#Samurai Jack is the Only Good Continuation

[ckret2]

puzzling over the disappearing ashi problem here.

I'm not here to talk about how the ending of the series works narratively—that discussion is off the table, not touching it—just how it works logically. and logically i'm not alone in being bugged by the fact that ashi took months to disappear.

like, if she'd disappeared immediately, cool, obviously her existence is a paradox because aku died before he could spawn her, makes sense to disappear

if she hadn't disappeared AT ALL, also cool, that means the time travel rules of samurai jack universe simply don't care about paradoxes

but if it takes MONTHS to disappear, what's going on.

so the headcanon i've settled on is: she didn't disappear because aku had never created her (the No Paradoxes Allowed option), but because aku was no longer fueling her (the Paradoxes Are Fine option).

we repeatedly see aku dripping his essence into robots to power them like gasoline. it's not inconceivable that his essence inside ashi works the same way, due to Goofy Samurai Jack Universe Magic—it didn't just make her, it's fueling her. and we know from the ultrabots that aku maintains a remote connection to the bits of his essence he leaves in other things—meaning he could be transferring more of his essence to them from afar. like,, wirelessly.

so ashi, like any of his robots, is dependent upon aku as a continuous fuel source.

when ashi felt her connection to aku sever, the universe didn't immediately make her disappear because for some reason time travel in samurai jack just doesn't care about that. it went "ok so ur original timeline's been retconned away, yeah whatever, good job escaping before that happened, enjoy your free time paradox." fine.

BUT, with aku gone, ashi is a cell phone unplugged from its charger. she's still got some leftover aku essence inside her; but eventually, that battery runs out of juice. it just happened to take several months to happen. when the last of her magical connective tissue evaporates, so does she.

so if they had remained in the future and killed aku there, ashi still would have disappeared in a few months—along with all aku's shadow demon soldiers—and all his robots would have eventually powered down, too.

im sure im not the only one to think this up, but it's not a theory i've seen floating around when people discuss her poorly-timed disappearance, so i'm throwing it out there

[bones4thecats]

Hello, I have another idea for Aku x eldritch!reader.

Do you remember episode with Aku in disguise(Ikra)? So when he was traveling with Jack and Reader, he flirted with them every opportunity, but Reader was not impressed. And then, at some moment, Reader gave him a peck and whispered that he had a good disguise. And then they went back to Jack after that, as if nothing had happened.

You can write headcanons or scenario.

— 👹Anon

Aku As Ikra Flirting With Eldritch! Reader

Character: Aku Requester: 👹Anon A/N: Instead of doing Hastur, I changed it to be a different Lovecraftian 'God'. This time, the Reader is themed after Yig, the God of Serpents in the Lovecraftian Mythos. There's a link to his Google Search below! This may not be my best piece, but I hope it's at least a little good. ⚠️ Spoilers/Trigger Warnings for: Mentions of murder (not explicit) ⚠️ Yig, God of Sperents - Lovecraftian Mythos ; Link Here Images I based the Reader off: One, Two, Three

╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗

╚═════ Aku ═════════════════════════════════╝

👹 He had tried multiple times to get that Samurai to pass on so he could continue his rule, but this was getting ridiculous!

👹 Despite the fact that the man wielded the only thing that could kill him, he now had a new weapon he could use against the demon; an Eldritch being that could punish everyone who dared kill one snake that was the descendant of one of the most anger-filled deities

👹 Aku just so happened to witness this 'awakening' of yours, and he saw how you would defend the Samurai with the biggest amount of loyalty he'd ever seen

👹 Over the past few days, he was beginning to lose his patience. While yes, the warrior who called himself Jack, did not use you all of the time while fighting, or rather you would come out and pretty much... y'know, rip someone apart...

👹 Instead of going in as Aku, the Shogun of Sorrow decided to disguise himself as a woman, though he needed to come up with a name sooner or later. He'll think of one while manipulating the two of you

👹 While he spent time going 'after Aku in order to free Ikra's father', he begun to see just how deadly, yet compassionate, you were. Every time you would witness Jack or Ikra being put through something a hair bit overwhelming, you would slither down from a building's roof and attack their enemy

👹 He also saw how you fluently spoke to any serpent-like being the group came across, ranging from full-blooded snakes to monsters that were like snakes, you just connected with them very well

👹 Before he knew it, you had been staring at him more and more. Did you find out who he was? Heavily doubtful, the Samurai's guard was always up unless he truly trusted someone with his presence. And if he didn't know, you certainly couldn't...

�� But, why did he enjoy your looks. Why did he like it when you would lightly pat his, or rather Ikra's, hands in reassurance when he needed to act like she was thinking of her father

👹 Eventually, you three had come across a more jungle-appearing area. You sniffed the air and sighed, your serpent-signally hood flaring down in relaxation while your once slit-pupils molded to be the average circles

👹 Jack looked at you and smiled before pointing towards a snake's nest. Aku watched you kneel down and pet the mother snake's head while the two observed you hum a slow song to her as she relaxed and you used a small spell to cover the next with an invisibility spell

"Won't that make it almost impossible for the snake to find her next again?" The shapeshifter asked.

"Oh far from it. This spell only works on those who would risk the safety of the animal. Though, on this one, only the mother snake, her babies, and those such as I can find the nest. I cannot risk one of my children to be harmed like others have done so."

👹 Samurai Jack began to walk forward after observing you and motioned for you both to follow deeper into the fruitful land. Ikra looked at you as you stood and began to walk towards her

👹 What were you going to do-

👹 Leaning your head slightly down at the demon, you kissed their cheek, making him falter. He had been flirting with you for the entire journey, hell, when he first saw you, he had winked at you, which made you scrunch your nose slightly with distaste instead of doing it back to him

"W-what..."

"Congrats on the masterful disguise, Lord Aku~" You whispered to the male, making his face flush a bright red matching Ikra's lips.

👹 While the rest of his plan went right and he escaped from Jack and you, he was flushed as he arrived back at his home, brushing his sharp fingers against the area you kissed just a couple hours prior

"How bold of you, Ancestor of Serpents."

[gear-project]

GGDR Ep1 and my Thoughts:

Spoilers, obviously

The story starts with a flashback to Guilty Gear X events, though it is somewhat overly dramatic in execution, but since it’s Sin’s introduction it’s fast and to the point.

Sin ends up chased and giving chase to a monster sized bear, in a somewhat cartoon fashion. But my mind couldn’t help but think about Guilty Gear Begin events, where Sol once fought a Gear Grizzly singlehandedly, much like Sin is doing. It appears to just be protecting its family, which might be a parallel foreshadowing of this storyline.

We jumped to Dizzy and Ky’s wedding celebration, though it is interesting to point out that Testament did not arrive in person for some reason, using Johnny to deliver a message as usual. Makes me wonder if Josephine will get mentioned.

Senator Hammer makes his crude entrance, but appears to have done something to Dizzy’s hand during their handshake. It could be a tracker, it could be a blood sample, it’s too soon to tell. Prior to the handshake Johnny warns the couple to be careful and defends Dizzy’s rebuttal graciously. It’s great to know Johnny is reliable family here.

Johnny senses something is amiss with one of the guests and spots Unika who abruptly attacks him.

Unika fires her first shot at Dizzy who generates a barrier and transforms. Ky immediately suits up to defend her.

It appears that Unika has no mercy for Gear Sympathizers, as she shoots at innocent humans in the gallery, claiming they should all anticipate future losses in the conflict to come.

No trick is unfair, as she deploys several dark creatures from her body as her gun changes modes. Johnny slices the assailants to pieces. Unika continues to pressure Dizzy and Johnny develops a premonition that it could trigger Dizzy’s Defense Guardians causing destruction.

However, the one to cause the most destruction is Unika, though Ky makes it in time to Dizzy’s defense, using the Thundersealed Sword to once again Seal Time for Dizzy, but also himself. A repeat of GG2 Overture events.

Johnny appears wounded in the wake of the blast, only for Sin to arrive late and confront Unika. Wings appear from Unika’s back and she promptly escapes. The Wings could be Gearlike traits, or simply a spell, it is still too soon to determine.

We jump to an exchange between Leo Whitefang and U.S. President Groubitz, where he described the result of the incident. Part of Illyria Castle was Destroyed, but they want Mass Media to keep a lid on Unika’s attempt at Terrorizing the people. Leo is on the case, knowing full well what Unika tried to do here, though Nerville was nowhere to be seen during the attack.

Sin blast drives himself to Sol’s house only for Jack-O’ to calm him down with a meal. They discuss what kind of person Unika is, but Sin isn’t satisfied with the sad expression Unika was making when they fought.

So far, things are both Lighthearted and Heavy at the same time, which is par for the course of a decent GG story, so, from what I see, it’s off to a decent plot.

Sol drives Sin somewhere, and we jump to a cut to Baiken, who it seems has become something of a Bounty Hunter (ironic, given her past Bounty record). Unika is on Baiken’s list, or so it seems.

Asuka’s voice was the narrator for most of this, and while somewhat out of character, he introduced all characters with an exciting flair, but particularly Baiken’s introduction is very in-period and Samurai esque.

I’ll also mention Ramlethal and Elphelt are on Guard Duty for the seal on Ky and Dizzy, but it appears that Ramlethal doesn’t want to sit still given the circumstances, and I can hardly blame her.

So far so good, though the pace is a little faster than most GG stories, but it’s decent enough so far.

[kawaiiwritingcomputer]

Samurai Jack x easily flustered! Reader (fic)

hi!! Could you write a fanfic with samurai jack with a reader gets really flustered around him? any pronouns are fine!! It doesn't have to be nsfw, but a bit of spice never killed anyone. thanks!!!!

🪼- of course, friend! i'll put some lemon under the cut for you!! pls enjoy!

In the future, the darkness of Aku has taken over, leaving the world hopeless to his wrath. Only one samurai stood up to him, and you've heard of his tales. He seemed like some kind of legend, as he has lived for hundreds of years and still continues his battle against evil.

Your village had been terrorized by Aku's robotic monstrosities, leaving ashes and crumbled buildings behind. You thought you would die there under the rubble and dust. The sound of wooden sandals approached, and a voice called out, "Hello?"

You moved around, feeling very claustrophobic underneath the wreckage and your broken voice cried out for help. Through the burnt wooden pillars you could see out, and a sword fell to the ground. Suddenly, the debris was moved off of you and you could finally breathe in fresh air. You coughed, trying to stand up but your leg had been twisted up. As you looked up to your savior, you saw that he was the one and only Samurai Jack.

"No, don't move. You are badly injured." He looks at you with a concerned, soft face and with gentle hands he picks you up and moves you out into the open. he was covered in grease and oil, and you saw pieces of machinery laying around. The samurai had beaten Aku's robots and saved what was left of your village!

"Thank you-" You whispered as he carried you, and you began to fall asleep in his arms.

Later, you awoke in a cave, with a makeshift cast on your leg. There was a fire next to you, and the samurai had a wooden spear with some fish on it that he was cooking. He looked over at you and smiled, "Good, you're awake! I, um, made dinner for you!"

His smile was precious, bringing hope to your life. You almost couldn't believe you were sitting here with the legend himself! You were too shy to say anything but thank you when he handed you your food.

Jack didn't mind your silence, and he quite enjoyed the peacefulness of it. He noted that you had a hard time making eye contact with him, and your bashfulness was something really cute to him!

You spent your days healing with him, and he didn't seem to mind the battles he was missing out on, he was more concerned about taking care of you. Each time he lifted you up or helped you out, your face would turn red and you'd become a shy little mess. His kind eyes melted your heart, and his unrelenting desire to assist made you feel special. It was like being in some kind of dream.

When your leg was fully healed, he undressed the bandages and helped you get back to walking. He would hold his arm around your waist while you held onto his shoulder and you two would take a stroll together to build up your strength. The physical touch was only fueling your growing crush on the samurai, and little did you know that he was feeling the same way for you! He was always helping people, but you were something different. You looked at him like he was not only a protector, but also a companion. You never said much to him other than thank you, and in some ways he was reminded of himself. He'd never been in a relationship, but this growing awkward feeling was at it's worst around you.

"Thank you for all of your help, Samurai. I- I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you." You didn't want to leave him, now that you were all better, but his duty was calling. He didn't want to have to go either, and insisted that his selfless acts were just out of kindness. There was so much more to know about you, and he wanted to be closer but this couldn't be your future together...

As you hesitantly turned away, he suddenly grabbed your arm. "I want you to come with me." He admitted, "I'll protect you, and I will fight for you, anything it takes. I thought I needed to do this task alone, but if there's any way we can make this work, I want you to come back to the past with me."

Your eyes lit up with excitement for his confession, and you took this moment to let him know how you really felt. "I want that too, Jack. Nobody has ever shown me this amount of care and- I think I'm falling for you."

All of a sudden, your shyness had dissipated and you realized what had really come out of your mouth. For a second, you thought perhaps the samurai had a clashing feeling to yours- perhaps he only wanted to be your friend. He was looking at you with no expression and it was worrying- maybe you said the wrong thing?

No- he pulled you into his chest , wrapping his arms around you in a hug and he kissed your forehead. "I was afraid you weren't going to feel the same, so I wasn't going to say anything. I have fallen for you as well, my sunshine."

.

🍋!!

The two of you had been travelling for weeks together, and you'd even learned the way of your chosen weapon so you could assist in battle! Nothing was sexier than seeing you all greased up after a robot fight to Jack. He was having compelling thoughts about you, but your innocent, shy attitude made him feel almost guilty for having naughty thoughts. You will have to be the one to make the first move, because he's afraid to ask.

You could tell he was thinking those nasty thoughts about you, from the way he was watching with his mouth agape, and him trying to hide the hardness in his robes, atttempting to pass it off as just his sword.

You bathed together in the stream, rubbing off the grime from the fight, and usually you were modest and would try to have your back towards him, but you were gaining some confidence. This time, you faced him, standing underneath the waterfall fully naked as you signaled for him to get closer. He swam up to you, and you met in a hidden cave behind the falls. You wrapped your arms around his neck, smooching him as he held you like a bride in the shallow water. Your tantalizing kisses were giving him a stiffy, and you reached down to gently graze his boner. He returned the favor, his hands gripping your ass and making you blush. Jack's lips smiled against yours and he leaned you against a rock, gently kissing your chest and neck, only flustering you more and making you moan.

Soon enough, the two of you had moved out of the water and were on the ground of the cave, with Jack on top of you, pushing his hardness into you and stretching you. You bit your lips, wincing and crying out in ecstasy with each inch he pushed inside of you. With each noise you made, it only made him more turned on and wanting to fuck you harder, but his mind told him he had to be gentle for his first time with you.

He was cuddle-fucking you, on top of you and snuggling his face into your neck with your legs wrapped around his waist. He moaned your name into your ear, pleasure filling his brain as he closed in on his climax. You came first, your legs shaking as you wiggled your hips around to prolong the amazing feelings, and Jack came soon after, his cum emptying out onto your chest.

Both of you breathing heavily, you both began to laugh and pepper each other all over in soft kisses.

"I suppose we have to bathe again now." He joked, and kissed your nose. He snuggled you more for some aftercare, spooning you and talking about your future together in the past. <3

[radaverse]

Welcome back it’s good to see you so are you going to continue the comics of tower of mistake and samurai jack comic or do you want to take a break about them?

Looks like it's time for a

--✨🌀 RAD BLOG UPDATEEE ✨🌀--

Thank you! Yeah I'm continuing the comics as promised.

My "break" was mostly finishing college work and writing comic stuff, lots of coffee, drawing non stop and stuff lol

I AM NOT LAZY!! I AM WORKINGGG! grr grr lol lemme cook

I was thinking abt posting pages only when a full chapter is done but looking at y'all I was like "nAHHH" dfnvsjffns y'all are hungry af, can't wait that long lol. Will post one by one again

---- About Tower of Mistakes (Pizza Tower) ----

I've been rewriting Tower of Mistakes cuz having grown up a bit I reread it and I got kinda like

I know it's not bad as many of you loved it and remember it even after a long time without updates, but I feel it needs some serious polishing. ANGSTY AFFFFFFF LIKE YEAH I LIKE WRITING LIKE THAT BUT UHHHH it feels a bit too angsty sometimes?? idk how to explain but EUGH Also I see plot holes, things I didn't explain, didn't write right so yeah. It's impossible to keep writing it without a remake first

I'll save all old pages and take em down to post the new ones so there's no confusion whenever someone new wants to read them.

--- About Lone Wolf and Cub (Samurai Jack) ---

I've been working on references, writing ideas, plots, scripts, backgrounds and many things too! It's looking pretty neat. I'm also rewriting things I had before as drafts.

As you know I also have gotten a voice actor team for dubs! They're insanely talented and passionate for their work as well. It's honestly all looking pretty great!

--- Artfight 2025! ---

I'll be joining artfight again this year. I'm remaking references atm and updating this. This is my user in case you joined and want to attack me!

You can also join my Discord Server if you want to see wips, updates and to see me work live. It's pretty cozy and friendly. You can talk there abt PT and SJ, your other hyperfixations, share your art, ocs, aus and anything! Also I'm active there ^^

That's the update lol. Stay tuned, I'll randomly post a comic page when you least expect it nyehehehe

[3nigm4art]

An informal essay/rant on Samurai Jack S5

I love Samurai Jack, for the most part. But my biggest gripe is how season 5 turned out.

Despite the artistic achievement of season 5, the main issue was how rushed it was. With only 10 episodes and still having to deal with the 50-year time skip, many characters feel underdeveloped.

Take Jack as an example. Jack's change was the most drastic yet resolved the quickest. 50 years of a battle with no end in sight is incomprehensible to a normal person, and winning seems impossible at this point for Jack. Understandably, depression, guilt and anxiety have taken over Jack, especially after he lost his magic sword. The voices in his head and the vision of the phantom samurai are evidence of his mental decay. But as a mental health struggler of many years, it feels like Jack's mental struggle should have been way past that stage. Though it should be said that everyone experiences these mental health struggles differently, it just felt less realistic as Jack's descent was not documented well enough. Depending on when his descent started, it could have very different results. Many things could happen in 50 years that would affect a person's outlook in life. It could be total despair: Jack finds no way of continuing and believes that he has completely failed. It could be dutifully depressed: Jack no longer considers himself righteous but still carries on out of habit. It could be blind optimism: despite losing the magic sword, Jack thinks, "Hey, I have fought for 40+ years. I could still do this!" Are these outcomes sound? No! Because there is no development for Jack to prove that they are sound. It also doesn't help that Jack's characterisation is so consistent in the first 4 seasons that jumping from level 1 to 100 in depression for Jack seems improbable and leaves the audience to imagine what happened. After all, depression and anxiety often do not originate from a singular event and build up gradually. Sure, I can buy that Jack is depressed, but I cannot buy that it can be resolved within 7 episodes, with half of that time occupied by Ashi's arc.

Speaking of Ashi's arc, her arc demanded the most time yet is the most unrefined. Her character has simply bitten off more than it could chew for 10 episodes. Within season 5, she went from being a daughter of Aku to an ally of Jack to Jack's lover. Each of these changes can be at least 10 episodes on its own. Especially when she has to undo 20+ years of conditioning, and completely acknowledging that she is on the wrong side of the war is bound to take a toll on her perception of reality. Yet it was resolved as quickly as 6 episodes, thanks to finding out, "Wow, Jack is actually a good guy and helped so many people!" This part of the arc was resolved because of Jack. So naturally, she becomes Jack's ally and then becomes Jack's lover. There is a terrifying idea that lurks in Ashi as one comes to realise that her entire personality revolves around Jack. In other words, if you remove Jack from Ashi's life, she becomes nothing. It is also deeply worrying that Ashi lacks emotional maturity and development as she "falls in love" with a man she has only met for maybe a week (not to say Jack is not also immature here). Her lack of independent development makes her character flimsy and frankly disturbing. She is literally made to become Jack's love interest. There is some irony in one of her final lines in the show; she says, "Without Aku, I would have never existed" when on a meta-fictional level, she would not have existed without Jack.

Character development is crucial in crafting the themes of a story. The above tackled the lack of character development leading to weak characters, but there is one thing that will determine the legacy of the story, the ending. Though it is often commented how Samurai Jack's ending was unfulfilling, it is not true that unfulfilling endings are bad. (Minor spoilers for True Detective season 1) True Detective season 1 did not end in a fulfilling manner, as it did not resolve all of the mysteries it brought up. That wasn't a huge issue as it complied with the genre of strange fiction and the theme of the world being a strange and inexplicable place that evokes more mysteries than it explains. Samurai Jack's ending and, thus, the conclusion to Jack's arc promotes the idea that overcoming one's weakness, sacrificing for the greater good, and bringing justice will not bring you the happiness you deserve... Which does not make sense relative to Jack's character development and characterisation. Jack is often characterised as a selfless hero and a bringer of hope. And the people benefit greatly from his aid. The only person who often does not benefit from this is Jack himself, who often forsakes his opportunity to return to the past in favour of saving the people in need. The show promises that Jack will find peace and happiness when he fulfils his destiny of defeating Aku. And with the classic hero's journey-type story Samurai Jack has, the show rips it apart at the very last moment, with no warning whatsoever. It wasn't a comment on the genre, as it did not deepen its themes. If one wants to turn Samurai Jack into a "we don't always get what we deserve" (please don't) story, then make fate truly cruel and unkind and provide Jack with no divine help in the story. Again, with the irony of Jack's tea being unbalanced, the show is unbalanced, too, as it rewards a suffering protagonist with more sadness and suffering at the end of his story.

Despite what this blog is about (it's art, by the way), art and aesthetics are not everything. Samurai Jack as a whole is beautiful aesthetically, but the rushed story and an unfulfilling legacy feel like a shame. Characters did not have the time to grow in complexity or realism, which made the audience feel disconnected from the characters. I wished I could see Ashi grow and develop into something more than "Jack's love interest". Or they could even develop into something that is not romantic, such as a mentor and apprentice story, which could be as, if not more, interesting. Having more refined characters creates a more refined theme that, if done right, can stir the right emotions in the audience that impact them for a lifetime.

Samurai Jack season 5 had a lot of potential but just couldn't deliver.

[nayialovecat]

The Ink Demonth 2023 - Day 21. City

Day 21. City Crossover: Samurai Jack Aku is like that one uncle who made his fortune by pure luck (e.g. winning the lottery) and now feels entitled to give life advice to everyone around him on what to do to be as successful as he is, lol.

This is probably one of my best and favourite entries in this year's Ink Demonth.

The funny thing is that I originally had a different idea here - it was supposed to be a crossover with the Spiderverse, where in Spider-Men City one of the Spider-Man (probably Milo) asks Bendy if he's Venom, and Bendy replies that he is, but better because he doesn't need a host. However, I decided that I didn't want to draw the city from this movie, or even so many Spider-Men (although I love both the movie and Spider-Man himself in almost every version) - so Titatotrix and I did a brainstorming session, which resulted in my very discovery: "of course, Aku City... it was supposed to be Aku City from the beginning!" And we got it! I've always wanted to draw Aku. I've drawn Samurai Jack and more, there was even a short comics from my favourite episode... but never Aku. And he is such a lovely object to draw...

I love Samurai Jack. This is probably still my favourite cartoon. And I deeply regret the ending of the last series (the one from Swim Adult). Seriously, I was really sad that so many well-thought-out episodes and the entire complex plot were ruined with one stupid decision at the end... what a shame. I still love the show, and Jack was one of my big crushes (along with Hercules from the 1995 series and Chase Young from Shaolin Showdown and only from Shaolin Showdown - we don't talk about Chronicles). Plus Aku was dubbed in the original by Mako, one of my favourite voice actors (he did Splinter in my favourite TMNT movie and Uncle Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender) - may he rest in peace.

While making this picture, I had great fun at every stage: sketching, making lineart, colouring... I would love to continue the theme of "uncle" Aku giving good advice to Bendy, but, unfortunately, I don't have time for that anymore. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. By the way, while coming up with this entry - and it was after linearizing the next one, Radio, which you will see in a few hours - Titatotrix and I came to the conclusion that this year's Ink Demonth in my version looks a bit like Bendy's journey through the Multiverse and asking various characters for advice on how to deal with his perpetual depression (and with Joey). Well, it really looks like that. Plus entries where Sammy does something... sammish X"D

Bendy and the Ink Machine (c) Joey Drew Studios Inc. Samurai Jack (c) Genndy Tartakovsky Sammy and the Ink Machine (c) Nayia Lovecat

[thecrossoverwriter15]

Hey guys! I’ve been working on ideas to write a film based off of the books, the Guardians of Childhood and wanted your input!

Now, I’m against writing a sequel to the first movie only because I feel like Rise didn’t set up enough to write a sequel that people would go to see. It didn’t really show the growth of the Guardians as a team. In other words, the movie felt like it started halfway through their story, like there should have been a movie before setting up everything in Rise. Not to mention the fact that the movie isn’t very huge with audiences minus us and Jelsa fans, it would be hard to really get us involved with the characters stories UNLESS it was just redone. If Dreamworks started at the beginning of the Guardians’ journey, it would have made the death of Pitch in the finale of Rise feel much more impactful. Set up and payoff - that’s what a story needs. You know, it’s actually a good thing that the books aren’t as popular because then there’s a chance to bring these characters into the movie world with a BANG. Plus, there are fans of Rise Of The Guardians who would get excited over a sequel or ANYTHING involving the team!

So, that brings me here! l’ve come up with some ideas, but overall, I want the basics the be:

• The look of the universe, the world building itself and characters will look and feel as they did in the books, with their respective powers and traits. (Yup, I’m looking at you Nightlight!) I will also add little easter eggs to make Rise fans happy!

• 2D - I chose the 2D animated design because I feel like the order to make this, I need to push the boundaries as to how the characters can move. You know the original episode of the series, Hazbin Hotel? The way the character Alastor stretched and moves when he first walks into the room upon meeting Charlie? It would be great if Pitch had that sort of movement. (I’m still debating on an Anime, Blue Eye Samurai look or an Arcane matte painting, combined with the character designs from the books.)

Now I’m going to ask you guys some questions in a bit! I need some fan input into what you guys would want to see with these characters! I don’t want Jack being the main character only because I want to try something different, but if it comes down to you guys wanting Jack as the MC, then he can continue to be the protagonist!

Alright, guys..

Will be posting the second poll after this one is up!

[kamenstranger]

X-men '97 (mostly) spoiler free Review.

I'll be honest, when X-men '97 was announced I didn't think much of it. I've held a long stance of (at best) indifference towards reboots, remakes, or continuations of legacy properties. At worst, I hold a deep cynicism towards the often mishandling and cheap regurgitation to cash in on nostalgia.

The thing that most often goes wrong with such things is either it becomes so different one questions why it has X name attached instead of being a whole new thing, or it's so similar it does nothing new and only serves to callback fond memories and memes spawned from the original. It's a delicate balance to be familiar yet fresh. More often than not, it goes terribly wrong.

X-men '97 does not suffer that fate.

The most shocking thing about '97 isn't how much it feels like a proper continuation in every sense one could possibly achieve, but how better it is top to bottom. Sure, it has surface level nostalgia like the intro, callbacks, and the occasional campy tone (although never quite as much as the OG series, which lets be real, is for the better.) But it also understands how paramount it is to elevate and evolve the narrative with what the show explores, rather than relying on the familiar. The kids who grew up with the original are in their 30s if not their early 40s, and the ones that didn't remain children want more nuance and complexity. Not to mention the original, for all the good, is extremely flawed.

There's a story I read about Genndy Tartakovsky having a sign outside his office in the heyday of Cartoon Network that said something along the lines of "Make the Cartoons the way you think you remember." The idea being that a lot of people don't recognize the flaws in the shows they enjoyed at kids and have false idealized versions of those memories. '97 feels like that philosophy in some ways. It feels like all the legitimately good aspects cranked up to 11, and a lot of the lesser parts filtered out; an idealized version of what the original could be. In fact, Tartakovsky might be an apt comparison in another way, in that it feels as natural a progression as Samurai Jack with how it matured upon a revival, but without losing the parts that made the original so endearing.

Where X-men '97 hooked me was as early as ep. 2. Magneto gives a speech to the UN stating "As a boy, my people's homes were burned to ash because we dared to call God by another name. Then, my people hunted me with those who had once hunted them." The balls to go there hit like a truck and made me realize where this series was going. It might be trite to say "This isn't your childhood X-men" as if to imply some dark bend to the series. But no, this is simply an X-men that doesn't play coy with the analogies or side skirt death because of broadcast standards. It's an X-men allowed explore topics and stories in a manner much closer to the comics. The greatest example of that here is with Magnus, who for the first time is treated with a level of complexity I've not seen in any adaptive work.

The thing I love about Magneto is his versatility as a villain. He's full of himself, and goes too far in areas, but often still makes a good point. And even if he has those two flaws, is that much different than Xavier? Is his way ultimately more correct even if not 100% so? Conversely, you can easily turn him into a megalomaniac, unquestionably in the wrong-- yet still somewhat sympathetic because much of Humanity has reinforced time after time that it's oppress or be oppressed, with no alternative or in-between. That also makes him very interesting as someone who struggles to change their ways, to avoid falling down that slippery slope of becoming that very thing he so hates.

It should come as no surprise that this added focus on Magneto results in some killer lines throughout the run. The trailer made it clear that he would become leader of the X-men after Charles' apparent death at the end of the original series (as an aside, pay close attention to the language used when referring to Charles, it's very clever.) About half this season deals with Magnus building towards something beyond the school and beyond the X-men with the Island Nation of Genosha, creating a proper haven for Mutants to exist freely and in the open. He's honestly one of if not my favorite part of the show, both as a character and how that characterization helps drive the plot. Of course it's just one of many. Another big focus is Scott and Jean's relationship, the pregnancy, the fear of and eventual birthing of a child into a world that hates and fears them. That added dimension makes Scott a lot more nuanced this go around. Ideally, Cyclops should make difficult and perhaps unpopular decisions that are ultimately for the better, justifying his position as someone capable of making choices others would not. In practice, a lot of instances have Scott making boneheaded decisions and being a punching bag for Wolverine. People like to hate on the dude, and I don't blame them. It's very easy to make someone like that unlikable, and most of time, writers do.

But '97 gives a lot more personal scenes with him, showing how he's scared of his position, how Xavier's absence added a great weight upon his shoulders. Not to mention one of their greatest enemies-- the one ideologically opposite of Charles-- is entrusted with carrying on Xavier's dream, not him, not even another X-men. Then there's the baby on the way, everything that happens afterwards which is just the cherry on the shit sundae. I felt bad for Scott, the poor guy is sent thought the ringer this season. But that also makes him and his relationship with Jean legitimately interesting.

Meanwhile, the latter half of a show blows up into a much bigger cataclysmic event that actually manages to pull off some of the best suspense, trepidation, and "Oh shit, what next?" moments that few series achieve with such a level of success or frequency.

All that said, as much praise as I have for the story and characters… the stuff with Rogue is a bit weird and will probably be the most off putting aspect during the first half.

This is one of those parts I can't really skim over in a mostly spoiler free fashion, so get ready. For half the show Rogue spends a lot of time with Magneto after he takes over the X-men, and it's a source of friction for Gambit. And you think you know how this is going; Rogue obviously has some sorta past with Magnus no one else knows about, which makes sense given her checkered history, and Gambit is horribly misinterpreting that prior relationship as something more out of jealousy.

But no, Gambit was right. It was a lot more than just partners in crime. See, Magnus' whole electromagnet field can protect him from Rogue while the two still feel a touch, as it where, and they took full advantage of that way back when. So yeah, that's a thing that happened.

I get what they're going for; giving Rogue a complicated relationship with a major antagonist, how fair is keeping that information from Gambit, what does that even say about Magnus etc. The comics have done or tried similar things, often to a worse extent. (In fact this is based on a bit from Age of X) Still, it feels a tad weird here, and the age gap certainly plays a role. Which again, I realize is the point. I think part of the hang up on my end is Animated Rogue and Gambit always felt just a tad younger than say Jean, Scott, and Storm-- and the thought of the much older Magnus hooking up with an at the time technically legal Rogue bothers me. Not in an ageist way, but in a Jerry Seinfeld sorta way.

But I think that they're a bit more up there then previously thought. So if this goes back 5 maybe 10 years, that makes it feel less like Magnus was taking advantage of a very lonely and still naive girl, but having a fling with (at minimum) mid 20 something, which has it's own baggage, but is far less creepy and but in-line with Magnus' ego. His crimes against humanity I can forgive, but not acting like a libertarian. As for Rogue…I mean I wouldn't judge her anyway. Especially from her POV. I mean… look at Magnus.

If I couldn't have physical contact with 99% of people, I'd jump at exploring that magnetic pole, too.

That's probably the biggest "issue" I have with the story, and honestly I'm sorta coming around to it because it's told so damn well and leads to some pretty great bits. Rogue's argument with Gambit in particular is heart-wrenching.

And we also get some lovely scenes later in the series with Nightcrawler being a supporting brother to Rogue, which I just adore. I'll admit I'm slightly bias here because Kurt was one of my favorite X-men characters along with Remy, Rogue, and Magneto. So I'm eating good this season.

What I don't care for however is the romance between Forge and Storm. In fact, Storm probably gets the worst arc this season simply due to constraints and timing. It's not bad, but you can really tell hers was meant to be a larger and more intimate tale that was condensed down to what is effectively a single episode hacked to pieces. The passage of time is very poorly conveyed, so it feels like Forge proclaims his love after a week and one romantic dinner. Storm's more internal demons and struggles with her powers, while interesting conceptually, suffers from structural and pacing issues as it's split over two episodes shared with other stories. This is compounded with the fact one episode in-between those two is on the much more grandiose story of Genosha-- which is itself is grounded by that love triangle between Mags, Gambit, and Rogue-- not to mention a number of character deaths as the mid season "Oh shit" moment. The result is a vast cloud being cast over Ororo's narrative. We don't even get to properly delve into the Adversary.

There's some more minor things I can think of; the first episode is a little rough because of the dialogue being very hamfisted. It's made to be friendly to newcomers that didn't watch the original series, which I respect, but the consequence is some very weird statements of facts from characters to others that already know them. I think they knew this, which is why the much better ep. 2 dropped the same day. Smart. Outside ep. 1 it's handled much better. Slight spoiler, but if you know the comics you know about Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean with all her memories. OG Jean pops back in, but has a fragmented memory which allows for a much more natural flow of information as she slowly remembers events like the Phoenix and such.

Another use of conveying information to new comers is the newest member to the team, Roberto da Costa AKA Sunspot. Early on Roberto doesn't really have much going on, he's used similar to Jubilee as the audience POV saved by the X-men and that's kinda it. There's sparks between him and Jubilee, but for the most part his story takes a back seat to the much larger going ons. In fact I don't really think he ever comes into his own this season, although he is getting there by the end. However, I do think his character is used well thematically. Roberto's mother is a very wealthy business woman and philanthropist, and she's basically the stereotype of every rich minority liberal. She doesn't mind her son being a mutant, but she wants to keep it secret for social and financial reasons. She holds big charities for mutant causes, but will sell her own son out to authority figures if pressed. I never got invested in Roberto as there simply isn't enough time to focus on how that affects him on a deeper level beyond "Maybe Magneto is right." But I am impressed at showcasing that type of performative ally-ship, and with a parent no less.

I guess the last thing to address the new villain this season. I won't get into the story stuff, but if you know who Bastion is, then you sorta know where this goes anyway. And if you don't, then I won't really be getting too deep into that stuff. To be honest, I don't have a ton to say about him. He is quite different from his comics version to better fit within TAS universe, and he's sympathetic as a result of those changes. Pretty typical with this iteration of X-men to mix, change, and mash storylines across multiple decades. So nothing new there. I think he's a good threat, I like the portrayal of the prime sentinels, he's built up very well as a mysterious puppet master and power house; possibly too good given a "get out of jail free" moment with Jean in the finale. Theo James also does a good job making him sound calm, collected, almost emotionless-- but not bored, which a lot of people struggle with. I just don't really find him all that captivating or fun as a villain compared to say Magneto or Mr. Sinister. What he is, is a good catalyst. And I'm fine with that. X-men thrives on its melodramatic interpersonal relationships to carry damn near any story. Take characters you like, build'em up, have complex emotions, then throw them into scenarios to exacerbate all of that. If you can pull it off, you've got a fine formula for entertaining stories-- so long as you keep evolving those characters and scenarios. So, sure, I don't think Bastion is an all time great, but I'm more interested in the team having to deal with his shit and each other than him specifically, and I'm still getting other villains I do find interesting, so I can't really complain. But that's enough but the story, let's get into the other bits. Animation On the Animation side X-men '97 looks damn good. Comparing it to the original isn't even fair. The original studio, AKOM, was constantly threatened with firing because their output was routinely bad. Be that from a massive workload, poor management, crunch, Saban being a fuck stick, etc. Whatever the cause, the end result was not good. The first episode of X-men aired in an incomplete state, and that sort of trouble plagued the entire production. Heck, fellow Fox Kids series Batman The Animated Series terminated their contract with them for similar errors.

The first episode on '97 meanwhile takes every opportunity to showcase dynamic action. It probably has the most clever combination and uses of the X-men's powers; Scott using his optic blasts for movement, Gambit charging Wolverine's claws, Jean creating a containment field for Storm's tornadoes to increase pressure. That standard of quality is mostly maintained throughout. The biggest critique I can make is that some of the more subtle movements; raised eyebrow; slight head tilt; gritting teeth, tend to have an…off look. It reminds me a lot of the adoption of Flash in the 2010s and other digital animation, where every now and then certain objects just sorta float and slide in an overly smooth fashion, as if someone is simply moving a png around.

Another quirk is that there are A LOT of close ups of eyes. Sometimes that's an artistic choice, but very often it feels like a work around to avoid animating mouth movements for dialogue, showing backgrounds, other characters, and so on. And it's a trick used a wee-bit too much, one I'm hoping is ironed out by next season because it did become distracting by the end. But ya know, this is also better than Castlevania's first two seasons.

Voice Acting.

The voice Acting is great, no surprise there. Hell, the cast was the best thing out of the original series. While the dialogue and the delivery varied wildly, the voices themselves were generally on point, weird takes or direction notwithstanding. Those to me will always be the voices for those characters. I still hear Alison Sealy-Smith when I read Storm's dialogue in comic form, or Lenore Zann's Rogue, or George Buza's Beast. Most of the surviving original cast is back, either as their respective characters, or in other roles if they didn't want/fit the role anymore, as was the case with Catherine Disher and Alyson Court. Hilariously, Morph's original actor, Ron Rubin, now plays President Kelly.

Oddly enough Gambit's original VA, Chris Potter, returns but in the role of Cable. Credit where it's due, this Cable sounds similar to a much gruffer Cyclops, but in such a way that's clearly a different voice. So I think that was a good change.

Speaking of Scott, Ray Chase is the new voice and he knocks it out of the park, absolutely perfect voice for the character that captures the smarmy routine Norm Spencer had. I'm frankly impressed how perfect he fills those shoes, while also adding a world weariness. Likewise, Jennifer Hales is a fantastic choice for Jean. She's played Jean before but this is much more influenced by Disher's performance. Ironically Hale's performance made me realize how perfect she would've been as Jill Valentine, and I'm sorta surprised she was never picked for any of the remakes. Additionally, Hale is clearly having so much fun in a villainous role as the Goblin Queen. In fact, her tone is slightly different for Pryor in general, but my god is the Goblin Queen stuff a joy. It's only like an episode, but Hale is just REVELING in being a baddy.

Nice to see X-men awakening things in people even years later.

Other new cast members include A. J. LoCascio, who does a great job as Gambit. Of course we have new addition Roberto, voiced by Gui Agustini, who fits lovely and speaks Portuguese to boot. Holly Chou takes over Jubilee and is so damn on point I had to double check it wasn't a time-displaced Court. You actually get to hear Chou and Court opposite one another and it is WILD how subtle the differences are. Ross Marquand is also pretty damn close to Cedric Smith's Xavier, albeit a tad younger sounding. One returning member I do want to give special mention to is Cal Dodd's Wolverine. Dodd was always a favorite, and like the others "the voice" of that character to me, and it's great to hear him again. Although I will note it doesn't really sound like 90s Wolverine, with exception to the penultimate episode where it sorta comes back. I'm not sure if they told him to do a rougher voice, if it's just the result of age, or if he's just getting back into it (Logan doesn't have many lines this season) but it's certainly different for most of the run. Every so often you'll also get a very slight inflection of an accent. Now Dodd is Irish born, but he doesn't have an Irish accent, yet I swear I hear one coming from Wolverine. Honestly? It weirdly works simply due to Logan's age and coming from Alberta, which was pretty heavy on immigrants from all the British Empire's isles. So…I kinda dig it, even if I'll always default to the OG performance in my head.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible music by the Newton Brothers.

But I also don't really know what to say about it beyond "That's some damn fine music and remixing of the Main Theme." Part of the problem is the Soundtrack isn't released at the time of this writing, there's only a single for the opening. But the harrowing vocal version of the theme, the BGM, all that's not released in a format I can point to and tell you to check it out, or even give a name to the ones I like. So... I just have to throw my hands up and say I love their work and am glad they're returning next season.

I hope they remix the second X-men theme from the later seasons. Final Thoughts

X-men '97 has been by far the most pleasant surprise this year. I loved the feeling of looking forward to each episode, wanting to know what events will transpire, waiting until next Wednesday for the follow up. Few series manage to capture my attention to the extent '97 did. In the wrong hands this could've been exhausting, but it's a masterclass in pacing and escalation without feeling tiresome. X-men '97 pulls off a perfect balance of new and familiar, maintaining and building upon a strong foundation of character drama to reach new heights that results in, above all else, an extremely rare example of a revival surpassing the original in every regard.

Now, I just hope the firing of the director wasn't a sign that Disney is going to sabotage this because the suits are rock stupid. Or that the series will become bogged down with cameos and references to other stuff. I gotta tell you, one of the best things was '97 not dealing with MCU and just having relatively subdued cameos and name drops. It was quaint compared to what it's like now. But that finale made me wince in spots. You can justify it all you want, but I'm tired, and I hope it's not a sign of things to come.

I couldn't figure out where to put this in the review, but I did want to mention a moment in ep 2 that I loved. Jean goes into labor and while Logan is driving her to the hospital, her powers go a little out of control and rips the roof off his vehicle. She made him a convertible.

They do not draw attention to it, no smarmy comment, just something that happens. But I have to imagine it was an intentional reference, and that's my favorite kind of callback. All that said, thanks for reading this. It's not often I do spoiler free reviews, but sometimes the format is just right for what I have to say without delving into a big plot synopsis. Hopefully, if you were cautious like me, maybe you'll check out '97 and find something you really love.

[fiftytwotwentythree]

Wellness Wednesday:

Picture Me Rollin'

We are officially 186 days into the year - Only 179 days remain - The Year, My Challenge, is half way complete.

I cannot see/feel the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel, but I feel confident I will still travel ahead full steam.

In other news - I had a banger of a week. Lots of PTO from work, took 2 massive - but - highly needed day time naps (truly reset my brain), hung out with family and friends, some awesome fireworks and...

I saw Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny.

I've been waiting a long time and... I was not awed - but - I wasn't upset either. It was a okay flick with some nice moments - just not "Wow-wah-wee-wah!" moments. It's a movie that wasn't need, but I enjoyed because it removed some of the stank that was Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Lastly, I treated myself to (aka signed up for a free trial) Comixology Unlimited - in this last week I have been tearing into some comics. Never felt so satisfied.

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27th CHECK-IN:

Current Goals:

Lose 52 lbs

Completed as of 4/12/2023

New Goal: Maintain or Continue on The Weight Loss Path

Avoid "Junk Food"

Minimize Take-Out / Fast Food Consumption

Short Term:

Vegetarian-ish Diet: Completed

End Date: 4/09/2023 - 46 Days Total

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Stats from June:

Food:

Salads: 21

Bags of Popcorn: 18

Oranges: 15

Leftover Meals: 6

Cans of Soup: 1

Take Out: 0

Candy/Sweets: 0

Workout:

Jumping Jacks: 6,000

Push-Ups: 3,000

Glute Bridges: 3,000

Assisted Push-Ups: 3,000

Reverse Leg Lifts: 1,500

Leg Kickbacks: 1,500

Sit-Ups: 1,500

Plank (mins): 75 mins

Squats: 0

Weight Loss:

Weightloss This Month: -10.8 lbs

Average Weightloss per Week: -2.7 lbs

Total Weightloss: -76.2 lbs

Entertainment:

Movies Watched: 12

Favorite from the Month:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

Hours of Television Watched: ~ 19 hours (The Bear; Clone High; Ink Master; Samurai Jack; The Righteous Gemstones; Crime Scene Kitchen)

Reading

Books:

Books Completed This Month: 0

Book Title(s) Completed This Month: -n/a-

Book Total for the Year: 2

Comics:

Comics Completed: 5

Trades Completed: 6

Comic/Trade Titles Completed:

Afterlife with Archie Vol. 1: Escape from Riverdale

Afterlife with Archie (Issues 6-10)

Spider-Man: Miles Morales Vol. 1 (2016-2018)

The Umbrella Academy Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 1: Squirrel Power (2015)

Doom Patrol (1987-1995) Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage Vol. 1

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Vol. 1: Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Book 1

Magazine(s):

Magazine(s) Completed: 1

Magazine Titles:

Readers Digest July 2023

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Meal Tracker:

THURSDAY

Lunch:

(2) Hotdogs on Sweet Hawaiian Hotdog Buns

Large Plate of Buffalo Chicken Fries

- Nacho Cheese

- Sour Cream

(2) Glasses of Chocolate Milk

Snack:

(4) Bowls of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

(2) Handfuls of Sahale Pomegranate Vanilla Flavored Cashews Glazed Mix

(2) Handfuls of Sahale Pomegranate Flavored Pistachios Glazed Mix

Supper:

Chicken and Pepperjack Cheese on a Toasted Everything Bagel

FRIDAY

Lunch:

StarKist Deli Style Tuna with Pepperjack Cheese on a Croissant

Handful of Wonderful's Smokey BBQ Pistachios

Snack:

(4) Bowls of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

Supper:

StarKist Deli Style Tuna with Pepperjack Cheese on a Croissant

(2) Small Oranges

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

SATURDAY

Lunch:

American Pasta Salad

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Snack:

(2) Large Bowls of Wonderful's Shelled Salt & Pepper Pistachios

Supper:

(2) Johnsonville Chili Cheese Smoked Sausages on Hawaiian Buns

(2) Scoops of Macaroni Pea Salad

(2) Spring Pasta Salad

SUNDAY

Lunch:

Santa Fe Style Salad

Handful of Wonderful's Salt & Vinegar Pistachios

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Snack:

Bag of Orville Redenbacher Ultimate Butter Popcorn

Supper:

Cesaer Salad

(2) Small Oranges

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

MONDAY

Lunch:

Spinach Dijon Salad

Handful of Good & Gather's Tex Mex Trail Mix

Supper:

Chef Salad

(5) Slices of Smoked Pork Loin

(2) Scoops of Potato Salad

(1) Scoop of Spring Pasta Salad

(5) Cubes of Watermelon

(2) Small Oranges

TUESDAY

Lunch:

Chef Salad

(1) Small Orange

Snack:

(3) Cups of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

Supper:

Santa Fe Style Salad

(1) Small Orange

WEDNESDAY

Lunch:

(1) Johnsonville Chili Cheese Smoked Sausage on a Hotdog Bun

(2) Scoops of Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad

Snack:

Bowl of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

Supper:

(8) Pieces of Rana's Chicken & Roasted Garlic Ravioli

- Prego Roasted Garlic Alfredo

- Black Pepper

- Crushed Red Pepper

(6) Rich Farm Mozzarella Sticks

- Michael Angelo's Marinara Sauce

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

(2) Small Oranges

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Workouts:

THURSDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 sets of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

FRIDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 sets of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

SATURDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 sets of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

SUNDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 sets of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

MONDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 sets of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

TUESDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [5 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 set of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

WEDNESDAY

(200) Jumping Jacks [4 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges[4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Assisted Push-Ups [2 Sets of 50]

(50) Reverse Leg Lifts [5 sets of 10]

(50) Leg Kickbacks [5 sets of 10]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

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WEIGHT TRACKER:

Starting Weight (Noon, 1/01/2023): XXX.X lbs

Weight at Last Check-In, 6/29/2023: -3.0 lbs

Weight As of Noon, 7/05/2023: -1.0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -77.2 lbs

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Closing Thoughts:

The Good:

Had a good time chilling with family and friends this week.

Also had some awesome R&R, which quelled my sleep hunger pains.

The Bad:

Although I caught up on some sleep - I feel like I headed down a rocky yet again.

The Ugly:

After the 4th July festivities I was truly hit with devastating cravings. Missed out on a lot of good looking food. My dread expanded thinking of Thanksgiving and Christmas that are yet to come.

[knightoflodis]

I am reading “Must the Reincarnated Mother Always Die?” and the current premise is her trying not to get pregnant because she doesn’t want to die in childbirth but also her child is supposed to be the original main character in the story that’s she is in. And while I am liking this slow romance and I get a lot of the point is her trying to avoid getting pregnant along with her becoming a mother and surviving kind of being end game, I don’t want them to drag on her avoiding pregnancy for very long. Lots of stories drag things out for way too long. Slow burns can be fine. But after a while it can lose its luster. I feel this pretty heavily with anything with a “set end” like Samurai Jack (where if he defeats Aku the show would end so they have to keep finding ways to prevent him from winning) or How I Met Your Mother (where the show went on for many many seasons and kind of lost the plot). Like. For this one I really do want her to become a mother in it, I don’t want it to take too long, and I would be happy if the story just continued into a child care story. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I finally get a story that is poking at the “all mothers must die” trope and I kind of want them to give me a mother. There’s only a small handful of good mother as the lead webtoons that I have found. And a lot of them are step mother stories where either she isn’t an actual stepmom for a LOT of the story and the romance is very slow burn, or she is a stepmom but she is estranged from her husband. And too many of those just kind of ignore the child most of the time.

[davisexplainableart]

January 15, 2016 (National Hat Day):

Davis (me): And now, a look at Tommy with a top hat.

*cuts to a scene of Tommy and Tara wearing outfits roughly resembling ones from the early to mid 1900s*

Tara (attempting to speak in an accent from the aforementioned time period): Oh, dearest Tommy, how much longer must this town wait until it becomes Friday once more?

Tommy (attempting to speak in the same accent): Ma'am, I'm afraid that wait must continue for a bit longer. I believe it is only Tuesday.

Tara: Goodness, Tuesday is just the worst!

Tommy: Exactly, I- Wait, I thought you said Monday was the worst...

Tara: Well, I believe every day that isn't Friday is the worst.

Tommy: Even Saturday and Sunday?

Tara: Well, those do not even compare to the magic of Friday.

Tommy: I see...

(TRANSITION)

Kid: Now here's tonight's brand new TDCN, right here on Fridays.

================================================

I was originally gonna post a different segment from this show, but after realizing that I keep forgetting to give TDCN updates, I decided to go with this one.

For this show, we celebrated National Hat Day, with Tommy and Tara doing different skits based on the hats they wore.

As for TDCN, the next that Sarah got booted out was Jack from Samurai Jack.

Considering the kind of character Jack is, this was the moment that some contestants began to realize that something wasn't right.

Besides, why would Jack of all people consider cheating? This would continue on, escalating further and further until Sarah's elimination.

I should also note that the following show (January 22, 2016) was skipped. I'll explain why when/if we get to the week after that.

[thoughtfulqueenofruins]

Tv and movie characters that make PTSD look worse

I was able to get to work just fine which is good but it was not at the time but I wanted to. I was ready to blow if I remember correctly. But that is so I am going to talk to you about one of my favourite shows first of all Disney kinda took me off because they ended up saying that they need payment and I don’t have payment which is kind of a pain in the arse for me but anyways, I still have Netflix, and one of my favourite shows involves cleaning, which is cobra Kai, especially with Maigoi go Karate, where you end up doing the wax on wax off routine where you end up learning to clean, as well as train your body to be a lot more powerful than you think, and when I go to work, I don’t just go to work. I also want to meditate just like in Miyagi do karate. Where I end up learning to be with myself while trying to clean up a place. And I find out that I’m getting pretty strong, but there’s one character in this cobra Kai series that I really can’t stand. I’ll show you who he is one day but well you know who is sweep the leg John Kreese.

This boy think you can get away with everything because he supposedly has PTSD and those keys in the show I called him a tasty Twirl, or a faker when it comes to PTSD another words, a psychopath. Here’s one for the record box as he is nothing more than sweep the leg. He’s not a very good person to begin with, and he makes mantle. Wellness look like a pile of crap. Well, it’s not exactly ideal that I have a mental wellness plan is not for me completely ID only if you’re going to be a psychopath. Making it even more undesirable for you. Why I can’t stand this guy he’s a psychopath no difference from or anything from kill Bill. He is nothing more than a yakuza in my opinion, a Yakuza in my opinion doesn’t always have to be in Japanese mafia. It just Has to me that you’re no it’s enough to use a samurai sword of you blame the delay on this floor, which is fine or not right for the whole thing it’s not interesting to see someone who’s supposed to be emotionally unbalance to go use a samurai sword that slasher flicks stuff if you that is not right in my opinion, he has a couple tattoo less Yakuza. Do you have to be a gentleman? Yakuza obviously know John Kreese has showing us that anyone could be Acuña and it’s kind of embarrassing for everyone water like me or you’re over there French ethnicity that’s one thing but I just don’t like the idea that anyone to be like a yakuza.

I know this guy was a bad guy in the karate kid movie but anyway, he didn’t think he was gonna go around with weapons on Waze JoJo anyways, that’s something that is a no go for me and samurai swords in the karate dojo even know so I might use them. For decorations to the teacher continues to Dom in theI know this guy was a bad guy in the karate kid movie but anyway, he didn’t think he was going to go around with weapons in movies dojo anyways, is that something that is a no go for me and samurai swords in a karate don’t know even though some might use them. For decorations to the teacher continues to have in the first place is going to sickening in my opinion, be able to use samurai sword the freeway, Andrew actually be insane not PTSD but I actually insane. This is what I think is really wrong in the martial arts community. I’ve gone martial arts for a long time and I’ve never had a psychotic episode or anything like that or any behaviour similar to this jack ass.

This guy, John Kreese from the actual cobra, Kai dojo and the actual martial arts, where Henry on all time he’s actually one i find should be a Quentin Tarantino character as he is completely nuts and off o his rails.

This train wreck was nothing more than supposed to be a one time or three time character in the trilogy movies. Now he’s in the cobra, Kai saying that aggravating is the fact that he ends up using PTSD as an excuse of it is no different from Oren Ishii from kill Bill, shame on him for using PTSD to be using that as an example to be a bad guy. I have been martial arts long time in my life. I am never once had an inkling to do anything wrong in my life not even a prank I’d rather just try to chill. I always clean person or no Peter side and go and joy my life as it is. This is why I do not like the idea of psychopaths going in the martial arts. I think that they should be more or less have a psychiatric test before you go in the martial arts because this is what kind of force you get into trouble with. Is so bad this John craze. I’d like to punch him in the nose. The guy who actually plays John Kreese is actually doing a good job making me hate him. He is a good actor on the last button. Yes, girl hey dementia hate everything in the world and that is what he is doing just fine! He is paid well for his job and I don’t blame them for paying him a big box for his role in cobra Kai because he is a pain in the arse his character that is.

Who is tasty tomorrow as I call someone who fakes PTSD is a pain in my hours as far as cobra Kai is concerned as much is I like wearing about the different mindfulness activities from the Miyagi do karate and the anger management from cobra Kai as much as I can learn self-respecting self control from the show takes a lot of self control self-respect North a call this guy a bad word, or Lisa Parker on the show because it’s kind of aggravated a deal with this, John kreese. It’s inspiring to see how annoying this tasty twirl is so annoying that it makes me want to be a better person actually to be a better person with PTSD and to be able to cope better with my PTSD and see where I can go at least my PTSD is not imaginary or fake. Where is this tasty total as I called him he’s a fake son of a gun. And I’m done with the stereo types of PTSD really what PTSD is Israel’s just emotion and nightmares and flashbacks another psychological problems especially emotions when you are dealing with that event in your life which is completely normal. What is tasty twirl as I call him is actually a psychopath and that is not the ideal way to deal with you trauma when I deal with PTSD I deal with it with a paintbrush, not a fist or a samurai sword, and I use restaurants to help me cope with my symptoms, as well as I need a lot of different medication that I unfortunately have to take that. I usually do crystals to help me as a healing crystals to help me cope with PTSD. The next day will I will talk to you about the damn phone crystals good for people with PTSD in the first place instead of just having a take the right medication.

What is Frank is the PTSD cause they just the man who I was not a mental sickness. And I’m gonna be frank about that right now. Metal sick message psychopathy or sociopathy. The idea that someone can be psychopath again. Blame it on. PTSD just drives me completely battier to use them there. Which makes me want to scream when I think about is kind of characters that are on TV saying that they do stupid stuff because of PTSD yeah well I had my PTSD since I was a young child and I’ve never really pulled anything that was a gradients or leave all the lol or involve the rules to be broken. This is the kind of thing that I’d rather stay clear of. And I even when I get martial arts, I stayed away from the yakuza and I stay clear of drugs, alcohol and smoking still new to this day, and I’d rather just trying to live a life of decency like Daniel LaRusso that’s a better way of trying to deal with your PTSD instead of trying to act a fool or act, like an animal with a samurai sword, or some kind of god-awful weapon. How to deal with your PTSD is to clean like a son of a gun like Daniel LaRusso would do or to do mindfulness do something creative or do something that’s going to help you grow as a human being being an animal is not exactly ideal way to deal with PTSD. I would rather be crying my eyes have been punching someone in the face, but that’s just my stance on the whole PTSD thing is that I’d rather be crying instead of sacking (punching) and someone in the face.

That being said, I think there’s more peaceful way to PTSD person without being a jerk. There’s a lot of ways you can go about suffering or coping with PTSD, then acting like a Quentin Tarantino character and I’m sorry if I hungry, but this kind of thing we should not Laura find the bad side of my homework in Spanish glorify the hard work someone does to go over and over come the mental illness instead.

If I had my choice of characters, I would rather someone else instead of John Cruz to be in cobra Kai. But as I said, I was more or less didn’t think he was going to show up at the first or second different episodes that’s when I realize he was gonna be there forever. He’s annoying to me.

I don’t like how John crazy Asians, PTSD, and his character to act like an idiot in his character. That’s what I’m trying to say when they’re a good meaning people who have PTSD breather really suffering or they’re trying to overcome the whole situation in the first place and I don’t need this stereotype to begin with in the first place distance makes it harder to deal with, and the stigma even worse to Cole Porter. Let’s pray for us take my love, either violent people or yakuza like people in the PTSD community!

End of rant

[bushido-jack]

Despite their efforts, this massive beast was gaining on them. The roots and trees that he and the woman had to dodge were mere twigs and brush to her. The samurai pushed forward, his eye on the stranger as she unearthed a large chunk of rock in moments, hurling it at the giant bear like it was a cannonball. The image conjured the recollection of The Scotsman or one of his clan members and their “rock” throwing contests, where they hurled a massive boulder as though skipping stones. It was almost unbelievable to see a human not even larger than himself manage that feat. Was she human? He had known many in Aku’s future who at first appeared to be human, but the resemblance was only skin deep. He had thought not to expect such surprises in a world where Aku had been thwarted, yet he had already been challenged to the thought that this earth was like the past he knew.

She caught step with him quickly, Jack allowing her to steer them toward the sound of escaping, the trickle of water almost inaudible over the footfalls and grunts of their pursuer. Yet they were not out of the woods yet. Eyes shot to the tree that loomed over them, hurtling down at alarming speed, but before he could decide what to do, he was shoved powerfully out of the way by the woman. Immediately he sat up, alarmed that she had fallen in its path, before the brief relief that she had managed to dodge quickly was replaced with dismay at the new and immediate danger before her. He had thought she would be attacked, but was surprised as beast payed no heed to the being before her, beady eyes set on the samurai instead. Realizing it was him she wanted, he returned her gaze, stance lowering to keep distance between them while not turning an inch away from the animal.

If it was him the creature wanted, perhaps he could buy the woman time to get to safety, or give her time to think of what to do next.

“Wait—“ Jack tried to stop her from provoking the creature, but could do nothing as she forced its attention to her.

How could he leave her there with that beast? If something went wrong, he wouldn’t be able to aid her. Mind raced as he thought of what to do. The creature wanted him, not her, yet if he remained it would surely keep the beast’s aggression high. However, if he fled, this woman who had helped him would be left to deal with this massive beast alone. Could he do something to aid her without continuing to infuriate the animal? Eyes glanced from the creek across the gap and back to the beast and the stranger.

Silently the man took a small running start and leaped the gap across the creek. The moment he landed, he turned course along the edge, locating a sturdy enough tree that he climbed up until he was close to the top. There, he positioned himself so that his body was pointed exactly across where the bear stood towering, a moment of calculating in his head before unsheathing his sword and with a swift stroke, slicing a chunk of the tree free. Before it had a chance to fall, he reeled back with all his strength and launched it out with the same force he would have used to “jump good”, sending it hurtling straight towards the white beast.

“Over head! Now is your chance!” He yelled as the massive chunk of wood catapulted down.

Jack was perplexed by this woman.

He noticed her sharp blue eyes looking past him, Jack himself hearing a faint crack of flora being disturbed, yet he couldn’t see whatever it was that caught her eyes so intently.

“What? What do you m—“ before he could finish his sentence, his body jumped to attention as a thunderous roar erupted from the distance. He recalled this woman telling him this creature was a baby… then the mother must not have been far behind. Jack glanced towards the sounds of gigantic bounds, horrified by the implication of its size and the speed with which it was closing in.

Before he could decide what to do, the mysterious woman had him by his sleeve, pulling him forward in retreat. Quickly finding his feet, he began fleeing with this woman, following her as she peeled ahead of him in a burst of surprising speed. He wasn’t sure exactly where they planned to flee, but simply away seemed reasonable enough for now. He caught pace with her, dodging branches and roots, keeping his step while trying to keep well ahead of the threat.

“What are these creatures?” He yelled after her as they ran.

Eyes did not stray from the path as he heard the stranger call out. He had to trust her for now, between this stranger and a gigantic and angry beast.

It seemed as he ran that the forest almost struck out at him, as though it meant to attack him as well. It couldn’t possibly be moving, however…? Still he found himself having to dodge roots he could have sworn he hadn’t seen until they were practically under his feet, branches and leaves that fell before him or just barely missed his body.

What is going on…? Something truly strange was afoot here.

“Look out! Ahead of you!” Jack called up to the shadow of the woman racing ahead of him, right into the path where a wide, long branch was coming crashing down from the sky.

Behind him he could hear the beast gaining on them— any prolonged halt would undoubtedly bring her to their heels.

Leaping with all of the strength his lower body had he launched himself over where the woman ran in front of him, sword unsheathing to slice it in two and send the pieces flying behind them. As he came crashing down, he caught himself before he stumbled, continuing forward with a glance behind him. Despite the routine of life-threatening danger and strange beasts, utter confusion remained ringing in his head. He had thought this was a world free of such otherworldly oddities. He had spent a week in this world without encountering them… why only now, when he was alone? It felt like he had trespassed onto yet another hostile world so different from the one he knew.

[petr1kov]

i'm sorry but it's funny to me how samurai jack's season 5 was supposed to be this big 'adult' conclusion to the original series but it ended up being more simplistic and childish in it's execution of the ending than the literal cartoon for children ever was.

like jack gets with girl aku 😍😍😍 but then she's brainwashed by aku 😱😱😱 but don't worry, all of jack's friends show up to help him 😊🎉😊🎉 and jack gets his brainwashed love to remember who she is through the power of love 🥰💞🥰💕 and she opens a portal to the past and jack steps in (not stopping even once to consider how that would affect all the previously mentioned friends who helped him out) and kills aku, easily!! 😱😤😱😤 and then everything is super fine and dandy until, oh no! girl aku fades tragically at their wedding day because she's, well, girl aku 😔🥺😔🥺 and only then jack gets his only reason to mourn the effects of the downfall of aku's future, i guess. the end.

[thedeltafiles]

Cartoon Network and Teen Titans Go: A Rant on Overreliance

I figured it was time I did a little segment on how relying too much on a single product can be detrimental to a business in the long run.  Now, I will admit that relying on a product can work, if the product is GOOD.  However, I’m obviously not the first to scream that Teen Titans Go isn’t a good product.  I’ll also admit that it actually wasn’t as bad as it currently is a few years ago when it was just starting.  There were a few decent episodes and the crap wasn’t as blatant.  However, sometime along Season 2 the writers decided it’d be “brilliant” to attack the critics.  Thus, Let’s Get Serious was written, and eventually aired.  That’s when things went downhill, and fast.  Again, episodes like Some of their Parts and the Lady Legasus episodes were gems, but they were getting more and more rare amongst the utter crap the show was stewing in.  Of course, it’s not just about the quality of episodes, or lack thereof, I’m ranting about here.  It’s Cartoon Network’s absolute insistence of relying on this one show, to the detriment of other, objectively better shows such as Regular Show, Adventure Time, and Steven Universe, the first two actually getting cancelled because of TTG’s overexposure.  It’s even gotten to the point that even SPONEGEBOB SQUAREPANTS HIMSELF is less overexposed than this dumbass reboot. I suppose I should start at the beginning.  It wasn’t as bad as it was now, but even in early 2013 the budding Teen Titans Go was choking out some of the then-existing DC Nation shows, like Green Lantern and Beware the Batman.  Eventually the block was axed, and the shows lost to the mists of time (thank whatever god exists that Toonami was able to re-air BtB before CN wrote it off completely).  I believe the first real sign of overexposure was the gaining of a specific tagline: Your New Favorite Show.  This one line skyrocketed the hatred to rival even the CN Real fiasco four years prior.  Around this time, it and The Amazing World of Gumball (admittedly a decent show) dominated the lineup so much that nearly everything else choked out for a while.  Luckily, after fan outcry, said choked out shows came back.  Unluckily, TTG kept choking out other programs, such as Sonic Boom, which was relegated to a graveyard weekend slot.  And even in its early days reruns were constant, with the same few episodes being shown over and over again.  This was only the beginning of what would eventually become a frustratingly increasing overreliance on a show that wasn’t even all that great to begin with. Over time, Teen Titans Go has become Cartoon Network’s flagship show and more and more time has been devoted to it, with surprise marathons for the most frivolous reasons, including showing every single episode prior to the debut of the hundredth.  Of course, this is a common tactic employed by most network favorites, but because this was during the whole “Your New Favorite Show” debacle all the non-fans were seething, myself included.  Even now, despite the tagline being long abandoned, TTG remains to be overpromoted to the point that not even Gumball can hope to regain ground.  Discounting Adult Swim, which has its own long-standing issue of showing Fox shows for its first four hours, TTG has been hogging at least HALF THE NETWORK’S AIRTIME on average.  Even if this was a genuinely good show we were talking about, in my opinion, giving any one show that much attention is overconfident at best, downright suicidal at worst. Now, I am reluctant to admit that I actually gave this show a chance.  However, it seems that reboots in general, at least on Cartoon Network, have been subpar at best.  Even the PPG reboot started to suck after a while.  Of course, I’m more forgiving of that because, despite the memes, that show wasn’t hyped to the moon and back.  In all honesty, if I had to compare shows, Teen Titans Go is the next Johnny Test, except JT was simply bad; the writers never openly mocked the fans or haters.  There’s even a fan petition to get TTG, along with the new Yu-Gi-Oh season, transferred to Disney XD.  Though why Disney would want this, especially since this is a DC property and Marvel is the direct competitor, is beyond me.  At the end of the day, I believe it’s more a replacement of the management that needs to be done.  We need someone actually competent to end this everlasting chain of flops.  I do greatly apologize for this rant, but we need more people being vocal for someone to actually notice that overreliance on such a show is NOT going to bring ratings.  On the contrary, if this keeps up CN may just very well end up going the way of G4; a once glorious network reduced to a shambling zombie filled with crap nobody likes and eventually canned. I guess the one good thing we can take from this is that Samurai Jack has finally made a triumphant return, and that this seems to be the only good continuation, mostly because one of the greats is at the helm.