androgynouspoetryking-blog

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krillin and gohan are funny, krillin dies so much :)

Why Krillin and Gohan are Brilliant Characters.

Krillin and Gohan, especially in the Saiyen and Frieza sagas, are essential to the plot of Dragon Ball Z. They are brilliant characters, and represent a large reason why DBZ stood out so much when Toonami started airing it.

Krillin and Gohan are physically smaller and weaker than most of the people they bump into. They usually don’t have a full grasp on what is going on. Essentially, they have a lot in common with the kids and teenagers watching DBZ for the first time.

The show seemed so different when it aired for a lot of reasons. The art style and violence stood out a lot, but Gohan and Krillin act as a brilliant lens through which we view the story.

They’re often in the fight before Goku. It feels like their perspective is the primary perspective of the story. Gohan and Krillin are brilliantly used as tools to make the heroes and villians of the story almost godlike.

They are also used to add to the DBZ power fantasy. Krillin and Gohan hold their own against foes who out power them, hide and steal Namekian Dragon Balls, and in general feel more emotional than other heroes (especially Gohan). Young viewers get a sense that they could somehow contribute to Goku’s fights against Vegeta and Frieza.

It was deliberate and brilliant of Toriyama to keep Krillin small while Goku grew up.

Side Note: I’m writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. Follow this blog if you’d like to keep up with me. I appreciate the support.

Thanks, Jo :)

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

ha, this could be epic!! :D

Krillin and Tien in the Kimyuchu Universe: Part 1

“I like the return to baldness,” Yamcha said rubbing Krillin’s head.

“It wasn’t my choice,” Krillin said brushing Yamcha’s hand away. “I’ve stared balding naturally.” :/

Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Bulma all stood in Krillin’s backyard eating pasta. “It’s weird how busy everyone is, but I’m glad you all could make it,” Krillin said looking around. “Even Chiaotzu is busy these days?” Krillin asked looking at Tien.

Tien rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it. He got Breath of the Wild……”

Everyone sighed. It was a weird time on Earth. There always seemed to be some fight going on, but it seemed that fewer and fewer people were able to participate. It was nice to have such strong friends, but it also made throwing parties kind of hard. Bulma had asked them all to wear the outfits they used to wear when they fought so she could get a picture.

She took the picture, and everyone enjoyed their food.

“I’ve got something cool,” Bulma said reaching into her purse. She pulled out a capsule, pushed a button on the top, and threw it on the ground. A puff of smoke went up, and large silver hoop was laying on the ground. Bulma tossed another capsule on the ground a few feet over and it produced another silver hoop. “Check this out,” she said stepping into one of the rings. She clapped her hands. Weird purple dots started glowing on the ring, and a moment later she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

A second later she reappeared standing inside the other silver ring. “Ta Da!,” she shouted holding out her arms. “These are teleportation rings. We actually developed them for a pop star to use for stage tricks. You should try them.”

Everyone enthusiastically started trying the teleportation rings. “It tickles,” Krillin said laughing when he moved from ring to ring. They tried teleporting holding objects. They stated moving the rings around the house.

“This is awesome,” Yamcha shouted when he had teleported to the other side of the house.

Bulma thought they should be a bit more careful, but decided it wasn’t worth ruining the fun. It was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves. Tein ran around the house to Yamcha holding a basketball.

“Thanks for bringing these,” Krillin said. “You really made the party.” He stepped into the ring. He clapped and disappeared.

“Dude! The basketball went with you,” Yamcha yelled. He ran back around the house to Bulma laughing. “This is so epic!” He looked at Bulma, then he looked around the yard. “Where’s the basketball?”

“What?” Bulma asked looking at Yamcha. She was kind of annoyed. After all these years she still didn’t like being around Yamcha. She had hoped he would be busy today. “Krillin, come back,” she called out.

There was no answer. She ran around the house. Krillin was nowhere to be found.

“Funny prank,” Yamcha said smiling nervously.

Krillin’s whole body tickled for a moment. He closed his eyes and smiled. “This is so fun!” He yelled.

“I was able to bring a basketball through! BASKETBALLLLL!” Tien shouted. He slammed the ball down on the blue grass and sent it soaring towards the orange clouds. “This is so dope…….wha….”

Both Krillin and Tien looked around. Something was really wrong. The grass was blue, the clouds were orange, and the house was nowhere to be found. They appeared to be in a prairie with rolling hills. Large rocks dotted the hillsides. 

“Where are we?” Krillin asked.

“Maybe……I don’t know. We should see if we can find something familiar,” Tien said. They both nodded, looked up, and stood there.

Their arms were fully extended to their sides. “Uhhhh, I can’t fly,” Krillin said.

“Me neither…..shoot,” Tien said looking around with a worried look on his face. “Guess we should run somewhere.”

“Let’s go,” Krillin agreed. They both took off running over the blue hills. The air around them was hot and humid. Occasionally they ran past bubbling ponds of green water. “I think we somehow got teleported to Namek, or somewhere like it,” Krillin suggested.

“Maybe,” Tien said. “What’s that?” Tien asked pointing over the hills. In the distance they could see a large figure coming towards them. As it got closer the image became clearer.

It was treelike figure riding a motorcycle.

Side Note: I’m writing a lot on tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you find this fanfic interesting and want to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve been getting.

Thanks, Jo :)

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

lol, this is somehow epic and funny.

Phil for President 2020 (of Canada): part 3

PART 1: https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/160578951714/phil-for-president-2020-of-canada-part-1

PART 2: https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/160604192884/phil-for-president-2020-of-canada-part-2

They rode the highway to the edge of London without stopping. There were no more signs of Robot Keanu Reeves.

“I’m going to need some gas soon,” Fernando said.

Phil was surprised. After fighting off multiple robotic Keanu Reeves and riding a talking motorcycle this was the first thing that made sense. A rest stop sounded nice. “Yeah, and I need to pee,” he added.

“We’ll stop at a rest station on the edge of town,” Dan said. “We’re about an hour away from my Dad’s house.” They pulled off the freeway, and drove up the pump at a gas station called Gary’s Gas. “Odd name for a gas station,” Dan thought to himself.

When they pulled up a young man came out of the building and offered to pump the gas for them. “Fill it up,” Dan said as he and Phil got off the bike to go inside.

Once inside, Phil ran straight for the bathroom, and Dan started looking for a snack. An old man stood at the counter, and he glared suspiciously at Dan. A moment later the old man looked down at his phone. The gas station was playing some soft rock music; Dan recognized the song and started humming along. “More like Glarey’s Gas,” Dan thought to himself.

He couldn’t decide between gummy worms or sour apple gummy rings. He sniffed both of the bags, and recoiled when he smelled to gummy worms. “Something is very wrong with that,” he thought and put the candy back on the shelf.

“DAN!!!” came a scream from the bathroom.

Dan ran over and burst through the door. “What!?” he yelled looking at his friend. The bathroom was a bit large for an establishment of that size. It had multiple stalls, and a door on the far side that said “employees only”.

Phil was peeing in the urinal stall and had held his phone up. “Dude, there is footage of us fighting Keanu all over the web!”

“More of a reason to hurry. Don’t yell anymore,” Dan commanded as he stepped out of the bathroom. He walked with his snack to the counter.

Nobody was there to ring him up.  Glarey was gone. He rung a small bell that had been set on the counter. “Hello??” he said loudly. Nobody came. The soft rock still played.

“DAN!!!!” Phil screamed from the bathroom.

“Shut up Phil,” Dan yelled back. He started pound the bell. “HELLO!?” he yelled.

“DAN!!,” Phil screamed again. This time Dan could hear some rustling inside the bathroom. He got concerned and went to check on his friend. When he opened the door he saw Glarey. Glarey aimed a pistol at Phil.

“You killed Keanu,” he screamed waving the gun between Dan and Phil.

“Glarey calm down,” Dan said hold up his arms.

“It’s Gary!,” the old man said seeming more and more unstable. He took a step towards Dan. “Don’t tell me to calm down. You’re the one who brought a sword into my gas station!”

Dan had forgotten he was still wearing the katana. “Oh yeah,” he said smirking. Gary took another step towards him.

In one second, Dan drew his katana and cut the barrel off Gary’s pistol, then he kicked Gary backwards into the the now oped “employees only” door.

“Let’s go!” Dan said. Dan and Phil both exited the bathroom and stopped in their tracks.

“How could you do that to Keanu!?” screamed the young man who had pumped the gas. He too had a pistol, and he aimed it at them. “I just saw the video online! I knew something was weird about you two……..you’re hair is too cool.”

“Why do you have so many guns at this gas station?” Phil asked.

Dan tried to size up the distance between him and the young man. There was no way he could get to him before he took a shot. “You should finish the video. Keanu Reeves is a robot. I’m sure in a few minutes there will be a new video of us fighting multiple Keanus on the freeway.”

“You’re insane,” the young man said.

Before Dan could figure out a plan, the wall next to the young man exploded, and Fernando crashed through. The front of the motorbike hit the young man and knocked him over the counter. “Let’s go!” Fernando called out.

They hopped on the bike and tore out of Gary’s Gas.

A few moments down the road Phil asked Dan, “How did you get so strong so fast? You’re fighting skills are amazing. Did you teach yourself to use that katana?”

“It’s complicated. I didn’t teach myself to use the katana��….in a way, the katana taught me,” Dan said tilting his head back to talk. Phil seemed ready to hear more. “It’s something called Gon energy. I’ll explain it to you once we get to my Dad’s house.”

Side note: Thanks for reading! Follow this blog if you want to keep up with this fanfic. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve been getting from this community!

Thanks, Jo :)

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

Dragon Ball Z’s Brilliant Use of Anti-Heroes.

Dragon Ball Z stood out for many reasons when it first aired on Toonami. It’s art style, music, continuous story, and violence all set it apart form typical action cartoons. Although, I think what really made Dragon Ball Z feel like so much more than a superhero cartoon was its anti-heroes. The nuanced reasons why they fight and change makes the show feel much more mature and complex than its contemporaries. 

Piccolo feels dangerous when he and Goku team up to fight Raditz, and the situation feels more and more dangerous when you realize that Raditz is a threat to everyone on Earth.

When he starts training Gohan you see Piccolo develop, but there is still an unpredictable nature to him. Again the stakes feel raised simply by the fact that Piccolo is choosing to help Gohan, and the characters both feel more nuanced as they grow closer together.

Vegeta during the Frieza saga feels even more unpredictable. Will he kill Krillin and Gohan? Will he kill Frieza? Will Goku have to kill Vegeta? The insertion of an anti-hero makes everything feel much more dangerous and unpredictable.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all the support I’ve been getting from this community!

Thanks, Jo :)

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

ha, this is so funny!

Phil for President 2020 (of Canada): part 2.

Read part 1 here: https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/160578951714/phil-for-president-2020-of-canada-part-1

“Uhhhmm..” Phil mumbled as he looked at Robot Keanu Reeves’ severed corpse. He looked back at Dan and said, “Canada doesn’t have a president. They have a Prime Minister.”

“It’s all worked out. Justin knows the prophecy, and he’s cool with you being the President,” Dan explained.

“Justin who?” Phil asked.

“Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada. We need to go,” Dan said. He began to turn and walk away. “Please hurry. You trust me, right?”

“Yes,” Phil answered. He started walking after Dan. “Sorry, this is a bit much. Why have you been gone so long?”

They were already walking fast. The London neighborhood they called home was bustling around them. Dan looked over his shoulder, and he could see people with phones out looking at Robot Keanu Reeves. “oh man, we’re gonna need to hurry. You remember Brie?”

“Brie Larson? From Kong: Skull Island?” Phil answered/asked.

“No, Brie, my Dad’s new llama,” Dan said as he sped up.

“Oh, yeah, kinda,” Phil answered becoming more and more confused. “What does Brie the llama have to do with Robot Keanu Reeves and me being the President of Canada?” Phil thought to himself.

“Ok, well…” Dan said looking around nervously. A lot of people were running past them towards where the fight had taken place. Some people where looking at Dan and Phil and whispering. Dan took out his phone. “Fernando, we’re going to need speed over discretion. Track my phone and find us.” He hung up, and started running. “Hurry.”

Phil started running too. They rounded and corner, and a large black motorcycle wheeled up to them. Nobody was driving the motorcycle. “Wow! A self driving motorcycle! I didn’t know these where street legal yet.”

“They’re not,” said a slightly robotic sounding voice with a Spanish accent.

“Wha..” Phil said looking for the source of the voice.

Dan climbed on the bike. “Get on Phil.” Phil just stared at Dan, so Dan grabbed him.

“We don’t have helmets. Whose motorbike?” Phil was stammering, but the moment he sat down behind Dan the bike took off. He silently squeezed Dan in terror. The katana pressed into his chest.

Without heed for pedestrians or vehicles, Dan and Phil rode the motorcycle at a breakneck speed. The narrow streets of London weren’t meant for this kind of driving. They left the neighborhood and got onto a highway. Dan tilted his head back towards Phil and yelled, “Phil, meet Fernando.”

Before Phil could voice is continued confusion the robotic Spanish voice returned and said, “Nice to meet you Phil.”

Phil realized the voice was coming from the motorcycle, and in light of everything that was going on he wasn’t very surprised. “Oh, nice to meet you too.”

Suddenly, the sound of screeching brakes filled the air, and the motorbike skidded along the road. In front of them a large green truck swerved into the space they had just occupied. The motorbike swerved around it, and accelerated. As they passed the truck Phil looked into the cab. Two identical Keanu Reeves sat in the driver and passenger seats. One popped up from the bed of the truck, and he was holding an AK-47. “Phil, when I’m out of the way grab the handle bars,” Dan commanded.

Like an acrobat, Dan used his arms to boost his feet onto the frame of the bike. In one movement he stood up, unsheathed his sword, and cast blue fire on the blade. The flame from his eyes streaked across his face due to the breakneck pace they were traveling at.

In one moment, the Keanu in the back of the truck started firing at Dan, Dan jumped into the air. Time seemed to slow down as Dan front flipped through the air, and the machine gun fire traced his movement through the sky. Dan came down feet first in the bed of the truck, and cut the head of the robot Keanu who had been shooting at him.

Phil looked back to the cab as the Keanu in the passenger seat poked a gun out the open window. He began firing, and the motorcycle swerved to avoid the bullets. Even though Phil had his hands on the handlebars, Fernando was steering himself. 

Dan swung his sword from the bed of the truck, and cut the passenger Keanu’s gun in half. He twisted his blade around and stabbed the shooter. He looked through the back window into the cab.

“Dan! Jump for it!” Phil screamed. From the side of the truck Phil could see into the cab, and he saw the driver pull the pin from a grenade.

Dan saw more. Around the driver was what looked like bundles of C4. Dan turned, stepped twice, and leaped into the air. An explosion ripped the truck apart, and sent Dan flying into the air. Without a moment to spare, the motorbike got under Dan and caught him.

Phil helped steady his friend on the back of the motorcycle. He didn’t know if he should be impressed or terrified.

Side Note: I’m writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. I plan on continuing this fanfic for a while, so if you want to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate the support.

Thanks, Jo :)

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

i actually kind of liked the fox box....

The Fox Box........

Does anyone remember The Fox Box??

In the early 00s Fox rebranded Fox Kids (their Saturday morning and weekday afternoon scheduling)as The Fox Box. It sucked.

For the producers it must have seemed like a sure win. Have “3D” animated promos with a loosely sci-fi theme, and broadcast a bunch of Japanese cartoons. I worked for Toonami; why not Fox?

The Fox Box was Toonami without everything that made Toonami great. It was the corporate copycat. For the sake of marketing they removed any form of grit or personality. Nothing was particularly violent. Nothing was particularly funny. It felt sterile.

I think the Fox Box sits alongside Dragon Ball Evolution as one of the greatest failed anime cash grabs. When television producers see Dragon Ball, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh and think “I can find the next big eyed cartoon character with spiky hair and make millions!!” they should consider the failure of the Fox Box.

People who consume media appreciate being treated as people first, and consumers second.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. I really appreciate the support I’ve been getting! If you want to keep up with me follow this blog.

Thanks, Jo :) 

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

lol! fanfics suck,but this is an exception!

Phil for President 2020 (of Canada): part 1

“Dan!” Phil yelled. He’d just walked out the front door of his home casually dressed in a blue hoodie and khakis, and across the street stood his friend Dan. “Where have you been? Your hair looks nice, but you look kind of dirty.”

Phil was right. Dan, whom Phill hadn’t seen for three months, was dirty. His hair looked nice, but his black jeans and denim jacket were covered with mud and ripped. Dan had a deeply serious look on his face. “Phil, there isn’t much time to explain…”

“Is that a sword?” Phil asked pointing at Dan’s shoulder.

“Yes, well, it’s a katana, but that’s a technicality. We need to hurry,” Dan answered. He adjusted the blade strapped to his back.

“Hurry where? Where have you been?” Phil asked.

“Canada, at the end of the world,” Dan said staring Phil directly in the eye.

Phil broke the eye contact. “Oh, why?…. I missed you…” he said looking back.

Before Dan could answer he grabbed Phil and threw him to the ground. An arrow whizzed over them and stabbed into Phil’s house. Dan looked back and drew his katana. Another arrow flew directly at them, and he hit it out of the air with his blade.

Phil had no words. Standing about fifteen yards away, holding a bow and arrow was Keanu Reeves. Keanu was wearing grew sweatpants and a brown windbreaker, and he had a broad sword attached to his hip. He shot another arrow at them. Dan, with a strength and speed new to Phil, grabbed Phil and dove out of the way. 

Keanu, out of arrows, tossed his bow on the ground. He drew his broad sword and ran towards them.

Without a moment of hesitation, Dan charged Keanu. They both swung their swords at the same time, and the moment the blades collided a burst of sparks shot into the air. They both bounced backwards, and Dan lunged back with a quick horizontal sword swipe. Keanu jumped into the air, and swung his sword down at Dan. Dan barrel rolled out of the way of Keanu’s blade.

Dan crouched and held his blade up to Keanu defensively. His eyes were now glowing blue. He ran an open palm over the blade, and it too began to glow with a blue flame. He lunged at Keanu.

Keanu’s blade successfully got in front of Dan’s attack, but the block was unsuccessful. Dan’s flaming blue katana cut through Keanu’s blade like it was brittle twig. The shards of steel burst into multiple directions, but Dan’s blue steel passed through Keanu’s body.

Dan stood up and sheathed his weapon, blue flame on his blade and in his eyes went out. Keanu’s body fell to the ground; cut in half at the torso. Circuits and wires sparked out of Keanu’s stomach, and his eyes turned black.

“Wha…..?” Phil mumbled. His eyes were wide.

“It’s a robot,” Dan said. “Don’t worry, the real Keanu will never hurt you. This is a trick of the enemy.”

“Why…?” Phil asked.

“To stop you…..” Dan began to say.

“Why did he only bring three arrows?” Phil asked.

“I don’t know,” Dan answered. “He was sent to stop me from bringing you to Canada. There will be more, and they’ll be stronger. We need to hurry.”

“Oh,” Phil said standing up. “Why do you want to bring me to Canada?”

Dan looked Phil directly in the eye again. There was something there that Phil had never seen. His friend had a new sense of intensity. Phil didn’t like it, but this time he didn’t look away.

“Because,” Dan said cracking the slightest of smiles. “You’re going to run for President.”

Side Note: Thanks for reading! I really appreciate the support I’ve received from this community. I’m going to keep writing this fanfic, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog.

Thanks, JO :)

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

i never got to see it live, but toonami was soooo rad!

Watching Toonami’s Midnight Run.

My nine sleepy year old eyes were like fish pulled out of the water and held up in front of the sun; the midnight sun.

I’d fought sleep for hours; waiting for my parents to go to bed. Hoping and wishing, dozing and dreaming about anime. We only had Cartoon Network for one summer. 

My parents forbade me from watching Dragon Ball Z. They told me “it’s too violent”. That only intrigued me. My friend told me that “the Midnight Run shows it with more violence”. I couldn’t resist.

Sleep whispered in my ear “it’s not worth it, close your eyes”. I nodded in agreement, and forgot my desperation for animated carnage.

Suddenly, the shutting of a door, and the silence that followed reminded me of my mission; my mission to see the midnight run. I carefully slipped out from under my covers, and tip toed out of my room. I held my breath, listened, and continued. My parents had gone to bed. They underestimated my desperation for Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing.

As an adult, the words “midnight run” make me think of some late night drug smuggling. Now, many years latter, I see Toonami’s Midnight Run for what it was: animated cocaine.

These exotic, violent, colorful, loud, cezure inducing cartoons felt smuggled. From halfway across the world, the finest version of this video drug was ran threw the cable box at midnight.

I overdosed on cartoons, and fell asleep in front of the TV. My parents grounded me when they woke up, and canceled the cable a few months later.

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

i actually liked the witcher better, but zelda does stand out more.

What makes Breath of the Wild Feel so Different??

Breath of the Wild is more than the sum of its parts. It has a nice art style, a simple combat system, nice music, fetch quests, and nice puzzles. Plenty of games have this stuff, but Breath of the Wild feels different. Why??

I realized how different Breath of the Wild truly is when I revisited The Witcher 3. Of all the games Breath of the Wild is compared to, I think The Witcher 3 is the most similar. Action RPG combat, a huge open world, and horse back riding all work in similar ways in the two games. I think someone new to video games could be convinced that the two are from the same universe, but when you sink your teeth into both of the games they both feel different.

The Witcher 3 is much more complex game. It’s combat is deeper. It’s lore is more fleshed out. Everything about the game feels rich and developed, but I like Breath of the Wild better. Why?

Breath of the Wild feels dreamy. It’s art, music, simplicity, and sense of nostalgia all combine to make something different. The Witcher is actually similar (but better) than many western action RPGs. It feels like a normal game; Breath of the Wild doesn’t feel normal.

Overall, as I said before, Breath of the Wild feels different because of it’s art, music, simplicity, and nostalgia. It feels like Nintendo focused on the games personality before gameplay, and that focus paid off.

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

haha, rad game.

Nostalgia: Metal Gear Solid 2

When Metal Gear Solid 2 broke the 4th wall it broke my 12 year old brain.

SPOILERS!!

I knew I wasn’t supposed to be playing this game. It was 3am, I had school that day, and I was sitting an inch away from the TV with the sound at 1%. Somehow my Mom had let me buy this game. This sequel to another game I had heard so much about. This sneaking game where you couldn’t get shot very much. This military game with a rollerblading bomber and a vampire.

Sleep deprived, I played the game, nearing the end. My character was naked, and the other characters started discouraging me from playing anymore. Rose told me that the screen was bad for my eyes. Cornel Campbell told me to unplug the console.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is an art piece about video games as a genre. It’s debatable whether or not Hideo Kojima even wanted to make this game. The demo, package with Kojima’s passion project, Zone of the Enders, features pieces of a mission that represent less than 20% of the actual game. The main character of the first game, and trailers, Solid Snake, isn’t the main character. The gruff soldier is replaced with the pretty boy Raiden.

All the hype leading up to the game’s release was designed to mislead you. The game itself encourages you to not be misled, to question everything.

The game knows it’s a game. It knows you’re a gamer, and it asks whether you’ll think for yourself.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, I’m I’m working on a novel. If you’re interested in keeping up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate the support I’ve been getting from this community.

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

I agree, Kylo is clearly not trying to kill them at the end.

Kylo Ren Fan Theory!! (spoilers)

SPOILERS!! I don’t think that things are as them seem with Kylo Ren. It appears that Kylo is Luke’s fallen apprentice. It appears that he is working for the evil Lord Snoke. I think that Kylo Ren is an undercover agent. Deep undercover, like Professor Snape.

When Kylo Ren is looking at his Grandfather’s, Darth Vader’s, destroyed helmet he’s asking for help. Kylo says he needs to know the power of the darkside, and that Snoke can sense his leaning towards the light. There is no way that Luke, Kylo’s uncle and trainer, didn’t explain to Kylo that Darth Vader betrayed the Emperor. Kylo asks Vader to help him finish what Vader started; by destroying the Emperor, Vader started the final fall of the Darkside. I think that Kylo is trying to understand how evil the Darkside is, and he’s trying to focus on what he’ll need to do to destroy Lord Snoke.

Lord Snoke is clearly hard to reach. The film only shows him in holographic form. Kylo kills his father, Han Solo, and is allowed to travel to see Lord Snoke at the end of the movie. If he’s trying to go deeper undercover, killing his father worked.

I think the most telling thing about Kylo’s true motive are his interactions with Fin and Rey towards the end of the movie. People have pointed out that he should’ve been able to easily defeat both of them. Fin isn’t a Jedi, and Rey has never used a lightsaber. I don’t think he was trying to defeat them. He knew the moon base was about to blow up, and he didn’t know how they got there. He was chasing them recklessly to save them. He tells them “Han Solo can’t save you”; I think Kylo thought Fin and Rey were stranded without Han Solo. He tries to knock Rey out by slamming her up against a tree, and he slashes down Fin’s back instead of stabbing him (which he could’ve easily done).

He let the lightside get to him. After killing his own father his emotions were probably wrecked, and he couldn’t bare to see two innocent young people wonder off to their doom. Because of his injuries, and his underestimation of Rey’s fighting skills, Kylo was unable to subdue them.

I think Luke and Kylo, while training together, realized that Snoke is Darth Plagueis. They realized that they don’t have a chance to beat him without doing something drastic, so Kylo has gone undercover to get near  Plagueis and finish what his grandfather started.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a book. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all the support I’ve received from this community. 

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

classic show.

18 Years Later: Spongebob’s First Episode, ‘Help Wanted’, Still Holds Up.

‘Help Wanted’ quickly uses the show’s most essential comedic tool: Spongebob’s unnecessary energy.

The episode kicks off with a fog horn alarm blasting Spongebob from his sleep, and leads him to use a diving board to get dressed. He screams while he dead lifts stuffed animals. He panics over a fast food interview, and Patrick has to encourage him to go inside the building.

Within a few minutes Spongebob is established as a character with too much energy. The gags are elevated when he is contrasted with his melancholy pet snail, pompous neighbor Squidward, and his money hungry boss Mr. Krabs. At the job interview Mr. Krabs tells Spongebob to go buy pointlessly advanced spatula, and he hopes Spongebob will never return. Then, when Mr. Krabs and Squidward are drowning in customers, Spongebob flies in using the advanced spatula like a helicopter.

He then proceeds to make thousands of burgers at a breakneck pace, and even slices himself into three pieces at one point. As he prepares the burgers he is launching them out into the mouths of hungry customers.

Eighteen years later the visual gags still hold up. It’s still funny to see Spongebob launching burgers into a sea of customers. It’s still funny to see him get dressed using a diving board. For Spongebob everything is extreme, but he lives in a quiet underwater paradise, and he works a job at a fast food joint.

The surreal tone and setting of the show still stand out. Tiny Tim’s song ‘Living in the Sunshine’ gives the cooking scene a layered since of humor. You wonder if Spongebob is young and naive, or going insane. Is everyone in Bikini Bottom insane?

Who knows. The episode is still awesome.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve been getting from this community. :)

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

They are the emperors of Tumblr.

Who the Hockey Sticks are Dan and Phil??

I’m relatively new to Tumblr. I’ve known about it for years, but I’ve only started consistently using it during the last few months. There are a lot of interesting things I’ve noticed about Tumblr, but what is the most perplexing to me is Dan and Phil.

They seem to have transcended their origins. They are to fandom what the reborn Gandalf is to wizardry. They are the embodiment of a certain type of energy (fandom) in a certain world (Tumblr). It no longer matters what they do.

Now, I know I could go do some research, but I’ve chosen to remain naive. All of the fandoms on Tumblr seem to reveal themselves. I can tell that something popular because it’s a Korean pop group. or because they’re youtube gamers. I can’t figure out who Dan and Phil are based on what is posted about them.

Posts featuring Dan and Phil don’t seem to exist to share a specific type of content, but instead seek to share a type of emotion: youthful joy.

I initially thought they were some sort of pop punk duo. They remind me of going to Warped Tour when I was a teenager. Then I realized that pop punk isn’t as popular as it used to be, so I guessed they were gamers. The problem was that I never saw them playing video games.

I know that people may blast me, and tell me what Dan and Phil actually do, but I don’t care what they do. I, like the rest of Tumblr, love them. I love the mood and ambiance that follows their presence online.

Like Gandalf, the mystery can (and probably will) be ruined, but they’re presence here has overshadowed their origins. I don’t know how they did it, but I’m grateful for the good vibes they bring online.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve been getting from this community.

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

I actually never played this one, but I believe it’s better than school.

Final Fantasy 9 Melted My 9 Year Old Brain (in a good way).

“Video games will turn your brain to mush.” I had heard that kind of thing over and over growing up. Nearly all of the adults around me seemed to think that video games offered no benefits for a young person, so playing Final Fantasy 9 was a weird experience for me.

The game required tons of reading. I had a guide and a map, and I needed to plan and strategize everything I did. 

The storyline offered both comedy and tragedy in ways that I had never experienced. Vivi’s tragic life, and the complex nature of him being a good black mage truly opened my mind to how nuanced a character could be. Final Fantasy 9 raised my standards for story telling, and it showed me what a good fantasy story could be.

It was weird to realize that I was learning more from a video game then I was from my teachers, and it was even weirder to hear them condemn video games every time I tried to explain what I was experiencing.

Final Fantasy 9 melted my 9 year old brain, and I’ve been better for it ever since.

Side note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all of the support.

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

I guess I’ll have to check this game out.

Wolfenstien: An Overlooked Classic in an “Uncool” Genre.

SPOILERS!!! Wolfenstian: The New Oder is one of the best video games of this generation, and people will look back at it as a classic. I almost skipped over this game. It’s metacritic score is a 79, but if you listen to the reviews (ign and gamespot) they are showering the game with praise, but neither outlet gave a score higher than 8 out of 10. Why? Why aren’t first person shooters ‘cool’ anymore? Why does Wolfenstien stand out so much?

First person shooter franchises are starting to feel like sports games because of the sheer amount of releases, and the little difference from game to game. Some people view video games are an art medium (I do), but it seems like the energy around most first person shooters is centered around competition and macho bro culture. I don’t think there is anything wrong with competing, and I don’t think that there is anything wrong with bro culture (as long as you’re not a jerk), but video games can be so much more than a Mountain Dew filled sport of violence.

Wolfenstien has some huge distinguishing characteristics. It’s single player focused. Like older first person shooters, Wolfenstien uses health packs instead of recharging health to create tension and force the player to think. It allows the player to carry every weapon at once so you feel like you’re progressing and have options in tougher situations. Exploration is key, and many moments feel like an adventure game. Most of the characters are explored, and they have backstories and motivations.

Being a sequel to the first ever first person shooter (Castle Wolfenstien), The New Oder often deconstructs the genre. Blazkowicz, the franchises main character, has playable nightmares that are presented like old school first person shooter games (they’re straight out of the first Wolfenstien). The game is extremely violent, and it definitely has a B-movie feel, but it explores how each character feels about the violence. The player, Blazkowicz, stands out so much because he is numb to it all.

Like Zelda or Dark Souls, other classics, The New Oder tells a story that uses it’s medium and genre (video games and first person shooters) as narrative mechanics.

So, why hasn’t this game been celebrated more? Because first person shooters aren’t ‘cool’ right now, and most reviewers at the time of the game’s release couldn’t look past the gun their character carried to see the masterpiece in front of them. If you like interesting games you owe it to yourself to check this game out.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m even working on a novel. To keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve been getting. :)

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

final fantasy is cool. i think the next game needs to be first person.

Going Forward: Does the Next Final Fantasy Need to Be a Traditional JRPG??

SPOILERS!! I’m really excited for the future of the Final Fantasy franchise. Final Fantasy 15 has been a huge success for Square, and I think that they can continue to find success.

Now, a lot of people are calling for Final Fantasy to return to it’s roots as a classic JRPG. Persona 5 is huge, and many people are nostalgic for the older Final Fantasy games. I see why people would hope for a ‘classic’ Final Fantasy games, but I don’t think that’s where Final Fantasy will find success.

If you look back at the franchise you’ll see that almost every game represents a huge risk at the time. FF4 and FF6 (2 & 3 if you played them WAY back in the day) tried (and succeeded) to tell serious and complex stories with tools that many people viewed as toys at the time. FF7 was the first game in the series to be released on a non Nintendo console. FF10 ditches the over world and the active time battle system. FF12 is built like a single player MMO. FF15 gives you all four (only four) party members from the very beginning.

I think the biggest tradition in the franchise (aside from Sid and chocobos) is it’s willingness to take risks within the JRPG genre.

The two games that get the most fan backlash are the two that take the least risks: FF8 and FF13. FF8 has ANOTHER brooding pretty boy who has been raised as a soldier. FF13 has a weird active time battle system, and the closest thing to traditional JRPG combat the series has seen since FF10. Both FF8 and FF13 have amazing graphics, and they seem to be games designed to please gamers at the time. FF13′s boldest design decision was it’s linearity, and it feels like insulting hand holding. FF8′s biggest risk is the junction system, and if feels half finished compared the games glossy production values.

Going forward, Final Fantasy needs to be bold to stand out from the competition. Strong art and music will help, and the aesthetic charm of FF15 was definitely part of it’s winning formula. From a gameplay standpoint, I think the need to take risks if they want to stay relevant.

I don’t think they need to worry about ‘traditional JRPGs’. Final Fantasy was never one of those.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I really appreciate all the support I’m getting from this community

Thanks, Jo

[androgynouspoetryking-blog]

The sequel to Hey You Pikachu.

Time Will be VERY KIND to The Last Guardian.

I live in a house with a couple roommates, and one of those roommates has a pit bull. The pit bull, like all animals, has a mind of it’s own. It can be hard to get the pit bull to do what I want it to do. It can be hard to get a lot of animals (or people) to do what you want them to do.

NPCs in video games aren’t animals. Behind the graphics, they are weird math problems, and the controller is a weird calculator. If you can give them a certain value they will provide a certain result. Provide an undead Nazi dragon with the value of a chainsaw bazooka blast and it will provide you the result of dying.

The Last Guardian makes bold decisions that create a mind blowing illusion: Trico doesn’t feel like a math problem. When you play the game it feels like Trico has a mind of its own. Your actions, the values you provide, don’t seem to yield consistent results from Trico. Trico doesn’t feel like a party member to command or an item to be used; it feels like Trico is an animal. It’s infuriating when Trico won’t listen. Animals in real life can be infuriating.

But, when Trico shows it cares about you it feels real. It doesn’t feel like you provided the right values; it feels like you provided time and effort. When you and Trico are successful it doesn’t feel like winning at a video game; feels like a friendship. I know all I’m doing is providing values to the math problem that is Trico. I know that it’s an incredibly complex math problem, and it changes based on where Trico is in the game world, but it feels like bonding with an animal.

People have certain expectations from video games. The Last Guardian doesn’t fulfill many of those expectation. Primarily, it doesn’t provide short term satisfaction. People didn’t know what to expect when this game came out, and they didn’t know how to talk about it. It’s not a puzzle game, an action game, or a platformer. It’s a pet simulator, and it’s the first of its kind.

When Dark Souls came out it didn’t necessarily seem like the greatest game of a generation (I think it’s definitely up there). Dark Souls used its difficulty and cryptic nature to hide that it was math problem, and it created the illusion of a great terrifying journey. Immersion in this illusion had a cost; you needed to spend a lot of time playing the game.

The Last Guardian is the same way. Once you’ve spent enough time playing the game, and you know how to approach it, the illusion is breath taking. In the years to come people will talk about The Last Guardian in a different way, and the people who play it latter will know how to approach it. Time will be very kind to The Last Guardian.

Side note: I’m writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’m getting from this community.

Thanks, Jo