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ollyou · 1 year

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You mentioned AUs in your pinned post, do you have any you like to introduce us to? I personally love to see them

OK TIME TO RESPOND TO THIS!

I have multiple AUs! I’ll just go over two out of the main three I have. They might sound a bit complicated, though!

WARNING… there is quite a bit of text. And images. Be prepared.

1: “HAPPY ENDING” AU

Basically my main AU is pretty simple compared to others! It’s one of those “what if ___ happened differently?” types. So Olivia, instead of wishing for all origami folded by Olly to be undone, wishes for everyone to go back to living happily! I’m not sure how much sense such a wish makes in the way I wrote it, but essentially, it brings back MOST of the casualties that happened during the canon game. (Exceptions are mostly just the Bob-ombs like Bobby, because I had this whole thing where Bobby’s happier having served his purpose in life getting to save his new friends, and bringing him back to life would ruin the impact of his sacrifice, + he can see his old best friend in whatever the true afterlife is like in the PMTOK universe.)

Olly comes back, the LoS come back, and the Origami Castle is reverted into Peach’s Castle, so Peach can live normally and so can the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom. Confusion on Olly’s part ensues, as he definitely remembers dying and thinks he’s in the afterlife at first, but eventually he adjusts to his surroundings. Skipping ahead, the Origami Craftsman, having already realized how unfitting his role as the origami siblings’ father figure is due to the fear that came from having his own creation nearly destroy the world, plus his own fixation towards origami getting in the way of him being able to take care of anyone, decides he needs to let the siblings go and have a better guide and role model in their lives. This winds up being Mario and Peach! Basically, Olivia’s already bonded to Mario the most of anyone after all their journey together, and Olly needs to have an eye kept on him to make sure he really won’t try anything dangerous again. Peach, being a princess and therefore royalty, also winds up being a great role model for the two siblings— Olivia especially grows attached to Peach, the two both being princesses, and Olivia always wanting to have “lady friends” (she’s very fond of women/girls. Whether that’s just admiring their beauty, charm, or something more!).

Olly takes a long time to get adjusted, especially when he realizes he’s going to have to work alongside Toads, and a lot of them. He’s mostly told to follow in the footsteps of Mario to become a hero rather than a cruel king, but he has a very hard time adjusting because he still holds some contempt towards the plumber. Nonetheless, though, Olly still admires the ability and strength of Mario, and still sees him as a strong, beautiful man.

Ah. It’s worth it to mention I portray Olly as someone who really focuses on beauty, but in kind of a screwed up way, like “You’re so beautiful, I want to keep you as a decoration I can look at when I please”. He admires Mario’s looks, but only because he finds his colors striking and “crisp”, as he once said in canon (not to mention he thinks of Mario as a strong man he’d need in his army in the Japanese version’s prologue).

But anyway, I digress. This stuff is essentially just a build up to having more character interactions that are closer to canon but not following the exact story of it. Olivia and Olly get their own rooms in Peach’s Castle, where they live their and through Olivia’s encouragement and even scolding of bad behaviors, Olly is able to improve himself and live normally, finally achieving true happiness and peace in life, something he never once was able to experience in the canon story.

2: HUMANIZED AU

This is a semi-standard human AU, except with extra lore and several exceptions for who’s a human here.

To sum up the latter, Olivia, Olly, and the LoS are now human, while all other NPCs such as Bobby, the Toads, Shy Guys, and Bowser, stay the same. This is a little stupid, but all characters, despite not looking like paper at all, are still paper and can be cut up. This is because I don’t want to actually severely change the canon story here, so I want to keep real gore to the minimum while still allowing for the body horror in the original game. It’s… basically something that only works if you imagine it on a flat screen.

Anyway, here, special magic within the Fold of Life can result in the creation of human forms of the folded origami. The origami paper originally used is then transformed into a pendant— this pendant being a Magic Circle.

…okay I’m not going to lie writing EVERYTHING for this specific AU is a BIIIITCH so I’m just going to post really old screenshots here instead teehee

..OKAY. SORRY.

Anyway yeah, some information is absolutely going to be a bit outdated on those screenshots, but like I said, Olly and Olivia’s souls are in their pendants. In the old art I put here, I compare the whole soul thing to Steven Universe, but another good comparison would be to Madoka Magica!! (Both series hold special places in my heart even after all this time… so I guess I must’ve taken inspiration.)

Anything they transform into, will be origami. They can still transform into the Vellumentals and they will look exactly like canon.

ANYWAY. I’ll get more into this AU in some other post, probably, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I’d be more than happy to clear anything up, although I’m not perfect and these AUs are all super self indulgent rather than anything professional, so I may answer SOME things with “yeaaaah I didn’t really think this through”. LMAO

That’s it though! Thank you for reading!!!

#pmtok #paper mario the origami king #pmtok au #paper mario #king olly #thank you for the ask!#my other main AU is the one i made with jaded_is_jade on twt because of a joke #i’d LOVE to get into that one too but it’s the most embarrassing of them all #it’s also super complicated sometimes because our ‘canon’ for it is all over the place #we retcon stuff 24/7 /hj

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aeonmagnus · 3 years

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Happy 20th Anniversary Robots In Disguise!

This year, and today in particular, marks the 20-year anniversary of Transformers Robots in Disguise airing in the United States. This was the official English language dub of the Japanese show Transformers Car Robots, which aired in Japan the year before. This show and it’s accompanying toy line were a big shift in the Transformers brand and affected how things moved forward in the new millennium. It was also a big influence on me and this website in it’s early years, so both the brand and TFW2005 may not be what it is today without it.

We hope you will read on after the break to check out our celebration of Robots in Disguise on it’s 20th!

Intro

The following is not a comprehensive article on the show proper, but rather a trip down memory lane from my personal perspective. It was a period of change in my life, in the fandom, in the brand, and in the world – all happening at once. Robots in Disguise was smack dab in the middle of it all and I think that’s why it still resonates with me all these years later. For a deeper dive into the world of Robots In Disguise you can check RIDForever.info, a site I maintain just about RID and Car Robots. The 2021 updates are here, and the 2017 round of updates are here. I’d also suggest checking the TFWe issue all about RID over on the 2005 Boards. Now, onto today’s festivities…

The Show

RID, and yes I say RID as if it is the only RID. If you must reference that other RID show and it’s off-shoots, refer to it as RID 201x, thanks. 😊 RID aired during the Fox Kids programming block on a Saturday morning, with additional episodes set to air each weekday during the afternoon hours. Instead of stretching the show out over the course of 30+ weeks with only a new ep each weekend, they were going to blaze through it non-stop. By the end of the first week, we would have been 7 eps in. That however hit a big roadblock due to 9/11 just three days later. While some local markets did air the episodes, many larger city networks, and especially east coast markets, stuck with news coverage. Many of us did not catch the early episodes on TV the first go around. In addition, several of the episodes got pulled from TV due to depictions of buildings being destroyed and other similar visuals which understandably could upset children that just experienced 9/11. So right off the bat, the new millennium and new era of Transformers were dealing with a new reality.

The show, for those that don’t know – was a weird one-off in Transformers history. We had G1 and then the G2 remixes for a bit. Beast Wars came on the scene and ran all the way through 2000 with it’s successor – Beast Machines. During the Beast Wars era – Japan did a couple of their own Beast Wars shows, non-CGI extensions of what we saw in the US. Their market wasn’t quite ready for full CGI so they stuck with traditional anime. When Hasbro decided to continue Beast Wars into Beast Machines, Takara went a completely different way – a traditional animated show which brought back Autobots and “Decepticons”, mixing them in with the beasts. They focused the toys on a couple new and complex molds, then filled the rest of the line with repaints of previous toys. Old 2nd tier Beast Wars toys, G2 Laser Prime, and even some Generation 1 molds in the form of the Combaticons got new life as new characters in this show, capped with the biggest TF of them all at the time – a repainted G1 Fortress Maximus, now Brave Maximus. It was the prototype for what the Transformers brand did for years to come – repainting old toys into new characters. Universe, Classics, Botcon, and even some Generations runs used this method to give us some great toys in the 00s.

While there is a very complicated and long explanation for how every single Japanese show is one continuity, to someone casually starting with Car Robots it was a refresh, a new story, a new arrival on Earth. The Autobots vs the Predacons, and eventually the Combatrons/Decepticons. It was a hard cut from the last 5 years or so of CGI Beasts. Hand drawn traditional animation featuring vehicle Transformers. It wasn’t G1, but many of the folks who grew up with G1 were just getting out of college around this time. They were rediscovering their childhood love of Transformers through Beast Wars, flea market finds, raids on their parents’ attics and basements, and for the internet savvy – imports of Japanese reissues from Takara. It was a perfect storm of nostalgia; a return to Autobots and Decepticons was welcomed by kids and adults alike.

RID and TFW2005

In the years leading up to Car Robots, I was just getting into the internet, coding, design, some digital music, and all the possibility that came with it. Beast Wars, especially when it hit Season 2/3 and the inclusion of G1 lore, really got me focusing on Transformers again as a hobby. I eventually combined the two newfound hobbies into one and Transformer World 2005 was born. At no point did I ever think it would last 20+ years and take over my life in the way it did. I started the full version of TFW2005 around April 2000, with some starts and stops before that. That was right around when Car Robots started airing in Japan. Through the magic of 56k internet, I was able to connect with folks in Japan and get them to send me VHS tapes of Car Robots. Really nice, high-quality tapes too, I still have them hehe. To the younglings reading – try to picture this: no youtube, no video sharing. The concept of streaming anything did not exist yet. Napster and the eventual peer to peer stuff hadn’t fully kicked off. Plus, we were all viewing the internet on giant computers in our rooms at the speed of 1x on your phone. Less than 1 bar 3G mobile speeds today.

Yes, someone recorded episodes from TV to video tape over there, did that a couple weeks at a time, then physically mailed them across the world to me, who then got them on the internet. Can you imagine waiting weeks to watch an episode of TV the size of a twitter profile avatar? Crazy. Uploading a full episode to the internet was a big pain in the ass, not easily done. I decided to get a converter that allowed me to plug my VCR into the computer and encode the tape into digital format. From there, it was reduced using Microsoft’s WMV technology so that the episodes were about 5 MB each. 30 minute episodes at 5MB each. Dimensions – 176 x 144 pixels. 4k video today – 3840 x 2160 pixels. You can imagine that video looked like crap. But we didn’t care – we were blown away. Old school animation, vehicles, some cool Japanese anime vibes, it was what we as G1 fans kinda had in the back of our heads on what Transformers should be in a new era, and we were seeing it. Most of us had no clue what they were saying or what was going on. Also didn’t care. I still to this day think CR/RID is better like that.

So one of the first things TFW2005 did on the internet was provide these super small windows into Car Robots and what was going on in Japan. It helped get US fans hyped up for what Transformers could be. It got us wanting the toys, and importers bringing the Takara toy line over were moving serious product. It helped swing Hasbro, who was planning to return to Autobots and Decepticons again down the road, to move that schedule up. Instead of running Beast Machines until 2002 and then starting what we now know as the Unicron Trilogy, it was cut short. Robots in Disguise as a toy line and show came over in 2001, ran fast and hard for a year with non stop releases, got extended because it did so well, and then faded into the Universe line of repaints. The new millennium of Transformers was here and Robot In Disguise kicked it off with a bang.

Wrap Up

As we all continue with collecting Transformers now, regardless if you tagged into the fandom during G1, Beasties, the Unicron Trilogy, the Movies, or just yesterday – let’s take the time to give Car Robots and RID some props! It set the tone for what the new millennium of the brand would be. It gave us some toys ahead of their time. It solidified the repaint as an accepted thing in the hobby. And it gave us one crazy 39 episode run of TV that’s still a fun ride 20 years later.

For those that would like to learn more about RID and Car Robots – I still maintain a Robots in Disguise website that archives everything I have or came across. There is a lot there if you want to go on a tour of all the awesome Car Robots and Robots In Disguise era stuff. Check it out at RIDFOREVER.INFO! FIYAH!

Let us know what you think and remember from the good old days of RID on the 2005 Boards here!

Epilogue

If someone over there at Hasbro is reading – can someone please figure out who owns the rights to the show in the US market and then get it out on DVD in full, finally? Work all that funky licensing stuff out (if there is any) and get it done. The US has never had access to it via an official release. Maybe get it up on YouTube like G1? Something. Announcing plans for that before the end of 2021 would be a nice 20th anniversary tribute.

#Transformers #Transformers: Robots in Disguise #20th Anniversary #Robots in Disguise #Optimus Prime #Megatron #Car Robots #Transformers: Car Robots

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wheres-sam · 3 years

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I binge-watched the spn anime because of the brain rot

It’s bad except for the parts that are good, and it’s pretty to look at. Here’s a comprehensive list of pros and cons. Spoilers ahead!

Pros:

- more psychic kid backstories: Max (Nightmare), Lily (Darkness Calling), Jake (Loser)

- more psychic Sam

- more Azazel

- basically if you want more about the psychic/demon kids, watch the anime

- more young Winchesters

- the monsters, the superhuman abilities, the fight scenes, it all looks really cool animated. (But PSA it’s violent. It doesn’t shy away from blood and gore.)

- Sam and Jessica backstory

- more of the brothers being cute and funny together

- Missouri isn’t forgotten

- includes some Japanese legends/mythology

- the impala looks great in every scene. They did Baby good

- the “Supernatural” intro title

- the outro sketches of the boys hanging out with Baby

- Episodes adapted from the original show are different, but I like some of the changes? It’d be boring if it was an exact retelling and the visual medium wasn’t utilized. (I know I said spoilers before, but this is when they get detailed. If you wanna skip over, I’ll tell you where they STOP.)

Nightmare goes more into the abuse Max has suffered. Instead of locking Sam in a closet, Max sends Sam through the floor and covers the hole by breaking his bed in half, and it’s extremely sexy how Sam shoves the 2 halves apart with his mind. Later on Dean puts bandaids on Sam and they talk about demons loudly in front of a fast food intercom.

In My Time of Dying highlights the guilt Sam feels over Dean. In both the og and the anime John verbally blames Sam for not shooting Azazel, but where in the og Sam goes right on arguing, in the anime he reels back for a moment like he was slapped. Dean’s spirit touches Sam’s shoulder, and Sam knows immediately that it’s Dean. He doesn’t even question it. Instead of “Are you here?” it’s “I know you’re with me. I can feel it.” And I love that. Dean figures out right away he’s dealing with a reaper, and the reaper takes on the appearance of Mary to convince Dean to move on to the afterlife. Instead of a Ouija board, Sam uses a laptop to talk to Dean, and the first word Dean types is “Sammy!” Dean is so fond of his little brother and Sam is so baby.

Rising Son is an anime only episode, but it draws inspiration from John’s journal. Dean has a proper breakdown over his dad’s death and the possibility of having to kill Sam. Ms. Lyle, Sam’s favorite teacher who turns out to be possessed, is explored. John takes Dean hunting, and in the journal Dean hesitates to shoot a buck, and little Sam shoots it thinking it was endangering Dean. In the anime, Dean’s cornered by a moose and Sam makes it explode with his mind and it’s so !!! How little Sam’s first words are, “I’m glad you’re okay. It didn’t hurt you?” The boys are covered in blood and guts and Dean’s like 👁👄👁 “Why are you here? Did you do this?” And then Sam starts freaking out a little, the shock sets in. “I don’t know. I don’t know, honest.” And he’s staring at his hands, and I am a big fan of Sam showing superhuman signs as a kid. Like in the journal, Ms. Lyle tries to take Sam. She gives Sam the illusion of a choice to come with her or stay with Dean, and Sam chooses Dean. This ep is pretty much when John figures out Sam has demon blood. He kills another hunter that wants to kill Sam.

Crossroad is based on Crossroad Blues, and I love how the crossroads demon shows up. It’s hard to describe, but it’s so neat, like she’s walking underneath Dean in this mirror world, and then the mirror world takes over the regular world, so you really get this sense of otherworldly seclusion, existing outside of time.

What Is and Should Never Be shows Dean is a firefighter in his ‘Mary never died’ world, and Sam got to play soccer growing up like he wanted. The brothers hold each other after Dean is saved from the Djinn.

AHBL part 1. When Azazel shows Sam that he fed Sam his blood, Sam gags and slaps a hand over his mouth, and I like that reaction more than the live action. The psychic kids get to go more anime with their powers, and that’s a lot of fun. They don’t need weapons. Ava slams Sam into the brick side of a building and cuts him without touching him. Jake snaps Ava’s neck with one hand and then catches Sam in his arms. When Jake attacks Sam, there’s no gun or knife. He’s relying on his super strength, his fists. Sam throws his arms up to protect himself, and (accidentally?) pushes Jake back with his mind, and the collision creates a crater in the ground. Jake puts his fist through Sam’s chest to kill him. It’s brutal and it’s rad as fuck. These kids are terrifyingly powerful.

The Sam and Dean reunion before Sam is killed is not as emotional as the live action imo, but what the anime does intrigues me. Hurts in a different way. Because Sam is stunned after he uses telekinesis again, on Jake, and when he hears Dean behind him Sam freezes. He doesn’t look relieved to see Dean, but wary and weary. It’s Dean taking steps towards him, not the other way around, and it has to be because Sam doesn’t know if Dean saw him push Jake back. Sam doesn’t know how Dean’s going to respond to all this, to him, having powers that come from a demon, the demon, Azazel. Sam hasn’t had a chance to process anything. He’s scared. He’s tired. And the way the anime focuses on Sam’s eyes here. Gah. “Dean. Dean, I’m...” I’m sorry. I’m all right. I’m glad you’re okay. I’m a monster. There’s also this one shot between Sam and Azazel that sends me because of how anime it is.

AHBL part 2. I love how Sam brought back to life is animated, with all the color returning to his face and a light wind rustling his hair and his lips parting to indicate his soul returning to his body. Jake attacks Dean, and, a lot like how Sam activates telekinesis to save Dean from Max in Nightmare, Sam gets a burst of superhuman strength. He rips Jake’s arm off and tackles him to the ground and beats him to death, punches holes into his body, and it’s so savage and bloody and scary, and I love it. The Devil’s Gate opening looks so cool animated. Same goes for Dean shooting Azazel with the Colt.

Not to turn this into a meta post, but I also noticed how the last couple times Sam uses his powers they’re colored green-yellow, the same colors as Mary’s ghost when she reveals herself in the anime’s Home, and I don’t know if that’s intentional, but it’s neat how it draws a connection to Sam’s biological family instead of Azazel’s blood.

The Spirit of Vegas is like Bad Day at Black Rock, but Dean has all the bad luck instead, and it shows off the silly cartoony physics that make animation fun. The boys sleep outside and split a chunk of bread for dinner. Also this lil bit of Dean’s hair tied in a bow.

- (STOP) the brothers are pretty. I am not immune to animated Sam and Dean Winchester.

Cons:

- Jensen doesn’t voice Dean until the last 2 episodes

- The English dialogue is really bad sometimes. I wish I could’ve watched the sub, but I couldn’t figure out how to change the language

- Some character designs are really different from the live action, and maybe that’s petty, but if you’re gonna change the characters diversify them? Don’t just make them unrecognizable white people

- Missouri’s design as a stereotypical witch doctor is racist

- Gordon is replaced by some British guy named Jason?? Why

- There’s an LGBT character who is not accepted by her family and, while that bigotry is always shown to be negative and she dies the hero of the episode, she still dies ://

- In the English dub Lily’s gf is made into her roommate instead. Idk about the sub

- Bobby’s pretty much a totally different character

- Sam and Dean are OOC sometimes

- Dean’s hair usually looks darker than Sam’s and it drives me crazy

- The storytelling is, overall, not nearly as good as the live action

- The non-Japanese lore in some episodes makes no sense. Sometimes it’s just plain ridiculous?? Like there’s a giant robot made of cars and scrap metal controlled by a demon? ? I wish I was making this up

- Meg’s role is severely reduced

- No Harvelles or Roadhouse

- Shadows are overused, but maybe that’s because the og show is so dark?

- I don’t mind the art style. I like the aesthetic, but I wish it was a little more expressive. It doesn’t do Sam’s puppy eyes justice.

- AZAZEL’S SHADOW?? PROPORTIONS?? PEA SIZED HEAD

- Idk why they mashed season 1 and 2 together? The story feels rushed

- there’s not as much chemistry between Sam and Dean, but that’s a given without J2 on screen

- Nobody tells you!! That there’s scenes after the credits!! And some of them are important! Why are important scenes after the credits??

The anime would not be good on its own, without the heart and depth the live action brings, but it works as supplementary material you can cherry pick from. I would watch more if there were more episodes.

It hasn’t turned me off from wanting an spn anime. I’d like to see it continued or redone, with updated animation and better scripts. There’s a lot of potential in exploring more about the psychic kids and Sam’s powers, storylines that were cut short in the og show. Animation is a great medium for showing off the supernatural, getting creative and creepier with the designs, dramatic with the fight scenes, without having to worry about bad CGI. I don’t want a live action reboot, but I think a redone animated series could be a lot of fun! (As long as it’s not an excuse to make any romantic ships take over. SPN is a platonic love story, and I like it that way.)

If you made it to the end here and are interested in watching the spn anime, you can watch it for free on the CW Seed app! You can probably stream it elsewhere, but idk where!

#spn anime #supernatural #supernatural the anime #my detailed pros is pretty much me letting you know what episodes are worth watching #and why #its bad but I kind of like it #I like what they were going for. the potential it has #I like sam and there's lots of sam

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365days365movies · 3 years

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March 1, 2021: The Hobbit (1977) (Part 1)

In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.

When I was 9, my school let us read a very special book, originally meant for kids, but beloved by everyone. My folks and I went to Borders Books (FUCK ME, I miss Borders), and we got an illustrated copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I can’t find that book, but if I ever find it again, Imma buy it IMMEDIATELY, I tell you what. And...oh shit, it’s on Amazon for $12?

Well. I just made that purchase, I guess. But yeah, I loved that book when I was a kid, and this was during the same year that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy began, with Fellowship, of course. And I wouldn’t end up watching those until a few years later, but I loved those too when I saw them. And I’ve NEVER seen the abridged version, by the way, I’ve only ever seen the extended editions.

Although, I can’t call myself a hardcore fan. I’ve never read the Silmarillion, for example. Although, weirdly, I wanted it as a kid at some point, so I was almost there. But no, I ended up getting into comic books hardcore instead, so I can’t tell you the history of Tom Bombadil, but I can tell you about at least one of the fuckin’ 87 tieles that the Legion of Super-Heroes has been involved in. I’m not gonna like it though.

...Yes, I will, who am I kidding, I love the Legion. Anyway, I’ve still always been a fan of the franchise, and I was extremely excited when Jackson announced that he’d be doing an adaptation of The Hobbit! Seriously, I WAS FUCKING PUMPED, you have no idea. I re-read the book, I was super-excited...and then Harry Potter changed EVERYTHING. Kind of.

See, Harry Potter’s development as a two films made from one book seemed to kick off a trend. Breaking Dawn and Mockingjay are the two that immediately come to mind, as does this film. However, to be fair...that’s probably a coincidence. Yeah, this film was originally developed as two parts, WAY before Deathly Hallows got that treatment. And even then, Jackson and Del Toro had difficulty breaking it up into two parts, and three ended up being easier. Still...the change from two-to-three does feel a little connected to that trend.

Anyway, in celebration of that decision, I’m gonna break this review into three parts! Yes. Really. I want to see if it works. And so, let’s talk about the other most famous adaptation of this book by talking about its creators.

Yup. Rankin-Bass did 2D-animated cartoons, too! And this was one of their most famous ones, dating back to 1977. But wait! There’s more! This was followed by Ralph Bakshi’s version of Lord of the Rings by a different studio. You know, this one?

Yeah, that one. It was only based on the first two books, Fellowship and Towers. But it was technically unconnected to the Rankin-Bass version. Which is why it was REALLY weird when Rankin-Bass came out with an adaptation of the third book, Return of the King, right afterwards!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. Because both of Rankin-Bass’ specials were animated by a Japanese studio called Topcraft, who’d actually worked with Rankin-Bass for years. But then, they went bankrupt a few years later, and was bought by Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and...Hayao Miyazaki. And it was renamed as...

So, this is a Hobbit adaptation produced by the Rudolph people and animated by the people who would eventually become Studio Ghibli. Well, uh...holy fucking shit. Let’s DO THIS BABY. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/3)

As we’re wont to do in this story, we head to Hobbiton in the Shire, where we meet Bilbo Baggins (Orson Bean). A simple Hobbit in a simple home, with a happy and simple life. But one day, he’s approached by Gandalf (John Huston), who seeks a burglar to help with the mission of a group of dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Hans Conried).

We also immediately start off with two songs from the original book, and I have to say that I like them a but better in the Jackson movies, but they’re still well performed here. Anyway, after dinner, the true goal of their quest is given. Beneath Lonely Mountain, the ancestral home of the Dwarves, there was a kingdom ruled by the King Under the Mountain, Thorin’s grandfather.

Through reading the lyrics of the song “Far over the Misty Mountains,” Thorin tells the tale of the takeover of the Dwarves’ great golden hoard by the dragon Smaug. Bilbo is tasked to help the Dwarves steal back the treasure stolen from them. And, while he’s extremely reluctant to be a part of all this, Gandalf basically forces him to, the pushy bastard. And Bilbo’s Greatest Adventure now lies ahead!

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Speaking of, here’s the song “The Greatest Adventure”, sung by Glenn Yarborough, who is the living personification of vibrato. Fuckin’ seriously, this guy’s voice is ridiculous, but I love it so much. As the night passes underneath Glenn Yarborough’s hypnotically shaky voice, and uncertain, Bilbo stares out at the moon. Once it’s over, we’re on our way to the Misty Mountains.

Bilbo’s having a tough time with the long journey and rough weather, and it doesn’t get much better when they encounter a trio of trolls. They send out Bilbo to try and steal some mutton from them, but he’s IMMEDIATELY a failure, and also manages to tell the trolls that the dwarves are present. Nice one, Bilbo. The trolls catch all of the dwarves, although Bilbo manages to escape.

The trolls argue about how to cook the dwarves, but before they get to do anything, Gandalf shows up and summons the dawn, turning the trolls into stone and saving the dwarves. While they’re initially quite frustrated by Bilbo’s failure, he makes it up by discovering a horde of goods and weapons stolen by the trolls. This is also where Bilbo gets his classic weapon, Sting.

Gandalf, cheeky bastard that he is, suddenly reveals a map that he’s kept secret from Thorin, its rightful owner. Bilbo, a classic cartomaniac, is able to interpret the map. But there are also runes that they can’t quite read. And so, Gandalf brings them to his friend, Elrond (), who’s wearing a sick-ass glittery tiara that’s hovering off his head. How come Hugo Weaving didn’t have that?

Anyway, Elrond identifies the swords that Thorin and Gandalf grabbed as Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver and Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, because FUCK YEAH, BABY, those are some fuckin’ NAMES! WHOOOOOO!

Anyway, he also points them in the direction of the mountain, and shows them hidden features to the map. They head through the mountains after this, and rest in a cave. Unfortunately, this cave is on Goblin territory, and the group (sans Gandalf, who’s disappeared to make out with Cate Blanchett or whatever) is quickly ambushed by a group of now-horned Goblins, who chant their song as they go “Down, Down, to Goblin-Town”. Which is a song that I love, unironically. It compels me to sing along.

The Goblins nearly kill them when they discover Orcrist in Thorin’s possession, but they’re saved by the sudden appearance of Gandalf with the glowing sword Glamdring. He kills the Great Goblin, and the group run out with the Goblins in hot pursuit. Well, except for Bilbo.

Yeah, Bilbo falls into a cavern below the mountain, and the dwarves think him gone for good. However, he’s miraculously safe on the ground, having landed in an underground aquifer, in which lives THE GREATEST CHARACTER IN THE MIDDLE-EARTH FRANCHISE FUCKIN’ AT ME I DARE YOU

And just so we’re clear, I’m not talking about the film version only, I’m talking about Gollum/Smeagol in general. Granted, I don’t want a film starring him or anything (coughCruellacoughcoughMaleficentcoughcoughClaricecoughcough), but I love this dissociative little dude so much. He’s one of my favorite fantasy characters in general, and is also maybe the best example of a sympathetic villain, in film at least.

OK, to be fair, I love Andy Serkis’ version of the character a LOT, like a LOT a lot, and it’s a great version of the character. OK, so what do I think of this version? He’s...interesting, actually. If I’m honest, I kinda like him. This is similar to how I always pictured Gollum when I was a kid.

I mean, listen to this description from the book, yeah?

Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum - as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face...He was looking out of his pale lamp-like eyes for blind fish, which he grabbed with his long fingers as quick as thinking.

I dunno, that does sound more like this version of Gollum to me, just saying. Anyway, while Gollum is off fishing in the water, Bilbo gets up on the shore, where he finds a little golden ring Not important, just a ring, definitely means nothing at all, NOTHING AT ALL, NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

The hungry Gollum (Brother Theodore) happens upon Bilbo, precious, wonders if Bilbo would taste good, and is basically about to kill him for his sweet hobbit meat, before Bilbo takes out Sting. Now afraid, Gollum offers a game of riddles. The two make a deal: if Bilbo wins at a game of riddles, Gollum will show him the way out. But if Gollum wins, precious will eat him raaaaaaaw and wrrrrrrrrrriggling!

The riddles commence, in a super-fuckin’-classic moment, and also ends with maybe the most bullshit moment in all of fantasy lore. After clever riddles with answers involving eggs, wind, and time, Bilbo’s last riddle is “What’s in my pocket?” The fuck, Bilbo, that’s absolute BULLSHIT!

Not that it matters. Bilbo wins, but Gollum goes to find his ring to show it to Bilbo before he takes him away. Thing is, though, that’s what was in Bilbo’s pocket, which Gollum quickly figures out, my precious. He’s about to kill Bilbo to get back his birthday present, precious, but Bilbo discovers the secret trick of the ring: it turns the wearer invisible, AND THAT WILL NEVER BE A BAD THING EVER.

Gollum thinks that Bilbo’s escaped and runs after him toward the exit. This, of course, leads Bilbo towards the exit inadvertently, and he follows Gollum, then jumps over him to get back. To which Gollum screams the following:

Thief! Thief! Baggins! We hates it! Hates it! Forever!

I hear you, buddy. I hear you. Well, once Bilbo escapes, he reconvenes with the rest, and shares his adventure in the cave, but leaves out the ring. And Gandalf seems to know, based on his dialogue. And I checked, and he figured it out in the book and Jackson movie, too. And I gotta say...WHAT THE FUCK GANDALF

I mean...DUDE. CHECK UP on that shit. Do you wizard job, man! If you’d been like, “Dude...you didn’t find a magic ring that turns you invisible, ight, because we’re FUCKED if you did”, NONE OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS WOULD’VE HAPPENED, AND BOROMIR WOULD STILL BE ALIVE

Everybody talks about the fuckin’ eagles, but WHY DO I NEVER HEAR ANYONE MENTION THIS SHIT? Gandalf the Grey: Middle-Earth’s most irresponsible asshole, I swear...

This seems like a good place to pause, actually. See you in the next part!

#the hobbit #the hobbit 1977 #rankin-bass #orson bean #bilbo baggins #thorin oakenshield #john huston #gandalf #otto preminger #cyril ritchard #brother theodore #gollum #don messick #paul frees #glenn yarbrough #j.r.r. tolkien #rankin bass #hans conried

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pepperstrawberry · 4 years

Text

Verdant Flame (working title)

Okay, I’m running with the suggested title.

This post is going to be just putting thoughts out there about how I’m going to do this project, possible ideas of how to publish, and what major changes I’m going to roll with.

I’m going to put it all under the cut so I’m not wreaking havoc on your dash. X3

Before the cut: For those somehow not in the know (like, how could any of my followers on Tumblr or Twitter not have caught wind of the bonfire of gnashing teeth much of the Magic LGBT+ community is dealing with right now, I don’t know, but just in case, and especially if this post is seen later): WAR Forsaken dropped and with it Gruulfriends went from canon to retcon in a way I didn’t expect: Biphobia and erasure among other issues. I’ll talk about the mess itself later, but for now, lets adress what we are doing as a community and what I”m doing in particular.

The basics is that we are kinda rebelling against Wizards in what small way we can; but being creative, interesting and having fun with the canon. Take the means of production, canon is ours now!

But for me in specific, I’ve been playing with using Chandra and Nissa as well as the world of Magic to create frame works for stories I wanted to tell, but until now I boiled down everything to its basics because I just wanted to use frame works and use tropes as jumping off points. But now? Fuck that, I’m thinking about pulling an E.L. James, but good.

What does that mean? Well, E.L. James literally wrote a fanfic, changed some names, and published it. So screw it, going to do the same over here. I’m going to take a step or two further back then she did, since 1) Wizards/Hasbro might not be as nice as Stephenie Meyer and 2) I feel like I can be a better writer then E.L. James.

So, how will this project play out? This is where I make a cut and we get down to business:

First: How to publish?

I think if I’m going to make this a thing, I’m going to have to go with self publishing and do these in short stories. I’m not sure how short, but I feel like once I get the ball rolling, I want to just keep going. If I’m taking years to put out one book and you guys are waiting that long for it, I’m going to loose steam and you are going to loose interest. This is definitely a ‘strike while the irons hot’ situation.

And the iron is near melting right now.

Second: What is going to be the basics and how will it differ from MtG Lore ‘Canon’?

First and most obvious is that I need to figure out what I can keep and what needs to be changed.

As I said above, while I am definitely in the mood of ‘you know what, this is ours now, fuck off’, the fact is, the law is the law. If your work is too similar to another, you can get in some heavy trouble.

I’ve covered some of this in my other posts about this, but I’m pulling this into one spot with the new info to make it easier for me and others to find.

World: I’m going to use analogs of each of the planes of MtG to make countries and kingdoms. It’s a lovely short hand and will make the world building go that much faster... Tricky part (much as the characters) is renaming things and setting it enough apart that it isn’t exactly the worlds and what not from MtG.

The main ones I’m going to use are:

Zendikar: Still going to be the land my ‘Not-Nissa’ hails from. First step is to just fully expunge the eldrazi history and effect. I am thinking about having some sort of ancient thing buried there, but in a very adventure-y feel of like an old dragon or some other powerful creature.

Kaladesh: Still home to ‘Not-Chandra’, still a place of one-ness with nature and artifice. Debating on how much I should carry over the sense of Indian aesthetic. Like, I don’t want to be window dressing like the actual Kaladesh is, but at the same time I’m not sure how well I can make it feel ‘right’ in that regard. I think I’ll keep the plot idea they started, but carry it through right.

Theros: Not-Gideon and Not-Elspeth will definately have history here. There won’t be actual gods, though a great power they attribute -to- gods will exsist. Which brings me to wonder how I should handle the cosmology... especially when we are talking about

Innistrad: I envision a very gothic, germanic country side, probably bordering Not-Theros. There will be a cult that worships a great power hidden on the moon. I’m going to use this as an opportunity to do a thing that came to mind when Emrakul locked herself away...

Vryn: I’m not sure if or how I’ll use this since we know so little about it. Might just cut it and have my ‘Not-Jace’ come from somewhere else. Hell, might just cut to the chase and make him connected with my Not-Ravnica. And speaking of...

Ravnica: Obviously a major trade hub and likely a center piece of the setting. Not-Jace, Not-Vraska, Not-Kaya, and Not-Ral all would be seen here. I think i’d also take all of the Fiora stuff and fold it into this so that I don’t have too much going on in the world and can pull together a lot of neat characters from that set too. Not-Marchessa might be fun as a side... well not ‘villain’, but definitely not helpful to our heroes... usually. X3

Ixalan: Pretty easy; coastline adventure. Just use any ideas from the block for pirate based shenanigans. Not sure if I will write enough to get to this sort of craziness, but it would be a lot of fun if I do.

Amonkhet: Not sure if, when, or how I am going to use this. Though a desert region might be fun. Might combine this with Regatha and that plan that Teyo comes from.

Kamigawa: I mean, really, this is ‘japan: the setting’. They went so hard on the Japanese lore here that it’s not going to be hard to make my own with little effort or consideration. Do expect there to be a Not-Tamiyo. X3

Alara: To be honest, I was never too big on this plane, but then it was a big deal years ago and I never really ‘set foot’ there. I mean if I did use it, I could use it to sorta map the bigger world’s zones? But that feels too much like the silly ‘elemental nations’ angle. Worked well for Avatar, but won’t work here.

Eldraine: I’m thinking about using this as a rough overlay of the main areas and goverment and what not tied to and surrounding my not-ravnica. Not sure. I haven’t finished the book yet, and it’s hard to get a solid bead on the details of the world without the old uploads, the clear posting of lore that used to happen (remember how we all knew what was going on with the color pie/race spread of Kaladesh?) and just having mostly the cards to go one leaves me wanting a bit. Not to mention they aren’t making the art books anymore. FUCK. I liked those. They needed to be improved not canceled T3T ... anyhoo...

Dominaria: Given what Dominaria now is to magic lore, I think I’ll set it as the history past. This world IS my Not-Dominaria.

I’ll figure out other planes as I go along, though I might just stick with what I got here. Adding in more is going to muck up the world I’m crafting. I may be taking parts that aready exist and remixing it (which, if we are honest with ourselves, is really how we tell stories in the first place, I’m just leaving my ‘mix’ lumpy XD), but I do need to concetrate more on the characters. I can’t introduce a new land every book. I need familiar ground, routes that readers can follow, places characters can be from that matter.

Speaking of characters:

Characters: Again, the idea here is that you should be able to recognize them to some extent, but I sitll have to work with the ‘legally distinct’ Not-Gatewatch... So here is what I got so far:

Chandra: What we keep: Fire based magics, brashness, cute. What we change: Not much. Most of her changes are going to be involved with the way I change the world around her. I think the big difference is instead of having her ‘planeswalk’, when her family gets hunted, they end up traveling toward the border, and she ends up running, getting lost, and finding herself on the steps of a (monastery). Also... no one would hate me for going ahead and making her trans, would they? Like, by the story proper��s start, she’ll have a woman’s body (or maybe that could be a part of her quest?), but I do like the idea. X3 It adds more of a personal touch to my Chandra.

Nissa: Debating on if I should keep her an elf. Keeping her an elf AND keeping the nature magic might be too alike. If not Elf, what should I make her? Still, the basics of her story are that she is looked down on, shunted to the side. stuff that leads her into being more comfortable on her own. Chandra is going to help her out of her shell, but only due to her honesty and clarity.

Gideon: No inviciblity. But definately going to keep him being the classic hero type, but with a genuine heart of gold. Going to change up his armorments from the sural to a short sword, buckler, and a lance/javalin? something like that. Hails from Not-Theros, has taken residence in Not-Ravnica

Jace: Trans man. Doing that right from the start. I know it was some folks head canon for a long time, and I see nothing wrong with making it canon here. Going to have to play with his past a bit. I think I’m not going to bother with the memory erasure. Instead, he trained as a spy with some mental powers and illusions. After betraying his original handler (someone that was a part of a different country), he defects to the not-ravnica and gets wrapped up with that stuff, eventually going out to help other nations in an effort to unite the continent or something... I’m kinda forming stuff as I write this. XD

Liliana: Still a necromancer. Going to cut out the deals with the devils. Maybe one, but not four. Might still have marks, but it will be more from her own magics rather then a contract. Still served a terrible master, but maybe with less strings attatched (or at least she thinks so). A friend in a discord suggested I have her have a binding on her bother as a lich vampire hunter. I’m warming to the idea, but still need to work out the details. I like the idea of her regaining her youth, that might even be the first story where Not-Chandra and Not-Nissa interact.

Vraska: Will end up in a relationship with Not-Jace... but I’m not too keen on keeping her a gorgon. I like the look of her ‘hair’, but I might just go with straight up dreads. Someone suggested making her some form of Naga, and though I’m not big on taking away her legs, the idea of some snakish relation is not out.

Ral: Inventor. Jackass. Friend of Not-Jace, has a Gay lover? yep, keeping all that. I think most of his changes, like Chandra, will be more about how the world around him shifts do to how I write rather then actual character changes.

Kaya: Keeping the Assassin, and can fight Ghosts. Still fleshing this one out. Likely to have ties with whatever I do with the Orzhov still. I adored the whole being hired by Teysa and ending up in charge thing, though I’m not sure I’ll go quiet that far? Mmm

Jaya: Still a mentor to Chandra. Less mystery around her though. It’s going to be less ‘she was the founder of our group’ and more ‘an adventurer that chose to settle down in her old age’ or something. And yes, the cookie scene I drew a comic for a while back will be in the story X3

Karn: Golems are a thing in fantasy, I don’t see a reason to stop now. But the Urza history is going to be retired. I think he might be an invention of someone in the current world and ends up as a helper to Not-Chandra and Not-Nissa at some point.

Jhoira: I’m thinking grand daughter to Not-Jaya. I like her and I want to keep her, but I like the adventure her. Might have a rivalry between her and Not-Chandra. like a friendly one. She might even have a bit of a chip on her shoulder as she doesn’t have fire magic, but Not-Chandra does.

Rat and Teyo: Might might not. The cast is getting big already, we’ll see. Might have them as a duo from the start with a sort of ‘adventures in the sewers’ thing going on.

Ugin: Not a dragon, but definately a powerful being. and still has that stick up his ass. Often wrong about what he thinks should be done, but his heart is genuinely in the right place. Going to make Not-Mizzet his son maybe?

Nicol Bolas: Bastard, got a plan, and it will be similarly a slow build, but he is going to be less ‘has his hands in everything’ and more a ‘mmm, I could use this’ sort.

Alesha: Fuck timelines! This woman is a friend of Not-Chandra and helped her discover herself. Whether she rides with her people near... wait... OH GOD I LOVE IT: Something I literally thought up while writing. She and her nomadic bandit team travel the roads between many lands, and they find young not-Chandra. After coming out as being a girl, Not-Alesha is what helps solidify her sense of Identity. After showing off her fire magics and how uncontroled they are, adding in how young she still is, they drop her off with the (monastery) XD I’m loving this change already.

Oviya: Still Chandra’s Auntie. Big change? Her lover is still alive, because fuck that noise.

Olivia: Plans. Hungry.

Avacyn: Doesn’t exists at the start of the story, but thinking about having her be created during it.

Sorin: Not sure....

Still thinking about a lot of other characters. I’ll get to them as I go.

There is also the Guilds of Ravnica to consider... With those, I think I’m going to keep the identity but not quite the orginizations. At least not so directly. Like not all of them are absolute ‘guilds’. There is less straight up organization. But there are definately a strong sense of jobs and a loyalty to those you work with...

Story:

And then there is the story itself. I think I’m going to start it with Not-Chandra meeting Not-Gideon much like before, but the goals are that he is traveling on a mission to see what is going on in Not-Zendikar. The seers/mages/whatever have been sensing some shit going down in that area and it’s close enough to the boarders of not-ravnica to check out. He and Not-Jace pass through and Not-Chandra gets curious and follows. She is going to meet Not-Nissa on the way. The four become a team and face down a nasty threat to the land and uncover a old history of Not-Zendikar that might need to be followed up on.

That can be book one.

Book two can be Not-Liliana’s introduction. The four, having worked so well together, are made a team by Not-Ugin and charged with trouble shooting all around the realm and seeing about maybe making more allies for Not-Ravnica. They find an old woman and they help her regain her youth... and in her they find an old villain. But the world has changed since last Not-Liliana walked the lands outside her keep. And it turns out that Not-Olivia, a vampire queen, has been making a name for herself. There are other darknesses afoot in her territory. For now, she would offer the team aid... as long as it suits her.

I think that can be book two

A return home would be the third story. Yes, this is kinda following how the stories were flowing at first, but after this one things are going to shift. The return home will bring Not-Chandra in direct confrontation with her past. The big changes I made to that and to Not-Kaladesh become big here. I’m thinking this is also where Not-Jhoira hangs out. The war behind the scenes is brewing, but it’s only starting. The all out mess won’t be till a later book.

What will happen in the story though is the confrontation with Not-Baral, Not-Chandra almost nuking herself in grief, and Not-Nissa being the anchor she needed. This will be the point of confession.

And so on... I’m not sure how far I’m going to go with this, but I want to try to push as many stories, but with as high quality as I can. Can I do it? I have no freaking clue.

I’ll post more as I go. For now, the working title is Verdant Flame. If I change it, I’ll continue to use the title to tag all the stuff I do till I go back and add the new title to old posts.

Now to transfer these notes... and figure out names. you don’t know how tiring it was getting adding ‘Not’ to everything.

And for those really keeping score: Why yes, some of this -was- what Dragon Quixotic was. There is enough difference between the two worlds that I feel confident that I can keep them as separate stories now.

#Verdant Flame #Gruulfriends #fuck canon

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abitchforaesthetic · 5 years

Photo

Time for an almost timely review of The Rising of the Shield Hero, aka, Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari.

I was hesitant to watch this show. Back during the start of the winter season, I figured, “Oh boy, another isekai with loli and waifu bait!” and held off. After a few weeks, a friend of mine convinced me to give it a shot, so, here we are.

Fair warning, I will spoil the first episode of the show throughout. Other story spoilers will be held to a minimum and will have a warning before them. If you’re not interested in spoilers at all, check the bottom for the verdict.

Story

This story follows Iwatani Naofumi who was summoned to a fantasy world as one of four “Cardinal Heroes” destined to stop these apocalyptic “Waves” that come in, you guessed it, waves. Each one of these cardinal heroes is equipped with a weapon they can never let go of that has video game-like powers to it. The catch for our fabled hero is that his weapon is a shield. Even more unfortunately for him, the country he was summoned to hates shields. Well, more accurately, they hate the shield hero. Why? We never actually find out, but they hate him.

Throughout the majority of this show, Naofumi is constantly being fucked by one group or another that’s out to get him. As an audience, we get to view Naofumi’s struggle first hand and, ideally, relate to him. Well, how does Shield Hero do in that endeavor?

Not well, I’m afraid. There are three major areas where the story falls flat on its face; Pacing, Foreshadowing, and Integrity.

Pacing: Shield Hero does not know the meaning of consistency with its story telling. I’ll be honest, the first episode (a double length episode) was pretty gripping. It seemed like Shield Hero was going to be challenging traditional isekai story telling. Unfortunately, the very next episode, it started losing any semblance of coherence. Sometimes it takes episodes to get from one place to another, sometimes it takes seconds. Sometimes a curse put on someone’s body takes an entire arc to be cured, sometimes it takes 10 minutes. I get it, stories need to vary the amount of time events take in order to focus on what’s important. Let’s not even get started on that fight with the religious group near the end and the parody of pacing that arc makes. My issue is when Shield Hero breaks its own rules for convenience. Speaking of convenience...

Foreshadowing: Oh boy, this one’s a doozy. Without getting into spoilers, Shield Hero either foreshadows all the way to the last episode without being overbearing (good!) or tries to cram an entire arc’s worth of foreshadowing and emotional buildup into less than 15 minutes (I’m looking at you, episode 15). Unfortunately, Shield Hero often opts for the latter. Time and time again, something in a character’s backstory or the like will be introduced and, within five minutes, that very same thing will be resolved or addressed in the present. There’s nothing inherently wrong with bringing up a character’s past as foreshadowing, but it loses all emotional weight when it’s done and immediately resolved. The most egregious example of this takes place in episode 15 where they butchered the entire character of Raphtalia in 20 minutes. More on that later.

Integrity: There’s an expectation in story telling that the story will follow its own rules. The way in which Shield Hero totally ignores this is through the perspective from which the story is told. In episode one, we’re very closely following Naofumi as he is slandered and falsely accused of a myriad of crimes. When this was done, it was a major shock, as we, like Naofumi, only saw the world through his eyes. When his partner betrays him in episode one, we didn’t see it coming. That was used to great effect in episode one and then never again. From that moment on, every time a major surprise was going to happen, the story shifted to this new character’s perspective and then back to Naofumi, who then saw the surprise. It would be fine if, as in A Song of Ice and Fire, we always followed multiple perspectives and got different information that way. But, in Shield Hero, perspective switches are inconsistent and lazy. They only serve to pad time and take any feeling of tension out of the story.

All in all, the story had numerous inexcusable issues. That’s not even considering that the story has a metric fuckton of plot holes and isn’t finished. In order for the overwhelming amount of story lines to be resolved, we need at least one more season.

Score: 3/10

Animation/Art

When Shield Hero wants to look pretty, it does. Once again, though, it doesn’t always want to. There were many times, especially in the final stretch of episodes, where characters were animated worse than the controversial “Dragon Ball Super” animation from a few years ago. Want to just have a few blobs running that vaguely resemble the main cast? Well, enjoy! There’s a lot of that! That all being said, the show isn’t ugly when attention is paid to the world and characters.

As for the aesthetic of the show, I’m honestly a bit torn. I think it started pretty strong. There was a definite mood to the show that seemed very intentional. In addition, the foggy mental state that Naofumi found himself in was a fantastic touch. The problem was, as the show dragged beyond the admittedly pretty great first arc, everything felt more generic. It honestly seems like Kinema Citrus poured 90% of the budget into the first arc and then were told they actually had 20 episodes left. The aesthetic in particular was one of the biggest casualties after that first arc. It didn’t have a mood anymore and it didn’t have a “feeling”. It just felt like another isekai.

Score: 4/10

Sound/Music

There’s not too much to complain about here, but there also isn’t much to write home about. The music, overall, was fine and, generally speaking, fit the scenes in which it was featured. Personally, I wasn’t too big on the openings and endings for this show, but that’s just my taste. I’m sure many people are. All in all, the music was just average.

As for voice acting, I have a bit more to say. Keep in mind here, I watched it subbed, not dubbed. I have no idea how the dub sounds. That established, the voice acting in the sub wasn’t bad, per se, but it was held back by poor scripts. I’d say the standout voice actors would be Ishikawa Kaito as Naofumi and Sarah Emi Bridcutt (yes, that’s the Japanese voice actor) as bitch Myne. Really excellent performances from these two.

Score: 5.5/10

World

Shield Hero takes place in a fantasy world. While, I think the video game mechanics are blatant pandering toward SAO’s legacy, the lore behind the world had surprising depth and was easily one of the better parts of the show.

Score: 8/10

Characters

Now for the controversy. The characters are simultaneously the weakest and strongest aspects of this show. With the story as inconsistent as it is, the characters have to pull through. Luckily, some of them do. I think the antagonistic figure of bitch Myne was fantastic and she was an awesome character to watch on screen. I also think Naofumi was a great character during the first arc. Naofumi shines when he teeters in a gray area between hero and antihero. I only wish that there was more of a question as to which way he’d fall as the show went on. By the end, he was literally lecturing the other squabbling heroes and acting like an annoyed kindergarten teacher. Speaking of,

The other three heroes. Spear hero had the most screen time of the other three, but he didn’t really do much with it. He was annoyingly played for comedy and could not keep a consistent persona throughout the scene. The sword and bow hero were similarly uninteresting.

Now for the lolis.

Filo. Filo is the best of the three-girl harem Naofumi built up throughout the show. She can be annoying and is often a caricature of “loli girl”, but she was given more depth as the show went on.

Melty. Melty was an entirely unnecessary character. She was the third loli to be added to Naofumi’s harem and was a poor excuse for a tsundere archetype. Absolutely useless character that somehow became even more of a cardboard cutout as the show went on.

Raphtalia. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Look how they massacred my boy raccoon girl. Minor spoilers for why Raphtalia is the worst character in this show ahead. During the first arc, Naofumi finds her as a young “demi-human” who he bought from a slaver. She was mentally broken from the death of her parents and the destruction of her village. The two of them build a genuine connection and help each other come to grips with this world that fucks them over. That was fucking fantastic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last. During the first arc, Raphtalia quickly “grows up” because demi-humans grow up when they get XP and she’s also with a hero? I don’t even know what poor excuse for a reason that is, but I know why. They were trying to set Raphtalia up as a romantic interest, and they couldn’t do that with a 9 year old. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Now obviously, she’s still a fucking child, she just “grew up fast” so it’s still creepy as hell. But forget that, that’s not why she’s the worst character. Episode 15 is why she’s the worst character. To keep spoilers light, I’ll be vague here. In episode 15, we get a glimpse into Raphtalia’s backstory between the death of her parents and Naofumi finding her. In this backstory, she acts NOTHING like the person we found and it took away all reason for her to be mentally fucked. She witnesses her parents die and her village gets destroyed, and she remains the most positive person around. Then, her village gets redestroyed and she’s enslaved. She STILL is super positive and stays that way for what seems like months. It’s only once she’s transferred away from her prison cell (where she was being tortured and presumably sexually assaulted), that she suddenly gets PTSD. But oh no, it’s not about the last few months of cyclical torture, assault, and imprisonment. It’s from her parents! Now, of course when we met her, it actually was just her parents because we hadn’t gotten to the whole “prison” part yet. This is what I meant by foreshadowing above. Not only did the writers not properly foreshadow the events of episode 15, but the episode fundamentally changed Raphtalia’s character into one with different motivations and a backstory that no longer makes sense for the character we had come to know throughout the entire series. The way the writers butchered this decent character was an absolute fucking disgrace.

Score: 3/10

Overall

Shield Hero has major issues. Most of its issues are, arguably, completely inexcusable and ruin the experience. That being said, there are some redeemable qualities to this show. The world is rich with life and some of the characters can be an absolute pleasure to watch. Plus, assuming a second season is released, so much more depth will be added to the whole idea of “waves” and why all of these characters are in the position that they are. If you’re looking for the next Steins;Gate, look elsewhere. If you’re a fan of the isekai genre and think all the points I brought up won’t bother you, you’ve probably already seen this show. If you haven’t, you would probably really enjoy it. One thing is for certain, this is better than SAO.

Verdict: 4.5/10. Pass unless you love the genre

#the rising of the shield hero #shield hero #tate no yuusha no nariagari #anime review #anime #naofumi iwatani #raphtalia #review

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bryyo-data · 6 years

Text

Okay I'm pretty sure I swore off discourse when I started planet-bryyo but hey, it's Christmas!

With regards to the Samus-out-of-her-suit discussion, it seems to be a pretty subjective matter. I keep trying to put my opinions into words, and I think I've narrowed down the issues I have. So this is JUST my personal take on the entire thing: what I like from Samus, what I think works well and doesn't work well. Feel free to disagree and even drop a comment in the replies, I'm open to a change of opinion!

(FYI I stole all my images off Wikitroid to break up the text)

Seeing Samus outside her suit is a neat reward. In the original Metroid, it lead to the very significant reveal that Samus was a girl. A lot of games tease the woman-behind-the-suit with stuff like reflections in her visor, or a view of her eyes and expression during a cutscene, so the game culminating with her completely out of her suit can be very rewarding and awesome if done well.

While I have a bit of a preference for stuff like badass suit shots or Fusion's lore endings (which I think were Japanese exclusive so I've only ever see them via the wiki) it can be really fun to see Samus just chilling in her spare time. Zero Mission does this pretty well; she dons regular outfits, goes back to civilisation, and does normal stuff like drink at bars. It's nice to see her get some down time, and hint at what her life is like beyond her missions.

On the other hand, blatant this-scene-only-exists-to-show-off-her-boobs scenes aren’t my thing. Y'know, I’m willing to say a bit of sexiness probably doesn't do much harm. I'd argue that some of the scenes we see in the likes of Zero Mission and Fusion endings (like the above) are acceptably, as youtuber ShayMay puts it, "sexy not sexualised" and detract far less, if anything, from Samus' portrayal. Samus is pretty without it being obnoxiously sexualized. And hey, we're all human, loads of us like a bit of boob. They aren't of much interest to me but plenty of people love 'em. In Metroid, though, it just feels a bit excessive and unnecessary at times, and I think it can impact how Samus and certain scenes come across.

The zero suit segment of Metroid: Zero Mission was a really interesting part of the game, with that stealth mission being challenging and fun to play. That's just about the only thing I ever liked regarding the zero suit, because almost every other instance of its appearance (including cutscenes in Zero Mission itself) is used to scream "HEY LOOK GUYS, SEXY BUTT." Personally, I just don't think those shots mesh well with what Samus is generally portrayed like. There's better ways to go about showing her suitless, like the variety of civilian outfits she's been presented in, or even simply taking off the helmet as in Prime. She can look very beautiful in these shots, without it looking blatantly sexualised and a bit ridiculous. Compare the above bar scene to this thing which always really bugged me because it's literally just butt and sideboob and the way it's posed looks really weird.

I find it a bit jarring when we go from the imposing figure of the power suit to the zero suit, which tends to be used to scream boob and not much else. For the most part, suited Samus carries this gravitas that makes her very impactful as a character. Unfortunately, that gravitas pretty much instantly evaporates when she's put in a blatantly sexy shot on screen, no matter what she's saying or doing. Note that there IS a difference between "blatantly sexy shot" and "shot where Samus is not in her suit" and the latter would be no issue. We see that in the likes of Other M's ending, where she's in civilian clothing and can look nice without the camera lingering on her rear end too long and killing the impact. I have my issues with how Other M did things, but at least IIRC it didn't derail that ending moment with Anthony by making it weirdly sexy, unlike a few other parts of the game which I'll come to in a bit.

I don't think sexiness is automatically bad- see Bayonetta for what I guess is an example of sexiness done in a good, not-disempowering or disrespectful way? I guess? I haven't played those games. But sexiness in Metroid is put in places where it feels out of place. Zero Mission and Other M are bad offenders; the latter two Primes only have like one scene of it, so it's odd but can be more easily passed over if you aren't into the uncanny valley robot tiddy look from Prime 2 that haunts me to this day.

Hunters did the out-of-suit thing quite nicely too. Hunters stands as evidence that even the zero suit doesn't have to be inherently bad (though let's be real, it was designed for tiddy and it will probably be used for tiddy until the end of its days). Hunters was actually my intro to the franchise and the first time I personally saw the face of Samus Aran. If you beat Hunters before developing carpal tunnel syndrome, and if you access the hidden ending by fulfilling the Alimbic prophecy, the monster Gorea is destroyed in its final form and the Alimbic spirits telepathically contact Samus to thank her for what she has done. There's a lack of obnoxious proportions or questionable camera angles, so the scene comes across as meaningful as it's supposed to.

Prime did well in combining the thrill of "IT'S HER, IT'S THE PROTAGONISTS FACE" with the badassery of suited Samus, giving the scene quite a good impact. People remember that scene with fondness. It's a shame that so few scenes with non-suited Samus have managed to capture the same thing- like, imagine Samus standing on a hill in a long coat or some other awesome piece of apparel, gazing over a futuristic city like a watchful guardian. That would be sweet.

I personally liked the more realistic look they went for in Prime, despite technical limitations on the face model; it suited the tone of the game and the personality of Samus better than the weird anime kinda thing in Prime 3. You can get away with that look in the 2D games where everything has that art style, but all the other humans in Prime 3 were more realistic so it just looked out of place (we don't talk about Echoes...) but that's verging on a different issue entirely.

Zero Mission is one of my favourite games, possibly my favourite 2D game on par with Samus Returns at the minute. It did really well in a lot of stuff, but it also has a degree of booty with bad timing. The moment after Samus crashes and is left with nothing should be a fairly serious one- the situation is bleak, the task up ahead is daunting. The only hope you have is Samus' confidence and skill- and your skill as a player, which, if you're anything like me, you're starting to question in a moment of utter oh shit. This is also one of the few moments where Samus actually has some dialogue, which is all pretty straightforward with a hint of her good humour and personality.

That entire scene is framed over a very blatant butt shot. Maybe it's just me and I ought to care less, but I find it a bit harder to take the scene seriously because of it. Sexiness isn't inherently bad, there's a time and place for it, but is this serious scene really the time and place? I'm not even gonna pull up big words like objectification and such, I don't really know enough to say about those things, I just think it looks really silly there. If it needs to be included, couldn't it stay as the under-five-hours reward as per usual?

I could just be really bitter about that one, though.

Buff Samus is another related issue. I've seen loads of people saying "Samus looks good as she is!" and there's nothing wrong with that. I just thought I'd try and justify my own reasons for being a bit let down with Samus' current out-of-suit design. It's not so much the design in itself, nor the fact that she's not what the fandom fantasizes her being like. It's more related to the design's history and trends of change.

Personally, I'm just a little bitter that they felt the need to change Samus from the design they gave her in Super, because of WHY they changed it. In Super Metroids manual- and visibly in-game- Samus is toned and tall. These days, the media is gracing us with more tall and buff lady characters (Zarya from Overwatch, Brienne of Tarth from GOT, etc.) but when I was a kid I don't think I could name a single muscular lady outside of joke cartoon characters. Maybe sportswomen, but even then I can't think of any popular ones whose names I haven't learned in just the last few years. Doesn't mean there weren't any, just that I never came across any widespread ones, and I'm inclined to believe there weren't many around in popular media. Which made a taller, buffer Samus a little bit more of a revolutionary concept, important for the sake of seeing varied body types and such. It's important for people with those body types as much as it is for everyone else SEEING people with those body types and lifestyles.

Basically, as far as I can tell, Nintendo decided that "sex sells" and their major lady protag wasn't good enough without the sex appeal that comes with being skinny and shapely. They decided buff wasn't attractive, so they had to do things like cut her height down, slim her waist, bring out her chest, and make her ass stick out half the width of Zebes. Everything she was allowed to be before was stripped away and swapped out for your standard sexy woman's frame so people could titillate over her.

This only increased over time. Going from Zero Mission to Other M and the Smash Bros franchise, you can see this increasing trend of Samus getting promoted in-game and in pre-release material as sexier, up to Smash Bros 4 where so many Zero Suit promotional screenshots had her bent around like the token sexygirl in a forgettable Hollywood movie poster, posed for good view of her assets, or even put in freaking bunny ears which have their own set of connotations. Then there's the whole heels debate, which I'm not even gonna get into.

Her boobs are orbs.

If I'll say one positive- Samus Returns didn't do badly. Actually, big kudos to Samus Returns. All of its ending poses were all nods to other stuff for fans to recognise and they took time to make three different out-of-suit Samus outfits. Samus genuinely looks pretty cool in each of them. I really dig it!

I think some people in the fandom have the misconception that me- and others who share my opinion- don't like the idea of sexy women, or feminine women, being badass heroines. And that's simply not the case. People bring up Bayonetta as an example of "you can have sexy/pretty heroines" and while I can't really say a lot about her, as far as I can tell, her game really works well with it and is designed around her having the appearance and personality she has. Metroid is designed around a different sort of protagonist, in a different sort of atmosphere, and the sexualisation is kind of jarringly different from the surrounding material.

If Samus had always been a shortish, big-breasted woman with a strong personality and whose ass and boobs were never/scarcely highlighted in a sexy way, indicating that they exist just because she is a shapely person rather than because people won't survive the game without a boner, that would be sweet. In fact, I could really get behind that because I'm short as hell myself. It's secretly every short person's dream to have a cyborg suit which makes you tall enough to reach the top shelves and fight off everyone you're otherwise too small and weak to handle.

(Had Samus always been a sexy Bayonetta-esque character, I think the franchise would be very different in general. If that was part of the design, it would’ve worked, I guess.)

It's not Samus' size, shape, and proportions in themselves that have the effect of changing the scenes and character portrayal; it's the blatant fanservice and the way they're framing of these features to obviously have a very sexual appeal, and to me that doesn't sit well alongside the rest. When serious scenes are played over what looks like a SFW alt version of a porn pic you glance over while scrolling down the Metroid tag, it’s hard to see any of the impact that Samus had one scene earlier in her power suit. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a little for effect, but the point still stands.)

This peaks in games like Other M (disclaimer: I'm not a fan, apologies to fans of the game) where tragic and meaningful scenes are played over shots of Samus’ butt… like, it’s obvious what they were going for here. I’ve never been a straight male member of the obvious target audience for this so I can’t attest to whether the dual boner-and-tears method works at making a scene memorable, but for the most part it just looks silly from my point of view.

When Samus loses her suit in Other M- e.g. when Adam dies- and all the subsequent shots focus in on her rear end, it really doesn't feel like just about any suited shot in any Metroid game ever, and not in a good way. Like I think I said before, it strips Samus of a degree of gravitas that is integral to her character. Then it tries to play the moment off with a degree of seriousness and dignity that framing her ass like that just doesn't quite have.

(Then again, Other M Samus' lack of gravitas comes across even in the scenes where she's in her suit; this time it's nothing to do with sexualisation or anything, just that her postures and movements don't display any confidence in what she's doing, which is weirdly different from her normal presentation but persists throughout the entire game. Some people like it, I don't think it works, each to their own.)

I've sorta lost track of where I was going so I'm gonna round off here. I'll emphasise that this is all my opinion and interpretation, I don't expect everyone to agree and I completely respect that. I think it's absolutely fair to love Samus while being critical of how her designers portray her and the wider impacts of those choices- at the end of the day, she is fictional and doesn't make these choices for herself. As the audience, we are the ones who feel those choices, for better or worse depending on your own view.

I'm a bit salty about how Samus is portrayed outside of her suit and wish the Samus on the inside was allowed to carry the weight that Samus in the suit does. That doesn't mean she can't be beautiful, but the active increase in her sexy traits and highlighting of those traits over the years is a little bit infuriating, especially considering what they were willing to do with her design early on in the timeline.

Feel free to drop comments, I'm going to try and steer clear of my own salt for the rest of the holidays but I'm keen to know what other people think!

#Metroid #Salt

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selfish-swine · 6 years

Text

Let’s Talk About Star Fox and Character For a Moment - Part 2: OOC is Serious Business

Continued from here. If you haven’t read part 1 yet, then go do that first! You need context! Anyway, this is a long one.

So that whole big rant I wrote up was really just a preamble to get to something I REALLY wanted to rant about but found myself basically writing two rants to get my point across and needed to split stuff up to establish a reference point for what I’m talking about.

Let’s Talk about the fandom’s universally disliked unfavorite, Star Fox Command on the typical topic of how badly it characterized everyone and derailed things and all that hullabaloo.

Now let’s get somethings clear here. First off, I do NOT think Command is a good game by any stretch, mechanically or narratively. It does screw a lot of shit up. Second of all, I am not saying Command doesn’t derail characters senselessly and deserve pretty much all the ire it’s earned from the fandom.

BUT. Big but here.

It is important to not dismiss all of Command for these mistakes. To start with, for as much Command gets flat out WRONG, it also gets a lot RIGHT. Falco and Fox’s bromance is especially strong in Command, and characters like Slippy (who basically never gets written poorly) are still solid. Pigma also gets some actual emotion to his unceremonious death in Assault as a spooky space ghost, to say nothing of the small implications it gives to Andross’ motivations. Then there are things that were just the result of Command having an honestly shoddy translation job all things considered, which especially pertains to Star Wolf. Panther’s third person self-narrations are a misunderstanding of him speaking in an arrogant manner in the original Japanese, and Leon’s infamous liking of rainbows was meant to be sarcastic - but these are things that can not be conveyed in text in ENGLISH (but can in Japanese). Then there is Wolf, which brings me to the real point I want to get at with this post.

I said before it is important not to dismiss all of Command for these mistakes, but really what I should say is it isn’t fair to dismiss Command for the same mistakes other games did before it, specifically Assault. The big offenders of Command, Fox and Krystal, are just as derailed in Assault (if not moreso in the case of Fox), along with Wolf and to a lesser extent, Peppy, yet no one bats an eye because it suits the fandom’s tastes at large (or at least the English speaking fandom), and that bothers me. Out Of Character writing should not be accepted just because you like the direction it takes, because that is disingenuous to the characters.

Let’s start with Fox. Fox’s archetype (to see why archetypes are important read part 1 you weenie) is that of the charismatic heroic leader. There are some subtle differences between his Western and Japanese depictions, namely his confidence (Japanese Fox is in 64 at least more son-in-his-father’s-shadow than Western Fox, but is no less cheeky or cocksure for it), but the general idea stays the same. This is consistent with Fox in the SNES comic, 64, and Adventures (as well as the Farewell Beloved Falco comic). He meets every challenge head on with confidence he can over come it and his sense of justice is strong, and this is reinforced mechanically as Fox being the player avatar, puts us in direct control of confronting these challenges with confidence and bravado.

Assault Fox lacks any of this. He is bland, boring, robbed of any character he once had. He stammers like a teenager more than he ever did as an actual teenager over the simplest of things, constantly walks into traps and danger in spite of knowing danger is ahead and waiting, routinely makes bad leadership choices by no virtue other than the plot necessitating it, and then at the end of the game acts absolutely unemotional to the supposed death of his mentor figure only to later reveal he knew all along his mentor wasn’t actually dead and was just hiding this from his team. Honestly, I might just need to make another rant dedicated JUST to WHY and HOW these ideas are detrimental to Fox’s character, but for now I’m going to leave this simple and possibly revisit the topic in greater depth. Either way, Assault Fox is uninteresting and vapid, underreacting to everything despite being previously established as a smart ass quippy hot blooded hero, and that’s terrible. Yet, noone notices or cares, because at least he didn’t break up with Krystal.

Let’s talk about Krystal next. To say she was treated OOC in Assault is honestly to suggest she had a character to begin with, but in all fairness she does have elements of it from Dinosaur Planet and Star Fox Adventures, if broken and disjointed due to her loss of protagonist status. Going back to what I wrote about archetypes, Krystal was, in DP64, completely set up to be an aspiring hero, but when DP64 became SFAd, she lost that narrative importance and was reduced to a Damsel in Distress crossed with a Macguffin Girl, which totally undermined what she had, but as I said there was traces of something still there. She is bold, brash, heroic and full of justice (much like Fox), but also more contemplative and insightful as well. She’s the wise hero to Fox’s action hero, or should have been at any rate.

So what did Assault do? Absolutely rob her of all that and just ram in hard the Love Interest nonsense. Everything about Krystal in Assault revolves around FOX - she has NO agency onto herself anymore, something she even had in Adventures at least at first until she got captured for 90% of the game. Not Assault Krystal, though. Her whole character is defined by her fawning over Fox, worrying over his idiot well being and wanting him to be safe, stammering affectionately like two high school kids who haven’t had their first kiss yet. Yes, she does have some moments free from this nonsense, but those moments are not her DOMINANT portrayal. Even when discussing things with bad boy romantic rival Panther, she focuses on -Fox-. Krystal’s entire character in Assault is dominated by the existence of her love interest.

That is the worst case of “love interest centric” writing you can commit, because when you take the stuff away that doesn’t bear on Fox, you have so little left. I’d honestly consider Command Krystal BETTER than Assault, because her rude angry bitchy self was at least her OWN character and not joined at the hip to Fox. Notice how the cutscene with Fox and Krystal with Tricky, Krystal barely says anything worthwhile to the conversation? It’s all Fox being flustered liked a stupid teenager while Krystal coyishly “teehees” in the background while Tricky hammers in the fact they are romantic interests. No. Agency. But again, no one cares, because its fuel for their ships, amirite?

Now we get to who is in my opinion the worst offender of Assault’s derailing character writing, Wolf. Fox might’ve gone from heroic leader to bland cardboard, but at least he’s still the protagonist. Krystal might’ve been reduced to a vapid love interest, but at least she didn’t have much left to lose to start with. Wolf, though, not only oversteps his boundaries as an archetype, but he PUSHES OUT other characters from their meta narrative roles as well. Wolf is the black hole of Assault’s writing, and he absolutely got away with it because he’s “cool” and “badass”. He is the pinnacle of my point in this rant.

Let’s talk about archetypes again. Wolf’s is that of the eternal rival, the black recolor, the evil counterpart to the hero. His mission is to see Fox undone for the sake of his own ego. In Japan, a little more supplemental information is known, namely that Wolf has a rivalry with the McCloud family name as a whole starting with James, and Fox’s reaction to Wolf’s persistent pursuit is treated more humorously than in the west (namely Fox is subtly dissing Wolf rather than being intimidated by him), but these subtleties do not change the core base that Wolf is an impulsive, rivalry motivated antagonist.

So of course Assault saw fit to.... shift him into a mentor role. This only compounds for the worse when you consider the fact that Wolf only even formed Star Wolf because Pigma manipulated and goaded him into doing it (another Japanese lore tidbit), further cementing that Wolf does not make good wise decisions. He is violent and aggressive and obsessed with his rivalry. Why the HECK is he suddenly giving advice to FOX? Wolf is the WORST person to give advice or take advice from, he is literally Mr. Bad Decisions, but Assault’s writers saw fit to absolutely change his entire persona from an aggressive archrival to a quasi-antihero cool guy big brother-esque mentor... and Fox doesn’t even remark on it! (Another mark for Fox being OOC I suppose).

Worst of all though isn’t the damage this does to Wolf, but rather, to Peppy! Wolf becoming the mentor effectively butts him into Peppy’s meta narrative role, and he essentially replaces him for it. This isn’t to say Star Fox characters can’t develop and shift around and change, but Wolf doesn’t DEVELOP into a mentor, nor does Peppy develop BEYOND it. Wolf just usurps it from Peppy and proceeds as usual. Good character writing is finding how to fit a character into a story - that is, finding a role they fit into and working from there. This is why so many fan OCs fail - they don’t fit into a role, they usurp from canon characters. One need only look at all the Star Wolf OCs that exist purely to replace “uncool” characters like Pigma or Andrew and see the flaws. When you write to replace another character, you aren’t writing true to that character, you are shackling and chaining them down to the one they are replacing. This is what Wolf does in Assault: he is sloppily mischaracterized, and then because of that, he butts into another character’s writing space.

And once more, the fandom at large did not notice or care, because Wolf is “cool”, “badass”, et cetera. This is my beef. This is my issue. So I leave you with what I said at the start of this rant: do NOT just accept changes to a character because it placates you superficially. THINK about what roles it is a character serves and why, and respect that. Don’t just blindly complain about character derailment just when it suits you because you don’t like the change personally, or because it fucks with your ships. Press yourself to be better than that.

#OOC #rant #ramble #meta narrative #character archetypes #melodrama #character derailment

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freevoidman · 6 years

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All of the questions form the ask except for 16 and 17 because I read the tags 😏😊

yoU FUCK--

Also I guess it’s 15 and 16 bc those are the ones that ask for pics? So ur getting everything but those two instead lmao I can’t read.

1. Song of the year?

Thunderstruck by 2CELLOS (skip ahead to 0:38 for the start of the music, 1:10 for the actual cover). It’s a great cover for a famous song and i’m a sucker for cello-only covers. Plus, it’s a great song to listen to when you want to get some of ur aggression out.

2. Album of the year?

The Persona 5 Original Soundtrack! There’s so much amazing songs from the game, all of them jazzy and catchy and oh my god I love the entire thing. The stuff featuring Lyn’s vocals is especially great!

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

Hm... there’s not a lot that come to mind, but I guess BTS? I’m not super into their music, and I don’t check out their livestreams and shit where they talk with fans, but their music is pretty sweet!

4. Movie of the year?

UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGH it has to be a tie between IT and Wonder Woman. IT was great on a sheer talent level and, after watching the 90s film, it was a massive improvement and gave the book the justice it deserved. However, Wonder Woman I appreciate because of the hopeful change it might bring to the movie industry and superhero movies, and perhaps lead to less over-sexualization of women in movies.

5. TV show of the year?

Nothing really comes to mind (especially because I don’t really watch TV a lot) but it’d have to be Brooklyn 99. Comedic gold at its finest, and the level of representation is NUTS! I love it!

6. Episode of tv or webisode that defined the year for you?

...y’all’re gonna laugh but it’s fucking Shibboleth from West Wing. We watched the episode in one of my classes and it brought up so much political topical stuff that’s happening in my country, as well as the sheer ridiculousness of what the fuck is happening in the US (as well as unintentional attachments that can form bc I made a stupid level of those with just fictional characters lmao)

7. Favorite actor of the year?

Finn Wolfhard. Not only for his level of talent in Stranger Things and IT, but also just his level of comedic genius outside of films and shows. He’s great, and I can’t wait to see where his talents will lead him next.

8. Game of the year?

WHY MUST YOU TORTURE ME LIKE THIS.

I’d have to give it to Persona 5, though Breath of the Wild and Final Fantasy XV are close. The reason why P5 wins is because I’ve been waiting for this games since 2013 and it delivered on everything I wanted. Meanwhile, BOTW and FFXV were only purchased after they came out and I saw all the reviews, or (in the case of FFXV) was and impulse buy that I didn’t have much faith in. They’re both great games, don’t get me wrong, but my god, Persona 5 delivered of fucking everything I wanted and a bit more.

9. Best month for you this year?

December (and no, I’m not just saying that because that’s the month we’re in). I’ve been accepted into the colleges I really wanted to be accepted into, and Christmas wasn’t that bad. Though I am sick with something right now, it’s definitely not a bad month, and easily the best one I’ve had with all the stress/disappointments of the months prior.

10. Something that made you cry this year?

...getting a bit personal, it was seeing my cousin during Easter. She’s been struggling with drugs and she had a relapse and was completely out of it. She’s got a kid. I was mad as hell and ready to punch her, but I just kind of broke down outside the house once no one could see me.

11. Something you want to do again next year?

...uuuuuhhh I didn’t really do it this year bc of the amount of shit I had to do, but I really, really want to do NaNoWriMo again. It was fun, and I nearly succeeded last year. I was about two thousand words short because I got sick and I want to get the 50k word count for something!

12. Talk about a new friend you made this year

YES HELLO I’M ABOUT TO PRAISE THE HELL OUT OF @yoitssabrinee SO PREPARE YOURSELVES.

Honestly such a sweetheart???? She’s a-fucking-mazing and so strong despite all the bullshit she’s gone through and she’s so freaking nice and caring! Like, I’ve been complaining to her about how I’ve been sick and she’s always like “did you take your meds? Did you drink water? Did you eat?” And it’s so nice and even if our convos are mostly screaming at each other about FFXV fanfics we’re writing it’s SUCH A JOY to see her messages whenever I wake up/am about to go to sleep.

13. How was your birthday this year?

Good! The only negative part was that it was during a school day (typically it falls on Thanksgiving break, but not this year) and I got a lotta good gifts! I certainly can’t complain about it, that’s for sure.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

Catcher in the Rye. It’s very rare that I find a school book that I enjoy, and this hits all my favorite things. It’s a super introspective look on Holden’s life (which is pretty messed up tbh) and his struggles to reconcile with his flaws and the need to be somewhat ‘normal’.

15. What’s a bad habit you picked up this year?

Sort of a bad habit that I’ve continued and haven’t stopped--picking at my skin. Especially scabs and any chapped skin on my lips. I have so many cuts and scars from doing this, and I really need to stop...

18. A memorable meal this year?

I went with my family to some fancy-ass Japanese restaurant with my friend irl before we went to see Hamilton. The food there was tasty as hell, and the experience itself made it incredibly memorable.

19. What’re you excited about for next year?

There’s a couple! Getting my driving license, graduating high school, and going to college would definitely be at the top of that list! For more material things, I’m looking forward to Hacker’s Memory, the new Persona rhythm games (I’m being very hopeful that they’ll be released in English around the same time of their Japanese versions) and Final Fantasy Dissidia!

20. What’s something you learned this year?

How to drive!

21. What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

My old swingset broke. I still use it as a way to destress (the repetitive motion of swinging, combined with listening to music really clams me down) and there’s no way we can really repair it until it gets warmer... which could be as early as February, or as late as April, considering the weather patterns. Basically, it has to be above freezing to do anything.

22. Favorite place you visited this year?

Boston for college tours! It was a great city, though I could’ve dealt with less stress from trying to figure out where the fuck to go...

23. If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

It’s hard right now. God do I know how hard it is right now. It’s gonna get harder. You’re going to hate everyone for a while, because no one really helped you the way you needed help, but you’ll make it. I promise you’ll make it.

24. Did you keep any New Year’s Resolutions?

Technically yes, because I didn’t make any. Can’t break any resolutions if you never make ‘em.

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one

Uuuuugh I have a lot that I just make in my head, but because I have the artistic skills of a drunk goldfish I can’t typically draw them, and I’m too nervous to write about them (^^;). Other people can keep asking this one, and I’ll describe a different OC that I have, but only in my head, y’know?

I DID get FFXV Comrades and made an OC! His name is Tonitus, Tony for short. He’s 5′3″ and hails from... Altissia, if I remember correctly. He has about mid-length black hair and bright, that almost Mako-colored blue eyes.

In my weird-ass lore about the guy, he’s a messenger who got amnesia from falling to the surface. He’s loyal to Ramuh and can harness lightning magic easily, and struggles with fire and ice magic. He got the Kingsglaive uniform from Ramuh himself, who sent him down to Eos to assist the humans with the encroaching darkness and rampant daemons and infected wildlife. As he regains his memory, he’s torn with assisting them like a human would or like a pseudo-god, and his own mortality and how he’ll deal with everyone passing long before him, long before the light can be restored, long before the King can ascend.

#Ask meme #End of the Year #Anonymous

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lolbtsaus · 7 years

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Pirate!Jin

So since the series received some positive feedback, I figured I’d go ahead and write it up and see what you guys think, to start us off as he always does is our amazing eldest hyung, a total sweetheart with warm loving eyes, Kim Seokjin aka Jin

So I think I’m gonna be basing each of the boys’ posts off of different pirates (irl and/or characters/lore) I’m not fully sure if I’m gonna do it for all of the boys but since Jin has dressed up as Jack Sparrow before, I’m gonna be loosely basing this off of Pirates of the Caribbean (very loosely, like just a few elements of it bc I wanna be able to have some creative freedom without having to worry about keeping to their plot)

I also may do a part two to this series (maybe in drabble form??) so if you guys wanna see that, let me know!!!

I’m gonna do a visual segment bc I must

B L A C K H A I R

Black hair!Jin just black hair!Jin that’s all I have to say but I’m gonna say more bc I need to I have so many emotions about it and it makes me upset

Do y’all remember the Japanese version of the Danger video do you remember how much good he looked do you remember how much I loved that look

I l o v e blonde!Jin, I love choppy bangs!Jin, I love long fringe!Jin, pink!Jin, any Jin is automatically gonna be loved by me bc I adore and support him so fucking much but black hair!Jin man it’s just so niCE

I feel like Jin would look a ma z in g with a lil eyebrow piercing??? is this just me I know it can’t be just me thinking this shit, for my sake I’m gonna just have to include it in this bc I gotta

OKAY BUT T H I S OUTFIT OH MY GOD

It’s giving me the pirate vibes but that’s not all, there are also thi GHS and I’m a sucker for Jin in general but da mn that is a good man right there my friends

Just imagine that look and some boots and boom you got pirate!Jin

Shipmates have different positions right, like there’s a captain, there’s a chef, there’s all these different people that help make the ship sail smoothly (I’m so proud of myself rn you have no fucking idea)

He’s the one that goes out into town, finds out all of the boating schedules, finds out their routes, finds out how many people are on the actual boat itself, etc.

He honestly looks more like a prince than a pirate, which is why he’s so perfect for being the "spy”

He’s really really nice so he’s got no issues getting people to trust him enough to give him the information or at least not suspect him with a schedule goes missing or a certain key is suddenly gone

He’s got that cute lil face and that laugh and that bright smile, no one would ever think he’s part of an infamous crew

He gets into it bc he was raised with it

He’s always been around it and he’s been trained for it, it’s the only job he’s ever had, he’s grown up on the ship for the most part and he’s always traveled around

So when a group of his friends suggest getting their own boat, he doesn’t really hesitate to take them up on their offer and here they are, four years later

You’re the child of the governor right

You’re captured by some rivals of Jin’s ship and in one of their fights, they end up taking over the ship you’re on

They don’t actually know you’re there, they’re literally just trying to piss off the pirates that had taken you

Jin is the one to find you bc he’s just strolling through the boat and checking it out and all of that good stuff and then he comes across you and is really confused

Bc he would’ve known if the pirates had added another to their crew, he’s got an inside man and he hadn’t gotten any news of a recruit

He’s a smart dude so he quickly realizes your attire and your surroundings don’t really match and that you don’t really look like an experienced pirate or even a beginner, you look like someone who’s on a boat and wants to get off

You tell him what had happened and he’s immediately both pissed off and relieved

Pissed off bc he’s super against kidnapping and so are the rest of the boys but relieved bc they’d taken over the ship and were now gonna be able to keep you safe until they got you back home

It’s already been a week or so on the ship so it’s gonna take a while for them to re-route and bring you back to your hometown

But you have to admit, even though it takes a day or two, you do feel a lot more comfortable about the boys than you did with the other crew

They don’t bug you besides asking about your experience and your life back home when you sit with them and their captain, Namjoon, lends you some of his books to keep you entertained on the journey home

But Jin really helps you a lot, he can see that you’re not 100% comfortable and that you really wanna get home

“They’re pretty harmless. Underneath the clothes and the parrot and the love of gold, we’re all just kids with a really big boat”

“And swords”

“That we’ve never once used except in training, the last time I used my sword was to roast a marshmallow over a candle bc I couldn’t find a stick”

You’re on the ship for about two weeks so you have two weeks with nothing but water, books and them so you figure it’s not a bad idea to befriend Jin

The longer you spend with him, the more you realize that he’s not what his reputation makes him out to be at all

You’re sure he has that side to him, after all, you just saw him and his crew take over another ship for the hell of it

He’s always making you laugh and keeping your mind off of everything worrying you and he gives you access to his clothes in case you didn’t wanna wear the same thing for the entire trip and he’s just really caring and not pirate like at all

He’s there with you every single step of the way, he gives you some advice on how to deal with pirates if you ever run into them again, he sneaks you snacks and he tells you a bunch of his stories from his travels all around the world

They decide to dock in your hometown since you promise to keep them safe and away from any guards who could throw them into a cell and you make a note to yourself to try to see if you could get their charges removed somehow bc spending those two weeks with them, you realize they’re just some kids who were raised into this and didn’t get much of a choice in it

Jin pretty easily finds a place in your town, he spends a lot of time helping everyone out (no one knows who they are bc not a lot of people have seen their faces, just heard of their names)

Even your family accepts him pretty openly since he’s part of the reason you’re back home and safe with not a single scratch on you and they are very grateful for that

They spend a month with you and your family, rest up a bunch and then they start to pack up again

“Would you...wanna stay here for a bit longer? We have a theater here if you want to act, I know you said you fell in love with acting when you saw that play when you were younger...and I would really like it if you stayed”

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ishikagupta3796 · 5 years

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OffSet’s Ric Flair Pendant at Jewelry Unlimited – Styling Like a Rapper

If you are a fan of rap and haven’t being eyeing Offset’s Ric Flair Pendant, are you really a hip-hop fan?

Jewelry Unlimited has been designing all the cool stuff for top rappers, and recently, they designed the Ric Flair chain for offset, gifted to him by the CEO of his label, Pierre ‘Pee’ Thomas.

Ric Flair is all the rage in US and now this chain. Donned by Offset, this chain is made of 27 carats on the chain and 25 on the pendant and designed by Wafi Lalani of Jewelry Unlimited.

Rapper chains have been very popular. Other than the Ric Flair Pendant, several other rappers have wore chains that have been difficult to forget. “Neck frozen.” “Ice on my neck.” These are common declarations laced within rap lyrics. Whether it’s VVS stones, platinum or 18k gold pendants, or their record label’s logo, the chain announces a status to solidify your standing on how much dough you bankroll. It’s an extension of a personality.

Purchasing a custom piece gives the artist a platform to test their design skills while a jeweler translates their vision into reality. This experience may not always turn out as planned. Do you really need a cereal box covered in stones?

But there are those who execute their piece so perfectly that the chain becomes a standalone figure in hip-hop. There’s the Jesus Piece; NIGO’s artillery that was the equivalent of eight Rolls-Royce Phantoms on his neck; and the simple double Cuban link chain that was referenced like its owner’s famous moniker. Anyone can drop some insane cash for jewelry, but it’s these ten gems that are cemented in history through imagery and song lyrics. They are classics in their own right. Here is a list of the most interesting chains wore by rappers over the year.

SLICK RICK – SCALES OF JUSTICE

No one exuded cool like the British transplant from the Bronx. Slick Rick’s smooth bravado and witty delivery cemented his Art of Story Telling as a hip-hop classic. But like his album, it’s Rick’s class and flat out indulgence in obnoxiously large gold chains and pendants that hold their own in rhyming lore.

Never to be outdone, Rick always made sure the ‘80s were a time of catch up when he flossed his jewelry game. Before NIGO was NIGO, Rick wore every single accessory he owned. Not noted for just one chain, but for the way he wore it.

FLAVOR FLAV – CLOCK

While Chuck D prophesied the revolution to “Bring The Noise,” the eccentric, downright obnoxious yelling sidekick, Flavor Flav, would lace the track with ad-libs as his clock bounced to the beat. To match his quirky persona that balanced Chuck’s seriousness, Flav would rock a clock you would normally gaze at while in detention as his “chain.”

Flav’s clock chain rotation was plenty and was synonymous with the man’s identity. Whenever you came across a circular clock, you couldn’t help but say his name the way he would deliver it. Flavor Flaaaaaaaavv!

Nigo Dollar Sign

Strutting onto the scene as the silent Japanese counterpart to Pharrell in the mid-2000s, NIGO made sure his presence was felt with the glistening factor of a disco ball in the form of five chains. Many who were clueless about the BAPE storm that had taken over Japan’s fashion scene and the proponent who led the charge were in for a treat, as his threads would soon take over hip-hop with Skateboard P’s help.

During his reign, no one dared — or could even afford — to reach NIGO’s swagger. Diamond-studded BBC Ice Cream cone chain? Check. BBC moon man head? Yes. And for that dollar sign that was nearly the size of an average man’s face? NIGO reportedly shelled out $4 million for that piece — fast-forward seven years later and that chain would run a cool 4.6 million stacks today.

2 Chainz Cuban Links

After changing his alias, the Atlanta-bred rapper took on the ingenious use of the name 2 Chainz as a quirky alias that suits the typical number of chains he wears. Even creative house DONDA used his name as an inspiration to drape Cuban Link Chains atop a black base for his upcoming album cover. Now, when people wear two chains, you can’t help but echo his voice when he says, “2 Chainz.”

NOTORIOUS BIG - THE JESUS PIECE

Many rappers throughout the years have accessorized their style with the famed Jesus Piece. The homage to the higher power above is a staple in hip-hop, and most likely the G.O.A.T. for its classy appeal. For one Brooklyn-born-and-raised legend, the chain was the subject of numerous photos and even lyrics. “Cubans with the Jesus Piece,” proclaimed Biggie in “Going Back to Cali.”

LIL JON - CRUNK AIN’T DEAD

The innovator of the now-defunct Crunk tried to stretch the sub hip-hop genre as much as possible — even commissioning a lofty suburban home in the form of a chain stating that “Crunk Ain’t Dead.” Each letter was paved in diamonds that amounted to 3,756 in total as it hung from a pain-inducing gold “dookie” rope chain.

Carrying an estimated value of $500,000, the accessory was usually in Jon’s hand instead of dangling from his neck — a safety precaution to avoid strain. Unlike the scene he popularized, his chain holds its own among the greatest pieces to be donned.

TUPAC - DEATH ROW

Tupac was very adamant of the coast he backed and the crew he rolled. During Death Row Records’ reign as king of the charts and streets, their logo was startling and carried weight with those who wore it. The pendant was worn by its owner as well as his label mates and affiliates as a marker of who they represented. Like Tupac, the chain is remembered as a reminder of a time when the West Coast ruled all

ERIC B. AND RAKIM – DOOKIE ROPE CHAIN

In the ‘80s, everyone was rocking the shell toes, jump suits and Kangol bucket hats; however that outfit wasn’t complete without a thick “dookie” rope chain or a Mercedes-Benz logo. The most recognized figures rocking those chains? Eric B. and Rakim. Each had two just to make sure the presence on their necks was on par with their beat and rhyming skills.

The chains were a staple of the era when the rhyming art form was beginning to blossom from the streets to the mainstream. The pieces have since made their way onto the likes of Pusha T, Kanye West, and Nas, as homage to the era when platinum’s popularity quickly waned for something even the FED can’t back.

KANYE WEST – HORUS

Forever outspoken and on a destructive path that walked the line of his creative genius taking over the rap game, the Chicagoan “sophisticated ignorance” was fully embodied in his Horus chain. Ye’s fashion statement lifestyle was on display with every single accessory of clothing he wore.

At a time when West was trading in his lavish affinities for a minimalist aesthetic, the Egyptian-themed jewelry was the equivalent of wearing an outrageous ensemble on the red carpet. Horus was known as one of the most significant beings in ancient Egyptian times. It’s no secret that the Good Music boss chose this piece to state his ignorance and where he stands musically — ahead of everyone else and himself.

RUN DMC – DOOKIE CHAINS

Responsible for nearly everything that is rooted in hip-hop culture, the two emcees and one DJ from Hollis, Queens created movements. For all the rappers who have worn the rope chains, they owe many thanks to the originators, Reverend Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay. Everything about them was New York: the Adidas track suits, the shell-toe sneakers, and the rose gold dookies.

How Can You Were Chains like Rappers?

By now you know that you can get all the cool rapper chain styles at Jewelry Unlimited, but you still may not be sure how to style yourself. Hip hop jewelry looks all cool and stuff, but it is not so easy to style. With tons of different neck wear, it is a must to gain a better look for yourself. We are not talking about just big gold chains here, We are talking about small chains, dog tags and other neck wear you can use to make yourself look like you actually know how to dress. When you look like you know how to dress yourself people will take you more seriously as a rapper.

How to dress like a rapper? For this, let’s first go over the types of neck wear.

No one cares if they are fake

We are at a time where the richest rappers have been called out for wearing fake jewelry. Plies (who was infamous for buying big ridiculous chains) said after his run in Hip Hop had slowed down that buying those chains were the dumbest decisions he ever made. The fact is, if you have the confidence to wear it, they think - Yo, what if that’s real though? Who the hell is that person and how do they have the confidence to wear that?

They can’t prove it’s fake unless they steal it and get it tested which you know isn’t going to happen. Unless they rob you and later feel stupid when they try to pawn it. If you are really into gold chains, you can get good quality Hip Hop Chains at Jewelry Unlimited with financing available up to 5 years.

How To Determine The length of a chain online

How to determine the length of a chain online chart is above. The most common chain sizes are 20″ 24″ 30″ 36″. The highly recommended one is 24″ as it is not too long and not too short.

How To Determine The Thickness of a chain online

In order to determine the THICKNESS of a chain on the internet here is a chart for you compared to an item you are very familiar with.

It is recommended to start with a smaller MM chain and move up in size and length. A good starting size would be 24 inches and 8MM in thickness.

Pro-tip: ALWAYS Check the clearance section of websites. You get the stuff for like 80% off. You can also always get great discounts at Jewelry Unlimited.

Dog Tags

Dog tags are a cool way to get started with Hip Hop jewelry. You can get custom ordered Dog Tags with custom text. A dig tag with a cool text makes a lot of difference in the appearance and the impact. It adds to the image of the person wearing it. Custom dog tags also make you look richer and do not give the feel that you are wearing something off the shelf.

Image and style is all about accessorizing. The clothing outfit is just the base of everything. After that it is all about the accessories (chains, bracelets and rings) to really make everything pop. You can draw inspiration from your favorite rapper but no need to copy them. You create your own style and can set the trend for others. You got this! you will find your look and grow more everyday over time. Just be conscious that you have an image.

To explore your own style or but jewelry worn by top rappers, visit Jewelry Unlimited. Here you will find the coolest stud worn by top-the-chart rappers.

#Cuban link chain #Ric Flair chain for offset #jewelry unlimited #gold #Diamond Jewelry #gold chains

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recommendedlisten · 5 years

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...And 2019′s streak continues to three consecutive weeks of huge new music, with this past week featuring some of the more “blockbuster” happenings in big name returns, surprises and breakouts abound. The obvious is that the long-awaited return of Vampire Weekend finally arrived in a familiar form of harmony that added maybe a few more wrinkles to their sound. They were joined by the effortless knock-out indulgence of indie rock icon Jenny Lewis, and a surprise invitation by her friend Conor Oberst in collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers to their Better Oblivion Community Center. Emo waves collided as American Football paired up comfortably with Paramore’s Hayley Williams. American Pleasure Club sunk themselves into the dark depths of love once more, as Angel Du$t banged on a drum to find it while Boy Harsher destroyed it in LA. Cali hardcore crew TØRSÖ got fed up with fighting, DIY pop star in-the-making Sir Babygirl called everyone out as a bad friend, while folk explorer Hand Habits dealt with things by going out for blood. Would you believe there’s more?

Here’s the best of the rest from the week of January 20th, 2019…

Angel Du$t - “On My Way” [Roadrunner Records]

Baltimore punks Angel Du$t are apparently doing things in twos leading up to the arrival of their just-announced sophomore effort Pretty Buff, as they initially kicked things off with the double helping of singles “Big Ass Love” and “Take Away the Pain”, and yesterday, premiering another coupling with the very upbeat “Bang My Drum” and this here listen “On My Way. It’s another love-sick pop-punk jam that’s got an underlying current of their gruff and tough hardcore material running through it, but without the entire power supply plugged in, it gives you a hint at what a modern day Turnstile song might sound like without all the amps fully blaring. “Gonna find my way back to your arms.�� Justice Tripp on repeat throughout. They’ll have plenty of chances to do just that, as they’re heading out on the road opening for fellow one to watch Wicca Phase Springs Eternal and have a headlining tour of their own mapped out soon after that has them bringing out a bunch of DIY scene hardcore punks with them, as Bugg, Skourge and Result of Choice will open.

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Bellows - “The Rose Gardener” [Topshelf Records]

Oliver Kalb and his multi-dimensional folk rock project Bellows are readying of The Rose Gardener, the band’s first full-length effort for Topshelf Records due out on February 22nd, and just a week removed from serving up a duality of introductions the album with the fringed power-pop of “Denouement” and the quieter mediations of “What Can I Tell You About the World?”, he’s already planted more seeds in the soil of his flourishing sound. Its latest listen, courtesy of The Alternative, is also the LP’s title track, and rests somewhere between its preceding previews with a colorful arrangement of acoustic blueprints that soon blossom amid buzzing cymbals, piano keys hitting the ground like raindrops, and a fluttering symphony that illustrates in sound the life cycle of Kalb’s creative gestation. “I note their growth in spiral notebooks / Awaiting buds in the spring and summer / Though creeping frost took the other plants / I’m keeping this rose alive," he observes, with the listen’s final moments coming wholly alive thanks to his constant gardening. Speaking of springtime, Bellows heads out on tour this March, with dates including labelmates Another Michael and Shannen Moser.

The Rose Gardener by Bellows

Jessica Pratt - “Aeroplane” [Mexican Summer]

The slowburn effect of previews leading into the February 8th release of Quiet Signs, the latest studio effort from Los Angeles-based folk singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt, has had a wondrous effect on gently wrapping listeners into her latest collection of memory musings. So far, “This Time Around” has caressed the senses existentially while “Poly Blue” delved into mythological lore as it relates to the more forlorn of human experience. On “Aeroplane”, Pratt again travels to the better portions of the past in search of a reconnection with a warm memory flickering far off in the distance, yet ever so tangible when holding it up against the light at just the right angle. There’s images of roses and surprise visits from a past romance, though her vocals are just swaddled by by the depth of memory through a balmy production of lulling guitars and keys pressing daylight through the curtains. They’ll be pulled back fully this springtime, as Pratt has also shared her plans for a headlining tour throughout the U.S.

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Nanami Ozone - “The Art of Sleeping In” [Tiny Engines]

A lot of great music from the underground is discovered by way of indie label Tiny Engines, seeing as they’ve released efforts by Wild Pink, the Hotelier, awakebutstillinbed, illuminati hotties, Stranger Ranger, Jouska, and countless others in recent years. They’re kicking off 2019 loudly with Arizona shoegazing punks Nanami Ozone, a rising four-piece who’ve already an EP and a full-length to their names, who will be releasing their sophomore effort NO through the North Carolina label on March 15th. Co-vocalists and guitarists Sophie Opich and Colson Miller, bassist Jordan Owen and drummer Chris Gerber create the kind of devastatingly beautiful heaviness through multiple layers of reverberating feedback, passionate emotion, and a celestial pop sparkle that bowls you over and holds you down once it hits you. Following a duel preview of singles releases last fall, the album’s third listen “The Art of Sleeping In” scales up in intensity without losing touch with Miller and Opich’s tender interplay as they wander through the stasis between awakening from the haze of a deep R.E.M. and being fully cognizant to figure out a true reality.

NO by Nanami Ozone

Public Practice - “Slow Down” [Wharf Cat Records]

2018 introduced us to the fervent artfulness of Public Practice, a four-piece of dance-ready post-punks formed from the humans of Brooklyn indie-pop outfit Beverly and the remnants of now-defunct punks WALL. Their debut EP Distance Is a Mirror made for one of the more promising new sounds last year had to offer out of NYC’s mirror ball-kissed DIY spaces, and with plans to spread the energy into the UK with a newly-announced tour happening across the pond this February, they’ve released another jolt of electricity into the airwaves with “Slow Down”. The cut, once exclusively available on a recent three-way split with D.C. and Beijing peers Flasher and Gong Gong Gong, sees the quartet channeling their angles through a focused livewire as they dissect modern day consumerism and sifting through it to forge your own identity. “This city is going to tear you up / This city is going to tear you down / Just when you think you can understand which way is up is down,” jitters singer Sam York. Capitalist intentions are oppressive, yet Public Practice turn its noise into their own renewable energy.

Vampire Weekend - “2021″ [Columbia Records]

Vampire Weekend are officially back in action after this past week with news that their fourth full-length album will be entitled Father of the Bride, and it will be a double album boasting 18 tracks. That means there’s going to be a lot to process upon its release, but luckily, they’re planning on softening that blow by planning to release five singles ahead of time. This week got two, with “Harmony Hall” receiving most of the love. It’s other half “2021″ has some curiosities in its own as well to dissect as everyone ponders what a Rostam-downsized version of VW will sound like in 2019, six years removed from being at the epicenter of the music conversation. The listen isn’t nearly as ornate as its counterpart, but the simplicity of it stands out in a pitch-tuned refrain from Jenny Lewis and a synth sample from legendary Japanese musician Haruomi Hosono. “2021, will you think about us? / Copper goes green, steel beams go rust,” Ezra Koenig quietly ponders, never being one to let the good times roll without dwelling on the what ifs and what might happens of a future fast approaching.

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#the best of the rest #angel du$t #bellows #jessica pratt #nanami ozone #public practice #vampire weekend #Songs #new music & videos

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steve0discusses · 5 years

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Yugioh S3 Ep 46-47: We Have an Extra Episode, Just Blow Up the Island, I Dunno

Yo can you even believe this season is over?

It was honestly a two-season season, when you think about it. This tournament that was only like a week in showtime but two years in watch time if it was 2001 and I was tuning in every week. Kinda nuts when you think about it.

Anyways, it’s over, and not even the Kaibas are willing to really let it end. They’re camping out in their bunker they just set to explode, just watching everyone run around like ants while the sirens wail across the island (do you NEED emergency sirens if no one else lives on this island?)

And we get one more time for the writers of this show to flip over the Kaiba timeline like pancakes and I just...

I can’t believe they did this to me, but at the same time I can totally see how they just let this one fly under the radar, just wait for it, it’s coming.

(read more under the cut)

So this sort of explains a little bit more of why Kaiba insists on building Kaibaland when it already exists, as apparently the Japanese Kaibaland was just the first of a franchise. Like seriously what child dreams of Franchising? He has Kaibaland but is like “I won’t be truly happy at all and I will try to cut people up with card games until there are more Kaibalands. That will surely make me happy. More Kaibalands.”

But then, sitting in the middle of the orphanage, he stands up in his 70′s ass sweatervest and proudly proclaims:

This borked timeline.

Back in the present Joey is feeling stressed out so he’s turned to his only coping mechanism, that’s right, he’s hassling people.

Duke, who has a million motivations to want to kill Kaiba, since he works for Pegasus, brings up the bright idea of “or I dunno, we could leave them? Like they very much caused every event of the last week to happen outside of the random ass cultists.”

And so, now that Joey has exhausted things to hassle, let them be Roland or the massive engines on the blimp-plane, he decides to board the helicopter. I kid you not, Tea turns to Joey as they’re boarding the copter and says basically along the lines of this:

WTF, show. Like what? Like whaaaat? Anyway, don’t think about how big a helicopter is on the inside, because we’re just gonna shove everyone in here like it’s a mosh pit. Good thing that no one actually packed any luggage or pajamas, so at least that will keep the weight down.

Please admire the height of Yugi compared to Roland.

What followed was an explosion that the show did for...some reason. This didn’t need to happen. This was needless anxiety and it’s like..the season’s over why are we doing this???

So this is just a very Yugioh moment where...they didn’t really HAVE to blow up the island at the last minute. They didn’t HAVE to break the engines on the blimp-plane and they absolutely didn’t HAVE to put Seto Kaiba in a jet in the same very un-aerodynamic shape of a blue eyes white wife.

But they did.

If I’ve learned anything from watching Yugioh is that you must always, at every moment, be going 400%.

Seto just wanted to make a simple visual statement of “I want to move on from the past” so he decided to uh...do a very theatrical statement that was so theatrical that everyone thought that not only he and Mokuba had died, but that they, themselves, were about to die (and they were, they absolutely were)

Please admire the way they drew Seto from the side in this scene.

Anyway, now that the completely unnecessary “lets blow up the island and destroy the ecosystem” drama is over, and Kaiba’s off to encourage Global Warming in some other part of the globe, it’s time to send Marik off on his boat. It’s time for him to go have Marik Boat Time and never ever become a spinoff series although you know I would absolutely watch the hell out of that.

So, they choose the most idyllic landscape to do it, here in the abandoned warehouse district, surrounded by shipping cranes and strangely empty cruise liners. Ah, that twilight hour sunset. The way the sunlight kisses the corners of the abandoned warehouse’s windows.

I am absolutely shocked our background artist didn't use the chance to paint it neon orange. They love neon orange so much but I guess they save the neon for dramatic scenes. This one they left a more natural Instagram creamy color palate.

(PS at this point I guess Bakura decided to go home or go to the hospital. Whichever reason he decided to bounce, he bounced without saying goodbye to anyone apparently. That or the show just decided that no one cares about Bakura so he was the only one we didn’t say a farewell too, which is hilarious since he’s one of the most popular characters on this show.

Bro broke it to me, this whole story line of the puzzle and the tablet and all that--nah. By the time we get to it I’ll have forgotten all of the lore, pretty sure. Bro did ask me if we could skip S4 and I said no we are here for the worst parts first, Bro. When it gets horrible is when we’re finally getting to the good stuff.

Then, Duke suddenly remembered that before this tournament, he was only going on a walk between laundry loads but ended up abducted twice over, stranded on a submarine, an island, and nearly exploded. That and he had to sleep on one of Kaiba’s weird cube couches and that probably sucked. But it’s time for him to pull out his colors and add some bounce sheets to his whites for the dryer.

Can you believe they had Duke Devlin for two seasons but he only dueled once? Lol.

I can’t believe there was never a purpose for Duke Devlin other than to be eye-candy. I’ve only ever really seen this trope done to girls.

Mai also suddenly remembers that she doesn’t live here.

TBH, if Mai wasn’t put in a coma, I think she would have just left the tournament after she lost. She’d have pulled out a hang-glider from her pack and just sailed away rather than spend another minute with people she isn’t absolutely required to hang out with. That seems more her jam.

And then they had to frame up this Joey/Mai ship and...it’s just so funny when you remember that Mai is like waaay to old for Joey. She’s like 24 and he’s a baby but he’s pretty sure that he’s disappointing her so much by not telling her all about how he’s crushing. He’s pretty sure she just has no idea when it’s like, no, she does, and she does not want you to acknowledge it.

As she goes off, Tea for some reason decides to make it her responsibility for Joey to go out there and I guess...mortally embarrass himself in front of his much older crush? I mean you don’t really have to admit to your teachercrush that...you like her? Like, Mai is just a teachercrush right? Like he respects and admires her, she’s pretty, and there’s no other girls but Tea and Miho? Like that’s it?

This weird ass couple. And I mean it’s a weird pairing just because it can never happen on screen, but as some of you have pointed out--it is probably the healthiest couple in Yugioh. Mostly because we know that it will never happen. Unlike everyone else where it’s like, Joey better go eat both those pieces of paper with those phone numbers on it because holy hell a 16 yo dating a 12 yo is pretty freakin wild. What are those boys even going to talk about with Serenity? How wild fractions are? How to make a replica of a cell out of Jello for the science fair? Because that’s the level she’s at.

I was an architecture student once (I know. Ya’ll who’ve read many of these have probably noticed I attempted to major in nearly every art alignment so it’s probably very confusing to figure out wtf I actually ended up finishing in school (it was Illustration) ) so I just can’t with Yugi’s house. We have seen several rooms inside this house and none of them, absolutely none, line up with the outside of Yugi’s house (which is smack dab in the middle of the inner city for some reason??? Like does Yugi have PARKING? This is the most expensive two story house in Japan, it comes with free parking.

And like...I have tried to lay it out but it doesn’t make sense. The stairs of the shop go directly into the front door. The second floor would be half a staircase, so where is this living room? And assuming that Yugi is on the top floor with the slanted roof window...how? Is it the entire floor? what is going on here?

It’s a cartoon, I shouldn’t think about it, but this house is a Dr. Who police box. Anyways, Yugi decides to sneak out of the house by going down the stairs that are again, right in front of the front door. You cannot go through the front door of this house because these damn stairs are directly in the way.

Hey check out who’s alive, it’s Grandpa. I guess he’s...fine? I guess he just woke up on the floor of Bakura’s hospital room and was like “Screw that, I’m going home.” and then just peaced out here until Yugi came back.

I respect his moon pj’s to go with Yugi’s star pj’s.

I can’t imagine being in Grandpa’s position and seeing your boy go out there and get nearly killed by crazy ass cultists again and Seto Kaiba (who put him in a coma), and then catching him Sneaking Out. Like if I were Grandpa I’d just set up camp right outside of the front door because holy hell Yugi is so attracted to danger he’s just gonna waltz around the city in the middle of the night to play cards.

++++++++++RANT ABOUT TACO BELL, FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS IS JUST ME TALKING ABOUT THE TACO BELL MENU+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also I looked up Taco Bell in Japan thinking that this wouldn’t be a thing (from what I’ve heard, the only food Japan cannot do is Mexican) but not only does Taco Bell in Japan completely exist, guess what the menu is like? Just go ahead and guess in your head, I’m gonna go over the menu right now because this is very important.

I was expecting it to be pretty wild with a black taco shell made out of squid ink or something but surprisingly, it’s mostly the freakin same but different meats. Like they have a few more pork options (I guess instead of chicken?) and they have a shrimp taco--which I feel like we’ve done in the States before but everyone didn’t like that. Also, you can apparently get a crunchwrap, but it’s in a triangle shape instead of an octagon. They just changed the shape and called it a “stuffed grilled giant nacho”.

Obviously, they do not have a Ranch Doritos taco since America is the only place that is fully obsessed with Ranch. I have heard from so many people from Asia that “can we just not have Ranch today? Can we have a single spread without this weird garlic sauce? And...are you dipping your pizza with it? Is there one thing you haven’t coated with Ranch Dressing?” and it’s like no. There isn’t. Would you like to try our taco bell taco that is frosted in messy Ranch dust?

Like it really feels like this is the one fast food joint where everyone else has the normal Taco bell, and weirdly WE are are the people with the weird ass version of Taco Bell. Even Japan was like “you guys do you over there with your pink Starburst flavored frozen icee and your Quesarito...we’re just gonna put some extra cheese on a taco and call it ‘double cheese.’”

But here’s the craziest thing on the menu--the Taco Bell in Japan has FRIES.

I KNOW.

WHAT????

What would Taco Bell fries even taste like? Would they taste...tacoey? I mean I know that nacho fries are a thing that kinda comes and goes but I’ve never had them actually. Its never the right moment for nacho fries when Nacho fries are still on the menu.

but, I will say they do have one kind of weird thing on the menu I see online. I say “kind of” because it’s...just weird, it’s not actually all that out there as compared to our weird things in Taco bell. They got something called the “honey cheese pocket” which was a small plain flour tortilla filled with melted Monterey Jack cheese rolled into a cigar that you dip into honey.

...I mean...it probably tastes good, but if you released a honey cheese pocket in the States and pretended that’s Mexican food, I’m pretty sure every state touching the south border would cry a single Zesty-ranch-doritos-taco-shaped-tear. I know I would, at the same rate I’m stuffing honey cheese pockets directly into my mouth.

AND...apparently you can just serve alcohol in a Japanese Taco Bell. Which is interesting, because we had that episode of Season Zero where Yugi had to find alcohol in a burger joint, which seemed really odd to me at the time, but I guess you can just serve alcohol in whatever restaurant? Anyways, Taco bell has alcohol so now Yugi can light people on fire in a Taco Bell, if he really felt like it. Go ahead and append your fanfictions accordingly.

+++++++++END OF TACO BELL RANT, BACK TO CARDS ++++++++++++

So, can you imagine having a friend who forces you to wake up at o-dark hundred in order to play cards when you already attend all of the same classes and see eachother every minute of the day otherwise? Can you imagine having a friend like this?

Then again I’m not 100% on whether Pharaoh needs to sleep. It’s pretty clear that Bakura’s ghost doesn’t sleep much (or apparently eat much) so maybe it goes the same for Pharaoh as well that he needs Yugi to remind him how to be human.

Then there was this weird review episode they slapped on at the end. I...don’t know why they put it there, it was really more of an afterthought since nothing really got added or taken away from the finale. It was just a review episode of “in case you didn’t watch this season, here’s what happened this season” But the episode wasn’t over before Tea angsted the hell out about this kid that I guess she’s...

Tea thinks in her head about Yugi more than she talks directly to Yugi. That’s really my biggest issue with this couple. Tea can be so lukewarm towards Yugi and visa versa and then occasionally Tea will just snap and obsesses over this boy, but never tells him about it directly. Except for that one time in the blimp, which was more about “please don’t die”. But have they talked about how freakin anxious she is about how he’ll die? Nah.

It just feels like the writing team had one person who really liked Tea/Yugi, and then the rest who were like “fine, wtv” and so we get a real inconsistent narrative of this pair, that only seems to come up for drama, but then goes right back to being invisible moments later. Like sightings of a giant squid.

Ah, back where they started, on a date with a ghost. I think. This might be a date? It started at 2 PM so I don’t know that counts as a date yet.

These two are a lot.

And honestly...If it was going to happen it should have happened at some point in the end of this arc. She made such a big deal about him going off to card war, and now he’s back and she’s like...ok, cool.

They’re not gonna even talk about it? Or like...maybe high five it out? High five out those feelings? Man I feel so bad for anyone that shipped these two.

But anyway,

I’d add it to the Yugioh Death Count but that’s assuming that I don’t find an excuse to use this font again.

So yeah, that’s it for Season 3 (I wrote in Season 4 just now and had to really think about it because like...it really does feel like I went through 4 seasons, at least, of this show since every season is like 50 episodes)

Originally, when I started this, I thought there were only 3 seasons of Yugioh total. This was the end goal.

But I guess I’m committed now, so we’ll start up Season 4, which bro tells me is “completely different and not what you expected” but I probably won’t post until 2 weeks from now because this is a side hobby and I don’t need to wax long about my main-life stress, but youknow how it is: the more stuff I add the more stuff adds up. However, I do cope with stress by typing, so maybe I’ll just make sooo many updates to combat it? I dunno. But the blog will be back for S4. Eventually. When I get to it.

Many thanks to all y’all who’ve left many kind comments, I’ve been kind of tasked for time lately, so I haven’t really responded to many, but know that I see them and I’m thankful for them and I tell bro about them and he finds many of them amusing and y’all are just very, very nice. Wish Tumblr had an actual comments system since the only way to reply is like...it’s weird. If I reblog my own post I run the risk of it then being out of chronological order for people wanting to read that link I put at the base of each post so...I have to either make a new post to reply or reply within the post and I dunno if y’all can even see that type of reply...it’s tumblr problems.

Anyway, I’ll have a Graveyard for next weekend, maybe an art post, I dunno. But, I’m not dead, just watching how weird the next season is and making a buffer.

And here’s that link to read all these recaps in chrono order from the beginning

#ygo #yugioh #s3 #we finished s3 #s3 ep 46 #s3 ep47 #I might have those episode numbers wrong because 47 is a weird episode to end on #but I'm not gonna double check because we done #yugi muto #tea gardner #tristan taylor #duke devlin #serenity wheeler #seto kaiba #mokuba #mai valentine #a very long rant about taco bell

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