#like she moves around a bit for official arts and especially the more lighthearted ones

[fishandships]

this has been an ongoing discussion between my sister and i but forreal like. is Christina....undead? somehow? or has Philippe been driven so far out of his mind that he thinks she's still alive?

like on one hand she's CLEARLY a corpse in their intro short and in all their C-B tier skins (unclear in "Fury", confirmed a revenant of some kind or another for "Shower"), but eg in "their" JP twitter replies, where they both supposedly are responding but are they actually both responding or is Christina a figment of Philippe's delusions and "her" responses are just Philippe speaking for her and possibly not even being aware that "she" is just a voice in his head?

and then you get official arts like this one:

which like initially looks really cute!!! .....but like is Christina undead for Fun Little Illustration purposes and she's actually helping or like. did Philippe jam an icing bag in her hand like some fucked-up imitation of a kid with a doll who wants the doll to "help"...?

ALSO. can he like. "detatch" her from himself? like in "The Rosy Veil" the narrator never mentions her or the fact that Philippe mutilated himself but the story very clearly takes place after her death/the self-mutilation? or is the story not even canon @ netease i am BEGGING you for consistency and answers what the FUCK is happening here

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 160: How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated? + Megumi the stage-five clinger

Happy JJK-Sunday!

If I had to describe chapter 160 with as few words as possible, I would say: Oh f*ck...

My favorite moment was, of course, Megumi acting like a stage-five clinger. His interaction with Yuji in this chapter is especially ominous in light of Yuji being adamant of protecting Megumi from Sukuna.

A second favorite was Sasaki showing up in this chapter because of the implications moving forward.

Let’s jump right in. 

How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated by Kenjaku?

We start the chapter with Kenjaku talking to none other than Sasaki, one of the members of the Occult Club at the high school in Sendai that Yuji used to attend.

Of course, the bomb that Gege dropped on us in this chapter is when Kenjaku thanks Sasaki “for getting along with my son”. 

Like... excuse you?

Not only does this 100% confirm that Kenjaku used Yuji’s mother’s body to give birth to him, but this specific moment + some foreshadowing from previous chapters also opens an interesting can of worms about Yuji’s life: just how much of Yuji’s life has Kenjaku orchestrated?

For me, the implication is that Sasaki had an assigned role to play in Yuji’s life that would inevitably lead to him eating Sukuna’s finger. 

I am assuming this because although we don’t see Kenjaku’s interactions with the other people in Sendai, we get to see that, in addition for thanking her for getting along with Yuji, Kenjaku is incredibly kind to Sasaki. We also learn that she’s the only one who has received a special message from him (thanking her).

Ready to make this whole interaction more ominous? Someone pointed out that the kanji in Sasaki’s name means assistant. 

All of this brings us right back to Yuji’s free will--or lack thereof?

We already know that Kenjaku claims he made Yuji “ingest” Sukuna’s finger and that Megumi is rightfully concerned with this idea because he witnessed Yuji eat Sukuna’s finger “of his own free will.”

It’s also becoming increasingly obvious that Yuji was "created” solely for the purpose of becoming Sukuna’s vessel. 

What this new reveal about Sasaki does is that it makes everything feel like certain events have been part of Kenjaku’s master plan all along. While this still feels a little farfetched, it will come down to how Gege works this idea into the story moving forward.

Come to think of it, even Yuji’s grandfather’s dying words to Yuji take on a new meaning since we know Wasuke knew something was definitively up with Yuji’s mother.

Another possible bit of foreshadowing all the way in chapter 1: While the intersection in the second panel below could be ANY intersection in Japan, it sure looks like the Shibuya crossing:

A quick note on the importance of kanji meanings in JJK before moving onto the next section: knowing the meaning of Sasaki’s name tells us that names are important in JJK. If you haven’t, I recommend you read my break down on the meaning of Megumi’s FULL NAME. His first name is important, but so is his last name.

The plans moving forward

Going off to Tokyo Colony #2 are Panda and Hakari. 

As the strongest, Hakari feels like he should take on Hajime. As for Panda, it looks like his focus will be on hunting down Angel.

Side note: I love that Hakari is still calling Megumi names. Guess Senpai can’t help himself.

I must admit I was disappointed to find that Kirara will stay behind to report, but it is what it is. I am assuming Gege could see no use for Kirara and decided to leave the character out of the action for the time being. 

As for Megumi and Yuji, they’ll be heading to Tokyo Colony #1 to target Higuruma, everybody’s new favorite Law & Order boss. 

This brings us to Megumi’s current state of mind...

Megumi the stage-five clinger

I had a hard time coming up with the title for this section because what I see happening is that Megumi is starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline for Tsumiki joining the Culling Game. What his behavior shows, however, is that he needs Yuji with him and is clinging onto him but won’t come out and say it--opting instead for aggression towards Yuji, the very same person he needs most. 

His behavior reminded me of how Megumi could be mean to Tsumiki even though he clearly adores her. Apparently that’s the meaning of being tsundere. I’ve read about the term tsundere before but it never “clicked” until this moment and I just love Gege’s interpretation of the trope through Megumi’s character. 

It goes without saying that it was REALLY interesting to me to see Megumi’s dynamic and interaction with Yuji in this chapter because it looks like Gege is letting us know Megumi’s state of mind continues to be one of desperation--remember that dogeza bow from chapter 157?

The thing about Megumi is that he looks stoic on the outside, but he’s actually an incredibly emotional person who doesn’t often show how he’s feeling. 

I hadn’t caught on, but in chatting with @justafrenchlondoner​ about the chapter, they pointed out Megumi’s behavior in his dynamic with Yuji appears nervous and aggressive.

Upon a second look I have to agree that Megumi is acting out of character and aggressive with Yuji when all that Yuji really wants is to protect Megumi from Sukuna.

And yes, let me go ahead and sound like a broken record as I remind you of Yuji’s rather ominous words from chapter 143 yet again:

And this is the part of the chapter that knocked the air out of me: Megumi telling Yuji to stfu about Sukuna but Yuji thinking to himself “as long as I’m around you will suffer” back in ch143 is so damn ominous.

Oh f*ck...

But this is what REALLY gets me about this whole interaction and why I’m calling Megumi a stage-five clinger...

Even though Megumi is calling Yuji selfish, in reality, the one being selfish is Megumi.

This is, of course, my own interpretation of the situation, but to me it feels as though Megumi is clinging onto Yuji’s strength for dear life. 

It’s almost like Megumi needs not just Yuji’s physical strength, but also his unwavering conviction or mental strength.

If you think about it, Megumi has only recently started fighting to win. Remember how unsure he was of himself when fighting Sukuna for the first time? It wasn’t until he went up against the Cursed Spirit from the Yasohachi bridge that he let go of his inhibitions.

Megumi’s battles during Shibuya were the pinnacle of his growth as a character in that moment. If I remember correctly, according to the timeline of events, the Shibuya incident happened around two weeks prior to the current chapter. You could say that although he is more comfortable in his strength than before, Megumi is still growing into his strength at this point.

The thing about Megumi is that everybody and their Divine Dog believes in him and sees his potential except for him. As Gojo tells him “you undervalue yourself.”

Looking back, the way Megumi asks begs Yuji for help in chapter 143 is very enlightening of how Megumi needs Yuji’s strength: 

I initially had read this to mean Megumi needed Yuji’s physical strength. Upon second look, however, Megumi has always seemed to have admiration for Yuji’s conviction.

With the looming deadline for Tsumiki’s vow to join the Culling Game, as Megumi starts to feel the pressure to make his plan work, who better to keep around than the person who will always go for the home run and whose strength he admires?

In other words, like hell he’s going to let Yuji leave his side. Which, again, only makes it more heartbreaking to think Sukuna is up to no good regarding Megumi and Yuji wants to protect him from that.

Oh f*ck.......

The panel below feels like a bit of a lighthearted and comical moment, but it’s also interesting to note that this is the second time they “fight”.

The first “fight” having taken place during the Cursed Womb Arc.

If you will remember, Gege used the Cursed Womb Arc and the Origin of Obedience Arc to show us how much our favorite trio had grown. 

Not sure Gege is going to parallel something here again, but just interesting to note.

Oh f*ck...

Ya, please excuse the French.

Despite the many words I’ve shared here, this chapter left me mostly speechless. 

I feel like I’ve been trapped in Gojo’s limitless domain expansion and all I can think is “oh f*ck” or “halloween” (if you catch my drift).

Chapter 160 was incredible because it looks like Gege has finally finished putting all his pieces into place and is ready to go for the kill by: 

Starting to unravel the story bit by bit, giving us all of the twists we both saw and did not see coming, and

Ramping up the stakes. Taking into consideration the estimates that JJK is somewhere around 60-70% done at this point, It’s not a matter of whether some of our beloved characters will die, but about who, when and how they will die

One last detail

I love the last four panels of the chapter showing Panda, Hakari, Yuji and Megumi all wearing their uniforms (barring Panda) and getting ready to become official participants of the Culling Game by entering their respective barriers.

Knowing that Gege is a very talented artist capable of showing and expressing emotions through his art, I feel like these panels tell us a lot about what the characters might be thinking and I thought I’d expand on that. 

Bear in mind this is my personal interpretation as an artist:

Panda looks excited and ready to fight, perhaps even confident. Panda is saying “bring it!” with his body language

There’s a hint of something I can’t describe in Hakari’s face. It’s almost like he’s coming face to face against how big of a challenge this is going to be and yet he’s resolved to walk straight into “the depths of hell itself”

Yuji looks focused, determined to go in and give it his best no matter what comes his way--that’s just who he is

And then there’s Megumi. I’ve been drawing Megumi recently, and one thing I noticed is that he has very specific micro-expressions. In his panel, he’s warming up his wrists as though he’s getting ready to fight, he has a focused look on his face, but the shadows around his eyes say he might be feeling like he is carrying the heavy burden of the uncertainty surrounding the situation he’s going through

With all that being said... the Culling Game is officially starting and we’re in for a one-way ride straight to hell.

Thank you for reading and happy JJK-Sunday!

What about you? What did you enjoy most about chapter 160?

[thezodiaczone]

June Forecast for Cancer

Take it easy, Crab. The Sun is in savasana for the first three weeks of the month, relaxing in Gemini and your twelfth house of healing and closure. This is your annual “low-power” cycle, a time to nest, rest and release. Before your birthday time and #CancerSeason kick into gear on June 21, clear the decks of anything you don’t want to bring into your next year of life. Resolve resentments, wrap up lingering projects and do some soul-searching.

Don’t be surprised if you’re tired or unfocused—just roll with the right-brained energy for now and don’t force yourself to rally when you feel tapped out. With el Sol in this dreamy space (along with mental Mercury, which is in Gemini until June 12), your subconscious is activated. Dreams could be vivid and prophetic, and your instincts are on point. You’ll absorb people’s energy like a sponge (so watch who you spend your time with). Pay special attention to coincidences, strong gut feelings and serendipities. That’s the universe guiding you, Cancer!

That divine wisdom will be especially palpable at the Gemini new moon on June 13. Hosting a new moon of fresh starts in your twelfth house of endings is a bit of a paradox. But if you think of the “circle of life,” endings naturally flow into beginnings. What can you clear away to make space for something new? This new moon will also amplify your intuition, so follow any hunches. Tap in to higher wisdom with meditation, journaling or creative visualization. Energetic seeds planted today could blossom in the next six months. If there were a perfect new moon for writing down intentions and asking the universe for clear signs, this is it!

Father’s Day is June 17, and the moon will be in Leo, ruler of your classy second house. Treat your favorite father figure to a sophisticated celebration or splurge on a special gift. Think: small personalized touches like monogramming or engraving his initials into a beautiful accessory. It doesn’t have to be fussy, just something thoughtful that adds a touch of dad-friendly style to his world. Arts and culture are emphasized under this moon, so grab tickets to a live show, update his sound system with a great speaker or head to a food festival for family fun.

The next day, June 18, hazy Neptune turns retrograde, an event that happens around the same dates every year. Neptune will reverse through Pisces and your expansive ninth house, throwing off your risk-assessment gauges. You could overshoot the mark now, gambling on something without proper research or falling for a smooth talker’s exciting but pie-in-the-sky promises. Between now and November 24, be especially careful what you say yes to: Conduct due diligence, ask for references (and use them), read those reviews. The ninth house rules travel, so check out the comments on TripAdvisor before you book that “sweet resort deal.”

Since retrogrades connect us to the past, you might be better off revisiting an old favorite spot (especially near water). Neptune’s U-turn in your knowledge-seeking ninth house could be great for resuming an old course of study or immersing yourself in a favorite metaphysical practice. Head to the air-conditioned library on sweltering summer days—there’s gold in ‘dem dusty stacks!

Rub the sleep out of your eyes on June 21, when the Sun enters Cancer, waking you up and getting you psyched for a fresh start. Your energy reboots, and, if you let yourself rejuvenate this month, you’ll have a full tank just in time. If you’ve been unclear about next steps, you’ll be ready for decisive moves now. The path will start to look clearer with each passing day.

But that doesn’t mean you should rush into anything. On June 26, action planet Mars will also turn retrograde, bringing the total count of retrograde planets to FIVE (Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto have all been back-spinning for a couple months now). With so many slowed-down celestial bodies, it’s important that you also pace yourself, retracing your steps if necessary and evaluating things thoroughly before locking down commitments.

Mars will be retrograde until August 27, which will largely impact your eighth house of intimacy and shared resources, since Mars is in Aquarius from May 16 until August 12. Having the passionate and fiery planet going rogue here could drive up jealousy, competitiveness or buried resentments (yikes!). You may need to slow down or press pause on a romantic, sexual or financial entanglement that’s moved too fast for YOUR own good. Have you skipped the necessary steps in your rush to seal the deal?

For couples who hit a rocky patch, the Mars retrograde cycle is a crucial time to work through your differences (ideally with a professional). If you decide to part ways, it could get acrimonious, especially if you’re dividing shared property or if kids and pets are involved. Get a mediator if necessary. While you may not hit the “conscious uncoupling” nirvana of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (#goals), make every effort not to get dragged into ugly power struggles and damaging dynamics.

The two days after Mars turns retrograde will also have a strong relationship emphasis. On June 27, the Sun makes its once-a-year opposition to somber Saturn, which is in Capricorn and your seventh house of partnerships. Have you lost touch with yourself or made someone else’s needs more important than your own? (#CancerProblems) You could have a wakeup call about the impact of that. You can’t avoid your own life by trying to manage someone else’s. If a relationship has turned toxic, whether romantic or business, boundary hound Saturn can help you take an essential step back to evaluate. Warning: The Sun-Saturn opposition can make you extra pessimistic, to the point of losing perspective. Hold off on making an irreversible decision until you’re certain it’s the right thing to do.

The next day, June 28, brings the year’s only full moon in Capricorn, which could deliver sought-after clarity around your commitments. If you’ve been waiting for word on a contract or sitting on the fence about a key alliance, this lunar lift could spur you into action. Full moons bring transitions and manifestations. A relationship could turn official—or you may decide to formally part ways. This balancing full moon gets your existing bonds back in sync. If you’re giving too much to some or leaning too heavily on others, these moonbeams can get you in a more mutual groove. With structured Saturn hovering close by, a conversation about boundaries and expectations could really help!

Love & Romance

With Venus in your sign until June 13, you’ll be in lighthearted, flirty spirits. Your confidence is at an annual high, and when you feel this independent and empowered, you attract people to you like moths to a bonfire.

The first week of the month delivers some pretty heady highs (and one possible challenge) as Venus hooks up with other planetary heavyweights. On June 1, Venus forms a flowing trine to expansive Jupiter in smoldering Scorpio and your romance sphere. New amour could appear on your radar without any warning (so consider yourself “warned”)! The next day, Venus forms a second trine to dreamy Neptune in soulful Pisces and your visionary, adventurous ninth house. Expand any limiting beliefs to allow love to grow. Think and act beyond your comfort zone and watch your love life transform. Then on June 5, an opposition to shadowy Pluto in your partnership realm could bring some heavy emotions to the surface or reveal where someone’s been less than truthful.

Meanwhile, spicy Mars is in Aquarius and your playing-for-keeps eighth house all month. So while you might be enjoying witty banter and admiration on the outside, a more internal part of you is craving intensity and intimacy. Some Crabs could be processing a breakup or other heavy emotions (hello, vulnerable moments), or wrestling with a surge of jealousy. And then, once Mars turns retrograde for two months on June 26 (until August 27), you may be forced to face some relationship speed bumps. Watch out for the unannounced return of a button-pushing ex and think twice before opening any doors to them.

Venus will change signs—and moods—when she jets into Leo from June 13 to July 9, settling into your stabilizing second house. Sensuality and sensibility return, though when she squares off with Uranus (June 14) and opposes Mars a week later (June 21), you may be torn between wanting more security and following your passionate emotions. The only way to find a happy medium might be to dabble at both ends of spectrum and let your heart decide.

Key Dates

June 14: Venus-Uranus Square Comparing yourself to other people could unglue the stability of a bond. You may get obsessed with keeping up appearances instead of being authentic. Sparks can fly with an online match or a friend you reconnect with virtually. But keep your wits about you. With disruptive Uranus at a tense angle to romantic Venus, the stars could throw your love life an unexpected curveball.

Money & Career

Do your research, Crab. You may be considering a joint venture or a big money move as June begins. Go-getter Mars is in Aquarius and your eighth house of investing and financial collaborations from May 16 to August 12. Exciting partnership and growth opportunities could crop up—and with pressure-cooker Mars here, you’ll feel the urge to act on them quickly. But with the Sun in Gemini and your foggy twelfth house until June 21 (and intellectual Mercury here until June 12), there may be more to the story than you think. Conduct due diligence so you can move forward with your eyes wide open.

Mars will be retrograde from June 26 to August 27, which could bring a few financial hiccups. An old debt may come due, or you might have some mind-numbing details to pore over in a legal contract, mortgage or clause. If you’re in the process of buying or selling property, Mars retrograde could also jangle the wires. Use the slowed-down retrograde to research and get all your ducks in a row; then make some turbo-powered money moves in the fall.

You’ll start to see clearly again once Mercury enters Cancer from June 12 to 29, followed by the Sun’s monthlong visit to your sign beginning June 21. Have you been sacrificing too much for others? These transits snap you out of martyr mode—time to stop enabling capable adults. Let them pull their weight, Crab. The June 28 Capricorn full moon could bring a make-or-break moment to a business partnership or contract. Who are the people that really deserve inner-circle status? If you’re carrying someone else’s load, stop, drop and keep it rolling. See if they start pulling their own weight once you quit making excuses and enabling. That will help you determine whether someone’s truly a slacker, or if they just didn’t have a chance to show you how capable they are.

Key Dates

June 7: Sun-Neptune Square Dial up the skepticism today. You might be lured by a charismatic character’s big talk, but if you’re keeping a keen eye out, you’ll quickly realize that this emperor has no clothes. Think twice about signing onto anything new; what seems straightforward at first blush could turn out to be one messy and tangled web.

Love Days: 23, 29 Money Days: 8, 17 Luck Days: 15, 6 Off Days: 13, 26, 4

[loquaciousquark]

Talks Machina Highlights - Episode 109

Covering for @eponymous-rose​ because she has just moved and has one chair in her apartment, and also her ceiling is apparently making it rain inside. Also, I’m still riding the high of seeing this show live, so let’s get this going! 

Tonight’s guests: Liam, Taliesin, and Marisha! Late start; Brian blames Spectrum. I blame Sam.

Regular Critical Role this week; Sam’s oneshot is next week! Tonight’s After Dark will be a rebroadcast of the panel from GenCon. 

Everyone is a little stunned at how much they packed into last weekend. Marisha is amazed that they’ve gone from 250 people to 2500 people in the audience, especially considering the number of volunteers and staff they need to run a show like this. Brian is very surprised it had so few hitches in the production. 

Marisha helped Brian piece together his outfit (it was Ashley’s shirt and pants from New York that Ashley made him get).

No one knew what Sam would be wearing until fifteen minutes before showtime. He originally used a Chessex dice box, but Liam “didn’t feel it would read in the back row” so he used a larger, hollow box. 

A fan offered Brian ten thousand dollars for that box after the show. Yikes.

The art book has been in planning for a year; the first official meeting was at the last ComicCon. Liam’s favorite piece is a group portrait that has not been seen before. Taliesin loves that there are bits of “ephemera” scattered throughout the book.

Neither Liam nor Taliesin anticipated how much work the book would be. No release date yet.

Liam had no plan to make sure the potion went to Sam. He just wanted a lighthearted moment, and hadn’t planned to use it until the Raven Queen’s trammel almost broke the episode before. 

Keyleth suspected foul play on the love potion because she knows Vax well enough by now, but wasn’t worried because she likes lighthearted trickster Vax.

Brian was hoping Scanlan would see a mirror first. Taliesin hoped for Keyleth or Grog. Marisha hoped for Vax. 

The Gif of the Week is Matt tearing up his notes. It’s still hilarious.

Liam feels like the whole night was a scene from 300, including the chant of Vax’ildan. It was overwhelming in a good way.

Liam thinks some of Sam’s song/speech schtick was prepared before the show, but Taliesin and Marisha think he was adlibbing some of it as he went. Everyone marvels at his ability to improv so quickly.

Taliesin thinks Vex would have taken a finger or two if Scanlan hadn’t backed off. 

Marisha thinks Keyleth has come to the acceptance that death is likely, even though she’s hopeful they will survive. 

Marisha was slightly concerned that Scanlan would be angry at the prank and leave again. 

Liam doesn’t intend the pranks to be as good as they are, he just trusts Sam Riegel. “I just had to hold the football for Riegel and let him kick it.”

If Scanlan had seen Vex first, Percy would have been amused at first and then quickly annoyed. Taliesin also notes that Percy doesn’t know there was a love potion involved and is vain enough to think it was genuine.

There will be a Talks Machina next week even though a lot of people will be at Burning Man; it just “won’t be a traditional Talks.” 

Brian was excited to emcee the live show even though he had to stall a few minutes at the beginning because the merch line was so long. He felt like he had a contact high from how many Critters were excited to see him and the crew, the crowd singing All-Star before the show, and everyone just being generally enthusiastic. 

The guy who owns the theater said they have had rock concerts that were less exciting; he apparently thought something had happened after the first cheer and came out to check that everything was okay.

Keyleth is okay plummeting to her death these days. 

Taliesin, Marisha, and Liam all feel they will be battling Vecna on top of the titan. They don’t think it will stop until he’s defeated. 

Liam was certain he was going unconscious when Matt said he didn’t have the dice for the damage. Vax’s HP dipped to the 30s. 

Brian sat next to Andrew from CritRoleStats during the show. Hi, Andrew! He does the math in his head for the HP tracking and Brian kept interrupting him by accident. 

Percy is very much looking forward to killing Delilah again. “She’s the gift that keeps on giving.” He also says something about keeping her in a dungeon and killing her every week. Marisha: “Geez louise, that’s dark!”

Keyleth thinks it’s better for her to be down a high-level spell slot than for Scanlan to be, since he has so many high level Hail Marys. 

Brian marvels again at how intense the crowd was. The pre-show panel helped amp them up as well. 

Favorite GenCon moments for everyone! Brian: watching the live show in the audience and going to the Logic show. Brian got to lose at MarioKart on that stage as well. He came in 7th out of 8, and six of the other competitors were bots. Liam loved Bobby pulling Hannah Banana onstage to rap. I’m missing a lot of these references, so apologies if any of this is misspelled! The guy behind Brian’s empty seat apparently cheered very hard for him, even though he lost. Brian also loved Travis’s face when they walked out onto the football field on Sunday. Taliesin loved photobombing Critters. 

During the standing ovation, Marisha felt “pure, distilled, emotional ecstasy.” Liam was very humbled by the love for something they created around Marisha’s dining room table. Taliesin can’t find words for it. Brian felt like it was a wall of love. 

Right before he came out to do the initial announcements, Brian gave Matt a hug and unexpectedly started crying, so he had to compose himself before starting the show. At the end of the show, he looked over and saw Matt had tears in his eyes as well.

Liam loves that events from the game feel like real memories, and that what they do matters so much to so many people. 

After Dark: aka That Pre-Show Panel From the Con

Everyone is nervous about the show except Travis, who’s stoked. Everyone had a strategy session beforehand, except the rules of the game kept getting in the way. Matt: “Antimagic field does not work against spells cast by deities, sorry!”

Marisha and Laura love the game because of the roleplaying elements. Marisha notes there’s still a problem with D&D being perceived as a boy’s game. Liam runs a game for five small girls who love it because it’s not treated as a game for girls; “get ‘em while they’re as young as possible.” 

Any two NPCs in a cage match: Marisha picks Kevdak and Groon. Laura picks Trish the Dish and Kima. Matt: “Now we’re just me at home playing with my action figures, and I’m okay with that.” 

Marisha notes that Critical Role builds every week, which is different than the pre-produced final product from Dread. She loves Dread’s team-building aspect for the puzzles and atmosphere. Matt: “It felt weirdly magical.”

Taliesin and Marisha are very proud of Dread; there will be more to come.

An audience member asks about favorite one-liners: “Your secret is safe with my indifference.” “Life needs things to live.” “Where’s Larkin?”

They talk about how weird it is to have their game so big. They’re constantly amazed by the fan productions of love. 

Matt works hard on the balance between grandiose successes, failures, and heroism, and the importance of grounding the adventure in realism. Liam loves that it runs the gamut from an argument over a pair of shoes to a beloved city crumbling around them. 

Matt never imagined this world he made up would end up in a campaign guide. It was originally a generic fantasy land for his friends to play in, but the more life he put into it the more life his players put into it, and it was very daunting to try to capture all that collaboration into a book for other people to play in. He talks a bit about Joey, his co-writer, who helped him with the overwhelming load of work and created some ideas of his own.

If Laura could reroll one roll from the whole campaign, she describes a moment pre-show where she was trying to slide on her knees through a troll’s legs to shoot up, except she rolled a 1 and the troll stepped on her stomach. Travis would reroll the skull spike. “I wanted that one bad.” Taliesin feels bad rolls are character-building. Matt mentions the roll in the Sunken Tomb, and apparently Laura has never realized how much hinged on that one roll before this moment. Matt thinks of the roll Raishan failed against the Feeblemind. “Thanks, Keyleth!”

Travis prevented Laura from taking a gift earlier, but totally accepts a gift beer from an audience member. The same person brings up how good D&D is for blind and low-vision players since it’s theater of the mind, and as my residency was in low-vision rehabilitation, this means a lot to me. Matt also brings up Critical Role Transcripts as another great method of accessibility. They have over 60% of the whole show completely transcribed, which is over $50,000 in transcribing time. You can sign up to volunteer for five-minute slots at CRTranscript on Twitter. 

Matt talks about the importance of writing down details for NPCs you create on the fly and fleshing them out after the campaign if you think they might recur, because the players will remember every time if you don’t. 

Senokir was made up on the spot. Serious Alpha technical issues, so I’m sorry if I miss some stuff here. 

Matt does not believe in punishing players for being clever. He would rather throw away material and reuse it later. 

Sam is proud of the Washington Football Team inspiration and the library sequence with Laura. He liked the pressure of coming up with so many songs on the spot. 

Grog would take the Deck over the Alchemy Jug without a thought.

Travis will always choose character-based leveling for Grog over meta-gaming every time, especially if it makes Grog dumber. Sam looked up good spells for bards and the mansion was not one of them, but he took it because he loved the idea and hasn’t regretted it. Laura feels the same way about keeping Trinket through the Pathfinder transition. Taliesin never took Luck for the same reason; he feels the potential of the gun backfiring is the price he should pay. “I don’t want to undo my weaknesses.”

Liam’s choice of Fated is why Matt started thinking about him being fate-touched. 

More serious technical issues, sorry. Matt talks about the fact that all DMs will make mistakes and that it’s important to find creative solutions within the bounds of the world you’ve made. 

If Vex could reincarnate as anything, she’d pick “angel babyyyy!” Marisha would like to see Keyleth as a half-orc.

Laura is very disappointed Matt didn’t haggle the last time they went to the flea market together. 

[bethliveblogsmovies]

Man of Steel... not my Superman

1. Very muted colors and weathered look for the Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, DC Comics, and Syncopy logos. I take it this is not going to be a lighthearted flick. Is this Batman? Did I click on the wrong link?

2. Ah, childbirth. Just what I want to see in my superhero films. I mean, what were they thinking? The first image we see is a lady Kryptonian's face scrunched up in pain. Maybe start with anything else? The Kryptonian tax code. Anything.

3. No blood on that baby. Gotta keep the PG-13 rating. I would have accepted a throw-away line like "yo, Ma-El is popping out a kid". Didn't need to see it.

4. Russell Crowe is now lecturing to the aliens (sorry. "interdimensional beings") from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and discount Judi Dench.

5. Oh, man. I kind of was warming up to discount Judi Dench.

6. Zod has Friar Tuck's haircut. From now on he shall be known as Friar Zod.

7. 5 minutes in and I'm already sick of Krypton.

8. Now Russell Crowe is riding a gargoyle-dragonfly. Ugh. I'm having Obi-Wan riding a lizard (apparently, a varactyl named Boga. Thanks Wookieepedia!) on Utapau in Revenge of the Sith flashbacks. Stop reminding me of bad movies!!!

9. Ok. The creepy underwater baby factory was a pretty cool visual. You get points for that, movie.

10. Russell Crowe is a bit careless with that codex. Is it indestructible or something? He leverages himself out of the water by placing his weight on his hand holding the codex. Doesn't get crushed or broken? Ok...

11. Is this supposed to be emotional? We don't know these people. They're shipping their kid off while their planet's falling apart. Fine. A bit sad? Whatever. I don't care about them so their pain isn't compelling. Move on, movie. You're wasting my time.

12. What is happening? They're making a flash drive from information that was in the codex. I think? Also, that flash drive looks cool. Gimme.

13. Why didn't Friar Zod just shoot the ship with Superbaby in it? Nothing like unnecessary dialogue to give the plot room to continue. Also, why not have Friar Zod FULLY RESTRAINED? Superman's dad is not very smart.

14. So Friar Zod gets captured and brought before the Council of Unfortunate Headdresses and sentenced to 300 cycles of somatic reconditioning. You could do that... or KILL HIM. Idiots. The entire population of Krypton must be either stupid or insane or both.

15. Michael Shannon is better than this. My god. The overacting reeks of poor direction. Watch him in Midnight Special. He's much better.

16. Why are we still on Krypton? This is all unnecessary. This should not have taken more than 5 minutes and we're approaching 20. All we needed from Krypton was to know Superman was born, establish Zod as a bad dude, ship off Superbaby, and blow up the planet. We're never going to see this planet again. We don't care about anyone on it. The prolonged destruction sequence is just runtime bloat. Blow it up. Move on. 5 seconds would do fine. Pacing is ATROCIOUS.

17. The oil rig scene was kind of cool. Superman was acting heroic. Mark that down.

18. I like the scene where he gets overwhelmed by stimuli. Been there. Kind of. Although I'm wondering why he had that sort of reaction right then. Is it his first day of school? His powers show up at different ages maybe? He should be used to his X-ray vision seeing humans from being around his parents, right?

19. Helloooo. Putting a shirt on that should be illegal.

20. Superteen saves the bus after deflating the tires under the weight of his angst!

21. "What was I supposed to do? Let them die?" "...Maybe" Screw the many to protect the powers of the one? Cold, Pa Kent. Real cold.

22. Mayyyybe dumping on your teenager the fact that he's a space alien is not going to help with the ANGST? Should have told him as a young boy that he was different and introduced the space alien angle as soon as he was old enough to keep secrets. Would have given him time to acclimate to the idea.

23. Also, no way a scientist gives back a piece of metal that didn't originate on Earth. 0% chance. Have the writers of this movie ever met a scientist?!?

24. I would have made that jackass's skull concave, but that's why I'd be a bad Superman.

25. Also, that mangled truck belongs in the Museum of Modern Art.

26. Amy Adams! The real reason I subject myself to this movie. She's great in everything.

27. Why is Lois Lane there? Why aren't other reporters there too?

28. I hope that photo develops. Yikes. Internal hemorrhaging and cauterization via laser eyes? Kind of badass just to get a photo.

29. "I'm not printing a story about aliens walking among us." The Lone Gunmen would. Superman/X-Files crossover? Yes, please.

30. Not going to lie, I miss the underwear on the outside of the suit.

31. That monologue by Pa El is great for a trailer, but doesn't work so well in the movie.

32. Cool flying scene.

33. Yeah. Overpasses are TERRIBLE places to go during a tornado. Bad idea. Irresponsible of the movie to perpetuate that myth.

34. That whole scene with the tornado was stupid. I don't even know where to begin.

35. I like that Lois was able to track down Clark by being a good reporter. You get a point for that too, movie.

36. More quiet character moments please. Even if Henry Cavill has the acting range of a 2x4.

37. Teenage Clark reads Plato. He should be more popular.

38. Subtle, Zack Snyder. Verrrry subtle. Stained glass Jesus next to Superman's head... what could that POSSIBLY mean?

39. Clark is 33. Really, Zack? More messianic allusions? I'm not going to list them all.

40. Why would they want Lois? Makes no sense.

41. Friar Zod delivers the exposition. Boring.

42. They haven't done anything with Lois. Again I ask: why is she there? Plot contrivance so far.

43. IHOP! They must have paid for something.

44. The scene where Pa El helps Lois through the ship is cool, but still doesn't justify her being there.

45. Leave Ma Kent alone. Not cool throwing the truck into her house, Friar Zod.

46. Yeah, threatening a farm boy's mom isn't going to end well. Especially a farm boy with super powers.

47. 7-11 must have paid for something as well.

48. That street got destroyed. And that IHOP. Is this a Superman movie? Doesn't feel like it.

49. Watching supercreatures toss each other around is boring.

50. Sears paid for something too. Ma Kent had a Sears shirt on and the building just popped up.

51. Way too much destruction. And we haven't even gotten to the major stuff yet. "Realism" is sucking the heroism out of this movie. Tonally inappropriate.

52. 9-11 imagery. Wonderful. It's officially not a Superman movie.

53. Why is Lois on that plane? She's not military.

54. Oh great. Kryptonians throwing each other through buildings.

55. Did I just watch Superman casually jump over a truck that blew up a parking garage? Out of character.

56. This is so bad. I remember laughing hysterically in the theater during this sequence.

57. Some people got mad about Superman breaking Zod's neck. I'm not. It would be out of character for the Superman we knew before this film. For this Superman it is entirely within his character.

58. Destroying a military drone? Whatever. I'm too exhausted by this movie to care.

59. And now he's at the Daily Planet. The end. Thank God.

60. So Goyer and Nolan along with Snyder are responsible for this mess. Ugh. It's obvious they tried to go The Dark Knight route with Man of Steel and it doesn't mesh at all with the character of Superman. We have Kryptonian Batman. It sucks. Wonder Woman has the sort of tone Man of Steel should have had. I'd go as far as to say Man of Steel should have been even more lighthearted than Wonder Woman. To sum up Man of Steel: no, no, no, no, no. Maybe I'll do this for Wonder Woman next. Contrast a big mistake with a big triumph.

[operationrainfall]

Title Double Cross Developer 13AM Games Publisher Graffiti Games Release Date January 10th, 2018 Genre Platformer Platform Nintendo Switch Age Rating E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence Official Website

One of the benefits of being a hardcore fan of indie games is I’m more tapped into projects that might not be on everybody else’s radar. Case in point, the latest title from 13AM Games, Double Cross. I’d been following it for a little more than a year after discovering it thanks to the magic of the internet. At first glance I could immediately tell this project was a big step up from the relatively young company. While they had great success with iterations of Runbow and charmed many when they published the delightfully retro Pirate Pop Plus, Double Cross promised to be something on an even larger scale. This action platformer has interdimensional travel, tight platforming and a colorful cast of characters. Keep reading to see if it was able to cinch the place as my favorite experience yet from 13AM Games and Graffiti Games.

The story revolves around an interdimensional police agency known as RIFT. They’re charged with keeping exotic technology out of the hands of dangerous or primitive forces. Like their name suggests, they do so via portal technology that lets them travel to and police different worlds. On occasion, RIFT finds new recruits on these worlds, as is the case with our hero, Zahra Sinclair. She’s a spunky upstart with a lot of heart, and her usual approach is to tackle things head on. She’s supported by an eclectic team, including a hulking plant man that could put the Jolly Green Giant to shame, a sweet master of disguise and many more. While the diversity of the team is an asset, it also quickly becomes a problem. After the game starts, RIFT is suddenly under attack from a mysterious masked individual who seems to have insider knowledge about the security of RIFT headquarters. In other words, one of your comrades is a traitor. Thus, Zahra’s job is to look for clues as to the identity of Suspect X, and find evidence of their dangerous activities.

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You do this by traveling to three vastly different worlds with three levels a piece. Upon beating each stage, you’ll be rewarded with a clue. Once you get one, you’re required to talk with your RIFT crew to find someone to shine a light on them. Once you’ve retrieved and deciphered all the clues from any of the worlds, you’re able to put together and submit a case to your boss, Valery Wiseheart. She’s a no-nonsense merwoman with a chip on her shoulder. Once you submit a case, you’re given a warrant for arrest, which opens up the boss fight in that world. Eventually you’ll piece together a picture of who Suspect X is, and once you do, you’re able to tackle the final mission. I will say, though I figured out their identity relatively early, I’d be lying if I said I knew what the final boss fight was going to be.

It’s a lot of fun to interact with all the characters in Double Cross. They all have a distinct personality and quirky traits. Good examples are your right-hand guy Skip, who loves collectables and helps monitor problems from the base. Or take the cat girl Ada Lovepaws, a premier tech girl with some mild maniacal tendencies. Then there’s one of my favorites, Sam Squatch, a sasquatch scientist with a goofy sense of humor. Put together, they all do a good job of coloring the flavor of the game universe. This is a lighthearted place where darkness hides beneath a veneer of normalcy. Whether you’re fighting through a goo-filled swamp, playing games in a robotic arcade or fighting dinosaurs in a barren wasteland, you’re sure to have a smile on your face. And that’s not just because of the plot, it’s also because of the gameplay found in the game.

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All the platforming in the game revolves around a nifty device called the Proton Slinger. It’s a bit like an electrical grappling hook, and it serves a variety of functions. First and foremost, you can use it to zip from grappling points. Your positioning determines the angle you’ll go flying, and you can use it midair. The only catch is you only can bring up the targeting reticle for a few seconds, so you’ll want to get the timing down quickly. The other use for the Slinger is to grab projectiles and toss them at things. This is very handy. Sometimes you can use the technique to defeat foes, other times you can open up new paths with it. It’s pretty diverse, and I appreciated the novelty of it. Though it did remind me a bit of the egg toss in Yoshi’s Island, it was different enough to stand out.

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Besides using the Slinger, Zahra can also defend herself with punches and kicks. When you start, you’re only able to do a combo of light punches or a spectacular heavy punch, but as you progress you’ll unlock new moves via the Upgradium system. Essentially these are purple colored crystals that are well hidden in every level. By collecting enough of them, you’ll level up and be rewarded with new skills. Some are permanent and always active, such as an aerial kick, while others can be equipped at your discretion from save points. There’s a wide variety of them, giving effects such as increasing the time you can have the Slinger active to improving your starting energy. There’s a ton of them, but you’ll only get them all by collecting every scrap of Upgradium. I got close to 80 percent in my playthrough, but I missed out on a couple really useful optional skills like a double jump.

Double jump would have been handy here.

If that wasn’t enough, whenever you defeat an enemy you’ll get rewarded with energy that fills up your meter. You can use different increments of meter for a few extra moves to help you out. For example, by holding A you’ll heal Zahra, or by pressing L you can emit a shockwave, pushing foes back for some breathing room. The coolest is using R to shoot a devastating fireball at foes, though I generally reserved that one for larger, more intimidating threats. Tying all the combat together is a handy dodge move that not only avoids damage but also fills up your energy meter a bit. While it may seem tricky that most every button on the Switch is used, in execution it all felt pretty natural.

What really drew me to Double Cross, as much as the platforming hook, was the presentation. Visually this is a lovely game, with bright, anime-styled art that wouldn’t look out of place in a WayForward title. Everything is bubbling with personality and style, most especially the character art and tremendous boss fights. I won’t spoil them, but every boss encounter is a treat and makes good use of the mechanics. There were only a couple of areas the art faltered. First and most importantly, I’m pretty certain Double Cross doesn’t run at 60 FPS, or if it does, it isn’t all the time. While this rarely caused performance issues, it was a bit jarring to the eye, giving things a blurry sensation. Another area was the background art. For a game this colorful and well designed, the backgrounds often felt flat and lifeless. And while that didn’t ruin the game by any stretch, it was one factor which prevented it from getting a perfect score. On the musical side of things, the game has a lot of high-energy tracks which do a good job of keeping you invested. Though I can’t think of any standout tracks, some of my favorite tunes came from the prehistoric Reptarria stages.

Pillar Panic almost made me lose my mind.

Though I enjoyed the game, there were a couple areas where it missed the mark. Firstly, though I loved the constant banter and humor that happens as you play each stage, it’s irritating that it pops up every time you replay a stage. This made Upgradium hunting a chore. All that I really wanted was a button to skip dialogue after playing a stage the first time. A much worse example is in the second stage in the Funderdome. It requires you to go through an arcade and get scores high enough to get onto the in-game leaderboards. The problem is, one of the mini games you need to excel at is called Pillar Panic. It forces you to swing in midair, avoiding the walls and floor spikes which instantly kill you, and swing through several checkpoints. You need to do this at least six times in a row. Exacerbating it is that once you start the mini game, the wall behind you starts chasing you, and it will crush you if you’re too slow. Worse, if you die, you have to start over from the very beginning. Suffice to say, this forced mini game almost made me give up in despair, but thankfully the other five you need to play were much easier, and I eventually got past it. Also, while I do thoroughly enjoy the platforming in the game, the combat is less satisfactory. Not because it’s poorly done, but more that it feels kind of tacked on. I would have been fine with Zahra only using the Proton Slinger to fight, not punching or kicking at all. I’ve seen some games have great success formulating all the combat around a simple mechanic, and I guess I just hoped for something similar here. That said, the combat does the job, it just doesn’t hold up when compared side by side with the platforming.

Overall, I was really impressed by Double Cross. It was an ambitious project from 13AM Games that succeeded in raising expectations for what you can expect from the team. While I’ve enjoyed the other titles from them, this one stood out, thanks to the clever plot, the characters and the platforming. Yes, it has some minor issues, but those can mostly be overlooked. For $9.99 you get at least 5-7 hours of game, and that’s if you just rush through. If you’re a completionist, there’s even more fun to be had, collecting all the Upgradium and achieving the various Commendations (basically in-game achievements). If you enjoy platformers and a quirky cast, you’ll enjoy this one. I’m impressed by 13AM’s latest outing, and hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Zahra Sinclair and the RIFT!

Keep on floating, Zahra!

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″]

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

REVIEW: Double Cross Title Double Cross