#this sequence was horrifying and hype at the same time

[ms-scarletwings]

“DESTROY THEM!

Fire some kinda laser thingy at 'em... right now!”

(Edit of one of my favorite scenes that lets me fully appreciate the soundtrack)

[hershelchocolate]

What are your favorite "chapters" or scenes from each of your stories? Are some of them really long sections while others are short individual moments? Why are they your favorites, and what emotion is does each section aim to make you and/or the reader feel?

Just gonna do this for ones I have figured out enough to answer for-

Villain School: I daydream about the end of year 3 a lot still. It was such a good payoff for stuff hinted at from year *1* (I've already made some of the foreshadowing. At least one person had already guessed it) but also there's so many moving pieces. Wally finally gets the peak of his arc. Maple gets fucking decked harder than she's ever been. Savannah gets confirmed best friend status with Wally (bestie of the besties) and cries about it while everyone is dying. That whole sequence is still so fun, it was going to be the most hype thing ever if i ever rewrite the villain school I'm not changing it

Also this one bit in year 4 where Carmen fucks up trying to do something cause he didn't realize Savannah has gone through 4 years of being the main character and just. COMPLETELY fucks up the evil thing he was trying to do in the worst way possible for everyone involved it's the only time he's genuinely worried about getting caught and it's so funny. Shame about the everything else tho

Whisper Court: many. So many. First one that comes to mind is any scene where anyone dies tbh. It's the same "Oh noooo character is dying :(" kinda sequence but all of them are so uniquely fucked up and horrifying. I don't want to spoil Who Gets Got but man. Man. Oughgg. Fuck dude. I've been hinting at one for ages and I can't wait for everyone to get mad at me

The Hallowed: IRENE GETS TO KILL AND MAIM LET HER KILL!! SHE DESERVES IT!!! I've got an animatic to it in my brain for Can You Hear Me Now by The Score it's so fucking cool. Again. I hesitate to say literally anything about it but it fucks I promise. That's supposed to be the biggest YOOOOOOO GET HER ASS!!!!! moment in the whole series I'm so worried about nailing it tbh. Oughg

Angel Wings: a little odd cause it's a game and that's hard to pinpoint moments for but. Ending 4-2. I will not elaborate. Center Stage by Vocacircus okay there you go that's your hint

Locked Love: Lif scene. That entire sequence. Their whole deal is so. Ohghg. "Alright fine I'll become the antagonist" but it was never supposed to go this way. They should have died before things ever had a chance to go this way. What does it mean to be the consequences of a God suffering from the sunk-cost fallacy. If it costs you your humanity. If it never meant anything at all. It was never supposed to be this way. They can't even be mad

Solitarius: the beginning of the end. They can't even bring themself to be surprised this time, it was a weird run. It was never going to end well, they couldn't even be bothered to pretend. Everything is crumbling to dust but they remain stable. They've died this death a thousand times, it doesn't faze them anymore. The loss she's suffering isn't even close to the lost they've felt and yet they can't help but feel a twinge of regret that she's unknowingly had to live this moment over and over throughout time. There was no way to stop it though, so why bother caring?

Alphabet RPG has a moment like that (it was all intentional? Were we ever worth more to you than this?) And so does Halloween Town (if I had known, would I have stopped it? Maybe not.) But those aren't solidified enough for me to try going in depth about them

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

BLEACH: The Thousand Year Blood War Ep 5 Reactions and Thoughts

Overall reaction:

BEST. EPISODE. YET.

An episode so good I broke my own rule and had to use two gif reactions instead of one, because the intensity of emotions was just too much to capture in just one. This episode just came crashing in and basically screamed 'I AM THE HYPE!' In fact, it's been well over 12 hours since I watched the episode and I still went about my day with the surge of hype I got while watching it.

An absolute roller-coaster of emotions for this one, I don't even know where to start!! We got horror, we got awe, we got HYPE, and we got anticipation! THIS EPISODE SHOWS YOU WHY BLEACH NEEDED THIS ADAPTION, AND WHY THIS ARC HAD SUCH A FANTASTIC START.

Hightlights

Byakuya vs As Nodt: I had high hopes for this one, a lot of us did. I was not only not disappointed, I was blown away. There is so much good stuff in this fight, from the fear sequence (more on that below) to Byakuya's reactions to Renji's fury to Byakuya's near-death. To see As Nodt assume the same pose and to have the camera angled and drawn back the exact same why as it was when Byakuya released his bankai showed not only that the tables had turned, but also how wrong it is for As Nodt to have his power and adds to the angst of having Byakuya been torn apart by his own power. And by gosh was he torn, getting hit with one barrage of Senbonzakura, and starting to tip forward, only to be hit by another wave. It was horrifying and so, so sad. And Renji, coming in to try and stop it, to hear him screaming in rage against As Nodt, that made me tear up. Then of course there was Byakuya's apology to Renji and Rukia, and cue the waterworks from yours truly. Just like when I read this scene for the first time, to see Byakuya, one of the fan favourites and one of the strongest Shinigami get defeated and almost die, it was heart-rendering. My one and only nitpick, and it truly is a nitpick, is that we didn't get a direction adaption of the panel after he roars; honestly though, considering we got a fantastic bit of sword animation in it's place, I don't really care!

The fear sequence: absolutely chilling, from start to finish. I'm actually a little in awe for how they adapted this. From Byakuya being shown at different angles all the way up to the flies, it was downright unsettling. I'll start off by saying I love their colour choices here. I love the blend of pinks, reds, and purples and the swirling motion that happens behind Byakuya as As Nodt narrates. As the sequence goes on, the colour gets completely evaporated to greys and dark shadows, with only the pink of the flies being vibrant in an otherwise desolate, colourless scene. As Nodt's voice is incredible, I was honestly surprised how well it suits him. He could be seen as droning on and on, but I honestly captivated by his voice, the speed and low pitch just drew me in. It makes me very curious to see how he'll act later on when he has to face Rukia. Speaking of whom, Rukia's 'decay' was just as creepy and horrifying as the manga, I'm glad they didn't hold back. I loved the transition from her smiling against a white background with soft lighting on her to the deep red and harsh shadows, and just the quick transition from her normal to her rotting was just...*shudders*. And the flies, the freaking flies! Just look at these shots:

Watching them crawl over Byakuya, and then completely swarm him, it's almost exactly how I imagined it in motion while reading the manga. I loved the original panels in the manga, Kubo used the black and white to make for a shocking moment. Seriously, the use of pink here is so effective, not only in making the flies stand out and be on brand for BLEACH's marketing colour, but also in being a reflection of Byakuya himself with one of his primary colours swarming over him and immobilize him). Combined with the music, motion of the flies, As Nodt's low, monotonous voice, and the swirling motion happening behind Byakuya, this is going down as one of the most memorable scenes in the whole series for sure!

Ichigo:..this poor kid. I know it's a shounen, teenagers just go out and save the world without a second thought, but Jesus if this doesn't show you the pressure he's under, to save not just those he cares about, but the Souls screaming out - Souls he can't even see. He's not even 18 years old yet and he's going through all this crap! In all seriousness, fantastic voice acting here from everyone, just...God it was almost harrowing!

Kenny!: he makes his grand entrance, slingind three bodies over his shoulders and confronting Yhwach like it's nothing. 'Oh look, it's the Big Bad, time to cut you down!' basically. Also, was I the only one who got flashbacks to the Reigai arc while watching him fight against a copy of himself?

Hisagi: with all of this action going, I want to take a moment to give credit to Shuhei Hisagi. He only appeare don screen for, like ten seconds, but he deserves a spot here. Keep going Hisagi!

Chojiro's bankai and backstory: in terms of look, this one was fantastic! Loved seeing his backstory with Yamamoto, it was handled beautifully! Also, the lighter colour scheme was a nice reprieve, but it also showed happier times and helps to again emphasis how bleak this war (and arc) is.

Yamamato's rage: HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPE! I basically screamed when Yamamoto eviscerated Driscoll, that close up on his skull was intense and brutal. Them when he launched himself into the sky and flew straight for Yhwach, I kicked my feet in the air and actually screamed. I had goosebumps for that entire scene, and I'm getting them again just remembering it. Not only did this scene show you why Yamamoto is respected and feared, it practically radiated with his utter rage. The manga of course did this too, but my God did the anime take full advantage here! The flames, the colours, the music, everything came together to make this one of the most epic scenes yet. You can't tell me you didn't see this shot and not have your mouth agape:

And everyone's reactions to said rage: great to see my boy again, but even better to finally see my girl! Momo, it's been too long! And then there's my man, Shinji! This is the first time we've seen these two animated on the screen together, so needless to say I was very excited (on top of the hype I was feeling from Yamamoto's rage) to see them. Then there was Sajin, who I think got the best part of this scene, showing him rallying up his men and motivating him; I loved that last shot of Iba and his men, you can feel the commitment they have! And Shunsui getting back into the fight in style, as is typical of him.

As it's been noted time and again, there's a lot more violence and gore in this season, showing the carnage of war and how dire the situation is for the Arrancar and Shinigami. Just like with Izuru, I was surprised they didn't make Byakuya's death more violent (as in the manga you can clearly see his ribs! ) However, this scene is sad enough as and maybe making it as violent as the manga would just make me even more sad! I mean for God sake, the man lost his left arm (Kubo strikes again!). I think though I'm starting to see a pattern: they're saving the more violent and gory details for either background characters or characters who have a very minor role in the story (Driscoll and Berenice, for instance), they don't seem to go very violent for main or supporting characters. It's just a theory though, and we'll see if this changes in the upcoming episodes.

Overall, WHAT AN EPISODE!! I keep seeing gifs of Byakuya vs As Nodt, and it's no wonder (it actually reminds me a little of the huge attention this fight initially got when the manga chapters dropped, and how everyone was freaking out about Byakuya's 'death') What a fantastic adaption of that fight, and what follows is just as awesome, if not more so in the case of Yamamoto's rage. There was so much packed into this one (I didn't even mention Grimmjow's return!) Every scene, little and big, has an impact in this one, hitting you either in the heart or in the part of your brain that just goes 'HYYYYYYYYYYPE!'

And now next week, next week we're FINALLY getting Yamamoto's bankai!! And based on what we got in this episode, my hopes are sky high. IS IT MONDAY YET?!

[the-breath-in-air]

Fixing "Boy Erased" (2018)

I recently decided to watch Boy Erased (2018) again, now that we're a couple years out from its initial release (and hype). And I came away with some thoughts.

First, something I think worked. You know that scene near the end, when Jared (Lucas Hedges) is trying to leave the conversion camp and he's racing through corridors and whatnot. That whole sequence works, but there's one moment that really stands out.

Jared attempts to get his phone and Michael (one of the 'camp counselors') tries to physically wrestle it away from him. There's a bit of a fight but eventually Jared makes his way to the bathroom and he calls his mom to come take him away. He then emerges from the bathroom and says to Victor Sykes (who runs the camp), "If you, or anyone else puts their hands on me, I have witnesses." Victor puts up his hands and says, "Nobody's gonna put their hands on you. Why would anybody do that? Come and sit. We're gonna wait for your mom, okay?" Then there's a hard cut to this:

Victor Sykes and Brandon literally laying their hands on Jared and praying. And I love that juxtaposition because it brings to light the violence inherent in this situation. They're restraining him through enforced religious acts. There's violence in this prayer.

And on top of that, it serves as a pretty good metaphor for the whole film. Jared's parents (especially his mother) believe they're helping but really they're hurting. They can't see the violence of their actions in sending him to the camp.

If only the rest of the film was working on this level.

Problem the first: Audience as observer. The film is really about observing its subject, Jared, as he experiences these events. But it isn't about giving us any insight into his perspective or interiority as he does so. The camera is looking at Jared more often that it is revealing to us what he's seeing. Perhaps the most obvious example of this issue is with the perfume ad scene. Jared is on a run and he comes across a perfume ad on the side of a bus stop with a bare chested buff guy. The camera shows us the ad, and then the rest of the scene has the camera (and thus, the audience) placed some distance away as we see Jared first touch the ad, then throw a rock at the ad, and then scream "fuck you" at it repeatedly. The ad itself isn't salacious enough to illicit that kind of response in the average audience-goer, and the camera is so disconnected from Jared's experience that we aren't really gaining insight into why this ad is affecting him in such a strong way. It ends up making it so that scene really does not work.

This isn't to critique Lucas Hedges's performance in that scene. It's more to say that all the other elements of that scene make it feel ridiculous - because the audience has not been guided toward viewing that ad in the same way that Jared does in that moment.

The second problem: Casting. To be absolutely clear, this is not a knock against any of the actors performances. On the contrary, I think everyone was pretty dang exceptional. Rather, it's more a conversation about casting choices. Two of those choices really stand out as somewhat misguided: Xavier Dolan as Jon and Emily Hinkler as Lee.

Turns out Emily Hinkler is a nonbinary actress. Lee (the character) is a cis guy who is conspicuously unmasculine. (If you've seen the movie - he's the one who gets hit in the head with a baseball). Casting a nonbinary actress as a cis boy at a conversion camp feels a bit off on it's own in that a conversion camp would be forcing people to adhere to assigned genders at birth. But I could get behind it as a sort of statement, like, a casting decision as direct opposition to the enforced gender binary of a conversion camp. i.e. Why should the movie adhere to the oppressive gender binary that the camp would? However, by casting a nonbinary actress as the least conventionally masculine character - it actually feels like it ends up reinforcing the binary. Lee's defining trait is that he's small and unmanly and, afaik, he's the only one of the male characters who is not portrayed by a cis man.

My issue with Xavier Dolan's casting is much simpler: Jon feels like he was written as a teenager and Xavier Dolan was approaching 30 when this was filmed. Maybe it wouldn't have bugged me so much if I didn't already know who Xavier Dolan was when watching the movie? Like, maybe if you watch it without knowing the actor's age, it works better? But also, the character feels like a teen but isn't explicitly stated to be a teen. So whenever he was on screen I kept wondering if actually part of Jon's situation is meant to be that he is 30 but stuck in a sort-of adolescence due to his relationship with his abusive father. Or did they just cast Xavier Dolan to portray a teenager?

This brings me to the third problem: Not enough of the ensemble. Jared, and thus the audience, spends proportionally, little screen time with the other people at the camp. They are rarely shown talking to each other - especially outside the restrictive observation of the camp's 'counselors.' This could be part of the point - i.e. that the camp is so isolating - but that isolation wasn't really highlighted by the camera/scenes/dialogue...so it really feels more like it's just an oversight. The movie focuses on Jared and his individual story and so the rest just fell by the wayside.

This is really unfortunate because there are some (potentially) great characters in there, especially Jon and Gary. Jon went through the program once before and is now back for a second time. We don't know what happened to make him come back. He appears to be 30-ish but he's staying at a hotel with his abusive father. He is completely invested in the program and treats his sexuality like an addiction. He has even taken it upon himself to forego all physical contact with other men (not even a handshake). His self-loathing is at once horrifying and heartbreaking.

In contrast, Gary (Troye Sivan) knows the entire program is bullshit, but he's playing along for his own survival. He's over 18; he lived with his boyfriend for a year prior to coming to the camp. So that begs the question of how his family convinced him to enter to the program. Also, Gary's so invested in his own survival, that he stays silent and is complacent in the abuse and violence he witnesses against others in the camp. He is both a victim and a bystander (at times).

I think this film would've really benefited from spending more time with these characters (as well as Sarah, portrayed by Jesse LaTourette, and Cameron, portrayed by Britton Sear) in the camp and seeing how they all interacted with each other. Give us a sense of their different contexts and perspectives - and give us a better sense of the ways that conversion camps disempower the people sent there (even people like Gary, who knows it's bullshit). It's the thing that makes all the other movies about conversion camps work so well.

Which brings us to the fourth problem: the ending. If we spend more time with the ensemble, we'd either end up with a really long movie or we'd have to cut out something else. Well, folks, we can cut about 10 minutes off the end. Everything after the dinner Jared has with his mother post-escape can go. The climax of the film is when Jared finally decides to leave the camp. The resolution comes when his mother places herself in opposition to Jared's father (which she had never done before) and decides that she's going to take Jared home. And the emotional resolution comes when she admits to Jared that they made a mistake and that they harmed him by sending him to the camp.

Everything after that is extraneous. We don't really need to see Jared living in a city with a boyfriend, or see him begin to reconcile with his father. His relationship with his father was never the emotional core for the film. Boy Erased is, in some ways, a movie about self-actualization and that's the sort of movie that's best to end with something a bit open-ended. Y'know...a sort of end-that's-just-the-beginning kind of thing. Because the story of Jared falling in love and dating and moving out and gaining the self-confidence to confront his father - well that's a whole other movie. And here it gets shoved into the epilogue, which does the whole thing a real disservice.

Then there are the informational cards at the end. Two stick out as being particularly frustrating. One, "The real Victor Sykes left L.I.A. in 2008. He now lives in Texas, with his husband," feels irrelevant and unnecessary. The audience cares about what happened to Gerrard Conley (who wrote the story and whom Jared is based off of). But why do we care about what happened to the real guy who ran the camp? We don't...except for the jab about him now being married to a man - which feels like it's a more significant point for the cis straight people in the audience than for anyone queer. Turns-out-ex-gay-pastor-was-actually-just-gay-the-whole-time is not revelatory, I gotta say.

Then there's also this:

The emphasis about conversion therapy "practiced on minors," feels a bit disconnected from the film we just watched - which emphasized how abusive and traumatizing it is, even for adults. And in the U.S., all states currently legally allow conversion therapy for anyone 18+. Only Washington D.C. has banned it. And that, to me, is equally egregious, yet it isn't mentioned. The film itself challenges the notion that it's somehow okay for this to be practiced on adults because it's ostensibly their "choice," and then the info cards at the end shy away from that stance by focusing on kids.

I think the thing I find most frustrating about this movie, is the wasted potential. As I said at the beginning of this, there are some moments that really stand out in how they use the medium to convey meaning. There are some choices in how the film uses light and brightness (or lack thereof), that are pretty dang good, too. But ultimately, it's a film I feel so detached from and I think some of what I explained above is part of why.

[loopy777]

Non-Review: Free Comic Book Day 2021 - The Legend of Korra (Also Featuring Avatar: The Last Airbender)

With all the hype around 'Suki Alone,' it looks to me like most of the fandom missed that an additional Avatar comic with a story from each cartoon's era was just released for Free Comic Book Day. You can read them for yourself on either Dark Horse Digital or Comixology where it's mislabeled as being for ages 17+ (free accounts are required for both), but I'm sure one of the reasons you all love me is because of my willingness to jump in between you and these comics like the deadly bullets they can be. Well, I'm happy to die (metaphorically) for the sake of (a little anonymous internet) love, so I'm doing a full snarky review for each ten-page story. Also, I'm bored, and it's more fun to make fun of mediocre stuff than to praise stuff I like.

It's time for me to review "Free Comic Book Day 2021 - The Legend of Korra (Also Featuring Avatar: The Last Airbender)" or more specifically "The Legend of Korra: Clearing the Air" and "Avatar: The Last Airbender: Matcha Makers."

CLEARING THE AIR

The cover makes this look like a story about Jinora and Ikki having a sibling conflict. That's a lie. The Air Sisters arguing is merely the inciting incident for Tenzin telling a story of his youth. I should note that, as inconsequential as the Air Sisters stuff is, it's actually written very well because it posits Ikki as a victim of circumstance and Jinora as a bully who terrorizes her little sister with threats of getting thrown in jail by Metalbenders for an accident, cementing the characterization from the cartoon. This is not sarcasm. I really do think Jinora is presented by LoK as a Holier Than Thou little snot who just so happened to be naturally gifted with magic spirit-powers, but for some reason the rest of the fandom doesn't agree with me.

Anyway, Tenzin comes in to find the arguing (and Meelo just running amok for the fun of it and so far these characterizations are perfect), and rather than telling Jinora to shut her stupid face, he delivers a tale of his youth about conflict resolution.

So the meat of the story is how, when Tenzin was "a few years older" than Jinora, a pair of vandals got onto Air Temple Island and burned some graffiti into the spinning-panel things that Korra will destroy out of frustration during her Airbending training. Literally, the vandals are depicted as scorching the wood with enough smoke to be seen across a plaza. Tenzin goes after the vandals and they flee across the bay back to Republic City proper (one of the vandals is a Waterbender with a surf-plank). Tenzin pursues, catches them, and attacks them hard enough to smash some dockside crates. They are all then arrested by Metalbenders and dragged before Chief Toph. She's going to let Tenzin go (yay Toph!) and throw the vandals in jail (YAY TOPH!) and makes this face, and this entire comic is worth it:

However, Aang arrives and instead arranges to forgo the jail-time in favor of an Air Nomad Conflict Resolution Ceremony. This is nice and in-character, but I'm totally with Tenzin that these vandals should have been thrown in jail. They literally burned insulting graffiti into antiques from a genocided culture. But instead, Aang demonstrates conflict resolution by having Tenzin explain why he's hurt and what needs to be done to redress the wrong. And so the vandals help Tenzin scrub the graffiti off the panels with water and rags and mops- how, I don't know, since they were literally burned.

They also do a ceremony thing where they each take turns bending their element into a central space between them to 'clear the air' (GET IT GET IT HA HA IT'S ALMOST LIKE A PUN BUT NOT), so it's a good thing they were all Benders because this is kinda racist. This fixes all the problems and everyone is friends. Yay!

In the present, though, things are not so nice, because Tenzin's kids are still screaming at and provoking each other. Korra comes in with Asami at the end to ask what's going on, and Asami says nothing, so I still think everyone is characterized with perfect consistency with the cartoon.

I made this sound silly, but (aside from the spinny-panels getting cleaned with a little water and elbow-grease, which doesn't matter because Korra will eventually blow them all up anyway), I actually like this one. It has Tenzin demonstrate how much he's always had to work to be the Perfect Air Monk that everyone expects him to be, and Aang acknowledges how this is unfair but that Tenzin will never let him down no matter what. It also has Katara come in at the end (for just one line, boo!) to acknowledge that this was an especially easy little conflict for Tenzin to practice on and he'll eventually face worse. I found it a nice adult moment in a story that's otherwise clearly aimed at 8-year-olds.

The art is good. It's simpler than the LoK cartoon, with flat colors, but it captures the story and has enough liveliness for everyone's character to come across in their look and body-language. The brief action-sequence where Tenzin attacks the vandals is well done, moving quickly but showing the full flow of the fight and every move Tenzin makes.

MATCHA MAKERS

Apparently, "Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, traditionally consumed in East Asia" according to Wikipedia. I had to look that up. I'm curious how many people understood the full reference in the title, especially since these comics are aimed at kids too young to be allowed on the internet.

This is a very simple story about Iroh in his tea-shop in Ba Sing Se. He has an assistant/waitress named Feng, a new character who wears glasses, ruining the hopes and dreams of all the fanfic-writers who were so sure he'd rescue Jin from the Lower Ring. A frequent patron of the tea shop is an elegant, older lady (very clearly Upper Ring material) named Li-Mei, who cannot go a single panel without giving Iroh a HEY BIG BOY look. She is very clearly smitten. Also, I feel the need to clarify that she knows his name is Iroh, so apparently Ba Sing Se is okay with the Dragon of the West serving tea to their wealthy. I don't say that as a criticism, I'm just noting it.

That night, Iroh meets up with his friends- the Pokemon-style spirits that we saw in Legend of Korra. (I don't know if they're the actual spirits from LoK, or just new spirits in the same style. This is because I would sooner grind matcha into my eyes than rewatch Book Spirits.) He serves them his special blend of tea and talks about how he's totally into Li-Mei but isn't going to pursue it because he's feeling old and doesn't want to take a risk. At this point, I could stop describing the plot because between the title and what I've said so far, I'm sure you could figure out every single plot beat that will follow.

The next day, the spirits trip Feng so that she drops Li-Mei's tea and Iroh needs to bring a replacement, and they've drawn hearts on top of the replacement tea with foam or sugar or milk or whatever. I don't know because I've never bought tea in a place that will even put the bag in the hot water for me. Iroh gets out of the situation without starting any love-affairs and runs into the back to tell the spirits to knock it off, dudes, they're totally embarrassing him! The spirits respond by giving him a flyer for a romantic restaurant. I don't know how they got it, so I can only assume that some Upper Ringer had their mail diverted.

Iroh refuses, so when Li-Mei orders more tea and he brings it to her, the spirits hover just out of her sight and threaten to smash the furniture. I am not making that up. They literally threaten to smash Iroh's furniture unless he asks the lady out. He submits to their tyrannical threats, Li-Mei happily accepts the date, he happily accepts her acceptance, and the story comes to a close. Iroh thanks his spirits friends for opening him up to new experience, but hopes that next time (so I guess Iroh is signing up for Tinder after this?) they won't threaten his shop.

At best, I can describe this story as 'harmless.' But it's been a long week and I just got a bunch more extra work at my day job that I really don't want to do, so I'm going to go ahead and call this story 'dumb.' It's rote, leans towards humor without actually being funny at all, and turns the spirits of the setting into Pokemon. And not even the cool dragon kind.

The art is strangely stiff. The coloring is soft and nice, but the drawings seems more 'assembled' than actually drawn. I swear there are even a few panels that reminded me of 'How I Became Yours' with janky poses, horrifying expressions, and just enough resemblance to the original cartoon to make me think a screenshot was partially traced and then ruined. (I'm not accusing the artist of tracing, BTW. I wouldn't even condemn the artist for tracing if they did. I'm just describing that HIBY feeling I got.) It was so stiff that rather than hear Iroh's dialogue in Mako's rich tones, I instead imagined Greg Baldwin doing a stiff Mako-impression with no naturalism to the delivery.

This story is definitely worthy of its "Also Featuring" billing. I'd rate it below Gene Yang's Mai and Suki FCBD short stories, but above everything else he wrote for Avatar.

So there you go. Overall, this is very middle-of-the-pack for Avatar FCBD stuff. It's very much of the nature of the 'Team Avatar Tales' stuff, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Iroh story was a leftover from that project. On Free Comic Book Day, you often get what you pay for.

[guyinlovewitheremika]

Oooh could you expand on why you liked the op?? I honestly don't know what to make of it yet, especially since it felt so different from other ops, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Absolutely will do!! This took longer than I wanted cause everytime I sat down to write I started getting distracted from the OP and just listening to it on repeat lmao

To start this off, I should add that throughout the week leading up to release date, I was following a couple of leakers on twitter who did drop some info on the OP; mainly that Shinsei Kamattechan were returning, the title, that it wasnt gonna feature any characters and instead be a metaphor for the “cruelty of war”. Knowing all of that had me pretty excited but also gave me the right expectations, so it wasnt too jarring to see at first. 

But, to jump into this, first of all, I just loooove the visual style in general. It mostly just being static shades of white and light grey, with these very washed out colors exploding and flowing onto the image...it’s absolutely gorgeous! Like I just really dig this color scheme. And it’s highlighted even further by the gorgeous, fluid animation...these explosions look so good! I’m also just a big sucker for familiar characters/entities being represented in a sort of timeless way...be it a portrait, a statue, a monument, whatever (think smth like this), so seeing Eren and the other titans at the end there was just an absolute treat. Whatever that thing is, I want some kind of print/purchasable piece of merch of it because that heap of titans looks amazing. 

The song also just bangs tbh. It’s such a weird agglomeration of instruments and vocals but I find it comes together really well. The childrens choir, the piano at the beginning, the distorted vocals and most importantly that E-violin!!! so fucking good! Honestly I just love the way this song sounds and Im more hyped for the full version than the ost release atm (even tho I love what we heard so far from that too). The combination of the visuals with the music too is great here...I’ve never seen a flamethrower used in combination with the beat of a song before (outside of mad max fury road I guess lol?) but goddamn its just such a cool fucking combination I cant get over it. 

I have some thoughts on the imagery and the symbolism and my interpretations of it all, and I wanna get into those too, but really, the main thing I absolutely love about this OP is how different it is. Just as the marley arc is probably the most different of all in the manga, just as the new studio has made a show that, in many ways, looks feels and sounds vastly different from the old Attack on Titan, the OP encapsulates all of that by just being this new thing and succeeding at it

I love WIT’s OP’s, I love Linked Horizon’s work on the show. But honestly, the “Linked Horizon hype OP” genre pretty much peaked with Guren no Yumiya for me. I still like all the others, but overall, OP 1, 2, 3 and 5 just feel a bit too same-y for me, especially given that I honestly don’t think any of the follow ups surpass the original. Heck all these other songs even reference GnY in some capacity--I cant help but feel like they could never let go of Guren’s success and never tried something else. Except for Red Swan of course, which is also my 2nd favorite WIT OP. It’s slower, it’s sadder, it’s melancholic, and vastly different from all the others, and I really appreciate that. It tries to be its own thing and it succeeded for me. And “My War” even more so feels like it has a very distinct, unique vision, goes all out in that way, and it just works beautifully.   

And it’s that distinct, unique vision that I wanna dig into lastly here, because, just as the marley arc does for this manga, I find that out of all the OP’s, My War most explicitely depicts and visualizes many of the core thematic ideas of Attack on Titan and brings them directly into the forefront. I’ve seen a bunch of cool interpretations of the song at this point, and someone may have somewhere already said all this, but I wanna throw it in here regardless

After countless battles, sacrifices, victories and losses, Eren and the survey corps were able to win the war against the titans that their walled world was stuck in for a hundred years. Their gigantic enemies were defeated, and freedom ought to lie ahead. But no, beyond the shores is just more...more oppression, more war, more death and more sacrifice. The history their king to from them is one of war and oppression, a never ending cycle of violence, spanning back 2000 years, continuing forward. One oppressive regime falls, only for the next to take its place. This has been the history of mankind since the dawn of man, and it continues on and on and on. 

This is what this episode shows us, another military battle around another walled encampment, and this is what this opening shows us...a world perpetually at war. Man’s hatred for one another leads to conflict, to war: it’s continued existence in history and continued technological advancements are the perfect visual representation of this. Man’s capacity for war breeds more war, and it takes lives and it takes freedom and it doesnt stop, it just keeps consuming. 

The Opening starts off with battleships, artillery fire, mortars, flamethrowers, nuclear explosions and a titan spine forming among them all, until the birds of freedom fall dead out of the sky. Neverending armies of soldiers march the streets, airships rule the sky, but all the soldiers, all the military craft, the marleyan military and the paradisian soldiers all fall to pieces and get destroyed. War and conflict rage on and all the pieces fall to the ground, littering the earth in nothing but death and destruction. And at the end, atop this mountain of corpses and mayhem, the titans arise, reaching forward, attacking. They are born from mankinds neverending cycle of destruction, the physical manifestation of our inner demons that lead us to kill each other. 

I thoroughly believe that this sequence of events most perfectly encapsulates all of attack on titan. Look at the marley arc: the years of their attempts to wipe out Paradis island lead the island and the attack titan straight to them, delivering a terrible blow to them during their declaration of war. 2000 years ago it was the warmongering, slave hording king fritz who had a girl hunted for sport who brought about the era of the eldian empire, creating a system to eternally maintain the titan’s ability to wage war and rule the lands that would wind up ripping humanity apart. Look at the final arc: all of humanities hatred towards the island devils birthed the final attack titan and his horde of demons who have come to trample the world underfoot. The titans have always arisen as the consequence of man’s tendency towards conflict and death. Eren’s titan first formed from inside a titan who just killed him, his last titan was born out of his own death yet again. Titans are man’s desire to kill given shape, and the more man kills and fights, the more titans arise. 

It’s a bleak and terrible look at the cruelty of the world, that I think the OP highlights immensly well. It’s a gorgeous looking and sounding 90 seconds, and despite its contents being essentially horrifying, its fun to look at and listen to. Isayama once said about Eren’s attack in marley that “what eren does here is the worst thing. but if you were able to feel just a little bit of excitement from it, then it was worth drawing manga all this time”. Somehow, one way or another, we’re drawn to conflict, despite how terrible it is. And I think this opening manifests this beautifully 

[for-peace-war]

No, really. Lovecraft Country sucks.

These are spoilers, but I also don’t give a shit because it’s a bad show and I hope you skim enough to fucking skip it.  I took a few days to decide if I hated it enough to write this and well, I do. 

I will try my best not to say “X is a bad actor,” but instead stick with the characters as they’re intended save for one particular issue.

The Story

It isn’t very Lovecraftian.  And don’t take this as me saying Lovecraft was some kind of master of his craft.  I think he was an absurd racist that used xenophobia as his guise for what truly horrified the sane mind. That being said, the element of the unknown is definitely the hallmark of his world and that in no way is represented in this show.  It could easily be called “Goosebumps: The Black Version” and it’d be just as authentic--if not more so, really.

The story deals with the Bible (?) and magic that comes from uh, knowing the names of things.  You speak a made up language and then you do some kind of confusing magic that has no real purpose or point.  I sound dismissive of this because I am, to be clear.  They could have just as easily had this language be something whites stole from Africans and then perverted into their own means of power (it’d be a pretty easy parralel to any number of imperialist issues left behind in Africa, huh.)

But anyway, it has a tentacle monster. I think we see a big scary octopus at one point.  But the monsters are often in your face and it’s probably less scary than Stranger Things S1.

Honestly, the characters repeat “autumnal equinox” so much that I felt I was going to have a fucking breakdown.  Just the writing is very empty and no one seems to really care about anyone else on the screen except for in a rare moment between the only two characters that make it far and matter. 

Characters

They aren’t very good.  There are tropes present, which isn’t bad at all, but the way the characters interact, speak, and in general move us through the story feels stilted, often nonsensical, and entirely reliant on the viewer assuming that the latest sentence spoken is the only one that matters.

Atticus “Tic” Freeman

A war criminal that derives his power from the white blood inside of him. Again, dismissive but true.  We see this man struggle to connect pieces to a puzzle and eventually he pays the price for it, but not in the way Lovecraft would have someone pay for endeavoring beyond their realm.  Rather, something about fate and a book. Look, honestly? Who gives a shit.  Tic murders a woman in coldblood and it’s never really touched on.  There’s a lot that could be said about militaries, oppression, etc, but we often see these characters enact violence and then the story skips merrily beyond it.  So yeah, he summarily executes a Korean woman and then is later shown torturing another, but it’s okay because he feels a little bad and fucks the Korean sex demon woman.  More on that later.   I felt nothing for him.  He didn’t have some deep animus over being a torturing war criminal.  He was just kind of moving through scenes and having confusing fights with his girlfriend/baby mama.

Letitia “Leti” Lewis

This is what empowerment shouldn’t look like. It amuses me that the show claimed to subvert some kind of norms when the primary love interest (and ultimate heroine) remains the lightest skinned sister in the room.  She is able to maintain the appeal of the ingenue while at the same time having the understood attractiveness of her complexion. As far as Leti is concerned as a character, she too seems to be a pretty shitty person.  We hear that she has “transactional” friendships and she seems pretty much all about self-survival and rarely if ever puts up where others do.  She’s a heroine in the sense that the story makes her be heroic, but it never addresses how her flaws are ultimately all self-inflicted and unnecessary.  She could just not be a shitty person.

Hippolyta Freeman

Well. Hidden Figures was an excellent film, and I think that’s where Hippolyta came from.  In a more serious series, perhaps she and her daughter could have had a very touching arc that would deal with survival and exceptionalism in a world that maligns you for your very being.  Unfortunately, in reality she just comes off as a character that’s quirky in a world that’s also quirky and she doesn’t get to harness her power. There’s an entire episode dedicated to how she discovers who she is and the result is well, her hair turns blue and she makes robots?  I think the character TYPE is great, but they misused her here in all ways.

George Freeman

Well, well.  If the series had remained about George, Tic, and Leti adventuring through America and encountering sundown towns and monsters both human and otherwise, I think it’d have been okay.  The issue is, they wrote this series by the numbers so George is immediately thrown away.  He’s a wise and circumspect guy that has his own flaws (he has patrarchical notions built around protecting/babying his genius wife, clearly), but the flaws he has are understandable and well reasoned. George dies early on.  Then he sort of doesn’t, I guess? But the fact he did was really the nail in the coffin for this series.  The moment they did that, the rest just became empty strokes.  A story where George witnessed the others dying and going back to his wife and daughter would have had so much more heart to it, but well.  Uncle George is literally one of the few bright spots.

Ruby Baptise

Much like her sister, Leti, Ruby is a terrible attempt at showing empowerent on the one hand, and a masterwork on the other.  The bad first: she’s a rapist.  I’ve been called a nigger before and while it didn’t feel great, I don’t think I’d have been justified in just sodomizing the person that did it.  That entire sequence was weird and they tried to hype it as her reclaiming something, when really it spoke to a disgusting and gratuitous tendency toward Ruby: she’s always too much. Ruby, IMO, should have been Tic’s love interest.  In a sense.  First, because Wunmi Mosaku was a very attractive woman with impressive acting chops (she’s where I’ll break my moratirum, sorry), but also because it wouldn’t be what you’d see in every other show now: light-skinned pretty sister, dark-skinned sexual eikon.  And that’s the issue with Ruby there: she’s always too much.  She’s sexual by existing and that isn’t necessarily to her benefit since Leti, the good one, is an actual virgin before her sudden period sex. So the narrative has already spoken as to how it views sex. Yet, because they tried to give Ruby these strange strokes, she comes out as an interesting character.  She has feelings, aspirations, and dreams that she’s kept from and that’s very real. In a story about the absurd, a sense of realness is a familiar handhold to gather your wits.  She’s all that, really.  It’s why she has the best relationships in the show, which is AGAIN an issue, but well. I’ll say Ruby was never bad to have on screen though I was disgusted with how often her blackess (and Blackness in general!) became the source of grotesque horror.

Christina Braithewaite

This is where I get annoyed.  My issue with Christina is that she should have easily been the most hated character, but they overplayed their hand with not showing how nefarious she was.  In fact? Christina and Ruby’s relationship is the only meaningful, real, and understandable one in the entire series.  I felt no joy during her downfall, because I didn’t really get to see her doing anything bad? Just, consider what the show is.  It’s about Lovecraft’s lore, ostensibly, which treats all non (specific types of) white men like dogs.  So Christina comes at it from the “white” but “woman” perspective and you know, she has moments of duality that you can say is she more white or woman here.  But they don’t execute on how sinister she should be.  She’s a little rude at times? Yet she is the only person to treat Ruby like she should be treated and she’s the only person that seems to have a goal outside of “the quest.” It really bothered me that she came out so well done, because either they needed to have her for two seasons and make her far more nefarious after the first, or to just make her less a force for good.  She saves the characters more than a few times and pays for it by being killed when she’s at her lowest.  Yeah, it’s... a weird take.  

Ji-Ah

What can I say?  There are depictions of sex in the series, and they’re all negative: most of Ji-Ah’s scenes, Montrose’s angry self-loathing sex with his boyfriend, Ruby’s morphic horror scenes.  In the case of most of those, there’s something being said.  Ji-Ah is a monster, literally, that could be seen as Lovecraftian in the sense she’s an exotic Asian woman that kills men that sleep with her.  So, HBO was like “we’ll blow our tits and ass budget on her,” and she exists for a series of sex scenes and vague, inscrutable... shit, maybe SHE is the most Lovecraft of all the characters! Anyway at some point she joins the party after confusing drama with Leti because they both fucked Tic.  It’s okay though, because Ji-Ah isn’t here for any of that now.  She’s the one who had the best friend that had her teeth yanked out by Tic, and also who was there when he shot her other friend in cold blood, but they get over that and she’s now their friendly red panda pal or some shit.  It’s fucking trash.   Much like the Freemans (sans Tic), I think she’d have done great in another show. But they rushed her story and it felt less Ghost Nation (Westworld) and more Masturbation (Jordan Peele).

Diana Freeman

Confusing.  A stock character (quirky kid that does art, is impetuous, and won’t take no for an answer) that is given a lot of screen time.  When she sort of hijacks an episode when two ragamuffin girls chase her down and infest her or something because racist cops.  Well, the story veers to her direction.  What can I say?  If you like 11 from Stranger Things but wanted her to have Mike’s attitude, well.  Here you go.

Montrose Freeman

He could have been a good character, I guess. He seemed unnecessary and often was there purely for an x-factor of “uh?”  Like, his infamous scene where he slits a two-spirit Native American’s throat after we learn that this indigenous person had just been restored after being raped by bad guys.  So there’s that.  Also I guess he was self-loathing so he beat his son (that may not be his son???) and also liked fucking dudes, which was I think where we were supposed to care about him. It’s like someone saw Omar was a gun-wielding desperado of drug theft and decided, “Well what made him okay is he’s gay!”  But it didn’t add much.  I get he was angsty but other than Tic calling him a “faggot” (one of the few good scenes between them in terms of emotion), it all seemed empty and kind of meandering. At no point does Montrose seem a part of the team.  He just half-mumbles, gets angry, cries, and falls apart.

Captain Seamus Lancaster

He’s barely a character, but I need to include him for another point. He’s the “bad guy.”  I guess?  He uses the bodies of black men to stay alive, which is actually a really smart reference to black bodies fueling the American system, but it comes off as cheesy because it just never comes up.  He’s cartoonishly bad in a way that he’s less sinister than a meme.  Compare him to say,   Ridgeway from Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad. One’s a sinister representation of an oppressive system and the other’s well, a joke.

Racism

How could this not be a theme?  The issue, as was shown with Lancaster, is that it isn’t even remotely handled with seriousness.  The best scene of racism is in the first episode when Tic, George, and Leti are forced to leave a Sundown county before they’re lynched by the racist sheriff.  The anticipation and animosity lead to some serious anxiety and it was a nailbiter.

But after that?  White people say “nigger.”  Then they get, I don’t know, raped or spit on or who knows.  A lot of black people talk back to the cops anyway in the 50′s and that’s cool.

But the real monsters of the series are all black people.  Let’s go through it: 

Tic brutalized women in the Korean War.

Montrose killed the two-spirit person.

Ruby rapes the shop owner.

Diane crushes Christina’s throat.

Ruby literally sheds her flesh in repeatedly gratuitous acts of the grotesque.

Even Ji-Ah, who’s not black, is a monster in the literal sense.  We do see the doctor that experimented on black people, but that’s about 5 minutes at the end of an episode that has a baby’s head on a man’s body so I was too busy laughing at the absurdity to take any real meaning from it.

The truth is, in Lovecraft Country, white people always should do their best to kill or keep black people down.  It definitely doesn’t speak at all to any togetherness or what have you.  Just, well. Magical negroes doing bad stuff because nothing can stop them.

The show misses the chances to show real horror in race.  Hell, the Tulsa Riots are reduced to a backdrop for a confusing book scene.  But then again, Emmett Till becomes a kind of empty reference point that we then see a white woman act out... for some reason? 

Again, the only characters with any chemistry are Ruby and Christina, which is very unfortunate for any number of reasons. As far as a statement that racism is bad goes, I mean. I barely saw it.  If I was a racist I’d be like hell yeah, Lovecraft was right they are dangerous.

Even when people try to indicate the horrors of it like, “Oh, the Korean War scenes are bad because we see how men are forced into the military complex!”  We didn’t see a white officer say “Shoot her, boy,” it was just two black guys killing women with no care at all. And no compeuppance, so that’s cool.

The Music

Sucks.  Thanks Peaky Blinders for making modern music over gif sets a thing.

Conclusion

I sure as hell would never watch it again.  If I can get one other person not to, then maybe it’d be worth it. It’s not a good show.  It’s not “smart,” and there’s no secret subversion in it.  It’s just... bad.

I won’t post on it anymore.  Please, in true Lovecraft fashion, trust me when I say that this show is so bad it cannot be comprehended. 

[lovecanbesostrange]

8, 20 and 23 for the horror movie ask

8. what is your favorite horror franchise?

As a whole that's easy: Nightmare on Elm Street There even was a "funny" incident at school, because I'm the very bad kid who watched this terrible films and I corrupted my classmates. And my mom, who hates horror films with a passion, was left to defend me. Go, mom!

It's a bit of watching it during formative years, the fun of all the dream sequences so the deaths seem unique, even if they end in a stabbing only a few times and over the course of the films Freddy just got funnier, so...

20. are there any 'bad' horror movies that hold a special place in your heart?

Does Deep Blue Sea count? Is it considered bad enough or overall mediocre? It's my fav shark movie. High body count, cute sharks, terrible one-liners, so much water to drown in, fast paced once the action starts...

And like I said before, I'm totally into found footage and yes, most of them are actually bad (which is why there are many that are fun once, but don't hold much re-watch value, which is why it's fine there are so many). I think Grave Encounters was panned overall, but once again, the setting is a mental asylum and that's one of my fav settings for horror (knowing full well why mental illness needs better portrayal in media).

Oh, right, people actually hate Jason X. Which is dumb, because clearly it's the second best in the franchise, right after Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (the one with telekinesis girl, which is also hated).

Uh, there is this very bad movie called How to Make a Monster, where a videogame AI goes rogue and kills the developer team. It has Clea DuVall in it and I watched that more often than any sane person should back then... which is kinda the same with Dark House, but the reason was Meghan Ory..............

23. do you have any controversial horror opinions?

I don't know. I probably have, because I'm very chill when it comes to enjoying media and I don't fly into a rage over small things, but I also don't think the things I like are always above criticism and the best invention since sliced bread.

Again, tropes are there for a reason. And when I keep people lamenting "it's so predictable", I just wanna pummel them. Which is also because I've seen/read so many stories and there are only so many paths to go. Often enough a scene can have two outcomes and both seem as likely and thus predictable, but it would still be a coin toss. But that's not a horror specific thing.

*hmm* I think Rape'n'Revenge is a valid sub-genre. And killing men in the most brutal way after a horrifying rape scene can be cathartic and if you enjoy that, it doesn't mean you are a sick person who needs therapy. I need therapy for other reasons I only like a few films of this type and omg the difference Revenge (2017) makes because the director is a woman, is so fucking noticeable (how weird that Coralie Forgeat hasn't had a follow-up deal yet... oh right... a woman... in the industry...... *sigh*).

Oh, I know, I watched Saw in a preview when it came out and everybody was so hyped. I was already bored out of my mind with the first... the concept of the Jigsaw killer is dumb. So. Very. Dumb. There, I said it.

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

THE RED MOON PLEASE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE RED DAMN MOON??? I NEVER UNDERSTOOD IT AND DRIVES ME INSANE.

I’ll edit this later with screenshots! But its used as a stylistic marker that Alucard is about to Be Extra with his powers again. In universe, you could say that he’s just dramatic enough that he deliberately chooses to make the moon look red. Or that his powers... do that on their own, like they cast a penumbra? In general it’s probs just a nod towards him being a horrifying eldritch abomination lol.

Episode one is the first time we see the red moon. It’s fun because they make sure to include plenty of shots of the moon looking normal, before and after, to make it clear that it’s not just an eclipse.

It only changes color when Alucard is playing dead during the fight with the Cheddar priest. Right before he has his little magical girl transformation sequence, while Integra hypes him up, we see the shot of the red moon and a small swarm of bats beginning to swarm.

Then once the priest is dead (and he’s explaining to Seras why he absolutely had to shoot through her :/ ) the camera pans up to the moon again and it’s no longer red.

The same thing happens almost every big fight sequence. IIRC the only outliers are: the Luke Valentine fight, as it happens during the day; and the level zero transformation. But in the latter case he briefly turns everything green??? before engulfing everyone in a sea of red + eyes + dead souls. Sooo I guess that was dramatic enough that the animation team was like “you know what? I don’t think we need a red moon here.”

[recentanimenews]

OPINION: The Best Moments from Attack on Titan's First 3 Seasons

*Be sure to catch up on Attack on Titan before the Final Season starts December 7th! All episodes are streaming here.*

There are so many unforgettable and visually impressive moments in Attack on Titan. The sheer enormity of the Titans themselves, along with the always dazzling aerial acrobatics of the protagonists who battle for survival, are both portrayed in ways that create a uniquely immersive atmosphere. WIT STUDIO, Inc. did an incredible job making you really feel like you’re submerged in Attack on Titan's despair-ridden world, as if you too are rippling through the sky at breakneck speed, full of both courage and paralyzing fear at the sight of a seemingly unstoppable enemy.

This is especially apparent during key Titan transformations, the many battle sequences, moments that emphasize Hiroyuki Sawano’s breathtaking OST, and more. In anticipation of Attack on Titan Final Season, I came up with a short list of some of the best eye-popping, heart-racing moments from the first three seasons. Let’s dive in!

**Please don’t forget: there are MASSIVE spoilers up ahead!**  

Category 1: BEST TITAN TRANSFORMATIONS

II. Annie transforms into a Titan within the walls, Season 1, Episode 24 – Mercy - Raid on Stohess District (2)  

Up to this point, viewers only knew that the woman Titan was a traitor operating within the Walls. The end of the episode prior — Episode 23 — made the big reveal that Annie was the woman Titan all along. There's a lot of twists and turns here, with Armin and co. luring Annie into a trap that ultimately fails. Annie's Titan transformation leads to a pivotal fight that also coincides with the first season's end. The emotional stakes feel significantly charged in this situation, since unlike any of the prior battles with Titans, here the protagonists are forced to duke it out with a friend.

  I. Eren in Season 2, Episode 31 – "Warrior"

  My favorite transformation comes at the end of Season 2, Episode 31 "Warrior." Eren discovers that two of his dearest comrades — Reiner and Bertholdt — are in fact the Armored and Colossal Titans, the very ones responsible for Wall Maria's breach and the subsequent death of thousands (including Eren's mother). It's a pretty shocking moment that forces viewers to revise their entire perspective on two beloved characters, and the episode does a wonderful job expressing Eren's emotional anguish through his facial gestures and an absolutely spine-chilling scream. 

  The emotional weight is visually matched by Eren's mid-fall transformation, which is possibly the most elaborately animated character metamorphosis in the series thus far. It's a gut-wrenching moment that deserves its rightful spot in the multitude of "TOP TEN ANIME BETRAYAL" lists (and memes) online.  

Category 2: BEST SAWANO DROP

Eren encounters the Colossal Titan – Season 1, Episode 4 – Night of the Graduation Ceremony - Humanity Rises Again (2)  

  Hiroyuki Sawano is a powerhouse of a composer. The man responsible for the stellar soundtracks in Kill La Kill and Promare is known for sonically accentuating already-thrilling battle sequences, with a technique now famously coined as the "Sawano Drop." The Sawano Drop is a section in any Sawano track when the music briefly pauses only to come back in full epic force.

  This moment in Attack on Titan Episode 4 is a prime example: the music cuts out at 0:21 — timed perfectly with the moment the Colossal Titan unexpectedly appears — and returns around 0:43, just as Eren fires off his OMD hooks and gets ready for battle. The sudden musical drop emphatically underscores the absolute shock of seeing the gigantic Titan literally pop up out of nowhere, and the musical return adds extra hype to a suddenly desperate situation. It's a riveting sequence that comes after Eren muses somewhat hopefully about the prospects of beating the Titans alongside his freshly graduated comrades (poor Eren gets his hopes squashed rather quickly). Sawano's expert timing and sound palette make this scene that much better.

  Category 3: BEST CHARACTER “SACRIFICE”  

Armin gets burned alive by Colossal Titan – Season 3, Episode 54 – Hero  

Of the three main protagonists in Attack on Titan, Armin is distinguished by his unwavering loyalty to friends and comrades, along with his tactical genius. Armin saves his friends and other Scout members on more than one occasion due to his intellectual prowess, and his willingness to stand brave — and remain kind — despite overwhelming fear makes him a truly admirable character. That’s what made this moment from Season 3 all the more horrifying to watch. 

Near the end of Season 3, Armin surrenders his commanding position to Jean in a sudden moment of self-doubt and despair, but eventually comes up with a last-minute plan to beat the Colossal Titan. The only catch? It meant Armin had to be scorched to a crisp by the humongous Titan, all so Eren could trick and defeat an unsuspecting Bertholdt. We were forced to see one of the show’s most lovable characters literally get set aflame, made even more crushing by Eren’s recollection of young Armin’s bravery and innocent desire to witness the distant sea. Miraculously, Armin survives this ordeal due to a last-minute change of heart in Levi, but it doesn’t make the experience any less impactful. Armin’s selfless gesture leads to the complete defeat of the Colossal Titan and marks a major narrative turning point: he gains Bertholdt’s power (after uh, eating him) and ostensibly becomes the new Colossal Titan. That makes this moment one of the most important sacrifices — albeit temporary — in a show riddled with, well, lots of sacrifices. Which leads us to yet another mind-blowing moment from the same episode ...

  Category 4: BEST TIME LEVI DID HIS OP POWER MOVE Levi Vs the Beast Titan – Episode 54, Hero  

  I know I’m not the only one that thinks Captain Levi is the absolute coolest. He quickly earned a top-tier spot for me in the pantheon of magnetic, effortlessly badass anime characters. Levi kept an even-temper during the most desperate situations, like when he managed to briefly fight Annie’s Titan form and survive, or during the victorious battle against Kenny and his minions. Even with those accomplishments, this has to be Levi’s crowning achievement: absolutely decimating the Beast Titan with his signature spinning attack. Erwin and the last remaining Scouts sacrifice themselves in a suicide run toward the Beast Titan to give Levi the time to sneak up and kill the animal-like monster. The Beast Giant murderously, and gleefully, annihilates most of the Scouts by casually throwing loads of stones — baseball-style — at our heroes. That’s why there’s no greater satisfaction than to see Levi avenge his fallen comrades by ruthlessly hacking up the Beast Titan. Even though Zeke manages to survive and escape, I still think Levi laying the smackdown here is the most gratifying battle sequence yet in Attack on Titan.  

Category 5: BEST TEAR JERKING MOMENT Mikasa and Eren, Season 2, Episode 37 – Scream  

Mikasa and Eren have so many great moments throughout Attack on Titan, but this one takes the cake for me. At the end of Season 2, Eren and the Scouts try to fight off both the Armored Titan and a slew of other Titans with almost no hope of success. Eren fails to transform into his Titan form and watches helplessly as the very smiling giant who killed his mother devours Hannes — a surrogate father figure who rescued young Eren and Mikasa years back. In a last-ditch effort, MIkasa tenderly reminds Eren of their connection and the many times Eren supported her (like when Eren saved her life and gave her the iconic red scarf she always wears). Mikasa usually interacts with Eren as a protective guardian, so it’s especially beautiful and cathartic to see her express care for him with such warmth and vulnerability. And Eren returns the sentiment, which is also a deviation from the norm since he generally seems frustrated with Mikasa’s overprotective tendencies. “I’ll wrap that around you as many times as you want” is hands down one of the best lines from the series, and a fitting summation of Mikasa and Eren’s loving attachment.

  Those are some of my favorite moments from the first three Attack on Titan seasons. What was left out? What would you have included? Let me know in the comments below!

  Do you love anime? Do you love writing? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Matt Fagaly

[sparda3g]

Kimetsu no Yaiba Chapter 185 Review

With the series’ popularity continue to grow remarkably, same cannot be said for Tanjiro’s condition. Everyone threw their life away to save Pillars, but it was too late for one. Although I believe he hasn’t died, the alarm has not sound off. If a fan feels hope is lost, then this chapter will bring it back with lots of interesting developments.

As soon as I saw the chapter’s cover with Nezuko, instantly, my hype grew tenfold. I predicted a scenario where she will wake up and go after Tanjiro; glad to be right. It warms my heart with the father waking her up to save her brother. It’s one of the elements of the series that I truly love ever since the famous episode 19 scene with the mother pleading her to wake up. In fact, it’s one of the best traits of Nezuko’s character.

It’s been so long since we’ve last seen her, but always blessing nonetheless. She maintains her demon form, which has me wondering if the medicine worked or not. For that matter, how long should it takes to work? We can’t conclude the result to be null and void because of Muzan. It’s all guessing game from here. She barges through the doors and pass free from former Pillars. It got to suck to be Kiriya; now he has to handle Nezuko dilemma. Or perhaps not.

As he’s pondering why she ran off, he’s ready to give order to stop her. But his father’s spirit reaches to his shoulders to stop him in the upmost polite manner. He tells him to allow Nezuko to proceed as she pleases for it is all right. Even in afterlife, he has ways with words to warm anyone’s heart. It’s heartwarming with the spirit touch (literally), it’s more so with Kiriya ordering them to let go because the father wishes them. The tears got to me. Amazing how much Croc-sensei has done to his character in a matter of an arc. I wish the best for him and his sisters.

Nezuko runs off incredibly fast with her father guiding her spiritually. That small detail is so nice. She jumps off of the cliff at a great height and Sakonji can’t keep up. Again, the thought of her remaining as a demon is concerning on the medicine’s effect. Whether it takes a while or not, at least she can save her brother in the meantime. It will be terrifying once Muzan sees her, but let’s remain hopeful for now. Seriously, we have to, because Tanjiro looks awful.

Back to the battlefield, he is alive, but the poison is kicking in hard. Although the action resumes the intensity, the sight of Tanjiro’s condition is distressing. The later panel shows the effect growing worse with his left eye area beginning to burst like a balloon. To make matter worse, the three Pillars can’t keep up with Muzan. It’s still crazy that Giyu is fighting with a broken katana. At least he’s aware that he needs a new one to have some advantage.

It gets even worse when all three take a bad slash. I assume Kanroji got poisoned or at least got hurt the worst, since the cut looks more fatal compare to others, so she suffers quickly. She doesn’t want any help; ready to die with her last words for them to save themselves. I’m very convinced that Croc-sensei is toying my emotion and it is super effective. The damn paneling made this moment nerve-racking as hell. The page ends before the outcome, so I was horrified to turn the damn page. Thank God, it turns out to be rewarding; satisfaction guaranteed.

Kanroji is saved by a ball; that’s when I knew this chapter has become amazing. At last, Himejima has arrived at a hell of a time. Hilarious to see her weeping in the background while he is in front looking complete badass. A great panel for a great save. I like the fact that technically, her wish came true. If you recall two chapters ago, she wished for him to hurry up and help out. Long behold, here he comes to save the day, saving her life no less. A nice detail to appreciate. His entry would only be topped by another badass.

Himejima’s appearance could only mean Sanemi is around; my word, what a badass entry to boot. Sanemi stabs Muzan right behind his face, slashing him in half like a mad man. Actually, that’s exactly accurate. His face speaks tons of words; this man is beyond pissed. He throws glasses with oil at Muzan in which he cuts them all, only to receive a lighted match to burst into flame. It’s a satisfying return with a badass sequence. A dirty trick for a dirty bastard. Now it’s five Pillars versus Muzan. No words on others, but in due time. The hype never stops.

The past couple of chapters, I have praised the fodder characters for their admirable actions with the rightful intention and honorable sacrifice. There are fodders and there are named fodders. Once again, Croc-sensei impressed me with the fair treatment; this time, it’s Murata.

Murata is spectating the battle, preparing to sacrifice. Giyu yells out his name to take Tanjiro out of harm. This moment got him teary. It’s not because he was saved from sacrifice; it’s because Giyu remembers his name. Name call can be very meaningful to one man, especially with given context. Giyu is clearly ahead of him yet never forgets the people he was with; that speaks tons of volume. I don’t mean to bring the meme to front, but Giyu is considered as a loner with no friend, so this is some nice added detail. No way in hell that anyone can say he’s alone.

The chapter ends with the reference of the title, “A world without smell.” Tanjiro wakes up in a presumably different timeline. Also, it appears he’s not in his body, rather his ancestor. I don’t know if the world truly don’t have a smell, but I assume he meant the fact he’s not himself. This memory trip could be the answer to unlock the 13th form. If so, it will be a game changer; so long he can wake up and live, of course.

This was a great chapter. There were plenty of interesting developments along with heartfelt and badass moments. We have Nezuko on her way to save Tanjiro. We have five Pillars taking on Muzan, which should be incredibly exciting. Lastly, we have Tanjiro undergoing a memory trip of his ancestry; possibly unlocking the new form. It’s likely we will see Yorichi again through here. The hype never ends.

[robotnik-mun]

I think the only part of Endgame that in still holds up nicely in hindsight is Sonic and Robotnik's final bout. Still one of the best fights, short as it was due to the comic format at the time. That felt like the perfect culmination of everything behind these two enemies. I felt the same hype I felt during Optimus Prime and Megatron's bout in the 1986 TF movie; just thankfully without sad tears at the end. I'd love to see that battle animated, ugh if only I knew how I'd do it myself.

Oh, it does. As I said, regardless of the sheer stupidity of the story preceding it, that is in fact probably the best fight in the comic, and it’s definitely my personal favorite. ESPECIALLY when you include the lead-up to it from the Director’s Cut version of issue 50, wherein we actually see Robotnik seemingly obliterate Knothole and then witness Sonic going absolutely BERSERK in retaliation. 

It’s one of the best fight sequences I’ve ever seen... and it’s a damn shame that it’s a part of that stupid, stupid, stupid mess of a storyline. Like holy crap, it deserved SO much better than to be a part of Endgame. 

One other part that holds up to me? That one part in the Director’s Cut where we actually get to see Robotnik testing the UA. 

It’s legitimately a horrifying moment, and the doctor’s characterization is REALLY on spot. In particular, his unnerving relish at the thought of getting to murder another of his own species says a lot about the guy. If only he could have been like this from the beginning.... ah well. 

[grassangel]

I think I’d need to rewatch that episode to know how I really feel about it, but until I do I don’t quite think it lives up to some of the hype. Though I know there’s one thing I’d get rid of that’d make things 20% more awesome

Yeah

I appreciated they basically flipped all of the mirror-world footage to communicate that fact

Yeah! Ryan called Graham granddad! AND made a joke about him going deaf. I’m so proud 😭

Sandwiches! I love that Graham has pocket sandwiches.

Also! We found out that Grace is probably the person who played piano, given that she was singing something!

The frog thing just endeared Grace even more to my parents. (Frogs are a thing between them.) I just want more of Graham and Ryan to be adorable about how frogs remind them of Grace

Also, finally got some character info about how Grace is the only person he’s ever loved

Ryan got character development! He stepped up and took responsibility. Like he obviously still has dad issues, but he got better at dealing with kids!

Graham was awesome too, accepting that Grace is gone and also showing how much he cares for Ryan. Also I will assume that it wasn’t just Solitact!Grace’s lack of care for Ryan that tipped him off it wasn’t actually her; it was also her lack of a sense of adventure.

Ryan showing concern for where the Doctor is in the anti-zone. Most underrated relationship/friendship in the entire series so far. 😭

I was kind of right assuming that the Doctor would be blowing a kiss to someone they loved or was making a sacrifice, just I was wrong in assuming that it’d be someone/something that we’d be familiar with (or exactly how emotional that scene would be)

I liked the frog. But then I’m a person who’s read some of the Young Wizards series so a talking frog is just fine alongside a bird and a dog and a pig

The Solitract. Reminded me a little of House (that sentient planet in that bubble universe), but ended up being loved just like the TARDIS (which is like... canonically a weird multi-dimensional, sentient, possibly a universe in of itself, entity) The Doctor has a Type.

Ehh

Because the Doctor has a Type, I’m not quite buying that one-on-one scene with the Solitract as being quite as affecting as to be unmissable or never before done. It was still lovely, but not quite deserving of that level of hype.

Especially since I think Jodie could’ve given it a tiny bit more. Dunno if they had Sharon reading those lines on set or not, but there was just a tiny little bit missing from that. Maybe I just needed more time with the Doctor and the Solitract. (I’ve been reading/listening to stuff that’s been saying Whittaker’s found her stride, has done for half the series, but the scripts haven’t been offering the challenge that she’s more than capable of taking. Which I agree with)

Like I cannot understate that it was a lovely sequence. Just I wish it had been given a proper spotlight rather than making a side dish of it to make room for that stupid Ribbons side-story.

Not a big fan of the whole sheep thing at the beginning? Like sheep are notoriously dumb.

My dad also brought up the point: how did Ryan know there was a light stored there in the anti-zone?

Hmm

Mmmmm delicious fucking lore.

I like that Hime obviously takes the ‘looms mean more than two parents!’ stance.

Also... like.... I think grandfather and grandmother are a bit... uh... genderneutral in Gallifreyan? If Susan ever meets Thirteen, I’m willing to wager that she’ll call her grandfather all the same.

Actually make that all familial terms, since there was that sisters line in Arachnids, and everything’s just feminine because the Doctor is female now.

The Solitract! A good addition to the horrifying lovely selection of Time Lord fairytales and bedtime stories that we know of already. An abomination of science and reason capable of existing in it’s own pocket universe, yes please

Nah

So Ribbons was there for... what reason aside from taking up 15 minutes of time? He was vaguely menacing but didn’t feel like a real threat and I felt like he could’ve been entirely replaced by the Team’s string slipping off the rock and them wandering for a bit and having to figure out how to avoid the moths with the help of Graham’s back up sandwiches. Which would’ve added some great characterisation as to the team dynamics

Him not being there might’ve also given us some extra time with just the Doctor and the Solitract

[missaureus]

ElyXiOn in Manila Pt. 2

I left home feeling unsure if I had some forgotten baggage from my less-than-an-hour-pack-up and drove away towards the east following the light of the streetlamps. But one thing was sure, I was leaving my academic-induced stresses. But, to have that sense of relief, I still brought a few reading materials with me, which were left unbothered throughout my secret trip.

Past 8 PM, the car was already swerving the road towards the airport from the highway. It was the boundary which felt that I was not home already. I was leaving home, temporarily. To be exact, less than 36 hours. I jumped off from the backseat and bid farewell to my family by the time we reached the entrance of the departure area, as if they were giving it to me as my well-deserved break from reality.

The airport was tranquil the moment I checked in, no hustle at all. No one was forming a line, so I directly went to the counter. I asked the staff in-charge if I can get into the flight prior to mine. My flight was still at 11:20 PM but I decided to be at the airport before 9 PM, gathering all my luck to be able to have a seat in my friends’ flight to Manila. Sadly, he turned me down and said that a few were also trying to get into early schedules but most of the passengers had checked in already. He gave me my ticket and directed me to the boarding area.

Honestly, I expected it to happen since flight fares at these times were super expensive, who would have ditch their flight schedule? I rode the escalator up and looked for my friends who were already waiting for their boarding time by past 9 PM. 

I have my two concert buddies, Anne and Alisha, who were also my companion last EXOrDium. I regretfully informed them that I was not able to have the chance of getting into their flight. I was not able to avail the same flight schedule beforehand since I had no concrete school schedule and just waited for the safe zone to get one. We just chatted for a few minutes and the next thing was, they were already on board. 

I waited in the first row while busily watching The Miracle We Met. Guess what? I failed to sense that the line forming in front of me was already my flight after an hour of watching, my bad! I hurriedly pulled out my earphones and stuffed my gadgets inside my sling bag. After picking up all of my stuff, I went to the back of the line. I was shocked that the boarding time was an hour earlier than what was indicated on my ticket!

 It did not feel any difference at all that it was my first air travel alone. Sometimes, being solitary is the best feeling in the world. It took an hour before the plane finally took off but I was already half asleep during that time. Imagine the energy I spent the whole day in school, what a suicide. My eyebags do not lie even.

Almost 1 AM, the plane arrived in Manila. I realized at that point while riding the bus to the arrival area that night travels are such a beauty. Peaceful. I fell in love with the idea. I walked together with the surge of people to the exit of the arrival area where lots of people were waiting and waving for their loved ones.

I am never familiar of the place but I trusted my instincts so much. I trusted on where my feet would bring me. Terminal 3 of the airport was ridiculously silent! I could not believe I missed CBX in there with just hours apart. How does it feel?  

I directly went to the Grab-Taxi lane. I was honestly nervous. I am a baby to this monstrous city. Despite the uncertainty, I acted stoic. But how crazy love would make you do. My first step in Manila 3 years ago was also due to an EXO concert. EXO did that to me, to act independent for a day. Away from my comfort zone. I was glad to fake an act of bravery. You will never know what to do in a difficult situation until that situation is right in front of you. 

A staff in the counter booked my driver and waited for him a few minutes. I was just quiet at the backseat trying to enjoy the city lights. I navigated with my Google Maps to arrive safely in my destination. I stayed with my other group of friends who were also concert goers since my concert buddies were staying somewhere else far from the airport. 

At almost 2 AM, my friends fetch me in the lobby of the condominium building but before getting into the unit we went to the nearest convenient store to buy some food and drinks. We directly went back to the residence.

My body was so beaten. I could hardly move. I placed my things on the corner and admired the aerial view for a second. I was conflicted if I would sleep right away or fix my mini-giveaways which I was not able to work on days ago. My housemates were already asleep but I decided to work on that thing. Even if I was tired, I was not sleepy yet. 

Past 3 AM I already rolled over my sleeping space. One of my housemates was playing her EXO playlist overnight. Wow. The last song I could recall before dozing off was She’s Dreaming. I can clearly remember.

I got little sleep. Three hours of it. But my body was hyped since I could not waste time on sleep. My housemates left me by 10 AM since they needed to post near the venue to distribute their prepared giveaways. They are admins of one of the fanbases under EXO Worldwide Union. Big responsibility, huh? I chose to stay in the unit since I was still waiting for Anne and Alisha to arrive.

 Almost 12 noon, we left the condo unit. I booked for our Grab driver which surprisingly knew how to speak Bisaya and that gave me relief! Undeniably, riding taxis is a horrifying experience unless you could assure that the driver is not taking any advantage of you! We chatted with him, like you gotta befriend people and gain their trust, haha. 

The air was crazily humid. If I am not mistaken, the temperature went up to 34 degrees C. I was afraid to walk around so much because, again, the pit was calling me! I tried so bad not to expend so much energy prior to the concert.  

The crowd was unbelievable also! It was the same situation last EXOluXion. There were shouting in every corner that would give you frequent heart attacks! You get afraid that they might see some of the members(?) while you miss that chance, haha! It was never like this around Araneta during EXOrDium. I swear it was so frustrating. Like every big buses that would pass by towards the backstage entrance, those crazy fangirls would run into for nothing. I chose to stay away from the arena. We eventually looked for the desk to have our VIP straps on and went to the mall area right away to look for vacant food stores. Most of it with nearer proximity to the arena were full, mostly on standby and meetups. We luckily found a resto with a vacant table with an outlet to recharge our phones! We were so happy to find an outlet lmao! Fully-charged phones is a must! So we decided not to let go of that post and stayed there until 3:30 PM. I met a few of my internet friends but sadly was not able to meet all since the temperature was pretty energy-draining and also the mobile network service was down. 

After freshening up, we went to our sequence line by past 3 PM. We were honestly disappointed with our sequence numbers, 230-232, since my friends had 66-67 last year! However, when we were following our line in the sequence, our numbers were right after those foreigners or those who availed the Global Package, which somehow gave us an assurance that 200 plus was still a good number to have better view in the pit. 

A few were wearing killer platforms and it made me regret on why I only added over 1 inch of my height, I could have worn higher ones! I stand 5 feet 4 inches plus 1.18 inches but I felt so smol! I was starting to get tired and rested near the railings. I refused to used my phone to preserve my battery. So, I just killed time on resting. There was also one thing that happened! The girl before us in the line started crying because her ticket went missing! Some staffs were roaming around announcing a lost ticket but only to find out it was not it. There was a moment of panic around  because OMG that was a huge problem! Eventually, she found it in some i-did-not-bother-to-know corner. Thank God! If it happened to me, I do not know what to do too but cry.

Almost 5 PM, we were already in front of the entrance of the arena. I still could not feel any tension! I was so numb at that moment. We went through the metal detector and our bags were checked as well as our tickets. I directly went straight to the line being held in front of W standing pit entrance, only to find out that my buddies were not behind me! I went back to the first entrance and my friend was being confined by the officer due to her instax camera. What were they so pressed for? It was not even a professional camera! A few moments later, he gave it back because it was not on the list of the prohibited things inside the arena. Sadly, a few people already overtook the lane and that made me so pissed off! On a brighter side, the number of people allowed to get inside the pit was grouped  which was good. What happened last year was that, the line from the outside to the pit was continuous and it was not being held by the staffs, thus, the fans had a chance to run inside the pit and overtake those with lesser sequences numbers. 

I was awed the moment I set foot in the pit! The first thing that came in my mind was questioning my past self on why I did not take standing tickets back then! The three of us were in chaos! We already strategized on where to run and stand when we get inside but yes, planned moments mostly never happen. My buddies wanted the barricade so bad in the left side. It is every fangirl’s dream: to hold that barricade. But we have a rule to follow too! Follow your bias, not your friends. Thou shall not break the rule. I had to think straight and fast and cut off my indecisive self. I went in the center part of the pit. 2-3 rows were already formed and mostly foreigners were still inside. I ran back to my friends saying firmly that I would stay in the center part! After acknowledging my decision, I went back to my post. I will never regret this spot. I assured myself. Come what may. The surge of fans was only minimal. Thank God there was no need to panic. 

A few minutes later, one of my buddies, who is also a Jongin stan, came to me and checked the area! She went back to the barricade and went back again to my post saying she also decided to stand in the center part with me! I was happy because we have studied the map of the whole setlist long ago and we, Kai stans, knew by heart on where he positions in a certain song! He is not put in the center part for no reason at all, Kai is the center. The center belongs to Kai! 

Eventually the arena was being filled with fans. I just observed the people around me. Most foreigner fans were quite aggressive and knew the pit game so well. They guarded their post as if they already mastered the dirty game. Diversity in language was an advantage for all! You get to talk with your co-nationality EXOLs on how to safeguard your position since some were really pain in the arse. They would push you so bad. Some would even swear at you. Stressful. I did not mind them and gave not a single cent of care. 

I had regrets in bringing my doll inside the arena. I just took a photo of my baby once and placed it back inside the bag. But eventually, it served its purpose well since I place my bag in front of me, it became a cushion from the people in front row. It was such a relief for me. 

Everyone waited patiently for an hour while singing along with the background music being played. Finally, the lights went off! My heart was banging against the rib cage. I cannot contain the fact that THIS IS IT! A year of waiting. I am going to see my artists again.

[theinquisitivej]

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ - A Movie Review

Here’s how this is going to play out – this first section is a spoiler-free review of the general characteristics of this movie. I still point out all of the films’ accomplishments and shortcomings, but in a sweeping way that’s not too specific about plot details. After the first score which summarises the film in a spoiler-free way, we’ll be diving into complete spoiler territory. I want to talk about the details of this film but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so check out the spoiler-free review if you haven’t seen it yet, then go watch it, and then come back for my full thoughts after you’ve done all of that.

         Avengers: Infinity War would be an impressive accomplishment if it just showed up and existed. Marvel was tasked with its most difficult juggling act to date with this film, having to bring in countless characters who have each had significant roles in their own movies, and find a way to allocate the appropriate amount of time to each of them so that nothing feels forced or clunky. Oh, and it had to convey the established personalities of these characters almost instantaneously so that familiar viewers are happy to see them again, while newcomers get a sense of who they are without too much explanatory dialogue bogging down the run-time / pacing of the movie. Oh! AND it had to introduce a central character who has been hinted at for a long time but hasn’t really had more than three minutes of screentime across any of the 18 movies up to this point, and develop him enough to make him seem like a legitimate threat, as well as a compelling enough character to take the weight that’s placed on his shoulders as the source of conflict in this two-part grand finale.

         Not only does Infinity War pull all of that off, but it does so while telling a cohesive story which constantly marches forward with an unwavering sense of purpose. It delivers on the promise of being this colossal team-up event movie while also taking you by surprise as the scale and stakes of the movie start to sink in. As the film progresses, the tone causes you to feel an ever-increasing amount of adrenaline and uneasy dread. They are both in constant balance with each other, making you wonder when, if ever, one of these feelings is going to win out over the other. Some characters don’t get much room for an emotional scene or to do much more than show up, be themselves, and engage in some enjoyable banter with old friends and new faces they’ve never met before. Even so, there are a great deal more characters who get the chance to have a meaningful moment or just sit down and talk than you might expect. Infinity War is a film that’s filled to the brim with content, but it has a clear focus to it which gives it a coherent theme and makes it work as its own movie, and not just the last act of an ongoing series. I’d be lying if I said that I was as invested in some of its threads as I was with others, and there is going to be a lot of debate over whether every character was handled as well as they ought to have been. But Infinity War, despite the hype, meets many of the lofty goals it has set for itself over the years, and its story also ended up giving me something I didn’t expect which has caused me to sit and process this film long after I finished watching it.

8/10 – I don’t know if it breaks the Top 5 MCU movies, but its tone and impressive balance in many areas certainly makes it one of the better films in the series.

OKAY SPOILER TERRITORY FROM HERE ON OUT GUYS

         After having time to sit on the film and reflect on how each character was used, I’d say that each character was properly represented and used effectively. Given the apocalyptic circumstances and the particular nature of what Thanos is after and what each person involved brings to the table, the film ensures that the characters all act in a way that scans with their personal history and what they would feasibly do in this situation. The fact that the film pulls this off with arguably every single character, whether they’ve got the luxury of time with full emotional conversations like Gamora and Quill, Thor and Rocket, or Vision and Wanda, or if they’re present but not quite focused on like Okoye, Bucky, Black Widow, or Captain America, is hugely commendable. Those are some of my favourite characters in the series, but I didn’t feel short-changed because I still felt that they were the same people I’ve grown to care for, and I’m pretty confident that a good number of them will have more time dedicated to them in Part 2. With the film spinning as many plates as it does, you’d expect one or two of them to fall down and break, and depending on the individual audience member’s level of investment in certain characters, they may well feel like someone they cared about was under-served. But I was personally satisfied with the overall handling of the characters.

         However, one area where the film felt uneven for me was how invested I felt about each of the individual ongoing threads. Character groups move back and forth throughout the film, occasionally overlapping or splitting up, which means that things are constantly shifting, but not so rapidly that you can’t keep track of everything, which I appreciated. I enjoyed the characters simply being together, so ultimately the specifics of what they were doing didn’t matter all that much to me. Nevertheless, two threads which felt weaker to me for different reasons were Thor, Rocket, and Groot’s quest to forge Stormbreaker, and the stuff on Earth with Cap’s group between his awesomely triumphant entrance, and Thor’s group arriving onto the battlefield at Wakanda. I loved seeing Rocket and Thor interact, as Rocket shows some growth and actually reaches out to Thor to try and offer support and check he’s okay, and Thor shows Rocket genuine respect and heartfelt comradery in their conversations. However, while it’s cool to see where Mjolnir and the Infinity Gauntlet were forged, the amount of time dedicated to these guys as they forge Stormbreaker feels like busywork, and lacks the palpable sense of tension which is ever-present throughout the rest of the movie. We don’t doubt that they’ll forge Stormbreaker, and while I wasn’t sure whether Thor would make it through the movie, the danger of the forging sequence never sold me on the possibility that Thor might die here. I do appreciate what this plot thread brings to the ending when Thor uses Stormbreaker on Thanos and comes so close to preventing calamity, but still ends up failing, even after all the work they put into forging this weapon. However, when they’re actually forging Stormbreaker, it all just feels a little too removed from everything to do with Thanos, which makes it feel too removed from the main thrust of the narrative.

         The reason the group on Earth and their fight to protect vision left me a little cold is that, while the other groups get more time to slow down and actually talk to one another, I felt less of that with Cap’s group. More than any other group in the film, their dialogue felt preoccupied with what needed to be done next, making the conversations and character lines feel functional rather than opportunities for unique moments of introspection. Granted, there may have been more of these quiet emotional moments going on than I give the film credit for which could have passed me by, and I might just catch some of them when I go see it again for my second viewing. Still, when I hear some people talking about how they had an issue with how the film never stops moving forward, this is the section of the film that comes to mind for me. Neither of these threads are weak enough to drag the film down all that much, but because the rest of Infinity War felt so lean and well-balanced, they do stand out.

But I’ve danced around it long enough. Let’s get to the real meat of this movie and talk about Thanos and its ending.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SERIOUSLY GET OUT NOW JUST GO SEE THE FILM ALREADY

         As many others have pointed out, this is Thanos’ movie. I love seeing this character land as well as he has with people after all this time, and hearing all the various thoughts about his twisted hero’s journey, his understandable yet inherently broken philosophy and conception of what love is, and all the debate around just how much we’re intended to see where he’s coming from. What stuck out to me was that, when the film is over and the credits have rolled, we see the typical Marvel ‘X will return’, with X being the main character(s) of the film you’ve just seen, and the statement serving as a simple yet tantalising promise that, while you’ve just enjoyed a complete narrative with this hero, their story isn’t over yet. This time, however, the final tagline is not ‘The Avengers will return’ (though that statement would certainly be very confusing to our emotions after that ending); it’s ‘Thanos will return’. That made everything slot into place in my head, and suddenly made me realise that we were watching Thanos’ movie this whole time. This isn’t a film about the Avengers facing a new villain and finding a way to triumph over them like in Age of Ultron. It’s a film about someone with such overwhelming power and conviction in what he must do that he succeeds in his goals, even though getting to that point meant coming close to losing or receiving a fatal blow, and even having to sacrifice everything he cared for in this world. By the end, as we sit and look at this man, we see the scope of what he has worked so hard to accomplish, and his sad acceptance of the role he had to play, and that no one will thank him for doing what he truly believes was the right thing. It just so happens that the thing this man wanted to do is horrifying, and that the people opposing him on his journey are the Avengers, the heroes we’ve grown to care for over this series. Bringing in this villain at this stage in the game and having him land as strongly as he has is a triumph, but it didn’t happen because the MCU spent this long hyping the character up in his brief appearances up to this point. It happened because this film executed the character masterfully through a combination of Josh Brolin’s commanding and nuanced performance, and the exceptional CGI work through motion-capture which creates a kind of villain we really haven’t seen before.

         The ending is profoundly unexpected. Not just because the heroes lose, not just because we see so many of our heroes die, but because the final tone of this huge movie, what all this whole series has been heading towards, is not grand or bombastic, but quiet and understated. It simply lets the horror of what just happened speak for itself, and it echoes out as we take in the stillness of the aftermath and realise just how much has been lost. In our anticipation for this film, many of us thought that the Old Guard, the original six from the first Avengers, would surely fall, dying in a moment of noble sacrifice as they protect the new heroes and the world that these films have built up over the last decade. Perhaps that might happen in the sequel, when things resolve in a way which fixes what lies so immensely broken at the end of this first part of the story. But right now, it just feels so intensely wrong that all of these old soldiers are left behind, while the young, the people they took it upon themselves to protect, are the ones who were snatched away.

         This is why, although I understand and, in some ways, share the opinion that many people have voiced when they say “oh come on, they’re all coming back, there’s no way they’re killing Black Panther, 90% of the Guardians, and Spider-Man, we’re not buying it for an instant”, I still think this emotional ending works. It doesn’t matter if we, the audience, don’t believe that these people are gone forever; what matters is that the characters within the film believe it, and that the emotional performances of the actors portraying them sells us on that idea. We see, in a matter of minutes, moment after moment of intense heartache and devastating loss, and it all registers because of the strength of these performances and the writing which adds so much weight to what each of the survivors has just lost. Rocket’s heartbroken response to seeing Groot die for a second time, Okoye’s world being shattered when her king and the young man she’s protected for so long is suddenly blinked out of existence, Tony seeing his worst fears come to pass when Peter begs him not to let him die, and Steve being overwhelmed by the magnitude of what’s been lost, both on the large scale and on the small scale with his friend and last connection to his old life fading away. All of these hit, and they hit hard. For me, even if next year’s follow up to this film undoes much of this and brings those characters back, that won’t rob this ending of its power. Whenever I watch this film, I will always believe that these characters are seeing their dearest friends disappear, and, within the context of what we see within the borders of this contained film, nothing changes or undoes this. For the next year, these characters are dead. After that, they will always feel dead whenever I finish watching this film. That’s what makes this instalment in this ongoing series as powerful and as praiseworthy as it is.

         Infinity War is both a thrilling joyride with some of your favourite characters and a haunting story about facing inescapable loss even after you fight with every ounce of energy you have. Some of its components aren’t as strong as others, and it hinges on the audience being invested in these characters, which means it’s not going to change your mind about the MCU or be the best entry point for the series, but that much should be obvious to anyone signing up at this point. But in every other respect, this film impresses and surprises, even with all the anticipation that has been leading up to it.

8/10 – Balances countless characters as well as feelings of elated joy and devastating loss. Depending on my ever-changing mood on this subject, this could just be my favourite of the mainline Avengers films so far.

[marcosoropoet]

Subtextual

1~ With a curious reluctanct endearment I push open the old mossy stone door once more, more so, its creaks razor sharp, its groans prolonged, and even if you might chance upon my being away on furlough, which begs the question... yet, still, I bid you come along enter since I am alone, tonight, and all I think of is you. the interface efficient, see if there's anything...again as it is always; to see if there's anything, again. something electric and vast. something that is from day to night to day... something brilliantly bright Still, I must cover myself from the brightness of day, and I am not ashamed. Those people laughing outside sound like hyenas post modulation. If I were from your earth, hype would arouse and excite me maybe (it is so often manufactured & crafted so irresistibly)... even ciphered anomalous flarfy glitches or black spidery realizations frozen in mid-scream my feet don't feel as though they are touching and treading ground. searingly clear & hyper-real floating Hey! Hey! (waving) I see somebody- (running up to them)— Hey! I see someone walking towards me across the street, but in my dream, the clumps of greyish snow don't allow me to see how they are (((walking)))...hard to record my found footage audio and video.shit!!! movie buzz is chainsaws love human flesh ~ 2~ mysterious more glancing out the car window the burning needle embroidering curtains of cloud-mystifying infinite violet and red radio tableaux, a tactile postmodern nostalgic melancholy.... affixing associatives in rampant aggregate slowness; flashing known images of fields, houses, rusted fixtures, patinaed a bright orange red-brown, horses, & certain deep periwinkle blue wildflowers she really likes... in my private self I lose the center of this piece and plunge, more into the fingerprints fetching a face, myself, I see you. that I am here. a punchyouface tongue-out in the funhouse restrained endless cloistered chasm trauma loop I penetrated through damaged fake tongue warning, our glass galaxy, is after all, suspended awash in opal blue, an oceanic wave of time is sweetly scrawled: because it must do with time. 3~ navigated by the black-cloud rope smoke of inertia & cold slanting rain pummeling under sound pounding studio bootleg basement lichen leavening every square inch of air awestruck with violet reversal, we looked horrified brain crazy. all the while the aroma of desert sage, outdoor coffees and our blue sky is never the same again you know you... frozen still burning quantum dreaminess, inside the black hole, light blue-grey microcosm ruse of identity melting frog candy, causal spinning eyes almost deeper now. no it's a red splatter handprint of smoke darkening room spacestealing nihilistic distorted space erasure gutted black caricature inert everything offends and our blue-grey microcosm ruse of inertia & movie buzzing endless timestamped outtakes; rain pummeling under sound pounding studio bootleg basement rhythm & blues hmmmmmmmmmmmm... harmonica: an imparted sharp musical squeal fell to the glass floor cracking in quickly fissuring musical inches of bubbling silver flash guitar wailing hard...itsa gotsa wail hard chil' (((Twang))) itsa gonsta wail so hard chil' ev'ry night and day (((Twang-a Twang Twang))) I sed, heh (((Atwang-a Twang Twang)))...Wwwelll... 4~ navigated by the black hole, light blue sky is never the same again you know you... frozen still burning inert everything offends and is confusing every square inch of air awestruck with tricky quantum reversal mindbend episode triggers blooming we looked Horrified Brain Crazy. all the while the aroma of ice blue desert sage, outdoor black coffees every square electric inch of raw air grimace— Hardcore Serious Animal Real serial repeated ditching Sequences when I move my hand beyond the light The sky the sharpest expert royal blue, chalk-white-bark. Rose-red threads weave dreams of Blustering Roses under Blue-Black Skies. Fingerprints fetch a face, mystifyingly filed in with the letters X&Z, "I was jus' goin' down tha street...heh, did you jus' mutt'r: "ramshackle derelic', you suppose, inside trash industrial chain link fake funk tongue warning out through damaged electronic faked out tongue "tutti-frutti" baby babeh...sound pounding out the center of this piece's fingerprints really gettin' down tuhnite babeh?! "I sho' enuf did...babeh! "whew! fetched me a face, myself (I lose) (I like) the black-cloud chasm trauma Looked Horrified by the Presence of Air Awestruck Twice in the Frozen Half of yesterday overlapping superimposing quietly with minimal embellishment. The morphing stand-alone Center of Inert-Everything Feral Chasm Trauma dormant looked horrified brain crazy in The Center of a Fresh Gelatinous Engineered Peach...glowing bright, Lime Yellow Lava Projected Blobs melting one into the other in citrus and cinnamon associative scents...synthetic dark patchouli notes~ —in the back: the band's waiting, twitching, rustling around edgily rumbling, banging about; a cymbal clashes and everyone registers the unique sound: their muffled pranks continue to keep themselves cracking up so badly— geeks re-recording the faux equivalent of dated found filler footage super8mm reductive spotlight trash b-roll fantasy knockout...drums pound and roll hard, cymbals clash, band members filmed yawning on silvery scratched up film...looking wildly blank, dressed weird on purpose, sitting in a chair, red and green brocade...sensational auteur angles...superimposed out of frame constant quirky jump cuts in a jerky slow motion— urns of inertia & rain pummeling navigating the serpentine candle-lit old-brick-passages and*time portals*> >>> > >>> >>> >>> >>>] the needle burning the LP deep past midnight baby soft background scratches and easy funk vibes playin' slow... far deep-red basement cloister black and white art deco textiles, stepping inside the trauma loop pattern I penetrated, tossed inside trash industrial cinema churning, suffused in streaming bluecloud fingerprints fetch a face, inside industrial trash cinema churning, the conversation...the recording. In my private self I lose the car window's identity.mystifying, shaping emptily, basement chairs of faked tongue warning spread out vastly, magenta clouds, pink moons, and a green rope smoke of flame and licking fire, makes the whole skylook green chalk white mottled bark beyond the light microcosm grey-blue light quantum ore skips time burning still frozen smoldering deep grey-moss ruse of rubber spider legs identity melting, causal spinning eyes almost deep splatter handprint of smoke darkening room spacestealing nihilistic distorted space erasure gutted black caricature hardcore serious real serial electric implements, repeatedly ditched the trophies, skipped the noir and hard-boil egg-peeled the victims, one by one "momma-momma, this is whin thuh program starts up, showin' yuh all thoze pitchers of thuh serial killahs strikin' ag'in and ag'in in a weirt circl' were thuh camera slowly zooms out tah revill from direc'ly ovahhead one of 'em momma, insahd anothuh large circl' of all kindsa weaponry...lookit fur yerself momma...see? 5~ sequences are stilled when I move my eyes beyond the light of the venetian blinds, and complancies of lilac valances... (the wind outside howls through the slanting rain). it's always been a miasmic isolated place... grey, dank, overgrown with burbling albino moss... and a rare and very deep-violet lichen. 6~ I Sn-nuuuck*- - - through the/hee-hee-hee/house HaLLWays to the LaUnDrysome clothes done...clotheschangecolor .but they chanGeUPchange t he t he...eeeeethecolor clothes of clothes negativo to the "neGative" négatif of the O/riginal ColOr…no bot 2///bot3-x-x-x pod cast install bot 4: synthesizing other annoyed bots and aberrant rogue algorithms. "mamA MAma MAmewww oOoO HURREeEe I think up hurry it's those _S-SErial KillaHS down dowNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNstairs DOWn...thuh...B-B-block :LIVE alien tunnel collapse horror[FILm/ed pure filmic inversion filmed Livestream accessible: entry portals close in 5 earth or increments|..../*/*/* |repeat : audio is still sideways\ again-0-no/…\t00—Trying hardto regain the-camera Again. noise/sounds lik|e plain staticXXX}]}]}]fweepooowha-wheee ---interference c*r*a*c*k*l*in*g/ there unidentifiable. Heavy static, beeps, and clicks...we are proceeding—I REPEAT we are proceeding—Lock it the fuck down NOW and bounce! Radio...banging noises...repeated thuds, garbled audio/an indistinct scream, but a clearly sequenced human scream from next door, listen for it when the tape is run back. Very loud—yikes! I think it's that guy with the hat and flimsy raincoat. 7~ Lightflash pinball machine arcades are an ambient and surprising ethos of cheap hyper bright jewel tone lights, many mirrors re-reflecting low art in other mirrors, projected radiant phases of the resonating stadium roar were pure human-machine. For forgive for interrupt inter attention ACTION cycle breakthrough exchange cycling down. I am the machine, and myself we beg rest...just the pittance of a few nano seconds & infinity are virtually interchangeable...please I need to re-up, to get well: you might complex : compress : comprehend|:| you probably may not even see but I must shut down now:/command.> override to optional personalized AI thought interface access5access4access3access2access 1access- - / |---------------------------------- ----- * Utter Quintessential granted key-trace ///-...enter code signal * ///code: : : crackling smoky synapses trailing electrical eclectic thought, lightning... tv program black-out: energy matrix, excursus scrutinized: Carnival bumper cars trail ceiling sparks gloriously arcing a piercing blue spray of cascading fire & silver smoke sputtering and spraying flashes of bright blue dotted iterations of light rawly all over our heads— that smelt so burnt-up & good. ~ Marcos Oro