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txttletale · 4 months

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how would you recommend watching doctor who? there are so many different guys idk how it works.

so the thing about doctor who is that there's two shows -- classic who (1963-1989, doctors 1-7) and new who (2005-2023, doctors 9-14). due to a renumber of the seasons and a change in production company, i think it's fair to call the upcoming version of who (2023-??, doctors 15-??) its own, third show. the reason it's been able to run for so long is that when the show's lead actor, (william hartnell as the titular doctor) had to step down in 1966 due to failing health, they made up some sci-fi bullshit: the doctor's species can 'regenerate' instead of dying, instantly healing but changing their appearance and some of their personality. this means that every time a lead actor has walked away (or, in one unfortuante case, been fired) the show's just recast the doctor and moved on, often with notable changes in tone and format.

the easiest option if you don't want to backwatch anything is to start with this year's christmas special, the church on ruby road (2023). it's an obvious jumping on point to the series, introduces you to all the basic stuff (the doctor, the TARDIS, the fact that it's a silly sci-fi show about fighting weird rubber prop critters), and presumably sets up the upcoming season 1 of the disney-bad wolf version of the show that's gonna come out in may 2024.

if you do want to backwatch, you have to decide if you want to start with new who or classic who. i personally would recommend starting with new who, because there's less of it, it's got higher production values, and (imo this is the biggest obstacle to getting into classic who) it's paced in a way that makes much more sense to a modern TV viewer (self-contained 45-minute episodes). also once you're invested in the show, its main character, and some of its classic elements, you get to soyjak at the screen whenever you're watching classic who and you get to see the oirign of a monster you already recognize. you can also skip classic who entirely and never watch it, they don't bring up anything from it in the new series without giving it a new explanation, but if you do this you hate fun.

anyway, starting points for nuwho: the most obvious one is rose (2005). it's the pilot episode for the new show and imo it holds up brilliantly -- it introduces all the most basic concepts of the show, but ultimately it's really all about billie piper and cristopher eccleston's performances and they deliver. the special effects are gonna be pretty terrible for a while because it's early 2000s cg. there's no jumping on point like it for the whole of RTD's run of the show (imo, the best run of nuwho) so if you want to watch seasons 1-4 you've gotta start on rose.

another episode that's written as a jumping on-point is (heavy sigh) the eleventh hour (2011). as well as introducing matt smith's doctor and his companion amy, this also does the whole rigamarole of introducing the show's core elements, giving a nutshell recap of its history in the form of the doctor's rooftop speech, and also signal what the oncoming moffat era is going to be like (whimsical, full of complex time travel plots, way more misogynist). i'm biased -- i'm a hater, one of this episode's central plot conceits sucks real bad and i also hate the eleventh doctor's whole run. but it is meant to be a jumping on point.

there won't be another one of those in nuwho until the pilot (2017). this begins moffat's final season with which he made the odd but extremely welcome decision to jettison all his convoluted continuity shit from the last five seasons and refocus the show with the doctor being a professor at bristol university with a mysterious secret. i think season 10 is a hidden gem and if you find starting from rose daunting this is the next best place to pick up. capaldi's doctor is a delightful abrasive eccentric with a heart of gold at this point in his run & the stories are wall-to-wall bangers with only a couple misses.

finally, you could start on the woman who fell to earth (2018), the first episode to feature jodie whittaker's 13th doctor and head writer chris chibnall. i'd recommend this even less than the eleventh hour, because while i actually like it more, i think it's a much worse preview of what the upcoming era is going to be like than that one. if you watch the woman who fell to earth and keep watching from the start of whittaker's run on the show off the back of it, you're going to be severely disappointed as most of the more promising aspects of the episode get instantly abandoned.

so, summary, if you're starting with nuwho, there's five jumping on points, which i'd rank:

rose > the pilot > the church on ruby road > the eleventh hour > the woman who fell to earth

but i want to start with classic who because i'm a contrarian

alright. classic who also has a few jumping off points -- before i mentioned them, let me just talk about that format thing i mentioned earlier. classic who doesn't have self-contained episodes for the most part, but rather for most of its run told each of its episodic narratives across between two and seven 20-minute episodes. this leads to a lot of weird pacing, forced cliffhangers, and infamously a lot of filler shots of the doctor running up and down identical corridors. so obvsies i'm recommending entire stories here nad not individual episodes. that said, let's look at where you could jump on:

an unearthly child (1963). this is, like, the start of the show. that said i don't recommend it as a place to start (funnily enough), for a couple reasons. firstly, because of dreadful fucking archiving by the BBC, a lot of episodes from the show's first six seasons are straight up missing. some of them have been animated by the BBC from surviving audio recordings, but some of them are just straight up lost -- due to the format, this means there's very few full complete stories, which makes this whole era really hard to navigate. if you don't mind that and really want to start in the black and white era, i'd still recommend the tomb of the cybermen (1967) instead -- hartnell's portrayal of the doctor as a haughty, slightly impish old professor is great, but troughton basically defined the character's core traits for the next sixty years.

spearhead from space (1970) is a pretty big format upheaval for the show and so serves as a pretty great classic jumping-on point. it's the first episode to be in colour, and sets up a new status quo for the doctor as being trapped on earth and working for an elite paramlitary organization called UNIT that operates out of a ratty office. it's an interesting premise that the show gets some great stories out of. the special effects are bad in the best way. pertwee has instant charm in the role and it's all around a banger by classic standards.

if you want to jump right to the one all the boomers are nostalgic for, you can also start with robot (1974). i wouldn't recommend it, though--tom baker is electric in the role from the start, but the episode itself kind of assumes a lot of the context of the third doctor's setup and supporting cast which you're not gonna have.

i wouldn't recommend anyone start at any point during the fifth or sixth doctors runs because i want them to actually like the show, so i guess the last jumping on point i could really recommend after robot would be, like, dragonfire (1987), which heralds the show's short-lived renaissance with the seventh doctor and his best companion, ace. but although you'd be watching some of the absolute best the classic show ever gets, it feels like it would be a weird and disorienting place to start.

finally, you could watch tales of the tardis (2023), a limited series produced to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary. each episode follows the same format: through a vaguely handwaved Palace of Memories plot, two much-aged characters from the classic series meet up and fondly remember one of the adventures they shared. the bookends with the original actors are mostly shameless fanservice, but the episodes they're reminiscing about are superbly edited down into a much more watchable format -- it works as a good 'sample platter' for most eras of the show (although, weirdly, there wasn't anything from tom baker's run!) and i think it honestly wouldn't be a bad shout to just start from tales of the tardis and then keep watching from whichever of the stories featured in it you liked most. that all said, if you want to start with classic who, i'd rank these jumping on points as follows:

spearhead from space > tales of the tardis > tomb of the cybermen > dragonfire > robot > an unearthly child

all that shit said it's fundamentally a very episodic show with very few exceptions like trial of a time lord and whatever moffat was doing seasons 6-7 so in the end you can basically just start with any episode and more or less get some of the idea. have fun and make sure to do the most important job of a doctor who fan, update the tardis wiki page for penis whenever one is mentioned

#ask #doctor who #long post

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mikuni14 · 2 months

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Phee and Tan sitting in a tree P-L-O-T-T-I-N-G 🥳

I already rewatched episodes 1-4 once, when it turned out that Phee knew Non, and I even joked that when it turns out that he was working with Tan (there were already theories that Tan was New), I would have to watch these episodes ONCE AGAIN 😄 Not that I'm complaining! I love this series and when I like a series, I love coming back to it. I was going to do it now, especially after episode 10, where the characters were behaving weirdly, but after reading @tbhimnoteasyonmyself fantastic post, I don't have to do it anymore (although I still plan to, maybe after the finale?) because everything is written there 😍

While watching Phee's telling his story to Jin, illustrated with his scenes with Tan and SCENES OF TAN HIMSELF, I kept thinking, wait a minute. What? This is his story, why is he telling shit about Tan, where's his version? Later someone pointed out, that so far, the series has shown events as they are. And yet, suddenly we have a story, and only from one POV. And this story surprisingly whitewashes Phee and makes Tan a monster.

There's a lot that can be said about Phee, but I never got the impression that he was a coward, that he would gossip about someone he was so close to, just like that, even with Non he wasn't a petty bitch. No matter how angry Phee was at Tan, his pretty much nasty behavior as a friend, exposing him to Jin and then the rest of the crew, was completely ooc. And who would he do it for? For them? His "friends"? Are we sure Phee considers them "friends"?

That's why I watched episode 10 again, and the second time it seemed even more strange and raised a lot of questions. Like that scene in the temple:

how easily Phee accuses Tan. He thinks that Tan created a whole complex and based on a series of random coincidences, yet effective plan to kill Por, he thinks that Tan killed Deng by stretching a wire in broad daylight when someone could have noticed him, he thinks that Tan planned another complicated, based on a series of random coincidences, and yet a super effective action with a scooter, luring Top to the temple, poisoning him, hypnotizing him and sending him home to kill people???

Phee talks the most about Tan, portraying him as the biggest threat, and then starts telling a tearful story, "you don't know what I did", "it's all my fault", "I was so terrible towards Non". What's interesting is that Phee doesn't cry in this scene (at least I don't see any tears, although the lighting isn't good), and as we know, Phee cries easily when he's in pain

what effect does Phee achieve? JIN CONFESSES

TA DA! 🥳🎉🏆

what is Phee's reaction to this - a sigh that sounds like a mix of relief and triumph. And disbelief.

another interesting fact: Phee reacts the same way as to Non's "betrayal", at first he seems unable to believe what he hears, then he starts to pace around furiously, trying to control himself. The only difference is that Jin, unlike Non, does not fuel his anger by staying quiet..

During this time, Tan:

tries to calm Tee down, he wants White to take his gun 🤔

interestingly, later he doesn't stop Fluke when he has a gun! 😏

When Phee and Jin show up at home:

Phee informs everyone that Tan is Non's brother and that he WANTS REVENGE

REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE IS HIGH 🚨

Phee creates an atmosphere of threat, revenge that they deserve, and that it's about Non

REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE IS HIGH 🚨🚨

and what's happening? Phee conveniently doesn't have to say more about Tan and Non, because right after that Fluke takes action, steals the gun, has hallucinations, and kills Top

REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE IS HIGH, they just saw a murder, emotions are running high and they feel trapped 🚨🚨🚨

I watched Tan because I love him from that moment on, he is very pleased with the development of events, he is not angry with Phee at all, Phee also suddenly forgets that Tan was supposed to be the biggest monster and a threat

they both actually behave as if they were playing roles, they recite their lines like they're children in a school play, they play the good cop and the bad cop?

what is the effect of all this: TEE FINALLY STARTS TELLING THE TRUTH!!! 🥳🎉🏆

So I have to ask: How were Phee and Tan supposed to get information about Non after getting the boys high on the first night at the party, as Phee said to Jin? They were supposed to be having a great time and then suddenly Phee and Tan would start questioning them about Non and they would just... blurt out everything? 😆 When did Phee and Tan start getting information? NOW.

So, isn't it the case that Phee and Tan rightly guessed that only Tee could know what happened to Non, because the only one capable of making someone disappear is his uncle? There's a lot to be said about the other guys, but they probably don't have the ability, strength, or stomach to "disappear" a person. Probably not even Tee, but he may have something else: INFORMATION.

Did Phee betray Tan in this ep? I'm 99% sure not. They both watch calmly as the rest of the "friends" accuse each other. Phee pays special attention to Tan AND to Tee:

Isn't the most important thing for them (or for Tan especially) is discovering the truth that Tee knows, and the rest is just an accidental casualty of their war? Jin may be important to Phee, who might even want to protect him... but maybe not? Maybe Phee has a moral problem with all of this, but he doesn't feel morally better to stop Tan, seeing what all their "friends" started has led to, and even though he doesn't agree with him, he won't bother him?

(While watching episode 10 again, I also noticed this:

The shadow in the left corner was moving, it looked like there was someone else in the temple with Tan and Top. Non? Perth? Or maybe that woman Keng was working with?)

EDIT: so what I'm trying to say is that Phee and Tan could work together and manipulate others to obtain information about Non, regardless of the costs, and in Tan's case even enjoying the "costs". At least I would like it to be so 😉

Of course, I may see something that isn't there, want to see something more, have too high expectations of DFF. I'm pretty sure that's not the case, but like my dear friend @italianpersonwithashippersheart I've also seen too many good shows that screwed up the ending... But I still have hope 😚 DFF maintained a high standard for me throughout its 10 episodes. Even if they fuck up the ending, even if everything that surprised me in this episode turns out to be me cosplaying Fluke and seeing things that aren't there (and cosplaying Top, because I'm hypnotized by Tan), it's still 10 episodes of excellent content 💖

#dead friend forever #thai bl #bl drama

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valc0 · 28 days

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Hannibal rewatch and Baldur's Gate 3 ramblings

I recently re-watched the first season of Hannibal after almost 8 years and since I’m now deep into another fandom (BG3) I analyzed some of the themes of the show and how parts of it could tie in with the story of the game, particularly when it comes to the Dark Urge.

I’m also doing a review because why the hell not. I divided the text into sections for convenience, so if you want to read only the review or are exclusively interested in my speculating ramblings on BG3 you can easily do that.

It’s a long one so let’s start.

REVIEW

THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE AND WILL GO INTO GREAT DETAILS ABOUT THE TWISTS AND PLOT POINTS OF THE SHOW.

If you didn’t watch it and you like thriller/crime/horror please do yourself a favor and watch this show now!

I’ll start by saying season one, to me, is almost perfection. It’s 13 very well crafted and acted episodes and almost none feel like filler (almost but we’ll get to it). The crime of the week structure is integrated with the horizontal themes of the season seamlessly and the story avoids exploring too many parallel plots, making the theming very cohesive.

I remember watching this show for the first time and finishing season 1 in about 2 to 3 days, but I’d never think the same would’ve happened a second time. The first 5 episodes had me in a clutch from the start. Every character is fleshed out and extremely well written, the acting is impeccable, the writing is phenomenal and the visual, even when getting symbolic, never seem gratuitous or nonsensical in their use of analogies and dream-like visions.

The photography is also phenomenal, with great use of contrast that makes the image and scene clear even though it's set in the dark or at night.

If I had to rate the season I think I’d definitely give it a 9/10, and the 9 is only because of two small things that I figured I’d get out of the way first:

(I must remember whoever is reading this that these are my opinions, they don’t mean to offend anyone else differing opinion. You’ll see what I mean in a second.)

Alana Bloom x Will Graham is forced, comes out of nowhere, and makes Will act out of character most of the times.

I’m not getting into ship-fighting, this is not about shipping, I like Hannigram but I have no dog in this fight so this is totally not about it. Episode 8 is great, it has one of the best kills in the whole season and Will deteriorating stability makes for great lines and visuals, other than a lot of tension since he can no longer be predictable and ends up disrupting Hannibal plans.

And though I could attribute the way he acts towards Alana as something he does because of this deteriorating mental state, it doesn’t really feel like it. He seems very present during those scenes and acts weirdly romantic for the reclusive stray-collector, whose primary hobby is fishing and who’s been plagued by visions of death in the past episodes.

I would have rather see them to grow more of a non-romantric connection that may or may not have become romantic in later seasons. It all seems a bit rushed imo.

I also know they are setting up the Alana x Will x Hannibal. Which I’ll be honest I don’t remember liking the first time I watched it...but we’ll see.

2. Episodes 9 and 11 slow the show and kind of drag the pace.

Episodes 9. The totem of bodies is a very striking and memorable visual, but the crime in itself is very bland and the killer only gets a 5 minute scene towards the end which is anticlimactic and kinda too much tell with too little show. It’s honestly a shame because the murders in the previous episodes were very well crafted and paced. This one, not so much. I understand the need to connect the themes of “legacy” and “family” with Abigail’s actions but I feel like there could have been better ways to do that in previous episodes.

Episodes 11. I loved the whole Chesapeake Ripper fake-out, but I’ll be honest I don’t think I needed a whole other episode of Abel Gideon’s story. Didn’t really care for the plot of this and the pace was a little too slow. Good things about this episode are the ending with Hannibal at his most manipulative, and the fact that it starts Chilton’s comedic chain of misfortunes– which cracked me up the first time I watched the show because come on!! this guy is awful and can’t catch a break, you love to see it.

Now that the “bad” is out of the way let’s talk about the good, which is honestly everything else.

Episode 1

Banger of a pilot. Everything for the rest of the show is set up in only 42 minutes if you can believe that. Characters are fleshed out, themes are placed, conflicts are started. By the end of the episode all you want is MORE. I have very little else to say other than the pacing of this one should honestly be studied, a lot of modern series would need the lesson imo.

Episode 2

Interesting case with a lot of great scenes that reinforce the characters and their relationships. You get a first glance at how campy? the show can be, which is honestly something I love, I’m kinda tired of the “realistic to the point of boredom” trend I’ve been seeing lately. Freddie Lounds is properly introduced as the disrupting force she is and we get a jumpscare that made me curse. Sorry, did I forget to mention I’m watching Hannibal and I cannot stand horror? Lmao

Episode 3

LOVE this episode, the way this show makes you feel powerless as you watch the events unfold knowing full well what is happening and who is responsible...amazing! I love Abigail’s character and the very innocent and pristine way she is portrayed when you know later on the truth will come out is chilling.

Episode 4

I remember how grim I found this episode the first time and the feeling returned the second time around. Hated the killer with every fiber of my being and the fact that she kinda looks like Catherine Tate made me die a little. Also the scene of Hannibal making himself a family through gaslighting and creative use of drugs and lies was amazing.

Episode 5

I loved this crime and the way the episode paces the killings. The angel symbology was great, I’m a sucker for catholic and religious themes tied into vicious crimes. The series also introduces Bella, Jack’s wife, which I’ll be honest I don’t remember having a good ending...I don't remember exactly how, but I know I will cry.

Episode 6

Favorite episode by far, the tension in the flashback scene is palpable and when you see Miriam looking at the sketch with the silhouette of Hannibal pacing towards her in the background AAAHGGG- RUN Miriam OMG! This is the episode where you realize how absolutely scary Hannibal’s physicality can be. Mads Mikkelsen is 1,83 (5ft 11) but he feels like a giant in those scenes, like you can do shit about it.

Episode 7

The episode’s case is a botched transplant one and it’s just okay, nothing too spectacular, but the way this series makes me hungry should be concerning, since I just watched Hannibal kill and butcher people who slightly wronged him to make a feast out of them. I’m sorry, whoever is directing the shooting of the food is doing a good job, okay?

Episode 8

My second favorite episode yay! I love this kill because it’s so over the top. Also the visual of a person played like a cello is haunting just as much as the sound they decided to give it. “He had to open you up to get a decent sound out of you.” okay Will go off?!?! A bit sad they took this murder from Hannibal since I believe it was his in the books, but the end fight was worth it (though when Tobias started swinging his impromptu cello string weapon I did cackle because omfg calm down)

Episode 9

See section above

Episode 10

I shat myself watching this episode with all the horror vibes I’m dying please, I’m watching this through my fingers like a baby. I did love this episode though, and the final twist of Hannibal going to such lengths to be sure he leaves NO ONE behind is terrifying. Dr. Sutcliffe even agreed with him and didn’t show signs of wanting to betray or rat him out, and yet in the big scheme Hannibal still found it better to kill him. Scary stuff.

Episode 11

See section above

Episode 12-13

Putting these together because they are the finale and are closely linked to each other. There is no real “crime of the week”, though Georgia Madchen dies at the start of episode 12 and Abigail...dies at the start of episode 13. Will continuously declining psyche is very well portrayed, you really feel powerless with him as his brain keeps betraying him over and over at the worse possible times. Also Hannibal fake-empathy is so uncomfortable to me...knowing the lengths he’d go to manipulate the situation after seeing all the “behind the scenes” is chilling. All in all it’s a good finale though it really doesn’t feel like one. By the end Will managed to see Hannibal’s true colors, but I don’t think he’ll fully understand what he’s fighting against until he actually sees Hannibal in action, so it does feel inconclusive in a way. We do get Hannibal funny naked fursona is all its glory though so, big happy for me!

Now let’s get in my current fixation and tie in some of the themes of Hannibal with Baldur’s Gate 3. YAY!

BALDUR’S GATE 3 – Dark Urges, Bad Dreams and Worse Influences

Let’s get something out of the way first.

The Dark Urge is a very flexible and versatile character which is mostly – if not completely– shaped by the player. We get to decide if they refuse the Urge, with the bittersweet realization they still took all those lives and will have to deal with that guilt. OR we could make them machines of slaughter and death, embracing their father’s plan for them to be the killer they were made to become.

There are other variations of this and from what I’ve seen many Durges have very different characteristics depending on how the player interpreted and played the game.

This to say, all of the following dissertations on BG3 and the themes of Hannibal are my personal view of MY Durge or the way I see the character in general, which is extremely personal and could crash with someone else’s interpretation or headcanon. Keep that in mind while reading, if you see me using absolutes or if I forget an “imo” at the end of a sentence, remember this is ALL In my opinion, none of this is to be considered as a general and all-encompassing statement for every Durge out there.

That said, you’ll be surprised to know in my interpretation the Dark Urge isn’t Hannibal, what’s funny is that the Dark Urge isn’t Will either.

Durge is both characters at the same time, and depending where they are in their journey, this may change.

In the case of Will, towards the end of the series you get a more “start of the game” Durge. The memory loss, the confusing thoughts, the haunting dreams and then this weird hellish creature (Sceleritas Fel) guiding them. By this point Durge is still a victim of their circumstances, they can’t really grasp who or what they are and their mind is in complete shambles.

I can see a Resist!Durge in this scenario, someone completely horrified by their actions starting to question who they are, what they did, and if they can ever change. This point in the game isn’t spelled out as much, the narrator often refers to it but the real extent of psychological damage a Resist!Durge must face is left completely to the player’s interpretation, that’s why I think Will is such a great starting point to understand and visualize the character of Durge from a distant POV.

With Hannibal you get a more pre-tadpole pre-Orin-meddling Durge. Someone who knows what they’re doing and how to get what they want. I personally never saw my own Durge as this calculating, something in the feral way the Urge gets to the character in game made Hannibal a tad too composed to fully be an inspiration for Durge, but I’ve also seen other people Durges as cool and collected killers, and the comparison in that case works really well.

Another interesting characteristic of Hannibal we can see in Durge is the twisted way he thinks in relation to others. Hannibal calls himself Will’s friend, and I believe he’s genuine in his affection since the way he helps Will is in done in earnest.

This helping though, it’s monstrous in all sense. Hannibal lies, literally gaslights Will, meddles with his head and denies him medical help. He manipulates him into killing, only to watch what unfolds simply because he needs someone who understands him. By dragging Will deeper into his world and making him a killer, Hannibal cultivates what he perceives as Will’s true nature and potential, making the man a suitable friend for himself.

It speaks to Hannibal narcissism that he would consider helping someone as making them more like him. But then again that’s also why Hannibal is so drawn towards Will, because he thinks differently and he IS different from him. He doesn’t have the same amount of interest or even respect for someone like Tobias, who’s probably the most Hannibal-like killer we get to see in season 1.

He needs the challenge, he needs to feel in control. And ultimately, though not in an usual sense, Hannibal needs a friend. He is lonely.

This works a lot for Durge in the sense that they may or may not corrupt people around them. As a player we get the choice and power to influence how companions act and react, and this kind of duality of “I like them, I want to help them” and “I want to make them like me” is a good motivation to give a Durge who may, for example, ascent Astarion, or turn Shadowheart more towards Shar, or give Gale a power complex (more so than he already has) ect.

BONUS! And then came Durgetash

In episode 1 Hannibal visits Will and brings him breakfast. While they chat in a honestly beautifully lit scene, this exchange happens.

Hannibal: You know, Will, I think Uncle Jack sees you as a fragile little teacup. The finest china, used only for special guests. Will: How do you see me? Hannibal: The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.

Did I mention I love Durgetash? Did I mention I go completely feral over unhealthy dynamics and specifically this kind of dynamic?

“The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.” is an amazing line for Gortash because I do believe the reason he wanted Durge to side with him was that Durge was extremely good at being undetected, and even more so skilled at killing the right target at the right time.

I love the idea of Gortash using Durge as a shield/weapon, and Durge using Gortash to economically sustain and socially shield Bhaal’s cult. I love to think their relationship was born because they were useful to each other and that in this completely selfish ecosystem they somehow found company.

Because I’m sure Durge pushed back. I’m sure they realized they were being used and didn’t like it one bit, and Gortash kept Durge around even though they may pose a threat, for the same reason Hannibal keeps running circles around Will. Gortash needs a challenge. Being head of Bane’s cult means that other than his God, no one else is above him, and I think a man who’s been fighting his whole life to gain control would feel a bit lost when this control is automatically given to him without a fight.

In the same way I think Durge would yearn for something more, something different than what they’re stuck with, which is a dying cult forced to hide beneath the city, and a jealous and over-zealous sister who I’m sure tries to kill them once a week. I think they would get pulled in by the promises Gortash would make. To rule together, above ground, for once not having to hide, getting back the power Durge feels like belongs to them.

The similarities I found between these characters are way more than these but I think I’ll have to make a part 2 of this once I’m done re-watching season 2. I’m aware the series has been out for a while and I’m sure people already made way more interesting and in-depth analysis. I still hope you liked my little morning ramble that turned in a full on essay on the subject.

Thank you for reading!

#bg3 #hannibal #the dark urge #baldur's gate 3 #nbc hannibal #durgetash #hannigram #i love murderous idiots what do you want from me

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vivziepopwhatthehell · 3 months

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Ep 4 Review

There are mentions of SA in this document. Reader discretion is advised.

Introduction

There’s so many things that I want to say about Hazbin Hotel but for now, I’m only going to keep my thoughts relevant to episode four. It’s the episode that everyone is talking about, after all. I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts too.

The Positives

- I was expecting Blake Roman's voice acting to be subpar, and initially, it fell short of my expectations. The first episode featured what I believe is his weakest voice direction among all the released episodes. However, my initial concerns were proven wrong as the series progressed. In this episode, Blake's performance truly stood out and showcased his considerable talent. He skillfully conveyed emotions that he wasn't given an opportunity to show in the earlier episodes. Despite this improvement, he still faces the challenges with maintaining the Angel Dust accent. Blake Roman would definitely shine if he was given a role that wasn't previously defined by another talented voice actor like Michael Kovach. That being said, I'm really excited to see more from Blake Roman in future episodes.

- Valentino's character is now effectively portrayed with the menacing demeanor befitting his role, a notable departure from his initial appearance in episode two. The shift in his portrayal makes it more evident why Angel Dust fears him. To enhance the impact of Valentino's introduction in this episode, a strategic adjustment in episode two's writing could have been beneficial. Specifically, focusing more on Vox and Alastor, and introducing Valentino through Angel Dust's voicemail instead. This approach would have spared Valentino from the perception of being pathetic and whiny in previous showcases, ensuring a more powerful debut. However, it's worth noting that episode four rectifies this mistake to a significant extent, making the suggestion to rewrite episode two more of a reflection on what could have been done differently rather than a critique of the current narrative.

- The animation is a lot smoother in this episode compared to two and three. The characters are also a lot more expressive and the art is overall pretty to look at. That's my overall opinion on the art direction. The storyboard is great in several areas, too. I loved the visuals when Husk talks about how he signed his contract with Alastor.

- The beginning of the episode actually had a few jokes that made me laugh.

The Negatives

- Hazbin Hotel has huge pacing problems present in all of the episodes. Because the show only has 23 minutes and 10 episodes to tell its story, a bunch of minor inconveniences need to be escalated unrealistically either to change a scene or develop character relationships (this one is mainly in relation to Charlie and Vaggie). In this episode, Charlie's tiny stumble over a plug must hastily snowball into a fire to justify the subsequent escalation of tension with Valentino. But how does that even start a fire? Charlie could instead accidentally knock over a lit candle on the bedside table in the set. Following this mishap, the employees, who are off exploring Charlie's hotel idea after their conversation during the shoot, are absent when the fire starts, causing it to spread. This change is still stupid, but it maintains the same elements while offering a more believable catalyst for the escalating tension. Another area that could have been improved was the ending, because I feel like Angel Dust forgave Charlie way too easily.

- Hazbin Hotel often relies heavily on exposition dumps and tends to tell rather than show. Husker's dialogue in the beginning of the episode serves as a means to spoon-feed the audience information about each character's struggle, which is a really boring way to storytell. Husker also seems to have such an intimate understanding of every character that he should be the one to run the hotel at this point. I am hoping that we get a Husker and Charlie episode, where Husker tells her to listen to her friends more. Maybe then she’d have a better understanding on how to help them out with their problems.

- Valentino's powers are confusing me. In "Addict," the red smoke from Valentino and Angel Dust's cigarettes, initially symbolic, seems to become literal in episode four. For instance, Valentino uses the smoke to create chains around Angel Dust's throat and pulls him upwards to focus on the contract he signed. The smoke should not have been made a physical entity that can control the characters this way, because now it completely devalues its presence in the music video (even if the music video is no longer canon).

- Regrettably, the episode has become difficult for me to view objectively due to some storyboard artists openly sharing their personal bedroom preferences. I'm making a concerted effort to distinguish the artists from their work, but it is hard to not view this as just another fuel for fetish. To illustrate, consider the smoke chain scene preceding "Poison," where Valentino employs a chain around Angel's neck to compel him to review the contract. It's notable that Valentino could have achieved the same effect by grabbing Angel's hair, but the inclusion of the chain appears to be a direct reference to the storyboard artist's leash kink.

- There’s too many songs. When the song title leaks came out for Hazbin Hotel, I thought that most of them were just the names of the instrumentals. They are all actually two-four minute length songs. When these songs do come onto the screen, none of them have build-up. The song just randomly starts, and many times, the song replaces moments that are crucial to have dialogue in. Just because you have Broadway stars doesn’t mean that you need to have three songs per episode. Cap it to one to leave a good impression on your audience, because most of these songs left me REALLY bored not even halfway through them. The lyrics and how they are sung are also offensive at times, specifically in “Loser Baby”.

- Charlie's fixation on the hotel has reached an alarming level of insensitivity in this episode. While the hotel's success remains crucial, her approach comes off as callous and indifferent to the people around her. The episode kicks off with what seems like a thoughtful gesture toward Angel Dust, trying to help him get a day off work. But her motivation is solely to ensure he can continue his daily redeemer exercises at the hotel. Then, when Angel Dust begs her to leave (while sounding completely terrified in the process), Charlie overstays her welcome and actively disrupts the employees during the shoot to advertise her hotel. There’s a time and place, Charlie! In my ideal version of the episode, Charlie remains determined to secure a day off for Angel Dust (just to spend time with him). Charlie doesn’t get to speak to Angel Dust before she proposes the idea to Valentino. Valentino responds nicely to her, but we see a bunch of subtle cues to his anger about Angel Dust trying to “escape” before he glares at Angel Dust and brings him into the other room.

- Keith David is talented, but his voice for Husker just isn’t doing it for me. Sorry, Keith. It isn’t as rough and gravelly as it should be, but you were obviously just miscast. The same applies to Stephanie Beatriz as Vaggie.

- A trigger warning is absent from the episode. The warning wouldn't have benefited the narrative in any way, but it would have definitely aided the members of the audience that it is meant to represent.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the episode is overall “okay”. It still suffers a lot of the same problems as the other episodes. Though, episode four does have its own improvements as well. I am hoping that the show continues to get better from here.

Edit: accidentally deleted one of my points before publishing + added a tag.

#hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel

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mamuzzy · 5 months

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I only wanted to answer in reblog but it got so long i decided to make a separate post. But it had me thinking about media consumerism and how it could affect the open-mindedness for different shows soooo...

Here is a guide to...

HOW TO GET SOMEONE TRAPPED IN THE CLONE HELL

... not entirely a guide but more like an observation.

If we want to look at the problem with the fast-paced media consumer viewpoint, I think starting with the Bad Batch it's actually not a bad idea for someone who never watched Star Wars animated media before. It's sad but cartoons, animations can repulse people to watch things because they link them to child stories, something only a child would watch, also most of the people prefer live action instead of animated stuff. Especially if the said movie/series is quite old. cont. under the cut...

There could be a reason why people are not interested in clones

If a friend, family member, boyfriend/girlfriend/whatever only saw the movies and were not interested in TCW before, had not seen it as a child on TV, they will probably have prejudice against the clones. - They weren't the main characters in the movies therefor we have not seen them interacting that much with the main cast. - But even if you don't know star wars, you will probably know the clones for Order 66, white armored assholes who murdered the jedi aka good guys. And when the movies came out, inhibitor chips weren't in the picture. ---> this observations came while watching TCW with my dad who didn't like the clones because for this exact same reason: the clones basicly serve antagonist without question in a world where rules were set: jedi are good, sith are evil. -> I don't care that it is more complex that. It is what was shown. While he enjoyed the clone-centric episodes, he still stood at his point. They killed the jedi. End of story. - People have different interests :'(((((((

THE CLONE WARS 2003

Why do I recommend this first.

You can always say it's made by the same guy who made Samurai Jack. Strategically speaking Clone Wars 2003 would be a good starting point despite not being canon anymore because TCW is adapting some of the stories shown here. It recaps well what happened between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Also this is the first media where Asajj Ventress and Grievous were introduced, and where you can actually see Grievous in his prime, an absolutely terrifying foe who actually can mop the floor with the jedi. Lots of jedi were introduced here which later also appeared in TCW. Why is this important: Having familiarity with the characters shown in memorable scenes helps that you will recognise them later in other media. Like... Hey it's the jedi dude who stripped in the middle of a fight! Hey, aren't these the same guys who mutated an entire village out of fun who kidnapped Echo??? And so on. TIME: 25 x 5 minutes episodes full of action so it keeps up the interest, and... FORDO. 5 minutes of full clone badassery. While TCW emphasises on the theme that the clones are living, feeling human beings who can die exactly like a human, in CW2003 they are shown like really the badass super soldiers (especially the ARC Troopers) who were bred for war. How much time it takes an episode to watch is an important factor. Because someone who binge watches 10 x 1 hour long netflix series under one day without sleep, drink, eat is not a guarantee that they will be able to sit through 133 x 22 minutes episodes. The sheer numbers will scare them away, nobody has a time watch 133 episodes when you can watch like... 5 different series instead! STORY TELLING COMPARED TO TCW: CW2003 goes for mostly visual story telling instead of talking. It's suspenseful, it's scenic, it's extreme, sometimes silly (rocket-launcher clone in the elevator with zero fuck given is still my favorite) but it's guarantee that you will remember. TCW episodes are varying from episodic to two-to-four episode arcs, it has silly comic relief episodes, it has serious dark episodes, obligatory beach episode, obligatory valentine day episode, obligatory school festival episodes obligatory-just kidding lol , so the lenght of one story can be varying, so is the quality of them. So unless you have a hyperfixation, or are a completionist, or interested enough, the episodes - in psychologycal term -, won't urge you the continue. Because in one 22 minutes episode you got a complete story without cliffhanger it won't make you think, because all the questions asked in the beginning of the episode was answered at the end. It won't rush you to continue, because you know that probably the next episode will be about an entire different conflict. You can stop anytime without the feeling of "just one more episode, just one more episode". Also, it doesn't help that you know how the story will end if you saw Revenge of the Sith. The forementioned uglyness... It took me years to finish TCW. I hated when it came out back in 2009 despite loving Star Wars and CW2003 and only after a decade picked up my interest again, it still took me years to finish it anyway. Back then, I really hated how everything got quickly 3D in neglection of 2D. But can't say it's ugly because it's old, it was ugly when it came out! You really have to force yourself to accept how it looks until you are fine with it, because your eyes got used to it. Also some episodes were boring, not entertaining, I just lost interest and only came back later to continue and I even forgot what happened before. I can't remember most of the arc expect those I was interested in to rewatch it again in the last years. Yes, the quality will improve. Season 7 is beautiful. The visuals of Bad Batch is also beautiful. But between season 6 and season 7, years passed.

THE BAD BATCH

Why do I recommend TBB for someone who ain't got time for shit™:

- TBB season are 16 episodes long. It's friendlier than 133 number wise. - There are only a few main characters to follow. It's important because when there are a large cast of characters, it's easy to get confused who is who and with literal CLONES as main characters, it's hard to distinguish them from each other. I know I can distinguished them, because I'm so fixated on them that every single verbal and non-verbal gesture they make will shoot me into outer space. - The Batch uses popular character tropes, different looks, different voices and tones, so they are recognisable, therefore, you will remember them for the rest of the show. So it will be a chance that you will fall for at least one member of the batch. And then you'll be thirsting mess over one character and eventually you'll be staning all of them, and eventually you will seek out more contents,fanfics, fanarts, headcanons with them that will attract TCW characters or events as well that will lead further deep down into the clone-hell. --> You can start showing the Bad Batch arc TCW where Jesse, Kix, Rex, Cody is also present, so there are plenty of topic and characters to talk about later. Also... Who is this Echo guy, how did he end up here? You can show the Domino Squad episodes, Kamino arc, citadel arc... - This could be a double-edge sword, but TBB are shown resemblance to Delta Squad, Omega Squad and Null ARC troopers. You know Delta Squad from the Video Game, Republic Commando, while the Omegas and Nulls are the main characters of the book series with the same name by Karen Traviss. I say it's double edged, because without these fantastic characters we wouldn't have The Bad Batch, but also I can understand the fans who wanted the Deltas adapted properly instead. - In season 1, the "fillers" add to the story and the characters as well and they won't get episodic-amnesia. (they may have TCW amnesia though... yes, I look at you Echo.) - In Season 1, there is a clear conflict which shadow always lingers even if the plot of the episode does not directly touches it. - Returning characters from TCW like Rex and Gregor could make the consumer ask the questions: who are these guys and why are they important? Rex is cute, is there more episodes with him? Oh yes, my dear prey friend, there is a whole series about him. - I only say season 1 because I'm not entirely satisfied how season 2 were handled while I enjoyed the first one. My hyperfixation for TCW last year literally started with Bad Batch. The trailer was so misleadingly awesome I wanted to watch it before season 2 would come out, but I wanted to finish TCW first (finally!). Season 6 and Season 7 were basicly binge watch and it got me interested again in the previous seasons too.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS 2008 (movie)

Why do I recommend this before TCW - It has Fox - Because sitting through a one-night movie is still easier than watching 133 episodes while maintaining the same quality of the show. - It has Fox - It shows the story how Ahsoka is introduced as Anakin's padawan the first time and we get a glimpse of their initial relationship and dynamic. - It has Fox - Basicly two arc in one movie but the introduced characters stay the same the entire time so you have time to get to know them, recognise them, and later you can remember them. - It has Fox - It has Fox.

TALES OF THE JEDI

It has that one episodes with the clones where they train Ahsoka. Possible questions could be asked: wtf happens at the END? Where is the rest of it? You can instantly show the last arc of season 7. Which would lead to another questions: wtf are the mandalorians, why Maul is here, wtf happening with Rex during O66, why is he hesitating to shoot Ahsoka? Now you can show the Chip conspiracy ARC with Fives! This Fives is a nice guy, is there more episodes of him? Oh boy~

And if they are interested in watching TCW with you..

- Watching together as spending time together usually helps. I think discord also has a function where you can stream movies to others. - You don't have to watch it in the exact order the episodes came out - Show arcs. There are lot of clone centric arcs. I literally collected all the episodes where Echo and Fives are present. --> Dad remembered Echo the whole time and he felt sorry for him. I showed the episodes in such order that his story could be followed easely. ------------- I know. I get it. Every episode is awesome. Every character is awesome. They are. They are all blorbos. They are our blorbos.

#this is probably my longest english written post lol #tcw #clone wars #the clone wars #star wars meta #clone wars meta #star wars #the clone wars 2003 #tales of the jedi #the bad batch #tbb #republic commando #repcomm

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morannon · 2 years

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Rings of Power: Episodes 1 & 2

I honestly couldn’t find it in me to simply sit through it as if I wasn’t compiling a mental checklist of all of the offences. And the offences are many. It’s just my first watch so I’m sure I missed a lot of finer details. It’s hard comparing certain things to anything because it’s all just made up by the showrunners and the timeline is at this point irrelevant because this whole thing is some weird AU.

I also mostly don’t comment on the acting because although it’s of exceptionally inconsistent quality from actor to actor, and it’s obvious that some of them have not managed to get into character, I find more fault with the writing. Had the writing been better I’m sure that the actors’ deliveries would have felt more natural. With that said...

Episode 1:

Even the opening scenes of baby Galadriel playing with other children like a bunch of little gremlins who appear of accurate age to their physical development doesn’t sit right with me. Elves mature much slower than Humans physically, but develop much faster mentally. According to The Nature of Middle-earth they reach puberty only at over 200 years old. Which means that an Elven child that looks 7 might instead be over 100 years old and has lived for what would be for a Human a whole lifetime or more. To portray Elven children as comparable to Humans in their speech and manners is absurd.

In the first few minutes of the episode Galadriel is portrayed consecutively by two actresses whose accents are cardinally different and it stands out.

The timeline is such a disaster, that much is obvious before the first 10 minutes.

Galadriel’s history lesson in the beginning could have had a much better effect if they took any notes from the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring. Controlling the pace and emphasis, even modifying Cate Blanchett’s voice achieved an effect that has been carved into our minds permanently. Morfydd Clark’s delivery falls face first into mud. It’s just dull, monotone and unfeeling.

Obvious makeup. Very meh.

I honestly think the use of this weird font to mark location on screen looks really cheap and like as if their graphics department couldn’t find the original font so they just used the papyrus one instead. Like what is that? (I know I’m a design snob but seriously.)

The dialogue is just stiff, awkward and unelegant.

The fight scene with the troll is just terrible. Galadriel singlehandedly takes down a massive troll with almost no help and without a hair out of place. Complete with entirely unnecessary sword flourishes. It’s embarrassing to watch honestly. Seems also like Galadriel’s entire company is purely decorative as she does all the fighting, is always right and does everything on her own while others try to keep up with her. Mary Sue down to a T.

The Harfoots are a travesty. Irish cosplay, but make it primitive. The moment you take a closer look at their setup it’s hard to believe they’re nomadic. So much seems decorative, rather than functional to them. And that’s before we get to the characters. They’re just made to look pointedly primitive.

They’ve also deisgned the Lindon set without being able to decide whether it’s fall or summer. Because it’s both at the same time. It’s seemingly fall where they walk among yellow trees (canonically there are NO mellyrn outside of Lorien; Gil-Galad had the seeds, but none grew in Lindon) and on layers of fallen, yellowed leaves. At the same time the surrounding hills are in full greenery as are all the other plants surrounding them. Like there’s no biological consistency to the living environment and the result is that Elves almost look removed from nature, rather than in utter harmony with their environment as they’re meant to be.

And what the hell is it with those Roman civic crowns everywhere.

The dialogue is... it’s to Tolkien what Aliexpress is to haute couture.

And speaking of the costumes. Aliexpress sale bin.

They’re importing present-day social issues into Middle-earth as if it didn’t have enough of to go around already. On top of that it feels forced and shoehorned, which it didn’t have to be if they had chosen to make the xenophobia contextually authentic to Middle-earth. Like fear of the unknown peoples and lands, which wouldn’t be much of a stretch. Rather than synthesising anti-Elf racism to show how one black Elf in particular is the victim of this, as if this then wouldn’t apply to all the other Elves somehow. So is it about the ears or is it about his skin color because there are no other black Elves on record and none appear in the series besides him? Make it make sense.

The short hair on Elven men is so weird. WTF is this? The Witcher?

Also the way Galadriel’s memory of her conversation with her brother is overlayed the scene feels terrible because the audio is too similar to those speaking on screen and there’s not enough of an echo or some other sound effct to distinguish it. So it sounds like director’s commentary.

They are all way too unphased by a giant fireball falling from the skies. Plus the way everything is on fire, but somehow his loincloth is unharmed. Right. There would have been so many other ways of dealing with that for the sake of modesty which would have been a lot less laughable.

Episode 2:

The Harfoots are supposed to be way more archaic than their Hobbit descendants. And they are made to look the part visually, but their dialogue has been bothering me since the beginning because it’s way more contemporary than that of Hobbits in LOTR, and it stood out since episode 1. It’s only stylized to the extent of using ‘unrefined’ language so to speak. The manner of speaking doesn’t feel authentic to bygone times. And neither does their acting, manners etc. Which again makes it feel even more like Irish cosplay.

Looking at the set decorations in Eregion reveals that apparently they just went thrift-shopping in Camden market or something. It’s more of an eclectic mix of 19th century European furniture and neo-styles with some accent decorations from Italy and Morocco than anything I’d associate with Elves of any Age. It’s not even Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts dominant. And I swear one of those lanterns is painted plastic and not even made of metal. WTF is this Disneyland giftshop shit? I’m not seeing the millions in anything but VFX.

All of the Dwarven costumes are a massive downgrade. I feel like all of the effort was put into prosthetic noses and that’s the extent of it. Meanwhile the culture is shown to be brutish above everything else, to the point that it makes me question how they could possibly create such fine things. There’s a major disconnect there.

Plus this one sure feels like Scottish cosplay. Remember groundskeeper Willie from The Simposons. Yeah.

Also I feel like everything to do with Durin is essentially everything criticized about the Hobbit trilogy and more. Plus this domestic scenery (which is pulled out of their asses) completely breaks the decorum characteristic to Tolkien. It’s just awkward to watch.

The breaking of decorum gets its own bulltepoint. Because it’s just that big of an offence. Would Elrond really call a Dwarven princess by her first name even though they just met? Really?

With all the gold, mithril and jewels under the mountains. And they still made Disa’s jewelry out of old hubcaps.

Galadriel still remains a foot too short. She’s towered over by literally everyone and she’s supposed to be the TALLEST WOMAN IN ALL OF ARDA.

#Rings of Power #The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power #Game of Rings #anti Rings of Power #lotrrop #it's basically a lame parody

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heretherebedork · 1 year

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Same anon ! I read your answer and I think it’s my fault, I wasn’t clear enough in what I wanted to say. Do I believe that long episode mean the series is good and developed ? Absolutely not, there are multiple exemples but Check out the series might be the best one as it was a long series but a total mess in every category possible.

What I wanted to say is that I don’t believe you can do much with less than 20 minutes of runtime per episode, unless you do 16 episodes of 15 minutes but we are not here. Our dating sim is really good exemple as I believe it’s a very good show with talented actor, well written characters, good chemistry and most importantly a believable love story with the perfect display affection (you believe the characters are in love with each other) but I would put it in my top 10 BL ever if it would have been more developed which means more minutes and scenes. Like yes, they did the best they could possibly have with the runtime they had but I feel it was possible to dive even deeper if they had 10+ minutes more per episode.

The best exemple I could give is love mechanics who don’t get me wrong I loved the original 4 episodes bit and actually I believe that the 4 episode part had better scene than the full-length (the angst and the way Vee was forgiven were better in the short version in my opinion) but the long series showed elements we didn’t have in the previous adaptation and you could understand better the reaction and motivation of the characters. Korea seem to be stuck to want to release their drama as movie afterwards except that you don’t do movies and show the same way at all.

And this is where people differ on what they want. I actually think that the reason Our Dating Sim was so good was because of the tight timing and the limited length and the careful way they handled everything. Give a show more time and it's often giving it more rope to hand itself with. I love the characters and the story and the exact what it was told. I wouldn't want it to be longer because that creates more space for more issues with development or more issues with plot and story...

Ah, the Love Mechanics example. I actually didn't like the four original episodes and ended up really frustrated in a different way with the longer version. Did they go deeper? I mean, yes, in a way, because they had to go deeper to make it last that length of a show... but was it totally better? Eh. I'd question that.

One of my favorite BL of all time is Tossara. It is four episodes, it is mostly tropes, it's entirely soft and I would never want it to be longer because that would be outrageous. Frankly, there are scenes that could have been cut and it could have been fantastic if they'd tightened it down to three episodes... so, for me, length has nothing to do with the depth I find in characters and plots.

Can it? Yes. Can it also ruin them? Yes. There are plenty of shows that make themselves too long. They give themselves so much time and space and room to deal with things that they lose everything they started with and just... fall apart.

I believe that there are 15 minute shorts from Strongerberry that are more developed in terms of character and plot than 15 episode shows from other companies and that's fine! Length does not mean better, length just means more room to be better or worse. There's a ton of wiggle room in there and, yes, some shows would absolutely benefit from being longer and having more room (Tasty Florida and Behind Cut are my key examples for that.)

But other shows would make no difference. Would All the Liquors have had a better story with more time? No. I really don't think so. I don't think time made the difference there, it was all in the pacing and the writing.

So... yeah. Like, I get what you're saying and I see the comparison here differently than Lovesick versus Sunset (which is a comparison of tropes versus realism rather than just added length especially since Sunset is far, far shorter so... different ideas, there) but I'd also just say that.... I don't agree.

I don't think this is about length, this is about pacing. And, yes, you have more space for pacing in a longer show but you also just have more room to mess it up. And I've seen it go both ways. It's why @absolutebl and I both got worried when they announced that Bed Friend got two more episodes. Yes, it's more space and it's more time but that isn't always good.

And, yes, you do shows and movies differently and the pacing changes and some of these shows are better in movie format due to the pacing issues but that doesn't make longer better or shorter worse. It just makes them different with different goals and different ideas and differing enjoyment based on what you like.

I do not wish Our Dating Sim was longer. I don't think anything would have improved with more time and, more likely, that more time would have added more nonsense or made things more complicated in ways that it didn't need to be.

The Eighth Sense is good in that it's a good length but also that it was planned with that length in mind and I look forward to it for whatever it is! And I'm glad to hear from different people who enjoy different aspects and types of shows! There are as many perspectives as there are shows to be loved.

#asked and answered

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exp123mon · 8 months

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Just gonna mass dump Frontier thoughts rather than post episode by episode. I just wanna watch and enjoy then scribble thoughts down afterwards. This isn't like serious reviews or anything.

EP 2. Wolfmon of Light - Battle in the Underground Maze! -details re: the missing chunks of world which I was wondering about just 15 minutes ago are revealed -Tomoki wanting to be a hero is sweet but given how Digimon loves psychologically torturing children, I am deeply concerned for him lol -Blue Boy is Koji, like the delicious fungus! -what is it with Digimon and chocolate? also a train having a huge tongue like that is terrifying in a way I can't quite describe -more screentime for Izumi and Junpei! (So much so that I actually remembered their names roffle) The vibe I got from Izumi in the first ep was that she thinks of herself as being more mature than others and Junpei being concerned about what others think (in a kind of "socially cowardly" way) and that follows through here. I'm not sure I'm articulating what I mean properly lol. But it's pretty good characterisation so far to give the characters such little screentime in the first ep but still communicate a lot about their personalities. -After Takuya and Izumi fall down the hole, Neemon turns to Bokomon and asks "should we fall down too?" gave me a good chuckle, I'm looking forward to seeing what these two bring to the group -Raremon is gross and creepy, nice. I was starting to think Koji's evolution debut would be him beating up some babies who wanted chocolate lol -Koji just being accidentally pushed into a hole that happened to contain the Spirit felt weak but pretty funny, like damn dude, thank goodness it wasn't one of those holes that just. fell. forever. into the air outside lol -Also I dunno if there was just little/no music in episode 1 (don't recall to be honest) but the bgm in this episode was really nice -overall a decent episode, the Pagumon chases were a nice more lighthearted threat after LITERAL HELL DOG TRIES BURNING TINY CHILDREN ALIVE

EP 3. I Won't Allow Bullying! Evolve into Chakmon of Ice -So they have the chance to return home, Junpei wants to, the others send Tomoki away. I always love in stories when kids are like "we're OLDER so LISTEN to us!" and the elders are like 10 years old -it's nice the kids don't all just get along, even if they're sticking together, there's obviously friction with their personalities and what they want to do -Bokomon and Neemon are nice support/comic relief, they're funny but not overbearing which is always my worry with characters like this -more backstory!! so Lucemon was an evil tyrant, but now it's Cherubimon who's screwing up the world… we got ourselves a fallen angel theme going so far -THAT CANDMON HAS A MOUSTACHE -Bruh the scene where Tomoki uses his hat to try dousing the Candmon to protect Takuya is so sweet, this kid's legit, best character for sure lol -Chakmon's evolution animaton is so cute omg, Chakmon always looked so serious in its artwork but it's super cute -not gonna lie Wizardmon just appearing suddenly confused the hell outta me haha -overall though i really liked this ep, the episodes so far are all really nicely paced

EP 4. My Kicks Hurt! The Female Warrior Fairymon -The Forest Terminal being in the forest literally makes so much sense my guy. I mean you are in Crazy Whacko Nonsense world but still. "I live in Ocean View." "Oh, where's that?" "In the middle of the desert." -Floramon's head is apparently completely empty. Oh my. Which makes me wonder how the Mushmon… made their mushroom soup… -Izumi straight up SLAPPING Mushmon is so good. I always love when Digimon kids are totally out of their league fighting these monsters but they don't care and still try to mess 'em up. -Woodmon secretly three Mushmon in a trench coat confirmed. -lol that booty attack Fairymon does. "no no it isn't the ten-year-old Izumi, it's FAIRYMON, it's totally different we swear ehehehehe" I'm kinda curious about what the dub looks now though -Sucks that Izumi's evolution debut has her getting knocked out cold like that. Just seemed like an excuse to have Koji show up and barely interact again. -I'm 99% sure Bokomon is secretly The Ultimate Evil this series. -Junpei being so convinced he's getting a Spirit is nice. Shows he's been paying attention. A shame the same cannot be said of Koji who still refuses to tag along with the main gang. My fella, you are right there in the intro with them. You cannot escape.

#not art #digimon frontier #frontier watching

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wordsaladsenpai · 4 days

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Trees recommendations

Hello, long time no post. I want to start something here on my blog about any media recommendations. Whether it be games, books, movies, web novels, shows, etc etc.

I’ll start off with my first recommendation:

Title: Eternal Yesterday

Genre: Japanese BL

Category: Show

Episodes: 8

My thoughts: I usually don’t watch anything BL related because I don’t want to get caught up in the drama and negative connotation (which is honestly quite a fair assertion since many women (I am a woman) have exhibited tendencies towards fetishizing gay men when it comes to consumption of media regarding bl and mlm relationships). I do not actively engage or support the narrative of fetishizing gay men or mlm relationships. This is just a disclaimer. I myself am biromantic and when I usually search for shows or media to consume I try to actively avoid anything overly explicit since I am not trying to consume the media for the purpose or sake of finding my own fantasies or daydream pleasure about any acts of intimacy that might occur in said piece of media. Though I am biromantic myself I do get curious about some of the explicit intimate aspects or details that may occur in the media itself. Though I have to say I do find it quite distasteful if the only plot point is the explicit intimate actions of fan service that maybe liberally splattered throughout a series or work of media. For this main reason I don’t watch many American Tv shows despite being an American myself. I have gained a taste for some shows and media originating in China, Korea, and Japan, as well as Taiwan, and a bit of Thailand. I like how most of the shows I’ve seen from these areas contribute multiple story plot points while still being able to show the progression of the main love interests relationship through the entire show. While each countries media definitely has different styles of storytelling the Japanese BL eternal yesterday really caught my eye.

I don’t watch many Japanese shows or even Japanese BL for that matter so this was my first one ever to watch and honestly I was very surprised and impressed with it. What stuck out to me was the premise of the show, which showed a budding gay romance between two highschoolers. As someone who is interested in the concept of grief and death and emotional connections to others and those we love I thought it was beautiful at harnessing and processing those emotions and bringing it forth visually through the writing and acting and directing. It was perfect. Though I thought an 8 episode drama with a little over 20 minutes per episode would not be enough to really give the story it’s all. I was pleasantly surprised how it worked perfectly. It was a show that made me cry and make me think of my own relationship with my own bf. While it may have been a BL it harnessed different relationship dynamics that I thought was a lovely thing to do since it is about love in all its forms. I could go on forever about this show and honestly it will stick with me as a forever favorite.

Pls check it out.

I watched it on Viki. (I think you can also watch it on Netflix but pls double check the avaliable platforms of where this show might be to watch)

Rating - 10/10

P.S - the pacing can be kinda slow but I loved the awkward pauses and camera panning because it in my opinion realistically showed the progression of a relationship between two people where one doesn’t want to intrude on the other and the other person is very reserved and quiet who also takes a bit more time to open up.

Thank you for reading this long long review. I hope yall learned a new show to maybe watch and enjoy or learn a little bit about me through my thoughts and opinions on this piece of media.

#tumblr fyp #explorepage #fypシ #fyp #explore #fypage #eternal yesterday #tv shows #i recommend #trees recommended #tv recommendations #Japanese shows #tree recommends #trees recommendations #media analysis #my reviews #my tv show review #thoughts and feelings #late night binge

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cheeeerie · 1 year

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OOOOOH BOY STRAP IN @coffeeisfortheresponsible

WALL OF TEXT BELOW THE CUT

The first thing I have to address is hor horribly Ninjago butchers the subject of adoption trauma. It's not handled well in the tow other places it's talked about, Skybound or Quest for the Lost Powers, but this post is already gonna be way too fucking long so we're not gonna talk about that.

According to Tommy Anderson, the original concept for Prime Empire had Jay's mother involved. She was going to be trapped in the game, and Jay's lightning power would be imperative to her survival, but it was ultimately scrapped. We don't see Jay reference the fact that he's adopted for this entire season--in fact, the last time he mentioned it was in Skybound (well, he also brought it up in Decoded while explaining the plot of Skybound) despite the fact that there has been ample opportunity to. He could have done it in Hands of Time when the previous generations of elemental masters was being discussed, or he could have brought it up when Harumi killed her adoptive parents in Sons of Garmadon, or literally any other time in the five seasons between Skybound and Prime Empire, but he doesn't. That's fine I guess, this is a show that rarely gets that deep. But then WHY bring it up at the end of Prime Empire, out of nowhere, especially in a way that makes it seem like we've witnessed Jay reflecting about his biological family at all?

To me, it kind of seems like it's because that was intended to be the emotional through-line of the season. Just like Master of the Mountain was about Cole coming to know his mother, Prime Empire seemed like it was meant to be about Jay coming to know his mother. Jay's "My parents abandoned me too but that's okay" line at the end felt like it was the ending to a different season, instead of the series of episodic side quests that was Prime Empire.

And on that note, the pacing is horrendous in this arc. Instead of going back and forth between the two groups, the one inside the game and the ones outside the game, it does this weird thing where it chunks it, spending several season with the 5 ninja and then cutting out to follow the Zane/Pixal/Wu story line for two full episodes.

(ON THAT NOTE, there is so much wasted potential for this season to have genuine themes. If not about Jay coming to terms with his adoption, then about the genuinely fascinating implications of a world where AI this advanced exists, but no, we just got Pixal being told that her feelings weren't real and she couldn't make connections like a human could and then it was resolved in ten minutes.)

I am Okino, as much as I love it, was an unnecessary episode. It would have been fantastic if we had time for it but these episodes are only 10 minutes long and there's only 16 and we DON'T HAVE TIME FOR IT. The league of Jay was really thrown in for half an episode and then was never elevant again. Lloyd, Cole, Nya, and Kai are all useless when they first enter the game and yet in the shorts Jay still gets to keep all his ninja skills. There's so many just random little things in this arc and it just. What.

THERE'S SO MANY RANDOM LITTLE THINGS IN THIS ARC AND I LOVE IT!!!

Dance Episode! Noir Episode! A gazillion side characters! Random Harumi fight!! It's SO GOOD!

It introduces way to many chaaracters, but it gets you to care about them in a way that Ninjago usually doesn't with it's side characters. I care about Okino! I care about Racer Seven! I care about Milton Dyre! Ninjago is a show with too many characters but in Prime Empire that doesn't take bother me as much because I LIKE them all.

With the way it's so episodic it honestly feels like watching Legacy of the Green Ninja. Dance episode! Race episode! Noir episode (will die mad that Ninjago Confidential wasn't called Nindroid Noir)! Side quest side quest side quest! After the heaviness of the Oni Trilogy and the second half of The Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitzu, it was just so refreshing to watch a season that was so fun.

And Prime Empire is GORGEOUS. The aesthetic of it was a little different than Ninjago's usual and it really worked, the animation was fantastic, the color palet was great, the lighting was just. Chef's kiss.

And the score of Prime Empire is genuinely the best score of any season of Ninjago and I will not be taking arguments. You are simply wrong. The music of Prime Empire is so FUN.

I guess that's kind of the thesis of this whole rant. Prime Empire may not have the strongest plot but it's the most fun to watch of all the recent Ninjago seasons-- of all the Ninjago seasons, in my opinion, and that's why it's my favorite one.

#Sorry this was so long lmao I have feelings about Prime Empire #ninjago #jay walker #prime empire

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inkonfreshnewpaper · 3 months

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Tag Game! (Two for Two in a week! Saved for later so I'd have something different to write about) (Saved it for so long I've got a ton to write about)

Tagged by @bacchanalium

3) Last song: Love Me Like You Used To - Lord Huron. It hits in that good melancholy country mood for me.

4) Last film: Portrait of a Girl on Fire. I'm so behind on essential queer films, so I finally got around to watching it. Honestly, surprised at the lack of music in movie. It's saved for a moment at the end that absolutely hit. Bit slow, but in a good way. Seven Samurai. It's Seven Samurai. It's a good movie. I don't have much to say other than, movie good. Wasn't expecting Mifune's character to be as feral as he was, or how affecting the movie was. The Thing. It's The Thing, I wanna be you. The first time I saw it was Halloween 2020 during my horror movie marathon. This time I watched it in my university's movie theatre with a nearly full audience. People gasped during Child's "Then we're wrong" line delivery and laughed a bunch throughout. Seeing it on the big screen was incredible. 10/10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2022). This was a weird one. Gonna have to actually post my thoughts on it because I'm still chewing on it. It focuses entirely on Utterson, but the adaption decides to put him through a negative character arc. Does it work? Stay tuned.

5) Currently reading: The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (finished it but at what cost). It wasn't very good. I got YA vibes from the character descriptions in the how they focus exclusively on eye and hair colour. Pacing was all over the place. Would spend way too long in one scene, way too short in another. The characters felt way too modern in a supposed fantasy world, mostly due to the dialogue. (Protag's best friend called her and her love interest 'slow burn' and I had to put the book down for a minute after that). The magic system felt like an excuse to get the main couple together and nothing else. That's my biggest critique of the novel. Everything just feels paper thin in this world. Things are set up, but resolved so quickly it doesn't feel satisfying. The school is set up as super dangerous and everyone is trying to kill each other 24/7, and the protag makes a best friend first day and they stay best friends. And further confirmation that no one knows how to write enemies-to-lovers, just 'didn't like you at the start'. Love interest says he loved her since he first saw her. WEAK. Why'd I read it? A bookstore clerk recommended it, I was on the library wait list for months. I needed to dissect this book thoroughly to justify me reading it. I'm also reading The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper. It's an okay mystery set in 1920s Australia. Garden of Earth Bodies by Sally Oliver. I'm compelled. It's horror-lite about grief, but the twist hasn't happened yet, so who's to say if it's good yet. Definitely reads as a debut novel - very dramatic prose, feels like it's trying too hard to grab my attention. It's meh so far, but I want to see where it goes.

6) Currently watching: Currently Delicious in Dungeon as it comes out. Studio Trigger is doing such a good job with the adaptation. I'm also watching Revue Starlight, which was way better than I was expecting. Episode 8 launched Hikari to all time favourite characters for me. Haven't finished it yet.

7) Currently consuming: Some tea.

8) Currently craving: Nice and full from dinner with Delicious in Dungeon. No better way to spend a Thursday night.

Tagging: @thefollow-spot, @whoawhataconcept, @fate-motif, @ishmaels, @flubz, @scootbloop, @dying-suffering-french-stalkers, @kafkastan, @sacrerouges, @violasmirabiles, @owlmylove

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isekai-crow · 3 months

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Solo Leveling - World Premiere

How hype am I for this show?

I dropped $300 for an overnight trip to Tokyo to go to the World Premiere when I won tickets!~~

It wasn't anything super fancy or special, the tickets themselves were only 2000 yen / $20, but I considered it serendipity that I won tickets when I never win shit! (Capybara has a God Hand Of Luck and I have him do all my gachapon pulls for me to get what I want. He got me this Hisoka figure at the movie theater.) And it was worth the shinkansen ticket!

The World Premiere for Japan was on December 10, 2023, and was simultaneously shown in both Tokyo and Seoul and then at other various large cities around the world at other dates. I assume the later showings were recordings of the live viewing but with subtitles.

It was at 10:30 am and WOW THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE. Half of me was wondering if not that many people had bought tickets, and so the lottery for the tickets wasn't necessary, but nope FULL HOUSE.

(I will retake this once it's on display...)

We got cool little styrofoam cut outs with stands of Sung Jin Woo's very first dagger, the Kasaka's Venom Fang (which I have yet to put on display cause I'm moving soon, but I also got a spare for my Fox friend who's also obsessed with this show :3 Hopefully she'll put hers on display once I give it to her.)

The fricken... powerpoint screen I have at the top of this post. I wish I had been able to take photos outside of my tickets and that screen, cause like.

Thats a powerpoint. (That SURE IS a font choice) But it's not in presentation mode.

It's legit just a screen share of someone's laptop. There were slides with RED SQUIGGLY LINES UNDER SOME WORDS TO DENOTE MISSPELLINGS that don't normally pop up in presentation mode. Or SCREENSHOTS of slides, and various other font choice mishaps.

Welcome to the tech capital of the world, I guess? Lol.

Then we got to see the first two episodes!! I wasn't surprised by the lack of an opening or ending credit sequence because those tend to be a little last minute or have extra special touches put in to them. (For example, Zom 100's opening didn't show up until halfway through the first season because their studio is small and was having production delays, but its SO GOOD and worth the wait.)

I have yet to re-watch the episodes now that they've been released because I'm waiting for a chance to watch them with my Fox and Frog friends, but oh man.

The Japanese names sure did throw me off. Here is a link to a reference post I made about the Korean to Japanese names.

Solo Leveling Korean -> Japanese Names

I admit. I held out hope for keeping the original Korean names, but I'll leave my complaints about that for a different post. (Message from future Crow!! THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS!! A global version with the korean name, and a Japan version with the localized Japanese names. Curious if it'll be Korea or Japan in the global version.)

I was so excited by the sequencing of the story, though. We got to see Byung-nim in the first scene, AHHHHH!! 😍😍😍 The pacing is very good, the animation is very well done, I was holding my breath despite knowing what was coming and having an ABSOLUTE ethereal experience with one my favorite medias coming to life before me.

I'm also so happy I got to see Woo Jin Chul / Akira Inukai (BEST BOY). I love his Voice Actor. Unfortunately, he was not one of the VAs at the World Premiere. ALSO - HE'S BEING PLAYED BY SUNGWON CHO IN THE ENGLISH DUB. THAT ALMOST MAKES ME WANNA GO WATCH.

After the two episodes and credits played, the VAs came on to the stage and had interview time, and took a massive group photo.

The VAs from left to right:

Cha Hae In / Shizuku Kousaka played by Ueda, Reina (Also plays Kanao from Demon Slayer, Lemon from Mashle, Akane from SSSS.Gridman, Ruri from Dr. Stone, IdolM@ster and

Sung Jin Woo / Shun Mizushino played by Ban, Taito (Also plays Soyuz in Dr. Stone (HILARIOUS), the MC in Angel Next Door, YAGI FROM GIVEN.)

Yoo Jin Ho / Kenta Morobishi played by Nakamura, Genta, who is also a baby VA! He's only been in stuff since 2020, and considering Covid, there probably wasn't a lot of work for him to do! Hopefully he'll be popping up more in the future!)

Lemme just say.

Taito Ban.

Holy shit this dude goes SO. HARD. SO. EMOTIONAL. SO. GOOD. I don't know how he doesn't have more main character roles??? But maybe this is his big break?? He super fucking deserves more roles cause DAMN he's giving me chills.

At the Premiere, when they came out on stage and started interviewing, he was acting like the "cool guy" who was trying not to show how nervous he was, and honestly it took him a bit to warm up to the crowd, but when they brought out the real replica of the Kasaka's Fang Blade, he got so excited like a little kid. It was very fun.

Shizuku Kousaka was a lot more used to these events, which makes sense considering shes in SO MUCH, including IdolM@ster, and a few magical girl animes.

Genta Nakamura was excited and nervous and happy to be there, and you can tell he enjoyed his character and was excited for future episodes where his character would appear.

Multiple photos of the above shot were taken for various online news / anime websites (including another foreigner who might have been there for crunchyroll?)

Me in the top left corner of that group photo. I could spot my glasses, the little white patch is the skeleton clip I have in my hair, and I'm half a head taller than everyone else in the seats lmao.

Over it was super fun! It was only about two hours, but I got to hang out in Shinjuku and go hunting through Animate for various anime goods before taking the bullet train home again for work the next day.

I'm excited for the goods that will be coming out for Solo Leveling soon! I had a photo of them but NOW I CAN'T FIND IT??? was it a FEVER DREAM? hopefully it reappears soon. I want goods. Need a can badge of my boy Woo Jin Chul like now.

Hopefully I'll get around to write ups about the episodes now that they're coming out! They're on my to do list~

#solo leveling #ore dake level up na ken #俺だけレベルアップな件 #sung jin woo #yoo jin ho #cha hae in #solo leveling world premiere

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peniswizard69 · 1 year

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The arc of Torchwood as a series is something that's sooo interesting to me so enjoy reading this post if you care.

Seasons 1 and 2, which I like to call Torchwood Who between me and myself, are very simple. It started off as a Doctor Who spinoff, but horror drama instead of scifi adventure. It tries to mix in some worldbuilding, some character work, mystery driven plots, and deeply explored themes, and there's just no room for that; solid bones but kinda boring all around. It's furtile for fandomwork, inkeeping with Tumblr's fine tradition of making up half of their favorite show, but the tone is on the grim and gray side for those purposes. It's ultimately British fast food tv, for everything you'd expect of that.

They didn't expect to get a season 3. They killed off two of the main cast, and gave the rest an ending in the Doctor Who season 4 finale. Then they got a season 3

Season 3 is called Children of Earth and it's a gut wrenching, stomach churning, horror tour de force. The total runtime is down 54%, from thirteen 50-minute episodes (per season) to five of an hour each, but Torchwood Who was monster-of-the-week but Children of Earth is fully serialized, so the premise has 6 times as much room for all the things the series wanted. To a more discerning viewer this is an oasis of pure light in a dim desert; to the humble Tumblrina, this is a betrayal. Children of Earth is not fun; it has fewer gaps to fill with little scenarios and interpretation; and it leaves you broken, hesitant to come back. Honestly CoE being stapled to the end of Who is one of the wilder things in television.

They didn't expect to get a season 4. They killed off another of the main cast and blew up the secret base and almost all of the gadgets; and they gave the rest a sort of biter-sweet ending. Then they got a season 4

Season 4, whose name is Miracle Day, was mostly produced in the US and it shows. The season mostly takes place in the US, but there's a definite change to the writing that's hard to pin down. It's faster paced and more plot-driven, lighter in tone. The runtime was brought back up to ten 50ish-minute episodes, which feels like bloat given how tight CoE was om 60% of that, and the lower budget/screentime ratio is more important with the American style. It also has Bill Pullman? What is he doing here? It would be rich ground for a fandom, if not for the rest of Torchwood. Fans of Who that didn't bounce off CoE are probably gonna mostly spend it missing Who, and to the discerning CoE enthusiast it is AWFULLLLL. My brother hates it so much, which does fill me with power. At the end of the day, when you hear "American sequel to high budget British mini series" you make a series of assumptions and they're all correct.

They thought they were gonna get a season 5. They set up a recurring antagonist, only killed characters that debuted this season and made one of them immortal. They didn't get a season 5, which gives me ample opportunity to pretend to speculate on season 5. Jathesson is endgame

The arc of all of this is soooo delicious to me. They legitimately went "I'm dying let's party!!!" and then "I survived let's just sorta sit here". Hard to sit through for three different reasons. Campy to classy to cheesy. Ultimately I have to give Torchwood 1 out of ten children, because that's a CoE reference. Trying to actually rate the show is tricky, it's three different shows amd deserves three different shadows. I give it 1, 7 and 3 out of 10 on my little pet scale where 0 is neutral. You probably don't need to watch Torchwood Who to get Children of Earth, but you do need Children of Earth to get Miracle Day.

Also, Bill Pullman in Miracle Day is actually so fucking good??? He brings this powerful and spcific energy where he's the most wretched and disgusting thing in history but also still charming and charismatic. How did he do it

#torchwood miracle day #torchwood #torchwood children of earth #original broth #long post

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blueskyheadleft010 · 11 months

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Life Update June 2023

Okay, so I don’t typically do these really anymore; but so much stuff has happened recently that I feel like I kinda owe an explanation as to why I haven’t posted stuff I said I was gonna post; etc…

Firstly, I have gained a new hyper-fixation with the Murder Drones series on YouTube, to the point I have just spent an actual lump sum of money on merch; which is something I haven’t done since I was like 12ish… The show is a phenomenal work of art and it deserves more notice. I legit thought I wasn’t gonna like it at all, due to the anime chibi looking characters making me believe it would be garbage knock-off cheap anime bs, but it showed up in my recommends and I haven’t been able to stop watching it since.

I won’t keep gushing about that, as this is an update post, not a review posting lol, but I also have written an entire pmv script for this show and idk I’m in too deep now…

I have also had an infestation of field mice inside my home this month, which my dogs helped to uh… remove from the house. So that’s been a thing.

I’ve also been playing Pokémon Infinite Fusion, and kinda ended up making a too OP fusion of Charizard and Raichu, with a Blaze ability. Who would’ve thought having both immunity to burns and paralysis would work out so well? 10/10 Giovanni didn’t expect me to utterly destroy his legendary triple fusion with that combo lmao.

The Unicorn Warriors Eternal 2nd review will be coming out as soon as I can retrieve some decent footage/images of episodes 5-7. It’s not got as big of a dedicated fandom to it, so it’s harder to track down images of it. :/

I will briefly talk about my opinion of episodes 5 & 6, as I want to clarify that the plot does actually pick up the pace some in these episodes, but it’s still janky with the timing until the last five minutes of episode 6.

I could actually make out some of Tarkovsky’s handiwork in episode 6, but both episodes felt like each scene was created from a different time and art studio. Again, the cgi scenes don’t really blend/mesh well with the 2d drawn art; which I will do my best to breakdown in the actual review.

I did however figure out the main problem I’m having with the show overall. First and foremost; the dialogue. It doesn’t fit Tarkovsky’s usual signature, and feels wildly out of place with the serious plot/nature of events occurring in the show.

I’m not saying that no dialogue is better than a ton of dialogue at all; my point here is that the tone and rhythm of everyone’s speech is not matching the vibe of the scenes/plot/show and is 100% not what anyone from the early 1900’s Britain would sound or behave like. (Also still some weird British stereotypes going on that feel wildly out of left field.)

My second problem is the Popeye art style. This is not me just nitpicking here, again, it is so wildly out of place with the serious nature and tone of the show that it actually interferes with the style/flow of the show. I took a lot of issue with the young children in episode 5; they were drawn with massive muscles on dainty little girls, they looked like a mix between a dwarf and a shrunken Popeye. It was a bizzare image.

Anyways, I don’t have much more time to blab at the moment. I just wanted to stop by and give an update. I’ll eventually get around to more stuff soon. :3

#murder drones #unicorn warriors eternal #life update #poke infinite fusion #sky talks #shut up sky #hello goodbye #:3

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wondersofspite · 11 months

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More and more the show declines into feeling like satirized fanfiction of itself, because it is written like a satirized fanfiction.

Build-up is the backbone of nearly every climax. If you want the payoff to be good as it gets, you gotta get us to care first. That’s one of the standing differences between fanfiction and media. One field of work has to build everything up from the ground - characters, plotlines, themes - but the other? Already geared up from the beginning line. The biggest issue you have to worry about is typos, prudish/diehard commenters, how much nights your gonna waste on the writing and potentially mischaracterizing a character. You get what I mean? Fanfiction is the fun sand ground you could make any castles, house and statues out of your whims, compared to the more inflexible, logical, time demanding, money draining subject like serialized media. In fanfiction, you can get away with a lot of stuff you won’t in the star business.

One of those big factors are already having pre-established characters. Which is also one of Helluva Boss’s biggest problem.

I would state again this is very much my own opinion, but any relationship and conflict that exists in Helluva feels like one-shot fanfics running on 2000 word count limit. Everything happens and ends in the same episode. 2 season in, and there is no connections made with anything that happened in past episodes. New shit upon new shit. How can I care about any of these character and their issues, when the series is constantly on it’s toes, trying to found the next cool thing to dangle in front of me as if trying to distract me like some child? This is comparable to an AU fic where the author is just tossing everything they found interesting in it rather then telling something with it. Why can’t the pace just relax for once? Where’s the comedic, Office-like, dysfunctional found family we’ve been promised? (The last one is more me bitching but. You feel me?)

It feels almost desperate how progressively, the show gets worse and worse with it’s balance of reality and fanfictioness (Stolas going from Medusa to begin beaten by an imp, Millie’s unlredictable strength scale etc. The tongue in cheek “damsel tied to train rails” point out felt more like insecure writers trying to cover their asses than anything worth a laugh). It breaks it’s own rule every day just for fan service: The character doesn’t live inside the world, the world lives for the characters. And unless you’re Blitzo or Moxxie, your not going to get any agency independent from those two for a long time. Everything you do is either a joke or to forward the plot.

The show treats all it’s characters and relatonships like something you should have had an pre-existing knowledge of, then promptly mold and twisted it every new episode. The pace felt like the writers were held at gunpoint to churn in as much as intrigue possible in 10 minutes. Action upon action: When’s it simply gonna sit and tell story instead of constantly throwing plot points at the audiences? Your show won’t instantly get smitten by gods and die if it doesn’t have drama in it everytime, Viv.

All of these issues reek of fanfic. Not even the good kind. It’s just a chaotic, unplanned spectacle caught in live

#helluva critical #In an alternate universe Vivie’s Helluva Boss is in the top 10 kudo charting ao3 fanfic.

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