#had all the rights mars was being kinda spunky

[caemidraws]

Small talk

[pkmnsdarkqueen]

All Karen ships rated (update)

Original here 

I did this like a few months after making this account, and I thought it’d be fun to go back and re look at my ratings

Also since this one isn’t a dare to rate EVERY ship I am cutting out the protag/companion section since they’re all underaged and the original ratings reflected thus wiht them all being a no. Also getting rid of ones where she’s with a pokemon. 

Finally I’m gonna add some ones I like to the very end

strike through=my side commentary, trying to be funny italicized=if asked I’d be down to rp it mostly just to see how/it it’d work bold=ship name and who in it to help you find a certain ship highlights=they are grouped up, again in case you want to find that one ship * by ship name=Super random ships I find kinda wild ! by ship name=Dramatic change to original rating

ships on ‘never ending romance’ website. 

Karen w/ a Villian:

! 180Shipping - Karen & Shelly -2 bad a ladies over here kicking butt and being fashionable heck yes, but also Karen is an awful swimmer so let the cute romance ensue 8/10

*AphoticShipping - Saturn & Karen-Karen would find it fun to mess with from time to time, and maybe could work. 5/10

*AtrociousShipping - Karen & Mars-I mean possible, but also Mars is really kinda child like so Karen may just want to protect her instead. 4/10

BarghestShipping - Karen & Lavana-I feel like it’d be like shipping Karen with a cheerleader…an evil cheerleader. 2/10

! DarkIntentionShipping - Giovanni & Karen-Tbh yeah I like it. Just depends though because again she grew up with Silver who she is like a mom (or older sis some days) to, so that would have to be worked out. Plus she’s kinda miffed he left Silver from seeing how much it hurt him. But also hateship to romance, basically I’ve been giving this one more thought and it could be heckin cute. 9/10

*IcePinkShipping - Karen & Lovrina-No too whinney and arrogant for Karen. 0/10

***ImperiousShipping - Hunter J & Karen-Oh dear gosh no, haaaard no, And before you ask about Twist!verse they’d be both too emotionally closed. -50/100

! KariShipping - Courtney (Magma) & Karen- Been thinking about this one too and the more i think about it the less I see it. Both are too closed/awkward. 1/10

LiaisonShipping - Petrel & Karen-Kinda cute in a way with them balancing each other out. It’s like obvious psycho with subtle psycho, and seems fun. 8/10

! PaybackShipping - Archer & Karen- Briefly had a little shipping with this and tbh really enjoyed it. If in an au just the dynamic of the couple in 101 Dalmatians would be these two. In main verse you could have them sneaking the romance and such to not get caught. Also evil Karen? Or good Archer? 9/10

PerishSongShipping - Proton & Karen-He’s a bit reactive for her, and cocky though maybe she’d balance him out? 5/10

! StrangeloveShipping - Domino & Karen-…I dunno why she makes me think of sailor moon, but she does Evil Karen? then ye this could work and be fun, maybe Twist!verse would even work. 8/10

TenebrousShipping - Ariana & Karen-I find it funny the team Karen was vaguely a part of, and now is a part of her life she works so hard to distance from is the one she’s shipped with ALOT. Oh and Galactic of all things is second most common for some reason. Also eh on this one. Ariana has that mom vibe, and Karen distances herself from that usually. 3/10

Karen w/ gym leader:

*BerthierShipping - Cress & Karen-I dunno because he seems like a 16 year old teen to me, but their personalities would work, so maybe. 5/10

BittersweetShipping - Karen & Whitney-Hm I can think of some interesting plots with Karen’s early elite four days as when they meet. Not sure what they’d have in common though. 4/10

! BracknellShipping - Gardenia & Karen-Karen likes grass tyoes and Gardenia has that somewhat wild side that Karen likes I can see them spending late nights camping after exploring all day. 8/10

***ChalcedoniteShipping - Karen & Roxanne-Isn’t she like 16? Also I feel Karen would just see her as a spunky kid 0/10

! CockroachShipping - Burgh & Karen-Can we appreciate the name please…..Ok cool. Ok but Karen trying to learn how to paint the normal way and showing Burgh how to do spray paint work or paint a motorcycle? Look I think they’d be cute. 8/10

! ColdNightShipping - Candice & Karen-Yes, double yes. Candice talking about the pressure of having the meeting point of dialgia, palkia, and giratina so close plus the regi temple, and lake acuity. Like the pressure of keeping all of these legendary places safe is alot of pressure. Then Karen knowing about ho-oh and wanting to keep them safe, anyways they can bond ina . cool way. 10/10

*DarkActShipping - Brycen-Man & Karen-Not Brycen, Brycen-Man. I really dunno because I feel like it’d be too close to the Masked Man for her to be comfortable. 2/10

DarkalleyShipping - Volkner & Karen-Hmmmmm maybe, but also I feel Volkner needs a more high energy person, so 3/10. As the toxic relationship their a part of in some hallmark like plot though 10/10

DarkGaleShipping - Karen & Winona-A possibility, but I kinda see them as friends just chillin watchin clouds. 3/10

*DarkHarvestShipping - Cilan & Karen-Didn’t know Karen was popular with the trio, but ok. Anyways if he’s alot like he is in the anime thats gonna be a hard no. otherwise, eh maybe? 4/10

DarkMarshShipping - Karen & Sabrina-Friends I think. Like they’d be comfortable around each other, but no spark in that way. 1/10

ElectricDarknessShipping - Elesa & Karen-I sort of want it just because while Karen dresses nice she is a tomboy meaning the clashes about fashion or manners would be great. 8/10

FightNightShipping - Karen & Maylene-If they were in the plot of a secret fight club, a hard yes. Otherwise, I don’t see it. 1/10

GabbroShipping - Brock & Karen-I want to see Brock do his whole freak out just to write Karen’s way to shoot him down. After all romance takes awhile for, and if aggressive is your first interaction it scares her. Though he does stand down after being rejected so she’d respect that, and maybe think about giving a chance. 5/10

GothShipping - Clair & Karen-Popular yes, but I like the Cynthia, Karen, Clair girl squad dynamic so much more. 2/10

ImpShipping - Karen & Valerie-Karen being vastly confused but fascinated by the antics of Valerie sounds cute.  7/10

InsectQueenShipping - Karen & Viola-The plots would be cute knowing Karen’s quirks with cameras. 8/10

LamentShipping - Flannery & Karen-Idk due to lack of things to connect on overriding if personalities would work. 3/10

LiptonShipping - Jasmine & Karen-I wanna say no cause I think she’d be too sweet for Karen, but also yes because she can get super intimidating and tiny Jas actually wearing the pants in their relationship sounds interesting 5/10

**MortelleShipping - Fantina & Karen-Naw…to much flash and show for Karen, but maybe contest mentor. Also Karen has a vendetta against Amity Square for it’s selectiveness of ‘cute pokemon’. 0/10

! NightsongShipping - Falkner & Karen-The name of this ship is amazing, but Falkner is like one of those characters who gets shipped aorund with EVERYONE like really it’s kinda ridiculous and I’m tired of him just beign thrown at everyone 2/10

! PaintedLadyShipping - Bugsy & Karen-How is this one not for Burgh?  Yeah no he’s just too much like a kid. 0/10

RafureShipping - Erika & Karen-…can their Vileplume’s fall in love instead? I’m 10/10 for that. Between them 2/10

RiddlesInTheDarkShipping - Blaine & Karen-…Eh…or we could not, and maybe they just are friends. I don’t really see romance blooming there. 0/10

SchwarzFlashShipping - Lt. Surge & Karen-Them both having PTSD? Maybe helping each other? I mean I wouldn’t mind giving it a shot. 7/10

ScotopiaShipping - Karen & Skyla-Maybe too much spunk like Rosa, but Karen would admire her determination. 4/10

SilkShipping - Janine & Karen-No pls. I see Karen as her unofficially adopted big sis, and find that adorable. 0/10

! UnderworldShipping - Morty & Karen- So far this has proven to be a hard no, and tbh I kinda like it better that way.  0/10

***WhiteMoonShipping - Pryce & Karen-Even in a verse he wasn’t The Masked Man imma give this a hard no. 0/10

Karen w/ an elite:

AphroditeShipping - Koga & Karen  -He’s like her dad…so…no. -50/10

BadRomanceShipping - Grimsley & Karen-Bad romance is a good title cause I feel it’d be a rough start. 10/10

*BlackGlacierShipping - Glacia & Karen-Tbh not sure if they have much at all in common. 1/10

BlackiceShipping - Karen & Lorelei-Ok maybe because they have some similarities, but tbh I like the older gal pal bond alot. 5/10  

DarkEliteShipping - Sidney & Karen-A more punk relationship in this elite match-up, but I could see it working. 10/10

DarkKnightShipping - Wikstrom & Karen-Again the title tho! I mean yeah I think I could see it from her finding him quirky, but in a good way. Although they have wildy different aesthetics so it’d depend on interpretations. Right now I do love the dynamicKaren has with a Wikstrom account.  8/10

DelilahShipping - Bruno & Karen-Eh maybe? I like the uncle and niece bromance they have tho. 4/10

! DementiaShipping - Lucian & Karen-I feel like they’d either clash or hit it off with no inbetween. I Still stand by this but I think they’d everntually fall for each other.  9/10

DisownShipping - Agatha & Karen-NOOOOO don’t make Gma relationship sexy! -50/10

! HellaFineEliteShipping - Karen & Malva- Ok so came back, and yeah I could see it, but depends on interpretations again because they could just more easily spark into a fight or if the first interaction went sour not give it another shot. 5/100

IntuitiveShipping - Siebold & Karen-Actually had a rp with them shipped, was Twist!verse tho giving Siebold that rescuer mentality which helped. In general though I kinda want to see it. 7/10

LambentShipping - Flint (elite) & Karen-Hm. Maybe? Like, ok the dynamic personality helps, but also would be a slow burn. 5/10

MasakudoShipping - Will & Karen- I love it in some ways, but I also feel as though they’ve see so much of each other’s absolute worst sides it wouldn’t work. ???/10

! NightmareShipping - Karen & Phoebe-Eh they’d be good friends but I can’t see them really hitting it off as far as things they have in common. 3/10

NoWeaknessShipping - Karen & Shauntal-Ok bumbling dork sounds cute, and her defending from Grimsley’s teasing sounds cute, and great now I find this cute. 8/10

RhymeShipping - Aaron (elite) & Karen-…ArE thEsE tWo ONly ShIPpeD cAUsE thEiR NAmEs RhYmE?! Jokes on you because imagine them working out together, or exploring the woods, or yeah let’s ship this! 8/10

ShootingStarShipping - Drake (Orange) & Karen-Hm, I mean I would like to see it before going anywhere with it. 4/10

SuckerPunchShipping - Marshal & Karen-…I see it more than Bruno, but also feel as though they could clash some how personality wise. I’d like to see a plot for it though. 4/10

TerrifyingShipping - Caitlin & Karen-They both have awful sleep schedules so I feel like trying to get a time they’re both awake would be a problem, and personality wise would clash. 1/10

Karen w/ a champion:

BoadiceaShipping - Cynthia & Karen-I like the best friend bond a thousand times better, but I see the appeal 7/10 BumpShipping - Steven Stone & Karen-If you asked me when I started this account I would of said,”in what world?” Now after having various interaction with multiple accounts I’m like 10/10 DreamTeamShipping - Alder & Karen-Eh…yes…and no? Like he did hit on Cynthia and she has qualities like her, so could maybe work.  6/10 NeoEliteShipping - Lance & Karen-Like yeah I can see it. It’d take flippin forever with Karen being a royal butt most of the time while adjusting to elite life, and then after that they’re both closed off with emotions so it’s take awhile. 10/10 I hate that my prediction was correct

Karen w/ a minor GAME npc:

BoxVirusShipping - Brigette & Karen-Could be interesting, but I’m not sold all the way 3/10 CassiaShipping - Karen & Sina-Very random, and tbh I say no because of what little they would connect on 0/10 ChicoryShipping - Cheryl & Karen-Cheryl is so sweet. I feel too sweet because Karen needs someone that will argue with her when she needs redirecting 0/10 ClosestShipping - Karen & Zinnia-I mean the rebellious streak, the slightly odd behavior? Karen would find it intriguing, and if the move was made she wouldn’t oppose it. 9/10 ! DarkMagicShipping - Eusine & Karen-Better watch out Morty, Ms. Steal Ya Dude is ova here! Yeah no no, they can only clash. Even without Morty beign the catalyst these 2 would clash. 0/10 DarkServiceShipping - Darach & Karen-Heh…the name alone tho. x3 (i am mature I swear) Ok kinda random, but possible. She isn’t one to look down on someone due to social status. 5/10 ! DarkShadowsShipping - Ingo & Karen -Him and his bro are so easy to ship to me, and yes she’d find his quirks cute while dragging him out of his shell while he’d keep her grounded. 10/10 DarkSpecterShipping - Riley & Karen-Like ok yeah, the mysterious vibe combined with a strong goal. I can see it. 7/10 ! GigabyteShipping - Bill & Karen-idk, Karen may not be a big science person but she finds it kind of interesting to listen to. Could work. 5/10 KurumiShipping - Karen & Lisia-Comin for ya girl Wallace! Tbh tho idk because I could see them having a cute mentee relationship if Karen did competition with the twist in dynamic of her mentor being younger. As for romance 3/10 NoirShipping - Karen & Marley-Karen’s inner thoughts as a person. Like could work, or maybe too similar. 3/10 SeventhJugglerShipping - Juggler (Trainer class) & Karen-Lol the title tho, like seventh juggler!? Boi has no name! I mean ok, sure. I love a relationship that keeps both parties guessing, and if Karen can handle WIll I think she’d be down to handle a second clown. XD 8/10

Karen w/ a minor ANIME/MOVIE npc:

BahamarShipping - Karen & Olesia-Don’t get at all, and I think she’s barely an adult 0/10 CamdenShipping - Karen & Michelle-Would make more sense with Lance 1/10 DarkMotherSocietyShipping - Delia & Karen-Why does everyone want ash’s mom? Also no. 0/10 DetoxicationShipping - Karen & Sakura-Aw naw, wholesome friendship. 0/10 FavoriteShipping - Lawrence III & Karen-Karen in twist!verse, yes. A hard yes. 10/10 Otherwise…eh…maybe? 5/10 GothicDJShipping - Karen & DJ Mary-Enemies 10/10, mostly Karen’s side. With her reporting on Karen’s past, and asking invasive questions wanting a scoop for her show. Romance -50/10 HazyShipping - Karen & Solidad-She’‘s down to earth, and I think her groove may fit well w/ Karen 6/10 LiminalShipping - Sir Aaron & Karen-Can we please just agree this is Riley but in his mega form? 7/10 MorriganShipping - Karen & Moria-I have no idea where this one came from, and I’m eh. 1/10

Karen w/ a Frontier brain:

AshikoShipping - Greta & Karen-Eh, I don’t see anything really 1/10 CapriShipping - Dahlia & Karen-Idk why I feel like they’re the same person, but I do, and eh. 4/10 DarkLuckShipping - Karen & Lucy-Her and Brock tho…also I feel like they’d fall into awkward silences often. 2/10 YorShipping - Brandon & Karen-Maybe as vigilantes together, that’d be a fun plot. Shipping though Idk. 4/10

TCG Characters: (All 0)

TaladasShipping - Felicity & Karen-Another news personality, but also with theatrics and I just don’t see it. 0/10 DarknessEnergyShipping - Mark & Karen-Not much on this guy. It’s a no cause she’s see him as a child, but look him up. 0/10 MoonSugarShipping - Karen & Mint-No iz too child, and also look the kid up. 0/10

OTHER MANGA Characters:

DarkGirlShipping - Karen & Rug-Turns out this is a real person, and not an actual rug. My bad. Also no she’d likely take the girl in as a mentee though. 0/10 MephistoShipping - Karen & Pauline-….eh. 1/10 RosarioShipping - Daisy (Cerulean) & Karen-I feel like it’s a possibility, but I’m not jumping full on board. 4/10

Karen and multiple people: (All are gonna be a no romantically because I don’t see Karen being poly, but I’ll give plot ideas)

DarkPathShipping - Brycen-Man, Grimsley, Sidney & Karen-Brycen is random….? Unless they do a movie where they’re all the bad guys and him as the ultimate villain maybe? Movie idea, 10/10.

DuskShipping - Karen, Houndoom & Skuntank-I can see Karen with a skunktank, and Garnet teaming with one for a double battle would be cool. 10/10

DystopianDarkActShipping - Brycen-man, Cyrus, Karen & Marley-Brycen-Man is everywhere with Karen, and I don’t know why…also sort of random combination…based on the name maybe a plot with them in a dystopian world. For some apocalypse theme plot though 10/10  

EcostasisShipping - Flint (elite), Volkner, Candice, Karen & Sabrina-So the name is about extra bone formation….people that should all join team skull? Ooooor lab experiment plot? I guess 7/10

ElitismShipping - Falkner, Morty, Will, Clair, Karen & Whitney-I feel like the title is implying them thinking they’re better than everyone. I see none of this from any of these people, and am confused. 0/10

EsotericShipping - Grimsley, Sidney & Karen-YAAAAS DARK SQUAD! The name does suit them, and I don’t need to list any plots they easily make their own. 100/10

FrostingShipping - Dawn, Karen & Lovrina-Pulling from all the verses here, and all I see is a gal pal adventure. An odd adventure. KInda down tho. 5/10

HaremTaroShipping - Gold (Special), Crystal, Jasmine, Karen, DJ Mary & Whitney-I’ve never watched the anime this one is referring to so ???/10

HeolstorShipping - Falkner, Morty & Karen-There is no meaning behind the name, but maybe they’d be good camping buds. 7/10

IndigoLeagueShipping - Bruno, Koga, Lance, Will & Karen-As really super good friends, heck ye! Imagine a prank war plot now! 10/10

JohtoHaremShipping - Jimmy (Kenta), Karen, Marina (Johto), DJ Mary, Sakura & Whitney-….Due to the title there is clearly only one intention for this, and please no. -1000/10

KinkShipping - Erika, Karen & Sabrina-If you’re kink is having a good time pokemon battling! C’mon they’d be another awesome girl squad! :D (The things I do to keep sex talk at a pg-13 level). As buds 10/10

KuroyukihimeShipping - Princess Allie, Candice & Karen-Karen would want to punt the princess. Plot of her and Candice babysitting this child, and holding each other back from strangling her 9/10

LooseShipping - Cynthia, Jessie, Karen & Misty-…As a Gal pal squad that sounds awesome, and I want them all stuck bonding in a high school detention together. You got sporty chic (Misty), Delinquente (Karen), Theater kid (Jessie), and Miss Perfect (Cynthia) 10/10

LoyalMaskShipping - Carl, Will, Karen & Sham-I WANT TO WRITE OR RP THIS CREW SO BADLY! AH! Like, PLEASE! 1000/10

MaskedChildrenShipping - Carl, Silver (Special), Will, Blue (female), Karen & Sham-AGAIN! I WANNA WRITE THIS CREW! Not as much as the LoyalMask, but I LOVE DIS CREW! Fear the children! 10/10

MaskedGirlsShipping - Blue (female), Karen & Sham-Evil girly child squad sounds great! 10/10

MatsuriShipping - Morty, Agatha & Karen-I am imagining Agatha mentoring both of them, and they’re competing to be stronger. Don’t know past that, but sounds interesting 8/10

MidnightGardenShipping - Gardenia, Karen & Roxanne-I actually want them to start a gardening group that only meets at night. Sounds fun tbh, and could have some quirky fluff plots. 8/10

NewLookShipping - Elesa, Karen, Sabrina & Shelly-Them all shopping together sounds amazing. For each other would be interesting, but for another person sounds like absolute chaos, and I love it. 10/10

QuirkyMoonSugarShipping - Greta, Karen, Mint & Whitney-lot of verses here. Um yes definaley all quirky, dunno how their dynamic would be though. 2/10

ShadowedShipping - Clair, Cynthia & Karen-Again gal pals. 10/10

SororityShipping - Flannery, Karen & Lily (Kanto)-Them in a sorority maybe fun. I’m sorta down 6/10

ThreatOnAlertShipping - Grimsley, Morty, Alexa (XY), Dahlia & Karen-Is this a group of the most paranoid people because if so yeah I agree. 10/10

XenonDarkActShipping - Brycen-Man, Paul, Wallace & Karen-Another movie with them all as bad guys maybe? Idk how Paul would fit tho so 8/10 ShitennouShipping - Aaron (elite), Bruno, Drake (Hoenn), Flint (elite), Grimsley, Koga, Lance, Lucian, Marshal, Sidney, Siebold, Wikstrom, Will, Agatha, Bertha, Caitlin, Drasna, Glacia, Karen, Lorelei, Malva, Phoebe & Shauntal (gen infinite)-…Ok so this is basically everyone, and sure yeah let’s make em all buds. Down w/ that. I’d like giant team up, but am not writing all of that alone. 10/10

Karen with….Karen….????: (I had no idea where to fit this in.)

PerkyGothShipping - Karen & herself-She would know what herself needs to hear, so good, but also she likes different things, and may get bored. I suppose it depends on portrayal. ???/10

Other ships 

BlackCatDog Shipping - Karen & Nanu They were shipped for a bit and I still think it’s a cute possibility. If nothing else just them talking about their pasts would be interesting. They’ve both been through alot. 8/10

MoonFlare Shipping - Karen & Lysandre If I could only choose 1 ship for Karen it’d be this one. I just really like the parallels that they have with each other, and how both of them have compassion for the opposite sides but due to roughly a similar reason. I’d have to go into alot to explain all that though. Basically I just really like how opposites attract here cause they’d both have to grow. 10/10

Aqua Moon shipping - Karen & Archie Again Karen’s awful around water and I just think these two would have a blast interacting with each other. They’d also both be able to have serious moments too,a nd could even talk about what it was like to leave Rocket. Also I have a really awesome idea for Deity!Verse. 8/10

BlackPaint Shipping - Karen & Mina  This combines Karen and art like with the Burgh ship, plus fairy shenanigans like with Valerie, and also the punk but soft vibe both of these gals bring to the table. I love it 10/10

MoonHearts Shipping - Karen & Sonia Sonia trying to figure out how to scientist, and Karen trying to figure out how to elite, and them both being dorks. I love it! 8/10

MoonHive - Karen & Professor Juniper Juniper being science nerd but also super deep and philosophical and just her and Karen spending late nights talking about anything and everything sounds cute. 7/10

NightWatchers - Karen & Looker Ye they’d picker sometimes and yes Karen’s bar might become a problem, but what if they have to work together and spy shenanigans ensue with these dorks insisting to themselves they need to stay professional. Cute af. 10/10

BlackSmog Shipping - Karen & Tabitha  Tbh I could see it. I’m not as firmly sold as some others but I can see it working. Besides Karen doesn’t care if someone’s an ex criminal or has humble beginnings. so ye could work! Although she’d def want to get Tabitha to work out with her. 6/10

[armorbirdpress]

Armor Bird Reviews: Black Panther

Heyo, it's been so freaking long since I've done a movie review! But in the wake of all the positive reactions, hype, and feels surrounding the Black Panther movie, I knew for a fact that I HAD to give it a review after seeing it this past weekend. I’ve already posted this review on the PPC Board, so if you want to check it out, the alternative link is here!

Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, and is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Ryan Coogler, and written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, it stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther, alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. As with any MCU movie, a lot of fanfare and attention has been drawn to this film, and I was dying to see it to determine if it lived up to all the hype; I am so very glad that we got tickets in advance to watch this movie, because otherwise all the seats would’ve been taken by the time we got to the theater - there were just that many people who wanted to see it. And just as well, because good golly, it is an absolute masterpiece. Spoilers under the cut!

Starting things off with the writing and characterization, I have to say that almost all the characters in the film were enjoyable and engaging to watch, and there were plenty of great moments from everyone concerned. T'Challa, despite being the obvious star of the show, actually feels kinda stoic compared to the liveliness of quite a few of the secondary characters which I'll get to a bit later, but he still has a compelling storyline, and while I was worried that he'd remain somewhat static throughout the movie, there were quite a few gut punches that ensured that he'd grow as a person and also as a ruler. The movie did a good job of demonstrating that he had big shoes to fill in a metaphorical sense, and also that even if T'Chaka had tried to be the best example that he could be for his son, his past mistakes would still come to light eventually and force T'Challa to reevaluate his worldview. This is especially apparent when it becomes known that T'Chaka, when he had donned the Black Panther suit, had been forced to kill the Wakandan traitor whose son would grow up to become Killmonger. It was a split-second decision driven by the impulse to save the life of the other Wakandan spy present, but the urge to keep up appearances for the sake of the nation ended up having far-reaching consequences that would've resulted in far more unnecessary casualties if T'Challa and later M'Baku and his tribe hadn't intervened. That kind of split-second decision is mirrored in the story in general, when T'Challa's lack of information regarding Killmonger's origin story almost costs him the throne and even his life, only being saved by the intervention of M'Baku and his remaining allies' delivery of the last Heart-Shaped Herb. Eventually, after fighting his way back to his own kingdom, he's forced to deal with Killmonger using the only remaining option left after the failure of diplomacy and civility, through violence and possible death. This history essentially repeating itself is one of the biggest contributions to T'Challa's character growth, and also his decision to make Wakanda a more publicly open nation willing to use its resources to aid the world at large in the end. It shows that he's realized how much impact even very short-term decisions can have in a sort of ripple effect, as well as the major setback of trying to lock Wakanda as a whole behind figurative closed doors: that sort of isolationism prevents you from interacting with the world around you and, like it or not, making the kinds of mistakes needed to move forward.

Naturally, since T'Challa sets a pretty high bar, the secondary characters and antagonists kinda have to settle for being second fiddle, but they all have traits of their own that help move the plot forward. The main antagonist, the aforementioned Killmonger, is interesting among the other Marvel villains in that instead of the typical "KILL EVERYTHING" or "take over the world" MO (or sometimes both) without many reasons other than "MWAHAHA I'M EVIL", he actually has a rather valid and understandable reason for his actions. The recent instances of black people being persecuted simply for their color, even in the modern day and age, are a strong force of motivation grounded in a sad reality, although the means by which Killmonger was planning to achieve that goal - by waging war on every other race - were undoubtedly going to cause as many problems as they'd solve if not more. Another interesting factor is how Killmonger's rule essentially divides up the entire nation; while Shuri (whom I'll get to later) is loyal to T'Challa through and through, and goes out of her way to help him and his cause, other characters like Okoye (initially) and W'Kabi simply serve the man in the throne whether or not he's truly fighting for the force of good. This actually threatens to tear the nation apart during Killmonger's campaign, and again, it's only because T'Challa and M'Baku's tribe join forces to stop him that things don't escalate into all-out carnage. As a wise man once said, hate begets hate - whether you think it's justified or not, the total extermination of people who are different than you, even if a few gave you grief in the past, is the wrong way to act, and only makes you like those very people who attacked you first. I have to give props to T'Challa for not falling into the same trap that his father did and offing Killmonger directly; instead, he attempted to show mercy, as well as a Wakandan sunset like in the tales Killmonger had heard as a child, but rather than spend life in prison with his reputation in shambles, Killmonger chose to essentially commit suicide and end the cycle. Even if he nearly caused an all-out civil war within the Wakandan borders, Killmonger is still a tragic figure, and that makes a big impact on all of us.

My favorite character by far, however, has to be Shuri. It's established very early on that she's not only a child prodigy, but also a youthful, spunky teenager with a wholesome sense of humor (and in at least three instances, a penchant for memery, trolling, and cringe-inducing puns on almost the same level as Chibi Yang). While she seems to be a light-hearted comic relief, though, she also plays one of the most critical roles in the story - rescuing the Heart-Shaped Herb that would later be given to T'Challa for his second wind - and her humor is offset by a dedication to her responsibilities as well as her intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of the Black Panther role as well as his loyalty to T'Challa regardless of the situation. It's probably this that leads to her being so important in helping T'Challa recover, and I'm proud of her for being both the heart of the movie (T'Challa, of course, being the soul) and a nuanced and lovable character in her own right.

The writing of the movie is also quite well done due to the points noted above and much more. Racism, prejudice, loyalty, and the impact of even the smallest things are themes that are prominent throughout the entire movie. I was very concerned that the sole major white character, Everett Ross, would turn out to be a villain (though thankfully that wasn't the case, and he gets an awesome support role in the climax that Han Solo would be proud of), and Ulysses Klaue IS a secondary antagonist, but it's interesting that ultimately, the conflict is waged by blacks, among blacks. This ties into the concept that there is no such thing as reverse racism - even if it's blacks persecuting whites, it's still way over the line if it isn't in self-defense. The conflicting solutions proposed by T'Challa and Killmonger - coming to terms with the outside world and reaching out to lend aid to it vs. only looking out for your own and forsaking all others to keep them from harm - are an uncomfortable mirror to a lot of real-world politics in recent years, but in true MCU tradition, it's the idealistic approach that wins the day in the end, although as expected for a conflict as intense as this, there are still quite a few casualties at the end of it all, and unlike many other instances in the MCU and beyond, most of these are impactful and placed tactfully enough to move the story forward.

I dont' even need to say that the graphics and visuals of this movie are absolutely gorgeous. Wakanda as a city is stunning, the various African landscapes breathtaking, and the vehicle design and choreography as masterful as a Star Wars movie. The costume and character design as well are splendid, and it is at this point that I'd like to call attention to the costume designer for this movie: Ruth E. Carter, who's also done work for such films as "Malcom X" and "School Daze" - plus she's African, and has done extensive research for this movie's designs, drawing from a wide variety of African cultures. Really, this entire movie is a feast for the eyes and absolutely worth seeing for that fact alone. My one gripe is that the war rhinos seen early in the movie and then in the climax are notably CGI, and could've been improved with some animatronic work like in the first Jurassic Park movie (or heck, they could even have used real rhinos, but IDK how much hassle that would've resulted in), but that's a minor quibble that doesn't detract from an otherwise spectacular feature.

I'm well aware that complaints about this movie have had to be filtered extensively on RottenTomatoes to prevent Internet Racism(TM) from marring the reviews unnecessarily, but that's a can of worms I'm not going into for the sake of my dignity. On my own terms, however, I do have one suggestion for improving the movie: instead of murdering Klaue just halfway through the movie, Killmonger could've just as easily pounded him into submission and forced him to work for him as a sort of Dragon (in TV Tropes lingo). T'Challa and Ross vs. Killmonger and Klaue would've been interesting to see, especially considering how threatening Klaue was with his cyborg arm and what it could do to both T'Challa and those poor innocent vehicles involved in the car chase in Korea. He'd have made an interesting secondary antagonist that could've opportunistically interfered with the warring parties and stirred up tensions just to tear down Wakanda out of spite. I'm not about to suggest an "Everett vs. Klaue" scenario - which was actually what Everett was planning in the first place when he entered this movie - but giving Klaue a bigger role before he gets offed would've made said murder more impactful and karmatic after all he's done. That's largely splitting hairs, though - I'm sure there are people who instead feel that Killmonger getting rid of Klaue early prevents competition. Who knows?

On a final note, here are two things I really want to see in future MCU films: 1) a movie with a predominantly Asian cast and setting, and 2) a movie starring Devil Freaking Dinosaur. I'll admit that both of these are kinda self-centered, but the first one in particular is probably more desirable at large because there aren't that many Asian characters at all in the MCU (Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and Colleen Wing from the Iron Fist TV show are probably the only ones I can think of off the top of my head, though I may have missed a few more), but one of the big things I'm noticing from the Black Panther release is that African-American and black children have come to look up to him as a hero in the same way that a lot of girls look up to Wonder Woman with the number growing since her own film release - so if the same thing could happen with an Asian superhero, that would be amazing. A quick look at the Marvel Comics online archives presents me with Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, who has actually joined the Avengers in the comics and would make a very interesting and cool addition to their MCU incarnation. As for Devil Dinosaur, I don't even need to explain why he'd become beloved if he ever shows up in a MCU movie, even as a minor character... just keep him away from the palaeo-discourse and he should be fine.

All in all,

Black Panther

isn't a perfect movie, but it's very close to being one and I'm so happy for its success. While there are a few minor things I feel would've been worth fixing here and there, I don't see any obvious faults and certainly none that detract from how amazing it is. Do yourself a favor and give it a spin - I can promise that you'll be in for a visual and auditory treat from start to finish.

Grading Scheme:

96 - 100: A+

93 - 96: A

90 - 92.9: A-

87 - 89.9: B+

83 - 86.9: B

80 - 82.9: B-

77 - 79.9: C+

73 - 76.9: C

70 - 72.9: C-

67 - 69.9: D+

60 - 66.9: D

Below 60: E

Grades:

Writing: 9

Characterization: 9

Pacing: 8

Creativity: 9

Consistency: 9

Cinematography: 10

World Building: 9

Music and Sound: 10

Effects: 9

Engagement: 9

Final Grade: 91 (A-)

[psalm51-6-blog]

Joy Equals Strength - Week Seven

Happy week seven everyone!

Halfway through February and loving 2019.

It’s been challenging- I’ve been feeling more challenged in every area of my life- probably because I know I’m doing the right thing - blogging, meeting, encouraging people. But those challenges aren’t gonna stop me! I’m fighting, I’m here to stay and I’m not going anywhere! The Lord purpose and plan is in full swing!

This week seemed to be a blur- no sick kids this week! Hallelujah!

We did schedule W for tubes to be put in her ears and hopefully help drain some of the continuous fluid in her ear drums and get her more permanent relief.

Week Seven - Joy Givers

In all transparency, Randy and I had a week of crucial conversations- not bad ones, just the ones you finally have when the kids go to bed and you realize at this pace, you’re gonna be exhausted soon and not make any personal progress on God’s purpose on our lives. Like I said, good conversation, just tough.

Randy I try to listen to the (some) of the same podcasts, sermons, and books, so that we have more than just the kids to talk about and to be sure that we are feeding our spiritual selves.

With a busy schedule, we are still listening to multiple “new year’ podcasts, and I kinda like it. Now that many of the warm and fuzzy resolutions have dissolved- so it’s nice to regain perspective and motivation to pick up where you left off, or just keep going!

One night this week, Randy asked me, “What are you holding on to that is keeping you from where you wanna be?” And as much as I wanted to say ‘winning the lottery, duh?!’ I sat and thought and we continued to talk through our purpose and goals for ourselves and as a family. We counted our wins and our opportunities and I hope that we can continue to do so throughout the year. These conversations take time and aren’t a one and done deal. Taking time to recognize progress and desires outcomes ensures accountability. Take a listen to North Point Community Church- Bette part 2- the Banana King.

THRIVE LIFE- I love how God brings people together and I especially love when he brings people together to have lunch. I met my sweet friend, Violet at church- as she serves in the 2 year old class and used to love on my sweet L every week. Violets gentle smile and spunky attitude made L look forward to her church class! And while L has moved up to a great 3 year old class, she loves telling me “look mom, there’s my friend!” Each week as we pass by her room.

So this week, Violet and I got to catch up for a brief hour and talk about what the Lord is calling us too! I love moments like this! Violet and her husband selflessly serve Thrive outreach here in San Antonio, TX. Thrive Outreach’s mission is to foster a community where the homeless and those in need don’t just live, but where they thrive. Located on the city’s west side, Thrive Outreach continues to impact their community by serving breakfast and sending pack lunches weekly. Not only was I touched by Violet’s passion to those in need, but I was hanging on every word of her stories as she told me that these people come to be served, but want to serve others! As Violet was talking, I could only think about the story in Acts 3, with the lame man at the gate called Beautiful. Peter saw him and said to him “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”

As we continued to talk, it was so evident that this ministry wasn’t just meeting material needs, but their kindness and love was its purest form by both those serving and being served. If you are looking to serve in this community, please consider donating or serving your time at Thrive Outreach. I’m looking forward to taking the girls in the coming weeks and help love those who need some extra love. Find out more information by following the link below.

Week Seven - Products

As someone who loves to try new things, I started thinking, what are my favorite products that I’ve tried over the last few months that I’d love to share with my friends?! This week, I’ll focus on beauty, since makeup is a part of my daily routine!

We all know that eye brows have been the focus of the face for a while. Microblading, extensions, brow gels, etc. is a booming market! PS. if you know my mom, you have to ask her about the time I tweezed by eyebrows... I was 10 or 11...)

Anywho- I’ve used different powder fillers, shadows, for my brows, but by far, my current favorite is from Mary Kay - Volumizing Brow Gel. I love this product because its incredibly lightweight, lasts all day (even after the gym),and doesn’t make me look like I used a sharpie. You can get this product from an independent Mar Kay Consultant for $20 , lasts about 3 months)

Being a girl from Texas, I love big hair! I’ve tried, powders, shampoos, mousses- but the ones I’ve stuck with longest is Big Sexy Hair Root Boost Plus. I spray a small amount in 3-4 sections of hair before I blow dry, ensuring that I flip my hair over and dry the roots first. This product isn’t heavy or sticky, and doesn’t have an overpowering scent. Also- if I choose to not wash my hair and use dry shampoo the next day, this product doesn’t get gunky. I can find this product at all major retailers, Target, Heb, Amazon, etc. $18 (10oz)

Tell me, what are your favorite beauty products?

Have a great week friends!