#progression is also part of character growth and development. and dream needs this freedom to form himself.

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Progress

I am here! And I made this drabble! @spotaus get in here! We got a new update :3

This one i had to take the time for haha Also I am fucking dying it is so hot and warm and everything is moist and i hate it and please end me i am not made for this heat. and as i am melting so his my sanity and mental health

anyway hahahah it is warm :') I dislike the heat.

First drabble Prev drabble Next drabble

And no beta or edits. I write these in one go and hope for the best lmao.

*------------------*

Dream watches as the bear walks through the stream. looking at the water and following movements Dream can't see.

The bear eventually gets to some mysterious perfect spot and stays put. it opens its mouth and waits.

For a moment. nothing happens.

Then the fish start to jump and rush and one ends right in the bear's mouth. The bear bites down and starts eating.

It is fascinating.

Nature in motion.

Dream continues to lay right there on top of the branches as he watches the bear continue hunting and eating. at ease with what it does and who it is.

His phone ringing ruins the silence and Dream curses as he grabs his phone quickly checking who is calling now. He sighs at the sight of the caller ID and answers it "Hey Core."

The child, is core still a child?, sounds frantic "Dream? Where have you been!?"

Drema hums as he leans against the tree, watching the wildlife again. Good to see the bear has dismissed the noise he made and it went about its day again "out and about. learning stuff."

core sighs "Dream... the people here need you and-"

Dream hums "No they don't. They can do their chores and tasks themselves. I told you and all of them this before." he is not going to fall into the same trap as always. cutting himself apart to please others. He needs to figure himself out first.

Core sighs loudly again "Dream... If you like it our not. You are still the guardian of positivity to them! They are nervous and you can relax them."

Dream sighs annoyed himself "No Core. I can't. Or at least, i don't want that role anymore. Correction. I never should ahve had that role. I already told you that what i did before was a mistake." he had explained this so many times already. Explained that he shouldn't have tried to stop what Nightamre had been doing.

Yet no one understood!

They kept demanding him to keep doing what he had been doing before.

It is exhausting.

Dream sighs loudly and cuts off whatever Core is saying "I am not coming back to the omega timeline. Let it rest Core and move on. That is what i am doing." and he hangs up the phone. He leans against the tree and calls the number he knows by soul.

one ring later and "Dream! How is your break going? Seen any cool things?" Blue sounds excited.

Dream smiles as he leans against the tree already feeling relaxed. Just hearing his friend and hearing him respect what dream wanted makes everything right. The need to complain disappears and he focuses on the good "Yeah it is pretty cool. I am in a large forest. Saw a bear catch a fish with its mouth." the bear moves towards the side to eat some of the fish it caught.

Blue groans "lucky!! I am stuck in another reset. Kid got stuck somewhere in hotland and my bro and I are trying to figure out a way to hel them progress quicker."

Dream chuckles "You and your brother gave up on acting as if you don't notice the save, loads and resets?"

Blue hums "Well... yeah! I know it is a large risk and a big show of trust... but my brother explained to me that knowing I was there for him? With him in the resets and that i truly understood how it felt? He said it gave him peace and hope. that he felt less alone. And that got me thinking... Maybe... maybe Chara would feel better if they knew they weren't alone? That they didn't need to figure it all out alone? Papy had been unsure but he ended up deciding to trust my opinion and decision..."

Dream hums and nods "how did that go?"

Blue is silent for a moment before answering "Well... we dropped hints first and tried to ease them into the idea... then they ended up having a panic attack and apologising over and over again. We just sat down with them and we spoke it all out. they ended up sleeping over at our place for a while and would ask us everything about how we experienced it. So... I think it helped... thanks by the way."

Dream blinks and laughs "Why thank me?"

Dream can hear the smile in Blue's voice "Because you gave me the idea of it all! You were the one to trust me and share your worries with me. and once you shared those pains you felt better. You explained how the powers and responsiblity got too much and painful... That is when i realised. If you, an actual adult and god already felt like that... how would a child feel with so much power and responsibility but no guidance?" Blue is silent for a moment before he speaks "I know we aren't... we arent suposed to mess with the past or what happened or the anomaly but... How can there be any change if we don't try? Be it for the better or worse? At least we won't be stuck in the same loop anymore."

a moment of silence and Drema speaks quietly "What if they end up deciding to use this for bad stuff? To betray that trust and beleive?" what if blue gets hurt?

Blue hums "That is their choice. My choice was to be willing to trust and help. To beleive in the better and do waht i needed to do to take a step in the right direction."

Dream stares down before chuckling "You are truly one of the few between all of us who is sane and has healthy mental health."

Blue laughs "I have struggles too Dream. everyone has! we all do waht we can to cope. talking about struggles... did something happen?"

Blue is too damn smart and knows him too damn well.

Dream sighs "Smething did but... I honestly don't want to talk about it." he chuckles and rubs his new outfit. a more neutral grey with just a few yellow accents "You already need to listen so much to my problems. I want to be there for you too!"

Blue hums unhappily "dream."

Dream sighs and folds immediantly "just... Core calling again."

an even unhappier hum "We need to get you a new cross-multiverse phone. with a new number that Core doesn't know."

Drema can't help but laugh "maybe we can go shopping later? When your loop calms down a bit?"

Blue cheers "Yes! That sounds great! Oh! Did you want to come over for dinner? Chara is going to be friends with alphys and stuff which leaves me free early!"

Dream smiles "gladly. be there in a bit!" blue replies with his own goodbye and Dream hangs up. feeling much lighter and better than before. he opens a portal and makes the multiverse jump.

--

dinner is amazing and Dream takes some time to catch up wiht both Stretch and Blue. enjoying hearing more about the updates about their universe and how tlaking with Chara has helped them all a lot!

Dream is just happy with Blue is getting closer to the happy ending he deserves. To finally be free and explore the surface world he longs for so badly. Dream is also happy that Stretch seems to be doing better mentally. Dream may not be close with Stretch like with Blue but he still likes the other skeleton! Stretch is nice and can be a true sweetheart. Stretch just has to battle depression and hopelessness at the same time.

Blue once asked Dream if he could heal that for Stretch. a desperate plea from a worried brother. Drema had tried but he couldn't. He had once again remembered that it have been the purple apples that could heal mental illnesses. and he did not have a connection to those. Dream never told Blue that and just told him that Dream could only heal the physical body. That mental health was something that needed other and special care and support of loved ones.

Etiher way. it is great to see both feeling better and happier!

They relax and enjoy their time when Dream's phone rings again.

Stretch shoots it a curious look "I thought you muted that?"

Dream groans and nods "i did." he always does. one check later and a frown "Core again."

Blue sighs and steals his phone. he answers it and speaks right away "One. It is rude to call people at dinner time. two. Learn to take no. three. Stop, you are starting to appear obsessed. solve your own problems. It isn't Dreams issue." and hangs up again before handing it back.

Dream stares dumbfounded but Stretch just chuckles "Careful Blue. YOur protective side is showing."

Blue huffs but doesn't appear embarresed at all "Well! They should learn to take no and solve their own problems instead of trying to make it Dream's issue!"

Dream rubs his cheek "I am not much better... I keep asking you for your help..."

Blue looks at him and shakes his skull "Dream that is different. You ask for help. You accept if I am busy. Core demands help and doesn't accept a no." Blue smiles "See the difference?"

Dream feels himself relax again as he happily takes another bite. He enver needed food but it is nice.

a whistle "impressive."

Drema turns quickly and stares "Reaper."

Reaper grins and waves "Hey Dream. Blue and..." he needs a moment "Stretch right?"

Stretch looks a tBlue.

Blue shrugs at his brother "aparently I, or we for that matter, don't know how to not mess with things and cause alternative worlds. it is a long story. also. Don't touch reaper. everything reaper touches dies."

Reaper nods "it is why i float. Anyway. I had a moment and figured i should check in on the whole god thing and had to tell you guys soemthing but well... dinner." he waves at the table and grins "I didn't mean to be rude but..."

Stretch shrugs as he continues eating "I don't mind. talk god stuff. I am gonna keep eating."

Blue smiles at Reaper "I agree! You can just tell us now.. want a plate?" he waves at the dinner served.

Reaper chuckles and waves it off "I don't need food."

Blue huffs "neither does Dream but it is still a nice experience!"

Dream nods as he eats another bite "very nice. also. Blue and Stretch with all the timeloops are good cooks." Blue is already getting a plate and fork ready for the other skeleton.

Reaper blinks but takes the plate thankfully and carefully. he joins in and hums happily "It is great." and continues eating.

It is nice. a little strange but nice. Dream hasn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long time.

Reaper eats antoher bite before starting to speak "Anyway. I came with a mission." he eats antoher bite.

Dream nods and knows where this is going "Is this about... my job?"

Reaper nods as he eats antoher bite "Pretty much. Got any idea on what you want to focus on as domain yet?"

Dream sighs and shakes his skull "I... I hadn't... I had... wanted to wait with picking... until i foudn Nightmare and could talk things out first." he had wanted to pick soemthing together with his twin. make sure they still matched...

Reaper blinks but grins "you dont need to worry! you two are twins after all. if one of you picks a domain the other will automatically lean towards something that matches." he shrugs "god and twin magic stuff."

Dream blinks and feels a bit better. Their magic will always match?! That is great! That is fantastic and-

No.

Dream shakes his skull "Then I really don't want to decide without him!"

Reaper looks confused "But you will match anyway?"

Dream feels himself shake "Like with positivity and negativity?! No! I am not going to pick anything that can cause that kind of mess and split again!" He isn't going to do that to nightmare again!

Wait...

What if he can pick something that is the negative of the match? That would mean Ngihtmare immediantly gets the positive side right? But it hardly ever has only one opposite! Happiness can be the opposite of both sadness and angry to just give an example!

Or people often say love and hate are opposites but then people say it is love and indifference!

There are too many options and he isn't going to do it!

Reaper frowns "Dream. You can't keep going around without somekind of purpose. You are already heavily leaning on Blue as it is."

Dream looks away embarresed while Blue just frowns "Wait how do you know that?"

Reaper raises a brow "Because you are starting to get a boon."

Blue blinks while Stretch frowns "A boon?"

Reaper nods "Yeah. Gods can give boons to mortals who helped them. The more help and support given generally the stronger the boon. Normally these are given on purpose but well... with Dream's magic slightly all over the place." he just waves in their direction.

Blue frowns "what happens if i get one of these?"

Reaper hums "it depends on the god, the boon and the person. YOu could just be kinda like a workshipper if you get a tiny one. High priest kinda deal is also possible. But... with how involved you are with helping Dream? Probably an acolyte. Very strong powers... and pretty much automatically an outcode if not you just surpass that straight to something between mortal and demigod. Acolytes are powerful blue."

Dream shoots blue an anxious look before staring at Reaper "How do i stop that?!"

Reaper shrugs "Now you know about it? And you know you could do it? It is less liekly you will accidentally do it. especially if you don't want to. Boons are suposed to be a thank you kinda deal after all."

Stretch shares a nervous look with Blue but blue pats his hand "I am okay bro." Blue looks at Dream anxious "Dream... You know I love helping you. Really! But... i don't want to be an acolyte or any boon okay? I am just happy to be able to be friends."

Dream grbas his shoulders and stares at him "Blue. I promise and swear! I will never actively give you one unless you ask me okay? And I will try my hardest and best to never accidentally give you one okay?"

He wills himself, his soul, and magic to get the message. Blue doesn't want a boon. Blue doens't want a title. Dream doesn't want to give Blue either of these. Dream does not want to force either a boon or title on blue.

Reaper puts his plate away and floats at a distance "Sorry for the whole... bad news situation. I just figured... fi you are going to keep dodging picking a domain you need to understand this possibility..." he waits a moment before his phone gives a ding. he frowns at it "Work demands me again. Give it some thought. think about your domain and keep an eye on yourself." and Reaper disappears as if he was never there.

Blue frowns at where Reaper left and gives him a reassuraning smile "Hey. If you don't want to give me one you won't give me one. I trust you to not do it on purpose. And we will just make sure I stay in my own universe more! Not tempt fate!"

Dream frowns as he rubs his arm "Maybe i just need to pick a domain... but i don't want to accidentally force nightmare into a role he doesn't want..." it wouldn't be fair.

Blue frowns but Stretch speaks up "makes sense. fuck knows i would never have willingly picked Blue to also rememebr the resets."

Blue shoots him a look but Dream looks a thim confused "But i thoguth it was helping you?"

Stretch nods "It is. it is nice to have his support and everything" he smiles a tblue sadly befor elooking down "But it is a lot. the resets are a lot. i didn't... i didn't want to force him to deal with that." he shoots blue a look "I didn't want to force you to experience the same thing that i saw as hell. I didn't want to do that to you."

Blue frowns and goes to his brother to give him a hug. Dream relaxes and smiles a bit. because Stretch understands. Stretch understands why Dream can't make this choice just yet. Blue understands as well and... and trusts him.

Dream nods to himself and focuses. He doesn't want to give blue a title or boon. He wants blue to just remain his best friend. he wants blue to get the choice. He wants blue to get his chance to pick his future. He wants Nightmare to get his chance to pick his future.

To make their own paths.

To progress and grow in the way they want.

Dream smiles at the two brothers "Thank you two. for being my friends. real friends." he doesn't have many. which makes the two all the more special. and if they want to remain exactly as they are then Dream wants them to stay the way they are. because that truly gives them the chance to be and become who they want to be. instead of being what Dream wants.

Dream just hopes this will work. Because he also wants a chance to figure out who he truly is. And who he wants to be and what he wants. a chance to change and be. a chance to try and grow as a person.

Maybe that is all he ever really wanted.

*------------------*

Meanwhile Nightmare already figured his own domain out and is working on it. Also. No one tell Dream he already picked one. it just isn't as obvious. after all... Blue did mention that Dream helped him find a way to progress and move forwards :3

First drabble Prev drabble Next drabble

[tenacioushideoutfan]

Hentai Heroines Reimagined as Giants in Modern Erotic Craft"

Experience the giantess videos Fascinating World of Giantess Vore, Giantess Growth, Giantess Hentai, as well as Giantess Porn

Introduction

In the realm of erotic craft, there exists an interesting subgenre that pushes the boundaries of imagination and also need. It is a planet where imagination encounters reality, where regular heroines are transformed in to looming giants. Accept to the mesmerizing cosmos of Hentai Heroines Reimagined as Giants in Modern Erotic Art.

Exploring the Enthrallment with Giantess Vore What is actually Giantess Vore?

Giantess Vore is actually an exciting fetish within the world of sexual art that hinges on the concept of huge females consuming or even gorging much smaller creatures. It combines aspects of domination, submitting, and also electrical power play. The allure hinges on the feeling of susceptibility and also vulnerability that originates from going to the mercy of a colossal figure.

The Charm of Giantess Vore

What creates Giantess Vore therefore interesting? The appeal can be attributed to several aspects. To start with, it taps into primal instincts and also imaginations of supremacy as well as entry. The electrical power dynamic between the giantess as well as her prey develops an interesting tension that captivates its own viewers. Additionally, the comparison in measurements produces a graphic sight that gas the imagination.

The Advancement of Giantess Vore in Modern Erotic Art

Over opportunity, the representation of giantess vore has progressed in modern sensual craft. Performers have pressed perimeters and looked into new motifs and also stories. Coming from basic pictures to ornate computer animations, they have actually broadened on the concept to develop immersive adventures for their viewers. This evolution has actually allowed better creative thinking as well as narration within this particular niche genre.

Unleashing the Power of Giantess Growth Understanding Giantess Growth

Giantess Growth is yet another remarkable part of modern-day sensual craft that explores the improvement of ordinary heroines into towering titans. It focuses on the bodily and also emotional improvements that take place as these idols increase in size. The principle of growth works as a metaphor for permission, freedom, as well as the exploration of newly found desires.

The Appeal of Giantess Growth

What makes Giantess Growth thus appealing? It permits people to discover their dreams of energy, domination, as well as control. The change from an average-sized person to an imposing giantess signifies a freedom from societal restrictions and desires. It provides a canvass for musicians to portray powerful and positive girls who transcend typical norms.

The Artistic Articulation of Giantess Growth in Hentai Heroines Reimagined as Giants in Modern Erotic Art

Hentai Idols Reimagined as Giants showcases the innovative as well as talented phrase of giantess growth within the realm of modern-day sensual painting. Artists utilize their imaginative adeptness to represent heroines undertaking fabulous improvements, both actually and emotionally. With dazzling images and computer animations, they carry these epic characters to presence, captivating the audience's imagination.

Embracing the Sensualism of Giantess Hentai Understanding Giantess Hentai

Giantess Hentai is a subgenre wi

[flightfoot]

Miraculous Ladybug Season 4 Episode rankings (As of Optygami’s release)

ML season 4 has knocked it out of the park so far! It’s been absolutely amazing, and I’ve greatly enjoyed every episode.

That being said, some episodes have still been better than others (or have contained elements I find more appealing at least), so what better way to show that than with a ranking?

9. Queen Banana

We got a new hero this episode, and she is awesome! Vesperia and Chat have a nice little interaction, and while Vesperia gets taken out, it’s for a good reason - distracting Queen Banana so Ladybug can put glue in her pocket, disarming her. It was a really nice way of showing Zoe’s humility and ability for teamwork, even when it meant giving up the starring role, in order to complete the group’s overall goal.

The mini-movie felt like foreshadowing, what with the “Superheroine of Creation” being an obvious Ladybug expy, while the “Supervillain of Destruction” was a Chat Noir expy, though with fewer connections. Interestingly, it’s also used to parallel Zoe’s and Chloe’s relationship, with Zoe even quoting from the movie at the end.

And Andre’s character development was top-notch! Bully him around to do material things as much as you like, but hurting Zoe is off-limits. She’s Andre’s daughter too.

So why is it so low down? Simply put, it didn’t feel like it changed things as much as Sole Crusher did, nor did it showcase Marinette’s and Adrien’s relationship as much. It was good, but there was less to talk about concerning it than I thought there��d be.

8. Furious Fu

The first episode of Season 4 aired (even though it was episode 6 in production order), we got some lore drop this episode! Su Han gave us a better idea of what to expect from the Guardians and what their relationship with the kwamis had been like overall. Poor Plagg especially, he’s just treated like a bomb that could go off at any moment.

I especially liked seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir’s relationship this episode, and their differing reactions to Su Han and his proposals. Ladybug was insecure about not having defeated Hawkmoth yet and thought Su Han might have a point about the Miraculous being better in other hands, and for this to be something for the Guardians to handle.

Chat Noir meanwhile didn’t give a crap about Su Han’s authority, about this random guy who just showed up and tried to boss them around; but he DOES respect Ladybug’s, and made that known. That he’d give up his Miraculous, his ticket to freedom and also the vessel for one of his closest friends, Plagg, but only at LADYBUG’S request, not this dude.

But it also showed the limits of that, with him refusing to go along with even that when it’d mean that Ladybug would get amnesia. That he’d not only lose his Miraculous, but his closest, dearest friend as well.

The episode was well done, but just didn’t feel like it either changed things as much or showcased character development as much as the other entries on this list, which is why it’s lower.

7. Sole Crusher

This was our first look at a new character, Zoe, and she did not disappoint! She was absolutely adorable and I really felt for her, with needing to pretend to be nasty in order to not be practically disowned from her family. 

It showcased how much Marinette had grown as well, with having Marinette see through Zoe’s Mean Girl act when they reunite and not jump to hasty negative conclusions, like she did with Adrien, instead considering that there may have been other factors involved with making Zoe act differently while with Chloe.

Also character exploration and growth for Andre, of all characters! Very unexpected. I really wanted him to succeed in his original dream, and I was thrilled at him comforting Zoe, with him empathizing with her, with acting as a parent towards her, even with her being his stepdaughter and presumedly not knowing her very well before this.

Zoe’s ability to anticipate how she’d need to act in order to conform with her family’s expectations while still getting to do what she wanted (for the most part), like with her pretending to be all prissy and stuck up when interacting with Audrey, or pretending that her messaging with Marinette was a setup to betray and humiliate her, showed a great understanding of the people around her as well as some great acting ability. And her realization of how she’d been putting on acts like this for so long before this, of her people-pleasing and afterwards attempting to just be herself, felt like foreshadowing for Adrien’s own arc.

 And we got a few seconds of Marichat. Yay for crumbs!

6. Mr. Pigeon 72

This episode was PACKED. We got to see the followup to Gang of Secrets, with Ladybug freaking out and Alya trying to center her, as well as some followup to Lies, with Marinette trying to “help” Kagami get back together with Adrien. And on top of the stuff that forms the premise of the episode, we got to see Rena Rouge be badass again, Plagg and Ladybug team up, and even Umbrella scene 2, which I don’t think ANYONE saw coming!

Marinette was a lot of fun and we got to see some good stuff from Kagami and Alya here. It felt a little disjointed with how much was crammed into it and I missed Chat Noir, but overall it was really good!

5. Guiltrip

What an amazing episode! Rose is one of the least developed members of the class, mostly being known for being really sweet and being Juleka’s girlfriend, and not much else. Here, we got an inner look at her, at WHY she’s so positive, and how powerful that positivity can be. That she’s not innately positive just because, but that it’s a choice she makes.

Plus the class is AMAZING here. They care about their friends SO MUCH, even if they go about it the wrong way. We got to see Juleka and Rose caring about each other, and even though it went wrong, Rose understands why Juleka ended up spilling her secret and doesn’t blame her for it.

It also really showcased Marinette and Adrien, there different ways of dealing with serious issues, with Marinette jumping ahead and trying to do whatever she thinks will help immediately (help now, ask questions later) while Adrien tried to do the opposite, asking Juleka what she wanted first and trying to stick with that (ask questions first, then help). Both can be useful, depending on the circumstances.

Also got to see a bit more about Adrien’s turmoil, with him being borderline suicidal, and Nino feeling guilty that he wasn’t able to help Adrien with his father, hinting that something bad went down with Gabriel before this. 

There was just a LOT to unpack with this episode, but it all fit together neatly!

4. Lies

All of the “Truth” related episodes were amazing! Lies being no exception. Also our first (and so far only) Adrien-centric episode this season.

Lies catapulted discussion of Adrien’s looming identity crisis, as well as his deflections and near-suicidal behavior, stuff that becomes even more apparent in Guiltrip. The breakup was handled well, with it not being Adrien’s fault (he had to leave and lie for the same reasons Marinette did), but with Kagami’s reaction being totally understandable and valid. She was a very active participant in it, even testing to see whether Adrien had lied. And she was ALLOWED to be pissed afterwards, to not trust him, even though she could tell that he wasn’t just doing this for no reason. 

I wish we’d gotten more time with her as an akuma, but I can see why we didn’t. There just wasn’t that much time in the episode, and the emotional crux of the episode occurred between her and Adrien - there just wasn’t much she could do as an akuma that was gonna add much impact to the episode.

3. Optygami

Oh WOW did this episode make an impact. Major Wham episode in a season chockful of major revelations, status quo changes, and character progression.

 Nathalie and Gabriel actually had a pretty clever plan, spying on the revealed wielders this whole time using the “one sentimonster per wielder, but there can be multiple sentimonsters from different wielders out at the same time” loophole. It meant that Nathalie was actually doing something while she was benched, and I’m willing to bet that she’s the one who came up with the plan in the first place. Say what you will about her morality or her taste in men, but she is an effective supervillain who may be an assistant (and totally fine with that role, which isn’t so common), but one with a lot of agency. And using impostors and try to force a situation where Ladybug would have to give a Miraculous to one of them, and using that opportunity to plant a spy sentimonster in a Miraculous in order to discover Ladybug’s identity and the location of the other Miraculous? Was inspired!

We were baited on there being a Reveal, but that wasn’t exactly a shocker. In any case, we did have a bunch of OTHER cool, impactful stuff. 

Hawkmoth stepped up his game with his sentimonsters, making a couple of impostors to control the situation, with Senti Alec and Senti Nino. Seems like foreshadowing about there potentially being more sentimonsters in disguise...

The major developments everyone’s screaming about though, are:

1. Alya getting her Miraculous permanently, being the first “temporary” wielder to get that honor, and putting her in a greater position to help with any akuma that’s causing more trouble than usual.

2. And the one that’s gotten everyone theorizing, screaming, and writing fics: Chat Noir and Ladybug’s seemingly deteriorating relationship, with a special emphasis on how left out Chat is and just how much he’s being kept in the dark, and how he’s beginning to realize this, feeling unneeded. How much Chat’s hiding his hurt, and how that’s going to lead to some sort of emotional confrontation or breakdown down the line.

My ranking of Optygami may go up or down depending on whether future episodes follow through on what it sets up, especially with the foreshadowed Ladynoir confict.

Looks like we’re gonna have a hiatus after Optygami, considering that we don’t currently have airdates for any more episodes, but what a note to leave off on!

2. Truth

This episode was AMAZING. We got to see Luka and Marinette just hanging out casually, having fun together, like with the little trivia game they played on the way to the theater. Luka even showed a bit of a playful side, with setting up the last question so that the answer would end with “kiss me”. 

Luka was also allowed to feel negative emotions for reasons aside from protecting Marinette, with him feeling down and a little abandoned because of Marinette constantly ditching - something that was given more context, with how we learned that he never knew his father, and how much it bothers him that his mom won’t tell him who it was.

The revelation of Jagged Stone being Luka’s father was one that’d already been leaked way back in January, though few people believed it at the time and it got little attention. It gave Luka a plotline that had nothing to do with Marinette, something that was sorely needed and one that I’m hoping gets expanded on later.

Also had some great Ladynoir, with Chat Noir and Ladybug discussing their relationship during the akuma fight, when they were forced to be truthful to boot! Ladybug really does like Chat’s sense of humor, and Chat doesn’t have a problem with Ladybug’s status as Guardian, so long as it doesn’t interfere with their relationship.

1. Gang Of Secrets

Gang of Secrets was a great followup to Truth, showing Marinette attempting to cope with with breakup, and the subsequent realization that she has to lie to everyone always, and how little time and trust that leaves for her regular relationships.

Meanwhile, the people around Marinette worry and try to help and comfort her as best they can, even when they don’t really know what’s wrong or what to do. From the Girl Squad to Chat Noir to... kind of the kwamis (though with them it’s more lack of understanding of romantic relationships rather than lack of knowledge that holds them back), everyone attempts to help her, but it’s just not feasible under the circumstances for her to be helped the way she needs to be while keeping her secrets.

And in order to keep those secrets, she snaps, forcing all her friends away.

But they don’t take that easily. They want to be there for Marinette, they want to be friends, and become akumatized specifically in order to find out what was wrong, comfort her, fix whatever it was, and become friends again. They really care for her a lot.

And then- AND THEN-!

ALYA DEAKUMATIZES HERSELF

BECOMES RENA ROUGE AGAIN

AND MARINETTE EVEN CONFESSES THAT SHE’S LADYBUG TO HER.

It’s one of the biggest changes to the status quo we’ve had. Like, Master Fu being introduced changed what Marinette was doing, meaning that they could call on new heroes and she had someone to discuss Miraculous stuff with besides Tikki, and Master Fu renouncing his Guardianship and passing it on to Marinette changed what Marinette was doing on a day-to-day basis more, but... well, it didn’t represent as big of a change in themes, of things that had been built up for seasons. Breaking the Secret Identity Rule? DOES.

Also sets up for some potential LadyNoir conflict down the line, with her not having told Chat that she told her identity to someone else yet. I’m sure they’ll be okay in the end, but it could test their relationship and the rules they’ve lived by since they started being superheroes.

------------

So that’s my ranking with the episodes we’ve had released so far. We’re a third of the way through the season and I gotta say, I’m really happy with it so far! Can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us.

[muthaz-rapapa]

HealPre Final Review: Not terrible but not entirely laudable either...

*sigh* Where do I start?

Well, one thing I’m pretty sure of is that COVID definitely affected production somehow. By that, I don’t just mean the show needing to go on hiatus, resulting in a shorter run compared to previous seasons. I’m also talking about any possible changes that might’ve been made to the original narrative, if there was one.

Much like how Suite’s story had to be altered in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster, I believe Heal underwent a similar treatment in response to the pandemic becoming more widespread as 2020 went on.

Especially since it dealt with health and nature, HealPre is probably the season that has come the closest in relevancy to real life events.

Frankly, that can be quite scary because this virus was and is still a fucking nightmare on a massive global scale. From that view, I can understand why the writers/producers would be concerned of the anime hitting too near home. At least for their main demographic’s (children) sake, maybe they were compelled to shift to something lighter and less edgier so that the kids could find some comfort and enjoyment in the midst of the world’s current crisis.

So I can’t fault Toei for that, if that’s really the case. Going through a pandemic is terrifying, infuriating and exhausting and UGH. We could use something that can help ease our worries or momentarily distract us even a little bit. 

Though would it have killed them to dedicate one episode to the importance of wearing a mask or washing hands? (-_- ;;)

HOWEVER! Seeing as I am not a fragile child, I’ve still got several (oho~) criticisms to air out before I put this season behind me. This review isn’t particularly scathing but...there is a lot of discontent so you’ve been forewarned.

But first, let’s tediously review what structure means in Precure.

We all know that there are certain things that will forever (?) remain fixed in the series formula.

The plot is always going to be “magical girls fight evil doers threatening to ruin the world”.

There are plot points to indicate story progression but in reality, are put there to correspond with toy releases which are usually marked by these five: introductions, first power up, midseason Cure, second power up, and build-up to the climax + finale.

There is usually a specific message (a theme) to be told with every season and motifs (narrative tools) to aid in getting that across. For HealPre, the theme is “living is fighting” and its motifs are “health” and “nature”.

I left out “animals” b/c 1) it didn’t hold as much significance as the other two did, 2) animals are part of nature anyway and 3) let’s be real, it’s just a synonym for “mascots” which we already get every year. :P

Right. I’m probably forgetting something but for the most part, these are immovable pillars of Precure.

Story, on the other hand, has more variables you can work with.

Story is how you tell the plot, how you convey the message.

Precure, as a tv series, is unarguably carried by its main stars, the Cures. So it only makes sense that a huge percentage of a season’s success owes itself to how much of an impact its characters had on the audience as well as how effective their individual story arcs were as sub-plots tying back to the bigger picture (the message/theme).

Ideally, these arcs would shine the brightest in the filler episodes, where the plot  (“good guys vs. bad guys”) is less of a focus so there is more space for personal development and growth.

Also, not all character arcs have to be directly related to the plot but they ought to be written well in order to support the overarching message (the theme).

Now, has HealPre done that? Has each girl’s story demonstrated a good example of what “living is fighting” means?

...nnnnnnyyeeee... look, even I can’t give a straightforward answer on that because while technically they did, by virtue of Nodoka’s observance in ep 44 recounting it as such, there’s also actually not enough to make it feel substantial from a viewer’s standpoint.

At least, that’s what I thought while watching HealPre.

With the exception of Nodoka’s, there was a lot of saying but not much doing to convincingly back the other girls’ arcs up. The fillers themselves were very weak, loosely composed in relation to the motifs and, if I may be so blunt, downright boring that if Nodoka didn’t phrase those episodes as things that counted towards the theme, I probably would put up more of a fight on disagreeing. so shoot me, I’m soft for her :P

And I know that sounds confusing right now but I will elaborate as I continue.

Before that though, to be utterly fair, some seasons keep their respective themes shrouded in vagueness until they’re given a more concrete form in words around the finale. So it’s not like we can do much except make educated guesses on what they really are. Most of the time, we’re just measuring everything against our perception of a standard in the fog. Or maybe that’s just me?

Nevertheless, you can just tell, y’know? By simply watching and observing the whole show, you can tell if the characterization, the development, and the outcome (essentially the content given) really live up to what the season claims is endgame.

So let’s go through that first then. The characters, starting with our lead Cure...

Nodoka being the only Cure in her team to have an arc deserving of the praise “exceptional” should come as a surprise to no one.

She was the most solid in terms of direction on how her story was going to proceed. Out of all the girls, her journey had the greatest connection to the subject “health”, repeatedly delved into it every time the spotlight was on her and fulfilled everything it seemed to promise from her debut in episode 1.

Her struggles on the road to recovery from a long-term illness and the strength she’s drawn from that traumatizing experience as well as her time as Precure did more than establish her as the strongest character in HealPre.

She has also rose to become one of the most memorable Pink Cures in the entire franchise (personally, I rank her in the top 5).

And it’s not hard to see why she’s earned such high regard in a lot of fans’ hearts.

The writers clearly worked a lot on her character composition to the point where she can pretty much embody the theme of “living is fighting” all on her own.

She came into HealPre fresh out of the hospital and full of earnest desire to make the most of her newfound freedom but she also wasn’t without knowledge on what hardship is. From there, she only got stronger, even when she was stumbling and trying to figure things out along the way. She grew more fortified in her beliefs on what it means to be truly live a healthy life.

She bravely defied the ones who attempted to take advantage of her and twist her cause against her. And she learned that taking care of herself is equally as important as wanting others to be safe from harm.

It was never about winning or coming out on top. It was about protecting a fundamental yet precious truth. That one thing any decent human being should never have to concede: the right to live well.

Honestly, Nodoka is absolutely inspiring all around, as a fictional character, a heroine and a normal everyday person.

Everything about her arc went satisfyingly right like it was meant to and the best thing is, we don’t need to question it because we saw how it all happened with our very own eyes.

I sincerely wished I could say the same for the others but sadly, they were just too flawed.

And Pegitan can throw flippers with me all day if he wants but as undeniable as the above statements are about Chiyu, her arc failed to leap over the increasingly mounting disappointment I had with every episode that’s been assigned solely to her.

Two of which weren’t even about Chiyu. One centered on Pegitan’s admiration for his partner and the other focused on her brother, Touji. Which, while nice to give to supporting/secondary characters, is a fat waste of valuable screentime and not what I’m here for.

It also didn’t help that the conflict of her arc (the indecision over choosing between two dreams) started really late in the game and was resolved so quickly within two episodes. There was no time for me to get invested into it, there was no powerful sense of conviction like how Go!Pri or Hugtto handled theirs and really, it just felt like Chiyu was only following what the script dictated for her rather than genuinely awakening to her own competitive passion towards track and field.

It was almost like it didn’t matter. Almost as if the writers procrastinated in thinking up something worthwhile to further her development...but then settled on grabbing an old idea off the shelf without refining it to suit Chiyu when they ran out of time.

This happened similarly with Minami in Go!Pri and Elena in StarPre, both of whom left me angry at how their arcs were executed. Yet theirs don’t compare to how pissed off I am about Chiyu’s. Because while Minami’s took a while to arrive, it wasn’t done poorly and linked back to Go!Pri’s theme well enough. And while Elena’s was over crammed last minute, at least it was unique to her character and had lots of potential ways to play out if they actually started it earlier on in StarPre.

Chiyu’s arc is like a discount version of the former with hardly any of the intriguing qualities of the latter. Sure, she had two early episodes that laid out the two most important aspects of her life (her family inn and her dedication to her sport) but after that, they weren’t brought up again until we were only weeks away from the ending. Y’know, just to fill up episode slots and meet the minimal requirement of saying they did give Chiyu some issue to resolve. 

It was not engaging at all.

Furthermore, the fact that her arc had very little to no relation with either “health” or “nature” hurt my appreciation of her character somewhat. I just...don’t think her kind of story really matches with the central topics of HealPre?

...but maybe I’m being bitter about this all wrong and that’s screwing up my rational thinking on this matter.

Because Chiyu’s arc is valid under the logic of the overall theme, I would never say it isn’t. And again, character arcs don’t have to be close to the plot nor is it necessary to employ the “suffering builds character” method to make them interesting.

Chiyu always does her best every day. That’s sufficient argument on why her story does fit within the frame of HealPre’s premise.

Guess I’ll just have to wrangle my resistance into acceptance somehow.

...still, her arc could’ve been done so much better than what we were given. Chiyu at least deserved that much.

Next, Hinata.

Since the beginning, I knew she was gonna be runner-up to Nodoka for having the (for lack of better term atm) “best” arc because it was heavily implied that she has ADHD and therefore, immediately checked off the “health” trait. She was even more obvious about it than Nozomi was.

Difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity, impulsiveness. Hinata didn’t just display all those signs, she also showed how hard it was for her to deal with the downsides to them on a regular basis.

She kept apologizing and put herself down excessively for inconveniencing her friends even though they never blamed her for her condition. Got them annoyed a few times, yes, but didn’t stop them from staying friends with her and definitely didn’t make them hate her either.

Everybody was understanding of Hinata...except Hinata because she always took her failures to heart and considered quitting several times to avoid the crushing dejection of making mistakes over and over again.

She got better, though, and no one could have summed it up more heartwarmingly than Nyatoran with the encouraging words he gave her at the conclusion of her arc. 

But it still feels like there’s a huge chunk of development missing between the start and finish. Or rather, it seemed like all of it occurred offscreen and we were only informed later that it did in fact, happen.

To recap, iirc, Hinata had around 5 episodes that focused on her (ep 9, 13, 23, 35 and 40). Ep 18 doesn’t count because that was a Nyatoran-centric filler more than anything.

Ep 9 and 13 did their jobs of introducing and highlighting the details of Hinata’s troubles while also suggesting she will eventually learn to overcome her insecurities. The ones after, though? They pushed those issues to the backseat.

In Ep 23, she had to share the (uneven) spotlight with Asumi. Hinata’s improvements were briefly mentioned but the majority of the ep went to teaching Asumi what “cute” meant and how to get along with puppies. I mean, I get that Asumi recently joined the group and bonding with her was mandatory by tradition. But since each Cure only gets a limited number of eps to herself, it would’ve been more beneficial for Hinata if she didn’t have to split screentime with someone else’s growth schedule.

Ep 35 is slightly better but not by a whole lot. Sure, Natasha was able to reconcile with Elizabeth which was very sweet and heck, it was the goal for that episode. But again, nothing was really done or addressed about Hinata’s main conflict. She tossed it back with the rest of her homework to deal with later. ahaha, a TroPre hint

Then ep 40 came to formally close the curtains on her story and apparently, Hinata screwed up lots of times since...whenever but she picked herself up every time after and kept on trying. Awesome. So WHY didn’t we get to see that? 

I’m not asking for the impossible here. I’m not asking for Hinata to be cured or anything miraculous like that. There is treatment available for ADHD but it is not curable.

Also, forcing Hinata to find a way to get better at studying, the thing she struggles with the most, is not the solution either because that would only make her more stressed and anxious over her own disorder.

What I want is to see how she moved from wailing “I can’t do it! I don’t wanna! I’m so scared of failing so why bother?!” to determinedly declaring “So what if I failed 1 or 100 times? So what if I fail another 1000 times? What matters is that I don’t let that stop me!”

That confidence is not something that can be built up overnight. It’s gradual and it takes numerous tries to reach from where Hinata was to where Hinata is now.

Telling me she grew emotionally stronger can only allow me to believe so much. I need to actually witness the changes as well.

If it weren’t for that, Hinata’s arc would have been a lot more impressive. Shame.

Finally............... Asumi.

Asumi, Asumi, Asumi, Asumi, Asumi, Asumi, Asumi... *sighs & drums fingers*

...she has no arc, ok? Seriously, what story is there to speak of, much less write a hefty analysis on?

A spirit born for the sake of Latte who just went along with the Precure ride because Latte didn’t want to abandon her duty. She made friends with those who aren’t Latte, extended her knowledge and understanding and gained valuable human experience during her stay on Earth. But ultimately, she will always define her entire existence around a puppy. 

Nothing is more important than this puppy.

...... to be honest, Asumi not having a storyline isn’t what bothers me. It’s her lack of depth that does.

Hell, even the giant burger she ate had more depth than she did!

Oh, Asumi does have a personality alright. She’s consistently and unfailingly polite, utterly devoted to her raison d’être and in crucial moments, gives pearls of wisdom when the girls are in a pinch. She’s good.

But if that’s all she is, then she’s also painfully dull.

She has nothing to contribute to the discussion of health or nature, despite being created through an element of the Earth so you’d think she’d have an opinion of her own. At least worry about the planet that gave life to her as much as she frets over Latte all the time. But nope.

She shares the exact same face as Teatine’s past Precure partner so you’d think we’d explore that connection to see if it would influence or affect her in any way. But nope.

90% of the time, her role was just being Latte’s constant, fawning satellite.

Not only did that irritate the hell out of me but it just reinforced my stance that this type of character is one of the worst you can ever insert into any narrative.

Because if someone keeps reiterating how much they’re obsessed with this one thing and seldom talks about anything else without bringing their obsession into it... then what’s so special about them on their own?

You’ve practically surrendered the different qualities you could have had for worship of something else. That’s not a fair trade-in.

Asumi’s character is so packed with Latte-related stuff that there’s not much space left for anything that can be considered uniquely Asumi.

I mean, maybe it’s because I can never see myself or any normal person comfortable with living like that.

Living for the sake of being together with the one you love? Okay. But living with your whole universe revolving around that one thing? Making most if not all decisions based on this one thing?

No. That’s absolutely crazy, alright? Nobody with a healthy amount of awareness and self-worth would live like that.

And you can counter that Asumi’s just born like that. That she can’t help her origins because Teatine’s wish to protect her daughter is essentially what brought Asumi into existence so of course, her biggest concern would be Latte. At least, she wasn’t forced into it, right? As long as Asumi chose of her own will to follow Latte, it should be fine, right?

You can even use the fact that Asumi isn’t human. That she’s a spirit and we shouldn’t apply our human standards too strictly to her.

Yea, but those are feeble defenses in the face of her being a good main character, a good main heroine. 

There are many ways to make a decent MC. The way Asumi was written proves she certainly does not possess traits that can classify her as true protagonist material. A protagonist has to be more than one amplified feature, which Asumi is not.

For the record, I don’t hate Asumi (she’s not interesting enough to generate a feeling that intense). I'm just severely let down because even if I don’t end up loving the midseason Cure for whatever reason, I can usually count on them to bring something intriguing to the table to dissect and analyze. At least I should find something to care about them.

Didn’t happen with her. :(

Oh god, I’ve been working on this post for days now and I’ve got a headache and with the baton pass happening in less than a few hours as I type this, I just really need to get it done and over with so please forgive me for speeding up through the rest, I’ll try to keep it as coherent as possible. NYARGH! (@_@ ;;)

Mascots.

Would you be surprised to hear that I’m not surprised that they were actually written very well?

Like I said early on, I suspected the return of fairy partnerships were going to improve the mascots’ significance in the story and, well, I was right. 

This time, they didn’t just fill in the usual expectations of relaying exposition, serving as the Cures’ transformation devices and looking cute for the merchandise. The Healing Animals had to make progress on their own training to become doctors as well.

And they did through their relationships with their human partners.

It was a refreshing take on the mascot aspect of the series because the friendships felt really symbiotic. When the trainees arrived on Earth, they relied on the girls to help them perform their jobs as well as provide them with shelter, food, the occasional peptalk about their trainee status, etc.

Then as the story continued and they got to know each other better, the mascots were able to return the favor by giving support when the Cures needed it. Rabirin when Nodoka was frightened and confused about how to deal with Daruizen, Pegitan when Chiyu was having trouble choosing between two dreams and Nyatoran who made sure to always lift Hinata’s spirits up when she got upset at herself.

In short, they achieved their objectives of learning what it means to be good doctors by being there for their friends! How wonderful! :D

My memory for Latte is hazy, unfortunately, since she’s coddled by everyone all the time (can’t blame them, she’s friggin’ adorable! <3) but I’ll never forget how she stood firm on the battlefield to see things through, to fight for the Earth like she promised her mother. She started out so babie but showed us all there was enormous bravery behind her cute face and ugh, we should all be very proud of her! <3

The only major issues I had about the mascots were these:

1) Too many irrelevant fillers went to them. They only needed a maximum of two for their entire mascot group.

2) Latte kept getting sick even after she acquired a Precure partner of her own. I was hoping it wouldn’t hurt her as much as it did before Asumi arrived or that she would build up a stronger immunity but noooo, they insisted on torturing the poor pupper! T_T

Villains + Finale Battle

Not a lot needs to be said for the first part. We’ve had mediocre antagonists before. HealPre’s just happened to be extra annoying as they were despicable. 

Which is worse because jerks you can just leave in the trash but assholes won’t stop harassing you unless you pummel them into their graves, set fire to their corpses and leave no trace of them behind! >:(

Y’all know who I’m talking about. Opinions on him continue to vary depending on who you talk to and if they’re avid fans of his face or not but whatever. The son of a bitch served his purpose and is dead now. That’s all that matters to me.

Anyway, the King was flat like his two lesser generals. He was neither intimidating nor distinguished enough in the brand of evil to really make us think of him as a serious threat and because of that, it ended up making the boss fight look like any run of the mill boss fight.

I know, they tried so hard with all that shiny animation but it just didn’t have that glorious sense of vindication that previous seasons (or ep 42) gave and I blame it all on this Rumiko Takahashi reject.

Also, this strategy was pretty useless?

They built it up like Earth was gonna sacrifice herself and die or something (she wouldn’t and even if she came close, deus ex machina would’ve kicked in to prevent that and COVID-induced caution too I guess). 

But there were no signs of pain (well, that’s a relief) after absorbing Shindoi-ne and they really pissed King Byogen off more than they did any damage with the absorbed byo-gen power.

...so yea, this tactic was just to kill some time and budget, nothing more. Meh.

By the way, did Asumi eject Shindoi-ne’s pathogen out of her body yet or did they just leave it in there to bounce around until it eventually dissolves on its own?

Because that’s eww. I mean, it’s obviously not gonna hurt Asumi they can both relate on hyperfocusing their affection for someone so maybe the compatibility helps :P but still, ewwwww.

Fillers + Underused Motifs

In hindsight, perhaps HealPre didn’t exactly promise the content we I wanted about “health” and “nature” if their objective was to teach that any manner of “fighting” can count towards “living”.

......but fuck you Toei, you’re still cowards! >:/

Fillers will be fillers but it’s always better to try and make some of them as meaningful as possible. And they wasted the opportunity to inform an impressionable audience (during a very crucial period of our time, I must add) on a lot of things related to the HealPre’s motifs. Especially about the environment which for some ridiculous reason, they chose not to touch on for the main stretch of the overall story.

Proper hygiene, good diet plan and sleeping habits, regular exercise (already done by the girls a few times but could use another example), meditation, counseling/therapy (especially for mental health!), etc.

Real life pollution, climate change/global warming (IMPORTANT!!), deforestation, preservation vs conservation, endangered species, recycling, volunteering to clean up your community, etc.

These just came off the top of my head but yes, there’s more and no, I’m not saying that the writers need to cover all of them in extreme detail or replace the slice-of-life episodes.

But they should be able to mesh both serious and light-hearted together in harmony somehow. Like those fillers where the mascots saw people cleaning up littering at the park or that interaction with that arborist who taught them about wild animals and trees when the group went to visit a lake.

For health, maybe let the girls visit patients with chronic illness in the hospital or have them converse with a medical professional on some matter. Particularly if it’s got something to do with mental illness because stigma in Japan on those who are afflicted with such conditions is still prevalent and has caused a number of sad and shocking tragedies that could have otherwise been avoided if people didn’t have such outdated, judgmental mindsets.

That last part might be too dark for a children’s anime but there’s a lot more out there that is doable.

Do that without reducing it into a footnote, Toei. It is so necessary for your target audience to be aware of these issues at the age they are now. You have an almost 20-year old franchise to serve as a very effective platform. Make better use of it if you truly care about the message you’re conveying through your show!

Also, what the fuck.

The last episode was a mess. Why are you only mentioning this now when the season is already over?

This should’ve been brought up months ago!

All the things we could’ve seen the Cures done to protect the Earth without magic.

The excuse of “I didn’t know humans were so horrible!” is a shit one because everybody knows humans are deplorable trash when it comes to abusing the Earth. All the more reason why you have to persistently drill it into people’s heads that they should not be like those who don’t care or choose not to care.

One crack episode isn’t going to cut that.

God, I so want to unsee this ep just so I don’t have to end HealPre on a more sour note than it already was. *big aggrieved sigh*

Lastly (and this really is the end of my long ranting, I promise), the missing undisclosed lore.

There are few Precure seasons without a past lore of its own in the recent years. Is it a wonder, though?

Lore is mysterious and fascinating. If it involves a past Precure, even more so.

Sometimes fans might just hang onto a show because they’re curious about what happened before the main story. We’d never get the full tale of those adventures but at least, it’s fun to imagine the “prequel”.

Also, past Precure are just badass. Fact.

Strangely enough, we didn’t get that for Heal. All we know is that she was called “Fuu” and was very close to Teatine. 

Hmm. Probably one of those changes caused by COVID interference cuz I can’t imagine the writers choosing not to tell her past in the original draft.

With all that finally off my chest, I’m ready to part ways with you girls until the next All Stars (Nodoka, I’m gonna miss you so much! T_T)

HealPre wasn’t the worst and it was nowhere near the best that it had the potential to be. But it’s passable. At least for those who loved it even with its flaws, I’m genuinely glad it was good for you.

For those who are thinking about picking it up (although why you would read this spoilery post before watching, I have no idea), if you’re looking for a standard magical girl anime to enjoy casually, then this is a safe pick. If you really want to invest your attention and heart into it, though? Then perhaps it would be in your interest to ask someone who saw it already to help you filter out the episodes that are worth watching. You don’t need to worry about the rest, they’re inconsequential. :P

Ok then! Thanks for reading as always, brave souls who have reached this point. 

Stay healthy and safe out there and I’ll see you at the beach next week! Tropic underwater paradise here we coooooommmmmeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! xDDD

[calliecat93]

Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 1

(Top 5 Dislikes)

Well, got the Dislikes out of the way. So let's move on to the Likes! While V1 is my least favorite volume, I still adore it. I mean it is the volume that got me and many others into RWBY and without we, well... we obviously wouldn’t have a show. I can forgive many of the issues that I listed, as well as things like limited animation and amateur voice acting since it was V1 when they had a smaller budget and were figuring stuff out. ANd there were still plenty of things to love, especially now.

So let take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of the best parts of the beginning of our journey with RWBY Volume 1~!

#5. The Character Trailers

Okay, this might be cheating since they’re technically not part of the volume. But they were made to lead-up to it like the later trailers were for later volumes and they have story relevance later, so I’m counting it! Plus I want to talk about them somewhere because I freakin’ love these so much~!

These trailers are what got me into RWBY. I remember looking up stuff about the show when I started getting interested in it back in late 2013, and I went to watch them when I found out about them. Making these was a very smart move. They introduce us to our characters early on, gave us a feel of each aspect of the show, and of course created hype to ensure that people tuned in when the actual show started. The Red Trailer shows off the amazing fighting animaiton, White shows off the epic soundtrack, Black introduces plot elements and shows that there will be more than just cool fighting, and Yellow brings 'em all together in one badass package. When I binged through all four of these, I became a fan very quickly. I started the show that night, finished the next afternoon as V1 had practically ended just before I started, and I haven’t looked back ever since. And when parts of them came back into the plot later like the bar that Yang trashed in V2? That made me even happier cause it made them have a point outside of just hype.

The trailers were all fantastic. RT was clearly betting a lot on this show to allow Monty to do these, and the gamble paid off. All four of them have their own unique style and aesthetic and still looks amazing even now. It’s why whenever I see anyone ask where to start with RWBY, I tell them to watch these first. They do a great job of introducing you to this world, and with us going into the seventh volume, their impact is still being felt. I couldn’t not put these on here, but since they aren’t technically part of the volume, I left it at Number 5. But still, these are great and if you skipped them, go and watch them. Now. The list will still be here when you get back.

#4. Fight Animation

...what? Are we surprised that this is on here? Monty’s fight animation is amazing. Even years later, they still hold up. Monty got his start at RTwuth his fight animaiton in RvB, which truly brought that series to the next level. Then he got his won show with even more freedom to go crazy, and boy did he deliver. Sure it didn’t always work well, like when he did it for Penny in the finale and gave away the reveal s a result. But it’ still a badass sequence. All fo the major fights are. The trailer fights, Ruby in Chapter 1, the Nevermore fight in 8, everything else in between and after, it all looked incredible. They were fast, creative, and just so much funt o watch. while I am one fo the people who strongly disagree that the fights went downhill after V3, Monty’s style cannot be duplicated. Nor should it be. We may never have Monty’s fights again, but they will forever live on. That’s honestly for the best.

#3. Weiss Development/Rewatch Value

I was a little harsh on Weiss in the Dislikes post, so let's fix that! I love Weiss. She is my second favorite character and one of the best developed. While I complained about her writing int he finale, outside that? She was good. She was snooty and bitchy, but we saw in Chapter 8 that she is aware of her flaws and did save Ruby as well as give her a pep talk... kinda. But The Badge and the Burden is where she really shines. She’s mad about being led by a childish girl who pretty much got allowed into Beacon, Port gave her a stern but encouraging talking to, and Weiss began to try and improve herself as both a teammate and as a person. It’s simple, but for Volume 1, it was nice and made her likable after how mean she was in the first half of the volume.

Then the rest of the series happened, and Weiss in V1 becomes even better.

It makes Weiss’ attitude make sense. She had to work and fight to earn her way into Beacon. Her father outright forced her to fight a Grimm Knight to earn the right to leave and almost lost an eye due to it. Then she meets this careless girl who rushes into fights, gets in her way, and as far as she knows did nothing to get into Beacon while she had to fight tooth and nail. Then the same girl got to be leader despite generally goofing off and not taking anything seriously, and it makes Weiss being angry 100% understandable. She still acted poorly, hence why Port’s talk was necessary, but it isn’t Weiss just being a stereotypical mean rich girl. She has reasons why she acts the way that she does, and she can recognize those flaws and work to fix it. Even with my complaint about her in the finale she DOES follow it up and improve her attitude towards Blake, Faunus, and her team.

Weiss is a fantastic character. V1 gives you many reasons to dislike her, but over time you grow to love her. This volume was the first step in her breaking out of the toxic and hateful environment and mindset that she was raised in, and she took that step in spades. Rewatching her in this volume makes you appreciate her character so much. Again, her development here is simple, but important and overall solid outside of a few spots. I think that Weiss’ arc has the most rewatch value in this volume, and I appreciate it so much. It is a little spotty though, so I put it at Number 3. But we have another good character arc to talk about, one that I think is underrated to be honest.

#2. Ruby Development

Ruby is my favorite character in the entire series. She was since I started the show, and she still is to this day. Many call her a flat and boring character, and it annoys me. But I do see the complaint that up until recently, she hasn't developed. That she is the exact same as when she started. Ugh... yeah, no. I know that V1 was a while ago and that a lot has happened since then, but she developed greatly in this volume and beyond.

In V1, Ruby is just a girl who dreams of being a Huntress. But it’s kinda like a childish fantasy. One that she’s genuine about, but one that she isn’t truly prepared for. She thinks that all she needs is her badass scythe, and she’ll be fine. She’s reckless, charging into battle to prove that she is capable fo being at Beacon. SHe’s awkward and doesn't want to make friends or teammates. Not because she’s anti-social, but because she’s an awkward girl who is already feeling pressure due to not wanting to be received as special when she got let into Beacon early.

This volume greatly sets Ruby on the right path. Her recklessness gets her into trouble, and she only survives because of characters like Weiss helping. She isn’t able to truly take on Grimm until she starts working as a team with the others, in which she stands up and takes the reigns. She starts channeling her recklessness into crazy plans, like the slingshot, which shows her out-of-the-box thinking that becomes a major asset to her. The Badge and the Burden shows her acting childish, goofing off in class and not paying attention. But we also see that she’s anxious in her new role as leader and if she truly belongs in Beacon or if Ozpin made a mistake in letting her in. But Oz gives her a nice pep talk and we later see that she fell asleep while studying, showing that she is trying to put effort into her studies and into her new position. Encouragement that she later gives Jaune, showing that she took ti to heart.

As with Weiss, it’s simple stuff. But it’s still major progression for Ruby. While her goal of Huntress is still somewhat of s childish fantasy, it’s genuine. She is genuine about wanting to help people and make their lives better just because she wants to. Not out fo any personal goal or thrill, just because she wants to do good. We see that she’s learning as she tarts to put her anxiety aside to work with her teammates, learn to take school seriously, learn to not be so reckless and not be so worried about proving that she can do this, and of course begin to take her first steps in becoming a leader. Steps that will lead to great things for her, especially in V6. I can’t properly gush about Ruby in this post, but I love her growth here so much, and it’s one of the best things in the volume for me.

#1. Players and Pieces

So... you’re probably wondering why this is Number One. Well... it’s because while the trailers got me to watch RWBYm this was the episode that convinced me that it was worth something. I enjoyed Chapters 1-7, but I was kinda waiting for that moment that made me see why it had gotten so popular so quickly. I didn’t watch RWBY when it started I hadn’t even heard of Rooster Teeth at that point. I just saw my friends talking about it, got curious, and started watching it. It was nice... but it didn’t really impress me or get why people were loving this so much. It just felt like a slightly above average web series.

Then I got to Players and Pieces.

This episode wowed me when I watched it. You know how I said that the trailers introduced certain aspects and yellow brought them all together? Well, this chapter did that for something within the show. Awesome fight animaiton? Check. Weiss development? Check. Ruby development? Check. It had good humor. It was paced well. It felt satisfying. And the soundtrack? Holy crap the soundtrack. Yeah, I had to force myself to not put ‘Jeff Williams Music’ on this list because it would be redundant, and putting it on every list would get old. But the moment that Red Like Roses Part II kicked in, everything ramped up. Especially when Ruby slayed the Nevermore. That scene is outright iconic.

This chapter took everything that the first seven was building up to and it delivered an amazing payoff. The characters were great. The animaiton was great. The tone was great. It was funny, heartwarming, and badass in every single way. This was when I realized just how amazing this show was going to be. This is when I decided to hop on board the hype train. This was when I became a real fan, and I am still going even six years later. It’ crazy to me that we’re going into V7, cause whenever I rewatch the moment where Ruby is launched at the nevermore and urns up that cliff, I remember when I first saw the scene. And I still feel the same awe that I felt the first time. When I need to remember why I love this show, I turn to this. It was amazing then, and it’s still amazing now and will always be something that I treasure.

And that’s a wrap! My Top 5 Things for RWBY Volume 1~ It was so much fun to go back through this volume. It’s still a fun ride from beginning to end, and will always have a special place among RWBY fans. So now it’s time to prepare the lists for Volume 2~ Thank you all for reading, and I hope you’ll check out the remaining posts for the remaining volumes~!

[enitankdii]

10 Things You Learned in Kindergarden That’ll Help You With northeastern university parties

Study abroad experience can have a deep effect on the individual: from changing one's career path and social circles to enhancing global engagement.

Students from Africa, for many decades, have been at the pursuit of high-quality education provided all over the world. Motivated by strong aspirations and livelihood opportunities, the African students are looking beyond what their home nation can offer.

Study abroad experience can have a deep impact on the person: by changing one's career path and social circles to improving global engagement. A recent study conducted at the University of Minnesota has demonstrated that international students become civically involved and, despite the expectations, are somewhat most likely to come back to their home countries.

Why Does African Students Seek Education Abroad?

Depending on the character of a person and their career goals, international students from Africa can either study in prestigious African American universities or venture to go farther and travel to the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Dubai or many different destinations in Europe or Asia.

In the last decade, South Africa has witnessed that the second largest number of students in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Libya, and other African countries.

Below is a brief overview of the admission statistics printed in 2018.

What motivates African Study abroad students?

As the next chart reflects, students from the area are strongly inspired by career aspirations and the prospect of enhanced career opportunities. The responses reflected in the chart are for prospective undergraduate students, but the exact same patterns hold for master's and PhD students too.

Almost three in four respondents indicate that progressing into a higher degree qualification is an important element in their own interest in pursuing an undergraduate degree abroad. Nearly half see a overseas undergraduate degree as a method of advancing in their current career path, and a similar percentage see a foreign diploma as a requirement to enter their intended profession. Finally, almost a third (29 percent ) see study abroad as a means of enhancing their career prospects.

The graph illustrates how weighted the poll answer is to these variables, relative to personal or cultural motivators for example chances for exchange or private interest.

Where to study abroad?

According to the Newest QS Applicant Survey, the US and Canada are the leading destinations for African students to proceed with their studies. Around 36% of pupils refer going to colleges in both the US and Canada for undergraduate and master courses. The figures showed 31%, 25% and 23 percent of students then prefer the UK, Australia, and Germany respectively.

China is yet another popular destination that has witnessed a stride at the flow of African students to their top universities. The number of students from Africa took a whopping spike of 95,000 in 2014, and the nation has since vowed 30,000 more scholarships to encourage more freedom from Africa. France has also been attracting pupils from French-speaking countries such as Algeria and Cameroon.

The factors for pupils from Africa to opt for these states is highly affected by the caliber of instruction and over all of the Financial Aid. Most universities in Europe also need very less or no tuition fees.

The investment at a diploma from a US establishment has been viewed positively by global employers for decades. The Higher Education system in the USA helps develop robust critical thinking skills and fosters a collaborative approach to learning. The breadth of the program encourages students to research topics far beyond their own major. This offers a broader understanding of the world along with a much more open perspective.

Such skills and approaches are much appreciated by employers and also have developed a powerful entrepreneurial spirit among US graduates. The rapid growth of Silicon Valley in California is just one particularly shining example of the advantages of a US Higher Education. Study in the USA and follow your own American dream.

Canada offers a exceptional chance to research completely in English, entirely in French or on a bilingual program. Having a population of roughly 10% of its southern neighbor, the USA, Canada has plenty of space. As a result, there are clear pathways to immigration post-study. Canada is renowned for the friendliness of its people, its security, and its quality of life.

These points have made Canada an ever more popular destination for studies among international students generally. Approximately 20% of the Canadian people speak French as their native language. English, in 56%, is by far the predominant language across the country. This is important to bear in mind if you are from a French-speaking country.

Study Abroad agencies mostly operate with institutions in the English-speaking part of Canada. This is only because we consider proficiency in English is a vital skill for today's globally mobile workforce. If you plan to operate in Canada after graduation that a strong knowledge of English will be essential. But for those who do like to study in French, Seed is able to provide extremely affordable options too.

At all levels that the British schooling system has an excellent global reputation for academic accomplishment. The UK is home to a number of the most famous schools, universities and colleges on the planet.

It is the achievements of pupils of the UK higher education system which generated the nation's academic reputation.

Study In Germany

Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe together with the continent's biggest economy. That is fuelled by the greatest population in Europe, of over 83 million individuals. The first research universities in the world have been in Germany and many are still available today.

The United Nations Development Programme places Germany as 6th on the Human Development Index. This is forward of popular study abroad destinations the USA, United Kingdom, and Canada.

The German Government reports that there are around 375,000 international students registered at university there. That's over 12% of the entire amount of college students in the nation. Approximately 18,000 African students, each year choose Germany for college overseas.

No surprise since the nation is home to famous engineering and manufacturing brands. STEM subjects are popular course choices with African American study abroad students.

Turkey isn't just a beautiful destination for travelers but also appealing to many foreign students. Research in Turkey is also relatively cheap compared with many other nations overseas. There has been enormous investment in universities there in the past couple of years. Because of this, scholarships in usa Seed educational consulting Turkish universities offer high-quality education and top-of-the-range centers, but in a very affordable rate, to equip their students with the essential knowledge and skills needed to excel in the world.

Public universities mostly offer programs delivered entirely in Turkish, though it is also possible to find some bilingual (Turkish and English ) applications and even some applications delivered in French at select institutions. There are not any programs taught entirely in English in public colleges so any African student looking to research in public universities need to examine the Turkish language initially and successfully pass the Tomer Exam (the Turkish equivalent to the TOEFL Exam).

Personal universities offer you a great deal of programs taught entirely in English. We'll mainly focus our attention on private universities in this manual as we do strongly believe in the worldwide work opportunities that are going to be offered to you if you study in English.

Study Abroad in Dubai

Dubai is located in one of the seven United Arab Emirates and is home to specialists from all over the world. Dubai has a famously fast-growing economy and is known for innovation. Obviously, the luxury shopping adventures make it a dream destination for many foreign students.

Study in Ireland

Ireland is a European nation famous for its civilization the world over. It is true a less known research destination for African American students than its near neighbour, the United Kingdom. However, because we hope to reveal in this manual, there are lots of good reasons to think about Ireland to your studies.

The Irish people are proud of the culture and thus work hard to maintain it. Ireland is an Anglophone country which makes it attractive for both African American students who already speak English and people who wish to enhance theirs. Ireland is home to students from other areas of the planet too.

Ireland has a younger population than many Western European countries and a highly educated people. The nation is often known as the Celtic Tiger for its strong financial performance during the previous 30 years.

Ireland includes a pioneering and can-do spirit. Irish experience in agriculture has helped turn arid lands in Africa into abundant farming. As well as an upstart Irish airline business, Ryanair, revolutionised air travel within Europe, becoming the largest European airline in terms of passenger numbers pre-COVID.

Unlike the united kingdom, Ireland is a part of the European Union (even though it is not part of the Schengen visa zone). In recent years, thanks to its highly trained workforce, Ireland has drawn multinationals, such as Amazon and Microsoft, to install European HQs here. Since 1st February 2020 it's the largest Anglophone country over the European Union, which is very likely to make it an appealing base for additional international companies looking to set up hubs inside the European Union's Single Market.

Ireland is a very safe and gorgeous country with fantastic areas to visit.

African Students in the U.S.

Nownot all those students listed previously are coming to the U.S., needless to say, and next week we will discuss about where else those students may be studying and how to compete with another destinations African students are considering and choosing.

As for the countries with the most students traveling to the U.S., the breakdown is as follows, according to the Institute of International Education's 2018 Open Door report:

Source Nation

Students Studying in the US

(2018 IIE Data)

Nigeria

12,693

Egypt

3,701

Kenya

3,322

Ghana

3,213

Ethiopia

2,118

South Africa

2,040

Morocco

1,563

Nigeria leading the bunch is no surprise, as it has the highest GDP of African American economies, and consequently has more students that can manage a U.S. education. The rest of the list all have savings in the Top 8 across the continent, except for Ghana, that is not much behind at 11th.

While another 47 nations in Africa aren't listed above, virtually all of them are sending pupils to the U.S. and other countries for tertiary education.

It may seem, by taking a look at the above record, which Nigeria is your crystal clear place to invest your recruiting efforts. But remember, with higher pupil numbers comes more competition from other universities overseas.

Do not ignore the rest of the nations with fewer students already traveling to the U.S., as those might be untapped markets which would provide you more bang for your recruitment dollar. As we said in a prior blog post about Africa, the less traveled path represents the less competitive route. Consider how fine it would be to be one of the top ranked universities at a college fair.

According to this 2018 report from IIE only 4 percent of overseas students in the U.S. have been from sub-Saharan African nations. (The statistics for those from northern African nations is combined with those in the Middle East, which account for 2 percent.)

Who are these students and what exactly are they studying?

African pupils bring an invaluable perspective and drive to campus, says WENR within this slightly older post. WENR spoke to The University of Rochester's vice provost and dean of admissions Jonathan Burdick, noting,"These students, most of them engineers working to tackle quite tangible struggles, have an outsize effect within their branches and on campus."

Tourism and healthcare will also be on the upswing.

If your organization has a solid program in these areas, there are a number of frequent flyer miles to be got and students to be recruited.

Can they afford it, though?

But while the language barrier may not be a significant challenge, a financial one definitely is. The cost for a single year for an American school greatly surpasses the average yearly household income for some African countries.

What incentive is there for universities to offer bigger financial aid packages to those international students? Word of mouth for you personally. Bear in mind that college-aged population boom? That's a good deal of mouths and the subsequent generations will probably be learning about education options from those who went before them.

WES forecasts that,"Given that the price of successful recruitment efforts and the need to deploy both dollars and recruiters , these networks of alumni can offer a wealth of rewards with relatively few risks."

Prerequisites to Study Abroad

The requirements to study abroad for many international students would count on the country, the college, and the program. But, there's a standard set of files necessary to apply to all universities.

Transcripts from Faculties

Recommendation Letters

Statement of Purpose

For Undergraduate programs, students would need to pass the typical global entrance exams like SAT based on the nation you are applying to. The African matric qualification alone might not qualify one to the required degree.

For postgraduate programs, you would need completion of diploma certificate and would be required to write the nation and course-specific entry examinations.

The minimum grade requirements for Universities will vary across the nations. Also based upon the medium of education, students might need to take language tests to show the amount of proficiency.

Apart from this, to receive a student visa, you would also have to show Confirmation of registration, proof of adequate funds and meet the health insurance requirements.

Composing an extensive admission essay or personal statement puzzles many foreign applicants. The majority of non-native English applicants don't feel confident in their application papers. That is why many of them utilize this platform to purchase essay online:

Each of the countries mentioned above have been focusing on expanding their educational prospects by welcoming more international students. As part of this, many scholarships are offered by the many organizations to inspire students. Listed below are a couple of notables ones for pupils from Africa.

Mastercard Foundation Scholarship: Canadian and American Universities have booted up the Mastercard to offer you a $500 million initiative to provide scholarships for 15,000 students, particularly from Africa. The University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia are one of the top colleges offering the scholarship applications.

Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) for African American Pupils: An initiative from the Australian Government to provide fellowships and financial aid for 1,000 postgraduate students from Africa.

The Beijing Government Scholarship (BGS): Offered from the Beijing Municipal Government that supplies a full tuition fee for global students studying in Beijing.

French Government (Eiffel Excellence) Masters and Ph.D.. Scholarships: Scholarships of Masters and Ph.D. students from developing countries majoring in technology, science, economics, law, and science.

VLIR-UOS Training Scholarships in Belgium: Known for pupils from African countries with preference given to girls who take available training and master programs in English.

Language Language Proficiency

Students will have to give proof that they have achieved a certain level of English language proficiency.

The amount required again will be determined by the University along with the application. These will be the commonly accepted evaluations.

IELTS Academic Module

TOEFL

VU English EAP

These evaluations should be obtained no less than two decades prior to commencing the program.

Nearly all African pupils prefer to settle on a degree in technology or business studies. In European countries notably languages, art, and human sciences are also popular topics followed by law enforcement and political science.

Students from African countries are wanting to go abroad to countries offering them better standards of living. The ability to keep in the country after finishing the course will be also becoming a significant deciding factor. Nonetheless, it is also common for pupils to return their expertise to their home states and contribute to strengthening their economy.

Every nation has something to offer, and it is best to choose the course based on individual and academic tastes.

Information sources and funding for Study Abroad

Nearly six in ten prospective students look to schooling agents for help in identifying and researching alternatives for study abroad. However, the QS survey clearly indicates that most pupils make significant use of online stations as well, particularly organic search, institutional sites, school choice sites, and social websites. Between 80% and 100 percent of survey respondents stated that they make extensive use of all of these online tools.

The other striking feature of pupil mobility from the area is the dominant role played by third party funders, especially in the form of government or corporate scholarships. As the following graphic reflects, personal or family financing plays a major role for most students from the area.

The ranking of financing sources illustrated here reflects the prominent part of third-party funders (and also the significance of affordability variables ) that we have seen elsewhere to key markets in the area, notably Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.

The Agent Network in Africa

The broker recruiting channel is still growing in Africa. They're determined and keen to sign up new contracts -- unlike most of their colleagues in China and India who've become extremely discerning about which universities they will support. We've met a number of agents from African countries at the ICEF Miami workshop and highly suggest this chance to meet and assess the options.

Unlike the recruiting agent systems in China and India that are highly developed and have matured into a challenging community of super agencies which have many unstructured (and often uncontrollable) sub-agents, you will find opportunities to create valuable relationships with many of the agencies that are growing in Africa. This recruiting channel is a blog topic all of its own and we'll discuss it

[officialotakudome]

New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, And More

New Post has been published on https://otakudome.com/reviews/hades-review/

Hades Review

Rising studio Supergiant Games’ next epic arrives in Hades. Following Greek mythology, you play as the son of Underworld God Hades who’s attempting to escape his eternal home to live a life free from his father’s rules. And he’s willing to die over, and over, and over again to accomplish this goal.

Hades is a 2020 action-RPG it is developed & published by Supergiant Games and is available on PC and Nintendo Switch.

Editor’s Note: Near complete to complete spoilers for Hades may be present within this review. This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

Zagreus son of Hades wants to escape from his father’s clutches.

In surprise to no one Supergiant Games has another hit on their hands with Hades. Hades has you crawling across chambers and creating a near infinite number of builds for Zagreus to battle his way across the Underworld for his attempted escape. The level of creativity and freedom given to players is so vast that it’s almost 100% limited to their own imaginations. And it’s well worth exploring every weapon, buff, and special effect to find the best build that works for you to reach the end game.

Hades provides Zagreus with near unlimited power to escape his home.

THE GOOD: Hades is roguelike action-RPG taking place within one of my favorite mythologies Ancient Greece. Full of Gods, Goddesses, and a plethora of supernatural beings there’s always plenty to work with creatively from this lore. Even with the limited amount of the source used by Supergiant they still somehow manage to make Hades’ world seem like a massive one full of a large array of creatures and characters to flesh it out. This story follows son of Hades; Zagreus who is attempting to escape. Though those trapped in Hades have long been proved to be permanently stuck there, God of the Underworld Hades himself doesn’t need it as an excuse to ensure that his son remains there. Hades doesn’t do this out of spite, even with his down talking and judgmental tone towards his son. This is actually due to a number of crucial factors involving Hades, Zagreus, and his mother. With Hades’ brother Zeus and the other Gods coming off as the main antagonist more so than Hades who really only wants to protect Zagreus at the end of the day. I really don’t want to spoil the story like I normally do in my reviews because it’s something that should be experienced by everyone. And Hades isn’t a particularly long game outside of the countless number of deaths you’ll undoubtedly experience. To make a long story short without going too much into detail as is typical with Greek Mythology there’s a conspiracy with Hades, Zagreus’ mother, and the other Gods & it’s the core reason as to why Hades doesn’t want Zagreus to escape.

Hades (now talking about the game) is comparable to Dead Cells whereas both are learning titles and you grow with experience. However, I always felt that Hades was much more literal with it’s “growth from experience” approach than Dead Cells. Hades legit wants you to experience each and every type of build offered from within the game. From close range to long range weaponry and effects such as health regen with dashing, deflecting enemy attacks, damage reduction and way more. You’re gonna want to experiment a ton to create your ultimate ideal build of Zagreus. You can buff just about everything from Zagreus himself, to the enemy filled chambers with benefits such as health regeneration and currency gain, and you can also give your weapons benefits such as enemy seeking missiles for long ranged attacks to quickly dispel them. Something I love about Hades is the fact that basically every character introduced feels important. They each have their own storylines and relationships with Zagreus. They also have their own personal feelings towards his dream of escaping Hades. Half of them want him to make it, while the other half feel betrayed by his efforts. Each character can also be romanced because this is Greek mythology where everyone was literally fucking everyone so it’s true to form.

Feel the power and influence of the Gods in Hades.

As you progress through the game you also unlock side quests related to the many characters you encountered. This is usually linked to your relationship status with them. As Zagreus continues his efforts everyone eventually begins to respect him for continuing to try his escape. You can buy permanent upgrades in your room with darkness, but most of these are acquired by gaining the favor of the Gods and Goddesses. There’s even neat moments where you can kind of pit the other Gods against you as you choose one over another. This usually leads to them attempting to kill you in a gauntlet style event, but if you win you get the God’s power you chose in addition to the one you betrayed.

Relationship building is an extremely important part of Hades.

THE BAD: The worst part of Hades is the fact that it’s short, incredibly so. You can beat it in a matter of hours depending on how overpowered your build for Zagreus is.

Experience death over and over again all while getting stronger because of it.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: As expected Supergiant Games’ next epic Hades hits the quality we’ve come to know with the studio. Hades is not only exploration into Greek mythology, but exploration into all the game has to offer. Full of characters to bond & form relationships with, weapon builds, buffs, and several other aspects to get the absolute most out of the action-RPG title. It’s a real shame that Hades’ greatest caveat is the fact that it has an extremely limited playthrough time. However, at it’s current price point of the main negative is a five or so plus hour run time which you won’t even get remotely close until having suffered a countless number of deaths then there’s really no reason not to pick this one up, especially on the Nintendo Switch.

[enterinit]

Madden NFL 20 and other games coming to Xbox One this week

Madden NFL 20 and other games coming to Xbox One this week. Madden NFL 20: Ultimate Superstar Edition (July 30, 2019) WAYS TO PLAY Face of the Franchise: QB1 - Be the Face of an NFL franchise where the decisions you make matter in your journey to become an NFL Superstar. Create your own College Quarterback to play through the College Football National Championship playoffs and the NFL Combine for your shot at the NFL Draft and to be the face of a franchise in a new and personalized career campaign centered around you. Once selected to a team, engage with Madden’s new Scenario Engine which generates personalized playable scenarios, events, and dynamic challenges that build the story of your unique NFL career. Franchise - Simulate a full NFL career and leave your legacy as a player, coach or owner with single-player and multiplayer online-connected leagues. Compete with up to 32 teams in your quest for a Super Bowl Dynasty. Complete with an annual Pro Bowl and Seasonal Awards. Ultimate Team - Compete in the ultimate NFL fantasy team-building mode featuring your favorite NFL players from the past and present. Play games, collect rewards, and upgrade your team with daily, fun and engaging challenges with live NFL content all year-long. Exhibition - Compete in head-to-head online and offline games (single and multi-player) or single player offline against the CPU. Customize your game settings including time of quarters, rules, stadiums, and uniforms. GAMEPLAY Superstar X-Factor – Feel the emotion, personality, and power of NFL Superstars with Superstar X-Factor, an all-new abilities progression system that reveals special abilities for today’s most exciting NFL Superstars when certain objectives are met in games. Combined with authentic personality & real player motion, the stars of the NFL truly come to life in Madden NFL 20. Take full control of player development with new ways to customize player abilities. Unique Playbooks – Playbooks are calibrated to be more unique from team to team providing more variety for strategic game-planning and in-game adjustments. Run/Pass Options – Run/pass option plays are now available to call, bringing even more NFL authenticity to today’s play-calling. On-Field Trainer – Learn how to improve as a Madden player with this cohesive, modernized teaching system that introduces new in-game mechanics over time as you progress through your gameplay experience. New Pump Fake mechanic – Pump-fake to a specific receiver and fake out defenders with a new double-tap ‘throw cancelling’ mechanic. NFL Pro Bowl – Play the annual Pro Bowl within Franchise mode and ‘Face of the Franchise: QB1’ featuring all-stars from the AFC and NFC. Superstar-Driven Play-Calling – Play-calling tailored to the Superstars on your team to quickly get your stars involved when you need them the most. New celebrations – Over 20 new TD and First Down celebrations added to bring more swag to the biggest plays on the gridiron. Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil (July 30, 2019) Seed of Evil is an expansion to the award-winning tactical adventure game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden picking up where the original game ended and offering hours of more gameplay, new locations to visit, and a new leading character! Continue the main story and explore many hours of all new content. Expand your team with the veteran stalker Big Khan the moose and get ready to defeat a new threat to Dux, Bormin, Selma and all the others. In Seed of Evil you must solve the mystery of the powerful and ominous roots which have taken over the Ark. Discover huge new maps, battle new enemies, improve your mutations, get your hands on all new gear, defeat foes trying to take back lost ground and face off against a vicious new adversary. To play Seed of Evil it is highly recommended to have finished the main story in Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, because of story spoilers and the level range of the new content. Continue the main story See what happens after the ending of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Continue into a new future for Bormin, Dux, Pripp and all the others at the Ark. How will they deal with what they have learned?New mutant: Big Khan You can now add Big Kahn the moose to your squad of mutants. He is a veteran stalker who has been exploring the Zone alone. He is not only skilled at doing critical hits but also has the unique mutations Ground Pound and Flame Puke, which make him excellent at dealing with groups of enemies.Face a new threat The Ark has suddenly become enveloped in mysterious roots and many of its inhabitants do not seem to be their normal selves. Even the Zone Ghouls appear to have been taken over by this new menace and it is up to your team of stalkers to set things right!Hours of new content Take on new enemies in places like the Hall of Electric Coffins and Mausoleum of Suburbia. The new story in Seed of Evil offers a host of new challenges and brutal fights. Get ready to rethink your tactics as you face off against brand new enemies.Improve your mutations Upgrade Bormin’s Hog Rush to Bear Smash for increased power and Corpse Eater to Corpse Feaster so that regaining lost HP no longer costs an action. Upgrade Dux’s Moth Wings to Wings of the Sniper which removes all range penalties.Retake lost territory Revisit places like the Spear of Heavens or Sea Titans as Zone Ghouls and police bots once again encroach upon places you have already cleared. This time they are stronger than ever! The Blackout Club (July 30, 2019) The Blackout Club is a first-person co-op horror game centered around a group of teenage friends investigating a monstrous secret beneath the skin of their small town. 1-4 players explore procedurally-generated missions against a fearsome enemy you can only see with your eyes closed. Features: A Modern Horror Setting To Explore: A beautiful and modern neighborhood full of houses, woods, and a very mysterious subterranean network of tunnels.Cooperative Gameplay: Drop-in/Drop-out multiplayer sessions for 1-4 players.Each Night A New Adventure: Missions are procedurally-generated and vary according to player level and progress.Richly-Simulated World Supporting Many Play Styles: Players have the freedom to go through the game at their own pace and choose the paths they take through the world.Character Growth & Customization: Players get to create their own character and customize them by unlocking new clothing, gestures, and hairstyles.An Unseen Threat: If players are not careful and draw too much attention to themselves, "The Shape" will come for them. Super Wiloo Demake (July 31, 2019) Wiloo and Agatha need to rescue their dog from the clutches of Dr.ETvaldo! Roll, fly, jump, and shoot your way across a variety of different platforming levels using unique power ups to reach the end of the level. Can you defeat all 5 bosses and rescue your buddy? With 3 different difficulties, experience the quest that you desire with easier or devilish challenges. Features: Traverse 50 levels across 5 different worlds with unique themes.Vibrant 8-bit visualsConquer 5 malicious bossesPick from 3 difficulties to suit your playstyleUse fun power ups to defeat enemies The Tower of Beatrice (July 31, 2019) The life of a thief isn’t easy: always hiding in shadows, clients cheat, traps bite… Working on a contract for a mysterious client, you'll need to infiltrate the tower of the powerful sorcerer Beatrice, steal her Book of Recipes, and get out alive. Along the way you will enter a demon's dreams to discover his most intimate desires, accept a gift from a Granny-spider, start the Clock Tower, feed a snail, make a tea for a demon, piece together a skeleton, and finally fix your own fatal failing. Features: Six floors – each with its own atmosphere and moodSurprising and charming residents – demons of Fire, Frost and Dream, Iron Maiden, Hungry Chest, and many othersAlchemy! Discover many interesting recipes!Unique puzzles ranging from simple to brain bendingAtmospheric and immersive soundtrackMany allusions to famous games, movies and books – spot them all! Pilot Sports (July 31, 2019) PILOT SPORTS, brilliant gaming fun for the whole family! Split screen mode for up to 4 players, over 50 different courses, the widest variety of aircraft and thrilling challenges provide for all sorts of gaming enjoyment! Features: 7 TYPES OF CHALLENGES! Beat the best times in the different game modes!OVER 50 COURSES! The key emphasis is on variety. Complete over 50 courses and set your sights on new records.8 CHARACTERS! Choose your favourite pilot and explore the tropical island paradise together with your favourite figure!FLYING FUN USING DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT! Soar through sensational and tricky courses with the double-decker, a jetpack, parachute or hang glider!BONUS: Beat records and unlock new courses for explorers! Solo: Islands of the Heart (July 31, 2019) Solo: Islands of the Heart is a game about love. About love as fuel, the force that drives us. Love is a universal feeling, but each of us experiences it in a different way. Solo – Islands of the Heart explores the theme of love in an introspective way, allowing players to identify and reflect on their own experiences. The world is divided into archipelagos, with each island representing a unique puzzle. Solving puzzles will award the player with a Sleeping Totem, awakening them to answer a question about love and relationships. As with love, most puzzles have no unique solution. Using boxes, each with different properties and behaviors, players can build their own paths to the Sleeping Totems on each island. Nature and contemplation are also a huge part of Solo: pull out your camera and capture the moment, play the guitar, feed the animals or just sit on a bench and think. The Church in the Darkness (August 02, 2019) No one is forced to join a cult. It welcomes you. It understands you. It envelops you until the words become more than truth—they make you whole. In the late 1970s, the charismatic Isaac and Rebecca Walker lead the Collective Justice Mission. Labeled radicals and feeling persecuted by the US government, they relocate their followers to the one place they believe they can create a socialist utopia: the jungles of South America. There they build Freedom Town. But relatives left behind in the US become worried: what exactly is going on at this compound in the jungle? You play as Vic, an ex-law enforcement officer who has snuck into Freedom Town to check on their nephew, Alex. Whether you choose stealth or violence, you must infiltrate the commune, find out what’s going on within, and locate your nephew, before it’s too late. How dangerous are the Walkers? How far will you go to uncover the truth and save Alex? Could it all have turned out differently? Features: What ending will you get? Will you get Alex out, whether he wants to go with you or not? Will you confront the cult leaders? Will you join the cult?Unlock every ending for each scenario by trying different play styles or making different choices.Multiple ways to play: Avoid detection completely, taking out guards and civilians non-lethally, or kill anyone who gets in your way. Interview characters from Freedom Town and search for clues. Documents and letters scattered around camp will clue you into the true nature of the commune.Fully voiced game, starring Ellen McLain (best known as GLaDOS in Portal) and John Patrick Lowrie (the Sniper from Team Fortress 2) as the cult leaders, Rebecca and Isaac Walker. Varenje (August 02, 2019) "All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it." ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Get yourself a little summer's day with a raspberry jam adventure! Varenje is a cute colorful adventure with a number of puzzles and mini-games made by artists for anyone that considers games to be an art. Eight unique & gorgeously hand crafted chapters await you. Hours and hours of game play will take you to a far away enchanting place. Our hero was spending summer happily at the cosy cottage until curiosity forced him to sample an unknown berry at the stream. Before he knew it, everything had become incredibly large, and he was reduced to the size of a bug! Trying to understand what happened and how to return things back to normal, we set off into the invisible to the human eye tiny world, where worms, beetles and spiders live their life, and build bizarre vehicles, in disguise so that humans do not realize. Our new friends will surely help us by discovering the secret healing potion, which will return us to our previous dimensions. All we need is to collect enough raspberries to cook grandmother's jam. And as we all know - this is a remedy for all ills! Asdivine Menance (August 02, 2019) A century after the events of Asdivine Dios, peace has finally settled in. That is, until a visitor from another world suddenly shows up proclaiming the entire universe is about to be destroyed. Hearing this, Izayoi sets off in an attempt to reverse this seemingly pronounced fate with a trio of very idiosyncratic spirits as they criss-cross four worlds in search of an answer. But what is the answer they find...? Experience immersive turn-based battles with cooperative attacks and new limit break skills! With all quests, collecting and crafting, the battle arena, and even post-game content, Asdivine Menace comes packed with enough elements to satisfy JRPG-hungry gamers. As Izayoi deepens his bonds of trust with his spirit companions, their fates together move in new and meaningful directions! Features: Travel the galaxy to bring the truth full circle in an epic fantasy RPG!Experience immersive turn-based battles with cooperative attacks and new limit break skills! Meow Motors (August 02, 2019) Meet the kitties, the main heroes of the new go-kart racing game! You will take to the track and play as one of a dozen colorful cats memorable for their different characteristics and unique personalities. Overcome various difficulties of the tracks drifting through mines and bombs, stop and slow down your competitors by blasting them with bubble gum and other astonishing weapons. And don't forget to gather power-ups along the way if you want to be the fastest driver on the track! The game will amaze you with: Dynamic gameplay that has three different modes: circle races, drifts, and 'strike' mode20 different tracks where kitties will compete10 kitties with unique abilities that will help you gain an advantage10 power-ups with unique effects to defeat your competitorsCharge your power-ups and get a more powerful effect!Overtake opponents, drift and get bonuses for it. Go grab your kitty and start your first crazy ride! Super Star Blast (August 02, 2019) Super Star Blast is a space shooter with challenging levels of increasing difficulty. All enemies must be shot down to finish a level and go to the next one. A scanner around the player tells roughly where the enemies are located. The player ship can fly forwards to attack and backwards to fight during the retreat against the opponents. After clearing a level you can purchase equipment to boost the ship, as well as extra shields and firepower or more ships. In local multiplayer mode, up to 4 players can fight together trough the levels (campaign mode) or can get each other in a battle (competition mode). Features: Massive challenging levels of increasing difficultyEnemies with unique flying and fire characteristicsUpgrade center (agility, fire power, shield, ships)Single player campaign2 – 4 player local multiplayer coop mode (split screen)Simple and clean 3D space graphics Read the full article

[spicynbachili2]

The Epic Journey of Floor Kids, Available Now on Xbox One

It’s been fairly the journey, and now it’s time for Flooring Children to launch on Xbox One. And to mark this event I wished to jot down a private observe about this wonderful expertise and everybody I started working with and study from.

I’m JonJon, the animator and creator of the eight authentic characters within the recreation. To me, these characters signify me and my buddies from a time when this world was my complete life. However they’ll additionally simply signify your self and your folks on this present period, or from an period way back. These characters shout out to the legends of the break scene that created all these actions as a part of a wealthy and storied tradition. The Flooring Children characters can come off as common children, but additionally possess the energy and stamina of tremendous hero dance warriors of a cool animated world.

So, I need to share what I loved most about this mission and the individuals I’ve been collaborating with:

Ryhna Thompson

Our lead producer. The glue. She stood up for Flooring Children as a model, from the inception, and at each flip, and guarded our potential to go far. We had been capable of keep assured in ourselves, and affected person, and saved Flooring Children as an artist-driven mission for a lot of, a few years. She’s been the glue and stabilizing power on the staff. For one thing like a brilliant long-term mission like ours, even courting again to the primary animated promo clip from over 10 years in the past, retaining regular isn’t any straightforward job.

Mike Wozniewski

Chief of Hololabs. My favourite half was watching him join the sprites of my b-boy drawings manually, body by body, and getting concerned within the determination making of what inputs can be wanted at each department within the animation system. As a result of in our philosophy, we opted to not have a generic transition system that makes use of an idle state or idle animation, as a result of in breaking, that’s unhealthy. True to the character of this dance, I wished to animate every transition uniquely between every transfer, between every step. As a result of that’s how it’s in actual life.

It was enjoyable to see him actually attempt to wrap his thoughts round break dance logic, which is huge and complicated, and perceive the physique physics happening in every drawing, and determining programmable fashions and playback methods to explain attributes like momentum, move, acceleration and sluggish movement strobing. Collectively we broke issues down into classes that made sense to each the break logic and the coder logic. Packages and methods love to do issues the identical method each time. B-boys and B-girls need to do issues otherwise each time.

Inherent on this, is a superb problem. program a recreation that represents an artform that’s steeped in creativity, and originality. Seeing him ask questions like, “Can this body cease?” Or, “Does this motion go constantly?” “Is that this reversible or not reversible?” It was a factor of magic to see it progressively take type. There have been so many enjoyable checks and prototypes that we did, to see what controls would work and be enjoyable. I’m pleased with what we completed collectively.

Phil Rostaing

Our recreation designer for issues like unlocking, development, and determining a factors system. He tackled the massive problem of scoring. The problem was that video games must current a transparent objective. However in our case, there are a number of objectives, and also you get to decide on which of them to deal with at any time. There’s freedom and talent required. He designed a implausible and in-depth scoring system based mostly off the actual worldwide five-point judging commonplace for break competitions.

The true-life system has 5 methods to concentrate to and we flipped it for our recreation to make it Funk, Taste, Circulation, Hearth, and Flyness. Every factors system is straightforward sufficient to select up by itself however factoring all of them collectively requires mastery. I additionally traveled rather a lot with Phil to the sport conventions. He was all the time down for highway journeys in a rental automobile, throwing the gear within the again seat. Spreading the sport at each growth stage to every new individual one after the other.

JoDee Allen

Our recreation designer for controls and rhythm. She tackled the controls initially slated for contact after which tailored for buttons and joysticks. Her controls had been all the time tied to rhythm but additionally incorporating directionality. Discovering the metaphors between the finger actions and the animation on display screen. She was additionally a b-girl beneath the identify of Feisty, with years of educating beneath her belt. It was so enjoyable working along with her on this as a result of the subject material is so private to us, and it was a strategy to revisit these reminiscences.

Six Ascher

An early developer at Hololabs, taught me to open my thoughts to the idea of variable body charges. As an animator from movie my thoughts saved considering in 24fps, however for this mission we needed to suppose in BPM (beats per minute). So, they taught me to let go of a inflexible body price strategy and to open myself as much as a system that will tie my animation to the beat, no matter pace that will find yourself being. And it was actually liberating to my animating course of to have the ability to suppose this manner.

Amesh Narsing

Our lead engineer. Respect to the architect! He got here up with a brilliant highly effective thought. Slightly than connecting the frames by hand, he laid the muse for an animation fetch and play system that will find the quickest path right into a transfer. This was an thrilling growth which allowed me to resolve many intricate issues by the animation, on how strikes would transition into each other, what number of frames every transfer wanted to be, the place the maintain poses had been, the place the out and in factors can be.

The programmers and designers may concentrate on different necessary issues, trusting me to ship an animation transfer tree for every character that would go away room for participant creativity, and wouldn’t crash the system. And so I opted to make as many distinctive transitions as attainable, and to have sufficient of them out and in of every transfer to permit for participant response time to really feel proper… bringing the drawing depend as much as the tens of 1000’s. Which almost broke the system many instances. By the tip of the mission, Amesh was studying to get down within the studio and six-step.

Roger Braunstein

Our junior engineer and programming spark plug. When he writes code, he talks out loud. So, we may all hear him play-by-play commentate on himself catching and zapping bugs within the system. I additionally witnessed Roger good the rhythm part on the Peace Summit, the toughest degree within the recreation, on a primary attempt – after we thought that will be unattainable.

Eric San

Final however not least, DJ Child Koala. Via his music and reveals world wide, he’s saved the dream of Flooring Children alive all these years till the correct alternatives hit. His brilliance is not only within the music and sound, however his imaginative and prescient, his jokes, and his wit. One among my favourite issues within the recreation is the story — it’s a poem. Eric wrote one thing to be humorous, and it got here in on the final minute, in a flash of inspiration. It was written with cadence and wit. It speaks in a legendary but playful tone however can be dropping hints about how the scoring system works. Every chapter of the story incorporates the theme of the placement and describes a lesson for one in every of Funk, Taste, Circulation, Hearth, and Flyness. Humorous factor is that these classes may additionally apply to our actual lives.

He learn it out loud and everybody was laughing, however what I heard, was one thing deeply significant, as I noticed his story touched on the sentiment of every little thing I had drawn and tried to create.

So, he sends me all of the story music tracks, and so they had been so goofy and foolish, I laughed so laborious as a result of they sounded hilarious, and I knew what he was considering… however I used to be like “A’ight. I’m going to do this different concept that I’ve.”

So, I got here again with story panels for an enormous journey traveler journey drama, a severe quest by town. Eric laughed at how epic the story panels had grow to be. And he modified the entire music of the story sequence to make it tremendous huge and intense. Ultimately, we laughed our heads off on the mixture.

And in order that’s a glimpse into our story as a staff. Flooring Children is now on Xbox One. Now go construct your crew and we hope you have got enjoyable!

isCookieClear(function () ); isCookieClear(function () );

The post The Epic Journey of Floor Kids, Available Now on Xbox One appeared first on SpicyNBAChili.com.

from SpicyNBAChili.com https://www.spicynbachili.com/the-epic-journey-of-floor-kids-available-now-on-xbox-one/

[spicynbachili1]

Korean Lovers in Baghdad | Women’s Rights

Heba is a younger Iraqi lady with a very good job as engineer and the prospect of a good future.

At 28, she owns a contemporary flat within the newly-built Bismayah New Metropolis within the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the place she lives together with her mom and youthful sister. It is a huge growth of neat, white and beige condo blocks, vast, well-lit walkways and loads of inexperienced areas, the place youngsters can play and trip their bikes.

Heba says dwelling there makes her really feel secure and safe.

“This place has given us freedom and peace of thoughts,” she says of the advanced that’s certainly one of many joint ventures between the governments of Iraq and South Korea.

However this is not Heba’s solely South Korean connection.

In actual fact, she’s obsessive about all issues South Korean. She makes use of Korean cosmetics, listens to Korean music, watches Korean dramas on tv, cooks Korean meals and has studied Korean Hangul with assistance from YouTube tutorials.

“Korea did not form who I’m, nevertheless it did deliver out the true me,” she displays.

Heba with Madeeha, an Arabic-speaking consultant of YallaKOREA, a Korean tourism firm for Arabs who might wrestle with the tradition when visiting South Korea [Al Jazeera]

However Heba is not glad with pursuing her love for South Korea from afar. She goals of sooner or later having the ability to transfer there. And she or he is not alone.

Heba represents a brand new and rising development amongst younger Iraqis who discover in South Korea a imaginative and prescient for the long run. Whereas life in Iraq appears chaotic and unpredictable, South Korea provides them an attractive instance of order and stability.

However transferring to South Korea is a big endeavor. Heba dangers dropping her job and, together with it, her household’s primary supply of revenue. Not all of her household are supportive of it.

Korean Lovers in Baghdad follows Heba on an emotional journey as she pursues her dream and goes in quest of her place on this planet, encountering seemingly insurmountable obstacles alongside the best way.

FILMMAKER’S VIEW

By Arij al-Soltan

Iraq is usually within the information: for struggle, bombs, violence, corruption and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also called ISIS).

However after I go to Iraq, I see one thing completely different. I see resilience, dedication and alter. I see Iraqis carrying on with their lives, it doesn’t matter what. I see that when every part falls round them, they keep standing.

Throughout one latest go to to Baghdad, I met a bunch of conservatively dressed younger ladies who have been imitating Korean pop teams. I used to be intrigued by this uncommon mixture of cultures. The ladies weren’t simply followers of Ok-pop; they’d discovered the Korean language and have been capable of converse in it, they watched Korean movies and TV dramas, that they had their very own social media circles. Korea was part of their day by day lives.

Heba, the central character in my movie, Korean Lovers in Baghdad, instantly stood out. Her ardour for all issues Korean had compelled her to maneuver together with her household from an previous neighbourhood of Baghdad to a brand new advanced that had been constructed by a Korean agency. There, she can be a step nearer to attaining her dream of dwelling the Korean life-style and finally transferring to South Korea.

Heba is obsessive about all issues Korean [Al Jazeera]

The extra I scratched beneath the floor, the extra fascinated I turned by this eclectic cultural combine. It was clear that this wasn’t only a fad or a teenage obsession. Younger Iraqis have been hungry for change, and needed an area that provided acceptance and peace and pushed them to attain one thing throughout in any other case bleak occasions.

The individuals I spoke to, each younger and previous, discovered Korean tradition to be that house. It impressed them to pursue their goals. Iraq, they stated, may be taught loads from the Korean mannequin.

Extra surprisingly, younger ladies usually cited Korean relationships as one thing to aspire to. This was uncommon as the 2 cultures could not be extra completely different.

The material of Iraqi society has modified after three wars, and most of the younger ladies I spoke to stated that honesty and belief between the sexes have been rapidly disappearing. Iraqi males had turn into extra patriarchal, controlling and violent, they instructed me, providing examples from the marriages of mates and family members.

Ladies’s freedoms have regressed in Iraq and their motion has turn into extra restricted in a normal environment of struggle and violence. Consecutive governments have made issues worse by diminishing ladies’s rights.

Overlooking the town of Seoul, South Korea [Al Jazeera]

Nonetheless, I used to be stunned that Iraqi ladies would look so far as South Korea for a mannequin of a contemporary relationship. They recognized care, compassion and equality as a basis of male-female relationships there, and expressed a powerful need to be in relationships that may give them house to develop and keep a level of independence. They rejected the Iraqi mannequin, the place all types of duties and expectations have been, by default, positioned on the lady.

The story within the movie of the person holding the umbrella completely embodies this. Iraqi ladies, like everybody else within the nation, are craving for compassion, and a few really feel they’ve discovered it within the Korean lifestyle. This was an fascinating layer that I hadn’t anticipated and wasn’t capable of totally discover within the movie.

It’s refreshing to listen to Iraqi ladies clearly categorical what they need from a relationship. However it’s also an terrible indicator of what issues have come to for ladies’s rights in Iraq.

However there may be hope. These younger ladies are beginning to make a change by dreaming of one thing completely different for themselves. Whether or not their love for Korea will present a short lived escape or one thing extra long-lasting stays to be seen.

Within the course of of constructing this movie, I discovered that change is gradual and painful and that non-public progress comes at a price. However the story of Heba and tons of like her assures me that change is feasible. In the future, we might look again at this period in Iraqi historical past and see the Korean affect as a defining function of this time. In occasions of struggle and desperation, essentially the most extraordinary issues can occur.

Supply: Al Jazeera

from SpicyNBAChili.com http://spicymoviechili.spicynbachili.com/korean-lovers-in-baghdad-womens-rights/

[ultrachengart-blog]

UAE fullfill its Founder's Dream

‎2018 marks the 100th birth anniversary of the modest man who transforms the desert into green - ‎Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the key driving force behind the formation of the United Arab ‎Emirates. And he quoted ‎-

‎"I had many dreams. I dreamt of our land keeping pace with the growth of the modern world."‎

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan wasn’t born with a silver spoon. He was raised in a tough and ‎challenging environment. His character as a man and as a leader was develop and nurtured in his ‎childhood years. He shown an early thirst for knowledge that took him to live in the desert with ‎Bedouin tribesman to learn all he could about the way of life of the people and the environment. ‎While he grew up the desert taught him tolerance, flexibility, self-reliance and determination. ‎

Even after he became the leader of the UAE, he continued to live a humble lifestyle; he dressed ‎simply and lived modestly. Sheikh Zayed had an incomparable character and personality that made him ‎remarkable to all. He had all the wealth in the world, and instead of keeping it for himself and family, ‎he share with his people and country. ‎ He is a man with a futuristic methodology that enables his country rise above boundaries. He helped to ‎nourish his people by motivating them to work and live and to be the best servant of the country.‎

‎"It is my duty as the leader of the young people of this country to encourage them to work and to exert ‎themselves in order to raise their own standards and to be of service to the country. The individual who ‎is healthy and of a sound mind and body but who does not work commits a crime against himself and ‎society." – The late Sheikh Zayed (The United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2005) page 21.‎

As the UAE fulfill its founder’s dream, it has expanded and flourished. The deserts turned into gardens ‎and the land that was once the home of sand now holds some of the world’s most prominent ‎skyscrapers. The country now holds over 200 different nationalities and has become a key tourist ‎attraction. Both nationals and expatriates find comfort in the safe streets and neighborhoods of the ‎country. These are only few example of how far the UAE has become.‎

Sheikh Zayed rooted his deep religious faith, values, determination and hard work to his people not ‎only in his presiding time, but remains evidently today and shall continue in the years to come.‎

It is so amazing understanding his great leadership and he is indeed a father full of fruitful wisdom; it embedded to me being an expats. I had a ‎dream, my hope and dreams collide into reality. UAE welcomed me with warm embrace and a decent ‎opportunity. In remembering his remarkable years, i am honored to draw his logo. After joining the Zayed Logo Competition held in DAFZA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVm4wxDY4BI ) , I am motivated to draw ‎once again.- chengart

#Leadership #UAE #FoundingFatherofUAE #YearOfZayed #chengart

SOURCES:

https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/shaikh-zayed-in-quotes-1.306268

Below is a selection of some of his most famous quotes:

"Arab oil can never be dearer than Arab blood."

"There is no glory without the glory of the country and its citizens. We have to be proud of our forefathers, who were able to face the harshness of life with a strong will and dedication to shape a better collective future ."

"A nation without a past is a nation without a present or a future. Thanks to God, our nation has a flourishing civilization, deep-rooted in this land for many centuries. These roots will always flourish and bloom in the glorious present of our nation and in its anticipated future."

"Past years have emphasised the importance of unity as a vital necessity for providing a better life to the people, for ensuring stability in the country and for realising the hopes and aspirations of our people."

"He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn."

"The success of the greater Arab nation in making itself known to the world and in supporting our solidarity does not depend on the Arab nation alone. Our solidarity also requires that the entire Islamic community works for the good of the Arab nation as the Arab nation works for the good of the Islamic community."

"They used to say that agriculture has no future [in the UAE], but with God's blessing and our determination, we have succeeded in transforming this desert into a green land."

"Our experiment in federation, in the first instance, arose from a desire to increase the ties that bind us, as well as from the conviction of everyone that they were part of one family, and that they must gather under one leadership."

"It is my duty as the leader of the young people of this country to encourage them to work and to exert themselves in order to raise their own standards and to be of service to the country. The individual who is healthy and of a sound mind and body but who does not work commits a crime against himself and society."

"We must not rely on oil alone as the main source of our national income. We have to diversify the sources of our revenue and construct economic projects that will ensure a free, stable and dignified life for the people."

"Islam affords women their rightful status, and encourages them to work in all sectors, as long as they are afforded appropriate respect."

"Islam desists violence practised by terrorists who kill their brethren and commit all despicable actions under the shelter of religion. Islam dissociates itself strictly from these people and their actions.""Our system of government is based on our religion, and is what our people want. Should they seek alternatives, wer are ready to listen to them. We are all in the same boat, and they are both captain and crew."

"Wealth is not money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies, the power we value. This is what has convinced us to direct all our resources to building the individual, and to using the wealth which God has provided us in the service of the nation."

"Situations change from time to time. A friend may become an enemy and an enemy a friend. Life is inconsistent and ever changing. So are health and weather. We must therefore be prepared for the unexpected changes coming our way."

"Many countries go to war and then towards reconciliation. The history of mankind is full of stories of wars between people and states that have come together after fighting for long. Why can't Arabs be like them?"

"The real asset of any advanced nation is its people, especially the educated ones, and the prosperity and success of the people are measured by the standard of their education."

"Every individual has to perform his duty. Man is mortal, but his work is not. Therefore, work is greater than wealth."

"The Press has the duty as well as the right to criticise. We welcome constructive criticism."

"I had many dreams. I dreamt of our land keeping pace with the growth of the modern world."

"On land and in the sea, our fore-fathers lived and survived in this environment. They were able to do so because they recognised the need to conserve it, to take from it only what they needed to live, and to preserve it for succeeding generations."

"Future generations will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world."

"We were like those who had climbed a mountain and reached the top. When we looked down we still wanted to go higher to realise our goals. Despite all the achievements [within the UAE Federation], we still have an ambition for more. That is my way of looking at things."

"The Ruler should not have any barrier which separates him from his people."

"No matter how many buildings, foundations, schools and hospitals we build, or how many bridges we raise, all these are material entities. The real spirit behind the progress is the human spirit, the able man with his intellect and capabilities."

"Thirty years ago we had no buildings, and when we saw buildings in other countries we used to envy them and wonder how we could convince our people to be satisfied with what they had."

"History is a continuous chain of events. The present is only an extension of the past."

"I am not imposing change on anyone. That is tyranny. All of us have our opinions, and these opinions can change. Sometimes we put all opinions together, and then extract from them a single point of view. This is our democracy."

  AUTHOR

By Michelle De Dios

Michelle was raised in a very humble environment and she was always thought to be humble to the ‎things that are happening into life, because it’s a gift from God; and we’ve got to share it by means of ‎helping someone. She believes that art has its own way in touching one soul, from a simple concept of ‎a dot. Anyone would choose to call her “cheng” than her common name. Hence, she marks her art ‎with the same initial, as a product of sincerity. ‎ Cheng writes and draws better by the stroke of a pen but she loves the freedom of working on a ‎simple pencil. For her it does not matter what or how much the medium you use in art, what matter is ‎the passion, when you find it anything is possible.‎

Artist |  Walking Wanderer | Simple Philippine Pride

[mukyoucom]

The Long Path to Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age

From Playstation Blog USA

The origin of Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age begins with the original Final Fantasy XII which was released on PS2 in 2006. This game had the honor of receiving many awards with its unique game system that granted players great freedom and strategic ability, and by its graphical expressiveness that utilized the hardware’s capability to the fullest, in the world called Ivalice that inherited the genes of Final Fantasy Tactics.

The core members from the original development team got together this time to develop Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age, but the first thing that we thought was “to not only improve visual and sound expression, but also to reconstruct the game design itself so that the players can experience a new Final Fantasy XII as a modern game.”

We created this game as a new game for PS4 by devising multiple mechanics based on the Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System that was only released in Japan in 2007. It featured a more comfortable gameplay experience for our players, including changes to the growth system and the battle design where different strategies can be used compared to the original Final Fantasy XII. I’m sure that this experience will surpass the memories of those who played the original Final Fantasy XII. For those playing for the first time, this will be an experience like never before.

In this blog I’ll focus on three points:

World views and new key art.

New and recreated visuals and sound.

Reconstruction of the game design, and a new future.

For the purposes of this article, I’ll write Final Fantasy XII as FFXII, Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System as FFXII IZJS, and Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age as FFXII TZA.

Ivalice… Where the Story Takes Place “A story of a time when magick commonly existed, and when soaring airships filled the skies.”

Ivalice, where this story takes place, is a land of swords and magick that sprawls beneath skies where large airships fly. While large cities with skyscrapers flourish, these are still turbulent times and many countries have perished in war. This is a world where hope and ambition of swirls between those that fight for freedom and those that fight for duty.

In this world of Ivalice where many races — such as Humes, Bangaa, and Viera — live, there are times when the differences between those races stirs war. There are also times when those who have the same thought work together hand in hand, crossing any national boundaries. These ways of life weave the grand history of Ivalice.

Vaan, a boy whose family was taken by the devastation of war, and Ashe, a princess whose homeland was destroyed. The wishes and hopes of these two will change the fate of many people, and even entire countries.

New Key Art We have asked Akihiko Yoshida, who was the main character designer for the original FFXII, and Isamu Kamikokuryo, who was in charge of the art direction for the original FFXII, to create new key art for us that will symbolize that world and story of Ivalice.

The key art drawn by Akihiko Yoshida is a group illustration with the main characters of the story. The story revolves around the battles between the Resistance (the side that the player is on) and the Imperial Army during the time of war, and the layout of this artwork expresses the relationship between those characters.

The key art drawn by Isamu Kamikokuryo is set in The Imperial City of Archades, the capital and base of the Archadian Empire. Isamu Kamikokuryo drew a piece of art set in the same location when we developed the original FFXII, so this illustration is an homage to his own past, thinking about the time that we were creating the original FFXII.

I believe that thinking about the meaning behind these pieces of art while playing the game will add to your enjoyment of the world and story of Ivalice.

We actually have another piece of newly drawn key art for this title that we have yet to reveal, so please look forward to it!

Improved Visual Expressiveness When creating the HD version of the visuals, we were careful to preserve the unique graphical texture of Akihiko Yoshida’s character illustrations while enhancing the expressiveness with modern technology.

And so, not only did we increase the resolution of the character models, but we have also strived to improve the textures such as the skin, hair, cloth, leather, metal, and any other material.

We have also improved the expressiveness of light and shadow by implementing modern lighting technology. The world inside the game can now be enjoyed with a greater sense of atmosphere and depth as we have enhanced the natural blur (depth of field) and soft lighting (ambient occlusion).

Oh yes, the resolution increases even more if you play this title on a 4K compatible TV with a PS4 Pro, so please try it out if you have the environment to do so.

Improved Sound Expressiveness We have re-recorded all tracks (Approximately 100!) with live performances, at the hands of Hitoshi Sakimoto who was also the composer on the original FFXII.

When we first started developing FFXII TZA, we thought that having two types of tracks — the PS2 internal sound source version and the Original Soundtrack version released as a CD — was enough. However, when I mentioned to Hitoshi Sakimoto about that, he said “re-recording with live performances would be more effective as a modern game,” and I was tricked into doing so by that too-good-to-be-true offer.

As a result, it was definitely the right decision to re-record the tracks! I’m confident that the sustaining sounds and lingering emotion unique to live performance has further enhanced the sense of presence and immersion in FFXII TZA.

We have even asked Hitoshi Sakimoto to compose new tracks (Eight!) for boss battles and maps, so I would love for his fans to look forward to that as well.

We of course have included the original tracks from FFXII as well. You will be able to switch between the two versions anytime from the configuration menu.

We have also devised the following improvement to sound expressiveness aside from the tracks:

We have fully included both Japanese and English voices, and those can be switched anytime from the configuration menu.

We have strived to playback the voices in high definition, which will make the characters’ lines sound clearer than ever. This should help you to feel the details and nuance of each cutscene even more.

The sound for FFXII was compatible with Dolby Pro Logic II, but this title is now compatible with 7.1ch surround sound.

The FFXII International Zodiac Job System — the base for this game — was reconstructed from the original FFXII by Hiroyuki Ito, who has been in charge of the battle design in the numbered FF titles. And so, in FFXII IZJS (and subsequently in FFXII TZA), the battle design is different from FFXII with a different strategy and has incorporated a new character growth system, in which you can enjoy an even more refined adventure.

I had always thought “I want Western players to enjoy playing FFXII IZJS, one that has a different play experience from the original FFXII one day!” I’m now able to fulfill that dream with the release of FFXII The Zodiac Age. I realize that this was only made possible because of all of the fans that have loved the game called Final Fantasy XII. Thank you very much!

And this game isn’t just a simple port of the FFXII IZJS, but we have also applied many improvements to it that will enhance the joy of character growth, battle, and exploration, the highlights of an RPG.

New Character Development: The Zodiac Job System The greatest change in this title is the enhancement to the character growth system, the License Board, that we used in the original FFXII. The content of the License Board in the original FFXII is the same for all characters, but we have created 12 jobs (like Knight, Monk, and Black Mage) and corresponding License Boards for each. The player can now choose between two jobs per character and develop each character from there.

Armor and weapons that can be equipped, and abilities such as magick and skills that can be used will be different per job, so you can enjoy the performances and strategies that differ per the combination of jobs that the player decides to use, such as compensating for the weakness of certain jobs, or specializing in magick attacks.

Similarly, the strategy of the gambit system will deepen by combining two jobs.

Improvements That Make a More Enjoyable Adventure

We have greatly reduced the loading times, allowing for a more light-footed adventure.

We have added an auto-save functionality aside from the ability to save at a save crystal, which was present in FFXII.

We have incorporated a double speed functionality that will increase the speed of movement throughout the entire game.

We have included a useful feature that overlays a location map on the screen with a push of the L3 button. This allows you to seamlessly check your current location and destination, even in a complex map.

New Trial Mode The Trial mode is where players uses the characters they have raised to battle through a total of 100 stages. The strength and the group combination of the enemies differ from the main game, and at times you may see an unexpected character make an appearance, too.

The remaining HP, MP, and status effects are carried over to the next stage; while you can power through the first part, you will notice as you progress that it’s not as straightforward even at maximum level, and you won’t be able to continue winning by just using the same gambit patterns.

You’ll need to think about strategy with each stage, while managing your remaining HP and number of items, which will make for a very thrilling battle.

This mode allows the player to thoroughly enjoy the intrigue of planning your strategy and the exhilaration of when that strategy is executed successfully as planned — which is what makes the gambit battle so appealing. I would totally recommend you take on the challenge!

Approaching the End The content introduced here is just a little part of what you can experience.

Final Fantasy XII has various adventures packed into the game, aside from the main scenario. Going on Mob Hunts to defeat “marks” (with a bounty on their heads) that threaten the daily lives of the people, battling legendary Espers, exploring dungeons like the Necrohol of Nabudis, and so on. The more you play, I’m sure you’ll be able to make new discoveries in the field, and the enjoyment of raising your party members and expanding the breadth of your battle strategies.

I hope you spin your own tale of adventure by utilizing the new Zodiac Job System, improved and bolstered functions, and many other useful features.

Return to Ivalice.

final fantasyfinal fantasy xii the zodiac agePlayStation 4playstation games

The post The Long Path to Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age appeared first on Ship 2 Block 20.

http://ift.tt/2rFdGWn

[ayemanolld]

Forget how to study masters in usa: 3 Replacements You Need to Jump On

Study Abroad for African Students

Study abroad experience can have a deep effect on the individual: by transforming one's career route and social circles to improving global engagement.

Students from Africa, for several decades, have been at the pursuit of high-quality education offered all around the world. Motivated by strong aspirations and livelihood opportunities, the African pupils are looking past what their home nation can offer.

Study abroad experience could have a deep effect on the person: from transforming one's career route and social circles to improving international engagement. A recent research conducted in the University of Minnesota has shown that international students become civically involved and, regardless of the expectations, are somewhat most likely to return to their home states.

Why Does African American Students Search Education Abroad?

Based on the character of a person and their career objectives, international students from Africa can study in prestigious African American universities or venture to go further and travel to the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Dubai or even a number of other destinations in Europe or Asia.

In the last decade, South Africa has witnessed that the 2nd biggest number of pupils in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Libya, and other African countries.

Below is a brief summary of the admission statistics printed in 2018.

What motivates African American Study abroad students?

As the next chart reflects, pupils from the area are strongly motivated by career aspirations and the possibility of improved livelihood opportunities. The answers reflected in the graph are for potential undergraduate students, but the exact very same patterns hold for master's and PhD students as well.

Nearly three in four respondents imply that progressing to a higher degree qualification is an important element in their own interest in pursuing an undergraduate degree abroad. Almost half see a overseas undergraduate degree as a method of advancing into their current career path, and a comparable proportion see a foreign diploma as a requirement to enter their intended career. Finally, almost a third (29 percent ) see study abroad as a means of enhancing their career prospects.

The chart illustrates how weighted the poll answer is to these variables, relative to private or cultural motivators for example opportunities for exchange or personal interest.

According to the latest QS Applicant Survey, the US and Canada are the leading destinations for African American students to proceed with their research. Around 36% of pupils refer going to colleges at both the US and Canada for undergraduate and master classes. The statistics showed 31%, 25% and 23 percent of students then favor the UK, Australia, and Germany respectively.

China is another popular destination which has witnessed a stride in the circulation of African students to their very best universities. The number of students from Africa took a whopping spike of 95,000 in 2014, and the nation has since pledged 30,000 more scholarships to promote more freedom from Africa. France has also been bringing students from French-speaking countries such as Algeria and Cameroon.

The factors for pupils from Africa to choose these states is highly influenced by the standard of education and over all of the Financial Aid. Most universities in Europe also need less or no tuition fees.

Study in USA

The investment at a diploma from a US establishment has been viewed positively by global companies for decades. The width of the program encourages students to research topics far beyond their international student jobs in the usa Seed educational consulting own major. This gives a broader understanding of the world along with a more open perspective.

Such abilities and approaches are much valued by companies and also have developed a powerful entrepreneurial spirit among US graduates. The rapid growth of Silicon Valley in California is one particularly shining example of the advantages of a US Higher Education. Study in the united states and follow your very own American dream.

Study In Canada

Canada provides a unique opportunity to research completely in English, entirely in French or onto a bilingual program. With a population of approximately 10 percent of its southern neighbor, the USA, Canada has plenty of space.

These things have made Canada an increasingly popular destination for research among international students generally. Approximately 20% of the Canadian people speak French as their native language. English, at 56 percent, is by far the predominant language across the nation. This is important to bear in mind if you're out of a French-speaking nation.

Study Abroad agencies mainly work with institutions in the English-speaking portion of Canada. This is only because we believe proficiency in English is a vital skill for today's worldwide mobile workforce. If your plan is to operate in Canada after graduation that a strong understanding of English is going to be essential. But for those who do like to research from French, Seed is able to offer extremely inexpensive options also.

Study In UK

At all levels the British schooling system has an superb global reputation for academic achievement. The UK is home to some of the most famous schools, universities and colleges on the planet.

It is the accomplishments of pupils of the UK higher education system which created the nation's academic reputation.

Study In Germany

Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe with the continent's largest economy. Once called the"Land of Poets and Thinkers", Germany has played an early role in education. The earliest research universities in the world have been in Germany and many are still open now.

The United Nations Development Programme puts Germany as 6th about the Human Development Index. This is ahead of more popular study abroad destinations the USA, United Kingdom, and Canada.

The German Government reports that there are approximately 375,000 international students enrolled at college . That's over 12 percent of the entire amount of college students in the country. Approximately 18,000 African pupils, each year choose Germany for college abroad.

The German education system is especially strong from the STEM Topics -- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. No surprise as the nation is home to famous engineering and manufacturing brands. STEM subjects are popular course choices with African American study abroad students.

Study in Turkey

Turkey is not only a beautiful destination for travelers but also attractive to many foreign students. Study in Turkey is also relatively cheap compared with many other nations abroad. There has been huge investment in universities there in recent years. Because of this, Turkish universities provide high quality education and top-of-the-range centers, but in a very affordable rate, to equip their students with the essential knowledge and skills needed to excel at the world.

Public universities mostly offer programs delivered entirely in Turkish, though it is also likely to find some bilingual (English and Turkish) applications as well as some programs delivered in French select institutions. There are no programs taught completely in English in public colleges and so any African American student looking to study in public universities will need to study the Turkish language first and successfully pass the Tomer Exam (the Turkish equivalent to the TOEFL Exam).

Private universities offer a great deal of programs taught entirely in English. We will mainly focus our attention on private universities in this manual as we do strongly believe in the worldwide work opportunities that are going to be offered to you in the event that you research in English.

Dubai is located in one of the seven United Arab Emirates and is home to professionals from all around the world. It's known for its extravagant architectural projects, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Dubai has a famously fast-growing economy and is known for innovation. Obviously, the luxury shopping experiences make it a dream destination for many international students.

Study in Ireland

Ireland is a European country famous for its culture all over the world. It is admittedly a known research destination for African American pupils than its close neighbour, the United Kingdom. However, because we hope to reveal in this guide, there are lots of great reasons to think about Ireland for your studies.

The Irish men and women are proud of their culture and thus work hard to preserve it. Ireland is an Anglophone country that makes it appealing for both African students who speak English and those who want to improve theirs. Ireland is home to students from other parts of the planet too. Most of the students that study in Ireland come from the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and North America.

Ireland has a younger population than most Western European countries and a highly educated people. The country is often known as the Celtic Tiger for its strong economic performance during the previous 30 years.

Ireland has a pioneering and can-do spirit. Irish expertise in agriculture has helped turn arid lands in Africa into abundant farming. And, an upstart Irish airline business, Ryanair, revolutionised air travel in Europe, becoming the biggest European airline in terms of passenger numbers pre-COVID.

Unlike the UK, Ireland is a part of the European Union (even though it is not a part of the Schengen visa zone). In the past several years, as a result of its highly educated work force, Ireland has attracted multinationals, such as Amazon and Microsoft, to set up European HQs here. Since 1st February 2020 it is the biggest Anglophone country over the European Union, which will be likely to make it an attractive foundation for additional foreign companies looking to set up hubs inside the European Union's Single Market.

Ireland is a very safe and gorgeous country with great places to go to. Popular attractions are The Cliffs of Moher, Grafton Street in the capital city, Dublin, for shopping fans, Killarney National Park and Muckross House & Gardens. With such rich history it was no surprise Capital Dublin was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2010.

African Students in the U.S.

Nownot all those students listed above are visiting the U.S., needless to say, and next week we'll talk more about where else these students may be studying and how to contend with another destinations African students are considering and picking.

Source Nation

Students Studying in the US

(2018 IIE Data)

Nigeria

12,693

Egypt

3,701

Kenya

3,322

Ghana

3,213

Ethiopia

2,118

South Africa

2,040

Morocco

1,563

Nigeria leading the bunch isn't a surprise, as it has got the highest GDP of all African markets, and thus has more students that can manage a U.S. education. The remainder of the list all have economies in the Top 8 across the continent, except for Ghana, that isn't far behind at 11th.

While another 47 countries in Africa aren't listed above, almost all them are sending students to the U.S. and other countries for tertiary education.

It might appear, by looking at the above record, which Nigeria is the clear place to invest your recruitment efforts. But remember, with greater pupil numbers comes more competition from other universities overseas.

Don't discount the remaining countries with fewer pupils already traveling into the U.S., as those may be untapped markets which would provide you more bang for your recruiting dollar. As we said in a prior blog post about Africa, the less traveled route represents the less competitive path. Consider how fine it is to be among the top ranked universities in a college fair.

In accordance with this 2018 report by IIE just 4 percent of foreign pupils in the U.S. were from sub-Saharan African countries. (The statistics for people from northern African countries is united with those from the Middle East, which accounts for 2 percent.)

Who are these students and what exactly are they studying?

African pupils bring an invaluable perspective and drive to campus, states WENR within this slightly older article.

Tourism and health care will also be on the upswing.

If your organization has a strong program in these fields, there are a number of frequent flyer miles to be got and pupils to be recruited.

Can they afford it, though?

Now, while the language barrier might not be a substantial challenge, a financial one certainly is. The cost for a single year for an American college greatly exceeds the average yearly family income for some African nations.

What incentive is there for universities to supply larger financial aid bundles to those international students? Word of mouth for one. Remember that college-aged population thrive? That is a lot of mouths and the following generations will be learning about education options from those who went ahead of them.

WES forecasts that,"Given that the price of effective recruitment efforts and the need to set up both recruiters and dollars strategically, these networks of alumni can offer an abundance of rewards with relatively few risks."

Requirements to Study Abroad

The requirements to study abroad for many international students would depend on the nation, the university, and the program. However, there's a standard set of documents required to apply to all universities.

Transcripts from Schools

Recommendation Letters

Statement of Purpose

For Undergraduate applications, students would have to pass the typical international entry exams like SAT based on the country you are applying to. The African American matric qualification alone might not qualify one to the necessary level.

For postgraduate programs, you would require completion of diploma certificate and would be asked to write the country and course-specific entrance examinations.

The minimum grade requirements for Faculties will vary across the nations. Also depending on the medium of instruction, students might have to take language tests to show the level of proficiency.

Apart from this, to receive a student loan, you would also have to reveal Confirmation of enrollment, proof of adequate funds and fulfill the health insurance requirements.

Writing an extensive admission essay or personal statement puzzles many international applicants. The majority of non-native English applicants do not feel confident in their program papers. That is why many of them use this platform to order informative article online:

Scholarships for Students from Africa

Each of the countries mentioned above are focusing on expanding their educational prospects by welcoming more international students. As a part of it, many scholarships are offered by many organizations to inspire students. Listed below are a couple of notables ones for pupils from Africa.

Mastercard Foundation Scholarship: Canadian and American Universities have booted up the Mastercard to offer you a $500 million initiative to offer scholarships for 15,000 pupils, especially from Africa.

Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) for African Students: An initiative by the Australian Government to provide fellowships and financial help for 1,000 postgraduate students from Africa.

The Beijing Government Scholarship (BGS): Offered by the Beijing Municipal Government that supplies a partial or full tuition fee for international students studying in Beijing.

French Government (Eiffel Excellence) Masters and Ph.D.. Scholarships: Scholarships of Masters and Ph.D. students from developing countries majoring in technology, economics, science, law, and political science.

VLIR-UOS Training Scholarships in Belgium: Offered for students from African countries with preference given to women who take available master and training programs in English.

Language Language Proficiency

Students will need to provide proof they've achieved a particular level of English language proficiency.

All these are the commonly accepted tests.

IELTS Academic Module

TOEFL

Pearson Test of English

VU English EAP

These tests must be taken no less than two years prior to beginning the course.

Nearly all African students prefer to choose a degree in engineering or business studies. In European countries notably languages, art, and human sciences are popular subjects followed by legislation and political science.

Pupils from African countries are wanting to go overseas to countries offering them better standards of living. The ability to stay in the country after completing the training course will be also becoming a significant deciding factor. Nonetheless, it's also common for students to be back their experience to their home countries and contribute to strengthening their market.

Every nation has something to offer, and it is ideal to choose the course depending on academic and individual preferences.

Info sources and financing for Study Abroad

Almost six in ten potential students look to education agents for help in identifying and exploring options for study abroad. However, the QS survey clearly indicates that most students make heavy use of online channels as well, particularly organic search, institutional sites, school selection websites, and social media. Between 80% and 100% of survey respondents stated they make extensive use of all these online tools.

The other striking feature of student mobility from the area is the prominent role played by third party funders, particularly in the kind of government or corporate scholarships. As the following picture reflects, personal or family funding plays a lesser role for many pupils from the area.

The standing of financing sources illustrated here reflects the prominent part of third party funders (and also the importance of affordability factors) that we've seen elsewhere for key markets in the region, especially Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.

The Agent Network in Africa

The broker recruiting channel is still developing in Africa. They are determined and keen to sign up new contracts -- unlike most of their colleagues in China and India who've come to be extremely discerning about which universities they will support. We have fulfilled a variety of agents in the African nations at the ICEF Miami workshop and highly suggest this opportunity to meet and assess the options.

Unlike the recruitment agent systems in China and India which are highly developed and have grown to a challenging network of super agencies which have many unstructured (and often uncontrollable) sub-agents, there are opportunities to create valuable relationships with many of the agencies that are growing in Africa. This recruitment station is a site subject all of its own and we will share it in a future blog post this year.