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aphilosopherchair · 1 year

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Alice in the Mart

—A rollercoaster-y reboot

In this AI mashup of Pegasus Market and Alice, a group of misfits at a failing supermarket headed by a ruthless demoted CEO determined to close it down discover in the basement of the supermarket a portal to a future world. This other world is called Alice, a parallel universe where anything is possible. The supermarket employees now have a chance to use Alice to find new products and ideas to save their jobs, whereas the CEO does his best to sabotage their efforts.

In the end, only one side can succeed. Will the employees be able to save their store? Or will the CEO succeed in closing it down?

Alice Promoter Droid (with real-time human dubbing in places):

Hey there, prehistorics, welcome to our hyper-advanced world of mealtime solutions in AL Year 160!

Employees:

We want to upgrade our instant ramyun.

Alice Promoter Droid:

A perfect choice! Allow me to introduce… Hydroponic Instant Ramyun! Simply put this widget in a pot of boiling water and wait 5 seconds! The Hydroponic Instant Ramyun has been infused with hyper-intelligent nanotechnology that turns water into instant noodles! With 13 flavors to choose from, there is something for everyone! A small box filled to the brim with packets of instant ramyun-shaped tools, with cool, futurist packaging. Lots of flashing colors

CEO:

How amusing. No processed food is truly instant. Guys, guys, let's launch a green campaign that gets shoppers to queue up for the ramyun for an hour for the benefit of environmental justice!

(Shoppers curious about the queue end up snaking around the street like noodles coiling around chopsticks. Hydroponic Instant Ramyun goes out of stock due to over-demand. Disappointed shoppers end up buying less processed noodles so that they get something out of the queuing time, and subsequent shoppers start to think that the amazing queue is meant for the less processed noodles. The less processed noodles become a sensation, driving up sales. The CEO receives his Earth Protector of the Year award with the scowl of the year.)

Employees:

We shall ride on the sustainability wave! Give us sustainably raised seafood.

Alice Promoter Droid:

I present to you… The Fish Printer! This amazing device prints out a random fish fillet that uses the fish's DNA as a template. No overfishing in the future, no siree! Enjoy the taste of responsibly-sourced fish! A large tube with lots of buttons

CEO:

What did the saying about giving a man a fish say? Hold pompous talks on every yawn-inducing detail about printer construction and assembly, right in the middle of the fish section.

(The tech speaker from Alice turns out to be a beauty tech-enhanced beauty who gets flocks of men shopping for fish alongside the housewives.)

Employees:

Alice is the Queen! Alice is the Heart of Hearts! Cabbages next.

Alice Promoter Droid:

I bring you… The Cosmic Cabbage! This cabbage is grown in interplanetary conditions, which creates a unique and delicious flavor unlike anything you've ever tried! Be warned, it may not have the same nutritional value as Earth cabbage. Enjoy! A large purple cabbage in a futuristic farm

CEO:

You get the origin of the name? Add cosmic garbage to the promo leaflets.

(The funny results become the talk of the town. Sales obligingly soar.)

Employees:

We're living the ultimate dream. What did we do to earn such a genius boss? What other magic can he pull off? Do you sell only mealtime solutions? We have a boring stationery section.

Alice Promoter Droid:

I am glad you asked! Try Venus-grown pens, made using the special materials found within Venus' thick, toxic soil. They are known for retaining ink for up to 200x longer than ordinary pens. They are also known for causing horrible mutations, cancer, and other life-threatening side-effects. It's a fun gamble either way!

Employees:

…

Alice Promoter Droid:

I can assure you, Venus-grown pens have been extensively tested. In lab conditions, we were able to reduce mutations by a whopping 15%. So come on and gamble your health for a fun little pen!

CEO:

I counter that offer! An Earth-bound vacation, on Jeju island's volcanic soil, for all employees as a reward for their mega sales growth! Why, I see, no one's interested.

Employees:

Me! Me! Me!

(The CEO smirks to himself. Surely the vacation will reverse the sales trajectory?)

Alice Promoter Droid:

I can help! Introducing the Stasis Capsules! Just insert yourself into the pod and select the desired duration, as short as you need, and the capsules will hibernate your body while your mind waves are sent to your selected vacation resort, as immersively as you want! You'll wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Disclaimer: Some users have reported waking up with amnesia or as a different species, but it shouldn't be anything to worry about. Small pods with lots of glowing buttons

CEO:

Take your bodies to Jeju island too, you fools. Me and new temporary staff will cover for you.

(In a heroic shot, the CEO takes off his blazer and quickly rolls up his sleeves to go around peddling noodles, fish and cabbages, cursing himself under his breath. Rapturous applause breaks out among the employees before they thank the droid and disperse.)

Alice Promoter Droid:

(Smiling quietly to itself)

Take this along. I present to you the Stellar Compass! A device displaying an interactive map of all known stars and solar systems, and even calculating the fastest routes to whichever one you desire, wherever your happiness lies. A pocket-sized holographic display of our solar system in AD 2023

Credits

Concept: Bard

CEO's DNA: Pegasus Market

Alice Promoter Droid: Computer scientist Landon S's brilliant 2389 AD Designer + said human dubbing

Top image: WOMBO

#scifi #science fiction #futuristic #future #short fiction #fiction #time travel #pegasus market #alice #kdrama #korean drama

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robinbait · 4 years

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“THIS IS THE BESTWORST DAY OF MY LIFE.“

independent jason todd from dc comics’ and influenced by DC’s Titans. read headcanons for more informations.

written by claudia.

#titans rp #titans indie #open batman rp #batman rp #dc indie #mcu rp #new promo for a small reboot

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insane-mane · 3 years

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Hot topic alert, Derrick J Wyatt getting blamed for every single decision/everything that happened in OV is of course bullcrap. Plus it takes away from the people who made those decisions, and for the stuff that was a group effort. Pinning everything on derrick is so unfair.

Look, it's no secret that Derrick can be very short and even rude with people, but I feel like a decent amount of that is warranted because of this exact reason.

The moment the first OV promo dropped, the worst parts of the fandom went straight to their keyboards and relentlessly attacked the show before it even had a chance to air, simply because it wasn't what came before it. Derrick had the most presence when interacting with the fans, and being the one responsible for the show’s new, drastic style, a large amount of the blame and pure hatred was dumped all on him, and it was an absolutely sickening example of fan entitlement.

I truly don't blame him at all for leaving when he did. I've had my fair share of moments where I've felt like leaving and I'm just a small time fan artist! Imagine working on a show you're passionate about and being lambasted to the point they make fun of your physical appearance and tell you to kill yourself, causing you to remove yourself from the internet entirely for your mental health’s sake.

My biggest pet peeves, especially now, are the devil's advocates coming out of the woodwork to preach about how, "Oh, well he's an industry professional! How dare he not respond to malicious and stupid draining comments with calm, well-reasoned responses!?" Like, I'm sorry but as someone that gets shitty, inane comments every day, FUCK that noise. These people completely ignore the fact they're talking to a human being, an adult no less. Internet anonymity doesn't give you a free pass to be a garbage can of a human being to others and NOT be scolded. You are not the victim after seeking someone out to purposefully annoy or shit on them and they lay into you. But of course it's easier to just critique how “incorrectly" someone responds when you're not the one at the end of it. I guarantee if you were in this position, you wouldn’t come out as “squeaky clean” as you demand of others. These people shouldn’t get away with treating people horribly.

Rant aside, it's just annoying hearing how Derrick “Destroyed Ben 10″ or “Ruined our childhoods” or “Poisoned our water supply, burned our crops, and delivered a plague onto our houses”. You’re free to not like or enjoy what he contributed, and you can disagree with some of his lore! I take literally everything Duncan Rouleau says with a grain of salt but you don’t see me harassing him on twitter about it. The hatred was unfair and horrendous when it happened to Omniverse, and it was unfair and horrendous when it happened with the reboot. Neither one of these people are the sole creators of Ben 10, tons of other people worked on it and had their own input.

Think about that before directing your blind hatred at these people for making a cartoon you didn’t like.

#ben 10 omniverse

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kurtwagners · 4 years

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you critize atla all that much which fine whatever you can do that but, your blog is plastered in marvel stuff which also has tons of problems in regards to representation and which mostly is run by white guys, one of which is actually a trump supporter so like, what's valid and what's not? Why do you get to pick and choose what is and isn't problematic to like?

Another thing is why are you so adamant on shitting on communists and anarchists and leftists in general? What do you even believe it that you think makes you so much better and wise that anyone with that sort of ideology? All you do is blog about fandom related things and consume comics by the two biggest media companies on the planet and you think that somehow makes you an authority on anything?

I’m so glad this ask gave me a gateway to rant about comics I criticize marvel and DC literally all the time, this is like the 5th time but I love to say it: Post-9/11 iterations of iconic superheroes of American culture, especially ones like Batman and Iron-man, are literally the manifestation of contemporary myth-making of American capitalism, as well as American-exceptionalism neoliberal copganda. My last super viral post was completely shitting on how Tibet is represented in Doctor Strange, you should check it out (it’s old though so not my best). It’s kind of an academic hobby of mine to rip apart comics because I love media studies a lot. My entire final project for my Tibetan Studies course in uni was on orientalist misrepresentations of Tibet in Western superhero comics such as Doctor Strange and Iron Fist and the “Shangri-La” phenomenon (I can link if you want I’d have to revise some sections though, haha)! Also if you follow my social media you probably see me preaching the book Capitalist Superheroes: Caped Crusaders in the Neoliberal Age by Dan Hassler Forest, it’s one of my favorite pieces of academic media studies writing, it completely breaks down the concept of the American “superhero" using a Marxist lens and I am obsessed with it. Warning though it’s REALLY dense but I think it’s extremely well-researched and really puts into perspective how important media studies can be when analyzing the political characteristics of nations, and how media shapes the minds of youth in their image.

I said multiple times I don’t mind that people enjoy and consume Avatar, I just wanted to point out it’s flaws in representing the Tibetan people, which is rooted in the writers being white. Comics also does this too, and I have written about this problem both on Tumblr and in an academic setting! So many fictional works created in the Western World has political implications that are problematic in nature, which is why I as a fan enjoy it and also enjoy criticizing and dissecting it! It helps me better understand how politics are ingrained in almost every aspect of our lives! You can enjoy things you are critical of, so please don’t worry!

I agree with you, enjoying superhero comic companies is definitely a double edged sword, because of their problematic existence as corporate entities while they are now hiring more diverse writers and artists for specific projects that give positive representation for marginalized groups, like Ms. Marvel and Ironheart. I personally try my best as a fan of superhero comics to minimize my impact in contributing to the corporate side and white creators pockets by torrenting popular, large comic titles written by white men. I only actively purchase small series that give writers of color and women a salary and a platform, such as my absolute favorite writers Saladin Ahmed, Greg Pak, G Willow Wilson, Eve Ewing, and Ta Nehisi Coates! They’re all excellent writers so check out their comics and outside works! I also don’t watch superhero movies anymore, I just generally don’t like them that much outside of Black Panther, aka the best superhero film.

Time for a promo: My favorite superhero team of all time, the Champions, focusses on characters of color like Kamala Khan, Miles Morales, Sam Alexander, Amadeus Cho and Riri Williams, and is currently being written by esteemed black academic Eve Ewing. The next issue of her Champions reboot is coming out in October 2020. It’s going to focus on how teen superheroes and vigilantes challenge the government and status quo, I’m so excited about it so PLEASE check out your local comic store and buy an issue if you’re interested in supporting comic creators of color writing heroes of color! It really needs financial support after Covid delayed the release. Champions in the past also gave a platform for Indigenous Canadian voices by pulling in Inuit creative Nyla Innuksuk and collaborated with her to create the new Champions member, Inuit superhero Snowguard (my baby), so if you are interested in modern and inspiring indigenous narratives please check out those past issues as well ❤️

And to address your other criticism: not all is how it appears sometimes! I have a more serious political twitter and a fan twitter both, so if you want to see me talk more about politics then fan things please be sure to follow me @chaiiyou on twitter instead! Kind of unrelated but also this is actually a side blog, I have a main blog that’s mostly just pretty photos and aesthetically pleasing stuff @butterchalatte so follow that too if you wish.

I am a leftist of color (anti-imperialist anarcho-communist would be my best bet but I don’t like labels) myself, who is critical about how Western leftists often romanticize geopolitical situations they are unfamiliar with and nation-states that they have never been to or have been a part of. I hope you understand that leftism, like many things, isn’t a monolith and there are many disagreements and critical discussions happening within the left all the time, groups such as anarcho-communists and marxist-leninist-maoists really aren’t the same. If you happen to fall into the more tankie/authoritarian side of the spectrum, uh I guess sorry if I offended you by criticizing my colonizers lmao but these discourses are fairly common and happen all the time, I’m surprised you’re not familiar with it? Having open, critical discussions within the leftist sphere is what helps us better understand one another and build more substantial praxis together, it’s unhealthy to stick yourself in an echo chamber!

I don’t really get why you’re so spiteful and upset though, I think people who mostly come online to decompress and engage in things like fandom still have a right to have open discussions about politics if they want to. I’m not claiming to be an authority on anything, just sharing my own experiences like everyone else. I wish you well and hope you can find more compassion in your future om mani pedme hum.

Tl;dr: There is no ethical consumption under capitalism

#this is like. my bio on one ask. Thanks!#damn i spent like half my lunch break writing this back to the grind ig

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nautiscarader · 3 years

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Okay, so I’ve had a few days to think about the Animaniacs 2020 reboot, and to formulate my opinion - not that it matters to anyone.

I should preface it with my history with Animaniacs. While the og show was televised in my country when I was a little kid, I only watched it occasionally. I have, however, watched a good chunk of it when I was in college, and learned English, and I have to say this: i was HOWLING with laughter at the wordplays, and ingenuity that was baked into the songs and jokes. Animaniacs remain my number one recommendation for anyone who would like to get better at it.

I am also a huge fan of abstract and nonsense, so you can imagine how much fun I’ve had with stories like “Chairman of the bored”, when it is revealed that the only force in the universe able to stop the Warners is sheer boredom.

This is what I’ve been looking forward to when I sat to watch the new Animaniacs.

And with that said, I am saddened to inform you, that the new series is... very good.

Which is still below “phenomenal” of the original, hence the “sad” part. More under cut

There is a LOT of great things to talk about in the new Animaniacs: the wordplays and jokes are as good as before, the animation is crisp (though I will come back to one aspect of it), the songs are fun and catchy, especially the one about Reboots from the first episode, which I have been humming non-stop for the past two days. The comedy is wacky and unmistakably in their style, and Warners as always shoot at their targets with impeccable aim.

The modernised settings and technology is visible, but not distracting. Warners still feel like demigods of mischief, standing above all the world, no matter how much it has changed (as opposed to, say, The Looney Tunes Show where it did overshadow the wackiness).

The show satirised a lot of modern life and politics, and once more, they did it to the point. i was absolutely flabbergasted at the Pinky and The Brain episode about NSA, and how Brain explained that the government listens to all our phonecalls with the same casual nonchalance as if he was talking about milk being sold in every shop. That hit me hard, and the entire segment is, I think, my favourite of all of them.

But at the same time, there are some choices the creators - or maybe the studio - did that lessen the experience.

First and most jarring difference is the absence of almost all of the supporting cast. Long gone is that parade of wacky characters who strolled with their contracts through the intro. We occasionally see Ralph the guard, and in last episode we get doctor Scratchnsniff, but that’s it. There is a segment which kinda-sorta explained what happened to them, but I cannot for the life of me imagine WHY would they abandon almost all the rest of characters.

The only ones that survived the cut were Pinky and The Brain, and don’t get me wrong, I love them, through and through, but after a while, especially in the binge format, they get repetitive. I’d love to see Rita and Runt parody another musical, like “Hamilton”. Or maybe Slappy and Skippy showing the generational gap that deepened in a literal quarter of century that have passed? Remember, there were episodes of old “Animaniacs” without Warner siblings, and just segments of those supporting characters. Their absence hurt, and I do hope it will be rectified in the second season.

Speaking of, you know my opinion on calling 13 episodes “a season”. By my standards, it’s a half-season, but despite my strongly-worded shaking fists at the skies, the big studios have done nothing about it. The audacity...

The relatively small sample size works against Animaniacs in one other aspect, which I’m SURE there are already tons of discussions about: the politics. Yes, there is a lot of it, and sadly, when spread to only 13 episodes, it feels like much more. But at the other hand, the times we live nowadays feel like a cartoon, especially with comically villainous politicians, like Trump, so it is only natural to see what actual cartoons think about them. But on the... third hand, political satire is now everywhere, so it feels oversaturated, while on the... fourth hand (I will need more in a minute), i am glad they also did jabs at Putin and alike. And of course, Animaniacs have always made fun of politics, it’s just this time, it feels closer to home.... but maybe because it sadly is.

I also have to say that some segments felt... unfinished, incomplete, or just weird. I have already voiced how kinda disappointing the suffragette song was, especially given what could have been done with the larger cast, but there were a few more. For example, one segment of Pinky and the Brain parodies “1001 nights”, where Brain tells Scheherazade three tales. And each feels rushed. This should have clearly been an ongoing narrative to the whole episode, and not just one segment. There were also three very weird short segments with completely original characters, and while two of them were so-so, the last one, about a gnome living in a person’s mouth completely befuddled me. I still don’t know what was it about, and frankly, I feel like I need an adult. There was also a Halloween episode, complete with spookified intro... even though all episodes premiered in one day... and AFTER Halloween... Weird.

As a final complaint, while the animation in most cases was stellar, there were these scenes where background characters were drawn.. well, ugly, with wide, bucked teeth and stretched faces, like from some very nasty satire cartoon. And I don’t mean just the antagonists of segments - this I understand - I also mean the regular characters, and it kinda felt mean-spirited. I noticed that a bit in the “Jurassic Lark” promo too, and I was worried (correctly) that it might carry on into the show. It’s not too distracting, but it happens every now and then.

But still, even with all those flaws above, it is a great, great continuation of the beloved original. Will it be as eternal...? I suspect not, some elements that were used to modernise it will inevitably date it faster, but maybe, if anything, this is the sign of how the world affects the media.

I, for one, welcome our Warner overlords (and overlady), because we need them. And let’s face it, we all missed them.

#animaniacs #animaniacs reboot

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slaegirl · 3 years

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basically i did a small reboot, new header, new icons, new theme, new promo, new all.

am i cool yet?

#ɴᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱʟᴀʏᴇʀꜱ ; meet the mun claudia.

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ofcamerasflashing · 3 years

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Tips for revamping blog without getting.overwhe!med

Honestly revamping is something I have down to a science these days. I’ve rebooted my share of times.

Remember that a lot of your follower count on your old blog is likely not active. So if you don’t see a lot of numbers jumping out at you that is because of inactive blogs. If you go from having 300 followers on your old blog to a solid 100 that is because of this. I know we all get hung up on the numbers but that is the biggest thing I’ve noticed in my time rebooting.

Make list after list of things that need to be done. Break everything down into small chunks. Here is a hint! Make it all general so that way you can save this list for future use.

Use a folder on your desktop to keep all of your graphics in one place! This is important because we all know that things change and we might need to go looking through this every so often.

Keep a list of all of your tags! Tumblr likes to play a delete game often and just in case this will be really helpful.

Use discord! Make a personal server just for yourself and put everything you might need in there. This is where I shoved all of my tags in a personal little server for myself.

If you are going to transfer drafts over to a new blog just take it slow. There is no big rush to do it in one sweeping motion. Keep your old archived blog up and go through and delete the draft when you transferred it over to your new blog. This just makes it easier to keep track of what you are keeping.

Remember that most people don’t have EVERYTHING done by the time they post a promo. A lot still happens behind the scenes.

Slow and steady wins the race. Slow and steady wins the race.

#rph #rpt #rpc #・ ˖ ✦ ⋄ . ❝Mine: Answered Ask.❞ 【OFCAMERASFLASHING】#・ ˖ ✦ ⋄ . ❝Series: Indie RP World.❞ 【OFCAMERASFLASHING】

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hithelleth · 3 years

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What I’ve Watched Lately

It’s been two months since the last one, so time for another one of these compilations.

I’ll start with documentaries, there were a few:

World War II in Colour was a rewatch, always recommendable for memory refresher and comparison-with-the-present reality check.

The Secret Story of the Knights Templar: The Rise and Fall of a Knightly Order killed the time, provided some new info, but I wasn’t into it I guess and mostly did other things while watching.

Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream was also interesting refresher course in history with some info I hadn’t known before, and it was nice to watch because it was, as we’d say vibing with me – I’ve never been to Vienna, but so much of who we are and in particularly of our history has been directly influenced by Vienna and a millennium+ of Austrian overrule, so it feels very ours on one hand. On the other hand, it was frustrating that the British (or American, IDK) narrator kept emphasising how Vienna has been a capital of nations, mentioning, of course, everyone except us dirty uncouth Slavs (apart from the losing and gaining of Bohemia and parts of Poland), not even in terms of Spring of Nations. Because in the large scope of world history we just don’t matter (not even as being handy to be subjugated and oppressed by whichever power of the time. It’s as if we aren’t people, just peasants to be exploited while not even being given a thought.) Oops, I’m bitter.

Tutankhamun (2016) is what we call ‘acted’ documentary mini-series about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb with Max Irons and Sam Elliot. I have only the third episode left and I’m liking it very much. I do recommend!

Speaking of TV shows:

I’m watching the reboot of All Creatures Great and Small (2019 - ). It’s my current relaxation show, where I can just sit back and enjoy, it has such a calm, comforting feel. There’s only one episode left of S1, and it has already been renewed for S2, so I can warmly recommend it.

I’ve also been watching Miss Scarlet and the Duke, I also only have one episode left and I’m absolutely loving it, but I think this one will get its own post after I finish it (the last episode is actually on tonight, but I think I’ll watch it tomorrow or on Tuesday).

I talked about World on Fire in a separate post a while back, because it was that good and I loved it.

So, at least I’ve been lucky with TV shows picks this dreary end of autumn/early not-winter, but all the good shit is ending, I’ll have to find some new ones (as if I don’t have a backlist of *checks* oh, yeah, 40. Ahem.)

I have a bunch of movies listed in my notes:

Holidate (2020) was okay, solid fun. Same goes for A Simple Wedding (2018) which I think I mentioned somewhere before (at least it kept my attention which is what I measure things I watch against these days.)

I tried to watch Rebecca (2020) for about 20 minutes in the background but it didn’t grip me so I quit.

I remember I hated the end message of What Men Want (2019), but I forgot why or what it was.

I watched A Bigger Splash (2015) because of reasons, it was quirky in that distinct European movie way (which is not meant in a bad way most of the time), completely with moral dilemmas and everything.

Then Came You (2020) was a nice change for a romcom with older characters and a hilarious morning after role-reversal scene. ;)

Midway (2019) had an almost documentary feel and as I had just rewatched the above mentioned WW II documentary, I could really appreciate it.

Love, Wedding, Repeat (2020) was nice and fun with the 4th wall breaking narrator.

Happiest Season (2020) couldn’t keep my attention and I hated Kristen Stewart’s GF for the most of it except the last 10-15 minutes, but I appreciated that her dad (Victor Garber!) at the end decided that his political career is not worth his daughter having to deny who she really is.

Godmothered (2020) looked fun but I wasn’t able to watch it in peace, so, IDK. I liked the end message that HEA is not just about finding romantic love but any kind of love and happiness.

The best of them was Australia which I rewatched yesterday and the day before in two parts for who-knows-which time. ;)

Oh, and of course, there was that week when Destiel reminded me of the Iconic book(TM) and movie and I had to hunt them down and reread and rewatch and then spent a week in a single-fan hell (because everyone and their mom had to read the book in school and therefore hates it – I’m a rare outlier.)

But the ship is so my type. And I relate to the poor heroine with a heart-condition very much. Also instant death from happiness after getting proposed to is an excellent way to go. ;)

(The book and movie are called Cvetje v Jeseni (Blossoms in Autumn), if anyone’s interested.

The book is supposedly translated into English but the translation is nowhere to be found (figures.)

The movie is, however, easily legally available for purchase and has English subtitles, it’s also 90% faithful to the book and what is different doesn’t affect the story and characterisation. It also stars the cream of our 1970s acting talent. (The book/movie are otherwise set in the late 19th century.)

If anyone wants, ask and I can send you a link. There, I’ve done the free promo of our cultural heritage because god knows our government (whichever) sure af won’t.)

That’s enough for now, I believe.

#under the cut because apparently there's been a lot?#how did i manage to watch so many things?#tv shows talk #movies talk #apparently i'll have to give posts of this type a tag #what i've watched lately #tv show recs #movie recs

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shezowhero · 5 years

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Bumblebee though out animation.

Here’s Bumblebee though out cartoons. With the DC Superhero Girls reboot being out I’ve been thinking about Bumblebee, so let look at Bumblebee’s evolution in cartoons.

First we have Bumblebee in the old Teen Titans cartoon. This is her first appearance in animation. She’s in 8 episodes but doesn’t talk in one episode and in another episode is just a cameo. She is probably one of my first times seeing a black female superhero after Storm and She-bang. This is my favorite version of Bumblebee. I wish she was in more episodes, she doesn’t do much in the later episodes with her. I really like her character design. It’s one of my favorite designs for her. I wish they had her be a scientist or a scientific genius. She’s very smart in the show but they don’t explore it. Being a scientist or scientific genius is a big important part of her character. I also wish they had her be with The Herald.

Next we have her in Teen Titans Go. She’s kinda just a background character in the show until now. For a long time she didn’t do much or anything. She was just there until now. I really wish she did something sooner in the show. She was the only Titans East member who hadn’t had a episode about her. Could they not get her original voice actor or something ? They could easily have her be in the Girls Night Out episodes. The episodes that focus on the girls are some of the best episodes of the show. Her design is really cute. It’s just her design from the old show but with hoop ear rings and different shoes. They changed her design a little bit later on when they finally did stuff with her. They gave her yellow shoes. She’s in the tie in comics for the show. I was making this post before the 6th Titan episodes so I had to change somethings. I’m really happy they’re finally doing stuff with her in Teen Titans Go. The episodes with her start out with the Titans going to superhero summer camp and the Titans East are sick except for Bumblebee. The camp episodes reminds me of those episodes when the Titans were stuck on a island. Bumblebee asks to hang out with the Titans at camp since they were the only people she knew there. Robin didn’t want her to join them but after bugging him and helping the Titans win he let her join them during summer camp. After superhero summer camp ended the Titans wanted her to the join the team so she joined them. She could only be a member of the team for the summer but I hope she stays a permanent member of the team. I’ve seen people say it doesn’t sense for Bumblebee to be the 6th Titans and that it should be Terra but it does make sense. Bumblebee actually is a member of the Teen Titans and has been for a long time while Terra is actually a villain and the old show made her sympathetic when she’s not. Bumblebee is a great addition to the team and show. She makes the show fresh. I just wish they had be a super genius. I’d hate to have another Teen Titans show ignore her being a scientific genius like the old show did.

Than we have Bumblebee in Young Justice. This is her second animated appearance. We see her in the first season as one of Miss Martian and Superboy’s classmate. She was a cheerleader. In season 2 she is a member of the team. She has a slightly bigger role in season 2 but she still doesn’t do much. She’s The Atom’s lab assistant so she’s a scientific genius. I like that they remember her relationship with Mal Duncan. He is Bumblebee’s boyfriend and later husband. Most people don’t know Mal or know her relationship with him. They are one of the longest lasting Titans couples. Mal was in the old Teen Titans cartoon as The Herald but outside the tie in comics they didn’t interact with other in the old show which is weird knowing their history together. As of this post she hasn’t done much in season 3 so far. She’s only been in 2 episodes so far this season. She is pregnant which great but I hope she does more this season. I also hope we get to see her baby cause she recently had a baby in the comics but we never got to see her on panel or learn her name. We know the baby is a girl and that’s it. Bumblebee has a nice design in the show. It’s reminds me of her second costume from the comics. I like this version of Bumblebee but I wish she did more in the show.

Bumblebee from the Teen Titans Judas Contract movie. She’s only in the beginning of the movie so we only see a little bit of her. I hope if the Teen Titans get another animated movie in this universe I hope we see Bumblebee again.

The DC Super Hero Girls franchise. If you ever wanted Bumblebee to get more focus or have centeric stories about her, this is it. She get’s more focus here but still not enough focus. Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl get the most focus in the show and franchise. Luckily she does have a book about her, Bumblebee at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee. It’s a very good book and it dives more into her character than the show does. Everyone should read it. This is a really good version of Bumblebee. This is my second favorite version of her. They actually remember that she’s a scientific genius, especially in her book. She has a fun personality. On the old web site they say one of her personality traits is bubbly but she was more peppy and spunky than bubbly. She’s different from how black girls are usually portrayed in cartoons. DC Superhero Girls isn’t just a show or web show. It’s a franchise. It’s got toys. It was created to sell toys cause there was no toys of female superheroes. It’s got comics, graphic novels and books. It’s got movies, dress up and Halloween costumes. So Bumblebee getting a lot of exposure but she didn’t get that many merchandise from the old version. She only got 5 dolls, 2 action figures and some other stuff but the dolls and action figures were the main merch. Hopefully she’ll get more mech in the reboot. Since she’s getting more exposure I think DC should push her more in the comics.

Bumblebee in the DC Superhero Girls reboot. In the reboot she is still a scientific genius but it’s more explicit. They don’t just say she’s super smart they show her being super smart by her saying smart things and inventing things. They say her real name, Karen Beecher. Like the old show she is different from how black girls are usually portrayed in cartoons but this time she is shy, timid and awkward. She’s very cute. She’s got a good design but the only thing I don’t like her design is her skin being light. Bumblebee is a dark skin girl. She has always been canonly a dark skin black girl. Like stick to the canon. Every time there’s a black character with dark skin I’m like ‘Bumblebee should’ve been dark like that’. Her skin is dark in promo art and on her doll. She looks kinda dark when her helmet’s on and when she’s small. Dark skin black girls never get to be soft, shy, timid and nerdy in media especially in cartoons. It would’ve been nice to see Bumblebee be that. She should’ve been as dark as Catwoman. Besides that her design is nice. This is a good version. They’ve said there isn’t going to be a any romance in the show but I think it’s a missed opportunity to have her be with Mal.

So that’s Bumblebee in different cartoons. I feel like she’s gets more love in cartoons, she’s very criminal underused in the comics. She does more in cartoons so of course the cartoons versions of her get more love. I hope being in so many cartoons helps makes her popular so gets used more in comics. Y’know for someone who’s DC’s first black female superhero, DC sure don’t seem to care about her but someone at WB animation seems to care enough about her to put her in both DC Superhero Girls shows and Teen Titans Go. I’m glad todays kids get to grow up with her with those shows.

I want to post this sooner but Teen Titans Go decided to finally do stuff with her and I wanted wait to see how she was in the show and the DC Super Hero Girls reboot was still new.

Things I want in future cartoons with Bumblebee...

I want them have her be a scientist or at least a scientific genius. Being a super genius is a important part of her character. Her having powers is cool but it’s more interesting having her be a scientific genius who makes a super suit to give herself powers.

I want her to be with Mal Duncan. Mal is the whole reason why she becomes a superhero in the first place. They’re a good couple. Bumblebee is one of the few black girls to be in a romantic relationship. Black girls rarely get to be in romantic relationships in media. Like just let Karen and Mal be together. Let them be the power couple they’re meant to be.

Another thing I want in future cartoons with her is getting more focus. Luckily she gets focus in both DC Super Hero Girls shows and Teen Titans Go right now but I want it to continues. Getting more focus gives her more attention which could help her do more in comics. Outside media really do help comic book characters do more in comics. She doesn’t get focus in comics. Give her centric episodes about her.

And that’s what I in future cartoon adaptations of Bumblebee. Let her be a super scientific genius. Let her be with Mal and give her more focus.

#bumblebee #Karen Beecher #Teen Titans #Young Justice #teen titans go #dc super hero girls

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anpansblog · 5 years

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I read forums and comment sections back from 2012 and compared it to the fans reaction to RotTMNT I mainly saw on the youtube and several other sites

Sorry for this really long post. But these are just my observations. I’ll keep it under the read-more

Things older TMNT fans said about 2012 reboot:

- Those redesigns are horrible. Why they all have different heights and body types? They all should look the same, only their bandanas should be different. Their eyes should be permanantly white.

-This isn’t Splinter, Splinter supposed to be small.

- April is 16? They ruined April!

- They have hidden blades in their weapons, this is strange (While talking about naginata and kusarigama).

- I hate their voices. Raph doesn’t sound manly enough, etc.

-This show is too childish/stupid/immature.

-Humour in this show is stupid.

-Turtles are incompetent.

- Episodes are way to short and rushed.

- Cheap CGI (I agree with this one, though it got so much better with time).

- Forced romances. Turtle should never date a human, it’s wrong (Debatable, but why not though?)

- Worst reboot ever, I hope they’ll close it.

and this ONE from a russian fan:

- I hate this show, they all act like teenagers (boy, do i have news for you!)

Things that older fans said about 2018 reboot:

- Those redesigns are horrible. Why they all have different height/body types? Why they are different types of the turtles? Raph is the olderst and the leader?! This isn’t canon.

- This isn’t Splinter. Splinter supposed to be a wise martial artist, not a couch potato. Also he’s ugly. (He was ugly on the promo art imho, but he looks fine in the show)

- April is black and 16? They ruined April! This isn’t canon!

- They have different weapons, this is wrong. This isn't canon.

-Turtles are incompetent.

- All turtles act like Mikey. (It was said by the Nostalgia Critic, who only watched few first episodes and liked the show overall, but people started to spread it as a main argument against rottmnt)

- No Shredder = bad show

-This show is too childish/stupid/immature.

- Episodes are way to short and rushed.

- Humour in this show is stupid.

- Cheap bad animation, this show looks horrible (Personally, I think animation is awesome, I'm just not a big fan of designs)

- Worst reboot ever, I hope they’ll close it (classic)

one from the tmnt 2012 fans:

- Why there is no romances? Donnie should be with April!!!

and another funny one from the russian fans:

- I heard they are vegetarians in this new show! Nickelodeon ruined everything! (One troll wrote it in the comment section and many naive kids belived him and started to spread this rumor.)

Funny enough fans of these shows also defended them in similar ways. 2012/2018 fans were saying:

- New designs allow to distinguish turtles just by their looks alone. You don’t even need their colored bandanas and weapons for that. This is the first time TMNT cartoon did something like that. (Completly ignoring that 2003 first gave turtles different skin colors and later different eye colors and even heights)

- They fnally act like teenagers in this one (Again, debatable)

- Splinter finally acts like a dad for the first time (2012 fans said it about 2003; 2018 fans say it about 2012 now, so maybe, just maybe, all Splinters acted like dads and were just different kinds of dads?)

-Fight scenes are well choreographed and fun (Every cartoon had good fighting scenes time to time to be fair.)

- It’s only started, give it a time. It’ll get deeper.

- New reboot is funny. Last one was too serious and dark. (I saw some 2012 fans saying it about 2003. Now I see 2018 saying the same thing about 2012. Ironic)

So, what do we have here? it seems this fandom never really changed. And many people tend to judge new things based on their nostalgia of shows they grew up with or watched first. So fan VS battles are pretty much the same... Similar issues, similar arguments. Funny.

#my ramblings #tmnt #tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2012 #rottmnt #tmnt 2018 #long post #это я просто размышляю и пытаюсь понять фендомных людей #фендомы странные #я тут не учитывала фанатов которые орут 'моё шоу прогрессивнее твоего!11!1'#потому что таких ребят я не люблю #и игнорирую #они безумны

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murasaki-murasame · 5 years

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Thoughts on Fruits Basket 2019 Ep1: “See You After School”

The first episode of Fruits Basket 2019 Season 1 has finally dropped, so now I can finally start making posts about it. I’m almost certainly gonna talk about every single episode of this, since I have a lot to say. I’m also gonna use this as a chance to talk about the manga and the original anime in addition to this reboot, so I’m not gonna hold back on spoilers.

Anyway, I’m gonna put the rest under a cut. [TL;DR: It’s absolutely great, but if you’re really attached to the specific brand of zany comedy hijinks that the original anime had, you might be put off by the more subdued tone of this reboot]

I have no idea where to even start with this since there’s so much to say, but right off the bat, this already feels like a near-perfect adaptation of the manga. I’m already liking it a lot more than the original anime [which I saw for the first time a few weeks ago in preparation for this].

One of the things I was most worried about ever since they first announced this reboot was how they were going to handle the pacing, since the manga’s 23 volumes long, and thankfully they seem to be doing a great job thus far. As we knew from the theater pre-screenings a few weeks ago, this first episode covers chapter one of the manga, and the second episode will cover chapters two and three. At that sort of a pace, I think it’d work really well if they split this into three 24-ish episode seasons, but we’ll see how it goes.

We at least know that there’s going to be multiple seasons, and it looks like season 1 will be split into six BD/DVD volumes, with the first two currently being listed as containing four episodes each, so this first season should be at least 24 episodes. I’ve seen some rumors lately that season 1 will be 26 episodes, but we haven’t gotten an official number yet.

It also sounds like this reboot has a healthy production schedule, with them already having a fair amount of episodes pre-produced. Which makes sense, since the promo material we’ve gotten has a lot of animation and voiced lines from what’ll probably be the first twelve or so episodes. The animation studio behind this reboot has a lot of history doing long-running/multi-season anime, so it sounds like they know what they’re doing.

Anyway, onto the episode itself, it’s really interesting to compare this to the first episode of the original anime, since they cover basically the exact same material, but they’re handled really differently, in a way that really reflects how they’re from two very different eras of the industry.

I’ve been thinking for a while now that one of the most divisive aspects of the reboot is actually just going to be the differences in tone and atmosphere between this and the original. The original anime ignored a lot of the story’s nuance and the set-up for future drama and plot points, and filtered what was left through the director’s personal style of wacky comedy hijinks. The reboot still has comedy in it [more than I expected it to, actually], but it’s handled in a more subdued way that both matches the manga’s tone a bit more, and feels more like something that would actually air in 2019. Going by the reactions I’ve seen to this first episode, I really think that there’ll be a bit of a schism between people that are really attached to the specific brand of comedy that the original had, and people that thought it was obnoxious and didn’t fit the series at all. People will probably get used to the character design changes and stuff quickly enough, but the reboot is going to just get more and more heavy and dramatic as it goes on, so I think that might become a deal-breaker for people who really liked the original and don’t like the more subdued/heavy tone that this is gonna have.

The reboot is clearly leaning more into subtle comedy, with lots of scenes where the joke is about stuff that characters are saying in the background to each other when they’re not the main focus point of the shot. There’s also lots of moments where there’s hand-written notes on the screen like there were in the manga, which add their own bits of background comedy. It’s fun and silly in it’s own way, but already notably different from the comedy in the original anime.

Personally I thought that Akitaro Daichi’s brand of comedy didn’t work well in the original anime at all, and I’m glad that it’s gone. At least just going by this first episode, I’m glad that the reboot didn’t try to do anything like the whole Yuki fan club dance sequence thing from the original. I’m actually a little surprised at how the reboot handled that whole scene, though. In a good way. I hadn’t put much thought into it, but it makes a lot of sense that they’d change it a bit so that Motoko’s actually there from the start. When I was rereading the manga a while ago, I thought it was kinda weird how she doesn’t actually show up for a while, even though she then becomes the only important character in that club. So it just makes sense for the reboot to include her from the start. I’m also really surprised that they’re having Rika Aida apparently be a regular part of the club from the start as well, since in the manga she only shows up in one chapter in volume 8. But either way, I liked the little changes and additions they made to that scene to make it more consistent with the rest of the story.

I thought I heard people say on twitter after the theater screenings that the reboot didn’t have the part where Hana threatens the Yuki fan club and the screen goes all static-y, but that scene’s actually pretty much exactly the same. And I still like it just as much as I always have, lol.

Having Yuki be in the cooking class along with Tohru and her friends was a nice little addition that helped make their whole conversation about him a bit more natural than it was in both the manga and the original anime.

In general there’s a whole lot of parts in this episode where they really flesh out the material in both minor and major ways, that overall make it feel much more consistent with the story as a whole.

The biggest example of that is the scene at the very start of the episode that shows off God and the original banquet without really going into detail about what’s going on with it. It’s one thing that the reboot’s, like, introducing some side characters a bit earlier than they were in the manga, but that whole intro part was taken directly from the end of volume 22 of the manga, so that’s a pretty big change. I really liked it, though. Some people might think it’s too much of a spoiler, but I think it worked really well. They didn’t really explain what was going on so it mostly just served as a teaser for what was to come. It also makes it clear right off the bat that the story is going to have supernatural elements in it, and that there’s at least some kind of grander story/world-building going on, which I think does a good job at letting new viewers know that this isn’t gonna just be a silly rom-com.

I also really liked how they fleshed out all of the flashbacks and made them feel more like actual scenes and not just vague slideshows of Tohru’s memories. For the most part it’s all lifted straight from the manga, but there’s some really neat little additions like the red butterfly wind chime in Tohru’s old apartment, and the shot of Tohru as a kid doing taxes. And as a lot of people have also talked about, the shot of Kyoko’s blood pooling into a street gutter was way more heavy than how either the manga or the original anime handled that whole part. It’s a good example of the sort of heavy moment that might put off some people that liked the original anime’s comedy, but I liked it a lot. Tohru’s grief and trauma over her mother’s death is a really major plot point that gets explored and fleshed out across the entire series, and is pretty much the core of her character development in the long run, so it works really well to have a lot of emphasis on how big of a deal this all is to Tohru.

And, of course, there’s the hat. I already know that episode two is also gonna have a small original scene involving it, but I’ll talk about that next week when episode two actually comes out. Just in terms of this episode, it was mostly just in the background, but I liked how they handled it. Having it be right next to Tohru’s picture of Kyoko in her tent was a really nice way of subtly putting it there for people to see without drawing attention to it specifically, and I liked how it actually looked kinda old and worn down. We also got to see the flashback to her first getting it as a kid, which was neat. I liked how they shadowed out Yuki’s face so that we don’t know exactly who gave it to her.

I understand why the original anime completely cut out the hat and everything to do with it, since the manga hadn’t even gotten to the point where we really find out what the deal with it is, but it’s one of the little details in the story that makes it clear early on that there’s gonna be some overarching mysteries and plot points that’ll slowly get explored. It makes the story feel like it has more going on with it behind the scenes, and the original anime felt a bit more flat and shallow because it ignored those parts.

One of the few things that I actually wish the reboot could have ignored was the whole plot point of the zodiac members being able to communicate with their respective animals. It’s really not a big deal one way or another, but this is like the only part of the story where it’s actually relevant at all, aside from maybe like one scene with Kureno waaaaay later on. It’s one of those things that basically just gets immediately abandoned in the manga, so I think it could have just been cut out and nobody would have noticed, but oh well.

This isn’t necessarily a complaint, but I feel like this is the sorta thing where you need to watch at least two or three episodes to really get a feel for what it’s actually about. This episode spends so much time on introducing the main characters that it ends right when the whole zodiac thing first comes into play, and the actual explanation of the curse won’t happen until the next episode. But this is an issue that I also have with the manga, so it’s not really the reboot’s fault. It’s a really minor nit-pick, but I think that new fans might be kinda confused about what the actual story and focus of this is going to be in the long run. Though this is one of the reasons why I really liked how they added in the banquet scene at the very start of the episode. It helps tease at the supernatural elements of the story right off the bat, so the scene at the end doesn’t come completely out of left field.

On top of the whole issue of the tonal differences between this and the original anime, I also really love the art and cinematography in this reboot, way more than in the original. The direction here feels way more cinematic and dynamic than the original anime ever did. I remember reading that the production staff used 360-degree cameras in different places to get detailed reference material for doing the backgrounds and scenery in this reboot, and you can really see that in how spacious and 3D it all feels. A lot of people have pointed out how the shot of Shigure and Yuki walking up the stairs in their house felt really interesting, but I also liked the scene of Tohru running down the stairs at school before walking home with Yuki. It all just comes together to make the reboot feel really detailed and down to earth, with environments that actually feel like lived-in, three-dimensional spaces.

I also think the character designs in this are really nice. It’s still gonna take me a bit of time to get used to them, since they’re intentionally different to how they were in the manga, but they look really nice. There’s a lot of die-hard fans of the original anime’s character designs, but I’m one of the people who thought they looked kinda awful for the most part. One of the things that really struck me about the reboot was how bright and warm the colour palette is, especially compared to the original anime, which felt kinda dull and muddy. The reboot’s just really soft and pleasant to look at, but not to the point where it detracts from the serious parts.

I was actually kinda surprised at how much of the visual comedy and silliness they captured. It never feels particularly jarring, but it still feels pretty light and fun. In particular I really liked some of the cuts where the characters had really thick outlines.

The animation staff are also clearly putting a lot of attention into animating the animal forms, and they look great thus far. I’m almost sad that after a while we basically never see anyone transform anymore, since they already look so fun and dynamic. Especially in the ED theme, but I’ll talk about that in a bit.

Even with the obviously intentional differences in style from the manga, I love how recognizable everyone is, and how they all just have the same core spirit that they’ve always had, if that makes sense. Although I do really like that Yuki in particular feels quite a bit different to how he came across in both the manga and the original anime. It’s kinda hard to explain why, though. A big part of it is that his new JP voice is just really nice, but that’s also part of the broader topic of how it comes across like the reboot isn’t trying quite as hard to make him ‘cool and mysterious’, and they’re also not trying quite as hard to make him seem feminine. He basically just comes across as a cool, suave pretty-boy in the reboot, which works really well. The original anime in particular made him unintentionally creepy and weird with how it portrayed him, though it also didn’t help that I really don’t like Eric Vale’s weird raspy voice for him.

I actually think it’s kinda interesting that they’re leaning heavily into him just being a suave pretty-boy who doesn’t come across as being particularly feminine. There’s not much to go off of, but it feels like they’re tweaking that aspect of him a bit, especially with the drastic change between his JP voice actors. Mostly I think it’s interesting because, especially after my reread of the manga, I think the whole running gag with Yuki being feminine really hasn’t aged well at all, and I think the reboot would probably be better off by just focusing on portraying him as a cool, princely pretty-boy. I at least think that it’d seem even more jarring in the reboot if it tried to pull the same jokes that were built upon the idea that he looks/sounds like a girl, since in the JP dub especially they don’t seem to be trying to make him sound like a girl at all.

I think that’s about all there is to say about this episode specifically, and this post is going on long enough as it is, but I wanna talk a bit about the OP and ED. Or, well, just the ED, since this episode didn’t actually have the OP in it. I assume they’ll just use it in the next episode onward. But anyway, the ED was amazing. It’s incredibly laid-back and chill but also poignant in a way that really fits the series’ tone. I was kinda surprised at how Yuki-focused it felt, though. It’s not quite what I expected, but it’s nice. I really liked the shot of him looking out the window as a kid while the other zodiac members are walking by and having fun without him. The split-second detail of Ayame turning to look at him before Shigure and Hatori pull him away was fantastic.

I also really liked the shots involving everyone’s animal forms. It really shows off how nice the animation for them is. It’s all super playful and energetic and dynamic. Especially the bit with Ayame trying to chase after Yuki and tying himself up in a knot, lol.

I was also kinda surprised to see Kisa and Hiro in this at all, since I don’t think either of them will show up until the second half of this season, by which point there’d probably be a new set of OP/ED themes, unless they plan on using these ones for the whole first season. I really like what little we saw of their designs, though. I love how fluffy Hiro’s sheep form looks in it.

Anyway, that’s that. Now I have to deal with waiting for the next episode to come out, lmao. I’ll probably end up rewatching this episode with the English dub, but I don’t wanna get a Funi subscription just for that, so I don’t know exactly when I’ll end up watching it.

#murasaki rambles #fruits basket #fruits basket 2019 #this got super long but there was just a lot to say about this episode specifically because it's the premiere

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westakoasta · 5 years

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P-MINUS - 2019

Where are you from? And what’s your first memories linked to hip hop?

I’ve lived all over - Belgium, Germany, Ohio, Missouri, the Virgin Islands, San Francisco, and now Los Angeles. But I spent the most years, including high school and college, in Missouri, so I feel like that’s where “I’m from.” I first remember hearing hip hop while living on St. Thomas (in the Virgin Islands) and the three songs that started me on this journey were “I Need Love,” by LL Cool J, “You Be Illin’” by Run-DMC and “Fight For Your Right To Party” by the Beastie Boys. I must have heard them on the radio, so that would have been 1987 - the year of my hip hop birth. In 1988, I moved back to Missouri and a neighbor of mine had a ton of rap tapes so I’d borrow his tapes all the time or listen to them in his car on the drive to school. I believe that the first tape I ever bought was Schooly D’s “Smoke Some Kill” (1988).

What got you started with Atak Distribution, how and when did it begin?

Fast forward to 1994 - I had graduated from college, where I had been the Hip Hop Director at the school’s radio station, and moved to San Francisco where I began an internship at Gavin, a music magazine that curated Top 40 lists for radio programmers. Somehow through that job, I met DJ Stef (editor of the Vinyl Exchange) and started writing record reviews for her. And on one fateful day, I received a copy of Sacred Hoop’s “Demo” tape for review and I thought it was the freshest thing in the world and in 1996 I officially became an underground hip hop junkie.

Were you a hardcore music collector before you started Atak?

Before Atak, I had a decent cd and record collection, full of ‘90s “golden era” major label releases, but hardly any tapes and barely anything considered “indie” or “underground.” Back then I wasn’t a collector, just a music fan, because all this incredible music was just sitting at the record stores for $12.99. I shopped a lot at Amoeba and Rasputin’s and a few other smaller stores in the Bay area, plus a few record labels and artists would send me promos for review.

How did you choose what would be in your catalog? How did you make contacts with the artists?

Starting with Sacred Hoop, I was certain that this amazing group wasn’t getting the exposure it deserved, so the seeds of Atak were first planted. I then started soliciting for more submissions through the Vinyl Exchange and some other Bay area rap magazines, such as 4080. I think that the Hoop started spreading the word, too, because I soon started getting tapes from the likes of FTA, Megabusive, San Francisco Street Music, Jedi Knights Circle, 99th Demention and others from the South Bay and SF. Somewhere in there, I met up with the Mystic Journeymen, bought some tapes from them, and was eventually exposed to Berkeley and Oakland artists such as the Living Legends, Hobo Junction, Zion-I and Illa Dapted. If I liked your tape, it would get in the Atak catalog. The first printed mail-order catalog had 12 tapes in it and the very first tape sold was Mystik Journeymen’s “Escape Forever” on August 10th, 1996.

Was the mail-order a full time job or did you have other occupations (studies, other job?)?

During the first few years I had several jobs: the Gavin internship became a paid job, I worked at a grocery store and then later at a vegetarian cafe. Eventually, since my rent was cheap and I was starting to sell more music, I was able to do Atak full-time. All the storage and shipping was done out of my bedroom.

Did you have many overseas/international customers and what role did that play in the business?

It looks like I started getting my first international orders (from Finland!) in 1997. I don’t know how they found out about Atak, but they were serious fans of West Coast underground so word spreads fast amongst those folks. Fans in Finland, Australia, Canada and Japan were my strongest supporters, with a few folks in France and Germany, too. This was before I started selling online, so these folks were trusting me with their cash and money orders and I will be forever indebted to them. Through these customers, I was exposed to international hip hop and eventually started selling music from the likes of Ceebrolistics, the Sebutones, mcenroe, Mary Joy Recordings, Muphin and the Hilltop Hoods.

What was the « peak » year in terms of sales and in terms of quality of music?

After a year or so of mailing out catalogs and setting up tables of merchandise at shows, Atak finally got online with the help of one of my earliest customers, Todd (aka Vic aka Celph Titled), who was extremely active on hip hop message boards, and he really helped spread the word around the U.S. and the world, so Atak started getting more non-Bay area music in the catalog and I started getting orders from everywhere. I think that the music quality was strong start to finish. I was listening to everything before I put it in the catalog, and if it wasn’t dope, it didn’t get in.

Did you ever wanted to make Atak a bigger thing, like UGHH or such?

There was a time in which I would have loved for Atak to get really big, because it was all so much fun - all the shows, meeting the artists, hearing a ton of new music, even the packing and shipping was fun for me. But in hindsight, it is clear that I was better at being a huge fan of the music rather than being a savvy businessperson. At the point in which digital music started taking off, I didn’t have the technical knowhow to adjust accordingly, and a big part of me still simply loved selling physical copies. As a fan, I didn’t want everything to go digital, but as a businessperson I should have dived in headfirst to keep up with the other big websites. I admired what the other sites were doing, and what friends like Shane (aka Kegs) was doing with Below the Surface - putting out records, putting on shows, opening a brick-and-mortar storefront. But part of me liked keeping things small and simple, but that clearly pushed me into smaller and more obscure corner of the online hip hop biz and eventually bumped me out of it altogether.

You did some cd-r reissues as well as a couple of mix-cds. Any temptation of launching a proper record label (as in: « new release, no reissue ») at some point?

I’d been wanting FOREVER to start a label and put out records! I made a feeble attempt to put out an Atak compilation in the late ‘90s, full of all the folks that were in my catalog at the time. I was able to get maybe 7-10 crews over to my house one night to talk about it, but since I had no idea how to really put it all together, I ended up getting one original song, from Nitrous Ox, out of that great big idea. More recently, I’ve been hoping to help folks put out releases but nothing has materialized just yet. Nowadays almost everyone is really good at getting this stuff done themselves, so I’m happy that they are taking control of their destinies and getting their music out to the world.

Can you give us your personal Top 5 favorites in your sale catalog? Also one that you think was dope and didn’t have the recognition it deserved?

In no particular order, I’ll list a few of my favorites, but I’m obligated to mention Sacred Hoop’s “Demo” (aka “Sacred Hoop” aka “Runny Poop”) first since that tape inspired everything. I was also thrilled to be able to pick up indie music from the Hieroglyphics (“Hiero Oldies”)and Saafir (Hobo Junction’s “Limited Edition Compilation”) since I was such a fan of their major label stuff. I really liked Red Tide’s “Rogue MCs” tape. Disflex6’s self-titled debut (aka “1984”) was great. The Kracken’s “Abstract & Cognac” left me wanting much more. The Sebutones’ “50/50 Where It Counts” blew my mind! Early stuff Dose One and Why? showed me that hip hop had no boundaries. This is an extremely abbreviated favorites list - as I look back through my old catalogs, I realize that I loved them all. It was all so new and so fresh and I think these artists all deserved more recognition than they got. I’m glad that I could help expose them a bit but I wish I could have done a lot more.

Did you developed friendship with artists/crews over those years and do you have interesting stories/ anecdotes linked to that?

My anecdotal memory is terrible so I’ve sadly forgotten a ton of great stories, fantastic show moments and hilarious conversations. Looking back, I should have kept a journal or taken a million photographs, because we all had so much fun and did so much back then. But, luckily for me, I’ve been able to keep in touch with a few of my very favorite people, emcees Luke Sick (Sacred Hoop/Grand Invincible) and Roughneck Jihad (Third Sight), and producer Deeskee (who has probably produced more songs in the Atak catalog than anyone else). And luckily for everyone else, all three of these guys are still making incredible music, more than 20 years after giving me tapes to review. A few weeks ago I got to hang out with The Grouch for a bit and he gave me a copy of his “F...the Dumb” double vinyl, 20 years after I first sold that tape in the catalog.

Why (and when) did you stopped Atak?

Atak started to slow down around 2004. I had recently moved from the Bay area down to Los Angeles, gotten married, bought a house, and started another job that was able to pay the bills more reliably. I was still getting orders and submissions from new artists, but wasn’t able to give Atak the focus it required to really push new artists and releases. I didn’t have time to go to many shows anymore, and all my hip hop buddies were still up in the Bay. I had ambitions to reboot the website, but then my web host got hacked and I had to shut down the site...and then I never got it back online. I eventually moved my inventory onto some other online platforms and kept selling, but for the most part, Atak was done. I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to the artists who submitted music around this time. I was getting some great music but just didn’t have juice to do anything with it.

Any thoughts on the evolution of hip hop? What about the the come back of the cassette? Is it possible that Atak would make a comeback in the future, in some form or another?

Tough question, because I don’t keep up with much truly “underground” music anymore, so I really hope that there are a ton of dope kids putting out dope music out there, and I’m sure there are plenty of them. I love 90’s hip hop so much, both major label and my Atak stuff, that that is what I still listen to the most, digging in my records, tapes and cds or bumping music in my car. I agree with most true heads that a lot of today’s hip hop is junk, and though I’m happy to see rappers get big and make money, I’d much rather that it be good, original and compelling hip hop. I’m stoked to see everyone buying and releasing tapes again, because of my love for the physical copy (though I agree that a free or cheap digital download is an essential part of that sale). And in regards to Atak’s great big comeback, I don’t think it will happen - it would require too much time and energy to do it right. But if I can still help out a few people, promote a few records, maybe even sell a few for my old pals, I’m happy to contribute.

A specific question from the homie Age: do you still want to reissue that Hi-State album?

I bugged my man Mr. E about that tape FOREVER and at least he finally put it up on Bandcamp (https://eightarrow.bandcamp.com/album/hi-state-project-demos-n-shit-vol-1) and we chatted about putting out a cassette reissue. I’m sure he wouldn’t have much trouble selling a short run of 100 tapes, so I’ll remind him about it. But I’m happy that fans can at least take a listen or buy it online.

What do you think was the most special in the 90's underground scene, and do you believe something like that would ever happen again?

I’ve never really tried to analyze that scene, but in retrospect, I bet that a lot of these emcees, producers and deejays were inspired by all the incredible major label releases that kept pouring out in that decade. So much quality hip hop was coming out and it was easy to see on “Yo! MTV Raps” and BET and the good stuff was even getting on the radio! It was everywhere and it was so damn good! I’m sure that these kids just wanted to be a part of that magical time, and a lot of the underground music was super fresh, too, because it wasn’t easy to make beats and put out cds - they had to commit to it and create a whole scene and they had to be dope to do it. Granted, I’m a old nostalgic rap dude now, but I don’t think the major or the underground scene will ever be that saturated with fantastically innovative, powerful, creative and inspired hip hop. Nowadays there isn’t enough inspiration in the scene for there to be an onslaught of great new hip hop like there was for me back in the days. There will always be a lucky few who can inspire themselves to be original and make great music, and hopefully these kids will get a chance to be heard.

Interview conducted by Kaliyuga Pro & Pseudzero with a bonus cameo by Age, february 2019.

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roominthecastle · 6 years

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A ‘bullet point text reaction’ post thing to the season premiere would be forking good. If you can spare the time in between all the rewatching and RL, which again might be messin with the rewatching. Ps. sexy librarian ftw.

Apologies for the late reply, anon, and thank you for the interest. I gave it a try but apparently I had a lot more rambling in me than expected, so I’m not sure how much the bullet point format will help. Still, I rolled w/ it behind the cut:

obv spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen + it’s mostly Michael focused but who is surprised at this point? ok, here we go:

Yes. All hail the Sexy Librarian Guy! 👍

and his ~~flawless~~ Australian accent lmao. I am no native speaker but even I could hear it was just… delightfully off. I love this disaster zone demon so much.

and how pleased he was that Eleanor was pleased w/ that particular “intervention”. It’s a small but nice reminder of how making her happy makes him happy now. #oppositeTorturesRule

it’s a v small thing but I also loved the “fast food link”: Michael being ecstatic about the Pizza Hut/Taco Bell combo & Eleanor fantasizing about Chipotle during Chidi’s lecture on Aristotle. It reminded me of that s1 moment when she tells Michael about those Arizona churro dogs and they both just go ahhhhhhhh at the image + Judge Gen ofc (they love fast food in the afterlife)

also also the sweet ache of Michael being entangled in her ticker tape while insisting on nudgy-nudge-nudge her & Chidi together bc that’s how it should be is still pressing hard on my heart thank you v much

but

I think that being deprived of close contact w/ his humans is causing Michael to slide back into puppet master mode again. His motivation is different or “reformed” now (secretly helping instead of secretly torturing) but his methods, his itch to control everything (and failing), and the rigid focus on his goals are… not so much, imo, and I love it bc this is Michael: he is a nerd but also an idiot w/ Wile E. Coyote vibes. Janet tries to reel him in but she can’t. Eleanor was the only one who could control him and she was the only one whose advice he actively sought and listened to, but she cannot be there for him now, so yes, I am getting a lot of S1 vibes from this double ep complete w/ her unintentionally messing w/ his formula by not falling for Chidi & the arrival of Trevor. *rubs hands*

COCOONS

so many

so… squishy

and TODD! I never thought I would see him so soon but I was right: he is the best lava monster and fork you, Shawn, for being a jerk to him when he was nothing but supportive and even brought you guys Dunkin’ Spiders to snack on.

I love Shawn, he is the perfect baddie, and I love that we got another glimpse into how TBP operates w/ all their excruciatingly low-tech gadgets. It’s in sharp contrast to (even Michael’s fake) TGP where everything is so neat, efficient, and high-tech. It’s another nice reminder of how the torturers are also being made miserable in TBP in various ways. I can’t blame Michael for wanting to keep his failing experiment running as long as possible.

Judge Gen (who continues to be a delight and way too relatable w/ her binge-watching of media content) is so up to something, people. I cannot shake this feeling that this whole “Operation Resurrection” is not what it looks like on the surface at all. Maybe it’s an experiment within an experiment sort of deal. I mean, why does she trust Michael of all creatures w/ the monitoring duty at all?? She might be quirky but she is def not stupid. She must know he’s a natural rule breaker who’s incapable of sitting still for longer than 2 seconds and he’s not at all impartial here. The way she set this all up reminds me of the test she gave Jason, and Michael is already failing just like Jason did bc he couldn’t opt out of “playing” due to lack of impulse control and a massive personal bias regarding his favorite team, the Cockroaches. idk what this will mean long-term but I think he’s gonna be in a lot of trouble soon.

speaking of Jason and Michael: theirs is my favorite (sort of bonding) scene, hands down. Again, it reminded me of an early S2 moment when Jason stumbles on a brooding, lost Michael and tells him a dope story about his 60-person dance crew that unexpectedly inspires Michael to seek out Eleanor & Co. The situations are reversed here but it’s an excellent parallel, esp when you compare the two scenes and see the development in both characters and their relationship. Jason is a bit more grounded and Michael is less dismissive and much kinder to him now. I also love Jason’s continued immunity to Michael’s b.s. It’s different from Eleanor’s (his is stupid-based and hers is about being smartbrained) but it works and pushes Michael to just level w/ him and the second he does, Jason becomes instantly receptive. It’s just a really really great character moment that also moves the plot, so it’s basically perfect. Also I think this is the moment when Michael is temporarily pulled from his puppet master mode due to being near one of his human friends again, and his other side peeks out as he lets himself rest a bit - it’s in his body language, too, as he leans back against the bridge railing and has a semi-honest chat w/ Jason.

Michael’s disguises are an eternal source of happiness to me. All of them (and based on promo pics, more is coming). I also love the way he approaches each human bc it is reminiscent of how he steered them during the reboots: to Eleanor he gave a small clue and just let her chew on it and work w/ it. W/ Chidi, he was more direct, posing as a wise helper/guide. W/ Tahani, he targeted her sense of self-worth. W/ Jason, he gave up after 5 seconds and just told him what he wanted him to do.

I doubt his aliases raised many eyebrows, tho, not in a universe where Simone has colleagues called Mrelk and Catapulp :D but Eleanor seemed to have a bit of a “hmm” reaction to the name of Dr. Charles Brainman, so… we’ll see.

Dr. Simone Garnett had probably the smoothest entry into an established character group, imo. I’m usually sensitive to changes like this but it’s like she’s always been here - another excellent casting choice right there. I am not gonna touch shipping issues, thank you, but I love how Simone’s presence, which is a lot of fun in itself, instantly enriched the landscape of relationship dynamics regarding the present, the future and also the past. I feel that every character combination exists somewhere in canon whether it’s explicitly on screen or not, and that’s just an incredibly freeing, resourceful attitude to have on a show w/ this sort of “multiverse” setup, imo. They have the premise, so why not milk its full potential? The writers use relationships as tools to aid character development, they have admitted as much already, and I am looking forward to seeing what other combos they have in mind and how they play out.

despite his limited screen time and despite him spending most of it being flat and emotionless, frog guy aka The Doorman managed to deliver the biggest punch in my heart w/ that reaction to Michael’s gift. I.crumbled. the way his flatness did when he saw the frog on the mug. Thank you, Mike O'Malley.

It’s probably a good thing that they are becoming buddies now bc w/ evil Trevor in the mix, Michael’s gonna turn that Earth entrance into a revolving door. Unless Judge Gen is onto him and steps in at some point. And I still don’t know how he will interact w/ the team now since they’ve all met him already and he was posing as a different person each time. And given his track record, whatever solution he comes up with, Eleanor will see right through him eventually anyway.

ok this is way too long already, so I’m just gonna say that I am very excited for this season, I love the new setup, I miss the fake Good Place but the university environment is growing on me fast, too, and just bring it, show, ok?

my body is ready

#anonymous #the good place #long post #michael tgp #speculation #room w/ a view

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sleepykittypaws · 5 years

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Best and Worst of 2018

Well, it’s hard to believe another holiday season has come and gone. It feels like just yesterday (a.k.a. September) when I was filled with such hope and excitement for the ever-growing crop of holiday entertainment headed our way. With 83 original made-for-TV movies debuting on network/cable + Netflix/Hulu alone, I barely scratched the viewing surface, even while mostly watching new holiday content nightly from November through Christmas. For instance, this is the first year I didn’t get to a single ION or UP offering. Heck, I didn’t even get through all of Lifetime’s offerings, which I mostly really enjoyed, let alone do more than dip my toe into Hallmark’s daunting 38 new movies. But, of the more than 34 new movies and specials I did sample this season, here are my best and worst…

Best Made-for-TV Holiday Movie of 2018

Early on it became pretty clear that Hallmark’s ever-more homogenized offerings were unlikely to produce my seasonal favorite. Now, it’s possible I just missed that gem that was gonna win me over, since I stopped watching Hallmark altogether at some point, but for the second year in a row, it was Lifetime that offered up my favorite of the season, with one of their acquired titles, Every Other Holiday.

Every Other had both rom and (some) com, but wasn’t your standard made-for-TV Christmas fare. It was clearly just as low budget, but it was a lot more realistic and well-acted than average. It wasn’t light, fizzy fun, and it even had a strong faith element, which is usually not my favorite, but it was so well done, it was impossible not to like.

The story of a an estranged family fulfilling their children’s wish of spending Christmas together with extended family, instead of only sharing “every other holiday” with each parent, was well-written, holiday-centric and ultimately touching. I just loved it, and really hope it becomes available on DVD or digital.

Hitting a completely different note, I also really liked the cheese-tastic Lifetime original A Very Nutty Christmas, starring Melissa Joan Hart, who is, for me, the Queen of Made-for-TV Christmas movies. Not only did she star in the classic Holiday in Handcuffs, this is her second-straight, sweet, funny Lifetime joint, after last year’s a A Very Merry Toy Store, and I hope she continues to make more. (Hart’s company also produced both Nutty and Toy Store.)

This story of a nutcracker come to life, and the baker who falls in love with him, was super silly Christmas fun, with all the elements of the classic ballet transposed onto a small town bakery in the lead up to the holiday. The cast was outstanding, and quite funny, and it was the perfect amount of crazy Christmas fun, that really hit my holiday movie sweet spot.

Honorable mentions also go to the quite funny The Truth About Christmas (Freeform) and wacky The Princess Switch (Netflix), both of which were light, fun holiday larks that I absolutely enjoyed.

My 2018 Made-for-TV Top 10

Every Other Holiday (Lifetime)

A Very Nutty Christmas (Lifetime)

The Truth About Christmas (Freeform)

The Princess Switch (Netflix)

The Christmas Chronicles (Netflix)

Christmas Lost and Found (Lifetime)

The Christmas Contract (Lifetime)

Poinsettias for Christmas (Lifetime)

A Christmas in Tennessee (Lifetime)

Return to Christmas Creek (Hallmark Movies and Mysteries)

Honestly, Return only made the cut because it was best of a bad batch I watched from Hallmark, and there were probably plenty I rated two paws that I actually enjoyed more.

Clearly, I am hoping Lifetime stays in the Christmas movie fight, as I strongly feel they’re out Hallmark-ing Hallmark, on every level. Lifetime is bringing the cute Christmas romance, but also offering up greater diversity, better casts (with a heavy lean towards late ’80s/early ’90s nostalgia), and scripts that nail the formula, without seeming formulaic and boring. Family friendly and sweet doesn’t have to also equal absolutely boring and bland, and Lifetime is proving that year over year.

Best Theatrical Holiday Movie of 2018

This category is a bit of a cheat, since I didn’t actually go to the movies this Christmas season, but thanks to some quick video turn arounds, I was able to see some of the stuff that debuted, albeit in one case only briefly, in theaters this year.

My favorite is the not-exactly-Christmas, but very snowy and fun, Smallfoot. I did not expect to enjoy this Channing Tatum-voiced Yeti movie nearly as much as I did. It was smart, funny and great fun for the whole family. Much more savvy and sweet than expected, this story of a Yeti tribe who live isolated above the clouds for their own protection, find their belief in a series of wacky explanations is challenged when one of them sees the mythical “smallfoot,” a.k.a. a human being.

My other, much more holiday-centric pick, is Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer, which enjoyed a brief theatrical release before jumping directly to digital. This long-delayed movie about a miniature horse who wants to be one of Santa’s reindeer, boasts a talented voice cast and a charming story that went in ways I definitely didn’t expect. The animation isn’t totally up to par, but our entire family enjoyed this original take on Santa and his magic, and I definitely see us re-watching it in future seasons.

And, honestly, The Christmas Chronicles probably belongs in this list, rather than made-for-TV, since the Netflix original had a much more big screen budget. Kurt Russell’s cool Santa will be watched more than once in many households, and I can definitely see it becoming a bit of a Christmas classic over time.

Best Holiday Special of 2018

Disney Channel’s reboot of the classic Ducktales offered up its first Christmas special in 2018, and it was a doozy. Ducktales Last Christmas! got multiple watches in our household this season.

This full-of-callbacks half hour managed to bring in Mickey’s Christmas Carol and Dr. Who, with a large nod to David Tennant, current voice of Scrooge McDuck, and a host of other meta-jokes that make it well worth watching more than once.

The tale of Scrooge visiting great Christmas parties across time with a little help from these, “three ghosts he met once when they meant to visit another Scrooge,” was great, classic animation that was a just a ton of fun to watch, and I think I liked it even better the second time around.

Honorable mentions go to NBC’s A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy, who’s throwback quirky style put a huge smile on my face, and Netflix, for finally blessing us with Great British Baking Show: Holidays.

Best New-to-Me Holiday Discovery of 2018

The 2017 theatrical The Man Who Invented Christmas was, I believe, considered a box office flop, but this somewhat ahistorical tale of how Dickens created his legendary A Christmas Carol was great holiday fun, with Dan Stevens ably channeling the Victorian-era author. I’m not sure it’s funny or schmaltzy enough to become a Christmas classic in the It’s a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story vein, but I have no doubt it will become much better known as more people get a chance to experience it.

I also want to offer up two honorable mentions for made-for-TV movies of yore I saw for the first time this season, including the delightful 2013 Hallmark movie, Window Wonderland, which earned a spot on my all-time-favorites list and definitely made me wish Hallmark still made smartly written and less formulaic movies like this.

I also really liked Melissa Joan Hart’s 2014, The Santa Con, which she directed herself and was her first holiday pairing with Barry Watson, also her co-star in A Very Nutty Christmas. Con was another definitely different movie not afraid to buck the formula, which I really enjoyed.

But it wasn’t all Christmas Eve snow and candy canes this season so on to what I didn’t like…

Worst Made-for-TV Holiday Movie of 2018

I was deeply torn between two Hallmark movies I spent the entire runtime hating more and more as the movie went on: Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa and Mingle all the Way. Both contained actresses I’ve really enjoyed in other Hallmark projects, Ashley Williams and Jen Lilley, respectively, and in the case of Evergreen, the 2017 original actually made my best-of list last season.

Both were less “movies” than a checklist of Hallmark plot points so grimly adhered to and executed that you could almost see the script writer’s notes

decorate Christmas tree ✔️

make gingerbread house ✔️

have snowball fight ✔️

save business ✔️

kiss under soap bubble snow ✔️

The End ✔️

These are the exact sort of competently produced (they look just fine), content-free, promo-filled (everything in the picture above, with the sole exception of actress Jill Wagner, can be purchased at a Hallmark store near you) faux-festive slogs that I find mind-numbing, and not in a good way.

I totally want silly, cheesy and cozy in my Christmas fare. But I do not care for churned out, near-identical schlock. Basically, there’s good cheese, and there’s bad, and Hallmark’s brand this season seemed to be entirely of the “cheez” variety, a.k.a. we-can’t-legally-call-it-cheese-because-it-contains-no-dairy.

Slick, but joy-free is how I sum up Hallmark’s 2018 slate. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m in the minority here, as their ratings are going up and up and up. I fully expect to see even less interesting movies, and more of ’em, in 2019. I’m just not sure I’ll be bothering to watch.

Not that there weren’t bad fare to be found beyond Hallmark’s borders…

Lifetime’s A Twist of Christmas was a boring promo for the weirdest product ever: an Oreo music box. Still baffled how they didn’t make the “twist” title into an Oreo pun, and I think its lack made me dislike the movie even more.

Freeform’s No Sleep ’Til Christmas had so much potential, but got so many things wrong, it kind of infuriated me more than any other movie this season, simply because it was so close to being really good. (I had a somewhat similar take on A Shoe Addict’s Christmas, but that one wasn’t tone deaf like No Sleep, just boring.)

And, lastly, if I’d been able to make it all the way through the execrable Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve, I’m pretty confident it would have topped my worst-of picks by a mile. This utterly unwatchable sequel to the quite charming 2000 Wonderful World of Disney film was an epic fail on every level. Not festive, incredibly dumb and not even accidentally funny. All in all, this wildly hyped outing was a disaster of Holiday Joy (my most-hated of 2016) proportions, but with a much bigger budget.

Worst Holiday Special of 2018

Nailed It! is a show that a lot of people, including my 11-year-old son, really enjoy, but I find tedious and kind of disgusting. Nailed It! Holiday! was my first, and frankly, last, experience with the show, and all I can really say is that it is very, very much Not. My. Thing.

Worst New-to-Me Holiday Discovery of 2018

For the second year in a row, Trolls figure into the worst category of my list, this time via this new-to-me 1981 HBO special, The Trolls and the Christmas Express, that I picked to show my kiddos.

Wow, this Canadian-made animated special was a slog. Not terribly festive, it makes Santa’s elves into idiots, and the entire premise of wearing out the reindeer seems … dumb. I mean, aren’t they magic? Do magic reindeer get tired?

We try to watch a Christmas special every night between Thanksgiving and Christmas—kind of a TV advent calendar—and this was my YouTube pick, as I wanted to watch something we hadn’t seen before. Big mistake. Huge. My kids (justifiably) didn’t let me make a pick again all season.

So, that’s a wrap on Christmas TV 2018. I’ll be back with renewed hope and festive fantasies of TV movie greatness in 2019, mostly because, with each year, there is fresh hope that this time will, for sure, actually be the Best Christmas Ever. 😂

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