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harevutai · 1 year

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Providence, Curiosity, and You

(Or, why the localization of Neil Saionji's catchphrase to 'curiosity' is dumb and is gonna cause a bunch of problems) So this is something I've been thinking about for a while now, and while I have ranted about it on whatever discord servers I could reach (and also to a good friend of mine who I dragged into yugioh sevens so I would not brainrot alone) I am writing this post because I genuinely feel that like, this dub choice baffles me on so many levels. But let's start from the basics. So. Neil Saionji. Picture below. This eleven year old blonde kid who is a major character in YuGiOh SEVENS, holds a high executive job in the local super-corporation that regulates the entire town and is a genius hacker who could apparently just causally reroute satellites at 3 years old. For the longest time the person closest to him was a sentient massage chair robot, named Sebastian. He also had apparently gone his whole life prior to meeting the main cast without tasting good ramen. This last bit of information has no relation to anything but is funny so I wanted to mention it.

So, in the series, one of the words you'll hear him say the most and that is really most important to his arc and character is 'providence' ('setsuri' in japanese, if you want to organize your drinking game or something. Not recommended for people who need their liver, though!). Providence is usually a term used in a religious context, but I think for the sake of a more general discussion it can be safely defined here as 'an external, omnipotent force that guides people and events towards a pre-determined path'- something that is so intrinsically woven in the fabric of the universe that it is impossible to escape from. This is something Neil is shown multiple times to deeply believe in. He believes things should be according to providence, though he is not always sure what this providence is, or where it's leading him, it seems to initially just essentially amount to keeping the order and nature of things as they are. The reason he opposes Rush Duels, initially, is because they oppose the current status quo- oppose providence- and so he feels that as an agent of both Goha and of this superior force, he has to stop them. But even as he does so, he discovers something even their creator, Yuuga, hadn't seen. The possibility of Maximum Monsters, the area left intentionally unfinished. And as he has seen it, he feels it is 'right' that he use it for the sake of providence. So far, though, you could reframe this in the context of 'curiosity' rather easily and this is what the localization team has done. While this has led to some interesting dialogue being left out, and some other stuff being replaced by generic taunt/countertaunt exchanges, this is par for the course for dubs, so why am I so bothered by it? Well, not only do I feel changing a character's entire motivation with something that does not have nearly the same impact- in fact, curiosity by itself is much more open-minded and in a way goes in contrast to providence!- it will also make some later plot beats to come lose a lot of their meaning, at least I feel.

What I am referring to is specifically the Goha Siblings arc, and more specifically episode 65, 'Solitary Providence'. To give a brief recap, it sees Neil duel Asana under Yuo's orders, and him resigning from his position at Goha after his loss. Now, in the original version this is a very good and insightful episode. Neil has until now- even though he has changed after losing to Yuga- still been a pretty external character. He had a more active role to play in the Team Battle Royale arc, but even then that arc was more focused on Gakuto and Romin reaching a turning point in their character arcs, and on the bigger mystery around Otes and his plans. Otherwise, he's been the overseer, a more benign one after his arc, lending aid to Yuga when prompted but never actively seeking to do so. As mentioned, this lines up with what I believe to be his idea of providence- that things that are to happen will happen, and there is no need or reason to fight it. The universe follows a pre-determined fate, and the only way to free oneself from the chains this realization brings is to accept it and go with the flow.

And this is where it gets him. To follow his providence, he now has to duel against his friends and to do so under the orders, and for the benefit of, someone who directly stands opposed to them. He will still do it of course, and he does. Bound not only by his position as a Goha worker, but also by his providence as such. But he loses. He loses and not only that, he loses to the one thing that was able to overcome providence the other times he lost: bonds. Bonds with people, something he has so far mostly been 'outside' of due to his providence. And what's worse, by the end of it, after he resigned from his position as he muses how he's always been alone, he loses Sebastian as well. The person that had been closest to him, or at least for the longest time.

It's no wonder this episode has the title it has, and it's really what prompts Neil to reflect on his idea of providence, and to realize what he's given up because of his belief. ...Of course, this is all done under the layer of a kids's show about card games, with comedy and lightheartedness to spare: I might go into this more in a separate post, but I do think sevens is very interesting like that, where the fact it undoubtedly is more child-friendly and humorous doesn't stop it from having pretty deep subtext and themes.

The point of all this is, though, do you now understand why 'curiosity' is not a good enough replacement for this providence? Why I think that either they have to change the context of this episode- and Neil's arc- completely, or they will end up with a very weak character in the dub where the original had a much, much more nuanced and fascinating outlook into the conflict of determinism versus free will? (With Neil being able to both innovate and thrive from his providence, but also losing things dear to him and being alone because he just accepted it rather than fighting).

I sincerely doubt curiosity can replicate this duality in any satisfactory way, but since the dub has not yet gotten to season 2, I suppose we will wait and see- but I am not hopeful. I have been burned by the yugioh dub too many times, the latest example that comes to mind being how they handled Playmaker and Ai's relationship in VRAINS. I just wanted to get my thoughts on it out of my brain and written down somewhere, because why not?

Finally, to close on a more positive note, let me also share a screenshot me and my friend took when we were watching Sevens that always takes me out instantly.

#yugioh #yugioh sevens #ygo sevens #yugioh anime #neil saionji #rambles #long post

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emmym1 · 9 months

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My thoughts on... King in Black: Gwenom vs Carnage 2021 (#1-3)

So after the Ghost-Spider run it's time for this mini event where Gwen fights against MJ who has turned into Carnage! An amazing setup and i absolutely love the concept of it! Short recap of what happens: Gwen is fighting off the symbiote invasion and trying her best to protect the city, however touching the symbiotes has an effect of her suit which causes her to not be able to figh them very effectively. Her roommates get consumed by symbiote goo and Gwen gets attacked by a symbiote dragon. As she has no other options left she tries to travel to earth-65 but when trying to do that, earth 65 MJ gets send to earth-616 instead. Turns out the jackal has been expirementing on her with the mini symbiote spiders he collected from Gwen. MJ bonding with Gwen's symbiote spiders seemingly caused Gwen's device to malfunction and bring MJ to 616 instead. MJ gets consumed by the symbiotes and is under the eye of Knull know. She turns into Carnage and all of her angers and frustrations with Gwen arise as they fight. MJ Carnage is able to subdue Gwen, however due to Gwen's symbiote being artificial it's unable to be controlled by Knull. Knull does reach out to her through MJ's symbiote and he shows Gwen where all of MJ's frustrations and angers with her come from. After this, Gwen & MJ's battle continues. MJ wants to create a new band and kidnaps some people and forces them to play with her. Gwen knows symbiotes are weak to sound but that hers are more resistant now. She challenges MJ to a music battle and while they hold that battle the symbiote in MJ is weakened. Gwen orders her spider's to destroy the symbiote and saves MJ. Her multiverse device still doesn't work, so she brings an unconcious MJ somewhere safe as she goes of to protect the city. The last issue ends with MJ waking up with the symbiote seemingly still being in her.

I will say that i really really love the idea of Spider-Gwen/Gwenom fighting Carnage MJ. Both of them have a lot of unresolved frustrations with each other and i feel like something like this was the perfect way to adress this. Which they did! But very surface level. When Gwen meets with Knull and he shows her all of MJ frustrations with her and where it came from, it wasn't really done in a deep or complex way. All that was shown was just that MJ is upset with Gwen for being inconsiderate with her and the band. Which is true but i feel there was potential to explore why the band means so much to MJ, why despite all the frustrations MJ still cares a lot about Gwen. But that doesn't really get explored, we just get shown what we already knew basically. Sadly this moment also doesn't lead to any character development. Gwen doesn't really recognize her faults or learn from them, instead she's more focussed on just getting the symbiote away from MJ. Which i understand is prioritiy nr.1 but usually Gwen does some inner self-reflection through her inner monologue as the events are unfolding. And here that doesn't really happen. I do love that the way she beat MJ Carnage was with a music battle, it was the perfect thing. And MJ still having the symbiote afterwards is a super interesting concept as i feel there is a lot more to be explored with her character and doing it through a symbiote/carnage story arc is an amazing way to do that. However, there are still lots of unresolved storylines from her Ghost-Spider run and this just adds another unresolved storyline to it. So my worry is that we'll never actually get to see this storyline and that it'll be ignored like the other ones. But hopefully i'm wrong because i would love for this to be explored further, especially since i feel like they've only explored the surface level of MJ and her angers/frustrations in this mini event. There is so much potential for complex and deep character exploration that would really lift MJ's character up even more. I am also kind of annoyed that this is supposed to be Gwenom vs Carnage, but it's actually Gwen vs Carnage. I think if this event had the actual Gwenom it would've been a lot more interesting because then you have these two characters with a lot of frustrations for each other being the most angry and angsty versions of themselves. And that would've made for some interesting dialogue and arguments, and also could've been a great way for them to vent about everything and ultimately resolve it at the end. Instead however, Gwenom in this is just a fancy costume change for Gwen. Her personality isn't even what it is when she's Gwenom. She isn't angrier or angstier than usual, she's just regular Gwen. And that's kind of a shame because her turning into Gwenom is supposed to be a big character thing, and here (and in the Ghost-Spider run) it's not. It's sad because it does devalue the meaning behind Gwenom quite a bit. I know I sound very negative here but it's just that this mini event could've been so much more than it ended up being. So it's a bit sad and frustrating to not see it live up to its potential. I will say, i absolute loved the art in this and MJ Carnage is such a crazy design in a good way. I really like it a lot!

#spider gwen #comics #earth 65 #gwen stacy #ghost spider #marvel #gwenom

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mlobsters · 10 months

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supernatural s6e17 my heart will go on (w. eric charmelo, nicole snyder)

the sheer number of plotlines they're bringing up in the recap! jo and ellen, angel drama, bobby and rufus, jim beaver's questionable acting as evil ear worm. are we gonna wallow in everyone we've gotten killed's deaths

this is very final destination. like, the wood holding up the very heavy garage door for no reason. obviously it's gonna kill him somehow.

good sibling dumbassery there with the rock paper scissors but uh. sam with paper and being surprised at dean's scissors??? what is going on

well, obviously something very hinky, mustang and all. but not only is ellen here but she's got like. obvious makeup and a blowout. but she's been huntin with jo. again, looks lovely, but too much for the character.

(every episode that doesn't mention sam's wall since hell spilled over makes my eye twitch)

psst the mustang is totally a sexier car than the impala which looks great from the front but is just... so... long. sexy quotient decreases, i don't make the rules

i like bobby and ellen together even if it doesn't make a ton of sense (he's got nearly 20 years on her), she's not gonna put up with him being an ass

DEAN Are you okay?

ELLEN Aw, honey, you're sweet. You know me. I just worry about you boys.

DEAN Yeah, well.

🥲

they've got a nicer-than-usual hotel/motel/holiday inn too

BALTHAZAR Oh, uh, sorry, uh. You have me confused with the other angel – you know, the one in the dirty trenchcoat who's in love with you. I... don't care. Goodbye, boys.

first the profound bond, now balthazar* is outing him. i don't think cas is ever around enough to really have them show this, but i feel like the show is enthusiastic about telling us how cas feels about dean lol

funny since i had just taken a screenshot of bobby's regular sign a few episodes back, not self service with ellen apparently

kinda miserable to see bobby and the boys have more of a support system to have to wipe it all away to fix the timeline.

DEAN What'd she look like?

SAM Kind of like a librarian.

DEAN Your kind of librarian or my kind of librarian?

SAM Well, she was wearing clothes, if that's what you mean.

so dumb but i laughed nonetheless. lot of sibling banter this episode. they seem a little happier in this universe 🥴

SAM What did we do?

CASTIEL Nothing of import – just the tiny matter of averting the Apocalypse and rendering her obsolete. I think maybe she's a little irritated about that. And then you go and dangle yourselves in front of her...

i have read only a little destiel and when he pops up in my regular reading, but again, he's funny! unexpected! especially with how he is written in some stuff (reminds me of how [a lot of] people write adam in HEU)

CASTIEL Balthazar has a weapon that will work against her.

DEAN Of course he does. Yeah. Boy, that guy's just got it covered, doesn't he? You need new friends, Cas.

CASTIEL I'm trying to save the ones I have, Dean.

dean doesn't know what to do with that, apparently

ATROPOS Bull crap. This isn't about some stupid movie. He's under your orders. You sent him back to save that ship.

CASTIEL No, I didn't. Why would I?

ATROPOS Oh, maybe because you're in the middle of a war and you're desperate? Come on. This is about the souls.

CASTIEL You don't know what you're talking about.

ATROPOS That angel went and created 50,000 new souls for your war machine.

CASTIEL You're confused.

ATROPOS No. You can't just mint money, Castiel. It's wrong...It's dangerous... And I won't let you.

i am also confused. that sounds lowkey evil and i don't understand how more souls would help. i thought the fighting was just angel v angel?

(wiki)

Dean drives a Mustang which has the original plates the Impala had -- "KAZ 2Y5" -- until 2.20 What Is and What Should Never Be. A '65 Mustang was Kripke's original choice for Dean's car: "When I was originally writing the show I wanted to give the guys an American muscle car. My first choice was a '65 Mustang. My neighbor said it has to be a '67 Impala, because you can put a body in the trunk. He says, 'You want a car that, when people stop next to it at the lights, they lock their doors.'"

funny. but definitely roomier, it is sensible. not sure about intimidating though but hey

In the previous episodes involving time travel – 4.03 In the Beginning and 5.13 The Song Remains the Same – the travel was a part of a contiguous series of events. That is, the going back in time was something that had always happened, and did not change events. In this episode, Balthazar says that there are "No rules" anymore, hence his ability to alter events by taking action in the past.

there's some hand waving if i've ever seen it

Jensen once did an ad for Titanic-related merchandise.

oh jackles. aren't you lucky to have such a fanbase that they dig that up and put it somewhere everyone can see

okay and following up on the rock paper scissors, what doES IT MEAN if in this timeline dean doesn't always lose

ps still mad about ellen getting killed off to begin with

(moving this to the end because truly) waxing philosophical to myself about how they often include scenes from really heavy, serious moments in the recap and then the episode is cracky but they briefly have a conversation about the Serious Thing. it's so weird. it's like the exact opposite of mad men next episode promos (which told you absolutely nothing of content). anyway, whenever there's a lot of serious stuff in the recap i would brace myself for a serious episode and then half the time it really wasn't. unclench, nic.

*okay but this just made me think about how in twilight the werewolves all hear each other's thoughts and they start making fun of jacob for pining over bella constantly so i'm imagining the angels get to hear each other and they're making fun of cas for pining over dean LOL

#supernatural #spnwatch #spn 6x17 #now i've got hotel motel holiday inn pitbull song stuck in my head #eric charmelo #nicole snyder #rock paper scissors

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guildwarsgirl · 1 year

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My own lore for Shiro and the Tagachi Family (Part 5):

Holy moly, we're up to 5 parts now! And a new title?! Whaaaaaat?

So, quick recap from Part 4. Shiro and Sarah got married, their daughter Lilly was born, then the Envoys came in and ruined everything by taking Shiro away, and Togo showed up.

Togo arrived at Minister Wona's estate, hoping to negotiate peace talks betweens Humans and the tribes of Sensali and Angchu Tengu, hoping to put an end to the Tengu Wars.

However, Wona decided there could be no peace, stating "For the good of Cantha, you all must die."

Ordering his guards to seal all the exits and ensure no one escaped, he ordered every guest at his estate to be killed. This including Sarah Tagachi and her infant daughter, Lilly.

Wona was eventually killed by Togo's hand, and peace was forged between the two races.

Before Togo left the estate, however... He came across Sarah and Lilly. His heart softened at seeing the two, and offered them a place in Raisu Palace to stay, stating "You shouldn't be out here in alone in the cold. My brother Kisu is the emperor. He and I can keep the both of you safe."

Sarah would only go with her baby, on one condition, and Togo was all ears. She revealed the identity of Lilly's biological father, and begged the master to never tell anyone. Not even Lilly could know until the time was right, for if anyone knew Shiro the Betrayer had married and somehow sired a child, they could be put to death.

And so, Togo agreed to keep her secret, and the three of them set back off for Kaineng City, and Raisu Palace.

For 17 years, Lilly had been raised on a lie that her last name is Natsuko, and that her father died at sea before she was born.

Togo, now 65 years old, was her mentor and father figure. She trained under him at Shing Jea Monastery to become an Assassin.

He had commented to her mother once during her training: "She may look like you, but his spirit lingers within her, waiting to be released. I fear it may not be long before that happens."

This concludes Part 5. Part 6, we begin covering the events of Guild Wars Factions.

#gw1 #gw1 fanfic #guild wars factions #master togo #shiro tagachi #sarah tagachi #lilly tagachi #sarah natsuko #lilly natsuko #my ocs #my lore #guild wars 1

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beautifulpaxielreads · 3 years

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August Wrap-Up

Books Completed (ratings out of five stars)

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (begun in July, ★★★★)

Crown of coral and pearl (Crown of coral and pearl #1) by Mara Rutherford (started in July, ★★★)

All our hidden gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue (started in July, ★★★1/2)

Song of the crocodile by Nardi Simpson* (started in July, ★★★★)

Perfect on paper by Sophie Gonzales* (★★★★1/2)

Dark of the west (Glass Alliance #1) by Joanna Hathaway (reread, ★★★★1/2)

Storm from the east (Glass Alliance #2) by Joanna Hathaway (★★★1/2)

Books currently in progress

The winner’s curse (Winner’s Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski (reread)

The wrath and the dawn (The wrath and the dawn #1) by Renée Ahdieh (reread)

En pointe by Chloe Bayliss*

Hood by Jenny Elder Moke

*Australian author/s

Reflections on August and Goals for September

I’m beginning to sound like a broken record in saying this, but August was, again, an excellent month for me reading-wise. I read seven books this month! Seven! I’m breaking my record here. And the good news is that I enjoyed nearly all of them in some capacity.

In this recap, I list the books I have read in the order I finished them. I must say, it seems like it’s been ages since I read the first three books on my list. (Hamnet, Crown of coral and pearl, All our hidden gifts). Did I read all those this month? (Don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical.)

As I said earlier, I enjoyed nearly all the books I read this month, but I did have a couple of favourites I wanted to mention. Perfect on paper was a lovely blend of comedy, romance and drama. I also think I enjoyed reading Dark of the west even more the second time around.

Have you ever finished reading a book within, say, five days, and then think I read that too quickly, and now I don’t know how to process it. That was me with the sequel to Dark of the west, Storm from the east. I think it was partly because this book was much heavier and darker than the first.

I still prefer physical books to e-books, and I don’t think I’m going to change my opinion on that any time soon.

I also read over 1000 pages this month, thanks in part to @books-and-cookies’ 1K Pages challenge. So if you’re reading this, Mary, I’m looking forward to the next one whenever you’re ready to do it. It was challenging but fun too.

In September, I plan to keep making my way through my physical TBR, plus any book acquisitions and e-book library loans I get along the way. My offline world is about to get busier, so I may not read as much. But I’m already ahead in my goal of reading 65 books in 2021, so I’m not too worried about it.

That’s it for now. As always, stay safe and well, and I’ll see you in October for my September wrap-up.

Until then, happy reading!

#beautifulpaxiel reads #monthly wrap ups #august

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moodyoranged · 3 years

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rory & seth

big spoon/little spoon: again i think rory likes being the big spoon. and i think seth perhaps would be more receptive to being little spoon than micah even. 65/35 split for them. yes that’s hyper specific for no reason.

favorite non-sexual activity: being shut ins <3 i think they’re at their happiest when they can hole up for a little bit. they love sitting around and watching stupid tv or like sitting around while he Games and she plays twitter on her phone. i think they like to be public menaces too and again i think going on drives is a big thing for rory but overall i think their favorite thing is just to coexist in a little space and talk and laugh while going about their day

who uses all the hot water: rory. i’m gonna try not to be super repetitive in this but some facts are undeniable like rory has to take long scalding hot showers.

most trivial thing they fight over: i mean they’re simply both pickasses. probably just the combination of rory always needing to be right and seth always needing to be a little shit causes most of their trivial fights. they bounce back though i feel like they don’t take little fights too seriously.

what has a season pass on their dvr/who controls the netflix queue: rory, but i think her taste is something seth could probably get behind. i think they have similar taste in like tv-ma comedies they watch cringe shit like rick and morty and it’s always sunny in philidephia together, some hbo comedies thrown in there for kicks. it may not be seth’s first choice but it’s nice easy brain off tv.

who steals the blankets: seth actually. but rory is baby as we know and will do whatever it takes to get in there it really is cut throat in her beds.

who leaves their stuff around: seth. rory keeps tidy but that’s just not something that feels as high on seth’s list of priorities. it adds to his laid back cool guy aesthetic.

who remembers to buy the milk: rory. i don’t think seth is incapable i just think she’s a control freak that would rather do it than leave it in his hands.

who cooks normally?: i think they both have like 3 things they’re very proud of being able to make that they cook on rotation. and when they’re tired of that they order out or something but they don’t have a problem getting a little repetitive its three things they really like..... so basically they take turns.

how often do they fight?: they bicker more than anything but i think even that comes from a place of love because they’re twisted and think continually picking on and challenging one another is a love language. i don’t think they have many like big serious fights once they get on the same page.

what do they do when they’re away from each other?: snapchat probably. they don’t treat it like some big thing when they’re apart. they keep in touch in like a playful way and miss each other but they don’t feel a need to like be updating each other or recapping their time apart while they’re still apart.

nicknames for each other?: they call each other pet names that probably make aubrey uncomfortable their version of a term of endearment is like evil boy, gremlin, stinky, that kind of thing. i think once they’re married they get very into like ball and chain and old lady/old man. my parents sometimes call each other has-been and knife instead of husband and wife and i think they’re on that kind of shit they just think its funny.

what would they get each other for gifts?: i think they’re pretty basic gift givers. they’re good about like actually asking and suggesting things that they would like for gifts they don’t make a big deal of it being like a big guessing game. and part of the fun of that is like when they do pull off a surprise on one another it’s that much more amazing and special.

who kissed who first?: seth. rory simply was not about to put her ass on the line for him again hey man i love you but no fucking way etc etc

who made the first move?: rory. and then she wanted to unalive herself for six months because it was an epic fail so seth would have to make a second first move to get that going again at all.

who remembers things?: rory. again it’s just the burden of having such a big beautiful mind, she’s the one who remembers things.

who cusses more?: seth. rory can definitely keep up but he’s probably got her beat.

#loveback #rory & seth.#meme reply.#thus concludes hanna ship series

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makeste · 4 years

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BnHA Vigilantes Chapters 59 - 65: Emergency Catch-Up Blog

before I start, please be advised that the following post will contain a potential MAJOR SPOILER FOR CHAPTER 253, which has not yet been released! please don’t be an idiot like me and spoil yourselves, guys. stay safe.

but anyways yes, this is my recap post for Those Chapters of Vigilantes. at long last. hooray! by the way this is barely edited at all, on account of it being a rush job (see re: the “Emergency” bit in the header). just some raw, unfiltered, [CENSORED SPOILER THING] thoughts and feelings! hopefully it’s readable; when I have more time I’ll try and clean it up a bit more.

so now, first off, credit where credit is due because omg

bless you anon, you saved my life

but let me backtrack! looool so guys, I did a dumb thing and peeked at a spoiler, and read the name “Shirakumo”, and was like FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK and noped out, but it was too late lol. so then I was like “HOW DO I CATCH UP ON THE ENTIRETY OF VIGILANTES IN LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS”, fully aware that I probably wasn’t going to do shit and would most likely just spend tomorrow apologizing and shrugging my way through the new chapter. and by the way guys, I’ll go ahead and throw in one of those apologies now, because I’ve had at least a dozen anons implore me to pick up Vigilantes, and I’m fully aware that Aizawa’s past has been covered (including one (1) cloudy boi), and that it’s really good. I just haven’t had the energy to do it! because reading and liveblogging are two very different things, and the latter just takes so much more time and energy honestly. so I kept putting it off and off and off, and now here I am

but then this ask came along telling me exactly which chapters to read in order to get the context I need! so seriously anon, you are the MVP of my week, and I appreciate this so, so much. I am now off to read those chapters, and I apologize to everyone again, but while I will liveblog them, it’ll probably be kind of a rush job due to the circumstances. like I won’t get into every single detail here, because it’s six whole chapters. but I’ll do my best

hmm I don’t know what constitutes the second half of chapter 59 lol so here I am reading the whole damn thing

AIZAWA BEING FRIENDS WITH MIDNIGHT, AND MIDNIGHT HAS A CAT OH GOSH

looool

personally, Aizawa hated school. he would never ever dream of becoming a teacher. how ridiculous. irrational af

“we’ll have you teaching at U.A. soon enough” psssh. not this man, sister

he’s hanging up on her now. honestly I am glad I did not skip the first part of this chapter lol

some wolfman is chasing the protag of this series whose name I forgot, as well as a little girl and ANOTHER CAT. this series has so many cats?! apparently!?

Aizawa is saving the cat. the hero we deserve

the protag whose name I am about to look up wants to adopt the cat, which prompts Aizawa to launch into a 2500-word essay on why he should not adopt the cat

okay the kid’s name is Koichi. he’s apparently 19 in the series, but I don’t know how old he is in this particular scene though because I have the vague impression that the series at large takes place in present-day BnHA time, which would mean this is definitely a flashback. so. ??

OHO, NOW IT’S A FLASHBACK WITHIN A FLASHBACK!!? so this is the Aizawa past thing everyone’s been all “!!!!” about. well here you go guys

young Shouta is staring at an abandoned kitty in a box in the rain

he left the cat, but also left his umbrella over it, awww

and he arrived at class all wet. and his teacher says he can go change his clothes, but he’s all “NAH I’M EMO SO I’LL JUST STAY LIKE THIS”, wow

“I’m powerless” jesus christ Shou get a grip

here comes Present Mic to forcibly lift his best bud’s spirits. they’re in second year apparently

Present Mic, and I mean this in the most loving and affectionate way possible, is the most annoying man on the planet

how was he not just constantly punched in the face at all times. like constantly walking around being punched by people

well well well

something horrible is sure going to happen to you, isn’t it? here I thought you were probably dead, but I’m kinda getting the inkling [SPOILERS, FOLKS, I’M SERIOUS] you’re gonna maybe show up in the latest chapter of the main series, so I guess not! congratulations I guess?? OR MAYBE NOT

“dammit Shirakumo” oh so it’s like that

their teacher deserves a raise. never thought we’d see another U.A. faculty member more done with life than Aizawa himself

hey Shirakumo is giving Shouta his umbrella back, but what about the cat?! SHIRAKUMO ARE YOU REALLY A NICE GUY, I’M NOT SURE YET

meanwhile he’s stripping naked in the middle of class. oh yes. I forgot Vigilantes was like this

he’s using his cloud quirk to censor himself where it counts

“and inside this cloud... is this charming little creature” lol we think he’s talking about his penis but then he pulls out the cat! WELL NEVER MIND THEN SHIRAKUMO

so Shouta is sitting around thinking emo thoughts that are gradually giving way to some decidedly un-hetero thoughts about Shirakumo, who’s doing that shounen thing where he smiles with his eyes closed while being silhouetted against the bright sun. maaaaan. Aizawa you are hella gay my dude

okay next chapter and they’re being assigned internships

Shirakumo’s hero costume is... well let’s just say it’s a good thing he’s got such a badass quirk

he’s riding around on that cloud like Goku. like a fucking Lakitu from Super Mario

now the teachers are talking about the three boys and whether they’ll be able to land internships

“Yamada shouldn’t have a problem. his voice quirk has applications in battle, rescue, and entertainment. but the boy’s a bit distractible.” okay first of all how the hell would Mic ever rescue a person with his quirk. fucking scream them to safety or what. and second, by distractible you mean punchable right. again, all the love

oh my god he’s so cute

lmao this is seriously my favorite picture of Aizawa ever. GO GETTEM SLUGGER

so Shouta is getting bullied by some guy with a decidedly Katsuki-ish quirk, except he shoots jets of fire out of his hands. but anyway he says that fighting Shouta is boring. SHUT UP, YOU. YOU’RE BORING

Shouta is so emo. but he really does want to be a good hero, he just doesn’t know how. he seems very frustrated

he’s lecturing Kumo on not giving people-food to the cat. and now he has picked up the cat and is cradling and bottle-feeding it like an infant. bless

this manga really has a gag panel of the cat pissing on Shirakumo afterwards, like. see this is another reason why I haven’t exactly been in a rush to read it sob. my sense of humor doesn’t really seem to align with Furuhashi’s

oH MY GOD

high school Midnight is the coolest person I have ever seen and I want to be just like her when I grow up

aaaaand she is literally not wearing any clothes except that belt and those boob-holsters. which, I mean, it’s not like she really dresses any differently in the main series, but this being Vigilantes, I’m sure we’ll get another half a dozen pages showing extreme close-ups of her costume from various angles. again, another area where this series and I don’t quite see eye to eye, but it’s all right since we’re just passing through here

and one year later they wrote a literal law limiting how much exposed skin a hero costume can show. oh Midnight. meanwhile I forgot how much this series makes me appreciate Horikoshi, flaws and all. I’ll take a thousand Minetas over this shit honestly. at least Mineta always gets his comeuppance. but anyway

they have named the cat “Sushi”

Midnight is straight up taking the cat lmao

Yamada got an internship. one down, two to go

Midnight’s back and showing them a video of the cat pooping. one joke about the cat’s bathroom habits in a single chapter was not enough, we’re going for two. not like we have anything more important to cover, like Aizawa getting an internship and something terrible and tragic happening to his boyfriend. let’s just keep talking about cat poop

okay here we go, Midnight says her boss will take them as interns

“Loud Cloud” lmao. home run hero name. GOAT

so Shouta’s chasing a villain and nearly got crushed by a safe that he threw at him, but he’s being saved by some guy who I’m guessing is his boss

oh my

this is the kind of weirdness that only a manga can get away with. I wonder how this idea came into being and whose idea it was, Horikoshi’s or Furuhashi’s. maybe the two of them hitting each other up back and forth in a text chain. “so I’m doing Aizawa’s flashback now, who do you want to have him to intern under?” “hmm I don’t know but I was thinking literally Prince”

Prince is chewing Shouta out something fierce

I thought I was prepared for these Aizawa flashbacks, but some things you can never be prepared for

lol he asked Shouta how he fucked up, and Shouta started listing all of his tactical errors, and Prince interrupted him and is all “I’M TALKIN’ ‘BOUT THAT GLOOMY FACE” listen son just who do you think your intern is. THAT’S JUST HIS FACE LEAVE HIM ALONE

he says Aizawa wears his stress all over his sleeve and bums people out

he’s telling him to smile! now where have we heard that philosophy before

hello

I’m just reblogging this panel because of reasons

so Shouta is sulking in the locker room, and Shirakumo is showering off and says his MO is to keep smiling even when he screws up

now Midnight is texting Shouta 500 cat pictures

lmao we can’t see Shouta’s face, but Kumo is streaking in and is all “THERE’S THAT SMILE, SUNSHINE!!!!”

OH SHIT NOW IT’S A FEW DAYS LATER AND THE VILLAIN IS BACK BUT THIS TIME SHOUTA DONE GOT HIM SOME GOGGLES!! the path from adorable to sexy begins. the Longbottoming

oh shit the goggles belong to Shirakumo. the gayening. and they were roommates

Shouta’s using his quirk!

and the bad guy is all “I don’t need my quirk to crush you” and straight up demolishing the fucking pavement yikes

and Kumo is leaping at him from above and whomping him on the head

yay they caught him. and Shouta is...

he’s trying. they’ll coax a real smile out of him yet! just show him a Youtube compilation of Logical Ruses

now he and Shirakumo have matching pairs of goggles. I’m just gonna assume this means they are married

the fire hands bully guy from earlier is coming over to start some shit again

he says he also realized the importance of eye protection through his internship. and Mic says he stole the idea from him

now the class is partnering off for two-on-two battle training, and Kumo is partnering with Shouta

they’re going up against Mic and Fire Hands, and for some reason they’re making a wager of it. whoever loses has to stop wearing glasses. this is easily the stupidest thing I have seen in this series yet, not to mention the most accurate

Kumo’s grinning at Shouta and saying the goggles symbolize their friendship and they have to defend them. you know, lovable scamp stuff

now Shirakumo and Shouta are double teaming the Fire Hands guy and taking him out in seconds because OF COURSE THEY DID. lol he never fucking stood a chance

but Shouta’s handing the glasses back and says that two-on-one isn’t fair so he’s calling the wager off

aaaand Fire Hands is snatching them back and stomping on them. and says he doesn’t need them

listen you dingus, yes you do fucking need them. and also he says he didn’t lose! wow this guy really has his head up his ass. I’d say he reminds me of a CERTAIN SOMEONE, but you know what, I’ll give Mr. Certain Someone his fair credit though, because he managed to get his shit together long before his second year. Fire Hands still needs to grow up

the teacher is telling him he missed the point of the exercise, and FH is literally ignoring him and running off wow

apparently Mic also gave up his sunglasses and got himself a pair of goggles. well we know that’s not gonna last. and for that matter, Shouta’s gonna change out his goggles for a different model as well. ohhhhh some tragedy is on the horizon I just know it, this is gonna hurt

Shirakumo says the three of them should start their own agency. ahhh. buddy I’m here reading this from the future, and I gotta tell you, son... shit’s awkward as fuck

and he’s pointing out all the different ways they complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses

Shouta says he can’t do anything on his own, but Kumo says that just means he’s suited to teamwork

Kumo’s inviting Midnight to join them, but she’s declining lol

Shouta’s looking at the sky all dramatically. oh baby this is it isn’t it. things are about to get rough

“one week later”

NOO THEY HURT MY PRECIOUS PRINCE

SOMEONE IS CALLING FOR BACKUP AND THE CAMERA IS ZOOMING IN ON A BUSTED UP PAIR OF GOGGLES, FUCK EVERYTHING

now we’re cutting to Mic and Fire Hands and FH replaced his sunglasses with a pair of goggles. goggles are just the in thing now

Fire Hands talks about Aizawa so much I’m starting to ship the two of them now as well. damn Shouta how many high school boyfriends did you have??

so they’re fighting off some toad monster and it’s absorbing all their attacks

meanwhile Shouta and Kumo are literally helping kindergartners to cross the street

look at this

it’s beyond my comprehension how anyone could possibly mistake this man for anything but a future teacher

even Kumo is commenting on how natural he is at working with kids

oH MY GOD the kids waved goodbye and said “bye Eraserhead” and it prompted a little smile

Kumo says Shouta psychs himself out and convinces himself he can’t do stuff, but really he can do just about anything if he puts his mind to it. aww. and he’s right!!

oh shit here comes the toad

so this toad’s name is Garvey, and he’s literally wanted for murder oh shit. and he has a Fatgum-like quirk that can absorb attacks and store them up to release them

and some idiots hit him with a combined attack that ended up powering him the fuck up. well shit

so Prince is placing a rose in between his teeth and getting ready to fight this toad off. do it I believe in you

now a lot is happening all at once, jesus. Shouta and Kumo were trying to evacuate the kids but then the toad just appeared right there like wtf, and then Prince also showed up out of nowhere and went to hit the thing with a flying jump kick

aaaand he’s getting blasted into a building

oof. and getting even further blasted now. welp

Kumo’s protecting the kiddos with his Nimbus quirk!

OH FUCKING SHIT AND THEN HE GOT CRACKED IN THE HEAD BY A GIANT FALLING ROCK

is this bitch fucking dead now. I can’t believe they fucking Obitoed my bro Shirakumo

so now the toad is looming over them, and Shouta realizes he’s the only one left standing, and all his doubts are filtering into his mind as he desperately tries to think of how to stop him

and Shirakumo’s... gourd... thing... is klunking in out of nowhere, and it has a little speaker on it, and it’s all “YOU GOT THIS AIZAWA” and wtf. this is like something out of a weird fever dream

OH SHIT BOYS AIZAWA SHOUTA DONE GOT HIS GAME FACE ON NOW

THE LONGBOTTOMING CONTINUES

so now he’s leaping fifty feet into the air, somehow, and thinking that his Erasure quirk will at least level the playing field. well all right then! you go boy

now it’s raining and of course bolts of lightning are dramatically hitting the ground all around them

Shouta’s kicking off the lil power toad lumps one by one lol

literally just jumping all around and kickin’ stuff

oof he took a bad hit. but he’s sitting back up!

Kumo’s disembodied gourd voice keeps shouting encouragement at him though, idk. so there’s that

he says Shouta’s strong and he won’t lose, and Shouta is all “RAHHHHHHH.” you guys, if 1-A ever found out about this flashback they would never let the man live it down. hell I’m not gonna let him live it down. okay then. Mr. RAHHHHHH

he’s doing some weird stuff with his capture weapon now. I think maybe he grabbed a rock with it and chucked it at the guy

and now the guy is shooting all his toad lumps at Shouta all at once! WELL ALL RIGHT THEN

yooooo Shouta literally grabbed them all with the capture weapon and he’s CHUCKIN’ EM ALL INTO THE DUDE’S MOUTH Y’ALL THIS IS SOME REAL FUCKING SHIT LMAO GET WRECKED

so the guy is blowing up from the inside out. yeah that’s what you get for murdering Shouta’s childhood friend you piece of shit

and Shouta’s collapsing in exhaustion but happily shouting “SHIRAKUMO I DID IT” before he passes out. oh my god don’t tell me Kumo is already dead and Shouta just hallucinated his voice or some shit. THEN WHO WAS GOURD omg

oooooof here we go

[places both hands on Shouta’s shoulders and looks him dead in the eye] son I don’t know how to tell you this, but Shirakumo has been dead for twenty years

wow can someone just fucking tell Shouta already so he stops depressing everyone and making an idiot out of himself. geez how long are you all gonna stand around despondently shooting knowing looks at each other in the rain

so they’re picking up the gourd speaker thing and OF COURSE it’s visibly broken and there’s no possible way Kumo’s voice could have been coming out of it. especially since he has been dead for twenty years. here’s a picture of his grave. oh shit what’s that little grave right next to his?? OH MY GOD IT’S THE CAT. OH MY GOD

oh fuck me

Y’ALL REALLY DID THESE BABIES LIKE THAT. HORIKOSHI!! FURUHASHI!! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW I WANT A WORD!!

so now Fire Hands, who is trying his best to be comforting but is just SO BAD AT IT, is all “Aizawa you went toe to toe with this thing and beat it YOURSELF!! ALL ALONE!!!” jesus christ I need a minute

OH DAMN A CALLBACK TO THE RAIN “THIS KINDA FITS OUR VIBE RIGHT NOW” LINE but now it’s saaaaaaaad oh no

I mean. I knew going in that this was going to be Aizawa’s sad childhood flashback about his friend Shirakumo whom something very terrible happened to. it’s not like I’m even surprised. I knew what I was getting myself into here. but damn that still hurts

do you guys think that having a permanent image of his best friend forever immortalized as a cheerful seventeen-year-old, and being forever haunted by the memory of that seventeen-year-old being cut down in the prime of his life, might have given Aizawa Shouta lasting trauma which carried over into his adulthood and makes him do desperately reckless things when children are at risk, such as leaping into battle against an army of villains all alone. dammit now I want to grab every single problem child of 1-A and shake them roughly and scream at them for all the sleepless nights they have doubtless caused this man

so now here he and Mic are both being sad

aww Mic. I’m sorry I keep wanting to punch you in the face. it’s just reflex

and now it’s one year later and the class is gearing up for the sports festival

well look who is almost fully done with his metamorphosis

you will soon be a beautiful butterfly

he is literally going to sleep in the middle of class. well depression makes people tired. sigh

he’s got his familiar goggles now! and he’s kicking FH’s ass and lecturing him on how to fight better. damn his character development is complete

and he’s helping FH to his feet aww. definitely boyfriends. this man gets around

his teachers now say that Shouta has gotten too complacent, if anything, and phones everything in once he knows he’s got a passing grade, and only gets passionate when it comes to practical exercises

and now we’re cutting to the gym and Shouta is indeed training passionately while Mic sits in the corner looking bummed. all these kids have been through far too much in their young lives

Shouta’s handing in his career aspiration form, and he wrote that he wants to start his own agency and focus on “fighting, and nothing else”

his scruffy facial hair is already starting to come in now. it’s true what they say, having a tragic past does indeed make you hotter

anyways but can we get this boy a hug!? anybody?? hello??!?

now they’re graduating and Shouta is disappearing in a poof of smoke and now there’s this big panel with flashbacks to his career up to the current point in Vigilantes!

and we’re back in the ~present~ and he’s telling Koichi to take good care of that cat. aaaand, I guess that’s that. geez. that was a lot

so there you go! the Aizawa flashbacks! they were very sad! all in all I really enjoyed them! so now, if Shirakumo isn’t actually dead (seeing as it’s a shounen manga that pays homage to comic books, so safe to say that People Not Actually Being Dead is a Certified Phenomenon, like it’s definitely a THING THAT CAN SOMETIMES HAPPEN), well then. tomorrow’s chapter is sure going to be interesting to say the least. lulz but maybe I’ve got it all wrong though. guess I’ll find out!

#bnha 253 #bnha vigilantes #aizawa shouta #yamada hizashi #shirakumo oboro #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha vigilantes spoilers #makeste reads bnha #makeste reads vigilantes #the real question is what the hell ever happened to this prince guy #I refuse to believe he just disappeared off the face of the earth #how is he not a top ten hero #probably because he got knocked out by the toad villain in like two seconds #and his sixteen-year-old intern had to save his fabulous behind #well hats off to a legend #wherever he is now

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carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory · 4 years

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The Largest Snail I Have Ever Seen

An inquiry came in (with the subject line: urgent snail question) asking, “How big is the biggest snail you've ever seen?” Thinking that others might be interested, here is my answer.

The largest snail? There could be many ways of answering that question. Size could refer to length, diameter, volume, or mass. The longest mollusk I have seen is the giant squid on display at the Smithsonian, but that is a cephalopod, not a snail, and it doesn’t have a shell. The largest shell I have seen is a fossil ammonite that was more than 2 meters in diameter, but that is also a cephalopod, not a snail, and maybe fossils are not acceptable for this answer.

The largest modern shell I have seen is that of a giant clam, but that is a bivalve, not a snail. The largest bona fide snail I have seen could be the snail in the Dr. Dolittle movie that carried Dr. Dolittle under the sea, but movies don’t always depict reality (sorry), so maybe that one doesn’t count. Another large snail I read about is a fossil sea snail from the Eocene Epoch (34-56 million years ago) called Campanile giganteum, which grew up to 1 meter long (Houbrick, 1984). But I haven’t actually seen one, which is really what you asked, and maybe you don’t want to include fossils.

Real answers start here. I would have to say the largest modern snail shell I have seen is that of the Australian sea snail Syrinx aruanus (which gets up to 91 cm long). The two largest shells of that species I have seen are at the Delaware Museum and the Philadelphia Academy, both of which were shorter than 91 cm; I didn’t measure them, but my memory suggests they were probably 65 to 75 cm long, which is pretty big for a snail! Given that slugs are also snails (gastropods), there are reports of slug-like sea hares (family Aplysiidae) whose bodies can get nearly a meter long, but the longest one I ever saw was around 25 cm long, so the Syrinx still wins for what I have seen. Another way to answer your question about largest is not longest but instead greatest volume. For that, the sea snail Melo melo might have the greatest volume (although it’s possible a large Syrinx might also win at volume, I’m not sure).

Syrinx auruanus by Bill & Mark Bell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 .

Then again, given that my specialty is land snails, you might be asking about the largest land snail I have seen. That would be the giant African snails in the family Achatinidae. I have seen plenty of living Achatina fulica, with shells up to about 12 cm, but I have seen shells of larger species, such as Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata. Note that we do have some large snails native to South America in the family Strophocheilidae (including a very large extinct one), but the giant African snails are larger.

Giant african land snail by Steve Slater (used to be Wildlife Encounters) is licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Shell estimated to be 10-15cm (4-6 inches) long.

Or maybe today is opposite day and you are really asking about the smallest snail I have seen. Although I do know about a minute sea snail, Ammonicera minortalia, at 0.4 mm diameter reported to be the smallest snail in the United States (Bieler & Mikkelsen 1998), I have never seen one. If you mean land snails, I recall that Wenz (1938-1944) reported some land snails in the family Diplommatinidae to be 0.5 mm, although I have not seen any Diplommatinidae that small, and I wonder if Wenz was reporting shell diameter rather than maximum dimension (most Diplommatinidae are taller than wide). (On the subject of narrow snails, I have seen the minute Carychium nannodes, which is only 0.4 mm diameter, but it is about 1.4 mm tall.) I do know some tiny snails from east Asia got a lot of press a few years ago for being able to fit into the eye of a needle (Páll-Gergely et al. 2015), and at 0.8 mm in greatest dimension, they are certainly minute, but again, I have never seen one.

The smallest adult land snails I have seen are either Punctum minutissimum or Guppya sterkii, both on the order of 1 mm diameter. Of course, their babies are even smaller, and I have seen babies of both those species, especially of P. minutissimum. Amazingly, Punctum minutissimum appears to be one of the most abundant land snails in northeastern North America, but it is rarely noticed due to its minute size.

Punctum minutissimum. Shell 1 mm (1/25 inch) diameter.

To recap (and more directly answer your question), the largest snail shell I have seen is Syrinx aruanus, the largest land snail shell I have seen is one of the giant African land snails, the largest living land snail I have seen is Achatina fulica, and the smallest land snail I have seen is babies of Punctum minutissimum.

Timothy A. Pearce, PhD, is the head of the mollusks section at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

References

Bieler, R. & Mikkelsen, P.M. 1998. Ammonicera in Florida: notes on the smallest living gastropod in the United States and comments on other species of Omalogyridae (Heterobranchia). The Nautilus 111(1): 1-12.

Houbrick, R.S. 1984. The giant creeper, Campanile symbolicum Iredale, an Australian relic marine snail. In: Eldredge N. & Stanley S.M. (eds.), Living Fossils. Casebooks in Earth Sciences. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Páll-Gergely, B., Hunyadi, A., Jochum, A. & Asami, T. 2015. Seven new hypselostomatid species from China, including some of the world’s smallest land snails (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Orthurethra). ZooKeys 523: 31–62. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.523.6114.

Wenz, W. 1938-1944, Gastropoda, Teil 1, Allgemeiner Teil und Prosobranchia. In: Schindewolf, Handbuch der Palaozoologie, v. 6. Borntraeger, Berlin. vii + 1639 p.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Largest Snail #Smallest Snail #Snails #Molllusks #Molluscs #MolluskMonday'

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xoruffitup · 4 years

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Adam Driver on SNL: 1/25 Dress Rehearsal Recap

I’m having dejavu of the best kind. I’m sitting here on the bus on my way back from NYC in hungover euphoria and overjoyed disbelief at everything I just experienced, texting new friends and old, recounting everything in my head and smiling so hard. The September 2018 weekend of Adam’s last SNL show lives in my memory in unmatched infamy, so my excitement was off the charts to do it all again. And because this show was absolutely fucking INCREDIBLE, this weekend delivered in every way all over again!! Seriously, my face aches from how I can’t stop smiling aksnksj HELP :’)

My friends and I were in the Dress Rehearsal, so below the cut are retellings of ALLLL the skits including those cut from the Live show - and no small amount of helpless emotional flailing.

I had an idea of what to expect after attending Adam’s 2018 show, but I nevertheless felt sky-high levels of anxiety when Sarah and we arrived at the NBC shop at 6:30. I knew rationally that our chances of getting into Dress were good with numbers #12 - 14, but every now and then there’s the occasional oddity of only a handful of Standby people getting in. Though even without any uncertainty in the equation, my entire being goes on Hyped/Anxious Overdrive anyway whenever I’m about to be in the same space as Adam sO really there’s nothing for it. :’)

They lined us up by numbers, I did a lot of emotional wobbling like “I can’t believe we’re here again together guys waaaah” (have I mentioned I met these girls at Adam’s last show? Full circle moment of the highest and most beautiful caliber and it had me hella verklempt), and thennnn - drumroll and hushed silence please - the main security guy comes up to the giant line and asks the first 20 people to come with him.

As they constantly remind you throughout this thoroughly nerve-wracking process, there is no guarantee you’ll actually get into the show until you’re physically in the seat. It’s a long, harrowing trip from the NBC store where the line gathers, up stairs, elevators, and through hallways to reach the studio, and you can still be cut even as far as the very last checkpoint if all seats fill up with the people ahead of you. So as you get closer, the excitement spikes higher and higher but so does the worry! We went through security, and then I clung to our new Standby line friend Catherine’s arm as they lined us up two-by-two on the first staircase, with Sarah and @reylonly right behind. I was likely extremely annoying as I couldn’t help being rambly and weird in my nerves and compulsively hugging my girls’ arms. @reylonly did her very best to calm my hot mess down, bless her.

About 45 minutes later (Maybe? I had no idea what time was, lbr) we reached the final point of the elevator and last hallway, and were held just outside the studio. THEN - the woman there instructed the next 4 to follow her in (thank GOD because we were terrified of being split up), WE WENT INTO THE STUDIO WHEW YAYAY OMFG WE WERE THERE!!! - but then oh no it happened so fast that she pointed @reylonly down to a single seat in the center and then the other 3 of us to seats towards the left side of the stage. They were all single seats, but thank GOSH they were all end seats of rows right next to each other. So Sarah was right in front of me and I could grab her shoulder (which I would do a lot in increasingly desperate excitement over the next 2 hours), and Catherine and I could reach across the aisle to cling to each other’s hands! @reylonly was on her own but in an incredible seat, and during commercial breaks we would lean forward to wave and blow kisses to each other and mime flailing or crying as one incredible sketch after another played out in front of us. I made sure to be friendly and talk to the people sitting next to me so they wouldn’t be too annoyed with me and Sarah always grabbing at each other, but LOL they probably thought I was at least a little insane. I mean, maybe for the moment alone when I saw a girl I’d made friends with in line but then lost track of in a seat not too far from me, and we started waving and dabbing at each other. Once we were seated there in the studio, all the anxiety gave way to surging excitement and I was practically bouncing in my seat, so overjoyed to be there and see my dear fandom friends there with me!

Michael Che warmed up the audience with some standup, the House band jammed, and Sarah and I momentarily got Extremely Excited when we saw them setting up the hell backdrop set for the cold open and thought at the time it was supposed to be Tattooine for a Star Wars skit, lolol. But then the actual show started, and with our Adam-eagle eyes Catherine reached out to whisper “there he is! In the blonde wig!” And, heart in my throat no matter how many times I see this man in person, I frantically squinted at all the people waiting just off to the side of the set until I saw that unmistakably Tol Broad back, and then he stepped onto the set and into the lighted camera’s view and I was cheering and clapping so hard for his first appearance that I couldn’t hear who he was supposed to be playing. xD I was just tapping Sarah’s shoulder in front of me, bouncing in my seat a little, and trying not to start levitating with the sheer force of my excitement and joy to be there.

OKAY from here I’ll break this up by skit! Anything that was different or missing from the Live show I put in bold font if you want to skip to that! Starting with...

Intro Monologue

WHAT A GOOD MONOLOGUE, ITS LIKE THEY JUST LET ADAM RUN WITH IT AND WRITE IT HIMSELF IT WAS SO HIM AND HILARIOUS AND WEIRD AND YET CHARMING IDEK I WILL NEVER COMPREHEND THE WONDER OF THIS MAN??

So when he dropped the bomb of “I’m a husband and a FATHER” I clapped Sarah’s shoulder SO HARD, then he made he joke “I’ve made it very clear to my son that he’s second in everything” and I could not bELIEVE the wonder of what I was hearing omfg. I heard the words “my son” come out of his mouth with my own ears WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED, SURE AS HELL NOT ME????

Then he went into the audience to demonstrate how “approachable” he is and was so awk/weird/hilarious I was just losing it, then took his time meandering around the stage and making weird faces into the camera and I was just LOSING IT. And AKSKSJA after that he wandered over to another camera that was lower and kind of hummed as he lifted his shirt and put it over the camera so we got a full on belly button view for 2 unbelievable glorious seconds!! He looked up at the monitors as he was doing it and went “oh you can’t see anything” so that’s probably why he sadly didn’t flash his belly in the Live show.

“Cheer” with Adam as one of the team coaches

I’m going by the skit order in Dress, and this one was first after the monologue. Best part for me was the accent reminiscent of Clyde Logan. :3 But tbh, of the 6 skits they did for the Live show, I kind of wish this one had been swapped for the one performed last in Dress that was sO Wild and would have made fandom absolutely lose its shit aksnksal more to come on that.

UNDERCOVER BOSS AKA RANDY THE INTERN

THE BEST GIFT WE COULD HAVE RECEIVED!! BLESS YOU SNL AND ADAM FOR GIVING US KYLO CONTENT TO BE HAPPY OVER AND LOVE WHOLE HEARTEDLY. T___T

Honestly, I cannot even properly describe my reaction when the Undercover Boss intro logo appeared on all the monitors oHMYLoRDDD. I nearly leapt out of my seat, like my heart nearly jumped clear out of my chest oh my fuck and I was legit holding onto Sarah so much I almost slid out of my seat - I just couldn’t believe it and I cheered SO LOUD. The entire audience erupted with this “HOLY SHIT” vibe outburst and I was SO happy to be there in that moment - knowing that our entire fandom was only hours away from this!! I honestly didn’t expect it at all - after they didn’t do one of these the second time Adam was on, I thought there was no chance. But IT HAPPENED AND IT WAS SO QUALITY HILARIOUS WE ARE SO BLESSED - THANK YOU TO RANDY’S LIL BEANIE AND VEST AND HIPSTER PANTS.

Pretty sure I like half curled up on myself laughing so hard my feet left the floor at OK BOOMER. And at the part with “will Rey take his hand?” I swear MY SOUL NEAR LEFT MY BODY I MEAN IS THIS THE REAL LIFE IS THIS JUST FANTASYYYY

..... Can someone come promise me we really didn’t just collectively hallucinate that??

SAG Awards Fashion Red Carpet

I’m not too disappointed this one was cut. Of all the amazing skits performed, I would have ranked this one lower. Adam and Kenan Thompson were fashion critics talking about celebs’ looks on the SAG red carpet. A minute in Adam says, “We should be paying more attention to the kids!” Kenan: *nervous laugh* “uh, should we??” Adam starts talking about/admiring the outfits for like Finn Wolfhard etc, with hilarious but bordering creepy descriptions like “masculine but not quite fully grown,” until Kenan is like “umm maybe we shouldn’t be talking about kids this much?”

They interview a girl who’s supposed to be Jojo Siwa and Adam’s like “you should know I think you’re beautiful. Kids need to hear more often that they’re beautiful.” Kenan panics, going “alRIGHT we’re gonna cut back to the studio now!” The skit ended with Adam: “I got a ticket to the Nickelodeon afterparty and I’m gonna swipe one of those kids in my pocket!”

“Slow” Digital Short

HONESTLY, this competes with Undercover Boss for my favorite skit of the night. I can’t even tell you - I had literal tears running down my face I was laughing SO fucking hard during this entire thing. From the first moment we heard Adam’s deep-ass voice I absolutely and entirely lost my shit oh my GOD. We’d been so pumped for Adam in some kind of rap sketch when we saw the photos of him and Kenan filming the day before, but it was SO FUCKING GOOD. I will never ever in all my days not bust out laughing at “Bring that ass here” and “In a 65 hour lane going 2” aksnskns I’m on the bus struggling to fight back laughter just thinking about it SEND HELP!!!

It’s just brilliant. The turtle next to his expensive loafers. His cheesy sunglasses. That shot of his glorious bare arms. His deep voice “Baby” when they’re at the door and “But I brought ice cream” oh my god I love it so much BLESS YOU SNL BLESS YOU. I never in all my days thought I’d get Adam rapping but it’s every single thing I never knew I needed.

Del Taco Commercial / “Aw Man I’m All Outta Cash!”

ADAM’S SLEAZY LOOKING LONG WIG LMAO. This one was a wild and funny time once you got into it and just let it go. Once Kyle, Beck, and Adam were all yelling the line and Adam went “You don’t want to kill yourself, you just want a taco, Jesus” everyone was ROLLING. I think the only difference (is this even worth color coding lol) was that after Kyle took his pants off Adam kept slapping his thigh during Dress bahaha.

“Hot Dad” Adam dealing with a clogged toilet at a teenaged girls’ sleepover

Adam and Kate McKinnon comedy together YES PLEASE. This one was all the same as far as I can remember, but I will say that a woop/cheer rose from the people sitting near the set for this one at the line about Adam being a “hot Dad.” Yep sounds about right.

(Halsey’s first song, Weekend Update)

Medieval Renaissance Fair

You can’t have Adam host SNL without giving him some ridiculous character skit ala Oil Baron Parnassus. I absolutely loved how intense and deep he was for this kind of nonsense xD We can thank this skit for giving us footage of Adam yelling “Whore!” and spitting, lmao. Also.... I’ll just say in that outfit and wig he looked even Extra Big in comparison to everyone around him.

Courtroom Trial / Sinbad on Cameo

I’m also okay with this one being cut, but I was biased to enjoy the hell out of it live because the set was right in front of where I was sitting and I had such a perfect view of him. <3

Adam was supposed to be the defendant in a case where a female coworker claims he harassed her by sending “threatening” videos. Adam goes up on the stand and the prosecutor asks “are you familiar with these videos?” Cut over to Kenan Thompson, who’s pretending to be Sinbad on the app Cameo, making videos for the woman that are like “Hey you better give Mark a chance! Otherwise he might come after you!” Adam responds with disbelief: “I have no idea who this Sinbad person is and frankly, your honor, this is pissing me off.” Kenan acts a few more videos which keep getting funnier because he keeps eating things or being in crowded public places while filming them. But in the final video he references Adam’s character’s name so it’s clear he was the one requesting the videos. Adam gets all sad on the stand: “It doesn’t matter. No one likes me anyway!” It ends with Kenan as Sinbad crashing into the courtroom in person.

This was more Kenan’s skit as he really was hilarious, but someone had to explain to me afterwards who Sinbad is and how the Cameo app works so I didn’t quite ~get it while watching. BUT more importantly - Adam looked great despite the weird brown wig he had on. During the second of Kenan’s videos when the cameras were on Kenan instead, Adam’s face definitely started quivering with suppressed laughter until he visibly locked it down like NO FOCUS ADAM. Most of my attention stayed fixed on the buttons of his shirt because hOOo boy were they straining! Without me even saying anything, Catherine reached across the aisle for me immediately afterwards and whispered, “That shirt did /not/ fit well.” OH YES I NOTICED >:33

PBS Science Show

Another one which was performed right directly in front of us!! I already knew this was going to be a good one because Adam went right over to the skeleton mannequin when he came on set and started playing with it, like making the arm and wrist wiggle around. The biggest dork cutie you’ll ever see.

He was standing right under me, which meant once he started handling the balloon I got mighty distracted watching his MASSIVE hands around that tiny-looking balloon. >:)) Then I cracked up so hard when he got exasperated and threw something back against the window. WE GOT TO SEE HIM SMASH SOMETHING IN PERSON YESSSS

Ketchup bottles

Oh my GOD EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING ABOUT THIS ONE FROM START TO FINISH. The best part though might have been the prep beforehand. Someone carried the giant Ketchup and hot sauce bottles onto the set before the actors came on and we were like wtf? (For a minute I was triggered remembering Kanye coming on in his Perrier bottle during the 2018 show) But THEN Adam and Cecily Strong came on in big red shirts and people started lifting the giant plastic bottles over them and LOL we realized where this was going. They definitely struggled for a minute getting Adam’s bottle up over his head because of his height xD People in the audience were already laughing just watching this costume set up, and once Adam got the bottle on a WOOT cheer rose which I later learned was none other than @reylonly aka my hero. It was followed by someone yelling “THATS HOT”, which akndosjan made Adam laugh and raise his arms with a hilarious little shimmy in the bottle. He really seemed to be enjoying himself during the whole show, but during this ridiculous and incredibly hilarious skit especially so.

Game Night / Movie Quote Competition

OKAY this is the skit it’s a real tragedy didn’t make it on air! There were lines in this I couldn’t beLiEvE my ears were hearing, and if we ever get a recording I’m pretty sure the fandom would basically implode.

Three couples are sitting around a living room having a game night. Adam is sitting with Kate McKinnon with his arm around her. After they finish playing Settlers of Catan, Heidi Gardner suggests they play a movie quote game where one of them says a line from a movie and the rest have to guess the movie. She is clearly very into it, and the others reluctantly agree. It quickly becomes clear that Adam is just as good at the game as she is, and they immediately start becoming competitive. They reach the point where they quote three lines from Captain Phillips in a row, trying to trick each other. As the game gets more heated, they exchange aggressive flirty banter such as:

Heidi: You really know your movie quotes, huh? Adam: Yeah I do. Heidi: And with some BDE over there. Adam: Yeah, I got that too.

AND !!!!!!!!!!

Heidi: You’re quite the movie flick daddy. Adam: I’m the world’s biggest flick daddy.

!!!!!!!!! HE CALLED HIMSELF A DADDY HELP CALL 911 EMERGENCY !!!!!!!!!!

The game keeps escalating until Kate tries to calm Adam down and he brushes her off. Everyone else tries to tell Heidi to relax, and she responds “What?! I’m supposed to lie back and let (Kate’s character’s name)’s hot husband rail me??”

I WAS FLOATING ON THE CEILING BY THIS POINT, I literally couldn’t believe what my ears were hearing alsdfjsldafjlsdkfj!

It gets to the point where they’re both standing, shouting completely vague snippets of lines at each other while the other continues to guess correctly. Until finally Adam exclaims, “I got a good one!” He grabs her and fULL ON kisses her.

(Pictures from The Adam Driver Files twitter.)

Immediately afterwards she goes, “I know! That was the kiss from (Movie X - I can’t remember the exact title).” Adam: “HOW DID YOU KNOW?!” Heidi: “From how you moved your tongue!”

I’m still reeling from this one. Adam calling himself a daddy, talk of “getting railed” by him, and intense kissing?! Oh my lORDDDD. I’m still trying to keep it playing on a loop in my ears. I’m not sure if we as a fandom could collectively survive a full video of this, but GOD I hope we get the chance to test ourselves. RELEASE THE UNAIRED VIDEO, YOU NBC COWARDS!!!

FLICK DADDY INDEED

...Aaaaaaand that was a wrap! After 10 skits and nearly 2.5 hours, it literally felt like I had run a marathon at a full sprint. I was just trying to process everything I’d just witnessed, while trying to focus on committing every single thing to memory. I just couldn’t believe the range of amazing and hilarious things I’d just seen Adam doing: Play a talking ketchup bottle, call himself a daddy, awkwardly talk about feminine products clogging his toilet, yell “WHORE” then spit and swing a medieval mace around, rap hilariously, and yell about umami?? It was all almost TOO MUCH.

For full-circle and emotional fulfillment reasons, I wore my Save Ben Solo shirt to the show just like I did at the 2018 show. I had debated beforehand whether it would be too bittersweet to wear it after TROS, but now I’m so glad I did. All these hilarious and zany skits were just what we all needed to continue the cycle of fandom excitement and positivity despite the last month. I’m so incredibly grateful to SNL for such great material for Adam to work with and us to laugh at, and for giving us the perfect reminder that there’s still so much to whole-heartedly appreciate and love. Most of all, Adam himself. <3

THANK YOU SNL AND ADAM FOR ANOTHER LIFE-HIGHLIGHT WEEKEND! <3

#Adam Driver #Saturday Night Live #SNL #driverdaily

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hellyeahheroes · 5 years

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Ghost-Spider/Spider-Gwen’s biggest enemy is Patriarchy

So in more important and substantive Spider-Man related media news, Ghost-Spider #1 came out today.

The big thing is that Gwen is going to university in 616. She is attending Empire State University aka Peter Parker’s alma mater and place of post grad studies.

But that is not the important thing.

First off, I think Man Wolf was one of my favorite Spider-Man arcs that is so under appreciated because it was the catalyst to the Spider-Man vs J. Jonah Jameson feud. It served as pivotal point of just how hypocritical JJJ was and how much he resented Spider-Man.

Just to recap, Gwen was hunted by Man Wolf. The same Man Wolf who blew up a Mary Janes concert in order to kill Gwen. Now I suspected that Man Wolf in this universe was related to JJ Jameson but the revalation had damning consequences since JJJ is indirectly responsible for why Gwen’s life is hell. And here we have an instance where JJ is demanding the same opportunity to his criminal son that he denied Gwen.

For those who don’t know, Gwen Stacy’s biggest enemy has been men. You see since it was Gwen instead of Peter that was bitten, characters don’t afford her the same benefit of a doubt that their 616 counterpart offered to Peter in and out the mask. Her father in 616 given Peter the benefit of a doubt but Spider-Gwen was judged as too star seeking in his eyes.

Both Harry and Norman went after Gwen for the sin of ‘killing’ Peter Parker in spite of the former calling him broken.

“...They won’t break me like they’ve broken him.” He says of the friend who he was willing to kill Gwen over.

Think of everytime JJJ accused Peter of murder. In fact that is the rub, Peter was accused of murder JJ’s son by JJ and Peter was able to stand up to those accusations without unmasking.

Gwen was accused of killing her best friend who turned himself into a monster to be special like her. Instead of investigating what happened, JJJ used Aunt May’s grief to demonize Gwen while spinning the news that she was murderer. And again, Peter Parker in E-65 was a bullied misanthrope. He was one Breaking Benjamin song away from being a school shooter. Yet his death allowed him to be sanctified as if he was this innocent angel that they glossed over the fact that Peter turned himself into a monster that could have killed and eaten high school kids because he didn’t get to ask Gwen to prom before Harry.

Like I am not even exaggerating.

But Gwen lost her life because of JJ but here we have JJ demanding the same anonymity that he denied Gwen Stacy. He turned the entire world against Gwen Stacy by pushing a narrative that she was this killer when Gwen was so devastated that her best friend died because of her. She wasn’t allowed to grieve without being guilted. So Man Wolf who definitely killed a few people targeting Gwen is allowed the privilege that Gwen was denied.

That’s huge.

That’s fucked up.

@ubernegro

#marvel #ghost-spider #spider-gwen #gwen stacy #marvel comics #into the spider verse #spider man: into the spider verse

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mattoyaki · 4 years

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⚔️ Pokemon Sword Nuzlocke (Part 6/Finale) ⚔️

Part 5 is here.

For those of you who have been following, thanks! For those of you who have been tolerating all the long posts, thanks even more!! 😂

We finally reach the end of my Nuzlocke run. It’s mostly dialogue, with a few battles thrown in.

No photos this time around because honestly I was just rushing through to be done with it and I forgot to take some screenshots. 🤷‍♂️

Slumbering Weald

I encounter Weezing here and name it Doug.

Doug - (Weezing) Lv. 47

The story does get slightly better in the ending part up to the battle with Eternatus, but man I really feel the story would’ve benefited from having a true antagonist like Sordward/Shielbert from the post game.

Tons of dialogue here and now back to Hammerlocke for the showdown with Rose and Eternatus.

Hammerlocke

Rose is extremely easy, SpicyNoodle and Stuff’n demolish him.

Eternatus does knock out Wormy, which was unfortunate. It was either Wormy or Trans Rights and I figured Trans Rights would be more useful for the rest of the playthrough. RIP Wormy. 😭 I replace him with Microdose.

After miles of exposition I make it through and save the region. Now for the league!

Wyndon

First up is Bede who’s now a Fairy boy, respect. I still demolish him though.

Why do they heal your team between battles? I hope next gen it’s back to E4 we can pick the order we battle and have to heal ourselves.

Nessa and Bea are easy, Raihan was a little harder but still got through with no issues.

Leon was somewhat challenging, I was forced to sack Stuff’n to allow Sombra a safe switch in to Dynamax and take out Charizard. Thanks for your help Stuff’n you’ve come in clutch a lot this run.

I know this part is much less detailed than the others, I was honestly just so ready to finish and move on. I like this game, I do. But it simply could be way better, and the only reason I can up with that’s it not better is capitalism. It’s unfortunate.

With that said I enjoyed the run, though it wasn’t that challenging i do like the Galar region and it’s Pokémon.

Part 6 / Final Recap:

Ending Team:

Sombra (Inteleon) Lv. 71

Microdose (Shiinotic) Lv. 54

SpicyNoodle (Centiskorch) Lv. 67

GurrenLagann (Golurk) Lv. 64

Trans Rights (Mr. Rime) Lv. 64

Graveyard:

TootieFruity (Steenee) Lv. 41

Witch Bitch (Hatterene) Lv. 53

Wormy (Flapple) Lv. 62

Stuff’n (Bewear) Lv. 65

#pokemon #pokemon sword nuzlocke #nuzlocke #pokemon swsh

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nilim · 4 years

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Rusty Quill Gaming Wiki

Hi RQG listeners (especially new listeners),

We need help!

Some of you might have noticed that currently the RQG wikia is lacking quite a lot of information. Especially episode recaps are missing, which is really unfortunate as they are the basis for writing all other articles on the wiki.

I asked around on the Discord channel, and apparently there is an effort underway to get the episode recaps up to date (thanks to the wonderful Bri (soft zolf rights) on Discord for making this really helpful Google sheets overview.

How to help

If you’re currently listening to RQG or are relistening to certain episodes and would like to help out, please fill in your name on the sheet for which episode you’re listening to, add a link to the wiki article you’re writing the recap for, your progress and date of completion.

The Wiki articles are currently up to date up to episode 65. However, if you’re listening to old episodes you can still help out by checking the articles that have already been written, and potentially adding any info that is still missing. Proofreading helps a lot! Almost all the pages that are currently up still require proofreading. Especially for new listeners this is a great place where you can help!

There is also a google sheet for all the NPCs/characters that have appeared in the show. If you’re listening to an episode and an NPC or character shows up or is mentioned for the first time, it would greatly help if you could add the ‘first episode appearance’ number to the sheet! (If you’re feeling really productive, you could even start a page for them - but for now the most important thing is that we know which episodes they appear in).

Page layout

For each episode we need the short summary, a longer synopsis of the episode with the exact details of what happened, and optionally a section called Dice Rolls and Mechanics with a summary of all the actions that required dice rolls. Similarly, the section called Combat Breakdown has all the actions taken during fights. There is also a ‘Plot Notes’ section which can potentially be used to point out events that happened that have plot repercussions at a later point, but it is also fine to leave that empty.

Episodes do not have to be completed in order, so if you’re already further along in your (re)listen binge, it’s fine to sign up for later episodes!

There is absolutely no pressure to complete a summary once you sign up, this thing has the absolute lowest barrier of entry and you can always remove your name if you no longer want to complete an episode. We could really use any help we can get, even if you only write a synopsis for one episode it is greatly appreciated!

Thank you :)

#rqg #rusty quill gaming #please spread the word

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hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger · 5 years

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Ghost Spider #2 Thoughts

Sigh...more of the same...

This premise gets worse the more you think about it.

I mean let’s talk about the most obvious thing that didn’t occur to me before. So Gwen needs to pick her entry points back and forth from Earth 616 carefully because her powers don’t work immediately after exiting a portal. To this end she chooses a spot she knows will lead to a bill board with poles jutting out she can grab onto before her powers kick in again.

...why not just open a portal on the ground?

Then you have the utter lack of world building.

It’s fair enough to presume that audiences are familiar with the world building of Earth 616. It’s been around for donkey’s years and it’s the basis for just about every media adaptation of Marvel ever, including the movies. Even if it’s far from a 1:1 similarity it is close enough that even comic book virgins can jump in and not be at too much of a loss. That’s particularly true for a Spidey series where the premise is to be relatively normal, the only fantastical elements demanding world building being the spider powers (which everyone on earth is aware of) and the villains, who often speak for themselves or are famous enough that you can presume knowledge from the audience.

But when it comes to alternate universes like Earth 65, which are specifically alternative to Earth 616, you do need to flesh some things out. And so far beyond Gwen is a super hero and not dead, nor is her Dad and Jameson’s son is an evil gangster not much world building going on.

More problematically is the fact that basic questions are never raised nor answered. Gwen says in Earth 65 she’s going to be late for a class in Earth 616. Is time synchronized though between universes? That’s a pretty basic question when dealing with parallel universes. In the Doctor Who episode ‘Rise of the Cybermen’ that question was answered almost immediately upon entry to the parallel Earth of that story, and the series at that time was trying to be baby’s first science fiction!

It’s not an unreasonable question to ask either given how from Spider-Man’s POV Spider-Verse (where he first met Spider-Gwen) was years ago but the first sentence of the recap page of this series states Gwen got her powers mere months ago.

Playing in the same ballpark as the bad world building is the ignoring of established continuity in regards to the Jackal. Now look, I could buy that Warren has gone so far off the deep end that he considers turning Gwen into a furry like him a good idea.

But...doesn’t Warren effectively consider his clones of Gwen as the real thing? Isn’t that the entire reason he cloned Gwen in the first place, why he set up the original clone of Gwen with a clone of himself to in a weird way live out his fantasy?

So why is he obsessed over this new version of Gwen, a version that for all he knows could just be another clone? In fact if you are Miles Warren wouldn’t that be the first thing you presume? It’s not like she has given any genetic samples he can test to confirm if she is a clone or not.

On the other end of this relationship I just realized how asinine it is that no one recognizes Miles Warren, especially at ESU. Sure once upon a time Warren’s identity was secret. Even after his presumed death in the 1970s Clone Saga his identity was a secret. But that all changed in the 1990s Clone Saga when he was arrested and sent to Ravencroft. At that point his identity became public knowledge. There were like SWAT teams after him for god’s sake! And it’s very difficult to believe that ESU, the place where he worked for years and then randomly disappeared from wouldn’t have heard about one of their staff members being a super villain. Especially a super villain who

a) Became a player in gangland activities

b) Was targeted by the Punisher...three times!

c) MURDERED one of their other staff members!

d) Was majorly complicit in an event that turned everyone in New York into spider monsters!

e) Attempted global genocide!

f) Seemingly died very publically

Those last two by the way? They happened on site of the Daily Bugle newspaper!

This isn’t even addressing how he was last seen Marvel Team Up 2019 where he was again arrested at ESU itself! This issue does nothing to explain how he went from that situation to this. Which I’m actually okay with as that was handled by a different editorial office. If you like that was Ms. Marvel continuity and this is Spider continuity.

Normally I’d let the other continuity errors slide but most of them are stories that are major major appearances by the Jackal and define his relationship with Gwen Stacy in the first place, which is the thing this whole arc is built upon.

But no. He changes his last name, and literally nothing else, and he goes unrecognized. Unrecognized in a school where Peter Parker is a teaching assistant (still don’t know when or where that happened)!!!!!!!!!!!!! How on Earth is he going incognito? Does he just make sure to stay 10 paces behind Peter at all times??????? Hell Curt Connors is working there too and he has to know that, he just saw Connors in Clone Conspiracy! In fact GWEN saw him in Clone Conspiracy, she saw multiple clones of him looking just like he did in issue #1 why was she not reacting to that?

My God it gets dumber the more I think about it because in Clone Conspiracy we last saw Warren blowing himself up and that was 100% confirmed to be the real Warren not another clone so who is this guy? Not to mention that story also depicted Warren wearing a Jackal costume not actually transforming into a human jackal monster.

Now me personally I think nowdays the latter idea should be the norm for the character. It never made sense for a middle aged man to get the better of Spider-Man, but his 90s Joker/Matrix look was just terrible. Having him transform back and forth though is a great compromise. But again how did we get here????????????????

It’s all just so poorly thought through!

Going back to what I said last issue about the lack of information given to new readers, this story goes along with that as far as the Man-Wolf is concerned. His treatment very much plays out as the latest issue in a run which would be fine if this was merely Ghost Spider #51-52 as opposed to ALSO being Ghost Spider #1-2. To treat this character who’s affecting subplots the way he is as though readers should just know who he is doesn’t make sense with a major relaunch. We haven’t even SEEN Man-Wolf in this series but we’ve talked a lot about him.

Remember show don’t tell?????????????

The same applies to the ramifications of his actions. He’s responsible for a bomb. What bomb? He almost killed Harry? Who is Harry? Gwen tells some thugs to leave her friends alone but its not until panels later that we confirm they are Man-wolf’s thugs, played initially as it was that wasn’t clear.

All of this is a non-issue if you read the older run but if you haven’t then it’s confusing and alienating.

And unlike what certain people might say it’s beyond unacceptable to demand that readers do homework to enjoy a comic they already paid for.

Lets change things up and talk about the two positives I have. The art continues to be nice, I especially like Benji’s look because it is very reminiscent of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane! And, as was common back when I was reading Spider-Gwen regularly, George Stacy continues to be the best character in this. The short scene in the kitchen was the best scene of the whole book and was genuinely endearing.

Okay back to the justifiable complaints.

So Gwen comments that she has to be subtle in order to keep her identity on Earth 616...but then towards the end of the book she enters a portal from Earth 65 into Earth 616 unmasked. This is stupid in general but extra stupid considering she knows her powers don’t immediately work upon exiting portals. So even if she wasn’t immediately spotted by someone or a CCTV camera she wouldn’t even have a spider sense to warn her of danger for a few precious seconds! Someone who’s life was upended by her identity being revealed (and was a public enemy before that) would be naturally wary of something like this. This isn’t even accounting for the fact that she knows she DIED in Earth 616 because one lunatic discovered Peter’s identity! Also if she can exits portals on roof tops why does she ever need to risk her neck over at that billboard?

The only other problem I spotted was that the colourist seriously screwed up Peter’s look as he has black hair instead of brown.

Besides all that the inherent problems of the premise from last issue still apply. Peter being a regular character. Gwen endangering her friends on Earth 65. The division between the supporting cast.

Ugh....this is gonna be a slog of a series isn’t it...

#Spider-Man #Spider-Gwen #Ghost Spider #Gwen Stacy #Peter Parker #The Jackal #Jackal #Miles Warren #George Stacy #Captain Stacy #Clone Conspiracy #Curt Connors #Clone Saga #Lizard

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alexthegamingboy · 4 years

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Toonami Weekly Recap 11/23/2019 (The Forge Edition, Week 3)

My Hero Academia Shie Hassaikai Arc Season 4 EP#65 (02) - Boy Meets...: Izuku battles Sir Nighteye to get his stamp and approval to join his agency. However, midway through battle, Nighteye reveals a secret about All Might that shakes Izuku's confidence greatly.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind EP#05 - Find Polpo's Fortune!: News of Polpo's apparent suicide reaches the organization, along with suspicion that Bucciarati knows the location of Polpo's hidden fortune. Meanwhile, Giorno is introduced to the other members of Passione: Leone Abbacchio, Narancia Ghirga, Guido Mista and Pannacotta Fugo. After learning of Polpo's death, Bucciarati takes his team on a yacht to Capri to retrieve Polpo's fortune and attain the rank of capo. Narancia, Mista and Fugo mysteriously vanish, leading Bucciarati to suspect someone has sneaked onto the yacht and is targeting him for the fortune. Giorno deduces that the others are still alive and acts as bait to lure out the enemy Stand, prompting Abbacchio, who initially distrusted Giorno, to bring out his own Stand.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba EP#07 - Muzan Kibutsuji: Tanjiro enters the demons' swamp to fight two of them, while Nezuko protects Kazumi and the human girl from the other. Although the air is thin and the swamp is dark, his Water Style shows its true power when underwater, allowing him to create a whirlpool that eviscerates the two and return quickly to the surface. The siblings confront the final demon, who has been severely injured, and Tanjiro demands that he tell him anything about Muzan, causing the demon to become completely terrified, shocking Tanjiro. Nezuko falls asleep after her battle and returns to her box as Tanjiro comforts the devastated Kazumi and returns Satoko's hair ribbon he found in the swamp. Kazumi is in grief at first, but after realising that Tanjiro had gone through something similar, apologises. Tanjiro journeys to Asakusa per his Kasugai crow's directions, and to his horror, locates Muzan living in disguise as the father of a human family by following his scent. Muzan, recognising that Tanjiro is from the Demon Slayer Corps, casually slices the neck of a passerby, turning him into a demon.

One-Punch Man 2 EP#07 (19) - The S Class Heroes: Child Emperor (S Class Hero Rank 5) uses his robot Underdog Man No. 22 to analyze a monster named Eyesight's poisons to find a cure for the paralysis. Child Emperor then proceeds to detonate Underdog Man when it's near Eyesight, but that did not successfully kill her as she hardened her skin. Eyesight then manages to find Child Emperor, but is interrupted and eaten by Pig God (S Class Hero Rank 10). Pig God decides to go after the other monsters in Y-City afterwards. Garou tries to go after Watchdog Man (S Class Hero Rank 12), but a monster beats him to it. Drive Knight (S Class Hero Rank 9) interrogates a monster he spared after killing the others. Death Gatling (Class A Hero Rank 8) gathers other heroes to fight Hundred Eyes Octopus, but Flashy Flash (S Class Hero Rank 13) arrives and grievously wounds it with his incredible speed. Right when Flashy Flash is about to unleash his final move, Tatsumaki (S Class Hero Rank 2) arrives and kills Hundred Eyes Octopus with ease, berating Flashy Flash for being too slow before leaving, but not before Flash insults her back. Amai Mask kills monsters in his concert and Mumen Rider and Tank Top Master defeat monsters in the hospital. Atomic Samurai attends a meeting with the Council of Swordsmasters (Nichirin, Amahare, Zanbai, and Haragiri) to discuss the Garou problem. Haragiri reveals that he has sided with the Monster Association, and gives the sword masters 3 monster cells which will amplify their strength, speed and skill at the cost of their humanity and turning them into monsters. Haragiri tries to kill Atomic Samurai (as Atomic Samurai is too much of a threat). but Atomic Samurai slays Haragiri before leaving with his disciples (Bushidrill, Iaian and Okamaitachi) to find the Monster Association base. Meanwhile in the Super Fight Tournament, Saitama defeats Sourface and Choze before facing off against Suiryu in the finals, with Suiryu promising to show Saitama what martial arts are all about. During the fight Suiryu begins to express his disdain about the hero lifestyle, and tries to persuade Saitama not to become a hero since it is pointless and boring to do heroic justice and save the day. Instead, Suiryu remarks that people with great strength such as Saitama should seek thrills, just like him before he kicks Saitama in the head. Angered and annoyed, Saitama lets the kick connect, knocking the wig off his head. Finally exposed, Saitama throws a short range punch while exclaiming that if Suiryu's goal is to seek fun, he shouldn't try to make himself stronger than he is currently. However, Saitama restrains his punch before it hits Suiryu, which creates a powerful shock wave that blows off Suiryu's clothes, exposing his muscular body and leaving him in a state of deep shock. Despite Saitama being disqualified, Suiryu still attacks Saitama in anger, even using his final attack (Void Phoenix Ascension Fist). Saitama is unfazed by the assault. When Saitama says that martial arts are techniques that make you look cool, and starts spinning around, Suiryu tries to attack Saitama yet again but is knocked back by Saitama into a wall while taking Saitama's white belt, resulting in Saitama's pants falling down. Despite Suiryu embarrassing Saitama with that action, he is still in deep shock that he lost. In the post-credit scene, Genos wakes up from the wreckage, and a monster is heading toward the Martial Arts Tournament.

Dr. Stone Village Games Arc EP#14 - Master of Flame: Magma tricks Kinro into consulting the referee so he can attack from behind and win the match for himself. He then has Mantle throw his match against Chrome in order to disqualify Kohaku, who fails to get back in time. Faced in a one-sided semi-final match against Magma, Chrome uses his own tears with Suika's mask to create a magnifying lens that can start a fire. Needing to buy time, Gen returns and uses his "sorcery" to distract Magma long enough for Chrome to set fire to Magma's clothes and win the match.

Fire Force EP#17 - Black and White and Gray: Shinra is freed from his bindings by Hibana and immediately heads back to the workshop, bypassing the fight between Arthur, Flail and Mirage. Inside the workshop, Giovanni continues to destroy Vulcan's equipment until he breaks Vulcan's projector, which reveals the key to Amaterasu. As Giovanni attempts to kill Vulcan, Shinra blasts his way in the workshop and knocks back Giovanni. Lisa uses her magnet-based pyrokinesis to subdue Shinra, but Vulcan has Iris press random buttons to eject magnetized metal equipment which nullifies Lisa's powers. However, as Hibana was aiding Arthur against Flail and Mirage, one of the metal equipment Iris ejected inadvertently hits Hibana and knocks her out. Shinra is able to gain the advantage over Giovanni and knocks him outside the workshop. Once outside, Shinra finally meets Sho and is overjoyed to finally reunite with him. However, Sho uses his incredible speed to subdue Shinra and seriously injure Arthur. Victor arrives in the nick of time and uses a truck to pickup Shinra, Arthur, Iris, Vulcan, Yu and Hibana to escape. Just as Sho is able to catch up with the group, Joker intervenes and matches Sho's speed and power as they fight. As Shinra and the others escape to safety, Joker retreats, but not before damaging Sho's sword. Yu is taken to the hospital for his injuries as Vulcan agrees to go to the 8th for safety. Victor denies Hibana's claims that he led Sho and his followers to Shinra. At the Company 8 firehouse, Vulcan is surprised to see that the 8th is not like how he perceived the Fire Force to be. The next day, Vulcan returns to the workshop with Shinra and Arthur to visit his father and grandfather's grave one more time. Vulcan tells father and grandfather that to save the world, he will have to break his promise and join the Fire Force.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma Totsuki Autumn Election Arc EP#20 - The Dragon Lies Down and Ascends the Skies: With the challenge of creating a curry dish set, many of the contestants set off to visit their families and study up on spices during the remainder of the summer. Soma stays at the dorms to try out various spice combinations. The Autumn Election preliminaries soon arrive, and it is revealed that only the top four from each group will make it through to the tournament phase. As the contestants begin cooking, Soma appears to have fallen asleep.

Lupin the 3rd Part 5 Enzo Bron Arc EP#23 - Just Then, An Old Buddy Said Something: Enzo is triumphant about capturing Lupin III, but coldly disregards the reappearance of his long-lost daughter Ami. Zenigata and Yatagarasu take the wounded Lupin and the remorseful Goemon into custody, while Fujiko remains Enzo's willing prisoner, secure in her faith that Lupin will return for her. Although hunted by the police, Jigen later intercepts the prison transport carrying Lupin and Goemon and frees them using a sub-armory of weapons stashed in his car. However, despite the technological odds against him, Lupin refuses to reject his lifestyle as a master thief, and instead seeks refuge in the Grand Duchy of Cagliostro. Hidden below the ruined castle, Lupin turns the tables against Enzo by using PeopleLog to air the dirty laundry of the world's governments. As Shake Handz begins to suffer from the first wave of repercussions, Lupin and his friends initiate the first phase of their final strike.

Black Clover: Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc EP#96 - The Black Bulls Captain vs. the Crimson Wild Rose: The Midnight Sun members all begin to disintegrate as they too are sacrificed to fuel the resurrection. All over the Clover Kingdom humans begin to transform as the souls of the elves are reincarnated into their bodies, including most of the Royal Knights. Patry declares that the extinction of humans has begun as the reincarnated elves begin their attack. Yami is confronted by two elves in the bodies of Owen and Marx but he manages to knock both elves unconscious. He is suddenly attacked by the elf possessed Charlotte whose blue roses have turned red. As they fight the elf still acts and moves like Charlotte and Yami realises the resurrection had removed all the lingering effects of her childhood curse and the elf is now using Charlottes full magical power as it was meant to be. Sol arrives to save Charlotte but is eventually convinced by Yami to leave with the Wizard King's body. Yami angrily confronts Charlotte for allowing an elf to control her. The elf responds with one of Charlotte's most powerful spells. Yami, knowing the spell could completely destroy the city, uses his Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash to try and stop it. Back in the Midnight Sun's base Noelle and Kirsch prepare to fight two possessed Royal Knights, one of whom is Luck.

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