#Needed that show set on Space itself since Wander Over Yonder.

[screwpinecaprice]

Monkey Wrench - The Ghost Egg

Sharing this because this had been under my radar for 8 months???? and maybe it's the case for anyone who's seeing this post.

[wherefancytakesme]

Legend of the Three Caballeros thoughts:

I finished. Honestly overall, it was fun, but I wanna break it up into pros, cons, and my hopes for improvement next season.

Pros- -They throw in a lot of tidbits about different cultures. True, they end up making them a crazy supernatural version of what everything really is (that’s even cooler though kinda), but I’m surprised they knew about specific kinds of yokai, and what the word “eejit” is. There’s one culture in particular they do overlook, but I’ll get to that.

-Sometimes the humor is actually really smart and funny.

-The fact that they’ve said they’re not birds throws me the frick off?? Like, I guess it’s like how Hello Kitty’s not a “cat”, and actually? In spite of it being a joke, that’s a pretty interesting thing to touch on.

-The idea of the story itself is pretty badass.

-In the end, they do sort out everything I was worried they’d forget about; the story remembers where it went and where it’s going (for the most part).

-I know this counts as more culture, but they did end up getting a Mexican to voice Panchito again, so that’s nice.

-The ending was honestly really satisfying.

-Daisy’s nieces are awesome.

-The score is pretty good too (mostly because hearing all those different renditions of the Caballeros’ theme song was pretty great).

-The designs on everything are pretty good.

-I liked the coloring.

-They remembered some of the Don Rosa lore, and some other stuff from old Disney, and that was a fun throwback.

-They did actually mention “Ari” is an Aracuan bird (at first I thought they went “Eh, kids won’t be able to pronounce that.”).

-Speaking of, props to them for keeping the original scream he makes.

-Honestly Sheldgoose and Feldrake’s fighting with eachother was the one bit of cheesy humor I actually enjoyed. Kinda reminded me of the Disney Afternoon shows involving the Disney Ducks.

-The theme song is pretty dang awesome. It’s just their old theme from the movie revamped for an adventure show, but man do they make it work. Did you know the melody of that song is from an old Mexican movie tune called “Ay, Jalisco no te rajes”?

Cons- -I don’t like what they did with Daisy at all. Disney makes her 1-dimensional and mean a lot of the time, and unfortunately this was one of those times. She was never mad at Donald for the right reasons, and when she finally did have a reason, they didn’t address it properly until the end. April, May, and June were extremely smart and cool for typical “girl” side-characters, why can’t she be?

-Speaking of Donald, the mention of him having an anger problem came out of nowhere (for his circumstances in this show at least). His life was absolutely miserable through no fault of his own, so of course that’s going to make him angry. But everyone kept telling him it was his fault and that’s unfair. Then out of nowhere, he actually is irrationally angry at everything. It could have been written better. They kinda had that out-of-the-blue-problem thing with some other chars too. *AHEMXANDRAAHEM*

-This is my biggest personal nitpick. José is from Brazil, which is a Portuguese-speaking country, meaning it’s not Hispanic. Therefore, his name is not pronounced the way it normally is in Spanish; It’s Zho-zay. This show isn’t the only Disney program to make this mistake though. Ever since he came back in the 90s, his name has been pronounced Ho-say, so I guess people have gotten it into their heads that’s how it is. I wish this weren’t the case though, because I don’t believe that literally no one has mentioned this to any execs. I thought an awesome idea of a show like this one would be the one to break the mold, but I guess not. It mostly bugs me because, as I’ve said before, it means you’re lumping in one Latino culture with another just because Mexico is closer to the US. Brazil is the one LA country that speaks a Latino language besides Spanish, guys! Also, he’s voiced by the White Pantera guy; a Canadian imitating a Mexican. Come on, guys, you can do better than that if you already found a Mexican for Panchito! I always felt that if you don’t wanna pronounce his name properly every time, just call him Joe, like they did in the 40s.

-Speaking of José and Panchito, I personally don’t like entirely where they went with their characters in this version. To be fair, I think they’re sort of mashing up different versions of them from other renditions, like Zé in the Brazilian comics and Joe from the 40s films, and Donald from his shorts and the more harmlessly angry version in the kids’ stuff now, but honestly I think I’d like it if they reversed Joe and Pancho’s personalities; if Joe was more adorably derpy and Pancho was more oblivious and flirtatious. That goes for their voices as well. I prefer the higher voiced Joe and the lower voiced Pancho.

-One other teeny tiny thing about Panchito: I wish that signature grito he has in the show didn’t sound so fake. (“Ya-woooo!” Huh??)

-While I’m at it, I can’t say his original last name was accurate (Pistoles isn’t a real word), I can’t say I like how Disney adopted the long-ass name they gave him in House of Mouse either. Gonzales at least is a pretty boring name. Also House of Mouse is the WEIRDEST PLACE to establish canon from (the song where they made up his name is also a bit culturally inaccurate in the first place)...

-Even though sometimes the humor makes me actually laugh, most of the time, it’s far, far too cheesy and childish for me.

-My overall feeling when I wasn’t enjoying the show was that I was sacrificing quality just to see my favorite trio, and that’s not a happy feeling.

-Their songs (or at least the timing of them) weren’t the best, and they bored me a little.

-The follow-up from the first episode could have been executed better; far less like a “Okay we’re here now, cool? Cool”.

-The animation could be better; It’s a little cheap and puppety (can’t blame them though, there doesn’t seem to be much leeway with the staff budget-wise).

-There are some plot holes here and there. Technical ones.

-Little nitpick, going back to the aracuan: His noises could have been better/funnier, apart from the scream which was perfect.

-I’m reeeeeally really tired of the because-they’re-classic-cartoons-and-not-the-main-characters-they’re-dumb-as-a-post-to-what’s-going-around-them thing. I honestly think it’s far funnier when modern shows break that trope and go “Yeah, what’d you think, they WEREN’T going to notice that giant bear running around the restaurant, or hear what the main is muttering?”.

-When you read the show’s bible, you can kind of see where the flaws in character writing are. They’re trying a bit too hard to fit an age group, and are returning a bit too much to the classic cartoons’ characterization. Those were random shorts, with completely different settings, and some archetypes just can’t be done anymore.

-The show hasn’t even aired yet and Disney’s giving it the short end of the stick. As a Wander Over Yonder fan, I know that pain all too well.

-Overall it could be a better show, and for how awesome the idea is, it’s disappointing that they couldn’t make it just as awesome off-paper.

Hopes for improvement next season- -Represent *AHEM* certain characters a bit better. P-L-E-A-S-E be the first Disney show in decades to pronounce his name right at the very least, PLEASE.

-Treat the characters much much better.

-Make every episode as fun and as fair as the finale.

-Make the humor more universal.

-If the writers write something THEY think is cool! It’s not impossible to write kids’ shows that way. All that humor I actually liked? You could tell those were jokes written for THEM!

-If it’s possible, maybe cut out some of the boy-girl romance that seems to be randomly stuck in. Why did independent Xandra need a hot guy in that one episode? (I also feel like Pancho and Joe don’t need no chick.) Nothing unnecessary! Only fun! >:3c

-More cultural tidbits would be great!

-Disney gives it the space to grow, so it can become the show I never knew I needed; The Three Caballeros in a kickass adventure series with everything inbetween!

[joyofcrime-elinorhigh]

2017 Year in REVIEW: Part 1

 Hello everybody, my name is JoyofCrimeArt and man wasn't 2016 such a dumpster fire? I mean it was obviously the worst year ever in the history of the human race, I mean come on 2016! Why can't you be more like you're younger brother, 2017. I mean he was a great year!

Wait, are you implying that blaming an abstract combination of numbers for all of last years problems...wasn't the most productive way to fix things? I'm shocked.  But who cares about the harsh and often depressing reality of our own society? We have more important things to talk about today. Cartoons! Because while the real world has been imploding in on itself the world of animation has been through many up's and downs this year, and that's what I'll be talking about today. In case you didn't see my 2016 Year in REVIEW: (Which you can check out right here #humbleplug 2016 Year in REVIEW: Part 1) let me explain how this is going to work. I have compiled a list of several different notable events that happened in the world of animation over the course of 2017. I will go over these events is roughly chronological order all while giving my thoughts and opinion of each one. I won't be discussing anime or theatrical films for the most part however, as these are topics that I don't keep track of as much. So this list is mostly about television and internet animation. Also keep in mind that there is no conceivable way of me going over every series or piece of animation news that came out this year, so I had to slim it down to the most notable events. So sorry in advance if I glance over anything. At the end of the review, I will rank all the new series that I talked about this year in order from worst to best, give this year an overall grade, and in a new twist I'll be deciding which animation network "won" the year. The winner doesn't have to have the best shows per say. They just need to have a large impact, or show some kind of improvement compared to previous years.  Also I feel like I should just point out that this entire concept is completely stolen from online anime reviewer Gigguk's yearly anime retrospect series. He's a big influence on me and my reviews and you can check him out here. www.youtube.com/user/gigguk&nb…  Whether you like anime or not, he's worth checking out and he's a LOT funnier than I am.  So with all that said it's time to get into this. It's time for my 2017 year in review! We start the year off in a bit of an unexpected place, Youtube, with the first notable series of the year. Hasbro's "Hanazuki: Full of Treasures."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjaCeuL2YaA

You have diabetes yet? Just wait.  This is a show that really seems like it went under the radar for a lot of people, probably because of the fact that it was released on Youtube. Hanazuki, (voiced by Jessica DiCicco of Loud House and Adventure Time fame) is a young "Moon Flower" who lives on a small moon out in space. The series follows Hanazuki as she tried to protect her moon from a shadowy blob monster known only as the "Big Bad." She does this by growing "Treasure Trees," magical trees that can only be grown when a Moon Flower feels intense emotion. These trees are the only thing that can ward of the "Big Bad." Hanazuki must learns all about the complexity of emotions if she wants to protect her new home. And the series just get's stranger from there.  Now obviously this show is targeted at kids. Really little kids, like five years old at most. More specifically five year old girls...and I frickin' LOVE IT! C'mon, you should all know this about me by now! I...am not the most masculine person on the planet. And I love myself a good "girl power show"  And this just right up my ally. This show is basically what you get if you take Star Vs, Wander Over Yonder, My Little Pony, andInside Out, shove it into a blender, and cover it in rainbow sprinkles. It's just to adorable for me to not recommend. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGBSdYGA9II

 But not only is the show cute, it's also actually pretty good. Like it's nothing super complex or anything, but it is a show that can appeal to both kids and adults. (I swear!) Hanazuki is a really likable character. If you've read my web comic, Elinor High, you know I love myself any hyperactive cute girl. But what makes Hanazuki stand out from other hyperactive cute girls, you may ask? She got sass! Sure, show's nice most of the time, but she's not always the typical sunshine and rainbows protagonist you usually see in these kind of shows. She get's upset, and frustrated, and she can even be kinda snarky when people tick her off. Not only does this help give her some more depth, but it also helps support the shows theme of emotions.  The show has a real Inside Out vibe in terms of how it tackles emotions. The series really plays up the point that ALL emotions are important. Emotions like sadness, anger, and fear are treated as just as vital as happiness, bravery, or love. It's a message that you don't see talked about very much, but I think it's an important one.  Another thing I feel like I need to praise is the shows animation. It's flash, but it's TV quality flash. And they really make up with any faults the animation may have by having simply fantastic coloring. Purples, Blues, and Pinks are the colors of the show and it really pops, giving the show this colorful, sci-fi look. Especially when they go to the dark side of the moon, and the animation goes full black light poster.  However the show is far from perfect. Like I said, it's skewed young, so don't expect any super complex character writing or anything. Also the Hemka's, these little alien rabbit things that Hanazuki befriends, tend to come off as more annoying then lovable. There not Minion or Rabbid bad, but there in the same category. Also this show tries to be a "lore show" and it's kinda hit and miss. Some things, like the origins of the "Big Bad" and the exploration of the Moon Flowers and there powers are genuinely interesting. But other times it seems like the show is trying to take it'self to seriously. Like when we learn about the character Sleepy Unicorn's tragic, war torn backstory. No that's not a joke, that's a thing in this show. And it's not badly or anything, it's just kinda hard to take seriously when it's about a character who's name is Sleepy Unicorn!  Also, I quickly just want to talk about how the episodes we're released. Eventually they switched to just weekly uploads, but at first the episodes were released in nine episode bombs. And these bombs would always fall under the full moon. That's some black magic shit right there! I could go on, but I have a lot more stuff to talk about. This show is not for everyone. It's not going to have a super complex plot or characters, or tackle any heavy themes like some other shows that are out now of days. But if you just like some fun, cutesy fluff like I do, it's definitely worth a watch. Especially since it's free to watch legally on Youtube.  But hey, Do you remember those guys from that show, Regular Show?  Well they turned there park into a bio-dome.    And there still Regular Show....  But there in SPACE!

That's right, Regular Show, one of the defining shows of modern cartoon era, finally came to an end. Just like with the Gravity Falls finale that I talked about last year, I will be going into spoilers, so if you haven't seen the finale yet and want t go in completely blind (which I do recommend) I suggest scrolling past this part and continue reading once you see the words in bold. So (SPOILER WARNING!)  Much like the Gravity Falls ending, the hour long Regular Show finale does have it's fair amount of problems. There is a good amount of padding, there are some plot hole regarding how the whole "universe restarting itself" thing is suppose to work. (Like how Benson, Muscle Man, Skips, and co all get destroyed and yet are brought back even though they stopped the universe from resetting. Also, Anti-Pops, despite the shows best efforts, failed to really come off as that interesting or threatening of a villain, for me at least.  ...But for the most part none of that matters.  Because when you come down to it, plot holes and inconsistency don't matter as long as the emotions resonate, and that's what this special did. It was everything a Regular Show fan could want in a finale. Filled with meta call backs from Mordecai and Rigby being transported back to the first episode (and the final part of the finale having the same title as the first episode) to Pops being sent back to the original student film that inspired Regular Show, it really felt like a celebration of how far the show had come. I don't want to go into HUGE spoilers even though this is the spoiler section, because I want people to watch this for themselves, but a sacrifice is made in this finale and it really sticks. That's something that even the Gravity Falls finale, which is amazing in it's own right mind you, didn't have the guts to do. So I applaud the show for having the balls to go through with the decision.  The episode ends with a montage of the characters as they age, ending with a final scene set twenty five years after the finale. I love endings that do this, and it's one of the most emotion scenes I've seen in a finale ever. The ending is made even more powerful by the music chose used for the scene, David Bowie's "Heroes." The fact that David Bowie had just passed away not that long before the finale aired made the ending seem even more bittersweet.  I'd say that the Regular Show finale lies pretty close to Gravity Falls in terms of endings. I think the Gravity Falls ending has a better first forty five minutes due to having a better villain and just having a grander feel to it, but I honestly do think that Regular Show has it beat in terms the last fifteen minutes, due to just having a (slightly) more emotional pay off, done mostly without words. I think Regular Show chose the perfect time to end, and I'm glad it ended on a high note.  And to celebrate this occasion, Cartoon Network decide to have a Teen Titans Go! Marathon to celebrate Martin Luther King Day...That was nice of them.  (SPOILERS NOW OVER!)  And speaking of a show going off on a high note let's talk about...the complete opposite of that. Hi, Fairly OddParents!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XgwUp-SO7k

So yeah, let's talk about Fairly Oddparents again. Just when you think it can't sink lower, it does. As halfway through season ten the show had switched from tradition animation to flash. Now remember when I said that Hanazuki was animated in flash, but it's TV quality flash despite being a web series? Well Fairly Oddparents decided to do the opposite of that and have a TV series with late nineties internet quality flash. Seriously, I haven't seen a show with flash animation this bad since like, the mid two thousands at least. I've legit seen web series, like Homestar Runner, that have better flash! It's actually kinda incredible!  And just when you think things can't get worse, it does, as the show get's moved to Nicktoons. The retirement home of Nickelodeon shows. The final episode of season ten of Fairly Oddparents ended up airing later in the summer and, from what I can tell, it had no real big final episode. The show has yet to be renewed for an eleventh season, and since it's on Nicktoon now, I really have doubts that it'll happen. It is very possible that that season finale was Fairly Oddparents final episode.  I know a lot of you reading this are probably ecstatic at the news that the show is finally over. I mean to many, it was a shell of it's former self. But I'm honestly just kinda sad that it went out like this. Fairly Oddparents was Nickelodeons second longest running show, only behind Spongebob. And it was just got shafted. No fan fair, no special last episode. Nothing. I mean if a show as long lasting as Fairly Oddparents can get treated like this, then who's to say that the same won't end up happening to say Spongebob, or the Loud House, once there popularity starts to dwindle.  Like I said in the 2016 year in review, I'm never happy when a show ends because I know every show has it's fans and a lot of people are out of a job, but from a strictly artistic standpoint, it was time for the show to end. And from a business standpoint Nickelodeon didn't have a need for it anymore. Though it is still a bit bittersweet, seeing a show that was a big part of my childhood go.  But it's not all bad though, because as one door closes another one opens, as Butch Hartman created a new show for Nickelodeon, Bunsen is a Beast. Is it any better than modern FOP?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yccs2D7WvkA

 ....Eh, It's about the same really. The flash is a little better...I think.  Yeah, if you can't tell, I'm not that crazy about this show. The series follows Bunsen, a beast who transfers to an all human school, and Mikey his human best friend and the adventures that they go on. Honestly this show just doesn't seem to offer anything that new or interesting. Bunsen and Mikey are you're stereotypical happy go lucky idiot protagonist that a lot of Nickelodeon shows seem to have and most of the humor seems to be made up of the same "monster/alien has weird biology/culture/abilities" jokes that we've seen a million times before. There don't seem to be any concrete rules on how "Beast" work, it just seems to be whatever the show thinks is funniest in that exact moment. And rarely does the comedy land.  There are a few things about the show that are funny, however. Like the show's villain, Amanda. She's the cliche "character who hates the good guys and the world hates her" character and the cliche "racist villain" character all wrapped up in one package. However, what redeems her at least a little bit is just how over the top and hammy she is. She kinda feels like what would happen if you combined Vicky and Mr. Crocker into one Character. There's also this one really depressed ice cream man voiced by Jerry Trainor. Those two characters can get a laugh out of me. But as for everything else, not so much.  The show has also been moved to Nicktoons. So I don't see it getting a season two. So what now, is Butch Hartman's career over? Well not so fast, because as your second door closes another one opens, and in this case that door is Youtube.  That's right, Butch Hartman started his own Youtube channel! And I'm not just talking like just a small Youtube channel as a side project or anything. I mean like a regularly updating drawing Youtube channel that has done collaboration projects with the likes of Thomas Sanders, MatPat of Game Theroy, and Ande the Black Nerd. And it's...kinda great. Though full disclosure, Butch Hartman is a fifty year old dad, and it REALLY shows. He's is trying so hard to be hip with the "Youtube generation", and I commend his effort, but it never works. Ever. His channel might be the cringest channel on Youtube, but God damn it he's just so earnest that it's hard not to love. Some videos of his aren't that bad, like his "Danny Phantom: Ten Years Later" series. It's fun and interesting, and kinda makes me want to see a Danny Phantom continuation. But then he has videos like his  "Drawing Anime Characters In the Fairly Oddparents Style" series that are just...hard to watch. Like, I own all ten volumes of the Watamote manga and I think I've cringed less reading all of that then watching one those videos. You should check out his channel though. It's...interesting...to say the very least.  Meanwhile however, the animation community needed a new show to become the hot new thing. And then, after thirteen years of wait, the samurai returned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uxbp18y49E

 I already did a full review of Samurai Jack season five, so I'm going to make this brief (Link if you want my in-depth thoughts: Samurai Jack Season Five REVIEW:) Samurai Jack season five has a lot of really good things going for it. The animation is superb, featuring all of the things that made the animation of the first four seasons so amazing, but improved upon with modern animation technicians and the High definition. The series is also dark, while not losing touch with it's roots. The series tackles heavy issues like PTSD, depression, suicide, parental abuse, and does so without coming off as edgy. It feels like a natural progression from what came before, and never goes too dark to the point where it becomes unrecognizable from the Cartoon Network series. There is still that hopeful and optimistic element buried beneath the surface. It shows that you can have a smart and dark adult cartoon without the need for an alcoholic, womanizing, nihilist who hates himself. You can make a dark cartoon about...other things! Amazing, I know.  However, the show does have it's fair share of problems, that become more and more apparent as the season goes on. The pacing feels very rushed at points. The romance, while I think could work if given more time, is tacked on. And while everything else is much darker in tone, Aku seems to have become even less threatening than he was in the Cartoon Network days. The show first half is definitely better than the second half. However, despite it's flaws, I still really enjoyed the final season, and am glad that adult swim brought it back. It was definitely one of the more enjoyable cartoon events to happen in 2017.  Nickelodeon announced a theatrical Loud House movie for February 2020, and unlike the Adventure Time movie I actually think that this movie may come out. It has a date, the Loud House is still popular as of the time of the announcement, (Though only time will tell if it'll still be popular by 2020.) and it's Nickelodeon, who have more experience with making theatrical films. We don't know the plot yet, by my guess is that it'll involve some kinda government conspiracy. The Simpsons, Recess, whenever a slice of life cartoons get's a theatrical movie it tends to involve some kind of government conspiracy. I may not be a big Loud House fan, but I'll still see this in the theater. In general, if a traditionally animated film comes out in theaters I'll see it just to support the medium.  Meanwhile adult swim pulled the biggest animation trolling of the year by airing the season premiere of Rick and Morty on April Fools day unadvertised. Causing the whole animation community to drop everything they were doing to catch it. The ran the episode eight times on loop, preempting the much anticipated Samurai Jack causing a war in the fandoms. Which side where you on? Rick vs Jack. Comedic depression vs serious depression. Wubba lubba dub dub vs EXTRA THICC! Blood would be spilled!

Oh, and Dragon Ball Super was prepted too. And nobody cared.  Understandably, many people were asking why they didn't just run Rick and Morty six times, and lets Samurai Jack air as well. And while no official answer has been given many people including myself theorize that adult swims deal with Toei and Dragon Ball Super may have been the reason. However nothings been confirmed.  Now I bet a lot of you are expecting me to be annoyed at this given how much you know I love Samurai Jack and how much I...don't love Rick and Morty but honestly I didn't mind it too much. Not only did this make it so the last Samurai Jack aired on my birthday, (I couldn't watch it on my birthday, but still.) But also the sheer number of memes and salt this created gave me much more enjoyment than I lost by being disappointed. Well played adult swim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiLk619tHgE

 An Invader Zim TV movie was announced and, wait really?! For real...like for real real? Okay, just checking. Invader Zim is getting a TV movie, slated to come out some time next year. Geez, between Zim, Hey Arnold, Samurai Jack and Young Justice it seems like every show that got cancelled without a proper finale is coming back! I am hesitant of a lot of these Nickelodeon TV movies, as personally a lot of them feel like there just there for nostalgia sake, and no other reason. But this is one I can get behind. Invader Zim ended without a proper conclusion and the fan base is so loyal so yeah, it deserves a finale. Though personally I would of preferred another season like Samurai Jack, cause honestly I don't know how there going to fit all the dangling plot lines into just ninety minutes, but hey beggar's can't be choosers.  And speaking of continuations Cartoon Network made one for there hit show, Ben 10. Everybody love's Cartoon Network's continuations right? Right?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Y7pk2qt-I

Well the show got Ben's original voice actor and the shows original creator back, so it must be great right guys? Right? I mean that's all it takes to make a good reboot, right? That's what you all said last year! REMEMBER!  Yes, I'm still bitter.  Now I know that technically this show came out last year in other countries, but as a privileged while male American I refuse to acknowledge that other countries exist. Now I've never watched anything in the Ben 10 franchise, outside of the occasional episode that I would catch here or there. It was not a show I followed all that much. So I can't really review it in comparison of the old show like I can for say the Powerpuff Girls reboot. However, I can try to review it as just a casual watcher, and as a casual watcher the show is...fine. Not great, not awful, but fine.  It's clear from the get go what this show is trying to do. It's the Teen Titans Go-ification of Ben 10. Eleven minute run time, a focus on comedy, a much cartoon-ier art style. Let's not kid ourselves here. However, the show does have something that TTG and PPG2016 lack. It's still a superhero show. And that shocked me when I first saw it. I was sure this was going to be another sitcom with capes, but it's actually a more traditional monster of the week super hero comedy. Kinda like the original Powerpuff Girls show, except nowhere near as funny.  One of the biggest changes that even I can notice is the difference between how Gwen is written. Even never watching the old show, I know they toned down her responsible know it all-iness to make her act much more like a kid. I don't know how Ben 10 fans feel about this but I don't mind it to much, as it does make her feel like a more realistic ten year old, at least for me.  However I can't praise the show to much. The show, as a whole can be just summed up as fine. The comedy is fine. The action is fine. The characters are fine. And as someone who has to experience with Ben 10, fine wasn't enough to really grab me. However if the show is on and nothing else is on, it works as good background noise, I guess. It's perfectly serviceable. Put that quote on the back of the DVD box CN.  Uncle Grandpa ended this year with an unadvertised final episode. Uncle Grandpa was a show that I never super loved, but I did feel like there was a lot of passion that went into it. However, like I said last year, Cartoon Network has a lot of new shows coming out and you got to clear space, and at five seasons it had a good run. And to celebrate this occasion, Cartoon Network decide to have a Teen Titans Go! Marathon to celebrate the Fourth of July.  I'm starting to sense a pattern...  Meanwhile in the world of the internet, Netflix decided to try to prove that not all video game cartoons are terrible with Netflix's Castlevania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy_FWdbnvM0

Now like Ben 10, Castlevania is not a franchise I know very well. All I know is that it's about a family legacy of people who are consistently forced to fight vampires. Also people keep telling me it's not Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, but I'm not incline to believe them! Cause I'm pretty sure that it IS Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and that this is all just a very elaborate Jojo's reference. But moving on, how is this show?  I'll start with the pros. The animation is incredible. Like, really incredible! There are some establishing shots that look almost live action there so detailed. Also despite how much the show looks and feels like an anime it is one hundred percent American produced. It's actually made by Frederator Studios in fact. Wait...THAT'S why Fairly Oddparent's flash looks as bad as it does. Frederator took literally ALL of their  budget in order to fund Castlevania. It all makes sense now!  The show also has this kinda interesting post apocalyptic middle ages aesthetic to it that really remind me of Attack on Titan. I also want to praise Netflix for making an American action show for adults. Outside of Samurai Jack, which had already ended by the time this aired, we don't have many of those. I also admire Netflix for being one of the only networks to be keeping action oriented American animation alive...  ...But that's really all the positives I have to say about this show. I'm sorry everybody, I know at this point I might come off as a hipster for not liking so many popular shows, but I just don't like this show. At all. I was ready to LOVE this show, but I just don't.  Now I feel like in order to be a fair critic I need to be upfront with my background a bit. I grew up in a quasi-religious family. What I mean is that we were raised to be religious while never actually going to church. But I'm not someone who get's offended when my faith is made fun of if it's done in a clever or humorous way. I am one who is always open for a discussion, and like hearing other points of views. I just wanted to make that clear from the get go.  I bring this up because this show has a HUGE hate boner towards organized religion! And it's very distracting!  The church in this show is depicted as the most vile, evil, despicable group ever. Now I'm not going to pretend that the church has always been the best throughout history, but it's total overkill. If you're in the church, there's a ninety nine percent chance you're evil. They are the main villains of the first season. But I'm not mad because I'm offended or anything, I'm mad because the corrupt church is such an overused cliche, and they do nothing new or interesting with it. I'm upset because it feel less like I'm watching a show and more like I'm being lectured. It's frustrating because I thought I was going to get a show about fighting vampires and that's not what I got. I don't know Castlevania, maybe this is part of the games. But whether it is or not it doesn't stop from being a major flaw. And it wouldn't be a big deal if the show didn't make it such a big deal out of it. Most of the show is this. They're is a shocking lack of monster or vampire fighting in Netflix's Castlevania. There's some, and when there is some it's really cool. But you have to get past a lot of lecturing to get there.  Also the characters are really unlikable. Trevor Belmont starts the series completely willing to let an entire town of people get destroyed by a hoard of demons. And I know part of the point is that he learns his lesson at the end, but that's a really vile place to start you're main character at. And the development to want to save the town comes kinda out of nowhere, and that's probably due to the shows terrible pacing. The character development feels rushed, while the actual pacing of plot events feel dreadfully slow, making the four episode season feel more like the TV movie designed to set the show up more than a proper season. I've never seen a show that was both too rushed and too slow at the same time before this show.  But with all of that said, I do have some hope for season two. Like I said, the whole first season felt like a pilot movie to a series. And the ending implies that season two is when the shows going to start getting into the real meat of things. And with the church defeated I'm hoping that we can actually focus on fighting Dracula. Y'know, what this show should of been about from the start! But we'll have to wait till next year to know how it plays out.  Also I can kinda look past this but the show is very historically inaccurate when it comes to religion. If they're in Transylvania, then the church should be Eastern Orthodox. And they didn't do much witch burning. Heck, most churches didn't do much witch burning. The grand majority of witches were hanged. Just FYI. But let's move on...

 Luna Loud is a bisexual.  ...

 And Star Vs the Forces of Evil had a TV movie, which is cool! Back in the early to mid 2000's every cartoon had at least one TV movie, but now you barely ever see any. Probably because cartoons now of days have more continuity, and thus don't need movies in order to tell larger plots. But still, it's cool to see them return. As for the movie itself...it was definitely...um...  Okay, I'm going to level with you guys, I'm actually really behind on Star Vs. The last episode I saw was the penultimate episode of season one. I didn't stop because I don't like the show or anything. I like it well enough, and from what I hear the show gets a lot better right around the time I stopped watching. It's just that my family lost cable for a while, and then I fell so far behind that I couldn't catch up with reruns, and then I got preoccupied with other stuff...I'll catch up to it someday! It's on my "To watch" list. (Similar situation happened with the 2012 TMNT show. Missed a week once by mistake, tried catching up but got up to the first two seasons.) So i didn't watch this movie, and I have no idea what most people thought of it. But I still think it's cool that the TV movie was brought back. Seriously, outside this and Regular Show what was the last non pilot cartoon TV movie to came out? And multiple episode aired in a row don't count, it has to be marketed as a movie!  And on that awkwardly segwayed note, we wrap up the first half of 2017 in animation. But threat not, the fun is only just beginning. So come back next week for 2017 Year in REVIEW: Part 2. What are you're thought on any of the shows/events I talked about today? Are there any that I missed? Leave all those thoughts and more in the comments down bellow. I would love to hear them and start a conversation, Even if we don't necessarily agree with each other. Please fav, follow, and comment if you liked the review, and have a nice day. (I do not own any of the images or videos in this review. All credit goes to there original owners.)

https://www.deviantart.com/joyofcrimeart/journal/2017-Year-in-REVIEW-Part-1-721422027 DA Link

[pikespendragon67]

Bajillion Questions Meme

Rules: Answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions!

I was tagged by @sakuraberyl. LESSGO...under the cut so this doesn’t become too long

1. Coke or Pepsi: I don’t drink soda 2. Disney or Dreamworks: Depends on what era you’re talking about. Like, modern Disney is pretty freaking awesome in comparison to modern DreamWorks. Also if Pixar counts or not. Because I love 2D Dreamworks and Pixar (excluding the Cars movies).  3. Coffee or Tea: Neither 4. Books or Movies: Both 5. Windows or Mac: Windows but god I do not like having constant updates where I get unnecessary apps and the lack of easy video editing software 6. DC or Marvel: Grew up with DC cartoons, currently liking the Marvel cinematic universe. Hoping that the Aqua Man movie will be awesome like Wonder Woman, though! 7. XBox or Playstation: Playstation, though I’m sticking to Nintendo consoles so I can focus on my school work first. Love me them JRPGs 8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect: I’m in the dark about both of these series but with me being a huge fantasy nerd I think Dragon Age would be preferred here. I still like Garrus and Ja’al though! 9. Night Owl or Early Rise: Night owl 10. Cards or Chess: Cards. Especially Black Jack 11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate 12. Vans or Converse: I want to wear Vans but the backs always brush up against my heels and cause bruises. Haven’t worn Converse, either... 13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: whom? 14. Fluff or Angst: F l u f f. Angst followed by fluff is also good 15. Dogs or Cats: Both I don’t like small energetic dogs. 16. Clear skies or Rain: Clear skies unless it’s really hot out. For rain it depends on how much there is because I freak out if there’s a lot 17. Cooking or Eating out: I’d prefer cooking but I don’t really have the time 18. Spicy or mild: Mild because I am a wimp 19. Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: Halloween 20. Would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: Cold because then one day I can cuddle with my s/o to warm up 21. If you could have a superpower, what would it be: Teleportation so my mom can stop nagging me about driving and also because I guarantee it would save so much time and money 22. Animation or Live action: Animation. I grew up thinking live action would be as bad as Power Rangers and I’ve barely gotten back into it after The Avengers. 23. Paragon or Renegade: renegade for life Paragon 24. Baths or Showers: Showers 25. Team Cap or Team Iron Man: Team Black Panther 26. Fantasy or Sci-fi: Fantasy 27. Do you have three or four favorite quotes? If so, what are they? “You can be a hero”, “Just because I’m sad doesn’t mean I’ve given up hope”, and “I should like to help everyone, not hurt them. Pure man, black, white, we all want to help one another. Human beings are like that.” 28. Youtube or Netflix: Youtube 29. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: Couldn’t really get into either but I know the most about Harry Potter 30. When Do You Feel Accomplished: Getting double digit notes for my original content here that isn’t just me reblogging or just “Like”s, getting reviews on a chapter for my fic I worked relatively hard on, parents telling me they’re proud of me, a friend thanking me for cheering them up, having people wanting to create content after being inspired on things I’ve created 31. Star Wars or Star Trek: Wars 32. Paperback or Hardback books: Either’s fine really. As long as it’s physical 33. Handwriting or Typing: Both 34. Velvet or Satin: Both 35. Video games or movies: Stronger preference for video games here 36. Would you rather be the dragon or fight the dragon: Now why would I fight a dragon in the first place? I wanna be best bros with it 37. Sunrise or Sunset: Sunset, since I’m actually awake when that happens 38. What’s your favorite song: Depends on what I’m in the mood for.  39. Horror movies, yes or no: Horror elements, yes. Actual horror movies, no 40. Long or Short hair: Depends on the style and I know I can’t really pull off either rip 41. Opera or Theater: I do like my musical theater, but not if sing-speaking of opera is extremely frequent 42. Assuming the multiverse theory is true and that every story ever told has really happened somewhere, which one of the movie/book/tv show/game/etc worlds would you pick to travel to first: “Do you, Miss Pikes, take Priam to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 43. If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be: Chocolate seems good. Or the chicken recipe my best friend showed me. 44. Older or younger guys: Older 45. If you could delete any show from TV history, what would it be: The Honeymooners 46. Singing or dancing: I myself am better at “singing” but I like when the two are combined 47. Instagram or Twitter: Neither, please 48. Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit: In terms of theatrical releases Lord of the Rings. Still need to read The Hobbit 49. If you could create either a sequel or bring back any tv show/movie, what would you choose: give me my priam-centric game you cowards Depends on the quality of this sequel/reboot and how much time has passed. Like, I’d love to see more of ACCA-13 but I believe it was the hype that got me into it 50. Who is your favorite movie/TV character you look up to and why? Wander from Wander Over Yonder because I too want to help everyone, Iskandar from Fate/Zero because I want that same level of self-confidence, Midoriya Izuku from Hero Academia because we face the same struggles (not literally but shh), Luann Loud from The Loud House because puns 51. If you were convicted of a crime, what would it be? Internet piracy probably. I got Adblock 52. Anime- subbed or dubbed. Now here’s where this greatly depends. If it’s a Bang Zoom/Aniplex dub I’m definitely more bias towards it because I recognize a lot of the voice actors and like seeing them portray different assortments of characters. Funimation can be good too, such as Space Dandy and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. But then the setting of the show itself and the accents come into play. Like, in Black Butler, the English accents are really forced in the dub and it’s too distracting for me, but I freaking love Hellsing Ultimate and Drifters’ dubs for their use of accents. And then Japanese names can be pronounced differently in English so there’s that problem. 53. City or countryside: Countryside 54. What book have you read over and over? That’s not manga, probably Count of Monte Cristo or some of the mythology books I keep around the house. When I was a kid, Magic Treehouse and Chet Gecko 55. What is your personality type? ISFJ 56. Would you rather change a moment in the past or have a glimpse in the future: As much as the 50s fucked everything up we still need them to learn from our mistakes. ...maybe get rid of fire emblem fates 57. Would you rather have an ex that you hate start dating your best friend, or have an ex that you’re still attached to hook up with someone you revile? Neither, please

(my question)

58. Games you want ported for the Nintendo Switch: Persona 5, NieR (original), Ori and the Blind Forest, Child of Light, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Journey, Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube

Tagging @lunarlapin, @writer-of-worlds and @freshaslime