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despairforme · 1 year

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CHAPTER 3 - Dodge the bullet.

[ CHAPTER 2 ]

The sun had been scorching for days now. It was hot for April. The new term had just started, and Atsushi was already looking forward to summer break. He’d be hard pressed to admit it, but he had missed club practices, and especially the games. During vacations he was usually quite anti-social, and this didn’t really help his mood. He almost always enjoyed hanging out with his friends, it was just that he had a mental barrier when it came to actually doing it. Something in him told him that he’d much rather stay at home, even if he knew he’d have fun if he went out. He didn’t have trouble keeping up with any subjects at school. Because he was so lazy, and from the sluggish way he talked, people often assumed he was stupid. This was not the case. His best subject was physics, because he found it interesting. He was in the school’s health committee as well. This was him being ‘behind enemy lines’, so to speak. He wanted to make sure they didn’t remove the snack vending machines and replace them with ‘healthy’ alternatives. Hell would freeze before he allowed vegetables to conquer the school premises. With homework, club activities and the health committee, Atsushi was busy. He didn’t like being busy. The Interhigh was coming up soon, which meant the team was practicing a lot. Muro-chin seemed determined to go all-out this year. Atsushi’s motivation was high too, even though it didn’t show (he was simply not good at expressing excitement). He’d been kept from playing basketball for months after their game against Jabberwock, and having only one functioning arm had been a struggle. It had been the one v one against that Jiruga-guy that had made him fired up though. It had reminded him how much fun he thought basketball was. He assumed they’d be facing Jiruga’s team at some point in the spring tournament, since their schools obviously were from the same region. He wanted to play against him in an official match.

❝Ah, why is it so hot...❞ He mumbled to himself and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. When it was this warm he was tempted to put his hair up. Too bad he didn’t have a hair tie. He’d feel better soon. He was going to get ice cream. A whole box. That reminded him... That Jiruga guy hadn’t paid him for the food he’d bought. What a bastard.

Almost like his thoughts of him turned into a cursed conjure-spell, he saw him. Atsushi had just rounded a corner to the street where the convenience store and his destination was located. There was no mistaking that tall figure. He was walking down the street in the same direction as Atsushi. He had his hair put up in a messy bun (clearly Atsushi wasn’t the only one who had no idea how to deal with long hair). The street was somewhat busy and he dwarfed the people next to him. Was this what he, himself, looked like to other people? Atsushi was not a person who enjoyed confrontation (he preferred the path of least resistance), but he was not going to let this guy get away with practically stealing food from him. Some long strides had him catch up to Jiruga, and he took a hold of his shirt, stopping him in his tracks. Atsushi was used to being able to intimidate others with his height, but he realized that this would probably not work in this case. The sudden grab to his shirt startled Jiruga. It looked almost comical, and he even made a little jump.

❝What ‘da fuck---?❞ He sneered as he turned around to glare at Atsushi. The angry look disappeared instantly. He had probably expected to be looking down on someone, but instead the two of them were about eye-level. Honestly, Atsushi didn’t think he’d ever get used to interacting with someone his own height. It was simply strange. “Yo.” Jiruga changed his approach to a greeting instead. For some reason, he was grinning. Atsushi narrowed his eyes.

❝Don’t yo me. You owe me money. Did you think you’d get away with it?❞ He held onto his shirt, just in case Jiruga decided he’d rather make a run for it instead of paying. He looked like the sort of guy who’d pull something like that. They were drawing attention. Atsushi drew attention wherever he went, and now that he was in an obvious confrontation with a guy equally as tall as him... It was a spectacle. Some people had even stopped to watch. It looked like Jiruga found it funny. He chuckled.

❝Damn, ya trynna’ intimidate me? That shit don’t fly.❞

❝What doesn’t fly is stealing from me.❞ Atsushi wasn’t backing down. Why would he? He wasn’t afraid of this guy. Jiruga looked surprised, like he had meant his words as a threat, and assumed said threat would work. “Pay me back.” Atsushi pressed. They glared at each other, before Jiruga averted his eyes to Atsushi’s hand, which was still holding onto his shirt. Atsushi realized that he was, perhaps, being a bit too aggressive. Slowly, he let go of him.

What am I doing, causing a scene over a few yen...

There was just something about his guy that pissed him off.

❝Alright, alright.❞ Jiruga suddenly said.

❝Huh?❞

❝I don’t want this shit hangin’ over me everytime we meet. C’mon, I’mma buy ya somethin’ at ‘da store, ‘n then we’re even, okay?❞ He was gesturing for Atsushi to follow him. Taken aback, he followed.

Wait, how did I end up getting something to eat with this guy again?

❝I’m bad at math. How much do I owe ya anyway?❞

❝If you buy me a box of popsicles we’re even.❞

❝A whole box?❞ Jiruga groaned. “At this point I gotta get a part-time job just ‘ta feed ya.❞

❝That would be nice.❞ Atsushi mused.

❝Don’t push yer luck.❞

They went into the convenience store. It was busy, with people getting their after-work shopping done before they headed home for the day. The other customers moved well clear of the two of them. They walked over to the frozen section.

❝What were you going to get?❞ Atsushi asked.

❝I was gonna get ice cream, but now I’m spendin’ all’a my money on ya.❞ This made him feel bad for him. Maybe Jiruga and his family wasn’t as well off (and maybe Atsushi should’ve guessed that from the other’s shabby appearance). He didn’t say anything about it. Money was a sensitive topic, and he didn’t want to treat the guy like he was poor. Atsushi picked out a box of popsicles. It contained a dozen, and he could easily eat them all by himself. ❝Good choice.❞ Jiruga commented. ❝‘Da water melon flavored ones are real good.❞ The popsicles had different flavors. Apple, pear, watermelon, strawberry and orange.

At the checkout, Jiruga paid, like he’d said he would. He wasn’t as bad as he looked. Once outside again, Atsushi opened the box, eager to get a popsicle. It was so hot outside, and cold treats were some of his favorites. The first one he fished out was a watermelon flavored one. A moment of hesitation, and then he held it out for Jiruga to take. The other looked surprised.

For real? You think I’d eat all of them myself when I made you spend all your money?

This guy didn’t have much faith in humanity, did he? Atsushi found a pear flavored one for himself. They tossed the wrappings in the nearby trashcan and then they just stood there. “Let’s find some shade, yeah?” Jiruga nodded towards a bench, placed right next to the store so that people could eat their quick meals (it was rude to walk and eat, though Atsushi didn’t care much about that). The bench was occupied by some kids who looked like they went to junior high. They were all staring at the two of them, big eyed. “Get lost!” Jiruga yelled at them as he walked over. Clearly spooked, the three students jumped up from the bench.

You really are a bad person, aren’t you?

Well, at least now he could sit down and enjoy his popsicle in the shade. They joined each other on the bench. It looked comically small for them. It was the same with a lot of furniture. Their shoulders were almost touching thanks to both of them having really broad torsos.

❝What’s yer name anyway?❞ Atsushi had told him the last time they had met, but clearly he’d forgotten. Ah, now that he thought about it - Jiruga had warned him and said he would forget.

❝I told you. It’s Murasakibara.❞

❝‘N I told ya ‘daz too long.❞

He paused.

❝Murasakibara Atsushi.❞

❝Atsushi, huh? That ain’t too bad. I might remember that.❞

❝You think we’re on first name basis?❞

❝Hey, I just pick ‘da name ‘daz easiest ‘fer me ‘ta remember. Ain’t my fault yer last name ‘s such a mouthful.❞

❝Aren’t you just stupid?❞ Atsushi preferred to just be straight-forward with people, unless they were asking him uncomfortable questions. It was easier that way. His question made Jiruga laugh.

❝Probably. Ya remember my name?❞

❝Uh-uh.❞ He lied, shaking his head. ❝I totally forgot it.❞

❝Asshole.❞ Jiruga chuckled. Atsushi found himself smiling a tiny bit. ❝Too bad I didn’t bring my basketball ‘ta’day, or we could’a played.❞

❝Haah? No way. It’s too hot. I would get tired.❞

❝Oh, yeah, it really is too fuckin’ hot ‘ta’day.❞ Jiruga agreed, and bit down on his popsicle, breaking it in half.

❝Mah, at least I had fun when we played.❞ Atsushi admitted with a small shrug. Having fun was a big deal to him. He didn’t find anything ‘ fun ‘. Most of the time, he didn’t even find basketball to be all that fun. Only certain parts of it was entertaining to him. When that heavy feeling he always carried around let go. He loved those moments.

❝Me too. It’s so borin’ playin’ all’a these small kids who can never reach me.❞ Oh, he felt that to the bone. He never talked to anyone about these things. He knew Mine-chin had a similar sort of struggle, but at the same time, it was not the same. Their starting points were different. Mine-chin loved basketball, while Atsushi had only come to enjoy it because it was (sometimes) fun. He had just started playing it because he was good at it, and he liked winning (or rather, he hated losing). But his moments of actual enjoyment were few and far between. But at least he had moments he felt... Happy? Was that even the right word?

This guy might be the only one who understands what’s it like.

Atsushi was so jealous of other people’s enthusiasm. Those players who had no talent but loved to play, and thought it was the best fun in the world. He was so so jealous of them. Why couldn’t he get the same sort of happiness as them? It made him want to ruin their fun. Make it so that they didn’t enjoy basketball. Should he say something about any of this to Jiruga? It wasn’t like they knew each other at all. Not to mention - if Atsushi considered himself indifferent to other people’s emotions, he was nothing to the vibes Jiruga gave off.

❝I just don’t get why people think basketball is fun when they can’t win.❞

❝Ya got that right.❞ From his tone, it sounded like Jiruga too found these people annoying. ❝What’s so fun ‘bout losin’? How can ya’ll be all happy ‘n have fun when yer so weak?❞

And why can’t we, when we’re strong?

He wanted to ask that, just, out into the air, not really for Jiruga to answer. He didn’t say it though. He felt... A little lighter, he decided. A little better. He was pretty sure that hadn’t been the other’s intentions, but - it was the result. “But I’mma crush ‘em. I don’t care who they are. Strong, weak, kids - I’mma crush all’a their hopes so that they won’t stand up again.”

❝You really have character problems.❞

But we’re the same, aren’t we?

Jiruga laughed to that. His laugh was weird. It was sharp and boisterous and, there was no two ways about it - evil. He definitely sounded like a villain when he laughed. It was way different to his chuckle, which was deep and smooth. With his laugh, the hoarseness of his voice really came through.

❝‘Daz right. I’mma ruin everyone’s day. I don’t give a fuck.❞

❝Hōō, you’ve got to step up your game then.❞

He did prompt him to it, so maybe he shouldn’t be surprised when Jiruga reached into the box of popsicles and helped himself to another one. Atsushi shook his head with a small smile, finding it somewhat funny. He too picked out another popsicle.

❝Ya’ll gonna play in ‘da Interhigh?❞

❝Of course. We were in the semi-final last year.❞ Where they had lost to Rakuzan, and eventually placed third in their game against Ōnita. Atsushi was ready for a rematch. The games this year were going to be completely different to last year, because of all the 3rd years who had left, and the new first-years. Not to mention that the whole generation of miracles would be 2nd years now, and have even greater skills.

❝Oh, I didn’t realize ya were from some powerhouse-school. Though, I guess ya’d make any school a powerhouse.❞

❝Usually I’m more than enough to handle the other team.❞ Atsushi said, not having a problem accepting the compliment. Basketball was the only real skill he had, and he wasn’t going to act humble about it.

❝I’m gonna be carryin’ my team too.❞

❝Which school do you go to?❞

❝Tsukinogai.❞

❝Never heard of.❞ Which only proved that it was not a strong school. Maybe Atsushi had played them at some point, but he’d definitely forgotten. He didn’t bother remembering weak players and their weak schools. Jiruga chuckled.

❝I figured. I don’t give a shit which team I’m on. Don’t make no difference ‘ta me.❞

❝Hmm...❞ Atsushi had learnt (the hard way) the power of teamwork. At the same time, he could relate. He didn’t easily get along with others. He was fortunate to be on a team that accepted him and his style of basketball. He even had friends on there, which he hadn’t expected. He wondered if Jiruga would have the same experience. Probably not. His personality was too off-putting. Surely nobody could get along with him and accept him? It would be impossible for a guy like this to make friends.

They sat in silence for a while, finishing their popsicles. They both helped themselves to new ones. It wouldn’t take them long to finish the whole box, since it contained only 12, which meant six each.

❝What’s your email?❞ Atsushi asked and pulled out his phone. It was rare of him to ask for someone’s contact information. Jiruga held out his hand.

❝Gimme yer phone, I’m shit at spellin’.❞

Atsushi handed him the phone, and Jiruga typed in his contact information. It took a long minute. Then he handed it back. Atsushi looked it over.

❝Nnoitra?❞ He read what the other had placed as his given name.

❝‘Daz right. Ya can use it.❞ There weren’t many people Atsushi was on a first-name basis, and especially not someone who was his senior.

❝It’s a weird name.❞

❝Yer name ‘s way worse! Mura...❞ He made a face of intense concentration. Atsushi nodded, encouraging him on. ❝Saki...❞ Just a little further. ❝Bara?❞

He remembered.

[CHAPTER 4]

#[ prayer emojis ]#[ i'm obsessed ahahaha ]#[ it's so cuuuute aaaaaa ]#storytime. ╱ drabble.#knb au tbt.#longpost //

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gthreepio · 3 years

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i’ve been thinking about the future of the mcu and realized there’s a LOT that i didn’t know/didn’t remember in terms of where things are going so i figured i’d sum it up incase anyone else was in the same boat!!

quick recap of (unresolved) mid-credit scenes:

doctor strange: mordo (a sorcerer that is one of strange’s mentors, who by the end of the movie becomes disillusioned with magic/the ancient one and quits) confronts pangborn (the paraplegic who healed himself with the mystic arts, who tells strange about mystic arts in the first place) and steals his magic because according to mordo, there are “too many sorcerers." of note, this guy is typically a villain in the comics but hasn’t been thus far...

gotg2: ayesha (leader of the sovereign, a golden skinned alien race obsessed with genetic purity), after spending most of the movie chasing the guardians for stealing some stuff, is revealed to have created an artificial being named “adam” which is presumably, adam warlock. (other stuff that is less relevant: kraglin appears to take up yondu’s mantle; the ravagers regroup and several old and obscure comic book characters are introduced [charlie-27, aleta, martinex, mainframe]; the watchers are watching things.)

far from home: j jonah jameson basically tells the whole world spider-man’s secret identity, and frames him for what happened with mysterio....making him public enemy #1. ALSO, turns out nick fury and maria hill in the movie were ACTUALLY the two skrulls from captain marvel (talos and soren) attempting to do their job, while the real fury (and presumably hill) is ... up in space on some spaceship!!!

wandavision: monica (who we can assume is photon) is called by “an old friend of [her] mother’s,” up in space, which presumably means fury, talos, or carol. ALSO, wanda sits in the middle of nowhere reading the darkhold and hears the voices of her children who.. by all accounts, should not exist.

aaaaand what we know about future movies (i’m not even going into the tv series.....):

black widow:

takes place after civil war

nat confronts a “dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past,” likely has to do with taskmaster who has apparently taken over the red room where nat was trained as an assassin

prominent new characters: yelena belova, who will take over the mantle of black widow after this; alexei shostakov aka red guardian, an ollllld marvel hero analogous to captain america except for the soviet union.

tony stark will make an appearance... SOBS

shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings:

shang-chi has never been seen in the mcu before, but he is, essentially, a superhero that is a master martial artist, and in some adaptations can also create duplicate (fake) versions of himself to confuse opponents

main villain will be the the mandarin who we have *sort of* seen before... he is the leader of a terrorist organization called “ten rings” whose main goal is to destroy world peace. brief history -- in iron man 1: one ten rings cell kidnaps tony stark and tries to force him to make weapons (he of course, makes his suit instead). stark and ten rings become enemies and fight a bunch. nat and nick fury fight them too. in iron man 3, the villain aldrich killian hires a dude to pretend to be the mandarin and claim responsibility for a bunch of stuff, but its not the ten rings or the mandarin at all. this makes the mandarin v mad and he has a dude kidnap the faker to punish him. they also briefly show up in ant-man, when a ten rings agent tries to buy the yellowjacket suit that darren cross is selling. BUT IN SHANG-CHI....... looks like we are FINALLY going to see the real mandarin after over a decade!!

the villain razor fist will also show up, he is lesser known... he has no superhuman powers but he has surgically replaced his hands (1 or 2, depending on the version) with a steel blade, and is highly skilled at hand to hand combat.

besides the presence of these characters, the only bit of plot we know is “shang-chi is drawn into the ten rings organization and forced to confront his past.” so... yeah. we don’t know much at all.

eternals:

quick explanation: the eternals are an immortal alien race who have been secretly living on earth for thousands of years. they were created by the celestials, who are most prominently in gotg2.

more entirely new characters!!! their names are: thena, who can form any weapon out of cosmic energy; gilgamesh, who can make a super strong exoskeleton out of cosmic energy; ikaris, who has superhuman strength, flies, and can project cosmic energy out his eyes; kingo, who can shoot cosmic energy projectiles from his hands; makkari, who creates sonic booms, has super speed, and is deaf; phastos, who has enhanced intelligence, and is also gay (and married with a kid!); ajak, who has healing powers; sprite, who can project illusions; sersi, who can manipulate matter; druig, who can mind control; and dane whitman (black knight), a human with a mystical sword.

regarding the plot... it seems the eternals have kind of dispersed, but have to come together again to fight the deviants, who are their “evil counterparts” (also created by the celestials, though i’m unclear on why). thena and gilgamesh have apparently been in exile, unclear why; sersi, who is posing as a museum curator, has apparently been in love with ikaris for centuries and it seems as if their love story may be central to the film; and kingo is a bollywood film star in his spare time. aaaaand that’s pretty much all we know.

directed by chloé zhao of nomadland fame!

spider-man no way home:

based on the post-credits scene in far from home, peter parker will now be known as spider-man to everyone. unclear if he’s going to be seen as a bad guy due to mysterio framing him, but i guess we’ll see!

jamie foxx is electro, and alfred molina is doctor octopus; which is VERY interesting considering they played these roles in other spider-man franchises, once again stirring up excitement for possible multiverse.

there have been *multiple* reports that andrew garfield, kirsten dunst, tobey maguire, and emma stone will be in the movie but tom holland has repeatedly denied this... so... who knows.

there are also rumors that matt murdock / daredevil (from netflix) will be in several scenes! not confirmed though.

MJ is still his girlfriend and i hope it stays that way!!

doctor strange will be featured in the movie, taking on the mentor role now that tony stark is gone :( this will be interesting as i.. haven’t really seen them interact much before. because of this inclusion some people speculate that the film may draw inspo from some comic storylines where peter’s secret identity is restored with magic.

doctor strange in the multiverse of madness:

scarlet witch is essentially co-starring!!! it’s going to be really interesting to see if they bring vision or the twins into this at all, though i’m not counting on it.

seems like mordo will be the main villain -- recall the ds1 post credits scene where he is apparently running around trying to steal people’s magic.

america chavez will make her debut!!!!!! i have no idea how this plays into anything but i am so excited!!

regarding the plot, all we really know is that strange has been researching the time stone, mordo messes with him, and this results in him accidentally unleashing “unspeakable evil.” presumably there will also be heavy involvement of the multiverse, and who knows what kind of craziness that will bring!!

initially was going to be directed by scott derrickson who did ds1; however he stepped down to being just EP due to “creative differences.” i am presuming this is because derrickson really wanted to make this more gothic and horror than disney was comfortable with. i REALLY hope they keep some of those elements though and don’t erase the idea entirely! anyway, it will be directed by sam raimi now (of evil dead and spiderman 2002 fame).

the film also reportedly ties in with the loki series (will loki show up!?) and spiderman 3 (which is obvious enough, given that strange is in that movie and those curious electro and doctor octopus castings...)

thor: love and thunder

directed by taika waititi again, hell yeah!!! and he has stated, the film will be “so over the top now in the very best way" and would make ragnarok look like a "run of the mill, very safe film" .... so.... oh god

so many great returning players!!! including.... valkyrie (now the king of new asgard), jane foster, lady sif, korg, star-lord, mantis, drax, nebula, and kraglin (takes up yondu’s mantle after he dies in gotg2)

in this movie, thor isn’t thor anymore.... it’s JANE!!! she gets cancer :( and is undergoing treatment while simultaneously being thor. i’m a little nervous how this will be handled, but i’m excited. (it’s based off an amazing comic series by jason aaron)

the big bad: gorr the god butcher, played by christian bale! the gist of it is, this dude HATES gods because nobody helped when his family was dying and in need. his weapon is “all-black the necrosword,” forged from the head of a celestial, and allows the user to create wings and fly at extreme speeds. honestly, he sounds cool as fuck.

valkyrie is going to be made canonically bisexual!!!

it will explore more of korg’s backstory, and also include... space sharks!?!?! an alien race from the comics.

taika has called the script “very romantic” so take that as you will

black panther 2

will again be directed by ryan coogler

not much is known at this point, does not have an official name

t’challa will NOT be recast (which i’m happy about) so..... honestly no idea what to expect for this one. i think we can probably expect shuri to have an expanded role. all we know so far is they will be “exploring the world of wakanda.” not clear to me how this is different from the upcoming wakanda D+ series.

tenoch huerta has reportedly been cast as a villain, but no one has any idea who. there’s also rumors that donald glover is in “informal talks” to play a role. note all of this is unconfirmed.

captain marvel 2

will be directed by nia da costa (candyman!) and written by megan mcdonnell, who is one of wandavision’s best writers!

will take place in the present day

will feature kamala khan / ms. marvel, monica rambeau / photon!!! this will be so interesting.... kamala is a huge fan of carol’s in the comics, she is her mentor/idol. the ms. marvel series will also resportedly lead into cm2. and monica, well, monica knew her when she was a little kid. wandavision implies that there’s some bad blood between carol and monica though, not sure why. maybe because carol left and never came back? (until endgame)

post-credits scene of wandavision appears to tie into this, having monica go up into space at the reqeust of her “mom’s old friend.” again, not clear who that is. this could also be a tie in to secret invasion though, so we’ll see. or both.

zawe ashton has been cast as an unknown villain... a lot of people are actually speculating that she may play rogue? which would be fascinating, as there’s a comic arc where rogue steals her powers and memories. BUT there’s still no confirmation that X-men exist in the MCU so for now i remain skeptical.

they are looking to cast a ‘john boyega’ or ‘michael b jordan’ type which makes me wonder if they are going to create a new character, a “younger” war machine to be her love interest? (note: carol and rhodey are a huge thing in comics!) carol obviously does not look her age but her and don cheadle.... that just doesn’t work. which is why i wonder.

ant-man and the wasp: quantumania

in addition to scott and hope, pretty much all the major players are returning including: luis, hank pym, janet van dyne

cassie lang has been recast with an actress 5 years older, which is really making me wonder if they are going to make her stinger in this movie! (aka one of the main young avengers)

the villain: kang the conqueror! this dude time travels. original name nate richards. in the comics, kang travels back in time to rescue his younger self (nate) from an attack that would help shape him towards a life of villainy. kang also gives him some fancy armor. his younger self actually is like, what the fuck dude? and renounces his destiny, becoming a hero. and he makes his armor look like iron man, calling himself iron lad. who is a young avenger. which also makes me wonder about cassie lang.

otherwise not much is known!

guardians of the galaxy vol. 3

james gunn is returning, i’m mixed about this...he really does *get* the guardians though.

based on the gotg2 post credits scene, i think we can assume adam warlock will be a HUGE part of this. there are multiple versions of him, some villainous and some heroic, but no idea how this is gonna turn out.

no word yet on whether thor will be involved, or if those ravagers they introduced will be involved.

fantastic four

will be directed by the spiderman guy, john watts.

otherwise we know literally nothing.

aaaaand that’s the roundup!

#mcu #marvel #black widow #shang chi and the legend of the ten rings #eternals #smnwh #spiderman: no way home #doctor strange in the multiverse of madness #dsitmom #thor: love and thunder #tlat #black panther 2 #captain marvel 2 #ant man and the wasp: quantumania #amatwq #guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 #gotg3 #fantastic four #mcu thoughts

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carriagelamp · 3 years

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April l was apparently the month for me to revisit some children’s authors who are steeped in controversy at the moment. So here’s my hot (well, lukewarm) takes on issues that absolutely do not need a single other person talking about them. Also some actual good books that I read this month!

Badger in the Basement

The Animal Ark books are a childhood classic — though I recently found out that apparently there’s a difference between American and British publications, and the American versions didn’t include a lot of actual COOL animals which is… bizarre. As a Canadian stuck in the middle of this, this nonsense drives me nuts. This one was about the main character, the daughter of pair of vets, trying to protect a local badger sett from men wanting to participate in badger digging and baiting. These books are always feel-good, and it was a nice single-day-read while I waited for a library book to come in.

Chi’s Sweet Home

The cutest manga series about the misadventures of a little kitten, Chi, who has been adopted by a loving family. I’ve never bothered to read them in order, but apparently this time I stumbled across the last in the series -- whoops! Still, stood on it’s own pretty easily, and it was a fun read! Things get tense when the family realize that they may have found Chi’s original home… and may have to give up Chi forever.

Earth Before Us: Dinosaur Empire!

This was an odd graphic novel, I feel like I’m not sure who the target audience was exactly. It was a nonfiction comic done in a Magic School Bus style, with the purpose of teaching current, up-to-date facts about the animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era. If you’re into dinosaurs, you’ll probably enjoy this! The art is absolutely adorable, I love the dinosaur illustrations, and I learnt some really neat facts. That being said, the pages are really dense, and there’s a lot of info crammed in… some of it will probably go way over a child’s head without specific additional teaching or a very strong personal interest. But that being said, a dinosaur obsessed kid is still probably going to really dig this… as would a dinosaur obsessed adult. It wasn’t my cup of tea exactly but I’m sure it is someone’s.

assorted Dr Seuss Books

I love these types of controversies because it means getting to listen to every moron who has never had an opinion on Dr Seuss ever start generating a mile of them out of the aether. So many people are so mad about the six books that are getting retired and I bet most of them haven’t even read them. These are not the friggin Cat In The Hat or The Lorax or even the likes of Yertle The Turtle. I was raised by a grade one teacher, was a voracious reader who loved Dr Seuss, and wrote my university thesis on children’s literature, and I still only knew two of the six books on that list. So by all means, if you want to write an essay explaining why those specific books are worth clinging to, feel free, but if you haven’t even heard of them maybe it’s not a big deal. *grumble*

Anyway, my grousing aside, it gave me the urge to reread a bunch of Seuss books, including the two retiring books I personally knew: McElligot’s Pool and To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. I do still enjoy both, especially McElligot’s Pool which always sparked my imagination, but it’s obvious why they’re being retired and I personally think it’s the right choice. There’s so much good kidlit out there, we can survive without these.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden

A f/f romance manga, fairly standard fair though cute if you’re looking for some historical angst, pretty dresses, and mutual pining. A young Japanese woman moves to England in the hopes of meeting a writer (Mr Frank) who she has long admired. Along the way she is employed by an enigmatic woman with plenty of money, rumours, and melancholy following her. I’ll be honest, uncut romance isn’t really my genre, but I’ll probably still try to the second book to see if the story picks up.

From The Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary

It’s no secret that I’ve been on a Hogan’s Heroes kick. This is the autobiography of Roberty Clary, who plays my favourite character in the show, Louis Lebeau. And holy shit what a life this man has had. He was a Jew growing up in France before the start of the war, and who was one of many children taken away from his family and sent off to the concentration camps in Germany. This was an amazing, intense, inspiring, and heartbreaking read… it has Clary’s voice all over it, and it tells everything from the charming childhood he had, to the horrors of the concentration camps, the brutality of survival, and then about his exciting journey into the entertainment industry afterwards. It’s an experience, would recommend if you’re a fan of the show.

The Ickabog

The second controversial author I read this month. Originally I was going to give Rowling’s new book a miss, given everything that’s been going on over the past few years, but in the end my curiosity got the better of me. Politics aside, it was a fun read! Not groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough and written in an interesting style. It didn’t read the same as a lot of modern kidlit, it felt more like a cross between a classic fairytale and a Dahl book. Perhaps a bit like Despereaux. It tells the tale of how an idyllic country gradually falls into ruin through the ignorance, inaction, and greed, and how a supposedly fictional monster hides the very real, human monsters at the heart of the country. It was cute and pleasant and I’m glad I decided to get it from the library, though for anyone who is choosing not to engage for political reasons: you aren’t missing anything major.

Franklin In The Dark

A Canadian classic. I don’t think there’s a single person my age who hasn’t read or been read a pile of these books, and the nostalgia is so comforting. I found this on Youtube and listened to someone read it to me, and honestly 10/10 would recommend for a calm evening.

The big reason I decided to seek this one out though, was because I finally got to the M*A*S*H episode that inspired this entire series! In the episode C*A*V*E, in which Hawkeye is freaking out over his claustrophia while the camp is forced to take shelter in a nearby cave during some intense shelling, he mentions that if he had been born a turtle he would have been afraid of his own shell, and that the other turtles would make fun of him cause he’d be forced to walk around in his underwear. And so this first story about a young turtle who’s afraid to sleep in his own shell and drags it around behind him. So if you were ever curious, Franklin the Turtle is in fact named after Dr Benjamin Franklin Pierce. (this is also why the French version is named Benjamin!)

Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf

I loved the Guardians of Ga’Hoole books as a kid but I never read the Wolves of the Beyond series. This first book was an interesting read, Lasky does a great job creating worlds and societies for the animals that inhabit them. Lone Wolf is about a deformed wolf cub who was abandoned in the wilderness to die. And he would have, if a desperate mother bear, who had recently had her only cub killed, hadn’t stumbled across him and saved him, vowing to raise him as her own...

Petals

A “silent” graphic novel. It has beautiful artwork and is told entirely through pictures, no text at all. It’s loves and heart-wrenching, though it left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied… I felt like there should have been more. Still, a neat story.

The Southern Book Club‘s Guide To Slaying Vampires

What a banger of a novel!! I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s about a group of suburban mothers in the ‘80s who form a book club out of a shared need for community and a love of grisly true crime novels. But when a strange drifter appears in town and starts setting down roots… and when children begin disappearing… these women need to band together to confront the horrors that have invaded their neighbourhood, and face down not only a terrifying monster among them but the patriarchal system that allows it to flourish. To quote the preface:

“Because vampires are the original serial killers, stripped of everything that makes us human — they have no friends, no family, no roots, no children. All they have is hunger. They eat and eat but they’re never full. With this book, I wanted to pit a man freed from all responsibilities but his appetites against women whose lives are shaped by their endless responsibilities. I wanted to pit Dracula against my mom. As you’ll see, it’s not a fair fight.“

The Weirn Books: Be Wary of the Silent Woods

I love Chmakova’s graphic novels, though I’ve only ever read her slice-of-life middle grade series before. This one is pure fantasy and very fun. It’s about two cousin “weirns” — witches with demon familiars — who attend the local night school. Things get strange though when an ominous figure appears outside the old, abandoned school house deep in the Silent Woods, and begins tempting children down its path…

I’m very much looking forward to word of a second book and was honestly kind of surprised that I haven’t heard more about this book given how popular her other series is. This has all the same charm and quirks but for those of us who prefer stories based in fantasy rather than reality.

And A Bonus...

For some masochistic reason I got a Garfield book out of the library. Jeez, if I didn’t love these as a kid, I found them absolutely laugh out loud hilarious, and now I just don’t see it anymore. But here I will share the one strip in the book that actually made me laugh

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wildcrisis · 4 years

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The Detriment of a Pro-Hero Society

Also known as: Kids are kind of being brainwashed into being heroes, let’s look into that.

Dedicated to @deafmic for getting me back into this bullshit and inspiring me to finish something I had started noting out about two years ago. By now, I’m sure much of this has been said over time by various people, and it makes me happy to know that there are others out there who like to look deep into the background culture and settings of their favorite manga!

I apologize in advance if you notice an idea of yours here; I haven’t been active in the fandom in two-ish-years, so I may be restating some things you guys already have. I consider this rambling analysis to be free to use and abuse by anyone, no credit necessary! I only get a little bit of time on the weekends to really be on my PC, so if you send me an ask or reply to this, it may take me some time to reply back!

Anywho, onto this mess I’ve made. It’s not very tidy and is more a collection of thoughts than a properly detailed analysis, but I ain’t got all day. Again, this is messy but I don’t really have the energy to make it nice and neat.

Looking for something in specific? You might wanna ctrl+f around these titles, because this is very long and rambling.

Part I: The Beginning of Quirks and their Effect on Society Part II: What Makes a Villain Part III: M O N E Y and F A M E Part IV: Brainwashed Part V: Ignoring Those Who Need Help Part VI: Cycle/Conclusion

Part I: The Beginning of Quirks and their Effect on Society

So, we know through the manga that, as quirks first began to evolve and more and more people obtained them, the world was thrown into chaos. People had obtained power, and power is as power does, and it corrupts.

As people began using their quirks for evil deeds that broke the law, law enforcement around the world was essentially powerless. After all, during the birth of the quirk age, quirks were the minority. The powerful minority. Against that, men with tasers, batons, and guns hardly stood a chance.

However, just as the rise of quirks gave birth to people who would use that power for misdeeds, so did it bring life to those who had the inherent desire to protect others. The beginning of the age of vigilantes, which would lead to the age of Pro Heroes.

Obviously, All for One was very relevant during this time, but we’re not here to talk about him. For once. We’re here to talk about society as a whole.

The world order was too chaotic. We are aware of this due to the monologues of certain characters, and I assume we’ll be learning more as more of the former carriers of One for All become present in Deku. In this beginning, it wasn’t so much “heroes” versus “villains”, more than it was law abiding citizens versus law breakers. It’s likely that precedent hadn’t yet been established for “no quirk use”, as there were hardly enough people who could actually enforce such a law.

As more of society began to develop quirks, the Police Force made a decision to not use their quirks to take down law breakers. They moved to a more leadership position, and took a backseat to those who did use their quirks for good. At first, it was a hard decision to allow such things as Pro Heroes to take on law breakers who were too dangerous for someone to take down without a quirk.

But why, after all this time, have the Police and the Pro Heroes remained separate entities? Why have they never combined, and why do they remain so polarized in how they approach situations?

The answer is simple, yet multi-layered. Heroes and Villains ... they’re popular. They attract attention.

Part II: What Makes a Villain

If you assign a person the label “Villain”, you de-humanize them. They are no longer a “person”, per se, but a monster. Evil, in the eyes of most people. It’s easier, then, to accept their fate of being beaten by a Hero, and being carted off to prison.

This is an important distinction to make. If you remove the labels of Hero and Villain. If you remove their Quirks. Do people still react the same way? Do they cheer and adore the hero, as the hero beats the opponent senseless? Of course not. In a battle of man vs man, in the moment, humans don’t react in such a way.

We can understand why an adult who lived a hard life may turn to a life of crime. But, hardly to we look as to why or how they got there.

In this world where quirks have become the norm, but are constantly evolving, we must wonder; how are quirks judged? How are they defined? How are people treated, for the quirk they possess?

We have many examples of outcasts, and they possess a wide variety of quirks from “extremely destructive” to simply “strange, odd, not okay in society”.

Shigaraki and Overhaul are both examples of terrifying, destructive quirks. Is it any wonder that their lives turned out the way they did? The power of death was etched into their very DNA. We know Shigaraki’s backstory and how he became who he is today. It’s implied that Chisaki was abandoned or ran away as well.

Then, you have the more odd quirks that, on the surface don’t seem nefarious, but when explained in context, would make people feel uncomfortable. Toga, who’s quirk is to drink blood and transform into another person. Twice, who can make copies of any person and used his quirk for an evil deed. Nemoto, who can force anyone to tell the truth, and lived a life where he realized everyone was lying to him.

Even Shinsou Hitoshi, desperate to become a hero, was put down for what his quirk DOES. Brainwashing. That’s a “villain’s quirk”. Fellow children said that to him so casually, and behaved as if they were terrified of him!

Eri, with her quirk that made her father disappear from existence itself ... Had she not been rescued from Overhaul, what would have become of her? Forced to believe her entire existence was a curse, told that she does nothing but harm people -- as she grew older and gained control of her power, would anyone honestly think she would have led a life of goodness, considering how she was raised?

How many people labeled Villains are currently in prison, because they were treated like outcasts from the moment they developed a terrifying quirk? Was there anyone there to help them figure their way through this world, considering what they’d been born with? Are there services for people who have trouble controlling their quirks, which are truly destructive? Even with laws in place saying that you can’t use your quirk publicly, just LIVING with that knowledge that you were born ... with a scary quirk ... a villain’s quirk ... How people treat you because of that, how you look, what your quirk can do -- do you ever have any friends? Any real friends, that aren’t just people who are scared of you?

Is it any wonder, that people like this turn out to be “villains”? Society is GROOMING THEM to BE VILLAINS, simply for who and what they are and are born with.

Part III: M O N E Y and F A M E

Throwing oneself into harms way sure is a dangerous move, that most people would never bother doing. How, then, do you entice more people to become heroes and take on the villains that are popping up all around for obvious reasons?

You make your Heroes popular. You make sure they look stylish. They have cool attitudes. You make them popular among the children. After all, getting fellow adults in on the Pro-Hero train is good and all, but much like a pro-athlete, one can likely only do Hero work for a certain span of time before their body is unable to take the strain. Maybe say, ages 18-40?

Besides, with more and more people being born every day with quirks, the number of people who turn to villainous activity will grow, right? Especially if you’re not actively helping people manage their quirks, because hey, they’re not allowed to use them publicly so what does it matter?

Kids. Kids will watch heroes on TV, and see it just like any other super-hero show or cartoon. They’ll buy the merchandise. People will begin to hemorrhage money over these heroes, because they’re flashy. They’re kind. They save lives.

Now, not to say that Heroes are just there for the paycheck -- not at all. Many people become heroes simply because they do love to help people. Some become heroes because they want to stop bad guys. Sure, there are some who do it to maybe someday live an easier life, or because it pays really well and they have family to support. But, I do believe that most people go into the Pro Hero business with good intentions.

THIS, is part of the reason that Pro Heroes have remained separate from law enforcement. They are now a business. A very wealthy business. It’s not just hero agencies that make money off of the Pro Hero business. It’s toy manufacturers. Comic book stores. Prisons. Hospitals. Roots of Pro Hero society reach into nearly every type of business that there is, whether directly or indirectly.

Nobody wants that money to disappear by folding Heroes back into the police force. No, they want MORE heroes. More heroes, and more people for the heroes to fight.

tldr: heroes = $$$, so keep ‘em coming

Part IV: Brainwashed

There are a lot of factors that go into making society as a whole okay with something. It takes a lot of time, for one. It takes powerful, well spoken people. It takes lots of media attention. Before you know it, everyone is eating up the same exact thing quite willingly ... and it spreads to the next generation. And the next. After that happens, its something that is well integrated into society, like a freckle that’s always been on your arm -- its just “always been that way”.

I’ve mentioned several times that its odd for people to be so okay with one person beating another person senseless. Again, we know that its considered acceptable, because of the labels we’ve put on these individuals based on their actions: Heroes and Villains.

What I wonder is: How long have people been okay with this? Do they not realize that, in a way, this is history repeating itself?

We know why people don’t dig deeper into this. Pro Heroes are popular and people love them. The media has hand fed the Hero lifestyle to children for some time now. There are schools, MORE THAN ONE SCHOOL, that teach your child how to become a pro hero.

Think about that. It’s not just some extra-curricular activity, like sports. These are schools, designed to take in freshly graduated MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS who have not finished their regularly schooling education, who still have growing bodies and minds, and ... crafts them into perfect pro-heroes. AND PARENTS ARE OKAY WITH THIS -- SOMETIMES EVEN MORE THAN OKAY WITH IT.

These schools send young teenagers onto the streets under a pro-heroes wing to witness and be a part of fighting crime. Not organized crime, like a ring of bad guys or something, but ... random crime. Disasters. From a young age, they may encounter situations with actual dead people. Their training is dangerous. Their powers can be dangerous. One wrong move, and a student, someone you worked alongside, had lunch with everyday, is just ... gone.

There exists a police force in society. There are already pro-heroes. Why, then, is society okay with multiple schools that are practically breeding child soldiers? They are teaching kids everything about how to kick ass, how to take down these terrifying people, how to fight, how to save lives ...

Why is no one looking into why villains exist in the first place? Are these kids ever taught de-escalation tactics? To talk their opponents down? Not everyone out there is using their quirk to be evil for the sake of being evil. There’s always a reason, a purpose.

Part V: Ignoring Those Who Need Help

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Hey, Star Wars had some good points!

I’ve discussed before what makes a villain. People who are afraid of what they’re capable of. People who society has turned their back on. People who desperately need help, but there is no one out there willing to give it.

These people will always find each other in the shadows. They begin, at a young age, being terrified of what they are. What they’ve done. What they can do. Maybe they’ve been kicked out of their families. Maybe they’ve killed before, completely on accident.

The average person turns their back on people like this.

These people begin their lives terrified. Constantly being told that their quirks, their past, their family, what ever it is, will make them end up a bad person. Or, maybe they tell them they’re already a bad person. That fears breeds anger and hate. Hate for this society that would rather see them burn, than offer them any help.

A young boy grows up into a man. He had a potentially devastating quirk that he never really got a good hold on, because he was never allowed to practice with it. Everyone is too scared to let him try. Then, one day, something happens -- completely by accident. He causes a scene. A massacre. He hurts people.

Parents are excited to see which of their quirks their baby displays. Instead of being one or the other, or even a fusion of both, the unthinkable occurs. Its a mutation. The toddler hurts a sibling, a parent, a friend. Terrified, the parents abandon the child, for fear of losing their entire family.

A child is told, over and over, that his quirk will never be good for anything other than being evil. This knowledge rests heavy on his shoulders, its repeated to him yearly as he grows. Then, when he acts on what everyone has TOLD HIM FOR YEARS HE WILL DO, they are surprised. As if they hadn’t imprinted the very notion into his mind.

In a way, Overhaul was right about one thing. Hero society is a disease. People look forward to watching Heroes take down Villains and save the day. They don’t think at all about why these people are villains, how they got there, where they came from. They will never admit to potentially being the reason villains exist in the first place.

Part VI: Cycle/Conclusion

Wow, I have rambled a lot. I don’t think I hit every point that I’ve ever thought of for sure. There’s ... a lot of them. And a lot of comparisons I wanted to make to other superhero anime, specifically Tiger and Bunny, which I believe does an excellent job of showing the ups and downs of hero societies.

What I wanted to make clear in all this rambling mess (which, if you read all of it, I am SO SO SORRY), is that the very existence of Pro Heroes and Villains exist solely because of a few factors that exist in a cycle.

Pro Heroes = $$$ -> Schools for more heroes -> ignoring quirk-related-problems -> more villains -> pro heroes beat up villains -> pro heroes =$$$ etc

There is someone, or some organization, that sits above all of this. There has to be. There has to be some more logical explanation as to why this type of Hero v Villain culture has been allowed to exist all of this time, and things have not drifted more back in the direction of police vs lawbreakers. There has to be a reason that its okay for heroes to be so popular. There has to be a reason that children are allowed to be groomed into becoming heroes. There has to be a reason that there isn’t more help out there for people with these types of potentially destructive quirks.

There has to be reasons.

There has to be reasons for how the Hero Commission moves. There has to be reasons for how the police move. There has to be a reason that society is still allowed to go on like this, and that its become culturally acceptable.

If anyone out there can put all my rambling into clearer words and actively wants to, I would love that. Thank you for taking the time to read my mess!

xoxo Wild

#boku no hero academia #bnha analysis #my hero academia #analysis of hero and villains #deafmic #THIS IS A HUGE RAMBLING MESS #READ AT YOUR OWN COST #spoilers #manga spoilers

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 4 years

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Is It Really THAT Bad?

I’m going to warn you all now. This one is going to get a bit angry at the end. Normally I would try and remain as professional as possible, but in this case, I don’t feel like I would be able to.

Batman & Robin is a film that has lived in infamy since its release in 1997. Upon release, it was critically reviled, and this hatred of the film continued long into the modern day, where it frequently tops “worst films of all time lists” to the point where it actually is listed on the Wikipedia page for “List of films considered the worst.” It was nominated for at least 11 Razzies but only won a single one, and it went on to be a frequent punching bag on the {REDACTED] Critic’s web show, where he would get irrationally angry at the mere mention of the Bat Credit Card. In contemporary reviews, Mick LaSalle of The San Francisco Chronicle stated “"George Clooney is the big zero of the film, and should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series,” which is less of a criticism and more of a compliment, if I’m being totally honest.

Most of the stars would take a negative stance towards it as well, with legend stating that if you tell George Clooney that you saw the film in theaters, he will refund you for your ticket out of his own pocket. Chris O’Donnell likewise is not particularly fond of the film, stating "It just felt like everything got a little soft the second time. On Batman Forever, I felt like I was making a movie. The second time, I felt like I was making a kid's toy commercial." And, perhaps most depressingly, Joel Schumacher himself was apparently very apologetic for the film, though this may or may not have come about because of years and years of vitriol being directed at him for making this film.

In the wake of Mr. Schumacher’s passing, I decided to re-watch the film, as I am famously rather fond of it, and I am going to tell you all why the answer to the question “Is it really THAT bad?” is a loud, resounding, NO.

THE GOOD

There’s honestly quite a lot to like here, more than you might think. I think first and foremost what you need to understand going in is that this is a silly, cartoonish take on the Burton style, blending the silliness and camp of the West series with the drama and aesthetics of the Burton films, all while adding some over-the-top, colorful flair. John Glover, who appears in the film as a cartoonish mad scientist, even has gone on record as saying "Joel would sit on a crane with a megaphone and yell before each take, 'Remember, everyone, this is a cartoon'. It was hard to act because that kind of set the tone for the film”… the last sentence makes the statement very baffling, but at least even the actors were aware of what they were doing. If this doesn’t sound appealing, well, the opening is sure to warn you off, as it is a suiting up montage with various shots of the firm butts, large codpieces, and stiff batnipples of the Dynamic Duo. The movie is very upfront about what you’re in for.

On the subject of the infamous batnipples, Schumacher stated "I had no idea that putting nipples on the Batsuit and Robin suit were going to spark international headlines. The bodies of the suits come from Ancient Greek statues, which display perfect bodies. They are anatomically correct." It seems a very odd choice, but it’s pretty clear that he meant it as an amusing little design choice and nothing more. Of course, this hasn’t stopped everyone and their mother from spewing homophobic comments about how he was purposefully making the film gayer, even from star George Clooney, who has said that he played Batman as a gay man and was told by Schumacher Batman is gay. It’s so disgusting that people did and continue to do this, because honestly, the costumes are fine, and even if they are meant to be fanservice… so what? O’Donell and Clooney’s asses look nice, as does Alicia Silverstone’s when she dons a suit. The fact hers is just as form-fitting as the other two really shows that the whole idea Schumacher did it because he was gay is ridiculous; the man was very egalitarian about the fanservice in the movie.

Whatever else Clooney says, he does a pretty great job as Batman and Bruce Wayne. His speech at the end of the film where he talks to Mr. Freeze and reminds him that he is a good man and offers to help him is honestly one of the few moments in any Batman film where Batman actually feels like the one from the animated series, a man who fights crime but also wants to help the people he’s trying to stop. Clooney just has a very natural charisma that lends himself to playing a hero, and while there are a few awkward moments in the performance, he captures the fun and charm a more lighthearted Batman should. Michael Gough’s last turn as Alfred is also surprisingly poignant, and a lot of mileage is gotten out of his genuinely tearjerking subplot.

Of course, the very best part of the film is the villains. Uma Thurman is clearly having a ball as Poison Ivy, and she gets to have a ludicrous amount of costumes as well as numerous moments of fanservice. She also has the power to turn every man around her into a simp, which is absolutely amazing and leads to quite a few scenes of Batman and Robin slapping each other over her. But f course, there’s really no doubt that the best part of the film is Mr. Freeze. He’s a combination of the sillier Mr. Freeze from the West days and the more modern take of the character most are familiar with, the tragic anti-villain who wants to save his wife; such a character would take a talented man capable of comedy and drama in equal measure. And who better than Arnold Schwarzenegger? Joel Schumacher wanted a man who looked like he was chiseled from a glacier, and Arnold certainly fits that description. He spends the movie juggling some of the most corny puns you can imagine and a lot of truly powerful, understated drama, and it really does work. You honestly get the sense that Arnold really gets Mr. Freeze and what makes him a great character. Also, that suit he has is amazing.

As a final note: the Bat Credit Card is absolutely not stupid. Linkara has defended it in the past, giving reasons why and how it could actually work, but really, all that needs to be said is… is this any more ridiculous than Shark Repellent Bat Spray?

THE BAD

So don’t get the wrong idea here; this film is far from perfect. As is the case with any comedy, the humor can be hit or miss; not all of the puns land, not all of the jokes are great. You’re never going to get a perfect comedy no matter how hard you try, and this is no exception.

As for performances, I think O’Donnell’s Robin and Silverstone’s Batgirl are a bit wonky. O'Donnell has long been a source of derision for his whining, and while I think the hate is a bit overblown, he does spend a ludicrous amount of time in this film being snippy, miserable, and arrogant. I think he actually fights with Batman more than any of the villains! Still, his performance isn’t horrible, he just gets a bit too whiny at a few points.

Silverstone is a bit of a bigger problem, but she’s not quite as bad as even I remembered. She’s pretty much Batgirl in name only, since she’s related to Alfred in this, but she’s mostly okay. The issue really is that her arc in the film is relatively bland and feels a bit shoehorned, which comes to a head where she fights Poison Ivy in a designated catfight, obviously because they didn’t want Batman to punch a woman in the face I guess. There’s just one issue with that:

On the subject of Ivy, while she definitely does have plant powers here, they’re strangely underplayed. She rarely uses them even when it would probably be beneficial, instead relying on Bane to do most of the fighting for her. Ah, Bane… Bane is one of the few things about this film I can’t really muster up any sort of defense for. While his creation scene is rather cool, it doesn’t lead to much of interest, as this version of Bane is pretty much a mindless supersoldier lackey who serves Poison Ivy. Now, this was still relatively early in Bane’s existence, as he had only debuted in 1993 and was really most famous for his signature “breaking the Bat” move, but it still is baffling why, with that famous thing fresh in everyone’s minds, that they would just choose to go and basically make Bane into Evil Diet Captain America. Surely they could have either saved him for a sequel or utilized him in a way more befitting of the character? I think this Bane is kind of responsible for the negative perception of Bane as this big, dumb bruiser, something that works like The Dark Knight Rises and Arkham Origins have thankfully gone a long way to rectifying. Bane is at his best when he’s a cunning genius bruiser; here, he’s nothing but a glorified prop.

Is It Really THAT Bad?

The answer is no. No it isn’t. AT ALL.

I’ve always felt this film came out at the wrong time. It was towards the end of the 90s, during the Dark Age of Comics when everything was dark, gritty, and edgy. The world didn’t want a movie like this back then; they wanted stuff like Blade, who would come in shortly after this film and show us how to make that aesthetic work. I guess in terms of Batman they wanted something more like Dawn of Justice, which really speaks volumes to how awful the 90s were for superheroes.

Look, I’m not trying to convince anyone this is the greatest Batman film ever. Even I don’t think that; Batman Returns, The Dark Knight, and Under the Red Hood are all much better films. But is this really the worst Batman film now that we have the deeply misogynistic and disgusting The Killing Joke and the relentlessly bleak and unpleasant Batman v Superman? Hell, it’s not even worse than Batman Forever! At least the Batman in this film has some kind of emotional range beyond “plank of wood!” And even calling it the worst sequel ever is just… so baffling. Again, this is definitely better than Batman Forever, lack of Jim Carrey notwithstanding. And can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that this is worse than any of the Terminator sequels after the second film? Worse than Iron Man 2 or Thor: The Dark World? The almost half dozen Alvin and the Chipmunk sequels? This is only the worst sequel or even a bad sequel if it is the only sequel you’ve ever seen in your life.

A lot of the hate for it from back in the day carries a strong undercurrent of homophobia. Much like the infamous backlash against disco, it’s seriously uncomfortable, and it definitely is cruel how accusatory people were towards Schumacher’s intentions for the suits of the heroes in the film. The fact that even the two main stars have gotten in on it is a bit disgusting, though O’Donnell questioning why there needed to be a codpiece is certainly less offensive than George Clooney saying he played Batman as a gay man for… whatever reason. Was he implying that Batman being gay made the movie worse? I’m not sure what he’s on about there. Even The New Batman Adventures made a cruel dig at the film; notice the sign and the effeminate-looking boy. You could only get homophobia this good in the 90s!

The hatred of this film is absolutely overblown. It’s so ridiculous. #70 on the bottom rated movies of IMDB? #1 on the 50 worst films of all time list from Empire? Doug Walker’s personal punching bag whenever he needs to talk about a bad sequel, to the point where he literally said no one wanted a comedic take on Batman in his worst sequels video? Come the fuck on.

Joel Schumacher may or may not have ended up hating this film, but he certainly was made to feel like shit for making it… and it is honest to god not that bad! But he was just absolutely eviscerated, to the point where this was a fucking headline when he died:

Literally fuck all of these people. Fuck io9 for their insensitive headline. Fuck Empire for rating this as the worst film ever. Fuck Doug Walker for his constant bashing and his shitty old “chimp out over the Bat Credit Card” gag. Double fuck Mick LaSalle for shitting on George Clooney’s performance while also trying to say George Lazenby’s Bond was bad. In fact, fuck George Clooney for his weird idea that playing Batman as gay is a bad thing (sorry George, but I can’t defend this). Fuck the Razzies. Yes, it was nominated, but I just feel it’s always a good time to say “Fuck the Razzies.”

I will never say you have to love or even like this film, but the sheer amount of vitriol and hatred for it is absolutely beyond me. At worst, this film is just a bit too goofy, and at best, it is a fun tribute to the campy days when Batman just couldn’t get rid of a bomb. I didn’t take off my score this time. I’m proud to say I gave this an 8/10, personally. If I’m being honest, a 6.6 – 6.9 is more appropriate, because it does have quite a few issues, but god, this film is not bad at all. It’s silly, goofy, campy, and fun… but bad? Not by any stretch of my imagination. And fuck the critics for convincing an entire generation that this is Batman at his worst, when we have Batman fucking slaughtering his ways through criminals and fucking Barbara Gordon on rooftops these days. I will always take stupid ice puns over misery, murder and creepy intergenerational sex, thank you very much.

youtube

I hope you can rest easy, Mr. Schumacher. Maybe you didn’t love your film in the end but, wherever you are, I hope you know I loved it.

#Is it really that bad?#IIRTB #Review #movie review #batman & robin #joel schumacher #George Clooney #Batman #Uma Thurman #arnold schwarzenegger #Poison Ivy #Mr. Freeze #superhero movie

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ordinaryschmuck · 3 years

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What I Thought About the MCU (Phase Three Part One)

...I’m gonna have to split this one into two parts. Because Phase three is when these movies start getting good, and which in turn results in my have a LOT to talk about. So, here’s the first half of this phase.

10th place: Captian Marvel (6/10)

This is not the worst MCU movie. This isn't even close to the worst thing in the MCU. THAT honor goes to Inhumans, which might just be the most boring TV show that I ever had the displeasure of watching. And if you're a person who only counts the movies as part of the MCU, then there is no way you can look me in the eye and tell me that Captain Marvel is worse than Thor: The Dark World. Because this movie actually has better action, a handful of funny moments, a decent (albeit predictable) story, a fantastic tribute to Stan Lee, and Goose the Cat. Who is free from any criticism due to being equal parts adorable, hilarious, and awesome.

However, there is one major issue that this movie has, and that is Brie Larson's Captain Marvel. Before you say anything, no, it's not because she barely smiles (shut it, if you think that's actually the problem). The problem is that I just don't know what they want her character to be. Is she meant to be playful yet mysterious, like Marceline from Adventure Time? Is she meant to be a stoic badass with a deadpan sense of humor like Garnet from Steven Universe? Or is she supposed to be this perfect hero with witty remarks like Kim Possible from Kim Possible? Because at times, it feels like the people behind this movie are trying to do all three personalities at once, which makes the character feel disjointed. Plus, it's probably not a good thing that I listed three female characters in children's shows better than this character in this movie for teens and adults. Nor is it a good thing that every actor, including the males, act circles around Brie Larson, who is known for giving Oscar-worthy performances. Still, I'm willing to allow the benefit of the doubt that this issue will be solved in time for Captain Marvel 2, as it took both Captain America and Thor a while before they finally became fan favorites. For now, while Captain Marvel is nowhere near the worst, I wouldn't exactly jump the gun and call it the best, either.

9th place: Doctor Strange (6/10)

This movie is somehow both memorable and forgettable at the same time. The visuals alone help make Doctor Strange memorable, seeing the world bend and morph in a way that is best experienced on the most gigantic screen you can find. The visuals even lend to making the fight scenes unforgetable, resulting in action that's hard to forget. It's still just punching and kicking, but the way this movie uses punching and kicking that makes it fun to watch. Such as having Strange fight wizards as astral projections, or while the world is reversing in on itself, dodging debris as it puts itself back into place. Plus, that ending is not only the most unique defeat of a bad guy that any MCU movie has done, but it also proves how selfless Doctor Strange can be as a hero. So I won't be able to forget bits and pieces of this movie...but I can easily forget everything else. The jokes, plot, characters, and especially the villain are things I tend to lose track of on each rewatch. Which might honestly be worse than it sounds. Because while it's still a fun movie that I recommend, it's not a good thing that I constantly forget it, even as I'm writing this.

8th place: Ant-Man and the Wasp (7.5/10)

How is Ant-Man and the Wasp a dividing movie for MCU fans? People either really hate it or just think it's ok, and I don't get that. Because personally, I think this movie is really good. Yeah, there are leaps in logic, and the ending is a huge cop-out, especially since this movie came after Avengers: Infinity War. But I think Ant-Man and the Wasp incredibly improve upon the original with a tighter story and better-written characters, who all have great personalities and fantastic chemistry. Sure, these characters fall flat during certain dramatic moments, but really succeed when written for comedy. My personal favorite is Cassie, who might just be my favorite little girl character in fiction. She admires her father for everything he does, going so far as to smile with glee as he's wreaking shop in the finale.

Speaking of her father, I really love how Ant-Man and the Wasp differentiate Scott Lang from the rest of the Avengers. In a world of gods and supersoldiers, you have Ant-Man, who's basically just a regular guy. The best example that shows how it that montage of him doing stuff while under house arrest. If any of our other heroes were in this situation, they would take advantage of the time to train, build cool s**t, and maybe even meditate. But for Scott? He wastes time singing karaoke, practicing close-up magic, and crying himself to sleep while reading The Fault in our Stars. It's a great way of showing how he's a little fish in the world's biggest pond. And I like that.

This movie may not be perfect, but every now and again, it's nice to get something small-scale (get it) and personal within the grand adventures in the MCU.

7th Place: Captain America: Civil War (8/10)

There are three camps of people who argue about this movie. The first camp is the people who fight about whether this is a Captain America movie or an Avengers movie. The second camp is the people who disagree on how Captain America: Civil War is the same as Batman v. Superman-Dawn of Justice. The third and final camp argues whether or not the movie is better than the comics. And I'm about to address each and every one of these camps.

First off, this is an Avengers movie. Captain America may take a more primary role, but consider that Thanos is easily the main character in Avengers: Infinity War, and how that movie isn't called Thanos: Infinity War. The fact that Cap barely takes center stage kind of ruins this being his movie, which is why it's arguably the worst Captain America movie by default, but that doesn't change how good this is. Mostly because it's easily a better Avengers movie than Age of Ultron.

As for how this movie is the same as Batman v. Superman, I can tell you right now that it isn't. They're similar in concept, I'll give you that, but their differences meet with the execution of said concepts. Yes, both movies have two people with different ideas fighting it out due to heroes causing collateral damage while inadvertently doing what an evil mastermind, with a tediously complicated plan, expects them to do. But you wanna know what Civil War has that BvS doesn't? Comedy. Marvel's ability to laugh at itself, to realize that what they're making shouldn't be taken too seriously, is what makes it worth the watch. Every. Time. Plus, I find it hilarious that a movie with four times the amount of superheroes manages to give each character a proper story and subplot than the film with just three.

This leads me to my third point: The movie is much better than the comics. Would it have been more awesome to see the number of characters we have now battle it out than seeing the relatively small one in this movie? Maybe. But look at Infinity War and Endgame. As good as those movies are, there were still many characters that got the short end of the stick. By keeping the cast small, Civil War gives each hero time to have an understandable motivation to pick one side or the other while giving each of their stories a proper conclusion. Even Black Panther and Spider-Man, introduced in this movie as sequel bait, still somehow manage to have clear motives and satisfying stories. Plus, where the comics make it hard to pick a side between Captain America and Iron Man because both made awful decisions after awful decisions, the movie makes it hard to pick and choose because both have to make hard decisions. Both Cap and Iron Man have clear reasons for their choices as well as hesitations. But they still see the point of view of the opposing side and try to talk things out. Which makes things all the more heartbreaking when they finally disagree. Something that never happened in the comics even once.

Overall, Captain America: Civil War is a great movie. It may not entirely be a Captain America movie, and the villain's plan is, again, tediously complicated. But it's still good because it understands the importance of characters and even a sense of humor. Which is something that I wish I could say about Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

6th place: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (9/10)

It's not every day that the sequel is better than the original, let alone being equally good. And yet, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is just as fun as its predecessor, if not a smidge better. Everything that I love about the first movie is here in spades, with a few improvements added to the appeal. Like the visuals, which not only have the colors and gradient turned up to thousand, but there are also some spectacular shots that at times look like they could be panels in a comic book. Plus, Ego the Living Planet is a much better villain than Ronan ever could be. Ego's motivations are typical, but his charming personality creates a character that's fun to watch while also showing how dangerous a person like Ego could be when his true motivations are revealed. Although, despite improvements, there are still some elements that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 takes away. Because while most of the jokes are funny, there are some scenes where it's hard to tell if I'm supposed to be laughing or feeling emotional. Also, I just hate what they did to Drax in this movie. In the first one, he was a stoic badass with a deadpan sense of humor. Here, he's written as a dumb a**hole who gets one emotional scene. And it's a powerful one, sure, but it's not enough. Still, I love this movie. If I had to pick which one is better, I would probably say it's Vol 2, but even then, it's a close race, in my opinion.

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And that’s all for now. Here’s part two.

#marvel cinematic universe #mcu review #captain america #doctor strange #ant-man #the wasp #gaurdians of the galaxy #captain marvel #what i thought about

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makeyourownmyth · 3 years

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best seen in 2020.

My usual caveats from previous years are still applicable here: I don’t watch most of the major nominations the years they come out, and I’m usually not much for theaters and/or current TV. However, due to the pandemic, we watched a loooooooot of content. Here’s just a list of movies that I watched or rewatched this year, that were neither terrible, nor great, but I want to make note of:

Toy Story 4, The Brothers Bloom, Happiest Season, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Moana, Mr. Right, Moulin Rouge, Ocean’s Eleven, Spring Breakers, X-Men: Dark Phoenix (this might have been the worst movie I watched this year?), Widows, Gattaca, Black Klansman, Primer, It 2, Shazam (this maybe should have gone on the Honorable Mentions - it was fun), Training Day, Parasite (OK, now I have to update my Honorable Mentions), The Green Book, Strange Days, Elf, Love & Basketball, Above the Rim, Coach Carter.

That being said, there was some bad stuff, and I try not to shit on any artist’s creations too much, because I know no one sets out to make something bad, but these didn’t work for me.

Anti

Uncut Gems - It’s not that it was BAD, it was just too stressful for me to enjoy.

Brick - It wasn’t even close to enjoyable on a rewatch that I encouraged my partner to take on for the first time. I felt bad.

Hereditary - Neither a scary movie, nor a good movie.

The Witch - Same, but maybe better made?

Under The Skin - Jesus, this was terrible. Maybe I’m not artsy enough to get it?

Now, however, let’s get to the good stuff.

Honorable Mention TV

Avatar - I can’t legitimately put it on the Best Of list, because I’m not done yet, but I’m on Book 3, after finally actually getting started. I think I tried to start this in 2016, and i know all my nerd friends have been yelling at me for a long time because I haven’t gotten to it yet, and as someone who’s almost done, I can say: they were right! It’s great.

Ozark - S1 was great. It fell off a fucking CLIFF after that. Ignore people who tell you that you HAVE to watch this. They’re wrong. It’s fine.

The Last Dance - I know the world is obsessed with Michael Jordan, and I’m glad it came out when it did, but really, all it did for me was confirm that he’s an asshole who was very fortunate to play when he did. And also that the Bulls were fucking phenomenal.

His Dark Materials - Neither as bad as some of my friends think, nor nearly as good as the books (obviously) but also not good enough that I’ve even started S2 yet, so....I guess it’s fine?

The Mandalorian S2 - I think they know what they’re doing, and it’s super enjoyable, and I loved the ending, but I’m also curious as to where they’re going now.

Fargo S3 - Given how good the rest of the series is (other than my distaste for S2, dealt with below, and out of step with pop culture) I thought this one was a misstep,

Orphan Black - I cannot believe how late I was to this, and how good it still was. It really fell apart toward the end, but the acting was incredible, and the fact that they got to tell the story they wanted to was amazing.

Best TV

7. All the Smoke with Kobe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R3KIyEgCgc) - Maybe it was just his death, but it hits hard, and I miss him. Does this even count as TV?

6. Looking for Alaska - It felt like gratuitous masochism to watch this and enjoy it, being 20 years older than when I fell for it, and feeling ashamed of the young person I was, but even knowing what was coming, I was weeping when it happened. Even knowing that they were ultimately going on a fruitless search and yelling at the TV while the Colonel and Pudge were searching for “signs” and hating them for it, I remember feeling like everything HAD to happen for a reason when I was this young... So yeah. It’s pure nostalgia for me. I’d be super interesting in hearing how kids responded to it.

5. Locke and Key - I get that some people feel like they don’t need old shit in a new medium, but for me, I’m always up to try it out. If it’s fun, I’ll stick with it. And this is. It’s fun, it’s got some of the old shit, it’s got some new shit, and it’s a treat to see my favorite comic of the last decade in a new medium. Haters need a new bit.

Fargo s1 and s4 (I didn’t love S3) - I know that I’m in the minority here, but I think 1 and 4 are the best and 2 was good, and 3 was fine. I literally watched all of this show this year, though, so I didn’t have the same time to digest as others. But I think that’s a benefit in some regards?

4. Magicians s5 - One of the saddest conversations of the last year to two was when a nerd friend of mine said he didn’t like The Magicians because all of the characters were whiny and self-indulgent. For me, that was almost literally the point: they shoved Q into the corner and told the story of the others (at least one episode quite self-referentially so) and it was so much better for that. I wish it hadn’t ended, but I’m glad they left it where they did, because it was so good.

3. Devs esp. The beginning of e5 - Jesus. The show of the year? Except for the fact that Watchmen came out at the tail end of last year, and I didn’t have it on my 2019 list? I mean, honestly, is there a show more tailored to me? I’m not gonna get into any spoilers, but it’s a quick watch, and it’s fucking fantastic. Watch it, have your mind blown by the concept, especially in the beginning sequence of E5, and then stick around for the subpar ending where basically all of the threads are resolved in the least good way.

2. Watchmen - This deserves multiple re-watches and all the praise that people heaped upon it.

1. The Good Place - I know, objectively, that Watchmen was a better show than The Good Place. But this is my list, and I’ll be damned if anything overtakes my favorite sitcom (maybe of all time?) for best of the year. I know it barely just ended this year, and there’s plenty of acclaim to go around for this show, but honestly, every time I talk to anyone about it, it feels like they kind of laugh it off. This show is not only worth your time, but should almost be considered must-watch material. If more people watched this show, we wouldn’t need the insult “sophomoric” to describe people who’ve just had their minds blown by Philosophy 101, and we’d be better off as a species.

Honorable Mention Movies

In this order, and you can take the comedies and make them the only honorable mentions, if you’d like to make a nice, even top 10. (Until I saw Tenet the night before I posted this.( (And then I looked back at the playing cards that we use to randomly choose movies and I found that I needed to modify the Honorable Mentions and the Best Of lists.)

21 and 22 Jump Street - In general, I’m not a fan of comedies. So I’m happy I watched these, thanks to Nathan Zed, and they’re funny. Good work guys.

Palm Springs - Apparently there’s now backlash against Groundhog Day? I dunno, man, it was fun, and all the actors seemed like they were having a good time, and I was down for it.

Parasite - I can’t add anything to this that hasn’t already been shouted from the rooftops, so let me just briefly say that I thought it was great, but it didn’t quite make the list of best. The combo of genres was great, the cast was fantastic, but what I loved the most about it was how quiet it was.

Best Movies

10. Blinded by the Light - Way more resonant than I thought it’d be from the previews, and I already thought it was gonna be stellar. I didn’t take into account TIME along with place, and that made a hell of a difference for this movie.

9. Shoplifters - Yeesh. What a tough watch, but so good, and so necessary. For me, I think we watched it back to back to back with Parasite and I, Tonya, and this one just stood out so much more. The storyline was softer all the way through, but really had gravitas simultaneously.

8. Tenet - It was fucking fun! I don’t get the hate! I liked it, I’ll like it more next time I see it, and I wish I’d seen it on the big screen, but I’m super glad I could see it on my TV!

7. I, Tonya - Geez, what a powerhouse of acting. Not only did they get me to feel good about the villain of my childhood, they got me to feel good about Margot Robbie, who I’d only thought of as a hot lady before. Superb acting from everyone else, too, and what a great pick up to be like, yeah, this is the story we’re gonna tell.

6. I Am Not Your Negro - I avoided watching it for so long because I was already depressed this year, and I didn’t think I needed any more of that, but it turns out I did, and I always do, from Baldwin. He’s a master for a reason.

5. Hamilton - I know there was some backlash with the time difference, and I’m sure it was better to see it pre-2016 in the theater, where it’s meant to be seen, but I’m not a billionaire New Yorker, and I was plenty happy to see it when and where I could.

4. Won’t You Be My Neighbor - I mean...what do you think? It’s so much exactly what you’re thinking it is, but then it’s even better, because it’s the real deal, and he was so good, and it’s so pure. Watch it.

3. Her Smell - Elizabeth Moss has already gotten all the acclaim, but to play this different of a role, in a movie that felt as stressful as Uncut Gems, but pulled off an actual plot so much more successfully? I can’t believe this one didn’t get more pub, but then again, yes I can: it’s a movie about a girl band that rages against the machine, and she’s got severe issues. Small surprise that the people didn’t react well. Seek this one out!

2. Arrival - Yes, I am going to totally cheat and put a movie that’s appeared on my list (sooooo long ago) as the #2 entry this year. You know why? Cuz fuck 2020, and this is a great movie, and it’s the movie that made me feel second best this year. It’s incredible, and I know people appreciated it in its time, but I feel like they should appreciate it even more.

1. Moonlight - It’s not a shock, nor am I trying to appease anyone with anything. It’s just that I finally watched it, and it’s the best movie I saw this year. I don’t think I could possibly add anything to the authentic critics who have already heaped praise upon it, but I do have to say that it’s all due, and so much more. The acting obviously stands out, but the direction, from the color palettes, to the choice of when and where (and how) to break it up, are all masterful choices.

#moonlight #2020 #eoy #best of lists #movies and tv #arrival #her smell #the good place #watchmen #devs

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it-sy-bit-sy · 4 years

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Tower of God Anime: (Not) Brief Commentary

Hello all.

I'd like to discuss the few things I've gleaned about the Tower of God anime adaptation.

I was a bit afraid before it came out and disappointed with episode 1, but I'm not upset with the developments by any means. It’s a good series so new watchers will certainly enjoy themselves for Season 1. Let’s dive into the opinions.

1. Art style. Everyone looks beautiful to my eyes and the colors and shading is similar to the style it started out in. I'm pleased with how beautiful everyone looks, especially sister Yuri.

2. Opening/Ending:

So the opening is “TOP” (Japanese ver.) Stray Kids” and the ending is “SLUMP” (Japanese ver.) from the same group.

The cinematic is not what I would expect for demonstrating what we can expect from the show. It's Baam like...falling down, getting rained on, distressed, tormented, glass falling... AMV material for sure, but I am not exactly pleased with it when thinking about a viewer's first impression of the show. It puts me in a strange mood. I don’t like it. A more stereotypical showing-main-character’s-faces-without-giving-away-too-much kind of intro would be better.

*coughs*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU_Z8RKo_Ow

Once I heard the music start, I sat through the opening and ending once to be respectful. But I don't like [this style of] pop, therefore I don't like [this style of] K-pop, and I will not be sitting through the songs again unless I'm watching the show with someone else who hasn't seen it before.

I didn’t really have expectations as for what the intro/outro music should have been at all, but *coughs again* have you ever heard Bokurano’s opening? It’s fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05p646nlYS0

3. Episode 1: Content

The part some people are upset with.

To be concise, the beginning was rushed. At length:

In the webtoon, I liked Headon’s entire presentation of the situation with the eel as he talks up the task to be impossible for Bam to achieve. We hear Bam personally consider the consequences, we see him quiet his fear and THEN he rushes towards it regardless with nothing but his knife. Then the exclamation “marvelous” from our administrator. I think the simple exchanges between the two make for a stronger scene.

Asides from that, the banter that the webtoon includes between Bam, Headon, Yuri and Evan is gone... At least in the source material we see the princess coming so it's not like she falls out of from nowhere with the kick. We know why she was coming, because she knows someone opened the gate on their own, and is sating her own curiosity to find out just who it is. She questions Headon’s fairness with never giving Bam a pocket, so here she is seen sticking up for him from the very beginning despite her rowdy introduction. She also questions Headon about the test’s level and asks him to lower it to be fair to Bam’s abilities (to which her comical yet degrading skills assessment forces an appeasing laugh out of him).

Then she asks Bam’s name, jokes about him being a player, then suddenly we’re back to serious and Bam is told he may never find what he is looking for and die here.

The narrative swishes back and forth between comedy and seriousness. Episode 2 of the anime reinforces this pattern with Shibisu’s introduction right after 300 or so people are slaughtered for the completion of the test. He and Yuri are examples of this style of comedy, very easy going people who quickly change face when they feel like it and help the narrative effect.

Aside from these differences, the beginning for both materials is sudden and leaves many questions. So no, the anime adaptation for the first episode did not ruin the show. It is equally as abrupt as the first time I read it, albeit with even less content. If new fans really want to get ahead, they will come to the webtoon and read the story anyway, and if they start on chapter 1 they’ll see the differences immediately and be enlightened, that is all. Same conclusion: new, happy fans, just the way we used to be.

--Aside--

Ah, that fated day...

I found Tower of God on a beloved manga pirating site. I had clicked it for the lone silhouette of a boy child:

That picture alone piqued my interest.

If that scantalation team or the website moderators--whoever it was--if it wasn’t for THIS picture up during that particular time in history, I probably would have never been drawn to try this title on my own. *shivers* Where would I be without knowing the 25th Baam...?

--End of Aside--

On my first chapter, I had no problem with the art direction. I must have been short on patience that day, however, because as soon as I saw Yuri’s brash introduction as she was questioning Baam up and down (like even before giving him Black March) I was ready to click off the manhwa. I harshly judged her trope before giving her a chance, and like I said I wasn’t familiar with the comedy flow yet so I thought her lines were cheap and uninteresting.

I ALMOST clicked off right then, but I hesitated and kept reading. Now I love her as big sister Yuri, and hints of this take on her character are present as I mentioned before. But hark? The anime sort of does her as a more haughty, “...unbelievable. You don’t even know who i am...I’m a miGHtY prINCeSs of JaHadDd uR iGnorance iS imMeAsUrable what even ArE yOu, how do you expect to survive in this worllld”

....like she doesn’t treat him like that in the webtoon, she’s just here to have fun. I...I don’t understand that decision but, you know, it’s okay. Tower of God has an anime, y’all. We’re alive to see this happening.

4. Voice Acting: I honestly look forward to a dub if there will be one. It's not bad by any means. For me, Rachel's VA has the tastiest delivery. Bam... I wanted him to sound more distinctive and cute... It would be nice if he could sound like 9S (NieR: Automata) or Mob from Mob Psycho...I really like the take on those two.

-- - - - - - -END OF THE LINE: - - -- - - - - - -- - - - -

I think we will be fine, let’s all wait together...

I’m off to watch a pirated episode 3 now. Thank you for coming.

#Tower Of God #tower of god anime #tower of god discussion #siu #siu tower of god

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randommarveler · 5 years

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My Long List of Thoughts About Endgame Cuz IDK Who To Talk To

I’m happy about:

WE GOT THE FUCKING HUG WITH PETER & TONY I’M SCREAMINGGIGNGINGIGN

How they implemented the old movies really well

The jealous look Steve gave Pepper like omg Stony stans unite.

Joe Russo having a cameo as gay omg.

Lil Doctor Strange’s hand being all shaky like benedict really went all out with the nerve damage

How Nebula was a huge part of it and not a minor character

“I…am…Iron Man” LIKE FUCK YEAH YOU ARE. Just Tony alone holding all the infinity stones STRONGEST AVENGER RIGHT HERE THAT’S WHY THOR WASN’T ALLOWED TO DO IT.

I think when Steve had Thor’s hammer was when the entire audience was cheering and fuck yeah, it doesn’t look normal I’m not used to it but fuck yeah.

How emotional and impacted everyone was but the dusting. Like Nat was still crying after 5 years. Wait, does this mean everything is like set in 2023? Or at least around that time?

That bit where all the females were basically together protecting baby Peter

Quill’s really bad singing omg.

Morgan. That’s it. That lil bean has stolen my heart. The moment I saw the little chair I was crying (ok I was crying the whole time, not an exaggeration, I got emotional a lot during the beginning dusting, Nebula + Tony playing, E V E R Y T H I NG) I can’t wait to see her grow up x 3000. How dare they take tony away from her. If I wasn’t crying in a scene, I would probably start crying in it even if it wasn’t sad because omg Tony got his baby Morgan. “Mom told me to go save you”

Pepper fucking Potts. I saw the lake and knew that Tony was there (Gwyneth lowkey spoilt that) and like her in that suit was everything.

Tony’s death. I’m actually, in a sad way, happy that’s how he died. I wish he could’ve grown old like Steve but for the way he got killed, I’m happy. He saved the universe. He saved so many people

America’s Ass.

The montage of them trying to figure out how to get the stones.

“On your left” Sam was done so well for the movie. He got like a solid 7 minutes but it was really good. How he was the one to let the whole audience & Steve know that they were back, was everything. I sobbed some more (I was crying the whole time ok? Leave me alone) when I saw the lil case with the shield.

Putting in Peggy, Howard, Frigga, Jane & 2012!Avengers was so emotional and hilarious

Valkyrie was great and amazing

Loki being featured made me really happy

The smirk on Steve’s after he got the sceptre. I can’t believe he said “Hail Hydra” that literally was so much.

The amount Carol was shown. It wasn’t “OMG SHE’S THE HERO AND WILL KILL THANOS OUR QUEEENNN” like, she showed up when necessary. When it worked. Also, she was helping out another planet so it makes sense.

Steve & Peggy finally getting that dance. Like I saw the car, heard the music and cried. Because I knew that was the dance they wanted.

How little Bucky was in it. It did piss me off because he didn’t have enough scenes with Steve, but at least we get a show right?

The whole Howard exchange.

Wanda being a total badass I can’t.

Tom Holland’s performance and part of Endgame was utterly amazing. The instant kill mode was great. How he reacted to Tony dying. Like omg this time it was roles reversed except Tony was gone for good.

The funeral was perfect? The lake, the people there. The flowers. Proof that Tony Stark Has A Heart.

I’m pissed at:

I FUCKING KNEW THEY WERE LYING ABOUT THAT SCENE. ANTHONY’S FACE SAID IT ALL. THEY DID HAVE THAT FUCKING SCENE YOU LIAR.

Thor was basically a joke for being fat. I know that it’s just a shock that he doesn’t have rock solid abs now, but it’s sort of being rude to people with that figure (honestly, it made me feel worse about myself, because everyone would laugh about it). I get that he’s depressed and he has every reason to be fat but like using it as a joke all the time was a lot.

They only used some lines or bits for fan nostalgia or other things. It seemed forced (some bits more than others)

“You used the stones two days ago” ok but when? Like literally Tony was in space for more than 20 days, the maths doesn’t add up.

We barely saw Bruce, just Hulk-Bruce, which is disturbing

The beginning song with the opening credits

I couldn’t actually tell that it was Stan Lee and that was his cameo

When talking about time travel stuff, DOCTOR WHO wasn’t even mentioned?

Killing Tony, Steve & Natasha.

Carol’s haircut…honestly no. I wished the sides were cut a bit more so it’s more like the comics.

Shuri coming with the outfit she didn’t even have in Infinity War pissed me off because everyone had the same thing from when they were dusted.

Cassie being older. Like, I’m not ok with that? She kinda looks 15 instead of like 13 though.

All of that…is canon. Like Tony is actually dead. Steve actually is old and gonna die soon. Gamora, Nat & Vision aren’t there.

That beginning was so quick. With Thanos being killed so quickly. Just I was shooketh.

Thanos can actually cook? Like woah. Didn’t see that coming.

The film was…a lot. You could easily cut out a lot of scenes that weren’t even necessary? I’m sad, happy & pissed at the film. There was so much that was probably there because Steve & Tony were going to DIE. Like steve holding thor’s hammer, check. Tony having a kid, check.

No end credit. Like why the fuck wasn’t there one? The cinema people told us to clear out because there wasn’t one. I wanted to stay but wasn’t allowed to.

How unrealistic was that ending dance though? Steve would’ve stepped on Peggy’s toes omg.

How convenient it was to be able to time travel with the quantum realm and that shit.

What the fuck did Loki even do with the space stone? Where is that sneaky boi now?

Where does the MCU go now? You can’t top that.

I’m sad about:

Everything, this whole film

The cheeseburger bit

There’s so much more but my mind has only remembered these details.

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brothermouzongaming · 5 years

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E3 2019 overview

I wanted to take the time to look at and talk about some of the games we’re more than likely seeing at the conference. E3 is...dying and it’s misleading trailers don’t help, but despite this, the show is still important and at least gives us a little insight into what may come in games/tech. So let’s cross our fingers and dive in. I’ll be focussing more on main titles and not DLC and updates. Available footage will be linked in the corresponding title.

Avengers project (Crystal Dynamics/ Square Enix)

It feels like ages since the teaser for the Avengers project dropped. Since then I have been trying to keep my hopes high, I even thought it was canceled for a time when we heard literally nothing since that trailer. I know nothing about this game, but I just hope Crystal Dynamics and Square are treating something this big with the care it needs. The last thing Marvel, more importantly Disney, want is another Battlefront 2 situation on their hands. If Square can incorporate their over the top combat style to the Marvel universe, it could be amazing, incredible, invinci- okay I’ll stop.

Borderlands 3

Getting back into Borderlands just before the big press release was very serendipitous. Something about this made me even more excited for some of the additions coming like loot instancing, slide/mantle (finally), secondary fire weapons, more diverse and varied play spaces, and a lot more. So many of BL2 and the Pre-Sequel’s flaws are glaring with me having played them recently and to see the long-awaited title addressing these exact issues so comforting when I get to thinking about this next adventure into the wastes. It isn’t some massive leap forward or anything, it’s more Borderlands and there’s nothing wrong with that to me. Finally, an online optional looter shooter that isn’t some strange mmo lite, long live the king. Randy Pitchford is a weirdo but I’m not gonna hold that against the devs lol.

Cyberpunk 2077

This is more than likely going to be my game of the show. E3 is typically full of surprises and anything can happen but in all honesty, I just can’t see much coming close especially since we aren’t seeing Death Stranding (thattrailertho). I was literally giddy when they released the gameplay trailer that they showed press and influencers and the FPS RPG looked very good but not unrealistic. Recently it’s come out that the game is “pretty different” from that showcase and that statement interests me as much as it gives me pause. Regardless, we are going to be seeing more of this game with CDPR claiming they’ll have an even bigger presence than last year. I just hope that we get solid gameplay footage and not buzzwords and theatrical trailers.

CoD 2019

Black Ops 4 came out guns drawn and it really impressed at first. Since that time Activision has found a way to completely reverse the conversation around BO4 and where the franchise is headed/ is as a whole. Activision needs a win, and with this being their main and essentially only franchise it has to be big. The rumor is that it’s Modern Warfare 4 which would be a “soft reboot” if that is the case. If not this year then next, I’m surprised it’s even taken them this long so hopefully all this time will lead to something good. Honestly, I’m shocked we’re still getting annual releases of this game. I don’t forsee CoD lasting much longer and this tug at our nostalgia may be a sign of that.

Destroy All Humans (THQ Nordic)

I spent so many hours with my friend Walter terrorizing the meat bags between the tools the game devs gave us and some gamer creativity that was a relatively new aspect of gaming compared to nowadays where player creativity is often an aspect of gameplay. THQ has reported something insane like 50+ games in development which...sounds like a stupid choice but if this is one of them it’s definitely going to get people’s heads turning. Can you imagine what they’ll be able to do with today’s tech? They don’t have to go crazy but then again for the sake of a concise vision but...maybe they should?

Dino Crisis (Capcom)

Let’s talk more about old ass games I’m completely shocked could be coming back. So in light of Capcom bringing back past titles and breathing new life into them, it is reported that Capcom is looking to bring back...Dino Crisis? I swear to god if they make Dino Crisis before Viewtiful Joe and Onimusha? POWER STONE ANYONE?? I’m more than willing to suspend my meh-ness because Capcom has proved that not only can they bring back an old game we love, but they can do it damn well. If this is true, then maybe there is hope for some of my favorite Capcom titles from the past but mother of god why Dino Crisis?

Doom Eternal

Doom 2016 was one of the best first-person shooters I’ve ever played. “Smooth as butter” isn’t something I would use to describe most games but god damn if that game wasn’t lubed up before they packaged it because it’s damn slick. So imagine the stiffy I got when that gameplay was dropped and mobility was increased. Can we talk about the grappling hook shotgun? The new demons and takedowns to dispatch said demons? God knows what else is under the hood for us to find out when it releases let alone when they talk about it during the conference. A more open level design in tandem with the conventional “kill room” here and there is gonna really spice up the combat especially if exploration is properly rewarded. Rage 2 was a disappointment but I do have hope this is gonna live up to the hype the way it did the first time.

Gears of War 5

Lawd Microsoft needs a win. This is quite clearly their attempt at a blockbuster event like God of War was for Sony. Everything about the trailer screams “Oscar bait but for games” and I hope they do the damn thing. Make me sad I don’t have an Xbox dammit! This could be a big step for Gears and could even lead it down a more character focussed design. The world of Gears of War is rich for a deeper explanation, and I know that isn’t what Gears is known for but I won’t be told that they can’t do both. It appears to be heavily cinematic though gameplay can be seen in the trailer above. It seems interesting and I hope they really make something worth owning an Xbox for. The fans deserve it.

Halo: Infinite

Did I say Microsoft needs a win from the software perspective? Cause they do. The Xbox One is fine, the One X is a huge step up and is the most powerful console but there are next to no exclusives for this console. Ya know, the reason why you buy a certain console outside of interface and services. What better way than to bring back the most successful franchise Microsoft has associated with. There’s talk of it having an open world which is jarring initially especially when the history of Halo is rich with environments that tell stories alongside the mid-range combat. If they can properly expand that baseline to fit an open world format, it’ll be amazing. Whether or not they can is the question.

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Warner Brothers does a great job of shooting themselves square in the foot. They just put on the finest shoes money can buy and BAM queue the red kool-aid fountain. Shadow of War is the pinnacle of such stupidity with the way the monetization completely bankrupted the integrity of the game. The brief footage that was up involved a third-person real-time action reminiscent of the original games. Warner Bros. jumped on the trailer takedown but it’s safe to say the cat is out of the bag and casting spells in the kitchen. This could be a unique adventure involving a custom character, it could involve something more directly related to the books. Anything is possible but if we heard about it this year it wouldn’t entirely surprise me.

My Friend Pedro

A twin stick shooter of a different kind. Imagine stranglehold but cartoony, John Wick but even more comic book like. It looks like the entire game is going to be centered around ballerina jumping through levels and enemies leaving every enemy in your wake riddled with bullets. It seems light, fun, and self-aware in it’s silliness which can lead to the most fun type of games.

Session

Oh boy, SKATE was my jam back in high school and if you’re anything like me you’ve been waiting for the next game/ literally anything like it to come along. Session appears to be that game, we weren’t told a lot when it was revealed so I’m hoping that E3 will lead to some more information on gameplay and ya know, a release date.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Anthem is in shambles and in my opinion, it’s this year’s No Man’s Sky. Between the games they put out, and the Star Wars games they put out (or don’t put out depending on your perspective); this does not bode well at all. Respawn is working on the project and their track record is very good, but I can’t help but worry about what EA is planning. They always find a way to put their hand directly into a project and do exactly what needs to be done to ruin it. Sometimes that’s on the front end in development and planning or lack thereof, and sometimes it’s on the back end with moving devs to other projects/ not hold their devs to the post-launch promises they tend to make and not fulfill. This story of a padawan in hiding after Order 66 is ripe for gameplay development and storytelling. So long as Respawn has the vision and can execute, all we need is for EA to stay the fuck away and let them work. We’ll see.

honorable mentions: Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Vampire Bloodlines 2, From Soft and George R. R. Martin collab, Fable remake, Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad, Wolfenstein Young Blood, Afterparty, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Bleeding Edge (Ninja Theory’s new game), Last of Us 3 (v hype just not a lot of info)

#Avengers project #Borderlands 3 #Cyberpunk 2077 #Call of Duty #Destroy All Humans #Dino Crisis #Doom Eternal #Gears of War 5 #Halo Infinite #Harry Potter Magic Awakened #My Friend Pedro #Session #Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order #e3 #E3 2019 #video games #gaming

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allimariexf · 6 years

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alli’s Arrow 1x01 rewatch thoughts

Opening sequence: I always think about my first viewing of this show. The pilot starts out with a bang, and it’s just intriguing and action-packed and mysterious and interesting. At the time I first started watching Arrow, that’s exactly what I was looking for: something interesting and attention-grabbing, but not necessarily good quality. I wasn’t expecting excellent character development, fantastic acting, or even particularly well-plotted story. I most definitely wasn’t expecting one of the greatest ships of all time. But as I started to watch this first episode for the first time, my initial expectations changed dramatically. I realized I was going to be pleasantly surprised.

On voiceovers and context-setting: yeah, I understand why voiceovers were necessary the first few episodes, but I’m glad that they got phased out so quickly. Also, he’s totally lying in his first voiceover. Voiceovers are always strange in non-confessional shows because you always wonder: who’s he talking to? I mean I get that they’re setting up the story with the voiceovers, and it’s a solid choice, but it’s still just an awkward storytelling kinda thing. I love the “news clip” storytelling method much better. It works particularly well for this character (because he’s already a tabloid-famous billionaire who disappeared/died), and I love how, throughout the whole series, the news stories give a unique depth to the characters. Not only do we get to see them through each other’s eyes, and our own eyes, but, because they’re famous, we get to see them through the eyes of fame and infamy, which is just interesting as a fan.

Random: young Moira! She looks so great. Lost! doctor! There’s an Oliver Queen character study fanvid that is basically my favorite thing ever and I recommend you ALL WATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN’T: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YMTJZFslsU&t=0s&list=PLho1lhjzsqc78WersS7U49_QI92xL1yVi&index=2

mooooore below the cut!

Moira and Oliver: first hint that (as I always tell people) ARROW IS A SHOW ABOUT FAMILY!

Thea: Having watched all of Thea’s growth, and the fact that she’s gone now, this scene just...wahh. Kinda want to cry a little.

Laurel: there was so much Laurel in season 1. I miss her old chin. Is that rude? Lol

Sara: aww the old Sara. I wonder what made them decide to replace her with Caity Lotz.

Tommy: note to self: check later flashback episodes to see if Tommy actually did say “Yachts suck” before Oliver went on the boat. Also, the Lost reference was a very good initial indication that this show was very self aware and thoughtful. (Also, later: Lance’s “I’ll put out an APB on...Robin Hood.”) Related: this show does a great job using cultural references as a way to connect to the audience. (And of course The Flash and the other Arrowverse shows do that so well, too….)

Season 1 Oliver in a well-fitting (grey) t-shirt. Yes pls. And pullover. Mm.

Flashbacks, kidnapping scene, Laurel scene: damn, this pilot is so good. It does an excellent job setting the aesthetic, the characters, the plot, and the storytelling techniques of the whole show. (Which yeah, in many ways they kind of get away from in later seasons, but mostly it all stays consistent.)

Lance! (side note: isn’t it convenient how Lance is basically The Policeman in basically every situation? lol). I loooove this Lance scene. God Paul Blackthorne. What did we ever do to deserve you?

Raisa: now I’m wondering, at what point during the 6 years of the show did Raisa figure out that Oliver was the Arrow? I’m thinking it was well before season 6 - maybe even as early as season 1. (I mean I know we don’t see her in most of the seasons, but she’s obviously “out there” and still somewhat in touch with Oliver.)

DIGGLE!!!!!! And the first DiggleDitch!

Oliver-setting-up-the-ArrowCave montage: Somehow I always forget about this, but I’m glad it exists. It actually does a good job setting an expectation for a certain level of realism. And honestly Arrow’s “realism” (for a comic, let’s be honest) has always been majorly appealing to me. I mean I love The Flash and even LoT and stuff, but just not in the same way. Never in the same way.

I’ve always been impressed at the way Arrow can make all the characters relevant both to each other (relationships and shared history) and as individually relevant to the plot. Honestly, making that seem so effortless is one of the keys to why this show (and especially seasons 1 and 2) are sooo good.

Dialog: So snappy! Seriously this pilot is so good, and I’m so glad because every line of dialog sets a precedent for each character that honestly remains so true for each character.

Tommy’s estimate on how long it’s been since Oliver had sex: SO WRONG LOL

Oliver and Laurel: yep, no chemistry. xD The way she walks up to him real close (“You know what, Oliver…?”), clearly they were trying to show some angsty ust, but it totally falls flat.

The Vigilante’s first heist: but how DID he do that tech thing? Where did he learn THOSE skills? A.R.G.U.S.? Honestly I’m at a loss.

Oliver’s dad shooting himself in the head: but whyyy didn’t he just fill Oliver in on more before killing himself?

@jules85 @blondeeoneexox @hope-for-olicity

#arrow #arrow meta #arrow 1x01 #arrow series spoilers #ArrowRewatch2018 #allimariexf arrow meta #was i actually meant to tag more people in this?#because I don't know who else to tag

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entamewitchlulu · 6 years

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Homura’s Flash Reviews: Spring Season Open 2018

Okay so the spring season started a long ass time ago, but it took me a bit to get caught up! Here are the anime I started for this season and what I thought about them/if I plan to continue watching them this season! (not including anything I already watched the first cour for, so I won’t talk anymore about Clear Card here for example. My list is once again based on what TFS is watching for the spring season of Anime FMK, plus one or two things that i just personally wanted to watch.

this ended up being really long and i hate cluttering dashes so it’s going under a cut

lostorage conflated WIXOSS

The fourth season of WIXOSS, conflated follows the quest of Kiyoi, a former LRIG desperate to atone for her sins by bringing a final end to the curse of the Selector battles. To achieve this, she approaches multiple former Selectors for their help, even as a darker force brings about the battles once again, with a far more determined focus.

Okay, this is absolutely already the BEST WIXOSS ever. Kiyoi is an amazing protagonist, and I am such a fucking sucker for shows that bring back the old characters. I screamed when I saw Ruko appear in the trailers. The LRIG designs and the animation are up a notch even from incited, and I’m so so so excited to see where this rollercoaster ride takes us, especially since it feels like this could very well be the conclusion of the WIXOSS anime universe.

verdict: I absolutely intend to finish this one and enjoy it every step of the way!!

Comic Girls

Kaos, a young, brand new mangaka, has been struggling to come up with a storyboard that her editor will accept. To help her improve her skills, her editor suggests she move into a dedicated dorm for fellow young mangaka, so that she can learn from them and her experiences.

Okay this is 100% anime bullshit, but it’s pretty tame in comparison to others and honestly...it’s just a fun time, okay? I’m not gonna act like I didn’t enjoy it. It was hilarious, the art jokes are relatable as fuck, and yes, okay, i love the cutesy art style. Meeting all the characters and watching them make different kinds of manga together is adorable and fun and it’s just a lighthearted, funny show. It reminds me a HECK of a lot of Sunshine Sketch, one of my absolute favorite 4koma, and since that anime adaptation disappointed the heck out of me, this anime is a good substitute!

verdict: I’m gonna keep up with this one as long as I keep laughing!

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku

Narumi had to leave her last job after her ex found out she was an otaku, and now that she’s starting a new job, she’s determined to keep her secret forever--that is, until she finds out her childhood otaku friend works at the same company, and the two of the suddenly begin dating.

This one is fucking hilarious holy shit, and I can’t believe how many real world references to real brands they can make without having to bleep them out. It’s a little slow in places, but absolutely I’m gonna keep up with this one just because god i need some relatable gag anime sometimes ya know

verdict: gonna keep watching!

Space Battleship Tiramisu

Subaru is Tiramisu’s ace pilot in the great space wars but he’s actually just a fucking nerd who wants to sit in his cockpit all the time

wow okay there’s a lot of gag anime on this list, this one has only 7 minute long episodes which is a blessing because in the end even that was too long. the jokes were only funny in the first episode and by the third episode with the fucking sexualization and sexism i was just bored out of my fucking skull.

verdict: i’m already dropping it lol

Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

When people start turning into trees in the middle of Shibuya, Mana Inuyama assists a neighborhood friend in sending a letter to Gegege no Kitaro, a yokai who helps humans defend themselves from other yokai. Though she doesn’t believe in yokai herself, Kitaro soon appears and introduces her to the mysterious and dangerous world of yokai.

Okay so apparently this is a HUGE franchise of like, YuYu Hakusho proportions, and this seems to be some kind of reboot. I had never heard of it in my life although Kitaro looks somewhat familiar, I might have seen him somewhere? Anyway, this is absolutely still not something I would haved picked up on my own and....it’s....good????? It’s really good??? The animation is incredible, the character designs are adorable, even the body horror elements are tame enough for me to handle, and I actually really love yokai stories so I’m really loving this take on Japanese myths and legends. The character interactions and plot honestly aren’t super in depth, but I don’t think it needs to be! It’s a sweet and cute little kid’s show and I even think the eyeball is cute lol.

verdict: definitely giving this one this season’s shot! Looks like it could be looong though so we’ll see how far I go haha

Lupin III: Part V

I guess it’s about the world’s greatest thief and stuff idk, this is a big franchise isn’t it?

I watched one episode and like it didn’t do anything super offensive, it just...bored me. Animation was good, I guess the characters were likable even though I’d never watched a Lupin III property before, but the episode felt like kind of a chore to get through tbh. Not to mention I’m kinda bored of the whole...rogueish flirt and all the girls are super sexual and shit. Like I’m queer and I don’t really mind seeing boobs sometimes, but when it’s clearly made just for the rogueish flirt and thus the male audience to enjoy, i get bored. the femme fatale thing in old detective-like shows is just not my thing. I probably would like it more if i had actually seen previous Lupin shows.

verdict: I have enough to watch already so I’m just dropping it now

Hinamatsuri

A successful yakuza’s life goes haywire when a strange metal cocoon containing a small girl appears in his apartment, and he finds that the girl, Hina, is actually a powerful psychic. Somehow, the girl ends up living with him and he ends up becoming a dad.

This show is so fucking cute oh my GOD. It’s hilarious, the timing is great, the animation is so adorable and well done, Hina is a cutie and I want to adopt her, and I’m such a sucker for dudes who accidentally adopt children. His relationship with Hina is so cute and there’s absolutely no weird anime shit going on between them, they’re just a dad and daughter in the most unlikely family unit ever and I love it.

verdict: this is the first one since WIXOSS on this list that I’ve been super hyped for so hell yes I’m finishing this one

Golden Kamuy

A former soldier from the Russo-Japanese war, “Immortal” Sugimoto is desperate to find some cash to fulfill a last wish for a friend he lost during the war. When he stumbles across a conspiracy hiding a large amount of gold in the tattoos of several dozen prisoners, he and an Ainu girl Asirpa work together to retrieve the stolen Ainu gold in the harsh Hokkaido wilderness.

I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did so far, and it’s really, really interesting. For starters, the front and center of the Ainu culture is super interesting, something that, to my knowledge, little to no other anime have ever represented. The relationship between Sugimoto and Asirpa is lovely and they’re always treated as being on even footing, and I love hearing Asirpa explain and share her culture with Sugimoto, like their food and hunting techniques. The overarching story has yet to really hit full force, but that’s okay because these characters are charming as all get out and I’m loving the exchanges between them. I am a little bit squeamish over some of the blood and guts that show up, but none of it is unrealistically gory, so I can handle it.

verdict: at this point definitely going to watch this one through to the end!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These

basically it’s star wars i really don’t know what the plot is besides that, there’s some L/Light dynamic between two of the commanders but other than that it’s star wars

I think this is also a remake of some kind, seems like there’s a lot of remakes on my list this season. well, 3 episodes in and i’m not sure how i feel about this; i think the space battles are cool and i like tactics and shit, but idk, not really feeling much for the characters atm.

verdict: I think I’ll continue for the time being, but i’ll drop it soon if it doesn’t engage me more within a couple episodes

Megalo Box

I want to make a serious plot summary but it’s so much faster and funnier to just say that it’s 5Ds the Boxing AU, because that is exactly what it is

Anyway idk I don’t love it, i’m not a fan of the muted color palettes and the shonen must-get-stronger-to-punch-and-have-thrill-of-fight thing isn’t always my speed, and also there’s exactly (1) female character which does not endear me to it, but idk i guess there’s something engaging about it. kinda slow and i just wanna see some more punchiness, there’s a lot of training and technical shiz going on atm.

verdict: I’ll give it a few more episodes but I’m not committed to this one

#homura reviews #lostorage conflated wixoss #comic girls #love is hard for otaku #space battleship tiramisu #gegege no kitaro #lupin the iii part v #hinamatsuri #golden kamuy #legend of the galactic heroes: die neue these #megalo box #oh god finally i've gotten through my list

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jeongincore · 6 years

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Shit i really liked and kinda didn’t like about Ragnarok

I recently saw ragnarok and became so rejuvenated that i brought my marvel blog back but i wanted to seriously talk about like things that i liked and really didn’t just to get shit out there.

Things i really liked (like so much that i am obsessed)

-Thor’s new hair cut/outfit, i think its actually super suitable. Gives that sort of cool ass warrior refugee look. Plus, Chris Hemsworth is beautiful.

-The humor, oh god it was hilarious, i’ve never laughed so genuinely and so much in my life and it made the movie so charming and relatable. It was also such a departure from The Dark World and the first Thor, which dealt with so much emotional baggage for not only just Thor, but for Loki, who basically suffered throughout both movies.

-Hulk being an actual toddler/Bruce Banner being so fucked up and anxious because WHEN DID HE GET ON AN ALIEN PLANET.

-”You’ve been on other planets before i assume” “Yeah, one!” “well now it’s two”

-Valkyrie. Her entire everything gave me so much to love and adore. Tessa Thompson has stole my heart yet again.

-TAIKA WAITITI AS KORG WAS ACTUALLY SO FUNNY

-The little tiny glimpses of Loki and Thor’s childhood, aka the snake story, get help. It really showed how much time Loki and Thor had spent together, which i assume is a lot because age in Asgardian years work differently probably? Like imagine that, Loki and Thor spending time together and being inseparable for 100 years. It showed that they were always close despite loki feeling different or alienated, which explains why its so hard for Loki to just leave thor for dead.

-”You’ll always be the god of mischief, but you can be so much more” See that shit destroyed me. Thor acknowledges that Loki is not like him. He’s a trickster, manipulative, and selfish. But he also acknowledges that Loki is so much more than his tricks and lies, which shows so much character growth in Thor, who sees loki as more than just an asgardian prince that was raised the exact same way opposite of Thor, but as his own fucking person.

-Thor actually not being stupid and falling for Loki’s tricks, aka his magic projections of himself/his petty, stupid betrayals. Tom mentioned that Thor was evolving and that Loki was finally starting to realize that he’s the only one not growing. Scenes like the betrayal scene and the snake scene, although meant to be hilarious, point out that Thor isn’t that idiot that just was too trusting of his brother, he sees through Loki’s tricks, he’s seen them for years, and it really shows that Loki’s getting predictable with his fake deaths and betrayals, which might hint at him changing?

-IT FIXED THE INCONSISTENCIES. The main reason i didn’t like Dark world, though i did see it as amazing for its ability to mix the emotional darkness between Loki and Thor along with the humor throughout the movie, was because it pointed Loki out to be the type of cold blooded monster that would murder his own father. I mean I’m no Loki apologist, i love the kid but he’s killed, he’s manipulated, he’s hurt everyone around him, but i doubt he could ever kill Odin, no matter how much of a shitty father he is. Also low-key hated the whole “Loki if you betray me, ill kill you” Thor bullshit. We all know thor wouldn’t be able to do that, he still hopes Loki is his brother.

-AGAIN, THE SNAKE SCENE WAS SO FUNNY.

-”I thought the world of you Loki.” Ouch.

-Hulk and Val’s bromance.

-The entire Valkyrie v. Hela scene. It was so beautiful and ethereal i actually nutted.

-LOKI DIDN’T NEED TO COME BACK. HE DIDN’T NEED TO GO BACK TO THE SHIP WITH THOR. HE DIDN’T NEED TO GO BACK TO ASGARD. HE COULD HAVE NOT. BUT HE DID. BECAUSE SOMEWHERE IN THERE UNDER THE SELFISHNESS MAYBE HE CARES.

-Loki’s face when odin called him his son.

-Loki’s face when Hela told him to kneel.

-Loki refusing to let Thor go back to Asgard. “Are you serious? you can’t be thinking of going back there, that’s madness!” is that? Loki cARING?

-Loki’s character development.

-thor in a jean jacket and hoodie in new york.

-Thor spilling beer everywhere.

-Loki letting Thor take the orgy ship.

-Jeff Goldblum. Thats it.

-LOKIS FACE WITH THOR AND ODIN ON THE ROOF OF THE CASTLE I SCREmed AFTER ALL LOKI DID HE WAS STILL PUT THERE AS A PRINCE OF ASGARD BYE.

-”Hello father” “OH SHIT”

-The entire play. Loki’s rule as a benevolent god/king in which, before everyone feared him for a dictatorship militaristic form of ruling he could have, but in reality he just like ate grapes and watched plays.

-Thor wanting to be a Valkyrie. The crowned prince of asgard, wanting to be an elite team of woman warriors.

-VAL IS GAY AND IN TESSA THOMPSONS WORDS, HAD A GIRLFRIEND THAT SACRIFICED HERSELF TO SAVE HER.

-Val kicking Loki’s ass.

-THE RETURN OF THE DOUBLE BLADES OUT OF NOWHERE.

-Loki in a suit.

-HEIMDALL I LOVEJWIFHTGE.

-”I thought you didn’t want to talk about it” “heres the thing”

-”Hello!” “Hi” *blasts everyone in room with giant laser guns*

-”What are you? Thor, god of hammers?”

-IMMIGRANT SONG.

-”i swear i left him right here” “where? on the street? Or in that nursing home thats being torn down?”

“I’m not a witch” “Why do you dress like one then?”

-Loki rolling his eyes when thor is approached by fans.

-Loki calling stephen strange a shitty sorcerer and going at him with stabby hands.

-Confirmation of loki’s love of stabbing.

-Confirmation that Loki is a snake, and also Thor’s favorite snake.

-Loki reciting Thor’s prayer to odin with him mY SON.

-The avengers parallel. “He’s my brother!” “adopted.”

-”mbLERG ITS ME”

-”AGH LOKI!”

-’DIRECT ME TO WHO’S ASS I HAVE TO KICK”

-”Where? the devil’s anus?”

-Bruce fighting evil with fireworks. Good job sweetie.

-Bruce flopping like a fish on the bifrost.

-Thor and his sparkles.

-Lightning eyes.

-Odin finALLY DYING. THANK GOD.

-*Loki on a death trip* ‘this is a terrible idea”

-Loki somehow reciting a spell to bring surtur back. what a weirdo. how did he know that.

-LOKI COMING BACK.

-im here.

-Loki

-Brodinson.

-Thor and Bruce’s bromance.

-Jane not being there. I mean it makes sense she dumped him, he left her for two years chasing down infinity stones and constantly almost dying while she had no way of contacting him because Thor’s ass didn’t know how to use fucking email. Also i just really honestly never liked her character to begin with, i mean sure i love that Jane is a strong, smart woman but tbh i just wanted to Fast forward every time she was on screen.

-The cute death wolf.

-”THATS HOW IT FEELS!” “sorry i just really like the sport”

-THOR ACTUALLY BEING PORTRAYED AS LESS OF A JERK WITH CACTUSES SHOVED UP HIS RECTUM AND MORE LIKE THE SWEET, CHARMING, CHARISMATIC AND SLIGHTLY ARROGANT BUT MEANS WELL MAN HE IS.

-Val being there as a cool as member of the team rather than just the love interest of Thor. Protect her at all cost even though she probs doesn’t even need it.

-”I’VE BEEN FALLING FOR THIRTY MINUTES”

-Stan Lee’s cameo as the dude who cut Thor’s hair. Thank you for doing all of us a giant favor. Please do the same to Loki.

-loki beating someone up with his horn hat.

-Loki twirling his horn hat.

-Loki being such a self serving, extra asshole that he came from the fucking fog screaming “YOUR SAVIOR HAS ARRIVED”

-Bruce asking where tony was and then complaining about his tight crotch pants.

-LOKI’S COSTUME CHANGE GOD I HATED THE OLD ONES BLESS UP.

-Loki’s costume being mainly blue, black, and gold :-)))))))

-Loki being 100% done with everything that happens.

-Val knocking Loki out when he makes her relive her trauma why do people ship this you go honey that was a dick move

-Thor throwing various things at Loki to make sure he’s not a mirage.

-he’s a friend from work, something a kid from make a wish that met chris suggested, being in the film and all of the trailers. I hope that made that kid smile.

-”In return, i wish to be granted safe passage through the anus”

-LOKI FINALLY ACCEPTING THAT HE DIDN’T WANT THE THRONE WITHOUT A FAMILY. THAT HE’D RATHER WATCH HIS BROTHER TAKE IT AND STILL HAVE A BROTHER THAN HAVE A THRONE WITH NO ONE TO SHARE IT WITH.

-LOKI SHOWING UP ON SCREEN DURING THOR’S CORONATION.

-Loki being genuinely worried about and double checking if Thor really wants to bring him back to earth after what he did kill me honestly that would probably hurt less.

-Loki’s face when thor said that going their separate ways was what Loki always wanted bc in reality that is the opposite go back.

-Hela not being Loki’s daughter because 1) it proves that ya’ll should stop hoping that a comic soap opera about rich petty alien boys with daddy issues would be anything like classic norse mythology, and 2) when the fuck and how the fuck and why the fuck

-Loki suggesting that he and Thor both rule over Sakaar together lmao ouch.

-Loki just being really cute and quirky.

-Thor being so fucking amazed by Val all the time.

-”You’re late.”

-”I saw you coming” “course you did.”

-THE GUNS NAMED DES AND TROY I WANTED TO FUCKING DIE.

What i didn’t like much;

-Hela. I loved her character, but honestly here is where i think there might’ve been some failure despite how much i loved that movie. She seemed so out of place as a villain, and i feel like the whole related shit tried to mimic Guardians vol. 2, but honestly the fact that Thor didn’t care much about her made her feel so out of place. But i did like some parts, like how she was so disappointed about not being remembered or what her existence and disappointment did to how loki was raised.

-Dr. Strange? Ok that was weird. It makes sense and it was funny to see him but to be honest i wasn’t into it.

-tHE SCENE WITH VAL AND A GIRL BEING CUT. WHYWHYWHY

-tbh was not fond of frost master, don’t hate me.

-Loki possibly taking the tesseract????? And hinting that he might turn evil again??? don’t do this to me marvel.

-loki possibly being turned into the quirky sidekick of his brother. Loki is Thor’s equal, not his annoying little brother/wacky sidekick. I didn’t get that vibe often, but sometimes i did honestly.

-RIP thor’s hammer.

-ODIN BEING A PIECE OF SHIT YET AGAIN.

-Hela’s entrance. it was so quick and like out of place i was like what wait, Loki and thor didn’t even have time to prepare or even mourn.

-the comedy. It was its best and worst part of the movie. Sometimes it was tasteful. Other times it was too much. Thor and Loki didn’t even get to mourn for their dad who tbh was an asshole but still their dad before there was a annoying joke about kneeling. It took away from the story sometimes.

-the lack of hugging between thor and loki.

-The way they glossed over the warriors three’s death like they weren’t Thor’s closest friends and the only ones there for him when Odin tried to banish Thor to earth :-))))) I mean after all that shit he went through I’m pretty fucking sure it probably hasn’t caught up to him but ya bitch still pissed.

-The way, Thor, who basically admitted that Loki actually meant the world to him and was the only family he had left, didn’t ask where he was after asgard exploded? Like tbh i get it, he trusts Loki, his brothers capable and strong and most of all really fucking smart, but i’d still be like :-) the fuck is Loki. I think this is a directing error though rather than like the characters fucking up but i was freaking out, i mean asgard was literally pebbles and everyone was out BUT my son.

-No sif, i mean i get it Jaime Alexander was busy but like y'all could’ve explained smh.

-Loki not getting a hair cut. When will his emo phase end.

-Not getting that one flashback to 80′s asgard with mullets and emo loki.

Overall it was pretty fucking cool, one of the best movies of the trilogy. I fell in love with the marvel cinematic universe all over again. But it wasn’t perfect.

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dent-de-leon · 7 years

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to that other anon. speaking from a media producing point of view, if they were going to make shiro/keith a thing, they wouldnt have given them a brotherly relationship. with same sex couples especially. showrunners are v cautious and make it at least somewhat clear that theyre going to end up together. dropping hints that they have some kind of romantic connection etc. they wouldnt encourage the anti-gay remarks made about gay people being perverts, by making a brotherly relationship romantic.

Hi anon! Personally, I have to say I disagree.

All of Team Voltron has been referred to as family. Fake Shiro outright says Keith views them all as family with his “We’re all a family” line, Hunk refers to all the paladins as “brothers” and Allura also refers to the paladins as her “new family.” By eliminating any ships related to found family, you eliminate all the ships between the paladins (and Allura).

I also do think there are lots of hints that their relationship is more so romantic, as I’ve gone over in lots of my meta before. In fact, out of every ship, I’d argue that sheith has the most basis in canon (at least, that’s how I see it). Things like “your friend desperately wants to see you,” sappily repeating each other’s lines upon reuniting, their intro, Keith’s insistence that Shiro really changed his life, Keith’s insecurities about losing Shiro and this notion that he would be all alone without him–these things strike me as distinctly romantic. I have two brothers, but nothing about Shiro and Keith’s relationship really feels brotherly to me.

And I think the fact that Keith and Shiro’s past is purposely hidden is very strange. It’s entirely possible that the way they met and their time together prekerberos will give people an entirely different impression about their dynamic. I also think it’s possible that Keith’s views of Shiro prekerberos–as well as his reaction to Shiro’s disappearance–may very well change a lot of people’s views on the nature of their relationship, which is why I think it was something that’s been obscured by the writers.

Had their relationship really been brotherly, I see no reason why they wouldn’t show Keith and Pidge bonding over losing a brother at Kerberos, and paralleling their story arc. The fact that the writers didn’t do that tells me Shiro and Keith’s dynamic was distinctly different–which is also why I think the staff supports sheith so much, because you can view their dynamic in more ways than just a brotherly context.

And I really do try to consider how people will react to representation, which is why I would want it to be sheith–I’ve talked a lot about how making Shiro lgbt would be groundbreaking in how it tackles stereotypes. But also, sheith is all about mutual love, understanding, implicit trust–they care for each other so much, ground one another, are always willing to throw away everything for each other. The fact that they’re willing to support each other no matter what really gets me; I think their relationship would be the most healthy.

And I mean, I’m bi. I could definitely relate to Keith seeing someone he used to think of as a close friend as something more–and being scared to outright admit that. For me, someone falling for a friend they’ve had a while doesn’t sound wrong at all, and seems more like a natural progression of character development. I would certainly like to see Keith and Shiro with someone we already know cares about them.

And the age debate thing is something I don’t do, and there are lots of different interpretations and no exact numbers. But me personally, going by official printed sources like the Dreamwork’ official summary and the summary in the vld comics listing them as “five teenagers” as well as the lion toy boxes’ summary of “five young heroes” and the writers saying that HKL are all “late teens,” while Shiro is “slightly older” and “wise beyond his years”–add to that Hunk’s VA saying Hunk was 17 at the start of the series (which I read as he isn’t now)–and I headcanon Keith as 17 at the start with Shiro at 19. This accounts for Shiro being a teenager like the other paladins.

I also headcanon them as 18 and 20 by around season 3 respectively, so I imagine Keith falling for an “older” brother who isn’t actually that much older. After all, staff supports sheith. I don’t think Dreamworks would really allow them to do so openly if anything about their ages made the ship abusive–which the staff has already assured us that it’s not. They also read as more like brothers in arms (equals) than a younger and older brother.

So honestly anon, from a writing perspective, I personally view sheith as the most viable option for representation. I hear what you’re saying, and I understand your concerns. But for me, this is just where I stand, and I hope you understand. Speaking as someone who would love to see myself in lgbt representation, sheith being canon would just mean so much to me.

#sheith #shiro #keith #voltron #meta #anonymous #i hope you understand that this is just how i feel anon #and your own feelings are just as valid of course #but i happen to feel very strongly about this thing in particular #and i dont think ill ever change my mind

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weeniitze · 4 years

Text

Online Fandom

Fandom is the abbreviation variant for "fanatics" (Jekins, 2016). The term "fandom" has first used in news reports of sporting events of the late 19th century to identify followers in events. According to Hutchins, T.J. & Tindall (2016), one way to keep fans involved is to build online fan groups through social media, providing a platform for people to connect their interests online with each other, even in different locations.

youtube

“ Are Fandoms Good or Unhealthy Obsessions? “

Video URL: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onxeBOnjWnU)

When fans become part of the community, fans in the fan community gain a sense of identity and a "style" by sharing a unique set of concepts, symbols, meanings, and values of their idols (Lee Cooper, 2014). Many pop artist's fandoms have their own exclusive names. For example, Lady Gaga fans call themselves Little Monsters, and Katy Perry fans are Katy Cats. The corresponding names of other stars and fan groups, as well as The Killers- The Victims, Charli XCX-Charli's Angels, Nicki Minaj-Barbies, Rihanna-Rihanna Navy, Ariana Grande-Arianators, Demi Lovato-Lovatics, etc. These fan group names are more than just a symbol, they are an identity. Some of them think the community is more powerful than ordinary music fans.

“Most people are fans of something” (Gray, Sandvoss & Harrington, 2007)

If someone asked you “Are you a fan of someone/something?”, what would you answer? Will you honestly tell them about your fandom? Or you will just deny that you are a fan and keep silence?

Some people might think that the fans are ‘weird’, ‘lunatic’, ‘toxic’, ‘disgusting’, and even some of the people will despise them. As most of us know, many fans will express their strong emotions on social media such as the star's Facebook or Twitter, or even offline events, arguing with people and even causing a fight. Of course, the more extreme star-pursuing cases have actually happened among fans.

That is why some people might afraid to admit that they are fans of someone/something, this is to protect themselves to be judged by others. From my observation, some people who don’t want to admit that they are a fan is also because they might afraid of the cultural crush, I use music as an example, there are so many kinds of music such as K-pop, J-pop, Chinese, and Occident music, they are from different countries and cultures. Some of them might choose to hide their online identity in real life, which some of them might prefer to stay alone in real life, but actually an active user in his/her fandom.

This video shows some screenshot of negative comments in the K-pop girl band, Blackpink’s fandom (No offense to Blackpink fans, I am not a hater, this is just for an example.)

youtube

“BLACKPINK HAS THE WORST FANDOM EVER | BLINKS “

Video URL: https://youtu.be/zxYByCOg6D0

For me, I will answer honestly tell and talk about my fandom with my own circles. I think this can be a kind of topic to share interest and fan culture, it can also improve the relationship and connectivity among each other when we are sharing something we like to another. If you ask me about which fandom I am, I will say a lot, because I like lots of things and people and I do not belong to just one fandom. For TV Shows, I am fans of Superhero movies and TV Shows such as The Flash, Arrow, Justice League, Spiderman, Thor, Doctor Strange, Chinese dramas such as The Untamed, Ashes of Love, Scarlet Heart, Japanese Dramas like Enu no Tame ni, Death Note, Unnatural, etc. Besides, I also like to play games and watch cartoons, Anime, and Comics. I even have a lot of idols in the online world from different platforms such as Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. That is why I don’t really tell people I am a fan because there are too many things that I like, I will have to spend a lots of time to talk about it. Some people might not think that they are a fan because they are not obsessed with a thing and don’t really know as much thing about their idol as their fandom does, in my opinion, I think a fan can be someone who really likes something and want to know more about it.

Sometimes from a movie or TV show, I found someone that I interested to, then I will find more about that person online including his/her online account (if they have), I even read fanfiction of the characters that I obsessed to.

Fan culture, or fandom, is a term used to describe societies built around the mutual interest of elements of popular culture, such as books, films, TV shows, artists, sports or sports teams, etc. In fan cultures, these masterpieces and artistic expressions bring the form of fan fiction, fan art, cosplay, fan videos, filk songs, and other interactions with a group, individual, or fictional universe ("Fandom and Participatory Culture – Subcultures and Sociology", n.d.). Through social media, I also gain a lot of knowledge and made friends from interested circles online. I am thankful for the internet to bring us together and share so much information online so we can know more about them through these platforms. Of course, It also brings a lot of benefits to my real life such as I’m having more topics to talk about with my real-life friends, I can know more about different country’s culture, I gain a lot of inspiration for my works, and can even improve my drawing and storytelling skills.

Even though sometimes people might not understand why we like such things, but luckily we still can find someone who has the same interest online through our fandom, we know that we are not alone, and there is someone who likes the same thing as you do. We cannot control people’s mind, if there is someone who likes it, there must be someone opposite, what we can do is ignore the negative issues, and learn more positive knowledge from what we like, we don’t have to be shame on what we like and what we are. By worshiping an idol, fans developed a 'varied creativity space' and gain inspiration from it, growing self-confidence, this is also a positive attitude, as long as fans haven't done something evil and immoral, a fandom might bring peace and a lot of advantages to someone.

Reference List

Duffett, M. (2013). Understanding fandom: An introduction to the study of media fan culture. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C. L. (Eds.). (2017). Fandom: Identities and communities in a mediated world. NYU Press.

Fandom and Participatory Culture – Subcultures and Sociology. Retrieved 2 December 2019, from https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultural-theory-and-theorists/fandom-and-participatory-culture/

Hutchins, A., & Tindall, N. T. (Eds.). (2016). Public relations and participatory culture: Fandom, social media and community engagement. Routledge.

#MDA20006 #Week 9 #Fandom & Fan Activism

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