#excellent voice acting from his va. he knocked it out of the park with these.

[lululeighsworld]

These waters. They're so cold.

You said you understood.

But none know what this is like.

Why can't I see their faces?

It's too cold. I'll drown!

They took them. Those monsters took--

There is no one like me.

[phoenix-downer]

FFVII Rebirth Demo Impressions

I played the demo several nights ago and loved it! This post is about my thoughts/impressions as I was playing.

(Quick note: My shipping preferences are Cloud/Tifa and Zack/Aerith, so that is going to influence my perspective and what I write about. There will also be spoilers for the OG game and Crisis Core throughout).

One of the first things I noticed as I was playing through was the graphics. The graphics look fantastic. I can tell the game being on the PS5 is making a big difference. The jump in quality from Remake to Rebirth is really noticeable.

It's so weird seeing Cloud act like Zack. Like I KNOW it's Zack and it's creeping me out a;lksdjfdfj because it's just...so not Cloud. They knocked the "this is wrong" vibes out of the park by using Zack's mannerisms and gestures with Cloud's model slapped on top, and it's giving this uncanny valley feeling to everything "Cloud" does. Cody Christian even sounds more like Zack's VA (Caleb Pierce). The attention to detail with all that is excellent. The updated graphics give them a lot to work with in terms of showing the wonkiness with Cloud's memories.

There was also a clever shot in the truck of "Cloud" asking the real Cloud if he's okay, and you see a hint of Cloud's blond hair peeking through the helmet.

I liked the dramatic/heroic version of Sephiroth's theme that played. And when Zack gets hurt by one of the monsters, I think it was Cloud who made sure he's okay, which was a sweet touch. Also, the screen is tinted with green, which is a cool way to show the effects of the Mako poisoning on Cloud.

Another thing I noticed: Cloud's eyes look SUPER green, more so than in Remake. Don't know if it's the upgrade to the PS5 or if they wanted to show the Mako poisoning progressing, but I thought it was a cool detail.

Okay it's like Cloud swapped he and Zack in his memories directly at one point soon after they arrive in Nibelheim. I swear this is 100% what Zack would've said to Cloud about Aerith, but instead it's one of the "security officers" saying it to "Cloud": "So, any friends here you wanna see? Maybe a girlfriend? Speaking of which, I bet you're dying to hear about mine. Am I right?"

Lmao Sephiroth still has groupies, this is giving Crisis Core fanclub vibes and I'm all here for it. I'm glad the game still has those silly moments and that continuity with past games. It makes the tragedy I know will unfold later on that much more poignant.

Speaking of which, it's depressing seeing all the townspeople in Nibelheim knowing they're going to die. Just walking around talking to them, Nibelheim really feels like a lived-in place that Cloud has so many personal connections to.

An NPC asked Cloud if he's seen his mother yet, another one recognized me, and another couple of people noticed me and asked if I'm looking for Tifa. They Know™️

Also, it's really interesting seeing Cloud craft the welcome home he WISHES he had gotten. He wanted to come back to Nibelheim as a hero everyone praised, but the reality was much different. So seeing that contrast is a really good insight into Cloud's psyche and what he wants (praise, recognition, approval, etc.)

Oh found some cats, I'm glad there's another area dedicated to just cats ;aldjf; (complete with photographic evidence):

Awwwwww there was a sweet reference to Tifa leading the exercise classes for Nibelheim from Traces of Two Pasts, and she asks Cloud in the modern day if he was able to keep up with the class (she wasn't teaching this particular one, but I love that bit of continuity).

Tifa you can tell is nostalgic for Nibelheim hearing Cloud's recounting of what happened too, the voice acting and dialogue for this part is all really well-done.

The option to see Cloud's mom was really well-done. Cloud never went back to see her in reality, of course, which means his memory glitches out like crazy during this part: he "hears" his mother talking to him about a conversation that happened at an earlier time, like his brain is desperately trying to create something that never happened and is latching onto the nearest fragments it can find. I like how they translated this scene from the OG game, it gave off eerie vibes.

HE DID THE LIL SHRUG AND NOD LIKE HE DOES IN THE OG GAME if you try to enter his mom's house again after the "memory" is over. Also, it's like his mind is trying to protect itself from delving too deeply into a false memory so glitchy (and maybe he feels a deep level of guilt at not actually going to see her as well), and so you can't go back into his house, just like in the OG game.

You can have Cloud go up the water tower too, and he looks towards Tifa's window THE ANGST OF IT ALL a;lskdfj. I love those little moments of Pining™️

Tifa's like wait you went to my place?? Oh Cloud...you were such an awkward weirdo...

"Our reasons, huh? I bet most of them had to do with you." Barret shading Cloud for why he and Tifa didn't hang out more ;alkdjf again I love the humor in these moments.

Awwww Fluffy got mentioned! Nice to hear her brought up again.

"You went into my room?" I'm dead. Tifa sounds so indignant and rightfully so. It's weirdo behavior Cloud ;laskdfj

"You went through my stuff?!" Not off to a great start buddy, but I had him pick that option because I figured he ought to be honest. Tifa and Aerith both call him an asshole if you admit to doing it too, which made me laugh. And naturally my mind is wondering how this will impact the iconic date later on. Did I just piss both Aerith and Tifa off and lose affection points with both girls? Probably lol (and honestly, Cloud deserved it for that stunt).

Tifa's lil moogle plushie on her bed is adorable. I love the touches like that that make the environment feel more lived in.

Awwww I found Tifa's theme to play on the piano hehe. I love that that's the first piano piece you can find in the game. Just one of my favorite FFVII songs because it fits Tifa so perfectly and has this bittersweet sense of longing as well as this beautiful tenderness to it.

Also, I got a kick out of the piano minigame. The first time I wasn't great at it and got a C. I struggled to do both "hands" at the same time. I did it two more times after that, and it starts to sound really nice when you have a streak of a bunch of correct notes in a row. Like Cloud's going to town on the piano with extra flourishes. If you miss notes again though the metronome comes back on lol like "you still need to practice and get the rhythm down."

The second two times I got an A (I'll have to keep practicing to get a star and see what happens), and the gang praised Cloud, which I thought was cool.

Found more Sephiroth groupies and ran into Zangan in the inn. It was really sweet hearing Zangan praise Tifa so highly. Also, "Cloud" saying, "yeah right" when Zangan says "Tifa will go far" is another good clue Cloud isn't himself. Tifa was offended and Aerith was offended on her behalf. I love how Aerith keeps backing Tifa up on stuff, it's really nice to see more of their friendship.

The photographer dude is back and I love him. And he even says the same thing he said to Zack in Crisis Core about how he can't waste his film on Zack because he doesn't know who he is ;alskdfj. What's a guy got to do to get a little respect?

"You look so different" lol yes I do random villager because I'm not me, and then there are some nice creepy foreshadowing moments from her kids. The girl says, "Gonna beat those monsters?" and the boy says, "Gonna be 'em?"

The irony of the mayor saying he'd brag about Sephiroth visiting Nibelheim till the day he dies:

I still really love Brian Lockhart's design. He's like if the 70s met cowboy fashion, and it just works somehow. And this carries over from the OG game, but his concerns about Tifa's safety are well-founded given what happened when she and Cloud were kids and sets up future reveals in the remake trilogy nicely.

Also, Tifa is so small next to Sephiroth. I love her sass in this part of the story, and this time around there's some country twang banjo version of her theme and I love it. Also Sephiroth shaded the camera guy al;sdkfj;dskf but "Cloud" talked him into it and thus the iconic photo came into being. Again those moments of humor will never not be funny. And I loved how Tifa was being such a good guide and giving info about the area as they started to ascend the mountain.

Also, when you finally get to the title screen, it cracked me up how Nomura is listed first, before Hamaguchi. Probably a seniority/respect thing, but Nomura is the creative director and Hamaguchi is the director.

Also, the version of the main theme that plays as you go up Mt. Nibel is awesome, and once again I had to get a screenshot because this area is just so beautiful:

Tifa wanting to travel is a sweet touch, though Sephiroth is practical and points out that he travels on business trips and not for fun. Of course "Cloud" points out that you do learn stuff on these trips. It's a nice contrast between Tifa's naive optimism, Sephiroth's jaded world-weary outlook, and Zack's positivity tempered by experience.

Also, Sephiroth's hair is very swishy. I thought that needed a note as I was playing this. Props to the artists, animators, etc. who rendered it.

I chuckled at Tifa racing up the mountain and teasing "Cloud" and Sephiroth about whether or not they can keep up. Just shows a fun, playful side to her personality and also shows how eager she is to prove herself. And then she dropkicked a monster to protect "Cloud" and then teased him about it alks;jfdsf. She's so much snarkier with Zack than she is with Cloud, and it's an interesting contrast.

The real Cloud of course is in the background, protecting Tifa from danger. Even in his rewritten version of history, the real him is lurking in his subconscious protecting her because she's that important to him. She thanked him so sweetly when he did too.

I made a note about seeing the bridge that collapsed with Cloud and Tifa on it when they were kids, man all the little details like this and the foreshadowing is just A+.

Tifa has Trauma™️ from falling off a bridge before, hmmm, wonder what that's from, and she's still like hey I'm the guide I'll lead us a;ldkfj when "Cloud" offers to go first lol.

Still holds true years later but wooooow Nibelheim sucks at constructing good bridges lol. It was a wholesome moment where "Cloud"/Zack grabbed Cloud and kept him from drowning though, and Sephiroth was able to grab Tifa (which is ironic considering how he tries to kill her not much later, and it's sad because it really shows he was a good guy). Of course the other security officer probably drowned rip, poor guy.

YAY SEPHIROTH'S IN MY PARTY FINALLY

"For your performance review" lol I like Sephiroth's sass and how he teases "Cloud" like this.

I just obliterate everything playing as Sephiroth ;alsdkfj and truly love playing as him. And him slamming his own dad will never not be funny, I mean Hojo just really sucks.

At this point I started focusing more on playing the game since there were more monsters to fight etc., but I still got some nice screenshots and had a few more thoughts.

The Mako spring just looks incredible, so I had to include a photo:

The scenery by the ocean was gorgeous too, I can't wait to go to Costa del Sol:

The real Cloud helping Tifa get to safety from the monster and "Cloud"/Zack and Sephiroth being bros is top-tier content. Also Sephiroth looks like a model in pretty much every shot he's in:

Oh the dramatic irony of Tifa not knowing it's Cloud and him refusing to talk and her being sassy and telling him, "You better keep me safe" and then of course he does. The music is creepy now that we're about to enter the reactor lol, of course it is.

"Would it kill this guy to say something" he would die from embarrassment and shame, yes:

"The company really needs to be more transparent" that's the understatement of the year "Cloud" ;lakfj;asdf

Cool use of JENOVA'S theme. I always enjoy hearing that theme and how otherworldy but also very 90s it sounds.

Zangan's comment here is gold, I love the bee in his bonnet bit:

The Shinra basement stuff was genuinely creepy l;kasjdf like I know what happens and I was still freaked out! The atmosphere was just really well done.

"I should go. Mother is waiting." There it is, the iconic meme line a;ldal;skdjf;lsdjf it just kills me, Sephiroth is such a psycho.

Loved seeing Zangan helping people get out of the town and telling "Cloud" to get in there and help, but of course the situation is still incredibly dire by the time "Cloud" gets there.

This shot in front of the water tower was gorgeous and really haunting, especially when the water tower collapsed. Just the symbolism with that, the loss of Cloud and Tifa's special place and how not long after this, he feels like he failed her and failed to keep his promise:

Main Scenario: Check on Mom. Oh Cloud...

And then you see the real Cloud collapsed in front of his house and calling for his mom, this is so depressing:

This is where the more realistic graphics really serve the story well, because it makes this moment that much more of a gut punch, especially when he hears his mother begging him to live. The last few moments before her soul returns to the planet perhaps, trying to save her son from danger one last time.

And now that "Cloud" is hurt, he looks busted up even in the menu. I thought that was a cool detail to include.

It's like Cloud's memories are trying to right themselves because he winds up on the ground like where he was supposed to be. When Sephiroth murdered the man who tried to help him and then went on his creepy murder spree of several other villagers culminating with the mayor, that was all really well done too. Horrifying because there's nothing Cloud can do to stop the senseless murder of people he's known all his life, and it really shows how cold and ruthless Sephiroth has become.

This moment was good too with the memories seeming glitchy again:

And then of course I must end this on The Iconic Scene™️ a;lsdkfja;kdslf complete with psycho smirk:

Needless to say, I very much enjoyed this demo and am looking forward to the Juno one! And the full game, February 29 can't come fast enough.

[ininsulaavalonia]

SNK officially ended today and it's been a much more overwhelming experience than I would've thought. The manga left me feeling apathetic - it killed my interest in this series for what, a year? Two? So I had 0 reasons to think the anime would coax anything else out of me.

...

I was wrong. Admittedly, not like we're talking purely positive emotions here - I still have a lot of resentment, bitter regret and the itch to shake all the yens out of Isayama's pockets. But even so. I guess I should've known better - the writing has [had] its flaws. The voice acting and the music/score, tho? Never did. Not a one.

Add to that MAPPA's mindboggling dedication and passion for the craft and source material. I'm not perfectly happy with them for very biased reasons [they did away with a few of my RM crumbs], but no sane person could ever deny that they knocked it out of the fuckin park. They did all that while juggling 9620 other major franchises [and killing it there, too]. Ufotable will always be my #1, but MAPPA has come very close these past few years. Just hope everyone who worked on SNK post-changing hands gets to take pride in their work and maybe actually like.see their families or smth, lol.

But yeah - I will never be able to stress this enough: like at least 60% of the reason SNK had the ridiculous impact on me it did, of the reason it will be remembered as a classic/ legendary series, despite its flaws, of the reason precious few fictional works, irrespective of genre/medium will hope to ever even come close to the level of pure, raw exhilaration and emotional immersion SNK served on a pretty regular basis...was [and always will be] Sawano's masterpiece. Yamamoto has proven himself to be an A+ understudy/disciple 'Ashes on the Fire' will always slap], and ofc the likes of Linked Horizon, Ai Higuchi, Mika Kobayashi and all the other contributing artists deserve their fair share of laurels. But this score will always be Sawano's baby. I've a lot of comfort/fave soundtracks and the like; I can't remember one that did so much for its story, tho. Complemented its own brilliance this incandescently and profoundly.

And ofc the seiyuus were always excellent. That was not news to me. I'll always sing Kamiya's praises and keep Yui's future roles on my radar [and Marina almost stole the show here]. But most of my respect and admiration -sheer awe of, really- has to go to Yuki Kaji. He has such an incredible body of work, but I'd be shocked if people genuinely thought this, Eren's part,*wasn't* his defining performance. The role of a lifetime. It's not just his VA chops, either- the man's a pro in every sense of the word. Despite what Isayama put Eren through, despite that BS insult of an ending [painted in the most pathetic and pitiful colours, for all the world to see] that MAPPA sadly didn't alter [...made it worse, actually, what with Isayama's revisions/ additions and all] - he still gave it his all, still tried to see things through Eren's perspective to the bitter, mockable end. K I N G.

I wish I could heap this kinda praise on the writing, too. Sadly, this will stay one of my biggest frustrations and regrets re: any fictional work I've ever consumed. Isayama's expanding on the Armin-Eren heartfelt talk at the end made me feel, either successively or simultaneously. soft, emotional and mournful... and/or horrified, outraged and baffled by what his messaging seemed to make even more explicit/ double down on: that Eren, the protag the audience/readers got to see grow, the one they came to emotionally invest in? Was really just an 'idiot with too much power'. Ultra!Hitler stripped of his perceived alpha traits: just a lonely, pathetic, petulant, ridiculous *boy*. And while the 'I'll go to hell with you' spiel from Armin was one of the things that turned on the waterworks for me, I fully reject this attempt by the narrative to paint him in similar, bloodstained colours [or maybe I don't reject it - even if that were true, Armin will always be a hero to me. And sadly, my 2nd fave character after what Isayama did to Mikasa's character].

I'm just so fucking tired and angry by this nihilistic, cynical trend of backstabbing your audience/readers for the grave offence of their placing their trust in you. GOT did it first, ofc -and Isayama went 'hold my beer', apparently-. But the thing that makes this even more frustrating and painful - is that unlike those 2 fucking hacks, Isayama is an actual writer. A fantastic one / credit where credit is due [and funnier than he's usually given credit for, as the finale reminded me]. His skill isn't the issue - his cynicism / 'nothing is sacred' attitude is. The fact that he just yeets characters' dignities out the window can and has added so much heartache, tragedy and realism to his story and his overall style. But it also leads to this sort of betrayal.

I guess the underlying message of 'how to live with the horrible things you did for others/ for your own survival' is pretty hopeful. Armin's 'I felt like I was born for this moment', the ~it's the apparently pointless, little things, and the people you share them with that you have to hold on to and cherish ~ point has always, will always resonate with me. But I doubt it will ever be enough to get rid of all the bitterness [also: not even gonna get into Founder!Ymir, that shitty parallel to Mikasa, and that entire 'BECAUSE LOVE' clusterfuck. This isn't real life, Isayama. Fiction needs a why. YOU KNOW THIS]

Sigh. Anyway. In the end, even the fact that I felt this strongly, considering... is also a testament to the insane sort of impact this story is capable of. SNK -and RM [and Levi! The one good thing not even Isayama managed to taint -*...knock on wood*- That beautiful, awkward, baddest-of-the-baddies KING. The heart, soul and embodiment of the Scouting Legion-]- have meant so much to me - were a lifeline in the aftermath of the worst thing I've ever experienced. I'll never forget that sense of unique, intense exhilaration I felt while watching the first few episodes, a decade ago, in a Durham seminar room. Or the rollercoaster every feeling I'd ever had --and a buncha new ones- went on those following nights, as I binged the remaining episodes and the manga. Or RM. I wish things could have been different. But that doesn't mean I'll ever throw it out of my mental and emotional Hall of Fame. Thank God for fanfic.

That and. I *will* always carry that weight, I guess.

[ultraericthered]

Final Fantasy VII - English Dub VAs

Exactly the kind of post it sounds like.

Cloud Strife: 

Steve Burton (pre-Remake content) - Iconic original English dub voice for Cloud. His record is a mixed bag. In the first Kingdom Hearts, about half of Advent Children, almost half of Dissidia,Crisis Core, KH 2.5 Re:Coded, Final Fantasy Explorers, World of Final Fantasy, and Dissidia NT, he does really well. In Kingdom Hearts II, the rest of Advent Children and Dissidia, Dirge of Cerberus, and Dissidia 012, however, he kind of sucked and sounded lifeless.

Cody Christian (Remake continuity) - Hard to believe this isn’t just Steve Burton under a different name! He matches Steve’s voice perfectly and his performance is up there with Steve’s best work.

Justin Briner (Machinabridged Series) - Justin voiced his version of Cloud like Deku well before he actually voiced Deku! It’s normally not the sort of voice you’d imagine Cloud to have in the actual story, but when he gets to play serious and dramatic, he totally fucking kills it. 

FANCAST OPTION - Mark Hildreth. While nowadays I doubt he’s gonna get any work due to having been in a horrible cult, knowing exactly what they were doing but keeping silence about it for years and all that, back in the day he would’ve been my go-to voice for Cloud. Just listen to him voicing Heero Yuy, Terry Bogard, and Angel.

And my favorite one is.... Cody Christian! He’s got everything in the quality of his voice that Steve Burton and Mark Hildreth have got, but like Justin Briner he gets to act out a complete character arc for Cloud, even in just his first game! Definitely glad he’s in the role.

Barrett Wallace:

Beau Billingslea (pre-Remake content) - Back in the day, there was really no other black VA in the industry that could’ve fit this role better than him. He’s deep, gruff, rowdy, and delviers his material perfectly. John Eric Bentley (Remake continuity) - When I heard him in the trailers doing this straight up Mr. T-sounding voice, I wasn’t sure I liked it much. But then we all heard his full performance and....yeah, he knocks it out of the park. Really gives Barret a lot of depth.

Anthony Sardinha (Machinabridged Series) - For the most part, he does a very goofy sounding macho doofus voice for Barret, but for this version of Barret that works perfectly and has a lot of charm to it.

And my favorite one is....Beau Billingslea! Definitely no offense to John Eric Bentley, but Beau’s voice was exactly what I imagined Barret to sound like when playing the game, so I’ve got a bias here.

Tifa Lockhart:

Rachael Leigh Cook (pre-Remake content) - Everything about her voice sounds perfectly fitting for Tifa and she nailed it every time she voiced the role, even in lesser showings like Kingdom Hearts II.

Britt Baron (Remake continuity) - So to play off of Cody Christian’s Cloud, they found someone who sounds almost exactly like Rachael Leigh Cook! This is just getting freaky now...

Sarah Anne Williams (Machinabridged Series) - Makes a full journey from this Tifa’s more toxic, vulgar, self-destructive personality to her hidden depths and vulnerability as she develops into a better person more true to the original canon, and she pulls it off flawlessly!

And my favorite one is.....I can’t really choose. They’re all too good!

Aeirth Gainsborough:

Mandy Moore, Mena Suvari, and Andrea Bowen (pre-Remake content) - Wow. Three different actresses in this one role and none of them get it down pat. Mandy could barely voice act when she did this role in Kingdom Hearts, Mena did a dull sweet-sounding voice that could be even more lifeless than Steve Burton’s Cloud ever was, and while Andrea worked well for the younger Aerith in Crisis Core, I can never fully buy her as the 22 year old Aerith in anything else.

Briana White (Remake continuity) - Thank Youtube for this person and her getting cast as Aerith in Remake! They finally got it right!

Kira Buckland (Machinabridged Series) - A VA I can imagine could pull off an excellent canonical Aerith, but for this series she had to play up this ditzy, peppy, sweet and lovable Good Girl personality.

And my favorite one is....Briana White! Does this come as any surprise? She’s as ideal a match for Maaya Sakamoto we could get!

Nanaki/Red XIII: 

Liam O’ Brien (pre-Remake continuity) - One spoken line in Advent Children, but spoken in a voice from a VA that suits Nanaki so well.

Max Mittelman (Remake continuity) - Probably one of the best roles I’ve yet heard from this VA. He really delivers on the ambiguous age and the gruff, wisened warrior tone the character speaks in for when we get to know him at first. Rebirth steps it up a notch by having him drop the facade and start talking like the teenager he truly is, with the difference being startling and effective in how it alters perception.

Curtis Arnott (Machinabridged Series) - Undeniably entertaining to listen to, but this Homer Simpson-esque voice is the exact opposite of how you would expect canonical Nanaki to sound like!

FANCAST OPTION(S) - Dan Green. They had Mewtwo’s voice as Nanaki in Japanese Advent Children, so I don’t see why not go with a more literal English counterpart, and c’mon, the voice fits perfectly!

And my favorite one is....Max Mittelman! He’s just brilliant all around.

Cait Sith:

Greg Ellis (pre-Remake content) - British VA who decided to go with a Scottish accent for Cait, reflective of the character’s Celtic roots.

Paul Tinto (Remake continutiy) - Silly Scottish voice, again.

Nick Landis (Machinabridged Series) - Silly Scottish voice, again.

FANCAST OPTION - Tom Kenny. He wouldn’t even need to do an accent, just his typical cartoony voiceover would get the job done! Or, if you really have to go for Scottish, then David Fucking Tennant!

And my favorite one is....I can’t really choose. All of them work.

Cid Highwind:

Chris Edgerly (pre-Remake content) - Honestly, I did not like the way this voice sounded in Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts II, and Dirge of Cerberus. A Southern accent is fine, but not a full on drawl! But as of his recent reprisal in the Kingdom Hearts III DLC, he’s got it down.

J. Michael Tatum (Remake continuity) - He gets it down immediately.

Brien Olvera (Machinabridged Series) - Totally perfect and hilarious.

FANCAST OPTION(S) - Michael Sorich, Fred Tatasciore, or Jack Angel. Sorich is a natural for this sort of role, Tatasciore would’ve been ideal casting due to his voicework as the very similar looking Damon Baird, and Jack Angel actually voiced another Cid later on.

And my favorite one is....Fred Tatasciore! I’ve long held the belief that Chris Edgerly and Fred Tatasciore should’ve had their roles in Advent Children swapped, and I still stand by it and forever shall!

Yuffie Kisaragi:

Christy Carlson Romano and Mae Whitman (pre-Remake content) - Christy voiced the role in Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children while Mae voiced her in Kingdom Hearts II, Dirge of Cerberus, and the DLC postgame of Kingdom Hearts III. They sound pretty much 100% identical to each other...or at least they did. Mae Whitman’s KHIII reprisal sounded notably aged, more like Amity Blight than Yuffie.

Suzie Yeung (Remake continuity) - Sound exactly like how Christy and Mae used to! Holy shit, how does Square Enix find this talent?

Courtney Williams (Machinabridged Series) - She sounds a bit like Mabel Pines or Webby Vanderquack due to the hyperness being played up for this version of Yuffie, and she makes it work great,

And my favorite one is...Suzie Yeung! Out of all of them, she’s the only one who’s actually authentically Asian. Points just for that!

Vincent Valentine:

Steve Blum (pre-Remake content) - Steve does solemn and creepy voices like a pro, and he did great as Vincent in Advent Children. What happened to him in Dirge of Cerberus? He sounded so stiff!

Chris Tout (Machinabridged Series) - As expected, he plays up the melodrama of Vincent’s character for laughs, but in a cool voice!

Matthew Mercer (Remake continuity) - Matt is to the role of Vincent just as he is to Ganondorf; he’s as perfecft a fit as you’d hope for!

FANCAST OPTION(S) - Robin Atkin Downes or Christopher Bevins. Downes using his Baron Zemo voice, and Bevins his own amazingly spot on Steve Blum impression.

And my favorite one is....Robin Atkin Downes! Blum and Mercer are cool and all, but this is closest to what I hear in my head for Vincent, and it’s almost a bad joke that his is the last voice you hear in Vincent’s own game....as Genesis?!?

President Shinra:

James Horan (Remake continuity) - The tone of his voice is perfect, but the voice itself isn’t consistently solid. It sometimes sounds a bit like Jamieson Price, who voiced Reeve back in the older content!

Graham Stark (Machinabridged Series) - Good Southern accented president voice that fits the more legit affable Shinra of this series.

FANCAST OPTION(S) - The late Robert Ridgely or the still living Maurice LeMarche would’ve been ideal, as they could’ve delivered the Orson Welles impressions. Or for the Remake version, I wish they’d cast Richard Epcar in the  role, as he’d have matched the late Genzo Wakayama much more perfectly.

And my favorite one is....Robert Ridgely or Maurice LeMarche! Sorry, but I just can’t unhear him sounding like Charles Foster Kane!

Rufus Shinra:

Wally Wingert (pre-Remake content) - Perfect. Everything about it.

Josh Bowman (Remake continuity) - A bit deeper than I’d expect, but pretty solid acting for the small part he got in Remake. Getting to go further into the character with more material in Rebirth really helped him improve, so now he sounds almost as ideal as Wally Wingert.

Xander Mobus (Machinabridged Series) - If he wasn’t doing that Frank Underwood-style accent and goofy delivery, he’d actually be a perfect fit for canonical Rufus. That said, his Rufus is hilarious.

FANCAST OPTION(S) - Geoffery Arend would’ve been an even better casting for Remake Rufus. Given how much his Riddler sounds like Wally Wingert’s, he could’ve easily done the same here!

And my favorite one is....Wally Wingert! They’re all so good in the role, but this initial casting for Rufus was just striking casting gold!

Reno:

Quinton Flynn (pre-Remake content) - He was double-cast as Reno and Axel just like the late Keiji Fujiwara was, and he did perfectly.

Arnie Pantoja (Remake content) - It fits Reno. Just...not as well.

Curtis Arnott (Machinabridged Series) - Same as the above.

FANCAST OPTION - Roger Craig Smith. He took over for Quinton as Deidara in Naruto dub, so I wish he’d done the same with Reno.

And my favorite one is...Quinton Flynn! Got it memorized, yo?

Rude:

Crispin Freeman (pre-Remake content) - Not the role I’d expect Crispin to voice, but he did best he could with a deep, gravelly tone.

William C. Stephens (Remake continuity) - A black VA providing the voice for Rude just naturally fits better, as William demonstrates.

Marc Swint (Machinabridged Series) - And as Marc demonstrated!

FANCAST OPTION - Kevin Conroy. He’s a white guy too, but does anyone else hear an unintended Kevin Conroy impersonation in Crispin’s Rude? Was not able to unhear it after I noticed!

And my favorite one is...William C. Stephens! His Ving Rhames-esque voicework makes for easily the coolest sounding Rude!

Elena:

Bettina Bush (pre-Remake content) - A very nice, very well fitting casting choice for Elena. But she only got like two or three lines.

Piper Reese (Remake continuity) - No voice acting experience to her name, yet she put into her performance everything needed to pull off the ideal Elena and nail both her ferocious and comedic moments.

Morgan Berry (Machinabridged Series) - Cute and hilarious as usual.

FANCAST OPTION - Michelle Ruff. This role is tailor-made for her!

And my favorite one is...Michelle Ruff! See above.

Tseng:

Ryan Yu (pre-Remake content) - Yeah, I get that Tseng is meant to sound stiff and like a pro, but this was just WAY too monotone!

Vic Chao (Remake content) - Another Asian VA, only this one actually has an awesome sounding voice and great delivery!

Scott Ferichs (Machinabridged Series) - He does...an Alan Rickman impression? Even for a parody series, I’m not sure I get this one.

FANCAST OPTION - Eric Vale. When I look at Tseng, I hear Sakyo

And my favorite one is...Vic Chao! He does the all around best job!

Reeve Tuesti:

Jamieson Price (pre-Remake content) - It’s the same performance type as his Janyu Wong from Digimon Tamers. That’s ideal casting

Jon Root (Remake continuity) - Not as distinct as Jamieson Price obviously, but he does very well with what he’s given to work with.

Nick Landis (Machinabridged Series) - The one time Reeve and Cait Sith actually share a VA, and Nick’s versatility makes it work!

And my favorite one is...Jamieson Price! Can’t go wrong with him!

Heidegger:

John DiMaggio (Remake continuity) - John’s no stranger to voicing  Final Fantasy characters and he always does it so well. Heidegger is just the latest example of that. His voice and laugh are on point.

Ty Konzak (Machinabridged Series) - He delivers this snarly pirate-like voice that’s about what you’d expect of a parody Heidegger.

FANCAST OPTION - Charles Martinet. German accented Wario. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

And my favorite one is..Charles Martinet! Just listen to Wario’s laugh!

Scarlett: 

Erin Cotrieli (Remake continuity) - This is a solid fit for her voice, though she’s not done the “kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!” cackling thing so far.

Amber Lee Connors (Machinabridged Series) - Amber’s talent for voicing sultry femme fatale villains and also being really funny shine here, making her version of Scarlet a very enjoyable character.

FANCAST OPTION - Lani Minella. A super veteran VA (and original voice of Rouge the Bat), she’s just got the voice for it, y’know?

And my favorite one is...Amber Lee Connors! KYA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

Palmer:

William Salyers (Remake continuity) - Another stroke of casting genius. Palmer just plays to all of Salyers voice acting strengths.

Ben Creighton (Machinabridged Series) - Can’t really be sure that Palmer wouldn’t sound like this even if it wasn’t a parody series!

FANCAST OPTION - Jeff Nimoy, sounding like an aged Tentomon.

And my favorite one is...William Salyers! He embodies Palmer!

Professor Hojo:

Paul Eiding (pre-Remake content) - VERY outside-the-box voice casting, and maybe with better direction it coud’ve paid off. But what we got from Paul sure didn’t, being easily THE most ill-fitting original dub voice for a FFVII character. Sounds too feeble and annoying!

James Siei (Remake continuity) - Now THIS is more fucking like it! An actually Asian VA who not only delivers a bone-chillingly creepy performance, but who sounds eerily close in tone to Derek Stephen Prince as Vexen/Even from Kingdom Hearts, who shares a VA with Hojo in the original Japanese language (twice over, in fact!)

Edwyn Tiong (Machinabridged Series) - Another Asian VA who hams it up a lot more but can also be genuinely unsettling to listen to! He’d fit just as well as the psychopathic scientist in a non-parody work!

FANCAST OPTION(S) - Ezra Weisz, Dwight Schultz, Sam Witwer, Udo Kier, and naturally, Derek Stephen Prince.

And my favorite one is....James Siei! Paul Eiding’s was a misfire and with Edwyn Tiong and my Fancast picks they’re all in line with how I’d expect Hojo to sound. James “My Cabbages!” Siei being cast as Hojo and nailing him so hard was a total left field turn and one that puts me in his corner. He’s now the gold standard Hojo voice.

Sephiroth:

Lance Bass and George Newbern (pre-Remake content) - Lance Bass was a huge miscasting by Disney when they were getting star talent to voice FF characters and KH-original characters for the first Kingdom Hearts, and he sounds too youthful and not a thing like how Sephiroth would later sound. George Newbern, on the other hand...casting the dude known for Theodore Rex and Superman in the role of Sephiroth became the stuff of voice acting legend, as he blew all expectations out of the water. He’s THE iconic voice of Sephiroth.

Tyler Hoechlin (Remake continuity) - I get what they were doing, casting another Superman as Sephiroth...but Tyler is a Superman actor, not a Superman voice actor. As such he seems to put the work into making his voice sound sinister and Sephiroth-like while failing to convincingly act the material he has to say in that voice. However, in the first 45 seconds and the very last 45 seconds of this video, we can hear how damn good he’s capable of doing. That capability thankfully carries him through in Crisis Core Reunion and Rebirth, where he steps up his game and improves his voicework in the role, in some areas  even shining brighter than George Newbern!

Mike Varker (Machinabridged Series) - Totally obscure VA picked out by TeamFourStar to be their Sephiroth but holy shit, he fucking killed it! Just listen to this villainous monologue and try to NOT get chills!

FANCAST OPTION(S) - Sephiroth is a role that could be easy to cast but difficult to really nail. A handful of VAs I think could do it include:  Skip Stellrecht, Crispin Freeman, Paul Dobson, John Rafter Lee, Christian Bale, Michael C. Hall, Mark Whitten, and of course the Newbern Soundalike Supermen Tim Daly or James Denton.

And my favorite one is....a three-way tie between George Newbern, Mike Varker, and Skip Stellrecht.! All three are 100% godly fits!

Biggs:

Gideon Emery (Remake continuity) - A cool, smooth sounding Biggs.

Chris Niosi (Machinabridged Series) - He gets it down alright.

FANCAST OPTION - Michael Daingerfield. His voice fits well when voicing Biggs from Star Wars, and it’d fit just as well for this Biggs.

And my favorite one is....Gideon Emery! Guy’s got too much charm.

Wedge:

Matthew L. Jones (Remake continuity) - Sounds exactly how you’d expect Wedge to sound like.

Chris Zito (Machinabridged Series) - Same can be said of this one.

FANCAST OPTION - Tyler Labine. Same as both of the above.

And my favorite one is....I can’t really choose. All of them fit.

Jessie:

Erica Lindbeck (Remake continuity) - In her more mellow and mature moments she sounds just like Eli Ayase, but then in her cheeky, playful, flirty trolling moments she just goes full Kaori Miyazono. It’s as entertaining as it is kind of distracting.

Jesse Nowack (Machinabridged series) Ha ha. His name actually is Jesse! He did slur-voiced Jesse of this series as well as he could.

FANCAST OPTION - Grey DeLisle Griffin. For whatever reason, I always heard original canon Jessie sounding like Daphne Blake.

And my favorite one is...Erica Lindbeck! She just went SO HARD.

Marlene Wallace:

Grace Rolek and Ariel Winter (pre-Remake content) - They did fine.

Brielle Milla (Remake continuity) - She also does fine.

Corrine Sudberg (Machinabridged Series) - She did fine as well.

And my favorite one is....I can’t really choose. They all did fine!

Elmyra Gainsborough:

Julie Dolan (Remake continuity) - She played this part wonderfully.

Sandra Espinoza (Machinabridged Series) - Works good for the material she’s given, being both funny and painstakingly sincere.

FANCAST OPTION - Barbara Goodson. Back when she was younger in the late 90s, her voice would’ve really fit Elmyra.

And my favorite one is....I can’t really choose. They’re all so suitable.

Don Corneo:

Fred Tatasciore (Remake continuity) - He camps it up like crazy in this role but also can be threatening when need be, not to mention the horse winnying laugh he does. Much better FFVII role than Loz.

Josh Tomar (Machinabridged Series) - Perfect for the Don in every way, about exactly what I’d always been imagining him to sound like.

And my favorite one is....it’s a tie! They’re both perfect in this role!

Zack Fair:

Rick Gomez (pre-Remake content) - Zack’s expanded presence in this sub-franchise is strange for a lot of reasons, but if it’s to be, then he needs a likable enough voice to sell the character. Rick’s got it.

Caleb Pierce (Remake continuity) - Possibly even moreso than Tyler Hoechlin as Sephiroth following George Newbern, this is a huge trade down. I think Caleb could do well as young, up-and-coming Zack “the Puppy”, but his ability to pull off the tougher, more experienced Zack seems beyond him. He just cannot emote well.

Nathan Sharp (Machinabridged Series) - Perfectly cast, and did an ideal job at voicing Zack in the bit part he was originally meant to be.

And my favorite one is...Rick Gomez! Still the definitive Zack Fair!

[calliecat93]

Red vs Blue Season 17 Review, Part One

On March 9th, 2019, Red vs Blue: Singularity premiered at last. After the monster cliffhanger of S16, to say that many of us had been anxious would be an understatement. Well, it’s several months later and the season has concluded it’s 12 episode run. So, was it good? Was it bad? Well… that’s a hard question to answer. But however we feel, we’re going to be going over it today in my Season 17 Review~!

This baby got a Hell of a lot longer than intended, so hopefully, it’s coherent. I tried to be firm, but honest. No matter what I think though, there is no arguing that these people put in a lot of work to make this season a reality. I never want that fact to be ignored. So thank you Jason, Miles, Josh, Austin, Greg, Joe, RT Animation, and everyone else for all the hard work. Couldn’t have been easy, but we appreciate it all the same~!

So with that said, for the final time, let us talk about Red vs Blue Season 17.

Visuals/Machinima

This season was unique in that not only was Halo 5 still being us, but they had to go back and use all the past renditions as well. It looked like they were going to use Halo 2 Anniversary for the paradox stuff, a familiar yet different design, but I guess someone decided it was better to just reuse the older games. Which I think was probably the right choice. Halo 2 Anniversary I think would have helped add this feeling of everything being off, but at the same time seeing the previous versions helps connect to the moments more. It adds more emotional investment since we’re seeing something that we recognize being fucked with. It meant more work for the Machinima team, and I hope that they’re all still alive and had a nice vacation after it was all over cause yikes. Their efforts are greatly appreciated~

The machinima was overall very good. Josh Ornelas has been with the show for six years as a machinimator and directed at least a few episodes of S14. So he was more than fit to be a co-director for this season. Austin Clark is newer and IDK when he started (my guess is around 14 or 15), but I think he’s shown that he’s perfectly capable both as a machinimator and as a director. I never noticed any issues with the machinima that threw me off… but as usual, it’s hard to critique what are essentially video game movements/defaults. Very least whenever the characters were emotional or something, I got the feeling from how the scene was framed. Even though you can’t see the faces, the machinimators know how to frame it to make you feel the intended emotion. Episode 9 with Carolina and Wash’s talk I think demonstrated that. Yeah, the VA-ing helped, but you can see the emotion, even though there’s no emotion to display. And while Austin handled the even-numbered episodes and Josh the odd ones, everything felt like they were on the same page, which is essential when co-directing. They both did an excellent job directing.

Animation was sadly sparse compared to the last season. Wasn’t bad though. There were some good bits, like the opening credits and Wash directing his gun at Genkins in Episode 3. Oh. and Genkins getting stabbed with his own golf club was pretty gruesome, especially with his writhing around, but seeing the original Halo animated was nice. We only got one fight scene, but it was Carolina vs Carolina and it was badass. Not as creative as the Donut vs O’Malley fight, but still really good and impactful. Loved it!. The sets and effects were all very good. Just look at the opening. The effects used for The Everwhen looked really cool and other-worldly. The Labyrinth looked pretty creepy, as it should be considering its true nature. And of course, all the previous Halo’s still looked good… maybe a little dated with Halo: CE but still as good as it did in the remaster.

Overall, visually speaking, the season was really good. The machinima looked great and was directed competently. I felt engaged, and that’s what’s important. Definitely one of the season high points.

Voice Acting/Music

We’re mainly going to be discussing Dan Godwin, Shannon McCormick, Jen Brown, Ricco Fajardo, and Lee Eddy. Everyone else in the main cast was pretty much at the expected level of quality. There’s sadly not much to talk about specifically, which we’ll go more into during the character section. But Joel, Matt, Gus, Geoff, Becca, and Jason Saldana all did well and gave the quality that I expect from them, just nothing that stands out really. I’ll say this, Geoff and Becca’s performance in the finale was very strong and emotional and I loved it. Matt he both got to do Wyoming again and had to do Doc and O’Malley at the same time, which he nailed perfectly. And hearing Burnie as Church again was really nice… but never let him do English Lopez again. Ever.

Let's talk about villains first. Ricco Fajardo as Genkins is freakin’ fantastic. While we got glimpses of it last season, Genkins fun but truly shitty self is on full display this season. And Ricco is clearly having the time of his life recording it. He’s just always so cheerful and having fun, but it feels so messed up and sadistic due to the circumstances. But he owns it. Sometimes having a villain who is just shitty can be fun, especially if you have a competent actor doing it. And Ricco absolutely nailed it. We also have Lee Eddy, who voiced 479er, make her return to RvB as Chrovos. She too is clearly having a fun time. She goes full-on Large Ham with Chrovos’ theatrics and basting but also portrays her getting fed up very well. It’s the Gwen in her showing, haha. But yeah, these are two fun villain characters, and the performances very much reflected that. Loved it~

Next, we have our Freelancers, Shannon and Jen. They both got the emotions hard this season. Which considering how their plot ended last season, is no surprise. It’s no shock that these two did very well, but… man… Jen had to express a lot of guilt, but also a lot of tears and pain. Which she did very well. Carolina feels terrible and has to accept that her efforts were in vain, and Jen conveyed that very well. The second that Carolina breaks down in Episode 9… God, I just wanted to hug her. Then there’s Episode 11 where Carolina is confronting her past self, and it truly does feel like two different characters, even though it’s the same actress. It was a very strong performance this season, arguably her best one yet.

Then we have Shannon. Oh golly, Shannon. How long has he been doing Wash now? Over a decade, right? He knows this character in and out… and he perfectly shows that this season. Wash has a lot to get through this season. His anger at Carolina, him having to accept what happened, accept what has to happen, it’s a lot. Shannon nails it. From going back and forth between normal and crazy in Episode 3 to any time his anger at Carolina showed, to his talk with Carolina in Episode 5, his acceptance of his fate and prepping for it in Episode 9, and his horror to seeing everyone die in 11. And he still got lighter moments, like his interactions with Donut, which were super enjoyable. Shannon just knocked it out of the park this season, and I loved it.

But of course, the one I have to give the biggest kudos to is Dan Godwin. While he has performed Donut since the very beginning… well, he only got to do so much since Donut only got to do so much. He never did a bad job, or he was on par with everyone else, but he simply wasn’t really allowed to go beyond ‘optimistic, innuendo-spouting moron’. That is, until now. Dan got to do so much this season. He got a full range to do with Donut that he really never got, or only got so briefly. He got to be emotional, he got to be angry, he got to be frustrated, he got to be utterly done with absolutely everything. And he conveyed all of that very well. Heck, I think the pitch even lowered a little bit compared to before, or it felt less squeaky as the season went on. It feels more like an in-between of Blood Gulch Donut and pre-Paradox Donut, which I think works. Overall, Dan got to show how much experience with the character he really has after so many years of not getting to, and he was by far the best performer due to it.

Everyone in the cast did great. Even for brief returns like Miles and Gray with the Mercs, Arryn Zech with Dr. Grey, and the Freelancers all did a great job. Jason Weight as Grif’s coach was also simultaneously hilarious and scary. He clearly put his all into it, anyways. As for the music… what? Ae we surprised that it was good? David Levy and Trocadero again delivered a solid soundtrack. The fact that we have to wait for both this soundtrack and still for the S16 soundtrack continues to upset me. But at least it means a lot of quality tracks whenever they do come out. Solid job overall from the music team.

Characters

So one of the problems with these reviews is I have to remember to look at things two ways: as a fan and as a critic. We had a lot of really good character stuff with some characters… and not so much with others. And looking at it as a fan and then as a critic causes two widely different perspectives regarding this section. Normally I’d rather get the negative out of the way, but to explain the negative I have to talk about the positives first. Hopefully, I don’t come off as too harsh, but I want to be honest in this review as well. So.. here we go.

Okay, happy first. The two main focuses of this season are Donut and Wash. Let's do Wash, and in turn Carolina, first. Wash… well, got put to the side last season for the most part. His plot was mainly focused on his brain damage that he didn’t know about and ended with his blow up at Carolina. Which we all know what that leads to. Here, Wash has to deal with the fallout of it. He gets to stabilize and be back to pre-brain damage and is determined to save the others… but his anger at Carolina is lingering. His arc this season is about him forgiving Carolina, helping Donut, and accepting his own fate. I think, overall, Wash had a very good arc. And this is coming from someone who is not that big of a Wash fan.

Wash’s anger at Carolina is understandable, but he realizes that she did it out of concern for him and never meant to hurt him, and especially after talking to her in Episode 5 and how even when paradox’d she still trusts him, he forgives her. Carolina, in turn, has to deal with the immense guilt of her actions… again. Yeah, the fact that we got another ‘Carolina is guilty’ story after Freelancer, S13, and S15, it’s feeling a little repetitive. But her emotions regarding it were very well written. You do really feel the remorse and understand why she did what she did. It makes it even worse when in Episode 9, Wash accepts what has to happen and Carolina has to accept it. It was one of the toughest scenes in the season but was such a beautiful, poignant moment for both. They still have problems, like Wash fears of losing everyone and Carolina has past issues lingering still over Freelancer and her family. But it’s safe to say that they’ve both become closer and stronger.

The biggest character of this season is, of course, Donut. This was a long time coming. Up until the end of the last season, Donut was probably the most underutilized character in the show aside from maybe Lopez and Doc. He went from a dumb but semi-competent rookie to a flamboyant, one-note joke character. Like after Blood Gulch I can't think of anything significant that he contributed. Recollection more or less wrote him out/killed him off, Chorus did nothing with him, and S15 also did nothing with him and even forgot him in certain scenes. S16 began to fix that, having Donut get annoyed at being ignored, nearly betray everyone, and then get into one of the shows best fight scenes by far. So we were building up for something for this season, and sure enough, it came and it came hard… was that at innuendo? Dang it Donut, you’ve influenced me too much!

This was developed for Donut that was loooong overdue. He further got frustrated with being ignored and belittled by everyone around him. He recognized his innuendo problem and tried to actively improve it. He showed some of that competence he had in Blood Gulch, piecing things together and actively taking charge since he understood things the most. When he told everyone off in Episode 7, it felt so satisfying because of how long he’s been treated like a nuisance when he was at worst a little annoying and TMI. He was willing, tried his best, and it really felt like he was finally allowed to be more than just a joke. It really made me like and appreciate Donut a LOT more than I did before. Like he used to not just be my least favorite Red, but my least favorite of the BGC. Now? He’s right below Grif and Simmons on the Overall Favorites List. Yeah, that’s a LOT of places.

Donut was great and I wouldn't change him getting him this development… but this development did come at a cost. That being development for everyone else. The other Reds and the Blues were shafted and shafted pretty badly. The first half of the season, they are trapped with no memory and go about how they would in that time period. Which okay, it’s necessary for the plot so we can overlook that one. They get restored in Episode 6… and they are STILL badly shafted. They are all joke characters, which does NOT work when we’re this deep in the plot. I mean we get some moments, like Tucker reliving his failure on Crash Site  Bravo and recognizing his fault over the past few seasons, Sarge has his scenario in Episode 11 that I thought was very insightful, but those are small moments. Sadly, Donut got too much attention. Even with Wash, him realizing how he was the Donut of Freelancer was more or less contributing to making Donut look good, as did Tucker’s moment. I like those scenes and I love Donut… but not everything had to be about him. He’s the main character, not the only one.

Let's do the Blues first. As I said, there were more or less just there and had no real major character development or effect on the plot. But that being said, they were given some legit good stuff. Tucker got it the best as he re-lived Crash Site Bravo and finally realized true leadership was. It was about stepping up when no one else would and when things were at their bleakest, not being the cool, macho guy like he kept acting like it was. Which after these past two seasons, was nice to see. I was one of the people who were perfectly fine with how Tucker was written the past two seasons because I could see why he had regressed. But I do know that a lot of people didn’t like it, and this feels like a good way to bring it all around. Have Tucker relive his worst moment, this time having to let it go through, and therefore truly remember what caused him to step up on Chorus: because he had to. It’s short, but it does its job and this along with his Labyrinth vision I think has really helped Tucker’s character immensely.

Caboose is overall pretty minor but had some good scenes like beating the shit out of Genkins in Episode 6 and figuring out how time travel worked before the others. It helps show that he’s an idiot, but he’s a smart idiot (if that makes any sense) and was a step up from his limited screentime last season. He also had my favorite line in the entire season (“These graphics look horrible!”). Sister was overall minor, but I’ll go into her later. You’ll see why when I get there. Doc was overall also minor and how the Hell he was in the Everwhen I’ll never know, but I do like him in the finale and finally getting a grip on O’Malley. He more or less is a combo of the two now and seems much more capable due to it, so that’s good. So yeah, while it may not have been a lot, the Blues and Doc were at least given something, which is better than nothing at all.

The Reds though… so you know how these past two seasons started giving them more development? You would think that since Donut is the main character, that would continue, right? Haha… nope! They went right back to ‘the comedy relief team who do absolutely nothing!’! Which after the past two seasons started to do more with them… yeah, this felt like a slap in the face. Sarge annoyed me this season. Mainly in Episode 7 where he was a hypocritical asshole about Donut’s betrayal, ignoring how he not that long ago betrayed everyone and was still feeling guilty about it. He was also the one primarily being a jerk to Donut, which did not do him any favors. I know it’s Sarge and he’s an asshole, so it’s not 100% unexpected… but I felt like it was pushed too much just to contribute to the ‘Donut is so unappreciated!’ arc. His speech in Episode 6 was hilarious though and I did like his Labyrinth vision showing that he can't handle both civilian or army life. It was surprisingly insightful in a way that I’m not used to with Sarge. So yeah, I feel his screentime was on par with Sister and Caboose at least.

Simmons… got nothing. Absolutely nothing. I mean the running gag where he kept seeing Donut shot was really funny, and it also meant he wasn't an asshole like Sarge. Heck, he seemed to be the only one willing to hear Donut out about saving them in Episode 7. And he did more or less point out how they could launch the gold club through the portal to stop Genkind from reigniting the paradox, which was minor but nice to see for him. Him not being a kissass anymore is also sticking, which seeing him back when he was pettier in Episode 2 did make me appreciate where he is now. The way that he was legit concerned for Donut during the ‘Wash shoots Donut’ gag also helps make it look like he at least cared about him in contrast to Sarge’s jackassery. But he was otherwise just there. Very least, it also means he was the only Red that I didn’t get frustrated about since his character remained consistent… until the finale with the utter bullshit that was his nightmare. Seriously guys, what the fuck?!

But at least with Sarge and Simmons, they weren’t exactly in the spotlight last season, so I don’t feel like I got cheated with them. I cannot say the same about Grif, however. Which we will cover that, as well as the Story section, in Part Two.

(Part Two)

[zwei-the-penguin-with-a-pen]

‘Stars’

So, this one isn't going to be much of a narrative story, really, just an account of my experiences meeting the cast of RWBY at NebKon. I'll try and make an actual story out of it, but no promises. You guys know, ZweI is a bit of a spazz when it comes to stuff like this.

ANYWAY, two days before the Kon our saga begins!

"ZWEI!" I hear after roaming the bus station for more than a few minutes. I look across the street and lay my eyes on Regular-Sized Jimmy. I say 'regular-sized' because in some circles I'm known as Little Jimmy. This Jimmy doesn't actually know me by either of those names and calls me my real one, but that isn't really anyone's business but mine.

So I grab my bag and haul across the street once the crosswalk lights permit me, and before I can even get in the car Jimmy begins to complain. This, that or the other, just general Kon stuff and things. This wouldn't be a problem if we hadn't had to drive all around Omaha during high-ish traffic and do fifty thousand errands even though one of us just got off a damned day-long bus ride.

RSJ's errands include picking up the Bobb, one of the housemates, bringing her to Omaha Oriental THE COOLEST SHOP KNOWN TO MAN BY THE WAY IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN OMAHA YOU SHOULD MAKE THE SCENE so she can acquire Kon supplies, a phrase which here means 'all manner of Asian junk food', and stopping at Lowe's for something or other for RSJ to finish his cosplay.

Finally, we make it to their house. My bestie is still at work, most unfortunately, but the wonderful Mick is home. She'd stayed home sick from work, which is never a good thing to have to do, but she felt better by the Kon. Good times to be had by all. After a hug and a few words, I go straight to 'my room' which is in disarray because it's only a storage area.

Mick apologizes for not having the room cleaned and ready for me, and I tell her to do no such thing. Also, I have just realized, as in just now at the time of this writing, that I'm writing in present tense. It fits well, even though I don't like the style, so I guess I'll keep it just this time.

Around 11, my bestie texts me that his occupational imprisonment has ended. I'm so glad he'll be home soon. Once he makes the scene he knocks on my door and proceeds to crash into my bed. Hang time ensues, as it's easier to stay awake with him talking to me. The rest of the roomies are quieter than I'm used to, so I had been dozing off here and there.

DAY BEFORE CON! RSJ works frantically to finish his cosplay, enlisting much help from Mick and at one point trying to recruit me. I inform him that I'm terrible with a paintbrush and would do more harm than good. Ooh, did I mention the Bobb bought takoyaki and shared with us? Good stuff, as far as fried balls of cabbage and octopus go. That was the night before. Anywho...

I try and get a jump on my writing challenge, knowing full well the Kon will swallow all my time the next three days. Bestie has work again because EFF BUCKY AND HIS CONVENIENCE STORE I mean what? I said no such thing! How dare you incinerate that I can't use big words!!

Sorry... not sorry at all. WAHAHAHAHA

FRIDAY, FIRST DAY OF CON!!!

Get packed, stop for breakfast at two in the afternoon, and suddenly we're at the Kon.

And I see cosplay before we ever even park the car. A Garnet from Steven Universe walks by us and we cheer for them. A Doctor Mercy, like from Overwatch but not in her battle gear, parks next to us.

We finally make it into the hotel and I'm completely mystified. There's cosplay everywhere. Did I mention this was my first nerd convention? I go to the check-in area and show my three-day pass to acquire my t-shirt. Then, whatever my bestie and I try to do after that repeatedly becomes entirely derailed as I become enamored with every other cosplayer that walked by me.

RWBY cosplayers seem to be the order of the weekend. I see more Noras and Yangs and Rubys than anything, but there are Torchwicks and Neos and even the occasional Adam. As the Kon goes on I see more Blakes, which is never a bad thing as she's my fave, and Jaunes and Rens and PYRRHAS. I miss my waifu. It's a shame she was murdered, but it was destiny or something.

She was based on Achilles...

Bestie and I make a couple of panels, including 'Walking in Godzilla's Footsteps' which is basically constructing a city out of cardboard boxes and destroying it over an over again. We meet Avatar Aang and Toph Beifong as well as Lord Raiden and even the real Nora Valkyrie. She worked on the Kon staff and was ALWAYS in character. Someone even asked me if she was Samantha Ireland because she had the voice down so well

She wasn't. I tell you, SHE WAS THE REAL NORA! She escaped into our world and wreaked havoc upon us. Unfortunately, she didn't break my legs. Oh well, maybe next time.

Next panel we make is Voice Acting 101, featuring Erica Lindbeck and Arryn Zech. MY BAE IS IN THE SAME ROOM AS ME YOU GUYS! And she's talking to Barbie, apparently. Yep, Erica Lindbeck is the voice actor for Barbie. Every time you see those Target holiday commercials, THAT'S MY GIRL! Also, we find out that Arryn is a massive Digimon fan. Ah, can I count the reasons I love this woman?

The first RWBY signing is right after this panel. We make the scene to find that the line has wrapped around two hallways. After nearly two hours of waiting they close the door on us. We never even got close. Good thing they were signing all three days.

Bestie and I make a short trip to Runza. Good eats, by the way. 12/10 would recommend. When we get back, we finally go to the hotel room and release most of the stuff we've been carrying and decide what we're to do next. I decide to take a rest before whatever the next panel I'm interested in, and I ended up crashing until after midnight and missing it. I catch up with bestie around 1:30, and we make the IT'S 2 AM AND WE'RE STILL GOING panel.

We roam around a bit longer after that before retiring to the room for all of two to three hours of sleep.

SATURDAY! The RWBY signing for this day is stupid early, so we leave the room by 8 and make the scene, and there's already a bit of a line. We end up in line behind a Penny, a Nora and a Ruby that are all friends. This Nora becomes known as 'Nora with the Hammer' because she had a Magnhild prop that was twice her height. Also, I need a title to differentiate from Duct Tape Nora who I met the day before and had an incredible cosplay.

Behind us are a couple fellow muggle folks, and Bestie gets to talking with them about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I pop in and out until they start talking about RWBY, at which point I spazz. Naturally. Oh yeah, the line finally starts moving, and before long we can see the doors of the room. Omaha D was the room in question.

Sometime during this wait, I see two professional cosplayers dressed as Ren and Pyrrha and beg for their picture. This happens a lot with different cosplays. Before much longer we're in the room and I can hardly contain myself.

Lindsay Jones notices my bestie's Rainbow Dash shirt and proclaims for the whole room to hear that RAINBOW DASH IS BEST PONY! Bestie warns her that she's in a gigantic den of nerds and that saying such things could start a rumble. She's Lindsay, though, so she should be fine.

I come next, and she thanks me for supporting the show. I tell her it's shaping up to be my favorite anime but that it will be tough to top Yu Yu Hakusho. "Excellent choice! I love Kuwabara!"

"HE'S ON YOUR SHOW NOW! OF COURSE, YOU LOVE HIM!!" I shriek as she signs my sketchbook and the poster for my niblings.

Kara comes next, and I mispronounce her name. She says nothing about it, instead lightly complaining about how the staff wants the signees to cut conversations with the guests short and that her favorite part of signings is the talking.

I'm swiftly approaching my bae, you guys. I'm shook that I'm this close to her. I'm clutching my drawing of her for dear life. Bestie mentions that we went to the VA 101 panel, and she apologizes. He goes on to mention the Digimon thing, saying that he's also a superfan.

"Ooh, Bob's Burgers!" Is the first thing Arryn says to me, noticing my favorite shirt. She asks where I got it after she signs my things, and even asks for a picture of it. THERE'S A PICTURE OF ME ON ARRYN ZECH'S PHONE YOU GUYS!! I'm still shook.

She mentions her boyfriend, as his name is Bob, and I say that I used to watch his show, The 100, but I lost track of it because I'm terrible at watching shows. "So, I made you something..." I say, passing her the picture.

SHE WIGS OUT THAT I DREW HER! "WHOA! SHUT UP! THAT'S SO SWEET OF YOU!"

"I'm sorry I made your eyelash game so strong, but I'm glad you like it!" And then I ask her for a picture. And my soul leaves my body as I snap the photograph.

On to Barbara, still buzzing hard from Arryn. Barb makes puns at my bestie, as he made a joke about the Yang cosplayer a few people in front of us. "DUDE, YANG'S ABOUT TO MEET YANG! tHE UNIVERSE WILL IMPLODE!"

"Yeah, especially if they start cracking jokes..." I mention. Barb signs us and makes puns at us. Lovely times.

And finally, we reach Elizabeth Maxwell. In addition to Winter Schnee, we find out that she voiced Lady Urbosa from Breath of the Wild. Bestie tells her that she's her favorite Gerudo. I get an Urbosa poster for her to sign, planning to give it to Bestie. She notices my shirt and we talk Bob's for a minute.

And our mission is complete, so we make our way to the nearest eats we can find. After filling our faces we find our way to the vendors' block and proceed to spend more money than is humanly necessary. Soon we catch up with RSJ and Mick at a panel on cosplay fabrics. Later we catch the RWBY Q&A, and times are great until that business with that one guy that is not our friend.

We also see Her Majesty the King leaving the bar as we're heading into the jam with Bard and friends. THE BARD LET ME PLAY HIS GUITAR! WE JAMMED SO HARD YOU GUYS! So did everyone in the place. It was a beautiful time, it really was.

On Sunday, Bestie got signed by Todd Haberkorn for a friend of ours, and as he waited he found a Weird Al cosplayer WITH AN ACCORDION! Dance party shenanigans ensue, naturally.

We catch up again later and make the 'How'd We Do' review panel and Closing Ceremonies. We're super bummed that the Kon has just ended. We eventually make it back home, and I crash on his floor before I realize what's going on. The next afternoon I catch a bus back to Louisiana, still spinning from everything.

So yeah, that's how Remnant was made... or something.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I MET MY BAE!!!

*makes heart eyes for forever and a week*

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Day 18: A VA dressed as their character

For once, I have more than a rant for this day. XD

But yeah, meeting them all was glorious.

Oh yeah, i’m finally caught up. Well, i will be when I finished the next fic. Formal wear. Hmm...