#played some tag climax after beating the main story and it's fun!

[fluffypichu876]

if bayonetta 2 can have an online mode where you and a friend beat the shit out of angels and demons together, then dmc can too.

[philcoulsonismyhero]

Fic Writer Interview

I got tagged by the excellent @astriiformes Ages ago to do this fic writer interview thing, and I’m finally getting around it! So here goes...

Name:

Mairi (sounds like 'marry'), Kamemor over on AO3 (after a particularly cool Romulan politician in a Star Trek novel, if you were wondering)

Fandoms:

Currently, I'm writing a lot of RWBY fic and that's unlikely to change because I'm deep in Special Interest Hell with no signs of coming up for air. In the past, I've also written a bunch of stuff for Criminal Minds and The Flash/DCTV. I've got a lot of other fandoms, but those are the main ones I've written for.

Two-shot:

Assuming this is asking if I've ever written one, technically no. But I do have a series (Just Hold On, a RWBY fix-it) that currently consists of two fics which could stand alone as they are, although I have plans to continue that one for quite a few more fics if I can find the motivation and time. And I guess I also have a couple of fics that I could have split into two chapters because they switch from one POV to another about halfway through. I like to stick to third person limited POV, and that means I often have section breaks when I want to switch from one character's perspective to another's, and for a two-person scene that usually means two sections. But I like the oneshot structure, and usually I don't feel like what I'm writing is long enough to split into chapters.

Most popular multi-chapter:

I only have one true multi-chapter fic, and it's Moving Forward, a Flash fic based on the idea of Reverse Flash being taken prisoner at the end of s1 rather than being wiped from existence. It's technically still unfinished, but I got a lot of lovely comments on that one a few years back when I was posting it, including a few folks that went through and commented on each chapter and really made my day. Maybe one day I'll actually finish it...

The only other thing I have that’s multi-chapter is a collection of missing scene ficlets, also Flash fic, but that doesn’t really count.

Actual worst part of writing:

My brain tends to be very visual when I'm writing fanfic for a TV show, and few things are as annoying as knowing exactly the facial expression someone is pulling and having No Idea how to describe it in words. Same with tones of voice. Also, I tend to jump straight into writing the bits of scenes that are most interesting to me, and going back and adding in the context that you need to make something actually readable for someone that isn't you can be a bit tiresome.

How you choose your titles:

It depends, tbh. A lot of my older fics are titled with short verb phrases that are pretty straightforward (like 'Moving Forward' or 'Breaking the Cycle'), but recently I've rather enjoyed using song lyrics. Most of my RWBY fics have lyric titles either from songs from the show itself or songs that I've got on my extensive Ironwood character playlist or otherwise just quite like and feel like they fit. I don't tend to find titles all that difficult, and I've got a fair few WIPs that have them already.

Do you outline:

Again, depends on the fic. With longer ones, yes, usually as a list of bullet points describing what happens. But shorter missing scene fics or things that I bashed out in only one or two sessions and only follow a single conversation tend not to be outlined because they just flow as I write them. I've got some more extensive outlines for a few of the fix-it AUs I've been playing with, but even then they're just bullet point lists or mostly held in my own head.

Ideas I probably won't get around to but wouldn't it be nice:

I have. So many. Most of them are RWBY fix-it fic, which is fun to write at the moment of divergence but then A Huge Endeavour to follow any further than that. I’ve planned out a bunch of different shapes for where the three different versions I’ve already written and posted would go, but there’s only one of them that I’m really continuing (aforementioned two fic series). Although I have a dilemma there, because the climax of the story arc that I figured out for that ‘verse would work even better in the other one that focuses more on Penny & Ironwood. But it’s not as simple as just throwing the idea into continuity with that one, because there’s a Major difference between the two in that in one of them, Qrow was the one who got through to Ironwood, and in the other they kinda hate each other over the whole ‘I blame you (and also me but mostly you) for Clover’s death’ thing, so I’d have to plot out a completely different relationship arc there which would have a knock-on impact on how well Ironwood is dealing with everything else. Canon divergence fic! it’s a good time.

I’ve also got So Much other RWBY fic in bits and pieces in various Google docs, it’s ridiculous. (Including a superhero AU that I’m rather fond of conceptually, but don’t really have a solid arc plot for.) A lot of it would be nice to get into a publishable state, but I probably won’t ever be bothered to.

On the not-RWBY front, I've also got a big Criminal Minds/Silent Witness crossover that I've planned out all the beats of, but actually writing it means coming up with the specific details of the murders and the autopsy scenes and a whole lot of technical stuff that I'm not comfortable just winging based on what I've seen on TV. But I also don't like researching real life crime stuff even though I love a good crime drama, so you see my dilemma. I like casefic in theory, but in practice I'm probably not going to write much of it. 

Callouts @ me:

Just because you’re an insomniac who mostly writes fic at night rather than sleeping doesn’t mean that every conversation fic has to happen as a result of one or both characters being unable to sleep, my dude. There are Other circumstances in which people talk to each other.

Best writing traits:

I’m good at character voice, although that’s a pretty standard thing to be good at. I also really like unconventional crossovers, I’ve gotten pretty good at playing around with conversations between characters who never met or aren’t even from the same universe and coming up with a believable dynamic for them. I also like to think that I’m good at getting into the heads of awkward characters and figuring out which bits to poke at in order to get them to do things they didn’t do in canon. (And figuring out how they rationalised the things they did actually do.) That’s a big reason why I liked writing Reverse Flash, the complicated bastard, and it’s why I’m having so much fun with Ironwood now. You’ve really got to work at him to get him to change direction, great big stubborn disaster that he is, and I think I’ve rather gotten the hang of that.

Spicy tangential opinion:

People should write more longfic focused on gen relationships. Some of the most fascinating relationships in stories, at least to me, are the ones between people you’d never expect to be friends, or between adults and the kids they feel responsible for who also feel kinda responsible for them, and that makes for a (imho) much more interesting story than most ships. I Live for a good complicated mentor/mentee relationship, but I hate looking for fic about them because then I have to deal with the fact that a lot of people ship those relationships and it squicks me out. Give me the longfics about types of relationships I actually care about!

(This whole thing is a good 40% of the reason that I’ve ended up get absorbed in planning out a RWBY Vol8 re-write where the parallels and the newly complicated relationship between Ruby and Ironwood is The Main Agenda. (The other 60% of the reason being ‘[x character] deserved better’.) There’s some Really Good Stuff there and I want to play with it in more of a longform situation than my usual oneshots.)

No pressure tagging:

@squireofgeekdom , @catgirlalchemist , and anyone else who wants to give it a go! Feel free to say I tagged you :D

[wrestlingisfake]

G1 Climax 31 preview

The G1 Climax is an annual heavyweight tournament in New Japan Pro Wrestling. It's typically one of the top events in Japanese wrestling, because the biggest stars in the biggest company try to deliver their best performances. The tournament runs from September 18 to October 21.

All 19 shows (!) will stream live and on-demand at njpwworld.com for 999 yen ($9 US) per month. Because of the billing cycle, you have to pay for 2 months to see it all as it happens, or you can wait till October 1 and try to catch up in one month. Watching all 91 tournament matches (!!!) can be kind of grueling (especially if you're trying to keep up with other wrestling at the same time), so it's not for everyone. But there are bound to be some highlights worth going out of your way to check out.

The G1 is a round-robin tournament, with 20 wrestlers separated into two blocks. Each man wrestles everyone else in his block, and the one with the best win-loss record is the block winner. The winner of A Block then meets the winner of B Block in a final match to decide the winner of the tournament. The winner of the G1 Climax receives a trophy and a contract for an IWGP world heavyweight title match at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in January 2022.

Ordinarily the G1 would be meticulously planned out to ensure the most marketable main event at Wrestle Kingdom, so only a handful of guys have any real shot at winning the tournament. However, the pandemic has thrown off a lot of New Japan's plans. Also, since Wrestle Kingdom has expanded to a multi-day event, more and more wrinkles have been added to the traditional "#2 guy wins the G1 to challenge the #1 guy for the belt" formula. So this year's G1 has a lot more potential to surprise us--whether such surprises will be good or bad remains to be seen.

A Block

Shingo Takagi - The reigning IWGP world heavyweight champion. If he wins the tournament, he'll have the right to choose his opponent for Wrestle Kingdom. If there was ever a year to book the champion to win the G1, this might be it. Amid some tumultuous booking this summer, Takagi came from out of nowhere to capture the title, and they've put a lot of effort into making him look worthy of the honor. So it might be cool for him to run through the field, and choose a challenger that couldn't be here, such as Will Ospreay. However, the smart money is on Shingo losing two or three matches to fall short of winning the block and to set up challengers for other shows.

Kota Ibushi - The winner of the last two G1 Climax tournaments, in 2019 and 2020. Few wrestlers have won the G1 three times, and no one has done three in a row. But if anyone can do it, it's Ibushi. He was crushed by losing the world title right after he unified it, and he's clearly in Shingo Takagi's sights (they'll square off on October 3). If he doesn't win the block, I expect him to get very, very close.

Tetsuya Naito - He won the tournament in 2013 and 2017. Naito started 2021 by losing the IWGP heavyweight and IWGP intercontinental titles to Ibushi, who unified them into the current world title. Since then, he's been on the back burner; if he's going to be back on top in 2022, this is where we'll find out. He's the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon, and Takagi is a member, so their match on September 26 will be particularly interesting.

Zack Sabre Jr. - One of the IWGP heavyweight tag team champions, Dangerous Tekkers. Sabre's technical wrestling presents a challenge for any opponent in the G1, so he can easily play spoiler, but he's probably going to finish in the middle of the pack. I'm particularly looking forward to Sabre vs. Yano on October 13, because their match in last year's G1 was a fun mix of chain wrestling and dirty tricks.

Tomohiro Ishii - One of the NEVER trios champions. Ishii is never going to win the whole thing but he reliably delivers solid performances throughout the tournament. His matches with Ibushi (September 18), Ibushi (September 23), and Naito (October 9) should all be must-see for hard-hitting, what-the-fuck intensity.

KENTA - He can go, but he relies heavily on stalling and other cheap heel tactics to slow down the action, so it's hard for me to get into his matches these days. I'm sure he'll really cut loose for some of his block matches, but it's hard to guess which ones. My main interest is in seeing him go up against his Bullet Club teammates Yujiro Takahashi (September 23) and Tanga Loa (October 13).

Great-O-Khan - This is his first G1, after doing a run-in last year to help Will Ospreay and form the United Empire faction. O-Khan's got an interesting look, but his in-ring work hasn't been blowing anybody away. This should be the clearest test of his upside--if New Japan thinks he can be a serious headliner, he should pick up at least five wins, and maybe even six or seven. I'm not confident that will happen.

Toru Yano - The KOPW 2021 champion. Ordinarily Yano is the comic relief guy, whose block matches are built around silly spots so that the other participants each a get sort of a night off. However, Yano's recent feud with Chase Owens seems to have reawakened the brawler gimmick he had years ago, so it's not clear which Yano is going to show up for the tournament. Either way, I would expect Yano to pull of some key upsets to throw off everyone's predictions.

Tanga Loa - Loa is making his G1 debut. Since joining New Japan in 2016, he's been almost exclusively a tag team guy. It's not unusual for tag teams to compete in the G1, but Loa and Tama Tonga seemed determined to stay out and focus on the tag division. So his appearance here is a little surprising, and probably indicates that New Japan didn't have a lot of other options. He should do well in the ring, but some guys are going to finish 4-5 or worse, and I think he'll be one of them.

Yujiro Takahashi - Yujiro went 1-8 in last year's tournament, because somebody's gotta lose a lot, and that's his role. He's almost certainly going to to do the Bullet Club bit where either Kenta (September 23) or Loa (October 3) will talk him into laying down for the good of the team, but then he'll refuse at the last second. The most interesting thing about Yuje right now is he's a part of the "House of Torture" subgroup emerging within Bullet Club, but I don't expect that to matter much in his block matches.

B Block

Kazuchika Okada - The winner of the 2012 and 2014 tournament. Okada hasn't held a championship in nearly two years, and that's unlike him. So he's an easy pick to win this block and perhaps win the whole G1. The only problem is that he's got some stiff competition from other favorites like Hiroshi Tanahashi (September 19) and SANADA (October 4). He probably needs to win at least one of those two matches to make it to the finals--if he loses both, I'm not sure a 7-2 run is enough.

Hiroshi Tanahashi - The IWGP United States champion, and the winner of the G1 in 2007, 2014, and 2018. This will be his 20th appearance in the tournament, so he's got the decisive edge in experience. Tana is always going to be presented as a strong contender to win the block. But the only reason to have him win the whole thing would be to do an "aging legend makes one more run at the top" story, and they already did that three years ago. So look for him to have good matches, but don't count on him making it to the finals.

SANADA - He was the runner-up in last year's G1, which was a little baffling because I felt his booking that year was designed to build to a huge victory. He's felt like an afterthought since then. Will New Japan give him a lot of wins to remind everyone he's still a rising force? I'm really not sure.

EVIL - On paper, he's a big deal because he betrayed Los Ingobernables de Japon to win the IWGP heavyweight and intercontinental titles last year. But after Evil lost those belts his stock dropped. New Japan still trots him out like he's a major threat to the top champions, but he just does a bunch of low blows and then loses anyway. I think they'll protect him, because they're going somewhere with this "House of Torture" stuff. But I can't believe he'll win the block, except possibly to troll the audience.

Taichi - One of the IWGP heavyweight tag team champions, Dangerous Tekkers. I was always down on Taichi but he grabbed my attention with his weird kicking contest against Kota Ibushi last year. Since then he's been more fun to watch, although that's mainly been in tag stuff. If he's truly set aside the boring stalling tactics, then his block matches this year could be fun. But he's probably going to wind up right around that 5-4 or 4-5 range.

Jeff Cobb - Cobb should be a big deal, but he's basically the #3 guy in the United Empire (and there are only four guys in the group), and he hasn't had a lot of chances to score big wins. By the time he got to beat Okada a couple of weeks ago, I'd kind of lost interest. This is his big chance to remind everyone he's a beast. It'd be cool as hell if he went to the finals, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Tama Tonga - This is his first G1 in three years, and before that he always seemed to be over the whole thing, so it's kind of weird to see him back here. Even when he wasn't focused on tag team wrestling, he was always a 4-5 guy, and I don't foresee a big singles push changing that this time.

Hirooki Goto - One of the NEVER trios champions. Goto's career arguably peaked when he was the runner-up to Kenny Omega in the 2016 G1. He should have good matches with everybody in the block, but he's not a game changer, and I don't see him getting to 5-4.

YOSHI-HASHI - One of the NEVER trios champions. Yoshi has always been a loser, to the point that winning the trios title (which has always been kind of a joke) was actually a huge deal for him. Goto, Ishii, and Yoshi have managed to defend the title nine times over 400 days, so it feels like Yoshi is finally on track. But there's a big difference between that and doing well in the G1, against top guys like Okada, Tanahashi, Evil, and Sanada. He could very easily go 2-7 in the block. Just getting to 3-6 would feel like a major milestone, honestly.

Chase Owens - The self-proclaimed "Texas heavyweight champion," for some reason. Owens has been the bottom guy in Bullet Club for years. I don't know if they decided it's time to push him a little, or if they literally had no one else to put in this thing. Not that it matters, since he's in the same "lose a lot" spot as Yujiro. The difference is that Yujiro might win a match to justify putting him in next year's field. Chase might actually go 0-9. So at least it'll be kind of fun wondering when (if) he can post his first win.

[hazyheel]

NJPW 47th Anniversary Review

The night started with a big 10 man tag, pitting Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Ayato Yoshida, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano, up against the BULLET CLUB team of HIKULEO, Chase Owens, Tonga Loa, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale. Early on in the match, Narita started to target Jado on the outside, causing the heels to attack all the young lions viciously. Narita got beat down for a long portion of the match, until Makabe got the hot tag, but even that didn’t last long. BULLET CLUB was just way better functioning as a unit. Chase Owens was able to pick up the win with a package pile driver to Yoshida for the win.

Grade: C. A bit boring, but I always like to see the young lions in action. Owens needed the win so that he would have momentum going into his match with Juice Robinson. Good booking, match that was just a bit pointless.

Next up, a tag match pitting Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI against Toa Henare and Yuji Nagata. Nagata and Ishii started out, their rivalry finally making its way into the ring. Henare looked especially good, with several strong, two handed chops, and speed that I just didn’t think he had. Henare and YOSHI-HASHI had a really stiff striking contest in the corner, one that YOSHI-HASHI came out ahead of, to my delight and surprise. There was an interesting spot where YOSHI-HASHI was attempting to break up a submission from Nagata, and the crowd just booed the shit out of YOSHI-HASHI. I was surprised at how much they liked Yuji Nagata, but he was impressive. YOSHI-HASHI picked up the win with a new twist on a brain buster.

Grade: B-. I didn’t expect this match to be anything special, but I enjoyed it. I hadn’t really given much credit to either Henare nor Nagata, but they put on a good match. YOSHI-HASHI picking up the win is a good sign, gives him momentum going into a match with Nakanishi, where he is apparently the underdog. I was not aware of that. Anyway, fun match. Looking forward to seeing all these guys in the New Japan Cup.

Next match was another 10 man tag. It was Suzuki-gun, consisting of Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, El Desperado, Yoshinobi Kanemaru and TAKA Michinoku, up against a rag tag team, Dragon Lee (yay) Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma and Satoshi Kojima. Taichi made a show of having the Iron Glove with him, the weapon he inherited from Iizuka. A lot of moving parts in this match, with several previews of the New Japan Cup, along with Desperado and Lee renewing their rivalry from the Best of the Super Juniors tournament last year. Also, I don’t know why this stuck out to me, but Honma’s voice sounds very raspy. Must be a smoker. Future opponents Kojima and Suzuki faced off, with Kojima hitting enough machine gun chops to cut Suzuki’s chest open. There was also a very brief technical exchange between Taguchi and TAKA, showing that TAKA still has it. Taguchi then hit Dodon for the win. After the match, Suzuki beat the crap out of the young boys at ringside, while Don laughed

Grade: C+. Good match, very excited for what will follow in the tournament. Taguchi did need a win before the tournament, so this made sense.

Then came BUSHI and Shinto Takagi defending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Roppongi 3k. Don and Colt Cabanna argued on commentary on the merits of Rocky Romero, but the match started fast and furious. Takagi and Sho started out, and really brutalized each other with hard clothesline’s. It didn’t take long before Roppongi hit dual Tope con Hilo’s, with Sho even overshooting and nearly landing on top of the barricade. As Los Ingobernables got control, the match slowed a bit, but it remained exciting due to the crowd’s desperation for Roppongi 3k to win. A big story throughout the match was Takagi’s injured knee. Despite him being the powerhouse of his team, he was very vulnerable, and that was exploited through various submissions throughout the match. Some awesome interactions between Sho and Takagi, where Sho countered the pumping bomber with a German suplex. However, BUSHI was able to hit Sho with the mist allowing for a Pumping Bomber and then Rebellion for a great near fall. BUSHI looked to finish the match with an MX, but Sho caught him by the knees and the faces were able to hit 3k for the win. As Rocky celebrated with his team, Takagi attacked him a bit, but eventually backed off

Grade: B+. Very good match. While the intensity was not constant throughout, it picked up at the perfect moments. Yoh had incredible timing throughout the match, always being there to rescue Sho. As stated, the interactions between Takagi and Sho highlighted the match, and they showed incredible chemistry. And Bushi was able to hit several important spots, and did a great job of being a sort of crafty wildcard throughout the match. Very good stuff amongst these guys, and I thought it was a surprising outcome, so I enjoyed it.

Next up was Jushin Thunder Liger vs Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. An interesting story built for this, where Ishimori challenged Liger. Commentary built it up as a rite of passage match: if Ishimori can beat Liger, then he will be confirmed as the top guy of the division, no question. Liger has control for much of the beginning of the match, firmly keeping Ishimori on the mat. However, Ishimori took every inch and made it a mile, speeding around the ring and flipping around. Generally being incredibly vicious. Liger even took the match into the crowd, hitting a brain buster on the floor and going for a count out. Ishimori showed off some awesome offense, hitting a moonsault to the outside off the middle turnbuckle. At one point, Liger looked to be completely out after double knees into the turnbuckle, and then a gut buster for a near fall. Liger still had something left. Liger hit the Liger bomb for a big pop and a near fall. Liger showed off some impressive resilience, especially in a spot where he was locked in a cross face for a long time, and was able to barely crawl to the other rope. In the finish, Ishimori locked in the submission again, and Liger couldn’t escape this time. He tapped out, and Ishimori retained.

Grade: A-. Another surprisingly good match. Liger is very impressive in singles matches, especially for his age. Ishimori did a great job selling the sunmissions, and hitting some awesome offense in the process. The match was not as quick as other Junior Heavyweight matches might be, but the storytelling was on point, the mat exchanges were very cool, and Liger put on another great match. And the right guy won too. Ticks all the boxes.

After the match, Ishimori cut a promo asking for another challenger, and Dragon Lee answered the call. The match was booked for the G1 Supercard. Dream match, I am now super excited. They also revealed the schedule for the G1 climax, with a couple dates in the US.

Into a special 6-man tag, pitting Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi against Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and EVIL. Naito and Okada started the match together, and they went at it quick and hard. Goto and Sanada had time together, and they are in a first round match together. There was some emphasis put on the fact that, while Goto, Okada and Tanahashi is a dream team, they are not always on the same page. This was evident when they hit a triple team move, but didn’t have a pose for afterwards. Tanahashi had his knee worked over throughout the match, and there were a lot of awesome technical exchanges. Most members of the match were taken out of the ring in one of those “big move fests,” followed by Goto wrapping SANADA up in a pinning predicament for the win. After the match, all members of the winning team said they would win the New Japan Cup

Grade: B+. Very fun match, with 6 of the companies top guys. This match couldn’t have been bad. Plus the finish implied some foreshadowing in the Goto Sanada match. Definitely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it. Very hard hitting and exciting.

And in the main event, we had the NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay take on the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White in a special, non title match. Immediately when the match started, White backed out of the ring. Ospreay had the advantage early on, using his speed to amplify his strength. They tore into each other like their rivalry has extended back for years. White targeted the ribs of Ospreay, playing to his injury that took him out of wrestling for a few months last year. Using that injury, he slowed Ospreay down just enough to be able to counter Ospreay’s moveset. And Ospreay played an awesome underdog, even fooling me into thinking the match was ending in a countout (I’m gullible). As the match wore on, Ospreay got more and more frustrated and violent. He wanted to get his hands on both Gedo and white himself. Ospreay even nailed an awesome avalanche electric chair for a near fall. As Ospreay was about to finish up the match, Gedo distracted the ref, allowing white to hit a low blow, into a half and half suplex. White then nailed a sort of Bloody Sunday for a near fall. White went for Blade Runner, but Ospreay flipped around his arm, and hit a huge power bomb for a near fall, then an inverted 450 for another near fall injuring the ribs as he hit. In the finish, Jay white countered he Os Cutter into a blade runner, before hitting another for good measure and winning. After the match, Gedo attacked Ospreay with a chair, but Ibushi made the save. The rest of BULLET CLUB beat down Ibushi, only for Tanahashi, Goto and Okada to back him up. White then held his belt aloft for his New Japan Cup contenders, mocking them.

Grade: A. Phenomenal match. They were incredibly stiff, and nailed their power moves with such authority, and even flew in a smooth fashion. The match really highlighted their underrated strength, and showed an awesome side to a possible future rivalry. Easily match of the night, it was awesome. The best striking contest I’ve seen in a while.

Overall Grade: B +

Pros- young lions :) ;Dragon Lee is back; awesome title matches, Champion vs champion

Cons- multi man tags were a bit boring

[kristallioness]

21 Questions about ATLA

I was tagged by @atypicalkataangist. Wow, thanks for including me in this quiz! I've seen others reblog a list of numbered questions similar to these, expecting to receive some asks that they could answer in return. But now I get to do them in one go.

1) Who's your favourite male character?

I'm unoriginal and gonna say it's Aang. Not only because of him being the main character, but also because he was the first boy in the show who I immediately started to like (Sokka was second, Zuko was third in the beginning since he was a villain and I grew to love him more and more along with his character development), the way he balances his carefree, childish personality with his more mature, responsible side, his back story and peaceful culture.. Most importantly, without him, there wouldn't be the second half of such a lovely couple like he and Katara are.

2) Who's your favourite female character?

Katara. She's not only my favourite female character, but favourite character of them all, right from the start and until the end. The moment I saw her I fell in love since she looked really pretty and she wore a braid, just like me. Seeing what a caring, motherly, fierce personality she had (like mine) only fuelled my love for her.

3) What's your favourite quote?

Since Katara's my favourite character, then my first choice would be: "I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!" Because that's sort of who I am and what I'm like, too. It's almost like a motto that I live by without thinking about it twice. I'm self-sacrificing and try to help my friends whenever they need it and as much as I can. I just remembered another good one, a quote that affected me on a more personal level. I'm pretty sure that only 0.0000000001% of the fandom would choose this one: "I don't care what I look like. I'm not looking for anyone's approval. I know who I am." The best part is, this is something that Toph says to Katara after she's been made fun of for her appearance by a bunch of prissy Upper Ring Earth Kingdom girls. How did this affect me? I started crying when I first saw this scene. Why? Because this was something that I'd been struggling with for years. I'd been bullied for my appearance at school. It used to make me feel worthless, unlovable, alone, probably also the reason why I turned into such a quiet person who doesn't know how to be around real friends. Hearing a blind, tomboyish, badass earthbender say what I needed to hear all along made me understand that it's not true - my appearance does not define my worth or who I am inside.

4) What's your favourite fight?

I knew you answered Katara and Pakku's duel @atypicalkataangist (and that one came to my mind, too, since it is one of my favourites because of reasons), but since I recently rewatched "The Serpent's Pass", I'm gonna pick Aang and Katara beating up that huge serpent. That was some awesome bending teamwork there! I went through all of the episodes in my head, and I gotta say that I also really like the duel between Aang and Zuko in "Bato of the Water Tribe". And one of the first ones where Haru and his father Tyro, along with the rest of the earthbenders, fight their way to freedom in the prison. The ending of that episode always leaves me with such a powerful feeling.

5) What's your favourite episode?

The big finale, "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". I sobbed practically throughout the entire episode when I first saw it. The soundtrack playing in the end is so beautiful to listen to and it still brings tears to my eyes. This episode concludes everything the show set up in the most unexpected ways possible. I mean, did any of us foresee Zuko being crowned the new Fire Lord (after you watched the first episode)? Did our hearts break into a million pieces when Katara and Aang kissed and became a couple in the end? Enough said.

6) From which nation would you like to be?

I'm not sure whether this is cheating or not, but since the story of ATLA continues in the comics and during Korra's time, I'd really love to be from the United Republic of Nations. I just love how it's a nation of mixed cultures, I am in LOVE with Republic City (as well as its 1920's aesthetic) and the capital reminds me of my own (Tallinn is also near the sea, has a marvellous silhouette, 4 seasons). Or if not, then my choice would definitely be the Water Tribes. I've explained it pretty well under the description of this drawing of mine.

7) Which element would you like to be able to bend and why?

Easy, I'd pick water since my 2nd choice when applying for university 5 years ago was to become a doctor. I'd like to use my healing abilities to cure people and my graceful waterbending to battle bad guys like Katara!

8) Favourite animal in the Avatar Universe?

I'm probably unoriginal, but I'm torn between the sky bison or the dragons. Oh, and the ostrich horses!

9) Who would you like to be your teacher and why?

I'm thinking it could be either Katara, Aang or Zuko, in this exact order. Katara and Aang would both be really supportive and I consider Zuko to be really wise (remember what he said to Korra before departing? he learned so much throughout the years).

10) What was the saddest moment in the show?

I have an entire list of the scenes/moments that made me cry, let me check.. *reads* Which sad moment made me cry the most, I'mma pick that one.. Okay, I can't decide because there are a few, let me name them: * the ones that stand out the most are all 3 finales * when Katara thought that her mother was alive in the swamp * when Aang enters the Avatar State and wants to kill the sandbenders, but Katara doesn't run away and instead grabs his hand and pulls him back down into her embrace and they cry together * Iroh singing the lullaby to his deceased son on his birthday (my parents have always said that one of the worst things a parent can live through is the death of their own child, so when I saw this scene, I understood what they meant and started crying) * Jet's death * Aang unlocking his heart chakra * almost the entirety of "The Awakening" (because everything seemed so hopeless and going the wrong way, when Katara and Hakoda talked), seriously, this is the most depressing episode in my book and that's why I love it so much * Sokka talking to Toph about how he's forgotten what his mother looks like and Katara is the one who's taken her place * when the invasion fleet was defeated on the Day of Black Sun and Katara knelt down beside Aang to comfort him * Zuko and his uncle Iroh's reconciliation and his speech to Team Avatar before they departed

11) What was the most shocking moment in the show?

You answered the same way: Aang getting shot with lightning. It came out of nowhere. When I saw Katara's face full of hope I thought that now they were going to make it since Aang had the power to face the Dai Li as well as Zuko and Azula. In a split second, everything changed and took a turn for the worst.

12) What was the funniest moment in the show?

There are so many good jokes, how do you expect me to pick just one??? Okay, umm.. when Sokka tried to fight against the villagers who believed too much of Aunt Wu's fortunes with logic and rational thinking (I can relate to him, poor Sokka).. How Aang messed up and unintentionally made Katara upset by insulting her instead of giving her a compliment when they were lost in the caves. Or the time Sokka and Katara had to pose as Aang's parents to go to the principal's office after school.

13) What was the most unforgettable moment in the show?

Maybe the whole scene before Zuko's coronation starts, "Peace" playing in the background, we see friends and family reunited, happy, alive. We witness something few of us could've predicted: the last person we ever thought, who went through and learned so much, is crowned the new Fire Lord. It's such a victorious moment and never leaves me without emotion.

14) Which one is your favourite book?

I have a weird system concerning this. Book 1 was sort of like the start of their journey, the world was slowly being built and introduced to us. Book 2 became much more serious, the characters gained more depth and the stakes began to rise. When I thought it couldn't get any better, I was proven horribly wrong. Book 3 became far more emotional than I ever could've imagined. So it's like my love grew with each book, and I kind of love the last one the most for this reason.

15) Who had the greatest character development in the show?

Everybody developed so much, but I'd definitely say it was Zuko. At first, I didn't really care much about him. Just another villain trying to capture someone for his own personal gain, I figured. But that all changed when I saw his back story in "The Storm". I started to look at him from a completely different angle. I began to understand where he came from, why he was doing this. I saw how much he struggled, how many wrongs he committed. The climax was when he faced his own father and told him: "No! I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was! The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation! They don't see our greatness, they hate us! And we deserve it." This is what he learned by spending time as a refugee in the Earth Kingdom, by witnessing firsthand what his nation, what this war was doing to others. And he was determined to set things right by joining Aang and his friends, teaching him firebending and stopping his own homeland from going down this path.

16) What do you love most about Avatar: The Last Airbender?

The story that Bryan and Michael came up with. I have NEVER cried so much, laughed at so many original jokes, heard such gorgeous instrumental music made by Jeremy Zuckerman, the raw emotion behind the voice actors.. every little bit is what makes this story and this series so amazing, fulfilling and perfect.

17) What do you hate most about Avatar: The Last Airbender?

I don't hate anything about the show per se, perhaps more about the way the fandom can act sometimes.

18) With which character do you identify most?

Like I answered in question 2, Katara. Her personality reflects mine the most, we share similar values in life, I love her family (Hakoda and Sokka) because they have such loving relationships with each other (Katara and Hakoda made me emotional several times, and they only had a few scenes together!).

19) Is Avatar: The Last Airbender your favourite cartoon/anime?

Ever since I discovered it, and I think it'll remain as my favourite cartoon for the rest of my life. Nothing can ever impact me as much as Avatar has.

20) Would you want to be the Avatar?

Thinking just how messed up our own world is right now, how my aggressive eastern neighbour has occupied parts of 2 independent countries, how helpless and angry I feel that I can't do anything about it - Y E S. I want to bring peace and balance back to our world, too. And if I had my own loving, supportive partner (like Aang) by my side, I'd do it again in a thousand lifetimes.

21) What's your favourite ship?

I personally ship everything that has been or is currently canon. My OTP is obviously Kataang, though I'm also one of the few friendly multishippers out here. Which means that I don't mind seeing beautiful stuff about Zutara either, for instance. (Seriously, you should check out my tag, there are so many lovely gifsets there, be it romantic or platonic.)

To sum up, thank you once more for tagging me! I'm not gonna tag anyone specific, but if any of you would like to do this, too, then go ahead! It was really fun to reflect back on why I love this show so much.

[bumblebaubles]

fave kpop releases of 2*2* (im censoring the year it was awful)

La Di Da Everglow: So impactful, i have a bias towards 80s pop themed songs. 80s pop is so overdramatic and self indulgent with its poppy synth and deep dirty bass and la di da delivered on that. It *is* the song i blast at full volume going 75 on the freeway. literally my anthem, like what more can you want from a song. The girls are literally screaming at you for three minutes teling you to fuck the haters and get a bag while looking sexy ITS EVERYTHING. 

Love sick girls BlackPink: for some reason this one got me in the emotions. I cried listening it the first few times. its not often you get a pop release that also fucks with your feelings. last time i cried was feel special. This song is a rollercoaster. from hopelessness, to denial, to heartbreak ,to screaming at the raining sky  WHY DONT YOU LOVE ME like, ahhh plus rose and jisoo have writing credits so maybe its so emotion filled because its a passion project. their first writing credits on a song yay them. rose belting but we were born to be alone really did hurt my feelings ouch 10/10.

pporappipam sunmi: love story of the century what more can i say. I told you already i love 80s pop what did you expect from me? The soft vocals the soft purples the midnight 

5 STAR CL:is this what its like being in love? pporappipam and 5 star are the closest i’ll get to experiencing it. the lyrics go so well with the music. its hard not groove. its the slow song, its the love song, its the song you remember long after the relationship is gone and you listen back and smile through your tears bopped

Diver yooa: Ok you’ve heard i love 80s pop but what about 70s disco? yes yooa pprovided that for me. I’m very greatful, its powerful like a ballad, funky like a dancetrace, and catchy as a mother f*cker

wannabe Itzy: it doesnt even feel like wannabe came out this year but it did so let me go back in my head to march.the dance break, especially when you’re first seeing it is impactful. Its that heavy bass girl power bop that sustained me through finals week of the winter semester amen. The song really delivers on telling the listener to be unapologetically them. 

Bad girl woo!ah!: Theres so much about the song. I- where do I begin. I like that they take risks with the song, its not the normal pop bop formula thats popular nowadays. its still had a bit of a edm(?) type influence like wooah’s debut but theres also more sonically cohesive or better sounding things in the song as a whole, but they didnt lose their uniqueness either. The rap parts are killer, the dance break is weird and fun, and and the after chorus screams girl power. plus all the wooah girlies are so damn cute how can i not love

Tag Me weeekly: I literally never shut up about this song.I never shut up as soon as i heard it this was all that i talked about. this song IS for main characters. Its girls, its sassy, its retro its what me and the girls needed and weekly provided. 

tiger inside superm: how do i explain why i like tiger inside so much. It feels like an action movie track. But not any action movie track. Its like when the main character realizes their true power under pressure and starts kicking ass or something. 

black mamba aespa: its bassy fun. I described the concept as acid trip powepuff girls and i stand by it.  Feels like an action movie track which is why its next to tiger inside. Its canon that superm and aespa are connected or at least in the same universe, but give sm credit, notice how the high note at the end of black mamba is the similar to baekhyuns climax in tiger inside?

So bad stayc: ne, ne ,ne, ne, ne meoli meoli. ne meolisoge. Once again another love ballad pop song with high energy synth and bass. I ALREADY SAID THIS i love overdramatic self indulgent obnoious pop songs like im sorry im basic. when i first heard it there was something in it that reminded me of early 2000s pop but i couldnt put my finger on it. but once again overall bop im a sucker for melodramatic love songs bye

90s Love nct u: THIS IS HOW WE DO IT DA YEOGIE or something idk korean. point is out of all the nct 2020 releases this is my favorite. misfit and make a wish are a close second but my husband jeno is there so 

Bazooka Gwsn: NAN ANAJUL GEOYAAAAAAAAAAAA ugh its one of those songs that so chic? like something you’d strut down a runway too, or theres a shopping montage when your out on the town with the girls™. the whole synth pop upbeat swing thing it had going on is so freeing in a way. its feels airy summery and fun and when thar NAN CHAJAJUL GEOYAAAAA WHOAH hits its over.

better twice: gosh ok how do i explain myself im sticking to one song per artist and better beat out cant stop me i ok ok- chill let me explain. I do fucking LOVE 80S pop/city pop and i cant stop me was everything i love in an 80s song but when i first heard better it gave me the feeling. you know the feeling. that youve heard the song before and you already love it. I didnt even need to know the lyrics because the song is so nostalgic in its own way, i already pieced together it reminds me of a friendship/relationship we all wish we had. I listen to the song when im lonely and yes i tear up a bit ok i cry a lot.

got that boom secret number: it is a step up from who dis. and i liked who dis. who dis was basic harmless fun. got that boom though, GOT THAT BOOM though,,, 👀that chorus,, like bazooka, got that boom has the feeling of freedom and fun and colors and i stan it. when the girls say “Dance, dance. Dance. Get up dance” you know exactly what the fuck to do. Someone else pointed out that the lyrics in the chorus of who dis slows down. It takes its time to say what it needs to say and i feel like got that boom is the same way. especially ESPECIALLY when denise (i think) starts belting after jinny’s tounge twister rap. “Fly Fly Fly away -” for some reason it felt like spice girls but i cant place why. overall bopped.

Play Chungha: i had to pick one chungha song, its play. play is love, play is mischief, play is energetic,  play is end of the year spectacle all wrapped in one because chunga doesnt know how to flop. Something about the music in the chorus feels like it contrasts chunghas voice. Plus the influence from other cultures adds that spice. 

revolution: alexa i love you. shes so uwu. and this chorus splash of ice cold water in the face. alexa wants you to get the message shes yelling at me in the chorus “THIS IS A REVOLUTION_ REVOLUTION OF THE MIND” and then of course in alexa fashion theres a ridiculous dance break near the end. Its the talent for me love. 

home YEZI: once again, this song is probably the closest i’ll feel to romantic love. 10 for the vocals, ten for the song, 10 for the MV. 

MORE k/da: Does k/da count as a kpop group because im counting them as a kpop group first listen i wasnt sure during their brief intro but as soon as akalis part cae on i knew that once again a virtual character from a game had managed to become the singular pillar holding up the music industry yet again. the way the music cuts out and akali goes in, goes IN!  AND SHE DRAGGED ME IN WITH HER. SHE SAID “ Im giving you more cause im greater than, i never did numbers i hated them ( i paraphrased that lyric) , but all of my numbers are talking babe, got money like ms.monopoly” GOODBYE 

[maczazind]

Film Diary 2017: May, June, and July AKA "The Combined Post Because I Got Lazy"

For the first time this year, I unfortunately missed my window in terms of keeping up with these monthly entries. A huge handful of birthdays, stress and even an ankle injury all seem to be the contributing factors that ultimately led to me combining both the May, June and July posts. So now, you’re getting three for the price of one! The summer movie season is coming to a close soon and with it has come some clear winners and disappointments. Additionally, the summer season has led to many movie marathons popping up in deep cable as the holidays come and go. Which have I seen, and what did I think? Read on to find out…

As always, the following reflects MY OWN OPINION. If you’d like to see these entries in full as the year progresses, each installment is given the tag “Film Diary 2017” so feel free to follow along!

Each entry includes how every feature was primarily seen and an asterisk which denotes that viewing was the first time I’ve seen that movie in its entirety, despite possibly having seen pieces of the film previously or having a general knowledge of it. Numbering reflects the year’s overall total, not the monthly total.

55) May 5th: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2* - Theater; Kicking off the blockbuster season, I have to admit there was a piece of myself deep down that was worried about the Guardians sequel. The trailers presented plenty of music, chemistry and wit that I loved from the first film while a lack of a clear antagonist left much to be desired. And this concerned me because while the original is one of my top three features of the entire MCU thus far, it did have some problems with Ronan & it’s closing climax that I still take I stride due to everything else it does damn well. Without getting into spoilers, Guardians 2 thankfully doesn’t go the route of Iron Man 2 or Thor: The Dark World and recaptures the magic by expanding upon the elements of the first. That’s not to say it’s perfect; the first act while fun feels a bit lost in its direction. There’s certainly a tug & pull between the one-liners and the emotion it tries to dish out, sometimes struggling to keep that balance, but finds a solid grip for sure. It was to my delight that a decent-sized bulk of previously released scenes arrive in the first half hour, allowing you to really enter into the true meat of the film. The main villain that is presented is perhaps the most memorable in years for the MCU; the emotional beats that are hit, especially in the second half, may be the most heartstring pulling of the entire cinematic universe in recent memory. Director James Gunn very much goes for a more personal story in regards to Star-Lord and in doing so seeks a similar story for the entire team, playing on the theme of family between Gamora/Nebula, briefly tackling Drax’s underlying origins once more, and even the dynamic within the team itself most notably between Rocket/Quill. And it’s there I feel the sequel reaches the same placement of its predecessor. It takes the elements I loved from the first and explores certain aspects as well to beautifully compliment it and present a memorable outing I can still think back to weeks after leaving the theater.

56) May 12th: The Powerpuff Girls Movie - TV (On Demand); Released circa 2002 and commentary regarding the recent reboot aside, this animated feature has interesting placement in my book. The original series holds a special nostalgic place for myself as it was easily a cartoon that took its bubbly exterior and appealed to everyone through its action, comedy, characters and exceptional visual direction. The film is a bit of a different story, as I really only remember seeing it once after renting it from the video store. Now on its 15th anniversary, bumbling through on demand I came across its availability and decided to dive head first into the mystery of why it never left a lasting impression. In many respects, there are ways the movie works well. The amped up visuals and entire final third act battle with Mojo Jojo are among the highlights, including the girls’ fish out of water story that is absolutely a different side to the main trio given their overwhelming acceptance by the people of Townsville in the series. But the film in many ways I think serves better as an expansion of the series rather than a standalone outing. This is very much an origins tale of The Girls’ unique creation and integration into Townsville; but there are certain pieces of the film, especially Mojo Jojo’s own origin story, that resonate more if you’ve seen the show’s expansion of these elements. Furthermore, the movie somewhat struggles with some identity: the first act is the perspective of The Professor to the entire creation of the title characters, before changing to The Girls’ POV as Professor is thrown into jail for the second act and taking a sharp left turn alongside it. With the origins skeleton in mind, its acceptable that The Girls aren’t the hero team viewers knew and loved just yet either; though to see them unknowingly destroy the city they’ve protected so many times before can be a bit jarring. They don’t quite accept their role of heroes until well into the third act and that’s when things start to click into familiar territory. Finally, the film is a lot darker than I remembered compared to the balance the series conveyed. It sets aside the status quo of the small screen for something uncharted and there are times it does feel like a mixed bag of trying to tell a more serious side of The Girls’ history with the fun elements they’ve presented before. And that’s exactly how I walked away from this: mixed. I think if you’re a fan of the original series you can tackle this no problem with the mindset of it simply growing on what you already know. But this format may not leave the best first impression for those too young or too old to experience the wonder that is this franchise.

57) May 17th: The Founder* - DVD (Rental - Library); After it had gained some awards season buzz only to seemingly be snubbed out of the year’s annual ceremonies, I sincerely wondered if The Founder failed to live up to the hype it built in its early marketing. And though it does have problems, the biopic about McDonald’s transformation to a small California eatery to the global dominator it is today surprised me by how strong of an immensely intriguing tale it is. Michael Keaton’s Ray Croc plays a central protagonist that is flawed yet engrossing in his ruthless business spirit. Though this is very much Croc’s tale on how he went from a struggling salesman to the man responsible for expanding the golden arches into a worldwide phenom, his story doesn’t come without some chapters that drag. His life at home, what little we see of it, is introduced with a clear road of what’s to come and in turn says not to get too invested. Because of this, it becomes a bit of a hassle when the minor subplot is dragged out for a decent portion of the movie. But the intrigue of the plot and where the film really shines is the focus on the McDonald brothers and their relationship with Croc as time goes on. The brothers had me hooked the second they laid out their small business origins story to Ray and from there it just becomes a clash of morals, standards, quality and money all at the same time as we see two different types of men fight over their ideals. And it’s that piece of the film that really drives it from beginning to end, even throughout various meetings with potential new employees and lawyers. If you’re interested in seeing a different side to the largest fast food company in the world prior to the common status of the restaurants in modern times, this is definitely one to give a watch to.

58) May 18th: Hidden Figures* - DVD (Rental - Library); Moving on to another highly buzzed about awards contender, Hidden Figures hit a very similar sweet spot for me. It tells a very unrecognized and important story regarding three highly influential woman to NASA in the midst of the space race. Taraji P. Henson’s central role of Katherine Goble Johnson is easily the one that shines the brightest and I can now see why many were upset over her snub at the Academy Awards. Likewise, Octavia Spencer’s Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monáe’s Mary Jackson showcase their incredible individual stories of intelligence as well, while driving home a strong tale about both race and gender equality that transcends its setting. It absolutely lives up to the hype and deserves to be seen if you haven’t already.

59) May 20th: Ghostbusters: Answer The Call* - DVD (Rental - Library); There are a handful of reasons why I decided to check out this reboot months after it’s release. For one, the original wasn’t quite the icon of my childhood that everyone else tended to hold up on a pedestal, though I do still regard the film as an incredibly well done and fun classic. For another note, I’m not as won over on director Paul Feig as others have been. Following the highly hyped Bridesmaids, I’d finally seen it on Blu-Ray and thought it was only okay but went on to enjoy follow-up efforts such as The Heat and Spy. Combining these two elements and the atmosphere surrounding the perception of Ghostbusters ultimately led myself towards a timid response. But now that I’ve finally seen it, I can say my reaction is still dishesrtening. The first act, in my eyes, is where the film holds most of its problems. It’s very much a Feig film in its dialogue and therein lies an issue in not deciding what kind of film it wants to be - the script in the beginning paints a more joke-filled affair that is a stark contrast to the paranormal adventure elements it’s attempting to set up. So for the first act, it’s a movie that through its comedy almost doesn’t want to take itself seriously with extremely forced comedic dialogue despite the fact that it needs you to consider it serious for the premise to really work. As the film goes on, the more over the top comedic elements settle down to embrace the growing action and at times finally find a decent balance between the two. It’s there that the film can actually be fun and leave a better impression. But it’s the fact that it takes so long to get to that balance that can be the troubling part. The villain doesn’t quite live up to measure either, trading in mythology of a single supernatural heavy hitter for a wave of various CGI beings that create chaos. That chaos does lead to an entertaining climax, but perhaps could have been more impactful with a stronger antagonist at the center of the action. In the end, I didn’t necessarily hate the reboot as it decides it wants to warm up the longer it continues. However, it’s far from the optimistic fresh start I was hoping it could’ve been. I now understand the divided response and why any plans of a direct sequel have been incredibly quiet.

60) Interstellar* - On Demand (Epix); Another one I put off for personal reasons. Five years ago, The Dark Knight Rises arrived and my best friends can tell you how frustrated I was toward the third act in which a number of extremely questionable choices are made. When I had seen in 2014 that Interstellar seemed to also divide opinions, I decided to put it off until now. However, this one ends on a more positive note for me as I enjoyed it for the most part. Granted it didn’t reach a transcendent level in its plot nor approach to the ideas it outs forth, but there were still a handful of concepts I found intriguing. Cooper’s devotion to his family is certainly a driving force throughout the film and the introduction of a massive difference in how time passes by in the other galaxy developed a type of running clock in my head. I was hopeful for a reunion because it was in many ways Cooper’s singular ideal beneath his responsibility to the expedition that helped flesh him out and give the sci-fi adventure some personal stakes. It doesn’t necessarily excuse some of the more heavy handed stuff nor the nearly three hour runtime that does feel quite a bit taxing and gives no excuse for an ending that feels rushed. And perhaps I benefited from various details being out there online for myself so that I wasn’t so taken aback by their presentation. Still, the film remained on good standing for myself. For all the homages to Kubrick’s 2001 and the various interesting concepts presented that the film’s sci-fi premise hinge on, Interstellar was a solid watch though one that I’m not exactly clamoring to run out and add to my Blu-Ray shelf.

61) May 25th: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them* - DVD (Rental - Library); Upon the release of the first expanded story for The Wizarding World, many Harry Potter fans were able to experience a film set in the universe that was not a direct adaptation of its source material. However for myself, I managed to fall onto the traditional route and read the book before the movie as I received the official scripted book release for Christmas. So suffice to say this reaction to the film won’t be too detailed because I don’t have much of a response - there were no major surprises as I knew what was exactly in store. All that was really left was to see how it translated into a performance setting and it went well. Everyone served their roles well; I really think the audience vehicle that is Jacob, a non-magical human introduced to everything, is the scene stealer and it becomes apparent towards a truly emotional conclusion for him. It’s a solid foundation to build upon to really delve into some of the mythology from the other books, especially Grindelwald, Dumbledore and earlier years of Hogwarts, along with this new unexplored section of the universe. I can’t help but wonder if I would have been more enthusiastic towards the film if I had experienced it prior to the book. Still, I’m still very interested in how the rest of this expansion unfolds as future installments arrive.

62) May 27th: Bleed For This* - DVD (Rental - Library); Last month, after giving a sour response to Hands of Stone, I was very hesitant to dive into another boxing biopic despite this outing being centered in an area I originated from. Bleed for This is yet another film of the genre that failed to make waves last year and seemed to disappear without a trace despite yet again having some notable names attached to it, such as Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Katey Segal. Thankfully, though, this outing worked out much better than the aforementioned as it turns out Bleed For This is a solid entry. The ego and eccentric personality displayed by Teller here keeps things always entertaining, while the central story never falls into an overwhelming pit of cliché. Teller and Eckhart have great chemistry, both giving impressive performances, while the addition of Vinny’s family into his career adds some intrigue as profession and blood clash. Definitely a movie worth checking out.

63) Brooklyn* - DVD (Rental - Library); A sweet, endearing love story that at times is as comical as it is dramatic. Exploring not just immigration but the universal feelings of coming of age, friendship, love, torn between family & your own individual life and so very much more, I found myself falling deeper into the film’s undeniable charm the longer it went on. Saoirse Ronan’s performance is a strong one, while Emory Cohen shines as one of her two love interests. I’m not typically one to embrace stories that are more romantic in nature, yet director John Crowley and writer Nick Hornby find ways in order to balance that out by focusing on Eilis’ struggles that her move to America brings both socially and emotionally. One of the more fondly remembered entries of the year for me.

64) May 29th: Rise of The Planet of the Apes - Blu-Ray; In preparation for the upcoming sequel War For The Planet Of The Apes, I figured it was time to rewatch the two previous Cesar entries in the franchise which I hadn’t seen in a good while. First up is 2011’s surprise Summer smash Rise and boy oh boy did I forget how much I love this prequel. I always tend to hold its successor Dawn to a higher stander for various reasons (see below), but somewhere along the way I forgot what Dawn does so damn right. The core relationship between Will & Caesar, Will’s motivation behind the central drug, the nods to the original story that this entry is building towards, the visual storytelling that director Rupert Wyatt conveys for most of the apes’ storyline, the third act that sucks you in the second Caesar’s intelligence reaches a new level from the perspective of the human characters; I could go on and on. Though there is more of an emphasis on the human element in this film, it’s both necessary and understandable in a handful of ways. The humans are the dominant ones at this point and time so its natural they play a larger role, especially in the creation of the Apes’ advanced evolution. At the same time, it allows Caesar to shine that much brighter as a scene stealer with Andy Serkis just knocking it out of the park while the story portrays this wonderful balance of origin story and establishing Caesar as a complex protagonist, very much a subject of both sides of the primary man vs. ape conflict. Again, I feel since Matt Reeves has done a beautiful job in taking over the franchise from Wyatt, the first installment tends to be remembered more as a pleasant surprise with the promise of more to come. Rewatching it though, it is a damn good foundation that allowed Reeves to certainly elevate the material in the sequel and yet still stands strong on its own right as the film to revive the series in a spectacular fashion.

65) Dawn of The Planet of the Apes - Blu-Ray; To continue the conversation, Dawn from Reeves successfully elevates the predecessor by not only going bigger in terms of the central conflict with Apes and humans but also more personal by delving into the differences of the characters as well. Koba, introduced in the last movie, comes from a different side of the humans than Caesar did and both operate separately in terms of their empathy for the humans who are slowly dwindling out. So while the humans are very much in survival mode and not ready to face the apes, whom they blame for the massive outbreak that led to the deaths of many, we see the unified Apes having a civil war of sorts as loyalties are torn between the two leaders. And it’s that three sided conflict that finds a handful of ways to be complex, introspective & thrilling. I’m willing to admit that upon rewatching, Dawn did not hit me as strong as it did the first time; perhaps because most of the shock or unpredictability I found in that first viewing was more cemented now. However, it still does not rob the awe and power from the film as both an incredible sequel and one of the best of the entire franchise.

66) June 3rd: She’s All That - TV (Freeform - DVR); Listen, I was in the mood for a nostalgic teen movie flashback. A classic for many, admittedly She’s All That was never my favorite. And now I still see why. For all the clichés it still has, it’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable. But perhaps I’ve just seen its parody Not Another Teen Movie far too many times to take this seriously. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook still standout portraying strong characters. I couldn’t help but feel that the climax of the entire film was extremely rushed and quickly resolved. There are some teen genre films I turn to in fleeting moments of comfort seeking and again this has never been one of them. After rewatching, let’s just say it didn’t win a spot.

67) June 4th: Die Hard With A Vengeance* - TV (IFC - DVR); The ONLY installment in the Die Hard franchise I had not seen in full. Though I feel as if Die Hard 2 helped recapture the “confined to one place” mentality of the original, Vengeance took the series in an entirely different direction by expanding that scope. And while I don’t necessarily admire the change up, it does lead to a more compelling villain than the second installment. Furthermore, Zeus is a perfect partner to McClane and both characters play off each other well. The third act climax is just okay and I do in fact prefer the darker yet more personal alternate ending, which you can find with just a quick Youtube search. Vengeance, though, is a solid entry in a series that holds strong when compared to the latest release a few years ago.

68) June 7th: Wonder Woman* - Theater; Gosh. What can I say about Wonder Woman that hasn’t been said already? Among the three high profiles entries in the genre this season, easily my favorite superhero film of the summer. It’s a weird comparison, but I walked out of the latest DCEU entry feeling as if Diana is now the Superman of this cinematic universe. What I mean by that is at the conclusion of her first ever solo feature, the title hero comes off as such a wonderful beacon of strength, power, hope and resilience that firmly cements her as a major force moving forward in this cinematic universe. From the intriguing origin story packed with badass characters, to the climactic final battle, Wonder Woman not only presents a superhero film that is entertaining, funny when it needs to be, heartbreaking when it calls for it and so many other things, but it takes the time to both explore and enforce what it means to be a hero. Not only do we get to connect with nearly every supporting character along the way of Diana’s journey, we see what they mean to her and her heroic philosophy the more the story goes on. And it’s that infectious passion & care about all of the elements around Diana that easily leaps off the screen and in turn makes you care about them; Ares’ downfall is important to her, so you care about her quest to stop him; protecting humans at various turns, especially including No Man’s Land, means something to her and in turn we care about the missions at hand. Take this tale, put it in the hands of director Patty Jenkins who infuses the film with a wonderful eye even down to a differential in color treatment in key scenes to distinguish the mood, and you get easily the best entry in the DCEU by a long shot. One of my favorites of the year thus far for sure.

69) June 14th: The Simpsons Movie - Blu-Ray; Up until about a year ago, I had never owned the theatrical adventure of the long-running iconic television family. I saw the film upon its theatrical release and really remember loving it for multiple reasons. As someone who fell in love with The Simpsons through a Season 2 box set and the wide variety of reruns that would air every weeknight after homework but before dinner, the movie struck a chord as I saw a slight elevation of the classic formula with better animation, a few less censorship restrictions and even some momentous payoff (looking at you, Springfield Gorge jump). My little step-sister has finally reached Simpsons-mania age and I finally bought the film on Blu-Ray so that she could watch it. Rewatching it nearly a decade later from my aforementioned first viewing, it’s still entertaining and even easier to see the raunchier jokes that easily went over my sister’s head. Filled with wit, heart and enough deviation from the typical formula to keep it a memorable stand-out adventure for the franchise, it definitely tends to hold up in my eyes.

70) June 18th: The Magnificent Seven (2016)* - TV (On Demand - Epix); I am by no means your average fan of the western genre, but that’s not to say I don’t like westerns. Having never seen the original outing, I thought that perhaps this remake may fare better with me without a template to expect anything from. Furthermore, the star-studded cast that included Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'onofrio and more intrigued as to how exactly they would come across. The movie starts off strong enough with a gripping introduction to our villain that really sets up the main conflict ahead. However, it’s the long process of assembling the team, giving them all their own introduction and seeing how they gel within the growing number of men that led to a dragging period that I simply could not recover from. Furthermore, the main villain who is responsible for the issue at hand simply disappears during this stretch, never to be seen until the third act climax. That climactic battle is certainly something to behold, but it’s the journey to get to it that just takes too damn long as loses momentum. And it’s there that the film ultimately lost me, leaving me with a sour taste. If there was one silver lining, though, it’s that had the remake been a larger hit I would’ve loved to see a spinoff starring the scene stealing duo of Ethan Hawke and Byung-hun Lee.

71) June 19th: The Edge of Seventeen* - DVD (Rental - Library); This new spin on the classic teen movie format has been on my radar since the first trailer was released last summer. Then, it seemingly arrived, received its buzz, and then vanished. Now months later I’ve finally watched the latest member of the genre and I have to say I found it entertaining. That’s not to say there isn’t some major predictability to it, especially concerning the main love interest, but elements introduced are used to ground the entire story in a comical way that ultimately works. The key feat is making sure this is pulled off is through casting and Hailee Steinfeld absolutely shines in the lead role of Nadine. She’s able to pull off the complex mix of awkward, funny, self-loathing, analytical, heartbroken and more at various points throughout that it makes for a wildly unpredictable ride as she volleys between opening up & emotionally deflecting. The supporting cast works around her as they all click well with Steinfeld, especially Woody Harrelson’s eccentric teacher, but perhaps the breakout is the endearing, dorky, hopelessly romantic performance by Hayden Szeto as Erwin. Time will tell if this stands next to other teen classics, but thankfully it stands strong as writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig presents a quirky, grounded and relatable coming-of-age tale.

72) June 23rd: The Purge* - TV (DVR - FX); A franchise that’s been around for a little bit now, I’ve never experienced an entry in its entirety. Some shots from cable here, a commercial there, youtube videos showcasing the series’ place at Universal Studios during Halloween over here. So, I finally decided to give the premiere chapter a try. And it was just okay. The setting and rules regarding it are the most interesting part. The rest is a somewhat bland thriller filled with jump scares, most of which includes a small vendetta elevated that you can see coming from awhile away thanks to the set up. Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey and Adelaide Kane do their best with what their given, but really the only one who steals the show is Rhys Wakefield as the Purge Leader who doesn’t get nearly enough screentime in all his creepy glory. But, yeah. It was fine enough. I’ve heard the sequels are better as it doesn’t confine us to one location, and they do in fact feature continuing characters unconnected to this one. I’m not exactly rushing out to see them after this, though.

73) June 27th: The Quick And The Dead (1995)* - TV (DVR - Sundance); Talk about hitting me out of nowhere. Just days after a sour modern western experience, I managed to come across this film in my cable guide, which I’d never heard of. My jaw dropped when I saw the cast included Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Leonardo Dicaprio and more, all directed under one of my favorites Sam Raimi. What resulted is an exciting film filled with plenty of build up, payoff and execution that is a hell of a lot of fun. The set-up of a shootout tournament among these participants, most of whom either have a gimmick to showcase or a past to be revealed, certainly tends to suck you in with how exactly it will ultimately pan out. In addition to this, the idea of these various characters and well known actors pitted against each other is as equally intriguing. In the end, this felt like a unique entry in the genre that though may not be as fleshed out as some would like, is still quite the entertaining hidden gem with fantastic performances from the aforementioned quartet. Seek it out if you have the chance.

74) June 28th: Okja* - Streaming (Netflix); From director Bong Joon-ho, the highly talked about Snowpierecer has been a film I have yet to see despite being on my list for the longest time. This means the newly released Okja is my first impression of Joon-ho and ultimately I walked away liking this unique adventure. It’s perhaps best that the less you know about Okja the better, though I had seen the previously released trailers and still found a story filled with unpredictability. The backdrop of the plot is certainly satirical against a corporate machine and towards the end melts away to emphasize a message which paints the film with an interestingly sharp edge as it contains a rather whimsical and heartfelt tale of friendship. The first act of Okja at times reminded me of a Studio Ghibli film brought to live action through its scope of wonder, while the central bond between Mija & the title creature does feel at times slightly reminiscent of Totoro, Hiccup & Toothless, Lilo & Stitch and others. But it’s that sharp lining that gives it a final punctuation mark that may not only divide some but certainly gives you something to think about long after it’s over.

75) July 5th: Spider-Man - Blu-Ray; In the days leading up to Spider-Man: Homecoming, I found it only fitting that I revisit the web slinger’s past to prepare for his future. First up was his original 2002 debut and the start of the Sam Raimi saga that would unfold for another five years. I’ve found myself firmly in the placement of adoring not only this film but the sequel to follow and rewatching the original resulted in an interesting perspective. I’ve always thought that Spider-Man was incredibly good and usually I’ve managed to find something different in it depending on the mood I’m in. This rewatch, I found myself not drawn to the action (which, through the head bobbing behind masks, kind of struck me with a Power Rangers vibe) but to the well developed characters. Mary Jane is treated far better in this outing than the sequel as a rough home life and headspace of following her dreams blossoms into an arc that continues its logical journey in the next installment. So while she may not be treated well in the sequel, it’s the establishment of her accomplishments that give her an additional silver lining due to the set up here. Harry is both a rich kid and outcast, thus he bonds with Peter over their social status while at the same time leaving you to not believe 100% in the relationship as there is in fact a harder edged lining to it all that does inevitably unfold. Uncle Ben, who is given a bit less screen time than I remember, still packs a punch in the scenes he’s in due to his emotional impact; origin story be damned, Uncle Ben’s death is still at a core of Spider-Man and important. And then there’s Tobey Maguire’s Peter. Memes aside, you have to take into consideration WHY his scenes look that way in context; Tobey plays a Peter that IS believably awkward, nerdy, down on his luck but still with an endearing heart of gold that inspires that heroic nature in a generation of moviegoers. I’m not saying nor excusing all of his scenes over the three films (lord knows there are plenty I can’t defend - Emo Peter dancing, some blank stares, etc.) but its that awkwardness that works to drive home his nerdier qualities, only for his Spider-Man to offer a kind of confidence that comes with a few quips and plenty of excitement-yelling while web slinging. And though the action and special effects may not hold up as well today as they did back then, what made them great still does: the dynamic between our hero & villain, Willem Dafoe’s performance, Danny Elfman’s incredible score, and Sam Raimi’s direction. The relationship between Peter and Norman has always been a highlight of the saga, with Dafoe’s Jekyll/Hyde turn driving home the more despicable aspects that not only work but the complex circumstances surrounding them escalating the entire feud. Elfman’s score equally elevates various moments throughout, creating a memorable musical outing for a superhero film that for the last 15 years has only ever truly been challenged by Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight score. When you wrap it all up, Spider-Man struck me much better than I usually tend to think about it. It has its good share of faults; however, for most it should still hold a special place not just because it convinced Hollywood to invest in the comics-to-film boom but because it’s a great template of how to balance the fun, the dramatic and the emotional while exploring the characters on a three dimensional level.

76) July 6th: Spider-Man 2 - Blu-Ray; Now, we move on to the sequel. There’s no question about it, I still love this movie. It’s been one of my favorites since its release and it remains that way to this day. But, it is in no way infallible. Let’s start with the good, and for there I’ll begin with how the film looks. Now I’m not sure if it was the change over of cinematographers from Don Burgess to Bill Pope but on a visual level this has always been important to me. Where Spider-Man at times feels like it’s stylized to seem like a comic come to life, it can clearly feel like actors on a stage or set because of it. Spider-Man 2, though, drastically dials that back and nearly everything feels blended into a more realistic looking New York, especially including the action. The action is much more CGI in nature compared to the first, but ditches that “Power Ranger” problem I had mentioned because of it. Storywise, Spider-Man 2 hits so many high notes in my opinion. We get to see Peter truly struggle with his responsibility and what he desires. It’s a well crafted balancing act that not only makes our main character sympathetic but drives most of Peter’s plot in the film to an incredible degree. Nearly every relationship he shares with a character benefits from this focus and it really strengthens even the smallest interaction between our hero and supporting players. You feel for him; you hurt for him; and when it comes down to it, you understand and connect with him. Further adding to the character count that transcends the screen, Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius aka Doc Ock. On some level, there is no possible way that Doc Ock was going to top the personal heights set by Green Goblin in the last film but damn does it find a way to bring it close. They follow a similar template for sure; both men who connect with Peter and are seen as mentors before a freak accident causes them to become villains but shown they’re more so being controlled by their creations. But dammit if it doesn’t work. And with Ock, Raimi crafts some of the most memorable scenes of his saga (besides the upside down kiss, of course): the horror-like hospital scene and the train rescue, the latter of which still stands strong as perhaps the best action scene in any Spider-Man movie. As I said though, the film is not perfect. It’s biggest fault has to be Mary Jane. While an argument could be made that watching the Raimi films back to back brings her to a logical next step, Mary Jane is nothing more than simply a goal to get in this sequel. Most of the romantic back and forth between Peter, Mary Jane and her new fiancée comes across as unnecessary, though Raimi admirably never portrays her fiancée as an antagonist as he really is not a cliché. And while this may light a fire under Peter’s ass, motivating him and some decisions going forward, it doesn’t help flesh out Mary Jane other than making her mostly dependent on Peter. It runs its course, and the emotion between the two does reach a high point, but it’s still a blemish. Besides that, though, Spider-Man 2 is still one of the most fun, action packed, entertaining, emotional and complex films Marvel has made and still stands tall against the MCU-era.

77) July 7th: Spider-Man: Homecoming* - Theater; So now that I tackled two of my favorite superhero films of all time, what about the most recent installment in the franchise? This one is a bit trickier. Homecoming, in many ways, had a variety of expectations set about it. Not only is it the title character’s first true adventure in the MCU in a non-supporting capacity, but it’s also Sony’s admission that after 10 years of trying they needed help to get the hero on the right path again. Headed into the movie, my expectations were actually a little low. Despite the glowing consensus that manifested via reviews, I’ve felt like the MCU has reached somewhat of a tonal formula lately and hasn’t knocked me on my ass in amazement since Guardians of the Galaxy. Furthermore, the over reliance on Iron Man in marketing materials soured my hype as I felt it was less Spidey’s movie and more aggressively a team up that would not allow him to stand strong enough on his own. Plus the hinting of an artificial intelligence in his suit only made me a tad bit bitter out of concern they were taking an Iron Man like approach to Spidey as well. However, after seeing the film I can say that it does wind up in the upper-half of my MCU ranking thus far. Homecoming was a fun, largely entertaining coming of age superhero movie that works on a variety of different levels but also has its fair share of problems. Homecoming feels, more or less, like an adaptation similar in line to the television series’ of the past 15 years or so but never brought fully to life on the big screen. Both prior sagas attempted to explore this path but were wildly cut short with graduations occurring and school setting ultimately ditched. With the highs, Tom Holland does come off very likable as Peter Parker attempting to make sense of what his inclusion and path of a superhero ultimately means. With the younger Peter, I do feel there was a lack of emotional maturity and complexity that the Raimi films pulled off so well, opting more for the comedic approach than a tortured one. But at the same time, it’s completely understandable as maturity is definitely lacking in early teenage development. A part of me feels for that emotional edge there should have been an emphasis on Uncle Ben, in any capacity. I know many feel retreading the origins story is tiresome, and I agree - but neglecting the repercussions of Uncle Ben’s death is not. As at least three men call out Aunt May’s attractive looks and even her obliviousness to one of them, it would’ve worked to add some depth to her by showing she’s still not over the death of her husband and how Peter reacts to that. Similarly, Peter and Tony come to odds late in the film where Tony makes a remark about trying to be a father figure, where it could have been absolutely opportune for Peter to outburst how he had one and it didn’t end well. There is an infusion of “great power/great responsibility”, though, as we do openly get to see Peter struggle between what he wants & what he must do on a few different occasions, and it’s absolutely a nice touch. On the opposite to Peter, Michael Keaton is strong as The Vulture and when the two finally share some extended screentime together it’s absolutely electric. The rest of the cast falls into roles of exactly what the comedy calls for. Laura Harrier is certainly your female lead, despite the promotional push making you think that it’s Zendaya. And her Liz is fine; connecting with Peter in certain ways but never amounting to one of Peter’s greatest love interests by any means. Zendaya’s Michelle is one of two puzzle pieces (the other being the post credits scene) that definitely felt like “classic Sony” to me; she shows up what felt like in one minute intervals to quip out a line and then disappear. Admittedly, one of her moments early in the Washington Monument scene is one of the more memorable; but I simply felt she was nothing more than sequel-set-up fodder for now. The action failed to wow me, mostly because literally every major sequence was more-or-less detailed in trailers & tv spots. That’s not to say there weren’t some surprises in tow; just not in the action department. In fact, what I wanted more of is best exampled in a simple moment in the later half that may be my favorite of the entire film: a quieter yet still edge-of-your-seat scene shared between Peter and Adrian that shows brilliantly through visual acting/storytelling a key piece falling into place. It was absolutely incredible to watch. Overall, this was a good foundation to reestablish the Spider-Man universe and gain some new wind in the sails after six solo outings. There needs to be a little bit of tinkering moving forward, but the future looks promising if they can build upon this new take.

78) July 12th: Loving* - DVD (Rental - Library); Another important real-life story brought to the big screen, Loving tells the struggle for the titular couple whose lives are upheaved when law enforcement in their hometown disapproves of their interracial marriage. Though an incredibly slow burn movie, it’s the matter at the center of the film, the couple’s strength despite massive targeting and personal loss that drives the story. I didn’t find it nearly as attention grabbing as various other true-story entries in my journal this year; Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton are solid as the leads; it’s certainly one to discover, though don’t expect this artistic film to strike every note.

79) July 13th: Assassin’s Creed* - DVD (Rental - Library); “You were the chosen one! It was said you would destroy the bad videogame movies, not join them! Bring balance to the genre, not leave it in darkness!” That paraphrased Star Wars quote is pretty much how I felt in 2016. Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed looked to be films that may have finally been what the videogame adaptation genre needed to kickstart a new wave of movies to be adapted. Projects such as Uncharted, The Last Of Us, Bioshock, Halo and countless others could have been finally taken out of film development hell upon a successful streak. Alas, the two tentpoles eyed by hopefuls such as myself failed. And though I haven’t seen nor played the fantasy entry of the duo, I have played & now seen Assassin’s Creed. Despite a promising first act, which attempts not only to intrigue in both the Animus storyline and our main character’s past, everything seems to slam to a halt directly afterwards. The Animus storyline is the only source of action, used as a break from the dull, utilized thrice and does not amount to very much screentime. The film does an admirable job of setting up the key components of the universe so that those unfamiliar with the franchise get the necessary information, but fails to really translate what makes it so popular through a script that’s just alright. In one of the more embarrassing fan service moments mid-Animus action sequence, one of our leads name drops a move from the games with a delivery of awe and I ultimately wound up bursting out with laughter. An attempted good vs. evil conflict brews, all led by a macguffin used previously in the games, though the assisted supporting characters under our lead Cal barely get anything more than a quick introduction and sly line. This all amounts to a climax that not only bleeds into an incredibly quick final scene but a laughably abrupt ending that feels just insulting as a simple set up for a potential sequel. It’s with these feelings of frustration another feature is added to the growing pile of video game movie flops, and now rest our hopes on the Tomb Raider reboot with Alicia Vikander.

80) Power Rangers* - Streaming (Rental - Amazon); This one I owe to Twitter, as one afternoon I decided to crowdsource what movie I was going to rent that evening in an online poll. The winner wound up being Power Rangers, a reboot I initially had no interest in seeing until it gained positive word of mouth from friends when it was in theaters. Having seen it myself, I can definitely say I enjoyed it with some reservations. Easily the strongest aspect of the film is the script’s exploration of the five main characters, making sure they have at least some depth and chemistry with one another. It can be argued that Jason, Kimberly and Billy get more development than Trini or Zack, but certainly each of the five at least get their own moments to shine. If this exploration had been absent, the necessary team aspect wouldn’t have held up nearly as strong as the later half of the movie demands it to be. That being said, there are some impressive moments in deleted scenes that could have also worked wonders in strengthening various bonds and character elements that I’m sad to have seen on the cutting room floor. Beyond the team is where some of the more drastic changes happen that I didn’t quite mind. Elizabeth Banks actually pulls off a solid Rita, with a backstory trait that definitely adds intrigue to her. Zordon definitely comes across as much more than an omnipotent head on a wall; I just wish that there was more detail into what exactly caused the rift in the old Ranger guard, which is established but kept pretty vague in dialogue. As for the action, which is mostly contained into the third act of the film…it was ok but I felt that the computer effects could have used some more time. The best example of my special effects problem is a scene very late in the movie in which there is a tight close up of a traveling Rita that is a mix of practical and green screen but comes off laughably bad. And though this is the worst of the worst, there are other sequences where I simply felt the CGI was floating as opposed to blending into the world - especially the suits, which I felt easily could have been more practical effect than the CGI ones we receive. Then again, I didn’t walk away from this movie thinking about the final zord fight; I walked away thinking about the characters. Power Rangers, though far from perfect, is a movie at its best when establishing characters to care about. While this origins story is a solid foundation that needs a little bit more construction, it’s the hopeful thought of seeing these characters again, their bonds tested not only by something new but by an addition of Tommy, that excites me.

81) July 14th: War For The Planet Of The Apes* - Theater; Continuing my takes on the new Planet of the Apes saga, War arrived as perhaps my most anticipated film of the Summer. With Matt Reeves now slated to step into the directorial chair for the first solo Batman entry in the DCEU, it felt as if there was a growing focus on how exactly this installment of the Caesar story would go. After glowing reviews, I still managed to temper my expectations and go in cold. What I found was a wildly satisfying, exceptional and yet different change of pace adventure in the leader’s story so far. By change, I’m more so referring to a decent portion of the film that sees Caesar and our two most established supporting roles Rocket & Maurice accompanying him on a quest that not only opens up a new side to Caesar but also focuses more on his motivations rather than that of the larger group. It’s here we get to see Caesar struggle not only with his compassion for the humans that has stayed with him for most of his life, but if the absence of that aligns him more with Koba’s mentality. Furthermore, this is ultimately Caesar’s biggest test as a leader of his group not just emotionally but mentally. Woody Harrelson is terrifying as The Colonel, more so than any other primary antagonist opposite of Caesar thus far and easily the greatest of the trio. It’s the extended time together, mostly in the second half, that gives the film it’s true power, heart, and signature moments. On top of all these dynamics, we even receive an interesting subplot that continues to connect these prequel entries to the original films. The special effects this time around are stunning, perhaps the most realistic of the trilogy. The ending wasn’t completely unexpected but fitting. Much like Dawn, I think placement in this entry will ultimately depend on rewatches and after the surprises have ultimately settled in. My gut is that Dawn edges this one out due to the solo diversion of this one being a drastic change; but there’s so much that feels right as a boiling point for Caesar, between being pushed to his limits and facing off with his most menacing villain yet. Reeves delivers another well crafted epic that cements one of the more surprising successes in recent blockbuster history.

82) July 15th: Tomorrowland* - DVD (Rental - Library); Tomorrowland is a film that for the better part of a couple years now I’ve avoided. Gearing up towards the release, I was extremely on board for the Brad Bird directed sci-fi adventure. So much so that I even purchased the official prequel novel that partially detailed the origins of the background organization Plus Ultra. Why I avoided the film, however, was due not only to its mixed reviews & my fear that it would disappoint, but because the road to the theatrical release mostly felt like an empty mystery box approach that left me rather sour on the entire ordeal. Now, I can say that I have seen it and yes I do in fact have some mixed reactions. The first act of Tomorrowland may be the piece I enjoyed quite the most. It’s easily the most focused act of the entire journey, blending the overwhelming theme of optimism in a world of harsh reality with some entertaining introductions to our core cast. The concepts presented offer plenty of mystery to explore as things start to build. The second act, though, is where I felt the film was dragged down. There is a lot of explanation to be had about exactly what is going on, what happened to Frank (which is made more clear but definitely not crystal clear the more that exposition is piled on), and the path to the title location all feel like a very forced prickly road trip with more questions than answers. The third act, pretty much set solely in Tomorrowland, finally weaves our central antagonist back into the fold after an hour and twenty minutes off screen…even though when we were last introduced to him, exactly who he was, where his morality lied, and his exact purpose all remained fuzzy. Still, it at least punctuates the story with an active force instead of ever changing robotic minions. But it’s just not enough. Especially when David Nix’s reasoning behind his motives aren’t truly your traditional evil, as he gives an impassioned and actually quite impressive speech about why he’s simply given up. This all culminates in a final thematic underlining that may feel a bit too much like The Lorax to some to be forgiven. At the same time, it is that message that kind of shined through for me. Sitting through the first act, I was almost convinced this could have been a cheer up movie to watch on the downer days because it has such an infectious spirit. The nods to classic Disney Parks material is equally admirable and certainly adds to the overall atmosphere. It’s just the structure problems that weaken the entire experience despite me coming away from the movie more favorably. I just wish it could have stepped over the pitfalls on the way there.

83) July 18th: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* - Streaming (HBO Go); In the mood for something funny, I decided to turn towards last year’s The Lonely Island feature film. A heavy satire towards celebrity pop culture and the current method in which musical artists have to market themselves for popularity, I found it entertaining with a few pleasant surprises throughout the mockumentary. It doesn’t quite measure up to the cult heights of the team’s prior outing Hot Rod as the narrative isn’t quite as strong; it nails its core trio well but at the same time you get an idea exactly where the arc of the movie is heading extremely early on. Still, it’s worth a watch when the time is right and if you’re a fan of the group’s previous work.

84) July 21st: Dunkirk* - Theater; As previously stated in this post, it’s been some time since director Christopher Nolan is won me over completely. And if I’m being honest, I had very little enthusiasm towards actively going to see Dunkirk, despite the glowing reviews in the days prior. Alas, the decision to go see the war movie was made on a whim combined with the overwhelming temperatures. However, I’m extremely happy to say that Dunkirk was an amazing film in my eyes that quickly catapulted towards the top of my yearly ranking. What I say fro here on out will be rather bare bones because I truly believe the less you know going in, the better. Nolan presents a real life story but done in a unique narrative style that easily separates Dunkirk from the rest of the genre. A decent deal of the film is presented through visual storytelling as opposed to dialogue spelling things completely out and it’s truly a sight to see as you still connect with these various characters through their quest to survive by whatever means necessary. Furthermore, the inner Hitchcock suspense fan in me is absolutely giddy as Dunkirk has a great amount of edge-of-your-seat tense moments that are elevated even more so by Hans Zimmer’s score that works so complimentary to what you’re witnessing. It’s this tension that really sucked me in and would not let go until the final scene. It’s this blend that makes the film more so an experience than anything else that is perhaps best seen first in theaters right now rather than when it hits home video.

85) July 25th: Jumanji - Streaming (Starz); Prior to the sequel-reboot’s release later this Winter, I figured it was time to rewatch this fondly remembered childhood classic to many. It has been plenty of years since I’ve seen the adventure feature and it was never an overwhelming favorite of mine when I was younger. Seeing it again after all these years, however, it’s clear why it’s a staple for many. It isn’t overly cutesy as some family adventure films tend to come off; the drama & emotions are high, the premise can get dark rather quickly and it’s all very intriguing to watch unfold. Robin Williams is easily the highlight in terms of acting, playing one of his more complex characters that appeals to all-ages. The computer effects, though astounding at the time, don’t hold up overly well as you have to remember upon release this was the age when even Pixar was just starting out. That being said, if they could find a way to remaster the special effects much in a similar way Star Wars has done with its home video re-releases, Jumanji could be mistaken for a recent release. The blend between practical and CGI certainly helps, while at the foundation is still a strong story that young adults and older will probably appreciate more. And with the set-up for next installment allowing us to see inside of the game for a change, I’m interested in how exactly it holds up - especially with what seems to be a far more comedic approach than this original go.

86) July 27th: The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-Wrestlemania!* - DVD (Rental - Library); For three years now, WWE and WB animation have partnered up for a variety of direct-to-video films featuring WWE’s current roster of wrestling talent. Two Scooby Doo films are certainly one thing, as the franchise of spooktacular mysteries have not stopped since their resurgence in the late 90s. The more…let’s go with “interesting”, entries in this planned partnership are members from classic animation that have not seen a modern day take in an extended period. The Flintstones arrived first in 2015 with their first new film in 14 years that, in my opinion, just felt kind of lazy and rushed. The voices seemed off, the shoehorned WWE angle just led to more puns than anything else and to think that this could be a generation’s first exposure to the franchise disheartened me as well. It’s been many years since Cartoon Network or even Boomerang (yes, there is at least the paid service app now) aired the Hanna Barbera classics regularly on television and I often wonder whether or not the current generation growing up are even aware of their existence. Now this year, WWE and WB attempted the same with The Jetsons, a franchise with an even longer streak of nearly 30 years since it’s last piece of media. When the trailers first arrived, I was kind of angry because I saw this long dormant series was only being exhumed as a cash grab. Not to mention I didn’t know exactly who this was for - kids who are fans of WWE wouldn’t necessarily know who The Jetsons are, and those old enough to care might dodge it because they saw it simply as a quick buck. But, funny enough, after actually having seen the film I can say that oddly this is the best of the WWE/WB partnership thus far. I do have to give it credit where credit is due. Despite yet another heavy handed focus on the wrestling side of the story, there is a genuinely good Jetsons movie buried inside here. The first act, which mostly deals with Big Show waking up in the future and ultimately serves as a light reintroduction for the franchise, is actually a fun albeit kind of cliché plot that works as a concept and I would have loved to seen explored more before taking a sharp left turn. The comedic dialogue dealt actually got me to laugh out loud in some parts; the voice actors really sound like a close portrayal of the original show; the animation is solidly well done (better than The Flintstones partnership’s style anyways). Furthermore, it actually has a storyline that tries to infuse a moral within and creates a sturdy-enough arc to separate it from the pack of previous entries. That’s not to say there aren’t problems though. That same moral infusement of technology-driven laziness isn’t brought to its full potential what so ever, which I believe is due more to the wrestling focus; Big Show’s characterization is all over the place; the time travel subplot feels more like a cheap knockoff of the story device used in their 80s crossover with The Flintstones; at 81 minutes it still finds time to drag, especially in the second act which is full of wrestling glorification, a montage, nabbing stars and then making their way back. And yet despite those moments that left me bored and rolling my eyes, I still walked away feeling they did something truly right here. It can be incredibly entertaining, the joke writing stands strong enough, and there’s just something that really nails the family at the heart of this all that manages to rise above everything else. Dare I say it, I actually would look forward to a follow-up…without the wrestling. For now if this is the best we get then it could’ve been far far FAR worse off. For the best example of that just look at Tom & Jerry’s recent adventure with a certain chocolate factory and confectionary maker.

87) July 30th: Miss Sloane* - DVD (Rental - Library); We live in a year heavily focused on politics. Due to this, sometimes the entertainment we want to escape from it all may also be politically focused and it can add up to an exhausted feeling (one of the reasons I couldn’t quite pick up House Of Cards again earlier this summer). In this whirlwind, there seems to have been a political thriller overlooked in the middle of Oscar season that certainly deserves that attention now: Miss Sloane. Once you get settled into the world past a crash course introduction in the first twenty minutes and the film’s primary conflict is set up, the D.C.-set feature focusing on lobbying can both impress and shock you. Jessica Chastain is incredible as the strong, cutthroat, sharp yet not invulnerable title character. Elevating it even more is a script from Jonathan Perera that at times feels reminiscent to that of an Aaron Sorkin execution with how focused and sly the dialogue hits. Sam Waterston and John Lithgow are quite notable as antagonists to Chastain’s role, but Michael Stuhlbarg tends to knock it out of the park as his character’s relationship with Sloane drives his performance. Admittedly the story’s flow seems to take a sharp halt in the second half, though it’s intentional and even spelled out by Sloane herself. But for me it hits that spot that similar politicially-driven media, such as Scandal, has in the past in which my interest is driven by the fact this fiction I’m watching could easily be happening in real life. Filled with twists and if you enjoy the aforementioned Netflix series, Miss Sloane is one to check out.

88) The Girl On The Train* - DVD (Rental - Library); Ending on a low note shall be an adaptation that I can’t even attempt to accurately voice my substantial disappointment towards. Having read and enjoyed the original novel prior to any announcement of a film version, when ill-fated reviews emerged last Fall I ultimately avoided this movie. But as curiosity finally got the better of me, I decided to sit down and watch The Girl On The Train. And ouch. Despite a voiceover plot element utilized, most of the internal dialogue of the core three characters is left to the page causing some moments to come off almost creepy (to a laugh out loud degree in spots) and reasoning behind others aren’t really delivered upon. Additionally, this adds to an unlikeability problem as Rachel’s novel turn as unreliable narrator coping with personal life setbacks & struggling to venture beyond that traumatic past comes across as raging alcoholic with weird stalker tendencies. Likewise, Anna and Tom seems to suffer from development as they seem to share a lack of a spotlight beyond what’s shown, as does Riley who seems to be popping in more as someone who states the logically obvious as opposed to deconstructing the tangled web. Furthermore, most of the reveals that on paper drive the mystery by adding intrigue somewhat lost their impact here, as twists seems stated so matter-of-fact - especially the largest one at play. Now that could in fact be more of a problem on my end, much like Fantastic Beasts, because I knew all of the material. But when out of six main characters a majority is ruled out in a single line of dialogue, it doesn’t take much of an imagination to come to a revelation as an audience goer even if the lead has yet to realize it herself. It’s all of these elements that ultimately come across as trying too hard to chase the Gone Girl hype and falling like a knockoff, with less than two hours coming across as a slow one to get through.

WHEW! Well that took a long time. Three months away can really add up, eh? Now as the summer dies down, weirdly my journal is starting to heat up with some widely notable films from the past year. But, more on that after Labor Day…

What movies did you see this Summer? Are there any movies you’d highly recommend that I should add to my watchlist? Feel free to drop me an ask or a reply!

[lastthingyouforget]

G1 Climax 27 Night 7: Ace Combat

We’re coming out of the Sendpai Sunplaza Hall for more Block A action. For reasons unknown some of the photos used in the match graphics at the start seem really out of date.

Match 1: David Finlay, Juice Robinson vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga

Juice walks gingerly to the ring after getting his leg destroyed by Suzuki the previous night. Most of the match is Bullet Club working over the leg. Finlay eventually tags in and builds up some momentum but Yujiro pins him after a DDT.

Match 2: Jado, Toru Yano vs. BUSHI, SANADA

LIJ attack CHAOS from behind with SANADA immediately wrapping Jado up in a Paradise Lock (where he stays for the entirety of the match). Surprise double low-blow and roll up on BUSHI by Yano gives his team the win in 45 seconds. Some of the opening tags can be a bit of a chore to sit through so it was quite nice that this went less than a minute.

Match 3: Taichi, Minoru Suzuki vs. Hiromu Takahashi, EVIL

EVIL enters with laser-pointers on his fingers which he seems pretty happy about. Wild start as EVIL chokes Suzuki with a cable before Suzuki retaliates with a good old pen to the eye. EVIL and Suzuki continue to hit each other really hard outside and inside the ring. Shenanigans to finish as interference by El Desperado backfires and Hiromu pins Taichi after hitting him with his cane. Suzuki has fun destroying some Young Lions with a chair.

Match 4: Ryusuke Taguchi, Michal Elgin vs. Chase Owens, Kenny Omega

More bum-based offence from Taguchi who also gets Elgin in on the act. Taguchi is isolated until Elgin tags in and hits a really impressive standing hurricanrana. Elgin gets the win with a buckle-bomb (with Kenny playing the role of the turnbuckle) and sit-down powerbomb on Owens.

Match 5: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima vs. Gedo, Kazuchika Okada

Kojima and Tenzan beat up Gedo for a bit before Kojima pins him after a lariat. The match only went 5 minutes but I managed to fall asleep twice during it.

Match 6: Tomohiro Ishii (2 pts) vs. YOSHI-HASHI (2 pts)

It’s obvious right from the start that it’s going to be a typically hard-hitting Ishii match as an extended exchange of chops is followed up with some boots to the head by YOSHI-HASHI. YOSHI-HASHI gets a decent amount of offence including landing a Swanton. After an exchange of headbutts which must suck to perform, Ishii gets the win with a brainbuster. This was fine but neither man’s best outing so far.

Match 7: Zack Sabre Jr. (4 pts) vs. Bad Luck Fale (4 pts)

ZSJ immediately tries to make it a technical affair but Fale turns it into a brawl outside. Fale is in control in the ring but ZSJ attempts to wear him down with sleepers and other holds. ZSJ gets a surprise win with a roll-up. This could have been an fun clash of styles (as per Tanahashi/Fale) but never really had a chance to get going.

Match 8: Togi Makabe (2 pts) vs. Kota Ibushi (4 pts)

Elbows exchanged at the start before Ibushi dives onto his opponent on the outside. Match lulls for a bit before Ibushi gets to hit some of his signature moves. Top-rope piledriver is teased but it ends up with Makabe hitting a top-rope knee drop to a standing Ibushi. Powerbomb by Makabe gets a nearfall but a 2nd top-rope knee drop gets the win. Again this was fine but probably won’t last long in the memory.

Match 9: Yuji Nagata (0 pts) vs. Tetsuya Naito (4 pts)

Stalemate to begin with. Naito taunts Nagata before bailing to the outside. Naito then fakes-out locking up a couple of times much to his opponent’s annoyance. Naito in control early but after being slapped and spit at, Nagata fires back with stiff kicks.

Nagata is able to hit his big moves and applies a Fujiwara armbar. Naito counters a suplex into a Destino and gets the win after a 2nd. Simple story of the veteran competing against someone who openly disrespects tradition was told well. Both men were great in their roles (Naito in particular is always brilliant at being a cocky prick) and up to this point this was the best thing on the show by a distance.

Match 10: Hiroshi Tanahashi (4 pts) vs. Hirooki Goto (4 pts)

Fairly gentle pace to start as both men feel each other out. First big spot sees Goto lariat Tanahashi off the turnbuckle to the outside. Goto begins to target the injured right arm and intensity soon ramps up as the two exchange moves.

Nice spot as an Ushigoroshi is countered into a Slingblade by Tanahashi but he misses with a follow-up High Fly Flow. Ending sees a flurry of moves by Tanahashi as he follows up a series of rolling neckbreakers with another Slingblade and 2 High Fly Flows for the win.

Tanahashi closes the show with some air guitar. Match was well-paced and was nice to see the ace get a biggish win in a main event.

tldr;

Last two matches were really good with Naito/Nagata probably just pipping the main event as match of the night. Not much else on the show to recommend checking out.

[pandacommander24a]

22 seconds Bell to Bell

So Fastlane was... about a mix bag but ultimately its the ending and climax that tells you whether or not it was worth it. Pretty much first half was good times. Then 22 seconds, yeah, 22 seconds. Matches varied from alright to good. Then just nose dive into crap. 

Cruiser Weight matches, both, were really good, just wished I could care about 205 live. I don’t so meh.  Swan and Tozawa out flippy shit  Dar and Kendric. Good fun.

Sami and Soma was a lot of fun, Sami never has a bad match and I really like Soma; best theme on Raw. The match wasn’t the HYPE but was good fun and got me excited for the rest of the night. So a really good opener... Should have stopped.

Tag team was fun, I live for Cory Gary’s absolute hatred of Enzo. Big Cass was strong but The Club were wasted again and kind of stole the win...  The club are both talented guys but they essentially are being jobbed out making them look weak and getting shitty wins like this... Still better than Smackdown in regards to the Tag Team Divison. I don’t know if they are just in a holding pattern until they decide what to do with the New Day

Sasha and Jax, not a squash match. Surprising, Jax threw Sasha around, Sasha threw everything at Jax and then surprise Roll up. Little sloppy but not a bad match. I like Jax and hope she keeps building up to something either at Wrestlemania or something. I was kind of hoping Sasha would do something kind of underhanded to start that heel turn they have been teasing during her injury but whatever. 

Rusev and Mahal, who were a team but now hate each other, demanded a matched. Kind of expected Fowley to come out and tell them to Wrassle it out. What we got was better. 

Mahal throws Rusev threw a barrier and demands a wrestler. Who comes out Cesaro! Que me loosing my shit. There are a couple of people who no matter what always have a match that doesn’t fail to entertain. Styles, Owens, Sami, and my favorite Cesaro. Cesaro works through his extensive roster of moves, and show his Swiss 619 which he has actually mastered. Cesaro faked a back injury during the match because Cesaro wouldn’t be having fun if he wasn’t handicapped in some way. Cesaro wins because Mahal saw Rusev got up and took his eyes off the birdie.  (Seriously like most of the Single matches I saw of Cesaro he’s hurt or some way not at 100%. Shamus and Cesaro feud where he kayfab broke his arm “I fought with only one arm before, let me fight!” Against the Big Show no less. Speaking of which...)

Rusev comes in after the pin and brutalizes Mahal. Then the Big Shows music hits. And out comes epic level Big Show, a good damn match between Big Show and Rusev. Big Show has been hitting the gym for his match against Shaq, which won’t happen. So I think they are setting up a feud with Rusev for Wrestlmania or just trying to reinvent the character. Either way a surprising fun match and Big Show was not the Big Slow tonight.

The New Day come out to shill merch and Ice Cream, remind us they were hosting Wrestlmania and that’s it... Big E wanted to sleep with everyone including the Ice Cream Bicycle they road in on, it was weird but I can dig it. It was the New Day, it got a laugh and was fun. And you know what... The New Day stole the fun when they left because it was all kind of down hill from here.

Second Cruiser Weight match. As I stated Great match. Incredible talent from both Neville, hill Neville the best Neville, and Gallagher. Crazy good match, that trademark Flippy shit and Neville retains. Again I wish I cared about 205LIVE but I can’t for some reason, even though its got more talent than the main raw roster, HEYOH!

Roman Reigns and  Braun Strowman. Okay Reigns had new gear on and honestly it was the same but different and honestly I dug it. The match was by the numbers, Reigns outlasted and out survived everything Strowman threw at him. It kind of was a suprise ending though. Strowman goes for a top rope , Yea the nearly 400 pounds 8 foot tall mofo threw him self from the Turn buckle at Reigns. Reigns moves out of the way and SPALT. Reign coves. So Reigns didn’t beat Strowman, Strowman decided he wanted to be Nevilel but forgot... Only Neville is forgotten by Gravity. So ignoring the bitching of smarks, It was a match with an ending that made Strowman taken ddown by his own hubris rather than his opponent which I can dig.

Then the... SIgh... Okay so at the end of the Raw after Elimination Chamber I had a story idea in mind. Bailey would beat Charlotte at FastLane, clean and then face a heel Sasha at Wrestlemania. Reason? Sasha doesn’t really work as a Face and Charlotte’s  whole gimmick is more or less to be a female version of her father kind of. The hot potato of the belt for the last six months has done nothing for the Raw’s Women division. Charlotte’s streak was impressive but also kind of lame considering its just a PPV streak, she just lost after the PPV so much that the Women’s Division was playing hot potato. So I am not sure why it was such a big deal she had a streak. She just lost on less on important nights. She wasn’t the undefeated champion, she was the lost a bunch when we were not charging for it champion. Bailey is also our plucky underdog. A clean win would help cement her as the champion and cement the belt as something other than a tacky gimmick.

So what happened, a match that was sadly not as good as the match were Bailey won the belt from Charlotte in the first place. Then it ends with Sasha interfering... After Babyface Bailey called out Charlotte’s reliance on Dana Brooke. So heel Charlotte loose from interference from two baby faces... What? Like seriously, What? Is Charlotte going to go Face? Why is Bailey being booked like a heel if she has face promos? Why didn’t the match end in a DQ? IS this some story line for fucking Foley to be fired to cover having to leave for his hip surgery? What did Charlotte, Sasha and Bailey do, or not do, to get this shit booking?

So after that confusion... Something happened that actually made that ending a better ending... KO and Goldberg... I look at my watch and to my suprise There is 10 minutes left of in the PPV. What crazy thing is going to happen, still could be something great right? Fuck my sense of wanting something entertaining and fun to go to work on. Five minutes of setup between Goldberg fucking entrance alone and KO face of he knows this is shit, 3 minutes of KO dancing around the outside of the ring before the match EVEN STARTS. 5 seconds for the Gift of Jericho, which the first official appearance in a month since the festival of friendship. THAN 22 FUCKING SECONDS!

THE PUT THE FUCKING BELT ON GOLDBERG? The only thing that makes this entire asinine story line worst is that Goldberg will face off against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, where no doubt, Lesnar will win and then loose to Roman Reigns. New Era, Same Old Shit. This is on top of the garbage bag of dog shit that has been KO’s run as the Champion, where he has never won on his own, clean or other wise, someone always helped him. Because he’s the pudgy underdog or something... KO deserved better...

I am so fucking done, this is was honestly the first time I was actually hugely upset with watching a PPV.

I know a lot of long term smarks might have better idea but honestly Lesnar and Goldberg is a goddamn snore fest. Between both of them they have maybe have half the moves of KO alone, and KO jobs to fucking GOLDBERG?!? This is a nostalgia match only a handful of really boring people want. Remember the first time, because I watched it. Hell I watched Goldberg’s historic Streak, it was fucking boring. Every match was the same, Spear, Jackhammer, COVER. THE END. NO set up. Maybe it was something at the time a monster suddenly appearing and quietly going back into the night... To much has happened since then, also who cares now? I only care because I wasted two hours of my life for that ending? At least work the fucking handle don’t talk dirty to me than leave me with out a payoff.

I said earlier that KO never have a bad match, well... Goldberg sucks so badly that he is the exception that proves the rule.

I honestly was kind of excited for this match. KO has three fucking story lines going on. He met with Triple H before the Festival of Friendship to work something out. THEN Jericho promises that he has made arrangements for KO to win against Goldberg. Then KO get legit HEAT with everyone by tearing Jericho apart, on the promise of something from Triple H. This combined with the fact that KO usually has incredible PPVs, like every time there is a PPV no matter what, if KO was in it, there was going to be a OMG! moment and it made it worth it to watch his matches, every time, every single time.

So what is the big match end for FASTLANE tonight?  Spear, Jackhammer, COVER. THE END. After Jericho comes out and distracts KO... SO much build up, such great story plotting, an incredibly fucking talented Wrestler and you have him job out to a WCW freakshow you originally ran out of the company 15 years ago, and for what? A few seats at Wrestlemania 33? I mean Wrestlemania the greatest ride ever, or whatever we are suppose to call so Vince doesn’t feel old and senile LIKE HIS FUCKING BOOKING!

[lostsummerdayz]

CEO Recap

Original Date: 07/06/18

Author’s Note: Mainly what I’ve said in the previous entry. I’ll get right into this one because everything I’ve needed to say I’ve said it already through there. I will say that it was fun talking to the new people, as in, people who aren’t just there for Tekken. It is my main game and all, but it really captured the “family” aspect.

Like a hurricane, CEO came and went. Many moments of hype were shared within one packed weekend from explosive grand finals, to the rise of new kings and queens. CEO 2018 was, regardless, an action filled adventure not just for the wrestling fans, not just for the fighting game community, but also for us. The team went into the weekend with our main core as well as two welcome additions to our team, MarshallLawKOF and Tsuntenshi. Every single one of our players played their hardest from various games entered, ranging from Tekken to Blazblue Cross Tag and Dragon Ball FighterZ. As this was a huge weekend for Unbroken, I wanted to see how each of our players felt after such a weekend, to catch up with our earlier conversations.

One of our new additions to the team, Marshall Law KOF, gave me the impression of being a passionate fighting gamer to his core. One who wishes to learn as much as he can about the various games he plays and level up through any means necessary. CEO, while not the first major tournament he had attended, unfortunately did not go as well as planned due to unforeseen circumstances. However, from what Jazz told me, not being able to do your best is enough to dampen anyone’s spirit, but the will to get better moving forward is much better off than wallowing in the past. He plans to enter the next Revival monthly, EVO, and The Fall Classic, so there will be more opportunities for Mr. Jazz to prove to everyone that he’s a force to be reckoned with. I believe in him, and I can’t wait to see what he has to show for us.

The other newly added player to our team, Tsuntenshi, was one of the players who I was most interested in and they did not disappoint, with a top 25 placement in Blazblue Cross Tag and a top 65 placement in Dragon Ball. To Cary however, this is business as usual. His story starts back in 2009, with the release of Blazblue Calamity Trigger, when fighting games became less of a game to play with buddies from the neighborhood and more of taking it a bit more serious. With Persona 4 Arena releasing in 2012, Tsuntenshi’s plight into more competitive scenes really began to flourish. DBFZ revitalized his interest in fighting games as a game tied to a well-known product in Dragon Ball was handled by a company that he was familiar with, Arc System Works. His interest in BBTag, like my own steady interest in the game, stemmed from him playing the game in the beta and being impressed at how fun the game was when he played it.

Perhaps the biggest moment for Tsuntenshi this weekend was facing off against GO1. His mentality in handling GO1, as well as the rest of the tournament, was similar to what TunK told me before. No matter who it is that one must face off against, the most important thing is to play with a leveled head. Tsuntenshi felt it was important to just play normally how one would play if it wasn’t CEO. The best way to not let tournament nerves get to you is to not allow them to reach you to begin with. That said, he didn’t change his playstyle much when playing against GO1 since this wasn’t even the first time he played against GO1.

While it isn’t much of a secret within the FGC, GO1 is known to be a legendary anime player, being one of the best Melty Blood players around. As such, if there’s an anime fighter around, chances are GO1 had dabbled in it at some point. That said, Tsuntenshi fought against GO1 before in a previous game known as Dengeki Bunko FIGHTING CLIMAX, a game that is literally an anime fighter. Since he knew what he was getting himself into, Tsuntenshi did he best to knock it out of the park.

Although GO1 eventually defeated him, Tsuntenshi wasn’t bothered by it too much as the opportunity to fight against such strong formidable foes is a feat in itself. It wasn’t just GO1 either, but several other strong players who Tsuntenshi was able to keep up with. Never the less, for his first outing in representing Unbroken, Tsuntenshi had played exceptionally well and we can only see how great he does in future tournaments.

Back on the Tekken side of things, we focus on the man who reached top 25 himself. Ando had greatly improved since Combo Breaker and his performance over the weekend showed for itself. The first thing he told me was that he felt this year’s CEO was the best tournament he had ever entered. This was a sentiment that both Fabo and TunK agreed to as well. The perks of playing casuals or playing in a tournament, then being able to go to the beach to unwind was a plus across the board. In Ando’s case, the grind to 25 wasn’t easy. Along the way he had to face off against Jody, who in his opinion, was one of the better Lee players he fought. One approach he took different from Final Round and Combo Breaker was that he just played with an empty mind and took on each match as they came.

His toughest matchups by far was against Binchang, who ended up taking top 8 in the tournament, and Rickstah. While he states his loss towards Rickstah was based off of careless mistakes on his end, Binchang gave him the most trouble as he used a character, Kazumi, and played her the most honest way that he could. Honest Tekken in this instance was too honest and his gameplay was too solid. Regardless, Ando feels as if he’s just getting warmed up and a top 25 finish is just the beginning. His sights are set on a top 3 finish for the future or bust.

Fabo, our other Paul specialist, couldn’t make it out of pools, but it wasn’t enough to deter him from his overall performance. Like everyone else who I’ve mentioned and will mention, match-up knowledge is the goal for learning how to win against the more off-center characters such as Geese and Noctis. Coming to terms with the fact that these unorthodox characters are characters he will be facing off against, learning about their strengths and weaknesses for the future will be vital to surviving longer in the pools. The best part of the weekend was being able to play a set against Spero Gin, one of the most notable Eddy players within Tekken. The fights went back and forth, but it wasn’t enough ultimately. However, that match showed Fabo that he can run close matches with anyone, even those who are highly notable players to beat. In the future, this will mean it will be easier for him to gain enough confidence to play his best. Sometimes, being able to keep up with those who are better experienced than you is all the encouragement you need to strive.

Lastly there was TunK, who expressed several times before I asked him about his CEO experience, that the tournament gave him clarity. He felt as if he leveled up from attending the event and playing everyone there, even if he was close to making it out of pools. His pool was notably stacked, with players such a Rip, Shirdel, Shadow, El Negro, and Cassian. Aside from his first match which was on stream, he was able to convincingly take victory from Cassian in a 2-0 finish, though the first roadblock would be Shadow.

Shadow is known for his Claudio, but also for his wide range of characters, one of which he used against Tunk’s Eddy as a means for a counter. Unfortunately, that counter didn’t work well, as Tunk’s matchup knowledge of Kazuya allowed him to secure the first victory. When Shadow switched to Claudio however, it was a tougher fight for Tunk but he held his own. The same went for Shirdel, who was interested in how Tunk handled his Alisa. The same Shirdel who eliminated Ando from Combo Breaker.

Even though he lost to Shadow and Shirdel, it was the casuals that allowed him to cherish the character he played. There were several people he fought in casuals who liked the fact that they got to play a decent Eddy and left with valuable Eddy matchup knowledge. Of course, there was also the Tekken Grand Finals to be mentioned, where JeonDDing managed to edge a win from Qudans and win his first ever tournament on the Tekken World Tour. Tunk and I both felt that victory because as Eddy players we knew the struggle he endured throughout that entire set to win gold. Tunk specifically, the night that he returned on stream, mentioned that Jeon showed him he doesn’t need to rely on another character to win. If he can win with Eddy, the character Tunk’s been riding with forever, then Tunk too can also win. There was a lot of motivation to be had, to see someone use a character with a stigma of “not winning”, actually winning.

CEO was a lot to cover, especially with the ever-growing roster of our family, but the summer is just beginning and there are more tournaments throughout the season to look out for. In my case, I have the Red Bull Conquest tournament the weekend of July 7th to look forward to, as well as the Defend the North tournament two weeks from now. I’ve been quiet since Combo Breaker, but July will be a big month for me as well and I too will have stories to share on my experiences, much like the experiences I’ve shared of the rest of the family. Stay tuned for more! Stay unbroken.

Original Link: https://www.teamunbroken.com/ceo-recap

[placetobenation]

The last one, I promise. For those of you who’ve been wary about dipping your toe in the wrestling ocean that is the G1 Climax tournament, here’s the edited highlights version.

The whole shebang: Primer, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Final.

The Matches

I rated twenty seven matches at four-stars or higher over the course of the tournament, and that’s ignoring the dozens more that fell just short of what is, let’s be honest, a wholly subjective threshold of quality. Here, in chronological order, are my Top 10 favourite matches of the tournament:

Honourable mentions:

Okada vs. Elgin (Day 4 – July 22nd)

Ishii vs. Ibushi (Day 5 – July 23rd)

Omega vs. Elgin (Day 8 – July 27th)

Okada vs. Suzuki (Day 16 – August 8th)

Sabre Jr. vs Ishii (Day 17 – August 11th)

Naito vs. Ibushi (Day 1 – July 17th)

Talk about setting a tone. I was practically watching the closing stretch from behind the sofa, such was the risk of some spots, but it can’t be denied it was an incredible match. An opening salvo that reminded us just how good Ibushi is and confirmed Naito’s status as tournament favourite.

Ibushi vs. Sabre Jr. (Day 3 – July 21st)

They never left the ring and only once did Ibushi leave his feet. Proof, as if it were needed, that Ibushi is capable of far more than spectacle and that Sabre Jr.’s box of tricks can keep even the highest of flyers grounded. Just brilliantly done.

Tanahashi vs. Nagata (Day 5 – July 23rd)

This one went up sharply in my estimation upon rewatch and has stuck with me since. Nagata gave one last determined effort against the Ace of the Century but came up short, while Tanahashi really played up to a crowd that was ready and willing to boo him. A simple and beautifully told story.

Okada vs. Kojima (Day 8 – July 27th)

So much fun. Okada in ultra punk mode was a blast, clapping along with the “Ko-ji-ma!” chants and being a dick to Tenzan, while Kojima denied him the opportunity to establish a rhythm and tried desperately to overcome the champ’s arrogance. A single Rainmaker was good for the win in what was a refreshingly concise main event.

Ishii vs. Nagata (Day 11 – August 1st)

They cranked through the gears in this one. I kept thinking Ishii would cut off Nagata any moment and put him away, but Nagata just kept fighting. One of those matches that it seems I enjoyed more than anyone else, but that’s fine by me.

Tanahashi vs. Ibushi (Day 11 – August 1st)

Such an important result that it led to Ibushi christening the arm-trapped knee strike that defeated his opponent the Kamigoye – “to overcome God”. Tanahashi once against played up the arrogance and the knee strike was an appropriately brutal way to shut him up and end what had been a spectacular match.

Okada vs. EVIL (Day 14 – August 5th)

Only when Juice pinned Omega in the match prior to this one did I consider that the upset was possible, and even with that thought in my head it was a huge surprise. Evil got the clean, no excuses win over an opponent who hadn’t been pinned in a singles match for 364 days. We’ll gloss over Evil’s use of chairs, naturally, but with this victory alone the King of Darkness was significantly elevated.

Ishii vs. Tanahashi (Day 15 – August 6th)

Another great match between these two, and any match where Tomohiro Ishii busts out a sharpshooter is likely something I’ll enjoy. This one favoured flow over high-risk moves and maintained a compelling pace and intensity throughout, with a focus on duelling limbwork at its core. Quality pro wrestling from two of the best around.

Naito vs. Tanahashi (Day 17 – August 11th)

An epic drama between two of the most charismatic wrestlers on the planet plus crazy crowd heat. What’s not to love? I keep coming back to the Texas Cloverleaf. Having been re-established as a match-ender at Dominion, it was perfectly utilised here and quite honestly one of the best submission sequences I’ve ever seen.

Okada vs. Omega (Day 18 – August 12th)

Stunning. Not a sprint – well, maybe one more akin to the 400m than 100m – but so thrilling and intense there was barely a moment to catch your breath. We, and Omega, now know that the One-Winged Angel is good for beating Okada, but can it do so when the champ is 100% and the title’s on the line? Feel free to argue amongst yourselves which of their three matches to date is the best.

Naito vs. Omega (Final – August 13th)

I don’t think I’ve been as emotionally invested in a wrestling match for years. Last year’s block decider between the two was as good a heel vs. heel match as I’ve seen. Here, though, Naito was in full babyface mode (one spitwad aside) and survived some brutal assaults before overcoming Omega in desperate fashion, as has been the case throughout the tournament. Omega was excellent too, consistent in his selling and deliberate in his offence, not to mention the nasty bumps he took. Most great matches I appreciate, but it’s rare these days to feel like I’m experiencing one. This was one of those matches.

                  The Wrestlers

Tetsuya Naito, tournament winner for a second time, wisely kept his head down after the insanity of the opening night, escaping with wins rather than dominating and even looking a little out of sorts. But this is a man for the big occasions, and once the bright lights of Sumo Hall were on him he demonstrated exactly why he’s considered one of the most charismatic wrestlers in the world. His act may suggest aloofness and nonchalance, but let’s not pretend that score-settling wins over Tanahashi and Omega weren’t an important factor in motivating Naito on that final weekend. He was the favourite going in and that tag was justified. It was destino, after all.

Kenny Omega, last year’s winner, could not repeat that feat, going down to the man he defeated to reach the 2016 final. But on his way to the final he secured a psychologically crucial victory over Okada and perhaps an even greater prize will be gained thanks to that. He had decent run in the main body of the tournament, but my goodness, just like last year, he turned it on in a big way for the final two nights and will likely be fighting it out with himself on many people’s Match of the Year ballots. Kazuchika Okada delivered again and again in a tournament of extraordinary consistency and quality. He may have ended his run with a loss, a draw and a loss, but he never looked anything less than one of finest wrestlers in the world. He made his opponents look like stars no matter the result and carried his side of the tournament like a true champion.

Hiroshi Tanahashi continues to work harder than seems sensible. Last year, he returned from a serious injury and opted not to alter his style whereas this year he went into the tournament carrying an injury and utilised it to demonstrate his selling, giving each match a focus and a story. Odd to think his performances have almost gone under the radar, because he delivered huge in several matches with made his opponents look like stars. A selfless tournament from the great man. Bad Luck Fale was very good this year. He was clearly motivated and delivered an interesting variety of matches, the pick of bunch being a four-star effort with Kota Ibushi. The big man remains an underrated worker.

EVIL was the breakout star of the tournament, certainly in booking terms, and delivered big in several key matches. As a brawler he offers something different to his colleagues at the higher end of the card and that may well benefit him as he moves up – which certainly seems to be his direction right now. Minoru Suzuki didn’t have the most interesting of tournaments. Backed by his goons, his matches this year fulfilled a booking requirement, but mostly topped-out at “fine”, and this is coming from a fan of his who’s not entirely sick of the Suzuki-gun interference. His match with Okada, however, which was almost entirely one-on-one inside the ring, was great and demonstrated that when the occasion demands it he can still offer something unique and brilliant.

Hirooki Goto somehow picked up five wins in a forgettable set of matches. His best were against Ishii (unsurprisingly) and the ultra-motivated Nagata, but even a main event with Tanahashi fell flat. I suppose as a finalist last year, he couldn’t slip too far down the table, but it’s just so hard to care about anything he does these days. Kota Ibushi, by contrast, demonstrated time and again what a special talent he is. While he never looked like winning the block – a highly unlikely scenario – he was a boon to the tournament and adds a spark to any match he’s involved in. Fingers crossed he’ll stick around a while longer. Zack Sabre Jr. made Tanahashi submit in the opening show, got Makabe to tap out to a secondary submission move, tied Ishii up so comprehensively that the referee was forced to call for the bell, then made Tanahashi submit again in yesterday’s tag match. I’d say that a successful first appearance in the G1, wouldn’t you?

Michael Elgin’s third tournament was a strange one. He brought A-game against the bigger names but consistently slipped up against those he should’ve beaten. The loss to Yano that eliminated him from the running was frustrating, and overall – despite two very, very good main events – this seemed a step down from his previous two appearances. A NEVER title shot against Suzuki beckons, however. Juice Robinson grabbed that brass ring by the balls, if such a thing is possible. In-ring improvement is one thing, but gaining the fans’ investment is another, and that’s what he’s been able to do over the past month. The surprise win over Omega was one of my overall highlights, but beyond that he was one of the most reliably compelling performers throughout. SANADA, if I’m honest, had a slightly underwhelming tournament. He was solid, don’t me wrong, and still carries himself and looks like a star (big fan of the new entrance mask and gear), but he’s a few steps away from everything clicking. In part that’s down to the results, which can’t be helped, but a little more of the fire he displayed against Suzuki on a more regular basis and New Japan would surely have a star on their hands.

Tomohiro Ishii did what he does, which is have great matches. He quietly went about his business, working a wider variety of match-types than he is often given credit for. How I wish he was considered of greater value to the company than Goto. Fingers crossed for a rubber match with Sabre Jr. down the line. Togi Makabe was also in this tournament. Okay, that’s a bit snarky, because despite his propensity to sleepwalk through his signature spots, he actually had a few good matches, particularly those with Ishii and Naito. He looked fresher this year, and that translated to his performances. YOSHI-HASHI was someone who I described as having a breakout tournament last year and as being a regular highlight. Well, that guy wasn’t anywhere to be seen this year. There was nothing offensively bad about him, in fact he had several decent matches, but the fire that defined his underdog act in 2016 is down to the embers.

Tama Tonga was okay, I guess, but the progress he’s made in Guerrillas of Destiny hasn’t translated to singles matches. The ultra-serious, scary act doesn’t do anything for me, but he delivered some really funny off-the-cuff lines here and there and further mining that side of his personality would do him wonders, I think. His match with Juice pointed the way forward. Toru Yano did his thing. I still get a kick out of it and his role in this tournament is a useful one. The match against Kenny Omega was properly funny, SANADA no-selling his schtick was enjoyable, and sneaking another win over Suzuki was great. Satoshi Kojima had a damn good run. Not results-wise, sadly, but he showed up many of the younger guys with intensity alone. He peaked with an excellent performance against Okada (and had me thinking that maybe, possibly at title shot was viable in the near-future), but his pride and determination were undimmed and there was never a hint that he was taking a night off.

The last word goes to Yuji Nagata, who wrestled his final G1 tournament. Not only did he over-deliver on my expectations, he had a legitimately excellent run – probably one of my favourite ever. Every match was compelling and heated, and the 49-year old regularly outworked colleagues in the prime of their careers. Of course, this being New Japan, there was no room for sentiment, and he ended up with only one win to his name. Nevertheless, that final G1 match at Sumo Hall last Friday, and the bow of respect from Fale, was a genuinely touching moment. I salute you, Mr Nagata!

Final thoughts: I don’t know if it was because of more variety or better spacing of shows or what, but I thought this was the best of the three tournaments I’ve reviewed in their entirety. The coverage on New Japan World was faultless and there was yet another step-up in production value this year as every show had commentary to go along with the multi-camera footage. As we got closer the final I was hopeful but unsure that this roster could match the extraordinary quality of recent years, but boy did they ever. And those final three main events – my word – back-to-back-to-back classics.

If you have been, thanks for reading these, I’ve appreciate the feedback and comments and hope you enjoyed the tournament as much as I did. Thankfully, there are now a few weeks off, but I’ll be back for the three Destruction shows in September. See you then.

[wrestlingisfake]

The New Beginning in Sapporo preview

This is a two-day event during the Road To New Beginning tour.  The real big action will be on February 9 in Osaka, but the two Sapporo shows are pretty big in their own right.  Here’s some of the highlights from both days.

February 1

Kazuchika Okada & Jon Moxley vs. Minoru Suzuki & Taichi - So on January 5, Suzuki punked out Moxley and declared his intention to challenge him for the IWGP United States title.  On January 6, Taichi was beating up Okada after a CHAOS vs. Suzuki-gun tag match when Moxley showed up to make the save but mostly to give Suzuki a receipt.  Now we’ve got Mox and Okada teaming up in the unlikeliest duo ever, to preview Okada-Taichi on 2/2 and Moxley-Suzuki on 2/9.

It’s going to be a tough sell to convince anyone that Taichi is a worthy opponent for Okada, and Moxley already made short work of him in the G1 Climax.  So in a sense Suzuki is at a big disadvantage, but I’m sure they’ll pull every dirty trick in the book to get heat.  Look for Taichi to score some suspenseful near-falls, especially on Okada.  I suppose Taichi could score the win here, but if it’s me I book Suzuki to get a pin over Moxley.

Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takagi - Goto won the NEVER openweight title on January 5, but then Takagi pinned him in a tag team match the following day, so he issued a challenge for this title shot.  These guys had a war in the G1, and I think we can expect another war here.  I’m not sure I’m real comfortable with that, honestly.  Takagi seems like he’s got more potential as a star so I would book him to win the title, but New Japan still thinks they can do something with Goto, so they may surprise me.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL - This almost feels like a random singles match, since they seem to regularly throw these two guys together when they don’t have anything better for either one to do.  Except...there was a botch when Evil pinned Ishii in the trios gauntlet match on January 5, so it’s possible this is meant to be Ishii’s chance to get some payback.  In any case, this should please the fans who want to see big boys clubberin’ each other.  I could see them playing it like the winner is in line for a singles title shot, although I don’t think I’d be terribly convinced of that.  I’m really not sure who I think will win this.

Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. Jay White & KENTA -  This is previewing Naito vs. Kenta and Sanada vs. White on 2/9.  Naito defeated White on January 4, then Kenta ruined Naito’s celebration on January 5, and then White and Kenta beat up Naito and Sanada on January 6.  It’s a tough match to pick a winner in, because I expect they’ll want to protect all four guys.  But they’ll protect Sanada the least, I think, so I’m going with White and Kenta.

February 2

Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi - Listen, I would understand this if Taichi had pinned Okada in the tag match on January 6.  But he didn’t--he just got himself disqualified attacking Okada with Iizuka’s iron glove, because New Japan wants you to think they’re pushing Taichi without actually putting him over in any meaningful way.  Taichi is from the Sapporo area so I am resigned to the fact that they will pretend he’s an up-and-coming main eventer every February, but that doesn’t mean I have to pretend he has a hope in hell of beating Okada.

Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Will Ospreay - Sabre is defending the RPW British heavyweight title.  Sabre always brings up British politics in his promos for whatever reason, so I find it interesting that this will be a couple of days after the completion of Brexit, and he’s finally defending his belt against the only other British guy in the company.  I assume these two have a storied history with each other because it seems like every British wrestler has a complex backstory with every other British wrestler.  But I’ve only seen these guys in one-on-one action during the G1 last year.  I really like Ospreay and I really like to hate Sabre, so this should be fun.  Gotta pick Sabre to retain, though.

Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi & SANADA vs. KENTA & Jay White & Taiji Ishimori - This will probably just be basic filler six-man tag match, except that I find it interesting that Hiromu will be across the ring from Ishimori.  I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Ishimori pins Hiromu or something to set him up as the next challenger for the IWGP junior heavyweight title on the next tour.

Jon Moxley & Ryusuke Taguchi & SHO & YOH vs. Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI - I guess Moxley is just teaming with Chaos guys on this tour?  All right, then.  Moxley and Suzuki have business with each other.  Roppongi 3K have business with Desperado and Kanemaru.  Normally Sho and Yoh would team with Rocky Romero, but he’s been on the US tour, so his fellow coach Taguchi is filling in.  Douki has a pipe.  I’m pretty sure Mox is going to shove that pipe up Douki’s ass.

Shingo Takagi & EVIL & BUSHI vs. Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Robbie Eagles - Shingo, Evil, and Bushi are the NEVER trios champions, but the title is not at stake in this match.  They won the title in the trios gauntlet match on January 5, and as I noted above there was a botch when Evil eliminated Ishii's team.  So perhaps this is meant as a sort of do-over, except this time YOSHI-HASHI is out of town so Goto is in his place.  If the Ishii-Goto-Eagles trio wins this match, they’d be in line for a title shot in the future.  It’s more likely, though, that the champs will retain and the controversy over that botch will be swept aside.

[lastthingyouforget]

G1 Climax 27 Night 2: Friends Of Minoru Town

The second night of action is from the famous Korakuen Hall and sees the first round of matches in Block B.

1st Match: Hirai Kawato, Kota Ibushi vs. El Desperado, Zack Sabre Jr.

Kawato and ZSJ start out in this opening tag. Kawato gets isolated early as Suzuki-gun apply a variety of holds with the small flourishes of ZSJ making every submission he applies look painful.

Kawato finally creates some separation and tags in Ibushi who does a great job of selling the effects of his match with Naito from Monday. ZSJ and Ibushi are in together and give a preview of their match in the next round.

Penalty kick from ZSJ to Kawato who mounts a comeback and gets a nearfall with a small package. El Desperado applies a boston crab on Kawato whilst ZSJ gets Ibushi in an octopus hold to stop him from breaking the submission. Kawato eventually gets to the ropes but El Deperado gets the win after an Angel’s Wings.

Really good opener that built up Ibushi/ZSJ in the next round without giving too much away. Kawato also impressed. 

2nd Match: Tiger Mask, Yuji Nagata, Togi Makabe vs. Gedo, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto

Heavy strikes from the start with slaps from Goto and kicks from Nagata. Really impressive how athletic Nagata is in the ring for someone who’s nearly 50.

Makabe and Ishii exchange shoulder blocks with Makabe coming out on top. Makabe gets isolated before Goto/Nagata get back in and continue throwing strikes.

Gedo unsuccessfully tries to get a pin on Tiger Mask with his foot on the ropes but the ref is wise to it. Tiger Mask then gets the win for his team with a crucifix pin on Gedo. Ishii/Makabe brawl after the bell before being separated.

3rd Match: David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale

Fale takes out the announcer before his opponents are even out which was pretty great. 

Tanahashi and Finlay work well together hitting double team moves on both members of Bullet Club. Fale knocks Tanahashi off the turnbuckle and starts targeting the injured right arm outside the ring.

Finlay isn’t able to make the hot tag as Tanashi is taken out on the apron. Finlay manages to knock Fale off his feet and goes for a cover but is thrown halfway across the ring when the big lad kicks out. Fale then pins Finlay after the Grenade thumb spike.

Fale looked a lot better than on Monday as he had the much smaller Finlay to bounce off him and his match with Tanahashi should be an interesting clash of styles.

4th Match: Jado, YOSHI-HASHI vs. BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito

Not much to say about this one. YOSHI-YASHI catches Naito unaware as soon as the bell rings before Jado and BUSHI get in for a sexy pose-off. LIJ work well together before BUSHI gets the win after reversing Jado’s crossface into a pin. The crowd really like Naito.

5th Match: Satoshi Kojima vs. Juice Robinson

Much like Nagata on Monday, Kojima plays the role of the hard-hitting veteran here. He out-wrestles Juice to start before tossing him out the ring and DDTing him on the apron.

Juice tries to build up momentum with some strikes before Kojima interrupts with a rolling elbow. Kojima murders Juice with chops for the second time this week but Juice mounts a comeback with a spinebuster and cannonball in the corner.

Match really picks up at the end as Kojima lariats Juice’s leg whilst he’s on the turnbuckle and hits a top-rope cutter. Juice counters one lariat but takes another one to the back of the head before kicking out of a brainbuster. Juice fires up, Kojima cuts him off with another lariat but he manages to kick out. Finish sees another lariat countered into Pulp Friction and Juice gets the surprise win.

Juice helps Kojima to his feet and they shake hands. The match told a simple story of the younger guy taking everything the veteran could throw at him but the heart and fire that Juice showed really set it apart.

6th Match: Michael Elgin vs. Tama Tonga

Tonga tries to literally run ring around the bigger Elgin but takes a huge shoulder block for his troubles. Elgin controls early, demonstrating his range of power moves (including a really impressive stalling one-armed suplex) before Tonga tries to turn it into a brawl outside.

Slingshot splash from the apron to inside the ring by Elgin who continues to dominate with good looking offence. 

Really exciting ending sequence as another slingshot splash is countered into a Gun Stun. Elgin kicks out but Tonga gets this win with a mid-air Gun Stun after reversing an attempted move from Elgin off the turnbuckle.

Fun match and Tonga showed a lot more than I was expecting.

7th Match: SANADA vs. EVIL  

The two LIJ members go head to head after facing off in tag team action on Monday. EVIL offers a handshake to SANADA before catching him off gaurd. A chair is brought into the ring but doesn’t last long as EVIL breaks it in half via SANADA’s face.

Brawl continues outside the ring. EVIL wraps a chair around Sanada’s neck and hit’s it with another chair causing it to fly off and bonks a camera operator.

Back in the ring SANADA demonstrates his athleticism with some leapfrogs and a massive dropkick. EVIL applies a choke on the turnbuckle before SANADA counters with a leaping cutter to the outside and both men barely meet the 20 count.

More back and forth action. SANADA misses a top-rope moonsault and EVIL locks in the Banshee Muzzle crossface submission that he debuted on Monday. SANADA gets to the ropes and eventually catches his opponent with his own trademark submission that EVIL barely manages to break. SANADA gets the win after hitting a moonsault on his second attempt.

Another fun match with some fast action and novel spots. SANADA seems to have all the tools needed to be a bigger name so looking forward to seeing what he does in the rest of the tournament.

8th Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Toru Yano

The two CHAOS members are accompanied to the ring by Gedo and Jado respectively (with both men getting involved throughout). For the fourth time this week a handshake offer ends in shenanigans as Yano spins Okada around and slaps him in the back of the head.

Match starts off slow and mostly consists of Yano comedy spots with Okada hitting a few of his signature moves. All four men are down on the outside after a low blow party but Okada and Yano manage to beat the count. Yano gets a nearfall after countering a Rainmaker attempt into a schoolboy but Okada gets the win with his Red Ink submission.

Not much to write home about but the match acted as a nice breather before the main event and meant that we still have Okada’s first proper tournament match to look forward to.

9th Match: Minoru Suzuki vs. Kenny Omega

Omega is last year’s G1 winner and current US champion whilst Suzuki currently holds the NEVER Openweight belt. Suzuki gets right up in Omega’s face to begin. Kenny does a great job of selling Suzuki’s intimidation factor.

Suzuki opens with slaps, Omega fights back but Suzuki is in control and hits some brutal forearms and chops. Omega manages to hit a standing hurricanrana but his dive attempt is cut-off by Suzuki who locks in a rope-assisted arm submission on the apron before following up with a a running PK.

Throughout the match Suzuki does a great job of denying the crowd from seeing Omega’s flashy offence. An attempted moonsault off the barrier is stopped by Suzuki who targets his leg whilst it’s caught in the rail. Suzuki takes the action into the crowd and brings a chair into play but Omega retaliates with chair shots of his own.

Omega continues to sell the effects of the damage to his knee but manages to land a one-legged moonsault and a V-Trigger on the second attempt (after Suzuki pulled the ref in the way of the first).

Suzuki-gun swarm the ring to attack Omega but Owens and Fale come out to even the odds. Omega then takes flight and hits a springboard cross body from the ring into Suzuki-gun in the crowd.

Down to just Omega/Suzuki again and the latter continues to target the leg with a kneebar. Omega chops Suzuki who just smiles and asks for more. Kenny gobs in his face and after receiving a rush of strikes hits another V-Trigger. One-winged Angel attempt is reversed into an ankle lock and then transitioned into a sleeper hold by Suzuki but Kenny manages to survive.

Suzuki attempts to finish it with his Gotch-style piledriver but Omega hits a barrage of V-Triggers. Suzuki kicks out but another pair of V-Triggers and a One-winged Angel gives Omega the win.

Brilliantly overwrought promo by Omega to close and we’re done. Great contents with a logical story of Suzuki targeting the leg and Kenny having to do everything he could to end the match before any further damage could be done.

tldr;

Show was a really easy watch. The opening tags benefitted from having the previous round’s narratives to build-off and felt like a more integrated part of the card than on Monday. Omega/Suzuki had some great character work and in-ring action and was probably match of the night. Shout out to Kojima/Robinson for a surprisingly great match. SANADA/EVIL and Tonga/Elgin also had some real fun spots between them.

Back to Block A tomorrow night!