#she's my favorite and this animation is a great showcase of why i love her

[perplexedhare]

I saw your ror post and I just wanted to say

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you–*is slowly pulled away by the fandom police*

Seriously though, it bothered me so much that there weren't any goddesses with actual roles cause you guys show Apollo but not Artemis??? Where's Athena! Or the baddest bitch, Ishtar?? Izanagi or Amaterasu when Susano is there?

WHERE'S PERSEPHONE????????!!!!!!!

ALSO! A good theory regarding Jack the Ripper is that he was actually a WOMAN which is why they were never caught. No woman could possibly be educated or blood-thirsty enough to commit this crime! Of course not!

Marie Curie was a side character, damnit!

What about Cleopatra? Joan of Arc?

There's so many badass women in history and they aren't being highlighted enough!

Sorry for ranting, ROR just frustrates me despite being such an interesting concept. Tbf, a lot of anime and manga have the same issue regarding women, so maybe I should be used to it by now

Thanks ahah and don't apologize, you're totally right !!

Of any fighting manga I've read, RoR has the weakest excuse for its lack of female fighters : The Ragnarok is supposed to feature the most powerful deities/humans that have ever existed but we're supposed to believe that out of over 26 fighters, not even one of them is a woman ?

And here it's just my opinion but there's no way Apollo was a much better choice for the roster than fucking Artemis. Okay he turned out to be a great character (one of my favorites actually) and he's also known in mythology as the god of archery but Artemis is literally the goddess of the hunt.

And even if she doesn't fight, AT LEAST give her some screentime in her brother's backstory or a cameo in the crowd, something ! At what point do you just turn her into some weird-ass statue ? What's the point of talking about myths if you're cutting out half of them ?

Plus like you said, concerning the other female deities it's just as annoying : Athena is never mentioned once ; Persephone and Demeter are just Poseidon and Hades' move names ; Hera is barely referred during Heracles' backstory and only for the writers to imply that she died a long time ago, talk about a waste.

Not to mention that as you pointed out, even on the human side there were plenty of candidates with a lot of potential.

Now I still love RoR don't get me wrong but at this point, I no longer have any expectations from its authors on this aspect. I can already bet that Izanami and Amaterasu will be the names of either Susanoo's swords or his special moves.

That's why if you or anyone else is looking for a manga similar to RoR that does more to showcase historical women, I recommend you to try Majo Taisen.

It has its issues with its lack of poc characters' representation and its portrayal of Cleopatra but it's still really enjoyable and its authors understood that History is full of badass and amazing women who also deserve the spotlight

#record of ragnarok #ror hades #ror poseidon #ror apollo #snv hades #snv poseidon #snv apollo #majo taisen #war of greedy witches #ror #snv #shuumatsu no valkyrie #rant post

[demonslayedher]

Things that ran through my mind while watching this episode:

--Alternative title: "Kamado Tanjiro Soothes the Hearts of Aching Writers"

--Like, Kyogai's journey as a writer ends with Tanjiro choosing to respect his written word by not stepping on it, whereas Zenitsu's future as the author of "The Legend of Zenitsu" is just beginning as he's on the brink of meeting the heroine. I don't know whether this is poetic or an insult.

--In any case, Tanjiro has far more respect for Kyogai's writings.

--But!! That being said!!!! This episode showcases Zenitsu's narrative strengths, as he mentally recaps his own life stories and in this case, the merits he found in Tanjiro, whom he chooses to believe in. I've always loved Zenitsu's bittersweet reflections, they have such a lyrical quality to them. He is possessed of much talent, when he cares about something enough (which, to be fair, isn't always... or even most of the time).

--So! Back to the beginning of this episode, we get the recap of Tanjiro's self-empowering speech set to some of my favorite BGM of the first season. Granted, it's some of my favorite because I got so accustomed to hearing it on the first Mugen Ressha trailer than was playing everywhere, so I came to associate it Rengoku-san, and then I was surprised when I didn't hear it in the movie, hahaha~

--That said, I think a lot of this BGM got retired after the first season, but they took what worked and kept developing on it later, so KnY sounds more like KnY as the anime goes on.

--I LOVE THIS BATTLE SEQUENCE SO MUCH. It's just such a fun watch!! Look at all that believable movement!! Of course Tanjiro was impressed, we all were! You did great, Kyogai! You did great, Ufotable!

--All this, while we get such a good dive into both their heads, too. Tanjiro is very actively growing as a swordsman over the course of this battle, whereas Kyogai is stewing, as writers are so prone to.

--And Kyogai is so taken aback by everything Tanjiro verbalizes that he just finds himself going along and responding, again, I think this is because Kyogai was trying to write an epic about heroes, and Tanjiro says things that literary heroes would.

--The whole device of the paper falling everywhere not only looks dramatic in the context of a rotating room, but Tanjiro actively benefits from it in how it adjusts his thinking, and passively benefits from how emotionally affected Kyogai is by Tanjiro's innocuous action.

--Seriously, there are so many levels to why Pep Talk Boy .vs. Bop-It Demon was such a good battle.

--Tanjiro slayed Kyogai with those words of validation before the blade even reached his neck.

--What was Chachamaru doing this whole time? Was he sprawled against the wall with claws dug into the wood?

--Kiyoshi landed a hit on Tanjiro's forehead which actually hurt him! Whoa!! Maybe Kiyoshi was the one with demon slayer potential!! Teruko also did her best, she had to have been the one who ran around collecting all that ammo! Good job, children!!!

--But Shoichi and Zenitsu interactions remain my favorite.

--So, back to Zenitsu, I already expressed praise for his narrative inclinations, but the sunny sky background they gave Tanjiro like the one in his inner space?? Was Zenitsu hearing the sound of Tanjiro's inner space??? Is it the sound of sunshine????? AND THAT LINE BEING INCLUDED IN "THE SONG OF KAMADO TANJIRO" ALWAYS GETS ME, AAAAAAHHHHH

--Allow me to praise Zenitsu for his courage in the face of charging boar, too. Zenitsu!!! You are brave!! You are dependable!!!

--This was the point when, despite myself, I found myself really liking Zenitsu after all on that first watch. Inosuke, however, I found myself hating even more.

--This fight they have, though. It's so visceral and grounded, it's just two boys roughing it out without expending fantastical powers worthy of fighting demons. From, say, a stage combat perspective, there's a satisfying amount of dynamism to it which keeps them moving, and in every action they are both committed to a single goal. They respond how they hinder each other, and it builds realistically as a situation Zenitsu had gotten himself stuck in as a punching bag.

--And I'm so glad Tanjiro recognizes his efforts. He was already saying when they entered the mansion that he "can tell, Zenitsu is--" (really strong, but he didn't get to finish that statement), but here, he gets to see that when Zenitsu tries, he can be very dependable. If anything, Tanjiro's annoyances with Zenitsu stem from the fact that Tanjiro knows Zenitsu is capable. (Contrast this his treatment of Inosuke in the following episode, "that's ok, we all have our own strengths and limits, you can rest").

--That said, what a long and overly dramatic end to this episode. Ufotable may have run out of steam for how to fill to the final seconds after all that dedication on animating the Kyogai battle and the Zenitsu & Inosuke spat.

#KnY Rewatch #my art #kamado tanjiro #kamado tanjirou #kyogai #agatsuma zenitsu

[terreisa]

I would like to take a moment to talk about Andor.

First, let me preface this by saying that while I’m a fan of Star Wars I’m definitely not an uber fan. I haven’t watched any of the animated shows, I haven’t read the books or the comics. I’ve pretty much just kept it to the Skywalker Saga films (plus Solo and Rogue One) and the live-action Disney+ series that have been released. Second, there are much better analyses and deep dives on the themes of the show out there and this is definitely not that. This is just me putting my thoughts out into the ether because my usual cadre of nerds either aren’t watching it or are several episodes behind which is annoying when it’s all I want to talk about.

Okay, here we go:

I think Andor is the best piece of Star Wars media that’s been released in recent years.

Don’t get me wrong, I love The Mandalorian. Go through my archives and there’s no doubt about that.  It’s a great story that’s full of drama and humor and deep emotion but it hinges on a pretty big conceit. Without Grogu there is no show or at least not one that has pulled in as many viewers as it has. There’s also the fact that it still tentatively ties itself to the Skywalker Saga, which is a thing for someone else to unpack. Same with Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, they had a built in hook to grab those viewers, though with varying degrees of success.

Andor doesn’t have that. It’s main character is a man that clearly operated in a morally grey area whose fate had already been shown to audiences six years ago. I was excited to watch the show mostly because Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars movie and I loved how Diego Luna played Cassian. That we were getting his backstory was interesting but as with the other shows I was going to watch it regardless because it was expanding the universe, which always interests me.

But dear god, what we got and are getting is so much more. The themes of morality and the cost of rebellion along commentaries on the state and actions of humanity and the tightening fist of fascism woven into the plot elevate the show to a whole different level. Not to mention that it expands the universe on so many different facets it almost boggles the mind how rich and complex this one show is making the galaxy that’s far far away.

Saying that, let me share why I decided to write this:

I work at a grocery store and the other day I was ringing up a woman's groceries and my Star Wars super fan co-worker was bagging for me. She had a Mandalorian bag and we asked if she enjoyed the show, which she did, and if she was watching Andor, which she was. She then proceeded to say that Book of Boba Fett was her favorite of the shows because it was fun and funny and Andor was boring and had no story. My co-worker and I were flabbergasted, and he'd only watched the first four eps of Andor at that point. When I told my sister the story later she said that maybe the woman only liked positive stories, ones that made her feel good and didn't dig too much into deeper themes.

That, I realized, was exactly what sets Andor apart and raises it above the other series and films that I'd seen. There are no dazzling, elegant lightsaber fights, the fights are chaotic and exact a heavy toll. There's no jokey levity from droids or side characters. The show is unflinchingly bleak and any victory, small or large, is tempered by the harsh reality of swift retaliation from the Empire. An entity that has always been known to be evil but through the lack of empathy, expanding overreach and harsher punishments, and the continual implied violence against innocents showcased in the series shows the depths of their atrocities in a way that can't be ignored or shoved aside. Even the barest thread of hope is hard to come by but it's there even in the smallest act of rebellion.

The biggest thing that sets Andor apart is that we know exactly how it ends. This story doesn't have a traditional happy ending. Cassian's fate is sealed, we are merely watching as he walks the path towards his inevitable death. And somehow it doesn't detract from the series at all, it makes his struggles much more compelling and tragic.

All this and I haven't even touched on the brilliance of Luthen and Mon Mothma's own underground moves against the Empire.

This show goes beyond every expectation I had for it and elevated it into a completely different stratosphere for the Star Wars universe. After I finish each new episode I'm practically vibrating with amazement at how each one is better than the last.

Andor is a feat of storytelling that I will shout about from rooftops whether people are listening or not for a long time coming.

#andor #andor series #cassian andor #mon mothma #luthen rael #star wars #rogue one #andor analysis #this got wordy but it could have been longer

[apparently-artless]

Hi........if you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Thanks for the ask! Actually, I do plan to make some posts about my anime OTPs. As you can see how much I loved anime, most of the OTPs I loved are from anime series so here are some:

HAK x YONA (Akatsuki no Yona)

I really love the relationship between these two. They're childhood friends, Yona is a princess and Hak is one of the generals of their kingdom. Hak was already in love with Yona since they were young but decided not to confess to her because of their statuses. What I love the most about them is their antics. Hak is quite a bully and since he's already close to Yona since they were kids despite being the princess, he can pretty much tell her whatever he wanted to say, except for the fact that he loves her. Their relationship is already developing in the latest chapters of the manga but let's not talk about spoilers. (￣▽￣*)ゞ

MONKEY D. LUFFY x BOA HANCOCK (One Piece)

This is definitely not canon. But I really love their interactions and how Boa is head over heels for Luffy. Imagine these two having their own kids. Maybe they'll be able to use the emperor's haki at a very young age. LOL

If you're gonna ask me, I wanted an episode where Sanji will realize that Boa loves Luffy and will get jealous again just like how he reacted with Zoro and Hiyori. (Oh, and I do ship Zoro and Hiyori too)

HORI MASAYUKI x KASHIMA YUU (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun)

GSNK is one of my favorite anime romcoms of all time. And my favorite couple is Hori and Kashima. They have this very funny senpai-kouhai relationship and they are both members of the same club. Hori really loves Kashima's face and finds her very handsome while Kashima thinks that Hori wants to be a princess and wanted to treat him as one. Unfortunately, there are very few moments in the anime so I had to read the manga.

NIFUJI HIROTAKA x MOMOSE NARUMI & KABAKURA TAROU x KOYANAGI HANAKO (Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii)

Otaku couples! Who wouldn't love them? If ever I get into a relationship, I'd like for my partner to at least like anime so we can watch anime together. Hahaha. Okay, enough about me. Going back to these couples, they really are fun to watch. They would bicker and fight just like any normal couple would do but their relationship also showcases their love for anime and games. I won't even get tired of watching these couples all day.

AOI ASHITO x ICHIJOU HANA (Ao Ashi)

I don't usually ship any couples in sports anime because duh, the highlight should be the sports. Hahaha. Who am I kidding?? At least, that's it for me. But the story of these two high school students really gets to me. Hana became the very first fan of Ashito because he reminds her of her first love and favorite player. Hana is very supportive of Ashito and they were already on a first-name basis at the beginning of the story. Whenever Ashito is feeling lost, even if Hana doesn't understand anything about soccer, she always manages to find the right words to say to him. For me, the author did a great job of developing the relationship between these two in the story. This couple is not yet canon but I do believe they will be as I am also updated in the manga. Oops. Spoilers. XD

AKABOSHI BISCO x NEKOYANAGI MILO (Sabikui Bisco)

I do ship these two but I guess not too much in a romantic sense but in a platonic sense? I watched the anime and read until the 2nd volume of the light novel. And with that, I can really tell how much these two care for each other. They're partners and even promised to be together until their last breaths. The way they are both willing to sacrifice themselves for one another, their banters, their interactions. everything. Everything is just so precious! This is not canon but, oh well. I can really see that they love each other even if not in a romantic sense.

And that's about it! I still have other OTPs but these are some I remembered almost instantly. Sorry, you had to read a very long post, Elaine. As you may have noticed, my favorite couples are not really some of the most shipped by fandoms. Maybe, I just do have a weird taste. ( ◡‿◡ *)

#akatsuki no yona #hak x yona #luffy x hancock #monkey d. luffy #boa hancock #one piece #myanimeotp #anime OTP #hori masayuki #kashima yuu #hori x kashima #gsnk #gekkan shoujo nozaki kun #wotakoi #ao ashi #aoi ashito #ichijou hana #akaboshi bisco #nekoyanagi milo #sabikui bisco #artless #art answers

[wfagamerants]

Anyone that follows me for a while has likely seen me bring up this character at some point. Heck, she is my profile picture for this particular account.

Her name’s Kinoppe and she is from the Comic BomBom Mario manga series. Why do I bring her up a lot on my blog a lot, despite her not being a Wario character?

Because I like her. Yeah, that’s really it.

A thing to answer is then what it is about her that draws me to her to this degree, that I consider her somewhat of a signature of mine now, given her obscurity.

There are a lot of obvious appeals, like of course she’s adorable and I have also been very vocal that I am a Toad fan, so a character tied to him and his species is gonna get my attention a lot, but even that is only part of it.

As someone that digs deep for stuff, I am a big fan of obscure content, so Kinoppe as a particularly out there, yet quite prominent character in her own series (20 volumes where she pops up) ticks off that box very well as well. 

Even taking all that aside though, Kinoppe to me is a great showcase of how different things were at the time, when it comes to Mario tie-ins.

Early media, regardless of whether it was the west or Japan, had very different views on how to portray the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. Whether we are talking about individual characters or regular members of the species, you saw many different interpretations.

And even among all of them, Kinoppe still sticks out.

Aside from the mushroom hat she looks fully human, it’s completely unlike anything you’d see nowadays especially…and it’s precisely that which I love.

Companies nowadays are far more protective of how their IPs are handled by other parties and that makes total sense, but the 80s, 90s and to some degree even early 2000s, were a different time.

It was a wild west where there was much less of a vision of how something like say, Mario, would be portrayed in anything outside the games. The games didn’t have much of a plot, the pixel art left things up to interpretation and on the whole, there weren’t many standards for how adaptations would go about things.

Because of it, everyone who got handed the Mario license was essentially left to their own devices and from that, we got many different takes on Mario.

Of course we in the west have our own examples, from the short-lived comics, to the three cartoon series, to:

I am thankful for all of these, even the movie, for being such a wild ride of different takes on Mario. The Super Show and SMB3 cartoon even cemented my love for things like the Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad team or the Koopalings, which still holds true today. Having gotten to experience all these in some form during my childhood, I think all of these have a merit to be seen by fans, just to have a fun time capsule to a very different era of licensed Maro media.

While the west had all of these, Japan had its own share of media. A notable one being the anime movie Super Mario Bros: The Great Rescue of Princess Peach. I’m a particular fan of this one for both taking a lot from the games, while doing a lot of its own thing that I love from early media, like its early, greedy interpretation of Luigi.

While that’s all good stuff, there is one medium where Mario has a very extensive history in, manga:

Not that easy to come by and not extensively documented, I have grown deeply fascinated with the many, many flavors of Mario manga that exist.

A number even date as early as right after SMB1 released. With such a limited pool of source material, the people behind these really had to scramble to come up with ideas of how to translate this game into manga form.

Even as more titles came out, the lack of a defined world and minimal stories meant there was still a lot of open room for interpretation and the need to fill in blanks.

Cue BomBom Comics’ very own KC Mario:

The origin of Kinoppe and the longest running Mario manga besides Super Mario kun, KC Mario stuck around for a whole decade and is one of my favorite pieces of Mario media out there.

In a lot of ways, KC Mario sticks remarkably close to the source. The stories tend to follow the world to world structure of the games, with the heroes dealing with the exact same kind of challenges the games provide the players. It goes so far that even things like Super Mario Land’s Bonus Game, make an appearance:

Of course, these stories still need more to them, which leads to many things. Characters like Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Toad, Bowser, Yoshi or Wario get inserted into stories of games they had no part in, to help flesh out the narrative for instance. This can lead to entirely new sub-plots, such as Wario kidnapping Daisy during the SML2 story and turning her into a Walu-Daisy.

Seeing the simplistic stories of these games fleshed out like that is an exciting prospect, but the series has even more to it than that. It’s remarkable how deeply this manga delves into Mario in all its forms, it’s to the point we got a piece of western Mario media recognition in a Japan-only series.

On top of all of that, the series has a very distinct flavor to it, much of it we would never, ever see these days. It’s a unique mix of a lot of things, be it the occasional pop culture reference:

Art that goes raw:

Some surprisingly raunchy moments:

And complimentary stories, often used as basically epilogues to the game adaptations, which tend to be wild. Gangster Bowser here, trying to get money Peach owes him, speaks for himself:

It is absolutely wild and really underlines what I said before about old Mario media. It was a wild west that took whatever source material there was and ran wild with it and I will never not be glad we got so much of it, when the chance for it was there.

Manga was the only really ongoing media outside of games Mario was consistently present in and aside from Super Mario kun, even that well has dried up significantly. As a result, we haven’t seen many takes of this sort of Mario ever since.

Until now at least.

The Super Mario Bros Movie is a big event. After staying away from lending out the IP for adaptations besides Super Mario kun for so long, we are seeing a large-scale new attempt at a Mario movie again at last.

Of course a lot of time has passed since and all those adaptations I talked about before, yet at the same time, I think a lot of the core appeal of old adaptations stay intact here.

The movie stays close to the games and that is a big part of the appeal. It’s a huge hollywood production that is proud of its source material, instead of feeling the need to alter things for mass appeal. It’s incredible to see and that room for interpretation still remains.

It’s the little things like seeing the way the Mushroom Kingdom society is interpreted in this movie. It sticks so close to the abstract world of platformers, but also shows it as a proper world with people living in it, as the Game Awards movie clip has greatly demonstrated. It’s a natural expansion, while doing its own thing.

How the characters are presented matters too.

The Brooklyn backstory, contrary to popular belief, was never just something made up in localization, but Japan did phase it out much quicker. Seeing it brought back in a major production under Nintendo’s watchful eye, is incredibly surreal, but as someone familiar with all the old media, also a delight.

The way the cast are presented is also wonderful. Bowser is awesome, Luigi as you’d expect him to be, Mario getting a origin story like this is great and while I gushed about Toad before, him and Peach getting to be part of the adventure absolutely feels like the work of people who are as attached to the SMB2 team as I am.

At every corner there is so much to see. Mario Kart here. Snifits there. Donkey Kong, oh MAN the DK representation. Seeing someone as Swanky really brings me back to manga, where Mario meeting the Wario or even Diddy Kong Racing cast, was not out of the question:

I love it, all of it and knowing Foreman Spike is gonna be in it still feels unreal, but as a Wrecking Crew fanboy, I can’t wait to finally see him.

The Super Mario Bros Movie manages to be a kind of faithful movie adaptation that seemed unthinkable, given industry standards, yet also manages to capture the imaginative and unique feel of old adaptations and personally, I am beyond excited.

#super mario

[arceespinkgun]

Quick Earthspark thoughts on the first ten episodes!

My expectations were blown out of the water. I love it so far—if it continues like this, it will be my favorite TF show by far! Even if it makes some mistakes, it’s been so consistently good that it may still be the best. 

I was worried that I wouldn’t like many of the characters—that Robby or Mo or Alex or Bumblebee might be annoying, but I was so, so wrong. I actually love all of them. This show has a lot of emotional maturity and depth and the motivations of all the characters are totally believable.

The Terrans are great so far as well. I love Thrash and especially Twitch so much. Twitch is up there with some of my favorite characters in the entire franchise.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the designs, but now that I’ve seen them in motion, they're all great and so expressive. Love the lighting effects in the Terrans’ eyes! And I think this is the best show at portraying nature by far. They really showcase Dot's job as a park ranger, but not only that, every member of the Malto family is shown interacting with the world consistently! And the lighting and details on the plants and animals are beautiful. I love Fluffy Ears lol

I also worried that the representation in the show was going to be shallow, but it wasn't at all. There are a lot of great little details, like Mo and Robby wearing a bonnet and beanie to sleep, and the new non-binary Terran discussing their pronouns. Having Alex be a history PhD was a great way to tie in exploring the Malto family’s heritage, too! And I liked that if people initially missed Dot’s prosthetic, they take the time to showcase it in a dramatic scene. The gender balance in the show has also been very good so far.

I think what really demonstrates how good Earthspark is was when I realized I would watch an entire season of just the Malto family growing closer. I want an episode about Dot’s and Alex’s anniversary and the kids (including the Terrans) trying to make it special for them and learning about their relationship, while Robby is embarrassed by his parents’ sappiness and Twitch wants to make anniversaries for events in her own life and Mo teaches the Terrans about birthdays. I want to see a vacation episode with the whole family. I'd be totally happy without the larger plot involving GHOST shown at all!

That being said, GHOST is a really strong villainous presence so far. One of the creepiest things about the TF franchise in general has been how closely the military is involved with the Autobots in many series, and GHOST is a good way to explore that. It's very clear that Optimus is going to end up eating his words over his “the ends justify the means” approach. And it has been cool to see a more morally grey Optimus here. He literally appeared in Robby's nightmares to take away the Terrans!

I’m excited to see where this plot ends up heading, and I want to know all the lore—especially about Dot and Megatron. I feel the need to say that as somebody who doesn’t like MegOp and was nervous by how many people say this show gives so much evidence for it... fortunately I would say their relationship is quite terrible, actually! It’s mostly Megatron constantly bringing up genuine concerns and Optimus treating this like a "temper tantrum" even as they both try to work together for the greater good.

And it becomes very clear why Dot can’t stand Optimus when he went along with things like GHOST’s plan to pretend to give her a dream job just to trap her into working with them when she doesn’t agree with them at all.

I like everything we've seen of Megatron so far, but I can’t really speak much on his and his relationship with Dot until I know more of the backstory. What I can say though is that the “divorce arc” with Soundwave was great and to be honest, I think Soundwave (and all the Decepticons who have been shown so far) have a good point and are portrayed shockingly sympathetically given that this is like an alternative future of the Sunbow cartoon (where the Decepticons are so laughably evil). I think this is an interesting new approach. 

Oh, and of course outside of GHOST, the main villain has been Mandroid—and I was really surprised by how compelling he's been so far. At first I thought he was going to be a laughable tool (like all the GHOST members have been so far) but actually he’s menacing and his motivation is realistic. I know Cybertronians have a history of destroying everything they touch, so I think he’s a good way to explore how someone would react to that.

One of my only complaints so far is that Elita-1 hasn’t been showcased much. I love what we’ve seen of her, but in the first part of the season her motivations haven't been explored. I do get why based on what the plot has been so far, but I’m waiting for more of her. She and other characters who haven’t had a ton of time to shine yet like Arcee, Wheeljack, and Swindle have all been excellent and I want to see more of all of them! This Arcee especially takes all the best aspects of every version of her!

Some closing thoughts: didn’t expect this version of Bumblebee to become my favorite of all time. Love Frenzy and her redesign and that she got to scream in Optimus’s face. Mean girl bully Skywarp (who actually gets to warp!) is amazing. This OST is impeccable. 

#Transformers Earthspark #earthspark spoilers #my analysis #Best human characters in the franchise by far

[crystalelemental]

"megazardx2: I’m so glad you enjoyed it, especially since you didn’t like the Gen 7 games much at all. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!"

Then this is as good a time as any! Pokemon Sun and Moon anime thoughts, as much as I can stuff in there.

As mentioned in my last recap, the only history I have with the anime is vague recollections from the original seasons, and XY which we watched just before this. And of them, Sun and Moon pretty quickly got itself into top spot. I really like the friend group, and I think Ash works best as just some kid with the others. It feels much more natural to him than the big hero thing of XY, which was overplayed and frankly silly.

This hasn't really gone anywhere. The friend group remains the strongest aspect, I love them. Mallow's probably the favorite of the bunch, but there's not a single one I disliked. Lillie and Sophocles precious, Kiawe and Lana are hilarious, Mallow just vibes the hardest with how I am as a person so like...I get it girl. Even Team Rocket was far more tolerable this season, back to being mostly ineffectual villains with more mild goals and significantly fewer war crimes committed. Bewear helps a lot. I think the decision to swap out their old blasting off routine to Bewear's myriad entries was divine.

Nanu and Acerola had a great little arc. They were a ton of fun while present. I didn't really click with Olivia but she's fine. Same with Hala, who felt like he could've done more. I did wind up liking Hapu, which is very unexpected. Faba's alright, Wicke doesn't really do much, and I have many thoughts, none of them particularly nice, about Lusamine. That leaves the last two clusters.

Kukui and Burnet are a delight. They're adorable, they're hilarious, big fan all around. I am very glad they ditched Kukui's secret just before the final match, I don't know if I would've been able to stomach it through that. The Masked Royal thing was always a bit goofy, and this is naturally no exception. But their whole dynamic is cute.

Guzma. Ooooh Guzma. You got hit with the same bat as Lusamine. From a character in the main games with a lot of going on that you could infer, to...literally just some pissbaby loser who's mad he can't win. Dude, this is like the least compelling villain story. I do like the attempt to use Golisopod as a sort of showcasing of that same mentality, but it's a nice artistic touch on a generally bad approach. I do not like Team Skull at all in this. Or, for that matter, Ilima. Who I legitimately forgot about until this moment. Ilima just doesn't do much of anything. Oh, he's just soft-spoken and nice and talented and all the ladies love him. Sure. But he's no Ryuki. Who wins the award for funniest one-shot character in the series.

The Ultra Beast episodes were solid. I generally like the idea behind it. It's goofy, but it fits functionally. I don't strictly mind why they function in the way they do, but I'd be lying if I said the explanation being "It's the kid in Lusamine coming out" didn't rub me the wrong way given everything else about her character. Mostly I think what the anime nails are character moments. Sophocles getting over his fears and starting to appreciate battles, Mallow getting established as a talented chef in her own right with a strength in reading people's wants, Lana being...genuinely just talented at everything? Like, girl doesn't get enough time to shine because they often pass it off to Kiawe or Ash, but she's legitimately good at like everything they wind up doing.

The tournament was...interesting. I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, given how quickly they belted through top 16 and top 8. But admittedly? It works. It truncates a lot into the critical moments. Watching XY, the battles could be interesting, but often it's sort of a...going through the motions? Like okay, yes, Ash vs Sawyer was generally a good time, but there were plenty of matchups that amount to very little in the grand scheme. Ash vs. Alain, I would be willing to argue, is largely forgettable. Nothing all that interesting happens until the final Greninja vs. Charizard matchup, but I don't really respect Charizard, and I hate Ash Greninja, so it's not like I cared. But it's telling that the entire match and all the episodes in it could've been boiled down to about those 5 minutes with little lost in terms of impact or importance.

I think that's what Sun and Moon nailed best in this arc. The battles are just the parts that matter. Ash's Rowlet has one real rival, and that's Hau's Decidueye. Just do those two, and it's a nice, condensed fight. That ends kinda lame because man it really kinda feels like Hau should've won that, or they should've waited to call it a while so it didn't feel like taking something from him. Mallow has low confidence in her battling and tries to shy away from a battle she expects to lose, and Lana calls on her to make an effort. We only need the one Pokemon for that. Sophocles is learning to put his all into battles and wants to stand his ground against Kiawe, and again, we can do that in one. We need a showing of Guzma being a vicious trainer in how he battles, and boy do you get the point in the 1v1 with Lana. They do really well at linking up just the emotional connection part of the battle. Even in 2v2 matches this holds, as they quickly get to Kiawe's ace in Turtonator, and eliminate Scizor in two seconds for a story beat. It's well done! Even Kukui and Ash, which is a much longer fight, leads off the the big emotional showdown of Torracat vs. Incineroar, but both are recalled before a victor is decided leaving you waiting for the return and how that'll play out. Even after that, they manage to pivot into Tapu Koko vs. Pikachu, which was another battle that needed to finish (though I am slightly sad we don't know Kukui's actual sixth Pokemon).

The Pokemon just feel like they have real connections, not just within their team but with their rivalries. Which is...more than I can say for XY. Every major rivalry in Pokemon was Greninja vs. someone else's ace. None of that team mattered otherwise. They had cute dynamics, I really liked Hawlucha and Noivern. But what role did Talonflame play once it evolved? It ceased to matter. Why bring Goodra back? Ash just needed a sixth Pokemon, no other reason. Comparatively, when Naganadel comes back, it doesn't have a strict rival, but it's the first time it's battling and it came back through dimensions to see them again, and you get how much that means. This season did really well with connection and emotional impact for pretty much everyone involved, and it did it in a cute slice of life-y way rather than trying to big up drama to make someone matter. Which I generally vibe with a lot more.

I'm trying to think of other things to talk about but am kinda running dry. I'm sleepy, we did a lot of chores. The point is, Sun and Moon was really good. Big fan. Unfortunately, my wife and I discussed where to go next. And we have reached consensus. My wife never watched anything before this. And Journeys is more of a recap thing from all accounts, visiting characters and places from everywhere. So we will, unfortunately, be going all the way back to the beginning. I have acquired veto power over episodes if I remember them sucking shit. The original Kanto stuff is only two seasons, so hopefully this will go quickly, but from here it's sequential. I think the intent is to actually go through everything. Brace for impact. And salt. Because save for exactly five episodes I look back upon fondly, I don't know how I'm going to tolerate original Ash, or Brock and Misty.

#megazardx2 #pokeani

[epickiya722]

Hi,.....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from BNHA? Amd why do you love them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this question before....If you've answered them before, do you mind changed the amswers to Sk8 series....(Again sorry if I'm asking too much)....

Thanks so much for your blog, love reading them ......

HOW DID I ALMOST FORGET TO ANSWER THIS, WTH, KIYA?!

Anyways!

Okay, I'll do 3 since I also want to answer for SK8! First, BNHA!

My favorite characters are (and should be no surprise to anyone who has been following my blog long enough 😆)...

Miruko - hands down she easily became my favorite the moment she graced her presence in the story. She's the #5 Pro Hero who just hops around and kicks ass. She's a "no nonsense, let's get this done" character and I have to applaud Sakaya Kinoshita and Anairis Quiñoes for providing such great voices for her. Both women really put "I'm a badass and I know it" into voicing Miruko. There's also the fact that rabbits are one of my favorite animals.

Midoriya - He's unique to me. He has a range that I like. He could look like he couldn't hurt a fly and then the next he looks out for blood. His green curls and freckles are nice touches to his character. He's sweet, kind and has a sharp mind. But he's also stubborn, quick to anger, irrational. Out of all BNHA characters, he is the one I do relate to the most when it comes to having emotions. Again, I'm applauding voice actors here because Daiki Yamashita and Justin Briner bring Midoriya to life on the screen for me. I could not imagine any other voices but theirs for the sub and dub, I just can't.

Rock Lock - I'm giving Rock Lock love here because he just doesn't get enough of it. He's one of the few adult characters that really did bring up a good point about the kids in season 4 and yet does recognize their potential. He immediately gave me Dad vibes and I was right that he was indeed one. Which is another element to his character I love. He thinks about his family, he is really a softie. I love that for him. When he thought about making it back to his wife and son, I teared up a little. And I'll bring race into this for a bit because it is not often we do get Black characters in media with a softer side, let alone in media not created by Black people. So it was nice to see an actual family man with a job like his where it doesn’t affect said family in a bad way like Endeavor's does or even Captain Hero's in Vigilantes where he was having some martial problems. He's #1 Dad and husband in my book and I take no arguments on that. Also, anytime he talks I gotta to listen. Again, yes, voice actors, Yasuhiro Fujiwara and Gabe Kunda, love them. And his quirk, I actually love that quirk. It's a fun one.

Now for moments!!! Again, doing just three. And I'm sticking to just the anime here to avoid spoilers.

Ya'll already know I'm going to say the Miruko vs. High End Nomus fight. Out of all the fights in season 6, that is one of the best ones. Even leading up to her being Shigaraki's containment. I was actually surprised that made it on one of the recent Watchmojo anime videos for anime fights that caught the audience by surprise or something along those lines. Of course, not mad about it because oh my gosh, just watching her kick ass in a purple lit setting really just... I loved it so much.

I gotta bring up the dorm room episode here. It's one of the episodes I can rewatch and not get tired of it. There's so many funny moments in that episode and to be more specific my favorite scene is when they got to Tokoyami's room. From him trying to stop them from checking out his room, be overpowered because it was 2 to 1 and he is still fairly small (doesn't even have muscles until later) to the showcasing of the room. His room is my favorite. Gothic setting with black and purple lighting? Hell yes! I also love his "GEEEEET OOOOUT!" Don't blame him.

For the third one... hm... I have a lot of moments I like and I'll pick season 4 for this since not a whole of people talk about that season. And I'll choose... okay, when Eri finally smiled. That scene actually made me cry, did it. She's been through so much and all it took for her to smile was to see Midoriya on stage and have a fun time. Honestly, every time Eri smiles I want to or actually do cry. I did it in Mirio's flashback of his when she smiled at him in season 6. She's just so precious!

Now onto SK8 the Infinity! Starting with the characters which was hard to do because I do love them all as a whole.

Reki - he's literal sunshine who really has some great artistic skills. And out of all the characters, his design is my favorite out of everyone else's. I would wear his hoodies and I love how he wears many colors. He had a signature outfit, but he does change his clothes and his aesthetic is something I would wear. I am a sucker for colors and hoodies. Also, love hearing

Sketchy - Yes, that little pet is a favorite. He's just so freaking adorable??? Sassy little creature.

Nanako - Langa's mom is just so amazing. That woman really is just trying her best to be a good mom and you know she really does love her son and her late husband. She reminds me of Inko, Midoriya’s mom. Just a woman who has a kind heart and wants nothing but her son to be okay and safe.

And now for moments!!

The beach episode is overall is a favorite. I love that episode as a whole. It was a very funny episode... then episode 7 happened. I never thought the number 7 would betray me.

I really love that part where Reki and Langa were fixing skateboard, it's such a sweet moment.

The part in the epilogue with the Kyan family! As a big sister, it warmed my heart seeing another big bro Reki moment with the twins! IT WAS SO ADORABLE!!

#kiya answers #kiya answers questions #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #miruko #mirko #usagiyama rumi #rumi usagiyama #midoriya izuku #izuku midoriya #deku #takagi ken #ken takagi #rock lock #tokoyami fumikage #fumikage tokoyami #sk8 #sk8 the infinity #reki kyan #kyan reki #sketchy #nanako hasegawa #hasegawa nanako

[jagged--dust-jacket-analysis]

MLB MOVIE SPOILERS

So I finally ended up watching the movie, and I have so many thoughts! So this is just gonna be one huge giant overview of the good, the bad, and the ugly. and later I will do smaller more in depth posting about it.

So I actually thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Not just in the way a lot of fans of the main series did because it was the first half-way decent content in a while. I genuinely thought this was an amazing movie.

So to talk about it I'm gonna split it up into two topics: Story and "Production" (things like animation, tone, etc.).

Story:

My favorite thing about it is the way the dealt with the Agreste's. From the well written father-son dynamic, to the way each character handled grief. overall their story line was so well done.

I enjoyed the love plot. I think they could've shown the potential of Adrienette a bit more. But they gave Ladynoir the princess treatment. They showcased just why this is the most popular miraculous ship. And it actually worked here, unlike in the series.

The ending also was great (Mostly, more later). The message about the power of love, albeit cheesy, makes sense for all of the overarching story's. Between: Marinette coping with her feelings for Adrien, Adrien coping with his feelings for ladybug, and Gabriel grieving the loss of his soulmate: the power of love is actually a reasonable last message.

Production

I just need to say, this was a Beautiful movie. The animation was spectacular, building off of character designs that didn't work in that particular style and making all of the characters look great! They gave Gabriel the absolute prettiest princess treatment, and made the kids actually look like kids!

The voice acting is wonderful. They were directed so well which really let these talented actors shine. The emotion that's missing from the normal series was excellent. They really went ham.

Probably my favorite aspect from this category, was the "lighting?" It lended itself to keeping the tone of the movie spectacularly. It never felt off from scene to scene. It always fit what was occurring in the movie and felt so accurate to real life. Just it wass overall perfect.

Now, just because the movie was good doesn't mean it is flawless. We probably get a flawless movie once every millennia (exaggeration, but it is rare).

There were things that really worked against this movie. And while I, as I stated above, loved this movoe; it's not without it's issues.

In terms of "production" it was actually flawless. The animation, lighting, voice acting, etc. was super good! Everyone involved in these aspects of this movie.

It's that story telling element that falls flat.

Now while I said the Agreste's were handled well, Marinette was not. Her story arc on confidence was very "streaky." She goes from freaking out about being ladybug, to suddenly being cocky and confident upon meeting Chat Noir. It's inconsistent from the get go and only worsens throughout the series. With her ending being very half-baked in comparison to the Agreste's story line.

There's also the weird build up with her father that really didn't go anywhere. She's rude to her dad throughout the whole movie, and they never really do anything with that. Again, falling flat.

Now, I know above I mentioned I liked the Agreste story line, but Gabriel's character individually had one flawed moment.

When he made the switch from grieving husband to terrorist villain. They really rushed that bit. He goes from being really hesitant of doing the evil thing, to eager like a kid on Christmas to terrorizing the citizens of Paris. It, like Marinette's confidence, occurred too quickly and unnaturally.

Other than these few gripes though, it was a great movie! I enjoyed every bit of watching. I cried several times and laughed just as much. The ending leaves Natalie open to take over the villain role (which I love for her) and foreshadows another movie. Overall it's a fun watch.

I do have more thoughts on specifics about this, but as I said before those things can be their own post.

#miraculous ladybug #mlb #ladybug and chat noir #miraculous awakening #miraculous movie #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #ladynoir #ladrien #adrienette #marichat #JDJ-MLB

[skyehigh15]

Fave Sprites in each AA Game: AAI1

(Spoilers for Ace Attorney Investigations 1)

So, this game confuses me. On the one hand, I really enjoy the new gameplay format and third-person movement. It also has some of my favorite character designs. But on the other hand, this is the ugliest Ace Attorney game in the whole series. It's also the weakest in terms of actual plot and cases. And I want you all to know that I have never disliked playing an Ace Attorney case (I enjoy 2-3, 4-3, 6-4, etc) but this is the only Ace Attorney game I would consider bad. First of all, I hate the art style they went for. It's a sort of anime-y style that works well for some characters, but then you have Ernest Amano and Zinc Le Blanc. Well, whatever, we're not here to talk about the negatives (I'll leave that for another time) so let's get into the animations I do enjoy.

(Oh, btw I have other posts on the other games, check them out)

Animation 1:

Kay Faraday. Mhmmm.

As a new character, I kind of don't love her inclusion (I personally think that having Ema be the main assistant would have made much more sense and added a better character dynamic).

But design-wise? She rocks. I love her scarf, and her hair, and her bag, etc. I also really appreciate the new "tiny" sprites that showcase larger actions with the whole character's design being shown. They're cute and chibi and great.

This animation in particular is very punchy (pun intended), and it creates a nice loop. I like how she bounces from side to side before stopping to punch with some nice smears on her jabs.

Final verdict: Kay's writing may not be my cup of tea, but I love how energetic and fun her animations are.

Animation 2:

Another "tiny" sprite and another animation that utilizes smear to showcase a fast action. I think that the reason why smears are so common in this game is because they make the whole animation much easier to read on such a small screen and sprite.

Well, the reason why I chose this animation isn't really thanks to the animation quality, but more so just how fucking cool it is. It's just cool to see Lang calmly catch Franziska's whip seconds before it hits him.

As much as I love Franziska, sometimes it's great to see someone stand up to her while she's acting like a spoiled child.

Animation 3:

We have arrived at my favourite character in AAI; Callisto Yew. She's so great. I love her fairly simplistic design, her carefree attitude towards Edgeworth's dramatic personality, etc. Her laughs are always animated wonderfully. Actually let's move on to the next animation and I'll discuss her a bit more there.

Animation 4:

So, animations 3 and 4 are fairly similar from a conceptual level; it is just Callisto laughing. But they're so amazing because you can almost feel and hear her laughter. In the first one she's cackling loudly and trying to stop herself. In the second animation she's completely out of breath and still letting out a few laughs. Overall her animations are sincere and really charming.

Idk if she's an assassin super spy or whatnot. If she kills me don't blame her: she caught ME slipping.

Animation 5:

I'm SORRY. I'm WEAK and I couldn't HELP IT. I had to put Ema on here and how could I NOT choose the iconic DS sprite (I mean, that's definitely a Nintendo DS, right?). This sprite has a special spot in my heart because my childhood DS, that i still use, is the exact same shade of pink <3

Also I love the small detail of the DS screen being reflected on her glasses, causing that to be one of the few animated things in the whole sprite (the other being her arms and fingers).

Honestly, as much as I dislike most of AAI's art design, the highs are VERY high, and I love Callisto and Ema.

Anyways, next time I'll do AAI2, which I really love a LOT. It's gonna be harder to find animations online, because the website I use only has sprite sheets. If you guys know a good website with a lot of AAI2's animations I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me know.

BYE!

#ace attorney #ace attorney investigations #AA Best Sprites #animations #sprite rating #kay faraday #franziska von karma #shi long lang #calisto yew #ema skye

[kirstynbot]

Media Focus: Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan

When Gaku Kuze's "Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan" anime adaptation was announced back in 2019, we were all blissfully unaware of what 2020 had in store for us. After some production issues that prevented the series from airing as planned in 2020, Life Lessons... finally premiered in 2021. It's comedic how coincidental the themes of this series fit with our own world.

To sum the show and overall premise up, Life Lessons... centers around Omota Uramichi (surname first), a 31 year-old ex-gymnast turned children's television show host. Each episode follows the life of Uramichi-Oniisan on set and outside of work, showcasing a duality that many adults find themselves mimicking.

At its core, this show is a painfully funny expression of how many adults feel as they reach their 30s, facing the soul-sucking abyss known as "reality". I think there's a tasteful and a tasteless way to approach morbid humor, and this show is definitely the former.

Uramichi-Oniisan's bleak outlook on life is often paired in contrast with curious and rambunctious children. He isn't completely transparent with his feelings about life in front of the kids, but sometimes, they pick up on his mindset and he grimly agrees with them. Despite his downtrodden work life, he cares deeply about the children and wants to preserve as much of their youthfulness as possible. The supporting cast on this show are great as well. Some characters induce Uramichi-Oniisan's bottled rage to show itself, and some make him realize that they too are also hiding a part of themselves.

I enjoy this show for a few reasons, but relatability is the biggest reason. I'm now a thirty-something year-old woman who shakes my fist at the cult of capitalism from my own rented porch, and I share the same sentiments as the main character. From jokes about back pain and hangovers to sucking up personal feelings in order to get through work, this show feels like it was written by a millennial for a millennial (though I have yet to confirm if this is true since my search turned up nothing on the author's age). Uramichi-Oniisan feels very human, and I feel a sense of hope for him. I hope he continuously finds happiness even when he's at his most cynical.

Another reason why I enjoy this show is for the art style. I think the studio did a great job helping bring the characters to life. Their unique characteristics are defined as well. My favorite character design has to be Kikaku Hanbee. You deserve your flowers for this character alone, Gaku Kuze. I see the outfits you draw these characters in.

I do want to call out that there is only one woman character in the main cast of this show, Tadano Utano. While I appreciate that she isn't being set up with any of the other introduced characters (ever, I hope), it would be nice to not see her as the only woman in this series, and also to have a character story that isn't centered around her love life.

I implore every millennial or older to watch this show, because it really does encapsulate the lived experience of someone who's been on this earth for a few decades and has gone through some shit. Dark humor doesn't take away the heaviness of emotions, but it's nice that each character perseveres through their hardship. In a time where we constantly experience misery, its important to recognize our negative feelings and not let them hold us back from living.

I'll end this with the best ending theme of 2021, "Dream On" by Mamoru Miyano. This song was a perfect ending to each episode because it felt like that breath of fresh air taken after it stops raining.

#Youtube #media focus

[bluebunnysart]

Ok since this is where I post my fandom stuff now, I'm just gonna write it here. But I miss Sumikeke from LL Superstar so much lol

I just finished rereading one of my favorite fics ever about them and it's such a masterpiece. Still so amazing today. It contains so much yearning and feelings and depth that even though it's like at least 30k words long, it ends way too quickly and I'd happily read more and more.

It's not like I can't keep shipping Sumikeke now, but I was going through the tag again and another tumblr user put it really well: their dynamic and characterization was absolutely ruined in season 2, which is also why I felt really unpleasant watching it and had no idea how to react to the canon confession scene. It's nice that it happened at all, sure, but by that time, my love for the ship had already begun to fade (for reasons) and s2 seemed to just confirm my annoyances, frustrations, and fears.

I loved Sumikeke though. Don't get me wrong. I actually don't regret any of the time I spent on them at all, and I truly had so much fun indulging in this love of mine. They were great and brilliant, and I know people have different feelings about it (even going as far as calling it abusive :c ), but in my opinion, there was a method and an art to smkk that I tried to convey when I spent those times in college writing actual fanfiction for them lol.

First of all, and this is a big reason why I fell out of love with it, smkk is a bickering couple, but there's a line and nuance you need to have, otherwise it does turn abusive and boring and not romantic at all. When I first watched season 1, I was drawn in by how kind and gentle Sumire could be (big sister-like, taking care of Keke or giving her soft looks) and I latched onto that immediately. I dunno how fast it took to show up, but maybe by like episode 3, I was already eyeing them and wondering what kind of dynamic we'd have there.

As for Keke's antagonism towards Sumire, there was an obvious reason for that. Sumire was looking down on and using Liella to bolster herself, but to Keke, Liella and school idols were everything. It's a natural conflict that arises from people whose goals and opinions differ and who obviously clash over ideology and dreams. Keke would tease or snub Sumire, but it never crossed into actual bullying or anything, last I saw. Just the expected bickering between someone who actually might not like the other and Sumire, who knows she messed up and tries to make up for it, but it's fine if relationships aren't all sunshine and rainbows. Actually, I used to really love the tsundere trope and tsundere-like couples, so when I shipped smkk, I liked them in a more tsundere way. As the anime progressed, their relationship clearly improved and even had plot relevance and all that, and I was really impressed by all of it and fell in love and wanted to give back as a fan by making as much delicious smkk content as possible.

The method to the madness is Keke is childish, demanding, and even annoying maybe (I liked Keke tho lol), but Sumire loves her and since they're teenagers, they eventually grow out of such childish behavior/bickering but the fact remains that they love each other and it's really sweet and cute to see. Sumire was my fave Superstar chara (probably still is? idk), and I just looved her love for Keke and completely enjoyed coming up with story ideas that would showcase that. It's liking someone and having a crush on them even if they're kinda annoying but since you like them, you can look past that. It's that kind of love...!

But anyway. To be quite frank, the fandom ruined smkk for me, and I'm sad I let it happen. If smkk is like 50% arguing and 50% fluff (which is kinda a high percentage, I'll give you that), the fandom kicked it up a notch where it was like 90% arguing and 10% just deciding to make out after saying super cruel/dumb things to each other. I saw a lot of unpleasant things I really disliked (including straight-up immoral SA stuff) and I saw that my excitement from checking the tag eventually turned into aversion and eventually dislike/annoyance/irritation/frustration/anger.

Season 2 having them continue to bicker for bad reasons didn't help things and it felt like the anime was on the fandom's side in that regard. It's fine to give the fandom fanservice, obviously, but that's when I kind of lost interest for good and moved on.

But I truly had a fun time loving smkk, and it had so much potential and was so good. I really truly enjoyed it and that's why I miss it. I think with the release of SIF2 and seeing smkk in there, I was reminded a bit of my old fire (my old love), but in short, it's really unfortunate when fandom (or the show itself) ruins something for you.

I could say the same about my immense love of Shioriko and how I was really disappointed how they wrote and treated her (in the anime and side materials like Nijiyon too), but part of that's personal bias. The true Shioriko I like is probably SIFAS Shioriko and the other Shioriko's exist as their own entities, but since they're all supposed to be the same chara, it's hard to love her in the exact same way if you get what I mean, especially when I had such high hopes and expectations. It's ok though: such is life.

Anyway, I obviously like loving and affectionate ships a lot more than, like, bickering ships. Smkk was just special to me because when two girls act like that canonically, it's a lot easier to claim they're into each other or hiding feelings for each other. I also want to add that I liked the idea of Keke being embarrassed of her feelings for Sumire and that translating a bit into aggression-- obviously as Keke gets older or her feelings are reciprocated or her friends accept her for who she is, she gets less teenage-y about it.

That was a trip down memory lane though. I really care for LL, even though it breaks my heart sometimes. "Expectation leads to resentment", they say, so maybe I shouldn't expect anything at all?

I miss these girls and hope they get better writing. I'll still love yuri and shipping girls for as long as I live xD

#my rambles

[ledenews]

#OCS #ohiocounty #ohiocountyschools #TeacheroftheYear #UpperOhioValley #wheeling #WoodsdaleElementary

[lunarhanaa]

this ask is an invitation to gush about your best girls and why you love them if you feel like it! have a great day

thank you for the ask! honestly gonna just limit this to my 3 favorites in Love Live because they’re on their own category compared to the rest of my favorites

I don’t really think I am exaggerating when I say I am pretty sure my favorite character of all time is You. In a lot of idol series and anime I watched prior to getting into Love Live, I always tended to gravitate towards characters who were similar to me. However, You was the complete polar opposite to me. I downloaded SIF right before watching the anime and I choose You because she was the closest to my birthday. I ultimately ended up gravitating towards her at the start because she’s essentially the type of person I always wanted to be. I used to be a very pessimistic person who specialized in self-depricating humor that ultimately did a lot of damage to my self-esteem. But a part of me hated this aspect of myself and wished to be someone that was more optimistic and positive. So in a way, You l acted like a role model for me with how she always seemed to be optimistic and positive, while also being supportive of those she’s closest too. I’ve become a much more nicer person to myself as a result and…honestly its amazing how much a single character can change a lot for a person. Now that its been more than 5 years since I got into LL, I’ve realized those traits of hers are the reason why I have found her so likeable and why I got attached to her.

Maki is a character that I’ve always interpreted somewhat differently in comparison to the rest of the fandom. When I first got into Love Live, I saw something I never saw in a character before and that it was that she’s essentially just forced to act mature at a young age because of her own circumstances at home. She has to be smart, she has to be diligent, she has to become a doctor just like her parents, so she never allowed herself to form dedicated interests outside of the future that was set up for her. This aspect meant a lot to me because I was and funnily still am in a position similar to hers. I really adored her relationships with the other first years because I feel like those dynamics showcase why I like Maki a lot: she’s attentive to others emotions and wants them to be at their best(even if she ends up being blunt in the process). I know the tsundere aspect of her personality can be a negative, but whenever she is shown to be unapologetically happy…it hits differently for me because she’s just a kid at the end of the day.

(Also I am very very aware how some people took Maki acting mature for her age in a completely different direction and like…yikes.)

I think Umi is actually a great accumulation of a me-flavored character. She’s shy, she’s serious, and she’s a complete dork. Besides Maki and Rina, I think Umi is the most relatable person to me in the cast. I found her to be a complete dork when I first watched SIP, and the fact she shifted between being a funny character while also allowing me to emotionally connect with her made her one of my favorites quickly. When I first finished SIP, I was disappointed that she never got an episode to herself. I still loved her and she was my 2nd favorite in muse, but I wanted more from her. However, upon subsequent rewatches not too long after my first watch of SIP, I realized that Umi’s development exists all across the seasons. She loves being a school idol and wants the success for all her friends to happen, and she becomes dedicated to her role as a member…even if she ends up being too serious as a result. Then she’s a complete softie whenever she isn’t focusing her time to being dedicated and it’s always great to see!

#would’ve loved to talk about more characters #but i typed too much already 😭 #also…its kinda giving projection here 👩🏾‍🦯 #love live #lunartone.ask

[gardenergulfie]

This is still one of my favorite empires animations i loved this moment of Shelby’s episode and seeing it animated was so cool! Shrub my beloved

#mcyt #empires smp #shubble #empires shrub #i am a Shrub stan first and formost and a human being second #she's my favorite and this animation is a great showcase of why i love her

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Hunting Palismans" From The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

Today, I present to you reason #4,693 for why The Owl House is the best thing at the moment: It's the perfect balance of serialized storytelling with an episodic format. The story always moves forward with an exact order for how episodes should be watched, but each episode still functions as its own standalone tale. Having prior knowledge of what happened before adds more to the experience, but you can still watch whatever you want and still have an enjoyable time. Take "Hunting Palismans," for example. It adds so much more to the overarching narrative while slightly continuing other threads. But it's still something you can watch as is without remembering the past or wondering about the future.

However, to properly explain how requires spoilers. I wasn't kidding when I say that this episode adds so much, so you're going to want to be wary of that when you continue reading.

With that said, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Coven Heads Meeting: We already saw these fellow schmucks in the trailer, but that doesn't take away how cool they are! It's not explicitly stated which head belongs to which coven, but you can already tell who goes where just from their designs alone. And I love that. I love that just by showing us some excellent character designs, anybody with half a brain can already figure out the particular type of magic each Coven Head specializes in. It's a perfect example of the show-don't-tell level of storytelling that is always at its best through animation, and I'm all for it because of it.

What the Day of Unity is: Several fans, myself included, have already speculated that the Day of Unity was that Emperor Belos planned to combine the human world with the Boiling Isles and rule it all with an iron fist. That being said, figuring it out is one thing, but being told that it's true is a whole different level pants-s**ting horror that I AM NOT READY FOR! Even when it's going to happen, I can assure you that I will not be prepared to witness it ...and I am scared of when it does.

Belos Body Horror: ...Disney, I was already scared s**tless of this guy. I DO NOT NEED THIS!

That being said, seeing Belos do...whatever the f**k that was, helps explain further why he needs the magic in palismans. I always assumed because it's like fuel for a car, giving him the power he needs. Now, even though the answer is more apparent, there are still some questions to be had. Is he cursed, and the magic keeps it at bay like Eda's potions? Or did he experiment with the wrong type of magic, and the palismans keep him stable? Only the future can say for sure...and I'm also not prepared for the answers from that either.

Golden Guard is Belos’ Nephew: Gosh dangit, THE INTRO HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET, AND THIS EPISODE IS ALREADY GIVING SO MUCH!

But, yeah, the most powerful witch on the Isles is apparently Golden Boy's Grunkle Belos. That very knowledge is incredibly interesting to discuss while presenting possibilities for future narratives. I don't know about you, but I see the Golden Guard going down the path of Zuko, learning that the magic of friendship is worth much more than whatever power he gains from being Belos' nephew. And possibly earning his uncle's love seeing how he's the only family he has. It's a situation that's vastly different from Amity's because even when she defies her parents, she'll still have Edric and Emira at the end of the day. For Golden Guard, knowing that he lost a great family to wild magic, the inclination to go against Belos is a lot weaker due to him being all he has left.

Oh, and also, Belos' family getting wiped out because of wild magic. Yeah, not only does that give the best type of motivation for Belos' distaste for it, but it also explains the Golden Guard's hesitance to use it. He's inclined to so he can save his uncle, sure. It's only the fact that he knows what happens with wild magic that causes some resistance...Also, we're less than a minute in, and I'm already getting all of this from one discussion between two characters.

HOW IS THIS SHOW SO GOOD?!

Intro Changes: It's about time too. It seems weird that the crew waited to change Eda and King's designs in the intro this late in the game, but it also tells me that Amity dying her hair lavender is the last huge change this season will present. Otherwise, why change the intro at all if you were going to alter Luz, Willow, and Gus' designs anyway? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Luz Keeping the Echo Mouse as a Pet: The fact that she keeps the most important creature in the world to her as a pet...it's...it's adorable, alright? And as we established several times, I cannot hate adorable things.

Don't judge me!

Amity Staying Home: There are two plausible ways why Amity didn't go to school that day. Either she's getting punished for dying her hair or because she's trying to avoid Luz so they won't talk about the you-know-what. Either could work and seem understandable to Luz, thus explaining why she admits how "that makes sense." Although, there is something to discuss in how Luz is curious as to where Amity is. Judging from the tone of her voice, it's pretty clear that she wants to talk about the little peck on the cheek and maybe get some confirmation as to what it means. Because there is no going back from that. You can explain away saying or doing something stupid, but you cannot un-kiss a cheek. That is a point of no return, and if Amity really is avoiding Luz because of it, that means it's up to our favorite weirdo to make the first move. As for what that may entail...we'll just have to wait and see.

Frewin: We get two bits of information here for the price of one reveal here. Knowing that Frewin is a palisman is shocking enough, but the knowledge that Bump is partially blind and needs Frewin to see? That is an intriguing piece of intel that I would have never expected to get revealed. This is reason #5,279 for what makes The Owl House so good. Even when the show presents information you wouldn't guess, it's all so interesting anyways that you can't help but go along with it.

Adopting Palismans: First of all, love the fact that the Bat Queen makes a return to provide a solution to the palisman trees being rare and solving her own problem regarding the discarded palismans. It's a situation where everyone wins in a way that is so clever that I can't help but admire it.

Second, the idea of students choosing to adopt palismans instead is cute. I'd say it gives further insight into who these characters are in how they say what they want to be, but there's nothing really new added that fans couldn't figure out from the get go. But I will say that it's pretty cool to know that these characters have official staffs now. Speaking of which, if you're upset that their palismans don't match up with your headcanons...grow up.

This was a cute and smartly written scene that should not be bogged down by whiney fans who can't accept a series doing something different from what they expect.

Little Rascal: I’d take a bullet for this bird. That is all.

Luz Being Uncertain of her Future: A lot of fans offer several ideas of what the future could look like for Luz. Will she stay in the Boiling Isles? In Connecticut? Or will she go back and forth? We don't know, but one question we rarely brought up is what does Luz want? More specifically, what does she want to do? After everything Luz went through, the adventures she's gone on, and the lessons learned, what is something that Luz wants her future to be? That's an answer she doesn't really figure out, and I'm genuinely ok with that being a question that's tabled for another day. Most kids who ask that question themselves aren't always going to find an answer after a short amount of time and sometimes even need to spend their lives trying to figure it out. So having it be something Luz has to consider and probably find out in a future episode is the smarter option, as it allows time for it to simmer in her own mind and provides more insight into her character. As stated several times in this episode, she doesn't think things through, so it's nice that the writers finally allowed her some time to wonder what's next when the adventure is over.

Luz Having to Improvise Without Paper Glyphs: You want to know what my favorite Spider-Man moments are (this is relevant. Trust me). My favorite moments are when Spidey's web-shooters run out of fluid, and he's forced to improvise with that big brain of his to find a solution. That's sort of what happens with Luz in "Hunting Palismans." She didn't bring her glyphs with her (why would she), so she's forced to use the environment around her to make new ones. Plus, Luz also flexes her knowledge of the Boiling Isles by mixing her glyphs with a magical plant (which Willow certainly told her about) so that she and the Golden Guard could knock out Kikimora's dragon. It's yet another showcase of her intelligence that a lot of fans are too keen to overlook. Unfortunate to see, too, because looking at how well Luz can craft the perfect solutions by fighting smarter, not harder, is a fantastic add-on to her personality. I love characters who win through their wits rather than their raw powers, and I once again hope more people will catch onto that aspect of her too.

Golden Guard Whistling the Theme: Look, I love it when a show acknowledges its own theme song, ok? Leave me alone.

Luz and the Golden Guard: This is one of those dynamics you didn't know you wanted until you have it. And now that I have it, I DEMAND MORE!

Seriously, seeing these two interact off of each other was a ton of fun to watch. When Luz and GG are initially at each other's throats, their threats and mockery towards one another aren't out of spiteful anger between two mortal enemies. It's more like...two siblings who get on each other's nerves yet are supposed to deal with one another. It's equally adorable and hilarious, and yes, I absolutely loved that they're forced to work together in this episode because of it.

Although, while the entertainment value is fantastic, it also adds more proof of why Luz is the best character in the series. She spends one night with this guy, and that's more than what she needed to make a difference with him. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they're buddies now, but Luz definitely sowed the seeds into his redemption. He's far from willing to join her side, but he still does something he rarely does with anyone else: He told her that his name is Hunter. And this is what Luz does. Through nearly every person she meets on the Boiling Isles, she always manages to change them for the better. It'll be a while before Hunter deflects from Belos, but if Amity proves anything, Luz has a way of sneaking into people's hearts. They just need to spend more time with one another, and I can't wait to see what happens next because of it.

Kikimora Wanting to Kill Hunter: This shows a lot about who Kikimora is, but it potentially proves just how dysfunctional the Emperor's Coven can be. If Kiki proves anything, the coven must be filled with people willing to backstab and cheat their way to get on Emperor Belos' good side. Just look at Lilith. She literally cursed her own sister just to get in and received all the rewards because of it. The Emperor's Coven may be the best choice for witches to do magic, but if you're surrounded by people you can't trust, then is it really worth it?

The Guards Not Knowing Who Hunter is: This helps add to how much of a big deal it is for Hunter to reveal his name to Luz. If people can't even recognize his face, there's a chance it means that he keeps his true identity a secret except for those in his inner circle.

And the coven guards brushing off his brand is more than believable to me. They may be aware that Belos' right hand is young, but teens will be teens. Anybody with enough artistic talent can fake a brand. So it isn't too far off for those two to think Hunter was just a kid pulling a prank.

Hunter is Powerless Without his Staff: Not much to say here. It's just some more neat insight into Hunter's character that makes me wonder if even Belos' magic is real magic.

But I will say this: The fact that Hunter comes from a lineage of powerless witches, well, who's to say that isn't because of a...certain ancestor?

(*Cough* Hunter is related to Philip *Cough*)

Hunter vs Kiki: A pretty well-animated fight scene that adds potential drama to the story for the future. Now that Kikimora knows that Hunter helped Luz escape with the palismans (albeit unwillingly), she may or may not hold that over his head when the time comes. Or, at the very least, decides to keep a closer eye on him whenever he makes a slip-up.

Eda and King Getting Luz her own Palisman Wood: These last two weeks have been severely lacking in the Eda and King department, but scenes like this more than make up for it. Those two have formed such a bond with Luz to the point where they would do the impossible if it meant she would feel better. It proves just how much of a family they all are and the lengths they would go for each other. After all, weirdos have to stick together.

Little Rascal going to Hunter: Hunter is right. That was surprising.

Given how much Little Rascal stuck by Luz, I was more than positive that she would be the one he chose. So seeing Little Rascal pick Hunter instead is a much nicer twist. There could be multiple reasons why, and I'm just going to leave that to the analyzers in this fandom to decide. Especially since the answer isn't really all that important.

So, instead, I'm going to go ahead and sit in the corner as I wOrRy AbOuT tHe DaY tHaT bElOs FiNdS lItTlE rAsCal!

IT'S GONNA HAPPEN! AND I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY, IF THE WRITERS KILL HIM, I WILL NOT BE HAPPY!

WHAT I DISLIKED

First, there's...um...

Well, there was this...

Ok, as much as I liked--No, that turned out well anyways...

…

...

...I've got nothing.

I, honest to goodness, have no complaints about "Hunting Palismans" Not even the tiniest of nitpicks I would usually ignore due to how well-executed everything else was.

It's all written fantastically to the point where it's...perfect.

IN CONCLUSION

"Hunting Palismans" is an easy A+. It introduces even more plot threads, gives insight into characters, and despite being essential to the story, it still manages to be a fun episode all on its own. And, I'd go so far as to say that it's one of the best, if not the best, episodes in the series. There's nothing bad about it, and that surprises me. I rarely find nothing bad to say about any story, even the ones I enjoy greatly. I'm sure there are some flaws that others would be more than happy to point out, but why bother hunting for the imperfections when I could accept that, for once, an episode is simply perfect.

(And that’s six hits in a row...THAT STINKER IS GOING TO HAPPEN! It hasn’t happened yet, BUT IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN! I CAN FEEL IT!)

#the owl house #the owl house season 2 #the owl house reviews #luz noceda #the golden guard #hunter the owl house #emperor belos #what i thought about