#but overall immaculate designs op

[lucydoodlessometimes]

alright guys. i have more miraculous-ish content. 3rd pic is felix, marinette, kagami, and nathaniel from left to right. I haven't done a nino yet, but he'll be there when I post a finalized version I swear. Also, either Juleka or Rose, though I havent decided on which.

SO. bit of context before i yap under a cut. this is a co-op work (and potential series of fics) with @frickifiknow and so I only have half of the cast to design; hence no adrien, alya, or chloe in my lineup. they will be yapped about, and perhaps drawn by me, but maybe dont hold your breath. ALso, this is a rewrite, inspired more by the fandom than the actual show (though I am passively re-watching it currently, so we'll see) and will kindof sortof overhaul the entire premise. but that all goes under a cut, so i will see you all there.

alright SO. hi folks. miss me? Miss my rambles? no? your loss, because my yapping is immaculate.

Starting with the world!

There are 12 kwami in total- i love the Chinese zodiac for the show, but I personally don't want that many characters to be active. This will feature a main cast of my personal favorite characters from when I watched this show, and not much else because this is for personal pleasure, not objective quality. Each kwami has a pair, which corresponds to a unifying concept. These arent wholly ironed out yet, but they go: existence, defense, time, devotion, guidance, and experience. more about them and their kwamis to come.

this runs on a multiverse that the kwami of broken worlds can and do break. the idea is that after hawkmoth, the miraculous holders face the breaking of whatever has held the "antikwami" at bay this long, and have to gain higher power to defeat themselves and protect their world, thus allowing us to move on from gabriel agreste as a villain long before season five. The antikwami can only exist in this timeline separate from their counterparts because they are currently fulfilling a separate role; they would (and have) sort of merge into the kwami of this world if "redeemed". The kwami chose to be bound to the miraculous and to human holders in ancient times, as doing so managed to weaken their antitheses as they entered this timeline due to the natural balancing of, like, natural law. what is must be undone, or whatever. The antikwami tend to also pick "holders" of a sort, but it's... a worse process, overall. They cloud one's judgement, enhance all their worst traits, the works. more to come on them, i haven't ironed out all the cracks just yet.

All of my designs hinge on being relatively young versions of the characters, as you tend to get more power as you get older, and as you gain experience with the miraculous. Early on, any animal parts will be stuck onto clothing, with ear and horn details coming from masks and tails being attached to belts and capes. later, more high-powered designs will look grander and feature more naturalistic inclusions from the animal (including functional wings for ladybug, possibly) as the holders grow closer to their kwami.

It's 2am, I have school in the morning, and I gotta go. Thanks for reading, or not, reblogs > likes, like and subscribe or something, gn

#lucy doodles #my art #fanart #lucy rambles #miraculous ladybug fanart #miraculous au #miraculous fanart #miraculous ladybug #tales of ladybug and cat noir #ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous marinette #miraculous lb #miraculous rewrite #miraculous felix #kagami tsurugi #nathaniel kurtzberg #can i tag this as nino? #no i dont think i can hes not actually here #HE WILL BE SOON GUYS I SWEAR #i am a nino lover? not in his visual design but he is v important to my heart #lila rossi #kwami swap kind of #ml fanart #im not tagging this as salt because for all that i am a lil salty i dont like how mean the salt community often feels #you guys are harsher than im comfy with over there. i dont always disagree with what you say but the way you say it makes my heart hurt #i could yap forever about why they all look like that #AND i have big feelings about dusuu and sentimonsters DO NOT you worry #more to come there >:) #i wont tag the people who got me back into miraculous brainrot

[natsspammityspamspamham]

Top Anime of 2022

Considering that I didn't watch anime for at least 30% of the year, there is a significant amount of anime that I missed. As such, ONAs were counted as series (because they practically are). Certain sequels were also counted because I said so. It's my list, and I can do what I want! I will be putting some honourable mentions (but only the ones I plan on watching... eventually).

Honourable Mentions (PTW):

Sasaki to Miyano

Heike Monogatari

Summertime Render

Paripi Koumei

Lycoris Recoil

Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

TOP 11:

There wasn't enough to make an "honourable mention" list for the ones I had completed. For one, some of the shows that I completed were not good. Vampire in the Garden was incredibly rushed with an ending that made less and less sense the more I thought about it (but A for effort as it felt like watching Vanitas but with more likable girlbosses). AkuLas (not gonna bother typing out the full name) just wasn't good, so I'm not even going to give it any more time besides saying it wasted mine, the pacing was wack, and the voice acting tried to carry a story that wasn't there. This ranking was very hard to make. It was incredibly difficult for me to weigh if I should put things higher based on my enjoyment or something else being objectively and critically better. Because of that, a lot of this ordering isn't set in stone, especially for the top places.

11. Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de

The first three slots are incredibly heavy on fanservice. Despite my aversion towards it (and the fact that it was distracting), I found myself still enjoying this show. It's very lighthearted, cute, and does exactly what it sets out to do and nothing more than that. Also, some things in this are better to just not think about. What the heck are those talking animals? Just don't think about it. It's all good.

10. Isekai Ojisan

Maybe it's because I caught up on this recently, but as it stands right now (with many of the episodes locked up by Netflix for whatever reason), this is going to take the #10 spot. This show was refreshing, funny, but a little bit too heavy on the fanservice (seriously, it turned into a h*ntai at some points). Regardless, I still found it very funny at the very least. It subverts many of the tired isekai tropes to make a very unique parody.

9. Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

I personally don't like fanservice, but this show was still cute as heck. I really like both of the main characters even if Marin is a bit (very) pushy (accidentally). I'm not as attached to the other characters, but that doesn't really matter because I like the main two a lot. Of course, the art is good. I personally didn't like the OP or ED that much even if they were incredibly catchy. Overall, a solid romance that I would rewatch like chicken noodle soup for the soul, and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel.

8. Chainsaw Man

This was a good show, but I found the cast of characters to be the weakest part of the show. It's not that I hate nor dislike them. I just didn't grow attached to them. As refreshing as it is to have a protagonist who's very clear in his intentions and goals not being about the good of society and/or friendship, I was not entirely sold on liking him as the character. On the other hand, everything else about this anime and the production value was absolutely amazing. The voice acting? Perfect (I do like that casting). The animation? Spectacular. The music? Immaculate. This could easily critically knock out further entries on this list.

7. Kotaro Lives Alone

This is the anime that probably caught me the most off-guard. This anime's character design looks awful. I was going to skip it based off that, but after watching it, I can say that I came away shaken (in a good way). The way this show portrays child abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, and other heavy topics is absolutely masterful. It left me kinda emotional. I think they made Kotaro the perfect balance of mature and childish at the same time (because watching a realistic child in his circumstances would be unwatchable).

6. Bocchi the Rock!

"She's just like me fr fr!" This show got the inner dialogue of my brain, and as someone who dropped out in high school and never got that "seishun youthful blue spring" time, I felt a lot of the sentiment that Bocchi feels. I even tried joining a band (but jazz). This show is incredibly funny and uses visual humour skillfully. The voice acting is some of the best I've seen from relatively newer voice actors. That scream lives in my mind rent-free. This is basically K-On mixed with my existential dread and sense of humour. Fantastic.

5. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen

Bro, this felt better to watch than it was reading the manga, and that's saying something! The manga was still good, but this really solidified Demon Slayer as an absolute powerhouse! I know people are saying that it lacks the depth of Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu Kaisen, but I don't think things need to be complex to be good. Maybe I just want to see someone slashing some demons.

4. Spy x Family

This is peak Shonen Jump slice-of-life. Honestly, the only episodes and arcs that were a bit of a bore were still necessary and just lacked Anya. Besides that, this show was magnificent (running out of good synonyms). Anya is one of my favourite characters of the year. She's stupid but extremely caring even if she's a bit off the walls.

3. Romantic Killer

Anyone with Netflix or a pulse should go watch this show. I wrote a whole thing about it.

2. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

I'm not sure what I can say about this show that hasn't been said already. It's a masterclass in romantic comedies, and it doesn't need fanservice (ignore the OVA) to succeed at making a ton of witty parody and comedy that transcends language in itself with an endearing romance that you can't help but root for. The openings are also iconic. Masayuki Suzuki is the king of love songs.

1. Mob Psycho 100 III

Just like Kotaro Lives Alone, this anime has a uniquely simplistic art style, but don't let that fool you, both of these anime are incredibly good at storytelling. Studio Bones cares about this series a lot, and you can see it through this anime. This is one of the best coming-of-age stories I've seen, and this season was a perfect finale to a story that we've been watching since the beginning. Everything about and from this anime range from great to exceptional.

#mob psycho 100 #mp100 #kaguya sama wa kokurasetai #kaguya sama love is war #romantic killer #spy x family #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #bocchi the rock #bocchi the rock! #chainsaw man #sono bisque doll wa koi wo suru #isekai ojisan #koi wa sekai seifuku no ato de #top anime of 2022 #anime of 2022

[canary3d-obsessed]

Lost Tomb Lewks: Reboot Part 11

(LTL Masterpost) (All Canary Masterposts)(Part 10)

I’m making my post titles more specific because I’m loving the clothes in The Mystic Nine and in Ultimate Note, so I expect I’ll continue this series with other shows when I get to the end of Reboot Season 2. 

Look 56 is - surprise! - a cozy sweater. This one is a deep, huggable brown in a sort of waffle stitch (OP is not a knitter; knitters pls feel free to elaborate in comments). He wears this with loose blue jeans and...shoes. This show doesn’t feature his feet often enough for proper shoe commentary. 

This is a perfect look for pacing and talking, half to yourself and half to your buddy, as he gets absolutely, completely baked. 

Wu Xie is doing his pacing while he gazes at an enormous pin board filled with pictures linked together with red string. The red string board is becoming one of my favorite CDrama tropes. I’ve seen it in Detective L, Mystic Nine, that new show with Wue Xie number 2 Psych Hunter, and probably a couple more shows. It’s a thing in older American detective dramas, too, but not in modern ones and not nearly as often. 

It does look cooler than a whiteboard with magnets, but it seems like a lot of work. For this pin board, Wu Xie Wang Meng had to cut a bunch of red string and print out a bazillion cell phone pictures, which someone managed to take during all of the running around & death defying action. All so Wu Xie could theorize that everything connects to...some random point in the middle of the board? I don’t know who these guys are in the middle picture, but I don’t think they’re responsible for all of the rocks in the other pictures. 

If you change your mind about a connection, and move a pin, do you have to re-loop all the string to keep everything taut? What if you need to move an end pin when you’ve already cut the string? Perhaps OP is overthinking this. 

This look is a comfortable one for lying on the couch when you’ve exhausted yourself with string management. 

(more behind the cut!)

I love the aesthetic of this apartment. It appears to be full of furniture taken from Wu Xie’s study in Wushanju, but because it isn’t mixed in with the fancy older antiques, the vibe is totally different. The furniture is midcentury modern, with a lot of warm tones and leather, which matches Wu Xie’s clothing choices. This quality of furniture subtly reminds us that these guys are antique dealers. Even when they’re down and out, they have discerning taste.

The textiles, cushions, the throw blanket on the table, are all colorful, tactile, and comfortable, matching Pangzi’s clothing and overall vibe. Overall the space is a nice mix of both of their looks, which is appropriate for an old married couple long-term roommates. 

He completes this outfit with a olive-green hooded jacket with lots of flaps and pockets. 

Side note: their buddy  Jin Wan Tang (on the left) might be officially gay? Unlike the blatant subtle queer coding that appears in a lot of CDramas, this character (and that one guy in the Rain Village section) seems flamboyant in a stereotypical “gay best friend” way. But I’ve only ever seen one acknowledged gay character in Chinese cinema--the very stereotypical tailor in Kung Fu Hustle--so I don’t know if the semiotics are the same as in western media. 

Anyway, I dig his mix of business suit and funky jewelry, and I share his appreciation of shirtless Xiao Ge (in Season 1, not today, sorry).

Look 57 is actually a rerun of Look 45, but it’s one of my favorites, featuring a beautiful soft suede jacket in a warm camel color. This time we get a much better look at the jacket, so I’m featuring it a second time. (Previously he wore this to hijack Li Jiale’s truck.) The jacket features detailed tailoring, with pleated pockets with flaps and buttons, and a nice strong collar and lapel that contrast with the softness of the material. 

Under this lovely jacket he wears a cream colored sweater, jeans that fit really well for a change, and work boots. 

This outfit is good for mournfully looking at a heap of smashed ceramics. 

It’s also good for struggling through a gas attack designed specifically to destroy your unhealthy lungs...

...and make you hork up blood, because it’s not a Zhu Yilong show if there’s no mouth blood, and it’s been at least a couple of episodes since we’ve had any. 

This look is perfect for going to visit your snippy ex-boyfriend while you’re unconscious, so he can bitchily save your life. 

“Hey, Canary,” you might have thought up above, “with all these above-the waist shots, how can you tell his jeans fit well?”

This. This is how. 

Oh and hey, we finally get a really good look at his shoes. His shoes, people. 

Look 58 belongs to bitchy doctor/chef Huo Daofu. 

He’s wearing a white double-breasted chef’s coat featuring contrasting piping and buttons. It is perfectly fitted, which will will learn is true of everything this man wears. 

Over the jacket he’s got an immaculate work apron, and under it he’s wearing a thin grey turtleneck sweater with ribbed collar and cuffs. He wears turtlenecks a lot. Whoever is giving him hickeys, it’s not Wu Xie any more because he hates Wu Xie. Hates him! 

Cue endless tender medical care and eventual deep abiding friendship. Also possibly shacking up, it’s hard to tell how many people really live in Wushanju at any given time. 

The first part of Look 59 is a deep olive-green long-sleeve tee shirt worn over a grey undershirt. 

It’s a shirt. It’s green. 

He looks really fucking good in it, okay? His arms are beautiful even when they’re covered up.  This shirt needs three gifs because...it just does.

Look 60 is Bai Haotian’s awesome green satin roller-disco jacket. 

The styling is straight out of 1979, which is long before she was born, making this a fun retro throwback. Or possibly she borrowed it from her grandma. The collar and cuffs have sporty black-and-white ribbing.

The jacket has nice contemporary details to give it a fresh look. These include suns, moons, and mountains (I think) running down the arms in a contrast stripe, and the words “magical altitudes” in embroidered sections on the back and chest. 

Wu Xie’s Look 59, Part 2 is also featured in these caps. He’s put a strangely short waisted grey jacket over his nice green shirt. Other than the short waist, it fits nicely. 

Those jeans, on the other hand. Wu Xie’s ass deserves better treatment than this. Paging Xiao Ge

Periodic reminder: Xiao Bai is absurdly, absurdly pretty. 

So is Wu Xie.

Bonus Look 1: Okay, Xue Wu is a bad bad man but damn, his clothes are always amazing. He favors emphatically Chinese looks, but always  with contemporary tailoring details, so he doesn’t look old fashioned. For his daughter’s wedding he’s wearing a deep blue suit with blue embroidery and this cool gold collar pin. 

Bonus Look 2 is Wu Xie in his favorite blue marl sweater. Or he has a few blue marl sweaters. Anyway, this time he’s lying down and resting his eyelashes while he wears it. 

#reunion: the sound of the providence #the lost tomb reboot #the lost tomb reboot spoilers #zhu yilong #wu xie #bai haotian #lost tomb lewks #canary3d-original #my gifs #huo daofu

[parachutingkitten]

Season 5 Analysis

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I am going to be applying the concept of criticism to a TV show you presumably love and adore as much as I do. If you do not want your idea that the show is immaculate to be challenged, I would not advise reading past this point.

Additional Disclaimer: This includes criticism of Nya’s arc, so if you’re the type of person to get catty about this subject, turn back now.

Mood for this season: It’s spoopy time.

You don’t need to, but if you are interested, and haven’t seen my analysis of past seasons, you can find those here:

Pilot - Season 1 - Season 2 - Season 3 - Season 4

You can also find all of these, and future installments, on my blog using the tag #analysis 

Hey everyone! I’m still doing these things! Let’s see, when was my last one? Over two years ago...? Yikes, I owe y’all an apology. I really didn’t mean to put these off that long. Anyway, get ready to hate me, cuz although (for the most part) this seems to be the fandom favorite season… I think it’s overhyped. I know, don’t kill me. I’ll explain myself. I don’t think it’s bad or anything, it’s very well structured, but I definitely wouldn’t rank it among my favorites. First, for a little context, I am making a one second of every ninjago episode video right now, so I’ve been binging the series and all it’s shorts back to back, so I think I’ll have a bit more to say about connective tissue between seasons, and hopefully you guys can look forward to more of these analyses between now and the new year when I’m releasing that video. I’m also officially a film major now so… sorry if I come of as extra pretentious or get too deep. Anyway, let’s jump into the thick of it, shall we? 

Plot

This is probably the area I have the fewest number of complaints about. This season has a breakneck pace and it keeps everyone busy. I think that’s why people like it. Everyone’s favorite has something to do. Which brings me to the question… which ninja’s season is this? Lloyd is on a lot of the promotional stuff, but he’s possessed and out of the picture for over half the season, so that can’t be right. Cole turns into a ghost, and the season is a ghost season, but that can’t be right cuz I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone claim it was his. Nya reaches her true potential, maybe it’s hers? Well, she does have a large b-plot, but she is consistently not a part of the a-plot. Kai has a whole thing with being protective of Lloyd, he has his fear of water, maybe it’s just another Kai season? Thing is, it’s no one’s. It is an ensemble season, and I think that’s a healthy thing for ninjago to keep doing. The more we label certain seasons for certain ninja, the more complaining we’ll get about who’s turn it is for screen time that we’ll miss out on telling a good story. Also, If the season is focused on a ninja you don’t like, you are less likely to like the season (see my next analysis for that can of worms). Again, this season tells it’s story really well. Morro directly ties into the ending of last season, and Nya’s getting water powers was foreshadowed the season before. That’s some cool connective tissue to start. The opening episode establishes the three different things the ninja will be looking for, and for once they’re actual tools instead of a series of weapons, blades, masks, whatever. I like that. Jay has some really good humor, Zane has his speech changes, Kai has his irrational fears and protective instincts, Cole has his ghost angst, Lloyd has to deal with his father’s passing, Nya is a new water ninja, Wu has a shop to run and a student to reconnect with, even Ronin has an arc about developing morals and gaining friends. There’s the mystery about how to deal with the ghosts, what the rules are, there’s the leader subplot, the ninja’s money situation, and lore of the different realms, they even worked in Skylor and Borg, there’s a lot of cool stuff going on. This is a tightly woven script that manages to include a lot of new concepts that you get pretty quick. I don’t feel like there’s even that much fat to cut. The opening is a little slow and strange, and the cloud kingdom episode feels a little unnecessary, but I do like the idea of visiting a different realm early in the season so the audience isn’t caught off guard in the climax. Again, the plot all works for me, it’s the other stuff I find myself pretty meh on.

Characters

Ronin

I’m pretty sure Ronin is the only new (non villain) character introduced. I like him a lot. Ninjago needed a true wildcard to shake things up and be unpredictable. I also think he’s pretty nicely woven into the action of the plot. I think his introduction is a bit strange. Like, the ninja already know him, but we’ve never seen him before? Just the way they talk about him sounds like they’re quickly recapping who this guy is for those who missed previous episodes. It’s fine if the ninja already know him but either 1) Introduce or foreshadow him a season earlier or 2) Introduce their dynamic to the audience before it becomes plot relevant. Maybe the ninja are grumbling about him being a nuisance while tea shenanigans are going on or something. Or maybe you have a scene of him stealing the scroll and making snarky remarks about the ninja while he does it. Idk. just something so his sudden plot relevance isn’t out of nowhere. Also, I don’t hate his and Nya’s dynamic, but I know a lot of people love it, and I’m just not totally here for it. Is he supposed to be a father figure for her? Mentor? Frienemy? Just plain friend? (love interest???) it’s not super clear and I could have used some clarification. I also like his use and tie to the next season, so overall, well integrated character.

Nya

I’m adding in Nya here cuz she goes through a major character change, and how she’s handled is one of the things that rubs me the wrong way about the season. A lot of people will probably disagree and/or hate me for this section of the analysis so… here we go! The thing she has to get past to reach her true potential is fear of failure (supposedly) and the solution to that is to just… not care as much? First of all, I know this isn’t supper important, but the fun thing about the ninjago elements is that every elemental master matched up personality wise with their element. Jay is the energetic master of lightning, Kai is the hothead master of fire, Zane is the calm and calculating master of ice, Cole is the strong and dependable master of earth, Lloyd is the literal child master of energy. This especially goes for all the new season 4 masters. So what qualities are often associated with water personalities? Well, serenity, control, flexibility, elegance, patience… calm. You know, like a Zane type character (the element directly adjacent to hers). These are things that Nya isn’t - or at the very least don’t define her. (there’s also something to be said about water and its ties to more feminine qualities, which Nya has been actively shown to reject, but I won’t go into that rant here.) She was designed as the fire master’s sister, and when you try to fit a fire personality into a water shaped character mold… it doesn’t exactly mesh well. It doesn’t make sense. But, like I said, whatever. Maybe that’s the point? Like she has to change her personality to be more in tune with water? Sure. But let’s talk about this fear of failure thing. Because that’s the stated thing that dialogue tells us she needs to overcome. But when has Nya ever been afraid of failure? Fear of failure means avoiding doing something because of fear. Nya is ridiculously persistent, always has been (you know, fire personality). She tries training when no one tells her to, she makes her own alter ego to try and be a hero and save the people who would constantly tell her she wasn’t ready. Wu says she only wants things that come easy, but that’s never been her character before now, she has carried the team with her tech, research, and covert ops that no one forced her to do, all things which are not easy. Fear of failure is usually characterized by what if questions. If Nya is so afraid of failure, why don’t we hear her saying stuff like “but what if I’m not strong enough, what if I can’t save them in time, or worse, what if I lose control of my power and end up hurting people?” Cole shows much more of a fear of failure this season surrounding his insecurity about being a ghost. He wants to sit out from missions because he’s not sure he’ll be able to do it - he’s afraid of failure. But whatever, the writing isn’t clear at expressing her true setbacks, but she does display a real problem that a lot of people have and I think could have been well done if set up correctly. She shows an undying persistence that gets her too close, and makes her increasingly incapable. She lets her frustration hinder her progress (again, fire personality trait), and I think that’s interesting because I don’t think ninjago has done this character arc yet. The supposed solution to this problem is that she just needs to… care less? And yes, I kind of see where they were going with this, we sometimes cloud our natural potential by thinking about it too much, but saying “you need to stop caring” is the absolute wrong way to word it. Caring is not her problem, the problem is her control over the emotions that come from her caring. Caring is a good thing, and teaching kids that if you’re ambivalent about your problems, they’ll go away is not a good message. What she needs to do is take a step back. She needs to take a break, stop to think, and look at the big picture instead of hyper focusing on the roadblock directly in front of her. The usual and much better wording of the moral I think they were going for is “stop overthinking things”. Teaching kids to look at a problem from a different angle and give themselves time to cool down is a great thing. And just think of it, in the climax she could have this ah-ha moment where she steps back and looks at the bigger picture - the whole town, surrounded by the ocean - and gets the idea to sink the preeminent into the water, you could even easily tie that back into the bucket exercise, and that’s what triggers her true potential rather than the current… I’m honestly not sure what. Random flashbacks and the end of the season approaching quickly. Alternatively, you could tie it more directly into samurai x, and make her struggle with letting go of the past and allowing yourself to give up something good in your life to progress to something better. Anyway, I don’t think this was a bad decision long term, she needed to be solidified on the team as a full fledged ninja, I just think this season doesn’t handle the transition that well. Anyway, whatever, I’ll be waiting for your hate comments in the notes.

Romance

Um… there’s none this season? Like there’s a few Wusako moments that are still as weird as they were in season 2, but they’re really not prevalent. There’s also the Jay seeing the future thing which has some weird implications next season (again, some interesting connective tissue between seasons), but that’s about it. Maybe that’s part of why I don’t love this season? Like where’s the pixane? Lol, I’m kidding. But maybe that’s why a lot of people do like it. If you don’t like the canon ships… this is a nice little safe haven for you. Rare for a majority of the series.

Villains

So Morro is a good idea… in theory. I know he’s the fandom’s favorite edgy boy, but idk I think the brand of angsty teen they ended up with was more of an angsty 13 year old than 17 year old. His voice is really grating and I always want to yell at him to just… go get some cough drops. Stop throat screaming, use your diaphragm man! Also, everyone goes on about his last minute redemption, but as far as season 5 goes, he has like half a second of a change of heart. Literally, when Wu comes over and he’s drowning, he’s still being a persistent little idiot like “you never cared about me nooooo!” and it’s only at the last possible second that gives him the crystal, and even that he does it kind of saltily. The preeminent is pretty cool, I like her concept, her design, all that. All the other ghosts are fine I guess. Nothing super memorable out of them, although their aesthetic, especially when there’s a bunch of them swarming around is pretty cool. One last thing was I never understood how Morro “becoming the green ninja” worked and what exactly it was that… did for him? Like he didn’t actually get the power of energy, right? I don’t remember him using it. Did just him defeating Lloyd make him the green ninja? How does that transfer work? And why did he need it to take over the world or realms or whatever? Like I get that it’s supposed to give him more power and what not but idk, it wasn’t super clear. That’s a minor thing though.

Climax

Pretty cool. I like the ATMOSPHERE. Green light is a hard thing to use and justify correctly, but it works really well here, especially with the dark kinda gray blue sky complimenting it. When the preeminent starts walking into the ocean, it’s genuinely terrifying, but you understand exactly how it works and why she’s strong enough to do it. Nya’s true potential is again a little out of left field and could have had some better motivation put behind it. Like what is it Nya learned in that instant? To not be afraid to protect people? She’s… been doing that. Idk. I’ve hit on that enough for now. Overall, there was good variety. I like the green ninja fake out, I like the realm hopping, I even like the little Garmadon visit and Lloyd getting the robe. I feel like we didn’t need a part one and two, you could have had different titles. I mean come on. But hey, now we know, if Pix had only been there, the whole climax would have been wrapped up in like 10 minutes apparently. Pix for the win.

Humor

Really good. Like I’m surprised how much I laughed. Jay wasn’t annoying humor, it was good stuff, there were some good running gags, there’s a solid fourth wall joke about who the lead ninja is at the beginning of the season. Overall, I am pretty impressed. My favorite joke was perhaps the bit where Jay is sarcastically positive, the voice acting is just really solid. Then again, there’s also the whole Borg scene where he roasts half the ninja, that’s solid stuff right there. There’s just some really solid character interaction this season and the humor feels a lot more natural and less forced.

Drama

Okay, we’ve got a lot this season. Y’all know how I feel about Nya’s arc by now. It does not work for me. Ronin’s relationship with her is alright, but kind of comes out of nowhere. Ronin’s solo plot about kinda working for the ghosts works. Cole’s ghost angst works for the most part, although I wish he would have actually skipped a mission and then gone in to help save his friends once they can’t do it without him. That was probably the most solid drama of the season. The other main thing we have this season is Kai’s whole… fear/protective streak. This also doesn’t really work for me. Like, I get that Lloyd and Kai are friends and stuff, like his whole true potential was centered around Lloyd. But like, why does it have to be framed so weirdly? Sometimes in trying to make it seem like Kai is protective of him, it seems like the other ninja just like… don’t care about him? Not all the time, but there are some weird vibes. Also, it doesn’t really go anywhere. No one learns anything about themselves from this subplot, nothing comes of it, there isn’t really a payoff. Also, Kai has yet another irrational fear, this time of water, which really comes right the hell out of nowhere. They try to explain it away like “Oh, Kai feels powerless and so water can get to him” but like… what? That’s the exact situation he was in at the end of season 2 and he seemed perfectly content to literally swim across the ocean (which um… what do you mean the sworn protector of ninjago can’t swim?). Where is this coming from?! Again, it doesn’t really go anywhere, there’s not a point where he has to learn to confront it or he grows because of it. It’s just pointless stuff added cuz the writers like giving Kai vague trails to try and develop him. The cloud kingdom is kinda cool. That last minute twist about them working with Morro is… stupid and unnecessary though. 

Spotlight Episode

I really like the Spinjitzu master tomb episode. Some cool riddles, I like the first two rooms a lot. I do think the third room is a bit strange. Like, the clue was “don’t look ahead” and the solution was to look beneath them, which is the exact same solution as the previous room. Like, you already have magic ice that shows the future, why not play into that? Don’t look ahead could maybe mean don’t look to the future, the opposite of that being the past. Maybe they have to draw on their past adventures to solve it somehow? Learning from the past is a good lesson, right? But overall, I really like it. Some real solid humor this episode. This episode has the sarcastic Jay optimism, Kai totally stalling for time, Zane dealing a pretty sick burn on Cole, just a lot of fun stuff. I like it. It just has great energy and nothing feels like it’s drawn out for too long.

Misc

The aesthetic this season… can be inconsistent, but the main ghost vibe displayed in the opening theme is really solid and I really like it

Speaking of the opening, Ghost wip is great and the opening in on par with last season’s (which is my fav) for sure

Ice age references… okay.

Chima references…. OKAY...

Okay, but like Deepstone can… kill ghosts? Or not? Is it just something ghosts can touch? It’s supposed to be like water in weapon form, right? Like that’s how I understood it when they first introduced it. Wouldn’t the deepstone bars kill Ghoultar then? And then like, Cole’s bike is made of deepstone. He uses it as a weapon. Wouldn’t it kill him? It kills other ghosts when they touch it. How… how does it work?! I need answers!!!

The captain of the steam boat says they’re going as fast as possible, but later Ronin comes in and cranks it up like twice as fast… that always bothered me like, why would he lie about that? Who is this captain and why is he so chill about everyone’s lives?! And then later Wu cranks it up yet again, like the ship had slowed down to it’s previous speed. What the hell is happening with the controls of this ship???

So pissed that the nasty CGI nightmare cloud monster that chases the ninja is named Nimbus. Totally forgot about that. I have an OC with a cat named Nimbus… I promise, there is not going to be a stupid twist bout the cat being the monster thing in Mists of Fate. That would be very stupid.

I was all excited that season 13 gave us minecart chases, but I totally forgot season 5 gave us one first. I really like the return to the caves of despair btw, good reuse of a known location.

How many times this season did we do the: 

Kai: Oh, I don’t like water, I can’t do it uwu  Cole: ...You serious?

Thanks for reading! And if you got this far… I don’t know. I would love to hear your thoughts if you have any! These are just my opinions, so don’t think too much of it if you disagree.

-Kitten

#ninjago #analysis #ns5 #ninjago possession #parachuterants

[kevindurkiin]

JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN]

JOYRYDE‘s BRAVE LP has arrived and it’s a masterpiece in every sense.

As soon as the intro track “PRE OP” counts backwards from 10, it’s all over. The producer gets to work, blending UK bass, grime, hip hop, trap, and house for an immersive experience like no other. The album boasts his signature JOYRYDE style throughout, which knows no limits and speeds past the norm at every turn.

Within split seconds, JOYRYDE is able to seamlessly shift gears, from full throttle four on the floor to intricate theatrics to downright devastating bass attacks. While songs like “IM GONE,” “MADDEN,” “SELECTA 19” and more serve as familiar ear pleasers, “ON FIRE,” “MILK” featuring Fze, “4AM,” and more continue to engage from fresh, new perspectives. From the gritty, grime-laced sounds of “SLAY” featuring NoLay to the diverse, synth-forward spectrum heard in “BROOKLYN,” there’s never a dull moment with BRAVE.

JOYRYDE puts his blood, sweat, and tears into every single production on the album. His immaculate sound design and fierce attention to detail put BRAVE on a pedestal, but his passion and personal experience bring it back down to Earth and make it feel real.

We’ll leave you with a statement from the artist behind the madness:

In the middle of writing an EP, a disk in my lower back collapsed. After a successful surgery, I didn’t feel like myself at all. I had to take a lot of opioid pills and nerve damage meds to cope with the pain for 5 months and it threw me into a spiral filled with hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and more.

I wasnʼt in the state of mind to finish the EP anymore. I knew right then it would be a LONG time until I could release music again.

To try and snap out of it, I went back to the studio and just started writing. I donʼt even remember making some of these ideas, to be honest. After a certain point, I tried to get off the meds which was super hard. After battling the shakes, withdrawals, insomnia, and overall pain, I finished one track, then a week later two more.

Needless to say, the past 4 years have been a complete struggle. That’s life, you handle what youʼre given. The experience gave me a new outlook on music and what I wanna do with the rest of my time alive. My role in life is to create for others. I’ve made peace with that notion. So here is “BRAVE” –

BRAVE represents JOYRYDE both as a musician and a warrior. Out now via HARD Recs.

JOYRYDE – BRAVE

Get it: https://hardrecs.ffm.to/bravelp



This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN]

JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN] published first on https://soundwizreview.tumblr.com/

[bestdjkit]

JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN]

JOYRYDE‘s BRAVE LP has arrived and it’s a masterpiece in every sense.

As soon as the intro track “PRE OP” counts backwards from 10, it’s all over. The producer gets to work, blending UK bass, grime, hip hop, trap, and house for an immersive experience like no other. The album boasts his signature JOYRYDE style throughout, which knows no limits and speeds past the norm at every turn.

Within split seconds, JOYRYDE is able to seamlessly shift gears, from full throttle four on the floor to intricate theatrics to downright devastating bass attacks. While songs like “IM GONE,” “MADDEN,” “SELECTA 19” and more serve as familiar ear pleasers, “ON FIRE,” “MILK” featuring Fze, “4AM,” and more continue to engage from fresh, new perspectives. From the gritty, grime-laced sounds of “SLAY” featuring NoLay to the diverse, synth-forward spectrum heard in “BROOKLYN,” there’s never a dull moment with BRAVE.

JOYRYDE puts his blood, sweat, and tears into every single production on the album. His immaculate sound design and fierce attention to detail put BRAVE on a pedestal, but his passion and personal experience bring it back down to Earth and make it feel real.

We’ll leave you with a statement from the artist behind the madness:

In the middle of writing an EP, a disk in my lower back collapsed. After a successful surgery, I didn’t feel like myself at all. I had to take a lot of opioid pills and nerve damage meds to cope with the pain for 5 months and it threw me into a spiral filled with hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and more.

I wasnʼt in the state of mind to finish the EP anymore. I knew right then it would be a LONG time until I could release music again.

To try and snap out of it, I went back to the studio and just started writing. I donʼt even remember making some of these ideas, to be honest. After a certain point, I tried to get off the meds which was super hard. After battling the shakes, withdrawals, insomnia, and overall pain, I finished one track, then a week later two more.

Needless to say, the past 4 years have been a complete struggle. That’s life, you handle what youʼre given. The experience gave me a new outlook on music and what I wanna do with the rest of my time alive. My role in life is to create for others. I’ve made peace with that notion. So here is “BRAVE” –

BRAVE represents JOYRYDE both as a musician and a warrior. Out now via HARD Recs.

JOYRYDE – BRAVE

Get it: https://hardrecs.ffm.to/bravelp



This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN]

from Best DJ Kit https://www.youredm.com/2020/04/03/joyryde-brave-lp-must-listen/

[bluebuzzmusic]

JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN]

JOYRYDE‘s BRAVE LP has arrived and it’s a masterpiece in every sense.

As soon as the intro track “PRE OP” counts backwards from 10, it’s all over. The producer gets to work, blending UK bass, grime, hip hop, trap, and house for an immersive experience like no other. The album boasts his signature JOYRYDE style throughout, which knows no limits and speeds past the norm at every turn.

Within split seconds, JOYRYDE is able to seamlessly shift gears, from full throttle four on the floor to intricate theatrics to downright devastating bass attacks. While songs like “IM GONE,” “MADDEN,” “SELECTA 19” and more serve as familiar ear pleasers, “ON FIRE,” “MILK” featuring Fze, “4AM,” and more continue to engage from fresh, new perspectives. From the gritty, grime-laced sounds of “SLAY” featuring NoLay to the diverse, synth-forward spectrum heard in “BROOKLYN,” there’s never a dull moment with BRAVE.

JOYRYDE puts his blood, sweat, and tears into every single production on the album. His immaculate sound design and fierce attention to detail put BRAVE on a pedestal, but his passion and personal experience bring it back down to Earth and make it feel real.

We’ll leave you with a statement from the artist behind the madness:

In the middle of writing an EP, a disk in my lower back collapsed. After a successful surgery, I didn’t feel like myself at all. I had to take a lot of opioid pills and nerve damage meds to cope with the pain for 5 months and it threw me into a spiral filled with hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and more.

I wasnʼt in the state of mind to finish the EP anymore. I knew right then it would be a LONG time until I could release music again.

To try and snap out of it, I went back to the studio and just started writing. I donʼt even remember making some of these ideas, to be honest. After a certain point, I tried to get off the meds which was super hard. After battling the shakes, withdrawals, insomnia, and overall pain, I finished one track, then a week later two more.

Needless to say, the past 4 years have been a complete struggle. That’s life, you handle what youʼre given. The experience gave me a new outlook on music and what I wanna do with the rest of my time alive. My role in life is to create for others. I’ve made peace with that notion. So here is “BRAVE” –

BRAVE represents JOYRYDE both as a musician and a warrior. Out now via HARD Recs.

JOYRYDE – BRAVE

Get it: https://hardrecs.ffm.to/bravelp



This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: JOYRYDE’s ‘BRAVE’ LP Is Here & It’s An Absolute Masterpiece [MUST LISTEN]

source https://www.youredm.com/2020/04/03/joyryde-brave-lp-must-listen/

#edm #music #music production #music news #edm news

[crystalnet]

My TOP 5 Anime

Oh dear god. I was half way through this and my browser crashed. I don't know why I'm having to relearn that you should never EVER write from scratch in Tumblr's text editor but so be it. My mistake. Fuck. That really hurts... Anyway~

So yeah this will be the first in a series of Top 5 lists in the coming weeks including top consoles, games, music and possibly films and/or anime OPs. This is a really big deal and I just hope that I can pay the respect and due diligence that some of my favorite media of all time deserve. None of these are hidden gems, so I won't be alerting anyone to something they've never heard of necessarily, I'm simply taking pen in hand to pay homage to some of my all-time favorites.

1. Case Closed/Detective Conan

Until recently, during anytime in the past couple years, I would have told you NGE was far and away my favorite anime, hands down. But these, days I tend to especially value sheer watchability, and while this may sound a bit utilitarian, I think there's really something to be said for shows that feature self-contained episodes, that function individually outside of an extended arc, not beholden to the strained narrative structure that so many long-form TV shows suffer from. Indeed, this show perfects the 22-minute who-dun-it. And while they are just that: simple, contained who-dun-its, they are some of the most consistently enjoyable one's this Poirot fan has ever seen. After 130 episodes and tons of solid movies, this show just doesn't seem to get stale. Featuring my hands-down favorite English voice-acting cast this side of NGE and DBZ, the presentation is rounded out by way of pleasant and under-stated animation circa anime's visual peak in the mid-90s. 

The scripts meanwhile are always sharply funny, even hilarious sometimes, and at other times suitably spooky and dark when needed. The Conan/Jimmy dialectic is weirdly engaging, and Richard's severe alcoholism gives the series an at times madcap but slightly dark undercurrent that matches the grizzly nature of much of the murders. Even side characters like Inspector Mcguire and the Phantom Thief Kidd fill out the cast and keep things interesting. Oh and did I mention the music? Because it's incredible. One of the best soundtracks in an anime outside of something by Hirasawa, Hisaishi or early Kajiura. And beyond the jazzy soundtracking and super-creepy sound-design, the third opening is hands-down the best one I've ever heard/seen. With a keen eye for details one truth prevails and its that this song fucking rocks my world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPi9lvDe6LY

2. NGE

It almost seems like I shouldn't even try to sing the praises of this widely accepted classic. That it's praises have so long been writ in stone that there is no point in trying to encapsulate what it does so well. But I will try anyway, and when I apporach this show, beyond the depth of the characters themselves, I am struck by their excellent visual designs, which are whistful and graceful, and I'm struck by how they seem to be at odds with the apocalyptic nature of the show. Indeed, much of this show is very bleak. Shinji's familiar relations are bleak. His emotional state is bleak. Tokyo 3's hope for survival is bleak and the planet's fate seems the bleakest and yet: There are moments of ephemeral satisfaction and even happiness to be had when you least expect it, in the form of evenings at Misato's, where the cheap beer is always flowing,  intrusive room-mates are abound, and hot, cheap meals are to be had, along with the company of a grumpy penguin. 

Indeed, Shinji finds a version of domestic stability in the apartment of Misato, and these moments of fleeting bliss are the heart and center of the show. If NGE teaches you anything, it's that if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, to cherish it and hold on to it for as long as possible because pretty soon the Fifth Child will show up, steal your heart, steal away to Terminal Dogma and attempt to trigger the Third Impact. We are blessed to have in a medium such as anime characters as uncomfortably human as Shinji, Asuka and Misato are. On script they leap off the page, and in the show proper, they are vibrant. There's some archetypical aspect to this show that makes it feel like it is adapted from some ancient national mythos in the way it depicts such universal themes, and yet it is also clearly a product of the 1990s, distinctly modern and yet transcendent of its context. We react to Shinji's realistic and lovingly portrayed emotional insecurity and self-doubt in the same way that readers have reacted to Homer's incredibly vulnerable portrayals of Achille's angst and hubris or Priam's desperation and humility for the sake of a slain prince for centuries. This is Humanity recognizing itself in an inanimate object, in this case an anime, and coming away from the experience feeling as though there was something substantial gleaned. Something deep and true. If these characters's relevance also end up lasting nearly 3,000 years as well,  I  really couldn't be surprised. So yeah, this one is legendary. 'Nuff said. Oh and also something about the buzzing of cicadas. That’s super important. 

3. Paranoia Agent

Oh Mr. Satoshi Kon. I feel for you a kinship that I imagine people may similarly feel for any fiercly individual creators like Isao, Hayao and Hideaki upon coming to know your animations. Indeed, I believe if animation can hope to do anything well specifically, it is in capturing human emotion, and the cerebral depth which actual humans possess in what are essentially simplistic, representative line-drawings, and Kon has that in spades. On a sheer visual level, Kon's work is the most immaculate I can imagine, with Paprika being comparable to Spirited Away on a technical level, and this show hints at the visual level he would be working on, while sporting an even stronger script in my mind. If NGE hinted at the psychological and emotional depths which could be found and expressed so effectively in anime, this show goes all the way in to the true deep-end. At the heart of it, is an actually somewhat straight-forward mystery, but things are obfuscated by unstable mental states and unreliable victims, all depicted wonderfully in the serene, nuanced style of Kons, which is wonderfully at odds with the subtly dark feeling of the show. As twisted as things get though, the show always come back to a very human place, and with everything punctuated by Hirasawa's fresh-as-hell OST, we have ourselves a serious keeper. 

I just can't over-state how much this guy's visual style does it for me. The color-palette especially just really pops and makes my eyes go all googly in the same way they do when I think of shots of Shinji looking plaintive infront of a solid blue sky's backdrop. The script itself might be the true gem though, despite all the visual excellence. This show has lots to say about things including identity, perception, and media, and functions in some ways as a treatise on memes-- not in an internet-y way but more of in the sense that things and ideas can spread and develop and take on a life of their own despite the intentions of their creator. It's really fascinating stuff, with a fractal-esque structure all organized around a certain grinning Little Slugger. It's fascinating to see all these initially loose-seeming ends get tied up so nicely despite how off-the-rails it sometimes gets all with in its relative short run of episodes. It's one to watch over and over, as getting to the center of this labyrinth is a joyful excercise indeed.

4. .Hack//SIGN

  Alright this is where I better brace myself to get written off by people who weren't turned off already by the inclusion of a detective shonen. The pessimistic take is that this is a long, boring show that takes a promising premise (to some) of being trapped in an MMO (about a decade before SAO) and features almost no action, existing mostly to accompany a string of largely repetitive Bandai-Namco action RPGS on the PS2 which themselves exist in order that some people might be suckered into buying all four volumes, procedurally-generated dungeons and all at approx. $200 US. The optimistic take though, is that this is one of the most atmospheric animes of all time thanks largely to an early OST from Yuki Kajiura before she got formulaic.

The show also sports excellent character designs which I think were very influential for other digitally drawn fantasy shows going forward. But where those shows become generic looking, this one has a pretty unique style, even if yes, scenes are largely consisting of conversations, plotting, waxing philosophical, and everything besides actual action. But the music! I don't know how Kajiura goes on to make so many lackluster OSTs later on (all that money) but here she shines brilliantly. The strings! The angelic vocal harmonies! I can't deny that this shows inclusion is largely due to the soundtrack. But beyond that, there are some interesting ideas to be found, including the central concept of a massively successful VR MMO game based on a fragmentary German epic poem in which people can become trapped in the game while in a coma-like state in real life, or the concept of sexual freedom of identity while on the net. For millenial kids who might be given to enjoying cyber-punk, I think this show is largely excellent, if yes a bit dry perhaps. But the overall atmosphere and feeling of the show is largely successful and  I think it excellently captures the actual feeling of playing a good MMO. Critics like Digibro will trash this show save for the soundtrack,  but I think the fact that this show fully encapsulates what it feels like to actually log into a game like Final Fantasy XI Online when your a kid makes an invaluable document of early 2000′s MMO culture. Limitless possibilities, mysteries abound, and `the absolving of the flesh and prior identity. A faint hint of danger and the unpaved crossroads. Those wide-open horizons are as fresh to me when I watch this show as they were when I was first getting my hands dirty exploring fantasy worlds online as a lad, and that's why there's no question about its placement on my list. 

And seriously, listen to this song and tell me that this isn’t from a top 5 anime.

 https://soundcloud.com/alexandr-valhala/01-yasashii-yoake-tv-size?in=alexandr-valhala/sets/hacksign-ost

5. FLCL

This one is a bit tricky. It's well-loved sure, and it's not too hard to tell why. It's off-the-walls sense of humour, playful animation and the fucking Pillows speak for themselves. But beyond that there's something deeper. And that deeper thing is simultaneously what makes me question if I should put it on this list at all while also being the thing that seals the deal. And that's the sheer attitude and feeling of this show. Which, yes is largely due to the Pillows. Again, I am no saint when it comes to ranking shows high based largely on the OST, but it's way more than that. It's a right-place, right-time kind of thing for sure, because if I hadn't seen this in its original US airing in the 6ths grade, it never would have hit me right. But at the time, it hit me harder than most shows. And even if it isn't something I can re-watch in the same was I can NGE or Paranoia Agent, its youthful energy and style are undeniable, and perfectly enshrined in its modest 6-episode run. Somethine about Naota is so damn relatable at that age. Because of this show I dreamt of growing up in a sleepy Japanese town, thinking about my professional baseball playing brother in the states, stressing about a lump on my head that might be a portal to an alien dimension, vespa-riding nymphomaniacs, and a dish-washing robot, among other things. In its short run time, this show packs a crazy amount of feels and light-hearted concepts. It takes slice-of-life and runs it through a mad-cap surrealist sci-fi cartoon filter. So while it's not something I can really sit through now-a-days, I will always be grateful for the way it made me feel so revved up and psyched when I was a kid. It gave me a new perspective in a weird way, at a time when I needed that, so thanks FLCL.

ok that’s that, shout-out to my 6-10 slots which I don’t feel like deciding the order of or writing about! Up next, consoles, games, OPs or albums?!

#anime #list #otaku #top5 #top 5 #paranoia agent #flcl #fooly cooly #case #closed #case closed #detective conan #neon genesis #nge #neon genesis evangelion