#it has the best art design of the whole series in my opinion

[ilclaudio]

Some really pretty Sailor Moon screenshots I took.

[discow1tch]

Nightcrawler Comic Recs (for beginners)

This list is designed with fans who have little to no knowledge of X-Men comics in mind and with an emphasis on what I would call "fangirl appeal". Each title is listed in chronological order with descriptions, a reading order, and my reasoning for each of them under the readmore for those who need it. In my opinion, all of them are good places to start!*

I primarily read comics on Marvel's official app (marvel unlimited) but hoopla (free through many public libraries) and comixology are other good options for online reading. If you want physical copies you'll get the best deals at your local comic shop or on ebay.

If you have criticisms, additions, or continuity question feel free to hit up my ask box!

SERIES: ❥ Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont (1975) ❥ Excalibur by Chris Claremont (1988), Alan Davis (1991), and Warren Ellis (1994) ❥ Uncanny X-Men by Joe Casey (2001) ❥ Nightcrawler (2004) ❥ Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender (a controversial choice since this isn't main universe/616 Kurt) (2010) ❥ Amazing X-Men (2014) ❥ Nightcrawler (2014)

OTHER RANDOM ISSUES**: ❥ Guardians Team-Up #6 ❥ Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #17 (2017)

*with the exception of Uncanny X-Force. I wouldn't read this until you have a grip on 616 Kurt's characterization.

**these are primarily team ups I discovered through my habit of buying random comics with Kurt on the cover. I'll add more if I remember them.

Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont (1975) was an ongoing team book. The sixteen years of it that were written by Claremont are the iconic building blocks upon which all other X-Men comics are built. It's the book Nightcrawler was on from 1975 to 1988 (#94-227) after he was recruited by Professor X. Unfortunately, Kurt is rarely the main character. He has a lot of standout moments but is more likely to just be part of the team. If you like a sweet, sarcastic, curly haired Nightcrawler with terrible fashion sense this book might be for you!

How to start reading it:

Giant-Size X-Men #1 (his introduction, basically a series pilot that rebooted the X-Men).

Uncanny X-Men #94 (directly follows giant-size)

From there you can read numerically.

Read as much uncanny as you want. If it gets boring/isn't for you try Excalibur!

Specific issue recs if you don't want to start at the beginning:

#110: The X-Men fight a villain of the week who traps them in the danger room with the safety controls off. It's also the first (I think?) time the X-Men play baseball together. Kurt is really fun in this issue! #123 & 124: The X-Men fight Arcade for the first time. The issues are split pretty evenly between the whole team but Kurt has some really good moments. #139 & 140: Kurt goes to Canada with Wolverine. They fight a Wendigo with the canadian super-team Alpha Flight and he becomes the first X-Man to learn Wolverine's real name. The art in this is really expressive. Kurt makes a lot of good faces. #168: This issue isn't primarily about Kurt but it is the one where he does the Burt Reynolds cosmo centerfold pose for his girlfriend. #169: Continues from 168. Opens with Kurt in the bath with his girlfriend. He then teleports around the city naked to save someone. #183: Kurt and Wolverine take Colossus out drinking after he breaks up with Kitty. Kurt is there as "mediator" because he knows Logan is mad about the way Piotr treated Kitty. They end up getting into a fight with the Juggernaut at the bar. #204: Kurt restores his faith and self confidence by taking on Arcade solo when he sees a woman being kidnapped off the street.

Excalibur by Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, and Warren Ellis (1988-1998) was a self-contained ongoing comic that ran through the late 80's up through the mid 90's. Excalibur is the British X-Men adjacent team that Kurt joined and then became unofficial leader of when he thought the other X-Men had died. Excalibur is more magic and fantasy based than X-Men usually is. As written by Chris Claremont it's also basically a sex farce. I consider this book a definitive characterization of the character. The art by Alan Davis in the first ~50 issues is the sexiest Nightcrawler has ever been and probably ever will be. If you like a classically handsome, confident, overtly sexy Nightcrawler this series might be for you.

How to start reading it:

Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn (shows the team being formed, basically the series pilot). There's a ton of Deep Lore and callbacks in it but if anything is important it will get explained more directly by narration.

Excalibur #1

From there you can read numerically

The first 67 issues are pretty consistently good but you can always stop After the Cross-Time Caper story if you want something more modern

If you want to keep reading after #67 I suggest skipping the issues written by Lobdell and going straight to the Warren Ellis era

Specific issue recs if you don't want to start at the beginning:

#4: The beginning of the Kurt/Meggan/Brian love triangle. Includes the infamous page where Kurt and Meggan nearly kiss. #16: Another infamous issue. The team land in a new universe and get separated. Kurt fights some air ship pirates before getting seduced and fucked just barely off panel by an Evil Queen. He also ends up wearing some really skimpy "battle armor" towards the end. It's truly incredible that this was even allowed to be published. #23: Judge Dredd parody. The team land in a new universe and get separated (again). Kurt has some really great fight scenes against an alternate universe human version of himself and a really heartfelt story with that universes version of Meggan. #44 & 45: The british government asks the team for help investigating a series of strange robberies in London. Everyone but Kurt is out of town on personal business and his leg is broken so he decides the thing to do is recruit the chaotic aliens helping rebuild the light house as a substitute team - his "N-Men"! If you read these issues by themselves just skip over the sections about the other characters.

Uncanny X-Men by Joe Casey (2001) (#395-409) was part of the ongoing Uncanny comic. It primarily follows a team of X-Men tracking down the Church of Humanity cult as they try to eradicate mutants. This run had a lot of different artists on it but they're all good. The aesthetics and vibes of this run are some of my favorites. Casey writes Kurt a bit more grounded and less jokey but without sacrificing any of the witty banter which I like. If you like a less human-looking Nightcrawler with glowing eyes and pointy teeth this series might be for you!

Nightcrawler (2004) is a twelve issue self-contained mini-series. It's the second of three Nightcrawler self titled minis and it's also my favorite! Kurt gets enlisted as basically a supernatural investigator by Storm after a group of children die mysteriously. He has three different love interest in this which the story even calls him out for at one point. The art is more grounded than the usual marvel house style which isn't for everyone but I personally enjoy it. If you like a softer nightcrawler or a Nightcrawler in street clothes this book might be for you!

Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender (2010) (#20-35) was an ongoing team book. It's maybe my most controversial pick because it's the Nightcrawler from the Age of Apocalypse but I'm gonna count him because he's hot. He jumped universes to join X-Force (the X-Men's covert black ops team) in issue #11 during the period of time when main universe/616 Kurt was dead. The first arc he's in is all AoA stuff so you can skip it and start at #20 (the Otherworld arc) if you want. AoA Kurt is a darker, more violent version of the character who's only interested in revenge. A lot of Nightcrawler fans hated his inclusion on the team but I personally think he's great! It also helps that the art in this is done in this gorgeous almost abstract digital watercolor style. This version of Nightcrawler ends up dying in an event comic when the series ends but don't even worry about it. Also, maybe don't start with this one. If you like the idea of a star trek-style mirror universe Kurt try reading this!

Amazing X-Men (2014) was an ongoing team book. It's the series that brought Kurt back from the dead after his death several years earlier in a crossover event. It's a really good jumping on point for modern Nightcrawler but the plot is kind of bonkers. If you read it try not to think too hard about the implications of that first arc. Most of the weirder stuff in it doesn't really matter outside of this book anyway. The art is really good - Kurt is very pretty in this. In the early issues he also has great romantic tension with Storm and Wolverine if you're in to that! It's very intertwined with the 2014 solo so if you like this definitely read that! If you like a lanky more cartoony Nightcrawler try this series and the 2014 miniseries!

Nightcrawler (2014) is a twelve issue self contained mini series. It takes place after the first arc of Amazing X-Men but can be read independently since narration explains everything that happened. I'll be honest, this series is fun but not very memorable. The art is nice, though. If you like a lanky more cartoony Nightcrawler try this series and Amazing X-Men!

[factual-fantasy]

28 Asks! Thank you! :}} 🧜‍♀️

Nope. That's not me. I don't have a tiktok. :/

Remember folks! Like my pinned post says, if you find my artwork anywhere else other than here? Its stolen 100% of the time!

@cat7890

I don't understand what you're asking... <:0

My only opinion is that the eyes are really spooky looking <XDD

@spacewitchgardevoir

Thank you so much!! :DD Unfortunately I haven't thought much of that through yet.. I only have vague ideas so far. Like how the slimes in The Wilds will be hisuian pokemon for example. I plan to work more on the slimes soon! <XDD

@sora-the-air-wubbox (Oh hey! I know of wubboxes! :D )

I have not actually.. are those the roblox guys..? <:0

@an-aspiring-jester

Awe! Thank you!! :DDD I'll have to think of who to pass this to next! :00

AAAA THANK YOU!! :DD I haven't played the slime Rancher 2 demo but I still want to play it when the full game comes out! :))

(PLA inspired comic in question)

AAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Having my artwork compared to the beautiful works of studio Ghibili is such an honor!! 😭😭💞💞💞

And speaking of a continuation.. I actually finished drawing a short comic last night about Ingo and Emmet's reunion. It was all done and ready to post... but then I changed my mind. The quality of the comic was much lower than the PLA comic I just did. No backgrounds, rushed line art.. uninspired house design.. eh. I just wasn't satisfied.

I still plan to post a reunion comic mind you! I just want to put more heart into it and try drawing it again- <XDD

@blbllblblblll

A tempting offer I must say, but I'm still on break from the Octonauts fandom!.. <XD

@neo-metalscottic

Thank you!! :DDD And my favorite slime is the puddle slime.. 🥺💞 and my fave largo has gotta be the Mosaic x phosphor, but specifically the secret style pack version XDD

Now for Boom Boom and Pom Pom.. that's a good question.. I haven't really thought about them :00 I supposed they can be some higher ranking soldiers of some kind! (Also my Koopa Kingdoms has more primitive technology than in cannon <XD. Although they get quite a boost thanks to magikoopas.👀👀)

Also the super ball flower creates some interesting ideas.. maybe it could be a flower that allows Mario and Luigi to turn things into metal? But why would it be a flower.. hmm.. I think I'll have to do a lot of retconning If I wants to add this flower to my AU <XDD

Also thank you for the ask! Always appreciated :)))

@fizzy-stars

XDD Who knows? Maybe they are!

@wolfie-777

XDD Cant say I'll make a comic series for them, but if I did it would totally be like that! Mostly Dink being high energy and annoying the sleepy Doink XDD

So far my intentions are that they don't have a trainer :00

YOU ARE GIVING ME SOOO MANY ANGST IDEAS 👀👀👀

WAAAAAATHANKOTUUUU!!!! 😭💞💞💞💞

@gamesperger

You'd be surprised how often I get told that <XDD

@anikakitty11

AWWW I LOVE LUCAS!!! 😭😭💞💞💞

@samcat2

Draw something for me?.. weeell.... I do love Dusknoir... 🥺🥺👀👀👀

@yourstrulylightstar283

Not sick again, its the same unknown medical problem I've been dealing with for almost a year now.. 😔😔😔Thank you though, I'm doing my best to stay calm and take it easy <:}}}

Hi Timothy! I am afraid :D

His eyes always make me laugh <XDD

I have not.. though it looks good, maybe I should give it a watch! :00

(Furby Grimace)

Oh he's fine. He's just coming to grips with his own mortality that's all <XD

@red1sg0n3

:DD THANK YOUU!! :)))))

@justanintrovertedweirdo

WAAAHHGGGTHTHANK YOUUU SO MUCHH!!!!! 😭😭💞💞💞💞

And I'm so glad you feel the same way about the whole romantic love thing!! Sure they're great an all.. but I feel like the only kinds of relationships I see I fandoms are romantic ships..

Where are all the brotherhood comics? Characters motivated by a deep love for each other but its platonic and not romantic? I have so much more fun experimenting with those kinds of stories!

@cherrycreamfairy

:DDD Thank you! I'm glad to see Jangles getting some love! 🥰🥰

@kirshimadenkisero

XDD Go for it!

I know this was probably a drawing suggestion, but since they're closed now I'll answer it as a question....😅

My favorite legendary is a tough pick.. I love a lot of them.. 🥺💞💞but man, its hard to beat Xerneas. My favorite shiny is also a hard pick.. Its gonna have to be shiny Giratina. With shiny Rayquaza and shiny primal Kyogre as honorable mentions XDD

I know you didn't say this but I'll put it in there anyways XDD My favorite sub-legendary is Suicune. But my favorite shiny out of the sub-legendaries is actually Chi-Yu.. 👀👀

My favorite mythical Pokémon is Celebi , and my favorite shiny mythical is also Celebi. XDD I love that littol onion,,🥺💞💞💞

[tumblydovereviews]

Primos Was Okay (And That's Okay!)

On Thursday, after over a year of controversy, delays, and pushback from the general public, Primos finally premiered on Disney Channel, to a surprisingly stable reception.

First of all, congratulations to the cast and crew for the premiere! For a show that was on such unstable waters just a year back, it's great to see that Primos has seen the light of day and not simply became a tax write-off.

As anyone involved in the animation community in June 2023 may recall, Primos' initial response was not great in the slightest, and for good reason. Based on solely the theme song alone, the show featured grammatical errors, unintentionally insensitive names, and was dismissed by others as Disney's cheap copy of The Casagrandes. Comments from cast members such as Tater's voice actor herself only added fuel to the fire. The show, initially set to drop in the fall of that same year, was delayed to January, then June as a precursor to the Big City Greens movie, and finally, July of 2024.

I personally didn't care for the Primos drama too much. Sure, I liked the theme song's beat and for a while it became an earworm, but I wasn't looking too closely at being a consistent viewer on the show. I was mixed on the artstyle, the characters, and the plot, which, while not awful by any means, weren't anything amazing as well.

But, with nothing else to do, I ultimately decided to view the first episode of Primos on YouTube the day after the big debut.

And, the show was serviceable.

The characters weren't annoying, and there were some moments that made me chuckle a bit. The songs were serviceable, and the themes on self-discovery are unique. But, ultimately, I don't see myself with any reason to really engage with this show outside of just watching a few episodes. The story of Primos is all there, but on its own, it's just there.

If there's any character I truly hated, it was Tater and Nellie's mother, Bibi. Knowing fully well she didn't have the time or effort to efficiently take care of twelve kids on top of her two daughters and baby son, yet inviting then over anyways for the sake of 'memories' instead of listening to her kids. No wonder they address her by her first name.

As for characters I liked, I honestly enjoyed the three most 'normal' Primos in my opinion: Lita, Scooter, and Lucita. They get along well and have acceptable personalities. I can especially relate to Scooter and his anxiety, as a person who gets quite nervous themselves sometimes. Also, shout-out to Lucita, who's deaf and actually communicates through ASL on the occasion. Deaf representation is lacking in media, and I love how this show is helping us move one step further in that regard.

I also enjoyed Nellie as a character as well; it is admittedly a but weird how she's an eight-year-old with a Luisa-deep voice but her chemistry with Tater is great.

As for Tater herself, she's okay. She server her purpose as the disgruntled almost ten-year-old trying to find herself. Nothing too much or too little. I can relate to her in the sense of needing peace and quiet away from cousins; my cousins actually moved into my own house temporarily last year for a few months,

i talk about characters a lot in this show, because I believe that it's Primos' best achievement. In a way, each of the characters work off of Tater in their own way, keeping the show fresh and upbeat, but not being afraid to scale things back when needed. I thought that the Primos would act as nothing but plot devices whose only merit is to ruin Tater's life, but, thankfully, that's not the case.

Now, what about this show being mediocre? It can't be all that good, right?

Well, like I said before, the animation and art designs are not my favorites. I can't push back too much since the rough, earthy tone translate into the series as a whole, but personal preference is also a factor. The music and songs, while good for what they are, don't add anything too much to the series and I personally would have preferred if this show wasn't a musical al all; Disney Channel admittedly has plenty of those nowadays.

And, that essentially encapsulates my feelings on Primos as a while. On its own, it works for what it has, but compared to shows with similar plots such as The Loud House, it only holds a candle compared to the latter's sun.

And, you know what? That's okay. If anything, it's a miracle that a show detested so much by the general public during its initial preview became nothing but a mediocre addon at worst.

Maybe I'll tune into a few more episodes to fully solidify my thoughts on this show. But, for now, I'll only be an occasional onlooker exploring the world of Tater Ramirez Humphrey and company. I'm okay with that, and I'm sure you'll be okay too.

[animeyanderelover]

Ah yes, there is nothing more beautiful than watching the Crunchyroll Awards when I am in a masochistic mood and still come out crying. I’m not even a seasonal watcher but even I could predict all of the winners when I checked out the nominations. I didn’t vote by the way since I don’t even use Crunchyroll. Since me and my friend already complained about it, I’ll rant a bit too so please take my salt.

I don’t think that Jujutsu Kaisen should have won Anime of the Year for the simple reason that apparently the Shibuya Arc didn’t even count for this nomination since it aired in Autumn. That means that pretty much only the first 5-6 episodes were a contender for this nomination and that isn’t even half of the show. They should have either completely excluded it from the nominations this year and instead nominated it next year or should have put in all of Jujutsu Kaisen. Instead now the season was split in parts and I will bet my liver that the Shibuya Arc will be nominated next year again. 5 episodes of an incomplete season are not better than other nominated Anime like Vinland Saga or Oshi No Ko. I’m not even sure if I would put Demon Slayer as a nomination since I liked this season but it just did not reach for me the same level that previous seasons had reached and I am sure that there were other Anime that were a lot more deserving of a nomination instead of Kny.

Best Continuing Series I already suspected either One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen to win. I can’t say much about One Piece since I am currently at the Water 7 Arc but I will take it over freaking Jjk with its 5 nominated episodes. Once again I would be hesitant to put Demon Slayer in here since for me best continuing series implies that the newest season is either on the same par or even surpasses the previous season. Demon Slayer did not do this with the Sword Smith Village Arc for me for a couple of reasons. The antagonists felt very shallow and boring, the fights weren’t as good for me and whilst the last episode was quite good, it did not reach for me what the Entertainment District Arc did. Bungo Stray Dogs would have been in my opinion a better nomination than Demon Slayer.

Not surprised with Chainsaw Man winning Best New series but since I haven’t watched any of the shows nominated, I can’t say much about it. Same goes for Best Movie with Suzume as the winner and Best Original Series with Buddy Daddies as the winner.

Is anyone surprised by Demon Slayer winning Best Animation? I’m not and that was the only thing that for me was as good as previous seasons, although I do know the whole argument of them using 3D this season for some of the demons but honestly, that was nowhere near the worst CGI that Anime has given us such as Berserk 2017. I see why people would be upset since other contestants for Best Animation were shows like Mob Psycho 100. With Jujutsu Kaisen as a nominee I am conflicted due to the whole arguments of this season having the worst Animation in comparison to the first season and the movie but the poor Mappa employees were on such a tight schedule and the fact that they still delivered such amazing fight scenes despite the terrible treatment deserves respect. Also, where is Bleach in this nomination?! You cannot tell me that they couldn’t nominate it since Disney owns it considering that there were actually some categories where Bleach was still nominated for some reason!

Best Character Design went to Jujutsu Kaisen… How??? How did school uniforms win against the character designs of Hell’s Paradise, Oshi No Ko and Demon Slayer? Is it just Gojo that carried this category?? Am I the blind one for not loving him as much as other fans do??

Best Direction went to Jujutsu Kaisen.

Best Camera Work went to Jujutsu Kaisen.

Best Art Direction went to Demon Slayer.

Best romance was won by Horimiya: The missing Pieces. I’m not sure if that’s true but isn’t this series basically some sort of flashback where the characters look back on their school time. I’m pretty sure My Happy Marriage, Insomniacs after School or Skip and Loafer can beat what, if my memory is correct, is basically a series that shows all the scenes they couldn’t feature in the first season.

Best Comedy was won by Spy x Family and my friend was quite upset by that since she is a big Bocchi The Rock fan but I haven’t watched any of those shows.

Best Action was won by Jujutsu Kaisen. Considering that only the first arc of the series was nominated, I do not agree with this win. If Shibuya Arc would have also counted, I wouldn’t have complained but as it stands I would have preferred something like One Piece or Bleach to win this award.

Best Fantasy was won by Demon Slayer… Again. Guys, what is this? I love Demon Slayer but you can’t tell me that a show playing in a real historical period of Japan with the only fantasy element being the demons as well as maybe the Breathing Forms is a better fantasy show than Mushoku Tensei or The Ancient Magus’s Bride.

Best Drama was won by Attack on Titan The Final Season Chapter 1. What does that mean? Will the second chapter be nominated again then next year?! Oh, come on. How did an incomplete season win Best Drama against Mister I have no enemies?! Vinland Saga should have won that category.

Best Slice of Life went to Bocchi the Rock and since my friend was happy, I was happy too.

Best Main character was won by Luffy. I guess I can live with that. I’m actually surprised that they didn’t nominate Gojo in here but since the whole award show was basically sucking Jujutsu Kaisen off, I am happy to have a few categories where I am not haunted by Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen. I am just more biased towards Thorfinn in this category since his character development was amazing. If they really only counted the First Chapter of Attack on Titan in these Awards, I am not sure about putting Eren as a contender in this category since he had barely any screen time.

How are you going to take Jujutsu Kaisen’s Hidden Inventory Arc for the 2024 Crunchyroll Awards and then nominate Gojo as a side character?!?! He was the bloody main character in that arc since it was his past!! And then Gojo also wins this category where he absolutely doesn’t belong!!! The same counts for Suguru!! How can you nominate two guys from Jujutsu Kaisen who were on top of that main characters in this short arc?! Why not nominate someone from another Anime instead?! What about Bungo Stray Dogs?! What about Hell’s Paradise?! What about literally every other Anime that aired this year with an actual side character?! Why did Gojo win?!

I don’t care about the Must Protect At all Costs award going to Anya Forger. It’s just a weird award in my opinion.

Best Anime Song going to Idol from Yoasobi was no surprise and was deserved for the sheer impact it had not only on the Anime community but also the international success it earned.

Best Soundtrack going to Attack on Titan is no surprise. Hiroyuki Sawano, if you worked there again I will accept it.

Best Opening and Ending go to no one’s surprise to Jujutsu Kaisen and at this point I have no energy left anymore to be angry. Congratulations…not.

Best Japanese VA performance goes to Yuichi Nakamura for voicing Gojo Satoru… Why is Eren here again? That dude barely spoke any lines in the first half of the Final Chapters. There are a ton of other Japanese Va’s that not only spoke more than Eren but were also far better. Whilst I am not really suited for picking any since I don’t watch seasonal Anime, I think Uemura Yuuto for his performance as Thorfinn or Miyano Mamoru in his role as Dazai were far more deserving of a spot in here. Yuki Kaji, I really love you but you shouldn’t have been nominated in here for your performance as Eren in here due to the lack of a performance.

[olibensstuff]

Oh great and wise Benny 🙏🙏 if I were to be considering getting into Zelda how would u recommend doing so 👀👀👀

This was such a hard question ooh

Response below the cut because I had.. way more to say than I thought I would

I’d say it depends on what console/devices you have! Every Zelda game can be played as a stand alone which makes the series pretty easy to approach. If you want to really get the Zelda experience and understand what the core of the Zelda series is about, my only recommendation is start with any game except breath of the wild. BOTW is a great game but it really lets go of the vast majority of Zelda tropes in order to explore and test out new concepts. Which is cool, but not a great start if you’re looking into Zelda as a whole.

The defining Zelda game ever is ocarina of time, so if you have a 3ds I think it’s obligatory for me to say that’s a great starting place. A lot of the classic tunes are from this game, and a toonnnn of the bigger lore pieces come from Ocarina of Time. Song of storms comes from this game too so it’s immediately awesome. if you have a Wii I’d also recommend playing Twilight Princess. It gets a lot of hate I feel like in the community, but it was sort of a soft remake of ocarina of time, and it has objectively the best side kick in all the games. It’s a bit empty but the characters are really full of life. I feel like the dungeons are all really really fun too. I’m honestly really biased with this game because it was my first game though so take that with a grain of salt. On the same topic of Wii/Wii U if you have one absolutely look into playing Wind Waker it has some of the most fun visuals and in my opinion the most compelling ganondorf (main villain) in the whole series. Zelda also has a lot more personality in this game that most.

Back with the 3ds PLEASE consider trying out minish cap. It’s my personal favorite from the 3ds i really love the character designs and the story. I wouldn’t recommend it as a first because it’s a bit more difficult than the ones above and it’s lore is a lot looser, but later on your journey it’s absolutely worth your time it’s so good and cute.

On the 3ds there’s also a link between worlds which I haven’t played personally but has some of my favorite lore and story beats. Definitely worth your time it’s game play is so unique and it’s got some of my favorite characters.

If I list every game I think I’d be here all day so I’m just gonna make a quick list of my recommended order!!

Ocarina of Tome (important lore)

Majoras Mask (this one is a bit difficult so feel free to skip and come back to. It’s a sequel to ocarina of time and has some tif the coolest game mechanics/story ever)

Skyward Sword (more important lore, basically the origin story for all the other games)

if you have a wii/wii u: Twilight princess and Wind Waker (two dramatic ends of what a Zelda game could be visually and story wise. Twilight Princess came out a little after wind waker. TP was super edgy and cool while WW was bright and fun. Both have some really heartfelt moments though and are sooo worth your time)

if you played WW, I feel like spirit tracks would be a fun follow up. It’s an indirect sequel with a similar art style made for the 3ds. The game play is really cool and it has one of the most developed Zelda’s, next to wind waker and ocarina of time Zelda’s)

at this point you should be well versed enough to approach basically any Zelda game! My favorites not already listed are Links Awakening, Minish Cap (MINISH CAP IS SO GOOD PLEASE OELASE PLEASE)and the oracle games!! A lot of people like four swords and tri heroes though!

take all this with a grain of salt though haha!! Zelda can be enjoyed in absolutely any way which is a lot of the appeal. I know it looks like a lot, but really playing any game at all, botw included, means you’re welcome! All you ever really need to know to be a Zelda fan is that the player character is Link and he wears green and he saves a cool princess named Zelda with the power of magic golden triangles!! unless you’re playing the upcoming game Echoes of Wisdom which is coming out in September!!!!! That one’s gonna be about Zelda where you save Link with the power of chairs im so excited

anyways if you’re crazy like me here’s a nine hour video of Zelda lore 😘

SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDED EXPLANATION BTW this is my all time favorite series since forever i get really excited

[zehecatl]

happy steam sale to all, here’s a 'little’ rec list for (primarily) indie games that, in my opinion, isn’t as popular as they deserve to be!

Ghostwire: Tokyo -60% the only triple a game you’ll see on this list, and my own all time personal favourite. if you like anime, japanese history and folklore, and bromance, you will very likely love this game. it also lets you explore Tokyo and pet the dogs! and cats! literally perfect game!!

Iconoclasts -70% i have been shilling this game, at every major steam sale, for pretty much four-five years. before Ghostwire, it was my all time favourite video game. it was in development, by one person, for around eight years. it is still, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous pieces of pixel art in the whole damn medium. just. please check it out i beg

Angels of Death -40% rpgmaker game that absolutely excels at being a character driven story. it also got an anime adaptation? which i’ve actually never seen?? but if you grew up playing horror rpgmaker games, please do yourself a favour, and check this out. and if you didn’t- check it out anyway! it’s not super scary or anything, with a more psychological horror focus

Owlboy -65% tiny owl boy does his very best and will worm his way into your heart and then crush it because life is maybe a bit too cruel to him. also you can fly! did i mention you can fly??

Pony Island + The Hex -80% did you adore Inscryption? did you like the meta element? then oh boy, should you check out Daniel Mullins’ two former games! they’re good! probably has the same vibe as Inscryption! could not tell you i still have not played that thing! but these are both very good, and absolutely worth every cent

Underhero -70% it’s a bit rough around the edges, but man, this game has so much love put into it, and i think it deserves way more love than it got

My Friend Pedro -75% the action is definitely the high point here, but i have a personal soft spot for the lil’ bit of lore we do get. like, there is something there, and i want to dig my fingers in. also wacky banana is funny

Sayonara Wild Hearts -40% queer girls on motorcycles? in my rhythm game?? it’s more likely than you think!! (also, if you suck at rhythm games: me too, this is still worth picking up)

MO:Astray -50% the fact that seemingly no one on tumblr has played this... despite the fact that it feels like it’d be a right shoe in... criminal. there is a little CREACHUR! LOOK AT IT. IT IS A SLIME!!

The Messenger -75% i legit thought this game was way more popular than it, apparently, is, which i think just speaks volume of my opinion on it. it’s genuinely right up there with Shovel Knight as iconic retro throwbacks- plus! the devs are making THE most gorgeous indie rpgs, apparently set in the same universe. so that is another reason to check it out

This Strange Realm of Mine -90% an extremely weird little game that will likely not be for everyone, or even most people, but that i really liked. considering the price, i don’t really think there’s much to lose on buying this little gem

Darkside Detective -70% funny point & click game with very shipable protagonists! there’s also a ‘second season’ that i have not played (yet), but is very likely absolutely worth getting

Haiku, the Robot -33% it is, rather obviously, not as good as Hollow Knight, but if you’re suffering from ‘waiting for Silksong’, perhaps this little gem will tide you over

Transiruby -30% another small metroidvania! has really pretty pixel art, and is just a fun little time

Flynn, Son of Crimson -50% not what it was promised, but it’s a fun platformer with gorgeous pixel art, and a dog. it’s a good time, and isn’t that what we all want :]

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows -70% a cute horror game, with excellent enemy designs, and a whole town to explore. also the story is so good. i am still absolutely enamoured with this title. this is, technically, the 2nd in a series, but you can play the games standalone, and while i’m sure the 1st is just as good, i’ve only played this one. because priorities (also keep in mind!! that this is a horror game!!! i’d recommend looking up some trigger warnings, because, uh. horror game!)

A Short Hike -35% just an extremely cozy and fun little game. exploring every inch of this island was just such a good time, i still think extremely fondly of this title

Webbed -30% i am gently laying an hand on the shoulder of every bug enthusiastic on this website. you play as a spider. who is trying to get back her boyfriend from a bird. and there’s a really fun swinging mechanic. do you really need anything more?

Garden Story -60% i am once again shocked this game isn’t more popular. what do you mean a cozy adventure game with community restoration, foraging, and some fun combat with a grape protagonist isn’t one of the biggest sellers in cozy gaming spheres. there’s a frog. you can put on different hats. what else do you want!!

Donut County -70% funny little game about making holes and being a chaotic racoon. i have an extremely soft spot for the characters in this, i could not explain it <3

also Oxenfree is not on sale, but it’s cheap, and the sequel is dropping very soon! and you should absolutely check it out! because it’s really REALLY good!!

[jessica-caillte-jessicannot-draw]

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

Disclaimer-the pictures used belong to Capcom's Dead Rising series. I am using said images as examples to illustrate my opinions

I'm delighted to see one of my all time favourite games coming back! It looks like they did an excellent job! They seem to have fixed issues that frustrated me in the original like the survivors blocking each other from getting up onto that ledge near the safe room vent and screwing up my time for completing the other cases. If there is any time left in development before release (even post release) I hope they will change a few things.

Firstly, I'd love the option to switch between the new voice actor for Frank and the original T.J. Rotolo. It will be exciting to see what the new voice actor will bring to the table; his take on the character should be given a chance. I can't form a full opinion on the new voice yet based off the few lines in the trailer. It seems to have a playful tone and great delivery from what I listened to. However, there should be the option to choose between the new and original in my opinion, and I don't mean the reuse of audio from the original, I mean bringing the original voice actor back to redo the lines for the remaster.

T.J. Rotolo's version of Frank West will never not scream badass to me. His voice is distinct; it's a key part of keeping the charm of the original character and game intact for this remaster since Frank is the main man. I would genuinely spend another 30 to 50 euro more on top of the games current pre order price if they would bring T.J. back to redo his lines. Once again, having the option to change between the new and the original Frank voice would be awesome. I say this as I fear this choice to replace the main character's original actors will carry over should they choose to remaster Dead rising 2. What if Peter Flemming will no longer voice Chuck Greene?

As for the audio/soundtrack, I hope they include that most recent version of "Justified" By Sean Lacefield. Drea's incredible vocals wouldn't go astray either! I can't listen to it and not visualise the concept art of Isabella holding onto Frank amongst the horror. Badass. I rocked out to that tune during my teens. It's a gorgeous song and the series would not be the same without it.

No your honour, I didn't simultaneously rock out to "Justified" and write a whole assignment on why Frank is one of the best characters in all of gaming during my college days.😂

Am I a game design or voice acting expert? no, just someone that loves the games and the characters. That being said, others seem to share my opinion on including T.J.'s version of Frank's voice so I'm not alone in thinking this. It takes something away without him there. This is a beloved game; I'm allowed to be sentimental and worry about a repeat of mishandling of Frank's character like Hank East. This game and it's characters are iconic and should be handled carefully.

See below for Frank's reaction to my ranting ;-;

My second point is more time should be devoted to Frank's design. Brad and Jessie are polished but faithful to their original designs. Frank's hair line should be brought down slightly. Just enough so that he mirrors the Frank we know from the original.

My main argument for this is because he looks like his older self from later in the timeline, that being off the record and or case west and he's not that age yet. The receded hairline and wrinkles shows time has passed and creates a sense of progression for Frank's character -older and battle hardened. Case west era Frank's still kicking it and fighting for survival with the parasite/infection in him daily all these years later. Dead rising one's Frank just isn't there yet. So to reiterate, it's too soon in the timeline to age him up. I think Frank is slightly cartoonish in relation to the other main characters e.g Brad, Jessie etc. Frank's remaster model has intricate detail and looks amazing, no doubt about that. The design just needs to be tweaked a little as it strays a bit too much from the original in my opinion. I just don't feel he looks like THE Frank West. If you compare Frank face to that of the other characters, he feels a little out of place with the overly exaggerated hairline. One thing I love about Frank is that he's not your typical poster boy, not toned, idealistic, young etc. The original Frank was that nice balance between the two and looked like your average guy.

am I discrediting the amazing work they have done on this remaster? absolutely not, I'm just keen on Frank feeling like he's actually Frank West in this remaster of the game.

-Jessica-Caillte-Jessicannot-Draw

❤❤❤🤘🤘🤘

[goshdangronpa]

i’d like to request angie for that character thing you revolved cause i don’t i’ve seen any of your takes on her yet and i like your opinions :p

Hey, Silver! Thanks for reaching out. And I appreciate that last thing you said~ Alright, Angie Yonaga, here we go!

How I feel about this character: I don't think about her much, and when I do, it's usually lamenting her missed potential (more on that later). But that doesn't make Angie any less interesting to follow. Or any less fun - I especially enjoy that she has no sprites with unhappy facial expressions. Oh, and I adore her design.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: even more than your average DR character, Angie doesn't seem to be in the right place for romance. She seems to view relationships as transactional in nature, and mostly flowing to her. At the same time, she either doesn't believe in her own autonomy (projecting her feelings and desires onto God) or only gives that image (so she can use it to her advantage as needed). Once that clears up ... well, she might be (and canonically is!) just the kind of pushy and tireless optimist that Himiko needs in her life. A ship with Tenko would also be fun cuz it'd be enemies-to-lovers on Tenko's side only. Could they be a good OT3? Torn between Angie as the type who hates sharing and the type who'd love a harem ... Ooh, there's a fanfic idea

My non-romantic OTP for this character: @funishment-time turned me on to the potential of the Miu-Angie comedy duo. Angie could play the Spongebob to Miu's Squidward, sure, but also Miu would constantly realize who the real freak is between the two of them. Also underrated: Tsumugi, who knows more about devotion than anyone in this gaggle (besides Kirumi, but she serves different people at different times so it's not the same). They'd match each other's weirdness more than one might expect from a religious zealot and an idolatrous geek.

My unpopular opinion about this character: The sparkle SFX that play when she does that swing-to-the-left, swing-to-the-right shimmy is one of the best character tics in the whole DR series, love it love it love it

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: SO MUCH. I wish she could've just referred to God rather than Atua. I wish we could've seen more of her art. Most importantly, the charismatic cult leader is such a great idea for a killing game, and the writers speedrun the whole arc within half a chapter. Come on, her potential as an additional antagonist is right freaking there!

[marashi96art]

Questions for the fanfic writers about Leon S. Kennedy's lack of background story: How do you deal with it?

I've been haunted by this problem for MONTHS and I needed to spit it out. I feel like Tumblr is a better place for long text and reasoned discussion, and most importantly: fanfic writers.

It's long and I sincerely look forward to your opinions. Even though I only draw Cleon, I didn't mention any ship in this post so I won't add ship-related tags here; if you're gonna list examples based on your ship, please respect each other.

So hear me out:

The best part and the worst part about Leon S. Kennedy is that HE DOESN'T HAVE A BACKGROUND STORY and a CONSISTENT characteristic development...and it's driving me insane.

The benefit of it is that I can shape his past into whoever I want to fit my stories. But it brings out a bigger problem: the development is solely depending on my understanding & knowledge of character design. He's pretty much a blank sheet of paper, except he's extremely famous, and I don't want to stray too far away from the canon info that we've got on him(and get "canceled" for OOC).

(I don't actually write stories into fics, but I DO write short scripts for my art when they are intended to be a series. I guess the prep work to start anything is the same: write it down in words, then expand the idea.)

I love AUs and I'm more interested in sci-fi/fantasy than modern/zombie-apocalypse kinda thing. But when I wanted to dig deep into their backgrounds, to start world-building, there's NOTHING for me. It's so frustrating.

For example, I'm currently working on a Monster Hunter AU based on the RE4R DLC Hero Outfit, which basically is the whole RE gang running around in the woods hunting supernatural creatures. (Not just CAPCOM's MH series but with the general mythical creatures, werewolves .etc)

And they have a Hunter's Guild, different tribes and clans, you know the drill. Since the setting was in a fantasy world, their surnames have caused me great pain from the start.

The easiest one is Redfield. It can be interpreted as "fertile land" or "battleground", and from these I immediately have quite a few visual ideas of how they'd look like, and what they'd do for a living. Chambers, Valentine, and Oliveira are "OK", but the surname Kennedy doesn't fit in ANYWHERE.

(Yes, I googled. It's Irish; but let's be honest, our first impression was a certain American political family.)

Then I read this article that shares a similar concern: Is Resident Evil 4’s Leon S. Kennedy Italian? An investigation

It pretty much sums up the most common FANDOM theories of Leon's background info. But all of them are still just, headcanons.

The more I try to dig in, the lack of this crucial element--a character's canon background story--is really blocking me to create things I enjoy. Even though I've been drawing him for almost 50 pieces of fan art, I still don't know what he's actually like. I can only imagine his personality by referencing other fictional characters/actors whom I think share a resemblance. (I have a soft spot for Keanu Reeves, Faramir from TLOR, and Sanji from One Piece. But that's another story for another time.)

Of course, I'm aware of the fact that, instead of spending this huge amount of time to rewrite a fictional character I don't own, I can create my own OCs and build everything from scratch. But that's not the point. I only started playing video games in 2019 when I bought a Nintendo Switch; and my first-ever, modern game experience was Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The whole game-wise fandom and RE series are pretty new to me. But I've been in fandoms of books/movies/TV shows for over a decade. It shocked me that Resident Evil, this world-popular series has almost 30 years of history but non of the main characters have a consistent background that follows through the in-game timeline. There're huge gaps between the games even if we add all of the movies in it. How did that work? How do you get to know them? How do you get attached enough to write your own fan story?

In conclusion, I don't think I like Leon S. Kennedy, cuz he remains a mystery. Instead, I just combine all of the good qualities of other characters I like, create my version of Leon Kennedy, and hopefully pray that when he reappears in a new RE work, I didn't do him wrong.

[boghermit]

Giving you characters: solas, karlach, thrall and sorin markov

I'm skipping on Sorin because I honestly know next to nothing about his lore. 😭

SOLAS

How I feel about this character: I love him. I hate him. I want to pat his bald head. I want smack his bald head. Stupid baka idiot. (Affectionate / Derogatory) Romantic ships: I ship him and one of my Lavellan characters (Declan). I've also seen Solas/Varric floating around and that is the BIGGEST brain shit. Whoever thought that one up Gets It. Platonic ships: I love his friendships with Varric, Cole, and Iron Bull. Unpopular Opinion: He wouldn't have been as popular if his voice hadn't been so pleasant to listen to. Like seriously, does Gareth David-Lloyd do audiobooks? One thing I wish would happen / had happened in canon: 1) He should have looked like his concept art. 2) I kinda wish he was lying about the elvish gods being elitist slavers because I really liked the elvish culture and the traditions around the gods. He could be lying - that's Fen'harel's whole thing, lying and being a trickster, right? But at his point it's pretty obvious that wasn't and isn't the direction they're going in with his character and the lore. 3) I hope we don't have to kill him. If we do, fine, but I'll be sad about it.

KARLACH

How I feel about this character: She's absolutely perfect. I love her design, I love her story, I love her voice acting. Romantic ships: Her and Wyll, her and Astarion, or a poly of the three of them. She's cute with Dammon too. She was also very cute with my paladin Tav but I like the previous ships better. Platonic ships: Her and any of the other five main characters, her and any of the tieflings, her and Jaheira 100%. Unpopular Opinion: I think her original ending was a better statement on making the best of what little time we have. BUT. At the same time I much prefer her having a happy ending, because if any character deserves a happy ending, it's her. Also I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but I really like the datamined Karlach look where she had heavier scarring and sharper features.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened in canon: I just wish she had more in-game content to burn through. And I know they aren't making DLC, but could you imagine a DLC where we help her (and possibly Wyll) fight their way across Avernus? They could get Mick Gordon in on it too.

THRALL

How I feel about this character: I have such a soft spot for him. He was one of my favorite characters back when I played WC3 and pre-Cata WoW. I'm really glad they've brought him back in recent expansions. Romantic ships: Him and Jaina would have been good. Platonic ships: n/a Unpopular Opinion: 1) My most unpopular opinion is probably liking him at all. People give him the Gary Stu label a lot. 2) I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion but I didn't like him in Cataclysm. One thing I wish would happen / had happened in canon: 1) He shouldn't have been the one to kill Garrosh, although I will concede that the cutscene was badass and I like that he felt guilty about it later. 2) If he was going to be with anyone, it should have been Jaina. His history and overall dynamic with her was way more grounded than with Aggra, who has almost no personality and seemingly exists only to be his wife. But this is Blizzard we're talking about, and their romantic subplots are mid on a good day. 3) He should have been allowed to keep Doomhammer. As much as I was excited that Blizzard let us use it, I was like "Thrall bro are you really giving THIS to ME?" And then one of the most iconic weapons in the series just disappeared after Legion. Is he aware that he can still hit things with it, even without his shaman powers?

[pikahlua]

Pika Rambles about the new OP because why not

If there’s anything I’ve learned from season 6 of MHA, it’s that whatever Twitter’s reaction is to something, I’m likely to have the opposite reaction.

I’m not often one to go into my opinions on things in MHA I feel are “good” or “bad.” Sometimes it happens, but just generally I’ve been trained to read and analyze a lot of things without respect to whether or not I like them or agree with their philosophies. I’m usually trying to understand a story more than anything.

But OPs are a different matter.

I have a weird thing for OPs. I’ve watched many over the years, and in some cases even decided whether or not I would watch an anime based on its OPs. (I’ve also...made a lot of AMVs.) OPs are supplementary material that are opportunities for animators to showcase their creativity and their understanding of the story’s themes. For that reason, I’ll happily ramble about my love for MHA OPs 1-4 and 7 anytime (god, especially 7; I’ll never get over the candy apple sakuga).

This time, OP 11, the ramble isn’t a good one. “What? Really? But everyone agrees it’s the shiniest one yet! Is it just that weird Ochako shit they threw in there?” No, stock anon. It’s so much more than that.

I have opinions.

If you like OP 11...you may not want to read my thoughts under the cut.

I’m just gonna complain in list form from here have fun.

1. First, all the good: I like the song. I realize not everyone’s gonna like the song, but I happen to like it. I also like some of the OP, particularly the first bits of it before the title card drops. I think it’s a good use of some of the cover/non-story artwork Horikoshi drew during this arc. Except already saying that, I can’t help but notice a huge missed opportunity. This cover art would’ve made for an EXCELLENT theme in the OP:

It would’ve made up for the egregious lack of All Might too.

2. That title card is awful. Come on. They used to do fun things with the design or colors or something. This is just...weird effects that maybe will cause someone a seizure. It’s certainly not pleasing to the eye.

3. I don’t have a problem with the split screen bit. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible. Except the animation they give Ochako was basically already used in OP 8 so I don’t know what that’s all about.

4. All the Lady Nagant art is super lame sorry why do they repeat the same angle and pose twice? They could have used other camera angles at least, or even do something more with her younger self and angst? This is about as one-note as her actual role in the story (okay maybe it fits then).

5. I don’t need to complain about the weird ship bait that is the Ochako scene in the way everyone else already has done for me. I have a pressing urge to bring up though that Bones once again shows their lack of creativity here, and it feels like they have a vendetta against Ochako too. Where is her action shot? Her sakuga? There are plenty of moments from this arc that could’ve made a much nicer action shot here. Her smile is so weird because this whole arc she’s getting serious for Izuku’s sake and frowns at him a lot and stands up to him essentially. This feels like heroine-ization and it’s awful. Ochako does much more impactful and moving shit this arc than whatever the hell this is.

6. How dare you cheapen the hand-holding symbol of this series do you even know what the fuck is happening in this manga??? [clings to Iida’s leg]

7. The sakuga of Izuku swinging around is okay, probably the best part of the OP--except then we run into the Lady Nagant issue again

8. What the fuck is the weird white corpse from AoT doing here? What? What is that? Hello?

9. It needs to be said: the sakuga of Iida et. al. looks like absolute ass. I’m sick of fandom just salivating for nothing but sakuga while having absolutely no standards. “Action lines? Cool angles? Speedy animation? Yay it’s perfect!” No, seriously, if everyone’s gonna be so critical of the story and animation and pacing all the time, where’s your criticism of the actual sakuga? This shot looks awful and no one is talking about it. Not only do all the characters involved move awkwardly, you can’t even tell who they are. I wish we could have seen better highlights of the characters themselves, their faces even, including Shigaraki’s. YEAH THAT’S RIGHT. THEY’RE FIGHTING SHIGARAKI IN THAT SHOT. DID YOU EVEN NOTICE? YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT IT WAS IZUKU, RIGHT? SEE HOW DUMB THIS IS? IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR THAT TO BE SHIGARAKI EITHER, BUT IT IS. GO PAUSE A FRAME AND CHECK IT OUT. The special effects of their super attacks at the end also look like ass. This was the worst sakuga we’ve seen since the third movie and I am not impressed and I’m mad other people are.

10. Epilepsy colors Izuku is also terrible sakuga he’s so off-model it hurts I can’t stand watching this bit.

11. The Izuku+Tenko sequence is nice and a good show of creativity, and yet Izuku also looks off-model and I can’t stand how this is NOT the right season for this imagery. So that makes this a spoiler, basically? It doesn’t belong here. I like the subtle hint at the OFA star with the sun glare behind Izuku’s offered hand, but still this feels like they have no idea what this arc is about.

12. Exhibit #999999 that it feels like the animators have no idea what’s up with this arc: the ending image of Izuku doing the All Might fist in the air pose. Like, maybe it works if you read it as “he’s able to represent All Might because everyone else is there with him,” but it just doesn’t...feel right. It’s not earned based on the rest of the OP. Why couldn’t we just have them all be around the All Might statue? I don’t know what are you all even thinking when you draw this shit

[gio-dude]

any more thoughts on paper mario so far?

I LOVED it honestly and the only reason I'm not playing TTYD is because I'm waiting for my new pc to get fixed cus my laptop is 🥔

Not as much as I did at the start, unfortunately. I've done a few more posts in different formats, but after the prologue and chapter one it's been a game and the humors been there but not quite as funny as that first chunk for me. Like, the attention to detail is absolutely INSANE throughout the whole game so far (the hidden spots, the funny npc dialogue, the dizzy eye animation, the text effects when people are speaking to show emotion and emphasis, etc), and some of the clues and stuff have been really well done where it guides you, sometimes by even straight up telling you what to do, but only if you like talk and interact with everyone and it sounds like gossip. I love how much world building they put into it, and like all of your companions get letters, so like Kooper is going to join Kolorado in an archeology adventure after helping mario, bombette is going to help cut the ribbon for a new train station since she cleared the tracks of the toad town one, they all have really cool stories for AFTER the game, which I really love and appreciate since I don't remember that from TTYD.

But yeah PM 64 has had solid characters and great world building and I am baffled at how complex and absolutely massive it feels to me for its time (I mainly played the pokemon stadium [1 & 2] mini games and kirby 64 shards and the OG ssb for comparison/context, and like kirby felt big but the open world of mario and the dynamic background where things change each chapter and characters reacting differently based off what degree of fighter you are make it feel massive) (also the timing of enemies for blocking and command attacks feels like each one would need its own code for, and there have been a lot of enemies and I'm only on chapter 3!)

It's been very interesting playing PM 64 after TTYD, since TTYD had a LOT of polish which, I hadn't realized, made it incredible. And like I watched a video or read an article ages ago about other games like the first two paper mario games and the mario and luigi series (both series, best games) and it was talking about how TTYD took a LOT of inspiration from PM 64, almost to the extent of copy+pasting, like "you did a train mystery in the first game and so let's do another train mystery" and "you get a smart Goomba, a small town koopa, a bomb-omb with character, and a ghost as a companion, so let's do that all again". And it's true (I haven't gotten to the train bit yet but I know it exists since there is a PENGUIN detective and we love penguins), but like all of the characters in TTYD had WAAAAAY more character and although both games' companions are charming, the added character design in TTYD was great.

Final thoughts are for both the paper mario and the mario and luigi series as a whole and their successors, both spiritually and literally.

As for the literal successors of PM and M&L, M&L has stayed true to its nature and although the stories are different and the abilities raise the stakes unnecessarily in my opinion, they still play like M&L games. PM on the other hand...

I feel like the bowser sections in TTYD directly influenced mario and luigi: browsers inside story, which was spectacular and probably the strongest in that series (partners in time will always hold a special place in my heart and I love it. Super stars was okay, the story was amazing but the fighting felt more tedious than the later games. Dreamy luigi was alright, I wasn't a fan of the new art style [that all the remakes, unfortunately, decided to continue to use] I don't think I ever beat it since it never hooked me in the same way. And I've seen NO ONE talk about that one cross over with paper mario, so I know nothing of that one.)

Paper mario and M&L are like my favorite games since I like that you still interact in battles even when it's not your turn. I hate JRPGs with a passion since I would literally rather play around in excel sheets all day (which I get paid to do) than click the same buttons over and over again without thought and then have to wait for the enemy animation when it could all just be text and skipped and be done with.

These games add the element of skill, albeit a pretty small element that can be boring and tedious and repetitive too, but it adds engagement for the entire time you are battling and battles are directly and immediately impacted by your skill, as compared to mainly "strategy" (pick the strongest move) in JRPGs. I care about getting each action command and each block in PM, my skill directly influences the outcome of the battle compared to sheer luck (there's a little luck with like status effects but that isnt the same as variable damge based on luck). If I'm playing a game I want to be engaged with it the whole time, not constantly mashing A while checking my phone since I'm spamming the same attack agaim since there is nothing else to do (glares at pokemon).

I feel like undertale was a spiritual successor to these games based on the bullet hell dodging in combat and the timing of attacks. The dodging was actually way more engaging and difficult in undertale than in PM and M&L and I think that was a large part of its success. I'm really surprised so few games have taken this approach to the rpg formula, of making the whole battle actually engaging, but there are a lot in development!

One that's out already is bug fables and if you have not checked that one out PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! It's glorious and the best successor to TTYD I've ever seen. There's also born of bread of which I've heard mixed results on and haven't check out myself yet, and there's also a sea horse one in development still also I had checked. There's also "OTHER:her loving embrace" which takes a more similar approach to combat as undertale but instead of bullet hell dodging it's a seconds long mini platformer where you have to run around dodging and you can even counter attack and it looks like everything I've ever wanted from a game and I am INCREDIBLY excited for that one. I'd also be down for a bug fables 2.

Now, disclaimer, I haven't actually played any other paper mario games than 64 and TTYD since they have all sounded awful. Sticker star had all moves be dictated by one time use stickers so your combat move options were constantly changing and combat seemed slow and not engaging (like a usual turn based jrpg) since I think it was just the stickers gimmick the whole time? 64 had some funny paper gimmicks, and TTYD really stepped up its paper inspired mechanics, what with the mario curses (airplane, tube, boat, etc.) And like busty genie's blowing ability, and then the one paper mario for the wii (super paper mario? I'm not willing to look it up) seemed to build more upon that with being able to like turn the world sideways and stuff, which makes for a cool puzzle game but I don't know anything about the combat that I can remember- that's how unmemorable it was despite looking into it multiple times because not enough of these types of games exist. I've heard nothing of the PM x M&L crossover as I've said above, and from what I heard about origami King the story was cute but a little shallow and the combat got switched up YET A-FUCKING-GAIN. It seemed liked an interesting combat system, but it sounded like it got extra tedious really fast since I think it involved having to draw a path through enemies that surround you in a circle and again, seemed cool but it wasn't paper mario. I once played a cooperative star trek board game that seemed to have similar mechanics, and like, as a combat system I could see it being really cool, but just not good for paper mario which has refuses to go back to what made 64 and TTYD so successful and charming and wacky, since Nintendo wants M&L to be the big rpg mario line games, which like... GIVE US BOTH.

So, yeah! Thank you so much for giving me an excuse and outlet to ramble and get all my thoughts out, it may be a bit more than you bargained for but you asked for thoughts! And paper mario was vague so I couldn't tell if you meant the 64 game specifically or the whole series, so you get the whole series!

Although I have this typed out on the 23, it's nearly 11 pm and I have work in the morning and I want to go through and edit this since I am notorious for having awful spelling and skipping whole words when I'm thinking anything quickly and I want to make sure this all looks and sounds good and at least has some coherence with the order it covers topics so thou must be patient.

[loguetowns]

Hi! I got into the One Piece fandom bc of OPLA and fell in love with OPLA Zoro lol. I then checked out the anime and found your animanga Zoro fics and they’re so cute, I’ve loved reading them :)

Would love to know your thoughts on OPLA too!

in the iconic words of lola tung, oh my goodness i love this question!!

firstly, i hope you've been having fun exploring the world of one piece!! i feel like getting into a new fandom can be so overwhelming sometimes. with that said, i am absolutely tickled that my fics have been feeding your zoro crush ♡

as for my opinions on opla, was it the most artful masterpiece in the world? no. but did it set out to do everything it wanted to do? yes. did it make me wholly content and leave my heart full? absolutely!!

i'm gonna add my detailed thoughts below (bc there's so many lol) but i will say that i think it was a success!

i'm not sure what the general animanga fandom's thoughts were on opla but for myself, i tried going into it with as little comparison/expectation from the original material as possible and i think that's why i liked it so much. i remember reading that the team's two goals were to honor existing fandom and also bring one piece to a new audience, and they totally did that!!

on the production itself, i think the team did the best with the budget they were given. it's a netflix show, not a hollywood production. certain effects and post-production weren't flawless, but i can 100% appreciate where they chose to spend their money. the choice to focus on character design and setting helped to bring the world of one piece to life in a way where it doesn't feel corny seeing it as a live action, ya kno?

storytelling wise, i can understand why they chose to keep what they kept and where they took out material/story. the essence of each arc was kept and the fact that they were able to introduce new plot and keep the core story intact within 8 episodes was a huge win.

it's funny because syrup village and baratie are two arcs that i don't care for but i adored them in opla. i also didn't even realize until after i finished watching that the buggy arc was so different from the original but i think that speaks to how well it was done!

i also like that they brought in this little side story of coby, garp and the marines. coby was an effective tool to explain the world of op to newer audience members, and the dichotomy between good vs. bad and whether lawful = good was set up really well in a short series because you had this marine subplot.

and then, of course, the characters ♡ the cast of opla has my whole fucking heart fr!! i already knew i was going to love mackenyu!zoro as soon as i saw his concept photos. but what surprised me was how much i fell in love with opla!sanji and usopp! they are so delightfully adorable and i have big crushes on them now.

the other standout thing for me is that i think the cast did a wonderful job at capturing the east blue crew's initial innocence and wonder. after following the strawhats for so long, i forget how much they've grown since the beginning. like, they really were just a bunch of teen dreamers who were given permission to be free by this weird kid in a strawhat.

for me, i don't see it as the opla competing with the animanga, but rather it's another version of the same story that i can love as much as the original ♡

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I’m genuinely shocked that Emma Stone won for Best Actress.

For political diversity reasons and the fact that she won Best Actor for drama at the Golden Globes – the best pointer for Oscar glory – I thought Lily Gladstone had this sewn up.

All other winners were as predicted and for the reasons I posted afew weeks ago. 

************

I was 70/30 on Emma/Lily winning. I wanted Lily to win but I was sure Emma was going to take it. Weird and quirky will usually win out.

I didn’t think Emma deserved Best Actress for La La Land. (2015 was poor year for film for me because most of those films weren’t very remarkable. Or memorable.) But Best Actress for Poor Things is very well deserved so I’m happy for her. Pretty sure she didn’t expect it, though. Emma looked truly shocked to win, so I think she was expecting Lily to take it.

My Monday armchair quarterback opinion is that I think it was the marketing campaign that did Lily in. Flowers of the Killer Moon had been promoted as Leo and De Niro’s movie, with Lily as a supporting actress/character - which, if you look at the story in the film and the perspective of the story, makes sense. This was a Leo/Bob vehicle and a story of the white man, and they really lucked out with the spectacular casting of Lily for Mollie. If all of that had been reversed - if the story was told predominantly in Mollie’s perspective as a Lily vehicle, she would’ve walked away with the Oscar last night. 

But they didn’t start promoting or marketing or “for your consideration”-ing Lily until after all the reviews came in and everyone was already talking about Lily’s performance. And it’s also because of the strikes - Killers couldn’t be promoted because of the ongoing strikes, so of course the studio is going to lean more heavily on Leo and De Niro, because people know them. They’re bankable. 

The other thing to keep in mind (this isn’t to you, anon, but to others who may be reading) is how the Academy votes. The specific guilds individually vote on who the Oscar nominees are - actors decide the acting nominees, sound decides the sound nominees, editors decide editing nominees, etc. (the best picture/documentary/animated/shorts categories are different) - but the entire Academy at large votes on who wins. So the whole Academy is voting for Best Actress, the whole Academy is voting for Best Sound Design, etc. And usually when the whole Academy votes, weird and quirky usually wins.

It’s why I suspect the Screen Actors Guild awards are the most meaningful for the actors - because it’s peer-to-peer recognition. Golden Globes is who schmoozes the best (or it used to be, before the cultural reckoning it had a few years ago) and the Academy is often who arts the best (or who’s toiled the longest and needs career validation the best). But the Screen Actors Guild, and all the guild awards, is who’s the best at our craft. So I hope Lily isn’t too upset - she got that peer-to-peer recognition - and I hope she gets more roles. It looks like it; she has a new streaming series coming soon and it looks phenomenal.

Well, if you made it this far, a few more observations from Oscar Night:

I loved Ryan Gosling and the Kens. I love it when the Oscars get cheesy and nostalgic like that.

The John Cena bit was awkward.

Loved seeing previous winners come back to recognize the nominees but the Academy spoiled themselves. I knew how the acting categories were going to be presented beforehand and I knew they were keeping the tributes a secret for the broadcast, but seeing people on the red carpet and in the audience that we don’t usually see at these events (Nicholas Cage, Ben Kingsley, and Charlize Theron for example and for me, specifically) gave the plot away.

I know it’s tired and overdone, but I love the Jimmy Kimmel/Matt Damon fight. I wish they’d have done something in the broadcast. I honestly thought the critic Jimmy was reading at the end was going to be the Matt Damon bit and for the writing categories, I thought they were going to announce Matt and Ben Affleck as the presenters (since they won their first Oscars for writing Good Will Hunting)...ah, oh well.

The red carpet was absolutely lackluster and very disappointing.

Meghan didn’t show up as Misan’s plus one and Misan didn’t win his category. I mean, the guy was up against Wes Anderson. It’s a no-brainer.

The dancing during the In Memorium segment was...A Choice.

I loved the 7pm start time. More, please!, shouted everyone on the East Coast.

I really can’t wait to see what Oscar bait movie Bradley Cooper does next, and what movie he does that the Academy finally decides “let’s put him out of his misery.” Will it be for a film worthy of the recognition or will it be a lifetime achievement award for a meh performance/film? 

I’ve got my bets on lifetime achievement.

[bangtansmauyeondan]

THIRTY-FIVE | Bonus Clip - 12 Years Ago

Pairing: In-Studio Director!Jungkook x Stage Director!Fem Reader

Genre: rivals au, social media au, frenemies to lovers, slow burn, fluff, smut, angst, crack.

Rating: 18+

Warnings: explicit language, mentions of abandonment, alcohol consumption, harmless scheming, dare, bet, smut

Summary: It has always been the battle of the best between you and your college rival, Jungkook. What happens when years later, you cross paths again working for the same network broadcasting company, and the competitive flame is rekindled? Well, a whole new drunken bet that determines your futures wasn’t in your line of vision but here you are… and you have until 35.

SERIES TAGLIST: @fragmentof-indifference @babyboo22 @dionysusenthusiast @luaspersona @timelessruins @royallyjjk @sandraviolante-blog @quarter-life-crisis2 @jub-jub @pb-n-juju @jeonxgoogiee @sugaluvmyg

PERMANENT TAGLIST: @astronaut-jin-moon @persphonesorchid @thatbangtanjagiya @taestefully-in-luv @btsstan12 @bts-reveries @blog-name-idk @madbutgloriouspond @pamzn @wrmnssoul @ygbubs @halesandy @jayhope88 @bnagtanx1306 @pinkseokchim @busanbby-jjk @babycandy111

•••

“Someone must be in a good mood,” Mr. Xu, one of your professors, smiled as he approached you at the gallery. “Need help?”

You're humming absentmindedly while hanging up your photographs at your designated booth, immensely excited for the exhibit opening the following day. Yes, you’re in a good mood. Why? You’re one of the only two film majors who have been invited to showcase their photos at this year’s Arts Festival. You didn’t think your photos were good enough, especially when compared with the photography students’ entries; but the dean had a different opinion.

“Thank you, Mr. Xu,” you smiled timidly at him as he picked up one of the frames to hang up. “Do you know where the other film student is setting up?”

Mr. Xu chuckled and shook his head at your question, wisps of his bright blue and purple hair swaying along. “He’s setting up right across from you,” he tilted his head to the direction of the booth a few feet away from yours. “Do you know him? I think you go to the same classes.”

“What’s his name? I just might.”

“Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook. Does it ring a bell?”

Oh, Jeon Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook, the one who seems shy at first, but in reality is a big ball of energy. He strides inside the classroom like he owns the place. He talks nonstop– he talks when he’s thinking, he talks to his seatmates, he talks to inanimate objects. He can draw, he can paint, he can shoot, he can sing, he can dance, and some say he can even cook. He is one of many talents and abilities– including making people, men and women, fall for him. Who can blame the guy? He is well-mannered, especially to the professors and the staff, and he looks like a dashing prince in a pair of combat boots and an all-black ensemble. Jeon Jungkook is really something else. So does the name ring a bell? The Russian Tsar Bell, no doubt.

“Oh yeah…” Your cheeks turned a few shades of crimson. “I know of him, I don’t know him personally though.”

Mr. Xu crossed his arms as he nodded, “How come?” He furrowed his eyebrows. “You two should meet and get along.”

“In time, probably, Mr. Xu,” you smiled politely.

“Alright, I’m gonna go check on the other students,” he patted your shoulder encouragingly. “Congratulations again, Yn… I’ll see you around.”

“Bye, Mr. Xu. Thank you for stopping by!”

—

“I swear to God, Mingyu, please!” Jungkook tugged on his friend's camera strap causing him to stumble backwards.

“What the hell, JK!?” Mingyu removed the camera strap from his body so Jungkook could no longer pull on it. “She knows you already, just say Hi!”

“No, she doesn’t!” He bit on his lower lip, “I mean she does, but she’s never talked to me before, I don’t know if she even knows my name.”

“Of course she does, are you crazy!?”

“What’s so difficult about introducing me to her?” he stopped walking, causing Mingyu to stop on his tracks too.

“It shouldn’t be difficult because she already knows you!”

“What, so do I just go up to her, ask her out the very first time I talk to her?” Jungkook rolled his eyes, “I would seem like a total douche. There has to be gradual progress, you know?”

Mingyu stared back at him, trying to process what he just said. After a few seconds, which to Jungkook seemed like ten minutes, Mingyu finally sighed and gave in. “She’s DK’s bestfriend, he knows her longer than I do. You should ask DK for help.”

Jungkook punched the air multiple times and jogged aggressively in place before wrapping his arms around Mingyu excitedly, “I will! You’re the bestestbest friend in the whole universe, Kim Mingyu!” Then he’s off running down the campus grounds to go find his other friend.

—

Jungkook paced back and forth in his designated booth at the exhibit mustering up the courage to talk to the girl he’s been crushing on since the moment he stepped foot in that Screenwriting 101 class.

“What are you waiting for, dude?” DK playfully kicked his shin causing him to stop pacing. “She’s right there.”

“Okay, okay… I’m just trying to hype myself up.”

“... by acting like a pendulum?” Mingyu snickered.

“Okay, first of all, a pendulum? How old are you?” Jungkook bit back. “Okay, let me go through this again… number one, I’m gonna chat her up about her muse in the photos, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” DK agreed.

“Okay, number two, I’m gonna ask her if she’s comfortable being someone else’s muse…”

“Correct,” Mingyu nodded.

“Finally, I’m gonna ask her if she would like to be my muse for my next photo series because I’m pretty sure her photos would turn out more beautiful than any other models.”

“Mama mia!” DK kissed his fingers dramatically, “That’s it. I’m pretty sure she’s gonna swoon over those words.”

“Isn’t it creepy though?”

“No, dude. You’re totally fine.” Mingyu encouraged him more with a grin.

“Okay, okay! Wish me luck!” Jungkook pulled his shoulders back and cracked his neck for good measure before striding over to the booth right across from his. Mingyu and DK follow discreetly behind, ready to sneak in and eavesdrop on the conversation.

Jungkook cleared his throat to get his crush’s attention and he could have sworn he heard the bells ringing behind his ears as she turned around to face him. “Hi… Yn, right?”

You smiled sweetly. “Hi, yes. Jungkook?”

“Yeah,” he slipped his hands inside his pockets and tilted his head to your photo wall. “Nice photos… beautiful muse.”

“Thanks,” you felt your cheeks heating up at the compliment. You also couldn’t explain the butterflies fluttering in your stomach when Jungkook stepped closer allowing you to catch a whiff of his perfume.

“Would you… uh,” Jungkook stammered. “Would you like to go on a walk with me while I take photos? I’m sure my photos will turn out much better.” Fuck. That came out wrong.

Just like that, all the butterflies in your stomach dropped dead then and there.

Jungkook was too stunned to backtrack.

Mingyu’s shoulders slumped.

DK facepalmed.

“Umm…” You glanced at your watch. “No, I’d very much like to stay right here.” You deadpanned. “Thanks, Jungkook. I’ll see you around.” You turned your back at him and started picking up imaginary dust on your framed photos. The audacity of this arrogant man to saunter right over and insult you? You’re not having any of it. No. Never. Fuming with anger, you swore to yourself that whatever Jeon Jungkook does from this day on moving forward, you’re going to outdo no matter what. No one insults you and your work and gets away with it– not even the man you’ve been crushing on since you bumped into him in one of your classes two years ago.

Jungkook slowly backed away from your booth cursing himself internally. Why did he get so nervous? He rehearsed everything in his mind before he came over but he still managed to fuck up.

Guess today’s just not his lucky day.

•••

A/N — Oops. 🫣