Hey guys! So I posted this on twitter the other day and thought I'd share it here too, since it's been a hot second since I've posted. My girlfriend and I thought it'd be fun to do an exercise where we put together a miniature pitch deck for an original project. I got carried away with the designs, she ended up writing an entire pilot... so, anyway, here it is! >>>>> read the pilot here! <<<<< Seriously! She wrote a whole episode! Had a lot of fun fussing with this, so I hope you guys dig it.

The entirety of I Don’t Dance from High School Musical 2 is literally about Chad denying that he’s gay because he’s an athlete (also dancing is stereotypically “gay” activity while sports (like baseball and basketball) are typically hyper masculine and therefore hetero) and Ryan trying to prove to him that that doesn’t matter like c'mon guys Ryan goes “you’ll never know if you never try” and Chad says “but there’s just one little thing that stops me every time” thay one little thing is his fear of coming out because he’s an athlete and he’s scared of how his teammates and so on will react because athletes just can’t be gay, right? like it’s so significant that they were playing baseball specifically because “pitching” and “catching” are euphemisms for “topping” and “bottoming” and I probably don’t even have the explain the context of “swinging” (ie. towards men or towards women) also in the scene right before the song actually starts they do that thing with the bat where the put their hands on top of one anothers to see who will bat first. Like guys cmon, a baseball bat is such a phallic symbol (hand jobs my dudes). and literally while chad is swearing up and down that he doens’t dance he eventually starts to dance anyway, which symbolizes him starting to accept himself whilst still being a little wary to really come out? then they even go as far as to switch clothes afterward and are damn near sitting in eachother’s laps with taylor, chad’s “girlfriend,” just kind of awkwardly standing beside them it is so painfully obvious that chad and ryan were supposed to be gay but the writers couldn’t make it truly canon because this was Disney in 2007 so they set ryan up with kelsi even though kelsi was clearly a lesbian and had a crush on sharpay but Chad and Ryan definetely got married after college and adopted a bunch of kids and if anyone disagrees with me on this they’re welcome to take it up with my lawyer

Character Design, Ethnicity and Ghibli

As an illustrator I am always analyzing faces and how to interpret people around me. Often times characters in animated films might come across as ethnically ambiguous. 

A lot of people I’ve spoken with will say that they “don’t see race” when interpreting characters that are ambiguous I’ve found they usually mean that they saw the characters as white.

I got in an argument recently because I said I always saw Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service and her family as Japanese, and the villagers she meets as white (because of the German signage on everything). A friend who “didn’t see their races” was angry that I saw Kiki as Japanese because as she said, “uhm actually she’s supposed to be German too!”

If you look into Miyazaki’s history it’s easy to find the direct correlation between himself and Kiki, and the German village as a place he visited. Germany repeatedly pops up in Ghibli films. At one point he must have felt like an outsider, and therefore Kiki does. The “Japanese person in a German setting” thing reappears in Whisper of the Heart as well with the grandfather that helps Shizuku with her story. He also mentions he fell in love with a German woman named Louise.

Miyazaki does a less ambiguous German & Japanese story with The Wind Rises, that is historically based on a real Japanese plane designer who dreams of being like this Italian aircraft designer, Giovanni Caproni. But honestly if it wasn’t said that he was Italian I would have just assumed he was Japanese because of the Japanese setting.

Ghibli characters often have a tendency to look ambiguous, and placing their ethnicities is really dependent on names and settings. This guy below is a German Jewish man that appears in The Wind Rises, amongst a primarily Japanese cast. He’s pretty visually different from the other characters in the film (my grandmother said he was kind of an offensive caricature).

But most Ghibli characters are a bit more ambiguous. It is obvious that characters like Shizuku from Whisper of the Heart are Japanese because of literally everything in the movie and also she mentions living in “west Tokyo.” Some other obviously just set in Japan ones are Ocean Waves, Princess Kaguya, My Neighbors the Yamadas, From Up On Poppy Hill, My Neighbor Totoro, and Only Yesterday.

It would be easy to just say “they’re all in Japan” because “the studio is in Japan.” Like some people have said to me, but with that logic Disney’s Mulan and Moana are set in Burbank, CA and definitely not Polynesian islands or ancient China. Though there’s a bit more nuance to them than that.

Unlike most anime if a character in Ghibli appears with traditionally white features like red or blonde hair, and blue eyes they are probably intended to be white and usually European. As Europe, particularly Germany seemed to have an influence on Miyazaki, though he did have a strong critique of Marnie before its release.

When Marnie Was There has an interesting thing going on in regards to race and ethnicity. The author Joan G. Robinson is British and it felt Ghibli was trying to keep close to that. So while the story is set in the countryside of Japan it is made clear that Marnie is of European background. Her wealthy, white family moved to Japan and she married a Japanese man, and Anna came along years after. 

Anna’s eyes are at one point described as “Sorta blue! Almost like a foreigners!” This adds to her discomfort of feeling different, part because of being a foster kid, and part because she is biracial and unaware of her family heritage.

From the same director, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, is The Secret World of Arrietty, which is based on the English novel The Borrowers. Studio Ghibli wanted a Celtic-sounding soundtrack, and found the French musician, Cecile Corbel, to compose the soundtrack. She sings the themes in French, English, and Japanese. 

It’s easy to make the assumption that Arrietty is therefore white (of Irish background), and Sho is Japanese. The story is set in a Japanese countryside (which is a stable of Ghibli) and due to the Borrowers being travelers they must have traveled there from Europe. In the Disney distributed U.S. version of the film Sho’s name is switched to Shawn in an attempt to “Americanize” him. Just like that weird Bridgit Mendler song they slapped in about “ray bans and spray tans.”

As a fan of Studio Ghibli and an illustrator I often over-analyze things, especially faces. When it comes to interpreting characters of different races and backgrounds it’s important to be aware of what you’re doing. You don’t want a character to come out as offensive, even if accidentally. This can be said of characters of different weights, facial features and other things as well.

When I illustrate I want to create diverse and realistic characters that accurately reflect those around me. I avoid ambiguity, because I want kids to see themselves in a story, not have to hope that the character is like them. I know the feeling because I was always pretending characters were queer like me based off of certain tiny traits that paralleled mine. I don’t want kids to have to play I Spy to see themselves.

Some say it doesn’t matter, but those tend to be people who already see themselves in film.

Anyway, my idea of Kiki’s Delivery Service was that Kiki is a Japanese girl and Tombo is a German boy, specifically a Jewish one. I like this reading because of the narrative’s 1960s setting. This places it only around 20 years after World War II, which involved the Holocaust and the Bombing of Hiroshima. The idea that the two find comfort in one another is sweet in a historical context even if I am “reading too much into it.”

The SpongeBob Musical Review

I’m baaaaack! Yes, I have finished the first year of my graduate school and have returned to the wonderful world of cartoons and writing about them! I will get back into finishing my Pokemon movie reviews, but for now, I want to write about something a little different. There just so happens to be a musical going through previews in my current city of Chicago that appeals to me. You guessed it - The SpongeBob Musical.

So, as a mega super ultra cartoon nerd think?

I LOVED it. My word, friends. How to describe it. The spectacle was incredible. That $16 Million budget really shows itself. There’s barnacles made up of pool noodles. There’s two Rube Goldberg machines shooting giant bouncy balls that are meant to represent boulders. There’s lights in the shape of those familiar Bikini Bottom background flowers.

Oh and the costumes! My word. There is a kind of uncanny cosplay touch to it. The cast is completely humanized in order to avoid the awkwardness of actors having to wear fake heads on top of their own. I’d say this works for the most part. The majority of the cast definitely looks like how you would imagine them humanized, especially Mr. Krabs. Plankton’s actor spotted both an eyepatch and used a puppet Plankton. Karen, Plankton’s robot wife, even got to be decked out in her own Jetsons-esque costume. My favorite costuming decision of all has to be Squidward’s. He had these two fake legs sewn into his pants to move in time with his real ones. It blew me away.

There’s also the sound design! The guy in charge of the sound had to be working over time to match all those movements. And they used a lot of the effects from the show. It all just seemed like such a loving homage. They even did the dolphin noises as cursing bit!

With all that said, I’ll be the first to admit that the story isn’t that great. In a bizarre turn, it’s SpongeBob meets Armageddon? While this adds to a lot of the camp and fun, it doesn’t feel particularly fresh or exciting, especially since everything turns out exactly how you would expect. I also understand the want to incorporate as many characters as possible, but there’s this whole subplot with Mr. Krabs and Pearl that was wholly unnecessary and was resolved all too easily. There’s a Mayor character introduced as an antagonist and I think, if anything, Mr. Krabs should have filled that role. Additionally, I think the Patchy stuff could be cut as well. I like Patchy, but he just didn’t feel necessary for this story.

As for the songs, I’m not sure if any of you have read up on who wrote them but it is star studded. No two songs are written by the same person. While this does give the whole show a pretty disjointed vibe, it also makes it pretty exciting. By far and away, my favorite song is “I’m Not a Loser” by They Might Be Giants. Oh! Squidward has never been so equally fun and relatable. As for the rest, they were fun, and it was nice to see a song from the show “Best Day Ever” incorporated.

The show, in its current form, is incredibly flawed. That said, I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun and it certainly made me excited to rewatch my favorite episodes of the series. So, in that way, it did its job.

Undertale [Pacifist Run]

Taking a brief hiatus from Pokemon movies to do this write up because..

 I finally played Undertale. Wow...just wow.

Back when I did my Earthbound and Mother 3 write ups, I mentioned that one of the reasons that I loved those games was that during the endings, you cannot win by force but through nonviolence - prayer or reminding your brother of his true self. This was an idea that I did not now could exist in games and it made me love those games more than I have ever loved other games. So then this game comes out and upon hearing about the “Pacifist” option of gameplay, I knew I had to play it. Naturally, I got it for Christmas and I started playing, I went with the Pacifist play through.

And that might have been a mistake.

There’s something to be said about the amount of empathy that can be fostered through interactive storytelling and this game made me feel that on a level that I haven’t felt since Pokemon. Pokemon has such an enduring popularity, in part, because these made up monsters, pixels in a screen, begin to feel like partners - like friends. And that’s something Undertale is able to invoke as well. I can’t speak for the No Mercy run, but in the Pacifist run, you get to know all the bosses, get to know the workings of their inner lives - their dreams, their insecurities, their crushes, their mistakes…And through this fantastic writing and characterization, you care.

And that’s why I think I messed up.

It’s a game. I know it’s a game. A character reminds me that it’s a game. And yet, if I’m being honest with myself, I can’t bring myself to restart it. I don’t want to do the No Mercy run because I’m just too damned attached to these characters and I don’t want to want to play a run where I’d have to watch them all die. (Especially Papyrus.)

I cannot recommend this game enough. I also cannot play this game for a long time and probably will never be able to play No Mercy run. Even though it’s pretend, I want my friends to be happy.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Giratina and the Sky Warrior

Oof. Okay. One day Giratina and Dialga have a battle where Giratina pulls Dialga into its own dimension - The Reverse World - and accidentally takes Shaymin with it. Shaymin, scared, manages to escape and makes it able for Dialga to not only escape, but trap Giratina in its own dimension. Giratina is peeved. Ash and co find Shaymin, nurse it back to health, and discover what happened to it and find out that it needs to go migrate to a garden and be with its kind. Ash and co agree to help Shaman and eventually discover that there’s a man, Zero, bent on ruling the Reverse World and destroying our world.

The Good:

1. Although once again, the movie didn’t show that much of Dawn’s personality, this is the second movie where she and Ash brave the climax together. She’s not just on the sidelines. (Unlike poor Brock.)

2. I’m so sold on Piplup. He’s distinct from Pikachu in that he’ll jump into a situation without thinking it through and seems a lot more naive. Pikachu and him make a pretty charming duo.

3. I got a pretty good chuckle from Ash and Dawn being reminded of their near fatal encounter with Palkia and Dialga last like movie like “Oh yeah. Remember that?” At this point, near death experiences has become all too blasé for our heroes.

4. God bless Meowth. He was not having Shaymin’s crap.

5. Zero looked like a reject Yu-Gi-Oh character which was pretty glorious. (That said, I’m not sure any Yu-Gi-Oh character would be caught dead in that yellow jump suit.)

Nitpicking:

1. This movie is pretty dull and I think that comes from problems with pacing and creating tension. For one thing, there’s the Shaymin plot. I get the feeling that the writers were trying to do with this movie was they did with May in Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea - have Ash’s lady companion bond with a Pokemon that ultimately has to leave them. However, there wasn’t much effort made to create a bond between Dawn and Shaymin. With May, it was justified because Manaphy saw May as its mother and May had a really painful time letting Manaphy go. There’s none of that here. Also, sure the Reverse World had some cool designs and I get that we’re told that it was important for the existence of our world but I just didn’t feel like there was enough explanation as to why or how. Not to mention that this movie suffers from a pretty dragged out third act.

2. Speaking of which, with each new review, I become aware of just how wrong I was denouncing Lawrence III in my 2000 review which I was totally called out on by another Tumblr user. They were right. I was wrong. That guy was far more interesting than the majority of villains in these later movies. Zero is no exception. He just wants to rule the Reverse World because it’s not tainted I guess. Couldn’t we have gotten more of a back story for this motivation? (Also, speaking of Lawrence III, couldn’t help but notice that Zero’s Giratina trap in his flying machine was awfully reminiscent of the ones from 2000.)

3. Shaymin. Sweet Lord. I get that Shaymin's bratty personality was supposed to be charming and separate it from other mythical/legendary Pokemon of movies past and that they were trying to work in some irony since its the “grateful Pokemon” but it just did not work for me. I’ve never disliked a movie specific Pokemon more. I didn’t get why Dawn liked it so much or why Ash cried over its leaving at the end.

4. Migration isn’t much of a moving plot usually and there’s nothing done to spice it up except for maybe the barest hint of a ticking clock.

5. I couldn’t help but laugh at one point because it seemed like Brock knew when Ash and Dawn got swept up into the Reverse World that the plot was once again leaving him behind. This is also yet another instance where he and Team Rocket didn't have much to do. That said, their bit parts as Newton’s new assistants was pretty cute.

6. Once again, this movie has a pool of unnecessary characters (the one’s on the train). Granted, they helped our heroes find the garden, but aside from that they didn’t have much of a purpose.

7. The arrival of Regigigas felt like just an excuse to add another unusual Pokemon to the mix.

Conclusion:

Ah, man. The Diamond & Pearl movies started out pretty strong but this one was kinda slowand had a movie-specific character that really grated on me. Personally, I’d say you could skip this one. That said, I’ve been wrong before on these reviews, so who knows? I guess I’ll have more of a perspective at the end.

As always, feel free to check out my other write ups here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Rise of Darkrai

Whoo! First Diamond & Pearl movie! Here we go! 

Ash and co. are on their way to a Pokemon contest when they pass by a town being plagued by nightmares caused by a Pokemon called Darkrai. Eventually, it turns out that Darkrai is trying to warn the townspeople of two warring legendaries, Palkia and Dialga, which represent space and time respectably, eventually getting into a battle that threatens to destroy the whole town.

The Good:

1. This was a pretty entertaining one! I really liked the bait and switch with Darkai and his little backstory. Predictable, yes, but enjoyable. I really wish we could have gotten more of Alicia and Darkrai just hanging out. What we got was just so sweet. Good guys with bad guy powers are a serious weakness of mine.

2. Baron Antonio as Lickilicky made for some great comedic moments. The chubby walking sound effects had me chuckling more than a few times.

3. Although I didn’t get much of a sense from Dawn’s personality from this movie, I do like how she and Ash worked together to get the machine to work.

4. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first movie is a while where Brock actually battles!

5. This might be an odd one, but I loved how architecture kept coming into play in the story. Having people in the world with other occupations other than trainer/gym leader/Elite Four/Champion makes the Pokemon World seem so much fuller.

Nitpicking:

1. As stated above, I liked this movie. It’s just that this is now the 10th Pokemon movie I’ve gone through and a lot of plot points in this movie have already happened. Legendaries that are duking it out to the point of ending a town or the world only to be mediated by another Pokemon and a song? Sounds like 2000 to me. And to be honest, I think 2000 did it better. I don’t just mean out of nostalgia, but I thought that everything was set up much better in that one as well as created a reason for Ash and co. to be involved. Here, just as in much of the latter movies, they just get involved because they happen to be there. The grandparent and grandchild befriending the same Pokemon also reminds me of Pokemon Heroes. That said, to this movie’s credit, this fact is more of a plot point here.

2. Ugh. The love triangle. Look - I can get down with love. As a kid, I loved the Ash/Misty happenings in 2000 and enjoyed the kiss at the end of Pokemon Heroes. Also, looking back, the romantic subplot is one of the things I remember most from Jirachi Wish Maker. However, here it’s just unnecessary and random. There’s basically no tension whatsoever.

3. This is also another instance where Brock basically doesn’t do anything and neither do Team Rocket. There’s also a trio of random trainers that Ash faces in the beginning, but thankfully, the movie doesn’t dwell on them.

4. So Palkia and Dialga fight just…cause? I mean, the legendary birds at least had a reason to be so upset in 2000. Also, I don’t buy that even after being quelled, Ash and Dawn can just demand that Palkia change time to fix everything and have it do it and its not even done in a dramatic way like Ash yelling at Mew and MewTwo to stop fighting or Entei to give him back his mom.

5. The ending was very bizarre. We went from Darkrai making a heroic sacrifice, to being okay, to our heroes smiling and then…it just ends! Honestly, I wish his heroic sacrifice had been final. It would have had more of an impact like Latios’ in Pokemon Heroes.

Conclusion:

This movie was a lot of fun and definitely a good way to kick off the Diamond & Pearl movies, but in the end, it was way too much like previous Pokemon movies which did a lot of the same things better.

10 down, 8 to go! If you’re interested in reading of any of my other write ups, you can find them here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

Whoo wee. I had to take some time off this little adventure to focus on school, but now that I’m on break it’s back on. I’m a little rusty, but I’ll try to get back into it.

So! What’s this next gem about? Well, there’s this pirate named Phantom and he’s got this Pokemon egg he wants to hatch for his purposes. However, it’s taken away by Jackie Walker, a Pokemon Ranger, who is trying to get the egg away from the pirate and to its proper place at a water temple. The egg hatches into a Pokemon called Manaphy who imprints on May, believing that she is its mother. However, Phantom is hot on their trail since he also wants to get to the temple to get a crown that will make him King of the Sea.

The Good:

1 The first half of this movie is rock solid. Once the obligatory Pokemon world introduction is set, the audience is plunged right into mystery with the pirates and Jackie revealing himself to be a Ranger, which in this case is more or less like a secret agent serving Pokemon. Then, when we meet the gang it’s not too long before they meet Jackie, hatch Manaphy, and the plot begins. Really, the progress during this first half is one of the best in quite sometime.

2 The world building is also really something in this movie. Anyone familiar with the games knows about the trainer classes and ranger is one of them. However, in the movie, Jackie isn’t a trainer, but he can get help from Pokemon in the area without catching him. Also, the Marina Group is an incredibly neat idea. It’s fascinating the see Pokemon blend their powers for a purpose. (This isn’t to say that this hasn’t been done before, but I thought the blending here was especially unique.)

3 Team Rocket is also utilized very well during the first half. Not only were they used to first demonstrate Manaphy’s body switching powers, but I actually laughed out loud at their interactions. Also, their interest for treasure is set up well and rings true of their character.

4 I have heard some complaints that the Manaphy/May storyline was too much like the Togepi/Misty storyline from the series and I get where they’re coming from. However, I feel like the writers played with this idea well by making Manaphy seem more like a baby and having May having to let it go.

5 There’s an incredibly poignant moment at the end of the film where Max asks May if she’s okay. May replies that she isn’t, but she will be. I thought this rang incredibly true and found it to be a sweet, mature moment.

6 This could just be me, but I found some of the jokes/humor in this one to be especially on point. Team Rocket is worth their own separate mention, but so is Jackie. What a great movie-specific character. Even if his backstory was a little weak, his bad jokes more than made up for it for me.

Nitpicking:

1 I am an American. As such, I view films from an American perspective and through the lens of the mostly American movies that I’ve watched over the years and am used to American story structure. So when I watch a film, I’m looking for either a main character or an ensemble, neither of which are truly present here. Sure, there are lots of characters, but the film really doesn’t have a consistent protagonist or a solid, fleshed out ensemble working within the film. (Granted, I know Ash is the main character of the series, but we’re not talking about that.) The film presents really three main options - Jackie, May, and Ash. Jackie is who we start with. He’s pretty cool, he’s got abilities I haven’t seen in any Pokemon movie prior, and he has the most clearly defined goal. However, I feel like this movie wanted to be a May movie the same way Jirachi Wish Maker was a Max movie. Both siblings more or less hatched tiny, adorable legendaries and had to deal with letting them go. May’s scene at the end was definitely meant to pull heartstrings, but you know I feel like Jirachi Wish Maker it didn’t make that much of an impact because they wouldn’t let the Manaphy/May relationship build. Also, were this truly a May movies, she would have attempted to make that heroic sacrifice and she would have gotten the sea crown. But I guess they felt Ash had to since he’s the de facto protagonist and I feel like it’s a real detriment to the movie. However, maybe there’s a much less of a need of a true main character in Japanese movies. I honestly don’t know.

2 Like I said, the first half of the movie is fantastic. Good use of characters, excellent introduction, and exploration of the Pokemon world. I felt that, unfortunately, the second half dragged and Team Rocket pretty much disappeared once their purpose had been served. And once again, I just didn’t really feel that tension had been built up all that much. I mean, I think they tried by doing another “Ash might die” like the First Movie, but it just didn’t work as well.

3 Brock, Max, and honestly Ash didn’t have much in the way of doing stuff until he went for the heroic sacrifice. Speaking of characters that don’t do much, I would have loved to have seen more of Jackie’s assistant/partner.

4 Phantom was another underwhelming villain. Don’t get me wrong, him being a pirate was a great idea considering the setting and his motivations, but he’s pretty forgettable. Also, the meter suit was a little lost on me.

5 If you’re watching the dub, this the movie where the voices change. Ash’s voice definitely threw me off but I felt like they got the perfect guy for Jackie.

Conclusion:

Parts of it may drag and it isn’t perfect, but I would definitely recommend watching this one. I thought it was a pretty fun ride full of neat ideas.

If you have any interest in reading any of my other write ups, they can be found here.

Some Thoughts on Bffcomic 23.4

I promise I’ll stop going on about this chapter after this post. Apologies, I wrote a novel. Ah, and spoiler alert of course.

So that’s how it happens, huh? I was wondering how Vincent would go from being psyched about getting a football scholarship and being close to Teddy to becoming an actor. I honestly thought he would get to college and be like “not for me” but that doesn’t really make sense regarding his character. It’s over for Vincent now. He probably messed up his leg so badly that he can never play football again. And also “being close to Teddy” is, at present, totally shot.

Speaking of which, I knew the reveal would happen one day, but I didn’t think it would hit me as hard as it did here. Holy friholi. Teddy is clearly in a world of confusion. Hints seem to point that he’s bisexual (his attraction to Penelope and his conversation with Louis in 23.3), everyone teases him about being in a relationship with his best friend, and it’s implied that he’s been having some homoerotic dreams during the chalet episode. (By the way, this has been planted spectacularly at the beginning of Chapter 20 with the bullying/Vincent’s chest merge dream sequence bit which itself is a callback to Teddy’s hesitant, but lingering look in Chapter 11.) So many questions. “Do I like dudes?” “Do I like my dude best friend?” “Could it even be possible that my dude best friend likes me?” “Everyone, including my short lived first girlfriend experience, says we should, could it be cool?” “Can you even like ladies and dudes at the same time?” (Obviously, not Teddy’s exact thought process...) Then he’s answered with “No, he probably doesn’t like you because he’s fucking your other friend who now thinks your an asshole and your best dude friend probably thinks your an asshole too.” So, I mean, him losing it during The World’s Most Awkward Gondola Ride at the end of 23.4 is 1000% justified.

Then there’s Kamri. Kamri is salty and she has every right to be. Remember that the whole series kicks off just after her and Vincent have had sex and he’s asking her what to get Teddy for becoming class president? Kamri’s been shafted from the get go. She fell in love with a guy that ended up to have never had been interested in her and then slept with her best friend, who started distancing her (probably) out of a little bit of shame. (It’s worth mentioning that Louis does want to tell Kamri, but the fact that he slept with someone his best friend really liked could come off as super low. Especially in high school.) With her best friend and pseudo-boyfriend sliding away from her and her friends keeping their thing a secret, as tough as Kamri is, I bet that took a real toll on her. So, also, her snapping at Teddy, wanting to hurt Teddy, who she probably sees as the catalyst for all this makes total sense. 

On a lighter note, Silent Bob Guy talked! Isn’t it fitting that the very first thing we hear from him is “Fucking drama queens”? I mean, there are those involved in the whole mess and Andre who is a more than willing spectator and then there’s Charli, Bianca, and Silent Guy who just wanted to ski and snowboard and were wholly unprepared for everything. That said, Silent Guy, Andre, Charli, and Bianca are coming out the most unscathed so far in The Chalet Episode, so there’s that!

Of all things, what I also keep thinking about is who in the world is going to pay Vincent’s medical bills. I mean, the Bijapurs would, but things might be too awkward and I don’t think Teddy is racing to ask his dad for anything. Vincent could be in debt, or completely use up his saved money (which would make the whole losing the scholarship thing even more tragic), but I’m going to make a wild guess and say Louis’ dad will pay. Granted, the accident didn’t happen at his chalet exactly, but he was supposed to be supervising and totally bailed. If I were him, I’d be worried about lawsuit, even from a broke kid. Plus, it would be a fantastic character introduction.

Speaking of dads, Vincent’s dad is being built up spectacularly. Again, I wanted to find out if my theory about Vincent’s dad being a musician (“musicians are assholes”) is true. Also, I’m sure hearing the origin of his anger issues is gonna be heartbreaking. My heart bled during the end of 19.

I think it’s fair to say that all hell has broken loose. Damn, Mickey Quinn sure is a fantastic writer. I can’t wait to see where this wild ride goes next.

EDIT: Obviously, I could totally be wrong about all of this. But whoo! Fun theories!

(via GIPHY)

So, hey. How about that bffcomic update, huh?

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Lucario and the Mystery of Mew

Ash and Friends go to a festival in an England expo celebrating one their old heroes who saved their town hundred of years ago. In order to find a ceremonial hero, they put on a Pokemon tournament and naturally, Ash wins and is given Sir Aaron’s ceremonial staff to hold at a party. Having the same aura as Sir Aaron, Ash accidentally brings out Sir Aaron’s trusted Pokemon, Lucario, who had been trapped for hundreds of years and has felt betrayed by Sir Aaron. Meanwhile, a lonely Mew spirits away Pikachu and Meowth and it’s up to Ash, his friends, Team Rocket, and Lucario to get them back.

The Good:

1. Ash seems like the most like a main character in this movie than he has for a while. Once again, he’s kind of a chosen one, only this time instead of being randomly picked, he earns it through a badass Pokemon competition, which is one of the first times we see in this movie of him maybe actually having a shot of “being the best that ever was.” Also, of course he has an aura like Sir Aaron, but here is feels absolutely justified because of his talent and friendship with Pikachu.

2. Brock’s flirtation not only goes somewhere (albeit briefly) but his girl obsession actually leads into plot details regarding a movie-specific, plot-important character!

3. So, this all taking place in what is an expo Medeval England turns somewhat modern day England really justifies Lucario’s chivalrous personality. He took immense pride in his servitude and felt terribly betrayed when he felt that bond was betrayed. In addition, he has trouble understanding the modern concept of friendship between Pokemon and humans. His flashbacks also feel necessary instead of a burden due to his stoic personality.

4. There’s actually a reason for Team Rocket to tag along! And for Ash and Friends to follow Mew - Meowth and Pikachu get kidnapped!

5. May calls Ash out on his reckless behavior! Max reaches out to Lucario! They do stuff!

6. Ash apologizes! Our hero has flaws and can recognize them!

7. Meowth calling Jessie and James his pals! Aw! There is a connection between Team Rocket and it is actually addressed!

8. The Ash-Pikachu friendship hasn’t pulled on my heartstrings that much since The First Movie.

9. The Sir Aaron sacrifice reveal wasn’t unexpected, but it was touching. Of course, Ash felt the need for self-sacrifice, but using his aura and Lucario’s felt like less of a cop out when he didn’t end up totally suspended.

Nitpicking:

1. There’s no…antagonist? Okay. Here me out. This was a simple movie and that’s good, especially after how difficult Destiny Deoxys felt to sit through, I am more than appreciative of simplicity. At the same time, there were very little obstacles in the way of our protagonists. There wasn’t a lot of building tension.

2. It takes a little while to get to the plot. While the playing Pokemon are adorable, I’d rather the movie would get right to the point.

3. Is…is this not the Mew from The First Movie? I didn’t know there was only one. I know it would have been impossible to do a callback because everyone had their memory erased, but I longed for a connection!

Conclusion:

Oh man! This is one of the best ones yet! It didn’t feel cluttered at all, everyone felt like they had somewhat of a hand in the adventure, and this one focused on emotional bonds! The parallels between Sir Aaron and Lucario and Ash and Pikachu really worked. With all that said, I still think 3 is the front runner in terms of best written, but Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is definitely worth checking out. It makes me excited to see what other gems I will see during this challenge.

For any other write ups on the other Pokemon movies, check out my ongoing list here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Destiny Deoxys

Oof. Okay. In this one Ash and Friends arrive at a super high tech city because Ash wants to test out the battle tower. He manages to accidentally get paired with Tori, a Poke-phobic kid, who is wary of him. Ash being Ash eventually wears him down just in time for the very technologically advanced city to get invaded by Deoxys who is having trouble finding a friend. The city evacuates, but, naturally, our heroes get trapped. Oh. And Rayquaza is threatened that Deoxys is happening and comes out of the ozone. Yup.

The Good:

1. One things that most of these movies fail to do is to get a real sense of Ash’s character, even though he is presumably the protagonist. This movie and the First Movie are the only ones thus far that have him going somewhere because, hey, he wants to do something with Pokemon battles. You know, that thing that drives the main core of his character? So it’s nice to see that brought up.

2 .The character and design of this location seems pretty well thought out and fun.

3. Here we have a very interesting and unique character problem for someone in the Pokemon world - fear of Pokemon brought in by the trauma of being in a Pokemon stampede as a young child. It’s set up, Tory struggles with it (albeit, inconsistently - he has no trouble jumping rope with Pokemon during the poppy montage but can’t touch them), so there’s real pay off when he finally overcomes it. Which means there’s an actual character arc!

4. Pikachu and Ash problem solving to get that key card to the robot is BY FAR the most badass thing they’ve done together throughout all of these movies. It shows that they can work as a team in clever ways outside of Pokemon battles and shows their bond in a way I haven’t seen since The First Movie.

Nitpicking:

1. Did we need all those movie-specific side characters? Look, I get that you needed Tory and maybe the rival for that one scene (who manages to be the most generic looking character I’ve ever seen in a Pokemon movie, he’s also a lot like Gary and I like to call him Gary-Lite), but his friend, his sisters, the girl with the laptop…they all seem pretty superfluous.

2. What exactly drives Ash to befriend Tory? Tory clearly wants nothing to do with him. At one point, as Ash is chasing him down for whatever reason he actually says “Why do you keep following me?” Which is a fantastic question. I get that Ash wants to help Tory get over his fear of Pokemon, but Tory clearly doesn’t want help and Ash’s insistence comes off more pushy than charming.

3. Why do they need passports to buy things in a city in a country that they’re already in? Doesn’t that make things more unnecessarily complicated? And hey, the plot confirms that to be true!

4. Once again, May, Max, Brock and Team Rocket do nothing to really advance the plot.

5. Okay, look. If there are two scientists studying Deoxys’ regenerative powers couldn’t they have, I don’t know, done something to make sure that none of this ever happened? Or at least told someone?

6. Pretty sure Tori and Sam (from 4Ever) have the same voice actor in the dub. I get that Pokemon was fading in popularity during this time and not many people have watched these movies so close together but - damn - it was distracting.

7. Rayquaza going after Deoxys for territorial reasons never struck me as particularly interesting or something to invest in. This is a real detriment, because it makes Act 3 feel even more overstuffed.

8. The stakes in this movie felt incredibly low. No one’s in danger of dying, no one’s mom got kidnapped and the world wasn’t getting destroyed. People had to get evacuated and there was a battle between Rayquaza and the pair of Deoxys friends but even that didn’t strike me as being a huge confrontation. The biggest stake really is “Will Tori become friends with Pokemon?” and that isn’t the best because Tori isn’t a terribly memorable movie-specific character.

Conclusion:

Look, I love Pokemon. I really do. But believe you me, this movie was hard to get through. I must have tried and stopped around three times. It was just so cluttered. Too many characters, too many Pokemon that kind of had roles but not enough to advance the plot in any helpful way, and stakes that seemed too low. I wouldn’t recommend it outside from the unique problem solving element and showcasing a character that has Pokephobia. Not the best movie.

If you have any interest in any of my other write ups on the Pokemon movies (I swear I like some of them!) you can check the master list here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Jirachi Wish Maker

Now that we’re done with what were the apparently the original series movies, it’s time for the Advanced Generation movies. The main differences are: that we’re in Hoenn, May and Max have replaced Misty, and the outfits are different. As for the movie, there plot centers around the Millennium Comet, which Ash and Co. are in town to see. They come across a fanciful circus lead by Butler and his lovely assistant Diane who just so happen to have a stone that has incased this movie’s legendary, Jirachi, which just so happens to break upon the arrival of the comet. Jirachi’s a wish maker but for Butler (who is - of course - a disgraced scientist for Team Magma trying to resurrect a a Groudon) he is a source of energy. Of course, this is bad, especially because the true protagonist of this film, Max, has bonded with Jirachi.

The Good:

1. While it might not do much for the uninitiated (though, if you’ve gotten this far, I imagine you’re pretty deep in the lore), the call backs were fantastic. Oh hey! All the legendary Pokemon from all the movies I’ve covered up until this point! Oh, Ash having an actually emotional moment with Max concerning friendship…and bringing up Misty! (“I miss her everyday” My heart!)

2. I liked how Diane didn’t just bite her tongue and go along with Butler throughout most of the movie but actually helped the protagonists on their mission! Out of all the movie-specific characters that wasn’t a villain, she and Melody (from 2000) have felt like the most necessary to the actual plot.

3. Ash in general being a big bro to Max. He may not be a much of a main character in this one, but damn, if their interactions don’t make him appealing.

4. “Do you think I’m blind?” “That would explain the hair.” You know what I missed from 4Ever and Heroes? James’ amazing one-liners.

5. Butler actually has something of a comeuppance for his actions and has to redeem himself.

Nitpicking:

1. May and Brock do very little in this one. At least Ash can help out.

2. The ET-like plot could have been bolstered with a few more emotional scenes. It’s the real heart of the movie, not really the whole Team Magma plot. Plus, it would have more of an impact when Jirachi really does have to leave.

3. Okay. We’re now six movies in. Thus far the “we gotta save the legendary” has essentially been the plot of the last two movies with the villain using said legendary beyond its control for greed/power/recognition. With this addition, HALF of the movies have basically the same kind of plot. (2000 is kind of like this, but the whole plot wasn’t entirely about it).

4. How did Butler even caught up in Team Magma in the first place? It seemed like magic was his bag (considering the flashback), so suddenly he’s a scientist? Why not just do magic? It makes no damn sense! Besides even if he was kind of embarrassed, he’s doing awesome on all other accounts and hasn’t really lost anything so what’s the point of getting back at them? All in all, he’s a pretty forgettable villain.

5. The stakes felt shockingly low in this one. Sure, Max and Jirachi have a connection, but it’s not really explored. Sure Diane and Butler have a connection, but that’s fairly minor. Even though people are being sucked up, their relationships have not been expanded on, so it doesn’t really hit home. And there’s no destroying the world or anything going on.

6. This could have been me, but that lullaby, especially Brock’s addition, felt unintentionally funny instead of the emotional impact I’m guessing it was trying to have.

7. Team Rocket may have actually tried to get Pikachu in this one (like, the first actual grabbing in six movies), but did absolutely nothing after that. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Team Rocket, but at this point, do they need to be in the movies at all?

Conclusion:

Not a great way to start out the Advanced Series’ movies. I’d say it’s pretty skippable. Not terribly emotional and a little too much like 4Ever. Everything, aside from Ash and Max bonding, felt a little forced. 

Alright! And so concludes the movies I’ve seen before! Now we’re heading into unknown territory!

If you want to check out any of the other write ups on Pokemon movies, you can find them here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Pokemon Heroes

In the Venice-like Alto Mare, two cat burglars Annie and Oakley have their sights set on the town’s two legendary Pokemon - Latias and Latios - as well as the powerful jewel known as the Soul Dew, which combined can protect the city against disasters. Naturally, Ash befriends the Pokemon and has to stop Annie and Oakley before they throw the town into chaos.

The Good:

1. This time the evil is not “you Pokemon wrong” but just plain ol’ regular greed, which is a lot more universal.

2. This is the first instance of a character dying for real and it’s feels like a true loss. Latios sacrificed himself for his sister, which paralleled how their father sacrificed himself for the town. It came together not only to bookend the story, but to also give a rare kind of spiritual look on what traveling to the afterlife might look like for Pokemon.

3. Like Pokemon 4Ever, there was some “Ash befriends a Pokemon and they play” but this felt different because it did build something. Latias liked Ash from the start, even more so after he saved her, but Latios needed to be won over. In this scene, he shows how he trusts Ash and gives the first sight sharing, which becomes plot relevant later.

4. The music when Ash and Latias are racing around Alto Mare is fantastic. Really trying to play up that Italian vibe and it works.

5. Pokemon 4Ever was the first movie to imply that the villains were actually going to be held accountable for their actions via Pokemon justice. In this one, I think it’s implied that Annie and Oakley, trapped in the machine, might actually go to prison.

6. Misty and Brock did stuff! (Not as much as they did in 3 but still!) Misty won the race at the beginning and then when Ash is in the middle of the water chase with the bad seed Pokemon, it’s Misty and Brock’s Pokemon that save the day! Also, it’s implied that Brock (and possibly Misty) scaled the barred walls to help Ash.

Nitpicking:

1. Team Rocket was just…there kinda. Even less than previous movies.

2. This is also another movie where it feels like Ash doesn’t have a lot of agency.

3. Despite being so incredibly jealous of Melody in Pokemon 2000, Misty is surprisingly chill about Ash getting kissed at the end. Although, this could be because it’s heavily implied that the one who kissed him was Latias, a Pokemon.

4. The stakes didn’t feel especially high in this movie. Sure, the town was going to lose its water and there was a crazy woman dealing with the controls of the city, but that didn’t feel particularly big. The true heart of this movie is the relationship with Latias and Latios, two orphan opposite siblings, their bond, and the real loss of Latios’ death. However, even heartbreaking as that was, the pay off wasn’t what it could have been. Had we had a flashback to their father or if it had been harder for Ash to earn Latios’ trust things could have been different.

5. Why does Alto Mare need a defense mechanism anyway? It’s not like they had to protect themselves against a legendary Pokemon, just an evil trainer with two bad seed Pokemon. Hell, if any place needed a defense mechanism, it’s the islands from Pokemon 2000. The only way I could see them needing it is if someone resurrected the bad seed Pokemon which only happens because they kept their remains next to the machine WHICH MAKES NO SENSE.

6. Annie and Oakley weren’t particularly memorable villains. They weren’t over the top evil like the Hunter from 4Ever and they weren’t complex and sympathetic like Molly from 3. They were just like the girls from Totally Spies, but a little greedy and with Pokemon.

Conclusion:

The city and the music are great. Latias’ relationship with Ash is great. Latios and Latias had a great relationship that was set up early on. But again, the stakes didn’t feel especially high and the villains were kind of dull. It is a really cute movie and definitely one I watched over and over again as a kid, but it’s one I would recommend more for the scenery and for the Ash and Latias relationship than plot.

And so concludes my nostalgic movies. The next one is one that I’ve only seen once from catching it on TV, so it’ll be interesting to see again.

Until then, be sure to check out my master list of my other write ups of Pokemon movies here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Pokemon4Ever

A long time ago, a Pokemon hunter almost caught Celebi, the spirit of the forest, but was intercepted by a kid, Sam, drawing Pokemon. Trying to get away, Celebi time travels and the two of them meet and befriend (you guessed it) Ash and Friends. But a power hungry enemy from Team Rocket is hot on their tail with Dark Balls, PokeBalls that can make Pokemon angry.

The Good:

1. All these movies deal with “the way you Pokemon is wrong.” In the first one, it was fighting to the death, in the second one it was collecting without partnership, and the third one (though less so) had to do with using imaginary Pokemon instead of real ones. This one has to be the most convincing “you Pokemon wrong” in that, hey, mind control to make Pokemon evil and powerful is bad. Yeah. I’ll buy that.

2. As a result of that, this movie has a convincing bad guy! Granted, not as complicated as Molly, but still definitely a villain. Power hungry and a competent (!) member of Team Rocket.

3. That old school PokeBall was really cool. It’s interesting to think that Pokeball technology evolves. It makes the world feel a lot more real.

4. The reveal that Prof. Oak is Sam was so cool. It’s set up a little at the beginning, but nothing that was too obvious which made it a real twist. There’s also an implication that Ash gave Prof. Oak the idea for the PokeDex. It also gives more background into Prof. Oak, that, as a kid, he was an incredibly talented Pokemon artist. Granted, this leaves a lot of questions and it’s a shame it NEVER COMES UP AGAIN, but still. So cool.

5. Even though it isn’t set up terribly well, Ash trying to feed dying Celebi berries is pretty heartbreaking.

Nitpicking:

1. There’s not a lot of tension building. Battle at the beginning is cut short by time travel, which is fine. Sam and Ash hang out, befriend Clebi and then all of a sudden some dude turns it evil, but there’s very little build.

2. Misty and Brock don’t really do anything in this one.

3. Neither do Team Rocket, really, even though they piggyback on the villain.

4. Suicune may have cleaned the water, but didn’t do much else. He felt pretty unnecessary. Especially since cleaning the water did nothing and the problem was solved by deus ex machina time traveling. To that regard, the only thing Ash really did in this was disable the bad guy’s jetpack, which, while helpful, is not a whole hell of a lot for a whole movie. On the whole, everything just went through the motions.

5. Is the implication in this movie that Oak is only FIFTY YEARS OLD? AND HE’S A GRANDPA? I always thought he was at least in his early-60s. I guess people in the Pokemon world marry young. Ash’s mom is certainly very youthful looking.

Conclusion:

Solid “you Pokemon wrong” and a decent villain, but not a complex of an antagonist as Molly. There wasn’t much of a story or justification for anyone being there. Everyone was just going through the motions. I’d recommend the movie for the Oak aspect, but other than that, I’d say this is one you can skip.

If you want to write more write ups from the challenge, check the master list here.

Pokemon Movie Challenge - Pokemon 3 the Movie: Spell of the Unown

A lonely little girl, Molly, who has already lost her mother, believes she has lost her presumably famous archeologist father during a freak excavating accident. In reality, he warped into (another dimension?) by the very Pokemon he was studying - the letterlike Unown. Molly uncovers the Unown who are attracted to her imagination. They spurt out and create a world comprised of Molly’s imagination and dreams. The main being to arise from this is Entei, who becomes a replacement for Molly’s father and appears to take a shine to granting her wishes including creating a crystalized palace where Molly can act her fantasies. Enter even goes so far as to kidnap Ash’s mother so she can have a replacement mother. Spurred into action, Ash and Friends race in to rescue her.

The Good:

1. First off, out of the three movies so far (Pokemon the First Movie and Pokemon the Movie: 2000), Ash has never felt more like a main character than he does here. He struggles, even in the opening battles which closes with a win instead of a tie. Then, he initially fails to save his mother. This time, instead of stuff being hurled at him, Ash has a task that feels more like one he’s striving for. The stakes are also more universal than saving the world since his main goal is to save his mother.

2. With all that said, the audience is allowed to feel conflicted. Molly, a five-year-old girl, is the real antagonist of this movie. The Unown might be giving her the tools that she needs to do what she wants, but all this is really caused by a really sad, lonely girl who believes she’s lost both her parents and just wants to be happy. That’s it. Not destroying the world. Having a family. It’s so simple and so endearing. Even though most of the movie is her throwing the tantrum, the audience feels sympathy for her, especially since she wants the same thing our protagonist, Ash, wants. (In the show, he presumably also has a missing or deceased father.)

3. Misty and Brock do stuff! Misty and Brock barely did anything in the first two movies and Tracey maybe had two lines. Here, like in Pokemon 2000 where there’s levels in retrieving the orbs, there’s literal levels to Molly’s dreamscape and in different ones, she battles Brock and Misty. They do this to distract Molly so that Ash can go up and save his mom. Yay for moving the plot along! Also Misty and Brock saving Ash (with Team Rocket cause why not?) was so quality. Family, yo.

4. Entei’s slavish devotion to Molly is implied to be part of his purpose. The Unown cling to Molly’s imagination because they like making dreams real. Entei is just another part of this. Unlike MewTwo, he doesn’t question his purpose, but this actually proves to be just as dangerous since slavish devotion is beyond reason. Kind of a neat lesson.

5. Molly’s decision to move on, to let go of the illusion, even though it’s painful, is also a lesson in dealing with grief, but also about having the courageous to face reality which is a huge arc for a five-year-old.

6. The Unown losing psychic control of the crystal palace was a great way to add a touch more of tension in the denouement. Entei gaining sentience and fighting against the Unown also made him sympathetic.

7. “I haven’t seen this many letter since I put out a personal ad!” Incredible.

8. If you’re watching the dub, wow. Dan Green. Wow.

Nitpicking:

1. Misty’s “Everyone’s heard of Greenfield” was a little silly.

2. Whereas Team Rocket actually moved the plot along in Pokemon the Movie: 2000, here they feel pretty unnecessary.

3. Oh man, “You have to believe” is not necessarily a bad trope and I admit it works logically here, but it felt so silly. I think I would have preferred Entei fighting back himself.

4. So….Ash’s mom knew Molly’s dad when they were in school. And Molly’s dad was stated to be one of Prof. Oak’s students. Was Delia one of his students too? This is less of a nitpick and more curiosity.

Conclusion:

This isn’t just a good Pokemon movie. It’s an all over good kid’s movie. Seriously. The themes are more universal and relatable. The antagonist is complex. The animation and scenery is lovely. The lessons are good. Highly recommended, even now.

For more Pokemon movie write ups check out the list here.

Next up, Pokemon 3! In the meantime, enjoy some Entei music.