#on top of the consistent emotive quality of his voice that frankly is hit or miss with the other two despite their

[maxellminidisc]

The way D.O. refuses to make an R&B solo ep when he's like the only one who could do that vocal style any sense of genuine execution in kpop is genuinely infuriating....

[need-a-fugue]

We Grow Together (4)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC

Summary: Relationships can be tough, especially when one person is a recovering-from-being-brainwashed-and-tortured former assassin and the other is an overworked mutant scientist. But hey, every couple has their struggles. Right?

Warning(s): some angst, some emotional and mental turmoil… some bad language words… much fluff

Chapter Summary: Rescuing hostages from a cartel stronghold deep in hostile territory... what could possibly go wrong?

The debrief only lasts about an hour, the plan seeming fairly simple. “It’s a basic hostile extraction,” Steve tells them all, as though that’s supposed to mean something to her.

She raises her hand. “Non-military personnel requesting clarification, sir,” she says with more than a hint of sarcasm.

He rolls his eyes rather dramatically. “We go in, fight the bad guys, and get the family out.”

“Yeah,” she drawls. “I kind of assumed that was the plan. What do you guys do in here for hours on end if it’s not planning a mission? Are you just hiding away, playing Call of Duty or something?”

“I don’t know what that means,” Steve tells her as he starts to pull up multiple screens at once.

The center of the table is alight with various holograms when Bucky leans over and whispers to her, “Stevie’s very thorough. If a plan is what you want…” He leans back and indicates the satellite images and redacted official files on display before them.

As it turns out very thorough is a bit of an understatement. The hour they spend going over mission details is very possibly the most chock-full-of-information-she’ll-never-remember hour of Tessa’s life. And she went to medical school. But everyone seemed to at least have an idea of what they needed to.

The missions she’d done with the X-Men – and frankly it feels wrong to refer to them as missions as they always seemed more like random pop-up battles or peace-keeping initiatives – were very different from this. For one thing, their mission planning sessions usually consisted of Logan and Scott arguing about the best way to get there as everyone else watched in annoyance. Winging it was more their style. Maybe it was because they had powers that, for the most part, were difficult to counter. Maybe it was just because none of them had ever been in the military, let alone led soldiers into battle. Whatever the reason, the fighting style that had been bred into her stood out in rather stark contrast to that of her current cohorts.

“Here,” Bucky utters absently as he hands her a 9mm. He’d been loading every nook and cranny of his suit with weapons while Tessa stood nearby, leaning on the wall of the jet, waiting not-so-patiently for them to get the show on the road.

She glances down at the gun in his hand, but makes no move to take it, her arms still crossed over her chest. “No thank you,” she says simply.

He seals up a hidden pocket near his ankle where he just tucked away another small dagger before turning to face her with a confused look. “What do you mean no thank you?”

She pushes off of the wall as Sam sneaks by and she can’t help but check out his flashy new wings. Tony just can’t stop himself from innovating and upgrading everything that the team uses. It almost makes her wish she went into engineering or robotics instead of medicine. “Hm?” she mutters, turning her attention back to Bucky. “Oh, yeah. I don’t need that.”

“Yes you do,” he says definitively as he takes hold of her hand and places the handgun in it.

She turns it over in her hand, gives it a little bounce to feel the weight of it. “I really don’t,” she says shaking her head and extending her hand back out to him. “It’s heavy,” she says absently, holding it out for him to take.

“It’s a 9-mil,” he says confusedly.

“Okay.”

“You’ve never held a 9-mil before?” he asks her, as though everyone in the world has surely used a gun at one time or another.

“A 9-mil? No.” She reaches out and takes his metal hand, deposits the gun into it just as he had done to her a moment before. “I’ve never held any gun before.”

Sam’s the one who speaks next, whipping around to face her. “You’ve never held a gun before?” He turns to find Steve, who’s up in the cockpit, punching in coordinates. “Steve!” he calls out. “Do you hear this?”

“You can’t be serious,” Bucky says, voice low and disbelieving, mouth agape.

She shifts her stance and pulls at the tight almost leather-like fabric of her suit as it suctions to her shoulder. “No, actually, I did go skeet shooting once. I think. Maybe I dreamt that…” Her thoughts begin to wander as she snakes her hand down in between the suit and the top of her shoulder. “Flame retardant is nice, but he could’ve made this a little bit more… malleable,” she mutters to herself. The suit makes a slight popping sound as her fingers work beneath the fabric. “Is it too tight?” she asks Bucky. “It feels tight.”

He simply continues to stare at her, dumfounded.

“Steve,” Sam starts as the captain makes his way over. “She doesn’t know how to fire a weapon,” he says, voice more serious than she’s ever heard it. “Did you know that?”

“She’s fine. She doesn’t need a weapon,” he tells Sam, slapping him on the shoulder. “Now, if we’re all geared up, let’s do this.”

Tessa moves to take a seat as Steve heads back to the cockpit. Sam and Bucky are left lingering in the back, matching looks of horror on their faces. “But,” Sam murmurs, “She doesn’t have any gear.”

                                             000

The group moves in under the cover of darkness, dense tropical forest flanking the compound on every side. Bucky is able to rather quickly find a safe spot on higher ground where he can see over the walls and into the courtyard. He sets up two high-powered rifles, just in case.

Sam sets out to do some recon, but he’s limited on how lose he can get as floodlights are strategically placed at every corner of the compound. “I can’t get a great view,” he says, his voice filtering through their earpieces. “But if the layout’s the same as what was in the plans, then you two need to head for the southeast corner. It should be easier to get over the wall there.”

“Negative,” Bucky replies as he scans the area with his scope. “I’m blind to that corner.”

“I thought you found a good spot.”

“I did find a good spot. You’re choosing the one area blocked by overgrowth.” The very clear annoyance in his voice makes Tessa chuckle despite herself.

“Sam,” Steve pipes up, “If we head in through there, do we have a clear path to the hostages?” The hostages should be in a small interior room just off of the main kitchen, which is buried at the very center of the compound.

“I can’t tell for sure,” he says, dialing into the new tech in his visor as he goes in for another flyby. He can’t see actual bodies from the angle he’s forced to fly at, not with the way the roofs meet. So he switches over to infrared to search out heat signatures.

“I don’t like this,” Bucky mumbles across the comms.

“You worry too much,” Tessa says as she carefully navigates the terrain just behind Steve, methodically stepping into the giant footprints he leaves in the soil.

“Yeah, man,” Sam lets out. “They’ve got this.”

An odd grumbling sounds through the earpieces, and Steve and Tessa share a quick look and a laugh. “How long you think it’ll be before he shoots Sam down?” Steve asks.

“Five minutes, tops.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Sam questions as he swoops down just above them.

“Try not to antagonize the sniper,” Steve says, his voice returning to the all-business captain. “What do you see?”

“You should be good,” Sam tells them. “Two guards at the corner. Take them out and you’ve got a clean path to the courtyard.”

“That courtyard’s filthy with hostiles,” Bucky intones, his voice calm and low as he continues his monitoring. “Even if we can distract some of them, you’ll still probably have to fight your way through. I’ll take out as many as I can when you come up.”

“Only take someone out if you have to,” Steve directs. “No unnecessary causalities.

“Steve,” he argues, words brimming with irritation, “There are at least fifteen guys in there and they’re all packing heat. Mostly Kalashnikovs, but I see at least two Uzis. Uzis, Steve. They’re not gonna let you just punch your way through.”

“Just use discretion,” he tells him in a huff. Then, “We’re moving in.”

The plan is to get in and out in no more than five minutes. Ideally, unseen, but unless they can manage a distraction big enough to get everyone out of the courtyard surrounding the house, and also clear out the house itself, that was unlikely to happen. That being said, a distraction of some sort is exactly what they need.

Sam sets down just outside of the exterior wall on the north end of the compound. He hunkers down next to some trees, just far enough away from the floodlights to remain cloaked in darkness. “I’m ready when you are,” he says.

“I feel like I’m going to regret this,” Tessa mumbles as she commando crawls to the compound. Between the black suit and her dark hair, she’s pretty well hidden. But in addition to the two guards inside the wall at this corner, there are two armed men patrolling from a balcony that runs around the third floor. If the light hits her right as one of them glances down, it’s all over.

“Don’t worry,” Steve says through the comms, still hanging back in the trees as she snakes closer. “I’ll be gentle.” There’s an unmistakably playful quality to his voice, and it in no way eases her concerns.

“I’ve heard that before,” she whispers, positioning herself about two feet out from the wall.

“Hold,” Bucky mutters as he keeps watch on the guards in the balcony. The moment they disappear around the southwest corner, he says simply, “Go.”

Tessa pulls herself up into a tabletop position and Steve sets off at a full run from the tree line. She closes her eyes and braces herself, and a small terrified squeak resounds through the comms as Steve zooms in. He bounds off her back, using the step she provides as leverage to make it to the top of the wall. He lands like a ninja, completely silent, and neither of the two guards below look up.

He’s just out of the light, but the men on the balcony will easily be able to pick him up – and pick him off – when they come back around the corner, so he’s got to move fast. He leans down over the wall, extending his hand as low as it’ll go and he nods at Tessa. She’s already about twenty feet back, readying herself to run full speed and at least try for a flying leap. She manages to get just high enough to grab onto his fingertips, but her feet lose purchase and quickly slide off the wall.

Steve’s grip is solid. He grasps her hand, holding tight, even as her body slams into the wall. He cringes and tosses a glance back behind him to see if the guards heard anything. But the wall is so solid that her relatively small frame barely made a sound in the collision. He hauls her up and takes just a second to steady her on the wall before finding his target. He drops down on top of one of the guards and puts him in a sleeper hold. The other turns to him, gun raised and ready to fire.

Without warning, the man drops. His body going limp and collapsing to the ground as though all the energy had just been drained from it. Steve looks up at Tessa and sees her sitting atop the wall, hand outstretched toward the prone man, a hint of blue sparks emanating from her fingertips.

“Thanks,” he says, dropping the now unconscious man from his hold and moving over to her. He opens his arms and she drops down into them.

“No problem,” she returns in a nasally voice. Blood is gushing from her nose and she’s blinking rapidly, trying to regain focus as she pinches it at the bridge.

“I hope you’re moving,” Bucky says with a sort of calm urgency.

Steve takes Tessa’s arm and pulls her over to an interior wall where they’ll be hidden from the guards above. “You okay?” he asks, hissing in pained solidarity as she slowly repositions her nose. There’s a long grind followed by a sharp crack, and she drops her head to his shoulder for just a moment to try and regather herself.

“Solid,” she mutters into him, her breath hitching.

“What happened?” Bucky asks, previously calm voice now peppered with concern.

“We’re good,” Steve replies simply. “Sam, we’re ready for you.”

“Copy that.”

An explosion is heard from the northern side of the property. Steve and Tessa huddle close together along the wall as shouts ring out from inside the building. They feel a breeze blow past them and look up to see Sam swoop down to land on the exterior wall they just came over. He points in the direction of the explosion, directing them to move through the path leading to the center courtyard. Steve squeezes Tessa’s hand in a silent you good? She returns the gesture, and the two start out along the path.

“We’ve got five remaining in the courtyard,” Bucky’s voice filters in through their earpieces.

“I can handle five,” Steve whispers.

“No you can’t,” he replies, watching and waiting for them to turn the corner. The minute he sees them in the periphery, he begins taking shots, nothing but a slight hiss emanating from the silenced rifle. He’s got two down by the time Steve’s actually in the courtyard, and he takes out a third while the captain disarms the other two men in rapid succession.

Steve looks back at the fallen targets. “Damnit, Buck, I told you I had them.”

“If one round got off, the rest of them would turn back and be on you in a minute flat,” he defends from his position on the hill. “Just get moving.”

“Who’s giving the orders around here?”

“Sorry,” he counters sarcastically. “From my vantage point, it seems like a good idea for you two to get moving, sir.”

Steve shakes his head and chuckles as he turns back to Tessa. “You know what to do?” She nods. “Just let me know if you see anyone coming my way.”

Steve’s on his own once he enters the house. They’re down to two minutes for the extraction, and that should be plenty of time provided the layout is as expected, the hostages are where they think they’ll be, no one catches him off guard as he moves to them, and they’re all mobile and capable of following his lead out the rear of the compound. So really, two minutes may well be next to impossible.

Tessa maneuvers out of the courtyard and around to the south side of the building where they plan to rendezvous for extraction. Bucky has a mostly clear view of that side, but he’s more focused on peering in the wall of windows as Steve makes his way through to the center of the home. “You look clear,” he tells him as he stares down his scope.

“Shit,” he hears Tessa mutter through the earpiece. He turns quickly to get her in his sights, and he sees a crazed looking man barreling towards her, rifle raised. Bucky panics and without taking proper aim, fires a single shot.

He misses completely – “Damnit” – and watches as the man collides with her. She gives a swift kick to his shoulder as they awkwardly go down, and his AK goes flying. For a brief moment, Bucky’s filled with pride. But it’s short lived. He watches as the assailant elbows her in the face, and he hears her pained grunt sound out over the comms as she fights back.

They’re just a tangle of body parts now, so he knows he can’t get off a good shot. He’s about to tell her to stand down, thinking that if she stops fighting maybe the man will sit upright and he can take him out. But before he can, the guy rolls off of her and scurries over to his felled rifle. He moves into a blind spot – “Shit” – where he’s partially hidden behind a row of pillars. Tessa pulls herself up and darts after him. “Wait!” Bucky calls out, knowing he’ll lose her back there too. “Get him out so I can get a shot.”

But she doesn’t get a chance to modify. She skids to a halt, stopping just between two pillars. He has a clear view of her, which means he also has a clear view of the muzzle of the AK-47 that’s pointed directly at her head, so close it’s nearly resting in her hair. He feels himself panic, those few seconds stretching out into a million. He’s desperately searching for a shot, but there’s nothing. He can’t find the target at all. All he can see is Tessa kneeling, gun at her head. He hears her let out a small, strained chuckle and his heart leaps into his throat.

Bang, bang! Two shots in rapid succession, fired right into her. His breath catches, heart stops.

“What was that?” Steve’s voice filters through the earpiece. “Report!”

Bucky moves the sight around, desperately searching for Tessa. He stills on blood pooling out from behind the pillar, moves the sight hesitantly, just barely, and sees the man’s seemingly lifeless arm on the ground. “I’m good,” he hears her say, not an ounce of fear to her voice.

Sam chimes in, and Bucky can see him swooping down from where he’d been perched on the roof. “Did you see that? Did anyone see that?!” He lands beside her and pulls her away through a separate doorway, fully aware that the gunshots will bring more commandos out of the compound. “That was… what did you do?”

Bucky can no longer see them, but he can almost hear the smile in her voice when she says, “Just because I’ve never fired a gun doesn’t mean I can’t use one.”

“She can redirect bullets,” Steve says sternly. “Now can we get back to business?”

Bucky, still barely breathing up on his hill, slowly moves his rifle back to the house to search for Steve. Just as he gets the sight pointed at the door, he sees Steve open it and peer slowly around the corner. There are two armed men quickly approaching from the rear. “I’ve got you,” Bucky says as he takes aim. Two quick, solid shots and they’re all clear.

[pivitor]

My Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2018

When it comes to music, ideas of "good" or "bad" or "best" are purely subjective. Frankly, it's ridiculous to suggest that any one person, or even any one group, has the authority to decide what the best albums of the year are, even if they did have the capacity to listen to every single release. But I love these kind of lists anyway because, at their best, they provide people the chance to gush about the music they loved in a year, the albums that challenged them, brought them joy, and helped reshape their lives. I don't necessarily think music should be ranked and judged, but it absolutely should be explored, examined, and shared.

The following is exactly that. These are my ten favorite albums of 2018, the ten albums I spent the most time with, got the most out of, and loved more than anything else released this year (that I had a chance to listen to, at least). If you've heard some of these albums before, I hope I can help you find something new to appreciate, or at least remind you why you liked them in the first place; if you haven't, then I hope you find a new song, band, or album here to love. 

Let's get to it:

10. MXPX -- MXPX: There were a few really strong albums competing for this final slot, but MXPX took it through sheer consistency. Every single song on this album is just an incredibly solid block of pop-punk, bolstered by some fun, yet often unexpectedly mature, lyrics. Mike Herrera and the rest of MXPX look backwards and forward simultaneously, reminiscing about their childhood and long history as a band, but also sharing the lessons they've learned along the way; on album stand-out "Moments Like This," Herrera specifically confronts the legacy he's leaving his family, and it's surprisingly poignant. MXPX is a blueprint for how any pop-punk band can mature without losing that youthful spark that makes the genre so dang fun in the first place. 

Highlights: Rolling Strong, The Way We Do, Moments Like This

9. Justin Courtney Pierre -- In The Drink: Two grueling years after the demise of Motion City Soundtrack (one of my Top Five favorite bands), former frontman Justin Courtney Pierre has returned with a solo album that manages to capture much of the spirit of MCS, but of course, with a more personal, intimate spin. Pierre still graces listeners with his intricate wordplay and earworm hooks, but also highlights some techniques and instruments that rarely took prominence in MCS (the bouncy bass in "Shoulder the Weight" is a personal favorite). In The Drink cuts right to the core of every song, especially in the exhilarating title track; the album is blistering, economical, and often ruthless, not just musically (only two songs clock in at over three minutes), but also lyrically, examining some surprisingly dark scenarios with the honesty and careful empathy fans have come to expect from Pierre. It's great to have him back (I still miss Jesse's MOOG, though).

Highlights: Anchor, Shoulder the Weight, In The Drink

8. Jeff Rosenstock -- Post-: The first album of 2018 (seriously -- Post- was a surprise release on 1/1/18) remained urgent, relevant, and relatable throughout the entire year -- that's not good for the world, but it's great for Post-. Jeff Rosenstock's social commentary is as sharp as ever, deftly mixing the political and the personal, especially in tracks like opener "USA," which dives head-first into the paranoia, apathy, and hypocrisy of modern American living. The frustration and hopelessness of trying to change a broken system coats this album like dew, but Rosenstock's approachable and energetic strain of punk make them seem manageable -- or at least bearable -- nonetheless, and closer "Let Them Win" provides much needed catharsis and hope; it's a rally cry for a better future. Post- wasn't necessarily the follow-up to Worry. that anyone expected, but it's certainly the one we needed, right when we needed it.

Highlights: Powerlessness, 9/10, Let Them Win

7. The Penske File -- Salvation: Out of all the albums on this list, Salvation by far was the biggest (and happiest) surprise. Having never heard of them before, I saw The Penske File open for (the irresistibly fun) PKEW PKEW PKEW back in October and was blown away by their harmonies, by Alex Standen's ability to balance drums and lead vocals at the same time, and most of all, by a song that dug its way into my head and wouldn't let go. That song turned out to be album stand-out "Spin My History" (easily one of my top favorite new songs of the year), and thankfully, all the best aspects of The Penske File's live show translated perfectly over to Salvation. The vocals are the perfect combination of intensity, melody, and harmony; the lyrics expertly capture and unpack moments in time; the music itself (especially when accompanied by harmonica, which pops up in a few songs) wonderfully reflects the mood of each song, be it the reckless abandon of "Lakeshore" or the aching nostalgia of "American Basements." Thanks to Salvation, I could easily see The Penske File following in the blue collar punk footsteps of bands like the Menzingers, and that's high praise indeed.

Highlights: Spin My History, Come What May, Blessed Unrest

6. Joyce Manor -- Million Dollars to Kill Me: Joyce Manor has never been a band content to make the same album twice, and Million Dollars to Kill Me not only continues the musical evolution that began on 2016's Cody, but manages to run an entire musical gamut in under 25 minutes. Million Dollars to Kill Me shows off Joyce Manor's impressive range, leaping from something approaching hardcore ("Up The Punks") to shoegaze ("Gone Tomorrow") to ballads ("I'm Not the One") to even doo wop ("Silly Games"); lead singer Barry Johnson likewise moves between the frenetic, frantic yowls of "Up The Punks" or "Big Lie" to the gentle, sing-songy joy of "Wildflowers," revealing new facets to his voice and thus finding new notes for Joyce Manor to hit. Underneath it all, though, lies some wonderfully classic emo, with Johnson channeling intelligent, introspective, and bittersweet lyrics into each and every track. Not every song on Million Dollars to Kill Me is going to work for every listener, but every single one of them is guaranteed to leave an impression. 

Highlights: Big Lie, Million Dollars to Kill Me, Wildflowers

5. Bad Moves -- Tell No One: On first listen, it might be Tell No One's flawless harmonies that most catch your attention, or perhaps the bouncy, infectious melodies of its early tracks. Spend some time with it, though, and Tell No One has so much more to offer. Bad Moves makes some truly ambitious musical leaps here, especially on tracks like "Out of Reach," whose bridge and outro layers several different, contrasting harmonies over a darkly ominous riff; it's the musical equivalent of standing at the edge of a hurricane, and it's exhilarating. Ultimately, though, it may be Tell No One's lyrics that leave the greatest impression. Bad Moves creates anthems for those on the outskirts of society; Tell No One features songs about dealing with disappointing your family, forbidden romances, dark family secrets, growing up queer, facing police harassment, and the toll hiding parts of yourself can take on you, but also some uplifting tracks about using everything you've got to make life better for everyone around you. There's albums I liked more this year, but I don't think there's any lyrics that hit home for me harder than the ones on Tell No One.

Highlights: Spirit FM, Out of Reach, Missing You

4. The Get Up Kids -- Kicker: Kicker is the Get Up Kids record I've wanted for more than a decade now; it's a band recapturing lightning in a bottle. The first three tracks channel the pop-punk glory of the Red Letter Day/Something to Write Home About era without copying it wholesale (there's a rawness to the guitars and Matt Pryor's voice that was absent on those releases; it's very rock and roll), and the lyrics take that trademark Get Up Kids earnestness and update it for 2018, with Pryor and Jim Suptic tackling topics like regret, responsibility, and family with the same honesty and emotional intensity they once saved for tales of adolescent love and heartbreak. And then comes the closer, "My Own Reflection," which sounds like nothing the Get Up Kids have ever done before, a track driven by one of James Dewees' best synth-lines, some propulsive drums, and a striking, surprising bit of profanity. It's somehow upbeat and downbeat simultaneously, totally bittersweet, and thus emo in a nutshell, while also transcending so many of the genre's (and this band's) most common cliches; if these four songs are the future of the Get Up Kids, then it's a bright one indeed. The main reason Kicker isn't ranked higher on this list is because it's an EP rather than a full record (it's harder to keep this level of quality up for 12 tracks instead of 4), but let's not mince words: every single song on this EP is perfect.

Highlight: My Own Reflection

3. Save Face -- Merci: Merci would be ambitious even if it wasn't Save Face's debut release -- it's a concept album about addiction and the way it can destroy lives and relationships, accompanied by music videos for each and every track, linking together to form a visual novel of sorts. What's even more impressive than all that ambition, though, is the fact that it all works -- the overall concept forms a compelling narrative on its own, but should still resonate with anyone who's dealt with addiction or mental illness, with heartbreak and loss, with self-hatred or self-destructive habits. All those ideas are packaged within some truly explosive tunes -- Save Face's riffs are so big it's a wonder they can even be contained within the record, and singer Tyler Povanda's voice cracks with passion and mania, accompanied by some cathartic, soul-piercing screams, yet Povanda also has the range to capture the smaller, more nuanced emotions beneath all the outsized drama. The simple melodies reveal more and more layers the more you listen to them, creating a record I've returned to over and over, consistently, throughout 2018. Merci is almost as addictive as the substances its songs highlights, although in this case, that's a feature, not a bug.

Highlights: Bad, Plans, Love

2. Saves the Day -- 9: There's a line from their song "It's Such a Beautiful World" that sums up both Saves the Day and their newest album, 9, perfectly: "Let them say what they say/we're gonna play what we play." That instinct has proven polarizing at times, but as an absolute Saves the Day fanatic, I've always found it a joy and privilege to join the band as they follow their muse, and thankfully, 9 is no exception. 9 is an investigation and celebration of Saves the Day's history and legacy; some listeners have criticized this as being self-indulgent, but Saves the Day has always been a band that's channeled very specific scenarios into relatable and cathartic emotion, and at its best, 9 does just that, from the power and joy of friendship ("Side By Side") to nostalgia and the way our experiences help us change and grow ("Rendezvous"), all of it wrapped up in the power music has to bring people together (and if that last point's not something you can appreciate, then I'm not sure how you even found this list). Meanwhile, "Rosé'" provides a classic Saves the Day diss track that wouldn't feel that out of place on Stay What You Are, while the 22 minute "29" transforms frontman Chris Conley's entire life story into a sprawling epic that needs to be heard to believed. 9 also provides an opportunity for each and every member of the band to show off; lead guitarist Arun Bali continues to highlight his ability to shred in increasingly cool and unique ways, Rodrigo Palma sneaks fun bass flourishes into every song, absolutely taking charge of "1997," and Conley stretches his voice to unexpected heights, be it the yowls of "Side By Side" or the falsetto of "Saves the Day." Hell, they even kick 9 off by writing their own theme song. If you can't appreciate that, this probably isn't the album for you, but man, that is my exact kind of jam.

Highlights: Side By Side, Rosé, 29

1. The Wonder Years -- Sister Cities: I can't remember the last time I've seen an album become an essential part of a band's canon as fast as Sister Cities has, especially considering how far The Wonder Years are into their career at this point. Sister Cities is undeniably a Wonder Years album despite sounding almost nothing like what's come before, and in large part, that's due to Dan Campbell's sheer skill as a storyteller. The songs on Sister Cities pick up the ideas of compassion, connectivity, and home introduced on previous albums and take them global; Campbell discovers the similarities between his relationship and the relationship of a homeless couple despite all their differences, finds a lifeline from his overwhelming grief half a world away, and just overall finds power in exploring what holds us together as human beings rather than what splits us apart. Even the music videos tap hard into these ideas; last winter I wrote about how the video for "Sister Cities" finds power in connection, and its follow up, "Raining in Kyoto," expands upon this by cutting back and forth between life in Kyoto and Philadelphia, showing how, no matter where you go, people are just trying to live their lives the best they can. Lyrically, Campbell just keeps getting better and better, creating vivid metaphors and word pictures and finding perfect turns of phrases; he's straight-up the best in the biz at knowing just when and how to use profanity to the maximum effect (seriously, nobody else should be allowed to use the word "goddamn" in a song until they can do it even half as well as Campbell does in "Pyramids of Salt" or "Flowers Where Your Face Should Be"). Musically, Sister Cities takes big risks, and finds success, in going small more often than not, but reaches its greatest heights in closer "The Ocean Grew Hands To Hold Me," a song that just builds and builds until it reaches this epic swell of pure catharsis that just washes over you like the ocean. Honestly, Sister Cities is so emotional that it can sometimes be hard to listen to. That kind of power is that makes it my favorite album of 2018.

Highlights: Sister Cities, Flowers Where Your Face Should Be, The Ocean Grew Hands To Hold Me

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Discography Power Ranking: 2Pac

Simply put, Tupac Amaru Shakur is an icon. In a career lasting just nine years, 2Pac was able to become one of the most influential and most loved men, not just in the world of hip-hop but in the world period. The man made such an impact that people jump whenever his name is mentioned, prompting conspiracy theories that he is still alive in a Cuban bunker, Performances at festivals that were not around during his lifetime or appearing on songs with people he had never met.  

From a backup dancer in the Hip-Hop group, Digital Underground, all the way to going selling millions of records as a part of Death Row Records, 2Pac was able to amass one of the strongest discographies in the industry. But how do they rank in my books?

The difference a few years can make...

I will rank his five solo studio albums, worst to best (That’s right, only the five albums released with his creative input and not with the collaborative efforts of the groups Thug Life or The Outlawz, not five posthumous studio albums or the fourteen posthumous compilation albums. Like bruh…of the projects I just mentioned, only Thug Life Volume 1 was released in his lifetime…why so many albums???). So without further ado, I am Ayo and in commemoration of 2Pac’s 46th Birthday and the release of his biopic film, this is the first Album Power Ranking.

5. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... Released: February 16 1993 Label: Amaru Entertainment, Interscope Records, T.N.T Recordings Certifications: Platinum Peak Chart Position: 24 (US Billboard 200), 4 (US Top RnB/ Hip Hop Albums)

The album that has been regarded as 2Pac’s breakout album. On this album, he implements a more mainstream sound and has an all-star list of features. As well as hit songs “I Get Around” and “Keep Ya Head Up”, the album has spawned a few underrated songs in 2Pac’s discography such as “Papa’z Song”, “Last Wordz” (featuring Ice Cube and Ice T) and the titular track “Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...”

2Pac- I Get Around Featuring Shock G and Money-B (of Digital Underground)

There is one very strong issue with this album…the production. In my opinion, I believe this album has the worst production of the five total studio albums. The booming, over-the-top instrumentation that is present on a majority of the songs is overbearing and often overshadows the artists when they rap (which is a big no-no). Aside from their superior lyrical content, the reason why the songs I mentioned earlier were able to shine was because the production was more understated and you could actually hear the artists clearly. Also, unlike other albums on this list, the production is a victim of the times; the album ultimately sounds old and dated. If you were to try and introduce someone to Pac for the first time and you were to play songs from this album, it might switch them off completely.

While the lyrical content remains consistent with a 2Pac project, the dated production ruins the overall aesthetic of the album.

Rating: 3/5

4. 2Pacalypse Now Released: November 12, 1991 Label: Amaru Entertainment, Interscope Records, T.N.T Recordings, Jive Records Certifications: Gold Peak Chart Position: 64 (US Billboard 200), 13 (US Top RnB/ Hip Hop Albums)

This is where it all began. 2Pac’s debut album (and one of his most impactful albums imo).  It is his earliest showing of his wide scope of social commentary regarding the plight of those in America’s lower social classes (more specifically, black people) while showing his poetic delivery and his impressive story-telling abilities. It is very hard to overlook any of the songs on this album yet there are a few standout tracks such as “Brenda’s Got a Baby”, the iconic yet tragic story of the teenage Brenda, “Violent”, the story of two black males fighting back against the police and “Words of Wisdom”, a song addressing his fellow black people while discussing the issues of America and criticising the American system. (coining his famous acronym for the word nigga, “Never Ignorant, Getting Goals Accomplished)

2Pac- Brenda’s Got a Baby Featuring Dave Hollister

As much as I love this album, it is not without its flaws. With the underground hip hop style of the rapping and production, it is hard for it to have a wider reach in mass appeal. If 2Pac’s name wasn’t attached to it, could we say that would have even reached Gold, selling just over 900,000 copies? While Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... went over the top with the production, 2Pacalypse Now was very simple, possibly too simple; it does not have instrumentation that grips you instantly. While it could be argued that is places more focus on 2Pac’s lyrics, it does take a while to grip you.

Despite its rather understated delivery, 2Pacalypse Now was a strong debut that displays the strengths of 2Pac immediately.

Rating 4/5

3. Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory Released: November 5, 1996 Label: Amaru Entertainment, Interscope Records, T.N.T Recordings, Jive Records Certifications: 4x Platinum Peak Chart Position: 1 (US Billboard 200), 1 (US Top RnB/ Hip Hop Albums)

The first album released after 2Pac’s sudden death in late 1996, KIlluminati: The 7 Day Theory is an interesting album. For starters, while it is a posthumous release, it still counts as one of his studio albums as the lyric writing, recording, and mixing of the entire album was all completed in the first week of August 1996 (one month before the fatal drive-by shooting). The naming of the album was completely screwed up. It was supposed to be “The Don Makaveli- Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory” (according to Outlaw member E.D.I. Mean and cover artist Ronald "Riskie" Brent in an August 2014 interview) and frankly, it makes more sense than the eventual name of “The Don Killuminati”. It has the very best album cover in his discography and one of the more controversial covers in hip-hop history. It does not have a star-studded feature list or big-name producers yet Killuminati delivers one of the rawest sounds of any 2Pac record, predominantly featuring fellow members of the Outlawz and production by QD3, Hurt-M-Badd and Darryl “Big D” Harper (Fun fact, Demetrius Shipp, one of the producers on the single “Toss it up” is the father of Demetrius Shipp Jr, the actor portraying 2Pac in the biopic “All Eyez on Me”).

Contrary to previous albums, this album has a different kind of sound in his voice. With songs like “Hail Mary”, “Bomb First” and “Life of an Outlaw”, 2Pac raps with an angry passion, a true reflection of his increased paranoia of the people around him and the industry he was a part of. Songs like “Krazy” and “Hold Ya Head” switch up the style and offer the introspective and vulnerable style he had become known for however this time, he speaks in a way that shows he was ready to die and was not afraid about his fate. With songs like “Live or Die in LA” and “Toss it Up”, he tries to recapture the party feeling captured in his previous album, All Eyez On Me but it misses the mark and feels out of place for this album. 

2Pac- Hail Mary Featuring The Outlawz & Prince Ital Joe

Finally, this album has 2Pac dissing EVERYONE. Nas, Notorious B.I.G, Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Entertainment, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Henchman…just to name “a few”. He completely goes off on this album, wrapping it all up in the outro diss track “Against All Odds” (which is his very best diss track. It is superior to “Hit ‘em up” in every way…don’t @ me). While it is cool to hear Pac insult everyone and spill the tea, Killuminati does not leave Pac in a good light, especially since it was released after his death. How many of us want to think about him spending a majority of his final album dissing people?

Despite the possibility of leaving a sour taste in the mouths of listeners, 2Pac rides off into the sunset in a passionate and angry blaze of glory.

Rating: 4/5

2. Me Against the World Released: March 14, 1995 Label: Out Da Gutta Records, Interscope Records, Atlantic Records Certifications: 2x Platinum Peak Chart Position: 1 (US Billboard 200), 1 (US Top RnB/ Hip Hop Albums)

Two gold singles, one platinum album, assault charges in the summer of 1993, charges for shooting off-duty police officers and sexual assault in the autumn of the same year, a subsequent sentencing of 1.5 to 4.5 years in prison, robbed and shot five times the day before this verdict is even reached…needless to say that life was a rollercoaster for the young Tupac Shakur. Despite the pitfalls, things were about to raise for Mr. Shakur. While incarcerated, his third studio album, “Me Against the World” is released to critical acclaim and huge commercial success (this would become his first album to debut at the number 1 spot and the first album to debut at number 1 while the artist was imprisoned). The idea of him losing popularity while locked up was unheard of as more people flocked to him than ever before…this album was one of the reasons.

At the time, Me Against the World was regarded as the best album he had released. While 2Pacalypse Now displayed his social consciousness and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… showed his ability to generate mainstream appeal, Me Against the World was able to show one of the most important qualities a musician needs when making music; emotional vulnerability. Unlike the anger showed in Killuminati or the discontent in 2Pacalypse Now, this album is bleak. It is sad. It is sensitive. One thing to consider is that this was released at a time where rappers were portraying themselves as untouchable gangstas. This album switches that perspective, humanising these gangstas and making them more relatable to ourselves, the listeners. One song that everyone remembers from this album is “Dear Mama” and this is within good reason. One of the easiest, yet effective ways of humanising gangsta rappers, showing that despite every wrong-doing that they have done in life, they are eternally grateful for their mothers and always have their best interests at heart. Many have tried to capture the magic 2Pac created with this song but no other rap song dedicated to mothers have been able to overtake.

2Pac- Dear Mama

Mother love aside, this album shows so much more. His paranoia of the people around him is on full blast on this album, with songs such as “Death Around the Corner” and “If I Die 2nite”. With death being a constant fear in 2Pac’s mind, it is only a matter of time until depression grips him, which is evidently clear on songs like “So Many Tears” and “Lord Knows”. Even on more positive songs like “Can U Get Away” and “Old School”, he is able to show a type of vulnerability not commonly seen, with the former having him talking to a woman who he is in love with but she is already in an [abusive] relationship, trying to get her to leave while the latter shows him reminiscing over all the rappers that he looked up to growing up. With some of the very best songs 2Pac has ever created, this album is an absolute classic that deserves to be listened to.

Rating: 4.75/5

1. All Eyez On Me Released: February 13, 1996 Label: Deathrow Records, Interscope Records Certifications: Diamond (10x Platinum) Peak Chart Position: 1 (US Billboard 200), 1 (US Top RnB/ Hip Hop Albums)

After being bailed out by Suge Knight and Jimmy Iovine in October of 1995, 2Pac had become a changed man. Months spent wrongfully imprisoned and time spent studying philosophy of war and military strategy (amongst other things, no doubt) had transformed Tupac Shakur into a more dark and menacing individual. It was this new-found attitude that helped fuel something truly special.

Me Against the World is one of the greatest albums in hip hop’s history and it is one of the very best of 2Pac yet there is only one project in his discography (at least in my mind) that is better. It was released just under a year later, with a titular phrase that has become synonymous with 2Pac…” All Eyez on Me” Where Me Against the World plays highly upon the emotional vulnerability the lifestyle he lives has created, All Eyez on Me has the complete opposite effect. No longer does 2Pac live in fear or paranoia over the possible events that could happen to him but instead he lives for the present, embracing the thug culture and welcoming everything: the police, rival rappers, people who wish him ill, with open arms. Even if it was for a short time, 2Pac showed with this album that he had become fearless and frankly, it can be liberating for the listener.

All Eyez on Me is a double album consisting of fourteen tracks for Book 1 and thirteen tracks for Book 2, comprising a total of twenty-seven tracks. I am someone who is very particular about the length of a project, anything longer than an hour (so about 14-16 tracks total) begins to bug me. Yet, All Eyez on Me is one of the few projects over twenty tracks (and one of the few double disc albums to add) that is able to work through and through. Nearly everything on the album fits in so well, allowing it to play seamlessly, with very few skippable tracks (but they are there *Cough* “What’z Ya Phone #” *Cough*). But what is even better is that the two sides of the album are different enough for them to be considered as two different projects. Either way, the listening experience of the album is not compromised.

This album has that definitive 2Pac sound that is recognised the world over. If you ask someone to name a 2Pac song, there is a very strong chance that it would be on this album. Whether it is iconic songs such as “Ambitionz Az a Ridah”, “California Love”, “All Eyez on Me”, “How Do You Want It”, “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” or “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted” (featuring Snoop Dogg!) or even underrated tracks like “Only God Can Judge Me”, “No More Pain”, “Got My Mind Made Up” (This song has Tha Dogg Pound and Method Man and Redman featured, that’s 2 of the most iconic rap duos right there), “When We Ride” or “Picture Me Rollin’”, there is a chance you have heard it and there is a chance (at least I hope) that you enjoyed it.

2Pac- California Love (Remix) Featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman

The production on this is timeless, it has some of the best sounding list of features I have ever heard on any rap album, 2Pac is able to lyrically bounce back and forth between serious topics and party lyrics and overall, he solidified himself as an icon with this project.

I believe All Eyez on Me is the very best project released by Tupac Shakur and if you’ve never heard it…go and listen…please?

Rating: 5/5

[mononohke-archive]

Anime Roundup Pt.1 - Fall 2016 [Spoilers]

It’s that time of the season again where I get to write thousands of words nitpicking whatever anime I happened to watch! For the first time, I want to add a SPOILER warning because although I don’t go out of my way to spoil plot points, I will bring them up if necessary. This is late once again, and honestly I don’t have much of an excuse. I did have some writers’ block, but I also just procrastinated a lot. It’s a good thing no one cares about my opinions in the first place! :D 

Also, I had to split this into two parts because apparently there is a word limit of 5000 on text posts. 

Overall: This was a really damn good season. The were a couple of disappointments, yes, but it still mostly good and there were a few amazing, Anime of the Year contenders too.

Total Anime: 11 | Average Score: 7.5 | Word Count: 5058

- (DIRECT) SEQUELS -

Bungou Stray Dogs 2nd Season [7/10]

Oh... Bungou Stray Dogs. How dare you do that to me? How dare you get so damn good you made me cry, then a few episodes later, take it all away? That’s what the first 4-episode, completely unrelated flashback arc of this second season did. Meaning: it switches protagonists (focusing on a character/friend from Dazai’s past in Port Mafia), switches tone, and switches... um, quality of writing to be perfectly honest. This whole 4-episode arc is like a masterpiece compared to the rest of the show before and after. I need to talk about why I like it better so much.

#1) The main character is someone I ended up really caring about. Oda Sakunosuke (voiced by the great Jun Suwabe) is a Port Mafia hitman who is unwilling to actually kill people. Despite his job, he takes care of a few adopted kids and tries so hard to do what’s right and follow his principles. He is a protagonist which I rarely see, and I fell in love with him instantly. Compare him to Atsushi who is... just okay... nothing special... kind of boring by comparison, actually. I have issues with being invested with the characters in the main storyline.

Of all the people in the Agency, I only like Kunikida and the boss, Yuki. Collectively, they don’t get much screen time, especially compared to Dazai, but even I did not have a problem with Dazai in this arc. His stupid suicide jokes and tomfoolery are severely toned down and frankly, he’s a lot more likable like this. The other side characters were great too, like the villain, Gide (voiced by another one of my favorite seiyuu, Shinichirou Miki).

#2) Total difference. If you haven’t seen BSD, you won’t know that it is full of humorous moments. A lot of it is... hit and miss. And sure, it’s not overall or primarily a comedy, but the comedy elements are pretty strong and frequent, especially in the first season. In this arc though, there was almost no humor. It was a serious gangster drama with a few supernatural elements. It’s almost comparable to last season’s 91 Days, which I personally enjoyed a lot.

#3) Genre shift. This is related to the previous number and to reiterate, the first arc of BSD season 2 is a dead serious gangster action/drama. The rest of the show is highly comedic with a lot of anime tropes/cliches, but the flashback arc had none of that. It almost didn’t feel like an anime. It was a legitimate crime drama (with the focus on the criminals instead of the police) which is actually really damn rare in anime. I praised 91 Days a lot for this in the previous season, so BSD gave me another taste of that and it was beautifully done. The bleak, but still beautiful color grading, the 1930s aesthetic despite it taking place in modern times, the soundtrack, everything was on point.

Aaand that’s why I upped the score by one point compared to the first season. This flashback arc did it for me. It made me desperately wish that BSD was about Odasaku and Port Mafia instead of Atsushi and the Agency. If this arc was released alone as an OVA, I would’ve given it a 9 for sure.

To be fair though, this season was also genuinely better than the first in a few ways. Namely, the introduction of the overseas/foreign group of specialists full of familiar Western authors like Mark Twain and H.P. Lovecraft. The leader of The Guild, F. Scott Fitzgerald (played by another one of my faves, Takahiro Sakurai), in particular is a delight to watch as he pulls the strings of his evil plans. Generally, all the new additions to the cast, including the extra focus on Port Mafia, are highly entertaining to follow, much better than the Agency alone. Although the Guild arc is a little bit rushed because of the flashback arc, the pacing and everything just felt a lot more exciting than the previous season.

Other than that, I can’t say I have any new criticisms or appraisals. Most of the things I mentioned in my first review of Bungou Stray Dogs carries over. I do want to praise the production values again because this show genuinely has top-tier animation and sound design (because Production I.G.). Forget what I previously said about the direction because that and the cinematography are beautiful. Some of the shots in the show are worthy of being framed. Even the soundtrack was good, even if it isn’t particularly memorable. The biggest, and pretty much only, flaws that this show has is in the writing/plot and characters and those are really important things. Great writing can often make up for a lack of production values, but it usually does work the other way around.

Haikyuu!! 3rd Season [8/10]

I was kind of surprised that for the next sequel of Haikyuu!!, they would dedicate an entire (10 episode) season just to one match. Even now, I question that decision. Don’t get me wrong, Haikyuu!! is still as good as it ever was in terms of production values, writing, voice acting*, etc buuut having 10 episodes dedicated to one match and nothing else? I’m not a fan of it.

Part of that is because as far as sports anime goes, I tend to favor training arcs and down time in-between matches, more than actual matches themselves (and I also prefer shorter matches). This “season” is one rather lengthy match, with nothing after it or before it like in the previous seasons. I’m sure I would’ve been fine with it if it was part of a full 25 episode season. That’s why I actually dropped it one point instead of being a 9/10 like the first two seasons.

Other than that, I don’t really have any complaints... I mean, yes, my preference for shorter matches is a thing, but it’s not at all badly paced like Diamond no Ace. But looking back, I might’ve preferred marathoning it than watching it week-to-week like I did...

*RIP to the original voice actor of Ukai, Kazunari Tanaka.

Natsume Yuujinchou Go [10/10]

Watching this new season of Natsume Yuujinchou was like meeting and old friend. It was like going home. With the exception of a slight change in art style, there is no difference at all between this and the last season that aired back in 2012. My biggest complaint, honestly, is that Go only had 11 episodes rather than 13 like every other season does. Thankfully, another season is guaranteed next year, so it’s not over!

Now, I don’t want to discuss every reason why I love Natsume Yuujinchou so much because I plan to do that one day in a proper review of the series as a whole, but let’s just say that this series is really important to me. This season gave me what I wanted: more fun, heartwarming, and emotional anecdotes of Natsume’s everyday life interacting with youkai and humans alike as well as a bit more backstory of Natsume, Natori, Matoba, and Natsume’s family/friends and the slight moving forward of an overarching plot. Further character development for some few characters also happened in the usual subtle way.

I’m so happy Natsume has maintained its level of quality, even with the studio change. All the original voice actors and most of the original production crew came back. Thank god for this consistency because not all shows get it (*coughsdgmcoughs*).

- INDIRECT SEQUELS & NON-SEQUELS -

Days [7/10]

This is a sports anime. Just a regular sports anime which hits all the beats of every other sports anime. The production values are pretty decent, although the CGI players in long shots are somewhat distracting, but they are nothing special.

So why did I like this one? Well, aside from how I generally favor sports anime (albeit for shallow reasons like good yaoi art/doujins/fanfiction), I did get invested in the characters, that much is undeniable. What helps is that the voice cast is incredible, with Takahiro Sakurai, Daisuke Ono, Tomokazu Seki, Daisuke Namikawa, etc etc. Yes, despite the sameyness of this sports anime, I took a liking to it. It entertained me and it’s good enough for a sports anime, which I rate relative to each other, not other anime of different genres.

Days, in all actuality, is pretty average, but I liked the characters a lot and that’s enough for me.

Drifters [7/10]

Before I start talking about this one, I am not familiar with Hellsing (yet, but it is on my plan-to-watch list), so I can’t really use that as a comparison. Now then, Drifters is a little strange to me because on one hand, it really plays to some of my base desires/guilty pleasures and overall I found it fun to watch. For example, It’s incredibly gorey and violent, which I appreciate. It’s a massive crossover story with famous historical figures and takes place in a very Lord of the Rings-esque (almost like a cliffnotes version) alternate universe. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and has plenty of hilarious and cool moments.

On the other hand, there’s a lot of unfunny “offensive” humor/etc that really takes me out of the viewing experience. How can I properly enjoy something when I’m always lowkey uncomfortable? Some of the sexism and homophobia/transphobia is so bad it feels like an 80s anime. (If you’ve seen an older anime, you know how much more blatant they are.) How is this writer still stuck so far in the past? Get a clue, man, most modern anime is usually at least subtle about it.

Anyway, aside from that, I did also have some problems with other things, which I can only describe vaguely because sometimes I zoned out while watching the show. Well, regardless, I still thought Drifters was pretty good, and I liked it, but it sure as hell is flawed. Looking forward to the second season though.

Fune wo Amu [5/10]

If I had to pick the most disappointing anime of the season, it would be this one. Not that Fune wo Amu/The Great Passage is actually bad, per se, but I expected much more. Granted, it was probably my fault in the first place. I made a lot of assumptions about what it would be like because I heard Haruko Kumota was attached to the project and thought it would be a masterpiece drama like Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (written/drawn by Kumota) earlier this year. Turns out that Fune no Amu is actually based off of a novel written by someone else and Haruko Kumota is merely the character designer for the anime and is currently drawing the manga adaptation.

Even so, this anime looked promising. The whole premise centering around an adult cast working on the production of a dictionary (a somewhat mundane job) is exceedingly rare in anime. Sooo... maybe it would give a unique experience since there would be little-to-no anime cliches and tropes, right? Um, well, yeah that’s the thing. While is succeeded in not having that many of anime’s typical pitfalls, it did not succeed in making the characters or dictionaries in general interesting.

The biggest problem with Fune wo Amu is the complete lack of focus. It kind of goes all over the place and tries to cover everything, but instead it spreads the narrative thin. The only exception is Majime (the main character)’s connection to dictionary making, but even that is marred by a different issue (which I’ll get to after this). There are other things which are subplots or otherwise brought up, but never get properly explored or resolved.

For example: the romance between Majime and Kaguya. For a few episodes, they interact a little bit, Majime has a crush on her, halfway through he writes a cheesy love letter to her and bam! 10+ year time skip and they’re happily married. As someone who hates romance in general, it’s really weird for me to say that I wanted more focus on the romance. (On a sidenote, can I just say that Kaguya’s career of becoming a chef and restaurant owner in an extremely male dominated/sexist industry is about hundred times more interesting than Majime faffing about with dictionaries? Makes me wish the anime was about her instead.)

And that’s not the only thing ofc... the friendship between Majime and Nishioka was not really resolved. The old man and his dedication to making the dictionary was there in the beginning and brought back only at the very end as he’s about to pass away. Almost everything felt like it didn’t get enough attention.

As for Majime’s character development and his relationship with dictionary making. The problem with that is not really the writing, but with the imagery. The symbolism in this show is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. A character says something like “a sea of words” to describe making a dictionary and then later in the episode, Majime has a dream where he’s literally in a sea of words. Not only is it distracting as hell, but it feels unfitting for this kind of anime. Yes, there is some media where big and bold imagery is the way to go (Gurren Lagann, anyone?), but Fune wo Amu is not it. If the symbolism was more subtle or abstract, it definitely would’ve worked in its favor. Instead, it’s hamfisted and corny. If you want a good example of subtle, interesting, and effective imagery from a show with a similar vibe, watch Rakugo Shinjuu (which is in my top 3 best anime of 2016).

I also have to quickly mention the music, even though it’s not visual, because it also suffers the problem of being too obvious and distracting. It’s not a good thing when the main theme kicks in and I groan because it annoys me that much. Again, a more subtle soundtrack would’ve been better. Other than those major problems, there’s nothing really of note to mention. The animation itself is decent and the voice acting is fine as usual. Nothing standout though, despite the cast full of veterans.

So in the end, I struggled between giving this an anime a 5 or 6. I originally settled on a 6, but then lowered it back down to a 5 because I was being too forgiving.

[freinhardt56]

BEST WESTERN CARTOONS OF THE DECADE

With the return of Avatar: The Last Airbender to the popular psyche, I thought it would be a good time to rank the Western Cartoons it inspired in the decade after the show aired: the 2010s. While no shows were able to dethrone the Legend of Aang, every cartoon on this list is worth watching, which is not something I could say about the 10 best western cartoons of any other decade.

Notes: 

This list only contains TV shows appropriate for children created in North America or Europe that ‘aired’ 2011-2020.

Some of these shows are considered anime, but I would also consider them cartoons. Cartoons that are also anime are labeled (A).

These are my opinions, DM me if you respectfully disagree. 

#1 The Legend of Korra (A)

At its best moments, The Legend of Korra is everything I want out of a TV show. Aside from Book 2 - which is still a better season than half of the shows on this list ever produced - The Legend of Korra brought thrilling dozen-episode seasons to the world of Avatar. The villains are philosophically and emotionally compelling - unnervingly convincing as well. Indeed all of the characters are wonderful, and the show gives each one of them their due, despite how very many of them there are. The score is hands-down #1 on this list. The action is arguably better than any North American cartoon in history. The "Holy Shit" moments are not only surprising, but always satisfying to rewatch. Yet despite all of that and more, Korra's greatest strength is its protagonist. Korra grows every season, but is also deeply hurt by her experiences, leading to one of the best mental illness rebounds in Book 4. The Legend of Korra may boast some of the best representation, visuals, and mythology in TV history, but even if it didn’t, the protagonist could carry The Legend of Korra to the #1 spot on this list.

#2 Steven Universe

Steven Universe may not be a consistently high quality show, and rarely does it provide great fight scenes or animation. But on an emotional level, Steven Universe has everything going for it. Gem fusion is one of my favorite concepts in television. The characters are memorable, lovable, and relatable. The songs are Broadway quality, powerful, and I sing them when I need to feel the feelings they express. The representation is truly exemplary, the voice talent is movie-grade, and the characters reflect many our own real experiences. Steven Universe has taught me to master my emotions in a manner I use to educate psychology postdoctoral students. This show is fantastic... if you don't mind slogging through Season 1.

#3 The Dragon Prince

While The Legend of Korra is the official successor to Avatar the Last Airbender, The Dragon Prince is its spiritual successor. The first 3 seasons have been visually gorgeous, character-driven, and more rewatchable than just about any show on this list. The moral messages - specifically that history should not be a story of strength, but a story of love - shake the medieval fantasy genre to its core. The character and especially world-design leaves no stone unturned. Book 1′s framerate isn’t always fast enough, but its quality dramatically improved for the 2nd and 3rd Books, along with the representation (which was still pretty solid in season 1). If the show is given the 4 extra seasons it deserves, the world-building could easily rival that of Elder Scrolls, Warcraft and Avatar, and may even jump to the #1 spot on this list. 

#GIVEUSTHESAGA

#4 She-Ra

Before season 5 premiered, She-Ra was going to be in the bottom half of this list. While seasons 1-4 were very good at dealing with abuse, and making us care about abusers and victims alike (sometimes the same person), the show felt very slow and undriven. Season 5 on the other hand was a total treat. The show improved on its weaknesses, with high quality action, perfect pacing, and very real stakes. Furthermore, the show took its strengths to legendary levels. The damage dealt to Catra’s psyche over 4 seasons began to heal realistically, in the best redemption arc on this list. The expressions of love and willpower become even stronger to fight Horde Prime. And most importantly, Catradora gave us the climax kiss scene the action-adventure gays deserve. 

#5 Voltron: Legendary Defender (A) 

If any show on this list has better animation or action than The Legend of Korra, it is Voltron (probably because Studio Mir is just that good). Voltron's core characters are all relatable and wonderful, with each of the core 7 finding time in the spotlight. It is incredibly rewatchable, the stakes are always real, and Season 7 is gritty as all hell. Weaknesses include a slow first season, and a frustrating instance of ‘bury your gays’.   

#6 Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Clone Wars has some truly forgettable and unwatchable episodes, even for the most die-hard Star Wars fans, putting this #6 show in a whole different tier than the top 5. But the upside to being an anthology series in a large expanded universe is that the best parts of Clone Wars stick with you, and can be re-watched without context again and again. The Clone Wars earns the #6 spot on this list for arcs like The 2nd Battle of Geonosis, Carnage of Krell, Arc Troopers, Mortis, The Wrong Jedi, Fugitive Fives, Old Friends Not Forgotten, and all episodes relating to Maul and/or Mandalore. 

#7 Star Wars: Rebels

Rebels is frustrating in its spotty execution, because at its best it is everything I want out of a Star Wars cartoon: The main cast is 5 lovable characters who make a found family aboard the best ship in the rebellion (according to Han Solo). They include a victim of genocide who helps rebuild a home for his people, a Mandalorian artist (who invented the rebel insignia) abandoned by her people when she stood up for what she believes in, a master and apprentice Jedi learning to live and learn from each other in a post-Order 66 world, and a brilliant pilot Mom who is honestly just the best. The show becomes more consistently great as time goes on, but there are plenty of filler episodes and episodes you wish were filler so that you could tell people to skip them. 

#8 Miraculous Ladybug

ML’s biggest strengths are in its gorgeous 3D animation and the ‘love square,’ a set of 4 ships consisting of two wonderful characters with superhero alter-egos. The show is fun, sweet, and has a brilliant supporting cast, but its poor writing and immense untapped potential (even after 78 episodes????) put it near the bottom of this list.

#9 Star Vs The Forces of Evil

Marco Diaz, Eclipsa, overtones of decolonization, and especially Star Butterfly, are what make this show worth watching. Star vs the Forces of Evil suffers from immense quantities of true filler and a mediocre supporting cast which would be damning enough to knock most shows of this list, but our Shooting Star is easily one of the best protagonists in this category, earning her show the #9.    

#10 Young Justice

Young Justice has too many great characters - which frankly is this show’s strength and weakness. While there are alot of really cool side-character arcs, this show’s main cast is too big to have any of the arcs really hit home. The show is worth watching to fall in love with the cast, but I can’t promise it will stick with you (though it did stick with enough fans to bring the show back for a 3rd season).