#and I actually used to do a ton of awakening fan art!
Note
How about Fire Emblem Awakening for the fandom ask game? 👀
Favorite Male Character
Easy! That's Henry, my most beloved favorite guy, my first video game wife, my silly rabbit, etc. I love that little dude! Obviously he has an absolutely S tier character design, which I shall include for the convenience of everyone who hasn't seen him before and so everyone can have a good chuckle at how absolutely predictable I am. I don't even have coherent Henry thoughts it's just like. Turning that guy around in my head like a doner kebab, y'know? But also I love that he's so cheerful, I love that he smiles even when it isn't genuine at all, I love his absolute detachment from social norms (and morality), I think it rules that he's always drenched in blood and hanging out with the dead... I just think he has a wonderful innocence that's greatly enhanced by that dash of darkness. The crow puns are also 11/10!!! And of course. A man wearing a skirt with a cape covered in eyes. AND it's all purple and gold. And also has those big loose sleeves- look, it's like he was made specifically for me!! And then the little hand thing at the end of the sleeves... Godddd he's perfect. I'm sorry Ash like I said this is INCOHERENT
[Image ID: A white haired young man in a grey shirt and dark leggings. He wears a short purple wrap skirt around the leggings. A wide purple lined black cloak billows behind him, six golden eyes adorning the collar. He smiles cheerfully and extends a hand above his head to a crow.]
Honorable mentions are Owain (I love chuuni characters...), Ricken (who has the cutest little wizard outfit), and Libra (no one say anything. I already know.)
Favorite Female Character
I made the mistake of cracking open the artbook to help me choose when writing this up and immediately had a list of like a dozen ladies who I think are all the best. This game is hell for that. Henry is so easy but the female characters... jeez. I think I'm going to commit to Maribelle! For one thing Maribelle canon sapphic IntSys can fight me. I know the truth. But also, I like that Maribelle is very assertive despite being a person who isn't a fighter, and her commitment to justice is admirable. She's got a strong spirit and always stands up for what she believes in. I'm very fond of her! She and Lissa should have been able to marry. Why can't they get married, IntSys? Why is that, why are you keeping her down
Honorable mentions: Cynthia (chuuni!!!), Tiki (ancient dragon lady who has outlived all her friends gives me many thoughts. also hot), Say'ri (another great story character), Cherche (pretty lady with big axe and dragon makes brain go brrr), Flavia (another cool fighter lady. wow), Anna (the goddess of random numbers), and of course Lissa (Lissa)
Least Favorite Character
Tharja. It's Tharja. This is easy. My least favorite is Tharja. She does have some funny supports, but I just thinks she's overall uncomfortable to be around and I dislike her overtly sexual design, which kind of presaged a lot of things in Fates I dislike. I find her a very uncompelling yandere and everything with Noire is also uncomfortable. I think it's a damn shame that she was one of the most popular female characters in the game and thus she got carried through so much other stuff.
Honorable mention: Cordelia. I don't find her pining for Chrom forever thing or her being literally perfect thing interesting. Also a vaguely uncomfortable character in some ways, but not at all as bad and Severa rules so hey. Makes up for it.
Favorite Ship
Well, when I was in high school I was a serious Henricken guy! I don't really know why, honestly. I think it was just a "these are my two favorite characters, I want to see them together." As a mature adult, allow me to say: Libra and Lon'qu is the pinnacle. I mean. All Libra ships are 11/10, that's Libra's nature, but I feel like that's something that I've seen so much compelling stuff about for years.
On the sapphic side of things, Say'ri and Tiki are obviously just married and I love that for them. The devoted warrior and the immortal dragon she protects... it's amazing. I also really love Severa and Lucina! Severa is just a fantastic character in general, and I love the initial tension between Lucina as the principled warrior and Severa, who's committed to spurning her duties (but is devoted deep down). I feel like these are like, two of the most typical possible picks. But like. They're amazing, you know?
And if you asked me to pick an m/f, since I am seeing that I've not done that, Cynthia and Morgan. It's cute :)
There are so many characters with good chemistry, I know that I cheated badly here ^^;; But like. It's all so good!!!
Favorite Friendship
The Justice Cabal!!! Which is to say, everything between Owain, Morgan, and Cynthia. I love that they're all just little weirdos and I love the idea of them hanging out being little weirdos together. Morgan isn't a chuuni but they're chuuni adjacent... the weirdgirl energy in a room containing all three of them must be off the charts. I love it.
I'm also a huge fan of platonic Chrom and female Robin. QPR Chrobin is the way... And I think there's also something really beautiful about Chrom doing so much for a woman he loved and valued as a friend, and that being as powerful as if she was a romantic paramour.
Favorite Quote
Uh besides everything that comes out of Owain's mouth? Or Henry's... Well, I'd say that because I'm incredibly cheesy, it's that "Welcome back." at the very end.
Worst Character Death (if any)
It's been a looooong time since I last played Awakening so obviously I'm going to give you the most absolutely basic answer ever: Emmeryn's death. I just think it's a really good dramatic moment, and it's a place where that false choice works. It's good characterization for Robin and it's also so fitting that it doesn't do anything at all. Emmeryn's sacrifice is only in her own hands. It's painful to watch. I like the way it echoes through the rest of the pre-time skip stuff, and it's such a heart breaking touch to see sage Lissa's clothing.
Of course, it's also the worst death because the paralogue that brings her back cheapens the hell out of it for no real narrative reason and there really isn't anything the story has to do with her, unlike the enemies that can be rescued or Robin. If any one character should have stayed dead, it should have been Emmeryn.
This made me so happy you have no idea Moment
Okay time to come out and say I'm one of the five people who actually loves the end of Awakening. I KNOW people say it makes the sacrifice feel cheap. And it does, objectively. But ALSO. Do you know how happy it made me at fifteen?! You have no idea. I actually cried seeing that mirrored scene at the ending. I'm a sucker for when it all comes around. And like... the hope of that ending is also really great. It may have been a graver and more real game if those consequences really had been what they seemed, but I do love the miracle of breaking the cycle.
Saddest Moment
I've already touched on Emmeryn's sacrifice and Robin's sacrifice... hmm. I'd say that it's learning about the choice between sealing Grima temporarily and destroying him forever. When the hero learns they need to die for the greater good, that's something that always sends a pang through my heart. And the buildup to either saving themself (what Chrom wants and is so willing to support!) or becoming a martyr is, well, really good. I'm remembering it through the eyes of someone who found it very fresh, I suppose. Along with that is Lucina's assassination attempt. I mean, that's just tragic. She's right to want to kill you, but she'll never be able to do it.
Favorite Location
Either the Mila Tree or Mount Prism- I love verdant places filled with light and water. Both maps feel so soothing. They also feel so far apart from the ordinary world... it's humbling, in a way. Wonderful.
(buuuuut also Grima's back. I love that dragon man)
#sorryyyy I went a little overboard#I reallyyyyy loved awakening as a teen if you can't tell#and I actually used to do a ton of awakening fan art!#alas it is all in the limbo of my parents' house now#ask me emithing#ask game#coherency is so low here because I haven't played it in years but my love is strong and I have a book with all supports in it#as well as all situational dialogue and battle quotes#thank u for my life awakening artbook#turbulentpumpkin43
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Disney doesn't know meta. Meta doesn't mean just stringing a bunch of characters on screen for half a second each. Meta isn't just lampshade hanging (commenting in-character on the existence of a cliche or trope as it's being used).
So lemme take a shot on what a properly meta Chip and Dale would've been:
Chip meets Ellie out in the world - she is a huge fan, and she takes an offhand comment from him out of context that causes her Facebook fanpage to blow up with the possibility of a Rescue Rangers reboot. Disney sits up and take notice and call Dale's agent to tell him to get the original cast onboard for a reboot. The first act is just Dale getting the gang together - probably asking Chip first, and then getting told Chip won't go for it unless everyone else is in first.
The next act is about the work of making this reboot, and the continuing interference of a "brand consultant" who is "here to make sure this reboot within community standards".
Filming includes many unpleasant discoveries about how things have changed. Instead of getting a full script, they get the day's scenes delivered by the creepiest spy-looking character imaginable. Backgrounds and even major props will be "CGI in post" (Gadget is incredibly disappointed because she really enjoyed building the gadgets in the original show - even got a producer's credit for it. Chip complains about the laziness of replacing real set-building with "cheap CGI tricks" which upsets Dale).
Chip: And what's with this line?
Disney liaison: Oh, we've decided to hint Fat Cat is gay and is attracted to Chip - Disney's first LGBT character!
Chip: Oh, is it June already?
The whole thing is a soulless mashup of pointless references and gratuitous crossovers, and worse there's a leak in the studio that is awakening a lot of negative chatter online. Ellie, who got the part of the unnecessary human tagalong character, is the prime suspect.
Of particular concern is the Last Page of the script, which the studio liaison indicates would be a disaster if it leaked.
Dale has been trying to get everyone to relax and lean into the movie - "Dude, it's just a movie. Stop acting like it needs to be Shakespeare", but Chip is suspicious, and eventually gets in to read the last page.
Chip: ...Dale dies? What sort of an ending is that?
Disney Liaison: The sort of ending no one would expect. At least as long as no one spoils it.
Chip: This is a terrible ending!
Disney Liaison: For Dale, sure. But...not necessarily for you. This can set you up for your own franchise. Double-O Dale failed because it had no connection to his most popular character. Here - you can be the star of a new, edgy franchise. Chip and His Rescue Rangers.
Chip: I don't-
Disney Liaison: And it's so much cleaner this way. With your different art styles, you don't...match.
Chip: Yeah, the CGI is a little awkward to work with.
Disney Liaison: Better to cut loose the dead weight and have a fresh start...right?
Dale of course overhears most of this and decides to leak the ending to tank the movie - going to a huge gathering of Chip and Dale fans at Comicon.
Chip tries to stop him, and instead of his big announcement, Chip and Dale have an awkward gratuitous rap battle about the show and actually work through some of their own frustrations with each other.
Afterward, though-
Chip: That felt gratuitous
Bystander: You've got a ton of views of the video of you two already - that's all that matters.
Chip: ...All that matters is...the views.
Chip: Holy - Dale we gotta go!
They finally corner the liaison
Chip: You're the leaker, aren't you? You're making everyone hate the movie before it comes out! For - clickbait!
Disney Liaison: What does it matter?
Chip: You're ruining the movie on purpose! Why - why would you do that?
Disney Liaison: Look, three weeks after your movie comes out, we've got the next installment of the MCU, and buzz has been - lackluster. So I figured if we released a terrible movie beforehand, people would want to see it more in comparison.
Dale: You're wasting millions of dollars to make a movie you intend to fail?
Disney Liaison: Who said it would fail?
Dale: ...What?
Disney Liaison: People are TALKING about it, boys. And if there's enough chatter, people are going to WANT to see how bad it is.
Chip: Come on - once people see the reviews that it's unwatchable-
Disney Liaison: The director sends a tweet accusing the Hollywood elite attacking the movie for not pandering to their "woke" politics.
Disney Liaison: See, movie making isn't about "telling a story" or whatever you've been complaining about. It's about controlling the media narrative to encourage people to SEE the movie...whatever it takes.
Chip: I know one thing that'll make it so NO ONE wants to see this movie.
Disney Liaison: What?
Dale: *holds up his phone showing the leaked last page on his twitter*
Dale: Spoilers.
In the end, because all they've done is film in front of a bunch of green screens and haven't contracted the CGI yet almost no money has been spent and they're able to wrangle a new script (I wanted to describe a plot point where Ellie is a writer and there's been hints also that she'd been working on a script for years - possibly even post the last couple of pages of the script on her fanpage to hype the new script).
#chip and dale#how it should have gone#fiction i guess#can't be 'meta' without actually critiquing how things work
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do you think dianna is intelligent or did she reach where she is (social status wise) because just she’s pretty (i love her sm but i’m curious because we dont know her personality yet there are lots of pretty girls, esp now with the abundance of cosmetic procedures, that did not go anywhere and are failing to make it)
i mean… i think we do know her personality lol. she has been in the public eye for over ten years, although of course she has gotten quieter in recent years. there are tons of stories of people meeting her or that coworkers have told. she had a whole blog and art collective website to share with fans etc. she has put more of herself out there than many celebs! i think in more recent years, it has become more common to share less actual personal stuff and have someone else run your social media etc.
but it is interesting that she got famous since she isnt.. a particularly amazing actress and didn’t have family connections as far as i’m aware. i don’t think she’s not smart, but i wouldn’t necessarily use that as a word to describe her hah. i think she is just gorgeous and sweet and charming and got lucky. lea latched onto her and she was the star of glee and ryan’s favorite. the show had a lot of people who were new to acting at least relatively and they didn’t know it would be as big as it was. dianna, in particular, got a lot of attention from fans because 1) she was SO nice 2) she put so much out there to connect with people and 3) shes gorgeous and mysterious so shes easy for people to latch onto and obsess over. she also awakened a generation of girls sexualities so there’s that lol
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(I usually don’t post prank stuff. But that’s kinda cute)
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We’ve done the studies. We’ve checked the math. And we at Cryptic Studios have finally discovered what every Star Trek fan really wants. What else? You want to date your starships. Who wouldn’t? Look at the ample nacelles on that Excelsior class.* That’s why we’re announcing a brand new expansion to Star Trek Online this morning.** Star Trek Online: Date Your Starship will bring never before seen gameplay8** to you, the very deserving Star Trek fans. In what we’re calling a “dating simulation,”**** you’ll be able to choose one of five unique paths, with more to come!***** Your favorite starships******, like you’ve never seen them before. Each ship will use a combination of augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and holographic technology to finally project their personality into the world, and confess their true feelings for you. Five paths, endless******* possibilities for stories, where you are the Captain. Read on to learn more about each of these fabulous story paths!
MAIN STORY
At Starbase 40, secret experiments have been going on for three decades under the watchful eye of Fleet Admiral Barclay********. These controversial, but necessary experiments allow for a new type of interface between a starship and their Captain, unlocking the starship’s true personality. As one of the galaxy’s premiere commanders, you’ve been selected to pilot this new program, with one of five starships already outfitted with the technology. In order to best accustom these newborn AI to the world, it’s been decided that they’ll all be programmed to believe they are attending “Fleet School,” with you as their sole human classmate. Captain, we’ll need you to interact with these ships and teach them how to be sentient beings, and of course, select the ship that you will command out into the Final Frontier.
Living starships with AI programmed to be hormonal teenagers. What could go wrong?
AKIRA
Akira is known for her curiosity and her commitment to science. She’s a little too excited to explore the Galaxy, chafing at being stuck in the Fleet School. There’s just so many wonders out there to discover! If only she had a true partner who could show her all of the sights among the stars.
VASTAM
Immediately upon being activated, Vastam ran for Class President. When informed that there was no student government, she declared herself the President in a landslide victory, and immediately set about enforcing the rules. She has no time for troublemakers and rebels, but she may have time for you. Can you get her to let her hair down, or will you join her in ruling the classroom with an iron fist?
BORTASQU’
In his few short weeks of life, Bortasqu’ has already won gold medals in track and field, basketball, and American football. We don’t actually know how, he’s literally a 5,000 ton starship. His other interests include chest bumping, sneaking soda into class, butting heads with Vastam, and you. Choose Bortasqu’ if you just want to have a lot of fun, and do way too much running.
VANGUARD CARRIER
The shy wallflower, Vanguard Carrier, or “V.C.,” as Bortasqu’ dubbed him, is a Vorta with no Founder. He is absolutely terrified, and hides behind his faith in the Founders to protect him at all times. What appears to be a demeaning sneer may just hide a heart of gold, but it will take you some digging to get there.
KHITOMER
The youngest AI, and newest to awaken, Khitomer is all about friendship. They believe that everyone in the fleet can get along, if they just try. You’ll often find them breaking up the arguments between Vastam and Bortasqu’, helping Akira with a science experiment, or listening to V.C. go on about the Founders. But with all of the time they spend helping others, they never spend any time on themselves. Can you teach them to love themselves, in a world of conflict?
These five ships form the main storyline of Star Trek Online: Date Your Starship. If you're excited to try this new game, make sure to share your thoughts and fan art with the hashtag #DateYourStarship! We can’t wait for you to enroll in Fleet School and meet them all for yourself, Captains. It’s going to be an adventure you’ll never forget. Coming later in 2021! *********
*Gross.
**No we’re not.
***There’s literally thousands of these games.
****You didn’t come up with that!
*****There are no more to come.
******You mean the starships you picked arbitrarily.
*******Five. Just five.
********WHAT
*********It REALLY isn’t.
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If you like Danganronpa, you might like...
I’ve discovered quite a few games/animes I’ve loved and even new fandoms by using recommendation engines/following online message board recommendations for people who already like the Danganronopa games or anime or manga, and I thought I’d give a quick rundown of how these things have worked out for me.
I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, honestly... it’s just time-consuming to write it all up, y’know?
Today, I’ll focus primarily on the video game side. If I put “Danganronpa” (any entry) into a recommendation engine, these are the results that I see spit back at me the most... and now that I’ve tried all the most common results, here are my findings.
Persona
Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d: The storylines have teenagers in Japan having to investigate dark goings-on while counterbalancing that with scenes of daily life that are lighter and more humorous. There are also “social link” scenes with the other characters that could easily be compared to the “Free Time Events” in DR, wherein you learn more about the lives of your compatriots via some one-on-one time.
What I Played: Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden on my Vita, then Persona Q on my 3DS. And I watched the main anime adaptions for 3 and 4...
Did It Work for Me? Will it Work for Others? Persona 3 and 4 absolutely worked for me. Q didn’t so much; the Etrian Odyssey-style map-your-own-first-person-dungeon gameplay was a turnoff. Regardless, it’s hard to pin down exactly why there is SO DAMN MUCH crossover between Persona and Danganronpa fans - probably more than anything else I’ve got listed here - because they’re actually very different. These are RPGs with turn-based combat and fantastical story elements involving magic and mystical beings and other worlds. And yet... I do feel the tonal similarity, and the characters feel like they could be at home in a DR game or vice-versa. And I deeply loved 3 and 4. (The stories are individualized to each numbered entry with the exception of the two “Persona 2″ games, so you can jump in on any numbered entry without any problem). I am excited to one day play 5 (although it is so much easier for me to play portables so I really, really, really wish there was some portable version of 5 in existence). Also note that the “social links” didn’t exist UNTIL Persona 3, so you can’t really go back and find that aspect in the first few titles. I can’t say these will work for everyone, but the massive amount of fan overlap says something, so if you’re game for a turn-based RPG AND you like Danganronpa... have I got a soup here for you.
Zero Escape Series (”9 Persons, 9 Hours, 9 Doors” + “Virtue’s Last Reward” + “Zero Time Dilemma”)
Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d: Dark, complex storyline filled with twists, memorable characters trapped in killing game, a mysterious mastermind, visual novel-style presentation, off-kilter humor interjected at surprising times.
What I Played: All three games on the Vita (the first two are collected as “The Nonary Games”).
Did It Work for Me? Will it Work for Others? Yes and yes. Aside from maybe Zanki Zero (see below), this is probably the most obvious thing to recommend to Danganronpa fans, and I’m kind of surprised there isn’t even more of a fandom to it. I can see why it doesn’t have as big of a following as DR - I mean, the humor isn’t quite as widespread and the characters are a bit less quirkily odd - but it’s hard not to get sucked in and fall in love with these stories. The big point of separation for DR fans is that instead of “Trials” where you use logic to solve puzzles, you have to constantly do “escape rooms” and use logic to find your way out of those rooms by doing point-and-click style hunting for items and solving puzzles in those rooms. Just like in DR, however, you’ll find that the more you fail, the more the game gives you increasingly blatant hints as to what you’re supposed to be doing, so it’s not like anything should get you stuck for too long. There’s also the somewhat obtuse nature of how to progress at times, but if you use the branching storyline map whenever you get stuck to look for updated items, you’ll probably be just fine (I hear the DS version of the first game doesn’t have such a map - or even voice acting - so you may need to beware of that being the most obtuse version out there). I loved these games, even if my rankings for them are probably out of sync with how most of the fandom seems to feel.
Phoenix Wright
Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d: Visual novel-style plot and investigation scenes, murder trials with logic puzzles where you need to point out flaws in testimony/falsehoods using evidence, plenty of humor.
What I Played: All of the first game (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) on the DS
Did It Work For Me? Will It Work for Others? Well... this is a little unfair, because I played the first one of these before I ever played Danganronpa, but... I didn’t like it. The humor was... lame for me? and I found the trials excruciatingly difficult because MY version of how the logic was flawed was never exactly how they wanted me to approach it. It was a matter of me attacking the wrong parts of sentences over the same general facts but... yeah... I didn’t get into this. Maybe I’m dumb, or was dumb, but it didn’t click for me and I only got through the first game using a guide and expending a lot of patience. I later tried out the anime because I heard it had a good rep (and this was after getting into DR and anime in general), and I didn’t care for that either. So I don’t know about this one.. it wasn’t up my alley. Will it work for other people? Well, clearly it DOES work for other people or this wouldn’t be considered a similar recommendation that comes up so often, typically in the top three of “if you like DR games” results! I do think the humor is FAR different than that of Danganronpa’s, and the characters lack the same kind of nuanced depth you see in DR (but again, that’s just from me playing the first game). But it’s easy to see from the “Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d” that there are elements that would definitely appeal to DR players. Give it a try for yourself if you aren’t already a fan, I’d say. My experience feels... esoteric to what most people think. I may need to try one again. These are on tons of platforms nowadays, many with demos, and often at discounted prices.
Zanki Zero: Last Beginning
Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d: It’s made by largely the same team using the same art style and presentation stlye and is an extremely dark story full of unique personalities and LOADS of weird off-kilter humor with zany mascots somehow overseeing apocalyptic circumstances and the characters look and act like they could easily be in DR and...
What I Played: The whole lone game from start to finish on my PS4.
Did It Work For Me? Will It Work for Others? HELL YES. Everyone who likes DR should really give this a chance. It gives off so much of a similar vibe despite being a “survival”-style game with navigation puzzles rather than logic puzzles, and you can turn off the survival/combat aspects entirely if that’s not your thing! And the story is excellent and the characters are excellent and really just please play this. Underrated game of 2019, and most underrated game that needs a fandom that I’ve ever played.
Fire Emblem
Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d: The bonding sequences you get when your units stand next to each other could be compared to FTEs. It’s got an anime design aesthetic, and the story can go pretty dark. Characters may suffer permadeath (even if other characters won’t react to this fact), so I guess there’s that...
What I Played: Awakening and Fates on the 3DS in their entirety (Yes, I did all three routes on Fates).
Did It Work For Me? Will It Work for Others? I can’t say I fully “get” this one. Fire Emblem is a turn-based strategy game that takes place in a medieval setting, so why is it always turning up in recommendations for people who play Danganronpa? Yes, I did enjoy it quite a bit. I became a newly minted fan of Fire Emblem. Success! And yet... I don’t know that the crossover is obvious to me, nor do I expect it would be a clear-cut case for most DR fans. I don’t even know that all of the traits Iisted under “Why This is Probably Getting Rec’d” actually apply to the whole series. I suppose that any game series that has a balance of darkness and humor plus a “character bonding” scene mechanic might just fall into the “if you like Danganronpa... “ pit, regardless of how incredibly different EVERYTHING ELSE is. But perhaps there’s a deeper connection here than I realize. Care to theorize?
#fire emblem#phoenix wright#danganronpa#danganronpa fandom#zero escape#zero escape series#persona#zanki zero#zanki zero: last beginning#video games
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2020 Book List
For 2020, I made a new years resolution to read 52 books by the end of the year.... which is one of the first new years resolutions I’ve actually kept!! Here are some of my favorites, and my thoughts about everything I read.
As a note: I know audiobooks // ebooks aren’t everyone’s thing, but I read most of these through the Brooklyn Public Library using Libby, and through HOOPLA, the LAPL app. HOOPLA has a ton of stuff, and all you need is to write down an LA address to get a virtual library card. (And just saying, they don’t do anything to confirm that’s your actual address...)
MY LIST with favorites bolded (in the order I read them)
The first bad man, Miranda July
Can’t we talk about something more pleasant, roz chast
Killing and Dying, Adrian Tomine
The Idiot, Elif Batuman
Bad Friends, Ancco
Fully coherent plan: for a better society, David Shrigley
Through a Life, Tom Haugomat
A Body Worth Defending, Ed Cohen
The Hospital Suite, John Porcellini
Excuse Me, Liana Finck
Ongoingness, Sarah Manguso
The Romance of Tristan, Beroul
Two Kinds of Decay, Sarah Manguso
Unfinished Business, Vivian Gornick
300 Arguments, Sarah Manguso
No one belongs here more than you, Miranda July
Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison
Women, Chloe Caldwell
Romance or the End, Elaine Kahn
How to Murder Your Life, Cat Marnell
Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
A Body Undone, Christina Crosby
Delta of Venus, Anaïs Nin
Sick, Porochista Khakpour
Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson
Eros the Bittersweet, Anne Carson
Norma Jean Baker of Troy, Anne Carson
Hunger, Roxanne Gay
Grief Sequence, Prageeta Sharma
The Undying, Anne Boyer
Illness as Metaphor, Susan Sontag
Gut Feminism, Elizabeth A. Wilson
Come as You Are, Emily Nagoski
Practicalities, Marguerite Duras
The Soft Life, Bridgette Talone
Look at Me, Anita Brookner
The Cancer Diaries, Audre Lorde
Zami, Audre Lorde
Fearing the Black Body, Sabrina Strings
Unbearable lightness, Portia di Rossi
The Art of Cruelty, Maggie Nelson
The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides
The Red Parts, Maggie Nelson
Jazz, Toni Morrison
The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides
Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem
Pain Studies, Lisa Olstein
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula k. Le Guin
Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude, Ross Gay
Coeur de Leon, Ariana Reines
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong
TOP 10 Books (in no order)
The Cancer Diaries, Audre Lorde
Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
Eros the Bittersweet, Anne Carson
Unfinished Business, Vivian Gornick
The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides
Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson
Zami, Audre Lorde
Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude, Ross Gay
Come as You Are, Emily Nagoski
Coeur de Lion, Ariana Reines
Favorite queer books
Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
The Cancer Diaries, Audre Lorde
Zami, Audre Lorde
Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong
Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude, Ross Gay
Favorite books about illness
Sick, Porochista Khakpour
A Body Undone, Christina Crosby
The Cancer Diaries, Audre Lorde
The Undying, Anne Boyer
Gut Feminism, Elizabeth A. Wilson
Pain Studies, Lisa Olstein
Two Kinds of Decay, Sarah Manguso
Favorite graphic novels
Through a Life, Tom Haugomat
The Hospital Suite, John Porcellini
Excuse Me, Liana Finck
Can’t we talk about something more pleasant? Roz Chast
Killing and Dying, Adrian Tomin
Favorite nonfiction
Fearing the Black Body, Sabrina Strings
Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison
The Art of Cruelty, Maggie Nelson
Gut-Feminism, Elizabeth A. Wilson
Come as You Are, Emily Nagoski
A Body Worth Defending, Ed Cohen
AND..... if you’re interested in seeing my thoughts on each book.....
A Complete List of Every Book I Read in 2020 and My Thoughts (listed in the order read)
The first bad man, Miranda July
This book is absolutely wild, and I greatly enjoyed it – I don’t think it’s everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for something very funny, surreal and visceral, I’d recommend. I described it to my friend as like if my psyche wrote a book, or like a very true dream. I enjoyed her collection of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You, more - but they’re both excellent.
Killing and Dying, Adrian Tomine
This was the first graphic novel I read this year. Zadie Smith said about this book, “Adrian Tomine has more ideas in twenty panels than novelists have in a lifetime,” so I was very intrigued. It reminds me a lot of Nick Drnaso’s Sabrina which is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) graphic novels. I love the book’s minimalist style, and bits of it felt like getting punched emotionally – so I’d recommend if you’re looking for that!
Can’t we talk about something more pleasant? Roz Chast
Roz Chast’s memoir about her parent’s final years is incredibly funny and beautifully done. I think New York Jews will especially enjoy – but I’d recommend to anyone!
The Idiot, Elif Batuman
For whatever reason, this book really grated on my nerves and I was not a fan. Batuman writes about a freshman at Harvard studying linguistics and writing emails to this man I wanted to punch. A lot of people love this book, so I definitely wouldn’t say not to read it – perhaps it just triggered too much of my anxiety from freshman year of college to be pleasurable. I find it similar to Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot, but I liked The Marriage Plot significantly more.
Bad Friends, Ancco
Content warning for abuse/violence – this graphic novel is really dark, and the violence is quite graphic. But overall, I thought it was beautifully done – and I really love the author’s drawing style.
Fully coherent plan: for a better society, David Shrigley
I love David Shrigley – this book is really silly, and I honestly just picked it up from the library because the outside looks fun. It’s a quick read mostly made up of minimalist drawings – so if you want something not-too-serious that will make you laugh, I’d recommend.
Through a life, Tom Haugomat
I also grabbed this from the library because it looked pretty (oops). I absolutely love this illustrator (he’s worth following on Insta even if you don’t read this book). It’s a series of illustrations of a boy that wants to be an astronaut, and it’s one of the most astoundingly beautiful things I’ve read this year. There are no words, and I nearly cried at the end.
A Body Worth Defending, Ed Cohen
This book discusses the history/construction of autoimmunity, and how the idea of a body “attacking itself” is inherently biopolitical. As someone with an autoimmune disorder, I found this book fascinating, but it’s also really dense so I’d just recommend if you have a particular interest in autoimmunity.
The Hospital Suite, John Porcellini
Done by the author of King Cat, this graphic novel follows the protagonist through a series of different severe medical problems. I thought it was really well done and would recommend if you’re interested in art about chronic illness.
Excuse Me, Liana Finck
I’m obsessed with everything Liana Finck does – if you don’t follow her on Instagram you should! – and this book was no exception. It’s very funny and poignant – if you like her cartoons, you’d definitely enjoy!
Ongoingness, Sarah Manguso
My friend recommended this to me a few years ago, and I recently reread. Sarah Manguso writes about her lifelong pursuit of keeping a hyper-meticulous diary, which fascinated me as someone who used to do this, too. It’s a very quick read and made me think more deeply about the desire to constantly record ones’ life as a protection against passing time.
The Romance of Tristan, Beroul
This book is wild – I read it for a class. It’s a medieval book that doesn’t really make sense and I do not think you should read it unless you are also taking a class on Medieval Drugs.
Two Kinds of Decay, Sarah Manguso
Here, Manguso writes about her autoimmune blood disorder, and her suicidal depression, relating the experience of her first flare when she was in college. Big content warning for graphic depictions of hospitals/illness/needles etc., as well as depression. I found it interesting, but I cannot overstate how graphic and upsetting this book is.
Unfinished Business, Vivian Gornick
Absolutely one of the best books I read this year. I saw Vivian Gornick talk at Pomona and was floored. Here, Gornick writes about being a chronic-re reader, and discusses some of her favorite books and how her relationship changed with them throughout time. I found myself underlining everything, her prose is just so wonderful. I think everyone should read this.
300 Arguments, Sarah Manguso
I like Sarah Manguso, so I ordered this. It’s a set of interconnected aphorisms like “Bad art is from no one to no one.” Manguso is clearly brilliant and this book is very well written – it’s just a bit too minimalist for me. I would definitely recommend Ongoingness if you want to read something by her.
No one belongs here more than you, Miranda July
I am obsessed with this short story collection. Again, don’t think Miranda July is everyone’s cup of tea, but the stories were so viscerally weird in a way that really resonated with me.
Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison
I’ve listened to Christy Harrison’s podcast Food Psych for a while now, so was very excited when her book came out. The book focuses on (in Harrison’s words) “Reclaim[ing] your time, money, health, and happiness from our toxic diet culture.” As someone in ED recovery, this book/Harrison’s work in general have changed my life (which I do not say lightly!) – anyone who struggles with body image/their relationship with food should absolutely read this.
Women, Chloe Caldwell
I read this because a girl on Tinder told me too (lol) – it’s about a woman’s sexual awakening and relationship with this woman, Finn, who reminds me of a lot of hot women I follow on Tik Tok that wear suits and look mean. It takes a minute to get into. I overall enjoyed it, and was touched by the book at the end, but found a lot of the prose to be pretty clunky. So, would I recommend – I don’t know, maybe?
Romance or the End, Elaine Kahn
My friend recommended this book of poetry to me. Elaine Kahn is so talented and writes so beautifully – another book where I found myself underlining everything. Would definitely recommend!
How to Murder Your Life, Cat Marnell
Cat Marnell’s memoir recounts her struggles with bulimia and addiction while working as a beauty editor. I found it enthralling and hard to put down. I recommended it to a friend who had to put it down because it was too stressful. I think it’s a great book, but not for everyone.
Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
If the meaning of the title intrigues you, I would definitely recommend. This coming-of-age story follows Brown’s childhood, and relationships with women. I thought I liked Women by Chloe Caldwell until I read this book. Very gay, very good!!!! I could not put it down!
A Body Undone, Christina Crosby
In this memoir, Crosby writes about queerness/disability through the lens of her experience after a bicycle accident that left her paralyzed. If you want something gay with lots of theory, this book is for you! Fun fact: Crosby is the friend Nelson writes about in The Argonauts. As a heads up, though, the descriptions of pain can be pretty graphic/triggering.
Delta of Venus, Anaïs Nin
I wanted to read something by Anaïs Nin and this is absolutely NOT what I should have read. Nin wrote this erotica for a man who didn’t like romance and wanted her to skip to the sex – the foreword is basically her ranting about the man who commissioned her to write this work. There’s a lot of (unsurprisingly) incest, as well as depictions of rape/assault. I do not recommend.
Sick, Porochista Khakpour
Sick is a memoir about Khakpour’s experience living with lyme disease, and her struggle to attain a diagnosis and proper treatment. I didn’t know anything about lyme, so found this book very enlightening. I’d add it to your list if you’re interested in memoirs of chronic illness.
Eros the Bittersweet, Anne Carson
I read this book because a character in the L Word talked about it (oops….). But wow, this is truly one of the best things I’ve ever read (thanks Marina!). Even Carson’s prose is breathtakingly poetic – she stitches together Sappho’s writing, Greek myths & critical theory so seamlessly. I felt like a different person when I finished.
Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson
I absolutely loved this book. Autobiography of Red is a love story between two men based on a Greek myth. It feels surprisingly epic, despite being a pretty short read. It feels a bit like the long-form-poem version of Song of Achilles. (If you read this book and enjoyed it, absolutely read Song of Achilles).
Norma Jean Baker of Troy, Anne Carson
I love Anne Carson, but I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the others. Maybe it’s because it’s a performance piece and I read it rather than watching it be performed, or maybe I just didn’t get it.
Hunger, Roxanne Gay
In this memoir, Roxanne Gay writes about her rape (so content warning for that, as there are very graphic descriptions), and her relationship with her body. This is one of the most brutally honest books I’ve encountered about food, body image and eating disorders – Gay does not sanitize her self-blame and self-hatred – and it’s an important counternarrative to how fatness is commonly represented in the media. I would not recommend it if you’re in the depths of an ED or early on in ED recovery because it’s pretty triggering. I think it’s an important read, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable just telling anyone to read it off the bat.
Grief Sequence, Prageeta Sharma
Prageeta Sharma is a Pomona professor who is wonderful, so I was very excited to read her book. Grief Sequence is an evocative, moving, and incredibly powerful story of Sharma losing her husband to cancer. It made me even more excited to work with her, and I would definitely recommend especially if you go to the 5cs!
The Undying, Anne Boyer
I’m not sure exactly what to call The Undying – maybe memoir, maybe autofiction? But Boyer combines narrative about her own experience with breast cancer with cultural criticism, drawing on both her experience as a poet and an essayist. This book was definitely one of my favorite works about illness I’ve read this year.
Illness as Metaphor, Susan Sontag
I found this book interesting, but not my favorite of what I’ve read about chronic illness. Sontag writes about how tuberculosis and cancer take on particular cultural symbolism – did you know that tuberculosis was associated with sexual desirability? I did not! Perhaps the piece wasn’t as interesting to me because people don’t tend to get tuberculosis anymore. If you’re particularly interested in TB/cancer, or if you’re writing your thesis about chronic illness I would read, but otherwise, not sure I I’d recommend.
Gut Feminism, Elizabeth A. Wilson
This book discusses depression through the lens of the gut, arguing for feminists to incorporate biological data into their analysis. It’s pretty dense, so I’d only recommend if depression, anti-depressants, and the politics of the gut are particularly interesting to you. But as someone interested in those things, great read!
Come as You Are, Emily Nagoski
Here, Nagoski discusses female sexuality and arousal in a way that made me realize I actually knew nothing about how female arousal works. For example, did you know wetness ≠ arousal? I didn’t! This book truly revolutionized how I think about sex/sexuality. The only caveat is that the book does center on the experiences of cis women (which the author does admit in a disclaimer at the beginning), so I hope that there are future works that touch on the same ideas in more inclusive ways.
Practicalities, Marguerite Duras
I really like Marguerite Duras – The Lover is one of my favorite books – but this book didn’t really do it for me. Duras is brilliant, but parts of it felt a bit mundane/dated. A lot of people love this book, though, so I feel like it’s just me!
The Soft Life, Bridgette Talone
I made a goal for myself to read more poetry this year, since I usually read mostly prose. This is an example of the kind of poetry I struggle reading – l am less drawn to poetry that completely strays away from narrative – and this book was a bit too abstract for me. There’s beautiful imagery, it just felt like it went over my head. But it was recommended by a friend whose taste I greatly respect, so maybe it’s for you and just no for me!
Look at Me, Anita Brookner
This book took me a while to finish. Look at Me follows a librarian and aspiring novelist in her friendship with a glamorous couple. It’s very dry, witty, observant, and brilliantly satirical. I’m very glad I finished it, but it took a while to get pulled in.
The Cancer Diaries, Audre Lorde
Lorde writes about loving women, and her experience with breast cancer. It’s a collection of entries from her journal, combined with meditations on these entries. So, so very beautiful! Also very heartbreaking. This might be my favorite book I’ve read about illness.
Zami, Audre Lorde
Lorde’s wonderful coming-of-age novel covers her life growing up in New York, and her relationships with different women. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did it was addictive to read. Certain scenes are just so breathtakingly vivid, and I don’t think I’ve read anyone who writes as well as Lorde about loving women. Also, she went to my high school, so that part was very wild to read – definitely recommend in particular to fellow Hunterites!
Fearing the Black Body, Sabrina Strings
I’ve wanted to read this book ever since listening to Strings on one of my favorite podcasts (FoodPsych). This book discusses the historical construction of thinness as an ideal tied to whiteness – it’s very well written and illuminating. I feel like the idealization of thinness is something that is often really tolerated and encouraged in liberal spaces (*cough* Claremont colleges *cough*), so definitely recommend. If you don’t have time for the book, I’d definitely suggest checking out the podcast episode!
Unbearable Lightness, Portia di Rossi
This memoir discusses di Rossi’s experience with anorexia/bulimia, and her relationship with her queerness. I read it in a day, I was so engrossed. However, I wouldn’t recommend to anyone in early stages of ED recovery, or in the thrust of an eating disorder.
The Art of Cruelty, Maggie Nelson
If you have read other works by Maggie Nelson and enjoyed them, and are interested in literature about cruelty, I’d recommend! It’s more theoretical than her other works and it’s pretty dense – I’ll definitely have to read it again to fully ‘get’ it. But Nelson is such a brilliant cultural critic that it’s a pleasure to read anything she writes. Like “truth in art is but a feeling”?? Yes!! Go off!!
The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides
This is definitely top five of the books I’ve read this year. I was floored when I was finished. It’s set at Brown, but so many of the descriptions of campus life really resonated and amused me. The end was heart-wrenching. The prose is so evocative. I loved it.
The Red Parts, Maggie Nelson
This book focuses on the trial for the brutal murder of Nelson’s aunt by a stranger – it’s very gruesome but enthralling. I couldn’t put it down.
Jazz, Toni Morrison
I listened to the audiobook which Toni Morrison reads, which is great. Jazz is set in Harlem in the 1920s, and though it’s pretty short, it’s incredibly vivid and haunting. It’s one of the most original and intriguing narratives I’ve encountered (not even including the beauty of the prose), and unlike anything else I’ve read.
The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides
I read this because I loved The Marriage Plot so much. I didn’t like this as much as I liked The Marriage Plot or Middlesex. After I finished, I thought I didn’t like it, and then I listened to this podcast called Sentimental Garbage and decided I did like it after all. I was frustrated throughout the book at how obtuse the women are, but after getting over my sadness that we never figured out why the girls killed themselves, I have more appreciation for Eugenides’ vision.
Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem
Motherless Brooklyn is different from what I usually read – it’s the only detective novel on this list – but I loved it. It’s set in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, which is particularly exciting (and why my Dad is a big Lethem stan). It’s one of the most original books I’ve ever read, and the descriptions are astoundingly innovative and vivid. It’s also really funny! And he’s a Pomona professor! My mom is reading it too for the WNYC book club, which I believe you can still join if you want.
Pain Studies, Lisa Olstein
Another illness book! Olstein writes about her experience with migraines, and also theorizes about pain. I haven’t read any book exclusively focused on pain, so this was cool! It didn’t resonate with me as much as other stuff I’ve read, but still very good.
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula k. Le Guin
I was very excited for this book, which is a work of sci-fi written in 1969 about a world where everyone is gender-fluid and has no sexual prejudice. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had expected to – perhaps because the main drama of the book is finding out whether this world is going to trade with another world, and I am just not very interested in trade. Sci-fi is also not really a genre I read often, so I wouldn’t do much with the fact that this book didn’t resonate.
Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
I’ve cried maybe six times this year and finishing this book was one of them. It’s gay. It’s Greek. It’s epic. If you liked Percy Jackson and now, you’re part of the LGBTQ community you have to read it. This is the kind of book that made me worried it had ruined all other books. I think this is a perfect book, or at least the closest I can imagine.
Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude, Ross Gay
This book is astoundingly beautiful. A friend recommended it and said it made his writing a lot happier - which was exactly what I needed! – and this description rings true. I definitely have more trouble reading poetry than prose but found this book very powerful and engaging. I read it in one sitting.
Coeur de Leon, Ariana Reines
Absolutely one of my favorite books of poetry! Coeur de Leon embodies the exact kind of poetry I really like – the language is accessible, it’s visceral, it has a narrative – and also made me feel seen. I feel like it’s also one of those books made for people that like to write, especially about love. Very much recommend.
On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong
It took me a while to get into this one, and I felt for a while that everything was too depressing to enjoy it. While I do definitely want to revisit in post-pandemic times, I still was deeply moved. Big content warning though for drug abuse, death, and probably some other stuff I’m forgetting.
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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 60 of 83 : World of Sea
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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT
Part 60 of 83
by
De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)
140406 words
copyright 2020
written 2007
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.
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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users
Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.
All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.
///////////////////////
New to the story? Read from the beginning. PART 1 is here
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“Oi’ve nae talked wit’ ‘im about t’ose times. Master Selked told m’ some, an’ the log provided t’e rest. Oi ‘ad little t’ do for over a Wotan as Oi wa’ recuperating. Oi had t’ practice readin’ yer writin’, so Oi read t’e log an’ ot’er books t’at ‘e’d collected.”
Kurin plied her chopsticks in silence for a bit, digesting this history behind things that had always been an unquestioned part of her life. Skye cocked her head and looked at Kurin’s platter questioningly. Kurin held out some roast on her chopsticks and Skye took it neatly.
Kurin looked across the table at Tanlin. “Barad collects books?” she asked incredulously.
“Aye, ‘e reads bot’ Common an’ Arrakan an’ can struggle t’rough Barant. ‘E ‘as books in all t’ree languages. Nine o’ t’em are about t’e Boren Current Wars.” She paused thoughtfully, “Actually, ten, i’ ye count Sula’s little manual.”
Kurin interrupted in surprise, “Sula wrote a book? She never said anything about it. Come to think, Darkistry mentioned it, too.”
Seriously, Tanlin replied, “Oi know wye Sula stayed quiet about ‘t. Oi’ve read ‘t. Darkistry’s probably t’e only one o’ us ‘oo actually understands it. Oi’d recommend t’at ye nae read ‘t, t’ough Oi willnae stop ye.” She paused and looked sympathetically at Kurin. “T’will show ye a side o’ Sula t’at ye willnae care for. Sula’s killed more people an’ sunk more ships t’an any ot’er person on Sea. ‘Er book’s a manual for t’e destruction o’ ships an’ fleets.
“Wit’out t’e knowledge in t’at book, we’d probably ‘ave sunk t’e Fauline. Wen Barad an’ Oi were in danger, t’e crew attacked wit’out ‘esitation. None o’ t’em wa’ ‘appy about ‘t but t’ey did ‘t anyway.”
Kurin realized that what she was hearing was not a boast. She already knew about her friend Sula’s war record — and how Sula felt about it. She digested the knowledge in silence.
The quiet stretched out into tension. At the last, Tanlin asked, “Wen’re ye goin’ t’ actually start reading? So far, ye’ve just leafed t’rough about eight Wohan’s wort’ o’ Log.”
Relieved to have something neutral to talk about, Kurin replied, “I have been reading, a bit slower than usual, actually. I didn’t want to miss anything. Barad has a fairly neat hand that’s usually easy to read.
“How come he gets so little from each indenture sale? Less than half, on average.”
Tanlin smiled in relief. “Oi’m glad t’at ye asked t’e quest’n in t’at way. A person ‘oo brokers indenture sales is entitled t’ nae more t’an ‘is legally defined costs plus ten percent o’ t’e balance o’ t’e sale.
“Indenture’s ‘ow t’e Arrakan fleet’s education system works. I’ Oi wonted t’ learn, say, boat buildin’, Oi’d sell ye m’ indenture. Basically, ye’d pay m’ in advance for t’e term o’ t’e indenture. Oi’d work for ye an’ ye’d teach m’ t’ make boats. Tis a twa way contract. T’e more I know goin’ in, t’e more m’ indenture’s wort’ t’ ye. Oi might sell m’ indenture at auction or Oi might approach a particular person or ship.”
“T’e Grandalor produced indentures ‘oo could all read, write an’ figure plus ‘avin’ a good foundation in a useful skill. T’e Arrakan fleet ships bid ‘igh prices for Grandalor indentures because t’ey were o’ t’e ‘ighest quality,” Tanlin finished proudly.
“So. . .the indenture is just a prepaid labor and education contract?” Kurin asked dubiously.
“Aye. Oi sold m’ ane indenture six times t’ earn m’ navigation an’ command skills. Oi earned enow from t’ose sales t’ buy a share in t’e Princamorn, t’e ship t’at Oi wa’ born on. Oi wa’ in a position t’ bid for a ca’taincy wen ane came open. I remember evert’in’ o’ t’e Arrakan fleet but t’e people.
“M’ diary wa’ among documents t’at were salvaged from t’e wreck. Barad saved ‘t for m’ an’ Oi’ve read ‘t over an’ over but ‘t only told m’ some names. T’ey’re only words in a book. M’ people’re still missing.” Tanlin looked a little downcast as she added, “Mecat says t’at t’ey’re gone forever.”
Kurin finished eating and went back to reading the log. Skye left the cabin the same way that she had come, pausing to close the port behind her. Before the sun had reached its nadir, Kurin had nearly finished the just over twenty-five Gatherings of Barad’s Captaincy. Using a candle lantern to add to the ghostly light of the low sun, she finished the log and began the Purser’s accounts.
What Kurin learned there amazed her. The Grandalor was a wealthy ship. A very wealthy ship indeed. Most of her wealth was held in accounts in the Arrakan fleet with large amounts on deposit in the Pallant and Daroff fleets. Less than a third of her wealth was aboard or on deposit with the Naral fleet.
Kurin fell asleep to the quiet, uncanny whistling song of a faraway Orca that had never stopped singing, all day.
Kurin awoke suddenly in the middle of the third Night Watch. The low arctic sun was coming fairly brightly through the port. She had fallen asleep while reading and was surrounded by an untidy nest of log books, accounts, a few diaries and other records.
It took a moment to pin down what had awakened her. The Orca song had become loud and clear. It was punctuated by the shushing splash of the whale breaching and rolling and the occasional splashing report of the multi-ton creature leaping and falling back to the sea. Kurin’s heart leaped in fear for those in the sickbay.
Kurin could see the quiet form of Captain Tanlin sleeping slumped in a stuffed chair. She felt a slight twinge of guilt at having fallen asleep in the Captain’s bunk as she slid silently out of bed. She stumbled over the sleeping form of Arnat, curled up on the floor beside the bunk. The commotion brought Tanlin to instant alertness. Arnat stretched.
“What’s the matter, Kurin?” he yawned.
“I hope, nothing. Perhaps much. The Orca is singing close by.”
“Mother!” Arnat called, heading immediately for the cabin door.
Tanlin was through it before he could get there. Kurin followed him through the passageways of the Grandalor to the sickbay as swiftly as she could.
Doctor Corin looked up from where he was working on Lenai. “I was about to send for you, Captain, and Arnat, too. We are losing her. I have killed her pain with Hag venom, so that she can talk. She is weak but lucid.
“I thought that she should have those that she cared about near to her at the end.”
“Well t’ought o’, Doctor Corin,” Tanlin responded and turned to the doctor’s aide. “Mikka, go get Barad, quickly. ‘E should be ‘ere, too.”
The soft, concerned voice of Lenai came clearly to them all, “Did we do it? Did Kurin come with us?”
Kurin stepped to the bedside, where Lenai could see her. “I came, Lenai. I am here because of you.”
A hand reached out from under the covers and grasped Kurin’s arm weakly. “Then it wasn’t a waste. When the big red haired man stabbed me I feared that my life was lost to no use. Save Arnat. See that he’s got a ship to call home, please?”
“I think that this ship will stay his home. I’ve been looking at your case and have agreed to be your advocate before the fleet.”
Lenai smiled. “I just wish that Arnat was here. I want to hold him one more time before I go to Iren’s halls.”
“He is here. Arnat, come over where you mother can see you.”
Arnat came, dry eyed but shaking, to his mother’s bedside. She reached out and took hold of his arm with one hand and wrapped the other about him. “Arnat, never fear the Orca’s song. I can hear it calling me to Iren’s halls. I won’t hurt there, and I will always love you.”
She relaxed, letting out a long breath. Her arms fell from him and hung limp.
Barad, who had come in only moments before, knelt at her bedside and crossed her arms over her chest. Tanlin joined him.
Barad said softly, “While there is a Grandalor, Arnat will have a ship that is his home. I have no children of my body but I will have Arnat as my own. He was one of the first to swear to us and the oath that we gave binds us. We have all chosen one name and to be of one blood.”
Tanlin said, “T’ere’re nae orphans in a Wide Wing rookery because all take care o’ t’e young toget’er. So we’ll care for Arnat. T’ere’ll be nae orphans on t’e Grandalor. Oi’ll log t’e order.”
Outside, the whale still sang but even to the untrained human ear, they could hear that it was a different song. A second voice and a third joined in. In moments whales were leaping and singing all about the ship.
In a corner of the sickbay, sitting on a bunk, Kurin was weeping. Another one dead. Another part of her life shattered.
The simple pride that she’d always had, that held her together when loneliness or fear of loss rose up, was in ruins in her heart. Longin born. So simple. So strong. So ruined by the events of the last few days.
Kurin wept for the young mother she’d tried to save. Dead for the crime of wanting to talk to her. Killed by the Longin. Kurin’s ship. Her home. A part of herself. Through tears Kurin saw Arnat being rocked in Tanlin’s arms and wished desperately that she was him. Safe. Held. Loved.
TO BE CONTINUED
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This week we’re releasing the core rulebook for Dystopia Rising: Evolution into both stores (the traditionally printed version) and on DriveThruRPG with the PDF and physical book PoD versions.
When Mighty Matt McElroy brought up the idea of talking to the DR folks, the only thing I knew about Dystopia Rising was that a fair number of people I knew with good gaming taste enjoyed getting dressed up in Mad Max style gear and heading out to its live action events. I did see a ton of DR players at several Mid Winter Conventions leading up to sitting down with Michael and Ashley, so I had an inkling of the setting, at least.
Talking with them, and subsequently taking a deep dive into the already existing material made me impressed by what they had accomplished, and pretty sure that we could create an evocative TTRPG version. My big concern with any new game is whether we’ll be retreading ground we’re already covering, and while we had touched on post-apocalyptic milieus, we had not yet gone all in.
The chance to work with a post-apocalyptic setting, and then to adapt the Storypath System, which was just in its infancy when we decided to use it, combined for a very exciting project on both the setting and system levels. The final result, which you’ll be able to get on Wednesday, delivers both those things, and combines them, in ways we had only hoped to achieve when we first decided to make the game.
Eddy, as developer, was able to take the base Storypath System and, as we had hoped with the System, tweak it and add in elements like scavenging/building rules to better portray the setting.
Scion Companion art by Andrea Payne
So, the question has come up as to whether this post-apocalyptic opus is appropriate to offer right now. Certainly, a lot of folks are feeling like they are living in a plague movie right now, and I’d certainly understand not wanting to be reminded of that.
One of my thoughts about DR:E since first reading Eddy’s text, is how the setting demonstrates the adaptability of humanity in the face of seismic changes to civilization and society. DR:E isn’t set during the fall of society, but after humanity (in a wider definition of that term) has begun rebuilding. Which in its own way is a positive message that we can use in challenging times, like now.
Plus, there a a lot of different zombies to fight!
Along the same lines, as the rebuilding of communities is very important in the game, so are the live-action communities that have been built have been the key to DR’s success all these years. We like art imitating life imitating art, so in the interest of the tabletopDR:E‘s community we’ll be opening its Community Content site next month.
Now, as a bit of an aside, we’re not sure how many stores are actually going to be able to order this, get it, and then sell it. If they have an online store component, and you’ve been buying from them that way, please let them know that their store can get copies from Studio2 and IPR. And if you don’t have a store option right now, you too can direct order.
They Came From Beneath the Sea! art by Brian LeBlanc
How Are We Doing?
A question we share with old friends, co-workers, family far more now, and with good cause. We asked our developers, in two “town hall” group meetings last week, this very thing.
Mostly, our creators are doing okay, with varying degrees of focus from day to day (hour to hour?) on their projects. So far, two of our creators have been diagnosed with Covid 19, and so far they are doing okay. We also fielded some concerned questions as to the state of Onyx Path these days.
So far, so good. Like I’ve mentioned these last few weeks, our variety of sales channels have helped us, and we’re still rolling along with our projects even while being responsive to the challenges in the lives of our creators.
And in this taxing time, it is also tax time.
In terms of the work that we’re not just still doing but are really excited about, here’s an interview with Dixie, Neall Raemonn Price, and Monica Speca talking about Exalted Essence, a pretty innovative and important project that they continue to pull together. Lots of new details from the book in this interview:
http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/exalted-essence-dev-team-interview
Let The Streets Run Red art by Michael Gaydos
Finally, as a personal example of finding ways to find the fun while being shut-in, this Easter I created an Easter Bunny scenario for the Gloomhaven boardgame for my kids, and their characters chased him through maps of the city streets, dodging the Easter Eggs he was blocking their way with. Each egg they picked up corresponded to a plastic egg with prizes inside I was hiding under the game table!
It was fun, plus I got an even better appreciation for how the designers set up and balanced Gloomhaven. Which I’ll consider as we review our own games, but it’s worth noting that info came through a diversion. Sometimes that’s what we need; we need to come at things indirectly. Even moreso when under stress.
Here’s hoping we’re providing you folks with a similar break, and a similar chance to explore new ideas…not to mention our:
Many Worlds, One Path!
Blurbs!
Kickstarter!
We’ve cancelled the Legendlore Kickstarter for the time being. While we wait for that happy day, here’s a fantastic Legendlore interview with developer Steffie de Vaan, hosted over at High Level Games! https://www.highlevelgames.ca/blog/legendlore-rpg-from-onyx-path-publishing-an-interview-with-steffie-de-vaan
We’ll get Legendlore back on KS as soon as we can, and meanwhile we are building the M20 Technocracy Reloaded Kickstarter!
Onyx Path Media!
This Friday is the Onyx Pathcast‘s 100th full episode! Huge congrats to Dixie Cochran, Eddy Webb, and Matthew Dawkins! Here’s to another 100!
This week, the Terrific Trio present a brand-new episode of Scion Actual Play! So if you’ve ever wondered how Scion plays – this is your chance to hear it in all its glory!
As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/
As we mentioned last week, Virtual Horror Con took place raising lots of money for charity! If you haven’t already, do check out their website https://www.gehennagaming.com/, and if you missed some of their actual plays of our games, please check them out here:
CofD Mortals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdPfkI0FLFk
Trinity Continuum: Æon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7masQukyjQ
Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13UtpbAFAfk
And here’s Gehenna Gaming’s Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gehennagaming
If you’re self-isolating or locked down, you can always tune in to our games this week. A few of our usual hosts are having breaks due to the situation in the world right now, but we’ve got plenty coming over the next few days, including V5, Scion, Pugmire, Changeling: The Lost, Changeling: The Dreaming, Mage: The Awakening, Scarred Lands, and a Dark ErasWerewolf: The Forsaken chronicle!
There are also several shows not yet on the schedule that are revving up to fill in for those who need a break right now, so please check out our Twitch channel during the week and keep an eye on Onyx Path social media for announcements of new programming!
This week you should really check out the new Scion game we’ve got going on our channel. You can subscribe to our channel over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath to catch up with any episodes you missed!
Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:
Trinity Continuum – Aberrant: Community Service: https://youtu.be/51-Y_Diaefg
Changeling: The Lost – Littlebrook Reunion: https://youtu.be/uysogPwNFOM
Vampire: The Masquerade: Blood City – Chicago by Night: https://youtu.be/MKoMRxi9x0w
And still more Trinity Continuum – Aberrant: Community Service: https://youtu.be/5SXY7Q-Z80M
Do subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!
Have you checked out the Botch Pit‘s gaming transcripts? Have a look on their clean, beautiful website, and check this one out for a Chronicles of Darkness game: http://thebotchpit.com/new-england-by-night-season-1-session-01-im-not-making-anyone-a-supernatural-yet-transcript/
https://ift.tt/3b89G4W
More new Occultists Anonymous for all you Mage: The Awakening fans:
Episode 96: Other Mages
With the dark gift of a vampire’s patronage looming over their heads, the cabal seek out the names and identities of mages they think are appropriate sacrifices to the vampires’ bloodlust.https://youtu.be/3m0-va-JvdM
Episode 97: Short Straight
The cabal gathers together their collected grimoires in one place, checking for further magical resonance and consult the ghost of a dead mage for further information.https://youtu.be/fjG2wPalY-s
Here’s the Story Told Podcast with an excellent interview with Dixie Cochran, Neall Raemonn Price, and Monica Speca on the subject of Exalted Essence: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/exalted-essence-dev-team-interview
Garblag Games have commenced a new series of Mage: The Ascension, which has got off to a rocking start right here: https://youtu.be/yN47_NjYxtA
And if you loved V5 Chicago by Night, tune in to Junie von Esch’s channel to watch her group play through some Vampire: https://www.twitch.tv/junie_von_esch
Roll the Role continue with their Scarred Lands Gauntlet of Spiragos actual play! Roll the Role is a fantastic show, so please do give them a look: https://www.twitch.tv/rolltherole
And the bizarrely named Scabby Rooster continue their actual play of Scion, right here on their Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/scabbyrooster
One of Matthew’s personal favourites, Devil’s Luck Gaming, continues their Werewolf: The Forsaken chronicle over here: https://www.twitch.tv/DevilsLuckGaming Please do give them a follow!
Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!
Electronic Gaming!
As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)
Update: the devs are working on the updates for the roller in both Android and iOS; here is the rundown from them:
1) Redo the UI for system for Android. It will look the same as the current design. My goal is to have something ready by Saturday to send out to the Facebook users, asking them if this fixes the issues. This will be a beta type thing. This will break several of the fancy dice.
2) If the above worked out and the android users give all the clear, we’ll redo the graphics system to fix the fancy dice that got broken. We’ll do another Android beta through Facebook. This might take up to two weeks, as my schedule allows.
3) If everything worked well, we’ll release to Android for real at that point.
4) Port all of the existing stuff to iOS and release on that.
On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).
If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!
Our selection includes these latest fiction books:
Our Sales Partners!
We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire
We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game
Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost
Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands
Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/
And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order!
Deluxe Exalted 3rd Edition continues its fantastic sale at IPR, soon to be joined by Game-Line Bundles! Check them out!
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!
On Sale This Week!
This week the Dystopia Rising: Evolution core book will be available in PDF and PoD versions on DriveThruRPG on Wednesday, and the physical traditionally printed books will be available in stores via Studio2 and IPR!
No one knows how long it’s been since the world was blasted with nuclear radiation and became infested with the undead. The survivors of the Fall were the first strain of deviation of the human condition and were able to make it through the rapidly spreading epidemic. Finding a community of decent size in this world is rare; finding one that has any concept of equality or morality is rarer still.
Oh, and people have the unnerving ability to come back from the dead, regrown from the very virus that destroyed the world.
Some highlights of Dystopia Rising: Evolutioninclude:
Rules for creating characters for 24 different Strains, variations on humanity that survived the Fall.
Details on the powers of faith and psionics.
Advice on running action-adventure stories, webs of personal intrigue, and procedural investigations.
Dozens of antagonists, including a variety of zombies and raiders to use in your series.
Welcome to the Evolution!
We’re also offering the Dystopia Rising: Evolution Gaming Screen on Weds!
Conventions!
Though dates are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s our current list of upcoming conventions:
UKGames Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
GenCon: https://www.gencon.com/
Tabletop Scotland: https://tabletopscotland.co.uk/
Gamehole Con: https://www.gameholecon.com/
PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/
And now, the new project status updates!
Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):
First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)
Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)
Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
V5 The Faithful Undead (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Redlines
Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Second Draft
Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
The Book of Endless Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Development
Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
Manuscript Approval
Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
Post-Approval Development
Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
Editing
Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Buried Bones: Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)
Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)
Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)
One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)
Post-Editing Development
City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)
Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)
Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)
Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
Indexing
Art Direction from Mike Chaney!
In Art Direction
Scion Titanomachy – Wrapping up contracting.
Tales of Aquatic Terror – Contracted.
TC Aeon Terra Firma – Most of the art is in, maybe all of it.
V5 Let the Streets Run Red – Tweaking some art re: WW art approvals.
Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs
WoD Ghost Hunters
Aberrant – Contacting and contracting – wrapping up half-pagers and portraits.
Pugmire Adventure
Hunter: The Vigil 2e
Mummy 2
Deviant – Rolling along.
Legendlore – Kickstarter on hiatus.
Technocracy Reloaded (KS) – Art and graphics ready to go.
Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.
In Layout
Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad
Contagion Chronicle
Vigil Watch
Duke Rollo Book
Proofing
Trinity Aeon Jumpstart
Pirates of Pugmire
TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – Inputting proofing comments.
Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Awaiting 2nd proof notes.
Scion Companion – Tweaking art re: proofing notes.
At Press
TC Distant Worlds
Night Horrors : Nameless and Accursed – Awaiting Errata.
Dark Eras 2 – PoD proof shipping.
VtR Spilled Blood – PoD proof shipping.
Dystopia Rising: Evolution – On Sale this Wednesday!
DR:E Screen & Booklet – On Sale this Wednesday!
DR:E Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties
Geist 2e Screen
TCFBTS Screen and Booklet
They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Reviewing Indexing.
Geist 2e Anthology – PoD proof ordered.
C:tL 2e Oak, Ash, & Thorn – Awaiting Errata.
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
Happy Birthday! to the 5th Doctor: in 1951 Peter Davison was born. He’s looking at me right now from my 2020 Doctor Who calendar, as April is the month he appears in this year. Must have been a tough assignment following Tom Baker after the 4th Doctor had been burned into people’s minds for 8 years. Yet, for many, Davison’s Doctor is Their Doctor, which is the way it should be – so kudos to him for creating another version and era of the classic character!
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Top 10 Games I Played in 2019
Another year has gone by just like that, and here we are with another year’s worth of games played! There were some good releases this year, and I’m excited to talk about them all. Before that, though, let’s touch briefly on the criteria for these lists:
Any game that I played for the first time in 2019 is eligible, regardless of initial release year. Games that I started late in the previous year but spent most of the time playing in the year in question also count.
Ports, remasters, remakes, etc. of games that I have played before do not count.
I have to spend a certain amount of time with a game or the game has to make some kind of significant impact on me to be considered.
Lastly, these are just my opinion out of a very limited pool of games that I was personally able to get to this year, so if a game you played this year doesn’t show up, chances are either I didn’t have a chance to play it, or it just wasn’t personally as impactful to me as some of the others on the list. Now, on to the list!
10. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)
Developer: Intelligent Systems / Koei Tecmo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Strategy RPG
Release Date: July 26th 2019
Before Three Houses, the only Fire Emblem game I played was Awakening on the 3DS. I mostly enjoyed it, but I couldn’t get into the marriage aspect of the game, and I felt that many of the battles a bit too lacking in any sort of story context other than “There are bad guys here, let’s take them out!”
However, Three Houses really succeeded for me where Awakening failed. The academy was a really great home base and actually gave some meaningful context to most of the battles in the game. I really enjoyed micromanaging the different lessons in the game and tweaking each of my students into exactly the build I wanted for them, however I felt the drawback of this was that there weren’t really a whole lot of different classes to really explore. Most of the game’s character classes are just stronger variations of lower-level classes, and it definitely felt like some skill categories became woefully underutilized as the game went on, so there was no point in training people for them. I also liked recruiting other students to my house, but I felt like the other houses students didn’t really offer anything that my current house already had, so some students ended up feeling mechanically similar to others.
The battles were exactly what you’d expect from Fire Emblem, and gave me a bit of a tabletop RPG vibe, which I enjoyed, particularly when there were large monsters to fight that took up more grid space than standard units.
That being said, the story was really interesting, and I really liked watching everything unfold. I picked the Black Eagles house (because Edelgard is great), but I felt like that story didn’t really do a great job of explaining everything, and expected you to just side with Edelgard on some of her more bold decisions with no explanation as to why what she was doing was right, which felt kind of unfair. The game really wanted you to go through and play each one of the houses stories, but with around 80 hours poured into a single house, I didn’t really feel like there was much point at the end.
Overall, I think Three Houses is a great fit for the Switch and I’m excited to see what the future of Fire Emblem on Switch will look like.
9. Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Switch)
Developer: Next Level Games
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: October 31st 2019
When it comes to Luigi’s Mansion, I enjoyed Dark Moon on 3DS back in 2013 while waiting for Animal Crossing: New Leaf to drop, but I never really had much of a reason to come back to it. Still, I really enjoyed the exploration aspect of the game and the attention to detail really impressed me with how nearly everything could be interacted with.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 on Switch is more of what you’d expect from the Luigi’s Mansion series. The game centers around Luigi exploring a haunted hotel to stop King Boo and rescue Mario and his friends. While Dark Moon focused more on a few isolated mansions with different themes, LM3 brings things back to a single gigantic building. This time, each floor of the mansion has a different spooky theme, from ancient Egypt, to classical music, to a floor overgrown with plants. Luigi has to defeat the boss of each floor to reclaim the elevator button for the next floor as he gradually works his way to the top.
Like with previous games in the series, you can expect loads of environmental interaction, such as all the items you can suck up and mess with using the Poltergust, but LM3 brings some new mechanics to the series, including a launchable plunger than you can then pull on to yank certain objects around, as well as the remote-control Gooigi, who is as fun to use as his name is cursed. Gooigi is basically a slime doppelganger for Luigi who can be deployed at any point to assist Luigi with different tasks, or split up for local co-op play. He also has the ability to squeeze through grates and pipes, allowing all sorts of hidden areas that only Gooigi can explore.
LM3 is a game that oozes with charm (no pun intended), though the combat does get a tad repetitive. Also, I was a bit disappointed that there was not more interplay between different floors of the hotel. They’re almost exclusively completely isolated levels, which definitely takes away from the feeling of having a huge building to explore.
8. Blasphemous (PC)
Developer: The Game Kitchen
Publisher: Team17
Genre: Adventure Platformer
Release Date: September 10th 2019
Blasphemous is a game I remember seeing teasers for earlier in 2019, but saw little to no hype for otherwise. However, the concept and the stunning hi-bit pixel art immediately drew me in. The game is a 2D adventure platformer set in a gothic fantasy world reminiscent of Dark Souls. In fact, quite a lot of this game is reminiscent of Dark Souls, with a lore thicker than gravy that’s brimming with little tidbits of information in every NPC dialogue, every item flavor text, and in the bosses you encounter. The world takes inspiration from Christianity, though not actually being about Christianity itself, instead a fictional religion with many similar aspects (an approach I wish more developers would take).
In Blasphemous, you play as The Penitent One as you explore a rotting gothic world and learn more about a strange quasi-religious curse called The Miracle and other fascinating bits of the world. You explore such locations as rotting cathedrals, a frozen mountain, the interior of a colossal bell set upside down into the ground, and more. Along the way, your eyes will feast on some of the most gorgeous pixel art in games this year.
The Penitent One is able to battle with their sword and certain special abilities picked up along the way. While the combat is fairly simple at first, it gets much more deep and nuanced as you go along, dodging enemy attacks, parrying and countering, using spells to buff yourself or shoot projectiles, and much more. Personally, the game feels a lot like Dark Souls meets Castlevania, particularly Symphony of the Night. It’s definitely a lot of fun, though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea due to tone and difficulty.
7. Mario Maker 2 (Switch)
Developer: Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action Platformer and Level Editor
Release Date: June 28th 2019
I was a big fan of the idea of the original Mario Maker on WiiU, so I was really excited when Mario Maker 2 was announced for Switch with a plethora of new parts, themes, mechanics, and features. I have a pretty big soft spot for classic Mario games, and level editors really get my gamedev side going, so this game pretty much checked all the boxes for me.
I was glad this time around to see an extensive singleplayer mode, where Mario has to play through Nintendo’s own pre-made levels to gain coins to rebuild Peach’s castle after the Undodog resets it all to nothing. It was a great introduction to the game, particularly showcasing what all you can do with the new parts. It was the perfect thing to get any creator’s brain tingling with ideas for their first level.
The editor itself is largely improved from the WiiU, though you’ll almost certainly need a capacitive stylus in order to really take advantage of the Switch’s touch screen, though it’s nice to finally have a Switch game with proper touch screen support, since it seemed like Nintendo had all but forgotten about this part of the device. There are tons of new improvements here, too, such as all modifiers for objects can be accessed by long-pressing on an object. One thing I wasn’t fond of though was the way the Select and Copy modes are accessed, needing to toggle through them and normal edit mode instead of just having a single button for each.
Unfortunately, the Amiibo costumes have not returned, which would have been a great use for Amiibo on Switch (anyone remember that the Switch is Amiibo compatible?), though with the recent release of the Link costume, it seems that Nintendo has plans in mind for these alternate forms.
Fortunately, if you’re not much of a creator, there’s still plenty to do in MM2, as there are tons of ways to play levels online, including an endless challenge mode with different difficulties, browsing top level lists, and a new speedrun mode where levels are available for a limited time and you can grind them to get your best time, playing against the ghosts of other players’ best times.
All in all, I’ve had fun with MM2, and I’m excited to see what Nintendo will bring to the game in future updates (please implement level playlists).
6. Baba Is You (PC)
Developer: Hempuli
Publisher: Hempuli
Genre: Puzzle
Release Date: March 13th 2019
Out of nowhere back in March came a little indie game known as Baba Is You. In this programming puzzle game, each level contains the rules of the level as physical objects that you can push around and recombine to manipulate how the game plays. Each rule statement can (usually) be broken down into three components: an object (such as Water), a verb (such as Is) and a property (such as Stop). Each one of these components can be pushed around at will, and if you line all three of them up you get the statement “Water Is Stop”, meaning that all water tiles in the level do not allow other objects to move over them. If you break this statement, the water loses this blocking property and you can walk over it. It doesn’t stop there, though, and there are tons of combinations and complicated scenarios that will leave your brain hurting after too long. While some of the puzzles are unfortunately rather obtuse in their intended solutions, and the game doesn’t always do a great job of teaching you the skills you’ll need to face harder puzzles, you at least have the option of completing multiple different levels, so it’s rare that you’ll be stuck on just one.
It also helps that the art for the game is a cute but simplistic hand-drawn style that makes it easy to distinguish all the various elements of each level. The only reason this game didn’t rank higher on my list is that I got stuck and I found most of the levels to be a bit too hard for me (shocking, I know).
5. Gato Roboto (PC)
Developer: doinksoft
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Genre: Adventure Platformer
Release Date: May 30th 2019
Gato Roboto is a cute Metroid-like adventure platformer that sees you taking the role of Kiki, a cat who has to explore an alien planet to rescue her master’s crashed ship. Fortunately, while Kiki is defenseless on her own, she is able to pilot a robotic mech suit to run, gun, and jump across different zones of the planet. While a Metroid-esque platformer is nothing new, it’s the charming 1bit graphics and the interesting interplay between power suit mechanics and suitless cat mechanics. Sometimes there are gaps that the suit can’t fit into or walls that you need cat claws to climb, so you’ll have to abandon your robot suit and proceed on foot for a bit. In true Metroid fashion, you’ll acquire many upgrades for your suit as you go along, including movement abilities and health upgrades.
The game is short, but very sweet, and the mechanics are super satisfying. You could maybe finish the game in a few hours, but the controls and speedrun potential will likely keep you coming back for more.
The only downside I have to the game is that there is at least one section where you have to explore extensively on foot, and since you die in a single hit while on foot, it makes for some frustrating moments when you just barely mistime a jump and graze an enemy. Also, at one point I managed to softlock the game by accidentally bypassing a barrier that the player isn’t meant to and getting stuck in a boss area when a required button doesn’t work after you defeat the boss. Fortunately, the developers managed to patch this, so I was able to continue playing after a while.
4. Hollow Knight (PC/Switch)
Developer: Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry
Genre: Adventure Platformer
Release Date: February 24th 2017
I’ll admit, I was a bit late to the party on this one. Hollow Knight released back in 2017 on PC, and while I played it for a bit on there, I didn’t get far and just never had time to come back to it. However, when it was released on Switch in mid 2018, I ended up picking it up again some time later and gradually worked my way through it into 2019. Hollow Knight is a Metroid-esque adventure platformer with light Dark Souls elements set in a dark and dismal world of a fallen insect kingdom. You play as a lone knight who seeks to explore the Hallownest and learn its secrets. Armed only with your Nail, a rusted sword, you explore the caverns and abandoned civilization beneath the town of Dirtmouth.
The game has tons of exploration, and allows the player to explore Hallownest at their own pace with minimal signposting towards destinations. Additionally, the game has an interesting map mechanic where you start off completely without a map and have to rely on memory to navigate the tunnels, however very quickly you’ll be able to purchase a blank map where you can record rooms you’ve been to at each save point. However this map only works for the current area, so for each area you discover, you’ll have to start this process all over, finding a map so you can chart out the area. While this sounds like a pain at first (and definitely can take some adjusting), it’s actually really interesting as you feel like you’re really discovering a forgotten realm and charting out your own personal course through the world. There are also plenty of points for nonlinear progression, as many areas are often open to the player at once, so it’s up to them to choose where to go (or just stumble across new areas at random like me). Each area offers vastly different visuals, from a mushroom-filled series of tunnels, to an elegant garden, to dank sewers, to a city drenched with perpetual underground rain. In each area you’ll explore every nook and cranny to find upgrades and new abilities.
Along the way, you’ll find many badges that you can equip, a la Paper Mario, that give you various passive bonuses and abilities, however you are limited in the number you can have equipped at a time, so strategic planning of which badges to use is crucial.
One of the game’s main features is challenging boss battles. The further you get in the game, the more the balance shifts from exploration to combat, with the late game mostly revolving around hunting down multiple different bosses. Many bosses are optional, however, and some are even hidden, so many players might miss them entirely. Personally, while I found many bosses to be fun challenges, it got kind of tedious to constantly be fighting bosses at every turn, which led to me not completely finishing the game.
3. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition (Switch)
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: RPG
Release Date: September 27th 2019
I’ll admit I slept on Dragon Quest XI when it released for PC and PS4 back in 2017. It was constantly on my “maybe someday” list, but it wasn’t until the Definitive Edition released on Switch back in September that I decided to give it a go, and boy am I glad I did.
DQXI tells the story of a young man who finds out one day that he is the reincarnation of a legendary hero called The Luminary, who is said to defeat an evil known as The Dark One and bring peace to the world. However, he soon finds himself hunted by a corrupt kingdom that has branded him as The Darkspawn, claiming he is responsible for bringing The Dark One to the world and causing disaster. Thus, our hero travels the world, meeting friends along the way, and finding out what it means to be The Luminary.
The game’s plot may seem a bit generic, but that’s the thing. The whole conceit of DQXI is that it’s a classic JRPG at heart, but with a lot of modern touches to make it feel accessible today. So while there are plenty of turn-based battles, MP gauges, and a story that’s simplistic at the surface, there are loads of surprises throughout and lots of mechanical tweaks that drastically improve the quality of life of the game. For instance, as characters level up, they gain skill points that they can spend on a grid of skills to improve their abilities in different disciplines. Usually, each character has a sector of the grid for each weapon type they can use, as well as one section full of character-specific buffs and special abilities. By the end of the game, you’ll be able to unlock nearly every ability, so it becomes more of a matter of deciding which abilities to prioritize based on how you want to customize each character.
Speaking of characters, there’s a pretty full cast of characters to enjoy, and I found myself loving all of them, such as the spunky Veronica, the flamboyant Sylvando, or the warrior princess Jade. Each character has their own battle style, too, including casting spells, using strong weapons, buffing the party, and more.
The game will easily get you over 100 hours of playtime, with myself clocking in at around 120 hours so far. I’m not quite done yet, but I’m almost there. See, there’s a ton to do in DQXI aside from the main story, including crafting and improving items in a quick minigame at your Fun-Size Forge, gambling in the casino, horse racing, side questing, and exploring various parts of the world.
As for quality of life features, there are such things as the Horse Hailer, which allows you to immediately summon a horse on the overworld for quick travel, early access to the Zoom spell, which lets you teleport back to any town, important location, or campsite you’ve visited throughout the world for free, campsites being free healing, a speed-up option in combat, multiple auto-battle options, the ability to quick-heal in the menu, and more. It’s hard to really list everything, but there are tons of instances where you’ll think “Oh, that’s really handy”.
The visuals of the game are fantastic, with lots of that Akira Toriyama style that’s become synonymous with the Dragon Quest series. The characters are all really well designed and memorable, though some of the NPCs have a bit of a case of same-face, which is especially jarring considering that the game’s world is inspired by many diverse real-world cultures, making it odd that people from a Japanese-inspired area look exactly the same as people from an area based on northeast Europe. Still, I think the game otherwise does an excellent job at respecting world cultures, and even incorporates real-world languages into different regions. For example, the in-game city of Gondolia is based heavily on Venice, Italy, and the people of that city sprinkle bits of Italian into their dialogue. It’s a charming touch.
The music for the game sounds really great if you enable the orchestral version. Unfortunately, the game originally released with only a synthesized version of the soundtrack, which sounds terrible by comparison. Unfortunately, I felt that although each of the compositions were very memorable and pleasing, there sometimes didn’t feel like enough of them. The overworld, city, battle, boss battle, and dungeon themes are exactly the same wherever you go in the world, and I felt like that was a missed opportunity to really spice up the soundtrack with more unique themes to each area.
Overall, If you like JRPG’s, you’ll definitely like DQXI. My only complaints are that it can be a tad on the easy side, and that there are a few points of no return in the story that cause certain quests to be locked out without warning.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios / Sora Ltd.
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Fighting
Release Date: December 7th 2018
Was this really a surprise? A new Smash Bros. game releases the day before my birthday? Of course I’m gonna love it! I had been hyped up for Smash Ultimate for months preceding its release, going as far as watching any gameplay videos on YouTube I could find from various demo events and tournaments around the world. Even after the game’s release, there have been tons of content updates, new fighter DLC, and just so many reasons to come back to the game. It doesn’t hurt that one of the most accessible fighting games of all time is available on a handheld system (literally the only reason I played Smash 3DS). Smash Ultimate stands out in more than just its portability factor, though. While it largely recycles content from previous games, it can be seen as the “Ultimate” Smash Bros game, bringing back every single fighter from the series history, nearly every playable stage, and tons of familiar modes. Not only that, but new content is also present in terms of fighters, stages, and more. Long awaited characters include the Inklings from Splatoon, Ridley from the Metroid series, King K. Rool from Donkey Kong, and surprise guests, including Simon and Richter Belmont from Castlevania. On top of that, a plethora of DLC fighters and stages have been added, with the 5th DLC fighter still upcoming and shrouded in mystery.
Most prominent of the new additions is the game’s approach to a story mode. Unfortunately not as robust as the Subspace Emissary from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, The World of Light is still a welcome addition. In this mode, a strange angelic being called Galeem has turned all of the Smash fighters into evil controlled puppets, except, of course, for Kirby, who sets out to free each of the game’s 70+ fighters from Galeem’s control across a large board of levels, each connected by pathways. Each level features a battle against a copy of one of the game’s fighters possessed by a Spirit, essentially the essence of a video game character, and you have to free the Spirit and claim it by defeating the possessed fighter in a themed battle. This was a really nice way of including references to characters across not only Nintendo’s history, but the whole history of gaming as well, including some characters who do not otherwise appear in Smash, such as Shantae and Rayman. These Spirits, once collected, can be equipped to your character to not only improve your power level, but also offer different buffs, such as resistance to certain attacks, powering up your Smash attacks, starting you off each battle with an item, etc. I definitely enjoyed the World of Light mode, though I felt like it was a tad on the shallow side, and battles could get fairly repetitive after a while.
Fortunately, Smash really shines on its core mechanics, and the most fun I’ve had from the game is exploring all the different characters and finding which ones I like best. My current main is Ganondorf, though I still love playing as Ness and Lucas. Really, this is Smash at its best, and a number of much-needed mechanical tweaks, such as dodge fatigue, directional midair dodging, holding smash move charges, and an overall faster pace make this my favorite Smash game yet.
1. Persona 5 (PS4)
Developer: P-Studio
Publisher: Atlus
Genre: RPG
Release Date: April 4th 2017
Okay, wow. What a game. I’ve never played a Persona or Shin Megami Tensei game before, but buzz for Persona 5 was everywhere, and with the inclusion of P5’s Joker in Smash, I had to check it out. Even though I got to the game nearly two years late, I’m so glad I did.
Persona 5 is an RPG where you take on the role of a high school boy (he doesn’t really have a default name, but the most common name for him is Ren, so that’s what we’ll use) who has gotten tangled up in some legal trouble after intervening in a drunken assault on a woman he witnessed on the street. Turns out, this guy was something of a bigshot, and Ren soon finds himself placed under a form of rehabilitation where he is forced to transfer to the illustrious Shujin Academy in Tokyo. While at Shujin, Ren must live under the guardianship of a man named Shojiro who runs a coffee shop. Ren must stay out of trouble at school and live honestly.
However, trouble almost immediately finds Ren again as he discovers a lecherous teacher is mistreating many of the school’s students, and while investigating, accidentally slips into a strange dimension called the Metaverse, where the twisted perceptions of corrupted people are manifested into reality, and a sprawling Palace exists for the evil teacher. There, Ren meets a strange talking cat named Morgana who offers to help Ren if he will help Morgana find the Treasure at the heart of the Palace. Turns out, the Treasure is the manifestation of what caused the person’s desires to become corrupted, and stealing it causes them to lose their distorted emotions and confess.
Thus, Ren becomes a Phantom Thief, infiltrating Palaces and stealing Treasures by night and masquerading as a humble high school student by day. The Palaces are effectively the game’s dungeons, and this is where combat and exploration take place. Along the way, he’ll discover the power of his Persona, effectively an avatar of the user’s personality that enable them to unleash their true power inside the Metaverse, as well as use special abilities. And of course, you’ll recruit many friends to the Phantom Thieves, all of whom have their own motives and Personae. However, Ren has a special power. Instead of just being limited to one Persona, he has the ability to capture many Persona from the Metaverse by recruiting the game’s enemies or fusing Personae he already has to make more powerful ones. Thus the game has a light monster-collecting aspect to it, as each Persona can be leveled up to unlock new abilities, fused with others, and much more. What’s cool is that each Persona must be persuaded to join you by knocking it down in battle and then speaking to it in whatever way you think it wants to hear.
Outside of Palaces, you’ll investigate your targets, infiltrate a mega-palace called Mementos, as well as managing your free time. You see, Persona 5 allows you a limited amount of time to do everything you want to do, and it’s crucial that you manage your student life as well. This means spending time studying for exams, reading books to improve stats, working part-time jobs for money, playing minigames, and most importantly, hanging out with different NPCs, your teammates and supporters, to boost their friendship levels. As you get higher in friendship with each NPC, you’ll unlock new abilities, some of which are truly game-changing. I really enjoyed this aspect, as it felt like a puzzle trying to figure out how best to use my time. Almost nothing felt wasted, but I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to do everything, so I was always thinking about how best to optimize my time. Unfortunately, you can’t do everything in a single playthrough, but fortunately you can carry a lot of your progress over into New Game+. Some features are actually restricted to NG+, so it makes it feel like that second playthrough is really necessary if you want to see everything.
While the dungeons and the battles are mechanically fairly straightforward JRPG faire, the battles are interesting in that each enemy species has its own strengths and weaknesses, and exploiting weaknesses can knock down the enemy and allow you to take an extra turn, which can lead into strong combos. Furthermore, once all enemies are knocked down, you can perform a powerful All-Out Attack for massive damage. It honestly doesn’t get too much more complicated than that, but there is enough depth to the system to keep you engaged until the end of the game.
Each of the game’s characters are extremely well-designed, and I loved pretty much all of my party members, though Yusuke didn’t click with me as well as some of the others, despite being voiced by the amazing Matt Mercer. My favorite, of course, was the imperious Makoto, who appears little more than a bossy student council president in reality, but explodes into flurries of righteous blows in the Metaverse, alongside her robot motorcycle Persona.
Of course it’s impossible to talk about Persona 5 without mentioning the absolute masterpiece that is this game’s presentation. If you know anything about the game, you’ve likely seen the striking art style used in all of this game’s art and UI. It’s honestly every bit as eye-catching and jaw-dropping as it seems. The music is an utter masterpiece as well, with all manner of swingy jazz tunes, somber piano pieces, heart-pounding rock tracks, all of which come together with the visual style to give you something unlike anything you’ve ever played before and to truly make you feel like a suave Phantom Thief.
I managed to not only get through the main game, but get all the way through a NG+ playthrough back-to-back to get that platinum trophy and not once did I feel bored doing so. I clocked in at around 200 hours in total and it was one of the best gaming experiences of my life. If you like RPGs, time management games, good anime-style stories, or just good games, do NOT pass this one up, especially the upcoming Royal version that’s releasing in March.
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Fan-Related Thoughts on 2019
Time for praise and thoughts on all my favorites from this year:
TV Shows
1. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - Still so amazed at how gorgeous and creative this series is. Crossing my fingers for a second season.
2. Good Omens - Series of the year for me! Actually, it's potentially the series of the decade? It's rare I rewatch a show as many times as I've rewatched GO, but it really is just that good. The book was recommended to me a decade ago by a good friend, and I never got around to completing it before the television series was released. I’m kind of kicking myself now because it’s so. Right up my alley. HHGttG-esque Bible fanfiction? Check. Tons of my favorite narrative and character tropes? Check. Centers around the arguably B characters of the story, who have what can only be described as the most ridiculous, long-term case of ust in fictional history while simultaneously acting like an old married couple? Double check. It’s a new favorite I plan on re-watching regularly for years to come.
Animation
1. IZ Movie - Sweet, sweet nostalgia. I’ve missed this show so much. Glad to see it still has enough of a fanbase to create content for.
2. Infinity Train - Loved the first season! Really creative concept with some suprising character twists.
3. Klaus - Sooo gorgeous. Netflix may have canceled a couple favorites this year (MST3K among them), but they were also distributing a lot of cool, creative movies/shows as well.
4. Promare - Can't wait to buy this on bluray. Really dynamic 3D backgrounds. And I loved all the neon/bright color schemes.
5. Amphibia - A new favorite Disney show! It's not being talked about enough despite being able to juggle a bunch of fun narrative stuff at once. It's funny, it’s characters are three-dimensional, and the animation (particularly the backgrounds) is very nice looking.
6. Carmen Sandiego - Another well-made reboot. Great animation and style choices. Also: three of the mains are redheads :). Good!!
Video Games
1. Samorost 3 - Absolutely adored the visuals, atmosphere and music in this game. Had to buy a poster as soon as I finished playing it, because it inspired me so much. I've only played a little bit of first two at this point, but they're a lot of fun too.
2. Link's Awakening - Enjoying the new updated graphics. It’s so weird seeing all this stuff I loved when I was younger getting re-released. Good to know that kids will appreciate some of the same games I did.
3. Stardew Valley - This is like, the year I decided to start playing games that came out in 2016 I guess. The hype is real though. It's super cute.
Films
1. Us - Can’t wait to see future Jordan Peele projects after Get Out and Us. This was probably my favorite movie of 2019. Creepy, fun and stylistically brilliant.
2. Midsommar - Brightly colored and horrific. Loved it. Ari Aster’s films truly creep me out; possibly because there’s a lot of metaphor beneath the surface of his cult-centered horror films. But mostly because he just really knows how to set a good, creepy mood.
3. Shazam! - May be my new favorite DC film :). Just a really cute/fun movie overall.
4. John Wick 3 - Long live this franchise I love it so much.
5. Endgame - Speaking of franchises. I thought this was a good conclusion to a giant franchise, and a fitting ending for a favorite character I've had a gigantic crush on for a decade too. I’m lowkey peacing out in terms of Marvel films now.
6. SW: TRoS: Kylo Ren has done nothing wrong ever in his life, and I love him.
Honorable Mentions
1. The Umbrella Academy
2. The Boys
3. The Witcher
4. Stranger Things s3
5. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
6. The Mandalorian
Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2020
1. the new Emma film
2. The Owl House
3. Psychonauts 2
4. Pacific Rim anime? Is it still happening? Buller?
Some Creative Goals for 2020
1. Keep up with my travel journal! I've had one for over a year now, but I've been terrible at properly recording things in it. I made sure to write down some notes, and print photos up for my CA vacation at least.
2. While I haven't been posting much art here, I've been taking a lot of photography and sketching a decent amount. Plan on focusing more of my art posts elsewhere moving forward, and reblogging them over here if I think they're a good fit.
3. More shelling and flower collecting when it gets warm again. I didn’t do enough of that this year.
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1 through 20. I wantto know ALL
Okay let’s see tw: abuse, low self esteem.
1. Describe yourself how you would describe a character you’re introducing.
Fairly tall, pear shaped and broad faced she stares out the window of the cafe. Blue grey eyes dart from behind glasses that are so smudged they almost hide the deep circles under her eyes. She seems to be searching the air for words to type with her nail bitten finger nails. Frizzy brown hair rumpled from one to many hands being pushed through it hangs limp to her shoulders, which slump slightly as if hiding from some all seeing eye. Her expression is cold, tired, and done with the world, but When she sees you staring she smiles, and you see hope behind her eyes.
2. Is there any specific ritual you go through while/before/after your writing?
I do have a few. I cue up my music, settle in, and just reread my last chapter. It helps me work up to the next set of scenes. I also try to take a hot shower before hand , as water seems to energize me.
As for while writing I will often act out the scenes verbally and physically , or something close to them, to judge reactions. My so has walked in on that shit more than once.
After writing I go back and just change things around until I can’t recognize what I’ve written at which point I panic, quickly edit and pray I have done well. I also take forever to post because I have to convince my low self esteem I’m not hurting anyone by posting or being a crappy writer.
3. What is your absolute favorite kind of fic to write?
Slow, in-depth and epic aus. I figure the writers of the actual series have a good plan, so I try not to write in canon or at least in current canon, so I can be more inventive and leave their property in their version of the story.
4. Are there any other fic writers you admire? If so, who and why?
A ton actually. anyone who tries really. I know how tough it can be to put yourself out there. That being said I’m a fan of @arxaris and also Let_me-wander on ao3. But for me any good work will earn my respect.
As to why those two specifically? They have the chemistry down pat for my head canon kirishima and bakugo. Also I’m a sucker for just fluff slice of life stories .
5. How many words can you write if you sit down and concentrate intensely for an hour?
5000? Assuming I break to pace wildly and mutter at my cats. 7000 if I’m just really absorbed.
6. First fic/pairing you wrote for? (If no pairing, describe the plot)
ahaha okay so actually if anyone can find it I have a Naruto/ gaara Drabble floating around on fanfiction.net. It’s not even a real fiction , and you can only see the pairing if you squint, but it was there . The rest on that site are collabs which wasn’t mine.
I wrote others but the “first” real paring I wrote for was an angel fanfiction from an anonymous axis powers hetalia that had Germany and italia and involved Prussia falling and ... well life got in the way of that one, but it’s out there, half written.
7. Inspiration, time, or motivation. Choose two.
Motivation and inspiration because you make time for writing. It’s a disciplined art.
8. Why do you choose to write?
I get depressed or overly emotional when I don’t. It makes me feel bland to focus on this world all the time. I like creating and being able to share that with others.
9. Do you ever have plans to write anything other than fic?
I have a couple of books in the works but it’s mostly getting the esteem up to even try.
10. What inspires you the most?
Ahah attention. I kid. It’s mostly the world around us, small moments that allow me to take them and riff on them.
11. Weirdest thing you’ve ever written/thought about writing/etc.?
Uhhh home stuck mage the awakening picture web comic spin off.Primarly because I can’t fucking draw. Pure writing? I have a set up where a guy dies and goes to heaven and becomes the destined one to destroy the machine of the long absent god. But he’s like several kinds of dumb.
12. A fix you wish you had written better, and why?
Ahahaha uh I’m not sure I could have but I did a trading Christmas thing and I just phoned it in. I was having a lot of home trouble at the time but i was a gift. I could have done better.
13. Favorite fic from another author?
Nope, that is like asking a favorite child or your drink of choice. It differs depending on what mood I am in.
14. Your favorite side pairings to put in?i actually sneak in Crowley and his angel from good omens into almost every fic. If it’s not them it’s my first actual concious ship, Kurama and Hiei fromyuyu hakusho. I also add in my favorite player characters from my role playing games and their boyfriends.
15. Your guilty writing pleasure?
Supernatural. Soulmates . Reincarnation, time travel.
16. Do you have structured ideas of how your story is supposed to go, or make it up as you write?
Half and half. I do write out the plots but about half way through a given story I have to stop and like... rewrite .
17. Would yo describe yourself as a fast writer?
Hmmmm?
18. How old were you when you started writing?
11.
19. Why did you start writing?
I was an emotionally and sexually abused child locked in her own mind by a toxic mix of anxiety , slight social delays and having been forced to grow up and use my mind to avoid danger. I didn’t have friends, I didn’t talk , I spent all my days locked in my own head trying desperately to express feelings I didn’t have words for. I had been abandoned on an uncaring relatives door step by a mother who was escaping her own abuse at the hands of said relatives. I was numb, tired and at the same time hated the world. My only comfort were books , manga , anime, video games. My relatives hated all of those but books. So I was given only those.
One day I just... started writing. And suddenly I could process the storm in my mind. It didn’t make it hurt less but I could tell stories to understand my pain from a safe distance. And it saved me.
20. 4 sentences from your work that you’re proud of
Its movement seemed strange, too slow, and too fast at the same time. The purple-green slime that made up the body roiled and morphed over the cement, collecting debris like an abyssal lint roller. As its front came into view, Izuku could see the face swimming about its exterior, like a sick Mr. Potato head. Each bubble that formed in its surface displaced the features, and with each pop, they shuddered violently back to their original locations, like ping pong balls in ooze.
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Is there any merit to the claims that the ST movies haven't been planned at all and that each director just takes things where they want? I always see antis claiming that but I've never seen proof of it? But at the same time some of the things cast members have said (mainly Daisy) do make me wonder if they have any idea of where the story of their characters is going. I would find it concerning and amateurish if there was never any plan at all from scratch.
Tbh Nonnie, antis have absolutely no concept of reality so I wouldn’t pay attention to any of the things they say. Even when they quote a director or an actor verbatim they misinterpret the meaning of the words used.
Regarding the trajectory of the characters, my take from reading obsessively interviews since 2015 and fangirling over the series of “Art of Star Wars” books is that like most projects, the creators of the ST came up with the main STORY ELEMENTS but then each director was given carte blanche to create THEIR story (the script).
Rey is a scavenger, Kylo fell to the darkside, Finn is an ex-stormtrooper are all story elements for instance.
In short, do I believe they knew they wanted to tell a certain story? Yes.
Did they plan every single detail in advance? No --Otherwise, they wouldn’t have fired Trevorrow mid-way through the project and they wouldn’t need to reshoot scenes all the time (TFA had tons of reshoots, TLJ had a few and rumor is that they’re reshooting some scenes of TrOS right now).
Projects like Star Wars have so many moving pieces. Things will evolve and change over the years. That’s normal.
I looked up for you an interesting article I’d read about the influence of Lucas’ original ideas for the ST. Perhaps it will explain better than me.
From www.starwarsnewsnet.com
PABLO HIDALGO SHEDS MORE LIGHT ON GEORGE LUCAS’S INFLUENCE ON THE SEQUEL TRILOGY
Not that long ago, some concept art from George Lucas’s pitch for Star Wars Episode VII finally surfaced, revealing that some of the key concepts that The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were built around were inspired by his treatment after all. Now, Pablo Hidalgo is taking to Twitter to explain the creative process on how things changed from conceptualization to actualization.
The first couple of points worth discussing here were actually brought up by Full Of Sith Podcast contributor Bryan Young on his Twitter page, where he noted that a number of story elements from both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were borrowed from Lucas’s story treatments based on The Art Of… books for both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Young mentioned that many of the plot points for the character of Kylo Ren were already decided by Lucas: that he would betray his uncle, kill many of his fellow students, and ultimately murder his own father. Likewise, Rey would ultimately convince Luke to get out of his depression and do something about the war. The key difference is that both of these events would have happened in the same Episode VII – whereas in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, they’re both late-movie plot points. Hidalgo added to Young’s observations by noting that Kylo Ren’s origin was actually intended to be explored in Episode VII instead of Episode VIII:
In a very general sense, the original idea of 7 started midway through what we now know as 8.
— The Tweets of San Francisco: A QM Production (@pablohidalgo) January 3, 2018
So the difference between The Force Awakens and Episode VIIas it was originally conceived was that the story would have coincided with Ben Solo’s fall to the Dark Side. Instead, we’re introduced to him being Snoke’s apprentice for a few years:
The son falling to the dark side was always in the mix. The movies just ended up having it already an established fact.
— The Tweets of San Francisco: A QM Production (@pablohidalgo) January 3, 2018
Later, Young got into an argument with an Expanded Universe fan who was unhappy with the direction of the new films. The EU fan argued that Star Wars Legends was closer to Lucas’s vision (it wasn’t), an Young responded by reiterating what was mentioned above, with other users chipping in to suggest that Lucas’s ideas weren’t completely scrapped so much as they were reworked by the people working on the new movies. Hidalgo added to the conversation by adding some of the code names for the other characters:
Skyler and Kira (and Kira wasn’t the first proposed name either; she had at least two others) became, after a fashion, Finn and Rey. The Jedi Killer morphed from Talon corrupting the son to becoming the son. Uber became Snoke. The starting point shifted. Yadda yada yada.
— The Tweets of San Francisco: A QM Production (@pablohidalgo) January 3, 2018
“The Son” and “The Jedi Killer”, of course, referring to the character that would become Kylo Ren. “Talon”, interestingly enough, refers to the Sith Lady that was seen in the Star Wars: Legacy comics (an idea that Lucas did pull over from the Expanded Universe, though not in the way that the character was originally meant to appear). It’s also worth emphasizing that these are story treatments and not scripts – as far as we know, Lucas only completed an outline for Episode VII and only had a few other ideas for the other two movies:
I think the fact that a lot of people refer to the as ‘scripts’ show they don’t really understand what it is they’re talking about.
— The Tweets of San Francisco: A QM Production (@pablohidalgo) January 3, 2018
Lastly, Hidalgo noted that “Skyler” (Finn) was originally The Son (Ben Solo) in some drafts of Episode VII:
Skyler was the son in some versions. And as for how all that was gonna go down, that ain’t my story to tell.
— The Tweets of San Francisco: A QM Production (@pablohidalgo) January 3, 2018
What an interesting dynamic that would have been… Nonetheless, we saw Kylo Ren and Finn play off of one another in The Force Awakens as foils, but not so much in The Last Jedi(where they don’t even share a scene).
That’s all for now, but it’s fascinating looking into the thought process that led to the creation of what we now know as the first two chapters of the Sequel Trilogy – and how Lucas ended up being a little more involved with these new movies than we once thought.
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STAR VS THE FORCES OF EVIL or The Art Student’s Awakening (A Review)
Oh hey, it’s another review by me that nobody asked for! Ok, this one is actually gonna mean a lot to me since this show is pretty much the reason I even started posting things on this site to begin with (thank you and curse you Tumblr), so I need to get it all off my chest.
Short version: It’s really fuckin’ good, and y’all should check it out. The ending could have used a little more finesse, but it’s still pretty damn good.
Long version: *gasps for air*
Ok let’s start with the story. Yeah, it’s certainly a rollar-coaster. What starts out as a fun little-romp-of-the-week type of story...
...becomes this tale of power corruption, racism battle, and a tale of trust in one another and unity among the people.
Whether or not it handles that well seems to be half and half. On one hand, grace under fire this show is not. It does seem a little rushed in the last season, and you can really tell it wanted to be a bit longer, flesh out ideas, but didn’t have time for it (I blame the Mouse on that).
I mean I dunno about you, but a show that introduces time travel right the fuck out of nowhere in a medium never seems to end well, this show is no exception.
That and they reeeeeaaaaaally try to knock you unconscious using a hammer with all the prejudice allegories.
On the other hand, good characters can make a shit story seem like high-class art. And good characters this show has in spades (no eclipsa-related pun intended).
Firstly, Star Butterfly herself. It seems stupid not to start with her. And... yeah she’s a really fun protagonist. Not only is she basically Sailor Moon hyped up on too much nose candy, but she has an incredible story of growth to go with. She starts as a fun-loving monster battler that’s too eager to run away from her problems to this teenager facing the looming shadow of adulthood head on and ready to ditch her past of monster-ism(?) for good, never to let such discrimination see the light of day again. Not to mention Eden Sher just absolutely brings this character to life, even if it’s just little things she says like “yeah totally totally totally” or “we got burger juice on the wall rug.” Something in her performance just absolutely friggin’ works wonders. I’d say she’s probably one of my favorite protagonists out there that “the big D” has come up with, but my favorte character they’ve created in a looooong time? That award...
... goes to mother-fuckin’ Marco Ubaldo Diaz. I cannot BELIEVE how much they won me over with this guy. I think it’s because I saw so much of myself in this guy to the point where I am convinced he’s my long-lost brother. This B0I starts out as this paranoid play-it-safe ‘nother brick in the wall type who just wants to get through his teenage life without any kind of trouble, and by the end is a guy who’s ready to shrug off getting impaled by an evil unicorn being ridden by a corrupted version of Star’s half-demon ex just to get him to snap out of it (it just now dawns on me how fuckin’ batshit this show is). I just love how as he’s easing up on his paranoia, he learns to stop taking himself so seriously and let loose every now and then. Adam McAruther deserves praise for playing this guy, and I don’t know who could ever play this guy like he did. If no other takeaways for this show were to be, it’d be that Marco is in a lineup of my favorite fictional characters of all time.
Now I sense some ears (ok fine all ears) are waiting for me to talk about the two together, so I’ll touch on it once, and make an entire post on it later: It’s great. It’s pleasing to the eye, it’s wholesome for the soul, it makes them both into better beings, the opposite attracts thing is done beautifully, the chemistry could make Bill Nye proud, and I think their ending was as good as it could be for them... though I do hate how long it took to get there.
OK LIGHTNING ROUND GO (can’t get ‘em al, so sorry):
-Tom: I like the guy, definitely a more relatable and visible character arc and his design is neat.
-Jackie: I wish my lesbian venice beach girl got more appreciation, but I luv her none the less.
-Janna: I luv my strange bisexual filipino witch-wannabee (you know what I said is true don’t deny it)
-Moon: Never really gave her full trust, but was not disappointed by her in any way, despite various actions in the end.
-River: I liked him in the beginning season, sorta trailed off by the end.
-Kelly: Not sure why she was there, but she was cool.
-Eclipsa: We stan that queen! Loved the fact that her motives were so grey, and you every could tell if she was going to turn out to be truly bad or not.
-Globgor: We stan that king! I adored how he actually was a threat back in his day, but now regrets everything he ever did then (plus him size shifting in fights is creative as hell), wish we could have had more of him, but it’s cool that we got any at all really.
-Glossaryck: I loved him, true chaotic neutral god. He was such a troll, and he has my respect (and to think all he wanted to do was die).
-Ponyhead: I hope that sack of shit gets donated to a glue factory.
But what is a good story without good villains? Well, this show wants to have a ton of good ones, but nothing really sticks to the wall too well, though they do leave an impact.
LUDO: This is how to do a comedic villain right. You have fun with him in the beginning, and then you make him into a legit threat the next, and by the end give him a redemption arc so as to let him go back on his old ways without soiling his actual good moments as an antagonist. He was the one who surprised me the most.
TOFFEE: Ooooohhhhhhhhh everybody loves this lawyer-lizard B0I and so do I. This guy’s plan was 1: not evil at all, 2: his methods were borderline black and grey, and 3: it was still going on in the background of the story of the entire show since his arival. His personality was cool, suave, persuasive, manipulative, downright terrifying sometimes, and he was just so good at it. While everyone certainly wishes we had more of him, what we got and how long le lasted just cements him as probably one of my all-time favorite villains ever really.
Ms. HEINOUS/METEORA: Oh shakespeare where art thou? Such a wondrous work this tragedey is. Heinous just starts out as a villain who pushes the patriarchy so you can say “fuck that shit,” tries to steal youth for herself, wants to kill Marco for ruining her perfection, y’know yahoo. But the moment you realize her name is Meteora, and what her past has been like... yeah, this is a fuckin’ shakespearian villain for certain. It gets to a point where you begin to agree with what she’s doing, and you’re glad thing turn out all right for her in the end, but god-damn she was such a captivating force to go up against. Scar can suck one compared to this.
MINA LOVEBERRY: I wanna say this was a good attempt at an Aku-type villain (humor and terror in perfect balance), but yeah she could have been handled better. For what we did get with her though, I’m content with it. It’s just funny to see hobo-usagi here just hulk out and talk with a southern accent about what is essentially senile racism n’ shit. There are hints to a tragic past that led to this, and that was nice, but overall not exactly a swan song.
In fact, that’s kinda how the whole ending was wasn’t it? It was serviceable, but nothing big to write home about. I could have definitely used a little more polish to flesh out some things, but we got left with enough to tide over I suppose, though I so wanna see more.
I mean, look at this new world we were left with! Could you imagine a new season just exploring that? It sounds like so much fun! However, the crew have this “leave them wanting more mentality (ha! hope you were paying attention to that foreshadowing!),” not to mention I have seen the creator Madame Daron Nefcy encourage all the creative fans this show has to do all sorts of stuff (of which we seemed to have wasted no time and not even waited for the show to end to start doing *glares at the fan-made-starco kids everywhere*).
Really, at the end of it all, I’d compare this entire series to a friend doing a cannonball from a high-dive. First, you’re amazed that they decided to climb the ladder. Second, you’re in awe of the guts their showing to prepare for the jump. Third, you gawk as they actually did jump off into the water from the height. But fourth, you see them underwater and watch them un form the ball and into a weird janky zero-gravity water thing swimming up for air, not to mention you remembered they didn’t swan dive. But that doesnt mean the plunge was all that bad, you enjoyed watching all the steps to it, didn’t you?
Overall, the score I shall leave it at would be... 7.5/10, and an easy thumbs up approval. It’s ending and other aspects have a lot to be desired, but the story and characters are too good to ignore.
Check it out if you haven’t already (probably binge it), and to Madame Nefcy (if by some stroke of a miracle you see this) thank you so much for creating this show. I am so glad I saw it despite my gripes, and I’d gladly see it again.
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Continuity
I’m still reading Star Wars comics from the original Marvel run of 1977-1986. Last night, I made it to the Return of the Jedi adaptation, so now I’ve read all the issues set between that movie and Empire Strikes Back. As I expected, these comics (#45-80) feel a lot more like authentic Star Wars stories than the pre-ESB issues (#7-38). The biggest plot hole that I noticed was that Luke still has his lightsaber throughout this period, despite losing it on Bepsin.
It occurred to me later that this wasn’t necessarily a mistake. There’s a deleted scene from ROTJ which shows Luke assembling his new lightsaber right before the mission to save Han Solo from Jabba the Hut. This strongly implies that Luke didn’t have a lightsaber of his own between Episodes V and VI. This was further supported by the ROTJ radio drama, produced in 1996, which incorporates the deleted scene into the story. There, Luke expresses frustration with how difficult it is to build a lightsaber, and then he finally realizes that he should have been using the Force to assemble the pieces. I haven’t read the novelization of the movie, but maybe it was touched on there as well.
Later sources indicated that building your own lightsaber is the final ritual for completing your Jedi training. This is shown in the 2002 Clone Wars cartoon, where Barriss Offee assembles her own saber on Ilum, under the supervision of Luminara Unduli. I’m pretty sure this scene was inspired by Darth Vader’s line in ROTJ, when he observed that Luke’s training is complete after checking out his badass green lightsaber. The implication is that building your own lightsaber is difficult enough that Luke would have to be a Jedi Knight just to pull it off.
But in the early 80′s, none of that lore existed, and it would be a simple matter for writers to assume that Luke had no trouble at all getting a spare. What I find strange is that no one bothered to explain where this spare lightsaber came from. It’s like the writers just assumed he never lost the first one, but that’s crazy.
Really, the artists on the original Star Wars comics never seemed to be able to keep track of the lightsabers to begin with. In the early comics, they paid no heed to the color schemes or hilt designs at all. Not that I would expect late 70′s artists to really worry about props from a movie that had just come out, but they kept coloring all the lightsaber blades at random, and drawing the hilts way too short and thick. Luke and Vader looked like they were holding soda cans. The art started to get more true to the movies when Tom Palmer got involved, but one thing I started to notice was how the artists would draw Luke and Vader’s lightsabers on their belts, even when they were holding them, ignited, in their hands. It was like the artists recognized the lightsaber hilts as part of the characters’ costumes, but they didn’t understand what they were. I can’t really blame them for this, since the big column of light was what really drew everyone’s attention in the theaters, and it wasn’t like they could look up hilt schematics on Wookieepedia like you can now.
Anyway, it struck me as kind of interesting how something minor like that can start off as an oversight, and then be easily corrected, or magnified into a major plot hole. It’d be pretty simple to explain Luke’s between-movie lightsaber.
Obi-Wan Kenobi had a spare tucked away somewhere, and Luke had been keeping it in storage just in case something like this happened.
Yoda had a spare, and Luke took it with him when he went to Bespin, and put it inside R2-D2′s lightsaber compartment for safe keeping.
Luke found a new lightsaber on a mission.
Luke built a new lightsaber to replace his old one, then lost that guy, requiring him to build the green one in ROTJ.
Luke found/constructed a replacement weapon, but it’s actually a knockoff “laser sword” and it doesn’t work as well as a genuine Jedi design, but it got the job done until he could do the job right.
I find it curious that no one ever bothered to tell any of those stories, though. The Expanded Universe era of Star Wars multimedia seemed determined to sew up as many continuity problems as possible. Some writer in the 2000′s did a story to establish that Jedi would swap lightsabers as a gesture of mutual respect, just to explain why Mace Windu’s action figure has a different lightsaber design than the one he has in the movies. I’m not too worried about this stuff, and I don’t think Jo Duffy or David Michelinie were too worried about this stuff when they wrote Luke carving up Stormtroopers in Star Wars #45-80, but between 1994 and 2008, there were people working for Lucasfilm who were paid to worry about this stuff. I’m genuinely surprised that no one ever got around to penning Star Wars: Luke’s Spare Lightsaber: The Lobot Chronicles: Dark Tidings.
It’s the little things like this that get lost in the shuffle, I’ve found. When you read a Star Wars novel or comic book, the major characters are always very consistently portrayed, and the story always sticks very closely to the groundwork laid down in whatever movies were around at the time. Star Wars #45-80 excelled at this. Every issue was either about the good guys searching for Han Solo, or dealing with a crisis big enough to pull them away from the search for Han Solo. I was disappointed that they didn’t spend much time at all having Luke work on his Jedi training, or trying to make sense of Darth Vader being his father, but I think Marvel knew the next movie would address that, so they knew not to wade too deep into that stream.
The stuff that gets changed the most is the minor characters. I read one issue where they basically established that Wedge Antilles never made it off the base on Hoth in ESB. He and “Nice Shot” Jansen had to take cover in the AT-AT Luke blew up, and then they lived in what was left of the base while they waited for the imperials to clear out. He was stranded there for months, and it was a pretty cool story, but I’m betting that later Star Wars writers decided to ignore this, because they wanted to use Wedge in other stories during that period.
General Tagge’s another interesting example. He was the guy on the Death Star in Episode IV, the one who warned that the Death Star was vulnerable while the Rebels had the stolen plans. Tagge’s kind of a walking continuity error to begin with, because everyone kept getting him mixed up with Admiral Motti, the guy who sassed Vader and got choked out for his lack of faith. In the Archie Goodwin run on Star Wars, Tagge was killed in the movie when the Death Star exploded, but his brothers and sister turned up as recurring villains with a grudge against the Rebels and Vader alike. Flash forward to 2015, when Disney took over Lucasfilm, and in the new continuity, Tagge survived the Death Star’s destruction because he happened to leave right before it went to Yavin IV to get blown up. This was done mainly to set him up as a rival to Darth Vader in the 2015 Darth Vader comic. I guess they figured there was no reason to invent new characters when they could just salvage some of the officers from the movie. Tagge feels more authentic than his siblings because we actually saw him on film. He’s a “real” Star Wars guy, while rest of his family are just cartoons. I think that’s the attitude anyway. Back in 1978, they were probably eager to create new characters because they had tons of world-building to do. So the 2010′s Marvel comics don’t square with the 1970′s Marvel comics at all, especially where the Tagges are concerned, but Darth Vader’s dealings with them feel pretty consistent.
The reason I bring up all of this is because I used to think that the continuity in Star Wars was never terribly complicated. When production of The Force Awakens got started, Lucasfilm announced that they were rebooting the whole Star Wars canon, declaring all the Expanded Universe content as “Legends”, which no longer counted as official continuity. The only hard canon sources from now on were the movies, the Clone Wars TV series, and anything published after that announcement. Naturally, all the post-Return-of-the-Jedi stories would be off the board, which only made sense to me, seeing as Force Awakens would contradict it. But I figured the other stories could still be made to fit together somehow, since none of them had anything to do with Rey or Kylo Ren or the First Order, or whatever.
But really, it’s been like that all along. The novels and comics would introduce some idea, and others would build on it, and then George Lucas would override it with his next project. Then the writers would have to pick up the pieces. The 2008-2013 Clone Wars TV series trampled on a lot of continuity from the 2002-2005 Clone Wars books and comics, primarily because George Lucas worked on the TV series, and he was the final word on this stuff. That announcement in 2014 pissed off a lot of Expanded Universe fans (so much that they bought a bunch of billboards to complain about it), but it was kind of inevitable. They’ll probably have to wipe the slate clean again around 2040 or so, because there’ll be enough new movies that the comics and novels won’t align with them.
I sort of half-joke about my own fanfiction getting this kind of treatment. My goal is to write stories that could fit into the established continuity, but I can only work with the continuity I know. With Dragon Ball, that was easy, until Dragon Ball Super got underway, and Akira Toriyama started writing new stuff. It was pretty easy to write my own female Super Saiyan, until DBS introduced a couple of their own, and now I have to wonder if they’ll say or do something that might contradict my own take. Likewise, this Broly movie might establish some new lore that I need to take into consideration. I can write new material to work around those things, but the stuff I’ve already written is pretty much locked in. My private joke is that in any of these new animations, a character will just stare at the screen and coldly announce that “Mike’s fanfic never happened.”
But that’s pretty much what Lucasfilm has been doing to the novel and comics writers for over forty years. “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” would have been the official sequel to Star Wars if Empire Strikes Back hadn’t been funded. Instead, Dengar and Bossk looked at the screen and said “Alan Dean Foster’s novel never happened.” Return of the Jedi killed every Luke/Leia shipper’s hopes and dreams. “Oh, those fanfics never happened, my young friend,” Ben Kenobi said from beyond the grave. Attack of the Clones wreaked all sorts of havoc on Boba Fett’s backstory. The Force Awakens wrecked the Skywalker-Solo family tree. “Han and Leia only had one kid, and I’m gonna kick his ass!” Rey shouted asskickingly. And on it goes. I read that one writer resigned after they retconned all the stuff she had set up about Boba Fett’s home planet, but that’s the way the game is played, unfortunately.
Me, I’m just writing my stuff for fun, when it comes down to it. I like to think all the continuity can be fit together, but the reality is that there’s too many redundant pieces, so they can’t all be part of the same picture. You can either have Tagge or his brothers, but not both. You can decide to keep Ben Solo or Jan and Jeice Solo from the EU novels, but not both. Or you can do an AU, I guess. They’re all AU’s when you get down to it.
I suppose that, no matter what, I prefer my own assumption that Luke just didn’t have a lightsaber between Empire and Jedi. I’ve read too many stories about how there’s more to a Jedi than his lightsaber, and how the best Jedi never use them at all, so it makes sense to me that Luke had to make due without one, and use the loss to force him to refocus on his training. While the others searched for Han, he was doing cool Jedi homework that he should have been doing on Dagobah, and he purposely waited until he was finished before building a new lightsaber. That just makes too much sense to me, even if some other version is presented. But the other stories are still fun to read. They don’t have to be canon to be enjoyable.
#/#//#///#////#/////#star wars#writing#i still cannot believe those guys blew four grand on billboards#like someone at disney was going to see those and publish the next round of eu novels#'holy crap! a billboard! those nerds mean business!'#the post rotj eu stuff was trash anyway#they killed off chewbacca in those#that's all you need to know#the sequel trilogy has plenty of chewbacca for everyone#they know what people want#and it's chewbacca#not 70 year old boba fett running around with his grandkids#not jaden skywalker-solo-organa-fett-thrawn marrying starkiller from force unleashed#i do wish they'd write some more sith novels#but that was always an option
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[Analysis] The "Weird" One: Where The Last Jedi Fits
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I have a confession to make.
This may be a weird way to start what is essentially the first post of a new media critique blog, but I consider it to be essential knowledge. Every reviewer and analyst brings their own unique perspective to their writing, and I am no different; sooner or later, this truth will make itself known. To know this fact about me is to gain a new understanding of what makes me tick as a consumer of art, and it is one that it best to get out of the way as soon as possible, for it is better for a reader to lose interest now than to string along until the awkwardness of hiding such a secret reveals itself.
Here it is:
I LOVE the Star Wars prequels.
Oh, not only do I love them, completely and unironically, I actually do not care much for the original trilogy. It’s all right. But it doesn’t make my heart sing.
Attack of the Clones does.
Okay, okay, I can already hear the groans of disgust and the clicks of mice leaving my blog to the wilds of the web, but I promise this is going somewhere. I am not unaware of the many flaws the Prequel trilogy has, and I can’t in good conscience call them cinematic masterpieces, but I think this opinion derives itself not from poor taste, but the relative lack of blockbuster quality movies that tap into very particular themes and structural quirks that I appreciate. I may dive into those specifics at a later time, but the reason why I am bringing this up now is because it inextricably ties into my feelings about the most recent film in the franchise’s main series, which would be impossible for me to discuss without addressing this aspect of my formative film influences.
The Last Jedi has already received tons of coverage, controversy, and counter-controversy, so if you’re interested in picking apart the finer aspects of the plot and characters, feel free to look those up — I am sure there is a brilliant video essay on Youtube tailor-made just for you. I am more interested in the meta-narrative surrounding its position in terms of fanservice to what is an enourmous empire of not only fans of the original trilogy, but fans of its many derivations, spin-offs, and cultural foundations.
Star Wars is no longer just a film about a space farmer who learns he’s a space wizard and goes on a perfect beat-by-beat hero’s journey. It encompasses more than that: two sequels, an expanded universe of books upon books, comics, videogames, pinball machines — a holiday special (and no, I have not watched it) — toys, cartoons, parodies, reiterations, iconic images, phrases, cinematic touchstones, and, of course, the Prequels.
When the new Sequel trilogy was announced, the filmmakers had a real challenge to contend with: How can one follow up on not only a legacy of films, but also a legacy of expectations of what such a sequel would be like? I am not just referring to the fact that Disney, post acquisition of Lucasfilm, decided to just toss out the previous expanded universe, label it “Legends”, and start afresh with a new canon. I am also referring to the literal millions of fans who were already thoroughly familiar with not only the films but also their cultural impact. How could one possibly please them, especially when the Prequel trilogy was so universally mocked?
It was clear that Disney needed to win the crowd over, and to do so they leaned heavily into a safe bet: the Original trilogy. The Force Awakens released with a sort of wink-and-nudge, reflected in its story beats, characterization, and practical effects, that said “hey, we hear you. We know you’re scared because you don’t trust us to do this material justice and we know you love the original films, so we’re gonna give you exactly what you’re looking for”. It’s hard not to see the fanservice and whether or not it was successful has already been discussed to death, so I won’t get into it here, but the point is — and I am sure this wasn’t really intentional — to someone like me, who actually liked the prequels and a lot of the expanded universe, this approach felt incredibly alienating. Everyone was having fun with the new film, but to me it felt like it was saying, “all those things you love about Star Wars are not the reasons why anyone else loves Star Wars,” and I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty hurt, but at the very least The Force Awakens gave me a cast to fall in love with.
This is why when The Last Jedi was in production, I was intrigued to hear that this film was going to be “weird” and “unlike any other Star Wars film”. My expectations were tempered by the fact that ultimately this was going to be a Disney movie anyway, so it was probably not going to reach my standard of Weird (my dad showed me Koyaanisqatsi when I was 7, to give you an idea). Nevertheless, after the very safe rehash of Episode 4 that was The Force Awakens, I was just hoping for anything that might show me the franchise still had room for creativity.
I was in fact happy with the result, although it doesn’t surprise me at all that it attracted controversy. Some of my close friends, whose opinions I highly respect, hated the film for various reasons and I can even agree with them on some points. Others, like me, loved it. Overall, however, what I like most isn’t necessarily anything about the film itself, but its position as a nod to fans who wanted their corners of the Star Wars universe acknowledged. To put it bluntly, as a Prequels fan, I felt represented.
Going even beyond the Prequels, The Last Jedi contains themes from my favourite piece of Star Wars media, the Bioware-produced videogame Knights of the Old Republic and its Obsidian-produced sequel, which layer critique of what it means to be a Force user and what the role of Jedi and Sith are in the grand scheme of things. “Jedi” does not necessarily mean “good”, a fact Luke highlights in his role as reluctant mentor to Rey, and while there are some things I would change about his portrayal here, this perspective is absolutely one I wanted to see more of in the main series. Even as a kid, good-vs-evil stories bored me; it’s one reason why the Original trilogy failed to speak to me, because even though I wouldn’t have been able to articulate why at the time, the setup was just too easy. It didn’t challenge me to think that there’s a side that’s inherently good and a side that’s inherently evil, but when Knights of the Old Republic put decisions about when and how to use the Force in front of me, that was a much more interesting proposition, and the idea that doctrine about the nature of the Force could be wrong or even damaging was outright enticing. I honestly can’t remember whether playing the games or watching the Prequels came first, but I get the feeling it was the games, because that malleable view of what the Force means and who the Jedi and Sith are has carried through for me ever since.
The Last Jedi does kind of play it safe in some ways, ultimately being a Disney property that has to sell lots of merchandise and bring people to theme parks, but it also boldly rejects just about every expectation one might have of a “Star Wars Film”, characters make mistakes, they fail, things go wrong at the worst possible times, some act selfishly or foolishly, and by the time the credits roll there’s actually very little to be excited about, as the heroes are in a much worse position than they were when the film started, which was already very bleak. But in a way, that was the most exciting part to me, as someone who grew tired of the popular culture perception of Star Wars and who felt shut out of the Sequel trilogy by its first film; The Last Jedi may have been agonizing, but it was agonizing in a way that promised more, giving hope to those of us who were looking for a less straightforward narrative at a time when powerful politicians can be comically villainous in public and yet people would bend over backwards to excuse their actions as if an “evil empire” didn’t already exist. Over the last couple of years I have seen people post a gif of Padmé Amidala’s iconic line, “So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause”, saying this was the only part of the Prequel trilogy that aged well, and yet to me the truth was already glaringly obvious back when the film was released, contributing strongly to my own critical interpretation of it. The Last Jedi is a film that picks up on the thought that people can make foolish and terrible decisions and runs with it, but it is by no means the first in the series to approach this theme.
(I should note that as a Brazilian, whose country was freshly out of a dictatorship when I was born and which is now hurtling towards another at full speed, my views on what counts as an Evil Empire and how and why a democracy dies may be somewhat sharper than the average American’s. This is by no means the only reason why I’m into this kind of storytelling, nor is it exclusive to me, but it is a big one, and it would be short-sighted to ignore it.)
Ultimately I understand why The Last Jedi is so polarizing; it doesn’t pull punches and some of the punches it throws are even a bit misaimed, thus the description of it as “weird” and “unprecedented” makes sense. It just isn’t quite as weird or unprecedented when compared to previous attempts at broadening the scope of the Star Wars narrative both within the main film series and the expanded universe (at least pre-Disney; I haven’t engaged with any post-Legends canon aside from the Rebels cartoon, so I can’t say for sure). It also serves as a complete 180° turn from the Sequel trilogy establishing itself as a safe haven for Original trilogy fans and a middle chapter leading into a final film we still know nothing about, so whether its narrative leaps will pay off are still a mystery. In any case, The Last Jedi rejects superficial concerns in favour of theme, leading to a certain degree of dissatisfaction from fans who really wanted to know Rey’s parentage and what exactly was up with Snoke, but I think this is a good thing, because they gave new meanings to previously established Star Wars tropes and drove the whole thing into uncharted territory. I for one am glad the franchise has freed itself of these particular burdens; it simply remains to be seen whether the conclusion will maintain this momentum.
All this to say, I like the Last Jedi because it likes the things I like about Star Wars, and now I know I’m not the only one.
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Dragonheart
It’s been a while since I've watched a full season of anime an this current one is chick full of stuff i recognize. The last two, actually. Mushoku Tensei, Redo of Healer, The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter, Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu, Meikyuu Black Company, Isekai Cheat Magician, Nagatoro-san, I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, Skeleton Knight in Another World, Otome Game Sekai wa Mob ni Kibishii Sekai desu, and In the Land of Leadale ; The list is quite substantial. The common link between them all, I read the manga adaptions. A few of these things are really good onscreen, Tsukimichi immediately comes to mind, but others are much better on the page. It’s wild seeing so many of my favorite stories, getting the an anime adaption treatment. I adore the fact that so many are getting the exposure they deserve and i fund another one that i think will garner a ton of fans given, the opportunity: Ryuu to Ayumu Nariagari Boukensha-dou ~ Youzumi toshite S-Rank Party kara Tsuihou Sareta Kaifuku Majutsushi, Suterareta Saki de Saikyou no Shinryuu wo Fukkatsu Sasete Shimau ~ !
That title is a hole as mouthful i know, but it is quite the read. I actually stumbled across this thing last year sometime, right around the time i was getting into Skeleton Knight and Isekai Shikkaku, however, unlike those other two titles, Ryuu just stopped. One chapter is all i had, and even then, it wasn’t being scanlated by anyone. It took forever finding just that one. Every other version of that initial story, was in Japanese. I found it on the primary site i use for manga but, again, Japanese. And then Russian. I can’t even Google Translate Russian! I ain’t got the keys for that! It took a whole goddamn year before this thing got picked up again and, ever since, they’re had fairly regular releases every month or so. The story, itself, is just picking up but, so far, i am super into it. There are only five full chapters available for reading right now, broken up into half chapters because of course thy are, so there’s more than enough available to get a feel for the content going forward. Let me tell you, i am definitely feeling the content.
Ryuu starts off as one of the betrayal anime that seem to be all the rage now. You know what i mean; Someone gets kicked out of the adventurer party and left for dead but awakens to some new power and sets out on a a new life. Kind of pant by numbers, especially if you’re into Redo off Healer as our protagonist, Dion, is a Healer, himself, but with much less sexual violence. Dion is actually a pretty decent person in that regard and takes his betrayal well, sing the last of his power to save a severely wounded dragon. Much to his surprise, this dragon returned the favor and gifted him a bit of her blood, reviving Dion with a massive amount of power and brand new companion, Eldora. The two st out to escape the dungeon they were trapped within and, along the way, have a bit of an adventure unto themselves. This is literally a very glib synopsis of the first chapter and half but it’s on purpose. I don’t want to give too much of the story away. It’s only five chapters so check it out on your own.
So, why do i like this thing so much after only five chapters? Because the dragon has titties! In all seriousness, the thing that initially grabbed my attention was the art. This book looks nothing like anything on the market today and i love that. I’m a sucker for unique visuals which is why i like Oda so much. Say what you will about his style, you absolutely KNOW Oda’s art when you see it and you can’t take that away from him. Karikari Ume has that same potential. Their art is incredibly dense, with strong lines and intense shadows. It feels genuine and earnest, like a kid just doodling in a sketchbook but with years of experience backing that whimsical passion. The art is expressive and kinetic and full of movement while maintaining this endearing, honest, love for the craft. I love this style and it lends itself to the narrative so far.
I mentioned earlier that this sis a story steeped in the Betrayal sub-genre that seems to be all the rage right now. I’m on record as being a person who doesn’t hold tropey narratives against their authors as long as they can make up for that lack of creativity, with something unique. I cannot stress enough that we are only five chapters in but, so far, Kishimoto Kazuha has not disappointed. I actually read his other manga, Isekai Shoukan wa Nidome desu, which is fine. Mans knows the story he wants to tell and he tells it with no issue. That’s kind of my only gripe with his writing style; Its very derivative. Kishimoto writes for the trends. He picks up on something and just kind of throws a narrative together to capitalize on what’s hot. That’s fine as long as the content is there. Overlord and Tensura overcame the OP isekai trope to become something incredible. I can’t say for sure that Ryuu will have the legs to follow suit but, so far, i like what I've read and have high hopes going forward.
I absolutely adore this manga. A Story About a Dragon and the Rising of an Adventurer ~ A Healer Who Was Seen as Useless and Was Kicked Out From an S-Rank Party, Goes off to Revive the Strongest Dragon in an Abandoned Area ~ has all the potential to really be something special. It feels like old school manga, that Nineties type of sh*t with light comedy and a drizzling of fan service, to boot. I’ve been reading manga and watching anime for decades and always love when they throwback to the Golden Age like this book does. It feels like it has it’s feet in both worlds; The modern isekai/fantasy tropes through Kishimoto’s writing but that gorgeous, unique, art style is from Ume firmly plants it in the variety I've known since i was a kid. I want to say this is one of the best mangas I've read in years but i can’t. There simply aren’t enough chapters for that. What i can say is i get excited every time this thing is updated and i look forward to reading every bit whenever it’s releases. The only other manga i feel this strongly about that aren’t, like, grandfathered in from years ago are Yancha Gal, Call of the Night Walkers, Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita, Mato Seihei no Slave, Isekai Mokushiroku Mynoghra, and Isekai Shikkaku; All of which are goddamn masterpieces. That puts Ryuu in good company and more than enough to give this thing a shot.
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