#visually and animation wise?? stunning

[oddmeu]

so i just watched the first ep of the urusei yatsura remake and that was probably the most annoying thing ive ever seen in my entire life

[batmanfruitloops]

Alright long but silly post, going into the reason why the furry versions are the animals they are. A few choices are influenced by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles v.s. Batman, some choices are already associated with the character (Catwoman, Penguin, etc.). Most choices are an uneven mix of visual, symbolic, and behavioral. So some have more thought put into them than others but it's all for fun.

Batman (Bruce Wayne) -Vampire bat

A pretty obvious choice. I think specifically a vampire bat is fitting, they are very stealthy and aware. They come built with the perfect tools for lapping blood and cause little harm (excluding diseases). Just as Batman always comes with what he needs and only causes as much damage as necessary. Bats are also social creatures and thrive in groups, so there is a bit of irony there. Bruce can put on a good face for the public and business but isolates himself and therefore goes against his nature. He craves family but keeps his loved ones at arm's length in fear of losing them.

Joker (John Doe) - Red-banded spitting cobra

This is a choice influenced by the TMNT v.s. Batman. Also haha Lego Batman clown snakes. I chose this because I'm tired of both snakes and clowns being seen as evil. John is already the way he is because both Sarsee and I agree clowns should be silly and whimsical instead of how more modern media portrays them as creepy and scary, which also includes the Joker. Snakes are my favorite animals. So keeping Joker as a cobra represents what we have set out to do with the au in the first place.

In terms of behavior, John acts mostly the opposite of what you would expect. Snakes are mostly solitary and overall not very social. John is a very outgoing person and extraverted, but he's social skills are stunned from both being autistic and his childhood. So not quite fitting in but he enjoys standing out. Though cobras are a more intelligent species of snake. John is very clever but most wouldn't guess that. As the Joker, John relies on the element of surprise and subverting your expectations. As a bonus spitting venom is similar to a clown's flower spraying water.

Two-Face (Harvey Dent) - Puma

A partial TMNT chose. Instead of just a cat, I went with a puma. Pumas are not classified as big cats but are the largest cat in North America. Despite not being a big cat their presence demands respect. Even when you do not see them if you are in their territory you would be wise to be careful. Pumas know how to pick their fights, taking on challenges with strategy and retreating when they know they are outmatched.

I think these things fit Harvey and Two-Face quite well. He may not be as high on the social ladder as say, Bruce, but he is no less of an important figure in his community. You know when he is in the room and you think about him when he isn't there. He is intelligent and strategic. He's never to be underestimated and most fear and or respect him. These things apply as a rogue or as a candidate. These strengths are what put a target on his back and thus becoming Two-Face. I also do not know enough about this but pumas are not as solitary as other cats. Which fit with Harvey's ambivert personality.

Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) - Spotted Hyena

This one is also an obvious one I would think. Spotted hyenas are a matrical species, meaning the females are in charge. Harley as a character I think usually represents feminine strength at least in recent years. Hyenas are very strong, they take what they want and fiercely protect what is theirs. They have a nasty reputation but live in a pretty unforgiving environment. Hyenas actually do hunt and have to protect their prizes from animals like lions. They have good reason to be the way they are.

Harley is a pretty unpleasant person but she has her reasons. Having dealt with a lot throughout her life. Her actions come from a place of pain though ruthless. She is not satisfied with what she does at the end of the day. She knows she has a lot work to do and a lot to figure out. Scary as she is.

Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)- Orchid mantis

Another animal associated with feminine power. Mantis are fierce and confident, they stand their ground even against other animals much bigger than they are. They are not very fast and can't fly very well, but are a top insect predator. They have no need to chase, just sit and wait until the opportunity to strike comes to them. Of course, they have the reputation of eating the head of their mates, but that's actually common for insects. Still fitting.

Ivy is a powerful person literally and personality-wise. She has incredible control of her environment as long as there are any plants around. She is beautiful and deadly. Anyone who can get close to her is very lucky. She's pretty content keeping to herself and her plants and is laid back when she is comfortable. She takes opportunities when they are presented to her with full force. Best stay on her good side and give her space. She makes a wonderful mantis.

Bane (Antonio Diego) - Grizzly bear

Bears are incredibly strong but it's not just brawn they have brain too. Bane is not just a brute, he knows how to use his strength well and is incredibly strategic. A bear can be a very scary animal but also fun to observe. Some find them cute, and some find them terrifying. Bane also comes off in a similar way, it just depends on what you know about him. He is someone you can have deep and philosophical conversations with but most would be too scared to approach him. Unfortunately, his addiction makes him unpredictable and behave in a way he would not want to. Bane does have a code he follows and will return the respect you give him. Just a bear will respect your space if you know how to behave in their territory.

Catwoman (Selina Kyle) - Domsitic long-hair cat

Yeah, Catwoman is meant to be a cat in person form so, I don't think there is much to explain. She comes and goes as she pleases and does what she wants. She likes to bother those with no interest in her. The whole shebang. Not bad but not good, just her own brand.

Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) - Arctic hare

Arctic hares are one of the largest species of hare. They mainly live alone but come together for warmth and mating. I'm still not too sure about this, I haven't found much on this yet but it seems like rabbits are much more territorially and aggressive than hares. Either way, most think Jervis is a rabbit and not a hare, because of his height and demeanor. Hares are often seen as crazy and generally have a wild reputation, and Jervis is pretty demure. This instead comes out as passion for the things he loves. However, if he is pushed too far all of his pent-up emotions and frustrations will come out in an explosive response. Despite his appearance, he's very fit and strong. He has metabolic issues that make it difficult to lose weight so in his efforts to lose it he instead makes himself stronger. A similar effect to powerlifters. I thought specifically an Arctic hare was fitting because of this reason, as an arctic animal it's incredibly important for them to gain weight to survive the harsh weather. Something that others believe including Jervis himself thinks is a weakness actually becomes a strength. He does become more comfortable with himself eventually, but he has a lot of trauma to overcome to fix his own self-image.

Riddler (Edward Nigma) - Domestic rat

Rats are very social and intelligent. Despite media depictions, they keep themselves clean and are very affectionate. Ed is very much an extrovert and hates being alone, though he can be overbearing at times he loves those close to him very much and gives as much as he takes. Rats are great at getting around being able to squeeze into most places and can tread water for a long time (ironically Ed cannot swim). Ed can also squirm his way into anything be it physically or finding information. Rats enjoy causing mischief and are often high-energy, they need a lot of enrichment. Ed is functioning at 100% and crashes to 0% once he's out of energy, he has to keep himself busy and do little evil genius tasks until he's completely exhausted himself.

(I drew these on stream and Marxtheimpish asked to give Ed a cheerio, and Jervis lettuce, Ed is mad he only got one single cheerio.)

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane) - Milksnake

A pretty biased pick since I mentioned snakes are my favorite animal, and Scarecrow is my favorite rogue but I have a good reason for my choice. First of all, as someone raised in the South, I associate milk snakes (and therefore corn snakes and rat snakes) with the country. They can often be found on farms and are great pest control and that also makes me also associate them with scarecrows. Milksnakes mimic coral snakes to scare away predators. Jonathan does something similar and comes off as scary and intimating but for the sake of his own protection. Snakes really want to be left alone and so does Jonathan. Snakes are often misunderstood and seen as something evil (especially by some religious people), but they are anxious skittish creatures and will stay out of your way. The religious association is another reason I picked a snake. Most people assume the worst in Jonathan because of his appearance and aloof disposition. He's pretty tired of trying to prove them wrong and has convinced himself he can't be anything else. But know this, there is no such thing as an offensive snake there are only defensive snakes.

Music Meister (Darius Chapel) - Golden-breasted starling

This one is mostly a visual choice. Darius is a pretty boy so of course he should be a pretty bird. Starlings are also a songbird and incredible at mimicking sounds. Just as Darius is an incredible singer and has a wide range of expressing himself musically. I think starlings are sometimes seen as pests or nuisance, I've only heard that in passing. If that's true that fits with Darius. Some people find him annoying but he's a very pleasant person.

Polkadot man (Abner Krill) - Spotted newt

Spotted newts are poisonous and their spots and color advertise that. Just as Abner has dangerous spots. This is mainly the reason why I chose a newt for Abner. I think aposematism, when an animal is colorful because it is toxic, is a really cool thing that happens in nature. I couldn't pass up the chance. Newts are also very cute and humble animals so all the more reason.

Mr.Freeze (Viktor Fries) - Polar bear

Of course, Viktor is a polar bear. Polar bears are solitary animals, especially the males. They only need themselves, and can only afford to care for themselves in the environment they live in. Viktor is a very independent person. He's confident in his abilities and can do almost anything by himself. Nora is an arctic fox, I bring this up because arctic foxes often follow polar bears around. So they are a perfect match. Polar bears are very formidable, you do not want to get in Viktor's way. Though he may seem cold, he is a good person with a big heart.

The Penguin (Ozwald Cobblepot) - Emperor penguin

Yeah, penguin. Emperor penguins care very deeply for their families and don't much care for anyone else. They will brave harsh weather and dangerous waters all for the sake of their families. Oz does not like anyone besides his family. He'll go through any extreme he needs to, no questions asked. Just a cranky old man that wants to give his loved ones a good life.

I'm much better at expressing myself visually than verbally so I'm not sure if this was comprehensive enough. I don't feel like I got out what I had in my head properly. So please feel free to ask any questions. Also, most of these facts are from my memory and may be inaccurate, but I did my best to fact-check myself when I was unsure of something. So if I got something wrong please correct me, I love learning more about animals. Otherwise, enjoy this word vomit infodump.

-Fluffy

[vnynv]

MEET THE DISPATCHER

The Dispatcher is the RED Team's 10th mercenary who exists outside the boundaries of being an offense/defense/support class. Real name "Naima Les" (lit: Nameless) and uses she/he/they pronouns. His main stock item is a briefcase, giving him a topographic map and her teammate's locations, who she can aid through missile strikes, traps, or air supply drops.

Used to bureaucratic jungles, tax write-offs, and the occasional contract killing for a shady yet powerful firm, Dispatcher has to swallow their arrogance and learn how to fight alongside the team after a sudden transfer.

(more art and weapon ideas below! warning. p long.)

Dispatcher's stock kit (125 HP, 93% speed, weapon and PDA keybinds similar to Spy/Engineer's):

(PDA) Briefcase:

-  Includes topographic map/sensors of teammates (coordinate interaction), touch-tone phone to communicate (Scout’s headset now has a reason to exist). Connected to TF Industries satellite, has automated air support, and [SPOILERS].

- Takes medium set-up time and hauling open briefcase slows speed to 85%.

Air strike (Offense)

- Calls upon a drone from the air to strike general location of enemy based on teammate’s vision (think spectating when waiting to respawn). Not suited for high speed fights; missile has timer to land. Functions similarly to Soldier’s/Demo’s explosions. Low ammo count.

Stock Missile: A ballistic missile. The missile knows where it is at all times. Base: 90 / Crit: 270. Sugar Glider: Free-fall bomb. Always Mini-crits, but less precise - easier to damage teammates. Artillery Battery: Smaller missiles rain down in a group. Splash damage, faster reload/higher ammo count. Precision-Guided Munition: Guaranteed to not hit teammates. -50% damage and no crits.

Stun traps (Defense)

- Drops stun traps to slow enemies down in hot spots (think Control Points/Payload). Functions similar to Primary taser. Can be changed for caltrops (bleeding damage) or something else, I dunno.

Air supply (Support)

- Basically interpretation of med kits/ammo on the ground. Canon cool down and wait to replenish teammate’s health/ammo/metal from afar - no biggie. 

(Primary) Modified taser gun:

- Stuns enemy on impact, needs numerous shots to kill. Base: 40 damage.

2. (Secondary) Med kit: (veterinarian) (for animals) (dogs. mutts)

- Lore wise, meant for animals. Not as good as air supply health kit, but no drop time. Functions similarly to Heavy’s Sandvich.

(Melee) Swiss Army Knife / Knife of All Trades (KOAT):

- Weak in itself (30 damage) but can cause bleeding damage. If hitting teammate, temporarily buffs their primary weapon.

just some potential weapons for him! i'm more of a visual concept designer so their kit might be pretty op or underpowered, but the general basis is nerfed speed (in everything) and attack for whole-map range tradeoff. potentially a similar playstyle as engie (with a whole chilling in a lawn chair taunt), though in an alternate universe there could be a loadout for a battle!patches. i GUESS in actuality she would be counted as support, but i didn't want to ruin the 3x3 style.

anyways. she's the star of a canon/oc fic i have. tootles now.

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

Season 3 Ramble #8 - A is for Anime(solo reprise) ver.3

Hadn't been doing the run-up posting I usually do for my rambles due to work and such but here we are!

How this ramble is gonna go is I'm gonna list my top 3 movies watched this month then top 3 series for same, AAnd now that I actually have a semi decent number of anime under my belt I'm gonna do a quick top ten of both at the end.. after that if you wanna stick around, instead of the usual post ramble ramble, I'm gonna add a bit of the recording I did with the homies, as a sort of prelude and promise that we will have that conversation in future. I really think it's an important and potentially fruitful discussion to have.

But In any case getting into the episode now

TOP 3 MOVIES 

3) Belladonna Of Sadness (1973, 1hr33m, Mushi Production)

Crazy movie. I don't think I can accurately talk about it without it sounding too wHild… I'm still gonna, but I'm gonna open with what Google says about it.

A peasant woman is raped by the local lord on her wedding night. To take revenge, she makes a pact with the Devil himself who appears as an erotic sprite and transforms her into a black-robed vision of madness and desire.

As I said.. wHild… and that's just the summary…the details of the actual movie are like…woah.. but in any case it was great, actually something that'd been on my watch list for a good long while so I'm glad I could actually finally watch it. 

Glazing over the plot which the summary does a pretty good job of covering anyways, the visuals were absolutely stunning. They're by Yoshitaka Amano, probably most famously known for his final fantasy illustrations. For the most part the visuals are done in what looks like watercolor paint, which is just wild in my mind,, like wHy?? He definitely pulled it off though which is even more crazy cause a good amount of it was done in an almost slideshow kinda way which I usually don't like but he still pulled it off…crazy…. Should be kinda obvious from the summary but moderate tw. Still definitely strongly recommend.

Small sidenote - in making this ramble I found out that belladonna of sadness is actually part of a trilogy called animerama,, so now I have 2 more old ass movies to look forward to. Hopefully they're just as good or even better…

2) Lupin IIIrd: The Gravestone of Daisuke Jigen (2014, 51m, Telecom Animation Film)

Ever since I watched my first lupin movie 3 years ago I've been locked in. In fact it was such a good watch that I've limited myself to one a year. Thankfully the trend of awesomeness has continued up to this point but enough premature glazing. 

This movie is basically centered on Jigen, as you can probably tell from the title. Just a point of clarity for those who don't know much of anything about lupin, Jigen is basically the gunslinger of Lupin’s crew. So as this is basically his movie, he's ofc facing off against a gunslinger. The title is so named because this guy, the gunslinger they find themselves up against, makes graves for his victims before killing them. Nobody's ever gotten away from him. In fact he's so good that he uses dice to decide how many bullets he'll use to take out his target. Ice cold mf.

Pretty good action from start to finish though I’m a tad disappointed there wasn't more gun-slinging, though from what I gather Jigen’s whole thing is speed, accuracy and efficiency,, so maybe a barrage of bullets wouldn't have made sense. In any case we get to see all of the crew besides goemon, dry cry as he's my personal fav but still solid. The art direction was great from all angles as I've come to expect. Not too much to say cast wise as on Lupin gang’s side there's a cumulative effect of greatness where every time you see them it's generally a continuation of past interactions, as in there's an obviously rich history there. That being said, the dynamic is still great and from what I've seen, you can pick up any of the movies and immediately love them. But anyways, on the other hand, the main villain/organization felt a bit hollow. Which is something I've come to kind of expect with movie exclusive antagonists in general. It's just a matter of time efficiency. I think when it comes to anime movies, you're generally not watching for the antagonist unless they have to do with the main storyline. Otherwise you're kinda watching to see how the protagonist will beat them in about an hour. Though I will say as far as visuals can speak, they definitely spoke volumes in that sense. Also, given the geopolitical climate we're in, I liked the villain/organization and how they were handled... trying not to spoil too much there but if you so much as peek between the lines you probably get it.. In any case definitely highly recommend.

Side note - every lupin movie I watch further solidifies my decision to get into the series… just watching the movies first for some reason…

1) Mind game (2004, 1hr44m, Studio 4°C)

Honestly,, I don't even want to speak on it for fear of sullying its greatness. It's one of those life changing before and after watches fr. This is something I'd been really wanting to watch since ver.1 when I started getting into Studio 4°C through their awesome anthologies genius party and genius party beyond.

I'm gonna default to the anilist description here which is kinda almost decent relative to the sheer phenomenal amazingness of this movie.. but I digress.. so according to anilist..

Audiences will begin to grasp what they are in for early on, as loser Nishi, too wimpy to try to save his childhood sweetheart from gangsters, is shot in the butt by a soccer-playing psychopath, projecting Nishi into the afterlife. In this limbo, God - shown as a series of rapidly changing characters - tells him to walk toward the light. But Nishi runs like hell in the other direction and returns to Earth a changed man, driven to live each moment to the fullest.

The last bit hints at the greatness of this film. Right there that small difference in speech speaks volumes in my personal world of language. It's not just a movie. It's film. 10/10. absolute cinema.

As I said I don't even want to talk about it too much because I don't think it possible to do it justice through mere words, but I'm gonna put a bit more glaze on it before I wrap up the movie list and move on to series. This movie beat out studio ghibli’s, Miyazaki directed, howl’s moving castle in the 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival. Further, this was a debut work for the director Masaaki Yuasa, who would later go on to found science saru studio. I was so moved by this movie that I've decided I will watch everything masaaki yuasa has and will ever direct. 10/10. highly recommend. end of glaze.

hm: under the dog, Mezzo forte, blood: the last vampire, 4°c (sweat punch, short peace from last time)

Top 3 Series

3) Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2023-2024, 28ep 24m, Madhouse) 

This is something I'd been seeing around for a bit but was intentionally ignoring because for some reason I got it in my head that it was based on this sad little one shot called The hero’s party on their way back home, and I was NOT watching an entire series based on that.

In any case, in talking with my bros recently they all insisted that it was the best anime released in the past year, one of them declaring it was in his top5 all time. So I pushed past my fears and binged it all in a day. V thankful for the bros.

The story here follows an elven mage called frieren and her life after defeating the Demon King and bringing peace to the world.

As you can tell from the summary it's largely a slice of life but it has its fair share of well placed scraps. It fills a certain fantasy gap where you get that day to day rose tinted indigenous peoples’ lifestyle feel, that I think most people would want if they actually lived in a fantasy setting,, not that constantly under threat from dragons and shit usually focused on. And as I said there are some well placed fights. The pacing also felt perfect. Like I almost felt bad binging it because I could tell that once a week watch would've been REALLY good… one of the few series I don't want to read the manga for, I'll definitely be watching weekly whenever season 2 drops..

Great cast though kinda small, pretty brilliant visuals and sound direction. Very very very solid all round, what I'd call supremely balanced tbh. One of the bros put it really well in that he said he has synesthesia so everything has colours for him, and the colours of every aspect of this show came together to paint the perfect picture. Now I don't have synesthesia myself but I could definitely feel, not just see, how well orchestrated it all was. definitely strongly recommend.

2) Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007, 27ep 24m, Gainax)

Yes. It's 2024 and I’m just watching gurren lagann and you'll hear why that is if you listen in to the post ramble ramble,, but suffice to say, you can never be late to true greatness and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is definitely in that category. 

Firstly I kinda watched it as a meme seeing as last ramble I focused on the supposed relationship between sacred geometry and JoJo's bizarre adventure… if that sounds crazy then you should listen to the ramble… not that it'll sound less crazy but..yh.. anyways I was vaguely aware that gurren lagann focused a bit on spirals so I tapped in for the meme. 

To summarize the lengthy anilist summary,, In a far away future, mankind lives underground in huge caves, unknowing of a world above with a sky and stars. yada yada yada blah blah blah Simon, Kamina, Yoko, and the small yet sturdy robot, Lagann, journey to the world above and find that the surface is a harsh battlefield, and it's up to them to fight back against the rampaging Beastmen. Pierce the heavens, Gurren Lagann!

Again I'm gonna fall back on the words of another of my bros from the session, I think he had it in his top 10 or 5,, but he said he considers gurren lagann to be a perfect starter anime in that it perfectly showcases almost everything the medium of anime has to offer. Action, comedy, philosophy, slice of life, amazing cast, brilliant visual direction, solid sound direction. etc. the term “starter anime” gets thrown around a fair bit and I usually think it's a rubbish term because of how insanely diverse the medium is and how specific different individuals tastes can be,, so like to say this or that anime is a good “starter anime" never made sense.. but when he said it, that was the very first time I actually thought it made sense..

Definitely super highly recommend, a recommendation to pierce the heavens if you will.

1) Akiba Maid War (2022, 12ep 24m, P.A Works)

Gotta say it was a tough call between this and gurren lagann but it won out for 3 reasons. #1 it's shorter, and that's not a lazy pov, I just personally tend to give more ratings to shorter series in general because I think being able to do something amazing in a short amount of time deserves more props than doing so in a longer span of time. personally.. #2 it was FUNNY. AS. FUCK. I'm coming to realize that when it comes to anime specifically, comedy may be my favourite genre. I can't quite put my finger on why but I think it has to do with how far animation as a medium can push physical humor.. idk.. lastly… idek why I felt the need to justify all this…it's my list… but lastly,, and most importantly. maids. enough said..

The story here follows the dealings of different maid cafes in the town of Akihabara. I say dealings because in this show the maids basically act like Yakuza, having turf wars, extortion rackets and drug trades(just a point of clarity for those who've never heard the term, you've probably guessed but Yakuza are basically Japanese gangsters). In any case this is all under the table as they pay off the police and act the usual cutesy part in front of civilians. That may be a bit of a spoiler but a gif of it was going around a lot last year i think,, with this one maid gunning down a bunch of other maids and it was made to look like an idol rave with the glow sticks and everything + the “twist" if you can even call it that happens in episode 1 so it's not like some major turning point spoilers + "wars” is literally in the title, so with all due respect, you can bite me.. 

In any case, as I said this shit was funny ASF, mainly because of the opposing imagery of maids and yakuza they somehow pulled off perfectly.. like I can't begin to explain how crazy it is to see maids cussing each other out with the most obscene language, fighting it out in the craziest brawls, then turning around and going “welcome home master”. 

Fairly small but very strong cast, all funny in their own unique ways from the hardened criminal type to the frightened newbie. the visuals were great, sounds direction solid, I really really loved the op and ed, cause they just perfectly matched the shows energy. Kinda episodic for the most part but that fit the crazy, “you'll never guess what happens next” energy… Just great overall like wow.. a bit surprised I haven't seen it around more but I realize comedies don't tend to get that much ratings on release, if they do get attention it's further down the line as a “hidden jewel".

But in any case yes. 10/10. definitely highly recommend. please go watch this. have a good laugh, give thanks for life and go see the beauty of the world.

hm: Flying Trapeze, Goodbye Mr. despair (from s2)

Top 10 Movies (no order)

A Silent Voice, Memories (anthology directed by katsuhiro otomo), One Piece Movie 6: Flower Island, Tokyo Godfathers, Mind Game, Ocean Waves, Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, Sword Of The Stranger, the Lupin movies (just watch all of them lol), Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms

hm: Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, Animatrix, GITS Innocence, Wolf Children, Princess Mononoke

Top 10 Series (no order)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Akiba Maid Wars, Nichijou, Hyouka, Mononoke, Sonny Boy, Tatami Galaxy(all spinoffs, movies, everything.), Steins;Gate, Dorohedoro, Angel Beats, Durarara!!(all seasons)

hm: Baccano!, Pluto, FLCL up to Progressive, Cowboy Bebop, chainsaw man

[astrology-bf]

Current coping mechanism is a rewatch of some masterpieces and personal favorites in animation, so I'd like to turn that into some positive energy with a few recommendations for any followers and moots wanting something to watch. ^^ Here's a little spoiler-free list.

5 Centimeters per Second (dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2005, ~63min) A romance and drama centered around two people in love drifting apart over time, fairly sad but in a cathartic way. This helped inform and inspire my own writings on relationships that simply don't work out.

The Iron Giant (dir. Brad Bird, 1999, ~87 min) The final fully animated film produced by Warner Brothers, which tells the story of a giant robot from space befriending a young boy in the USA during the Cold War. In addition to being one of the greatest works of western animation, the theme of having to make the active choice to be good remains a central one in my own writing and was in no small part influenced by seeing this film as a kid.

Angel's Egg (dir. Mamoru Oshii, 1985, ~71 min) An arthouse collaboration between the same powerhouse who would direct Ghost in the Shell and the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano. It's a beautiful piece that's rich in religious symbolism and has very little dialogue, making it a very visual experience, and as an art film it is much more focused on imagery and themes than having a real plot or explaining much of the worldbuilding beyond implication.

Sword of the Stranger (dir. Masahiro Ando, 2007, ~102min) A period drama and action film set during the Sengoku Period. Very much a homage to classic Kurosawa films which stands out for its stunning animation and visual choreography, and a stellar soundtrack. If you like swordplay, I'd definitely give this a watch. [CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence and Death]

Ghost in the Shell (dir. Mamoru Oshii, 1995, ~83min) An absolute classic and one of the pillars of the cyberpunk genre. I'd highly encourage even those who aren't anime fans to watch it simply because it's a stunning piece of cinema both visually and in terms of themes. [CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Nudity]

Titan A.E. (dir. Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, 2000, ~94min) A sci-fi action/adventure film telling the story of a young man inheriting his father's legacy against the backdrop of Earth having been destroyed by aliens. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a masterpiece as there are a lot of flaws , but what makes Titan A.E. stand out is its risk-taking by incorporating 2D and CGI elements and attempting to tell a more adult story than was the norm in western animated films at the time.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (dir. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, 2001, ~96min) A science fantasy action/adventure film centered around a quest to find the lost city of Atlantis. Another film with flaws (mainly its short runtime for the story it tries to tell) but a visual masterpiece with some incredibly nuanced voice work by the likes of Cree Summer and Leonard Nimoy. The other thing which I love is how it actively avoids painting Atlantis as just a copy-paste of Classical Greek culture, but instead is much more inspired by architecture you'd see in Cambodia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Русалочка [Rusalochka] (dir. Ivan Aksenchuk, 1968, ~29 min) A short animated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and honestly an excellent example of the very underappreciated genre that is Soviet animation. It's a rare version in which the tragic ending of the original is actually made more so, as it omits the deux ex machina in favor of telling a bittersweet but ultimately cautionary love story.

Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (dir. Tomoharu Katsumata, 1975, ~68min) Another adaptation which maintains the original ending, this one is very interesting because it incorporated several animated conventions which would most certainly inspire Disney's own crack at the story more than a decade later. It's not necessarily a stand out piece for anything other than some gorgeous animation, but it is an interesting comparison to the film that would set off the Disney Renaissance in 1989. [CW: Mild nonsexual nudity (boobs)]

Kirikou et la Sorcière (dir. Michel Ocelot, 1998, ~71min) This is an interesting and controversial film because while it is a French film and was directed by a French man, the focus is entirely on West African folklore and culture - even the voice cast is almost entirely Senegalese - and the large amounts of nudity is nonsexualized. Visually stunning, but keep in mind that it remains a foreign film about West Africa, not a West African story. [CW: Nonsexual nudity]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (dir. Mamoru Hosoda, 2006, ~98min) A sci-fi romance which tells the story of a girl gaining the ability to rewind time, and her dealing with the consequences of her choices. This is based on a famous series of novels from the 1960s and was very formative for me in terms of writing about the way in which choices can and cannot affect divergent outcomes. Plus the main couple is very cute.

Tokyo Godfathers (dir. Satoshi Kon, 2003, ~92min) Oh, what can I say about this film? There's comedy, there's tragedy, and it's just a wonderfully animated look into the lives of those living at the margins of Japanese society. The story is fundamentally optimistic and sentimental, but it takes a lot of turns along the way.

The Secret of Kells (dir. Tom Moore and Nora Twomey, 2009, ~75min) A fantasy film centered around the Book of Kells in 9th century Ireland, and the first of a trilogy of animated films delving heavily into Irish mythology and folklore. The visual style is extremely evocative of the same Insular Art used in the Book of Kells itself, and the voice acting adds another layer of richness to a very heartwarming story.

Kubo and the Two Strings (dir. Travis Knight, 2016, ~102min) Stop motion animation counts because I want to talk about this movie. The story is a fairly formulaic fantasy adventure drama and leans heavily into the tropes in a perfect way, combining stunning feats of stop motion animation with outstanding performances by the voice actors, and a score that takes the film to peaks of cinematic excellence. Go watch it, lol.

Treasure Planet (dir. John Musker and Ron Clements, 2002, ~95min) Finishing off with another formative piece from the last days of big-budget 2D animated films in the West. I love it because it's very obviously a passion project and because it's shameless in how it glosses over the mechanics of atmosphere in space simply to facilitate the visual coolness of having an Age of Sail drama IN SPACE. But more than that, the coming of age narrative and the relationship between the protagonist and villain just makes this a real classic. Only main problem with it is that f*cking annoying robot towards the end.

Do give one or some a watch, and feel free to ask if you'd like more thoughts or recs. 💕

[lieximhuman]

wait i was just scrolling your blog and i saw that the summer hikaru died got an anime adaption confirmed, i've seen you posting abt it before but i have no idea what it's about could u like give me an overview/tell me abt your favorite characters or smth bc i'm interested in it and i'd rather ask you than google for an exciting synopsis 😭 (don't feel forced to respond to this, this is my weird way of reaching out bc hi we've been mutuals for a while but we never really talk <//3)

Hiiiii <3 yes ofccc (I'll try to do a spoiler-free version wich cuts out some main themes😭) Also additional apologies for my English cuz 💀💀 second language and all, and if I make any mistakes story-wise TwT

Honestly, I recommend reading the first chapter, it's pretty direct in what the themes are and who our main characters are and "represent". It's not like most manga that drags it on for a couple of chapters, I can private chat the link or u can just look it up since it's easy to find (I do NOT recommend starting through the one-shot/ chapter 0 btw!!).

Oh, and the art. God. The art is absolutely stunning so yea, the story works a lot better visually than what I can tell.

So! Those main characters are 'Hikaru' and Yoshiki, mainly Yoshiki. They are childhood friends and in their second year of high school (or third year in the complete four-year American system) living in a small town. In that sense it's a slice of life, going to school with friends and having fun. But!! The town is almost "haunted", it's full of ghosts and some citizens can see/ feel/ hear those, those ghosts aren't exactly evil but they can hurt the living. So it's also a horror with a detective-ish thing going on (with gore aspects too) because of those monsters and what they do and them trying to figure out how everything works because it's being hidden from them by the village elders almost.

It also focuses a lot on the emotional journey of the characters, mainly towards grief (oh the grief! very well represented and relatable :,/) and friendship. It's really striking when you see how the characters move their face and bodies to show those emotions even tho the speech is also incredible. It's as if the characters are actually real, they have their own little quirks with how they talk and move.

Some people also see it as a BL, which yes... it does have some queer aspects to it but I wouldn't consider it an actual possibility of the two main characters having a true romantic development. But I would say Yoshiki is queer. Also, it does have some - although rare - sensual(???) aspects but you get to see more through that later, which is very interesting.

-> SO, YEA. Main points:

astronomically beautiful gorgeous art in every panel

great characterization

interesting cast (both kids and adults)

interesting and deep lore!

death/ grief

moral dilemmas

Good mix of slice-of-life, horror and mystery

the characters are adorable holly hell <3

It's gutwrenching in the way you really feel it in the gut ahahaha

I really hope this was helpful/ entertaining and that if you do end up reading it that we can talk loads abt it <3 !!! Even if this was like... just me rambling and maybe incomprehensible 💀

Also not sure how the anime adaptation is even gonna turn out! Really hoping I somehow get to watch it tho ^u^ Plus, my favorite character... I don't know? I like the MC's but outside of them I like Asako cuz she speaks in emojis lol

[snowballsmb]

Time for another one of my media review posts!

Murder Drones…. This is, with no exaggeration, one of the best shows I’ve seen, period. The writing is very self aware a fair portion of the time, and it doesn’t fall into the trap I see too many stories fall into of trying to avoid that fact, making it feel forced. Not here, this show is self aware and it leans into it hard (which in my opinion heightens the comedy aspect of the show.

The characters are so unbelievably loveable, even some of the background characters that feel like you should want to hate them. Uzi is so extremely edgy, and again, instead of pretending otherwise she leans into like there’s no tomorrow. N is like Silver the Hedgehog in my eyes: an absolute cinnamon roll. This dude has done horrible things, and has seen even worse, and yet he’s a seemingly unbreakable beacon of positivity, giving the people he cares about an anchor in a raging sea of bullshit. V went from murderous psychopath to the vibes of a protective older sister in only 6 episodes, and her character arc has been one of my favorite parts of the show. Plus she’s an absolute badass! If there’s one character I didn’t love the direction with was Doll, but hey, there’s still the season finale coming up.

The OST is honestly stunning! Like, there’s that gif of the dude playing a piano that catches fire? The whole symphony caught fire with this OST.

One thing that especially blew my mind was how fucking good the animation is. Like, I don’t think I’ve seen anything that can match Murder Drones in the animation department. The combo of the animation and soundtrack during the big battle in episode 7 was awe inspiring, nothing short of it! And there’s always layers upon layers going on visually, both artistically and lore wise, that makes rewatches even more fun, because you get to pick up on more and more little details here and there that you didn’t notice before.

--// absoluteSolver_trn

[like object non-interactive]

I’m gonna be honest, I usually don’t do well with anything in the horror genre. But this show somehow took my discomfort around horror and turned it into thorough enjoyment! I think something I appreciate about it is it doesn’t lean too heavily into jump scares (there are a few, but that’s far from its main source of spooky), and almost all of the characters are robots, so there’s not even close to as much blood as there definitely could be. Overly bloody things and jump scare spam are the types of horror shows/movies/games that I handle the worst… I don’t handle them well at all.

I went in with some expectations (due to seeing A LOT of fanart over the past months) but didn’t really know what to expect. Those expectations were blown to smithereens. And for all the reasons I listed above, I have to rate Murder Drones a 10.7/10

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group I Round 1: #I4 vs #I5

#I4: Colorblind witch meets her granny’s friends by time travel

Despite the kaleidoscopic magic ingrained in everyday life, Hitomi Tsukishiro's monochrome world is deprived of emotion and feeling. On a night as black and white as any other, amidst the fireworks spreading across the sky, Hitomi's grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell, for which she has been harnessing the moon's light for 60 years, to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school.

Hitomi's mission seems unclear, but her grandmother assures her that she will know when she gets there. Following a trip through time aboard a train driven by a strange yellow creature, Hitomi finds herself in stoic artist Yuito Aoi's room, and his drawings flood her world with color. What is Hitomi's purpose there, and why do Yuito's drawings return such breathtaking color to her drab world?

#I5: Comfort-food anime, 4 guys managing a cafe

Kyousui "Sui" Tougoku inherits a traditional Japanese-style cafe called Rokuhoudou from his grandfather, which he manages alongside Gregorio "Gure" Valentino, Tokitaka Nagae, and Tsubaki Nakao. Their hospitality par excellence undoubtedly turns any one-time visitor into a regular. Having gone through their own share of trials and tribulations, the staff at this modest cafe do their best to serve their customers—whether it be through tea, sweets, or even helping with the various troubles one may have.

Although most days pass pleasantly, the small world of Sui and his friends takes an unexpected path when their reputation as a cafe flourishes overnight.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#I4: Iroduku: The World in Colors

Propaganda:

It’s the kind of show I only watched once, but it stayed with me to this day. It has a unique story that, despite having supernatural elements, feels grounded in human emotions the most. A rare but solid example of magical realism.

The premise is so original, yet very easy to grasp from a start. The time-travel and magic simply lay a groundwork for the story to carry on. If you were ever frustrated by how in supernatural shows there isn’t enough time to explore characters’ emotional depth bc plot, then this anime will be a delightful breather for you. Because the whole show is about the main character’s healing process, learning to overcome her fears, opening up to others… It’s a journey of a lonely, broken person who finds meaning to her life in a distant timeline. And it’s wonderful and painful on all levels.

The visuals, animation, background art are all stunning. Usage of colour is meaningful, to portray heroine’s colourblindess with proper weight. The show isn’t black/white for the viewers, but when she sees colours, they truly make them shine. Soundtrack wise, ending song is heartbreakingly beautiful and encapsulates the feeling of the whole series perfectly.

TL;DR: It's magical but not intense. Sad but comforting.

(I hope I did it justice. Pls watch it, it has 12 eps that are 100% enough for this story <3 )

Trigger Warnings: Not stated.

#I5: Rokuhou-dou Yotsuiro Biyori

Propaganda:

The overall calming atmosphere of the café and the peace good food can bring—this forms the basis of the human interaction happening at Rokuhoudou, the café. We see people finding comfort in the food they have while at the café, and it seriously so sweet. A lot of people might enjoy this.

Trigger Warnings: None.

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

[finnglas]

Just got done watching the new Spider-verse movie. Three things:

There is absolutely no part of this movie that is safe to watch if you are epileptic or visually sensitive, starting with the opening credits. Some places were almost too intense for me.

It is stunning, story-wise and animation-wise. One of the best movies I've seen in my whole life.

Earth-42 Miles is like. So fucking hot.

[clueless-fan-critic]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: The Edge of the Sony’s Spider-Verse.

Alright. Let’s get to the meat of the business sandwich.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the sequel to 2018 smash hit film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that honestly broke all of my expectations about the film being a two-parter with too much info. I honestly loved the movie just as much as the first with its iconic animation style, charming characters, and impactful story. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, it felt like the film was greatly cohesive without any confusion to the plot. It feels as if the film was not just a mandatory assignment but also a passion project made in the years before it was production. While I’m a fan of Marvel and the MCU (to some degree), I’ve definitely became a Spider-Verse fan.

Let us get into this Spider-Man classic once again.

The Animation

Alright. Let’s get this out of the way.

The animation was incredible and awe-inspiring much like the first film, but pushed into overdrive. Each animated world has its own style that reflects a different version of Spider-Man. From Hobie Brown’s collage-like style to Pavitr Prabhakar’s bollywood inspired environment. Gwen’s dimension is especially colorful with the watercolor style reflecting her comic book covers. Almost every character has a distinct style to their animation from 1960s campy to 90s angst. While the movie visually stunning and dynamic, let’s get into what’s going on story wise.

The Characters

The main characters of the movie are definitely Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. They both are different sides of the story that reflect the theme of who someone is as Spider-Man and what kind of story they have or what they want out of life. In a way, it continues the ideas and themes about expectations with choosing their own path in spite of others’ opinions and expectations.

Afro-Latino protagonist Miles is someone who’s dealing with the crossroads of who he wants be while grappling with the expectations from his family. He’s also struggling with balancing his two lives as a teen and a superhero with his responsibilities to his family. When face-to-face with Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, and the fact about canon events, Miles chooses to go against it believing he can save people without risking the Spider-Verse. The phrase “I can do both” is what caught my attention because it is possible for some people, but not a choice for Spider-People in that they must experience canon events for the sake of the Spider-Verse.

Gwen is faced with the rigid expectations of what it means to be Spider-Man and how she faces the choices she makes. Gwen makes the decision to go against Miguel and the Spider-Society to save Miles on the wrong Earth, deciding to become her own hero that she wants to believe in.

The Spot, Johnathan Ohnn, is the main villain of the movie with his power to make dimensional portals after the collider exploded in the previous film. They at first portray him more of a joke character, but then slowly build him into a terrifying threat with colossal amounts of power at his hands. This is shocking because I always thought of him as a lackluster villain despite having a cool power. They actually made what could of been a joke into someone more terrifying in concept alone.

The numerous cameos from the Spider-Society range from interesting to hilarious. One of them is an obscure spider-person in a wheelchair and with crutches named Charlotte Webber or Sun-Spider of Earth-20023. Others include a cowboy, cat, t-rex, and even dune buggy. They all could just be glorified cameos with no substance, but they actually bring out the abstract craziness of the Spider-Verse and what it means for future of the franchise as a whole.

The Story

The whole story centers around Miles Morales and his journey into becoming Spider-Man, but also Gwen’s journey and how the Spider-Verse is being threatened by the Spot.

The villain is definitely the Spot and his crusade to destroy Miles, but the antagonist is Miguel O’Hara’s ideology about the Spider-Verse. Miguel’s insistence of maintaining the order of the Spider-Verse goes directly against Miles’ idea of what it means to be Spider-Man. Miles wants to save his father from a fated death as a police captain, but Miguel wants to let it play out so that the universe isn’t destroyed because of canon events.

The idea of canon events creates the division among the Spider-People where they choose to let people die to preserve the universe or risk its destruction. This idea is pretty similar to what Doctor Strange presented in No Way Home with letting the villains die than risk the universe. I think because Miles doesn’t follow the canon, he can break the cycle that all the Spider-People endure and have them even question the very system they follow.

I liked how the story left us on a cliffhanger that made us crave more of the movies and possible spinoffs. Leaving us wondering what will happen to Miles on Earth 42 with his evil doppelgänger or what Gwen’s plan is now that she’s leading a splinter team against Miguel and the Spider-Society.

Afterword

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a miracle in the landscape of sequels and two-parters. It has pushed itself to a whole new level of animation with unique colors and styles. The story and characters are pushed to their limits with dilemmas of preservation and duty along with freedom of choice and finding one’s way. It reminds us that no matter who you are, you can still be unsure of what you want and still be okay with questioning things.

Now I can’t wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse next year.

[hyog-blog]

A Journey to Love I don't even know where to start with this show... spectacular visuals, nearly impeccable writing, breathtaking OST? Anyway, if you still haven't watched it and you love wuxia - do not even think twice, it's one of the really good ones.

It's so cinematic in a way it's been shot - some frames are pure orgasm for the eyes. You can see it in the colours, in the clothes, in all the styles. The music everywhere just fits so RIGHT. Most of the time it's just so good you don't pay attention because it's well-matched, but having watched so many cdramas you just learn to appreciate the not-so-small things that make a masterpiece.

I was pleasantly impressed to find out the plot was original - it's so well-written and you can see the character growth and changes of the leads and many other characters as well. You will find everything here - quirky romance, amazing brotherhood, a load of fresh almost anime-style humor that will get you rolling, proper wuxia mood, lots of murders and killings done in style, lots of plotting, revenge, and a FL courting the ML like I've never seen before XD They're seriously gorgeous together both visually and personality-wise.

A story about killers, heroes, and killer-heroes, as well as rulers, power-hungry royalty, war, the role of a woman in a not-so-modern society, and the badassery that comes with it once a woman does decide to take her destiny into her own hands. The FL, Ren Ruyi, played by Liu Shishi is vicious, strong, professional, stabby, murderous, looks stunning in red, and doesn't think twice when she sees a man she likes. The ML, Ning Yuanzhou, played by Liu Yuning, is tall, handsome (with long legs and a kind heart (c) he-he). Not-so-former leader of the emperor's special force, also stabby, murderous, and looks dashing in a uniform. Their relationship is mature but also cuddly and a bit kinky. Still, they are one of my most favorite CPs out there (and oddly healthy despite their flaws and backgrounds). They just match so well.

Ning's brotherhood of nosy and highly talented boys is truly unmatched both in the looks and gossip department. There is literally no privacy for anyone, there was so much comedy built around that, I didn't know a show could be this good.

Anyway, it's not a detailed review, I'm just trying to vent a little bit having watched the finale. The show did make me cry quite a lot, that happens only when you really get invested in the characters and the plot - and everything is written so well that by the end of it, you're just lost to the amazing production, great acting, and world-building. Just a stunningly made wuxia piece that has a little bit of everything we love so much - romance, revenge, murderous husband and wife, brotherhood, love-love-love, bad guys showing their good sides, the baddest guys getting what they really deserve, lots of heroism, lots of beautiful fights, great music, and a highly entertaining plot.

That's about it for now, I'll probably sing some more praise later, but need to recover after the show's ending first.

[magicwhiskers29]

I guess I'm doing another review-type post? So, I recently finished a neat little 2D platformer named Shu, and whilst a bunch of my friends have it and have played it/are playing it, I think we might actually make up like 50% of the Shu playerbase at this point.

So... Shu! It's about this lil' owl(?) guy called Shu, who is trying to outrun the end of the world, or, in this case, this... creature, heralding the end of the world.

Shu is trying to save all the villagers in their village from this monster, which I believe is known as the storm. (Side note, me and the gang have been calling it 'Chris' for... You know, I'm not even sure why, but if say 'Chris', I mean this guy.)

It's a platformer, where your main two moves are jump, and glide. Sounds simple enough, and it is, but this gets expanded by the main gimick of each set of levels: the villagers.

Each area (usually three levels per area, with the exception of the final area, and the post-game area) will get you two villagers by the end of it, each giving a unique extra ability. For example, in the first area, you're aided by a villager that gives you a ground-pound (Sending you to the ground quicker and allowing you to destroy certain obstacles), and another that controls the growth of certain flower obstacles to either build a path or removes walls.

It's a game with a simple premise, but fun execution! The game is good at coming up with unique ways to implement its mechanics, such as changing water level puzzles for a villager who lets you skate on water for a limited time. It's simple, but effective!

Additionally, everyone's favourite nightmare-inducer Chris (the storm) will chase you at certain points, giving you timed escapes à la Ori and the Blind Forest/ Will of the Wisps with some often pretty cool set pieces! The "Run" that pops up whenever Chris my beloathed shows up never fails to make me jump, what with the thunder sound that hits, as well as the lightning flash, when it appears. (Side note, lighting and thunder at the same time is a great way of showing how close the storm is.) These are often decently challenging, especially to get through first try, and add a good sense of pressure to the game.

There's also a lot to do for completion -- inside each level will be six babbies (little colourful bird thingies who I was calling 'Flickies' for the longest time lol), a relic piece which creates a stone carving per area when you collect all that area's pieces (these are usually much better hidden than the babbies, expecting you to walk through secret exits or follow secret trails of wind) denoted as nearby by the music quietening and a 'glowing' sound effect beginning, as well as a number of glowing butterflies along the path that you'll be graded on completion of at the end of the level (bronze, silver, or gold), a Goo Shu race available to do on level replays to speedrun it, and a stamp for beating the level deathless.

The visuals are stunning, and the animation's beautiful. Shu's (the character's) movements look super charming, and they have a cute design! The area's all have a unique aesthetic, ranging from a gloomy jungle, to a barren desert, to a graveyard! My favourite area, design-wise, is definitely the last one; the City of Eagles is beatiful to look at, with a very interesting sense of architecture and design -- the shattered glass look especially looks lovely.

The music's great too! It's often simple, but the storm's (Chris's) theme is intimidating, most of the overworld themes are quite beautiful, the main theme is wonderful, and the main theme remix for the final level made me really excited to listen to! It's not stand-out brilliant, but it's nice, and I do like it.

Overall, I mostly had a blast collecting everything in all the levels -- the babbies are usually hidden in such a good way to be out the way so you have to search for them, but also not so hidden that it gets annoying. (Except for in one instance, where I swear you just can't even see them... It also involves looping back on yourself whilst being chased, which probably adds to that.) I loved listening for the sound cues for the mural pieces (relics, I think I called them earlier), and it felt good to save all the babbies!

I'm not going to talk about each level individually, because this is mostly just an overview post, but I do want to give special focus to the final level, The Tower, for reasons I hope will become clear.

Conceptually, it's a near-perfect finale. It requires you to re-use all the villagers from all previous area whilst being chased by the eyeless monster way scarier than HK's No Eyes, Chris. The music, as I have said, is stellar, the environment looks beautiful, and it's a good, genuinely challenging test of your skills. I like the way it forces you to alternate playing with villagers and without, but I think that also highlights my main issue with it -- it's kinda difficult to remember the controls of villagers you haven't used in hours of in-game time, especially when you're expected to do so on the fly, whilst fleeing Chris "help he knocked me off the platform with his tentacles" the Storm.

You're very liable to die because you don't remember which two buttons activate which villagers under which circumstances, an issue increased by the fact that you always have two villagers with you at once in this level. This can be incredibly frustrating when this level is by far the longest in the game, and some of the length between checkpoints can be brutal, and if you lose all five lives, you reset to the beginning of the level. I'm not mad that it's challenging, more so that it can feel unfairly so in this level specifically.

But... It still felt fantastic to beat, and I was thrilled with the ending cutscene and cute pieces of concept art used in the credits.

In general, the game is pretty cheap, and frequently on sale, so if you feel like giving it a chance, I would highly recommend! If you like Ori BF/WotW, you'll probably enjoy Shu! (Though, I would note that the Switch version sometimes crashes -- both me and a friend have issues with the game crashing between levels -- it really doesn't seem to like it if you spam the restart option too much. I can't comment on the other versions of the game, though.)

So.... Nobody' played Shu, or even heard of it, it would seem, but thank you to a sweet little game for giving me a fun time :)

Now, just for fun, me and @sirspears put together a tier list of all the Shu villagers + the diabolical and disasterous Chris. If anyone has played this game, feel free to ask about the placements lol

[fromtheasheslikeaphoenix]

The Grimm Variations | EP 1

Been debating to write some review type content on here for years, why not start now?

This chain of posts comes from someone who grew up with the original tales, as I'm German, but I'm pretty acquainted with retellings so no bias there.

Not spoiler free!

—

Cinderella

I'm honestly not quite sure what I was expecting, I didn't read a ton of the summary prior and the bit I read was quite a while before the show came out...

The style is what you'd expect out of anime these days, stable and pretty. Some visuals are really stunning, most emotions are well portrayed, etc. Even the gruesome has beauty to it, so that aligns well with the origins of it all.

Idea wise it's basically „What if Cinderella was actually a sheming mentally ill girl“ - which, in and of itself, is a solid idea and totally has my stamp of approval..

However, like with the other two episodes I've watched so far, there's a bunch of unexplained that just makes it feel incomplete, like the stories are a draft each for their own spin-off.

Cinderella just randomly has a talking doll, it plays into the old cliche of „Some people are just that way by nature“, gives no real conclusion or ending as the Grimm tales like most stories usually do.

The Grimm's have barely any involvement, despite their high value VA's and nice designs and the inclusion of the sister feels more like a unnecessary extra.

In short, though, it's definitely worth a try - especially if you're familiar with the originals, or as a starting point to check out the originals. They're both meant to provoke thoughts and reactions and however many times I've heard Cinderella and the other 2 stories - they definitely achieved that.

Please keep in mind that the episodes are more like short movies. All are around 40 minutes long and I wouldn't rec splitting them up in between.

The intro and outro are nothing really noteworthy, there's also no content really after the ending so you may just go on after the episodes are done...

If you struggle with dark themes, or gore, or emotional/mental manipulation, and the likes I might avoid the show. The second episode is especially heavy on the bloody, murdery aspects.

This is definitely a show for older anime fans. Some recommendations I can think of or cross-references - in case you need them - would be: Aoi Bungaku (retelling of old Japanese written classics), Kakegurui, Tomodachi Game, Mirai Nikki, Elfen Lied, Madoka Magica, Juuni Taisen. (& Yes, outside of Madoka I've seen them all). These mostly apply to episodes one and two!

[taegimood]

(edit: pls send me requests omg give me something legit to write about 💀🙏🏼 help)

ok literally no one asked for this but i’ve been asking my moots these questions, so i figured i might as well answer them myself too lol

which member's type do you think you'd be?

which member is closest to your type (bias or not)?

which member do you think you'd be closest with platonically?

which member do you think you'd be the least close with?

1: i think i’d be closest to yeonjun’s type, at least visually.. my primary fashion is grungy street style so i think we have a lot in common style-wise and would vibe hard tbh :3 (but personality-wise..? idk i haven’t thought that far ahead lmao what do you guys think?? would any of them like me o_o)

2: oh man.. this is hard cuz visually i don’t really have one set type, i’m attracted to several different vibes.. but yeonjun cuz of the fashion and fox features, and soobin because ??? look at him ?? kdrama first love coded, periodt. (but they’re all so stunning that if i saw any of them on the street without knowing who they were i’d definitely want their numbers and also their [redacted])

personality-wise… RAHHHH why are these questions so hard i literally suck at making decisions- i’m the one that made these questions too ffs- ok sometimes yeonjun makes me want to shove my hand into his face and PUSH (lovingly. respectfully.) because he’s so Frat Bro Coded sometimes LMAOO 😭 so i think soobin or beomgyu. gyu is INSANE but i think we’d have so much fun together and he can be soft and serious when the time calls for it. i rlly want someone i can be goofy as hell with and gyu def fits the bill. and soobin……. oh, my sweet soobin……. dream man…. he’s so 💖💕💝💘💗 ……. (not me clowning matcha for being biased for gyu in her response while soobin is living rent free in every single one of my answers 🤡) soobin is the Actual Love Of My Life™ and i think we could fit well together in so many ways but 3 things that DEPRESSINGLY make me wonder if we’d work:

i’m also an introvert so i need someone more extroverted than i am to get me out of my shell 😖 biggest one is he said he doesn’t lead in the relationship and lets the girl make all the decisions (i prefer a guy who leads and wants to make decisions together) and he loves physical touch but only when he’s the one giving it 🤨 IM SUCH A TOUCHY CLINGY BITCH SOOBIN PLS LET ME HOLD YOU-

3: this post is so fckn long for no reason why am i such a verbal processor this one is ALSO hard cuz not to sound like a pick-me but i feel like i could be pretty good friends w any of them?? 😭 maybe gyu ??? i’m an introvert so he definitely might get too overwhelming for me at times but i also become a crackhead when i’m with friends i can be myself with who share my humor, so i think when i’m in the right headspace gyu and i could just go crazy together and be goofy asf lol. we could also game together and i could run him into the ground in victory 🫶🏼

but ok yeonjun and i would be such bros together plus he knows what it’s like to live in america so there’s that and fashion to bond over… i could be total gym buddies with taehyun and we’d bounce that dry humor off of each other… just like soobin and kai, i’m a huge anime and video game nerd (could do show and tell w kai and all our plushies too 🫶🏼) so i could game and binge anime for hours and be totally content especially if i’m bonding over it w someone else o_o SOOOOO i feel like i could be friends with all of them but as for besties? not me wanting to pick soobin again i don’t know 😀

minji do you literally know anything

4: honestly i think taehyun :((( i just think i have the least amount of things in common with him, that’s all !!! no other reason i still love him sm although i’m also a singer actually (fun fact) so i think we could do such pretty covers together 🥺

anyway this is LONG AS ALL HELL for literally no reason other than the fact that i talk too much lmao so here are the answers that no one asked for 😍

[bunnimew]

I think ROTG could have been more interesting story-wise and in character-design if there were less/shorter fight scenes, more interesting/longer verbal exchanges, more information and showing of magic and spirits, and less money spent on dream/nightmare sand. Also, having more gray morality: properly acknowledging the Guardians and Moon for wronging Pitch and Jack, Pitch's and Jack's resentment for them, etc. Also, it's a film I think would be better as a series, like Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

Hey, Anon!

Yeah, all of this is probably true, but the source books are also pretty black/white with the morality, and the verbal exchanges are not what I would call stellar, so I don't think RotG was ever going to be that nuanced. Frankly, Gaiman and Joyce are not on the same level, and that's likely the core of it.

But also I love fight scenes!! I'm a huge fight scene fan. Action/adventure is one of my favorite genres, so I can't be mad about a film spending time in a fight sequence. They can be some of the coolest parts of a story. RotG was limited in this way by TOOTHIANA NOT HAVING SWORDS and making all of them ranged fighters and/or not particularly effective. Like, does North ever actually get to sword fight? He waves them around a lot but my memory-impression is that he mostly jumped at things and those things poofed or moved away. So exciting, right?

More information would have been so nice. But I'm not sure that information was there to show. Like writing a character's backstory after making the whole film, if nobody has stopped to make a pepe silvia board about how it all works, then there's no way to put that information on screen. It's nice that it's open for fic and art to interpret, and we sure do interpret, but I like the feeling of fleshed out worlds and RotG does not deliver that.

Truly, RotG is a stunning work of visual art. Every one of those visual artists showed up and went above and beyond. The dream/nightmare sand looks like so much was spent on it because those artists believed in what they were doing. It's super not their fault that the writers phoned in their half of the movie. If the writers had written it differently, I'm sure the animators would have made those expanded dialogue and information scenes just as gorgeous as everything else.

But RotG was also made for kids, and someone on that staff definitely thought kids couldn't handle nuance. I suspect Joyce thinks kids can't handle nuance. The writing is so shallow because it was never meant to be that deep. The story suffered for it. I'll probably never forgive the writers. But I am going to give the artists a standing ovation for the time, thought, and effort they put in to what they were given.

So yeah, Anon. You're right. We could have had so much more. But I don't think it was ever in the cards.

Thanks for the ask ❤

[synergysilhouette]

Best to worst Disney live-action remakes (that I've seen)

Cinderella--I regret the removal of songs, but two of them are on the soundtrack, and the visuals and costuming as stunning, as well as staying true to Cinderella's original character without making her "I'm not like other girls" and giving the prince more screentime and development.

Alice in Wonderland--Making a sequel instead of a remake was a stroke of GENIUS. I only ranked "Cinderella" higher since the remake had a good distance of time between it and the original, so it was like reliving the fairy tale.

Beauty and the Beast--The fans ruined this for me. I didn't even HEAR the autotune until I heard about it. All in all, you can't improve upon perfection, but I'm glad it was loyal to the original. Belle's yellow dress still feels underwhelming to this day, though.

Aladdin--the singing was MUCH better to the remake of BATB, but the storyline felt more political and less fantastical, particularly with Jasmine's storyline.

The Jungle Book--Beautiful, though I don't really jive with animal-centric films (save Zootopia since they're in a human-like environment).

Cruella--I enjoyed it more than I thought, but I wanted more carnage and mayham (and if they were able to do that without the animal cruelty, it'd be a bonus--though a challenge to Cruella's core character). I'd love to see Helena Bonham Carter play an older version of Cruella.

Maleficent--I was on board with the "other side to the story" angle, but not at the risk of ruined characters; the fairies and Phillip aren't heroic, Stefan is an awful person, and Aurora is a means to an end and an unfortunate obstacle in Maleficent's way.

Alice Through the Looking Glass--I'm just glad they brought back the cast members.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil--GREAT title, but the storyline felt more or less the same as the original, with rushed characterization for the dark fae and Aurora and Maleficent's relationship being broken WAY to easily.

Mulan--The original may not be my favorite Disne movie, but Mulan is my favorite Disney princess, and EVERYTHING about this movie disrespected her and her original film, in my eyes. We deserved MORE songs, not less, Shang and Mushu are iconic, and Shan Yu is underrated. In the ideal world, a live-action version would've married the original animated musical with acclaimed Wuxia films ("House of Flying Daggers" keeps coming to mind).

Disney has always had an iffy track record with live-action films to begin with, which I guess is why they're leaning on remakes. I'd enjoy more satires like "Enchanted" or creative sequels like "Alice in Wonderland"--or perhaps remakes that utilized deleted content and concepts. Adapting the underrated films would also make sense in my eyes, but I get why (from a financial standpoint) that wouldn't be wise. I don't really wait in line for any of the remakes, though I'm curious to see if we'll ever hear about the remake for "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."