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#i've decided to just use watcher and not watcher entertainment now
jack-of-all-trades-21 · 4 months
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My brain came up with a very specific thing for Chishiya (which, beware, is my interpretation of his character), that kind of reminds me of something I've written before but this takes a very different route and also has a different format:
So my thought initiates from the idea that Chishiya definitely can be or become emotional, even if we might have not seen him much like it (or at all).
Since we share the same mbti I am kind off basing my things off of that, but it is also extremely humane to show bursts of emotions.
In short, he can for sure become frustrated when the moment calls for it.
When this happens, Chishiya might think that the universe is pulling his decisions and not him, like it is some sort of role he has to play because it fits the scene.
I think as an intj we are often watchers; Chishiya enjoys watching (much like we see him do during games in the show) and hopes not having to interfere with everyone's true nature. This is simply the most interesting and entertaining thing for him. So when he loses his temper or feels tears well up in his eyes he still feels like he is watching, whilst his body is driven by thing he "can't" control.
So I'm imagining a situation like the following: Chishiya is put into a spades game, and a difficult one at that. Normally he goes into games open-minded, though for this one he did not mentally prepare. Maybe it is due to his energy levels of that day or just his particular wish to do a diamonds or hearts game, but he really was not looking forward to an extreme physical challenge.
Additionally, and this is more for fun in my head, he is wearing his favorite white vest. This because he had a feeling beforehand it was not going to be an exhausting night, yet here he was proven wrong. He does not even acknowledge that this was a feeling; maybe too stubborn to admit that he was using his heart and not his head for once.
Then, it rips. His crisp hoodie is sure to not make it out this game alive. Normally he would stay pretty composed under things like these; his clothes are replaceable and it's not anything he could help anyway. Though today Chishiya feels a lot, mostly frustration and disappointment.
The sudden surprise and adrenaline that came with this game make him lose his composure. As much as he should be happy/satisfied to make it out alive, he is overwhelmed with negative feelings.
This only really happens when he is aware he can feel this way. For example when no other people from the beach joined the game. His surroundings allow his behavior; there were no other members of the beach in the game with for who he had to uphold himself.
And so the rip in his favorite jacket starts to resemble the crack in his normally perfect composure.
If we want to push it even further, we could introduce interaction with someone in the game with him.
With no clue on how they made it even out alive like him (their physique was not promising for spades games), there is someone by his side that is all too eager to aid him.
Their kindness and sociability almost trigger him more. Though he decides to play along. First, because they claim that they can fix his jacket. And second, because Chishiya just loves to see things play out.
He finds himself inside a makeshift atelier (it's just a room inside a rundown building but filled with all kinds of paintings and sculptures). The artist themself scurries across the room to a desk with coils of thread and such.
Now about Chishiya's scene partner: they didn't seem like the type that wanted to be defined or put inside a box. Though in the psychoanalyzing thoughts of Chishiya, he took a guess that they're numbing the pain and shock of the borderlands with their arts. After all, some attempt to deal with things you cant control by pretending to have control.
This way of living can actually anger Chishiya more than you'd initially think. I think this is due to a weird form of jealousy. He thinks he is not able to be as empathizing with anyone like them, let alone a stranger. However, he also believes it is in his nature to be this way (not realizing he can choose his behavior). He also knows that the kind stranger is dealing with things wrongly. Escapism in the borderlands is the dumbest coping mechanism he has seen anyone portray (probably from his realism standpoint). He could think you're wasting your time on materialistic and meaningless junk, whilst there are so many better things worthwhile (training, gathering food, finding a way out of the borderlands, resting,..). And the fact that you are a kind person makes it even harder for him. I am kind of reminded of Arisu here, also too kind for his own good if you get what I mean. Chishiya is at that moment so fed up with the idea that people like him easily can manipulate people like them.
Now how I see him out all of the things he is feeling can be through two ways. He either bottles up everything, can't sleep for a while due to all kinds of thoughts in his head he can't place, and remains like that until he can find logical reasons as to why certain things happened. Or, he snaps at the person he met, desperate to make them realize that the world they're in is real (or that it at least should be treated that way).
Chishiya assumes he's helping you out that way (like it's the thing he should be doing). Though how he then returns this favor is really up to how dirty-minded you view Chishiya.
(What better way to give someone a wakeup call of how real the world is by sharing physical intimacy?)
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Would Spider in the games use a bow as his weapon of choice, like in the movie, or an ax, or maybe something else? And what about Kiri's weapons? (If they decided to fight instead of hiding)
So I went back and rewatched Hunger Games last night (and wow did I not appreciate that movie as a kid. I'm so excited to rewatch all the other movies now) so I've got a lot of new ideas for the Hunger Games Avatar A.u.
First I learned from an explainer video that kids aren't actually allowed to train for the Hunger Games. The career tributes get away with it because they're training to be peacekeepers but everyone else is just out of luck. So every character I mentioned training would have to do it in complete secret. So for Spider, since his parents live in victors village and are filthy rich after winning the games, they have a training room in their basement. It's not nearly as fancy as anything from the Capital. In fact Quaritch built most of it himself. And if anyone asks Spider isn't allowed down there. The training room is just for mom and dad. The room is stocked with every weapon under the sun, so Spider would be well versed in any weapon that could be put into the games but yeah he'd prefer a bow over anything. I could also see him with a knife or a spear but I think an ax might be too brutal of a weapon for him.
I think Kiri would also go for a less brutal weapons, bow, knives, those sort of things but really I think she'd get by more like Peeta, and Rue. Making alliances, using the environment to her advantage (I'm thinking of the trackerjackers here, which even though Katniss was the one to cut down the nest it was Rue who gave her the idea) and basically just surviving since they said in the movie that most kids die from exposure, dehydration and starvation.
Also after watching the movie I realized they kinda couldn't just hide the entire time because the gamemakers would push them towards the action. I guess the scene with Katniss and Peeta in the cave just took up way more of memory then it did the actual film. So yeah let me revise hiding to being stealthy, camouflaging themselves to blend with their surroundings, setting traps for career tributes but never going after anyone that's not down with the child murder games. I could even see them setting out food and clean water for less capable tributes.
Bonus thoughts you didn't ask for but I forgot to put in my original post because I was insanely sleep deprived when I wrote it:
In my head like how Katniss was nicknamed the girl on fire, I thought of Paz being nicknamed the spider queen after her arachnid trap won her the games. The Capital is obsessed with the fact that she named her son Spider ( and as I write this I'm realizing she pretty much named her son after herself instead of Quaritch which I kinda love) and low key I bet all the kids would be mini celebrities.
I started watching Catching Fire and in that Haymitch says flat out that the show never ends. That each family would get dragged out every year, there lives constantly watched for entertainment. Which was kinda what I was thinking when I wrote about the quarter quell. The citizens of the Capital would have watched each of these families grown. They would have seen the parents grow from teenagers to adult, probably cheered for them as they had their kids and built "happy" lives (i remember in an explainer video that averaged capital citizens actually didn't like the 75th Hunger Games too much because they had such an attachment to the past victors. Now imagine that, plus you watched their kids grow up, and now you're probably going to watch those kids die. I imagine the emotions of the watchers would be at a fever pitch)
Anyway this was a really long winded way of getting to what I really wanted to say and that is that I had outfit ideas for Spider and Paz's chariot entrance in the quarter quell, lol. They wouldn't be dressed up like trees or lumber jakes like most tributes from district 7, they'd be decked out in opulent spider motifies. I imagine Paz with a spider web vail fixed to her long dark curls by a silver circlet that has one ruby teardrop that hangs in the middle of her forehead, blood red lips, sharp red nails, and a tight black dress. Spider is high key uncomfortable because he can see everyone lusting over his hot mom, and he matches her, like her little spider prince, with an off the shoulder spider web capelet, a spider shaped cravat with a ruby in the center, and fitted black suit (like world war 2 dress uniforms. I couldn't find a better name for it) his hair pulled back tight and tucked into his collar. He fucking hates it and so does his mom but they have to play nice for the cameras soo...
I'll probably get more ideas for this au as I keep watching the movies so if you like this au send me ideas! I've got some thoughts on how to go about an ending now (who gets captured, who dies (though I don't want anyone to die)) but I do want to actually watch Mockingjay so I can fully form these ideas.
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bunbeeplays · 2 months
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The Lemon Legacy, Generation 1, Chapter 14 - Winterfestivities
That night, Ophelia is getting ready for bed when she hears a knock on the door.
Ophelia: Libby, hi. Do you want to come in?
In the months that they've known her, Ophelia has never invited any of them into her home. She was expecting to talk on the porch, but accepts the offer
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Libby: I like what you've done with the place!
Ophelia: I know it's not much. My grandma sold it to me pretty cheap.
Libby: Those frat guys she rented to before you invited us over once, they were such slobs. You've definitely improved the place.
Ophelia: Thanks.
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They settle on the couch and Libby cuts to the chase.
Libby: Tell me if I'm overstepping, but you never mention your family, except your grandma, but it's just you on your family tree. Did something happen to your parents? Do you not have anyone to spend the holidays with?
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Ophelia: If anyone else asked, I'd change the subject, but I know I can trust you. I'm not quite ready to talk about my parents or the issue with my family tree. I hope that's okay. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine.
Libby: No one should be alone for Winterfest!
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Libby: I know we just started seeing each other, I'm not making this a 'meet the parents' thing. As far as they know, we're still just friends-
Ophelia: Lib, sweetie, I really am fine. My gran travels a lot, she's gone right now. I'll celebrate with her when she's back in Sulani.
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Libby: I can always tell my parents I can visit them later.
Ophelia: Hey, no, come here. You are so sweet, but I'm not a fragile little doll that needs to be constantly entertained, okay? We had a great day today. That was my Winterfest. I want you to spend time with your family.
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Libby: Okay. Knowing my mom, she'll send me home with some treats. We can share those when I get back in town.
Ophelia: It's a date. Hopefully the Watcher will download the Hot Chocolate Maker mod.
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Before Libby leaves for the night, the two sneak in a kiss. Or two. Or three.
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It's Winterfest!
Taking Libby's words to heart, Ophelia decides she's not going to spend Winterfest, or any other time, alone and decides to do something she was never allowed to do as a kid - adopt a kitty cat!
The adoption agent is not pleased that he's working on Winterfest
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Ophelia: Wook at the widdle baby! So cuuuute!
I can't tell if this kitten is pleased or annoyed with the attention. Either way, she's about to be treated like a queen.
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Ophelia is smitten. She adopts the little gal on the spot!
Welcome to the Lemon Legacy, Marshmallow!
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Her new owner may be overly affectionate, but she got Marshmallow this nice, comfy bed. This lazy little girly could get used to living here.
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Father Winter has visited Ophelia and Marshmallow!
She wasn't expecting anything from anyone today, so Ophelia is thrilled to say the least.
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Oh. Apparently Father Winter caught wind of Ophelia's nasty "borrowing" habit and put her on the naughty list this year.
Father Winter: I better see this behavior change by next year, young lady!
Maybe this is a wake up call. Or maybe Father Winter should lock up his valuables.
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Ophelia is surprised to see Hector Laurent on her doorstep.
Ophelia: Hector? Merry Winterfest! What brings you here?
Hector: I was doing business in town and thought I'd stop by to chat.
Ophelia: Business on Winterfest?
Hector: Business doesn't take holidays off, my dear.
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Hector: Excited for the Pizzazz-Ojo wedding?
Ophelia: Of course! I'm thrilled to get to work with your team.
Hector: That's the attitude I like to see! I just wanted to tell you we're getting the venue ready on Sunday. Are you available to meet the band and check things out?
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Ophelia: Of course! I can't wait to get started.
Hector: Perfect. I knew I saw something special in you, kid. I'm glad other people are starting to see it too. It's late now, go get some rest. I've got to head back home to the kids and missus. Merry Winterfest, dear.
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Rest well, Ophelia and Marshmallow. May you have more exciting Winterfests in years to come.
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eddydreaming · 3 months
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Death's Game - Review
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Hey there! Today I want to talk about my first kdrama of the year… Death’s Game. It is divided into two parts, but I will discuss it as if it’s only one. In my opinion, it was ridiculous to divide it into two parts, if they wanted to release the first 4 episodes first and a couple of weeks later the rest, then fine, but no need to make it have two parts. Enough complaining, let's get into it.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Episodes: 8
Release dates: December 15 2023 and January 5 2024
Main Cast:
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Plot:
“He's perennially unemployed, his ex-girlfriend has moved on, and he's just lost all his life savings to a Bitcoin scam. Burdened by societal pressures, Choi Yi Jae decides to take his own life. Insulted by his flippant attitude towards dying, Death comes to punish him with her game: he must experience death over and over again through 13 other lives. But if he can find a way to survive the imminent death coming for these lives, he gets to live out their lifetime. His life was a bust, but what about the lives of others?”
(Source: mydramalist)
REVIEW - NO SPOILERS
The main reason I started watching this drama was the crazy cast it has. Like, how can it have so many famous actors? Again, it’s crazy. I mean, look at this:
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Then, I decided to watch the trailer to know what I was getting myself into, and I thought, once again, that it was crazy.
My first impression of the drama, without even having watched a single episode, was huge, so the second it came out there I was. I wasn’t prepared enough though. 
The first few episodes of the show were hilarious and entertaining. However, as the story progressed, it became more intense, and before I knew it, I had already finished the first 4 episodes. Okay, it’s alright, now I only have to wait a week to watch the other 4, right? Nope, I had to wait until the 5th of January, because someone decided to torture us watchers by making us wait all that time.
The second part of the drama was even better than the first, particularly the last episode. It was the most thought-provoking thing I've watched in a while.
This drama is not for everyone: its main theme is s**cide and d**th. Of course, it can be hard to watch for many people, but the meaning of life that it tries to convey is worth everything. 
REVIEW - SPOILERS
I recommend not to read this part if you haven’t watched the drama yet. I know some people like reading spoilers and that it makes them want to watch something more, but I am gonna give huge spoilers, including the end, that will for sure affect your experience. 
Now, can we talk a little bit more about a specific character? The ML’s mother. She made me suffer A LOT. Her thinking that her son had committed s**cide because of her hurt me greatly. Because of that, the last episode was… wow. I swear I cried for a whole 30 minutes. 
I truly liked how they got to merge all the stories into one, making all the lives Yi Jae had lived linked. It was thrilling, infuriating and sad, those would be the three words that describe it the best.
One of the most shocking parts was the painter assassin’s death, a death planned by Yi Jae himself. It was horrid, and remembering while writing about it right now gives me the chills. I thought it was unplanned, but he had intended to die in such a way just as a plan for his vengeance. That is outstanding from the ML, so anguished when at the beginning seemed like such a fragile and weak person. That part is when we see the most massive change in the ML, a fundamental character development. 
The ending couldn’t have been more perfect, I couldn’t have asked for more really. He decided to live his mother's life, who had planned to s**cide. That way, he survived Death's challenge, and so she gave him another opportunity, an opportunity to get back to his life. He achieved it.
Yi Jae wanted desperately to go back to his life because he could see that the people he had left behind cared for him deeply, and they deserved him to stay alive. The end is with the ML talking with his mother, who had called him right before he jumped from that roof.
¿DO I RECOMMEND WATCHING IT?
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Yes, yes and yes once more. It was shocking and I cried a lot, but it was all worth it. It’s been a while since I watched it, but I still recall the intense emotions it evoked.
The content may be too intense for some viewers. However, if you are hesitant and my review has not been enough to persuade you, go and watch the trailer or give the first episode a chance. If it doesn't capture your interest by the end of the first episode, then it may not be to your liking.
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yaytheboop · 2 years
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✨this one sparks joy✨
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l-a-l-o-u · 2 years
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super curious abt ur opinions on tlovm. would u be willing to talk abt it??
Two other people (@raycowboyroy and @sapphiczorua) asked me so I guess I'm doing this!! Ty for your interest in my opinion ♥
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So!! The Legend of Vox Machina. The tl;dr is that I'm a lil disappointed in the quality of it, but I'm still very very happy that it exists. I have a ton to say about it after watching the first 3 episodes, so I'll organize my thoughts into a list of positives and negatives. But first, some context for my silly little essay:
• This is my personal opinion, and from what I've seen so far, most people love the show. So, please don't decide to avoid it because of me. Check it out and decide for yourself!
• I'm an animation professional so I have a trained eye for animation... and I'm really nitpicky about it! I'll complain about stuff that the average watcher wouldn't even notice
• Critical Role has been a main interest of mine for the past 3 years. I know the story of Vox Machina by heart and actually wrote a big chunk of the main characters' articles on the wiki. That means it's really easy for me to compare the two stories, and also that I already know what's going to happen most of the time
• I had really high expectations before we saw the final art, and that influences the way I feel about the show
Okay with that out of the way, let's start with the list of things I liked in the first three episodes!
• I like the story changes that were made so far. I'm glad we got to see Brimscythe - now we get to see the entire Chroma Conclave story! The way the reorganized some plot elements to shorten the storyline without taking away the main elements has been very well executed so far. And that must've been pretty challenging, what with hundreds of hours of content to distill into a few episodes.
• The voice acting is overall great! My favorites so far are Pike, Scanlan and Keyleth; their line deliveries make them very easy to get attached to. Percy is also very nice, although I wanna wait until I see how he'll be in the Briarwoods arc.
• I enjoyed the group interactions a lot! Every time two main characters talk to each other I can feel their connection and their history. The scenes in Greyskull Keep were especially nice and reminded me why I love this group! Scanlan and Grog's dynamic is especially entertaining.
• The Briarwoods....... hhhnnng
• I really like the backgrounds. There's a lot of great establishing shots where you can appreciate the environment designs, and the artstyle is really solid and pleasant to look at.
• Great use of color to set the tone in every shot. Not every animated series does that! It helps a LOT to carry the story and adds an extra layer of immersion. Plus, it adds a layer of mush needed polish on the animation.
• The storyboarding / photo direction is nice so far. Apart from a couple of awkward shots, I like how they frame everything, it flows well. As they say, good cinematography is when you don't notice it. I especially enjoyed the opening scene of episode 3 with Percy's memories.
• This is probably my favorite Scanlan design yet! I like it even better than his campaign art and comic book design. It's perfect for him. Keyleth is also really well executed overall
• I love that they made Gilmore fat and gave him eyeshadow. King shit
• I just love the fact that this series exist honestly! I love that a group of people managed to turn their silly little friend activity into an entire production. The CR cast looks over the moon about it, and I'm very happy for them.
And now for the depressing part! Here are the things I was disappointed by.
• I saw this coming a mile away with how much the cast insisted this was "adult animation" in interviews, but it really started off kinda crass. A lot of scenes, especially at the start of episode 1, feel like they exaggerated the gore, language, and gross moments just for shock value, and I just thought it was unpleasant to watch. They show vomit and peeing and gory deaths on screen and it's all front and center - I feel like there's a better way to make an audience feel the weight of the action without actually shoving it in our face, ya know? But I guess it was funny in a few places.
• Although the story is well planned out, I think they fell a bit short on the pacing. Many scenes feel very rushed, with too much happening and not enough time to really appreciate it. There are things that should have lasted longer so we can actually feel their emotional weight. For example, the scene with the fisherman's family was nice, but it didn't feel like we were supposed to care about them at all. So when Vox Machina uses their death to motivate their new goals and morals, it fell flat to me and wasn't super believable.
• I wish they would tell us more about how the group came to be. I already love Vox Machina, but I feel like a new viewer would have a hard time getting attached to them. When Keyleth asked “why are we even together?” and nobody answered her, I was like yikes. She’s right who the fuck are you!
• So far the tone of the show doesn't feel super solid. Is it supposed to be funny? It doesn't feel like a comedy, apart from a few jokes here and there. Is it a serious high fantasy adventure? I think that's what they're going for, but so far it lacks a bit in charm and lore. I'm confident this will pick up later in the season though.
• I've said this before, but I really don't like the art style they picked for the characters. It's really a personal preference, but I also think it does a disservice to the animation as a whole. The designs are a bit too realistic and complicated for a television production. They have a lot of elements and little things poking out, making them harder to move in three dimensions.
• I said earlier that I like the use of color, but most character designs are the exception. A lot of them I find weirdly desaturated, which doesn't help to integrate them in the bright environments. Some characters, especially Vax and Pike, have a weird greyish tone to their skin that constantly takes me out of scenes as I stare at them in confusion.
• There are several elements in the main characters' designs that I dislike - again a lot of it is personal preference.
• Vax is my least favorite. The furs on his shoulders make him like he's wearing a football uniform, and he looses all of his twink charm. The top of his hair looks weirdly flat in many shots, and the lines under his eyes are so pronounced that it makes his look a lot older than he is whenever he's not smiling. He doesn't really feel like Vax to me!
• I also dislike Vex's design: she has three belts for some reason, and her tunic is such a bright blue that it looks off next to every other desaturated character element. She also feels too old and not quite like herself, especially without her braid in the front.
• Some very minor things: I don't really like that Grog is blue now, and I CANNOT take Percy seriously with that hair.... And they made Keyleth short?!? at least its not extremely obvious
• Like I mentioned earlier, there were a couple of awkward zoomed-in shots here and there. You could feel like they were trying to be cinematic, but they stand out too much or they're not amazingly executed, taking you out of the moment.
• I thought Scanlan's songs were overall not great. I liked the one he sang to open a door tho!
• The 3D animation was awkwardly integrated with the 2D. The horses were especially jarring. But at least the dragon animation was well made, it just didn't fit super well.
• And lastly! I feel a bit let down by the animation quality. It's really good for the budget they had! I just wish they had more budget lol
That last bit is its own section because there's a few things to unpack.
I wanna preface this by saying that I absolutely don't think the animators did a bad job. The poses are nicely drawn, the layouts work, it's not hard to understand the action, etc. They obviously know what they're doing. Traditional animation always has a less polished look in a television production, because you have to animate more scenes in less time. That means less time for polish and touch-ups. Like I said before, the character designs are also difficult to animate. And I believe that the CR cast, ie. the producers, specifically asked for an animation style similar to anime (because they're attached to it, having done a lot of anime voice work) and also similar to 80s cartoons (for nostalgia again). And, well, anime and 80s cartoons are notoriously cheaply made, with very little budgets and a lot of cut corners. All of that helps to explain why it looks the way it looks. And I absolutely don't think it's bad animation - it's good, it does it's job, and I think most casual watchers will probably not be bothered by it. I'm a silly fool who just wishes to see my favorite thing have movie quality animation! Plus, the CR cast seems to love the final animation, which, awesome for them! It's their characters after all.
Let me explain what I mean. If you compare the animation in the show and the animation in the opening, I think even the untrained eye will notice a significant difference in animation quality. You could even compare it to The Legend of Korra, a show with a very similar art style. The opening of tLoVM was done by a different studio (Grackle), and they likely had a lot more time to polish every shot. Everything seems to move more fluidly, the actions have more punch, and everything is constantly in motion. So what's the difference? The answer is that the opening's animation follows the 12 principles of animation! You can learn more about the 12 principles here if you're interested.
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In a production, the first step of animation is to draw key poses: the start of the movement, the end, and a few important poses in between them. When a production doesn't have a lot of time, they go from pose A to pose B to pose C by drawing the inbetweens at an equal distance from each other, going from pose to pose in a straight line. There's a LOT of that in anime. The movement works, you understand it, but it's kinda.... bland. It's stiff and robotic and a little boring. No action has more weight than the one before or after it, they're all equal. I barely noticed any anticipations, follow-throughs, ease-ins, ease-outs... not a lot of arcs either. They used a lot of still poses where only one body part like an arm, a mouth, or the eyes move on their own layer. Facial animations are limited, with characters often starting and ending a shot with the same facial expression. I don't think I noticed any deformation - nothing moves in an elastic way, nothing bounces or stretches or squashes. They did do smears here and there but that's pretty much it. And I want to reiterate that it looks fine and it works! They had less time to make it and less frames to work with.
All of that affects the acting. I don't mean the voice acting, I mean the body language, the expressions, you know!! Acting!! There's acting in the key poses, but so much of acting comes from HOW you move. And when you're trying to cut corners, oftentimes your animation won't do the voice acting justice. One scene that comes to mind is at the start of episode 1, after they've been thrown out of the tavern, and Scanlan turns to ask for his clothes: something covers his mouth, and even though Sam is delivering his line in a really peppy way, barely anything moves. That line deserved so much better!!!
There’s exceptions of course! Some shots, especially the action ones, are a lot more put together. I think overall, I’d give the animation quality a 7/10. Because the layouts and key poses are really good, and they cut corners in a clever way, so it works really well. I do think Titmouse deserves praise for their work! They did really well!! The animation quality is most likely due to budget limitations, and if less episodes had been made, it would've likely been higher. But they made the choice to write more of the story, and I think that in this case with how much material they’re adapting, that's not a bad decision. I wish The Legend of Vox Machina had a big production budget, but it didn't. And that's just life!
As a last thought, I just wanna say - this could've been a lot nicer if they had more cartoony designs. Do you guys remember the picture they used in the Kickstarter days? Sometimes I look at it and think about what could have been... They could’ve done cutout animation, even. That could’ve turned out nice. But oh well! The showrunners are happy, and for such a personal project that's what matters isn't it?
If you read all this hello!!! I hope you had fun reading this & don’t forget to love each other ♥
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Nightmare Time Season 2 - What do the Cryptic Clues mean?
Just over a week ago, things were vaguely normal. Work was busy, I was tired, and this blog posted either a normal or ridiculous theory every now and then while I waited for life to settle down a bit again.
Then a blue N appeared.
And well, you have all witnessed the carnage that followed.
So we have spent a week piecing together the clues, blaming the bees, having meltdowns over green As, and working out timezone differences. Now we have a complete jigsaw puzzle giving us a whole bunch of clues. Layers upon layers of clues.
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So my thoughts are below. They're very loose and speculative at the moment, but that's the fun of it! Last time I did a theory like this was before Nightmare Time Season 1 and I was pretty bad at it - so you know... I can only go up!
The Clues:
1 - Blue
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Pictures: Bee and honeycomb; old barn or pot farm; boat on a lake; birds; honey
Phrases: Honey Queen; Perky’s Buds
This is the row that I think is giving us two different storylines, “Honey Queen” and “Perky’s Buds”.
Honey Queen - as a few people have mentioned is likely a reference to the Hatchetfield Honey Festival. Now when I hear the phrase Honey Queen, I imagine something similar to a May Queen, who is a girl picked to front a May Day parade. But this is Nightmare Time, so I also immediately thought of something similar to Carrie happening - though maybe with bees, or honey? I also think the boat relates here, and will link us to the Monroes somehow.
Perky’s Buds - I think this has a double meaning. Obviously it’s likely a reference to Emma’s pot farm, and is a FANTASTIC name for such. But I also think its going to mean Emma is going to meet some - not very pleasant characters. Now remember, Blinky is always watching, and has feathered sniggles. I think the birds in the image are Blinky watching what Emma is up to - they become her “buds” - though she isn’t happy about it.
2 - Green
Pictures: Woodcutting axe; canoe on a lake; cabins in woods; roasting marshmallows on a campfire; leather work
Phrases: Abstinence Camp
Oh, Abstinence Camp - this is the one most people seem most excited for as I’m sure we’re all seeing that possible connection to our longed for Nerdy Prudes. Abstinence Camp makes me think of typical teen slasher movies of the mostly 90s, but 70s and 80s also. Plus the axe is likely a reference to the one character I have been waiting for for SO long - Lumber-Axe the Mad Woodsman. Is he the killer in the woods killing off the horny young adults? There is also the leather work image, which I reverse searched to try and get a better image of it and found the original image, but it didn’t tell me much more than “leather work”.
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However it is also important to note the canoe on the lake, considering Deb’s family own a lakehouse, which is where the infamous party during Watcher World takes place.
3 - Purple
Pictures: Musician on a stage; sewer or portal; jukebox; wedding rings; diner
Phrases: Killer Track Daddy
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Yes, hello, please be about Miss Holloway. I don’t have much to say on the name, Killer Track Daddy, except I think again we’re getting a double meaning. Killer as in death, sure, but also Killer in the same way Bill S Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan might say it. Which is why I am getting the 80s vibes from this and immediately going to Miss Holloway.
There is the theory that Miss Holloway was a star in the 80s (Tiffany) and has time travelled to now. Maybe the sewer is related to that time travel. The wedding rings are interesting, and @donteatthefishtacos mentioned the idea that Miss H and Wilbur Cross clearly have a long history - make of that what you will.
4 - Red
Pictures: A scantron exam sheet; lockers; a roller disco; fire; an arcade machine
Phrases: Yellow Jacket
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This is the one that makes me scratch my head the most. We're obviously in a high school, though do teens still roller disco? Teens, please let me know. So maybe this could also be set in a different time period. I mentioned that when I read Yellow Jacket my mind immediately went to a varsity jacket, because I am british and my only knowledge of american high schools is Saved by the Bell and Mean Girls. I'm assuming its an accurate representation.
Now I know by the video Matt posted we've seen Hatcherfield's school colours, but I still think there's gonna be something in the varsity jacket idea. Plus, yellow - tinky - time travel. Which would explain the roller rink.
The fire makes me think something might have burnt down, like the roller rink. And maybe something was built on top of it? Like the Starlight. The arcade machine however? Maybe we'll see Pizza Petes in more than one story, but one of the stories will just be a background storyline, like in Black Friday - and then we learn about the real horrors of Pizza Petes in another story.
5 - Magic Letters
Nibbly Must Eat
Its very possible this is its own story, in which case - NIBBLY!!!!
With the image Dylan posted of Nick with a pretzel surrounded by game machines, I am indeed getting FNAF vibes, and god love us if Nibbly is haunting a pizza place.
I also saw this post by @themystifier about how Pizza Pete might be similar to Uncle Wiley, but like. What if he is Uncle Wiley. What if this is another Wilbur part? We see him as Uncle Wiley, we see him as the Wiggly delivery man, we hear him as the announcer at Watcher World. So what if this is another role?
6 - The Vertices
The Monarch is Now Vexed
I fully anticipate a new Being who is the parent of the LiB and Webby. They're Lords, but this is a Monarch.
I've also decided the Monarch is Nick, as his only part in the Nightmare Time intro is during “Daddy's Gonna Get Ya.”
Some other interesting theories (not anywhere near all the ones I wanted to include - anything I have reblogged I have loved, but these are just some notable ones I found)
Odd One Out @sidekickajustim
Gemini Home Entertainment Vibes @vaguely-functional-directions and @ifduckislordthenheavenisapond
Honey Queen Melissa @infected-hive
Post By Post Breakdown @awigglycultist
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stardomthenightwing · 2 years
Text
For anyone wondering why I was off the internet a lot lately, let me explain. @istanstardom gave me advice, and rather than being stubborn like usual and not taking it, I actually took it (Probably because it wasn't parental advice). I actually took time for myself, even though I wanted to be on the internet, and have realized the beauty of the world around me! Ok, just kidding, no, I didn't go outside, I started watching a new show; like what do you take me for, a jock? I'm a total nerd, I haven't seen the sun in years...
Anyways, so I've been watching those cartoon critics lately, and they all say the same thing, "STEVEN UNIVERSE IS GaRbAgE". And usually, the following line pops up, "MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC IS A MUCH BETTER SHOW".
I've been an avid cartoon watcher since I was born, so on my journey of self-discovery, I mean break, I decided to see if MLP was better than SU. Yes, I am a boy, but that doesn't affect my "professional" opinion of this show. Yes, I am also a huge action fan, but that doesn't affect my opinion of this show's genre.
For all my fellow boy followers and SU fans, I watched MLP so you don't have to, and here are my thoughts:
I've only seen four seasons, so I'll only be covering four seasons.
1. The characters are really well-done, and their development is realistic:
- Despite being a kid's show, this show doesn't really seem like it's for kids sometimes. MLP tackles lessons about friendship that I don't think many of us as kids are yet to resolve in our adult lives. In the episode, "Lesson Zero", a problem that I still struggle with is expressed and resolved. It's an episode about overworking yourself and stressing over not getting the perfect grade; a little side lesson about listening to your friend's problems, even if they're strange, is included as well. I still struggle with this overworking yourself problem, and it made me smile to watch Twilight Sparkle understand that she doesn't always have to be perfect with her work. This show does a good job of making sure you clear up all your common flaws before adulthood.
- The Mane Six are given an equal share of character development episodes and are very relatable. I can see a bit of myself in every single one of these characters. I'm a nerd like Twilight Sparkle. I'm a perfectionist like Rarity. I'm an introvert like Fluttershy. I'm an optimist like Rainbow Dash, who likes to read about adventures. I'm surprisingly physically talented like Applejack. And then there's Pinky Pie; I was exactly like her when I was a little kid, but now, not so much.
- One problem with having a lot of filler episodes about character development is that when it’s overdone, it’s not very entertaining. The show introduces that there is a storyline in the first episode, and then, that storyline is ignored for an entire season until we see Princess Luna get a redemption arc in "Luna Eclipsed". Because this is a kid's show that wasn't aiming high at the story element at first with its first season, I can see why the story was structured this way. It is a little weird how Discord showed up out of nowhere in the second season. I've noticed that the only real problems with character development in this show lies with the villains. They kind of just show up, are given a backstory and then are defeated in a two-part episode. There were no mentions of changelings up until the season 2 final, and King Sombra just existed in season 3's first two-part episode. You can defend King Sombra with the argument that little was known about the Crystal Empire, but seriously, that whole kingdom just showed up in season 3's first two-part episode with no warning. Maybe a little mention in the season 2 final from Cadance that she's the princess of the fallen Crystal Empire; that was much needed. We're getting off topic here, but I think this show needs to hint at its story in episodes prior to the season final; that's about it for complaints.
- I really recommend that you watch this show if you can handle a lot of filler episodes. The experience of the story episodes feel more rewarding when you watch them because the filler episodes tie in with the storyline pretty well.
2. This show has really good continuation:
- All I have to say for this section is that things in previous episodes are not forgotten often. This show has incredible continuation, some of it even ties into development. Fluttershy is taught the simple phrase "hop, skip and jump" in the episode "Dragonfly", and this phrase is then repeated in the episode "Feeling Pinkie Keen" to demonstrate how far Fluttershy has come with her anxiety; she's literally the first to hop the rocks, like aren't you proud of her watching that? Honestly, when I watched that scene, it blew my mind! For a kid's show, the writers do pay attention to detail alright!
3. The animation:
- Personally, this show has helped me understand a lot about four-legged anatomy, which is something I'm struggling to draw.
- I like how the characters aren't all outlined in black, they're each given a unique color.
4. The characters:
- Let’s talk about the Mane Six first. My personal favorite is either Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash. I can relate to both a lot, but that’s not the point. As I mentioned earlier, each of these characters are given a balanced amount of development episodes throughout the show.
. Twilight Sparkle starts out as a pony with no friends who isn’t looking for any either and learns the magic of friendship throughout the show. They did her introverted smartness very well and handled her stress and overworking qualities beautifully.
. Rainbow Dash is such a girlboss; she’s the perfect kind of character for a show like this. She’s funny, optimistic and has realistic aspirations. I love characters with big dreams and determination to reach them.
. Fluttershy is probably like the most well-developed character in the show. She starts off not even being able to speak to Twilight (Wow, just like me in real life) and goes all the way to learning to be assertive and just. There’s so much I can say about this character, I could probably even make a whole post talking about her development, but we don’t have time for that.
. Rarity is definitely the inspiration for Pearl in Steven Universe. They are both perfectionist hard workers who make weird noises when in distress. I don’t care what you say, Rebecca has definitely seen MLP. Anyways, Rarity presents herself as a total Karen at first who doesn’t like children. Like, you see how she treats her sister right? But then she learns how to be a good sibling through the power of learning that you have to do things for people sometimes that you don’t want to do. Honestly, great character to add in this show. Rarity helps us older siblings understand how to treat our younger siblings.
. Applejack is another one of those hardworking characters. Her character arc mostly consisted of unhealthy stubbornness in refusal to ask for help, getting over failure, and that’s about it. Applejack didn’t really seem like a character who needed much development, but I feel like her episodes do express some interesting themes.
. Pinky Pie is a party animal who doesn’t really seem like a character in need of development on the surface, but deep below, she actually has a great development arc. It’s very interesting how the writers of the show properly addressed Pinky Pie’s reactions to her responsibilities. Pinky Pie learns how to handle freaking children, that’s a crazy lesson for a character to learn in a kid’s show. She learns betrayal and abandonment and accepts the fact that not everyone needs to like her. For a generally silly character, she shows amazing growth. Almost makes me wonder if she was Spinel inspiration for Rebecca. I mean, Pinky Pie does have a dark side…
- The side characters in the show are done pretty interestingly from minor villains like Trixie to a zebra that speaks in AB rhyme scheme. To be honest, as strange as the world of MLP is, I love it! It has that Earthbound vibe! I only really have a problem with The Cutie Mark Crusaders. For some reason, I just find them annoying at times.
- The villains in this show are kind of, eh. We barely ever see villains appear in filler episodes, and the villains we have in the show don't get enough screen time. I mean, Discord was due for a redemption arc way earlier than when he got it; a season and a half with no mentions or appearances, like seriously, that's long enough for the audience to forget his existence. I kind of also wish we got a Princess Luna song. That moment in "Luna Eclipsed" where Luna goes away from town, thinking that the ponies will never accept her, could have made the perfect moment for a "Drift Away" type song. Oh yeah, King Sombra was also just shoved into season 3 to depict slavery in the show; that villain was just, why?
5. The nostalgia:
- The thing that draws me to this show so much is how nostalgic it makes me feel. I took a break from the internet to go back in time and reflect on how I've changed; I haven't always been an internet guy. This show hits hard because it has that Steven Universe season 1 humor; I felt like I was watching a show again as an adult because I understood all the jokes and references, even though I never watched this show as a kid. MLP is a great show to watch with the family because its content aims for all ages to my surprise.
6. Final Thoughts:
This is a really good show. I kind of wish I watched it when I was just a little bit younger. I've only seen half the show, so I'm not sure if it gets any better (It probably does). It's a great show for anyone to watch, but it lacks things like action and can be a bit girly. The songs in the show are nowhere near as good as Steven Universe though.
Overall, I can't say the show isn't better than Steven Universe because I haven't seen all of it, but so far, Steven Universe is better. SU has some things that MLP doesn't have, and MLP has some things that SU doesn't have. In the end, it comes down to personal preference. And man do I enjoy those SU fight scenes and fusion moments!
Also, I've never said bro so much in my life while watching something. Some of the things that happen in MLP are just... what? And then I'm like, "bro, why did that just happen?"
I'm writing a 1,000-word argument on why MLP is a good show to make myself not look crazy to my followers, what has my life come to? I feel way too passionate about things that really don't matter.
Feel free to reblog this analysis on this show to defend your liking of it!
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fakeloveaskblog · 2 years
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Hey, 'tis The Local Demon speaking again! This is the greetings message I mentioned, and I've also taken the liberty to compile some stuff for all our convenience while I was at it?
(If I forgot anyone or you need me to update/change anything, just say so, any of you! Then I can resend it without my diatribes and with the appropriate info! …Now to stop speaking in ‘!’s {exclamation signs} because they prbbly make me sound too loud even through a written medium and let's get into it.)
Usual Blog Watchers / VoidDemonGhosts? Preferred Addresses And Pronouns
• Blog Owner / Lukas (?)
He/him (also okay with they/them)
[Already sent the other ask, but I still wanna say that I hope you're okay and your writing is great! I was very happy to read your response too, so I guess that makes two of us. Also I would so enjoy a hug from a big teddy bear, you have no idea, thanks a lot for the sentiment. And I loved your mental description for me a while back as that void in the corner from whence all darkness comes (and the occasional plushie gets thrown out off), it got a chuckle outta me. Anyway I have no idea how to write send offs so maybe remember to drink some water? Missed writing asks for you!]
• The Local Demon
They/Them (MAYBE he/him?)
[This being me! And oh boy do I agree with your original answer to the pronouns ask, blog owner — it is a very confusing time indeed for me as well. Gender is weird, among other things. I shall needlessly apologize again for the long absence, everything is ugh, but I have successfully caught up now! And it only took me a day, so that's something! Expect that third ask (or more) in a bit, if you do decide to use it (or any of them, in case I do write more today or divide what I have into pieces). Since I'm thinking it may cause something drastic to happen in the story if you do, and this ultimately is your story, so feel free to take what you want from my contributions to it as always]
• ~Ghost
She/Xe/He
[I love how you just stated that! My, do I admire your confidence, I could never! /gen …I also want you to know that I singsong your nickname every time you sign it. I interpreted ‘~’ as that the first time I saw it and now I cannot stop. I physically cannot unsee it. This is not a problem at all btw, I am having fun doing that. You have my respects and it was lotsa fun to read your asks!]
• Hi, Me Again / Lawnmower Ghost / Glow Eyes
She/her
['ey fellow aro aye!!!! I know we didn't really have the time to figuratively cross paths, but I wanna say your facts were entertaining to read and I admire your valiant attempts to fix this asshole of a Virgil. I was glad to see it and commend you for trying — your ask was very well written! — yet I too have tried before, and sadly it panned out as well in the story as you might've guessed. Considering how worse things got in-universe on that front, you actually had far better results in hindsight, so kudos to you! …To be fair to me though, I did punch him I think, so that might've harmed my chances a little. (…I am also glad you mostly kept Remus company while I was gone, so to speak. Was kinda afraid everybody would sent asks focusing elsewhere, and so I wouldn't find much on him when I got back. Which is kinda silly, now I think about it.)]
• Snail / 🐌🕸
(Agender) Any/all pronouns, including neos
[Which is very cool of you btw! You are just generally very gool. That is a weird portmanteau combination of the words ‘good’ and ‘cool’ that kind of appropriately sounds like ‘goo’, now that I've reread it. Don't ask me where it came from. I am currently up far past midnight at the original moment of writing this, and some cables got crossed in my brain when I tried to write one or the other, so I just wrote it that way the first time. Aaand… I'm not gonna go fix it now that I've noticed, cuz it's there now and who am I to argue with my own brain — I mean, no more than usual at least. Point being, since I guess the word exists now, I suppose you are very gool indeed. /lh]
And that should be all I think. Bit of a long ask, but hopefully the formatting will help on that front…? Now @/everyone come be appreciated by an absentee demon! /hj
thanks for compiling all thsi stuff C: my name is indeed still Lukas. I got my big teddy bear to hug the laptop screen so hopefully some of that hug energy transfers over to you 🐻 aw you missed writing asks for lil ol me 🥺 i missed reading your asks C:
it only took you A DAY to catch up!??? That is Wild! You must read so fast holy shit. Well after reading that I'm pretty excited to see that story altering ask. Just so you know it hasn't arrived yet in the inbox. I think we're quite close in time zones? so I kinda hope you choose to catch some extra sleep instead of staying up finishing it. But in case tumblr has eaten the ask I hope you saved it somewhere. I already have 2 asks saved up that I can use to progress the story but I don't got much time to write rn (i uhhh i forgot to write a history essay whoops) so I can wait and read your ask before really digging into those 2 asks
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