#like i started rewatching it with friends a few months back but only very sporadically and also in german

[izzymalec]

biggest mystery about hannibal is how i understood anything when watching it 10 years ago

[icecream-and-gadreel]

Hey, I've been following your blog for a long time and love your story's. In the past few months I've been playing with the idea of getting back into writing again myself (it's been like 10 years -_-') I really like your style and wanted to ask, if you maybe had some tips on how to get started, be inspired or find the time to write. Thank you so much in advance and have a great day ;*

Heyo pal! Getting back into writing is always an amazing and nerve-wracking thing. For me, I had stopped writing for a really, really long time before sporadically popping my head back into the fandom.

TLDR;

Mark down your ideas as they come to you, even if you're busy.

Talk with a close friend to help you brainstorm (Even message me! I love brainstorming!)

If you are writing fanfic, rewatch episodes for inspiration

If you ever have a random inkling to write but have no idea what about, sit down anyways. Long versions under the cut! Good luck anon~

When I first began writing at 19, I was super, super busy! I was a full-time college student, worked at the Post Office from 4:00am until my classes started, and on Weekends I had to work with the basketball team that I co-owned. Seriously, I barely had time to think buhaha. But when I had an idea, I'd write it down in my Notepad app on my phone (The same app that I use to this day, Notepad Inkpad) and then I would slowly build on it during the day mentally. I'm a very visual thinker. When I think of a story, it's as if I can see an actual episode playing in my head. So, as I was tossing packages (Which is mindless work) I'd be imagining my story unfolding. If I liked a part of it, I'd write it down. I still do this to this day, the only difference is I also use Evernote to store my various ideas and stories.

The second thing I do is consult other writers. Sometimes I will randomly text my best friend, @sheinthatfandom, when I need help. Having someone who really understands the type of writing you're doing can be very beneficial. Another benefit of leaning on a close friend when it comes to writing is honesty. She tells me when a part of my story probably won't work, or can be like "Bitch this is why it ain't working". If you don't have those types of people in your life, look to tumblr! There are lots of folks who would love to help you brainstorm, including good ole trash goblin auntie Noodle!

If you're specifically writing fanfiction, rewatch some episodes centered around your character and vibe. Is it a scary scene? Sexy? Does it include that character that only had one episode? regardless, rewatching is an amazing way to jog your memory on how to write them in character. If you're writing original work, still watch good movies and television, and read good books. I'm also working on becoming a screenwriter, and the biggest thing for me is absorbing great media.

Finally, if you ever randomly feel like writing, for the love of god please sit down and write! Just today, a random sentence popped into my head and this produced a 3000 word fic! I hope this is helpful, good luck!

[zukkaoru]

“what if matchablossom secret exes but their relationship ended only a few months pre-canon????” IM LISTENING

YES MATCHABLOSSOM SECRET EXES

i just think the potential for the angst is So Good. like,, childhood friends to lovers to exes who still have feelings for each other but think they lost their chance, who don't know how to live with each other and keep their rivalry-friendship because it's all they have left, back to lovers again--

like i feel like they got together after kojiro came back from italy OR maybe there's a confession at some point when kaoru goes and visits kojiro,,

and like originally, i guess i imagined their relationship ended years pre-canon so they've had time to like. build that friendship back up. but after rewatching the first couple episodes, i'm like.. but what if they broke up only like. six months pre-canon? so what we see is them building that friendship back up? because they seem more friendly with each other as the series goes on, right? and like probably that was because the writers didn't want us to realize how close they really are at the very beginning of the show but....... i don't know.. something about the idea of the joe and cherry we see being recently separated. the thought of joe going to S alone for several months pre-canon because cherry just. stops going after he and joe break up. the thought of joe always having girls with him because he's trying to move on

how much more painful does that make the scene where adam hits cherry and joe goes running to him, scared that it really is too late. how much more vulnerable does that make joe during the "we're not alone. right, kaoru?" scene. like.... people make jokes about that scene being a confession but. we're not alone to the only person you've ever been in a serious relationship, the person you broke up with less than a year ago and have been trying to get over ever since, the person who you still don't know how to live without. i just--

and in the second episode, when they skate off while arguing with each other, someone says something about those two have never learned to get along, have they? so like. it's obvious the current S crowd has no idea they even used to be friends. so they get together, but they keep up this rival appearance at S during their relationship, and it sort of just gets to be too much for them to handle. they start having doubts, they start worrying maybe the fighting isn't for show and that they aren't working, and then those fears sink in and eventually tear them apart.

cherry pretty much stops going to S. joe's appearances become more and more sporadic. the few times they do both show up, their fighting isn't for show - it's real and it's straight to the heart. they know exactly how to tear the other down. they don't necessarily want to; but it's the way they protect themselves from their own feelings

and then cherry shows up after weeks of radio silence as cherry, just to tell this newbie he has to race because he stepped on a board and "those are the rules". and when he and joe talk next at S, it seems... a lot more normal? a lot less mean and a lot more them. something similar to how they used to be, even if it's not quite there yet.

okay i'm cutting myself off there delfi i am so sorry this got so long i just have. a lot of feelings skjdhfdkh

[captainsspnanon]

C2E17 - Harvest Close rewatch/liveblog

It’s here, it’s here, the episode where I introduced my mother to Critical Role!

I’d been much further along and was talking to her about the show (started off simply, then she asked for some clarification and the DAM BURST FORTH and then I just didn’t shut up…), and she didn’t really understand how DnD WORKED.  Like, dice?  Why use dice?  And I showed her the Fjord sandbag scene as a good example of roleplaying but how the dice add a random element to it that you just roll with (whoops didn’t mean to pun OH WELL).  She thought it was a delightful scene, and had no further interest after that.  Unfortunately for her, the ‘not shutting up’ thing is a thing, and with me being stuck on my own during the pandemic, any time I visited we would talk about things and what was I watching CRITICAL ROLE so it just kept going.  Eventually I would show her some other sporadic scenes, mostly involving Jester because my mom loves her voice (I wanted to show her the cupcake scene, but she wanted context so she watched the full like 45 minutes to an hour of them all negotiating with the hag before the cupcake scene).  Cut to me showing her more and more scenes at a time, then she tried watching the first episode of C2 but stopped after an hour or so because while she was enjoying it there was just SO MUCH to go and she has other things she wants to read/watch.  Cut to her deciding to give the start of C3 a go (she’s very happy that they’ll be taking off the last Thursday of every month).  She’s watched all four episodes so far, and is ready to stop if it gets too much or she loses interest, but so far she’s invested in the plot.  Bored and confused by the combat, but I’ve been having conversations with her about mechanics such as race, class, stats, etc, so it’s adding a bit of context.

WOW I HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED THE EPISODE YET

I feel like I never need to come out and say I have adhd, I feel like it’s freaking obvious with how I type CONSTANTLY (plus all the shit I reblog). Sorry if it annoys you, I WILL NOT STOP.

Yoooooo Sam just won his Emmy!  Go Sam!

Omg Matt made a virtual Emmy to put in his inventory I forgot about this!!

Off topic, I just got shiny Mew in pokemon go.  It has terrible stats. 14, 11, 10, totals a two star.  OH WELL.  My regular Mew is a 13, 12, 14 three star, so I’m happy with that.

OKAY BACK TO THE EPISODE.

Oh man, I forgot how detailed the history of Gail is!

I love Laura’s sitcom mom voice so much.  Like, Ashley is the friggen star of these bits, but Laura’s voice is so good!

I really hope they have festivals in C3.  We got a few in C1, but I really think we only got the one in C2, and I feel like a few more could have been had. They really add just a nice lovely break and playfulness in the atmosphere.

Matt having a completely straight face when Beau talks about the beacon being stolen might be related to the vanishing kids.  That poker face!!

Jester lists off all methods of transportation that VM used NEVER GOT IT UNTIL NOW

Laura teasing Matt for saying “chest area”.  “what you do you want me to say Laura? Past her HEAPING BOSOM??”  srsly, I love that these guys really are just a group of friends goofing off together.

There’s a part of me that really just loves Liam for his very classical references on the fly.  It makes me very much miss being a theatre kid, and while it was the right choice for me not to go into it professionally, it makes me regret it just a little bit.  Who else drops a Tartuffe reference out of the blue!

I really forgot how much Caleb made deadpan jokes, like all the time.

Also this skeleton vs dead person conversation is amazing and I love it so much

28:50, the moment I started playing it for my mom.  UGH, I loved this bit anyway, but now it gives me even more warm fuzzies because it’s a soft memory of sharing it with her

they’re so delighted by the soft chimes in the background

THREE NATURAL ONES seriously I love this so much and I love how excited they all get and I LOVE WHEN DICE TELL A STORY

Interestingly, Matt had said “alright so-” and had held up a wait-a-sec finger before Travis rolled, but it might just have been at not disadvantage or something, so whatever he was gonna say didn’t help anyway

See, I like Molly in this episode.  The skeleton body debate, the sandbag throwing, later he gets the platinum dragon banner, I honestly feel like a lot of stuff that I liked from Molly is actually coming up in the remaining episodes, but I wasn’t able to appreciate it first time around because I was already so soured on him.  At this point in the rewatch, I am recognizing that I don’t like him, but I’m trying to distance from that so that I can still watch these scenes and enjoy him in it.

Seeing so much of Yasha’s characterization this time around!  I’ve said it before, I know I missed it the first watch because I wasn’t sure what was Ashley and what was Yasha, but this is just making Yasha so much more enjoyable for me, even before we get her for long periods of time.

I do feel like Keen Mind should have helped Caleb with the cup game, but the nat 20 works!

Yasha and Jester going for the hammer hit!  Also lol at the guard calling Yasha ‘big missy’.  In the Talks just before this, Ashley took a moment to SPECIFICALLY state that Yasha is shorter that Fjord.  I’m sorry Ashley, but the fanbase had already spoken.  Yasha is tallest.

YASHAAAAAAAAAAAAA (she gets such great moments this episode, I’m so happy) (actually, thinking about it, yasha has just a bunch of great moments overall in the campaign, that makes me even happier!!)

I miss Caleb instinctively counting coins.  It was such a small thing, I have to assume that it’s just that Liam didn’t want to bring it up every time, but that Caleb is probably always doing it.  Well, maybe not? It’s not quite a Vex situation, but I do suspect much of it comes from his years being a beggar.  Hmmm….now I wonder if any of it is a habit of Bren, or if it’s always been a Caleb thing.

And this is why stats can make the game.  I LOVE Jester and Yasha being the strongest physically, it just leads to SO many lovely things!  And it only happened because Laura rolled really well for her status!  Otherwise it only would have been Yasha as the beefcake.

liam why are you making the candied/caramel apple scene heartbreaking fuck you I love you

also, this is why I love Matt.  Candied apples, yup, he got that set ahead of time. Caramel apples?  Sure, why not!  But improved in such a way that it FEELS like he had it prepped the entire time.

Also, Laura – Caramel.  Matt – Carmel.  I’m a ‘caramel’, so hearing ‘carmel’ always throws me off.

I feel like I like this episode so much also because it feels like the first time where the PCs feel like a group of friends?  Like, betting on Jester, hassling Nott to win them prizes in the archery contest, it just FEELS so warm in a way that they hadn’t quite reached before now.

Yasha eating rats!!

can you imagine what the plot would have been if they actually chose to join the Righteous Brand?  Like, it CLEARLY wasn’t gonna happen, but technically it was still a thread they could choose

YASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

YAAASSHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

DOUBLE NATURAL TWENTY FROM YASHA AND GUTHER!!!!!!!!

(trying to remember if I showed my mom this bit as well, I can’t actually remember!)

I love that they are SO high energy as if this was an actual arm wresting match.  I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

Yasha asks Beau to read the flyer and there’s a moment where we’re all like wait Yasha can’t read?? but then Yasha has already read earlier with the town crier so

Oh hey!  Darrow sounds exactly like Jarrett!  No wonder Laura reacted the way that she did before we knew it was Darrow.

Mage Armor!  I feel like this actually didn’t get used much during the campaign. *checks critrole transcripts* eh, like 28 times?  And used up through episode 76 and then not used any more.  Aaaah, and that might be around when Caleb gets the elven chainmail, which explains that. OKAY I TAKE BACK MY COMMENT.   Though that’s still almost half the campaign where it didn’t get used, so I can understand my thoughts on it.

I feel like Beau and Caleb got really close so quickly, it gives me such feeeeeeels.

Treeeeeeeent.  I HAAAATE YOUiloveyoubestvillianbestvillain

Beau using the wooden swords!!!!!

No enlarge mini yet, but that’s okay.  Also, now I see why Caleb typically just enlarges Beau, because enlarging Yasha actually doesn’t do much cause she gets the rage bonuses any way.  And 1d4 damage adds up for a monk with lots of attacks, versus a barb with two.

….the Last Line fighting minotaurs in the tournament feels a lot worse now that we’ve seen that minotaurs are intelligent creatures (a la what’s his face in Xhorhas).  I wonder if Matt already had that concept at the time, or if he considered minotaurs just creatures and then changed it for Xhorhas.

Aaand nothing much more to say because it’s just combat stuff.

I thought they did all three this episode!  Ah well, hill giant next time.

@suicidallyreckless

[agirlunderarock]

Hi! I just followed you not too long ago, so sorry if this is a lot of questions to ask, but I love Star Wars and I'm curious lol! How about 1, 5, 12, 17, and 36? 🙂

HELLO!

Dude you actually got me at the BEST moment, and I am saying this before I lose this post in my drafts and will cry if I end up letting this sit longer than tonight. But that is a perfect amount of questions, I'm going to try to not be long winded and rambly like I normally get. So far its not going well

Jedi or Sith?

Jedi! I just really like the lightside, theres not much more to it.

2. Favourite character from sequal trilogy?

FINN!! Okay I admittedly do not rewatch the sequels like I do the prequels, but thats because the prequels are what I watched on repeat. HOWEVER, Finn had my heart the moment he came on screen for the commercial for The Force Awakens. I was so excited for his character and story to unfold, I had a lot of high hopes for him and exploring a lot of the ex-storm trooper pieces. Needless to say I was very sad that we didn't get more of that. I *grasping at non existent straws* I wanted more from him. Like I know he's force sensitive and training to be a jedi- but I think I either would have wanted to see him and Rey come into being jedi together- Rey focused trying to figure out what it means to be a jedi in the sort of mythical sense they seem to have in the sequels, and Finn establishing what the jedi need to be to people in the world of the sequels. I love him so much, I just wish he had the chance for more

12. Which character would you be friends with?

I don't exactly make friends easily...I'm a very quiet person irl, so I'm not really sure. I'd like to try to be Obi-Wan and Ahsoka's friend- but I also get the feeling that they (mostly Obi-Wan) would manage to say something that set off some sort of fight or flight response (theres a whole fic on what would happen to my brain so like-) Honestly, irl, I rarely go out of my way to befriend people, friends sorta just happen in some shape or form to me? That being said I think I'd probably would end up being friends with them, maybe even Mace. Like my irl friends are either older like my parents, or like about my age with my same sense of dead ass humor.

17. How were you introduced to the fandom?

So I've loved star wars since I was little, didn't start to process it until I was like 9 or 10 when my mom laughed too hard a toy story 2 joke that referenced Empire Strikes Back- but I didn't start participating in fandom until like a few months ago. Like I started drafting fanfiction and ocs over a year ago because a friend begged me to watch clone wars, and the dark saber appearing in the Mandalorian got me curious, but like it wasn't until REALLY recently that I've started actively talking to people in the fandom. I guess I'd have to say the ice storm that hit texas last year began my slow decent into fandom spaces. the power was coming on sporadically, and I have a notebook filled with all my first notes for my OC and it was the only way to keep my mind off the power staying off longer and longer.

36. Opinions on the Mandalorian?

Lol That was part of my stepping stone to getting back into star wars. It made me go watch the animated shows. I really like the Mandalorian, I'm interested in where its going. I do wish that he would stay in his lane though because I wanted more time for Boba Fett, but I'm hoping to see more of him in S3 so I guess thats okay. I kinda like that they're trying to reshape what it is to be Mandalorian in the show, because so far we've had Death Watch, Satine, and bounty hunters, at least for televised media. Given that he was straight up told "then you're no longer a Mandalorian" I'm really interested in seeing how they redefine that. I anxiously await Sabine to appear

Thanks again for the ask! If anyone else would like to do these asks for themselves heres the full list!

[precuredaily]

Precure Bonus Day: “Futari wa" Era Overview

Across the last year and 4 months, I rewatched all of the Futari wa Precure branded shows that ran from 2004-2007. These three shows form the foundation of the Pretty Cure franchise that currently spans 16 television series, 27 movies, and multiple stage shows. The end of the FW era marks the beginning of a shift away from the franchise’s roots, so before I dive into Yes! Precure 5 and beyond, I want to take the time to reflect and analyze the past three seasons as a whole. What did they have in common? What aspects did they change? Where did each show succeed and fail, and what common threads are there between these successes and failures?

Hopefully it goes without saying that there will be spoilers, but just in case, I will be discussing each of these series in their entireity, including plot twists and details about their finales.

Futari wa Precure (2004)

Obviously, this is the show that kicked it all off. Toei made this two years after their highly popular Ojamajo Doremi series ended, with the gap year 2003 being filled with a non-magical girl shoujo anime called Ashita no Nadja. I don’t think they meant to start a franchise, and honestly I don’t think they even meant to make it a year-long show. The plot wraps up pretty nicely in episode 26: Nagisa and Honoka have defeated all the henchmen and the main villain and they can return to their normal lives, having become great friends along the way. However, it was popular and the merchandise sold well, so they continued it. At least that’s my theory, maybe it really was meant to be an annual show, but the back half feels extremely stagnant and not particularly connected to the first half. They changed the objective, changed the villains, and the animation quality went down the toilet.

Nonetheless, it established important concepts for this era: most obviously, the two-girl team. It’s in the title: “We Two are Pretty Cure” (there’s a reason you don’t see it translated much, lol) The two girls also come from different walks of life, and would probably not have much reason to interact if it weren’t for being Precure. This first season in particular establishes something of a yin-yang theme with the two. Short hair and long hair, sporty and scientific, middle class and upper class, black and white. While less prominent, this idea of girls from diverse backgrounds coming together will remain a theme well beyond the FW era, to the point where the current (as of this writing) team consists of two space aliens. A key element of the two-girl teams is that they have to transform together. They cannot operate as individuals; they are a pair and they are strongest when they work together. From a writing standpoint, this is an excellent idea that allows for a lot of scenarios that can test and strengthen their partnership.

Another big aspect of FWPC is the supporting cast that flesh out the world. Nagisa and Honoka have friends other than each other, who sometimes have their own story arcs despite not being the main characters. Shiho stands out from this series, as we saw her develop and explore an interest in theater, but possibly the unexpected breakout character was Odajima Yuka. I’m getting ahead of myself, because she didn’t really click with me until her single appearance in Max Heart, but that wouldn’t have been meaningful without her sporadic presence in this show. There are also a half dozen other characters who get a focus episode and then recur in the background throughout the show, and I love the consistency. The girls have love interests and we get to see them wrestle with their feelings. It all makes the girls feel more ordinary, despite their secret lives as superheroes. They have normal lives with normal problems. The girls aren’t the center of the universe, they just happen to be the focus of the show, and there are lots of other people that also inhabit it, going about their lives, whose paths sometimes cross with the main characters’.

FWPC established a bit of a trend for the villain faction: they were fronted by a big, giant monster of literal darkness and each of the subordinate generals has a portion of the macguffin. Each general had a gimmick in how they plotted and attacked, be it brute force, overwrought scheming, subterfuge, or infiltration. The inevitable result of this was that some villains felt more interesting than each other, of course. Pisard and Gekidrago were nothing but archetypes. Poisony had a personality, because she played off of her brother Kiriya, and he had his own arc where he learned to appreciate the good side of humanity. Ilkubo combines aspects of several of them, being extremely powerful and basically the Dark King’s right hand, but for all his gesturing he doesn’t amount to much. The Three Seeds of Darkness from the second half of the show have less going for them. They have personality quirks but they’re not particularly memorable as characters. A lot of their time was spent sitting around saying “We need to find the macguffin.” Their most interesting moment was when they realized that they would be consumed by the Dark King, and tried to betray him (unsuccessfully), otherwise they were just kind of there to pad out the series.

Aside from the down-to-earth nature of the characters and the world, the other biggest element that FW gives us, which the series became famous for, is the fighting. The show’s director, Nishio Daisuke, had recently come off of work on the Dragon Ball series, and he went into Precure with the mindset that “girls like action too.” The combat is physical, the girls kick and punch the monsters rather than fighting with magic wands or special attacks, except for the finisher. This set Precure apart from the crowd and I honestly think it was a big contributor to its early success. It offered little girls something they didn’t often get without branching out into the other Sunday morning offerings, which were targeted at boys. Nishio was good at directing action and he made the fights entertaining to watch.

The major failures of FWPC are some truncated character arcs. Kiriya deserved better than to be forgotten halfway through the series, only to come back as something of a guiding spirit at the end and then die an unsatisfying death. Yumiko (the lacrosse captain) was completely forgettable despite the show trying to make her a notable recurring character. Some of the early guest characters of the week had really lame reasons to exist, like Mayu (the girl who looked like Nagisa). The Seeds of Darkness were utterly lame villains so the second half of the show feels less compelling than the first half. Also, the ending is just kind of strange. Mipple, Mepple, and Porun go to sleep seemingly forever, and Nagisa and Honoka’s graduation feels bittersweet when they think about that and see a boy that looks like Kiriya. I’m still not sure if the ending was so sad because they knew the sequel was coming or despite it, so if it’s the former, it’s a strange choice that only kinda works if they knew that the audience knew that Max Heart would be starting the next week and all the sad stuff would be undone. If it’s the latter, then it’s a bold choice to have a downer ending that was undercut by the show’s own popularity. Either way, I don’t think it was effective given the direction Max Heart took. Without Max Heart I’d consider it strong, but I can’t ignore the effect of the sequel. Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Futari wa Precure Max Heart (2005)

Max Heart is an interesting animal. As the sequel to a fairly closed-ended series, it has to invent a reason to exist and uh.... it doesn’t do that very well. The Dark King apparently attacked the Queen of Light before his defeat, and now a few months later she dies and splits into her life, heart, and 12 wills, each of which are marketable in their own way. It essentially turns into another Macguffin quest, but the girls aren’t even actively seeking out the Heartiels, they just come to them. And unlike FWPC’s quest which wrapped up in the first half of that show, they stretch this one out for the entire season, so it gets tiring. That’s my big criticism of MH, but it’s not all bad.

Nagisa and Honoka were enjoyable characters in the first season and I am beyond delighted to get to spend another year with them. This season sees them deepening their friendship as they deal with their new leadership positions in their clubs, offering advice to underclassmen who are struggling with issues they dealt with in the first season, and further exploring Nagisa’s romantic feelings. She finally confesses to Fuji-P at the end of the show, even if he doesn’t actually hear her and consequently nothing comes from it. Season 1 Nagisa would never have gotten that far. Honoka’s development is rather subdued. She learns how to be a good club leader, and in episode 17 she helps push the club out of safe territory for the sake of their passion, but there’s really not much else to be said. She acts as Nagisa’s life coach sometimes when she has anxiety about her future, and helps her confess to Fuji-P, but she really does take a backseat this season next to Hikari. With that said, let’s talk about Hikari!

Hikari is, of course, a new character for this show, and thus her character arc is the most prominent of the trio. She also has more room to grow, since she starts out as basically an empty shell. Even if she is the Queen’s Life, she fully develops into her own person with her own life, friends, interests, and personality. Her overall kindness is probably a side effect of the Queen but she’s still not the Queen. She goes to school, makes friends, gets a job, builds a family, and generally discovers the joy of life. She’s a really enjoyable character to follow, because her journey isn’t just friendship like Nagisa and Honoka’s was, but becoming human. The tragic irony of her character is that the more of an individual person she becomes, the closer the Queen’s resurrection is, which means losing Hikari, and by rights this should form the backbone of the show’s conflict, but they don’t really seem to get this until the last quarter. They raise the question periodically but they don’t give it the discussion it deserves, and that’s a major weakness of the series. They ignore the problem until they can’t anymore. If they had given the audience the sense that this was intentional, that they were actively ignoring the matter, then it could have been interesting. Unfortunately, we never get the sense that Nagisa and Honoka were deliberately ignoring the inevitable question, and it seemed more like they just didn’t care.

As Shiny Luminous, Hikari somewhat changes the team dynamic, but she’s also not just a third fighter like Black and White. She is less combative, except when she has to be, and instead her abilities are more support-oriented. She stays back and activates barriers, slows down the enemy’s movements, and powers up Black and White. Her lack of combat skills means that sometimes Black and White have to protect or save her during fights, which interrupts the flow of battle and can make the fights a bit more drawn out than in the first season. I appreciate what they were trying to do by adding Luminous, and I am not in any way calling her a bad addition to the team, but her particular skills aren’t a very good fit for the style of fights that this show was built on. A lot of times she hides away from fights instead of transforming, making her more vulnerable. It seems like the staff wrote themselves into a corner with that aspect of her, and weren’t sure how to properly utilize her abilities.

The villains in Max Heart are an odd bunch. They’re slightly more memorable than the Seeds of Darkness, but no more competent. Their fights are meaningless, because Baldez is the only one who understands what’s going on with Hikari and Hikaru and the Dark King’s resurrection, and he doesn’t explain anything to the other three, so sometimes they just straight up defy his orders because he hasn’t told them what their objective is. I’m fine with villain infighting but I want there to be a good reason, a clash of ideals or something, not just straight up lack of communication. They have personalities, but that doesn’t play into their fighting styles in any meaningful way. The most interesting thing about them is how they form a family around Hikaru, and try to nurture and protect him while he grows. It brings out the soft side in some of them at home, and causes them to lash out in anger if he comes in contact with the girls somehow. Watching how Hikaru grows and parallels Hikari’s growth was a nice subplot. I’ve never been certain if the audience was supposed to recognize that he was the Dark King’s life before they reveal it in the series, but I really hope they were. Hikaru goes from a carefree kid content with living in the manor to wanting to get out of the house and see more of the world, which leads him into contact with Hikari on a few occasions, spiking each of their innate powers. Since he’s younger, though, he never reaches Hikari’s level of emotional maturity, which actually makes him a little more tragic because he’s just a little kid who unknowingly hosts this great evil. He just wants to do his own thing. Fortunately, in the end he is able to have a life with Hikari and Akane, even after the Dark King is destroyed. Which brings me to.....

Baldez. The final arc where Baldez revives the Dark King and then reveals that he himself now has the power of the Dark King is a neat subversion on expectations. He was always the most mysterious villain of the bunch, he was absent for half of the series and when he was around he played his cards close to his chest. He encouraged Hikaru’s growth by stoking Hikari’s development, and got in the way of Uraganos, Circulas, and Viblis when they tried to defeat her outright. He was a large threat to the girls whenever he did appear, and in a lot of aspects he seems like a precursor to Gohyaan. Ultimately though I can’t say he left a big impression. Most of the time he sat around the mansion saying “They’re developing nicely, the Dark King’s revival is soon....” and rarely set foot on the battlefield. He had no personality to speak of, and didn’t answer to anybody, so he was just flat and boring.

The next thing I want to discuss about Max Heart are some continuing storylines. I discussed the evolution of Nagisa and Honoka’s characters, but their friends get some further development as well. Shiho comes to mind, of course. In the first season she flexed her creative muscles by directing the action version of Romeo and Juliet for the cultural festival. In the sequel she goes a step further, deciding that she wants to be a Hollywood movie director, and chooses to incorporate special effects into their school play. It’s not a lot, but since not a lot of the side characters even get a character arc, it sticks out. However, there’s one character from the first series who didn’t get much to work with who suddenly is a lot more interesting when she recurs in this season, and that is Odajima Yuka, which is especially surprising since she only appeared in one episode, but due to it, all her past appearances suddenly make more sense. This is the episode where she, as a high schooler, joins the middle school science and lacrosse teams on their annual retreat, and ends up challenging Nagisa in a game. She gets out there, works her hardest at a sport she’s never played, and goes toe to toe with the team’s star player. They never outright say this, but what Yuka needed was to be challenged, to compete against somebody at her level. In all of her encounters, Nagisa is the only person who can outrun her. Nagisa may be clumsy at times, but she excels at athletics and gives Yuka the challenge she craves. In fact I think Yuka even envied Nagisa’s laid-back lifestyle. It is remarkable to me that the writers brought her back for Max Heart at all, and saw fit to conclude her story. She was never an important character, but she was memorable, largely because of this season. Later seasons with more main characters tend to sideline their supporting cast, so it’s nice that a minor character gets this kind of focus.

Lastly, there was some attempt to develop Akane early on. There was a three episode arc where a man from her old job stopped by and the girls all thought he was trying to pull her back into an office job. In the end, she declined his offer but he was still interested in dating her. She seemed to take to the idea, and there had been some hints that she wanted to get married and have kids someday, but after this arc, her potential suitor was never seen again and nothing more ever came out of it, beyond her effectively adopting Hikari and Hikaru as her children. It would be interesting to see adult romance play out, even in the background. The first season had Ms. Yoshimi getting married but we never saw any of her life outside the classroom, so giving Akane a little bit more spotlight would have been nice. Sadly, this was not the direction the show took.

Max Heart also got the theatrical treatment, and the movies were honestly very good. Famously, it’s the only series to get two movies, because the first film was originally intended to be just a FWPC film. They share a premise of whisking the girls off to a different land to resolve a problem that the locals are having, and they have their friendship tested along the way before coming out as better and stronger friends than before, acquiring exclusive new forms to defeat the villains. These would become signature elements of all Precure movies.

As I said earlier, the ending to FWPC was very finite, and that was strange juxtaposed to the fact that there was an imminent second season. There’s some strange irony, then, that the finale to Max Heart, the final series that will ever follow this cast of characters, feels a lot more open. It ties off loose ends, of course, and Nagisa and Honoka graduate from middle school, but while it’s implied that Mepple and Mipple go to sleep again, and Hikari is gone after reviving the Queen, less than two minutes pass for the viewer before they find out she and Hikaru are living with Akane, and that all their fairies are awake and as energetic as ever. Even though there ultimately weren’t any shows with these characters, there is room for more. Could they have known what the franchise would become? Could they have had any idea that these characters would still be popular 15 years later?

Futari wa Precure Splash Star (2006)

Splash Star is of course the first full reboot. I don’t know why, maybe they didn’t think they could continue the story of Nagisa and Honoka into high school. Could’ve been neat, but I’ll save the “what ifs” for another time. It rebooted the series, and that set a precedent for shows to follow. It keeps the two girl dynamic of course, and the visual similarities are hard to ignore, but those are fairly superficial, and it manages to find its own identity while improving on the ideas of the prior shows. The theme of the show changes from yin and yang to nature, and that affects everything: the aesthetics of the heroines and villains, the objectives they fight for, and most especially the combat style.

Once again, one girl is athletic while the other has a more academic hobby. Saki has two major friends on the softball team where Nagisa had two major friends on the lacrosse team, but Mai’s companion in the art club is less notable than Yuriko was to Honoka. This time they attend a coed school, and their circle of friends includes a couple of boys, as well as another girl who isn’t a member of either of their teams. Splash Star does the best job at managing its recurring and ensemble cast out of these three seasons. Characters are introduced, have their focus episode, and continue to make notable appearances, often hanging out with the main characters. Kenta even helped Miyasako find a hobby outside of being a class representative. They keep the number of recurring characters lower than FW/MH, use them in better roles, and the result is that they’re better developed and remembered. The romance plots are less fleshed out than in FW, but that’s about the only drawback. Also, Saki and Mai’s relationship with each other is much more immediate. Nagisa and Honoka took a few episodes to warm up to each other and only really cemented their friendship after a big fight, but Saki and Mai are fast friends by the second episode, and all attempts by the villains to introduce discord just backfire because they have absolute trust in each other. 

The villains are also extremely fun and memorable. Whether you like them or not, they leave a distinct impression, much like the generals in the first half of FW. They have unique designs, quirky personalities, and at the end of the series we get to see them interact with each other. Karehaan was fairly straight-laced and I don’t like him much. Moerumba has a spicy personality, his problem is his short-sightedness. Dorodoron gets a laugh from me for being so timid. He might have been boring on his own, but he got to spitball with the Kiryuus, which helped him a lot. Miss Shitataare is powerful and cocky but completely inept. Kintolesky was easily my favorite of the lot, being honorable and straightforward and impeccably muscular. Aside from Karehaan’s overall blandness their biggest problem is not having enough cross talk with each other, with that being saved for their revival arc. Later shows do this a lot more often and better, thankfully.

Speaking of villains, however, Gohyaan stands out. He kind of serves multiple roles as both the comic relief of the villains, like the Zakenna Butlers, and as the right hand to the big bad. He spends most of his time sucking up to Akudaikaan, but occasionally he does go out on the field and demonstrates how powerful he actually is. His memorable personality and the twist where he reveals he’s the mastermind all make him a welcome addition. And just to reiterate, that twist had very minimal foreshadowing! Akudaikaan himself was the opposite, very not memorable, he’s blander than the Dark King, and that’s no easy feat. The most interesting thing about him is his physical design, as rather than being an amorphous blob like the Dark King, he has a defined face and a robe. His head resembles a Samurai helmet and a demon mask, and he has fire in his eyes. It’s a shame this theme didn’t really amount to anything.

Michiru and Kaoru’s redemption arc has to be the highlight of the show. The writers took some cues from Kiriya’s similar storyline in the first show but they gave the sisters a lot more time in the limelight, which allowed their characters to be better fleshed out. Over the course of the second quarter of the show, we get to see these girls go from a faux friendship with Saki and Mai into a legitimate one, because they actually listened and learned about the beauty of the natural world. They start to understand what it means to be cared for, to be appreciated for who you are, and not have your value be dependent on what you can provide for someone else. If more villains would take the time to see things from the perspective of the people they’re trying to defeat, they might also understand this, and truly some of them do. We’ll explore several types of redeemed villains in the shows to come, and I look forward to comparing and contrasting them with this. The biggest problem I have with the Kiryuus is that they were absent between episodes 25 and 41, and barely mentioned. Mai and Saki worried for them, and Miss Shitataare gave them hints that they were still alive, but it was sad to see them shoved aside for half the show with no particular explanation being given about what Gohyaan was doing with them. That’s my only major strike against Splash Star.

The fighting in the series is still punchy, but this time the spirits spice things up. There’s bursts of spirit energy whenever they kick and punch, they can concentrate the spirit power in certain parts of their bodies to jump farther, punch harder, and block attacks. As Bright and Windy they have elemental attacks using the light and wind. It’s an evolution of what the first series started, and I enjoy it. Finally, the victories feel meaningful, because every battle they get the reward of a Miracle Drop. Every seven episodes or so they collect enough drops to revive a fountain, and Princess Filia grows more and more complete. There is constant progress throughout the series, so even the slow parts of the show feel meaningful.

Of course, the series got a movie, and it was very similar to the prior two in overall plot: Tension arises between the two, they’re thrust into another world before they can resolve their feelings, the villain takes advantage of their personal conflict to overpower them, they get separated, then they make up with each other and come together stronger to defeat the villain. The closes they get to a movie form in this one is a glowing outline surrounded by the spirits of the zodiac, somewhat bucking the trend, but it’s an excellent movie. That really isn’t something I can say about all of them, so I’m grateful that these early films are so strong.

Splash Star has been described as the perfection of the Futari wa formula, and overall I have to agree. Of the three shows, it is the most consistent in all regards. There’s constant progression, character growth, meaningful supporting characters who you really sympathize with, and a fun and enjoyable cast of both heroes and villains. The first half of FWPC may be more fun, but the second half drags it down. Max Heart as a whole isn’t really sure where it wants to go. Splash Star sets a destination and arrives there at the right time, with some twists and turns along the way. I strongly recommend it to anyone trying to get into the series for the first time.

Unfortunately, despite Splash Star being arguably the best of the three seasons (both Eastern and Western fans ranked it above Max Heart), it tanked in sales after its first quarter, so it was decided that, if the franchise was going to continue, they needed a new look. Thus, they turned to the most enduringly popular magical girl series around for inspiration for their next season. But that’s a story for later.

Analysis

The most obvious shared elements between the three shows is the two-girl team, which they each used slightly differently. In FWPC, it’s the two of them against the world. That’s it. Max Heart switches things up with a third hero, who is not combative, but supports them, and they have to protect her at times, sidetracking their fights. Splash Star goes as far as to introduce two more fighters whose power stems from the darkness but they use it for good. They help the Cures out and the Cures help them out, but it’s Bloom and Egret at the core. The key aspect of this period of Precure is that the duo are regular girls who can only transform when they’re together, and that their powers become stronger when their feelings are in harmony. The shows each explore the pros and cons of this setup, concluding that their teamwork is the most powerful force in the word, and this is quite possibly the best thing to come out of this period of the series. The thing I especially like, however, is that being Pretty Cures means that the protagonists have an especially close bond with each other, moreso than their other friends. Since they have to transform and work together, they more intimately understand each other, and they share experiences their other friends will never know about. They look out for each other in every aspect of their daily lives, they have absolute trust in each other, and they will go through hell to protect each other. Pretty Cure’s most powerful weapon is friendship.

As far as their individual personalities go, Saki tends to be more optimistic than her counterpart. Nagisa is lovable and relatable as all heck, but she had kind of a pessimistic view of the world at times. It’s evident even in their catchphrases: Nagisa always says “I can’t believe this!” while Saki proclaims she’s “In top form!” Neither of them would ever hesitate to help a friend, and especially their partner, but during the daily grind Nagisa is more likely to be upset at her circumstances. Meanwhile, Honoka and Mai are even more dissimilar to each other. Honoka has a scientific mind, she’s very astute and good at picking up details. She kind of struggles with making friends but she tries to help people out, always, especially when they don’t want to help themselves. She puts up with a lot of crap but she will chew you out in the name of making you a better person. Mai, however, is observant but she tends to hyperfocus on one thing while drawing and space out a lot. She is a little timid but not afraid to express when she’s upset. Both Mai and Honoka serve to temper and balance out their more energetic partner, serving as the voice of reason when they get heated, and in general keeping them grounded. I love how, despite the differences in their friendships, both sets of partners help to round each other out and make each other better people. It’s a testament to what a good friend can do for you, and of course the central motif of the shows.

Consequently, other friendships form a big part of these shows, too. The small cast means that the girls have friends besides each other, and in each series we see how the protagonists influence their friends, their friends influence them, and we even get to see Hikari make new friends of her own. Again, all the shows handle this well, and it’s something that will be missed next season, since the larger team size means their friendships are more insular. Having friends outside the team grounds the shows in relatable situations as the protagonists go about their daily lives, hanging out with their friends who become beloved characters and get story arcs of their own. Shiho, Rina, Yuriko, Nao, Miu, Hitomi, Yuuko, Kenta, Miyasako, and Kayo are all memorable and important pillars of the shows. They encourage the leads when necessary, get into hijinks with them, explore their own interests, hang out, and have fun together. This also allows conflicts to be resolved without the Precure. In most superhero media the central conflict of the episode is between people’s feelings or beliefs rather than a physical altercation, but the fight usually resolves things somehow, while in Precure, since the combatants are often not the ones with a disagreement, it instead helps them figure out how to help their friends resolve their troubles.

Since these are the stories of regular girls dealing with regular adolescent issues, love is not a strange subject. Nagisa and Saki each had crushes on slightly older boys in their shows, and they handle it remarkably similarly. They get flustered, embarrassed, and have trouble even speaking to their partner about it. However, Honoka is shrewd enough to discern Nagisa’s feelings, while Mai never learns that Saki has a crush on her brother. The writers even approach their romances differently. Nagisa tends to be more proactive in exploring her feelings. She makes active efforts to make gifts for Fuji-P and confess her love to him, ultimately culminating in that fateful Max Heart Christmas episode where she yells it for all the world (but him) to hear. Meanwhile, Saki tended to just admire Kazuya from a distance, except when he came to her. She got jealous when it appeared he had a girlfriend, but she never acted on her affections in a direct way. I theorized that Fuji-P might actually suspect Nagisa’s feelings, and possibly share them, but he wants her to be ready to tell him. Meanwhile, as far as we can tell, while Kazuya finds Saki interesting, he doesn’t really see her as anything more than a friend. I like these different representations of young love, they show how much or how little of a priority it can have in someone’s life.

Famously, Honoka also got a brief pseudo-romance with Kiriya. She helped him grow as a person, he challenged some of her overbearing ways, but they clearly respected each other. She was distraught when he was taken back to the Dusk Zone, and that was one of the most heartfelt episodes in the entire series so far. There were echoes of his impact on her in the rest of the first series, but I never felt like they explored that story to its full potential, and he was not even mentioned in Max Heart. Mai never got a corresponding love interest, and Hikari’s love was more familial: for Nagisa and Honoka as her partners, for Akane as her guardian, and for Hikaru as the only person who could possibly understand her existential crisis. She learned about romantic love but never experienced it herself, which is fine. Girl has enough to worry about as it is.

The physical fighting pioneered in FWPC set the groundwork for the rest of the series, and you can see it slightly evolve over the course of these three shows. While FW is pure punching and kicking except for finishing moves, Max Heart introduces a character with support spells to help the team, and Splash Star gives the combat a bit of flair and style with the spirit trails and elemental attacks. Each show has carved out its own little niche, and I really think that’s one of the fascinating elements of the series. YPC5 will usher in special weapons, which are a genre staple that the original trilogy avoided. That will become standard for all series going forward, so these three shows with their almost entirely unarmed battles are a true highlight of early Precure to me. They manage to keep the fights interesting, always, it’s not just straightforward sparring. The girls do a lot of jumping around, flipping, fighting in sync with each other or tag-teaming. They always have to find weaknesses in monsters that are designed specifically to be hard to beat. Sometimes they’re fast, other times armored, or they’re heavily offensive, they have special abilities of their own, or the commander is threatening someone else. Always, the heroines find an innovative way to defeat their opponent and save the day in a visually exciting manner.

When it’s not showcasing awesome girls fighting for friendship and love, Precure is about selling toys. Bandai has a long history of designing toys to coincide with Toei’s Sunday morning shows, and they put their experience to work here. Nonetheless, they had some difficulty with the rather nondescript themes of the early shows, so the toys sometimes come across as very out-of-place. The transformation toys are generally cutesy enough to pass, the powerup braces stand out, the mid-season fairy’s compact forms are extremely gaudy (ESPECIALLY the Splash Commune, it’s literally just a computer in a show about nature), and the macguffin storage object of each show (Prism Hopish, Queen Chairect, Fairy Carafe) starts a proud Precure tradition of being a large, expensive toy first and a sacred artifact later. Additionally, there’s at least one object in each show that is Precure-branded merch in the real world which has no combat use and is forced into the plot of one episode before being quickly forgotten. As the years go on, the toys will be more unified with the theme of the show, and we’ll see some new patterns emerge.

One last element I realize that I forgot to bring up before now, but that becomes a franchise trend, is a trademark food and a restaurant of sorts. In FWPC and Max Heart, of course, their food of choice is takoyaki from Akane’s Tako Stand, where Hikari winds up working in Max Heart. Splash Star’s restaurant is Panpaka PAN, the Hyuuga family bakery, and their signature food is chocolate coronets. The restaurant or food stand is always a recurring location, where the girls and their friends often meet to talk and hang out and eat some delicious food. This is certainly not exclusive to Precure, or even the magical girl genre, as having recurring locations saves on the budget, both in animation and live-action, and food is an easy way to get people to congregate. Nonetheless, it’s sort of brought up in Precure All Stars, and there’s some truly great food ahead of us, so I wanted to point out that the trend goes all the way to the start of the series.

Obviously, 2004′s Futari wa Precure wasn’t intended to kick off a franchise, so when it got popular they stuck to what they knew for the second season. I’m not sure why they didn’t take the Doremi approach and keep aging them up a year for more seasons, but perhaps they thought they had exhausted the storytelling potential of the original cast and realized that it had franchise potential if they followed the annual reboot model of other superhero shows. The biggest issues with the first two shows are pacing, which is fixed in Splash Star, and you can see them tweaking and refining the formula in other ways through the three shows as well. If I had to describe this era in a word, relative to the overall franchise, it would be innovative. While the two-girl partnership would take a break for a few years after this, these shows laid the foundation for plot structure, villain organization, toy integration, and combat that would be utilized and enhanced by the rest of the franchise, so it’s cool to trace the roots of many Precure conventions back to their origins. What began as a humble action show for girls meant to sell some toys got popular, and continued past its intended conclusion. It was even referenced in other pop culture of the time.

Powerpuff Girls Z (2006)

The series had gotten the attention of the masses and was a proven success. We got five memorable and lovable heroines, a bunch of beloved supporting characters, some wonderful villains, and even some welcoming food stands. Of course, there were bumps in the road. The series was still finding its footing during this period, and will continue to do so as we head into Yes 5, but without these three shows laying the groundwork for the franchise, I might not be here talking about it.

That’s my ode to the Futari Wa era of Precure, I hope you enjoyed it, I’m sorry that it took so long to get out. Look forward to Yes! Precure 5 reviews coming your way shortly, and remember:

Your best! My best! Ups and downs! Together We are Pretty Cure!

[kylosrehn]

for the tv series thing, I know it isn't one but star wars?

send me a tv film series and I’ll tell you:

my all-time ultimate fave character: 

Since the sequels came, I’m highkey loving Rey. But before that it was Vader. Still is, I guess. They’re kinda tied. Yeah I like the villains okay fight me.

a character I didn’t used to like but now do:    

Hmm…Kylo I guess. I never disliked him, but I was pretty meh about him. I just didn’t care all that much. But I like how they fleshed him out in TLJ and built-up his backstory, and I’ve warmed to him since. He’s very much a tragic character and I always like that. Between the two of us, he reminds me a little bit of Ward—or FW Fitz, take your pick. It’s the whole lack of affection/evil mentors make monsters out of good boys/men thing all over again. 

      a character I used to like but now don’t:

I actually left this question til last to see if I could think of something, but nah, I’ve got nothing. I don’t think I went from liking to disliking any one character completely, just kind of…liking them less. Padme is one of those. She used to be my girl through my childhood and now I’m more meh about her. I guess that’s the closest example I can think of right now.

a character I’m indifferent about:

There’s a good few. Rose, Finn, Holdo out of the sequels. They’re the first ones that come to mind. Boba Fett, Phasma, Hux (aside from the fact that he makes for good comic relief). I don’t know, probably a few more.

a character who deserved better:

Maybe Padme, because the whole ‘breed and die’ trope, but it was obviously necessary because she never shows up in the originals and they had to explain that somehow. And Obi-Wan. Though it’s less of a ‘deserved better’ and more of a ‘fuck he’s been through a lot of shit in his life.’ The Rogue One crew I suppose, though again that was a plot thing. 

a ship I’ve never been able to get into:

Finn/Rey. I’m just not very interested in friends to lovers ships (looking at you FS.) And maybe Han/Leia. I know they’re basically at “iconic” level by now, but they never really wowed me. Tbh most SW ships are like, “eh, okay” for me. I tolerate/moderately like them, but there are very few that make me go into hardcore shipper mode. Mini-me loved Anidala growing up, they were literally one of my biggest childhood OTPs, but over time the allure has started to fade and I’ve picked up on more and more flaws, and honestly, I think I’ve just outgrown them. Now I’m focusing on Reylo because it’s just such a cool dynamic that’s never been explored in the films before (I mean, a telepathic/empathic bond that lets them tap into each other’s skills and memories? That’s so awesome, I’m so here for this) and all that build up and development in TLJ really got me. I was kind curious (but mostly in the worried kind of way) to see how they’d approach it after TFA but now I’m 100% on board. I loved what they did with them. Aaaand that’s not the question. (Totally unrelated: I lowkey shipped Vader with Aphra from the Comics. It’s such a rarepair, but the dynamic was quirky and I’m always here for that. She was kinda like a S1-Skye cracking jokes at this evil, murderous Sith Lord. Plus, the line “you’re what I’ve been waiting for my whole life.” ‘Nuff said.)

a ship I’ve never been able to get over:

Reylo. Please don’t screw it up in IX, please please please.

a cute, low-key ship:

Jyn/Cassian. Also, I really like platonic Finn/Rey. And Luke and Leia’s relationship. And I wouldn’t be opposed if somehow Finn/Poe happened. And Poe/BB-8. Okay so not all of those are ship-ships, but y’know.

an unpopular ship but I still enjoyed it:

Tbh I lowkey wanted Poe to be with Paige, Rose’s sister, but lol she got killed off pretty quickly. Unpopular…well, I’m kinda looking forward to seeing how Han/Q’ira plays out in Solo (I’m 99% sure she plays him somehow. But hey, that seems to be my type.) I don’t know.

a ship that was totally wrong and never should have happened:

Eh, I don’t hate any ships, really, or think something was “wrong.” Not a huge fan of Rose/Finn just because I don’t see any chemistry between them and it sorta feels one-sided, but I mean, you can develop feelings over time, so that might change in IX. I don’t mind them, they’re just kinda…there. Not a fan of Kylux but that’s just a fan thing, so whatever.  

my favourite storyline/moment:

Right now it’s the Reylo Force Bond scenes. Yeah, all of them, lol. And the throne room fight scene because you expect them to start attacking each other, but instead they work together and subvert all expectations and I loved it. That scene at the end of Rogue One where Vader just demolishes the rebels. It was so dark and chilling and just all around ahh. Also, the Obi-Wan/Qui Gon/Maul fight from TPM is one of my all-time favourites. And the music! Ahh, awesome. Oh, also, the arena fight on Geonosis. I’m not sure I have a favourite storyline—though I’m admittedly a sucker for the whole ‘here, go on a totally-not-romantic trip to protect to senator on this beautiful, lush, fragrant world and try not to fall in love lol bye’ storyline because it’s just so wonderfully tropey. It’s like something pulled straight out of fic (and not necessarily in a bad way.) I’m kinda tempted to write a fic based on that, ngl. One day. 

a storyline that never should have been written:

Predictably, lol, I’m gonna say the Jar-Jar Binks/Gungan stuff from TPM. The whole underwater kingdom concept was cool, but it just felt like it took up way too much screentime. I wouldn’t have minded if it was just more of a background thing, or if it was of lesser importance. They’re just a huge part of this film and then they’re virtually never brought up again (in the films) in any significant way, so all of that just feels so moot and unnecessary, like it was just a run time filler. The political plot, although somewhat frustrating, does prove relevant to the story later on so I’m cool with it. I don’t think I hated any storyline really. TFA was a disappointment for me in that it felt a little too familiar and I really wished they would’ve taken more risks and tried to pave their own path as opposed to recycling elements (I mean, ANOTHER Death Star? Sorry, Starkiller Base. Really? And the Empire’s defeated but like, merely a few years later they’re back and crushing the rebellion again? Sorry no, that’s…It’s the First Order now. Got it. Totally different. My bad.) from the originals just to please the hardcore fans, but luckily TLJ assuaged most of that frustration. I can only hope the mood for IX is closer to TLJ than TFA because that would be regression and honestly just a huge insult to the saga.

my first thoughts on the show films:

I think I just loved them straight away, lol. I must’ve been…five at most when I first watched them—well, the originals and I and II, they were the only ones that were out at the time—on the good old VHS with my dad because he was/is a huge fan and he got me into it. Obviously the more nuanced stuff flew over my head as a small kid and certain things only really clicked when I rewatched them years later, but the love was there. 

my thoughts now:

I still love it, though my love tends to come in sporadic bursts now as opposed to being linear all the time. Like, I can just push it to the back of my mind for a year/two/three but then something like Rogue One comes out and reminds me just how much I love that world. I ride the high for a few months, read fic, etc. and then the hype tapers off and plateaus for a while. Nothing for another few months/a year, new movie, and wham, I’m sucked back in. 

I try to stay in my own little corner though and not get too involved in fandom because the drama is just nasty and can really suck the enjoyment out of, well, everything really. For a long time I guess I just wasn’t aware of how nasty the SW fandom was—aside from the group that hates on the prequels for the sake of hating the prequels because it’s what the cool kids do or whatever—probably because I didn’t actively go looking for this type of stuff. But then TFA came out and it kind of erupted like a volcano that’s been…somewhat dormant since III in 2005. Still, I stayed away from it for the most part, only hearing stories of hate in passing, and never really engaged until after TLJ, when it became a little “safer” for the Reylos to emerge. Before that it was two years of hell and name-calling and threats and verbal abuse and general fandom wank, to my knowledge. And that’s fucked up. No one should have to endure that, not in any fandom. Stuff like that just pisses me off so much. But I’m sure you already know that.

[recentanimenews]

ESSAY: In the Middle of the Pandemic, I Watched Anime With Friends

For the past few months I’d been talking to friends at work about starting an anime club. Now that we were heading into 2020, I decided that it was long past time to make those dreams a reality. I reached out to some interested peers, and made a date to meet up and watch. I puzzled over my DVD collection. Perhaps we could watch a great movie, like In This Corner of the World? The first episode of a TV series, like Mushishi or Haibane Renmei? Or I could throw them into the deep end with the first episode of Penguindrum? I eagerly awaited the experience of watching anime together with friends. Then the pandemic hit.

  In the following weeks, despite difficulties of scheduling and communication, my friends and I managed to keep our anime club alive. All this despite watching remotely, coordinating through Google Hangouts while finding workarounds for faulty internet connections and temperamental audio. With 12 episodes of Mob Psycho 100 down, we’re looking toward the future. But this experience, fun as it was, has me thinking about how I watch anime today. When did I forget how fun it was to watch anime in a group?

    The way I’ve watched anime has changed over the years. In middle school, I caught episodes on TV channels like Aniplex and Toonami. In high school, I navigated carefully between episodes of Naruto divided into thirds on YouTube, their opening and ending animations excised. Now it’s easy: go to a video service like Crunchyroll or Funimation, click on an episode, and (if you pay a small fee each month) watch without ads. No more having to spend money on DVDs or videotapes or having to miss out because the show wasn't available in your region.

  For me watching anime has become a ritual, a solitary pursuit. Park in front of the computer. Find the most recent episode of a new series. Endure 24 minutes in silence. Post a hot take on Twitter, maybe a screenshot or two, repeat. It’s not the way most people watch television. There are plenty of folks out there who’d rather cook or exercise while half-paying attention to something like The Floor is Lava, which is absolutely valid. But I’d reckon there are now thousands of folks out there hooked on their niche entertainment, watching episodes of a series only they know about on a format that caters exclusively to them.

    Watching Mob Psycho 100 with friends reminded me of a few things. The first is that group watching is a great way to see old favorites through new eyes. I’d already seen and loved the first season, returning to scenes on occasion as the mood struck me. Very little in the show now comes as a surprise. But being able to see and listen to my friends react to it, even remotely, reminded me of what it was like to see it for the first time. In the first episode, when a character whose chin looks exactly like a butt walks past, a friend of mine yelled “this show rules!” In the fifth episode, when Mob weakly punches an incensed Teruki, another friend told me that despite the good amount of anime he’d seen, he’d never seen a punch like that. A punch that spoke of weakness instead of strength.

  Group watching is also a great opportunity to remind yourself of the sheer amount of craft that goes into a series. The frequent use of paint by glass animation, a difficult and time-consuming technique that is used for key scenes. Great moments of character animation. Funny music cues. Being reminded that what makes Mob Psycho great isn’t the fights (though they are very good) but instead the attention paid to Mob’s growth and how he interacts with the rest of the cast. Mob Psycho 100 is not a particularly complex series, and there are no mysteries to tease out in the same way as, say, rewatching Evangelion can be surprising. But I came out of this watch-through with an even stronger appreciation for it than I had before, while acknowledging some weaknesses I’d missed the first time.

    Years ago, I used to watch anime with friends more frequently. A blogging friend and I marathoned through Honey and Clover in college, another series that stands out to me as being heavily informed by the life experiences you bring to it. Before that, we had the honor of rewatching Penguindrum with friends, including one of the original writers on the Altair and Vega blog back in the day, which obsessively broke down episodes of the series each week it aired. Penguindrum has far more moving parts than Mob Psycho 100, and rewatching it involved talking through what bits we’d missed the first time, what bits had aged well — and, of course, where the series dropped the ball completely. But getting through to the end reaffirmed to me what Penguindrum had always meant. Years later, I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have had that experience.

  In this Age of COVID, many of my friends are scared and alone. It’d be easy, if you have the luxury, to hole up in a corner with your favorite series and take comfort on your own. There are times when this is needed. But if you’re able, I’d recommend doing what I did and watch some anime with friends. You can use an app like Netflix Party, or you can do it like we did, the old-fashioned way, synching up your Crunchyroll players and hitting the Play button at the same time. In the process, maybe you’ll find a new favorite, or discover something new about a show you loved. Maybe you’ll learn something new about your friends.

    As for me, once I round up my coworkers again, I’m set on introducing them to Kyousogiga. A series I never fully appreciated the first time, but want to give a second chance, with friends. Join me, will you?

  What are your experiences watching anime with friends? Were you around for the era before streaming? Never heard of Kyousogiga? Let us know in the comments, and go watch Kyousogiga right now!

      Adam W is a Features Writer at Crunchyroll. When not corralling people into an online chat box to watch anime, he sporadically contributes with a different loose coalition of friends on a blog called Isn't it Electrifying? You can follow him on Twitter at: @wendeego

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