#making a crazy wall about a story in the making is a fun visual way to create those limits for yourself and keep track of stuff easily

[the-way-astray]

it should be a crime for writers/creators to not make a crazy wall for their story that connects pictures representing the characters and plot points together with an obscene amount of yarn.

[purity-town]

No update today -- next chapter's cover has had a good chunk of progress made on it, but I'm too busy tomorrow to get it finished up to post at a reasonable time. (This works out well anyhow, as I'll be moving back down for college next week, so if the current page wasn't partially finished already I may have not had the time to complete an update.) In the meantime, finally getting around to posting ask responses (below the cut)!

I'm really glad to hear you're liking it! Life's been a little crazy lately, so updates have been more scattered than I'd like, but I'm still thoroughly enjoying making this comic, so I'm you're enjoying reading it!

Looking at the timestamps, the first page was released on December 12th, 2020. So we’re just past 2 and a half years now!

The actual “development” of the story technically goes a bit further back to the time around the 1.4 update release, as I was getting really into the game lore and wrote up some worldbuilding ideas. Then in late November of 2020 I started planning a fanfic based on that, did a short 2-page comic set in that AU for fun, and then ended up expanding that original fanfic into the current, longer comic!

I’m gonna tentatively say yes! At least, one per Andrew and the Clothier each. There wouldn’t really have been a reason to make more than one of Andrew. There technically could’ve been more made of the Clothier, but one was all that was really needed.

Fortunately this current set of backgrounds outside of the dungeon is relatively simple, as I reuse the base coloring for the columns and adjust the perspective/lighting as necessary (each column is actually two pieces -- one “flat” side and one “angled” side).

I have a pretty limited capacity for doing backgrounds, so I tend to use tricks like this to reuse them where I can, haha. The first few backgrounds for an area tend to be harder, as I need to make assets and figure out how I want lighting and so on to work, but from there it usually gets easier.

It's still dependent on the background's design, of course -- backgrounds that are painted (usually outdoors) are a much different experience to work with than areas with detailed lineart and textured surfaces, such as the tavern and Andrew's kitchen. I'm slowly getting used to the perspective tools in Clip Studio Paint, though, which is helping a lot with drawing indoor spaces!

In all honesty, I was mostly focused on making it immediately recognizable even in silhouette, and that it fit well on the page, rather than focusing on making it perfectly to scale or the likes, haha.

Design-wise I find the Wall of Flesh to be super interesting -- it visually ties the “first” boss of progression (EoC) in with the last boss (Moonlord). And it’s overall very jarring, in that it’s easy to accidentally summon and turns the Underworld into an inescapable auto scroller in a way none of the other bosses do. And of course the story/lore significance, etc. etc. etc.

So when the time comes, I hope I can do it justice!

Honestly, I’m not sure! I still haven’t totally decided how that whole sequence of events will go -- some parts of it are very clearly planned out, others not so much. In a general sense, I do think that Chris’ reaction could vary significantly with the circumstances -- how much of a shock it is, and if he understands the significance of it -- but generally wouldn’t be good, in a horrified/panicking sense. 

At the current point in the comic, Chris *does* have a general idea that something weird is up with Andrew, just based on what Heather/Malik/Becca were saying (including Heather’s mention of “burns”), plus Andrew leaving in a hurry that morning and brushing it off when asked about it. He doesn’t believe that Andrew is evil, of course, just that he’s dealing with some things, and Chris is appropriately concerned.

So- yeah, finding a doll of Andrew in the Underworld- honestly, there are a lot of ways for him to take it badly.

But hey, once he has the doll, Hardmode won’t be far away, and that’ll bring a whole new host of problems for him to focus on instead!

[stars-and-cows]

Can we just appreciate everything V3 has to offer not even regarding it's wonderful writing?

Cuz it offers so much gameplay besides the main story it's very impressive. And the visual appeal is just through the roof. And the music MHMM THE MUSIC.

The trial games are very fucking good. Except Hangman Gambit but none of the games really got it right cuz it just sucks. But listen here, how can you tell me V3 doesn't have the best trial games when you can run over hookers as Shuichi??? But yeah.

The logic in the trials is fine ig (I played on normal and now am playing on Mean). I only got lost in Ch 2 with not knowing who wore gloves cuz I genuinely didn't notice it at all. But this is still better than me dying 4 times in THH in trial 3 for not getting the right answers EVEN THO I KNEW WHO THE MURDERER WAS AND WHAT HAPPEN BEAT BY BEAT????

The casino alone has a lot of content I legit spent at least 10h just in there (no I am not addicted I just want to get 100% of the game and that requires beating the casino games on hardest difficulty)

The post game content is also just incredible. Ultimate Talent Development plan is just a fun game of strategizing that then let's you play another fun game, Monokuma's Dungeon. Both of these are just very well executed and balanced and just are good games that totally could stand on their own. I am legitimately farming this (100%ing the game) and it's just genuinely fun. Tho tbh Ulitmate Talent Development plan is sometimes confusing

Love hotel just fucking rocks. The rng can be annoying but all of the scenes are just a showcase of very incredible writing in this game. They are quirky and entertaining but also tell us so much about the characters. Even the more infamous ones (Korekiyo's kink or Miu in general) actually give us some fun stuff to know about the characters. I actually felt like I knew Miu a bit better after her scene (if it was good or not is another thing)

Another great thing? School exploration. For the first time in Danganronpa Game I actually liked the environment to just walk around and enjoy it.

(Minor hate on the settings in THH/Dr2, skip two paragraphs if you don't wanna read it)

THH had those, tho iconic, eye-hurting epileptic walls and floors that personally just made me very confused since everything looked like everything else but also like nothing and genuinely hurt my eyes. Unironically my fav places in THH is the sauna and that brutal classroom cuz they are way more appealing.

Dr2 had a more toned down aesthetic that made the place just so much more appealing to look at. But the way they added that 2d running just kinda lost the vibe and appeal of just looking at and walking through this place as the protagonist. Even further connecting me to him.

But in V3 the places are so unique without being overwhelming. The beautifully lit overgrown school is just so pretty to look at. That one hallway next to Kirumi's lab is so pretty I would genuinely just walk there to stare at it. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED AT THE PLACE NEAR KOREKIYO AND ANGIE'S LAB. Plus the cathedral? Or the big tower for Kaito? Marvelous. And making you actually have to explore the school and unlock new places yourself? Imo that's a hit! You can see the new places yourself, feeling like you earned it. You get to witness the vibe, the labs, the music.

Speaking of music. It slaps. Objectively the best soundtrack. I may have gone so autistic about it I just kept listening to it on repeat to memorize all of the tracks and their names. Spirit, Praise and Beauty, Beautiful Lie, DANGANVEGAS, PSYCHE TAXI, Hope of Spring, Becoming friends, Rise and Shine, Urusine!, Living in a Lazy Parallel world. Just those tracks are so fucking good they deserve to be praised for eternity. And this is coming from a person who doesn't really notice music in games. It's one of those moments: "You realise the music is playing when it's either crazy bad or crazy good". V3 is the latter.

Not gonna talk too much about the designs (this post is long already) but they are alright. I know, weird for me to say about my favourite game. But for every great one there is a bad one. And the most are just ok I guess. Kirumi could use a bit of a color pop since she is a bit forgettable with her design, Kokichi just has black and white and I dunno why because he's the most morally grey character in the game (Maybe cuz it's supposed to be ironic? Dunno), TENKO NEEDS A FUCKING LONGER SKIRT WTF IS THAT, Angie just walking around in a bra and a big overcoat doesn't make much sense since she works with clay and paint, Kiibo could heva a bit more going on with his costume. Just generally ranges from miss to ok to I actually enjoy. Except Ryoma cuz his design is my top 3 favourites from the whole series.

So yeah. Praise V3 ✌️

[jack-kellys]

if you’re taking asks about uksies. may i ask for the choreo details for kony andjd? the need to visualize it while listening is obsessive -davesjacobs

YES SO TRUE ok @davesjacobs

ask me abt this show RIGHT NOW!!

ok so the main thins about the choreo is that those three long tables are gone, and jacobi’s now has these individual diner-style square tables all on wheels. they do some other choreo first before they start tapping and some of the tables are moved back. newsies hold down the tables so they don’t shake too much when other boys hop up to tap. les has a genuine tap solo. iirc they don’t make fun of katherine’s tapping… they have a moment where they yell at her to get up on one of the tables and four newsies do some cup-ohraphy around her feet while the rest do it at the other tables. there’s also no spoon fight..?? like the music is. different actually like there’s no music for the spoon fight bc uhh they have more interesting things to do.

they do lots of movement with the tables, there’s some cool lighting moments especially— davey also sits les on a table and drives him up through the row of newsies and he’s using a platter as a little steering wheel <333 this song is rly used as a way to show that davey and les are definitely two of the gang now much more than uhh bway/livesies that mostly just had them in it lmao

then of course to top all this shit off. these industrial hanging lights that have been flown in from above for the scene fly a little lower. some of the newsies had been wearing some kind of glove that i’d thought was like “oh they got hurt there in the strikebreaking.” NO. i watch finch attach his fucking hand to the outer rim of this light, lift himself off the table he’s standing on, and do an upside-down split. then (and PLEASE correct me if i have this order wrong) it’s either. 1. they spin around, the lights taking them upward a bit, land back on their tables before other newsies remove them and the acrobatic gang is like “ok bet” and then swing out over the audience during the final chorus. or 2. they spin a bit, then with the tables still present (i think this is right tbh) run off of them to swing over the audience through most of the final chorus. when they settle back over the stage, the tables are removed from under them, and then for “guts and glory, front page story, i’m the king—” they shoot the FUCK up into the air, high speed spinning, albert is like in the goddamn rafters, “—of new york!” all the newsies in the air stick their legs out in a split and they stop spinning for the final frozen pose.

it’s off the wall crazy in that madhouse dude LMAO like it is. what. and the music is fantastic if you want to hear it and also the whole show from december!

[mr-jaybird]

action scene writing tips

a couple days ago, i mentioned that i love writing action scenes and was happy to give advice on them. @charlezarrd asked me to write some up, and tragically i have been busy writing code and not fanfic. but here they are, just a little late!

this got long, so tips below the cut:

action scenes are all about tempo. when i'm writing an action scene, i am generally trying to write something that will make my readers feel like they're on a breakneck race to find out what happens next. real life dangerous situations (and i've been in more than i'd like) tend to feel very fast, like your perceptions can't even keep up with everything happening around you. it's that feeling i try to replicate when writing

to achieve that, it's okay to bend grammatical rules. i will deliberately write run on sentences, with clauses that would normally be a sentence on its own separated by a comma, in order to induce a feeling of rushing from one thing to the next with no time to separate your thoughts/feelings/experiences

for example, from my work:

She’s not going to make it, she’s not going to make it, she pushes and pushes and refuses to let herself open her mouth and speed up the drowning by trying to gasp in air that isn’t there.

each of those clauses could be its own sentence, but they're all running into each other instead!

the em dash is also your friend—using one like so can enable you to jump from one action-packed thought to the next, creating a sense of urgency

another example:

Aloy breaches the surface, drawing in air, but after a few huge gasps she looks down and sees Talanah below her, perhaps ten feet away, motionless and sinking—there is no hesitation.

it creates an abrupt, decisive feeling in your work!

if your scene goes long enough, it can be important to put pauses in that rapid tempo in to create breathing room. a good use of that can be taking a paragraph to show your character thinking through their tactics or strategy, which can show they are approaching the situation intelligently rather than reactively (if that's what you're trying to convey)

if you DO want the character to come across as reactive, you can take a pause instead with them taking a hit and needing a moment to catch their breath and get up from it, talking about the sensations it induces and/or the decision to keep going

for physical fights specifically, i tend to visualize it in my mind as comic book panels

for example:

He’s so much faster than Lis would have thought given his size, and even as she tries to dodge out of his way, he’s grabbed her and tossed her back against the wall. Lis hits with her shoulder, hard, and stumbles, slightly dazed. He’s already brought a fist to her stomach though, and Lis doubles over, winded, gasping for breath. The man strikes her back, hard, and she crashes to the floor.

each sentence there was a "panel" to me, and i needed to briefly describe each to have the fight work as a sequence. visualizing them that way helps me keep the fight sequence moving fluidly and logically

in general with fight scenes, it's important to keep track of which limbs are currently where and make sure each action flows naturally into the next—in complete honestly, i find it mechanically very similar to writing sex scenes in that respect

it's also important to remember that action scenes are often just as much mental as physical. pay attention to your character's reactions and emotions and highlight them occasionally as you go, so that you don't lose the emotional heart of your story in an action scene that's not actually saying anything about the character

above all else, have fun with it! think of crazy scenarios and go wild. don't get intimidated out of writing something you don't know--god knows i have never fought a giant robot t-rex

that's what i've got for now, hope it helps!

[original-character-championship]

Bracket H Round 1

Poll 30

Guy & Pat (@blushingdread) vs. Chester (@animsay28)

507. Guy & Pat (@blushingdread)

He/They - She/Her        

Patricia Bee Lane is a girlie who got kidnapped, transported to a underground lab and immediately decided to break open the container labeled "Danger Do Not Release" bc she's young and wayyy too trusting. Luckily for her the person inside immediately decided she needed to be protected and took it upon themselves to start parenting her. Guy is the experimental amalgamation of multiple people and all of them saw this young girl who ran away because her parents were transphobic and thought "is anyone gonna parent that?" and didn't wait for an answer. Pat is Guy's sunshine child and anyone who attempts to kill her is going to be either eaten alive or a splatter on the wall (with!! Pat's eyes covered!! There is no need to scar her!!) Guy didn't have a name when he was first released and let Pat name him, Pat being a young child immediately named him Guy. Guy loves his silly daughter and would do anything for her. They are from a story that's horror based but not dark, so Pat runs around trying to befriend everything and Guy is aggressively keeping her alive. Guy tries their best to make sure that Pat is safe and comfortable while they're trying to survive and avoid being murdered to death because they are a good dad.

Please vote for number 1 horror creature dad and his  daughter who keeps trying to befriend the horrors, they are doing their best

Guy has dark grey skin, multiple eyes (many small ones on the right, one large one on the left), a shoulder mouth, a face mouth, and a very cute smile! (He's technically a kinda scary looking character, I hope that's ok) Pat is a young black girl who keeps her hair wrapped and always has a bright smile!! She mostly wears a overall dress!

508. Chester (@animsay28)

He/him

Chester is an alien who also happens to be a mad scientist. He’s  a pretty silly guy who loves talking about his work, but also has major mood changes and can suddenly switch from joyful to menacing. He’s also very clingy and loves touch, but always scares people away with his creepy vibes and no understanding of personal space.

Chester does not enjoy being made fun of or being called crazy. He’s very proud of his title as a scientist even though his practices are less than ethical and that he does not even own a doctor title. Chester has been working with a bunch of different superheroes and supervillains in the past and is quite capable of creating a strategy to bring a being down that might be more powerful than him. However, he recently had a shift in interests and is now researching the bond between author and character. Meaning he’s looking for people like you, dear reader. Don’t worry, he assures his subjects that they will all honored in the name of science. So, if you look for someone to finance your funeral: He will probably do it if you helped him out before.

Oh, why he should win? Because he’s my silly madman and part of my 4th wall breaking characters. Give him a chance!!

Chester can always be seen wearing futuristic clothes, most common a grey robe with orange markings and shoulder pads. Arms and legs are covered with tools, mostly having the color purple, dark blue and orange. The scientist always wears gloves whose palms are capable of creating heat that’s strong enough to melt metal. Most people recognize him by the sound of his footsteps from his metallic boots or the dark blue helmet with yellow visual he wears 24/7.

Because of his different anatomy, Chester can also sometimes be seen bending joints and bones in a way that should not be humanly possible.

No one knows how he really looks behind the helmet. Chester is also not allowed to remove the helmet in the presence of others since the appearance of his face causes people around him to experience extreme uncomfortness which can rise up to extreme fear, unconsciousness and lasting insomnia.

No one can describe Chester’s face as ones gaze always seems to unfocus as soon as you look at it.

[12thbiologist]

ok hello! :3 pocketbook sized annihilation anon again! so Obviously there are . um some discrepancies between the book and the movie and i've been really fascinated to hear your ideas on how it couldve been adapted better! now i Cant promise anything But! i'm receiving a camera for my birthday and im thinking an Annihilation mini web series could be obtainable and Incredibly fun to do! so could i ask you for more ideas on how to translate the book to videos (and how to possibly do the affects of Area X on a well Much Smaller budget)

this is open to anyone who sees this ask and has ideas btw!! gonna keep a running list on ideas so any and all opinions on how to do this best are welcome! thank you!

- 🪢 (gonna claim an emoji for myself if thats alright! since i might become a regular around here :3)

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST ENABLED IN ME OKAY. i have soo many ideas and even if you dont end up making anything it is so fun to think about regardless

incredible news about area x effects: there are none!!!! or at least, there doesnt have to be. the movie makes the border really really showy and fancy and prism-looking, but its actually inaccurate for the book's version of area x: the border is completely invisible! it just looks like a regular patch of swampy florida wilderness but you take a step too far and you're swept up into area x/the border. area x looks almost entirely just like a normal wilderness, save for certain things or animals feeling just slightly Too human. so thats good for low budget!!

the hardest things to adapt in area x are definitely the crawler and the tower, probably, and theyre not in the movie at all. unless you know where a giant staircase covered in green glowing stuff is, thats gonna be tough. your best bet is prooobably to try and find an empty spiral stairwell thats dark-ish and somehow get ambient green lighting in there and put lettering on the walls if you can find somewhere that will let you. the crawler is basically impossible to adapt to film in any good way outside of some crazy impressive cgi, but if i was shooting an annihilation adaptation i wouldnt even try to! instead of trying to get the crawler right, just focus on the individuals seeing it and let the viewer's imagination do the rest. like the shot in the movie where lena is staring into the alien blob and the light is reflecting in her eyes. the brightness is also hard, but not necessary to adapt visually since it is (mostly) an internal feeling of brightness

as for how to adapt specifically annihilation, thats kind of dependent on how you want to format the story. found footage would be cool and also quite easy to do, plus theres actual found footage from the expeditions so theres precedent + reference for how video gets fucky in area x!!! if it's a bit more of a linear story/a direct adaptation of the book, i absolutely recommend using a lot of nature imagery + nature stuff in the photography and obscuring the people as much as possible- especially the biologist!!! not sure how viable this is for a small project, but using reoccurring visual motifs would also be cool (like associating the biologist with circular/spiraly stuff, the husband with birds, area x with tall shapes, etc.)

also i am So down to try and help with like, concept art or storyboards (??) for this because it sounds so fun and i want an excuse to draw cool southern reach compositions

[staticl0ve]

HIIIIII STATIC I LOVE YOU SM!!!!!! FOR ASK THINGy THING: 3, 9, 16,18 AND a question I’ve got separate.

Whether for a one-shot or a multi chapter fic, what story of yours (if all were possible) would you like a sequel for? And why?

I LOVE YOU!!! ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

BABY GIRL. I love you. You’re amazing. You’re sunshine on a light breezy day: the warmth, the necessary vitamin d it provides, and the light the flowers all follow.

3) What fic of yours do you think is underrated?

If we’re talking hits…maybe Sunflower. I wrote it in less than 48 hours and it’s fairly short but I was inspired to write something for @dattebae before she started TMG. If anything: I wish I had spent more time building up the angst eheh.

For actual underrated cause I lowkey loved the premise: Baby, it’s Cold Outside. Connor as Vision and the reader as a Scarlet Witch type seemed like such a fun AU since there aren’t too many superhero AUs. I tend to write AUs since I get so tired of the cop coworker dynamic and there’s only so much sad homicide/drug cases I wanna explore in writing. As for this story: I really liked making Connor feel like Vision by channeling the awkward android from when canon when he meets Hank at the bar and finds him at the precinct.

9) Do you visualize scenes in your head before you write them? (Can you picture the setting, character body language etc)

Oh yeah! For sure. I’m a super visual person and it’s more I struggle with finding different ways to build a scene and I’ve been trying to picture the words as the lens of a camera. Like describing rain: how else can I say it’s raining? Is it water dripping down rooftops, puddles, cold piercing water droplets on skin or the sound of it? Things like car rides from The Pig and the Fox.

Streetlights passed by, distant orbs of gold stretching and fading across his cheekbones like falling stars over freckled constellations.

At this point I’m running out of ideas on how to describe lights on faces LMAO. I can see it in my head but it’s so different trying to find a way to say it that has some impact in the story. The chapter’s titled ‘Gravity’ there was a little paragraph about rocks trapped in orbit and how gravitational pulls would make it fall to Earth so I thought it was kinda nice to tie all these space themes together. (Also so cliche to call his freckles constellations but it’s also so fun.)

16) Do you have a method for getting characters to sound/feel in character?

I can always hear Sixty’s voice and that’s because it’s lowkey half of the shit I’d say that and it’s so easy to write a fumbling, idiot that’s funny.

Connor: when I first started writing, I’d listen to the movie cuts of the game cause I had no idea how to write him. Now: I try to hear his voice when I write a line and edit it to death if it doesn’t sound quite like him. He swears, he does use abbreviations but there is a formality to how he talks and it’s so hard balancing that.

Nines. Well. For the human AU: I pictured Henry Cavill’s characters LOL. Someone standoffish, cold, occasionally lets out a one liner that makes one do a double take and hot as hell. For android Nines: I try to make him arrogant and stubborn (in his mind: he’s always right). I know there’s fanon where he’s just this awkward, stiff, unfunny wall of a man and that’s definitely a valid approach but I find him more charming to have him experience: hot, perfect, white boy who’s never struggled a day in his life finally goes through the emotional wringer.

18) What's the most obscure thing you've researched for a fic?

For The Boy Next Door, or Nines’ story: You Drive Me Crazy, I had to look how what I thought would be frats for Harvard and learned they’re too fancy for that lmao! They have “finals clubs” and I actually looked into which one I thought Nines and Luther would join by reading on the list of the top most ones and Jfc this was all for TWO PARAGRAPHS of setup lmao. I felt so silly doing it but it made me happy to have that in there.

If you were curious: I picked Spee Club cause it seemed the most chill. But if I’m being honest: I judged them by the alumni LMAO. This one had the Kennedy’s and I figured: yeah that sounds like a good fit. But mostly the mascot is a bear and I felt in my heart that Luther would just be so amused by it.

21. Whether for a one-shot or a multi chapter fic, what story of yours (if all were possible would you like a sequel for? And why?

Dancing with the Devil. This one because I always wished I expanded more on the weird human only secret society the baddie made. I dunno if it’d be a sequel, but I wish I had written more for the story. The first chapter is SOOO short but it was the second fic I’d ever written and at the time 1kish words was enough for a chapter. I’d love to have lengthened the playful “enemies” to lovers so that there would have been more room for tension.

So not quite a sequel (although I do have a very sad/angsty one that I never wrote…) but a wish to rewrite it one day or maybe do a spin off.

[senuassaga]

Survival and Intensity in Senua’s Saga Hellblade II

Let’s dive into the real deal – the tech behind Senua’s Saga is seriously next-level. Those early trailers hyped us up, but seeing it on our Xbox and actually playing it? Mind-blowing. Ninja Theory aimed for that "triple A Indie" vibe, and Senua’s Saga totally proves they’re on that grind. Thanks to MetaHuman and Unreal Engine 5, Senua’s looking sharper than ever. Sometimes I was straight up fooled into thinking what I was seeing was real – the characters and environments are that crisp. Ninja Theory’s skills are on full display here. The environments are crazy detailed too, from big landscapes to tiny touches. Sunsets look epic, torchlight flickers add atmosphere – it’s all otherworldly. I’m not usually into photo modes, but I couldn’t resist snapping shots here. Plus, the lack of clutter on the screen? Refreshing. Except for Senua’s hip mirror for her special moves, it’s just you and the stunning visuals. But that’s all out there already (plus my screenshots). Thankfully, the gameplay’s on point too. You’ve got exploration, combat, and puzzles. Remember the puzzles in the first game? Kinda iffy. They’re back, but now they’re smoother to handle, just enough help to keep it flowing. There’s also new stuff, like shifting environments between realities – simple but smart. And the action-packed puzzles? Highlight reel material. Combat’s where it’s really at though. One-on-one fights are way more intense and just plain fun. They’ve nailed that vibe of surviving, not just winning. It’s like rock/paper/scissors, but with serious consequences.

Navigational Constraints in Hellblade II: Balancing Focus with Exploration

There’s a learning curve to mastering Senua’s and the enemies’ moves, but the combat is always gripping, while exploration, which can be a bit of a mixed bag, is complemented by options for purchasing PS5 games. The puzzles are cool, and the world is breathtaking, so moving through it isn’t a drag. Finding hidden totems adds to the lore, and there might be extra perks for collecting them all. But as gorgeous as it is, Senua’s Saga world is strictly linear. Invisible walls are everywhere, limiting where we can jump off a ledge, even if it looks like we should be able to. I get keeping the focus tight, but a bit more freedom to roam wouldn’t hurt. Right now, we’re mostly guided through fancy corridors, with occasional chances to break away for those totems.

Ninja Theory's Triumph: Elevating Xbox with Cutting-Edge Tech and Gripping Narrative

The story is obviously a huge deal in Senua’s Saga, and it totally nails it – no spoilers, but I was hooked the whole time. The cast’s performances are top-notch, and combined with the dope technical work, it’s a full package. Ninja Theory deserves props for tackling mental health issues head-on and breaking down stigmas. With headphones on (seriously, the best way), Senua’s inner voices really hit home, making her fears feel real. It gets you thinking about your own stuff too, which shows how Ninja Theory’s not just about atmosphere but also gameplay that’s on point. The only times I zoned out were during those slow walks where you’re just moving forward with maybe a sidekick or two. Some of these parts try to cram too much info without much action. Is that better than a long cutscene? Not sure, but even when I started to drift, I was still curious about where the story would go next. Luckily, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s overall package is so strong that those slow bits don’t really matter in the grand scheme. Xbox hit the jackpot adding Ninja Theory to their lineup – it’s a showcase of killer tech, solid gameplay, and a story that grabs you. They’ve set the bar high, and I’m eager to see where they go from here.

[gorematchala]

I've been playing a ton of shit and not talking about it but

Star Ocean 2nd Story (PS1) is already one of my favorite RPGs just like First Departure R was. I'm kinda leaning toward not liking Claude but its probably because I'm playing as Rena so I'm not getting his internal monologue. But based on his intro in the 2nd Story R demo and how he's acting about Dias I'm like youre kinda a dumbass huh. But not in the lovable heroic way Roddick was. But I think its fine if he kinda sucks, there's room for that

Umihara Kawase is another game that is like instantly on my favorites of all time list. I'm on stage 5 and I'm like okay top 3 SNES game. Could be top 1 but Hebereke and Star Ocean are on there too hehe. But its like a physics based grapple platformer and its so cool. I need to go look at the new one again even though its kinda uggy

I bought Mushihime-sama because I'm still trying to expand my shmup horizons but I haven't been on my Switch much because I'm playing Star Ocean 2 and Pokemon Ruby but from the 2 seconds I played it was really good

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days, I'm giving so much leniency because I want to like Xion and I wanna experience her story. So far I've only done the tutorial with Axel and its a DS game so I dont expect much from it in terms of performance or visuals or whatever, its fine. My problem and why I'm having to exercise patience is that the writing of that series is so frustrating. The idea of that game is flawed. The whole thing exists to make the organization seem lamer. Like the mysterious shadow guys that were a big threat in chain of memories and 2, those guys all get together for meetings where xemnas assigns them busy work and they groan and complain about it even though i always forget theyre supposed to be emotionless. Vexen doing the Nagatoro crazy eyes all the time doesnt come off as hollow to me. It just makes me mad because its like FF7 where it could be great but a man named Tetsuya Nomura was handed a pen and paper and now we're here. But I will do it for her

I played 20 minutes of Izuna Legend of the Unemployed Ninja and I basically did the intro and then died to the 3rd enemy in the first floor of the dungeon but that game shouldve been more popular. It's really good but unfortunately it released on the same system as Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Izuna sucks so bad I love her. The first thing she does is go to a shrine that says "this gem keeps the gods from being mad at us do not touch" and shes like hehehe all for meeee. Then the inn keeper is like I'm charging you 300x the rent till you fix this and shes like "we cant afford that, I will pay it... with my life" and she takes out a matchlock pistol and puts it to her head, and the inn lady is like yeah alright do it, and then you hear a click noise and Izuna is like damn out of bullets. I was like this is an insane way to introduce this character but shes my fail girl and we're gonna solve this curse together

The other fun thing has been playing Dark Souls 1 with my brother alongside his co-op playthrough of Smellden Ring with his partner, cuz DS1 is a good game and Smellden Ring is so bad that he has fully admitted I was right when i was bitching like a year ago or whatever. Cuz he took faith this time and now that theyve hit the wall of Mohg and Malenia hes like why the fuck is everything in this fucking game INT. And I'm like yeah dude, idk!!! But then like, we just did Sen's Fortress in DS1 and that place is so mean and fucked up but I was having a chill time just walking through all the traps and snake men and kicking my feets under the desk. DS1 is fully relaxing to me just like Bloodborne and most of DS3. Next time we play is O&S though so I'll get back 2 u on that statement

[bbyboybucket]

Thoughts on Multiverse of Madness (contains major spoilers!!!)

- I’ll start by saying over all, I liked it. It was fun, crazy, definitely visually stunning and captivating, it some insanely awesome scenes. It was very enjoyable. BUT I had some big issues with it.

- first, I feel like it was rushed in the beginning. Things went too fast and there was no build up, it was just kinda like “hey this is happening” and it was especially that way with Wanda’s villain arc and I’ll be talking about her first.

- literally it was so rushed and felt ooc because it was right off the bat. Her villainy and motivations originally felt very shallow. It was all so surface level and lacking for like the first half of the movie. Once again, she felt so out of character to me, like it wasn’t even the same character I know and love.

- I will say though that it was FUCKING AWESOME to see what she was capable of. I lived for seeing her power be so great and loved that the movie gradually continued to show us more of her ability. Seriously, the further in we got, the more awesome she was.

- also will say that I liked it being pretty comics book accurate.

- however, I really just don’t understand why they chose this story line for her. It was so unnecessary and undid every bit of character development in Wandavision. It would have been better if there was some kind of build up to her realizing what she could have from America’s powers and she’d slowly getting more corrupt. But she went villainous off screen and it was shown within the first few minutes of the movie. I didn’t expect it to happen so quick. And I understand the whole thing of her being corrupted by the dark hold, but that just felt like a cop out. An easy way to justify making her like this when there was potential for real depth and dimension here.

- also gotta say I LOVED HER BREAKING THE 4TH WALL

- but, towards the end, there were some real good character moments for Wanda. The line of“I wouldn’t ever hurt you, I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I’m not a monster.” hit so hard. And just that whole scene in general. It made me feel so much, and honestly it was super in character and very well done. I loved it.

- but I’ve gotta say I’m kinda surprised they didn’t make Vision a more important point here. I know she let him go in WV but if they were gonna undo most of that development anyways, why would she not care more about him. Like really, if she’s going to a new reality where her kids exist, why would she not go to one where she has her kids AND vision. It doesn’t make sense and that would be infinitely more in character.

- I also don’t think she’s dead. There’s no way in hell she is. 1. If she actually was, it’d be much more emotional, especially since she’s such a well liked and huge character. It has almost no emotion to it, even less than previous mcu “death” scenes where the character turns up later (ie. Bucky, Loki, etc.) 2. They wouldn’t kill off one of their most popular and most profitable characters, especially not in her prime time. This is Wanda’s golden area, the hype is all hers, she’s pulling in awards, she’s getting tons of talk. She’s too valuable for the mcu to lose.

- now, I do like what they did with strange here. I feel like they have him a lot more depth and made him much more likable than before. Not that he was unlikeable, but more so you feel more connected to him after this movie, like you got to know him.

- I love that they took his worst traits and exaggerated them in his variants. Why? Because it’s very interesting to see this cool, all powerful superhero, humbled and not be portrayed as perfect by the narrative.

- But even more than that, it shows that you don’t have to be perfect to be good. It’s all about what you chose and how you try to be, and owning up to your mistakes. Because even though the other Stranges weren’t so great, our Strange made the right choice and did the right thing over and over again. He tried to be the best he could and proved everyone who doubted him for his flaws, completely wrong.

- I also liked seeing the more emotional side of him. I liked seeing have so much love for Christine, but putting hers and everyone else’s best interest above his deepest desire.

- I also really really loved the father-daughter like thing he had going on with America. Some may see it as more of just a mentorship or something, but I definitely feel that parent relationship and I could feel that he really cared for her. It reminds me of Tony and Peter, but 10x better.

- I have mixed feelings on the reveal of Donna. Idk. I do like the insight it gave us into his character. But I feel that it was dropped to quickly and it was a shame it wasn’t explored just a bit more. It almost felt random and irrelevant. Like yes, I do get the thing of them both saying “we don’t talk about that.” and it showing how much Strange bottles up inside (kinda a small theme in this movie, hm?). I like that and I felt so bad for him when he said “I couldn’t protect her.” But also I just wish there was more of a pay off to it, I just wish it didn’t feel so misplaced because it could’ve had more impact.

- also liked the growth of his magic in this, he had quite a few new tricks up his sleeve.

- I’m very curious about what the screaming was at the end. Also wondering about the end credits, when he suddenly was fine? Was that a time jump, different Strange? Also curious to see where his character is going from here and how it’s going to play into the bigger part of the phases 4 and 5 of the mcu.

- also super cool that we have a new character introduced that I’d never heard of till today and I wonder what role Clea is gonna play from here on out.

- speaking of new characters, I fucking loved America. Like love love love love loved that girl. God she was such a little sweetheart. Her powers are awesome for one, but who she is is awesome too.

- I think she had great development in this movie, I loved that they made her not be able to control her powers. Is it a bit cliche? Maybe, but they made it work so fucking well. I felt for her, because she couldn’t help any of this, she was just a young and innocent girl who was scared but tried to be brave anyways.

- my heart hurt for her when she said she killed her parents. imagine, growing up with that heavy of guilt and fear of your own capabilities. That poor bby. 💔

- but once again, loved the relationship she built with Strange. I also love how as time went on, he helped her have more faith in herself and really gave her that needed boost of confidence. But fuck, I also felt terrible when she was going to sacrifice herself. She’s such a sweet kid omfg.

- also, I love love love love that she had the idea to show Wanda the horror of what she actually wanted. America sat up that powerful moment. Her badass fighting scene was followed up seamlessly with one so emotional.

- also love her spunk, and sass, and she was so cute trying to learn other magic and in her robes. I’m so excited to see more of her in the future.

- I was so worried about the cameos in this movie. Like going in, I was anxious that the movie would be relying too heavily on them….but I was wrong. It was very well done.

- first, I loved seeing John Krasinski as Reed Richards. I LOVED IT!!!! Like literally he was so perfect for that role and it was just fucking great. Perfect in all senses. (Also very sexy)

- Maria was a bad bitch, being the one to survive longest and gave Wanda a run for her money.

- I have mixed feelings about Captain Carter. I originally was not excited about her being in it because of the fact that she was such a huge role in “What If?” And I didn’t want a repeat of that. But I truthfully didn’t mind her too much in this.

- however, I fucking HATED!!!! AND I MEAN HATED!!!!! The fact that she said “i can do this all day.” No. No. No. No. No. I will not accept that. I’m not even a big Steve stan, but that is his and only his to say and they should not have made her rip it off and take away the value. Steve says that iconic line so many times because he was a disable bullied kid, showing his bravery and putting up with hell to stand for what he believed in. Peggy Carter was not that. She’s not the same.

- also I just don’t even really understand why she was a part of the Illuminati in the first place because she is way less powerful compared to all the other characters that surrounded her. Also don’t understand how she didn’t die sooner. I feel like they just wanted to give her as much screen time as possible here but I don’t feel like she should’ve been an Illuminati member at all because realistically, there’s nothing that special about her to be in such a position. I didn’t mind her, but it would’ve been better to see a different character, especially since we already got our fill of Captain Carter in “What If?” and I feel like the more she pops up, the more it undermines Sam.

- anyways, continuing on, the scene where Professor X enters Wanda’s mind has to be one of the coolest fucking scenes in the entire mcu. It’s one of my new favorites.

- the visuals in this movie were just so good omg.

- also liked the further explanations of the dark hold and the souls of the damned. That was cool as was the antithesis, the book of Vishanti. Once again, the magic in this movie was amazing across the board.

- The cinematography was amazing too by the way. Not just the CGI but the way things were shot, the way it felt almost like a horror movie at some points, the way it was just so pleasing to the eye the entire time. I loved that.

- also i was kinda expecting Mephisto to appear at some point. I never have taken that seriously before but for the first time I actually wondered if he’d appear because of how much talk about the dark hold, the forging of the scarlet witch, etc.

- also was kinda thinking Shang-Chi was gonna make a cameo and Loki too but neither happened.

- last thing I can think of right now, is that I kinda wish we would’ve gotten another post-credits scene that had more connection to what’s coming up in the mcu. Bc that short little one about just what’s next for Strange, isn’t enough for me 😩. I fr was hoping for something new to freak out about.

That’s all.

[swimmingleo]

hi! some time ago I was thinking about the wall album by pink floyd, which is quite conceptual and follows one certain narrative and represents the whole picture, like, especially if you listen it from top to bottom at once.

so I entertained the idea: if harry or louis are to release such a conceptual album, what theme it will be? what story they would like to tell?

what are your thoughts? 🌞

hellooo!! I love this question okok

ok for Harry, I would be thrilled to see him doing something completely out of the box and experimental, like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, or even seemingly stupid like some Frank Zappa tomfoolery. Something about rock culture, batshit crazy and sarcastic. I want to be standing there after the first listen like god damn Harry you really snapped. Grotesque sex scenes if he feels like it (het or not, idc, I want all of us to be confused.). Maybe a whole phase would be underwater?? Kiwi's level of confusion, both song and MV, but expand it to a whole album. Lots of noises, cryptic dialogues, puns, borderline cheap. Basically, I'd be living for Harry to make us all wonder ''is the album speaking of him or is it all about some conceptual character?'' Just so no one can make up any narrative about the person he is for once lol

For Louis, I could see something more classic, with a clean production, a story that happens on the span of one single night: like a night out with friends where he experiences fun, petty crimes and realizations about his life (the way he often does with Miss You, Change, KMM & Perfect Now, etc). and aND AND there's a phase where he's on his own, and bam he breaks in a big massive emotional rock ballad and then he goes back home, and the sun is rising cuz it's early morning but our sun is going to sleep as a better man, aww. The mood would be him navigating that good late 20s spleen or smth. For the visuals I think of Quadrophenia by The Who for the whole disenchanted mods youth:

ughnnnrgh

also maybe that's just me but. Louis going down the Black Parade road?? Wow.

[bryte-eyed-athena]

Afrofuturism in the work of Janelle Monáe

Ashley Clarke, a curator for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, defined Afrofuturism as “the centering of the international black experience in alternate and imagined realities, whether fiction or documentary; past or present; science fiction or straight drama.”

Themes of Afrofuturism can be found throughout the works of Janelle Monáe. Her previous albums like The ArchAndroid and The Electric Lady showcase this through the exploration of androids as a new “other.” Today I want to talk about one of her most recent projects, Dirty Computer, and the way it contributes to the conversation on Afrofuturism. Janelle Monáe released Dirty Computer as an album and a 48 minute long Emotion Picture to draw her audience into a visual and auditory world of her own making. The dystopian future she presents to us is very similar to our own current reality, except that the voices being amplified are those that have historically been silenced. People of color and the LGBT+ community are central in this story rather than pushed off screen. Dirty Computer is so powerful because it focuses on joyful rebellion, love, and freedom in an oppressive dystopian setting.

The project, as Monáe has shared, can be split into three parts: Reckoning, Celebration, and Reclamation.

Part I: Reckoning

gif credit: scificinema

gif credit: scificinema

The Emotion Picture begins with Monáe’s character Jane 57821 laying out how her society has begun to capture people deemed dirty in order to “clean” them of their supposed filth against their will. This is meant to produce beings that are stripped of all individuality and ready to conform to societal norms and expectations. Jane tells the audience that, “You were dirty if you looked different, you were dirty if you refused to live the way they dictated, you were dirty if you showed any form of opposition at all. And if you were dirty it was only a matter of time.” The dichotomy between dirty and clean has created a system where an entire class of people can be demonized and oppressed. This foreboding tone at the beginning prepares the viewer for the grim implications of the cleaning process in this universe.

Dirty Computers are strapped to a table and forced to undergo the “Nevermind” which is a program that deletes memories. It is a process that is horrifying because of what it symbolizes to the individual and entire communities of people. To erase someone’s memories is to erase who a person is. The character of Mary Apple 53, Jane’s love interest, shows us just how alien a person can become once their memories are gone. The horror of erasure is also something that marginalized communities have faced for centuries and continue to face today.

In an interview on Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe said “I felt a deeper responsibility to telling my story before it was erased. I think that there’s an erasure - of us, and if we don’t tell our stories they won’t get told. If we don’t show us we won’t get shown.” Afrofuturism is a response to this erasure of black people and people of color in culture, history, and art. Monáe has made a deliberate choice to tell her story even if it might get erased because if she doesn’t do it then no one else will. Remaining silent would be to assist in that erasure and Afrofuturism is all about refusing to be erased.

This first part of the Emotion Picture is all a reckoning with the Dirty Computers and how they are pushed to the margins. The lyrics in Crazy, Classic, Life speak about how the same mistake made by two people on different ends of the spectrum of social acceptability is punished unequally. Take A Byte follows it with a more upbeat tone, but even then the lyric “I’m not the kind of girl you take home to your mama” speaks to a feeling of being outside social norms.

There are moments of light and joy that are counterweights to the dire situation Jane is in. These come in the form of her memories which are played one final time before they are erased. Jane’s life before she was captured was filled with exploration, youth, love and celebration.

Part II: Celebration

Gif credit: normreedus

Gif credit: daisyjazzridley

Gif credit: nerd4music

Dirty Computers seem to recognize that they are living on borrowed time and that any day could be the day they are forcefully disappeared. This is why they fill each moment with as much fun, life, color, and joy as they can. There are many scenes at clandestine parties where Dirty Computers live freely and openly despite the threat of drones or police that could capture them at any moment. It is important to have these scenes of celebration though because Afrofuturism is also about providing hope.

The future must be a hopeful one if we are to strive for it and Afrofuturism allows us to be creative in crafting our visions of a hopeful future. Even though Monáe’s future is dystopian, there is still room for hope and joy because those are the things that make life worth living. These Dirty Computers have to live their lives joyfully because they don’t know when they’ll be sterilized.

In the interview mentioned previously, Monáe added that “I had to make a decision with who I was comfortable pissing off and who I wanted to celebrate. And I chose who I wanted to celebrate, and that was the Dirty Computers.” The LGBT+ community, people of color, black women, immigrants, and low income people have all been mentioned as people Monáe wished to celebrate. This celebration comes intertwined with images and themes of rebellion as expressed in Jane’s memories. Screwed, Django Jane, Pynk, Make me Feel, and I Like That are the songs that embody celebration the best. Whether it's a celebration of sexuality, femininity, unity, or of self love it is all encompassed in these songs. Jane is shown connecting with others and being unapologetically proud of herself. We also see her falling in love with two people, Zen and Ché, and we see them love her in return.

Gif credit: thelovelylights

Viewing these memories and interacting with Jane seems to encourage the questioning of authority. The employee utilizing the Nevermind process seems to question why he should be deleting Jane’s memories at all. Mary Apple 53, previously named Zen, also directly questions their matriarch after speaking with Jane and realizing that she’s connected to her. It all culminates in a nonviolent escape attempt where Jane, Zen, and Ché reclaim their names, bodies, and their lives.

Part III: Reclamation

Gif credit: thelovelylights

The Emotion Picture ends with Jane 57821 and Mary Apple 53 freeing themselves, and their recently arrived lover Ché, from the facility. They escape without harming others the way they themselves have been harmed. By leaving they are reclaiming their freedom and their right to be proud of being Dirty Computers. They refuse the new names that were forced upon them and leave to rediscover the memories of the life they lived before capture.

It is a hopeful ending that plays into the themes of Afrofuturism. Even though both Jane and Zen’s memories were erased they still have the ability to create new memories and stories. Their ability to recreate their past as well as create a new future was not taken away. As they escape the song Americans can be heard in the background. The lyrics subvert the typical American patriotism expressed by racist white southerners. The trope of preserving gender roles and being a gun carrying american are satirized in these lyrics. America as a whole is being reclaimed by Janelle as a place for the people who have been marginalized.

Janelle sings “Don’t try to take my country/ I will defend my land/ I’m not crazy baby/ nah I’m American.” This sentiment is typically espoused by xenophobic americans, but when it is sung by Janelle she is saying that she won’t be forced out of America due to the bigoted beliefs of the people who hate her. She also pleads for the listener to love her for who she is which is something that has been denied to black women for centuries. The song ends with a powerful message of reclaiming America by Rev. Dr. Sean McMillan who said “Until Latinos and Latinas don't have to run from walls/ This is not my America/ But I tell you today that the devil is a liar/ Because it's gon' be my America before it's all over.”

This also shows themes of Afrofuturism since Monáe is reclaiming her history and is refusing to be excluded from it. She is asserting her presence and that of all the Dirty Computers by saying that they too have a claim to America. The Emotion Picture and the album are both a masterpiece of Afrofuturism art and music. Monáe masterfully weaves various musical genres and visual storytelling to show her pride in being a black queer woman. There is no other artist like Janelle Monáe, and I am excited to see what new worlds she will take us to next.

[pandaponderart]

Underrated Anime Part 1:

Hello my fellow Weebs, I’m back for some more Anime blogging, this time to talk about so not so well known ones. Some that have got forgotten with time, some that new Anime fans have maybe never heard of and the ones that I feel deserve more love and recognition. I’ve been watching Anime for about 13 years so I’ve seen a lot so this will be in at least 3 parts, so hopefully you like this and look forward to more. Til then enjoy, hope you can find some new anime you’ve never heard of thanks for reading and look forward to part 2!.

1. Azumanga Daioh(2002)

Starting off with an older Anime, and one of the best and earlier comedy, slice of life Anime that paved the way for a lot of other Anime in the same genre like Nichijou and Daily Lives of High School Boys. Off the wall and highly unrealistic, this comedy is completely over the top in the best way possible. it’s old but gold and should be crowned as one of the best comedy Anime to exist.

With the most lovable cast, you have Chiyo the 5th grader who is so crazy smart she gets placed in a high school class, then there’s Osaka, who’a real name is Ayumu Kasuga who’s named that because she‘s from Osaka. Osaka isn’t the smartest and neither is her other classmate Tomo Takino who will do anything to avoid studying. Then to balance out the cast is Koyomi Mizuhara aka Yomi, the smart one who keeps everyone in line and Kagura the sporty one. Then of course can’t forget to mention the teachers Yukari Sensei who is anything but the normal responsible teacher and to balance her out Minamo Sensei the responsible one. There’s no real plot with Azumanga Daioh but there’s not meant to be it’s just an over the top comedy slice of life, with moments that will make you laugh from your gut. It’s all about the characters and the ridiculous situations their put in and each one is a lovable idiot that really drives the show. Give this one a shot if you want a show that will put a big smile on your face the whole way through.

2. Eden of The East (2009)

Another older Anime, not everything on this list will be older Anime but there’s so many good ones like this!. Eden of The East is an action, mystery with elements of romance with one of the most unique stories I’ve seen in Anime. It’s a short watch being only eleven episodes with two movies following after which I recommend watching because they continue the story. I’m really surprised not more people know or talk about this show but it need to be talked about more!.

With one of the funniest and most bizarre starts to an Anime, our lead charcter Saki is on a trip to Washington D.C, when she gets in trouble for throwing a coin in the White House’s fountain she’s saved by a naked man who claims to be a terrorist. Not only is this mysterious man naked and claims to be a terrorist, he also has amnesia and is carrying a phone with 8.2 million dollars. Saki befriends this strange man and throughout the story they try to uncover more of his past, his involvment in an incident called careless monday and a dangerous death game with other players. They must also spend all of the money as instucted by the mysterious voice in the phone Juiz as well as try to save the world.

3. R.O.D The TV( 2003)

Ok I know I said this list wouldn’t only be older Anime but I guess the older Anime just has my heart and this one has a special place in mine. One of my all time favorites and one of the earliest Anime I saw and it still holds up to me til this day. It is hands down probably the most underrated show on this entire list and if you only watch one of these Anime please make it this one. The story is completely original, the characters are complex and endearing, there’s action, heartwarming moments, comedy and mystery, I wish there was more Anime like it, it deserves to be a classic.

It‘s a one of a kind show about the paper sisters Michelle, the oldest bubbly bookworm, Maggie the seemingly intimidating quiet giant. Then you have the youngest sister Anita who unlike her sisters hates books, she’s a bit rough around the edges but loves her sisters. Although they aren’t actually sisters they have a detective agency to help find lost books to help pay for rent while also doing odd jobs like being body guards. Their first assignment is to protect the author, Nenene Sumiragawa who is being threatened to be killed at her book signing. The paper sisters aren’t called that just because of their love of books, they can turn paper into weapons and whatever else they please, but each having their speciality. Nenene finds out they‘re paper sisters just like her friend who ‘s missing, Yomiko Readman and asks them for help finding her. They try to help Nenene find her friend, while solving other cases and saving the world with the power of paper.

4. Baccano(2007)

Probably the most well known but also I think one of the most under appreciated Anime, from Durarara’s creator, Baccano. I feel like most newer Anime fans won’t know this one and although it’s a beloved series by many, I still feel it’s underrated. Also another bias opinion shocker, it’s one of my absolute favorites but that’s why it’s here. It’s once again a shorter anime with only 13 episodes but it somehow manages to combine all of the storylines cohesively, it’s a wild ride full of mystery, murder, and magic that will keep you on board the entire time trying to piece everything together. Also warning it jumps around a lot so make sure to pay attention everything pieces together!.

Based in the 1930’s in the prohibition era you have several stories involving different characters going on but they‘re all connected to one thing the transcontinental train, the flying pussyfoot. Yes that’s actually the name of the train, why, still no idea but all these characters from different walks of life end up here somehow. Now to introduce some of these crazy characters, first off the goofy thieves in love Isaac and Miria, who aren’t the brightest but can steal just about anything. Lad Russo the sadistic hit man who loves to see people die, including fantasizing about killing his fiancé one day. Then you have the ones involved in gangs, all In different ones, but nonetheless involved in some sort of crime. First there’s Firo, the youngest of the Martello family and one of the immortals in the show, then there’s Jacuzzi Splot and his partner Nice, Jacuzzi is a big wimp and crybaby but will protect his loved ones with all he’s got and Nice is a bomb expert and his childhood food. Those are some of the main characters it’s such a large cast it’s hard to name and explain them all. This one is a must watch especially if you liked Durarara, jump on the hype train of this wild show.

5. Black Cat (2005)

Now quick disclaimer before I begin talking about this one, I haven’t watched this in years so it may not hold up as well as I’m remembering but when I watched it I really enjoyed it so that’s why it’s here. This was one of the earlier Anime I watched I’m pretty sure my friend showed me it but it caught my interest from the beginning. It’s not the most groundbreaking show to exist and I’ve heard that the manga is apparently better but that’s for almost every show. It’s got cool action, funny moments and a great cast of characters, plus not gonna lie I had a crush on train when I was younger. its just a fun show and definitely worth giving a watch!

Train Heartnett is an infamous cold blooded assassin who works for the organization Chronos, and because of his lack of empathy for killing he’s named Black Cat. But after a chance encounter with a bou hunter named Saya Minatsuki, they become friends and Train decided he wants to leave Chronos to pursue an honest living as a bounty Hunter. However chronos and particular his fellow member Creed Diskenth are not pleased with this and try to get Train to rejoin Chronos. Along the way Train teams up with fellow bounty hunter on the brink of broke Sven, the bio mech weapon and little girl Eve and master thief and seductress Rinslet Walker. Together they try to escape from Chronos and get enough money for their next .

6. Arakawa Under The Bridge(2010)

Where do I begin with this one first off, this is one of the weirdest Anime I’ve ever seen but just like Azumanga Daioh that’s what make it so good. Beautifully animated by Studio Shaft with some of the most colorful and visually appealing animation I’ve seen, it’s pure eye candy. it’s equally as strange as it is hilarious and it’s just a fun time that’s not meant to be taken seriously. So if you want a good laugh and something thats truly one of a kind in story and characters give this crazy show a shot.

The show begins with one of our main characters Kou Ichinomiya getting stuck by his underwear on a bridge by some kids, he falls into the river and is saved by a mysterious girl. Kou is the son of a wealthy businessman and his life motto is to not be indebted to anyone, so when he’s saved by this girl he asks what he can do. He finds out that her name is Nino and what she wants is to fall in love, so she asks Kou to be her boyfriend. At first Nino seems like a regular girl but she claims to be an alien from Venus and lives in a box under the bridge, not wanting to be in debt Kou agrees and begins living under the bridge with Nino. However Nino isn’t the only one who lives under the bridge there are many other strange characters like hoshi, the aspiring musician who wears a star on his head, and the captain who’s a human in a kappa suit. I highly suggest watching this strange sci-fi romantic comedy for something different and fun to watch.

7. 91 Days (2016)

The newest Anime on this list so far, see I told you it wouldn’t be only old ones!, this is also the darkest Anime on this list so far. This has been highly overlooked since it’s release in 2016, it reminds me of baccano and in parts like death note. If you like mafia movies or just a dark gritty story with some light hearted moments, it s short show but nothing is rushed and it’s solid from front to back and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Just like Baccano, 91 Days takes place in the prohibition era in a town called Lawless where crime is rampant and illegal alcohol sales are thriving. In this town our protagonist Aviicio‘s family is killed by one of the mafia families, The Vanetti Family. He receives a mysterious anonymous letter telling him to return to lawless to infiltrate The Vanetti Family. He tries to befriend the families son Nero, to find an opportunity for revenge, the story keep you constantly guessing if they’ve truly become friends or if he’ll kill him. Please watch this wonderful mafia crime drama of friend vs foe.

8. Yamada Kun and The Seven Witches (2015)

This is one of the ones that I still really want to read the manga for because I just couldn’t get enough of it! i’m still hoping for a sequel one day! The premise of body swapping has been done many times in Anime and cinema as a whole but this one adds a unique enough of a twist to keep it fresh and interesting. I looked forward to watching this weekly each week meeting a learning about each new witch and learning what power they had.

Ryuu Yamada is a high school delinquent who wants a fresh start at a new school, despite the intention to start with a clean slate he soon falls into old habits of laziness and getting into fights. One day he trips on the stairs which leads to an accidental kiss with fellow student Urarara Shiraishi which causes them to switch bodies. Another student Toranosuke Miyamura learns that they can switch bodies and recruits them to his Supernatural Studies club. There they learn about the other seven witches that all have different powers

9. Arslan Senki (2015-2016)

The second to last of the list comes from the creator of my all time favorite Anime Fullmetal Alchemist, while it’s a very different series and not quite as good as FMA it’s still deserves a spot on this list and deserves your time. It’s hard not to compare it to FMA but it really is it’s own thing, and it actually came out before Fullmetal, it’s a historical drama about war and strategy and a character growing into his potential. Just as Hiromu Arakawa is known for there’s still some comedic moments and some great character development and a well done story, Plus if you like this there’s two seasons so there more to enjoy.

Ok I promise from this point forward I won‘t say anything more about Fullmetal Alchemist this is about Arslan Senki, here’s the story. In the year 320 the Kingdom of Pars is at war with the neighboring kingdom Lusitania. Pars is ruled by the ruthless king Andrangoras III who has a son who’s the complete opposite of him Arslan. Although he doesn’t know how to fight Arslan tries to prove his worth by joining the battle, but things take a turn for the worst when one of the kings officials betrays him. The once prosperous Kingdom of Pars is seized, and since Arslan is the kings son he must flee to avoid capture. So he sets off with his loyal bodyguard Daryun to find allies to help take back the kingdom. Knowing that Arslan is still alive he is still faced with pursuers from other kingdoms and the head of the Lusitania army, a mysterious man with a silver mask who knows a secret that could jeopardize Arslan‘s succession to the throne. Arslan is a gentle, kind person that doesn’t enjoy fighting, he must learn to fight and protect himself and gain the courage to lead an army to regain his home.

10. Shingeki No Bahamut: Genesis (Rage of Bahamut) (2014)

Leaving one of the best for last, not to be confused with the popular series with a similar name Shingeki no Kyojin(Attack on Titan) this show is just as good. One of the first shows from one of my favorite Anime studios, Studio Mappa. I had low expectations when I heard this was a card game adaptation from a new anime studio but I decided to check it out despite that and it was the best decision. This has all the elements of a great anime, the beautiful animation, the unique characters and the compelling story and all the cool action scenes are just a plus. There is a second season too but I’ll leave that for another time, ok time to stop gushing about this wonderful show, time for the story!.

Years and years ago the ancient powerful dragon Bahamut reeked havoc on Mistarcia, a land where gods and demons lived harmoniously with humans. The gods and demons manage to seal away Bahamut with the god key and agree to split it to keep him sealed. Now that the the peace has been restored we meet the main characters and one of my favorites the orange Afro haired bounty hunters Favaro Leone. Favaro is constantly on the run from his adversary and fellow bounty hunter Kaiser Lidfard who‘s main purpose in life is to get revenge on him. One day both of their lives are thrown into chaos when they meet the mysterious girl Amira who holds half of the god key sealing Bahamut and wants help reaching the land of Helheim. I also can’t forget to mention my other favorite character and the fourth member of this unlikely crew Rita the zombie necromancer little girl she is just the definition of cool. Then there’s the characters that want to steal the god key the demon Azazel and the knight Jean D’Arc who are constantly in the characters way but you’ll find out more about them in the show. These unlikely heroes must face the threat of the battle of gods and demons, the pursuers of the god key and incoming threat of Bahamut awakening.

[isaacthedruid]

Please allow me to tell you about one of my favourite cartoons through this informal essay I did for school a couple of months back. 

Gravity Falls and How it Did The Unimaginable

**SPOILERS... KINDA**

The 2010s saw the creation of some of the most iconic animated tv shows ever made, the likes of Adventure Time (2010), Steven Universe (2013), Over the Garden Wall (2014) and The Legend of Korra (2012). To explain why this era’s shows are so admirable is honestly rather difficult. Yet, there are many factors that can be taken into consideration when looking for an answer.

The past decade was very successful in perfecting their craft and utilizing the animated format to their favour, creating some of the wackiest and fascinating cartoons ever made. With the advancements made in both 2D and 3D animation for film, this bled into the world of TV as well.

To mention that 2010s cartoons have stunning visuals would be an understatement. Everything about the animation was beautiful; the strong colour palettes, the clean and imaginative character designs, the colourful and immersive backgrounds and especially the mesmerizing worlds that can be found within episodes that are half an hour.

This era’s cartoons also led to a massive shift in storytelling, writing longer-running stories that spread out across seasons while also swapping out episodic adventures for serialization. This heavily aided in the popularization of these shows, due to the rise of internet fandoms and dropping the taboo that cartoons were only for kids. Many shows acknowledged their older viewers by leaving clues and even puzzles to be solved by the theorists who have a large appearance on social media platforms like Reddit, Twitter and Tumblr. As the shows progressed, their fandoms created many theories for what they believed might happen within their favourite series. The top three shows from this era all utilized these changes, being at the forefront of the shift and helping guide the creative vision of 2010s cartoons.

Often regarded as many people’s favourite cartoon, Gravity Falls presented one of the best mysteries of the decade with two seasons and only 40 episodes. Inspired by Twin Peaks and The X-Files, it’s considered as the kids’ version of these two iconic shows as this cartoon acts as many people’s first introduction to horror through bright colours and fun characters.

This series follows the adventures of Dipper and Mabel Pines, twins, who are sent to spend their summer with their great-uncle or Grunkle Stan in Gravity Falls, Oregon. This town is full of oddities like supernatural creatures, insane and eccentric inhabitants, and many puzzles. The Pines twins must adjust to the weirdness while uncovering the mysteries and protecting their new town.

While living in Gravity Falls, the twins are forced to work in the Mystery Shack, a tourist trap created by their Grunkle Stan that overcharges unlucky tourists, teaching about fake monsters despite there being real creatures all over town. On his first day in Oregon, Dipper accidentally came across a mysterious journal written by an unknown author that explains all the oddities to be found in this strange town. This book acts like an encyclopedic of the Weird for Dipper, an inquisitive 12-year-old kid who seeks answers.

Dipper is an extremely intelligent kid, his brain being far more developed than his body. He’s rather awkward and self-conscious as he often stumbles over his words or gets embarrassed trying to talk to girls. Despite this, the boy is an adventurer at heart who just wants to grow up and skip his upcoming teenage years.

While Mabel is quite the opposite in many ways, she is loud and has an in-your-face personality. Mabel is bouncy and fun, she is so excited to start high school. She is easily excitable and for the larger part of the series, she is in her boy-crazy phase. Mabel is a girly-girl as she likes all things; glitter, unicorns, rainbows, partying and crafting. Yet, she doesn’t often compare well with many of the other girls in town, they see her as weird and “too much”.

(In all fairness through, it is not too kind to either of the characters as their personalities are more complex than just awkward nerd and artsy girl-girly.)

Dipper and Mabel’s personalities are very different but somehow, they—along with their Gravity Falls family—manage to solve mysteries and save the town, multiple times.

Gravity Falls is an honestly genius series that completely changed the way cartoons were made. Originally when writing a series, you’d create a base of your story; characters, the universe and a basic plot. Yet, when creator, Alex Hirsch (who was in his early/mid-20)s and his small team first began constructing their show, they planned out everything they could possibly think of for the first season. Additionally, outlining some answers for their biggest mysteries that would be answered at the end of the series.

Despite being rated TV-Y7, this series really pushed the boundaries of kids’ television. From the teeth being ripped out of a deer’s mouth by a demon, rearranging the functions of every hole on a man’s face to an aggressive pop-rock sock puppet show that ended in a dramatic slow-motion scene of the puppets burning. Gravity Falls wasn’t afraid to get a little weird or creepy. Or create some genuine nightmare fuel. 

From the beginning, Gravity Falls had built a mystery into its series, hiding secrets and clues all throughout the show. Most notably were the backwards-recorded message and cryptograms, using roughly nine different kinds, even creating two of their own.

The inclusion of cyphers and mysteries for fans to solve is possibly the reason why this series was so successful. As one of the first shows to do something like this, Gravity Falls used social media and internet fandoms to its advantage.

As mentioned earlier, cartoon fans have quite a presence on social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr. They create theories and share fun ideas about their favourite shows. Viewers of Adventure Time, Gravity Falls and Steven Universe were all included in their share of theory fun.

Sometimes, fan theories end up being correct but when you’re Gravity Falls creator, Alex Hirsch, you don’t just watch from the sidelines as your viewers figure out the biggest mystery of your show. No, you create a hoax to get your viewers off your trail and that is what he did. Around 2013, only halfway through the first season of the show, viewers had started to follow the clues, theorizing who was the author is Dipper’s mysterious journal.

Unfortunately for the Gravity Falls production crew, the viewers were right— for the sake of readers who have never seen the show, I will not mention who the author was as it would be the biggest spoiler.

In 2013, a supposed leaked image of a tv showing a younger version of the show’s crazy old man character, Old Man McGucket, writing in the infamous journal was uploaded anonymously (by Alex Hirsch) to 4Chan.

Despite the image only being on up for a few hours, it spread like wildfire. Much to the team’s success, theorists stopped searching for the answer to “who is the author” and just accepted the image of McGucket as the truth.

To further push the fake-out, three words were posted to Alex’s Twitter, “fuming right now.”

The tweet was deleted a few minutes later and fans genuinely believed that someone from the Gravity Falls team had leaked the most important part of the story.

While doing research, I came across a Reddit post from April 10th, 2013, the day after ‘leak,’ Alex’s tweet was uploaded. In this post, user, TheoDW uploaded an image of Alex’s tweet with the caption, “It seems that Hirsch got mad at last night’s leak. He already deleted this tweet.”

Seeing the reactions of these Redditors in 2013 is kind of weird and crazy to look at. “He has every right to be upset. Someone internally released a plot revealing screen shot of series breaking spoiler information,” a deleted Reddit account commented.

“This is Alex Hirsch’s biggest success by far, he spent a huge amount of time carefully planning out the series, and then in a moment someone releases a major spoiler. It would make anyone upset,” the user, Time_Loop commented.

“Seriously, this is a nightmare for a storyteller, and shows a breach of trust. I feel so bad for him–honestly, I hope whoever did the leak gets caught and appropriate action is taken. You don’t f–k with someone’s story like this. It’s unprofessional.” the user, lonelybeloved angrily commented.

In 2014, this ‘leak’ was finally disproven when viewers were given an episode on McGucket’s backstory and an amazing tweet from Alex Hirsch. 

Alex had post an image of himself playfully pointing at a monitor with the supposed leaked picture with the caption, “1) Make hoax  2) Upload to 4Chan  3) Post angry tweet about "leak" 4) Delete tweet 5) Let internet do rest”

It is so interesting to look at these comments know that all of this was orchestrated by Alex.

I wish I had been old enough at the time to follow theories and fandom stuff like I do now with current cartoons but really looking at this from an outside perspective, this was insane!

The real author wasn’t revealed until 2015 and when viewers first got the answer to this biggest show on their screens, they must have freaked out!

Following the finale in 2016, a single frame of a stone version of Bill Cipher, the show’s villain, flashed in after the credits had finished.

Alex Hirsch and his team actually created a real-life statue of their villain for their viewers to find and on July 20th, 2016, the Cipher Hunt began.

By following clues, the Hunters found themselves all over the world; Russia, Japan and then travelling throughout the United States for the final 12 clues. When the hunt took them to Los Angeles, actor, Jason Ritter (voice of Dipper Pines, also a massive fan of the series) and Alex Hirsch’s twin sister, Ariel Hirsch (the inspiration for Mabel) joined in the fun helping the search.

Finally, the hunt ended on August 2nd when someone tweeted out an image of the found statue in Oregon, the same state in which the fictional town of Gravity Falls exists. The Cipher Hunt had ended but finding the statue wasn’t Alex’s goal for the scavenger hunt, it was about the journey and bringing together the viewers, more than having them actually find the statue.

Creating its own hoax, an international scavenger hunt and quite a bit of nightmare fuel, Gravity Falls was a show truly unlike any other.

The 2010s saw some of the strongest cartoons ever made, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls and Steven Universe acting as the leaders for multiple different changes in the medium; storytelling, worldbuilding, interaction with viewers, utilizing social media, representation and further pushing music into the cartoon world. From what was created this past decade and what has already been released in 2020, I’m so excited to see what comes next.

I have another one of these which is on Steven Universe’s representation and music if you would like to see that too!! 

[danwhobrowses]

Star Wars Visions - Review

So I finally finished watching all of Visions, the ambitious anime project set in a Star Wars loose if at all canon, and I truly had a good time with it, as a fan of anime and Star Wars I was curious how they would deliver.

Spoilers for Visions, watch it then come back here to read what I thought about it. Reminder: This is my own personal opinion

So as I said, really enjoyed this experiment Disney decided to take, the 9 episodes weren't all flawless but they weren't awful either, so I'm gonna go through what I liked and disliked about it.

We'll start with the negatives, since they're few, picky and it gets it out of the way.

What Wasn't Great

Runtime A veiled negative has to be many episode's runtimes being too short, some only lasting 10-15 minutes. Before watching I was expecting all to be at least 30 minutes, so it was a shame that none lasted that long.

Episode 2: Glorified Music Video I think Episode 2 was perhaps the weakest episode of the nine for me, because it was all building up to a song. I think it probably leaned a bit too much on existing characters like Jabba and Boba, as well as Tatooine, to carry interest, so it was a bit of a low point.

Episode 3: Studio Trigger keep their balls away from the wall Episode 3's The Twins wasn't bad, it just lingered a bit too much on the less fun things. Studio Trigger had made a name for themselves for striking visuals and absolutely batshit crazy fight scenes that ignore all manner of physics with the likes of Promare, Kill La Kill and Darling of the Franxx (and kinda Gurren Lagann, the company was made as a result of that so it's like a Studio Ghibli thing with Nausicaa) but The Twins didn't have enough of the major fight scene for my liking, given how most of what we saw was in the trailer. Maybe it's the fault of the trailer, but it did feel like you could just watch the trailer rather than the episode, which is a bad thing.

Episode 7 too, but it also lacks bravery The Elder was also a good episode, but it too lacked in the final fight, the ending being very abrupt. The Elder also had a problem in that they wasted their good characters, but also failed in stakes. Had the padawan been killed instead of simply being wounded by a lightsaber slash to the belly it probably would've worked more, since we were shown that the Elder is precise in his cutting and it would've served to increase the urgency of the master fighting him too. The fight was short and out of the characters we lost it was the most important character that bit the dust.

The Episode Order could've been Better My final criticism has to be that the order of the episodes felt like it could've been better. Starting with The Duel was right but following it up with Tatooine Rhapsody brought the mood down, likewise putting The Elder after T0-B1 was perhaps too jarring a theme switch. The bigger sin was probably ending with Akakiri. Akakiri was good, but it was a downer and you don't really finish a Season 1 on a downer because you want people to feel excited for more rather than feeling bleak about it; with the options of Lop & Ocho, The Elder, The Village Bride and The Ninth Jedi (which would've been my pick for episode 9) it was an odd choice to pace the episodes in such a way - even when knowing that people would binge in this order. FYI if you wanted to know how I would've ordered the episodes it would've been The Duel -> The Elder -> The Twins -> Lop & Ocho -> Tatooine Rhapsody -> T0-B1 -> The Village Bride -> Akakiri -> The Ninth Jedi

This way we start strong with Sith-heavy episodes that grip with combat, we have the Duel to set us off, we show off the Elder to sell the Dark Side's strength, which blends into the Twins and that sibling relationship blends into Lop & Ocho, we use Tatooine Rhapsody as an intermission of sorts but then carry the lighter theme with T0-B1, whose artistic elements and worldbuilding leans into the Village Bride. We make Akakiri the penultimate since we show the Jedi succumb to the Dark for love in contrast to the Elder where the Jedi succeeds by steeling emotions, before finishing strong with Ninth Jedi.

What Was Great

Anime is perfect for Star Wars Star Wars has of course delved into animation before; Clone Wars (both), Rebels, Resistance and Bad Batch, but never like Anime. So Visions was allowed to shine by showing off everything anime can offer which more realistic CGI and live action could not. Bright colour grading, physics-defying movement, as well as unique character and lightsaber shapes.

(Mostly) Not Wasting Time While I have criticized some episodes for not making the most of things, and not having enough time, but many episodes would last 12-15 minutes and still feel like they had a coherent storylines with no gaps in getting to know the brand new characters or a lack of important information and investment. It is a testament to the good writing of the episodes that episodes got so much from such little time.

We're Left Wanting More In spite many episodes' brevity, the good writing also provided us stories with great potential to be fleshed out. Who wouldn't want to learn more about these new characters? See most of their adventures? The franchise potential from certain stories' one episode makes the experiment an unequivocal success.

The different styles add to the story Using a different anime studio for each story allowed each episode to stand out in their own way, and lean on different areas of importance. The Duel for instance applied a Kurosawa aesthetic which made the audience anticipate samurai themes. As much as the animation will get props for its visuals, environments and character design we should also give a hat-tip to the amazing music, especially in The Village Bride, and the voice acting from both JP and EN. We had some recognizable faces on both sides with EN having Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Harbour, George Takei, Neil Patrick Harris, Allison Brie, Simu Liu, Karen Fukuhara, Lucy Liu and Taemura Morrison reprising as Boba, while on the JP side we had names familiar with One Piece (Zoro - why you gotta be a sith Zoro!, Brook, Tama, Kiku), DBZ (Goku), Naruto (Hidan, Tayuya and if you count Boruto; Chocho and Kawaki), Jujitsu Kaisen (Itadori, Megumi, Nobara) and more. The different styles also allowed a greater freedom to lore between studios, I know the lightsaber colour thing was done in High Republic but I did like how in the Ninth Jedi Kara's lightsaber started out translucent (I actually preferred it that way), while not diverting too far away from the canon.

The Samurai style episodes were the strongest While some episodes leaned on other elements of Star Wars, the best of the bunch kept true with the correlation force users had with samurai. The Duel, Village Bride and Ninth Jedi - alongside Akakiri, Elder and kinda T0-B1 - had strong showings by maintaining their force user characters as samurai or samura-esque, which only added to the themes of the episodes too.

Its success will hopefully entice more Studios and Directors A positive for the future is the fact that there is a future. Visions has plenty of mileage as both a series of one-off stories or stories that can be expanded upon, and its success will mean that more will be on the cards. Imagine now what other studios may want to try their hand at their own story in this universe? And what it does not only for the franchise but also the animation studios themselves, because this in itself becomes a bridge for fans on either side to be introduced to the other; new anime fans, new star wars fans, everybody wins.

Conclusion

Visions provides an alternative in Star Wars media outside of live action but also away from the CGI tv shows, but it has started off strongly almost as well as The Mandalorian and in my opinion better than the Bad Batch did. My favourite episode was probably the Ninth Jedi, but Village Bride and the Duel are close runners up, soon followed by Lop & Ocho, I hope very much that the stories these ones started especially can be fleshed out and maybe even greenlit for their own series, while also curious about what more Star Wars can deliver.

All in all, good job for everyone, they took a risk and it paid off.