the-picky-critic

[the-picky-critic]

Enough said.

[the-picky-critic]

https://charlottesbag.com

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America, apparently.

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A Letter for Science Lovers Everywhere

"Science helps humanity..."

Source: The New York Times

[the-picky-critic]

Hope for Humanity

https://www.litrejections.com/humanity/

[the-picky-critic]

🚗 😔

[the-picky-critic]

Have YOU Heard this Song Yet? 🫵

[the-picky-critic]

The Picky Shipper blog is Dead!

The Picky Critic rises from the ashes!

You're probably wondering, "What will be on this new blog?"

Memes, music, and my thoughts on current events. The update schedule will be whenever I have something to post. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Any topics you'd like to me write about? Let me know!

[the-picky-critic]

Dandadan: Worth the Watch?

So here's the thing: I'm interested in watching Dandadan. How can I not be? It has ghosts, aliens, and amazing character design (I also hear there's possibly a romance 👀).

But...I learned there's a disturbing scene in the first episode :\ I could still see the episode, but I don't feel very comfortable about it.

Despite what goes down, I saw it's one of highest rated anime episodes of all time (on IMDb)!

Is the show still worth watching despite what happens? Let' discuss!

[the-picky-critic]

Q REVIEWS: My Love Story/Ore Monogatari!!

Oh boy, oh boy!

Do you need purity in your life? Of course you do! I mean you’re on the internet for Pete’s sake, not to mention Tumblr nonetheless!! Worry, not my friend for this is one of the most innocent shows I have ever seen. Let’s get down to the review shall we?

Genre: Romance, comedy

What’s it about: Takeo Goda is a (massive, we’re talking in height and width here) freshman student at Shuei High. He has developed crushes over his life but most of the time the girls are much more interested in Makoto Sunakawa, his best friend. When Takeo saves a cute girl on the subway, he assumes she’ll like Makoto instead of him. But here’s the plot twist: What if  Rinko Yamato is actually crushing on kind-hearted Takeo?

What makes this anime so great: This. anime. is. so. fluffy! “My Love Story!!” is cute from start to finish. It’s a romance story that never gets boring because whether it’s a funny scene or thrilling action or cuddly love there is always something to entertain the viewer. (Also the opening is super sweet~)

Warnings: None! (Well…it is rated PG for minor content)

Bonus: You get to join Light Yagami and his friends on his journey to finding the Death Note! Okay, okay not really. However, you do get to enjoy an anime that is a change of pace from typical shows and that is so freaking adorable.

see they look alike, right?

[the-picky-critic]

I love the Way of the Househusband so much

okay kid. heres the deal. if theres a pic of two cats cuddling thats me and my wife. if one of them is orange then the orange one is my wife because its her favourite. okay kid? alright?

[the-picky-critic]

Spoilers for Aggretsuko S4!

Watching RetsuHaida finally become canon:

vs 

Waiting for LadyNoir to become canon after 80 years of “Will they, won’t they”:

[the-picky-critic]

Choices’ Top 5 and Worst 5 Stories

Ahoy sailors! I bring you the treasure of knowledge...shipping knowledge! 

I recently realized I prefer romance as a subplot rather than as an entire genre and I believe many other shippers would agree. So I decided to rank stories many non-romance stories from Choices, a visual novel library app.

You the reader would play as the protagonists of these stories. You can use Diamonds (in-game currency) to unlock exclusive options. I’m not sponsored in any way, but I really enjoy Choices so I wanted to share the best stories with you all!

Does this mean I’m officially reopening the blog? ...No, I don’t plan to post ships on a regular basis like before. Nevertheless, if I find an interesting ship maybe a I’ll make quick #ShipoftheWeekend post again.

Without further ado, let’s get to the rankings!

Top 5

5) Wishful Thinking

“Wishful Thinking” is a short story about a news reporter who gains telekinesis after being struck by lightning. 

It has plenty of humor and charming characters. Unfortunately, several of these fictional people reappear in later stories under different names, which solidifies their roles as “stock characters”.*

4) It Lives Beneath

The second book of the “It Lives Anthology” is a thrilling tale about unraveling the secrets behind the monsters and mysteries of Pine Springs.

You and your friends must earn and maintain a certain amount of “Nerve” in the game to successfully deal with perilous trials near the end. This point system shapes the story into a fun, suspenseful experience. However, the action following the climax is a bit repetitive. 

3) The Elementalists

In the magical school of Penderghast, ATLA meets Hogwarts. Well, not literally, but you’re able to use a range of elemental powers as you embark on a quest to defeat a mysterious enemy. 

“The Elementalists” has a lovable cast of characters and wonderful story. You have plenty of options to choose from in terms of magic, customization, and preferences, so the game has a decent amount of replay value.

2) The Heist: Monaco

In this “James Bond-style” adventure, you play as a master thief who plans to obtain Monaco’s crowned jewels and get revenge on an old crew member that betrayed you. 

The game consists of well-rounded characters, great Diamond-exclusive options, and entertaining writing/dialogue. You have the ability to pick five crew members from ten different options; the interactions of your crew differs depending on who is included. Because of this, you’ll definitely want to replay the story at least once!

1) Endless Summer

The first story I chose on Choices is still my favorite on the app. It’s about a group of college students who end up on a island full of strange creatures and time anomalies. This sci-fi adventure has an engaging plot and tricky puzzles which uncover the shocking secrets to big mysteries.

Each character seems to start off as a trope (e.g. popular girl, dumb jock) but have realistic, distinct personalities. I never minded spending Diamonds for this game and the numerous possibilities give it great replay value. 

Worst 5

5) Across the Void

In “Across the Void”, you play as a captain of a cruise ship during a time of civil war. The game has interesting mechanics like a system that measures the passengers’ happiness and the ability to play as two other characters (your brother and sister who are also aboard the ship).

The problem is the game is over-ambitious. For instance, there are numerous love interests, but you barely spend time with any of them by default, so obviously you barely know any of them by the end of the book. 

4) Perfect Match

You play as a woman matched to a person through an innovative match service, but eventually discover they aren’t what they seemed. This story has a very slow beginning and your match initially appears to be Mr. or Ms. Perfect.

The first few chapters are quiet boring, but as the story continues the pacing picks up. Since it eventually becomes exciting and you have the option to try for a different match, the game has moderate replay value.

3) The Royal Romance

In “The Royal Romance”, you compete to win the prince’s heart and your place as future queen of Cordonia (similar to the novel series, The Selection). Despite its intriguing premise, “The Royal Romance” is painfully repetitious.

I really want to like this series, especially since I am on Book 3, but the cliffhangers from the previous books were virtually the same. Not to mention every Diamond option unlocks an outfit with a bit of dialogue or an exclusive scene that will never be relevant again. I’d hate to say it, but the only reason to play any of the books again is to try for a different love interest.

2) Bloodbound

You work as an assistant to a CEO who is secretly part of a powerful vampire clan in New York City. This story offers an intriguing plot and characters as well as Diamond choices that unlock a rich backstory but...

Near the middle-end of the book things begin to fall apart. The game tries to offer you some romance options, but thanks to clunky writing it feels awkward and even strange. Due to the secrets uncovered in the first book, I was optimistic to start the second one. Unfortunately, it was too odd for me to continue.

1) My Two First Loves

As the title implies, “My Two First Loves” is a romance story where you must choose between your childhood friend and a bad boy (and eventually your best friend). The writing in this game is subpar and comes off as fake in certain parts. Plus, the bad boy character is essentially a replica of Logan from Choices’ “Ride or Die”. Despite the fact you have three different romantic interests, the story has terrible replay value (it doesn’t help that the protagonist is completely self-absorbed).

This game is only good for earning diamonds quickly. The chapters are fairly short and the cliffhangers are pretty interesting. Yet the overall storytelling fails, so I would not recommend it.

And that’s the end of my list. Do you play Choices? If you do, let me know what your favorite stories are. I love seeing fan art and fandom discussion!

*Stock characters and backgrounds aren’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, when you play long enough you’ll see assets reused in other stories likely to save production time. It’s when they’re overused that they become a problem. Almost all the side characters in “Wishful Thinking” are stock characters so they feel underdeveloped. 

[the-picky-critic]

Years ago this video strengthened my love for Springles ;u;

[the-picky-critic]

“Don’t die out there”

new chapter rekindled my love for springles!! please let them be ok!