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acaplaya-musings · 2 months

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Voiceplay Visuals: ACA Top 10 Disney Villains

Aka the medley/top 10 video that probably has the most songs covered by Voiceplay in other videos (whether partial or in full) (and though I won't talk about vocals or arrangement, I will point out each one as we go along). (And yes I'm skipping over most if not all of the Partwork videos, as well as the Christmas ones).

It's another Aca Top 10 video (released in March 2019 btw), and so it's another round of themed shirts! Geoff is wearing a very cool Scar shirt, Layne is wearing a Dr Facilier shirt, J is wearing a Claude Frollo shirt, Earl is wearing a Hades shirt, and Eli... is wearing a Darth Vader shirt (in the style of Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, it seems). Like I know Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney in 2012, but seriously Eli, c'mon man! 😂

Starting off with Friends On The Other Side with J on lead vocals, which of course J did as a full-length cover with Voiceplay in 2021, his first "guest vocalist feature" since leaving the group 5 months earlier to go join the US Navy Band (and I'm very much looking forward to eventually doing a post for that video, let me tell you!)

Earl and J fooling around during the Trust In Me section 😄

"Close your eyesssss" (why would I close my eyes when I could just stare at Geoff instead?)

"miaow!"

The teeny tiny cat is I think the cat from Pinocchio? Figaro I believe?

Geoff and Layne have been best friends since middle school, roughly 30 years ago (same with Earl), and it shows 😄 (Friendship Goals honestly)

Unintentional funny pause moment! 😂

While we're here, time for another hair study!

My sketch really doesn't do it justice, but Geoff's hair in this one has a bit of a "lions mane" quality to it imo (which is fitting given the shirt he's wearing)

We're now onto Oogie Boogie's song, with Geoff on lead vocals, and of course I don't actually have to say it, we all know it. but Voiceplay did a full-length cover of it (again with Geoff on lead) 7 months after this video, as their Halloween release for the year!

Love Geoff's facial expressions on "and if you aren't shaking"

Eli Eyebrow Raise!

Now we're onto Cruella De Vil, which VP did a full-length cover of back in 2015 for a promotional collaboration thing with Disney! (Not on Voiceplay's channel though)

Gaston next, which Voiceplay did as part of their Beauty And The Beast medley on their 2012 Once Upon An Ever After album

"As a specimen, yes I'm intimidating," ('intimidating' isn't the word I would use...)

And yes I see Layne's wrist tattoo that I first noticed in the This Is Halloween video! (Also a little jealous of Layne getting to touch Geoff's hair)

"Gimme that hurrah!"

Eli and J doing a mini floss, and Earl holding a chapstick? 😂😅

Number 3 is Hellfire, which, as I'm sure you know, Voiceplay finally did a full-length cover of, 4 and a half years later, in October 2023, again with Geoff on lead vocals just like here, and well, I'm gonna save my thoughts for when I eventually make a full post about it because oh my god

(Also love J pointing to his shirt like he did in the 80s Cartoons video 😄)

Immediately followed by Poor Unfortunate Souls, with Earl on lead. Earl had left the group by the time Voiceplay revisited the song for their Little Mermaid Medley in 2020, but we were treated (and I mean treated) to an amazing "Geoffsula" performance instead! (Another one I'm very excited to get to)

And finally we have Be Prepared, another one that was in a medley on Voiceplay's Once Upon An Ever After album (Geoff took lead for that one, but he can definitely go much lower now than he used to be able to)

Final frame!

So basically there were only 3 songs in this that Voiceplay hadn't already done previously or revisited at some point later: Mother Knows Best, We Are Siamese, and Trust In Me (hey Geoff if you ever wanna make a cover of Trust In Me on your channel, like even just as a short... 👉👈)

I'll be skipping over a few more videos from here, but the next video I talk about will be very fun!

#voiceplay #acapella #top 10 disney villains #geoff castellucci #eli jacobson #layne stein #j none #earl elkins jr #earl elkins #acaplaya analysis #voiceplay visuals

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yvtro · 1 year

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Not hatred or arguing: just like confusion

Why do you like Jason Todd? Like everything youve talked about is stuff that just seems unlikeable do you like his potential or like what? Also somewhat related are you a Helena Bertenelli fan because I could not get into Jaosn because of what I expected but she's literally fanon Jason

easy: i love 80s robin jason. i reread these comics a couple of times a year; his main run in 'batman', barr’s detective comics (which are my favourite!), his cameos in 'teen titans', 'the cult' etc. i love even the stories written by starlin, because there's somehow still so much sympathy and sensitivity for his background there (that current mainstream comics lack).

i love that his (post-crisis) origin story has to do with his natural drive to intervene in case of injustice. he is such a relentlessly kind and caring character, that unlike most other superheroes/vigilantes doesn't start his career as a form of vendetta. his background is absolutely dreadful, but even as a kid he is so mature about it, so considerate about his family's struggles; there's barely any resentfullness towards people in his own community, if any at all. despite what bruce says about taking him off the streets and giving him robin to make sure he wouldn't end up a criminal, throughout the whole run you see that jason was not made 'irredeemable' by poverty. he did what he had to survive, he is rather emotional when it comes to power dynamics (as he should be tbh), but there's no inherent innocence loss. he is still portrayed as a kid, who is maybe a bit incompetent sometimes, but ultimately his strenght lies in his compassion.

then starlin comes in, and messes things up a bit, but at the end of the day even he doesn't ever show jason as someone with any deep-rooted malice nor anger. jay's progression into becoming more "unlikable" is marked by his frustration with not being able to protect people. with his insecurity and need for a stable family. even when killed off, he dies trying to save someone who put him in this situation in the first place.

and besides the moral dimension and his heroism, there's other stuff that i adore. his thirst for knowledge. how he deals with trying to fill in dick's shoes. how he naively worships him still. his first attempts at detective work. there's so much charm to these stories and his character there.

so the jason i like is not just his potential; it's very much an exisiting character, even if he was not written in this way for decades.

i don't love the way jason is handled post his resurrection and it's no secret, but that doesn't mean i think he is completely unlikable. there's some of his personality that preserves even through retcons: how desperate he is for love, his abandonment issues, how his idealism gradually descends into cynicism. the delusional need to achieve justice. there are some new themes that i'm really interested in as well, because i *love* a character who gnaws at their own wounds, i love tragedy of people who walk backwards into what they sought to destroy. what i don't enjoy is how the writers completely got rid of nuance in his stories and made him into a stereotype. and the reason for which i want his development to go into a completely new direction is 1. because there has to be something done with the classism 2. in all honesty, it's becoming boring (if wasn't boring for years) and i love a good twist and a reconstruction 3. most importantly, i want his personality to be reconciled with his 80s runs personality.

so i'd say i like jason because i like his original (post-crisis) characterisation, and i actually love his comics from that era too. this is precisely why i whine about post-2005 stuff so much.

but, tbh, i think it's a case for *many* fans who like older comics; most of dick fans i know can't stand his current characterisation. my other favourite character is talia and i could also spend hours complaining about the treatment dc comics gives her. bruce's character has been off the rails for years. for kon there is progress in going back to his old personality, but his origin story (which is in my opinion one of the most interesting plotlines in the history of dc) has been erased since like 2000s.

i guess my point is that there are plenty of characters who's been completely retconned so you can't expect people to enjoy all of their content on the same level. and well, i have some posts about stuff that i love about jason, and that i find immensly interesting, but things like that naturally don't get as much traction as me bitching about poor creative decisions. and people tend to ask about stuff that has to do with my criticism rather than praise (so thank you for an opportunity to do the opposite this time).

also i never really got into helena's comics, but since you said that, i now have to! thanks for recommending that, i'm actually really excited for it. is there any particular book you think i should start with?

#i will not be sorry for complaining so much about jason content im eastern european #this is simply how we communicate #but also thank you for this ask as i said im happy i could talk about 80s jay!!#answered #dc comics #jason todd #jay meta

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st0rmyskies · 1 year

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May I do one of those answer all the questions things again? Mwah😘

Of course you may bae. Let's get to the ones I didn't get asked.

Under the cut for length.

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

I have too many active projects to have any that I want people talking about more. If anything I wish I could stay focused on one series HSH as opposed to having the braincell pulled in 800 other directions.

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

Live reacts are the shit. Really though any thought-out comment makes my day. I put a lot of effort in to what I put out there, so having that recognized - to have people pick out subtle themes or characterization notes or what have you - is really rewarding.

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

I think y'all know that I work pretty hard on what I put out there. My biggest struggle right now is the climax of HSH, just too many moving parts and I need to make sure I do everyone justice. Yes, even Number.

🦋what are you most insecure about when you post a fic?

Whether or not I'm outing one of my own weird kinks.

🌿how does creating make you feel?

Relaxed. Stressed. Elated. Drained. Productive. Like I'm wasting my time.

🎈describe your style as a writer; is it fixed? does it change?

Hard question. Like, my style of getting things down or putting words in order or ???. Idk I'm stubborn so perhaps I'm fixed.

🎉how often do you celebrate completing & posting a work? how often do you give yourself the credit/validation that you seek from others when you post? (if you don't, you should!)

Completing and posting a work feels good, but I don't really seek validation through posting. I just... put it out there. Read it, or don't.

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

The language, by far. Language can either immerse you in a given scene or bitchslap you straight out of it. It can make a given character's actions seem brash or planned, their motivations selfish or selfless. The importance of word choices CANNOT be overstated.

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

Among Us got really hard to write because the ending is Not Good. That story helped me realize that I really can't do bad endings.

🍭why did you start writing?

Because I wanted to read Marth/Roy (SSBM) fic and couldn't find anything I enjoyed well enough.

🤲what do YOU get out of writing?

I get to create the kind of stories I'm interested in reading.

☯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

Engaging with fans and other creators through tumblr and discord has really broadened my creative horizon. It's made me think about the potential of characters I otherwise wouldn't have considered exploring, and explore sides of characters I didn't even imagine could be there.

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

80% sure that by the end of HSH: The Brave, Time is going to be walking with a cane.

#stormy asks #toadbae asks #writer ask game

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lizziestudieshistory · 2 years

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Books of 2022 - April Reads and May TBR

April was hell: my deadlines are fast approaching for my masters, I've applied for a PGCE, and I've been having migraines again... The joys... This means I didn't read as much as I was hoping to all month, and it doesn't look like it's lightening up for May either. So I'm combining these together as there's a lot fewer books to chat about than normal.

So what did I read in April?

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (ASoIaF #1) - no surprise here that I really enjoyed this reread! I genuinely love A Song of Ice and Fire, it never fails to suck me back into Westeros and the rich politics of this world. It also never fails to remind me why I LOVE the Lannisters so much, and I'm completely unapologetic about it (BEST CHARACTERS, my top 5 characters are basically just the Lannisters!) I know we're supposed to love the Starks and Dany but I'm a Lannister girl at heart!

I'd still highly recommend these books, even if you've been left with a bad taste in your mouth by the TV show and/or Martin's inability to write The Winds of Winter. Martin's characters are fantastic, his political machinations are without rival in the genre, and his world feels so real - I often think we forget how good these books really are and it's worth going back to revisit them if it's been a while since you last read them! I can guarantee you'll find something new to think about.

The Lay of Leithian by J.R.R. Tolkien - continuing my year of Tolkien with my favourite of his unfinished work. I think the Lay of Leithian is stunning and well worth exploring for those who like Tolkien and epic poetry - it's just a damned shame that he never got to finish it!

I do have issues with Christopher Tolkien's editorial style though... The commentary needs to be in a separate section in the Lays of Beleriand or broken up into footnotes. Placing the VERY academic commentary between the cantos breaks up the flow of the poetry and makes it suffer as a work on it's own. I know the point of the History of Middle Earth series is to explain how Tolkien created the world but diminishing the extant writing to highlight the commentary is not the best way to do that!

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay - my love! Okay, I adore this book... I'd read Tigana before YEARS ago, I'm talking 10+ years here, when I was too young to really appreciate it. I liked it enough though and now I'm reading a lot more of Kay I thought it was time to revisit. I've never been more glad that I reread books! However, I don't think I can do this justice here. Not so soon after I read it and not in 2 or 3 paragraphs... So I'll definitely be writing up a proper review.

However, I should say Tigana is a book that a lot of people won't like. It's slow, wandering, and deeply interested in its themes. Plot is secondary to the thematic discussion of memory, history, and the destruction of culture in conquest. This isn't to say the plot isn't good (I think it is!) But it's not Kay's primary focus - I'm not sure plot is ever Kay's primary focus if I'm honest...

Tigana is also a product of it's time, there's a few moments that are going to rub people with a 2022 mindset up the wrong way - and these are complaints that are totally valid! I would totally understand if they are deal breakers for people, but they're not for me. They are minor, background features that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

However, if you're someone willing to read books with a few "problematic" elements to enjoy the themes and characters of this book then I would HIGHLY recommend Tigana. It's a rich, vibrant, and morally challenging read that's going to get you thinking if you give it a chance to get under your skin.

In May I'll (hopefully) be reading:

The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch - I'm about 80 pages into this one and really enjoying it in a weird kind of way

The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick - it's about time I started this, I've been excited about it for months and haven't slotted it into my plans yet...!

Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin - I'm enjoying revisiting Westeros? I have no justification other than I want to read this one? Also A Clash of Kings is huge...

If I finish all of these in my limited free time this month I'll (be very surprised!) probably end up mood reading from my shelves. Might read The Two Towers or a standalone as I'm starting too many series. (I say about to start another series...)

#books of 2022 #books #reading #april reads #may tbr #a game of thrones #lay of leithian #jrr tolkien #tigana #guy gavriel kay #george r.r. martin #fire and blood #the black prince #iris murdoch #the mask of mirrors #m.a. carrick #this is VERY not proofread

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gear-project · 3 years

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Different anon here. I just want to say I always thought it was weird for people to just... not buy a certain entry in a series just because a favorite character isn't in it. I mean, you can't always have them in every single game, but if the game is really good that shouldn't stop you from enjoying it or so. Like, I'm a big Baiken fan myself but I would gladly buy Strive even if she doesn't appear in it. That's just how I feel though.

Put it this way.... the very first character I became attached to was Justice when I saw her in a Tips and Tricks Magazine. She was the first GG character who caught my eye, and I *wanted* to play as her.

I didn’t know at the time that she was a Hidden Final Boss.

Yeah, I was a tad disappointed when I did find out that you can’t play as Justice in Arcade mode of the *VERY FIRST* Guilty Gear....

But you can still play as her in Training and in Versus, which was still fun to me.... and that was before I knew Baiken existed as ALSO a hidden character in the same game.

And then, years passed....

At some point I was playing Guilty Gear X with my friend/rival at the time... and he’s like:

“Dude, did you know there’s a DX edition? They have Justice and Kliff playable in it.”

And I was like NO WAY! Justice.... in GGX? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

And it was just like he said, Justice *was* playable in GGXPlus. Of course, she had no voice samples, and Kliff’s voice was very badly interpolated at the time (Naomi arcade limitations, etc.), but I didn’t know or NEED to know that.

Months later (circa 2002) and GGXX The Midnight Carnival Drops....

The VERY FIRST THING I DID was download every single song I could get my hands on... I didn’t even own the game yet. I was just jamming away to the music.

I saw a couple gameplay videos of Zappa in action for the first time, and I was TOTALLY FREAKED OUT. (Like, how can they make a fighting game character slouch backwards like that????)

I didn’t even own a PlayStation 2.... but I KNEW I needed to save up for one... heck, I had to spend another 80 bucks to buy a CRT TV to even play the game on.

That was 19 years ago...

So, I play GGXX for a while, not sure what I’m expecting, just vibing and enjoying the story, Mission Mode is giving me grief, and I’m just taking life like I usually take it.

But some folks over at GameFAQs tell me that you can UNLOCK Justice in GGXX.... she was once again a HIDDEN CHARACTER.

Not only that, but she had a voice this time... AND SHE WAS AMAZING.

I remember, whenever I’d chat with the higher level players at the time they were always like “don’t play Justice, she’s broken” and I was like SO WHAT, I’m having FUN!

Then sometime later Isuka happened, and LEOPALDON became the final boss of that game (along with a gigantic Robo-Ky and awakened Sol and Ky).

Justice wasn’t present, but I didn’t let it get me down... I was more than happy with the new songs Isuka had... some of the best in the saga, in fact. I could even program Robo-Ky Mk. II to fire a Gamma Ray at anyone.... I was more than satisfied by that point.

Later on, Accent Core happened... lots of people were bashing the fact Kliff and Justice weren’t in the roster, I kept my mouth shut.

Then the “Append Disc” happened, and I was like... okay? So we’re getting an update?

Then, Accent Core Plus happened, and I was like.... “YES. THIS GAME WILL BE PLAYED.” And ACPlus was the game I played for a good 10 years before Overture was even a thing.

GG2 Overture happened, and lots of people bashed it, and I could understand why, but I never cared. I was in it for the story, even if I didn’t have an XBox360 at the time.

When they introduced Valentine in her final form... I was literally shocked. There were a ton of questions on my mind.... and by that point in time I had finally become so enamored in the story that I kept asking Japanese players I knew to translate stuff for me.

That is, until I started looking up the info for myself and learning the language.

Eventually, I became one of the biggest “nerds” on GG Lore to ever exist.... only because I wanted to find out more about the story and who JUSTICE was as a character.

Of course, I know a ton more now than I did back then... but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying characters like Jack-O’, Elphelt, Ramlethal, and even Bedman.

And you can bet I’m hyped for Happy Chaos...

As Nagoriyuki’s theme says, “NOW IT’S TIME.... TO FEAST.”

#Don't make me talk about Myself!#GP waxes nostalgic #My Gaming History

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ben-solo98 · 3 years

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I can’t believe anyone at Warner Bros thought it was a good idea to release the theatrical version of JUSTICE LEAGUE when this version exists. I’m glad Zack was allowed to come back and show us his true vision. It could just be the 4 hour runtime, but it feels like an epic from the classic days of Hollywood. I really like Zack Snyder, I think he's a visionary director. I also think he's overpraised and overhated at the same time. He has a very vocal and passionate fanbase who think he's a god of cinema and then there's an equally vocal group of people who think he's one of the worst things to ever happen to movies. I like him a reasonable amount. Even if I don't always love his movies in their entirety, he's puts some of the most beautiful visuals on screen that I've ever seen, especially in the comic book movie genre. He also made me appreciate Superman, I've loved superheroes my entire life, but I was mostly into Marvel when I was a kid and when I did venture over to DC it was primarily for Batman, couldn't care less about Superman. Boring. Until I sat in a packed theater in June of 2013 to watch MAN OF STEEL in IMAX 3D and Zack Snyder (and everyone else involved) blew my mind and finally made me understand/appreciate the character of Superman. I'll even defend that Kevin Costner death scene, I don't care. Supes is only a small part of this film, but all of the scenes featuring him and/or the supporting characters from his solo ouing were some of my favorites, because of what Zack and the cast (especially Henry Cavill) had set up in the previous two films, but also because it was usually underlined by Hans Zimmer's amazing Superman theme.

On paper, the story is very similar to the theatrical version, but it feels like a completely different film. I didn't hate the theatrical cut when it first came out, but it definitely felt like it was nowhere near what it could have been and the more time that has passed and more we've learned about the controversies behind the scenes of those reshoots, the more problems I've found myself having with it. There's a different tone to this cut and while it's still not a perfect film, it's executed 1,000 times better. There's only about 4 or 5 scenes that I think are exactly the same and obviously since this movie is twice as long it's mostly new footage. My two favorite scenes from the theatrical version were Wonder Woman's entrance and the History of the Mother Boxes. Both scenes were still present here, but they were extended, more brutal and all around more awesome. Which just proves you gotta let Zack complete his vision, he knows what he's doing. It also proves that most of what was likable about the last one was because of Zack. Ray Fisher as Cyborg was a big highlight for me the last time around. Another character I didn't really care about until I saw his portrayal of him, which really says something about how great of an actor he is because he's been very vocal about how he was mistreated making that version of the movie, plus his role wasn't nearly as significant, but he still came out as one of the only really great things about that film. He's even better here, we get some much needed backstory on his character and next to Superman, he's kind of the heart and soul of the movie, it all falls apart without him. And it's refreshing to see a black character like this portrayed in such a positive way, I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but I couldn't help but think that we don't really get to see black men cry much on screen. I really hope this isn't the last time we see him take on this role.

Ezra Miller as the Flash is a big step up as well, I didn't hate their interpretation in the last film, but the Flash was definitely my least favorite character. Wasn't ever excited about the character's upcoming solo film until now, my mind has been changed. Ezra Miller is a very solid Barry Allen and brings some much needed humor to the table. His powers are also fully utilized here, that's the thing about this cut of the movie, every character gets their moment to shine. I still think this film was lacking in the Aquaman department, there's some continuity issues between this movie and his stand alone feature. Mainly that we're introduced to two supporting players from his film and they feel like completely different characters. All of my Aquaman problems happen in the first half, I still thought Jason Momoa did a great job. I'm one of the few people (maybe the only person) who's been a Batfleck fan since the day they announced Ben was cast in the role, it's a shame we'll never get to see him in any Batman solo movies, I was really looking forward to that. J.K. Simmons is only in two scenes as Commissioner Gordon, but I want like 5 Batman films with him reprising his role. There's actually a few big actors who were in the first one and I didn't know why they agreed to do it and they don't get much more screen time here, but they actually feel crucial to the story. Also Jeremy Irons is an underrated Alfred, I think Jeremy Irons is just underrated period.

Steppenwolf is definitely a worthy villain this time around. I don't know why Joss Whedon decided to change his design or his motives/backstory, or why you'd completely cut out Darkseid, but that sucked, this was good. Occasionally he'd say something that made him sound like a bad guy from an 80s cartoon or old video game, but overall it was good.

Tom Holkenborg's score is phenomenal. Danny Elfman did it for the other one, I usually like him, but Tom's works a lot better. And some of Danny's comments make it seem like he has a really big ego and Tom's have made me feel the opposite. Almost everytime Wonder Woman came on screen this female warrior cry/siren song (I don't know how else to describe it) would play, at first I thought it was cool, but after 4 hours it got old. That's my only criticism about the score. There were a few "strange" music choices, Zack is known for those, sometimes I think he just does it because he likes to troll the haters, I respect it regardless. But, the last film had two covers recorded for it I really liked: "Everybody Knows" by Sigrid and "Come Together" by Gary Clarke Jr. (Which I've been on record saying it's "better than the Beatles' version"). I missed those songs a little, but also, not a big deal, ultimately.

I thought the 4 hour runtime would be way too long, but honestly, it worked. Nothing felt unnecessary, the story flowed at a reasonable pace. Sure, you could have probably cut out the last twenty minutes because it gives the film 3 or 4 different endings that just set up future films that will probably never happen now (I hope I'm proven wrong), but as a fan, I loved those scenes. I'm looking forward to see what happens and if anything good in the realm of DC films comes of releasing this. 8.6/10.

#thesnydercut #ForAutumn #JusticeLeague #moviereview

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aceattorney-apollojustice · 3 years

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ooc: I recall that I said I would post down some of my more recent AA thoughts, one of them being what I would like to if Apollo's game had gotten a fifth case ala Rise From the Ashes. I figure since Polly isn't complying, I may as well type it down. Who knows? It could probably make for a good plot/thread.

I figure it'll be easier to list the ideas off, then explain them.

Don't have Phoenix involved in the case, at least until the end

Be a proper bridge to Dual Destinies

Continue the tradition of Apollo having not entirely innocent clients

Have anyone BUT Klavier be the prosecutor

No high stakes, have the case be a good ol' murder mystery

Alright, explanation time, starting with:

Don't have Phoenix involved in the case, at least until the end

It's no secret that Phoenix pretty much stole Apollo's limelight in his own game. That's why, if the game ever did get a 5th case, I wouldn't want Phoenix to be involved or seen in any way, shape, or form until the very end of the case. Don't get me wrong, I like Feenbean, especially Hobo Feenbean, but his time is done for now.

Be a proper bridge to Dual Destinies

Yeah, Dual Destinies did a very poor job of bridging the gap between Hobo Phoenix and new Phoenix, not to mention the fact it gave Apollo some much needed backstory which he could have really used in his own game. The latter half of the problem is easy to fix. Just have Clay call Apollo and give him a pep talk similar to what Phoenix did in 6-2, or have him appear in person saying that he wanted to watch one of his best friend's trials. As for Phoenix, like I said, have him appear at the end of the case, with him saying he's planning on going to Europe for a while after passing the bar. Also, have him apologize to Apollo for his behavior towards him during that year. That alone will show Apollo that Phoenix is starting to get back to his old self and toss aside the jaded hobo he's been for years. Not to mention it'd make seeing him again after returning from Europe in Dual Destinies a lot less jarring.

Obviously patching this problem up is easier if Phoenix is allowed to appear during the case, but I figure giving Apollo some identity in his own game is a better priority.

Continue the tradition of Apollo having not entirely innocent clients

This one is probably the simplest to do and probably the most trivial, but I do love the fact that all of Apollo's clients (pre Dual Destinies anyways) were all guilty of something other than the murder they were accused of. This simple notion is enough to start giving Apollo major trust issues. More on this fascinating analysis can be found in this post here.

Have anyone BUT Klavier be the prosecutor

Yeah, I won't lie, this one is more personal/petty. I simply dislike Klavier and would rather not see him. Plus the guy is still probably dealing with the reelback from his band breaking up, and his brother showing his true colors definitely stirred something up I'm sure.

The only 3 choices I can think of for the prosecution are Edgeworth, Fransizka, and Winston Payne. Haven't played or watched either of the Investigations games, so I can't comment confidently on any prosecutors seen there. The only one who would probably be a really good fit would be Sebastian Debeste.

Edgeworth is a pretty left field option, but damn it these two need to meet. Plus, a courtroom battle between Edgeworth and Apollo would be quite interesting, since Apollo doesn't bluff nearly as much as Phoenix. When he does, it's usually to draw out new evidence. It would be a legit game of debating+logic chess for at least 80% of the trial.

Haven't seen much of Franny prosecute, so I can't really comment, but Apollo does not have Phoenix's ridiculous luck+endurance, so those whips might be deadly...

Payne could actually work if you tie in the "succession theme" from 4-4* in a really ironic way? Like, he decides if he loses this case, he'll file for retirement. The fabled Rookie Killer getting permanently "killed" by a rookie. Phoenix wasn't able to do it, so this is about as close as it's going to get for Apollo unless we can deviate from Dual Destinies entirely. Could also serve as a catalyst for Gaspen to go up against the WAA.

(*The 4th case for Apollo Justice is named "Turnabout Succession", but really, Apollo didn't succeed Phoenix at all. He was just his mouth piece against Gavin. And to add salt to the wound, Phoenix ends up returning as an attorney in Dual Destinies, so yeah, it makes everything moot. I would have definitely loved to use Edgeworth with this themed framework in mind, but it only works properly if Phoenix never returns to law or choose a different law based profession, like a professor at Themis or something.)

No high stakes, have the case be a good ol' murder mystery

Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice both have fifth cases with stupidly high stakes if you lose, even more so than the trilogy's final cases. As noted in this post here, Apollo Justice as a game inverted so many themes from the trilogy, so it wouldn't hurt to invert this one as well. Obviously this is AA, so we can't have a normal trial, but simply make it more down to earth. And please don't let it drag on like RFtA. Seriously.

+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*

Anyways, those are the main things I'd have wanted to see if AJ ever got a fifth case. Hopefully I didn't bore ya. Some other optional things could include the case utilizing a new puzzle solving method exclusive to whatever device it is released on, or having Apollo alone on the defense's bench (meaning no Trucy or Phoenix to give advice or comment. Him standing on his own for once would definitely help him.)

#ooc #face claim #Mun's ramblings

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davidmann95 · 7 years

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Dick Grayson is by far my favourite comics character...but yeah very few of his comics have been able to get away from that Batman lite feeling. I love the idea of him as fun Batman, but with Bruce around I'm not sure if that wouldn't just cement him as a "second rate Batman" even more so. How would you think is best to that pitfall? Beyond just only being written by excellent creators, what would be your guidelines for Dick as Batman in a DCU with Bruce?

It would definitely be a tough needle to thread, but I think it could be done. If only because, again, the MCU is going to start having to show people giving up roles to successors, and the world at large will be introduced to Miles Morales in 2018 with his animated movie. So the public is about to get a lot more amenable to the idea of more than one person going by the same superheroic name, and for all the reasons I had to say before, I think it would be worth it if you’re going to keep Dick around as a major and superheroically active figure of that world. Which you basically have to because A. He’s a great character, and B. Even if he wasn’t, he’s the original Robin, he can never totally go away.

Anyway, the obvious first step is to differentiate them visually, and it never sat right with me during the year of their co-ownership of the title that Dick had the plain black bat-symbol, while Bruce had the bright yellow. I wouldn’t want to fiddle with the design too radically - nothing would signal Dick as being a subsidiary Batman more than him having a weird variation while Bruce wore the regular suit - so building off the base Alex Ross suggested below seems to me like a good place to go:

Throw in the bat-shaped belt-buckle and turn the black of the bodysuit back to gray (I get what Ross is going for there, but it doesn’t totally work), and I think you have a winner; the solid, vibrant splash of color with a more traditionally superheroic logo would go a long way in differentiating him from the modern Bruce while still being visibly Real Batman. If you do want to mess around with it a little more, the proposed Morrison/Quitely redesign before they settled on something more traditional wouldn’t be the worst either:

Well, the Batman redesign at least. No clue what they were thinking with Robin; even with the nostalgia factor in play for the Earth-Two suit, that design has never been anything other than atrocious.

While we’re on the costume, I’d also rework the cape a bit. A little shorter (gotta maximize the opportunities for showing off Mr. Grayson’s most marketable assets), and a little less like a cloak. His suit in general would probably be more on the side of tights than the modern armor vogue, but the cape in particular would have a pretty different functionality than Bruce’s, more lightweight and flexible. Bruce generally relies on his these days for gliding, but Dick’s the one in the business of leaping from rooftop to rooftop and I imagine he’d rely more swinging on the grapple than Bruce ever did, especially after his cowl-less years as Nightwing. Instead, the cape is there for the visual effect: not to intimidate like Bruce, but to obscure his movements. He’d still be dishing out all the flashy moves he’s made his signature, but the cape would be flapping all around him as he did it, making it hard for a casual observer to see the precise movement of his arms and legs. Along with making him harder to predict, it’d make him look like a raggedy whirling dervish, more cape than body, which would go a long way in establishing him as a monster of the shadows in the minds of criminals when so much of his aesthetic would otherwise be lighter. I know he’s said in the past he isn’t a fan of the cape so it’d be a bit odd to integrate it into his fighting style so completely, but it really is part of the package, and he said in Incorporated he was getting fonder of it again anyway. And it wouldn’t be hard on artists either; even those not going for the full effect could still show him holding the edges of the cape in his fists, as opposed to Bruce either being fully cowled-up or going straight blunt-force.

As for his actual actions, I don’t think him smiling and having fun is at all at odds with working as Batman. Smiling Batman can be a creepy Batman to the criminals he’s fighting, while still comforting those he’s helping. Snyder’s Batman is actually a pretty decent model; he’s a little quippy and chatty as Bruce for my tastes, but his take on Batman with a few minor alterations would be a pretty good fit for Dick in the costume. Just steer Grayson a little less Spider-Man and a little more 80s action movie star, and you’re in the ballpark.

Beyond that, it’s mostly just basic setup. Have Dick focus more on weird kung-fu adventures in a sprawling neon-splashed Gotham and solving fun themed crimes, while Bruce does more straight-ahead detective work and darker, acid-tinged battles against flamboyant monsters. Not that heavy, bloody mysteries should be barred from Dick’s side of Gotham, or that Bruce shouldn’t be wrapped up in lighter escapades now and again - they both need the variety - but in terms of general guidelines I think that would work just fine; even Morrison’s time with Bruce tended to focus on the darker side of Batman’s day-to-day, while Dick lends himself easily to the more conventionally comic-bookey side of things. They can regularly share a few villains like Two-Face, while Dick already has a decent base to build on with the likes of Pyg, Flamingo, Jim Gordon Jr., Raptor and (if you really must) Deathstroke. Have them co-lead Batman, with Bruce headlining Detective Comics and Dick getting Batman & Robin with Damian. Bruce maybe gets an extra title on top as the classic Batman, while Dick gets the publicity of being the one on the Justice League. I realize that’s a radically different status quo than anything that’s ever been sustained before for such a major character for any real time, but like I said, I think it’ll soon be much more practical, it’d offer more variety for readers, and it makes Dick far more viable and profitable as an ongoing lead. Unless you’re willing to go full scorched-Earth with the continuity and make Dick Robin again, it’s at this point more trouble than it’s worth to struggle to keep a cultural icon like him in a subsidiary position forever, so unless you’re going to scrap him like they originally planned for Infinite Crisis, he really should just be legitimately moved into the big leagues.

#Batman #Dick Grayson #Robin #Nightwing #Alex Ross #Frank Quitely #fanfic #Opinion

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