#niko reviews media

[h3artmate]

this one has been a long time coming but review of community (2009-2015), one of my favorite shows of all time. review (and my gushing about this show) under the cut :)

oh my GOD you guys don't even understand how much i love this show i've rewatched it maybe 20 times in 3 years. i watched it on tv when it first came out with my parents but i was 4 when it started so i don't have the greatest memory of it. despite that i do remember really liking it as a child. and that has continued into my adult life.

community got me through high school. i would watch episodes at school during lunch with my friends and, when that friend group disowned me, i watched it alone, and it helped me adjust.

community is my number one comfort show of all time. i watch it when i'm sick. i watch it when i'm sad. i watch it when i'm having a panic attack. i watch it when i'm overwhelmed. it literally fixes all of my problems.

i don't know if anyone feels the same way about this show but i love it so much.

bonus for joel mchale now being on another comfort show, animal control. he's so funny and really nails the "i do not care about you" with the hidden "i care so much and it will be a secret until i die" guy.

community is on hulu. each episode is about 30 minutes long. there are 6 seasons (and a movie /ref. but not actually. yet). it stars joel mchale, gillian jacobs, alison brie, donald glover, danny pudi, yvette nicole brown, chevy chase (unfortunately), and ken jeong, with (recurring) guest stars including john oliver, john goodman, levar burton, eric christian olsen, john michael higgins, iqbal theeba, and so many more. honorable mention to crystal the monkey. and walton goggins is in one episode. 5000/5 stars. greatest show ever made.

[winterkittenreads]

Review: Dead Boy Detectives [Season 1]

Audience: 16+

Stars: 4.7/5

dear radish,

I LOVED this show. I felt so alive at the end of it. Go watch it!!!

Things I loved:

Found family

Tied to the Sandman universe but tells its own story in such a wonderful, engaging way

The way our titular dead boy detectives Edwin and Charles have been through the meat grinder, but still want to help others. The way they keep each other afloat omg. Precious.

A LOVE TRIANGLE THAT I ACTUALLY DON'T HATE OMG. I know who I'm rooting for though ;)

The way it doesn't shy away from depicting violence. Because the world IS brutal, even as there's pieces of light in it.

Crystal finding strength through the past women of her family. Loss of memories as a metaphor for how the slave trade stripped Black Americans of their history and identity (maybe). And the empowerment that comes with reconnecting with one's roots/lineage.

Pacing. Look, I admit it. I'm someone who often watches shows at 2x speed. Well buddy, this show moved so fast that I felt no such compulsion to speed it forward. Possibly because the show's creators needed to fit so much within just 8 episodes. But they pulled it off!

Niko's room is full of manga and anime posters, and I loved that for her.

Spoilers:

I HOPE NIKO COMES BACK IN SEASON 2 ARGHHHHHH.

WAS THE GUY IN THE FISH DESTRUCTION???

Night Nurse redemption arc I'm readyyyyyyy

CHARLES IS A BI-KING CHANGE MY MIND

[edwinspaynes]

I was angry. I'm still angry. But sadness and exhaustion have overtaken that anger, and I have A LOT to say about this.

Dead Boy Detectives is a very special show to me. It occupies a ridiculously large place in my heart, and it's brought me joy in a way that only a few pieces of media ever have. When I watched it for the first time, Edwin Payne had my heart within minutes. By the end of episode one, Charles Rowland did, too.

It meant a lot to me, seeing such wonderful and nuanced queer characters brought to life in the type of paranormal story I have always loved. In these past months, Edwin and Charles have felt like real friends to me, and to never see them again without a satisfying conclusion to their story is something I have not truly processed. Same for Niko and Crystal and The Cat King - they should be back. But I haven't fully processed it yet, that they're not coming back, and yet I am still aggreived.

@netflix is, at this point, so fucking gagged on capitalism's dick that they're not even pretending to care about art anymore. Dead Boy Detectives is genuinely masterfully made on just about every level. The actors did a phenomenal job and I will be following all their careers heavily. Steve, Beth, and the writing team crafted an incredible tale. The sets, the lighting, the props, the effects were all on point. This was a well-constructed program, and you could tell that everyone involved with the project gave it their all because they cared so deeply.

(Also my heart breaks for the whole cast, but it's hardcore hurting for George since this was not only his first screen role but one he clearly thought he would be keeping as of two weeks ago. He seemed so secure. I hate this for him.)

In addition to being a good show, DBDA had good reception. It's got a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, was on the Top 10 for several weeks, got 4.7 million views within week one, and was getting daily articles posted on various review sites with NOTHING but praise. The fandom is incredibly active. We trend on Tumblr like five times a week and on Twitter regularly as well.

THE. SCRIPT. FOR. SEASON. 2. WAS. WRITTEN.

What the fuck happened?

Idiot executives at @netflix, choking on the dick of capitalism, probably just thought that they wouldn't get new subscribers for a second season of an existing show that didn't rake in Bridgerton-level cash. That's how they work - people who are interested in it are already subscribers, so who the fuck cares about them? Better to make some other shit, hope new people subscribe, and maybe that'll be a Bridgerton-level hit.

But also, Netflix has fun little trends to look into. And, when you look at the lineup of shows Netflix has canceled, they are overwhelmingly queer. The homophobia of @netflix and their operatives is clearly boundless, and it hits here really badly because this show was clearly made with a queer audience in mind. It was one of the most authentic pieces of queer media I have ever experienced, if not THE most authentic pieces of queer media that I have ever experienced.

It's fucking ridiculous that Netflix canceled a show that they commissioned a completed script of months ago. It sucks that they decided that their existing subscribers, their queer subscribers, did not matter.

Edwin and Charles are ours now. Well, of course, they're George's and Jayden's respectively, but the characters are no longer Netflix's to use and throw out. They're ours now, our fandom's, and we all love them so much.

And we deserved to see more of them, and we deserved to see their love story play out onscreen, but I for one am not going anywhere. Let's give Edwin and Charles - and the rest of the gang - millions of versions of the stories and endings that Netflix deprived them of.

[afacetomeetthefaces]

@netflix more media outlets are baffled by your cancellation of this incredible piece of queer art:

Netflix’s recent cancellation of Dead Boy Detectives is about more than a TV show – it’s about the fight for queer art and representation. In a world of attacks on queer rights and queer folk, including rising transphobia, Dead Boy Detectives is a desperately needed piece of queer art. Created by Steve Yockey and based on DC Comics characters, the show follows ghost detectives Charles (Jayden Revri) and Edwin (George Rexstrew), psychic medium Crystal (Kassius Nelson), and friend Niko (Yuyu Kitamura) as they solve supernatural mysteries and confront their demons, literal and figurative. The show centres and celebrates queerness and tackles serious issues regarding violence, justice and accountability. It’s also an exemplar of diverse media representation and inclusion, with three of the four main characters people of colour. It captured a loyal fanbase, excellent critical reception and reviews (including a 92% approval rating and 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), and good streaming metrics, staying in the top 10 shows on Netflix for three weeks. It was even submitted by Warner Bros. (one of the show’s production companies) for Emmy nominations in several categories. Still, Netflix recently cancelled the show after one season – to date with no official explanation for the decision – leaving fans, cast and crew shocked and devastated.

[ecargmura]

Wonderful Precure Episode 31 Review - Social Meow-dia

What looks to have been a cute filler episode spirals into one about Mayu finally patching things with her friend from her previous school. I think using the social media premise was a good way to finally resolve what could’ve been a dangling plot point. However, don’t think of this as just a Mayu development episode. While it is, it’s also one that has foreshadowing for possible future plot points.

It’s hilarious how the animators feel aware that cat videos are popular hence why Mayu decided to upload Yuki videos to boost Pretty Holic’s following. I also liked how both the positives and negatives of social media is shown too with more customers showing up to see Yuki, but also having Mayu worrying too much about comments and people’s opinions about Yuki. I think it’s a nice showcase to see how teenagers and/or first-time social media users behave in a sense.

Since social media posts can be shared globally, Mayu is aware that her former friend Yuma Chiran could also be watching them too. She wishes for a day she could reconcile with her. What’s surprisingly hilarious is that Yuma and Iroha know each other because Yuma’s chinchilla Kotetsu is a patient at the Friendly Animal Hospital. That means if Iroha had been there with Satoru when Mayu was talking about her backstory, the reconciliation could’ve happened a lot sooner. Also, it feels strangely realistic that Iroha and Yuma know each other because it reminds me of the fact that if you’re a big name in your field, people will know you. Also, it’s a fact that in Asian communities, people know each other. My parents know so many people, so I’m acquainted with a lot of people because of them too. It’s interesting to see this applied in anime too.

Anyways, I can see why there was a big misunderstanding between Mayu and Yuma. Yuma is very soft-spoken, so her voice wasn’t loud enough to reach Mayu’s ears. Also she never knew about Mayu’s concentration mode and over assumed the situation. It took Yuki to shout at Mayu for her concentration to break and realize the situation. I’m glad that Mayu, who’s also soft-spoken, decided to take a step forward and do something about it instead of agonizing over it like before. She’s come a long way.

In fact, Yuki got a lot of character development too. I did mention this in the previous episode review, but it’s more prominent here. I would have assumed Yuki wouldn’t like Yuma due to the misunderstanding, but she’s mature about the situation. She doesn’t gaslight Mayu anymore and even tells her that if things don’t work well, Mayu would always have her, Iroha and the others too. Man, I love seeing Yuki’s character development.

I was surprised that Zakuro could change non-Niko Animals into GaoGaons with Kotetsu being the first victim. It seems that her motive is to get pets to see that humans are bad—sort of like a reverse of the Pokemon Black and White story of sorts. Why this interests me is because this could easily make Daifuku a target, thus could be a plot point that could integrate Satoru and Daifuku into the story. I don’t know if it’ll make them Precures, but at least it’ll give them something as they’re important characters too. However, if pets are now being turned into GaoGaons, does that mean there aren’t that many Niko Animals left? Is Torame the one in charge of finding Niko Animal eggs or can he change pets into GaoGaons too? Now this makes me wonder if Komugi and Yuki could be affected by this…

Niko makes interesting quotes throughout the episode. She first says that if people decide to hate you, it’s hard to bounce back. This speaks truth so much. Then, at the end, she seems fascinated with how broken bonds can be mended. These two dialogues from her could easily foreshadow the nature of her and Gaou’s relationship and that it could be mended once again. I can’t wait to know more about what happened between the two of them.

I think this episode was great in the sense that they finally found the right time to put in a Mayu development episode, manage to have her issues resolved, and show off a possible plot point for Daifuku. Now, I’m curious on what Sora Harewataru is doing in Animal Town next episode. Why is she here? What are your thoughts on this episode?

[maya-chirps]

[ID: a screenshot of a reblog by @/fleurtygurl. It reads: "Omg instant follow! I need more Philippines facts in my life!!! 😭😭😭

If you have any facts about filipino myths? That would be amazing. But also I will literally eat up everything you post!

I'm in desperate need of reconnecting with my roots, but I've been so busy that I haven't had any time to do any extensive research...."

/End ID]

@fleurtygurl Decided to make a whole post based on this because I loooove talking about Filipino mythology and researching more about different mythologies within the country and I also hadn't gone around to looking through the things I want to learn about.

Filipino mythology is a pretty huge umbrella term considering that there are hundreds of cultures in the archipelago that have different beliefs, practices, and traditions and especially before the Spanish colonial period. I won't get too deep into it, but basically if you want to learn about some grander pantheon or some general overarching compendium of beliefs that all precolonial Filipinos believe in, you won't be getting that sine historically, Filipinos were not a unified people, but a bunch of different countries and communities that were placed under one governing body for easy management for the Spanish crown.

With so many Filipino cultures and, by extension, mythologies, the best way with trying to reconnect with your heritage, it might be best to figure out which ethnic group you may have connections too and start researching from there. In my case, for example, I would look up both Tagalog mythology, Bikolano mythology, and Ilokano mythology in order to get a good grasp of the mythology of my roots since I'm mixed Tagalog, Bikolano, and Ilokano, and those three have widely different beliefs and especially with folk religion.

I guess the main issue with this is a lot of sources related to Filipino myths are often difficult to find, are unreliable, or plainly just non-existent. Lots of books are often out of circulation and print, or if they are still in print, they are often only sold by specific retailers and often cost a lot of money. Research papers are locked behind a paywall or are only available through specific e-libraries you can only access if you have an affiliation with a university. Online articles may be unreliable and source places that are hard to fact check. Blogs, honestly including mine to be frank, may parrot wrong information from other websites and articles, with their best feature being the possibility that they may have come from oral sources but those are also very few.

Honestly, I was about to go on a long tangent about discussing at least the Tagalog pantheon and mythology because it had a lot of sources I've seen online, but after hours of research, I've found out that there was also a lot of unreliable sources in terms of information about that so I've decided against rambling on further about it for now.

(I am still going to write about my findings on the Tagalog pantheon later but after what I've found out, I might take some time to look through a lot more primary sources which means colonial era texts and harder to find archived works.)

I will say that a good way to connect with more general Filipino folklore outside of mythology itself is probably consuming media that explores folklore and traditional beliefs. I recommend Trese, a Filipino comic turned series on Netflix if you want to see Filipino cryptids being used in a modern-day story made by Filipinos. There are also other comics that focus on Filipino mythology like The Mythology Class and its sequel The Children of Bathala by Arnold Arre.

There's also series and movies that take inspiration from Filipino folklore and mythology with Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalya (English name Niko: The Journey to Magika) as my go-to suggestion. I had also heard good reviews for Amaya, a series created by GMA 7, but honestly I don't think the series clicked with me.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Yakuza, Oxbow, & Sybris Live Show Review: 2/25, Thalia Hall, Chicago

Yakuza's Jerome Marshall & Bruce Lamont

BY JORDAN MAINZER

For two Chicago bands, Sunday night was all about reflection. First and foremost, local metal legends Yakuza were there to celebrate 25 years of existence. They first caught the eyes and ears of listeners with their independently released debut album Amount to Nothing before signing to a label for 2002's Way of the Dead, an album that truly introduced them as a hard rock band with elements of avant-garde and jazz. On Yakuza records, folks like Ken Vandermark and Fred Lonberg-Holm would rub elbows with members of Mastodon; founding member Bruce Lamont, the lead singer and saxophonist/clarinetist, was the tying thread between the musical worlds. Yakuza steadily released records for the next 10 years before taking a decade-long break, while Lamont would stay active, playing saxophone, participating in bands like Bloodiest and Corrections House, and tending bar at Empty Bottle. Finally, last year, Yakuza picked up where they left off with Sutra (Svart), a record that again dipped its toes into seemingly disparate genres--thrash, prog, free jazz--and managed to churn out a cohesive stew.

From left to right: Marshall, James Staffel, Lamont, Matt McClelland

Sunday night, the Sutra songs sounded among the best, standing tall with Yakuza's back catalog. Set opener "Capricorn Rising" gradually built into a chug, Lamont alternating between sax flourishes and a chanted vocal. Matt McClelland's brawny guitar carried "Burn Before Reading". In general, the rhythm section--bassist Jerome Marshall and drummer James Staffel--provided steadily swirling noise to contrast the unpredictability of McClelland's riffs and Lamont's incantations. Perhaps the most moving moment of the night was when Lamont, visibly choked up, dedicated a song to the late Mars Williams, a fellow Chicago area journeyman saxophonist who passed away late last year.

McClelland

Lamont, Staffel, & McClelland

Lamont, Staffel, & McClelland

Sybris' Shaun Podgurski and Angela Mullenhour

Speaking of decades of inactivity, how about Sybris? The local stalwarts, who have released only two records, 2005's self-titled LP and 2008's Into the Trees, played their first Chicago show in 10 years last summer and are now gearing up to release their long-shelved third album Gold on Hold (Absolutely Kosher), recorded in 2011. It's very easy to play "what if?" with the four-piece, as their unique mix of epic, feelings-heavy indie rock and nervy rhythms could have seen them further soar among beloved sounds and bands of the 2010s: the early 2010s emo revival, the late 2010s post-punk revival, Screaming Females, and Hop Along, to name a few. On Sunday, they primed the passionate crowd with clear old favorites, like the jagged "Hurt Hawk", country-tinged burner "Burnout Babies", slow love song "Blame It On The Baseball", and the thunderous "Something About A Darkhorse Or Whatever". As if to whet our appetites for what's to come, they ended their set with two Gold on Hold tracks: the unreleased "Dance" and driving album opener "Watermelon". For music fans all over the globe, Gold on Hold should be one of the more anticipated upcoming releases of the remaining year.

From left to right: Podgurski, Mullenhour, Clayton DeMuth, Phil Naumann

Naumann

Podgurski, Mullenhour, Naumann

From left to right: Oxbow's Dan Adams, Eugene Robinson, Greg Davis, & Niko Wenner

In between the two Windy City phoenixes? None other than San Francisco experimentalists Oxbow, who used the most of their 40-minute set, not limiting the sensory experiences and media to just music. Indeed, for five-plus minutes, they played a short film, whose images, sound-tracked by a droning instrumental, repeatedly cut to black, as if they were pulsating. All this time, they were burning incense. When guitarist/keyboardist Niko Wenner, bassist Dan Adams, and drummer Greg Davis finally entered the stage, they launched into the pseudo funk of Thin Black Duke highlight "A Gentleman's Gentleman". Eventually, vocalist Eugene Robinson sauntered on and did what he does: screech and wail devastating lyrics, his voice raw as hell, and expressively dance and convulse. Similar to Yakuza, Oxbow's most recent songs, from last year's Love's Holiday (Ipecac), sounded the most fresh and urgent: "The Night the Room Started Burning", "Icy White & Crystalline", and "Lovely Murk". The album version of the last one features Kristin Hayter, who Robinson made sure to mention was not there but is playing Thalia Hall in a couple months. Nonetheless, Wenner admirably filled in, emulating her soulful vocal turn. And the band took time to remember another experimental genius and collaborator who passed last year, Peter Brötzmann, but made sure to take advantage of Lamont's saxophone prowess, having him fill in on tempo-changing freak-out "Cat and Mouse". (Though "Cat and Mouse" was released on their sophomore album King of the Jews, their live version with Brötzmann has become well known.) While the three bands who played on Sunday might have constituted an odd group on paper, all share one of the preeminent qualities of good performers: unbridled passion.

Robinson

Robinson & Wenner

Wenner & Robinson

[solar-throne]

Ricusare Orangutans

Teams Colors: Orange and Black

Mascot: Devendra (just a straight-up orangutan)

Hecaball isn’t as popular in Ricusare as it is in Apricus, despite not having a form of organized official government there is still a Hecaball Association that is small but thriving. The reputation that many of Ricusare hold makes the play style of the Orangutans quite the shock, the team has a nearly impenetrable defense and long-lasting endurance. That however doesn’t mean one can take the team's offense lightly, once their defense has left their opponent exhausted and worn out they are quick to strike at the first sign of weakness. The rugged and unpredictable nature has made the team incredibly quick and adaptive by second nature, with both terrain and play styles.

Name: Ji-Young Mulberry

Age: 28

FC : Cattleya Baudelaire (Violet Evergarden)

Ji-Young is one of the many faces of the Ricusare Hecaball team and one of the founding members of the Ricusare Hecaball association, she radiates a responsibility and nurturing that has earned her the nickname of “Big Sis” among both teammates and fans. Some consider her the captain of the team, though she tends to shy away from the idea and is quick to insist that Cecil is the real genius behind many of the team's plays.

Cousin of the Marigold twins, from their mother's side

Name : Cecilio "Cecil" Durante

Age: 29

FC : Tsuchigomori (Toilet Bound Hanako-kun)

Despite being considered the brain behind the team, outside the playing field Cecil is lazy and not willing to give any more than what is needed for a task. He prefers to have a slow relaxed time maybe paired with a smooth drink as well. On the field is when he really comes alive and activates, among teammates, he is known to review and study opponents' games the moment a match is announced. Even if he may seem uninterested and could care less if they were to lose, the team knows to trust and follow the flow that he sets.

Follower of Hortensia, a sister tribe of the one the Marigolds are from. All four sister tribes are known to be nomadic, Cecil was raised in the culture and still practices the lifestyle. The Hecaball team is the first time that he has ever really settled into one place for a prolonged period of time, it's an adjustment from his normal life but he’s trying his best.

Name: Ma-Ri Bae

Age: 19

FC: Niko Niiyama (Kiznaiver)

Even before joining the team Ma-Ri was quite well known as one of the top social media influencers in Ricusare, sports already being a big part of her content made the transition into Hecaball quite easy for her audience. The boost in popularity was just what the team needed, Ma-Ru experience with sponsors and social media came in handy when marketing the team. Despite Hecaball not being anywhere near as big in Ricusare as it is in Apricus the team is still quite well known thanks to her hard work.

Ma-Ri is one of the most charming members of the team and considered the main face member since she takes care of most of the interviews. She is energetic and childish, but in a hard way not to be fond of. She’s quick to make friends and network in a way that comes naturally.

Name: Calan Sincalir

Age: 24

FC : Takashi Mori (Ouran Highschool Host Club)

Calan is a man of few words and a striking imposing figure, standing tall and broad earning the nickname of the “Rooted Tree” through his seemingly immovable defense. Despite the intimidating image that he gives off, Calan quite simply is just not much of a talker. Outside the game field he can be found among nature enjoying the sights and adding to his collections of flowers and foliage, Apricus is quite the culture shock to him due to its industrial nature.

[jennaseniorprojectblog]

Project progress update 6 - Week 13

What's been happening in the past two weeks has been reflected mainly in my previous posts. To briefly recap, I've been reviewing the responses to my story questions and thinking about when to release my afterword posts. I'm in the conclusion stage; all the main content has been removed, and now it's time for closing thoughts.

Unfortunately, the only new thing to add is that the hashtags I used in story four didn't help get more people to participate in the polls.

Now to the present.

I decided for the sake of time management and the appeal of making things limited that this would be the last week I'm accepting answers instead of the end of November, which is cutting it close.

I made a post today informing people of this. This will give me a more comfortable amount of time to put together the final posts and put them on Instagram before the deliverable is due on December 2nd.

While on Instagram, I also followed some accounts that share similar values. These are all accounts in Hawaii that have to do with disability advocacy.

Now, I realize that since my afterword posts are the final thing, it might be wise to include results for the questions too. This a neat way of ending things as I show my thoughts and then summarize the audience's thoughts. One of the things I learned in my Mastering Social Media class is that one of the huge appeals of social media is being able to see how your thoughts compare with others. This is because it feels good to see how we share similar ideas; it makes us feel like we are part of the community. On the other hand, seeing that we have different opinions once and a while is also suitable for us because it gives us a sense of uniqueness. Comparing and contrasting my views with the audience demonstrates how storytelling can bring about understanding.The answers are meant to demonstrate if I successfully communicated what I wanted to the audience.

So going into the next two weeks, I plan to release four final posts.

I have begun making drafts of these posts on a website called Canva. I specifically chose the format of an Instagram post.

The afterword posts were written long ago; however, since I plan to share my questions and answers, this will require more time to put things together. That means copying and pasting the question and summarizing the results. I did this successfully today with story one and made copies of it to use as a template for the other three posts. This took me two hours to do (also did a little of post 2). I hope the remaining posts will be easier to make now that I have a template. Also, if I receive any new responses by the end of the week, I will be sure to tweak the summary sections of these posts.

I should note that I learned that you could post 10 images tops per post on Instagram, so I would have each of the four respective posts set up as follows.

Adda story ten images

4-afterword

6-question results

Niko story 8 images

4- afterword

4- question results

Kaleo 9 images

4-afterword

5- question results

Bindi story 10 images

4 - afterword

8 questions results

I will have to pair some of the questions and answers together on a slide; otherwise, I'm going over the 10-image limit. This could be tricky.

I also plan to share these posts on this blog as images in the final post. Given that I've been regularly posting twice a week, it would make sense to have two afterwords released next week and the remaining two the week after.

[pinergreek]

Anime landscape wallpaper draw

ANIME LANDSCAPE WALLPAPER DRAW UPGRADE

ANIME LANDSCAPE WALLPAPER DRAW SOFTWARE

There’s also the fear among Chinese users that one day Steam or the developers themselves will turn against such uses of the software.

ANIME LANDSCAPE WALLPAPER DRAW UPGRADE

But Ahmad says the recent changes have driven Niko Partners to upgrade the risk assessment of a Steam ban in China to “high.” It’s unclear why Steam’s service is only partially restricted, as most foreign websites are either completely blocked or not blocked at all in China. Several confirmed to MIT Technology Review that since 2021, VPN services are required to access some services, like browsing and purchasing games, while other functions, like downloading and playing games, remain unrestricted. Many Steam users are worried that this precious paradise could be lost any day. Most adult-only websites are banned, and such content is also routinely removed from social media, cloud drives, and all other online services. The lack of access to porn in ChinaĬompared with countries like the United States, where pornography websites are legal and easy to find, China maintains a much harder stance. Neither the developers nor Steam responded to MIT Technology Review’s requests for comment. No matter what you upload to it-even those crazy videos-I don’t think there’s any problem,” Chinese publication Xiaoheihe quoted Skutta as saying, after he laughed at the question. “What’s wrong with that? Wallpaper Engine is only a framework. When Kristjan Skutta, one of the main developers, was invited to China in 2019 to attend an event, Chinese media asked what he thought about the fact that the app was being used to watch certain types of videos.

ANIME LANDSCAPE WALLPAPER DRAW SOFTWARE

The developers, who keep a relatively low profile online, likely know how their software is being used thousands of miles away. The user proceeded to log over 5,000 hours in Wallpaper Engine. “What’s the sickest is that someone straight up uploaded porn to the Workshop,” reads one March 2019 review in Chinese, upvoted by 456 others. The top 70 most upvoted reviews of all time on Steam for this software are all written in simplified Chinese. They are also some of the most devoted users of Wallpaper Engine. Compare this with 40%, and it’s clear that Chinese users are overrepresented in Wallpaper Engine’s user base. A different stat by Steam suggests that 21% of overall traffic came from China in the seven days before the publication of this story. Meanwhile, only 24.75% of total Steam users set their default language as simplified Chinese, according to Steam’s latest sampling survey, from June 2022. (Language is a common proxy for Steam users’ geographical distribution, which is hard to collect on Steam.) More recent reviews follow the same trend: during the first seven days of July, the software received 2,907 Steam reviews, and MIT Technology Review has found that 40% of those were written either in simplified Chinese or by someone with a simplified Chinese username. It’s impossible to know exactly how many of Wallpaper Engine’s users are from China, but evidence suggests that at least 40% of them are Chinese, almost twice Steam’s Chinese user percentage.Īmong the nearly half a million Steam reviews of Wallpaper Engine, 40% were written by someone whose default language was simplified Chinese, compared with English at 28%. His article in the Chinese media helped bring the software’s hidden uses to the attention of those who were not yet in on the secret. There he found porn, hentai anime, Donald Trump memes, and even pirated copies of Hollywood movies, like Joker. Having been a gamer and a Steam user, he downloaded Wallpaper Engine and tested it. Did people like to change their wallpapers so often?”Ĭui Jianyi, a Chinese writer and journalist, wrote about the phenomenon in 2020 after he saw someone mention it on social media. “It was at least two or three years ago when this went viral,” says Zhou, a Chinese gamer in Beijing who asked to use only his last name due to privacy concerns.

[h3artmate]

rewatching the autopsy of jane doe. one of my favorite horror movies in the entire world. fun fact: this is the movie that made me want to become a mortician (i am not a mortician).

there are a LOT of things that could be upsetting so i would recommend looking up a full list of triggers (doesthedogdie tracks a bunch of triggers for movies, shows, games, and books, it's my go-to).

with that out of the way, the acting is phenomenal (the cast is literally so good i love brian cox and emile hirsch), the sound and set design are amazing, the cinematography and photography are impeccable, the makeup and costume design are perfect, the (very few and very early on) comedic beats are well-timed, and the scares are INCREDIBLE. olwen catherine kelly got a paycheck for laying down for an hour and a half.

overall, one of the greatest horror movies ever made imo. 5/5 stars. i love it so much. if you guys like horror (and have a strong stomach for nasty and sad things) i would highly recommend you watch it. it's on netflix, hulu, and amc+ (all usa, not sure about other countries), came out in 2016, and was directed by andré øvredal, who also directed trollhunter (2010), scary stories to tell in the dark (2019), and the last voyage of the demeter (2023). he is one of my favorite horror directors.

[chrsitophwaltz]

MICKEY MEETS FC BAYERN (PART 3/4)

for the entire houston clownery experience click here

psa: excuse my face and the pic qualities. up until this happened i haven’t really taken pictures of myself (less than 10 in the past two years for family and work purposes and NEVER selfies) and when you meet people you’ve only seen on TV in a very unexpected circumstance, then don’t expect your brain and motor functions to work 100%.

just an addition that i forgot to add in the last two parts: i didn’t get his pic or anything, but seeing Witch Doctor™ müller-wohlfahrt in person was insane. if you watch netflix’s dark season 2, and see 1986 ulrich nielsen, THAT’S WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE SDHBMFSDMNBFNMB

anyway, so i uber-ed to the mall. thank god it was only 5 minutes or so away from the hotel since i was really desperate to get a wristband for adidas. the t-mobile meet with josh and sven didn’t require wristbands, but there was gonna be a line and time’s limited and they might (and they did) cut it off at some point. thankfully, the mall just opened (ish) and i got wristband #53 for adidas. score! i also confirmed thrice with the guy that as long as i have the wristband i can get in. nice!

after getting the wristband, i went up to get in line for t-mobile. thankfully, i was within the first 5 or so people so i can do both meet-and-greets!

multi-tasking! you love to hear it!

i met up with @simplyirenic​ and a guy named nick who we met at the hotel reception a few days before and chatted to pass the time. finally it was around 1:30 to 2pm and the mall was packed with bayern fans. it was sad to see people, especially little kids, trying to line up for adidas but had to be turned away since the wristbands ran out already.

after a few line games and waves with the t-mobile people, we finally got inside the store to start the meet. while i was waiting my turn and praying that my phone doesn’t die (i only had 8% battery life left at that point), i saw richie (one of bayern’s media guys) and some guy named greg (thought he was with bayern at first, but now i’m not sure) and told them my ulterior motive for the t-mobile thing. they understood and saw that i was about to pass out from fear and anxiety and told me they’d include the footage in the final video. they weren’t kidding sbfdsnmfbmfbdsmfdb (got a gif of it here)

so. it was finally my turn and sven hasn’t looked up yet since he was signing more cards and chatting with josh. i creeped up behind them and said “hallo!” josh was so cute and perky and said “hallo!” back. sven looked like he didn’t recognize me (thank god) but i just couldn’t let it pass so as we were having our pics taken, i put my hand on his back and mumbled (while trying to smile for the cameras): “hey, i don’t know if you remembered in the hotel earlier, but i’m really sorry. i meant to take a picture with you AND leon. sorry!” i don’t know if he remembered it at all or was just being nice, but all the same he said “no, it’s okay!”

i didn’t care. BLESS HIM! my day is saved! so we said cheese one last time before i left.

extra notes: i also wanted to tell him that his red card was BS but didn;t have time for that lmao. also josh is such an angel and his hair was so fluffy and blonde i wanted to die ;__;

i said goodbye to richie and greg and waited for nick (he also had a wristband) and we went down to get in line for adidas. while lined up i met more bayern fans (hello @zomgannalolz​​ and @alex-bregman​​!). fangirled with them for a bit (and showed them my niko ass videos from the night before sdjnhdnfbdn) and finally we were in! from afar, i could only see manu bc he was standing up (benji and thomas were sitting down) and he was wearing his bright watermelon keeper kit. finally my turn came and said hi to benji again. he signed my shirt (again; he already signed it at the hotel reception) and we took pics (again). SERVUS BENJI!

next up was manu (again)!

me: hi manu, it’s me again

manu: oh hello! the hotel right?

me: *dying that he recognized me and thinking about that near-knockout experience* yessssss

he signed my shirt (again lmao) and we posed for pics. he was so. freaking. tall. i put my arm around him and half my brain was floating and making observations:

1. wrow. he tall. as h e l l.

2. the keeper jersey has a different feel than the normal outfield player jersey. hmmm (scratchier and more... cellophane-y....?)

3. my face is literally pressed up against his right boob. n o i c e

4. my left arm is around his waist. i can feel nice ridges. holy shit. SI D E A BS !!!!!! *scream*

yeah, it was an out-of-body-experience. i also nearly forgot to take his autograph card but he subtly inserted it into my hand as i was leaving. I LUFF U MANU!!!!

it’s probably poetic that my meet-and-greet ended with thomas. he’s my favorite player and i have his jersey. first time he signed it it only had 4 other signatures (at the hotel reception), and the second time was earlier that day at the hotel (with him eating a huge ass banana). i came up to him and he was like “hey!” HE RECOGNIZED ME I JUST----

anyway, i tried to keep it cool and said “yeah it’s me again from the hotel lmao” and he was like “so do you want a third signature?” (he saw he already had two sigs in the jersey). i didn’t care and said “if you want to! i don’t mind!”he reviewed it and quietly said “wow” when he saw my almost-full bayern haul (my jersey was full of autographs by then) and said “let’s just put it up, yes?”

he wanted to put up my müller jersey! thomas freakin’ müller himself wanted to show my jersey! tbh it was a great idea lmao so i said “cool! okay!”

i was literally the happiest binch in the world!!!!!! I LOVE HIM!!!! keep deuter-ing that raum, Raumdeuter!!!!!!!

in the end, with the exception of david (i’m sad, i really wanted pics with alabae), phonzie (saw him a couple times, but never got to him), renato (i always miss him for some reason!!!!), and c*man (i don’t really want anything from him anyway, except maybe goals, so doesn’t really count lmao), plus the other bayern kids, i got everyone!!!!!!

BEST. DAY. EVER. from despairing literally just the night before about wasting my one day extension, to unexpectedly getting more than i bargained for-- the ULTIMATE mega fan experience-- it was just insane. they’re all really nice and accommodating too! that’s how i know i support the best club ever (even if they’re such clowns sometimes but oh well lmao)

now, one last part to go. the actual best (and WORST) part of everything. if you’ve followed me for more than an hour then i don’t need to explain to you just how much i needed to get just ONE CRUMB of niko fucking kovac. and boy oh boy did i get a lil bit more than that......👀

[doomonfilm]

Review : Richard Jewell (2019)

I was a sophomore in high school when the Olympics came to Atlanta, Georgia, and with the World Cup having just been in the United States two years prior, Americans were eager to put their best foot forward.  The world was changing rapidly at the time, and the 24 hour news cycle was just beginning to present itself, though we had yet to name it or identify how it would be so powerfully influential.  Then, in one fleeting moment, a random bomb changed all of that, and a man went from being a security guard to public enemy number one in the blink of an eye.  Clint Eastwood has always had an eye for humanity, especially when in the director’s chair, which piqued my interest when it was announced that he would be taking on the previously mentioned story in the form of his latest film, Richard Jewell. 

In 1986, a young Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) meets attorney Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), and the two men form a bond that Jewell was unable to make with any of the other attorneys and partners that he worked for at the firm.  Ten years later, Jewell has landed a job as a security guard at Piedmont University, which finds him closer to his dream of a job in law enforcement.  After repeated reports of abuse of power, however, Dr. W Ray Cleere (Charles Green) is forced to fire Jewell, who transitions into a job as security for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.  Shortly after midnight on July 27, Jewell breaks up a group of drunk and unruly teens, but notices a suspicious package in the form of a backpack that was near the ruckus.  Jewell urges the officers on location to call in the package, and when the bomb inspector investigates, he discovers three extremely large pipe bombs.  Jewell and the authorities attempt to clear the area, but the bomb explodes, injuring or killing over one hundred people.  Jewell is initially seen as a hero, but after Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) coerces a tip out of FBI Agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm), she runs a story identifying Jewell as the primary suspect, causing worldwide attention to be cast upon Jewell and his mother Bobi (Kathy Bates).  With the help of Bryant, Richard Jewell attempts to fight attacks from the FBI and the news media, all in hopes of clearing his name.

Richard Jewell manages to provide a redemption portrayal for its titular subject without completely absolving him of base humanity or the capacity for wrongdoing.  Rather than presenting a case for specifically absolving Jewell of past accusations and completely clearing his name, the film reaches for the bigger goal of setting an example of how wrong things can go when those accused find themselves guilty until proven innocent.  It is flatly stated that Jewell could, in theory, fit the ‘false hero’ narrative, and due to being a Southern man with dreams of a role in law enforcement, his knowledge of guns, bombs and criminal personalities harm him more than help him.  Most of all, his weakness is his kind nature, and his defensive mechanism of trying to trust in the law becomes the dramatic tension that cause Bobi and Walter pain, which in turn forces Jewell to the breaking point of having to stand up for his innocence.

Interesting, as evenly as Clint Eastwood decides to posture his protagonist, he is unflinching in the manner that he positions the government and the media squarely as antagonist.  Be it the constant drone, presence and forceful nature of communication in the form of the media, or the calculated power bundled with sheer intimidation that the FBI utilizes, both parties (as entities) are looked at quite subjectively.  The characters of Scruggs and FBI Agent Shaw are not completely devoid of empathy, though Shaw does seem to be fighting his own battle over pride in his job and whether or not he will be viewed as competent, to the point that he blindly seeks the indictment of Jewell.  Watching Bates play Bobi on the verge of breakdown due to her lack of ability to protect Richard from this dual threat hits hard, hence her Golden Globe nomination.

Eastwood makes some interesting decisions as director that work well conceptually.  The visual flare, fancy camera moves and hectic editing that defines most biopics is set aside for measured camerawork, allowing the story to be the sensation rather than the way it is presented.  The choices of what is presented as stock footage, like Tom Brokaw or the Katie Couric interview, play like echoes of times when media was simpler and easier to trust, while the portrayal of Scruggs and the AJC staff, the horde of reporters, or even a recast Bryant Gumbel (Garon Grigsby) using ‘gotcha journalism’, play like personal indictments on these institutions and practices.  The muted, reserved way that the film qualifies as a period film is different than normal... period specific dress, haircuts, vehicles and the like are around, but the way that reflections on the era are used narratively, like the Michael Johnson scene, play much stronger.  The sensationalist hunger of the media and their search for the next big story is also referenced, with nods to TImothy McVey, OJ Simpson and Ted Kaczynski all popping up.  The film also manages to find ways to present humor, with most of it being found in the funny moments that manage to pop up in the extreme moments of life.

Paul Walter Hauser finds a curious rhythm that mostly involves him embodying the news media portrayal and public perception of Jewell, with brief but powerful outbursts of emotion that reveal fear in a shell-shocked man.  Kathy Bates embodies all of the motherly support that can be captured and displayed on film, with a handful of powerfully emotional moments of her own that resonate long after the film is done.  Sam Rockwell’s natural charm and offbeat nature work well in his portrayal of an anti-establishment attorney, with him showing an ability to focus force both vocally and with intense staredowns... Nina Arianda works well in tandem with Rockwell, providing a strong and supportive sense of guidance that pushes Rockwell’s character in the right direction.  Olivia Wilde finds a unique balance of her own as a comedicaly straight antagonist, posturing in extreme ways while bolstering the choices with a matter of fact nature, all the while keeping a touch of humanity in the chamber for the resolution-based moments.  Jon Hamm puts another notch on the ‘charming villain’ belt, somehow managing to be an intimidating good cop in comparison to Ian Gomez and his standard look and operation as an FBI agent.  Appearances by Niko Nicotera, Mike Pniewski, Dylan Kussman, Wayne Duvall, Garon Grigsby and Charles Green round out the film.

Clint Eastwood continues to rack up a strong directoral catalog, and Richard Jewell stands as evidence of this.  The potential director in me noticed a couple of mistakes that modern directors probably would have erased in the post, but these mistakes just further enforce the old school aesthetic that Eastwood uses.  With the film itself being an echo of a recently bygone era, all of this works to Eastwood’s benefit... this one won’t be cracking my top ten, but it is certainly worth seeing.

[birdiereviews]

Kiznaiver by studio Trigger, reviewed by Jay Sapinski

Kiznaiver (Crunchyroll, 2016) is a emotional journey that has an odd shift towards the end of the series. The story centers around a group of seven (Katsuhira Agata, Chidori Takashiro, Niko Niiyama, Yoshiharu Hisomu, Hajime Tenga, Honoka Maki, and Tsuguhito Yuta) who are abducted and forced to participate in an experiment around emotional connection called the Kizna System. After Noriko Sonozaki, the head of the experiment, demonstrates of how pain is distributed among the members, they are threatened into sharing their secrets with each other, pushing them to bond.

Episode 1: Sometimes, a Bond Can Bloom from the First Day Eye Contact Is Made, Katsuhira seeing his scars from the Kizna System for the first time.

The execution of the show's concept is excellent at first, but when it shifts to the connection between Noriko and Katsuhira, the plot loses focus. The first two-thirds of the anime clearly develops the main characters, and by forcing them together, we see the group grow closer and depend on each other when they have difficulties. We become invested in their lives, and when there's friction between members, we yearn for them to resolve it.

But when the story switches to Noriko and Katsuhira's past connection, it's disorientating and frustrating, leaving leaving viewers wondering what the point of the everything preceding the shift. It's obvious that their past is related to the present Kizna System, but as Noriko is an outsider to the group, we aren't so invested in her situation with Katsuhira. Additionally, attempts at making her a sympathetic character are met with resistance on my part—as far as I'm concerned she's the villain, and she isn't afforded enough time to convince me otherwise. In general, this arch isn't given the screen time it needs in order to draw viewers into it.

Episode 10: You Knew Very Well That Your Romantic Feelings Might Be Unrequited, Right?, Katsuhira, Niko, and Yoshiharu dancing in a circle while holding hands.

Although the end is a departure from the rest of the show, it's still worth watching as the beginning two-thirds features strong character growth and bonding. Its ideas surrounding what it means to understand others and how to achieve connections are also worth noting.

In the end, there is no bonding without vulnerability but forcing it perhaps isn't the path to understanding each other.

Kiznaiver is a single season complete at 12 episodes as of this review.

~

Jay Sapinski (they/them) is a college student studying English. They are an editor of their college’s literary magazine as well as a fiction editor of miniskirt magazine. Jay loves Japanese culture and Japanese style media and consumes it whenever possible.

[ecargmura]

Wonderful Precure Episode 21 Review - The Cattiest Transfer Student

This show is making it hard for me to not ship Yuki and Mayu together. I’m trying hard not to, but it’s too hard to resist. The only thing that’s preventing me from crossing that border is NOT because it’s a pet/owner ship (like I mentioned in some previous reviews that I’m quite an open-minded person when it comes to ships) is the fact that Yuki is still a bit too obsessive over Mayu.

Is it just me or is Yuki written a little inconsistently since her debut? In the beginning, Yuki was introduced as someone who wanted Mayu to make new friends, but as time passes, she started becoming extremely overprotective to an unhealthy degree when it comes to Mayu and the friends she made. I thought she’d learn her lesson after their fight, but it doesn’t seem like the case in this episode at first. However, knowing that Iroha, Komugi and Satoru are understanding of Mayu’s personality and flaws, Yuki does seem to open up to them now. I get that she doesn’t want to see Mayu hurt because of how her ex-friend abandoned her when she was concentrating too hard, but come on, Yuki, you’ve seen how Iroha and Komugi are! They’re the most trusting and loyal people out there! Now, I wonder if she’ll truly open up once Mayu’s ex-friend comes into the picture because she does seem like an important character with the way she had her full name written in the credits—her name is Chiran, apparently.

Not only that, Yuki seems a bit too perfect as a human to the point that it feels a little odd. Like Yuki, how can you read? How can you write? How can you know what ingredients to put in to the food? She only became human for a short time yet she’s adjusting a lot better than Komugi. It sort of gives into the negative stereotypes that dogs are dumb when it comes to Komugi, which isn’t the case for dogs in general. Dogs are intelligent creatures; I just wish media would stop depicting them at stupid at times. Komugi’s not stupid, but rather hyperactive as her breed is full of energy, as shown in this episode.

Regardless, I did like the duo transformation with the cat pair and that there’s confirmation that the cat pair can summon the Kirarin Animals; she summons the Fox, who has the ability to transform the Precures. Seeing Komugi as a tire was the highlight of the episode. She changed attire and looked so happy doing so. The GaruGaru Panda was so silly. It has the power to make people fall asleep and it didn’t really “fight” as it just lazed around for most of its screen time. It’s only when Wonderful-Tire jumped onto it that it started moving. That was seriously the easiest of the Kirarin Animals to purify.

Accumulating these Kirarin Animals feel a bit too fast. It was only last week when the fox joined the squad. Now they have eight Kirarin animals. What will happen when all nine are assembled? Will the Niko Garden lore progress? I still can’t help but to feel a little antsy when the final Kirarin Animal comes into the picture. What do you think?

[inkandthornreviews]

Introducing Ink and Thorn Reviews

Welcome to Ink and Thorn, a literary review blog. Ink and Thorn is co-owned by two individuals, and is aimed at reading, reviewing, and analyzing various pieces of literature. Literature is something both of us enjoy, and we hope to dive further into reading and create an atmosphere where others do the same.

Niko is one of the owners of Ink and Thorn, and they use he/they pronouns. Niko is an artist, witch, and hellenistic pagan from the Southern US, who is currently seeking a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology, as well as a minor in Art. They hope to one day be a concept artist, as well as provide art therapy. Niko enjoys reading fantasy, mystery, and horror/darker themes. In his free time, Niko also particularly enjoys gaming, animated media, and board games. 

The other owner of Ink and Thorn is Sylvia, who uses any pronouns. Sylvia is a practicing witch from the Southern US, who is currently seeking a B.A. in English. They graduated from the IBDP in high school, and are planning to attend graduate school in the future. Sylvia particularly enjoys reading books with darker themes, poetry, older literature, and philosophical essays. Outside of reading, Sylvia enjoys listening to rock music, playing instruments, writing, and various craft hobbies.

We do accept requests and suggestions for both reviews and analysis of various books. In your request, please specify which member it is for, otherwise both will respond. In your request, please include the title and author of the book, as well as if you’d like to see a review or a full analysis. If you are requesting an analysis, please specify the topic(s) you’d like covered.

The following is a current list of what we will not read:

Any literature post-2018, excluding poetry.

Romance based novels.

Short non-fiction works, such as newspaper clippings and posters, that are unable to stand on their own.

Audiobooks or textbooks.

Anything written by a known problematic author after the year 1999.

Lastly, we welcome and encourage feedback and conversation regarding our posts! Please ensure all commentary is respectful, otherwise it will be removed from our blog.