white population. Demographers partially blamed the lack of diversity on Disney's decision to forego building subsidized housing inside the community, instead opting to donate $900,000 to Osceola County to help area residents buy houses under $80,000, below the market value of most housing in Celebration.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: In 2016, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that Celebration Town Center condominium owners "are battling leaky roofs, balconies that have become separated from the sides of buildings and mold spreading in their walls. Their properties have become so dilapidated, they say, they're having trouble selling them."


title: Celebration, Florida

text: An April 2016 civil suit seeks to force the Town Center Foundation, a controlling entity under sole direction of Lexin Capital, "which took control of part of Celebration in 2004, to pay for upward of $15 million to $20 million in repairs" which were deferred over ten years.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.28%, is water.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration is under USPS ZIP code 34747, sometimes known as Kissimmee. This is due to the city being unincorporated, as Celebration is not a subdivision and is still considered an unincorporated town.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration is well known by Orlando Area residents for its town center, luxury houses, and walkability, which includes the Celebration Nature Trails. Celebration has over 23 miles of nature trails connecting the entire neighborhood. The nature trails give residents and visitors the chance to take in some of Central Florida’s finest scenery and wildlife. The trails can be enjoyed either on foot or by bike.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: As of the census of 2010, there were 7,427 people, 3,063 households, and 716 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 704.9 people per square mile (272.16.0/km). There were 4,566 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.0% white (with 81.9% of the population non-Hispanic white), 1.5% black, 3.2% Asian, 2.2% from two or more races and 0.26% Native American. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.2% of the population.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: There were 3,063 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no married spouse present, and 35.0% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.96.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The age distribution was 25.6% under the age of 18, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males in that age range.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The median income for a household in the CDP was $74,231, and the median income for a family was $92,334. Males had a median income of $51,250 versus $46,650 for females. The per-capita income for the CDP was $39,521, and 4.1% of the population lived below the poverty line.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The area is organized under state law as a community development district. As a result, voting is restricted to local landowners. The largest landowners are entities controlled by The Walt Disney Company.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: For decades Celebration was very politically conservative, but as many younger and more liberal families moved into the area, Celebration became more competitive. The neighborhood has a Democratic group named 'Democrats of Celebration' which has had meetings with attendance of Congressman Darren Soto. Celebration's shift towards Democrats is distinct from the rest of Osceola County, which is a Democratic-leaning county but has moved towards Republicans in recent elections.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration is represented by Democrat Darren Soto in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Victor M. Torres Jr. in the State Senate, and Republican Carolina Amesty in the State House of Representatives.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Democrat Joe Biden narrowly carried the town of Celebration, defeating Republican Donald Trump by a vote of 3,286 (49.9%) to 3,252 (49.4%). 88 votes (1.3%) went to third-party candidates. This was a flip towards the Democratic Party from the previous presidential election.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: In the Governor's race, Republican Ron DeSantis narrowly defeated Democrat Andrew Gillum in Celebration by a vote of 2,667 (51.0%) to 2,509 (47.9%). 58 votes (1.1%) went to third-party candidates.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: In the Attorney General election, Republican Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Sean Shaw in Celebration by a vote of 2,807 (54.2%) to 2,299 (44.4%). 75 votes (1.5%) went to third-party candidates.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: In the Senate race, Republican Rick Scott defeated incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in Celebration by a vote of 2,906 (52.1%) to 2,505 (47.9%).


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Donald Trump narrowly carried the town of Celebration, defeating Hillary Clinton by a vote of 2,906 (49.3%) to 2,696 (45.7%). 293 votes (5.0%) went to third-party candidates.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Incumbent Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, defeated Democrat Patrick Murphy by a vote of 3,310 (57.0%) to 2,291 (39.5%). 202 votes (3.5%) went to third-party candidates.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration Town Center contains shops, restaurants, and other commercial establishments, as well as 106 residences.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: There are now more than 500 registered companies listed as doing business in the shopping plazas, small office complexes, and the Disney World office building park. This community holds the only Class A office buildings in Osceola County.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration is separated into areas referred to as "villages." The main village, closest to downtown, is where the first homes were constructed. North Village, closest to US-192, houses the Georgetown Condos as well as Acadia Estate Homes. East Village includes Roseville Corner and Aquila Loop. Lake Evalyn, generally considered its own area of Celebration but not quite its own village, includes a small lake where one can find a multitude of ducks, alligators, and the occasional river otter. South Village houses the Spring Park Loop estate homes and Heritage Hall. Additionally, Siena Condos complete the outer edge of South Village by Celebration Blvd. Mirasol includes condos with concierge service and a day spa. Artisan Park is at the end of Celebration Ave and houses condos, townhomes, single-family residences as well as a clubhouse consisting of a pool, gym, and restaurant.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Celebration hosts many celebrations every year, including community-wide yard sales, an art show, an exotic car festival, an annual Radio Disney Holiday concert, an Oktoberfest Celebration, the "Great American Pie Festival" (televised on The Food Network), a "Posh Pooch" festival, and downtown events for the Fall and Christmas seasons when autumn leaves and "snow" (small-scale soap flakes) are released into the Town Center. The community also hosts a large Independence Day fireworks celebration. The town events are organized on the Internet by the Community Calendar.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The two main roads going through the center of the Celebration's downtown area are Market Street and Front Street. Other streets in Celebration include:


title: Celebration, Florida

text: The School District of Osceola County, Florida, operates public schools in Celebration. Celebration is zoned to the Celebration School for K-8. Celebration High School, located in the city, serves Celebration for grades 9–12.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: There are free classes offered at the community center by clubs for cooking, gardening, art, writing, and technology.


title: Celebration, Florida

text: Private graduate education was once offered at Stetson University Celebration Campus. The Stetson Celebration campus was sold in 2018 with plans to convert it into offices. It was purchased again in 2021 with intent to open a medical school in the building.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: Blasphemous is a Metroidvania video game developed by Spanish studio The Game Kitchen and published by Team17. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on 10 September 2019, with Warp Digital handling the console ports. Versions for macOS and Linux were released on 21 September 2020. A version for Amazon Luna was released on 20 October 2020. It began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017. A sequel, titled "Blasphemous 2", is set for a 2023 release.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: "Blasphemous" is a Metroidvania action-adventure game taking place in the fictional region of Cvstodia. Players assume control of the Penitent One, a silent knight wielding a sword named Mea Culpa, as he travels the land in a pilgrimage.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The game involves exploring Cvstodia while fighting enemies, which appear in most areas. The Penitent One can fight enemies by attacking them with his sword at close range, or by casting spells that can be learned throughout the game. By damaging enemies with melee attacks, the player gains Fervor, which is consumed to cast spells. Each enemy has a certain attack pattern which players must learn in order to dodge them and avoid taking damage. Some enemy attacks can be parried by blocking at the right time, leaving foes vulnerable and allowing the Penitent One to counterattack them for increased damage. When getting hit, the protagonist's health decreases, but it can be recovered by consuming Bile Flasks. Defeating enemies rewards Tears of Atonement, the game's currency, that can be spent on shops to upgrade the player character and obtain items.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: Numerous upgrades can be acquired at various points of the adventure, which include increasing the Penitent One's maximum health, Fervor and amount of Bile Flasks carried, and unlocking new abilities for world exploration and combat. By exploring, interacting with NPCs and completing sidequests, multiple items can be found which, when equipped, provide stat bonuses, reduce or nullify certain types of damage or provide access to otherwise inaccessible areas. There are also collectibles in the form of bones that can be delivered in a certain place to receive rewards, and Children of Moonlight – trapped angels that can be freed by attacking the cages they are in.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: There are multiple checkpoints in the forms of altars located in multiple areas of the map. The player can rest in these checkpoints to fully replenish their health and refill any used Bile Flasks, save their progress and equip certain abilities, but doing so will also cause all previously slain enemies (excluding bosses) to respawn.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The Penitent One will die if his health is fully depleted, or if he falls into spikes or into a bottomless pit. Upon death, he will respawn in the last checkpoint visited, and a Guilt Fragment will appear in the location of his death (or near it, if he was killed by spikes or falling). The player will have reduced maximum Fervor, and gain less Fervor and Tears of Atonement from enemies, until the Guilt Fragment is recovered by reaching its location and interacting with it. Alternatively, there are certain points where this penalty can be eliminated for a fee.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The game is set in Cvstodia, a land of religion, highly influenced by Roman Catholicism, its iconography, Holy Week in Spain and Spanish culture, particularly that of Andalucía. The land is hallowed by a force known as "The Miracle". This force manifests itself in strange and often cruel ways, sometimes blessing and sometimes cursing Cvstodia's inhabitants, transforming them into twisted creatures.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The protagonist is The Penitent One, the sole survivor of the Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow (called so because their members have agreed to a vow of silence). He wears a mask and helmet that consists of barbed wire and a pointed helmet similar to a capirote, his sword is adorned with spikes as of that of a rose and an effigy. During his pilgrimage he meets characters such as Deogracias, who is found in several key moments of the story and acts as a narrator for the game; Redento, a pilgrim who walks with his back bent and his hands tied as a form of penance; Candelaria, an old merchant who sells various items; and Viridiana, who offers assistance to the player in boss battles. There is a governing Church led by His Holiness Escribar, who was reborn as the Last Son of the Miracle long before the game's events.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: "Blasphemous" begins in the Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow, a religious order opposed to His Holiness Escribar's authority, after all its members have been massacred. The last of their kind, the Penitent One, is resurrected by the Miracle and departs on a pilgrimage. After defeating the Warden of the Silent Sorrow, he finds Deogracias, who tells him about the Cradle of Affliction, a sacred relic that the Penitent One seeks, and the Three Humiliations he must perform to be deemed worthy to reach it. He also gives the Penitent One a thorn to add to his sword's handle, wounding and feeding off the user's guilt. This thorn will grow as the player completes certain optional dungeons, and its state at the end of the game will affect the ending.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The Penitent One travels to different locations in Cvstodia, including the decaying town of Albero, the snowing hills Where Olive Trees Wither, and the underground Desecrated Cistern. He completes the Three Humiliations, each of them involving a trial against a different boss, to obtain the Holy Wounds of Attrition, Contrition and Compunction from the three Holy Guardian Visages. After defeating Esdras of the Anointed Legion on the Bridge of the Three Calvaries, the Penitent One gains access to the Mother of Mothers, the massive cathedral where Escribar and the Cradle of Affliction reside.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: Throughout the journey, Escribar's voice is heard, telling his backstory: A long time before the Penitent One began his pilgrimage, His Holiness Escribar had turned his throne away from his congregation, believing that the Miracle had forsaken them. Gradually, the Miracle transformed Escribar into a massive tree which suddenly ignited one day, leaving behind a massive pile of ash, atop which stood Escribar's throne. The Miracle drove countless people to attempt climbing the mountain, but all of them failed, swallowed by the ash. As punishment, they re-emerged from the ash as mindless beasts (the game's enemies) cursed to carry out the Miracle's will. This included Escribar, who was reborn as the Last Son of the Miracle.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The penultimate boss is Crisanta of the Wrapped Agony, the leader of Escribar's soldiers and a female knight whose armor resembles the Penitent One's, also revealed in the prequel comic to be responsible for his first death and throwing his corpse to where the game began. The Penitent One triumphs this time, but she escapes. Proceeding to the top of the Mother of Mothers, the Penitent One battles and defeats His Holiness Escribar. The latter engages once more, revealing his true form as the Last Son of the Miracle, but is once again defeated. The Penitent One then finds the mountain of ash, where Deogracias encourages him to climb it and reach the Cradle of Affliction. If the player did not complete all the optional dungeons and upgrade the thorn to its final form, the Penitent One fails to reach the top and sinks into the ash, leaving behind nothing but his mask – which Deogracias picks up and deposits next to a pile of countless identical masks, declaring the protagonist's penitence over. However, if the player completed the dungeons and fully upgraded the thorn, the Penitent One reaches Escribar's throne at the top of the ash mountain, sits there, and stabs himself with his sword. His lifeless body turns into a tree and becomes worshiped by the people of Cvstodia as the new Father and Last Son of the Miracle. In a post-credits cutscene, Crisanta reappears and draws the "Mea Culpa" from the Penitent One's body.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: The "Wounds of Eventide" DLC adds a new ending if certain conditions are met. Upon starting a new game over a completed save file, the Penitent One can access the tomb of Perpetva, a winged female warrior who is encountered as a miniboss in the original game and assists her brother Esdras in his bossfight. She reveals that the Perpetva the Penitent One had fought was nothing more than a replica created by the Miracle, and his utter devotion to his mission had convinced her to aid him in unraveling the truth. Giving him a scapular to show Esdras, it convinces him to help the Penitent One as well, granting him access to the prison of the Exiled Visage, the fourth Holy Guardian Visage. For learning the truth behind the Miracle, it was branded a traitor and imprisoned by its three brothers, its eyes removed so that it would be blind to the truth. By helping the Exiled Visage regain its eyes, the Penitent One is given the ultimate Sword Heart of the Mea Culpa that enables it to wound a soul, and knowledge that Crisanta was being enslaved by the High Wills, the true masterminds behind the Miracle. Using the true Mea Culpa to free Crisanta from the High Wills' control, she grants the Penitent One the Holy Wound of Abnegation, which in combination with the other three Holy Wounds allows him to enter the other side of the Dream, the realm where the High Wills reside. With Crisanta's aid, the Penitent One battles and defeats the Last Son of the Miracle yet again, killing Escribar for good.


title: Blasphemous (video game)

text: With nothing standing before them, the Penitent One and Crisanta confront the High Wills, a trio of human faces with a single mind that constantly weep tears of gold. Having possibly manifested as a result of the Cvstodians' faith, they had created the Miracle in response to the pleas of a youth who would eventually become the Twisted One, a messianic figure in Cvstodian faith. The High Wills selfishly exploit the Cvstodians' guilt and desire for penance, using the Miracle as a means to gather the Cvstodians' faith for their own immortality and splendor. Their threats ultimately fall short on the Penitent One and Crisanta, who cut them down in order to end the Miracle and thus Cvstodia's suffering, freeing those trapped by the Miracle's power such as the Twisted One himself. Kept alive only by the Miracle's whim, the Penitent One finally passes away, with Deogracias and Crisanta putting his body to rest. In the post-credits cutscene, a massive womb descends from the clouds above into Cvstodia, bearing an unknown humanoid figure within.