#he did soooo good in the 1 vs 1 vs 1 battles

[dudutrbl]

Can people like, stop sleeping on Bully da Bastard,,,

[bri-notthecheese]

my thoughts on Iki Island:

(spoilers under the cut)

I really loved this DLC! I had nothing but high hopes for this after playing the base game last year (and three more times after that), and Sucker Punch didn’t disappoint. The whole time playing it I felt like it was only adding to my love of the characters and the stories they set up in the base game, and then all the new quests and mechanics added a lot of fresh fun on top of that! 

So where to even begin. 

The opening scene was super cool and a neat way to introduce the new shaman enemies. And despite Yuna only actually being in one scene, it was a delight to see her again. Though since I’m playing the DLC after finishing everything, I don't love the continuity of Yuna not accompanying him, but gameplay wise I knew that wasn’t going to happen anyway, but I just love when she’s with us <3

Went for my horse straight away and I was THRILLED to see that Kaze can now kill enemies and the new charge mechanic was way more fun than I was expecting and I was having too much fun with that. After Nobu, I didn’t expect to get attached the Kaze all that much (even if he continued on into a later game) but I was quickly proved wrong with this because I now kind of separate Nobu as the more gentler of the two, that was always there for me, and while Kaze is too, I like imagining Kaze is a lot younger and his aggressive personality in this really sold that and I like that it probably eases Jin’s worries a bit to see his new horse being able to fend off attacks a bit better. Plus, with his new armor, he’s even safer <3 Really fell more in love with Kaze in this, which I didn’t expect.

Met The Eagle next and had that whole encounter. I love how right away if you pay attention, you know Yuna isn’t Yuna because she’s never once addressed Jin as ‘my lord.’ I think the only time she said it was when she was talking to both him and Shimura at the lighthouse, and it wasn’t because she wanted to. But still, even knowing something was wrong, it’s cute that Jin’s mind went to her as a safe place who he’d have no problem entrusting stories and secrets to, which was obviously the Eagle’s goal. And hearing her voice warp into the Eagle’s was creepyyyy and so good <3  (my Yuna loving ass was sad to realize that was most likely the last time we’d see her, but that’s okay) That next part of the hallucination really got you feeling for Jin, and I couldn’t help but be frustrated that he’s only a child, how was he supposed to help?!?!? 

So I ignored Tenzo’s next mission and explored and pretty much completed the entire island. I got jump scared WAY too many times by her taunts, but I loved how that just added to the direness of the situation. I was obsessed with finding all the hallucinations and it just kept breaking my heart how Jin has all of this pent up guilt/heartache--with Ryuzo (he had so many I found), his father, his uncle, the Khan, Nobu :(, Masako, etc. I honestly had expected to find one regarding Taka and I’m a bit sad that I didn’t. Add those to the memories of his father and the ever-present taunting, I was going through it with Jin <3 At least you can pet the animals for him <3 The little smile he’d get every time was worth it. And the flute playing mechanic was really neat!

The first memory I got was their chat before Kazumasa’s death and honestly that got me all teary because Jin wanted so badly to hear him say he accepted him as his son, but deep down, would he have felt it? And my heart just breaks so much for Jin because as I kept going through the memories, I kept thinking how well 1) his dad sucks, but 2) both father figures kept wanting Jin to be somebody else. And it hurts that he was closer to Shimura’s way of thinking and how we even see that one time that Shimura corrects Jin, that his recitation of what honor means were his father’s words, and gets Jin to say that kindness is what honor means to him and wow. <3 <3 <3 But it hurts knowing their fate too <3 That while Shimura was more of a father to Jin than Kazumasa was, eventually, he couldn’t accept what Jin was doing in their way. Though it does hurt and make you wonder if Shimura was frightened that Jin was turning into his dad...I had that thought many times. (I loved seeing Adachi so much though omg <3 <3 <3) It was very interesting how the song Jin ends up playing for his father at the end of the memories is the ‘Jin Sakai’ theme. And then how that in turn, morphs into ‘The Way of the Ghost’ later on when in the final battle. 

It hurts that Jin had Chiyoko in his life for such a short time. I’m glad he did have Yuriko at least, but all of Jin’s memories on his mother and how she emphasized just living was so prominent, and her love of animals clearly passed to him and that gentleness too. And of instruments. Such softness, and I love that he retains that even as an adult. It makes sense that he doesn’t speak of his mother as often since he has far less experiences with her vs Kazumasa or Shimura, but it was nice to see her influence within him.  

Did this quest near the end of my exploration but I got the BIGGEST smile on my fave when I barged in the house to find the Ghost of Iki Island was Kenji <3 <3 <3 I love this dumbass so much and it was so nice to see a familiar face <3 Plus it let Jin have an actual full laugh when Kenji referred to them both as ‘tough guys’ XD His quests are always enjoyable for me and so I really loved that (though I was also Jin when he’s like “...you didn’t say goodbye.”) but I was happy to see him do the right thing at the end <3 THEN I got to duel the Viper because I diffused the situation instead and that was fun. Love that Jin explains his knowledge of negotiation was learned from all the years with Shimura <3 Also enjoyed spotting Kenji later in the Refuge XD

Really enjoyed all the side quests overall, loved all the animal sanctuaries, and the archery was a TON of fun! Getting the horse armor was neat, seeing Jin actively stop a Mythic retelling, though I was surprised there was no duel for that one. The one for the monkey armor was so creepy, following the lights in the cave, but so damn cinematic and that fight was incredible plus that amor is my new best friend. Seriously omg, the duels in this DLC felt so much beefier than the base game (I was playing on hard so that could be a reason, but the fights didn’t feel this tanky in the base) But that armor just made them a piece of cake if you’re good at perfect parries and perfect dodges <3 <3

Loved the banter and camaraderie between Jin and Tenzo throughout. And I really enjoyed Fune’s character as well! Did the next few story missions and I couldn’t help that sense of foreboding slipping in as I was getting more attached to these characters. Love that they had Kidafure Battlefield on the map but it isn’t till the mission that they tack on the ‘Village’, really hitting home what happened there. 

Maybe I should have been, but I did not see the twist with Tenzo coming at ALL! I physically gasped when he spoke the “May your death benefit all things” to that random Mongol and I was soooo tense, like Jin listen I know he was your dad but also Tenzo spared you. Which I love in the long run how he spared the Butcher’s child only to save him later in life, and Jin could save him and the island in return <3 Because ohhhhhh boy did I get emotional when Jin stopped the Eagle from landing that blow. 

But before that, HER FIGHT IS SO FUCKING COOOOOL!!!!!! SHE IS SO DAMN FAST AND SHE EASILY WIPED THE FLOOR WITH ME THE FIRST TWO TIMES. I also love her references to Khotan and that her moveset with the spear shares some similarities with him.  I tried once more in my Ghost armor (for fashion) and then I switched to the Sarugami armor and was flying through just to have that whole cutscene.

I know culture is different and obviously I can never understand that mindset, but to hear him say to Jin that they both should have died there broke my heart. What kind of a father wants his son’s death with him like that?!?!?!?! But I LOOOOOOVED ‘Honor and Ash’ playing in the background for that scene, as Jin is rejecting what his father may have thought/wanted (just like he did to Shimura with that track at the end of Act 2) and then it moved up a key just to reinforce that Jin is forgiving himself for this and letting go and again, forging his own path just as he did with his uncle. I loved that they used that piece for that pivotal moment...

...JUST TO KICK IT INTO AN EVEN HIGHER GEAR WITH JIN SAVING TENZO AND THE GHOST THEME BLARING IN WITH A KEY CHANGE TO THEN TRIUMPHANTLY FINISH OFF THE EAGLE!!!!! I WAS SO HYPED (and also hoping I wouldn’t die cuz how anti climactic would that have been?!?) but I didn’t and I really enjoyed the resolution between those two. I bowed to him after he bowed to me and I love that they even added dialogue for that if players do decide to do that <3 <3 <3 

The next quest with Fune was sweet, though it felt a little odd to do after defeating the Eagle, but it was sweet nonetheless. I have to finish up some trophy stuff, I guess there’s unseen quests that I’m sure I’ve done a few of, but I have to figure out what I missed. The dueling ring was fun, though that lady was the most difficult for me.

A few things of note:

-I like that in this DLC, you really can’t tell if it’s better to kill or spare Shimura. And how there are lines that could mean slightly different things to Jin depending on what he’s done. I’ve done both and I was on a file where he spared him, but besides a hallucination mentioning the Ghost being hunted for the rest of his days, nothing else pointed to one choice or the other.

-Though a line Jin said to Sugi threw me a bit when he said something along the lines of ‘you’ll never understand how hard it is to kill your family’ and maybe he was referencing his guilt for his father, but I’m like ?????? who else did you kill Jin??? Shimura is fine in this play through XD 

-Talking with her though, I like that Jin described himself as ‘someone who knows what it’s like to be hunted’ :((((((

-Tenzo also made reference to a friend of his being beheaded, but not finding the head till a week later, and asking Jin if he understands that and while the situation is different, I bet Jin’s mind went to Taka :( 

-Loved the subtle storytelling elements with Jin falling into his nightmares during the fight through the Gorge and his resolve disappears each time. The second time it happened, I verbally went “oh my resolve.....oh.”

-I do think Sucker Punch made a lil mistake though because I started thinking about how in Tale 8 of Masako’s quests, I’m almost certain she mentions Jin not understanding her need for revenge or something along those lines, and she talks about Shimura hunting down Kazamasu’s killer for weeks and how Jin had his closure. But uhhhhhh obviously his killer was never found? Or they killed the wrong one? And they didn’t mention it was on Iki Island and obviously didn’t have that foresight that they’d be doing this DLC since he was killed in the snow in the base game and now it was under a wisteria tree, but besides that small thing, I had no complaints! except for always wanting more Yuna

It was so great and I felt it really complemented the base game, especially in regards to everything that Jin feels guilty and responsible for, but also puts his relationship with Shimura is so many new lights that I loooove and I need to talk about more!!! If you read this far, feel free to hmu to chat about it because my best friend who played the base game at the same time I did and screamed with me about it has not played this yet and ahhhhh!!!!!!

[sxvethelastdance]

Hello my name is Lee and it’s time to be annoying about my Z headcanons bc

a) it’s my go to show when I don’t have more than 2 brain cells

b) it amuses me to make dub-specific headcanons because while I respect the original intentions of the series and understand that the early 2000s western recontextualization wasn’t keen on the nuances of the original script:

I am simply a corny bitch. I make content for corny bitches only. If you don’t like Frankensteined bits of lore and the use of GT’s ideas then well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ fair enough.

More under the cut.

Saiyan Culture

- I fucking refuse to believe that “we’re wired that way” shit lmao. The implications of Saiyans as a genetically savage race who are wired to fuck fight and die and do only that because they dont have the genetic human capacity for 'civility' are uh, not good when we factor in their place in the narrative as an in-universe example of a marginalized people. I know it’s aliens and shit but it’s soooo much richer to account for how universally a society’s values influence the people who are a part of it. but yeah I think that a social culture that prioritizes fighting and killing and battle over everything else is bound to turn out people who by and large are defined by their ability to use their bodies to fight. They have high metabolisms and a culture of fighting, so it only makes sense for them to have high protein diets- not some inherent need to kill and eat the spoils. It's survival and also a collective sense of what's successful, what is efficient no matter how brutal it is. They value partners who can fight/who are vicious because that is the common conscience of what makes someone ‘worthy’. Also, Vegeta’s attitude can be explained by his status as a royal + what is likely the recontextualization of Saiyan glory to fit what the child version of himself thought they were and Goku’s can be explained by the fact that he was (1) dropped on his head as a baby and (2) raised in the woods. Have you MET rural folk? Completely bonkers.

- The Saiyans and Tuffles evolved from a common genetic ancestor, but that the Saiyans settled on Planet Plant later than the Tuffles did.

- Per the Saiyan-Tuffle war and the disparity between what happened (based on King Kai’s account, stating the Tuffles were a peaceful docile nonaggressive race that treated the Saiyans as equals vs Vegeta’s account in Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans where they forced the Saiyans to live out in the badlands as second class citizens)- What actually happened probably falls more to the middle. The Tuffles allowed them to settle on the land out in the deserts and to their credit- gave them the resources to start, but never really saw them as equals in terms of intellectual development vs their big advanced sprawling cities. A big microagressive cycle of holding out and tensions rising that culminated in the Saiyans deciding to say fuck it and commit tactical mass murder for their own advancement. I don’t want to push Saiyans out of accountability for their colonizing and take no prisoners philosophy, but I also don’t want the Tuffles to be totally absolved of their stake if there are other parts involved (because even if it’s true, they still didn’t deserve that! Complex storytelling you guys) so that’s my take.

Muse Stuff

Bulma:

- She was very obviously your typical child-prodigy. By the time she met Goku I’d put her in college, taking a gap semester to live her teenage life and hunt for the dragon balls

- Bisexual, she is sooooo bisexual. No further context here except that if Son Chi-Chi ever gets a divorce that she will love her soooo so right

- Bulma is 100% a sports TV girl, beer and belligerent yelling at bad calls is a very nice break from the hard intellectual work of being the team AND company scientist

- She cannot fight. Somebody get this bitch a gun (that works on ki users), something please.

- Her and Yamcha’s relationship didn’t work out because they were too similar/generally incompatible, not because of cheating or anything like that (seriously, they weren’t dating anymore when Yamcha took another girl to some concert or whatever.) For the longest time they had a ‘break-up-make-up’ relationship, coming back to each other because they were each other’s firsts and because quite honestly neither of them were ready to let go of the good times. But I think they gave it one more go during year 1 of the Android time-skip and broke it off relatively amicably.

- Her teal hair is the result of putting toner in her conditioner

- Bulma doesn’t really… Run the business logistical side of Capsule Corp as much as you’d think. She’s CEO, but I think that along with her keen business acumen that she maintains a very elite term to fill in her gaps and coordinates them to manage her affairs in more tedious divisions. She’s very hands-on in Capsule Corp’s technological advancement/R&D division and quite frankly cannot stand the idea of sitting still for 6 hour board meetings. She goes when it’s necessary and will generally crunch the numbers if things aren’t right, but otherwise you will find her in her lab and on the ground tinkering.

Gohan:

- His relationship to fighting is less him giving into his innate urge as a half-Saiyan and more an evolution of a child’s sense of personal responsibility after watching his friends and family die to the idea that training to protect his loved ones will be what makes him strong enough for just that task. Gohan does not, and will not ever possess the zest for fighting that his father and the Z-Fighters have.

- Speaking of [jazz hands] childhood trauma, I think he had some major unpacking to do during the time skip after cell. A lot of how he’d been handling it up to that point was rationalizing the circumstances and viewing himself as having fundamentally failed because he wasn’t up to the task fast enough to keep things from going the way they did. Getting Gohan to see himself as a child after all of that was /a lot/, not to mention the sibling envy of Gohan getting to train from the outset and generally having it easier than he did growing up. But I do think that he was able to sort it out with himself, and I think in sorting it out he REALLY pushed to go to public high school for a sense of normalcy he didn’t have before. He loves his family and the Z-Fighters, but I do think it was a good means for him to cultivate that kind of life for himself. He’s not quite the scholar-pacifist that his mother wanted (for his own safety and well-being, but for him- still to the detriment of taking agency for himself to help), but he’s not the hot blooded fighter his dad was hoping he’d be. He has his happy medium and he is oh so happy where he is now.

- Baby bisexual. Because I said so.

- Also, tangentially: As much as I love Videl - we have Chi-Chi and 18 for the stay at home mom stuff. Videl is a gotdamn fighter, I think having her either succeed Hercule as the champ (having effectively surpassed him) or running a dojo for young girls who want to fight while ALSO being a kickass mom is a good path for her to take as opposed to being defined solely as Gohan’s wife or Pan’s mom yknow? Let her maintain her grit and haughtiness while allowing her to have evened out from her teens. Her and Chi-Chi spar in the off-season to keep in shape

Vegeta:

- He is the ‘toxic hypermasculine to malewife OG’ no I will not be explaining. He’s cooking dinner for his daughter in an apron to keep his clothes clean as we speak and that’s on that

- The reason why he dogged Goku so long wasn’t because he beat him- Goku /did not beat him during the Saiyan saga/, the combined efforts of Goku, Krillin, Gohan and Yajirobe did. But because Goku was in his eyes ringleader and a full-blooded Saiyan, he latched onto attaching the blame to him for his humiliation. It was a shake-up of his status quo and he would spend so many years trying to get back that security. Tsk tsk, what a fragile ego.

- His relationship to kindness and affection can be aptly described as “you’re being facetious, cut the bullshit or I’ll kill you” because well [gestures to Frieza]. For a while, saccharine sweetness meant some shitty things. But see, him accepting those things (even if he bitches you out about it) shows that he HAS learned to like it in a fashion. Nobody can make him do anything he doesn’t want to do. He is actively engaging with this shit you guys.

- I am personally a fan of the idea that by the end of Z/GT that he recognized Goku as the better warrior, and that in some sense he gave up dogging his footsteps and started giving more of himself to the peace that followed, BUT I don’t necessarily thing that stopped him from pushing himself to the limit. He will never be free of his pride and that competitive push, but I personally enjoy the idea of a Vegeta that has learned something of a rest-fight balance. Not being as strong as Goku is no longer ‘not being strong at all’

Misc:

I was ranting about how good GT looks on paper condensed into these short points for your viewing. If you didn’t already want to shoot me then you’ll proooobably be fine with these takes.

- a Return to form. Widening Dragon Ball’s original scope of a journey to collect the dragon balls- but including more of the south galaxy in it.

- Reckoning with the Saiyan legacy in the form of the Tuffles, the race they slaughtered for their own advancement. How the ones left remaining have to deal with the fallout of those actions and what the Saiyans were

- The very real consequences of how frivolously everyone has used the dragon balls for the last 15 years or so given physical form. How the balls weren’t /meant/ to be used like this, a resource pushed to its limits and what it’s done to the planet as a result of their reliance. It’s like the exhaustion of a resource and kind of like a tie to the idea of what overconsumption does to the natural world and the (speaking here) magic around you. Consequences, give me some.

- Super Saiyan 4’s harkening back to the great ape motif.

Like all of it on paper? Amazing! So fucking rich with thematic content and a means to bring the series full circle. But the execution? Ghastly. Wildly entertaining in it’s absurdity but we missed out so bad

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: King-Size Annual Avengers #11: In Honor’s Name!

August, 1982

“Why do the AVENGERS battle the Defenders?”

I dunno, man. Is it Tuesday again?

“And who is the mystery woman Nebulon has fallen for?”

Nebulona? She’s clearly just him but a woman.

Oh, hey Beast. So this is where you got to after quitting the Avengers.

Soooo.... Annuals, amirite? Pain in my butt. I actually forgot to cover this one and #12 is going to be somewhat plot relevant soon so I’ll shove this in wherever.

Its a blast from the past of the previous year.  Back when the Avengers were fantastic but only numbered four: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Wasp.

And the Defenders seem to number many so this isn’t a very fair fight at all.

This issue starts with a PRELUDE

(J. M. DeMatteis again? Is this going to be weird?)

Nebulon the Celestial Man and damn fine dresser fades onto a hilltop shaking his fist and yelling that someone can’t do something to him.

Nebulon is mostly a Defenders villain and the major thing I know about him is that he’s supposedly exceptionally handsome but the handsomeness is a ruse and that the Squadron Sinister stopped helping him destroy the world once because they discovered he wasn’t as handsome as he was letting on.

Goes to show where their priorities lie. Also, the experience was so jarring that the evil Nighthawk decided to join the Defenders much to their chagrin.

So basically I know nothing about Nebulon. Hi, Nebulon.

An angry yelly fish head with the Rocky Horror Picture Show lips inside its fish lips shows up (I think this is what Nebulon realy looks like) and tells Nebulon that his punishment for constantly dicking with Earth is to be stranded on Earth with his powers reduced to half and stuck in his handsome-to-some-but-grotesque-to-fish body.

Okay. That clears things up.

Although I wish all of space would stop using Earth as their place to dump stuff or exile people. Its bad enough when Asgard does it. Its worse enough when there’s a whole crossover about all of space deciding to make Earth its supermax jail. And its a medium amount enough here.

But apparently the shouty fish people have a Prime Directive and Nebulon keeps breaking it, specifically on Earth. But a Prime Directive that also lets them dump troublemakers on planets where they’ve been troublemaking.

Nebulon tries to defend himself that, hey, Earth makes you do crazy stuff. But the yell fish is hearing nothing of it and just tells Nebulon to kill himself if he doesn’t want to be on Earth so bad.

... Eesh.

In his rage at being stranded on Earth, Nebulon teleports inside the Sanctum Sanctorum and starts yelling at Wong.

Wong tells him, dude, Dr Strange isn’t even here. So Nebulon starts beating up Wong.

How dare you, sir. Wong is a great guy!

Nebulon: “Then Wong shall die -- just as your master shall soon die -- and his accursed Defenders with him! They shall all pay for bringing this tragedy down on my head! For, if they had not risen up to thwart me. If they -- if they... Listen to me. Listen to the words of -- a fool! Forgive me, Wong! Neither you, Strange, nor the Defenders are responsible! The blame belongs solely to -- NEBULON!”

And then he teleports away, no doubt leaving Wong very confused.

CHAPTER 1: IN HONOR’S NAME!

Later, Thor flies over the Himalaya mountains and over the chapter title.

He has come for some peace and quiet sitting on a mountain away from the bustle of mortals but what does he find but someone already in his thinking spot!

Thor lands to see who would be sitting on a mountain with no pants on and its Nebulon, of course.

But I have to say. He’s sitting and hugging his knees. That’s advanced brood. That’s, in fact, verging on pout.

Although lets not let the fact that Thor flies out to the Himalayas to be alone sometimes slip on by uncommented.

Thor asks what brings the guy out here and Nebulon has a dramatic exile speech ready to go.

Nebulon: “For hours now I have sat, lost in thought, pondering that very question! What is it that brings any creature to the depths of despair, the edge of doom, but... himself?”

And since he senses a kindred spirit in Thor, one who is as different from the Earthly masses as Nebulon is, he unloads his full story onto Thor’s ears.

Upon hearing all about this dude who tried to take over or sell the world multiple times, Thor is like ‘this guy has got to meet the Avengers!’

Nebulon thinks Avengers sounds like Defenders and he’s not into that but Thor says that the Avengers are way cooler than the Defenders.

(Ooooh, shots fired, Thor)

Thor: “No, my friend -- there are none in all creation to compare with the Avengers! A hardier band of warriors hath ne’er been assembled! Where else could a god walk among mortals and find -- his equals?”

If Nebulon has truly repented of his past deeds, the Avengers will help him make a home on Earth.

And with a manly armclasp, like the one from Predator, Nebulon accepts and Thor takes him AWAY!

While the person who looks like Nebulon but a woman and with better boots watches them go and disappears in a bright flash of light.

CHAPTER 2

Yes, already.

“Avengers Mansion... Over the years, many fantastic beings have walked through the doors of this august Manhattan townhouse: Gods, mutants, androids... even a were-woman. But, of all these unique individuals, few -- if any -- have been more honored, more respected... More willing to serve the cause of freedom, wherever the place, whenever the time.. than the living legend whose only powers are his wits, his daring, and his years of hard-won skill... Captain America!”

And we see Cap leaping and gamboling about the exercise room, exercising.

Cap: “Ah -- there’s nothing like a good workout to make a man feel truly alive! It might pay to run through it once more, though --- my timing was a hair off on the parallel bars!”

Wasp comes in to... well, its Wasp. She comes to eye the eye candy and flirt a little, in a friendly fashion.

Wasp: “I see you’re here early for our meeting -- as usual! Don’t you ever slow down?”

Cap: “I seem to remember catching a few winks back in 1942 or so!”

Wasp: “Why, Cap -- that was two jokes in a row! I didn’t think you had it in you!”

Cap: “Oh, come on, Jan -- I’m not really that serious a guy, am I?”

Wasp: “I was just kidding, handsome.”

Cap: “Oh.”

Heh.

So, Thor called a super special emergency meeting of the Avengers to introduce his cool new friend.

Iron Man (secretly Tony Stark, true believers) is a little tense about the meeting because he had to cancel three business conferences, an address to foreign stockholders, and two dates.

Geez, for one meeting? You ever consider your calendar is way too packed, Tony?

Thor arrives with his cool, new pal and introduces the Avengers to NEBULON -- THE CELESTIAL MAN!

And Iron Man lunges out of his chair to get into better pointing distance.

Thor: “What irks thee, comrade? Why art thou so angered?”

Iron Man: “What irks me, Thor? He does! Haven’t you ever bothered to study our computer-file on alien threats? Your ‘newfound ally’ almost totalled the Earth -- several times!”

Nebulon: “Don’t you see, Thor? They react as I predicted they would!”

Also, geez. I know Tony is frustrated about all the schedule juggling he’s had to do but in this and the Black Knight two-parter he’s a lot ruder to Thor than you’d expect considering how close they are.

Some writers just don’t get the Avengers, I guess.

Cap and Wasp try to get Iron Man to calm down.

Wasp: “I’m sure there’s a darn good reason why Thor brought Nebulon here -- isn’t there?”

She’s downright staring daggers at him when she asks that.

We’ve jumped back in time a little from where I was covering but Jan is still the chairperson of the Avengers. It happened right when she returned from her divorce related hiatus and this four person group has to take place post-Tigra leaving and pre-membership drive.

So, she’s the boss and she just gave angry boss eyes at Thor. And Thor did his default squinting always-looks-pissed look back at her.

Thor tells Nebulon’s whole sad story off-panel.

And damn if it doesn’t hit the Avengers right where they live.

Wasp tells him that they all know what it means to lose something precious “whether it’s an entire world... or the love of one person -- it makes no difference! It hurts to suddenly find yourself -- alone!”

And Captain America sympathizes because when he was defrosted after twenty years, it was like a strange new world!

They’re both on team ‘give Nebulon a chance!’

Iron Man is more reluctant but decides to give Nebulon one chance.

Then the Defenders bust in.

Beast, Valkyrie, Silver Surfer, and Gargoyle who is not Etrigan at all.

And they’re here to kick Nebulon’s ass. Which is entirely fair considering that they’ve been the ones who keep having to stop Nebulon’s planschemes.

Since the Avengers seem to not be beating up Nebulon, obviously they’ve all been mind controlled. Nebulon is clearly planning to blow up half the Earth and use the Avengers to control the rest.

Cap: ‘what’

Silver Surfer: ‘HE’S MAKING A HOSTILE MOVE!’

And then Silver Surfer blasts the floor, sending all of the Avengers sprawling every which way.

MEANWHILE, IN SPACE

There’s a huge spaceship, in space. And within the huge spaceship in space, the lady who looks like a lady Nebulon watches the fight on a screen and cries.

Hey, I get it. Doing the Avengers vs Defenders Again But Worse makes me sad too.

CHAPTER 3

See, that’s more of the length for a chapter. You could learn something from chapter 2, chapter 1.

Anyway, the clock winds back a little for the Defender’s side of the story.

Valkyrie returns to the Sanctum Sanctorum in a good mood and also on a flying horse.

For a long while, Valkyrie’s status quo is that she was inhabiting the body of Barbara Norris, a woman that Dr Strange accidentally drove insane. But she’s gotten her original Asgardian body back so she’s stronger than ever and also not bodyjacking someone else.

She flies into the window, alarming Gargoyle, Beast, and Wong.

Gargoyle tearfully flies up and hugs Valkyrie saying that he thought she was leaving for Asgard forever.

Hey, um, who dis?

-wiki- Ok so he’s an elderly man who was trapped in a gargoyle body by some demons who he broke an agreement with. Cool, cool, cool. I would have guessed much younger based on how he acts here.

Valkyrie also smooshes Beast’s hand when he gives her a handshake hello, because she’s much buffer than she was when she left. Also, she talks more like Thor.

Valkyrie: “I am, at long last, the true Valkyrie! What more need be said?”

Then the Lady Nebulon teleports in and introduces herself as Supernalia. She tells the Defenders that she’s here to save the world from the evil of NEBULON!

Beast doesn’t recognize the name but Valkyrie definitely does. What with all the existing history that I keep alluding to.

Supernalia: “Indeed! I am a bounty hunter from Nebulon’s homeworld come to bring him to justice! He has fled to your Earth, taking sanctuary among the so-called Avengers! Using celestial mind control, he has usurped their will, and -- after decimating part of your world with four pre-set anti-matter bombs -- he plans to use the Avengers to take control of the surviving population!”

Beast goes ‘uh cool story but i’mma verify this real quick by ringing them up’

But then he remembers he already did do that and they were very rude to him!

He remembers this interaction very clearly even though it didn’t happen at all.

Ironically, the Defenders are the ones who are being mind-controlled into accusing other people of being mind-controlled. Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s irony.

Wong suddenly remembers that Nebulon rushed in the previous night but he can’t remember how that interaction actually went.

AH HAH, decides Beast. Clearly proof that Nebulon mind-controlled Wong. Lets go half-cocked everyone.

No, no. Beast decides they’ll need more than just the three of them and wonders who they should call to bolster their numbers to a whole four Defenders. Dr Strange is busy chasing Daimon Hellstrom and Namor soooo...

Valkyrie suggests Silver Surfer because he kicks ass but they have no way to get in contact with him.

Supernalia goes hey allow me.

Supernalia: “Although my planet’s laws forbid direct involvement with alien cultures -- and thus my need of you Defenders -- I can help!”

And she baps Valkyrie in the forehead and instantly transmissions Silver Surfer right to the Sanctum to his existential annoyance.

Silver Surfer: What force has swept me halfway ‘round the world? Who toys with -- the Silver Surfer?”

Valkyrie explains off-panel because this is very much “let me explain! No, there is too much. Let me sum up” kind of day.

CHAPTER 4

We cut back to right after the Silver Surfer knocked everyone on their ass with a warning shot.

Thor: “Surfer -- art thou mad?! Thy ‘warning’ came close to slaying us all!”

Thor gets up to kick Norrin’s rad ass but Valkyrie grabs his arm. She tries to convince him to trust her that Nebulon is controlling the Avengers. She appeals to their shared history, their shared love.

Thor: “Brunnhilde -- thou art truly the one blinded... by thine own prejudice! Because, once, Nebulon stood as thine enemy -- thou takest him for that again!”

Valkyrie: “Thunderer -- once I loved thee -- but now I see -- that thou art -- A FOOL!”

Then she just up and tosses him.

It’s pretty great.

Thor just rights himself midtoss by helicoptering his hammer and tells Valkyrie that she’s the fool. And also that because she fucking threw him, now he knows that its her group that are under some kind of control.

Nebulon starts yelling too because he’s not going to sit by while other people fight his battle so he’s like ‘come on if you’re hard enough, dickfenders’ and Beast is like ‘ok.’

Wasp, team leader, thinks Thor is onto something re: the Defenders being against some kind of influence and asks Iron Man to create a distraction so the Avengers can skedaddle.

Iron Man has the perfect distraction and fires the UNIBEEEEAM. At his own roof, collapsing it on the Defenders.

Iron Man: “Wait till Tony gets the bill for this!”

... so depending on the time frame, either only Nebulon or both him and Wasp are the only ones who don’t know Iron Man is Tony so who are you putting on a show for, Tony?

Or maybe you’re just so used to grousing about the Avengers breaking your shit that you do it even when you do it.

Anyway, since Thor has a hunch that the Defenders are being controlled, he decides that the best thing is to teleport somewhere safe and make a plan.

So Nebulon teleports himself and the Avengers to the Himalayas where he and Thor first met.

The effort nearly kills Nebulon, since his powers have been curtailed by the yell fish. But now they have some space.

Wasp: “And don’t think we don’t appreciate it, Nebulon! But couldn’t you have zapped us to a more temperate climate -- like the Bahamas... or the French Riviera? It mean, it’s COLD here!”

Cap hopes that the Defenders won’t find them somewhere so remote and isolated but Thor, whose idea this was by the by, isn’t so sure because they don’t know who is pulling the strings.

Iron Man: “Good point! Are we dealing with one of our old foes -- one of the Defenders’ -- or perhaps someone out for Nebulon’s head! Let’s face it: we’ve got a wide field to choose from!”

Annnnnnd thennnnn, the Defenders just show up anyway so trying to get some breathing room was a waste of Nebulon’s efforts.

Beast: “Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Jan! You’re all my friends... more than that -- you’re family! So why won’t you believe me when I tell you that this nut’s gonna wipe the whole planet out in a matter of hours! Please -- hand him over or --.”

Nebulon: “Or... NOTHING!”

Then he shoots an energy blast at the Defenders.

Which sadly arcs to the ground with a SHOOOM! and does little more than splash some snow on the Defenders.

But awwww, Beast considers the Avengers family! Shame that once the X-Men pull him back into their orbit, he only hangs out with them and decides never to ask the Avengers for help, either when Professor X gets shot by Stryfe or when trying to solve the Legacy Virus.

I think that social group is a bad influence on Beast. He never broke time or pretended to be gay to dunk on his ex when he was an Avenger. He just got high, practiced polyamory, and yukked it up with his bffsie Wonder Man.

Anyway, Silver Surfer gets up and disses Nebulon for his sad laser blast.

Silver Surfer: “Like all who seek conquest, Nebulon -- you refuse to recognize truth! You alter reality to serve your own malefic ends! But the power you no wield, tyrant, is as nothing compared to that which you once had! You are weak -- as Supernalia said you would be!”

Nebulon is aghast to hear that Supernalia is the one behind all of this. And also aghast when Gargoyle shoots a bio-mystic bolt at him.

Apparently, Gargoyle can shoot bio-mystic bolts. Are there mystic bolts that are not bio? Shrug.

CHAPTER 5

Hey, some of these chapter divisions feel arbitrary. We go from the fight to the fight. At least some other chapter divisions had scene or temporal shifts.

Cap begs the Defenders to fight off Supernalia’s influence. Or the Avengers will fight off Supernalia’s influence for them. Probably via punches.

For whatever reason, this makes Valkyrie go stickycaps.

Valkyrie: “The hour of Earth’s doom draws ever closer -- and, to prevent that doom, we will do whate’er we must! wHaTeVeR wE mUsT!”

Mystifying.

Anyway, with both sides thinking the other side are dumb easily mind-controlled doodoo heads, they both get to the slugfest that neither side wants but thinks there’s no other way to reach the other side but by punching some sense into them.

This panel feels like a microcosm of a lot of Marvel events.

And as this goes on Nebulon just watches the fight with calculating eyes.

I’m sure that’s fine.

Thor and Valkyrie continue sparring verbally, as well as with punches. Valkyrie asks how Thor can let Midgard be destroyed when they both love it so much. And Thor is like ‘for the last time, there’s no danger except from your mysterious new golden pal’

Meanwhile, the Defender’s mysterious new golden pal Supernalia is monitoring the fight from her spaceship. And monitoring the Defenders’ brainwaves.

Thor is actually making Valkyrie doubt. And Supernalia can’t have that.

Supernalia: “I cannot afford to lose control of the Defenders now! For honor’s sake, their rage must grow! And more -- they must retain a psychological surety that cannot be breached! In Valkyrie’s case, the introduction of something... familiar -- something to increase her confidence -- would seem appropriate!”

So Supernalia teleports Valkyrie’s sweet flying horse Aragorn to just. Appear on the Himalayas. Between Valkyrie and Thor.

Valkyrie doesn’t know how her horse suddenly appeared but she’s not going to look a gift teleporting winged horse in the mouth. She jumps on his back and takes to the air.

Thor gets pissed and hammerflings himself after her.

While Thor is chasing Valkyrie around the sky, Iron Man squares up with Silver Surfer.

Silver Surfer tells Iron Man that “you see to halt one who has outraced comets! Soared faster than light itself!” and basically that he rules, Iron Man sucks. And then to prove it, he blasts Iron Man with the power cosmic.

Just that one attack nearly tore Iron Man apart and he’s pretty sure that Silver Surfer was holding back. Oof, that’s some power gap.

BUT MAYBE just maybe if Iron Man puts all of his might into one staggering punch...

It’ll do jack shit to the Surfer.

Well, damn.

Gargoyle fights Wasp but says its not proper for a man to fight a lady. Wasp points out ‘hey you’re fighting me anyway so maybe someone is making you do it.’

Gargoyle: ‘.... NUH UH’

Cool. Good talk.

Supernalia: “This Gargoyle is too... soft! His mind accepts -- but his heart rebels! These beings are not like us! Their minds are filled with too many questions! Their souls overflow with conflicting emotions!”

I can’t believe humans (and Asgardians) have too many feelings and emotions to be easily controlled.

Well, I can believe. It really checks out.

So Supernalia increases the celestial mindwaves to shore up her control, even if it means burning out the Defenders.

Rude.

Thor blasts Valkyrie off of Aragorn with lightning and then catches her, saying he won’t let her fall. So, reasonably enough, Valkyrie elbows him in the face for treating her like a damsel.

They both fall toward the ground. Aragorn catches Valkyrie and Thor catches... a cosmic bolt from Silver Surfer.

You had one job, Iron Man.

And that job was to sneak up on Silver Surfer while he’s self-flagellating for doing a shameful opportunistic attack on Thor.

Iron Man uses those... hip... power pod... things. To zap Silver Surfer’s temples and siphon off some of his power.

And with that power, Iron Man tips a chunk of the mountain on top of Silver Surfer.

This doesn’t keep the Surfer down for long. Despite the fact that trying to contain the incredible surfing energies he absorbed threatens to damage his armor, Iron Man absorbs more when Silver Surfer blasts him, to try to turn the energy back at the Surfer.

Instead, they both explode.

Double KO.

Elsewhere in the fight, Gargoyle blasts Wasp with his bio-mystic bolts, knocking her into the snow.

Gargoyle panics because his bio-mystic bolts are supposed to drain off a fraction of a person’s life-force, not up and kill them.

So Gargoyle shouldn’t have been surprised when Wasp pops back up and zaps him in the chin. And Wasp shouldn’t have been surprised when Gargoyle zaps her back.

She passes out. But so does Gargoyle, to his confusion. His hide should be tough enough to take a truckload of punishment, yet he suddenly feels so weak.

I mean. Wasp is strong enough to blow up a house with her own zaps. But this is probably intended to be Supernalia’s mind control burning him out.

I choose to believe that its Wasp’s cool house-blowing-up might. She’s kicked bigger ass than Gargoyle.

Wasp’s defeat scream momentarily distracts Cap from where he’s fisticuffsing with Beast.

Beast: “Holy cow! I hope she’s not badly hurt!”

Cap: “You hope she’s not -- ?! You can still say that after all you’ve done today? After all the pain this Supernalia has driven the Defenders to cause?”

Beast: “We’ve caused? You’re the ones harboring the lunatic with the anti-matter bombs --.”

There’s no guilt-tripping some people.

Cap throws his mighty shield but Beast must not have heard the song because he not only doesn’t yield, he also catches the shield with his feets.

Then he sleds on it down a snowy incline and tackles Cap.

Beast: “It’s time we quit all this clowning around!”

Cap: “That’s right, Hank! This is serious business -- so hit me! Hit me, blast you! HIT ME!”

Beast: “Hey! wHaT tHe HeCk Am I dOiNg?”

Cap: “Coming to your senses, I hope!”

Beast realizes that Cap dropped his guard and let Beast beat the shit out of him on purpose, let Beast almost kill him.

Cap: “You’re no killer, Hank! And no force, however great, could make you kill! I counted on that fact to snap you out of it!”

Wow, good going, Cap!

Out of everyone here, you’re the only one who successfully snapped anyone out of anything. Although I think Wasp coulda if she had played possum and let Gargoyle think he killed her instead of popping up to zap him.

But Cap has insight into Hank. That probably helped.

Me and Jan know jack about Gargolye.

CHAPTER 6

With exactly two people conscious but not fighting anymore, Nebulon is like ‘hah eat shit Supernalia’

So Supernalia appears.

Beast feels like he’s about to keel over even though he beat the shit out of Cap and Cap feels weaker too. They blame Supernalia because its very easy to blame someone whose fault everything is.

But Supernalia blames Nebulon.

Nebulon slams a drama bomb in response.

Nebulon: “Do not seek to reclaim the upper hand with more lies, Supernalia! Such sophistry is unbecoming in... my wife!”

I heard that in Borat voice and I hate myself a little.

But now that Supernalia’s relation to Nebulon has been established, Nebulon is like ‘but why are you trying to ruin my exile?’

Supernalia: “You were convicted of high crimes, my husband -- and the sentence was a choice of honorable death by your own hand... or ignominious exile! In 500 generations, none of our people have ever chosen exile! All have proudly faced extinction! But you, lacking courage, brought shame upon your wife and children!”

HE HAS KIDS??

Anyway, she came to Earth to just. Kinda. Kill him. To restore honor to their family.

But when she got there, she found that he had already made friends and decided well I need some pawns of my own. So I can kill him.

Nebulon isn’t really impressed because in his one day as an exile, he’s had some epiphanies.

Nebulon: “Unlike you, I have traveled far across this universe! I have learned to see in new ways! Our concepts of honor are archaic! Our laws are cruel! I now dare to dream higher dreams, for I have learned what it means to have -- friends!”

Supernalia: “I have been your friend... and much more! Since our childhood betrothal have I stood by you -- despite your constant avoidance of responsibilities! Despite your failure to achieve glory or rank!”

Oof, imagine if your childhood friend and spouse told you that being exiled on Earth taught him what friendship really means.

I have to imagine that Cap and Beast are just listening to this like ‘god why do cosmic people always have to dump their relationship baggage on Earth?’

Supernalia then tries to tell Beast and Cap that Actually Nebulon is up to no good.

Beast is like yeah nice try.

But this time Supernalia has actual proof evidence.

She dispels the invisibility cloak hiding the Ennui Device that Nebulon left on a prior trip to Earth and is now using to drain energy from the Avengers and Defenders to beef himself up.

Now, Cap and Beast turn to Nebulon like ‘but buddy, why?’ and also to punch him a little bit, in a friendly manner.

Nebulon: “I did what I had to -- to survive! Believe me -- I truly wanted the friendship you offered -- but observing the unfolding battle, I realized I could never find peace on this or any world -- without the POWER!”

And this rude boy who doesn’t understand what friendship means punches both Cap and Beast.

Beast sprawls right at Supernalia’s feet completely burned out and goes hey feel like stepping in??

Supernalia: “I can do nothing directly, Beast. I am not permitted to interfere!”

Beast: “You... stupid... self-deluding... idiots! Don’t you understand that all this has happened... because you already have... interfered?!?!”

Supernalia: “So           I              have!”

And since now she’s done the big bad transgress of the Prime Directive, she decides that unlike her shitbird husband, she’s going to do the honorable thing and kill herself.

I. Have no words. At this entire exchange.

Its too much.

Nebulon is distraught so slaps the gun out of her hand and begs her to instead of killing herself, not do that. She could stay on Earth and rule at his side!

This latest bout of cosmic interpersonal drama gives Cap the opportunity to muster his strength and throw his mighty shield.

It deflects the ray emitter of the Ennui Device so it hits Nebulon instead of the Avengerdefenders.

Except, oops, the Ennui Beam was calibrated for “humanoid physio-psycho energies” so instead of draining his energy, the Ennui Beam just straight up starts killing Nebulon.

Amazing how you can stretch vocabulary to encompass humans, Asgardians, mutants, power cosmic imbued Zenn-Lavians, and whatever demonic biz is going on with the Gargoyle.

It sure is amazing how it affects all these different things as intended but its accidentally fatal in a way that will help wrap up the story.

Beast wet noodle jumps to try to redirect the beam and save Nebulon but Supernalia shoves him out of the way and then jumps into the beam herself.

Supernalia: “Thus, I join my husband -- in oblivion!”

Geez, when she sets her mind to killing herself, she sticks with it

.__.

Nebulon agrees that Actually This is the Right and Correct Course for them, I guess because couple counseling is a hassle.

Then the Ennui Device overloads and explodes and Nebulon and Supernalia turn to their true forms of giant weird fish people with Rocky Horror Picture Show lips inside fish lips.

Beast laments that Supernalia didn’t just let him save both of them but she’s like ‘HONORRR’ and then dies.

Thor: “I called Nebulon friend and he decieved me! Yet now -- Thor mourns his passing!”

Silver Surfer: “What manner of beings were they, to cherish honor so much... and value life so little?”

Cap: “Perhaps, Surfer -- not so different from us. Not so different -- at all!”

Okay, shut up your face, Cap.

First off, I don’t think much of an honor code that says its okay to mind control and lie to people and use them as pawns in a way that could kill them but then also goes ‘this is an honorable death’ when you stupid yourself to death.

And neither should you! Don’t put a poetic, poignant spin on things! This whole affair was a weird couples spat that two space weirdos forced you to participate in!

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I went back and covered an inconsequential annual and now I can’t go back and not do that. I wasted my time for you. Also, like and reblog. I need positive reinforcement. It makes me happy.

[captainshazamerica]

dude I have no chill when it comes to asks 😅

2. Do you like the arrowverse if so what's your fav show? (Mines flash but legends is so so chaotically lit it's a dumpster fire of awesomeness highly recommend that even tho they did my fav kinda dirty they had no need to do that to her but hey)

5. Fav character(s)?

15. Dark trinity or trinity?

17. Teen titans or Young Justice?

18. Fav animated show and/ or movie? (BTAS is supreme to me lol)

22. Fav Robin! ( this is so hard but also not I feel like dick gets it just cuz he was the first )

31. Do you like the character of the joker?

38. Who do you think is the most over looked and under used character?

51. Justice League or League of Assassins or Justice League Dark?

🎪I haven't started wayne fam adventures yet but it looks sooo good and is everyone there!? It seems like everyone's there just from what I've saw on tumblr but I don't remember seeing steph? Please say alfred is there!?

random side note just cuz you like jonny there's DC fear state coming out over fall and scarecrow is the main villian messing s*it up in Gotham and the batfam, I ain't gonna be reading that for a while tho cuz I've put a cap on comic purchasing because I'm making myself broke 😅 but it looks quite cool tbh

Dude I love that you have no chill with the asks omg xD Its so great, I get so excited when I see you do it hahaha

2. Do you like the arrowverse if so what's your fav show? (Mines flash but legends is so so chaotically lit it's a dumpster fire of awesomeness highly recommend that even tho they did my fav kinda dirty they had no need to do that to her but hey) Same, my fav is Flash, tho Im not caught up at all/havent caught up since like mid to late season 4, I got too busy during college and I was kinda getting bored with it, but now that Bart is in it, it makes me wanna watch it again! It was also before I got super into DC so Im sure Id love it even more now. I actually havent fully seen the others, just some episodes here and there and the Crisis crossovers! LoT looks like a chaotic lovable mess though, Ive heard that several times xD Who is your fav that they did dirty?

5. Fav character(s)? I mean its me so I can never chose just one xD Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Gar Logan/Beast Boy, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Edward Nygma/Riddler are my all time favs!

15. Dark trinity or trinity? Dark trinity as in the 2nd Red Hood and the Outlaws? (Jason, Bizarro and Artemis ) Then def dark trinity haha, I love those 3 misfits so much omg

17. Teen titans or Young Justice? AHH this is soooo hard omg. Like the shows or comics or groups in general?! Like imma go with Young Justice show but Teen Titans overall. They overlap though soo

18. Fav animated show and/ or movie? (BTAS is supreme to me lol) Ahh I actually seen all of BTAS! Ive just seen the first couple episodes and seen random ones here and there but like know everything about it xD Hmmm, for show I gotta go with the Young Justice cartoon, and animated DC movie, a tie between Justice League vs. Teen Titans and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (the Damirae ahhhh). Though oooh also Under the Red Hood is also a classic and Jasonnnn

22. Fav Robin! ( this is so hard but also not I feel like dick gets it just cuz he was the first ) Ahaha I knew you would say Dick!!!! xD I was gonna ask and be like, its Dick isnt it xD This is like the hardest question ever oh my goodness. While they have all been my fav at point point, Jason and Tim have like been tied for first for the last couple of months. Like I love them both so freaking much. But if I absoltly HAD to chose one, ahhhhh, im going to have to go with Jason, Im so sorry Tim D: But Jason's character is just so complex in every version and his comics are sooo good(tho I love Tim's Red Robin ones too) his arc as a character is just SO interesting to me and his constant battle with himself and how far he fell from being robin and its all so sad but makes such a good character ahhhh

31. Do you like the character of the joker? Ahaha, this one is hard/I have mixed feelings. I have always liked him as villain even before my Batman obsession (and of course use to say he was my fav dc villain hahaha) and tbh I still think he is a pretty darn good villain and there is a reason he is so popular, even though he is an abusive piece of poop. Id like him a LOT more if he didnt abuse Harley so much tbh. And I think DC over uses him waaaaayyy too much, though I do like every version of him, excluding Leto's version, and think the acting is always amazing. So yeah, I guess I do like him but he isn't my fav, but I can appreciate him and his pop culture impact and how good he is as a truly evil unhinged villain who is interesting to watch.

38. Who do you think is the most over looked and under used character? TIM DRAKE!!!!!!!! And Riddler!!!!!!!!!!!

51. Justice League or League of Assassins or Justice League Dark? Gotta go with the classic justice league man

And ahhhh yes you have to read Wayne Family Adventure, its pretty much literal perfection. Here is the official link if you need it! https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/batman-wayne-family-adventures/list?title_no=3180&page=1 It comes out every thursday! (tho you can pay to read ahead a few weeks) But yes, Steph is in it too! Her and Tim were being the disasters they are <3 And yes, Alfred is freaking great in it omgggg, you will love him in the 2nd one ahhh

Oooooh, I didnt know that!!!!(its soo hard to keep up with dc comics omgggg) I thought I heard something about that the other day but didnt know what it was/anything about it! Thanks so much for telling me!! I hope they release it digitally on DC Infinite!!!! Cause sameeee

[evildilf2]

Ok so my thoughts on ash vs evil dead (I’m writing this at 6am and I haven’t slept so bare with me)

What I liked:

- While the show is very different from all of the films in the franchise, I liked that they returned to a tone that was similar to the one established in the first 2 movies (although it definitely leaned into the humor side of things a bit more- though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

- the character work for this series was REALLY good. By the end of the show, each character had grown into a completely different person with distinct strengths and weaknesses. I was really impressed with how well written Kelly and Pablo were in particular.

- I loved Ruby. Who wouldn’t like morally complicated bisexual demon?

- I LOVED that they brought back Cheryl

- Which reminds me... the conflict between Ash and his father was soooo real & so good. The tragedy of misunderstanding (especially one as severe as believing your son killed your daughter) combined with an already strained familial relationship.... incredible. Made my heart break a little bit.

- Ash’s daughter (screams in oh my god)

- in general they allowed Ash to be more vulnerable again & I think the franchise really needed that after army of darkness.

- the personality of Ash’s home town was great

- the fact that his name is canonically Ashley Joanne Williams... iconic

- all the spooky & gorey stuff looked fantastic.

- Ash says ACAB

- ALL of the callbacks to the original movies were great

- they did a good job with making sense of lore that’s a little convoluted and complicated

What I’m on the fence about:

- Some of the scenes were just GROSS. I think this is good in the sense that like, I’m less desensitized to incredibly unsanitary scenes which means it’ll get a bigger reaction from me... but like... DUDE... do the good guys REALLY need to battle piss shit and cum?

- the episode where Ash gets gaslit in general. I thought it was a really interesting idea, but I’m generally not a fan of “aaaa mental illness is scary” tropes

- the dialogue style. It felt very artificial and over the top sometimes, and a lot of the time it didn’t give emotional moments enough room to breathe. I feel like this kind of dialogue really works for a show like this, but there were times where it kind of took me out of the scene.

-the time travel stuff made my head hurt a bit

What I disliked:

- they did the whole “female character is totally uninterested in a guy who likes her until he shows interest in another girl” thing

- they did the “this cop who constantly breaks the law in order to solve a mystery isn’t a bad guy” thing in season 1

- there were some really cringey jokes that made me roll my eyes so hard... we get it. Ash is a boomer now. Haw haw.

- the only gay character in this show dies multiple times. Like shes “immortal” but she has that ability taken away from her twice.

Overall I’d give the show a 6.5-7/10 rating. I had a really fun time watching it and the creativity of the people behind it blew me away. I’d definitely recommend it to people who are fans of the original movies.

[tokusashi]

Wonder Duo Rising // !!!SPOILERS!!!

! ATTENTION !

This post cotains spoilers for the movie “BNHA: Heroes Rising”.

You’ve been warned.

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Ok so.

I’ve FINALLY watched “BNHA/MHA: Heroes Rising” (subs were awful, but still- quality of the video was A++++ so I’m not complaining).

And what I have to say? Well...

1. This movie is my favourite among those made for shounen anime. Like, I don’t give a damn for “Naruto” movies, or “Bleach” ones. Like: Neh, they exist, it’s ok I guess? But is “Heroes Rising” a flawless movie? Oooooof course no.

2. Like, I feel that this movie was too short and plot overall was too easy. 

3. I have problems with Kacchan. Or rather, with OFA Kacchan. Like, if he had LOST his quirk, then inheriting OFA from Izuku would have more sense, and yeah, I know that Izuku passed it to him because they needed “Two OFA’s” but isn’t the whole thing in Katsuki about “beating All Might” about doing it with his own power? It would be great to see how Izuku and Katsuki are winning with great plan and even greater cooperation, using together OFA + Explosion.

4. ... Still I love Kacchan’s face when he realized that Izuku’s going to sacrifice his quirk and hero life, about which he always dreamed. Like, bro you do care a lot, and I’m fangirling with this bromance.

5. My best friend said that their “lightning-struck-me” OFA design looks kinda lame and... I agree? Their eyes were weird, and while I understand why they were looking like that but... We don’t need this saiyan sht here. At least I don’t. 

6. SERO AND OCHACO TEAMUP. TOKOYAMI AND MINA TEAMUP. TEAMUPS OF TEAMUPS. OHMYGOD LET ME FANGIRL ABOUT THOSE.

7. Also in this house we respect our girl Ochaco. If you think she’s useless like “Naruto’s” Sakura then come here and fite me. She was totally amazing and I’m glad she got screentime she deserved.

8. Also I wanted to adopt Mahoro and Katsuma right away. Adobrs little bbys. I joked like, a lot about them being BakuDeku children (to my bff’s “SIIIIGH”) but I think that they were great example and good bros for the kids.

9. I love WonderDuo content to the extreme. And while I do not ship those two romantically, I totally understand why BakuDeku shippers were and are screaming about this.

10. Like, come on, it was SO WEIRD BUT REFRESHING to see how Izuku and Katsuki have actually NORMAL conversations and how Katsuki is almost CALM around him just like around Kiri and Denki. My “I need them to be friends again” heart is happy af.

11. Also Nine is basically Squalo from KHR but calm.

12. Still, when WILL UA learn that sending 1-A ANYWHERE is a REALLY bad idea? Oh, island with people living in peace 30 years already? Yeah, let us send there those kid’s who are like a bait for death and destruction. I wonder what will go wrong.

13. Have I said how I love that noone was useless there? Like, ok, Mineta was... Mineta, but Ojiro? My baby Aoyama? Everyone else? You did AMAZING job my kids. Let me hug ya’ll!

14. So I’ve made a post few weeks ago about Bakugo forgetting about inheriting OFA: “I think the ending of the new movie is logical.After all in manga we have Bakugou that doesn’t remember sht, so if they would make him remember that he got ofa it would be “? ? ? ? ?”.Also we still need a big WonderDuo moment in manga, so yeah. It would be just bad if they would solve all of their problems in the movie.“ and while the movie IS A FILLER I still think it’s very reasonable FOR ANIME.

15. I mean it’s NOT rare for anime to mix a little fillers with canon content, so I guess it’s an “open door” for the future mixing in anime seasons. After all Nine is/was canon character.

16.  I’m still sad that there was no Aizawa content we all need. And no 1-B. Me sad.

17. Finally I think it was wrong to use MIGHT+U ost in season 4 for Overhaul vs InfiniteOFA moment. Like ok, it was great but it stole the effect of “woah” for me, when I saw final battle betwen 2 OFA’s and Nine, since I saw the season 4 first, and movie just yesterday. I think it would be a LOT BETTER If MIGHT+U would be “only for movie” OST.

Soooo yeah, I was hyped and I’m glad I watched this. Still I hope that third movie will be better than this one, if there will be a third one, that is. I really liked the fights and the animation, screeentime for every 1-A student. I had some problems, and yeah this movie is still not in the area of Hayao Miyazaki masterpieces (not even close tho). But it still was worth to watch, and I still would love to see this in cinema.

[scarletwelly-boots]

Books Read 2020

I started off really good this year, what with quarantine and all. And then I got sidetracked by reading one hundred and forty-nine fanfics (and counting) (mostly Destiel; CW can kiss my ass). 

I read 30 books this year, which I thought was bad, but apparently I only read 24 last year, so not awful. I did the Popsugar reading challenge for the fifth year. There were 50 categories this year, so 60% isn’t too bad. So without further ado, let’s get started under the cut.

1. The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea, Maggie Tokuda-Hall (a book that’s published in 2020). This book, y’all. My god. It has it all: pirates, queer relationships, genderfluid characters, an intense plot. This book was so good. I definitely recommend this book. Pirates!!! And gay!

2. Somebody Told Me, by Mia Siegert (a book by a trans or nonbinary author). I don’t know how Siegert identifies, but I know they use they/them pronouns. This book was... okay but frustrating. A bigender teen, Aleks/Alexis, has a traumatic experience and moves in with their aunt and uncle, who is a newly converted Catholic priest. I liked the queer rep, but sometimes it felt like the author had these assumptions or prejudices about the Catholic church. Some of them were right, granted, and I’m not a practicing Catholic anymore so I don’t know why it pissed me off, but it bugged me anyway. So I guess if you don’t mind it seeming like the author did little to no research on Catholicism, then it’s a good book.

3. All the King’s Men, by Nora Sakavic (a bildungsroman). Who, me? Rereading my gay comfort trilogies during quarantine? It’s more likely than you think. Love the All for the Game trilogy. This is the third book in the series. It’s the best book in the trilogy. It is a series about a college sports team who play a made up sport called Exy, which is basically a more violent version of lacrosse. I’m not a huge sports fan, but the way she writes Exy matches had me on the edge of my seat. The team is made up of all “at-risk” students, the main character being a kid on the run from his mob boss dad. Trigger warning for the series for violence, sexual assault/rape, abuse, drug use, I may be missing some things. It was so good though.

4. Captive Prince, by C.S.Pacat (a book with a map). Back again with the gay comfort trilogies. This is the first book in the Captive Prince trilogy, and whoops, did I say love All For the Game? Love this series more. It’s awesome. It’s fantasy and gay and romantic. But the romance isn’t even the central part. Laurent is my favorite asshole. Damen is so sweet and sassy as fuck. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Seriously. I can’t do this series justice.

5. The Foxhole Court, by Nora Sakavic (a book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club). First book in the All for the Game series. What are you still doing here? Go start this trilogy!

6. Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine (a book that passes the bechdel test). This is such a good book. It was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. It’s basically a retelling of Cinderella, and if you’ve seen the movie version with Anne Hathaway, the book is way, way better. 

7. Loki: The God Who Fell to Earth, by Oscar Basaldua (a book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it). God, I cannot WAIT for the Loki show. Anyway, this is a new comic about Loki (obviously). I love anything with my disaster wife in it, so 100% I recommend it. 

8. As Drowning Men Clutch at Straws, by EA Roisin (a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name). Okay, so. Roisin is an Irish name that means rose, and EA Roisin is my (unpublished) pen name. In my defense, the manuscript is 186 pages long and it felt like an accomplishment when I finally finished rereading it for the first time since I finished it in 2015. Do I recommend it? I’ll let you know if it ever gets published.

9. Red White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (a book that won an award in 2019). I’m still rereading this book. I got interrupted because my sister wanted to read it and then I got a new book for my birthday. But this is, far and away, my FAVORITE BOOK. It’s so beautiful. It was very romantic (once they stopped “hating” each other), and gay. The premise sounds far-fetched: First Son of the United States falls for the Crown Prince of England. But, guys, it’s soooo gooooood. Highly, highly, highly recommend. 

10. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, by Hank Green (a book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics). This is the sequel to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. This was just as great as the first, but I spent a good chunk of the book vibrating with anxiety. The stakes were way higher, and I don’t think I’ve been scared while reading a book since reading Jade Green (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor) in junior high (which was fucking terrifying, btw). But I definitely recommend it!

11. Crush, by Richard Siken (a book with a pun in the title). Guys. I read this book almost every year, because it’s quick and gorgeous and the title is accurate because it absolutely crushes me. This is a collection of LGBT (more specifically, gay) poetry, and OH MY GOD. This is in my top five favorite books. I read it all the time. This is the book that made me fall in love with poetry, back in high school.

12. The Raven King, by Nora Sakavic (a book with a bird on the cover). The second book in the All for the Game series. Trigger warnings for All the King’s Men apply to this one, too. 

13. 1014: Brian Boru, by Morgan Llewelyn (a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader). If you know me, you know I’m a complete Irish history nerd. This book is about a very important battle that took place in Ireland, and the last great High King of Ireland, Brian Boru. High Kings are mostly just an elected title, who get paid via taxes from provincial kings and chieftains, but Brian was the only one who saw as close to a united, free Ireland as it got until 1921 (although since the island is split between the North and the Republic, it’s still not totally unified). I recommend if you like history.

14. The Magnolia Sword, by Sherry Thomas (a book by a WOC). Oh. My. God. So this is a retelling of the ballad of Mulan. Mulan is a very important story to me anyway (tomboy as a child, genderfluid, bisexual as fuck), and this retelling was so good and interesting. It also features one of my favorite tropes, Surprise Gays. I highly, highly recommend.

15. My Own Ways Through This Life, by Chris Viau (a book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads). Okay, so it miiiight have a four-star rating because of me and my camp family all rating it, but it counts. This is a mixed media autobiography by one of my camp friends. He has written at least three books, and all are available on Amazon. This is the only one I’ve read so far, and it was really interesting. I definitely recommend it. 

16. Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes (a book you meant to read in 2019). This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was a Christmas gift from my brother. It’s a memoir about Bill’s time in a relationship with Oliver Sacks, a famous neurologist. It’s sweet and melancholic and funny. Huge recommendation.

17. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens’ Agenda, by Becky Albertalli (a book about or involving social media). Still such a wonderful book. Better than the movie, I’m telling you. It was really good, and I definitely cried. If you liked the movie, read the book. It’s different in several ways. I think if you’re thinking in terms of trueness to the book, the movie was maybe not as good, but they’re both good as their own standalone things. But I highly recommend both.

18. Loki: Agent of Asgard, by Jason Ewing (a book that has a book on the cover). This is such a good series. It’s a great characterization of my disaster wife.  I love this graphic novel series. I love how they depict Loki, how he finally gets a goddamn redemption arc. It’s a really fun read. Check it out.

19. Kings Rising, by CS Pacat (a book with a made up language). This is pushing it, since they never actually speak in the made up languages on paper. But UGH. Third book in the Captive Prince trilogy, and hands down the best. Laurent and Damen finally let go of the goddamn longing and actually do something about it.

20. The Deep, by Rivers Solomon (a book set in a country beginning with C). This is pushing it, because it’s about mermaids (basically), but I think they’re in the Caribbean. I loved this book. It was so interesting. It’s based on a song by clipping., Daveed Diggs’s group. The premise is the wajinru (the mermaid people) originated as the infants from pregnant Africans that died and were thrown overboard during the slave trade. So like, it’s a pretty heavy book. But it’s heartfelt and sweet, too. Also more Surprise Gays, which came at an excellent time (November, post-Supernatual finale) for me. I highly recommend.

21. Written in the Stars, by Alexandria Bellefleur (a book you picked because the title caught your attention). I just finished this book tonight and it was so. good. It’s basically a modern, lesbian, fake dating rendering of Pride and Prejudice. And let me tell you, if there’s one thing I love more than Pride and Prejudice, it’s lesbians. It’s really really great. I highly, highly recommend. 

22. Running with Lions, by Julian Winters (a book with a three-word title). Thanks to All for the Game and movies like Handsome Devil and Boys, I have discovered that I have a huge thing for queer sport stories. So this book was really, really good. It’s got friends to enemies to friends to lovers, which is great. It’s got soccer, which is way more homoerotic now. And it’s got gays, which is really why I picked this book up. But it’s well written and the story is interesting, too. I definitely recommend.

23. The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (a book with a pink cover). Oh my god. AHHHHH!!! This book is amazing. It’s a graphic novel, so it’s a quick read. It’s fantasy and feels a little Cinderella-y, but that’s not the best part. The queer relationship is amazing, but that’s not the best part. The prince is genderfluid! Like me! And his mask name is Sebastian! Like me! (Okay, so my name is Bastien, but close enough) This was so so so good. I got it at a convention in February, and I was practically vibrating with excitement as I read it. I highly highly highly recommend. 

24. Girl Crushed, by Katie Heaney (a book by or about a journalist). I think I’d have liked this book better if it wasn’t so...similar to my life. The main premise is the main character is getting over a sudden and painful break up, after being dumped by her long-term (maybe first? I can’t remember) girlfriend. The ex has the same initials as my ex and acted very similarly, so maybe I ended up picturing her when the character came up in the book. The ending pissed me off. It was very gay and that wasn’t the entirety of the book, so maybe you’ll like it more than me. It was just too true to life for me and opened up some old wounds I didn’t want to open up. The author is an editor at Buzzfeed, so that’s how it fits into this category. 

25. Date Me, Bryson Keller, by Kevin van Whye (your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge--a book published this year). This might be my second or third favorite book, goddamn it’s that good. It’s queer, obviously, and sort of fake dating? Bryson is dared to date someone new each week. He’s assumed to be straight, so all the people he dates are girls until Kai asks him. It’s really sweet, and there’s some issues with coming out to your family that don’t always sit well with me, but overall it was really good and it ends well. I definitely recommend.

26. Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee (a book written by an author in their 20s). AAAHHHH!!!! Fuckin.... Okay, y’all know I have feelings about Loki. He’s my spouse and I love him to death. This book was so, so good. Loki gets sent to Victorian London to solve a mystery and meets a group of humans who know about Asgard and basically keep Midgard in order for Odin. Loki is canonically pan and genderfluid (as he should be), and Theo is a sweetheart. I wrote a 10k fic coming out of reading this book (Phantom Limb by Irishavalon on AO3, check it out.). I seriously recommend!

27. Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (a book by an author who has written more than 20 books). I read this with my third graders at the beginning of this year. Such a good book. I read it as a kid too. The movie is great but as always, book is better. Recommend.

28. Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant, by CS Pacat (a book with more than 20 letters in its title). This was a reread of a short story that comes after the Captive Prince trilogy. Charls, the cloth merchant, was such a great side character in the CP trilogy, and telling the story from his perspective was great. It doesn’t have to be read after the other CP short stories, but at least the trilogy should be read first.

29. Fence vol.1, by CS Pacat (a book from a series with more than 20 books). I’m pushing it with this category. I read the first volume, but this is a comic book series, so the 20 books is more issues. This is very good too. It’s another gay sports story, and is probably going to be enemies to lovers, but they’re still enemies by the end of volume 1. Still recommend. 

30. Prince’s Gambit, by CS Pacat (a book with a main character in their 20s). Book 2 of the Captive Prince trilogy. Very very good. 

[freevoidman]

1, 3, 5 ,6

Age of calamity ask

Thanks Sokumo for the ask!

1: Who do you main above all else?

Link because I’m a simp he’s in almost every main mission battle by default and his moveset is very easy to learn and master. Right now, after beating the game once and just doing a handful of the bloodmoon battles and some of the sidequests, he’s level 71... and everyone else is either mid-50s or low 60s (except for like... the optional characters... who are all around level 30... oh fuck i gotta level up hestu for the blood moon mission in lost woods--)

To be fair, I did sort of go into the game with the plan to use Link whenever I could, because the original Hyrule Warriors had made Link’s Master Sword moveset extremely overpowered. Like, by design, it was meant to be the best moveset in the game, so I went in knowing that I should probably keep Link levelled up for main missions. 

3: One-handed, two-handed, or spear weapons for Link?

I go one-handed mostly because of the YYYYX combo that throws Link into the air. You can hit a lot of big enemies in the face with that one, which can chip at their weakpoint gauge!  Also, I’m still not sure if the Master Sword in HW:AoC does more damage to Malice enemies/Hollows, but either way I mained Master Sword Link lmao.

I’m honestly torn whether I like two-handed or spears more though... on one hand (ha) two-handed is very risk vs. reward with the increased damage gimmick, while the spear tends to move so fast it makes my framerate chug...

5: Which of Zelda’s movesets do you prefer?

The bow/luminescent! Zelda’s mobility and range is soooo much better with luminescent. While I do like the gimmick of having your moves strengthened at cost of SP, but I don’t use it much solely bc I can’t remember which button combo does what.

But yes, I do prefer luminescent, if only because Sheikah Slate is very limited in what you can do unless you have the combos fully unlocked, and it takes until fairly late-game to get a combo that lets you move around more.

6: Which Champion did you recruit first?

Urbosa! I went by the recommended levels for missions, so it was between Urbosa and Daruk. I’m glad I picked her first, seeing as she’s very good and also my wife.

If all the champion recruitment missions were the same level, however... I probably would’ve picked Mipha, if only to learn how to do her waterfall gimmick quicker (I still don’t fully get how to utilize it).

Click here if you want to ask more!

[spell406]

So, a friend of mine basically forced me to watch at least one episode of Netflix Castlevania.

(Disc - I am new to tumblr and had a little problems with posting this thing correctly. Sorry for spam)

So I watched one. And then another. And another… When I finished it was 3 a.m., my eyes were burned out, my brain fried, and my soul forever forfeited, but whatever, who need it anyway.

I am new to the universe, and I know that I am something like 10 months late to the review party, so instead I decided to just share a bunch of thoughts of mine. [UPDATE – Because I am extremely heavy procrastinator and it took me almost two weeks to write this thing I am already at 50% of SoTN right now I’ve finished SoTN by now]

First of all – Castlevania looks like anime, but shares almost nothing common with it. It was a relief, to be honest, as I was a little afraid of show being just another shounen with specific set of clichés and similarities that might quite not bad (or even enjoyable), but I’ve seen them too many times before – better or worse executed – to watch without a mild nausea another Bleach/Naruto in a darker scenario.

I would never demand a fantasy world to be realistic. Like, who would do, fantasy world is supposed to be… fantasy, right? I am fine with lack of realism but I can’t say the same about lack of common sense, and there is a matter of logic that I personally find quite funny. When you are about to fight in close quarters with someone, with both of you lives on stake you’ll want to use every possible advantage. In general there are two kinds of battle armors – first one is focused on providing maximum protection (like typical medieval plate armor) and second one designed to grant freedom of movement especially critical in usually legwork-heavy duels. And here are our “battle” priests in gowns. Gowns, that manage to provide neither aforementioned advantage and downsides of both. Heh. It just bothers me too much, honestly.

I really love the flow of narration; the way that every character including antagonists has its own set of motives and reasons, even Carmilla has her own background that is convicting to justify her bitchery (Well, she has seen it before, right? And Dracula wasn’t even trying to hide his apathy, so why would she like to watch as dead man wages his hollow war)(Is it only me or Dracula shows typical signs of severe depression? Apathy, lack of strength to take any decision, not taking care of himself, loss of interest – even in his own war – well, to be honest he has a good reason to do so).

Animations. Ah, that one is unquestionably excellent, although you Powerhouse Animation guys could have make use of an additional 4-5 fps – from time to time I had a feeling that there is a cat sitting on my keyboard’s space bar, pausing and starting show over and over - it happened something like two or three times. If it comes to favorite scenes – for me, it would be first meeting and fight between Trevor and Alucard. The dialogue and music is so good at reflecting rising pressure and tension between those two – let put oneself in Trevor’s boots – just day before he was rather concerned about getting some food/drink and move on and now he is standing against something that he now considers to be last boss of his life, or perhaps not, he doesn’t even know how does Dracula looks like and he doesn’t seem to be openly aggressive, or perhaps yes, he is obviously vampire and he seems to doesn’t like Belmont name, on the other hand even lesser vampire might be not so easy foe and he is kinda out of practice, and Sypha doesn’t feel like helping out, at least for now… It is all just perfect, and the sound track alone is stuff of legends. (Season 2 OST on Spotify WHEN??”)

Second best would be first phase of Dracula fight – the way which they are team working fluently to not let eachother get killed pleases my inner maniac in best possible way, although the 1 vs 1 part is kinda downgrade - but still ok.

But there is one thing that really stands out in best possible way from things I’ve seen before and that’s utilization of facial expression and body language. Like seriously, this combined with really outstanding voice acting bring interactions between characters to another damned level. (Unfortunately, national translation and voice acting is so awful that I couldn’t bear myself to finish even first season). There are few thing I consider more important in creating credible character than combining overall expressiveness and voice acting, the ability to tell words without actually using any (Finding Ciri cinematic in Witcher 3 is perhaps best known to me example) - and Castlevania does it just soooo good.

Dracula generals. When they were shown for the first time I was like “oh boy he has summoned generals, (Generals! Master tactician, the artists of war!) the oldest, most cunning and powerful beasts from entire world, now things are going to get rough.” And how did it turned out? I can understand that Dracula tasked his forge masters with overseeing the war (Although his reasoning was kind of ok, good job Dracula for nominating for executives two people, that knew least about proceeding war) Did they were incompetent so much? Then how did they managed to get their titles, if they were just a bunch of endlessly whining mischief-makers? They were supposed to know how war looks like, and how to do one, but instead they did literally nothing for war effort! If you ask me, that is at least one risen eyebrow. Excluding Godbrand, the only member of council that did anything more than grate his teeth in silent anger, killed some civilians and got taken care of quite effortlessly. Also, Godbrand wasn’t made to be the sharpest knife in a closet, but he still was bright enough to ask himself “What will we do when we’ll win a war?” Also, he managed to notice that there were no real plan to follow... That is +1 to you Godbrand, I’ll miss you my vikingy boi. In the end, if they were meant to be just a background, they did get a little too much of screen time, and if they were not, they got faaaaaar from enough of it.

By the way – not sure if it’s only me but I personally think that Trevor might be keenest (or – at least – not dumbest) of protagonist trio. He might lack classic education, but he is careful watcher (he noticed fresh oil in torch and overall state of Alucard’s hideout), he correctly chosen and quite successfully executed strategy at Gresit square (isolate, divide and destroy) and quite steadfastly shrugged  off Alucard bickering (well, most of times). Also, his plan for battle with vampire generals was quite logical – avoid close quarter cause humans are in general more fragile than vampires, and Alucard as frontline. My inner maniac was most pleased.

As I said before, I really enjoy Castlevania’s overall character design but with an exception of bishop of Gresit. There is no reason for his work, I know that he is insane and reasoning usually does not apply to those like him but I feel like there is no reason in villainy (this entire talking about making a God’s own country – well, I don’t buy it), aside of being genuinely baaaaad, which kinda stands out in negative way in comparison to the rest of characters.

To highlight the issue, lets do some roleplaying here:

The night creatures are ravaging the land that you had sworn to protect in unholy war against humanity, killing women, men even your subordinates alike. The citizens are growing restless, and demand taking an action. How do you proceed?

a) Find the last descendant of family known for their prowess in fighting those beasts; but be wary – he doesn’t seem to like you very much after you branded him as heretic, exterminated his entire family and burned down his home (probably with some of aforementioned family still inside it). However, if you nicely ask for help, reverse the curse, apology for making mistake and return the estate it actually might work. (to be honest that could be quite interesting moral choice for Trevor, to help people of Wallachia and let bishop take all glory or decline the bishop proposition and screw people over in the process)

b) You can fight them, you are the Holy Church after all. You have access to unlimited supply of holy water, relics, you have enough money and authority to arm and train people’s militia properly. Your knowledge of those beasts might be as wide as Belmont family, but at least should be sufficient to minimalize the damage. Killing the Dracula, however, might be impossible for you.

c) You spent most of your time on biting, trashing, or looking for anyone to cast entire blame upon; it doesn’t matter who is that poor bastard as long as it is not you. In addition, you…

AAAAARGH I CAN’T CONTAIN MYSELF ANY LONGER! BROTHER, I DON’T FEEL LIKE I AM   WICKED ENOUGH! I REQUIRE TO SEE SOME SUFFERING OF INNOCENT TO FEAST UPON! WHAT DO YOU SAY, BROTHER? I CANT HEAR YOU OVER RAGE BOILING IN MY VEINS! WHAT, SPEAKERS? OF COURSE THEY WILL DO RAAAAAARRGARGAJGIOGJIHKBYIUOL

Oh well.

Well, looks like I am done here. By the way, sorry for my English, I am not a native speaker (If I’ve commited any spectacular crime against vocabulary/grammar let me know on priv).

Now I’m going back to rewatching show and torturing SoTN

No TL:DR, just read it if you want, it is not an entire book, you know.

[isuckatthisdonti]

So i've known a lil bit about hypmic for a time now (ssshh, the guy with the long hair kinda has my attention), but I have no idea what should I do to get into. Should I play something? Read some manga? Just randomly search for songs? What is exactly hypmic?

Sup dood! The long hair guy is called Jyakurai Jinguuji, He’s a doctor. 👍 and assassin. 👍 very precious guy…..👍 I like him very much too, he’s in my favorite team called Matenrou. They’re the Shinjuku Division! I ship the other two members: doppo and hifumi so so soooooooooooooooo goddamn much… seriously OTP…. soulmates…… made for eachother…… and jyakurai is like their parent or something, what a supportive mom/dad…. haha

Hifumi is just….hifumi…..hifumi…………. hifumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!! it makes me cry thinking of them. 

hmm…where to start…..to answer your What exactly is hypmic:Check out this post i wrote awhile ago.so yeah! it’s a hard genre to explain because it’s not an anime, game, or manga per se….( although there are several spinoff manga adaption of it! :D but they only recently started and don’t have that much content yet. the main is listening to the songs and dramatracks )  It’s gonna get long from here so read forward only if you’re interested:

The general flow of enjoying is: 1) the official Youtube Channel provides trailers of the songs/drama tracks 2) Fans listen trailer, buys the CD for full-length song/drama tracks. if it was a rap battle CD, each CD has a serial number you can punch online to vote for which division did a good job on the rap battle. the first battle was a tournament style, starting off as Buster Bros VS Mad Trigger Crew and Fling Posse VS Matenrou )3) the winning team fights the other winning team for a final battle( it was Mad Trigger Crew VS Matenrou) and people buy that CD, votes again to decide the final winning team. the final winning team release an extra CD (Matenrou champion thing). ↓↓↓

Each division has a CD released (containing character song for ea/ character + a division song where the three sing together) :)there was only 1 full-tournament-y-battle so far, but recently released an album, Live blu-ray DVD, and couple new songs so fans do have constant content to enjoy. ↓↓↓

I personally bought the CDs via Japanese Amazon (the US Amazon/iTunes don’t sell them… :( )  Unfortunately missed the voting periods because I got into the fandom late :/// still cool thoI don’t ususally tell people to do this…but in this case i do understand how difficult it is to obtain official CD…..(i personally had to go through 4 different sources to get buy a CD legally in the states) so… if you really want to hear the songs and dramatracks in full; i heard that people upload them in soundcloud.  soooo i guess you can go there to listen? mmm… if you’re just curious to what it is Official Youtube channel is the place to go tho. they already have a lot of full-length songs there  :D

i hope i answered your question and wasnt too confusing;;;; 

glad you’re taking interest in hypmic :)))))) all the characters are pretty interesting, and it’s an extremely popular thing right now in Japan, a HUGE fandom. :0  hope you like em too!

have a fantastic friday~!

EDIT: today’s MVP

[allwillbeone]

Me, a comic reader vs ABC’s “Marvel’s Inhumans” show ep 1 & 2, a live blogging at Discord(revised version)

Me, watching the cursed Inhumans show in few minutes and Triton got shot while Black Bolt and Medusa are having sexy time: I can't, I can't keep up with the show anymore

This is bad, I can tell the show is bad in these few minutes No I'll finish it in spite

[Under the cut because it’s a long post with a bunch of nonsense, tldr: The X-Men didn’t suffer for this]

And Medusa ignored the important call because they are having sex I can understand why the audience rooted for Maximus at first

Now for 4 minutes? The sexy time is ended but I got really cheap CGI cityscape The show is worse than I expected

The city of Attilan is uglier than any brutalist apartment And the lunascape scene looks like a Play Station 2 game, not even 3, PS2 Maximus' first appearance looks so... basic, if I didn't know he's Max I thought him one of the citizens

I really feel sorry for those actors, they are doing their job amazingly but the writing and costumes and setting and CGI and props are bad, so bad, stupidly bad

The X-Men and the Royal family didn't suffer for this

8 minutes and here we go, eugenics shit against one of their family members? And were you expecting I'm going to root for the royal family, writers?? It's really bad... I'm watching the show only 10 minutes and it already makes me hate the show

I mean, it was 2017? and this shit is worse than in 60s comics

Yeah they can't keep romani people and asian people's ethnicity but keep slavery and eugenics shits I even don't understand why MCU so much loves those facial hairs on non facial hair characters

Gorgon: let's destroy the moon rover Karnak: Wow, how mature Humans: Oh no it looks like a hoof that crushed our rover Medusa and Max: shit... BB: Okay do nothing

Umm... is this why Max thought he has to be in charge...?

Medusa, you ignored a really important call and stopped your husband to answer the call because you gave your priority to sexy time, and now you act like you are a dignified queen with authority This show makes my eyes roll hard

Suddenly Karnak starts bubbling on some nihilistic nonsense in the middle of the terrigenesis ceremony and Gorgon being a eugenicist shit against a family member again. And they'll wonder why one of them revolt against them? I also wonder why...

The scene of Lockjaw's first appearance is something off...  he moves like a bad animatronics Ummm, why Crystal has to cover her hand with a cloth if they just grab terrigen crystal with the bare hand from a box?

I'm not sure I can finish the show... this is worse than what I heard...

Well, no one sans Max willing to engage the boy that seems gets nothing from terrigenesis, even the boy suddenly collapsing and having a seizure on the floor... wow, so cold. While Crystal is fawning over that cheep CGI butterfly wing girl, you are so basic, Crys

They've lost my respect one by one Only Triton and Max keep me have some respect as characters but I'm sure the writing will also screw them Poor Triton

And Triton's makeup is also... bad

The actor of Maximus really had the charisma and the charm in his acting, alas the plot and the writing are so bad

Oh Max starts his "revolution" as a pep talk to lower caste people, and he's smol, smoler than the boy, so smol, they got  the actor that could represent him perfectly but Marvel was stupid so they gave him that boring superhero movie black leather and ugly facial hairs instead of iconic Jack Kirby armors or evil mad scientist lab coat

In dinner or lunch or idk, Karnak is being rude and gross out of nowhere to a female servant, and I can't understand what did the showrunner want to describe by the scene

He and Gorgon are dicks to people without any reason

Yeah, and only asian man being a dick to a white lady out of nowhere.... it seems really... a red flag And only black man being an extremely eugenics scum to his family member is... also... a big red flag

Now Max reveals Triton's death and apparently the mission was secret to even Karnak so BB is getting accused at the dinner table. And BB's excuse is "Oh no you never know he really dead" lmao And he thought it's good to invite nuhumans to the moon because "They are family" while treating your moon people with useless/no power as slaves because of the limitation of the resource? Oh yeah, you go Max, you notice the obvious problem

And BB's answer is "Not now, trust me" Oh yeah, maybe going to Earth is "not now", but "getting nuhumans from earth because they are our family uwu" is also not now imo

It's still over 20 minutes and I can't believe I can find those stupidness from the show easily

I need to eat mushrooms to survive this

Maximus: -Calling out his big bro's BS and storming out of the dining- Karnak: Maximus is dangerous, but I'm loyal to you, trust me

Karnak, it's not a good way to gain people's trust

BB takes a big gun out of Gorgon's hand. Gorgon... a gun... Crystal's dress looks like nipples are showing throw the fabric It's just a fold on the fabric apparently but uh...

Medusa: You can't trust Maximus, we can discuss that BB: -signing, apparently he doesn't want to discuss this-

Oh at least he loves his lil bro to some degree

Everything in the show looks fake af, but yes Medusa's hair is the worst

Oh no I didn't notice the scene is switching to the flashback scene because the switching sequence is bad, and it means oh no that scene

[Flashback scene: BB and Medusa first meeting] aaaaaaaaaa Um, not yet... just a short "first contact" scene...

I'm afraid Max starts wooing Medusa out of nowhere, um...

To be honest it doesn't make any sense in the narrative of the show so far but anything didn't make sense in the show so I can let it go

It's kinda ironic that Max was the one who got precognition power in comics, while he saw the chance in the boy with precog power in the show

Umm, this Iso look-like character is... Auran...?

And Auran got killed by Max(with BB's power) in comics, wow ironic

Attilan in comics: Sci-fi city with a bunch of weird spires and alien buildings Attilan in the show: Are these... maximum-security prisons???

The scene is supposed to be in the rooftop garden on the palace, but it looks like a patio in a prison.

An old guy from the genetic council: It's treason, Auran arrest him, I'm really sorry things become like this Auran: -beat the old man til death-

idk why but it feels kinda comedic...

Then the scene is Oahu island because maybe Triton is there? Wow, nice vacation Triton

While Karnak is playing with a moon rover and guarding people are like "Hey, king Maximus' order, bitch!" and Karnak is like "king Maximus? ... oh shit" lmao

Wow, Max, you are the one who made those humans shoot Triton? And now you are trying to kill Gorgon? ... well, this Gorgon has been an extremely eugenicist scum to you and never stop being a dick, I can't blame you about Gorgon in the narrative, go ahead

And those henchmen are really incompetent, where are the suspense and drama

Karnak: Maximus betrayed us and the royal guards with him Gorgon: wtf I'm the head of the royal guards Wow Gorgon, apparently you have no popularity with them...

Now the royal guards are trying to get Medusa and a fight scene begin... the CGI on her hair is soooo hideous, it's almost comedic And playing "Paint It Black"? Seriously???

Finally someone in the royal guard uses their power to take down the target instead of attacking people like humans that they are disregarding

Max, holding a hair clipper: I have no choice Medusa: If you do this I never forgive you Max: (Surprised Pikachu face meme)

TBH Medusa's line here sounds really... stupid... he's committing a coup against your husband, do you think he would mind of your feelings about your hair??? But apparently, he would mind because idk whatever reason And why they just leave her, at least confine her or do something, you are committing a coup!

Oh no THAT SCENE!!! [Flashback scene: BB killed their parents with "WHY"]

wait, is the man in the left is... younger Max? He looks like an adult man here and much older than younger BB

(No apparently it's the present BB watching his younger self, it's really confusing and I have mild prosopagnosia)

So now, royals get Hawaii vacation, congrats

And BB makes a scene in the middle of Honolulu, and Lockjaw just disappeared before things got into a big mess, bad dog

Medusa: I have to find Black Bolt -riding a bus with tourists- Karnak: I have to find my king -trying to go down a cliff and fall-

Wow, Max is talking Crys about her privilege and propagandas Crys: You make me sick, you are just a human Wow, this Crys is worse than comic Crys

not because of his personality or something, but because he has no power??? Oh yes, she needs a mediocre human's dick even she can be a eugenicist scum to her own family member The show is really bad

They only keep the bad parts of comic canon in the show

It's already over 50 minutes so far, and I can't find any good part in the show... other than those unfortunate actors' acting skills

Gorgon is walking into the sea and battling with crashing waves in vain because he feels emo for Triton

And nice surfers rescue him because... apparently... he can't swim...? And those surfers are too nice and chill, they knew Inhumans already because of plot or something like that and just listening Gorgon's story while sharing beers. They are too nice

Crys can contact Medusa because Auran just dropped her comlink and leave it? Those people are supposed to be elite guards but they are so incompetent, even can't hold their childish princess Oh apparently it was Auran's plot to catch Medusa, much better

Gorgon: You should leave Surfers: Why we have to leave our beach Gorgon: because I challenged my cousin and here will be the battleground

Umm... in that case who has to leave the beach is you, Gorgon...

Oh Eldrac was in the show, I wonder how's he now Max wants to kill BB and Gorgon especially, and not mention to Karnak, he's fine with Karnak being alive... while he's not with Gorgon, lol

[Eldrac, looks like Doh the boss character of a retro video game Arkanoid] ...is this... Eldrac...? What they have done to you, you are boring here

BB feels awkward with his outfit and tries to change to norm clothes is definitely funny, finally I can find a good intentional comedy in the show... And he steals those outfit and hurts security guy, wow

[BB is getting arrested by Honolulu cops] Definitely they should make the show as a superhuman sitcom Like make Max a fabulous mad scientist and let him commit a coup in every week, and BB and co overthrow him and take back the throne at the end of the show. In Every Week.

[BB is running away from the cops and police cruisers] This is definitely a comedy material Marvel, are you telling me this is not a comedy show?

Police officer: Taser! Taser! -shoot taser- BB: Oof -destroying a police car accident because he can't hold his voice-

This BB is a weakass, comic BB has endured far worse, how could you have sexy time with your wife if mere human taser let you lost your control!?

[Police officers are beating the shit out of BB] Wow, be nice to an alien robber, honolulu police officers

Max grabbing his hand makes the boy see those visions, but putting an assuring hand on the boy's shoulder causes nothing and they are just okay...? Hmmm...

[Auran snaps a bus driver's neck] Auran you shouldn't kill a human just because they are trying to stop you entering a bus, people will be suspicious

Auran: -finding Medusa's broken comlink in the empty bus- Me: Oh yeah, Medusa ditched the comlink to hide her whereabouts and went to search BB Medusa: -appears behind the bus and attacking Auran and starts catfighting- Me: wtf

Medusa stubbed Auran with a pocket knife... isn't she supposed to be an elite royal guard!? Why everyone is stupid and weakass Medusa takes a comlink from Auran and tells BB she'll find him and kill Max, with tearful eyes, but I even don't feel any sympathy toward those slave owners... especially to that king who tried to invite more people while many people under his rule are already suffering the overpopulation...

And the mine scene... they are supposed to be a civilization with highly advanced tech, but they have to use their own bare hands and simple tool for mining? What about letting them use more safe and effective machines? Is it too much to ask?

Oh yes, they have no tech guy other than Maximus, apparently. This was why they depend on his technology for their city defense even he'd use it for his future coup(and show!Max is not a tech guy here, so they don't have any tech guy apparently)

Okay, I can see what they wanted to do. Jenkins and Lee's Inhumans second series and Hines' Silent War. I can see many references from those comics. But they couldn't make any coherent plot and story from them.

The showrunner thought their version was "more complicated, more real, and more compelling version" than comic Max and miserably failed because they wanted to do Inhumans vol.2 and Silent War and the very core part of the story is "Max has a point but his twisted mind and impulsiveness made his execution totally bad" It's sad that Once and Future Kings haven't written before their production This is why you are the worst showrunner in the MCU, mister Buck

So... this Auran has healing factor... she doesn't have anything that makes her Auran but okay...

I finished Episode 1 & 2, it feels like eternity

[smeemyselfandi]

1. Marriage Story- Never seen a film that did marriage and divorce so well.

2. Avengers Endgame- A almost perfect climax to a great saga.

3. JoJo Rabbit- Such a charming film especially considering the topic.

4. The Last Black Man in San Francisco- A underrated gem with great performances on a unique story.

5. 1917- The gimmick was needed to let you feel what it's like to go through war and how it never feels like it ends.

6. Uncut Gems- This movie is stressful. Also while I think Sandler was very good I don't think he should have won a Oscar for this but maybe nominated.

7. The Irishman- A great reminder of great actors and a great director. Might be the last time we see them this great.

8. Spider-Man: Far From Home- Didn't expect it to be as good as it was. Mainly cause of the great villian.

9. Toy Story 4- This was probably the funniest of the Toy Story series but probably the one with the least amount of emotion.

10. Shazam- One of the best family films of the year.

11. Rocketman- A wonderful music video tribute to one of the best!

12. Parasite- A good message for a crazy story that you don't know where it's going.

13. Us- Wonderful performance by Lupita makes this Twlight Zone episode worth watching.

14. The Lighthouse- Great performances and good atmosphere. Felt like I would have liked it more if it wasn't for the hype.

15. Midsommar- A bit disappointing considering how much I loved Hereditary but still good even though the story was predictable.

16. Missing Link- Underrated with its beatufiul animation and cute story.

17. Knives Out- The story is kind of a mess but the actors are having fun and it's a pretty fun movie for the most part.

18. John Wick 3- Feels similar to the first two but hooks you in the more you watch making it one of the best action trilogies.

19. Little Woman- A good story and film but I'm not so sure it needed to be told again.

20. Honey Boy- Can we all admit that Shia can act now?

21. Steven Universe The Movie- The show is better but the villian in this is sooo good.

22. Captain Marvel- Fun superhero story that people was too harsh to.

23. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood- Feel like Quentin ego and foot fetish hurts it but still a fun movie.

24. Bombshell- A important topic with good performances but felt it could have been done better.

25. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part- It's not as good as the first but still fun and worth watching.

26. Joker- I mean Joaquin did do a great performance but he has done better and the story was a bit ehh. Possibly the most overrated movie of the year.

27. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: Beatufiul animation but the story and villian are lackluster.

28. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood- Worth it for Tom Hanks performance but the cliche story almost ruined it.

29. Fyre Fraud- A good story to tell that was told the right way.

30. Judy- Felt this could have been done way better if they focused on her childhood more but Renee is still good.

31. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark- Kind of underrated but had a disappointing ending and some bad CGI.

32. Always Be My Maybe- Has one of the best cameos ever.

33. Doctor Sleep- Two scenes save this from being okay or bad but the rest of it is ehhhhhh.

34. Fighting With My Family- A cute story but feel like it could have been better if they told the real story instead of making up 40% of it.

35. Batman Hush- I think it's better than people say and didn't mind the change of the original but still kind of forgettable.

36. Detective Pikachu- Cuteness makes this one of the best video game movies of all time which doesn't say much.

37. Booksmart- Felt this should have been better but used the same tropes as most coming of age films do.

38. Yesterday- A cute story done in a unique way but nothing groundbreaking.

39. Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile- The performance of Zach doesn't save it cause the story seems misdirected on what it wants to tell.

40. Glass- It's dumb and Bruce Willis is barely acting in this but still fun and a nice end even though some of it doesn't make sense.

41. Alita: Battle Angel: A good life action anime with a terrible love story in it.

42. Lion King- Was it pointless and way worse than the original? Yes but it was still pretty impressive to look at.

43. Childs Play- A unique way to tell the story but not sure it needed to be retold.

44. It Chapter Two- Wasn't really scary and kind of dumb except the birth mark part. But Bill Hader is sooo good in this!

45. Frozen 2- Probably the most disappointing film of the year. The story was a mess and borderline insulting to the original.

46. Dark Phoenix- The last action scene almost saved it but everything else was pretty bad.

47. Justice League vs. The Fatal Five- Everything is fine with this film except the Fatal Five. They were pretty boring.

48. Aladdin- Will Smith and Mena had good chemistry but still a pointless remake of a great film.

49. Beach Bum- Matthew does a fine performance but his character does something so bad and the film just treats it like whatever.

50. Pet Sematary- A pointless reboot of a great story. This takes everything great about it and makes it bland.

51. Culture Shock- A cliche Twlight Zone wannabe that had potenial but was disappointing.

52. Godzilla: King of the Monsters- The human characters were soooo bad but hey the monster fights were kind of fun

53. Wonder Woman Bloodlines- The beginning is pretty awful considering how they rushed it but the villian at the end nearly saves it.

54. Brightburn- How do you make such a lazy cliche film on such a interesting topic?

55. Dumbo- Dumbo was cute but everything else was pretty bad. WTF happened to you Tim Burton?

56. Reign Of Superman- Just as dumb as the comic.

57. Escape Room- Just as dumb as it sounds and predictable.

58. Happy Death Day 2U- Just because you're self aware how dumb this is doesn't make it any less dumb.

[snkpolls]

SnK S3E17 Results (Anime Viewer Only Version)

The poll closed with 135 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note this is the anime only viewer version of the poll. Manga readers, please click here for the results of the manga reader poll!

RATE THE EPISODE 113 Responses

This episode has received a ton of positive views across the board, and the poll here is no exception. Over 90% of respondents gave this episode the highest possible ranking.

THIS EPISODE WAS SO EPIC!! Got me on the edge of my seat the whole episode. Too many emotions were felt once the episode ended

Loved the pacing of this episode

Best episode of season 3

Damn

The animation was soooo goooood!

Definitely one of the best this season

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT? 113 Responses

At 36.6%, Levi vs. the Beast Titan is the scene that anime only viewers appreciated the most in this episode. At 25.7%, Armin’s sacrifice makes for a strong second favorite scene. 18.6% of respondents simply couldn’t decide what part of the episode they enjoyed the most.

WHO WAS THE EPISODE’S MVP? 112 Responses

Unsurprisingly, Armin easily took the claim to the episode’s Most Valuable Person, with 80.4% of the vote favoring his sacrifice over the actions of the rest of the cast. Levi came in second with 15.2% of the vote.

WHO’S SACRIFICE HAD MORE EMOTIONAL IMPACT ON YOU? 110 Responses

64.5% of the fandom felt more emotionally compromised by Armin’s sacrifice, although we’re sure the choice wasn’t easy for many. Both characters pulled through with their heroic actions!

WHICH CHARACTER HAD THE BEST “FINAL BLOW” AGAINST THE ENEMY? 111 Responses

At just over half, 51.4% of anime only viewers were most excited about Levi’s final blow against the Beast Titan, shredding his nape open to reveal the human inside!

WHICH WAS THE BETTER ONE LINER FROM MIKASA? 111 Responses

“Annie. Fall,” remains the most notable pre-mortem one-liner from Mikasa among respondents.

THOUGHTS ON WIT CHOOSING TO OMIT ANY MUSIC WHEN EREN TAKES OUT BERTOLT? 112 Responses

78.6% of respondents appreciated WIT’s decision to leave the take-down of the Colossal Titan without any music at all, allowing the viewers to really focus on the moment unfold in front of them. 16.1% of respondents enjoyed the lack of music, but also wouldn’t have minded if WIT had included something. A smaller amount think the moment would have been more profound with something playing in the background. 

I didn't notice there wasn't any music

Was still in shock from about Armin so didn't notice

850 YEARBOOK VOTE: WHO HAS THE BEST TEETH? 109 Responses

With a slight edge over the Colossal Titan, the random Redshirt with the… very interesting facial features wins out this category with 27.5% of the vote. The Colossal Titan was in second place, and Eren’s titan ranked in third. Sorry, Zeke. We’re sure Levi would love to rearrange your teeth a bit.

WHO WORE THIS LOOK BETTER? 110 Responses

Reiner wins the most handsome look with 52.7% of the vote. We can probably thank WIT’s quality animation for this one!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ZEKE MEANT WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT HUMANITY REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKES OVER AND OVER? 112 Responses

65.2% of respondents feel that Zeke was referring to the King’s brainwashing and how it causes humanity to repeat the same history over and over. 22.3% feel that it’s a more broad statement and criticism on humanity in general and how we’re doomed to forever repeat history. 9.8% either lean more on the “time loop” theory or just think we’re quite witty!

The only solution is extinction

The story is an endless circle

humans are stupid? Or maybe he thinks him and his warriors are better than normal humans?

YOUR REACTION TO LEVI VS. BEAST TITAN? 112 Responses

At 71.4%, the overwhelming majority of respondents were super pumped up for Levi vs. Beast Titan and weren’t disappointed. 13.4% felt that everything went relatively predictably without feeling disappointed. 11.6% were simply impressed, and a small percentage felt it was too predictable.

It's beautiful. I've looked at this for five hours now

Levi gave beast titan a nice shave

DO YOU THINK LEVI WILL GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO TRY AND FULFILL HIS PROMISE? 111 Responses

64% of respondents are feeling positively about Levi’s plight and believe he will be able to face Zeke again and see his vow through. 19.8% are slightly less optimistic, believing that Levi will get to face Zeke again, but still won’t come out victorious. 14.4% are certain that he simply will never get another chance to fulfill his promise.

He promised Erwin to kill him, after Erwin’s death I god damn demand the death of the Beast Titan!

Yes, and I have a bad feeling he might end up dying on his 2nd attempt

REINER LOST HIS MEMORY AFTER BEING INJURED. THOUGHTS? 111 Responses

68.5% of respondents went with the more sarcastically worded answer, but feel that he only lost his memory due to the fact that his head was blown off. 21.6% of respondents feel that it’s something that’s going to ultimately affect Reiner personality disorder, and 7.2% feel that the memory loss is simply just a side effect of titan shifting in general.

I didn't notice

I think it will be revealed later

No, this will be momentary

HOW RELIEVED WERE YOU TO SEE HANGE JUMP INTO BATTLE? 113 Responses

The majority of the fandom was relieved to see that Hange is still alive after a couple episodes of not knowing their fate. Bonus points for them coming back in one of the coolest ways!

SASHA WAS INJURED AND RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS. DO YOU THINK SHE’LL BE OKAY? 113 Responses

Nearly 70% of voters aren’t too concerned for Sasha’s fate. 22% don’t want to say either way, and a small 8% believe she’ll be confirmed dead by the end of the arc.

WILL LEVI HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE SERUM? 112 Responses

The vast majority of respondents are fully confident that Levi will inject another character to eat one of the enemy shifters.

PLOT PREDICTION: Erwin is barely alive but will bleed out soon. Levi has the serum, Eren suggests they use it on Armin, (despite already being dead and not knowing if the serum works on the dead.) Levi gets angry at Eren for this and that leads into the rooftop trailer from S3 Part 1's final episode. When Levi is pinned by Mikasa, Eren steals the serum and uses it on Armin, not knowing if it will even work.

IF SO, WHICH SHIFTER DO YOU THINK WILL BE SACRIFICED? 113 Responses

72.6% of respondents are confident that with Bertolt out of commission, he’ll be the one to be sacrificed should the serum be used. 15.9% believe that it will be Reiner. At third, a small percentage are firm in believing that the serum will not end up getting used for one reason or another.

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT ARMIN’S SACRIFICE? 113 Responses

A solid 54% of the fandom were emotionally touched by Armin’s sacrifice, feeling that he went out bravely. 25.7% gained a lot more respect for his character than they had previously, and 15.9% feel very strongly about those who consider Armin to be a useless character. Just a few weren’t really moved by the sacrifice at all.

PepeHands look how they massacred my boy

I'm still traumatized... Armin was my 3rd favorite character and I just... can’t believe it

IS THIS A GOOD END FOR ARMIN’S CHARACTER? 113 Responses

78.8% of respondents believe that this is a satisfying and fitting end to Armin’s character arc. The remaining respondents still want to get something more out of him.

Why did Armin have to go ;-;

Ohh Godd! give us Armin back oh lord! ;-;

HOW DID YOU FEEL SEEING EREN FINALLY TAKE DOWN THE COLOSSAL TITAN? 113 Responses

Nearly half of the fandom were excited to see Eren finally take out the Colossal Titan, cheering on his victory. 33.6% were happy to see it happen and felt it was well deserved. 12.4% would rather give Armin credit for the victory, and a small percentage were either neutral or unhappy with the development.

What did it cost?

HOW HAVE YOUR OPINIONS ON THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS CHANGED?

Naturally, Armin got a huge boost in favorability from this episode, and characters like Eren, Erwin and Levi have also gained fairly large boosts in this regard. Mikasa, Reiner and Bertolt mainly remain unchanged, with a few more favoring Mikasa higher, while Bertolt and Reiner are favored lower. Zeke, the Beast Titan, is the only character who’s favorability continues to move in a negative direction, unsurprisingly so. Yes, we do plan on asking this again after episode 55.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

;0;

Best episode yet

Floch came Clutch

Fucking awesome and hawt 💞😔🥵

Hyped for next episode

I noticed Zeke mentioned some underlying daddy issues. Poor guy's going through a phase... I bet he's about to be seriously grounded

Solidifies it as my favourite anime and dare I say perhaps even one of my favourite shows of all time

very noice

yeet

Thank you for running this poll. I've been looking forward to it every week since I discovered it at the beginning of the season and I appreciate the work you put in to it :)

(Thank you to the person who wrote the last comment! <3)

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 105 Responses

Thank you to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again in a few days!

[1358456]

Review Response, June 23-29, 2019

I totally forgot about this until right now. Whoops! My bad.

And also, starting with this post, each weekly review response will now show the updated graphs... charts (I keep saying graphs but they’re more charts...) of the stories that got the reviews.

Destiny #010

1) OH GOD. I KNEW IT. Y'S GOING TO DIE. THE WHOLE THING WITH X AND NOT THINKING OH HER AS "HIS GIRL" WAS A BUILD-UP OF SOME SORT. This will only cause X grief as it was one of the last things he said about Y before she died. Ohhhhh god. Poor Y, she tried so hard. I simply cannot imagine being attacked like that. And speaking of being attacked, Sapphire? Really has to get over her fear. I know its difficult love, but you're hindering the rest of your team! But anyways, going back to Y, the way she was dominating at first made me soooo happy. Finally! Proof that they can win! But nope. I still can't get over it. A death so soon... unless she miraculously survives. But tbh I can't see how.

Also nil I forgot Silver even existed for a moment there. When you mentioned him, I was completely take by surprise lmao. I don't blame you or anything, it's really hard to focus on a lot of dexholders in one chapter. But I was surprised to find that none were mentioned at the end, the it hit me that of course they weren't. They've got their own battles (problems) to deal with. Those shiny pokemon aren't going to disappear by themselves. Although I hope and pray that they do. But I am really interested as to how this battle will end. Will the dexholders prevail? Will they be defeated? Or will they retreat with their tails in between their legs? So many questions. And there can be so many answers. I'm hoping that they will win, but I just don't think that is likely tho. They've practiced yes, but it's probably not enough. They need years of practice before they can get to his level.

Also I forgot to mention, but I started sweating when I realized that Emerald still had his Mega bracelet thing I forgot what it's called. I was like "Ho boiiiiii." One could easily predict that he would be targeted first. Or at least second only to Y. But I feel like Peter is definitely using the Salamence to his advantage. I mean who wouldn't? That's one dexholder down.

Speaking of Sapphire, I absolutely love how you added in that bet between her and Gold. Like I said previously the balance of fun and not fun (?) is absolutely amazing. And I can only imagine a lot of people there probably face palmed. Which I get but like it's also a fabulous way to motivate someone (especially two competitive dexholders like them) to fight. But I doubt that that either of them will still have the heart to order around the other person after this battle. Well... then again this is Gold and Sapphire we're talking about. They are two people who might still do it. And it makes for a perfect opportunity for comedy later on. Nicely played.

I've decided to use paragraphs 'cause I tend to wander in my reviews, and it makes it easier to process. I'm sorry of this review isn't as good as the others. To be honest they only thing I feel I can say now, is about how good your writing is. But that gets tiring. And I'll make sure to shut up about Peter being so powerful later on. But I'll admit you're legit making me worried.

Anyways, thank you. Its been a pleasure like always.

I didn’t really think of that as a build-up. More like... “the f*ck, X?”. If I recall, I put that line in there because he says it in the XY arc, and it was incomprehensible... at the time. And yes. Poor heartbroken Y... :( And death so soon? This is chapter 10. It’s too soon*! And yes, Sapphire needs to get over the Salamence weakness... which she has in Destiny because this was before that scene in ORAS where Sapphire did not give a FUCK, since there was no time for such trivial things. Damn ORAS...

Silver? ... Oh yeah. That’s right. Heh. Not only are there a lot of Dex Holders in the mess, but there are those who I just do not give a damn about, who always wind up being forgotten as the focus of the chapter is elsewhere. Hehe. And the Dex Holders don’t need years of practice... they just need to embrace the game mechanics!! Hehe. ... What, is a Modest Rhyperior going to win against an Adamant one if it practiced? Heh.

The Salamence over-usage is not only because of how it cripples Sapphire, but also because the guy the Mega Hunter is based on generally always has a Salamence in his singles team. ... Usually with Choice Band and Moxie and Outrage. One-shot a guy, get Moxie boost. One-shot the next guy, get another Moxie boost. And one-shot the next guy. 3 Pokemon down in 3 turns. ... And then it usually hits itself in confusion and deals like 75% damage to itself.

Ah, the competitive rivalry between Gold and Sapphire! The one that’s hardly ever mentioned by anyone else... It’s fun, though. And all lighthearted. They always need to get the one-up on each other. Heh.

I do like the new paragraphs! It makes it easier for me to respond! I really do appreciate your reviews! :)

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Destiny #011

1) If shit wasn't already real, it is now. I honestly love the tension between Platinum and Sapphire, and it makes sense. They're the complete opposite of each other, one's quite literally wild, while the other is as refined as possible. It's only natural that they should clash. But I must admit, Platinum was being exceedingly rude. Like goddamn, you're fresh out of a battle, you need to find a new teammate and Sapphire is giving the perfect way in order to find her. Who cares if someone sees you with a girl sniffing. Stepping back was petty, though I'll also admit that Sapphire was being a but rude to Platinum when she told Platinum to just follow her. But it's simply Sapphire's way (as it is Platinum's), so I guess I can't complain too much. But I'm still rather peeved.

So, Peter thinks that the dexholders will get better, huh? That's new. Usually villains will boast and get cocky, and that usually leads to their downfall. Seems as if Peter is not going down that path. I found that a nice thing for you to add, because it only adds on to how clever this dude is. Like the little clues you leave for certain things, I'm not sure whether you write them on purpose, but some of them I notice and it only gladdens me.

In any case, I did not think Peter was going to manipulate Oak and Daisy. That actually quite surprised me, but in reality its a great way to gain information. After all, knowledge is power. And the more you know about your enemy, the more of an advantage you have. Meanwhile the dexholders don't know anything about him, only that that he wants to kill them for reasons? And some of the strategies he uses. Yikes indeed. Red voiced this perfectly in this chapter, with those questions of his. (And if I'm correct) I believe that this is another one of those "clues" I mentioned earlier. I believe Red might be the one to find out the answers to those questions, as he was the one to ask them. But that might just me looking too far into it. And I'm not exactly sure that that is a clue lmao. Ah well, a girl can come up with as big of theories as she so wishes.

Also, could it be possible that for a future strategy, they use Yellow for her healing? I mean, it seems practical. Their pokemon are not strong enough, and they drop one by one so easily. And while it seems rather cruel to constantly heal them only to fight again, that is reality. We do it all the time in the games and actually that brings me to another topic. The world of pokemon is wonky. We just capture these sort of "animals" and force them to fight for us? We might create bonds with them, but jeez these guys are just living their lives when bam! You come across them and then just capture them? And have them battle for you and constantly drain their health, only to do the process all over again. That is fucking cruel imo. I know certain trainers consider pokemon as companions and friends and whatnot, and that's all great and dandy, but like jeez. At least some pokemon come with you willingly and that's the best part. But whatever I'm getting off topic.

Again, personalities on point, writing smooth. Honestly I've never read something of your that felt jagged in a way. (Which is what really confused me when I accidentally skipped this chapter, and I was thrust into the future without an explanation of what happened at the end of the battle) Thank you.

I don’t think Platinum was being rude there at all. She doesn’t say anything, and from her perspective, it’s natural to be baffled at Sapphire. It’s like... you see someone sniffing at the air and the ground and the trees, and you just feel the urge to not be seen right next to that person. Stepping backwards was an unconscious decision, and hell, I’d do that too. And of course, Platinum hadn’t spent enough time with Sapphire to be used to it, or even appreciate her uniqueness. So for now, it’s an understandable natural reaction. And the cause of the Sapphire vs. Platinum minor feud that... I was going to push but abandoned because no one gave a f*ck.

One of the things I absolutely HATE about villains in anime/manga is their usual cockiness. If I had a dime every time some bad guy said something along the lines of “it’s over”... Well, it ain’t over ‘till it’s over. The Mega Hunter won’t be saying that it’s over when no one has died yet. And I left quite a few clues about him throughout the story. They become far more evident when Blue points them out later on.

Knowledge is power, indeed. Especially when it comes to Pokemon! ... And battles. 知彼知己 百戰不危 and all. And I think Red’s internal questions are a bit too blatant to be considered as clues. Hehe. But hey. That’s just a-

Using Yellow for healing? Oh, I do love how you consistently point out options that actually do happen shortly afterwards. It is, after all, the logical next step. And... ah, the morals of Pokemon. “Pokemon are not tools of war”... that’s because you’re not using them properly. HA! The Pokemon world ain’t looking too bright. Also factor in humans’ tendencies of eradication, and...

I did notice that you skipped this one, given the review order. But I respond in the chapter order, so this one comes first. As to how you NOT notice that you skipped a chapter... ...

2) I swear to god these reviews take me an hour to write lmaooo. I didn't even realize it took that long. Not like I'll stop but dam.

You don’t have to write such long reviews, if that helps you. I do enjoy reading your long reviews, but if it’s too much for you, you can shorten it!

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Destiny #012

1) I wouldn't be surprised if they were copying your work ngl. In fact, they'd be stupid not too. Its that good but anyways, I'm face palming myself now. Of course it was a pokemon. What else could it have been? Honestly, sometimes I'm amazed at my own stupidity. Just like I'm amazed at your writing this chapter! Y's, Platinum's, and Blue's insecurity felt all unique! Like, one could tell it was insecurity, but each felt it in a different way. Which I felt reflected in your writing (as I'm starting to realize most emotions of the characters do) which might've just been encase of their different situations, but I feel like it was more than that. Kudos to you, that's hard to accomplish. And speaking of insecurity, this Peter guy seems to really know how to manipulate it. 'Cause I know the pokemon was doing the brainwashing, but Peter was the one putting the ideas and thoughts into Blue's mind. But he wasn't forcing them, he was juts voicing some of the thoughts he assumed were going on in Blue's mind. Also speaking of Blue, we finally have a chapter in her point of view again! It was nice seeing her again, and making sure that she was okay. But um the whole "It's not my problem" is worrying me. I completely understand why she's at that point. But still, not how the Blue I know from the FRLG chapter would act. (I say FRLG 'cause I'm not sure whether or not that's how she would've acted in RGBY. I mean she's had her small arc)

Fucking bastard. I was hoping Blue would somehow turn him down, but I suppose my prediction was correct. He "tricked" her in a way. But I guess I can only hope now that Blue will snap out of it the moment she sees the dexholders and is assured that they are indeed her friends. Seeing as how we already know she is capable of at least breaking free of his grip for a few moments with only the help of her subconsciousness and thoughts. Break free, Blue! You got this!

Also, on the matter with Y. I am so surprised she survived. The was quite a beating in the last chapter. I mean, forcefully being held in the air against her will. With things like Hydro Canon shooting at her. Not to mention the branches and rocks that pummeled her. What a remarkable girl. Even is she had on her suit. Dam. And even still wishing to fight. Is this what it means to be a dexholder? I can hardly imagine. If I break a nail I feel like crying and I start hugging my teddy bear. Well no, I don't do that either. But you get the idea.

But speaking of the time when Blue will have to battle the others. I wonder how that will play out? I wonder what the reactions of the others will be. Especially the ones close to her like Silver, and Red and whatnot. I'm sure that very moment is when my heart will break and I will cry. I'm certainly looking forward to the fluff that will help heal those wounds of mine. But Green's guilt. That will certainly overwhelm me. More than I thought X's guilt over Y's supposed "death' would have. Also, I wonder who's perspective that will be in. Lately it's been a lot of Platinum and Y, but I think it would be great if that battle was in Green's or Blue's point of view. As they were the ones who had the "falling out" in their relationship. Nonetheless, I'm sure it will be quite enjoyable. I cannot wait to read it!

Lackspeed to my babies. Treat them well I beg of you. They deserve all the love in the world. But still I thank you.

The conspiracy! First ORAS copies SA’s Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, then XY copies... er... well, I can’t say right now I guess, since you’re not far enough in Destiny. Heh. And yes, of course it’s a Pokemon. Destiny literally begins in Terminus Cave in Kalos. And you do know what’s in that cave, right?

The insecurities of the different Dex Holders are the cause of their different personalities and their situations! Blue, the lonely girl who’s been drifting away from her friends and feeling utter isolation, would have insecurities about her friends. Platinum, the proud girl who have never known defeat previously would have insecurities about her own capabilities after losing multiple times to the same enemy. And what she says is what she would’ve read in a book too. 敗將有口無言, and all. And Y, the new girl, who has a lot to prove and a lot of catching up to do, will have her own insecurities after being absolutely obliterated.

Blue saying “it’s not my problem” is the result of her drifting away so much from her friends and feeling betrayed. In FRLG, it’s subtly revealed that Blue doesn’t remain in contact with anyone other than Silver (since Red and Green had no idea what she was doing in One Island, or what she had been doing), and so if that was to continue for years, and she lets her darker thoughts go rampant, she would end up quickly reverting to her old colder self.

And yep. “Tricked”. Rampancy in AI (which is what Blue’s rampancy is based on) doesn’t require something HUGE happening. It can all start with just a subtle suggestion. And now the struggle begins, between her rampant thoughts and her rational thoughts. Hehehe...

Yep. Y took a hell of a beating... again. And yet she’s still trying to fight. The resiliency of the Dex Holders! ... Also, the resiliency of those who are in the top 5 favorites! In order to be able to fight even after such a beating, you need to be in the top 5 of my favorites. Otherwise... hehe.

Oh, Blue’s upcoming fight against the Dex Holders... it will be quite the journey!

Treat them well, eh? Hmm...

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And so with that, Destiny’s chart is updated!

With the reviewed chapters in the red circle. ... Destiny still doesn’t show a trend, as it is ALL OVER THE PLACE.

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Legacy #007

1) Janecklyn from Specord here :P

Anyway, i really appreciated those "slice of life" chapters and some of the dex holders forming friendships with others outside their region! Makes the stakes higher and the mental problems more heavy.

Aww, jelly X, I have a feeling Jeremy is gonna be important to the plot.

Moon, you goofed up D:

One thing I like of your writing, is that you get the characterization pretty well, most of the time I can tell who's speaking for the lines alone. It tells me that like you love these characters 3

Intense and suspenseful chapter! Will wait for the update 3

Oh. I had no idea that you actually read Legacy. ... It happens if people just don’t review, since I have no other way to know if it’s being actually READ.

Gotta love those “slice of life” things, eh? It’s not always just chaos and catastrophe in the lives of the Dex Holders. Even if they’re always in the middle of one.

X is going to have to compete with Sky Trainer Jeremy! Hehe...

Moon had failed to properly heed Platinum’s warning, and had failed to react fast enough. Ouch.

Hehe. Thank you :) I do try to make each one sound as unique as I can, though some... just... can’t.

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With this one review, Legacy’s chart now looks like...

The red circle was the change, and so now it’s no longer a straight line barring the last chapter’s “anomaly”. Still, the trend is too clear. Legacy will not be getting an update until that dot in the red circle goes up by another 5. And it has the rest of 2019 to do so.

[tumblunni]

It's a little weird that only Cynthia gets voiceacted out of the main champion trio in this anime vid. If it was an issue of getting old voiceactors back on short notice, then technically isn't Lance the one who was used most recently in Generations? Is Cynthia's Japanese voiceactor just always lurking in the shadows ready to jump back into the fray? Or did Nintendo just aknowledge that she's the most popular champion lol. (Apparently she's either rank 1 or 2 in literally every country's fandom!)

Ian so happy that Barry made it in as one of the main friendsn of the female protag choice (and also that they included the female protag choice in promotional materials this time!) And it's awesome that Rosa was chosen as one of the primary important characters overall, and that cool tote bag with her saving Brendan atop a charizard was the first foreshadowing we got of the entire game. She is soooo underappreciated, I'm so happy she gets all this love! Gives me hope of other underloved charries maybe returning hmm hmm Charon hmm

Barry's goofy run...ilu Barry...

More underloved characters returning: PORYGONS FIRST ANIME APPEARANCE IN FOREVER! I like how poryphone is in this game and rotophone is in the next upcoming main series one, that's a nice way to subtly link them and also.show how they're different. I wonder if it's like the android Vs apple brand wars?

Mysterious new characters? I think that's just meant to be Aroma Lady and Lass in a bit of a different design, cos they're Erika's usual gym assistants. But the aroma lady looks a lot like an older Green...?

"speed it up!" "Slow it down!" Lol the dialogue here is minimal but it does have its charming moments :3

Brock hugging Cheren's Snivy!!!! I didn't even think about cool interactions that could come from the Masters meeting each other's Pokémon!!! Imagine something like at the start of the journey big onix is all scared of lil Snivy and Snivy starts off playing into the scary persona cos it's proud of someone acknowledging its power. But along the journey they're able to become friends and get over their differences and get to this point where Snivy jumps in to defend someone ten times it's size and can trust it's friend's trainer to help it when it gets hurt.

Aaaa so much potential aaaa... I want everyone to be buddies...

Oh man I wish whenever I got a badge I also got the gym leader to join me on my journey... I really hope there's lots of good plot bonding with all the characters I want like a full fire emblem support system thing (but for intercontinuity friendships not marriages of course)

FLINT AND FANTINA AND CRASHER WAKE MY ULTIMATE SINNOH FAVES AAAAA

I like how the whole thing is framed with a monologue of Blue about how he's gonna win the world tourney and you arent. It'd be cool to have him as a rival again! Especially him in his less evil gen 2 version

Who are the mysterious domino mask guys? New evil team? They look coincidentally similar to my Team Jinx idea I had for a fan region when i was a teenager, so I'm happy!!

And then some more animated bad guys it seems?? IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE HUNTER J FROM THE ANIME AAA and she has cool fancy teammates now?? Maybe we'll learn more of her backstory? I like the guy with the face tattoos/oddly triangular scars?

IT WAS ALL SUGIMORI'S IDEA THEY REALLY DID GIVE HIM A GAME TO CELEBRATE ALL HIS CHARACTERS IM SO HAPPY FOR HIM AAAA Im so glad cos I have ALWAYS complained that the trainer's never get merchandise and every time theres a returning cameos I'm so happy dear GOD I love SO MANY of these classic friends!!!!!

It's neat that it's being developed with a new smartphone app company instead of niantic, I'm glad this new company is more open to having the actual Pokémon art style. DeNA looks neat and their president seems to be a nice and stylish guy!

Oooo new region Pasio! It's an artificial island created specifically to be a paradise of tournaments and sporting events, similar to how the Battle Area was in sinnoh. I wonder if this kind of thing is common around teh pokeworld and this is kinda just like the main one that started a franchise of smaller ones around the world? Is this Pokémon Disneyland???

Brief shot of the mysterious potentially Hunter J + team, apparently in fancy tuxedos? Do they run the league? Is that the plot that's gonna happen, it turns out this was her new evil plan to find the strongest trainers and sneakily steal their Pokémon?

HELL YEAH WE ARE, BARRY

Cool new designs for trainer classes?

ITS REAL ITS HERE ITS CONFIRMED KRYS AND LYRA SIDE BY SIDE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Really hard to catch all the trainer's tho cos they overlap each other. There's Flint and it seems Cheryl the stat trainer but I couldnt catch any of the ones near the end where it starts fading out...

Also I just REALLY LOVE the Sync System where you actually get unique special moves from the trainer's you pick, rather than everything being entirely dependant on the Pokémon. They can apparently use heals and buffs as well as having their own unique animation for z moves!

Aaaaand lots more trainers going past super fast and I can't see a thing, lol

Keeping my eyes peeled for team galactic...