#and most of all : they play a role in an overall plot regardless if it’s in their pov or not

[animehouse-moe]

Link Click Season 2 Episode 4: Let It Unfold

As we enter into the heart of this season in terms of story, the opening of this episode does struggle a little bit with some all-too-convenient exposition about Qian Jin, which thankfully the latter half makes you forget all about. Potentially a bit of rough writing to give viewers information, as we slip into the past we shed those struggles and present a more expected but refreshingly different plot line. Certainly still a good episode, and certainly still a good bit to talk about.

So like I said, the episode itself doesn't start off incredibly strong by any means. It details all the information leading up to the current events: the phone missing, the picture Lu Guang has, Qian Jin's past, and so on and so forth. I don't think it's explicitly bad, but it feels like rushed writing for the story. A big old exposition dump from multiple parties, it feels like. Personally, I definitely believe they could have done a better job with conveying the information, but I also think it would take considerably more screen time to do so which is where this tradeoff stems from in the first place most likely.

Anyways, I'll just quickly expand on a few of those key details here.

Qian Jin's contact with Xixi. They're obviously aware of one another, but apparently were not working together explicitly at this moment. Qian Jin's surprised to hear that his lackey doesn't have Liu Min's phone, but isn't unaware of who's calling or shocked at the phone call when (presumably) Xixi makes contact.

Qian Jin's past. A by the books cop that gets turned sour after the death of a loved one. It's not a novel story by any means, but is clearly the foundation for some sort of interaction with Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi. It does make me wonder though if Xiao Li will play a role in talking down Qian Jin, or if Cheng Xiaoshi will take over Xiao Li himself, since he's the one who oversaw the murder case.

And the last piece: the weight of Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang's powers. Not quite exposition, but definitely the most important piece of dialogue through this front half. It continues to establish the regret and grief the pair feel over their previous forays into the past, and their hesitation and wariness of continuing with it once more. It's the natural conclusion from the first season, so I'm glad to see it referenced so heavily whenever the past arises between these characters.

Anyways, into the past we go with Cheng Xiaoshi as Xixi. I think similar to the first half there's not a world of stuff to talk about, but overall it's the much stronger and more put together sequence in the episode. The struggle of a single mother with a mute daughter is felt rather quickly through the story, and Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are firing off piece after piece of information for the viewer to soak up.

Overall, it's a really solid sequence that teleports viewers back into the season 1 mindset as we explore experiences of the past and their regrets, challenges, and fears. Considering how well fitted it is to the overall idea of this season, I'm really curious to see how they move forward and how often we find ourselves diving back in time.

Regardless of my thoughts though, as I just said there's quite a bit of info here and there to take in, so let me highlight it really quickly.

We'll start off with this interesting notion. By pulse alone, the doctor could tell something was different with Xixi. This itself means that when Cheng Xiaoshi takes over the body of a person, they exert physical changes to some degree. Arguably only temporary changes, but a stronger pulse and physical capabilities were shown here specifically.

It's also just funny because Cheng Xiaoshi was worried about this specifically.

Next up is the eyes of the mother. This one makes things more complicated, as she shares the same eye color (but not pupil shape) with Lu Guang. Equally as interesting is the fact that Xixi's original eye color (that reddish-pink) does not come from her mother, but presumably her father? Considering that, is it possible that Xixi's father is the source of Lu Guang's abilities, and that the father (who has Xixi's eye color) is the one chasing Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang? That presents the question though of why a father would attempt to kill his own son, which is the right kind of dramatic for Link Click, if not a bit of a stretch.

Next up is our first callback to the opening, our stuffed animal. I know it doesn't look exactly alike the 3D one because of the style, but if you pay attention the design on the ears is the same. A rounded triangle on one, and a star on the other.

This indicates to viewers both the number of pasts we visit in this season, and also the order of them. We've started with the stuffed animal, will move onto the gun, and finish with the diary. Now, I'm unsure of who the diary may belong to, but I'm somewhat confident that the gun story will be related to Qian Jin who's past we learnt of today.

The next piece is this curious question: the deceased owner of a phone that was texted information about Qiao Ling. The name is Liu Lan, which has the same surname is Liu Min. Are they actually related? Is Liu Min the real brother of Xixi? It raises an incredible interesting question of just how things came to be, and if it actually is Liu Min that's Xixi's brother, or if there's any relation to Lu Guang. Incredibly curious detail to reveal, that I'm very interested to learn more about.

And last but not least, Cheng Xiaoshi's realization. Is it Liu Min's father that touches Xixi's mother on the shoulder? Or is it someone else that Cheng Xiaoshi would recognize? Whoever it is, their expression relays the notion to the viewer that Cheng Xiaoshi knows the person that's in front of them at this moment.

From here, we end the episode with (presumably) Xixi waiting for Cheng Xiaoshi to discuss things with him. Are they planning on airing out all of the pasts to provide a reversal of events? Knowing the past they now aim for the future? It's an interesting question to pose, but without knowing what it is that (presumably) Xixi wants to tell Cheng Xiaoshi, it's hard to say for sure what direction we'll be moving in with the next episode.

Building a mystery atop several smaller mysteries, all the while taking into account timelines and order of events can be challenging. So far though, Link Click S2 seems to have a pretty confident read on how it wants things to go down. At times it might be a little too literal with how it hands out information, but at its core it still aims for the heart like season 1 did, which leaves me very hopeful for how things go as we continue on here. Very much looking forward to the next episode.

[difeisheng]

okay I'll bite: what is dmbj and why should I watch it?

OH!!! OKAY. An opportunity to ramble, thank you very much :D

(Disclaimer: I myself am a newcomer and have quite literally only been into DMBJ for just under a month. There are lots of things I do not know yet, and I'm nowhere close to taking in all of canon. That being said:)

DMBJ or Dào Mù Bǐ Jì (called either The Lost Tomb or The Grave Robbers' Chronicles in English) is a franchise based on a book series of the same name by Nan Pai San Shu (real name Xu Lei). It's a sprawling universe with lots of side stories and characters, but the main narrative follows Wu Xie, who's the youngest member and heir of an established tomb-raiding family. Different parts of DMBJ follow him at different points of his life as he explores ancient archaeological sites with his friends and allies (main ones being Zhang Qiling and Wang Pangzi), and attempts to solve mysteries using clues left behind by the generation(s) of tomb raiders who came before.

The books have been adapted into many TV shows and spinoff movies. Each one follows a different part of the story, and they're not adapted in chronological order (creators pick and choose what they want to cover basically and the details of the overarching narrative aren't always consistent between adaptations). It can get confusing. Each adaptation also usually has a completely different slate of actors, even though the characters are the same. There are some actors who show up in more than one adaptation, either reprising a role or playing a different character each time, but for the most part people are switched in and out.

Now, some of why you should start on DMBJ (imo):

The RELATIONSHIPS and character development. The dynamics between everyone, regardless of the nature of them, are just great. Keep in mind the books are not BL but there are a couple consistent pairings that show up in this fandom (see: Pingxie and Heihua) and there are VERY GOOD REASONS for that. Overall it's so satisfying to watch bonds form between characters in general though, and how those bonds change depending on how long they've known each other and what the tone of that adaptation calls for. Even if other aspects of the shows can be handled less well, the emotional beats hit.

Action and plot! There are definitely slower portions and questionable pacing in (some of) the adaptations, but it's a fun, adventure-based narrative that reveals clues well. There's exploration of creepy places, running from supernatural entities, and actual proper human fight sequences, all wrapped up in uncovering mysteries. I mean, it's centred around tomb-raiding, what do you expect, and these shows certainly deliver although you're going to have to suspend your disbelief sometimes.

Shifts in tone and casting. Granted, some people might prefer to stick with a consistent cast and mood throughout the franchise, or just care to stick with a particular actor, but in my opinion this is a really smart technique because it keeps the whole thing fresh. You can compare different shows and see how various actors adapt/play a character, and with the tone changing sometimes between adaptations it means there can be something for everyone. For example, something like Ultimate Note (2020) is more light-hearted than Sha Hai/Tomb of the Sea (2018), which is a darker and more serious show among the adaptations. Choose what you like!

As for actually selecting a point to start watching DMBJ and get into the characters, it can seem overwhelming and understandably so. You're not obligated to start at the chronological beginning of the franchise, either. I picked up on Ultimate Note, then watched Sha Hai, and now I'm on Reunion: The Sound of the Providence (or The Lost Tomb Reboot) and I was able to jump into the plot and follow along pretty well.

If you want some help here, foxofninetales has this excellent guide to help you choose a place in the franchise to get going, depending on your preferences (I used this when trying to start DMBJ myself). There's also this character guide on Ao3 to help you visually understand who is who across adaptations, and another which goes into more detail on each character, although watch out for some spoilers.

Hope this is convincing enough and/or helpful for a basic rundown on DMBJ and why I like it!

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (2024)

Starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Danny DeVito, Burn Gorman, Arthur Conti, Filipe Cates, Nick Kellington, Santiago Cabrera, Sami Slimane, Amy Nuttall, Mark Heenehan, Liv Spencer, Skylar Park, Matt Lyons, Jane Leaney, David Ayres and the voice of Charlie Hopkinson.

Screenplay by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar.

Directed by Tim Burton.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. 105 minutes. Rated PG-13.

Earlier this week, I was excited to see the ghost with the most is back in action. Hundreds packed the Philadelphia press screening of the long-awaited sequel to the 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice – and while it has finally arrived, it’s great to see it has not lost its spark.

Admittedly, going in I feared that a modern remake couldn’t hope to compliment the original, but I can say that it really did deliver. The style and effects were still true to Tim Burton’s classic style, just more polished and cleaner, considering the newer technology. For example, I was impressed that the oddity of the Netherworld had not been compromised by slicker effects. Instead it was heightened and was a true homage to the original. 

Much of the original cast returned to the fictional town of Winter River, CT for this second installment including Winona Ryder, Micheal Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara all reprising their original roles. Joining the cast were talents such as Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, Danny DeVito, and many others.

The plot was set for a wholesome story about reconnecting the now grown Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) with her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Of course, their emotional healing process is constantly interrupted by questionable men, and the killer ex-wife of none other than Beetlejuice himself. I was able to thoroughly appreciate the writers’ ability to follow different subplots, while remaining coherent with the main story.

Of course, no movie is without its flaws, and while the movie was still able to make sense with many subplots, I felt there may have been a few too many. It was my feeling that giving Astrid one focus subplot, specifically about her father and trying to reunite with him, would have given a cleaner development for her without some oddly placed tension due to a love interest. Regardless, Arthur Conti did a good job in his role as Jeremy, and his plot twist was very well executed. 

A consistently incredible aspect of this movie was its humor. The performances of Michael Keaton (Douglas), and Catherine O’Hara were especially incredible throughout. Overall, the cast played off each other beautifully and delivered a delightfully hilarious performance together.

I highly recommend seeing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice when it comes to a screen near you this Friday. Not just for its all-star cast and how well it complements the original, but the soundtrack is also amazing. It includes “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” from the original movie, and also 70s classics like Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville,” and The Bee Gees’ “Tragedy.”

Jordan Wagner

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 6, 2024.

[if-seal]

I constantly have what I want to write in my head but I can never write it. What's your advice, Seal? Maybe I need to go sleep in the bathtub like you! 🦭

(Advice about outline and drafting is very appreciated *seal noises*)

Dear Friend Writing In The Brain,

The internet tells me that if you dream of seals, it means that they are powerful messengers representing good luck. Well, I certainly appreciate that flattery. Still, you need more than dreaming (or a powerful messenger) to be able to get the words down.

First I am going to point you at my advice to a friend who procrastinates their time and can't get the words down, and to a friend struggling with unfinished ideas. I believe it is no coincidence that these were the first three messages I received, because of course wrangling our brains into writing mode in the first place can be so overwhelming.

Now let's think about practicalities before I get motivational. For I am at base a practical seal.

Before everything else consider what you want for the players in this game. What are the most important elements? Game design refers to pillars which may be more formal than what you need, but take some time to consider what excites you about making this idea happen. My gay selkie IF game design pillars could include "provide cosy comfort through the tension", "depict intense, nuanced romantic connections", and "enable there to be kickass moments for the player character".

These may shift as you discover more about your game but doing this will help you understand what matters to you and what you want from the game. It will also be something you can refer to when making decisions.

Then consider the roughest of broad strokes for an initial outline: overall vibes, general concepts, bullet points about potential plot points. Your pillars and the thoughts you've already considered will likely have sparked off some ideas already.

The nice thing about starting very generally is that it's harder to get perfectionistic about it. You can translate some of what's going around your head into something more concrete without needing to pin everything down at once.

Then you can get more detailed. Characters, the player character's role in more depth and what the player will be doing, more plot details. There will probably be points where you get tangled up! When that happens, it's a good time to speak to a friend about it or take a quick break to clear the air and come back fresh.

At some point, and there is no real science for this, you will feel ready. It will be intimidating to start, so I recommend making a bullet-point or flowchart outline of the first scene you write before you start (which does not have to be the first scene the player sees) so that it tricks your brain into thinking you're already writing. Because... you already are!

Some writers code first and then fill in the writing. Some do both at once. You will not know which suits you best until you try, so try both or a combination. You might change from project to project. Regardless, it's vital to test as you go - both to check for bugs and that things are working as intended, but also to see how the story feels to play.

It will not be long before your outline turns into something much larger.

And if you aren't sure about what you're doing, or even if you're not, share it with someone you trust if you possibly can. Olivia Wood of Possibility Space and formerly of Failbetter Games has an excellent talk from VideoBrains called Show People Things Before They Are Ready and, friend, it changed my world.

Now for the motivational part:

Yes, your draft could be bad. First drafts are always awful on some level. My gay selkie IF was full of cliches when I first started writing and I cringed all the way through those first bits. Have you ever seen a seal cringe itself right out of a bathtub? It's quite the sight. Let go of the mean editor in your head: swat them with a rolled-up newspaper. They're not the boss of you!

Yes, writing your game might be hard or frustrating. But it will also be something new in the world that did not exist before. You're a combination magician-gardener-craftsperson turning something imaginary into something real.

If you are thinking about your story a lot and it's rattling around in your head, it must mean something to you.

Maybe it will mean something to someone else one day, but right now: this seed of an idea has potential, and it's important to you. You can do it.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

...Is there going to be a Kai vs Nya battle in the fight against the overlord? Like a one v one? Would Olivia and Kai team up to fight Nya? It's so angsty, pls don't do this even though i know u would. Also does Garmadon know that the Overlord is the reason behind his father's death? Does anyone, outside of Mystake, even know the overlord is a thing that existed? Also it's kinda funny that a 2000+ god has beef with a traumatised 14 year old

Is there a scene with Misako and Mystake, or like more scenes with Mystake, cause she's awesome, and when does Miranda get her prothethics, cause she's also awesome ( I have a newfound appreciation for these two characters after rereading Chp 1-49 of book 2) Also i like how you weave plot threads that are like seasons away, like the morro and Kai comparision, or playing the long game with Harumi's arc, making her part of the crew before scarring her for life (why, why did you do this to me)

And the most important question: do the ninja/ high school gang go to Dairy Dragon in Book 2?

Is there going to be a Kai vs Nya battle in the fight against the overlord? Like a one v one? -> Well, I mean, Kai takes on Nya during the Final Battle already in the show, so I wouldn't be surprised if I were to, like, extrapolate on that or something :P

Also does Garmadon know that the Overlord is the reason behind his father's death? -> He knows about the Overlord being a threat before Time Began (and so does Wu, if they apparently grew up hearing stories about the FSM's fights with him as per Crystalized), but Garmadon was not told how it connected to why his father "died" out of nowhere (only Wu was told, when he was given his father's staff and the protective robes). Saying more is borderline spoilers, so *zip*

Does anyone, outside of Mystake, even know the overlord is a thing that existed? -> The FSM Fam + Koko + The Order and Olivia indirectly but at this moment in time that is it. Everyone else is gonna be completely blindsided by the revelation.

Also it's kinda funny that a 2000+ god has beef with a traumatised 14 year old -> Overlord: Dammit it I was enjoying that nap of eternal rest and oblivion, what do you mean I have to wake up and do my job now???

Is there a scene with Misako and Mystake, or like more scenes with Mystake, cause she's awesome -> There actually is a scene of Mystake and Misako that I can guarantee, but I definitely want more down the line. Mystake also gets a lot of scenes with Wu, a couple with Lloyd, and at least one with Jesse, but she's got a sizable role to play in S2 regardless!

when does Miranda get her prosthetics cause she's also awesome-> It's in S2, but I don't wanna tell ya precisely when cuz it'll ruin the surprise. But I *can* tell you that we will be seeing more of her overall though!

( I have a newfound appreciation for these two characters after rereading Chp 1-49 of book 2) -> Well thank you!! Keeping so much of their stuff under wraps but well-paced was difficult!! along with all the other stuff mentioned!! There's a lot I'm playing the long game with aaaaaa (especially all the stuff that's gonna stretch straight to Crystalized now eyoooooo)

do the ninja/ high school gang go to Dairy Dragon in Book 2?- Yes, actually.

[slooshee]

I WATCHED THE FNAF MOVIE!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

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Alright time for my honest thoughts on the fnaf movie? Honestly..? I enjoyed it, I think some of the problems I have with a lot of newer fnaf games/media shine through but overall I think it was a solid movie. There’s some things I would’ve done differently personally but it wasn’t bad. I’m okay with it being our fnaf movie. I have a few things as a diehard fnaf fan since the first game that I am a little salty or upset about, but it’s not really the movie’s fault. It’s kinda just how fnaf is nowadays. Some for the better, some for the worst. So some pros (in my opinion. Keep that in mind and if you did really enjoy it that’s great! Like I said it’s a pretty solid movie I just have a frustrations with it or questions about it).

Pros!

I really liked all the characters I think the writing was pretty strong for the most part! A few parts were a little shaky but for the most part I really liked all the characters we got. I liked the characterization of the animatronics especially. I know a lot of people are complaining about “the pillow fort scene” but I actually liked how they did that. I can understand where are coming from with that (i could admittedly see how for some people it takes away from the horror aspect for later scenes) but I like that they gave the animatronics childlike behavior and made them a little sympathetic. I thought it was really cute. I get where people are coming from with that but tbh I think fnaf fans villainize the dead kids WAY too much. So it was nice to have them acknowledge them being kids and acting like that.

The visuals and set were GORGEOUS!!! This cinematically had some really strong scenes and I could gush about the practical effects for hours. The animatronics looked beautiful and I have almost no complaints visually about it. I also liked some of the YouTube cameos and how they weren’t too in your face. The only one I found kind of immersion breaking was matpat’s to be honest. Just cause his line felt kind of forced but it was a quick cameo so I can forgive that. Truthfully I didn’t even realize it was him till he said that so.

William fucking Afton bro.. Oh my god when I tell you Matthew Lillard absolutely ate this role up.. like my god. I knew he was gonna be good but he was absolutely iconic. He’s probably one of my favorite depictions of William Afton to date. His delivery, his mannerisms. It was (chef’s kiss). The springlock suit (WHICH ILL BE SO FR I DID NOT THINK THEY WERE GOING TO PUT THE SPRINGLOCK SUIT IN THE MOVIE MY JAW DROPPED WHEN THAT HAPPENED) scene is probably one of my favorites in the movie. When Cassidy(?) watches him just like dying and closes the door on him. Chills. I though that whole part was really well done. I wish the springlock sounds were a little louder but regardless I think they found a way to capture the horror of the springlocks while not making it too intense. Some people will find that as a con but I personally think it’s a pro because I would say this movie is a general audience film. There’s some very disturbing or unsettling parts but I think this is actually somewhat of a good gateway to horror film for younger audiences.

As goofy and kinda dumb as the cupcake looked at times I honestly love that he got so much screen time. I love that guy. Cupcake is underrated even if a bit silly.

I lost my shit when the FNAF 1 song played at the credits. I was SO excited. I’m really happy for TLT that his music got up on the big screen too. I cant imagine how cool that is.

Now for in my opinion what the cons are:

My biggest issue with this movie is the plot. And I know a lot of people are going to say “it’s a different timeline!” Or “it’s based on the books”. I would have no problem with that except for the fact that we still know nothing about the Afton family after all these years. I was really hoping (although I was aware it was going to be a different storyline) they would’ve kept Abby, Michael, and Garett Aftons. Because even if I just isolate the movie itself from the games, it just makes more sense. The way William acts when he first reads Mike’s name, The fact William would’ve had to gone out of his way to go to Nebraska and specifically target Garett. The film takes place in Minnesota, the pizzeria is there. Why is William Afton in Nebraska? It doesn’t make sense. Now, the only OTHER explanation I can think of for this is that Michael, Abby, and Garret are Emilys or the movie’s Emily equivalents. Even though I have some problems with this I will say I don’t entirely hate Vanessa being an Afton in this. It’s an interesting idea and the dynamic is alright. Truthfully I wouldn’t have a problem with any of this but this is a problem that I keep having with FNAF as a whole. FNAF keeps actively refusing to acknowledge any Afton that isn’t William (and sometimes Elizabeth in the books). And I don’t understand why? I don’t understand the aversion especially considering Michael was the protagonist for so many of the games. He is SUCH an interesting and important character and I was so deeply disappointed to find out he wasn’t an Afton in this universe because we finally had some kind of characterization of him (that I really loved tbh). I think it’s just frustrating as a longtime fan there are so many questions that go completely unanswered for no reason. Knowing things like the crying child’s name is something that has no real relevance on the plot and yet we still are refused a direct answer. I don’t mind a bit of mystery but when it’s been almost a decade and we still know nothing about half the games’ main protagonist. I have a little bit of an issue with this tbh. I wasn’t actually expecting this movie to have Mike and Abby be Aftons actually, but the way WATCHING the movie led me to start to believe that got me excited. Maybe that’s just a me problem.. Then the reveal happened and I was left kind of scratching my head. I think FNAF does that a lot, to me at least.

I also think having Vanessa be an Afton, although interesting is kind of a disservice to her character. Vanessa is a character I have found really interesting since she was first announced. I don’t have an issue with her being in this movie at all. In fact I really liked her in this movie. If you’re gonna do a different timeline thing then that’s fine. But I think it’s kind of a disservice to her to make her an Afton, I like the idea of there being another fnaf character who stands on her own. I wish in security breach they kept alot of the FNAF:AR stuff cannon that was established. I feel like they did nothing with her character in Security Breach which SUCKED because I think her whole character is so interesting and I would’ve loved to have seen more of a characterization of her in this movie. I hate this idea of making everyone related to Afton it feels lazy. The theories with Vanessa and Gregory being Aftons I really don’t like. They’re fine characters on their own, if you want to focus on Aftons then just focus on the Aftons! There’s so many questions unanswered about them that you easily could still do something with them. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again I have no problem with Security Breach existing EXCEPT that it should be it’s own story with no relation to the old storyline. It could’ve been a really solid Sci-Fi type game especially with the DLC that came out. Afton shouldn’t be there.

I keep talking about this problem with ‘modern day fnaf’ so what is it? What is the problem that affects even this movie? Well I’ll tell you, FNAF constantly changes. Things are things added to the lore making it more confusing and convoluted (which to be fair has been a problem wayyy before SB even with some of my favorite titles in the series), and imo it makes it almost impossible for new fans to join. As an older fan who is fairly active indulging in FNAF I can barely can keep up. I know a lot of people like the convoluted and insane lore and to some extent so do I. But it’s gotten to the point where I feel a little bit of disappointment after each game and a little after the movie. I’m okay with mystery and theorizing, in fact it’s one of my favorite parts about FNAF! But having been here for so long and I still feel like we never get any answers or we’re ALWAYS left with more answers. It gets frustrating. I don’t want everything to be answered but lately every FNAF game and piece of media has left me with more questions than answers. To the point I think it affects the main plot. I also want to say it’s very hard to keep up with everything. I don’t have the money for the books or the time to read all the books and I don’t understand the whole “it’s not canon to the game lore but we’re gonna put it in there anyways!”. I don’t know. To be honest I wouldn’t have AS much as a problem with it if it was actually separate, but even though it’s stated to be it keeps seeping into the game storyline. I don’t necessarily think it’s bad to bring something like the mimic in, but it’s kind of upsetting when I watched the movie and felt there were more references to the books than the games. I was disappointed there was no ‘hello? Hello?’ Or freddy nose honk, or just a few things that are really iconic to the game. I thought the sparky being canon thing was awesome though! That was a real treat. But I do think the silver eyes was a good idea to take inspiration from. But again I also don’t understand why they wouldn’t just make a silver eyes movie? Idk I guess it’s just frustrating having been here so long and if someone asked me to explain FNAF there’s really no way of giving a set summary. Hell, even most of the “lore” explanation videos half of it isn’t even canon or confirmed. It’s just speculation or ‘a theory’. I love this franchise a lot and I guess it’s just kind of upsetting for it to be a struggle now to understand and keep up with everything. Especially when I used to find it really fun to try and do so, and now I just feel like there’s no payoff to it. And that it’s just way too confusing and overwhelming. Maybe there never really was a payoff? Or maybe it always an issue? I mean FNAF has had like 4 different ‘endings’ and then kept going. Idk I think just.. having been waiting for this movie for 8 years and it leaving me with a somewhat similar feeling after I finished security breach, I’m a little disappointed. That being said…

I will say, overall the movie itself was a little better than i expected to be honest. Which I’m very happy about My expectations for this movie were to have a good time and have a fun campy horror flick. I pleasantly surprised in a lot of areas and most of my gripes with it are kind of just my gripes with how fnaf has been as a franchise. All my criticisms of this movie and franchise are out of love and wanting the best for this series. Seriously, this series means the world to me. Most of my really close and best friends I met through FNAF, and some of my fondest memories are FNAF related. Even if the movie and franchise aren’t perfect and I have a lot of frustrations with it, I’m glad after 8 years of hearing about this movie I finally got to see it. Kid me would be absolutely over the moon right now. A part of me is. Despite its flaws I’m really proud to see how much this franchise has grown. FNAF you’re not perfect, not even close, but you mean a lot to me. Im glad you made it to the big screen after all this time :>

[conchelle]

Okay it's time to talk about my thoughts on Dekapari (bootleg machine translation edition)

I'm gonna be honest I'm not quite sure where to even start with this one. But it is certainly the something of all time

So to start things off. I do genuinely enjoy this game. It still has some of the classic Towelket jank, but as always it's nothing game breaking. The music choices are great. The first scene in particular really does a great job at setting the tone.

In general the game just looks good. This game has brand new sprites for almost about everything. If you're familiar with the Towelket series you'll know the creator often likes to recycle their own sprites which isn't a bad thing at all. But it's definitely a breath of fresh air to see brand new sprites for just about everything this time around.

The characters all have unique sprites as well. I like the detailed shading and they're all pretty cute and nice to look at.

This game definitely feels a bit like a return to form for the Towelket series. It definitely does feel like ever since Nekoashi Otome the games have gotten more fantastical and wacky with its setting. Not to say the other games weren't extremely silly was well but they definitely took place in a world that was meant to more or less meant to reflect our own until the whole plot that changes that sense of normalcy happens.

Not to mention this game features some of the more classic and iconic Towelkets as important characters like Conchelle, Lasagna, Moochasu and Paripariume. PPU being what the game is named after and having probably her biggest role since Towelket 2. Yeah she's appeared in a lot of other games, but it's almost been a running gag that she inevitably fades into the background.

This game's Lasagna is definitely one of my most favorite Towelket characters of all time. Like, she is such a genuinely fun character to have around and easily steals every scene she's apart of.

The writing for this game is pretty engaging for what it is. It definitely follows some of the classic Towelket story beats like the whole midpoint where they gotta go to the TV station for whatever reason but it's all done in a way where it doesn't feel painfully repetitive.

Part 2 of this game kiiiiind of loses focus of the plot- just a little bit but it's all entertaining regardless. It has probably some of the funniest and most charming parts of the game which is fun. Part 3 gets us right back on track to the main conflict which is perfect and gives the story plenty time to progress before the big finale.

If you've played any other Towelket game you would definitely be aware of how the story has a habit of kind of swerving off the road with its story progression and by the time it gets back to the main plot there game kind of just...ends. Thankfully! This game didn't have that problem at all.

However I do have a few issues with the story. There's a certain plot point in part 1 that's brought up and it's just never properly developed despite being built up as something important.

I was a bit confused on why it was even included in the first place if the creator decided they were ultimately going to do nothing with it and after digging in the files a bit and reading back on some of the development logs...yeaaah it's pretty much a scrapped plot point that was left in anyway.

For some context, this game was released in three parts. So of course, once something was written in and released the creator couldn't really go back and change it. The issue lies in just the fact that according to the creator themselves, they did end up changing where they wanted the story to go half-way while they were working on part 3.

admittedly, the story never felt like it took a sharp turn from what was already being built up and its overall themes. Everything felt pretty consistent except the inclusion of that particular plot point that was clearly meant to be something pretty significant to the story- so much so that I went back and tried to see if I just missed an alternate ending or something. But unfortunately that really didn't seem to be the case.

It's such a shame too since it does just feel like a big hole in the story that's left unsolved. My only hope is maybe we get some kind of write up or even update that expands on this...? Not likely but who knows, the Towelket creator is kind of unpredictable.

Another criticism is that even after 14 years the battles are still just kind of lackluster. In past games there has been some experimentation and some interesting ideas that could have been really been fun if executed properly but it seems that at this point battles are just one of those things the creator isn't all too enthusiastic about experimenting with. It's a shame but eh, what can you do?

Despite those issues I did still overall really enjoy this game. I hope it gets a proper translation someday though it's pretty far off on the list of games that need to be translated.

I'm not gonna put this game on my Towelket rating for now since I feel it's pretty unfair to put it against the games that came out a whole decade ago

My only hope for the future is that we get more Lasagna like this one. She's a very good Lasagna

[whistlingstarlight]

I got one: rate Zelda games you've played in order of preference?

Haha so here's the thing-

I've only actually beaten one Zelda game (two if you count the spinoff Age of Calamity)😅

I'm notorious for being terrible at actually playing the games despite loving the series, most often because puzzles are not my strong suit.

So this list is gonna be focusing on my overall liking of the game and it's content, regardless of how much I've actually progressed through it (otherwise it would be a pretty boring list)

1. Skyward Sword. I love the artstyle of this game and the locations are beautiful. Skyloft is one of my favourite hub worlds in a game, the characters are all very unique and distinct, and I love exploring a land before Hyrule.

2. Breath of the Wild. I've got so many hours in this game, there's so much to do! Whilst I personally think Zelda is stronger as a linear series than open-world, I had a ton of fun exploring this open Hyrule and the Champions (new and old) are some of my favourite characters from the series. I completely got the wrong end of the stick as to what the plot was going into it, so it was fun finding out the real plot.

3. Phantom Hourglass, for one reason: Linebeck. He's one of the most well-written and distinct characters in Zelda (and probably my overall favourite), I love his progression from selfish coward to a hero in his own right. And that final boss fight omfg-

4. A Link Between Worlds. Lorule is a super interesting concept to me, and whilst I didn't play ALttP I'm aware of how this game continues on from it. I love this version of Hyrule's overworld, and it's always neat seeing the more hostile Zora.

5. Minish Cap, mainly because I love the Minish as a race and Vaati as a villain. The tiny world is super fun to explore, and I love seeing how the different groups of Minish live.

6. Spirit Tracks. For a very simple reason: I'm a railfan. I'm absolutely terrible at this game but I love the introduction of trains, the completely new Hyrule, and a unique villain is always a plus! I love Zelda's more (physically) active role in the story, and I'm a big fan of Byrne as a character.

7. Majora's Mask. I did atrociously trying to get through this game too, but I absolutely love its premise. Termina is a very unique world and despite a lot of the character models being recycled, still feels completely independent from Hyrule. Skull Kid is one of my favourite Zelda characters, and the heavy emphasis on death and loss makes it a very unique game

8. The Wind Waker. I initially thought this game was kind of overrated ngl (and I still think it overshadows games that deserve more praise), but I had fun with it. The concept is very unique, and whilst I found the sailing a bit boring at times I loved exploring the islands.

9. Tears of the Kingdom. I... set myself up for disappointment with this one. That's not to say it's a bad game! I've had fun with it for sure, but there was a lot of wasted potential imo. Whilst I love the unique styles of each dungeon (and the respective bosses), they were infuriating to get through because it's the same shit every time. Use Sage ability to open five locks, rinse and fucking repeat. Same reason I didn't enjoy the Divine Beasts. The exploration in the open-world Zelda games is phenomenal, but it comes at the detriment of story and dungeons. (Not to mention it's sort of a soft reboot and I'm... not really a fan of those).

10. Ocarina of Time. This one is so low basically by default (and because I'm kinda tired of hearing about it so much). It's a good game, don't get me wrong. But it's weird the timeline split came from this one and not.. idk, the game with an actual canon game over (Minish Cap)?? I love the Kokiri as a concept and really wish they'd returned, and the group of sages introduced in this game are probably my favourite.

And I don't really know where to rank it as it's a spin-off, but I had a huge amount of fun with Age of Calamity. A significant improvement over the original Hyrule Warriors imo.

[ghostreviewsstuff]

Dr Stone (manga)

dr stone is.... a mixed bag. but the parts of it that are good are FAR more interesting that the parts that are bad. dr stone is "bad" in the more boring, predictable, and expected ways typical adventure shonens tends to be bad. you can probably guess what most of those issues are just from the genre.

but dr stone is good in ways ill probs be searching for a way to articulate for years to come.

i do consider it to be the greatest deconstruction of both the lone super genius archetype, and the nihilistic asshole super genius archetype. and i think it succeeds where others fail in part bc Senku is presented in a way easily mistaken for that Type Of guy, but he isnt. it doesnt matter how smart he is, he needs the power of friendship if he wants to get literally anything done. he isnt a nilihistic asshole, he's just immature and rude, and he's actually very optimistic and has an upbeat attitude. he's a great protag i have a lot of love for.

but while i can wax poetic circles about my fascination with how intellect is handled in dr stone, thats an essay for another day. lets talk about the story as a whole.

dr stone's setting is set by a mysterious light turning all of humanity to stone for 3700 years, sending everyone back to the stone age. however its less a time travel isekai so much as it is a lord of the flies caveman arms race. it primarily functions under the typical shonen formula with the notable factor that it's magic system is... real life science. altho a bit elevated for dramatic effect.

the true zeitgeist of dr stone is the back and forth problem solving to build various contraptions to achieve various goals. every character has their own skill sets and personalities that allows them to bounce off of each other and play a role in reaching goals. the cast also has pretty great chemistry making exchanges and banter very entertaining 99% of the time.

while i think the characters are very well written, i have that opinion within the context of dr stone being a plot driven story, not character driven. character arcs are subtle and take a backseat to the wider plot goal posts. i dont consider the low level of character development to be a bad thing, the story just isnt about that and the cast is charismatic and enjoyable for the roles they play.

the setting of dr stone is very well realized in its simplicity. the artist, boichi is capable of drawing some beautiful scenery. the art overall i think is much more good then bad, and the character designs are fun and distinct if you can tolerate the girls looking kinda busted (boichi.... can not draw women i fear) ironically i found the moe eyes growing on me. but ill be real, the fan service isnt that bad. annoying, yes, but not nearly as bad as it could be. you wont ever see a guy fall on top of a girl and accidentally grope her boobs, so much as the occasional jarring ass shot and weird angles around badly drawn women. that said the young girl and mascot character, Suika, is never sexualized in this way, even though she is grown up by the end of the story

i wont claim the girls in the cast dont suffer from some of the typical shonen misogyny, but Kohaku and Suika at least are very well realized characters and solid female leads i like a lot.

i always feel like i should be harsher in my criticism towards this series, i do genuinely consider it enough of a mixed bag of quality ill hesitate to recommend it to people (tho lets be real, the fan service is always the biggest barrier recommending any animanga regardless of quality despite that) but i really do struggle to make a nuanced critique. even things that are more controversial among its fans, like the way the story progresses in its final arcs, i struggle to complain about. structurally the story delivers on its foreshadowing and progresses in ways that make sense and i do think was planned out by at least the half way point of the story.

the biggest most glaring issues are... extremely basic. very typical levels of shonen misogyny and weird politics. it gets kinda weird in the middle in a way i dont really feel equipped address in detail but am grateful a lot of that.. mess doesn't carry over into the rest of story. it gets tied up in bad, but also very common and unquestioned, colonialist mindsets and tropes just as much as it SUBVERTS and DECONSTRUCTS those same bad ideas. which honestly drives a lil nuts if i think about for to long. the narrative loves to kneecap its own themes and progressive philosophies to a frustrating degree, but i do genuinely think the end product is far more good then bad.

i have a lot to say about this manga, but know are to actually articulate maybe a fraction of it. after watching enough youtubers attempt to review it, im clearly not alone in that. lots of people seem to share my struggles in expressing why they also think dr stone is so good. and i think that complexity of how it grabs people in ways that arent easy to understand, are in itself is an aspect of what makes it what it is.

its a very good adventure shonen series that i think deserves a bit of staying power

[feltpool]

Copyright cash grab

I think the thing that bothers me most about current Star Wars is that it lies so hard about what it’s really doing, like we’re not going to work it out anyway.

Fandom cannot create new canon, it can only work with what it has, open up the cracks, fill in the plot holes and put a new spin on things. But the show creators don’t have that limit, and yet have devolved to reusing the same old plot and structure we’ve seen before and hiding it under a different set of faces.

I suppose it’s meant to be clever, but fanfic has been re-spinning these stories for literal decades now so it just feels like a pallid and obvious cash grab as well as a way for Disney to lay claim to the older Lucas-made canon as now belonging to them.

Personal opinion and potential spoilers behind the cut

Mando spins its story around the core structure of the OT movies while doing its utmost to pretend that it isn’t doing that. Instead of starting with the feisty space princess whose home has been destroyed by the Empire it sneaks in via Solo and focuses on a lone gunslinger doing any dodgy job for money while throwing him about in the mud a lot, role flipping Yoda and Luke, and hiding it all under a layer of Mandalorian armour. But the constant references to other parts of SW get old fast, and they leap right in there from the very start regardless of people only majorly starting to complain about that from Season 3. It was always there, we just weren’t so overloaded by the constant stream of really obvious ones back in Season 1.

And The Bad Batch follows this exact same pattern, the only major difference is that it’s framed around the core plot of the prequel movies and overall tends to bury its true purpose under fewer Rebels references. Sure it’s tying up a bunch of loose ends from multiple seasons of TCW, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to like it.

Add to this the other shows that only got made in order to support these^ two shows.

TCW Season 7 sets up everything the other shows need to have already been established in order to work. The Bad Batch setup is established, Trace, Rafa, and their convenient little Coruscant hiding place gets laid down for later plot use, and the Mandalore arc sets up the rest.

Tales of the Jedi explicitly covers how Anakin treated Ahsoka behind closed doors and how he used others to actually carry that out so that it can be reused later. Amongst other plot relevant details it showed us the relationship between Dooku and Mace, how Dooku was pissed when Mace got a promotion he hadn’t even been trying to claim, and how Dooku was directly offered the chance to drop all of what he was doing and to walk away with the Jedi – and still chose not to.

Half of The Book of Boba Fett was just a dumping ground for anything that didn’t conveniently fit into either of the other two shows but that they didn’t want to leave out (you can’t claim copyright over something you haven’t put onscreen), and boy did it show that they didn’t waste any money covering that part if they could help it. Orphan Boba gets to re-enact Luke’s back story of getting and losing a new family out in the sands of Tatooine, while Vanth gets to lose his arm and get a robotic replacement, it covers the question of what happened once Jabba was dead, drops in a much cuter version of the scene where the Luke defeats the rancor, features a cantina complete with familiar players, and shoves not-Chewbacca in there because having a Wookiee in the main story would be way too much of an obvious nod to the OT setup they’re still trying to pretend isn’t happening. However, it was permitted to drop in a couple of future plot points such as what happens to your brain/memory once you get a deep tissue, full body, bacta treatment, and giving Boba his 3 seconds of playing both Solo getting thrown wetly around by a Wookiee, and the Emperor as he rescues Fennec from certain death by having her Vaderized.

In all fairness this has taken a certain level of effort to re-spin. Aspects of one movie or TCW have been given to the other show, roles have been split between characters to make things less obvious. Hunter gets Anakin’s wig, while Hemlock gets his hand, and Echo gets to play Vader but in reverse order (starting as a cyborg and not becoming one). Or things have been approached from a different angle (usually reversed), like how Bo rescues Din and Grogu from the dianoga pit on the boat instead of getting them into the garbage masher in the first place. Pieces have been recycled from all prior SW visual canon as well as many games, books, and comic books, in addition to many references to non-SW movies.

But some things have been lifted straight out of fanfiction. The outfit that Riyo Chuchi wears when we first see her in TBB mimics Fox’s armour as closely as it possibly can without actually being clone armour, and Foxiyo is a small ship that has zero canonical basis – so far at least. Not that this would be the first time that SW has blatantly ripped off someone else’s work for their ideas or spaceship designs, but being able to data scrape AO3 must make this a lot easier to do than back when you had to pay people to manually cruise the internet.

Whether the Ahsoka show will continue this pattern and frame it around the plot of the sequel movies while pretending it’s nothing more than Rebels Season 5 remains to be seen, but having Jacen Syndulla reframed as the new Kylo Ren is definitely nothing I will ever need to see.

.

Obviously I’m glossing over a lot of the finer detail and references here because I’d be here all day otherwise and I’m trying to limit potential spoilers.

[in-darkness]

OOC - Session Zero?

I'm in the middle of designing a system which can be enjoyably played via the medium of "eight choices in a poll, with available durations of either one day or one week." It... actually isn't as hard as it seems, interestingly enough. But I am, regardless, running into one key quandary I will need an outside answer for - how much of a say would you all like to have in the world? This is the complete start from scratch, and normally in a tabletop setting that means I meet with the players and ask them what they're interested in playing. Hack & slash? Political intrigue? High magic or low? Does gunpowder exist?

At the same time, however, I could easily see how that might drag things out beyond what people are interested in. This is a simple, low-intensity style of gameplay - and normally those sorts of systems have a very bare-bones attention to starting a campaign. Some of them are literally "you are X, in Y, seeking to do Z - now go."

So the way I see it, there are three options... and since there are three options, I figure I should make a poll and ask all of you.

The first option is to run a True Session Zero, TTRPG style. This will be more involved, with several OOC polls posted, to zero in on the sort of world and plot the collective people interested in this would be most happy playing within. It will, as a result, take more time to get into the actual matter of playing the game. But it means getting a world built to meet the overall interests of the majority of you.

The second option is the one most people are the most experienced in - what I'd call a Character Sheet model. I design the world myself, without your input, but post a series of OOC polls to allow those interested to design the Player Character. You'd be voting on things like gender identity, basic appearance (skin color, hair color, eye color, and build basically), stats, skills, and a starting set of equipment. This is the middle-of-the-road option as far as customization goes - you don't get a say in the world around the PC, but you get to define who the PC is.

The last option is what I'd dub the Press Start to Play option - because it basically borrows from video games. I make the world AND a premade Player Character, then drop everybody straight into the game. It gets you playing the fastest, but gives you the least freedom to define who you were before the start of the game. I will still do what I can to give you some flexibility to define your backstory through poll options, Mass Effect style, as this is a role-playing game. But you'll be far more limited. It's the trade-off for jumping directly into play.

[thezestyone]

The Curse Of An Ikesen Antagonist (Rant Post)

I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but it might breach that territory:

Ah, yes, the IkeSen antagonist. They are what up the stakes in the story between MC and her chosen LI. They are a fundamental part of the overall general plot, and their contributions to the overall drama is very well noted.

There is just one tiny problem…

All the antagonists, save for the shogun Yoshiaski, are LOVE INTERESTS.

The man using you as bait to reel in your current LI to kill him? Yeah, in another life- Er, route, he’ll be YOUR boy.

Which raises a problem…

How would they be appealing, besides their looks, for many fellow princesses out there, if they are such jerks in certain routes, with certain routes making them out to be akin to the devil while others keep them rather mild in comparison?

Ah, yes, nothing is more romantic than the man who in another route prior threatened my life in explicit detail! Let me just forget that ever happened-

Kennyo was the OG antagonist of Ikesen before Act 2 came out, the one many would grow to dislike just because he played his role well for the plot. So, when his route finally comes out, is it really a surprise to anyone that he wouldn’t be the most popular of characters when he many of times kidnaps MC, threatens her, scares the living daylights out of her, etc in so many routes prior? Kind of a difficult road to romance, ain’t it?

Kennyo, out of the three LI antagonists, is the most sympathetic when you learn of his full story, and how he was once a gentle man who couldn’t harm any creature. However, since he is one of the chosen antagonists, he can be cruel, depending on whose route you read. If I could recall correctly, he makes it a point to make it known that none of it is personal in many a route, and it’s just a case of vengeance for his fallen brethren.

Okay, sure, I’ll bite. Misunderstood monk who is broken. He’s seen as human most of the times, albeit very misguided. I get that.

However, with Motonari and Kicho, the main antagonists of Act 2?… Oh, boy, here we go…

Depending on the route you read depends on just how HORRIBLE they will be… And I am saying that as a huge Motonari fan!

I happened to have heard of many complaints concerning Motonari and his route and his overall character development, and I could see and sympathize with some of those points. I personally happen to like types like Moto, so it’s usually not that big of an issue for me when he is a bad boy, but the fact he is an LI and can be so cruel in other routes makes it at times very uncomfortable for me as a big fan of his.

We all have our types in Ikesen, and we all want our types to be seen in as positive a light as possible regardless of their role to the plot.

However, if your LI is an antagonist, get ready to have to spend many a route having to brush off the terrible things they do because they have to being an antagonist.

The one who has it absolutely the worst though is Kicho. Not only is he a very difficult character for me personally to get my head around, but he is so contradictory, and depending on the route, can be pure evil incarnate.

I am not talking being cruel to the obvious enemies, like Nobunaga, oh no no.

I am talking being cruel to YOU, the MC. The one who will one day read his route with him as an LI, with him trying to romance you.

It is kind of hard to get interested in a man who routes prior treated you absolutely like garbage and had no sympathy whatsoever for his actions or any pity to the terrible things he personally does to YOU.

Most times previously, the antagonists wouldn’t harm MC, which is a boundary I feel should be respected in all the routes with all the characters since there are some fans out there who love them, and they shouldn’t be put in that uncomfortable of a position. The antags’ beef should be with the other LIs, period.

It is absolutely gut wrenching to have your favorite in another route treat you like absolute crap when you care so much about him, and it makes it very difficult to love them genuinely compared with other characters.

This is Ikesen, it is not impossible nor hard to create characters with flaws that make you a feel a bit skeevy, but have other amazing qualities that make you overlook those flaws. Look at popular characters like Nobunaga and Kenshin, it CAN be done.

So why are the Ikesen antagonists, as LIs themselves, treated so bad and at times, even a bit out of character themselves?

If you have read Masamune’s sequel, you will know what I am talking about. It has to be the most worst example of the IkeSen antagonist curse I have seen yet. Let’s just say if you are a Kicho fan, I would give it a pass for your own heart’s sake, just like I would skim a few parts at the end of Keiji’s route if you are a Motonari fan.

(I love Masa’s sequel from a pure story perspective, but the way they characterized Kicho and had him treat MC… check a previous post for my thoughts on that if you like.)

So, to conclude my very fuddled up rant… the antags of Ikesen are bad guys, but they don’t have to be bad guys, especially to MC. They are her LI’s for crying out loud, there has to be a clear boundary they won’t cross to not make reading their routes uncomfortable, and making their fans uncomfortable.

How far should they go in their bad with MC depending on the route? Use her like in other routes as a pawn, scare her a bit like other characters have done due to a conflict where they were left with no other options. Don’t just jump the shark without any chain mail, and cause her actual harm! That crosses a line, and what if the one reading at the time was a fan of theirs? Again, awkward at best, heartbroken at worst!

Kicho fans, you have my sincerest sympathies. Though he is one of my most disliked Ikesen chars, I always try to be as cordial as I could be regarding chars I dislike, or at least be comical and theatrical with it, not taking it to heart. (Hell, I wrote about Kicho many a times! No Ikesen character is off writing limits on this page-) However, I can’t stress enough to y’all… If you are a big fan of his, you see him as your husband, all that, give Masamune’s sequel a skip. You’ll thank me.

[jjraderftw]

Sailor Moon Epiodes #1,2,4,8

What can I say, Sailor Moon is like the most anime ever. This show’s right up there with Naruto, Dragonball Z and Evangelion in terms of popularity. The show is a pretty straightforward shoujo magical girl anime. It follows a female lead with magical powers, accompanied by a cat, who has to use her whimsical space magic to defeat power ranger-esk villains who are evil for the sake of “I’m evil lmao.” Our main lead is Usagi who is “a bit of klutz” and a hardcore slacker who gets dragged into the world of crime fighting by a cat named Morgana… I mean Luna. Using the power of the moon or something like that, she transforms into a sailor scout (a power ranger but epic) to use the powers of deus ex machina to absolutely incinerate any evil in a single blow. All that we watch is pretty episodic and follows the typical Saturday morning cartoon plot which gets a bit repedative after the 5th “In the name of the moon, I’ll punish you.” Regardless, the show picks up down the line and is not only timeless, but quite enjoyable.

What we watch shows the typical features of the girl power movement of 3rd wave feminism. The female lead is the crime fighting protagonist who works with another female companion (her cat and eventually the other planetary sailor scouts). The show follows her and humanizes her as a full person and not just a sexual object like female heroes of the past did. The focus is on her fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight. Her everyday life is put into focus showing Usagi going through classes, dealing with her love life, and her everyday life (slice of life stuff). On top of that, her Sailor Moon moments usually focus on her fighting with only her witz (for the most part). She doesn’t exclusively fight with the permission of men nor alongside them, in fact the sailor scouts can only be women. She breaks the gender norm and shows fills the role a normally male based hero would fill in a city in peril.

This female empowerment was a good first step that gave way for a lot of subsequent situations of women breaking the gender norms in media. Though Sailor Moon did help break the stereotype, it wasn’t free from the women stereotypes of the past. Usagi is at times dependent on Tuxedo Mask (played by Robbie Daymond, the absolute goat) for encouragement and the will to fight. She relies on a man to give her purpose and drive, a common trend seen in depiction of women in older media. Furthermore, Usagi is depicted as very sensitive and very prone to breakdowns which once again play into the old generalizations. The show also does play into the lewd fantasy of most guy-centric shows (despite being for girls) by appealing to the male depiction of sexual clothing. The sailor scout uniforms can be seen as skimpy and appealing to the school girl fetish popularized in the otaku community. However, the personality stereotypes are combatted by the other sailor scouts, like Sailor Murcurey (the second scout to join the gang), by showing high levels of intelligence, tenacity, and leadership.

Something I found neat and wanted to point out was episode 8 in specific which depicts the struggles of so called “star students.” Studying hard and getting good grades isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and usually requires a large amount of effort from the students and put a lot of strain on the individual person. Ami puts in a lot of effort and sacrifices fun for her studies. This shows we should have a balance of both academia and enjoyment in our days to have a fulfilling life. I believe Usagi and Ami show the two extremities of the academia/recreation spectrum. Together, they can make up for each other’s shortcomings.

Overall, I enjoy Sailor Moon and recommend everyone at least give it a go at least once. It shows it’s age and, like I said before, is very much a Saturday morning cartoon but nonetheless, it’s fun to watch.

[goddamnwebcomics]

To bring back this old conversation, I’m fully aware of the longevity and rigid yet inconsistent update schedule of a lot of webcomics. The problem I mainly have is that most webcomics, usually the ones with an overarching plot or narrative, tend to stretch their mysteries out for too long, or worse, spend time on mysteries that are the least important or interesting part of a story. An ongoing mystery that may have been going on for over a decade or two and yet drags out and drip feeds so little information that it becomes both frustrating and utterly pointless to the overall themes, interpersonal character writing, and plot of a webcomic. I’m not faulting an author for how they enjoy the pieces of their story being picked up by their readers, but I am if they have a mystery that’s only filled with questions and rarely, if not never, feels like they’re ever close to a clear answer or good-sounding implication for the next several years. There’s only so much that can be stretched for that. 

For something easier and more current, see Peter and Company’s ongoing mystery about the Guardians. Since day one, these guys have just had an ongoing mystery written around them about what the specifics of their jobs are, how their power apparently works, where they came from, and what they are exactly. Somehow close to 20 years, the author still seems to drip feed information at a constant snail pace whenever he just feels like being a cheeky fucker about it, and most range from pretty basic (their general roles for helping troubled children) to just being plain insipid (they’re immortal and they’re sort of multilingual). The lore around the Guardians is far too vague and frustrating to really care about. The information can only be seen as neat to someone like me, but it is not worth spending so much time thinking about, regardless of how many seeds Jon drops around them. It’s the least important thing in the comic compared to what anyone really comes here for. You know, like the interactions and relationship of a guardian with the child they’re watching over and guiding in life and how it might affect one or the other before and after a job is done, something Jon is good at showing when he needs to. The lore is barely even a window dressing worthy of acknowledgement.

Come to think about it, worldbuilding is almost the same to me, really. Sure, it’s important enough for some growing investment in a story, but it’s mainly just there to set up the setting and location. It’s not something to be invested completely in when there are character arcs and storylines with said characters to care more about. It gets even dumber if a webcomic is a slice-of-life or even sitcom that may or may not be placed in a fantasy world, like Las Lindas. It never should’ve gotten so up in its own ass about wanting to be about something, yet refusing to go in any straight direction like all of the Knighthood crap it decided to shove in later on. It most likely would’ve been fine if the people writing it just played to its strengths of being an interpersonal slice-of-life story about people on a farm needing to work through their pasts and issues on a farm, if I’m allowed to be so crude about it. Just something that definitely sucks the more you look back on it.

You are right about guardian lore and it is extremely annoying. I really hope that after the current arc we FINALLY get SOMETHING close to a revelation. And if the revelation is disappointing, I don’t blame anyone but Jon for taking so long with it. But also you’re right that it technically doesn’t matter that much, like the Guardian Lore isn’t that important all things considered aside from few vague gestures, like Seth’s letter or Persephoni’s grandkids. I don’t think outside of those instances, it’s not blatantly robbing away from character interactions.

I do agree with you on how Las Lindas got way up its own ass, but also I would argue, since Las Lindas is infamous for never having any conflict, that the Knighthood stuff should make things a little bit less monotonous, but I think at the end of the day it should have been kept to its own comic. All the other Las Lindas comics are not necessary in any way shape or form, Knighthood would have helped us to get to know about the history of this world without taking away from the character arcs of the main comic.

Stephen King’s statement about worldbuilding however, it is hypocritical for him to say it because dude’s writing is fucking filled with worldbuilding, his stories constantly drop easter eggs that only hardcore readers get, and he has many times gotten up his own ass about how his world is this “grand connected universe” and as a result has sometimes downright destroyed elements of dozens of stories at once, like the ending of Dark Tower. I know that it’s Twitter, and Twitter’s character limits have destroyed people’s sense of communication and created multiple previously unknown to science learning and behaviour disabilities, but Stephen should have actually elaborated his statement, because now he looks like a fucking idiot, much like 99% of Twitter whenever they say ANYTHING about ANYTHING, no exceptions.

Well-written world is like good eyesight, you can see everything that is necessary to see, but the best focus is on the main story. A comic with bad worldbuilding is like tunnel vision, you have no idea what the world is like and there are too many unnecessary mysteries the creator will never get into, or if they do, they’re only explained in a 50,000 word LiveJournal page that nobody will read. A comic with distracting worldbuilding like Las Lindas is visual snow syndrome, there’s too much going on and it is difficult to really focus on the main story.

[malvyasmith]

Unveiling the Scoring Mechanics of Atari Breakout: A Comprehensive Guide

Atari Breakout, a commendable arcade game conveyed in 1976, continues to hypnotize players with its fundamental yet propensity shaping continuous cooperation. The objective seems, by all accounts, to be immediate: Using a paddle and a ball to bounce, you can break the rows of bricks. Regardless, behind its evidently limited plan lies a nuanced scoring structure that adds significance and framework to the continuous communication experience.

One of the critical pieces of Atari Breakout is its scoring framework. Not in any way shape or form like current games with complex scoring estimations, Atari Breakout uses an immediate system where each round justifies a particular number of core interests. Understanding how these centers are scattered can basically work on a player's methodology and overall joy in regards to the game.

Toward the start, it's essential to observe that the amount of concentrations allowed in Atari Breakout changes depending upon various components, including the kind of block broken, the level of the game, and the player's display. We ought to plunge further into all of these components to obtain a sweeping perception of the game's scoring mechanics.

Sorts of Blocks:

The blocks in Atari Breakout come in a variety of tones, each of which corresponds to a different point value. Overall, the point structure is according to the accompanying:

Red Blocks: These are the most generally perceived blocks and consistently worth the most un-number of core interests. They are typically the most un-requesting to break and go about as the fundamental concentrations for players.

Blocks in yellow: When compared to red blocks, these blocks offer a moderate point value and are somewhat stronger.

Blocks in Green: Seen as more strong than red and yellow blocks, green blocks offer a higher point regard and require more hits to break.

Blocks of Blue: Blue blocks, the hardest of the normal blocks, produce the most focuses but are the hardest to break.

As players progress through the levels, they experience assortments in the arrangement and scattering of these blocks, adding unpredictability to the continuous communication while moreover growing the potential for higher scores.

Level Development:

Another component that influences the point appointment in Atari Breakout is the player's development through the game's levels. The trouble ordinarily increments as players progress to more elevated levels, adding quicker ball speeds, more sturdy blocks, and more obstructions.

As players progress to higher levels, it's possible that the point advantages of the blocks will also alter. For instance, while red blocks may be worth 10 concentrations at the outset periods of the game, they could be worth 5 concentrations in later levels to change the rising test.

Besides, extra changes or exceptional stages may be introduced at explicit stretches, offering players the opportunity to obtain extra concentrations by completing unequivocal objectives inside a confined time span. These additional stages oftentimes require exactness and quick reflexes, compensating gifted players with higher scores.

Execution of Players:

In Atari Breakout, player performance has a direct impact on the number of focuses gained in each round. When it comes to determining the final score, aspects like accuracy, efficiency, and response time play a crucial role.

Accuracy: Rocking the boat in and out of town with precision to target express blocks works on the likelihood of procuring higher point values. Players who can dependably pull out all the stops blocks grow their scoring potential.

Efficiency: Quicker levels and higher scores can be accomplished by getting columns free from blocks really and limiting squandered developments or ball bounce back. Key circumstance of the paddle and decided plots for ball return add to all around capability.

Reaction Time: Answering quickly to changing game components, for instance, ball speed assortments and block plans, grants players to stay aware of control and gain by scoring open entryways. Fast reflexes are particularly critical in additional stages or while investigating through testing levels.

By overwhelming these pieces of intuitiveness, players can smooth out their scoring potential and achieve extraordinary high scores in Atari Breakout.

Conclusion:

The scoring system in Atari Breakout enhances the excellent arcade experience. Understanding the immediate system and its various nuances licenses players toward encourage strong methods, change in accordance with creating challenges, and finally expand their scores.

While the principal reason of breaking blocks stays direct, the exchange of factors, for instance, block types, level development, and player execution makes a dynamic and attracting progressing cooperation experience. In the journey for higher scores in Atari Breakout, players can have an unending measure of tomfoolery, whether they are seeking matchless quality on the list of competitors or setting individual outmaneuvers.

[agentnico]

Bob Marley: One Love (2024) review

Every little thing… is not going to be alright!

Plot: Bob Marley: One Love celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. 

For a very special individual this is a very unspecial biopic. Bob Marley is well known legend and icon, and the movie sets out to present him as such, yet it’s done in such a banal and messy way. The film zeroes in on pivotal events that occurred in Marley’s life between 1976 and 1978, from a failed assassination attempt at his home to then his Smile Jamaica concert two days later, the creation of his “Exodus” album while self-exiled in the UK, and his return to his home country for the One Love Peace Concert. These were all really cool events in real life I’m certain, however in the context of the movie they lack and real energy or impact. The movie tries to act all mighty high and clever by not always telling a linear narrative, and instead jumping between non-chronological moments that it’s easy to get lost in the happenings. In fact, most of the movie consists of various montages and vignettes, as such allowing zero to no possibility to get even remotely invested in the story.

I feel really sorry for the cast. Kingsley Ben-Adair is evidently a charismatic chap, and Lashana Lynch is really trying to emote and bring out the dramatic chops, however due to the choppy editing and the movie being too distracted with jumping to the next Bob Marley song accompanied music video, these actors are never given the chance to sit down properly and have a proper deep conversation with one another. The revelation of Bob Marley finding out he has skin cancer might as well have been delivered in the same nonchalant tone as the old lady in the renowned worst movie ever made The Room when she proclaims “I got the results of the test back - I definitely have breast cancer!” after which everyone proceeds to never acknowledge this ever again. Alright, maybe not to that extreme, but the movie never provides the chance for the actors to breath and really explore the layers of their characters. Oh, James Norton is also in this film. What’s his role, you may ask? Honestly, Norton just looked like he was along because he liked the music, hence why he spends majority of the movie positively bopping and nodding his head.

The whole package feels awfully vanilla and under-cooked. The camerawork is uninspired and as mentioned the editing is all over the place. Heck, even Bohemian Rhapsody for all its problems managed to still make the concert sequences pop and be really entertaining. Any time however when Marley was singing here the camera would lazily move about as if it smoked so much green that it forgot where the hell it was. Speaking of Bohemian Rhapsody, just like Rami Malek in that film, Ben-Adir mostly only lip-syncs the famous singer’s songs, and I always find that to be very lazy trait in music biopics. Look, if you’re playing a famous music star you must give it all. Hence why I think Taron Egerton’s performance in Rocketman stands out so much - he made Elton’s songs his own, and overall became Elton John. Still can’t believe he didn’t even get nominated yet Rami Malek won the whole darn golden statue! Regardless, back onto the topic of Bob Marley: One Love - I am surprised this was signed off in as good enough to represent someone who’s life story is considered legendary and full of excitement. It feels lacklustre and thrown together…..and it’s produced by Brad Pitt! That’s right, Brad Pitt produced this mess. Dude should stick to acting.

Overall score: 3/10