#the action scenes in this series give me such 70s vibes
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#kinnporsche#kinnporsche the series#apo nattawin#bible wichapas#kpedit#kinnporscheeedit#thai bl#thai drama#bl drama#my edits.#ok but that was the best thing ever#vegas being unnecessarily dramatic during a gunfight#and i'm all here for it#gotta lave a good gunfight choreo#the action scenes in this series give me such 70s vibes#chefkiss tbh
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Hey so since you posted a mission: impossible thing I'm just gonna ask you:
Which do you prefer out of Mission: Impossible 2 and Mission: Impossible 3?
Hihi!!!
Please feel free to ask me ANY Mission: Impossible questions you want!!! I'm not only a huge fan of the film franchise - THE best action film franchise of all time (I said what I said) - but I also love the TV series for the over the top crazy late 60s/early 70s vibes and total mindfucks. :D
Okay, so, having said that - I'm going to give an honest answer - but I need to lay a few caveats:
1) I LOVE LOVE LOVE John Woo - I think he's a brilliant director and I'm a huge fan of both his Hong Kong films and his Hollywood films. I fully believe he and Ridley Scott are the 2 greatest living directors.
2) I cannot STAND JJ Abrams. And not just for what he did to Star Wars. He did his damnedest to ruin Star TREK first - a franchise he knew nothing about (and man, you could tell) - all to GET the Star Wars gig, and then fucked that up too. And we won't even get into all of the ways he should never be allowed to direct action or write women (yes, I know about Alias - again, I said what I said) or try to work on anything other than weird indies.
That being said - much as it pains me to admit it - MI3 is objectively a better film. I love MI2 because it shows how broken Ethan was after MI1 and losing his entire team and getting betrayed by his old mentor (not to mention, the IMF) and how hard all of those blows made him, until he met Nyah and she cracked that hard shell open and gave him back his purpose. The end of MI2 also perfectly sets up MI3 in that loving Nyah allowed Ethan to be open to Julia.
But MI3 has the superior villain (PSH might be the best MI villain if I'm honest) and introduces Benji and is the first to show us the behind the scenes machinations of the IMF and is the first film to really show us just how deep and true Ethan and Luther's friendship has become and it's also the first film that gives us the full scope of Ethan's skill set - his ability to quickly read people, the languages, the improvisation, the ingenuity, all of his weapons skills, the way he can pivot and make a new plan on the fly, his ability to train people, and his absolute inability to believe a job cannot be done.
And, most importantly, MI3 gave us Julia. I mean, look, I love Ilsa with my entire heart and soul, but Julia is still my favorite character after Ethan, because her arc is just brilliant in the way she goes from clueless civilian to survivor to protector. And she's the only person who knows Ethan at his core, all parts of him.
So yeah, as much as I hate JJ, I have to give him props for MI3.
#brenda answers things#mission: impossible#ethan hunt#julia meade#john woo#jj abrams#brenda has many opinions
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The 70s Wrap Up #16: Cutie Q (Arcade)
Namco banger alert!!! They barely arrived on the scene and they already made some classics. However, this one is different. Almost nobody fuckin' played it.
See, this is actually part of a retroactive trilogy- starting with Gee Bee, followed up by Bomb Bee and now Cutie Q. The name was based on an old song, Susie Q, which Toru Iwatani really liked a cover of. Ah. The times where games could mess with titles like that.
The game was only offered in Japan as a conversion package for the predecessors, which makes sense, we're in Galaxian territory now. Still, it sucks that not many got to see it in action, heck, nobody outside of Japan knew what the hell this was untill Namco Museum Remix came out. The ONE way to play it now, and the whole reason I got it- untill I realised it also has the rarely rereleased Gaplus *and* controls really well.
Leads me into my next point. You know me and Breakout have a rocky history. Usually due to having to use stinky Switch controls that obviously don't feel the same as holding a paddler in your hands. Oh my god though. Oh my god. Oh my f*ck. This Breakout-like is actually good?
And I don't mean just good, I mean reeeeally good. That's cuz this is *also* a pinball game. There's this weird period in time where developers couldn't really figure out how to emulate the flippers of one, so they plopped the brick breaking type deal into it instead. And they succeeded hard here. Slightly annoyed that I can't play Gee Bee or Bomb Bee to see how it developed to this point.
What helps is that Toru Iwatani is a living (and surprisingly young) legend and his next game would be a certain game involving a yellow circle who likes to eat. You will pick up straight away that the characters on the board look like prototypes for what was to come the next year. This was his style.
The game has a big addiction factor as there's a variety of things that can happen when you hit specific criteria, which includes getting extra points for making the 5 frowns in the middle all be smiley again via smart play, as well as a yellow gromlin called a Walkman showing up after clearing out all bricks that you can bop for much the same effect.
The controls, while not PERFECT on the Wii Classic Controller, are the most I felt in control playing a game of this genre thus far. I'm thankful for that, it meant I could keep getting compelled to try again and not get too frustrated.
Bodes really well for the future, this one. This was either THE most fun i've had playing a game for this series thus far, or a very, very strong number 2 behind a game it wouldn't stand a chance against anyway. It was a brief time with Cutie Q, yet an excellent reminder that obscure titles can be pleasant all the same.
Why couldn't this be the final game of the 70s? Darn Lunar Rescue throwing a wrench into the 'final hurrah' idea.
The Verdict
Graphics (8): Since this was based on the Gee Bee cabinet, there's not a ton of color and every sprite is a single color. I actually find this very comparable to a game on the ColecoVision or SG-1000, the visual style gives me the same exact vibe. However! The presentation is quirky and fun. The Minimon (ghosts) and the Walkman are neat characters. The colors are still very vibrant and it is not an overlay. I can't complain at all- okay Galaxian still looks better, but is that even a serious battle?
Sound (8): Ooh I do enjoy me a weird sound engine. The bleeps are somewhat high pitched without being shrill as well as there being this silly dumb 'tring' if you hit a brick. The remainder of the noises are hard to describe, though they remind me of Pinball on the NES. That means it must be good!
Gameplay (9): Namco did it. They made Breakout into something that is above 'playable' without a paddle controller. A well rounded board that has a good set of events depending on how you play. I was constantly interested to see what would happen if I did specific things. Better yet, I hardly got frustrated and there was no moment where I thought improvement was impossible. I had fun!
Longevity (8): Second verse, same as the first. Since this is simply a single pinball board, at some point, you're out of surprises. For me, that took about 3 hours of playing. Being addicted to it and trying to go above and beyond with your high score is very much possible anyway. I know it is cuz you're looking at the guy who would willingly play it again right here.
In Conclusion
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Spider-Man Read-Through 032: Gifts (ASM 163-164)
MASTERPOST
In this batch, we celebrate a birthday and we actually analyze stuff!
Oh, there's the Kingpin too, I guess.
At the start of the issue, Spidey has an action scene with goons and the Kingpin, but he can't follow them very far. The scene was rather bland, so let's just skip to the Parker stuff.
The previous batch did allude to a surprise party!
First of all, is it me or do the characters change clothes more often? I feel like that's new. I love Peter's purple pants, they're great.
Yup, it reminds me of The New Animated Series! What a show that was. Not perfect, but audacious at least (and visually great).
Anyway, I love how everybody wishes him a happy birthday. That's neat! Peter has just had a really difficult year or two. Gwen's death, Harry's addiction, Gwen's clone... I'm happy that he gets to be happy for a bit.
OKAY. THIS IS MY CALLING. MY OPPORTUNITY. LET'S ANALYZE ALL OF THIS.
Let's check the number of people present that gave something:
the rose curtains
the green armchair
the native american statue
the doggie plushie
the patchwork couch
the pink lamp
the wooden table
the poster on the wall
the espada decoration
the pink rug
Those items are the most remarkable. Now the people!
MJ
Flash
The wonderful landlady
Robertson
Liz
Harry
Randy
Gloria
So about 8 in each category. I think that's good enough.
I have some explaining to do.
First off, I think Robertson probably brought the majority of the more mundane furniture. He's older than the rest of them, would have asked Randy's help to transport everything, it makes complete sense to me. I also attributed him the green armchair, but I hesitated. However, I thought that, given how nice it looks, any of Peter's similar age friends would have a hard time giving it off. However, its green color is more of an MJ thing to me...
Talking about MJ... The statue. I think she'd find it pretty funny. Now, how would she have it? I have no idea, but I have a feeling she'd be very happy with herself hahaha. I also attributed the patchwork couch to her for the vibes, although I also thought it could be attributed to Gloria.
Gloria is an issue for me, because we didn't get so much time to get acquainted with her, so it was hard to think of something, but I think she could also have brought some furniture, or some of the most useful stuff like the fruit basket, the radio, the fish.
Flash! Let's talk about Flash. His things were easy: both the circular wooden table and the espada decoration ooze frat bro energy. The fish decoration might have been from Harry or Robbie too, but...
Harry provided the big dog, I think. He could technically have given anything to Peter. He's rich. But I think the dog is a sentimental thing. And it's huge. Do you picture the other characters having a huge dog like this? I personally don't. Or maybe Randy. But Harry? Giving his giant dog plushie to his best friend?
I'm gonna cry.
The rose curtains are tacky, but also charming. I thought it might have been from MJ or Gloria, but the landlady seemed the most indicated to me. In the same way, the old-looking (although I don't know much about lights from the 70s...) pink lamp is probably from the landlady.
Liz probably provided the pink rug, and maybe some furniture. I don't know. We didn't see much development since her return.
Finally, Randy. I feel like he and Robbie acted as one, but the poster feels the most Randy-ish. Randy's shown to be pretty politically active in his student circle, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had posters to put up everywhere. After a bit of research, the text probably says "Every day, in every way, I am getting better, better, and better", a sentence attributed to Emile Coué (French rep, yay!). Which kind of throws my theory in shambles...
Or does it? I can see Robbie giving it to his son, and his son getting tired of it/learning its lesson, and deciding it would look nice on Peter's wall.
Oh well, that does it for the analysis! Now, did I hit the nail on the head?
Toasters is definitely something Gloria would bring, like I said. The fish... make sense, alright.
Our lovebirds interrupt me checking my answers.
And Flash's eager to ruin everything, hahaha.
Does the panel imply Peter and Flash briefly held hands for a second? I'm here for it!
Peter is not, however. He questions his sexu--I mean, his relationships with the opposite sex. He's so close to getting it!
The two people interrupting him are Liz and Harry, having the time of their life. Good for them!
Later, Spidey encounters the Kingpin again, and...
SUDDENLY BONDAGE!
The next issue begins with a clarification.
Girl. What.
Turns out a lot of stuff happened in Captain America #148. I didn't expect that storyline to continue in another magazine. Marvel!!!!
Thankfully for me, Vanessa arrives to slay.
Unfortunately, the Kingpin doesn't care about Vanessa thinks and she says that she's basically done here. So long!
Yes, you suck, Kingpin!
However, he doesn't suck entirely. He says that Spidey can go, since he doesn't need him anymore. Spidey's not very nice and still tries to fight. He has only six hours to live, and decides to go back to his apartment.
For all of you, whump lovers!
Peter decides to go to Curt Connors. They do experiment, foreshadow that The Lizard's gonna come back soon, then Spidey goes to find Richard and revert their life energy.
They two villains fight, fall in the Hudson river, Spidey emerges, and Vanessa stops the men from shooting at him.
I guess Spidey's lucky, huh! Because it sure looked like he was going to kill Richard to save himself!
Nobody asked for this! Nobody!!!!!!!
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I absolutely adore your comics!!! Everything from the art and composition to the gut wrenching twists and dialogue. It just seems like you can depict mood shifts so well!! I don't know how to explain it but reading them is always so riveting, whether it's a scene that is super comedic, dramatic, tragic, heartwarming, or a mix.
How do you plan out your comics and come up with such wonderful ideas! And do you have any advice on getting into comic-making or storytelling in general? Thank you!!
Ahhhhhh thank you!! I'm so happy you like the storytelling!
I don't feel qualified to give advice because I'm literally just vibing but I can tell you what I do? So mind, what I'm about to say is what works for a beginner self-taught fanartist.
I almost never come up with stories/ideas with the intention of making a comic. I'd say 99% of the time I'm just thinking about my favourite characters, happen to land on an idea I like well enough, and think 'oh I think other people might like this as well'.
Usually the ideas are a scene or a single sentence premise. Most often, it's 'would it be [funny/tragic/awkward] if this happened', or an emotionally intense moment, such as character A holding B while they bleed out. So if I like the premise/scene well enough I start building around it - how did the characters get to this point?
Once I've formulated a story that works well enough on its own (it's at least got a set-up and a punchline), I test it by running it through my head repeatedly and checking that it still elicits the intended emotional reponse. Say, if I literally felt a pang of pain in my heart in first time I thought about the idea, do I still feel the same sadness after playing the scene in my head for the 15th time? If I couldn't help but chuckle the first time round, does it still make me giddy when I think about it, three weeks later? Most ideas die here.
If I'm confident enough that the idea is emotionally effective, I'll start planning the panels and dialogue. At this point I'll usually have at least 70% of the dialogue planned out and memorized word for word because it's been playing inside my head repeatedly. The rest usually comes from having to add in transition panels because it wasn't obvious that the audience needed additional information between one scene and the next when it wasn't on paper yet.
I've got a long way to go in terms of panelling effectively but using references is definitely the way to go. I definitely have Haikyuu open in a tab when I'm looking for ideas. Generally I just make sure to allocate more page space when something signficiant is happpening/being said. Also, more panels when you're trying to slow down the pace of the story (e.g. important heart-to-heart between characters), less when the opposite applies (e.g. time passing).
The last thing to think about when making comics is modal affordance! As in, what is the medium of 'comics' able to do that illustrations, animation, and text can't? And then use this to your advantage! For example, it's harder to depict a whole conversation or a series of different actions with a single illustration. In animation, there's no point having multiple characters saying or doing things at the same time, because the audience won't be able to catch it all, whereas several conversations can happen in one single comic panel, and you can add as many character shinanegans in the background as you like. In text, if you want the audience to know something exists, you must necessarily describe it - which means it's easier to hide a chekov's gun in the background in visual mediums.
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COWHIDE BANGPOTS NETFLIX SERIES RECAP (EP 7-10) - spoilers
EP 1 - 3 RECAP
EP 4 - 6 RECAP
BEST FRIEND SQUAD!
We're the three best friends that anyone can have
And we'll never ever ever ever ever leave each other 🎶☺️
...until they eventually do anyway.
Now, that I've finished the whole series... I still really like it. In many ways it feels like fanfiction come to life in a 70% good but 30% bad kinda way and some people may not like that but... I do! However, one of the stand outs for me with this series is that they made the Bebop crew an actual family in how they interacted with each other instead of a ragtag pirate crew who bark at each other all the time. I personally like both but I really do end up leaning towards that family dynamic because I AM SOFT BOI.
Anyways...
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- The fishing scene with Faye and Spike was cute where Faye just had her world flipped upside down cos she had an orgasm last episode and Spike throwing all his fishing gear into the ocean out of frustration lmao. Boobs or butts is definitely a conundrum
- Spike and Jet simping over Faye's mother was hilarious. Spike's mommy kink is not surprising, he just wants someone to step on him - that's all! (Same with Vicious' knife kink 😂)
- Jet being Dad and being the one to desperately hold the family together by making family trips, organising plans to make sure everyone STAYS TOGETHER and organising birthday bowling parties is... chef's kiss. And so cute! I've said 'so cute' at least 15 times during this whole series. Mustafa Shakir continuously kills it as Jet.
This guy was doing the most and I was LIVING for it! I wish we got more from him.
- Spike and Jet continuously having each other's back throughout the show was adorable and Spike literally being thrown about outside while Jet is trying to be there for his freakin daughter was hilarious and CUTE!
- Not Faye's mother using her Karen skills to finesse a car 😂I actually weirdly find the relationship between Faye and her mum a little endearing? Messed up... but endearing. Also, I guess in the future, people dying during role play is ok? lmao
- Also, I never mentioned it in previous recaps but the direction, lighting and editing in this show is all stellar and every frame is almost a comic frame but not in a way that feels egregious or tacky, they really nailed the style of the show. <3
- That younger Faye speech never fails to make me tear up and it was nice that the Bebop crew were actually nice to Faye regarding all of this compared to the anime which made it even more emotional for me, especially with Jet and Spike's reactions to the tape
- Of course, Spike gets strikes during bowling without trying. I hate him <3
- Pierre Le Fou's live action look looks amazing but that first fight between him and Spike didn't feel as iconic as it was in the anime. At times the show, tries to frame the scenes exactly to how it was in the anime and sometimes it works but sometimes it suffers for it and you can definitely see how it didn't exactly work out when they tried to copy the scene where you see (through the shadows on the wall) Spike being beat so hard he's kicked up in the air. I don't even know how that would look good in live action in the first place as it's so crazy but I appreciate them trying, I guess?
- Not them leaving Ein behind!!! 💔 This is probably the most heartless any of them have been during this whole thing! :(
- The Vicious 'execution' scene looked dope and gave me 'The Last Jedi' throne room vibes. And I think it was only then that I realised for the first time that the parallel of Asimov and his girlfriend is actually towards Vicious and Julia and not Spike and Julia
- Nice to know Spike is au natural? This show is fanfiction 😂 But in all seriousness, I really appreciate them giving us a whole episode dedicated to the backstory of Spike, Julia and Vicious. I don't think the backstory about Vicious' lineage and stuff really made Vicious any deeper but it's nice having that information to inform his current actions and psyche. However again, this just added value to the connection that Spike and Julia had and really solidified for me that Spike loves Julia not only because he needs a reason to keep going on but also because he desperately wants stability. It makes me very curious as to what season 2 is gonna look like now that him and Julia are somewhat done
- I also really appreciated seeing Spike be a full on villain and the way that massacre scene in episode 9 was shot and directed was really great. Do I think him dropping his morals and murdering the girl was earned? Not really.
- Vicious really is a cocktail mix of Lucious Malfoy, Draco Malfoy and Scar
- I really love how Julia finally got some decent development in the final few episodes. When she began to have more agency and wants, it made her more intriguing and I really like how her character grew and was 'revealed' through the final few episodes. This was a great development on Julia and I love that she put her own protection first over both Spike and Vicious. But, also it really dug more into the fact that Spike has always thought of Julia in an idealised way and has never really been aware or observant of who she actually is - which is something the anime touched on but never really delved into. I hope they work with this more in season 2
- Eeek, that 'I won't carry that weight' line felt very hand-fisted...
- 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME!' *tries not to start singing Dreamgirls* lmao I'm glad Vicious finally said it
- I'm weirdly glad that they left 'Ballad of the Fallen Angels' as the final episode, especially if they were always intending to make this a multi-series tv show. It's one of the most iconic episodes and it just makes sense and all the scenes looked incredible EXCEPT...
..They tried.
Again. It's one of those things where I'm not sure how to make it transfer well to a live action tv show. But, they tried.
But again. I love the fact that Julia is the one to push him out of the window and therefore push him out of the dream. Although, I kinda wish Spike was just left in a sort of comatose state after this and then Ed being the one to find him. Him finding Jet only to be told to fuck off and then getting drunk at a bar felt a bit disjointed from this near death experience and essentially resulting in being a broken, aimless person in multiple ways.
- Jet... as always... is the character I feel the worst about at the end of the series :( I hope he gets a chance to reconnect with his daughter and that maybe even his predicted future time with Ed would have an influence on that relationship! But yeah, Jet's not gonna kill Spike cos they're boyfriends.
- So many people were left alive at the end of this! It's nice... I guess.😈... I'm glad Gren is alive so we can potentially get more of their backstory. I'm glad Ana is still alive because she was so likeable and I love her and Spike's dynamic. I'm even glad Julia is still alive so we can explore more of her character, especially in her new position of power. But, Vicious? I really don't see where else you could take his character but ok... cool cool cool...
I might be the only person on the internet who doesn't have a problem with this kid lol
Am I disappointed that they're not played by a POC? A little. But Ed's always been displayed as a very typically 'racially ambiguous anime character' so, I'm not too bothered. I love that they keep giving non-binary actors roles in this show although, in the interviews I've seen they give Ed (the character) she/her pronouns so I'm not really too sure if it matters for this version or not but it'd be nice! And from the little we've gotten of Eden Perkins as Ed, I really like their performance! ...I really dunno what some of you guys were expecting someone who plays someone as dynamic and wacky as Ed to act like? Lol
But mostly... I'm a little concerned where Spike goes from here. We know they've still got some episodes leftover to go and adapt for season 2 (gimme my 'Mushroom Samba' ep lol) but where does Spike's character go from here? As someone who accepted that Spike dies at the end of the anime series, I've always seen Spike as someone who's death is always there as an omnipresence. And personally... I dunno if I could handle another season of that...
Anyways, I'm probably gonna end up rewatching this show sometime in the near future, I had fun with it and I might just avoid the tag on here for a bit!
Later dayssss
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My Anime 9/10′s
With probably no spoilers cuz I don’t wanna talk too long about them zzz.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist
YALL ALREADY KNOW THIS A 9/10. The only real reason this show is not a 10/10 is because it’s just a story that I’d never rewatch. There’s like 70 episodes, which is way too long for my short attention span, especially since I’ve seen it already. But yeah, by all accounts, this story is a masterpiece and is one of the only “shounen” anime’s that I genuinely enjoyed. No random sexualization. No dumb filler. All the characters have an actual purpose and role in the plot and everyone has their own morals and ideals that interact to make the story interesting. I couldn’t bring myself to really hate anyone, even the villains, because everyone was pretty well written. Also super satisfying ending that ties up everything properly without leaving me confused or upset. If you only watch a few anime in your life, Fullmetal Alchemist is pretty much a MUST WATCH to see a beautiful example of a modern classic anime as an artform. Also I should say that I really don’t like Hunter x Hunter (AN EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL OPINION BTW) but I love Fullmetal Alchemist so take from that what you will.
2. Parasyte: The Maxim
Same kinda shit where you already know this a 9/10 for me. It’s just a very satisfying anime that doesn’t have random sexualization or random filler or anything like that. Ending is also very good and ties up the story in a way that doesn’t leave more questions but also allows the characters to have a “life” outside of the scope of the story. I think Parasyte, because of its more horror and psychological-esque vibes, counts as a seinen and not a shounen, so for more mature audiences. I also really liked how the story was successfully adapted to modern times since the manga is from the 80′s. I have actually rewatched this anime, but what stops me from giving it a 10/10 is a few things that I found kinda “stereotypical” that I don’t wanna discuss further too much cuz it’s spoilers. I still obviously really like this anime and highly recommend it.
3. Zankyou no Terror
TBH, this anime is pretty hard for me to properly describe in a lot of words as to why I like it. The art was really pretty as well as the music, which was just straight up amazing. The cinematography of this anime is excellent as well, and a lot of scenes have that sense of being acted out by real people, as opposed to feeling completely drawn/animated. I was a teenager when this anime came out and I think a lot of the themes presented in the show really related to me. The show does kinda have some leftover questions when it ends that prevents me from rating it a 10/10, but I have such a soft spot for this anime. It’s from the same creator as Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop, and although those two animes are also very good, they did not impact me as much as this anime did. Recommended for people looking for idk something that gives off Inception vibes?? In the sense that it’s much more about its themes and its message more so than the believability of the events that occur.
4. Magic Kaito 1412
THIS IS JUST A PERSONAL PREFERENCE BTW LOLOL I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY WHO’D PUT THIS AS A 9/10 ANIME. I JUST REALLY LIKED IT OKAY. It’s made by the same person who does Detective Conan but I like this a lot more because it’s a much shorter series and slightly more mature (more for teens than just straight up kids). I really liked the main guy, I think he’s funny and charismatic. He’s a pervert at times but Imma forgive that cuz of the 90′s. Idk it’s just a really fun anime that I don’t have to take seriously and can just watch and enjoy.
5. Mob Psycho 100 (season 1 AND 2)
Imma put season two as slightly better than season one. So season one would be like a 9 and season two is like a 9.25 for me. Super super funny anime and I like it SO much more than One Punch Man. I liked that there was a good balance of serious moments, but you can definitely still count this anime as a comedy. I’m typically not the type to watch “comedy” but this anime genuinely had me laughing out loud, while also crying and freaking out right alongside the main character. The main guy is super great because he’s just this shy and sweet middle schooler, and it’s really interesting watching him balance trynna have a normal life while also using his powers for good and such. Apparently the anime was decently faithful to the manga and there’s apparently enough material for a third season so I’d be pretty stoked for a season 3, but season 2 ended on a pretty good spot and was satisfying. TBH, if I had the time, I’d probably rewatch both seasons and bump it up to a 10/10.
6. Vinland Saga
This anime is just the first season of what I hopes to be a whole series that will be stay beautifully and faithfully adapted from the manga. As someone who read very far into the manga (but quit like years ago simply because I hate slow updates lol), I actually didn’t enjoy watching the anime at first. I was impatient and kept waiting for when like the “major” events would happen. So I watched like three episodes and quit. But when I had some free time, I decided to get stuck in and commit to watching the whole series and I was so pleasantly surprised with just how good it was. I was impatient but I needed to realize that there is no “filler” or like “wasted time” in the entire anime. I hadn’t read the manga in years, so so many things were only vaguely familiar but I think this helped me stay surprised and excited throughout the anime. I’m looking forward to the rest of the manga being adapted because it’s just a good Viking saga lolol. Major themes of stuff like growing up, violence vs. peace, what it means to be a good person, etc. Lots of blood and LOTS of violence like a LOT they are VIKINGS CMON but tbh not really any gore which I liked cuz gore makes me ughhhh. A very good watch and only a taste of an excellent story.
7. Demon Slayer
It’s just Demon Slayer duhhh. Of course this a 9/10 for me. I don’t wanna write much just cuz the show is so popular. Just read a REAL review of this anime somewhere else lmaoooo. Also yes I did watch the movie in theaters and yes I liked it a lot as well mmkay. I’m mad hype for season two. My S/O doesn’t like Demon Slayer as much as me, but also has Hunter x Hunter as their all time favorite anime. Do with that information what you will lolol.
8. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
Same shit as Demon Slayer. Just go read someone else’s review about why it’s so good lol. Also, unlike Mob Psycho 100, I can’t include all of the seasons in this, because I have very various opinions about how good/bad the other seasons were. But this season 3 part 2, was just plain and simply amazing. While I might not like each season equally, as a whole Attack on Titan is also a modern masterpiece of storytelling. Read the manga if you can.
9. Great Pretender
I love this anime so much. Such a good and fun wild ride. The whole show is ridiculous but in a fun way. I’m a HUGE fan of heist films, so of course I absolutely enjoyed a heist anime. I’ve watched this show in sub AND dub, due to the fact that everyone is “technically” speaking English the entire time. If you’re a purist, just watch in sub OR dub cuz I did get confused here and there, especially when I would go back to compare language discrepancies. Because basically I did this super high maintenance thing where I switched back to Japanese whenever the main character had flashbacks, since he’s ya know, Japanese. The dub also has this confusing thing where the first five minutes or so are still in Japanese, but switches to English when a little cue card on the screen goes “For the Viewers sake, everything from now on will be translated to Japanese.” It’s cuz in the sub, the inverse obviously happens where the characters are initially speaking broken English to each other, but for convenience sake, everything from that point on will be in Japanese. It’s confusing at first but I liked it cuz it just proved the whole international vibe of the show. It’s funny either sub or dub when they joke about how bad the main guy speaks English, cuz in the dub he’s speaking perfect English, while the sub has him not speaking English at all. But anyway, great anime that WOULD have gotten a 10/10 if not for the last episode. Like without spoiling ... WTF WAS THAT LMAOOOO. The anime as a whole is super wacky and zany but at least I could try to think it’s real life, but that last episode was just so unbelievable and bizarre and pulled my suspension of disbelief into the STRATOSPHERE that I just had to convince myself that this show takes place in some improbable alternate reality where something like what happened in the last episode is at least 5 percent possible CUZ HOW DID ANY OF THAT WORK LMAOOO??? Once again, great show, one of my absolute favorites, BUT THAT ENDING THOUGH WTF.
10. BNA
Good super underrated anime that I don’t hear people talk about at all. If Beastars is anime Zootopia, then BNA is Disney Beastars lmaooo does that make sense? It’s a lot more fun and zany than Beastars and I liked it way more. Made by the same people who made Kill la Kill. I really like that more classic, animated “cheap” art style that the anime has, and I also really liked the plot of the story. Not a 10/10 cuz the show does leave a few unanswered questions at the end of it, but this show was such a fun and interesting ride. When I finished the last episode, I was left with a big smile on my face because I just genuinely enjoyed this anime. Recommended if you wanna watch something a little unique and more on the silly and wack side. Talks about some serious stuff, but luckily the show never takes itself TOO seriously, and remains overall lighthearted for a fun action/sci-fi show.
#bna#attack on titan#parasyte#anime review#myanimelist#great pretender#demon slayer#vinland saga#mob psycho 100#anime#fullmetal alchemist#terror in resonance#magic kaito
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Thoughts on Agony of a witch (Spoiler warning! (Duh))
Oh boy I was doubting this series’s before but not anymore! This episodes is easily the best in the season. Grom doesn’t have shit on this episode! Everything was just great about AOAW, the music, the suspense, the action, the story, the animation, it was all wonderful!
- for one, Hooty is damn creepy when he fights not only does he effortlessly kick the emperors covens ass (you’d think they’d be more powerful than this but whatever) but he has a tea party with their unconscious bodies after. That was an interesting (& creepy) choice & it has me curious if Eda created him or not. We need a hooty backstory.
- Eda’s curse is getting worse and after episodes of not mentioning it they finally acknowledge how bad it’s getting & how Eda needs more potions or a higher dosage to barely keep it under control KEY WORD “BARELY”. It does remind me of when my aunt had cancer and her chemotherapy stopped working they had to higher the dosage. Good job on finally talking about it.
- When Luz leaves I do like how Eda & King reflect on how the “vibe” of the house changed when Luz showed up & how King thought they were gonna eat her (I guess it confirms witches do eat human kids)I am picking up a familia love from Eda & King so now we have the found family trope (Which I love). I thought it was cute when Eda decided to make a cape as a sign of gratitude & how it sets up how important this cape is when Eda talks about the material it’s made out of.
- Luz’s class is going on the field trip to the emperors coven but isn’t Bump the principal not a teacher?At my school whenever we had a field-trip it was the Teachers that went with us not the principal, Bump didn’t even play a big role so they could have swapped him out for a Teacher & nothing would change.
- Amity’s leg is still broken so she can’t attend the field-trip, which I thought was a good idea she didn’t go. I feel like the writers would try to force in more Lumity moments and it would distract from the plot. I do like Lumity but if Amity was there then fans would focus on that rather than the story & the last two episode were Amity focused so she wasn’t needed in this episode. Smart move from the writers, maybe if her legs heals next episode she could be there but idk.
- Now while Luz was thinking about stealing the healing hat I was a bit conflicted on it. I don’t like how the show is telling viewers it’s okay to steal but In Luz’s case it’s for a good cause, she wanted the hat so she could heal Eda’s curse. It’s like those cases you hear of people stealing groceries to feed their families, I felt the same here. Yeah stealing is bad but if it’s for saving someone you love is it really that bad? Idk if the writers wanted us to be conflicted over that dilemma but they succeeded.
- “Good luck with puberty” I laughed when Lilith said that, can’t believe Disney let that slip in.
- I have to say I do like the lore we get in this episode. Emperor Belos established the coven system 50 years ago to “honor the titan” which is the boiling Isles where they might get their magic from, before that witches were doing wild magic in what was called “the savages ages” it’s setting up more lore about the emperor like how did he rise to power? Who was he before? What were these “savage ages” like? If it was 50 years ago then there still are witches & demons that were alive in the savage age & they could tells us what life was like before. It also means Emperor Belos is 70+ years old. I’m just saying a human could live that long. 👀
- Now emperor Belos, wow his designs looks cool as hell, his voice is amazing too, it’s kinda sinister yet soothing at same times. As shown, it looks like he’s in a weakened state, he has to take these weird bird glowing green slime thing to have energy. We don’t know why or how he got like that, but it seems like he wants to Capture Eda so she doesn’t try to overthrow him since he’s weak. In fact, that might be the reason for the coven system, if he limits their magic then they aren’t strong enough to overthrow him. We only saw him for a bit but he gave a good impression when Luz said that no one will know about her stealing the hat we hear Belos voice echo: “ I will know” in the most bone chilling voice ever! The crew did a great job on him! Tho one thing I noticed is why is every big villain always in a weakened state? Darth Vader, Hordak, Aaravos, Zarkon, every anime villain. I just noticed this trope is overused, but I hope we can see Belos at his strongest and see how powerful he is. I have high hopes for him!
-Lilith discovers Luz is there & decides to use her as a decoy to lure in Eda. Which she succeeds when Eda goes there all angry for daring to drag Luz into her issues. I love how Eda doesn’t even try to stay calm she just straight up attacks Lilith & you can feel her angry.
- Speaking of that fight, best fight in the series thus far! The animation, the spells, the music, the raw emotion, it was all down great! It does remind me of a DBZ style of fighting when they’re moving so fast that your eyes can’t catch up & their magic surrounding them like Eda went super Sayion, I’m not complaining I like those kinds of fight & The intensity you feel in the fight is overwhelming. Luz’s life is at stake and Lilith even uses her as a human shield. She knows how much Luz means to Eda & was willing to kill her. Hell, she even threw Luz toward the spikes and Eda had to save her, then they both struggle with Eda trying to lift her up & Lilith trying to press her against the spikes & then Eda slowly turns into a monster THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A FIGHT (takes notes she ra)
- Now the biggest bomb drop in the series. IT WAS LILITH WHO CURSED EDA. she blurted it out in a rage of jealousy it seems. They were insulting each other on how one is better than the other. Then when Lilith says “THEN WHY WERE SO EASY TO CURSE?!” My jaw dropped, I suspected they would tell us but not this episode, you see can see the hurt & betrayal in her eyes when it was her own sister who cursed her. Like ouch. From what I suspected is that Lilith was jealous of Eda from what their exchanges told us. But why was she jealous of Eda? Friends? Magic capabilities? Power? Maybe fighting over a crush? What? Whatever the reason is does not excuse doing that to your sister and your YOUNGER SISTER AT THAT. Goodness & I thought Edric and Emira took it too far with the diary thing. I’m officially part of the hate Lilith club. Idc what you do but hurting your sibling like that is the worst thing you can do to them, just imagined how much Eda suffered for DECADES with this curse. No redemption can fix that. But boy do they need Family therapy or just punch it out that works too.
- I loved it when Eda went into rage mode when she found out it was Lilith who cursed her. Her own sister. Like damn that has to hurt knowing your own family did that to you. She deserved to beat Lilith to a bloody pulp & I’m happy she didn’t even bother to listen to Lilith she just wanted to attack her & I don’t blame her one bit.
- Ugh the scene where the curse overtakes Eda was a heart wrenching one. She knows she slipping away and tells Luz to take care of King & Hooty & to stay safe before she slips away. When Lilith told Luz that Eda is with her true family made me want to punch her more than Amity’s parents. You feel how helpless Luz felt & I hope they work towards her character with that feeling because Luz is happy go lucky & seeing her in despair makes for great character development.
- it kind of reminds me of when Queen Angella sacrifices herself In season 3 but I hated how they never acknowledged it since season 4 & she doesn’t even return by the end season 5, they pretty much forgot about her. We know for sure Luz will never leave Eda behind & will go save her.
- So we know Luz will go back to save her cuz we do see her wearing the cape Eda made her in the promo. Also we have 1 episode left so we know she’s gonna attempt a rescue mission for Eda but will she succeed? She’s up against the emperors coven! She’s gotta pull all her cards on the table & team up with her friends.
- A witch loses a true way. It could refer to Lilith officially turning to the dark side or Eda being lost in her curse even into season 2. Knowing Disney, they will give us a happy ending cuz it’s Disney but I will be pleasantly surprised if Luz fails to save Eda by the next episode.
- One last thing, I like the credits had no music, just silence. It reminds me of in full metal alchemist whenever a character dies the credit are always silent. I guess it’s meant to represent despair in a way? Or change? Yeah it think it’s change.
- This is why shows should focus on the plot because when you do, it delivers for some great storytelling & this episode surpasses all of the episodes combined. when you focus on the story & lore & characters it makes for great emotional impact of an episode and I hope Dana and the crew continues to do this. This show has so much going for it & people who only watch a show for a ship are clowns because this is what you’re missing out on. an amazing story. I applause Dana & the crew for this episode, really outdid yourselves!
- Overall 9.7/10 it was phenomenal!
#the owl house#luz noceda#amity blight#owl house#eda clawthorne#willow park#gus owl house#toh spoilers#toh#toh hooty#king the owl house#lilith clawthorne#emperor belos#Emperor coven#agony of a witch
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Perfunctory Photo Recap: Alias 1x01
After starting off with Gossip Girl and swinging wildly in the other direction for my second post, I decided a happy medium for No. 3 would be that early-aughts ABC classic, Alias. The show premiered basically immediately after 9/11, and I started watching it in 2002 with its mid-season premiere – meaning I missed the first half of the first season and didn’t get to watch it until it RE-AIRED over the summer of 2002. (How did we ever live without streaming apps? Unfathomable.) Anyway, I was obsessed with this show when it was on, and I suspect it’ll hold up pretty well, even though we’re the better part of 20 years out from the pilot. Let’s get our spy on!
My Disclaimer: None of these posts will be in any way comprehensive, because I’m lazy. All of them are probably going to have spoilers of some sort for the entire series…or at least what I remember of it from when I last watched it an eon ago. Exactly what you want in a recap!
The Prophecy: Our heroine Sydney Bristow thinks she works for the CIA, but learns pretty quickly (after they murder her fiancé) that she’s been a bit of a dummy! She actually works for the bad guys – an organization called SD-6. Will she just sit back and accept it? That would make for a pretty short series!
Fresh off his thrill-a-minute action masterpiece Felicity, J.J. Abrams stays brand consistent, opening his new series with some light waterboarding.
We cut almost immediately to Sydney in a college classroom (there we go, J.J.), where she’s scribbling furiously in a blue book and giving me anxiety-induced flashbacks. She meets up with her BF...
Who proposes to her on “the quad” while singing “Build Me Up Buttercup” at the top of his lungs. I remember finding this adorably romantic in high school. If someone inflicted this on me now I would literally walk away and never speak to them again.
Syd here seems to be contemplating the exact same thing. But she (somehow) gets over it and says yes.
Wow, there it is! “The CIA.” Honestly, Sydney really should have figured out this wasn’t legit almost immediately. No way the vibe at ANY CIA office is industrial chic. There’s barely a fluorescent light to be found!
LOOK AT BABY BRADLEY COOPER! (Yes, this screengrab was very strategic.)
He’s so crestfallen when she tells him she’s engaged to Doug or Dave or whatever his name is. Poor BB. Don’t worry Bradley! He’ll have shuffled this mortal coil by halfway through the episode.
Annnnd this is why:
Big no-no!
He freaks out and I guess runs off. When they meet up again it’s at some oil-pumping hoosit in Bakersfield or some such, and she gives him some cringeworthy line about having always hoped she’d find someone to give her life meaning and he’s the one etc. etc. GROAN.
Then she jets off on her latest mission, where the best part is she gets to use her real accent for about 10 seconds.
As a southern(ish) lady myself, I always get a little delight when I hear a good southern accent! Everyone seems to think they can do a flawless one, but it’s almost impossible to find someone who’s not from the region and can do it properly. The attempts are usually skin-crawlingly bad.
Anyway, after the mission, she returns home to a not-very-nice surprise.
J. Garn is VERY good in this scene.
After a wee confrontation with her boss about the small matter of murdering her fiancé, we cut back to the torture scene, where Sydney’s got some jokes!
LOLLL!!!!1! But to be fair they did shoot her full of a big ol’ syringe of something we’ll assume is affecting her frontal lobe, or whatever. You try being funny in the middle of a drug-enhanced torture session.
Anyway, we cut back to Dorian’s funeral, where we get eyes on Will’s (Bradley Cooper’s) sister, who happens to have fire-engine red hair and be dressed like a British goth-punk from the ‘70s. Super approps funereal attire. And also probably nothing to do with Syd’s lil future disguise – just a total coincidence.
Then over to this image of me, every night of this COVID-19 quarantine. Note the bottle within arm’s reach. By tomorrow I’ll probably be foregoing the glass altogether.
When we check back in with our girl, it’s been 3 months since she’s been into the office. Prob b/c of the whole “murdered her fiancé” thing but who can say really. Anyway folks aren’t super pleased!
Like really not super pleased.
There’s a whole fighting thing, and as Syd’s struggling to escape her dad dadus ex machinas on up:
He tells her the people she’s working for are actually the bad guys. And she’s like NUH UH! And he’s like “So then how come you’ve never been to Langley? Also come on have you seen the offices?”
Not really being able to argue with his logic but also not really trusting him, Syd runs off and steals Will’s sister’s identity (SHOCKING TWIST!). Because as all great spies know, you want to stand out as much as possible – so best practice is to dye your hair the brightest color you can manage and dress like it’s Halloween so that everyone will notice you.
Anywho, all of that somehow works, and we arrive at the part of the narrative where she gets captured and tortured. But because she’s the star of the show, it probably won’t come as too much of a surprise that she escapes! She runs off to find the thing she was supposed to find at the beginning of the show:
A highly coveted floating clown nose! (No but actually it’s much more sinister than that and is a big deal later in the series.)
She gives it to her boss so he knows she’s back onboard:
Then heads straight for CIA HQ, where she writes down her story for this handsome fellow and offers to be a double agent for them:
Sigh. I remember being very into these two as an IRL couple and finding out they broke up immediately before a French test. I also remember I did not do excellently on said French test. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I had no interest in studying. I would probably be fluent now if it weren’t for them.
Anyway, the CIA verifies her statement and sends an asset to let her know that she’s in:
Yes that’s what I just said.
It turns out that papa Bristow is ALSO a CIA double agent! What a good reveal to end on! Great job J.J.!
Debriefing:
- After spending 20 minutes searching for a free, not-illegal way to watch this sucker online (because I’m a cheap bitch), I finally gave in, swam around in my massive hope chest and literally dusted off this DVD, which it turns out I still own. Did I buy a DVD player just so I could watch my Alias, OC and Friends DVDs? Who can say!
- I didn’t realize they introduced the Rambaldi mythology in the first episode. It’s actually pretty impressive they could maintain that as a narrative thread throughout the show. Also we’ve got a “47″ alert at 12 minutes in.
- They have Jennifer Garner speaking a ton of languages throughout this show, as I recall. I wonder if she’s any good at any of them? She sounds vaguely convincing in the pilot, to me, but what do I know?
- I think we can all agree that Merrin Dungey is a national treasure and deserves to be a bigger star than she is. I’m always so happy to see her when she pops up in other things. And she’s great in this show.
- Overall, the Alias pilot holds up REALLY well. It does an amazing job of giving depth to all of the characters and really making the audience care about them – even the ones who only appear for a few minutes. The plotting is strong, and the groundwork for the rest of the series is laid without being even remotely heavy on eye-rolly exposition. Plus the actors’ performances are all *CHEF’S KISS*
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1, 2, 4, 8, 9 because I have no chill 8'D
[WRITER ASKS]
1. How do you approach worldbuilding (if it’s an AU) or research (if it’s an established canon)?
In the case of AUs I sometimes make a quick sketch of whatever I wanna write, then realize I can’t draw and then I make a playlist. Playlists often help me find tracks with similar tones that will help me get a vibe of the ambiance. Most of the times, my world-building comes from videogames or places I visit (more the former than the latter lmao) so half of my work is done when that happens. 400CQ’s imagery and worldbuilding comes half from videogames and my own delirium lmao.
I always describe the world around the characters, sometimes link it to how the character perceives it so the character is close to the narration, and I always make sure to watch how I pace those descriptions so it sounds either beautiful or horrifying, whatever the goal is.
When it comes to research, reading fanfics gives me about 70% of my research LMAO. If this is a game/series I wanna tackle myself, I’ll play it or watch it, but if I know I won’t or that I simply can’t tackle it directly, I’ll go to the wiki to read the story of each character and how they interact with each other. After that, I go to fanfics, and if I see a trend that overlaps in several fanfics, I will fact-check it.
2. What do you do to understand the characters better and get into their head space?
Building a set of circumstances before writing. I need to know what causes a character to think a certain way. When I know what a character is feeling, I can write those feelings and elaborate on how they feel.
4. How does your writing happen? Do you visualize scenes playing out in your head, or do they come out in words as you type?
I usually type a small summary of what I visualize happening or what I really want to happen: the basic ideas. I always have a certain scene I want to happen and that I can see clearly happening, and I plan what happens before it and after it. Those scenes I can see so clearly often come as easy as breathing.
8. What are three things you’re proudest of when it comes to your writing? Dialogue, descriptions, humour, romantic fluff, kisses, action, pacing, worldbuilding, setting, anything! Even small things like sentence structures and the way your characters banter counts!
I really like how I handled banter, worldbuilding and dialogue in 400CQ. That story represents me overcoming a lot of my flaws in past stories, so I’m happy to see I’m evolving as a writer. Gladion and Moon’s interactions are one of the things I’m the proudest because most of them are meaningful and they advance the story in one way or another and I just love lona so much for things like these AAAAAAA
9. What are three weaknesses in your writing that you’re very aware of, that you’d like to spend time working on to improve your works?
Oh I totally wish I wasn’t as obnoxiously wordy as I am right now LMAO, but I’m working on it. I also wish I could make things simpler and that I could have a full grasp of all I’m writing, because it sometimes doesn’t feel that way at all lmao
#ask#thanks for asking!#I really like doing these it helps me put my own shit in order FBHJDMKSL#whenever somebody asks about x thing I'm proud of it's always 400CQ because I be annoying sometimes FGRFRHIDMENJRHGFBKEDKIMS
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Final Thoughts - 2018 Long Shows
It’s finally here! I’m so close to being done with 2018 (...mostly. We’ll get to it) that I can taste it, but in the meantime, this list is gonna be weird, because there will be things that were already on other lists since I revised my rules of what should be classified how. This post is specifically for any show that ended in 2018 and lasted longer than 13-ish episodes (including shows that aired a second season during the same year or within six months of finishing the previous one), which means that there’s about as much on it as a usual season of shows, but they all had more time to impress - or disappoint me. I’m doing a better job in recent seasons of getting to everything, but last year there were unfortunately things that I missed (I was burned out in the winter) and just have to leave aside for now because I can’t wait any longer for these lists.
Anyway! As usual, let’s start with what I skipped!
* The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments, The Disastrous Life of Saiki Kusuo S2, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, Garo: Vanishing Line, and Mr Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues because I haven’t seen their previous seasons or parent works. (Yes, even Cardcaptor Sakura. Y’all can shoot me later.)
* Hakyuu Hoshin Engi, Beatless, and Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls because by the time I was rounding things up, I hadn’t heard a single positive thing about any of them.
Next comes what I dropped -
WORST OF THE YEAR: Steins;Gate 0 (4/10)
What a fucking mess this show was. Aside from a very noticeable downgrade in production talent from its predecessor, the plot meanders and flirts with maybe actually happening this time before just dropping out again, over and over, to the point where I was perfectly willing to drop it two episodes from the finish line because it was such an insult to fans of the original. (Also, continued disgusting mistreatment of the transgender character.)
Gundam Build Divers (4/10)
Taking the Build series from being a well-written kids show to an averagely-written kids show that hides itself in decent mech designs.
Katana Maidens (4/10)
I remember so little about this show, and granted that I did drop it after one episode almost nine months ago, but what I did remember was that it gave me strong KanColle vibes with laughably inconsistent animation and flat characters. Meh.
Darling in the FRANXX (5/10)
This should probably be lower on the list, but I got out of Darling while the getting was good, sixteen episodes in. I understand that future episodes of the show cemented it as crappy right-wing nonsense in addition to pushing worldbuilding out of its fortieth-story window, but the moment it lost me was much sooner, when the crazy yandere female lead was reduced, almost instantly, to Good Anime Waifu as a reward to the protagonist for going against his friends with his selfish motives.
Persona 5 the Animation (5/10)
In addition to not actually finishing in 2018, Persona 5 just did not give me a single reason to watch it when I’d already finished the source game, with middling-to-bad visuals (thanks to the switch from Production I.G. to A-1 Pictures, and not even the team that created the much better-looking Day Breakers OVA before the game was released in the U.S.) and phoned-in music, which is especially unacceptable in a Persona adaptation. Also, we all absolutely called that the studio couldn’t tell the story of the entire game in just 26 episodes.
Record of Grancrest War (6/10)
There’s people that like this one a lot, but I didn’t see much that interested me in the first two episodes. I’ve heard better things about the manga.
Golden Kamuy (6/10)
I had problems with the first half of Golden Kamuy that the second half simply didn’t fix, and it became difficult for me to keep watching - the show still interrupted almost every fight scene with a dick joke, but still wanted to maintain a serious and occasionally frightening tone - and those things simply don’t go together. It needed to either spend more time being funny, or keep its lowest-common-denominator humor out of the fights.
Next, I have two shows that are (potentially permanently) On Hold, simply because it’s time for me to move on and I don’t have the time or energy to marathon them when the Winter shows are starting to wrap up:
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, because even though I initially dropped it, I’ve heard a lot of good things since and I want to eventually give it another shot.
Yowamushi Pedal Glory Line, because despite the fact that I still enjoyed the previous season, this one started right in the middle of my burnout and I only heard bad things about it. I’ll get to it eventually, but it’s a shame that this series has been on a clear trend downwards since its revival.
And finally, the stuff I finished!
The Ancient Magus’ Bride (6/10)
Keep in mind that this is here entirely on the merits of its aesthetic and its side characters - in the end, Ancient Magus’ Bride is a Beauty and the Beast story where the beast gets what he wants without learning to be less of a dick or even apologizing for his clearly wrong actions.
Major 2nd (7/10)
Always pleased to have even just Good sports shows around, and this one is a very effective reboot of a classic series that’s never made its way stateside (man, the underperformance of Big Windup! really did a lot of damage to this genre in the West). With good character development and a decent second-generation premise, Major 2nd has the potential to be the beginning of a solid baseball story, assuming that it gets a needed followup.
IDOLiSH7 (7/10)
I dropped IDOLiSH7 when it first aired, and though I wound up enjoying it after I was very strongly urged to revisit it, the problems it started with never quite left it behind - that is, it has an okay cast of characters but doesn’t present even passable performance sequences, and if you’re going to include big song-and-dance numbers, they have to be good, or you may as well just be UtaPri.
ClassicaLoid Season 2 (8/10)
In 2017, I gave the first season of ClassicaLoid a near-perfect 9/10, and while this season gives us a satisfying conclusion to the story, it does things both a little better than the first, and also not quite as great. It’s story is much more well-integrated over the runtime so it doesn’t happen all at once in a few chunks, and the jokes that work are still absolute genius, but there’s simply too much that doesn’t quite land correctly, and a little too much immature humor, for it to reach the same lofty Hall of Fame heights as the first season. Still, one of the most underrated shows I’ve ever seen.
My Hero Academia Season 3 (8/10)
God, Izuku in that onesie is too damn cute.
My problems with Hero Academia are frustratingly persistent - the show is at its best when the students are competing with other students, because outside of last season’s Stain (a villain whose motivation is specifically related to the world of MHA), the villains are just not at all compelling and they all seem a little too generic for their own good. I just want Horikoshi to be a little bit less predictable of an author and do a little less reading of the Standard Shounen Playbook. Luckily, when it works, it works magnificently.
March Comes in Like a Lion S2 (8/10)
March remains director/auteur Akiyuki Shinbo’s most accessible work, and one of his masterpieces, as a well-paced and marvelously moody story of a depressed shogi prodigy learning to be a normal teenager before his youth completely passes him by, and the fantastic characters that surround him with their own complex problems and motivations. I just really, really hope it gets a third season eventually, because this one did not leave off on a satisfying conclusion.
Speaking of which...
Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma S3 (9/10)
It’s almost a shame that My Hero Academia became hugely popular purely based on its accessibility to American audiences, because Food Wars pretty squarely deserves to be the reigning Shonen Jump king - each season has only improved on the previous one, and this one was based entirely on a continuing arc that could only have happened in the universe of this show, Fighting Food Fascism. That being said, it also leaves off right in the middle of the arc (because it had almost caught up to the manga), meaning that we have to hope that it can remain relevant long enough for there to be enough source material for another season. I’ll be crossing my fingers until they snap.
Banana Fish (9/10)
Yes, this has risen a point since my review, but Banana Fish still deserves to be thought of as both a complete masterwork of crime fiction, being fantastically paced and expertly plotted in the use of its many, many twists, and a work that disappointed the side of me that hoped that, in adapting it into the modern day, MAPPA could have managed to get the author to let them depict what is clearly a queer relationship with the authenticity and legitimacy that it deserved. It’s still amazing, though, and Amazon should be pushing it with their most lavishly-made originals. At least it was the last noitaminA show they’ll get to totally bury.
And, finally, the one you all saw coming.
BEST OF THE YEAR: Lupin the 3rd Part V (10/10)
Lupin is, quite simply, one of the pinnacles of the medium. A simple idea that can (and did) go in thousands of different directions, handled by highly creative writers and an animation staff that has been knocking it out of the park for years, despite the fact that it is criminally (heh) unrecognized in the West. To put it simply, there’s a very, very good reason that it’s been around since the 70′s.
Okay! All I have left to do is finish Dragon Pilot (waiting on a friend) and we can get the last two lists out of the way! We’re almost done...
#multi 2018#arcaneanime#year end anime list#final thoughts#lupin the third#my hero academia#banana fish#food wars#the ancient magus bride#March Comes in Like a Lion#idolish7#major 2nd
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November 13th-November 19th, 2019 Reader Favorites Archive
The archive for the Reader Favorites chat that occurred from November 13th, 2019 to November 19th, 2019. The chat focused on the following question:
When reading a new webcomic for the first time, what qualities are more likely to turn you into a long-term fan?
carcarchu
Definitely creativeness and how unique the overall concept is. If i think i can pretty much guess how the story is going to play out I'm less inclined to stick around and tune in every week (though i might queue up a bunch of chapters and binge it if i still like it enough). If a story keeps me on my toes and there's cliffhangers every chapter it makes me want to come back every week to find out what's going to happen next and that consistency makes me want to stay until the very end. Also i tend to read mostly romances so if i really like the ship that the comic is pushing i'm much more likely to keep reading it
Cronaj
For me, it's character development. While the art style or plot concept might draw me to read a comic initially, it is the characters that make me stay. If I feel like the characters have realistic enough motives or emotional journeys, I start to see them as real people. I cry with them, laugh with them, and mourn with them.
Batichi
I need to get a good idea of the 'hook' in the first 20 or so pages. I really need to know if the comic itself knows what it wants to do before it's really started. It can be through set up or character intros or world building like Chirault http://chirault.sevensmith.net/, or even a good random encounter like in Ghost Junk http://ghostjunksickness.com/ to get me into the action really fast, or starting In Media Res like O Sarilho http://sarilho.net/en/ . I need to know the creator knows where the story is going in some capacity or I'm worried the comic will quickly stagger into a hiatus. Technical parts can still be a bit wonky as I know from experience most creators need some practice, but I still need an idea they're getting to (without having to read the about page)
Most comics I've read that kept me going always seem to have really well thought out starting points that continue all the way till the end.
keii4ii
I look at how the narrative treats lawful characters. I usually have a hard time relating to chaotics, regardless of how well they're written (I may come to care about a chaotic character, but I'm gonna need something else to keep me reading until that happens). If the narrative portrays lawfuls as interesting and worthy of attention, and gives them compelling arcs that let them shine, yeah, that's probably my jam! Related to above though not the same: I love it when slow, quiet moments are given importance and handled well. (Related since quiet and lawful overlap?) Not just downtime so people can catch their emotional breath before the next set of busy scenes... but important enough to be seen as the focus of their own, if not of the story! This should show quite clearly in my own comic if I'm doing my job right...
keii4ii
Sombulus (http://sombulus.com/) by @Delphina is a notable example of treating lawful characters with respect, even though the comic as a whole has this wacky chaotic fun vibe. When I was first making my way through the archive, I greatly enjoyed the first adventure with townspeople turning into literal walking fruits, bread, etc. But then the trio went to talk to Tenge, and I was relieved that the narrative didn't "side with" the chaotic, irresponsible (though still 100% lovable -- I love you too, Astyr!!) main character. The comic managed to portray Tenge as being uptight without feeling unfair to me, a lawful. That is SO rare to see! (Sombulus as a whole does a great job at treating characters from the entire lawful-chaotic spectrum with both fairness and fondness. It is one of my favorite things about the comic. )
Delphina
(I saw I got pinged so I scrolled up to see what the question was, but I went too far and I thought you were saying Tenge was your favorite magical boy and I was dyiinnnggg @keii4ii )
keii4ii
(Tenge is totally my favorite magical boy too, now that you put it that way )
Delphina
Thank you! And thanks for the compliment on the lawful/chaotic dichotomy. Balancing how those kinds of personalities work together and how they're both strong in their own ways is really fun for me, and I'm glad it's showing in Sombulus!
DanitheCarutor
What can keep me reading depends on the comic. The hook can either be character interaction, the character's themselves, the setting, or the plot. With characters, how the they handle themselves and one another, how they think, how they talk, how they walk, how they DaNCe, how TheY LOVE! Lmao! But nah, I'm really big into character details, which individualizing characters to the extent that I like is rare in comics so I settle for standard stuff. As long as I can distinguish them, and they're interesting, I'm chill. Setting? A super fun thing for me, I love it when creators go batshit with their setting lore and world building. Of course even when the setting just pure aesthetic, when it comes to it being the hook for me as long as it's weird and crazy, something a little fantastical or cosmic I'm digging it! Plot. This is the one I least care about... as weird as that sounds. The story can be an insane mess as long as it's a fun and enjoyable mess, but when story does hook me it is usually an interesting, super intriguing take on a preused concept either with the use of visuals or writing. (Which every concept has been used, originality is technically dead) Some examples are: The Prometheite https://tapas.io/series/Prometheite - A sad Frankenstein story about a woman losing her partner to a fatal illness. Hookteeth https://tapas.io/series/Hookteeth - A lovecraftian/cosmic horror romance with merfolk. (Not much to say about this one, Lovecraftian stories in themselves are weird and awesome imo.) SUPERPOSE https://tapas.io/series/SUPERPOSE - A sci-fi comic heavy on character interaction, and looks to be something other than the usual in space, on a different planet, or a story where the sci-fi is just a setting. (To be honestly, I'm mostly into how the story is presented visually. It feels very theatrical.)
Sometimes I stick with a comic purely for the aesthetics, I'm a sucker for eye candy. LIke Seluda https://tapas.io/series/seluda - A normal-ass high school story, but the visual presentation is SOmething else! Very 60's-70's drug trip, the style of speech used by the MC is very surreal, if not a little long winded at times. I would chalk my interest in this comic up to characters and art, but mostly art.
keii4ii
Related: Astyr supplying the non-sequitur lines to keep that one machine going was also a favorite moment of mine. This is probably just me but I found it genuinely heartwarming to see him able to contribute simply by being his chaotic self, even without his magic. @Delphina
FeatherNotes
Honestly character design and a memorable interaction are easy hooks for me. I do like a good investment in world building however, it really helps for easy immersion and definitely makes it more enjoyable to read! The moment I see a creator indulge in some good backgrounds and lore, I'm pretty much sold! Phantomarine and o sarilho are really good examples of all those things http://www.phantomarine.com/ https://sarilho.net/en/
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I read a really wide variety of comics. I’m not sure I can pinpoint exactly what trait it is that hooks me, besides just ‘good writing’. I like comics that have believable, relatable characters, well thought-out plots, and good character development. I’m immediately turned away by heavy reliance on tropes, stale, cookie-cutter characters, or achingly slow progression. If it’s well written and well-paced, there’s a good chance I’ll stick around and keep reading. Also, a bit opposite of what Keiii was saying above- I love a good rogue. The better the chaotic character, the more likely I am to be drawn in. I love stories that explore the moral grey area, that have villains with good redemption arcs, and have heroes that are deeply flawed but grow and learn. If the hero is always 100% on the good side and the villain is always 100% on the bad side, I’m more likely to lose interest.(edited)
FeatherNotes
Ohh yes agreed on that
keii4ii
@Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios) I believe we may be looking at two sides of the same coin! I wouldn't be interested in reading about the Honorable and Immaculate Lawful Heroes Against The Forever Evil Baddies, either. Greyness -- or to describe it differently, "stories not picking a side" -- is something I like seeing as well, just through a more lawful lens. Back to the Sombulus example, it's one thing to portray a noble lawful hero. But Tenge was portrayed as being uptight, without making it feel like a jab at lawful readers. He has room for growth, but so does everyone else in the story. Reading Sombulus I feel like he can learn to become a happier person without becoming someone else. Lawful doesn't mean perfect nor boring, and that's something I really appreciate seeing.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
That’s very true! I like when lawful characters aren’t perfect, though I gravitate more towards chaos, lol.
keii4ii
(Tienar may not be my tippy top favorite Ashes character (not yet sure who my fave is!) but I am definitely partial to him and his lawfulness. )
Pakky
i love chaotic lawful characters. one of my favorite characters was from a long dead webcomic called destress where the main character was lawful but also psycho. it was pretty fun to watch
sssfrs
I dont read a lot of comics but I love loveable rogue characters
FeatherNotes
Love me those chaotic stupid types too My comic's main char is one of them and it definitely makes for interesting interactions!
sssfrs
I like the dynamic my characters have. The leader of the group is smart and responsible, the second in command is smart and kind of lazy, and everyone else is completely chaotic, evil, or stupid
So the leader is herding cats
Glowbat (Aloe)
I think what really grabs my attention and chains it to the radiator usually is when there's a noticeable overarching thesis or themes to the comic that the creator is mulling over via the story. Usually as a result it really tightens up the whole story and seeing characters of all kinds representing different stances on the thesis and acting in ways directly reflecting that is neat.
keii4ii
^ Cohesiveness!!!!
Glowbat (Aloe)
Yeah!
Cronaj
I think it's interesting how most of us are drawn in with character development, even if the specific types of characters we enjoy are different.
keii4ii
^ Yeah, I fully admit that just because a character is well written/believable, doesn't guarantee I'll be invested in that character. I definitely have my types, as well as a horribly narrow and specific taste range
Glowbat (Aloe)
also the other thing that really draws me in is if you put a hot character with pointy shark teeth in I will read the entire comic always
Cronaj
I think my taste range is pretty broad with the characters I like, narrow af in regards to art styles
It's a horrible affliction really
@Glowbat (Aloe) lol, do you read Castle Swimmer?
Glowbat (Aloe)
...maybe
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I think what hooks me, when I start reading new webcomics, is how diverse and interesting the cast is and I think I'm more likely to stay on a superficial level if not everyone is conventionally attrative. Other than that, strong character writing and strong motivations for the characters that are already there in the beginning.
Cronaj
Character development!
Deo101
Things that keep me around are like... If I can read it, honestly. Like if i can follow whats happening consistently then i can get into it. Also! Depending on how it treats women, lgbt people and disabled people really makes or breaks my overall enjoyment. I like character driven stories most but I can enjoy other things and get into them, its nit very consistent for me
All about clarity and respect
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Oh, yeah, the author respecting their characters and / or groups of people is a big must for me.
So I agree with Deo 100% on that
Deo101
Oh, and also how much they respect their readers and trust that i can follow things without holding my hand through it!
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
^^^that too! I am not a fan of over-explaining(edited)
Cronaj
I will say, the way female characters are portrayed does affect my overall enjoyment as well. For example, if a woman is so boring and placeholder (i.e. just there to help a man or be a romantic interest), as I like to call, suffering from "girl" syndrome, I really hate it. This is why I can't watch a lot of anime, because often the female characters don't matter.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Also, @keii4ii I think you may be the first person ever to say you like Tienar!
keii4ii
omg noooo Tienar I WILL ROOT FOR YOU, MY EAGLE
It's not that I agree with him a lot. I just really appreciate that he's there
Cronaj
But yeah, if a comic can't pass the simple Bechdel Test....
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Hahaha, well, he’s definitely There
keii4ii
Re: the balance of clarity vs not over-explaining, that can be tricky!!
I too don't like over-explaining, but what I find to be just clear enough may be unclear to some, or too confusing,
Deo101
Yep :// so that one is really not on the author so much as just "if I dont know what's up or if I feel its dragging on i wont like it"
Jts not the kind of thing that you can do right for everyone
keii4ii
Agreed
Deo101
What my indicators for "is this respectful?" "Is this clear?" Etc are gonna be wayyyy different from other people's so its hard to say exactly what keep me reading
keii4ii
This is actually something I've been thinking about a lot. For Korean webcomics, the comment section generates a lot of engagement, and one result is that reading comprehension becomes a group activity. Particularly observant comments become highest voted, so even less observant readers can follow along by reading the comic and the highest voted comments. I feel that makes some stories more accessible than they would've been without that comment section culture.
Deo101
I wish that were commonplace lol
keii4ii
ME TOO
Their comment section is active enough that one time, a reader asked for toilet paper (they were stuck in a public restroom stall at Incheon airport, and only had like 20 minutes before their flight) and they actually got TP in time
But yeah, it's not just the activity level that I'm envious of. It's the group effort reading comprehension
I value it as a reader (I am not the most observant), and want it as a creator
Deo101
Yeah wow that sounds awesome and would also help me SO MUCH because I struggle a lot with following things...
keii4ii
OMFG
Before reading the sentence to the end
Deo101
Remembering, knowing what's going on or who is talking, picking up on subtle hints... Can't do that lol
keii4ii
I thought you were going to say "because I struggle a lot with public restrooms with no TP" sorrryyyyy
Cronaj
Hahahaha
Same
Deo101
Hahahahhaha
I usually just ask whoever is next to me if that happens
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I wish western audiences were that engaged. Usually the top voted comments I see are either puns (fair, because puns are awesome) or thirsty (less nice, but if it’s a thirsty pun I admit to laughing out loud sometimes)(edited)
Deo101
Yeah same lee :/
I've been getting like .1% of my readers commenting and ive been like. Is my writing just not conducive to an interactive environment? This convo should probably move out of reader favorites. Creator babble it is! Lemme go over there w it
keii4ii
There was this thriller webcomic in which the MC was trying to assassinate 4 corrupt politicians for personal grudges. He already got three of them. The last one receives a large, round-shaped flower pot as a gift from his supporters. 3-4 weeks later (IRL I mean), it is revealed that the third target/victim was cut up into pieces, but they couldn't find his head. One reader pointed out "THE FLOWER POT!!!!!!" and I would not have been able to make that connection without that comment. I mean the flower pot thing was revealed the next update anyway, but it was nice to have that comment, and another highest voted comment even specificed "go to [this specific update] for the scene in which he receives the pot"
(The head was in the pot)
Deo101
Thats so fun
Cronaj
Oh my God... It's brilliant
DanitheCarutor
@Pakky221 Distress by Blankd, right? I loved reading that comic back in the day! It's sad that the comic got discontinued, but I have to say I'm enjoying the WIP work for the stuff the creator is working on now. Regarding the conversation about characters, I think I'm the niche person in the crowd. Unless the character themselves or the situation they're in is an obvious mouthpiece thing for someone venting their racism, sexism, homophobia, whatever political views, etc. I don't reeeeally care how characters are treated or used? I've always seen them as tools, even in childhood I was disillusioned about seeing them as real people, so it's hard for me to get emotionally invested in how the author treats them. I don't even care about my own characters outside of portraying their problems, personalities, and situations decently. Probably not a good mindset to have, and it'll probably dox me some points on the "good creator" scale, but it's just my thing I guess. Lol
Bland characters are a pain, though! If you can legit replace your character with a rock, and it would have the same impact or be a livelier option, then... that's kinda sad. (Unless your character has some kind of legit issues relating to appearing bland, or they're sort of the butt of a joke.)
Pakky
@DanitheCarutor o: i don't have any way to follow the creator. the blankd tumblr has been inactive for so long but i agree. Bland characters are my least favorite. There's a lot of comics out there that have some pretty plain main characters that are realllllly hard to relate to.
DanitheCarutor
Aah! Blankd's Twitter is still active, they're working on a game right now, and they've done a few -ahem- adult comics since stopping Distress. https://twitter.com/blankd_ec
Yeah, with bland characters I'd like to think the author is trying to make that type of Sue that anyone can put themselves in? But it ends up turning into the opposite because they're so dead on arrival that no one can relate.(edited)
snuffysam
kind of related to the idea of "i should have an idea of where the story is going at the start", but one other thing that keeps me reading is "the story gets there". like if the comic opens with an old man telling a young knight that she has to travel across the land and slay a dragon, cool! if i continue reading the comic for six months and they're still in the same conversation, i'm probably dropping it! like i get that comics update at different rates, but if you have like one page every two weeks you should probably make sure something interesting happens in the first 20 pages. and the sorts of comics i absolutely love are when, like, the stories actually move forward. like, if i can re-read a comic and feel nostalgia for the earlier scenes, that's how i really turn into a superfan.
Capitania do Azar
The group effort in this chat already pointed some very important points: that not all characters are conventionally attractive (tho I like that, it's not something that would make me stop reading if it were absent), well developed women and LGBT+ characters, and characters with strong motivations that are apparent, make sense in the context of the story and are known to us from the begining. That said, if the comic consistently treats me, as a reader, as if I were not very smart (by constantly overexplaining things, pointing again and again at the obvious, making me go through walls of text because world is more important than character and you need to read a bible to get through chapter 1), I'll probably not engage for too long. I gotta say that the visual style is also a very important factor. I am willing to look through what I consider to be minor issues (like small inconsistencies in drawing/scenario or characters being offmodel) for as long as it doesn't interfere with my immersion in the story. However, some visual styles are a big no-no for me, and I discover that I can't look past those and enjoy a story
Q @CecilieQMT making WAYFINDERS
This chat is very good - also for a first-time webcomic creator. As a reader, I'm almost a little ashamed to say that I'm very picky. Not because I don't like comics, because I LOVE COMICS, but becase I'm so goddamn busy all the time. Everything is constantly competing for attention, and for a comic to be able to hold that attention, it needs to be something extra special. For me, that's an engaging and developed visual style, a plot that gets going quickly, and a sense that the story has been planned. I love that so many different comics exist, I just can't read all of them and also be a creator.
RebelVampire
As a reader, I'm almost a little ashamed to say that I'm very picky. Not because I don't like comics, because I LOVE COMICS, but because I'm so goddamn busy all the time.
I think that's an important sentiment all creators should remember. People are busy. And like, not even just comic creators. I'm talking about basically everyone. Which means good and bad things. Bad thing is that it makes creating a highly competitive market because people are going to be super picky just for lack of time to be un-picky. But the good thing is it means the people who do choose to read your comic are picking it out of all the other comics that they could read with their limited time. And that right there is pretty special.
Cronaj
@RebelVampire That really is a beautiful sentiment.
@Q @CecilieQMT making WAYFINDERS I am also very picky about comics, which is part of the reason I'm so picky about my own work. This is why if an artist doesn't seem professional enough for me, I don't want to waste my time reading the comic, because maybe the writing is unprofessional too. I know I'm missing out on a lot of good content, but as you said, I don't have the time to read a comic and be disappointed when I'm further into it.
keii4ii
I too am picky about stuff, and it's not even because of quality. My tastes are a far bigger factor. Just because I don't read something doesn't mean I think it's bad!!
Cronaj
That is also true
Tastes also play a huge role into why I read or don't read something, not just the "quality" of the art
kayotics
I don’t think I’ve answered the question yet but I’ve been lurking. The first thing to grab me that might turn me into a long term fan is the art style. I don’t think the art is the most important factor but I need to be able to follow along, and if it’s not a style I’m interested in I probably won’t start it. The second thing is the writing in general. I like characters the most, more than world building. So interesting interactions are where I get the most enjoyment. The story could go almost anywhere but if I don’t like the main character I really won’t like the story. So the thing that will keep me going the most is a likeable main cast. And I don’t mean flawless, because that gets boring, but characters that I enjoy seeing fail, and then pick themselves back up again.
DanitheCarutor
So I slept in it and realized when I was talking about plot for my answer, it was actually themes... because I didn't talk about anything relating to plot. Lol shows how professional I am. With pickiness, is it weird that I'm more picky now that I'm jobless than when I was working fulltime? When I was pulling 10-11 hour work days I was literally a drifter, so they never had anything for me to do. I would find anything I could get my hands on to make the time go by faster, so I read as many webcomics as I could. Now I have all day to catch up drawing pages, trying to find a new job, helping my mom with chores, and doing obligatory family bs. I also want to try making some kind of revenue off my drawings/comic, so I've been trying to get in the groove of doing more things. (Which is difficult because pages take almost all my drawing time.) It's hard to find the time to sit down and read a comic now since staying productive is mandatory. Uuuh Tl;dr: I can empathize with being picky due to lack of time.
Q @CecilieQMT making WAYFINDERS
THat's the creator struggle, right? In creating, so much time is spent creating, that it can be hard to find time to consume
Q @CecilieQMT making WAYFINDERS
Ooh, yay!
Deo101
I think also as creators, we tend to have a hard time -if not an impossible one- seperating our work from what we read. I Know I tend to look at other things as a learning experience in some way, either thinking "how would i do this different?" Or "what about this can i apply to my work?" Which makes reading a different, more tiring experience
We may tend to* this might just be me i will admit
DanitheCarutor
@Q @CecilieQMT making WAYFINDERS It is! Sometimes I get so focused on the creating aspect that I forget to do all the other important things like advertising, socializing, promoting other people. Like playing video games, reading comics is an absolute luxury time waster so I don't do it as often as I could anymore.
Aw man! I do that too, Deo! Although it's something I actually enjoy? Something about analyzing a piece of media, and applying what you would do with it is fun.
Deo101
Oh I absolutely do enjoy it! But it takes more time and is draining for me
Cronaj
Definitely makes it harder to enjoy what we're reading
DanitheCarutor
Aauh yeah, that's true. Analyzing does take a lot of brain power and energy.
Deo101
Yeah :/ so to find a story i can really get immersed in is incredibly rare now...
Cronaj
I do this with books I read too(edited)
It's an awful habit
DanitheCarutor
Over analyzing everything is something I've been doing literally since childhood, so I'm used to it. My brain never shuts off unless I'm drawing.
Cronaj
I find myself wanting to rewrite other people's stories
Don't be like me
Deo101
I do it too and i think its just kind of how you think about things when you're a writer
DanitheCarutor
Pff oh no, I've done that too. Not so much now, but in elementary school whenever I watched a show or movie I hated, I would rewrite it.
Deo101
When you pick apart what you dont like or analyze what you do iy lets you apply those things to yiur own work. Its a valuable skill to have and i think its kind of automatic
Cronaj
Even my favorite authors of all time... I end up going back on a reread and wanting to change things that didn't work out so well
DanitheCarutor
It's a really good skill that not enough people have... at least my coworkers are pretty lacking in the critical thinking department. They say it's healthy to question, analyze, and long to improve.
Deo101
Some people are, and that's okay! Those are the people I hope are reading millennium ;)
Jk lol
DanitheCarutor
Lmao! Yeah, it's okay to be a person of simplicity, as long as they don't tell me the hyper-realistic Lion King remake is better than the original.
Deo101
Ahhahahahaha
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I analyse every format of story I consume automatically . Comics, books, movies, etc. I find that it doesn’t take me away from immersion, but it DOES take away my emotional investment. I’m enjoying the story plenty, but I’m less likely to feel attached to a character or be sad when they die. It’s a very rare story these days that will actually give me feelings over the fate of the characters.
FeatherNotes
I can totally see that too though, esp with the crazy amount of works being produced, you def have to do some curating in a sense to see where you will make that emotional investment too
DanitheCarutor
Aaah I get that with horror movies! Lol But in seriousness, I'm the same way for the most part. My immersion is perfectly intact (unless something stupid happens), but my care investment in characters does waver. Usually it's easier when the characters are really weird, and catch my eye, like the corpse man in Swiss Army Man. I got super invested for some reason when he learned how to walk, then when he died again because his friend wouldn't fart in front of him. But normally, nah I don't feel much, especially for death but my views on that are kinda skewed to begin with.(edited)
So I realize I'm really into surreal comedy, if a character can actually make me laugh I'm more invested in their wellbeing.
keii4ii
Analytical reading is great. Though I rarely find myself wanting to fix other people's stories. I have creative tunnel vision and genuinely have no desire to work on anything other than the OTP (One True Project)
Same goes to my own ideas really? I get ideas but auto-filter them out, as I have 0 desire to work on them.
Cronaj
You are blessed lol
Every five minutes, I'm sitting there trying to convince myself to work on ONLY ONE PROJECT AT A TIME.
"Oooh! That's a cool idea! I should E x P l O r E that!
kayotics
I try to not analyze shows or comics unless I REALLY love them or I find them boring and want to be interested in them. For example: I’ll analyze the hell out of Full Metal Alchemist because I ADORE it, but the analysis stage came much later after finishing the comic. If I’m not engaged with a series then I’ll analyze what would make me more interested. I hardly ever try to rewrite other people’s stories
Deo101
Yeah i dony try to rewrite its more of a "what about this didn't i like and how can i avoid doing that in my own work?"
FeatherNotes
ohhh yes agreed Deo
kayotics
Oh yeah definitely. I will sometimes think about that, but usually it’s if something is really bugging me
Deo101
Yeah I partly do it because people sometimes just don't take "idk i didnt really like it" for an answer and I gotta explain. Also its kinda like a puzzle and I like puzzles
kayotics
Oh, on the topic of the question: one other thing that will hook me is whether or not the writing is exciting. For example, I mentioned being bored by some comics, but that doesn’t mean I’m looking for action all the time. What I’m looking for is for there to be something to latch on to. The most mundane story about laundry could be interesting to me if it’s written in a way that engages me.
A really good example of engaging writing in a mundane story is probably Sakana? https://www.sakana-comic.com/ The characters just. Work in a fish stall. But the story holds my interest even in the quiet moments because it’s crafted in a way that keeps developing the characters.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I can’t turn off my analysis mode. It just happens as I’m watching / reading in the background of my brain and there’s no control switch. Sometimes I wish there was so I don’t correctly predict the ending 1/4 of the way through and spoil it for myself. (I’m no longer allowed to make predictions along with my friends when we watch movies together).
Deo101
^^^^ SAME. BIG SAME.
My mom and sister are like that too so we all guess the ending and my dad gets lile >:( I Kno youre right and it's ruined now >:((
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
But agreeing with the above, I don’t want to fix another person’s story. I’m just always asking ‘What made this scene so effective?’ and ‘what made this part not so effective?’. I also map writing patterns, formulas, and file away ‘tells’ in my head as I go.
Me and my friends all like to talk during movies: making snarky comments or predictions. I’m just no longer allowed to do the latter because I will ruin the ending. XD
Deo101
Ahahahahahaha
Yeah I can't go to theaters I've been shushed so much. But its so hard not to talk for me
FeatherNotes
that's a very important skill to have with analysing things to the point of deconstructing them in your own work and making more effective narratives too! it's good to be aware of the content that you consume and really understand what made the work speak/effect you the way it did. Honestly these conversations are much more enjoyable to have than just 'my fave character is that bc they are funny' and it ends there (no shade on simply enjoying things here tho! I def do the same) but yea! being aware to that degree is a good skill for writing
sssfrs
@Glowbat (Aloe) You should read my comc
I’m sorry I’m like this I’m just so focused on what I’m working on its the only thing in my whole brain right now.
You said you like stories with themes and my mind was like themes? my story has themes
keii4ii
Calm down man! XD Though I can relate to brain being 100% focused on your OTP (One True Project)
sssfrs
I love analyzing media. I get bored of reading or watching things really quickly if I feel like I’m starting to understand the central message. Or maybe bored isnt the right word- more like satiated? If the work is really cohesive and Ive gotten the overall message I feel like ive fully enjoyed the media and had a good time
Like analyzing it is enough and then reading is just bomus
bonus
I’m so sorry
FeatherNotes
it's okay to be really into your own work haha! love that passion to keep you going--!
also the OTP acronym is rly cute omg
sssfrs
One True Project I just realized you saidb that that is really cute
Like I said I stop reading if I feel like I have the gist of something(edited)
I think its cool that a lot of us are saying we analyze things all the way and were also making our own stuff like does working on making your own thing cause you to view the details of the construction of the story in a different way?
DanitheCarutor
Like, does being analytical make us construct our stories differently than others? If so I wouldn't say it does for myself, but my visuals tend to get way overly detailed. To the point where important stuff tends to get drowned out, which is something I've been trying to work on. <_<'
keii4ii
It would definitely help with self-editing/ revisions, for one thing.
I don't think you need to be analytical every time you consume a story, but it helps to be able to turn analytical mode on?
Deo101
yeah for me its kind of always on unfortunately. if not when im watching then definitely after having finished
DanitheCarutor
Yeah, turning it off is near impossible. Ah thinking about it, I guess being overly-analytical kiiinda affects my story? (If that's what sssfrs meant) I remember some readers who've said they go back and forth to connect plot details, and the guy who does Webcomic Relief did a super small review where he went nuts analyzing everything. Even down to the reason behind my use of medium. Since I like analyzing I guess I subconsciously made a comic that can be analyzed, or something. Or maybe it's not actually that deep.
keii4ii
That makes sense, though. That we make comics that can be enjoyed the way we enjoy other stories.
I'm not much of a theorizer, so my comic isn't really optimized for theorizing. Though some people have still managed to come up with really cool theories!
DanitheCarutor
Pff I think every piece of media has those theorizers, it's just fun to do for some no matter if they're analyzing some deep piece or Blues Clues. I imagine those types of fans are fun to watch as a creator whether your work is geared for analysis or not.
Oh uh, I forgot to mention. Let me know if I'm getting a little out there, or getting off topic too much. Socializing properly is still something I'm trying to work on, along with the etiquette.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah, I can’t turn off analysis mode either. It’s always running in the background.
sssfrs
I was saying more the other way around, like having experienced the process of creating a story, you think more about the work that goes into it and how the various pieces all come together in a different way than someone who's only ever consumed media linearly would be used to seeing it.
It could go the other way around too though that's interesting, then it's like "what drives people to make stories"?
RebelVampire
For me, there are three qualities that usually hook me in with a new comic. 1) An interesting premise. Not to say I think premises need to be unique, but it's more of a question is do I think it'll explore the premise in an interesting way. For an example, Maiden of the Machine https://maidenmachine.com/ It's not like steampunk is new or anything, but I really wound up liking the premise of it both being a romance and about high society politics with the steampunk setting. So, that drew me in a lot to keep reading. 2) A good balance of themes and story. I'm not a huge fan of comics that are more interested in exploring their themes over their story. I prefer stories where the narrative is the focus, and the theme feels like a natural consequence of the narrative. My example for this is actually the recent Week Long Bookclub comic Missing Pieces https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/missing-pieces/list?title_no=192867 I actually wasn't sure I was going to like it first, but I was super hooked once I started. There were lots of interesting themes to explore around death and revenge, but at the end, the story let me decide how to feel and focused on the narrative. 3) Theory-fodder stories. If there is lots of stuff to theorize about and that is easy to overanalyze based on the most miniscule of evidence, I'm pretty sold. This is the fact that really got me with Galebound http://www.galebound.com/ There were so many small hints and tidbits, both in the story and supplemental material, that I overread and overthought the heck out of this comic. I do wanna note, the things I look for and what hook me are arbitrary and based only on my personal preferences. There are a crap ton of objectively great webcomics out there that I have no interest in reading as a long term fan. Not cause they're bad, they just don't have things I'd personally enjoy reading in terms of being part of the comic's fandom.
#ctparchive#comics#webcomics#indie comics#comic chat#comic discussion#reader favorites#comic tea party#ctp
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Big Hero 7: The Series
www.fanfiction.net
Big Hero 7 S2
Super Sonic Sue and the Sirens’ Return
*Big Hero 7 arrives at the scene where a bank robbery is taking place at night.*
Gogo: What are we looking at?
Cora: Bank Robbery in progress.
Hiro: Omega Danger, scan the perimeter.
*Baymax starts scanning the building and lists off the features the person has.*
Baymax: I detect one suspect. In motion, on wheels.
Hiro: Wait did you say wheels?
*The person zooms out of the bank before they could blink and stops themselves in front of the four.*
Sue: Well, don't you kids look cute in your colorful get up. What are ya? Some kind of circus family?
*Hiro and Cora look at Gogo as Gogo looks at them.*
Baymax: Hello, I am-
Hiro: Omega Danger, you don't need to introduce yourself to the bank robber.
Cora: Seriously, we have secret identities for reasons.
Sue: Didn't your mommy teach you to shut it cyborg?
*The old woman throws out her duffle bag of cash to fight off the four.*
Baymax: I do not have a mommy, I am a robot-
Hiro: Omega Danger look out!-
Cora: Alpha we gotta jump of-!
*But the speed demon zooms past them before she hits Baymax with her speed wheels which results in Hiro and Cora being pinned down by Baymax's own weight.*
Baymax: On a scale of one to ten-
Sue: Its super sonic Sue's famous electric elbow!
*She activates the pads on her elbows to slam dunk the three. Cora starts setting up her own electric gloves to counteract the woman's only for Gogo's disk to knock out her aim, resulting her to miss her targets.*
Gogo: Hey Grandma! Why don't you pick on someone your own speed?!
*The old woman hops over Baymax to face off Gogo.*
Sue: How adorable skater tot!
*Activating her shield visor, she zooms towards the old woman as did the old woman herself. even though Gogo gave her all, she looses balance and falls to the ground, leaving the old woman standing.*
Sue: Deve-skated! Ha ha ha!
Gogo: Whoa... no one's ever out skated me before...
*The old woman zooms out her way to see Baymax with the two teens on his back to stop her.*
Sue: Power Jam!
*Before they could even move an inch, the old woman steals Baymax's rocket fist.*
Baymax: She stole my rocket fist.
Sue: Namaste suckers!
*She zooms out of view of the heroes where she places the fist on a passing trolley as she takes the money with her.*
Cora:.*Low voice*.. Hiro...I think we found Gogo's match...
Baymax: Namaste-
Gogo: Nomaste Omega.
*After that fiasco the four set up a meeting to tell the gang about the old woman. The gang are watching the footage of the woman to see what she's capable of.*
Honey Lemon: She got away with Baymax's rocket fist?
Hiro: Yeah, I had to rush this. Hope its ready.
*Hiro pulls out a new rocket fist for Baymax to put on, hoping it would stick... the fingers fell off.*
Cora: We might need a little more time. Especially since the 3D printer is acting a little wonky right now.
Wasabi: Wow, that lady can skate! Even better than-!
*Honey Lemon places a hand on Wasabi and directs his eyes to Gogo, who's face looks like its about ready to murder him if he completed his sentence.*
Wasabi:...Me?
Honey Lemon: Do we have a file on this new villain?
*Fred scoots his chair over to the gang.*
Fred: I bet her origin story starts with some tragic event, which scars her deeply and still haunts her to this very day! Ooh! I'll start with an in depth, psychological profile!
Cora: Why would you need to do that?
Fred: Callaghan became Yokai because of an accident with the portal which he thought killed his daughter! Also the fact that Obake planned on not only erasing San Fransokyo off the map, but project his dead girlfriend onto you because of brain damage mixed with your abusive, twisted grandmother from your Dad's side of the family!
*The gang stare at Fred in silence, with Hiro giving a face that screams "WTF Fred, seriously?'. Hiro's mind starts racing with memories of Callaghan and the battle on Akuma Island and the portal. Cora has no expression on her mind before she ultimately sighs in exhaustion. Both look at each other to which, Being the good boyfriend he is, goes to hold her close to which the girl hugs him back tight.*
Hiro: Hey, its fine. Kage is not Obake. You've said he's been doing better lately right?
Cora: Yeah... this morning he passed me the salt shaker at breakfast.
Hiro: That's good.
Cora: And as far as we know, Callaghan ain't coming for us...
*Gogo then whacks Fred upside the head, to which he realized what he had done and looks over at Cora and Hiro with guilty eyes.*
Fred: That's my bad! I am so sorry I brought it up!
Cora: No! Its fine, you were too excited, you didn't mean to bring it up to hurt us.
Fred: Whew... thanks...
Hiro: Besides, how about we ask your dad?
Fred: Well he's more of a punch first, psychological analysis later type of guy.
Wasabi: He might know Super Sonic Sue.
*Honey Lemon pulls out information on Super Sonic Sue on the Heropedia page of Boss Awesome.*
Honey Lemon: They do have a 70s retro vibe happening.
*Fred looks at his sketch of Super Sonic Sue and compares it to the picture of Boss Awesome.*
Fred: You have a point.
*Fred pulls out his phone and calls his dad to talk about the new villain they discovered*
Frederickson the III: You've reached the Boss Awesome hotline. Leave a message I'm out roping!
Fred: Must be at the family ranch. I'll try to get him after he fiddles, in the meantime I have a very exciting event to go to! *Pulls out paper* Woo hoo!
Honey Lemon: The dry cleaners?
Fred: Whoops, that's the wrong ticket. *Pulls out the correct ticket*
Wasabi: Noodle Burger cordially invites you for a sneak tasting for our newest creation... the noodle bigger burger?
Fred: Its like a regular noodle burger... but bigger!
*And so Fred heads out his way to Noodle Burger, which leaves the rest of the gang staring at Hiro and Cora working together to create a new rocket fist.*
Honey Lemon: You've mentioned Kage is doing OK right?
Cora: Yup. He's slowly warming up. He's actually going out with my Grandmama for errands!
Wasabi: Huh, so I guess he's OK enough to do errands with your grandmother. That's an improvement.
Cora: Yeah.
*When Fred reaches noodle burger he enters inside with a large smile... until he catches a very familiar... unwelcomed scent.*
Fred: Mole!
Mole: Frederickson.
*The two stare down before a fly lands on Fred's eyes, grossing him out as Mole laughs.*
mole: Weak, I can win a staring contest with my eyes closed.
Fred: *looking around the restaurant* Wait, are we the only ones here?
Mole: I wouldn't wish a dining experience with you on my worst enemy! Which is you...So I'm a little confused about how to feel.
Fred: Look Mole, what do you say we call a truce. You know, so we can enjoy this once in a lifetime experience?
Mole: as soon as the tasting is over, its back to all out war.
Fred: Count on it!
*The two are seated at Fred's reserved seat for their order, prepping themselves for the food as they glare each other down. that's when the server brings out the new item for them to taste: The Noodle Bigger Burger. Its piled with three meat patties and bacon, lettuce and eggs oozing with melted cheddar cheese. After the server places their order in front of them they start eating it.*
Mole; I'm getting a smeck of hickory and uh...*Bites off the burger* what is that?
Fred: Truffle oil.
Mole: Oh! A super taster!
Fred: I give it two thumbs up!
Mole: Ew! Cilantro!
Fred: Cilantro?!
*The two drop their burgers in disgust.*
Fred: There's cilantro in this?! *Chews what food he had* Ugh!
*The two wipe off the taste of cilantro*
Fred: Well that was-
Mole: Upsetting.
Fred: I did not know you were a cilantro hater too.
Mole: It is my number one-
Fred and Mole: Herbal enemy!
Fred: Well, I guess we have
Mole: Somethings
Fred and Mole: in common.
Fred:... this is getting weird.
*Across town Kaguya is on her errands with Baymax 1 and Kage by her side. So far they collected the food off the list. Now they are heading home with the groceries as they enter inside.*
Kaguya: I appreciated you and Baymax accompanying me for my errands Kage.
Kage: Its nothing really.
Kaguya: Of course... put the groceries on the table if you don't mind.
Kage: Understood.
*As Kaguya leaves to enter her room, Kage places the groceries at the table. Once given privacy she looks through her ingredients for the herbal healing tea, the very one that heals all wounds and had turned Globby human again. Since learning that it can help Globby, she started studying the medicine to see if it would help Orso Knox as well. She realizes that she is low on ingredients and sighs in frustration. This meant she would have to find some on land... and others at sea. While the searching the sea was no big issue, since learning of Liv Amara and her actions from her granddaughter and her friends and boyfriend, and how she has an interest in marine bio, this could lead to a risk where she could be spotted or worse, captured by the she-devil and her assistant. Mizuchi would be busy most of the days and there was no way she would expose such secret to her already vulnerable grandchild...which leaves her with only one other person. She goes outside her room to see him putting the groceries in the fridge and pantry as he softly hums to himself, a small and content smile on his face. Hearing it closely it was an Elvis Presely song, Lonesome. She gives a small cough to let him know she's here, to which he stops at his tracks. Blushing at the fact that she saw him hum he turns his head away.*
Kaguya: Its fine Kage… I've heard you have a nice voice... for a human.
Kage: Thank you... especially since this is coming from a mermaid...
*The two chuckle before Kaguya looks at Kage's eyes.*
Kaguya: Kage, there's something very important I need to attend to... and you are gonna help me.
Kage: And what would that be?
Kaguya:... finding ingredients for my healing medicine...
*Meanwhile with the gang, after Fred returns from the taste test and Cora receiving a message that they would be busy and won't return home for a while, they meet up at Boss Awesome's secret lair to talk to Fred's dad... who is wrestling a bull.*
Frederickson the III: Hey gang! Don't mind Benjamin! He likes to tussle. Isn't that right Benjamin?
Wasabi: Looks like more than a tussle.
Cora: Fred, your dad is crazy... in an awesome way that is.
*The doorbell is heard as which alerts them that they have a visitor. Fred answers the door to see Mole there.*
Fred: Oh... its you.
Mole: Hello loser, I was in the neighborhood and... you forgot your souvenir photo.
*Its a photo of them wiping their mouths after tasting the noodle bigger burger. Fred snatches the phot and looks at it.*
Fred: Heh, kinda funny. Looking back at it now.
Mole: *Chuckles* I never thought I meet a fellow cilantrophobic taster. What a glorious time.
Fred: Thanks for bringing the photo by. Very... ugh... I wanna say 'nice'?'
Mole:Yes… it was...Well, back to being enemies.
Fred:... you know..*Takes deep breath* I'm having a Kentucky Kaiju movie marathon..
Mole: All seven?
Fred: Up to and including Son of Kaiju.
Mole: A surprisingly emotional end to the whole saga.
Fred:*Cringes at himself* I can't believe I'm saying this... but mole... Do you wanna join me?... Shall we say tomorrow at sunrise?
Mole:*Cringes at himself* I can't believe I'm going to accept your invitation but I think... I just did?
*After that talk Fred joins back to the lair of Boss Awesome as Cora munches on a bag of strawberries she brought as a snack to share with the gang as they watch Frederickson wrestle the bull.*
Hiro: So Mr. Frederickson, do you remember a Super Sonic Sue?
Frederickson the III: I haven't heard that name in years. She was a roller derby queen till she was kicked for using a performance enhancing rocket skates.
*The Bull keeps hitting Frederickson but he keeps getting back up.*
Cora: So because of that she became a villain?... OK.
Frederickson the III: She broke down a lot of barriers for lady villains.
Honey Lemon: Mr. Frederickson do you know where we might find her?
Frederickson the III: No clue, I don't stay in touch with old foes.
Hiro: But I bet they stay in touch with each other.
Wasabi: You're thinking Baron Von Steamer.
Honey Lemon: Well, its forth a try.
Hiro: Well, looks like we're going to prison.
Cora: Thank you Mr. Frederickson!
*That night; Baymax, Hiro, Cora, Wasabi, and Gogo head to prison to visit Baron Von Steamer in their super suits. When they approach his cell they see that he is strapped to a flat tray on wheels in a upright position and facing away from them.*
Hiro: Ah, Mr. Von Steamer! We, We need your help.
Cora: If you don't mind that is.
*The tray shakes up a few times.*
Hiro:... Baron?
*The tray turns around to show that the baron is asleep and snoring.*
Baymax: Snoring, can be the symptom of sleep apmia.
*An alarm clock starts ringing which jolts the baron awake.*
Steamer: Give me back my pudding!
*That is when he realizes that the company he has is Big Hero 7.*
Steamer: Oh, if it isn't Big Millennial 7. To what do I owe the displeasure?
Cora: Did you know a villain with the name Super Sonic Sue?
Steamer: Oh! That's a name I hadn't heard in years.
Hiro: We're not looking for a long backstory-
Steamer: We were young rouges with an appetite for trouble! She was tough as nails, I was handsome as all get out!
Hiro: Really we just wanna-
Steamer: We became bitter rivals! She wanted to be Boss Awesome's number one enemy, but I had already called dibs!
Wasabi: Couldn't you just be his number two enemy?
Steamer: Second place is first place loser!
Gogo: Yep he's right.
Cora: Look, what we really want to know is if you know where she is!
Steamer: No; but if you see her, tell her I think her catchphrase stinks!
Wasabi: Whats her catchphrase?
*The back of Steamer's cell breaks open to reveal Baymax's rocket fist and Super Sonic Sue. *
Sue: Super Sonic Sue me why don't cha?
Wasabi: Yeah that could use some work.
Cora: I thought it was funny.
*Wasabi pulls out his blades and tries to cut through the glass, but it doesn't even leave a scratch on its field.*
Wasabi: Its reinforced!
Cora: At least the security is actually upgrading for once.
Steamer: Egard! Help!
Sue: Later Skaters!
Steamer: Big Hero 7 save me!
*Sue skates away with Steamer and the rocket fist, with the old man still calling for help.*
Hiro: Baymax! Rocket fist!
*Baymax pulls out his new rocket fist... but it flops spectacularly.*
Baymax: Oh no.
*The team meet up again at Boss Awesome's lair to discuss what happened in their prison visit.*
Wasabi: So I know we're licensed super heroes and all but are we really obligated to rescue steamer?
Gogo: Yeah, I know he's technically a 'victim' but he's also technically annoying.
Frederickson the III: A real hero helps everyone in need! Even your worst enemies! Oh! Hey gang! You forgot to hang up earlier!
Fred: Sorry Dad, love you and WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU!
*Benjamin is behind the retired super and ready for round two.*
Frederickson the III: Thanks son!
Honey Lemon: I guess we're doing night patrol.
Fred: I can't go out tonight, sorry guys. I have to get up early.
Gogo: For something stupid?
Fred: No! Its for my Kentucky Kaiju Movie Marathon!... With Richardson.
Gogo: Called it!
Wasabi: Wait! Richardson Mole?
Fred: It turns out we have a lot in common. Sometimes bitter enemies who disgust you to your core!... Can become...ummm...
Honey Lemon: Friends?
Cora: I wouldn't push to friends Honey Lemon, remember when Mole blackmailed us?
Fred: Exactly! For now its less disgusting enemies. We'll see where this goes.
Hiro: Keep an eye out still. Just in case things go south.
*Around the early dawn Kaguya, Kage, and Baymax 1 had just arrived off the bus nearby the coastal shorelines just outside of San Fransokyo. They had packed enough supplies and a tent for both to sleep as the ingredient search may take days.*
Kaguya: Now remember Kage, have Baymax close to you as you search for these herbs. This is where most of what I need from land grow the best. I will be at sea, I'll call you when I've gathered them all.
Kage: Understood.
*And so, Kaguya walks down the hill to the sandy beach where the moonlight reflects beautifully on the water. She takes a deep breath as she soon runs into the water and dives in; soon her human legs become the elegant green and silver tail, swimming swiftly and carefully through the water. Kage sighs as he starts searching for any of the herbs listed in the paper. But once or twice he would look out the ocean and sigh, a forlorn look in his eyes.*
Baymax 1: You're neurotransmitters are low. Would you like a hug?
*Baymax wraps his arms around Kage as his inner heat monitor rises to warm the man through this cold night.*
Kage: I'm sorry... I was just... lost in thought... the beach was one of our favorite places to go on our dates.
Baymax: Dates?
Kage:... Chara and I. We used to stroll through the sand just talking about our life, the water hitting our feet, and us holding hands...
*Kage looks down at his own hands, remembering how Chara's hands would fit his perfectly.*
Baymax 1: Does being on the beach trouble you Kage?
Kage: Not as much as I thought it would thankfully. Now come on, we better get moving.
*And so they continue to search for the ingredients ahead while Kaguya searches through the fathoms below... unaware of a large figure swimming close by where Kaguya is... and three heads peeking through the water staring at the man and Baymax. Meanwhile Fred is setting up the movie marathon with Mole with snacks and drinks.*
Mole: Whoa! Frederickson, I didn't expect your fancave to be so... dare I say, off the chain? Even your Captain Fancy collection is banging!*Spots the underpants* Wait! Is that?!
Fred: The original underpants Captain Fancy wore in the first Captain Fancy movie! The one and only!
Mole: Oh how did I misjudge you? You're obviously a man of taste and intellect.
Fred: Yes, and you are a boy of taste and intellect, obviously.
Mole: I look forward to this new relationship based on respect and pop culture references.
*And so the two shake hands on it and start up the movies.*
Fred: Now lets do this! See you on the other side!
*Super Sonic Sue pulls up Steamer to a familiar lair so they could talk one on one.*
Steamer: How dare you woman!
Sue: You're a relic Steamer! Ever heard of a little innovation called Electricity?
*She starts up the lights of the lair to brighten the room.*
Steamer: And during the great black out who's operation stayed up and running hmm?! Not the dark Moler I can tell you that.
Sue: Mole was a good bad man. Made me these!
*She shows her electric shoulder pads to demonstrate.*
Steamer: Let me at least sit in my steam room one last time. So I can perish with clear sinuses.
Sue: Perish?
Steamer: Don't you plan to liquidate me and become Boss Awesome's number one nemesis?
Sue: No, don't be stupid. I have a proposition- super villain team up!
Steamer: With you?! Ha! I can defeat Boss Awesome myself... although that has not transpired as of yet admittedly...
Sue: Don't get steamed... get even!
Steamer: Ooh~ That's pretty good can I use it?
Sue: Knock yourself out! Boss Awesome will never see the two of us coming!
*And so the two share a diabolical, most evil laugh together as they think about the final defeat of Boss Awesome.*
Steamer:... You can untie me now...
*Around that time Kaguya had found nearly all the under sea herbs and roots for the medicine, noting how the coral has been inhabiting new fish in the coming season. Along side the herbs and roots were seaweed and kelp along with clams. Those items are gonna be their supper when they return home. She turns around to swim back when she spots a creature swimming through the ocean... the creature that had escaped Sycorax..*
Kaguya: Orso Knox?
*The monster turns his head to see if he had heard correctly. When he sees Kaguya he wiped his eyes before he swims up towards her, unbelieving yet skeptical over how and why a mermaid is here and could understand him.*
Knox: Hello... do I know you?... Miss Mermaid?
Kaguya: You do not, but I do know you from my granddaughter.
Knox: Granddaughter?
Kaguya: Yes. How is your time at the sea?
Knox: Its a lot of getting used to... I almost attracted three different whales with this hum.
*He lets out the same hum to which Kaguya chuckles*
Kaguya: You do realize that is a mating call correct?
Knox: Oh... Oh!... There's also the fact that... you exists...
Kaguya: You know about Oceanus?
Knox: Yes... somewhat... I only got a close look before they could spot me. Its so strange... seeing one in flesh and blood after reading them from myths and legends is quiet the experience.
Kaguya: Of course... now I'm on my to collect the final things I need for a... medicine I am making.
Knox: Would you mind if I accompany you?
Kaguya: Of course... what for?
Knox: There has been other mermaids that had been sneaking around these waters... they've been looking off the water to the small cliff...searching for something...
Kaguya: … how many did you see? And what did they look like?
Knox: Three mermaids, all with silver hair and scales, and have small bags containing what I believe is rope and a net...
Kaguya: And they have been staring at the surface?... Oh no! I have to warn Kage!
*Knox calls out to Kaguya as she speeds her way out of the way, her heart racing a mile a minute.*
Knox: What is going on? What do those mermaids do?
Kaguya: They are sirens who have been kidnapping people and stealing their treasures! And now they're back!
*Kage is resting at his tent, his Baymax already charging down to rest for the time. He looks out the ocean, memories of Chara and himself in their youth start playing. Whether it was funny and playful or romantic and intimate, it always felt that this was their special place, their retreat in this bleak world... He sighs as he lies down to start dozing off... when he heard a small song playing in the distance... getting up he gets from his sleeping bag, listening closely to find the source of the song... only for his eyes to be covered in a blissful haze. Kaguya arrives near the beach where once she sees no other people around, dries herself off and runs up to the tent.*
Kaguya: Baymax! Baymax wake up!
*Their Baymax activates at the sound of Kaguya's voice.*
Baymax 1: Hello, I am Baymax. Kage's personal Healthcare companion. The sound of your voice indicates distress, what seems to be the trouble?
Kaguya: Is Kage nearby? Scan the area.
Baymax 1: Scanning.
*A few minutes pass Baymax finishes his scanning.*
Baymax: I cannot locate Kage.
Kaguya: Oh no!... Alright.. think Kaguya. The sirens would not have gotten far, especially since its near harvest moon...
*She looks out to the sea where she then turns to Baymax. Now her face becomes stern with determination.*
Kaguya: We're gonna need a little help.
*Around that time, the Son of Kaiju finally concludes with a touching ending where the monster carries his newborn baby back to the sea to live in peace, while the man who has a connection to the monster could only smile happily for him and the child, thus concluding his epic saga.*
Fred:*Sniffs and blows nose on tissue* We did it Mole, we watched all-
*But when he turns his head to regard Mole, the young boy is already fast asleep. Fred places a blanket on the sleeping boy as he starts preparing himself for bed.*
Fred: Goodnight Mole.
*But once Mole is left alone, his eyes open to reveal... it was a trap! The next morning Fred comes in with Minimax by his side to greet Mole.*
Fred: Rise and shine Mole. Minimax is gonna make you his famous breakfast burritos.
Minimax: I substitute a pancake for a tortilla!
Fred: Wakey wakey! Who wants pancakeys-
*But when he pulls off the blanket off Mole, all he sees is a stuffed plush replica of the boy.*
Fred: No way! Richardson has a pillow double?
Minimax: Minimaximum suspicious!
*Minimax scans the room to find one thing off connecting to Mole's disappearances.*
Minimax: It appears that your prized undergarments are missing!
Fred: No they aren't there right-
*But a closer look to the case they see its just a pair of boxers with mole's grinning face on it.*
Fred:*Gasp* Mole!
*He pulls out the phone Mole left him and turns it on to see Mole's video message.*
Mole: Thanks to you Frederickson my Captain Fancy Collection just got fancier!
Fred: What?!
Mole: I set up that Noodle Burger tasting to lure you into my trap!
Fred: I thought we were buds?!
Mole: I knew you'd think we were buds! *Laughs*
Fred: You're not gonna get away with this?!
Mole: And I'm gonna get away with this!
Fred: But I have evidence!
Mole: Burn!
*The phone burns itself out to hide all of his messages to Fred to hide away his theft.*
Fred: Ow! *Drops burning phone*
Minimax: I will cool it.
*He sprays water out of his finger to cool it. It explodes to pieces as a result.*
Minimax: I should not have used water.
Fred: No.. probably not.
Minimax: What are you going to do?
Fred: There's only one thing left to do Minimax, Revenge-!
*Just then his TV screen lights up with a message from Hiro.*
Hiro: Fred, we got a message from steamer! Meet us at school!
Fred: Blast! Looks like revenge will have to be served cold.
*Once Fred meets up at school Hiro places the wax cylinder on the phonograph to listen.*
Steamer: Big Hero 7! I'm recording this while Sue is in the potty, I don't think she washes her hands so I have to be quick!
*The entire gang gringes at the info they did not want to hear.*
Wasabi: Not cool Sue, not cool!
Steamer: Take heed heroes, Sue's secret skate lair is in an abandoned factory near the docks. I can't believe I used this precious time to record a wax cylinder instead of escaping! Anyway, Hurry!
Gogo: That is a trap.
Wasabi: Yeah, she probably made him record that.
Cora: Not to mention there's a chance they would team up.
Honey Lemon: But we still have to go to stop them right?
Fred: I put my underpants vengeance on hold for this?!
*The gang stare at him in response, not understanding why Fred would say that.*
Fred: I'll explain on the way.
*And so the supers suit up and start their way to the docks, all the while Hiro and Cora conduct a plan to stop Sue and possibly Steamer.*
Hiro: Gogo will have to go to the back door to skate past Sue to at least knock out her balance at the moment.
Cora: That's when Honey Lemon will join in and dispense her chem balls to glue Sue's skates!
Hiro: Then we look for Steamer and have Fred and Wasabi cut off whatever contraption he made to battle us.
Fred: You know, the way you guys say it sounds a lot sounder.
Hiro: Well we can't just barge in if we suspect there would be a trap right?
*A few moments pass by, with the six of the seven members staring into space.*
Baymax: You all have seem to have lost your train of thought.
Cora: Sorry Baymax! *To Fred* Anyway, I can't believe Mole tricked you to get your collectibles!
Fred: Yeah! And to think I almost considered him a friend. Which is after this I'm gonna set up my revenge and steal my underpants back.
Cora: Just what kind of revenge are you planning? I might have a couple ideas for you to use...
*After hearing Cora's suggestions Fred grins*
Fred: I'll keep that mind.
Hiro: Cora, have you gotten a word from your Grandmother and Kage?
Cora: Their Baymax said that they would be a little busy right now but hopefully should be home by the end of the day.
*As of while the sirens had just surfaced up in an underwater cave after swiftly swimming through the ocean to inspect their new victim. Kage is fast asleep and thankfully did not inhale much water.*
Muya: What do you think Sisters? Is this man something or what?
Lula: He is a little easy on the eyes...
Uma: But he's so scrawny!
Lula: Perhaps, not good enough to be a guard...
*Just behind them Kaguya is swiftly swimming through the water, sneaking behind them as her fingers start to cackle with electricity.*
Uma: Lets take a closer look shall we?
*The three sirens remove the net as the oldest, Muya, leans in to check his health when he eyes widened in recognition.*
Muya: Wait a minute!
Lula: what is it sister?
Muya: This man… he looks like that little boy!
*Kaguya leans in to hear the conversation, her interest peaking when she sees that somehow...Kage is familiar to them.*
Uma: You're right! That's the boy who always spent his time with one of our handmaidens!
Muya: We can't risk the girl recognizing him and plan a escape. Toss him to the waves.
*Handmaidens? Guards?... Did they just say.. that Kage knew one of their handmaidens- A piece of rock fell to the water, alerting the sisters to seeing Kaguya.*
Muya: Oh its you.
Lula: What an unpleasant surprise little sister.
Uma: Last we met you and that machine blasted us out to the middle of the pacific!
Muya: *Grins maliciously* But at least you have no one to help you now!
*The three sirens launch at the elder mermaid, swimming through the water in with ease they all give out their punches and scratches to each other. At one point Kaguya lept out of the water to momentarily escape before diving back. The splash of the water hit Kage's face which knocks him awake. He looks around to find himself in a underwater cave with an air pocket for him to breath. He takes a closer look to the water to see the sirens and Kaguya battling it out. Taking this as a chance to find a way out and get help he looks for any crevice's or cracks that would hopefully lead him to the surface. While he did he found odd trinkets which most certainly did not belong to the sirens. A rose bobby pin, a fishermen's badge, an old music box, and-*
Kage:...It can't be...
*Walking towards it he sees a baby blue hair scrunchie. Picking it up he lightly touches it.. that's when he sees the initials sewn onto the hair scrunchie... C.B... The only one he knew who had a scrunchie with their initials sewn was-*
Kaguya: AAAH!
*Kage snaps out of his thoughts and returns to focus on the fight, to which he sees Kaguya being dragged down by two of the sirens with the one holding what seems to be a large rock. His eyes widening he grabs a sharp piece of stone and dives in. Kaguya is pinned to the ground, her face receiving cuts and bruises. But before the siren could finish the job, a sharp stone slashes her arm, making her drop the stone in pain. She turns her head to see Kage, his eyes furrowed. Taking this time Kaguya snaps out of her sister's hands and quickly grabs Kage to swim as fast as she could, with the sirens hot on their trail.*
Kaguya: Hold on Kage! We're getting out of here!
*Meanwhile, the gang had arrived at the abandoned warehouse where the team take their positions. Once they do Baymax blasts through the wall to enter inside with Hiro and Cora.* Sue comes through to face the three.
Sue: Oh no! The circus is in town, how did you ever find me?
Cora: Lucky guess.
*Gogo zooms into the action but before she could at least even move Steamer comes out with his new steam powered machine to fight them. Taking this as a cue the other three join in only for Sue to zoom past them to knock em out of balance.*
Steamer: You fell for our trap!
Gogo: Just for the record, we already knew.
Sue: Aw, widdle heroes outsmarted by maturity!
Wasabi: Why are you talking like that?
Sue: Cause its funny! Lighten up!
*She hits up her electric pads and slams them to knock them all off balance one more. With that they both rise up to deliver the painful blow to Big Hero 7.*
Cora: Everybody run!
*And so they all split up to get away from the claws of Steamer's machine.*
Sue: Who's ready for a butt to the gut?
Fred: Ready and ooh!
*Sue slams her butt to Fred's gut which knocks him out to the wall and land in the open box crate.*
Steamer: One down, six to go!
*Honey Lemon dodges her way out to the flames to which she quickly pulls out her chem balls to throw at it to burst it to water, distinguishing them before they could hit her. But while she did that Sue takes this opportunity to use the strap of her chem purse to spin her out.*
Sue: Thanks for the whip toothpick!
*And soon Honey Lemon is dunked to the box where Fred is in.*
Honey Lemon; Name calling is totally immature!
Sue: Super Sonic Sue-me why don't cha?
Wasabi: How about this instead?
*Wasabi brings out his laser blades to fight her, but her quick moves soon enough wear him out as he couldn't keep up and exhausts himself.*
Sue: That all you got Laser paws?
Wasabi: *pant*... give me *Pant* a second...
Sue:OK...one.
*She then knocks Wasabi out.*
Sue: Who else wants a shoulder sandwhich!
*Gogo zooms into action to challenge Sue to which the villainous skater happily accepts. This is payback time for Gogo. They skate across the warehouse as Baymax, Hiro, and Cora jump in.*
Hiro: Blades Master watch out!
*Wasabi quickly rolls his way out of Steamer's flames. But soon Steamer brings out his hammer to smash him only to be stopped by Baymax. Hiro and Cora quickly get off to help Wasabi out of the way.*
Steamer: This isn't my first rodeo junior!
*As Steamer goes after the four, Gogo zooms after Sue. Cora notices this and soon starts charging up her electric gloves, all the while running for her life from Steamer. But once Sue gets the lead she slams her elbow pad to stun all of them to the ground, making Cora's gloves crackles before they kaput for now.*
Gogo: Omega Danger, Rocket fist!
*Baymax brings out his rocket fist-*
Sue: Taunting* Omega Danger, rocket fist!
*The pushes the position to of the rocket fist to the crates behind Gogo which soon pin her down.*
Sue: *To Baymax* Well, looks like its down to you Fire truck!
Hiro: Baymax, Over Drive mode!
Cora: Wait don't!-
Baymax: Over Drive Mode initiated.
*Baymax obeyed Hiro's command and transformed himself to Over Drive Mode.*
Sue: Hey Steamer! Can your bug thing do that?
Steamer: Of please its all flash.
*Sue tries to slam the bot but is repelled back. Then Steamer tries to take a whack at him but is stopped. Baymax uses his wings to battle them out and cuts out the legs of Steamer's machine.*
Steamer: No! Those were low bearing leds.
Hiro: Nice one!
Cora: Dude! Over Drive mode only lasts a few minutes! And you use it on the one bad guy who outran Velocity?!
Hiro:... Oh no..
Sue: Oh no is right kiddo! He's got the power but does he have the endurance?
Gogo: Crap.
*And sure enough Sue speeds around Baymax, exhausting his battery much faster than normal and reverts to being regular Omega Danger... but now he's a battery deprived, drunk robot.*
Baymax: you're sO FaST… WhER'd sHe go?
*He falls to the ground exhausted.*
Sue: Aw, big foot down.
Baymax: TiMe FoR NaP nAp.
Sue: No Substitute for a bad attitude.
Steamer: We still got it! *Evil Laugh*
Sue: *Evil laugh*
*Soon enough the two villains are competing for the last laugh.*
Wasabi: Are you actually competing for the last laugh?
Sue: Lets finish this later.
Steamer: Agreed.
*She sneaks in her last laugh.*
Sue: I win!
Gogo: I'd give this trap a C minus!
Steamer: Oh we're not through yet! This was just the trap's preamble!
Sue: With Big Hero 7 on the ropes, Boss Awesome will be forced to come here and save you nitwits!
Steamer: But he won't suspect Super Sonic Sue and Baron Von Steamer to be fighting side by side! And finally-
Sue and Steamer: We'll have our revenge!
*The villainous duo laugh until they hear the spingle of a cowboy boot.*
Steamer: Wait, who's the cowboy?
Cora: No way!
Boss Awesome: Hey, this isn't my first rodeo.
Steamer: I said that just five minutes ago! Didn't I just say that?
*Soon Boss Awesome steps out of the shadows to face his two old enemies once more.*
Boss Awesome: But not dressed like this; now the quip has layers.
Sue and Steamer: Boss Awesome!
Fred: Dad!
Boss Awesome: Good to see you too son!... That is you in there right?
Fred: Yeah! Oh and BTdubs, this is a trap.
Sue: I knew you couldn't resist the classic villain team up!
Boss Awesome: You know me too well Susie. So you know I'm not gonna let you win
Sue: Ha! You'll never beat the two of us! Mostly because of me, but also because you've been out of the game Boss Dinosaur!
Fred: She's right Dad! Its been a while since you were in an over the top, climatic super hero fight. Be careful!
Boss Awesome: Thanks kids, but I got this!
*And so the fight between Super Sonic Sue, Baron Von Steamer, and Boss Awesome begins! With Steamer using his steam gun he is able to blind Boss Awesome while Super Sonic Sue zooms in to knock him out. Boss Awesome rolls back up to clash with Super sonic Sue, both determined to pin the other down. And soon enough he picks her up and slam dunks her down to the ground. Soon Steamer joins in the fight as did Sue, with Boss Awesome dodging out of the way and using the classic, come get me hand gesture. The villainous duo punch Boss Awesome to a wall only for his feet to steady himself to crack the wall itself.*
Boss Awesome: I call this one the blender!
*Soon he propels himself, spinning like a blender and a blow to Steamer.*
Sue: Oh yeah? Well I call this one the flying squirrel!
*With that she launches up and slams her whole body to Boss Awesome, pinning him down.*
Sue:*Evil Laugh* Prepare to be defeated by your real number one enemy!
*Suddenly a gust of steam pushes Sue out of the way.*
Steamer: There's only one room for Boss Awesome's number one enemy and that one is me! *Evil laugh*
Boss Awesome: Under swing!
*He kicks Steamer out of the way and into the very crate Fred and Honey Lemon landed on. Soon enough Fred slams the lid and Honey Lemon uses her chem ball to glue it to place.*
Fred: Nice one dad!
Boss Awesome: The inverted hammer! It never fails!
Cora: *helping Hiro up* OK now, lets call the cops and get these baddies to prison retirement!
Hiro: What a crazy time for us huh?
Cora: Yup! I give this super hero climax an A plus!
*As of while Kaguya is zooming through the surface of the ocean with Kage, trying to outswim the sister. Soon enough the two see sharks swimming towards her to which she propels herself through the water while throwing Kage up in the air before she catches him. Kaguya turns her head to see the sisters still after them when she gets an idea. She takes a deep breath before gentle vibrations are felt through the water. Soon enough, an unlikely ally comes to their rescue.*
Knox: *Growl*
*Knox punches out the sharks which causes them to scurry away and see the sirens, now with determined and disgusted looks on their face.*
Muya: So the rumors are true...you are the creature of the world above!
Uma: How disgusting!
Lula: you're even more hideous up close!
*The three sirens swim forward to deliver a triple punch to Knox but he swiftly swims up and launch himself to them. With that Kaguya grabs pushes Kage up to the surface and calls a dolphin to help him swim the rest of the way to shore. Finally Kaguya joins the fight with Knox and soon enough, with Kaguya's trickery and Knox's strength, they manage to trap them all in sea weed with their arms and tails unmovable. *
Kaguya: Thank you Mr. Knox.
Knox; What do you suppose we do to them?
Kaguya: For now I better head back to-
Muya: Orso Knox? The human who had been the monster among the land folk?
Uma: Sickening. So this is what Sycorax is doing!
Knox: Did you just say Sycorax?!
Lula: Yes! Their ship is often found here at night, collecting bits and pieces of the sea.
Muya: Rumors are that they are looking for a certain... beast in the water...
*Kaguya looks at Knox before she thinks over what she overheard at the grotto. At the shore Kage successfully crawls his way back to shore where he sheepishly waves at the dolphin who happily chirps back and swims back home. He then pulls out the scrunchie in his pocket, his eyes glimmering with memories and confusion.*
Baymax: Hello Kage.
Kage: *looks up to see Baymax standing in front of him.* Oh! Baymax!... How do you do?
Baymax: Your body temperature is low, I will warm you up.
*Baymax pulls out a blanket and wraps it around his shoulder and hugs him, using his built in heater to warm him up. Kage sighs at the warmth and at the scrunchie, his thoughts running wildly about all this.*
Kaguya: Kage!
*Kage looks up to see Kaguya crawling up to the sandy beach, which he immediately uses a spare blanket to dry her off before anyone could even see her.*
Kage: Are you alright?
Kaguya: I'm fine Kage, had some help with a friend.
*She turns her head to see the top of Orso Knox wink at the two before swimming off.*
Kage; What happened to the sirens?
Kaguya: Orso Knox is keeping guard of them.
Kage: what? What for?
Kaguya:...It seems like they know something interesting about the woman who has been spinning Big Hero 7 on the ropes... they could have information about Sycorax.
Kage: But how do we know they aren't lying?
Kaguya: I know something that can help us. It is something very powerful that could distinguish a lie from truth. But right now lets just head back home and start assembling the medicine. These questions will have to be answered later.
*With that the three walk off, with Kage staring at the sea then at the scrunchie... yes... later they will talk.*
*Meanwhile the police had arrived and are currently taking the two villains to prison.*
Sue: *To Gogo* You know, I gotta thank you Skater tot?
Gogo: Yeah? For what?
Sue: Inspiring me to lace up after all these years. I saw you tearing it up on the news and knew I had some skate left in me.
Gogo: Super Sonic Sue- me why don't cha?
Sue: Nice.
Boss Awesome: Lets do this again sometime... say ten to twenty years? Haha, classic!
Steamer: Settle one thing: which of us is your arch enemy?
Boss Awesome: My arch enemy?... Cabbage soup! I love it, but it doesn't love me!
*And so Steamer screams to the sky, knowing he is second place to cabbage soup.*
Steamer: NOOOOOO!
Baymax: NOOOOOO!
Cora: Omega Danger whats wrong?!
Baymax: RiGHt?
*Hiro face palms as Cora sighs. That's when she gets a text from her phone.*
Cora: Awesome! Grandmama and Kage are back home! Man I can't wait to tell them about today!
Fred: Well, it looks like there's one more thing to wrap up!
*Later that night Fred dons his chameleon suit to take back his prized collectible from Mole's hands. When he reaches to the Mole Hole however, all he sees is Mole...with just his action figures.*
Mole: I know you guys didn't think I could pull it off, Well get ready to be amazed! Meet the newest addition to my Captain Fancy Collection! OK who's hungry for pizza? Anchovies? Not again Christopher! Oh good idea Hector I'll go see if they have any coupons! Oh don't worry Brittney I'll get a gluten free option.
*Later on Fred returns home.*
Minimax: Was vengeance served? I do not detect your prized undergarments.
Fred: No Minimax, Mole needs those underpants a lot more than I do. Turns out he collects to fill a friendship void. Probably wouldn't have it if he wasn't so creepy and rude, but it definitely cost him company. I felt bad for the little jerk so I let him keep them.
Minimax: Your nobility is immense!
Fred: Its like my dad said, a real hero helps everyone in need. Even his enemies.
Minimax: Help, an enemy? You have blown my mind!*His head bursts into flames to which he puts out*… I'm in need of repair.
Fred: Yeah... but that doesn't mean he isn't exactly off the hook for tricking me. So I placed a little prank.
*The next day, Mole receives a package labeled Captain Fancy Vs Humax fist, a movie that had yet to premier. Mole gasps in excitement and soon starts playing it. The opening credits start with the promise of the epic fight when-*
Singer: Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Not gonna run around and desert you!~
*The face Mole had spoke volumes in itself. As of while Fred is with his Dad, spending time together in the lair talking about all the adventures they had.*
A.N: Here's Super Sonic Sue! Sorry for the delay, school and such! Didn't expect the sirens or Orso Knox huh? FYW, if you wanna learn more about the Sirens, check out Steamer's Revenge and Oceanic Secrets! Love you all!
#Big Hero 7#big hero 6 fanfic#Hiro Hamada#Cora Mizichio#hiro hamada x oc#Wasabi#Baymax#Gogo Tomago#Honey lemon#honeygogo#Fred Frederickson IV#fred frederickson iii#Boss Awesome#rip stan lee#Super Sonic Sure#baron von steamer#Kaguya Sakurai#Obake#Kage Mizichio#Bob Aken#The Sirens#orso knox
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Spring 2019 Anime Season
Here’s what I’m watching:
Gunjou no Magmel is definitely my favorite new show of the season. It has a fun setup that lends itself well to lots of different stories: a mysterious new continent suddenly appears one day, full of new animal and plant life and inspiring people across the globe to explore it. Of course, the place is incredibly dangerous, which is why many people work as professional “rescuers” hired to go and retrieve those who have been lost or trapped in the new continent. The protagonists of the series are a pair of rescuers: the highly skilled and unflappable Inyou and his tech genius sidekick Zero (who doesn’t physically go to the continent but instead controls a drone). Right away the series provokes a feeling of adventure that reminded me somewhat of One Piece. The new continent, known as Magmel, is beautiful and teeming with life. The series wisely presents it in a neutral light. There are dangerous creatures there, definitely, with some seriously horrific body horror imagery (much of it veering into nightmare fuel territory), but the series is quite clear about the fact that these creatures are just behaving naturally. There’s no malice there. In fact, the only truly malicious and cruel actions are performed by the humans who go to Magmel to take advantage of the creatures there for their own profit. Inyou understands this, and is generally sympathetic to the animal and plant life, while still prioritizing the preservation of human life. It’s an interesting balance. It’s also interesting that a show with the above mentioned body horror and nightmare fuel is presented with bright, cheerful, cartoony art and peppy, upbeat music. This is an adventure series, not horror, and sometimes there’s even a degree of beauty in the terrors seen in the mostly standalone episodes. The two leads, Inyou and Zero, are entertaining and have a fun dynamic between them. They act more like family than anything else, with no romantic tension at all so far (and I hope it stays that way). Currently sitting at the top of my watch list.
Ace of the Diamond Act 2 is the sequel series I’ve been looking forward to. The original series was a favorite of mine, with a fairly realistic portrayal of baseball and a team of fun, quirky characters, including Miyuki, the only character that springs to mind when I think of the term, “husbando”. He’s a fan-favorite and incredibly popular for a reason. He’s sharp-witted, the most skilled player on the team, and also has a rather twisted sense of humor (he’s the kind of guy who, upon realizing a new member of the team doesn’t like him, is totally delighted and thinks of how fun that’s going to be). Miyuki gushing aside, the show has great art that rarely goes off-model and somewhat smooth animation. The music so far is okay, nothing special (the opening and ending themes were hit and miss in the original series as well). Main character Sawamura is still annoying (like Asta in Black Clover, he tends to scream rather than speak) but his underdog status and genuine love of the sport and his team make him endearing enough to overlook his negative traits. My only real gripe with the show is its tendency to recap that last several minutes of the previous episode in each new episode, making you wait quite a while to get to the new content. This would be a much bigger deal in marathon viewing, but on a weekly basis, I can deal with it.
Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu is a cute series about cute girls doing cute things. This is a genre I’m generally not fond of, mainly because the girls in these types of shows tend to be sexualized in a creepy way and their “cute antics” tend to be banal and annoying. In this show, however, neither of those two problems are present. In fact, if the show had a male love interest, it would feel very shoujo to me. The focus of the story is on a shy girl with severe social anxiety trying to make friends in her new school. She’s a bit awkward but cute and earnest, so watching her attempt to talk to strangers is funny but also heartwarming. The small circle of friends that begins to form around her is made up of equally cute and funny girls, each of whom have distinct personalities and character designs. Surprisingly, considering this is based on a manga aimed at male readers, none of the girls seem specifically designed to appeal to a male audience. They come across as genuine, well developed characters. The art and music are cute, but not very notable. My only complaint is the subplot involving a young teacher who takes one look at the blonde, tanned Nako and immediately judges her as a juvenile delinquent and is thus afraid of her. It’s meant to be funny, I suppose, but I find it annoying that a teacher would be so judgmental, especially considering Nako is a quiet, well-behaved student who gives absolutely no indication that she’s a delinquent. Ah well, it’s a relatively minor subplot so I can overlook it.
Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3 was hotly anticipated after a strong season two and the amazing Dead Apple movie. Following a group of supernaturally “gifted” members of a detective agency and their conflicts with other “gifted” groups (including the ruthless Port Mafia), this show is one of the best series of the past several years. It has a bit of Durarara!!’s cool vibe and style, but with a more straightforward story. This is a series that handles all of its various story elements very well, from the action scenes to the heartfelt moments to the comedy, and looks great doing it. I still prefer the comedy and characterization of season one, but only because they were done SO well. The more serious, plot-driven arcs of late are still fantastic. The music is great too, with my favorite opening theme of the season (and there were some outstanding ones this season, so that’s saying something).
Kimetsu no Yaiba might just be my second favorite new series. Every season has a new show that gets a lot of hype, and in my experience around half of those shows actually live up to that hype. This show is definitely in that good half. With fluid animation, excellent music, and an interesting setup (a young boy’s family is slaughtered by demons, leaving only one sister behind who has become a demon herself, so he trains to become a demon slayer and find a way to turn her back into a human), this series seems primed to become a hit. The protagonist, Tanjirou, is a fairly standard kind-hearted hero training to join a group and accomplish his goal. The series doesn’t tread a lot of new ground in that respect, but it does everything so well that it’s easy to forgive it for not being the most original story. The most interesting aspect is the sister, Nezuko, who instead of being a delicate young flower for him to constantly protect is a demon herself who, in an early scene, literally kicks another demon’s head clean off. She’s a powerful ally in battle, which is refreshing. The other characters haven’t had much screen time yet, but seem fun so far. Overall, it’s a very well-done, if somewhat unoriginal, show. Highly entertaining and high on my watch list.
Midnight Occult Civil Servants is much better than it seems at first glance. Protagonist Arata joins a particular group of civil servants that deal with mythological creatures called “Anothers”. They range from fairies to gods to Japanese-based creatures like Tengu (this mishmash of mythology actually reminds me of Shin Megami Tensei). Arata quickly realizes that he’s the only member of the team who can understand the languages used by the Anothers, and so he becomes a valuable tool when dealing with them. The show presents a variety of creatures with a variety of behaviors. Some Anothers are friendly to humans and mean no harm, while others are outright malicious. Others still are just indifferent. At first, it seems like the show is going to be about Arata clearing up misunderstandings that his fellow team members have about the Anothers, but then the show lets us know that not all Anothers are friendly, and being able to understand their words doesn’t mean Arata can understand their motivations or can do much to stop them from doing bad things. The episodes are often inspired by real life urban legends, and overall has an air of mystery. The art is fine, with interesting, varied character designs but animation that’s just okay. The music is above average though, with my favorite ending theme of the season. It’s not my favorite new show, but it has a secure spot on my watch list.
Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 really doesn’t need much of a write-up, since it’s just a continuation of a season that was delayed (and that I already wrote about). I’ll just keep it brief and say it’s still great, is finally getting into one of my favorite arcs from the manga, and has a gorgeous opening theme.
Mobile Suit Gundam Origin is the tv series version of an OVA that details the origins of one of the Gundam franchise’s most popular characters (and one of my all-time favorites): Char Aznable. I never watched the OVA (despite intending to for the longest time) so this is all new content for me. What I find most interesting is the visual style, which looks very much like the classic Gundam art style of the original late 70‘s tv series but with more modern, smooth animation and some CGI mixed in. There’s a strange awkwardness to the art style that feels oddly natural. It was present in the old tv series and it’s present here. It’s kind of hard to explain if you haven’t seen it yourself though. Art aside, the story is definitely interesting. While Char’s basic history had already been revealed years ago, we didn’t really know the details. Char is a complicated character, which explains his popularity several decades after his debut. He was ruthless, cold, and calculating even as a child, but he loved his family very deeply and was surprisingly emotional. There are also badass lady characters to enjoy (who also appeared in the original series - I’ve always found it interesting that a show made in 1979 had more complex, strong, and generally well-written female characters than more modern Gundam series like Wing, Seed/Seed Destiny, and Iron Blooded Orphans). The music is fantastic here, and it’s overall a very solid show. Now I wish they’d remake the original series with this kind of animation (and cut out some of the filler).
Shoumetsu Toshi is, honestly, at the bottom of my list. The animation quality is just okay, with questionable character design choices (for the first few episodes, there were two unrelated female characters with such strikingly similar designs that it was very confusing). The story is a bit of a muddled mess. It mostly follows a young girl who survived a bizarre event where a whole city full of people suddenly vanished (later dubbed “The Lost”), and the young man who has been hired to help her return after she receives a message from her father, who was one of the people that vanished, telling her to come back. The setup is actually very interesting and mysterious. The problem is that the series throws too many concepts and ideas at us way too quickly, and explains none of it. It might be because the show is based on a video game, and the writers assumed people watching the anime would be familiar with the game and its various elements. Already in the show we have time travel, undefined magical powers, totally different powers that allow people to summon the souls of the vanished victims to fight for them like Persona, shadowy organizations doing human experiments, fancy artifacts that grant even more abilities, phantom thieves, idol groups, hackers, detective agencies, and double agents that have infiltrated the police. There’s just way too much going on, and as a result, the core plot that was actually interesting gets crowded out and choked. I’m still watching because the show is still entertaining in a strange way, but it’s a shame that it wasted a lot of its potential.
Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons:
Black Clover
Best of Season:
Best New Show: Gunjou no Magmel
Best Opening Theme: Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3
Best Ending Theme: Midnight Occult Civil Servants
Best New Male Character: Inyou (Gunjou no Magmel)
Best New Female Character: Nako (Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu)
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ASTRO for 10+Star (2018 February issue)
10: You shot for a pictorial with 10+Star for our December issue in 2016 but you’re now our cover model.
Cha Eunwoo: I’m proud. Back then I said, "Next time let’s meet when we’re the cover models," and it came true. The new year energy feels good.
10: Advanced congratulations. 23rd February is the day where ASTRO turns two.
Moonbin: Seems like yesterday we put out our first album but now we’ve already released up to five. It was possible because we had AROHAs (ASTRO’s fanclub name). Also, our staff who are always zealously helping us behind the scenes, had a huge part to play. I’m grateful to my members, the people around us and everyone.
10: You debuted as the youngest boy group in 2016 but next thing we know, you’ve all grown into adults with the exception of Sanha.
Rocky: I was at 2017 MBC Gayo Daejejeon when it turned 1st February 2018. As soon as the day changed, I could feel the adult swag inside me emanating (everyone laughs).
Cha Eunwoo: I turn 22 years old this year. I think that a guy gets cooler with age so I want to quickly grow older. I believe that 10 years later I would’ve become an ASTRO and a Cha Eunwoo who’s strong, who has a comfortable status and who other people can rely on.
Yoon Sanha: Growing older makes me upset and sad. When we debuted, I was the youngest in the whole entertainment industry but now there are many younger than me. There were a lot of good points being the youngest… Anyhow, I want to remain as ASTRO’s baby forever (everyone laughs).
10: What are 'the star of the Year of the Golden Dog' MJ’s ambitions?
MJ: I’m now 25 years old. Seeing as how the other members are young, I wasn’t too happy about growing older (laughs). I’m trying not to feel impatient. As the star of the year of the dog, I want to really improve on myself this year and produce results that grab attention.
10: Moonbin was in DBSK’s music video 12 years ago. DBSK, who completed their military service last year, are promoting again starting this year so how do you feel?
Moonbin: Back then, I appeared in the music video for 'Balloons' as U-Know Yunho sunbae-nim’s younger self and last year, I got to sing the song at a music broadcast. After becoming a singer and singing once more the song that I was in the music video for, it felt odd. I harboured the dreams of becoming a singer because of DBSK’s sunbae-nims. They’re seniors who are really special to me. From what I heard last year, U-Know Yunho sunbae-nim apparently remembers me. I feel like my heart will beat fast if we meet at the broadcasting station. I want to tell him, "I watched you, earnestly learnt and harboured dreams of becoming a singer." (laughs) I hope that I’ll mature to become a cooler singer than I am now and be someone else’s dream. I think I’ll be really really proud.
10: What’s the most memorable event when you look back at the last 2 years?
MJ: There are so many… If I had to pick one then it would be our first solo concert held in July last year. ASTRO’s lightstick with the name 'robong-ie' was first introduced that day (laughs). The concert started and the robong-ies our fans in the audience were holding onto, twinkled and that sight couldn’t have looked any prettier.
Cha Eunwoo: I was the happiest preparing for our concert too but it was also hard on me. Firstly, I was able to cross off one of the things from my bucket list which I dreamt about since debut so I was happy. It was also fascinating how the number of songs we’ve released has reached over twenty. Having only watched other singers’ concerts but then becoming that very protagonist on stage, left me in a deep sea of emotions. What tired me then was that I had to prepare for the concert and our album while at the same time film for my drama so it wore down my stamina. Thanks to that I now don’t feel exhausted during most of my schedules (laughs).
10: Your performance and AROHAs’ card section at 2017 MBC Gayo Daejejeon became a hot topic.
Cha Eunwoo: It was a stage that I’ll remember for a long time. On the day of recording, we had an athletics completion with the fans before shooting for the performance video. It was really fun. As for the card section, the fans had separately practiced for it for around 2 hours. We secretly watched them. There was a hole in the waiting area so we observed them and the fans were really really cute (laughs). I felt proud that these people were my fans. I replayed the card section video several times after the broadcast.
10: I heard that you’ll be momentarily busy due to schedules with your overseas fans.
JinJin: ASTRO will be going on an international tour, 'ASTROAD', starting with Taipei. The bigger picture is the same as what we pulled off at our Seoul concert last year but we’ll try to add on a special stage to show. Also, the previous time was our first solo concert so we’re preparing with the mindset that we should compensate for the things we felt regretful about.
Yoon Sanha: I want to let the whole world know of ASTRO though this world tour. We took part in overseas concerts several times but it’s a first for us to be holding a solo tour. It’s not just about getting our name out there, I want people to realise that ASTRO is a team that excels.
10: Are you going towards the direction that you hoped of when you first debuted?
MJ: I think we’re running at a faster speed than I had expected. It hasn’t been long since we’ve promoted but we’re receiving so much love.
Cha Eunwoo: It wasn’t as I imagined. But still, I think that I’ve grown enough that I’m able to tell myself, "Hey, you’re doing well" (laughs).
10: Which areas do you feel like you’ve improved upon in the 2 years?
Moonbin: There are a lot of things I’ve gained since debuting. Being a trainee was a period for me to build my weaponry and brush up my skills while debuting is a period where I’ve been put into action and I’m making use of my skills. I learnt through that process what skills I should use in what situation.
MJ: I’m the youngest at home but the eldest in the team. That’s why I played the hyung role wrong in the beginning. As time passed, I slowly tried to become a hyung who’s reliable and who looks after his younger members.
Cha Eunwoo: Individual Cha Eunwoo improved his social skills and learnt patience. Team ASTRO gained a sense of self. We’re participating more in the production of our albums. So I’m looking forward even more to our next album.
10: It’s really a moment for you to cement your team’s color. You’ve kept to your 'refreshing-idol' concept up till now.
JinJin: We practiced powerful dances pre-debut. I was perplexed that we were promoting with a bright concept. I talked about this a lot with the company. Based on what I’ve seen from monitoring, I also think refreshingness is a color that suits us well. But it’s not like all our songs are bright and refreshing. We also have a lot of ballad tracks which you can feel are slightly richer in emotions. I want to slowly let others now that we are a team capable of pulling of various genres.
Moonbin: For 'Crazy Sexy Cool' from our last album, 'Dream Part. 02', we went with a 'refreshing sexy' concept. We held onto our refreshing image but mixed in a different color. It’ll continue to be like that. Our next concept could be 'refreshing power' (laughs). If I had to compare to a movie, it doesn’t mean that just because 'Spiderman' is coming out with a new series that the protagonist should change. The protagonist ASTRO and the refreshing image will stay as is but I want to add on new elements.
Rocky: What’s clear is the fact that we have a lot more to show in the future. Really, what we’ve shown up till now isn’t all of it.
10: How well did you think you pulled off the 'refreshing sexy' concept in 'Crazy Sexy Cool'? If you had to express it as a score out of the perfect 100?
Cha Eunwoo: 85 points. I worried a lot about whether the fans would feel the difference in our new concept but I heard a lot of compliments as we promoted. I’m satisfied with myself.
Yoon Sanha: I want to give us 80 points. We’ve certainly grown as compared to when we first debuted. But there are definitely awkward aspects since we’re still young. So I took off 20 points.
JinJin: 80 points for me too. To be honest, there are a lot of regretful bits but the fans liked it so I raised the score (laughs). We’ll make up for the remaining 20 points with our diverse sides which we’ll show in the future.
Moonbin: An expected 80 points from me. I think it’s significant that I challenged new attempts whilst referencing concert videos from Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake whom I admire.
MJ: Then 80 points for me too… No, 70 points! It was a concept we were trying for the first time so it was hard. It was our first challenge so I’ll give us 70 points first and I’ll try to show you a sexiness of 100 points in the future (laughs).
Rocky: 30 points for me. I’ve just turned 20 years old so what could I possibly know? (everyone laughs) I tried my best to express myself but the way I see it, I just came across as pretending to be sexy. I think that once I grow older, I’ll be able to give off diversified vibes.
10: Cha Eunwoo heavily promoted individually as 'ASTRO’s face'. You must’ve felt a sense of burden and responsibility.
Cha Eunwoo: It was burdensome when we first debuted. I was really worried that the members might be affected because of me. But its not like that now. It’s not as though carrying that feeling of burden means things go smoother for me (laughs). My mindset is that if I do my best at everything then it’ll reflect good on the team. The members are also doing well already. I want us to quickly grow and go up to a higher place together.
JinJin: Eunwoo’s really mature. He’s in no way at all conceited. He tries to apply to our team what he’s seen and learnt during his individual promotions. For example, he’s currently the MC for MBC’s Show! Music Core and he’ll come to us after watching their stages and suggest, "This team is strong at this, how about we try doing it too?" Then I’ll listen to him and search more. As a leader, I’m thankful to Eunwoo. I think there exists what’s called an 'order'. Starting with Eunwoo, that order will come to all the members. Recently I’ve been looking forward to Bin-ie’s promotions. He’s someone who’s good at singing and acting so I hope that he’ll make use of his talent and try his hand at various promotions.
10: Is there a promotion that each of you want?
Moonbin: I want to try acting if the opportunity arises and I want to appear on variety programs. An eating broadcast like Olive’s One Night Food Trip! I’m confident in explaining taste (laughs). I also want to go on SBS’s Law of the Jungle. It’ll be a memory I can never forget. If I go to the jungle, wouldn’t I be able to realise that the things I enjoy on the norm aren’t to be taken for granted? I think it’ll be an opportunity for me to look back upon myself.
Rocky: Rap’s a given but I want to be good at singing, dance, composition, everything. I also want to act. I took acting lessons for my entrance exams to university and felt its charm. I want to accomplish each of them slowly. Becoming an all rounded entertainer is my goal (laughs). I want to try promoting as units with my members. For example, a unit between myself and MJ hyung. Everyone thinks that MJ hyung will sing while I’ll rap but we’ll be switching roles.
MJ: That’s… I don’t think it’s a unit meant for broadcasts. Let’s just show it to our fans only (everyone laughs).
10: What would you like to say to AROHAs who are together with you for your 2nd anniversary since debut?
Cha Eunwoo: I don’t know if it’s right for a singer to feel this towards his fans but ours are really reliable and I’m proud. Thank you. We’ll try to become singers who AROHAs can rely on and who you can be proud of. Don’t waver and let’s have fun promoting together.
Yoon Sanha: The fans think it’s a shame I haven’t been doing as much aegyo lately. It’s not that I purposely don’t do it. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown older but it just doesn’t come out well (everyone laughs). Instead, I’ll be a Sanha who communicates with AROHAs more often in the future!
MJ: We’ve reached where we are now because AROHAs like us, praise us and treasure us. We’ll make you happier in the future. Trust us and run with us. We’ll do better.
10: What would you like to say to ASTRO?
Cha Eunwoo: Do more. We still have a long way ahead of us so don’t be complacent. Let’s focus on our goals we set in place at the start and run passionately.
Rocky: Let’s do it. Whatever it may be, work hard at it and with that strength, win no. 1.
Moonbin: 5 years have passed since our trainee days that we’ve been together and in that time, our relationship has grown to become one where we know and understand the other well so let’s maintain the teamwork we have now and work hard.
JinJin: Let’s enjoy ourselves. The drive in all of us is so strong that are a lot of times where we feel stressed but whenever that happens, look around you and I hope that we’ll enjoy ourselves in good spirits as we look out for one another.
MJ: Let’s be happy. Days where we smile will definitely come if we continue without giving up, as we’ve done up till now.
Yoon Sanha: You’re doing well. We can do it. So let’s be a little stronger.
http://tenasia.hankyung.com/archives/1408677
Translations by @99pmh
Take out with full credits
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OK. So I finished binge-watching Black Lightning on Netflix and ...
... Oh my damn! I really didn’t want to give this show a chance because I’m vehemently anti-Berlanti-verse and just general anti-CW writing, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m on board for Season 2 when it airs this fall.
I think a part of the reason this show works for me more than the other Berlanti-verse shows is because of Mara Brock Akil. She’s the executive producer, and I’d like to believe it’s her influence and leadership that makes the dialogue and characterization on Black Lightning just 10x more realistic and engaging than the hokey after-school specials that make up the rest of the DCtv world on the CW.
Add to that the fact that the acting is far better than what I’d expect from the CW universe, and I have to say...
I only started the show yesterday, and I’m already on episode 10 (of 13) finished. And now my biggest complaint is why didn’t this show get a full season from jump? But I shan’t dwell on the could haves and should haves. Instead, let me share why I’m enjoying this series so much:
The superhero is over the age of 40. Thank goodness! For a network dedicated to high cheek-boned youth and their parental figures occasionally offering a word of cliched advice, I’m so happy to see something developed outside of that superhero trope.
The main superhero has to juggle an actual family and full-time job. Now, like most superheroes, we don’t see him doing his job nearly as much as he should be when the action gets going, but it’s still somewhat believable that a high school principal can afford the life that he leads and have a family without going:”Where is all this money and time coming from?”
Team Anissa all the way! Granted, she did her old girlfriend wrong, and deserved to be called out on it, but she’s easily my second favorite character on the show.
Speaking of family dynamic and Anissa, how much do I love the relationship Jennifer and Anissa have as sisters?! Like seriously. They remind me of real life sisters. Not “TV” sisters. Their dialogue and behavior toward one another -- whether they’re arguing or supporting each other -- is so on point, I feel like I’ve heard these conversations before in person between different members of my family.
The constant commentary on Black Lightning’s outfit is cracking me up. I like how every other episode someone on the street or in the neighborhood compares his outfit to something they saw in Parliament Funkadelic or Earth, Wind & Fire. :-)
Jill Scott. She was a wonderful surprise to the cast, especially in the role she played. I wish she had had more screen time because Ms. Scott just has the most magnetic presence, and I’ve never seen her get to play a role like this.
Ha! The Garfield High School mascot is a panther. I see what you did there!
Other cameos I’m feeling: Senator Nina Turner. Roland Martin. Antonio Fargas. I would love to see more of this type of diverse cameos in the future.
Again, I know this is a CW show, so the younger audiences are their bread and butter. But I really like the 1970s music they have playing during Black Lightning’s fight scenes. I feel like it’s a great tip of the hat to the comic book’s 1970s’ origins, and well, most of the songs are just great jams. I appreciate the hip hop music too, plus the original songs written clearly for the show. But the ‘70s music is a nice touch.
Soooooo ... Khalil? Can I get your number? Because damn if that child ain’t fine.
In episode 10, when that lady tried to drop her A/C unit and microwave on top of Black Lightning in the alley ... I damn near spit out my water! And when she said her name was, “Rent. Car-Note-Electric” I almost fell out of my chair. See, that’s something you just would not hear on Supergirl or The Flash.
Like most CW shows, one of my biggest problems with Black Lightning in the beginning is that they don’t write transitions well. For the first 5 episodes, you constantly feel like they’ve cut a scene that had some important information or character development for a scene they left in. Legends of Tomorrow did this a lot. I mean, a lot. But thankfully, as I continued to watch this show, that trait seems to have disappeared a bit and has become less of an issue.
I’m a bit thrown every time Tobias Whale makes a derogatory comment about Black people, then turns around and makes a derogatory comment about White people. Is it purely the result of self-hate borne from an abusive upbringing? Or is there a tad bit of genuine Uncle Ruckus lurking beneath the surface there?
Even though her attitude sometimes gets on my nerves, I love the exploration of a character with superhero powers who doesn’t want to be a superhero. We rarely see that explored in the mass media adaptation of comic books, so it’s a nice swerve compared to the current slate of superhero fare where we either see people eagerly wanting to be superheroes or we see villains reluctantly become anti-heroes, then superheroes. Jenn’s desire to just be normal in the face of the possibility that she might have a higher calling in life is a great trope subversion.
The makeup on Gambi’s face while he was being beaten and after it had supposedly dried was not good. Dude, seriously. The makeup department dropped the ball on their end with those details. It didn’t look realistic at all and it was too over-the-top.
Another great trope subversion: The techie/hacker of this franchise is a man over the age of 60 instead of a teen or young adult under the age of 30. Sweet!
Can I just say the Pierce family is probably my favorite biological superhero family of all-time? Yes. Yes, I can.
Favorite line of the season: “You got to bring ass to get ass.” - Detective Henderson
Jefferson’s dad’s old house has a wood-encased floor unit television set with a push button remote. Awwww, that reminds me of my grandmother’s old TV set.
I wonder if Gregg Henry ever gets tired of playing bad guys?
Khalil’s dreadlocks look ... not ... good. Either that’s a really bad wig or whoever twisted his hair has a broken hand.
Ahhh, so Syonide does know how to aim for the forehead when she shoots. Could’ve fooled me when she was fighting Thunder that first time.
So I mentioned that Anissa/Thunder is my second favorite character. That means someone else is my first. And it is ... Gambi. I know. I know. Go ahead and take my Black Card away, but from the first episode on, all I wanted was an episode dedicated to learning his secrets. And not just secrets as they relate to Alvin and Jefferson. I still want to know about his past. Like, why did he say he was a “monster” to Proctor? He stayed in Freeland even after he left the ASA, but does he have family that’s missing him or looking for him? Did he look after Jefferson in an official capacity after Alvin died? Was he his legal guardian? Or was Jeff in foster care and visited Gambi a lot? That man has been some places and did some things, and I can imagine a ton of backstory there to fill in.
Yes, I know he’s the only white guy in the cast of mostly minorities, but to be frank, that just makes me respect James Remar more. I’ve been a fan of Remar’s for years. I even got to meet him 2 years ago at a convention in Philadelphia. And the man’s IMDB page is ridiculously long. Seriously, check it out. So he’s not hurting for work. He’s not up and coming. He’s not an older actor struggling to keep his name in the game. He’s a respected character actor who has a very successful career. The fact that he probably has white actors telling him to turn down this project because he’s “above” it, but he’s on the show as the anchor just makes me proud to call myself a fan.
Either way, Gambi is a cool cat with a terrible mustache, whose background is a mystery. And I’m a nerd who loves mysteries and lots of character development in my genre fiction TV shows. It’s a perfect match. But yeah, he’s the only white regular on the show, and he’s my favorite. You mad? Good. His role could’ve easily been played by another actor of a different racial/ethnic background and I would’ve felt the same about Gambi.
I pretty much like all scenes with him in them, especially when Gambi interacts with Anissa or Jennifer. That cool uncle vibe is sweet, and I think it adds a nice layer to the family dynamic on the show. Anyway, enough about him ... For now.
To sum up, I highly doubt I’ll ever go back to watching Arrow. Now that Jeremy Jordan has left Supergirl, I doubt I’ll be checking in on that show anymore either. Legends of Tomorrow is just ... ugh. But because I love Matt Ryan’s John Constantine so much, I just know I’ll probably peep an episode here and there throughout the new season. And I’ll probably be disappointed because ... ugh. And The Flash? I know a lot of people on Tumblr love that show, so I’m going to play nice and say nothing about it.
But I’ll definitely be checking out Black Lightning season 2 and hoping that the common CW failings don’t work their way into the show. It’s a highly entertaining series, and a breathe of fresh air for this crowded genre. Here’s hoping season 2 is a full 22-episode season!
#black lightning#cress williams#james remar#china anne mcclain#fandom#christine adams#nafessa williams#marvin krondon jones iii
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