#I had to screenshot each title card from the episodes I had saved on my computer | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kylos · 4 years

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Finding high quality film/tv rips, saving the large files, and screencapping them are half the battle for gifmakers when setting out to make a gifset. Here’s a little guide on this process, including my advice on

Where to download stuff

Where to store your movies/shows

Screencapping programs

Making gifs as HQ as possible, including tips for picking out what to download when you have multiple options (not all 1080p rips of the same movie or tv episode are the same quality and I explain why)

Why screencaps of 4k movies can look weird and washed out and how to fix that

and more

✨ You can find my gifmaking 101 tutorial here and the rest of my tutorials here.

Where can I download movies and shows?

First off, I prefer direct downloading rather than torrenting stuff because it’s faster and with torrenting, there’s more of a risk. Other people downloading the same torrent can see your IP address. This means movie studios can find out you’re downloading their content and can send you a warning letter. The download speed also varies depending on how many other people are seeding it. I would only do it if it’s your only option and you have a VPN or something.

This is THE best guide for pirating I’ve ever seen. I use it for finding sites for books, music, you name it. The part of the guide you’d want to look at is where it says Direct Downloads Link (DDL) sites. My favorite place is Snahp. These ddl sites will have links to their movie/tv rips that are typically hosted on one of these two sites: google drive or mega.nz. You can download stuff from both of those sites for free, but with mega, they have a 5GB file download limit unless you have a premium account. I personally pay the $5 a month membership for mega because it’s worth it imo. You can buy a subscription through the mega app found on the iphone app store (so you’re billed through apple and it’s less scary than giving a random site your credit card info lmao) and as for androids I think mega has an app on there too.

So basically, if you go to http://snahp.it, they’ll have rips for different movies and shows.

You click on the movie title and it’ll take you to a page where they have links for the video which they have uploaded on a variety of sites (including mega).

How do I make my gifs as HQ as possible?

It’s best to gif things that are 1080p. And usually the higher the file size, the better. A really important thing to note is that not all 1080p bluray rips are the same. The piracy groups that rip these files take uncompressed .mkv rips from discs that are anywhere from 10gb to like 50gb, and then run that through video converters to compress the file down so that they’re 2-8gb. Sometimes when that happens, the video quality goes down a LOT. The same goes for TV episodes. One rip could be 800mb, the other could be 3gb and both could claim to be “1080p” but the quality would be NOTICEABLY different. Your best bet is to always pick the rip with the highest file size.

I’ll show you an example with this scene from You’ve Got Mail.

I downloaded 2 different 1080p rip versions of the film. Both claim to be 1080p, but one is 2.41 GB and the other is 9.75 GB. After taking screencaps, it’s obvious that there’s a BIG difference in quality.

(these pictures are best viewed on desktop tumblr)

When it comes to Blu-ray rips, download remux versions of films and shows if possible. Remux means .mkv files that are uncompressed and straight from a Blu-Ray disc. Giffing remux rips cuts down on the possibility of seeing pixel-y effects a LOT in my experience. It’ll take a bit longer to download than typical 1080p rips but it’s worth it imo.

For TV episodes, if you can’t find a Blu-Ray rip, uploads with the word AMZN in it are usually the highest quality and your best bet (unless you see another upload that’s higher in file size - again: always try to pick the highest file size). 'AMZN’ means they’re from a person that ripped the episode from Amazon Prime Video.

Also, even better than 1080p is 4k (2160p). I only really recommend this though if you know you’re going to gif something up close and crop it a lot - like if it’s a big 540x540px close-up gif of a person. You’ll REALLY see the difference if it’s a 1080p vs 4k rip in that situation. I usually don’t bother with giffing 4k files unless it’s the case above because my laptop lags when taking 4k screencaps and it takes longer to load them into photoshop (4k screencaps are usually about 60mb each!)

⭐️ Another thing that’s important is making sure that when you actually make your gifs, you set them to the correct speed (.05 for movies and most shows, and .04 sometimes for reality tv and live broadcasts). Here’s my gif speed guide. Having the right gif speed is really important for making a gifset HQ. You don’t want it to look too slow or too fast.

What’s your favorite video player to take screenshots with?

MPV player, hands down. And I’ve tried a TON of programs over the years. I’ve tried KMPlayer and found that it added duplicate frames (and even missing frames) which is horrible, and I’ve tried GomPlayer which is.....I’m just gonna say it, I’m not the biggest fan of it. It’s a little overly complicated in my opinion and it has ads. If you like these programs, more power to you! Use whatever you’re comfortable using. I just like MPV the most because it doesn’t have ads, it’s simple, you can take sequential screencaps with a keyboard shortcut, and it can play 4k movies.

Screencaps I take of 4k 2160p movies look so dull and washed out, like the colors aren’t right. Why is that?

That’s because your computer can’t handle HDR 4k video files. It probably can handle SDR 4k video files, but unfortunately, 99% of 4k rips out there are HDR.

[picture source]

Now, HDR displays just fine on computers that have 4k-HDR capabilities, but most older computers don’t have this ability. Having said that, MPV - the video player I mentioned above can take a 4K-HDR video and fix the colors/lighting in real time so it displays correctly AND take screenshots of it with the fixed colors. If you have an older version of MPV, make sure you download the newest update for this. In my general gifmaking tutorial, there’s a portion on how to install this program on macs. I also just made a video tutorial on how to install it on pcs here!

High quality TV and Movie rips can take up a LOT of space on my computer. Where do you store your files?

I store them on external hard drives. External hard drives are like flash drives but they have a MUCH higher storage capacity. You just plug them into your computer via a usb cord when you need access to the files and it’s that easy. I have two of these Seagate 4TB hard drives in different colors so I can easily pick out whichever one I need. I have silver for my movies (because it makes me think of “silver screen” lmao and it’s easier for me to remember) and then I just have a blue for shows. Now, external hard drives of this size can be $$$$ but it’s worth it imo. Look out for when they’re on sale.

What’s the size limit for gifs now?

It’s 10mb! It used to be 3mb and then last year Tumblr upped it to 5mb. Some gifs initially had distortion because of Tumblr’s switch from the .gif to .gifv format, but they’ve fixed the problem AND increased the upload limit to 10mb. Just make sure not to add any lossy to a gif.

Lossy is basically a grain you can add to a gif to lower the file size down. Gifmakers (including myself) used to use this as a trick to get the file size down under 3mb. However, since the .gifv update on Tumblr, any gifs with Lossy added will look distorted like it’s a gif made on a phone app or something.

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That’s it for this guide! Again, feel free to check out my other tutorials on photoshop, how to center subtitles, download hq movie trailers, and more ✌️

UPDATE 6/23/20 ⚠️

I’ve gotten an ask about this problem 3 times since I’ve uploaded this tutorial, so I thought I’d add this in. If you are experiencing duplicate and/or missing frames in mpv, it is a glitch with the latest version of mpv. download an older version like 0.29.0. this happened to me on my mac and downloading an older version fixed the problem.

#giffing tutorial #gifmaking #tutorial #mine:tutorial #*

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2minutes2midnight · 5 years

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AoS Rewatch: 1x01 Pilot

Because it’s first episode I would like to start with my first impressions of main characters. I don’t remember everything what I was thinking back then but here’s what I remember :) :

Coulson - well I knew him from marvel movies and I really like him, there was something about him that made him really likable for me. I’m big fun of his smirky humor, and I just loved to see him safe and sound, and alive ;).

Ward - when I watched the pilot I never expected what’s gonna happen later in the season. I thought he’s gonna be stereotypical handsome guy who doesn’t want to be a part of a team, but in the end he’s gonna risk his life for them and care about them. (Ha ha ha jokes on me :D).

Skye - I wasn’t sure if she’s part of main cast when I first saw her but I like her from the beginning. There was something about her - how she talked so much, how she wasn’t agent and had other point of view. I was curious how her story is gonna develop.

May - I know many people knew Ming-na from other productions but I didn’t (I watched Mulan with Polish dubbing lol). But I was very intrigued by her character from the beginning, I never believed she’s gonna be just a pilot. I really wanted to know more about her.

Fitzsimmons - I’m referring to them as a unit because that’s how I felt after 1x01. I’m not gonna lie - I love them from their very first scene. I have a thing for adorable nerds, especially when they talked with British accent. And I knew they gonna kiss one day (but what I didn’t know - that I will wait 3 seasons for this :D). And because I have degree in biomedical engineering it was cool for me that they are engineer and biochemist :D.

Under the cut thoughts I had during episode when I first watched it and what I think now. And my favorite quotes and scenes :)

My thoughts when I watched Pilot for the first time:

I really liked how episode started. Skye’s voiceover was really cool ;).

I got excited when I saw Mike because I knew J. August Richard from “Angel”, I was hoping he’s gonna be in more than one episode.

Like I mention before - when I saw Ward I thought he’s gonna be stereotypical handsome tough guy

Maria Hill! Yay! Connection with Marvel Movies. Back then I was hoping for more cameos.

“Welcome to level seven” - it is one of the most epic scene ever, I was so happy to see Coulson.

When Coulson said they faked his death my first thought was “okay...I was hoping for better explanation” (well...I got it few episodes later)

I really thought Ward is gonna changed from being negative about being in a team to really being part of it...

When they mentioned Tahiti and that Coulson doesn’t know the truth - it made me really curious!

First May scene and my reaction: Drive a bus? What bus? This lady is hiding something, isn’t she?

“Melinda” - ohh I sense there is some history between those two.

My first reaction to the bus - “ohhhh it’s a nice bus”

Fitzsimmons and their amazing first scene. And my brain going “ohhhh two nerds with British accent bickering about science? And she mention Hermione? I love them!”

Lola is so cool!

Why is Ward surprised that May is just a pilot?!

I really liked all those gadgets they showed in first episode :)

During Skye’s interrogation I was wondering if she and Ward are gonna be thing, tbh I was sure they will and he will change for her. I thought it’s predictable but I was okay with it. (Ha ha once again jokes on me)

Fitzsimmons were so adorable in season one, such a smol beans.

I was so in shocked that Mike and this doctor know each other! Like...what the hell?

And the Mike attacked May :(. And Skye and this SIM card - I wasn’t sure if I should trust her.

When Coulson yelled at Fitzsimmons that they need to find a way to safe Mike - I felt this pressure.

Mike’s fall in train station looked so cool, it’s a great shot!

We had first of many Coulson’s speeches - he’s really good at this. I was really worried about Mike and if he’s gonna make it!

They saved him and it was great team work (with bumps but still).

When I heard about 084 I was very confused ;)

Lola is flying!!!!

What I think now:

I’m not gonna lie - this rewatch made me really emotional. I watched Pilot many times but this is my first rewatch since they said that season 7 is gonna be the last one. It’s so weird to see everyone so innocent and young, there is less sadness in their eyes that’s for sure. I miss times when I didn’t know that Ward is gonna betray them. Because they made great team, I liked his grumpiness and sarcastic humor. His weird relationship with Coulson or Fitz. When I watch it and know what he’s gonna do, that all of this is an act - I can’t believe he could pretend all of this so well. It’s terrifying that I didn’t expected that he could be a bad guy. When Coulson said “Nobody’s nobody, Ward” - I never really thought about this scene, but knowing what happened to him and what he’s gonna do I look at this scene differently. Other thing - Ming was so great in this episode, we don’t know anything about her but you can feel that something happened to her. And how she pretend she doesn’t want to go into field when we know she’s doing this for Fury! Who would guess how this gonna develop?

“If you want to be in the field, Agent Fitz, you have to get your hands dirty” - “No, I do not” - who would thought what’s gonna happen later? How this gonna change? Just...wow. They really played us.

And using in Coulson’s speech “The real deal -“ I think it was really fitting to use this for 100th episode title and make Mike to show up. Because this mission really was beginning of everything, of this team.

Now I think it’s funny how I thought this tv show is gonna be predictable. I usually really bad with avoiding spoilers but with AoS earlier seasons I was really good - I didn’t know what’s gonna happen and I was shocked many times. Most of my predictions from first episode didn’t come true ;).

My favorite moments and quotes:

Maria Hill: “Well, you haven’t been near his arms.” (About Thor)

Skye: “With great power comes...a ton of weird crap that you are not prepared to deal with”

May: “What are we seeing?” Fitz: “Well, the man is angry at the other man”.

Fitz: “So, when- when you get back, I’ll show you my thing. A thing. It’s not - it’s my hardware. My equipment. Let’s...hang up”.

Fitz: “Its like magic, but it’s science”.

And few screenshots of my favorite scenes :) (remember when Ward was funny?)

#aosrewatch #aosrewatchS1 #aosrewatch1x01 #my thoughts #long post #sorry i got carried away

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fly-pow-bye · 5 years

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Powerpuff Girls 2016 - The Final Stack Up (The Worst)

It’s been a good time, friends, but the time has come. Which episodes managed to be the worst of them all?

This is the final stack up, and it's not just me saying that because the phrase "stack up" just caught on in my vocabulary. Out of all of the episodes, I'm going to make two different stacks of episodes: which episodes were the worst, and which were among the least worst. I would say "best", but I feel like that's a bit overselling even for those episodes. Let's start off with the worst, because I just want to get that out of the way.

Here's the criteria for that list:

It must be an episode of PPG 2016. As much as its quality is rather surprising, I consider TTG v. PPG a Teen Titans Go episode. While it even features one of the crew members, it has the Teen Titans Go animation, the Teen Titans Go theme song, and, for better or worse, the Teen Titans Go humor. Also, the Narrator appears in it for more than 10 seconds, and that’s just not allowed in PPG 2016.

It must be at least an episode of PPG 2016. The shorts are just too short and simple to rate among the full episodes, and I'm not rating PSAs or commercials. If one needs to know, Bubbs and Donny Get The Mail is the worst, and Mojo Builds A Shelf is the best.

In a challenge to myself, I have to say at least one good thing about each episode. I'd like to believe there's at least something good in even the worst of media.

This is my opinion and my opinion alone. There's some universally hated episodes I personally did not hate as much, and I am sure there’s going to be episodes people love that I did not particularly care for. It does not mean their opinion is wrong. In fact, this list is based on my current opinions, so that can even apply to past me's opinions.

Let’s roll.

The Bottom 10:

Without further ado, let's wade through the muck first, starting with...

10. A Star Is Blossom

At first, I didn’t think this episode was particularly horrible; the review even initially had a Neutral Buttercup, the “bad, but not that bad” rating. The more I thought about it, the more I felt this episode wasn’t deserving of it.

The whole episode hinges on Blossom being uncharacteristically evil and jealous of her sister’s success, to the point where she locks her in a boiler room all so she can be the red-haired warrior woman that she wants. It all just turns into this non-sequitur plot with this Viking woman that doesn’t really do much for me. Erica the Red was more annoying than anything, with her being so tough, butch, and not particularly bright being her only character trait. They do try to throw that moral about not being jealous in there somewhere, and it just feels forced.

I would be remiss to talk about one rather infamous aspect of the episode: the way it uses Jared Shapiro, a new “love interest” character. He seemingly has no other character in most of the episodes he appears in than being the love interest of a girl who is barely past the “boys have cooties” age. While this is not the worst episode with him in it, this is the episode where he’s the creepiest. One example is where Jared attempts to kiss Bubbles right on the lips, and Bubbles shouts for her understudy in apparent horror. That was the big joke to end the episode, and all it did was make me feel queasy even when I pretended to not hate this episode.

Good thing: I did enjoy Ms. Moss a little more here than in Drama Bomb, even if Drama Bomb was better in most ways. Maybe it’s because she isn’t entirely the villain of the plot, even if she was the cause of the problem. The viking problem, not the Blossom jealousy problem.

9. Snow Month

Snow Month: the episode that aired during Winter that explicitly takes place during Spring. Admittedly, they probably needed an episode to air during Christmas time, and there were no Christmas episodes in Season 1. Airing Twas The Fight Before Christmas was not an option. While I could see showing off the original would confuse viewers into thinking this series was good, it certainly would have been better than this episode.

That screenshot shows the truth, this is an episode where Jared is a major player. This was meant to be his very first appearance, though thanks to the mixup, episodes featuring him as Blossom's fantasy boyfriend have already aired. Here, we get to see him outside of Blossom's fantasies, giving her a note asking if she likes him. This utterly terrifies Blossom, and at least sickened me, and she causes a Snow Month to prevent her from seeing him again. To be fair to Blossom, I would want to avoid Jared, too.

There's a subplot involving this titular snow month causing a bunch of yetis to move into Townsville; yetis that act like rich yuppie tourists that openly discriminate against people that aren't their kind. Either that, or they were terrified people that had to leave the Matterhorn because of butthead yetis who destroy buildings. They can't seem to decide if all yetis are bad.

As for the other plot, it just ends with a total cop-out where Jared didn't really mean anything with that note. Throughout the series, no real progress is made with the Jared and Blossom relationship, even when Blossom just outright blurts out that she's in love with him in another episode. Happening to share the name of a certain spokesperson is only one of his problems...and that's the last I'll say about that.

Good thing: There's a cute sledding scene. I just found it cute, and Blossom even uses her powers at one point. It's good.

8. Professor Proofed

We go from one male character I didn't really like to another, and this time it's a character that is trying to be one character from the original. I'm not saying that the original Professor Utonium was an absolutely perfect father figure with no flaws whatsoever, but the reboot's version of him seems to be written more like a Sitcom Dad most of the time.

While he was making a growth ray, Sitcom Dad gets into an accident thanks to his bumbling and dangerous actions. And by bumbling and dangerous actions, I mean Buttercup shook a pepper cloud in his face. Yet, it's his fault, apparently, and he ends up becoming a man in a protective bubble. Sitcom Dad just goes along with all of this, because he decided he's not going to do anything of worth in this episode other than being. He's more of a prop than anything.

That's it, really, the episode is just a one note premise that doesn't do much with it. There's a giant baby caused by that growth ray, but the most they do with him is have him cover Bubbles with spit. If "kids being overprotective of their parents" is the funniest joke ever, this episode does not prove it.

Good thing: There's some decent commentary on inattentive parents. Oh, not from Sitcom Dad, but from the parent of the baby that becomes a giant.

7. Memory Lane of Pain

If you asked me which of the three Reboot Puffs is my least favorite a year ago, I'd say Bubbles. She's the only one that's inconsistent. Some episodes, she's an insufferable brat and/or crybaby. Other episodes, she's impossibly stupid, and not because she's written with child-like naivety. And in this episode, she's written as if she's the most incompetent superheroine alive.

This is one of those "three shorts" episodes, though it's really two and a really lousy ending. Blossom takes on the Rubber Bandit while Bubbles gets destroyed by a Dali dolly bomb, Buttercup takes on Popsicles while Bubbles gets turned into one of those ice cream bars, and Bubbles gets to learn that she's an everyday hero by a bunch of people talking about how she saved kittens and joined barbershop quartets. What?

I get what the ending was supposed to allude to: you don't have to be especially talented or have superpowers to be a hero. The problem is...Bubbles is a superhero. She has definitely been a major factor in saving the day in several episodes before this one. It just wasn't enough for this reboot to stab Bubbles' original voice actress in the heart, they had to stab all of the Bubbles fans in the heart as well, and that's terrible.

Good thing: The way the Rubber Bandit and Popsicles were taken down were pretty cool, and I would think if they were in episodes that weren't meant to be torture for the poor little blue teddy bear, they may have been okay.

6. Buttercup Vs. Math

As much flack as I gave the idea of giving Bubbles the ability to code in Viral Spiral, especially considering this reboot's constant gag of her misspelling words, at least I can argue that Viral Spiral was a decent enough episode to get girls into a STEM field. This episode, at first glance, appears to have the same mission, except instead of Bubbles and programming, it's Buttercup and mathematics. After watching this, I grew to appreciate Viral Spiral a lot more.

In this episode, we see Buttercup has a knack for math, testing herself into honors math. This gets her the disdain of people she considered her friends, even more jealousy from one of her sisters, and she has to hang out with nerd stereotypes that would make Urkel disgusted that call her a "math queen". It's no wonder Buttercup spends the entire episode fighting against this trait that's just forced upon her. This is the exact opposite of Viral Spiral; it makes math look like something only for super nerds, and people interested in math should be ashamed of themselves.

A special focus should be put on how they treated Blossom in this episode. In Viral Spiral, Blossom was glad to see Bubbles getting into coding. Here, it's A Star Is Blossom times 100, as she gets angry at the thought that the "muscle" of the group tested into honor's math and she did not. In the end, Blossom tries to take on the math-based villain, and ends up getting turned into a literal zero. That's it, really. Only at the very end does this episode give Math the respect it deserves, and it's so tacked on that I wonder if it was all meant to be a gigantic joke. If it was, it was not funny.

Good thing: The battle scene does at least give a good lesson about math: don't just take it all in at once, simplify it! Also, they did a joke involving decapitating Barry. Not that I hate Barry, far from it, but the fact that they even did anything like that is surprising.

5. Horn, Sweet Horn

Bubbles finds a new BFF, a horse with a cardboard tube on his head named Donny. While most horses just whinny, this horse can whine. He can whine about how while the horn he had was mere cardboard, he knows that inside, he's a bonafide unicorn. Since Bubbles really wants to be friends with a unicorn, she takes this wanna-be corn to the lab and tells the Professor to change him with his transmogrification ray so he can fulfill his dreams. Everything goes downhill after that.

With this talk about being a unicorn inside, Sitcom Dad warning Donny that it's his body and it's a serious choice, and a line about "adolescent self discovery" later in the episode, some may believe that this episode was meant to be a gender identity allegory. In fact, that was said to be the case in an interview with the two directors of the show. If that was the case, maybe having that transmogrification ray turn him into an out of control monster was not the best idea. To be fair, one of the writers had come out and said that the allegory wasn't intentional, though they decided to wait until after everyone shared their disgust with this episode to say that it wasn't.

Donny is just a terrible character all around, and he will prove it even more in another episode. Hint, hint. In this one, all he does in this episode is whine. Wah, I'm not a unicorn. Wah, science ruined me. Wah, I hate you for doing this, Bubbles. Slap. Wah, what have I done. The ending is ridiculous as well; it turns out that Donny's hair was hiding a horn this whole time. If I had a horn on my head, I would certainly feel it even if my hooves couldn't reach it.

In the end, Bubbles gets a horn that will summon him, which she will never use. Sadly, it turns out Donny can just barge in at any time without it. Oh well.

Good thing: A coalition of unicorns could have led to more interesting stories. I am really stretching for positives with this episode in particular; the only reason why it's even this high up is that it just didn't offend me as much as the next four.

4. Once Upon A Townsville

The Powerpuff Girls try to make a stereotypical Disney-esque princess into a superhero, something she is clearly not, and, in the end, they learn the lesson that people should accept each other for what they are. On paper, that doesn't sound like a bad episode, but the way this episode handles it is just questionable to say the very least. Simply put, this episode is about the Powerpuff Girls saving a princess from putting herself in grave danger, and they're considered the bad guys.

There's even a whole montage of her putting herself in grave danger, and except for one scene, it's more disturbing than funny. In the end, the episode seems to give the Powerpuff Girls a stern lesson over their actions in this episode, as if they were in the wrong for saving her from what are essentially suicide attempts! What were they supposed to do, let her die? I'm all for letting girls be themselves, but there is a limit to that.

At least they got into the Disney-esque spirit by making this one a musical, and one of the songs, otherwise a complete ripoff of Missy Elliot's Work It, has a Buttercup beatbox solo featuring stock images of the elderly. I wondered if it was meant to be a joke about how these old characters are desperately trying to be hip to the youth that this reboot is supposed to be for.

Oh, Once Upon A Townsville, if only there was someone who loved you. Well, the Emmys did, as they gave this one this reboot's only Emmy nomination. Sometimes, the Emmys are wrong. Either that, or Cartoon Network should have submitted a different episode.

Good thing: I kind of liked the joke where Buttercup keeps swapping away all of the poisoned apples. At least those only put princesses to sleep.

3. Painbow

Here it is, this reboot's most infamous episode. Clips of this episode became infamous overnight, and everyone seems to agree that this is the episode that shows how bad the Powerpuff Girls reboot truly is. While I disagree with the notion that this is the absolute worst, I cannot disagree that this episode deserves to be on this list. The episode involves the Powerpuff Girls having to stop a rainbow that causing everyone to be unnecessarily happy...except them, because they ate anti-mind-control pineapples. Better explanation than the nothing they give in the episode itself.

This all leads to the worst minute in reboot history. While this show's rainbow dimension sears anyone's eyes slightly harder than an episode of Problem Solverz, we get Blossom referencing the "literally can't even" meme of the early 2010s right after hearing Bubbles say "OMG, yas!". Not too long later, we get the scene that most people think about when they think about PPG 2016.

The twerk scene. To be honest, I think people are really overselling this scene. It's bad, it's uncomfortable, and it dates the show, sure, but there's a lot more to hate about this episode. The animation errors that are even more numerous in this episode, Sitcom Dad in a speedo, the fact that Allegro is just a bad Him wannabe, I could go on far longer than I did in my initial review.

There is supposed to be a moral about how there's a time to be serious and a time to be funny, and we know this because Buttercup outright blurts it out near the end of the episode. It's easy to be distracted from that, considering everything else. It's a bad episode that is worthy of the first Disgusted Buttercup. However, it's not the worst episode of Season 1.

Good thing: The way Buttercup punches out Allegro in the end is pretty well animated by reboot standards.

2. Odd Bubbles Out

No, this is the worst episode of Season 1. Because they just knew Horn Sweet Horn was going to be a huge hit, they just had to make another episode featuring this not-so-lovable hell horn, and this one is worse in every possible aspect. The episode involves Donny getting together with Bubbles, even down to going to school with her. Nobody questions why a unicorn is walking around with them, but I can ignore that. He then makes a brand new friend named Chelsea, which makes Bubbles really, really angry because how dare he make another friend. Not to say that there are other reasons, of course.

If I were to give Horn, Sweet Horn one thing; at least I know who was the most annoying character in that episode. Donny just hangs out with Chelsea off-screen, not even talking to Bubbles and treating her like she's not as cool. Bubbles is acting like some crazy ex-girlfriend over Chelsea even existing; it's as if Donny should only have her, and she makes no effort in joining in any of the activities Donny is doing. Maybe the idea was that neither Donny nor Bubbles were in the right, but all this really does is give me an episode where nobody was likable.

...and then Chelsea turned out to be an evil robot made by this show's version of Mojo Jojo, all so Bubbles can look good treating her like an irredeemable enemy. Kind of funny how the "silly monkey with the silly hat" that I call Discount Jojo for various reasons hasn't even appeared in this list until now. Most of his worst moments just aren't in the absolute worst episodes, it seems.

Good thing: ...and honestly, his plan in this episode isn't one of his worst moments at all. Making a fake robot friend was one of the better Discount Jojo plans. Such a shame it was wasted on this episode.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Hustlecup - No episode from Season 3 made the Bottom 10, but that's not to say that Season 3 didn't have any stinkers. In fact, this episode would have been the number 11 pick if I went that far. A sports episode where the sports parts are written very poorly, an ending that does not make sense, and a waste of what should have been a special appearance by one of the Gorillaz.

Quarantine - Quarantine was practically a blank check for what could be a really funny episode: Mojo Jojo and the Powerpuff Girls stuck in a room together. If only it was the actual Mojo Jojo, and the Powerpuff Girls didn't just relegate themselves to just constantly beating him up. It's just a painful episode all around, and could also be a good candidate for a #11.

The Wrinkle-Gruff Gals - Hey kids! Are you being bullied for being different? Why not follow their advice and try being different? I was way too easy on this one.

Tiara Trouble: In theory, an episode that involves the villains participating in a talent show should be a laugh riot. It's too bad most of the jokes are, "tee hee, what if they were dressed in women's clothing?" Also, it gave us the infamous Bubbles No Me Gusta face, which is up there with the you-know-what scene from Painbow.

Presidential Punchout - A really bad version of Impeach Fuzz. The only good thing about this episode is that it shows a universe where the most sane candidate could win an election. If only, if only.

Halt and Catch Silico - The most interesting villain that the reboot managed to cooked up is tarnished by this episode, as we get to hear his very confusing and laughable even in-universe origin story. Anyone's imaginations could have done better; they may as well have kept it a secret forever.

Huh, confusing and laughable origin stories, what does that remind me of? Admittedly, including this episode is a little against the second rule for this list, as it is just one part of a multiple-part special. However, it has certain unique and horrific traits about it that really puts it over the edge. And that episode is...

1. Bliss Reminisce

As a whole, The Power of Four wasn't bad. It had a solid opening, a slightly-less-solid ending, and a rather boring middle part that could have been cut down by an episode. Oh, and there's this part. There is so much I could say about this episode's flaws that I could make a top 10 just of the worst parts in it. In fact...I'll do it right now!

The Top 10 Reasons Why Bliss Reminisce Is The Worst Episode of PPG 2016:

This is more in hindsight, but out of the entire series, this is the only time in the entire reboot that Chemical X is ever mentioned in the episodes themselves. Such an important item in this series, and it's never used outside of what is essentially a joke in this episode.

Discount Jojo adds basically nothing to Bliss' origin story. They could have at least explained that Bliss was the inspiration for him pushing the Professor into the Chemical X, but we don't even get that. All it adds is that Jojo was Bliss's only friend at one point, which has at least one negative connotation.

That face Jojo makes in the middle of the episode, complete with stock image eyes and lips. Eugh.

Her name isn't just Bliss, it is Blisstina Franchesca Francis Mariam Alicia Utonium. Even disregarding that overly long names is a trope associated with overly idealistic fan characters, what the hell is a Blisstina? I know what a blossom, bubbles, a buttercup, a bunny, and a bullet are, but there is no such thing as a blisstina. They could have just stuck with Bliss.

Sitcom Dad is kind of a jerk to the other three throughout this whole episode, which clashes with his appearance in the last episode. There's sort of a reason for this, and I'll get to it a little bit later in the list.

Discount Jojo wants to tell his side of the story, but the Powerpuff Girls make him skip over the whole pushing Sitcom Dad into the chemicals part. I can't help but think this was done to not ruin that "great joke" that appears later in this list, but it also makes me wonder if they were even aware of one of the biggest reasons for Jojo being their arch-nemesis.

Sitcom Dad promising that he'll never leave Bliss, and, a few seconds later, he has to leave to get an reward for "best ham"! Sitcom Dad, everyone!

He even dares to say that Bliss is his favorite of all of his creations, despite ignoring her existence for the past 5 years or however long its been since the Powerpuff Girls were created. Again, seems to be a trope associated with overly idealistic fan characters.

We do learn that Bliss is made from Chemical W. That's fine, it gives an explanation to how she has so many powers that the Powerpuff Girls don't have. What I can't accept is that we learn that he not only accidentally knocked into a vat of Chemical W, but every Chemical from A to V as well! There is no indication whatsoever that this wan't just inspired by someone saying, "Chemical X, what about Chemical A through W, wakka wakka!"

Oh, that whole Professor Utonium making the Powerpuff Girls because he wanted a family, or being inspired by an incident involving time travel? No, silly, it's because he was envious of another scientist who did the same thing! The Reboot Puffs were made out of envy, really good to know. That scientist and her creation will never become important, ever; she's just there to take credit and decency away from the man they dare to call Professor Utonium.

Oh, and I didn't like it.

Good thing: It would be impossible to do a top 10 best things about this episode, but there is a mediocre joke involving a garage door that almost made my constant frown at this episode disappear.

With bad episodes like these, why did I continue to watch the show? I would say it's my job, but I didn't really get paid for this. Turns out, there are some okay to even, gasp, good episodes of this show. Episodes that actually made me happy that I did this experiment. I certainly would have never experienced them if I decided to quit watching the reboot after Season 1, which was my initial plan.

In the end, I felt it deserves to be its own article. See you tomorrow for The Best.

← Sideline Dad ☆ The Final Stack-Up (The Best) →

#fpb ppg 2016 #fpb reviews #ppg 2016 #powerpuff girls #cartoon network

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drunkbooksellers · 7 years

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Ep 14: Paul Constant, Seattle Review of Books

Epigraph

The Drunk Booksellers get stoned on this 4/20 themed episode with Paul Constant of the Seattle Review of Books.

Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, our website, or subscribe using your podcatcher of choice.

This episode is sponsored by Books & Whatnot, the newsletter dedicated to books, bookselling, and bookish folk; check out their newsletter archive here. Follow Books & Whatnot on Twitter at @booksandwhatnot.

If you want to get our show notes delivered directly to your inbox—with all the books mentioned on the podcast and links back to the bookstore we’re interviewing PLUS GIFs—sign up for our email newsletter.

Introduction

In which we make pot jokes and get excited about books

We're switching up our intoxicant of choice this episode and getting stoned rather than drunk (mostly). Paul's rocking Mr. Moxey's Mints (of the peppermint/sativa variety). Emma's smoking CBD (not to be confused with William Steig's children's picture book, CDB!). Kim stops talking while stoned—which would make for a really awkward podcast episode—so she's drinking the hoppiest IPA she could find instead. Everyone's a little too high to explain the varieties of weed particularly well, so you should just read David Schmader's Weed: The User's Guide: A 21st Century Handbook for Enjoying Marijuana.

Paul's Reading:

Up South by Robert Lashley

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

A collection of books from Mount Analogue Press

Manners by Ted Powers

Final Rose by Halie Theoharides (a comic book tone poem about love and loss made up screenshots from The Bachelor)

Reading Through It book club pick: What We Do Now: Standing Up for Your Values in Trump's America, edited by Dennis Johnson

Emma's Reading:

First Position by Melissa Brayden (thanks to a recommendation from our episode with The Ripped Bodice)

Giant Days 4 by John Allison, Max Sarin, Lissa Treiman, Liz Fleming, and Whitney Cogar

All the Lives I Want: Essays about My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers by Alana Massey (thanks to a recommendation from our episode with Amy Stephenson)

Kim's Reading:

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

The Aisles Have Eyes: How Retailers Track Your Shopping, Strip Your Privacy, and Define Your Power by Joseph Turow

Forthcoming Titles We're Excited For:

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie (out June 13)

Love and Trouble: a Midlife Reckoning by Claire Dederer (out May 9)

also mentioned Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses

Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) by David Sedaris (out May 30)

Hunger: a Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay (out June 13)

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood (out May 2)

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer (out April 25)

Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch (out April 18)

Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki (out May 9)

Isadora by Amelia Gray (out May 23)

Dreaming the Beatles: the Love Story of One Band and the Whole World by Rob Sheffield (out April 25)

Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen J Sollee (out June 13)

Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self Through the Wisdom of the Cards by Michelle Tea (out June 13)

The Perfect Mix: Everything I Know about Leadership I Learned as a Bartender by Helen Rothberg (out June 20)

Chapter I [18:50]

In which we learn what The Seattle Review of Books is, talk about book reviews as a meta art form, and get advice on promoting diversity and being a safe, welcoming place for people who aren't white bros

The Seattle Review of Books is a book news, review, and interviews site. This isn't consumer reports, with a thumbs up or down on each title; each review aims to have a conversation with the book. It's a site that aims to look like your bookshelf, without genre classification.

Emma & Kim don't quite understand Paul's assertion that people don't organize their bookshelves, but we roll with it.

SRB makes all their money through a single sponsor (which changes each week). If you're interested in their sponsorship program, you can learn more here.

Paul wants to promote young, new writers and help them build up their clip file. So you should probably pitch him with your brilliant, bookish ideas. Email submissions@seattlereviewofbooks or fill in the contact form on their about page.

Emma particularly loves the Help Desk by Cienna Madrid. Ask Cienna an awkward book-related question at [email protected].

Being a couple of white guys, Paul and his co-founder Martin McClellan are extremely concerned with diverse representation. You can learn more about how SRB encourages diversity in both the books they review and the reviewers they publish on their about page (or by listening to this episode...). But you should know right off the bat, they are not here to promote the new Franzen novel and they will not pander to bros.

Chapter II [33:10]

In which we talk about life in the US post-election, say something negative about a book, and discuss Paul's past (and current) life as a bookseller

Reading Through It is a post-election book club hosted by Seattle Review of Books, the Seattle Weekly, and Third Place Books Seward Park. They meet the first Wednesday of every month.

On our post-election world, Paul Constant says: "This is what books were made for. Books are engines of empathy... the only way to do a deep-dive into an issue. It's our stored knowledge... This is the moment for books."

The next Reading Through It book group pick is The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt. They'll be meeting Wednesday May 3rd at Third Place Books Seward Park.

Read Paul's article on his time at Borders: Books Without Borders: My Life at the World's Dumbest Bookstore Chain

Though he's not technically a bookseller anymore, Paul is still "on team books." Keep an eye out for our "I'm On Team Books" t-shirts, which may or may not be a thing we sell one day.

Chapter III [43:20]

In which Paul is better at explaining our questions than stoned Emma is at asking them, Emma and Kim give Paul major side-eye due to his bookseller confession, and Emma continues to push Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Desert Island Pick (what would you read that you never had the time to read before): The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro (beginning with The Path to Power)

We couldn't find a video of the following clip of Caro on the Colbert Report, so we'll just leave you this series of gifs to explain why you, too, should consider bringing an epic five-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson as your desert beach read:

You're welcome. Now, back to your regularly scheduled show notes.

Station Eleven Picks (the books to preserve for society) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (everything you need to know about living in a society) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (everything you need to know about life and how it doesn’t always work out the way you want, but you should live it anyway)

Read Paul's essay about The Scarlet Letter, originally written for Scarecrow Video.

Wild Pick (traveling is about observing things... soaking everything in) We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order to Live by Joan Didion ("because she is the greatest observer on the planet and I would want to be like her when I was traveling")

Bookseller Confession Once again, we have a guest who hasn't read Harry Potter. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? Paul also hasn't read Lord of the Rings and Kim proceeds to side-eye him from across the city.

(In case you were wondering, the title of the direct link to this gif is "wtf-i-cant-even-you-are-stupid." Just sayin'.)

Emma, naturally, tries to convert Paul to fantasy w/ an Uprooted recommendation because "nobody doesn't like it." Paul commits to reading it in order to prove her wrong.

Go-To Handsell Fup by Jim Dodge Paul saved the book from going out of print and—arguably more importantly—he handsold a copy to Allison Hannigan.

Impossible Handsell Paradise by AL Kennedy (and everything by AL Kennedy)

Book for Booksellers Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich

Favorite Bookstores Elliott Bay Ada’s Technical Books Third Place Ravenna

Favorite Literary Media

Not to brag, but, we’re the only podcast Paul listens to.

The Rumpus Lit Hub Book Forum Electric Literature Shelf Awareness

Epilogue

In which we tell you where to find us on the Internets

You can find Paul on:

Twitter

Seattle Review of Books is also on Twitter

Seattlereviewofbooks.com

You can find us on:

Twitter at @drunkbookseller

Litsy at @drunkbooksellers

Facebook

Instagram

Newsletter

Website

Emma tweets @thebibliot and writes bookish things for Book Riot.

Kim tweets occasionally from @finaleofseem, but don’t expect too much 'cause she saves all of the interesting (ie. book-related) shizzle for Drunk Booksellers.

Subscribe and rate us on iTunes!

Check out this episode!

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periodicreviews · 7 years

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RWBY Volume 4 Episode 6

This was probably the first episode this volume/season that I thought showed some promise. It wasn’t great in comparison to previous volumes, but it did what it needed to do and is perhaps the best episode of this season so far. The scenes with Weiss at the party continued to show the consequences of the fall of Vale and how at least one particular part of society is brushing it off. The fight between Tyrian, the crazy laughter guy, and RNJR got a little weird but for the most part everyone is acting consistent with what we know about the characters and that’s the bare minimum of what I’ve wanted this season.

Schnee Dinner Party

Amongst all of Team RWBY, Weiss seems to be acting in the most consistent manner with what we know about her character. She goes along initially with the plan to perform at her father’s benefit possibly as a means to keep the peace at home. The benefit concert will hopefully lead to restored faith in the Schnee Dust Company, continued profits for her father, and credit cards that don’t get declined for Weiss. Weiss asks in Episode 2 if he’s asking her or telling her to sing at the benefit and her father’s reply is that it would make a lot of people happy. She clearly is not excited to be a public relations tool, but thinks it’s best to play along for now.

Her song, not surprisingly claims that she won’t be held by riches, she won’t surrender, and that “this life is mine”. That all falls into line with what we’ve seen from Weiss before in “It’s My Turn” and her actions in general in the preceding episodes.

Volume 1 Episode 2

Blake: “The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners.”

Weiss: “How dare you!”

Volume 4 Episode 6

Jacques: “We offer our Faunus the exact same wages as the rest of our mining staff. Their argument is completely invalid right out of the gate”

Weiss: *sighs*

We already knew that Weiss has grown, but this scene with her father definitely reinforces it.

When some random dude shows up and doesn’t have a clue that he’s at a benefit for the victims of the fall of Beacon, she understandably gets angry at him and tells him to leave. She seems to reach her “tipping point” to borrow the episode’s title, when she hears another couple talk about how Beacon deserved it because they didn’t beef up their defenses. She accidentally summons a creature that is then taken down by General Ironwood.

After presumably watching innocent civilians die, presumably because it’s not explicitly shown on screen, and having two other acquaintances die, any one would rightfully be upset with the implication that they deserved it. It’s also great that this emotional outburst caused her to trigger her summoning power because this is what we’ve seen on previous occasions of emotional distress.

The scene had a consistent tone and everyone acted consistent with their previous behavior. There were no jokes to break up the tension and indeed humor in this scene is portrayed negatively as Jacques jokes with the fellow guests and Weiss reacts with disgust.

I’m really looking forward to the next piece of Weiss’s story where her father either asks or forces her to control her emotional outbursts by training with her glyphs, which is alluded to in the opening. Jacques demanding it would fall in line with his desire to keep up appearances that everything is fine with the family and everything is fine with the company.

The show, in my opinion, still hasn’t dealt enough with the consequences of the fall of Beacon, both practically what it means for the rest of Remnant and emotionally for the characters. This scene is thankfully able to do both at the same time.

Tyrian vs RNJR

Tyrian’s laughter was one of the first things that mildly annoyed me about the character and of course it’s full force here. Thankfully, it feels appropriate or at least is a little easier to understand why he is laughing, compared with Episode 5 where I wasn’t sure what the joke was.

At one point he laughs when Ruby hits Nora with a lightning shot because he thinks it’s going to be lot easier if the team is shooting each other.

Tyrian’s remark that “Well, you do interest me” while pointing to Jaune could be interpreted several ways. The most obvious being some connection to his aura potential or his connection to Pyrrha. But it’s also possible he’s referring to a romantic interest. Fans have wanted a confirmed LGBT character for some time, so they unfortunately may have to be satisfied for now with it being the craziest character we’ve seen yet. The creators have always said something like “It has to feel natural” and if this is what they feel is natural, I feel like they could’ve made any character gay. We don’t really know anything about the character so I don’t want to rush to any conclusions.

Tyrian vs RNJR Analysis

I almost felt like this battle was meant only to set up Qrow’s dramatic entrance with a triple replay of Tyrian’s attack being blocked by Qrow’s blade. Right before he shows up, the camera cuts to each of the fighters.

This seems like an odd choice of shots. From what I can see, besides maybe Ren and obviously Ruby, Nora and Jaune seem to be perfectly fine. Jaune is even standing straight up, almost as if he’s not hurt at all, and even closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to watch. So why are these conscious and seemingly healthy team members just looking on, or not looking in Jaune’s case, as this terrible thing is about to happen to their teammate?

I get that the purpose of the scene is to set up the reveal of Qrow and this happens all the time in shows and movies. Characters get beat up a bunch by the enemy and just when it looks like all hope is lost, the hero shows up to save the day. I’m totally fine with all of that, but it wasn’t executed as well as it could’ve been here.

Let’s look at the last set of hits that everyone takes besides Ruby.

Jaune appears to take a hit to his shield that pushes him back and then just stands there for the rest of the battle.

The last hit Nora takes is when Tyrian’s tail parries her hammer strike and she is thrown backwards. You can still see Jaune awkwardly standing there in the back.

Ren appears to take an attack from a phantom weapon as neither Tyrian’s fists, feet, or tail make physical contact with his body as far as I can tell. But even so he is thrown across the screen. This seems to be more of an animation error or I’m mistaking a reaction for him jumping away. It also seems like Nora and Ren are thrown in completely different directions, but because of the changing camera angles, I’m not going to try to argue that.

Ruby of course seems to struggle the most as she is the focus of the attack and the visual indication that her aura collapses clues us in that she is really in danger.

But neither at the first break when Ruby shoots Nora, nor at the second break when Tyrian is revealed to be a Faunus, do the other members of RNJR appear to be in any sort of dire situation. Visibly there doesn’t seem to be any cosmetic effects on their models indicating cuts, which admittedly hasn’t been done much before. They also don’t make any indication verbally or non-verbally that they are tired, low on energy, or really struggling to keep up. I will admit they take most of the hits in this battle and Tyrian’s tail seems to be super strong and resistant to damage.

I’m not saying they have to dramatically break someone’s arm like when Vegeta loses horribly to Android 18 in DBZ. But they have to do something more than just show a character takes a few hits because we don’t have any on-screen health bars to look at.

The problem is that RWBY has done this well in previous episodes.

When Ruby fights Cinder in high heels, it’s pretty clear that she is struggling to keep up as she wobbles all over the place. Even before this fight, she is shown to be uncomfortable in high heels and that discomfort plays a role later in this battle.

During and after the fall of Beacon, Weiss and the others show signs of exhaustion after fighting for so long.

General Ironwood actually does sustain considerable cosmetic damage to his outfit.

The harder the struggle, the better the payoff when the characters get rescued. At least to me, it didn’t seem like they struggled enough, so when Qrow comes in, the moment isn’t as triumphant or emotional as it could’ve been. As usual maybe they didn’t have the time or budget to model torn outfits or animate the characters in a fatigued state, but this seems like a pretty basic fight aspect to slack off on.

Interestingly, it appears the scene from the opening where Ruby is fighting Tyrian doesn’t appear in this fight, at least not the specific 360-kick parry against Ruby’s scythe. They usually try to reuse that animation so maybe the fight changed a lot from the original plan.

I get that this all sounds very picky. “Why are you going frame by frame looking for mistakes?” I didn’t explicitly go looking for issues, they really just stood out to me on my second viewing of this fight to look for screenshots of what I wanted. I’m not trying to hate and I understand animation is tough, but there’s substantial room for improvement and if we don’t acknowledge that, I feel like nothing is going to get better.

So it’s Episode 6 and this was the first decent episode. But to be at the halfway point and still be having these sort of technical issues? I’m not overly optimistic about the rest of this season. Is it going to take the whole volume for them to “find their footing” as fans keep saying? I kind of hoped they would’ve done that with the latter half of Volume 3 when they were essentially alone, but it seems they still need more time. It did take 4 episodes for me to warm up to Volume 2, but at the moment, I’m sticking around for Jeff Williams and Weiss.

#rwby #rwby4

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fly-pow-bye · 5 years

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Powerpuff Girls 2016 - The Top Title Cards

One of the artistic choices the show makes is its use of unique title cards. On one hand, the reboot's title cards lack the punch of the original's. The original had the Powerpuff Girls flying, making. In the reboot, it's lumpy text with some drawings surrounding it with some soft ambient techno over it. On the other hand, the reboot lacks the punch of the original, so they fit perfectly.

One improvement I can see with these title cards is the variety. The originals do not have pictures, it's just white text on black background. The reboot has these works of art for each episode. I don't hate the original's title cards, far from it, but I couldn't rank them. Just for fun, I’m going to rank my top favorite title cards of PPG 2016. These will be ranked based on if they fit their episode and whether or not they look great.

10. The Trouble With Bubbles

Out of all the Bubbles coding episodes, this is my favorite one. While the title is actually kind of generic, it does show that this is an episode where Bubbles codes a clone of herself and prints it with a 3D printer. The title is even laid out in a way similar to Scratch, a beginner's programming language that the Powerpuff Girls even had a tie-in with at one point. It's a little more literal than something abstract or symbolic, but it works.

9. The Secret Life of Blossom Powerpuff

Yes, they actually believed that the Powerpuff Girls' last name should be Powerpuff in Season 1. Let's ignore that, as that's one of the few aspects they did change their mind on in Season 2. I like this effect of Blossom getting split into two different versions of herself, one in a Victorian dress, and the other as an astronaut. This does perfectly show what this episode is going to be about: Blossom imagining herself as different versions of herself much like Walter Mitty.

They had to leave out one Blossom for this title to look good. Honestly, I would have went with the breakdancer Blossom, as it would have been a contrast between the elegant Victorian Blossom. The astronaut Blossom still works as a "Past vs. Future" contrast, and the cynic in me also notes that they are also the low points of the episode.

8. The Tell Tale Schedulebot

Maybe I'm going for more of how it looks rather than what it represents. The title references a horror story, and, while it's not exactly a reference to the original story, the title card represents a horror theme. Yes, Schedulebot seemingly rises from the dead in one of the very, very few times they referenced plots from previous episodes, and the title card shows it as this zombie rising from the dead. They put this title card in this artsy cloud-esque smudge, with lightning inside of it, which adds to the effect.

7. Once Upon A Townsville

The episode's idea is that it's a Disney-esque princess in a modern day world. I did not get this at first, thinking this was just a generic city. I didn't even notice the little circle around it, which is supposed to represent that part of the logo where Tinkerbell flies around the Disney castle in an arc.

I think the less said about Once Upon A Townsville, the better, so let's move on.

6. Save The Date

Not all of my favorite title cards are graphically complex, as this one is pretty simple: just Ms. Keane and a really, really big shadow. The obvious meaning comes from how Ms. Keane turns into a giant in this episode. I can't help but see another meaning in this, referring to the other plot of the episode that is intertwined with.

Ms. Keane is on her first date with some random dude, and she is not confident about it. She can't walk in high heels, she has a zit that we thankfully never get to see, and she's late! Maybe I'm looking too deep into this, but I'll still rank it this high.

5. Breaking Bliss

Also known as part four of the Power of Four, which is actually five parts long. Each part of the Power of Four has a standalone version, complete with its own unique title card. This is the only special to get this treatment; Small World just uses that magic hat for every episode. Outside of Find Your Bliss, which just has the title on 3D glasses, they're all pretty good. I even like Bliss Reminisce's title card, with. I decided to choose only one, and it was a tough pick between this one and Blisstersweet Symphony.

In the end, I went with this one, which is a good representation of the episode. Bliss is utterly broken inside in this episode, and the title card puts that in a symbolic way that looks aesthetically pleasing. The only real problem with this one is that the text seems to be put as an afterthought. Granted, this title card never aired on US TV; Power of Four only aired as a special, and that only came with a rather generic title card of four Powerpuff Girls flying.

4. Power Up Puff

Rather than outright showing the aura powers that were the star attraction to this episode, this episode focuses more on how Blossom seems to be overshadowed by her sisters. I do like the idea behind this one; Blossom is just way in the background while her sisters do these poses.

I will say the drawing is a bit awkward here. They forgot Buttercup's all-important cowlick, which is shockingly common in title cards. so it's a little bit lower than another episode that has a similar idea.

3. Bubbles The Blue

Well, this episode seems to rank high in any PPG 2016 list I would make. Bubbles is sitting down, looking sad, while her sisters are very tiny. I would say it represents their understanding of the episode's situation, and not in a way that can be blamed on bad writing. This episode's title card is very similar to the last entry in this list. Honestly, I would have had this in a tie.

Also, they actually remembered Bubbles' pigtail bubbles. That doesn't look like Blossom or Buttercup, though. That looks like a wrapped peppermint and one of those Ring Pops. I can still see what they were doing there.

2. Can't Buy Love

One of the more artsy title cards. They could have just had a cupcake, but instead, we get this romantic shot under the moonlight. One may have to ignore the participants here. If it is your thing, that's fine, but I don't think a lot of people would have wanted BarryBucks. The joke is that's the case even in-universe.

This episode is about Princess believing this fantasy this title card seems to portray. Everyone else around her isn't even aware of this, including the hunk-in-her-eyes-and-only-her-eyes Barry. Since this episode is from her perspective, the title card decides to use a shot from her perspective.

1. Salamander

There's absolutely no way this title card wouldn't be #1. Just look at that volcano's majesty. The detailed lines, those two trees that give the title card more body, and that sculpt of the villain's face. This volcano lair looks like something straight out of those 80's cartoons with the over-the-top bad guys, which is exactly what they were going for with this episode's lead villain. This one is a work of art, plain and simple.

I'm not going to do a Bottom 10, because most of the bad title cards can be summed up as "yup, that's an X", with maybe some text put in as an afterthought. I will do a bottom 3, though.

3. Man Up 3: The Good, The Bad, and the Manly

One thing I didn't really notice is that they did remove the wacky inflatable tube man from the second Man Up. They didn't do it for this one. Man Up 4 at least had a different title card. Sure, it's just a strawberry, a reference to a plot that rarely even appears in the episode, but it's better than reusing the same log and tube man again and again.

The biggest flaw with this one besides the reuse is a similar problem the second one had: this title card doesn't convey Man Up 3 to me. It's just Man Up, with some really tiny fine print that says it is the third one.

2. Odd Bubbles Out

It's a Bubbles head surrounded by hearts, which has basically nothing to do with this episode, as Bubbles, surprisingly, never really got a love interest. Maybe it's supposed to represent the love of her friendship with Donny and only Donny that depends on his friendship with Bubbles and only Bubbles, but that's a stretch.

Also...Odd Bubbles Out? I know I'm judging these title cards based on their artwork rather than their titles, but that has to be addressed. It's a play on being the Odd One Out, which is certainly what's happening in this episode, but I can't even consider it a pun.

1. The Bubbles-Sitters Club

It just looks like a screenshot they put a sillohuette on. If they couldn't even bother to make the text not look like something they just slapped on at the last second, why should I put more effort in describing it?

Next week, I'm going to dedicate Saturdays to DuckTales 2017 reviews, since that show is returning. Just one per week; as much as I want to review them quickly, I'd rather not have another hiatus. I also need the time for college. See you soon!

#fpb ppg 2016 #ppg 2016 #powerpuff girls #cartoon network

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