How do you feel about adding Serge from Megalopolis to your roundup? (Personally, I'm not going super crazy over the pics and the little bit I've read about his character, but I suppose it'll depend on how he's revealed in the movie.)

Hi and thank you for your message!

I was seriously excited when the Megalopolis news dropped. Francis Ford Coppola made the sexiest Dracula movie ever and even managed to make Gary Oldman kind of hot! I assumed he would make AD smoldering hot! I even read the script myself and although I wasn’t blown away, I thought it could be fun and had potential. I even like the name Serge. And I definitely love and prefer anti-heroes, villains, and bastards!

It was a bad day for me when those pics of that absolutely hideous hair dropped. Omg I was and am so pissed about it! What a fucking travesty to butcher AD’s hair like that - a man who has some of the best hair out there. It’s criminal. It’s like one of my best friends has said — Paul Giamatti exists and he’s a superb actor, so if you want someone who looks fugly but can act, get someone who’s fugly and can act! Don’t get one of the hottest men in the world and turn him into Paul Giamatti!

I personally only like men with good hair that is at least on the longer side and facial hair, both in actors and in real life. Almost without exception, short hair and clean shaven is a no-fly zone for me, along with blondes, redheads, and small men 🤣 There are exceptions, of course! But the super short Serge cut is an absolute turnoff for me. I just can’t. There is nothing he could do to redeem himself into being attractive to me short of getting a makeover. I might like the movie and the character, that remains to be seen, and I actually assume I might. But he’s very very unattractive to me. Like White Noise, I actually liked the movie quite a lot, but I’m very not into Jack as an object of attraction lol. If anyone else is into them, that’s awesome and more power to you! But it’s not my thing.

I’m so so happy for and excited by 65! I’m absolutely adding Mills to my lineup and I already have a couple things in the works for him and a bigger story planned. I’m also working on a fun AU for one of my friends who made an AD edit that looks like Cruella DeVille and asked for a thing with him 🤣 After 65 though, it looks like I’m in for a long drought of characters I find hot and am excited by.

As of January 1, I dropped Clyde, Henry, and Charlie from my lineup because I’m just so much more into Jacques and Flip, and I know I’m going to be obsessed with Mills. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be keeping my lineup to them and Kylo AUs. I’ll have my plate full with those four for anything I try to write this year. I also just enjoy writing them the most. And some other guys may show up for cameos here and there or as specials for friends!

My lineup was starting to look like this for a while 🤣

I’ve really been losing steam with the fic business just because it seems like there are much more meaningful and productive things I could and should be doing with my time. I have a novel I’m finishing and another crank out this year, so those definitely take priority, but I’ve generally enjoyed splitting it up with fics. I’ve literally written over a million words in fiction since 2020, and I go back and forth as to whether or not its been worth it or just a pathetic waste of time and cry for help 🤣 It feels like throwing it out into a void a lot of the time. However, at least it’s been good practice, which is why I’ve kept it up!

If you are into or get into Serge, I’m sure there will be plenty of fics out there for him! I expect him to be one of the more popular guys in fics going forward. If you get into Mills, I’ll definitely be your guy for him!

Sorry, that was an overly long-winded answer to your question! Talk about obnoxiously over-sharing 🤣

So, that Quick Draw special concept art…

OK, so, I’m kinda in a Hanna-Barbera mood right now, partly because of T.C. (Seriously, one of these days I will get around to doing a full picture of him again!) and partly because of Quick Draw McGraw. This awesome post is why. I’m guessing these were going to be in the Superstars 10 lineup, but got scrapped halfway through. And to be honest, I’m a little pissed off about that, because we could’ve gotten a full length Quick Draw feature rather than having him play second to Yogi and Huck (they DID precede him, but still!). And the Magilla feature looks like it’d be rather interesting, even though Magilla isn’t high on my list of favorite Hanna-Barbera characters.

I’m going out on a limb and saying that the Quick Draw special was going to be in the same vein as The Good, The Bad and Huckleberry Hound. Would it have told a serious story? Who knows. But in a way, I’m kinda glad they were scrapped. The Superstars 10 movies weren’t bad per se (if you can’t tell already, I love the Huckleberry Hound movie, and I did enjoy The Reluctant Werewolf, Spruce Goose and the Invasion of the Space Bears), but a few of them were musicals. Quick Draw’s associated with music despite his…unique singing voice, and the Magilla one was outright stated to be a musical. And while I don’t hate the songs in the Huck movie or the Yogi movies, the Top Cat movie’s soundtrack made me CRINGE like you wouldn’t believe. The raps sucked worse than they did in the Jetsons movie (but at least “We’re the Jetsons” was actually catchy). I don’t want to imagine what they’d do with Magilla singing opera!

And then there’s one other factor that kinda made me sad thinking about it. These probably circulated around 1988, which is the year of Daws Butler’s passing. His death would have put a lot of planned revivals/specials out of commission (well, not all of them. Yo Yogi somehow made it through the dregs.). The last project that he ended up working on entirely was Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears, released 4 months after his death. If I recall correctly, there was concept art for a Trio of Triumph show that was supposed to happen around the same time that never got off the ground, probably for this very reason.

I love the design for Quick Draw’s girlfriend, though. I suppose I’m happy because my original design style for Clarissa was right on the money. She reminds me of the horse from Candy Crush Friends, lol. She could appear in the remastered version of Have Guitar, Will Travel with a name and such.

Rewatching the old QD shorts reminded me why I had Quick Draw high on my list of favorite characters. He’s an oaf, for sure, but there’s something lovable about the hotheaded, shortsighted stubbornness he exudes. And while he’s arrogant sometimes, he does work hard and he never gives up without putting up a good fight. And I admit when I first started writing him, I didn’t really appreciate that about his character, but I realize those are important traits. I hope when I write Quick Draw the next time, I’ll be able to do him justice!

Anyway, thank you for listening to my PSA. LOL.

15 Must Watch Movies of 2023: Top Rated Movies!

Must-Watch Movies of 2023: Watch over this weekend Welcome to a list of movies you definitely don't want to miss in 2023! This curated 15 must watch movies of 2023 list wont disappoint you. From heartwarming tales to jaw-dropping adventures, this year's film lineup has something for everyone. Let's dive into a world of stories, emotions, and cinematic magic. Epic War Films: A Must-Watch List from Dunkirk to Saving Private Ryan Top Sci-Fi Films That Will Blow Your Mind! 15 Must Watch Movies on Netflix- DECEMBER 2023 Must Watch Movies of 2023 are Covered Below With Public Reviews 1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez IMDb Rating: 8.6 Miles Morales catapults across the multiverse, encountering a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its existence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqGjhVJWtEg&ab_channel=SonyPicturesEntertainment Public Review: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an amazing animated superhero movie that changes the game. It takes you on a thrilling journey with cool characters and a story that mixes emotions and excitement. The way it looks is super cool, like living comic book pages with bright colors and dynamic animation. The story introduces different Spider-People from different worlds, but it's not confusing; each character has a good story. The main Spider-Person, Miles Morales, grows a lot, dealing with things like self-doubt and responsibility. The movie also has awesome music that adds to the whole experience. It's not just a superhero movie, it's a celebration of creativity and storytelling power. A must-watch for everyone!" "Okay, I'll be honest, I usually don't enjoy Marvel movies, especially the ones after Endgame. But wow, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse completely blew me away! It's that good! The story and characters are amazing. Miles Morales, Gwen, and Spider-Man India are my favorites. Peter Parker has a daughter named Mayday, and their scenes are so heartwarming. I might start calling him Spider-Dad after this! The animation is stunning, mixing CGI with hand-drawn and other styles. It's like a living comic book. Even if you're not a Marvel fan, this movie is awesome. I'm eagerly waiting for Beyond The Spider-Verse. This one gets a legendary 10/10! A must-watch, seriously!" 2. Poor Things (2023) Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef IMDb Rating: 8.5 Immersing audiences in the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, this comedic drama introduces us to the brilliant Dr. Godwin Baxter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_klfx5sGzFk&ab_channel=SearchlightPicturesUK Public Review: "Get ready for a cool adventure in 'Poor Things.' It's set in a steampunk world with a quirky scientist. Meet Bella, who thinks like a child. The movie shows her funny struggles in a new society, where she doesn't know the ropes. It's like watching someone learn to fit in. But here's the twist – the movie dives into parts of life that some folks usually hush up. Bella starts with basic urges but goes deeper into life's big questions. The film boldly shows these truths, making some uneasy. Those low scores? Some people might not be ready for the real talk. Remember, the movie says, life isn't just about fun stuff. There's more to it. Keep an eye on your loved ones. The movie starts with a reminder that life is a mix of joy and serious stuff." "This is a must-watch! Just a heads up, maybe not with your parents unless you're super chill with them. It's super funny, talks about our society, filmed amazingly, and, most importantly, it's a blast!" 3. Oppenheimer (2023) Genre: Biography, Drama, History Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. IMDb Rating: 8.4 Streaming Platform: ZEE5 Unveiling the intricate tale of J. Robert Oppenheimer's pivotal role in the atomic bomb's creation, this riveting biography unfolds over 180 minutes of intense storytelling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYPbbksJxIg&ab_channel=UniversalPictures Public Review: "Oppenheimer (2023) is an exciting movie based on a real person, J. Robert Oppenheimer. He was a clever scientist in charge of creating the atomic bomb during World War II. The film shows his academic life, his important role in the project, and the challenges he faced, leading to a security hearing in 1954. The director, Nolan, presents Oppenheimer as a key historical figure, emphasizing both his intelligence and lack of experience, and how the project profoundly affected humanity." Nolan's new movie, "Oppenheimer," explores J. Robert Oppenheimer's life, who played a key role in creating the Atomic Bomb. The film follows Oppenheimer's academic path, leadership in the Manhattan Project, and post-project struggles. Cillian Murphy impresses in the lead role, and Nolan's commitment to practical effects and Ludwig Göransson's score enhance the experience. Despite the lengthy runtime, the film's technical brilliance and storytelling depth make it a compelling watch, solidifying Nolan's reputation. 4. Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Genre: Crime, Drama, History Director: Martin Scorsese Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons IMDb Rating: 7.8 Streaming Platform: Prime Video When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP34Yoxs3FQ&ab_channel=AppleTV Public Review: "This movie, "Killers of the Flower Moon," isn't for everyone, and that's fine. It's directed by Martin Scorsese and tells a dark story about real-life events. The cast, especially Lily Gladstone, gives powerful performances. Robert De Niro plays a convincingly evil character, and Leonardo DiCaprio impresses with his expressions. The music by Robbie Robertson is intense. Martin Scorsese's direction is brilliant, solidifying his reputation as a great filmmaker. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's a well-made film with a stellar cast and a compelling story." 5. Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Director: Justine Triet Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner, Antoine Reinartz IMDb Rating: 7.8 Streaming Platform: Not specified A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTrsp5BMloA&ab_channel=MadmanFilms Public Review: "This movie, "Anatomy of a Fall," looks at a different kind of marriage, not often shown in regular films—loveless and cold but still dutiful. It focuses on Sandra's life, wondering if she played a role in her husband Samuel's death. Their 11-year-old blind son, Daniel, is a key part of the story. The film uses both French and English, revealing Sandra and Samuel's private life for everyone to see. Sandra's success is seen as "killing" Samuel metaphorically. The movie makes us think about setting boundaries, and it suggests Sandra isn't to blame for her struggles. The ending, where Daniel understands his mother, adds depth to this thoughtful look at marriage." 6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy Director: James Gunn Starring: Chris Pratt, Chukwudi Iwuji, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff IMDb Rating: 7.9 Streaming Platform: Hotstar (Watch on Hotstar) Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3V5KDHRQvk&ab_channel=MarvelEntertainment Public Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is a fun and emotional Marvel movie that explores darker moments. It says goodbye to the beloved characters, dealing with their traumas and being creatively unique. Chris Pratt as Peter Quill shows a more protective side, and Bradley Cooper's Rocket becomes emotionally significant. James Gunn's direction and CGI are impressive, and the music adds a special touch. Overall, it's a satisfying farewell and a cinematic masterpiece in the Marvel universe." 7. The Holdovers (2023) Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Alexander Payne Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston IMDb Rating: 8.0 A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhKLpJmHhIg&ab_channel=FocusFeatures Public Review: "This movie is great and can make you feel happy, sad, and everything in between. It might become a Christmas favorite. The actors did an excellent job, making you care about the characters. The scenes with snow look beautiful. However, some parts with kids felt unnecessary, and they could've shown more about Mary's relationship with her son. Despite these small issues, it's a fantastic movie and worth watching, even if it's not perfect." 8. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller Director: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg IMDb Rating: 7.7 Streaming Platform: Prime Video Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avz06PDqDbM&ab_channel=ParamountPictures Public Review: "Dead Reckoning is a great movie with a big cast. Hayley Atwell, playing a charming thief, stood out. The car chase in Italy, switching drivers, was funny. Some scenes could've shown actors looking rougher for realism. The film set a dangerous stage about an entity and felt scarier due to potential AI threats. The mask reveals are exciting. The soundtrack was amazing, fitting the film's vibe. Gabriel was a scary character, and the party scene was captivating. The alley fight with Pom's character was intense. Ilsa's death was unexpected, and Tom's motorcycle stunt was impressive. The movie keeps getting better, and I can't wait for part 2." 9. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller Director: Chad Stahelski Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, George Georgiou, Lance Reddick IMDb Rating: 7.7 John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table, facing a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEVUtrk8_B4&ab_channel=LionsgateMovies Public Review: "John Wick 4 is a fantastic action movie with diverse action scenes and a great cast. Before watching, understand the previous movies and some details. The cinematography is amazing, and the characters, including villains, are well-played. There are a few small issues, like John surviving a fall, but overall, it's a movie to enjoy!" 10. The Promised Land (2023) Genre: Biography, Drama, History Director: Nikolaj Arcel Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Gustav Lindh, Kristine Kujath Thorp IMDb Rating: 7.7 The story of Ludvig Kahlen who pursued his lifelong dream: To make the heath bring him wealth and honor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9U1E9cC5is&ab_channel=MagnoliaPicturesMagnetReleasing 11. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith IMDb Rating: 7.3 A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, encountering dangerous twists along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiMinixSXII&ab_channel=ParamountPictures Public Review: "It's an awesome movie! I was excited to see it, and it didn't disappoint. The characters' interactions and humor were great. The action scenes and visuals were impressive. Even if you're not into D&D, the story is easy to follow. The cast did a fantastic job, and it's clear they had fun making it. The soundtrack is epic. Overall, it's a fun and entertaining adventure. I highly recommend it!" 12. Perfect Days (2023) Genre: Drama Director: Wim Wenders Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto, Arisa Nakano, Aoi Yamada IMDb Rating: 7.9 A janitor in Japan drives between jobs listening to rock music, unfolding a unique narrative against the backdrop of everyday life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzpVEPeWCwU&ab_channel=MovieCoverage Public Review: "I really liked it. Some parts felt a bit like my own life on screen, and the idea of choosing your destiny, even in small things, makes you truly happy. The characters were great, and there's something for everyone to get from the movie. It was a bit long, but I still enjoyed it." "The movie starts slow, introducing a Tokyo toilet cleaner with a routine life. Small events disrupt his routine, making him reflect on missed opportunities. The film subtly suggests that even in a mundane life, circumstances change, encouraging one to seek a more fulfilling path. The ending shows the cleaner emotionally impacted by newfound opportunities. Koji Yashuko's great acting and Franz Lustig's cinematography stand out. While subtly unsatisfying, the film is among the best of 2023, leaving viewers curious about what comes next." 13. Fallen Leaves (2023) Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Aki Kaurismäki Starring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Martti Suosalo, Alina Tomnikov IMDb Rating: 7.6 In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar, navigating through obstacles to find happiness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usReZGPdlsA&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesIndie Public Review: "Fallen Leaves" is a short but emotionally rich film that focuses on simplicity in acting, dialogues, and sets. Despite the tough lives of the characters dealing with issues like poverty and addiction, the movie maintains a light and humorous tone. It leaves you feeling joyful and smiling. 14. Godzilla Minus One (2023) Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama Director: Takashi Yamazaki Starring: Minami Hamabe, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki IMDb Rating: 8.4 Post-war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7DqccP1Q_4&ab_channel=GODZILLAOFFICIALbyTOHO Public Review: "This movie is amazing! It's one of the best experiences I've had. Even though I'm not a huge Godzilla fan and have only seen a couple of movies (maybe 3), this one stands out. It's astonishing considering its budget of only 15 million dollars. It excels in acting, visuals, and an impressive soundtrack. If possible, watch it in 4DX; it's worth it. Overall, it's a refreshing take on a genre I thought was dead, and I highly recommend it. While it's not perfect, it effectively accomplishes its goals and entertains. The beginning is a bit slow but necessary. Excellent in everything." 15. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023) Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family Director: Kelly Fremon Craig Starring: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie IMDb Rating: 7.4 Streaming Platform: Netflix When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzRzojHC3iE&ab_channel=LionsgateMovies Public Review: "I usually don't write movie reviews, but this one is a must-see! Congrats to Judy Blume! I was worried the movie wouldn't live up to the book, but it surpassed my expectations. I went to the first showing alone, and it was a great experience. The theater was almost empty, so I could enjoy the movie without distractions. It captured all my favorite book memories, and I can't wait to watch it again and share it with my children. Thank you, Judy, for ensuring the movie reflects the amazing book!" So, there you have it – the must-watch movies of 2023. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions, thrilling escapades, and unforgettable moments. Grab your popcorn, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the cinematic wonders that this year has in store for you! Also checkout: Read the full article

in honor of unwell season 4 starting, I drew a lineup featuring as many characters as I could remember off the top of my head! I am super excited to find out what happens this season…and nervous, lol. I couldn’t decide what Chester looks like…someone who is both at once incredibly earnest but also seriously slimy and untrustworthy.

(If y’all don’t listen to the podcast— I seriously recommend it! unwell is spooky and eerie and absolutely packed with awesomeness.)

[do not repost or remove caption. click for quality.]

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I really hate 2d purists. No, not 2d animation. Not 2d animators.

2d purists.

The sad thing is it’s gotten to the point that I really cringe hearing any pro-2D sentiment at all. I hate the arguments I agree with because how often they're misused and weaponized by idiots.

Let me make my stance here clear - 2d is NOT appreciated and 3d is used for everything! The layman Karen-mom who doesn’t have an artistic bone in her body looks at stupidsmooth 3D Grubhub ads and assumes quality cause it “looks more real” (aka ‘rendered’). I know as much is true because I literally have a member of my family who told my sister and I that she thinks 3d is better (and also that she “tolerated THOSE movies for us kids”. Touching words. My sister was taking an animation course by the way). Combined that with the studios either using 2D for cheap stuff or finding good 2d animation too “costly”, I get it and I’m not even any animator. I'm just a worm an illustrator.

but holy HELL -

There’s a backlash from the artistic community that's it's own kind of insufferable and deserve to be addressed.

“(insert2Danimatedfilm) is better BECAUSE it's 2D!”

followed by: "Animation is a visual medium and the quality of the art affects how much the story means !!!!”  

Yes. Totally. Animation is a visual medium and the look and style is important. Sadly, people use this excuse to really obnoxious ends, insisting that design being pretty is '' everything ''. When you treat a movie more as a special effects demo I get why you talk about the artistry at hand; but I’m sorry, visuals are not the only thing important and it’s why I’m also getting sick of the sameElsafacesyndrome rants too! There’s this attitude that's reads as "but it LOOKS better fromaproductionimage/teasertrailerwhichapparentlyisindicativeof all themovieactuallyis so it MUST BE better".

-“3D should only be used to make things look realistic!”

I think I know the logic this criticism is made in response to, and that’s the Sony + Illumination films which look just as good in 2D as they do in three dimensions. I know it feels like people are twisting this medium to try and make it like a classic cartoon when by all means people can and would love a classic cartoon being a classic cartoon. That I get- From the unsung 2D animator’s perspective, that’s more than valid !

But it’s a huuuuuuge slap in the face to 3d in saying it should only be used for "realistic animation" because

1: It’s not like realistic animation could age badly or look uncanny in the next few years. It's almost like technology is constantly improving, which I guess 2d animation never did and it was always the same technique and quality as every film that came after it.

2: The industry does treat 3d as a magic-moneymaker for this reason. Just listen to these people call the 2019 LION KING “live action” as if they’re embarrassed to call it animation. It IS animation! It would be impressive if you acknowledged that what it is, but like the CATS, you basically are treating it as just a neato tool to better your live action and not it's own artform - which it is!

3: By this “three-deeonly gud when real liek in da toystories” non-logic I guess 2d should ONLY be for flowyflowy SPACE JAM cartoons and maybe some Disney*. Just that though. You can’t do anything more with 2d. It’s never supposed to be realistic I guess. Good thing Richard Williams only did 'toons' and just toons that’s why we need 3d in the world I guess.

Wait no - that’s stupid.

"I HAVE to see the “Land Before Time 14″ when it comes out! I mean it’s a 2D animated film!"

Lost in the aether that is Youtube comment chains removed from kid's videos is a stream of this very VERY stupid argument supporting the buying of the 14th LAND BEFORE TIME film because it’s supporting 2D. My sister and I can be found on that chain arguing against this stupidity. All you have is my word, but trust me: it really did happen.

I’m sorry but...no.

Unless you have a friend or a family member who worked on these movies there’s no reason to see this and ESPECIALLY no reason to insist it’s a win for the 2D community if you buy up this crap - and I'm not judging if you do like it, but come on! LAND BEFORE TIME 14 isn't where your money should go if you really like this medium.

What’s so infuriating about this argument is you can tell it’s made by nonanimators. Real animators will tell you to support their movies cause they want some respect for their artform which is why there’s such a push from the PRINCESS AND THE FROGcrowd that you SEE and LOVE every 2d thing out there, regardless of how good it is because any recognition for it is k i n d o f what they're after!

Kiddy sequel schlock isn’t even in the same ballpark as KLAUS or WOLFWALKERS; these films DID have very limited theatrical runs (Klaus so it could be nominated; Wolfwalkers in places where theaters opened up after Covid) and should have been supported because they were labors of love made by people who love animation.

As other people have already pointed out, one of the reasons for the lack of interest in 2000sera2D animation is that the only films released alongside critical+financial 3D hits were cheaper 2D films that either coincided with daytime tv shows or should have been just direct-to-video. It’s not to say art couldn’t come out of these flicks, but dayum if it wasn’t abused as much as the texture software that era's CG used... Point being, should the world ever go back to normal: If you hear about an out-of-town showing an acclaimed 2D animated film, make time to trek out and see THAT!

Don’t give your money to see yet another made-for-tv movie on the big screen because all that tells the studio is: “yeah 2d IS cheap and only good for cheap stuff let’s just keep it cheap. Only 3d is important 8D 8D 8D !!!"

“I don’t understand how it works. So it sucks.”

This text is from an ANIMATOR btw.

“I don’t understand how it works” and “it’s just some computer rendering” is the exact same wave of logic the people who prefer cgi use.

The plebian Karen I mentioned earlier? She understands the basics of 2D animation as much as you did from one of those cruddy flash classes you took in middle-school. She 'understands' the basics cuz she watched how it was made on the DVD features or maybe back on the WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY. To her, the illusion is broken and she’s not impressed by 'just some drawings on paper'. You, an animator, know the process is more complicated and is intrigued by knowing how it’s made - not bored or disinterested -

Neither you nor Aunt Karen have really good cg-animation software at your house and unless you ARE a 3D animator you probably DON’T know all the ins-and-outs of how these movies are modeled, rendered, and animated.

Aunt Karen is bedazzled by them cause she doesn’t know how it works and the technical aspect makes her brain hurt so it might as well be magic and she can feel like a cool kid sharing Minion-memes. Aunt Karen is the nonartistic type who just wants to feel safe. You're not. You want to feel challenged.

I get it: you’re pissed off cause you’re in a field no one, including Aunt Karen, appreciates; told to work in cg which it's an artform you didn’t devote your life to and told to learn it cause THIS style sells! 3D is everywhere and is starting to look like 'garbage' even if you don’t animate 3D models yourself you just KNOW, I guess. Besides, you know all there is to know about 2d!! You know all there is to possibly know about this artform and have to fight this 'war' against "r e a l" animation! And I mean even when 3d software is there to use, it's not like you can actually make anything worth while in it, especially not anything that transcends the medium. Right Worthikids?

TL;DR: This argument is basically just " BWAAAAH I’M NOT GONNA USE IT I HAVE STANDARDS (a chip on my shoulder cuz art should be what I deem it to be) "

“PRINCESS AND THE FROG is-”

There’s a reason I can’t say I truly like PRINCESS AND THE FROG even though it's not even a bad movie! Like, stop reading this and watch PATF if you haven't it's good. It's my 'FROZEN', in that; I see a lot of potential in it I just think it needs some serious rewriting and that bugs me. Always have felt that way, tbh.

I dislike this movie because the response from the animation community seems to be it was perfect and the Academy was just Pixar-crazy with UP ((ftr, the Academy IS Pixar’s bitch and I personally advocate a sequel be made to WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY about Mike Eisner’s sabotage of the 2D department at Disney which is still in place now!- but that’s a story for another day)). I’m sorry but UP was just a better story. So was CORALINE. So was FANTASTIC MR. FOX. Honest to god it feels like poor PATF is brought up as just a talking point and never for it's own worth as a labor of love - which it was! I'd like to honestly know: had PRINCESS AND THE FROG come out now and been cg if it would have even half the defenders for it because now it doesn't "look" like how a Disney movie "should" look...

If you like PatF more than the currant Disney lineup because of it's culture, it's music, it's feminism, it's black representation? Awesome. Great. Those things should be appreciated and I never want that taken away from you. But if you seriously think PatF is better just for how it was animated and looks - I lowkey may hate you.

“ALL OF DISNEY’S LATEST MOVIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN 2D! THEY ALL LOOK AWFUL IN 3D!! ALL OF THEM!”

TANGLED, FROZEN, and MOANA? Yeah. Sure. But um, e x c u s e y o u- WRECK IT RALPH sooooo doesn’t work in 2d! It could have used different between the various worlds but it’s about hopping through different video games. I’m also of the opinion that ZOOTOPIA and BIG HERO 6 are fine the way they are. Their 3d is awesome.

The latest fairy tale Disney films are really big on their place alongside the 2D canon esp in marketing. They keep trying to mimic 2D to varying results though I don't think it works as well as the movie's I'd previously mentioned. Me personally, I would love a mix of 3D and 2D technology, like if the backgrounds in FROZEN still got to be 3D but the characters were handdrawn and shaded ala KLAUS ((sweet sigh)). But even then are they truly unwatchable just based on how they're animated to you?

MOANA would have been incredible in 2D but for the record - I don't think it feels out of place in it's style. It reminds me more of a Pixar movie with the heart of a Disney classic which is it's own just as good.

“2D is the oldest form of animation and it’s being replaced.”

Actually, if we’re talking animation in film, stop motion is the earliest form of animation. The stop motion animated THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED and TALE OF THE FOX predate Disney’s SNOW WHITE. And yes: stop-motion IS still a form of animation even if it’s a serious of pictures taken of real life things and not drawings, so don’t you dare come at me with the "but that's not animated"/"Technically it’s LIVE ACTION" crap or I’ll envoke the spirit of Sandman to get you at night.

“Every animated film would look better in 2D! Even PIXAR would look better in 2D!”

Again, Stop Motion.

No, I mean it.

Lemme ask: Would ISLE OF DOGS or FANTASTIC MR. FOX carry any of the same effect if they were generic 90s toons? I know NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS wouldn’t. Christ, don’t even get me started on Svankmajer!

Sometimes the problem is that a movie is envisioned with a specific artform in mind. Pixar started out with toys and bugs for a reason and that’s cuz they were always gonna be a 3d studio and they needed to first overcome the placisity of the models. Over the years they’ve gotten really good at effects and blending unrealistic proportions with real textures (and also not so much- ONWARD and THE GOOD DINOSAUR really needed some different character designs and yeah, I do think would have looked better with a 2d artstyle, but not the ones they had in their films. THE GOOD DINOSAUR needed more realistic-speculative looking dinos and ONWARD needed a grittier HEAVY METAL/BLACK CAULDRON appeal to its designs.) My point being that the problems with these movies aren’t even inherently the animation as much as it is a problem of style. As someone who runs a group speculating different styles and designs for movies and tv shows I’m all for envisioning a 2D ZOOTOPIA or Bluth-inspired FNAF. That’s amazing!

But that’s also the talk of fan artists and nerds and not the professional artists working on visualizing their stories!!

Since I ate, slept, and breathed NIGHTMARE in my youth I’ll use it as an example: All the concept art ever done for TNBC was on paper and 2D was used in the final film. However, even when Tim Burton was thinking of making it just a tv special it was always going to be stop-motion. NIGHTMARE’s puppet cast do work very well in two dimensions, believe me, but the film was made as a love letter to Rankin/Bass and the art form of stop-motion. Skipping to another Henry Selick-helmed project (haha), JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH was also always envisioned as a multimedia film to give it a truly dream-like atmosphere. If you know anything about Henry Selick you’ll know he’s 1) a perfectionist, and 2) loves mixed media and different types of animation and puppetry at once. That’s why he was the perfect pick to direct TNBC at the time, why JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH and CORALINE are so beautiful and why MOONGIRL, his only fully 3d film, doesn’t have the same appeal.

As for what films I couldn’t imagine NOT being 3D? Probably; 9, Padak, Next Gen, Soul, Finding Nemo, the Toy Story films, Wreck-it-Ralph (as previously mentioned), Wall.E, Waltz with Bashir, Robots, Inside Out, Arthur Christmas, The Painting, Happy Feet, Shrek, Enter the Spiderverse, Megamind… just naming a few here.

“I want a traditionally animated film [and by that I mean a 90s-Disney/Don Bluth looking movie] of ‘x'-popular live action/stage thing!”

Okay I’m cheating a bit but it’s my blog and so I’m gonna stick this one in because it’s related.

When I see musings about wanting live-action or CGI shiz to be in 2d again a lot of the time this argument actually boils down to " I want this to look like a 90s Didney movie ". Or, if it’s about animals - " I want it to look like a Don Bluth film! "

Like...there ARE other styles of animation out there...you know that right?

Frack, Disney themselves tried different styles throughout the 90s it’s just that the peak of the Disney renaissance films (LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE LION KING) and the many imitators that followed tended to have the same look to them where only film/animation nerds kept watching into the era that was TARZAN, HERCULES, and ATLANTIS along with the kids. Aunt Karen wasn't singing Part of your World in the carride with you every day.

The Don Bluth argument is especially irritating because...what exact feeling do you WANT from a movie if it looked Bluthish? Each of the four ‘quintessential’ Bluth movies (NIMH, AMERICAN TAIL, LBT, and ALL DOGS) have such a different feel to them that’s complimented by that style; SECRET OF NIMH is a drama about wild animals trying to understand humans; LAND BEFORE TIME is even more squarely about an animal’s perspective as there’s literally no humans around; AMERICAN TAIL uses animals stowing away on the ship to tell a story about refugees; and ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN is ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN.

What the frack are you even asking for with that because I think there’s a certain flavor to the Bluth-styled oeuvre as well as the 90s Disney catalogue that would clash too much stylistically with some films.

Also come on! Like some Bluthian-style 2d would really fix THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS or SCOOB!, bite me.

I think this fixation solely on these two hand drawn styles and nothing else is based on nostalgia goggles, refusing to step outside the norm and discover different films and feelings than Disney and Bluth, and just preference. Goin back to NIGHTMARE there will always be a special place in my heart for Henry Selick’s stop motion, but I couldn’t imagine CHICKEN RUN or ANOMALISA in it's unique style.

Also I’m tired of every time there’s a "lets make an animatic to ‘x’ musical theater song" it’s reliably just Disneyesque or realistic. WHY envision an animated version of the show at all if it doesn’t have A STYLE to it??!?! I’m sorry but 90s-Disney does NOT fit CABARET!

“3D is so CHEAP now! Why can’t they just do 2D again?”

I think - on the cusp of the 2020s and the Grubhub hatedom, there ARE changing times ahead for 3d and 2d. The general public are starting to get tired of the same looking 3d films and wanting some 2d back, but they don’t have the best resources or opinions on animation to know what it is they want. Meanwhile, the animation community + industry is trying to figure out what to do and you have a lot of turmoil between the monopoly that is the industry, the high standards of the artists, and the mixed wants of the animation fanbase deciding what art needs to be.

It’s a tough business. And in the spirit of that tough business - maybe DON’T act like the means of a film’s production is solely your control, that you know best, and know definitively what the artists should have done....cuz you don't. Sorry my fellow criticalfanomanalysist-folks we DON'T and in an age of standom where fans and critics think it's okay to hackle indie animation studios about not getting their pitched cartoon out fast enough - we need to reserve these discussions to our circles and not treat them as gospel.

3d animation and 2d animation have to share this world. Stop acting like they’re either interchangeable in terms of budget, means of production, or artistry or that one has to be superior to the other.

The industry already says one art form is better (spoiler: it’s always live-action), we don’t need anymore of this purist garbage. Just stick to what you like while trying new things on the side. Be critical while also being compassionate. And remember:

What I Thought About "What If...Captain Carter was the First Avenger" from Marvel Studios' What If...

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.

Back when Marvel Studios announced the new lineup of films and shows, I was admittingly underwhelmed. Nothing we've seen so far has been poorly written, far from it, but during the announcement, nothing really popped out at me as worth getting excited for. That is, except for one series: Marvel Studios' What If... An animated series that changes the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all through the simple question. The question being, "What if this happened instead of that."

From the get-go, I was sold on this idea. I'm a sucker for hypothetical scenarios, thinking up all the ways of how some of my favorite stories in fiction could be drastically different thanks to one tiny change. Some might call that "Fanfiction the Series," and while you're not wrong, I fail to see how that's a criticism. Because fanfiction can be fun...just as long as you ignore the sick freaks, sure, but it still can be fun! So whether Marvel Studio's What If... is fanfiction or not, it still didn't change how excited I was to watch it. Was it all worth the hype? Well, to answer that question requires spoilers, so keep that in mind as we dive deep into Marvel's most ambitious project yet.

Now, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

The Watcher: Gonna get the generals out of the way before I talk about what I specifically like about this episode. Ok? Ok.

Now, using the Watcher as the narrator for this series is just perfect. What If... already has a similar energy to The Twilight Zone: An anthology series that takes viewers to new and mysterious realities all through the guidance of an omniscient narrator. And using the Watcher as that type of narrator might just be the second-best choice...number one would be Stan Lee, obviously, but...he's dead now. May he rest in peace.

I haven't read that many comics, so there's not much that I know about the Watcher's character aside from a ten-second Google search. But something tells me that a character described as a celestial being that observes and records the events surrounding the galaxy sounds like the exact type of omniscience to guide us through the unknown. All added with Jeffrey Wright's performance, who really does convey a character that sounds like he's as old as time and wise beyond his years. Plus, it's pretty cool that such a seemingly odd character now technically plays a major role in the MCU canon. Comics are weird, and if the Watcher proves anything, it's better to embrace that weirdness than deny it.

The Animation: Looks like someone watched Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.

That really is the feeling I got when watching this. What If... doesn't look as good as Spiderverse (Nothing can be as good as Spiderverse), but the idea is still there as it combines primarily CGI animation with a few hand-drawn elements. It makes certain scenes just pop and, at times, even makes specific shots look like they're straight from panels in a comic book. Besides, while Spiderverse still looks better, that doesn't mean the animation isn't phenomenal in What If... The scenery looks gorgeous, the CGI models moderately match their live-action counterparts, the expressions are fantastic, and movements are as smooth as butter. There was definitely some money that went into this series to make it look as good as it did, and my eyeballs were more than grateful because of it. Especially when it comes to--

The Action: Holy s**t, was it a good thing that this series was animated!

The MCU has had its fair share of great fight scenes in the past, but it always felt restricted to what the big superhero fights could be due to everything needing to look "realistic." That all changes in What If... Because now that this series is animated, we can finally chuck realism out the window and allow these characters to be as epic as they were in the comics. The movements are swift, the blows look like they hurt, and best of all, you actually get to see characters fighting each other! There are no random cuts to hide the stunt doubles or weird camera angles to avoid audiences seeing how ugly the CGIed replacements are. We get to see all of the action with zero restraint, thanks to the fact that animation is limitless and allows writers to get away with literally anything. And shows like this make me wonder, "Why the hell isn't the MCU animated?"

Peggy as Captain Carter: It's here that we get into the specifics, and by golly, do I love me some Peggy Carter making a return. And what a return she made!

Seeing Peggy kick Nazi ass as Captain Carter is as awesome as it sounds as she gives a new definition of a "Strong, independent woman." She took s**t from no one and was more than willing to destroy anybody who said differently. It's a ton of fun for fans (the ones who aren't sexist, at least) and even fun for Peggy as well now that she gets a chance to wreck shop. However, that in itself could cause problems. If you watched Agent Carter (a great show, by the way), then you'll know that Peggy doesn't act as...somewhat meatheaded as she does here. As she said it herself, she's "usually more covert than this." And she is, as she was pretty much the first superspy in the MCU, who's impressive through how she effortlessly infiltrates her way to winning the day with diminutive requirements for fighting. So stripping that away gets rid of a core part of what makes her character so interesting. Although, in fairness, you could blame the fact that the reason she's acting like this is that the super-soldier serum is messing with her brain a bit. We've seen through U.S. Agent the reciprocations of the wrong person taking the serum, and while Peggy is far from the worst pick, there are hints of why Steve Rodgers was the best choice. Still, even though it's not the same Peggy Carter, that doesn't mean Captain Carter is a poor addition to the hero roster in the MCU. She's cool in all the right ways, even though they're drastically different from what made her compelling, to begin with.

Howard Stark: Another character I'm more than happy to see again!

Howard didn't leave that much of a grand of an impression in Captain America: The First Avenger, but in Agent Carter (Seriously, great show), he was a blast. You can just tell he was Tony Stark's father through all the ways he fast-talks in and out of problems and brilliantly comes up with solutions thanks to being tech-savvy. The main difference between Howard and Tony, however, is that Howard prefers to stay on the sidelines, where Tony learned to be more proactive. You get a sense of that in this episode. Because even though he goes to save the day, you can tell that he would rather be anywhere else. And, as a bonus, Howard's just funny. Probably not up there as one of the funniest characters in the franchise (Paul Rudd's Ant-Man reigns supreme), but he still cracks me up more times than not. Howard may be nothing more than a side character, but he'll always win me over no matter how small of a role he has.

Steve Rodgers in the Hydra Stomper: Don't mind me. Just admiring the fact that despite being crippled and skinny, Steve Rodgers still finds a way to fight the good fight, which is who Steve is to me. One of the best things about The First Avenger is that it fully understands the hero that is Captain America. Serum or not, he will do all he can to do the right thing and won't give up despite how many times others tell him he should. So if Steve's going to fly around in a suped-up Iron Man suit that's appropriately named "The Hydra Stomper," then Steve'll f**king soar. Because he is a gosh dang superhero, no matter what name he takes at the end of the day.

Fast-Forwarding Through Events: Some fans might take issues with this. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see all the little changes that Captain Carter makes to the story, but realistically that's not the best choice to make. Let's be honest, there's not that much to show other than what this episode did, and doing a full-on rewrite of Captain America: The First Avenger would have rubbed some fans the wrong way. Besides, from what I can tell, most of the What If... comics are one-shots that very rarely branch out into longer arcs. The primary goal is less to write this large-scale story and more of this self-contained narrative that does what it precisely delivers: Show fans a glimpse of what would happen if this happened instead of that. That's what we were given, and I can't really complain that much. I would have loved to have seen more, but I can learn to be happy with what I got.

Colonel Flynn Taking Credit: This guy is sexist and an idiot, and that's why I hate him...but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't at least chuckle when he said everything was his idea. It's such a scumbag move that I couldn't help but find the humor in it.

(Like, what even was that scene where Peggy was pissed at Steve kissing a girl. THEY WEREN'T EVEN DATING !)nd Steve falling in love inThe First Avenger, which certainly wasn't helped by how they had these dumbass misunderstandings of each thinking the other was dating someone else. Here, they at least get to interact, confiding in one another about their insecurities and offer support when needed. And while it may be a little rushed, I'm more willing to believe their romance in under thirty minutes than I did in over two hours. It could have been better, but it also could have been much, much worse.

(Like, what even was that scene where Peggy was pissed at Steve kissing a girl. THEY WEREN'T EVEN DATING AT THE TIME!)

“I won’t tell you anything.”/”He told me everything.”: That's the Peggy Carter I know and love! Added with a solid joke, too.

Steve’s Pratfall: It's nice to know that no matter what universe we see, Marvel is still funny.

Peggy’s Sacrifice: Much like Peggy and Steve's romance, I buy Peggy's sacrifice way more than Steve's. Several fans already pointed out how it makes no sense for Steve to crash the plane into the icy waters when it seemed like he had enough control to land it or could have easily jumped out after aiming for the crash landing. Here, there's a more legitimate reason why Peggy sacrifices herself. The monster was undefeatable, and the only way to stop it was to push it back through the portal. Peggy, being the only one strong enough to do so at the moment, was the only option, and there was no way where she didn't end up going through with the monster. Even her return makes more sense, as I think her being lost to time and space sounds more believable than Steve surviving being frozen in ice. Something no mortal man should live through. Peggy's sacrifice proves that while the MCU can't change its cannon past, the writers learn from their mistakes and make something better.

WHAT I DISLIKED

The Reasoning Behind Peggy Becoming Captain Carter: So, the idea that one small change can greatly alter the story we knew is a great one, and it's one of the main reasons why I was excited about this series...but how does Peggy staying in the room cause the Hydra agent to detonate the bomb early? I understand the ripples that come from the Butterfly Effect, but I feel like that's too big of a leap to reason how Peggy ends up taking the serum instead.

Colonel Flynn: How is it possible that this guy is somehow even more of a pain in the ass than the general he replaced? At least Chester Phillips had the decency to respect Agent Carter!

Red Skull is Still on the Dull Side: Red Skull isn't an awful villain, but he wasn't really a great one. It's the same here, as he's just as forgettable and wooden an episode of television as he was in a full-length movie. But at least he had a cooler death this time.

Sebastian Stan is Not a Great Voice Actor: He's not awful, but his talent really doesn't shine in this regard. Some people think that being an actor and a voice actor is the same thing, but it's not always the case. Through live-action, actors are given a chance to express emotion through their expressions, movement, and voice. With voice acting, actors still have to convey emotions, but strictly through their voice. Meaning that actors like Sebastian Stan are limited to what they're used to and can stumble a bit when trying to perform in a field of acting they're unfamiliar with. You can tell he was trying his best, but this type of thing can take far more practice for others to perfect.

“Whew. Thanks. You almost ripped my arm off.”: ...hhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHA! HA HA! Ah...oh man...I, uh...I felt the internal bleeding with that one. Wow. Just...wow.

Bucky Leaving After Steve “Died”: Ok, now that's the biggest bout of bulls**t I've ever heard. BUCKY WOULD BE WITH STEVE 'TILL THE END OF THE LINE AND WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT THAT QUICKLY!

...This episode did Bucky dirty, didn't it?

IN CONCLUSION

I'd say that "What If...Captain Carter was the First Avenger" is an A-. It's still a solid start of what I can already tell will be a great series, but some elements could have used some polishing out. I loved it, but it wasn't as bloody brilliant as it could have been.

(And I meant it: WATCH AGENT CARTER! It's pleasantly surprising!)

Let’s talk TroPreCure! (^∀^ 🌺)

i’m so stupidly proud of this dumb pun “tropurikyua~”, hahahahaha

Last post of the year and wow is there are lot to be excited for!

I even had to make a list for the stuff I want to talk about and I’m sure I already forgot one or two things but we’ll get to them as we continue to float~ along the wave to February 28th, mmkay? :)

Now for what has peaked my interest so far. And yes, we have to talk about the following first:

1) HealPre the shortest Precure season??

Unless they plan for double features in February (which I doubt but you never know), HealPre is likely going to reach only 45 episodes long instead of the usual 48~50 before TroPre I’m using this shortening of the title for now so if there’s a better alternative, tell me and I’ll switch out begins its broadcast.

Understandable because the producers probably want to get back to their normal scheduling as soon as possible (toy sales, y’know) and I suspect pushing the start of the new season back by a month is the most they’re willing to compromise.

As for me, I’m quite happy about this since HealPre’s lost its hold on my attention a while ago so the sooner TroPre gets here, the better. Though the downside might be a scrambled climax and a rushed, underwhelming ending for HealPre (I dunno if it’s January’s titles that feel a bit messy or if the hiatus is still throwing me off) but whatever. We’ll refresh ourselves with the new blood Cures so it’s all good.

2) Tropical movie announced for Autumn 2021, no All Stars??

(source)

First saw this mentioned on Youtube somewhere but it’s all over the fandom forums by now. I mean, HealPre’s movie is set for March, the usual time slot for All Stars release. If Toei intended for there to be an All Stars in 2021, there’s no way they would announce the seasonal movie before it so speculations of them skipping it this year are probably true.

To squeeze it somewhere between March and October-ish would force them to readjust their budgets as well and I don’t think even Toei wants to go through that extra hassle after all the trouble the pandemic’s caused for everyone already. It’s just easier to resume All Stars in 2022.

That, and I think Laura being a major character in TroPre despite not having a Cure title (yet) would make for an awkward situation when the three latest teams gather so perhaps that’s also one of the reasons. But I’ll get back to Laura in a bit.

3) Cure Summer is a RAINBOW Cure

So god help me if I see anyone calling her a Pink Cure.

Yes, she’s the lead Cure for this season. NO, she is not a Pink Cure.

Look, even the official website has a rainbow overlay for her profile pic and text font while everyone else’s respective theme colors are a solid hue:

Therefore, RAINBOW.

In promotional material and merchandising, they’re probably going to advertise her primarily with pink bah and at worst, she might occasionally be labeled as a White Cure with multiple subcolors (her outfit is not pink-dominant) but definitely NOT. PINK.

...also, this goes without saying but f***yea, we finally got a lead Cure practically and unabashedly wearing the LGBTQ flag and you cannot tell me otherwise, Toei!

Own up to it! Declare Manatsu/Cure Summer as the Precure queer icon!

I’m not gonna stop yellin’ until you do! 😠

4) Laura = obvious midseason Cure is obvious

First of all, Laura is a babe. I already love her the best and she’s not even Precure yet. <3

Anyways, the set-up is pretty much in the description. Important main character who’s not a mascot, stated to have a self-confident personality and just speaks her mind (oooh, I like~ :D), magical/foreign being from another world looking for Precure to save her home, possesses her own special item(s), has aspirations to become the next Queen (so she’s a princess-candidate or something to that effect, I suppose).

We’ve seen various combinations of these traits in past midseason (and a few starter) Cures so nobody should be surprised when we all guessed that one of the Cures would be a real live mermaid.

The only question is why not just make Laura a Cure from the get-go if she’s introduced to us at the beginning (like Hime or Lala) and having a team of five with no unnecessary extra add-ons later on (like Smile).

Well, there’s a simple answer for that: formula.

Toei is afraid that if they don’t spit out some new animation sequence at the halfway and third quarter points of the show, the kids will lose interest and abandon the series altogether. Which means failed toy sales. Oh nooo... [/sarcasm]

...Yea. 

And this way they can also have Laura available in the Cure lineup for the next All Stars in 2022 instead of making her sit the fight out if we were going to have one in 2021. I’m convinced that’s gotta be one of the reasons. *shrug*

But ok, whatever. Her debut is gonna be later, that’s all. She’s a delayed Cure.  Midseason Cure, same difference.

Moving along to the more important stuff now like what’s her Cure name gonna be, y/y?

Well, knowing Toei, a translation of the term “mermaid” into another language is the most predictable route even though we already have a Cure Mermaid. Not like that ever stopped them from repeating words before (ex. Cure Happy vs Cure Felice). Though if they do go down that road, I hope they opt for the Spanish/Italian “sirena” and not the French “sirène” because the latter sounds too close to how Cure Selene is pronounced in Japanese. And, putting it nicely, we all know Japanese pronunciation of foreign words is as off kilter as can be.

Hell, even the the Portuguese “sereia” sounds aesthetic as hell so it’d be nice if they can just remember there are other languages that exist out there besides Japanese, English and French when making the final decision at the writing table! *stomps foot* >:/

Alternatively, “nereid” or “naiad” are good choices too but they remind me too much of Greek myths and Laura’s from the Grand Ocean which covers more than just a couple of seas (Greece is surrounded by three, btw) so...

I dunno. But whatever it’s gonna be, she’s definitely got a strong association with water and her powers will probably be based on that.

As for theme color, since there’s noticeably no blue or green Cure in the starter lineup, it’s likely she will take up that spot when she debuts around ep 20.

Pink is also open since Cure Summer, again, is technically not a Pink Cure and Laura’s hair and tail fin are hot and light pink respectively but looking at Laura’s design and concept, does anyone seriously believe that?

Her upper torso consists of aquamarine while the body of her tail is definitely some shade of cyan, implying they’re aiming for somewhere around the middle of green and blue on the lighter spectrum.

And yea, I’m aware that green and blue are considered exchangeable in some perspectives with how close some of their shades are to each other but officially, I think Laura’s gonna be grouped with the Green Cures.

Cuz of the hair. If Laura’s gonna keep it the same or a similar shade after transforming, that is. The Blues have always had cool-colored hair so putting Laura in with them might disrupt that harmony whereas if you put her with the few Greens there are (including Parfait), she’d fit right in.

I mean, we’ll see but that makes the most sense, doesn’t it?

On another note, I just want to say that I love how they added frills to her arms instead of letting her elbows go bare naked. It definitely makes her look more like a genuine mermaid than if she didn’t have them (remember, half fish doesn’t mean half the body :P).

5) Magical Items

Frankly, I’m tired of seeing the transformation device being a compact again even though one of the main motifs is make-up this season. But at least, as far as Precure compacts goes, the Tropical one is my favorite cuz of how cute and delightfully colorful its toy version looks! So I guess I’m okay with it.

The Heart Rouge Rod, though? ...I dunno. I think it would’ve been fine without that...straw (?) jutting out at the top. It looks weird, doesn’t it look weird? :S

As for the collectible clip-ons, I can live without those for the rest of my life. Yeesh.

Laura’s items, the Aqua Pot and the Ocean Prism Mirror.

Again with the portable, travel-size housing. *sigh* 😩

Alright, I can let this year slide cuz Laura (I’m so soft for her, omg) probably won’t be getting legs for 20 weeks so she’s got to move about on land somehow. But unless they’re really thinking about turning this idea of carrying your apartment around in your bag/pocket/purse into a reality (cuz that would be effin’ awesome), please be more creative with your toys.

On the other hand, I’m much more interested in the Ocean Prism Mirror but from what Kusyami (the Precure merchandise reviews I follow on Youtube) said in his latest vid, this is the ED dance item so don’t know if it’ll actually have an relevance to the story or not. But I did hear him mention it having something to do with the Queen as well and since Laura wishes to become Queen, maybe it’ll be important after all? Maybe it’s her transformation device?

That’d be super cool. Let’s continue the trend of the midseason Cure having a different transformation item than the starters. Honestly, we should alternate every other year or two but we’ve gone three seasons with all of them using the same henshin gimmicks up till HealPre and I just want a break from that.

6) Fin sleeves??

These look so impractical for combat so maybe it’s exclusive to group attacks.

And/or a sort of precursor to the super forms?

*GASP* Does that mean they all eventually turn into mermaids? 🤩

7) Yui finally became Precure!! 😭

lol, it’s all crack from this point on so don’t take it too seriously but man, after Yuni’s deceptive braids, I thought I wasn’t gonna see anything that reminded me of Yui for a while and lo behold, Sango.

kehehehehehe xD;

Though Yui might be closer to Minori in terms of personal interests (fairytales and storybooks).

8) Akira, the actual Onee-chan version

I didn’t think this when I first saw her but once I read “Onee-san” in her profile, there’s no saving you now. Sorry, Asuka. 😅

Also, damn, do her sandals make her feet look big! Compare them to the heels she wears as Flamingo. Are they even the same?! lololol

9) ...this sounds awfully familiar...

Translation:

Tokimeku Tokonatsu! [Exciting/Thrilling Everlasting Summer!] Cure Summer! Kirameku Hoseki! [Sparkling Jewel!] Cure Coral!  Hirameku Fuurutsu! [Flashing Fruit!] Cure Papaya!

Japanese reiteration:

Mallow/Mao: Pink no tokimeki! Lillie: Blue no kirameki! Lana/Suiren: Yellow no kagayaki!

….........

@Toei 

Care to explain yourselves, punks?! 

୧(ʘ ∀ ʘ ╬)

Mysterylover watches Bleach episodes 51-52

mysterylover123

1. Episode 50 is a filler episode staring Teddy Bear Mineta so I’m skipping it, thank you very much. (I’d watch the shit out ofa filler starring Orihime tho)

2. Oh boy 51 is opening with super somber music. And basically a giant cast lineup headed towards Ruki’s Tower of Doom. Shit is about to hit the fan I see.

3. ORIHIME + HER SHINIGAMI FRIENDS OH YAAAASSSSSS. SHE AND PINK MINISHINIGAMI ARE RIDING ON THIS GUY’S BACK!!!! 

4. “Perhaps we’d be better off just listening to Orihime” Discount Saitama you are now my fave. That sums up everything.

5. Is Ishi actually going crazy? And also thanks for insulting Ganju I’m still mad at him. Oh and he says “don’t call me my first name”, huh? Doesn’t Ichigo always call him Uryuu? Ooh boy. Smiles like crazy.

6. YAY ORIHIME IS HERE AND EVERYTHING IS AWESOME. Oh and the third/5th member of the party is the pretty boy warrior? COOL. 

7. PINK SHINIGAMI IS SWINGING FROM HIME’S HIPS. Someitimes a show just gives you everything you want. 

8.  Team Hime is gonna fight the executioner, huh? Or at least Kenny is. Wait a minute Pink Hair nicknamed Hime “jiggles” huh? I wish it was less sexual sounding but it looks like Hime has added another girl to her harem (I’m assuming Pink hair is not actually a kid). 

9. HOLY SHIT NEW OP?! EP 52 HAS A NEW OP?! OK let’s watch!  (watches) OK it would be super metal without hte butterfly. Still, Orihime and Yoruichi get some seriously badass looking character poses, and it ends with High School Ichigo and Rukia returning so I’m guessing this op is the last one for this particular arc.

10. Man did Renji just kill a buncha people? He’s taking this “Save Rukia” thing seriously huh? (of course he is). Cue RenRuki montage. Aw! (kick RukiBro’s ass Renji)

11. RukiBro vs Renji goes on and Renji actually offsets him. Dayum it’s so weird to remember that on first impression I saw Renji as Byakuya’s dumb sidekick. Renji be looking good today btw. The One sleeve look suits him.

12. But RukiBro is looking calm even though Renji’s doing well, so I’m worried. Like, I know (Sadly due to spoilers) that Renji ain’t gonna die here, but I do wanna see him reunite with Ruki soon and not get super physically messed up.

13. Dammit Renji about to get wrecked by RukiBro. Guess we’ll have to wait for Ichigo to beat this guy. I’m sure in future I’ll be all “go RukiBro ilu” because this is Shonen and everyone becomes likable eventually, but right now I really need someone to kick this arrogant dbag’s ass.

14. Well attempted murder is usually my “I unship you” rule so now that RukiBro has attempted to murder Renji and indeed effed him up real good I officially UnShip you guys. (not like I didn’t already now that Renji be all devoted to Rukia). 

15. OOH BUT RENJI IS STILL GOING?! DAMN YOU’RE GETTING UP THERE INTO THE ORIHIME TIER NOW DUDE. Keep going like this and I might name you 2nd best. I think maybe Ruki was in that spot before? Or Uryu? (oh dammit stop getting bloodied Renji now I like you I really don’t want you to die)

16. Ooh and getting inspired by Ichigo and Rukia? Ooh. They’re thinking the same thoughts at the same time too. Damn you two calm down with the cinematic parallels. And Renji actually keeping going I think has definitely cemented him at 2nd place. 

17. AND HE ACTUALLY SUCCEEDED IN STABBING RUKIBRO, EVEN IF IT DIDN’T DO MUCH FOR LONG. DAYUM. WAY TO GO.

18. Rukia senses Renji being hurt? Damn they really are meant to be. Please don’t die, characters who I already know live to the end of the series and end up together. 

DEATH RACE 2

Ladies and Gentlemen, the ass-kicking of a lifetime has arrived!!

We here at Ace’s Reviews are an opinionated bunch, but one thing we all agree on: Death Race 2 is the best movie in the series. Fight us. It’s Ace’s Reciews, broadcasting live from Terminal Island! The carnage is about to begin!!

Death Race 2 is a prequel to the Jason Statham film, giving us the origins of the Death Race and Frankenstein. There’s cars and explosions and your ass on a plate. So why is this film so much better than Death Race? A few reasons, really. For one, it doesn’t take itself quite so seriously. It embraces the ridiculous awesomeness. The main reason it’s so much better, though? The cast, of course.

“Seriously, we kick so much ass.”—all these people, probably

Look at that lineup!! We have to take it in order though.

First up is Luke Goss. Luke Goss has made a name for himself being one of those shaven-headed ass-kickers that you put in action movies. He’s also pals with Guillermo Del Toro, having played Nomak in Blade 2 and Nuada in Hellboy 2.

“I do a lot of 2’s for being number one.”—Luke Goss, probably

Here’s the thing. Some people might call him a poor man’s Statham, but I’m gonna say it’s the other way around. Luke Goss can act, and act well. Yes, he can kick your face clean off of your body, but he can also emote. Jason Statham is always Jason Statham. Luke Goss is Nomak, Nuada, and Carl Lucas.

He’s sent to Terminal Island because reasons, and there he meets the best supporting cast on earth.

First, there’s Lists.

“Lists is a badass, yo.”—Danny Trejo, definitely.

Remember last time, we talked about Lists and how important he is? Lists is the only character who’s in all four modern Death Race movies. He delivers exposition and is a deadly cinnamon bun. Seriously, Lists has blood on his name.

“It’s not a question of if I’ll end you, it’s when and how.”—Lists, absofuckinglutely

Oh, right, did you see the earlier pic? With Danny Trejo? That’s right, the D-Man is here to fix cars and kick ass, and he’s all out of cars, kick, and ass!! Trejo’s Goldberg is the best dude ever, and we love him so.

“Excuse me, would you like to make impossibly perfect babies?”—Luke Goss, lovestruck

Tanit Phoenix rounds out the main cast, and I’m just gonna say it: she’s probably the most beautiful woman ever put on film. She plays Katrina, the Navigator.

The supporting cast features Ving Rhames and Lauren Cohen as the executives in charge of Death Race...

“I know, it’s direct to video. Doesn’t matter. It’s the best one.”—Ving Rhames, as evidenced by his presence

...and Sean Motherfucking Bean.

Do I die? TELL ME DAMMIT

What makes this stellar cast work is one simple thing: chemistry. All of these folks work SO DAMN WELL together, a honed machine of radness. And you can tell that they’re having the time of their lives!! They’re having a ball! Honestly, if you told me that Luke Goss and Tanit Phoenix were a real life couple, I’d believe it.

Throw Trejo in there too, I don’t care

There’s a pretty simple plot involved that we won’t spoil here—watch the movie!! Like I said, this one is better than Death Race 1, even though the budget is smaller. A great cast, great action, and impossible amounts of fun make this our favorite entry into the Death Race canon. This one is so good, in fact, that it spawned its own sequel—Death Race 3: Inferno. Which we’ll be covering tomorrow, coincidentally!!

Join us here tomorrow for the final leg of the Death Race, live from Terminal Island!!

The follow up to 2017’s Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, on Nov. 17, 2020 fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons upcoming Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything must indeed possess powerful magic to contain so much stuff in 192 pages — the exact page count of its predecessor according to Jeremy Crawford, principal rules designer of the game. The product of 18 months work the book includes material for Dungeons Masters and players of 5E D&D alike. I had an opportunity to join the press briefing with Crawford and Greg Tito, communications and press relations director for D&D and let me tell you, sitting on this was really exciting. Reading and hearing what players speculated on and wanting to say, “You’re all right! It’s all in the book. All the character options and new stuff you’re guessing about are inside!” So let’s get into Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

On the cover for Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything Tasha holds an ornate grimoire covered with symbols from the planes of existence in stunning art by Magali Villeneuve.

A delightful conversation about 5E D&D

No sense burying the lead — all the options and fresh new modular content you thought might be in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is there. Subclasses for all the classes are in there. Alternate class features from the most popular Unearthed Arcana in the entirety of 5E D&D are in there. The artificer class is in there — including some tweaks, new infusions and the Armorer subclass that was loved by people, according to Crawford. The Aberrant Mind sorcerer, UA’s most highly rated content ever, is in there and so are many from the past year. Spell Versatility and new Beast Master Companions are in there and I know there’s untold numbers of players stoked to hear this. There’s new artwork for the Artillerist Artificer Specialist that was shared during the briefing too.

A human artificer balances his Eldritch Cannon on his shoulder as seen in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. [Art by Brian Valeza]

Like XGtE the book explores the titular character’s wonderfully complex point of view in comments on the content throughout, with nods to Tasha’s history in her comments and captions. One clue about Tasha’s mysterious origin reveals itself on the cover. The tattoo on her cheek is a chicken leg, which Crawford explained is an “echo of the chicken-legged hut that Baba Yaga lives in.”

A bunch of subclasses and class features only chicken scratches the surface of the scope of material. Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is organized into four chapters. While perusing the material in the book readers learn more about Tasha and the lore surrounding her. Tasha’s life has involved the fantastic since the very beginning of her origins in the fey realms. As she became a brilliant and powerful wizard her adventures took her to other planes and dimensions so she is unfazed by beings of any sort, least of all her frenemy Mordenkainen.

Character options

Spells and magic items

Group patrons

Tools for Dungeon Masters

Customizing your origin is an important part of the development of the book and something the design team seems particularly proud of, for good reason. Players love the idea of more personalized character origin stories. I use This Is Your Life stuff from XGtE all the time and TCoE builds on that tremendously. Like, seriously a lot. The design goal was tools for players to create truly unique characters with amazingly magical origins and backstories.

This includes modifying traits during character creation to better reflect the story players want to tell and offers a lineage template with fill-in-the-blanks tools to totally personalize characters. The Lineage System introduces a new way to approach creating and playing characters and adventures in 5E D&D, a responsibility the design team takes very seriously as stewards of the game. During the press briefing Crawford and Tito explained how TCoE is one of multiple books demonstrating a shift in how D&D handles things like race.

Other changes include the removal of negative racial modifiers for certain races from Volo’s Guide to Monsters via errata. Crawford explained how their original intention for races like kobold and orc was as Monstrous Adventurers, separate from standard character options. This is why those options are included in their own section in VGtM along with options considered more powerful than standard in some cases, like yuan-ti and to a lesser extent goblins. Because this context is lost through the way so many players engage with 5E D&D through online tools and resources like D&D Beyond, it became a pain point for players and TCoE will include updated versions. Hooray for kobold and orc enthusiasts!

The Lineage System offers tools to create characters not bound by a species archetype. I love the way Crawford explained how this modular piece of content interacts with existing 5E D&D material. The core game, what is presented in the Player’s Handbook and other sources, illustrates an archetypal adventuring character like an elf. Choosing this option for your character represents playing Elfie McElferson in other words — the exact kind of elf that comes to mind when you think of D&D elves. The Lineage System gives players and DMs tools to disentangle characters’ personal traits with cultural traits. And worry not! The path to customization is very smooth according to Crawford, who emphasized it is not complicated at all.

Along with the new class options and alternate features players can customize how each class feels. This includes something that worms its way into the mind of every edition of D&D sooner or later.

Psionics! The Aberrant Mind is just one of the psionic themed subclasses from UA. Along with a few others, these psionic subclasses use a modifed version of the playtest mechanics, which Crawford described as “evolved.” I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to psionics, neither thrilled to use them or abhorred by their inclusion in the game but I’ve got to say I really dug that Psionic Talent die so I hope that’s what he meant.

During the press briefing they did not get too deep into new spells and magic items in TCoE but there are some tidbits to share. For starters Tasha adds new spells of her own design to D&D canon. Tasha’s caustic brew and Tasha’s otherworldly guise are two mentioned and I’m excited to see more. Spells named for the wizards who created them evokes a sense of mystery and wonder in all D&D players and after all her incredible excursions and magical experimentation I’m certain Tasha’s influence on 5E D&D will be immense.

Spellcasters can boost their power with new spell focus magic items too, which sounds awesome. There’s got to be a magical cauldron, right? One of the magic items Crawford talked about sounds totally awesome — the Tarokka Deck. Not like, any old prophetic card deck though. This is THE Tarokka Deck, an artifact capable of trapping spirits. Can I tell you I lost track of what they said for a moment because I was daydreaming about a Ghostbusters inspired 5E D&D campaign.

Sidekicks (remember them?) get expanded in TCoE too. Resources to create your own customized sidekicks sounds like a lot of fun new toys to play with. When asked what the most surprising thing about the book is, Crawford revealed there’s a sidekick class. You can play as a Warrior, Expert or Spellcaster, which offers a slimmed down experience for perhaps new players or those looking for less complexity. This sounds awesome to me. I’ve used the Sidekicks content from UA several times and it is terrific, so more of that and more ways to use it can’t go wrong.

More than that though Crawford was surprised by “how much liberty players have to customize.” The Lineage System, tons of new class options and alternate features, spells, feats (wow I didn’t even mention those!) all combine to create more levers and dials players and DMs can use to tailor our game experiences and tell the kinds of stories we want with exactly the kinds of characters we imagine.

“Our work on the game is a delightful conversation with the community that never ends,” as Crawford put it. With tremendous amounts of fun, cool sounding new content like they’re brewing up in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, I don’t doubt it.

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A tiefling sorcerer levitates several feet off the ground. [Art by Kieran Yanner]

A lineup of four homunculus servants. [Art by Irina Nordsol]

The young wizard Tasha studies her spellbook in front of Baba Yaga’s hut. Looming nearby is Baba Yaga herself, watching her adopted daughter intently. [Art by Brian Valeza]

This is a massive tome holding secrets of ultimate evil. The exterior of the book reflects the evil within. The covers are made of dark demon scales, which are trimmed in rune-carved metal shaped to look like demonic claws. [Art by David Sladek]

Two wood elf lads swim in a glittering pond, which is fed by a waterfall that pours out of a face carved in a bluff. [Art by Robin Olausson]

A youthful merfolk king lounges on his throne underwater. [Art by Andrew Mar]

Using a psychic spell, a wizard battles a troglodyte underground. [Art by Andrew Mar]

Sidekicks will be expanded in the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast]

An alternate cover art version is only available through local game stores. [Art by Wylie Beckert]

A heavy, ominous storm brews at sea as clouds gather. But these are not normal storm clouds. These have formed into a churning mass of enormous skulls in the sky. [Art by Titus Lunter]

Oh! Are you still here? One last thing I’ll mention is the section on Magical Environments includes Eldritch Storms, magical fruits and magical roads, a Mirror Realm and a Mimic Colony. Stay nerdy.

Congrats! That new #DnD stuff you thought would be in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything is in there. #staynerdy The follow up to 2017's Xanathar's Guide to Everything, on Nov. 17, 2020 fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons upcoming…

Yo! I see all this final fantasy stuff on your pf and it looks interesting. But, I have no idea where to start it??? Like where to I go? Is it a book? A show?? Pretty sure someone once told me it was a game?? Is it a game?? I'm clueless over here dammit. Where do I go to start reading/watching/whatever final fantasy??

*cracks knuckles* MY TIME HAS COME. In all seriousness though, the main Final Fantasy stuff I reblog is from or about the Final Fantasy XV universe. In case Final Fantasy as a whole is unfamiliar to you, it is a franchise of games (and occasionally other stuff) that all share the same name and a few basic world-building elements but are actually a different story each time (Final Fantasy VII, the other one I reblog is totally different universe from FFXV).

NOW. FFXV is the latest in their lineup of games and, again, the one I post most often about (the Nox verse AU that has been haunting my blog is a fanfic of FFXV). It is on PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC and Google Stadia (whatever that last one is) and I CANNOT recommend it enough. If you have anything that will play it, try it, but make sure to get the Royal Edition. It has an extra dungeon, more side quests, extra gloriously heart-breaking ending cutscenes, and all the dlc but like- one of them which was released after the Royal Edition came out. I have all the patches and stuff and I don’t regret buying the vanilla day one version in the slightest, but it IS less insanity inducing to get it all in one neat package (my Walmart has been selling the ps4 Royal Ed for like- 20-ish bucks for over a month now and I think it’s currently around that price on their online store too).

Keep in mind, this is not a game to rush through. You CAN, but it will be hard (never believe the level min on the quests, except for like- the first five, you need to be at least three levels higher than the min if you want to survive without using up all your med supplies) AND you’ll miss out on the more subtler pieces of world building. The plot likes to hide in the background sometimes and there’s even two extra cutscenes that you can miss if you’re in too much of a hurry. So if you get it, just take your time in ENJOY it. Explore the gorgeous open world, listen to the four MCs do really good random dialogue, find the little side-quests and random in-game news articles/books that tell you in-game lore. It’s a great game world to get lost in and there are a few quests that only become available post game so there’s still stuff to do after you finish the main storyline (you can also replay individual chapters and all their associated story quests if you want without having to replay the entire game from scratch or new game plus). :D

NOW. One or two things of note is that the game isn’t the only part of the FFXV segment of the franchise. They also released a prequel movie called Kingsglaive (I recommend playing the game first? But either works) and it’s ... it’s one of those imperfectly perfect movies, you know? I know some people don’t like it but I love it and therefore I recommend watching it at least twice, once just for the overall feel and the second time to pick out all the unspoken character cues and clues there are (because there are a lot, the motion capture is lovely, also Sean Bean plays King Regis in the movie and he’s awesome at it).

There is also a five-ish episode anime on youtube you can watch called Final Fantasy XV: Brotherhood which offers flashbacks to the four MCs of the game and how they met/glimpses of their childhood and stuff. Also one on Ardyn, but DON’T WATCH THAT ONE until you’ve finished the game. Seriously, don’t. It’s a major Spoiler Alert.

Sooo, yeah. TL;DR Final Fantasy is a massive franchise that you do not have to start from number 1 in order to get into because each installment is different, FFXV is their latest and my favorite game ever despite it’s quirks and flaws and if you play it and become a fellow fan, feel free to come screech at me in my ask box because I will happily screech back.

Or you can watch walkthroughs of it on youtube if you can’t/don’t want to play it. That works too. :DD

The FACT of the matter is

that Overwatch is one of the most progressive and awesome games out there.

thats why everytime a game company makes a game with interesting character designs (THREE YEARS AFTER OVERWATCH LAUNCHED btw) people immediately raz on it. Because its one of the only games out there with devs that care that is actually trying. Its one of the few games out there were almost half the cast are women and a huge part of the cast are POC and large part of the cast are WOC.

Do people ever question if overwatch’s success made other game companies look positively on their developers ideas on a diverse cast? no, because overwatch critics are assholes

Do people ever critique the people praising these new games who have a higher % of non straight/whitemale characters BECAUSE THEIR CAST OF CHARACTERS ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS!. Meanwhile overwatch has more women of color than these ‘progressive’ games entire cast! No because those overwatch critics are assholes

Do those people ever point out the fact that while the cast of these games are diverse that its still not good representation? that half of Apex’s cast are mercenaries and criminals or freaks, and probably the same with Bleeding Edge? that there are PLENTY of fat people and WOC in games but that most of them are treated badly and are villains, while in Overwatch the Women are all heroic people you want to be? that the only “villains” are people who were pushed to the edge(reaper), forced into it against their will(widowmaker), or are playing the bad guys(sombra), or are trying to do good but are tricked by a company that preyed upon them (Symmetra). That while these other games are great for VISUAL representation that they are JUST a bunch of diverse people killing each other for..some reason? While overwatch makes a point of seperating its lore from its gameplay so that they can actually have a story depicting the diverse lineup of heroes in overwatch as heroic people that we’d want to be?

no because the overwatch critics are assholes

Do those people ever point out how its stupid to tear down one of the few progressive games with a diverse lineup rather than hold Other games and game companies accountable*? That its not progressive to say that there can be only 1 progressive piece of media? that a world in which Apex Legends, Overwatch, Bleeding Edge should ALL exist at the same time and make the gaming community better? no because the overwatch critics are assholes

Do these people want the world to be a better place? No because they just want to get woke points for insulting something popular and that was the talk of the net for a solid 2 years after its release and still influences the gaming community, while games people claimed are better arent even talked about (i’ve not hear anyone mention Breath of the Wild in ages, but apparently since Overwatch has only a FEW MILLION players that its ‘dying”

*seriously. Nintendo’s only diverse games are  Arms and Splatoon. their main cast in Mario are all a bunch of white bastards and same goes for Zelda. Hell in one of the greatest Zelda games Zelda turns anglo ones she gets her powers back, and of COURSE the only POC in the game are a race of warrior thieves ruled by a murderous warlord.

And Cyberpunk 2077? yea great, wonderful trailer. See some generic cyber white boys murdering black people is VERY progressive. God of War, Tomb Raider, Gears of War, Halo? the entire gaming community and all your Favs are chock full of ANti-Diverse cast of characters but everytime anything remotely diverse comes out you want to attack the famous game thats half POC and whos 2 most famous characters, 1 being their mascot, are gay.

Overwatch deserves Plenty of criticism but stop making it the Only game to criticize  Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are barely giving yall anything .

EDIT2: Removed someone on here due because a certain coward that I used to call a friend decided our "friendship" wasn't worth saving. So I removed their character to show we are no longer friends...if we WERE friends in the first place. EDIT: I made a couple of changes to this picture. First one is you can see I added Megan to this because yas, she is awesome and she and Hiro are cute together. (: I had to add her in this picture. Hehehehe... Welcome to the line up, Megan! also I did make a few adjustments to the other girls. Not to mention I switched the fonts to the Big Hero 6 font to make it more natural. Sidenote: Megan is the first to break the brunette in pink lineup...but she still a brunette. XD Guess Hiro has a thing for Brunettes. Yas, the title is based on Charlie's Angels. XD Even though Carrie is really the only one here who has the title Angel. But that doesn't matter...anyway, these three girls are the pretty much the only ones who I ship Hiro with. Carrie of course :3 Trina, I would ship her big time with Hiro but only her human self. Not her bot since she was created to be evil...especially for what she did to herself in season 2. Like seriously Trina...wtf. These three girls would make an awesome team. To protect their boy.  I seriously like how this came out. All the girls are pretty and awesome. (: And this is also my first time drawing Trina and she looks great!

Wk 12

Favorite Youtubers (at the moment)

Hey guys what's up its ya boi Adam, bout to list my favorite YouTubers in no order. First join my free iPhone gift card giveaway (jk jk it's a parody of youtuber intros). Also note (some of these youtubers aren't exactly family friendly but I find them funny)

Game Grumps

Game grumps are a Let's play channel focusing on playing video games. The channel was founded in 2012 by Arin Hanson (A.K.A Egoraptor) and his cohost Jon Jafari (A.K.A Jontron). They gained popularity for a while then Jontron left the Game Grumps a year later to persue his solo career as a YouTuber. Arin quickly found another cohost named Danny Avidan (he was in some bands before Grumps and he still is in those bands). This has been the lineup ever since and fans are still happy with their videos and content. The fans of The Grumps are called Lovelies and they have gained a pretty big following of about 6M subscribers and they also have alot of inside jokes and references tied to the grumps such as (Laura, Mmm funny joke, meee tooooo, Arin hating sonic, etc.), they are one of my favorite YouTubers.

Supermega

Supermega was formed in 2016 by 2 people, Matt Watson and Ryan Magee. Funny enough they were the editors for the Game Grumps for years so they are kind of connected. Their channel is more diverse I would say than the Game Grumps, they have A Podcast (Supermegacast), Vlogs, and of course the Let's Play videos. They left the Game Grumps this year to move into their own place (called the Supermegaplex) and focus more on their own channel which is underrated especially compared to the Grumps at 700K subscribers but their fans are loyal, also like the Grumps they have alot of inside jokes and references such as (Watson Family, What are the odds, funny voices, Brett, etc.), they are one of my favorite YouTubers.

Scott The Woz

Scott Wozniak (a.k.a Scott the woz) is a guy who likes to talk about stuff related to video games. My cover photo for this blog is actually a picture of Scott the Woz 😂. He has a unique sense of humor going from Absurd to Satirical to unexpected, he in my opinion is one of the funniest and most underrated youtubers I watch. He is also really informative with his videos and he also chooses subjects in gaming that not many people may think of like (Club Nintendo, demo discs, gamer foods, Madden 08). He also does skit videos every once in a while and they are all funny in their own way. He may not be for anyone but he sure hits close with me.

Toadlet25

Toadlet25 is another gaming channel that I watch but also he is more family friendly then other channels. The Main videos I watch from him are his Planet Coaster and RCT3 videos. He has been on his channel for a while and I've actually been watching for a couple years now. He has been one of my personal favorite YouTubers for a while now and he is highly underrated (he has 58.4 K) in my opinion. Also fun fact he noticed me a couple of times on livestreams so that was really cool. I would reccomend his channel for people looking for good coaster simulator game videos or for a guy who imo is entertaining and has a great laugh.

Pretty Much It

This is a Commentary channel created by 2 guys named Eric and Jacob. They deal with commentating over movies and tv shows (in a M3ST3K (mystery science theater 3000) way). They riff and make fun of movies that are either bad or just weird. They are also popular for their 13 Reasons Why tracks which spawned the oh so popular phrase between fans (GOOOOO TIGEEERRRRSSS). They even toured around the U.S watching Season 3 of 13 Reasons Why called 13 Cities Why. They have gained a small following of around 600K subscribers but they are sure to grow in the future.

Other favorite YouTubers I want to mention

I have more that I will list briefly right now with descriptions on each

Music- ARTV (Jon from Artv reviews and talks about music), theneedledrop (Anthony Fantano talks about music sometimes in a pretentious way, still cool though)

Movies- Chris Stuckmann (Ohio film critic reviews films with seriousness and almost legitimate criticism, great guy who loves film) Channel Awesome (they aren't as good anymore but at their prime they were great, Doug Walker is The Nostalgia Critic, remembering it so you dont have to)

Video Games- Cinemassacre (even though he does movies too, James Rolfe mainly does Game reviews under the character Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN for short) where he's an aggressive nerd who plays very bad retro games) SNES drunk (dont let the name fool you, he's an appropriate channel. He makes short reviews and lists of Retro games from The SNES and Sega Genesis generation of consoles) The Game Chasers

destiel-honeypie replied to your photo “@destiel-honeypie Gonna answer your ask here and combine it with...”

It sounds like an awesome but sad story, could you maybe please tag me if you upload something from the story? But also it's really sad that you experienced something like that, I would like to help but I can't I guess. But if you need something that I can provide just ask me I'm happy if I can help.

@destiel-honeypie​

HONESTLY CURIOSITY TOWARDS MY ORIGINAL STUFF IS ALL I CAN DREAM OF! Especially since I don’t get to talk about them much. If anything, “Everyday Christmas” was the last project I thought I would be able to talk about, especially because of it’s subject matter and how much I put myself into it.

But also I’ve drawn JACK on it, so here’s legitimately all I have of the project development assets that I have thus far.

I’m not kidding when I say the project has a 2% completion status over on my original project lineup list but here we go.

I remember very clearly that I drew Ange way back in 2014 during US Government class in high school, but I’ve since lost that doodle and I hope to find it. TBH tho, not much has changed in terms of Ange’s design from their current counterpart.

Now the reason why I’m at a stalemate with even CHARACTER DESIGNS is because I honestly don’t know what design style this should be animated in.

Which seems like a strange sentiment, but I’m long past explaining my feelings towards handling art styles, so you can read that explanation HERE.

I drafted the screenplay way back in 2015 under the name “DIV-IN” (short for “Divine Intervention” as a temp title) and I printed it physically for posterity’s sake recently.

Around the time I attempted to do this, I still did not understand how screenwriting worked, since at this time I didn’t think about taking taking animation seriously. Much less screenwriting , since I didn’t value myself as a writer. At all. AT ALL.

Here’s a preview of what this temp script contains:

....You can tell a highschooler wrote this lmao. This script will most definitely be scrapped and redone from scratch sometime. Hopefully.

As for design works, since I was in high school with my IRL bestie @mmhinman​ at the time I legit could not for the life of me find the appropriate faces (not design--faces.) for these characters despite having the story down somewhat so I asked her to scribble something for me during passing period. (All I asked for was that these characters need to be fun and easy to draw since the story already hurts to tell, and most of my projects are complex AF in the design department so I wanted some leeway.)

She gave me this:

(The paper is so old, it’s starting to yellow lmao.)

So on the back, I decided to adapt it.

Here are the very first few developmental sketches of the “Boy” and “Mom” characters. (The dad, I have no idea but I have an inkling that I’ll mention in the next bit.)

And then after these sketches were done I put this project on the shelf to work on “The Fledgling.”

It wasn’t until 2017 where I started to get interested in drawing “DIV-IN” since I gained a lot of experience after “The Fledgling” and the preproduction of “Like Glass” began that I wanted to stray away from the original designated aesthetic to be more akin to the works of Yoshihiko Umakoshi (namely his stuff in Casshern Sins and Ojamajo DoReMi--the latter being a childhood favorite of mine.)

The one thing that’s holding me back on this aesthetic being the defining style for the whole project is that I’m super attached to how Ange themself looks--but the style of Ange harkins to my fascination with Lynn Okamoto’s work specifically the adapted designs of “Gokukoku no Brynhildr.” (And a little bit of “Pita Ten.”)

To this day, I’m still torn between the two aesthetics. I haven’t drawn the “Father” character yet because he will look in accordance of the mechanics of the chosen character design style.

If I go the “Umakoshi” route, he’ll probably look something akin to “Braiking Boss” from “Casshern Sins.”

And if I go the “Okamoto” route, then I might look into his other design works for inspiration

Idk if he’ll actually look like Bando specifically but the thought has crossed my mind.

The title was officially finalized this past year in 2018 when I sat down and simmered in trying to find an appropriate title to encompass the whole project on a thematic level. (Especially since I couldn’t take calling it “DIV-IN” anymore lmao.)

And that is literally all I have to “Everyday Christmas” at this current time.

My first mission if I were to deep-dive into it’s production and actually finish writing/drawing it in prep for animation I’d have to find that very first sketch I did of Ange since it’s very important to me, and then round out the final character designs of all the characters. And maybe find proper names for them unless I marry myself to the framing conceit that “this is a fairytale-like story” to heart.

And it may seem like I’m plugging this in a lot but it really is true. If you’re fascinated with “Everyday Christmas” on a writing standpoint, then I really have to mention that it’s a very....uh....straightforward in it’s character writing and themes. As in, there’s very clearly defined “categories” you can sort parties in. (PARENTS=BAD, KID=GOOD, ANGE=GRAY AREA)

Now if you’d like about the same kind of seriousness in the storytelling but crafted much more poignantly and have characters MUCH more nuanced and in grayer areas...That regard would go to the current project I’m writing, “Sow Don’t Sing.” 

I actually compare “Everyday Christmas” and “Sow Don’t Sing” a LOT because the two are the darkest stories I’ve come up with to date despite their mega differences in execution. They also both contain a lot of my own personal feelings and how I’ve come to understand them, especially with my family. 

Thank you again for your concern and support, and I hope my original works can continue to inspire curiosity. :)

Dear Yuletide Author

Hi! This is my first Yuletide and I am super excited to participate in this proud fandom tradition and I can’t wait to read whatever you write!!

Requests for Teen Beach Movie, Blue Beetle, Sweet/Vicious, and a crack meta Nailed It! fic under the cut.

Before I go into my specific requested fandoms, here are some general likes and dislikes:

Likes: Tropes! I love AU, UA, canon-compliant you name it! I love fluff and moments of casual intimacy, but I also really enjoy plot

Favorite tropes: Fake dating, pining, mUTUAL PINING!!!!!!,undercover, roadtrips, bed sharing, locked in a room, PLATONIC SHOWERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (my term for two people with a bad case of UST being forced to shower together, usually in an emergency situation a la this chuck scene)

DNW: Would prefer all of these to be a hard T at the max, noncon/dubcon, first/second person POV, character bashing, die for our ship, A/B/O, Mpreg, songfic (though if you made a playlist while writing i would be delighted to listen to it!!), DARK FICS, torture.

Teen Beach Movie

These two!! I love how they bring out the best in each other: Mack taught Lela feminism, and Lela taught Mack to follow her heart.

Also, their romantic chemistry is ridiculous and becomes more apparent on each viewing. That necklace??? Ugh. They make Cadet Kelly look straight.

These two really belong together, and now they can, through the power of fic! I love tropey stuff and AUs but I’m seriously down for anything. Maybe Mack goes into Lela Queen of the Beach, and they fall in love? The world is your oyster!!

(This Taylor Swift cover of Riptide Lela/Mack video is perfect and I think about it a lot.)

Specific DNWs: Noncon/dubcon, first/second person POV, Tanner and Brady bashing, A/B/O, songfic (unless it's an intentionally terrible song written for Lela, Queen of the Beach).

Blue Beetle

The mention of a teen lantern for the DC Imprint’s Young Justice Lineup reminded me of how awesome Milagro Reyes (and that entire Blue Beetle run!) was, and so I would love a story about Green Lantern Milagro, whether she is a teenager or adult.

I love the warmth of the early 00s Blue Beetle comics and that Jaime TELLS HIS PARENTS!!! AND HIS PARENTS DON’T LOCK HIM UP/FORBID HIM FROM SUPERHEROING!! It’s such a loving and sensible run! In a strange way, it almost feels like a precursor to Ms. Marvel.

I would prefer a fun outer space adventure (bonus points for Milagro having a GL mentor/victim) but if reading this gives you the sudden urge to write MILAGRO TEEN LANTERN IN HIGHSCHOOL, MAKIN’ LIGHT CONSTRUCTS TO GET THROUGH PE AND STOPPING AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL INVASION THAT IS TRYING TO CRASH HER PROM, then whatever floats your boat, dear author!

You can totally have Jaime, Brenda and Paco show up, but it’s not necessary. This is Milagro’s story :)

I treat comic book canon as a buffet so i’m down for whatever timeline/verse you wish (maybe Guy Gardner is Milagro’s mentor or Kyle Rayner is and his buddy (or boyfriend!) Connor Hawke tags along, go wild!!!)

(Also I love all the future kids from around this time, so if Milagro is part of YJ or the Titans along with Jai and Iris West and Lian Harper that’d be super rad!!)

Specific DNWs: First/second person POV, character bashing, A/B/O, Mpreg, character death, Bart/Jaime (great YJ ship, but would be out of place in a comics fic).

Nailed It!

Nailed It! is such a glorious show, that combines the feel-good of GBBO with the delicious chaos of Cutthroat Kitchen. As such, and because I loved the Old Spice Guy Yuletide meta crackfic, I would love a Nailed It! Yuletide meta crackfic.

The idea is to lovingly poke fun at common pitfalls in fic and writing fic, Yuletide fic especially, in the format of a Nailed It! episode (a million bonus points for the requisite Wes cameo/gag).

For example, imagine the challenge was a canon-compliant fic and one of the competitors panicked and wrote a 12k werewolf Mpreg roadtrip AU, and Jacques Torres reads a snippet of it aloud while Nicole Byer goes on a face journey in the background.

As such, feel free to play fast and loose with my general DNWs! Some of which are: first/second person POV, character bashing, Die for Our Ship, A/B/O, Mpreg, and songfic.

Sweet/Vicious

I am so thankful this amazing show got nominated this year!!!!

Ophelia killed a rapist for Jules within like, a day of them first meeting and then they sang Defying Gravity together, what is not to love about these two?? They each know how dark and fucked up the other can be, and they accept and love each other for it!!!

I love their banter and affection; Ophelia looks at Jules like she hung the moon, and Jules can be herself around her, and trusts Ophelia to rein her in if needed.

Anything involving these two getting/being together would make my Yuletide, but some specific suggestions would be:

1. Fake dating!!! The foundations are already there in the show, and it would make for a great s2-esque canon compliant fic with a side of delicious mutual pining

2. I think truth serum (date rape drug gone wrong?) would be a really fun trope for these two (fair warning that this can veer into dubcon terrority so be careful!)

3. Everyone thinks they’re dating (can go hand in hand with #1)

(Also a Chuck AU would be really cool!!)

Specific DNWS: First/second person POV, bashing either of their boyfriends (I will totally roll with whatever handwavy explanation you have for them breaking up, or they could just not have gotten together in the first place/existed), graphic depictions of sexual assault (references to SA happening are fine), Die for Our Ship, A/B/O, dub/noncon, and songfic.